1. Sami Yaffa – Classic 4 Bass

Sami Yaffa with the Eastwood Classic 4 Bass Guitar

2. Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band – Airline MAP

Rev Peyton (Big Damn Band) with the Airline Map Guitar

3. The Trouble with Monkeys – Michael Molenda – Airline ’59 Coronado

That’s right folks, when Editor in Cheif of Guitar Player Magazine decides to review a guitar, he really DOES take it for a test drive!

4. Beyond Veronica – Nessie Doss – Classic 4 Bass

Nessie Doss (Beyond Veronica) with the Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

5. Dennys Iuras – Brazil – Eastwood Mandocaster

Dennys Iuras (Brazil) with the Eastwood Mandocaster

6. Adrian Quesada of Grupo Fantasma – Airline MAP

Adrian Quesada (Grupo Fantasma) with the Airline Map Electric Guitar

7. Kepi Ghoulie / Dog Party – Airline 2P and Eastwood Rocket Bass

8. Devin Hoff – Sidejack BASS VI

Devin Hoff with the Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI Guitar

9. Tippi – Eastwood Stormbird

10. Jimmy Vivino – Conan Show – Airline Tuxedo

Jimmy Vivino (Basic Cable Band on Conan O'Brien's show) with the Airline Tuxedo Guitar

11. Silver Seas – Lex Price – Airline MAP Bass

Lex Price (Silver Seas) with the Airline Map Bass Guitar

12. Rob McNelley – Airline H44 STD

Rob McNelley with the Airline H44 STD Electric Guitar

13. Miles Holmwood – Stereos – Airline 2P

Miles Holmwood (Stereos) with the Airline 2P Electric Guitar

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (April 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Devo have always taken an unconventional approach to their music, videos, and striking fashion sense so it’s no surprise that this attitude would also apply to their choice of guitars. While many think of them as a synthpop band with the occasional guitar thrown in, in their early years they were precisely the opposite – at times featuring three guitarists in their line up (guitarist Bob1 [Mothersbaugh], guitarist/keyboardist Bob2 [Casale], and singer/keyboardist/guitarist Mark Mothersbaugh). By the early 80s, however, Bob1 was the only member with strings on his instrument with Bob2 and bassist Jerry Casale having mostly switched over to playing their parts on synths. They seemed to have not only enjoyed unusual choices in guitars (shying away from the all too common Strats and Les Pauls) but rotating through many different models as well.

(L to R) Bob2 with Gibson L6-S Custom, Bob1 with LaBaye 2x4 Six, Jerry Casale with modified Gibson Ripper, August 1979

• Bob Mothersbaugh
  Bob Mothersbaugh’s early guitar of choice was the (never particularly popular) Gibson L6-S Custom. A bit of an ugly duckling looking like a misguided copy of a standard Les Paul, it was designed by Bill Lawrence and was originally intended to be “a multi-sound system for the SG Standard” before morphing into an entirely new model. Initially embraced by players with jazz fusion leanings including Al Di Meola, Pat Martino, and Carlos Santana it was equipped with a six way chicken-head rotary knob to select any combination of the two pickups in series/parallel or in/out of phase. It’s likely that Mothersbaugh utilized many of these settings to get some of the distinctive Devo guitar sounds. He can be seen playing it in during “Secret Agent Man” in the short film In The Beginning Was The End: The Truth About De-Evolution from 1976 as well as numerous other videos and live performances. Also, Devo’s appearance on Saturday Night Live in 1978 saw both Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale playing L6-Ss.Bob Mothersbaugh also used the striking (and extremely rare) LaBaye 2×4 “Six”only 45 of which were produced in 1967 in Neodesha, Kansas. An obvious forerunner of the Steinberger in design if not playability and sound (the original pickups were notoriously weak). He can be seen playing it in the “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” video from 1978 and some of their earliest live shows outside of their native Akron, Ohio in New York. He still plays the guitar during live versions of “Mr. DNA” and, in a bit of showmanship, breaks all the strings at the end of the solo by violently pulling up on the vibrato arm.Perhaps his most famous guitar is the custom made Ibanez that was originally supposed to look like a potato but came out looking more like a cloud and can be seen in the Devo – Live 1980 DVD (and on the cover) as well as the “Girl U Want” video from 1980. He sold the guitar in the mid-80s while not in the best state of mind and set out to find it again years later. After over a decade of fruitlessly searching, it was finally found in the possession of pro skateboarder Jason Jessee who reunited Bob with the guitar.Over the years he’s been spotted with a variety of other guitars including a blue Ibanez Iceman (played on “Gates of Steel” on the late night TV show Fridays in 1980), an Olympic White Fender Musicmaster (as seen in “The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize” video from 1979 and “It Takes A Worried Man” in Neil Young’s Human Highway film), a Wine Red Les Paul – only acquired to be compatible with the 360 Systems Spectre Guitar Synthesizer which he described as “horrible” – with a “reverse horn” (done by Bob himself) as seen in the “Whip It” video from 1980 and even a Kay K1962 (played in the “Time Out for Fun” and “That’s Good” videos from 1982).

  He’s currently playing a Gibson Custom Shop’59 Les Paul reissue (modeled after Mike Bloomfield’s guitar), a 1964 Gibson SG Standard with P-90s and a Gibson Vibrola, and several entry-level G&L SC-2s which he has described as “probably my favorite guitar.”

