http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/FeaturesThe latest feature articles from Gibson LifestyleSat, 25 May 2013 08:31:52 GMThttp://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/live-wire-0408-2012Just because MTV doesn’t play music anymore doesn’t mean there’s not tons of live music on television these days. Consider our weekly feature “Live Wire,” your guide to performances, concerts and rock star appearances on the tube. All times are ET. ]]>Sun, 08 Apr 2012 05:01:00 GMTFeatures181062http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/rise-against-0408-2012Head to a Rise Against show, and it’s obvious these guys are no-frills. With no pedals and duel Gibsons in hand, they blast out a style of punk rock that’s loud, fast and energy-charged. ]]>Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:01:00 GMTFeatures181065http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/gibson-floyd-rose-0404-2012Few gadgets have divided guitarists quite like the Floyd Rose® bridge. Call it a tremolo, call it a whammy bar, call it a wiggle-stick – under whatever name you choose to use for it, that little bar and the hefty bridge it attaches to has created some brilliantly tender – and some woefully overwrought – performances. And although Gibson guitars might not be the first instruments that come to mind when you think of the Floyd Rose® (that honor probably goes to Kramer, who secured the first Floyd Rose® distribution deal back in the early ’80s), there have been several Gibson models throughout the years that have paid tribute to this most whale-sound-inviting of guitar gadgets. ]]>Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:07:27 GMTFeatures181061http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/gibson-fueled-punk-0403-2012Lest anyone forget what rock and roll is all about, punk rock is always there to reaffirm the music’s primal essence. Especially in the mid-to-late ’70s, when progressive music and other “inflated” rock forms were putting cracks in rock and roll’s rebellious foundation, a new generation of determined guitarists came along to put buzzsaw teeth back into the music. Not surprisingly, during that era and others, it’s been Gibson players who’ve led the charge. Simply put, nothing stokes punk rock’s ferocious energy like a Les Paul or one of its close Gibson kin.]]>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:54:08 GMTFeatures181053http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/top-ten-news-0403-2012It’s been another wild and crazy week in the world of rock and roll. Slash announced a release show for his new album, Lindsey Buckingham set some solo tour dates – as did Joe Walsh – while ZZ Top said they’ll be touring this year with 3 Doors Down. Gibson released a roaring Paul Landers (of Rammstein fame) signature Les Paul and some of Mr. Paul’s own rare guitars were prepared to hit the auction block. Sadly, the music world lost banjo genius and bluegrass pioneer Earl Scruggs. R.I.P. Earl. Finally, in a moment of inspired craziness, the Flaming Lips promised an album smeared with Ke$ha’s blood. Now that’s definitely rock and roll!]]>Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:11:36 GMTFeatures181050http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/gary-moore-tone-0402-2012The punch line for the old joke “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” is the same as the answer for “How do I begin to sound like Gary Moore?” Practice.]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:44:36 GMTFeatures181038http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/sunburst-stories-0402-2012Sixty years after the Gibson Les Paul’s debut in 1952, there are some Les Pauls that remain more fabled than others. The players have a lot to do with it – even a great Gibson Les Paul won’t sound fantastic in the hands of a novice. Even so, 1958-60 sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standards all have their own unique stories, and so do later models. We’ve already looked at the histories of the Les Pauls of Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff and Billy Gibbons. Here are the brief stories of the Les Pauls of Keith Richards, Joe Walsh, Mark Knopfler, Ace Frehley and Mike Bloomfield…]]>Mon, 02 Apr 2012 05:01:00 GMTFeatures181028http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/live-wire-0401-2012Just because MTV doesn’t play music anymore doesn’t mean there’s not tons of live music on television these days. Consider our weekly feature “Live Wire,” your guide to performances, concerts and rock star appearances on the tube. All times are ET. ]]>Sun, 01 Apr 2012 05:01:01 GMTFeatures181022http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/shinedown-amaryllis-0329-2012When Zach Myers was offered a spot as Shinedown’s lead guitarist as the band were recording what would be their massively successful album Us and Them, he had no idea where it was headed. “The band had some success, but it wasn’t nearly where it is now,” Myers told Gibson.com. “I joined the band because I loved Brent [Smith, singer]. When I met Brent and Barry [Kerch, drummer], I was like, ‘I want to be with these guys,’ because Brent was just a driven entity himself. My thought was with this guy driving the train, we’re going to be successful, and that’s kind of where it came from, and for me, it was great. ]]>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:30:57 GMTFeatures181015http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/nativity-in-black-0328-2012So much of what we listen to today can be traced back to Black Sabbath. Distorted guitars, heavy power chord riffs, evil-sounding melody lines – Sabbath assimilated many disparate ideas into a cohesive sound that was undeniably theirs. Sabbath were and are, understandably, with the “civilian” crowd but they’ve always been incredibly influential to other musicians, too.]]>Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:54:32 GMTFeatures181008