Guitar Of The Week #3: 1957 Rickenbacker Combo 400

This is a 1957 Rickenbacker Combo 400. One of the rarest and perhaps most unusual in my collection. This 3/4 guitar sports the horseshoe pickup. Most commonly found on lap steels. 1950′s Rickenbackers epitomize what quality and innovation that make vintage guitars so desirable.

Guitar Of The Week #2: Gibson Bona-Byrd

This is a Gibson Bona-Byrd. The one and possibly only. Built by the Gibson Custom shop at my request. It’s a wonderful hybrid between a Les Paul and a Firebird 1. You will be able to see this guitar in my new DVD Live at the Beacon.

Guitar Of The Week #1: 1954 Gretsch Country Club

This is a 1954 Gretsch Country Club in rare factory blonde. Even though Cadillac green is more desirable these still seem cooler. I used this 1954 Gretsch Country Club on Sloe Gin album and The Ballad of John Henry.

Joe Bonamassa jams with Seymour Duncan at NAMM

Mon, 23 Jan 2012

Over the weekend at the annual NAMM show in Anaheim, California, Joe Bonamassa unveiled his new Seymour Duncan Signature Pickup set!

“The Seymour Duncan Custom Shop has teamed up with blues-rock virtuoso Joe Bonamassa to produce the Joe Bonamassa Signature Pickup Set. This immaculately crafted and calibrated dual-humbucker set accurately replicates the P.A.F. pickups in Joe’s beloved 1959 sunburst Les Paul®. Their rich, dynamic, and nuanced voice will appeal to all tone connoisseurs who cherish the passion and power of the original humbucker.” says the company about the new addition to their product roster.”

Joe Bonamassa was voted Guitarist of the Year in honor of his new album Dustbowl and Black Country Communion’s world tour and live DVD.

“Though still a young 34 years of age, this guitar slinger has accomplished more than most players could imagine to achieve in a lifetime, and 2011 was a testament to the hard work, dedication and hours spent in the practice room and on the bandstand by this guitar great,” Guitar International said in a statement.

And  Slash was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. “A guitarist who has revived his career (twice, with his recent solo albums after Velvet Revolver’s demise), played with Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and many more music icons, and held his commitment to rock over his entire career certainly deserves Guitar International’s Lifetime Achievement Award. And with his impeccable track record, one can only assume Slash has much more rock ’n’ roll in the tank.”

As a matter of fact, he does – and the engine is revving up now for a new album due later this year. Congrats, Joe and Slash!

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/slash-bonamassa-0111-2012/

Photo Courtesy of Brett Diaz

Carmine Rojas: Crossing Boundaries  (February 2012 Bass Player issue by FreddyVillano)

Carmine Rojas is the consummate bass sideman, and that’s not by accident. Over a career that has spanned four decades, the native New Yorker has laid tasty foundations for a long list of heavies that include Tina Turner, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Al Green, Herbie Hancock, David Bowie and Rod Stewart, for whom he served as musical direction from 1988 to 2003. Since 2005, Rojas been touring and recording with blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, whose 2011 release Dust Bowl- as well as Don’t Explain, Bonamassa’s gritty soul collaboration with singer Beth Hart-Showcase Rojas’ ability to tap into a wealth of musical styles for any given gig. His secret? Respect, “If you’re going to do this and make it  a career, respect it. It’s very sacred. Where the information comes from is spiritual. You have to be above yourself and respect the flow of energy and where it comes from.

How’d you hook up with Joe Bonamassa?

I have to thank [producer] Kevin Shirley for piecing this together, because at first, I wasn’t sure about being in a blues band. I didn’t know if it was going to be interesting enough. Buy it’s not about playing “Sweet Home Chicago” until we’re blue in the face. I get to throw some 6/8 in there just to clever it up.

You worked with David Bowie on hits like “Let’s Dance” and “Modern Love,” and your bass line on “China Girl” is classic

Iggy Pop’s  original version of “China Girl” doesn’t even have a bass line. The day before we cut that song, the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb” was on the radio. Brian Jones’ great vibraphone part has the same chord changes as “China Girl” –E to D to C. That’s where my bass line comes from.

