
Good Vibes
A hallmark of Ronson’s style is his unique vibrato, which could be so wide that at times it almost sounded more like a series of quick bends. But its quirkiness fit right in with the glam sensibility, and it always came across as musical. Ronson is possibly most well known for being a member of David Bowie’s backing band, the Spiders from Mars, and his outro solo in Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream” from the classic album Ziggy Stardust is a prime example of his unique vibrato.
Let’s look at Ex. 1, which puts the spotlight on a Ronson-style exaggerated vibrato coupled with bent notes. This can be a challenging technique, and the best way to execute it successfully is by starting with the traditional rock-style fretting-hand grip. With your fretting-hand thumb over the neck, rest the area between your thumb and index finger on the underside of the neck, creating a fulcrum point. Once you’ve bent the string, quickly rotate your wrist back and forth. Be sure not to push the string with your fingers, as this won’t provide as much strength and control as your wrist.
To fully emulate Ronson, be sure to bring swagger and confidence, like he always did. He brought a next-level intensity to Bowie’s shows, as evidenced by the following video. Witness the havoc he wreaks with his delay at 3:54.
Bending Melodies
Ronson had a particularly keen sense of melody and could create interesting melodic lines to fit over both simple and more complex chord progressions. A great example is his hypnotic guitar melody in Bowie’s “Suffragette City,” also from Ziggy Stardust.
To execute the entire melody, Ronson never once moves his fretting hand. He simply manipulates a single note by bending it varying degrees to fit over the chords. As far as technique, it’s best to use the same approach here as we did with vibrato, so as to have the most control over your bends. From a compositional standpoint, it can be helpful to be aware of the chord tones available, especially when dealing with a bit of an odd progression, like the one in Ex. 2. Here, the chord progression is: G (G–B–D), A (A–C#–E), G#m (G#–B–D#). We can think of this as IV–V–#IVm in the key of D (D–E–F#–G–A–B–C#) with the G#m chord being an odd, out-of-key choice. Looking at the chord tones, all are diatonic (in the key), with the exception of the G# and D# of the G#m chord.
Let’s take a look at two approaches to creating a melody similar to Ronson’s—one with not very much movement—over this sort of chord progression. First, when confronted with an out-of-key chord, such as our G#m, one approach is stress a note or notes which are out of key, as this can create an element of surprise. In measure three, the melody moves to D#, the fifth of G#m, which is out of key and works well here.
However, sometimes this approach can be jarring to the listener. The underlying chord is already out of key, and stressing one of the non-diatonic notes can prove to be a bit too much. In this case, a better choice is to find a note within the key which fits over the out-of-key chord. Now, this doesn’t have to be a chord tone, but here, the third of G#m (B), which is diatonic to our key of D can sound great, as demonstrated by this melody with almost no movement at all (Ex. 3). Note that for the G chord, the first note of the pair (B, the third) is a chord tone, whereas the second note (C#, the raised fourth) is not. It’s just the opposite for A chord: B is the second and C# is the third. After all, you don’t want to create cookie-cutter melodies, limiting yourself to chord tones alone. Always trust your ears and dare to try all sorts of options. But being aware of the chord tones can guide you through some tricky terrain.
Targeting the Third
In his work with Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople), Ronson was sometimes called upon to dig into his bag of more traditional rock licks, but he always seemed to work his keen melodic sense into the mix as well. A great example is this live version of Hunter’s “Once Bitten, Twice Shy” from his 1975 self-titled debut solo album. Most rockers of the day would have leaned heavily on G minor pentatonic (G–Bb-C-D-F) over this common rock progression (C–G–D), but Ronson takes a different approach, mixing straight-up rock ’n’ roll with creative melody-making.
Ex. 4 takes a similar approach to the identical chords, starting with a classic Chuck Berry lick, then veering into more melodic territory by using the G major scale (G–A–B–C–D–E–F#). Stressing the thirds of the G and D chords (B and D, respectively) creates a sweet-sounding contrast to the more bombastic musical background.
Let’s try this “targeting thirds” approach with a different set of chords, as in Ex. 5. Here, we’re in the key of D, and over the chord progression D–F–G, we’re going to target the third of each chord — F#, A, and B, respectively. Stressing the third will often result in satisfying melodies, though doing it too much will have your listeners feeling as if they’ve eaten too much candy. Also, note how the F chord (bIII) functions as a non-diatonic bridge from the I chord (D) to the IV chord (G). Choosing to play its third (A) is another example of how stressing an in-key note over an out-of-key chord can yield smooth melodies.
Classical Gas
During his time with Bowie, Ronson could never quite be sure what musical setting he’d find himself in. “Time,” from Bowie’s 1973 release Aladdin Sane is a song with shades of Baroque music (think Bach), and in his solo, Ronson seamlessly adds lines that sound as if they could easily have been played by a classical trumpeter. First, enjoy David Bowie in his theatrically androgynous glory, as Ronson’s guitar emerges from behind his vocal. (Stay with it through the 4:00 mark!)
