Guitar Villains
21 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 166 ratingsWelcome to Guitar Villains! I'm your host, Tyler Larson. Why Guitar Villains? Because villains are cooler than heroes, it’s just a fact. This is a podcast by guitar players for guitar players and over the course of this series we’ll talk to some of the most creative and innovative minds in the community about how they’ve achieved the things they have on the instrument and how you can become a better player yourself.
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Episodes
I Got Paul Reed Smith to Play THE FORBIDDEN RIFF
August 05, 2021 12:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the guitar luthier Paul Reed Smith. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler10 for a great deal: https://bit.ly/ShopAMERICANMUSICALdotCOM Sign up for the PRS Music School Part of ticket proceeds go to Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. Guitars given away to random students 8/9, international included. 0:00 - Introduction 4:15 - Paul’s supervillain alter-ego 11:20 - Burning Questions 14:30 - The YouTube effect...
St. Vincent Doesn't Need a Berklee Degree to Win Grammys or Shred Guitar
July 05, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 41.8 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the St. Vincent guitar sorceress, Annie Clark. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler9 for a great deal. https://bit.ly/SaveOnGear 0:00 - Introduction 1:40 - Annie's opinion about Berklee and music college in general 4:15 - The REAL origin of the name ‘St. Vincent’ 7:10 - Annie’s supervillain alter-ego 11:18 - Burning Questions 17”07 - Name Those Notes 17:40 - Perfect pitch versus relative pitch 19:50 - Annie’s...
Kyle Gass on the Best Tenacious D song, Tom Morello's "gimmick" & if Rock is Dead
June 18, 2021 12:00 - 44 minutes - 30.3 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the Tenacious D 6-string maestro, Kyle Gass. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler8 for a great deal. http://bit.ly/PickOfSavingsHere 0:00 - Introduction 2:55 - Kyle’s supervillain alter-ego 4:25 - Burning Questions 8:50 - Kyle’s thoughts on Tom Morello 13:20 - Name Those Notes 14:16 - Kyle’s recorder-playing prowess 15:45 - The beauty of 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures 17:30 - Kyle’s best songwriting tip 18:35 - ...
Lari Basilio on Bending the G String the "Wrong" Way and the 'Ibanez Generation'
June 10, 2021 15:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the instantly recognizable Lari Basilio. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler7 for a great deal on your next purchase! http://bit.ly/GearSavingsStartHere Lari's guest solo on "Reverie" Follow Lari on YouTube Follow Lari on Instagram 0:00 - Introduction 3:40 - Lari’s supervillain alter-ego 6:40 - Burning Questions 8:34 - Name Those Notes 9:35 - What does it take to be successful in the studio? 13:04 - How doe...
Mark Lettieri on the Art of Baritone Guitar and Perfect Rhythm
May 28, 2021 13:00 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the funk master Mark Lettieri. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler6 for a great deal. http://bit.ly/SaveOnGearNow 0:00 - Introduction 3:15 - Collecting lanyards is an addiction 4:20 - Mark’s guitar villain alter-ego 8:27 - Burning Questions 10:30 - Name Those Notes 11:43 - Gospel moves on guitar 14:20 - Chord solos with melodic development 16:45 - When you know a guitarist by one note 18:45 - The art of bari...
Zakk Wylde Says Who the Best Guitarist is and the Two Schools of Guitar Soloing
May 10, 2021 12:00 - 51 minutes - 35.4 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the almighty Zakk Wylde. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler5 to save on your next purchase! http://bit.ly/SaveOnGearHere 0:00 - Introduction 3:00 - Who is the best guitarist? 5:31 - Zakk’s supervillain alter-ego 7:35 - Burning Questions 14:45 - How Zakk developed his guitar tone 22:00 - Name Those Notes 22:45 - The sacred history of the No More Tears guitar solo 24:10 - The two schools of guitar soloing 26...
Paul Gilbert Rants About Guitar and Melts My Face
April 22, 2021 16:00 - 1 hour - 58.7 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the guitar monster himself, Paul Gilbert. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler4 to save on your next purchase! http://bit.ly/AMSdeals 0:00 - Introduction 4:40 - Vocal melodies on guitar 7:55 - Paul Gilbert’s supervillain alter-ego 13:20 - Burning Questions 14:50 - Paul’s DIY Ibanez Roadstar RS-525 21:54 - Name Those Notes 23:17 - The history of Technical Difficulties by Racer X 27:55 - The “Paul Gilb...
