About Les Paul from wikipedia:

Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) known as Les Paul — was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which “made the sound of rock and roll possible”. He is credited with many recording innovations, including overdubbing (also known as sound on sound), delay effects such as tape delay, phasing effects, and multitrack recording.

His innovative talents extended into his playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing, which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired many of the guitarists of the present day. He recorded with his wife Mary Ford in the 1950s and they sold millions of records.

Among his many honors, Paul is one of a handful of artists with a permanent, stand-alone exhibit in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is prominently named by the music museum on its website as an “architect” and a “key inductee” along with Sam Phillips and Alan Freed.

Guitar Builder

Paul’s innovative guitar, “The Log”, built after-hours in the Epiphone guitar factory in 1940, was one of the first solid-body electric guitars. Adolph Rickenbacker had marketed a solid-body guitar in the 1930s and Leo Fender also independently created his own in 1946. Although Paul approached the Gibson Guitar Corporation with his idea of a solid body electric guitar, they showed no interest until Fender began marketing its Esquire and Telecaster models. Gibson designed a guitar incorporating Paul’s suggestions in the early 1950s and presented it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a endorsement contract for what became the Gibson “Les Paul” model, originally only in a “gold-top” version (official name: “Les Paul Standard”), and agreed never to be seen playing in public, or be photographed, with anything other than a Gibson guitar.

The arrangement persisted until 1961, when declining sales prompted Gibson to change the design without Paul’s knowledge, creating a much thinner, lighter, and more-aggressive-looking instrument with two cutaway “horns” instead of one. Paul said he first saw the “new” Gibson Les Paul in a music-store window, and disliked it. Although his contract required him to pose with the guitar, he said it was not “his” instrument and asked Gibson to remove his name from the headstock. Others claimed that Paul ended his endorsement contract with Gibson during his divorce to avoid having his wife get his endorsement money. Gibson renamed the guitar “Gibson SG”, which stands for “Solid Guitar”, and it also became one of the company’s best sellers.

The original Gibson Les Paul-guitar design regained popularity when Eric Clapton began playing the instrument a few years later, although he also played an SG and an ES-335. Paul resumed his relationship with Gibson and endorsed the original Gibson Les Paul guitar from that point onwards. His personal Gibson Les Pauls were much modified by him—Paul always used his own self-wound pickups and customized methods of switching between pickups on his guitars[citation needed]. To this day, various models of Gibson Les Paul guitars are used all over the world by both novice and professional guitarists. A less-expensive version of the Gibson Les Paul guitar is also manufactured for Gibson’s lower-priced Epiphone brand.

Just found this website, MusicNation.com. This website is an online music community. Bands can upload videos. Bands have friends and fans. Fans can share their favorite music videos. Fans vote their favorite videos. The most voted video win the competition.

Yes it is a music social networking. You can sign up as a band, music writer, singer, guitarist, music talents, or just music listener. There are two accounts in MusicNation.com; one is regular account and the other is artist account. As an artist account you will be able to enter the competitions and connect with your fan base.

What you can do with regular account? Like myspace, you can add friends, add galleries, comments other profile, create your own blog, upload media, create events, and more available features. The different from myspace are you can create your own favorite artists, create favorite musical styles, you can connect to other music hobbies. You can discover music and videos from all over the web.

What the advantages of artist account? Instead of the basic features above, you can promote your own music videos. This is great word of mouth marketing. When your fan likes your videos they can share and tell others about your videos. You can go to competition and win the prize. Bands that get a lot of play have a chance at getting signed by MusicNation.com’s partner EPIC RECORDS!

If you are a band, artist, music talent, or just fan, check this MusicNation.com website!

Unlike most videos, which feature only pre-recorded music and bands pretending to play the song, this has a live lead guitar performance caught on film over the album’s backing track. As a result, this version of the song is slightly different, more like what’s heard in concert.

Here is the video (turn on your flash plugin to view the video):

Since the release of his debut album, The Firebard, Ellefson has earned endorsements with Alvarez Guitars, Peavey, and Morley Pedals, and been heard on XM Radio Unsigned 52 and stations in Canada, Australia, and the U.S.

Visit http://www.randyellefson.com for free mp3s, videos, guitar tablature, articles, and the latest news on Randy Ellefson.

Gibson claims it’s the first robotic technology guitar. With tagline ”All you have to do is play it.”, you won’t need do dirty job again. With a revolutionary mix of on-board processing, a data transmitting tailpiece, tune-control bridge, and Powerhead Locking Tuners, the guitar automatically stays in tune, and can move to an alternate tuning with the turn of a switch. So really, all you have to do is play.

