Events
Events
Boutique Guitar Showcase - Past Event
A curated collection of unique, World Class guitars is coming to Bananas on Wednesday, October 17th. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the most interesting guitars from the most elite builders, and Bananas at Large is the only place in Northern California to have them. See some of the most creative and most beautiful instruments on display and available for purchase. One day only, this experience will be one to remember. Wednesday, October 17th at 3:00pm Bananas at Large1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 See Guitars made by: Adamovic Basses Ava Guitars Balwinski Guitars Di Donato Guitars Boswell Guitars Diego Vila Guitars Dingwall Guitars McGreevy Guitars Ivanov Guitars Donovan Leah Guitars Ergon Guitars Galloup Guitars GNG - Giulio Negrini Guitars Harden Engineering Hilko Guitars JJ Guitars Kauer Guitar Kauffman Guitars Klein Guitars Lamehorse Instruments MarconiLAB Maxwell Custom Guitars O3 Custom Guitars Parsons Guitars Sankey Guitars Shabat Guitars Skytop Guitars Soultool Customized Guitars Spalt Instruments Tausch Guitars Teuffel Guitars Tim Bram Handmade Guitars Robbins Guitars Verdinero Guitars Wild Customs Wide Sky Guitars RSVP below and share this event on Facebook! McSwain Guitars McSwain, "Red White & Bullets" Spalt Instruments, "Pierrot's Nightmare" Wild Custom Guitars, "Baroness Steampunk II"
Bob Weir "Real Deal" Acoustic Pedal Launch with Pigtronix - 6/27/18
JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF BOB WEIR'S "REAL DEAL" ACOUSTIC PEDAL WITH PIGTRONIX Please join us for an exclusive event with Bob Weir as we unveil his new pedal with Pigtronix at Bananas at Large in San Rafael. This acoustic preamp provides crystal-clear, super-loud acoustic guitar tone while faithfully maintaining the organic wooden sound of the instrument like no other pedal has ever done. Bob Weir and long-time Grateful Dead tech guru and Weir’s personal Front of House engineer, Mike McGinn, developed the principle behind the Real Deal in an effort to crank Bob’s acoustic guitar loud enough in the live mix while retaining the natural, unplugged sound of the instrument. The technology they developed to achieve this goal involves using a pair of complimentary filters to split the acoustic guitar signal into low and high frequency bands, with independent preamp gain applied to each signal path. A mastering stage then combines the various inputs into a single mono output, resulting in a powerful world-class acoustic guitar tone. Bob Weir challenged Pigtronix to design a pedal to perform this unique type of processing using a low-noise, all-analog circuit, to deliver the ultimate live acoustic guitar sound. The engineering challenge involved with developing this pedal to create a realistic and amplified acoustic guitar sound in this way is no joke! First, the cutoff points of the two filters would need to be precisely matched and calibrated to avoid undesirable dips or bumps in the frequency response at the pedal’s output. Second, in order to optimize the acoustic sound from venue to venue and for each different guitar, the cutoff point where the two filters overlap also would need to be variable across a huge frequency range. As a solution, Pigtronix created a totally unique tracking filter. It allows the musician to adjust the cutoff point of both filters with a single knob, sweeping over a full decade of frequency range from 300 Hz to 3 kHz. This analog filter array—at the heart of the Bob Weir’s Real Deal acoustic preamp—uses Pigtronix custom-made optical components and 18VDC power to achieve the ultra-low noise and high headroom required when processing acoustic guitar. Bob Weir’s Real Deal acoustic preamp is universally compatible with any type of acoustic guitar pickup—from a simple, passive piezo element to complex active systems that use internal microphones, contact elements and/or magnetic pickups. A source switch determines whether the high and low bands are fed by independent sound elements (such as a mic and piezo installed in one guitar) or a single pickup that is then split and sent through both filters. Single-source mode has the additional benefit of allowing the Real Deal to be used to process the sound of an electric guitar or any other instrument. An additional TRS balanced input, equipped with switchable 48V phantom power, allows external microphones of all types to be incorporated as well. Pre-order your pedal now With great giveaways including a signed “Real Deal” pedal and Dead & Company tickets, you won't want to miss this event! Wednesday, June 27th from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bananas At Large 1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event Let us know you're coming and we'll save you a seat! A portion of the day’s proceeds will go toward the Bananas at Large community action plan which benefits programs such as Little Kids Rock, Young Performers International and more!
