Premium Access
Invaders Bluegrass 550 tube amp, a 50W single-channel powerhouse
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
The Bluegrass 550 from Invaders Amplification (invadersamplification.com) is a 100% tube amp single-channel tube amp that has a pretty phenomenal sound. One thing is sure, you won't run out of headroom with this amp! Invaders Bluegrass 550 review Until the next gear review or interview, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel.
- Published in Gear
Premium Access
Winter NAMM 2021 live wrap-up – Spalt, Ruokangas, Ergon, Teuffel and Taylor Guitars
Sunday, 24 January 2021
As a wrap-up of the online edition of the 2021 Winter NAMM here is a live discussion with some of the best European boutique guitar builders who are regular exhibitors at NAMM and Andy Powers from Taylor Guitars. Guest list Tania and Michael Spalt from Spalt Instruments (spaltinstruments.com) Adriano Sergio from Ergon Guitars (ergonguitars.com) Ulrich
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Projects of Three 2021 – Interview Adriano Sergio, Michael Spalt and Uli Teuffel
Wednesday, 20 January 2021
For the second year the amazingly creative luthiers Adriano Sergio from Ergon Guitars (ergonguitars.com) in Portugal, Michael Spalt from Spalt Instruments (spaltinstruments.com) in Austria and Uli Teuffel from Teuffel Guitars (teuffel.com) in Germany are joining forces under the banner of their Projetcs of Three (projectsofthree.com). In 2020 they released the Red Collection, for 2021 it
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Doug Aldrich interview about the album from The Dead Daisies with Glenn Hughes
Monday, 18 January 2021
The Dead Daisies (thedeaddaisies.com) will release Holy Ground their 2021 album with Glenn Hughes as a lead singer and bass player. Here is a Skype video interview with Doug Aldrich to talk about the whole process of composing and recording the album. We also touched base on his participation to the United Guitars Vol.2 project.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Boost an amp with a Klon or simulate it with a Ceriatone Centura in a Simplifier
Friday, 15 January 2021
Changing the sound of an amp with a boost pedal is a recipe almost as old as the first tube amps. In this gear video, we listen in detail to the sound changes when you push a Marshall sound with a Klon Centaur type pedal. In order to simplify the configuration and to have everything
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Gear
Massimo Biolcati (massimobiolcati.com) is a professional American upright bass player who has developed iReal Pro (irealpro.com), an application that has become an indispensable tool for many musicians. Indeed this iOS, Android and MacOS application allows you to play chord charts with a full backing track. It provides you with the best way to work on
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Jeff McErlain guitar in hand interview from Brooklyn with Robben Ford sideman
Monday, 11 January 2021
Jeff McErlain (jeffmcerlain.com) is a professional American guitar player who plays very often with the great Robben Ford. In fact in 2019, Jeff released the album titled Now where Robben is featured in all tracks, some of which he composed. Here is a guitar in hand interview recorded via Zoom from his studio in Brooklyn,
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Octopus G2002 Spalt review, awesome sounding guitar and a piece of art
Friday, 08 January 2021
Make no mistake the Octopus G2002 from Spalt Instruments might look like a piece of art (guess what, it is one!) but it is first and foremost a badass guitar! It was a real pleasure to review this guitar which spent a couple of weeks at our showroom in Paris before heading to Japan. This
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Gear
Premium Access
Julia Hofer and Ferdinand Rikkers interview – EGB Community Build
Tuesday, 05 January 2021
On the occasion of the Holy Grail Guitar Show in 2018, the European Guitar Builders (europeanguitarbuilders.com) association launched a project to build instruments for several female musicians. Here is the interview with bassist Julia Hofer and luthier Ferdinand Rikkers (rikkersgitaarbouw.nl) to talk about the bass designed and built in the framework of this EGB Community
- Published in Interviews
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 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.
- Published in 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.
