 photo: Marty Philbey |
Like the thousands of guitarists before him, Butler first picked up the guitar to imitate Hendrix and Iommi. As Butler describes it, he was just another gangly teenager until an Excalibur moment happened. His whole life changed when he was given his grandfather’s ’30s Dobro and later discovered open tunings. Since that moment Butler hasn’t put down the Dobro—or any other guitar—and has successfully blended an unusual mix of music to make something Butler calls spiritual. His music pulls from the worlds of blues, reggae, folk and roots. Incorporate some gritty, distorted rock plus a little hip-hop guitar percussion and rhythms and with a pinch of Celtic and Aboriginal fingerstyle playing and you get a synopsis of Butler’s discography.
Now with the release of his fourth studio album, April Uprising, Butler has added yet another tool to his musical belt by incorporating electric guitars on several of the album’s tracks. The use of a ’72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe and a Silvertone Jupiter validates Butler’s rock side without taking away from the worldly influences. Instead, it makes for a much more accessible album that anyone can appreciate.
We recently had a chance to catch up with Butler during his flurry of promotion for April Uprising, and he talked with us about matching his Maton 12-strings with a ’75 Marshall JMP Super Lead, mixing Western and Eastern musical styles and his discontent for G-strings.
How did you get introduced to the guitar?
I discovered it as any teenager with a primordial urge a boy gets when they hear Black Sabbath or Jimi Hendrix. I started just playing standard tuning and some basic chords—something to mimic the guitar giants. [laughs] When I started it was just four chords and the truth.
There was this guitar that was left in my family’s possession. I saw all my aunts and uncles give this slide guitar a try, but none of them could play it and what I refer to as an Excalibur moment happened. All my aunts and uncles couldn’t get it out of the rock, but when I stumbled across it as a gangly juvenile I could just play it—it was like my grandfather was talking to me through it. So when this guitar was given to me from my grandmother it was a big deal to me because it was my grandfather’s, but on top of that it was a 70 year old Dobro … it was just a heavy thing to have unfold as a teenager. But when I first got that Dobro I didn’t know really what to do with it. I didn’t know anything about open tunings or even like the blues—it was all a mystery to me.
Who were some of the guitarists that you first looked up to?
It had to be Jimi Hendrix and “Voodoo Chile”—just hearing that made me realize that there is something pretty different… something really amazing going on between him and that guitar. Back then—and still to this day—what grabs me isn’t a complete song but killer riffs. I just remember hearing “Voodoo Chile,” “T.N.T.” and anything off Paranoid and I was just put into a trance.
When did you have that “A-ha moment” and knew you were going to be a guitarist and not just a hobbyist?
I played with simplistic chords for about 6-7 years and I did it as a teenage hobby like skateboarding. When I was 21 years old I found out about open tunings—that was just like the light going off. Until then I didn’t really grasp the versatility of the Dobro except as a way to remember my grandfather, but after the discovery of open tunings I couldn’t put the guitar down.
It all started with the simple drop D. The first influences for me to go with open tunings had to be The Tea Party and of course Zeppelin. One of the greatest gifts I’ve ever gotten was the introduction of the “Jimmy Page” tuning—the open C. When my friend showed it to me on paper I thought there were too many of the same notes to make anything musical, but then I tuned my guitar and started playing it and it was liquid. Music I never knew would just flow out of me. And to this day, CGCGCE is still one of my main tunings.
Compared to your previous studio albums like Grand National and Sunrise Over Sea, the new record April Uprising is more accessible to the masses yet it still retains your roots-rock mentality and feel. How did you achieve this as a songwriting guitarist?
Luckily as a songwriter I feel I’ve gotten better at it with each record and each song. I’ve been able to find a way to get my ideas out in a more vivid but coherent way that makes them more available. Both as a guitarist and songwriter, one epiphany that appeared during this album’s process is that less is more. I’ve heard that many times before, but with April Uprising I was finally able to ingest those words and apply them in manner that worked for me. I feel more comfortable saying a lot more with a lot less, allowing the song to breathe and react naturally. I really tried to focus my efforts on creating songs rather than forcing them out. If the song wasn’t there or something became unhitched, I just left it by the side of the road. We just did our best to make each song stand on its own and work with the attitude of “all killer, no filler.”
