Fans, scribes and musicians have been describing Jeff Beck’s unparalleled mastery on the guitar for decades, but the phrase that most accurately fits his playing is “effortless genius.” His attack, invention, energy, ferocity and imagination seem instinctual. His instruments, whether the 1954 Les Paul he used during his historic Blow By Blow era or the array of guitars that have followed, are extensions of his body, and he makes them bark, howl, cry, moan or purr with something akin to a flick of the wrist.

Gibson India caught up with the unique-sounding band, Bombay Bassment – their music draws from an innovative mix of hip-hop, funk, reggae, drums and bass. The band is back from their first international gig in Dubai, will soon be performing on MTV Rush, and they are even working on their debut album. Bombay Bassment bassist Ruell Barretto recently talked to us about MTV Rush, his favorite India venues and his Epiphone, five-string bass.

Hard to believe, but this month marks the 40th anniversary of David Bowie’s glam rock masterpiece, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Powered by one of rock’s tightest-ever ensembles – Trevor Bolder on bass, Woody Woodmansey on drums, Mick Ronson on guitar and Bowie himself of rhythm acoustic – Ziggy Stardust remains an essential touchstone for any up-and-coming four-piece rock band.

It’s all about original music these days in Indian indie. Of course, that’s a very, very good thing and an extremely desirable state of affairs. Bands and musicians across the country are churning out a range of diverse sounds and songs that express the sound and voice of a new India.

There was a time when hefting a 12 or 13-pound Les Paul seemed to be the mark of a real man. Players talked a lot about sustain as if it related directly to weight and how you needed all that weight and mass to achieve a desirable tone. The truth is, not everyone believes that “heavier” equates to “better” in sonic terms, nor do many players want to sling a 13-pound guitar over their shoulder for a 90-minute set. What’s the answer? For Gibson, for many years, it has been found in carefully, strategically weight-relieving guitars, and the procedure brings many benefits to the player.

Many of us started bashing out our first chords trying to play Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. That’s because they’re mostly simple three-chord affairs, they’ve been burned into our consciousness by many, many years of airplay and they have great, straight-to-the point lyrics that make them perfect for the campfire.

Four bands — Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson and Genesis — dominated progressive rock during the genre’s ‘70s heyday. Greg Lake bears the distinction of having been a member of two of them. First in King Crimson, and then in ELP, Lake was among the first musicians to push rock music into the classical arena, while keeping alive its adventurous spirit.

Launched in 2009, Frank’s Got the Funk has been rocking quite a bit already. The band has won many competitions including at Strawberry Fields, IIT Saarang, Deepwoods and they were winners at the Chennai Live Acoustic Competition. They will soon be awarded the Young Achievers of 2012 award by Whistling Woods International Institute in Chennai. Gibson Guitar India recently caught up with two of the band members: Bjorn Surrao and Merwyn Christopher.

In 2012’s social media world of texting, Tweeting, Facebook-liking and general online sharing, marketing guitars is now a rich process. Back in the day, guitarists were not so well served. If you wanted to see a new guitar model, you’d have to go to your local music store. And, if you bought a guitar magazine – as we’re sure, most guitarists still like to do – you’d see a print ad. But even after that, you’d go to your music store. So, what about those classic print ads?

First gigs are bound to be an intimidating experience with all these faces in the audience staring at you. Gibson Guitar India caught up with India’s rock stars to collect some tips to make that first gig experience a little less scary, and we also found out more about their first gig experiences.