"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
"Slo" Maggard, bass player for Unearth, recently upgraded his Ampeg rig. Our AR staff hand-delivered the new rig to "Slo" during their last show in the Seattle area.
Their recent tour just ended, but looks like you might be able to catch them soon, as they plan to book some July dates with the band, For the Fallen Dreams.
Thanks for your support, Slo. Looking good with those Ampegs.
Pro Guitar Shop has been posting some killer pedal demos on YouTube for the past couple of years. Their no-nonsense approach to gear reviews has garnered a tremendous amount of respect from both the pro audio and guitar playing communities. But they also review all kinds of other guitar-related gear, including a recent review for the Ampeg J-20 Guitar Combo.
So, without further ado...Pro Guitar Shops review of the Ampeg J-20. Enjoy:
Fleetwood Mac has been busy this year, playing sold out shows across North America. There are still a few dates, so be sure to get tickets soon if you are in one of the lucky cities to host Fleetwood Mac. Here are the remaining dates:
June 17th, 2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
June 23rd, 2009 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
June 24th, 2009 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
The Ampeg Artist Relations team recently got to sit in on a practice session down in the LA area. Aside from witnessing one of the most intimate and real performances any Fleetwood Mac fan is likely to experience, they also had a chance to chat with Ampeg endorser John McVie. He is more than happy with his Ampeg rig, which features a full complement of custom Ampeg cabinets and two SVT-4PROs. They were even able to snap some photos during the practice session.
Ampeg would like to congratulate John, and the entire band, on a successful tour.
We recently received a press kit from a group called "Dr. K's Motown Revue." This, in itself, is a rather commonplace sort of occurrence here at Ampeg headquarters. Just ask our Artist Relation guy, as he is responsible for looking through the stacks and stacks of press kits we receive. When he got to Dr. K's kit, it became quite clear that Dr. K was a true-blue Ampeg fan.
Dr. K (aka Paul Korman) bought an Ampeg B-15 in 1964. You can see him in action in the picture on the right. The rest of the band were obviously into Ampeg also.
That was then, this was now. Dr. K now tours with "Dr. K's Motown Revue." He sent a DVD and I have to say that his band is one of the most authentic and certainly entertaining Motown-styled groups touring today.
He has put together an amazing array of seasoned musicians and singers that he's either played with or wanted to play with over the course of his years. Their appeal, in large part, is attributable to the perfect blend of the Motown-era costumes worn and the outstanding group of singers who compliment this latter day "Funk Bros"* type band of musicians. Each singer is quite capable of fronting any band as a soloist and the combination of singers is more than enough to deliver authentically the vocal sound of the Motown roster of artists.
These days, Dr. K gigs with his Ampeg SVT-4PRO and cabs, but "The Round Sound" remains. Be sure to check out their website to get a listing of upcoming shows.
Here's a clip from the video Dr. K sent us...pretty amazing, right?
William K. Santana is 12 years old. He lives in Chico, CA with his mother, father and little sister. Oh yeah, he also owns it when he plays bass. We caught up with William during the 2009 NAMM show when he plugged into our SVT-VR and rocked the house. All we could say was "wow."
William started playing bass at age nine, joining his first band, "Children with Chainsaws." Now, William plays with "X-Factor," and they are playing around California. His background in Jazz gives him a breadth of style that will certainly benefit him throughout his playing career.
He sent us this video, showing off his skills and his new Ampeg BA300/115 combo amp
.
Thanks for stopping by to see us at NAMM and good luck in the future...not that you need it...just keep playing!
The Mars
Volta are nothing if not complex. But complexity does not always mean
complicated. It all comes down to layering of sound and The Mars Volta have
mastered that. In January of 2008, Mars launched their album, The
Bedlam in Goliath…their fourth full-length studio album. The first
released single was a tune called “Wax
Simulacra.” The song was previously played live by the band under the name
“Idle Tooth” and was always a crowd favorite.
A crowd
favorite…yes. But what would the fine people of the National Academy of
Recording Arts & Sciences think? Well, we all found out during the live
telecast of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, when The Mars Volta beat
out such heavyweights as Judas Priest and Rob Zombie, taking away the award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.
Mars bassist,
Juan Alderete, was kind enough to thank Ampeg for our contribution to his sound
and sent us this snapshot of their award.
Ampeg would
like to congratulate Juan and, of course, the rest of the lads from The Mars
Volta for their achievement. Now go buy their album already.
The 2009 Capitol Hill Block Party takes over Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood July 24-25. The Block Party is an annual music festival that draws upon and showcases the best indie and underground rock in the US, with a special focus on its Northwest artists. Launched 12 years ago, the Block Party has evolved into Seattle’s most anticipated outdoor party. With over 40 bands on 3 stages, great food, and plenty of cheap beer, this is by far the best block party ever. Anywhere.