How does he accomplish this? He clearly draws from his classical music studies, but interestingly enough, it’s not about the notes as much as it stems from the rhythms he chooses. Ex. 6 showcases simple lines, all within the key of C (C–D–E–F–G–A–B), relying on mostly steady eighth- or 16th-note rhythms to lend a strict classical feel. As they often do, the details matter here: For example, notes with a dot above are to played staccato, or short. To accomplish this, after striking the note, quickly lift your finger so it rests on the string, thereby deadening it. Incorporating this sort of articulation and the quick 32nd-note flourish in measure one, along with rock-style vibrato and the sly bend in measure four creates a mix of modern and classical flair that Ronson could effortlessly summon.
Nothing Fancy Required
Aside from occasional use of delay, Ronson plugged his trusty 1968 Gibson Les Paul directly into various amps, most often a Marshall Major 200-watt head. Always with an eye toward detail, he had the finish stripped from his guitar, as he felt it gave the instrument more resonance. Armed with his vast musical experience and an equal ability to be subtle or unbridled, his playing remained unpredictable, as he loomed large over the glam rock scene. Let’s leave off with Ronson deftly weaving some melodic magic on the Bowie classic “Space Oddity,” of which the singer clearly approves.
Gibson partners with Warren Haynes to release the Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard, featuring P-90 DC pickups and a 15 dB boost for modern functionality in a traditional 50s-era Les Paul design.
Grammy Award-winning artist Warren Haynes is a cornerstone of the American music landscape, lauded as one of the most formidable and prolific guitarists, vocalists, songwriters, and producers of the modern era. Gibson is proud to announce its partnership with Warren Haynes for the release of his first signature guitar, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard. The Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard from Gibson is available worldwide now at the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, at authorized Gibson dealers, and on Gibson.com.
“I’ve always been a Gibson guy—I got hooked on that sound as a teenager and have been playing them ever since,” says Warren Haynes. “Needless to say, I’m honored to be partnering with Gibson to release my Signature Les Paul Standard. Being traditionally a humbucker guy, I’m really loving the hum-free P-90s. It’s a really cool tonal change, and the boost offers even more tonal options. I’m really enjoying playing this guitar on stage and looking forward to using it in the studio. I’m equally psyched that other guitar players will now have the opportunity to own and play one as well.”
Warren Haynes effortlessly cross-pollinates genres and unfurls solos that broil with passion in his distinctive, signature playing style. Renowned and highly regarded for his work in rock, blues, and Americana music through his work with the Allman Brothers Band, as a founding member of Gov’t Mule, the leader of The Warren Haynes Band, a solo artist, and as a session guitarist and sideman for numerous famous friends and groups. As one of music’s most treasured storytellers, Haynes and his artistry have led to thousands of memorable performances and millions of album and track sales. A master of multiple styles and genres, Warren has also shared his expertise with other players via multiple instructional videos. A self-described “Gibson man,” Warren has used several Gibson models throughout the years, including his cherished ’61 ES-335™, among others.
The new Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard is another standout, with features tailored specifically to Warren’s preferences, including a mahogany body with a plain maple cap, a 60s Cherry finish, a mahogany neck with a chunky 50s vintage profile like all of Warren’s favorite Les Pauls, a rosewood fretboard with acrylic trapezoid inlays and 22 medium jumbo frets, a pair of P-90 DC pickups that deliver hum-free performance with all the sonic nuances of traditional P-90 DC pickups, and a 15 dB boost that can be activated via a mini toggle switch. The quick-access battery compartment is mounted into the control cover on the rear, and the guitar will still function, even if the battery dies, by simply flipping the mini toggle switch to the off position.
Bearing the traditional looks and feel of a 50s-era Les Paul coupled with modern features like hum-free P-90 DC pickups and an onboard boost, the Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard bridges modern and traditional and is a great choice for players who, like Warren, want both a traditional appearance and modern functionality in one outstanding guitar.
Last fall, Warren Haynes released his fourth solo album, Million Voices Whisper, via Fantasy Records. Haynes sounds as energetic and focused as ever on the self-produced album, powering through an 11-song set of soulful blues-rock, his first solo collection in nearly a decade. Accompanying Warren on the collection are members of his current all-star band, including John Medeski on keyboards, longtime drummer Terence Higgins (of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), and Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott. Million Voices Whisper also features guest appearances from his Allman Brothers Band compatriot Derek Trucks, whose unmistakable guitar sound toughs up three tracks on the album that were co-produced with Haynes, and his Last Waltz tour co-stars Lukas Nelson and Jamey Johnson, who are featured on the forceful “Day Of Reckoning.” Joining Haynes in the studio for the first time since the final sunset of the ABB, one of the featured tracks with Trucks on guitar is “Real Real Love,” a song initially co-written with Gregg Allman that Warren finished in Allman’s style and methods as if Gregg were singing it to honor his friend.
