As far as I can tell, however, many ugly but successful people take pride in their cutting edge looks. In fact, some would even say that there is a fine line between the beautiful and the not so, especially since beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And hell, if there are ugly but successful rockers out there, then the rest of us with obvious aesthetic short comings have a real shot at making it big, too. So for your enjoyment and encouragement, I bring you this list of the ugliest successful rockers out there. Learn, live and be proud of your ugly face.

#20: Vinnie Vincent of Kiss

He’s at the bottom of the list because, quite frankly, he’s not that bad looking. What puts Vinnie on my list, actually, is how long his face looks with so much white make up all over it. His once long, thick, curly hair didn’t make things any better, either.

#19: Ian Hill of Judas Priest

Ian Hill is another gentleman who just can’t make it at the top of the ugly list. While the deep grooves in his face combined with his small, brown eyes and ratty hair do make him quite rough and rugged in looks, Ian was once a good looking man.

#18: King Diamond of Mercyful Fate

When you wear as much make up as King Diamond does, it’s hard to tell what you really look like. This is why I’ve placed him at #18. He certainly is ugly when he’s entertaining but I wonder what he looks like fresh out of bed.

#17: Jim Martin of Faith No More

It’s difficult to see in older pictures of Jim Martin, where his hair begins and ends. And behind all that mighty mass of black fluff, there is only the unknown. So Jim goes down on my list for ugly, however talented rockers.

#16: Joey Ramone

Because he is of another generation, I won’t place Joey near the top of my Ugly Rockers list. Instead, he’ll rest gently at #16 for his incredibly long, drawn out face and dark hair, thick brows and blackened eyes.

#15: Elton John

Certainly not the ugliest man you’ve ever seen and certainly no hard rockin’ dude, but there’s still something about Elton that earns him ugly status. Even when he was young and thinner, the chubby faced blonde with that ridiculous space between his teeth is just awful. I will never understand why a man of his stature and with his wealth would never fix those teeth…or has he? I haven’t noticed.

#14: Niko McBrain of Iron Maiden

I have a profound respect for Niko McBrain because he is the nerd who actually became cool. If there ever was a smart but ugly man who knew how to thrash and wail, it’s Niko. Enough said.

#13: Lenny Kilmister of Motorhead

Not only has years of smoking and rocking hard left that old man look on Lenny’s face, but he also sports these very large moles on his face that you just can’t help but stare at. They’re mesmerizing, really.

#12: Tom Petty

I would consider Tom Petty to be one of the most gorgeous, ugly old men I have ever seen. He has the most amazing, piercing blue eyes and that soft, pale, baby skin. The truth is, however, that his skin has aged and his mouth was never pretty to begin with. Tom has large teeth that face forward a bit too much. Nonetheless, he’s an amazing rocker.

#11: Neil Young

Being of a younger generation, I will never truly know whether or not Neil was pretty when he was young. Pun intended. I do, however, know that now, he looks a bit like some leather that’s been left out too long. Never could I say that I wouldn’t stare and watch him play, though.

#10: Ace Frehley of Kiss
Does anybody really know what Ace Frehley looks like?

#9: Dee Snyder

Woah! Dee Schnauzer is more like it! He’s amazing and women love his long hair but you could probably hang a Christmas ornament from that nose of his.

#8: Udo Dirkshneider of U.D.O.

I really want to respect Udo, I do. But I can’t help but notice he looks like an Oompa Loompa. The man is just short, stout and round. It’s a good thing he’s damn good at what he does.

#7: Marilyn Manson

Being an amazing artist who is mainly self taught and bursting with natural talent does not change the fact that Marilyn Manson is hideous. That elongated face, those bones bursting through his skin and all that make up and dread make him exactly what he wants to be.

#6: Mick Jagger

If he were a god, the people could make rivers of his wrinkles. Amazing rocker or not, this man’s face displays years of abuse and trauma. I have to admit, however, that he’s an awesome performer and so much fun to watch.

#5: Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

Beautiful eyes and an exotic mouth don’t hide those lines and that beanpole face. Steven Tyler’s features are still haunting, though and almost beautiful. Which is why he sits pretty at number 5. He’s not actually ugly at all–he’s cutting edge, I think.

#4: Shane MacGowan of Pogues

While paying homage to the difficult life and experiences that Shane has gone through, we still have to put him on the list. He has told his fans that he plans to fix his teeth this year but until I see recent photos, I have to put him at #4. For all of his binge drinking and the loss of his teeth, Shane is just not a good looking guy though he is a great musician.

#3: Iggy Pop

Again with the gorgeous eyes and marked up face. Iggy looks icky and I think he’s totally comfortable with that. While it’s difficult to find photos of most ugly rockers online, there’s never an opportunity missed for an Iggy photo.

#2: Michael Jackson

It had to be done. Michael, though his music does not fit the genre of Rock and Roll, had to be at the top of my Ugly Rockers List. Years of rumored genetic degrading skin conditions combined with far too many surgeries has left the musician mutilated and looking like an alien. It’s devastating, the affect of the aesthetic pressure on entertainment industry professionals.

#1: Billy Milano of S.O.D./M.O.D.
Because I’m told that his attitude and demeanor match that of how he looks, I’ve placed Billy Milano at the top of my list. With a reputation for not bathing as well as having a foul mouth without cause, Billy Milano is not a rocker to be proud of and, therefore, is the Number One Ugliest Rocker of All Time.

