It’s raining Slash signature models! They seem to be coming thick and fast from Gibson and Epiphone this year. Didn’t Gibson just release a Joe Bonamassa Gold Top Signature guitar? Ah well you can never have too many gold guitars. The new Slash Epiphone Les Paul Goldtop is limited to just 2,000 guitars worldwide and the Gibson USA Les Paul Slash Signature Goldtop is limited to only 1,000 guitars worldwide and includes individual features and unique characteristics that only Slash can instinctively call his own.

”The Epiphone model starts with the traditional Les Paul body consisting of a hand-selected premium solid mahogany back based on historically correct specifications and topped with A-grade maple. Using a traditional roller-type carving machine, Epiphone has tediously carved each body creating the sexy curves and subtle “dish” along the outer edge of the top that transforms it into an authentic Les Paul.”

”The neck is crafted from premium mahogany then glued into the body using a TiteBond® wood glue, utilizing a long-neck tenon typically found on the Les Paul models from the late 1950s and early 1960s. This provides additional strength which ultimately results in sweeter tone and longer sustain.  The neck also features a “Slash Custom” neck profile patterned exclusively from the neck on Slash’s original Les Paul and a Rosewood fingerboard fitted with 22 nickel/silver alloy medium-jumbo frets. The pickups are Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro-II.”

The Gibson model features an un-chambered mahogany body with Gibson’s traditional weight relief system consisting of a series of holes that give it a comfortable yet heavy feel exactly like Slash likes it. The body is topped by one of the Les Paul trademark features, a hand-carved maple top. The body is then painted, as is the Epiphone model, with the same Goldtop finish from 195. Buillon Gold with an aged Cherry back. The truss rod cover has a custom “Slash” logo and the stamped “Limited Edition” logo on the back of the headstock. Each guitar comes with a special hardshell case featuring a custom Slash logo, a certificate of authenticity personally signed by Slash with a limited edition HD laser-cell print of Slash housed in a beautiful leatherette presentation booklet with the Slash logo embossed in gold on the cover.Also included is a custom Slash-inspired leather, metal-studded guitar strap and 24 custom Slash guitar picks.

So what is next for Slash? Maybe the Slash Signature Robot guitar? Don’t laugh you never know!

Exciting news! Guitar Noize has been accepted by the 9rules Network. What does this mean? Well as Obi Wan Kenobi said, “You’ve just taken your first step into a larger world”. Lets put that it in more relevant terms. Until now Guitar Noize has been the small band doing the club circuit, it has a good following but is still waiting to become an Arena rock band! Well now that band has a spot on the Festival circuit! Is that a better analogy? Well maybe that is all a bit exaggerated but you get the picture. In a word its all about exposure. 9rules will open Guitar Noize up to a whole new audience by aggregating my news content in their Music category. The 9rules Community is an ever expanding network of blogs which are carefully screened before being accepted so I am very proud that they thought that Guitar Noize should make the cut. This is how they describe themselves:

9rules is a place where members and readers can connect, build relationships, and learn new things.

Thanks to 9rules for taking the time to look at Guitar Noize I’m looking forward to becoming part of the community!

Gordon Smith guitars have been round for a long time, in fact over 25 years. I remember seeing these guitars every so often when I lived in England but never got to play one. All I knew was that they made a Gibson style guitar and it wasn’t too expensive. Well it seems they make quite a few Gibson style guitars and they are still not too expensive! They make an SG Series guitar which retails for just £440 and Gordon Smith boast that ”With the tone set around 7-8, they are very similar. At 10, GS guitars are a little brighter. Overall string balance is a little better and coil tapping offers a wholly different spectrum.”, they also make a Les Paul style guitar called the Graduate which is a mere £771. Not bad. For more Gibson inspiration also check out their Flying V and Explorer models.

The Galaxy is a classic hollowbody guitar style which they call, “semi solid” and is one of Gordon Smith’s most expensive guitars at £927. The body is Ash front and back with Maple rims, Mahogany neck with Rosewood fingerboard. It has a full gloss finish. GSG precision machine heads. Two coil tapped Humbucker pickups which for an extra £33 each can be upgraded to P90s and/or for an extra £15 each you can have chrome pickup covers. This guitar is also available in a 12 string version for an extra £113.

