Ten-Foot Tall Gibson to Drop on New Years Eve 2014



Hard Rock's "New Year's Eve Guitar Drop" tonight in Niagara Falls !!!

Get ready to rock n’ ring in the New Year! On Tuesday, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls, USA will host the city’s fifth annual New Year’s Eve Guitar Drop...

Events at the Hard Rock and nearby Old Falls Street begin at 8 p.m. leading up to the count down to 2014, as a 10-foot Gibson guitar, painted by local artist Rob Lynch and illuminated by Ken-Ton Electronics, is lowered off the Giacomo Hotel at midnight.

As part of the New Year’s celebration, Hard Rock Cafe Niagara Falls, USA will host a free outdoor concert headlined by Living Colour.




Formed in 1983 Living Colour is a rock band from New York City, The band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, hip hop, hard rock, and heavy metal. Living Colour rose to fame with their debut album Vivid in 1988. They are best remembered for their signature song "Cult of Personality," which won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1990. Living Colour was also named Best New Artist at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards. For more details, visit www.livingcolour.com.

In addition, attendees can enjoy food and beverage concessions along with a special fireworks display at midnight.

A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit the Niagara Falls Firefighters Christmas Toy Fund, an organization that helps the community meet the needs of the less fortunate in Niagara Falls by providing new winter clothes and Christmas gifts for impoverished children and a festive meal for local senior citizens during the holiday season.



PRESENTING: The Han Solo Guitar



Carbonite Copy: The Travis Stevens Han Solo Guitar

When friends of Evanescence guitarist Ben Moody, (a Star Wars fanatic), were looking for a special present for him, they didn’t want to get him an ordinary guitar. Instead, they commissioned Travis Stevens to build a one-of-a-kind 'Han Solo in Carbonite' guitar for him.

Ben’s friends heard about my Millennium Falcon guitar and searched the internet to find me,” Stevens says.



They wanted something Star Wars–related, and I came up with the Han Solo idea shortly after finishing the Falcon guitar. The rectangular shape worked well as it’s similar to the Bo Diddley signature Gretsch ‘Twang Machine,’ and Han in Carbonite is one of the most iconic images from the Star Wars movies.”

Stevens downloaded all the images of that scene he could find (including a photo of Moody at the Skywalker Ranch posing with the original prop) and collected reproduction toys for reference to help him as he carved the likeness of Han entirely by hand.


The semihollow body consists of a maple top and back, mahogany sides, and a mahogany center block attached to a bolt-on maple neck. Bare Knuckle custom-configured the Aftermath humbucking pickup covers and pole pieces to match the Carbonite colors. Controls are side mounted to preserve visual aesthetics, and a multicolor LED illuminates Han’s color-changing “life-support system,” also located on the side.

Although Stevens makes his living as a music teacher in Pennsylvania, he offers his guitar customization services to anyone with an unusual idea. “Prices are dependent on parts,” he explains.



A guitar like the Han Solo would sell for $2,000 to $3,000, but I just renovated a Pearl Harbor–motif guitar and a Boba Fett–themed Strat that each sold for $1,200.”

More details about Travis Stevens’ Han Solo guitar and other designs can be found at TravisStevensNerdCrafts.com.

click image for larger photo

Photos: Angela Boatwright



Fender rolls out the Vaporizer!



Fender rolls out the Vaporizer
New retro-styled 12-watter for 2014

After a hugely positive response to their limited-run roll out (back in early 2013), of the  Excelsior, Fender has announced a 2014 production run of their newest line of retro 12 watt amplifiers, the Vaporizer!

Revealed ahead of NAMM 2014 (January 23–26, in Anaheim, California USA), the Vaporizer is a retro-styled, all-valve, single channel amplifier with an eye-catching 'Atom age' design.


Featuring:
- 2 x 10" {16-Ohm} special design Vaporizer Speaker
- two instrument inputs
- a 1/4" speaker output
- a tidy 17" in overall height
- stripped down controls (similar to the Excelsior)
- built-in reverb
- Fender's special, 'Vaporizer Mode', (which bypasses volume and tone controls for 'unfettered access to the raw tube amp'. circuit).