Andy Timmons Grabbed Steve Vai's Guitar From Him mid-Song
April 01, 2021 12:00 - 1 hour - 43 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the unmistakable Andy Timmons. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler3 to save on your next purchase! http://bit.ly/DealsAtAMS Andy's guitar lessons Follow Andy on Instagram Join Guitar Super System today: http://guitarsupersystem.com 00:00 - Introduction 1:45 - Andy grabbed Steve Vai’s guitar from him?! 6:25 - Advice for nerves playing in front of crowds or family and friends 13:34 - The epiphany of blendin...
Yvette Young: "Guitar is a Horrible Instrument to Start On, and it's Not Good for Songwriting."
March 18, 2021 12:00 - 58 minutes - 40 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the phenomenal Yvette Young. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show. Use code Tyler2 to save on your next purchase! http://bit.ly/ShopatAmericanMusical Subscribe to Yvette Young on YouTube Follow Yvette Young on Instagram Join Guitar Super System today: http://guitarsupersystem.com 0:00 - Introduction 2:54 - The weirdest tour experience ever 11:01 - Yvette’s supervillain alter-ego 14:53 - Burning Questions 17:20 - Name...
Steve Vai Made Me a VERY Special Promise
March 01, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 50.5 MBWelcome to Season 2 of Guitar Villains! Today's guest is the incomparable Steve Vai. Thanks to American Musical Supply for sponsoring the show: Use code Tyler1 to save on your next purchase: http://bit.ly/ShopatAmericanMusical Check out everything going on with Steve Vai at https://www.vai.com Join Guitar Super System today: http://guitarsupersystem.com 0:00 - Introduction 2:37 - Settling the score on Steve’s “Joint-Shifting” technique 12:36 - Steve’s greatest guitar solo 17:30 - Stev...
Herman Li on Women Crying Over DragonForce, S***-Talking Fans, & Mastering Twitch
December 16, 2020 14:00 - 59 minutes - 40.8 MBToday’s guitar villain is Herman Li. A blistering shred god heading up the Grammy-nomninated metal band Dragonforce, Herman is so good he sometimes sounds like a video game with his extremely creative and acrobatic licks, which makes sense, because THROUGH THE FIRE AND FLAMES might be the most famous video game song in the world thanks to its Guitar Hero lore. Herman has also become a major figure in the online guitar community, with his Twitch streams amassing millions of views for their fu...
Rick Graham on Killer Shred Technique, Picking Like the Wind, & Positive Adversity
December 09, 2020 18:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MBToday’s guitar villain is Rick Graham. Rick is easily one of the most humble guitar players on the planet, and you know what that means when the word humble is used to describe a guitarist: that’s right, they’re an absolute monster player. Rick can play things most people would think is impossible to do on a guitar, and yet his musicality is what stands out most–he’s a true maestro and an even better person, and throughout this episode you’ll understand time and again why Rick is one of the ...
Cory Wong on the Best Metallica Solo, What Musicians Overlook and Pick-hand Motors
December 02, 2020 13:00 - 52 minutes - 36.4 MBToday’s guitar villain is Cory Wong. A groove master with a pocket deeper than Warren Buffet’s, Cory is one of the leading forces in the world of funk and is an equally competent arranger, producer, and tone aficionado. From his awesome playing in the cult band that is Vulfpeck to his solo music which just featured friend of the podcast Joe Satriani, Cory has made a name for himself through his rhythmic artistry and attention to detail as a musician. Cory also has his own podcast, called Won...
Bumblefoot on Fretless Guitar 101, THAT Guns N' Roses Album, and Spooky Guitar Picks
November 18, 2020 15:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBToday’s guitar villain is Bumblefoot. The unmistakeable wall of sound behind the bands Asia, and Sons of Apollo, Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal is one of the most creative and staggeringly good guitar players you’ll find. With his trusty double neck Vigier, containing both a standard and fretless six string neck, Bumblefoot crafts riffs and licks that will make you wonder if what you’re hearing can actually come from human fingers. With an obsession for hot sauce and a powerful braided beard that wou...
