Native Instruments Introduces SESSION STRINGS

New KONTAKT-based software instrument delivers highly authentic, studio-quality acoustic string ensemble for contemporary music styles

Berlin, June 14th, 2010 - Native Instruments today introduced SESSION STRINGS, a versatile virtual string ensemble for KONTAKT 4 and the free KONTAKT PLAYER. Brought to life through the advanced functionality of the KONTAKT platform, SESSION STRINGS provides charismatic, highly expressive acoustic string sounds for pop, soul, R&B, disco, house and other contemporary music styles.

SESSION STRINGS recreates a string ensemble comprising four violins, three violas, two celli and two double basses, captured and produced in one of Germany’s most renowned recording studios by sampling expert Thomas Koritke’s new sound design house e-instruments. All recordings were taken from exclusive instruments from the 18th and 19th century, played by top musicians from some of the finest European orchestras, resulting in outstanding tone and articulations on the highest level of

musical virtuosity.

By fully utilizing the advanced features of the KONTAKT platform, SESSION STRINGS puts the full expressive arsenal of a world-class string ensemble at the fingertips of the user. The individual instrument groups are mapped conveniently across the keyboard, with intelligent legato and glissando based on dedicated samples. Easily controllable falls, swoops and crescendo variations allow producers to create soulful and dynamic string licks with ease.

The authenticity and creative value of SESSION STRINGS is further enhanced through the unique and highly versatile “Animator”. This powerful function can be engaged seamlessly during play to transform incoming notes into virtuous staccato, spiccato and pizzicato chords and arpeggios, with the timing and groove easily adjustable by the user, and while maintaining natural legato articulation at the same time. An integrated studio-grade convolution reverb also provides a variety of completely realistic room ambiences

.

SESSION STRINGS also provides a full set of optional “Motown versions” for all included sounds, utilizing a special sonic treatment that authentically recreates the distinctive and highly sought-after vintage string sound of the legendary soul recordings from the 60s and 70s.

SESSION STRINGS is available for download purchase in the NI Online Shop for $119 / 99 EUR.

Additional information on SESSION STRINGS is available at www.native-instruments.com/sessionstrings

Summer NAMM 2010 - Fender® The New Super-Sonic™ Combo Amps, Heads And Enclosures

New Pro Tube series models deliver even more power and versatility

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 18, 2010) – Fender unveils the next generation of its acclaimed Pro Tube series Super-Sonic guitar amplifier family with the introduction of the Super-Sonic 22 Combo, Super-Sonic 60 Combo, Super-Sonic 60 Head and Super-Sonic 212 Enclosure.

The Super-Sonic concept is built on the idea of professional-level tube performance for guitarists who crave exemplary Fender clean and overdriven tones, along with expressive modern high-gain distortion, all in one no-nonsense amp.

The Super-Sonic 22 Combo, a 22-watt tube combo, delivers versatility with the organic feel and moderate output power of the legendary Deluxe Reverb® amp, making it perfect for most stage and studio applications. The “Vintage” channel delivers pure, unmistakable Fender tone; the awe-inspiring “Burn” channel ignites musical inspiration with overdrive ranging from bluesy to flamethrower. And while the 22-watt, 1x12” Super-Sonic 22 is capable of heavily saturated tube distortion and sustain, it never masks the tonal character of the guitar that’s plugged into it. Offered in classic Black/Silver or the revered 1961 Blonde/Oxblood cosmetic treatment; both versions include ivory “radio” knobs and flowing 1960s script logo.

The new and updated 1x12” Super-Sonic 60 Combo offers those features too, but kicks the power up to 60 watts and is fine-tuned for increased bass response and fatter tone. Its “Vintage” channel takes its cue from two legendary Fender favorites, the Vibrolux® and the Bassman®. It too is offered in classic Black/Silver or 1961 Blonde/Oxblood cosmetic treatment; both with ivory “radio” knobs and flowing 1960s script logo.

The muscle and finesse of the Super-Sonic 60 Combo also comes in a piggyback design in the form of the new Super-Sonic 60 Head and Super-Sonic 212 Enclosure. The former packs the two-channel punch and versatile features of the combo version and is built to drive the latter—a rugged cabinet housing two 12” Celestion® Vintage 30 speakers, with rock-solid Baltic birch-ply construction, oversized baffle board for increased resonance, knurled thumbwheels for securely mounting the Super-Sonic 60 Head, and chrome tilt-back legs for increased projection.

For more information, go to www.fender.com.

Summer NAMM 2010 - EVH® Introduces Wolfgang™ Special Guitar

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 18, 2010) – EVH is proud to introduce the new EVH Wolfgang Special guitar based on the hugely-successful U.S.-made EVH Wolfgang guitar designed by Eddie Van Halen.

The Wolfgang Special is a pro-level signature guitar, handmade in Japan, featuring many of the same exclusive custom appointments as its U.S.-made counterpart for less than half the price.

Some of these unique features include a basswood body with maple veneer flat top and single ply body binding, and a quartersawn maple neck complete with an AA birdseye maple compound radius fretboard and 22 vintage-style stainless steel frets.

Additional features it shares with its U.S.-made counterpart include custom-designed “EVH Wolfgang” humbucking pickups, an EVH branded Floyd Rose® locking tremolo system with D-Tuna®, a 3-position toggle switch, two Bourns® low-friction controls (1 x 250k, 1 x 500k), EVH tuning machines, and a custom SKB molded striped case. Available in Vintage White, Tobacco Burst and Black polyurethane finishes.

For more information, go to www.evhgear.com.

Summer NAMM 2010 - Squier® Introduces Sleek New Bass Guitars

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 18, 2010) – Squier continues to make waves—big, booming waves—in summer 2010 with the introduction of two new bass guitar models, the Affinity Series™ Jazz Bass® V (Five-String) in Brown Sunburst and Classic Vibe™ ’60s Precision Bass® in Fiesta Red. Both deliver great Squier look, sound, feel and value.

The Affinity Jazz Bass V (Five-String), Squier’s value-priced version of the world-famous Fender Jazz Bass, is now available in a Brown Sunburst finish in addition to the black model introduced in 2007. It too has the look and sound that everyone knows and loves, with a one-piece maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, single-coil Jazz Bass V pickups, top-load bridge and die-cast tuners.

The Classic Vibe ’60s Precision Bass is now available in Fiesta Red—one of the most sought-after ’60s-era colors. The model continues to deliver a huge-sounding authentic Precision Bass experience, with alnico V pickup magnets, gloss maple neck with vintage tint, 9.5”-radius fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets, and “HiMass” bridge with brass barrel saddles.

For more information, go to www.squierguitars.com.