The 2014 production run will be available in both Slate Blue, Surf Green, and Rocket Red, with a retail list-price of just $399 US. [$430. CND / £245. GBP].

This will likely be just the tip of the, "retro-style, boutique-y," iceberg at the Jan. 2014 NAMM this year. Retro styling is seriously big-time popular right now, and you can certainly expect to see plenty more of this sort of thing at the Anaheim, CA. show in just a few short weeks.

For more information on the Vaporizer, visit Amazon's sales page.

Detailed Specs:


Video: 11-Yr-Old Guitarist Plays "Eruption" and "You Really Got Me"



Below, check out a video of 11-year-old guitarist Aidan Fisher performing "Eruption" while onstage with Steel Panther during their December 19, 2013 show at the Midland Theater in Kansas City, Missouri.

As expected, Fisher follows "Eruption" with "You Really Got Me," and the whole band, minus Steel Panther guitarist Satchel, joins in.

Apparently, Fisher challenged Satchel to a guitar duel at some point before the show, which led to his being invited on stage with the band.


At the very end of the clip, you can read Satchel's verdict on who won the shoot-out.

As always, (since Steel Panther is involved), the video below is uncensored. It features foul language - in the presence of an 11-year-old yet!

Jeff Beck Releasing New Album in Spring 2014



Guitar legend Jeff Beck recently announced fresh details regarding his new studio record, confirming plans for a tentative spring release...

As his official website reads, Beck took a short break after his tour with Brian Wilson and is already busy in the studio with his new band, consisting of Rhonda Smith on bass, guitarist Nicholas Meier, drummer Jonathan Joseph and Lizzie Ball on violin.


"After taking a very short well earned break post his recent tour with Brian Wilson, Jeff has been spending most of his time with his new band (Rhonda Smith – Bass, Nicholas Meier – Guitar, Jonathan Joseph – Drums and Lizzie Ball – Violin) in the studio," the announcement kicks off. "We won't say too much at present. Suffice to say - watch this space - it will be epic!"

Apart from the new record, Jeff is reportedly also involved with Wilson's upcoming effort. Beck's latest album, "Emotion and Commotion," dropped in March 2010 via ATCO Records as the guitarist's tenth studio release.

VIDEO: Guitar Maker in Malawi Refugee Camp



This is an amazing video... apparently the name of this guitar maker is Patron...

He uses whatever materials that he can source in his southeast Africa Malawi Refugee Camp. He uses any kind of woods available to build his acoustic and electric guitars. Patron has a only a few simple tools, but yet still manages to build guitars that look absolutely great. I wish there was more information, but at the moment all I can do is share this video!






Justin Bieber: 'I'm Quitting Music' HOAX


Kiddie-pop sensation Justin Bieber dropped a shocker during a recent Power 106 radio chat announcing retirement plans saying... "I'm Gonna Quit Music."

During the interview, Justin confirmed his plans to quit the world of music after the release of his new album..... "After the new album ... I'm actually retiring man," he said. "I'm just gonna take some time - I think - I'm probably just gonna quit music."


Justin found himself in the limelight of the rock world after recently jamming out an improvised cover of Metallica's "Fade to Black" and naming a few other rock greats such as Led Zeppelin, Korn, and Guns N' Roses among his personal favorites. With these particular artists and this style of music being very far removed from his own brand of elementary school-girl kiddie-pop, it's no doubt Justin said he decided to quit.

"I like Guns N' Roses and Metallica," Justin told Q magazine. "The Beatles. I like Metallica's 'Fade to Black' and 'One.' It's edgy and emotional with those instruments and electric guitars and stuff."

In related news, Justin's ticket sales are plunging. His concert ticket sales are reportedly on a constant decline with ticket sales dropping show after show. Most experts are attributing the dwindle to Bieber's recent ridiculous attempt at having a, "bad boy image."



The news of him throwing the towel spread across the globe in a matter of seconds, but was he serious? Unfortunately, the answer to that is NO.

