Dan Auerbach’s guitars and gear

Guitar tech Dan Johnson gives a fascinating insight into the guitars and rig used by Black Keys’ frontman Dan Auerbach – courtesy of Premier Guitar.

Washburn Rover travel guitar – review

Washburn Rover and Case

I just bought myself a Washburn Rover travel guitar. It was very reasonably priced – only £117 – so I was a little worried that build quality and tone wouldn’t be up to much, but after playing it for a couple of days I am pleasantly surprised. It has surpassed all my expectations.

How to restring a guitar fitted with vintage style open slot tuners

Vintage tuners on a Fender Mustang

I know a few guitarists who have a tech restring their guitars for them. These people are not stupid or lazy. They are quite happy to restring some of their guitars themselves. But they fear the open slot variety of tuner, worried by the technique required to bind the string to the tuning post. But it’s not difficult.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Push The Sky Away – review

Album cover for Push The Sky Away, by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

It’s been a long time coming, but the 15th album from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds proves to have been well worth the wait. It is, quite simply, extraordinary. Arguably the band’s finest work.

Cake guitarist Xan McCurdy’s guitar tone

Cake’s guitarist Xan McCurdy gets incredible tone from a basic rig.

Instrument by Pat Graham – review

Instrument – front cover

Photographer Pat Graham spent more than ten years documenting the intimate relationships between musicians and their instruments. The most fascinating of these have been brought together in this beautiful book. Accompanying the images are personal stories and reflections from, and about, artists such as Johnny Marr, Modest Mouse, Ian Curtis, Bernard Sumner, Jerry Dammers, Nick Zinner, Kurt Cobain, Ben Bridwell and many more.

Jonny Marr’s 1959 Gibson ES-355

Johnny Marr has been announced as this year’s recipient of the NME Godlike Genius Award.

In a recent interview for NME, Johnny Marr told how he came to own his iconic cherry red 1959 Gibson ES-355. The day he got the guitar, he used it to write The Smiths’ classic “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now”.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse jam session – Horse Back

Still from Horse Back (used here for review purposes only)

Recorded on the 6 Jan 2012, this jam session is pure joy. Guitar tone doesn’t get much better than this, my friends. Lose yourself in sumptuous, saturated, overdriven sounds.

Gretsch introduces Center-Block Panther G6137TCB

Gretsch G6137TCB Center Block Panther Double Cutaway – click for larger image

Gretsch is celebrating its 130th birthday with the introduction of several new models which include the new Center Block series.

Something of a departure from the standard Gretsch template, the Center Block series features a full-body-length spruce centre block – a Gretsch first – which is chambered at the lower bout to reduce weight and ensure the new series stays friendly at high volume.

The Guild Starfire is back

Guild Starfire IV

Guild’s new Newark St. Collection marks the return of eight classic electric favourites from the 1950s and ’60s, including the Starfire III and IV models.

The original Starfires were highly popular and prized by many guitarists, such as Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Their distinctive design and tone make a welcome return.

Both the hollow Starfire III and semi-hollow Starfire IV are equipped with low output pickups designed to deliver a natural, warm and open sound with good clarity.