
Renowned fingerstyle guitarist Buster B. Jones dies at age 49
To some he was known as āMachine Gunā or āPistolaā for his lightning fast playing style but to all those who were fortunate enough to have personally known him, he was simply the warm-hearted Buster.
Born Bradley F. Jones in Ames, Iowa, in 1959, friends say he was a funny, talkative man who loved to refer to himself as a āhillbilly.ā For gigs, he sported a signature look of a cowboy hat, boots and a leather vest, but he was known to show up in overalls, too.
Jones had a strong following in Nashville, where he spent many years on the roots scene, and moved west about 10 years ago. He was known worldwide for his prowess on the guitar, and was āeasily one of the top 10 finger-picking stylists in the world,ā local saxophonist Paul Biondi said. Accolades in regards to his incredible playing came from all over including the great Chet Atkins who said; āBuster B. Jones is the best fingerpicker I've heard since Jerry Reed... He plays like he's double parked."
His amazing skills as a fingerstyle guitarist were recognized in 1988 as the Winner of the first āGuitar Player Sound Pageā competition where Guitar Playerās Tom Wheeler said of Buster; āBrad flatpicks a brilliant counter-rhythm against his amazing 5-finger fingerpicking for breathtaking effect. His blazing, clearly articulated lines were delivered with power and imagination over intricate counter-rhythms." Buster was also honored as the 1990 āUS National Fingerstyle Champion.ā
Friends say Jones was a mentor to guitarists of all ages, a natural performer who oozed Southern charm. He formed a special bond with local musician Brooks āBrooksieā Robertson, who met Jones eight years ago when he was 11. At 17, Robertson released his solo debut āAmerican Fingerstyle.ā At the release party the chemistry between teacher and student was electric as jokes and guitar licks flew between both musicians.
āWe first met Buster at the Nashville NAMM show in 1994 and were blown away by his playing and his southern Charm,ā says Godinās Katherine Calder-Becker. āBy the January NAMM show in 1995, Buster had become a full member of the Godin family and we featured him in the Godin Guitar Bar each evening of the show. From there, we hooked up again at the Frankfurt show and he began to work as a clinician for us ... from the US, Canada, Ireland, France and Australia - the Buster B. Jones 'show' stunned and amazed players all over the globe. Buster also became a dear friend to all of us at Godin and we will miss him immensely.ā
Renowned guitarist Thom Bresh recently eulogized the fellow finger-picker and old friend saying; āThose who got to know him will never forget him," he wrote. "Those who heard him play knew they had just witnessed a master at what he did. Those who play the guitar would understand their limitations."
Buster B. Jones
R.I.P - 1959-2009
Darkglass Electronics unveils ANAGRAM, a flagship bass platform designed to redefine tone, flexibility, and performance. The pedalās extraordinarily deep feature set includes multiple effects and modeling, an on-board looper and tuner.
Best of all, ANAGRAM brings together these creative tools in a streamlined, rugged format thatās designed for ease of use. Onstage and in the studio, bassists can quickly access and fine-tune their sound via the ANAGRAM interface:
- 7-inch high-brightness touchscreen for clear and intuitive control.
- Three footswitches for live performance control.
- Six high-resolution endless rotary knobs for precise parameter adjustments.
- Flexible input and output configuration.
With ultra-low latency, extensive customization, and seamless integration into the Darkglass ecosystem, it supports both studio precision and stage performance. Combining 15 years of innovation with cutting-edge processing power, ANAGRAM offers a purpose-built solution for bassists seeking unparalleled sound-shaping capabilities.
Anagram
Powered by a state-of-the-art hexacore processor and 32-bit/48kHz audio processing,ANAGRAM delivers ultra-low latency, pristine clarity, and studio-grade sound. Its intuitive blocks-based architecture lets players create signal chains in series (12 blocks) or parallel (24blocks) using a high-resolution touch display. ANAGRAM features three control modesāPreset,Scene, and Stompāfor instant switching, parameter adjustments, and traditional pedalboard-style operation. With a curated collection of distinct preamps, 50+ customizable effects, a looper, tuner, and user-generated IR support, ANAGRAM delivers unmatched creative flexibility.Seamless integration with the Darkglass Suite allows for expanded control and functionality. Additionally, Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) integration provides access to thousands
of high-quality amp and effect models, expanding tonal possibilities from analog warmth to futuristic textures.
