I wasn’t sure I would ever see the day, but Soundgarden came back to the Bay Area last week, making legions of fans, old and new, really, really happy. The Bill Graham Civic was packed and throbbing as the Seattle boys took the stage, having been duly warmed up by the Mars Volta’s opening set. It was a powerful opener, with bright lights trained on the band as well as the crowd as the jangly strains of “Searching with My Good Eye Closed” blasted forth. Since the band last toured, both Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell have made some equipment changes, with Thayil using Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne and Tremoverb amps and Cornell rocking Divided By 13. Those rigs, combined with a clean FOH mix, made for a super-crisp, tight band sound. The unison guitars blended well and when Cornell and Thayil played different parts, their guitars sounded distinct and complementary.

They launched into “Spoonman,” and every girl behind the bar took a break from selling beer to display her former (or current) professional dancer talents....

I got my first electric guitar and amplifier at Mid City Loan in Omaha, NE, in 1979. Mid City Loan was a huge pawn shop with rows of great guitars and amps. My dad took me there for my birthday after I somehow convinced my folks that I deserved either an electric guitar or a go-kart. I was given the choice of a Fender Bronco, or a Gibson SG. I chose The SG of course! AC/DC was a favorite of mine, as well as Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin, and the Gibson seemed like a better guitar at the time. I tried out a Fender Princeton Reverb and out the door I went. I immediately went home and set up in the driveway to blast all the neighbors. I wanted everyone to know "I Play Guitar"! Everything sounded great: "Sweet Home Alabama," "Green Grass and High Tides," "Free Bird,"  and "Stairway to Heaven." Then one day a friend told me I needed a "preamp" for my guitar. Preamp? What's that? You know, a distortion box. He brought one over, and wow. Okay, distortion! So, good ol' Santa Claus brought me one on Christmas day. All of...

I visited Santa Cruz Guitar Company yesterday and met with founder Richard Hoover, who toured me through the factory and showed me the progress of the new 35th Anniversary "Cowgirl" guitar, which will debut next week at the 2011 Summer NAMM show in Nashville. The guitar, which was in two pieces and awaiting some finishing before the neck and body were joined, looks like it will be a stunning example of the quality and attention to detail that this boutique company with some 13 employees puts into every instrument they make. The Commemorative 35th Anniversary guitar is a master-grade Brazilian rosewood OOO with an Adirondack spruce top and tasteful bindings, appointments, and inlays. This showpiece model will be one-of-a-kind, but Hoover has also designed an accompanying series of ten 35th Anniversary Commemorative guitars with cocobolo back/sides and Italian Spruce tops. If you've always wanted to own a Santa Cruz guitar this could be your chance, as the company is going to hold a contest in advance...

When I was first approached to blog for Guitar Player, my head filled with all sorts of things to write about— interesting angles, approaches, off-the-wall tips n' tricks ... then I thought, "No, let's start at the very beginning. All of us pickers start off someplace, so what better way to begin my blog series than with my own personal story of the relationships I've had with my guitars."

Of all the cool happenings over the 4th of July weekend, the highlight had to be Jim Dunlop’s 75th Birthday Bash. The swanky affair to honor the accessory icon was held at San Francisco’s famous Bimbo’s nightclub and featured great food, great entertainment, and a cool collection of 350-ish industry types that included players, dealers, builders, designers, and well connected admirers.

The festivities kicked off with a few words from the guest of honor, and Big Jim spoke eloquently and humbly about his career and what the assembled crowd meant to him. The Dunlop brand has become such a mainstay that it’s easy to forget that it started with a guy from Scotland who created indispensible products, practically out of thin air. It was seriously impressive to think about what Dunlop has become when listening to stories about the company’s humble beginnings. And, as if he weren’t already cool enough, Mr. Dunlop rocked a Scottish kilt for the occasion and sat in with the band towards the end of the night.

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Here are videos of four more master luthiers who are doing very cool things, shot at the 2011 Montreal Guitar Show.

The 2011 Montreal Guitar Show is a wrap and boy what a show!

Ninety acoustic and 34 electric luthiers displayed their latest creations at the 2011 Montreal Guitar Show, along with purveyors of accessories, tone woods, etc. There were also workshops, lectures, scores of mini-concerts, and Guitarissimo concerts featuring artists such as Erik Mongrain, Kaki King, the California Guitar Trio, Laurence Juber, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Eric Bibb, and Freddy Koella.