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PUBLISHED IN THE U.S.A.

GP Community NOIZE FROM THE EDITOR

have these manifestos to inform

rather than published. And, much

writing chops—you could just be

the people and scare the crap out

to the bitter disappointment of

a bad writer with a job. But I still

of conformity!” Yeah, I was think-

my teenage self, rock music and

believe that experience, vision,

ing stuff like that as a teenager. I

rock journalism did not CHANGE

an awareness of history, and the

blame growing up in the cultural/

THE WORLD. It was all entertain-

ability to write compelling prose

political volcano of San Francisco

ment . And commerce. And, well,

can be deployed to educate and

in the ’60s. I wasn’t alone in this

yeah, a good amount of helpful

enrich. Delete the “better than

near-worship of rock journalism,

charity events that continue to

thou” egotism of the past—unless

of course, as many of the profes-

this day, and I’m certainly grate-

it’s a hilarious and entertaining

ful for those.

application of haughtiness—and

WAS FI RST

sional music critics who wrote for

attracted to music journalism as

newspapers and magazines in

But “professional music

professional, well-edited writing

a young pup in the ’70s, it was

the pre-blog era nearly became

journalism” seems to have

should offer a depth and context

WHE N I

because of the record reviews in

rock stars themselves—pam-

de-evolved to a level of relative

that the dilettante blogger (even

Rolling Stone , Creem, and other

pered, press-junketed, backstage

disregard that no editor short of

one with an audience) can’t

rags of the times. Back then, I

passed, groupied, and simultane-

Nostradamus would have dared

approach. What do you think? Are

viewed rock music as a force for

ously feared by bands and record

predict in 1972. Right now, it’s pretty

music reviews by the GP editors

good, and the pompous, over-

labels. Wild times.

much a community of peers that

still valuable to you, or do you

wrought, snide, and often funny

Sadly, much of that stuff seems

handles pop-culture criticism.

learn more from your neighbors

words penned by critics with obvi-

just plain awful in the light of

(Perhaps it was prescient that the

and band mates? School me at

ous biases and out-of-control out-of-control supe-

today. today. For every truly crazy-smart

celebrated New Yorker film film critic

[email protected].

riority complexes appealed to my

writer like Lester Bangs, there was

Pauline Kael stopped writing in 1991,

own child-like sense of self-impor-

a boatload of arrogant, first-per-

before that web thing really caught

tance. “Hey, David Bowie is chang-

son reporting that a sane editor

on.) And, sure, a “professional” tag

ing the world, man, so we must

probably should have pulped

doesn’t ensure perceptiveness or

IF I WERE EDITOR OF

GUITAR PLAYER …

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… I WOULD INCLUDE articles on Christian musicians/bands. Seems like there is too much “Black Death” stuff out there. I enjoy metal music, but

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there is not enough balance between “good and evil.” I would also cover what tubes and speakers the pros use in their

JOE WALSH

52%

amps, and also provide info on any mods done to their amps and why. It’s the same with details on guitar mods and basic amp settings. Nobody seems to ask these questions. —MARTY WIEBEKHAUS

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For 2014, “Rant “Ran t of the Month” Mont h” has become “If I Were Editor.” Now, you get to share your wisdom in a more focused and productive way about a specific element you’d like to change about Take my job! job! Make the magazine magazine better better!! Send your your ideas ideas to mmolenda@mus mmolenda@musicpla icplayer yer.. GP . Take com with the subject line, “If I Were Editor.” Due to space constraints, we can only handle around 100 words. words. — M I C H A E L

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3%

MOLENDA

In the May 2014 issue we printed an incorrect street price of $2,849 for the Taylor 814ce. That price is for a non-cutaway version without electronics. The correct street price for the model we reviewed is $3,349. — A R T T H O M P S O N

OOPS! 16

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COMMENT. COMMENT. CRIT IQUE. THIS SETUP ROC KS AND

it is loud as hell! First, there’s my Gibson Les Paul Zoot Suit. Then, my pedalboard includes a Behringer Hell-Babe HB01 wah, a Planet Waves Tru-Strobe tuner, a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, an Electo-HarElecto- Harmonix Metal Muff, a Ramble FX Marvel Drive (which is awesome), a Boss TR-2 Tre Tremo molo lo,, a Boss BossOC-3 OC-3 SUPE SUPER R Octave, a Rocktron Hypnotic Flange, a TC Electronic Flashback Flashba ck delay, delay, and a DigiTech JamMan. Finally, there’s my Marshall 100watt Plexi and Marshall 1960A cab loaded with Celestion 65-watt speakers. speakers. I replaced the cabinet’s grille cloth myself. — H A R T S E L

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Who would you choose as your personal champion to face-off in a shred cage match against Zakk Wylde? Jeffry D. Jaskolka JoeJimmy Lucasti Page would Chet Atkins destroy him. and Roy Clark.

Tyrel Lynes Tosin Abasi or Steve Vai.

Nick Guadagnoli The ghost of Dimebag.

Benjamin Rhoades Dumb debate! Zakk is the best shredder.

Dustin Devine John 5.

Hutch Draman Saving the Satriani card for when I really need it.

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James Sullivan Synyster Gates.

Jeff Smith Buckethead.

Lucas Fingers Kimery Paul Gilbert.

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JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

17

Gear Opening Shots ROUNDUP

TEENAGE KICKS G R E B S E K A L B

Ireland’s Strypes rave up Austin’s Ten Oak Bourbon House during a Gracenote party at SXSW.

Y A J

18



19

i

R ffs Johnny Plays Berklee BY BARRY CLEVELAND FROM THE GRITTY GUITAR CHORDS THAT KICK OFF PEREN-

nial set opener “Raju” to the final strains of album closer “You Know You Know,” John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension’s latest release, The Boston Record [Abstract Record [Abstract Logix], captures the high-octane quartet playing an inspired show before an enthusiastic audience at the Berklee College of Music. McLaughlin, bassist Etienne M’Bappe, drummer Ranjid Barot, and keyboardist/drummer Gary Husband run down nine numbers drawn from several eras of McLaughlin’s celebrated career, from the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s 1971 debut The Inner Mounting Flame to Flame to the 4th Dimension’s own 2012 release Now release Now Here This. This. The current quartet has an extraordinary chemistry.

People do speak about the something the something that that passes between certain people as being chemistry, chemistry, and there’s a lot of it in this band. I don’t know how to account for it, but the 4th Dimension has been in existence for almost eight years now, which is pretty good. We’ve had a few personnel changes, but they have happened organically. At this time, I feel the band is one of the best I’ve ever had—maybe the greatest.

M’Bappe, Barot, Husband, and McLaughlin (left to right).

at this point. How did you select the tunes that are included on The Boston Record?

Gary, Etienne, and Ranjit can play anything I throw at them with the greatest of ease. In addition, there’s a definite connection between the 4th Dimension and the original Mahavishnu Orchestra. I don’t know how or why—it’s just there. As a consequence, there are pieces that go back to the ’70s that I still enjoy playing. Of course, there are also pieces from the ’80s, ’90s, and all the way up to today in the band’s repertory. Of all the early Mahavishnu pieces, what made “You Know You Know” the right one to perform and record at this time?

There are tunes I wrote wrote a long long time ago, for which I have a parparticular affection, though I don’t know why. Some music you write at a particular point ONLINE in your life makes a statement, and, for me, “You “You Know You Know” is one of those t hose tunes. guitarplayer.com/june2014 It’s not really a tune, though, as there’s no real melody. melody. It’s just a riff. But the riff tells > McLaughlin and the the story somehow. 4th Dimension perform

Your longtime musical relationship with Gary Husband, in p pararticular, has been exceptionally fruitful. What is it about him that you find so inspiring?

Gary has a gigantic talent, and a total lack of self-importance. He is without any pretensions whatsoever—which is unusual, to say the least. I believe I’m also his greatest admirer, so you could say that some of the original chemistry of the band started with Gary and me.

MORE

The band has an appreciable repertoire

20


an entire concert in this HD video from 2012.

Your tone is relatively gritty and rock-like on many pieces. How are you getting those nastier sounds?

C H R I S

tube and a MOSFET. MOSFET. I’m playing my custom PRS PR S and Godin Freeway SA guitars. [ Editor’s note: McLaughlin’s McLaughlin’s pedalboard pedalboard also contains an MXR Stereo Chorus and Carbon Copy delay, a Korg Pitchblack tuner, a Line 6 Relay G30 wireless system, a Fishman GuitAero WGS6000 RX Wireless Wireless Guitar Synthesizer, Synthesizer, and a Dunlop Dunlop CD-Brick power power supply.] supply.] Did you make a pact with the devil in order to still be playing at the top of your game during the fifth decade of your career?

No, I didn’t. But some people are calling me Dorian Gray [laughs]. laughs ]. By all rights, I should be playing pla ying golf and taking taki ng life easy, but playing music is not like that. In fact, I believe playing music is the element that keeps me healthy. That said, when I’m not touring, I play tennis, swim, bike halfway up a mountain once a week, and have a healthy, healthy, principally vegetarian diet—all of which contribute to a healthy life. I also continue my meditation practices, which definitely help. What inspires you to keep going?

I’ve been using tube preamps for quite a few years now, and I currently have three that I really like on my pedalboard. I just choose the one that suits my mood, and on the evening that we recorded The Boston Record, Record, it was my Seymour Duncan Twin Tube Classic. The other two are my old Mesa/Boogie V-T V-Twin, which also uses a pair of tubes, and a Hermida Audio Zen Drive 2, which uses a

Although Although there’s there’s no more record record industry industry,, I’m glad I can can continue to record. Records are like paintings, and I have a friend who is one of the greatest painters of wild animals in the world. In 2012, he told me he’d sold only one painting the entire year, but he can’t stop painting. We are in the same boat. How can we stop? As long as there are people who enjoy what we create, we’re happy! g JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

21

D O R R

Riff ffss

G E O R G E B . W E L L S

Robben Ford Battles Adversity to (Kind of) Record an Album in One Day BY MICHAEL ROSS

IN ORDER TO KEEP THE MOMENTUM

going until his next studio project, Robben Ford’s record company recorded three nights of a European tour for a live record. But Ford was unhappy with the results, and instead decided to take the time to write some new songs, and go ahead and record his next studio album. Well, sort of. He also embraced the idea of a live album. “We just took the live-album concept into a controlled environment, and tried to replicate a show in the recording studio,” says Ford. “We even invited an audience to watch us perform.” The The resu result ltis A Day Day in Nash Nashvi vill llee [Provogue]— a quite literal title, as the nine tracks on the album were recorded during one session in “Big Boy,” Boy,” the large room at Nashville’s Sound Kitchen Studio. “The band had been playing the two 22

covers [‘Cut You Loose’ and ‘Poor Kelly Blues’] and ‘Different People’ live,” explains Ford, “and I sent the guys demos of the new songs and charts for the instrumentals. We did one day of rehearsal before befo re the session. We We couldn’t spend more than an hour recording any one song, so we did, at most, three takes on each track.” One day of rehearsal for nine tracks when you’re heading into a one-day session may seem overly optimistic or just nuts, but a serious injury to Ford prompted a few “Plan B” measures. “We “We had a two-week tour planned plan ned before recording,” he says, “and, on the second day of the tour, I woke up with a fractured wrist brought on by acute tendinitis. The tendon had pulled away, taking a little piece of bone with it. It was very hard for me.” Ford’s injury also necessitated some overdubs, so not everything you hear on A Day in Nashville Nashville was was recorded in one on e day.


Two Two weeks later, la ter, Ford returned to Nashville—this time to House of Blues Studio D (which had originally been built for Sam the Sham in the late 1960s as Sounds of Memphis, and was recently transported board by board from Memphis to Nashville)—to redo guitar parts. For his last studio outing, the relaxed Bring It Back Home, Home, Ford played only a 1966 Epiphone Riviera, and exclusively on the neck pickup. For A Day Da y In I n Nashvil Na shville le,, the guitarist added his 1968 Les Paul with a humbucker replacing the original bridge mini-humbucker. mini-hu mbucker. He used bridge and neck pickups on both instruments to push his Dumble Overdrive Special, and occasionally boosted the signal with a Hermida Zen Drive. “I was definitely getting down a bit more on this one,” says Ford, “because it was conceived as a live performance, and the energy is different when I play live.” g

Telling Stories (left to right)—Jason Mraz, Vince Gill, and Emmylou Harris.

K R A L C N O D N A R B

What the Heck Is a Guitar Pull? “GUITAR PULLS STARTED OUT INFOR-

Representing the pop side of contempo-

mally at the houses of songwriters in Nashville,” Nash ville,”

rary music at the concert is multi-platinum

Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, and

says Country Music Hall-of-Famer Emmylou

tunesmith Jason Mraz, who loves the acous-

Townes Van Zandt,” says Holly Williams, Will iams, grandgrand -

Harris in the upstairs lounge at Club Nokia in

tic nature of guitar pulls.

daughter of country-music icon Hank Williams.

“I saw the guitar pull of all guitar pulls—

Los Angeles, this past March 4. “They’d get

“I have an entirely acoustic tour coming up,

“That was extraordinary, because the stories

together in someone’s living room—or maybe

so I couldn’t ask for a better warm-up gig,” he

between the songs were as entertaining and

in town at Tootsie’s or the Bluebird—and p ass

says. “I am beyond honored to be included here.

moving as the songs themselves.”

around a guitar and play songs for each other.

As an artist, it makes you feel like your songs

But isn’t it challenging to create that cozy

As an audience member, you never get tired of

must be of a certain caliber if you’re invited on

and interactive “living room” atmosphere in a

watching guitar pulls, because there’s usually a

stage to trade tunes with Vince and Emmylou.”

venue like Club Nokia that holds 2,300 people? peo ple?

friendship between the songwriters that leads

With its relaxed, interactive, and reveal-

“You call this large?” jokes Heart lead singer,

to fantastic banter and stories between songs.” son gs.”

ing songwriters-in-the-round songwriters-in-the-round format, a guitar

Ann Wilson. “This is tiny [laughs]. laughs]. But don’t

Another reason Harris likes guitar pulls is

pull can be captivating in ways conventional

forget that a small room can hate you just as

concerts aren’t.

much as a big arena.” — J U D E

because the overhead on them is low, making

GOLD

them a great way to raise funds for good causes. Which is why we’re seeing a mammoth guitar pull at Club Nokia for tonight’s All For the Hall event—a benefit for Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Guitar players are usually blown away when they see our collection,” says the Hall’s Michael McCall. “On the electric side alone, we have everything from the original ‘Frying Pan’ and Les Paul’s ‘Log,’ to recent acquisitions from Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.” Country singer/guitarist extraordinaire Vince Gill couldn’t agree more. “To “To see some of those iconic instruments in person—Bill Monroe’s mandolin, ‘Mother’ May J U D E G O L D

belle Carter’s L-5, an old Martin from f rom Lester Flatt, Flatt, Earl Scruggs’ banjo, a lot of Chet Atkins’ guitars, and much more—is off-the-hook great,” says Gill. “I am proud to say my first guitar is there, too—

Coming through for country (left to right)—Vince Gill, Holly Williams, Heart’s Ann and

the old ES-335 I got when I was ten years old.” old.”