Reflections

No matter how ugly any of these men really are, nothing can stop the fact that they are successful and on top of the world in some way. In fact, many of the rockers on this list have been awarded for their work and are revered worldwide, still selling out on tours. So find comfort in your own skin no matter how it looks. Success does not have to be dictated by appearance

For more information about ugly rockers or for photos, do a google search on ugly rockers. Rock on!

In the 1940s, luthier and jazz musician Les Paul experimented with his skills in electronics to improve and change the sound of his guitar. He spent years building and re-building models, not realizing that the information he was collecting in his work would eventually shape the world of Rock and Roll.

By 1945 Les finally felt that he had come up with a presentable prototype, which he called The Log because of it’s solid body. Immediately he went to his favorite guitar manufacturer with the invention, hoping to sell it’s design. When he presented it to Gibson, however, the company rejected his model.

Hope was not lost. Because the axe was so interesting and the technology for this kind of instrument was so new, a relationship between Les and the Gibson company was formed. From that point on this rocky but interesting partnership produced many high quality pieces with extraordinary features. Today you can not only find vintage re-releases of the original Gibson Les Paul Electric but you can order fancy and fully loaded custom Les Pauls as well.

Vintage

Gibson Custom makes a lot of awesome axes with great additional features. For those of us, however, who are looking for something from the past, the Gibson Custom Historic Les Paul series is pure decadence. In fact, there are 10 decadent models to choose from, each highlighting a specific piece of hardware.

• 1957 Junior: This is a beautiful solid body axe whose focus is the low price and the lovely mahogany neck. It has an aluminum tail piece to keep it light and comes in Vintage Sunburst or TV Yellow.
• 1958 Junior: The 1958 version of the Junior was still focused on cost efficiency and a double cutaway body.
• 1960 Special Single Cut: The Special Single Cut was offered in 1960 as a mid-range guitar with the price of a Junior and the custom feel of the Les Paul. It has a great sound and feel.
• 1960 Special Double Cut: A step up from the single cut, the double cut offered more options in play and sound as well as a more heftier feel to the axe. An excellent guitar and very vintage.
• 1956 Goldtop: This fancy guitar offers a toggleswitch washer and jack plate, and an ABR-1 Bridge with aluminum stopbar tailpiece for lightweight action.
• 1957 Goldtop: The amazing 1957 Goldtop is back with Burstbuckers dual coil humbucking pickups combined with the ABR-1 Bridge. Magnificent.
• 1957 Custom: Because the dual coil pickups became standard in the Custom series, all Gibson had left to do with the 57 was change the color and offer yet another pickup. Thus, this usually black (comes in other colors) guitar features 2 or 3 pickups–your choice.
• 1958 Standard: As revealed by the company itself, the 58 Standard was released the same as its original but with a sunburst cherry color around the edges of the TV yellow. Yay for color.
• 1959 Standard: Quite an interesting revelation is the 1959 Standard. Jumbo frets were added to the Standard body, giving the 59 Standard more force in bend and a new feel.
• 1960 Standard: The 60 Standard was released with a dramatic change to the beautiful Mahogany neck–it was thinned out for a different feel and sound in bend. A great guitar.

The Custom Line

The Custom line of Gibson Les Pauls are supposed to be the highest quality a guitarist can ask for. They are made with only the highest quality woods, features and hardware. Take a look:

• Class 5 Quilt Top: This excellent piece of equipment offers a highly quilted Maple top, slim tapered neck and 2 or 3 Burstbucker pickups.
• Les Paul Custom: We all know he’s a flashy guy so it’s no surprise that the Les Paul Custom features gold hardware and 490 or 498 Alnico Pickups.

Limited Historic

Rare and exotic guitars like these are hard to find so it’s a relief that there is now a custom shop to turn to for vintage high quality. The Limited Historic line for Gibson is the ultimate in guitar buying power but only offers 4 models in limited quantities.

• 1954 Goldtop: The wraparound tail piece is what sets this baby apart from others. Still the classic Les Paul Goldtop, but improved in giving the player control over his tone and sustain.
• 1954 Oxblood: Still sporting the wraparound tail piece of the 54 Goldtop, the 54 Oxblood carved maple top comes in a beautiful almost-black finish and features two Burstbucker pickups.
• 1954 Custom: Because Les appreciated his work so much, he insisted that the Custom come with gold hardware to make a statement and a black finish to show the player’s hands off easily. The 54, however, is also known for being the first solid body to feature the ABR-1 Bridge. Either way, it’s a top notch axe.
• 1957 Custom Faded Cherry: Burstbucker pickups became standard on the Customs in 1957, so naturally this beautiful cherry stained guitar has them as well. This re-make also has gold hardware, of course.

Limited Custom

The Limited Custom series at Gibson only has one model but it’s a damn good one: The Les Paul Ultima. With tons of options for the player in mind, this gorgeous guitar is equipped with either a high quality or flamed maple top. It also has gold hardware and your choice of a Nashville TOM Bridge, Stopbar or Ultima Tail piece. It comes with a set of 57 Classic Humbucking pickups and Grover Imperial Tuners for rich, warm sound and long sustain. The finish, of course is that amazing Cherry Sunburst finish.

