
Alex Skolnick shares an insightful tribute to the father of modern jazz guitar.
The very first time I heard Pat Martino, I was so mesmerized that I called local Northern California radio station KJAZ (now defunct) to find out who was playing. This was long before we had Shazam and similar smartphone apps that identify music, and if you didn't get through to the station you were out of luck. Fortunately, I did and was told the cut they'd played was from an album called Desperado. I soon bought others I'd seen mentioned in guitar magazines at the time, including The Visit! and Consciousness.
Pat Martino Oleo
Pat Martino's deep impact on guitarists worldwide might come as a surprise to many non-musicians. Though widely appreciated by jazz listeners, his music never had the crossover reach of a Pat Metheny, Wes Montgomery, or George Benson. However, one needn't travel far within the guitar community to find those who hold him in the same regard as such esteemed six-string company. Look no further than the latter on this list of luminaries.
"I was out on the town, thinking I had conquered New York," George Benson says in a YouTube clip. "I saw this young kid … and this guitar leaped out of nowhere. And some of the most incredible lines I had ever heard. Everything in it. Great tone, great articulation, and the whole crowd—and it was a black audience—went crazy. And I said to myself, if this is a sample of what New York is like, I'm getting out of here."
Benson on Martino
With all due respect to the more traditional jazz guitarists of the '60s, Martino tapped into flavors that felt far beyond.
Although Benson's own output during the '60s and early '70s occupied a similar soul-jazz esthetic—high energy hollowbody guitar lines accompanied by organ and other instruments—the list of guitarists who sing similar praise for Pat extends well past jazz circles. On my own Instagram timeline, for example, the diversity of those who've replied to my Pat Martino post is telling: groove-meister Charlie Hunter, soundscape scientist David Torn, guitarist and virtual death-metal band animator/actor Brendon Small, blues guitarist/educator Andy Aledort, and Carnatic guitarist Prasanna, to name just a few.
With all due respect to the more traditional jazz guitarists of the '60s, Martino tapped into flavors that felt far beyond. He added character, especially in the 1970s, a time that has often been portrayed as the dark ages by those representing jazz "purism." Yet most professional jazz guitarists will tell you that Martino's work during the decade is considered some of the most essential of our instrument. His sound seemed to move with the times, capturing the era in a way that went well past typical jazz guitar combos. It would be easy to imagine Martino's late-'60s and early-'70s work fitting into the score of The French Connection, Mean Streets, Shaft, or other culturally emblematic films of that time.
I became aware of Pat Martino during a period in which he was making an astonishing comeback after being sidelined for much of the '80s. A near fatal aneurism led to brain surgery. This was followed by complete memory loss, including his ability to play. In a story right out of the movies (note to Hollywood film producers: please make this happen), he made a full recovery, teaching himself to play all over again partially by listening to his own music. Incredibly, he not only reached the highly advanced level where he'd been but was able to pick up right where he left off, developing his art even further.
Pat Martino - Open Road - A Documentary
As if his recorded output and miraculous recovery weren't enough, Pat's contribution to guitar education is also remarkable. His series of instructional VHS cassettes for the REH company were essential viewing and became a part of my practice regimen for several years. I credit Pat with enabling me to grasp intimidating concepts. For example, his way of viewing the diminished scale and its relation to dominant 7 chords was especially enlightening.
In modern jazz guitar, all roads lead to Wes Montgomery and Pat was no exception. Much like Pat Metheny—who recently described a youthful period of sounding "just like Wes" on my podcast—Pat Martino forged his own unique sound initially built on Montgomery's influence. Yet unlike the other Pat M, whose essence of Wes was largely inconspicuous by the time of his earliest recordings, one can clearly hear it, especially on tracks like "Once I Loved" from Martino's debut as a leader, El Hombre. Yet with each subsequent album, Pat's sound became more and more unmistakably Martino.
