The Guitar Channel Backstage Gear Tour is one of the most popular benefits of paid subscription in France. This allows the French premium members to test top-level gear at home free of charge for a week. The only cost to cover is for shipping to the next stage of the tour, i.e. around 10 Euros.
Pascal Mulot, the immense French bassist, knew the flamboyant American musician TM Stevens well. After his death on March 10, 2024, Pascal posted a moving tribute to his friend on Facebook. As I found this video interesting, I suggested that he also broadcast it on The Guitar Channel. Pascal tribute to TM Stevens Pascal Mulot
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The Puteaux Guitar Festival (culture.puteaux.fr), which has had 5 editions (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023), will be back next year in 2025. The town of Puteaux has decided to take a break in 2024, but the will is there to perpetuate this guitar event, which has taken its place in the French guitar landscape.
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Spinal Vibe Blue Cat Audio : a Leslie inspired modulation plugin
Thursday, 10 October 2024
My good friend Guillaume Jeulin's French pro audio software company Blue Cat Audio (bluecataudio.com) is about to release a plugin called Spinal Vibe. The original DNA comes from the venerable Leslie cab, but thanks to the power of digital, Guillaume has turned it into a modulation effect offering enormous possibilities. Spinal Vibe will be released
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Ocek Guitars, interview with the luthier Cam Öcek at the 2024 Guitar Summit
Thursday, 10 October 2024
Turkish luthier Cem Öcek of Ocek Guitars (ocekguitars.com) was one of the exhibitors at the 2024 Guitar Summit. Here he is in an interview to present his distinctive instruments. Cem Öcek interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more info:Guitar Summit ReportsLuthier Interviews
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The Guitar Channel Gear Reviews: now accessible to all but always independent
Monday, 07 October 2024
The Guitar Channel is the Netflix of guitar, only better. I say it all the time, but it's still true in 2024! To explain the phrase if I had to: it's Netflix because you have to be a paying subscriber to access the exclusive content, it's better because the subscription also allows you to benefit
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The Studio Rats, interview with Paul Drew at the 2024 Guitar Summit
Monday, 07 October 2024
I'm a big fan of the videos on The Studio Rats YouTube channel. So when I ran into Paul Drew in the aisles of Guitar Summit 2024, I grabbed my camera and did this quick interview with him. Paul Drew interview Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel.
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It was at Sound Messe Osaka that I discovered Nakagawa Guitars (nakagawaguitars.com). I found the instruments on the stand very elegant and well made, so I borrowed a boutique guitar from this luthier to record this demo. The recording setup is a ZOOM UAC-232 audio interface and Blue Cat Audio Axiom for effects and amp
After visiting the showroom and factory of Freedom Custom Guitar Research (fcgrtokyo.com) in Tokyo, whose videos I suggest you watch in these articles here and here, I propose to listen to one of their guitars model Hydra in this demo recorded during the Sound Messe Osaka. It's a Super Strat-type instrument with a HSH pickups
Here's a double instrument demo from luthier Kazuma Tanabe of Oopegg Guitars (oopegg.com) recorded at the Sound Messe Osaka 2024 show. The recording setup is a ZOOM UAC-232 audio interface and Blue Cat Audio's Axiom for effects and amp emulation. Don't miss Kazuma Tanabe interview in this article to know everything about this great Japanese
In the series of guitars tested at Sound Messe Osaka, here's a sort of reinterpretation of Jeff Beck famous TeleGib, built for him by Seymour Duncan. The program is simple: a Telecaster with two humbucking pickups. The result: an incredible sound! Here's my review of the G Seven Special (g7g.biz), which I really enjoyed. G
For years, guitar makers have been experimenting with, or still use, metal to build their instruments. At the Sound Messe Osaka guitar show, I had the opportunity to test a List Guitars instrument made entirely of solid aluminum. Here's the gear review! The body is entirely machined from Duralumin 17S, equipped with a specially developed
As I often repeat that recording yourself is a very powerful tool for progress, I'm preaching by example with this video. In it, I play the theme from Chris Isaak's Wicked Game on slide guitar. For this session, I first recorded the arpeggio and then improvised over it on the bottleneck. Wicked Game on Slide
Here's a live demo recorded during the FAQ on June 26th, 2024 of a luthier guitar from Dejardin Guitare (dejardinguitare.be). This is the Krugger model, a splendid 15" Hollow Body with an original design by Ghislain Dejardin. Live demo Recording configuration Photo Album For more info:Luthier Guitar DemosGear Archives
Belgium-based Portuguese luthier Diogo Pereira of Pereira Guitars (pereiraguitars.be) was exhibiting at the Montreux International Guitar Show 2024 with several colourful guitars. Here's a luthier guitar demo recorded on site of his ETL model. Pereira Guitars ETL demo For more info:Boutique Guitar DemosLuthier Interviews
One fine day in April 2023, Théo Cormier (theocormier.fr) stopped by the showroom to try out a guitar. It was a Telecaster made by the French builder Laurent Jourdan under his brand J-Bro (jbro-customguitars.com). The cameras were rolling, the result was a completely improvised session of sublime solo guitar playing. For more info:Luthier Guitar DemosLuthier
Double demo recorded at the Montreux International Guitar Show of two amazing guitars built by Belgian luthier David D'Ascenzo of Denzo Guitars (denzocustom.com). Configuration used: ZOOM UAC232 audio interface and Blue Cat Audio Axiom software. Denzo Guitars demo Photo album Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For
Recorded demo of guitar built by luthier Egon Rauscher from Soultool Customized Guitars (soultool.com) at Guitar Show Padova 2024 with a Zoom UAC-232 audio interface and Axiom from Blue Cat Audio's Axiom (bluecataudio.com) for amp and effects simulation. Soultool Customized Guitars guitar demo Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar!