For Your Information

Custom guitars, despite how expensive they are, have been breaking boundaries and climbing steadily in demand over the years. Perhaps that’s because when a guitarist has played long and hard, they deserve to play gold. For more information about Gibson Custom Les Pauls or any other customizable Gibson guitar, visit their websites at www.gibson.com and especially www.gibsoncustom.com. Rock on!

Interface, simply put, refers to the many cords, ports, and docking stations located on all computers and other intellectual electronic equipment that allow different devices to communicate efficiently. This, of course, also refers to recording equipment like effects processors and mixers.

At the very least, you should be familiar with the common USB (Universal Serial Bus) cord and port. This is the most common type of interface in U.S. homes and offices and is mass marketed. The USB cord and port, for example, are used to connect a computer to a printer so that the printer can effectively pull images from the computer to print.

More specifically, inside the cord of any type of interface, are specifically designed and programmed wires that, when fired up, send signals to the devices they are connected to and assigns each one an address. In Layman’s terms, those signals or interruptions also ask the device what kind of information it wishes to process and then follows a specific set of patterns or commands that it was already programmed to understand according to each device.

USB Audio Interface

USB interfaces, which have flat and rectangular heads, are the most common. Most USB Audio cords are made by a company called M-Audio. They are good for beginners and budget systems but lack good analog to digital convertors. This means that they tend to add unwanted noise and coloration to the sound. Plus they are really only good for 1-2 channels of audio, though the new Tascam and Line6 8 channel USB interfaces are supposed to operate fully with 8 channels at 24 bit at 96k, though this is only an estimate of how much potential the product has.

Firewire Your Wires

Next up are firewire interfaces. Firewire is the direction the industry seems to be moving in these days. Firewire offers more efficient and better handling of data, and more importantly, it does it faster. Almost every company uses Firewire now, like M-Audio, Avid (ProTools), Focusrite, Mackie, Yamaha, E-MU, etc. Firewire can also handle 8+ channels of audio without any real problem, and you can daisy chain multiple interfaces without the need of a repeater or hub.

The only con to Firewire, which goes for any Firewire device, is that there can be compatibility issues depending on the maker of the firewire chip in the computer. Firewire is mainly intended for Mac users in the recording world. It’s not really an issue that can’t be resolved, however, by getting an add-on firewire card with the compatibly chipset. This can be annoying if you don’t research before buying the interface, of course.

PCI Audio Interfaces

Lastly there are PCI based audio interfaces. These have really fallen in popularity as they aren’t portable and also tend to raise bigger problems, like noise caused from being operated off the same power supply as the computers.

Many companies still use PCI for their low end and top tier systems, like E-MU and Avid (ProTools). Coming down the pipeline, however, there are rumors of PCI interfaces being released soon that can handle more channels and has greatly improved features. Again–research it.

The Interface Dilemmas

As a recording artist of over 10 years, the biggest issue I have with most of audio interfaces out there is that almost all the units that have built in Mic Preamps don’t offer insert points or they only offer them for 2 of the channels.

Inserts are a connection on a preamp that allows the signal to leave the equipment through a jack for processing after the amplification and before any other part of the signal path, like the digital conversion. The importance of this is really simple; Almost 100% of all interfaces out there do not offer compressors that aren’t software driven (meaning after the digital conversion), so you end up having to use a standalone mic preamp and compressor to bypass the built in ones, which then makes you question why you bought a unit with mic preamps in the first place.

In the end, knowing just a little bit more about audio interfaces and all the different ports you never paid attention to on your computer, will now help you understand compatibility in your equipment and may even save you some money and heartache. For excellent home recording information on all those pesky ‘how does it work’ questions you’re afraid to ask a cocky professional, keep check-in at our site and also visit www.howstuffworks.com.

The way that it feels in your hands. The way it wails and screams for your fingers and for your affections. Its crisp tone and coarse pulse. These are the things we come to personally love about the Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar.

The truth behind the Fender Strat’s crazy popularity, however, is far more complicated than just how damn sharp these guitars feel when you play them. It’s because of it’s rich history and its legendary performance.

The History of Fender

Fullerton, California. Orange County, 1938. The Fender company originally started out as Fender’s Radio Service. Leonidas Fender, or Leo, an electronics technician, worked as a radio and home audio equipment repair man. He also fixed PA systems, amps, and other sound related devices in his community. On the side, he also sold records in his shop and began designing and building PA systems. He apparently appreciated building custom amplifiers, some after his own designs and others were modifications of existing models.

By 1942 Leo had partnered up with Clayton Orr Kauffman and together they created K&F Manufacturing Corp. to sell Leo’s instruments and amplifers. In 1945, production began and the Hawaiian Steel Lap Guitar came out with Fender’s patented pickup. These guitars were sold as sets with the amps, which was new to customers and became a popular practice for beginners.

Around 1946, Kauffman and Fender parted ways, however, because Fender had completely lost interest in repair whereas Kauffman preferred it. This is when Leo renamed the company to Fender Electric Instrument Company and branched out on his own.

By 1948 Fender had his first wave of amps built, called the Tweed amp. The tweed amp, which was named for the fabric used to cover the amp, was the beginning of a new era in rock and roll. They were ugly but they were the cutting edge tools for aspiring artists during the music boom.

When 1960 rolled around, Fender was using Tolex to cover the amps, except for the Champ which stayed in tweed for some years. Around this time, the speaker that Fender chose for his amps were Jensen, Oxford, Utah and CTS. Some of these major companies are still around today because of their quality and decent prices in manufacturing parts.

