Articles by Thomas Scott McKenzie
Builder Profile: Godin Guitars
June 15, 2013
Robert Godin went deer hunting in 1972 and
came back with a guitar factory instead of
a buck. Today, the company that bears his
name is one of the largest stringed-instrument
manufacturers in North America, and counts
legendary players like John McLaughlin and
Steve Stevens among its endorsees.
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Steel Strings 101
May 11, 2012
For all the emphasis, time, and money we guitarists put into tonewoods, pickups, amps, tubes, effects, speakers, and even cables, we often spend very little time thinking about the core component without which a guitar simply becomes a collection of wood—strings.
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Forgotten Heroes: Jimmy Wyble
February 10, 2012
An incredibly talented guitar player and teacher who created a family tree of musicians built on sincerity and patience.
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Keith Urban: Aspiring Outlaw
July 19, 2011
Contemporary-country superstar Keith Urban reflects on how
Waylon Jennings’ indie spirit inspired him more than 20 years
ago in Australia, why Mark Knopfler became his first guitar hero,
and how he rehabilitated many of his treasured vintage axes after
the tragic Nashville flood of 2010.
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Forgotten Heroes: Hank Garland
March 15, 2011
The first installment in our new series on players who’ve shaped the history of guitar focuses on Nashville session ace Hank Garland—a master of jazz, country, and rockabilly.
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The Legend of Slash’s Appetite for Destruction Les Paul
September 21, 2010
Will we ever know who built the Les Paul Slash played on “Sweet Child O’ Mine”?
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Builder Profile: Parsons Guitars
July 20, 2010
Randy Parsons builds guitars for Jack White, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, and more, using out-of-the-box materials like bone, flowers, copper, and solid ebony. We talk to the luthier about his craft, and see his extraordinary creations.
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Filling Big Shoes: What It’s Like to Have to Shred Someone Else’s Licks
June 16, 2010
Brad Gillis, Stacey Blades, Tommy Thayer, Ron Thal, and Jon Levin talk about stepping in to replace a legend
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