Reunion Blues Backstage Banter

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Category Archives: Instruments

Is This Video Game the Future of Learning to Play Guitar?

Today during lunch I did what most people doing during their lunch break, wander aimlessly around the internet. I happend to wander across a slideshow of the supposed hottest video games of the Fall. As I was looking for new games to put on my holiday shopping list I came upon a new game called Rocksmith.

At first glance I was like, “Oh great another Guitar Hero…” As I looked a little closer though, I saw the gamer was actually playing a real guitar. I had to know more!

Is this the future of learning to play an instrument? For people like me, a hobby guitar player at best, this is perfect. I get to play famous songs all the way through on a real instrument and it’ll increase my difficulty as I learn. Jackpot! However, as the way I am with most things, I have to play devils advocate. A concern of mine and something I hope the game will address in the future, is how is it going to teach creativity and imagination that make good guitar players great? We can all agree that running off the tracks a little can get the creative juices flowing but this game is teaching kids to stay completely on the tracks.

One thing is for certain, this game has a chance to be a game changer (no pun intended :) ) and regardless of what the answers are to my previous questions I am for anything that will put a real instrument in the hands of more kids.

This Flights For You…

A question we often get asked by our customers about our new RB Continental line of cases is, “Can I carry this on a plane?” Now, being able to carry on your case or having to check it is variable upon the airline but thankfully we have first hand accounts of how the RB Continental Case performed in both areas.

Brett on His Way to His Flight

First up our own sales guru, Brett, had to take a trip back to his homeland of Colorado. Lucky for him he was able to land himself a gig while he was there which meant he had to take his semi-hollow body guitar with him. He decided to check his guitar with the airline inside his very own RB Continental guitar case. Click here to read about Brett’s RB Continental Case success story.

Just recently one of our own dealers, Cream City Music, had one of their guitar teachers travel from Milwaukee to Brooklyn for a gig. He took his RB Continental Acoustic Dreadnought Case for the journey and he ended up being able to carry-on the case. Click here to read about Cream City Music’s RB Continental Case carry-on success story.

Uke Guys R Making Me Crazy!

When I think of a ukulele, images pop into my head of all my trips to Hawaii; There’s always a large Hawaiian male playing an instrument unproportional to himself, with a grin from ear to ear. They’re so happy when playing too! “When in Rome (or in this case Hawaii) right”?

I love everything about the ukulele and the culture that surrounds it. Hell, even the Beatles wrote most of their tunes on ukes before transcribing them to guitar (just imagine While my Ukulele Gently Weeps :) ) But is it just me? Or does it seem like in the last few years, around every corner, a ukulele pops up. On the radio, on the television, at the beach, in the park, at school ect…

Being a product of both the 80’s and 90’s, ukuleles just didn’t belong with the rock n roll, pop, and other heavily synthesized music of my time. Although bell-bottoms, slit shades, glitter, and mullets have already made a come-back, I don’t think anybody saw this coming (Maybe I’ll look harder in Nostradamus’s writings). Anyways, In an age where Techno music, Dj’s, rap music, and heavy metal bands are flourishing everywhere, the fairly simple yet effective ukulele, has seemed to have found a unique home for itself in today’s music.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a proud owner of a Kala ukulele myself (that’s for free guys). I enjoy the natural chime of their gut strings, and of course the simplicity of its four stringed tuning. Also as a musical salesperson for years, I’ve helped unite many folks with their first, second, and third ukuleles. I’m also sure the Music industry is thriving on ukulele sales and the CD sales coming from its sounds.

Seriously though, like we used to say with at the local mom and pop guitar shops “How many guitars can we sell? The same goes with ukuleles. I was even reading a music publishing ad the other day and it read something like this,“ Executive Producers are in desperate need of ukulele instrumentals..All other instrumentals will not be considered” Really?

All I have to say is…….. UKE GUYS ARE MAKING ME CRAZY!!

In all seriousness though, as multi-instrumentalist and a uke player myself; All I have to say is, keep up the music with whatever it is you play; from the washboards and steering wheels to the train whistles and kazoos! VIVA LA UKULELE!

Are you uke crazy? What got you started in playing the ukulele? Let us know in the comments below.

BTW, for all you uke players out there we have just released our new Reunion Blues RB Continental Concert Ukulele Case and our Tenor Ukulele Case.

-Jesse

Photo Credit: Richard Holden

Spread-the-Word to Win a $5000 Reunion Blues/Fender® Guitar Package

Today we launched our new GearUp Spread-the-Word Sweeps and we’ll giveaway a Reunion Blues/Fender® guitar prize package that grows the more you share. Simply “Like” the Reunion Blues Facebook page and complete our entry form on Facebook to enter. If we get 5000+ “Likes” by the end of the sweeps you could win our Platinum Prize Package which includes a Reunion Blues RB Continental Case, a Reunion Blues Merino Wool Guitar Strap, a Fender® Custom Shop Stratocaster® and a Fender® ’65 Deluxe Twin Reverb Amp worth a total retail value of $5000.

Click to go to our GearUp Spread-the-Word Sweeps entry form and enter the giveaway today!

 

Is the Guitar Dying?

