No Guitar Is Safe

Simon McBride is one of the most exciting guitarists in the arena rock realm. As guitarist for Deep Purple (taking over after Steve Morse wrapped up his astounding 28-year tenure with the band in early 2022), Simon has given the British rock legends a fiery new guitar voice on everything from classic hits such as “Hush” and “Highway Star” to brand-new singles including “Arrogant Boy” and “Diablo.” In this episode I first relive the recent Canada/U.S. tour that I, as a member of Jefferson Starship, was lucky to be on with Deep Purple — my third in five years! — including playing for you a recent live recording I made of Simon’s astounding guitar cadenza in Calgary, Alberta on August 31. Then, I power up the time machine and take you back to a big backstage room at Rudolf Weber Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, to hear an encore of the great interview we did there on November 2, 2022. Catch Deep Purple on tour all over Europe starting late September!
Huge thanks to GuitarPlayer.com for making this episode happen. To play better and sound better, follow Guitar Player!
— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

Can you play the secret "Tommy Alderson chord"? (This juicy power chord is MONEY!) Are you hip to the awesomeness that is a wet/dry rig? Want insight into one of the most badass classic rock bands still touring (Deep Purple) and their two great guitarists of recent decades (Simon McBride and Steve Morse)? Well, hit play! Tommy Alderson and I have been friends since my first tour (I play with Jefferson Starship) supporting Purple all over Europe, and now, as the bands unite for their third tour (Canada and the U.S.), it is the perfect time to release two interviews/guitar hangs I have done with Tommy, Purple's great guitar tech who also happens to be a great player — as you'll hear, from his work on D Corridori's album Feed the Right Wolf and other projects. The first interview you'll hear took place just before we left for this tour; the second takes us back in time to a great guitar hang/jam/interview that took place backstage at a huge arena we played in Oberhausen, Germany, in November 2022. Enjoy, and be sure to check out GuitarPlayer.com, who made this episode possible.
—JUDE GOLD, host/creator, No Guitar Is Safe

Winning Nuno Bettencourt’s “Play With Me” challenge at the age of 14 — and catching my attention just two years later at a semi-secret guitar event in Los Angeles — RANGGA RINGROSE has a fiery brand of shred guitar that is turning heads. He even caught the ears of Mr. Paul Reed Smith, who has made the young Southern California guitar phenom an endorsing artist. Now, having reached the whopping age of 17, Rangga becomes the youngest player ever to be featured on No Guitar Is Safe podcast, where, as you’ll hear, he blazes on various PRS guitars for you, as I try to figure out how he became so good so fast.
Huge thanks to GuitarPlayer.com for making this episode happen. To play better and sound better, follow Guitar Player ... and this podcast!
— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

Two weeks ago I opened for BILLY IDOL — who, of course, was joined on stage by his forever guitarist STEVE STEVENS. This was a fun outdoor concert at the Lakefront Music Festival in Minnesota. It was great to say hi to Steve backstage for a minute, and super inspiring to watch him dazzle the the crowd with his great guitar playing — so inspiring, in fact, that I figured we ought to revisit this epic guitar hang from the summer of 2016 at his then-Los Angeles studio, where he plugged in, played his ass off, and showed us how he and Billy Idol forged one of the greatest singer/guitar player partnerships in rock history. Enjoy!
—Jude Gold, Host and Creator, No Guitar Is Safe
PRESENTED BY GUITAR PLAYER. guitar player.com

KIRK FLETCHER ’s dedication to all things blues related is infectious. He’s so great at playing blues guitar, I swear, just LISTENING to him play can make you a better blues player yourself. And, luckily for you, he plays a ton of guitar for you on this new interview. (Bonus: As you’ll hear in the middle of the episode, we DO revisit the juicy blues shuffles he showed us during his first appearance on No Guitar Is Safe several years ago.) Huge thanks to GuitarPlayer.com for making this episode happen. To play better and sound better, follow Guitar Player.
— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

Let’s flashback to 2018, in the weeks after ELLIOT EASTON and THE CARS were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and we recorded this guitar deep dive and career retrospective with Easton in his home studio. On this episode Elliot plugs in and shows you exactly how he created iconic guitar parts that helped the Cars score many high-charting hit albums and singles. Elliot also shares music from his band, THE EMPTY HEARTS, and reflects on what he learned tracking Cars guitar parts with super-producers such as ROY THOMAS BAKER and ROBERT JOHN "MUTT" LANGE. Presented by Guitar Player magazine and guitarplayer.com. Hosted by JUDE GOLD — who, at the beginning of this episode, shows you how he recorded the guitar solo on Jefferson Starship’s forthcoming single.

Charlie Hunter’s love of all things groove-related is infectious — and after you take in this deep guitar hang and jam with the prolific 6-, 7-, and 8-stringer (Charlie’s custom bass/guitar hybrid instruments are always evolving) you’ll likely be inspired to take the art of “lockin’ it in the pocket” to a higher level in your own playing. Additionally, we dive deep into such musical topics as melodic phrasing, why Charlie keeps his iPhone in mono audio mode, his amazing new album with Ella Feingold (called Different Strokes for Different Folks), which single rock band he feels truly knows how to groove, and which guitar player knocked him out (literally!) when he was 12 years old. I was thrilled to record this episode at Earthtones Recording Studio in Greensboro, NC, with producer/engineer Benjy Johnson at the console. Thanks to GuitarPlayer.com for making this episode happen. To play better and sound better, follow Guitar Player!
— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

From Gov’t Mule to the Allman Brothers Band to his prolific solo career, Warren Haynes has long been one of the busiest, hardest working guitarists in rock and jam band circles. In the deep guitar hang that follows, the famed guitarist/singer/songwriter plugs in a Les Paul and shares everything from how to approach Allman Brothers-style twin leads to how he learned to survive playing onstage with the late, great (and apparently very loud!) guitar legend Dickey Betts, to how to release multiple albums in just two years. Thank you, Warren. And thanks to GuitarPlayer.com for making this episode happen. Enjoy!

— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

Today, I report on a behind-the-scenes tour of the GRAMMYS I was lucky to take on Day One of artist rehearsals at Crypto Arena, relive adventures from the three JEFF BECK tribute concerts I played earlier this month, and share with you one of the most inspiring guitar performances I saw at this year's NAMM convention — PHILIP SAYCE's soul-stirring, fret-melting set in the Anaheim Hilton's cavernous lobby. In fact, Sayce was so mind-bogglingly great that night, I decided to include in this episode an ENCORE of our May, 2022, interview/jam, recorded at his home in Los Angeles. ALSO: Hope you enjoyed the Eric Gales episode, which posted last week. Today's and last week's episodes are presented by Guitar Player and guitarplayer.com

Today we “fly the ‘copter” across the country to plug in with blues/rock powerhouse ERIC GALES at Earthtones Recording — the Greensboro, North Carolina studio where guitar phenom does most of his tracking. With his second Grammy-nominated album out (2025’s A Tribute to LJK — recorded in honor of his brother Manuel “Little Jimmy King” Gales) — plus a new signature model Kiesel guitar in the works (he plays one of the prototypes on this episode), tons of 2026 tour dates on the calendar, and an in-depth guitar course from TrueFire.com just released, Eric is as busy as ever. So, I appreciate him taking some time to talk guitar and music with me, jam with me, detail his guitar approaches and musical inspirations, and dive deep into the huge topics of gratitude, redemption, and helping others. Special thanks to Benjy Johnson at Earthtones Recording for capturing this episode, GuitarPlayer.com for sponsoring, and for TrueFire for setting the whole thing up.

— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

With both a U.S. tour and a new session of Sky Academy booked for April/May, Uli Jon Roth is headed for an exciting Spring of 2026. It’s all part of his passion to reach (and help his Sky Academy students reach) new musical heights. “A great musician is always growing,” says the German-born, U.K.-based guitar hero. Indeed, Uli could have rested on his laurels as the lava-hot lead player of ’70s-era Scorpions hard rock. But, taking inspiration from the music of heroes such as Keith Jarrett, Jimi Hendrix, and Antonio Vivaldi, he has always strived for a much deeper level of artistic expression. In this exclusive visit to Sky Academy, we plug in with Uli and embark on some epic improvisational odysseys, gain insights into his hugely influential rock masterpiece “The Sails of Charon,” learn about his unique extended-neck Sky Guitars, and, best of all, learn why, as he says, “the fingers are the least important part of your sound.” Hosted by Jude Gold, this episode is brought to you by your online guitar instruction friends at TrueFire. TrueFire offers thousands of hours of guitar instruction from A-list players. For a free 30-day all-access membership (no credit card required!), click to truefire.com/safe.