Summer NAMM 2010 - Fender® Upgrades Preamps adds New “Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket & T-ucket 400CE Acoustic Guitars

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (June 18, 2010) – Fender proudly announces its move to Fishman® preamps with built-in tuners for all acoustic guitars with onboard electronics, and the release of two new acoustic guitars, the “Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket” and T-Bucket 400CE acoustic guitar.

Fender has now upgraded all of its acoustic guitar preamp systems to Fishman, the leading U.S. manufacturer of acoustic pickups and preamps. Among these instruments, the Sonoran SCE models now have preamps with built-in tuners thanks to their new Fender Fishman Isys III™ systems.

Frankenstein’s monster himself glowers from the custom-pinstriped top of the green-sparkle “Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket” guitar, straight from the twisted but talented psyche of San Francisco hot rod artist extraordinaire “Dirty” Donny Gillies. Fender recently invited Gillies, who is well known for his graphics work with cars and skateboards, to work his monster magic on a single-cutaway dreadnought, and the resulting guitar was dubbed the “Franken-Bucket.”

It’s not only cool looking, but also solidly built. The Dirty Donny Franken-Bucket features a laminated spruce top with scalloped X bracing, laminated mahogany back and sides, ivory neck and body binding, a laminated mahogany neck with a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard and dual-action truss rod, pinstripe inlay motif on headstock and rosette, a Fender Fishman® Presys™ preamp with a built in-tuner, rosewood bridge with compensated saddle, black bridge pins with white dots, chrome hardware, die-cast tuners and a green-sparkle gloss polyurethane finish.

The new Hot Rod Design series T-Bucket 400CE model boasts some of the most beautiful touches yet seen on a Fender acoustic guitar. Most notably, the T-Bucket 400CE features a gorgeous natural finish flame maple top, back and sides. A closer look reveals an inlaid Fender “F” and pinstriping motif at the 12th fret, designed by noted graphic artist and rockabilly musician Vince Ray. Fender fans will note that Ray was the creative force behind the 2008 “Unlucky 13” limited edition acoustic guitar model. The T-Bucket 400CE also features an elegantly inlaid pinstriping motif on the headstock and rosette, and ivory neck and body binding.

Structurally, the guitar features scalloped X bracing, a dual-action truss rod, all-solid rosewood bridge with compensated saddle, side dot position inlays, factory-mounted forward strap button with internal block reinforcement, chrome end pin, white bridge pins with black dots, and a Fender Fishman Isys III preamp with built-in tuner.

For more information, go to www.fender.com.

Summer NAMM 2010 - Sonoma Wire Works Unveils the GuitarJack

Los Altos, CA - June 18, 2010 - Sonoma Wire Works, makers of the FourTrack recording app, announces the GuitarJack audio device. GuitarJack connects a wide range of instruments, microphones, and other audio hardware to iPod touch® (2nd and 3rd generation), iPhone® 3GS* and iPhone 3G* via 1/4 inch instrument and 1/8 inch stereo mic/line inputs. Addressing the most frequent request from musicians who use FourTrack, GuitarJack makes both level control and input monitoring possible when using a GuitarJack enhanced app. Sonoma Wire Works is also developing the TaylorEQ app for the GuitarJack. The free TaylorEQ app will allow Taylor Guitar players to hear and adjust the tone of their guitars playing through the GuitarJack using EQ settings custom designed by Taylor Guitars. GuitarJack will be priced at $199 MSRP. GuitarJack and TaylorEQ are scheduled to ship in Q3 2010. Pricing and availability subject to change. GuitarJack features, images and video: http://www.sonomawireworks.com/guitarjack

GuitarJack Features:

• 1/4 inch instrument input with configurable pad, Lo-Z and Hi-Z modes
• 1/8 inch stereo mic/line input with pad, normal and boost modes
• Each input has 60dB of continuous level control
• 1/8 inch stereo output with increased drive for headphones
• Sleek and rugged metal shell
• 30 pin connector compatible only with iPod touch (2nd and 3rd generation), iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G

GuitarJack controls in FourTrack allow recording in these modes:

• Instrument (1/4 inch) mono
• Mic/Line (1/8 inch) mono, dual-mono or stereo
• Both inputs, with the instrument input and the mic/line input (right channel) recording to separate tracks

See the GuitarJack at Summer NAMM Booth 408.

Summer NAMM 2010 - Elixir® Strings Shows Off Their Complete Cable Line

NASHVILLE, TN — Elixir Strings will be featuring its Elixir® Cables, including the recently released patch cable, at this year’s Summer NAMM show (Booth 728). With the addition of the patch cable, players can experience the true voice of their guitar through their entire signal chain from guitar through the pedal board to the amp.

“Players can have the finest guitar, amps and effects pedals around, but if they’re not using the proper cabling their guitar may not sound the best it can,” explains Craig Theorin, Elixir Strings product manager. “Ordinary cables distort the sound of players’ guitars by artificially boosting the mids and cutting the highs. Using our full line of patch and instrument cables reduces capacitance and minimizes tone loss from their entire setup.”

For further signal clarity, Elixir Cables feature a dual shield construction to protect against both EMI and handling noise. Whether in the studio or on tour, Elixir Cables are designed to withstand the rigors of repeated use. The full line of Elixir Cables utilizes an abrasion-resistant jacket to allow maximum flexibility while providing superior cut resistance. The cables are also crush resistant and offer a space-grade center conductor to improve flex life and overall reliability.

The patch cables are available in 6-inch and 12-inch lengths with a right-angle-to-right-angle plug configuration.

Along with the addition of the patch cable, Elixir Strings has revamped the packaging for its entire cable line. The updated packaging features a new brighter, bolder look that is in line with the Elixir Strings brand, making it easily identifiable to players familiar with the company’s strings.

The new packaging also offers added flexibility for retailers. It features a more standardized shape, making it easier to hang, stack or display on a retail counter. In addition, the packaging is easier to open overall, allowing players to inspect the cable assembly before even leaving the store.

For more information on Elixir Cables and Elixir Cables dealers, please visit www.elixirstrings.com.

Summer NAMM 2010 - AmpKit and AmpKit LiNK iPhone Interface & App From Peavey

Meridian, MS (June 16, 2010) -- Musical-instrument and sound-equipment innovator Peavey Electronics and leading iPhone applications developer and 2010 Apple Design Award winner Agile Partners announced the two companies are joining forces to launch AmpKit, a guitar amp and effects iPhone application, and AmpKit LiNK, a high-fidelity audio interface for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Together, AmpKit and AmpKit LiNK provide musicians of all skill levels with a powerful and convenient way to jam with high quality tones anytime and anywhere.

The AmpKit LiNK audio interface raises the audio fidelity bar for the iPhone platform. AmpKit LiNK is a high fidelity iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad interface for electric guitar, bass, or any line level source, with an output that can be connected to headphones, powered speakers or a PA. AmpKit LiNK's CrossTalk Eliminator solves the feedback problem inherent in existing unpowered iPhone interfaces. The interface can be used with any recording, processing, or tuning application, including Agile Partners' GuitarToolkit.

