Great covers are a lot more difficult than they might as first seem. The dominant problems are twofold:

If an artist/band plays it safe and does a version too close to the original. This may end up sounding good, but leave you with the question why bother covering it if you’re just going to come up short of the definitive version?

The “creative” reinterpretation of the song. This has the greater potential to be a great cover than the above. The problem? It also has the (much) greater potential to be a truly dreadful and unneeded version of the original. You don’t want people saying, “wow…that was a really…interesting…take on that song.”

Yet there are some great, justifiably famous covers where the cover actually becomes the definitive version of the song. Bob Dylan may be the greatest songwriter of the rock era, but the definitive version of “All Along the Watchtower” is, of course, the Hendrix version. Dylan’s is okay. But it would hardly be remembered as one of his great tunes—it’s probably not even in the top half of songs on its original John Wesley Harding record. Yet Hendrix made it his own. And, really, there shouldn’t have been many (any?) versions after that (see the Dead for exhibit A on this one).

Hendrix is hardly alone—Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee” is clearly the definitive version, even though the Kristofferson version is perfectly fine and study. But, sometimes in music, writing it doesn’t make it yours forever. These are two of the really famous ones (there are other super famous great covers I’m also trying to avoid—Cash’s version of “Hurt” for instance) but here’s a list of seven (or ten, depending on the count on the Gram Parson’s asides) lesser known covers that—if they don’t replace the original—are highly successful takes on their source material. Included are YouTube videos so you can check them out – or try them on Spotify if you’ve got it. 

NOTE: this is hardly a comprehensive list, so feel free to add your picks.

Yo La Tengo: “Somebody’s Baby”

Yo La Tengo could very easily do a complete set of great covers. Some pretty close to the original (their fabulous cover of Richard Hell’s “The Kid With the Replaceable Head” among them), others—like this Jackson Browne cover—totally new takes on the original. While Browne’s original is a fine song, the production is has a very unfortunate 80’s sound (the decade that gave us the most dated sounding hits in history…with loads of gated reverb, cheesy synth sounds, and drums made to sound like they were exploding on ever kick drum and snare crack). Also, it’s not Browne’s most urgent recording ever. It’s a nice pop song. But not one of the ones in his catalog that he’ll be remembered for—and there are plenty he should and will be remembered for. But Yo La Tengo’s cover crackles with energy, adds a really nice distorted guitar (as almost always with Ira Kaplan), and an urgency and push. For sure, a step up. 

REM: “Pale Blue Eyes”

Is it better than the classic of the VU’s great third record? No, not better. But a great take on it that holds enough of the original to stay true, but tweaks it just enough to be made into something different and new. It’s also from a period somewhat forgotten these days—their very early years before they were enormous. 

Chris Hillman & Steve Earle: “High Fashion Queen”

This one did actually come off a tribute record (which you’ll see with all the links) to Gram Parsons: Return of the Grievous Angel. This tribute record may be one of the best, top to bottom. It has a fabulous version of Parson’s/The Byrd’s’ “One Hundred Years from Now” by Jay Bennett-era Wilco. 

Evan Dando and Juliana Hatfield: “$1,000 Wedding.”  

This is a stunning version of the original…

Lucinda Williams & David Crosby: “Return of the Grievous Angel.”

And the always great Lucinda Williams (with the not always so great David Crosby on harmony…well, he’s always great at harmonies, to be fair) covering “Return of the Grievous Angel.” A knockout. 

Chris Hillman and Steve Earle: “High Fashion Queen.” 

But the highlight of this abnormally good tribute record may well be Chris Hillman and Steve Earle’s cover of the Flying Burrito Brothers “High Fashion Queen.” This is sort of a cover with an asterisk, as Hillman played on and co-wrote the original. That said, the version from the Burrito’s second record is not so great. A good song amphetamined well out of its groove and tempo. Here, as Hillman once said, they got it right. The way he thought it was supposed to be. Listening to the two versions, it’s hard to argue.