The truth is he thought it’d be hilarious to say that he’s retiring after the next album. Okay... Whatever. I guess somewhere there’s a 13 year old who thinks that’s funny. Meanwhile the rest of us are wondering when (please - for real) ...when will he truly do us all a favor and QUIT.

Read More...


2013 Guitar Players Holiday Shopping Guide...



The holiday shopping season is upon us, and this means many of you will be out shopping for the guitar player on your list, (probably yourself included). 2013 music gear shopping has no shortage of awesome guitars and accessories that are sure to keep both yourself and your favorite guitarist jamming all year long.

Unfortunately, there's too many killer pieces of gear to list, but since I've received emails requesting info. on looper pedals, beginner electric guitars, mid-level amps and stocking suffers... that's where my short-list here will be focused!  Below are a few items that I believe are not only well made, but are a fair price for your budget!


Digitech JMSXT Jamman Solo XT Stereo Compact Pedal After inventing looping nearly three decades ago, DigiTech’s JamMan Solo XT brings you the definitive stereo looping experience. Build virtually limitless loops... Make seamless transitions between looped phrases, for composing and performing.








Fender Starcaster Strat Electric Guitar Bundle with Amplifier, Gig Bag, Strings, Strap, Stand, Picks, Instructional DVD, and Instrument Cable - 3-Tone Sunburst

Fender Starcaster Strat-Pack delivers a great-sounding, sleek-looking Stratocaster electric guitar paired with a compact guitar amplifier and a host of essential accessories. This Strat Pack includes a; 3-tone sunburst Stratocaster guitar, strings, picks, a strap, Squier SP-10 amp, a 10-foot cable, a tuner, a gig bag, guitar stand, and an instructional DVD. The highly versatile Stratocaster guitar offers legendary Fender tone combined with classic styling, and it's suited for all styles of music. It features a 22-fret fingerboard with dot position inlays, three single-coil pickups with 5-way switching, sealed die-cast tuners for consistent tuning stability, chrome hardware and a three-ply white pickguard.



Pick Punch
The Original and the best guitar pick making tool on the market! The pick punch creates Standard 351 Shape Guitar Picks out of almost any kind of plastic you have kicking around your home. It's great for recycling and is a fantastic gift idea for the guitarist on your list. The Pick Punch will create Guitar Picks out of an endless supply of materials!




String Swing Home Guitar Keeper (Wall Hanger) Black Walnut Hardwood

The String Swing Guitar Keeper has a deep cradle design that prevents the guitar from being improperly placed into its hanger, (which promotes safer handling of your instrument). This unique guitar wall hanger design is also great for guitars that have a headstock with either single or uneven heels. The yoke pivots to cradle the guitars headstock, but is free of mechanical, moving parts that would wear over time (so this product is manufacturer-guaranteed for life).Wood block is made of real hardwood.


Planet Waves Custom Series Instrument Cable, 20 feet

Built for the discerning musician and the most demanding live and studio situations, Planet Waves offers built-to-last durability, while accurately transferring the subtle details of your tone through their exclusive In=Out technology. Cusom Series cables feature ultra-pure twisted pair, oxugen-free conductors with encapsulated soldering points formulated for extremely low capacitance. This ensures pure signal clarity and precise transmission of your instrument's true character. Additionally, two layers of impenetrable noise-rejecting shielding, coupled with unmatchesd strain relief, deliver the ultimate high-performance cable. And, all Planet Waves cables are guaranteed for life!



Peavey Bandit 112 TransTube Amplifier

What do you get when you combine the unique TransTube tube emulation circuitry, a strong 12" Blue Marvel speaker, 80 Watts (rms) into 8 Ohms or 100 Watts (rms) into 4 Ohms (w/external speaker) along with a spring Reverb system and full-eq level control? You get one of the most reliable and solid amps sold on the market. And, at a price-point that won't dent your bank account! 

91-Year-Old Produces Metal Christmas Single!



Legendary actor Christopher Lee has officially unleashed his metal Christmas single titled "A Heavy Metal Christmas Too."