This robot guitar features:

1. The Gibson Robot Guitar eliminates tuning problems for guitarists. It automatically tunes to standard A440 tuning.
2. It also allows players to access six commonly used altered tuning presets at the push of a button. These tunings were used on many well-known hit songs, giving players easy access for the very first time.
3. The Gibson Robot Guitar allows the guitar to be intonated in seconds after string changes, truss rod adjustments or change in weather conditions.
4. Finally, with the locking tuner, single string changes or changing the entire set of strings are an automated breeze.

Video (instructional video for the new Gibson Robot Guitar):

For more detail about this guitar visit: http://www.gibson.com/robotguitar

ZZSounds.com a popular online music store, offer a chance to win a classic Gibson Les Paul Guitar.  What you do to win this is fill their survey form in here.

You will fill your name, address, and email. Make sure you fill the right email address because the winner will be announced through email address. Then you will asked an optional question “Say that we sell an item for $1000. How attractive would it be if we sold it for 4 payments $250 instead?”, just choose your answer. Your answer will not affect your chance to win this guitar.

Classic Gibson Les Paul

If you win you will get limited guitar. There will be only 400 of these made.

Technical Info

BODY
Top Species: AA figured maple
Back Species: Mahogany
Binding: Antique top binding

NECK
Species: Mahogany
Profile: 1960s slim taper
Peghead Pitch: 17 degrees

FINGERBOARD
Species: Rosewood
Scale Length: 24-3/4 in.
Number of Frets: 22
Nut Width: 1.695 in.
Inlays: Trapezoid on neck, holly on headstock
Fingerboard Binding: Antique

HARDWARE
Plating Finish: Nickel
Tailpiece: Stopbar
Bridge: Tune-o-matic
Knobs: Amber top hat
Tuners: Green key

ELECTRONICS
Neck Pickups: ’57 Classic, uncovered with nickel polepieces
Bridge Pickups: ’57 Classic Plus, uncovered with nickel polepieces
Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way switch

OTHER
Strings: Brite Wires .010-.046

CASE
Case Interior: White plush
Case Exterior: Hardshell with black reptile pattern
Case Silkscreen: Silver Gibson USA logo

For more details about this guitar click here!

Don’t miss with this great chance! Win a $1,799 electric guitar buy fill the form.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Fender® Custom Shop Tribute Series Guitar Based on Vaughan’s Own ‘Lenny’ ’65 Stratocaster® to Be Launched on Dec. 12 and Offered Exclusively in the U.S. by Guitar Center®

Original “Lenny” Electric Guitar among Most Storied Instruments in Music History  

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz — In a historic collaboration among Fender^®, Guitar Center^® and the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate, the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan “Lenny” Stratocaster^® guitar has been commissioned by Guitar Center to be reproduced in a limited edition by the Fender Custom Shop. As part of Fender’s Tribute Series of guitars, “Lenny” will be produced in a limited quantity, with 185 guitars offered for sale in the United States, made available exclusively through Guitar Center. Guitar Center stores throughout the United States will introduce the guitar on Dec. 12, 2007, and will offer them to customers for $17,000 (U.S.).

This emotive addition to the Custom Shop Tribute Series will feature an intricate reproduction of “Lenny” down to the smallest of details—from the customized neck that was a gift from ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons to the reflective “SRV” stickers on the body to the battered headstock, the autograph that Stevie himself etched into the neck plate, and even an autograph from legendary baseball great, Mickey Mantle.

Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, purchased the original guitar for $623,500 at a 2004 Christie’s auction that benefited the Crossroads Centre, Antigua, a charitable organization founded by Eric Clapton.

“Guitar Center is both thrilled and privileged to be able to offer Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ Fender Stratocaster to the world,” said Keith Brawley, Guitar Center vice president of merchandising for guitars and amplifiers. “Stevie Ray Vaughan’s fans are among the most loyal and passionate guitar lovers in the world. The ‘Lenny’ Stratocaster, Stevie’s main instrument for his love songs, is a truly fascinating guitar that has, as part of its DNA, a tender, personal love story and an incredibly colorful and touching history.”