How did you craft your songs with April Uprising?
For me, each song always starts with the guitar [laughs]. I always have to come up with a riff or hook that ignites the rest of the song to just flow out of me. When those words didn’t start to come, I spent a bit more time really building quality, thoughtful lyrics. One thing I hadn’t done much prior to this record was re-working choruses and song parts while in the studio. For instance, on “Revolution” I re-did the chorus four or five different times while I was recording it. When I round up with the guys in the studio I bring my songs in as naïve teenagers and when we’re done recording they are fit to leave home as adults … [laughs] I guess I babied my songs a bit more this time. Another thing that helps is working with the Trio—they often hear and see things I couldn’t even imagine for a song, but end up totally working. It’s a blessing to have them in my back pocket.
One of my favorite tones off the record is found on the track “Close To You,” while it sounds like you, there seems to be something different going on. What are you playing in that song?
[laughs] It definitely was something different—I was playing a new ’72 Fender Telecaster Deluxe through my Marshall JMP Super Lead. I doubled the track with a Silvertone Jupiter, which is this grungy, dirty sounding thing and I sprinkled my 12-string Maton on the choruses, too. This album definitely has me playing a few more tracks with the electric guitar. It is a nice change of pace and it gives me another way to express my voice in a completely different manner. For effects on that solo I use a Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe, Boss PH-2 Super Phaser and the Ibanez TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer and a sprinkle of the Boss RV-2 Delay. Also, I used the DigiTech Whammy on the bridge parts.
Did you use any other electric guitars on the album?
No, I mainly used the Telecaster and the Jupiter … [laughs] both guitars I got off eBay. Isn’t that where everybody gets their guitars now?!
What are some of the effects you dabbled with on April Uprising?
I definitely used the Ibanez TS9DX Turbo Tube Screamer quite a bit on the record—that thing is my ace in the hole. I really enjoyed working with the Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe because it’s a phaser with that Uni-Vibe feel from Hendrix’s days. Like I said before I used the PH-2 Phaser and RV-2 Delay. I saw Rage Against the Machine about two years ago in Portugal and I forgot—when done well and used sparingly—how awesome the whammy can be for a solo or cool intro riff, so thanks to Tom Morello I used the DigiTech Whammy on this record, too. You can really hear it in the songs “To Look Like You” and “Close To You.”
 photo courtesy ATO Records |
A lot of it has to do with the open tunings I use. The moment you open tune your guitar, you’re stepping back a 1000 years to when they originated—whether you planned it or not. I remember as a kid hearing the bagpipes of the army marching down the street or Ravi Shankar at Woodstock and it always created something very spiritual within me and it just moved me in way that other music didn’t. I just really embrace and love that organic Celtic stuff and I’m happy it has found a way into my music. I’m not trying to emulate or reproduce something or someone, but I’m just happy that influences like that are able to come through my music.
Some guitarist are overwhelmed by the idea of 12-string, but it appears to be your go-to guitar. Why is that?
After playing two gift guitars—a cheap electric and a cheap nylon acoustic—for a few years I was about to buy my first guitar and my guitar teacher had a 12-string. So I thought to myself “I’ll give that a go,” and it kind of just stuck. I played it as 6-string, a 12-string and it finally ended up being an 11-string. What makes that guitar so appealing to me now is that I can make it sound like a banjo, a mandolin or like two acoustics—so if one instrument can be so versatile, why not use it?
When I listen to your records and hear the 12-string there is a lot more going on than just a 12-string guitar. What is all going on there?
[laughs] I know, right? It just becomes another beast when it’s electrified. When I stick it through my 1975 Marshall JMP Super Lead it can sound like I’m using an overdriven chorus, which turns the 12-string into a multi-harmonic instrument that I’ve never heard before. A lot of times when I use it with the band and use open tunings I can hear a Hammond in the background and all these other overtones ringing all around me. I’ve always liked a big, warm fat sound so a setup like that just works for me.