G3 NorCal Fire Relief Concert & Auction - 1/14/18
Bananas at Large is participating in the Joe Satriani G3 fundraiser concert this Sunday, January 14 2018, at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. The concert will feature Joe Satriani, Phil Collin of Def Leppard and John Petrucci of Dream Theater. They will each play a solo set and then a final jam with Very Special Guest Neal Schon of Journey. Our own Alan Rosen will be there as the MC and product specialist. There are still a few tickets left for the concert but if you can't make it, you can still bid on the auction items. The concert is a fundraiser for Fire Victims of California fires. UndocuFund is a charity helping those people who can’t get relief funds but who have suffered devastating loss. Redwood Credit Union Fire Relief Fund is another beneficiary of the event. Read more about this organization here. There will be some amazing items up for auction autographed by artists: Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Phil Collen, Neal Schon, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis, Bill Gibson, and more. Bidding ends Sunday, 01/21/2018. Check out the auctioned items and thank you for supporting this great event and great cause!
Greg Koch Clinic - 11/30/17
Fishman Presents: Greg Koch Acoustic & Electric Guitar Products Clinic Thursday, November 30th from 4-6pm Bananas At Large531 College AveSanta Rosa, CA 95404 Fishman signature artist and clinician Greg Koch will host a clinic covering Fishman acoustic amplification products and Fluence Multi-Voice pickups for electric guitar. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the Gristleman’s unparalleled guitar playing and unique brand of humor. WHO IS GREG KOCH? An unsung guitar hero from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he grew up just a few miles from the Waukesha birthplace of the late, great guitarist-inventor Les Paul, Greg Koch has established himself within six-string circles as a masterful technician, accomplished clinician (for Fender) and general bad-ass guit-picker. No less than guitar virtuoso Steve Vai noted Koch’s six-string prowess and promptly signed him to his Favored Nations label in 2001. Tom Wheeler from Guitar Player magazine hailed him as “fiendishly talented” while other critics have called him everything from “a twisted guitar genius” to “the best kept secret in the guitar firmament.” On From The Attic, his 12th release overall as a leader and third for Germany’s ZYX/Peppercake label, the veteran guitar virtuoso joins bassist Tom Good and drummer Del Bennett for an eclectic, hard-hitting program full of incendiary licks and audacious fretboard tricks. Recorded remarkably quickly (“We did the ten tracks in roughly 11 hours,” Koch explains) in the attic of guitarist-engineer Chris Hanson’s Victorian home on Milwaukee’s East Side, these rockin’, bluesy originals are imbued with Koch’s trademark searing licks and typically clever lyrics. From the blistering, Magic Sam-inspired boogie “Leg Up Foot Out” to the urgent blues inflected “Nova Scotia Cold,” from the elegant fingerstyle instrumental ballad “Sleep Tight” to the wild chicken-picking romp “Picked On,” Koch and his crew wail with uncanny tightness and authority. “Trouble” is a growling funk-blues number written about Koch’s first encounter with his wife-to-be (“Her middle name was trouble, her last name is mine”) while “Agree To Disagree” addresses the guitarist’s ongoing conflict with the staunch point’s of view of loved ones. “Here We Go Again” is a rich, R&B flavored ballad featuring some lyrical, legato guitar work by Koch and the aggressively funky “Happy Versus Right” recalls classic Red Hot Chili Peppers slamming down a thick groove. Koch flaunts some wicked wahwah-inflected slide guitar licks on the mellow “Twice the Man” and they close out the collection with the anthemic, classic rock jam “You’ll Rock and Like It,” which sounds like an encounter between Jeff Beck and AC/DC.” “The whole gist of this record is kind of where I started from in my