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Trading Licks: Episode 4 – Question & Answer / Ascending & Descending Lines
This month we’re going to be jamming over a blues, rock progression with a tonal center resolution point of C7. We’ll be using C9 arpeggios and the C Blues Scale to create our eight licks. I’ve also added a healthy amount of chromatic tones to each of the melodic devices this month. Those chromatic tones… Continue reading Trading Licks: Episode 4 – Question & Answer / Ascending & Descending Lines
Trading Licks: Episode 3 – Intervallic Lines
This month we’re going to be jamming over a cool 2-bar progression in the key of A Minor. We’ll be using the A Minor Pentatonic scale and the A Natural Minor scale (C Major) for those improvisations. I’ll be starting each two-bar, Intervallic phrase on the downbeat of one, in order to maximize the two-bar… Continue reading Trading Licks: Episode 3 – Intervallic Lines
YGD Custom Shop | Steady Holiday Custom Revstar
Steady Holiday is the solo project of Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress Dre Babinski. She discovered Revstar guitars when performing at a Yamaha showcase at SXSW in 2019, and the series has been her mainstay ever since. “I’ve played around on several different Yamaha models, but quickly landed on the Revstar,” she recalls. “I love the elegance… Continue reading YGD Custom Shop | Steady Holiday Custom Revstar
Breakthroughs | The Rough & Tumble
Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler wrote and performed together for several years before it just made sense to form The Rough & Tumble in 2011. But it wasn’t until one warm evening in April a few years later as they left most of their worldly possessions behind and stepped into a rickety 16’ camper that… Continue reading Breakthroughs | The Rough & Tumble
Trading Licks: Phrasing on the Downbeat of Two
In this month’s “Trading Licks” session we’ll be playing over a really cool E Mixolydian progression. We’ll be targeting the characteristic note and starting each two-bar phrase on the downbeat of two. We’ll be using the E Minor Pentatonic Scale and the E Blues Scale for our melodic device, and I’ve intentionally started each of… Continue reading Trading Licks: Phrasing on the Downbeat of Two
YGD Custom Shop | Bobby Dall Custom BB Basses
With big flake sparkle finishes in orange and silver, these custom BB basses look and sound spectacular under the stage lights with Bobby Dall of Poison. Bobby has played BB basses since 1989, when the band was recording the Flesh & Blood album at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, Canada with producer Bruce Fairbairn. “I wanted a… Continue reading YGD Custom Shop | Bobby Dall Custom BB Basses
Trading Licks – Phrasing On The Upbeats
Download the Line 6 Helix patch Download audio backing tracks Join us as we dive into the Trading Licks series with Robbie Calvo. Trading Licks are a series of video jam sessions optimized to teach you improvisational concepts to expand your musical horizons and keep you moving forward as a musician. These monthly episodes feature… Continue reading Trading Licks – Phrasing On The Upbeats
Yamaha Guitars Pride 2022
In celebration of Pride this year, we’ve put together a collective playlist highlighting songs and artists from the LGBTQ+ community, as well as some allies. Chosen by Yamaha Guitars employees from different roles and locations around the world, these tracks each hold a special meaning for us and we’ve included a few below. Enjoy! Harry… Continue reading Yamaha Guitars Pride 2022
The Revstar Story
PART I: NEVER STANDING STILL The Revstar story begins in a converted pickle factory in England. Located a short walk from The Oval cricket ground in leafy South-West London, the building is home to forpeople–a bold creative agency enlisted by Yamaha to collaborate on the design and marketing of a new range of electric guitars.… Continue reading The Revstar Story
THR History: Ten Years of the Original Desktop Amplifier
Part I: From Concept to Desktop THR® product development began with what seemed like a specifically Japanese problem. With generally smaller living spaces and significantly higher population density than in the West, it could be difficult for Japanese guitarists to practice without disturbing their neighbors. “We always had a hard time playing guitar with great… Continue reading THR History: Ten Years of the Original Desktop Amplifier
