August 17, 2012
“An intergalactic Odyssey”
Here’s the marching-band-uniform-wearing Eric Johnson in a ’90 GHS Strings ad. Those were the days of Ah Via Musicom, perhaps Johnson’s strongest musical statement.
Scanned from the Musician, September 1990 guitar special issue.
June 26, 2012
EJ
This is the ’93 model Eric Johnson, in favor of GHS guitar strings, old Chevys, and a bob hairdo. The ad ran in Guitar for the Practicing Musician, February 1993, squarely between Johnson’s albums Ah Via Musicom and Venus Isle.
June 7, 2012
Straight out of Philadelphia, MS
Otis Rush is a blues legend that is still working it at age 77. This ad for GHS came out around the same time as his album Ain’t Enough Comin’ In. I know that’s true, Otis.
Scanned from Guitar for the Practicing Musician, July 1994.
June 4, 2012
“He busts his chops to get in his licks!”
Who the hell writes this stuff?
George Lynch formed Lynch Mob after leaving Dokken for the first time in ’89. This GHS ad, from Guitar School, September 1992, follows his band’s eponymous sophomore album. More superb guitar ad copy: “To copy his riffs and shreds you’ll need GHS Strings.” Uggh.
May 19, 2012
Phil Collen appears to be in violation of the two necklace minimum.
Damn—Vivian Campbell has been in Def Leppard for 20 years. While they’ve never scaled Hysteria-like heights during that period (both ’99′s Euphoria and ’02′s X peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200) the band has remained a popular attraction.
Shockingly both Campbell and Phil Collen are shirtless in the inset pics.
This GHS ad comes from Guitar for the Practicing Musician, May 1993.
See also this GHS ad from ’90.
February 22, 2012
"BOOMERS MEAN PLATINUM"
Apparently in ’90, the guitar corps of Def Leppard—Steve “Steamin’” Clark, Phil Collen, and Rick Savage—were so pervasive that they only needed billed as “Steve, Phil & Sav.” This ad appeared in Guitar for the Practicing Musician, January 1990, as they were still riding the wave of the multi-platinum Hysteria, the very height of the band’s success. It’s not clear if there’s actually a direct correlation between using GHS strings and making giant albums, as the ad seems to imply.
September 2, 2011
"eight finger fingerboard technique"
In early ’85 Night Ranger were playing GHS Strings and preparing to release their third album, 7 Wishes. Though the band may be most well known for the mockable balladry of “Sister Christian,” Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson could tear up a guitar. Scanned from Guitar for the Practicing Musician, March 1985.
July 29, 2011
BOOMERS
Back to 1988 we go to find Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo surrounded by hot pink text. Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime was brand new then. In fact, it’s reviewed in Guitar for the Practicing Musician, October 1988 from whence this half page ad comes. The ever insightful Buzz Morrison summarized the concept album as such: “Queensryche achieves their operatic glory.”
May 13, 2011
SRV for GHS
Here’s an ad pulled from Guitar Player, March 1989. This was running as the sober SRV was about to release In Step, his final solo album.
March 20, 2011
"A heavy metal marriage that makes it." Err, ok.
The late ’80s were a golden age for guitar advertisements. Perhaps only during that period would you find copy like, “Her performances are sizzling, filled with explosive chords that demand power strings.” Umm, huh? This ad, taken from Guitar World March 1987 (cover price $2.95) precedes the release of her biggest commercial album, Lita, by nearly a year. That record, of course, went platinum due in large part to her duet with Ozzy Osbourne on “Close My Eyes Forever.”
