Mashable! has a great post up today with 11 excellent resources available on the web for learning to play the guitar:
You can learn to do just about anything on the web, and guitar playing is no different. Yeah, I know you’ve mastered the toughest songs on Guitar Hero III, but can you actually play a guitar? We’ve got 11 tools to help you start living out your dreams of being a rock legend… you know, when you’re not coding a new Twitter application.
Not given lightly. This is the most beautiful song ever written by a Kiwi. If you play this song you will become rich and wealthy!
Inside story. Johnny Marr eat your heart out.
And finally some Tall Dwarfs – Nothings Going to Happen…
Chris Knox is a demigod of New Zealand music. What he cannot do with a cheap synth and an four track nobody can do with Apple Studios and half a million euros. Super.
Chris Knox (September 2, 1952) is a New Zealandrock and roll musician who emerged during the punk rock era with his bands The Enemy and Toy Love. After Toy Love disbanded in the early 1980s, he formed the group Tall Dwarfs with guitarist Alec Bathgate, much loved for their honest, unpolished sound and intense live shows. His 4-track machine was used to record most of the early Flying Nun singles.
He has also released a number of solo, self-produced albums which feature his trademark vocals and catchy hooks and loops generated by his trusty Casiotone. Chris Knox has also released an album under the pseudonym ‘Friend’. Continue »
The following clip is a very nice acoustic composition from FlyingHorseKnuckles. It is a song he wrote for his new son. A good song for this time of year I feel. The lyrics are his, I posted them below in case you want to sing along!
A song I wrote for my firstborn. I’m not crazy about the music, but the lyrics are heartfelt. Lyrics:Continue »
Had a bit of a trawl around on youtube today for some videos of people playing Tokai guitars around the world. There are some pretty cool videos out there in a range of styles highlighting the versatility of Tokai guitars.
The first video is from Dime23 – his friend roscoebuzzsaw going pretty hard on a Tokai Gold Top through a Fender 25 watt. The picture is quite dark but the sound is wild and that is what we are here for isn’t it?
Next is a more melodic composition from another British guitarist – Chuwy8000 – he has a great relaxed alt-rock sound. Apparently the composition came about as a result of using a capo and an irregular tuning.
Thought we would finish things off with another video from roscoebuzzsaw showing off his Gold Top Tokai. He is using a Morley wah effects pedal on this track and there is some great overhand playing.
Well, it is almost that time of Friday afternoon when the lagers are calling. Before I go, here is some information from wikipedia about Tokai Guitars and the Tokai Gakki Co. LTD:
Tokai Gakki Co., Ltd.(東海楽器製造株式会社, Tōkai Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha), often referred as Tokai Guitars Company Ltd., is a Japanese guitar manufacturer founded in 1947 and situated in Hamamatsu city, Shizuoka perfecture. Tokai Guitars produces acoustic guitars, electric guitars, electric basses, autoharps, and melodicas. Tokai have built a lot of Gibson and Fender replica models over the years such as the “Love Rock Model” and “Les Paul Reborn” Les Paul replicas and the “Springy Sound” Stratocaster replicas and the “BreezySound” Telecaster replicas. Tokai have also made a lot of Gibson and Martin Acoustic model replicas. In 1965 Tokai started making classical guitars and in 1968 started making the Hummingbird electric guitar models and in 1970 started making the Hummingbird Acoustic models. Brian May from Queen uses a Tokai Hummingbird Acoustic on some recordings. In 1972 Tokai went into a joint venture with Martin to supply Acoustic guitar parts and also build Martin’s solid body Sigma guitars. In 1973 Tokai started making the “Cat’s Eyes” Martin Acoustic replicas. In 1983 Tokai started making a metal body guitar called the Talbo which the band Devo played at one time. The Tokai “Les Paul Reborn” Les Paul replicas started around 1976 and around 1978 Tokai changed the name from “Les Paul Reborn” to “Love Rock Model”. Tokai also made Fender replicas starting in 1977 and Stevie Ray Vaughan played a “Tokai Springy Sound” Stratocaster replica at one time. Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top and Robert Fripp have also played Tokai guitars. Tokai have their own instrument making factory and have built guitars for lots of well known brands (OEM). Tokai (and Dyna Gakki) currently build the Fender Japan solid body models and have done so since 1997.
Chris Knox 
