If you’re reading about this post-Ween project for a second time, chances are good you first leaned about it when comedy rocker Jack Black “leaked” the song on his Facebook page. “(For a While) I Couldn’t Play My Guitar Like a Man,” is the title of the very first original recording by Gene Ween following the break-up of experimental cult-band Ween.
Rather than take the route of a solo troubadour, the singer of the 1992 underground hit "Push th' Little Daisies" has assembled a five-piece group.
Decidedly calling this band Freeman (his real name is Aaron Freeman) hints at a stylistic departure from all things Ween. More Neil Young than Frank Zappa, the song slowly bounces on a familiar “Down by the River” rhythm. Acoustic guitars strum as warm Wurlitzer notes hum underneath a slightly raspy and weathered voice.
And as the song’s title suggests, the guitar playing here is quite manly—not a Gibson SG plugged into a wall of Marshalls kind of manly. But a more matured and tone-honed testosterone that brings to mind salt-and-pepper haired gentlemen discussing boutique tube amps, vintage Telecasters, and a friend of a friend who builds pedals on the weekends. Not since Blue Ash’s 1973 recording “Smash My Guitar” has a song about guitar playing delivered so well on its title. freemantheband.com
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The Vintage Jazzmaster Silencer is a noiseless pickup that retains the bright, punchy neck tone and tight, snappy bridge sound that defines the Jazzmaster. Clean or overdriven, the Vintage Jazzmaster Silencer's vintage-voiced tone is perfect for shimmering indie textures, surf-inspired riffs, and modern pedal-driven explorations. No more hum holding you back—just the pure, classic Jazzmaster® tone you love.
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Kirk Hammett’s Top Three Guitars (Yes, Greeny Is One of Them)
Photo courtesy of The Collection: Kirk Hammett, Gibson Publishing
In a lavish new coffee table book from Gibson, The Collection: Kirk Hammett, Metallica’s lead guitarist shares some of his most spectacular vintage instruments and the stories that go with them, as well as his love of Hawaii.
There’s a good chance that if you’re a guitar fan, you’ve seen Nathaniel Murphy’s gear demos—either on his Instagram account, where he goes by @zeppelinbarnatra, or on the Chicago Music Exchange page. His solo arrangements of classic tunes display his next-level technique and knack for clever arranging, and he makes our jaws drop every time he posts. When we learned that the Irish guitarist is a huge fan of U2’s The Edge, we knew he had to be our expert for this episode.
Together with Nathaniel, we’re decoding our favorite eras of the Edge’s tones—from his early Memory Man days through his expanding delay rack rig, into his 1990s Achtung Baby sounds, and all the way through to his Sphere rig. How does he get those amazing delay tones? And what are those cool picks he uses?