Nancy Wilson, Emmylou Harris, event host Rita Wilson, and Jason Mraz.


23

Riff ffss EDITO RS’ FA FAVES VES JUNE 2014 Chris Buono GUITARIST’S GUITARIST’S GUIDE TO MUSIC READING: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE NECK AND NOT NOTATION

solos. The accompanying CD lets you hear how everything is supposed

Talk about a daunting task! Chris Buono is intent

that?” factor. factor. This is a great learning tool by a great teacher and player.

on striking down stereotypes awbout guitarists not

Hal Leonard. — M A T T

to sound. I would be truly amazed if you didn’t instantly get some keeper licks off these pages. We all know this scale, and that’s what makes Connecting Pentatonic Patterns so hip—the whole “Why didn’t I think of BLACKETT

being able to read in these 128 pages. He thoughtfully and methodically breaks down everything you need to know to turn those dots and lines on the

The Nels Cline Singers MACROSCOPE

page into beautiful music. Note and rhythmic recognition is covered in

On this superb disc, Cline and Co. seduce the lis-

depth, and then once you can see, say, B, C , and D on the page, Buono

tener via a smoothly unfolding series of deep-focus

then shows you all the different places you can find those notes on the

aural panoramas encompassing unexpected stylistic

neck. If you truly go through this book, you will be able to read music. Hal

twists and turns, novel idiomatic and timbral juxta-

Leonard. — M A T T

BLACKETT

positions, irresistible rhythmic currents, and enticing atmospherics. Bassist Trevor Dunn (who replaces original Singers bassist

Michael Bloomfield FROM HIS HEAD TO HIS HEART TO HIS HANDS

Devon Hoff) and drummer/percussionist/circuit tweaker Scott Amendola are Cline’s core musos, with percussionists Cyro Baptista and Josh Jones,

This three-CD/one-DVD compilation package gives

harpist Zeena Parkins, and pianist Yuka C. Honda joining them at various

listeners a ton of great music from this legend-

points—and the gui guitarist tarist even employs his voice on two pieces. As always,

ary guitarist, who came to prominence in the Paul

Cline somehow manages to be both avant-garde and wonderfully musi-

Butterfield Blues Band during the famed East-West

cal, with lovely melodies and luscious harmonic colori ngs flowing from his

era, worked with Bob Dylan when the folk star went

hands as easily as jagged riffs, nasty metallic blasts, wailing screeches,

electric on 1965’s Highway 61 Revisited , founded the

and wholly unmitigated sonic chaos. Every song on this record is a gem,

band Electric Flag (which featured Buddy Miles, Nick

but at present I’m especially fond of the layered percussion, “Tomorrow

Gravenites, Gravenites, and Harvey Brooks), and collaborated collaborated

Never Knows”-inspired reversed washes, and pedal-steel-like pedal-steel-like thematic

with Al Kooper in 1968 on the mega-selling album Super Session . Pre-

guitar orchestrations on “The Wedding Band” and the soulful, Benson-

sented here are some 42 tracks—a collection of Bloomfield’s life’s work,

esque “Red Before Orange,” featuring a wild modulated-wah solo that

really—that include live performances with Paul Butterfield and Electric

appears out of nowhere. This is arguably the best Singers album to date.

Flag from Fillmore Auditoriums East and West (along with other venues),

Mack Avenue. — B A R R Y

CLEVELAND

acoustic sessions, and recordings with Muddy Waters (from Fathers and Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama! ). The DVD portion is a mini docu-

Rock Candy Funk Party ROCK CANDY FUNK PARTY TAKES TAKES NEW YORK

mentary that features live performances, interviews, and personal rec-

If Joe Bonamassa isn’t the hardest working man in

ollections from Bloomfield’s friends and musical cohorts. Not only can

show biz, I don’t know who is. Joey B kills it in this

you learn a ton about playing blues by listening to Bloomfield’s inspired

setting (with only one amp!) along with this great

soloing on many of the songs, but this set offers a fascinating glimpse

band, including his partner in funk, guitarist Ron

into the all-too-short life of one of America’s most gifted blues guitar-

DeJesus. The grooves are deep and the playing is tight throug hout this gig.

ists. Legacy. — A R T

DeJesus provides gorgeous Tele Tele spank while Bonamassa plays soar-

Sons) and Janis Joplin (Bloomfield played played on her solo debut album, I Got

THOMPSON

ing melodies in “Work” before a vicious hybrid-picked solo by DeJesus.

Tom Kolb CONNECTING PENTATONIC PENTATONIC PATTERNS: PATTERNS: THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE FOR ALL GUITARISTS

Bonamassa plays the coolest ring modulator solo this side of Jan Hammer in “Octopus-e.” Every guy in the band exhibits superb timing and listening skills and it’s incredibly refreshing. This could be just the thing to add some

Instructor and player extraordinaire and Musicians

funk—not to mention some candy—to your next party. Bad to the bone.

Institute lifer Tom Kolb takes every guitar ist’s favor-

J&R Adventures. — M A T T

BLACKETT

ite scale and gives you a zillion ways to stretch it all over the neck. There are cool-sounding exercises for getting comfortable with the position shifts, and then he strings them together in musical, useful

24


George Benson

Now He Hear This

SNAPPY PROFI LES OF P LAYERS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Paul Hammond GET THE LED OUT FOR TEN YEARS, PHILADELPHIA’S

MORE

ONLINE

guitarplayer.com/june2014 > Get Hammond’s

complete gear list. Watch GTLO perform Led Zep’s hits.

26


Get The Led Out has built an impressive following paying homage to Led Zeppelin by recreating the studio versions of the band’s iconic masterworks in live performance. GTLO’s studio-to-stage approach requires six musicians to cast its spell, including a gifted musical illusionist in guitarist Paul Hammond, who not only earned himself a Master’s Degree in the Canon of Jimmy Page, but also modified some of his own gear to emulate the sounds on classic Zep tracks. “I try to p resent Page’s tones very precisely, cisely, but it’s not an easy feat, because his sound varies so widely within a single song,” says Hammond. “It all starts with the proper amps and guitars—I actually built an amp from scratch using parts from Metro Amps to match a 1968 Marshall 100-watt head that I retired from the road—but then it’s taken to the next level. Changing guitars, pickup selections, and Tone Tone knob knob settings settings happens happens a lot during our shows. For example, ‘Bring it on Home’ starts with a very dark and slightly distorted tone, which I achieve by using the rhythm pickup on my Les Paul with the Tone knob at 2. When the main verse kicks in, it’s the lead pickup with the Volume and Tone knobs at around 7, and with a fuzz switched on.” Given his intensive study of Led Zeppelin’s music, Hammond has a unique and critical perspective on how some players might miss the essence of Pagey’s style. “I think some guitarists might try to ‘straighten out’ his parts, and get the timing and tuning a bit more accurate,” he says. “However that isn’t what makes Jimmy’s playing so magical. His quarter-tone bends, playing around the beat, slurring notes, and having one of the ballsiest performance attitudes ever makes his playing what it is. For me, I am definitely trying to reconstruct the recorded music of Led Zeppelin along with my bandmates. However, However, no one in Get The Led Out is attempting to impersonate the original members. I’m still me—I’m just me performing Jimmy Page’s parts as accurately as possible.” g

“Fretlight is the fastest way to get better.”

Orianthi ripping on the E minor blues scale

Beat the Learning Curve. We all get to that point in our playing where we need to learn something new. Why struggle with books, charts char ts or o r YouTube YouTube™? See exactly where the notes are for chords, scales, songs, riffs and even tablature. You can slow down and loop any part to really nail it. No matter what you want to play, Fretlight will get you there faster.

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For stage and performance, Ori plays

Orianthi is an official endorser of the Fretlight Learning System. YouTube™ is a registered trademark of Google, Inc. ® PRS is a registered trademark of Paul Reed Smith Guitars.

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31

Featuress Feature Relentless Pursuit OBSESSION WITH WI TH MAKING GUIT GUITARS ARS PLAY AND SOUND BETTER BUZZ FEITEN’S FEITEN’S OBSESSION B Y ART THOMPSON BY ALL ACCOUNTS, GUITARIST GUITARIST BUZZ FEITEN HAS LED A CHARMED MUSICAL

existence. At At age 19 he jammed with Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in New York, and the next day he was invited to audition for the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. That gig led not only to performing at Woodstock, but subsequently opened the door for Feiten to play and/or record with a Who’s-Who list of artists, including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Bette Midler, the Rascals, James Taylor, Gregg Allman, Rickie Lee Jones, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, Bob Dylan, Dave Weckl, Kenny Loggins, the Brecker Bothers, David Sanbor Sanborn, n, Michael Franks, Mr. Mister, Dave Koz, Koz, and Olivia Newton-John. Newton-J ohn. Throughou Throughoutt his his long long career career as a profesprofessional guitarist, Feiten has always sought to improve the performance of his instruments, whether by making them play more in tune or building his own speaker cabinets to make them sound better onstage. Feiten chalks up his relentless pursuit of “fixing” guitars to a very simple philosophy: “I’ve always felt that if something could be improved, I had to at least try to make it better. better. As I got more years of experience in different situations, I started to have very 32

strong intuitive feelings about things. For instance, I noticed that all the guitars I played exhibited the same tendencies to play out of tune, so that set off an alarm bell, because if they’re all tending to sound out of tune in the same way, maybe there’s a correction that could be just as consistent. That led me to create the Buzz Feiten tuning system in 1992, and the rest is history.” More recently, Feiten has put his energies into creating a line of electric guitars bearing his name—a venture that a ffords


him ample opportunity to pull from all the things he has learned about guitars over the decades and, as always, continue to make improvements wherever he sees a need. Was it primarily the tuning issue with guitars that put you on the map as an inventor?

Yes, and the real motivation behind that was I had several experiences working in the studio on projects with producers and I could not tune my guitar. guitar. Here I am, a session guy with 25 years of experience, and I can’t get my guitar in tune! That was an embarrassment to me, and I swore that I was either going to fix it or give up playing. And then I remembered that back in the late ’60s when there were no electronic tuners I was intonating my guitars by ear. I’d pluck a string and play the octave, and if it sounded sharp or flat

I’d adjust it. I had more success doing it that way than I did using a tuner, tuner, and it got me thinking that there must be something wrong with the formula—that’s what led me down that path toward developing my tuning system. After that, you got involved for a time in building speaker cabinets.

Yeah, I got obsessed in the early ’90s with speaker cabinets, because I realized that most manufacturers were basically just building a square box and sticking some speakers in it with very little thought as to how it sounded. It was more about how it looked and if it was the same size as the head. I had some guitar cabinets that sounded great and others that didn’t, so I started experimenting with cabinets and came up with a design that was very lightweight and very punchy. It was a closedback design, which was sort of against the grain in those days, and I ended up being pretty happy with it. But it took a couple of years and hundreds of hours of work to get there. What did you learn about improving speaker cabinets?

In order to make a great sounding cabinet, you have to first get rid of the standing wave, which makes things sound boxy. Most speaker cabinets are dampened with cotton batting if they ’re dampened at all, so I started using acoustic foam to dampen the inside of the cabinet which right away helped by getting rid of that

boxy sound, tightening up the bottom bott om end, and letting the voice of the speaker come through better. bett er. I also discovered is that if you combine a high efficiency driver with a low efficiency driver—such as a Celestion 80-watt Classic Lead, which has a big magnet, with a Celestion Greenback, which has a smaller magnet—then you get the best of both worlds: the headroom of the big magnet and the sweetness of the smaller magnet. Why do you front-load one speaker and rear-load the other?

Front-loaded cabinets tend to be very snappy and have a lot more attack, whereas rear-loaded cabinets tend to be more boxy sounding, so I discovered that if you frontload the bottom speaker—the one that’s furthest from your ear and closest to the ground—you get more punch by virtue of it being front-loaded. Conversely, when you put a front-loaded speaker up off the ground they tend to sound very annoying and piercing. A lot of this has to do with where you’re standing in front of the cabinet, of course, and that being said, I tried to find the best combination of all those variables so that if your speaker cabinet is in a normal position onstage it would have a great combination of tightness, punch, bottom end, and attack—but would also have the warmth that putting a rear-loaded speaker on the top provides. At the moment, Fuchs Amplification has licensed both of my speaker cabinet designs, and you can

get can them directly though Fuchs. What was the reason for choosing a Tele-style design for your guitars?

I started with that basic design because I’d played Strats for years and had developed shoulder problems. In fact, I had to have shoulder surgery because of a torn rotator cuff, which was caused from 20 years of having no support for my right forearm when I played guitar. And that’s because of the elbow rout on the Strat body, which means you can’t rest your forearm on the lower bout. So I switched to Teles Teles and all that went away, and my playing improved because I was able to rest my forearm on the lower bout. That’s why you’ll never see an elbow rout on one of my guitars, even though I like how they look. Another design advantage of the Tele Tele is that it’s very ver y simple and has very few parts on it. The simpler the guitar, the more sound transmission to the body and neck. Is that why you prefer bolt-on neck guitars?

Yes. I believe that when they ’re set up right, the amount of volume and bottom end is way more than on a set-neck guitar. It’s just common sense. If you play a setneck guitar acoustically, it doesn’t have the same amount of bottom end as a boltneck guitar, and that’s because the strings are trying to move one big piece of wood instead of moving two smaller pieces. What are some of the other elements that define your guitars?


33

Featuress Feature BUZZ FEITEN

I use 6100 frets, and the 14" radius comes from playing acoustic guitars. It’s just something I got used to and found very comfortable. Another thing is the bridge pickup, because I love the way Tele Tele pickups sound, but a stock one is pretty much unusable for me in a real-world situation because of the single-coil noise. So I started working on different ways of wiring a humbucker to give me a single-coil sound. Series/parallel is the option I chose to use, but the parallel setting, which is the weaker one, usually has way too much top end and the guitar sounds thin and tinny. To To solve solve that, I came up up with a passive passive tone network that works only in the parallel position, and acts like a preset tone pot with the high end rolled off a little bit. It’s standard on my guitars with humbuckers. The idea is that the high end stays the same when you switch from series to parallel, allowing you to get rock sounds and an d Tele Tele sounds from one guitar. guit ar. Dean Parks has some video on our website now, and one of the things he talks about a

lot is that switch. He loves having that snappy Tele Tele thing thing available available without without changing changing guitars. guitars. We also flip the pickup around so the polepieces are facing the neck, and the pickup is mounted on an angled pickup ring so that the polepiece screws are closer to the strings than the rear coil. This makes ma kes the pickup sound a lot more transparent because only one set of polepieces is sensing the strings that closely. You’re also a fan of top-loading bridges, right?

