Kirk95's Guitar Geek Blog

You have to check out Allen’s new Xotic Videos. Allen demos the RC, AC, and BB pedals!

Then at the bottom of the page there are 3 clips of Allen live at La Ve Lee! Killer!

Videos Here!

Open Source - Miles Davis: Early, Late, Real, Yours

We are talking tonight about Miles Davis: Early Miles, Late Miles, Real Miles, Your Miles. With musicians and others who knew him, it would be easy to do an hour just of impressions of Miles rasping voice and lightning wit. Charlie Davidson of the Andover Shop in Cambridge, who tailored Miles and the band’s Ivy League clothes in the and 1960s, is a storehouse of casual Milesiana, like this from Charlie: One day I asked him: Miles, do you really like Frank Sinatra? Do I like him? he said. If he had one tit I marry him!

Check out this Podcast!!!

Check out Josh’s latest Xotic Video. Josh talks about his new Xotic Strat and the new BB pedal. Also, check out some of the lines that Josh lets loose! He is such a great player!

Reality Web Video “Josh Smith” Part 2

Greg Howe Discussion :: Index

A place for Greg Howe fans to hang out and discuss Greg’s music, guitar playing, songwriting and live performances.

Greg Howe started playing the guitar at the age of 10 and by his middle teens, after discovering Van Halen, became obsessed with guitar while transforming his confident playing on pentatonic scales on the guitar into a broader understanding of music. By his late teens he had already began playing in clubs with a rock band, which featured his brother Al on lead vocals. Over the course of the next few years Greg continued to hone his guitar skills while playing in rock bands.

In 1988 Shrapnel Recorders owner and infamous guitar connoisseur Mike Varney asked Howe to record an album for his label after hearing a demo that Greg had sent him with the hopes of being featured in Varney’s Spotlight column for Guitar Player magazine. That album, simply entitled “Greg Howe", featured David Lee Roth bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Atma Anur. It instantly caught the attention of the whole guitar community and eventually led to numerous endorsement deals, print advertising and countrywide clinics. After recording two vocal albums with his brother (1990’s “High Gear” and 1991’s “Now Hear This"), the guitarist’s second album(1993’s"Introspection") set the tone for what would eventually become a series of eight fresh forays in to the mosaic of jazz, rock, fusion, funk, and blues. With each subsequent album - 1994’s"Uncertain Terms", 1995’s “Parallax",1996’s “Five", 1998’s “Ascend", and 2000’s “Hypercuity” Howe would make bolder and more satisfying strides into fusion music.

Along the way he would make himself available as a sideman for pop superstars, filling in for guitarist Jennifer Batten in 1996 on Michael Jackson’s History tour through Europe and Asia, touring the U.S. and Europe in 2000 with Enrique Inglesias, making two separate tours of the states in 2001 and 2002 with NSYNC and doing a promotional tour in 2003 with Justin Timberlake. In fact, Howe ultimately ended up leaving the Timberlake tour in 2003 in order to complete work on “Extraction", the already critically acclaimed all-star funk fusion extravaganza, featuring electric bass virtuoso Victor Wooten ( of the flecktones ) and the world class drummer Dennis Chambers (Formerly with Parliament/Funkadelics, John Scofield, the Brecker Bros, and Currently with Santana.

Greg’s busy schedule continues with various projects. Currently, he is in production for a series of online video lessons and is very active with guitar clinics, trade shows, and mini tours around the world.

Becasue it just had to be done!!!!

Jeff Beck Discussion :: Index

A place for Jeff Beck fans (and who’s not) to hang out and discuss Jeff’s illustrious career, world changing music, guitar playing, songwriting and live performances.

eBay item 7327865416 (Ends Jun-13-05 11:23:21 PDT) - Fender Robben Ford Ultra SP - Robbens personal guitar
Fender Custom Shop

1997 Robben Ford signature model Ultra SP

This is actually Robben Fords personal Fender Ultra SP used on various recordings and tours around the time of the Tiger Walk CD release. This instrument is being auctioned in conjunction with Robben Fords personal support. The winner of this sale will also receive an unreleased recording of “Moon Child Blues", a song Robben has played live often, yet never previously recorded or released although slated for official release later next year “06″.