A Marshall and a 12-string isn’t a run-of-the-mill combination. How did you land on that setup?
Well, I used to run my acoustics through an older Fender Bassman and I was pretty happy with it until I landed a festival gig where I had to use a backline rig. All they had to use were Marshall amps and cabs, so I set my signal chain up and it took my sound to another level. So I went to a store in Australia and picked out that 100 watt Marshall JMP Super Lead and it has been my main amp since. It has that power, low-end and absolute mid-cut that I wanted and needed. I’ve dabbled with other heads like Fender, VOX, Orange and all sorts of things but that Marshall just kind of nailed it. I enjoy playing other amps, but when it comes down to it I don’t need to buy another amp.
How do you use the volume pedal?
Well it all started when I got familiar with Australian guitarist Jeff Lang who is just an amazing player and we became good friends. He would always blend in this crazy distorted guitar through a volume pedal—much like a pedal steel player—so he could have his clean, acoustic sound and then he could slowly bring up this distorted sound. It was too cool to ignore and I’m not big on copying or emulating players, but that was something I just needed to incorporate—especially for my live shows. I even asked Jeff if I could use that setup of a volume pedal and he just looked at me as if I was the weirdest person ever to ask if I could do that [laughs] … it just seemed so revolutionary to me but he looked at is something quite elementary.
In addition, you use the Tube Screamer quite a bit, too. How do you use that to compliment your tone?
A lot of times I just kick it on to give my acoustic a little bit of hair in certain parts. A lot of time—at the beginning of songs—I need some grit and the volume pedal will need to be set at about halfway, so I can use the Tube Screamer to cut the mids, give my acoustic tone just a little bite. I compare it to old blues recordings where you can hear the distortion on acoustics because of those old mics. It drives my acoustic tone really early so I can have a pinch of growl but not have to mess with my overall acoustic clean tone. The clean acoustic is pretty much there all the time, so have that pedal in my arsenal allows me to push my tone a little harder with some heavier, darker overtones.
And why have you decided to make it an 11-string?
It is just that silly high G string. In the early days it just kept breaking and so when I could afford strings for every time it broke—I found I didn’t like it. It’s the highest note on your guitar—higher than the high E—and it is right there in your mids. I like to have my mids nice and thick and full and focused, but with that high G string you have something three semitones higher than the high E. It gives the 12-string guitar a little more focused and grounded tone. But between it breaking all the time and ruining my mids, it just pissed me off. [laughs] I don’t bring him out to play because it is like my revenge against the insubordinate string.
Are there any contemporary guitarists that you’ve been listening to lately?
Whenever I see Jeff Lang perform he is always pushing the envelope. Tom Morello is definitely one of the most innovative guitarists in the past 20 years. People seem to think he’s got a board of tricks, but he really only uses like five pedals. It is just amazing what he can do. Ben Harper is always pushing music in a new, positive direction whether it is with the Relentless7 or as a solo artist. Another guy that has been doing an amazing job is José González … much like Rodrigo y Gabriela—those three artists do a great job of combining their styles, traditions and influences and pushing their resulting music in a completely new direction. You hear a lot of guys emulating the prophets like Hendrix and SRV so when I want something like that I usually just go to the source [laughs].
John Butler's Gearbox
Guitars
Maton 425/12-string
Maton ECJ85 12-string Jumbo acoustic guitar with a custom cedar top
Cole Clark FL2A/12 12-string
Larivee 6-string
Carson Crickmore Weisenbourne-style lap steel
Bacon 5-string banjo
’72Fender Telecaster Deluxe
Silvertone Jupiter
Amps and Cabinets
’75Marshall JMP Super Lead 100W head
Marshall 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion 30 watt speakers
Effects
** All effects go through Avalon U5 Wireless units**
DigiTech Whammy,
Boss ODB-3 Bass Overdrive
Voodoo Labs Microvibe
Boss RV-2 Digital Reverb/Delay
Jim Dunlop Crybaby Q Wah
Ibanez TS9 DX Turbo Tube Screamer
Akai Headrush Tape Echo/Delay
Ernie Ball Volume pedal
JLM Audio Custom Box
**This box is a master volume/mute & phase switch with a transformer isolated split which we have used in the past to send to a second amplifier.