  

  (L to R) Jerry Casale with custom-made bass with Gibson EB-3 neck, Bob1 with Ibanez “cloud” guitar, 1980

• Bob Casale
  Bob Casale’s main guitar seems to have been a red Hagstrom PB-24-G which he played at Devo’s first performance (as Sextet Devo) at Kent State University in 1973 as well as the “Satisfaction” and “Come Back Jonee” videos in 1978. Occasionally played by Mark Mothersbaugh as well as on Saturday Night Live in 1978 (with his trademark pedals duct taped to it). He can also be seen playing a Gibson Marauder at early shows in New York. During recent shows he has been playing a green Ibanez Talman TC420 with a red pickguard.
• Mark Mothersbaugh
  Mark almost exclusively used Fender Telecasters which he liked to duct tape his pedals to. This choice was not only aesthetic but practical as well as he can often be seen twiddling the knobs on the pedals while playing. He played what seemed to be a stock Telecaster in the “Satisfaction” video with what appears to be an Electro-Harmonix Frequency Analyzer mounted on the body though it looks like at times he had up to three pedals. Live footage of Devo in Japan in 1979 also shows Mark playing what appears to be a different Telecaster modified with a humbucker in the neck position. During current live shows he plays a left-handed Fender Stratocaster with a pedal duct taped to it, of course.
  

  Mark Mothersbaugh with Hagstrom PB-24-G & duct taped pedals

• Jerry Casale
  Left-handed bassist Jerry Casale has always played right-handed basses strung for a right-handed player (with the E string closest to the ground). At early live shows in Akron and New York he played a Gibson EB-3 before switching to a Gibson Ripper with the horns sawed off (and thick black arm padding added to the top side) supposedly to look more like a potato. This “Spudbass” can be seen in the “Satisfaction” video and on their Saturday Night Live appearance in 1978. He later had a plywood custom-made red rounded cross-shaped body fitted with two DiMarzio Model J’s and the neck from his EB-3 (as seen in Urgh! A Music War filmed in 1980). He then became an early adopter of the Steinberger L2 which he used since its release in 1981 (as seen in the videos for “That’s Good” and “Peek-A-Boo!” from 1982) and he continues to use in concert.

(L to R) Jerry Casale with Steinberger L2, Mark Mothersbaugh with left-handed Fender Stratocaster & duct taped pedals, Bob1 with G&L SC-2, Bob2 with Ibanez Talman TC420

As Bob Mothersbaugh has recently said, “Twenty years ago, someone in the band decided that guitars were obsolete and nobody would be using guitars 20 years from then, and they tried to make that a reality, which really didn’t work for us.” It’s good to see the guitars back.

The Devo Guitar Guide from MyRareGuitars.com

Lots of people are getting their music out there on YouTube these days. If you put up something creative – featuring EASTWOOD or AIRLINE guitars – we will give you a shout out in our monthly newsletter. Here are the latest ones…

Beyond Veronica – The Rivers Edge – Classic 4 Bass

The Mastersons Perform at John Varvatos Thursday Nite Live – Airline Coronado, Warren Ellis Tenor, Airline MAP Bass

The Black Lips – Cole’s Invincible Airline Twin Tone

The Black Marquee (LA) – Brokedown Casanova – 2012 – Classic 4 Bass / Airline Tuxedo

‘Only When It Rains’ and ‘Heartache’ by The Hedrons – Eastwood P-90

Eastwood Airline Big Horn – di Simone Gianlorenzi

Bill Nelson – two short clips – Airline Town & Country / Airline MAP

Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes” – Airline ’59 Custom

Golden Bloom – “Rhyme The Reason” – Airline RS-II

DOG DAY – “Happiness” – Airline Bass

The Fearless Vampire Killers – For You & Me – Classic 4 Bass

Mike Falzone – Coldplay cover Paradise – Airline MAP

White Mystery – Classic 6

RJ Ronquillo with his Airline ’59 1P

From Argentina: MUNDO ROCK – Franko with his Classic 4

Two videos from 15-year-old Solomon Hicks with his Eastwood Doral

Duke Robillard and his Airline Twin Tone

From Germany: VAN WOLFEN and his Airline Town & Country

Locksley – Airline MAP Bass

Cursed Arrows – Sidejack Baritone

Steve Wheeler (with Robin Guthrie) using his EEB-1

King Salami & The Cumberland 3 using Classic 6

The Black Lips – Airline Twin Tone

The Incarus Line – Lefty Magnum Bass

SNARKY PUPPY – Sidejack Baritone

LOCUS IN LOVE – Saturn ’63

AIR CASTLES – Airline Bighorn

Leone & Redington – Superfast and Mandocaster

Transmissor – Delta 6 & Classic 6

Demi Barbito – Airline MAP

RJ Ronquillo – Airline Tuxedo

Roscoe Does BECK – Eastwood Ichiban

Jeffrey Beauchamp Art Show Promo – Airline Tuxedo

Floating Action – Eastwood Classic 12

Missle – Airline 2P and MAP Bass

Gearwire.com – Airline Mandola

THE BLACK LIPS using an AIRLINE TWIN TONE

The Surf Aces with AIRLINE MAP Guitar and BASS. WOW!

..and the Joey Leone Signature goes south with a great Chilean band, called “Voodoo Zombie”

Dutch band DEE STAAT featuring EASTWOOD Delta 6

Dirty Pavor – Knobs & Switches

Unfortunate Science – featuring Eastwood WANDRE DLX

Hospital Beds – featuring AIRLINE MAP

Updated: YOUTUBE your EASTWOOD! from MyRareGuitars.com

As promised, here is my follow-up list to last month’s ‘My Top 10 Albums of 2011′ post. This list includes the “Top Ten Discoveries” during 2011. Cheers!

10) Felt – Forever Breathes the Lonely Word

Felt - Forever Breathes The Lonely Word

I’ve been a fan of Felt for many years brought on by some early compilation CD’s I picked up in the early 90′s. But last year I went back to fill in the gaps by picking up most of their LP’s in the original format. This 1986 release is one of their best. A great collection of pop nuggets with their trademark shimmering guitars throughout. This is a good place to start if you’re not on the Felt bandwagon, if you like Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Tom Verlaines Television, you’ll like this.

