Gibson Guitar Corp. Press Statement
Gibson Guitar is fully cooperating with agents of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service regarding an issue with wood procurement. Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO takes the issue of responsible wood sourcing very seriously. Gibson Guitar makes every effort to ensure that all its wood purchases are legal and is also working to increase the amount of wood purchased from certified sources, including FSC-certified wood. The company will continue to cooperate fully and assist our federal government with all inquiries and information.
“The Natural Resources Defense Council, one of America’s leading environmental advocacy organizations with 1.3 million members and on-line activists, has been collaborating for years with Gibson on environmental initiatives. Together with Gibson, NRDC has promoted protection of landscapes, endangered forests, and drinking water quality. We have also worked with Gibson to educate corporations, public officials and the public at-large about the risks we face from environmental threats, in particular those related to the risks posed by mountaintop removal coal mining and global warming. NRDC knows firsthand that the leadership at Gibson is committed to and informed about environmental issues and we look forward to continuing our collaborations with this good and upstanding organization for many years to come.” -Allen Hershkowitz, Ph.D.
“Global Green USA, a national environmental organization, has worked with the Gibson Foundation for several years in its initiatives to promote smart solutions to global warming including the building of green schools that create healthier and more productive classrooms for kids. Gibson has helped raise public awareness of global warming issues and has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable business practices. We know Gibson will continue to be a leader in promoting environmental practices and look forward to our continuing work together.” -Global Green USA
Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton And Aerosmith to Form ‘Supergroup’?
Though it’s shrouded in mystery, news of yet another “supergroup” project is brewing — this one involving some of rock’s greatest guitar royalty.
Writing Monday (Nov. 23) in his online diary, engineer Kevin Shirley says he’s been recording with Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford and “many other” guitarists for some “high profile projects” about which he’s “sworn to secrecy.”
Shirley, who engineered Led Zeppelin’s How the West Was Won, goes on to say that in January he’ll be “producing what has the promise to be one of the most exciting ‘supergroups’ to come around in a long time.”
“[However], theory is just that,” Shirley writes, “until we see how the dynamics play out in the studio between these superb musicians. And of course the songs will make the real difference.”
Shirley also says he’ll soon be “remixing one of Classic Rock’s seriously classic albums.” Given that next year marks the 40th anniversary of such landmark discs as Santana’s Abraxas, Led Zeppelin III, and Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs, the range of possibilities is wide.
In yet another teasing nondisclosure, the veteran engineer said he’s set “to record one of guitar’s great legends” in December.
Cleaning Your Guitar
One of the best and easiest ways to take care of your guitar is to simply keep it clean.
Dirt, dust, sweat, skin oil, spilled beverages, smoke and other gunk can prematurely age your guitar’s finish and hardware. Fight back—some basic cleaning know-how can go a long way toward keeping your instrument looking beautiful. Therefore:
DO
- Wipe the strings, neck and bridge often with a lint-free cloth.
- Wipe metal parts clean with a soft, dry polishing cloth. You don’t need to spray anything on them; simply wiping them off will usually suffice quite nicely
- Clean finished wood surfaces—the body of your instrument, that is—with cleaning agents made specifically for guitars; available at most music stores (visit the “Instrument cleaners, polishes and cloths” section of Fender.com for plenty of stuff to do this with).
Revocation Changing the Metal Landscape
Existence is Futile might be a suitable title for Revocation’s latest full-length CD, but pigeonholing this thrash/death metal power trio is more like an exercise in futility.
The 23-year-old Bostonians slay traditional metal sub-genres by blending technical precision, ferocious shredding, progressive riffs and melodic solos with sophisticated compositions and timely lyrical topics delivered in vocals ranging from death metal growls to mid-range barks to grindcore screams.
“I think we are just legitimate fans of different types of not only metal but other styles of music in general,” says Revocation’s singer/guitarist Dave Davidson of the band’s diversity. “We’ve never subscribed to, ‘Oh, I only listen to thrash’ or ‘I only listen to death metal.’ I find really awesome elements in the music that I like of all different genres, whether it’s thrash, grindcore or black metal. We’re all legitimate fans of that music, so those influences creep in and when you add it all up, I think it makes it sound a little bit different because we are not just going to write 45 minutes of blast beats and death metal growls. There are going to be some other elements.” Read more
Machine Head Tour Dates
Oakland, Calif., thrash juggernaut Machine Head, featuring Jackson signature artist Phil Demmel, is hitting the concert road extremely hard in the United States and abroad throughout the rest of 2009 and well into 2010.