Cowboy Junkies: “Sweet Jane”

This is before anyone knew that pretty much all their songs would more or less sound like this, except those other songs wouldn’t have the extra great feature of having been written by Lou Reed. But it’s a great interpretation of one of Reed’s most durable songs. Also, you would think changing/omitting some of Lou Reed’s lyrics would be a death sentence for a song. But it works here. 

The Gourds: “Gin and Juice”

This one may be better known than the others on the list, but it’s hard to not include it. Both hilarious and a great version. It’s funny, but it’s not a joke. The only reason I hesitate to put this on the list is that this cover has done something of a disservice to the Gourds. They are a fabulous band—great writers, players, and singers. They should be better know for their own great songs than this cover. That said, it’s hard not to fall in love with this version of Snoop Dogg’s classic.

The Gun Club: “Fire of Love”

This great song (written by Jody Reynolds and Sonja Sturdivant and released by Reynolds in 1958) has seen more great cover versions than most songs. Everyone can probably name a favorite. For me, though, it’s this amazing version by a band who everyone should have known about: LA’s great late early 80’s The Gun Club, led by Jeffery Lee Pierce.

Uncle Tupelo: “I Wanna Be Your Dog”

A fabulous example of a classic cover version of a classic song. Uncle Tupelo left some recorded evidence of being great at covers—their version of “I Wanna Destroy You” is actually better than the original…as, dare I say, is their cover of “Great Atomic Power”), and this take on the Stooges is no exception. It was, so the story goes, recorded live (and it sounds like it might be true, listening to the lone guitar making going from clean low volume verses to distorted intense choruses). Live or not, this cover is both an homage to and a departure from the original. After this, it seems like no one should cover this song again. Which is what a great cover is supposed to do.

Bonus acoustic version:

So, there are a few really strong and different covers. Neither note for note, nor “wow…that’s a really…um…interesting version.” Feel free to add to the list. 

Smothered and Covered: Cover Versions Actually Worth a Listen from MyRareGuitars.com

Singer, songwriter, star guitarist. Glen Campbell had a fantastically rich musical career – spanning different genres, instruments and playing with some of the greatest names in music. Not to mention stints as TV presenter and award-nominated acting roles! With over 45 million records sold, Campbell was also a true crossover artist like few other musicians before or since – with 48 country hits and 34 pop hits between 1967 and 1980.

His attitude was the he didn’t really care about being bound to “genres”, but just about whether something was good:

“I felt my music wasn’t aiming at anybody. Everything I was doing was because it was a good song” he once said.

From a guitarist perspective, there’s no doubt he was an inspiration to many, being one of the most notable players of baritone guitars – and, for us fans of vintage and rare guitars, a look at his instruments over the years is nothing less than mouth-watering!

Here’s just a few reasons why Glen Campbell was such a musical legend, who won’t be forgotten:

1) He was a former member of the Wrecking Crew

The Wrecking Crew was the greatest assembly of session musicians ever – the L.A. group played in innumerable legendary sessions, and, with Campbell, performed on tracks by names such as Bobby Darin, Ricky Nelson, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, the Monkees, Nancy Sinatra, Merle Haggard, Jan and Dean, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Phil Spector.

One of the session tracks featuring Campbell is The Beach Boys ‘I Get Around’:

Despite the Wrecking Crew featuring so many extremely talented people, only Glen went on to become such a massive solo star in his own right – some feat!

2) He was a touring member of The Beach Boys…

Carl Wilson and Glen Campbell ready for another Beach Boys gig

As part of the Wrecking Crew Glen also played on the sessions for Pet Sounds, but, before that, he also toured with the Beach Boys in 1964, replacing none other than Brian Wilson  on bass and vocal harmonies, while Wilson recovered from a nervous breakdown. No small job!

And once a Beach Boy, always a Beach Boy – Glen joined the band onstage on a number of other occasions since.

3) … and Brian Wilson was forever grateful

As a “thank you” to Campbell, Brian Wilson wrote him a wonderful song, ‘Guess I’m Dumb’, one of Glen Campbell’s finest moments – with the Beach Boys singing backing vocals!