YGD Custom Shop | Fred Kosak’s Custom FG Guitar
Andrew Enns, a Senior Acoustic Guitar Builder at the Yamaha Guitar Development custom shop in Calabasas, California, recently built a one-of-a-kind FG acoustic guitar for Fred Kosak of Stillhouse Junkies. Learn more about Fred and the guitar. I love that it retains some of the classic Yamaha design features while breaking new ground as a… Continue reading YGD Custom Shop | Fred Kosak’s Custom FG Guitar
YGD Custom Acoustic Guitars with Yamaha Acoustic Guitar builder Andrew Enns
Yamaha Guitar Development is a custom shop in Calabasas, California, where luthiers build acoustic, electric, and bass guitars for Yamaha artists. The shop is also a research & development facility, contributing to production guitars that are available to customers around the world. In this interview, Master Acoustic Guitar Designer and Luthier Andrew Enns talks about… Continue reading YGD Custom Acoustic Guitars with Yamaha Acoustic Guitar builder Andrew Enns
Record Store Day 2021: How I Got Nominated for a Grammy
For Record Store Day, our Social Media team asked around the Yamaha Guitar Group for stories about our love of music. As you would expect, our office is full of passionate music lovers and active musicians, and my best music story might be about the time I was nominated for a Grammy award. After my… Continue reading Record Store Day 2021: How I Got Nominated for a Grammy
Record Store Day 2021: Analog, Digital, and the Joy of Listening
The obvious takeaway is that the music is ultimately more important than the medium—but the right equipment can enhance the experience. I love how a power chord feels through a cranked tube amp, and I love how a record invites me to pay attention.“ My most recent vinyl purchase–Signals, Calls, and Marches by Mission of… Continue reading Record Store Day 2021: Analog, Digital, and the Joy of Listening
Record Store Day 2020 | Part III
One of the biggest annual events on the music calendar, Record Store Day is when independent record shops around the world come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. This year, Record Store… Continue reading Record Store Day 2020 | Part III
Record Store Day 2020 | Part II
One of the biggest annual events on the music calendar, Record Store Day is when independent record shops around the world come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. This year, due to… Continue reading Record Store Day 2020 | Part II
Record Store Day 2020 | Part I
One of the biggest annual events on the music calendar, Record Store Day is when independent record shops around the world come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. This year, due to… Continue reading Record Store Day 2020 | Part I
Yamaha Guitar Development Open House Online
We recently celebrated 30 years of Yamaha Guitar Development during YGD’s debut Open House Online, which streamed live on Thursday, August 13, 2020, from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm (PDT). Ampeg and Line 6 also participated in the event. The illuminating, artist-centric event marked the very first time the inner workings of the Yamaha Guitar… Continue reading Yamaha Guitar Development Open House Online
Custom Shop | Matteo Mancuso’s Revstar
Many fans first heard Italian guitarist Matteo Mancuso when SNIPS, a jazz/fusion band based in Sicily, released a video performance of “The Chicken.” With more than a million views on YouTube, the video is a showcase for his musicianship and unique fingerpicking technique, as he interprets the jazz-funk standard on his Revstar. Matteo recently collaborated… Continue reading Custom Shop | Matteo Mancuso’s Revstar
Artist Insight | Alli Walker
Singer-songwriter Alli Walker grew up in Prince Edward Island, Canada, playing piano, drums, and bagpipes. A self-confessed “tomboy” who took great pleasure in beating the boys in drum battles, Alli later discovered Avril Lavigne and Taylor Swift: two strong female artists who inspired her to pick up and play the guitar in a typically “all-boys… Continue reading Artist Insight | Alli Walker
Yamaha THR-II | Yvette Young
