Galleries

Photo Gallery: Top 10 Weirdest Custom Guitars

Guitar World Staff — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:50:26 +0000

Most guitarists at one point or another in their development have gone through some sort of “I want a custom guitar” phase.

Whether it’s a funky paint job or a radical new shape, a custom ax presents the opportunity to express yourself. Or, in the opinion of some, the opportunity to say, “Hey, look at me, I’m a horse’s arse!”

Here, we celebrate 10 such opportunities. We’ll let you categorize them as you see fit.

10. Les Paul’s “The Log”

Les Paul’s original “Log” was a 4x4 block of wood with strings, and it went over with the audience, well, like a log. So he added traditional sides to it, and electric guitar was transformed forever.

09. Prince’s “Love” guitar

The “Instrument Formerly Known as Guitar.”

08. Uli Jon Roth’s “Sky Guitar”

Sure, it’s shape, paint job, and six-octave range combine to scream “pretentious,” but Uli makes it sound simply jim-dandy.

07. ZZ Top’s Spinning Fur Guitars

Little did you know that the “F” in Billy F. Gibbons stands for “Furry.”

06. Bo Diddley's square-body

When you consider that Bo Diddley was instrumental in defining the sound of rock ’n’ roll, it makes his choice of axe a little less, um, “square.”

05. Steve Vai's heart-shaped three-neck

Who says shredders don’t play with heart?

04. Linda Manzer Pikasso guitar

You think playing it would be the biggest challenge, right? Yeah, try tuning it!

03. Michael Batio's quad-neck

You ask, “Why?” We say, “Because he can.”

02. Rick Nielsen's “Uncle Dick”

Nielsen’s five-neck Hamer may be ridiculous, but this is just plain “Dick-ulous.”

01. Charlie Deal’s Toilet Seat guitar

Excuse me. I suddenly feel the need to read a newspaper.

Photo Gallery: 50 Classic Acoustic Rock Songs

Guitar World Staff — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:41:10 +0000

Whether you began on an electric or an acoustic guitar, there's no doubt the latter will eventually find its way into your hands at some point.

The nature of the acoustic guitar's efficiency (no amp!) makes it a commonality among players, collectors and dorm-room guys looking to impress girls. Even the most devout shredder will be tempted to noodle on a dreadnought — particularly in front of the aforementioned girls.

Despite the advent of the electric guitar in the early fifties, the acoustic guitar has remained a prominent force in rock and roll. If there were any doubt, check out the 50 classic acoustic rockers listed below. These are tried-and-true numbers all anchored around the acoustic guitar.

Some are radio staples, some are wedding fixtures and all are just good fun to play.

So if you haven't dusted off that sprucetop in a while, give a few of these tunes a listen. You'll be strumming — and probably crooning — along in no time.

Additional Content

The 20 Greatest Supergroups of All Time

Josh Hart, Damian Fanelli — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:53:26 +0000

"Supergroup" is a word that doesn't sit well with a lot of people.

For some, it conjures thoughts of bloated egos battling for creative control. For others, it brings to mind flash-in-the-pan projects that lacked a lasting impact.

That said, in the 47 years since Cream stepped forward as arguably the world's first rock and roll supergroup, there have been quite a few all-star bands that have made an indelible mark on the musical world -- independent of their collective members' individual pasts.

So what do we consider a supergroup?

1. There have to be at least three members.

2. They have to have released at least one album -- no all-star jams.

3. A majority of their band members have to have been in well-known bands before the supergroup formed.

4. A supergroup cannot be formed by a well-known musician joining a pre-existing band -- no Van Hagar.

In making our picks for this list, we tried to take into account the impact the supergroup itself had on the music scene. We couldn't help but take into consideration the profiles of the musicians involved, but -- and you can quote this -- merely having big names does not a great supergroup make.

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Photo Gallery: Guitar World Magazine Covers Throughout the Years — 2003

Tony Grassi — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:28:36 +0000

The year 2003 may best be remembered as the year that defied conventional thought and wisdom.

Science had brought into the 21st century new heights of advancement and discovery. The Human Genome Project was completed, with a map of the human genome sequenced to 99.99 percent accuracy. There was Dewey and Prometea -- all these cloned horses being born.

And then there was the March 19 invasion of Iraq, entering the United States into the Iraq War, which supposedly ended on May 1 that year. "Mission Accomplished." Yet ...