What would our world be like without guitars? Ever since the last century, the guitar has been the western world’s most popular instrument (based on my opinion, not from any kind of study). Is it just me or are computers and midi synthesizers (that can imitate all kinds of instruments) taking over? How many parties, weddings, etc. do you attend now where there is a DJ instead of a band of guitar players? From an economical standpoint, it makes sense. One person with a laptop and some speakers can play, mash up and produce layered music that never stops (as opposed to 4-6 people with a bunch of instruments and a PA).

Although I’ve never tried the DJ thing, I’m sure there is some skill involved. And, if someone requests a song, it doesn’t matter if you know it or not. Just dial it up and push play. But where is the soul? Another of my humble opinions: There is nothing like watching or listening to a guitar player build a solo to a crescendo.

A lot of us parents who play guitar hope that our kids want to play guitar so we can jam with them, bond and they will love us because we are so cool. But, in many cases it probably doesn’t work out so perfectly. When I taught my daughter to play the guitar at age 8, she picked it up quickly. I was in heaven on that day when we played “Brown Eyed Girl” together. But, I had 2 conflicting thoughts in my head: “This is great, we will play music for the rest of my life and share something very special…and/or…Enjoy this now because it will not last”. Turns out that the latter came to bear. She could have taken up the guitar with enough natural talent to have some fun with it. But, I just don’t think the guitar is the ultimately cool instrument it once was.

What do you think? Is the guitar losing it’s luster in the musical world? Leave a comment below and let us know.

-Jay

Photo Credit: Jsome1

All Axess shares another lesson with John 5 – watch here

A couple of weeks ago All Axcess All Axess posted a video taken while John 5 was in Birmingham UK on the UK leg of the Rob Zombie tour, where he went througha little lesson a little lesson for the fans. In that video he went through how to “Chicken Pick”.

This week the guys have posted another video from that series, and this time John 5 shows viewers how to play a Spanish Guitar style lick.

In the step by step video he shows you how to play this style with ease.

Reunion Blues & Laurence Juber

As far as contemporary guitar players go, you’ll be hard pressed to find a player with more feathers in his cap than Laurence Juber. And those are some big, bright feathers. Laurence has done it all. He is the former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney and Wings, Alan Parsons Project, Carly Simon and too many other top stars to mention here.

Laurence Juber, now and then!

He has his own Laurence Juber signature model C.F. Martin Acoustic guitar OMC-LJ. He is a world renowned fingerpicking expert, composer, arranger and all around guitar virtuoso.  He composed and performed music for Ken Burn’s follow up baseball documentary film The Tenth Inning.  And he has recently completed LJ Plays The Beatles Vol. 2. These are just a few of his achievements and accomplishments in a hugely successful career.

And who does Laurence turn to for gig bags and cases for his prized guitars? Reunion Blues, of course! When I asked him about his squadron of Reunion Blues gig bags, he commented:

“I am indeed well-equipped with your bags, with my first purchased at Manny’s Music on 48th St in NYC in 1978.”

The Juber Squadron

Laurence sent us this photo of his Reunion Blues gig bags and cases titled: En Route to a Session (I bet that was one heck of a session!  He added:

“As a traveling musician, I appreciate the value of a well-designed and functional gig bag. There are certainly some competitive alternative products in the marketplace, but none have the consistency of style, ‘fit’ and ‘finish’ that I associate with Reunion Blues.”

When asked about traveling with his guitars, he offered this comment which may be even more impressive than our famous drop test from the top of a 3-story building:

“I’ve been happy with the Reunion Blues Continental for my Les Paul and have checked it as baggage with no concerns.”

Laurence was one of the first people we showed our new RB prototypes to at the 2011 NAMM show. Here is what he had to say:

“The suede finish prototype bag at NAMM was cool – I particularly liked the zippered flap over the outside pocket.”

We are obviously thrilled to have Laurence as an official Reunion Blues artist endorser. To learn more about one of the most exciting guitar players of our time, just go to laurencejuber.com. Enjoy with amazement!

Keith Barr Remembered

Sometimes we just have to share a story when we lose one of the really great ones.

Keith Barr died of a heart attack at 61 this week… inventor, icon and founder of many music industry companies including Alesis where I worked in 1991 as director of communications. Keith had a brain the size of a Buick, a sense of humor, and a 300+ employee company that was fueled with some of the most competitive people I have ever met, all of whom the company fed a free lunch to… every day!

 

Keith.Bar.8

The VHS tape-based Alesis ADAT Digital Multitrack Recorder was a hot product in 1991. I was charged with pulling together all the presentation tools to help Keith and his co-brainey conspirator Marcus Ryle (founder of Line 6) thwart the DAT tape-based competition. And thwart we did.

The ADAT won multiple industry awards that year. Always one to shun the limelight, Keith would leave the acceptance speeches to Alesis President Russell Palmer. There was this one time, however, when neither could make it to an award ceremony, so yours truly was chosen to mount the podium. When I asked what I was supposed to say, Keith pulled me aside and secretly suggested we create a Russell Palmer cut-out puppet with a moving mouth and let him do the “talking”… operated by the worst ventriloquist in the history of mankind.

Keith

The end result was one of the most embarrassing, hilarious, memorable nights of my existence with the room falling all over the place and “Team ADAT” having the time of their lives. We laughed until we cried.

Thank you Keith. Rest in peace.