Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes
Plus, Satch and Vai tease their long awaited collab
It’s been a fun week in the guitar world - we have Satriani and Vai finally making music together, there’s a ton of new gear coming out all the time, and as the weather is starting to get a little nicer, I’m seeing more and more people make the trek to shows.
This week I have a great set of links for you to check out. If I missed something, let me know in the comments, or reply right to this email! Thanks to
, I’ve been in contact with StrapGraphics. They make some very cool looking, custom guitar straps. Keep an eye out for my review in the next couple of weeks!In other interesting guitar news, it looks like Mattias Eklundh, who has been with Caparison guitars forever, usually sporting his iconic Apple Horn guitar, is now making a brand of his own. He just started up the Freak Guitar Lab guitar collection, and the first two guitars look pretty wild. What do you think?
And, based on the title of this week’s issue, have you seen/heard this awesome 10 minute Mark Knopfler collaboration? The video shares the names of the 50 guitar heroes who play on the track, as they play the lines. Plus the final recording of Jeff Beck can be heard at the top of the track - insanely awesome idea. You can check it out below.
This Week’s Guitar Links!
- The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1 - March 29th - I feel like the entire guitar community has been asking for Joe Satriani and Steve Vai to make music together for the longest time. After spending a ton of time together on the recent G3 and Satch/Vai tours, the two have put out a teaser clip of their new song, “The Sea of Emotion, Pt. 1”. Looks like we’ll get the full song on March 29th! If the clip is any indicator, this should be a really fun track.
- How The Pros Play Blues (it's more simple than you think) - Corey Congilio linked up with Rhett Shull for a great video on how to play the blues. I know what you're thinking...another blues video...what are they going to show me...pentatonic stuff? This video is way more than that - Corey focuses on really understanding the progression, making sure your lead lines aren't disjointed, and limiting yourself with your note choices. If you're looking to make some progress in your blues playing, check this video out.
- Joe Bonamassa Talks Les Paul Bursts, Dumbles, and the Blues | Shred with Shifty - Bonamassa was the guest on Chris Shiflett's podcast this week. Of course the two talk about Bonamassa's insane guitar and amp collection, but they also broke down his killer solo on “Blues Deluxe". There's an awesome volume swell trick on this one, that Joe learned from two other greats - Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. Shredy with Shifty has been one of those guitar podcasts where I never miss an episode.
- What guitar does Taylor Swift use? The instruments of The Eras Tour - And now for something entirely different. Taylor Swift has been a force to be reckoned with over the last couple of years, and for good reason. She's made history and been a force for change in all corners of the music industry. In our corner of the internet, we got a cool post from Guitar.com, where they spotlight some of the awesome guitars she used on the Eras tour. Which one was your favorite?
- DI Guitar Tones - Beautiful tones with no amp/cabinet - Mika Tyyska talks about rediscovering his love for DI'd guitar recording. Whether you're trying to play funk, or simply have an idea where the part is calling for a pristine clean sound (that also takes effects well), it's worth trying a DI part. Sometimes when I'm recording, I’ll do an amp/DI mix, and then mix the two to taste. Mika talks about that a little bit in this video as well. There's something magical about those "plasticy" tones - I really loved hearing how heavily Vai-influenced these parts were.
- Target Notes For Guitar - How can you first start thinking about target notes? Chris Sherland has a great beginner's lesson for the concept. If you've seen an uptick in me linking to these types of lessons, it's because I think they're so important. They make your solos sound more intentional, and you learn more about the chords you're playing over, just by design.
- 5 Legato Myths (That Are Making Your Technique WORSE!) - Tom Quayle Lesson - Who better to learn about legato, than one of the kings of the technique? Tom Quayle talks about 5 myths on legato, that simply aren't true. I loved the first two, where Tom absolutely shreds not only on his electric guitar, but his acoustic as well. Legato is without a doubt one of the most effective techniques you can use as a player, so this video is definitely worth a watch.
- Molly Tuttle & Tommy Emmanuel on how to sound and play better - In this video we have two legends of acoustic guitar - one who's been around for a long time, in Tommy Emmanuel, and one who's recently starting to get the recognition she deserves, Molly Tuttle. The two sat down to talk about how to be a better acoustic guitarist.
- Marty Friedman Soloing Concepts REVEALED - There's been a lot of junk taken out of context lately when it comes to Marty Friedman and solos. Thankfully he sat down with a good interviewer in Rick Beato, to talk about his soloing concepts. Marty Friedman has long been one of my favorite guitarists - from his time in Megadeth, to all his amazing solo work. This video talks about phrasing, paying special attention to single notes, and much more.
- Gibson launches the Theodore Standard amid ongoing trademark dispute - There's a little bit of drama going on in the guitar world, as Gibson is launching their Theodore Standard model. I loved seeing the original sketch of how this guitar would look - I feel like it adds to its mystery and its overall story. But, there's a dispute going on between Gibson and PRS, as to who should hold this trademark. Also, if you think you've heard of this model before, it's because it came out as a custom shop model about 2 years ago. What's your call on this one?