Once I Loved - Pat Martino
One thing Pat and Wes did not have in common was Montgomery's infectious grin while playing (similar to how we picture Eddie Van Halen). While in the throes of cranking out chromatic lines onstage or posing for publicity photos, Pat maintained a firm expression of seriousness that might be described as a borderline scowl. It could even be mistaken for darkness, which would be more than understandable after all he'd been through health-wise. Yet meeting him in person, one quickly realized the complete opposite was true: He was the embodiment of the delightful French term "joie de vivre."
The one and only time I met Pat Martino was in June of 2009, when we were both guest instructors at a guitar camp. Not wishing to bother him—surely, he had more important things to do than converse with little old me—I mentally prepared a quick statement of gratitude fit for a book-signing line in which one is granted a word or two and then quickly shuffled along. Upon being introduced by Premier Guitar's own Jason Shadrick, the thing I remember most is being completely disarmed by his big smile and genuine appreciation to be meeting in person. I supposed that perhaps he'd come across my name in a guitar magazine or somewhere similar. Yet, I soon realized his enthusiastic demeanor wasn't limited to those of us who were VIPs in this context. That same warmth, sincerity, and graciousness shone through unselectively that day, whether with colleagues, students, or others.
It was a year or two later that Pat's autobiography Here and Now, co-written by jazz bio specialist Bill Milkowski, came out. During a promotional feature in the Philly Inquirer, he made clear that he'd channeled his life experience into true enlightenment. Indeed, the same level of wisdom that many hope to channel by following Eastern spiritual leaders such as the Dalai Lama could be gleaned by this modest but highly skilled musician in Philadelphia. He told the newspaper, "The mind has a way of thinking about things that have nothing to do with the moment, but if I can love my life in that moment, I'm in the right place at the right time." He went on to say that the aneurysm was "the greatest thing that ever happened to me."
As strange as that may sound, he makes sense of it with the following statement: "What's on my mind is a greater focus with more intimate accuracy on each and every moment so that I can truly focus on what life is really all about." Through his playing and his infinite wisdom, Pat Martino will continue to remind the rest of us what life is really all about for many years to come.
- George Benson's Badass Bebop - Premier Guitar ›
- George Benson: Still the Coolest of Cats - Premier Guitar ›
- Pat Martino: A Beautiful Mind - Premier Guitar ›
The Sunset is a fully analog, zero latency bass amplifier simulator. It features a ¼” input, XLR and ¼” outputs, gain and volume controls and extensive equalization. It’s intended to replace your bass amp both live and in the studio.
If you need a full sounding amp simulator with a lot of EQ, the Sunset is for you. It features a five band equalizer with Treble, Bass, Parametric Midrange (with frequency and level controls), Resonance (for ultra lows), and Presence (for ultra highs). All are carefully tuned for bass guitar. But don’t let that hold you back if you’re a keyboard player. Pianos and synthesizers sound great with the Sunset!
The Sunset includes Gain and master Volume controls which allow you to add compression and classic tube amp growl. It has both ¼” phone and balanced XLR outputs - which lets you use it as a high quality active direct box. Finally, the Sunset features zero latency all analog circuitry – important for the instrument most responsible for the band’s groove.
Introducing the Sunset Bass Amp Simulator
- Zero Latency bass amp simulator.
- Go direct into the PA or DAW.
- Five Band EQ:
- Treble and Bass controls.
- Parametric midrange with level and frequency controls.
- Presence control for extreme highs.
- Resonance control for extreme lows.
- Gain control to add compression and harmonics.
- Master Volume.
- XLR and 1/4" outputs.
- Full bypass.
- 9VDC, 200mA.
Artwork by Aaron Cheney
MAP price: $210 USD ($299 CAD).
PRS Guitars celebrates 40 years with the limited edition McCarty SC56. Featuring vintage-inspired design and modern innovations, this single-cutaway guitar pays tribute to Ted McCarty and his impact on the industry. With only 400 pieces available, this instrument is a must-have for collectors and performers alike.
PRS Guitars today announced the 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 Limited Edition. With a classic PRS single-cutaway body shape and carefully chosen specifications, the McCarty SC56 is both a tribute to tradition and a reliable tool for the modern performer. Only 400 pieces will be made.