Recorded demo of a GNG Guitars (negriniguitars.com) guitar at Guitar Show Padova 2024 with a Zoom UAC-232 audio interface and Axiom from Blue Cat Audio's Axiom (bluecataudio.com) for amp and effects simulation. Luthier guitar demo Until the next interview or gear review, keep on playing the guitar! Pierre Journel. For more info:Luthier Guitar ReviewsPadova Archives
During my last trip to Japan for the Sound Messe Osaka, I had the pleasure of meeting Koji Tagaki, the manufacturer of Peace Hill FX (peacehillfx.com), in person. On this occasion, he offered me a Peace Hill FX SSS preamp, which I used for the FAQ of May 15, 2024. As I'd also bought a
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Switzerland, Japan, Italy: The Guitar Channel once again tours the world of guitar shows for its subscribers
Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Spring is a busy time for guitar shows. As it happens, between the end of April and mid-May there are three major guitar shows taking place in Switzerland, Japan and Italy. The Guitar Channel will once again be out and about at these three events: The Guitar Channel, the guitar mediaoffering the best coverageof guitar
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Walko Guitars, presentation of four Made in France boutique instruments
Monday, 22 April 2024
Nicolas Walkowiak from Walko Guitar (walkoguitars.com) is a luthier based in Toulouse. Here is a presentation with four short demos of the four luthier guitars he brought to the showroom. Marinka Arsis Road One Aged Black Road One Butterscotch For more info:Luthier GuitarsLuthier Interviews
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird is a monument to Southern Rock. Its Slide guitar intro is as beautiful as it is memorable. As the tempo is not very fast, it's an excellent exercise in sound quality and accuracy. Free Bird Slide guitar intro Recording of a work session from April 15th 2024: Setup To record the
During a visit to the showroom, Tanguy Kerleroux (tanguykerleroux.com) fell in love with the Red Apple guitar by luthier Loïc Muller (mullerguitare.fr). The cameras were still on, I pressed Record and voilà, a 100% improvised demo. Démo Red Apple from Muller Guitare by Tanguy Kerleroux Photo album Configuration de la démo A guitar to try
At NAMM 2024, I had the pleasure of doing another in-depth interview with Tomo Fujita (tomojustfunky.com). It was an opportunity to talk about one of his illustrious former students, John Mayer. In this video, Tomo gives a great advice to guitar players to always get better. Tomo Fujita wise advice Full Interview with Tomo Available
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At NAMM 2024, I had the pleasure of doing another in-depth interview with Tomo Fujita (tomojustfunky.com). It was an opportunity to talk about one of his illustrious former students, John Mayer. In this video, Tomo explains who might be the next John Mayer among his students. Tomo Fujita about the next John Mayer Full Interview
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French pro audio software publisher Blue Cat Audio (bluecataudio.com) has a well-stocked catalog of high quality paying plugins, but it also has free versions that are real nuggets. Such is the case with Free Amp (link to download page), a free plugin offering three guitar amps with all the classic settings. Here is a demo
Demo of a Gletty Guitars (glettyguitars.com) model Alu SG MkIV recorded at the Montreux International Guitar Show. Gletty Guitars demo Specs Photo Album For more info:Luthier Guitar ReviewsLuthier InterviewsMIGS Archives
At NAMM 2024, I had the pleasure of doing another in-depth interview with Tomo Fujita (tomojustfunky.com). It was an opportunity to talk about one of his illustrious former students, John Mayer. In this video, Tomo gives John Mayer his crucial advice on how to improve his guitar playing. Tomo Fujita advice to John Mayer Full
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John Mayer: the evolution of his playing as seen by his former teacher Tomo Fujita
Thursday, 14 March 2024
At NAMM 2024, I had the pleasure of doing another in-depth interview with Tomo Fujita (tomojustfunky.com). It was an opportunity to talk about one of his illustrious former students, John Mayer. In this extract, Tomo explains how John's playing has evolved. Tomo Fujita about John Mayer's playing Full Interview with Tomo Available in This Article
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