Love is in the air, poems are in the post and yet ideas are still hard to come by for the hopeless romantic on Valentines Day.

Making a big impression is never easy, but here at musicroom we don’t think you can go far wrong with a time tested classic: the serenade.

Expressing your inner most feelings is hard enough at the best of times. Nerves, fears and confidence all play their part in wilting the enthusiasm of potential Casanovas.

To help you find that spark of inspiration, we thought we’d put together a quick 5 step ‘How To’ guide for musicians seeking the right sentiments on this most mushy day of the year.

Step one: pick the right song

Choose something in your singing range!

Barry White’s earthshaking tones are a romance standard, but such a rumbling range is off limits for most singers. Instead, find something in-line with your natural voice – something you’ll find comfortable and easy to sing. You want that special person to focus on your expression of love, but your off-track wailings as you butcher a Valentines classic!

Sing one of their favorites!

Find out what your beloved’s favorite track is and learn it. Not only will they appreciated a song they’re already familiar with and enjoy more, but showing you’ve gone that extra mile to find out what they like is exactly the sort of spark that can send a serenade into the stratosphere!

On the other hand, choosing a track that YOU love, or assume they’d like can be a recipe for disaster. Your impassioned Cradle of Filth cover may allow you to scream out your feelings, but if they’re not interested in Filth, they could soon become disinterested with you!

Step two: find the perfect place

Quiet and private is more romantic

The balcony is the classic hotspot for a serenade, but not everyone is lucky enough to have one. Instead, a nice, relaxing venue such as a riverbank, garden or somewhere private and secluded will help make your serenade much more focused, personal and romantic. Again, find out where they like to go or any special quiet places they enjoy.

Don’t go too public or choose an inconvenient time to play

A full, round moon is another romantic staple of the picture perfect serenade, but don’t leave your serenading till it’s too late. Nobody likes being woken up in the dead of night, and rocking up at 2am is a sure fire way to catch your Valentine in the wrong mood, or even miss your chance to woo completely. Go for a dusky evening instead if you want your performance to shimmer in the tender light of the moon.

Avoid large apartment buildings of offices at all costs, or at least take a helmet. You’re more like to annoy the neighbors or invite abuse if you don’t take into account other people and their proximity. Its hard to make the right impression under a rain of boo’s, heckles and rotten fruit.

Step three: accompaniment?

Can’t sing or play? Want to make a BIG impression? Call up some friends.

Singing isn’t everything! Whilst the stereotypical image of the serenade is a singing muso, pouring out their heart through vocals and guitar strings, bringing an accompanist or singer to cover your weaknesses can make your intended listener feel even more special. The extra effort goes a long way and strumming along can be just as impressive as singing your heart out when done with some real feeling! Of course, covering your deficiencies is a much better option than stumbling through, trying to cover both.

Some extra voices or instruments can also ramp up the scale of your display of affection. Maybe you know a few guitarists and a bongo player that could form a backing band for a one-off, under-the-window performance? Just make sure the focus is on what you’re trying to say and avoid inviting Brad, your face melting, shred solo guitarist friend. His arpeggios may be impressive but your sentiments will soon be obscured as the purpose of the performance is lost.

Make sure you can play!

As the old adage goes ‘practice makes perfect’- make sure any performance is well oiled and ready for display, and contains musicians who can actually play. No one wants to be serenaded by a hopeless mess of bum notes by a clueless quartet out of time with each other.

Step four: accessorise!

Bring a gift and add some atmospheric touches

Flowers, chocolates, teddy bears or something more personal or fun (a shirt from her favourite football team? A rare Bolivian addition to his stamp collection?) always make an impression and can add a nice finish to your serenade, as you present your Valetines offering.

Adding some candles, rose petals or other hopelessly romantic touches can also set the tone and create the right atmosphere. Just don’t go over elaborate! Reconstructing the main stage of Glastonbury where you shared your first kiss may sound like a good idea at the time, but in practise you’ll end up being disruptive and annoying rather than thoughtful and clever. Again, the focus should be on your intimate musical expression, but the size of your Pyramid stage!

Stating the obvious…

Practical accessories such a guitar tuner or strap can also save you the embarrassment of a dodgy G string or unwieldy saxophone.

Step five: Go for it!

Break into song! Show lots of passion with a smile and pour out your love

The key to the perfect serenade, regardless of the fixtures, fittings and planning, is putting as much passion into your performance as possible. This is supposed to be the ultimate declaration of your love for the lucky person listening intently to you and your playing.

