8 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2009 www.premierguitar.com
Greetings gear-
heads and wel-
come to another
jam-packed edi-
tion of Premier
Guitar. We’re
proud to bring
you more of the
same this month… again. As ho-hum as
that may sound, keep in mind that for us,
the “same” means churning out another
gear-obsessed issue of the thickest and
best-priced guitar mag on the rack. We
go overboard… again. This time, with an
emphasis on pedals and effects.
We round up 25+ stomps for you, many of
them being reviewed for the first time here,
and take you through some DIY pedals that
are almost as fun to build as they are to
play. (Actually, one kind of kicked our ass,
but man does it sound good.) We examine
the state of the stompbox and show you
some cool add-ons that’ll pimp your board
out in style. Also, a man known to step
on a boutique pedal or two, Brad Paisley,
takes us through his equipment. The man
who first harnessed feedback, Buddy Guy,
sits down with us, too. He talks about his
career and his gear, and why there’s only
one effect on the floor when he hits the
stage. Of course, the usual suspects have
another round of gear-focused columns for
you, Hal Leonard brings us another batch
of lessons and our reviewers dig into a
smorgasbord of G.A.S.-inducing guitars,
amps, etc… again.
One thing that makes this issue different
is the fact that this is my last go-round
with these cowboys. After 15 of the best
years of my life, I’m taking a hard turn off
my current path to go another direction.
As founding publisher of this magazine,
this is a tough decision, for sure. I can
hardly begin to express my gratitude and
appreciation for what I’ve experienced
in the last decade and a half. In case you
didn’t know, this shindig started out as
Midwest Musicians Hotline in June of
1995—on a wing and a prayer. Back then
it was a 24-page newsprint publication
that was distributed to 3500 gearheads
in five Midwestern states. We’ve come a
long way, baby.
I am constantly honored and humbled by
the support that you, the readers, have
provided over the years. Many of you have
followed this publication since the very first
issue, and I’ve received notes from readers
all over the world who have read this column and felt it touched their lives in some
way. Many have been inspired to share
their own personal musical journeys with
me, whether it’s connecting to “Old Dudes
Rock” or “The Sanctuary of Soul,” or simply discovering the serenity of passing the
gift of music on to your kids—I’ve always
attempted to reinforce the importance of
sharing music, and of understanding the
unconditional happiness that playing guitar
and creating music brings into your life. It’s
been an incredibly rewarding experience
and I thank you for being a part of it.
My new day gig involves an outdoors-
focused media company called Sticks &
Stones but, as I’m sure you’ve guessed by
now, my musical journey will continue. My
passion for guitars and music flows in my
veins as it flows in yours; that journey will
be a lifelong pursuit. I am very fortunate at
my age to be able to perform 60 shows per
year, run a successful sound and produc-
tion company and look forward to what my
musical future holds.
I leave you in good hands, so you should
definitely expect ‘more of the same.’ The
brain trust that shifted this operation into
high gear as Premier Guitar since February
’07 is still in place and the editorial team
that is responsible for the articles, builder
profiles, reviews, etc. that make this
magazine what it is today is gonna keep
on keepin’ on. In fact, that team and the
rest of the Premier Guitar and Guitar Edge
staffs are expanding. That’s right—you
can expect even more from your favorite
gearhead-friendly media company. Be sure
to get acquainted with PG’s newest editor,
Gabe J. Hernandez, on the next page.
It has been my honor to work with the
members of this dedicated crew and to
have had the chance to share my passion
with you. I look forward to an exciting
rebirth, and I’ll see you all somewhere
down the road. Remember—life is short;
you can always live the Dream… again.
Nuff Sed,
Trent Salter, Publisher
TUNING UP
More of the Same