AmpKit features include:

Amps
Starting with the Peavey ValveKing amp that comes free with AmpKit, AmpKit offers amps that are based on legends, amps that roar, and amps that crunch when you turn them up.

Each amp in AmpKit is modeled after the real amp's actual circuitry and includes individual controls that match up with the most important knobs and switches on the amp. Many amps include multiple channels: the Peavey ValveKing, for example, includes both Clean and Lead channels. Add new amps to AmpKit through the in-app Gear Store, making AmpKit infinitely extendable. There are 11 amps and 19 amp channels available currently.

Pedals
A total of 15 pedals make up AmpKit's pedal selection. The user can run as many as a dozen or even more effects pedals at a time. Available effects include: multiple distortion and fuzz pedals, reverb, delay, 10-band EQ, octave, chorus, flanger, phaser, vibrato, noise gate, and compressor. The free AmpKit app includes three pedals, with 12 additional pedals available in the Gear Store and more to come.

Cabs
AmpKit gives you total control of your cabinets. The AmpKit app includes two awesome cabinets for free: the Peavey ValveKing 4x12 and ValveKing 112. You can add up to 11 more cabinets as you add amps through the Gear Store, from workhorse cabs with solid mid tones to powerful cabs with colorful crunches and sparkling highs. AmpKit's polished user interface makes it easy to choose from a wide range of cabinets, mix and match cabinets with different amps, and save your favorite setups.

Mics
AmpKit gives you total control of the microphone and the microphone positioning. The app includes two  mics. Six additional mics are available in the Gear Store, from rugged dynamic mics that can handle whatever volume you dish out to amazing condenser mics with the frequency and transient response you need, all with ultra-low latency.

Tools
AmpKit includes tools you need for a guitar audio studio.

Recording & Reamping: AmpKit allows you to record as you play. Since it records both dry, unprocessed guitar audio and wet sound that has run through the amp and effects chain, you can actually take your recording and “reamp” it through a different amp setup.

Backing Tracks: Upload your favorite songs and play along, or record your own backing tracks.

Tuner & Metronome: AmpKit includes ultra-precise tuner and metronome capabilities.

Availability & Ordering
The AmpKit LiNK guitar interface will be available for pre-order from the Peavey online store as well as from dealers, distributors and retail stores for $39.99. The AmpKit app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad will be available in the Apple iTunes App Store.

For more info go to  Peavey Electronics or Agile Partners

Summer NAMM 2010 - Taylor Showcases GS Mini Guitar

Nashville, TN (June 18, 2010) -- Taylor Guitars is proud to introduce the GS Mini, the next generation in the company's line of ultra-portable and playable guitars. Featuring a scaled-down version of Taylor's popular Grand Symphony body shape, the GS Mini boasts a bold voice and impressive tonal depth that belie its compact size, and comes ready to amplify with new, Taylor-designed pickup accessories.

The GS Mini is the latest brainchild of Taylor's product development team. The product development team set out to design a guitar that was small, portable, lightweight, and affordable, with all of Taylor's signature tone. The company applied its latest design ideas and developed new tooling to produce the scaled-down size, which features a scale length of 23½ inches and a deeper body depth than the Baby Taylor. Compared to the Baby, the Mini is clearly a larger guitar, especially in the lower bout, yet the differential doesn't seem huge until you strum it.

"In terms of its ability to put out sound, it's twice what a Baby is," said Bob Taylor, co-founder and president of Taylor Guitars. "And it's not just the volume but the depth and richness of the tone. It sounds like a full-size guitar, except that it's ultra-portable."

To add to the guitar's "pick up and perform" appeal, Taylor also wanted to offer an acoustic pickup for the Mini, but one that could be purchased after-market and easily installed by anyone. Designed exclusively for the Mini, the ES-Go is a proprietary magnetic soundhole pickup inspired by Taylor's Expression System. Part of the ES-Go's design simplicity is that each Mini is pre-fitted for easy installation of the pickup, and can be plugged in with the guitar's discrete, snap-in interior clip. Another accessory that was designed to make it easy to plug in and play is the Taylor V-Cable: a quarter-inch cable with a built-in master volume control. Because the Mini was designed without tone or volume knobs, the V-Cable gives players a volume control where it plugs into the guitar, putting volume control at every player's fingertips any time they plug in.

The GS Mini features a solid Sitka top, a back and sides of sapele laminate, an ebony fretboard and bridge, and a tortoise shell pickguard. The Mini comes ready to go anywhere in a specially engineered Taylor GS Mini Hardbag and will be available at domestic Taylor dealers starting in late July at a suggested MSRP of $678. The ES-Go and V-Cable will also be available in late July through Taylor's online merchandise and accessories store, TaylorWare. Players can also purchase the Taylor V-Cable through RapcoHorizon, the manufacturer of the V-Cable. 

More info at http://www.taylorguitars.com

Summer NAMM 2010 - HardWire® Introduces The TR-7 Tremolo/Rotary Extreme Performance Pedal

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – HardWire®, a leading manufacturer of guitar pedals, has announced the new TR-7 Tremolo/Rotary Pedal at the 2010 Summer NAMM® Show in Nashville, Tennessee. The TR-7 is a true stereo tremolo, rotary, and vibrato pedal, which offers effects ranging from traditional tremolo to a highly-detailed rotary cabinet simulator. It also features true stereo I/O, allowing for complex connections and sounds with extreme flexibility.

The TR-7 features seven effects including; Tremolo, Opto-Tremolo, Bias Tremolo, Duo Tremolo, Rotary, Vibrato, and VibroPan. The TR-7 also includes HardWire’s standard extreme performance features like true bypass and high-voltage rails.

“We improved on an already impressive lineup of HardWire pedals with the introduction of the technologically superior tremolo and rotary pedal. The highly advanced processing in the TR-7 is an exciting addition to a tour-worthy package of the HardWire pedals,” stated Rob Urry, president, Harman Music Group.

Each HardWire pedal also features an assortment of tour-worthy accessories, including green gaffer tape common to pro pedalboards, Stomplock™ knob guards to maintain pedal settings and a hook & loop pad to fasten the pedal to a pedalboard.

The TR-7 will be available August 2010 with an MSRP of $189.95.

http://www.harman.com/EN-US/Pages/Home.aspx

SUMMER NAMM 2010 - FLAXWOOD Guiatrs Adds 2 New Electrics

The new Flaxwood DMZ-N Vasara in Piki gloss black 

A true rocker's dream, the DMZ-N Vasara (English translation: 'Hammer') is designed to offer players fat power chords, screaming harmonics, singing sustain and a commanding appearance. Featuring DiMarzio Crunchlab and FRED® pickups and a Gotoh Tune-O-Matic bridge, the DMZ-N is ideal for heavier rock and metal music. 

