The temptation is to try and abuse every available note across the neck, but honing in on one area and using the notes across the fretboard will stop you becoming addicted to the top strings and give you more diversity.

Check this simple practice video out from Marty, showing some nice runs in A Minor.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf_2eodyR_0[/youtube]

Fender have launched two new rather nice amps.

The Fender Pawn Shop Special Greta, is a  small vintage tabletop radio styled amp, their most unusual to date.

Behind its old-school VU meter and vintage style enclosure is a single 12AT7 output tube and 12AX7 preamp tube, with 2 watts of power and a 4″ Special Design speaker.

You get a variety of low-volume clean and overdriven guitar tones, and you can also use it for playing music via its 1/4″ instrument jack input, for iPod connectivity.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj5VBBxDRKw[/youtube]

The bigger Fender Pawn Shop Special Excelsior looks a bit more refined than the Greta and features brown textured vinyl covering, with an “E” grille design and a nice crossed swords front badge. It packs a single 15″ Special Design speaker with a bottom-loaded chassis, with controls that set on the top of the chassis.

At its core are two 6v6 output tubes and two 12AX7 preamp tubes that give you a variety of old-school tube tones. Additional features include a bright/dark tone switch (for treble or bass emphasis), tremolo circuit with speed control, volume control and 1/4″ internal speaker disconnect that lets the amp drive an external speaker enclosure.

Also included are 3 inputs: instrument, microphone and even one for an accordion (?) with each having their own circuitry.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-R1pMp7iwg[/youtube]

Fender have introduced the all-new Machete combo amp, and it looks great.

The 50-watt, dual-channel Machete combo boasts a completely new high-gain channel, an extremely clear-sounding clean channel that can be pushed into aggressive rhythm guitar territory, and onboard digital reverb.

It has a seriously strong enclosure and even has trolley wheels for added versatility to push around that monster single 12” Celestion speaker deliver which has a full pummeling response.

There’s also midrange notch control, adjustable speaker damping for finely tuned performance, XLR output with switchable speaker muting and cabinet emulation, and push-pull pots for bright boost and gain boost on the rhythm channel to boot.

To add to the appeal the unit is stylishly covered in vinyl with inlaid white piping and gray vinyl “steering wheel grip” accents. A Four-button footswitch and fitted cover is also included.

The guitar will be unveiled at the 2012 Winter NAMM show next week in Anaheim, California (Booth 4468 if you want to get a sneak peek).

The guitar is clearly a glam rock heavy metal guitar with a really chunky sound, powered by two mighty might humbuckers.

Other specs include:

• Basswood body

• Bolt-on, 25 1/2” maple neck

• 24-fret, rosewood fretboard

• Two Mighty Mite Humbucker pickups

• Chrome hardware

• Custom paint and artwork

• One volume, one tone, toggle switch

• TOM bridge with strings through body

• Gene Simmons custom gig bag

• MSRP $650.00 USD

See more info at http://www.cortguitars.com/

The guitar is likened  to 1968 models, with a different control layout with a shorter scale and smaller, brighter pickups with more output.

The jaguar received cult status in the 60′s surf revolution and has been a popular model ever since, bridging the gap between pop and rock .

The U.S.-built 50th Anniversary Jaguar celebrates that history. It includes the classic 24” scale length, a new one-degree neck-angle-pocket cut that improves pitch, a re-positioned tremolo plate that increases bridge break angle and sustain, and specially designed hot Jaguar single-coil neck and bridge pickups that deliver fatter tone and more output.

The offset body is made of Alder with lacquer finish, and has a C-shaped maple neck with lacquer finish and vintage-style truss rod, 9.5”-radius bound rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets and pearloid block inlays.

There are two tone circuits, “lead” and rhythm with their own dedicated volume and tone controls, two-position tone switch and on/off slide switch for each pickup, a cool three-ply pickguard (Mint Green-Black-Mint Green), and vintage-style floating tremolo bridge with lock button and chrome cover.

This is a guitar for Fender lovers, and in particular Jaguar lovers for sure, and only an enthusiast is going to fully appreciate the unique setup of this new model.

