AD: Charvette by Charvel

"EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN"

Here’s another Super Strat lost to the mists of time, the Charvette. A snippet of history from the “unofficial Charvette guitars fan site” (of course there is one):

Charvette was a trademark used on Korean made guitars in the late 1980s and early 1990s by the Jackson/Charvel Company. The brand was introduced to cover the budget end of the market. The name itself is a blend of Charvel and the French suffix “-ette” which is used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something. Thus Charvette is meant to convey a smaller or lesser Charvel. The United States Trademarks and Patents Office assigned the “Charvette” trademark as dead in 2001, having been unused for a number of years.

“Smaller or lesser.” Why, I never.

Read more and shop for parts at charvette.com.

Right here.

Ad taken from Guitar World, September 1989.

 

Uli Jon Roth – Live in ’82

Classic footage of Uli Jon Roth—pre-Sky Guitar, even. I think the audio and video are a bit out of sync, but it’s still great to hear his stylish, influential playing.

 

AD: Kim Thayil for Guild

Note the Reverend Horton Heat t-shirt.

The February 1997 Guitar Player contains bad things, such as ads featuring Everclear and Darius Rucker (back cover, for chrissakes). But it also has a full page of Kim Thayil and his Guild S-100. The inset image is Soundgarden’s Down on the Upside.

 

Richard Davies’ Gibson J-160

The enigmatic duo of Richard Davies and Eric Matthews have reconvened their band Cardinal and are set to release their first album since 1994.Magnet is currently featuring Davies’ thoughts on his much-traveled acoustic guitar, a Gibson J-160:

My writing guitar since 1996. I played it on the Cosmos album with Robert Pollard, and on the new Cardinal record. I’ve played it in Paris for Montmartre Goths, London for Poison Pens, New York lunchtime industry showcases. I’ve played it until its head fell off. It’s currently with the luthier undergoing surgery.

Read more and hear the guitar in question on a Cosmos track at Magnet.

Right here.

 

New music from Shok Paris

Cleveland’s 30 year metal veterans Shok Paris have released a new single, “Those Eyes,” through iTunes and other digital channels. Says guitarist Ken Erb, as quoted by Blabbermouth:

This one’s literally hot off the presses. It’s the newest of the new Shok Paris songs. Our first commercial release since (1989′s) Concerte Killers. I am very happy with the way it turned out.

Read more of the band’s upcoming plans at Blabbermouth.

Right here.

 

AD: Kirk Hammett for Mesa/Boogie

'Nuff said.

Great ad from a bygone age when even the most critical metalhead would say Metallica were still on point. This full page ad from the … And Justice for All era has no text—and needs none. Scanned from Guitar World, June 1989.

 

AD: Jennifer Batten for Axsak

"guitar jackets"

Remember these things? Seemingly not too many people do, as the first several Internet search results are Myspace links. Huh. Jennifer Batten was in the employ of Michael Jackson when this ad appeared in Guitar for the Practicing Musician, January 1989.

 

Vernon Reid in new supergroup

A supergroup if ever there was: Guitar renegade Vernon Reid is joining forces with Cream’s Jack Bruce,  John Medeski of Medeski, Martin and Wood, and Cindy Blackman Santana of Lenny Kravitz and Santana. The new band, Spectrum Road, will release an album in June make its debut at this summer’s Bonnaroo festival. Billboard summarizes the group’s genesis:

Spectrum Road was formed in homage to jazz drummer Tony Williams, whose track “Spectrum Road” serves as the group’s namesake. Bruce played with the musician in the Tony Williams Lifetime trio in the early ’70s, recording several albums of jazz fusion.

To read more and see video of Spectrum Road, jump over to Billboard.com.

Right here.

 

Got to Give it Up

I suppose you could consider it Rock for Lent, if you’re into that type of thing. Classic Thin Lizzy with Scott Gorham and Snowy White on guitars.

 

Gibson revives the Moderne

The storied Gibson Moderne is returning to production following a dubious birth and discontinuation. If you want one, you might want to act quickly. As Gibson’s website notes:

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the Moderne has surfaced: it was released briefly as part of the “Heritage” series in 1982, and later as an Epiphone version. But finally, in 2012, the Moderne seems to have found its rightful place in the world – albeit 55 years after it was first dreamed up.

Who knows how long it will stick around this time.

Take a look at the curvilinear curiosity and read more of its history at Gibson.

Right here.