I don’t like string-through-body string-through-body loading because it causes excess string tension. I know some people think that’s what’s good about a Telecaste Telecaster, r, but guitars with wi th top-load bridges feel better to me because it’s easier to bend strings and play chords. They also sound better because there’s not too much tension across acr oss the bridge saddles. Too Too much tension causes excess brightness and a loss of bottom end, and that goes along with my general theory that every component on a guitar that the strings affect—the neck, bridge,

nut, and the tuners—has an optimum resonant frequency. When I install a neck on a guitar it’s a gentle press fit into the neck pocket, and the screws that attach the neck to the body aren’t real tight. For a long time I used to make them real tight, but I eventually realized that the guitar sounded better when the neck was allowed to vibrate more freely. freely. One way to think of it is the neck and body are two different pieces of wood, and if you have screws trying to force them to become one piece of wood, the strings will have a harder time vibrating those components. It’s the same with the bridge screws. I discovered a trick about installing a threescrew bridge: After you tighten all the screws, if you take the center screw and crack it loose, the guitar just blossoms. My realization there is if you have a strip of metal that’s held down with three screws, it ’s not going to vibrate a s much as it would if you loosened the middle screw so that it was just held hel d down at the ends. Of course, all a ll

of this is happening at a microscopic microscopic level, but effectively the bridge is being allowed to vibrate and excite the top of the guitar. It’s the same thing with the nut. I don’t allow the nut on a Buzz Feiten guitar to be glued in. It requires more labor to press fit them, but I’ve had the experience over and over of gluing the nut in and a nd destroying the tone of the guitar and the way it feels. So I just decided that the nuts on our guitars are going to be pressed in like on a good nylo n string. You shouldn’t tighten the tuning machines too much either because each tuner is a piece of metal that the string is trying to vibrate. The neck is at least 60 percent of the sound of a guitar, so it’s worth paying attention to these things.

string tension to sound good. So I’ve been working on a design that replaces the saddle’s two screws with one. These machinedbrass saddles are currently on our Signature Elite and Blues Pro guitars, and the new bridge design will incorporate them while also preventing side-to-side motion of the saddles by capturing each of them in a slot.

What do you most enjoy about making guitars now?

The good part is that I get to really follow my instincts. I have tremendous support from the people I work with, and I always get to try my ideas out even if they don’t make it into production. Sometimes I fail fai l miserably, but other times it works out really well. g

One thing that definitely stands out on your guitars guitars is the size of the neck. neck.

People often think the neck is too big at first, but after playing it for a while they’ll usually say, “I don’t want to go back to my other guitars because there’s no support for your hand.” But if someone wants a slimmer neck, we can make it. We just got Vince Gill as an endorser, and I’m building him a Signature Elite with a little thinner neck because that’s what he likes. What’s the reason for the different top woods on your various models?

Every guitar has a thin top over an alder core, and I’ve tried to match the top wood with the tone of the guitar. For instance, the Tele-style Tele-style bridge pickup on the T-Pro, T-Pro, which is hum cancelling, is brighter than a humbucker, bucker, so that’s why I chose spruce, a very soft wood, for the top. On the other hand, the Signature Elite sounds darker because it has a rosewood neck, and the maple top works really well to brighten it up. What’s on the horizon now?

I’m working on a two -humbucker model as well as an alternate body shape that looks a little snazzier. I’m also ready to go public with an improved bridge design that solves a lot of problems. One of the things I’ve observed with bridges on electric guitars is that you can drastically alter the way the guitar feels simply by changing the relationship between the height on the bass and treble sides of the saddle using the height adjustment screws. It can make a huge difference, but it’s an enormous pain in the ass to do this if you have to set up a lot of guitars and make them all feel loose enough to bend strings nicely, while also having enough JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

35

Featuress Feature ROUNDUP

Head-Firstt Slide Head-Firs MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS BRINGS IN THE HEAVY HITTERS ON YEP BY MATT BLACKETT AS A YOUNG GUITAR PLAYER S U B S C R I B E R ,

I attended the 1990 Winter NAMM show. At the Yamaha performance stage, I watched as Dokken’s Jeff Pilson introduced a guy he described as a “kick-ass guitar player—Michael Lee Firkins!” Firkins launched into his tune “Laughing Stacks” and stunned the crowd with his funky, bluesy, slippery rock licks. Looking beside me, I noticed GP legend Tom Wheeler checking out Firkins’ performance. “You “You should do something on this guy!” g uy!” I gushed. Wheeler said he was thinking the same thing. Shortly thereafter, guitarists everywhere would get to know Firkins thanks to his Shrapnel debut that sold over 100,000 copies. His tunes combined hard rock with Chet Atkins-style country, country, deft whammy bar work that could do a great slide imitation, and a rock-solid sense of time. In the ensuing years, Firkins would release more of his own records, serve as the hands of Jason Becker, and get seriously into singing and slide playing. The latter two skills are fully on display on his latest, Yep [Magna Carta]. Firkins is joined on Yep by Gov’t Mule’s Matt Abts and Andy Hess on drums and bass and rock royalty Chuck Leavell on keys. The album’s 11 songs are a great showcase of his swampy tones and muscular slide work.

36


How did you go from being a guy who played faux slide with a whammy bar to being almost totally devoted to slide playing today?

It’s been a weird little journey. It all started with the whammy bar stuff—I kind of emulated the slide with the whammy bar. I never played slide until about 15 years ago. I was in a band with a singer and he was playing some slide and I figured it was time to get my slide playing happening. My dad was a lap-steel player and we had a lap-steel at the house. He gave it to me about 12 y ears ago, and I really started getting into the slide about that point. Talk a little bit about the contributions of the other players on this record. It’s a really heavy rhythm section.

They ’re just ju st amazing amaz ing players. pl ayers. Chuck C huck L eavell from the t he Stones, man, I don’t think it gets much better than that. And Matt and Andy from Gov’t Mule had been touring all year. They played Bonnaroo and then came to my session the t he next day, day, so they were just smokin’. Their parts are al l live to tape—no overdubs by them whatsoever, whatsoever, and three takes max. Chuck Leavell just kicked ass. He’d be directing with his hands in the air and cueing people. Their stuff sounded so good, you could take all my guitars and my vocals out and you’d still have a really great, musical thing to listen to. What was the songwriting and recording process like?


37

Featuress Feature MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS

When I write, I’ll usually come up with a riff and I’ll instantly be singing over it. It might be just mumbling but there will usually be something lyrically there, and usually it’s the main part. Then I have to fill in verses. I didn’t record the demos very extensively at all. The band would hear those and they would learn the song right there on the spot and we’d record it. And thenyoucut your tracks after thefact?

Yeah. I didn’t even sing at the sessions. I did all of my guitars and vocals at home afterward. You do a really sweet breakdown at the end of “No More Angry Man.” Explain what’s

killer. I bought a whole bunch of them a few years ago. That one is in open G. What were some of the other tunings you used for this record?

Mostly open G, open E, and standard, then I’ll capo them. “Golden Oldie” is in open G with a capo on the 3rd fret. “Standing Ovation” and “Long Day” are both standard tuning, 2nd fret capo. Is it tricky to get a capo on a guitar that has a higher action for slide? Or, conversely, conversely, is it tough to play slide with the capo lowering the action?

I don’t mind it. If you don’t have a guitar

going on there.

First, it’s all improv. I was supposed to end the song and I just kept going. It’s me thumping a bass with a melody on top, but it’s not like a Chet Atkins thing—there is no real alternating 1-5-1-5 on the bottom. I’m using a vintage early-’70s SG or a Burny SG. The Burny is a lawsuit guitar from the ’70s—a Japanese copy of a Gibson. They ’re

38

MORE


ONLINE

guitarplayer.com/june2014 > Dig Firkins’ video for “Golden Oldie Jam.”

set up for slide it can be pretty rough for a while to get used to that. I’ll use .012s and .013s and have high action for slide when I can, and my normal action is high but workable. I think if you can play slide well enough, you should be able to play with low action. Besides, it kind of sounds good when it bumps around and hits frets and sounds crappy [laughs]. There are a couple of tunes on this record where I’m playing slide on Strats and Teles that aren’t specifically set up for slide or anything. What amps did you use?

I went through everything, man. This record took a long time to make and every year or two there was a new rig. But in the end, the Vox AC30 Hand-Wired gave me the most variety. I used that a lot and I also used a ’57 Fender Tweed Deluxe, a Vibrolux, and my ’77 Marshall. That Marshall is an amazingsounding amp, it just had a few issues, and I couldn’t always rely on it. Another setup I used was the AC30—going through vintage

’70s Celestions—along with the ’57 Deluxe with a room mic close to it. That made the overall tone sound a little livelier. How did you track your resonator parts?

I tried all kinds of stuff. I’d record it acoustically, tically, like the resonator at the beginning of “No More Angry Man.” I would sometimes plug it into an amp but mic the instrument at the same time.

What’s next for you?

I’ve just written so many songs in the past few years—hundreds of songs, and they keep coming. So I’m definitely trying to find a way to always have something new coming out. Everybody wants an album, but no one’s really listening to whole albums anymore. So, I think one great track can do just as good as a whole

album could. I wake up every day writing new ones. I’m exploring lowered tunings, like open C—open E but tuned down two steps. I didn’t do any of that on this record, but I do that live a lot and on my next record I’m sure I’ll do more of that because I love it. There’s also some stuff I can’t even tell you about [ laughs]. So there’s a lot to be excited about. g

What’s the resonator on “Take Me Back”?

That’s That’s a Johnson. Johnson. It’s the one with the cutaway and a mini-humbucker mini-humbucker in the neck—it’s a great guitar and only like 300 bucks. I take that everywhere—to the beach, you name it. I wrote a lot of the songs on that guitar. When you weren’t playing your own music, you’ve played the role of Jason Becker’s hands over the years, playing the parts that he hears in his head, and being his guitar voice when when he can’t can’t be. What What is that like?

It’s been an evolution, because “End of the Beginning” was a very long time ago— more than 20 years now. now. Back then people thought Jason was going to die. So that was a pretty hard thing to deal with obviously, thinking you’re working with someone who’s dying, but at the same time you’re very honored that he wants you to play on these songs. So it was very emotional, but whenever I got to his place, it was all about getting the work done right, because that’s all he wanted. When I first worked with him, he could still speak, so he was able to tell me, “That note’s flat, pinch that harmonic there.” [ Laughs.] And we did a lot of great work because he wasn’t afraid to tell me those things. Some people would just be happy you y ou came over and they wouldn’t complain. But if they’re really your friend they’re they ’re going to say if it’s not good enough, and he would. He’s never been afraid to ask for what he wants in a very specific way. I’ve done some other things for him where he couldn’t speak, but he could still communicate through his eyes. Over the years the communication has been great because he has people that can translate for him and it’s very quick. You never feel like you’re impaired by the process. So it’s changed over the past 20 years, but it’s always been amazing. And he’s obviously the nicest guy ever, and he’s the most positive force ever. It’s a crazy experience. You scratch your head when you leave because you just don’t know how he can be so positive and so great. You’re kind of in this other world for a couple hours. JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

39

Featuress Feature ROUNDUP

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ROB FETTERS ON THE TRANSFORMATIVE TRANSFORMA TIVE POWER OF SIX SI X STRINGS B Y ANIL PRASAD T R U T H I S A R E L AT AT I V E C O N C E P T F O R R O B F E T T E R S . I T ’ S

at the core of Saint Ain’t [Baby Ranch] , an album of tightly constructed rock and pop anthems that explore personal accountability accountability and the repercussions of action act ion and inaction. inaction . Track Track titles like “Suffer,” “Desire,” “What You Do,” “Famous Last Words,” and “Life & Death Boogie” provide a glimpse of the thought-provoking mindset at work. The album is also also huge fun, infused with adventurous arrangements, fiery guitar solos, and addictive hooks. Saint Ain’t is the third solo release from Fetters, who is also involved in two guitar-drive guitar-driven n bands: Psychodots and the Bears. Psy Psy-chodots includes drummer/vocalist Chris Arduser and bassist Bob Nyswonger, both of whom play on the record . All three musicians are also in the Bears, along alo ng with guitarist Adrian Belew Bele w. Commercial scoring is another career path Fetters engages in, having done work for ABC, Disney Disney,, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon, and PBS, as well as major brands includincluding Microsoft, Crest, and Kellog Kellogg’s. g’s. Fetters’ life is all about balance. He’s the epitome of the modern working musician, with irons in many fires that enable him to deal with the challenges of today’s today ’s music industry. He has been courted by Clive Davis, been on the cusp of major label deals, and seen his share of big promises broken. More importantly, many unexpected windows of opportunity opened along the way, too—a perspective he digs into on Saint Ain’t. Describe the general perspective presented on Saint Ain’t.

It’s the result of trying to see reality instead of trying to run from it or attempting to create a separate reality. I’m no longer making judgment calls on what is good versus what is bad. A lot of things in my life relate to the fact that I didn’t get what I wanted and I had


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Featuress Feature ROB FE TTERS

to settle for something better. Some people think I’m being ironic or witty about turning lemons into lemonade, but I’ve also seen a lot of lemonade turn into lemons. I’m a bit more unmoored these days, and I’m not afraid to be that way. I heard an interview with the cellist Yo-Yo Ma once. The interviewer said, “Y “ You’re Yo-Yo o-Yo Ma. You’ve mastered your instrument. You’re the greatest cellist in i n the world.” Yo-Y Yo-Yo Ma just chuckled chuc kled and said he was at a point in his l ife where all he could see was everything he didn’t know. I said to myself, “Yeah. That’s why you’re so good.” It’s because of his humility in the face of reality and his endless curiosity. osity. Those are reasons artists like him are so adventurous. I feel that way about life in general. I haven’t got this sucker figured out and that’s what I wanted to express. “Play Your Your Guitar” is an epic treatise and confessional for guitarists worldwide. What went into writing it?

A lifetime of guitar playing went into it.

