Guitar Center is pleased to announce the next installment of Guitar Center Sessions: An Evening of Dialogue and Music with guitar legend Dick Dale. Scheduled for Thursday, March 5, 2009 at the Guitar Center in Fountain Valley, CA, the evening will focus on Dale’s historic role in the evolution of rock guitar, the secrets behind his technique, and his long-standing relationship with Fender® Musical Instruments. Presented in conjuncture with Fender® Musical Instruments and Dean Markey, the event is free and open to the public.

Watch video Dick Dale & The Del Tones “Misirlou” 1963:

Dick Dale on amazon.com

Known worldwide as the “King of the Surf Guitar,” Dick Dale will be forever known as the man behind the epic instrumental, “Miserlou.” Dale is largely credited as having “invented” surf guitar, launching an entire genre of American music. His first full-length album, ‘Surfer’s Choice’ (Deltone Records, 1962), recorded with his band The Del-Tones, led to frequent appearances in movies and on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

A pioneer known for his technical achievements, Dale introduced the modern reverb which would give the guitar a wet splashy sound along with his trademark machine-gun-style tremolo picking – both trademark elements of the California sound.

Dale also served as co-designer to Leo Fender when, after having been asked to test drive one of the first Fender® Stratocaster® guitars and some new amps and speakers, the artist blew through several dozen amps and speakers that literally caught on fire from his playing. The resulting partnership led to the creation of a super-powered line of Fender® gear, sparking a revolution in live and recorded pop music in the 50s and 60s that is still influential today.

Guitar Center’s mission is to provide aspiring musicians of every playing style and background with support-based programs that vastly improve their potential for becoming successful professional musicians. Designed to provide informative, provocative conversation and hands-on tutorials, Guitar Center Sessions serves as an incubator for musicians, providing them an opportunity to network with their peers in an intimate setting and gain career-fostering advice from their heroes. Past Guitar Center Sessions have featured music legends such as Slash, RZA, Pete Rock, Dave Mustaine and Joe Satriani. Other Guitar Center programs designed to foster up-and-coming musicians include Guitar Center’s Drum-Off, the world’s largest drum competition, and Guitar Center On-Stage, a program developed to organically scout and launch unsigned artists by providing career altering opportunities through partnerships with some of the world’s greatest artists.

Join us as the legendary Dick Dale shares experiences and insights from his distinguished career.

“All Hail Dick Dale – the original guitar hero.” – GQ Magazine, March 2009

Thursday, March 5, 2009 @ 7 pm
Guitar Center Fountain Valley
18361 Euclid St.
(714) 241-8186

Free to the public. Limited capacity.

Dick Dale Official Website

Guitar Center Sessions Official Website

Guitar Center is pleased to announce the next installment of Guitar Center Sessions: An Evening of Dialogue and Insight with Grammy nominated blues/rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Scheduled for Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at the Guitar Center in Pasadena, CA, the evening will focus on Kenny as he shares career highlights, the secrets behind his technique, songwriting, tone and talks in depth about his new Fender Signature Series Stratocaster, designed exclusively by KWS.

The evening, co-presented by Fender® Musical Instruments, is free and open to the public.

Watch Kenny Wayne Shepherd video from NAMM 2008:

Kenny Wayne Shepherd on amazon.com

Renowned blues/rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd stormed onto the music scene as a teenager with a fiery style and virtuosity seldom seen before. Since then he has had a string of No. 1 mainstream rock singles and holds the record for the longest running album on the Billboard Blues Charts with “Trouble Is….”.

Shepherd has been nominated for four Grammy awards, received two Billboard Music Awards, two Orville H. Gibson awards, the Blues Foundation’s Keeping The Blues Alive Award, and a Blues Music Award among many other accolades.

He has sold millions of albums and his most recent release is a truly unique DVD/CD project entitled 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, which documents Kenny as he travels the country to jam with and interview the last of the authentic blues musicians.

Guitar Center’s mission is to provide aspiring musicians of every playing style and background with support-based programs that vastly improve their potential for becoming successful professional musicians.

Designed to provide informative, provocative conversation and hands-on tutorials, Guitar Center Sessions serves as an incubator for musicians, providing them an opportunity to network with their peers in an intimate setting and gain career-fostering advice from their heroes.

Past Guitar Center Sessions have featured music legends such as Slash, RZA, Pete Rock, Dave Mustaine and Joe Satriani. Other Guitar Center programs designed to foster up-and-coming musicians include Guitar Center’s Drum-Off (2008 winner Jerome Flood II), the world’s largest drum competition, and Guitar Center Onstage, a program developed to organically scout and launch unsigned artists by providing career altering opportunities through partnerships with some of the world’s greatest artists.

Join us as one of rock n’ roll’s true artists shares his experiences and offers insights from his celebrated and distinguished career.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 @ 7 pm
Guitar Center Pasadena
2660 E. Colorado Blvd.
(626) 535-0108

Free to the public. Limited capacity.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Official Website

Guitar Center Sessions Official Website

Guitar Center is pleased to announce the next installment of Guitar Center Sessions: An Evening of Dialogue and Insight with Joe Bonamassa.

Taking place Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at the Guitar Center in Hollywood, CA, the evening is free and open to the public. The evening will be powered in part by Gibson Guitars.

Joe Bonamassa is one of the premier blues-rock guitarist of his generation. At the early age of 12 he was already a touring pro, opening for the legendary B.B. King. Since then, Joe’s incendiary playing has earned him a loyal legion of fans and numerous albums in Billboard’s Top 10 blues chart.

Also a gifted singer and songwriter, Joe Bonamassa was named Best Blues Guitarist by Guitar Player Magazine’s readership in their annual Reader’s Choice Awards for 2008, and recently released ‘From Nowhere in Particular’, a 2-CD live album recorded during his fall 2007 U.S. tour and released on his own J&R Adventures label. The CD debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Charts.

Joe also hosts “Daily Cup Of Joe” as well, a Monday-Friday show on Sirius Satellite Radio’s Blues Channel 74 that airs from 12-12:15 PM (ET).

Designed to provide informative, provocative conversation and hands-on tutorials, Guitar Center Sessions serves as an incubator for musicians, providing them an opportunity to network with their peers in an intimate setting and gain career-fostering advice from their heroes.

Join us for a very special in-store event as Joe shares tips, techniques and experiences, talks about his signature Gibson Les Paul, and lays down some seriously soulful licks.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 @ 7 pm
Guitar Center Hollywood
7425 Sunset Blvd.
(323) 874-1060

Free to the public. Limited capacity.

Guitar Center Sessions
Guitar Center

Joe Bonamassa Official Website