The Flaxwood 3S-T Haarii Special in Saraste tobaccoburst

The new 3S-T Haarii Special offers a unique combination of P90 warmth and single coil twang. Designed to deliver super, muscular 'Strat'-like tones while preserving the warmth and deep responsiveness that characterizes all Flaxwood guitars, the Seymour Duncan SP90 pickup in the neck gives the instrument full, jazz box-like tones, while the two Duncan SSL-6's create all the twang and bite you'd ever want. 

The guitar also features the ultra stable Schaller LP Tremolo bridge, 5-way switch and a uniquely wired blend knob that adds the bridge pickup in the neck position and the neck pickup in the bridge, or bridge/middle position, allowing for all three pickups to be used at once. It's a truly versatile instrument that covers nearly any style of music.

 
For more details and photos, kindly contact Jussi Reijonen: info@flaxwood.com

Summer NAMM 2010 - DigiTech® Introduces New BP90 Bass Multi-Effects Processor

DigiTech, a leading manufacturer of guitar and bass processors today introduced the new BP90 Bass Multi-Effects Processor at the 2010, Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tennessee. The BPP90 is powered by the AudioDNA® 2 processor and gives a player their favorite vintage, modern, and boutique models including stompboxes, amplifiers, cabinets, modulation effects, delays, reverbs, and even special effects such as the legendary Whammy™

Providing an arsenal of models to choose from, the BP90 features DigiTech's exclusive tone and effect libraries that enable easy programming. Completing the processor, there are a host of aggressive sounding presets that appeal to modern players of all skill levels.

Offering 27 effects, 11 amps, five cabinets, and five stompboxes, the BP90 takes bass tone to new levels. The BP90 also features 100 preset locations, 40 high-quality drum patterns to practice with, built-in chromatic tuner, and headphone jack for silent practicing. The expression pedal gives real time control over wah, volume, and DigiTech Whammy® effects.

"DigiTech invented multi-effects in 1988 with the DSP-128 and has been the Multi-Effects leader ever since. Today, we have reset the standard with the BP90, which is representative of our commitment to continuous innovation with our entire DigiTech lineup," stated Rob Urry, president, Harman Music Group.

The BP90 will be shipping in July 2010 with an MSRP of $139.95. 

http://www.digitech.com

Children of Bodom Join Black Label Society For NA tour

CRITICALLY LAUDED FINNISH METAL BAND TO JOIN BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, CLUTCH AND MORE AS PART OF MASSIVE CROSS CONTINENT TOUR CHILDREN OF BODOM, the esteemed Finnish Heavy Metal band that features frontman and modern day Guitar Hero Alexi Laiho will join Zakk Wylde on tour this fall for the “Black Label Berzerkus,” a two month-long stint described as “rock n’ roll nights of excess and unique madness.” Headlined by Wylde’s infamous Black Label Society, the extensive North American trek will also feature Clutch and 2Cents. Hand-picked by Wylde himself, CHILDREN OF BODOM and Clutch will share the main support slot. Kicking off on September 21st at Roseland in Portland, OR, the tour will make stops across the U.S. and Canada.

Zakk Wylde, the former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist, was looking at other rock festivals and saw the need for a value-priced tour of his own. It was an easy decision, says Wylde, summing it up like only he can, “If you don’t get invited to the party, start your f’ing own!” CHILDREN OF BODOM commented, “COB is more than ready to head out on Berzerkus and see all of our great fans. Expect nothing but a good time, Bodom style!” COB continues to tour in support of Skeletons in the Closet, a full album of cover tunes containing 17 impressive remakes of the group’s all-time favorite songs as well as its critically acclaimed studio album Blooddrunk. The band will enter a Finnish studio later this summer to record its as-yet-untitled new album which is slated for an early 2011 release date.

CHILDREN OF BODOM's enthralling mix of modern heavy metal, melodic hooks and the guitar acrobatics of Alexi Laiho have solidified the critically acclaimed band as one of the most revered metal acts in the world. The group’s latest studio album Blooddrunk skyrocketed to #22 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and scored the quintet a #1 debut in its native Finland.

Laiho was named “Best Metal Guitarist” in the 2008 Guitar World Reader’s Poll and his playing on the band’s 2003 release Hate Crew Deathroll earned the album a place among the magazine’s “50 Greatest Guitar Albums” of all time, alongside records by Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen and Metallica. The unit has been called "technically dazzling" by the New York Times and “One of the most talented metal bands of our time” by contemporary media conglomerate VICE. Clearly, Laiho and CHILDREN OF BODOM are one of the leading voices of metal’s new generation.

CHILDREN OF BODOM tour dates:
(* As part of the North American “Black Label Berzerkus” Tour):
September 21 Portland, OR @ Roseland
September 22 Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
September 24 Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton EXPO Centre Hall D Arena
September 25 Regina, SK Agribition Hall
September 26 Calgary, AB Big 4
September 28 Winnipeg, MB Winnipeg Convention Centre
September 30 Omaha, NE Anchor Inn
October 1 Clive, IA 7 Flags
October 2 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
October 3 St. Paul, MN Roy Wilkins Auditorium
October 5 Louisville, KY Expo Five
October 8 Asbury Park, NJ Convention Hall
October 9 Lewiston, ME The Colisee
October 12 Halifax, NS Cunard Centre
October 14 Montreal, QC Metropolis
October 15 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
October 16 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
October 20 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
October 22 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
October 23 Atlanta, GA Masquerade Music Park
October 24 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore Charlotte
October 26 Orlando, FL Hard Rock
October 28 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
October 29 Corpus Christi, TX Concrete St. Ampitheater
October 30 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theatre@Grand Prairie
October 31 Lubbock, TX Lonestar Pavilion
November 2 Austin, TX Stubbs Waller Creek Ampitheater
November 3 Tulsa, OK Brady Center
November 5 Grand Rapids, MI DeltaPlex
November 7 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
November 9 Rochester, NY Main Street Armory
November 10 Columbus, OH The LC Pavilion
November 12 Wichita, KS Cotilion
November 13 Kansas City, KS Uptown Theater
November 14 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium
November 16 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
November 18 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
November 20 San Francisco, CA Warfield

Video Guitar Lesson - Rusty Cooley on 12 Note Split Patterns w/tabs

In this lesson Rock House Instructor Rusty Cooley demonstrates and teaches how he splits a scale and moves it in a linear fashion along the fretboard. The video is from Rusty's instructional DVD from Rock House "Fretboard Autopsy". It is a unique look into the mind of Rusty and how he sees the fretboard.