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The guitar gu itar has h as literally lite rally been a lifesaver to me. In fact, it has been my life. I know so many guys that run businesses, are creative directors at ad agencies, or own studios. But what do they really love to do? Get out old guitars and play them. We guitar players get hooked from the first fi rst time we do it. You pick it up and you start dreaming. Before I could even play, I held my sister’s old Stella tigerstriped acoustic and imagined imagi ned I was a Beatle, and then a Rolling Stone, and then someone in the Who. This was before I knew where to put my fingers. The song deals with the fact that if you are a guitar player you will get in trouble. Someone isn’t going to like you playing that guitar so much. Some girl won’t marry you. Your parents will instantly be worried sick if you decide to pursue it. People will tell you guitar players are a dime a dozen and you need to do something else. I think every guitarist hits a point where those realities emerge, but I was never going to do anything else. I’d rather be dead than


not play guitar. guita r. The song also resonates with people who aren’t guitarists. If you’re really passionate about something, you’ll run into the same problems. How did the guitar save your life?

It pulled me back from doing some bad things. When I used to drink and use drugs, somebody said to me, “If you keep that up, you’ll lose your music.” I’ll never forget that. There are lots of famous guitarists who did just that and lost what made them special. So, the guitar has saved me from self-destruction. The guitar has never been work. It has just been a universe of wonder wonder.. Which instruments do you use on “Play Your Guitar?”

I played a 1967 Martin 00-18 acoustic and a nd a 1965 Rickenbacker 625 on it. I also used a 2012 Strat-style “parts-caster” called a Greenie von Schneidocaster, created by master luthier David Schneider. It has Sperzel locking tuners, a Trem King fixed-bridge vibrato system, a Warmoth compound-radius neck,

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a Mark Jenny body, and Seymour Duncan Zephyr Silver pickups dipped to kill their microphonic tendencies. You’ll hear me doing some Keith Richards and Pete Townshend Townshend Who’s Next kind of power chording on it— not real distorted, but choppy chords that sound like a rifle getting cocked and fired. I also wanted to have a little Jimmy Page in there, so I put this kind of Lydian scale into it. For the main solo, I went psychedelic with a backwards-sounding effect; I used a little bit of compression from my Keeley 2 Knob Compressor running into a Boss RPS-10 Digital Pitch Shifter to make it happen.

I’ve got a double-tracked Rickenbacker and Les Paul on there, as well as a my Taylor acoustic playing the same thing very ver y tightly. If I had covered it up with other things, you wouldn’t hear the nuances anymore. It’s like looking at the night sky. You can’t pick out the individual stars if there are too many out there at once. g

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guitarplayer.com/june2014 > Fetters kills a slow-burning solo on “Heaven.”

> Psychodots play “Fear Is Never Boring,” their #1 Cincinnati hit.

> Fetters and Adrian Belew explore explore interlocking guitar antics.

SUMMER 2014

What else is in your signal chain?

I also rely on a 1992 Fender Strat Plus with Sperzel locking tuners, a Kahler tremolo, and Fender N3 noiseless pickups with pickguard electronics. In addition, you’ll hear a 2001 Taylor 612-CE acoustic and “Broke Ass,” my wildly wildly worn fretless fretless 1974 1974 Les Paul Custom 20th Anniversary B-stock. My guitars go into a Furman SPB-8 pedal board that also includes an Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer, a Pro Co Rat, a Boss TR-2 tremolo, a Boss VB-2 vibrato, a Boss DD-3 delay, a Hughes & Kettner Rotosphere, and a Boss FV300H volume pedal. For amps, I use u se my Wavelength Audio Rob Fetters Signature 20-watt head into a 4x12 cabinet loaded with Celestion Greenback speakers, and a Vox Vox AC15HW1X 15-watt 1x12 handwired tube combo.

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Thealbumhasalotofspaceinthearrangements. Describe the philosophy at work.

I don’t believe having a dozen guitar tracks is a bad thing, but I’ve become better at saying more with less. For instance, on “Desire,”

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I’m playing the Rickenbacker, which is great for carving our some nice clear yet chunky and juicy guitar. When I played the solo, I was thinking, “Don’t play anything fancy. fancy. Play something you could have played when you were 14.” I did that as a placeholder for a proper guitar solo that would impress everybody later. I went back to the song a month after that and thought, “This is a perfectly good solo. It just needs to be mangled up.” So, I used a Native Instruments plug-in called Reaktor 5, which is a synth/ sampler. It has a device called The Finger that has all kinds of octave shifting, filters, gates, wave shapers, reverse, and ring-modulation options. So, I put the mindless solo through kind of a food processor.

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Featuress Feature

Lords of the Otherworld PETER HAMMILL AND HAMMILL AND GARY LUCAS SUMMON LUCAS SUMMON IMAGINARY BEINGS INTO AUDIBLE RANGE BY BARRY CLEVELAND Y L L E K N A E S

Gary Lucas (left) and Peter Hammill.

PETER HAMMIL L AND GARY LUCAS ARE BOTH MUSICAL

nonconformists who have sustained successful careers for decades without compromising their artistic integrity. Hammill is best known for his work with the seminal British progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, which formed in 1967, disbanded in 1978 after releasing eight epic albums, and then reformed unexpectedly in 2005, subsequently subsequ ently releasing four superb studio records and playing to ecstatic audiences around the world. In addition to his role as guitarist, guita rist, keyboardist, vocalist, and lyricist for Van der Graaf, Hammill has released more than 35 solo albums since 1971 and worked with luminaries such as Robert Fripp, Peter Gabriel, Roger Eno, the Stranglers, and Kronos Quartet. Drafted into Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band in 1980, Gary Lucas appeared on two classic Beefheart albums and toured with the group for several years (he still occasionally helms a post-Beefheart Magic Band, and recently presented The T he World World of Captain Beefheart, a concert in Amsterdam featuring a

60-piece orchestra and vocalist Nona Hendryx). Lucas’ other credits include working with artists such as Jeff Buckley, Lou Reed, Nick Cave, the Future Sound of London, Chris Cornell, and Indian singer Najma Naj ma Akhtar, in addition to releasing dozens of solo albums and recordings with his band Gods & Monsters. Lucas has also scored numerous major films and television programs. All of the soun sounds ds on Hamm Hammill ill and Luca Lucas’ s’ debu debutt coll collabor aboratio ation, n, Other World [Cherry Red], were produced with electric and acoustic guitars—albeit often morphed and mutated via Lucas’ thaumaturgic manipulation of talismanic pedals and Hammill’s deft mixing moves. The music comprises slightly ambiguous song-like structures infused with bits of blues and Americana, psychedelic instrumental soundscapes, and compelling hybrids of the two. Nine of the 14 tracks also feature Hammill’s inimitable vocals and literate lyrics. Hammill and Lucas performed their first show together in London earlier this year with more to follow. JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

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Featuress Feature PETER HAMMILL AND GARY LUCAS LUCAS

Y L L E K N A E S

What was the genesis of your collaboration? Lucas: I’ve been a fan of Peter’s work going back to 1969, when I purchased the first Van der Graaf album, The Aerosol Grey Machine. Three years later I was in England, where I saw him perform solo, and I actually interviewed him for a music magazine after the show. Then, after attending the amazing Van der Graaf Generator reunion at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 2005 I reached out to him via Twitter and he remembered me. Hammill: Gary got in touch and just kind of threw out a line of “fancy doing something?” At first first he was was thinking thinking of going going to a studio studio somewhere in London because he had happened to be in Britain. I thought that might set up too much pressure, however, however, and since I have my studio here it seemed natural to suggest that he come down to my domain.

Was anything worked out when you began? Hammill: There was never any discussion of what exactly we were going to aim for, or even of what our hopes would be—we just agreed agreed to have have a go at doing something. something. So, Gary rolled up here with his guitar and his array of effects and we set about it over a couple of days. He had prepared a few instrumental pieces that he thought I might be able to find something to do on top of, and those were more-or-less coherent song ideas. He also played some improvised soundscapes and sonic washes. Lucas: In addition to my instrumentals, Peter had a few long loops and a song that was more finished, which I improvised along with. By the time I left we had a lot of music mu sic 46


and he had his work cut out for him. I also came back four months later and did some brief overdubs on a couple of things. Hammill: “Kith & Kin” is actually a tune that I wrote when I was 16 or 17, and a day before Gary arrived I thought, th ought, “Actually, “Actually, that tune might work out in this context.” So it just kind of popped popped up. It’s not somethin something g I’ve I’ve been saving for years or denying for years. It just appeared appeared again at that moment. moment. Was it always your intention for the album to be limited to guitar and vocals? Hammill: Not really. That came along in

the course of things. Obviously, I was living with this a lot longer than Gary was, because he had done his pieces, and I had to find what the lyrics were, what the top lines were, and come up with improvised responses to his playing. So, I got immersed in this world of two guitars and voice, and got very used to the idea, which became a definition defi nition in a way. In fact, I think there’s a maximum of four guitars playing at any one time, with things just coming in and out in the mix. At its simplest, it’s two aged blokes with guitars and a voice—basically back-porch blues stuff filtered through the rather strange lens of both of our experiences. Gary was keen at first to have some other instruments, but I think it adds even more strength for it just to be guitars and voice. Lucas: Originally, I’d thought Peter might play some keyboards, and when I listened to a few of the early mixes I asked if we might add percussion to one or two of the tracks— but he really wanted to keep it just guitar and vocals, and basically he just went off and did what he wanted to do once the initial tracks

were recorded, which was fine with me. There are shades of blues and Americana in Gary’s playing, which fall outside of the usual musical vocabulary present on a Van der Graaf or Peter Hammill album. Hammill: Quite so. There’s no point in collaborating with someone if you’re both coming in and doing exactly the same thing that you normally do. Otherwise, I’d just stick to my day job [ laughs]. In this particular case I also find it interesting that the AmeriA mericana stuff is pretty simple. I mean it might be complicated within itself—the little nuances may be complicated—but in terms of structure and shape, and compared to zipping around lots of time signatures and that sort of thing, it is quite simple. Obviously, I’ve ended up doing whatever it is that I do, but that’s after 40 years of playing, and I began by writing simple songs as everybody does. So, in a way, doing this project reconnected me to my origins.

Given that you wrote the lyrics after the music was already recorded, did any of those idiomatic elements seep into your songwriting? Hammill: It

wasn’t so much the Americana bit. We had a pretty intensive time those first couple days that we were recording, but of course we weren’t just making music. We also chatted about this and that, and obviously we both have quite a few road years on us, so we discussed our shared and contrasting experiences of what life in music has been like and what it’s been about. So, the fact that we had this intensive talk as well as the intensive playing resulted in some of the songs touching on those kinds of experiences. JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

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Featuress Feature PETER HAMMILL AND GARY LUCAS LUCAS

1946 Gibson J-45, which is my main acoustic. I’m not a big collector of guitars, and those two are the ones I’m most comfortable with. Peter had a bunch of gear there, but I chose not to use any of it. Hammill: I mostly played the DeArmond that I got a few years yea rs ago for the Van der Graaf reunion, which is a copy of the Guild Bluesbirds that I’ve played for years, but with a Bigsby tailpiece, which was pretty useful on the record. That extra little bit of wobble is very helpful. I also have a kind of bizarre hybrid guitar of my own invention. It’s made up of various bits of Squier Stratocasters, but the strings are raised up high above the fretboard, making it a de facto lap-steel, and it also has a Hipshot Bender bridge, which lets you bend two strings to set intervals using a couple of levers, getting you sort of into the world of pedal-steel sounds. For example, the title and basic themes for “This Is Showbiz” arose because that’s something Captain Beefheart once said to Gary. You said that there’s a maximum maxi mum of four guitar tracks playing at the same time. What percentage of the original performances are we hearing on the record, as opposed to edited performances? Hammill: The

only on ly piece p iece that’s t hat’s a bit complicated is “Black Ice,” because it’s obviously composed of different sections. With the written songs its fairly obvious what is what, but in the sonic world there was typically a single part that we would begin with—in my case it might be a loop—and generally that original track would run all the way through, maybe drifting out and in here and there. And then we might add an extra color or two on the other tracks. In other words, it wasn’t a case of, “Here’s this bit, chop this out, drop in the other guitar,” and what have you. It was very much an organic flow. Did you record your parts separately or together or both? Lucas: We were in the same room together

while I was playing all my stuff down and I think that helped a lot. Peter, you engineered and mixed the entire project? Hammill: That’s right. Lucas: Peter

and I discussed the mixes via email and sometimes by phone as he was doing them and I made suggestions. 48

For example, I kept pushing him to add more depth into the tracks vis-à-vis reverb sounds because I think that draws people in as a listener. Gary, you have done a lot of film scoring. When you are improvising soundscapes, are you thinking cinematically? Lucas: Absolutely.

This goes back to when I was a boy. I loved cinema, particularly horror and science fiction films, and I used to get these little 8mm versions of some of the classics and put my own music to them. I think it’s beautifully expressive to create soundscapes for the images one sees in one’s mind. Hammill: A lot of the material on the album is quite film-like in the sense that the way it flows, it’s as if you’re kind of drifting and then suddenly there’s a bit of dialogue and then the piece goes off to something else. In the case of the pieces that began as atmospheric improvisations, I suppose most people would say, “Well, “Well, okay, that’s an instrumental, so it doesn’t need any vocals, and if there are going to be some, surely there should be verses and it should go a bit more than it actually does.” But, actually, that’s one of the things I found really interesting about the whole project: that it was possible just to stick in, say, say, 20 seconds of voice, and that’s just another character. What guitars did you play on the record?

I brought a 1966 Fender Stratocaster, which is my main electric, and a Lucas:


I heard that sound and wondered what it was. Hammill: It is quite unusual, isn’t it? It’s not a pedal-steel guitar, but it’s not straight slide guitar either.

There are also some regular slide parts. Who played those? Lucas: I played a few slide parts, using a glass Dunlop slide, though there are some places on the album where I’m not sure who’s playing what [ laughs]. One example of something that I definitely played with a slide is the choppy glissando part on “Some Kind of Fracas.”

Did you use any amplifiers or record direct? Lucas: I

typically use a Roland JC-120 combined with some tube amps, but I didn’t use any amps on this record. Peter had me going directly into the board and it sounded great. Hammill: I use Native Instruments Guitar Rig a lot, and I believe that’s what I had Gary playing through. I just set up clean sounds, as he obviously didn’t need distortion or effects, given all of his pedals. I played through a Korg AX300G multieffects unit that has some good Vox amp models and other sounds in it, which is also part of my basic setup in Van der Graaf. Beyond that, I added a few effects with outboard gear, including a really nice TC Electronic delay line. Lucas: I’ve used pedals to develop a very specific vocabulary that’s unique to me. I

have quite a few vintage pedals and I brought some of them for the session. There are lots of great delay effects on the record, including cool time smears and wild regeneration effects. What’s responsible for those? Hammill: Gary produced all those sounds using pedals of various sorts. sounds were probably probably made Lucas: Those sounds with my old Electro-Harmonix 16-Second Delay pedals. I have three of them, including one with a heavier chassis and more solid circuitry that was custom built for me by a guy who used to work for Mike Matthews. Supposedly, there were only 500 of the original units made, and they break down really easily. eas ily. The reissued reissued ones that came came out out a few few years years ago don’t sound the same or function in the same way. Some of the sounds you described were made by recording different sections of a loop at different speeds and then changing the speed during the song.

