Guitar Blogs | News and Reviews

So many responses to people asking to see Kevin Costner actually playing the guitar, here is a nice video of Kevin and his band under a Gibson stage.

On June 28th, 2008, Kevin Costner performed at the House of Blues. I would have liked to see this show!

More than one million copies of FLYLEAF’s self-titled debut album have been sold to date!

On Tour This Spring http://www.myspace.com/flyleaf

Paul Reed Smith Guitars is pleased to introduce the Mira Maple Top model; an instrument that combines the retro vibe of the PRS Mira with the figured maple tops that PRS customers have come to expect. This new model is an evolutionary instrument stemming from the increasingly popular Mira. The maple top provides the guitar both a distinctive visual and tonal identity.

New colors and optional gold hardware are also part of this new model’s offerings. The new finishes are all wrap-around and include Tri-Color Sunburst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, Whale Blue/Black Burst, Violin Amber Burst and Vintage Natural.

Like all PRS guitars, the Mira Maple Top is comprised of the finest woods and materials available. In addition to the mahogany and maple top body, the mahogany neck and East Indian rosewood fingerboard neck come with either moon inlays or optional bird inlays. This instrument is a 24-fret, 10” radius, 25” scale length guitar with either regular or wide-thin neck carve. Locking tuning pegs, Mira treble and bass pickups, volume, tone, 3-way blade and a mini toggle coil tap round out the features. PRS Guitars’ National Sales and Marketing Manager Larry Urie said, “I think it is a smoking guitar that will appeal to a lot of players.”

One of the challenges of maintaining a long, successful career in the world of rock is keeping things fresh. No, that doesnʼt mean showering daily (though we recommend that anyway). It also doesnʼt mean sacrificing your style for the flavor of the moment; we canʼt think of anything more sad than a metal band suddenly switching over to hip-hop in a weak attempt to sell a few more records.

But keeping it fresh is crucial for one reason: it allows you to remain into your own music, thereby giving you the ability to make exciting new tunes, year after year, that everyone can enjoy. Few people know what it takes to remain as a top-tier respected player than George Lynch. We donʼt need to give you much background on George; his track record as the musical force behind Dokken, Lynch Mob, and his other solo works speaks for itself. A huge influence on several generations of players, George continues to remain near the top of many guitaristsʼ Top Ten lists.

So when George gets involved in a new band, itʼs time to take notice. His new band, Souls of We, combined the talents of George along with singer London Legrand (Brides Of Destruction). In a funny story that illustrates the tight-knit nature of the Los Angeles hard rock scene, London recalls how he and George hooked up. “Back when George was putting together Lynch Mob, I read in a magazine that he was looking for a singer,” he explains. “I made a home-made audition tape on my jam box and sent it to his manager, but I never got a call back. Anyway, years later I’m standing on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood and I see George. I decided I didn’t have anything to lose, so I walked up to him and said, ʻHow come you never got back to me on that tape?ʼ He looked confused at first and then started laughing.”

Legrand and Lynch hit it off immediately, and George showed him a new batch of songs heʼd been working on. The chemistry between the guitarist and singer was instant and undeniable. “London is a unique visionary and poet,” states Lynch. “His words are powerful and descriptive. I feel like I have finally found my musical soulmate.”

But a singer and guitarist does not a band make. Needing a rhythm section, the two recruited powerhouse drummer Yael (Tom Morello, Alex Skolnick) and bassist Johny Chow (Systematic, Fireball Ministry). “Souls Of We is a dream band where I got to pick and chose players not because one is more famous than the other, but because I really respect and want to play with these people,” states Lynch.

“We auditioned many technically great drummers, but something was missing,” says Lynch. “When Yael walked in, she brought the swagger and sleaze we were looking for as well as technical ability.” Having played all styles of music, from performing with full orchestras to playing with rock bands, Yael is well versed in music and her musical depth is unmatched in the drumming world.

