No Guitar Is Safe

JIMMY VIVINO may be best known as Conan O’Brien’s Fedora-wearing musical director, but — speaking of hats — “late-night guitar hero” is just one of the “hats” Jimmy wears on a regular basis. An in-demand bandleader, Jimmy’s latest gig was last week at the NAMM convention in California, where Gibson hired Jimmy to lead a stellar ensemble backing Slash, Don Felder, Elliot Easton, Celisse, Lzzy Hale,...

Bon Jovi and Drills lead guitarist PHIL X plugs in a custom-built signature-model solid-body made for him by his new endorsing company (hint: it's one of the most famous guitar brands in the world), shares licks and techniques that shaped his style, reflects on his two musical loves (playing with Bon Jovi and with his power trio, Phil X and the Drills), and details his patented "bouzouki trick" (w...

After a deep guitar hang with SCOTT HENDERSON on the last episode, today’s show centers on a very memorable and inspiring pentatonics lesson the renowned fusion guitarist created a few years ago with host JUDE GOLD. Using the world’s favorite five-note guitar scale, Scott shows you how to spark dramatic new minor pentatonic sounds through simple transposition and rhythmic grouping approaches. As a...

Sharing ways to push fuzz pedals into glorious sonic mayhem, offering soloing secrets, and revealing the sonic recipes behind his new album, PEOPLE MOVER, legendary fusion guitarist SCOTT HENDERSON plugs in for a deep dive into his playing approaches. He also reflects on his adventures with Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, and other music legends. Presented by VIBES HI-FIDELITY EARPLUGS, this episode tak...

On his new double album, “Scenes from the Flood,” BRYAN BELLER enlists JOHN PETRUCCI, JOE SATRIANI, MIKE KENEALLY, GUTHRIE GOVAN, NILI BROSH, JANET FEDER, JAMIE KIME, MIKE DAWES, and other great players to help him deliver one of the most compelling concept records in recent memory. For this episode of No Guitar Is Safe, the bassist/composer/musical mastermind and Aristocrats founder plugs in two...

Virtuoso solo artist and super sidewoman JENNIFER BATTEN gained renown in the late '80s when MICHAEL JACKSON hired her to rock stadiums with him all over the globe. They did three mega-tours together, including playing at the 1993 Superbowl halftime show for a worldwide viewership of approximately 1.3 billion people. Batten went on to accompany the great JEFF BECK on stage and in the studio, and h...

Episode 100 finds PUDDLE OF MUDD lead guitarist MATT FULLER plugging in and detailing the recording of the band’s new album, WELCOME TO GALVANIA, as well as chronicling the adventures and misadventures he has had with the group since joining in 2012. Matt also shares an an inspiring BRIAN MAY story, reflects on playing with BOW WOW WOW and other bands, and introduces you to his cool SHECTER guitar...

Episode 99 features SAMANTHA FISH, the soulful young, Kansas City-bred guitarist/singer, plugging in with me in Beverly Hills, performing songs from her new album, KILL OR BE KIND [Rounder Records], as well as riffing on other cool staples of her live set. Samantha also proves "War Pigs" can be performed in blues clubs and shares the funniest banana prank since Eddie Murphy's banana shenanigans in...

Episode 98 finds us plugging in with 25-year-old Norwegian guitar virtuoso FREDRIK HALLAND. As a solo artist, Fredrik has released three new singles under his own name, and he has a résumé that includes playing guitar on Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber albums, performing on the soundtrack to the hit dramatic series Empire, and touring with star singer/songwriter Colbie Caillat. On this episode,...

From Ray Charles to Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt to Stevie Wonder, BRAD RABUCHIN has played guitar with a long list of legends. He has also released albums under his own name. Brad's latest record is actually a duo effort, called FOR JOHN, which he recorded with co-guitarist David Becker. In this episode (Ep. 97), host JUDE GOLD "flies the chopper" over to Brad's Los Angeles home, plugs in some gui...

For episode 96, I plug in with MARC BONILLA — virtuoso guitarist, established composer, renowned solo artist, longtime musical partner of the late, great KEITH EMERSON (of Emerson, Lake & Palmer fame), and king of all metaphors — and take a deep dive into his new solo album, CELLULOID DEBRIS, which is available at marcbonillamusic.com. We also learn how Marc engineered his incredible career and cl...

Episode 95 features a visit with "guitar coach to the stars" JEAN MARC BELKADI. Showing up with his favorite Telecaster, Jean Marc plugs in with host JUDE GOLD and demonstrates his encyclopedic knowledge of riffs, licks, and guitar styles, a prowess that spans funk, fusion, jazz, and more. Jean Marc also tells you about an amazing friend he made back when he was studying guitar at GIT in Hollywood...