What are a few of your other othe r go-to pedals?

Lucas: The

TC Electronic Hall of Fame reverb pedal is also fantastic, and I’ve used their Sustainer + Parametric Equalizer pedal for years. And I have a lot of old Boss pedals that I love, including a tremolo, a flanger, flanger, and a pitch shifter. At one point I was taking 22 pedals out on the road, but I’ve only got about half that many now. There’s a very synth-like voice on the opening track, “Spinning Coins.” What’s going on there? Lucas: I’m using a Boss volume pedal into MORE

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guitarplayer.com/june014 > See and hear the official album preview. Other World album Watch ch Hammill and Lucas > Wat perform Lucas’ “The Lady of Shalott” live.

> Stay abreast of PH/GL happenings on their official Facebook page.

a delay with lots of feedback and the delay volume set higher than the original guitar sound, which gives me some great surges that are very keyboard-like, or even orchestral sounding. Of course, a lot of any guitar sound is the result of touch. You could have all the pedals in the world, but it’s your own touch and approach to the guitar that really give you your individual sound. Between my left-hand vibrato and my right-hand tremolo bar work, I get a very expressive sound, almost like a human voice. Hammill: That song is also one the most back-porch-like on the record, as we are both playing acoustic guitars together. That’s one of Gary’s Gary ’s pieces, and he had recorded his origoriginal part while he was in my studio. When I came to play my part, I didn’t examine what the chord shapes were or what the structure was at all before I started playing—so although by that time Gary was on the other side of the Atlantic, Atlantic, in a sense sense we we were actually actually playing playing together and I was responding to his playing

immediately, immediately, much in the same way one would do live. That was pretty much the philosophy throughout. Neither of us looked for an overly considered or perfect part. acoustic part on that tune Lucas: Also, my acoustic was played in open- Eb tuning, though when we played it live we did it in standard stan dard tuning. Did you use open tuning on any of the other songs? Lucas: I think for “Some Kind of Fracas” and “Built from Scratch” I was in dropped D, and on “Attar of Roses” I think I’m in D modal or DADGAD DADGAD. There were others, but as my late father used to advise me, “A “A magician never reveals his secrets.”

Speakingof “SomeKind of Fracas,”what’s making that huge, choppy modulationsound on that tune?

I think that’s just my Boss tremolo pedal set to extreme, and there may also be fuzz and an octave pedal on that track. Of course, a lot of what I do is hands on, painting the sound with the gear by manipulating parameters on the fly. That’s why I’ve never used rack setups or pedals with presets, because part of the joy for me is to spontaneously create sort of oceanic surges of sounds. I still surprise myself with various combinations of sounds, but I’ve mastered the process of building them up and then bringing them back down to nothing. The combinations are like worlds within worlds of sound—and then they disappear. They’re very ephemeral. It’s a beautiful thing. Lucas:

Did you also use any unusual playing techniques?

Nothing unusual. I used the flesh of my fingertips, and sometimes also a little Dunlop Jazz III pick. When I was playing with Captain Beefheart I developed a fingerpicking technique using all of my fingers, because he would compose music on a piano and then ask me to play it on guitar. I had to figure out the notes and then voice them over six strings, which really stretched my technique—and my tendons, as well [ laughs]. I did bring an EBow to the sessions, though I don’t think I used it. Peter used one on a couple of tracks, though. Hammill: I actually used it quite a bit on “Fracas,” as well as on some other pieces. Lucas:

There is some dramatic sound design on the album. How much of that took place in front of the recorder, and how much was done afterward when you were mixing and putting things together? Hammill: Nearly all of it was done going

in. Gary’s stuff is created with his array of sorcerer’s pedals and it comes as it comes. I use a more restricted palette in terms of effects, basically just long dela delays ys and loops, and bits of modulation and short delays—nothing much more extreme than that. And the post stuff was fundamentally just reverbs and maybe a little bit of delay here and there, but definitely not completely altering the entire shape of things. And it’s evident evident in fact because when we performed live with just two guitars as opposed to four it sounded pretty much like the record. Were there any particularly memorable instances of happy accidents as you were recording? Hammill: Doing improvisational music is

often kind of funny and serious at the same time, and there were lots of bits like that. I was particularly happy to record the sound of the fountain in my garden, which I did late at night when there was no traffic traf fic noise, and use that as an ambient texture. Lucas: I was particularly happy about some of the sounds on “Fracas” and “Black Ice.” The guitar on the latter sounds really huge and demonic, and there are also the distorted radio voices, which worked well. I was thinking of “I Am the Walrus,” Walrus,” when you hear the voice of King Lear L ear or whatever it is, and Peter liked the idea. But I’m really happy with my guitar playing on the album overall, because I think it shows off my freakier psychedelic side to the max. The playing field was wide open, and because even the written parts of the music were fairly random, there were really no parameters in place that I had to conform to. Hammill: While Gary was tracking his parts, I was engineering and therefore being more of a technical boffin than the enthusiastic partner attempting to vibe him up as a performer, or paying much attention to the actual performances. But once a track was completed we’d often look at each other and say, say, “Yeah, “Yeah, that’s great. That really works out in the song.” Lucas: I’m very proud to be working with Peter. I think we made a brilliant record and I’d love people to hear it because it doesn’t sound like anything else out there and it might open some minds. It’s not so way out that it’s like angry alienating noise. It draws people in, even when it gets freaky, as it does at points. I’m all about trying to meet audiences halfway, but they have to be willing to dare to listen to something new—and in this case, something really new! g

Model

M17BWC


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ZAKK WYLDE’S W YLDE’S UNDAUNTED GUITAR ODYSSEY CONTINUES IN THE CATTACO CA ACOMBS MBS OF THE THE BLACK VA VATICAN

BY JUDE GOLD IT’S NO SECRET THAT ZAKK WYLDE HAS, AT TIME S, BEE N A BIT OF

a rock and roll wild man (no pun intended). He is, after all, the guy who once totaled a golf cart backstage in Detroit, and, in his drinking days, would open beer cans on stage at Ozzfest by slamming them against his skull so hard they exploded. But while a strong argument can be made that you’d have to possess such a wild side in order to keep up with Ozzy Osbourne for the better


53

Cover Story ZAKK WYLDE

part of two decades, it would be a mistake to judge the guitarist solely on his antics. This guitar guit ar hero is a lot l ot more sophistisophi sticated than many guitar cognoscenti realize. Take, Take, for example, example, the militaristic militaristic bullseye logo Wylde is so vividly associated associate d with. It’s all over his signature Gibson guitars, Marshall heads, and Dunlop/MXR pedals— but while it may invite combat-related puns when describing his aggressive guitar parts (like “machine gun riffs,” “explosive tones,” etc.), the logo Wylde originally envisioned had nothing to do with artillery or targets. “I wanted a spiral graphic like the one Alfred Hitchcock used for the movie Vertigo,” Vertigo,” says the Black Label Society (BLS) leader. leader. “But when I got the t he first guitar back, it had a bullseye on it. I had to do a photo shoot that day, so I thought, ‘Oh well, I guess I’ll be the bullseye guy.’” M O C . S N O C I S A L T A / V E H S A Y D I V R O G I

Two Two years ago, with the release of the Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom Vertigo, Gibson remedied that. “I had to wait 25 years for it, but I finally got the design I wanted.” Other facts you might be surprised to learn about Wylde: • He likes to sit at a grand piano and sing Simon & Garfunkel songs. (For proof, spin his rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” Water,” off BLS’s 2011 album The Song Remains Not the the Same.) Same.) MORE

The Gentle Side of Metal—Zakk and Dario unplugged.

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guitarplayer.com/june2014 >Check out Zakk’s video for “My Dying Time.”

• He almost did a book reading at a Barnes & Noble near you. (That’s right— Wylde Wylde was going to a do a standard book tour to promote his new memoir, memoir, Bringing Metal to the Children Children,, but decided a run of acoustic club and theater shows with new BLS co-guitarist Dario Lorina would be more fun.) • He is known to study the playing of jazz genius Joe Pass and the books of chord chemist Ted Greene. • He is not afraid to venture out of the world of metal, where he is king, as he proved by being a featured performer on this year’s Experience Hendrix tour. • He is, rock and roll rogue exterior aside, a family man. He and his wife, Barbaranne, have four children whose ages, amazingly, amazingly, span 18 months to 21 years. CONTINUES ON PAGE 56

I G O R V I D Y A S H E V / A T L A S I C O N S . C O M

Young Gun on the Gig DARIO LORINA JOINS BLACK LABEL SOCIETY IN THE EARLY ’90S, WHEN DARIO LORI NA WAS J UST A

audition in metaldom, as Nick Catanese had left Black Label Society

toddler, his parents noticed that he loved hearing Alice In Chains, Mötley

after 17 years. “The days of doing the whole cattle-call, cattle-call, American Idol

Crüe, Metallica, and other heavy bands cranked loudly through the car

approach of sitting there trying out 500 guitar players are over,” over,” says

stereo. That music would become the soundtrack of his c hildhood. “The

Wylde. “Instead of doing that, we simply had people who know us and

one tape I could not get en ough of was the first Van Halen a lbum,” says

work with us recommend players they thought might be a good fit.”

Lorina. “I listened to that incessantly as a little kid. Eddie was my guy.”

Osbourne’s bassist, Blasko—who is also Wylde’s manager—was

In 1995, when Lorina was six years old, he took up the guitar. At age

immediately on the case. In addition to seeking out talented guitarists

16, four years after his family had relocated from Boston to Las Vegas,

he’d never heard of, he thought of Lorina. He had kept in touch with

he landed a pro gig touring with Warrant Warrant frontman Jani Lane. Just three

the now 24-year-old guitarist ever since the Osbourne audition, and

years later, he found himself in Los Angeles, invited to try out for every

encouraged him to send “some links.” Lorina immediately got to work.

metal player’s dream gig—playing guitar for Ozzy Osbourne. This was

He went into his home studio in Las Vegas, set up his go-to Marshall

the job that his fu ture employer, employer, Zakk Wylde, had held on and off (mostly

JCM 900 stack, grabbed two LAG guitars (including his new signature

on) since 1987, two years before Lorina was born. Although Osbourne

model LAG Arkanator), used a construction lamp from his garage to

ultimately chose Firewind’s Gus G to be his new guitarist, Lorina’s audi-

light the room in a cool way, way, set up his Canon video camera, and shot

tion was by no means a failure. Just getting on the radar at Ozzquarters

a few videos of himself performing BLS songs.

would prove a success in itself.

“I wanted it to look like I was on stage at a festival gig,” says Lorina.

In the five years that followed, Lorina kept busy, playing shows in the

“Although each video was just one long, continuous shot, I did trim

U.S., Japan, Mexico, and Europe with Lizzy Borden. “The Ozzy audition

the beginnings and endings later in iMovie so that things started and

went well, but I was just 19 at the time, and not that experienced yet,”

stopped cleanly. With the P.A. speakers facing me, I started with ‘Funeral

says Lorina. “I learned a lot doing all that touring with Lizzy Borden—

Bell,’ playing along with the song note for note, doing the rhythm parts

like how to set up your rig in three minutes and get your tone at a fes-

and the solo.”

tival where there’s no soundcheck. I also learned basic but important

Lorina made sure to showcase his vocals, too, singing along with

stuff, like how to travel and be professional on the road. That was also

BLS’s “Sold My Soul” for the camera. Next, he grab bed a Crafter DV250

when I first started learning to sing. And, of course, being in that band, I

steel-string and sang the Bill With ers soul classic, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” à

had to learn how to play solos by [former Lizzy Borden/Ozzy Osbour ne/

la Wylde’s version on BLS’s 2013 live and unplugged album, Unblackened.

David Lee Roth guitarist] Joe Holmes, which wasn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. That sure got my chops up!” One person who’d had an eye on Lorina since his Jani Lane days was Mike Varney, owner and founder of Shrapnel Records. Impressed with

Wylde watched the videos and liked what he saw, so he flew Lorina out to Los Angeles. “When I finally met with Zakk,” says Lorina, “we didn’t really even play. I guess he already knew what I could do on guita r, so he just wanted to make sure I was a halfway decent person.”

the demos Lorina had been sending, he signed Lorina last year and put

Lorina was hired. “It was his great tan,” says Wylde, laughing. “The

out the guitarist’s debut album, Dario Lorina. “I am beyond humbled to

first thing I asked him was, ‘Is that a spray tan or a real tan?’ He said,

be on the same label as Paul Gilbert, George Lynch, Richie Kotzen, and

‘Real.’ I looked at Blasko and said, ‘Obviously, he’s committed to the

all the other great Shrapnel artists,” says Lorina.

project. And he’s a monster player, too, who’s done a record with Father

Suddenly, late last last year, there was industry buzz of another bi g guitar

Varney. This is our guy!’”

—J G


55


• He shows respect to his inuences in ways that are matched by few other gui tarists. (He named his sons Hendrix and Sabbath Page, after all.) • He still practices his brains out. “He’s always playing,” says Lorina. “Zakk always has a guitar in his hands and is running licks and scales. It’s very inspiring.” The passio passion n and discip disciplin linee Wylde ylde has put into the guitar has resulted in the ultimate payoff: Like only a handful of other play ers on the planet, he has achieved a sound a sound.. Take, Take, for example, the distinctive way he applies his snarling, ultra-wide vibrato to pinch harmonics, most notably on the low string. Now there’s a there’s a sonic signature that can pass Les Paul’s famous “Can your mom tell it’s you on the radio?” test. Really, Really, though, if you want to understand Wylde Wylde in an instant, there’s only one way: Close your eyes, open your ears, and listen to one of his solos—such as his volcanic lead on “My Dying Time,” off the new Black Label Society album, Catacombs of the Black Vatican [eOne Vatican [eOne Music]—and reect on how powerfully his playing pairs anarchy with grace, ferocity with nesse, mayhem with musicality, chaos with calm, blues with bombast, deance with discipline. Those things aren’t usually found together, but they go hand in hand with Wylde—both in his playing and in his life. What is the Black Vatican?

