Guitar hero, world renown shredder and the talent that inspired one of the world’s most iconic lines of signature instruments -- John Petrucci is routinely mentioned in the same breath as Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert as one of the most esteemed and influential progressive metal guitarists on the planet. With his band Dream Theater and in a series of notable guest and solo performances, Petrucci has set a high standard for performance and creativity in a career that has spanned over 30 years. Formative Years Born on July 12, 1967 in suburban Long Island, NY, Petruc ..read more

The Martin 28-Style is one of the cornerstones of modern music. Whether you are a strummer, a flat picker, a fingerstyle player, or do a little bit of everything, there are few guitars on the planet that would suit your playing better than a Martin 28-Style model. Whether it’s a 000-28 like Eric Clapton’s signature Martin known for its expressive neck and soulful tone, John Mayer’s OM-28 renown for its versatile sound, or the immortal and iconic D-28, the preferred dreadnought for an array of players from strummers like Hank Williams, Neil Young and Bob Dylan and amazing flat pickers like John ..read more

As singer, songwriter, guitarist, cultural critic and feminist activist -- few musicians have made more of an impact on the Alternative music scene, and Indie Culture in past two decades than St. Vincent. From a musical family, and inspired in her teens by listening to 90‘s Grunge music, St. Vincent has become a master of producing music that subverts standard Pop and Rock conventions in completely original and insightful ways.  With her emotionally powerful and musically sophisticated songwriting, combined with her inventive guitar playing, St. Vincent combines elements of Pop, Rock, Ind ..read more

If you have a passion for music and want to make it your career, you have probably heard that there aren’t a lot of opportunities. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you are interested in a music career, you have tons of options that can allow you to use your musical skills to make money and establish your future. Music Teacher  If you want to help others to develop a passion for music, becoming a music teacher may be exactly what you are looking for. Teaching private lessons can be a flexible career that allows you to share your love of music while helping others to gain practic ..read more

Since the mid 1800‘s, when Style 18 appointments were first introduced, they have appeared on pretty much every Martin model at one time or another, including the 0-18, 00-18, 000-18, OM-18 and of course the legendary D-18. Style 18 instruments are not regarded as the fanciest of Martin’s instruments, but they do feature a set of appointments that are so sweet sounding and full of so much musical character that they are among Martin’s most sought-after styles.  Over the years, 18 Style appointments have maintained a consistent, legendary character, while also evolving with the times as ne ..read more

After grunge exploded onto the music scene in the early 90‘s, there was suddenly what seemed like a million punk-inspired bands vying for the attention of fans. As interest in arena rock and 80‘s metal began to wane, an entire new scene opened up which was largely do-it-yourself in character. This was the punk/hardcore/emo scene of the mid 1990‘s and nowhere was it more energetic and primal than in America’s heartland. In Midwestern cities like Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha, Bloomington, and throughout Illinois (Urbana, Chicago and Champaign), basement parties, clubs and small theaters were pa ..read more

Once the grunge scene exploded into American musical consciousness in the early 90‘s, there was suddenly what seemed like a million punk-inspired bands vying for our attention. As interest in arena rock and 80‘s metal began to wane, punk, grunge, hardcore and nu wave influences coalesced across the country to bring about a movement that came to be called emo, emo-pop or pop-punk.  Sometimes called 'Punk’s moody younger sibling,’ emo music is known for its brooding, emotional lyrics and textured sound which often combines musical elements of math rock, pop and nu wave with the energy and a ..read more

Okay, so you’ve put together a killer pedal board and you are wondering why it doesn’t sound the way you want it to sound when you run it through your practice amp. If this is the case, you probably have an amp that doesn’t play nice with pedals. The fact is that, when it comes to playing with pedals, not all amps are created equal. What you need now that you have your pedal board in order is a good pedal platform amp. What is a pedal platform amp? When you are talking about a pedal platform amp, you want one that has a lot of clean headroom. Clean headroom is another way of saying that y ..read more

For over 150 years, Martin has been the industry leader in acoustic guitars and as a result, many of their most popular styles have become iconic. Martin’s innovations have been so influential they have literally become the standard in the industry. And one of their most influential innovations was the way they named their guitars, a naming system that helps us instantly recognize the differences between various Martin models and can help you find the perfect Martin for your musical style. The Martin Naming System at a Glance If you’re not familiar with Martin’s naming system, all of this ..read more

When we talk about great guitar playing, usually we are referring to lead players whose technique, note choice and feel put them in a class by themselves. But, too often we forget the great rhythm players who provide the harmonic backdrop that makes great lead playing possible, the musical glue that holds most rock, alternative and metal music together.  It’s not that the players on this list can’t or don’t play leads -- they often do and with spectacular results. For this list we have chosen musicians who are more likely to come up with a great chord progression, arpeggio line or an inno ..read more