Nicolas Rifflard didn’t become the Rifflord overnight. The title began unexpectedly over lunch in the AMS office. But how did he get there?
Music has always been an open door for Nicolas. He has had countless opportunities to pursue music. But even though he had big dreams of being a rock star as a kid, more often than not, he walked away from them. In fourth grade, he played trumpet in the school band and even took on private lessons, only to quit – much to his band director’s disappointment. Later, when he was about 12, he started guitar lessons with none other than Steve Brown, the lead guitarist of Trixter, who has also played with Def Leppard, Ace Frehley, and Danger Danger. Did he stick with it? Not quite. Even piano lessons, taken three times, were short-lived. Although all of his instructors told him he had a strong natural ear for music, he was always marching to the beat of his own drum.
Everything changed for Nick when he took a college elective, Song Writing Craft and Business, taught by Nina Ossoff. He was tasked with writing a song a week to share with the class. All the while, he found himself unable to construct a good song even if he tried. He propelled himself forward, forcing himself to make three songs every week and only shared the ones he liked. After class, he heard a ton of talk about all the other electives and groups going on around campus. So he got involved in the campus music scene, made a ton of musician friends and even joined a band.
Today, Nick is the new intern at American Musical Supply. He brings his creative and upbeat spirit to the team, as well as his sassy attitude and innovative ingenuity. He's the guy you go to when you need the next line of lyrics for your song or a fresh melody — and he's a natural at producing. OH, and he is back on the keys and learning guitar… again… for real this time! Music has always been an open door… and it seems like he is finally walking through it.
When you can’t find Nick pulling himself up by the bootstraps at one of his two jobs, he’s either writing music with friends or listening to the same song on loop for 10 hours while gazing into the abyss and loving every second of it.
It was definitely hot when we interviewed Chris and Ryan from Hot Mulligan — the weather wasn't friendly... But we still got to talk all about their time at Warped Tour, the rebirth of emo, and of course their signature Reverend guitars.
What do you do if you have a bunch of Walrus Audio gear laying around the studio? You use it to jam on The Beatles' "I Am the Walrus" of course! Check out this tasty jam and all the gear that made it possible.
Gibson has officially opened their vault. What treasures lay inside? All the most influential guitars of the 20th century — and we got to check it out FIRST! You won't believe what we saw.
Ever wonder what a battle between a plane, tank, and submarine would look like? So do we! That's why we caught Tigers Jaw before their show to ask them. It's a fun interview you don't want to miss.
It takes a lot to build some of the best acoustic guitars in the game? What does it take exactly? Well, we went and asked one of the top builders in the business: Bob Taylor himself! If you like acoustic guitars, you don't want to miss this interview.
Yes, the Dovydas interview was just as unique and electrifying as the man himself. It had everything: live looping, crazy stories, deep personal moments. We laughed, we cried, and we ROCKED! It's one you don't want to miss.
We heard a funky version of the Seinfeld theme coming out of the Schecter Studio, and who could it be but the amazing Charles Berthoud! We got to talk to Charles about his love of Schecter, songwriting, and what it's like to play with Victor Wooten.
The Ernie Ball NAMM booth always has something cool to see. And this year, it had Jason Richardson! We got to talk to Jason about where he finds space for his extensive guitar collection, what it's like to be a musician in modern times, and what's coming up.
Is it getting hot in here or is it just Rsonist from Heatmakerz? We got to chat with Rsonist and learn a few things about producing, fostering creativity, and just letting the musical juices flow.
Schecter has all the goodies at NAMM 2026 — including Mastodon guitarist Nick Johnston. We got to chat with Nick all about his relationship with Schecter, pracitcing guitar, and how creativity can resolve your woes.
Guess who we found at the Ernie Ball booth at NAMM 2026. Our good buddy Steve Morse! We got to talk to him all about his warmup routine, what it's like playing with arthritis, and how he built his signature Music Man. Check it out now!
Guess who we ran into at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ...? Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson of Opeth! We got to talk to them all about how they make music, their awesome PRS guitars, and a few tips and tricks for the up-and-coming metal artists out there.
How good do you have to be to be considered Wolfgang Van Halen's favorite guitarist? Pretty darn good! And we were lucky enough to get a few pointers from the man himself: Aaron Marshall! Check out the interview right here.
If you see a big ol' bus at NAMM, you knock on the door to see who's inside. And we found Nathan East! We got to talk chat all about how to get the callback, loving what you do, and of course his new Laney Digbeth amp.
The Martin Road Series got a refresh! And we got to talk to Joey, Mike, and Ramin, direct from the Martin factory, all about the latest updates and how the Road Series makes iconic Martin legacy accessible to more people than ever before.
We got the opportunity to talk to John 5... again! And this time was just as much fun. We got to discuss all things music, touring, Hall of Fame snubs, and we even asked how our buddy Churro was doing — which is great btw!
Tommy Emmanuel is one of the best acoustic players on the planet, and we got to sit down with him to talk all about his career, songwriting process, and how to create "an attitude for gratitude." Oh, and he plays a lot, too!
Crashing through a shower door isn't even the weirdest part of this interview... Check out our sit-down with Between the Buried and Me to learn all about their writing shenanigans and the gear they use to create "true heaviness."
Ever wonder how Mike Riggs gets such wild guitars? It's because when it comes to working with Schecter, anything goes — literally! We caught up with Mike at Welcome to Rockville to talk all about Schecter, touring, and the chaos that ensues.
Ever wonder how pedal makers create such crazy effects? Mistakes, apparently. We got Colt Westbrook of Walrus Audio, Jamie Stillman of EarthQuaker Devices, and Robert Keeley of Keeley Electronics to sit down together and talk about what it's like to build FX pedals in 2025.
Is your guitar not playing like it used to? It might just need a truss rod adjustment. Learn how to adjust your guitar truss rod correctly and get back your playability.
Learn how to tune your drums without the stress. This no-nonsense drum tuning guide covers tuning tips, frequency charts, and gear to help you lock in your sound — fast, clean, and frustration-free.
We were tired of bad recordings, so we went to visit Kevin Antreassian at Backroom Studios for some tips. Want to take your recordings to the next level? Here's how.
Studio time is a big deal, and it's important to be prepared. That's why we asked Kevin Antreassian, owner/producer of Backroom Studios, what he wishes his clients knew before getting into the studio. Are you ready for your studio time?
It was definitely hot when we interviewed Chris and Ryan from Hot Mulligan — the weather wasn't friendly... But we still got to talk all about their time at Warped Tour, the rebirth of emo, and of course their signature Reverend guitars.
Gibson has officially opened their vault. What treasures lay inside? All the most influential guitars of the 20th century — and we got to check it out FIRST! You won't believe what we saw.
Ever wonder what a battle between a plane, tank, and submarine would look like? So do we! That's why we caught Tigers Jaw before their show to ask them. It's a fun interview you don't want to miss.
It takes a lot to build some of the best acoustic guitars in the game? What does it take exactly? Well, we went and asked one of the top builders in the business: Bob Taylor himself! If you like acoustic guitars, you don't want to miss this interview.
Ready to rock the turntables and get everyone out on the dance floor? Check out the ultimate DJ buyer’s guide to learn everything you need to know about becoming a DJ.
It’s not easy to build the perfect live sound setup, but we’re here to make it at least a little bit easier with the AMS ultimate live sound buying guide.
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