It’s my home studio. It used to be the guesthouse, but we hired Zack Fagan and his company, Under the Wire, to convert it into a place where we could track and mix. Zack designed Ozzy’s home studio, and he does the job right. We basically gutted the place, which used to be a mobile home—ripped out the floors, the bath room, and the shower—and remodeled. One bedroom became the drum room, and the master bedroom became the lounge. There is also a piano room, ro om, and another bedroom is now the amp room. The con sole and Pro Tools rig are in the middle of it all. It came out great. What was your main amp on Catacombs of the Black Vatican ?

I’m actually working with Marshall on updating my signature head, and we have a solid prototype that I’ve been using. That’s what I used on the majority of the record. We’re still tweaking it—you it—yo u know, 56

experimenting with different transformers, tubes, and stuff. It won’t be drastically dif ferent than the current version. The goal is just to further expand on the shimmer and tight bottom end that’s always been there. We were hoping it would be ready by January’s NAMM show, but we were still messing around with it. I also have some Marshall Bluesbreaker combos at the Vatican, including a rare Jaguar Bluesbreaker Bluesbreaker that Jim Marshall gave to me personally. That thing sounds awesome. There were only like like 45 of those those made. What did you do for clean sounds on the new album?

Well, I can get a great clean sound from my 800s by turning off my overdrive pedal and backing off the guitar’s volume—that results in a tone that kind of sounds like the clean part on ZZ Top’s Top’s “La Grange.” But a lot of the chimey stuff you hear on new songs like “Scars” and “Angel of Mercy,” and in the breakdown on “I’ve Gone Away” was done with a Roland Jazz/Chorus 120. For those parts, I used either the tobacco sunburst ’57 Les Paul Junior Ozzy gave me when we were recording No recording No Rest for the the Wicked or Wicked or the ’58 double-cutaway Junior that Michael Beinhorn got me when we were doing Ozzmosis. Ozzmosis. The P-90 pickups in those guitars sound great through the Roland. Your new Les Paul Vertigo has a maple ma ple top, clear finish, and a maple fretboard. That’s a pretty striking combination. How does it sound?

It’s a bit brighter than, say, my Grail, which, like most Les Paul Customs, has an ebony fretboard. It’s a bit honkier. honkier. I remem ber Gibson put out a Les Paul in 1978 or so that had a maple fretboard and a clear maple neck, and looked cool. That was the idea behind the new guitar. I used the Vertigo for pretty much all the distorted rhythm guitar tracks and many of the solos on Black on Black Vatican Vatican.. For the solos on “Angel “Angel of Mercy” Mercy ” and “Scars,” though, I used Blue Balls, which is what I call one of my Pelham Blue Les Paul Customs. And for the solo on “Damn the Flood,” I used the tobacco sunburst Johnny Winter-style Firebird that I got after we nished Ozzmosis. Ozzmosis. The single-coils on that thing sound great.

“The original design I wanted was not a bullseye, but a spiral graphic like the one

What’s the inspiration behind your new Gibson ZV Buzzsaw model? It looks like an SG fused with a Flying V.

the Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom Vertigo

Tony Tony Iommi Iommi in the front, St. Rhoads in

(right), he finally got his wish.


Alfred Hitchcock used for the movie Vertigo,” says Wylde. With the release of

K E N

S E T T L E


57


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54

the back. [ Laughs.] Speaking of inspiration, what inspired you to stop stop drinking? drinking?

Well, five years ago, the back of my knee had been killing me, so I finally went to the doctor, and he said, “You’ve developed blood clots and need to be on blood thinners.” I

said, “Doc, does this mean I have to chill out on the booze?” He goes, “Put it this way, way, Zakk. If you drink the way you tell me you do, and you’re on these blood thinners, whatever your first night of drinking is, I hope it’s a good one, because it will be your last.” I thought, “Well, that might suck.” So I stopped drinking.

What caused the clots?

I have no idea. I had always thought you only get blood clots when you’re 80 years old or so. Doc says, “No. Truck drivers get them, too. So do airplane pilots.” I guess if you’re sitting stationary for any length of time, you’re at risk. I thought, “I don’t sit around much. I work out, I lift, I’m always walking around, and I play shows.” But then I got to thinking about how I practice. When I’m sitting watching watch ing a Yankees Yankees game, running scales and noodling, there’s three hours in a chair right there. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I get a cup of hot java and I’m sitting there practicing. And when we’re in the studio tracking or mixing, and going to the club afterwards, that’s tons more hours of sitting down. The doctor said, “If clotting is a genetic tendency you’ve inherited from your parents, then all your years of drinking alcohol”—alcohol being a blood thinner—“ironically may have saved your life.” What was it like to step out on stage sober for the first time in so long?

. l a u d i v i d n i n a g n i m o c e b o t y e n r u o j r u o y t r a t s o t m o c . s r a t i u g d n e r e v e r t i s i V . s i e s l e e n o y r e v e t a h w g n i y a l p e r ’ u o y f i t n e r e f f i d e b t ’ n a c u o Y

58

I remember talking to Alice Cooper once about my drinking days, and he told me, “Zakk, there are two entire records that I don’t even remember making.” [ Laughs. ] I was never that deep into it. But it did feel weird the first few times I went on stage without a few beers in me. I’d be looking at the guys going, “Bro, are we really about to play a rock show? Are we doing this?” But it’s just like playing football. The moment you hit somebody that first time, everything else goes out the window and it’s game on. Either way, the drinking just was what it was—that was me back then. How would the Beatles or Hendrix have sounded if they came out in 1955 and never became engrossed in the ’60s culture of acid and weed and the hippie movement? Different, that’s for sure. Jimi was, at his core, a blues p layer— an amazing blues player. When you stuck all that psychedelia on top of his sound, well, that’s what made that soup. On the subject of Jimi, you were featured on this year’s Experience Hendrix tour. That seems like a branching out of sorts for you.

It’s definitely cool to have had the opportunity to show people a different side of what I do. I was doing songs like “I Don’t Live Today,” Today,” “Purple Haze,” and, with Jonny Jo nny Lang, Lang , “All Along Alo ng the Watchtower.” One night we all closed with “Red House,” led by Billy Cox. And for “Are You Experienced,” I’d be G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M /J U N E 2 0 1 4

on piano, accompanying Eric Johnson. The after-show hang was unbeatable. unbeata ble. You’re You’re sitting there trading war stories with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Gales, Rich Robinson, Dweezil Zappa, and Chris Layton from Double Trouble, Trouble, and everyone’s laughing their balls off. What’s most amazing, though, is hearing all these great players put their unique spin on somebody else’s music—in this case, the music of Jimi Hendrix. It makes me think of how Al Di Meola just put out a record of Beatles stuff [ All Your Your Life: A TribTribute to the Beatles]. Beatles ].

at the time, and one of my students walked in with a Fender Jaguar with EMGs installed. We plugged it into my little Marshall combo, and I was stunned by the difference in tone between his skinny little guitar and my fat Les Paul Custom. With his guitar, it sounded like I had pulled a moving blanket off the speakers. I was like, “Wow, “Wow, so that’s t hat’s what

that amp really sounds like.” I was blown away and have used EMGs ever since. Why did Nick Catanese leave the Black Label Society?

Nick’s doing his own thing right now, working his ass off with a bunch of guys he’s jamming with. It’s not that there was a fight, or that he got kicked out or was fired. There

What gear did you use on a Hendrix song like, say, “Purple Haze”?

I just used the same gear I use when I play with Ozzy or Black Label—two of my signature Marshall JCM 800 tops driving two Marshall 4x12 bottoms loaded with my EV 300-watt Black Label speakers. I love those speakers. They give me headroom like I’ve never had before, and have a great, automatic tightness about them. My pedals are all from my signature line at Dunlop. I designed it all with Dunlop, and use all of it every night, including my Dunlop Cry Baby Wah, my signature Rotovibe, and my MXR Wylde Phase and Overdrive. After the overdrive, I sometimes kick in a Dunlop Carbon Copy analog delay for some slap-back. I get a wide stereo sweep from my MXR Black Label Chorus pedal. I just go left and right out of that thing straight into the two heads Wouldn’t it be cleaner to run the chorus through the effects loop?

The only on ly reason re ason I put effects effect s loops loo ps on my signature heads is for all the guitar players out there who do like do like to use them. One reason the chorus works straight in for me is because my basic amp tone is not too distorted—it’s delivering an AC/DC-style “Back in Black” level of overdrive. I can hit it with the guitar full up and i t doesn’t feed back. For solos or heavy rhythm parts— like if I’m doing “Miracle Man”—I kick in the overdrive. That pedal pushes things over the top and adds a ton of sustain. If I’m recording and want a wide spread, though, I don’t usually use chorus. I just double the parts, which results in a natural chorusing effect. When did you first start using EMG 81/85 active humbuckers?

Ever since I started with Ozzy. I remember the day I got sold on EMGs. I was teaching JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

59

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was none of that. We all love him and always alwa ys will. He’s off writing new music and giving it 1,000 percent. That’s the beautiful thing about this band—the guys can always leave and always have a home to come back to. It’s all about having creative freedom, just as it is with me and Ozzy Ozz y. How has it been playing with Dario Lorina?

60


Great. He really throws down. Our first concert together was the big Schecter event at the NAMM show in January, and then we did the acoustic book tour together—the Canada leg of which I call the Polar Bear Run, because temperatures were hysterically cold, often 40 or 60 below with wind chill factor. It was just me and Dario, and

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when I’d switch to piano, he’d be shredding on the guitar solos. I love talking with Dario about guitar g uitar players we dig, because when I say, “Are you an Al Di Meola guy?” he says, “Y “Yeah, eah, but I found out about Al through Paul Gilbert,” because he’s 24. I asked him, “Are you a Jaco Pastorius guy?” And he said, “No, I’m a Billy Sheehan guy, but I found out about Jaco through Billy.” It’s really interesting how we reference things. Ask a young guitarist today if 62


he likes Jimmy Page, and he’ll probably say, “Yeah. “Y eah. I learned about him through Slash.” Does Dario use different gear than you on stage with BLS?

No, he actually goes with a complete copycat version of my rig—same Marshall heads, same Dunlop pedals. There’s no sense in lugging in a ton of outside sh*t when I have everything we need right here—the same gear we used on the album, pretty much. He does use different guitars than

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me, though—LAG guitars. He really digs those and has been playing them for years.

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You often use dropped tunings. Do you ever lower strings other the sixth string?

I keep the top five strings normal, so that when I’m soloing on those strings, all the scale sca le patterns are the same as when I learned them. If all six strings in are in standard, I’ll be using one of my signature Dunlop .010-.052 sets. 64


But the lower you drop a string in pitch, the thicker the string gauge you’ll you ’ll need to keep the tension up so the string doesn’t start flopping around and you can’t tell what you’re playing. The lowest I’ll go is dropped- B, and for that I like to have at least a .060 on there— maybe even a .070—to keep the string tight. I actually didn’t use any dropped- B on the CONTINUES ON PAGE 67

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“GUITAR IS ALL ABOUT LEARNING FROM OTHER PLAYERS. WE’RE ALL COOKS GETTING RECIPES FROM EACH OTHER.” CONTINUED FROM PAGE 64

new record, but a good example of it would be “Crazy Horse,” the first song on our last studio album, Order of the Black. The first time I interviewed you, years ago, we hung out on your tour bus at Ozzfest for a couple hours. You had a Marshall Mi ni Stack installed beneath the table in the front lounge, and I don’t think the guitar left your hands once.

Nothing’s gonna change that. I start practicing first thing in the morning, every day. day. And if you really love guitar, it hardly feels like practicing. It’s fun—you’re like a kid playing a video game all day, trying to get to the next level. Seeing you play up close, people might be surprised to see how often, in the middle of fast picked lines, you throw in notes plucked on higher strings with your picking hand’s middle finger, Nashville style.

That’s the Albert L ee influence. I really got into that sort of hybrid picking just before I joined up with Ozzy. You can hear some of it on our first album together, No Rest for for the Wicked, on solos like “Crazy Babies” and “Devil’s Daughter.” When I got the Ozzy gig, I thought, “Obviously, I’m not going in the classical guitar direction, because that was Randy’s thing. I have to have my own thing.” I had seen this video of Albert Lee, and I just loved the sound of what he was doing, so I bought it. I learned all the licks on it, and that’s where the hybrid stuff came from. Guitar is all about learning from other players. One day you cop some licks from a Joe Pass or Allan Holdsworth record, and then you try to incorporate those licks into

your playing. That’s always a cool thing to do. We’re all cooks getting recipes from each other. Have you actually incorporated Joe Pass stuff into your playing?

Yeah, without a doubt. I’ve got a bunch of Joe Pass Pass on my iTune iTunes. s. I have some some Ted Greene Greene books, too. So every now and then I’ll whip those things out and go through some different licks, arpeggios, scales, or—especially in the case of Ted Greene—chords, and figure out ways to use it all, not just in my playing, but also in my writing. It’s just limitless, man. That’s the beautiful thing about guitar. g uitar. What advice do you give young players who have seen you play and tell you, “Man, I want to do that”?

Well, it depends what you want to do with music. If it’s just going to be a hobby for you, that’s cool—but when I was 14, I said, ‘I’m going to dedicate my life to this. I’m doing this.’ Even if I had never been blessed with having Ozzy in my life and having our Black Label family, I’d still be doing music. I’d never be one to sell all my gear and try something else. Me and JD [BLS bassist John DeServio], who I’ve known since I was 17, would still be at it. We’re lifers. We’d have a music store, be teaching, or have a wedding band and maybe also a cover band ba nd devoted to the music we love—probably all of the above. And we’d we’d be writing writing music music and doing doing our own thing, too. I could never have some crummy job where I’m digging a ditch, wonder ing, “What am I doing with my life? I can’t stand this.” Everything would still revolve around music. I’d be cleaning the floors at a music studio right now if I had to. g JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

67

Lessons Under Investigation

Free’s “All Right Now” with Paul Kossoff BY JESSE GRESS

WHEN READER TIM KELLEY RECENTLY SUGGESTED FEATURING FREE’S “ALL RIGHT NOW”

(from Fire and Wate r) in a fu ture You’re You’re Playing It Wrong, I recognized a golden opportunity not on ly to clarify the song’s intro and verse figures, but also to showcase the late Paul Kossoff’s (1950-19 76) superlative playing and signature vibrato, which is highly regarded as one of the best in the biz. So this month’s Under Investigation is a two-fer (or BOGO, if you prefer). Perhaps the most powerful guitar sound to permeate both AM and FM airwaves circa 197 0, Kossoff ’s visceral playing on “All Right Now”—which charted at #2 in the U.K. and #4 in the U.S.—virtually defined all of the guts and glory of a 1959 Gibson Les Paul ’burst plugged straight into a Marshall stack. Koss’s muscular and anthemic playing drove the song, in both edited single and full album

68


Y T T E G / D N A L T U P L E A H C I M

Koss leans into a bend with wicked vibrato in 1972.


