The Guitar Channel

Buckethead fall tour

I love Buckethead. No, he doesn't play what most would consider "fusion", but to me it is a fusion of sorts. It's a fusion of metal, funk, shred, ambient electronica, experimental what-not, and God knows what else. Bucket will be emerging from his chicken coop for a US tour this fall. Go see him. Here are a couple of links with the dates:

Bucketheadland
Live Daily News

100 Greatest Rock Guitarists

Found this link on digg.com. It's a list of the "100 Greatest Rock Guitarists", but it also shows 100-200, as well as other players that didn't make the list. It's an old site, but it was just posted to digg a couple of days ago. I'm posting this because there's some great comments on this post on digg. Lots of discussion on who's better than who, why didn't so-and-so rank higher, etc. It's a fun read. A disclaimer at the top of the list says "Criteria: - Guitarists are ranked for their impact, influence, creativity, versatility, originality, technical skill and lasting popularity in the genre of Rock guitar." This list is highly debatable. Check out the digg story to see all the comments.

read more | digg story

Eric Johnson tour dates

Eric Johnson will be touring in August with Roscoe Beck on bass, and Tommy Taylor on drums. This is the band that played on Johnson's "Tones" and "Ah Via Musicom" albums. It's the first time this lineup has toured together since 1987. This is definitely something to check out if you can.

Eric Johnson tour dates

Greg Howe and Alessandro Benvenuti - Contigo

Found this cool video of Greg Howe and Alessandro Benvenuti performing Howe's composition Contigo in Italy. Benvenuti only plays rhythm, but Howe plays some great lines here. Check it out.

Radio stream is back up

The Guitar Channel is on the air! Enjoy!

Rich

Guitar Channel stream is down

I had a short power outage at my house which shut down my computer. As a result the Guitar Channel radio stream will be down until I get home from work tonight. I thought about talking my wife through the process of cranking the stream back up, but she has her hands full with our 2 rugrats. I'll post again when the stream is back on the air.

Rich

10 Oddest iPod Accessories

Just when you thought add-ons for Apple's digital music player couldn't get more unusual, here's a look at some doozies. The desire to personalize the Apple music-player experience
- and make a fast buck - has resulted in some downright odd products. I like the iPod toilet paper holder myself.

read more | digg story

Scott Kinsey to release solo album featuring Henderson and Landau

Keyboardist Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech, Joe Zawinul) will be releasing his debut solo album this fall. Guitarists Scott Henderson and Michael Landau will appear on the disc. The album, titled Kinesthetics, will also feature Vinnie Colaiuta and Kirk Covington on drums, Steve Tavaglione on sax, and many other top players. It will be released through Abstract Logix Records.

Link

New Brett Garsed interview

There's a short interview with Brett Garsed over at Metal Theater. He discusses his recent tour with William Stravato, his involvement with ESP Guitars, and more.

Link

This could be you!

                                                                                                                                          

Actual ad from Popular Science magazine - 1944. From Modern Mechanix via Boing Boing.

Carvin Announces 60th Anniversary Celebration

PRESS RELEASE

Carvin proudly announces its 60th Anniversary Celebration. Scheduled for Saturday, August 12th at corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA, the all-day event will feature factory tours, a look at vintage Carvin gear, special performances by Carvin endorsers Bunny Brunel, Tony Macalpine, Craig Chaquico, and others, along with meet and greet signings by Carvin endorsers Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai—in addition to the performing artists. Carvin corporate management will also be on-site and available, including company founder Lowell Kiesel.

Open to the public and scheduled to run from 10 AM through 6 PM that day, attendees will be able to get a first-hand look at Carvin's state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. Watching a guitar being built or observing the precision with which a CNC router works its magic is, simply put, amazing.

Equally impressive is the company's vintage guitars and amplifiers collection, which will be on display in a special museum tent. Here, attendees can get a first-hand look at products from a by-gone era and witness the progression that has resulted in the company's cutting-edge product arsenal of today.

And of course, it wouldn't be a musician's celebration without music—and the 60th Anniversary Celebration is slated to be a star-studded event. From rock to jazz and all styles between, Carvin endorsers will be on hand—several of whom will perform. Currently, performances are scheduled with legendary bassist Bunny Brunel and CAB, which includes guitarist Tony Macalpine. There will also be performances by guitarists Craig Chaquico, Steve Oliver, and Orange County rockers Lit. In addition to the performing artists, there will be special meet and greet sessions with Carvin endorsers Allan Holdsworth and Steve Vai. Further, several local acts will perform, including Off Track and Social Green.

Lowell Kiesel, who formed the venerable company in 1946, will be on hand to mark this special event, as will other members of the Carvin senior management team. Carson Kiesel, President of Carvin Corporation, commented on the company's upcoming birthday, "As a family-run business, reaching the 60 year mark is a very special occasion for us and we're all very excited about sharing this day with the many musicians who, over the years, have contributed to our company's success. I look forward to meeting many of our valued customers and hearing some inspiring musical performances."

The address for Carvin Corporation's 60th Anniversary Celebration is:
Carvin
12340 World Trade Drive
San Diego, CA 92128

For more information, visit their web site at www.carvin.com.

 

Added a Reviews section

There is a new Reviews section on the right side of the page. Now you can find all the CD, DVD, and live show reviews I've written in one spot.

Microsoft's iPod killer to provide free versions of all your iTunes tracks

To attract current iPod users Microsoft is going to let you download for free any songs you've already bought from the iTunes Music Store. They'll scan iTunes for purchased tracks and then automatically add those to your account. Microsoft will still have to pay the rights-holders for the songs, but they believe it'll be worth it to converts.

read more | digg story

Guitar Channel radio will be down for awhile

FYI - The Guitar Channel radio stream will be down most of the day for maintenance.

Happy Fourth Of July!

UPDATE: The radio stream is back up. Enjoy!