By 1963 the Fender amps were starting to look good. They were mainly black and silver with a decent control panel in the front of the amp. And by now, Leo had also simplified his design as well as the circuitry that went into his amps, making them more reliable. Less parts means less parts to break.

The wattage hadn’t changed much but the volume could be turned way up at this point. That’s right, Fender, himself, was responsible for Rock and Roll played loudly.

The other instrument that Leo Fender brought to the world is the Precision Bass, which as you know is the standard used in the industry. Rock, country, folk, funk, jazz and many alternative bands all use the Precision Bass. Noteably, Leo was also responsible for the Jazzmaster, Stratocaster, the lap steel and the Fender Rhodes Electric Piano.

Fender’s first real guitar, however, was the Telecaster which offered a single pickup. These are still used today because of their unique tone. You know the sound. It’s twangy and kind of crisp like a good scream.

What Makes The Strat Different

The Strat offers 3 single coil pickups which give a very clean and poppy sound versus a Les Paul which has a much smoother tone. Modern Strats offer a Humbucker pickup in place of one of the single coiled pickups to add another dimension to the sound, making the Fender unique. Slightly more expensive but impressive and non-traditional.

Another excellent feature of the Stratocaster is the “whammy bar” which is a spring loaded hinge on the bridge that allows the player to bend all the strings down. Other companies have similar effects, but this is where it started, and the Strat does it best, giving you that classic, wailing sound.

In conclusion, the Stratocaster is one of those guitars that makes you realize each model is made for something different. For a warm but solid sound, you use a Les Paul. But when you want to scream and wail, you use the Fender Stratocaster.

Let’s continue with our Metallica biography, here come the nineties.

1990

It has now been a few years since the death of Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. The glam rock era is long over and Metallica has opened up the world of metal and served it to the public like a hot meal.

Their next step: Create an even bigger portal to metal music for the mainstream world to enjoy, all the while building the Metallica empire.

Metallica: The Black Album

Despite it being their 5th album and not their 1st, Metallica dubbed their next music creation self titled. And since the name Metallica didn’t stick as the album’s name for the public, it became known as The Black Album.

Produced by Bob Rock, who has also worked with The Cult, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi, the band began recording the project in One On One Studio in North Hollywood. The process, however, took much longer than anyone expected. It was remixed at least three times, cost over a million dollars and became a wedge between many people, as time consuming projects usually do.

Finally in 1991 the album was released and it sold over 600,000 copies in it’s first week. KROQ, an infamous rock station out of Los Angeles began happily playing the songs on the radio and the album wound up going platinum. The result was their Wherever We May Roam Tour which lasted 14 months and took them through countries like the U.S., England and Japan.

1992: More Touring and Bad Luck

I sometimes wonder if it’s coincidence that metal and heavy metal performers often have a streak of bad luck due to delving into the macabre. On August 8, 1992 Hetfield suffered second and third-degree burns to a good portion of his body. Apparently the pyrotechnics system caused confusion on stage and Hetfield ended up walking through a 12 foot flame while singing to Fade To Black. The incident once again took the guitar out of Hetfield’s hands. This time John Marshall came to the rescue and helped the band finish their tour.

1993

While Hetfield continued to heal and tour with the band through 92, the end of 93 marked the release of Live Shit: Binge & Purge. Live Shit is a collection of memorabilia, videos, writings, letters and other various hoopla for the fans to enjoy. Other than that and the dwindling tour, however, 1993 was rather a quiet year for the band, universally speaking.

Load and Reload

Finally finishing up their tour late 1994 with Woodstock, the band retreated to the studio to begin working on it’s sixth album. In the middle of 1995, however, Metallica took a break, only playing 3 shows and naming the event Escape From the Studio 95.

The end of the short Escape tour marked the restart of the band’s dedication to the studio. In 1996, Load was released.

Some seem to think that the envelope pushing front cover of the Load album, which is called Blood and Semen III, marks some kind of change for Metallica. I disagree. The music contained inside the release of Load is what marked the somewhat unappreciated changes in Metallica. Hetfield, having been burned, cut his hair, which was understandable. With the release of Load, however, Metallica presented themselves as a crew cut, rag tag team and wound up headlining the very alternative rock festival Lollapalooza. Though the album wound up on the Billboard 200 and ARIA Charts at number one, many fans were angered by the band’s changes and accused them of “selling out”.

During the production of Load, Metallica had written enough material for two albums, which is how Reload came about. The second wave of songs that did not make in onto Load now had a home and proudly peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Top Canada Album Chart. Nevermind the fact that the second album cover was also created by Serrano, this time using blood and urine. To promote the album, Metallica performed on Saturday Night Live in 1997.

1998 and Garage, Inc.

Finally able to release their double album, Metallica created and released Garage, Inc. in 1998. Returning to their roots, Metallica placed on the first album in the collection, covers of great songs by their favorite bands like The Misfits, Killing Joke, Mercyful Fate and Black Sabbath. The second disc was a new release of the original The $5.95 EP: Garage Days-Revisited. The combination of flashbacks along with the rare recordings of the EP took the album to #2 on the Billboard 200. The band spent 1999 both relaxing and promoting the album.