The original “Lenny” guitar is a universally recognizable Fender Stratocaster, best known for its uniquely bright and powerful tone and known as one of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s favorite instruments throughout his entire career. The guitar itself has an almost mystical heritage that can be traced back to the very beginning of Vaughan’s rise to stardom.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was just a struggling young guitarist in Austin, Texas, in 1980, when his wife, Lenora “Lenny” Vaughan, gave him a used Stratocaster that had recently caught his eye in a local pawnshop. It was a 1965 Fender Stratocaster guitar with the original pickups that, from the look of it, had seen better days. Although it began life as a three-color sunburst model, it had obviously been refinished (none too expertly) at some point, and now it had a dark natural finish bearing an elaborate inlay in the body behind the bridge. Nonetheless, there was something about it that clearly and immediately resonated deeply with Vaughan.

As Vaughan himself said during an interview published in the Feb. 1990 issue of Guitar Player magazine:

“It’s called ‘Lenny.’ I found it at a pawnshop and didn’t have the money to buy it, and my wife and several other friends of mine put a pool together and bought the guitar. It’s always meant a lot to me. And I love what it sounds like. ‘Riviera Paradise’ and ‘Lenny” (Texas Flood) are both played on the same guitar, and for some reason that guitar works for songs like that more than anything else.” [Guitar Player, Feb. 1990]

Seven friends with $50 each pooled their money to buy the Stratocaster and gave it to Vaughan on his birthday during a celebration at a local Austin nightclub. He was thrilled. He took the guitar home and, sometime that night, as Lenora slept, wrote a new song on it. In the morning, Lenora Vaughan remembers, “He was sitting on the edge of the bed with the guitar and said, ‘Listen to this.’” He played her the song he had written that night, “Lenny.” The song later became one of Vaughan’s most well-known instrumental pieces, and he continued to perform it exclusively on the “Lenny” guitar. Throughout the remainder of his career, the “Lenny” guitar traveled with Vaughan almost everywhere he went, and it was later autographed by baseball great Mickey Mantle during a chance meeting in Houston. On April 10, 1985, Vaughan had just performed the National Anthem at the season’s opening game for the Houston Astros where Mantle was also in attendance as a guest of honor. Without a baseball or bat nearby, Stevie offered up his beloved guitar to be touched with the magic of the American sporting legend. More information on the guitar’s journey, plus detailed images, can be found at www.fender.com.

“This guitar had very special meaning to Stevie,” said Mike Eldred, Fender Custom Division sales and marketing director. “He had it throughout his career; he took it everywhere, and during each show, he stopped, sat down on the stage, and played that song, on that guitar. It’s like he was holding on to that very special time before he was a star, and just didn’t want to let that part of his life go.”

About Guitar Center:

Guitar Center, Inc. (NASDAQ: GTRC) is the leading United States retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates more than 210 Guitar Center stores across the United States. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 95 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician’s Friend, Inc., and its catalogs and websites, including www.musiciansfriend.com, www.guitarcenter.com, www.wwbw.com and www.music123.com. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company’s web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

About Fender Musical Instruments Corporation:

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) is the world’s foremost manufacturer of guitars, amplifiers and related equipment since 1946, and its name has become synonymous with all things rock ‘n’ roll. Iconic Fender^® instruments such as the Telecaster^®, Stratocaster^®, Precision Bass^® and Jazz Bass^® guitars are known worldwide as the instruments that started the rock revolution, and they continue to be highly prized by today’s musicians and collectors. FMIC brands include Fender^®, Squier^®, Guild^®, Gretsch^®, Jackson^®, Charvel^®, SWR^®, EVH^®, Tacoma^®, Olympia^® and Brand X^®. For more information, visit www.fender.com.

Since 1987, the Fender Custom Shop has been known as a “dream factory” for guitarists and collectors throughout the world. The skilled craftsmen in Fender’s Corona, Calif., Custom Shop are known worldwide for their artistry in making guitars that range from the fine to the fantastic. Whether it’s building a new custom instrument from the ground up or modifying an existing one, Fender’s finest is the world’s finest. Fender Custom Shop instruments have been crafted for and with the input of the world’s finest players—names like Clapton, Beck, Burton, Cray, Gilmour, Townshend and Vaughan, to name just a few.

Trademarks/Service Mark: Mickey Mantle and Mickey C. Mantle, stylized, (the “Mickey Mantle Signature”), are each a trademark and/or service mark of the Mickey Charles Mantle Marital Trust II and are administered and licensed under the authority of Mantle IP Holdings, Inc. ©2007, Mickey Charles Mantle Marital Trust II and Mantle IP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

High-resolution images available upon request.