Stateside, 2003 is also well-remembered for the August blackout that shut down many of the Northeastern states. In character with the year's peculiarities, what could have been a disaster turned out to be a cultural phenomenon. Instead of looting and rioting, the streets of New York -- still reeling from the devastation on 9/11 -- turned into one giant block party, with neighbors turning out food, fireworks and music for everyone to enjoy.

Guitar World managed to turn out some good stuff, too. Twelve issues, to be exact. Check out this week's photo gallery to see what was happening, guitar-wise, in 2003.

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Atomic Punks: Dave Mustaine and Chris Broderick Reminisce About Megadeth’s History and Talk 'Super Collider'

Richard Bienstock — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:17:24 +0000

This is an excerpt from the June 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine. For the rest of this story, and more, check out the issue at the Guitar World Online Store.

If you count yourself among those music fans that never thought a band as volatile as Megadeth would still be around to celebrate turning 30, you’ll find yourself in good company. Dave Mustaine didn’t imagine they’d make it either, back when they formed, in 1983.

“To be totally frank, I didn’t even think I’d live this long, let alone have a career this long,” the singer and guitarist admits. “I remember Junior [bassist Dave “Junior” Ellefson] and I had this crazy pact back then that if the band didn’t make it, we’d go out in a blaze of glory together. It was childish at the time, but it’s weird when you look back and think, 30 years, man! Wow! Did we really do all that?”

In fact, Megadeth did do all that, from helping to spawn thrash metal to creating landmark genre albums like Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? and Rust in Peace to joining their fellow founding fathers on the triumphant Big 4 festival jaunt a couple of years back. They’ve also continued to churn out top-notch new material, and at a healthy clip, too. The band’s newest, 14th studio album is Super Collider, their first release on Mustaine’s own label, Tradecraft, which is distributed by Universal.

It’s another strong addition to Megadeth’s catalog and might also be their most diverse. Some of its songs, like “King Maker” and “Built for War,” are the type of knotty speed-metal workouts at which the band has long excelled. But the new album also veers into more melodic territory on tracks like “Forget to Remember” and even flirts with country-inflected rock on “Blackest Crow,” which features banjo-style licks from lead guitarist Chris Broderick and, for the first time on a Megadeth record, slide guitar playing from Mustaine.

Then there are the album’s two standout tracks. One is the multipart “Dance in the Rain,” which begins in the midtempo style the band has explored in more recent years, and then moves into a pummeling second half that recalls the ferociously caustic Megadeth of Killing Is My Business… and Business is Good!

The other is “Super Collider,” which is perhaps the most bright-hued song in the Megadeth canon, with an uncharacteristically optimistic lyric and a chorus built on open, ringing major chords. “It’s one of those songs that makes people happy, like ‘A Tout Le Monde,’ ” Mustaine says, referencing the 1994 Youthanasia track.

“You’ve gotta have some songs like that that everybody can come together on.” But, he’s quick to stress, not too many. “I’d be lying,” he admits with a slight laugh, “if I said I would dig having a whole set of songs like that.”

Fresh off recording Super Collider, and with additional mixing and mastering still to be done, Mustaine and Broderick sat down with Guitar World to discuss the new album, their gear and how they work together as musicians and bandmates. Mustaine, now 51, also took time to reflect back on 30 years of metal madness with Megadeth. Regrets? He’s had a few …

GUITAR WORLD: Super Collider is a fairly diverse record. The title track, in particular, signals a new sound for the band. How did that one come together?

DAVE MUSTAINE That song kind of came from that “Symphony of Destruction” corner of my mind. You can’t always play aggressive, thrashy stuff. Sometimes those aren’t even songs; they’re like musical rams. But because I’m not a pop guy, I’m also not really comfortable playing sing-along songs. To me, “Super Collider” made sense like a normal song—a verse-chorus-verse-chorus kind of thing. It’s written the way a real songwriter would write the song, instead of just taking all these musical twists and turns.

Photo: Travis Shinn

For the rest of this story and more, including sidebars on Jackson Guitars' Chris Broderick Pro Series Soloist model and Dean Guitars' Dave Mustaine Signature Series, plus features on Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Heavy Metal, Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell, Adam Jones of Tool, the history of Epiphone guitars and more, check out the June 2013 issue at theGuitar World Online Store.