Metallica Becomes Spoiled

The year 2000 marked the controversial actions of Lars, who basically sued Napster when the band found out that their demo song I Disappear was being played on the radio. Apparently the song had not yet been released and was, in fact, supposed to be released on the Mission Impossible II soundtrack. When the band traced where the song had leaked to the public, they discovered Napster and it was all over from there. The band even went so far as to hire a consulting firm to spy on Napster and uncover it’s networking and file sharing practices.

The controversy, in combination with Ulrich’s vehement disdain for Napster resulted in it’s liquidation despite the fact that originally, the company was only ordered to remove anyone sharing music files of bands and musicians who do not want their work shared. In the end, Metallica lost some fan base and Blender Magazine called Metallica one of the “Biggest Wusses in Rock”.

A Mottled History

The years that Metallica experienced, as outlined in this article, definitely convey the kind of mottled style or genre that’s associated with Metallica. They have gone through some very rewarding moments as well as some serious let downs and misunderstandings. And though the band has lost many of it’s original die hard fans of the 80s, their current fan base has done nothing but grow and the band continues to thrive through the 90s.

1986 marked the release of Metallica’s 3rd album Master of Puppets, a dark but fun ride through the artistic vision of the legendary Metallica crew.

A relief for some from the glam rock era, it reached number 29 on the Billboard 200 and is considered one of the most successful albums in rock history. That success, however, became bitter sweet and the band faced many complications after Master of Puppets.

Cliff Burton’s Death
Devastation hit the band on September 27th, 1986, with the death of their beloved “lead bassist,” Cliff Burton. While in Stockholm on the Damage Inc. tour, promoting Master of Puppets, the band members played their usual game of cards before heading to bed in their less-than-desirable tour bus. The winner would determine who got the most comfortable bed, which that night, was Cliff, who chose Hammett’s bunk.

According to the bus driver, he hit a patch of black ice and the bus skid out of control. The bus tipped over, throwing Cliff through an open window, and then landed on him. The band was devastated and reports of the bus crushing Cliff again when the wench lifting it broke, were in the papers. Hetfield remains an avid believer that the bus driver was either drunk or too tired to drive. Regardless, the entire world of rock and roll seemed to grieve Burton’s death with Metallica and their uncertain future seemed to further damage the band.

Later on that year, with grieving hearts producing new material, and the blessing of the Burton family, Metallica went on and began searching for a new bassist. In Cliff’s honor, however, a memorial was built in Stockholm, near the crash site where loyal fans gather each year to honor his life.

1987
Taking the time to get to know their new bassist, Jason Newsted, the band kept their appearances to a minimum though they finished their tour and began developing new material. In March of 87, however, Hetfield broke his wrist while skateboarding and so guitarist Miller rejoined them for a time.

Later on that year, the band released Cliff ‘Em All, a video tribute to Cliff Burton’s 3 years with the band, including tapings of his solos, songs that he had written and other media like his home videos and photographs. They also released The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited in August to test the skills of Jason amongst the public.

..And Justice for All
1988 marked a new beginning for Metallica since Burton’s death. They released …And Justice for All, which became their commercial success. It hit number 6 on the Billboard 200 which was a first for the band. In fact, the album went platinum just nine weeks after it’s release, with hit singles like Eye Of The Beholder, Harvester Of Sorrow and One.

Despite Newsted’s claims that his bass was turned down on …And Justice for All and that his ideas and suggestions for the band’s growth were ignored, the band led their own Damaged Justice tour to promote the album which gave the band it’s first Grammy nomination.

That Grammy nomination, however, was also bitter sweet for the band. They had been told prior to the event that they would be accepting the award and that the award winner, Jethro Tull, was told not to appear since he would not be receiving the award. At the last second, however, with the band waiting aside the stage to approach for the prize, Jethro’s name was announced and the event was later labeled one of “Grammy’s 10 Biggest Upsets” for Entertainment Weekly Magazine.

When it came to breaking into the world of music videos, Metallica went into an abandoned warehouse to perform One. Footage for the video was remixed with excerpts from the film Johnny Got his Gun and when licensing issues arose, Metallica bought the rights to the film. The video was then submitted to MTV with an alternate version on the side just in case MTV refused to play the remix. But happy with it, MTV accepted the racy video, giving Metallica their first visual exposure to the world of recording. The video was voted 38 on Top 100 Videos of All Time in 1999.

Giant Baby Steps
Though the band seemed to be making only baby steps during the first few years after Cliff’s death, the amount of work and dedication that went into promoting, healing and selling the band is immeasurable.

During this time the band was improving sound and talent. And with the added stress of Hetfield’s re-broken hand and the on-and-off love/hate relationship causing tension between the band and new band member Newsted, the rough journey through it kept feuling the band’s fire. Metallica had a long road ahead of them by the end of 1989.

When you want a specific tone from your guitar, the wood it’s made of can impact what you choose to play with. This is especially true when you are bound to a specific wood for the body of the guitar but need a sound that particular wood cannot offer. Budget is most often the culprit.

So here is a bit of knowledge on the subject of guitar neck woods that could be of some help to you the next time you are in the market for a lovely new piece.

Spruce

Although Spruce wood isn’t as attractive as, say, Maple or Rosewood, it is light and solid, which makes it perfect for necks on acoustic guitars with flat tops. Spruce necks offer a wide range and great resonance on acoustic guitars.

