The first time I’d bought a brand new guitar was in 2005. I started playing back in the seventies, when used guitars were cheaper. Later on, when the good guitars increased in value from new, and cost had become a
Classic Les Paul
Acoustic vs Electric
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been playing far more acoustic guitar than electric – and really enjoying it. A Mini Taylor GS came into my life, and after a suggestion from my foresighted producer Jez Coad, I’ve largely
Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir
Led Zeppelin’s classic song Kashmir is said – by them – to be their best. I agree. Musically, the song is staggeringly powerful and runs on the album for a huge 8 mins 29 secs – almost three times longer
Hardtail Fender Stratocaster – Swiss Army knife of a rock guitar
This was the first electric guitar I bought, way back in the Seventies. The vendor was a surfer down in Cornwall where I used to live. He affected to be so cool that his price wasn’t open to discussion. But
Mini Taylor GS – Don’t let the size fool you!
Playing the riff and guitar break from the acoustic version of Starlight Coast Express My Mini Taylor GS, made of mahogany with great-sounding pickup and eq volume controls for amplification at live gigs, was not a guitar that I would
A New Friend – Resonator Recording King
At our last recording session, Jeff our drummer asked me if I’d got a dobro guitar. He thought that it would be perfect for my new song we were recording. Not having played bluegrass or much slide, I had to
Guitar Hoarding Disorder
There’s a medical condition called “Hoarding Disorder”. It’s endemic to all guitarists. Hoarding Disorder was thought to be part of OCD, but is now accepted as a separate condition. It can be treated using SSRI’s and cognitive behaviour therapy. If
Once There Was (Just) Rock
How did Birmingham’s Polka Tulk Blues Band turn what was once just “rock music”, into today’s nightmare complexity of sub and yet more sub-genres. Polka Tulk’s bass guitarist and singer, Geezer Butler and Ozzie Osborne, were taking a break outside
Bigsby tremolo system
Fitting a Bigsby tremolo system to my Gibson Les Paul – dismantling a valuable guitar! This is a regular series of blogs which will interest guitarists. But more importantly, perhaps, also empower the spouses, Significant Others or anybody else involved
Nirvana and the Rock Hall of Fame
I’ve never understood how the Rock Hall of Fame operates; but anyway, by the time Nirvana was inducted in 2014, their singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain was twenty years dead. As the inducted band gets to play, this presented a problem for