Hey everyone, how’s it going? It’s so great to be back. I really missed doing a newsletter and live stream last week. I was under the weather after getting back from vacation, and this week I couldn’t wait to sit down to write the newsletter. There’s lots to talk about - everything from solo lessons to tone tips, big news from guitar manufacturers and music stores, and lots more. Let’s get into this week’s links!

Architecture of Aggression Solo Breakdown! Marty Friedman | Megadeth | Uncle Ben Eller - First up, Ben Eller has been doing some great solo lessons lately. He recently broke down Marty Friedman’s “Architecture of Aggression” solo, which is one that’s on the easier side, for those of you who want to get into Friedman’s exotic playing. He also covered one of my favorite Dream Theater solos from the song “Peruvian Skies”. The money I spend each month to be part of Eller’s Patreon is some of the best money spent all year! Go check him out. Oh, and also don’t sleep on this video about choosing the right scale every time.
This Will Change How You Play Guitar FOREVER - Chris Sherland stopped by Marty Music’s YT channel to share a great tip about practicing scales. This shapes based practice will really help you navigate the fretboard, and might help you break out of traditional boxes.
THE EVOLUTION OF DOWNTUNED GUITARS: Black Sabbath to A Day To Remember - The Punk Rock MBA channel goes through the history of downtuned/extended guitars. He talks about everything from Sabbath, Soundgarden and Steve Vai, to bands like Korn, Meshuggah and others who embraced 7, 8 and even 9 string guitars. If you’re in the mood for more “guitar history” videos, Chris Buck recently did one on the history of the Gold Top Les Paul, which you can check out here.
What is the MIDDLE PICKUP of a Guitar Really For? - Many people play in one of two positions on a Strat - the neck or bridge pickup. But what about the 2nd, 4th, and middle positions? Tyler from MusicIsWin plays a beautiful Paoletti guitar to show us what you would use every position for.
Live From Flat V - Johnny A. Interview - Johnny A. was one of the very first signings to Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label back in the day, and thankfully he’s still kicking and playing amazing guitar. Josh Smith had him on his Live From Flat V interview show - the two talk about being in bands growing up, lightbulb moments deciding to do music for life, upcoming projects and much more. Great interview of real life musicians in the trenches, talking about how to navigate music in our pandemic era.
Alternate Picking Guitar Technique by Chris Brooks - Check out this awesome video by Chris Brooks, where he talks about his new Alternate Picking Guitar Technique book. This book just arrived Wednesday, and I’ve been ripping through it all week - there’s really fun exercises and the book goes over how to set up a practice schedule for this type of picking. I can’t say enough good things about the Fundamental Changes books. Go check ‘em out!
WHY Is Robben Ford So Highly Regarded? I Found Out. - Fantastic video from Tim Pierce on what he’s learned from watching/listening to Robben Ford lessons and podcasts. Robben has some of the most interesting bluesy jazz playing out there, and learning his unique style will add some great vocabulary to your playing.
Make Virtual Amps Sound REAL (2 Moves) - A lot of people are using virtual amps in their productions lately. Graham from the Recording Revolution shows us two helpful ways to make them sound more realistic, and sit better in the mix. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to use EQ and saturation plugins to make your virtual amps sound 100 times better.
Sweetwater Selling To A Private Equity Partner - If you’re interested in the recent news about Sweetwater selling to a private equity partner, you should check out Phil McKnight’s latest video. He explains it really well, talking about how well they’re doing, affiliate links, how they might be positioning themselves for the future, and more. With Phil being in the music retail space and having a YouTube channel for so long, it was interesting hearing his thoughts.
It's all about the g̶a̶i̶n̶ ehhh cleans? - Want to fatten up your guitars? Brian Wampler makes the case that introducing some clean signal into your tone might help beef up your tracks.
10 UNPOPULAR Things Guitarists Believe...That are Actually True! - Darrell Braun talks about 10 guitar myths/opinions, and breaks down if they’re true or not. He talks about noiseless pickups, if amps are more important guitars, and a lot more. What’s your favorite from his list?
The Biggest Myths About Learning Guitar - Samurai Guitarist came out with a similar video recently, which talks about myths about actually learning guitar. Should you start on an acoustic, are you too old to learn, and many other myths are busted in this video.
Jerry Cantrell "Wino" Les Paul Custom - More players moving to Gibson! Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains talks about his new “Wino” Les Paul Custom, and the history behind it. Wondering if he’ll still be with G&L as well? I’m excited to hear new AIC and solo material from Jerry using this guitar!
How To SAVE Your Progress on Guitar! - David Wallimann put out a helpful video this week talking about saving your progress on guitar, using video games as a metaphor. Rather than playing the same riffs/scales/parts over and over, using new information in a song oftentimes cements it in your fingers. Give it a try, and see how it works for you!
Ariel Posen - Sistermamalover (Live) - I already loved the Kravitz version of this song, but damn is this version by Ariel Posen good! What a solid groove and guitar tone.
Dave Mustaine teaches you the main riff to Megadeth's Tornado of Souls in backstage video - Love Megadeth’s Tornado of Souls? Why not learn the riff from Mustaine himself?
Gibson redefines guitars as investments with new Rally partnership - Want to own a piece of guitar history? Gibson is partnering with Rally to allow people to buy “shares” in 3 prototype guitars - including an Iommi “Monkey” SG Special, an Adam Jones 1979 LP Custom, and a Slash EDS-1275 double neck. What do you think of this concept?
Take a Deep Dive Into Dean DeLeo's Melodically Inventive and Visceral Guitar Playing - Guitar Player takes a look at Dean DeLeo’s (STP) incredible guitar playing. Dean has always been one of my favorite rock players, who really combines non-standard chords, different tunings, open strings and more for an awesome sound.
Listen to the first Animals As Leaders track in five years, Monomyth - We haven’t heard any new music from Animals As Leaders since 2016’s ‘The Madness of Many’ album. That is, until this week where the band dropped the new single “Monomyth”. The 4 minute track combines wild rhythms, spacey synths, angular lines, and great clean and distorted playing.
DragonForce’s Herman Li teases a custom PRS with an Ibanez floating bridge - Are the worlds of Ibanez and PRS coming together? DragonForce’s Herman Li teased a custom PRS, which is using an Ibanez floating bridge, and some beautiful looking Fishman pickups. Excited to learn more about this possible collaboration.