What prepared you to be a musical director for Rod Stewart?

I learned a lot Carlos Alomar, David Bowie’s musical director for many years, who took me under his wing. He would mix genres all the time, like Latin with Rock. He’d say, “Let’s put [Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s 1888 symphonic suite] ‘Scheherazade’ in this punk thing.” I’d be like “You can do that?” and he would say “Year,Sure-Just turn the groove around.” As long as it was in the pocket, I could do whatever I wanted with Carlos. I was never Limited.

Ron Wood’s bass line on “Maggie May”: Masterpiece or mess?

[Laughs] You can her Woody messing around and missing the root notes; that’s a brilliant, walking/country-western line that he put in a little rock flair into. I added my own thing to it’s the kind of line you can mess around with. I would throw in an extra 3^rd somewhere or stay on the V chord for a while. I altered that line all the time.

What’s the difference between backing an icon like Rod Stewart and a guitar hero like Joe Bonamassa?

There isn’t really any difference, because I still play what I call “Across-the-boards” bass. Maybe with Joe I try to come up with more Andy Fraser-like parts, but I’m using the same spirit, the same techniques, the same aggressiveness, and I’ll add to it whatever I heard the day. My ipod stays on “Shuffle” all day long, and I play along with whatever comes on. If I hear something I like-even if it’s keyboards, horn parts and vocal lines-I try to figure it out and then us it in the show somewhere.

Gear:

Basses: Xotic XB Series 4 and 5-strings, Rig: Gallien Krueger Fusion 550 amp, Gallien Krueger Neo Series 4×12 cab, Strings: Ernie Ball Super Slinky (0.040 – .125), Other: Brace Audio digital wireless

Tell me how high, cotton has to grow

‘Fore you get a man with a rusty blade and a hoe

Tell me who’s that on, when I can get no ride

Tell me who’s that on, when I can get no ride

That’s why I get antsy, and steal a kiss before I die

I’ve been knocked down, stood up, all in the name of goodbyes

I’ve been locked down, beat up, all in the name of goodbyes

Mmmmmm

And I don’t mind stealing the last kiss before I die

Tell me how long, supposed to keep a good man down

Tell me how long, supposed to keep a good man down

‘Fore he packs his suitcase, and get’s the hell outta town

Now that I’m gone, who’s gonna work the land

Now that I’m gone, who’s gonna work the land
Just to make sure that this,

Dirt don’t turn into sand

I’ve been knocked down, stood up, all in the name of goodbyes

I’ve been locked down, beat up, all in the name of goodbyes

Mmmmmm

And I don’t mind stealing the last kiss before I die hey yeah

I’ve been knocked down, stood up, all in the name of goodbyes

Mmmmmm
I’ve been locked down, beat up, all in the name of goodbyes

And I don’t mind stealing the last kiss before I die

And I don’t mind stealing the last kiss before I die

Mmmmmmm Mmmmm Mmmm
Mmm Mmm Mm Mmmmm Mmmm

http://www.jbonamassa.com/jbstore/digital-downloads/last-kiss-digital-download/

Wrapped in his arms, I see you across the street
I can’t help but wonder, if he knows what’s going on
You talk about that love, but you don’t know how it feels
When you realise, that you’re not the only one

You’d better Stop, before you tear me all apart
You’d better Stop, before you go and a break my heart
Oh whoa, you’d better Stop…
Time after Time, I’ve tried to walk away
But it’s not that easy, when your soul is torn in two
So I resign myself, to it every day
Now all I can do, is leave it up to you

You’d better Stop, before you tear me all apart
You’d better Stop, before you go and a break my heart
Oh whoa, you’d better stop

You better Stop if you love me
Oh it’s time to be sorry
No it won’t last forever
I can’t believe you walked out on me