9) G.Love and Special Sauce – Best of

G Love & Special Sauce - Best Of

Who doesn’t like a Cold Beverage? I know I do and that single off his first release is hard to beat. If you have not grooved down this road yet, here is a great place to start. Sort of a cross between Jack Johnson and The Beastie Boys. With his unique style of Rock & Roll with a hip-hop slant and a chill out funkiness, G’s records are always a party favorite and his live shows are a non-stop romp. I’m not a fan of “best of” records, and this one is certainly NOT a great reflection of the bands capabilities. However, as an introduction to his work, this will ignite your curiosity to delve a little deeper.

The Icarus Line – Penance Soiree

The Icarus Line - Penance Soiree

Lat year I got an email from a guy named Joe Cardamone telling me he recently met Warren Ellis in an LA recording studio. So as I like Nick Cave/Grinderman, he figured I should check out his band, The Icarus Line. His new LP – Wildlife – is the best place to start. But once you get into that one, going back to this 2004 release cranks it up a few notches. Sort of a modern day version of The Stooges, Black Flag and The Birthday Party, not many bands have the guts and raw power to grind out a record like this. Not for the faint of heart, but if you’re in the mood to rock out, why go half way?

7) Can – Ege Bamyasi

Can - Ege Bamyasi

Can were the leading avant-garde rock group of the ’70s. For the uninitiated, this 1972 record is the best place to start. Many of the tracks sound like an unrehearsed jam session and someone accidentally pressed the record button. If that’s the case, someone deserves a big “thank you” for getting the tape rolling. It’s funky, it’s cool and it’s a must have in any record collection.

6) James Hunter – People Gonna Talk / The Hard Way

James Hunter - The Hard Way

James Hunter - People Gonna Talk

I discovered Hunter one night last year watching a rerun of “Later with Jools Holland”. His recordings feature rhythm & blues in the style of the 1950s, pitched between R&B, early rock & roll, and early soul with a twist of the Caribbean – a modern day Sam Cooke? What makes these records better than the rest of this genre is that they sound like they were recorded in the 60′s – I don’t mean poor quality – I mean the arrangements are minimal, crisp, clean, almost MONO without sounding dull. Just makes you want to forget all your daily worries, kick off your shoes and get up and dance. People Gonna Talk (2006) and The Hard Way (2008) are best listened to back to back. Although two years apart they string together like they were recorded the same day. And believe me, you can’t get enough of James Hunter in one CD, so you’ll NEED them both! Speaking of Sam Cooke…

5) Sam Cooke – Night Beat

Sam Cooke - Night Beat

Most music comes to us when referred by friends. I was telling Carl Cook (Eastwood Guitars, UK) about James Hunter, and he told me to check out this record. Unlike the Sam Cooke I was familiar with (You Send Me, Cupid, etc) this 1963 release focuses on the most important part of his genius — his glorious voice. If Sam Cooke had lived longer, there would’ve been several more sessions like this, but Night Beat is an even richer treasure for its rarity. Hard to believe this was recorded almost 50 years ago. What a treat.

4) Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish I Were an Eagle

Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish I Were An Eagle

I’ve been a fan of Smog (Bill’s earlier stuff) for many years. His dark and moody songs are delivered with a rather soothing baritone voice and minimalist arrangements. This records (2009) opening track – Jim Cain – is one of the best songs I’ve heard in years, and the closing track – Faith / Void – leads right into my next fave, David Bazan.

3) Pedro the Lion – Achilles Heel

Pedro The Lion - Achilles Heel

Prior to David Bazans solo work he recorded under the moniker of Pedro the Lion. This final LP (2004) was essentially Bazan on his own. Sorry I missed this 7 years ago, but glad I’m catching up now. The opening track – Bands with Managers – is a treat. “Bands with managers, are going places. Bands with messy hair and smooth white faces.”

2) David Bazan – Curse Your Branches / Fewer Moving Parts

David Bazan - Curse Your Branches

It was pure coincidence last year that I had just finished reading Dawkins – The God Delusion – when I discovered Bazans’ 2011 release – Strange Negotiations – so it made my top 2011 ten list. Moving backwards from there, every LP seems to get better and better. The music and lyrics from this 2009 release are equally compelling and the opening track – Hard to Be – is a perfect introduction to his work. Also check out the song Bearing Witness with the lyric, “so sick and tired and trying to make the pieces fit, cause it’s not what bearing witness is,”. Off his typical subject matter, the single “Fewer Broken Pieces” is a must listen to anyone who has ever played in a band.

1) Bill Nelson – The Practice of Everyday Life

Bill Nelson - The Practice of Everyday Life

The year 2011 marked the 40th anniversary of BILL NELSON’s recording career and to celebrate Esoteric Recordings released this wonderfully packaged boxed set containing more than 150 tracks over Eight CDs. Beginning with his earliest recordings, the set includes previously unreleased material by Be Bop Deluxe, along with examples from Bill’s extensive solo catalogue and is rounded off with a bonus CD featuring two previously unreleased BBC Radio One sessions from 1981 and 1983. If you are like me, you probably have most of this already. But hey, I’ve got over 50 CD’s from Bill, so it’s unlikely you are anything like me. If you are like most others, you have a Be Bop Deluxe LP and maybe one or two other LP’s from Bill over the years. Here is your chance to get caught up. It’s not cheap, here is a link to the best price I could find, and there is also an interesting video interview posted there.

