Guitar Gavel

06/08/2024

Guitar Gavel Lick Of The Week with Stevie K - Pinky Swells

Inspired by Phil Keaggy, add this violin technique to your routine this weekend and you won't be disappointed.

I love how Steve says, "if you are a flatpicker" like we are the odd person out :-).

Brother Steve, you are in a category all your own! Thank you!

Steve Kuykendall is a lifelong musician and an active indie artist and teacher. His music is available on Cedro Rosa Digital, Amazon, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Inspired by Phil Keaggy, add this violin technique to your routine this weekend and you won't be disappointed. I love how Steve says, "if you are a flatpicke...

05/24/2024

Christos Fragias is back with an excellent narrative on tapping!

Christos begins with a quick history of tapping and its rise to guitar stardom thanks to Eddie Van Halen.

In this lick he shares his philosophy on why and when to apply tapping and demonstrates tapping sequences over a chord progression with Bryan Adams "Summer of 69".

Plus a quick pick trick, say that three times fast.

Check out Christos' YT channel for gear reviews and plenty of shredding-

Christos Fragias is back with an excellent narrative on tapping! Christos begins with a quick history of tapping and its rise to guitar stardom thanks to Edd...

05/17/2024

Guitar Gavel Lick Of The Week with Stevie K - Kansas Wayward Son lesson part 1

One of the all time greatest openings ever!

Stevie K breaks down the two main riffs at the front end of the song. This is the first in a series of three videos as Steve will take us through to the end.

Enjoy and carry on my wayward son!

https://youtu.be/FMfcyvchgo0?si=AXStDR4obZUobvOA

One of the all time greatest openings ever! Stevie K breaks down the two main riffs at the front end of the song. This is the first in a series of three vide...

05/14/2024

Lick Of The Week - Marc Stamco - A on a B

A blues triad, almost just a scale, and some Southside Johnny inspiration.
Marc gives you several ways to attack, get after it!

Thank you so much Marc!

https://youtu.be/nB9uGpmjrp4?si=6YnNwr8NcmhQ8HEU

A blues triad, almost just a scale, and some Southside Johnny inspiration. Marc gives you several ways to attack, get after it!Thank you so much Marc!Marc ha...

05/03/2024

Guitar Gavel Gear Of The Week with Will Ray - $225 Swingbox

What’s a Swingbox? Your guess is as good as Will’s.

You mean to tell me you can put a Hipshot B-bender on an acoustic? Will can.

Let’s see what she can do: 2:50

Enjoy!

What’s a Swingbox? Your guess is as good as Will’s. You mean to tell me you can put a Hipshot B-bender on an acoustic? Will can. Let’s see what she can do: 2...

04/30/2024

Schwing!

Introduced in 1958 the Rickenbacker 320 was a student grade guitar and one of the short scale models in the 300 series with a scale length of 21”.

John Lennon accelerated the 320’s popularity by playing his 325 on the Ed Sullivan show.

The 320 is essentially a non-tremolo version of the 325, and like Lennon’s it did not originally have an f-hole, but that became optional in 1961 and standardized in 1964.

A full scale version of the 320 appeared in 1983, the Rickenbacker 350. And since then there have been a few versions of the 350 including the limited edition run 350 SH (Susanna Hoffs) from 1988-1990.

Susanna recorded with a Ricky 350 on The Bangles’ “All Over The Place” and “Different Light” albums and that caught the attention of Rickenbacker execs so they approached her about a signature model.

The result was the 350 SH, a ¾ size body, but included a full-scale neck. To get a little more robust sound she chose to have three of Ricky’s HB1 humbuckers in her personal guitar.

While that pickup configuration may exist on a couple, the Rickenbacker spec sheet has an HB1 in the bridge position with toaster’s in the middle and neck.

The guitar debuted at the 1988 summer NAMM show in Atlanta with a MSRP of $1,279, only 250 Susanna Hoffs signature models were produced.

04/26/2024

Guitar Gavel Lick Of The Week with Keith Amyx - Rockabilly in "A"

Yeah boy!

Maybe a little Jerry Reed in this one.

Tabs is at the end of the video. Thanks Keith for sharing your time, treasure, and talent!

Yeah boy! Maybe a little Jerry Reed in this one. Tabs is at the end of the video. Thanks Keith for sharing your time, treasure, and talent! #...

04/25/2024

Oddball Thursday - - Ibanez Axstar

This was part of the Ibanez X series which rolled out in 1983 as part of an “extreme” body style group of guitars.

Described as having a swoopy, x-shaped body.

Swoopy 80s hairstyle is also required.

This specific model was produced from 1985-86 and offered just about every possible pickup configuration.

Another one of the very non-traditional bodies to arrive that year was the Ibanez XV500, perhaps the pointiest, deadliest guitar ever.

Shockingly, the entire X series fad was abandoned in 1987.

Ibanez AX48 specs:

Basswood body
Maple neck
Rosewood fretboard
Ibanez Axstar pickups
Master volume
Center pickup volume and blend
Master tone
3-way switch

04/24/2024

Guitar Gavel Lick Of The Week with Christos Fragias 🇬🇷🇦🇺 - "Clinic on Keys"

Flashback Friday -- The Frag is back!

In this excellent rerun, Christos discusses different keys and their influence on the tonality spectrum of a song invoking Vivian Campbell and Steve Morse as examples.

And he gives us a nifty little exercise to put it into practice.

Thank you Christos for your beautiful spirit and time spent sharing this lesson! 🙏

Live from AustraliaA clinic on “keys”The Frag is back!Christos Fragias discusses different keys and their influence on the tonality spectrum of a song invoki...

04/19/2024

That’s not your momma’s Charvel Model 6

That’s a Greco JJ-75

Introduced in 1987, Greco had moved well beyond making Fender and Gibson replica’s.

They had their hands on a number of market opportunities, one of which was copying American shredders.

But let’s rewind for a minute.

Kanda Shokai Corporation is the parent company and brand holder of Greco. They started the business in 1960 and many of their guitars from the 1960s were of original designs.

Most of them were built by Fujigen Gakki who also produced Ibanez’ early guitars. By the 1970s, however, consumer demand led Greco to focus on American knockoffs.

And they were so good at it…

In 1982, a “joint resolution” and partnership between FMIC, Kanda Shokai, and Yomano Gakki created Fender Japan.

As part of the deal, Kanda Shokai would stop producing Fender knockoffs.

Is that what led them to copying other manufacturers such as Charvel/Jackson?

No.

They just continued the playbook and shifted with the market, copying whoever they wanted to except Fender. The JJ series of superstrats debuted in 1985.

1987 Greco JJ-75 specs:

Alder body
Maple bolt-on neck
Rosewood fretboard
Dry-S Single coils
X-part humbucker
Greco G Force Tremolo
Master volume and tone controls
Mini toggles for pickup selections