career,” says Koch of From The Attic. “It’s basically tunes with cool guitar things. And I find that if you can have nice little blasts within the confines of a short tune, it’s much more digestible.” And though Koch may be consciously trying to simplify his six-string onslaught on this trio recording, his natural fretboard fusillades ultimately come to the fore. In its 2001 feature story, Guitar Player magazine described Koch’s inherently pyrotechnic approach this way: “An impossible stream of riffs jumps off of Koch’s fretboard like clowns spilling out of a VW bug – and when you’re convinced that there can be no more, out pops another one.” Born in Milwaukee in 1966, Koch got his earliest musical influences from his older brother and later became infatuated with Jimi Hendrix, who remains a profound influence to this day. After studying jazz guitar for four years at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Koch won 1st Prize in the 1989 Bluesbreaker Guitar Showdown judged by legendary bluesman Buddy Guy. Shortly after, he formed Greg Koch and the Tone Controls, which became one of the more popular acts of the region. The band went on to win five Wisconsin Area Music Awards for Blues Artist of the Year (‘93, ‘95 through ‘98), and Koch personally took in seven WAMA awards as Guitarist of the Year (‘92, ‘94 through ‘99). Koch soon found himself as a clinician for Fender, the world’s largest and most prestigious guitar and amplifier manufacturer. Bringing together world-class chops and a humorous ability to articulate sounds and techniques with a genuine devotion to all things guitar, Koch has developed an exceptionally effective approach to conducting guitar clinics. Greg’s relationship with music publishing giant, the Hal Leonard Corporation, has also resulted in a string of top-selling guitar method books, including “Guitar Clues: Operation Pentatonic,” “Lead Licks,” “Rhythm Riffs” and Koch’s popular Hal Leonard instructional DVDs – two on the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan (approved by Jimmie Vaughan), one on Lynyrd Skynyrd, another celebrating revered blues stylists like Albert King, Albert Collins, Elmore James and Guitar Slim and one on his own twisted take on guitar called “Guitar Gristle” – have revolutionized video guitar instruction with a combination of humor, effective instruction and inspiring musical performances into a package that can only be described as “edu-tainment.” In his self-penned liner notes to his 2001 recording, The Grip, Koch described his guitaristic approach as “Chet Hendrix meeting the Kings (BB, Albert and Freddie) at the first annual Zeppelin-Holdsworth Coffee Guzzlers Hoedown.” He would subsequently showcase his over-the-top chops and wicked sense of humor on 2003’s Radio Free Gristle, 2004’s 13 x 12, 2005’s 4 Days In the South and 2007’s Live on WMSE, which showcases his fiery fretboard work in the company of bassist Roscoe Beck (longtime sideman to guitarists Robben Ford and Eric Johnson), drummer Tom Brechtlein (a former member of Ford’s Blueline band and a frequent collaborator with Chick Corea) and the charismatic Austin-based soul singer Malford Milligan (formerly the frontman for Storyville and Double Trouble). Last year’s Nation Sack had Koch teaming with Milligan and his current rhythm tandem of Good and Bennett for a collection of Koch originals (including some co-penned with Milligan) along with a cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” Koch continues to channel all the right people on his most recent collection of blues, funk and R&B, including Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, Albert Collins, Jeff Beck and Roy Buchanan with touches of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Danny Gatton and Richie Blackmore thrown in for good measure. And he filters all those killer influences through his own slightly bent prism that is tinted with grunge, gristle and good clean fun. Thursday, November 30th from 4-6pm Bananas At Large531 College AveSanta Rosa, CA 95404 RSVP on Facebook!