You can get Rustys incredible instructional DVD at many on line musician retailers, The Rock House Store or Rock House ON-Demand

Rusty Cooley Links:

• Rusty Cooley - Official Site
• Rusty Cooley - My Space
• Rusty Cooley - You Tube
• Rusty Cooley's School Of Rock
• Day Of Reckoning - My Space
• Rusty Cooley - Rock House Instructor Profile

CLICK ON THE TAB TO ENLARGE IT

Job For A Cowboy Releases "Ruination" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Rock House Instructor Bobby Thompson's band Job For a Cowboy releases their oficial "Ruination" video via You Tube. It is the title track of the album, "Ruination". The video was Directed by Kevin McVey. http://www.kevinmcvey.com.

"Ruination is avail for download at iTunes and Metal Blade

Bobby Thompson/JFAC Links:

• Job for a Cowboy - My Space
• Job for a Cowboy - Official Site
• Job For a Cowboy - Facebook
• Job For a Cowboy - You Tube
• Job For a Cowboy - Flickr
• Bobby Thompson - Rock House Instructor Profile

10 Free Guitar Tabs From Guitar Edge Online Magazine For July/August 2010

The July/August 2010 edition of Guitar Edge Magazine is now up and on line. This issue features an interview with Rock House Instructor/Artist Jeff Loomis along with 10 new printable song tabs, guitar lessons and gear reviews.

Guitar Edge June 2010 Guitar Tabs:

• Train - Hey, Soul Sister
• Godsmack - Cryin' Like a Bitch
• Def Leppard - Bringin' On the Heartbreak
• The Derek Trucks Band - I'll Find My Way
• The Beatles - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
• Jason Mraz (featuring Colbie Caillat) - Lucky
• Merle Travis - Sixteen Tons
• The Black Crowes - Hard To Handle
• The Allman Brothers - Jessica
• Pearl Jam - Jeremy

Gus G and Ozzy Osbourne On The Cover of Total Guitar

The new issue of Total Guitar, TG203 features an exclusive interview Ozzy Osbourne and his new guitar prodigy, Gus G.

Also included the new issue are the full tab of new Ozzy track 'Let Me Hear You Scream', the first to feature Gus G. 'Crazy Train' is also featured as the riff of the month. There are also "in the style of" articles for Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde and Gus G. licks.

For more info: http://www.musicradar.com/totalguitar/tg203-on-sale-now-exclusive-interview-with-ozzy-and-gus-g-255187

Gus G Links

• Gus G - My Space
• Firewind - My Space
• Firewind - Official Site
• Firewind - You Tube
• Ozzy Osbourne - Official Site
• Gus G - Rock House Instructor Profile

Rob Balducci's "Lick of The Week" - Chords and Melody - Make a Nice Sandwich

Rock House Instructor and Favored Nations Artist Rob Balducci posted a new "Lick of the Week". 

Rob describes in the video how chords and melodies make a nice sandwich and uses a a new tune called "Burrata" to get his point across. Balducci went on to say, "The inspiration comes from when I was in Italy and I was with my good friends Katia and Stefano. Sometimes in life certain foods or smells or whatever bring back memories of good times spent with good people, this is what this song is about".

"I always judge my new material in the sense that I must remember the melody. It has to stick in your head after the song is done, this is what I mean by Chords and Melody make a good sandwich. Pete Townsend once said, a melody and chords make a great song and everything else is just icing. It doe not matter how many guitar tracks are on a song, or sound effects or drum parts and percussion, if you do not have the right chords and a good melody the song is going to suck. This is how I choose my material, if I like it and the melody sticks in your head , your fur rises... then the song is ready to go. The fur rises is a term that means the hair on your arms and the back of your neck stand up... this is always a sign of a good tune".

Rob Balducci's Links

• Rob Balducci - My Space
• Rob Balducci - Official Site
• Rob Balducci - Facebook 
• Rob Balducci - You Tube
  
• Rob Balducci - Twitter
• Rob Balducci - Merch
  
• Favored Nations - Official Site
• Rob Balducci - Rock House Instructor Profile

7 New Guitar Models from Daisy Rock

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars continues to celebrate its 10-year anniversary with seven new guitar models and finishes, including the redesigned Rebel Rockit Supernova, the Rock Candy, the Rock Candy Xtreme, and the Atomic Green and Platinum Sparkle Rock Candy Classic electric guitars.

The Rebel Rockit Supernova has a 22-fret 24.75"maple neck and a fixed bridge. The sycamore body is five percent smaller than previous Supernovas and the rosewood fingerboard featuring dot inlays sports a 9.5" radius to facilitate easier rhythm and lead playing.

The Rock Candy guitar has a pair of Daisy Rock humbuckers controlled by a three-way selector and a master Tone control, Daisy custom tuners, and an adjustable tune-o-matic-style bridge with stop bar tailpiece.

The Rock Candy Xtreme has a mahogany body, 16" fretboard radius, Floyd-Rose-licensed vibrato, Daisy Custom tuners, EMG H4/A4 pickups, master Volume and Tone controls, and a three-way pickup selector. For more, visit daisyrock.com.

Roland Ships Lucina AX-09 Shoulder Synthesizer

Roland is proud to announce that the Lucina AX-09 (www.RolandUS.com/Lucina) is now shipping. This compact and affordable shoulder synthesizer is designed to fit all musicians — even kids. Featuring an intuitive user interface, Lucina packs a heavyweight musical punch with its stellar sounds and expressive controls.

With a stylish body and 37 keys, the Lucina AX-09 is compact, lightweight, and loaded with 150 high-quality sounds that cover a wide stylistic range, from synth leads to solo violin. It can be played in either a standing position using a shoulder strap or in a traditional horizontal tabletop orientation. Find the perfect sound quickly with the Category buttons, and press the Preview button to hear the currently selected sound with a pre-programmed riff. Assign your top 12 sounds to the Favorites bank for instant, one-button recall. Volume, reverb, and patch edits can be stored with each Favorite.

A USB host port allows users to play WAV and MP3 music files directly from a USB flash drive, making it easy to jam along with their favorite songs. Audio from an external MP3 or iPod® music player can be played by connecting the device to the EXT jack.

Designed for mobile operation, the Lucina AX-09 runs for up to four hours on eight NiMH AA batteries. To get up and running, a tutorial DVD and quick guide is included.

The Lucina AX-09 is now shipping in both pearl white and black sparkle, with suggested retail prices of $699.00 and $799.00, respectively.

Check out www.RolandUS.com/Lucina for more info.