Artist, pianist, and guitarist and songwriter for instrumental math-rock band Covet, Yvette Young shares how teaching herself to play guitar empowered her, explains how she developed her playing technique, and tells us why she brings her THR30II Wireless with her on tour. Hi Yvette. Thank you for taking the time out to chat with us.… Continue reading Yamaha THR-II | Yvette Young
Artist Insight | Johnny Lloyd
Hello Johnny, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. Let’s start out with an introduction. For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of listening to Johnny Lloyd, how would you introduce yourself and your music? I’m a singer-songwriter. I was originally in the band Tribes from 2010 to 2013. We had Top… Continue reading Artist Insight | Johnny Lloyd
Yamaha THR-II | Jeff Schroeder
Yamaha artist Jeff Schroeder is a guitarist with The Smashing Pumpkins. We spoke to him about the band’s most recent tour, his new project Night Dreamer, and his experience with the new THR30II Wireless amplifier. Hi Jeff! Thanks for taking the time to chat with us.The Smashing Pumpkins have just finished a huge tour with… Continue reading Yamaha THR-II | Jeff Schroeder
Custom Shop | Nathan East
Nathan East has been a Yamaha artist for more than three decades and remains one of the world’s most sought-after musicians. As a bassist, producer & songwriter, Nathan has collaborated with numerous top artists from Barry White and Kenny Loggins to Eric Clapton and Anita Baker. His Grammy Award winning steady groove and bass lines… Continue reading Custom Shop | Nathan East
Artist Insight | Jason Corbett
From Vancouver, Canada, ACTORS make waves with a modern take on post-punk. “There’s an honesty in good music,” says ACTORS frontman Jason Corbett, who writes, produces, mixes, and masters all of the band’s music at his Jacknife Sound studio. “So, whether it’s what you like or don’t like–you can hear when it’s real, when it’s… Continue reading Artist Insight | Jason Corbett
Butch Walker | RubyRed Productions Insight
Artist, songwriter, and Grammy nominated producer Butch Walker has been hailed by Rolling Stone as “one of America’s best singer-songwriters.”The Yamaha artist invited us into his RubyRed Productions studio in Santa Monica, where along with his own records, he has produced music by the likes of Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Taylor Swift, The Struts, P!NK, and Brian… Continue reading Butch Walker | RubyRed Productions Insight
The Ongoing History of Yamaha Folk Guitar
Yamaha celebrated the 50th anniversary of Yamaha Guitars in 2016, marking the year in which we first began exporting guitars outside of Japan. Nineteen-sixty-six was also the year in which we introduced our first steel-string acoustics: the FG-Series folk guitars. Many of those guitars had an instantly identifiable red label on the inside, and for… Continue reading The Ongoing History of Yamaha Folk Guitar
Artist Insight | Jacob Berry
Yamaha artist Jacob Berry plays guitar and keys for indie rock band Two Door Cinema Club. We talk to him about his inspirations as a guitarist, what he looks for in a guitar and his experiences with the band. Yamaha Guitars: Hey Jacob! Thanks for taking some time out to chat with us. Let’s start out… Continue reading Artist Insight | Jacob Berry
International Women’s Day 2019 | #WithHerGuitar Contest
Happy International Women’s Day! The theme this year is #balanceforbetter and to do our bit to help strike that balance in the music industry we’re launching the #WithHerGuitar campaign where we’ll hear from Yamaha artists on what inspired them to pick up a guitar and also give YOU a chance to win an instrument. Tell… Continue reading International Women’s Day 2019 | #WithHerGuitar Contest
Custom Shop Chat | Billy Sheehan ATTITUDE LTD 3
Bass legend and longtime Yamaha artist Billy Sheehan has played bass on dozens of records and toured all over the world for many decades, his unique and original style of playing has been celebrated and documented everywhere. His playing, singing, songwriting, and contributions to his many recordings have resulted in millions of records sold, Platinum… Continue reading Custom Shop Chat | Billy Sheehan ATTITUDE LTD 3
Custom Shop | #YGDConcept Guitars
