Gibson Editorial Credits

With Hubert’s Les Paul in Memphis

Ari Surdoval, Editorial Director

When Ari Surdoval was 15, he worked all summer to save up for a 1955 Les Paul Junior, only to find that it had been sold the day before he went to buy it. This taught him two very important lessons: Life isn’t fair, and cash up front. He has been a writer and editor for more than 15 years, and has played guitar in several rock ’n’ roll bands—not one of ’em worth a damn. He lives in Nashville with his wife and son, and a dog named Muddy Waters.

Ellen Mallernee, Editor

Ellen Mallernee was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, but has no Southern accent. She’s been a writer and editor for nearly 10 years, and acted as the music editor for Knoxville’s Metro Pulse. Ellen recently wrote the next great American novel but has yet to put it down on paper. The same goes for her guitar skills—they’re mostly in her head.

Gabriel Hernandez, Editor

Gabriel Hernandez has been a writer and editor for most of the last 20 years, including stints as a sports writer for the Palm Beach Post, and managing editor at LRP Publications, where he unwittingly became the preeminent voice of the funeral service industry. He plays and collects guitars, which speaks volumes about his wife’s patience and generosity. If you ever have a few hours to kill, ask him about Jimmy Page.

Correspondents

Josh Baron

Josh Baron is the executive editor of Relix magazine. His work has also appeared in Black Book, Paste, American Songwriter, Guitar World, Surfer and, most recently, Teen Vogue. He has been a contributor and analyst for various media outlets, including Concert TV. He is also an associate producer of the annual Jammy Awards. He enjoys coffee very, very much.

Jonah Bayer

Jonah Bayer is the Head Writer for Steven's Untitled Rock Show on the Fuse Television Network and a freelance entertainment writer. From 2002 - 2005 Jonah was the Music Editor at Alternative Press and guitarist for Eyeball Recording artists, the Lovekill. His work has appeared in Alternative Press, Revolver, Nylon, Guitar World, Guitar One, The Cleveland Plain Dealer and Harp. He has also been featured as a music expert on the Fuse Television Network and in the emo documentary, Bastards Of Young. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit him online at jonahbayer.org.

Chris Gill

Chris Gill is a music journalist with over 20 years experience. He has interviewed over 500 musicians from legendary icons to one-hit wonders to budding new talent. Currently a freelance writer, he has worked as an editor for a variety of magazines, including Guitar World, Guitar One, Guitar Player, Remix and Future Music. In 1995, Harper-Collins published his book Guitar Legends—The Definitive Guide to the World’s Greatest Guitar Players, which is currently available used on Amazon.com for 30 cents to $10,000.

Russell Hall

Russell Hall has been writing about music for the past 15 years. His past credits include Alternative Press, Request Magazine, and the Oxford American. Currently he contributes regularly to Goldmine Magazine, No Depression, and Performing Songwriter. He also maintains a music blog for the South Carolina newspaper The Anderson Independent-Mail.

Dave Hunter

Dave Hunter is a writer and musician who has worked in both the U.K. and the U.S. A former editor of The Guitar Magazine (UK), he has authored many gear-related books, including The Guitar Amp Handbook, Guitar Rigs, and The Electric Guitar Sourcebook, and is a regular contributor to Guitar Player and Vintage Guitar magazines. Dave lives in Portsmouth, NH, with his wife and two children, and fronts a twangy little outfit called The Molenes.

Nicole Keiper

Nicole Keiper is the assistant entertainment editor at Nashville daily The Tennessean, a post she took up after nearly six years as an editor of CMJ New Music Monthly in New York. Her work has appeared in a varied collection of outlets, from CMJ to Nylon and Ms. Magazine.

Jerry McCulley

Jerry McCulley thinks there are only two kinds of music in the world: what he's listening to at the moment and what he's not. He'd like to think the former is good; the latter at least amusing. Jerry has written about both kinds for publications and websites great and small, including Amazon, BAM, Harp, New Times, iTunes, Request and Rolling Stone, as well as penning liner notes for Shout! Factory, Rhino and others. He's never been a poet, a pauper, a pirate, a thief or a King, but remains optimistic.

Sean McDevitt

Sean McDevitt has written for a variety of publications, including Guitar One, Guitar World, and Guitar World Acoustic magazines. Other writing and editing credits include the Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal, Sports Illustrated, and CNN/Money.com. He also manages the news page for Johnny Winter’s official Web site, JohnnyWinter.net.

David Sprague

David Sprague has been trolling the outer fringes of music for more than two decades, covering everything from free jazz to grindcore to the inner workings of the Backstreet Boys. A former editor of Creem, Sprague has written for such publications as Spin, Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard and the New York Daily News. He lives in what’s been named America’s most ethnically-diverse zip code, in the heart of Queens, New York.