Misha Mansoor on Pioneering Djent, Why Tonewood DOES Matter, and Driving 190MPH
November 11, 2020 13:00 - 54 minutes - 37.4 MBToday’s guitar villain is Misha Mansoor, a key founder of the beguiling genre of Djent and an overall machine of a guitar player. Misha is the mastermind behind the wall of sound that is the band Periphery, a signature artist of Jackson guitars and BareKnuckle pickups, the founder of the excellent Get Good Drums software, and an avid sports car enthusiast. Misha is also the founder of Horizon Devices, a company featuring some truly spectacular guitar pedals like the Apex PreAmp and Flux Echo...
Jason Richardson on Playing Guitar as Fast as Humanly Possible & Dying in Austria
November 04, 2020 13:00 - 55 minutes - 38.3 MBToday’s guitar villain is Jason Richardson, a technical master of guitar playing and an equally adept composer of complex and interesting music. If you tabbed out his guitar solos, they’d look like barcodes. If someone asks Jason, "Hey Jason, how fast?" Jason simply responds "YES". We’re gonna break the speed limit and have a great time doing it on this episode of Guitar Villains. Intro and Jason Richardson's supervillain alter-ego: Burning Questions: 7:50 The best $1,730 ever spent: 11:50...
Tommy Emmanuel on Tuning Perfection, Playing for 2.85 BILLION people, and Taking a Screwdriver to a Guitar
October 28, 2020 12:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBToday’s guitar villain is Tommy Emmanuel. One of the most musical guitar players you’ll ever hear, Tommy has been dropping the jaws of audiences for decades with this impeccable acoustic guitar playing that sounds more like an entire band than just one person. With flawless rhythm, unreal technique and a way of playing that just makes you laugh, Tommy’s musicianship is captivating in a way that will inspire you to pick up your guitar, or, maybe, just set it down and watch. Tommy’s way of exp...
Tim Henson on Hendrix Inventing Rap, Bad Instagram Guitarists, and Acid Trip Art
October 21, 2020 11:00 - 1 hour - 43.3 MBToday’s guitar villain is Tim Henson. An innovator of the guitar and a no-nonsense straight-shooter, Tim has cemented himself in the guitar world as a cutting edge riff-writer, combining elements of tapping, slapping, harmonics, and rhythmic displays second to none. Fronting his instrumental prog outfit Polyphia, Tim has produced some of the most unique and fun guitar moments to fill your eardrums with, and the only thing more refreshing than his music is his no-bullshit demeanor. You’re gon...
Joe Satriani on Telling Stories With Notes, Alien Love, and Being Bitten by Jagger
October 14, 2020 13:00 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBToday’s Guitar Villain is Joe Satriani. Known in his truest form as a literal alien, Satriani’s music can certainly transport you to various places in the universe, and after paving the way for so many guitar players after him, Satch is still the master of the six-string sonic highway we’re all driving down. With dozens of Grammy nominations and what seems like an endless catalogue of music, Joe is constantly innovating and always inspiring in the realm of guitar, and if you know me, you kno...
John Petrucci on Crying at Concerts, Perfect Guitar Tone, and His Secret 8-String
October 07, 2020 12:00 - 1 hour - 47.5 MBToday’s guitar villain is John Petrucci. A legendary riff-writer, almighty shred-lord, dedicated gym-rat. purveyor of fine bourbon, and all-around nice guy, this bearded phenom who some believe to be a wizard or even God himself is here to spill his guitar secrets. John has recently dropped on us his second solo album entitled Terminal Velocity, which we’ll dive deep inside. I’ll also be challenging the prog prince in ways he’s never been challenged before, and I am honored to have him as th...
Introducing 'Guitar Villains'
September 26, 2020 19:00 - 1 minute - 1.42 MBWelcome to Guitar Villains! I'm your host, Tyler Larson. Why Guitar Villains? Because villains are cooler than heroes, it’s just a fact. Premiering Wednesday, October 7, 'Guitar Villains' is a podcast by guitar players for guitar players and over the course of this series we’ll talk to some of the most creative and innovative minds in the community about how they’ve achieved the things they have on the instrument and how you can become a better player yourself. Season 1 of Guitar Villains fe...