From: Anne Kerry Ford
Date: June 2, 2005 3:10:26 PM MDT
To: David
Subject: new Robben Ford clinic scheduled

Hello, All,
We have scheduled another Robben Ford clinic in Ojai CA. on Sat., Sept 10th from 10-4. Please log on to
http://www.robbenford.com/clinic.htm for information and registration. (It may take a few days for webmaster to post the info., so be patient.) Note that we had to raise the price a few bucks to keep up with rising expenses, and also this will be the LAST clinic for the year.

Hope to see you there!

Anne

Two Rock Owner’s Community :: View topic - TR Live Chat 5-11-05 - The Transcript

00:01:45 [joguitar] hello everyone, and welcome to the chat! It’s been toooooo looonggg!

00:02:00 [bluessyndicate] hi Joe

00:02:03 [joguitar] who’s the new Sig owner? Congrats!

00:02:26 [kirk95] KOG

00:03:02 [KOG] Hi Joe! Awaiting shipment from Midtown, Thanks

00:03:17 [bluessyndicate] seems to be a trend…saw your post on TGP about business trend growing for sigs…congrats

00:03:28 [joguitar] Excellent! Great place, nice folks.

00:03:58 [joguitar] thanks buddy! How aer you?

00:04:52 [bluessyndicate] all great here…just finished trying some new tubes in teh CR sig…having fun as usual no matter what i put in them

00:04:55 [joguitar] hey Kirk, as always, many thanks for making this chat possible

00:05:27 [joguitar] yeah, it’s fun to mess w/ tubes. whatcha got in there now?

00:05:30 [kirk95] no problem

00:06:29 [bluessyndicate] well, it’s an evolution, now it’s mullard at7’s in reverb driver/PI, Jan Phill V1, Ruby Silver Special V2, orignal NOS Chinese everywhere else

00:06:57 [kirk95] What’s up with the Sterlings? How many left?

00:07:57 [joguitar] I like a tele in v1 and a nos rca in v2, the rest don’t make a big di to me.

Click our and read the whole Transcript.

Carl’s Site

Carl’s Discussion Board

Life Before Midi Site

Scott answers your questions round 15 - 5/9/05.

Here’s an excerpt - classic SCOTT!
——————–
2) I saw a photo…you with John McLaughlin. So I wonder if you ever had any kind of experience with one of the monsters guitarists?(John Scofield or Pat Metheny). Do you get something from that sort of relations?

Scott:
I’ve only met Scofield twice and I’ve never met Metheny, but I’m sure I’d like him because we both have a healthy hatred of Kenny G.

3)Did you have benefits from being great guitar player, I mean having sex with gorgeous girl (like pornstar or strip dancer)

Scott:
Oh yeah, porn stars and Penthouse models love jazz fusion and they’re always waiting to rape me as soon as I get off stage. But I’m 50 now and sometimes I’m too tired.
—————-

Full Scott Henderson Q&A here:
Full Article Here

Enjoy!
Kirk Out!

Two Rock Live Chat is Back! You can talk directlly to Bill and Joe (the builders) at Two Rock. Get the inside scoop of new Two Rock amps - The Sterling and The Sig!

When: 5/11/05

10 - 11 pm EST
9 - 10 pm CMT
8 - 9pm MST
7 - 8pm PST

Where: TROC
You have to be a member of the Two Rock Forum to join the chat.

Please join us on 5/11!!!

I am finally getting around to posting these legal GA&F mp3. These are from the first show (I think) on the tour. I have the first two tracks up and will keep posting in the next few days.

This is from the 1/21/05 Penn’s Peak Jim Thorpe, PA gig. Enjoy!

Robben Ford Discussion :: View Forum - Greg Allman and Friends featuring Robben Ford

See the Online Discussion PODcast is on the cutting edge……. See post below.