Wilson, unsurprisingly, was one of the first to pay tribute to the news of Campbell’s passing:

4) Glen Campbell introduced America to Cream

During his stint as a TV show host, Campbell was the man who introduced Cream to mainstream America. His TV show brought together a very diverse mix of musical acts, which people paid attention to thanks to his popularity as a performer himself. Respect.

Coincidence – or not! – only 2 weeks after Cream’s appearance on Glen’s show, the band entered the Top 10 with “Sunshine Of Your Love”. Other songs on that same week’s Top 10 included The Doors (who Glen had once opened for) at #1 with “Hello, I Love You”. Mason Williams (who was a writer on Glen’s show) close behind with “Classical Gas” while the 5th Dimension (who appeared on Glen’s show & had big Jimmy Webb hits!) were on #3 with “Stoned Soul Picnic”. And that was not all – “Lady Willpower” by Gary Puckett & the Union Gap was at #7 featuring Glen on guitar, and the Vogues had their first Top 10 in three years with (the Glen Campbell-penned) “Turn Around, Look At Me”.

5) He was an award-nominated actor…

What was the last time you heard of a celebrated session musician who went on to join one of the biggest bands in the world, and who was also nominated for a Golden Globe? Exactly – but that was Glen Campbell for you… nominated for “Most Promising Newcomer” for his turn on the original ‘True Grit'(1969)! 

6) … and an Oscar-nominated songwriter!

Glen was brilliant until the end. After announcing his retirement due to Alzheimer’s, Glen recorded his final song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” with members of the Wrecking Crew, for the documentary “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me.” The result? A heart-breaking beauty that got him nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar at the 87th Academy Awards!

7) Glen inspired a generation of younger rock musicians

Like Johnny Cash before him, Campbell branched out to perform modern rock’n’roll songs in his later years, covering tracks from bands as diverse as U2, Foo Fighters and Green Day on one of his last albums. Musicians who lined up to work with him in his final records include Paul Westerberg from the Replacements (who wrote Ghost On The Canvas), Jellyfish, The Wallflowers singer Jakob Dylan, Chris Isaak, Rick Nielsen and Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.

8) ‘Wichita Lineman’

The song, written by Jimmy Webb, is arguably Glen Campbell’s greatest moment. A timeless classic, which also inspired many guitarists to try a baritone guitar!

9) All those guitar solos…

At the end of the day, we can’t underestimate Glen Campbell as a guitarist… what a wonderful player! This video compilation says it all:

10) …and let’s not forget the guitars!

Besides having introduced the baritone guitars to many players, over the years he could be seen playing some amazing guitars, including many Mosrites which, as those who are familiar with My Rare Guitars will know, is one of our favourite brands!

Here’s some of our top Glen Campbell guitar photos:

Glen Campbell and a Mosrite 12-string

Glen Campbellin the studio with a Mosrite Celebrity III semi-acoustic

Glen Campbellin with a Ovation semi-acoustic

Glen Campbell and a Gretsch Country Gentleman

Glen Campbell and a customised Mosrite Californian dobro guitar

Young Glen Campbell with his Teico T60

Read more:

Glen Campbell: the guitar prodigy represented the best of pop and country

Remembering Glen Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) from MyRareGuitars.com

The new footage shows the band – then called Ted Ed Fred – miming to a backing track, with Dale Crover playing drums live. This is a real piece of rock’n’roll story – filmed the day after the soon-to-be-renamed Nirvana recorded their first proper demo, with Jack Endino (‘Bleach’ producer).

Note that back then, Kurt Cobain was playing a Univox Hi-Flier guitar – the model which inspired the Custom Shop Eastwood Univox Hi-Flyer.

Early live footage of Nirvana found from MyRareGuitars.com

Funny thing: some of the greatest guitar heroes ever were British. Think Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Peter Green, Richie Blackmore and so many others… but most of them had another thing in common – they were inspired by American music.

So we thought – why not do something different, and make a list of the greatest American guitarists?

