Ken Sharp

Latest articles by Ken Sharp

ATLANTA SEPTEMBER 07: Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick performs during Dog Day Afternoon at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta Georgia, September 07, 1977
How Cheap Trick ripped off an iconic riff from the Who to make two of the all-time greatest power-pop hits 

By Christopher Scapelliti Published

Producer Tom Werman admits he was the guilty party: “Pete Townshend was always my main musical inspiration”

Music
David Gilmour performs at Royal Albert Hall on September 23, 2015 in London, England.
Bob Ezrin reveals David Gilmour's most important guitar technique

By Ken Sharp Published

The Pink Floyd producer offered his insights while sharing details about recording Gilmour's most famous solo

Guitarists
John 5
John 5 shares the stories behind 10 of the most prized guitars in his collection

By Ken Sharp Published

The virtuoso showcases his new Mötley Crüe axes, the gift he received from Eddie Van Halen, and the guitar he played so much it was bad for his health

Electric Guitars
Ace Frehley (left) with Steve Brown
“What impressed me the most was, at 72 years old, the guy still gets excited like a little kid, like a true rock fan... He had a lot of ideas”: Steve Brown details the inspiring process of working with Ace Frehley on his shocking new album, 10,000 Volts

By Ken Sharp Published

The Trixter guitarist reckons that the one-time Kiss guitarist's new LP is his “best all-around songwriting record,” featuring the “best vocal performances he’s ever had on record”

Music
Ace Frehley performs onstage
“It’s mind-blowing to know I was a huge influence on a new crop of guitar players in the same way that Hendrix, Page, and Beck had an impact on me”: Ace Frehley on the creation of his new solo album, and the '59 Les Paul he'll forever regret selling

By Ken Sharp Published

Ace Frehley is back with a shockingly rocking new album in 10,000 Volts. Here, he tells GP about collaborating with Trixter's Steve Brown, re-working 40-year old demos, and the more unlikely guitars in his enviable collection

Music
Paul Rodgers playing guitar with Bad Company circa 1980
"It’s not what you play, it’s what you don’t." Paul Rodgers – the singer's singer who played with the guitar player's guitar players – on what he learned from the likes of Paul Kossoff, Mick Ralphs and Jimmy Page

By Ken Sharp Published

Paul Rodgers on his charmed guitar life, his famous axe partners, soloing on Can't Get Enough and the stroke that nearly killed him

Guitarists
Gene Simmons on stage with Kiss in makeup with his tongue sticking out
"I feel like George Lucas, where you helped create this thing that becomes not just movies and stuff but a culture. We created a culture with Kiss…" The Gene Simmons interview

By Ken Sharp Published

As Kiss bring their career to a rousing end, the Demon reflects on their 50-year journey from New York City punks to global superstars

Guitarists
John 5 and his Kiss collection
Six By 5: John 5 picks his 6 favorite Paul Stanley guitar solos

By Ken Sharp Published

Kiss put John 5 on his guitar journey and turned him into a huge Kiss Kollector. We asked him to choose his six favorite Paul Stanley solos

Guitarists
Paul Stanley with his cracked mirror Ibanez Iceman guitar
“I didn’t want to be the flashy lead player. Whether it was Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, David Crosby or Richie Havens, what the left hand was doing was more fascinating to me than what the right hand was doing": The Paul Stanley interview

By Ken Sharp Published

As Kiss hang up their guitars, Paul Stanley looks back on the instruments and musicians that shaped his musical personality

Guitarists
Kiss's Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer
“Any good guitar player will tell you his vibrato is as sweet as honey…” Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Joe Perry, Tom Morello and many more on what Paul Stanley’s playing brought to Kiss

By Ken Sharp Published

Better call Paul! As Kiss hang up their guitars, we asked Kiss members past and present – plus friends and admirers – what mades Paul Stanley’s signature sound so special

Guitarists
Van Halen perform at Lewisham Odeon in London, May 27, 1978. The band was opening for Black Sabbath, who were touring for their album Never Say Die!
“First of All, There Was No Guitar Player Who Had Ever Played Like That”: Van Halen Producer Ted Templeman Tells ‘GP’ How It All Began

By Ken Sharp Published

Van Halen might not have been the same group without Ted Templeman, the man who discovered and signed them, then produced their greatest albums

Music
Eddie Van Halen warming up backstage before a show in London in 1978.
“I’d Never Heard Anything That Brilliant, and Ed Said, ‘No, It’s Nothing’”: Producer Ted Templeman Reveals How He Helped Turn Eddie Van Halen’s “Warm Up” Into One of the Greatest Solos of All Time, “Eruption”

By Ken Sharp Published

“He said, ‘It’s just something I warm up with before each show.' And I said, ‘Donn, roll tape!’” recalls the hitmaker

Guitarists