Les Paul - The Legend on Show (Pics and Video)

Les Paul is an American jazz guitarist & inventor.
He is a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which "made the sound of rock and roll possible."

His many recording innovations include overdubbing, delay effects such as "sound on sound" & tape delay, phasing effects & multitrack recording.

I saw him on show in Iridium Jazz Club in NYC. he is almast 94 years old & still playing the electric guitar.

When It all Starts: My First Electric Guitar!

In 2005 I saved some money & bought my first electric guitar with a 15W amp.


It was a strat style "Peavey"
Model: Predator.
Crafted in the USA.

The amp was a "Peavey"
Model: rage 158.
Made In USA.

Vintage VOX 12 String Electric Hollowbody Starstream XII Guitar

1967-1968 VOX 12 String Electric Hollowbody Starstream XII Guitar, with on-board electronics.
The serial number is present on the back of the guitar. This guitar was made in Italy.

Taylor T5 Series T5-BR2 Liberty Tree Acoustic-Electric Guitar

The Taylor Liberty Tree T5-BR2 is an acoustic-electric guitar crowned with a solid cream-and-chocolate top of tulip poplar.
This wood was milled from the Annapolis Liberty Tree, the last survivor in a group of majestic trees once chosen to designate clandestine meeting sites for Colonists plotting the American Revolution.
This living symbol of freedom and independence grew on the St. John's college grounds in Annapolis, Maryland, until severe damage from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 caused experts to declare it a safety hazard for students and order it felled.
Taylor purchased approximately 80,000 pounds of the historically significant wood, and in 2002 released a limited edition run of 400 Liberty Tree Grand Concert acoustic guitars as a playable tribute to those who struggled for freedom during the birth of our nation.

The Liberty Tree T5 guitar features a hand-inlaid revolutionary-period battle banner on the guitar's shoulder and a post-revolution American flag on the peghead.
Eleven mother-of-pearl stars on the fretboard, and two more stars on the banner represent the thirteen original colonies.
Binding on the body, neck and headstock is figured maple, accented by red, white, and blue purfling.
The same purfling outlines a backstrap of Liberty Tree wood.
The body's back cover panel is satin-finish maple with a laser-cut inlaid Liberty Tree shape crafted in the tree's wood and with the word "Liberty" etched in lasered script just beneath it.
All hardware, including the vintage Gotoh tuners, sports an antique gold finish.

Taylor T5 electronics, designed to facilitate moving between authentic acoustic and electric guitar stones, are included.

Fifty Liberty Tree T5 acoustic-electric guitars will be made in all. Each guitar will be individually identified by the name of a state and accompanied by a numeral designating the order in which the state entered the Union.
The guitars come with a special Taylor custom guitar case.

Top: Liberty Tree Tulip Poplar
Body/Neck: Mahogany
Peghead Inlay: Post-Revolution American Flag
Fretboard Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl Stars
Top Inlay: Revolutionary Period Battle Pennant
Body/Neck/Headstock Binding: Figured Maple with Red, White and Blue Purfling Peghead Backstrap: Liberty Tree Tulip Poplar
Back Cover Panel: Satin-finish maple with Liberty Tree tulip poplar inlay and "Liberty" laser-etched
Tuners: Vintage Gotoh with Antique Gold Finish

Hand-inlaid Revolutionary period banner on shoulder Post-Revolution American flag on peghead 11 mother-of-pearl stars on fretboard, 2 on banner represent the 13 original colonies.

Carved 1974 Gibson SG Standard

This amazing electric guitar work was done by Doug Rovell.

Doug: "Bought at eBay on-line auction. Broken Bigsby tailpiece, scratched pickguard & bent tuners.
I replaced the missing Bigsby parts (spring & arm), added new grove tuners & made a new custom pickguard, incorproating the classic "The Gibson" logo.

Then I did my old favorite SG "violin" treatment along with a deeply carved florentine patter and 4 coats of clear lacquer.

March, 2000".

How Can I Keep From Breaking Strings On My Guitar?

Todays post is a guest post from The Rock House Blog, www.rockhousemethod.blogspost.com it's got a couple nifty tips for handling guitar strings. Some of the problems of string breakage a covered as well.

First, always handle new strings with care. If you bend or put a kink in a new string when you're taking it out of the pack, you can create a weak spot in the string that will snap in the middle of your first solo every time.

Breaking strings on electric guitars is usually caused by two things: technique and worn bridge saddles. When you pick the strings, they move slightly across the saddle before sounding. The length of travel depends on where and how you pick the string. A tiny burr or groove in the bridge saddles can catch the string and cause it to break. If you're breaking a lot of strings at the bridge, it's probably caused by a funky saddle. Replacement saddles are relatively inexpensive and easy to install at home. Make sure replacement saddles are stainless steel or some other hard metal designed to reduce string breakage. If replacement saddles don't solve the problem, you'll either have to get used to busted strings or change your playing style.

On acoustic guitars, there can be sharp edges near the end of the pin that catch the strings. Sometimes an emory board or fine sandpaper can be carefully used to fix this problem.

Check out the Rock House Blog for more tips, lessons and interviews.

Steve Vai - "Tender Surrender" Video

Steve Vai performs "Tender Surrender" from the DVD "Alien Love Secrets" featuring full-length performance videos of every song from the "Alien Love Secrets" EP.

The DVD includes: 7 Performance

Basses and electric Contrabass for sale

Up for sale is 5 string fretless International Exotic Curbow Petit bass.
Built in 1994 by the late master Luthier Greg Curbow in Georgia USA.

Construction:
Body wood: purple heart back, highly figured quilt maple top, a thin dark (ebony?) layer between top and back.
Finish: high gloss purple burst color.
Hardware: Sperzel locking tuners, brass ABM bridge 20mm spacing, locking Schaller strap pins.
Pickups: Special Bartolini T-Rail staggered coil design soupbars.
Preamp: Bartolini Low impendence 3-band EQ active (9V) with Mid frequency switch (effects when Mid is boosted - not when cut)
Neck: Bolt-on with 5 industrial-level inserts, dual action double truss rod, graphite bars under the fretboard, fretless marked with maple lines. 24-26 frets.
Neck and fingerboard are made out of "Rockwood" - "A composite consistent of layers of sustainable yield finish Birch that have been saturated with Phenolic based resins. The layers are then placed in a press and subjected to pressures of 2000 lbs. per square inch and temperature of 450 degrees F." (taken from Curbow's catalog)

The result is hard and dense material which is stable like graphite with fast response and tonal qualities of wood. No finish is applied, just satin buffed.

Design:
Body is relatively small and thin, upper side of the body is very thin. Neck is wide with flat profile, fingerboard radius is changing from 18 at the nut to 16 at the 24 fret (or the opposite.. can't remember). This is the most stable neck I've ever seen, period. Straight as an arrow, ridicules low action. In 14 years I needed to tweak the truss rod maybe 4 times! This bass has lovely body woods and great other features but is really all about the neck. It is truly remarkable.
The great stability and sound translates into weight as Rockwood is heavier than regular wood. The small body and higher placement of the back strap holder makes balance great when standing up. Seated however, the neck has a dive.

Condition:
The bass is in excellent shape. No dents dings or scratches.
Neck is perfect.
All is original!



Kydd electric upright bass
Made in USA (2000/1)
The perfect travel companion!
The Kydd Carry-On is an upright bass that features a curly maple neck and body and Granadillo fingerboard. The traveling Kydd Bass also has a Fishman BP 100 transducer.

R bass 4

Handmade in USA by Ray Roger (2002)

Ken Bebensee 5