Why would that be interesting? This is our list of guitarists who were made by America. This is just a top 10, trying to encompass players from many different styles and generations. There will be some missing… so share YOUR list with us, too! You may not agree with our choices but there’s no question about this – those are not just players who happen to have been born in the U.S.A. by a happy geological coincidence, but guitarists whose very music could’ve only have come from America, and nowhere else in the world… 

10) Elmore James: The Blues

The Blues is perhaps the most crucial of all American musical genres. It’s the source of all popular American music made after it, but so much more. It documents American history – especially a part of history that is perhaps not as well documented elsewhere. We could’ve chosen any of the great Blues guitarists such as B. B. King or Robert Johnson, but we’ll stick with Elmore James – his primal voice and guitar playing tell a whole story in their own right, and songs such as ‘Dust My Broom’ are informed not just by the simplicity of rural Blues, but also pointed to the electrified future of the genre – and by doing so, encapsulated the journey of many Black Americans in the early part of the 20th-century, from rural South to urban North.

9) J. Mascis: Noise, Grunge & the reaction to 80’s America

J. Mascis could be described as the greatest virtuoso of the so-called “grunge” scene, so we’ll pick him. A scene that spawned many bands worldwide, but which could’ve only have originated from America. The messy, f*cked up America of the Eighties, where if you couldn’t be a winner, you were a loser. But the “slackers” and Generation X-ers who loved rock’n’roll just wouldn’t fit with this world view – and the noisy music scene represented by bands such as Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and which eventually exploded with Nirvana was a direct reaction to the mainstream 80s in the US, so this new kind of noise could’ve only have come from America!

8) Tom Verlaine: New York, New York

The proto-punk scene around CBGB’s in the mid-Seventies could’ve only have happened then, and only in New York. Bands such as Television translated the grittiness of a semi-apocalyptic New York City into rock music. To listen to Television is to be transported to that time and place. 

7) John Fahey: Rootsy Americana

John Fahey was one of the greatest acoustic guitar players ever. His best music harks back to an older, almost mythical America – a rural, simpler, pre-War America. His debut album, Blind Joe Death, was originally released as a “fake” album, supposedly containing old recordings by a forgotten bluesman. In a very American display of entrepreneurship, the album was the first ever “indie record”, self-financed by Fahey with the money he earned working at a gas station!

6) Dick Dale: Let’s go Surfing…

Well, we hear Australians are pretty good at surfing, but no one beats America when it comes to Surf Music! This is a sunny, optimistic and even naive style, that could’ve only have come from America, a child of the optimistic 50’s, and with the help of some all-American gear such as Fender amps and guitars! And no one played it better than Dick Dale! (Having said that… ‘Misirlou’ in particular is an adaptation of a traditional Middle East song! Listen here…)

5) Duane Allman: Drivin’ South

Duanne Allman was a players like few others – who could humble Clapton, who could play slide like few others, who had one of the best Les Paul tones. He could do seemingly so naturally what players such as Clapton actually laboriously studied for year – that fluid, bluesy guitar thing, you know… listening to Duane is like driving a convertible down a highway, on a sunny hot day somewhere, down South. Yep – great driving music, the likes of which only Americans could make!

4) Eddie Van Halen: California Dreamin’

Van Halen’s music couldn’t be more Californian if it tried. It’s loud, silly, colorful… it’s widescreen rock’n’roll. Silly, fun, sunny. And so is Eddie’s guitar style. What could be a bit “too much” for those who are not crazy about Eighties hard rock, is actually quite enjoyable if you’re listening to Eddie’s playing – a true innovator.

3) Jack White: Detroit Pop Art

Pop Art is one of the defining styles of American art from the past 100 years. It’s as American as apple pie. And Jack White is pure Pop Art, when you think about it: he’s all about bright primal colors, about style, and about making many people wonder what is real and what is fake, who is the true Jack White, why is he singing like Blind Willie McTell, and whether is it real blues or just a commercial copy? These questions of originality vs. imitation, commercialism vs. authenticity, are pretty much the same questions people asked when confronted with the work of Pop Art names such as Warhol. 

He’s got the same unstoppable lust for creating stuff and churning out his products that drove people as different as Henry Ford or Andy Warhol. The quality of his work speaks for itself – he’s a true post-modern blues player, deeply influenced my traditional American music – but with a shameless knack for turning it all into business, too! Could Jack White have come from anywhere but America? 

2) Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood

The great guitar duel that never happened – SRV versus Hendrix. Who was the best? Many, many people swear that Stevie was every bit as good as Hendrix, if not better. SRV was 100% the son of Texas, deeply influenced by his roots, as authentic and as Texan as it gets – and still a hugely influential player. Listen to SRV and you’ll have a taste of Texas with every note.

1) Jimi Hendrix: a melting pot, like America itself

Sure, Jimi was born and grew up in the United States, but could he be considered a truly “American” player, since his band The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed in London, with two English musicians? Well… of course!

Jimi more than paid his dues on the road all over America, playing with people such as Little Richard, King Curtis and The Isley Brothers, and it was his rich musical influences that he took to England in 1966 – he certainly turned a few things upside down and kicked things up a few notches, but deep down, Jimi was an authentic blues man, full of soul, groove and a down-to-earth sincerity you would be hard-pressed to find in England at the time. Musically, and even racially (with his Cherokee heritage) Jimi was a true representation of that big melting pot which made America what it is.

No wonder that his legendary performance at Woodstock, playing the Star Spangled Banner, summed up America at the time better than most songs. And yes – he’s still the best! 

Did we forget anyone? Post your Top 10 in the comments below and let us know!

Top 10 Great American Guitarists from MyRareGuitars.com

Everyone listed here could easily be seen as a great guitar player if they were in somebody else’s band. In fact, some of the examples I chose to link to here ARE songs where the guitar player is doing a cover version, or a song written or sung by someone else in their band. While some are the artist’s own creations, I picked some covers here for a couple reasons:

A lot of these guitarists seemed to cut loose often on songs they didn’t write. But since this is a column about their guitar playing, I wasn’t that concerned with whether or not it was a song they wrote.

So, as a note: Some of these songs are, in fact, written by the artist in question – or at least by their own band – but I wasn’t bound by this as a requirement. Also, this is not at all meant to be anything close to a comprehensive list. So, please, feel free to add some of your own underrated guitar players in the comments section. Thanks!

On to the players, in no particular order:

Prince: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (live)

A songwriter who penned a ton of classics over the years, Price is known justifiably as one of the great songwriters of his generation. And his own catalog has plenty of examples of not only his great lead playing, but also his often sophisticated and subtle rhythm playing. But it was hard to gain a full appreciate of Price as a guitarist unless you got to see him live, where he tore into several memorable solos a show.

Here he is during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction performance for George Harrison. While I don’t think this solo on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is necessarily better than Clapton’s incredible solo (one of the best of his storied career) on the original version (I’m not a big believer in saying what’s better when both are brilliant), it definitely holds its own in a very original and exciting way.

Bruce Springsteen: “Because the Night” (from an appearance on Jimmy Fallon) and/or his Grammy wining duet with Warren Zevon, “Disorder in the House” (off Zevon’s final album The Wind). 

Here’s a guy who started his career as a young hotshot lead guitar player on the Jersey Shore scene. Eventually, he would become known more for his songwriting (justifiably), but these performances show his aggressive, high-energy style. Also, killer tone out of his Tele (and out of his main guitar—a modified vintage Esquire with the Tele neck pickup added that often gets mistaken for a vintage Tele) and Bassman. Check out the first solo on the Zevon tune at 1:27. It burns, and it may not even be his best solo on the song.

Jeff Tweedy (Wilco): “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” off A Ghost is Born.

Wilco has lived a charmed life as far as their main lead guitar players go. Both Nels Cline and Jay Bennett are/were brilliant players in different ways. But for one record, Jeff Tweedy was the lead (and, on tour, only) guitar player. And while the album has quite a few high water marks, guitar-wise (“At Least That’s What You Said”, which explodes from a stunning ballad to a Dinosaur jr./Neil Young and Crazy Horse blowout), it’s on this ten plus minute track that Tweedy really shines.

With both the fills in the verses and over several solos, Tweedy manages to play an angular, unexpected, and unique guitar. The tone is fabulous and the solos manage to cover several minutes of the long track without a single cliché. This song announced Tweedy as more than just a supremely gifted singer/songwriter, but also a guitar player who wasn’t like anyone else. Check this one at, especially what starts around the five-minute mark.

Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo): “Today is the Day” (live)

As with anyone on this list, a person could pick any number of songs that showcase the player’s greatness. There are several songs in the YLT catalog that show off Kaplan’s melodic side better than this—but it’s his ability with catchy melody and dissonance where he often shines. Check out the frenzied, aggressive, and altogether cliché-free solo that starts around the 3:15 mark. You’d be hard pressed to find a player more capable of hitting that blissful point where melody and unhinged noise come together. So much beauty coming from so much Jazzmaster abuse.

Bob Mould (Sugar / Husker Du): “Shoot Out the Lights” (live)

Mould is, understandably, known for his chainsaw rhythm guitar and outstanding songwriting in the seminal Husker Du, and for his more textured, cleaner work in Sugar and as a solo artist. He’s been writing great music for over thirty years now, and there are any number of his own tunes (again) I could use here as examples. Instead, I’m going with his live cover of the Richard Thompson classic, “Shoot Out the Lights.” The reason? For one, anyone who can hold their own while covering Richard Thompson is almost by definition a great guitar player.

Thompson is one of a kind, and it takes some guts to even try this, let alone succeed as well as Mould does here. Jagged, dramatic, and unexpected—this is one hell of a performance.

By Rob Roberge

www.robroberge.com

Five Great Guitarists Not Known for Their Guitar Playing from MyRareGuitars.com

Keith McFadden – Sidejack DLX and Bass VI

Walk off the Earth – Airline Bighorn

Walk off the Earth – Eastwood AEB Bass & Airline Bighorn

YouTube Your Eastwood (July 2013) from MyRareGuitars.com

Richard Hawley – Sidejack Baritone DLX

Crazy Aces – Sidejack BASS VI

Emma Lee – Airline 3P DLX

Lewin Barringer – Mandocaster

Lewin Barringer – Joey Leone Superfast

Marco Gervais and his dog – Eastwood Messenger

Githead – Colin Newman – Airline MAP

Frederic Voleon – Airline Folkstar

Jack Mazzenga – Eastwood Mandocaster

YouTube Your Eastwood (December 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

NIPPON MADONNA – Airline ’59 2P

Vince Lee – Airline Espanada

Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers – Henry Carvajel – Airline Espanada

Joe Brewer – Hi-Flyer Phase 4 DEMO

Mojo Radio – Classic 4 Bass

Bliks – Airline H44

Demi Barbito – Airline ’59 3P

Buzzcocks – Starway Limited Edition

Le Murd – Sidejack DLX

Jeff Senn – Sidejack DLX DEMO

YouTube Your Eastwood (September 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Herculion – That Mercy – Airline MAP

Richard Hawley – Down in the Woods – Sidejack Baritone

Snarky Puppy – Minjor – Sidejack Baritone

Pink Floyd – Outside The Wall – G.E. Smith on Eastwood Mandocaster

Lucy Peach – Hanging on the Telephone – Warren Ellis Tenor

VINILOVERSUS – Yunque – Airline MAP DLX

Missile – Pray For Me – Airline MAP Bass

Eastwood P-90 Demo by anotherheadlessdemo

Eastwood Mandocaster Demo by Jack Mazzenga

Joe Price – Airline MAP

The Dahlmanns- Bright City Lights – Eastwood Breadwinner

YouTube Your Eastwood (June 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Wooden Shjips – Live on KEXP – Airline 3P DLX

R.E.M. – Alligator_Aviator_Autopilot_Antimatter – Sidejack DLX

Eastwood Classic 12 Demo – Brian Tarquin

Trolley – I Woke Up – Sidejack DLX

DUM DUM GIRLS – Hold your hand – Airline 3P DLX

Paul Kelly – If I Could Start the Day Again – Airline Tuxedo

Jack the Radio – Carolina Mud – Airline 3P DLX

Far-Out Fangtooth – Patience – Airline 3P DLX

SHA’S FECKEL – MASSIVE BEREAVEMENT – Airline on-deck

Beyond Veronica – The Rivers Edge – Classic 4 Bass

YouTube Your Eastwood (May 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

The Mastersons Perform at John Varvatos Thursday Nite Live – Airline Coronado, Warren Ellis Tenor, Airline MAP Bass

