I recently had the opportunity to ask guitarist Hamilton Loomis a few questions. If you’re not familiar with Loomis, he is a Texas-based guitarist who plays a mixture of blues, rock, funk, and soul-influenced music. His most recent album is a live album called Live in England.

Loomis has the distinction of being given a Gretsch Bo Diddley guitar directly from Bo Diddley himself, who took Loomis under his wing at an early age. In the interview, Loomis discusses how he met Diddley and how he developed his approach to the blues.

What kind of gear are you using on the live album? Guitars, amps effects?

On the Live In England CD, I used my Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Super Sport, equipped with an MM-90 neck pickup (similar to P-90) and DiMarzio DLX Soapbar Bridge Humbucker. The overdrive is a Barber Small Fry, and for the occasional Leslie sound, that’s a re-housed Arion SCH-1. The amp is a Fender Blues Deluxe, provided by my friend Dave Richardson from Essex. The rhythm guitar you occasionally hear is me looping on the fly, nothing pre-recorded, with my trusty Akai Headrush E2. For the Bo Diddley tribute, that’s my Gretsch Bo Diddley Signature model, equipped with GFS Fat 90 humbucker sized single-coils. The tremolo is a Voodoo Labs Tremolo pedal. Since the CD, I’ve acquired a 25th Anniversary Music Man (with the series/parallel switching), and I’m using it exclusively now. I’ve been with Music Man for 2 years now, and they are the best guitars on the market for feel, tone, ergonomics, and beauty as well!

How did you get to know Bo Diddley, and what’s the story behind Diddley giving you the square red guitar?

I met Bo in Houston in 1992 at one of his shows. I went backstage to get an autograph on my guitar case, and I played for him while I was there. The next set, he saw me in the front row and invited me to play a song…It was unbelievable! We kept in touch and became friends. We did shows together in the Texas Gulf Coast for many years. I’ve learned so much from him, and I’m honored to have called him my friend.

About 10 years ago, we were talking on the phone and he mentioned that Gretsch finally came out with the Bo Diddley Signature model guitar. I told him congratulations, and out of the blue, he said “I’ll get them to send you one”. I thanked him for the gesture, but I didn’t really expect anything since he talked often to thousands people, not to mention celebrities. A week later, it showed up at my door, and it’s been one of my prized possessions ever since. He signed it the next time I saw him, which made it even more special.

How did you get started playing guitar, specifically the blues?

Both my parents are musicians, and they had the most fantastic record collection full of blues, soul, R&B, rock, pop, and funk. The combination of instruments lying around the house and records playing non-stop caused me to pick up music really quickly. I learned from old records by Freddy King, Gatemouth Brown, and BB King, but also from the soul of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Stevie Wonder. When I was a teenager, my folks regularly took me to a blues jam hosted by Joe “Guitar” Hughes, who grew up with Albert Collins and Johnny “Clyde” Copeland. He not only taught me about playing guitar, but playing with other musicians. That blues “education” combined with all the other music I listened to made me the musician I am today, or at least what I strive to be.

Tell me about your technique?

I have a specific approach to guitar playing, especially rhythm guitar. I use as few notes as possible to make chords, and I rarely ever play chords with 5 or 6 strings. I also rarely play the root of any chord, since I always play with a bass player. I like 2 and 3 note chords, and I like the open-ness and space that results. This all came about when I burned my left index finger on a plate of Mexican food and got a bad blister. The thought of not being able to play disturbed me, and I wasn’t about to cancel a show because of one finger. I experimented with making chords with the other 3 fingers, and it forced me to explore other voicings and find only the important (or necessary) notes in chords, like the 3rd and 7th. I discovered you don’t need the root of a chord if the bass is already playing it. Ever since then I’ve enjoyed the more uncluttered sound, the economy that results since your fingers and wrist don’t have to work as hard, and the peace of mind knowing I can do a whole show with 3 fingers…Django did it with only 2.

Who are your primary influences?

