Playing their first show together since 2004, the Dead (formerly the Grateful Dead) treated a sold-out crowd of 15,000 at Penn State University’s Bryce Jordan center to a two-hour-plus show Monday night. The show, dubbed “Change Rocks, was a benefit for presidential candidate Barack Obama ― who delivered a pre-recorded message to the audience between acts ― and also included a full opening set by recent Billboard Live Award winners the Allman Brothers Band.

“My Maserati does 185 ... ” That’s all you need to say and people know exactly what song you’re referring to. Many times it will lead to a spontaneous rendition of “Life’s Been Good” from 20 or 30 people ― whether you know them or not. That’s what happens when you write a classic rock song, and that’s exactly what Joe Walsh did.

There’s no greater icon of late ’60s and early ’70s British blues-rock tone than Jimmy Page, the legendary guitarist with Led Zeppelin. From huge and gutsy to atmospheric and mellow, from a ominous rhythm-guitar crunch tone to soaring, wailing lead, Page’s sonic palette was every bit as broad as his chops were versatile. Any player who stamps his signature so indelibly into the annals of rock tone becomes extremely influential to others seeking to make a big sound in their own playing, and the visual that persists alongside that sonic imprint is of Jimmy Page strutting an arena stage with a sunburst Gibson Les Paul Standard or EDS-1275 Double-Neck in front of a pair of roaring Marshall amp stacks. And live, this is indeed how a major part of the tone was generated. In the studio, however, there was often a whole lot more going on—or a whole lot less—and running out to duplicate the Page live rig might not get you very close to sounding like the Page of “Dazed and Confused”, “Communication Breakdown”, “Ramble On”, or “Whole Lotta Love”.

The new Slash Signature Les Paul Goldtop has become a must-have for guitar collectors and fans alike. So much so that Gibson is sponsoring a contest to win one of the company’s fine new editions of its all-time classic. All entrants need do is make and post a video showing how far they’d go to win one. Would you write a song? Shave your head to sing it? That’s just what Goldtop fan did Steve Huff did for his entry. But don’t call him, er, green with envy for the new Slash Signature edition – ’cause he painted himself gold for the occasion, too! Here’s now bald-’n’-gold Steve singing his original composition, “Slash Goldtop Blues.” Good luck, gold friend!

Yuletide comes early this year with the recent premiere of the film Christmas on Mars. Starring, written and directed by Wayne Coyne — one of the brains behind The Flaming Lips — the movie is homage to the golden age of sci-fi and Dada-esque surrealism. Although it has been in various states of production for close to a decade, the movie — shot in Coyne’s Oklahoma City home with DIY set-production — is finally finished, fully cut and edited, and receiving a limited off-beat release in art-houses and other non-traditional venues across the country.

Celebrating a love affair that began in the 1950s, HOT ROD magazine and the Gibson Custom Shop have welded the raw power of a souped-up automobile to the sweet vintage tone of a ’58 Les Paul to produce the HOT ROD '58. This beautifully reproduced 1958 Les Paul brings to rock and roll what a ’57 Chevy brings to the road. With ghosted flames licking a deep translucent red maple top, a pair of blue tailpipe pickups, a brushed chrome pickguard and a HOT ROD engraved truss rod cover, this guitar is barely street legal. Limited edition of 150.

As a young woman Maudie Moore sought work at Gibson’s vintage Kalamazoo, Mich., plant in 1964, eventually being promoted as a craftsperson in the engraving department. In this video interview, Maudie talks about her role in restoring bluegrass legend Bill Monroe’s trademark Gibson mandolin after many years of abuse on the road ― and how, four decades later, she’s still the go-to person for custom engraving to the stars.

A significant amount of Gibson’s editorial content focuses on the No. 1 topic at the forefront of our readers’ minds: how to cop that crucial lick. We’ve had the pleasure of hosting some of the giants of guitar instruction right here on our site. Here is a list of some of our favorite teachers from across the Internet.

The history of female blues guitar pioneers isn’t exactly voluminous. Indeed, it doesn’t extend much beyond Sister Rosetta Sharpe and her own influential forebear, Memphis Minnie. Forging a musical bridge between gospel and the blues, the Arkansas-born Sharpe influenced a disparate array of later music icons, from pioneering rockers like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis to r&b stalwarts Aretha Franklin and Isaac Hayes. Yet Sharpe’s blues muse was almost impossible to separate from her original calling as a gospel singer.

Given America’s fascination with automobiles, it’s hardly surprising that cars and rock and roll have often come together in a perfect marriage. From Chuck Berry to the Beach Boys to Bruce Springsteen, rock and rollers have extolled the pleasures of open roads, joy rides and hot rods. The British have occasionally hopped on board as well, although their take on four-wheel thrills has tended to be more idiosyncratic. Below are 10 great songs that attest to the automobile’s power to inspire.