My Top 10 Albums of 2011 List (Part 2) from MyRareGuitars.com

1) Tom Hamilton – Aerosmith – Airline MAP Bass

2) G. Love and Special Sauce – Custom Airline 3P ’59

G Love - Custom Airline 3P '59 Guitar

3) Miss Alex White – White Mystery Band – Classic 6

Miss Alex White (White Mystery Band) - Eastwood Classic 6 Guitar

4) Jay Codina – Blue Tattoo – Classic 6 Lefty

Jay Codina (Blue Tattoo) - Eastwood Classic 6 Lefty Guitar

5) Casey Crescenzo – The Dear Hunter – Coronado ’59 Custom

Casey Crescenzo (The Dear Hunter) - Coronado '59 Custom Guitar

6) Bill Nelson – Airline MAP

Bill Nelson with his Airline Map Guitar

7) Ripley Johnson – The Wooden Shjips – Airline 3P DLX

Ripley Johnson (The Wooden Shjips) - Airline 3P DLX Guitar

Tara Elliott and the Red Velvets – Airline 2P

Tara Elliot (The Red Velvets) - Airline 2P Guitar

9) Simonne Jones – Airline ’59 1P

Simonne Jones - Airline '59 1P Guitar

10) Milos Angelov – Matthew Good – Classic 4 Bass

Milos Angelov (Matthew Good) - Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

11) Abraham Millett – Third Eye Blind – Classic 4 Bass

Abraham Millett (Third Eye Blind) - Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

12) Creepoid – Classic 6

Creepoid - Eastwood Classic 6 Guitar

13) Rico – FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS – Airline Town & Country

Rico (Forever The Sickest Kids) - Airline Town & Country Guitar

In Studio with Obie O’Brien – Classic 4 Bass

Obie O'Brien in studio with his Eastwood Classic 4 Bass

Eastwood Celebrity Sightings (January 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Hey everyone! Ben Fargen here from Fargen Custom Amps & Mods. I was asked to write a post for MyRareGuitars.com, so I thought I’d write about some famous songs and amplifiers. I’m really looking forward to your comments, so let me know which songs and amps you would include in this list. Thanks!

10. Fender Showman (Blonde Brownface)

Song: Miserlou
Artist: Dick Dale
The unmistakable sound of surf guitar was created by Dick Dale’s Fender stratocaster and a Fender Showman amp. One of the most important pieces of his signature sound was a custom Fender reverb unit (built by Leo Fender and given to Dick Dale as a prototype) driving a cranked up dual showman into 2 X 15-inch JBL D1 30 speakers. On the opening low E run from Dick Dale’s version of Miserlou you knew surf guitar was born, and that super cool reverb-laden sound would change the history of instrumental guitar music.

Dick Dale's 1965 Fender Showman Amp at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ

9. Marshall JTM 45 Combo (Series 2, Model #1962)

Song: Hideaway
Artist: Eric Clapton (John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)
In the mid 60′s – after Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds – he joined with the John Mayall Bluesbreakers. Within one year earned a huge reputation and the nickname “Slowhand”. The Bluesbreakers recorded the Beano album in April 1966 and Clapton used a Marshall Series 2 1962 JTM 45 combo with KT 66 tubes. This amp coupled with the Les Paul guitar created a new kind of sound no one had ever heard before in blues. Some dubbed this the “woman” tone, and players have been chasing it for decades.

The Marshall Bluesbreaker: The Story of Marshall's First Combo

8. Fender Deluxe Reverb

Song: Sweet Dreams
Artist: Roy Buchanan
Roy Buchanan and his trusty, well-weathered 50′s telecaster never abused a finer vintage amp than the Fender Deluxe Reverb. Roy was known for cranking his Fender Deluxe Reverb full blast and facing it toward the back of the stage to cut the stage volume. Roy gave his fans one screaming note after another and some of the sweetest tear-jerking blues you’ve ever heard. If there was ever a player that could wring blood, sweat and tears from a guitar, it was the late, great Roy Buchanan.

1960's Blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp

7. Fender Bassman (Blonde Brownface)

Song: Rock This Town
Artist: Brian Setzer

Brian setzer is the king of cool when it come to rockabilly guitar style. He brought 50′s style blues/jazz guitar back in a time when AOR rock and new wave ruled the airwaves. One of the secret weapons in his tone is a Roland RE-201 Space Echo between his Gretsch guitar and two blonde Fender Bassman amps. That setup creates a great rowdy slap back echo which has become part of his signature tone.

Brian Setzer's Blonde Brownface Fender Bassman 6G6-B Amps setup with Roland Space Echo

6. Fender Tweed Deluxe

Song: Like A Hurricane
Artist: Neil Young
Neil Young is the godfather of grunge. bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana pay tribute to Neil’s wild, unleashed crunchy chords and ruckus feedback swirls in many of their songs. Neil sports his worn black beauty Les Paul, feeding his 1959 Tweed Deluxe on many of his classic tunes live and in the studio. One amazing part of Neil’s rig is the Whizzer. In order to access the Deluxe’s varying degrees of overdrive and gain, Young uses a custom-made amp-control switching device known simply as “the Whizzer,” which consists of 2 parts: the foot pedal and the mechanical switching device that physically turns the amp’s knobs. The Whizzer allows Young to stomp a footswitch on the floor to command the unit to twist the Deluxe’s volume and tone controls to any of a number of determined preset positions. This allows Neil to run a pure tone set up: guitar-cord-amp. No booster, overdrive, or distortion pedals are needed to achieve his classic agro-tone…just the little 50′s Fender Tweed Deluxe and the Whizzer.