[Source]

Main Riff

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP8FLbUbtHs&feature=related [/youtube]

Middle Solo

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh_0uvKSnzk&feature=related[/youtube]

Middle Solo part 2

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzBTx4pKIjg&feature=related [/youtube]

Start of Final Lead solo

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bUMVZOpUuk[/youtube]

part 2

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3Df1x2h1a0&feature=related[/youtube]

part 3

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfFd7ayn7cY&feature=related[/youtube]

part 4

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjmRpQBUkD8&feature=related[/youtube]

The album was recorded in Wales and Los Angeles. In support of the new album they will be going on tour from April 30th. You can download a track from the new album here: Click!, you will need to have a Facebook or Twitter account though.

You can read more over at the band’s official website here: Click!

Looks as Though Wentz takes the rap for the split, which isn’t surprising, as he clearly is the one who sold out the Band and helped ruin their image.

The news is making the rounds today as a result of Wentz’s statements on a social networking site and is reported on Ultimate Guitar:

Although the group is said to be on a break, bassist Pete Wentz revealed through a social networking site that he won’t be having an association with Fall Out Boy anymore and that the band is likely finished.

Through his Twitter account, Wentz engaged in a conversation with fans about Fall Out Boy and revealed his thoughts on the band’s status.

“Don’t you get it? A hiatus is forever until you get lonely or old. I don’t plan on either,” he wrote. “I can’t imagine playing in FOB again. Something would have to change in my head or my heart … not my wallet.”

Wentz went on about the group’s situation and stated they may continue on without him and that he takes blame for the break-up. After posting a few odd posts on his blog about the apparent hiatus, the bassist went on to release the following statements discussing his opinions on the matter.

“I don’t know the future of Fall Out Boy. It’s embarrassing to say one thing and then have the future dictate another. As far as I know Fall Out Boy is on break (no one wants to say the ‘H’ word,)” he wrote. “As much as I don’t have a solo project, I also can’t predict that I’d ever play in Fall Out Boy again, not due to personal relationships as much as (that as) a band we grew apart“

The three instruments in the new series—the American Special Telecaster, American Special Stratocaster and American Special Stratocaster HSS—are highly affordable Fender electric guitars that are within the reach of an entire spectrum of players. As such, they share many features with their cousins in the acclaimed Highway One™ and American Standard series.

All three American Special guitars feature alder bodies with gloss urethane finishes, 9.5″-radius maple necks with jumbo frets, and Texas Special™ pickups (the Stratocaster HSS has an Atomic™ humbucking bridge pickup).

The American Special Telecaster has a vintage-style string-through-body Telecaster bridge with three brass saddles, a black pickguard, and is available in Olympic White and Three-color Sunburst. American Special Stratocaster has a vintage-style synchronized tremolo and white pickguard, and is available in Candy Apple Red and Two-color Sunburst. The American Special Stratocaster HSS has a rosewood fingerboard, black pickguard and vintage-style synchronized tremolo, and is available in Black and Three-color Sunburst.

more info here

Tracks featured on ‘Valleys Of Neptune’, which is produced by Hendrix‘s stepsister Janie, along with John McDermott and Eddie Kramer, include covers of Cream’s ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’ and Elmore James‘ ‘Bleeding Heart’.

The original version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience rendition of ‘Hear My Train A Comin’‘, along with alternate cuts of ‘Ships Passing Through The Night’ and ‘Lullaby For The Summer’ are also included on the album, which was recorded at several studios in London and the US between 1968 and 1970.

Janie Hendrix said that the album offers a “deep insight into [Jimi's] mastery of the recording process and demonstrates the fact that he was as unparalleled a recording innovator as he was a guitarist.”

The tracklisting for ‘Valleys of Neptune’ is:

‘Stone Free’
‘Valleys Of Neptune’
‘Bleeding Heart’
‘Hear My Train A Comin’’
‘Mr. Bad Luck’
‘Sunshine Of Your Love’
‘Lover Man’
‘Ships Passing Through The Night’
‘Fire’
‘Red House’
‘Lullaby For The Summer’
‘Crying Blue Rain’ 

Source: nme.com