Looking for this year's hottest guitar gifts? Look no further than the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide!
Premier Bedford SH
The Bedford SH—previously only offered as a Deluxe Limited Edition model—is now available in the Premier Series. Featuring a sleek, modern f-hole design on the upper bout, the Bedford SH integrates a warm acoustic element into a three-pickup electronics configuration that offers a bold variety of tones. The combination of two Duncan Designed single-coils in the neck and middle positions followed by a Duncan Designed mini-humbucker in the bridge creates a uniquely bold, but familiarly spanky tonal palette while a 5-way blade makes tone selection simple. Available in Oxblood, Black Flake and Sky Blue with a six-point tremolo.
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D'Addario XS
D'Addario XS Acoustic Phosphor Bronze strings combine our most popular acoustic alloy with our most advanced string coating technology, resulting in clear tone, smooth feel, and superior tuning stability – all with the longest possible string life. With its ultra-thin film coating on every wound string and a unique polymer treatment on the plain steels, XS offers our highest level of protection for maximum life. XS also features NY Steel high carbon core and plain string wire, and our exclusive Fusion Twist, for incomparable break strength and tuning stability.
MicroPitch Delay
MicroPitch Delay is the 'secret sauce' heard on countless hit records. The pedal features dual pitch-shifters with fine-resolution de-tuning and modulation combined with delay in a delicious red package. Popularized in the H3000 Harmonizer®, MicroPitch Delay allows musicians to achieve subtle tone fattening, lush stereo widening, rich detuned delays, thick modulation, and tempo-synced special effects. It also features onboard tone controls with mono or stereo operation, MIDI, preset storing, and most importantly a new compact, easy-to-use interface.
Soul Press II
Soul Press II is a next-gen product in the Hotone Press series pedal line. It's new-designed upgrade based on the popular concepts of both the Soul Press and Vow Press. It integrates up to four function modes (volume, wah, volume/wah, expression), taking playability to new heights. The pedal position indicator shows the pedal position in real time. The TONE mode selection and Q value adjustment represent an absolute improvement in tone and functionality. Multiple I/O options provide more diverse access. The reimagined pedal size maintains portability while delivering an optimal ergonomic experience. Soul Press II is a truly versatile wah pedal.
Blackstar Dept. 10 Pedals
Dept. 10 is the Blackstar R&D team responsible for blue sky innovation and design; they have developed the world's most advanced valve pedals. Dept. 10 pedals all use an ECC83 triode valve at their heart, running at more than 200V internally which allows them to deliver organic tone, dynamics and break up. Innovative design, premium components and our advanced Cab Rig D.I. technology, create the ultimate valve pedals. The Dept. 10 Dual Drive and Dual Distortion pedals both offer two channels, each with two available voices, as well as important features for modern guitarists such as USB audio out for direct recording. And the Dept. 10 Boost's built-in buffer / line driver is perfect for preserving your tone when using long cables, or large pedalboards, or for pushing your amp into further saturation.
Floating Guitar Stand
PRS Guitars floating guitar stand is the perfect way to display your favorite guitar. Its sleek, minimalist design lets the stand disappear allowing your favorite guitar to take center stage!
Our Engineers have carefully helped in the design of this stand to make sure it is stable and safe for your favorite instrument.
Design features:
• Heavy Duty Construction
• Fits most acoustic and electric guitars
• Heavy weighted base ensures the stand will not tip over
• Three-pointed base engineered for maximum stability
• Nitro-friendly foam head stock cradle
Zelzah
Zelzah is a multidimensional phaser capable of conjuring up everything from classic vintage phaser tones to authentic lush chorusing, flanging, and vibrato. The dual layout gives you individual 4- and 6-stage phasers that can be used on their own or combined for added flexibility, and the phaser circuits are handcrafted to sound great at any setting, so dialing in tones is easy. Full control over all functions and up to 300 presets via MIDI make this the last phaser you'll ever need!
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GS Mini-e Koa Plus
Taylor's portable, reduced-scale GS Mini acoustic guitars have long been popular with guitarists for their inspiring blend of playability and rich tone. With a much bigger voice than its small size would suggest, the GS Mini-e Koa Plus might be the most enticing GS Mini Taylor has ever built, thanks to a solid Hawaiian koa top and layered koa back and sides. The solid top brings projection and articulation that balances warmth with clarity, resulting in a bold response that's more than capable of handling everything from at-home practice to jam sessions with friends and more. A gorgeous dark stain with a subtle matte finish draws out koa's natural beauty, while the built-in ES2 electronics make it easy to plug in and play anywhere there's an amp. The GS Mini-e Koa Plus ships with a super-durable Aerocase that offers all the protection of a hardshell case at one-third the weight.
TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ PREMIUM Selected
As the first tube of the new TAD REDBASE™ series, the TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ has a powerful but always well-defined bass range, with clear, silky and transparent highs - offering plenty of headroom.
In every setting, the TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ responds directly and with great dynamics, from soft and warm to punchy and powerful, without ever losing detail or depth.
An effective upgrade
The TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ is the recommendation for lively clean sounds as well as powerful broadband multi-channel amps. This makes the TAD 6L6GCM-STR REDBASE™ an effective upgrade for virtually any amp that uses 6L6GC or 5881 tubes.
Amonito Guitar Amplifier
Amonito is a guitar amplification system that brings together boutique guitar effects, an incredible sounding tube analog circuit, instant switching between presets, and a quality loud sound monitoring system all in one extremely light package.
At the heart of Amonito is the main analog circuit, a combination of 12AX7 and 12AU7 tubes and MOSFETS all running on 300 V for ultimate dynamic range and feel. A powerful DSP gives you effects like reverb, delay, chorus and tremolo. For ultimate versatility, DSP is also placed before the tube circuit, and dozens of relays transform it into one of the most versatile tube circuits on the market.
Given how complex the system is, it is remarkably simple to use. Amonito features a custom user interface that offers versatility and programmability without the need to read the manual.
A new concept of guitar speaker placement gets you incredible sound on stage, and with dedicated outputs for the PA, the audience will enjoy great sound too. Carbon fiber or aluminum cabinet and one of the best 8inch speakers on the market make heavy amps a thing of the past.
You no longer need to choose between the quality, warmth, and ease of use of a tube amplifier and the versatility and lightness of modern guitar systems. With Amonito, you get an all-in-one system that not only makes your pains go away, but lets you enjoy your instrument the way you should – with an amazing sound.
G7th Performance 3 Capo
The G7th Performance 3 Capo is the culmination of years of designing, tweaking, and improving - but most importantly, listening to guitarists and their views on what a capo SHOULD do. Now, coupling our Unique Tension Control system with the groundbreaking ART string pad mechanism gives a near-perfect capo experience.
Adaptive Radius Technology
The Performance 3 capos are outfitted with the patented Adaptive Radius Technology (ART) string pad — a feature found exclusively in G7th capos. The string pad adapts to the curvature of the radius, letting you enjoy unparalleled tuning stability on virtually any guitar. With ART, a single capo gives you the confidence to play without string buzz or tuning issues. But you should still probably get one for every guitar case.
Unique Tension Control
The patented Unique Tension Control system has won the praise of guitarists since the launch of the first Performance capo in 2004. Easy and intuitive, you simply squeeze with minimum pressure to attach the capo and squeeze the lever to release the capo. And you'll only find this exclusive feature on the G7th Performance capo line.
And to back all of this up, every G7th capo is covered by a Free Lifetime Warranty.
"...the Performance 3 is one of the rare capos that makes me forget I'm even using a capo—which is kinda the point, right?"
Jason Shadrick, August 2, 2019. Premier Guitar Gold Gear Award
That's why we say – G7th is The Future of Capos.
ICON Gig Bag By Gator Gases
The new Gator Cases ICON gig bag provides the protection you need in a beautifully sleek form that travels easily and comes packed with everything you need.
Equipped with a highly durable, semi-rigid construction, the ICON bags can withstand extreme pressure and mishandling and have endured multiple stress tests.
These feature-packed showstopper bags come fitted with multiple layers of protection and plenty of accessory pockets, handles, and adjustable, stowaway backpack straps to ensure comfortable transport. Every detail has been thought through, from the hidden secret pocket for your travel documents to the custom-fit rain cover and a convenient bottle opener where you need it most. This bag is your ultimate travel companion.
Inside the bag, you'll find adjustable neck and body blocks to keep your instrument safe during movement and a QR code for quick product registration and tracking so it won't get lost.
Give your guitar the protection it deserves with the ICON Series by Gator.
OverDrive II
In the quest for great musical tone there is always the potential to create something great. Here at Greedtone the mission is to make the best sounding equipment.
The Greedtone Overdrive II is different to the millions of other overdrives on the market because it's designed around the professionally trained ears of Greg Williamson, a sound engineer for some of the worlds largest bands (Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate).