The 91-year-old star of such classic features as "The Lord of the Rings," "Star Wars," "Dracula," "The Wicker Man" and "The Hobbit" is well-known for his affection of metal, so the guitar-heavy Christmas was the most logical way to go.




The single itself features a "Jingle Bells" metal rendition titled "Jingle Hell," along with a Frank Sinatra cover "My Way." You can check out audio samples or purchase the single here.

"I sing another version, it's a bit more naughty," Lee said about the first track. "It's not bad, I mean bad in the sense of unpleasant. It's entertaining, it's certainly different." Discussing the Sinatra cover, the actor added: "I was 84 years old when I sang it and my voice was higher than it is now."



Back in late May, Lee became the oldest metal performer history after releasing "Charlemagne: the Omens of Death" album on his 91st birthday. Make sure to check out the clip below for more details.


WEIRD: Band Fired Because they were "Not Black Enough"



ACLU: College cancelled concert because band members were 'not black enough



"The decision to cancel was based on the band's 'insufficient representation of people of color' according to the ACLU"

Administrators at Hampshire College (Hampshire) cancelled a Halloween concert last month because the lead singer of the band scheduled to perform was "not black enough," the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleged in a letter to the school's president.

"Hampshire’s justification for the cancellation and censorship has morphed over the past two weeks," wrote the ACLU in the letter to Jonathan Lash, the school's president. "The genesis of the decision, as you know rested on the accusation that this afro-funk band had insufficient representation of people of color."

The band, which was to perform at Hampshire, located in Amherst, MA, is called "Shokazoba," and specializes in Afrobeat music style, according to MassLive, a local online publication which recently obtained the ACLU's letter.


The school did pay Shokazoba, which has one African-American band member, despite the fact they were not allowed to perform.

ACLU official William Newman slammed the school's decision to cancel the event in the Nov. 15, letter, saying the decision was clearly race-based.

Comments posted on the event Facebook page, maintained and monitored by the college, stated that the African-American lead singer was not black enough," he wrote.

In the letter, Newman also called on Hampshire officials to apologize for the error, and he offered to consult with college officials on the matter.



Newman told MassLive he is disappointed that the school has not yet responded to the letter.

Elaine Thomas, Hampshire director of communications, told Campus Reform by email on Friday that the school has a different understanding of the situation.

"At issue here are very different understandings of what occurred by the band and by the students who organized the event. Our dean of students, who is the individual working on this, has reached out to the band and asked to meet with them," she said.

What do you think? Should whites not be "Allowed" to perform certain kinds of music?

Read the Complete Article Here...

Spotify Admits to Paying Artists a Meagre $0.006 Per Stream!



Responding to Thom Yorke's recent accusations, Spotify have made their payments public, confirming artists can only earn an average of $0.006 per song stream!

Although some claim the figure supports Yorke's meagre payment comments, however the company stresses the importance of looking at the big picture, noting that on average, a "niche indie album" generates $3,300 per month, while a "global hit album" fetches, $425,000.

Going into more specific figures, the Swedish platform revealed that payments range from $0.006 to $0.0084 per stream. Furthermore, details regarding Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" hit single were unveiled, confirming the tune garnered a total of almost $108 million from 78.6 million streams between June and August. The given amount is split between the label, publishers, collecting societies and the French duo.


According to Independent, Spotify also noted that it's royalties are much higher than the ones offered by YouTube, pointing out that $500 million was paid in royalties during 2013 alone. Since the 2008 launch, the payment figure had crossed the $1 billion mark.

The platform is also promising to increase the monthly indie rock earnings from $3,000 to $17,000 after expanding its subscriber base from 6 million to 40 million. At the moment, Spotify has over 24 million active users.

Accusing the company for trying to become the "gatekeeper" of all music, Thom Yorke described Spotify as "the last desperate fart of a dying corpse." The musician had also quit the service with his band Atoms for Peace.

So now that the figures are public - do you think Spotify can help bring the industry back on it's feet and more importantly, can Spotify help artists earn a decent living from their future work?

Everything You Need to Record Guitar at Home...