Also while you are on the site if you like a bargain make sure check out their Specials section which has slightly damaged show guitars. The damage is barely noticeable in most cases but you’ll save yourself a couple of hundred quid in some cases!

And I wanted to share a little about Tarun also as he has been working hard for some great causes for years:

Inspired by a wide range of singer songwriters including Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Ben Harper, his music shows a great love for melody, diverse rhythms and songs that have something to say. Tarun recorded his first EP more than 10 years ago with the Brisbane heavy metal grunge band Revelation. In the mid-90s, he toured extensively with the Sydney-based funk rock band Four. And in 1998 he scored a place as a solo artist on the US music sampler, 105 best bands you’ve never heard.

Since 2005, Tarun has been touring throughout Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia singing and speaking everywhere from coffee houses, churches, youth groups, homeless shelters, orphanages, festivals to fundraisers and “…anywhere else that will have me…”.

His first full-length album, “Psalms for the Broken”, is packed with strong, engaging songs with special relevance to all of us who struggle at different times in our lives. “The main goal of my music is to connect with people, especially at their points of pain or struggle,” Tarun says. “Hopefully through sharing my own experiences, I can offer a message of hope.”
Tarun’s long awaited second album “Something Old Something New” was released on July 18th and will see Tarun hitting the road for most of 2008 – 2009 as he promotes the new album with a series of tours right across Australia and Asia. Dates to be announced

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xevzmuxJZYk
Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJhtiGbg1CY

I recently had the opportunity to interview legendary rock guitarist George Lynch, George has just put together a new band ‘Souls Of We’ so I had a listen and fired over some questions. Thank you once again to George Lynch for taking the time to answer them.

Guitar Noize: I noticed on your site that Lynch Mob are booked up until the end of August, does the Souls of We album mark an end to Lynch Mob?
George Lynch: Actually, Lynch Mob never died, just went through many transformations and now we’ve ended up back where we started Oni and i are working with Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Ted Nugent, Cranberries) and Scott Coogan (Violets Demise and Ace Freeheley). Were doing a few festivals in the states and some assorted gigs and writting for the new record that we hope to have out late next spring.

GN: How do you feel you “Souls of We” differs to the Lynch Mob?
GL: Completely differant animal. Oni is a hard rock/blues singer with a trippy psychidelic side to him...very retro. He’s really genuinly into the 70’s music culture which i love as well. London is a crazy hollywood poet freak… but the sweetest guy in the world. Lynch Mob music is organic and blues based, Souls is indescribable.

GN: How did Souls Of We come about, were you looking to start a new project for a while?
GL: I spent about 3 1/2 years writing and putting together various projects that never got off the ground, i built studios, found mucisians, engineers, created bodys of work and kept moving on till it clicked. London and i were working together on a project called =microdot when he got the call to join with Nikki Sixx and Brides of Destruction, when that dissolved we got back together and finished what we had started. I always believed in London as a person and a talent, he is a fucking star if there ever was one.

GL: The ‘Let the Truth Be Known’ Album has classic George Lynch rock songs like ‘Ghandi’s Got A Gun’ and ‘Everything I Want’ but also has a dark side with tracks ‘Skeleton Key’ and ‘Crawling’ who do you think this album will appeal to most?
GL: There are some indications that the Souls record will do very well in japan due to the bands look/image and London and my history and previous exposure in japan. The music has tested very well over there as well, we’re going there in october.

GN: It sounds like you used some drop tunings on a few tracks such as ‘Sorry To Say’?
GL: Most of the record is dropped, much of it to B, some C#, a little half step down. I dont think anything is in A440! nork 13 might even be A#! I get impatient when I record and I get lazy and dont use a tuner a lot of the time...which makes our lives miserable afterwords when im forced to calibrate the tuner to the track and retune every guitar to an out of tune track...yuk.

