My Afternoon With Jeff Beck (and SRV)

I only had one meaningful encounter with Jeff Beck, but it was a memorable one — and it involved Stevie Ray Vaughan as well.

In 1990, Matt Resnicoff and I were assigned a Guitar Player cover story on the Jeff Beck/Stevie Ray Vaughan tour. We were the two young guys on staff, eager to […]

The Subversive Guitarist: Joe Gore’s Guitar Theory and Technique Book

Kill the clichés and develop your unique style! Now available from Amazon and Premier Guitar.

The Subversive Guitarist is for any intermediate or advanced player who feels like they are stuck in a rut. If you’ve ever thought, “I always play the same things whenever I pick up a guitar,” this is your remedy.

The […]

Joe Gore Interview by Gretchen Menn

My friend and frequent collaborator Gretchen Menn interviewed me about various guitar topics, including my new album, Falling Through Time: Music from the 1300s. (Links below.)

If you don’t know Gretchen’s playing, do yourself a kindness and discover it (https://bit.ly/3FOcYIW). She is utterly brilliant. My album is available via BandCamp and the streaming […]

My Very First Album (It Only Took 50 Years!)

I’ve worked on many projects by many artists, but this is my first release under my own name. And it only took me 50 years!

It’s a back-to-the-roots project for me, though I have some fairly strange roots. When I was a teen I wanted to go into academia, specializing in early music […]

From Medieval to Modern

I’d never have imagined that I’d get to participate in so many cool music collaborations during Covid lockdown — man, was I fortunate! One of the most exciting developments was being invited to join Another Night on Earth, an international octet of electric guitarist who perform classical music.

A few months ago I […]

Sound Test: Wood Neck vs. Aluminum Neck

I’ve been wanting to try this A/B test for ages. I recorded my lipstick-tube “parts” Strat/ Then I replaced the MIM Fender neck with an aluminum neck from Alef Guitars before playing the same music through the same signal chain. The sound contrast is dramatic, consistent, and repeatable.

Is an aluminum neck for […]

Meet the Quesocaster! A New DIY Guitar Experiment.

This is my fifth and latest DIY guitar experiment using Warmoth parts. Most of the tech details are in the video, but I’ll share a few additional experiences and impressions.

I’ve been thinking about making something using the Fender Swinger body profile for a couple of years. My earlier Kitschcaster used Wamoth’s […]

The Best Band I’ve Ever Been In

A bright moment in a dark year was being asked to join Another Night on Earth, an international collective of electric guitarists performing classical music.

They say you’re a lucky musician if you get to work with players who are better than you. If this is true, I’m really frickin’ lucky. […]

The Dobro EBow No No

As if this year wasn’t sucky enough: I tripped on the sidewalk ands fractured my left wrist. I’ll be fine in a few weeks, but I had to put a hold on a couple of projects in progress.

But there are a few things you can play when your forearm is in a […]

Music from A Plague Year

Hi folks! I created this video during my initial COVID quarantine, but I cleverly forgot to post it here at tonefiend.com.

When COVID struck, I was in Mexico City, working on a MTV Unplugged special with one of my all-time favorite bands. (I can’t share the details yet.) But the project was postponed when […]