The monthly guitar challenge … surely by May I’ll work out how to make these videos on a monthly basis. Still, with today’s video I’ve kept some form of consistency—back-to-back videos that feature the combined riffs from two individual month’s guitar riffs. I’ve also managed to create content in two consecutive months. That’s almost a win. Still, next month will hopefully be only partially consistent—monthly video and blog post, but one riff. Hopefully it will still be interesting enough to warrant the blog post it is posted in. … The monthly guitar video challenge (with two entries once again)
A monthly video challenge (with a late start)
Earlier this year I thought I’d set myself a monthly video challenge. It was an idea I had with the best of intentions. It’s also an idea I wish I’d had actual time to dedicate to earlier this year. Still, I think I’ve managed to find the time and the motivation to get cracking now. I’m filled with so much faith now that I’ve decided to play catch-up by releasing my first video that includes what could technically be classified as the first two months of challenge results in the one recording. Could be. But really it’s just a poor attempt at playing catch-up.
Anyhow, read on for the concept and the first result. Hopefully I can keep this one going. I’m more inspired to play guitar than I have been in ages. … A monthly video challenge (with a late start)
Skumstortion guitar pedal
Skumstortion pedal by Pro Tone Pedals. Photograph taken on Nikon D60 DSLR.
Saying farewell to 2017 and bringing in a new 2018
2017 was an ordinary year for me. Nothing terrible happened, but nothing outstanding happened either. I neglected this website and all of my social media channels. I lost my way, but I have plans to get back on track in 2018. One thing that I know will be new, is this website’s design. I am making the transition into a new theme design. Exciting right!?
Well, considering the lack of … everything in 2017. This is a big step forward. But there will be more. So read on to see what is planned. If you care to.
Brad Williams Logo
Several months back I was chatting with my friend Brad Williams on Twitter when a logo idea hit me—which was weird because we weren’t initially talking about logos. Brad is an incredibly talented guitar player and a man with a greater fascination for the beauty of all-things-guitar than me. So logically my logo idea was based on the guitar shape. I had this idea that Brad’s initials lent themselves perfectly to the guitar shape.
I sent my initial drawing to Brad and he seemed to like where I was going. Brad also mentioned that he’d always wanted his own logo that featured a crown—a particular style of crown too. I was up for that challenge as long as I could make the crown a six pointed crown. That tied in nicely to the standard six machine heads on a guitar.
After that, the logo almost designed itself. All I had to do was make sure the logo worked as a single colour design as well as a full colour option incorporating the colours Brad liked most in his logo. I’m really happy with how this one turned out. It has been great to design once again.
… Brad Williams LogoThe perfect electric guitar (that social media chose)
Earlier this month I thought it would be a good idea to conduct a social media experiment that would hopefully result in an answer to a question I’d often asked myself … does the perfect electric guitar exist? I am lucky enough to have a few guitars to choose from, but I’d never considered one guitar to be the perfect guitar—I’m told it’s important to not let your children know who the favourite is. I realised that the perfect electric guitar was relative. It would mean different things to different people. So obviously the only way to decide, was to have several different people choose.
After running a series of 17 guitar choice questions in Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, I compiled the responses—none of the votes are my own—and went to the Halo Guitars website to construct the perfect electric guitar. I have to say, I think the Interwebs may have just got this right.
Building the perfect electric guitar through social media
So I’ve opted to try something different as I investige what electric guitar to potentially buy next. I always try to get something different with each guitar purchase, but I’ve been wondering if there is such a thing as the perfect electric guitar. There are clearly many aspects of an electric guitar to consider when purchasing a new addition to your current collection. To help me make sure I get the next purchase right, I’ve decided to let social media choose the perfect electric guitar for me.
Before I get into the how, let me share some back story. It will be great for atmosphere if nothing else. Plus, I haven’t written in a while. (Scare) Bear with me. … Building the perfect electric guitar through social media
Tasmanian rainforest
Moss growing in a Tasmanian rainforest. Photograph taken on Nikon S7000.
Tasmanian waterfalls
Waterfalls outside of Hobart, Tasmania. Spring 2017. Photograph taken on Nikon Coolpix S7000.
My ten favourite guitar moments—not a top ten list
I don’t know why, but I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately with titles such as the top ten guitarists, the top ten metal guitarists, the top ten shredders or the top ten female guitarists. I’m not sure why the latter is even a thing. If someone can play guitar and play guitar well, I don’t care who they are—I’m jealous no matter what. Anyhow, all this recent reading got me thinking. Not thinking about making a top ten list. This isn’t that. Sure, it’s a list of guitarists. But it’s not a list where the focus is on who is best—no matter the particular focus on skill/genre. No, this is a list on my personal ten favourite guitar moments. These are the songs that made me the guitarist I am today.
I mention that not to focus on my skill—it’s not great. It’s to focus on the styles that have influenced what I like to play. Metal. … My ten favourite guitar moments—not a top ten list