Over the years I’ve collected and watched quite a few instructional books, VHS videos and DVD’s. And recently I was asked if I could recommend a certain Instructional DVD. That inspired me to write up my very own review of some of the Instructional DVD’s and Videos that I’ve watched over the years. As you can see from the list below it’s quite a variety so I hope there is something in here for everyone - I’ve included the ASIN number so if you want to order any …

Super-fast two-handed tapping, monstrous dive-bombs, legato licks with machine-like precision – no other guitarist since Hendrix influenced the guitar community more than Dutch-born Edward Lodewijk Van Halen. Almost single-handedly he brought technical innovation and harmonic diversity to the blues-based Hard Rock of the 60s and 70s. The breathtaking instrumental ‘Eruption’ on Van Halen’s 1978 debut album alone made many established guitarists of the day want to throw their guitar …

Mister Rock Riff is 14 years when he hears Elvis’ “Baby, Let’s Play House” for the first time. From then on he is fascinated with the Blues and learns every Blues-song he can lay his hands on. He practices so much, he even takes his guitar to school where it gets confiscated on a regular basis. All the practice pays off when he starts playing with Neil Christian & The Crusaders aged 15. As he doesn’t like touring too much he soon becomes one of the hottest session …

Jeff Beck is probably the most uncompromising rock guitar player – highly unique, versatile, and non-commercial. He dismisses guitar picks because they are in the way of the true guitar tone, usually doesn’t use effects and surprises (and confuses) his listeners with radical changes in stylistic direction. His use of the vibrato bar is unique, his use of tone and volume pots masterful. He often turns down the tone pot altogether and compensates the lack of treble through increased distortion, …

Jimi Hendrix is without a shadow of a doubt the most innovative Rock-guitarist of our time. You only have to hear and see(!) him to understand why he shook up the guitar community like nobody before and after him. His three studio records are musical treasure chests and the DVDs Band of Gypsies – Live At the Fillmore East , Blue Wild Angel, Live At the Isle of Wight and Live At Woodstock – The Definite Collection document some of the most legendary concerts of all time that showcase his …

Scales are a good thing to know. Not just to show off when talking with other guitarists so you can drop in a nonchalant ‘over that chord I usually play the Hungarian Minor before changing to the Enigmatic Scale on the last two beats although I was experimenting with Lydian Dominant and the Whole Tone scale lately’. Scales are a neatly organized way to express a certain mood. Major = happy. Minor = sad. They also enable us to dip into different cultures for a moment or two. Feeling a bit …

Tone... man... guitarist live or die by it. Well, most do. And ‘tone’ is such a non-concrete thing. You hear it in your head and you start searching for it. The moment you think you found it, it will only last for a short period of time before you start thinking that ‘something has changed’ or that ‘by adding this piece of gear I’ll improve my tone’. That’s when you acquire GAS - Gear Acquisition Syndrome - that can result in heated discussions with your …

We continue our artists gear list.... N Neal Schon/Journey: Les Paul > Crybaby Wah > Boss DS-1 > Ibanez TS9 > Boss CS-3 > Boss NS-2 SPLIT Hiwatt Custom 100 (FX Loop - Roland DDS) > Marshall 412 w/ Greenbacks, Hot Rod Deville 410 (composite of Journey 80s rig and January 98 Guitar Shop).  Noodles/Offspring: Ibanez Talman > Mesa Boogie Mark IV > Alesis Quadraverb (in FX Loop) > Mesa 4x12 cabinets (September 1997 Guitar Shop) Nuno Bettencourt/Extreme, solo: Extreme: Washburn …