From the Yamaha Artist Services Facility in LA (YASLA), we not only make custom models and modifications to our artists’ instruments, we also like to experiment; testing different materials, finishes and designs, exploring how we can take our guitars in new directions. For NAMM 2019, our Senior Guitar Designer and Luthier Pat Campolattano worked his… Continue reading Custom Shop | #YGDConcept Guitars
Artist Insight | Travis Vance & Nathan Whitney
Yamaha artists Travis Vance and Nathan Whitney together perform in Pop – Country star Thomas Rhett’s band, playing to fans in stadiums worldwide.We sat down with the guitarist and bassist to talk about what they look for in their gear, musicians who inspire them, and how it feels to play on stage in front of… Continue reading Artist Insight | Travis Vance & Nathan Whitney
Custom Shop Chat | Jade Puget’s Revstar
Guitarist, producer, songwriter and synthesist Jade Puget is best known as one quarter of hardcore punk revivalists AFI (A Fire Inside). Since ’91, AFI have amassed a huge global following, played numerous worldwide tours and released 10 studio albums – ranging in genre. Last year we got acquainted with Jade and introduced him to the… Continue reading Custom Shop Chat | Jade Puget’s Revstar
Artist Insight | Laura Jane Grace
I believe that every guitar has a soul, not quite a consciousness but pretty close to it.” In the midst of the debut Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers album release excitement, we were lucky enough to get some of guitarist, songwriter, front-woman and transgender rights activist Laura’s rare free time to chat about… Continue reading Artist Insight | Laura Jane Grace
Artist Insight | Freya Ridings
24 year old singer songwriter Freya Ridings is one to watch. Currently storming the UK charts with her soulful single ‘Lost Without You’, Ridings has a sold out UK and Ireland tour to look forward to, and is the first female British singer songwriter to 100% write a UK Top 10 hit in over 6… Continue reading Artist Insight | Freya Ridings
Custom Shop Chat | Shakira’s Gold Revstar
Over the course of her career, Colombian singer-songwriter and Grammy winner Shakira has sold over 60 million records worldwide and has won numerous awards including two Grammys, eight Latin Grammys, and several World Music Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards. To add to that, she is the only artist from South America to… Continue reading Custom Shop Chat | Shakira’s Gold Revstar
Custom Shop Chat | Scott Holiday’s “Big Daddy” Revstar
Long beach Rockers Scott Holiday, David Beste, Jay Buchanan and Michael Miley aka Rival Sons have been blasting out “sunkissed psychedelia and irresistible hooks” (The Guardian) since 2009, with a huge global fan base who give it their all at their electric shows. The intention of Guitarist and founder Scott Holiday, in his own words,… Continue reading Custom Shop Chat | Scott Holiday’s “Big Daddy” Revstar
Artist Insight | Katie Cole
“My career comes with a lot of hyphens.” – Australian-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and Yamaha Artist, Katie Cole took some time to talk to us about her musical beginnings, inspirations and playing with The Smashing Pumpkins. Yamaha Guitars: For those who haven’t heard you before, who is Katie Cole? Katie Cole: I’m an Australian-born, Nashville-based artist. I’m a… Continue reading Artist Insight | Katie Cole
Yamaha Artists talk influential records for Record Store Day 2018
Record Store Day, “a day for the people who make up the world of the record store—the staff, the customers, and the artists—to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities.” To celebrate this year we asked some Yamaha artists… Continue reading Yamaha Artists talk influential records for Record Store Day 2018
Female Artists Take Control for International Women’s Day 2018
International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, as well as a call to action for accelerating gender parity. We are extremely proud that so many inspiring women choose a Yamaha Guitar or Bass as their weapon of choice, and decided to reach out to a… Continue reading Female Artists Take Control for International Women’s Day 2018
Custom Shop Chat | Pat Campolattano
Based out of our Yamaha Artist Services Facility in Los Angeles (YASLA), Yamaha Guitars designer & luthier Pat Campolattano is the man behind many of our custom models, as well as the go-to guy for artist modifications. YASLA is all about tying together unparalleled Artist support with R&D to make better instruments. It doesn’t matter… Continue reading Custom Shop Chat | Pat Campolattano
