The Guitar Show

Upfront with rock's loudest, oldest schoolboy: AC/DC's Angus Young. In a rare interview, Angus shows us how to play big when you are only little, explains his love affair with Gibson SG's, especially the red ones, and we catch the band live at Donnington. Duke Robillard, the jazz-blues master talks about his very first guitar…he lied to his Daddy and it won second prize at the State Fair. Steve Morse, guitar legend… Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs…sits down and shows us his picking tricks, and when this man moves fast, lightning looks slow. Tony Joe White, the laid-back King of Swamp Rock, takes us back to the day Elvis met Polk Salad Annie and it all came embarrassingly undone. Bob Brozman, the wildly enthusiastic King of the National Guitar, puts aside the steel to slide on a 1930's wooden Hawaiian Kona….if they play the blues in Paradise, this is what it would sound like.

Upfront with Bon Jovi's very relaxed Richie Sambora. This interview was a first for Richie…he just kicks back, plays; talks about influences, plays; talks about guitars, plays; talks about life, plays. It reveals a side rarely seen, he said afterwards that it was the only interview he'd ever done where he wasn't asked dumb questions about his wife…. Although he does tell what she gave him for his birthday. We go Sliding Around with three of the masters of the slide guitar. Ben Harper on his 1930's bakelite Rickenbacker, the master of the sneaky slide Will Ray, and the wild man of slide Bob Brozman on his battered 1930's National. Tommy Emmanuel takes us on a trip with what he calls Tom's Thumb… it's a boom chick, very quick lesson in how to set up great rhythm on an acoustic guitar. And catch Jeff Beck's stripped back, studio-stopping performance of Nadia.

Upfront with guitar legend Steve Morse. He of Deep Purple and Dixie Dregs and the Steve Morse band fame….and winner of so many Guitarist of the Year prizes, that Guitar Magazine asked him to stand aside. For all of this, Steve Morse has a simple passion for playing. …indeed the problem in this interview is stopping him Buddy Miller, alternative country's Guitarist of The Year and backbone of Emmylou Harris's current band, answers that question that seems to have clogged up websites everywhere, … just what is that guitar he plays? (It's a Davoli!) and where did he find it? (In a pawn shop). Respected producer, Peter Blyton hands out some very handy tips on how to get the most out a recording session. Recorded at Sydney's world famous Studios 301. Slava Gregoryan, the brilliant classical player, takes us into the fascinating world of his right hand ….and takes the art of the manicure to new heights….some players reinforce their nails with superglue… Slava is a hardware store boy, and boy can he play.

Upfront with Ben Harper, the hottest lap steel player going….and watch him go! Ben talks about his roots, he plays his "dressing room" 1930's bakelite Rickenbacker, and we catch him live in concert, although not with his trademark Weissenborns... it seems that Mr Harper plays with such intensity that they began to shake apart. Fresh from his recent adventures with live recording, Eric Johnson, Guitar Player magazine's 5 times Best Overall Guitarist, reveals an amazing turnaround….why has he gone from gear freak to Mr Simplicity?, and what has it done to his playing? Australian studio superstar Rod McCormack gives us on slow look at the quick business of "Chicken Pickin'" And Steve Jackson, from Jackson's Rare Guitars rolls back the history of the rare Gibson J35. Turn up a guitar like this and you could swap it for a car, especially if the paint job is perfect. Then Richie Sambora intros one of his favourites and one of the all-time great performances…Jimi Hendrix and All Along The Watchtower.

Upfront with the very laid-back Taj Mahal. Taj takes us back down to his roots and blues past, strums some old Carolina tunes, talks a little fishing, floats out the coolest version of Take This Hammer, and opens the whole musical encyclopaedia that has been his life. Martin Taylor, the English Jazz maestro gives up the secrets of his incredible sound; a sound that has taken him through the world's most important guitar collection at the Smithsonian, taken him on the road with Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, and taken him into some of the world's great concert halls. From Martin Taylor to Martin Guitars, and just what is the secret to what some regard as the world's best acoustic guitars? Find out as we take the trip inside the factory, with CF Martin IV. And catch Taj Mahal, live in concert as he and Duke Robillard rip into She Caught the Katy.

