Pro File: Exclusive Interview with Chicken Pickin Master, John Lere

Pro File: Exclusive Interview with Chicken Pickin Master, John Lere

John W. Lere Jr. was born with a guitar in his hands. Not really, but it's a romantic thought and seems very fitting if you're familiar with him. Whether banging on different toys with a pencil or plucking around on various beginner guitars as a child, John Lere has been making music his entire life. He began traditional study on the guitar at the age of 9, taking weekly lessons from Art Gomez at Vesley Music in Las Vegas, NV, learning the fundamentals and written language of music. John started giving his own lessons to neighborhood kids or friends at school and loved everything about the guitar. As a freshman in High School he joined the Stage Band and was introduced to jazz music. The piece of music given to him to play for his audition was 'Birdland' by Weather Report. All of the sudden an obsession with this different type of music took over and John went on to play in many different High School Jazz Ensembles around Las Vegas, constantly learning and improving.
He was accepted to the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Performing Arts after his sophomore year and the study of jazz music went into overdrive! This new learning environment was a dream come true to any kid that wanted to play, practice and study music all day and that is exactly what John did. LVA Jazz band director Alan Lawson, introduced John to legendary & local guitar instructor Hap Smith(RIP Hap. You will be forever missed) and was taught a deeper lesson in discipline and music theory. John continued regular study With Hap Smith during his junior and senior years, and began teaching part time(mostly to kids and beginners) at local music shop Pat's Desert Music. With College just around the corner, John set his sights on a school on the other side of the country. Being Alumni of Berkeley School of Music in Boston, Hap helped John prepare an audition piece and gave a very gracious letter of recommendation. After much consideration however, the decision was made to stay in Las Vegas For College and he accepted a scholarship from The University Of Nevada Las Vegas. Over the next few years John studied with jazz great Joe Lano, focusing on chord inversions, chord solos, different picking techniques and smoking cigarettes.
John Played in many different bands, many different styles and genres, toured around the country many times, teaching along the way where ever possible. He was lead guitar for the late, great Elvis Presley Tribute Artist, Trent Carlini, headlining showrooms up and down the Las Vegas Strip. He has worked for Carnival Cruise Lines and traveled to Mexico and Canada, but never really feeling satisfied with what he was doing. That would soon change! Even though John had listened to and been a big fan of country music throughout his whole life, when he heard the music of The Hellecasters he became totally intrigued by the many different sounds, that in the right hands, the Telecaster could produce, and so began the journey towards Tele-mastery. All of the sudden that fire and enjoyment of playing the guitar was back! A desire to teach was also resurrected and a feeling of responsibility to give back to anybody aspiring to learn the guitar.
John Lere has dedicated his life to music and of all the many different instruments in the world, the one that chose him was the Guitar. He has acquired an extremely large amount of knowledge and skill and he continues to strive for new things on the guitar as well as in Life. Fortunately, it is all available for purchase for a great low price! LOL

Duration: 15:15

Related

Ace Frehley – Cherry Medicine - (Official Music Video).
News & latest Releases

Ace Frehley – Cherry Medicine - (Official Music Video).

Ace previously released the title track, "10,000 Volts" and single "Walkin' on the Moon." Rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal simply wouldn’t sound, look, or feel the same without Ace Frehley. Among hundreds of accolades, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® inducted him in 2014 as a Co-founder and the original lead guitarist of Kiss. Guitar World named him in the Top 15 of its “100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time” and plugged the lead from “Shock Me” on the “50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time.” Magnifying the imprint of his catalog as a solo artist, Foo Fighters cut a fan-favorite cover of “Ozone,” and he even jammed out “New York Groove” alongside The Roots on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The late Dimebag Darrell of Pantera proudly sported a tattoo of Frehley on his chest, while Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine celebrated him on X/Twitter as “My first guitar hero.” 10,000 Volts upholds an incredible legacy for Frehley, spanning 50-plus years in the limelight. Back in 1978, he delivered his solo debut, Ace Frehley. It reached platinum status and exploded as “the highest-selling of the four Kiss solo albums in the Soundscan era.” Pitchfork even retrospectively rated it a rare “8.5” score. In 1987, he dropped Frehley’s Comet. Following Anomaly in 2009, he went on to make history once again. His 2014 Space Invader LP captured #9 on the Billboard 200 and emerged as “The only solo album by a past or current Kiss member to reach the Top 10 on the chart.” 2016’s Origins Vol. 1, bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart and in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart. He notably maintained his momentum with Spaceman [2018]. "'10,000 Volts,' in its own time, in its own way, is similarly staggering – quite simply, OVERWHELMING. 10,000/10 -- Ghost Cult Magazine (February 22, 2024) RRHOF-inductee and guitar legend Ace Frehley releases a new video for "Cherry Medicine," featured on his new album, "10,000 Volts." His highly-anticipated album will be released tomorrow. Produced and co-written by Ace and Steve Brown, the uncontainable energy on the 11-tracks showcases some of Ace's best works since his '78 solo album. On "Cherry Medicine," a mean palm-muted chug underlines his pensive vocals where he confesses, “I knew I had to change my ways for sure to keep you by my side.” The track showcases another side of Frehley with its saccharine and sweet, soaring hook as he promises, “I love you, cherry medicine. You heal my every need and some.” He seals the sentiment with another powerhouse solo.
03:4133 days ago
The Gibson SG SUPREME Is BACK for 2024 - Full Demo & Overview.
New Releases - Guitars/Bass/Gear

The Gibson SG SUPREME Is BACK for 2024 - Full Demo & Overview.