Dates include a Nov. 6 headliner in New York with Thy Will Be Done, This or the Apocalypse and Mutiny Within; followed by “Canadian Carnage East” with Megadeth, Slayer and Suicide Silence. These are followed in turn by the “Endgame Tour” with Megadeth and Suicide Silence, several dates with Metallica in December and the “Black Procession” tour of Europe with Hatebreed, Bleeding Through and All Shall Perish.
Hot New Models Coming This Fall!
November 30, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Electric Guitar
You ask, we listen. You’ve been asking us for new ESP models. Well, ESP fans, today is your day. Get out your pens and paper, because it’s time to make your wish list.
The Total Eclipse
We’ve added a couple of new Eclipses to the ESP line. First, check out the Eclipse-II Vibrato. This is an instant classic. It’s everything you want in a classic rock guitar. The vintage black finish, the Bigsby B7 vibrato, Seymour Duncan JB and 59 pickups, Gotoh tuners and bridge, all gold hardware, and awesome body/headstock binding give this guitar the look and feel of a collector’s model from the day you take it home.
Need a little more modern Eclipse? Jump into the new Eclipse-II FR! Yes, FR stands for Floyd Rose. This is your classic single cutaway guitar with a black finish, black nickel hardware, EMG pickups and, of course, loaded with a Floyd Rose locking trem. Read more
Ibanez RGT320Z Prestige Guitar
November 17, 2009 by Editor
Filed under Electric Guitar
Guitars bearing the Team J-Craft stamp are built by Ibanez master luthiers in Japan. While Ibanez doesn’t specifically offer “custom shop” products, these guitars are certainly the best of what they have to offer in an already excellent product line, and the new RGT320Z sits at the top of the RG series.
The beauty of the RGT320Z’s hot red flamed top with racing stripes floored us, and we loved its modern hardware appointments such as the new Edge Zero Bridge with ZPS3 spring system — the finest double-locking tremolo we’ve ever experienced.
The RGT320Z delivered a wide range of tones suited to a broad range of players. Equipped with medium-gain DiMarzio IBZ pickups, this guitar makes a great option for players who typically play less “exciting” looking instruments but who secretly yearn to rock out a little bit. It also features one of the best (if not the best) double-locking tremolo units we’ve ever used. Read more
Fender Concert Series: Vincent
The Fender Concert Series features concert memories from our Fender News readers. Read what Vincent had to say about his best-ever concert…
I can honestly say that the best and most memorable concert I’ve ever seen was Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble at the age of 17.
Stevie was really at the height of his career back then, and I was just a teenager soaking up all these great blues artists.
I first heard of Stevie when I was like 14 or 15, when I asked my guitar teacher to record a tape with his music because I always heard him talking about Stevie. Well, I can say that he blew me away and from then on, I had the idea of wanting to see him live. My guitar teacher said he probably wouldn’t be alive for long, because he had a serious health condition back then.
So I was hoping that wouldn’t be the case. And thank God it wasn’t. Read more
Epiphone Clinics With Will Jones In New York This Week!
Epiphone’s own Will Jones will be hosting clinics at several Sam Ash locations in New York this week. Be sure to stop by for the festivities. There will be FREE Epiphone goodies and Will will be giving away a brand new “Worn 1966 Wilshire” to one lucky attendee at each location!
Plus there will be super deals on Epiphone product including “buy an Epiphone guitar and get a FREE gigbag” and “spend over $500 on an Epiphone and get a free hard-shell case” specials… plus more!
Wednesday, Nov 18 – Sam Ash Music, New Haven CT 12pm-6pm
Thursday, Nov 19 – Sam Ash Music, White Plains 12pm-6pm
Friday, Nov 20 – Sam Ash Music NY, NY 12pm-6pm
Saturday, Nov 21 – Sam Ash Music, Carle Place, NY 12pm-6pm
Sunday, Nov 22 – Sam Ash Music, Huntington, NY 12pm-6pm
Visit the Epiphone Clinics micro-site for all the latest Epiphone Clinic information. www.epiphone.com/clinics.
Them Crooked Vultures Offering Full Album Stream
Them Crooked Vultures have posted YouTube streams of all the tracks from their forthcoming CD. The decision to stream the disc – which hits record stores on November 17 – was apparently made in response to an unauthorized leak of the album.
As has been previously reported, Them Crooked Vultures — which consists of Foo Fighter’s Dave Grohl, Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme – will perform their first-ever West Coast shows beginning November 17 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. Other show-venues include the Fox Theater in Oakland (Nov. 19), the Paramount Theater in Seattle (Nov. 21) and the Roseland Theater in Portland (Nov. 22).
To listen to the album in its entirety, click here.