- Published in 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
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Nik Huber live interview with the luthier and founder of Nik Huber Guitars
Wednesday, 23 December 2020
Nik Huber is a German luthier who founded Nik Huber Guitars (nikhuber-guitars.com) and will celebrate its 25th anniversary in the guitar building business next year. Here is a live interview recorded with him right before Christmas to do a wrap up of the crazy year we've been through. Nik Huber live interview Archives of interviews
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Thomas V. Jones interview from TV Jones at the Holy Grail Guitar Show
Monday, 21 December 2020
During the 2016 Holy Grail Guitar Show I had the pleasure to do an interview with Thomas Jones from TV Jones (tvjones.com). Yes, Thomas is a worldwide pickup builder but also an awesome guitar maker, hence his presence at this prestigious guitar show in Berlin, Germany. Thomas Jones interview Until the next interview, keep on
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Tone Bender, review of one of the ultimate and sought-after Fuzz pedals
Wednesday, 16 December 2020
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
- Published in Gear
Premium Access
Riccardo Gioggi interview, virtuoso guitar player from Roma, Italy
Monday, 14 December 2020
Riccardo Gioggi (riccardogioggi.com) is an Italian guitar player from Roma I had the pleasure to meet during past Winter NAMM shows. He is involved in many music projects such as band like Inkfall or Inno. Riccardo is also a full blown sound engineer and producer. Here is a Skype interview recorded with him. Riccardo Gioggi
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
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
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Gear
Premium Access
Jamie Gale, live interview with the Boutique Guitar Showcase founder
Thursday, 10 December 2020
Jamie Gale is an important player in the world of boutique guitar. He is the founder of the Boutique Guitar Showcase (boutiqueguitarshowcase.com), which recently toured Europe, making a stop at Guitare Village (huge guitar store North of Paris) last October (see the full story in this article). Here is a live interview recorded with him
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
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,
- Published in Interviews
In the live interviews series, here is Andy Timmons (andytimmons.com), an American musician whose sense of melody is always present with a glorious guitar tone. Andy answered all my questions with his guitar in hand, and in particular about his song That Day Came, which was discussed in this article. Andy Timmons guitar in hand
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Isaac Jang live interview from his luthier workshop in Los Angeles, California
Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Isaac Jang (isaacjangguitars.com) is an American luthier based in Los Angeles who recently moved to a new workshop in the South Pasadena area. During this live interview he showed us around his new working space, talked about his very last build and about his work as a high end boutique acoustic guitar builder. Isaac Jang
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Free Content
John Mayer Gravity analysis by Desi Serna from Guitar Music Theory
Wednesday, 02 December 2020
After discovering Desi Serna's podcast called Guitar Music Theory (guitarmusictheory.com), I went back to the corresponding video on his YouTube channel, which I link below. It's a study on John Mayer Gravity superb song called. John Mayer Gravity analysis by Desi Serna on Guitar Music Theory Gravity chord chart on iReal Pro Curiously in iReal
- Published in Improve your playing
Premium Access
Pierre Danel and Quentin Godet, guitar in hand with the musicians of Kadinja
Tuesday, 01 December 2020
Pierre Danel and Quentin Godet are the two fine gun slingers of Kadinja (kadinja.bandcamp.com). First met during the Winter NAMM 2019 where they made their debut with the Vola Guitar brand, they came to a gear event organized in September 2019 by us around Vola Guitar and BD Custom amps. It's only one year later
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
Michael Spalt live interview with the Austrian luthier from Vienna
Thursday, 26 November 2020
The boutique guitar builder Michael Spalt (spaltinstruments.com) was the guest of this live interview from Vienna, Austria where he has his workshop. As there are three of his instruments at the moment in the showroom of The Guitar Channel in Paris, France we made a detailed visit of those guitars and talked about the current
Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Interviews
Premium Access
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
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Gear
As part of the service proposed to boutique guitar builders to exhibit and try out instruments in the private showroom of The Guitar Channel in Paris, here is the Unicorn Classic coming from Finland and built by Ruokangas Guitars (ruokangas.com) led by master builder Juha Ruokangas. Ruokangas Unicorn Classic Unicorn Classic Ruokangas Specs Amount of
- Published in Gear
Free Content
When I rediscovered “That Day Came” by Andy Timmons thanks to Jean Fontanille
Thursday, 19 November 2020
While passing on one of Jean Fontanille's Facebook live where he was presenting three of his Super Strat type guitars, I hear him playing a superb melody and ask him what it is. It was this fabulous song by Andy Timmons called That Day Came from the album Theme From a Perfect World. A few
- Published in Improve your playing
Free Content
Showroom feature: 3 Spalt Instruments guitars by luthier Michael Spalt
Tuesday, 17 November 2020
As part of the service proposed to boutique guitar builders to exhibit and try out instruments in the private showroom of The Guitar Channel in Paris, France I am very pleased to present a trio of Spalt Instruments guitars (spaltinstruments.com) by luthier Michael Spalt : Gate Guitar #047 G2002 Octopus Totem X.2 X7 Presentation of
- Published in Gear
Premium Access
Simplifier Zero Watt DSM & Humboldt fully 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
Subscribe: Google Podcasts | RSS
- Published in Gear