Additional Content

Guitar World Girls: Phoenix

Guitar World — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:40:31 +0000

Phoenix is the latest addition to our Girls of Guitar World Gallery. Photos by Bart Keagy (1-4) and Dylan Banks (5).

For more info about Phoenix, visit her on Facebook.

Click here to see more about photographer Bart Keagy. His Zenfolio portlio can be viewed here.

If you think you have what it takes to be a Guitar World Girl, simply email photos of yourself with a guitar to modelsearch@guitarworld.com!

Photo Gallery: Jeff Beck Jams at Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp

Damian Fanelli — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:40:13 +0000

From April 18 through 21, bona fide guitar legend Jeff Beck hosted a Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Attendees even got to take guitar lessons from Beck — when they weren't learning about songwriting from another legend, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

Below, you can check out a mini-photo gallery of Beck jamming with attendees at the finale of the camp.

For more information about Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp, including info on package details, visit the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp website.

For more about Beck, check out jeffbeck.com.

Photos: Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp

Additional Content

Metallica: Official Pinball Machine Images & Details

Guitar World — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 17:47:24 +0000

Stern Pinball, Inc., the world’s leading maker of real pinball games and the AAMA 2012 Manufacturer of the Year, proudly announced today the availability of the Metallica pinball game. The newest addition to the iconic Stern collection of rock and roll machines honors one of the world’s foremost rock bands. The Metallica pinball game channels the band’s notoriously fast tempos and aggressive musicianship to set the tone for an exhilarating player experience.

Players will be able to bang their heads and their flippers to 12 classic Metallica hits including “Master of Puppets,” “One” and “Fade to Black.” Other action-packed game features include an electric chair, snake, grave marker and unparalleled magnetic action. With the addition of the Metallica pinball game, Stern Pinball continues to hit the mark by attracting an array of pin players from Metallica devotees to gamers and consumer electronic connoisseurs.

The Metallica game continues both the Stern Pinball and the Stern family tradition of producing quality pinball machines for young and old. The company traces its lineage to Philadelphia in the 1930s when Sam Stern entered the business of operating pinball games. Sam Stern subsequently became part owner and president of Williams Manufacturing, a pioneer in the pinball industry, and passed his lifelong enthusiasm for the game and the business of pinball to his son Gary Stern who founded Stern Pinball. Today pinball remains one of America’s favorite pastimes.

The Metallica pinball machine is available through authorized Stern distributors and dealers.

Pro Version: $4,995
Premium Version (road case): $6,995
Limited Edition Version: (Master of Puppets) $7,595

To learn more about The Metallica pinball game and Stern Pinball, visit sternpinball.com.

Guitar World Girls: Ali D.

Guitar World — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:59:55 +0000

Ali is the latest addition to our Girls of Guitar World Gallery.

If you think you have what it takes to be a Guitar World Girl, simply email photos of yourself with a guitar to modelsearch@guitarworld.com!

Tricky Gomez: An Enigma, Legend and Reluctant Star

Marsh Gooch — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:30:13 +0000

As touched on in my last two blog posts, the legends surrounding the music of Detroit are many.

From the Stooges and MC5 all the way up to Kid Rock and the White Stripes, there are numerous figures that conjure up all kinds of visions.

But none of them really confound the mind like Tricky Gomez. Ask around town about Gomez and 99.9 percent of the people you quiz will look at you as puzzled as me trying to do a Rubik’s cube. The other 0.01 percent will smile that “good God, man, do you realize what yer talkin’ about?!” smile… and swiftly take off, leaving a vapor trail of “WTF.”

Tricky Gomez. What can even I, a celebrated researcher and Detroit rock aficionado who has spent way too many hours in the library, tell you about Tricky Gomez? Well, here’s what we can confirm:

Santo Rico “Tricky” Gomez was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico sometime in the late ’40s/early ’50s to Jorge Gomez, the great grandson of legendary Mescalero Apache chief Gomez, and the late Susana Diaz, singer for the all-girl Motor City band, Sue Dee & the Hot Tamales. He was dubbed Tricky as a child, by a neighbor boy who couldn’t quite manage saying Santo Rico, shortening it to “Trico” and finally, “Tricky.” Even his mother eventually called the boy Tricky. After his boyhood in Hamtramck (a borough within Detroit), details of Gomez’s life are beyond sketchy. In fact, you could say the tidbits we know of his life are like the little particles in an Etch-a-Sketch, always moving, morphing and being erased about as soon as the researcher thinks he’s onto something.