Don’t throw a diva strop if you make a mistake, or stare out your beloved as if you’re grinding through a serious recital. Smile, have fun and enjoy it! If you slip up, laugh it off. The key is to make them know you really mean it. Don’t sound bored, sad or play half-hearted. Just go for it!

If all else fails however, you can always just ‘do a Cusack’!

Stuck for ideas of what to play? Check out the Greatest Love Songs app for iPod, iPhone and iPad!

How will you be showing your affections today? Will you be seranading a loved one from beneath a picturesque balcony?

Do you have any anecdotes of serenades gone good or even gone bad?!

Manufacturers Roland and Fender have teamed up for a new V-Guitar to offer players a traditional design with state-of-the-art digital music technology.

The VG Stratocaster G-5 was unveiled at the recent NAMM industry event in Las Vegas and it follows on from the success of the VG Stratocaster the brands launched together back in 2007.

This time, Roland brings its COSM modelling to Fender’s classic Stratocaster guitar to give players instant alternate tunings and a selection of electric, acoustic and 12-string guitar models.

It has been designed for guitar players to use one instrument to play any musical style or perform in any situation.

Tone technology developed by Roland the VG-99 V-Guitar System and GR-55 Guitar Synthesizer, has been embedded into the model to give a more versatile playing experience.

Other features include a GK-3 Divided Pickup with a built-in library of modelled pickup tones and ‘ideal-performance’ pickups including humbucker with ultra-wide tone and a single coil with full, bold tone.

Twenty sounds are included on board, including the sound of a Fender Telecaster, and a Tuning Control knob allows players to use alternate tunings like open G, baritone and digital reverb (when on the acoustic model).

Fender’s part to play is the body of the instrument, which features a 22-fret maple neck, three American Strat single-coil pickups, synchronized tremolo bridge and American inline tuners and chrome hardware.

As well as the G-5 VG Stratocaster, Fender and Roland have launched a GC-1 GK-Ready Stratocaster, which will be released in April. It is compatible with 13-pin output guitar equipment like the GR-55 and VG-99 for alternate tunings.

Again, it is embedded into an authentic Fender Stratocaster, which has a 22-fret neck with medium jumbo frets and American inline tuning keys.

Both models are available in black with maple fingerboard or Fender’s iconic ‘Sunburst’ with a rosewood fingerboard.

John Adams Live In Musicroom

It was a rainy, dreary December day in Portsmouth, just two days before Christmas.  Hoards of shoppers, desperately dashed through the rain, in hopes of finding those last-minute Christmas presents. Suddenly, ball of sunshine in the form of X-Factor’s John Adams, and a rather soggy entourage of guitarist/bass player Tom Kent, photographer Giles Babbidge, friends, and hoard of teenagers followed him in off the streets, and burst into Musicroom Portsmouth! 

John, with the help of Tom, had embarked on a busking tour ( sponsored by our friends JHS ) of the UK to promote his single ‘Nowhere To Hide’, which is available through iTunes and we here at Musicroom Portsmouth, were fortunate enough to be part of his first tour.

Once John had warmed his vocal chords with a good ol’ cup of tea, (made by yours truly), out came this beautiful, haunting voice which could surely melt even the iciest of hearts.  He serenaded the crowd that had gathered with a medley of popular songs and requests from the audience. To their delight, he included  ‘Cannonball’ by folk singer, Damien Rice, the song which got him noticed by Gary Barlow on The X-Factor and through to Boot camp.  Like a true gentleman, he posed for photos with fans, answered their question and signed autographs, all while flashing that shy, genuine and rather white smile of his.

With his time in the shop sadly coming to an end, I’m left with a warm feeling that John Adams is a born performer, whose smile has the ability to blind and whose voice has the ability to pierce the heart.

Words by Latifa Walker

Photography by Giles Babbidge: Website www.gilesbabbidge.co.uk

John Adam Offcial Website: www.johnadamsmusic.co.uk

Would you like the opportunity to shine like a true rock star and customise your very own Fender?

Musicroom and Guitar Buyer are giving one lucky person the opportunity to design a bespoke Fender Standard Stratocaster, which will be ‘wrapped’ and customised to their original design.

All you have to do is visit this link and use the blank template for your deisgn, letting your creative side run wild to create a truly original design that really stands out from the crowd.

Once you are happy with your design send it to:
Design Your Own Fender Competition
Musicroom
Newmarket Road
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YB

Closing date for entries is 31.01.2011
As a thank you for participating in this competition, Musicroom is offering readers the chance to receive a 10% discount on all sheet music and accessory purchases made in any of its 19 stores up to and including 31st January 2011.  Pop into your local Musicroom store and quote the special code words “DESIGN YOUR OWN” when purchasing to redeem your 10% discount.