Chow and Lynch were introduced by a mutual friend. “A friend of mine kept telling me that George and I would hit it off and that I would be perfect for his new project,” says Chow. “Yael was already in the picture, and I had already played in three other bands with her, so I knew the chemistry was there. After hearing the music, I knew this could be something great.”

Thatʼs all fine and good, but more importantly, whatʼs this band sound like? As youʼd expect from the people involved, Souls of Weʼs debut “Apache Ghost” is a powerful, inyour-face excursion into hard rock, with a sound thatʼs both classic as anything George has ever lent his name to, along with sounding current and modern as anything youʼll hear on your modern rock radio station. If youʼre looking for some jaw-dropping Lynch guitar performances, you wonʼt be disappointed; songs like “Push It", “Come and Go” and others will have you hitting the rewind button many times, trying to figure out what the master of metal is doing once again.

The best albums are made with a little help from your friends, and this is true of “Apache Ghost”. While the album was self-produced by the band, they brought in Mudrock (Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack) to mix. Also, guest performances by drummer Morgan Rose (Sevendust) and ESP family member/bassist Fred Leclercq (Dragonforce) helped round out the tracks. In any case, thereʼs both danger and beauty to be found here, with the sound of Georgeʼs custom ESP guitars shining through on every track.

For more information, song samples, and more, you can visit www.soulsofwe.com, or www.myspace.com/soulsofwe. “Apache Ghost” can be purchased directly from the band, and we offer our highest recommendation that you get it… today!

Chimaira is one of the best-known metal bands to come out of Cleveland, Ohio. To celebrate their 10th anniversary as a band, theyʼre heading home to play a show at Peabodyʼs. But before they get on stage that night, they want to hang out… with YOU!

On July 12, stop by the Sam Ash store on Mayfield Road in Lyndhurst at 1:00, and youʼll get to meet and greet with Rob Arnold, Matt DeVries, and other members of Chimaira! Not only will you have a chance to shake hands with one of todayʼs most exciting metal bands, but ESP and Sam Ash are teaming up to give away an EC-50 guitar to one random (and lucky) visitor.

Word to the wise: when ESP hosts these opportunities to meet our artists, things tend to get pretty crowded, pretty quickly. We recommend you get to the store early, since itʼs guaranteed to be standing room only. While youʼre there, make sure to check out the ESP Signature Series models from the guys in Chimaira, including the LTD RA-600 Rob Arnold model and the Matt DeVries model, the LTD MFA-600.

DATE: Saturday, July 12, 2008
TIME: 1:00 PM
PLACE: Sam Ash, 5700 Mayfield

Enter to win a VIP package to the Mayhem Festival featuring Slipknot and Disturbed. But wait there’s more… Win a VIP flyaway package to the WWE’s SummerSlam, one custom Mayhem Tama drum kit, and one custom Mayhem Ibanez guitar. Click here to enter

Nearly a decade after the release of their groundbreaking debut, The Sickness, Disturbed have become one of the most passionate and well-respected bands in the hard-rock universe, and Disturbed’s loyal fanbase has pushed the band to newer heights of self-expression. So it makes sense that on the occasion of their fourth album, Indestructible, that frontman David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren decided to take the reins and produce themselves in the studio.

Indestructible was released in the United States on June 3, 2008 and became the band’s third consecutive number one debut.

Play Turok against this Chicago-based quartet.

Now you can go up against these hard rock superstars in Turok™. The band will be online on and ready to take on all challengers. Look for the gamertag Disturbed GWF and send them a friend request and be online half an hour before the Game with Fame session starts at a date yet to be determined. The guys from Disturbed will be spending the majority of their time in the recently released Turok multiplayer map pack, so be sure to download that before the session starts. Turok multiplayer features four online multiplayer modes for up to sixteen players with terrifying creatures added to the mix.

“I don’t wanna sound arrogant,” says Wengren with a laugh, “but I think we’ve made the kind of record the industry needs right now. There are not a lot of heavy bands delivering these days. I think our fans—and fans of this genre—will go absolutely nuts for this.”