Buzzing through the chart-topping album is the question of how to make things better—in love, in life, in the world—led by Haynes’s soaring vocals and the poignancy of his six-string mastery. Million Voices Whisper opens with “These Changes,” a co-write with Trucks, leading into “Go Down Swinging,” co-written with Johnson, which features a horn section and a Van Morrison vibe. Then, there’s the soulful power ballad “Till The Sun Comes Shining Through,” driven by Warren’s impassioned vocals and slide guitar skills. The expressive pipes of touring backup singer Saundra Williams are also heard on multiple tracks, including the lead single “This Life As We Know It,” which reached Top 15 on the Americana singles chart and Top 40 at Triple A radio. Among the four bonus tracks on the deluxe CD version is a new version of the Trucks-Haynes composition “Back Where I Started” featuring Warren on lead vocals and slide guitar and the power trio of Haynes, Nelson, and Johnson covering the CSNY classic “Find The Cost Of Freedom” into an extended version of “Day Of Reckoning.” Million Voices Whisper combines the eloquent musicianship of a triple-threat blues-rocker with the glowing spirit of a vital creative artist at the peak of his powers.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar - '60s Cherry
WH LP Std, 60s CherryMinus the Bear announces nationwide tour celebrating 20th anniversary of Menos el Oso album.
Formed in Seattle, WA at the turn of the millennium, Minus the Bear burst onto the alternative rock scene in the waning days of nineties burn-out, and at the birth of the early-aughts indie revival. When they played their debut show in Seattle back in September 2001, there was an immediate hype surrounding the band.
Four years later, on August 23, 2005, the band would release their sophomore album, Menos el Oso, on local independent label, Suicide Squeeze Records. Since then there have been a number of line-up changes, with the addition of Alex Rose on keyboard and backing vocal duty and drummer Joshua Sparks.
The band bid farewell to performing in 2018, to focus on other priorities, but the passage of time has brought them back together, just in time to celebrate the album that changed their lives forever twenty years after the fact. Last week, the band was announced as co-headliners of Best Friends Forever in Las Vegas, NV this October, and today are thrilled to announce a nationwide tour, where they will be playing the seminal album in full. Dates below, tickets available for purchase on Friday, March 14 at 10:00 A.M. local time.
Guitarist and founding member David Knudson, while reflecting on the album, notes “Menos el Oso put us on a trajectory that none of us were expecting. There is a “before ‘Pachuca Sunrise’ video” moment in time, and then there is an “after ‘Pachuca Sunrise’ video” moment in time. It seemed like once people heard that song, and saw that video, everyone went straight to Limewire, Napster, Soulseek, BitTorrent, etc. and shared the album immediately. Celebrating the twentieth anniversary of something this monumental in our lives is a gift. Having the chance to appreciate it with our fans, families and fellow bandmates while we are all alive and kicking is an opportunity I can’t wait to embrace.”
At the first Minus the Bear rehearsal in seven years earlier this year, the band’s drummer Joshua Sparks put it this way, “These songs are like having a really nice car in the garage… it’d be a shame not to take them out for a drive every now and then.”
For more information, please visit minusthebear.com.
Minus the Bear Tour Dates:
- 10/04/25 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
- 10/06/25 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
- 10/07/25 - San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom
- 10/08/25 - San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
- 10/10/25 - Las Vegas, NV @ Best Friends Forever Festival
- 10/11/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
- 10/12/25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
- 10/14/25 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
- 10/17/25 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
- 10/18/25 - Austin, TX @ Emo's Austin
- 10/21/25 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
- 10/22/25 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
- 10/24/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore
- 10/25/25 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
- 11/05/25 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
- 11/07/25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
- 11/08/25 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
- 11/11/25 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre
- 11/12/25 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
- 11/14/25 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
- 11/15/25 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
- 11/16/25 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
- 11/18/25 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
- 11/21/25 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
- 11/22/25 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
- 11/23/25 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
- 11/28/25 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
- 11/29/25 - Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
An overdrive and mangled fuzz that’s a wolf in a maniacal, rabid wolf’s clothing.
Invites new compositional approaches to riffs and solos. Gray Channel distortion is versatile and satisfying. Unpredictable.
Unpredictable. Footswitches for distortion and fuzz are quite close.