69

Lessons PAUL KOSSOFF

Ex. 1 1.



= ca. 120

A

D/A

A

2.

Dadd4/A D/A

A

Dadd4/A

D/ A

A

 44                                                              2 1

Gtr. 1l (left)

2

3

1

2

1

1

1

3

4

l l.r. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

l leti ring

2 2 2 (0) 5

T A B

3

4

(0) 5

3 2 4

2 2 2 (0) 5

(0) 5

3 0 4

l l.r.

3 2 4

2 2 2 (0) 5

3 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 4 4 4 4

(0) 5

l l.r.

3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4

2 2 2

(0) 5

 44                                                                 Gtr. 2 i(right)

1

4 4 1 1

3

l l.r.

l leti ring

5 5 2 2 0

T A B

0

5 5 2 2 0

3 2 4

0

l l.r.

3 0 4

3 3 0 0 4 4

3 2 4

3 3 2 2 4 4

l l.r.

5 5 2 2

0

0 3 0 4

0 3 0 4

0 3 0 4

3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4

5 5 2 2

0

Ex. 2

   44                                                

1.

= ca. 120

A5

G5

2.

D/F

A5

D/F

A5

Gtrs. 1 and 2

4

4

4

1

1

1

1

3

T A B

4

14 12

14 12

1

11

14 12

12 10

12 11

12 11

14 12

12 11

12 11

2 2 0

14 12

versions, deep into the American, Anglo, and Euro psyches, where it remains relevant to this day. Let’s find out how and why. THE STUDIO INTRO & VERSE FIGURE

Two Two key elements elements in the studio studio version version of Kossoff’s fat-ass intro and verse rhythm figure are his choice of chord voicings and fingerings, and the fact that he doubletracked, but didn’t exactly double the part. Ex. 1 brings both parts into focus and clears up the Y.P.I.W. .I.W. factor fact or by revealing r evealing how Gtr.1 (left channel) utilizes unorthodox A and D/A chord voicings in which Kossoff frets the low A roots on the sixth string/fifth fret with his pinky—often in tandem with the open 70

A string(!)—instead of using the easier-to-

play, standard open- A fingering. Granted, there’s no tangible evidence of this on the Fire and and Water Water version, but several live versions available online do provide visual confirmation, so there’s no reason to surmise that Kossoff played it any differently in the studio. Also notable is the four-bar progression itself— A-D/A-A (not A-Dadd4/A-A A-Dadd4/A-A) in bars 1 and 2, and then Dadd4/A-D/A-A in bars 3 and 4. Note how Gtr. 1 plays halfnotes for the Dadd4/A and D/A chords in the first ending, and then gets busier on the second round. Meanwhile, Gtr. Gtr. 2 (right channel) utilizes the same rhythm in bars 1 and 2, but


employs a partial fifth-fret pinky barre to fret the root and 5 on top of a standard open A5. Koss fills out bars 3 and 4 with dottedeighth-to-sixteenth-to-quarter-note hits on Dadd4/A and D/A, and a slight rhythmic variation during the second ending. You can also discern an open E (the 9) on top of the Dadd4/A in the first half of the second ending, which creates a wonderful harmonic cluster of major and minor seconds. The space between the chords is as important as the chords themselves, so be sure to “play” each rest. As the verse commences, both guitars repeat the first two bars verbatim, but Kossoff chose to double Gtr. 2’s part during both endings. It’s also

Ex. 3a



                44                                  = ca. 120

(A5) N.C.

3

2

(

B1/4 T A B

3

1

14

13

B1/4

14

13



B1/4

14

13(13) 13(13) 15 13 14 14

14

1

)

3

 

B1/4

preB

R

13

(17)

15 13 15

13

14

14

14

2

Ex. 3b



= ca. 120

(A5) N.C.

  

  

              44                  

3

1

( ) ( )

B

T A B

15(17)

3

( )

B

15 13

15(17)

notable that the intro features only Koss, drummer Simon Kirke, and vocalist Paul Rodgers joining in on the verse—Andy Fraser’s bass doesn’t enter until the chorus. THE CHORUS

Except for a few anomalies—Gtr. 1 leaves out the A5 in the first ending, and Gtr. 2 adds a third D/F # hit on beat three of bar # hit 3—Kossoff essentially doubles the song’s chorus rhythm figure with both guitars. Ex. 2 shows how he used a pair of single notes ( F # and E) to connect the sparse twelfth- and # and tenth-position A5 and G5 voicings in bars 1 and 2. He drops the bottom voice in the G5 chord one half-step to form the D/F # hits in # hits bars 3 and 4 before resolving back to A5, which is anticipated on the and of beat four in the first ending, and played squarely on the downbeat in the second ending. (Tip: For total authenticity, sustain that final A5 for another measure before returning to the second intro/verse figure.)

3

(

)

1

B

17(20) 17(20)

13

2



3

( )

( )

grad. B

15

17

(17)

14

“All Right Now” Words and Music by Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser Copyright © 1970 Blue Mountain Music, Ltd. Copyright Renewed All Rights Reserved

THE FIRST SOLO

The Th e bass ba ss lay s out ou t once on ce agai ag ain n for fo r KosKos soff’s first solo, an A pentatonic-minorbased guitar-and-drum breakdown played over a pseudo-march beat f ollowing the second chorus. Ex. 3a illustrates how Koss begins with a partial 3/16 hemiola (see this month’s Rhythm Workshop), superimposing the root, b3, and a stray 4 ( A, C, and D) over four sixteenth-pluseighth-note groupings. He finishes this “call” phrase with a pair of eighth-notes in bar 2, and then responds to it in bars 3 and 4 with an Albert King-style prebend-release-pull-off bend-release-pull-off move, some trademark unbroken vibrato added to a pair of adjacent A’s, and a staccato octave gracenote slide. Koss repeats bar 1 (with a C in place of the only D), plus the first half of bar 2 before completing the section with the phrase in Ex. 3b, where bar 3 features his signature delayed vibrato added to a gradual G-to- A bend. JUNE 2014/GUITARPLAYER.COM

71

Lessons PAUL KOSSOFF

Ex. 4a

  44                            

A

= ca. 120

G

Bass arr. for gtr.

D/F

1

1

4

let ring - - - - - - - -

l.r. - - - - - - - - - - - -

4

1

T A B

4

12

0

0

0

10

0

2

5

5

2

12

11

0

Ex. 4b

Ex. 4c

    44          44                      

A

= ca. 120

G

D/F

A

G

= ca. 120

D/F

3

3

2

    

T A B

2

0

2

4

4

2

Ex. 4d

  

3

T A B

A

0 5

5



7

7

5

Ex. 4e

       44           44                                     

G

= ca. 120

D/F

A

= ca. 120

G

D/F

A 3

4

2

3

(

1

3

(

)( )

)



1

let ring - - - - - - - -

B

R

5 T A B

2

4

4

(5) 4

let ring - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

T A B

2

10

   44                  Ex. 4f



G

= ca. 120

3

72

A

12

1

( )

B

T A B

D/F

4

3

12

12 (14)

2

R

( )



12 10 (10)



11

10

(10)


9 11

10

9 11

10

9 11

10

B

9 11

10

12(14) 12(14)



(14)

Ex. 5a



= ca. 120

G



D/F



A

G



D/F



A

            

 44                                       1

3

3

1

(

)( ) ( ) ( )



B

17 20

T A B

17

17 20

17

17 20

17

17 20

17

17 20

17

 ()

3

1

20(22) 20(22)

(22)

1

( )

B

3 2

12

( )( )

R B

17

20(22)

20 17 20

17

( )



(22)(22) 20(22)(22)

( )



B

17

20(22)

(22)

Ex. 5b

G

D/F

A

G

D/F

E

= ca. 120

3 1

( )

1

( )( )

3

( )( )

2

1

( )( )

( )

3

2

1

4 4 B

17 T A B

17

20

(22)

preB hold - - - - - - - - - R B

20 (22)

(22) 20 17

20

20(22) 20(22)(22) (22)

17

20

20

THE SECOND SOLO

THE CLIMAX

Immediately following Ex. 3b, Fraser’s memorable bass figure—arranged for guitar in Ex. 4a—transforms the mood and sets the stage for Koss’ second solo section. Half Motown and half classic rock—think James Jamerson and Joe Cocker’s Woodstock version of “With a Little Help from My Friends”— the riff implies a two-bar A-G-D/F # chord # chord progression as Kossoff begins exploring A pentatonic major with single-string moves like the one in Ex. 4b. (Tip: Use the neck pickup.) He repeats bars 2 and 3, and suddenly an interesting anomaly occurs. Five bars in, Koss jumps to the B string (plus a perfectly placed open E), plays Ex. 4c, and essentially turns the progression around— from A-G-D/F # to G-D/F # - A—for the dura# to #-A tion of the solo! Check out his phrasing on the almost-country lick in Ex. 4d, the rhythmically displaced partial 3/16 hemiola hammer-ons (plus delayed vibrato) in expressive oblique doubleEx. 4e, and the expressive stop bend and release in Ex. 4f, and how each lick is played in a higher position, building tension and excitement before …

Switch to your bridge pickup before tackling Ex. 5a, which begins with the seventeenthposition, three-against-four, three-against-four, 5-to-b7-to-root hammer-ons—yet another 3/16 hemiola— that bring Kossoff’s solo to its apex. (And check out how the chord progression still sounds reversed!) Delay that wide vibrato in bar 2 until the and of beat two, and follow through with the high bends and succinct moves in bars 3 and 4. Koss repeats the first bar-and-a-half of Ex. 5a, and then wraps up his solo with Ex. 5b, which paraphrases bar 3 of Ex. 5a, and then paves the way back to the chorus via two bars of E, though only one is notated. (Tip: In concert, Koss was known to substitute full G5, D/F # # , and E chords for the lick in bars 3 and 4.) MORE

19 19

17

17

ONLINE

guitarplayer.com/june2014 >

No charge for this live

version of “All Right Now” (which begins at 20:32).


73

Lessons PAUL KOSSOFF Ex. 6a



A

Dadd4/A A

Dadd4/A

2

2

D

A

 44                                                       = ca. 128

1 1 1

4

4

1

1

1 1

3

4

2 1

let ring

2 2 2 (0) 5

4

l.r.

or

T A B

3

3

4

or

3 2 4

(0) 5

2 2 2 (0) 5

3 0 4

(0) 5

3 2 4

Dadd4/A

D

A

2

4 4

2 3

3

4

let ring

T A B

1 1 1

1

(0) 5

4

l.r.

3 3 0 0 4 4

3 3 0 0 4 4

l.r.

3 3 2 2 4 4

(0) 5

3 2 4

2 2 2

(0) 5

Ex. 6c



Dadd4/A

= ca. 128

D

A

 44                                P.M.

T A B

(0) 5

P.M.

3 0 4

3 3 0 0 4 4

(0) 5

P.M.

3 2 4

3 3 2 2 4 4

(0) 5

2 2 2 (0) 5

2 2 2 (0) 5

INTRO & VERSE (LIVE VERSION) In concert, Kossoff had to consolidate his twopart intro and verse figures, and online video evidence backs up the fact that he utilized the pinky-enhanced A, Dadd4/ Dadd4/A A, and D/A chord fingerings illustrated in Ex. 6a, but also shows how he altered the progression in bars 1 and 2 from A-D/A-A A-D/A-A to A-Dadd4/A A-Dadd4/A-A -A. (Tip: You can check out Free’s 7/70 gig at Manchester’s Granada Studios and freeze-frame the money shots!) Those two measures remain consistent throughout, but Koss freely played with the rhythms in bars 3 and 4, switching from the half-note hits in bars 3 and 4 to the busier variations depicted in Examples 6b and 6c. (Note the muted A-chord “chunks” in the latter.)

Ex. 6b = ca. 128

1 1 1

X X X X X

X X X X X

FATTEN UP THE BOTTOM Finally, live versions of “All “All Right Now” Now ” reveal how Kossoff would sometimes voice the 5 on the bottom of his A5 and G5 power chords during the chorus, as in Ex. 7. This simply entails barring your index finger across the sixth string for both chords, while the D/F # # (now a D) maintains the same bass note as G5. In conjunction with Fraser’s bass line, this adds extra girth and emphasizes Koss’s talent for creating magnificently huge-sounding rhythm figures in a power trio format. Salute! g

Ex. 7 1. = ca. 128

A5(/E)

G5(/D) 4 1

4

4 4

74

D/F (/D)

A5(/E)

D/F (/D)

A5

4 1

1

( )

(1)

T A B

2.

( )

( )

3

1

( )

( )

(1)

(2)

14 14 14 12 12 12 12 10 (12) (12) (12)14 12(10) G U I T A R P L A Y E R . C O M /J U N E 2 0 1 4

( )

12 12 9 9 (10) (10)

( )

14 12 (12)

(

)

( )

( )

12 12 9 9 (10) (10)

2 2 0

Lessons

Rhythm Workshop Rhythmic Displacement Pt. 2 - Hemiola BY JESSE GRESS

quarter-notes or 24 eighth-notes, which can be grouped as three groups of eight (3 x 8 = 24), or as eight groups of three (8 x 3 = 24). The latter grouping forms a 3/8 hemiola, which displaces itself eight times over the course of three bars of the 4/4 reference beat before starting over again at its point of origin. This example uses three repetitive chromatic eighth-notes to illustrate (think b7-to7-to-root in E, or 4-b5-5 in A), but any notes may be applied to any hemiola. You can also substitute swing eighths for straight eighths. Not every note in a hemiola has to be played. The figure in Ex. 2a replaces the third

ANOTHER POPUL AR RHYTHMIC

displacement displacement technique common to all musical styles is known as hemiola, which involves superimposing a repetitive, but contrasting rhythmic grouping over a reference beat. The most most common common hemiol hemiolaa is three-ag three-agains ainsttfour. This could refer to three quarter-notes, three eighth-notes, or three sixteenth-notes repeated over a 4/4 pulse until they recycle back to their starting point. For instance, a 3/8 hemiola would look and sound like Ex. 1, and recycle every three measures. Why? Count the eighth-notes and do the math. Three bars of 4/4 will house 12

eighth-note of each 3/8 grouping with a rest, while Ex. 2b simply shifts the replacement rest to the first eighth-note of each 3/8 grouping. Both examples produce hemiolas that are equally applicable to styles from blues to bossa nova. (Tip: Try replacing the single notes with a jazzy chord progression, such as You can also shift shif t the rest Dm9-G7#5 Dm9-G7#5-C6/ -C6/9 9.) You to the second eighth-note of each 3/8 grouping. Replace each pair of notes with a broken oblique bend—i.e., a D-to- E bend followed by an unbent unison E—and play them with a swing feel to form trademark T-Bone Walker Walker and Chuck Berry rhythms.