Upfront with the one of the three living Certified Guitar Players… Tommy Emmanuel. Can there be a better acoustic player than Tommy? Sit back and marvel as he pays homage to the late Chet Atkins, picks his way through some amazing music, and proves that behind one of music's all-time nice guys there really is an all-time nice guy. Go Slidin' Around with the guys from Little Feat, Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett, and check out the amazing style of LA based studio whiz, Brett Garsed…and listen as Jeff Lang takes is through the secrets of his lyrical style. Find out the Secret of Speed with country guitar star Rod McCormack, as he takes the Orange Blossom Special up to speeds way beyond it's design capabilities… and then slows it all down again, just for us. Ever wondered why Smoke on the Water somehow sounds different when Deep Purple are in charge? Brett Garsed reveals the secrets behind Ritchie Blackmore's famous riff….and then watch as Steve Morse and Deep Purple take one of rock's classics to new heights.

Upfront with Eric Johnson, the man sometimes referred to as "The Tone Scientist"….and this is a very different Eric Johnson. Yes he still plays like the man that won 5 Guitar Player of the Year awards, but the emphasis has changed somewhat. Eric Johnson was part of G3, with Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, and he once played surrounded by towers of technology… these days he is doing it stripped right back, leaving his extraordinary playing out there for all to enjoy. Tony Joe White comes on all swampy to take us through the secrets of his laid-back bayou groove. With a right hand that is smoother than snakeskin and one of music's most distinctive voices Tony Joe, with his battered old Strat, reveals just what it is that makes the 'Polk Salad Annie' sound. And Bob Brozman takes us on a lap-slide trip to Hawaii with the amazing 1930's wooden Kona guitar… never has Hawaii sounded like this. To take us out… BB King and Eric Johnson rip into Every Day I Have the Blues.

Upfront with the amazing English jazz player Martin Taylor. What is it about this man that that allows him to play concert halls as a solo artist and rock gigs with Bill Wyman's band? And can there be a player with greater dexterity or indeed a more cheerful approach to guitar? Martin Taylor is one of the greats of modern jazz, a mesmerizing player whose melodic style makes for great listening. Meet the real Roy Rogers! Yep, this Roy rocks! Better known as the producer of John Lee Hooker's The Healer, Roy takes a ¾ size Martin with a De Armond pickup, and plays the hell out of it. Get all wired up as Tommy Emmanuel shows us how to mic up an acoustic guitar for a great recording sound. You'll be amazed at the results…of course it does help if you can play like Tommy! Remember the "Nocaster"? If you have one in the attic, then you are rich!. Steve Jackson, from Jackson's Rare Guitars, hands out the pointers on what to look for in early Broadcasters. His 1950 original Fender Broadcaster, in Butterscotch, will have you green with envy. And to take us out, the late John Lee Hooker, with an all-star band live in concert.

Upfront with Duke Robillard, the man that BB King called "one of the great guitar players". Multiple W C Handy award winner, Duke talks about his unusual start in music, his influences and his elevation to what one magazine called "blues-rock royalty". What is the secret to that amazing AC/DC sound? Pretty simple! But when Angus Young talks Tone Control, it is time to listen. It is difficult to believe that Angus, chatting quietly with his SG on his lap, is the kind of guy who could bring whole stadiums to their feet….somehow you get the feeling it's something more than just electricity. And staying electric, session guitar ace and songwriter, Rod McCormack, unravels the secrets of electric flatpicking. It's amazing to watch as he slows it all down and then lets rip. Looks simple, probably is! ….. but then you know what they say about practice! And to take us out, Stevie Ray Vaughan with a spine tingling live performance of "Texas Flood".

Upfront with the master of swamp rock Tony Joe White. This is Tony Joe at his laid back best. He talks about his roots and early influences, his love of the groove, and what makes up the swamp sound. There's some exclusive concert footage from Byron Bay in 2001, one out with his drummer Boom Boom. But most of all there's Tony Joe and that voice which must have come from a molasses barrel… if he there was any more swamp in this man, he'd have scales! Giant Steps are what he has taken …... since Andy Summers left the Police and went back to his jazz and blues roots his audiences may be very different, but musically he has grown. Catch up with one of rock's more intriguing crossover artists. If you've got rhythm, rhythm guitar that is, then producer extraordinaire Peter Blyton has all the tips on how to record it. To take us out, the legendary Carlos Santana performs Corazon Espinado from his brilliant "Supernatural" album.