A rack of in-progress Aristides guitars, at the company’s factory in the Netherlands.
Over the decades, and especially more recently, a wild wave of alternative-material possibilities has steadily emerged, captivating many of our imaginations with unique sonic palettes, response, aesthetics, and playability. From the pioneering experiments of the past to the cutting-edge innovations of today, this is the journey of those materials—a testament to the enduring spirit of creativity and the relentless pursuit of excellence across the guitar universe.
As early as the 1950s, Danelectro, known for its budget-friendly instruments, made waves with their Masonite bodies. These guitars’ quirky designs and lipstick pickups offer a distinctive, resonant tone and affordability that appeals to many musicians seeking something unique and familiar. Less popular, but still prevalent, National built instruments from “Res-O-Glas,” a fiberglass-like substance made by combining polyester resin and glass threads.
The 1970s witnessed a surge of experimentation. The Ampeg Dan Armstrong “see-through” guitar was crafted from transparent acrylic. Though it had its drawbacks, the guitar became a bonafide icon. “It’s a pretty dense material. It weighs a lot,” notes James Little, CEO of Aluminati Guitar Co. “But it’s what gives them that midrange—they just cut through.” Together with their futuristic look, that cutting tone captivated players as diverse as Keith Richards and Black Flag’s Greg Ginn.
Adrian Belew’s own signature model Parker Fly, as seen on a recent Rig Rundown shoot. He’s playing the guitar on the current BEAT Tour, celebrating the classic ’80s recordings of King Crimson.
Photo by Perry Bean
While Masonite and acrylic were making headway, Veleno Guitars’ all-aluminum designs were landing in the hands of rock royalty, including Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, and Marc Bolan. The late producer Steve Albini’s Veleno even supplied the clean tones for Nirvana’s In Utero in the ’90s. Veleno wasn’t alone when it came to using metal, of course. Aluminum was used in the construction of electric instruments going back to the Rickenbacker A-22 “Frying Pan” lap steels, and Italy’s Wandre guitars were some of the first to use aluminum as a guitar-neck material in their radical designs. Later, Travis Bean and Kramer guitars, favored by artists like the Melvins’ Buzz Osborne and Jerry Garcia, followed suit in the ’70s.
These early forays into alternative materials may not have achieved the mainstream success of a Stratocaster. Still, their combination of attention-grabbing appearances and sound paved the way for future innovations and continues to inspire luthiers. As Ned Steinberger, the visionary behind his namesake brand and NS Design, puts it, “It’s not about the materials as much as how you feel when you play the guitar. How it sounds, how it plays, and how it looks—they’re all very important in terms of your enjoyment of playing.”
Ned knows a thing or two about electric guitar innovation. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he emerged as a true disruptor in the guitar world with his headless, carbon-fiber creations. These instruments, devoid of traditional headstocks and tuning pegs, offered unparalleled tuning stability, ergonomic comfort, and a sleek aesthetic that challenged conventional notions of guitar design.
A worker inspects a fresh and shiny body at the Aluminati factory.
Steinberger’s instruments initially faced resistance from traditionalists, but carbon fiber’s undeniable benefits soon won over a legion of progressive players. Eddie Van Halen, in his relentless pursuit of technical perfection, was one of the many who embraced Steinberger guitars for their tuning stability and futuristic TransTrem bridge. And on bass, Sting and Rush’s Geddy Lee also became prominent Steinberger players. These endorsements, as well as the instruments’ undeniable performance and stability, cemented Steinberger’s legacy as a true pioneer in alternative-material guitars.
Sparked by Steinberger’s work, the 1990s witnessed a renaissance of guitar innovation. Companies like Parker, Modulus, and Zon pushed the boundaries by combining carbon fiber and various alternative materials into premium instruments. Parker Guitars, founded by Ken Parker, gained the most recognition for its Fly model, a striking instrument featuring a composite body and a carbon-fiber neck. It symbolized the future for guitarists coming up at the time. “I have a vivid memory of being 15 or 16 and going to a guitar store and seeing a Parker there,” recalls Jake Howsam Lowe of the bands Plini and the Helix Nebula. “I played it, and all I could think was, ‘This thing is insane. I love this so much!’”