On June 27, 2007, Guitar Center entered into a merger agreement with affiliates of Bain Capital which called for Guitar Center stockholders to receive $63.00 in cash, without interest, for each share of Guitar Center common stock held. The transaction was approved by Guitar Center’s stockholders on September 18, 2007. The total transaction is valued at approximately $2.1 billion, including the assumption of debt.

As a result of this transaction, Guitar Center’s common stock will cease to trade on Nasdaq at market close today, October 9, 2007, and will thereafter be delisted.

Stockholders who hold shares of Guitar Center’s common stock through a bank or broker will not have to take any action to have their shares converted into cash, since these conversions will be handled by the bank or broker. As soon as practicable, Mellon Investor Services, LLC, the paying agent appointed for the transaction, will send information to all Guitar Center stockholders of record, explaining how they can surrender their shares of Guitar Center common stock in exchange for $63.00 per share in cash, without interest. Stockholders of record should wait to receive this information before surrendering their shares.

About Guitar Center

Guitar Center is the leading United States retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates more than 210 Guitar Center stores across the United States. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 95 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician’s Friend, Inc., and its catalogs and websites, including www.musiciansfriend.com, www.guitarcenter.com, www.wwbw.com and www.music123.com. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company’s web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

About Bain Capital Partners

Bain Capital (www.baincapital.com) is a global private investment firm that manages several pools of capital including private equity, high-yield assets, mezzanine capital and public equity with approximately $50 billion in assets under management. Since its inception in 1984, Bain Capital has made private equity investments and add-on acquisitions in over 250 companies around the world, including such leading retailers and consumer companies as Toys “R” Us, Michaels Stores, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Burlington Coat Factory, Dunkin’ Brands, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Dollarama and Staples. Headquartered in Boston, Bain Capital has offices in New York, London, Munich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes statements that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. Such statements are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the transaction and the future performance of Guitar Center. These statements are based on the current expectations of management of Guitar Center. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this document. For example, among other things, the transaction could disrupt current plans and operations and cause potential difficulties in employee retention, adversely effect Guitar Center’s ability to effectively manage business growth; result in changes in the acceptance of Guitar Center’s products by consumers and changes in relationships with consumers and suppliers, and adversely effect acceptance of new programs and products by consumers and suppliers. Guitar Center’s business may also be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Additional factors that may affect the future results of Guitar Center are set forth in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Unless required by law, Guitar Center undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

“Clapton is God” was my first lesson in music history” states Rinkya CEO Heather Russell. “My mother wrote that for Rolling Stone shortly before I was born. The music has changed and grown into an international phenomenon, but the guitar has remained a constant in an international pantheon.”

MIJ- Manufactured in Japan; and CIJ -Crafted in Japan, have come to mean some of the finest guitars available. Japanese guitars, however, were and are produced for the domestic market. Among both musicians and collectors, MIJ and CIJ guitars are difficult to obtain, despite their admitted quality and desirability. Rinkya, the Japan auction and on-line shopping service, has set out to rectify this by bringing the Japanese guitar market to the world.

From the older, collector-oriented models to the new models for musicians, Rinkya provides a worldwide audience of guitar buyers with the best services available to secure MIJ and CIJ guitars.

As part of Rinkya’s ongoing commitment to bringing the culture of Japan to the rest of the world, Rinkya will be the international home base for the auction of Japanese superstar Olivia’s custom Roswell Rhoads Jackson guitar beginning October 28 on Yahoo Japan to support the Pacific Media Expo which will be held November 9-11 at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport. All auction proceeds will be used to create a special fund for the purpose of benefiting aspiring Asian and Asian-American artists. Foreign bidders can use Rinkya to view and bid on the auction. There is no minimum bid, and Rinkya will be charging NO fees to bid on the auction. Worldwide shipping is available and will be paid by the buyer, mailing insurance required, PayPal or check accepted up to ten days after auction closes.

“It was, at least in part, music that influenced my creation of Rinkya,” says Heather. “What a lot of people didn’t think made sense made a lot of sense to me when I was growing up.
I know you, you know me
One thing I can tell you is you got to be free
Come together right now over me.
-The Beatles

We need to know each other, and come together. One of the best ways to do that is to share our creations, as people and as a society. That’s what Rinkya does and why we support the Pacific Media Expo, see you there.”
Rinkya Inc is a leading service provider for Japan auctions, stores, and specialty websites. The company’s U.S.A. headquarters are based in Tempe, Arizona, with offices and two large warehouses located in Tokyo for customers’ inventory.