This pedal has plenty of volume on tap (4 Volts) in order to push your amp into its natural happy place. This is one of the loudest overdrives ever made.
The gain stage is designed to not just clip the signal giving great rock through to metal tones, it's also designed to bring out the sparkle and harmonics of your guitars natural tone. This is due, in part, to the extremely high end hi-fi audio components used.
The "Greed" control is where things start becoming crazy, this beast of a control begins feeding extra bass into the gain section of the pedal. This essentially allows you to shape which frequencies receive more attention from the gain stage.
The results are so extremely wide ranging as turned right down you have yourself a great rocking overdrive pedal BUT when you start diming this knob into an overdriving amp you enter a world of Sludge and Doom as yet unheard of.
With the MORE switch a second stage of distortion is at your disposal. The Greedtone OD is considered a double drive pedal.
Island Instruments
Celebrate 10 years of Island Instruments with luthier Nic Delisle and the commemorative Decade Edition Forty-Four. This limited edition of 5 instruments recalls the spirit and aesthetics of the initial run of guitars that launched the company. Built from domestic and reclaimed woods, and with a powerhouse of a blade P90 custom-wound by Mojo Pickups UK. This time it's on the flagship Forty Four model, featuring a compact comfortable body and a beefy flamed maple neck with buttery feeling hybrid soft V-C carve. Subtle details like custom-machined raw brass hardware, brass nut, EVO frets and ivoroid binding complete the package. Island Instruments is a one-man operation and you can get in touch with Nic directly via his website, Facebook or Instagram to inquire about the remaining guitars or for all your custom-crafted desires.
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Voice DC30 Guitar Amplifier Plugin
Voice DC30 Custom Valve Guitar Amplifier plugin is modelled after a vintage VOX AC30 Top Boost Reverb characterised by its "jangly" high-end sound that's become widely recognized by British musicians and others.
Voice DC30 Custom Valve is capable of both enchanting clean and raucous overdriven sounds, the signature chime of the Voice DC30 Custom Valve pairs seamlessly with the intricacies of your playing style, resulting in a sound that is truly your own.
The Voice DC30 has a separate brilliant channel. This has been achieved by adding a gain stage and a 'cathode follower´ stage, thereby dropping the impedance and bringing up the current and adding Bass/Treble controls to this channel.
The brilliant channel with optional top boost is placed after the volume control section and before the phase inverter. This means you can shape the sound after the distortion.
The Vib-Trem channel offers a choice between vibrato (wavering pitch) and tremolo (wavering amplitude). A rotary, three position Speed switch adjusts modulation rate.
The String Sling
The String Sling not only protects your guitar strings, but it also turns into a comfy guitar strap in seconds!
Reinforced loopholes and top of the line fabric provide stable and secure attachment to your guitar when used as a strap.
Our capo pouch is measured to snuggly hold all standard guitar capos, whether in the strap or protection configuration.
Premium Japanese elastic adds that extra sling that makes this strap stand out while offering the best strength on the market.
Triple fastening layers under the featured button, lock the strap attachment firmly into place.
Extra-wide Velcro® allows for a tight wrap around all standard guitar necks. We suggest keeping it tight to prevent the oxidation of your strings. You'll be able to see how well it protects your strings after taking it off for the first time and seeing the outlines.
String Sling's premium microfiber cloth, used by companies like Fender, are used not only because they are made for this but because it's so versatile. We just happened to find one more use – perhaps its best!
That same microfiber cloth that makes up String Sling's belly, can be used to wipe down and dust off your guitar. It's the perfect buffing cloth you'll never lose or need to replace.
The hidden pick pouch is both sturdy and large enough to hold your picks, yet tight enough that you're not digging.
Pursuit Exotic S Concertina Tiger’s Eye CE
Myrtlewood, while native to Oregon's Pacific coast, might just be the most 'exotic' of all tonewoods, capturing the deep bass of rosewood, the pure warmth of mahogany and the sweet, glassy treble of maple in one exquisite, visually enchanting package—here under an equally captivating tortoise-bound Tiger's Eye gloss finish. This sustainable acoustic-electric Pursuit Exotic S Concertina has all the charm of a vintage short-scale 12-fret parlor guitar, but with a full, punchy modern sound and maximum playing comfort. A fast, slim neck and soft cutaway access to every fret let your fingers, and your heart, have their say. Sound better than ever with Breedlove's earth-conscious, sonically superior EcoTonewood technology. Get fierce with a Tiger's Eye!
