Category Archives: Guitar

Guitar Idol, the World’s Biggest Guitar Competition announce venue for Live Final

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Licklibrary, one of the world’s leading suppliers of online guitar lessons and guitar tuition DVDs has stepped in to find Guitar Idol a venue for the Live Final of the 2011 competition.

Guitar Idol is the world’s biggest and best guitar competition and the much anticipated final will feature some of the world’s hottest up and coming guitarists. The new date for event will be on 4th December 2011 at The Garage in central London.

The re-arranged date for The Guitar Idol Final comes as a result of the cancellation of the major music shows in London in 2010 and 2011. The Licklibrary team, working with Guitar Idol, have decided to stage their own high profile event ‘Licklibrary Live’ which will include the Guitar Idol live final.

To ensure that the event has something for everyone, visitors will be able to see a whole host of live performances from first class guest artists, plus limited spaces will be available in guitar master classes presented by a number of Licklibrary’s highly respected guitar tutors.

The Licklibrary management team, who also publish the free digital magazine iGuitar said ‘we are proud to be able to support the Guitar Idol Final. We know this is going to be a great competition and we are really excited about being able to bring guitar fans a complete day out with the Licklibrary LIVE event.

In addition, as Guitar Idol is an international competition, Licklibrary will broadcast the final live online. Anyone who cannot make the trip to London will still be able to fully participate and cast that all important vote for their favourite competitor.

To find our more and get updates on details of the venue, guest artists, live performances, judges and master classes, please visit the website.

Licklibrary and Guitar Idol look forward to seeing you at the Licklibrary Live experience on the 4th December 2011 at The Garage, London.

Posted in Events, Guitar, News

Orange Amplification, Classic Rock and Jeff Beck

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Orange Amplification is proud to announce they are the headline sponsor for The Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2011, in association with currencies.co.uk. The awards over its seven year history have attracted and honoured some of the greatest musicians the world has ever seen, and 2011 will be no different.

Damon Waller, Managing Director said ‘sponsoring The Classic Rock Roll Of Honour 2011 represents a perfect partnership which reflects Orange Amplification’s over forty years of  rocking history in the music industry.

In addition to being the headline sponsor, Orange Amplification will also be sponsoring the coveted Living Legend Award, which this year goes to one of the most influential lead guitarists of all time – Jeff Beck. He is the recipient of six Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, as himself, and also as a member of the Yardbirds. Presenting the award, is the host for the evening, rock god and Kiss frontman, Gene Simmons. This will also be filmed for his Gene Simmons Family Jewels TV Series.

Orange Amplification endorsees Rival Sons and the Black Spiders are nominated, both for the Album of the Year Award, and Rival Sons are also nominated for the Best New Band Award.

You can vote for your favourites at http://awards2011.classicrockmagazine.com/vote.html.

The awards will be held at the renowned Roundhouse in Camden on the 9th November 2011 and Jeff Beck and Rival Sons have been confirmed to play the awards.

To find out more about the Orange gear and their artists nominated for this years awards visit www.orangeamps.com.

Posted in Amplification, Guitar, News

Lick Library ‘The Modes’ features tracks in the style of Slash, Van Halen, Via, Satriani and more

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Lick Library have launched a DVD series covering The Modes; one of the cornerstones of music that have been used for centuries as a compositional tool and as a source for improvisation. Understanding The Modes will greatly improve your ability to improvise lead solos as well as increasing you’re your whole musical knowledge so you will be able to improvise, compose and recognise modal music

The guitar style of Slash is used for the Ionian mode lessons including; Ionian Mode patterns, seven three note string patterns, learning how to create chords using this mode, plus play along with three licks in the style of Slash which demonstrate sequences, bending and double stops.

Each DVD in the series features tracks in the style of a different guitarist and includes a guitar jam track and licks in the style of either Slash, Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Carlos Santana, Yngwie Malmsteen or Michael Schenker.

Each DVD in the series is only £16.99 (RRP), or get the complete set The Modes 7 DVDs Perfect Partner set (RRP £94.99 a massive saving of over £20.00)

These DVD lessons are taught and presented by renowned guitar teacher Danny Gill, a former pupil of Joe Satriani. To find out more visit www.licklibrary.co.uk today and place your order now. Better still join the community and enjoy discounts on all their products.

Posted in DVD, Education, Guitar

Orange Amps Signs New Endorsee’s Both Sides Of The Atlantic

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Planet-Musician

2011 has been a fantastic year for Orange Amps with top artists from both sides of the Atlantic becoming part of the growing Orange Amp endorsee roster. The great new signings represent some of the finest, award-winning and innovative talent in the industry today, covering all music genres.

