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Guitarists

Hosts and musicians Sean Watkins and Peter Harper kick off this podcast series by writing a new tune with Vulfpeck multi-instrumentalist Theo Katzman.

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Joe Bonamassa and "The Blonde Dot" Humbuckers

Joe Bonamassa’s “The Blonde Dot” 1960 ES-335 humbucker set is a faithful recreation of the P.A.F. humbuckers from his 1960 dot-neck Gibson ES-335 with blonde finish.

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Anne McCue’s electric instruments of choice include a pair made by Hanson Guitars in Chicago.

Photo by Jill Kettles

After globe-trotting and finding a home in the heartland of Americana, the Nashville-based guitarist dances between classic psychedelia and modern sonics on her lysergically tinged new album, Wholly Roller Coaster.

Anne McCue looks a bit like the Mad Hatter as she takes the stage at Nashville’s 5 Spot, wearing a red felt topper and colorful silk crimson-and-flowers jacket. It’s a visual cue for what’s coming next: an exquisitely performed show of original psychedelic songs that set the controls for the heart of 1967, when the holiest temple of the psychedelic era was being constructed by Pink Floyd and the Beatles. But the music is new—from McCue’s album Wholly Roller Coaster—and it is a wild ride, bounding between past and present, transportive and allusive. Despite its obvious roots, it feels remarkably original and contemporary, thanks to the gentility of McCue’s relaxed, virtuosic playing and singing, and a dappling of pop, rock, and folk flavors from the pre- and post-lysergic days that inform the swirling melodies and strong-boned harmonies, and guitar solos that could as easily be sung as played. The results are something like a paisley rainbow in sound—bright, colorful, trippy, and entirely pleasing, even when the lyrics turn a bit dark.

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Behold, the organized chaos of PAKT in the flesh. Guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer hold down the left and right flanks, respectively, with revered bassist Percy Jones and drummer Kenny Growhowski.

Photo by Avraham Bank

The free-playing supergroup returns with a full-length that explores the outer reaches of composition. Guitarists Tim Motzer and Alex Skolnick mull over the mysteries of their music.

While all of their music is produced spontaneously, PAKT—the all-star outfit that takes its name from the first initials of guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer, bassist Percy Jones, and drummer Kenny Grohowski—believes in the late saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter’s maxim that “improvisation is just composition sped up.” The foursome’s collective technical ability, open minds, and desire to simply create all combine to make the group an ensemble without boundaries.

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Sammy Boller Rig Rundown [2024]
Rig Rundown: Sammy Boller [2024]

Watch this pianist-turned-guitarist intertwine the styles of Eddie Van Halen and Andy McKee, with 10-finger orchestrations tapped out on his Les Paul Axcess, enlivened by a flexible Friedman BE-100 and a healthy pedalboard. His rig helps him build many moods, from melodious to morose.

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