Rosewood

Rosewood is gorgeous and dense, making it perfect for acoustic guitars. It is a bit pricier than some of the other woods but is a standard for the 3/4 dark shell+neck that acoustics are known for and gives them that piano-style tone. You know the sound–it’s classy and it rings in long resonating hums.

When using Rosewood on an electric, the fret board is the only part of the neck where Rosewood works because it is heavy. Worry not, however, as Rosewood has an excellent reputation for adding base and a warm tone when used in fret boards.

Alder

Alder is a very malleable wood that is easy to work with and inexpensive to cut. This makes Alder a standard on many solid body electrics, including the Stratocaster. The same reason makes it great for the neck, especially when you want your body to be made of something else. Alder gives the electric guitar a deep, full sound but lacks in the scream or bite that Ash does. It is, however, great to use in semi-hollow electric guitar necks.

Mahogany

Mahogany is a great looking wood that doesn’t break the bank. The sound it offers isn’t as hard or rocky, rather more warm with low and mid-range frequencies when used in the neck or the body. When you’re on a budget, however, you may be able to find a guitar with a mahogany neck combined with a cheaper wood for the body.

Ash

Though it’s not used much in acoustics, Ash is a great neck wood for those who enjoy that twangy, country sound in their electric guitars. It offers a bright, brilliant sound and is very heavy and hearty, which is why it’s sometimes good to have an Ash neck with a lighter wood for the body. Specifically, the Telecaster is known for it’s Ash sound.

Ebony

Ebony is great for necks but more specifically, fret boards. Ebony is known for being strong, durable and giving off a bright sound as well as being incredibly dark. It is expensive, however, so sometimes it’s better to get a guitar body made of Walnut with an Ebony neck. Ebony is most often used in electrics.

Maple

Maple is a very popular wood for guitar necks because it is hard, strong and dense. It gives the player a great amount of support because the wood can take a great amount of stress without bowing. Maple, however, should not be used in a solid body guitar because it is so heavy. This is why many guitars, like the Les Paul, use Mahogany for the body and Maple on the neck to brighten up the sound.

Walnut

Walnut is a strong wood that offers warm sound, when used in the body but the wood should not be used for the neck because of how particular the cut must be. The wood is generally soft and also does not make a great fret wood, either.

Cedar

Though Cedar is not as awesome a wood as Spruce is for acoustic guitar necks, it’s a great alternative for it. It produces a bright and bouncy tone when used in the neck and it has a deep, red color that is very attractive.

Keep in mind that the woods listed here are the most common woods used in guitars. If the guitar you’re interested has a neck made of a wood that you don’t recognize or can’t spell, chances are it’s Pau Ferro, Bubinga or possibly Wenge. These woods are slowly gaining popularity in solid body guitars and especially basses. They are strong and have a great reputation, so give them a shot.

For any other wood not listed, check it out online, though I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a guitar with a wood that is not commonly used. Rock your wood on.

Say it with me. Metallica. Just looking at the word has probably already reminded you of a favorite poster, music video or perhaps the snarling face of James Hetfield himself. Metallica is a world renowned band with seemingly endless success, a lust for the crowds and a deep history.

The Band is Formed
1981, after being rejected by Metal Church, Lars Ulrich put an ad in the L.A. Recycler, advertising that he would like to meet other musicians to ‘jam’ with. Hugh Tanner and Hetfield, of then band Leather Charm, answered. Soon after the three met up, Ulrich stole the name Metallica from his friend Quintana, who was trying to come up with a catchy fan magazine name.

Despite Tanner only being with the band a short time, James, Lars and Dave Mustaine recorded their first song Hit The Lights for the Metal Massacre 1 Compilation with Lloyd Grant on guitar. Despite their name being misspelled on the album cover, Hit The Lights created plenty of PR and prompted their first live show on March 14th in 1982. At this point, Metallica had once again replaced their bassist with Ron McGovney.

Fall of 82 presented more opportunity for Metallica. Ulrich and Hetfield went to the Whisky where they saw Cliff Burton performing in a band called Trauma. Burton, who was known for his heavy use of distortion and effects on his bass, an unusual practice, displayed a natural talent. Lars and James enjoyed his performance so much, that after the show, they asked him to join them so that McGovney could be replaced. Burton originally refused but later took the job, only requiring that the band move to San Francisco. And they did for a brief while.

Money issues with the band’s label, drug and alcoholism on Mustaines behalf and a plethora of other factors forced Mustaine out of the band and welcomed Kirk Hammett. Together, the new Metallica played their first show with Hammett in April of 1983 at The Showplace in Dover. The Mustaine split caused a raucous and the band’s hard personality shines through during times like this.

Later in 1983 the band went to New York where they recorded their first official album named Metal Up Your Ass. Controversy amongst the business men at the record label and the distributors, forced the renaming of the album to Kill ‘Em All. The album was released on Megaforce Records and was a success for the band’s underground PR. This was the breaking point for Metallica and put them on the Billboard 200, though not very high.

In 1984 Metallica traveled with Venom and performed with them at the Aardschok Festival in Holland. Later that same year, they recorded Ride The Lightning in Copenhagen and released it shortly after. Ride The Lightning hit the Billboard 200 a bit higher than Kill ‘Em All and marked another mild success for the band.