Terms & Conditions: The competition will run between 23/12/11 and 31/01/2012. The cut-off point for the draw will be midnight on 31/01/2012. There is one prize on offer of a Fender Standard Stratocaster which will be ‘wrapped’ and customised to the value of £500. One prize per person. Entry is open to residents of the UK and Republic of Ireland except employees (and their families) of Guitar Buyer, its printers and agents, the suppliers of the prizes and any other companies associated with the competitions. The winner must be aged 18 or over. The winners will be chosen from all entries received by midnight on 31/01/2012.  The prize will not be transferable to another person.  No part of a prize is exchangeable for cash or any other prize.  The winners will be notified by email and/or by phone within 2 weeks of competition closing.

We are pleased to annouce the fantastic range of Hayden Amps have arrived at Musicroom Exeter.

Designed and engineered in the UK, Hayden amps deliver quality Hayden tube tone in a compact, affordable package. Here is just some of the stock now available for you to try…

Packed with all the same features and versatile tones as its more powerful sibling, The Mini MoFo in a 15W package is an all-valve guitar amp with a whole lot of attitude. However, unlike other mini guitar amp heads, the MoFo is definitely not a one trick pony! From stunning bell like clean tones with real depth to plexi-esque classic rock crunch, right up to full on metal mayhem, the 30 watt MoFo head does it all.

The Hayden HGT-A40 and HGT-A20 amps bring tone and flexibility to today’s hard working guitarist. Featuring custom 12″ Hayden drivers and driven by 3 x ECC83 tubes in the preamp, these amps feature 3 channels offering huge flexibility whether at home, rehearsal or in the studio.

With footswitchable clean and dirty channels via a carefully designed tube driven preamp, the Hayden HGT-P 2008 recreates the lush tube tones loved by guitarists whether at home, in the studio or rehearsing. Both channels have independent EQs for fine tuning your tone and a classic spring reverb system offering real depth to clean tones. The Hayden HGT-P 2008 also provides Line in/out sockets and a headphone output for late night sessions. All this is delivered via two carefully selected 8″ Celestion loudspeakers.

Come on in for a demo! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Rock legend Jimi Hendrix has been named as the greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone.

A panel of 58 music experts and influential guitarists voted and gave their thoughts on the greatest 100 guitarists to have ever made a storm in the industry and, perhaps unsurprisingly, Jimi took the top spot.

With seemingly effortless playing, Jimi Hendrix’s guitar performances were more than just highly-skilled.

Tom Morello, writing for Rolling Stone, claimed: “There’s not one minute of his recorded career that feels like he’s working hard at it – it feels like it’s all flowing through him.”

Suggesting that Little Wing is Hendrix’s most beautiful song, which uses” chord voicings that don’t appear in any music book”, the guitarist suggested that on Voodoo Chile and Machine Gun, “his instrument is like a divining rod of the turbulent Sixties”.

“His riffs were a pre-metal funk bulldozer,” Morello said of the Purple Haze star, “and his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads, where he pimp-slapped the devil.”

The top ten guitarists that have influenced today’s musicians and those that have gone before them read like a hall of fame. Eric Clapton is voted in second place, with Eddie Van Halen noting that there was a “basic simplicity to his playing, his style, his vibe and his sound” when he picked up a Gibson guitar.

Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, BB King, Chuck Berry, Eddie Van Halen, Duane Allman and Pete Townshend complete the top ten.

Even those who have been named by their peers as brilliant guitarists in their own right have cast their vote and lent their thoughts on the world’s greatest guitarists in music history.

Keith Richards, number four in the chart, celebrated Chuck Berry’s daring to play against the grain with “a bunch of jazz guys”, while Joe Perry noted how Jimmy Page had a “vision of how to transcend the stereotypes of what the guitar can do”.

To mark the compilation of the list, Van Halen, Clapton, Hendrix and Page will appear on four special edition covers of the next issue of the magazine.

Gibson Guitars has unveiled its first range of instruments made with composite fingerboards.

It was forced to change the materials it uses to make guitars after the federal government in the US clamped down on the manufacture of exotic wood, leading Gibson to change its methods to a fire-hardened wood called torrefied maple.

Nighthawk Studios are the first instruments to have the composite wood instead of traditional rosewood and ebony, but Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson’s chief executive, has suggested that the move might be a temporary one.

He is lobbying the government over the country’s oldest federal wildlife law to cover illegal logging, called the Lacey Act, asking for it to be amended.

