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GALLERY: Summer NAMM 2015 Day 3

The final day of Summer NAMM was full of beautifully ornate guitars, fire-breathing heads, and a few fresh stomps.

Word has it that The Word's Robert Randolph picked up one of Peavey Electronics' super-affordable PowerSlide steel guitars at a music shop not too long ago and was blown away. One thing led to another, and now the sacred-steel legend has two signature Peaveys debuting at NAMM. His signature PowerSlide (approx. $329 street) features upgraded hardware, including a standard hardtail bridge, an added neck pickup, and an adjustable harness for optimizing playing position. Meanwhile, his solid-state namesake head ($599 street) features 500 watts of RMS stereo power, extensive EQ, gain, and effects-loop capabilities, MIDI functionality, and a push-button control module (bottom right) that clips to your steel-guitar stand to allow on-the-fly activation of onboard effects—including spring- and plate-style reverb, chorus, and delay.

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.

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Guitarist Sonny Sharrock was one of the most forward-thinking guitarists coming out of the ’60s, and his music stayed on the cutting edge throughout his long career.

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Though Lou Reed seemed to only use a handful of chords, his shrewd right-hand strumming created limitless rhythmic variations.

Beginner to Intermediate

Beginner to Intermediate

  • Focus on syncopation.
  • Add muted strums to enhance your rhythm playing.
  • Learn how to modify complex rhythmic patterns into smaller, more comprehensible figures.

Though usually more lauded for his lyrics than his guitar playing, Lou Reed had a distinctive style of strumming that can make replication a challenge and seemingly impossible for beginners to comprehend. With a combination of syncopations and muted strums, Reed’s rhythm guitar—from his time with the Velvet Underground to his solo career—has a groove and feel that all guitar players can learn from.

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Montana’s own Evel Knievel

If artists aren’t allowed to take risks, and even fail, great art will never be made. Need proof? Check Picasso, Hendrix, Monk, and Led Zeppelin.

In sixth grade, I went to a strict Catholic school. When you have an Italian-Irish mother, that’s just part of the deal. The nuns had the look and temperament of the defensive line of the ’70s Oakland Raiders. Corporal punishment was harsh, swift, and plentiful–particularly toward boys—and we all feared them. All but one second grader. I can’t remember his first name; nobody used it, because his last name was Knievel. His uncle was Evel Knievel, the greatest and perhaps only celebrity ever to come from my home state, Montana. On the playground, we would watch in awe as this wild Knievel kid raced by us, nuns chasing in an awkward, sluggish pursuit as he knocked kids over, dust, books, and gravel flying behind his path of terror. This kid was fearless. It was truly inspiring to watch.

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