Success Happens
The year: Still 1984. Cliff Burnstein of Q-Prime Management and Elektra Records director Michael Alago stumbled across Metallica at one of their random concerts. Shortly after Metallica was signed to Elektra Records and became represented by Q-Prime. Their first big tour ensued in Europe shortly after and upon returning to the U.S. they began headlining with Armored Saint and W.A.S.P.

August 1985 marked their biggest show yet with the Monsters of Rock Festival. Ratt and Bon Jovi were among the other artists that played the Monsters of Rock at Donington Park, England with around 70,000 fans. Shortly after, Metallica also played in front of 55,000-60,000 at the Day on the Green Festival.

In March of 1986 Metallica released their 3rd album, Master of Puppets. This album was marked at 29 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the charts for over 70 weeks. Master of Puppets marked the big beginning for Metallica’s long and successful career but was a bitter sweet triumph when in September of 86, the band’s tour bus drove out of control, tipping on its side and crushing bassist Cliff Burton. The band was devastated but with the blessing of his family, they replaced him with Jason Newsted and moved forward.

What it All Means
There is nothing more telling than that of a artistic human being that has come from a place of tragedy, success, failure, pain and happiness. Individually, each member of Metallica, former and current, has a unique and deep rooted story to tell. While I have only been able to outline the very beginning of their amazing lives and careers, the story does not begin or end here. History has a way of beginning and ending throughout the generations only to begin and end again. Rock on. Read on. More Metallica articles coming your way.

And much like their rebellious but often times sweet lyrics, the band itself has an attitude of ’screw it, I’m in this for living life to the fullest’ attitude. Let’s take a closer look at Linkin Park’s biography.

The Early Days of Linkin Park
Linkin Park originally started as so many star bands do - in high school. Mike Shinoda, who has a reputation for being the front man for the band in many ways, has had a dream to succeed in music since he was very young. Teaming up with Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon was the first step to realizing that dream.

In 1996, the Linkin Park members, who then called themselves Xero, started off recording in Mike Shinoda’s home recording studio. Soon thereafter, Joe Hahn, Dave Ferrell and Mark Wakefield joined the band but a lack of success forced Wakefield and Farrell to bail out. Shortly after, the band renamed themselves Hybrid Theory.

Early 1999 marked the replacement of Wakefield with Chester Bennington, at the suggestion of Jeff Blue who was Vice President of Zamba Music at the time. The addition of Bennington also brought new material and the band renamed themselves again, this time to Linkin Park. The name was a play on the Licoln Park in Santa Monica, a very popular hang out for many people in California. Despite their new member and both changes in their name, however, the band still languished in finding a record deal.

In late 1999, the band turned to Jeff Blue again for more help. Jeff was now the Vice President of Warner Brother Records and assisted the band in signing with Warner, which marked the start of their stardom.

Progress
In October of 2004, Linkin Park released their first professionally recorded album, Hybrid Theory, a name which they obviously favored. This was, perhaps, because of the view that the band had of themselves–a malleable mixture of pop, rock, metal, rap and some other genres that hadn’t been named yet. Nonetheless, Hybrid Theory, which is a compilation of over 5 years of work, sold 4.8 million copies in its first year alone. It was also best selling album of 2001 and won Best Rock Performance at the Grammys.

Within a year Linkin Park performed at over 320 concerts and formed Projekt Revolution, a tour, which at the time featured artists like Snoop Dogg.

In 2002, former bassist Dave Ferrell returned to the band and inspired Reanimation, a remix album of much of the bands past work. It was released on July of 2002 and claimed #2 on the Billboard 200.

From the end of 2002 into 2003, Linkin Park conducted their tour in the U.S and recorded new material in their rare spare time. This led to the March, 2003 release of Meteora, which was reportedly inspired by the rocky town in Greece.
Meteora is a blend of Linkin Park’s pasteurized metal mixed with rapcore and branches out into classical and foreign instruments. It was #1 in the U.S., the UK and Australia and sold over 800,000 copies in its first week. In fact, by October of 2003, it had sold almost 3 million copies and won MTV’s Best Rock Video Award and then went on to win the Viewer’s Choice Award for Breaking The Habit.

That same year, the band formed another Projekt Revolution, this time featuring bands like Mudvayne and Xzibit. They also played the Sanitarium Tour alongside Limp Bizkit and the Deftones.

Early 2004 marked the Meteora Tour, which by now was the 3rd best selling album. By the middle of the year, however, the band seemed to take a break, during which Shinoda and Farrell worked on outside projects. This formed tension in the band and especially with Warner Brother Records. Out of the soup, so to speak, however, came the album Collision Course, which was produced by Linkin Park and Jay Z as well as the album Rising Tide which was released by Shinoda and Jay Z alone.

A new deal with Linkin Park was signed in December of 2005 and marked new beginnings without turmoil for the band. They began writing again and the band involved themselves in several charity concerts and organizations as listed below.
Hurricane Dan
Hurricane Matt
Special Operations Warrior Foundation
04 Tsunami Benefit Concerts
“Music For Relief”
Live 8

In 2006, Linkin Park won another Grammy, this time for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. They also did Japan’s Summer Sonic 06 which was hosted by Metallica. Later that year, they returned to the studio to begin recording the work they had started since their signing. They had planned to release their new album late in 2006 but there were unresolved issues regarding which songs to include on the record.