For Further Information Visit : www.rinkya.com
Contact:
Elaine Gross,
Rinkya Inc.,
elaine@rinkya.com

Bill Wright, who has been teaching for more than 22 year’s attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has performed with Buddy Miles and has studied privately with Dave Larue, Bucky Pizzarelli and Eddie Hazell.

Currently, he performs with several groups from his jazz trio, Flying Home, which performs at Ellias’ Restaurant, to a 16-piece jazz big band, The Jazz Players Anonymous, which can be heard at the Mohawk House.

In addition, Wright will appear June 10 at the Stanhope House with Guitarmageddon, an ensemble performing the music of Cream, Hendrix, Rolling Stones and other blues and rock classics. 

Press Release 

Bill Wright’s Guitar Studio Now Accepting Guitar, Bass, Drum, Keyboard, Vocal and Ukulele Students for the Fall 2007 Semester

Are you ready to play better Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals and Ukulele?

Sparta, NJ, September 06, 2007 — Are you ready to really learn how to play your favorite musical instrument?

The instructors at Bill Wright’s Guitar Studio are real musicians who are ready to help you or your child achieve real results.

Bill Wright’s Guitar Studio now offers professional music instruction for Guitar, Bass, Piano, Drums, Ukulele, Vocals, and other popular instruments in a fun and comfortable environment.

Thier experienced instructors will work with you one on one to learn to play the type of music you love. Whether you want to study Rock, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Country, Bluegrass, Classical or Heavy Metal, they have you covered. Bill Wright’s welcomes students of all ages and playing ability.

Why Choose Bill Wright’s Guitar Studio?

-professional college trained instructors
-students are able to choose from Pop, Jazz, Blues, Country, Rock, Classical or Heavy Metal
-largest most comfortable lesson rooms around
-family discounts
-convenient location with ample parking
-large comfortable waiting room
-private lessons to ensure students learn in the manner best suited for them
-choice of more than 1 teacher to fit your child’s personality and learning style
-instruction available for children as young as 5 years old and adults of all ages
-ability to schedule 2 or more family members at the same time to avoid hours of waiting
-rock band ensemble sessions

The instructors at Bill Wright’s Guitar Studio have spent thousands of hours perfecting their craft and can help kick start your playing and keep you on the path of becoming a great musician. The only shortcut to becoming a great musician is to study with one.

Contact Information
Bill Wright’s Guitar Studio
Bill Wright
973-729-7900
blueslanding[at]aol.com
www.billwrightmusic.com

Approximately 99.6% of shares present and voting at the meeting voted for approval of the merger agreement. Approximately 75.3% of the total number of shares outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting voted for approval of the merger agreement. Approval of the merger required the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares outstanding.

Under the terms of the merger agreement, Guitar Center stockholders will receive $63.00 in cash, without interest, for each share of Guitar Center common stock they hold at the effective time of the merger. The transaction is currently scheduled to close in October 2007, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to closing set forth in the merger agreement.

About Guitar Center

Guitar Center is the leading United States retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards and pro-audio and recording equipment. Our retail store subsidiary presently operates more than 210 Guitar Center stores across the United States. In addition, our Music & Arts division operates more than 95 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students. We are also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the United States through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician’s Friend, Inc., and its catalogs and websites, including www.musiciansfriend.com, www.guitarcenter.com, www.wwbw.com and www.music123.com. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company’s web site at www.guitarcenter.com.

About Bain Capital Partners

Bain Capital (www.baincapital.com) is a global private investment firm. Since its inception in 1984, Bain Capital has made private equity investments and add-on acquisitions in over 240 companies around the world, including such leading retailers and consumer companies as Toys “R” Us, Michaels Stores, Burger King, Warner Music Group, Burlington Coat Factory, Dunkin’ Brands, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Dollarama and Staples. Headquartered in Boston, Bain Capital has offices in New York, London, Munich, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo.

Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes statements that do not directly or exclusively relate to historical facts. Such statements are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the anticipated completion of the transaction. These statements are based on the current expectations of management of Guitar Center. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this document. For example, among other things, (1) conditions to the closing of the transaction may not be satisfied; (2) the transaction may involve unexpected costs, unexpected liabilities or unexpected delays; (3) the businesses of Guitar Center may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the transaction; (4) the financing required for Bain Capital to complete the transaction may be delayed or may not be available; and (5) Guitar Center may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors that could cause the transaction to be delayed or not completed. Additional factors that may affect the future results of Guitar Center are set forth in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Unless required by law, Guitar Center undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.