“This ain’t no burnt-wiener-and-potato-salad kind of block party. No, this one is more like a sweaty, boozy, scaled-down version of Sasquatch, only during the dog days of summer and right in our own backyard.... The Block Party has grown from an endearing street fair to a monster takeover of the now hotter than ever corridor of Pike between 12th Ave all the way down to Broadway.”Seattle Weekly
Partial proceeds from The Block Party benefit two excellent non-profits: Home Alive, which encourages violence prevention, and The Vera Project, a youth run all-ages venue and recording studio in Seattle.
This year, Ampeg will host a very cool demo area backstage, allowing all of the CHBP artists a chance to play around with the best bass gear available, including the new Micro-VR head and SVT-210AV cabinet…a real powerhouse in a very small package.
Ampeg’s partners-in-crime (Mackie, EAW and Blackheart) will also be there. The Main stage will feature a massive EAW rig and the Vera Stage will showcase Mackie’s new HD Series loudspeakers . The general partygoer can try out Blackheart’s impressive line of all-tube guitar amps while wandering around the neighborhood.
Connect up with Capitol Hill Block Party to learn more about:
New Ampeg Endorser Signed: "Slo" Maggard of Unearth
Heavy
hitting melodic metal-core bassist John “Slo” Maggard of the band Unearth has
just ordered up two SVT-810E’s, a SVT-2PRO and a SVT-4PRO to support him on what
will no doubtedly be the biggest non-festival metal tour this year!!
The tour
is a co-headlined by thrash metal pioneers TestAmenT!!! Over 40 North American
dates are currently scheduled and most of them are expected to sell out.
When
asked why he chose Ampeg Slo replied, “After becoming so familiar with Ampeg products from tours abroad and from recent studio sessions, it makes
all the sense in the world that I finally become part of the Ampeg
family. I am very excited to be part of the best-sounding and most
versatile bass family in the world. A special thank you goes out
to both the makers and players alike for welcoming me aboard. Cheers!”
We are excited to have Slo on board and look forward to their summer tour.
Corey Parks is not only the super hot bassist for the Chelsea Girls, she is also a beloved Ampeg endorser. Her current Ampeg gear is massive. A vintage SVT head and 8x10 cab sit right alongside an SVT-VR and SVT-810AV. That is some pretty powerful stuff. Check out the Chelsea Girl's MySpace page to hear some of their tunes and to see where they are playing next. Their inaugural gig was at the world famous Sunset Strip club, The Roxy. For this special occasion, they had Carmen Electra come out to introduce the band. Here's a sweet video clip from that performance.
So, pretty hot, right? Good. Go see the Chelsea Girls, get all sweaty and hear some classic Ampeg gear in action.
Finally confirming the rumors that have been circulating the
internet for weeks, all four original members of the popular 90’s rock
supergroup, Mr. Big, are taking the stage together for the first time in 13
years for a reunion tour of Japan.
The announcement, made by the band before a press-packed
Hard Rock Café in Tokyo this week, brings back promises that the Japanese run
will recapture the magic of the original chart-busting foursome:
vocalist/frontman Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, guitar, Ampeg endorsed bassist
Billy Sheehan and Pat Torpey on drums. The tour takes off in Sapporo on June 5
and culminates June 20 in Tokyo with a feature concert at Budokan — the famous
Japanese venue known for its rich history of legendary performances by rock’s
elite. The band will record a live CD/DVD during the Budokan show that will
also mark the band’s 20 year anniversary.
Here's the where and when:
June 5 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Sapporo, Japan
June 7 - Zepp - Sendai, Japan
June 9 - Kanazawa Koseinenkin - Kanazawa, Japan
June 10 - Zepp - Nagoya, Japan
June 12 - Zepp - Fukuoka, Japan
June 15 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan
June 17 - Yubin Chokin Hall - Hiroshima, Japan
June 18 - Koseinenkin Kaikan - Osaka, Japan
June 20 - Budokan - Tokyo, Japan
Form in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history,
combining trademark “shredding” musicianship with awesome vocal harmonies. The
1989 self-titled album, Mr. Big, received critical and commercial success in
the US and Japan, but it was the bands second album, Lean Into It, that
provided the major breakthrough. Lean Into It featured two ballads that established
the band as a commercial success. “To Be With You” and “Just Take My Heart”
propelled the band to huge international success and record sales in the
multi-millions.
Gilbert left the band in 1996 to pursue a solo career and
the original members had not shard a stage together until late 2008 at Gilbert
solo show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Paul was joined onstage by
Sheehan and Torpey to perform a couple of cover songs and the three had such a
good time together, they contact Martin a few days later and the reunion was
put into motion.
While no concert dates beyond Japan have been announced as
yet, the band is looking at possible dates in Southeast Asia and America later
in the year.
***Ampeg endorser Billy Sheehan has a new solo album
“Holy Cow!” available April 14th. Check out Billy’s MySpace page for
more details***
