The GuitarTV.com site, showing co-creator Steve Vai in a clip from the film "Crossroads."
Ever watch a music video and wonder what kind of gear the guitarist is using? Or how much the guitar cost and what type of amplifier was used? Maybe you wanted to know which album had that song. Or find sheet music tabs. Or score tickets to the next gig.
Six-String Gearheads, Rejoice!
You can stop wondering and start rocking. Everything you want to know—and buy—from your favorite guitar slingers can now be found in one place. (Cue drum roll…)
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome: GuitarTV.com
Back when MTV used to play actual music, the network would list the artist, song and album info, but only at the beginning and end of the video. If you missed it, you were out of luck. GuitarTV takes that idea and cranks it up by a factor of at least six.
The musical love child of Grammy-winning guitarist Steve Vai and co-creator/online marketing director Andy Alt, the website sports a guitar-styled interface (naturally), with the option to see what’s playing “live” on the channel or choose your preference “on demand.” There’s also a built-in chat room.
GuitarTV.com co-creators Andy Alt and Steve Vai, as seen on the Facebook page.
Content features instructional lessons, concert footage, interviews, movie clips and band videos with the option for full-screen viewing. You can even upload your own videos to GuitarTV.
Once you’re on GuitarTV, click on any of the six icons on the guitar “bridge” to get:
1) Artist info;
2) Track info, plus link directly to Amazon or iTunes to purchase it;
3) Details on the make and model of guitar being played, plus a link to purchase;
4) Amplifier make, cost, and a link to a retailer;
5) music tabs to most tracks (except things like jams);
6) concert tickets, if the artist is currently on tour (obviously heroes like Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan are no longer performing “live”).
Affiliate partners include Amazon, iTunes, Musician’s Friend and Songster.
Possibly the only downside to GuitarTV versus a YouTube video is that there doesn’t seem to be a way to “rewind.” This could be just a beta issue; maybe a rewind capability will be added later.
Oh yeah, one other nit to pick: My kid was disappointed that the virtual volume knobs didn’t go up to 11.
Tweeting and Liking to Promote GuitarTV
@SteveVai tweets about @GuitarTV
The site has been promoted almost exclusively on Twitter and Facebook with sneak previews offered to pre-registered bloggers. Anyone who “likes” the GuitarTV page on Facebook is automatically entered to win a guitar autographed by Steve Vai.
Speaking of Steve, for those in Southern California, Vai will be coming to Orange County soon as part of the Experience Hendrix lineup, headlining the first day of the Doheny Blues Festival.
So, are you ready to rock?
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