Cheap guitar hacks, Vai plays the Hydra, and a Decade pedal
And lots of lessons on scales!
It was a quieter week for content in the guitar world, well, unless you count all the Will Smith/Chris Rock memes that came out of the Oscars. But I still have a whole bunch of great stuff to share with you. A lot of lessons on scales, a sought after sound which is now in pedal form, and a review of Dave Mustaine’s new offering from Gibson. Let’s get into this week’s links!
Steve Vai - Teeth of the Hydra (Official Music Video) - I feel like Steve Vai is one of the only people that could pull off playing a guitar like this. Not only that, but I really would love to see him play this song on this guitar, live! How much do we think this guitar cost to make?
Stuff Meshuggah Does - I feel like this video is somewhere halfway in between an April Fool’s joke, and a legit video. Either way, so happy Ben brought back his “Stuff x Does” series with Meshuggah. They just released a new album, and it is truly wild stuff.
Authentic Blues lick for Shredders - Speaking of April Fool’s, one of my favorite pranks had to be from Alex Hutchings.
5 More Cheap Guitar Hacks! - If you’re looking to make your guitar play better while not spending a whole lot of money, go check out Ryan’s new vid. Here’s the first 5 cheap tips video, from four years ago!
Your Licks Are Boring.. QUICK FIX! - David Wallimann offers a way to un-lazify your fingers, so your licks sound more exciting. The key is all about taking time to regain control of your fingers, and stretch out to notes you might not commonly play.
🎸 Major Guitar Scales - I’ve said it so many times, but the major scale, especially the C major scale is your home base to learning other theory. Everything from other scales, to chords and more. Truefire just put out a great, 8 minute video all on the major scale. If you’re just getting going with guitar, check this out.
Building a “5150” EVH Kramer Tribute (KNE body and neck - Complete Build!) - Want something very zen and guitar related to relax? Check out this video of a EVH tribute guitar being built. Shout out to David D. for showing me this one.
Jazz Guitar Students: Stop Practicing Improvisation! Learn licks! - I just found out about Denis Chang’s YouTube channel, and I’m glad I did. Denis teaches all sorts of jazz guitar, with a big focus on gypsy jazz and bebop. In this video he talks about being intentional with your practice, and how to develop a map for what you should practice - focusing on learning licks rather than just improvising blindly. I think this video can apply to all genres of guitar player.
Steve Vai on how Frank Zappa inspired him to design the Ibanez JEM – and why the Japanese guitar builder succeeded where others failed - I liked this short interview with Steve Vai, where he talks about 35 years of the Jem. The craziest thing is thinking that other guitar players might not want this type of guitar, and all these years later, the thousands of Jems that have been sold across the world. I grew up loving signatures like Vai’s and Satch’s, so it’s cool to see where both guitars have gone in the last couple of decades.
Acorn Amplifiers unveils the Peavey Decade-inspired Solid State preamp pedal, based on Josh Homme’s “secret weapon” amp - A couple of months ago I linked to an interview where Queens of the Stone frontman Josh Homme listed the Peavey Decade amp as a “secret weapon” of his tone. Weeks later, I linked to St. Vincent having a pedal company build her a recreation of the amp in pedal form. And now, another company called Acorn Amplifiers has made their own recreation of the Peavey Decade in a pedal. I love the way the chassis looks, and for around $300, it seems way more affordable than all the Decades you see going for outlandish prices now on Reverb.
10 scales from around the world that will broaden your playing horizons - It’s so funny that when I think of exotic scales, I think of Marty Friedman’s awesome guitar playing. That’s one of the first photos you’ll find in this Guitar World lesson, and I couldn’t find it more fitting. GW breaks down 10 scales from around the world - persian scale, hirajoshi and more. All with their scale formulas, and with a brief tip on where to use them. If you’re tired of straight up major, minor and pentatonic, give one of these a go.
How to weave the Mixolydian mode into your jazz and blues solos - Lately I’ve been teaching a couple of my students the Mixolydian mode, which is why I really enjoyed checking out this lesson on Larry Carlton’s take on the mode over a G7 chord. There are 6 awesome tips on how to practice this mode to get it under your fingers. It’s a super useful way to play over dominant 7th chords that aren’t altered in jazz and blues.
Want to Branch Out with Some Jazz Fusion? Learn Oz Noy’s Harmonically Inventive “She’s Not There” Solo - Over the past decade or so, I’ve loved to listen to Oz Noy’s awesome, jazz fusion playing. I also really geek out over articles where they analyze a solo and explain what a guitarist might have been thinking when creatings leads. That’s exactly what GP did for Oz Noy’s take on “She’s Not There”. If you haven’t heard the track, go check it out! It’s on his album ‘Snapdragon’. After that, you owe it to yourself to check out both volumes 1 and 2 of ‘Twisted Blues’.
A Guide to Guitar Pedal Order - Getting started with your first pedal board? Check out this good guide on pedal order. These are some nice starting point recommendations, but don’t be afraid to mix your pedalboard up every once in a while. Experiment to see how 2 pedals affect one another, depending on which one is first in the chain.
The Big Review: Gibson Dave Mustaine Flying V EXP – A no-brainer V for thrash fans? - Dave Mustaine left Dean to join Gibson around a year ago. Now we finally have the first guitar in his collection - the Flying V EXP. Seems as if you’re looking for a traditional V, it’s only traditional in its shape. Almost every other feature of this guitar make it a thrash machine, worthy of Mustaine-style rhythm.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading Six String Sunday!
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