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.
Superstorm Sandy and 30 Pedals in 30 Days
As most of you know, TheToneKing.com is New Jersey based. On October 29th, Hurricane Sandy started tearing up the east coast, bringing destruction along with it. While many states were effected, The Tone King’s home of New Jersey was probably hit the hardest. If anyone is interested in donating to the Red Cross relief efforts, […]
Do Backlines Matter Anymore?
Why are artists moving away from the one amp backline ? Tone or no more free gear ?
Four Reasons Why You Should Go Listen to Eye Empire Right Now!
If more people listened to Eye Empire, there would be world peace, dogs and cats would get along, and that girl that you’ve been staring at would finally go out with you. Part of the Stuck Mojo lineage that includes such bands as Sevendust and Stereomud, Eye Empire mixes vocal melody, chunky rhythms , and […]
Where’s the Brand?
When you look at players in the 80’s, few guitar brands dominated the landscape. You had Charvel, Jackson, Kramer, and ESP. That was really about it. Even the once monolithic Fender and Gibson were taking a backseat to these brands. The axes that guitarists were slinging were just as important as the guitarists themselves. Guitar […]
Internet Killed the Rock Star
Where do you find new music nowadays? Back in my day, there was this place called the Thirsty Whale. A rock bar so iconic that, even though it’s been closed since 1996, there are still websites dedicated to remembering its tobacco-stained brick walls and yellowed stucco ceiling. Hell, the guitar shop that I work at […]
Still Brutal After All These Years: Peavey Celebrates 20 Years of the 6505
20 years is a long time. There aren’t many amps out there that have managed to appeal to players for 20 years. The Peavey 6505 is one of the few that have.
Sex Sells: Women and Guitar Ads
Guitars are sexy. And manufacturers are going to do whatever they can to get you to notice how sexy their guitars are. Pair a guitar with a nice pair of legs or put it in the hands of a virtuoso, either way, that guitar is going to catch your eye. And, most of you will […]
What’s In The Box?
What Should Players Look For in a Speaker Cabinet?
Made in ???
When the new 2012 G&L Legacy Tribute models walked in the door, everybody had to stare really hard at the headstock to make sure that the guitar wasn’t a USA model. When we compared it to a USA version of the same guitar hanging on the wall, the only thing distinguishing the cherry-red Tribute from […]
You Get What You Pay For: Maxon Keeps it Quality
Maxon were the big brains behind two of the most popular pedals in history. They were the designers and builders of the original Ibanez Tube Screamers (TS808 and the TS9)
