The end of an era for Sam Ash
Plus, brand new music from Bukovac and Trapp
This week’s issue of Six String Sunday Club is jam packed with lessons and guitar news. We have new music from Tom Bukovac and Guthrie Trapp, which you can check out here, the unfortunate news that Sam Ash is closing its retail stores (I’ll have more on this on my next live stream), a Fractal FM3 update that makes it one of the best modelers around, new tools for your practice sessions and so much more.
I’d love to know what your favorite link was this week. Also, be on the lookout over on the blog for a ton of “atomic essays”. Throughout the next couple of weeks I’m focusing on single topics for blog posts, geared to give you one helpful tip in each post. As always, you can visit Chasing Sound’s hub, right here. Have something you'd like me to write about? Let me know in the comments or by replying if you're getting this week's issue in your inbox.
Alright, on to the links!
It is with a heavy heart that we announce that all Sam Ash Music store locations will begin store closing sales today - I grew up working at Sam Ash, met countless friends there, and had so many opportunities because of this chain of stores. I'm deeply saddened to hear that all of their brick and mortar stores are closing. I can only hope that .com stays open, and those employees aren't in jeopardy. Sam Ash celebrated its 100th year of business this year, and was still family owned. Sad to see this establishment go. Have any stories about Sam Ash? Let me know in the comments. On my next live stream I’ll have years and years of stories to share with you guys from my time at the Paramus, NJ store.
Allman Brothers Style Guitar Harmonies - When you think of twin guitar harmonies, what bands come to mind? Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy...what about the Allman Brothers? Who have had a few lineups of incredible guitarists. Jack Ruch shows us how to do Allman Bros. style harmonies. Also this week, Dylan Adams shows us how to play slide like Duane Allman, but without having to be in an open tuning. You can check that video out here.
Warren Haynes: From The Allman Brothers to Gov't Mule A Modern Day Troubadour - Speaking of the Allmans, the legendary Gov't Mule-r Warren Haynes joined Rick Beato for an interview this week. There's a section of this video where Haynes talks about why tone is so important and non-negotiable for him, they talk about his journey from band to band, playing shows, and much more.
Fractal's New 8.0 Firmware For FM3 Is Awesome! - This week Fractal's v8 firmware came out of beta and was officially released for the FM3. If you have one of these units and want to get the most out of the two banner features - Cygnus amp modeling and Gapless switching, check out my video! There's a couple of changes you should make to make your life a whole lot easier.
Introducing KEYMASTER – a Free Tool to Help You Understand Major Keys - I'm always on the lookout for tools that'll make my practice sessions and teaching easier. David Pots just added a new tool to his collection online, called Keymaster. The online app shows you notes and chords in a key, chord progressions (including songs you might already know) and more. Check it out, and let me know what you think.
The Brent Mason Tone. Woodshed Ep. 112 - Andy Wood geeks out over Brent Mason's incredible country tone. I loved this video, because not only is Andy an amazing player, he breaks down Mason's tone with physical gear, and with an Axe-FX. Either option gives you a nice insight into what you might look for when trying to put this tone together.
Joe Satriani's Legato is INSANE! - One of Andy Wood's bandmates, the epic Ben Eller put out a helpful video this weekend on Satriani's legato. Satch is one of the kings of this technique, and Ben gives us 3 concepts to practice this stuff, including 3NPS, using slides and more. Legato is one of my favorite techniques to work on, because players like Satch, Guthrie Govan and others use it so tastefully - and I think it makes their licks sound exciting and vocal.
Do These 5 Things To Learn Any Song FAST - What happens when you get called in to play a last minute show and have to learn songs in a hurry? You have to make a plan. Justin Hombach gives us 5 tips so that you can get prepared for any gig - hint: it's all about having a strategy/making a plan before you get too overwhelmed.
Randy Rhoads Diminished Secrets - David Brewster went back through a ton of classic Ozzy tab books and found as many awesome diminished licks as possible. David breaks down 3 different licks from Blizzard of Ozz and Tribute that employ a diminished tonality. If you're comfortable with major and minor, try adding some fun diminished licks into your vocabulary.
Sam Bell - 3 Secret Chord Building Hacks - How do you get to grips (pun intended) when trying to build great chords? Sam Bell gives us 3 different ways of looking at building chords. Guitar isn't always the easiest instrument to visualize chords (unlike something like a piano), but there's still a bunch of ways you can set your "point of gravity” as Bell calls it. This livestream is definitely worth a watch.
Acoustic master Mike Dawes shares the secrets of his incredible-sounding (and complex) pedalboard - Mike Dawes is everywhere lately, and for good reason. He's one of the most impressive acoustic players on the planet. He sat down with Guitarist to show off his amazing pedalboard, that features effects for all of his regular, percussive, and "soundscape" style playing. The result is something that sounds truly beautiful.
“A true pioneer and bona fide legend”: Duane Eddy, 1938-2024 – the guitar world pays tribute - The guitar world lost a true legend this week - Duane Eddy passed at 86 years old. Duane inspired and worked with so many musicians over the years, and it shows. Guitar World put together a page filled with folks like Nancy Sinatra, Joe Bonamassa, Mick Fleetwood and more all weighing in on Duane's impact on the music industry.