Neil Young's 1959 Fender Tweed Deluxe Amp

5. VOX AC30

Song: Bad
Arist: The Edge (U2)

The Edge is one of my all time favorite guitarists. He created a signature sound early on in his career with a Fender Stratocaster, Electro Harmonix Memory Man delay pedal and a VOX AC30 on albums such as WAR and The Unforgettable Fire. This winning combination has served him well from the early days all the way through recent records and live work. The Edge creates complex echo manipulations coupled with the airy chime of the Vox AC30. The Edge has used a massive catalog of guitars and multi FX units over the years, but the AC30 has remained a staple regardless of the other changes. These gear details coupled with his brilliant parts make U2′s catalog of songs distinguishable with just one note of the Edge’s guitar. Very few guitar players in history have created such a powerful and recognizable signature sound like The Edge.

“]

The Edge's 1964 Vox AC30TB (Top Boost) Amp ['64 chassis in a 70's cabinet

4. Supro Thunderbolt

Song: Communication Breakdown
Artist: Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
There has been a lot of speculation over the years regarding the amps that Jimmy Page used in the studio during the groundbreaking debut release Led Zeppelin. Jimmy will neither confirm nor deny which amp(s) were used in the studio, and there are no known photos in the archives to corroborate my story. But…based on the tones heard on the record, it is entirely possible that the Supro Thunderbolt was used. So in keeping with the mythical ethos of Led Zeppelin, I added it in to the mix.

Supro Thunderbolt Amp (front)

Supro Thunderbolt Amp (back)

Now, just to add to the mystery, here’s the Supro amp that Jimmy page gave to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s actually a Supro 1690T Coronado, but the features of the amp do not match up with details Jimmy previously provided when questioned about the Supro amp he used on Led Zeppelin. And the mystery continues…

The Supro 1690T Coronado that Jimmy Page gave to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Supro 1690T Coronado Amp (catalog ad)

3. Marshall Bass 50w #1986 (Head)

Song: Statesboro Blues
Artist: Duane Allman (Allman Brothers Band)
Anyone that loves electric guitar cannot deny the impact Duanne Allman had on the legacy of blues slide guitar. His liquid lines and fluid tone seem to jump from the neck of his Gibson Les Paul without effort. He used a simple rig of two 50 Watt Marshall heads into two 4 x 12-inch cabs. His tone on the legendary Allman Brothers recording Live at the Filmore East is a destination for anyone wanting to capture the ultimate blues tone. Nobody plays it the way Duane did. If you don’t own a copy of this record, I recommend you head to the record store and pick it up immediately because you are missing out on a legendary sound and performance.

Marshall Bass 50w Head Model #1986

Duane Allman's Last Show (Oct. 1971, Los Angeles)

2. Dumble Overdrive Special

Song: Josie
Artist: Larry Carlton (Steely Dan)
During the 1970′s and 80′s Mr. 335 laid down over 500 tracks a year as a session player and on his own records. He is definitely one of LA’s guitar royalty. Armed with his trusty ’68 Gibson ES-335 and two Dumble Overdrive Special amps, his monster jazz fusion guitar line are unmistakable and can be heard all over popular music. Steely Dan’s 6th release, Aja, employed a huge jazz influence and was their most guitar heavy record to date. This was mostly in part to the amazingly tasty tones and licks from Larry Carlton. Aja is one of Steely Dan’s best and most popular records for sure. Mr. 335 obviously helped push that record to the top.

Larry Carlton's Dumble Overdrive Special Amps (2005)

1. Marshall Super Lead #1959 (12,000 Series Metal Panel Plexi 100-Watt)

Song: Running With The Devil
Artist: Eddie Van Halen
With the release of Van Halen I in 1978, the world of rock was changed forever. Edward Van Halen hit the scene with a new guitar sound that was so fast and furious no one had ever heard anything like it before. Eddie was a do-it-yourself kind of guy, always tweaking around with modded guitar pickups, different fx pedals on the floor and different ways to drive his Marshall amplifier into saturated overdrive. In the legend of EVH, many myths about how he created his early guitar tone have run rampant for decades. Speculation about DIY mods like power resistors across the power tubes plates, AC variacs to raise or lower the input voltage of the amp, and large resistant power loads over the speaker out have spawned endless articles and arguments on forums about how the legendary early EVH sound was created. Sketchy details from the era and no solid proof of what was used from EVH or his camp during those days continue to feed the tone chasers fuel tanks. And to this day the holy grail tone from Van Halen 1 has players frothing at the mouth. But you and I know the only real truth: The tone is 95% in the hands, and Eddie’s legendary sound has more to do with the notes he played rather than the tone in which he played it with.

Eddie Van Halen's Marshall Super Lead #1959 100-watt Plexi

Eddie Van Halen's Marshall Super Lead #1959 100-watt Plexi

Eddie Van Halen's Marshall Super Lead #1959 100-watt Plexi

10 Classic Guitar Amps & The Songs That Made Them Famous from MyRareGuitars.com

The other day I was thinking about what I would do if I had a time machine. Would I travel back in time? Or would I travel forward? Or would I travel sideways? I don’t even know! But then I got to thinking: what if I could go back and be at some awesome and/or strange events in the world of music? Which events would I choose to visit? And that is the question that got me started on this list. It’s not a Top 10 List. Or even a Top 20. I’m just going to start running through some events that come to mind…mainly ones where I can find a picture to share. I’m going to try to update this list on a monthly basis. Feel free to share in the comments. I’m sure you all can think of some great moments to go back and visit (if/when possible). (Note: I’m sure I’m going to leave out a lot of amazingly-important events in the history of music. And I’m probably going to leave out your favorite musicians and bands. Sorry about that. It’s just the nature of lists. Feel free to comment with your own would-be entries for this ongoing list. Thanks!)

• Pink Floyd & The Who (New Year’s Eve, 1966, Manchester)
  Admission 1 pound?!?! Honestly, if I only had a time machine for 1 trip, I’d have to use it to go back and see this show. I mean, SERIOUSLY?!?
  