NAMM House | Poolside Sessions
Seeking some chill time away from the hectic Anaheim Convention Centre where the 2018 NAMM Show was in full swing, we set up camp a short drive away where we could host some of our European artists for some laid back sessions. Check them out… Hyleen | Pacifica From France we welcomed Hyleen, Nicolas Viccaro… Continue reading NAMM House | Poolside Sessions
INK, PUNK AND GUITARS | TOKYO HIRO
At this year’s NAMM Show we unveiled a hand painted custom Revstar as part of a collaboration with iconic Tattoo Artist Tokyo Hiro. For those of you who haven’t heard of Tokyo Hiro yet, settle in. His Japanese origin mixed with Punk Rock LA style is refreshing. When we stumbled across his Instagram feed full… Continue reading INK, PUNK AND GUITARS | TOKYO HIRO
Revstar on the Reeperbahn | Freddie Edwards
At the annual Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany; every September artists, fans and industry insiders from all over the World flock to the country’s second city to see lectures, shows and whatever’s shaping the music industry. With a special focus on emerging artists, it’s a great place to discover new favourite bands. Alternative Pop trio… Continue reading Revstar on the Reeperbahn | Freddie Edwards
DREAMCAR BB | Tony Kanal
Our relationship with Tony Kanal is a special one, one that we are sincerely proud of. Since ’87 when he borrowed money from his Dad to buy his first Bass (a natural finish BB1600) to play shows after school, over 2 decades with ska/pop-rock legends No Doubt, to present day & the beautiful custom BB3000… Continue reading DREAMCAR BB | Tony Kanal
Revstar on the Reeperbahn 2017 | Noa Lachmi
It’s the annual Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany; every September artists, fans and industry insiders from all over the World flock to the country’s second city to see lectures, shows and whatever’s shaping the music industry. With a special focus on emerging artists, it’s a great place to discover new favourite bands. Yamaha Artist Noa… Continue reading Revstar on the Reeperbahn 2017 | Noa Lachmi
THE MAGIC BASS | DAVE CATCHING
Introducing… Eagles of Death Metal, Masters of Reality, Mojave Lords, earthlings? & Gnarltones guitarist and iconic Rancho De La Luna studio host Dave Catching! We caught wind of a rumour from the Desert about a certain Yamaha Bass finding its way onto some seriously iconic Rock records, and Dave Catching being responsible. So we… Continue reading THE MAGIC BASS | DAVE CATCHING
Record Store Day 2017 | Robby Takac | Goo Goo Dolls
Goo Goo Dolls bassist and longtime BB player Robby Takac spills on which records have always stuck with him and dishes out some recommendations on this Record Store Day… Robby! Tell us, what are your favorite albums of all time? Todd Rundgren – A Wizard A True StarThe Rolling Stones – Through The Past DarklyBad Brains – I… Continue reading Record Store Day 2017 | Robby Takac | Goo Goo Dolls
Record Store Day 2017 | Dave Keuning | The Killers
Whenever we can, we like going record shopping with artists. When we were finished on a recent Revstar photoshoot with Dave Keuning of The Killers, we dropped into Lou’s Records in San Diego to pick up a few additions to his collection. These are the records that made the cut: Dave’s picks1. George Harrison “Thirty Three and… Continue reading Record Store Day 2017 | Dave Keuning | The Killers
Record Store Day 2017 | DOYLE
It’s our favourite annual holiday…Record Store Day! “But every day is Record Store Day!” we hear you say. True, but today we’d like to get wrapped up in the hype and celebrate it with some of our Yamaha Guitars Family!First up Misfit DOYLE… Hey DOYLE! What are your all-time favorite records? Pain Killer Judah PriestQueen IIKISS… Continue reading Record Store Day 2017 | DOYLE
Billy Sheehan’s Acrylic Bass!
Billy Sheehan’s ability to weave the needs of his playing style into the design of his instruments is uncanny. Every aspect of his signature Attitude bass has been thought out and tested over and over again on the road for years, with continuing new models coming out every so often as refinements of his original… Continue reading Billy Sheehan’s Acrylic Bass!