Joining the Orange Amps ranks are Tom Peterson of Cheap Trick, a band ranked number twenty five in VH1’s list of 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. Then we have Earl Slick, guitarist with an incredible history who has worked with David Bowie and is now playing in the critically acclaimed New York Dolls.

Also coming to the Orange Amp roster is Tommy Henriksen the guitarist with the Alice Cooper band – inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2011. In addition there are also Scott Holiday, Robin Everhart from the Rival Sons who are currently nominated for Best New Band and Album of the year at the forthcoming Classic Rock awards.

Further signings include Grammy award winning bands with Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park and Fred Durst with Limp Bizkit. In addition there is also Frankie Poullain with The Darkness, recently reformed and headlined the Download festival this year and James Alexander O’Gorman from the 2011 Ivor Novello nominated band Scouting for Girls.

Finally Orange have signed Maciek Ofstad,  Bjarte Lund Rolland, Vidar Landa from the Norwegian band Kvelertak who were presented with two Spellemann Awards—a prestigious Norwegian music award similar to the American Grammy Award—for Best Newcomer and Best Rock Band.

To see the full list of new artist’s signings which includes over thirty more new bands please visit the Orange website at www.orangeamps.com.

Posted in Amplification, Artists, Guitar, News

Issue Four iGuitar magazine features Joe Bonamassa plus hours of Guitar Lessons

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Issue four of the free digital Magazine iGuitar is now live and is packed with over 180 pages of video interviews, guitar lessons and gear reviews. The latest issue features an exclusive interview with the great blues legend Joe Bonamassa, including a special blues masterclass with Danny Gill and an in-depth Bonamassa gear section including Joe’s very own Lazy J amp and a full analysis and review of the fabulously rare and expensive ‘59 Gibson Les Paul. There’s even the ’59 Challenge – showing readers how to get Joe’s trademark sounds on a budget!

iGuitar four also includes an interview with fretless guitar king Guthrie Govan who talks about mastering these unique instruments. Other artists featured include over an hour’s video interview with the inspirational Bruce Welch from the Shadows and a profile of Roy Buchanan, inventor of the pinched harmonic.

With a huge catalogue of video lessons, Lick Library have included in this issue a wide range of columns featuring free to view tutorials on all styles. iGuitar is much more than a magazine you can read, these lessons feature some of the UK best guitar teachers giving you tips and easy to follow lessons in how to get better at playing the guitar.

Gear reviews in the latest issue include the new Stetsbar Pro II tremolo, Marshall Class 5, Epiphone Bonamassa Les Paul, Vintage MRJBM, Splawn Nitro 100 watt head, Orange TH30C, Lazy J J80 combo, Rickenbacker 330/12 12–string, Yamaha RGX 420DZ 2 guitar, Hughes & Kettner 60 DFX Edition Blue, Plutoneium Chi Wah Wah, Digitech Whammy DT, G&L 30th anniversary ASAT as more!

The dedicated acoustic ‘Quiet Room’ section reveals a newly filmed Collings guitars factory tour and an interview with the legendary Bill Collings, reviews of the Collings C10, Freshman Apollo 3DC and Washburn WD25 guitars plus a beginner’s fingerstyle guitar technique session with renowned virtuoso payer and teacher Giorgio Serci – the latest star signing to the iGuitar team.

iGuitar offers readers an exceptional experience with its dynamic design and layout, and its fully interactive multi media presentation. There’s a fantastic free to enter Rotosound competition in the latest issue to win strings for a year and you can also download free the TAB for all the features and lessons in the latest issue!

iGuitar is available free from www.iguitarmag.com/issue4 , no strings attached!

Posted in Guitar, News

Rotosound Endorsee John Renbourn to Appear At The London Acoustic Guitar Show 2011

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Rotosound are pleased to announce endorsee John Renbourn, founding member of Pentangle and acclaimed solo artist, will be joining them on the stand at the London Acoustic Guitar Show 2011, 10th and 11th September at 5 pm on the Saturday and at 10.30 on the Sunday.

World renowned instrumentalist John Renbourn career has spanned four decades and his prolific output as a highly respected solo artist continues unabated with the release this year of his critically acclaimed album Palermo Snow. He continues to tour, record and run workshops and will be also playing on the live stage at the London Acoustic show with Stefan Grossman.

Rotosound will be featuring a wide range of their acoustic, classical guitar strings and accessories on their stand at the show as well as having some great show offers. They will also be debuting at the show the award winning new Cooper guitar stand. This versatile, compact, and wooden guitar stand only weighs 16 ounces (500gms), can be opened with one hand and folds up to fit conveniently in gig bags or the headstock area of most guitar cases.

