Paul Gilbert : The Dio Album

Paul Gilbert is an 80s guitar vituoso survivor. He was one of THE 80s guitar shredders, coming out of the Guitar Institute of Technology in the mid-80s in Los Angeles and formed the speed metal band Racer X, recording on Mike Varney’s Shrapnel Records. But his biggest gig was the pop metal band Mr. Big, […]

Paul Gilbert : Behold Electric Guitar

I first discovered Paul Gilbert when I was a freshman in high school. Somewhere around 1988 or 1989 I picked up the Racer X album Second Heat and I was immediately blown away by the incredible Mr. Gilbert. I wasn’t as blown away by Racer X, but man could Paul Gilbert play. My admiration for […]

Paul Gilbert’s “Havin’ It”

Yeah, I was what you’d call a guitar nerd growing up. I wasn’t into comic books or sports, and D&D went over my head. I dug horror movies, but I wasn’t in my bedroom creating bloody special effects with latex and corn syrup. And while I admired skateboarders I was too much of a goof […]

Paul Gilbert : The Everyman’s Guitar Hero

It’s been close to 30 years so my memory may not serve me correctly, but somewhere in the vicinity of the spring of 1989 I got to see and meet Mr. Big guitarist Paul Gilbert. Why do you care? “Paul who? The Mr. Big dude? Yeah, so what?” Will you please let me finish? Thank you. […]