This is one of my favorite issues of Six String Sunday yet! A children's book about pedals, Jim Root's unopened Gibson custom shop, and much more

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Throughout January, I’ve been kicking around a lot of ideas for Chasing Sound. Not only the site and this newsletter, but what other new things I’d like to do to make this year really special for the guitar community.

I’m considering a new podcast, getting back to making videos for YouTube, a mini course, and possibly starting a Patreon to keep some of the lights on over here. This is where I need your help though!

Please if you have a few minutes, reply to this email and let me know what you’re struggling with on guitar. I’d love to make a lesson and help out. I’d also like to know where you typically go for guitar related content (whether that be lessons, news, etc.) and why you go there.

I know it’s super cliche, but help me help you. I’m trying to build a spot where you can hang out every day, talk to other guitarists (which we’ve been having fun with in our Discord), learn about new gear, lessons, and hang out with like minded people. The main goal is to get better at guitar.

What would the ideal guitar website look like to you? All it takes is a couple of minutes in a reply email to me, and I’d appreciate it so much! Alright, let’s get into this week’s links - we have a lot of fun stuff to cover!

A children's book about pedal collecting exists and it's called My Daddy Has 100 Pedals - For those of us who love guitar pedals, there’s now a children’s book that’s told through the lens of a child whose Dad has built up a huge collection of guitar effects. The book is up for pre-order right now.
Jim Root has owned a Gibson Custom Shop guitar for 10 years but never opened the box - This is without a doubt one of the weirdest stories I’ve seen in a while. Jim Root of Slipknot was sent a Gibson custom shop guitar, but has kept it in the box for 10 years. It begs the question…”what’s in the box!?” He’s never opened it, and has been always excited about the mystery. I hope he’ll open it soon, so we can find out what the heck they sent him so long ago!
6 Scales over 3 chords. Blending Scales. Mixolydian, Dorian, Major Pentatonic, Blues scale... - It was cool to see Mika Tyyska’s trio practice for their upcoming livestream. It was fun to see Mika use a number of scales over just 3 chords, and explain how he arrived at those scales/why they’re effective. On the opposite side of the same coin, I enjoyed this video with JustinGuitar, where he interviewed Ariel Posen. Ariel talks about dynamics, restraint, and not getting bored during solos, really making every solo a story. Also, Ariel just posted a teaser for his upcoming album ‘Headway’. Can’t wait for that!
Richie Kotzen and Adrian Smith team up for new album - Speaking of new albums to look forward to, Richie Kotzen and Adrian Smith(Iron Maiden) have teamed up, and have a new album called ‘Smith/Kotzen’ coming out at the end of March. It’s slated to be all blues rock.
This is Why You Suck at Guitar: You Don't Play Enough Songs! - Ben Eller hit the nail on the head with this video - so many guitarists just practice scales and non-musical ideas without practicing songs. I share Ben’s take on if you want to learn a technique/style, then learn it in the context of a song. I’ve been using this with my own guitar students for years. Every guitarist needs to watch this video.
Sleep Paralysis & Aliens w/ Yvette Young : The Tone Mob - Blake over at the Tone Mob podcast, just released a previously Patroon-only episode with Yvette Young. The two talk about everything from women in music to aliens, music as a business and a ton more. I’ve been on a Covet kick ever since listening to this episode. Go listen to their latest album, ‘technicolor’ if you haven’t checked it out already.
Cry Baby Custom Bad Ass Dual Inductor Wah - Dunlop - New gear alert! Dunlop has just announced a new installment into the Crybaby line. The Custom Badass (yes, it’s really called that), has two inductors - a Fasel and a Halo. You can get a wide range of tones, and Dunlop even updated the footplate with a new look. The pedal is $199 retail.
Ernie Ball unveils the miniature Volt power supply - And speaking of gear, Ernie Ball just released a really cool, mini power supply that comes in at $99. It has isolated outs for 4 pedals, and is as small as a pack of Slinkys. I also really like that it can be used anywhere in the world, because the AC adapter is universal. Pretty cool for smaller, on the go pedal boards.
Jared James Nichols Interview - Jared James Nichols is such a fantastic blues player. I got to see him open up for John 5, and his trio blew the crowd away. Jared’s been teasing a gold top version of his signature model, and now it’s finally been officially announced. Check out Sweetwater’s recent interview with Nichols, where he talks about the guitar and more. I’m excited to try this guitar out - I like all the revisions they’ve done to this “Gold Glory” version from his original Old Glory Blues Power LP.
Universal Audio’s newest pedals - UA has come out with three beautifully designed effects pedals. One for verb, one for delay, and one for modulation. The key to all of the pedals is that they share a vintage design - not only in the looks, but in the sound as well, trying to emulate old amp verbs, or old tape echos, etc. These pedals are awesome, but they also carry a hefty price tag of $399 each.
The SWEETEST tone I've ever heard: Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah - It can be argued that Jeff Buckley’s reverb tone on “Hallelujah” is one of the best reverb sounds of all time. Paul Davids goes inside how Jeff got this legendary tone, but with some newer gear.
KORG A3 - "Mysterious Ways" & Beyond - Speaking of classic tones, it was cool to see Leon Todd run through an old Korg A3 effects processor. This rack unit was popularized by The Edge, especially used on “Mysterious Ways”, but Leon shows us other cool tones the A3 can provide. What’s your most coveted piece of old school gear?
Al Joseph | Cycling with Legato for Strength and Stamina - Al Joseph is one of my favorite JTC Guitar instructors. This week he shows us his legato cycling exercise, so we can work on strength and stamina. Try and work this into your daily practice regimen! Also if you haven’t checked out Al’s solo work or his band Hyvmine, go check them out. Lots of great melodies throughout all of his songs.
Josh Smith Blues Tab - Ibanez FLATV1 Test - Animated TAB - Levi Clay recently transcribed Josh Smith on this livestream. The whole video is great, as most of Levi’s transcribing videos are. But you really have to check out this minute and a half result of his work. Josh’s playing is so amazing, and I love that we have guys like Levi transcribing this stuff for us!
Insane New Amp Day FOR YOU! - Robert Baker is doing a Revv amp giveaway! If one of you readers wins, you gotta let me know. I’m seeing more and more of these amps in the wild lately. One of the people in our Discord recently picked one up with the built in TwoNotes cab sim and it sounds really good.
How To Learn Guitar Licks The Right Way - Sat. Coffee Q&A LIVE! - RJ Ronquillo recently did a livestream covering a number of topics. Skip ahead to 25:45 in the video where he breaks down how to really learn licks, the difference between licks and riffs, why we learn them, and how RJ goes about it.
The Genius of… Futures by Jimmy Eat World - ‘Futures’ by Jimmy Eat World was one of my favorite emo rock albums of the 00’s. Guitar.com takes a look at what made this album so special, including Jim Adkins talking about it being the bands “more is more period”. I always loved how this album sounded. Go check it out if you’ve never heard it, and also check out Jim’s signature Tele!