The Fly’s unique combination of materials offered a balanced tone, exceptional sustain, and a lightweight feel that has yet to be matched. Everyone from eclectic, boundary-pushing wizards Adrian Belew and Vernon Reid to fingerstyle master Phil Keaggy became champions of Ken Parker’s revolutionary design.
Like Steinberger and Veleno before them, Parker Guitars may have been too ahead of their time. By the mid 2000s, the brand was on the back burner, and the guitar industry was amid a significant shift. With renewed concerns about deforestation and the dwindling supply of rosewood and mahogany, there was a new focus on the search for sustainable alternatives. Much of that energy went into the hunt for alternative woods. Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars was at the heart of a movement to embrace non-traditional tonewoods like ovangkol, sapele, and pau ferro.
Buddy Miller in his home studio posing with a Wandre, one of the first aluminum-neck designs. Buddy has nearly single-handedly inspired a cult around these Italian exports.
Photo by Ted Drozdowski
Sustainability continues to remain a concern across the industry. Even builders who specialize in non-wood construction still rely on plenty of wood in their builds. “We do [use wood],” says Little. “Mainly, we use local poplar and maple, but we also use some sapele, and we’re looking into paulownia. It grows on farms here in the South. So we try to keep it as local and green as possible."
Little’s Aluminati Guitars is at the forefront of today’s alternative-materials movement. Though not afraid to branch into the mentioned tonewoods, Lucite, and carbon fiber, the brand is known for its all-aluminum models. “Aluminum is just the perfect thing to make a stringed instrument from,” states Little, plainly. “It just rings out like a bell.”
Aluminati’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond their choice of materials. They also prioritize how they source their materials, ensuring their instruments are as environmentally conscious as they are sonically impressive. “For example,” says Little, “a company sent us some aluminum cans from a few of their venues in the United States. We recycled those cans into some fretboards and other parts.”
This Aluminati Nebula is all aluminum, but the model is available with customizable options, including fretboard and body material.
The contemporary guitar landscape is a tapestry of innovation and experimentation, where luthiers and musicians push the boundaries of what a guitar can be. Prisma Guitars builds instruments out of retired skateboards; German maker Verso’s minimalist designs are built using sheet metal; and luthier Rachel Rosenkrantz is challenging the conventions of what is accepted as instrument materials by using mycelium and paper within her sustainable avant-garde builds. Some builders, like YouTube-famous Burls Art, craft instruments from unexpected materials like colored pencils and Legos, transforming everyday objects into functional works of art.
Aristides Instruments is a leader in the charge for technological advancements. Engineering their own Arium composite material (a blend including thermoplastic resin and glass bubbles), Aristides crafts their instruments as a single uninterrupted piece. Each comes to life in specialized molds unique to their breathtaking designs. According to CEO Pascal Langelaar, the result is unparalleled consistency and playability. “People could see that as less romantic,” he admits, “but the benefit is that, when you play your neighbor’s guitar, you're getting the same quality [when you order your own].”
This consistency and quality control is a hallmark of the modern alternative-materials movement, offering reliability and predictability essential in today’s online-retail world. That peace of mind can be elusive with traditional wooden instruments.
Alternative materials aren’t without their unique challenges, though. Little acknowledges the hurdles, especially faced by early pioneers. “The main challenges were their weight, tuning stability, and action. They sound fantastic, but [a lot of them are] like 12 or 13 pounds. They’re always cold and have pretty raunchy tuning stability. So, we’ve had to address not only the traditional sound but also the pain points from aluminum instruments from the past.”
Caption: This Aristides 8-string is made from the company’s proprietary Arium composite material.
Aristides Instruments’ innovative approach to creating its own composite material helps solve these challenges. Even their finishing process is a highly technical exercise in innovation and precision. Erik Nieuwenhuisen, the company’s production manager, explains: “Once the guitars are out of the mold, they get painted on a really high level. We try to keep the paint layers extremely thin, but need to be sure that everything is really consistent.”