On May 15, 2007 Linkin Park released Minutes to Midnight which sold 600,000 copies in its first week. Of course it also went to the top of the Billboard charts and inspired their 4th Projekt Tour. In July of 07, the band played at Live Earth Japan as well.

Currently Linkin Park is performing a 19 show tour in North America and the band plans to release an extension album to Minutes to Midnight and hope to gain inspiration for new work while touring America at the end of this year.

For more information on Linkin Park and its creative members, their biography, discography, news and much more please visit www.linkinpark.com and share in their blog. You can also do a Google search on the individual band member names to find great information about their upbringing and their early onset of talent as well. You will likely also stumble upon plenty of colorful and energetic merchandise which compliments the various types of music and culture that influences this popular, artistic, Californian band and helps to support their lifestyle and various causes. Rock on!

Today there are at least 10 Les Paul electric guitars available. Check out this list of Les Pauls.

The Gold Top
From 1952 to 1957, the Gold Top, which was the first Gibson Les Paul electric guitar released, was in production. The original 1952 Les Paul sported two P-90 single-coil pickups. The guitar is also known for it’s single-piece bow style bridge. The most profound feature of the guitar, besides it distinctive body shape, was the strings that fitted under the stop-bar, rather than over it, like a traditional guitar model. The Gold Top is made of beautiful mahogany, which makes the guitar heavy and long lasting.

The Custom
In production from 1954 to 1960, the Custom was the second release of the Gibson Les Paul. The Custom was entirely black and considered a work of art. To establish a visual difference between the Gold Top and the Custom, the Custom was made to feature a mahogany top instead of rosewood. In 1957, the Custom was revamped with new humbucker pickups. Later the guitar also became available with three pickups, which was unheard of at the time. Traditional guitars before the Custom were equipped with only one or two.

The Junior
From 1954 to 1960, Gibson produced the Junior. The Junior, which was intended to continue the beginning of a tradition in Gibson guitars, was very similar to its parent, the Gold Top. The Junior was, however, designed more for the beginner guitarist though it is such high quality that it’s used by professionals as well.

The visual differences between the God Top and the Junior were that the Junior had a mahogany body. It’s body was also one solid, slab piece. It was also considered a cheaper version of the original and featured the same single P-90 pickup as its predecessor. Later, in 1958, the Junior was given the double cut-away body design, which most feel improved the model.

The TV
The name of the guitar may sound odd, but the name is indicative of the ingenious behind it’s color. Les was known for his quirky antics and this guitar is an excellent representation of that. The Junior ran from 1954 to 1960 and was given a natural finish that actually looked like a bright yellow. The purpose of this annoying color was to eliminate glare of the guitar when being filmed for television, and it was a success. In 1958, like the Junior, the TV was given the double body design.

The Special
The last of the original series of Les Paul guitar models was the Special which was produced from 1955-1960. The Special was a two-pickup version of the Junior. It also came in the TV Yellow that the TV model came in, to eliminate glare when filmed for television.

Later, in 1959, the Special was given the double cut-away body type that both the Junio and the TV received in their refurbishing year 1958. The first release of the Special, however, was not so special. Because the neck pick up was located over the joint of the neck and body, the guitar could break after average handling. In response to the problem, Gibson released a sturdier version with the neck pickup moved farther down, away from the joint. This corrected the problem and allowed the model to continue successfully. It was available in colors Cherry and TV Yellow.

The Standard
Not much different from the Goldtop, the Standard ran from 1958 to 1960 and was given the Sunburst finish. Other than the new humbucker pickups on the guitar, and the color change, not much else was different about the Standard.

Les Paul SG
As Fender became more popular and released cheaper and lighter models similar to the Gibson Les Pauls, Gibson needed to be creative to recover. Guitar sales were slipping in 1960 and the Stratocaster was gaining public approval. So Gibson modified the Les Paul line. The Les Paul SG was a thinner and much lighter version. Unfortunately, Gibson put Les Paul’s name on the product without permission. Because of this, Les Paul asked Gibson to strip his name from the guitar and he parted paths with Gibson. Regardless of how Les Paul felt about it, Gibson continued to use the Les Paul name until they ran out of logos and other products with the name already printed. In 1963, the Les Paul SG became the SG and eventually other models of the Les Paul were re-released with the lighter body.

The Deluxe
Despite the issues that arose in 1961 over the SG, the Deluxe was still released as a Les Paul in 1968. Mini-humbuckers were the new feature on this model but it was incredibly unpopular. So unpopular, in fact, that Gibson cancelled the line. Later in 2005 the Deluxe was released again and gained more popularity than in the past.

The Studio
In 1983 Gibson released the Studio which is still being produced today. The sound output on this device was paid special attention to in development. This was so that the guitar would appeal to professional and semi-professional musicians who recorded in studios. The only features the model keeps from the original Les Paul models, is the carved maple top and some of the hardware.

Gibson Robot Guitar
December of 2007 marked the release of the Gibson Robot Guitar. The idea of the guitar was that it would be a computerized version of the Les Paul. The guitar has a computerized master control knob which has excellent range in commands to the guitar. The ease in electronic tuning of the guitar is also a plus for musicians who purchase the Robot.

All in all, the entire line of Gibson Les Paul guitars, with the exception of the guitars that were cancelled, is an optimum piece of equipment that is never to be underestimated. Though the guitars are up to 50% more expensive than similar, knock-off models, the price is well worth the quality.