The Weekend Read for June 12th - Guitar Articles, Lessons and More

The weekend read for June 5th is a good list of guitar related articles on guitar lessons, gear reviews and news that I found from our blog roll. Be sure to check out the Rock House Lesson for this week a Guitar Lesson From Alex Skolnick The Minor ii-V-i using arpeggios and modes w/ Tab and Video

Cameron Mizell - Guitarist - The Meters are THE classic example of New Orleans funk as far as I’m concerned, and a huge part of that was their drummer, Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste...Cissy Strut Transcription: Zigaboo’s Beat

Fretbase - You Rock Guitar could be the solution to enable you to bridge the worlds of game guitar and real (or adult) guitar. The You Rock Guitar has strings...You Rock Guitar Doubles as a Game Guitar (Video)

Guitar Friendly - When you make a serious financial investment, such as buying a guitar, it’s important to make an educated buying decision...The Ultimate Acoustic Guitar Buying Guide

Guitarkadia - It should be required by every Metalhead, headbanger, wearer of black shirts and devil’s horn flasher to watch two documentaries by Sam Dunn ‘Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey’ got an enormous response from Metalheads around the world, Sam followed up with Global Metal...History of Metal

I Heart Guitar - Are you a neon freak like me? I think it all goes back to when I bought a copy of a magazine called Countdown back in grade school, and they had a freebie pair of neon shoelaces attached to the cover. I loved those damn shoelaces...COOL GEAR ALERT: DiMarzio neon straps and cables

Jemsite - Perhaps he's not a guitar player in the way that Steve Vai or any of our past guitar heroes are guitar players. In fact, Andrew Durkin, a self-taught guitarist, doesn't use it for instrumental music at all. Instead, he uses it to compose songs with vocals...The Guitar Hero Series: Andrew Durkin

Mark McGuigan Musicians Blog - I recently came across the great guitarplayback.com website from David Wallimann and Dan Davies which provides a great range of high quality backing tracks in a variety of styles and levels to suit beginner to advanced players...CHECK IT OUT: guitarplayback.com

Marks Guitar Blog - Check this out 12 bar blues rhythm lesson, using no guitar pick...New Blues Rhythm Lesson Video!

Not Playing Guitar - If you're learning to play guitar then these easy guitar riffs will help you to create interesting sounding rhythm backings. Many popular songs were made famous by their catchy guitar riffs, and with the skills you'll learn in this lesson you'll learn how to play riffs of your own...Learning to Play Guitar - Easy Guitar Riffs to Practice

Rock Guitar Life - Youtube is a wonderful thing. You can spend hours watching videos of people doing silly things. You can watch your favorite hair metal videos from the 80’s too. You can also learn a few things. The ability to watch how to videos on demand is a great tool. There are plenty of good how to videos out there on just about every subject.Here are guitar related how to videos for you viewing entertainment...A few How To video's for guitarists

Share My Guitar - Over the past three or four decades, heavy music has seen many different levels of evolution. In the mid 1960s, there was a big influx of blues-based rock bands hailing from the U.K., many of which were developing stylistic elements like loud distorted guitars, power chords and up-tempo rhythms that would later become the hallmarks of heavy metal music...The History and Evolution of Metal – PT. II

Strat-O-Blogster - Levy's Urban Prints series straps have a very not necessarily stoned but beautiful! vibe about them..."Urban Prints" Guitar Straps by Levy's Leathers

The Classical Guitar Blog - Most instructional materials lack instruction on some of the basic expression markings in music. One example is dynamic indications. As with ending a piece, dynamics are easily incorporated into any piece...Teaching: Incorporating Dynamics (Interpretation 101)

Have a rockin' weekend

Sarge

Rock House Collaborates with Guitar Friendly on The"Ultimate Acoustic Buying Guide"

My Friend Brett McQueen over at guitarfriendly.net has just published a very informative article called "The Ultimate Acoustic Guitar Buying Guide".

The contents of the article are:

* Identifying Your Budget & Goals
* The Parts of the Guitar
* The Main Things You Want to Look for When Buying an Acoustic Guitar
* Acoustic Guitar Body Styles
* Tonewoods & Other Woods that Effect the Sound of an Acoustic Guitar
* Acoustic Guitar Pickups & Electronics
* Specific Buying Tips for Beginners vs. Seasoned Players
* Where to Buy an Acoustic Guitar & the Actual Buying Process

Although we pitched a few ideas at Brett I got to give all the credit for this article to him. Others contributing to the article were  Brendan Delumpa from Guitar Gear and Matt Warnock from The Modern Guitarist.

 It's a good read and you can check it out at GuitarFriendly.net - The Ultimate Acoustic Guitar Buying Guide

FREEKBASS' New Project BAMela and Song "I Do Like It"

I just heard from the funkiest bass man on the planet FREEKBASS. He along wit his trusty sidekick Tobotius have hooked up with Amy Douglas to create BAMela. Their first tune, which has a heavy funk/dance beat to it will have you movin' and groovin' in a heart beat.

You can hear the first BAMela single "I Do It Like" by clicking on the cassette below. If you dig it, please spread the word around and check out their new my space site http://www.myspace.com/BAMela

Orange Amps Releases The OPC With free Software

Orange Amplifiers, the British based pioneering force in guitar amplifiers, can now announce the final specification and price for the much anticipated and revolutionary all-in-one computer amplifier speaker – The OPC.

The OPC is more than a high quality all-in-one powerful computer, it has been designed to deliver playing, recording, editing and computing capabilities to musicians and music aficionados. The details are:

• The OPC will be priced at £1199 (inc vat), $1499, €1225 (ex vat/tax),
• 24 Bit Audio Interface with both guitar and microphone inputs
• Installed with Windows 7 (64 bit), this OPC comes bundled with over £700 (inc vat), €714 (ex vat/tax), $860 of free premium handpicked digital recording music software- no trialware at all. Orange has partnered with some of the worlds biggest names in the Audio Software business. The OPC will include:

o Presonus Studio Orange Custom Edition ( Professional level recording software offering powerful user friendly music creation and production application for artists of all levels)

o Acoustica Mixcraft – Full Version ( Easy to use multi-track studio software to record audio, arrange loops, remix tracks, compose with virtual instruments, score and edit video, and add effects to create stunningly professional compositions.)

o IK Multimedia Amplitube 3 ( Full Version of this leading guitar and bass tone gear modelling software. Over 160 ultra-accurately modelled sounds including brand new Custom Orange Amp models. Plug in your guitar; choose your sound and your away! )

o Toontracks – EZ Drummer Lite ( market leading multi-sampled acoustic drum-kit library to create great drums track in just a few clicks )

o Licklibrary - Guitar Tuition Software (Exclusive to OPC, selection of free guitar lessons from one of the world’s largest guitar education brands delivered through a Licklibrary media player )

• 15 watt RMS per channel stereo amplifier (into 4 ohms) with 2 band EQ, - 2 x JBL 6.5” 55 Watt RMS Dual Concentric Speakers both mounted into an optimised cabinet for enhanced cooling and acoustics.
• Portable strong lightweight vinyl covered wooden case with an all aluminium powder-coated chassis featuring the same iconic design as a small Orange Amplifier optimised for personal computer use
• Direct stereo line to the internal amplifier allows the OPC to be used as an amplifier and speaker for any playback device- from iPods to Microphones

