Takamine

As you already know, long time Tak player Ed Kowalczyk has put aside all things "Live" and is well down the road of a successful solo career. His critically acclaimed album "Alive" seems to have set the stage for a direction that suits him well. "I feel like I'm at the tip of the iceberg here," he says, which means a Live reunion probably isn't in the cards any time soon.

Kowalczyk wrote eight of "Alive's" tracks himself and for the track "Drink (Everlasting Love)," Kowalczyk worked with "American Idol" finalist (and avowed Live fan) Chris Daughtry, who became a friend after the two performed together on the 2006 "Idol" finale.

Ed has headed to Europe for a series of shows that includes the Rottepop Festival in the Netherlands, where "Alive" debuted at No. 4 on the national album chart. His North American tour begins Sept 16th in Philadelphia and winds through 18 major markets before an extended stay in Australia.

Ed has been a Tak player for many years now and was closely associated with his old EF341SC. His current mainstays is an LTD2009.