But we do know a bit more about his later life. For instance, that he was a guitar player with an uncanny ability to mix blues, rock, soul, funk, and whatever — into a genre-stretching style, that lets you know the guy has been around. As a young folksinger, it is safe to say, Gomez traveled the U.S. looking for, well, something. It’s rumored that he was scheduled to play Woodstock in ’69, but fate had other plans. His car died somewhere around Oklahoma City, and after two days of hitchhiking, he arrived 24 hours late for his slot—a day late and many dollars short.

We know that there are a few recordings that survive to this day, though even a scan of YouTube reveals next to nothing except the 1973 single “If Every Day Was Friday” which seems to disappear from the video channel about as quickly as it appears. That elusive 45 was released on Naturally Sweet Records, an indie label whose warehouse went up in flames in 1980, destroying all tapes, files and photos. He supposedly made an appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test that year, but of course, the footage is long gone.

And we know this: Reverend Guitars’ head guitar tech, Zack Green, inauspiciously bought a house in Detroit sometime in the early 2000s which happened to be next door to where Tricky Gomez was then living with his mother. “He was really close to his mom,” Green explains. “He rarely leaves the house. Especially since she died. I can’t even remember the last time I saw him.” Yet, if it weren’t for Green, who introduced Gomez to Reverend guitars nearly a decade ago, we’d have even less to go on.

“I’d heard the guitar playing coming from the house, usually in the summer when the windows were open, and knew that whoever the guy was, he was a motherfucker of a player,” Green says. “I brought over a Reverend I had at the house — I think it was an Avenger — to show him, and he grabbed it and made it sound like nothing I’ve ever heard. Eventually I got him to come down to the Reverend facility. Well, it wasn’t just him. It was Tricky, his mom, a guy I could only describe as a spiritual adviser, and another mean looking guy with a large knife on his belt and a wicked mullet. Anyway, Tricky picked up numerous guitars, played them, and talked about what he’d want on a guitar of his own. We were very impressed with his playing and his, you know, mysterious aura. We figured this guy might hit it big one day, so we decided to make him something.”

Reverend’s Tricky Gomez guitar, though not technically a signature model, is based on the one-off that Reverend founder Joe Naylor built him. "Tricky wanted the Manta Ray body, but insisted on a headstock with six-on-a-side tuners. Said that was better for knocking his dog off the couch without causing serious injury to the animal, or going out of tune," Joe explains. "He also said he preferred a satin finish because the gloss finish reminded him of 'The Man', whatever that means." From the cat’s eye f-hole, to the old school Revtron pickups and Bigsby tremolo, the double cutaway semi-hollow body guitar is as resonant as its namesake’s legend.

So where’s Tricky Gomez today? “He moved away from the house after his mom died,” says Green, “and I have no idea where he went or where he ended up. I guess it was lucky that I had the balls to go next door to hear him when I did.”

Marsh Gooch is a graphic designer and writer from Seattle who has been playing guitar and bass "for an awfully long time." Currently the bassist in King County Queens, he's held marketing positions with ESP Guitars, Ampeg, Line 6 and Reverend Guitars. He rocks to all kinds of music, especially classic and punk rock, and actually prefers the Damned over the Beatles. At least half the time. He can be reached via his web site, marshallgooch.com.

Quilter Labs Announce New Aviator Amp Series

Guitar World Staff — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Quilter Labs has just announced the arrival of the Aviator Series, which includes the Ultralight Eight, Twin Ten and Open Twelve. Each amp boasts the same powerful 200-watt engine and core tone stack as the MicroPro Series, plus a light and agile airframe, timeless styling and a trio of in-flight speaker options ranging from 8-12.”