Technical Specifications:

NVIDIA® GeForce® 9300 integrated graphics (overclocked GPU)
GPU clock: 580 MHz / Shader clock: 1400 MHz
HDMI/VGA/DVI-I allowing up to 3 monitor outputs at the same time
Onboard 5.1-channel high-definition audio (via 3 stereo mini-jacks) and Optical * Coaxial S/PDIF outputs
2 independent ¼” jack inputs for guitar, microphone or instrument, switchable and attenuated
2 line-output ¼” jack sockets
2 powered jack sockets for external speaker use
Optical & Coaxial S/PDIF outputs
Intel® Pentium® Processor E5400 (2M Cache, 2.70 GHz, 800 MHz FSB)
4GB dual-channel DDR2 800 (PC6400)
7 USB 2.0 ports and 1 eSATA port for adding extra storage and devices.
Includes a top loaded (slot loading) DVD±RW DL for easy access and built-in Wi-Fi (802.11g) featuring a top loaded antenna maximising signal strength and throughput.
PCI-E x16 accepting a range of interfaces from PCI-E x1 through to x16.

Initially the OPC will be sold direct from Orange UK, Orange USA or from the Orange Website and will be available August 2010. Oranges Global Distribution network will expand later this year into general computer stores.

For further information news please see the website www.orangeamps.com

Guitar Lesson - From Alex Skolnick The Minor ii-V-i using arpeggios and modes w/ Tab and Video

I got this DVD set a couple weeks ago. I've messed around with some jazz chords before but it all seemed confusing to me. After spending a couple weeks on the series of instructional DVD's from Rock House I have a much better understanding of the style of jazz. Skolnick's style of instruction explains things so well and he eases you into the "bigger picture" of jazz guitar.

With that said, Rock House instructor Alex Skolnick of Testament and The Alex Skolnick Trio teaches you in this video guitar lesson how to map out a minor ii-V-i progression using arpeggios and modes. This is one of the intermediate lessons in DVD. There are several variations for the patterns taught.

Alex's Rock House program Jazz Guitar Breaking Down the Barriers is available now Through the Rock House Store or you can download it instantly at Rock House On Demand.

Click on the tab to open it to a full screen.

David Ellefson and Megadeth - Wake Up Dead Video Live From Tilburg Holland

Rock House Instructor David Ellefson of Megadeth just posted this cool vid of the band hammering out "Wake Up Dead" on his You Tube site: davidellefson

Ozzy Osbourne Set To Release 6 Songs For Rock Band

Press Release

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, will make his Rock Band debut June 15 with a six pack of songs in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™.

“It’s great to bring my songs to Rock Band, especially material from the new album, Scream,” said Ozzy Osbourne. “I hope Rock Band players around the world are ready to have their living rooms invaded by me!”

Scream – Osbourne’s first album in almost three years and 10th studio album overall – is set for a June 15 release via Epic Records. Produced by Ozzy and Kevin Churko, both of whom did the same honors for Ozzy’s 2007 worldwide million-seller Black Rain, the new album is fueled by the red-hot first single “Let Me Hear You Scream.” Ozzy’s band consists of Ozzy’s new guitar player, Gus G., bassist Blasko, drummer Tommy Clufetos and keyboardist Adam Wakeman.

Ozzy Osbourne’s career has spanned four decades, and his music is as relevant today as ever. On any given day, you can hear his music blasting at sporting events, in the movies, on the radio, in TV commercials, video games or on your MP3 player. Ozzy is not only a legend and an icon, but is a pioneer in his genre of music. He has helped open the door for countless bands by giving them their big break by taking them on tour or by taking them on Ozzfest, his all-day metal festival, now in its 15th year.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,500 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 68 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

Rock Band DLC additions for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii
One of the best-known rock vocalists of all time, Ozzy Osbourne began his career in the 70s with Black Sabbath, which released 10 albums and sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Ozzy embarked on his solo career in the 1980s and has since sold another 50 million albums worldwide on his own. The rock legend has won two Grammy® Awards, an MTV Movie Award, was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame and the U.S. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his reality series, The Osbournes remains the highest rated series in MTV history. And now, the Godfather of Heavy Metal is coming to Rock Band.

Ozzy will make his Rock Band debut June 15 with a six pack of songs spanning his solo career. From his latest and 10th studio album, Scream, are “Diggin’ Me Down,” “Soul Sucker” and the album’s first single, “Let Me Hear You Scream.” These songs are available exclusively through Rock Band until the album’s release June 22. “I Don’t Wanna Stop” from 2007’s Black Rain, “Crazy Babies” from 1988’s double platinum No Rest For the Wicked, and “No More Tears” from the 1991 four times platinum album of the same name, will also be featured as downloadable content in the Rock Band Music Store.

"Harmonix and MTV are excited to bring Ozzy Osbourne's epic music to Rock Band," said Paul DeGooyer, SVP, Electronic Games and Music, MTV Networks. "It’s very cool that Ozzy fans will get to experience both his classic and very latest songs through our platform."

MTV Networks is celebrating Ozzy Osbourne’s debut in Rock Band across its television channels, including the following:
• VH1 Classic: Airings of a special 30-minute show celebrating Ozzy’s career and new album that will begin airing June 15
• MTV2: Ozzy will host a special edition of Headbangers Ball and You Rock the Deuce, airing the week of June 20
• MTVU: Special Ozzy segment in The Feed

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (June 15):

• “Crazy Babies”
• “Diggin’ Me Down”
• “I Don’t Wanna Stop”
• “Let Me Hear You Scream”
• “No More Tears”
• “Soul Sucker”

(All tracks are original master recordings)
(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 system June 16)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Ozzy Osbourne Pack 01” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.

Price: $1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$9.99, £4.99 UK, €7.99 EU (800 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Ozzy Osbourne Pack 01”
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points™) per track

Roland Ships The Affordable R-05 WAVE/MP3 Recorder

Press Release From: http://www.RolandUS.com

The Affordable Pocket Recorder with Advanced Features

Roland is pleased to announce that the R-05 WAV/MP3 Recorder is now shipping. This handheld, easy-to-use, and affordable compact digital recorder provides crystal-clear audio quality, enhanced recording and editing features, and an extended battery life of over 16 hours of recording time.

Whether onstage, in rehearsal, at school, on the street, or in the boardroom, the R-05 provides pristine, uncompressed stereo recording directly to SD cards with up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution. Record directly with the built-in stereo microphone, or capture sounds from an externally connected microphone. For stereo field recording, the new Roland CS-10EM Binaural Microphone/Earphones are a perfect companion. Simply wear the microphone-equipped earphones to capture or monitor the surroundings.