Recording rehearsals and performances in schools, churches, and studios gets a lot easier with the PreSonus AudioBox Stereo recording kit! This special all-PreSonus system combines a USB interface with Studio One Artist music-production software, HD7 monitoring headphones, a pair of small-diaphragm condenser microphones, and all necessary cables. It's great for capturing live performances and rehearsals, songwriting, song production, podcasting, and a variety of educational applications.

AudioBox Stereo includes:
AudioBox bus-powered USB audio/MIDI interface with cable Perfect for musicians, students, school music labs, churches, and classrooms, the ultra-mobile 2-channel AudioBox USB boasts high-performance microphone preamplifiers and professional-quality, 24-bit converters. USB bus-powered, it's compact, easy to use, ruggedly built, and designed to work perfectly with Studio One recording software but also works fine with other audio software that supports ASIO or Core Audio.



Studio One Artist recording and production software (DAW) Incredibly easy to learn, Studio One Artist lets you work quickly and stay focused on your inspiration while offering features rarely found in entry-level DAWs.

HD7 studio monitoring headphones PreSonus' high-definition HD7 headphones take advantage of a patented, semi-open sound chamber to deliver exceptionally deep low frequencies with a balanced and yet powerful bass punch.

Pair of small-diaphragm studio condenser microphones Record bands, choirs, rehearsals, school events, and more with this stereo pair of multi-purpose mics.


CoachGuitar for iOS – Visual Guitar Song App!


As you will see in the demonstration video, CoachGuitar is an iOS app which teaches you how to play hits from different decades and genres using a multi-camera video and animated fretboard view. The app is free to download (see http://coachguitar.com/ for links to the App) and you get 2 whole songs and 2 riffs included to get you started.

When you are ready to explore what else is to offer, simply tap on Library and scroll through the 60 or so songs which are available at the time of writing. Each song is an In-App purchase of $4.49 and you are able to preview the track before you purchase to hear exactly what you can expect to learn.


Each track includes a full performance video, a backing track with the guitar parts removed to play along to and a number of videos for each section, Stairway to Heaven for instance has a total of 31 videos included broken up into 9 chapters. Each chapter breaks down a section of the song into small chunks and is played at a slower tempo with the visual fretboard animation to help make it clear which notes to play with which fingers (indicated by the color coding described in the help), which strings to play (realistically vibrate like a real guitar) and the picking or plucking direction indicated at the left side of the fretboard.


There is also a left handed view feature in the settings which flips all of the videos and the fretboard. There are also Loop and Slow buttons, (so if you are really stuck you can just let it keep looping a section at half tempo until you get the hang of it).

If you are finding it difficult to learn new songs then this app could really help you get to grips with the correct fingerings, strum patterns to have you playing your favorite songs from the comfort of… well anywhere you'd take your iPhone, or iPad.

The Secrets of Jimi Hendrix's Guitar Setup...



Nobody knows the ins and outs of Jimi Hendrix's guitar sound like Roger Mayer.

Mayer had already worked with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck and produced a number of different fuzz boxes by the time he met Hendrix at a gig at the Bag Of Nails pub in London. The two hit it off and Mayer showed Hendrix his Octavia, a unit that added an octave overtone to the original note. Hendrix loved the sound and used it on the solo to "Purple Haze."


"After that we became close friends and started hanging out; and as they say, the rest is history," Mayer says.

He went on to look after Hendrix's gear both live and in the studio, gaining a unique understanding of his requirements, playing style and working methods. Today Mayer produces a range of pedals that take his original designs into the 21st century.


Mayer says an important part of Hendrix's sound was due to his use of carefully selected string gauges, which evened out the guitar's response from string to string.

"First of all, we weren't using a flat-radius fretboard," Mayer says. "We were using the normal one, not the very high radius but definitely curvy. The actual strings we used were not what people would expect. The string gauges would run .010, .013, .015, .026, .032 and .038.

The big difference there is that you're using the .015 for the third, because if you use the .017 for the third, the actual sound of the guitar is very G-heavy. The electrical output of the strings is dependent on the square of the diameter; if you square all the diameters and look at them, you can get much more of an idea about the balance of the guitar.