Here’s the specs for the lineup:
The Ultralight Eight
• 100 Watts per channel
• Sealed back enclosure for greater low frequency extension
• Basic control setup = Ch. 1 is Vol/Tone Ch. 2 is Gain, EQ, HiCut, Master
• Reverb applies to both channels with Rev. Vol/Dwell
• 22.6 Pounds
• MSRP: (Retail $899; MAP $699

The Twin Ten
• Same as 8" with dual 10" Celestion G10 Vintage speakers (in an open back configuration)
• 33.8 Pounds
• MSRP: Retail $1299; MAP $949

The Open Twelve
• Same with a single 12" Classic Lead 80 speaker (in an open back configuration)
• 33.8 Pounds
• MSRP: Retail $1199; MAP $899

Want even more info about the Aviator amps? Check out the following video, in which amp inventor (and time traveller) Pat Quilter explains the fantastic journey that lead to the creation of the Aviator series.

Photo Gallery: Slash and Chuck D Join Anthrax Onstage at LA's House of Blues

Guitar World Staff, Photos by Stephanie Cabral — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:43:18 +0000

Last night in Hollywood, Anthrax, who are headlining the Metal Alliance Tour, played to a sold-out crowd at the House of Blues. But the fans got a little more than Anthrax playing their Among The Living album front-to-back, or songs from their new covers EP, Anthems.

Joining Anthrax on stage for their AC/DC cover of "T.N.T." was none other than Slash, who played lead on the song. Later in the show, Chuck D came out for "Bring The Noise," the song Anthrax and Public Enemy recorded together in 1991.

Also in the House last night were Slayer's Kerry King, John Tempesta from the Cult, Justin Chandellor from Tool, Dethklok/Metalocalpyse's Brendon Small and actor/musician Brian Posehn.

The Metal Alliance Tour, that also features Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail, will be touring through late April. The remaining dates are below.

March
28 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
29 Roseland Ballroom, Portland, OR
30 Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
31 Showbox, Seattle, WA

April
2 Summit Music, Denver, CO
4 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN
5 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
6 St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI
7 Bogart's, Cincinnati, OH
9 House of Blues, Dallas, TX
10 House of Blues, Houston, TX
12 House of Blues, Orlando, FL
13 Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
14 Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD
16 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
18 Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
19 Palladium/Metal Fest, Worcester, MA
20 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
21 Irving Plaza, New York, NY

Photos: Stephanie Cabral

Additional Content

Detroit: Rock and Roll, Cars and Reverend Guitars

Marsh Gooch — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:41:43 +0000

When music aficionados speak of Detroit, they tend to go on and on about the slew of rock bands and R&B groups to come out of the area.

And why not? When you consider the sheer number of rock legends and near-legends from the area, it's easy to see how one could spend hours discussing the Stooges, the MC5, Alice Cooper, The Frost, Ted Nugent, Bob Seger, Kid Rock, The White Stripes, etc.

And we haven't even touched on Motown, nor the countless great Detroit bands that never hit the big time.

Yes, the Motor City is a place of legend. It's where America got its wheels and learned to drive. It's probably no coincidence that music from Detroit is driving, powerful and moves like nothing else.

From this garage of innovation came Joe Naylor, the man behind Reverend Guitars. Reverend, as its environs would practically guarantee, has become one of the country's preeminent guitar and bass manufacturers, evoking the same no-nonsense approach to style, function and performance that the Big Three brought to the muscle car era.

Naylor got his start in the guitar world when he was 19. He bought his first electric guitar, and in his by-then typical "I can make this better" manner, dismantled the thing on the kitchen table. And that figurative light bulb over his head lit up. "When I took apart that first guitar," Naylor says, "I knew instantly that I found my calling."

Next thing you know, Naylor was repairing his friends' guitars (and playing in bands), while pursuing his degree in industrial design at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. After college, he relocated to Arizona to attend the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, where he spent four months learning the ins, outs and insides of electric and acoustic guitar making, pickup design and more.

Upon returning to Kalamazoo, Naylor set up shop in his basement and spent the next five years immersed in guitar building and repair. It’s here that Naylor’s first guitar designs were born. “They were mostly single-cutaways, much like the current Reverend Charger body style,” Naylor says. “I designed a lot of semi-hollow and chambered guitars and made them out of every conceivable material, like plastic, foam, metal, phenolic and wood. I was infatuated with body flexibility and resonance and how it affected tone. Those early experiments taught me a lot, and I apply the lessons to everything I design today.”

Eventually he moved back to the Detroit area (where Naylor and his wife were born and raised) and opened up Joe's Guitar Exchange & Repair. "The shop experience was invaluable, easily as important as going to luthiery school," Naylor says. "We specialized in vintage/used gear and repair, so every type of guitar came through the shop. I saw what worked and what broke, and what was important to working musicians. I learned that simple is usually better."