Apart from my aforementioned influences, Bo Diddley influenced my stylistically. He encouraged me to be original. He said “Innovate, don’t imitate”, which meant a lot coming from an artist who never sounded like anyone. My music is difficult to categorize, and it bothers me that artists are always categorized or labeled. Whatever your style is, if you’re on a major label they can just put you in the biggest category, or the one with the most visibility in stores, or the one that is accessible to the widest range of people. People say to me all the time, “I love your music, but what do you call it? Is it blues? Is it R&B? Is it rock?” I reply, “Does it matter? I’m just glad you love it.”

Music retailer Sweetwater recently interviewed guitarist David Grissom during Sweetwater’s GearFest weekend. Among other things, Grissom talks about how he got started, doing session work in Nashville, his signature PRS guitar, and passing up a gig with Rod Stewart to form the band Storyville in the 90s.

Sweetwater has posted the interview to YouTube in 5 parts. The videos are embedded below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Jason Henke spoke with Joe Bonamassa prior to the Crossroads Festival last month to ask Joe a few questions about Eric Clapton, Joe’s British influences, what he hopes his legacy will be and more. One aspect of the Crossroads Festival that didn’t get reported very much is the auction that was associated with the festival. Joe donated his gold-sparkle Strat that he played for many years before switching to Gibsons. Here’s what Joe had to say about that guitar and the auction:

It’s a gold-sparkled Fender Strat that I played a lot in my earlier years – it’s probably my most noticeable guitar from that time. I had a lot of pictures taken with it. That guitar had been sitting in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for two years, and I decided it was time to close that chapter on my life with that guitar and let somebody else have it for a hell of a cause. As long as it goes to a good home and somebody enjoys it, I’m good with it. I just hope it doesn’t hang on a wall to look at. Play the thing. That’s what it was made for.

Click here to read the rest of the interview.



A couple of months ago, I reviewed a nice S-style guitar made by Landric Custom Guitars, LLC. Since then I’ve had the chance to ask Rick Land, the luthier behind Landric Custom Guitars, some questions about his guitars and how he builds them. Check out the interview below:

How did you get into building guitars?

I started building electric guitars to keep out of the “dog house” with my wife. When I really got into the more vintage style guitars, I knew there was no way I could afford the real good re-issues let alone the authentic relics, so I thought I’d try build one. Well, one turned into two, and two turned into three. When I got up to five or so, my wife lovingly suggested that I sell my builds to help pay for future ones.

How do you choose the components that go into a guitar?

There are a lot of factors that go into each guitar I build. There might be a certain look I am trying to achieve, or a sound(s) I am looking for. Most of the time, the guitar’s cost is a big factor. I really try to get the most “bang” for the buck. I always strive for quality without spending top-dollar. There are a lot of nice parts, pieces, and pickups out there that need to be tried in a guitar.

How did you develop your relicing technique?

Lots of trial and error unfortunately. I am always studying the real thing. Whether I’m studying books and photos of vintage guitars, or I get a chance to hold an authentic relic, I try to replicate what I see. There is something new I learn from every old, worn, and played-out guitar. It always amazes me how different one vintage guitar looks from the next. Every player plays a little different. They hold their guitars differently. They store them differently. Some guitars are played in a studio all their life while some have been played in nothing but smokey bars and outdoor stages. They all age, just very differently. I am always trying to recreate these effects. It’s an art I’m learning with each relic job I do.

It seems like even though you might use a few off-the-shelf components, you work them into something unique that fits the particular instrument you’re working on. What process do you use to do that?

I actually use many off-the-shelf components. Because I build a lot of very popular-styled guitars, there are many, many parts available. Sometimes you just go with what works. I get a lot of feedback from players on each of my builds. They tell me if something works or doesn’t work for them. I like to visualize each guitar in my head before I build it. Unless it’s a requested custom guitar, I will mix and match paint colors, fingerboard woods, bridges/tremolos, tuners, …etc. until I have a combination that seems to work for me. Then once the guitar is built, I get it into a players hands to give it a “test run”. Not every player likes the same feel or sound from an electric guitar, so I try to do something a little different any time I can. It’s a fun, but time consuming, process.

I noticed the S-style models I played had a unique electronics set up. Could you explain that a little?