The Black Lips – Cole’s Invincible Airline Twin Tone

The Black Marquee (LA) – Brokedown Casanova – 2012 – Classic 4 Bass / Airline Tuxedo

‘Only When It Rains’ and ‘Heartache’ by The Hedrons – Eastwood P-90

Eastwood Airline Big Horn – di Simone Gianlorenzi

Bill Nelson – two short clips – Airline Town & Country / Airline MAP

Dum Dum Girls – “Bedroom Eyes” – Airline ’59 Custom

Golden Bloom – “Rhyme The Reason” – Airline RS-II

DOG DAY – “Happiness” – Airline Bass

The Fearless Vampire Killers – For You & Me – Classic 4 Bass

YouTube Your Eastwood (April 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Mike Falzone – Coldplay cover Paradise – Airline MAP

White Mystery – Classic 6

RJ Ronquillo with his Airline ’59 1P

From Argentina: MUNDO ROCK – Franko with his Classic 4

Two videos from 15-year-old Solomon Hicks with his Eastwood Doral

Duke Robillard and his Airline Twin Tone

From Germany: VAN WOLFEN and his Airline Town & Country

Locksley – Airline MAP Bass

Cursed Arrows – Sidejack Baritone

Steve Wheeler (with Robin Guthrie) using his EEB-1

YouTube Your Eastwood (March 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

King Salami & The Cumberland 3 using Classic 6

The Black Lips – Airline Twin Tone

The Incarus Line – Lefty Magnum Bass

SNARKY PUPPY – Sidejack Baritone

LOCUS IN LOVE – Saturn ’63

AIR CASTLES – Airline Bighorn

Leone & Redington – Superfast and Mandocaster

Transmissor – Delta 6 & Classic 6

Demi Barbito – Airline MAP

RJ Ronquillo – Airline Tuxedo

YouTube Your Eastwood (February 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Roscoe Does BECK – Eastwood Ichiban

Jeffrey Beauchamp Art Show Promo – Airline Tuxedo

Floating Action – Eastwood Classic 12

Missle – Airline 2P and MAP Bass

Gearwire.com – Airline Mandola

THE BLACK LIPS using an AIRLINE TWIN TONE

The Surf Aces with AIRLINE MAP Guitar and BASS. WOW!

..and the Joey Leone Signature goes south with a great Chilean band, called “Voodoo Zombie”

Dutch band DEE STAAT featuring EASTWOOD Delta 6

Dirty Pavor – Knobs & Switches

Unfortunate Science – featuring Eastwood WANDRE DLX

Hospital Beds – featuring AIRLINE MAP

YouTube Your Eastwood (January 2012) from MyRareGuitars.com

Here is a quick shred lesson from Demi Barbito using his new Eastwood GP. Enjoy!

Guitar Lesson from ShredAcademy.com from MyRareGuitars.com

Last month I was alerted to someone shredding on an AIRLINE MAP Guitar. Although cool, it just seemed weird to me. Beautiful, but weird. After a few days I noticed I was putting my shoes on the wrong feet, driving on the wrong side of the road, and leaving the toilet seat up. Something was wrong. So I contacted Demi Barbito and asked him to clear my mind by shredding on one of the few models I felt shred-worthy in the Eastwood lineup – the Eastwood GP. He obliged, now all seems right again:

If you missed the first one on the AIRLINE MAP, here it is. But be warned, you’ll have to watch the Eastwood GP video again before operating heavy equipment:

Please drop a line to Demi and say hello, he is a pure talent, here is another example:

The Demi Show Shred Clip On An Eastwood GP Guitar from MyRareGuitars.com

Music Video: 'Got to Lose' by Hollerado

Check out the new video from Hollerado produced by Greg Jardin. Amazingly it was done in one take, with one camera. Watch it a few times and you will get a sense of how difficult it is to pull this off. As an added bonus, the AIRLINE guitars and straps look awesome!