ACS1 Amp + Cab Simulator
The [ACS1]™ is an amplifier and speaker cab simulator delivering the sound and feel of world-class amplifiers, complimentary speaker cabinets, and controllable room size. With the ACS1, players have expansive options to deliver their tone whether it's on stage, in the studio, or practicing at home. Simple controls, stereo in and out, onboard presets, and MIDI support make the ACS1 an immeasurable tool in a guitarist's arsenal.
The ACS1 models three vintage amp styles crucial to music industry history designated by their places of origin. When running the ACS1 in stereo, one amp can be used through both channels or mix and match amps and cabinets on the left and right channels with the L + R switch.
Players can also load in their own IRs and update firmware at walrusaudio.io
Foxy Tone Box
What do the guitar stylings of Billy Gibbons, Peter Frampton, Adrian Belew, and Beck all have in common? A small but mighty fuzz pedal that goes from mellow to mayhem real quick. The Warm Audio Foxy Tone Box is the most accurate reintroduction of one of the most sought after and beloved fuzz pedals of all time. Covered in thick velvet just like the vintage pedal, the Warm Audio Foxy Tone Box faithfully recreates the vintage circuit and brings you the huge tone, octave-up sounds and look of the original plus true bypass for the purest signal flow on modern boards. Foxy Tone Box uses NOS2 N3565 Fairchild Transistors, carbon resistors, Germanium 1N34A diodes, and premium film capacitors to bring the fury of the vintage pedal to the present day. Foxy Tone Box houses a very workable fuzz circuit with controls for volume, sustain, and "fuzz" (tone) which runs from mellow to brite. The tone control makes it easy to switch from single coil to humbucking pickups without missing a beat. The sustain control turns your solos from choppy bitcrushing madness to liquid metal that would make Tony Iommi proud. To get the full experience of Foxy Tone Box, engage the octave effect and channel your inner Hendrix to wake up the neighbors and melt faces. Electric guitar is the obvious application, but try it on synthesizers, drum machines, bass, acoustic/electric, and more. Get or give the gift of fuzz this holiday.
Jet Phaser
Are you ready for a roaring call back to an earlier time where one pedal delivered fuzz, phaser, and a jet-engine swirl together in perfect harmony? Countless performances from people named Gilmour, Van Halen, and Isely plus iconic recordings from Kool and the Gang, Steely Dan, and Herbie Hancock put this pedal sound on the map. The Warm Audio Jet Phaser is a true reproduction of this famous pedal. This six-mode pedal gives you phaser, fuzz, and boost - all in one enclosure with true bypass. Use "phase" modes 1 or 2 to get traditional phase sounds with depth controls. For the bold, use "Jet" modes 1-4 to add fuzz, with bright and dark fuzz controls combined with deep and shallow controls for phase. This faithful recreation uses premium components throughout, including carbon film resistors and film capacitors. Living up to the sonic legacy, Jet Phaser delivers the infamous 'Jet' phase sound resembling a jet engine during takeoff. Your solos will have your band mates, fans, and engineers asking - "who's that pedal?" If you've ever chased this mythical sound for stage or studio, there's only one way to get there this holiday - the Warm Audio Jet Phaser.
Mod Electronics Seismic Shift
The Seismic / Shift is a JFET boost based on one of the earliest effects to ever be used on stage. This pedal adds subtle color to a guitar's sound while maintaining the natural tone of the guitar. It packs a serious punch that can cut through any mix when soloing or whenever some extra "umph" is required. The Seismic Shift pairs nicely with amps and other pedals. Place it ahead of tubes, preamps, overdrives, distortions, and fuzz pedals to shift your gear onto a new level.
The Seismic / Shift pedal kit is the introduction to the Nexus Series from Mod® Electronics. This series features a PCB base rather than the Mod® Electronics' traditional point-to-point wiring kits to offer builders an even wider variety of effects to build. The Seismic Shift kit is designed for all skill sets and is the perfect first build for those unfamiliar with PCB construction.
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Volt Power Supply
Don't step on stage without the Ernie Ball Volt Power Supply. For musicians on the move, this ultra-compact, road-ready unit puts a complete powering solution in the palm of your hand. Connect all your favorite digital and analog pedals to multiple high-current DC outputs for clean, regulated power. Relax and rely on thermally protected, short-circuit-proof design with ultra-low noise operation. When the road calls, the Volt demands a place on your pedalboard.
