Usually when a person is inquiring about guitar lessons there is a lot of attention paid to the teacher. Finding the right teacher is obviously a really important element of learning guitar.  A lesser discussed topic is the student. Learning guitar from a skilled instructor isn’t exactly like buying a box of pre-packaged cookies.  If a person is really looking to learn the guitar effectively, lessons are a two way street. A student can study with one of the most skilled guitar instructors and still struggle.  One might wonder how this is possible? If you have a great teacher, how coul ..read more

Check our this video I did recently where I explored the Analog Man CompROSSor pedal with the optional Ryck toggle. The Ryck toggle gives you three options for how much treble is allowed to pass through the signal.  A lot of do,pressers dull your high end which can ruin the jangly tone with Rickenbacker guitars. The Ryck mod allows you to retain the treble and get a nice compressed tone. It’s a fantastic pedal. Analog Man really curates great sounding pedals. I’m using mine with a 2001 Rickenbacker 360 12 that I recently retired to 1963 specs along with Gemini hand wound Toaster pickups. A blo ..read more

It may seem strange to say, but one of the best ways to learn the nuances of soloing is by… not soloing. Say what? I’m sure that’ll make a lot of guitarists indignant. How could I possibly suggest that the best way to shine and step out front is to step back?!?!  Well, that’s exactly my point. How are you going to get good at leading or soloing if you’ve never stepped back and listened? The greatest soloists are good accompanists. They know how to support other soloists. They demonstrate a knowledge and awareness of musicality… and they understand teamwork! Overshadowed Even when you’re soloin ..read more

When I was younger I didn’t understand why people would swap out their guitar pickups. If you liked the way a guitar sounds when you buy it, I thought, why change it?  It wasn’t until a friend showed up at my studio with a guitar that had some hand-wound pickups in it that I had a revelation. It was quite the eye opener. There were elements of my guitar tone I wasn’t happy with but I couldn’t put my finger on. I certainly didn’t think to consider my pickups. The best I could describe the issue with my guitar’s tone was that it sounded like a blanket was covering my tone. It was dull in a way I ..read more

Once in a while a pedal company comes along that makes exceptional gear. This is not to say that other companies put out inferior products. It’s just that sometimes someone is so dedicated to an idea or product that they spare no expense.  Designer and manufacturer Phil Taylor and his company Effectrode produce  uncompromisingly good pedals. They’re for people who know what they’re looking for.  You can tell pretty quickly that the sound quality of every Effectrode pedal is in a league of its own. The tone is refined, to say the least. Phil clearly isn’t thinking about cutting corners when des ..read more