Hollerado: ‘Got To Lose’ Music Video from MyRareGuitars.com

Shawn Fogel: Neutral Uke Hotel

On his way to NXNE this spring, long time Eastwood customer Shawn Fogel and some members of his two bands dropped by Eastwood for a visit. Shawn’s most recent project – Neutral UKE Hotel – covers the classic indie pop album “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea” in its entirety. But with Ukulele’s? Can you make awesome, awesomer? I think so. We asked him to give us a sneak peek, so they pressed a couple of AIRLINE Electric Ukuleles into action in the Eastwood Lounge:

If you were fortunate to hook up with In the Aeroplane Over the Sea when it was first released in 1998, you will love Fogel’s Ukulele rewrite. If you missed it, never to late to pick up the Neutral Milk Hotel classic.

It was a pleasure to finally meet Shawn. During his visit he dropped off a copy of his last CD, Golden Bloom, and the big kick for me – two weeks later – is that I still have this CD in play every day. For those who know me, that is saying a lot. The collection of songs on “Fan the Flames” is a non-stop carnival ride of power pop classics, hooked filled ballads and toe-tapping pop nuggets. It makes you want to get straight back on the ride as soon as it is over. So here I am, still hitting the PLAY button two weeks later. Fogel played all the instruments on Fan the Flames — piano, bass guitar, tenor sax, keyboards, harmonica, and drums – which is impressive in itself, but when you add a keen sense of song craftsmanship to the mix, I feel obliged to pound the table. Here is a sample track, Dead Petals.

Golden Bloom: Fan the Flames (from Multi-Instrumentalist & Frontman, Shawn Fogel)

Neutral Uke Hotel Visits Eastwood Lounge from MyRareGuitars.com

This video really takes me back to the first time I fought that final battle with Ganon. Ah, memories. So without further ado, please enjoy I Fight Dragons covering a song from one of the greatest video games of all time.

I Fight Dragons band (Chicago, IL)

I Fight Dragons Cover the Legend of Zelda Theme Song from MyRareGuitars.com

Neko Case on David Letterman featuring Jon Rauhouse on his Eastwood Classic 12:

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John Fogerty playing some killer slide guitar on his Airline Coronado:

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The Decemberists on Late Late Show, Chris Funk with his Eastwood Messenger:

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Another cool video featuring the Eastwood Coronado guitar by The Jett Blackk Heart Attack:

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Chris Spedding with his Airline Town & Country:

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Music Radar demo featuring the Airline RS-II guitar:

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German player Einar Gast with his Airline Town & Country:

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Colin Newman of GITHEAD with his Eastwood Breadwinner:

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Liverpool band OWLS with a lefty Eastwood Ichiban:

Eastwood Guitar Sightings on YouTube in 2009 from MyRareGuitars.com

Joey Leone & Wendell Ferguson at NAMM 2009 from MyRareGuitars.com

David Celia Music Video: Best Thing Ever from MyRareGuitars.com

Nope, that is a GIBSON non-reverse Firebird. About FIVE times more expensive than our Stormbird – had me fooled for a moment too. So why am I writing about this? Because the band was awesome! What a great performance by Gossip! As soon as I saw this I went to ITunes and bought their 2005 release, Standing in the Way of Control. A great merger of Punk and Soul. Check out the video and you decide…

Eastwood Stormbird Guitar Sighting on Letterman? from MyRareGuitars.com

Githead: Art Pop album

First, the contest for the Pete Shelley Signature Guitar is wrapping up on Dec 10th, so get your entry in before it’s too late! Second, we have finished our next video interview – with Colin Newman (Wire) and his wife Malka Spigel who are Githead. Yes, I’m a Wire fan (who isn’t!?) but Githead is something you really need to check out. Enjoy!

Githead: Colin Newman & Malka Spigel Talk Art Pop from MyRareGuitars.com