News, Reviews, and More!

Eddie Van Halen Interview About The EVH Wolfgang Guitar

If there’s one live band that changed the whole world of Rock-N-Roll it was Van Halen. Eddie Van Halen is one of the most legendary live guitarists of all time and he is also a guitar building guru. From his earliest day’s as a guitarist he was experimenting with his guitars and changing up their designs. Just the replica of his legendary Van Halen Frankenstein guitar is sought after by collectors and lusted after by fans.

The new EVH Wolfgang Guitar by Fender is the latest and greatest culmination of Eddie’s relentless quest for guitar design perfection. In this video, Eddie himself talks about the the design process and unique qualites that went into creating the new EVH Wolfgang guitar. (more…)
Musician’s Friend Earth Day Celebration Green Manufactured Music Equipment

   In celebration of Earth Day 2009, (yes I know it was April 22nd) Musician’s Friend is featuring manufacturers who exemplify eco-friendly manufacturing practices. They’re also highlighting manufacturers that show and extraordinary commitment to humanitarian issues. What does this mean to those of us who play in a live band? The chance to score some very unique music equipment and do our part to help save the planet.

Martin SWDGT Drednought Acoustic Guitar

    Some of the top music equipment manufacturers feature very creative ways to help keep their manufacturing footprint to a minimum. Martin Guitar company uses wood from well-managed forests as well as using earth-friendly woods such as birch and cherry wood. I’ve seen some truly beautiful instruments made from Cherry wood such as the Martin SWDGT Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar which has solid cherry wood back and sides.

   Make sure you check out the full list of enviromentally conscious products from top manufacturers such as DW Drums, JBL, Laguna and QSC. Just click on the green banners in this post to see the excellent products presented by Musician’s Friend.
Practicing One Hour A Day Will Make You An Elite Musician

Joe Satriani Is An Elite Musician

I’ve been playing in a live band since I was 14 years old. I’ve met and played with some incredible, elite musicians over the years. I’ve always had the goal of being the absolute best musician I could possibly be. So I’ve asked a lot of musician’s over the years how they got to be so good. The answer is always the same: Practice.

I’ve written several posts about the topic of practicing on Live Musician Central because I’m a huge believer in the power of practice to make you a better musician. I know for a fact that people with very little natural talent are some of the best players around. The reason they’re so good is because of their work ethic when it comes to practicing their instrument. Having a talent for music and talent for playing your instrument is a blessing and will help you to become a good player. But to be a truly great player, you need to work and that means practicing. (more…)
Sunday Funnies – Green Jelly “The Three Little Pigs” Video

Ahh yes, a classic metal tune by the crazy metal band Green Jelly. This was huge back in 1993 and we used to watch it on MTV all the time. My oldest son used to be scared to death of Rambo in it. He was so scared, all we had to do was say “Raaaambo!” to him and he’d run and hide. Of course he was only two years old at the time. (more…)
Live Musician Central – Weekend Album Picks 5-2-09

   Every week on Live Musician Central we post up some of the top new music releases for you to download. Do we think these are the best releases of the week? Not necessarily, but they are the most heavily marketed new releases by the music industry. If you’re in a live band it’s a good idea to stay on top of what music is being pushed by the music industry. These are the songs that are going to be getting airplay in the clubs, music television and the radio. If you know what’s being pushed on the public you stay relevant in the clubs you play in by either learning these songs or having them on your MP3 player of iPod to play during your band breaks.

   Since iTunes is the top music retailer in the U.S. we include links to albums that are being specially promoted on iTunes. We also include links to Amazon.com MP3 service. Amazon.com MP3’s are encoded at an excellent 256kbps and sound fantastic. They’re less expensive than iTunes and will play perfectly on all portable music players including iPods and iPhones. They’re also DRM free so you can load them on multiple players.

   We also include links to some all time best selling albums so you can keep building your band’s songlist with proven, well-known songs.
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Dealing With Change And Guiding Your Live Band’s Evolution

In Stereo Sings 3-Part Harmony

One thing I’ve found from all my years of playing in a live band is that things are constantly changing. The type and quality of equipment is always changing. The current popular songs are always changing. Your live band has to constantly change as well just to keep up with everything else. Believe me, the best way to let your band die is to refuse to change.

One of the biggest problems I see in live bands is they become unwilling to change to fit the their ever changing environment. The biggest reason for this is because of plain old laziness. It takes work to keep your band up to date and relevant. The biggest mistake that bands make is an unwillingness to change their set list. You really need to get rid of songs that you’ve been playing forever and start learning some new songs. Your song list should be constantly added to and changed up at gigs. (more…)
About The Product Links From Amazon, eBay and Musician’s Friend

Hi everybody, I’ve had a few people ask me if Live Musician Central is all about selling products. The answer is no, Live Musician Central is all about playing in a live band. That’s why I link the words Live Band to the homepage of Live Musician Central. So why do I have so many links to products on Live Musician Central? (more…)
Steve Vai Demo Video For The Jemini Distortion Pedal

Jemini Distortion Pedal by Steve Vai and Ibanez

If you’re a guitarist playing in a live band, then no doubt you’ve searched high and low for killer distortion pedals. Today I’m posting up a video of Mr. Steve Vai himself doing a demonstration of his Signature Jemini Distortion Pedal which he designed with Ibanez. Get ready, because killer playing ensues on the video!

This video had me laughing out loud several times as Steve cracks jokes with himself. I’m not kidding you, there are two Steve Vai’s in this video and they even play an amazing guitar duet. I thought the “Jack Butler” reference from the movie “Crossroads” was pretty hilarious. Whoever did the video editing is a genius and Steve does a fantastic job interacting with himself in the video. So grab a snack, settle in and get ready to laugh and be blown away by Steve Vai’s incredible guitar (and acting?) skills! (more…)
Gibson Les Paul Studio Versus Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitar Review

Gibson Les Paul Studio – Faded Cherry Only $999

As you all know, I play primarily Fender Stratocasters in my live band. But I have to admit that I do own a Gibson Les Paul Custom but it’s current pricing is just outrageous and I can’t recommend it if you’re on a budget. I had the opportunity to play a Gibson Les Paul Studio just the other day and I was very impressed with the guitar. This is how I feel it compares to my Gibson Les Paul Custom. (more…)
Download Free Fender Cyber-Twin SE Preset Patch “LMC Matt’s Noise”

Fender Cyber-Twin SE Amplifier

Today on Live Musician Central I’m posting another of my custom programmed preset sound patches for the Fender Cyber-Twin SE amplifier. This patch is called “LMC Matt’s Noise” and is one of my ‘special effect’ sound patches. This preset is based on a British Tone Stack and the Backwards Delay effect. I personally feel that the Backwards Delay effect has to be one of the least musical effects in the Cyber-Twin SE effect bank. But, it still has it’s place in the sonic soundscape. (more…)