Motion Pictures: “Sound City”

“Sound City” is Dave Grohl’s offering to the Gods of Rock. It’s a beautiful, life-affirming film that honours both rock and roll itself, and one of its greatest temples.

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GEARHEAD: Little Plastic Washers

Disclaimer: this one is really just for guitarists…

I was doing some basic guitar maintenance on my Fender acoustic this week, when I noticed that one of the plastic washers on my tuners was cracked and broken (see picture above).

GEARHEAD: Inside Les Paul’s Vault

Les Paul passed away almost three years ago, finally leaving this earth at the admirable age of 94. And now, his private treasures from a life full of music, machinery, and magic are being sold by auction. As you can imagine, the Les Paul Vault contains riches beyond the scope of your average rock star.

GEARHEAD: Gord Mylks of Kingston Guitar Shop

In a previous instalment of GEARHEAD, I wrote about the Kingston Guitar Shop, my favourite guitar store, and expressed admiration for their luthier and owner Gord Mylks. He is a cool guy who loves his job, and has found a way to make music his business. Gord was kind enough to answer a few questions for me via email, and I present that interview to you now.

GEARHEAD: Kingston Guitar Shop

In the world of musical instrument shops, there are generally two categories. Most of the larger stores (i.e. Long and McQuade) carry new stock, meaning guitars and other instruments straight from the factory. Then there are the “boutiques”, which are specialty stores that sell the rare and unusual instruments that you cannot find in the corporate stores. For today’s GEARHEAD, I am featuring my favourite guitar store in the world: the Kingston Guitar Shop.

GEARHEAD: PEPCO Amplifiers

“Gearhead” will be my semi-regular feature on the instruments and technology that have helped shaped music. For my first instalment, I am focusing on the Pine Electronic Products Company, Ltd, and one of their awesome amps.