Musicians tend to be a guarded and eccentric bunch, and while there’s no doubt that these personality traits can inhibit their lives, it also often leads to lasting art. The five musicians highlighted here have all led unorthodox lives while crafting some of the most amazing music of the past century. We recommend tracking down music from everyone on this list. You won’t be disappointed.
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
5 of The Most Enigmatic Musicians
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June 8 2009, 10:24am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Koko Taylor: A Tribute Interview with the Late Great Blues Singer
The world of blues music lost one of its true icons on yesterday (June 3). Koko Taylor, the Grammy Award-winning singer known as “Queen of the Blues,” died in Chicago of complications resulting from her May 19 surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding. She was 80 years old.
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June 4 2009, 3:44pm
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Back to Basics: Using Effects Pedals, Part 2
In Part 1 of this two-part feature on the basics of using effects pedals, we looked at the accepted standard order for connecting stompboxes in front of your guitar amp, as well as a few alternatives. This time we’ll examine ways to connect more complex setups and pedalboards and throw in a few tips and tricks.
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June 3 2009, 11:42am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
What Kind of Gibson Electric Are You?
Over the years, Gibson has produced many of the most legendary guitars of all-time — and while we often discuss tone and playability, sometimes we overlook one key attribute: Personality. In this column we’ve taken a look at the human traits of some of the greatest Gibsons to help you determine what kind of Gibson you are. From the sharp angles of the Flying V to the classy f-holes on the ES-335, each Gibson model — and furthermore each guitar that comes out of our factory — has its own unique traits. It’s up to you to figure out which one matches your persona.
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June 3 2009, 11:38am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
No one ever said that picking a band name was simple; in fact it’s one of the hardest things a new group can do. Not only does the name have to be original, but it also has to try to convey what kind of music you play and, better yet, intrigue people who have never heard of you to pick up your CD.
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June 3 2009, 10:57am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Epiphone Amplifiers Celebrate 75 Years of Great Tone
Epiphone proudly celebrates a remarkable event in our history, boasting 75 years of amplifier production. We are now the oldest amplifier company in the world currently in production, and to celebrate we’re giving you a look at our incredible history in the amplifier business. Every three weeks, we’ll give you another chapter. Here’s Part 1. Enjoy!
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June 3 2009, 10:44am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Are P-90s Becoming America’s Most Wanted Pickups?
“Got anything with P-90s?”
That’s a question heard often at guitar shows these days. And if you look at eBay, you’ll see that prices for vintage Les Paul Specials and Juniors, and older Gibson hollow body dream machines like ES-125s and ES-330s, have been rising.
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June 3 2009, 10:42am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
5 of Our Favorite Anti-Authority Anthems
From Chuck Berry to Cannibal Corpse, rock and roll has always featured an element of rebellion; however, a few songs really stand out as anti-authority anthems, whether they come to us via glammed-out rock stars or harmless-looking SoCal punk rockers in board shorts. Here are five tracks that prove that expressing your discontent has been fodder for some of rock’s greatest songs.
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June 3 2009, 10:20am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Did Guitarist Jimmy Rogers Invent Chicago Blues?
Muddy Waters is credited with defining the ensemble sound of Chicago blues. But there’s a school of dissenters who argue that it was another Mississippi expatriate, Jimmy Rogers, who actually crafted and perfected the electric style that’s come to define the genre.
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June 2 2009, 2:59pm
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
40 Years of Tommy: The Who, The Smithereens And SG Specials
With an SG Special slung just below his waist, Pete Townshend led the Who on a thundering, power-chord driven trip into history in 1969 with the genre-defining rock opera Tommy.
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June 2 2009, 11:26am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
The number of sightless guitarists who helped forge the American blues tradition is extraordinary. Featured below are six guitarists, three of whom helped pioneer the blues, who rose above their blindness to make great music.
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June 2 2009, 10:34am
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
5 Ideas for Saving The Music Industry
It seems like everywhere you look there’s another article about the decline of the music industry — and frankly we’re sick of hearing everyone from bands to label executives complain about it. Instead, we decided to be proactive and make a few suggestions about how the fledging music industry can save itself and keep its credibility. While none of these proposals are miracle cures, they’re all a step in the right direction — and hopefully they’ll inspire consumers to start once again opening up their wallets instead of their Internet browsers.
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June 1 2009, 3:50pm
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham on Not Sweating The Small Stuff
Lindsey Buckingham has a bit of a reputation. For years, the Fleetwood Mac singer and guitarist has been as well known for his ability to knock out sublime pop tunes as his propensity to mix it up with bandmates Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. But the Buckingham we spoke to on the eve of Fleetwood Mac’s latest reunion tour — once again without Christine McVie, who left the group at the beginning of the decade — is far different than the character you’ll find in rock history books. At 59, the father of three has admittedly mellowed, telling us that the little things no longer bother him in a big way.
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June 1 2009, 3:32pm
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Back to Basics: Using Effects Pedals, Part 1
The simple set-up of a good guitar played through a good tube amp can still provide the most compelling tones in popular music, but many players — and band situations — need something more in the sonic brew. Effects pedals can add texture, dynamics, space and motion to an otherwise “two dimensional” sound, and have become popular in almost every genre of electric guitar-based music.
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June 1 2009, 3:06pm
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From Gibson Lifestyle - Features, gibson.com
Duke Robillard: How to Sound Like T-Bone, B.B., Muddy, Johnny Watson And Freddie King
Duke Robillard is the most versatile, complete roots guitarist in America.
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June 1 2009, 2:56pm
