It's 1950, and Fender's first solid-body guitar, the Esquire, is the laughingstock of the music industry. To guitar makers used to elegantly made hollow-body guitars, Fender's thin, simple plank of solid wood is a joke. But its bright, powerful sound and lack of feedback make it a hit with guitar players.
Gibson's ambitious young president, Ted McCarty, kno ... Show More
Aug 2019
Business Battles | Monster vs Beats by Dre | 1
<p>With all the hype around portable and smart speakers, it’s easy to forget that they didn’t always exist. In fact, it took one fateful meeting with Monster Cables and Interscope Records to really kick the industry off. In this one-episode Business Battle, we explore the time wh ... Show More
26m 16s
Sep 2021
Louder! How the electric guitar conquered popular music
Whether it be a kerrang, a chop, a blistering solo, some finger picking or a subtle flange, the electric guitar is one of the defining sounds of the 20th century. Without it – and its constant companion, the amplifier - popular culture would be unrecognisable today: no big gigs, ... Show More
39m 39s
Jan 2024
Modern Guitar Heroes: The Men
What is a guitar hero?...yes, yes, it’s a video game that vaguely simulates playing a real guitar…what else?...
Yes, yes, it means someone who can rock the “expert level” at guitar hero, the video game…but before that, it meant something totally different…
A guitar hero was a guy ... Show More
27m 51s
Dec 2023
How are electric guitars made?
<p>How are electric guitars made? How are guitar strings made? And how, exactly, do guitars work? We’re answering questions about electric guitars with local luthier (guitarmaker) Lea in Burlington, Vermont. Creston gave us a tour of his studio–including his custom glitter room, ... Show More
24m 31s
Apr 2015
Guitar Month
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;">For National Guitar Month, a show featuring great guitarists from the 1920s through the 1950s. Guitarists include: George Barnes, Charlie Christian, Eddie Lang, Lonnie Johnson, George van Eps, Alvino Ray, Frank Ferera, Django Reinhardt, Les Paul ... Show More
51m 40s