Upfront with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue of the Hellecasters. Individually they have been everywhere, together they are a bit like music's odd couple… until you hear them play. Will Ray is the master of (indeed the inventor of) the stealth slide and Jerry is the "bend master of the Telecaster"…so much so that Guitar Shop magazine called him a "freak of nature". So combine Will's mastery of the hipshot B bender and with Jerry's mind-bending string bending…and you get an interview that is pretty well bent! Normally he slings a 6 string Martin, but in this interview Roy Rogers ( not the cowboy one!) takes us on a guided tour of a fabulous 12 string 1930's Dobro….and can he play it! This is one of those beautiful instruments that sounds great, looks good enough to eat. Tommy Emmanuel is a master of guitar tones - acoustic and electric …. and to see him with a Telecaster in hand and a guitar boogie on his mind, is really something special. And perhaps, after spending some time watching Tommy in this Tone Control segment, the rest of us may have the chance to sound like him. In the 1960's, The Byrds changed the way rock music sounded. Mr Tambourine Man, became a smash hit for Mr Roger McGuinn and his 12 string Rickenbacker. It was the result of serendipity - a meeting of Bach, The Beatles and The Byrds. And to take us out….has there ever been a better version of Mustang Sally than this one by Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy?

Upfront with Little Feat's Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett, two guys who still get a huge charge out of just sitting down and playing together. After all, they're the guitar heart of the band that brought us "Dixie Chicken" and "Sailing Shoes". Paul, along with the great Lowell George, established the clean, lean Stratocaster slide guitar sound as the calling card of Feat's musical "salad bowl" as he calls it. Fred Tackett has recorded with everyone from A for Allman Brothers to W for Jimmy Webb, as well as Bob Dylan, Rita Coolidge, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger, Rickie Lee Jones, Rod Stewart and Bonnie Raitt in between! He and Paul play and slide their way through the history of one of America's great rock bands. Slava Gregoryan plays with classical guitar with effortless virtuosity….perhaps because his early training came from his violinist dad. Something must have been right, because Slava became the youngest ever finalist at the Tokyo International Guitar Competition. The New York Times called him "a singular talent". He has a mesmeric left hand, a hip pocket full of talent and the kind of attitude that could shake up anyone's preconception of classical players. Own an acoustic guitar? Gave up and put it back in its box? Well, Rod McCormack, the studio guitar whiz, is about to help you get it out and get it on! This is one of the simplest series of tips you will ever get… a fingerpicking technique you can use for many different styles, but with no guarantee that it will you into Rod's band until you've practiced it well! And to take us out, Jack Bruce tells us about the writing of a true rock guitar classic .… original Cream meets more recent Eric Clapton live, as we segue from Sunshine of Your Love to Sunshine of Your Love.

Upfront with the King of the National guitar, Bob Brozman. This guy is the Groucho Marx of everything that slides, except he is much quicker than Groucho. On his serious side, Bob has been almost single-handedly responsible for the rebirth of the National steel guitar. He would describe himself as an "artist, anarchist, anthropologist and ethnomusicologist", we say if its blues or Hawaiian, Indian or Okinawan, for slidin' world music Bob's your man! How would you like to spend some time talking recording with Deep Purple and Dixie Dregs guitar ace Steve Morse? After winning Guitar Magazine's 'Best Overall Guitarist' five times, Steve was banned from competing to give others a chance. Now's your chance to share his studio secrets. Every now and then a really weird guitar comes along. Rarely does it come with someone who can really play it. Harry Manx has an extraordinary 20 string Mohan Veena, and an extraordinary ability to make it sound wonderful. And to take us out, we finish the first series of the Guitar Show with Joe Satriani's awesome live performance of "Flying in a Blue Dream".