According to the Washington Post, Mr Juszkiewicz hopes to amend the law in order to provide greater certainty for instrument manufacturers and dealers about illegal logging and for musicians who have bought instruments made of illegal wood.

Gibson is also fighting to exempt any wood products owned before May 2008 from the law and protect those who unknowingly own illegal wood sources.

As for the new range of approved-material guitars, Mr Juszkiewicz has said that he will wait to see what Gibson fans think of them.

Last summer, federal agents raided Gibson factories in Memphis and Nashville and seized more than 10,000 fingerboards that were made from Indian rosewood. However, no charges have been filed and the manufacturer has – until lobbying is over – begun producing the composite fingerboards instead.

The iconic guitar maker prides itself on producing luxury instruments and earlier this year it released the highly-anticipated Gibson Firebird X electric guitar to huge acclaim.

Based on the classic 1960s Firebird model, the new version comes with the latest technology in electric sound, fourth-generation automatic tuners, wireless Bluetooth pedals and other features.

It is made from swamp ash, with a maple neck and fingerboard.

Cher Lloyd has spoken of her dream to work on a song with hip hop star Nicki Minaj.

Speaking to this month’s issue of Flavour magazine, the former X Factor contestant said that the Super Bass artist is her “biggest inspiration ever”.

“To have five seconds with her just to say hi would be enough for me,” she gushed.

“But you never know, down the line something may happen.”

Cher is not unfamiliar with collaborations. Her latest single With Ur Love saw her working with Mike Posner and her forthcoming album Sticks & Stones features UK MCs Ghetts, Mic Righteous and Dot Rotten.

The Swagger Jagger singer explained that working with these British MCs means more than working with big-time artists because she has been a life-long fan (“It’s the whole respect thing, they’re not embarrassed to jump on a track with me,” she says), although she did get to collaborate with Busta Rhymes on one of the tracks, Grow Up.

Producer RedOne, who has worked with Lady Gaga and songwriter Savan Kotecha who has written tracks for Usher and Britney, have also leant their skills to Cher for her debut album.

During her photo shoot, which featured the star posing with a candy apple red Fender Stratocaster guitar, Cher said that Tulisa would be her ideal mentor if she was a contestant on this year’s X Factor.

“I love the way she’s got to the position she is today and I like her style of music; I liked N-Dubz and I really like her as a person,” she said, adding that Kelly would have also been a good mentor for her.

Flavour has also offered readers the chance to win a Fender guitar on behalf of musicroom this month. Highlighting the accessibility of the instrument to all kinds of players, the magazine claimed that now they are affordable, anyone can pick up a Fender, from popular Vintage American Fender models to pre-1990 Fender Japan guitars.

The Stone Roses‘ forthcoming reunion gigs have been sold out in little over one hour.

Two gigs had been planned at Manchester’s Heaton Park, but after release they were sold out in 14 minutes and a third date was added.

A total of 220,000 tickets, priced at £55, were sold within 68 minutes of the booking lines opening, illustrating the popularity of the band and the excitement at their return.

NME.com reported that many of the tickets have been bought by touts who are selling them online. eBay has a number of tickets that are already achieving bids of hundreds of pounds, with fans eager to see the band reform.

According to promoters, the band has broken a record with the fastest-selling rock gig in the UK.

“We plan on spending the rest of the day jumping up and down with our hands in the air,” singer Ian Brown said at the news.

Brown, along with guitarist John Squire, bassist Mani and drummer Reni, announced the end to their 15-year riff with the decision to reform for the Manchester gigs, followed by a world tour.

They will play at the open-air gigs on June 29th to July 1st, performing tracks from their hugely successful two albums, The Stone Roses and Second Coming. They could also possibly play new tracks after the band hinted that they could record a third album.

Announcing their decision to reform at a press conference last week (October 18th), Brown said: “I think we’re great and I think we’ve still got it and I think we’ve got something to give to people. And I think in times like this we can uplift people.”

He added that the band will continue like they did the first time around in the 1980s and early 90s by “[riding] it ’til the wheels come off”.

For the first time in its history, Musicroom is the main sponsor of this year’s Derbyshire Times Band of the Year competition.

The contest is a countywide “battle of the bands”, which has been running since 1987 and thanks to Musicroom, the UK’s largest music retailer, they have enviable prizes set to get the competitors’ hearts racing.

Don’t miss the shortlisted bands battling it out at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel venue at two semi finals, held on 7th and 14th of November. The six best out of these will then go on to the live grand final on 21st November, also at Chesterfield’s Winding Wheel.