GN: Was that an AdrenaLinn effect on the intro to ‘Ghandi’s Got A Gun’ and throughout ‘Under The Dead Tree’?
GL: The ‘Ghandi...’ effect was a seekwha and probably a fast chorus, ‘Under The Dead Tree’ has a machine gun effect that I accomplish by running the track through a gate that’s timed to open and close according to the BPM of the track. You can also accomoplish this in Protools by isolating a piece of the waveform, cutting it up and duplicating it across the track where you want it.

GN: ‘Under The Dead Tree’ will go down well with shred lovers, some great melodic playing, whammy pedal effects (or was it just an octave pedal) and your effortless speed picking. Did you want to show everyone that you still have the chops?
GL: The first quarter of that song has some atrocious soloing, the main solo i like...i should have gone back and done that again. A lot of times when im soloing, I’ll defer to the engineer or whoevers in the room while I’m laying it down, if everyones digging it i usually let it go and then live to regret it I really wish i had insisted on re-doing that bitch.

George is a perfectionist, there is no way I would ever be able to play like that!

GN: I started playing in the late 80’s when shredding was at its peak and guitar solos were almost mandatory, do you think young guitarists have the same passion for technical ability these days?
GL: More so...depending on where you hangout of course! hah, there’s definitely very deep pockets of serious virtousity out there, doesnt do a thing for me. It doesnt get me off like it used to unless of course its me playing it!! (hah!) just kidding.

GN: I read that Souls Of We is a dream band for you because you got to pick and choose players, how long did it to find the right people?
GL: 5 fucking years and who wants to bet that i aint done looking? seriously, its very difficult to find and keep a band together out of love /passion and commitment these days...its all about the cheese.

GN: Will you be touring with this band soon?
GL: Going to japan in October, considering a black label/7 dust tour next march.

GN: How long have you been with ESP now?
GL: 23 years i think...longer than i care to remeber (ha!) no, but im very proud of my asociation with ESP and the things we’ve accomplished, they actually named their company after an aspect of my anatomy..."extra special phallus”!(hah!)

GN: How did the Super V SE come about, it seems quite a departure in style for you?
GL: I wanted to build something very warm and woody sounding. My first real guitar was 1960 Les Paul Special, all mohogany, Translucent Cherry Red finish, wide flat neck, stud tailpiece. That’s essentially what the Super V is only it looks cooler. I redesigned the body slightly for the second year.

GN: Did you use this new guitar on your new record?
GL: I used it for 2 solos and some bit parts… the Esp model (vs. ltd model) sounds rediculous.

GN: What guitars and amps did you use to record this album?
GL: Randall Lynch Box, 68 Marshall Plexi, old Hiwatt cab and Lynch Box cabs, Eminance Super V speakers. Rhythms done mostly with Ltd Baritone Viper, solos were Tiger, Super V, GL 56 among others… I used my 59 Fender Esquire on a few things as well… ESP 12 string...all kinds of different guitars which I can’t remember right off the bat.

GN: Is it true you produced this album yourself?
GL: I did… although I sought opinions and advice from just about every musician and engineer I worked with on this record.

GN: You have quite a discography under your belt with 6 solo albums, 5 Lynch Mob studio albums, 7 Dokken studio albums (apologies if I have miscounted), you must be pretty proud of yourself?
GL: No… whats to be proud of? Not to disrespect the question but I dont think making records affords me pride. My heroes are the unsung people around the globe who ask for nothing, slave for their families until they die and are forgotten… relative to thier existance I’m like Paris Hilton without the money or looks.

GN: I recently came across this limited edition Rock Iconz figure of you and wondered how you had seen it? (http://www.knucklebonz.com/georgelynch.htm)
GL: Of course… my home is filled with them. We actually have an alter built in the entranceway of the castle, its sort of like a temple… you take off your shoes, throw some money in a jar and spend a few moments of silence in repose… the kids hate it.

GN: I noticed the Skulls & Snakes guitar on the cover of “Wicked Sensation” is now available as one of your ESP signature models, but no Skull and Crossbones guitar?!
GL: We’re not able to build that one anymore. My friend John Frog made a questionable judgement call and sold the rights to the design for eternity to some scum bag in vegas who in turn sued ESP and myself...some friend.

GN: I loved that guitar when I was a teenager back in the 80’s, do you still have it?
GL: I do… I’m looking at it right now.