  Pink Floyd with The Who (New Year's Eve, 1966, Manchester)

• Red Hot Chili Peppers with Nirvana and Pearl Jam (New Year’s Eve, 1991, San Francisco)
  Three of the biggest bands from my childhood together on New Year’s Eve. Wow.
  

  Red Hot Chili Peppers with Nirvana & Pearl Jam (New Year's Eve 1991, San Francisco)

• The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show (1964)
  If *anyone* has a time machine, I’m pretty sure this is a mandatory stop. This is one of those moments that changed our music world forever.
  

  The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show (1964)

• Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Portland, Oregon – June 29, 1986)
  I got this picture in a forwarded email. Apparently, someone found these ticket stubs in a book they checked out at a local library. Pretty sweet deal, I’d say! Anyways, I bet that was a kickass concert.
  

  Bob Dylan with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers concert ticket stubs (June 1986 - Portland, OR)

• Bob Marley, Mick Jagger & Peter Tosh (1978)
  Peter Tosh is one of my all-time favorite musicians. I’m not exactly certain of where this picture was taken, but I’m going to assume that it was during the recording of Tosh’s album Bush Doctor because both Jagger and Marley contributed to that album. I would have LOVED to be in the studio during those sessions!
  

  Bob Marley, Mick Jagger & Peter Tosh (1978)

• Charles Barkley hosts SNL with musical guest Nirvana (1993, Saturday Night Live)
  I’m a big fan of Saturday Night Live. Yes, I know. It’s terrible these days, right? Well, that’s what everyone says every year.  But I’ve stuck with it this long. What’s another year? Anyways…back in 1993, there was an episode that featured Charles Barkley as host and Nirvana as the musical guest. I could probably find this on Hulu or YouTube, but I would have loved to be in the audience that night. I’m sure the chemistry was magical. And to make things even more awesome, there were cameos by RuPaul and Muggsy Bogues. Now that is outstanding.
  

  Charles Barkley and Nirvana on Saturday Night Live (1993)

  

  Charles Barkley, Nirvana, RuPaul & Muggsy Bogues on SNL (1993)

• Madonna, Sting & Tupac (1994, Tribeca dinner party)
  Not much to say here. Just an odd grouping. I miss Tupac.
  

  Madonna, Sting & Tupac (Tribeca dinner party, 1994)

• Michael Jackson & Freddie Mercury (circa 1980)
  I’m not sure when or where this picture was taken. All I can find out is that Michael Jackson stopped by the studio in 1980 when Queen was recording The Game. And from there, the legend goes that Michael and Freddie struck up a friendship. And apparently, they collaborated on some duets that have yet to be released. Some websites are reporting that the Michael Jackson/Freddie Mercury duets album will be released in 2012.
  

  Michael Jackson & Freddie Mercury (circa 1980)

• Mick Jagger forms group
  “I hope they don’t think we’re a rock ‘n’ roll outfit.” Classic!
  

  Mick Jagger forms group (newspaper clipping)

• Nirvana casting call for Smells Like Teen Spirit video
  I’ve got a few Nirvana references in this list so far. I know a lot of people hated them. But oh well. They were a big part of my childhood, as they were my favorite band. This video was huge, and it would have been awesome to be in it.
  

  Nirvana video casting call flier for 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video (1991)

• Willie Nelson & Snoop Dogg smoking backstage at the Glastonbury Music Festival (June 2010)
  Okay. I probably wouldn’t use my time machine to go back to witness this. But I thought it was a cool picture. I wonder what they talked about. I’m pretty sure they don’t remember!
  

  Willie Nelson & Snoop Dogg smoking backstage at the Glastonbury Music Festival (June 2010)

Like I said, I’m hoping to update this every month. Please comment and share!

If I Had A Time Machine… (Part 1) from MyRareGuitars.com

It’s that time of year again. Time for the top ten lists to start flying around the net. Well, here is mine . But first, my disclaimer: I wrote this in one sitting. No doubt I’ve missed a bunch, so I will publish a follow-up “alternate” list next month.

Josh Klinghoffer with the Airline Bighorn Guitar (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You album cover

10) Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You

When I first saw a photo of Josh Klinghoffer with his green Airline Bighorn, I knew I was going to like this album.

Magazine - No Thyself album cover

Magazine Reunion Tour 2009 concert ticket

9) Magazine – No Thyself

Even if there was no music on this disk – just the lyrics – it would make my top ten list. In fact, it was on my top ten list before I heard it, that is how much a fan of Magazine and Howard Devoto I am. Crazy really, so much so that I bought a concert ticket to their reunion concert in 2009. It was in UK, I am in Canada and I had no intention of going, I just had to have a ticket. Who spends 50 bucks on a ticket to a show they do not plan to attend? Anyway, great record, great lyrics, great to see Magazine back in the saddle.

Bazan - Strange Negotiations album cover

8 ) David Bazan – Strange Negotiantions

You’re a god damn fool, You’re a god damn fool, You’re a god damn fool, and I love you.

Wire - Red Barked Tree album cover

7 ) Wire – Red Barked Tree

WIRE just keeps on impressing. Just when you thought they can’t get better, they do. WIRE should be proud, and all those whom they’ve influenced over the years, get confirmation once again.

Buzzcocks - What Do I Get? album cover

6 ) Buzzcocks – What Do I Get?

It’s a 2011 release, but a LIVE album from a 2003 Sheppard’s Bush concert. It also includes a DVD of the performance and manages to fit 28 tracks into true Buzzcocks breakneck speed. More than a quarter of a century into their career at the time of this show, there’s not even the hint of a suggestion of them slowing down . Word is also out that 2012 will include a couple of shows in UK featuring Howard Devoto and the Spiral Scratch tunes. Too cool.

Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams album cover

5 ) Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams

The popularity of the single “Bedroom Eyes” (link to the video) brought the The Dum Dum Girls to a much wider audience this year. That’s good. This second album from the band is a leap forward. Give it a spin.

Blackie & the Rodeo Kings - Kings and Queens album cover

4 ) Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

What do you get when you take one of best bands to ever come out of Canada and make a record with an all-star cast of singers? Perhaps the best album of the year, that’s what.

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic album cover

3 ) Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Mirror Traffic

I’ve been a Pavement fan since day one and Malkmus has done it again. The meandering vocal lines intertwine with the seemingly sloppy and lazy guitar playing to create a fantastic collection of inspired pop gems. Did I say sloppy/lazy? Not really, just very refreshing to not hear a guitar played along to a click track. Long live this music.

City and Colour - Little Hell album cover

2) City and Colour – Little Hell

Dallas Green’s City and Colour is making us Canadians proud. Lavishly produced, beautiful vocals, haunting electric guitars over warm acoustics – just a great record. Go get it.

The Black Keys - El Camino album cover

1) The Black Keys -El Camino

What a killer record. Something about this album makes me want to quit my job, get the old band together, buy a crappy used van and hit the road. The production on this record makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of The Black Keys rehearsal space – it is compelling and it is making me want to pick up a guitar right now and jam along with them.

My Top 10 Albums of 2011 List (Part 1) from MyRareGuitars.com

by Kevin C. Smith

Imagine what you would do if you were a member of a seminal electronic music band that influenced musicians in a myriad of genres over multiple generations and whose stature still remains unparalleled to this day? And then imagine what would you do if your chosen instrument was not a synthesizer but instead a guitar? If you were Michael Rother you would leave Kraftwerk taking drummer Klaus Dinger with you and form the equally acclaimed, if not as well-known, Neu!

A rare television appearance of Kraftwerk with Florian Schneider, Rother and Dinger can be seen here:

Check out the video for Part 2/2 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU0Ls80ZhsY

Michael Rother in studio

Neu!

In 1971 Rother and Dinger formed Neu! after six months of filling in for Kraftwerk’s founding member (and half of the band at the time) synthesizer player Ralf Hütter while he pursued his studies in architecture. The duo quit Kraftwerk reportedly for – what would eventually become a supreme irony – their lack of vision and the following year released their self-titled debut album. Neu! consists (when there is a beat) almost entirely of Dinger’s relentless 4/4 pulse with minimal fills and Rother’s predilection for sticking to one chord throughout an entire song as well as playing a propulsive (often two note) bass line. If this sounds like a cure for your insomnia on paper, on record nothing could be further from the truth. While many of their peers in America and England at the time were exploring the kind of drones that would be suited to zoning out in pharmacologically induced states, Neu!’s music evoked a sense of forward motion particularly the kind found on driving open roads (Dinger’s signature beat was later dubbed Motorik by the music press). Almost always instrumental, Rother took Dinger’s unwavering beat as his starting point which he would then embellish with his layered, loping guitar vamps which ranged from fluid and shimmering (no doubt influenced by his time spent absorbing native music in Pakistan as in his early adolescence) to squalls of feedback to slashing, explosive crescendos at times within the same song. Completely abandoning any sense of traditional song structure including verses, choruses, and bridges, they instead opted for open ended, largely improvisatory workouts with the shortest song on their debut clocking in just under five minutes. While obviously not pop music their songs were also devoid of the virtuosic riffing so abundant at the time. Rother understood the importance of negative space and what he didn’t play was just as important as what he did play. One of the most focused and fully realized albums of all the so-called “Krautrock” bands, Neu! would also become central in redefining Kraftwerk’s previously unfocused sound and its influence looms large over their breakthrough 1974 album Autobahn (even employing the Motorik beat for a time on the title track).

Harmonia (with Michael Rother)

After a second Neu! album the following year (side two of which consisted of various primitive manipulations of two recordings from the first side after the band ran out of money to record any additional songs), Rother collaborated with Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius of Cluster under the name Harmonia even being joined for a time by Brian Eno. Regrouping for Neu!’s final album, Neu! ’75, drummer Klaus Dinger emerged as a competent guitarist (and singer) in his own right though only on the second side of the album in which Thomas Dinger and Hans Lampe played drums simultaneously. While Rother’s contributions to Neu!, as well as his string of fine solo albums, tended more to the ambient and reflective end of the spectrum (especially as he incorporated more keyboards), Dinger was more interested in straightforward, aggressive rock in particular his song “Hero” (from Neu! ’75) which seems to have eerily presaged John Lydon’s vocal style as well as Public Image Ltd’s music. (Here’s Dinger playing a beautiful Hagstrom Goya on “Hero”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPuBCfvMrBA) This line up of Klaus Dinger, his brother Thomas and Lampe would continue after Neu!’s split in 1975 as La Düsseldorf while Rother would go on to become a solo artist.

Harmonia's Gear & Set Up

In the midst of beginning his solo career in 1977, Rother was tapped by David Bowie to be his new guitarist as Bowie was relocating to Germany to record what was to become his Berlin Trilogy of Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger. Bowie, as always, was tuned in to what was happening in music and had been taking inspiration from the then current Krautrock bands. Kraftwerk’s 1977 song “Trans-Europe Express” contains the lyrics “From station to station / back to Düsseldorf City / Meet Iggy Pop and David Bowie” while Bowie returned the favor later in the year by naming “V-2 Schneider” after both a German ballistic missile and Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider. Due to an apparent miscommunication (depending on who you ask), however, Rother never worked with Bowie but it’s probably not a coincidence that Bowie’s ‘”Heroes”’ was released two years after Neu!’s “Hero.”