As the chief sponsor, Musicroom will be providing the lucky winning band with a Fender® Standard Stratocaster featuring legendary Fender® tone, classic styling and a ’70s-style headstock logo. Fender® fans will be over the moon if they win this iconic guitar, inspiring them to pick up the fantastic new Fender® and play like a legend while dreaming of making musical history!

The second place band will win a Musicroom package of a Blackstar HT-1 Combo Amplifier, the perfect studio and practice amp, as well as an Amplitube iRig Interface Adaptor, allowing the band to get their instrument’s signal into iPhone/iPod touch/iPad. Finally, the third place band will receive a Boss Micro-BR Digital Recorder, the ultimate palmtop guitar companion and recording studio.

As the world’s leading guitar manufacturer, the Fender® name has become inextricably linked with all things rock ‘n’ roll, with players such as Eric Clapton, John Mayer and Jimi Hendrix bringing the instrument to the forefront of the music scene, which will undoubtedly appeal to our “battle of the bands” contestants. With these renowned musicians associated with the world-famous Fender® brand, we jumped at the chance of Musicroom’s involvement in this contest.

However, you don’t need to be in the competition to bag your own Fender®, Musicroom offers a variety of Fender® guitars both in-store and on-line at incredible prices, so there’s never been a better time to strap on a legendary Fender® guitar!

All of Musicroom’s fabulous and iconic instruments and much more are available at Musicroom’s 19 high street stores and online at www.musicroom.com.

Musicroom stores can be found in: Brighton, Bristol, Dublin, Dundee, Edinburgh, Exeter, Hatfield, Leeds, Lincoln, two stores on London’s iconic Denmark Street, Norwich, Nottingham, Poole, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Stratford, Truro, and York.

Hollywood actor Richard Gere is to auction off over 100 vintage guitars from a collection that has taken 20 years to build.

The sale will take place on October 11th in New York and is expected to raise around $1 million (£605,000), which will go towards helping humanitarian causes across the globe.

However, speaking ahead of the auction Gere said it is “more than a little painful” to let them go.

Of the 110 musical instruments going under the gavel are guitars that once belonged to reggae icon Peter Tosh, blues guitarist Albert King and Bob Marley.

He is also putting up instruments by famed US guitar maker James D’Aquisto, as well as mandolins and amps.

Highlights of the sale include a 1931 CF Martin and Company, which has an estimated sale price of $50,000-70,000, a 1952 Fender electric guitar and a 1958 Gibson Les Paul custom electric guitar, which has a top estimate of $50,000.

Describing how he came to collect such a range of instruments, Gere said: “I just bought ones that I liked, the ones that sounded good and played well. Some are very special.”

“They have been my true friends through the best and worst of times,” he added. “Each one has been played, loved and appreciated – and will be again.”

The most valuable lot of them all is a Gibson Flying V, used by Albert King. It is expected to fetch in excess of $90,000.

On October 14th, Christie’s New York will be auctioning off over 150 musical instruments including a 17th century violin and cello by Giovanni Grancino, which have a top estimate of $250,000 and $300,000 respectively.

A contemporary CF Martin guitar designed in collaboration with Eric Clapton will also be sold at the auction. The 1996 instrument is expected to sell for $3,000-$4,000.

The number of events arranged to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Nirvana’s sophomore album Nevermind continues to rise.

In the UK, one of the highest profile occasions is the launch of a new gallery documenting the Seattle band’s rise to fame in the early 1990s.

In Bloom: The Nirvana Nevermind Exhibition opened on September 13th at the Loading Bay Gallery on Brick Lane, London and will run until September 25th.

The opening of the event attracted a number of celebrities, with serial Kanye West collaborator Mr Hudson one of the first through the doors.

A number of previously-unseen photographs of live shows are on display at the exhibition as is a wide range of memorabilia including some of front man Kurt Cobain’s guitars.

Visitors to the opening of the gallery were treated to a reggae-infused rendition of Nevermind by Little Roy.

A replica of Cobain’s Fender guitar and a replica of bassist Krist Novoselic’s Gibson will also be on display alongside Nirvana lyrics, tour posters and fan memorabilia.

Other plans to mark the anniversary will see guitar maker Fender release a line of Kurt Cobain Jaguar models.

“Fender is very proud to introduce one of the most distinctive signature models in its history, the Kurt Cobain Jaguar guitar, meticulously modelled on the battered 1965 Jaguar that the Nirvana singer, guitarist and songwriter wielded during the heady and meteoric early-1990s era,” the firm said.

A number of well known musicians have also used the occasion to reveal their favourite Nirvana songs.

NME revealed that Matt Helders, of Arctic Monkey fame, favours In Bloom.

