I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, and I’ve had an itch for a while to build my own guitar. A friend of mine built a fretless bass using exotic wood. It was beautiful! He built it from scratch and did an excellent job for his first try.

I don’t have the tools I would need to build a guitar from scratch, so I’d probably need to build one from a kit or from parts if I ever decided to build my own guitar. Several places offer kits and/or parts that you can build from. For example, Stewart-McDonald and Warmoth both offer guitar parts for the do-it-yourselfer. Even Martin offers guitar kits. It seems like building an electric guitar would be easier than building an acoustic guitar, although maybe it wouldn’t matter if you were using a kit.

Have you ever built a guitar, either from scratch or from a kit? If you have, please share your experience in the comments!

Although it’s only March, it’s looking like 2009 is going to be a great year for Joe Bonamassa. It’s hard to believe, but this year, at age 31, he will celebrate his 20th year in the music business. In May, he’ll be performing a concert at the legendary Royal Albert Music Hall in London. He’s featured on the cover of the April 2009 Guitar Player magazine. And, he’s recently released a new studio album called The Ballad of John Henry.

With each successive release, Bonamassa’s albums get just a little tighter and a little more fully realized. The Ballad of John Henry continues that tradition. Like his earlier albums, this one has a mixture of covers and originals, with the originals being fueled by a breakup Bonamassa experienced last year.

I think that one of Bonamassa’s strengths is picking out cover songs that he can personalize and make his own. On this album, he’s chosen songs by Tom Waits, Tina Turner, Anthony Newley, and Tony Joe White. One of the most interesting covers on the album is Waits’ “Jockey Full of Bourbon,” which is somewhat of a departure for Bonamassa. “Stop!” is also a standout track and one of my favorites on the album.

The original songs are also very good. Bonamassa’s songwriting is continuing to evolve. As mentioned earlier, most of the original songs on this album have been fueled by a heartbreak that Bonamassa experienced last year. As a result, the songs are a mixture of happiness, sadness, and regret. In the past, I think Bonamassa’s songwriting has been overshadowed by his enormous guitar talent and great covers. However, I think his songwriting really takes (or at least shares) center stage on this album. I think the originals are the strongest tracks on the album.

Anyone who’s a fan of Bonamassa knows to expect great tones on his albums. And, The Ballad of John Henry is full of great guitar tones. From the baritone-fueled heavy riffs of the album’s opener to the Les Paul-infused tones that make up most of the rest of the album, The Ballad of John Henry is drenched in great guitar tones. His signature Les Paul model, along with a number of other guitars, were plugged into a mixture of Marshall and Fender amps to achieve the tones on the album. If you’re a fan of the guitar at all, you’ll love the tones on this album.

In my opinion, The Ballad of John Henry is easily one of the top albums to be released so far this year. Joe Bonamassa continues to get better with each album, and The Ballad of John Henry is one of his best studio albums. However, no matter how good his studio albums are, they don’t quite capture the full effect of seeing him perform. He is truly a monster guitar player. If he travels through your area, I highly recommend catching him on tour.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ava at the Jemsite Blog

Forget Led Zeppelin and Metallica.  Stairway to Heaven and Enter Sandman may have been cool once, but been there, done that.  These guitar licks are hardcore and yet, somehow we’ve never thought of playing them!

Take a look at the five awesome guitar licks you only wish you had thought of when you first picked up the guitar.

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Bad Boy For Life-P. Diddy

This is a simple one, and so of the moment.  Not since Slash appeared with Michael Jackson has rock and pop been fused so effortlessly.  And yes, maybe we should be calling P.Diddy hip hop and not pop, but the fact is-it doesn’t matter, this is a very cool riff, very mod and very easy to play.  Didn’t About.com’s Guitar site writer Dan Cross put it best when he said, “Good music transcends genres.” Based on the minor pentatonic, this easy riff is intentionally played behind the beat to give the song a loose sound and an interesting rhythm.  Kudos to Diddy for changing it up!

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Uh Huh Her. (Sorry What?)-PJ Harvey

Perhaps the best thing about these riffs is that they’re not classic-they’re loud, they’re rough, they’re distorted.  That’s certainly the case for PJ Harvey’s “Uh Huh Her” (Sorry What?) But perhaps that’s the best way to show the world just who PJ Harvey is-her riffs are awkward and her work is personal. Bet you never thought of playing this one, before, but maybe you should.  After all, PJ Harvey is the wrong-side-of the-tracks “It” girl femme guitarist of the new millennium.

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While My Guitar Gently Weeps-The Beatles

I just told the readers that we’re looking for something unique, different, of the moment. So why are The Beatles on this list? Perhaps it’s because when you think of The Beatles you think of the brash sounds of “Love Me Do” or “Help!” You don’t think of the intimate, time transcending track While My Guitar Gently Weeps, who’s sweet melody is enhanced by an acoustic guitar and an organ.  If only George Harrison (who wrote the song) could be write next to me playing this smooth lick.

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Iron Man-Black Sabbath

Now we’re talking! Back to the days of hardcore Metallica and Led Zeppelin, for sure.  So then why did I put it on this list? Because as well-known as this signature lick is this is for some reason, not everyone remembers that it was Ozzy’s Black Sabbath that played it.  Perhaps they were the underdog in the times of fierce hard rock  Yet, they thrived.  Definitely a Black Sabbath trademark and one that everyone should know-it’s up there with Pink Floyd and Queen!

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Dream On-Aerosmith

Classic, and more classic.  But still not a lick you’d immediately drum up in your head.  This is what started it all in Aerosmith’s rock world.  Joe Perry’s signature style of the seventies kills here. To play the intro, do the D minor chord, then slide your first finger up so it’s on the 4th fret to make an F minor.  Perhaps it’s not the strongest lick, but it’s simple with something for everyone.  No wonder Aerosmith was the first band to get a Guitar Hero game of their own.

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Ava is the blog moderator for Jemsite’s community blog.