YAMAHA FG Exhibition
The world’s largest collection of Yamaha’s FG guitars recently went on display in Japan for fans to get hands-on with history! There were over 130 guitars available to play and admire, including some built prior to our Red Label, our very first “Dynamic Guitar,” and even some of the latest FG800 models released this year.… Continue reading YAMAHA FG Exhibition
Tony Kanal | Yamaha Interview
A few weeks ago our friend Tony Kanal reached out to see if we could get some of his Yamaha BB’s studio-ready to start recording with his new project, which features fellow No Doubt members Tom Dumont and Adrian Young as well as A.F.I. singer Davey Havok. One of the basses we received in our… Continue reading Tony Kanal | Yamaha Interview
SG1802 Stevie D Custom
SG1802 Stevie D Custom Mahogany body Mahogany neck Nitrocellulose lacquer finish Rosewood fingerboard with ‘D’ inlay on 12th fret Thorn Guitars GT-90 neck McNelly Cornucopia custom P-90 housing bridge Gotoh 510 tuners Tonepros AVRII bridge Bigsby B7 tremolo
Jack Gibson
There are Thrash Metal bands and then there is Exodus. Bassist and long time Yamaha artist Jack Gibson invited YGD to one of the band’s two sold out shows at The Wiltern in Los Angeles in support of King Diamond and it was intense! Jack and drummer Tom Hunting, who also is part of the… Continue reading Jack Gibson
Custom Pacifica for Devin Trout (Sam Smith)
For his upcoming world tour with Sam Smith, new Yamaha artist Devin Trout knew he was going to need a guitar that stood out both tonally and visually for the thousand of fans at each venue. We started with a Pacifica 510V as the base and went crazy from there. After stripping all the finish… Continue reading Custom Pacifica for Devin Trout (Sam Smith)
“New” BB414 for Robby Takac
There’s nothing worse for many musicians than putting the first ding or scratch into a brand new instrument. It hurts! For Robby Takac of the Goo Goo Dolls though, the more beat up his Yamaha BBs the better. Here’s the process behind Robby’s BB414s: First, we take brand new bass from the rack and immediately… Continue reading “New” BB414 for Robby Takac
Tony Kanal Custom BB3000
One of Tony Kanal’s favorite basses is a BB3000 he bought in Japan while on tour there in the late ’90s. With that in mind, when we started putting together the concept with Tony for his next YGD BB we decided getting our hands on an original would be a cool starting place. The BB3000… Continue reading Tony Kanal Custom BB3000
Scotti Hill of Skid Row | Custom Pacifica
When given the opportunity to build a custom Pacifica for Scotti Hill of Skid Row, we wanted to design a guitar that was just like the artist and his playing style: unpretentious, unapologetic and full of soul. Other than the Pacifica body and headstock shape we left no other spec untouched. Here is a list… Continue reading Scotti Hill of Skid Row | Custom Pacifica
Custom Pacifica for Joshua Ray Gooch #1
Joshua Ray Gooch recently called us in a panic. The lead guitarist in Shania Twain’s band was told he needed a red colored “Strat” for the opening song of their current Rock This Country tour and he only had a few days to get it. When situations like this arise for artists, the first thing… Continue reading Custom Pacifica for Joshua Ray Gooch #1
John Patitucci Custom Semi-Hollow bass
Beautiful images of the semi-hollow bass made for John Patitucci by our luthier, Pat Campolattano, at Yamaha Artist Services Burbank. Check out John’s ‘Brooklyn’ project.https://www.facebook.com/patituccifilmhttps://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Patitucci
Robby Takac BB Gallery
The good news for Robby Takac’s bass tech is that no time is wasted cleaning instruments. We visited Robby and his trusty BB’s when the Goo Goo Dolls played a packed show in Hollywood recently. We love it when an artist’s instruments sound amazing and tell a story about who they are.
Mike Stern in India
Mike Stern had great performances at the Palm Expo in India with 17 years bass prodigy Mohini Dey and Gino Banks who is a top drummer in India. He attracted a huge fanatic audience!
Phil X custom guitars in-detail
Here are some shots of the finished Phil X’s custom Pacificas. The baked maple neck smells smoky!
Phil X custom guitars in-process
Yamaha Artist Services Burbank is a research and development center of Yamaha Guitar. We build custom guitars collaborating with artists. Here are some our latest works in-process for Phil X.