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Lindy Fralin's Customizable Prewired Pickguard
Don't just settle for some one-size-fits-all generic pickguard. Instead, design your own! Lindy Fralin's Prewired Strat Pickguard line features the highest quality parts - and pickups - in the industry. Built to order and wired by hand by experienced craftsmen, these Prewired Pickguards are available in SSS and HSS combinations. In addition, each pickguard is fully customizable - from appearance to pickups to the wiring. With hundreds of options available, you can fully customize your tone - from our award-winning pickups to cutting-edge push-pull mods. So treat your Strat® to something special this holiday season with a Lindy Fralin Prewired Pickguard - exclusively available at fralinpickups.com.
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Guitar Slip No More
Guitar Slip No More, GSNM is the new electric and bass guitar accessory designed for the seated guitarist. GSNM is form fit to the bottom rail of your guitar and prevents the guitar from slipping and improves guitar balance. Anytime a guitar is in your lap is the right time for a GSNM! Buy yours today!
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Kingston Super and Kingston Z
For the discerning player in search of a handmade look and sound, we have the MTD Super and Z Series, which incorporates many of the superior design elements present in MTD Handmade instruments, into a production model. Powerful electronics, premium finishes, and a sleek carved body, make the Kingston Super and Z models the perfect combination of beauty, brawn, and tonal flexibility.
Kingston Z5(Tobacco Sunburst): $1800, Kingston Super5(Dr.Brown's Burst or Matte Black): $1525
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Oliver Mahogany Jr.
Looking for your next travel guitar? With a comfortable, ¾ size grand concert body, the Oliver Jr. is the perfect accompaniment for your next big adventure. Oliver Jr. sports a solid mahogany top with layered mahogany back & sides for a warm, balanced tone. Every Orangewood comes professionally set up before delivery, so your guitar is ready to play right out of the gift box. Plus, the Oliver Jr. includes a premium gig bag, so you can play anywhere inspiration strikes.
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Echo
With an iconic dreadnought acoustic shape, Echo's resonant voice is the perfect gift for your favorite singer-songwriter. Topped with a solid Sitka spruce top for a bold, crisp sound that delivers on stage, the Echo also features a natural gloss finish and stunning abalone detailing for a sophisticated aesthetic. The Echo Live comes equipped with a Fishman Flex Plus-T EQ System, featuring a built-in tuner and onboard volume/tone controls, to round out this acoustic-electric model that's perfect for performance. Plus, a premium gig bag and professional setup come included.
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Shubb Capo Royale Pāua Pearl C1P for steel string guitar
Shubb's latest endeavor is a continuation of their Capo Royale Series, utilizing their titanium-based PVD finish. Pāua is the Maori (native New Zealand) name for a species of abalone whose shells are the most beautiful and colorful. Luthiers often use Pāua shells for the inlays on their most special guitars. Fine jewelry crafted from the shells are known as Pāua Pearls.
When the R & D Department at Shubb came up with this new finish, its dazzling iridescence reminded them of Pāua pearls, and so that became its name. It uses the same durable titanium process as their other Capo Royale models, so its eye-popping, color-shifting
beauty will last practically forever. The renowned and reputable Shubb cam lever capo design has gotten a good dose of peacocking just in time for the holidays !
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i5 Professional Dynamic Instrument Microphone
You owe it to yourself — and your tone — to use a mic that will faithfully capture your guitar amp's sound. The Audix i5 Professional Dynamic Instrument Microphone is the perfect mic for guitar cabinets — on stage or in the studio.
Designed with a smooth cardioid pickup pattern for isolation and feedback control, the i5 microphone features a VLM™ diaphragm for natural, accurate sound reproduction. Sturdy, compact, and easy to position, the i5 has a wide frequency response of 50 Hz – 16 kHz. Clearly capture your sound without having to rely on EQ.
Take it up a notch by adding an optional CabGrabber™ mic clamp. The CabGrabber allows you to position the i5 easily and exactly where you want it on your cabinet.
Designed, assembled, and tested by Audix in the USA.
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Vidami Blue
The Vidami Blue is a revolutionary multi-modal tool that gives you hands-free control of today's most popular music and education technology. We've combined everything our customers love about the original Vidami with Bluetooth technology and iOS Safari 15 compatibility to give you hands-free, wireless control. Experience the freedom to learn and create at home, in the studio, or on the go.