Michael Rother (2005)

Although their records sold modestly at the time and they rarely played live (due to difficulties of translating their multi-tracked guitar and drums set up to the stage), Neu!’s influence has only grown in the intervening years exerting a strong influence on the genres of post-punk, new wave, post-rock, and electronica overtly influencing everyone from Stereolab (frequent employers of the Motorik beat), Mogwai (check out “Mexican Grand Prix” for a straight up Krautrock homage), Negativland (who named both their band and their label Seeland after Neu! songs), Julian Cope (who titled a song “Michael Rother”), Sonic Youth (whose drummer Steve Shelley played Neu!’s ’music with Rother in a band called Hallogallo in 2010), and even the Red Hot Chili Peppers who Rother joined onstage in Hamburg in 2007 for a nearly 25 minute improv set.

by Kevin C. Smith

Michael Rother of Neu! & Harmonia from MyRareGuitars.com

With unusually warm weather here in Toronto this past week, my brother and I decided to spend a day fishing during the US Thanksgiving weekend. Upon leaving we loaded up the boat, jumped in the truck and turned on the radio to Little Feat’s “Fat Man in the Bathtub” from their 1978 Waiting For Columbus LIVE LP.

It got me thinking of how much I truly miss Lowell George. When the 1979 “Thanks I’ll Eat it Here” LP was released, I remember thinking, “huh, nice, but this is not a Little Feat Album, shame.” Soon after his death that album would become one of my favorites. To this day every time I listen to that record I love it, yet saddened, wishing that I could just hear one more album from Lowell.

With so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, I decided to put together my TOP TEN list of artists that I still wish to have heard more from, as they passed away far too soon.

1) Lowell George
On June 15, 1979, Lowell George began a tour in support of his solo album. George collapsed in his Arlington, Virginia hotel room and died on June 29, 1979. of an accidental drug overdose. Listen to Cheek to Cheek from this album. It will brighten up the dullest day.

2 ) Bob Marley

A soccer wound led to cancer in his right big toe, which he refused to get amputated due to his Rastafarian beliefs. The cancer gradually spread and he passed away on May 11, 1981, at the age of 36.
Marley single handedly spread Reggae music all over the globe and help put Jamaica on the world map. His influence would spread beyond the world of music. Becoming a cultural icon and a symbol of love and peace Bob’s fan base is still increasing by the day more than two decades after his death.

3) . Ian Curtis
July 15, 1956 — May 18, 1980
Age: 23
Ian Curtis was an artist and a tortured soul. His marriage was ending after an affair, and his health was challenged due to epilepsy. In the early morning of May 18, 1980 Ian watched the Werner Herzog’s film Stroszek, listened to the Iggy Pop album The Idiot, and then hanged himself in his kitchen. Joy Division was on to something new and I am glad I was there to be a part of it.

4)  D. Boon

April 1, 1958 — December 22, 1985
Age: 27
D. Boon had been sick with fever, so he was lying down in the back of his van while his girlfriend drove on route I-10 close to the California border. She ran off the road, Boon was thrown from the vehicle and was killed. Bandmate and bassist Mike Watt would go on to dedicate every post-Minuteman album he’s created to the memory of D. Boon. Double Nickels on the Dime is simply essential listening.

5)  John McGeoch

(25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004), was a Scottish guitarist who played with a number of bands of the post-punk era, including Magazine, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Visage and Public Image Ltd. Possibly the best one-note solo ever recorded in Magazine’s “Philadelphia”.

6)  Joe Strummer

Strummer died suddenly on 22 December 2002 in his home at Broomfield in Somerset, the victim of an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. The Clash we fantastic, yet I think Joe’s solo work showed no signs of slowing.

7) Phil Lynott

Lynott’s last years were dogged by drug and alcohol dependency leading to his collapse on Christmas Day 1985, at his home in Kew. After his estranged wife Caroline drove him to a drug clinic at Clouds House in East Knoyle, near Warminster, he was taken to Salisbury Infirmary where he was diagnosed as suffering from septicemia. He died of pneumonia and multiple organ failure due to sepsis[14] in the hospital’s intensive care unit on 4 January 1986, at the age of 36. Yes, Thin Lizzy kicked ass, I agree. But the solo hit “Old Town” might have been Phil at his best and I wish there was more…

. Gram Parsons
November 5, 1946 — September 19, 1973
Age: 26
Gram Parsons was a key figure in the birth of the country rock and alt-country genres. He had a great love for the Joshua Tree National Monument and this is where he overdosed on a combination of morphine and alcohol. His wish was to have his ashes spread in Joshua Tree and when his stepfather planned a private burial in New Orleans his road manager and a friend stole his body and tried to do a cremation in the desert with gasoline. I was lucky enough to have buddy Rob Roberge take Peter McCracken and me for a tour of Joshua Tree a few years back. Cool….

9)  Sam Cooke
Cooke died at the age of thirty-three on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel at 9137 South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles, California. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defense because he had attacked her. Police found Cooke’s body in Franklin’s apartment-office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear. The shooting was ultimately ruled a justifiable homicide. Great singer, I’ve recently discovered a modern day version in James Hunter, check out “People Gonna Talk”.

10) Marc Bolan
Bolan died on 16 September 1977, two weeks before his 30th birthday. He was a passenger in a purple Mini 1275GT (registration FOX 661L) driven by Gloria Jones as they headed home from Mortons drinking club and restaurant in Berkeley Square. Jones lost control of the car and it struck a sycamore tree after failing to negotiate a small humpback bridge near Gipsy Lane on Queens Ride, Barnes, southwest London. T-Rex, no other.

Thanksgiving Flashback – Musicians Gone Too Soon from MyRareGuitars.com