Matt Schofield and Eric Gales are both great blues guitarists and both play Two Rock amplifiers. Below is a video of Schofield and Gales jamming together at the Two Rock booth at the NAMM show:

Eric Gales already has a signature model Two Rock amplifier, and I’ve heard that Matt Schofield is also working with Two Rock on a signature amplifier.

(via Mark McGuigan)

Agile Partners have made a number of great apps for the iOS platform, including GuitarToolkit, TabToolkit, Guitar World Lick of the Day, and AmpKit. AmpKit is an amp and effects modeler, so you can plug your guitar directly into your iPhone or iPad and rock out. The following is a video of Alex Skolnick demoing the app:

It really is amazing what this app can do. I recommend checking it out if you have an iOS device.

I haven’t heard about this before, but a documentary about Lemmy, the legendary bass player for Motorhead, has been made and is currently being played in a number of theaters across the country. Check out a trailer for the documentary below:

You can check out the website for the documentary to see if the movie is playing in your area.

This is a nice video of Guthrie Govan playing at the TC Electronic booth:

Good find, Jon!

Taylor Guitars have announced some new options for their solidbody line of guitars, including a new double cutaway option as well as new color options:

Building on the success of its versatile line of SolidBody electric models, Taylor Guitars is adding new options for 2011 in the form of a double cutaway and a slew of vibrant colors for the SolidBody Standard. The new offerings expand the custom ordering capability, allowing players to easily design the look and sound of their SolidBody to suit their style.

As a completely customizable guitar, players can “build” their SolidBody by choosing from a series of options that include body style (Classic or Standard), cutaway (single or double), color, pickguard color (including a new color, Parchment), bridge (stoptail or tremolo) and a variety of Taylor’s “plug and play” solderless pickups.  With nearly a dozen different pickup configurations are available, including high gain (HG) and high definition (HD) humbuckers, Vintage Alnicos (VA), and silent single coils, the “plug and play” pickups were designed to be easily swapped to change the guitar’s sonic personality on the fly.

Also new to the line is a palette of rich color options, exclusive to the SolidBody Standard, to highlight the highly figured maple tops, a new addition to the 2011 line. Among the new colors are Borrego Red, Tiger’s Eye and Gold Rush. Fans of the Classic can choose from a separate color palette, which includes Lava Red Pearl, Jewelescent Orange, Purple Flake, among others.

The few times I’ve played a Taylor solidbody, I’ve been really impressed. I’m glad to see them expanding their line of solidbodies.

Andertons Music is reporting that Marshall have updated their popular Class 5 amp and are preparing to release a head version of the amp, too. I’ve been unable to find much information about this other than what Andertons is reporting. However, what they are reporting sounds very interesting:

Marshall have updated their flagship small tube amplifier – the Marshall Class 5 – and are now releasing a Class 5 MK2 with improved internal components, and a more home-friendly design. The Class 5 MKII now features a “low volume” output switch – as even 5w is very loud for home use. …

Additional internal improvements to the Class 5 have been made. Marshall have assured customers that the price rise that accompanies the transition between the Class 5 MkI and Class5 MkII is worth it as you have a more versatile amp that is built for home use, rehearsals and gigging.

Also new from Marshall in the Class 5 range – a Class 5 Head & Cab. The Marshall C5H Class 5 Head has the same features as the combo and can be paired up with a Marshall C212 2×12 cabinet or a number of other Marshall cabs.

I played a Marshall Class 5 combo a few months ago and liked the tones, but I thought it was a little too loud for use in my house. It sounds like they may have addressed this with a “low volume” switch. I bet this sounds great through a 2×12 cabinet.

UPDATE: It looks like Andertons has redirected the link to a post about the new Yngwie Marshall amp. Maybe the Class 5 head and combo are not ready yet?

Dunlop have announced a Derek Trucks Signature Slide based on the slides that Trucks uses on tour. Dunlop says that this slide “delivers a fluid, vocal style with bright and cutting tone.” Now, if they can only bottle up his talent!

Another new announcement from Paul Reed Smith at this year’s winter NAMM show is a new Private Stock Signature Limited Run guitar, which will be limited to a run of 100 guitars. The guitar was created with input from multiple guitarists and is their first multi-endorsement guitar featuring endorsements by Howard Leese, Tom Wheeler, Davy Knowles, Michael Ault, and Paul Reed Smith himself.

The guitar features “a new pickup system with proprietary 408 treble and bass humbucking pickups which produce eight sounds on a simple switching scheme. A highly figured Private Stock maple top, and ME (Modern Eagle) birds with brown mother of pearl centers create an arresting visual impression. This model’s filled in “sinker” mahogany neck gives the player a new but familiar unfinished feel.”

The specs of the guitar are:

Top Wood: Private Stock Figured Maple
Back Wood: Lightweight African Mahogany
Number of Frets: 22
Scale Length: 25″
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Fretboard Wood: East Indian Rosewood
Neck Shape: Pattern
Inlays: ME Birds w/ Brown Mother of Pearl Centers
Bridge: Stoptail or Tremolo
Tuners: PRS Low Mass Locking Tuners
Truss Rod Cover: Cocobola
Hardware Type: Hybrid
Treble Pickup: 408 B
Bass Pickup: 408 T

Robert Johnson is one of the most legendary blues musicians of all time. His influence is heard in many modern blues artists, and his songs have been covered by legendary artists like Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and the original incarnation of Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green, among many others.

This is one of, I believe, only two known photographs of Johnson to be discovered.

This is a video of Joe Satriani, Sonny Landreth, and Davy Knowles playing “I’m Going Down” in Amsterdam last year: