Stuff You Need from Stew-Mac

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.

Continue reading → Stuff You Need from Stew-Mac

Recanting The Blues: Les Paul and DR Strings

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

Eric Clapton is the The Blues Modern Master

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

Best for The Blues: The Gibson Les Paul Standard or Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster Review

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.


Continue reading → Best for The Blues: The Gibson Les Paul Standard or Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster Review

The Stompbox Drawer Review

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. 

Continue reading → The Stompbox Drawer Review

Soul of Tone Stratocaster Chronicles

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.

Continue reading → Soul of Tone Stratocaster Chronicles

The Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster Review

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