​

Greetings and Salutations to all in Shred Nation!

WOOT WOOT, this one's for the FAMILY. Bottoms up on that huge 2 liter of Faygo everybody, we're gonna try and get booked at the Gathering of the Juggalos this year. And if you practice hard enough you can play turntables in my band!

ANYWAY Let's get started.

• Best Signature Guitar Models (Marty Just Dropped His)
• You Don't See Music Battles Like These Anymore
• The Cheapest Way To Load IR's just got cheaper
• Tapping Workout - Satriani's "A Day At The Beach"

Do You Want Another Mans Signature On Your Headstock? Is That The Most Intimate Thing You Can Do?

The short answers for me are: No! Yes! In that order.

I'm bringing this up because I saw that Marty Schwartz got his own signature model from Epiphone. Check it out!
​

​Marty Schwartz Signature ES-335​

It's a red Epiphone 335 for $900. I don't even think it comes with a fedora. What the fuck man?!

Nah I'm sure it's a fine guitar and TBH it looks to be exactly the same as any other Epi semi-hollow just in a different finish and the small block inlays which I like but, I don't know.

I get the business sense of having influencer signature models but I'd love to see the actual figures of if these sorts of things sell. Like this and the Rick Beato signature. Super curious if people actually give a shit.

Signature models have been around for a LOOOOONG time. If you really really look up to a guitar player it can be cool to have something built to their specs to get closer to their sound. Maybe they have some cool features they have modded their beloved instruments to.

I gotta say it definitely makes a statement when you are rocking somebody's signature model. For example, it might say "Wow I really love BB King!" or "Synyster Gates is the only guitarist I am familiar with!"

All that being said, here are some famous signature models that are either fucking legitimately dope, historically important, or very funny.

I'll let you decide which is which. In NO particular order other than how they popped into my head:

​​
​Ibanez JEM (Steve Vai)​

​
They reissued the absolutely ICONIC floral pattern JEMs recently. I wanna say these signature models are one of the early examples of a guitar signature model seeming like a really big deal for a particular brand.

These ones DO make a statement. Obviously the finish, the monkey grip cut out of the guitar, the Floyd Rose (or licensed maybe whatever), Dimarzio pickups, super flat radius, crazy thin neck, locking nut, it's a shred machine.

It is built for exactly what you would expect. Iconic guitar for real.

​Fender JA-90 Telecaster Thinline (Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World)

I have had some students that own this guitar and it is a nice, well valued guitar.

I like that this is a signature model that's not super in your face about being someone's signature guitar and not too flashy. I also like that it is practical and a little different from the standard lineup.

It's a thinline tele with P90 pickups, and as far as I can tell it's the only one in Fender's current lineup with two P90 pickups.

​

​Ernie Ball St. Vincent Goldie (Annie Clark aka St. Vincent)

Man I was gonna put her old signature model but I guess two years ago they came out with a new one called the Goldie that is even cooler. The body shape is really unique, art deco 50s space age just cool. Comes in some great colors.

I'm not the biggest fan of Music Man/Ernie Ball guitars honestly but they are really well made and high quality, they sound good. If they feel good to you they will serve you very well.

Look at those mini hums, those knobs, those inlays. That's some cool ass shit!

​

​Mr. Scary Skull & Bones Guitar (George Lynch of Dokken)

Come on dude this one's just fucking sick.

George's original was built by J. Frog but now Georgie Boy is building his own custom guitar's under the Mr. Scary moniker and it's pretty sweet actually you get to work with him to design them.

Maybe this one doesn't count as a signature model. Ok whatever.

​

​Gibson Les Paul (Les Paul)

The original and maybe still the best?

Certainly the most popular "signature model" of all time. It's the Gibson Les Paul! Created by/for Les Paul. A real guy! And a damn good guitar player.

I listed the wine red Les Paul Deluxe because I really like wine red LP Deluxes and I think people give mini humbuckers a bad rap and if you don't like them that's cool but I like em.

Here's a bunch that I think really suck a$$

Either they're unimaginative, overpriced, poor quality, fucking ugly, or just a drag. Sorry guys. I know I have some really dumb ass looking guitars too.

​PRS Silver Sky - John Mayer​

There's been a few times in my life I've been having guitar conversations with people and then they say things like "What do you think about John Mayer?" "He's actually super good. You ever listen to the trio stuff? It's way different."

And that's like when I fully check out.

​

​PRS Myles Kennedy Signature - Myles Kennedy and guys that like Myles Kennedy​

This guitar is just fucking ugly I'm sorry guys I know I play some super whacky looking shit but nobody wants this I think it's backordered because they killed it with fire at the factory.

​

​ESP James Hetfield Signature Snakebyte Guitar Camo - James Hetfield (Metallica)​

This guitar is over $7000 and with this camo paintjob no one will even be able to see it! What a fucking waste!