Heritage Guitar Inc. Clinic Featuring Mimi Fox – 11/4/17
100 Years of Tone & Timbre Heritage Guitars' Gregg De Lorto will join Bananas at Large in San Rafael on Saturday, November 4th for an exciting event featuring Mimi Fox! GREGG DE LORTO Gregg shares his knowledge, experience and passion for the guitars built at the iconic 100 year young Kalamazoo factory at 225 Parsons Street. These guitars are crafted with tone & timbre and sought after by musicians of all levels. Not only does he represent Heritage Guitar Inc., he began playing professionally in 1964, and after picking up his first Parsons Street guitar in 1965, there were no others. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, he went on to represent Gibson Guitar. Proudly he remained true to his passion for the 225 Parsons Street crafted guitars, and has played and represented Heritage Guitar Inc. from its 1985 inception. His keen mastery and knowledge of the elements and nuances of today’s Heritage full guitar line, he speaks to all genres of music and players for the must have guitar they have searched for and/or desired, whether it is a solid and semi-solid body, thinline, carved top hollow body, or the flagship “Golden Eagle.” MIMI FOX Heritage Guitar is proud of premier artist, jazz guitarist extraordinaire, Mimi Fox. She is an internationally renowned guitarist/composer/recording artist/educator with a plethora of accolades to her credit including being named a winner in 6 consecutive DownBeat Magazine critics polls. She has played with an impressive lineup of today’s top artists including Branford Marsalis, Joey De Francesco, and Diana Krall among countless others. Most recently she has recorded with the San Francisco String Trio. Their CD scheduled for release September 8th, is a tribute to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper Album from 50 years ago - unlike any other tribute offered to The Fab Four. She speaks eloquently about her decades relationship with Heritage Guitar Inc. and her much loved Road Warrior. However, you will see and hear her play standards with twists and her unique flavor, including a sneak preview of tunes from the newest CD – all on her Heritage Signature Model, “The Fox.” Saturday, November 4 at 2:00pm Bananas at Large1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event RSVP Online Shop all Heritage guitars here.
Taylor Road Show - 9/14/17
Guitar talk and demos with Taylor factory staff from El Cajon, California Experience the new Academy Series & GS Mini Bass Test-drive Taylor's latest guitar models Consult with Taylor's experts to find the perfect guitar Special Road Show pricing on Taylor models Free TaylorWare gear and Anti-Rust Elixir (while supplies last) Thursday, September 14 at 6:30pm Bananas at Large531 College Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Facebook Event! RSVP Online! Shop all Taylor guitars here.
Taylor Guitars New Model Showcase Event
Be the first to play the new Taylor models, including the all-new Academy Series, GS Mini-Bass, 800 Deluxe Series, the redesigned 700 Series, one-off custom guitars and more! FREE Taylorware giveaways while supplies last! One-on-one consultation with a Taylor factory expert! Saturday, March 18th at 12:00 PM - 6:00PM RSVP on Facebook Bananas At Large 1504 4th Street, San Rafael, California 94901 Shop Our Taylor Guitars
Group Guitar for the Absolute Beginner Class
Group Guitar for the Absolute Beginner is a 6 week course designed to get you started! $240 per person for the course Dates: TBD - please contact us to be placed on Notification list! Times: TBD Teacher: Tal Morris Maximum: 15 students - Sign Up Now Cost: $240 per student Requirements: Every student needs their own instrument for home practice Never touched a guitar before? Have you always been fascinated by the world’s most popular instrument and wondered where to begin? Well this class is for you! Over the course of six weeks we will give you a proper orientation with this awesome instrument. You will walk away with a solid foundation as well as a few choice songs you can play and be able to communicate with others about your new faculties and inspiration! Subjects covered will be: Proper holding and playing positions Tuning, standard and open Pick technique How to fret and play chords How to learn and practice Your first song! Strumming and rhythm, how to keep the beat Basic fingerpicking The major scale, note names and melody Reading orientation tab and notation The capo The slide Acoustic and electric, distortion and clean. And who knows? Magic can happen! We look forward to meeting you, the new guitarists for 2017! Call 415-457-7600 x104 for questions or to sign up! Bananas At Large 1504 Fourth Street San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 457-7600 See All Teachers >