For decades, guitarists have remained fiercely loyal to traditional wood instruments, most viewing them as the only true path to sonic authenticity. But it seems as though players are embracing alternative materials more than ever before, a significant shift in the industry. So, what’s driving this change?
Little believes it’s a sign of the times. “I think it's the younger generation,” he says. “They want stuff that’s just kind of no-bullshit, something that works all the time when they want it to work without having to do a bunch of maintenance.”
Lowe, an Aristides devotee, echoes the sentiment. “I’m a very low-maintenance guitar player,” he explains. “And the less I have to do to my instrument, the happier I am. I think part of it also has to do with the fact that companies are just getting better.”
Luther Rachel Rosenkrantz’s Mycocaster is made of a unique combination of mycelium, recycled paper, Indian rosewood scraps, wax, and oil.
As part of Plini’s two-guitar live attack, Lowe is one of many guitarists flying the alternative-material flag while leading a new generation of fusion and metal players. According to him, online communities have also been crucial for expanding players’ horizons. Forums and social media platforms have provided a space for guitarists to connect, share their experiences, and discover new builders pushing the boundaries of design.
“Access through the internet is really important,” he says. “I remember cruising those forums and seeing guys like Misha [Mansoor of Periphery] and Nolly [Getgood of Periphery, producer] talking about nerdy guitar stuff. We all seem to start there and move out from there.”
The future of alternative material guitars rests with these newer artists, and the past two decades have seen a surge of innovation in guitar gear in large part driven by artists like Lowe, Mansoor, and Animals as Leaders, who fearlessly embrace everything from new materials to digital modeling and extended-range instruments. As Lowe says, point blank, “The rules have changed for electric guitar design.”
Langelaar also sees a bright future for alternative materials, saying, “I think there’s going to be more and more alternatives and different visions on guitar building. Aristides offers something different that speaks to people. And maybe right now it’s still a niche, but I think that niche is going to get bigger and bigger.”
Ever the innovator, Steinberger also envisions a future of refinement and evolution, but thinks it’s coming a little at a time. “I don’t think there’s a lot of revolution on the horizon,” he says. “There’s nothing quite like what happened when they put a pickup on a guitar. I mean, that was the revolution.”
There’s no denying the allure of alternative-material electric guitars. They represent a bold step into the future, a testament to the spirit of innovation, and carry a long list of benefits unmatched by traditional tonewoods. As guitar designs, these instruments stand as a reminder that the possibilities are limitless.
Whether alternative materials will eventually become the norm or remain a niche remains to be seen. But one thing is certain, the electric guitar, in all its forms, continues to evolve, driven by a relentless pursuit of new sounds, innovative designs, and the quest for musical expression.
The North American leg, produced by Live Nation and SJM, will see Oasis play stadiums in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Los Angeles and Mexico City next summer with Cage The Elephant as the special guest across all dates.
The news comes 16 years since their last performance in North America. Oasis commented,
“America.
Oasis is coming.
You have one last chance to prove that you loved us all along.”
The previously announced dates on the Oasis Live ‘25 tour sold out immediately, with over 10 million fans from 158 countries queuing to buy tickets. Days after their return, the band claimed their 8th UK No. 1 album with the 30th anniversary of their electrifying debut album Definitely Maybe, while at the same time occupying two other spots in the top 5 UK albums chart.
Oasis remain a huge draw in the streaming era, with over 32 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone – an increase of almost 50% since the announcement of their return – and nearly 12.5 billion streams to date across platforms.
Registration for the presale is currently open at oasisinet.com until Tuesday, October 1st at 8 am EST. General ticket sale will begin Friday, October 4th at 12pm local time and will be available from Ticketmaster.
Plans are underway for Oasis Live ’25 to go to other continents outside of Europe and North America later next year.
