If you have more than one guitar, you will, one day, need some basic tools to maintain your stringed instrument. In the Guitar universe, there is one granddaddy supplier of tools and other neat stuffs — and thy name is “Stew-Mac” — or “Stewart-MacDonald” if you want to be more formal. I purchased all these tools on my own, with my own money. Stew-Mac are not even aware this review is being written.
We all like to believe in our private moments that we are always right and never wrong, but sometimes, in those quiet times, we do some reflecting and we reconsider what was said before. Today is one of those moments when my private reflections must become a public recantation, and I appreciate your attention and kindness in the forthcoming rebuttal of two of my recent BolesBlues.com reviews.
Continue reading → Recanting The Blues: Les Paul and DR Strings
We’ve hinted at it before, but now we’re officially saying: “Eric Clapton is the Modern Master of The Blues.” For 50 years Eric Clapton has dedicated his life to celebrating American Blues in the mainstream of popular music.
Continue reading → Eric Clapton is the The Blues Modern Master
What is the best guitar for playing the electric Blues? A Fender Eric Clapton Custom Shop Stratocaster or a Gibson Les Paul Standard? I’m narrowing the Gibson vs. Fender debate to a couple of guitars since I have one of each in hand and I play The Blues on both. Better men than I have been broken trying to make this comparison fairly sing — so I will do my best to give you a competent, if not persnickety, breakdown of
my experience.
If you play the electric guitar, you likely have a stompbox or two — a “stompbox” is an electronic device that sits between your guitar and your amp to change the sound of your guitar in dramatic and subtle ways — and I have a whole drawerful of stompboxes that I bought, tried, and put away in my drawer.
If you’re a fan of The Blues, there are two books that must be found on your bookshelf. The first is Tom Wheeler’s excellent book — “The Soul of Tone” — that celebrates 60 years of Fender Amps.
There are guitars — and then there are GUITARS! — and while I haven’t written about it much yet, I share with you today that my current favorite guitar for playing the Blues is my Eric Clapton “Blackie” Signature Stratocaster made by the Fender Custom Shop. I don’t have the $24,000.00USD Guitar Center Blackie tribute guitar — I just have a regular black “Blackie.” Oh, and yes, I too, made the switch from Ernie Ball Slinkys to D’Addario EXL110’s… just like Eric did.
Continue reading → The Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster Review
If you play the guitar, you know the hunt for the perfect strap can be a lifelong longing. I’m happy to report the discovery of Planet Waves Locking straps for your guitar. You don’t have to replace anything on your guitar to use the strap. The Planet Waves locking system is safe for your guitar and once the strap is locked onto your guitar, nothing is going anywhere.
This BolesBlues.com blog was founded on the notion to better centralize our articles on music, reviews and thoughts and contemplations on melody. Here is how we came to land here.
The Holy Grail for any guitar consumer, collector and player is to find a “Guitar Guy” who fits their need, fulfills their wants, and who pays attention to covering all the details while extending a fair price and an open hand for service. After an intensive five-month search, I have finally found my Guitar Guy — his name is Troy Benns — and he works wonders for Wildwood Guitars in Louisville, Colorado. You can see below my new, incredible, Fender Vintage Hot Rod ’57 Stratocaster that arrived yesterday from Wildwood.
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