Satriani's new album Unstoppable
Momentum due out May 7, 2013.

With a new album on the way and Chickenfoot currently on hiatus pending their next move, it seems Joe Satriani has been doing a little spring cleaning – he's clearing out over 65 items from his private collection including Gibson Custom Shop gear.

Satriani has called in Bananas At Large in San Rafael, California to help him sell some personal musical instruments, studio equipment and live gear.

Bananas At Large has previously hosted private sales for Journey, Neal Schon, Santana, Doobie Brothers, Metallica, Grateful Dead, and many others.

Doors open on the sale after-hours on Wednesday March 27 at 7pm, with online sales beginning at 7:30pm. Expect to see electric and acoustic guitars, amps, effects and recording equipment from brands including Ibanez, Marshall, Fender, Gibson Custom Shop, Peavey, Mesa Boogie, Freedman, Sexauer, Dr. Z, Wizard and more. Items start from as low as $50.

Satriani's next album is Unstoppable Momentum, ...

How’s it going, audiophiles?! Earlier this week, we took a look at one of the most highly touted wah-wah pedals out on the market – the Budda Budwah – and to say the least, it did not disappoint! With its seamless construction and excellent tone, the Budwah definitely lived up to its high expectations. You should check out our official review if you haven’t caught that yet. And yet, what makes it all the more remarkable is that the Budwah is Budda’s first foray into the stompbox market. Instead, the company built its name and success over 15 years through their equally impressive amplifier lineup – hand built boutique models that were at one point a very rare find.  They have certainly come a long way since their start in the underground market. Today, want to take the time to introduce you guy out there to a few of their top amplifiers including heads, cabinets and combos. Let’s get started!

The Heads

Sure, they all look the same, but packed inside each is progressive power!

(From lef...

Happy Thursday, music fans! Thanksgiving is right around the corner and Christmas not far behind – not to mention Chanukah and the rest of the winter holidays – so, what does this all mean? Gifts! That’s right, this is that time of year where we all dig deep into our wallets towards gifts for all of the important people in our lives but before you go and wait eight hours in line for a $100 42-inch TV this upcoming Black Friday, why not get a little something for yourself? And why not? There’s no better time to get yourself a little something than right now. And with that said, we here at PAL are getting into the holiday spirit and extending that feeling towards tons of our inventory! And to help out all of you musicians out there in the need of some extra gear in their lives we have put together an extensive list of loads of different products – all under one hundred bucks!

We have everything from effects pedals to tuners to gig bags and plenty more where that came from so if you have ...

Avalon U5 Direct Input Preamp

When you really think about it, music can be described similarly to other forms of art that specifically require a mix of skill, tools and imagination. And while I’m certain there are plenty of better analogies out there than the following, imagine constructing the perfect tone and tune akin to that of a painter working on a canvas; both have their share of tools needed for the job, need a certain degree of know-how in their respective fields and both are only seemingly limited by their creativity as there is no truly wrong way to create art. Sure, sometimes we can all agree that a certain song or painting just plain sucks and definitely deserves having that whole ‘no wrong way’ idea with a few exceptions added to it – but I digress.  Anyways – while we’re still on the music is like painting setup – both musicians and painters can benefit from having some pretty good tools in their corner and although the tool itself is very important, exactly how and when...

As any normal music fan, we sometimes aren’t satisfied with simply the songs when it comes to our favorite bands. Some of us want to know their back story, some of us want to know who they’re dating, and some of us even want to know their favorite food! While some fans are simply casual and other are downright fanatical, musicians are a different breed of fans, more like brothers in arms actually. Rather than wanting to know things that have little to do with music and more to do with the trivial personal matters in the artist’s life, musicians want the gear info! And why not? It’s a chance to look at the tools in their repertoire, compare it with themselves, or even just gain a deeper sense of what makes the band work. So, for all you musicians and fans of a little band from Sheffield, England, this week’s Artist Gear story will feature one of the most exciting bands in rock today, the Arctic Monkeys!

The Beginning of the Arctic Monkeys

 

The beginning of the band can be traced back to ...

A bittersweet moment in the world of rock and roll so soon this year as a bevy of artists will be coming together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the advent of the Marshall amplifier on the heels of the death of legendary founder and “father of loud,” Jim Marshall.

The event will take place later this year at London’s Wembley Arena on September 22 and will feature plenty of guitar gods known for their love of “THE” amp. “50 Years of Loud…And Live” is set to crank it up to 11 with the likes of Zakk Wylde, Billy Duffy, Paul Gilbert, Yngwie Malmsteen, Corey Taylor, Joe Satriani and Nicko McBrian, with plenty more to be announced.

Jim Marshall created his first amp back in 1962 when he was commissioned by a young Pete Townshend to fashion him an amp with more power and better gain control. Although Marshall was just the owner of a music shop and a drum teacher at the time, he used his extensive knowledge of electronics along with help from his shop repair man, as well as former EMI elec...

Jim Marshall (July 29, 1923 – April 5, 2012)

Early in the day on Thursday, April 5, 2012, Jim Marshall passed away from complications due to cancer. Known as the man behind “THE” amp and the “father of loud,” Marshall leaves behind an unbound legacy and thousands of loyal musicians. In order to celebrate the life of one of the most important innovators in rock and roll history, we here at PAL would like to take a look back at the history of the man and the company that would forever change the sound of rock.

The Early Years

James Charles Marshall was born in Acton, West London on July 29, 1923 to a family which included boxers and music hall performers. During his youth, Marshall suffered from tuberculosis of the bones, a potentially fatal bacterial infection of the spongy bone tissue which inevitably caused his exemption from World War II due to poor health. With a great portion of the men drafted for the war effort, Marshall found a job as a singer and eventually doubled as a drummer a...