The Gibson SG Supreme is BACK for 2024 in Fireburst, Wine Red, Translucent Ebony Burst, and a Gibson.com exclusive Ebony three-pickup model. ▶ Products used in this video: Get YOUR Gibson SG Supreme HERE: https://bit.ly/48fGUfp Shop ALL Gibson SG guitars HERE: https://bit.ly/3UxfVc6 Dinesh is using a Gibson Falcon Amplifier - get yours HERE: https://bit.ly/3Uxg3Z8 SG players, now it’s your turn! 25 years after it first appeared, the Gibson SG Supreme is back for 2024. With an AAA-grade figured maple top, Burstbucker Pro pickups, and a striking mother-of-pearl headstock inlay inspired by an original Gibson design from the Art Deco era, this isn’t just an electric guitar; it’s a statement and a contender for best electric guitar of 2024! The new Gibson SG™ Supreme guitars feature a beautiful AAA-figured maple top (plain maple on the three-pickup exclusive model) on a mahogany body for a full, balanced tone that gives you that resonance and sustain you need when hitting the heavy notes and big lead lines. The mahogany neck has an ebony fretboard with a compound radius, 24 medium jumbo frets for absolute comfort when playing guitar, and Super Split Block mother-of-pearl inlays so you can see them underneath the house lights when you’re on stage! The headstock on the Gibson SG Supreme is adorned with a striking new mother-of-pearl “Chandelier Inlay” inspired by a design from the 1940s that was discovered in the Gibson archives. The Burstbucker™ Pro (neck, plus middle pickup on the three-pickup exclusive model) and Burstbucker Pro + (bridge) pickups are paired with push/pull volume controls for coil tapping and individual volume and tone controls (with three volume controls and master tone control on the three-pickup exclusive model) that are hand-wired to Orange Drop® capacitors. These appointments make the Supreme series SG guitars some of the best electric guitars for those who need multiple sounds at their disposal as you have absolute control over every aspect of your guitar’s sound, able to enjoy full-fat humbucker tone or single coil P-90 inspired tones too. The three lush finishes, Fireburst, Wine Red, and Translucent Ebony Burst, are elegantly highlighted with gold hardware, making this not only a great-sounding and highly flexible instrument but also an exceptionally beautiful-looking modern rock machine. But that’s not all! The EXCLUSIVE Ebony finish SG Supreme is loaded with three pickups, so you have even more tonal options! A hardshell case is also included with each Gibson SG Supreme, so your guitar is safe on the way to rehearsal and while you travel to your next gig. Don’t settle. Play Supreme. Learn more HERE: https://bit.ly/3UxfVc6
05:1835 days ago
Marty Schwartz Epiphone ES-335.
News & latest Releases

Marty Schwartz Epiphone ES-335.

NASHVILLE, TN (August 22, 2023) 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of Epiphone, a leading innovator in instrument design. By leveraging its iconic past and leaning into the future, Epiphone has now set the stage for the next era of sound for present and future generations. Epiphone is proud to announce a partnership with the global influencer and music educator Marty Schwartz to create his very first Epiphone signature artist guitar. The Marty Schwartz ES-335 from Epiphone is now available worldwide at authorized Epiphone dealers, and in limited capacity on www.epiphone.com. "Teaming up with Epiphone to bring my dream guitar to life is an absolute milestone in my musical journey,” says Marty Schwartz. “This guitar embodies everything I love about playing and teaching. We've truly created a guitar that's as unique as the journey it represents." “Marty Schwartz is a tremendous talent whose infectious joy for learning and teaching guitar allows players of every level to easily connect with him all across the globe,” says Beth Heidt, Chief Marketing Officer, Gibson Brands. “We are proud to partner with Marty for this very special ES-335 model.” Marty Schwartz or as he’s better known online as, Marty Music has been the face of guitar education on the internet for the last decade and a half. With nearly 4 million YouTube subscribers, over two billion video views, and a career longer than most rock bands, Marty has arguably taught more people how to play guitar than anyone else in the world. Marty knows quite a bit about what features a great guitar should have. His new namesake signature model ES-335 from Epiphone features a smooth-playing 60s SlimTaper Rounded C neck profile with an Indian laurel fretboard, small pearloid block inlays, and a Marty Music logo on the back of the headstock. The 5-ply layered maple body is capped with a beautiful AAA-figured maple veneer and is finished in Sixties Cherry. Rock solid tuning stability is ensured by the Grover 502C Roto-Grip Locking Rotomatic tuners and Graph Tech nut, while the other ends of the strings are anchored with an Epiphone LockTone Tune-O-Matic bridge and Stop bar tailpiece. The flexible electronics include Epiphone Alnico Classic PRO pickups, each with a push/pull phase switch; a hardshell case is also included.
04:087 months ago