“It changes because I still listen to Nirvana a lot. I think it’s that one because I’d watched Classic Albums and it was about that. They break it all down [in the show] and play it separately. I didn’t lock into until I heard that,” he told the magazine.

Theo Hutchcraft from Hurts opted for Floyd the Barber from Nirvana’s debut album Bleach, while Matt Schultz from Cage the Elephant named Scentless Apprentice from In Utero as his favourite track.

On the 10th September 2011, Salisbury-based Guitar tutor Adrian Smale will be present at musicroom Salisbury to offer short personal Guitar lessons in store.  Whether you have just bought a new instrument and are interested in one-to-one tuition, or simply need some help and advice from an experienced teacher, Adrian will be on hand to offer advice and help to players of all ages and abilities.

Adrian Smale started playing the Guitar at 16 having first played Violin and Piano.  On moving to Salisbury he was taught by Wendy Partridge and went through the AB grades going on to pass Grade 8.  He then continued his studies on various residential and master classes with Julian Byzantine, John Mills and Gerald Garcia, while also performing and teaching.

For more information, visit Adrian’s website, www.adriansmale.net

WED 31ST AUG – 6.30PM

BLACKSTAR NIGHT

On Wednesday 31st August our York store will be hosting an amazing evening with Blackstar Amplification. It all kicks off at 6.30pm with an expert demonstrator from Blackstar on hand to take you through the entire range – from small practice amps to stadium shaking power houses. Ask the questions you’ve always wanted answered and get your hands on some of the hottest gear in the industry today.

As if all of that was not enough to grab your attention, how about some outstanding special prices for one night only? That’s right – everything you try will be available to buy, and it’s never been cheaper.

But wait, there’s more! One lucky winner will be taking away a Blackstar HT1R amp worth £199! That’s right, we will be giving away this outstanding valve combo amp on the night, and everybody who attends will have a shot at bagging this amazing prize.

So how do you get involved in this unmissable night? Simple – just turn up at the  store at 6.30pm on Wednesday 31st August. But if you’re planning on coming, or if you have any questions, why not give the guys a call on 01904 658836 to let us know.

Guitarists will soon be able to cart around a much lighter model of Fender’s Acoustasonic amps as the manufacturer has unveiled two new additions to the range.

The new amps, one at 100-watt and another at 150-watt, are still part of the Acoustasonic range but are more powerful, are louder, and easier to carry around than other models in the range.

According to Fender, the amps “allow for a pristine and natural-sounding reproduction of electric-acoustic guitar” and are perfect for acoustic guitarists who need a versatile and flexible amp.

There are some additional features to the new amps that you can’t get on the rest of the range. They both have a new Voicing control so that the guitar simulates the tonality of the “parlor, dreadnought and jumbo acoustics”, which “[expands] the sonic horizon of the instrument”.

This feature can be turned off, although it also allows electric guitar players to control the amp to Blackface, tweed and British settings, so players don’t have to have a second amp for their electric guitar.

Other features include instrument and microphone channels with independent effects controls, as well as a new feedback elimination control, String Dynamics control, stereo effects loop and a USB connector for digital users.

Both models also have other effects such as reverb, delay and Vibratone.

Fans of Fender guitars can now buy a new Telecaster guitar specially named after Blur guitarist and Fender fanatic Graham Coxon.

The instrument has an ash body, tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage-style single-coil Telecaster bridge pickup and Coxon’s signature appears on the back of the headstock.

A self-declared Telecaster “maniac”, Coxon once gushed that you can do anything with the model.

“You can go for this kind of ‘British’ sound, or it can be this beautiful, clean country sound. You can really do anything on a Tele,” he said.

On this day in 1967, Joni Mitchell played her first ever UK show when she opened for The Piccadilly Line at The Marquee Club in London.

Joni Mitchell at the Marquee! Can you imagine? And as a support act, I wonder how many stood and listened on that historic evening in 1967?

Anyone who’s anyone has played at – or wanted to play at The Marquee. It’s the equivalent of wanting to appear on Top Of The Pops. One could argue that this sweaty little soho club is the most important venue in the world. More so than The Cavern and CBGB’S and The Troubadour. The Marquee Club has the edge – it is the most important venue in the history of European pop music.

The Marquee club first opened on April 19th 1958 in 165 Oxford Street, London. During the following years the Marquee became the most important place for the jazz and rhythm & blues scenes in London, where legends like Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, and harmonica player Cyril Davies played regularly.

During the 60′s a new generation of British rhythm and blues bands such as the Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Manfred Mann (who hold the record for the most appearances 102!), and John Mayall forged the coming of a new era in pop music at the Marquee.