Video Mode
Effortlessly Loop and Slow Down songs and riffs on more than *35 compatible Online Video learning platforms including: YouTube, FenderPlay, TrueFire, MartyMusic, Pickup Music and more.
Page Turning/TAB Mode
Easily Turn Pages, Scroll Tabs, Lyrics, and other functions on your favorite Digital Sheet Music apps and Tab sites like: OnSong, Ultimate Guitar Tabs, forScore, and others.
DAW Mode
Free your creative spirit as you Record, Loop, Add Tracks, Set Markers, and more on today's most popular Digital Audio Workstations including: GarageBand, Logic Pro, Reaper, Pro Tools, Studio One, Cubase & Ableton Live.
The Vidami Blue is currently compatible with iPhone and iPad on iOS 15 and Desktop Computers, Laptops & ChromeBooks
Tone Weal EG/EB-Series Guitar/Bass Amp
EG10
EG10 is compact, small, and loud, with a simple-to-use practice amplifier. It delivers great
tone for electric guitar with 10 watts RMS power and 5” speakers. Classic preamp circuit
and 2-band EQ with a clean tone and drive switch to add great overdrive sound.
Professional headphone socket for private practice.
EG15
EG15 is a compact, simple-to-use practice amplifier delivering great tone for electric guitar, with 15
watts RMS power and 6.5” speakers. Classic preamp circuit and 3-band EQ with
a clean tone and drive switch to add great overdrive sound.
The mini-jack AUX input allows for connection of a playback device such as
MP3/iPod/CD for jamming backing tracks, the headphone socket for private practice.
EB10
EB10 bass amp is astoundingly compact, portable, and lightweight, with great bass tone for
home studio and travel. The diminutive EB10 delivers 10 watts of pure bass tone. Small
and loud, its features include Tone Weal amp design with classic 5" speaker and three-band EQ,
making it a great practice amp.
EB20
The EB20 bass amp is ideal for practice or home studio play, with its great fat and warm tone, and
ease-to-use controls. The 20W bass amp features a 1x8" speaker and includes an aux. input,
headphone output, and three-band EQ in addition to standard volume and EQ controls. This unique
bass power amplifier is lightweight and easy to carry, suitable for small performances with 20W of
power.
EG10 $89 USD
EG15 $129 USD
EB10 $108 USD
EB20 $165 USD
Guitarist William Tyler, a restless sonic explorer: “I would get bored staying in the same place.”
The expansive instrumental guitarist/composer pushes himself out of his comfort zone, beyond the boundaries of his neo-Americana wheelhouse on Time Indefinite.
Mastering an instrument and an artistic style—and then being recognized and rewarded for it—is a daunting enough accomplishment that one might be forgiven for feeling that, once reached, it’s the be-all to end-all. Guitarist William Tyler, for all the praise and opportunity that have come his way over the past decade and a half, isn’t content to plow the same furrow. With his evolutionary new album, Time Indefinite, this son of the South is pushing further afield, not completely forgoing his virtuosic neo-Americana lyricism but incorporating it into static-friendly, otherworldly studio experimentation.
The disorienting opener of Time Indefinite, “Cabin Six,” begins with a loop of hovering blare that, lasting nearly a minute, might lead listeners to think something is amiss with their turntable stylus; this gradually dissipates into an eddy of railroad-like whine from which a chiming 6-string hook emerges only to finally sink into a murky, detuned drone. The simple, lovely “Anima Motel” and almost naïve “Concern” are eminently approachable, and “Howling at the Second Moon,” with its alternate, Joni Mitchell-inspired tuning, feels like something that could have appeared on one of Tyler’s previous albums (even if it was recorded on his iPhone then texturized via a bump to a cassette recorder and dosed with added effects). But the distressed sonic sculptures of “The Hardest Land to Harvest” and “Electric Lake” or the sampled, distorted church choir laced through “Star of Hope” have a ghostly resonance unlike anything the guitarist has done before.
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“I think it’s important for artists to push themselves into new ways of working,” Tyler says. “Most of my favorites, artists I follow over the long trajectory of their careers, have done that, whether it’s in music, film, visual art, novels. Of course, some people have a method or style that they stick to, and it serves them. And I wouldn’t want to put anything out into the world that I wouldn’t myself, as a consumer, enjoy spending time with and taking seriously. That said, I would get bored staying in the same place. The new record is about making something that was a little less chained to certain kinds of guitar music, where I felt like I might be running up against my creative limitations or enthusiasms in that area. I wanted to reinvent myself for myself, to explore fresh possibilities, even with the guitar as my primary tool.”
