This week we have great videos from Paul Davids, a helpful tool for trems, a look into what Stevie Ray Vaughan’s gear might look like if he were still around, a brand new Rick Graham signature guitar, and much more.

Yesterday I had fun on YouTube with Chasing Sound Live episode 6. I had to postpone this one until this weekend, and I’m glad to be back! And speaking of YouTube, we finally hit over 100 subs. How cool is that? If you’re not subbed to me on YouTube, head over there and subscribe to get updated on new live streams, videos and shorts.

Alright, let’s get into this week’s links!

The Secret To Beautiful Chord Progressions - When it comes to songwriting, there are no set rules, but there are things that happen over and over again that you might want to keep in mind when writing a new song. Paul Davids uses Coldplay as an example, and breaks down some of their songwriting tricks. Even if you’re not a fan of the band, these are some great songwriting tips. Oh, and if you’re looking to start with a riff, check out this post from GW that gives you 5 great tips on riff writing.
Boss Pedals You've Never Seen Before - Josh from JHS shows off some Boss pedals you may have never seen, ever! Did you know that Boss almost never uses the number 4 in its pedal numbering? Have you seen any of these pedals before? After listening to this week’s Chasing Tone podcast, Brian Wampler was talking about how guitar pedals might be like collecting baseball cards. What’re your thoughts on that comparison?
What Would SRV Use Today? - I love these types of speculative videos - The Rig Doctor shows up on Vertex Effects’ channel to talk about what kind of gear Stevie Ray Vaughan would use if he were still alive. This is a smart video, looking at what Stevie’s last rig was, other players who had a similar tone, and how he was experimenting towards the end of his career. They take a look at John Mayer, Kenny Wayne Shephard, Doyle Brahmhall and other SRV influenced players to make some good guesses.
Understanding Pedal Order - What order should I put my pedals in? I get this question all the time from students, readers, etc. I think I’m going to start sending them this video! There are no rules, but these are some good tips on where to start if you’re building a board and want to know what should typically go first and last in your chain.
Are You Scared of Floating Bridges...The Nightmare is Over! - Do you have a floating bridge? Check out Darrell Braun’s latest video where he takes a look at the FZG Trem Switch. The device allows you to switch between floating and blocked trems with relative ease. The switch is currently part of a Kickstarter campaign, with about 20 or so days to go. I hope they make their goal!
Rick Graham Introduces His New Signature Charvel MJ DK24 2PT CM - I’m a huge fan of Charvel Guitars, which is why I was so excited to see Rick Graham’s new signature axe! It looks beautiful, and sounds great too. Rick takes us through a couple of clips of him demoing the guitar, and talks about all the features of the instrument. A well deserved signature guitar for a monster player.
The Gibson Forever Guitar - On the other end of the spectrum, price-wise, Gibson is doing something very cool and very exclusive! Phil McKnight talks about the Gibson Forever guitar, which is tied to the School of Rock and the Save the Music Foundation. All of the profits of buying this Gibson Les Paul Special will go to the STM foundation, and you can only grab this guitar if you’re part of School of Rock. The first run has already sold out, but there might be more of these in the future. You can join the waitlist here.
Les Paul's NUMBER ONE Goldtop ~The Dream of the Solid Body Electric Guitar – Explained by Gene Paul - Speaking of Gibson’s most iconic guitar, Les Paul’s Number One Goldtop is going up for auction in mid October. Check out this video to see the guitar, and hear Gene Paul, Les’ son, describe why it’s so special.
Jared James Nichols - Skin 'n Bone (Live from Blackbird Studios) - One more LP related link! - Jared James Nichols recently premiered a new song - Skin ’n Bone, live from Blackbird Studios in Nashville. JJN is playing his Epiphone signature Gold Glory guitar, which sounds really good. I was lucky enough to see Nichols open for John 5, and he nearly stole the show. He’s doing a small tour in October, and if he’s in your city, I recommend checking him out!
Knobs: “The function of pedals has changed – they're collaborative devices that don't have a fixed function. They're instruments in their own right” - For years, Knobs has been an innovator when it comes to YouTube pedal demos. Guitar World recently sat down with the creator to talk about their upcoming change to their channel, which moves away from just pedals, and shifts more towards creativity. They also talk about collecting pedals, how pedals have become “instruments in their own right”, and lots more. If you haven’t checked out Knobs channel yet, you can do that here.
New Jerry Cantrell - Jerry Cantrell released a new single for his upcoming album. This time it’s the title track “Brighten”. I really dug this song, and I think you might like it too. It’s interesting that the description said it was released through DistroKid. Cool to see such a big artist use this type of distribution. DistroKid is a service I’ve tried in the past for releasing music, and it’s always been super easy to use.
Bicurious guitarist Taran Plouzané names 10 math/post-rock riffs you need to hear - If you’re looking for something different in your guitar playing, you really need to check out this post, where guitarist Taran Plouzane talks about 10 very cool math/post-rock riffs. Weird tempos, lots of effects, I loved this post, and found some new bands to check out.
Taylor Cutting Boards? - I found this in the Taylor newsletter. Did you know that Taylor is making ebony cutting boards? Turns out they’re using some of the same wood they use to make guitars to make chopping blocks. Pretty beautiful stuff!