A variety of practice and performance features make the R-05 ideal for the recording musician. Specified regions of audio can be looped, and the playback speed can be adjusted without causing a change in pitch. Rehearsal mode automatically sets the optimum recording level, and the R-05 can also simultaneously record WAV and MP3 files of the same performance.

The R-05 allows for easy file transfer with computers via USB 2.0, and also enables users to conveniently trim, divide, and combine audio files within the recorder itself. For those who desire a high-gloss finish to their recordings, the R-05 is equipped with built-in reverb.

Musicians will naturally gravitate to the R-05, but this pocket recorder is great for many non-musical applications as well. Record lectures, speeches, and meetings, for example. The high-sensitivity, built-in microphone will clearly capture all of the voices in a room. The included windscreen and tripod mount also enhance optimal placement and help produce better recordings.

The R-05 is now available with a suggested retail price of $299.00.

Dave Matthews & Taylor Guitars Help Save the Music Giveaway

News From Taylor Guitars http://www.taylorguitars.com

Nothing says summer fun like a Dave Matthews concert, and Taylor Guitars is celebrating by offering two getaways as part of the ultimate Dave Matthews experience. Fans can enter to win one of the two getaway packages either by being selected as the winner in an online, enter-to-win sweepstakes or by making the winning bid for the trip in an online auction, where proceeds from the winning bid will directly benefit VH1’s Save The Music Foundation. While on the site, fans can also help Dave Matthews and Taylor Guitars support music education in schools by making a donation to the Foundation.

The lucky winners and one guest will receive roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, and tickets to the Dave Matthews Band show in San Diego, California on August 20. After the concert, the group will be invited backstage to meet Dave*, who will present the winners with an autographed Dave Matthews Signature Model guitar.

While in San Diego, the winners will also get a private tour of the Taylor Guitars factory to see where and how Dave’s guitar was made. The winner(s) will also receive a Taylor Guitars prize package that includes two Taylor bar stools, a Taylor T-shirt, guitar strap, and digital tuner.

To enter to win or to bid on the prize package, please visit http://www.taylorguitars.com/ultimate-dave-matthews-giveaway

New MEGADETH Track "Sudden Death" Featured In New Guitar Hero 6 Game

Picked up from Rock House Instructor/Artist David Ellefsons' web site http://www.davidellefson.com

Santa Monica, CA - June 4, 2010 - This fall, living room legends and their friends will join together and embark on an epic rock journey to save rock n' roll with Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero®: Warriors of Rock. The latest installment in the world's most popular music game series, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, will once again redefine music gaming with an all-new, story-driven Quest Mode, a completely redesigned rock-inspired guitar controller, the biggest on-disc selection of rock music ever in a Guitar Hero® game and Quickplay+, which invites challenge-starved fanatics to test their rock skills in any of the on-disc or over 500 songs in the Guitar Hero Music Library.

Running on the powerful Guitar Hero engine that has been expanded and refined, coupled with the return of the critically-acclaimed and fan favorite features like Party Play's jump in/jump out gameplay, a host of Competitive modes and the ability to play any combination of guitar, bass, drums and vocals, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock offers the complete interactive and connected experience bringing friends and foes to the stage in the ultimate rock music adventure.

"Guitar Hero has set the standard for music based gaming and with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock's all-new Quest Mode, robust and authentic set list, over-the-top challenges and rock-inspired new hardware, we are once again bringing the soul and energy of rock n' roll to fans around the world," said David Haddad, Chief Operating Officer, Guitar Hero.

In Quest Mode, using any combination of instruments, players will embark on a larger-than-life, epic rock jourey from the stage of CBGBs, the infamous punk-rock club in New York City, to the molten lava fields of rock treachery as eight Guitar Hero characters transform into rock warriors that must join together to use their unique, game-changing powers to help the Demi-God of Rock take down "The Beast" and save rock n' roll.

"The world is a boring place. Come with me, and enter a world populated of Demi-Gods and Beasts. Transform from an everyday person and become the savior of rock and roll," said Gene Simmons of KISS. "It was an honor and privilege to narrate Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, even more so, to voice the Demi God. From the God of Thunder to the Demi-God, how cool is that..."

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock breathes new life into gamers' current Guitar Hero music libraries providing literally hundreds of hours of replayability with the introduction of Quickplay+, which features 13 totally unique gameplay challenges for every on-disc track as well as most downloadable and importable songs from Guitar Hero® World Tour forward. Gamers will complete challenges such as Band Streak, High Score and Power Challenge, which allows players to choose any two warrior powers they have unlocked to try and earn ridiculously high scores, to rank up and unlock more rewards and content than ever before. All-new Challenge Leaderboards have been created in order to capture the outrageous scores that are capable with Quickplay+.

Delivering the largest on-disc rock music set list to-date, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock features more than 90 tracks that include guitar shredding hits from bands such as Black Sabbath, Megadeth and Slipknot and larger than life anthems from Queen, Muse and KISS. Additionally, Dave Mustaine of Megadeth wrote and recorded "Sudden Death," an original track for the game, which was inspired by Quest Mode's storyline. Along with original songs, the set list also includes special re-records by famous artists and tracks from bands that are making their music video game debut. The first songs off of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock's set list to be revealed are:

* AFI - "Dancing Through Sunday"

* Avenged Sevenfold - "Bat Country"

* Black Sabbath - "Children Of The Grave"

* Buzzcocks - "What Do I Get?"

* Children Of Bodom - "If You Want Peace... Prepare For War"

* The Cure - "Fascination Street"

* Def Leppard - "Pour Some Sugar On Me (Live)"

* Dethklok - "Bloodlines"

* DragonForce - "Fury of the Storm"

* Drowning Pool - "Bodies"

* Foo Fighters - "No Way Back"

* Foreigner - "Feels Like The First Time"

* Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing"

* KISS - "Love Gun"

* Megadeth - "Sudden Death"

* Metallica & Ozzy Osbourne - "Paranoid (Live)"

* Muse - "Uprising"

* My Chemical Romance - "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)"

* Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody"

* Rammstein - "Waidmanns Heil"

* The Rolling Stones - "Stray Cat Blues"

* Silversun Pickups - "There's No Secrets This Year"

* Slayer - "Chemical Warfare"

* ZZ Top - "Sharp Dressed Man (Live)"

To maximize players' shredability, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock delivers the next evolution in finger-fretting with an all-new, show-stopping guitar controller that was inspired and born from the game's unique art style and specifically made for shredding.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is being developed by Neversoft Entertainment for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and by Vicarious Visions for the WiiTM system from Nintendo. The game is rated "T" (Teen - Lyrics, Mild Fantasy Violence and Mild Suggestive Themes) for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The Wii version is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information about Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, please visit GuitarHero.com.

For more info on CBGB visit www.cbgb.com