$199
Fuzz can be savored in so many ways. It can be smooth. It can be an agent of chaos. But it can also be a trap. In service of mayhem, it can be a mere noise crutch. Smooth, classy, “tasty” fuzz, meanwhile, can lead to dull solos crafted as Olympian demonstrations of sustain. To touch the soulful, rowdy essence of fuzz, it’s good to find one that never lets you get quite comfortable. The EarthQuaker Devices Gary, a two-headed distortion/overdrive and rabid, envelope-controlled square-wave fuzz designed with IDLES’ Lee Kiernan, is a gain device in this vein.
Gary is not exclusively a destruction machine. Its distortion/overdrive section is a very streamlined take on EarthQuaker’s Gray Channel, a versatile DOD 250-derived double distortion. Like any good circuit of the 250 ilk, Gary’s hard clipping OD/distortion section bites viciously in the high- and high-mid frequencies, supported by a tight, punchy low-mid output. You can play anything from balanced M.O.R. studio crunch to unhinged feedback leads with this side of Gary. But it’s the envelope-triggered pulse-width fuzz—which most of us will hear as a gated fuzz, in many instances—that gives the Gary its werewolf duality. Though practice yields performance patterns that change depending on the instrument and effects you use around the Gary, its fuzz ultimately sputters and collapses into nothingness—especially when you throw a few pitch bends its way. The cut to silence can be jarring, but also compels a player to explore more rhythmic leads and choppy riffs that would sound like sludge with a Big Muff. The Gary’s unpredictable side means it won’t be for everybody, but its ability to span delicioso distortion and riotous splatter fuzz in a single unit is impressive.
EarthQuaker Devices Gary Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz/Overdrive Pedal
Automatic Pulse Width Modulation Fuzz PedalBlackberry Smoke will embark on a co-headline tour with Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs. Lead singer Charlie Starr shares, “What could be better than summertime rock and roll shows with Blackberry Smoke and the one and only Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs?”
Blackberry Smoke’s fan club will have early access to tickets with pre-sale beginning tomorrow, March 11 at 10:00am local time, with the public on-sale following this Friday, March 14 at 10:00am local time. Full details and ticket information can be found at blackberrysmoke.com.
In addition to the new dates, Blackberry Smoke is currently on the road with upcoming headline shows at New Orleans’ The Fillmore, Houston’s 713 Music Hall, Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Dallas’ Majestic Theatre and Maryville’s The Shed (three nights) among others. They will also join Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Avett Brothers for select dates later this year. See below for complete tour itinerary.
Tour Dates
March 14—Douglas, GA—The Martin Theatre*
March 15—Douglas, GA—The Martin Theatre*
March 27—New Orleans, LA—The Fillmore†
March 28—Houston, TX—713 Music Hall†
March 29—Helotes, TX—John T. Floore’s Country Store‡
April 24—Montgomery, AL—Montgomery Performing Arts Centre§
April 25—Pensacola, FL—Pensacola Saenger Theatre§
April 26—Tampa, FL—Busch Gardens Tampa - Gwazi Field
May 8—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater#
May 9—Dallas, TX—Majestic Theatre#
May 10—Palestine, TX—Wiggly Thump Festival
May 15—Maryville, TN—The Shed~
May 16—Maryville, TN—The Shed%
May 17—Maryville, TN—The Shed§
May 31—Virginia Beach, VA—Veterans Band Aid Music Festival
June 1—Lexington, KY—Railbird Festival
July 10—Pistoia, Italy—Pistoia Blues
July 11—Milan, Italy—Comfort Festival
July 13—Weert, Limburg—Bospop
July 15—Manchester, U.K.—AO Arena**
July 16—Birmingham, U.K.—bp pulse LIVE**
July 18—Brighton, England—The Brighton Centre**
July 19—London, UK—OVO Arena Wembley**
July 25—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium††
July 26—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium††
July 31—Lewiston, NY—Artpark Amphitheater††
August 1—Pittsburgh, PA—Stage AE††
August 2—Columbus, OH—KEMBA Live! Outdoor††
August 3—Roanoke, VA—Berglund Performing Arts Theatre††
August 5—North Charleston, SC—Firefly Distillery††
August 7—Raleigh, NC—Red Hat Amphitheater††
August 8—Charlotte, NC—Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre††
August 9—Atlanta, GA—Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park††
August 10—Asheville, NC—Asheville Yards Amphitheater††
August 21—Bonner Springs, KS—Azura Amphitheater‡‡
August 22—Rogers, AR—Walmart AMP‡‡
August 23—El Dorado, AR—Murphy Arts District Amphitheater‡‡
August 30—Charlestown, RI—Rhythm and Roots Festival
*with special guest Parker Gispert
†with special guest Zach Person
‡with special guest Brent Cobb
§with special guest Bones Owens
#with special guest Jason Scott & The High Heat
~with special guest Rob Leines
%with special guest Taylor Hunnicutt
**supporting Lynard Skynyrd
††co-headline with co-headline with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
‡‡supporting The Avett Brothers