GN: I hear you’ve been working with Prashant Aswani on a couple of DVD’s, Wicked Riffs and Scary Licks when will these be released?
GL: Yes, Prashant and I flew to Milwaukee for a week and banged out these 2 videos for Hal Leonard. Prashants a great player, very inspirational, awsome hands and phrasing. He likes my playing too for some strange reason...anyway, our trip was very very eventful to say the least (hah!). But we got it done, Hal Leonard was very happy and the first rythm related DVD “wicked riffs” should be coming out this later summer.

GN: Did Prashant produce them? If so, he’s a talented man!
GL: Prashant was indispensable during the process of filming and recording the DVD. There were teleprompters that needed to be scripted, tab to be writen, time code, protools, tone questing… Plus we worked at night in the hotel scripting the following days work...he has a tremendous work ethic which i admire.

GN: Do you enjoy recording Instructional Videos?
GL: I used to watch em and Ii should start again, great way to learn just buy being exposed to different styles finding new ways to deal with old problems.

GN: Having played guitar for 20 years it is a real honour to be able to interview one of the biggest names in rock guitar history. Hopefully you will return to Australia either with the ‘Souls of We’ or for some guitar clinics soon!
GL: Hook that up and give me a call! hah! Thank you.

Souls Of We - Official Site
Souls Of We - MySpace
George Lynch’s Official Site

How about this for one of the most unique solutions to travel guitar design? The Stow-Away™ looks like a cross between a Fender Stratocaster and a Steinberger when not packed in a suitcase with a few classic Strat finish variations available, red, black, sunburst and the Deluxe model which has an Amber finish with Figured Maple over an Alder body, a Maple neck with a 22 fret Rosewood fingerboard and 2 Seymour Duncan Humbuckers as opposed to the standard version which has 3 Alnico Pole Single Coil pickups but these can be upgraded before the guitar is shipped should you wish. Both versions have Graph-Tech Saddles.

The key design element of this guitar stems from Stewart Guitars’ trademark ’Clip Joint Neck Connector‘ which allows the neck to be quickly removed (without tools) for easy travel or compact storage. When disassembled, the neck of the Stow-Away™ can be stored in a diagonal storage cavity in the back of the guitar body.  (See photo above.) The Stow-Away™ can then be discretely stored and in a well padded carrying case (included).

Check out this video to see just how quickly and easily the Stow-Away can be disassembled! This guitar is available from $400 via the Stewart Guitars’ website and they also run a “Loaner Program” so that you can try before you buy.

Well its finally official Dean Zelinsky the founder and former boss of Dean Guitars has launched DBZ Guitars. As expected the guitars have more than just a passing resemblance to Dean guitars, the logo is kind of an elaboration on the Dean logo using a full eagle with its wings spread rather than just the eagle wings and the headstock looks like it is going to follow the double point style too. There is only one picture on the site at the moment of a red flying V which is like a sculpted version of the Dean V. There isn’t much on the site as yet but there are a couple of links for dealer enquiries and employment opportunities and expect this brand to grow pretty damn fast, Dean Zelinsky carries with him one hell of a reputation!

If you really can’t wait to join the DBZ community and start discussing what you want to see built why not join the DBZ Guitars Forum!

If there is one thing certain to spark a debate among the guitar community it is the mention of Guitar Hero but love it or hate it the game is going strong with more and more artists jumping on board, some even releasing complete albums on it, Aerosmith somehow managed to get their own version of the game creating a new and painfully endless source of revenue for Activision, I’m sure this format will be flogged to death.

Anyway a couple of months ago I featured the aptly named company called Painted Axe who create some custom paint jobs on electric and acoustic guitars. I received an email from Mike at Painted Axe with news about their most recent venture, Keri Kelli faceplates for Guitar Hero. Keri Kelli is the guitarist for Alice Cooper, and has also worked with Slash, Skid Row, Warrant and Vince Neil. He had this to say about the game:

”“The overwhelming worldwide popularity of a guitar-oriented video game is just amazing. Guitar Hero has opened the doors to the electric guitar for a legion of kids these days; it just seemed incredibly cool to be able to make my own brand of face plates available to the market,”