"You should always remember that, because many, many times people use a set of strings that are completely imbalanced and they just don't sound that good. Most people would say a .010 to .013 is the correct jump. And the .015 is much better for the G than a .017. An .015 squares out at .225 and .017 is 289. So you're going to get 28 percent more output just with a two-pound different in string size."



Although Hendrix used a custom string gauge, Mayer certainly didn't mess with the stock pickups in his Strats. He didn't feel the need.

Read More...

VIDEO: Andy Timmons Shows Off New Jeff Beck Inspired Ibanez Prototype



In this video from Meinl Distribution TV Andy Timmons shows off his current touring rig (which hasn’t really changed much over the years), but what is interesting is a new prototype Andy Timmons signature Ibanez featuring a Rosewood fretboard and floating trem inspired by Jeff Beck’s signature Fender Stratocaster.






Go and have a look-see at the sunburst Ibanez AT100CL and the more affordable AT10P Premium version, they're both awesome guitars!

Top 10 WORST Kinds of Music Fan


Some bands, (whether they're good or bad), simply have horrible fan bases... It's not always their fault, though of course, sometimes the artist is a bad influence and attracts the worst of fan for themselves.

During November. Ultimate Guitar readers set forth to nominate and vote for the worst music fan bases ever, and this is what they got. You may not agree with the entire list, but the people have spoken.

Do you agree with the results? Let us know what you think in the comments section, or on FaceBook...


_______________________________________________________

#10). HIPSTERS:
Those Pitchfork reading, sandal wearing, vinyl listening, moustache growing, duck-face posing, indie-rock grooving, camel riding, ukelele strumming, poem writing hipsters aren't so bad... Until you see them in person...

Here they are posing for the camera because they think it's about to take a picture...



#09). NIRVANA FANS:
Hey, nice Nirvana hoodie. Looks pretty fresh, though... Were you alive when they were around? No, they didn't exist. Yes, they were a great band. No, you shouldn't wear the same hoodie every single bloody day.



#08). Beatles fans (who believe that everything after the 1970s is not music)
The Beatles are undoubtedly one of the greatest bands of all time, and set the template for almost every songwriting musician that followed. But, they are not the only artists worthy of existence, and there's plenty of music created since that rivals them. The Beatles were just four great musicians, not the very oxygen of Mother Earth. Seriously, take a walk or something.



#07). Black Veil Brides Fans
They're full of faux goths and annoying poses. And that's just the band; wait until you see their fan base!!! (Note: we have no idea if the people in this picture are fans, or if they are in the band. It’s hard to tell.)


#06). KORN Fans
Korn are great at what they do, but some of their fans are a little stuck in the 1990s. Guys, you gotta learn that rap metal has moved on. Hell, Korn have moved on too. They're not all bad - it's the fans of "Path of Totality" that you want to worry about.


#05). Random "Metal-core Band /Fan-Girls"
This subset of women do the rest of female music fans a disservice... It's that small group of fan girls who don't really understand metal, but have realised that dressing in skin-tight black pants, (or black tights), with cut-up rock t-shirts hosting MAJOR eye-catching cleavage gets some SERIOUS attention from burly male metal head dudes. Hopefully who are actually in a band.



#04). UG Comminity
WHAAAAAAT?!?!!?

#03) The Directioners.
One Direction are a bunch of totally useless c^#ts, and so are anyone who likes them. What else do you need to know?





 #02). Insane Clown Posse Fans
While we think it sucks that ICP fans have been targeted by the FBI and classified as gang members, there's no doubt that anyone who is impressed by lyrics like "F--king magnets? How do they work?" is douche-tastic.


#01). Beliebers
Justin Bieber fans don't just have soppy lightweight boring gutless weird loner tired small meek baby weird misguided shameful music tastes. Oh no. They also call themselves "Beliebers." Ugh.Nuff-said!


VIDEO: Paul Gilbert and Nathan East's "One Chord Challenge"


In this video, which was posted earlier this week by Artistworks, guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Nathan East show the world what you can do with one chord.

The video is part of a series featuring more than two hours of playing, discussion and analysis in the ArtistWorks Online Bass School, which is hosted by East.




