Meet The Makers 30
Mojotone Pickup Designer David Shepherd
With a fascination for the playing techniques of Eddie Van Halen and an obsession with tinkering with guitars, David Shepherd was well on his way to a career in pickup design from an early age. Though he played in a few bands with friends in his native North Carolina, Shepherd said he wasn’t planning on […]
Behind the Design: Alesis Strike Pro Kit
While designing the Strike and Strike Pro kits, Alesis engineers had two goals in mind: to provide drummers with their most powerful module yet, and to make an electronic kit that finally delivers on the promise of feeling like a real acoustic drum set. Josh Cuadra, Alesis National Sales Manager and Dan Recchia, Alesis Project Manager, recently paid […]
Interview with Stuart Spector
When Stuart Spector released the NS-1 bass for the first time in 1977, it was unlike anything the bass world had seen yet. Up until that point, electric basses were either derivatives of the popular Precision and Jazz styles developed by Fender, or were one of a handful of unique models designed by the likes […]
Fender Refocuses on Acoustic Guitars
Billy Martinez, Vice President and Category Manager of Fender’s Acoustic Guitars Division, is on a mission. Data suggests that just 10 percent of people who purchase a guitar as a new player will stick with the instrument. Martinez not only wants more players to stick with guitar, but with Fender guitars. To do so, he thought […]
Andy Fuchs Interview
Andy Fuchs had a childhood that would make any guitarist green with envy: he grew up in a music shop during the halcyon days of classic rock. Yet despite his upbringing, Andy says the family business didn’t net him a roomful of gear. “Visions of Les Pauls and Marshalls being given to me for Christmas […]
EarthQuaker Devices: Interview with Jamie Stillman
EarthQuaker Devices always wows us with new pedals and their DIY, musicians-first attitude. This year, they took things up a notch by hosting the first annual EarthQuaker Day event at their world headquarters in the gilded city of Akron, OH. The event definitely embodied the EQD spirit with live music, pedal demos, a riff contest, […]
Roland’s 909 Day: Redefining the Product Launch Event
At their The Future Redefined event, nicknamed “909 Day,” Roland is rolling out a slew of new gear — and they’re also introducing a new way to launch products, breaking the mold of the traditional tradeshow approach. Backstage at Studio Six01 in Burbank, California, just before the Los Angeles leg of 909 Day kicked off, […]
Kirk Hammett on KHDK Electronics
When a guitarist carries as much esteem as Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, you’d think they would be content sticking to the signature tone they developed years ago. But, just like us lowly mortals, the guitar god still tweaks and adjusts to his tastes, forever chasing the sounds he has in his head. And to that end, […]
Interview with Ben Fulton of Red Witch
We were lucky to host Red Witch founder Ben Fulton at zZounds HQ not long ago and he graciously sat down with us to give us the lowdown on his boutique pedal range. From early Red Witch creations like the Empress Chorus to the compact, budget friendly Seven Sisters line, there’s a spectrum of sounds coming from […]
