Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

GALLERY: Guns N' Roses 2011 Touring Gear

See the gear DJ Ashba, Richard Fortus, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, and Tommy Stinson used on tour in 2011.

Ken Settle
By Ken SettleDec 14, 2011
Ken Settle
Ken Settle is a Detroit area photographer who specializes in music photography. Ken began his career while barely in his teens, photographing rock’n’roll legend Bob Seger during his days playing in Detroit hockey rinks and clubs, and still keeps a full schedule shooting live photos and portraits of today’s top artists.
See Full Bio

Richard Fortus' Les Pauls
"This duo of black Les Paul Standards both have the pickup selector switch moved down into the normal control set, with the original pickup selector switch plugged, and a kill switch installed in place of another of the guitar's knobs."
whats-new rock metal online-only guns-n-roses guitarists

The Latest

Kiesel Guitars Unveils Antares
News

Kiesel Guitars Unveils Antares

Alabama Shakes Announce First New Album In Over A Decade, "I Must Be Dreaming"
News

Alabama Shakes Announce First New Album In Over A Decade, "I Must Be Dreaming"

Dinosaur Jr. Announce New Album, "There Near" Out August 28th
News

Dinosaur Jr. Announce New Album, "There Near" Out August 28th

Close-up of a microphone and speaker on a patterned rug, ready for recording.
Recording Dojo

Recording Dojo: Moving Air

News

Ernie Ball to Acquire Source Audio

More for you

Elliot Easton Shakes It Up

The Cars 1978 self-titled album cover

The Cars burst onto the national music scene in the late 1970s, capturing the attention of rock radio listeners when the demo of their now-classic “Just What I Needed” went what today we would call “viral.” In the 1980s, the band was also a constant presence on MTV. Like the uniqueness of the Cars’ music, with its quirky mix of pop, rock, and new wave, guitarist Elliot Easton’s playing defies labeling, his genre-hopping blend of rock, blues, jazz and rockabilly seamlessly knit together by his savvy and adventurous musical sense.

Easton’s classic solos and creative rhythm playing turned so many of the Cars’ songs into thrilling guitar adventures, without overshadowing them. Let’s see if we can decipher just how he did it.

Keep Reading Show less

Most Popular

Darkglass Launches Anagram "Guitar Essentials" Multi-Effects Platform
News

Darkglass Launches Anagram "Guitar Essentials" Multi-Effects Platform

Totally Wycked Audio Source Code
Effects

Totally Wycked Audio Source Code Review

EarthQuaker Announce a Limited Edition Legacy Reissue of the Bellows Fuzz Driver
News

EarthQuaker Announce a Limited Edition Legacy Reissue of the Bellows Fuzz Driver

Alessandro The Dane
Amps

Alessandro The Dane Review

Solar Guitars Releases CHUG Capo Pitch Pedal
News

Solar Guitars Releases CHUG Capo Pitch Pedal

Hiwatt Introduces Super-Hi 33 & Super-Hi 50 Amp Heads
News

Hiwatt Introduces Super-Hi 33 & Super-Hi 50 Amp Heads

Expanded Two-Hand Tapping

Expanded Two-Hand Tapping

I’ve always loved the unconventional technique of using two-handed tapping in a “chordal” way. In my younger years, I found myself utilizing it for the wow factor. As I matured in my musicianship, I began asking myself, “What is the practical application of this, and how can it be used in a more musical situation?” I began to use the technique as a way to expand solo/chord-melody guitar playing in the style of players such as Stanley Jordan and Victor Wooten. But that is a whole other ball game in terms of time, practice, and development.

Keep Reading Show less

Can You Make Pentatonics Better?

Can You Make Pentatonics Better?

Great music tells a story. It builds on a plot and holds the listener’s attention as the story unfolds. We are especially moved by soloists who bare their souls and who keep us riveted with every twist and turn from their narrative. Pentatonics are the backbone of modern guitar vocabulary. Partially because they just sound good, but also because they lay so easily on guitar. There are several ingredients that make a guitarist sound brilliant, but one of the most important is chromaticism. Could there a be a way we could combine these two? Let’s find out.

Keep Reading Show less

The Shred Decoder: Expand Your Melodic and Rhythmic Control

The Shred Decoder: Expand Your Melodic and Rhythmic Control

In my experience, constructing lines has always been about texture and structure. Developing ideas for soloing and writing melodies takes a keen sense of harmonic and rhythmic context. It’s about seducing the listener and delivering a ride that’s hard to forget—a ride that caters to the listener. Of course, it’s important to write for yourself and from the heart, but also remember that if your heart’s intent is to inspire others, then you’re on the right track for the long haul. And this is where melody comes in.

Keep Reading Show less

The Most Versatile Picking Technique?

The Most Versatile Picking Technique?

Hybrid picking is a technique used by many players that combines regular flatpicking with fingerpicking. It’s not all arpeggio and patterns though. Caitlin Caggiano guides us through a lesson using this picking technique for chords, melodic lines, and lead lines, and she shows us how the Beatles, Heart, and others have applied hybrid picking to create classic parts. In this video, you’ll learn what hybrid picking is, why we use it, how to implement good technique, and how to practice and apply the technique in your playing.