Tired of TiVo? Beyond blogs? Podcasts are here | CNET News.com
GRAND FORKS, N.D. - From a chenille-slipcovered sofa in the basement of their friend Dave’s mom’s house at the edge of a snow-covered field, Brad and Other Brad, sock-footed pioneers in the latest technology revolution, are recording “Why Fish,” their weekly show.

Clutching a microphone and leaning over a laptop on the coffee table, they praise the beauty of the Red River, now frozen on the edge of town, and plug an upcoming interview with a top-ranked professional walleye fisherman. Then they sign off.

“I’m Brad” says Brad, in real life, Brad Durick, a 29-year-old television advertising salesman.

“And I’m Brad,” says Other Brad, a 44-year-old newspaper writer, Brad Dokken. “Until next week, keep your hook in the water, keep your line tight and keep it fun.”

Their show, mostly ad-libbed, is a podcast, a kind of recording that, thanks to a technology barely six months old, anyone can make on a computer and then post to a Web site, where it can be downloaded to an iPod or any MP3 player to be played at the listener’s leisure.

On an average day, about 100 people download “Why Fish” from its Web site. That is not a huge audience, but two fishermen can dream. Some popular podcasters say they get thousands of downloads a day.

The Online Discussion Network welcomes Johnny Hiland! Welcome Johnny! We are thrilled to have you join our growing family of artists!

Johnny Hiland Discussion Board

Johnny Hiland Web Site

“I think Johnny Hiland is the most versatile guitar player I’ve ever heard. From Bill Monroe to Eddie Van Halen, he can play it all.” - RICKY SKAGGS

If you tried, you couldn’t make up a story this good: legally blind kid grows up in a trailer home in rural Maine. A guitar prodigy, he tours with the family band starting at age 8, wins local and regional competitions, moves to Nashville, ends up dropping jaws all over town, doing sessions with Ricky Skaggs, Toby Keith, Randy Travis, Janie Fricke and many more, and gets signed by Steve Vai when his manager leaves a demo snippet on Steve’s voicemail box.

This is a demo of a new show called the Online Discussion PODcast.

We will cover what’s going on on the Online Discussion Network in a talk radio type format - artists, new music, downloads, gear reviews, interviews, blogs, etc…

Please check it out and tell us what you think!

The Online Discussion Podcast 001 - Download

:-)

Two Rock Owner’s Community :: View topic - Just when you thought it was safe…..The Two Rock Sterling

After years of toying with the idea, and hearing and playing a couple of real ones, it was time to make one. Bill spent about 6 months tweaking the design, trying to capture the nuance of the original. Since a lot of components used originally are NLA, it was challenging. It never would have really happened if not for the following the course of events…..

I had a chance to play one that belonged to a friend of ours. I plugged in my strat,and used various cabs. It quickly became apparent that there were qualities in the amp that were a big part of the SRV sound on certain recordings, that last little bit that no amount of strings, pickups, speakers, etc. swapping could nail. So there it was.

Bill’s proto was a big ugly monster, but it was amazing. John Mayer came out and played it, and had to have it. Several customers had expressed interest in the amps, and since we are a small company, we thought we could pull it off. We also realized that it was a long shot, too, as 10 units was the number of amps we could afford to commit to and not go under. It’s expensive to bring any new product into production, and the cost reflects that. It’s also a complicated circuit, even more complex than a Custom Reverb with 2 channels. So at the urging of one of our Sig dealers, we jumped in.

Once a production model is complete, clips will be available. And yes, you can make clips, too! Several have already been ordered, and Wasyl at Black Creek will receive the first 2. He has already lined up some studio time and players to do a session on it. Should be fun.
_________________
Joe Mloganoski
K&M/Two-Rock

Robben Ford Discussion :: View topic - ( }:-D Come January……..
JohnnyZ is alive and well!

