How do you improve one of the coolest guitar stores? Well, at Chicago Music Exchange Andrew Yonke (CEO) & Daniel Escauriza (Vintage Inventory & Purchasing Manager) created an area where players can not only experience the best vintage guitars and holy grails available, but the Vault also celebrates player-grade, stone-cold tone stars at any price point. And the best part of this room is that it's open to even us gear mortals.
The Lamb of God lead flamethrower has played Gibsons since the '90s and now has a signature model that brings the modern chug and crunch with some contemporary changes to the iconic recipe.
The velvet-voiced, smooth-slide-playing solo artist details his journey from sideman to frontman, shares the his approach to designing a fresh Strat model, explains how a forced reset reshaped his career path, of course, he and host John Bohlinger share a few jams.
Ever wondered how Billy Corgan achieves that massive "chainsaw" fuzz tone that defined an era of alternative rock? In this edition of "Blueprints", PG contributor Tom Butwin dives deep into the gear that makes it possible, featuring the Reverend Billy Corgan Z-One with its unique Bass Contour control, the Electro-Harmonix Op-Amp Big Muff Pi for that essential seventies-style grind, and the Gosh Amplification Problem Solver to provide a classic Marshall-style foundation.
This is it — the granddaddy of Pedalboard series. The MONO Pedalboard Large is a pro-sized and -featured pedal solution that won't weigh you down in size or cost. The Pedalboard Large is cut from a single piece of anodized aluminum for superior strength, light weight, and an elegant textured surface. Cutouts along the surface hide pedal jumpers and power cables for a streamlined, professional look. Rubber feet on the bottom absorb shock and prevent the Pedalboard Large from sliding across hard surfaces as you stomp
Dave and Tom were so excited about this episode with Mr Big and Racer X guitarist Paul Gilbert that they almost fainted right before taping, leaving a very unamused Cindy to host it alone. It takes a lot to fluster an Axe Lord, but the prospect of talking to Paul Gilbert about designing his Fireman guitars, getting a guided tour through his collection of vintage Ibanez treasures, and finding out how to properly rig a power drill for speed picking is almost more than any fan of highly technical guitar wizardry could stand.
Gilbert, who is promoting his rifftastic new concept album WROC - based on the George Washington-penned tome Washington’s Rules of Civility, is also the first, but hopefully not the last, Axe Lords guest to introduce cosplay to the show. To whit, he appears sporting a revolutionary war-styled Tricorn hat, the perfect accessory for schooling us not just in arcane bits of American history but also in the finer points of high-stakes shred protocol.
Axe Lords is presented in partnership with Premier Guitar. Hosted by Dave Hill, Cindy Hulej and Tom Beaujour. Produced by Studio Kairos. Executive Producer is Kirsten Cluthe. Edited by Justin Thomas (Revoice Media). Engineered by Patrick Samaha. Recorded at Kensaltown East. Artwork by Mark Dowd. Theme music by Valley Lodge.
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