Tyler, whose parents were hitmaking Nashville songwriters, made his name early on as a young guitar phenom playing in such alternative-minded, country-influenced bands as Lambchop and Silver Jews, before appearing on the fourth volume of the influential Tompkins Square “Imaginational Anthem” series of new-era American Primitive guitar and then making his full-length debut as a solo artist with the 2010 album Behold the Spirit. As a player and composer, he was recognized for subsuming the early influence of John Fahey and the Takoma style into something vibrantly his own.
Tyler keeps his tools simple and his ears open.
Photo by Angelina Castillo
William Tyler’s Gear
Guitars
- Mid-1950s Martin D-18
- 1974 Gibson SG
Pedals
- Hologram Electronics Microcosm
- Strymon El Capistan
- Line 6 DL4 Mark II
Once Tyler signed to the stalwart indie-rock label Merge, the guitarist released a string of warmly received electro-acoustic albums: Impossible Truth (2013), Deseret Canyon (2015) and Modern Country (2016). There was also a marvel of a solo performance at Nashville’s Third Man Records released as an LP in the “Live at Third Man” series. A few years later came the album Goes West, its title alluding to a pre-pandemic move to Los Angeles, and its arrangements flecked with atmospheric swirls and sunny, almost pop-like touches. Tyler also created an aptly rustic score for First Cow, director Kelly Reichardt’s 2019 art house Western, and the guitarist capped his Merge run in 2023 with Secret Stratosphere, a live album of soaring full-band versions of numbers from his back catalog, credited to William Tyler’s Impossible Truth.
“I wanted to reinvent myself for myself, to explore fresh possibilities, even with the guitar as my primary tool.”
Tyler has released covers of such disparate artists as Alex Chilton, Michael Chapman, Fleetwood Mac, Yo La Tengo and Neu!/Harmonia’s Michael Rother, not to mention classical composers Handel and Dvorák. The broad listening palette suggested by these choices always pointed toward a more intrepid path. But the album that most presaged the spirit of Time Indefinite is New Vanitas, a small masterpiece of pandemic creation that found him threading beautiful, involved guitar melodies through hypnagogic soundscapes, often haunted by lo-fi snatches of radio broadcasts and sotto-voce dialogue, as on the evocatively titled “Slow Night’s Static.” New Vanitas even includes a woozy track called “Time Indefinite,” the foreshadowing title a favorite that he borrowed from a film by documentarian Ross McElwee.
On Time Indefinite, Tyler says, “I was drawn to more ambient music, including by guitarists like Christian Fennesz and Norman Westberg, but also groups like Stars of the Lid and Boards of Canada.”
Another signpost on Tyler’s new road was a collaboration with Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden that yielded the folktronica single “Darkness, Darkness.” Then last year brought the standalone track “Flight Final,” Tyler’s first release for the artist-led imprint Psychic Hotline, and a slice of musique concrète that brings to mind Brian Eno’s association with German “kosmische” pioneers Harmonia and Cluster. That recording, the first fruit of an association with collaborator and co-producer Jake Davis, set the stage for their work together on Time Indefinite. Most of the pieces on this album, whether blown-out lullabies or spectral hymns or folk-art abstractions, feel like memories refracted in a dream diary.
“The process of working on this album helped me get better at tempo, just feeling more comfortable playing slower.”
“The new album started out as a series of experiments, without necessarily thinking that they were going to make for a whole record—though, eventually, Jake and I heard a thematic coherence to what we were coming up with,” Tyler explains. “It took a long while to come together, but the roots of the music are in the Covid lockdown. The emotional landscape of that time changed the things I was listening to as well as the music that was coming out of me. I was drawn to more ambient music, including by guitarists like Christian Fennesz and Norman Westberg, but also groups like Stars of the Lid and Boards of Canada. I had gone back to Nashville and was dealing with a problematic mental state. Among other issues, I can tend to approach things too fast, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Beyond using different recording techniques and learning new ways of creating a piece of music, the process of working on this album helped me get better at tempo, just feeling more comfortable playing slower.”
