Premium Access
Jacky Bastek guitar player and Jacky Walraet luthier interview on the EGB Community Build
Saturday, 02 January 2021
At the occasion of the 2018 Holy Grail Guitar Show the European Guitar Builders (europeanguitarbuilders.com) association launched a project to build a guitar for several female guitar players. Here is the interview with musician Jacky Bastek with luthier Jacky Walraet about the guitar built during the EGB Community Build project. Jacky Bastek and Jacky Walraet
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Rory Dowling interview from Taran Guitars at the Holy Grail Guitar Show
Thursday, 31 December 2020
Rory Dowling was one of the top acoustic guitar builder at the Holy Grail Guitar Show edition of 2018. Here is a video interview with the British luthier for Taran Guitars (taranguitars.co.uk). Rory Dowling luthier interview Until the next interview, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. [cta_video]
- Published in All, Interviews
There are not many women luthiers. The Austrian Christina Kobler (koblerguitars.com) is one of them and was one of the exhibitors at the Holy Grail Guitar Show 2016. She builds high end acoustic guitar. Christina Kobler interview Until the next interview, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. [cta_video]
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Mike Lewis, his story with Eric Clapton, the phone call from George Harrison
Monday, 28 December 2020
Mike Lewis is an English born luthier who has been living in France for many years and works as a builder for Fine Resophonic (fineresophonic.com). He builds some of the best, if not the best, resonator type guitars. Just to name a few, he sold guitars to Eric Clapton, Robbie Macintosh and many more. Fine
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
- Published in All, Interviews
Thanks to a faithful premium subscriber of The Guitar Channel (thanks Steven), I was able to test a vintage Sola Sound Tone Bender Professional Mk II. It is one of the most sought after Fuzz pedals by aficionados. Tone Bender Professional Mk II review Impressions Fuzz pedals are difficult beasts to tame. This Tone Bender
Free Content
Gate Guitar #047 Spalt Instruments review: a piece of art you can play for good!
Friday, 11 December 2020
The Gate Guitar #047 from the Totem resin top series built by Austrian luthier Michael Spalt is one of the three guitars recently received at our Paris, France showroom. This is part of the service proposed to boutique builders described here in this post. Yes! It is definitely a piece of art but, boy, is
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Premium Access
Aaron Marshall interview, guitar player for Intervals, great Metal Prog band
Wednesday, 09 December 2020
Aaron Marshall is the guitar player and mastermind behind the Canadian Metal Prog band Intervals (intervalsmusic.net). Here is a Zoom guitar in hand interview recorded the day before the release of their new album Circadian. Aaron Marshall interview The Guitar Channel podcast The audio version of the video is available in the podcast on iTunes,
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
- Published in All, Interviews
Free Content
Unicorn Classic Ruokangas, a super high-end Les Paul type luthier guitar
Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Ruokangas (ruokangas.com) is a difficult name to pronounce for us but it's a well known name on The Guitar Channel since there have already been several interviews with luthier Juha Ruokangas as well as several luthier chronicles. In the category of high-end luthier guitars, here is the Unicorn Classic, the reinterpretation of the Les Paul
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Free Content
Simplifier Zero Watt DSM & Humboldt Analog Guitar Preamp Review
Friday, 13 November 2020
The Simplifier Zero Watt from the Chilean brand DSM & Humboldt (simplifieramp.com) is a fully analog guitar preamp that offers the three standard tube amp types. So we find the Fender Blackface sound, the VOX AC30 sound and finally the Marshall Plexi sound. The unit has a very small footprint since it is just the
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
In this review I present you the XTone Pro from Xsonic. This is a super cool USB 2 input audio interface which doubles as a MIDI pedalboard! Great piece of gear which works great with your favorite amp emulation software on your computer or mobile device. Disclaimer: this gear was sent to me by the
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
At the Winter NAMM 2020, the Mexican reissues of the Fender Lead models caught my eye. A few weeks later, here is now the complete test of the two Mexican Fender Lead series, the Lead II and the Lead III. To make it simple, the II is equipped with two single-coil pickups and the III
In this video we put back to back two loadbox simulators, the Captor X Two Notes Audio Engineering and the OX Box Universal Audio. Both devices are connected to the same Marshall 6101 100W tube amp. May the best win! Captor X Two Notes versus OX Box Universal Audio Advantages Ox Box Advantages Captor X
Free Content
Amp attenuators and cabinet simulators, only the best gear at our showroom!
Wednesday, 20 May 2020
There is only the best gear regarding attenuators and speaker/mic simulators in The Guitar Channel showroom in Paris for recording gear reviews, for Guitar in Hand interviews and for live broadcasts every Friday night. Reminder on attenuators and simulators The gear presented in this article has two distinct functions: Attenuator: to reduce the electrical power
Leo Buendia (buendiaguitars.com) was one of the guitar builder who should have been in Berlin this week-end to exhibit during the Holy Grail Guitar Show (holygrailguitarshow.com) which was cancelled because of the Covid19 pandemic. The physical show was replaced by the Holy Couch Guitar Show with plenty of online activities across the world. This FaceTime
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
- Published in All, Interviews
Josh Scott is the founder and genius designer of awesome pedals for JHS, he also produces some of the coolest pedal video on their YouTube channel. Here is a Skype interview recorded during the Covid19 lockdown strange times. Josh Scott interview Until the next live or interview, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel.