“The SC56, signifying Singlecut and 1956, model is our most recent tribute to my late mentor Ted McCarty and his impact on the guitar industry. We started with our take on a classic late ‘50s singlecut body. 1956 marks the year that Ted first had guitars made with his newly coined 'humbucker' pickups. It also happens to be the year I was born. Bringing vintage design into the modern era, we loaded this model with our McCarty III pickups, meticulously designed to deliver warm, clear, vintage tone with exceptional note separation and dynamics,” said PRS Guitars Founder & Managing General Partner, Paul Reed Smith.
Anchored by a maple top and mahogany back, the 24.594” scale length and 22-fret Pattern Vintage neck work with Phase III non-locking tuners and PRS two-piece bridge to promote its musical sustain. The PRS McCarty III pickups are controlled by a simple layout — two volume controls, two tone controls, and a three-way toggle on the upper bout.
Single-cutaway guitars are known to be heavier than their double-cutaway counterparts. The McCarty SC56 Limited Edition design incorporates weight-relief, decreasing the weight of the guitar by about 2/3 of a pound, while maintaining several points of attachment between the guitar top and back to eliminate the “hollow” sound of the cavities and promote tone transfer.
With appointments like binding on the fretboard, classic bird inlays, and a vintage-inspired nitrocellulose finish, the 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 Limited Edition blends heritage and innovation into a timeless instrument.
PRS Guitars continues its schedule of launching new products each month in 2025.
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.
40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 Limited Edition | Demo | PRS Guitars - YouTube
Belltone Guitars has partnered Brickhouse Toneworks to create a one-of-a-kind, truly noiseless Strat/Tele-tone pickup in a standard Filter’Tron size format: the Single-Bell pickup.
The Single-Bell by Brickhouse Toneworks delivers bonafide single-coil Strat and Tele tones with the power of a P-90 and no 60-cycle hum. Unlike typical stacked hum-cancelling designs, Brickhouse Toneworks uses a proprietary ‘sidewind’ approach that cancels the 60-cycle hum without sacrificing any of the dynamics or top-end sparkle of a Fender-style single coil.
Get the best of both worlds with clear bell-like tones on the neck pickup, signature quack when combining the neck and bridge pickups, and pristine twang in the bridge position backed with the fullness and power of a P-90. Push these into overdrive and experience the hallmark blues tone with plenty of grit and harmonic sustain — all with completely noiseless performance.
Key Features of the Single-Bell:
- Cast Alnico 5 Magnet, designed to be used with 500k pots
- Voiced to capture that signature Fender-style single coil tone without the 60-cycle hum
- Lightly potted to minimize squeal
- Made in the USA with premium quality materials
The retail price for a Bridge and Neck matching set is $340.00 and they’re available directly and exclusively through Belltone® Guitars / Brickhouse Toneworks at belltoneguitars.com.
Designed for players who demand flexibility without sacrificing tone, the Aquanaut fuses the rich warmth of classic analog delay with the extended range and clarity of modern digital designs. Featuring up to 600 milliseconds of delay time, the Aquanaut easily covers everything from tight slapback echoes to lush, ambient textures and rhythmic soundscapes – all with a simple, intuitive control layout.
Unlike many digital delays that can sound sterile and detached, the Aquanaut retains an organic, analog-inspired voice. Repeats are smooth and musical, gently fading into the mix to create depth and dimension without overwhelming your dry signal. Whether you’re chasing vintage tape echo, adding subtle space to your solos, or building massive atmospheric layers, the Aquanaut keeps your tone clear, present, and inspiring.
Berserker Electronics Aquanaut Delay/Echo
Key features include:
- Up to 600ms of delay time for expanded creative possibilities
- Analog-voiced digital architecture for warm, natural-sounding repeats
- Ambient-style echo that enhances, not distracts from, your core tone
- Simple, intuitive controls for delay time, feedback, and blend
The Aquanaut is available direct at www.berserkerpedals.com and Reverb at a $149 street price.