Author Archive for Marc Johnson
Marc published his first novel Becoming in 2010. It’s a kick-ass book with monsters and dreams and stuff, and you should buy it. Since then, he’s written thousands of articles for TheToneKing.com, many of which have been picked up for circulation by manufacturers and other news outlets. His next book, Drugs and Pancakes, should be available early 2014 if his alcoholic editor can find time to work on it in-between destroying his liver and screaming about punctuation. He graduated from Roosevelt University with honors, which means that he’s not as dumb as he looks. He’s been playing guitar for over 25 years, which is almost twice as long as most of his students have been alive.
30 Pedals in 30 Days: Amptweaker Tight Metal Pro
James Brown is a hit man, a killer in our industry. Whenever somebody wants something done right, they call him .For 30 Pedals in 30 Days TheToneKing.com had a chance to check out Amptweaker’s Tight Metal Pro to find out why James Brown is on everybody’s speed dial.
20 Years of Good Times: TheToneKing.com Talks With Pat Davey From Goodtime Music
Twenty years is a long time. It’s especially long for an independent guitar shop. While many other shops have come and gone, Goodtime Music has weathered recessions, big box guitar chains, and the death of one of its founders to keep its doors open for two decades.
Get On Board: TTK’s Top 5 Pedalboards
Chaos is a gig without a pedalboard. Nothing says amateur more than plugging in ten different pedals at the beginning of every night only to unplug them before packing them away after the show.
The New World: Dean Z Goes E-Commerce With Dean Zelinsky Private Label
The concept is simple. If you want a guitar from Dean Zelinsky, you buy one directly from Dean Zelinsky. Save money, sure. But is this good for the industry?
Winter is Here: Seymour Duncan’s Most Metal Pickup Ever?
Find out what “Ubiquitous” means and why Seymour Duncan pickups are that in the latest article at TheToneKing.com
What’s Your Function? TheToneKing.com Talks with Holeyboard Creator Chris Trifilio About Making Better Pedalboards for Gigging Musicians
Looking at a guitarist’s pedalboard is like looking directly into his or her brain. That’s the thinking behind the Holeyboard, a pedalboard that lets players change their pedal order/combinations on the fly with no messy adhesives or hard to maneuver Velcro.
Cleartone Monster Heavy Series Strings
Finally, a coated string that’ll let you shred without shredding your strings.
Outlaw Star: BC Rich Releases the Outlaw Series 6-, 7-, and 8-String
The BC Rich Outlaw series is a surprisingly classic looking guitar from the masters of metal beasts.
In Memoriam: Jeff Hanneman 1964 – 2013
Jeff Hanneman, guitarist and founding member of Slayer, died of liver failure at 11 am Thursday morning. He was 49. The band’s website released the following statement: Slayer is devastated to inform that their bandmate and brother, Jeff Hanneman, passed away at about 11AM this morning near his Southern California […]
On the Road: Paul Reed Smith Stops Visits Mom and Pop Stores to Demo PRS Amp Line
After returning home from working NAMM 2013 for TheToneKing.com, I had an interesting conversation with my boss at Goodtime Music in Streamwood Illinois: “Paul is coming to the shop in a couple of weeks.” “Who the hell is Paul guy, and why the hell should I care?” “Paul Reed Smith, and you should care because […]