Back in October of 2018, I plugged in with Rock-and-Roll-Hall-of-Famer Ace Frehley at his hotel suite in Hollywood, California. Having just re-listened to my hour with the Kiss legend, I have to say: Wow, it's a cool episode — a great hang, and one that is all the more meaningful now that the Spaceman has passed. To honor Ace's life and music, I am re-posting the episode here for you to re-enjoy. I think you'll find it's a powerful portal through time that puts you in the room with the true rock star and the true New Yorker that was Ace Frehley — the true rock legend who inspired legions of young people to pick up the electric guitar, including many who have gone on to become famous rockers themselves. Here is the show exactly as it ran seven years ago.
ORIGINAL 2018 SHOW NOTES: Founding Kiss lead guitarist ACE FREHLEY, aka "the Spaceman," has released a hard-rocking new solo album called just that — SPACEMAN. Plugging in one of his favorite ’59 reissue Les Pauls, Ace sits down with me to jam a little, as well as detail the writing and recording of Spaceman, reflect on reuniting (for two songs) with Gene Simmons, and, of course, look back on his legacy — a wild ride that spanned everything from a youth spent surviving the streets of the Bronx to adult years surviving adventures with the Hall-of-Fame rock band that made him famous. Hope you enjoy it!
—JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

A sonic thrill ride for fans of guitar music, guitar hero/composer LYLE WORKMAN’s new album — called Rhythm and Leads Guitar — is a captivating instrumental odyssey no guitarist should miss. Step into Lyle’s studio with me, and we’ll plug in some guitars with him and dive deep into his new record and much more — including his blazing solos with Bourgeois Tagg back in the ’80s; his new, custom Stan Cotey-modded EVH head; and even some cool pedalboards. And yes: Lyle is a highly accomplished film composer, so if you want to immerse yourself in that realm (including learning how he created soundtracks to hit movies such as “SuperBad” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”), be sure to go back and listen to Lyle’s FIRST appearance on this show, which was on Ep. 110 of No Guitar Is Safe (back in 2020). This episode is presented by GUITAR PLAYER and GutiarPlayer.com. Thank you, Guitar Player!

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—JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe podcast

It’s one of the most high-energy, foot-tapping, rump-shaking guitar styles you can name, and JONATHAN STOUT is the perfect player to funnel its magic straight into your ears and down to your fingertips — we’re talking swing guitar. It’s got an infectious groove nobody can ignore, and Jonathan is about to show you tons of licks and tricks, two sterling ‘30s-era Gibson L-5’S, and tell you all about Charlie Christian and other legends of big band guitar. AND GET THIS: This episode is brought to you by your friends at the amazing guitar lessons site Truefire, and if you want a 30-day all-access pass to lessons from Eric Johnson, Guthrie Trapp, Steve Vai, Robben Ford, and countless other A-list instructors, simply visit https://go.truefire.com/safe, enter the code SAFE30, and you’re IN! PLUS, you'll get a free download of TrueFire's 50 Licks Greatest Hits, Top 20 Guitar Lessons, 10 Guitar Licks You Must Know, and The Best of In The Jam! Enjoy!

— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

It’s one of the most exciting hired gun guitar stories in rock history: An up-and-coming guitarist from Alameda, CA, wakes up to a call from a person claiming to be Sharon Osbourne — a call that will launch him on the musical adventure of a lifetime. That guitarist, of course is BRAD GILLIS, and as we celebrate the tenth anniversary of No Guitar Is Safe podcast, it seems only fitting that we repost the first interview I ever did for this show — the July 2015 interview in which Brad relives his adventures with Ozzy Osbourne, Night Ranger, and other bands, and demonstrates his famous guitar parts for you on a Floyd Rose-sporting Gibson Les Paul.

(Nerd fact: Though Joe Satriani ran as Episode 1 of this show, that was actually the SECOND interview I did for the podcast. It was conducted the day after THIS interview, which ran as Episode 2.)

Don’t forget: All 188+ episodes are still up so you can (and should!) go back and dive into the archive …. And, in case you missed it, to celebrate ten years of No Guitar Is Safe I revisited Brad’s home studio and posted a entirely NEW interview/guitar hang with him last month (Ep. 187), as well as an informative followup episode with his guitar tech DARREN HURST a couple weeks later (Ep. 188). New content, old content — much to celebrate here! Thank you, listeners, for supporting No Guitar Is Safe!

— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe podcast

From PETER FRAMPTON to JOE PERRY (Aerosmith) to last week's tenth-anniversary guest, Night Ranger's BRAD GILLIS, guitar tech par excellence DARREN HURST has worked for several world-class guitar heroes, so we had go deep with the veteran guitar tech to find out his philosophies on rig design, guitar tone, and real-time gig survival — and the results are fascinating. How does Darren help Joe Perry achieve his "Dinosaurs eating cars" stage tone? Why does Brad Gillis make only one patch change per show, yet Darren makes 128?! How is Frampton's sprawling "guitar city" of rig "simple"? And we all know Night Ranger, but who the heck is "Day Ranger"? For the answers to these questions and more, just hit play. Thanks to Guitar Player and guitar player.com for making this happen. Enjoy! —JUDE GOLD, Host and Creator, No Guitar Is Safe

From unforgettable Ozzy Osbourne and Night Ranger tour stories to super cool riff demonstrations to Ferrari sounds conjured out of his “Ferrari” guitar to detailing his inspiring wellness routines to deconstructing how he approached playing the National Anthem through a fire-breathing half-stack at a recent San Francisco Giants game, BRAD GILLIS shares a ton of deep guitar adventures and insights here on his return to No Guitar Is Safe — a great way to celebrate the show’s ten-year anniversary. (Note: If you missed Brad’s first appearance on this show — Ep. 2, from July 2015 — don’t worry: It and all other episodes of No Guitar Is Safe are still posted for you to listen to for free, on all podcast platforms. No paywalls here! Enjoy.) Thanks to GUITAR PLAYER and guitarplayer.com for bringing this episode to you. Guitar Player: Play better, sound better …. Here’s to the next ten years!

— JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

Fretless guitar pioneer NED EVETT is taking his new album — and his new signature-model Aluminati aluminum-necked fretless guitar — to Europe to rock just about every big city you can name over there in support of JOE SATRIANI and STEVE VAI’s “SatchVai Band: Surfing with the Hydra” continent-spanning tour. And in this interview/jam, Ned shares exactly how he’ll approach his solo sets opening for the two superstar guitar heroes. He also details songs from “Strange Kind of Freedom” (the aforementioned new album) as well as dives into his many influences — from rock to Indian ragas to folk to life-changing tunes by the Who and Robert Johnson — and relives what it was like to have guitar magician ADRIAN BELEW produce one of his albums. This episode is presented by Guitar Player and GuitarPlayer.com, and hosted by JUDE GOLD

Whether it’s on the first two BOSTON albums or on releases by his latest group, BARRY GOUDREAU’S ENGINE ROOM, guitarist BARRY GOUDREAU brings the world a soaring, blues-inflected sound that has been part of our collective musical psyche ever since he threw down the monster lead on Boston’s 1977 rock radio smash, “Foreplay / Long Time.” I was thrilled to have Barry not only visit us backstage at a recent JEFFERSON STARSHIP gig I played in Beverly, Massachusetts — where Barry plugged in his beloved ’60s Gibson SG Junior and did this interview (during which, as you’ll hear, he discusses everything from working with Boston’s brilliant mastermind/chief composer and multi-instrumentalist/producer TOM SCHOLZ to collaborating with the late, great Boston singer BRAD DELP to creating music with his other bands, including RTZ, ORION THE HUNTER, and, of course, the Engine Room) — but also have Barry sit in with us on stage! That's right: During our encore later that night, Barry joins us for an extended jam where he starts off with a big solo, and then we trade licks back and forth, and you’ll hear it all go down at the end of the episode. Thanks to GUITAR PLAYER and guitarplayer.com for bringing this episode to you. “Guitar Player — Play better, sound better!”

— JUDE GOLD, host/creator, NO GUITAR IS SAFE

Whether he’s channeling Duane Allman or Derek Trucks, playing blues bars or baseball stadiums (he’s done the National Anthem for both the A’s and the Giants), JULES LEYHE simply does not stop playing guitar, and his love for the instrument is infectious. Armed with an SG, a mutt Strat, and a custom Tweed amp, Leyhe plugs in with me for an inspiring, extended guitar hang in which we dive into everything from Jeff Beck (Leyhe’s first major influence) to Bonnie Raitt to Buddy Guy to Leyhe’s latest album, titled Your First Rodeo. And get this: Leyhe’s favorite slide has booze in it. (He’ll explain.) For more Jules Leyhe guitar insights, check out his free Ultimate Slide Guitar Master Class and Just Riffin’ interview series, both of which are streamable on his YouTube channel. Big thank you to GUITAR PLAYER and guitarplayer.com for making this episode happen.

— JUDE GOLD, host, No Guitar Is Safe