Sorry for taking so long- pretty much spent all afternoon outside yesterday shovelling out both of my vehicles and helping out a few of the older folks in my condo community. By the time I was done, I only had enough left in me to just sink into my livingroom sofa and snooze the night away. I even took today off from work just to relax, and to relive Saturday night…

The best way I can describe this version of Gregg Allman & Friends is, if you’ve ever heard GAF live, or if you’ve only heard Gregg’s solo albums, the many lead guitarists always had that Allman Brothers Band guitar sound, only this time, Robben’s distinctive flair was very evident. Even when Robben played the familiar melodies of Gregg’s songs, if you closed your eyes, you knew it was Robben. And then, when he went off on a solo of his own, which it seemed like he had the freedom to do on many songs, Robben did his thing, which to me means- puts a huge smile on my face. And, not only was I smiling, but Gregg, who’s usually very stoic in his performances, managed to break out a few smiles, as did the band members, and certainly the audience. Speaking of the audience, from the many people I talked to while in line and inside the venue, I would say only 1 of 10 knew who Robben was, and I continually reassured everyone that after tonight, they would not only know who he is, but probably would want to know and hear more of him. I also had to chuckle when I overheard some guy say that he’d better be as good as Gregg’s past guitarists (have another beer, buddy, and enjoy the show ). Bottomline- Robben did not disappoint, and he most certainly gained a whole new bunch of fans…
(more…)

Allen Hinds Discussion :: Index

Allen is an amazing player and great discovery! You need to check him out!

Check out Allen’s new CD “Fact of the Matter” Here:

Scott Henderson Discussion :: View topic - Scott answers your questions - round 11 - new 1/28/05

Here’s the latest Scott Henderson Q&A! Here’s a quick sample!

hi! I live in Poland. my problem is that I study at Music School (now is the 9th year of my music education) in classic guitar class. Unfortunately they teach there Classic Music Only . I have theory , eartraining (which i think is the most useful ) piano , and all that stuff , but generally in classic music way only. it takes most of my time after highschool (4 days a week), so i wonder about leave it and just practice more jazz/fusion stuff on electric guitar only. (i want to be proffesional musician ) and there are no any Jazz school near me. what do you think ?

Quote:

Yes the best thing to do is give up all your studies in classical music and move to the fast paced, high income world of jazz fusion. Fusion players make even more money than yodelers! If you hate seeing girls in the audience, don’t worry you’ll never have to look at another one again if you become a pro fusion guy, and there’s no better way to work out than moving your own heavy equipment! Sometimes you even get to do it in front of the audience - I especially enjoy being watched while I’m winding cables.

Just kidding (sort of). I love my work and wouldn’t do anything else… but dude! Wouldn’t you rather get paid big bucks to be the guest soloist for those big orchestras, then put your guitar in the case and walk off with some babe wearing a formal?

I’d like to welcome John Suhr to the Online Discussion Network! Please check out the New Suhr Discussion Board here and get the latest scoop on Suhr Guitars and Amps!

The New Suhr Discussion Board.

I had an unbelievable NAMM 2005. Had the pleasure of hanging out with the 3 Scott’s - Scott Lerner, Scott Jones and Scott Henderson.

So here are the music highlights and I will dig in with more detail and into the NAMM gear in future posts over the next few days.

Thursday night it was Guthrie Govan at Tone Merchants.

Sunday Night it was Scott Henderson followed by Joel Hoekstra at Tone Merchants.

Mind-blowing!! I have been reborn! It’s going to take a couple of day for all this to sink in. I will debrief here on my blog over the next few days so stay tuned.

But in the mean time here are all my photos from NAMM unedited.
Check them out here: Kirk’s NAMM 2005 Adventure

How-To: Podcasting (aka How to get Podcasts and also make your own) - Engadget - www.engadget.com

Here’s an idea I am getting ready to implement on the Online Discussion Network.

How about an Online Discussion Podcast? We could do interviews with ODN artists, amp and guitar builders, and other web gear celebs.

It’s on my todo list! Stay tuned!

Robben Ford Discussion :: View topic - ( }:-D Rehearsal Report……

Wow you have to read this! Very cool!

We have joined the blogging revolution here at Online Discussion! We’re going to try to cover and point you to hot discussions in the Online Discussion forums and cover other guitar related music, recording and gear topics.

So please bookmark us and add us to your regular rss feeds!

This should be fun!

Best Regards,
Kirk95