In 1994 the shop became Naylor Amps. Boutique amps are common now, but Naylor was ahead of its time. "I sold it and started Reverend in the garage behind the building, figuring I'd have better luck with guitars,” Naylor says.

Reverend officially launched in 1996, the name coming from a magazine article about blues guitarist Reverend Gary Davis. “I saw the word ‘Reverend’ on that page, and that was it!”

Once established, the nascent startup began to attract guitarists from far and near. Early Reverend users included Carl Verheyen, the Red Elvises, Noel Roy (Lorrie Morgan), Brad Houser, Dave Pomeroy, Will Ray, Rick Vito (who has a Reverend signature model), Ron Asheton of the Stooges (See my last blog post) and Kid Rock, who was brought on board by his original lead guitarist, Kenny Olson.

“He liked the unique, automotive-inspired look and the Detroit connection,” Naylor says of Mr. Rock’s support of his guitars. “Then we ran that Guitar World ad with him flipping the bird. People went nuts — they either loved it or hated it, but suddenly everyone knew who Reverend was. He also posed with a Reverend on the cover of his best-of album, The History of Rock. He was real good to us and definitely helped put us on the map."

One guy who did love that irreverent ad was country guitar legend Pete Anderson.

"Pete approached me out of the blue at a NAMM show and was raving about how much he liked the ad," Naylor says. "He grew up in East Detroit (only two blocks from my old guitar shop) and totally got it." That meeting opened the door for a working relationship with Anderson, whose name now graces several Reverend signature guitars.

Of course, you don’t have to be from Detroit to appreciate Reverend’s guitars and basses. The clean designs and blue-collar functionality have attracted musicians from all over the world. Today you’ll find Reverends in the hands of everybody from Bob Balch of Fu Manchu to Billy Corgan to Meshell Ndegeocello, and in the hands of a growing army of players of all types who can dig the Motor City vibe.

Monkee Business: My Clutch Performance with Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz

Damian Fanelli — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:28:47 +0000

Like a lot of Guitar World editors, I'm a guitar player.

I've toured with a few bands, played back-to-back shows in San Diego and San Jose (what a horrible idea that was), played blues in Austin and Peoria, surf rock in Los Angeles and Louisville and Brooklyn-flavored jump-blues in Cleveland and Philadelphia.

These days, however, I'm usually hauling my Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster or Gretsch Silver Jet (with TV Jones pickups) to local gigs in New York or New Jersey.

I'm in two bands: Mister Neutron, a heavy-trad instrumental surf rock trio, and the Blue Meanies, a six-piece cover band that plays mostly Beatles, Byrds, Yardbirds, Cream, CCR, Moody Blues, Wings, the Band and more — with an occasional emphasis on the Monkees.

Yes, I said the Monkees.

It doesn't take a barrel of brain power to deduce that the Monkees recorded — and wrote — some incredible songs. I like to think I add something unique to their music by adapting my Fender Nashville B-Bender Telecaster to a lot of the tunes, especially songs written by the countrified Michael Nesmith. It's actually very fun to play pedal steel parts on a six-string!

The Blue Meanies have performed Monkees tribute shows around the country, including marathon sets at NYC's B.B. King Blues Club, shows at Abbey Road on the River in Kentucky and Washington, D.C., and events at music academies and other semi-interesting joints.

Earlier this month, however, for one night only, I went from being one of four guitarists in a Monkees tribute band to being the only guitarist in a band supporting two actual Monkees — Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz.

The venue was the massive David T. Jones Memorial Monkees Convention in New Jersey. The band was put together by David Alexander, who played keyboards in the Monkees' touring band last year, spent years in Jones' band and now is in Dolenz's band. We had Alexander on keyboards and vocals, fellow Monkees-universe veterans Johnny J. Blair on bass, Rich Dart on drums, Aviva Maloney on keys and horns — and me on guitar.

I got the set list a few days before the show and dealt with last-minute song and key changes in the hotel room by doing some serious cramming with fellow Blue Meanie Gary Owen (and by cramming some serious coffee into my head).

And then it started.