Most of my guitars will get the same electronics. I try to use good quality components and a few tricks I pick up on from some real talented builders over the years. The Retromaster (S-type) guitars will generally come with 5-way switching, vintage pots, cloth wire, “orange-drop” capacitors, and most have a treble-filter on the volume pot. This filter or by-pass, will let you “roll” your volume down without the guitar’s tone getting “muddy” sounding. A lot of the good builders out there will add this feature because it works so well. My Trebleshooter (T-type) guitars use all those same components, but come with 3-way or 4-way switching. I have even experimented with a Trebleshooter that has a 5-way switch. With a added tone capacitor and some different wiring, this guitar gives you all three original T-style tones plus an “out of phase” tone and a neck pickup setting with treble by-pass. Just something you don’t always see, but may be a tone players are looking for…

Any plans to introduce other body styles in the future?

This is a definite plan. Right now, I am just finishing up a custom-ordered 5-string bass guitar. I have done a few bass guitars over the last few yeas, but I hope to get some out in the store soon. I am also working on finishing up a Trebleshooter Baritone and a Thin-line Retromaster. A few other guitar ideas are not far behind either.

For as much as I love the classic styles that we are all grew up with and are accustom to, I can’t wait for the time when I can put a more custom designed Landric guitar out there for players to try. I don’t know when exactly this will happen, but God-willing, it’s a definite plan.

Please feel free to expand on any other part of the guitar-building process that you’d like to talk about.

I will have a few more demos out on Youtube soon. I’ve been very blessed to have the talents and skill of Jared James Nichols playing my Landric guitars out and on video. He really puts my guitars through the extreme playing styles and methods on a daily/nightly basis. Jared and I are working on some new videos to get out there soon.

I also am very close to getting my website up and running. It should give a lot more detail and information on my guitars and what I have to offer. Until it is finished though, you can always go to Cream City Music’s website at: www.creamcitymusic.com to see what I have in stock at their store in Brookfield, WI. Cream City Music is one of the “go-to” guitar stores in the Midwest. They do a lot of business on-line and their showroom is an excellent place to show my guitars. I can also be reached at rick@landricguitars.com.

In addition to speaking with Jimmie Vaughan, Jason Shadrick also had the opportunity to talk to acoustic guitarist Pete Huttlinger as part of Guitar Edge’s Crossroads 2010 coverage. Pete shows how to play the same tune in a country style as well as in a more funky, pop style. Pete really knows how to bring the groove in anything he plays. Watch how he does it:

Jason Shadrick of Guitar Edge magazine recently interviewed Jimmie Vaughan just before his CD release party at Buddy Guy’s Legends club. The interview covers Vaughan’s decision to record in Austin, how he chose the material for his new album Plays Blues, Ballads and Favorites, and how he chose the other players on the album. Jason also recorded a video with Vaughan discussing Vaughan’s playing style:

The Los Angeles Times recently spent some time with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers talking to them about the recording process for their album Mojo, which will be released this week.  I was interested to hear that the album was recorded live with no overdubs. I can’t wait to hear the whole album. I love the bluesy sound of the songs I’ve heard so far.

How many people can say they’ve played basketball with Eddie Van Halen or spent a week on Santana’s tour bus? Jas Obrecht has done those things and much more throughout his career as a writer for magazines such as Rolling Stone, Guitar Player, Mojo, and Living Blues, among others. He now teaches creative writing at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, MI; the college ran a feature story on Obrecht last year. They’ve also posted a video interview with Obrecht on YouTube, where he talks about playing basketball with EVH and then interviewing him long before he became the guitar god he is today:

LickLibrary.com recently posted a nice interview with guitarist Davy Knowles from Back Door Slam. They have also posted a performance by Knowles and an overview of two of his songs: “Riverbed” and “Tear Down the Walls.”

Premier Guitar magazine recently published a podcast interview with Eric Johnson:

In this interview, Strat-master Eric Johnson discusses why his new album is more “alive” than his previous and the special guests who make appearances on it. He also walks us through the rig he used for Experience Hendrix and shares his favorite moments from the tour.