Grammy-winning guitarist JAMIE KIME plugs in, jams with me on one of the funkiest tunes of all time (hope we do it justice!), shares some cool improvisation/soloing techniques you might dig, and looks back on his tenures as guitarist for JEWEL, ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (feat. DWEEZIL ZAPPA), and the late, great New Orleans funk legend, DR. JOHN, who died mere weeks ago. This episode is brought to you by...

Episode 93 finds us jamming with PARTHENON "HUX" HUXLEY, the great lead guitarist/lead singer of The Orchestra (which features former members of ELO). In this episode, Hux and I plug in our guitars at Woodrum Productions (the five-star studio of producer Michael Woodrum)in Southern California and explore everything from ELO songs to tracks off Huxley's new studio album, "This Is the One." -- JUDE...

The Cult's BILLY DUFFY plugs in his live rig for you on a soundstage in Los Angeles where the band was rehearsing for their current tour, which celebrates 30 years since the release of their platinum fourth album, SONIC TEMPLE. The album is being remastered for an August re-issue that will feature bonus tracks, rare demos, and other sonic goodies. In 1989, the album catapulted the Cult to a new le...

Bass virtuoso and composer STUART HAMM gained instant renown worldwide in the late '80s, when his boss at the time, Joe Satriani, let him take over the stage for ten minutes each night on tour, during which the innovative bassist would consistently blow people's minds with his thunderous, contrapuntal, and funky solo pieces. Stuart is also a prolific solo artist, and his latest album, Diary of Pat...

Today we visit the great producer, bandleader, and composer ALAN PARSONS and hang out with him in his magical home studio, which is seated on a hill high above the Pacific Ocean. Also present, plugged in, and ready to rock for you is Parsons' lead guitarist, JEFF KOLLMAN (whom you may remember from an earlier episode of this podcast). With Jeff's spectacular playing and Parsons' unforgettable stor...

Proclaimed by Guitar Player magazine to be the greatest shredder ever, JASON BECKER has also emerged as a world-class composer. He used to play guitar -- now, after battling ALS for nearly three decades, he "plays guitar players," as well as writes for orchestras and choirs. And when he puts the two together, he blows your mind -- as you'll find out if snag his new album, TRIUMPHANT HEARTS. The re...

German Strat master, solo artist, and amp designer THOMAS BLUG never backs down from a challenge. As a teenager, Blug taught himself to both play guitar and build guitar amps. Later in life, Blug’s killer playing skills caught the attention of renowned amplifier manufacturer Hughes & Kettner, who immediately hired Blug as a clinician. Soon, they discovered Blug — who would be crowned “Strat King o...

RICK HOLMSTROM is one of the most tasteful blues/gospel/Americana guitarists I know. Whether he's playing lead for gospel/R&B legend (and Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Famer) Mavis Staples, or recording his own albums, Holmstrom somehow manages to keep his guitar parts powerful and groovy without ever getting in the way of the vocals. He's a pocket player with plenty of blues sting in his solos. It was a...

Surprisingly, there are many working guitarists who are not fully "capo literate." If you listen to this special episode of No Guitar Is Safe, you won't be one of them, because host Jude Gold is about to explore for you many magical ways that legendary guitarists use the little string-clamping, neck-choking guitar accessory we call the capo. (Thanks to Guitar Player magazine and guitarplayer.com f...

Tonight we land the 'copter at JEFF MARSHALL's house, where the versatile guitarist plugs in his favorite Iconic guitars and shows you some of the great guitar approaches (and great guitar pedals) he employs with artists such as BLEEDING HARP -- his "blusion" band -- ALAN PARSONS and MARK MACKAY. He also relives such adventures as being involved in perhaps the first big rock band performance at BU...

ADAM HAWLEY, the funky young guitarist who has already topped Billboard's Smooth Jazz chart five times, plugs in his favorite Paul Reed Smith, jams with me, and reflects on his evolution as a musician. He also talks about what it was like earning a doctorate in music and becoming a sideman to Jennifer Lopez, Joss Stone, the Manhattan Transfer, and countless other headlining vocal acts — including...

This episode (Ep. 83) is a bonus show presenting exclusive audio from MARTY FRIEDMAN's recent guitar clinic at Musicians Institute. With 50 or so guitar students to interact with, the renowned rocker discussed everything from why he feels that backing tracks are "the devil" to how, one year, a single cab ride dramatically changed his musical trajectory; from epic hair/image fails to what it is he...

Renowned guitar virtuoso MARTY FRIEDMAN visits Los Angeles to plug in his signature-model Jackson guitar, throw down a few licks for you, and talk about the planning and tracking of his explosive new live album, ONE BAD M.F. LIVE. He also reflects on what it's like to be a well-known TV personality in Japan. Hosted by JUDE GOLD. Presented by Guitar Player magazine and guitarplayer.com.