The Rotosound team are looking forward to meeting you at the show and also welcoming John Renbourn on their stand where you will have the opportunity to meet this great guitarist.

For more information about Rotosound and its endorsees visit www.rotosound.com.

Posted in Artists, Events, Guitar, Strings

Lick Library Bring You Learn To Play Metallica Vol. 3

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Lick Library guitar DVD learning experience just got even better with the release of Learn to Play Metallica Vol. 3. This DVD brings you more insight into how to play arguably some of the greatest riffs of all time.

Metallica are one of the most influential heavy metal bands today. With nine Grammy awards, five consecutive albums debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 charts, and more than one hundred million records sold worldwide. Keith Hammett is a renowned student of all things guitar; he even had lessons from Joe Satriani. He continues to bring a stunning array of lead guitar parts and mean riffs making Metallica’s more melodic with his controlled guitar work.

Helping you learn these killer riffs is the highly respected thrash metal guitarist Andy James. Andy, fresh from appearing at Download this year with his band Sacred Mother Tongue, is the perfect guitar teacher; ready to show you each song note for note, in meticulous detail with the patience and willingness to not be concerned when you don’t get it right first time and need to rewind. Andy talks calmly, using straightforward explanations, and the split screen makes his hand positions easily observed. Techniques covered in these guitar lessons include basic licks, alternate picking and bending, with the main focus being metal rhythm.

Learn to Play Metallica Vol. 3 (RRP £24.99) guitar tuition DVD takes a look at five of the best loved Metallica tracks. From the 1983 album, Kill ‘Em All, Andy takes you through the solos and unusual bending of Seek & Destroy. Next come For Whom The Bell Tolls and Creeping Death from the 1984 Album Ride the Lightening and then Harvester of Sorrows from the …..And Justice For All album. The fifth track is classic Wherever I May Roam, from the Metallica (Or The Black Album).

Then once you have learnt all the songs you can play along to them at home with the Metallica Jamtrax Vol. 3.

Also available at www.licklibrary.com are Learn to Play Metallica Vol.1 and Vol. 2, Metallica Jamtrax Vol.1 and Vol. 2 and Quick Licks: Kirk Hammett.

Posted in DVD, Education, Guitar

Three Days to go for Tornado Victims Fund-raising ‘Music Aid for Joplin’ Auction

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Planet-Musician

The launch by Orange Amps of the fund-raising ‘Music Aid for Joplin’ is only three days away and is set

to raise thousands of pounds to help and support the Joplin community and in particular Glory Days Music Store destroyed by the tornado. The Auction (lots 1 to 30 only) has been running since July 18th and set to finish on Wednesday 24th August when the final live on-line auction begins at 10.30 am Pacific Daylight Time (USA) or 18.30 British Summer Time.

The auction has raised worldwide interest and the media have been widely supportive including a feature on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/29/joplin.tornado.music.store/index.html and coverage from much of the music press.

The live auction event will be handled by Fame Bureau, who are one of the world’s leading experts in music equipment and memorabilia. Highlights from the auction lots include a rare Orange Amps Union Jack half-stack, Sabian cymbals personally signed by RUSH’s Neil Peart and an Orange CR50BXT bass amp, signed by RUSH’s Geddy Lee. Since the launch of the auction support has been coming in from a wide range of companies and artists wanting to support this worthy cause and new lots added to the auction now include:

  • Mastodon signed Drum head and vinyl – Donated by Mastodon
  • Jerry Cantrell Signature Cry Baby Wah Pedal signed by Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains – Donated by Dunlop
  • Slash Signature Cry Baby Wah Pedal signed by Slash – Donated by Dunlop
  • Taylor Baby Acoustic Guitar signed by country star Trace Adkins – Donated by Taylor Guitars
  • Theory Of A Deadman Signed Drum Heads, Drum Sticks, Shirts, and copies of their new album “The Truth Is…”
  • David Gravette signed Skateboard, Shoes, and Poster – Donated by C1RCA
  • Guitar Picks from Gearpipe.com
  • Para-Strap Guitar Strap and Solder-Free Pedal Board Kit – Donated by Lava Cable
  • Samsung Series 9 Notebook – Donated by Intel
  • Aria PE Elite Electric Guitar with Duncan Designed Pickups – Donated by Aria Distribution
  • Seymour Duncan 35th Anniversary Commemorative JB/Jazz Humbucker Set – Donated by Aria Distribution

To assist Orange Amps and its fellow manufacturers to help and support Music Aid for Joplin, please go to Fame Bureau’s website or link via www.orangeamps.com  and bid on one of the many items available. There are only three days left to go, so get bidding for these unique items and to help raise funds for this good cause.

