Author Archives: Guitar Gear

Amy Winehouse “Back To Black” (Live Acoustic)

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Amy Winehouse Back To Black Acoustic
Amy Winehouse “Back To Black” Acoustic was filmed during the “Back To Black” album promo sessions.

Amy Winehouse “Back To Black” (Live Acoustic) was filmed during the album’s promo sessions and the studio version became the centerpiece of Amy’s Grammy-Winning studio album.

In this video, Amy gives an amazing performance with her guitarist to film this rare, intimate acoustic performance during the promo sessions for her album. Watching her perform up close is unforgettable. Amy is totally unassuming, and completely focused on her performance. 

About the song and performance: This stripped-back rendition captures Amy at her most honest and soulful — no big stage, no studio polish, just pure talent and emotion. You can truly feel the heart behind her voice and understand why Back to Black became one of the most defining songs of her career.

Amy Winehouse Back To Black Live Acoustic
This stripped-back rendition of “Back To Black” captures Amy at her most honest and soulful, no big stage, no studio polish, just pure talent and emotion.

Filmed during promo sessions and leaving the audience speechless. “We only said goodbye with words…” Released in 2006, the song became the centerpiece of Amy’s Grammy-winning album. Blending soul, jazz, and heartbreak, it cemented her as one of the most influential artists of her time. This acoustic version strips away everything but her voice and raw emotion — a timeless reminder of her genius.

Amy Jade Winehouse was a British singer-songwriter and a Grammy Award recipient, recognized for her contralto voice and her fusion of soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues. Winehouse gained prominence in her early twenties with her critically acclaimed album in 2006, which achieved sales exceeding 20 million copies globally.

All media information and music courtesy of BeforetheywerefamousTV on YouTube.

Where is the Aria Las Vegas Casino Floor?

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Aria Las Vegas Casino Floor
Entry view of the Aria Las Vegas Casino Floor and you’ll find an elevated experience throughout the casino floor. The gaming starts right at the entrance and spans 150,000 square feet.

The Aria Las Vegas Casino Floor is home to the sole casino within CityCenter, starts right at the hotel entrance and spans 150,000 square feet. The gaming area offers a variety of slot machines, table games, poker, and a race and sports book.The gaming devices are overseen and regulated by a 3,000 square foot data center, which adjusts the games to feature the most popular options based on real-time performance data collected from each machine. The casino floor is lined with exterior windows, and the high-limit gaming area is illuminated by skylights, a departure from the conventional casino design that typically excludes natural light.

The Aria Las Vegas Poker Room at Aria boasts 24 tables. The Ivey Room, named in honor of poker player Phil Ivey, was inaugurated in May 2010 as an exclusive one-table high-limit poker venue. This Aria Poker Room provided high roller players with direct access to the cashier’s cage and 24-hour table-side dining, serving as the venue for the highest stakes games at Aria.

Additionally, the Aria poker room hosts events for the World Poker Tour (WPT). The inaugural WPT500 took place at Aria in July 2014, drawing 3,599 participants. This event continued to be held around the same time each year until 2019. PokerGO Studio entrance During season 16 (XVI) of the WPT, Aria hosted two more events: the first WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic and the season-ending $25,000 buy-in WPT Tournament of Champions. In season 17 (XVII), the WPT ARIA Summer Championship took the place of the WPT Bobby Baldwin Classic. In May 2018, Poker Central launched the PokerGO Studio at Aria.

This stunning, glassy complex is designed to attract visitors with its variety of bars and restaurants, pools, a spa, and, naturally, a massive casino floor. Aria intentionally avoids the themed ideas that its rivals or sister properties adopt, such as the Bellagio (which takes inspiration from Italy’s Lake Como), Paris Las Vegas (France), Luxor (Egypt), or Excalibur (medieval times). Instead, this gem from MGM Resorts is named after the Aria Campus — a luxurious hotel and casino complex that features the Aria Resort & Casino, along with the Aria Sky Suites and Vdara Hotel & Spa.

1981 Charvel San Dimas “Hot Rod Flame”

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1981 Charvel San Dimas Hot Rod Flame
An original 1981 Charvel San Dimas “Hot Rod Flame”.

A remarkable early production Charvel San Dimas Guitar from the San Dimas era, featuring a breathtaking “Hot Rod Flame” finish! This 1981 Charvel San Dimas Model guitar includes two additional switches that have been disconnected, alongside a “kill switch” that remains connected to the circuit, all while being in otherwise outstanding and original condition.

Equipped with a pair of DiMarzio pickups, it produces the intense lead tones one would anticipate from a super strat of this period, and the maple neck offers comfortable, low action, ideal for rapid runs that complement this striking graphic. These guitars are becoming increasingly rare, particularly in custom finishes, making this a perfect addition to any collection.

Named after its origin in San Dimas, California, the San Dimas® Style 1 emerged from a vibrant new wave of incredibly skilled and technically proficient Southern California guitarists in the early ’80s, who were on the lookout for instruments packed with high-performance features. Even now, our Charvel San Dimas Style 1 guitars are at the forefront of modern technology and innovation, and they continue to be the preferred choice for some of the best players around the globe.

Grab attention and blow minds with this boldly awesome modern day Super Stock Charvel San Dimas Style 1 – a high-energy throwback that seems like it’s been making waves since neon was all the rage. The worn black nitrocellulose finish, decked out with a striking yellow diamond design, hints at a history of endless late-night sessions and packed club shows that never really took place (but definitely could have).

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos and covers guitar equipment, concert, destination and music news. Visit the website for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance videos.

1962 Reissue Fender Japan Stratocaster

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1962 Fender Japan Stratocaster
Genuine Fender Japan ’62 Stratocaster 1996-1997 USA Custom Shop Electronics with rosewood neck.

1962 Reissue Fender Japan Stratocaster stamped ST-62DEX2 on the heel of the neck, “Made In Japan” and serial number has V prefix with USA Custom shop electronics.

Outstanding Fender Japan ST-62DEX2 from 1996-1997, featuring a stamp on the neck heel. It is labeled “Made In Japan” and has a serial number beginning with the letter V. This is a ’62 Strat Reissue equipped with USA Custom shop electronics. I was unaware that such features were available back then until I recently conducted some online research and found that this was indeed an original characteristic. The guitar has a rosewood slab fingerboard and an Olympic white finish that has aged to a cream color.

The Fender Guitar bridge saddles exhibit some surface corrosion, which may be cleaned up to some extent. There are a few minor nicks on the body in various locations, as well as what appear to be filled spots where the strap buttons were relocated at some time. The back of the neck is flawless, showing no nicks or damage. It is fitted with a 3-ply pickguard and displays very minimal fret wear.

This Fender Japan Stratocaster guitar plays exceptionally well and is relatively lightweight, weighing approximately 7 lbs on my postal scale. It possesses all the desirable features. Just take a look at the pictures. The vintage-style tuning gears add to its charm. The pickups are of high quality and are the quietest I have experienced in the 2 and 4 switch positions, likely due to the shielding on the pickguard and the foil in the control cavity. I regret having to part with this instrument, but I do not utilize it and currently own an excessive number of guitars and basses.

John E. Davis is a Texas Rock Guitarist offering FREE guitar lessons videos and covers guitar equipment, concert, destination and music news. Visit the website for information on Guitar Lessons, Guitar Repair and Live Music Performance videos.