A guitarist since 1996, Sergio played guitar in The Junior Varsity from 2002-2007 and a handful of times since, as well as playing in many other bands. In addition to guitar, he plays drums and owns and operates recording gear. Sergio is a sci-fi fan, a lover of dogs, and big, loud amps. Sergio is the Senior Guitar Copywriter at zZounds, as well as the manager of the Guitar category, and works as an audio engineer with the zZounds video team.
Get the Tone: Tony Iommi
Unofficially recognized as the “Godfather of Heavy Metal,” Tony Iommi’s influence on the evolution of distorted electric guitar tone over the past 40+ years cannot be overstated. Iommi, a pioneer of the detuned guitar technique, used immense amounts of gain to convey to the audience the sounds he heard in his head. These tricks and […]
Failure – The Heart Is a Monster
After nearly two decades between albums, Los Angeles’s Failure recently released their fourth full-length, The Heart Is a Monster. Much more than a spiritual successor to 1996’s Fantastic Planet, The Heart Is a Monster almost seems as if the band never went on hiatus to begin with and easily could’ve released this around 1998. The […]
PRS 30th Anniversary Celebration
30 years is a long time for anything, but especially long in the musical gear industry — a realm where players (cough, guitarists, cough) tend to be quite wary of new brands or products. The fact that Paul Reed Smith Guitars has not only survived, but has actually become known as one of the top guitar manufacturers […]
Shiner – The Egg
In this music review, we’ll take a trip back in time to the fall of 2001 and the release of post-hardcore band Shiner’s fourth and final album, The Egg. Equal parts aggressive, technical, and polished, this swan song is arguably the band’s finest work. Produced by J. Robbins, this record really feels like an extension […]
Tracking History: Bill Putnam
Obviously a lot has changed since the days when this photo was taken — heck, I can download a multitrack recording app for free onto my phone and use the phone’s on-board mic to record, layer, and mix sounds for a production that wouldn’t be the best, but would be easily more intelligible and of […]
BØRNS’ Guitar Rig
Featuring clever guitar arrangements, atmospheric vocal harmonies, and a penchant for writing incredibly catchy hooks, LA's BØRNS has quickly established itself as a rising star in the indie-pop scene thanks to the band's impressive debut EP, Candy.
Swervedriver – I Wasn’t Born to Lose You
“I Wasn’t Born to Lose You” is the recently released new album from beloved ’90s shoegaze band Swervedriver, and their first since 1998. It positively confirms the truth behind the old idiom, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Featuring lead singer Adam Franklin’s distinctive, nonchalant vocal stylings and the swirling fuzz guitars that put […]