On March 13th 1964 the venue was relocated to it’s most famous location in London’s Soho, at 90 Wardour Street. The Marquee became the most important venue for the emerging British scene and witnessed the birth and rise of some of the most important artists in the 60′s and 70′s such as David Bowie, (who would play lunch time shows, Jimi Hendrix, (who appeared 4 times) Pink Floyd, Cream, Led zeppelin, Free, Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, The Who, Rod Stewart, and many others.

The club was also witness of the birth of all the different music genres born during the last decades of the 20th century, including acid rock, progressive rock, hard rock, and folk rock.

During the late 70′s and early 80′s the Marquee saw the development of British punk and new wave, The Clash, The Cure, Joy Division, The Damned, Generation X, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Sex Pistols all appeared.

The 80’s saw synth pop, heavy rock, and just plain pop/rock, with band’s such as U2, Ultravox, The Pretenders, The Police, Dire Straits, Stone Roses, Iron Maiden, The Bangles, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Motley Crue – I could go on, but I won’t. Just imagine the sights those sweaty dressing room walls have witnessed!

The club also became famous for its ‘secret’ gigs and one-off ‘fan thank you’s, and warm up shows. The Jam, Iron Maiden, Prince, Metallica all played them.

The club is unique in that its remained ‘the place to play’ for so many years, and kept its cool, from the early blues, rock, new wave, punk, metal – The Marquee has always help develop new scenes.

Writing this and looking at the lists of famous acts who played at the club, made me look a little harder at all those acts who also appeared – but never hit the dizzy heights of show biz.

Bearded Lady, The Fabulous Poodles, Skip Bifferty, Dead Fingers Talk, The Sharrons, Octopus, Hard Meat, Clayson and the Argonauts, Radiators From Space…they all achieved something special – they all played at The Marquee.

Blackstar are joining us in-store, bringing their Amps to life!

We will be joined by an awesome demonstrator from Blackstar who will be taking the products through their paces.

With refreshments, some amazing on the night deals and raffles to win a Blackstar HT1R Valve Amp worth £199, these are nights not to be missed.

RSVP to your local event via facebook in the links below, or contact the store to let them know!

York
Wednesday, 31st August from 6.30pm
Banks Musicroom, 18 Lendal, York, YO1 8AU
For more information, call 01904 658836 or email york@musicroom.com
RSVP Here

Lincoln
Thursday, 15th September from 7.30pm – 9.00pm
161 – 162 High Street, Lincoln, LN5 7AF
For more information, call 01522 537141 or email lincoln@musicroom.com
RSVP Here

See you there!

Fender has announced that it is to produce a new Telecaster guitar specially named after Blur guitarist Graham Coxon.

The musician has long been a fan of Fender Telecaster guitars and the signature model will be sold Europe-wide only and will have his own name on it.

According to the manufacturer, the instrument has a “blonde finish ash body, tortoiseshell pickguard, vintage-style single-coil Telecaster bridge pickup and Seymour Duncan ’59 SH-1 humbucking neck pickup with a black bezel for tone ranging from clear and sharp to warm and round”.

Coxon’s signature will appear on the back of the headstock and other features include a C-shaped maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and vintage-style tuners.

The new model must be a real honour and a lifelong dream for Coxon as he once told Fender that the Telecaster is the first guitar he ever reached for after drawing it when he was daydreaming at school. Now, he says he is a Telecaster “maniac”.

Fender said: “Graham Coxon emerged from the 1990s Britpop movement as one of the UK’s most acclaimed and distinctive modern guitarists.

“Through his hit-filled career with Blur and a highly-renowned solo career, his sonic paintbrush of choice is most often a Telecaster guitar, and Fender now honours him with the European-only release of the signature Graham Coxon Telecaster guitar.”

The manufacturer noted that Coxon is well-known as one of modern rock’s “most aficionados of the Telecaster” and he once said players can do anything with the instrument.

“You can go for this kind of ‘British’ sound, or it can be this beautiful, clean country sound. You can really do anything on a Tele,” he explained.

While Coxon had a string of hits with Blur as lead guitarist, he is also a critically-acclaimed solo artist, releasing seven solo albums, most recently The Spinning Top, which follows the narrative of a man from birth to death.

Blackstar are coming to town!

Musicroom Lincoln will be hosting an in-store event with an awesome demonstrator from Blackstar who will be taking the products through their paces.

Taking place on Thursday, 15th September from 7.30pm – 9.00pm there will be: refreshments; some amazing on the night deals; and a raffle to win a Blackstar HT1R Valve Amp worth £199. This is a night not to be missed!