The premise: Gilbert asks East, who spent several years as Eric Clapton's bassist, what he would do if he were sentenced to a prison term of playing in the key of A for 20 minutes. (Don't worry — the video isn't 20 minutes long.)

East's online bass lessons include dozens of hours of pre-recorded videos and the ability to submit practice clips to East and get video feedback from the master himself.

Nathan East and Paul Gilbert: "One Chord Challenge" 
 

For more information, head here. For more information about ArtistWorks' Online Rock Guitar School with Paul Gilbert, head here.

WOW!!! DigiTech Announces Free E-Pedals...


HARMAN’s DigiTech announced today that e-pedals offered through the DigiTech Stomp Shop are available for free download. Offering almost limitless sonic possibilities, the iStomp connects to an iPod Touch, iPhone, or iPad enabling musicians to load the effect of their choice into the iStomp.

When we introduced the iStomp we changed the way guitarists think about how they go about creating their tone. By giving iStomp owners the capability to download any of the e-pedals available we are providing an unbelievable opportunity to immediately access a wide range of effects at no cost whatsoever!” stated Scott Klimt, marketing manager, DigiTech.



The promotion includes all e-pedals with the exception of the Adrian Belew Impossible Pedal. E-pedals currently available through the Stomp Shop include exclusive pedals from DigiTech, officially licensed pedals from other manufacturers and classic legacy DigiTech and DOD products. The iStomp pedal connects to an Apple iOS device using the DigiTech Smart Cable that comes with the iStomp. The iStomp pedal has four knobs to control effects parameters, which change their function according to which effect is loaded.

iStomp makes trying out new sounds easier than ever. Instead of having to go to a music store or look for online demos that might have been done with unfamiliar gear, a guitarist can now download any pedal in the iStomp online store for free for use with their own guitar and amp.

The iStomp comes with an iOS authorization cable and power supply.


VIDEO: 12-Year-Old Lorde in High-school Rock Band



A video clip of pop star Lorde fronting a metal band at the age of 12 has emerged.

The singer, (who is now 17 and whose single "Royals" has been a huge international hit), is seen in the video playing songs by the Cult with a rock band called "Extreme" at her high school.

They reportedly came third in the event. Lorde signed a $2.5 million publishing deal with Sony this week, being called a "once in a generation type artist" by the company's president.



 She's currently in her sixth week at the top of the Billboard chart, and remains the youngest
female to top the chart in 25 years. Can you imagine Lorde singing with a real metal band?

Does her fresh angle on pop impress you, or does it make you want to turn the radio off?

Let me know what you think of this next-gen pop princess in the comments. Watch Lorde with her metal band "Extreme" here:

Voted as #1 Best budget electric guitar in the world today...



Created by Youtube sensation Rob Chapman, Chapman guitars have been a phenomenon, and it was the Chapman ML-1 that led the charge.

The first run was an almost instant sell-out, but now they're back and in more demand than ever. The runaway winner of a recent Music Radar poll, Chapman guitars are making serious waves and proving that you don't need to be one of the big boys to make great, desirable guitars that people desperately want.



Described as a 'Swiss Army knife' of a guitar that will give you everything from shimmering clean tones through to brutal riffage (thanks in no small part to the Chapman designed pickups), expect first rate build quality and stand out playability. A worthy winner.

We said: "The ML-1 is a worthy competitor to similarly spec'd guitars from the likes of LTD and Schecter. It's beautifully put together and finished, and represents some great ideas, well executed."

VIDEO:



VIDEO: Vox Releases Demo for New Night Train Guitar Amp


In this new video posted this month by Vox Amps, guitarist (and Vox Product Specialist) Freddy DeMarco puts the company's new Night Train NT15H-G2 guitar amp through its paces.

The NT15H-G2 is a 15-watt, all-tube head that offers classic and new Vox tones in a compact and portable design.





It offers robust all-tube sound with class AB design. The pre-amp is driven by three 12AX7 tube. The power amp contains two EL84 tubes.



For more information, visit voxamps.com.