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Tomo Fujita professional guitar player and teacher lockdown interview
Tuesday, 28 April 2020
As part of the Stay-at-Home period linked to the Coronavirus, this is one of the live interviews freely broadcasted to highlight musicians and other music pros impacted by this situation. Guest: Tomo Fujita Tomo Fujita is a pro guitarist who teaches at Berklee in Boston and has had famous students such as John Mayer whom
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Jared James Nichols Interview About His Collaboration with Gibson
Monday, 24 February 2020
Here is an interview recorded with the one and only Jared James Nichols (Bands In Town link) during the Winter NAMM 2020 right outside the gigantic Gibson booth on the 3rd floor of the Anaheim Convention Center. Jared James Nichols interview The Guitar Channel podcast The audio version of the video is available in the
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Recording an acoustic guitar: direct output versus through a Radial DI box
Friday, 20 December 2019
Following a discussion with the luthier Virgile Pilon from Blind Guitars (blindguitars.com) concerning the K&K Pure Mini sensor which equips the B-51 model which is in our showroom in Paris, I recorded the video below reserved for paying subscribers of the show. The idea is to compare the sound when you get when you directly
It was a blast to record this guitar in hand interview with the young Russian Alexandr Misko (alexandrmisko.com) who was in Paris in our showroom. Check out his album Roundtrip (to be released on Nov. 26th 2019)! If you want to get a taste of modern acoustic percussive guitar playing, here's a monster musician for
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown interview – 1931 National guitar in hand
Thursday, 20 June 2019
Tyler Bryant is the singer guitarist of the band The Shakedown who rocks the stages with a very effective and powerful Rock Blues. They have recently been opening for AC/DC and Guns'N Roses. Tyler was visiting Paris to promote their new album Truth and Lies. It was an opportunity to do an interview guitar in
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
- Published in All, Interviews
Unfortunately there is not that many women building guitars, it's still the exception in this man's world. That's why I am very happy to present you with this interview with the Italian guitar luthier Noemi Schembri (noemiguitars.com) who was one of the exhibitor at the 2019 Sound Messe in Osaka. Noemi Schembri interview Until the
- Published in All, Interviews
During the Sound Messe Osaka, I had the eye attracted by the work of the luthiers of Bizen Guitars (bizen-works.com) who propose their version of the Les Paul with an extremely neat lutherie work. Here's a video interview with one of the luthiers building the guitars. Bizen Guitars interview Until the next interview, keep on
- Published in All, Interviews
New test run for the Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box which is this time connected to a Marshall 6101 combo. For reference, for comparison a recording was also made with a Shure SM57 positioned in front of the speaker combo. OX Amp Top Box / Marshall 6101 Connection of the OX on the amp
Premium Access
Gear Review – OX Amp Top Box Universal Audio / Kelt Sideman FX amp
Friday, 03 May 2019
Here's a new review for the Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box which is this time connected to a Sideman FX Kelt head and cab. For reference, for comparison a recording was also made with a Shure SM57 positioned in front of the 15 inch speaker cab. OX Amp Top Box / Sideman FX amp
We continue the exploration og the Universal Audio OX Amp Top Box which is this time connected to Marshall 6101 combo using a 2007 Gibson Ls Paul Faded modded by Larry Corsa. In case you are wondering, the OX is a piece of gear you connect between the output of a guitar amp and the
In this new gear review, we present the high-end category at Vola Guitar, the Zenith model which is characterized by a beautiful top and a great hardware. It's another great example of the Made in Japan high quality of instrument building. Vola Guitar - Zenith model What I enjoyed the most What I enjoyed the
It is through Ludovic Egraz, colleague and friend who works in the Guitare Xtreme newspaper, that I came into contact with Al Bonhomme who was visiting Paris, France for holidays. A meeting was setup quickly to record this interview Guitar in Hand in our Paris showroom to talk about Country music and more. Summary of the
- Published in All, Interviews
Premium Access
Guitar Review – 2007 Gibson Les Paul Faded “Peter Green” modded by Larry Corsa
Thursday, 04 October 2018
In search of a Les Paul for the showroom to have this reference sound in the arsenal available to visitors and for testing gear, The Guitar Channel had the opportunity to test this 2007 Gibson Les Paul Faded at length kindly lent by a member of the network (thank you Sebastien!). This guitar has the
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Here is an interview recorded with Phil X during the 2018 edition of the Guitar Summit in Mannheim, Germany. Always a pleasure to meet this amazing musician who has some much energy and positive vibrations. Phil X interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more info:Interviews
- Published in All, Interviews
Free Content
2018 Sonore Festival – Interview with luthier and co-organizer Theo Kazourian
Friday, 10 August 2018
The Sonore Festival will have its 2nd edition in Montreal, Canada on September 21st, 22nd and 23rd 2018. The luthier Théo Kazourian is one of the co-organizers of the event which will gather acoustic and electric luthiers, manufacturers of amps and pedals in the Quebec metropolis. A beautiful guitar event that echoes the now disappeared Montreal
- Published in All, Interviews