We began — Monkee-free — with a Davy Jones tribute set that included "She Hangs Out," "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)," "Valleri" (complete with the Louie Shelton guitar solo), "It's Not Too Late," "Let Them Be Little" and "Girl," which can be heard in Jones' classic appearance on The Brady Bunch. It's all a little hazy now, but at some point, Gary DeCarlo of Steam came up to sing Steam's 1969 hit, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye," followed by Deanna Martin (Dean Martin's daughter), who sang two Dino tunes, and Jennifer Anne Alexander, who sang "What Are We Going to Do," one of Jones' pre-Monkees songs.

Suddenly, a Stratocaster-wielding Peter Tork hit the stage and claimed the Music Man combo I had been playing through. After I moved to a Fender Twin, we played some original blues in G (See the video below) followed by a few Monkees tunes, including "Shades of Gray" and "Early Morning Blues and Greens."

Then Micky Dolenz joined the band, and we finished the set powerfully with the Monkees' "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (after which Dolenz gave me a high five and said, "Hi, I'm Micky!"), "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "I'm a Believer" (Check out the video at the bottom the story).

During all this, someone brought a birthday cake onto the stage. Or maybe I just dreamed that.

All in all, it was an incredible night, one that I'll remember for a while.

There's something intriguing about when people in tribute bands get to perform with the people to whom they pay tribute — something off-kilter and bizarre. I guess I felt like Mark Wahlberg in Rock Star! (Maybe I should actually see that movie at some point to know for sure.) Now if only someone would give my email address to Paul McCartney, Jimmie Vaughan or Jeff Beck.

OK, one more thing about my evening with the Monkees:

The guitar I used that night was a Gibson Custom Shop 1960 Les Paul that once belonged to Tim Sult of Maryland-based, blues-tinged, heavy rock band Clutch. When I found out GuitarWorld.com freelancer Andrew Bansal of Metal Assault was interviewing Sult about Clutch's new album, Earth Rocker, I asked him to mention our mutual Les Paul (which he's playing in the photo below). Here's how it went:

GUITAR WORLD: Damian told me he bought a Gibson Custom Shop 1960 Les Paul in Falls Church, Virginia — and you were its previous owner. Why did you get rid of that guitar?

TIM SULT: Sometimes I just freak out and get sick of guitars and sell them just to buy another one. Those Les Pauls are so expensive. I’d love to keep them all around, but if I want to buy one, I pretty much have to sell one before doing that. He must have bought it at Action Music in Virginia. That’s the one I played on the Bakerton Group's El Rojo album. Oh, you know what? Now I remember why I sold it. I used that guitar on the Live at The 9:30 Club DVD, and at the time I thought it sounded way too clean. I wanted to go for a heavier sound.

Damian used that guitar on stage with Peter Tork and Micky Dolenz of the Monkees earlier this month. So it went from Clutch to the Monkees in just over a year!

Interesting! The Monkees was probably the second concert I ever went to when I was a kid [laughs]. I’m glad it went to a good owner, because that’s a pretty good guitar, and sometimes I regret selling that one.

Keep Up with Dolenz, Tork, Nesmith and the Blue Meanies:

Michael Nesmith just kicked off a solo US tour. Visit videoranch3d.com for all the dates. Peter Tork will tour in May and June, including a May 5 show at New York City's Iridium Jazz Club. Visit petertork.com for his complete itinerary. Keep up with Micky Dolenz at mickydolenz.com. Follow the Blue Meanies on Facebook.

Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World. Follow him on Twitter.

Photo Gallery: Guitar World Magazine Covers Through the Years — 1993

Tony Grassi — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:48:01 +0000

Considering the political, social and cultural charge of 1991 and 1992 — the Gulf War, dissolution of the USSR, the LA, Grunge — 1993 was a bit of a ghost. It just sort of came and went.

By now alternative rock had come into its own and taken control of the airwaves and MTV. The only bands capable of thwarting the grunge uprising were on the verge of self-destruction and wouldn't last beyond a half-rate punk rock cover album released later in the year.

The ubiquitous hard rock landscape could no longer be taken for granted. If your passion hadn't burnt out with the excess of the Eighties, you had to look for it. Fortunately, Guitar World — albeit not impervious to the changing of the guard — was still a sure bet for true guitar enthusiasts (i.e. guys who soloed still appeared on the cover).

Although 1993 might not have been a banner year for guitar albums, the six-string elite — and four-string; this was the year Guitar World began including bass tabs with every transcription — were still here and still making noise.