You’d better Stop, before you tear me all apart
You’d better Stop, before you break my lonely heart
Whoa whoa you better, whoa whoa
Whoa oh you better Stop
Better Stop

But I’ll remember happier times
Life it hits me
Comes faster now day by day
Places that I’ve been
Are not the place I wanna be
Never trade you for the world
Never do the things I used to
I guess it’s not good enough
This I see

And I’ll remember happier times
Friday comes and goes
I guess I won’t talk to you anymore
So many things unsaid
So many things I wanna say
Never trade you for the world
Never do the things I used to
I guess it’s not good enough
This I see

But I’ll remember happier times
And Now remember happier times

I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.
I didn’t mean to she’d no, she’d no blood yeah.
Maybe I was trippin’ baby, you know what I mean,
Maybe that someday you’ll believe in me yeah.
Maybe you’ll believe in me…

I miss you, I hate you, ‘Cuz I feel you,
I don’t want to but I need you.
I miss you, I hate you, ‘cuz I feel you,
I don’t want to but I but I need you baby.

I’ve been seein’ demons and I’ve been seein’ saints,
I’ve tried pretendin’ that I’m somebody that I ain’t.
I could be the beggar down upon his knees,
But I’ve seen the truth – It’s gonna set me free yeah.
Baby you will set me free…

I miss you, I hate you, ‘Cuz I feel you,
I don’t want to but I need you.
I miss you, I hate you, ‘cuz I feel you,
I don’t want to but I but I need you.

(Lead Break)

I miss you, I hate you, ‘Cuz I feel you,
I don’t want to but I need you.
I miss you, I hate you, ‘cuz I feel you,
I don’t want to but I but I need you.
I miss you, I hate you, ‘Cuz I feel you,
I miss you – I miss you baby.

I’m so damn lonely
And I ain’t even high
I’m so damn lonely
And I feel like I’m gonna die

Mayday, mayday I’ve been shot down
Over the stormy sea
Well I feel that I’m drifting away
Can not seem to get a grip on me
Well. I can’t even try

I’m so damn lonely
Ain’t even high
I hate to go home alone,
But what else is new?
I’m so damn lonely

I hate to go home alone,
But what else is new?
I’m so damn lonely…

You stand and bleeding people pass me by
No matter if you live
No matter if you die

Sloe Gin, sloe Gin
Tryin’ to wash away the pain inside
Well I’m sick and I’m all done in
I’m standing in the rain
And I feel like I’m gonna cry

I’m so damn lonely
Ain’t even high
I’m so damn lonely…

Since the day my life has become estranged

Well, that’s okay, you just put on that face

But in your heart I know of another place

So here we are, now we’re just worlds apart

But were we any closer at the start?

Something so alone, you want somebody

But you’re still on your own

(Oh baby) now that the feeling’s gone

I believe that I’ve done no wrong

‘Cause I’ve tried hard to get you back, baby

But you just wouldn’t cut me no slack

Now that it’s gone, now that we’ve walked away

Now that we’ve both started a brand new day

I’m lookin’ back, I’m lookin’ at your face

I’m lookin’, and all I see is empty space

So here we are, now we’re just worlds apart

But were we any closer at the start?

Something so alone, you want somebody

But you’re still on your own

Oh baby, now that the feeling’s gone

I believe that I’ve done no wrong

‘Cause I’ve tried hard to get you back, baby

But you just wouldn’t cut me no slack

But I gots to have ya

Now that I know the cost, baby

Something’s gonna change my mind

But I don’t have the luxury of time no more

Oh, no more time, baby

Now that the feeling’s gone

I believe that I’ve done no wrong

‘Cause I’ve tried hard to get you back, baby

But you just wouldn’t cut me no slack

Now that the feeling’s gone

I believe that I’ve done no wrong

‘Cause I’ve tried hard to get you back, baby

But you just wouldn’t cut me no slack

Oh no

Just wouldn’t cut me no slack now

Now that the feeling’s gone

Oh, no more time, baby

Yeah, now that the feeling’s gone