The guitars Tyler used in the studio for Time Indefinite were his “family heirloom” Martin D-18 and a beloved Gibson SG, both of which are his main live instruments. For effects pedals, he favored a Hologram Electronics Microcosm (“for low-pass filter looping and really weird granular stuff”) and a Strymon El Capistan (“for delays kind of like the old Electro-Harmonix Memory Man”), though Davis also did a lot of processing with an array of his own. One serendipitous piece of gear was a 1959 Webcor Regent reel-to-reel machine deck that Tyler liberated, still new in the box, while helping to clear out his grandfather’s storage space in Mississippi. Davis was inspired to make old-school tape loops with it, including that startling sound that opens the album. Tyler would play arrhythmic, asymmetrical parts that Davis would record and chop up for the loops.
Tyler at this year’s Big Ears Festival with Jake Davis and Cecilia Stair.
Photo by Ross Bustin
Tyler’s recent spate of collaborations, from Davis and Four Tet to pedal-steel guitarist Luke Schneider, “has kept me on my toes, challenged me and recharged me,” he says. “The insularity of being a solo instrumentalist and writing everything by yourself can be freeing at first. And it can be motivating, as when I first started learning how to play fingerstyle guitar, with all the practicing. But I don’t like the isolation of it now. These days, I prefer working with other people. It pushes you into other genres, those different modes of communication.”
Another recent colleague, Marisa Anderson, has credited Tyler for his open, venturesome spirit as a studio partner, with his default attitude of “yes” when they were making their absorbing duo album, Lost Futures. “That was something I really enjoyed about playing with William—he was up for everything,” she said. “I was like, ‘There’s the diving board,’ and he’d say, ‘Let’s go.’”
“These days, I prefer working with other people. It pushes you into other genres, those different modes of communication.”
Tyler is quick to credit artists and albums that have inspired him. Along with the aforementioned players, he namechecks a vast range of others, from Jimmy Page to Jeff Parker, Bill Frisell to Fred Frith, Bruce Langhorne to Nels Cline, William Ackerman to Sandy Bull. Tyler muses about how some of his Nashville session heroes should “have gotten weirder…. I wish Chet Atkins had dropped acid, listened to a Sonny Sharrock LP, and made his own noise record, you know?” Regarding his touchstones for sonic left turns, he points to Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, as well as Talk Talk’s emotive, avant-minded swansongs Spirit of Eden and Laughingstock.
“Those two Talk Talk albums are beyond masterpieces, with some great guitar playing,” Tyler says. “They were in essence made by an artist, Mark Hollis, who did not care about being commercial anymore and certainly not about being able to replicate the stuff live. When Jake and I were recording ‘Howling at the Second Moon,’ that sort of attitude was a reference point, kind of like, ‘Well, instead of trying to get away from the lo-fi weirdness of my original iPhone demo, why don’t we lean into it?’”
Ever thoughtful and candid in conversation, Tyler has been exceptionally transparent about coping with personal loss and midlife crises, as well as going to rehab for the over-indulgence of alcohol. Knowing that, one can hear grief and anxiety in the whorls of Time Indefinite, with the passages of guileless 6-string representing a nostalgia for less complicated times. “It’s a mental landscape record for sure,” he says. “For fans of my previous albums, it might not hit the same way, I realize. But I hope this record says to people that it’s all right to take chances with how you express yourself, with how naked and raw that can be. It has a purposeful arc and is meant to prompt things that aren’t super fashionable in today’s ephemeral, constant-content culture, like deep listening, emotional ambiguity, self-reflection, you know?”YouTube It
This three-song set from last year showcases the expansive cosmic country sound of Tyler and his Impossible Truth band, which includes a Kraftwerk cover.
The country virtuoso closes out this season of Wong Notes with a fascinating, career-spanning interview.
We’ve saved one of the best for last: Brad Paisley.The celebrated shredder and seasoned fisherman joins host Cory Wong for one of this season’s most interesting episodes. Paisley talks his earliest guitar-playing influences, which came from his grandfather’s love of country music, and his first days in Nashville—as a student at Belmont University, studying the music industry.
The behind-the-curtain knowledge he picked up at Belmont made him a good match for industry suits trying to force bad contracts on him.
Wong and Paisley swap notes on fishing and a mutual love of Phish—Paisley envies the jam-band scene, which he thinks has more leeway in live contexts than country. And with a new signature Fender Telecaster hitting the market in a rare blue paisley finish, Paisley discusses his iconic namesake pattern—which some might describe as “hippie puke”—and its surprising origin with Elvis’ guitarist James Burton.
Plus, hear how Paisley assembled his rig over the years, the state of shredding on mainstream radio, when it might be good to hallucinogenic drugs in a set, and the only negative thing about country-music audiences.
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