Everyone is welcome, but places are limited so pop in or drop us a line to reserve your place.

Musicroom Lincoln
161 – 162 High Street, Lincoln, LN5 7AF
T: 01522 537141
E: musicroom@lincoln.com

We look forward to seeing you there!

The appearance of a new Gibson guitar on BBC Breakfast this week has led to a huge amount of interest, putting the industry back in the limelight and generating greater interest in the instrument.

Chief executive of Gibson, Henry Juszkiewicz, appeared on the morning news programme alongside amateur guitarist and BBC business editor Simon Jack, to show off the new Firebird X, which comes 50 years after the company began.

Talking about how the guitar-making industry has been seemingly recession-proof, Mr Juszkiewicz showed off the luxury instrument.

Mr Jack cited figures from the Music Industries Association (MIA), showing that 835,000 guitars were sold in the UK last year, totalling £165 million. This is twice the number on 1998.

He suggested that sales have risen as music is often thought to arise out of a recession, while young people continue to pick up the guitar for the first time.

Speaking to Musical Instrument Professional, MIA chairman Paul McManus said: “It’s a shot in the arm for the industry and it’s good for the public to hear that about the guitar market.”

Meanwhile, playing out on the BBC show, Mr Juszkiewicz showed just how technologically advanced the instruments are, even though they retain the iconic shape and feel of a traditional guitar.

Indeed, the latest issue of Wired explains that the new Firebird X even has its own app store, allowing developers and audio engineers to customise its sound and tuning via software downloads.

The instrument connects to the computer via USB, while wireless foot pedals can load apps through a Bluetooth connection, removing the use of cables.

Mr Juszkiewicz told the magazine: “Brian May’s sound is unique, but is accomplished with a lot of gear. We can now replicate those effects using software instead of equipment.”

The Daily Mail has even taken a visit to the Gibson factory in Nashville, Tennessee, which has undergone a multi-billion dollar refurbishment after last year’s floods.

“The scale of the production is immense,” wrote Sara Nelson, who added that business is now “booming” as the iconic brand, favoured by legendary guitar players Slash, Lenny Kravitz, Jimmy Page and The Edge, launches its newest guitar.

How do you improve on York’s best music store? Simple – add the world’s favourite guitars. From July onwards Banks Musicroom in York will be stocking a full range of Gibson and Epiphone acoustic and electric guitars. So whether its an iconic Les Paul, a hard hitting SG or an old school J45 acoustic, our York store will have everything you need to find your dream guitar.

Banks Musicroom really is York’s premier music store with everything for the musician under one roof. We believe that it is our duty to support local musicians throughout their careers. With a full selection of instruments (brass, woodwind, pianos, guitars and more) and all the required accessories, you’ll never need to lean on anybody else.

On the 2nd July 2011, Salisbury based guitar tutor Adrian Smale will be present at musicroom Salisbury to offer short personal guitar lessons instore. Whether you have just bought a new instrument and are interested in one to one tuition, or simply need some help and advice from an experienced teacher, Adrian will be on hand to offer advice and help to players of all ages and abilities.

Adrian Smale started playing the guitar at 16 having first played Violin & piano. On moving to Salisbury he was taught by Wendy Partridge and went through the AB grades going on to pass Grade 8. He then continued his studies on various residential & master classes with Julian Byzantine, John Mills & Gerald Garcia, while also performing & teaching.

For more information, visit Adrian’s website, www.adriansmale.net

Happy Birthday today to Ronald David “Ronnie” Wood, born on this day in 1947.

As his day job he’s the new boy in the greatest rock n’ roll group in the world, The Rolling Stones (he’s only been with them for 30 years); he can paint, he can sing and now he’s winning awards for his weekend job as a radio DJ! Ron is one of rock’s true originals.

He began his musical career in 1964 when he joined The Birds on guitar, (the UK group, not The Byrds). He then joined the mod group The Creation, then The Jeff Beck Group in 1968, playing bass after Dave Ambrose and Jet Harris both didn’t work out. They released two very highly-regarded albums, Truth and Beck-Ola, before the group split in 1970, Wood departing along with lead vocalist Rod Stewart to join former Small Faces members Ronnie Lane, Ian McLagan, and Kenney Jones in a new group, dubbed the Faces.

Ron was always the obvious choice for The Stones. He played and looked like a Rolling Stone and following guitarist Mick Taylor’s departure from the group in 1974, Ron was the man and has been on the payroll ever since.

Away from his day job, Ronnie has found time to collaborate with a number of other artists, including Prince, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bo Diddley, Ringo Starr and Aretha Franklin.