No but seriously you'd have to be the biggest asshole working at the motorcycle law firm in all of Des Moines to buy this fucking thing.

​

​Gretsch G6636-RF Richard Fortus Signature Falcon with V-Stoptail​

Nothing wrong with this guitar, might be a little expensive for what it is, but I just wanted to take the opportunity to jump on Richard Fortus again after his Nuno beef the other day.

And here's my statement: Finally! An opportunity to sound like the rhythm guitar player of the NEW Gun's n Roses!!!!!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Have you hit a brickwall getting better at your guitar?

Are the same tired drills your teacher assigned you 5 years ago not amounting to diddly-squat?

Well it's time to shake off those cob-webs because I'm ACCEPTING PRIVATE STUDENTS AGAIN!

Just 5 to be exact, let's not get fucking crazy.

But I actually taught full time for nearly 15 years and was Program Director of an accredited music school for 10 of those.

Right now lessons are offered on the Shreducation Patreon where you'll have access to my ever-growing library of lessons, the Office Hours Live Stream, and private podcast.

What are you waiting for? Check it out!

MUSIC FIGHT ON PRIMETIME?

I was just over at my fiancé's parents house and her drummer father was telling me a lot of stories about Buddy Rich. Apparently his band opened for Buddy's band in New York once and Buddy even said "good luck" before hand and "nice job kid" after the performance... which by Buddy standards is INCREDIBLY NICE.

Anyway, Buddy Rich is one of the best drummers of all time, I actually genuinely really love his playing.

He was telling me about how Johnny Carson used to host these drum battles on the Tonight Show where Buddy would go on and just destroy people, but he talked about a great one between Buddy and the Tonight Show bands drummer Ed Shaughnessy, a great drummer in his own right.

Oddly enough, Johnny Carson is a pretty damn good drummer too, although I guess that would explain why he entertains all these drum battles.

Anyway check this shit out these guys are like, not young, and they're dressed like they've got a bathtub full of nickels in front of a slot machine in downtown Vegas and they're just fucking ripping.

​

They're both great. Buddy is just inhuman he's on another planet IMHO.

But why I bring this up is check out how the audience actually gives a shit about these guys musicianship. That's kinda interesting right? Like they're just showing off how fast/well they can play the drums and this is like interesting late night television to people.

Beyond that - you never see this kind of stuff with guitar players right? If you were able to see your own guitar battle who would you guys choose?
​
I think keeping it within the same weight class I guess I'd love to see Joscho Stephan vs. Andreas Oberg for a jazz fight, Michael Angelo Batio vs. Rusty Cooley older school shred showdown, Melanie Faye vs. Ashton Sellars neo soul showdown, Greg Koch vs. Julian Lage.... The list goes on.

It's all in good fun but just seeing people who are fucking nuts at their instruments trade solos is an interesting idea. I guess people do that kind of shit on youtube now but not really in an improvised sort of way like this show was.

Ok throw yours at me lets hear em'

CHEAPEST WAY TO LOAD IR'S IS NOW CHEAPER

I wanna first say that I SWEAR I have no affiliation with the Headrush pedal brand. In fact, they won't return any of my emails or dm's and I even have set up a support ticket to get one of my older Headrush Gigboards fixed and they haven't done jack shit as far as responding or helping me.

So in one sense - fuck them.

But in another sense, they still make the best and most affordable all in one amp sim, pedalboard, DI solution available.

I use the MX5 which is their smallest configuration. I try to sell everyone on it because it fits in every gigbag, computer bag, hard case whatever. It has made my life better.

You load the same IR's into it that you would with a Helix, Quad Cortex or any other way more expensive pedal. These used to cost $399 but they are now marked down to $350 indefinitely.

They're probably coming out with a new model but whatever the old one still works great and Sweetwater does the 3 payment thing so you're paying like $115 a month or whatever. I love the MX5.

​Headrush MX5 Price Drop​

Anyway for anyone who uses Headrush products or is keen on getting one, here are MY sounds and IRs that I've downloaded and tweaked that I use every day at every show.

​Shreducation MX5 Rigs​

TAPPING WORKOUT - Joe Satriani's "A Day At The Beach"

This is a classic Joe Satriani track that will definitely help you develop your tapping hand and get you used to tapping with more than one finger at at a time as well as developing some independence between your right and left hand.

Make sure to do this with a clean tone and adding in some compression is probably a good idea. Watch out for open strings ringing out and make sure to push hard as you're hammering on to frets "from nowhere" essentially.

Here's a great how to video:

​

​

And here's a pdf of the tab for those who practice:
​Day at the Beach Tab PDF

FARE THEE WELL

As always hit me with any questions, comments, or concerns and we ALWAYS have new content coming out on Patreon if you want to get serious about learning the guitar!

​

UNTIL NEXT TIME

​

Spencer Askin Musician & Guitar Coach The Papa of Pinches

​​​​

​
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​