"Anagram represents the culmination of years of research and development," says Marcos Barilatti, Managing Director of Darkglass Electronics. "We set out to create a product that not only pushes the boundaries of bass tone but also inspires musicians to explore new sonic territories."
Housed in a rugged anodized aluminum chassis, ANAGRAM is road-ready, compact, and powered via 9V or USB-C (PD). With flagship features at a compelling price, ANAGRAM represents the new standard for bassists seeking a modern platform for their performance.
Street $1199.99 USD
PG contributor Tom Butwin dives into five clever, gig-ready tuner optionsāsome youāve seen, and at least one you havenāt. From strobe accuracy to metronome mashups and strap-mounted stealth, these tools might just make tuning fun again.
Korg Pitchstrap Guitar and Bass Strap Tuner - Black
KORG Pitchstrap is the worldās first strap-mounted tuner and features a state-of-the-art technology that allows the tuner to detect the pitch of the guitar or bass from the strapās vibrations.
Peterson StroboStomp Mini Pedal Tuner
The StroboStomp Mini delivers the unmatched 0.1 cent tuning accuracy of all authentic Peterson Strobe Tuners in a mini pedal tuner format.
Peterson StroboClip HDC High-definition Rechargeable Clip-on Strobe Tuner
The StroboClip HDC features a high-definition, color backlight display, rechargeable battery and over 65 Sweetened Tunings. With tuning accuracy of 0.1 cents, the StroboClip HDC is the ultimate clip-on tuner.
Cherub Pix Tune (WST-915Li)
The latest Cherub Pix Tune (WST-915Li) offers 16 vibrant display modes, allowing users to customize their tuning experience to match their own styles. There are 5 meter styles, 3 animal cartoon styles, 2 sports styles, and 6 user customizable styles. You can conveniently upload your boot-up animation and tuning display pictures through the accompanying APPs. With its engaging visuals, tuning has never been this enjoyable!
Taylor Beacon Digital Clip-on Tuner - Black
The Taylor Beacon combines a tuner, metronome, timer, and flashlight in one compact device, offering five tuning modes, 12 time signatures, and up to 100 minutes of practice timer.
The Melvins' Buzz Osborne joins the party to talk about how he helped Kurt Cobain find the right sounds.
Growing up in the small town of Montesano, Washington, Kurt Cobain turned to his older pal Buzz Osborne for musical direction. So on this episode, weāre talking with the Melvins leader about their friendship, from taking Cobain to see Black Flag in ā84 to their shared guitar journey and how they both thought about gear. And in case youāve heard otherwise, Kurt was never a Melvins roadie!
Osborneās latest project is Thunderball from Melvins 1983, something of a side trajectory for the band, which harkens back to this time in Osborneās life. We dig into that and how it all relates and much more.
Adding to the companyās line of premium guitar strapsand accessories, Fairfield Guitar Co. has introduced a new deluxe leather strapdesigned in collaboration with Angela Petrilli.
Based in Los Angeles, Petrilli is well-known to guitar enthusiasts around the world for her online videos. She is one of the video hosts at Normanās Rare Guitars and has her own YouTube lesson series, the Riff Rundown. She also writes, records and performs with her original band, Angela Petrilli & The Players, and has worked with Gibson, Fender, Martin Guitars, Universal Audio, Guitar Center and Fishman Transducers.
Angela Petrilli's eye-grabbing signature strap is fully hand cut, four inches wide and lightly padded, so it evenly distributes the weight of the instrument on the shoulder and offers superb comfort during extended play. The front side features black "cracked" leather with turquoise triple stitching. The "cracked" treatment on the leather highlights the beautiful natural marks and grain pattern ā and it only gets better with age and use.The strapās back side is black suede for adhesion and added comfort, with the Fairfield Guitar Co. logo and Angela's name stamped in silver foil.
Features include:
- 100% made in the USA
- Hand cut 4ā wide leather strap with light padding -- offering extra comfort for longgigs and rehearsals.
- Black suede back side avoids slipping, maintains guitarās ideal playing position.
- Length is fully adjustable from 45ā - 54ā and the strap has two holes on thetailpiece for added versatility.
The Fairfield Guitar Co. Angela Petrilli signature strap is available for $150 online at fairfieldguitarco.com.