JULY 2025
4th - Cardiff, UK - Principality Stadium (SOLD OUT)
5th - Cardiff, UK - Principality Stadium (SOLD OUT)
11th - Manchester, UK - Heaton Park (SOLD OUT)
12th - Manchester, UK - Heaton Park (SOLD OUT)
16th - Manchester, UK - Heaton Park (SOLD OUT)
19th - Manchester, UK - Heaton Park (SOLD OUT)
20th - Manchester, UK - Heaton Park (SOLD OUT)
25th - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
26th - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
30th - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
AUGUST 2025
2nd - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
3rd - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
8th - Edinburgh, UK - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (SOLD OUT)
9th - Edinburgh, UK - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (SOLD OUT)
12th - Edinburgh, UK - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (SOLD OUT)
16th - Dublin, IE - Croke Park (SOLD OUT)
17th - Dublin, IE - Croke Park (SOLD OUT)
24th - Toronto, ON - Rogers Stadium (JUST ADDED)
28th - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field (JUST ADDED)
31st - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium (JUST ADDED)
SEPTEMBER 2025
6th - Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl Stadium (JUST ADDED)
12th - Mexico City, MX - Estadio GNP Seguros (JUST ADDED)
27th - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
28th - London, UK - Wembley Stadium (SOLD OUT)
Hats off to Carmen Vandenberg of Bones UK, our celebrity Question of the Month respondent.
Guest Picker - Carmen Vandenberg, Bones UK
The cover of Soft, Bones UK’s new album, due in mid-September.
A: My favorite method these days (and to be honest, from when I started playing) is to put on my favorite blues records, listen with my eyes closed, and, at the end, see what my brain compartmentalizes and keeps stored away. Then, I try and play back what I heard and what my fingers or brain decided they liked!
Bone UK’s labelmade, Des Rocks.
Obsession: Right now, I am into anyone trying to create sounds that haven’t been made before—bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Jack White, and our labelmate, Des Rocs! There’s a Colombian band called Diamanté Electrico who I’ve been really into recently. Really anyone who’s trying to create innovative and inspiring sounds.
Reader of the Month - Sam C. Schiff.
Sam spent endless hours trying to learn the solo Leslie West played on “Long Red,” off of The Road Goes Ever On.
A: The best way to learn guitar is to listen to some good guitar playing! Put on a record, hear something tasty, and play on repeat until it comes out of your fingers. For me, it was Leslie West playing “Long Red” on the Mountain album, The Road Goes Ever On. I stayed up all night listening to that track until I could match Leslie’s phrasing. I still can’t, no one can, but I learned a lot!
Smith’s own low-wattage amp build.
Obsession: My latest musical obsession is low-wattage tube amps like the 5-watt Fender Champ heard on the Laylaalbum. Crank it up all the way for great tube distortion and sustain, and it’s still not loud enough to wake up the neighbors!
Gear Editor - Charles Saufley
Charles Saufley takes to gear like a duck to water!
A: Learning by ear and feel is most fun for me. I write and free-form jam more than I learn other people’s licks. When I do want to learn something specific, I’ll poke around on YouTube for a demo or a lesson or watch films of a player I like, and then typically mangle that in my own “special” way that yields something else. But I rarely have patience for tabs or notation.
The Grateful Dead’s 1967 debut album.
Obsession: Distorted and overdriven sounds with very little sustain—Keith Richards’ Between the Buttons tones, for example. Jerry Garcia’s plonky tones on the first Grateful Dead LP are another cool, less-fuzzy version of that texture.
Publisher - Jon Levy
A: I’m a primitive beast: The only way I can learn new music is by ear, so it’s a good thing I find that method enjoyable. I’m entirely illiterate with staff notation. Put sheet music in front of me and I’ll stare at it with twitchy, fearful incomprehension like an ape gaping at the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. I’m almost as clueless with tab, but I can follow along with chord charts if I’m under duress.
The two-hit wonders behind the early ’70s soft-rock hits, “Fallin’ in Love” and “Don't Pull Your Love.”
Obsession: Revisiting and learning AM-radio pop hits circa 1966–1972. The Grass Roots, Edison Lighthouse, the Association, the Archies, and Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds—nothing is too cheesy for me to dissect and savor. Yes, I admit I have a serious problem.