Posted in Amplification, Events, Guitar, News

Lick Library Brings You Jam With Bullet For My Valentine Guitar Tuition DVD

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Lick Library one of the world’s biggest suppliers of guitar tuition DVDs, has just released a Jam with Bullet For My Valentine, a double DVD and CD set. This new release featuring hours of guitar lessons will help you learn how to achieve the signature guitar harmonics of lead Guitarist Michael Paget and rhythm guitarist Matthew Tuck.

Bullet For My Valentine, described by Q magazine ‘as the best British metal band to emerge in years’  were Voted Best British Band and Best Live Band in 2010 in the Kerrang! Awards and Best British Band 2010 by Metal Hammer, they were second to headline at the 2011 Download Festival. Their matchless sound is made distinctive by the powerful six string dexterity of Michael ‘Padge’ Paget and the relentless thundering rhythms of Michael Moose. Padge’s lead style, which can be best described as aggressive, is full of vibrating riffs, his own unique style of bending, three string sweeps, tremolo picking and hammer pull-offs.

Jam with Bullet For My Valentine (RRP £27.99) – is a double DVD and CD with guitar tutorials and jam tracks by Andy James of seven favourite Bullet For My Valentine tracks.  Tracks included are the slow starting, 4 Words (To Choke Up On) which rapidly builds into a punchy metal core song and the highly catchy All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me) from their debut album Poison. From the second studio album, Andy looks at the title track Scream, Aim, Fire which is full of great musical ideas and roaring solid metal riffs. Hearts Burst Into Fire unlike many of the bands other songs is in a major key, full of velocity and lingering notes with an intense guitar solo. Then he takes a look at Waking the Demon, thought by many to be one of the most difficult songs downloadable for the Rock Band computer game.  Next from the hard hitting Fever Album, Andy breaks down the high energy title track with its pinch harmonics and riffs galore before looking at the fast paced One Last Fight.

Andy James is the incredible lead guitarist for UK Metal Band Sacred Mother Tongue whose album has just been release to widespread critical acclaim. His playing is well known for incorporating frighteningly fast alternate picking, sweeps, taps, aggressive vibrato and super precise riffs – who then, could be better placed to take you through, chord by chord, these fantastic Tracks from Bullet For My Valentine. Andy takes you through each track step by step, explaining what he is doing as he goes along and you can see what each hand does because of the split screen shots. You can take your time and really learn these tracks thoroughly, practicing them as you go with the CD or backing tracks. The guitar tuition DVD is designed so you can stop and start it to go back over things until you understand and master the techniques involved.

To find out more about the full range of products visit www.licklibrary.com.

Posted in DVD, Education, Guitar

Rotosound Launches the Cooperstand Guitar Stand in the UK

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Planet-Musician

Rotosound is proud to announce the release and distribution of Cooperstand’s Professional Guitarstands in the UK! The Pro-G received a Best In Show Award at Summer NAMM 2010.

This is a guitar stand like no other! Cooperstand is a uniquely superior design, built from top quality materials to be a versatile, compact, and attractive wooden guitar stand. Unlike many of its competitors, its low centre of gravity with four points of contact on the floor makes it very stable. The lightweight, flexible gripping design means it can easily move along with the instrument if it is bumped, as a result it is very difficult to dislodge your instrument once it is in the stand. This makes it an extremely safe and secure place to keep even the finest stringed instrument. The stand is as effective for acoustic and electric guitars as it is for smaller stringed instruments like mandolins, violins, and most resonator back banjos.

In addition, the Cooperstand which weighs 16 ounces (500gms), can be opened with one hand, and folds up to fit conveniently in gig bags or the headstock area of most guitar cases. It has closed cell neoprene padding, inert silicone plugs at contact points to protect and hold your instrument snugly in place, and no exposed sharp metal edges. It’s the perfect choice for the performing musician looking for a professional stringed instrument stand. Users of Cooperstands include Steve Cropper (Dock of the Bay-Otis Redding, Blues Brothers, Booker T and the MG’s), Brian Ray (Paul McCartney Band) and Grammy award winner Carl Jackson.

Cooperstand is the most important thing inside a guitar case since the guitar (and your Rotosound strings of course!). It will retails for £39.95, is available on-line through the Rotosound website and through authorised UK dealers.

To find out more about the Cooperstand visit www.cooperstand.com.

To find out more about Rotosound, its strings and accessories and how to purchase them please visit www.rotosound.com.

Posted in Accessories, Guitar, Stands