Bman's Blues Report

These guitars feature stunningly beautiful woods, at times distressed by insects, fungi, and mineral spalting. The organic shape of each instrument is a blend of the shape suggested by the particular piece of wood, inclusion of the natural “raw edge” where practical, and ergonomic considerations. Woods that are both structurally sound and stable are hand carved into three-dimensional musical sculptures; woods that are not structurally sound are laminated to woods that are structurally sound, yielding a more traditional aesthetic. Electronic and pickup offerings will vary, with an eye toward minimizing the visual impact of these non-organic components while retaining versatility. Neck woods are typically vertical grain mahogany or eastern maple, with ebony fretboards; some will have custom inlay. Neck details include fretboard binding to match the body wood and a headstock overlay to match the body wood. Finishes are natural oil to enhance grain depth and detail; they are long-wea...

Charles LoBue was one of the fathers of the custom electric guitar business. Charles came to the industry after taking classes from Michael Gurian, first working in and around the guitar repair business in NYC in the mid 60's. Charles' interest in the business began by doing basic repairs on factory made guitars. These were primarily made by Gibson and Fender, the "Gold Standard" for electric guitars, as well as any guitar including acoustics which came through the door. As a professional player in the U.S. in the 60's, Gibson and Fender were the most likely choices if you wanted an electric guitar. It is well known that the Brits used European made guitars as well, primarily due to their accessibility. By the mid late 60's both companies had been sold to larger corporations which were not primarily in the guitar business. The basic perception even today is that the guitars made by these companies during this period were inferior in quality and also l...

The Novax “Slimline Jazz” model has an arched, X-braced spruce top, fully “floating” and acoustically voiced for a warm electric tone with minimal feedback, and “F” holes for a traditional look. The body is 16" across the lower bout, it has a “set” neck of vertical-grain mahogany with an ebony fretboard, and the appointments are available in ebony or rosewood. The full-contact bridge has a wedge-type height adjustment to maintain optimal sound transmission. This model can be made as a 6 or 7 string, with a specially voiced Bartolini “soapbar” pickup with passive volume and tone control. Options include different top woods, appointment woods, pickguard, choices of binding color and material, and electronics. Arched, solid spruce top, X-braced with “F” holes Chambered mahogany back Mahogany neck, ebony fretboard Rosewood head veneer, rosewood bridge and rosewood tailpiece cover Write on our Facebook Wall or post your Photos of great blues events! -  Here

Think you've seen it all...note that there isn't a bass player...this guy is doing it all. First coming to prominence in the early 1990s, Hunter has recorded 17 albums. Hunter plays custom-made seven and eight-string guitars, on which he simultaneously plays basslines, rhythm guitar, and solos. Critic Sean Westergaard describes Hunter's guitar technique as "mind-boggling ... he's an agile improviser with an ear for great tone, and always has excellent players alongside him in order to make great music, not to show off." Shown here is a custom "Charlie Hunter" model by Novax Guitars. Get Facebook support for your favorite band or venue - click HERE

These guitars are the ultimate in fidelity. Novax instruments have several unusual design features; these features, while offering an appealing and unique aesthetic, are primarily performance enhancers. Novax has redesigned the guitar to be more playable, more versatile, more in-tune, and more “open” and “alive” sounding. The playing experience is enchanting and addictive - it sounds so good and feels so natural that you’ll want to play more! The powerful combination of the Fanned-Fret system coupled to our proprietary individual bridge system results in an instrument with exceptional articulation, a unique tonal signature, and natural playability. An appropriate analogy might be found in the evolution of the automobile: until now, guitars have been like early cars that had carbureted engines and primitive suspension. Makes and models may look different, but under the hood, they all work the same. Novax guitars are like cars designed with fuel injection and independent 4-wheel ...

No...your eyes aren't deceiving you...those frets aren't parallel!! Check the Novax Guitar posting later!! Joe Louis Walker was born in San Francisco, California. He came from a musical family, amidst the early influences of T-Bone Walker, BB King, Meade Lux Lewis, Amos Milburn, and Pete Johnson. Walker first picked up the guitar at the age of 8 and became a known quantity within the Bay Area music scene by the age of 16. Whilst publicly performing through his teens, he soaked up many more influences (especially vocalists like Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Bobby Womack & Otis Redding). Over these early years, Walker's musical pupilage saw him playing with John Lee Hooker, JJ Malone, Buddy Miles, Otis Rush, Thelonious Monk, The Soul Stirrers, Willie Dixon, Charlie Musselwhite, Steve Miller, Nick Lowe, John Mayall, Earl Hooker, Muddy Waters, and Jimi Hendrix. By 1968, he had forged a close friendship with Mike Bloomfield; they were roommates for many years until Bloomfield...