Ex. 1

 44                                                3/8

T A B

1

2

5

6

3/8

3/8

3/8

3/8

3/8

3/8

3/8

3

7

5

6

7

5

6

7

5

6

7

5

6

7

5

6

7

5

6

7

5

6

7

Ex. 2a

 44                                      T A B

1

3

5

7

5

7

5

7

5

7

5

7

5

7

5

7

5

7

Ex. 2b

 44                                           T A B

76

1

3

5

7

5

7

5

7

5


7

5

7

5

7

5

7

5

7

Lessons RHYTHM WORKSHOP

Ex. 5b

E7 9(V)

= ca. 100

A(I)

4 3

4 4

Ex. 5b shows

1 2

( ) even gliss 8 7 6 7

T A B

8 7 6 7

8 7 6 7

8 7 6 7

8 7

8 7 6 6 7 7

8 7 6 7

8 7 6 7

8 7 6 7

8 7 6 7

14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 (0)

Ex. 5c



= ca. 100

E7(V)

A5(I)

 44                                       3

1

1

T A B

1

6 5

7 6

0

6 5

0

7 6

6 5

0

7 6

6 5

0

7 6

6 5

7 6

0

SOLID K SOL ROCK D&A D& A ROC ANG G ERS & HAN TAN DS & H S TAND

HEYDNA.COM

78

2 2 0


TM

a Johnny Winter-inspired V-chord turnaround in A that uses a partial hemiola derived from the 3/16 version of Ex. 2b, while the one in Ex. 5c, which features a partial 3/16 hemiola that begins on the and of beat one, is based on Rick Derringer’s pre-verse figure from his classic “Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo.” For extra credit, reference this month’s Under Investigation and You’re Playing It Wrong and see if you can pick out the partial hemiolas contained in Examples 3a, 4e, and 5a of the former and Ex. 7b of the latter. Once you discover that any rhythmic grouping that adds up to three eighth- or sixteenth-notes can be used to create a hemiola, you’ll discover that they’re everywhere! g

Lessons YOU’RE PLAYING IT WRONG

“Free Ride”

The Edgar Winter Group (from left): Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose (kneeling), Edgar Winter, Chuck Ruff.

THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP WITH RONNIE MONTROSE BY JESSE GRESS

adds several details to this instantly recognizable intro that often go unnoticed. Reminiscent of the opening moves in Hendrix’s “Wait “Wait Until U ntil Tomorrow,” omorr ow,” Ex. 1 begins with a two-eighth-note pickup that implies D/F implies D/F # # and immediately clarifies any rhythmic discrepancies. (Sorry, Matt—you’re playing it wrong!) Bar 1 of the figure employs a grace-note slide between D-shaped D-shaped G/B and A/C and A/C# triads triads on beat one, the same G/B to an A an A-shaped -shaped D/A D/A triad triad on beat two, four muted-sixteenth “chuck-a-chuck-a’s” on beat three, and a repeat of the pickup on beat four. Bar 2 completes the figure with a grace-hammer from D/A from D/A to to G/B on G/B on beat one, dual eighth-note hits from D/A from D/A to to A A

T H I S M O N T H , W E P R O V E T H AT AT T H E

“Where’s one?” phenomenon truly lies in the ear of the beholder b eholder.. Case in point: I had already planned to feature the late, great Ronnie Montrose’s intro to Dan Hartman’s “Free Ride” (from the Edgar Winter Group’s They Only Come Out at Night), Night ), but not in a “Where’s one?” context—that is, until GP Associate Associate Editor Matt Blackett Blackett related that he had always thought the figure started on the downbeat of bar 1, and had to add an extra beat to the last bar in order to fall in sync with the verse. Apparently, one person’s “You’re hearing it wrong” is another’s “I’m hearing it right!” Regardless Regardless of how you hear it, Montrose

on beat two, and a reprise of beats three and four from the previous measure. (Tip: “Chuck-a-chuck-a” on the muted A muted A chord.) chord.) While we’re at it, Ex. 2 occurs at the tail end of the song’s chorus and features a twobar lead-in to Montrose’s funky, hybridchicken-pickin’ on adjacent strings in bar 3. Pedal between the down-picked (and slightly muted) open D open D,, and snapped, chromatically descending middle-finger upstrokes using a three-against-four hemiola—two sixteenths, plus a sixteenth rest—that lasts for threeand-a-half beats. (Tip: Cross-reference this month’s Rhythm Workshop for the lowdown on hemiola, and check out Under Investigation for a bonus You’re Playing it Wrong!) g

      44                                               Ex. 1

Rhy. Fig. 1

A/C

D/F

= ca. 125

G/B D/A

2 1 3

G /B

D/F

1

1 1

3

1 1 1

2

1

3

2 1 3

7 7

7

D/F

1

1

3

T A B

D/A A

2 1

8 7 9

10 9 11

10 8 9 7 11 9

7 7 7

X X X X X X X X X X X X

9

7 7

7

7 7 7

8

8 7 9

9

8 7 9

7 7 7

5 6 7

X X X X X X X X X X X X

9

7 7

7

9

“Free Ride” Words and Music by Dan Hartman © 1972, 1974 (Renewed 2000, 2002) EMI BLACKWOOD MUSIC INC. All Rights Reserved International International Copyright Secured Used by Permission Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation

Ex. 2





F m

= ca. 125

G

D

N .C .

A

      44                                                        w/Rhy. Fig. 1

4

1

1

4

1 1

1 2

4

4 3

4 3

1

T A B

80

let ring - - - - - - - 2 2 2 4 4 2

1

3

l.r. - - - - - - - 3 3 4 5 5 3

3

2

1

1

3

1



4 1

7 7 7 5

7 7 7 5


m

m

snap

sim.

5 0

m

4 0

3 0



m

2 0

2 2

4

2

K I M

T H A Y I L

Lessons

Fretboard Recipes: Modes Pt. 1 RELATIVE RELA TIVE AN D PARALLEL MODES BY JESSE GRESS MUSIC DERIVED FROM THE MAJOR

scale doesn’t always sound major. major. Modes provide alternative major and minor tonalities that are relative, or diatonic, to a given major key. They may be thought of as scales within scales, or inversions of a scale. Any scale contains as many relative modes as it has different notes—one starting on each scale degree. Since the major scale consists of seven different notes, it

yields seven relative modes. Modes can have two relationships to a root, or tonic note: relative or parallel. The seven relative modes are derived by designating each degree of the major scale as a new root, and playing through its octave. Though a relative relat ive mode uses the same notes as the original major scale, the interval structure and step formula shifts, changing its sound.

Fig. 1

82


Parallel modes build each modal formula from a single root note. This requires a different major scale for each mode. The chart in Fig. 1 shows the seven modes relative to and parallel to the key of C. Guit ar Jesse Jess e Gress G ress is the author autho r of The Guitar Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Technique & Improvisation [Backbeat]. g

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Lessons

Punching Holes in Scales Pt. 2 BY SCOTT HUGHES WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN,

and with that being the case, let’s let’ s try some descending ideas based on the “punching holes” concept from the April issue. Ex. 1 starts with a three-note-per-string scale fragment. Based in the key of C, this establishes our note-skip as we cross strings. Notice how, even with the skip, the fretting-hand notes fall within typical three-note-per-string configurations

(half-step/whole-step, whole-step/halfstep, or whole-step/whole-step). No big stretches! If this sort of diagonal movement when crossing strings feels strange, try practicing the string change by itself. Ex. 2 isolates this small shift. Use your ring finger or pinky to play the first note on the lower string. You can create similar exercises for every other string shift.

Ex. 1

Ex. 2

  4 4    4 4              17

15

13

17 15

T A B

13

12

15

13 15

T A B

   4                4    Ex. 3

3

3

3

3

3

3

17 15 13 T A B

15 13 12

14 12 10 12 10 9

12 10

8 10

84


8

7

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Lessons PUNCHING HOLES IN SCALES

Ex. 4

    4      4           17

15

13

T A B

15

12

15

13 12 14 12 10

12

9

12

10

9 12

10

8

10

7

10

8

7

Ex. 5

    4        4                    17 15 13 15

T A B

12

15

13

12

12

10

9 10

7

10

9

7

8

7

5 7

3

7

5

3

0

Ex. 6

   4       4             3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

17 15 13 T A B

15 12 15 13 12

12 10

9 10

7

10 9

7

8

7

5 7

Drill them a bit and they won’t feel awkward. Ex. 3 carries our fragment in octaves across the remaining sets of two adjacent strings. We’re playing triplets now, but don’t let that throw you. Just get comfortable with the moves. Sequence time! Ex. 4’s first measure sets the tone, and then descends in octaves oct aves across two string sets. Once you get this 86

3

7

5

3

down, feel free to play with the rhythms, throwing in rests and syncopations. That will keep things fresh and musical. Expanding on this idea, Ex. 5 skips a note at every string change. Upon completion, reward yourself by hitting that final open E and giving a wave of acknowledgement to your adoring public. When a musical idea stems from physicality, it’s easy to overlook things


like rhythm. With rhythmic variations, we can get a lot of extra mileage from our stockpile of licks. Our last example demonstrates this, by regrouping the notes as triplets (Ex 6). With some creativity, you can apply your favorite harmonic/melodic/rhythmic concepts to these ideas and generate some cool new sounds in your diatonic scale lines. Experiment and have fun! g

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Gear ROUNDUP

Six Semi-Hollow Semi-Hollow Electrics TESTED B Y THE GUITAR PLAYER STAFF THE EVOLUTION OF THE ELECTRIC

guitar that would coin the term “thinline.” When

of a split personality guitar has inspired and

guitar has followed a fairly predictable path

Gibson’s ES-335 debuted in 1958 there was noth-

intrigued builders ever since.

from pickup-equipped archtops of the ’40s to

ing else like it. Basically an acoustic shell with a

For this roundup we are featuring six semi-

the sleek solidbodies that Fender and Gibson

log inside it to which the neck and a nd hardware were

hollow guitars with dual humbuckers, which

introduced in the early 1950s. Obviously GIbson

mounted, the ES-335 seemingly had it all with its

include from the high end an early ’60s ES-335

wanted to hang on to as much of its legendary

ability to offer a good amount of acoustic reso-

reissue from Gibson to Epiphone’s ultra afford-

status as a maker of acoustic archtops as pos-

nance while providing the enhanced sustain and

able ES-339 Pro. In between on the pricing scale

sible, and like its competitor Gretsch, came up

feedback resistance that a solidbody excelled at.

are are Fender’s Starcaster reissue, Godin’s new

with designs that navigated the line to various

Even those who didn’t appreciate appreciate the new

Montreal Premier, PRS’s SE Zach Myers Signature,

degrees between hollow and solid. In the late

wave of solidbody guitars could find plenty to

and the Ibanez Artcore Expressionist. We tested

’50s, Gibson president Ted McCarty was on a

like about the ’335s slim, double cutaway body

these guitars on gigs, rehearsals, and in our stu-

roll with futuristic designs such as the Explorer

shape and its Les Paul-approved complement

dios, using a variety of amplifiers that included

and Flying V, but apparently he also saw the

of humbucking pickups, Tune-o-matic Tune-o-matic bridge,

a Dr. Z Remedy head and Z Wreck combo, a

need for a modern electric that would appeal to

and stud tailpiece. The ES-335 opened to door to

Fender Blues Junior and Deluxe Reverb, Little

more conservative tastes—and what better way

subsequent semi-hollow offerings from Epiph-

Walter 50-watt and Orange Tiny Terror heads,

to corner that sector of the market than with a

one, Fender, and other makers, and the concept

and a Mesa/Boogie DC-5.

HEAR IT NOW!

—ART THOMPSON

www.guitarplayer.com/june2014


89

Gear ROUNDUP

EPIPHONE ES-339 PRO UPON ITS INTRODUCTION A FEW YEA RS BACK, G IBSO N’S

given its update of the format, the ES-339 Pro should be one to do even

ES-339 became in instant hit, and a modern success story of sorts. Fol-

a little more than that.

lowing in its footsteps, Epiphone’s own ES-339 Pro is a scaled-down but

Honey-I-shrunk-the-guitar antics aside, the ES-339 Pro is appointed

otherwise fully-endowed rendition of the legendary ES-335, with all the

like any traditional 335, with Epi’s LockTone renditions of the Tune-o-

same construction and appointments, only less—making less—making it a more com-

matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, Grover Deluxe vintage-style tuners,

fortable instrument for many p layers to handle, and perhaps better suited

and the traditional Epiphone headstock and “E” pickguard logo. The

to a wider range of genres too. As such, this guitar is instantly familiar to

rosewood rosewood fingerboard carries the late-’50s dot inlays, atop a three-piece

anyone with even a remote awareness of the classics of electric guitar

mahogany neck carved in the familiar Gib/Epi Sli mTaper mTaper profile—sort of

from the past 50-plus years, yet closer examination reveals how inge-

a mid-’60s “slender D” in the hand. It all looks elegantly understated in

niously this scaling down has been achieved. Compared to an ES-335’s

a natural finish, with ebony, cherry, and vi ntage sunburst also available.

width of 16.5” across the lower bout, the ES-339 clocks in at 14.25”, yet it

Epiphone loads the ES-339 Pro with its Alnico Classic Pro humbuckers,

retains the elegance of the original’s lines, its rounded Micky Mouse-ears

units based roughly on Gibson’s ’57 Classics, with readings firmly in PAF

cutaways, and, with it all, its bold versatility. The ES-335 was always a

territory at 8.12k Ω in the bridge position an d 7.64kΩ in the neck. And, as a

guitar that could do anything do anything—from —from jazz to blues to rock to country—and

nifty bonus, you get individual coil splitting from the push-pull switching

90


MODEL

EPIPHONE ES-339 PRO epiphone.com

CONTACT

PRICE

$449 street

S P E CI F I CAT I O N S NUT

Synthetic, 1 11/16” wide

NECK

Three-piece mahogany, SlimTaper D profile, 24.75" scale

.

FRETBOARD

Rosewood, 12” radius

FRETS

22 medium-jumbo

TUNERS

Grover Deluxe vintage-style tuners

BODY

Laminated maple top, back and sides; semi-hollow with solid center block

BRIDGE

LockTone Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece

PICKUPS

Two Epiphone Alnico Classic Pro humbuckers

on each volume pot, which simply dumps one

overabundant in any setting (other than the

coil to give you half of each humbucker. Over-

split-coil mode), although the neck pickup pos-

all—from looks, to features, to construction

sessed just enough to help both clean and over-

each pickup with push-pull coil-

and setup—it’s all pretty darned impressive.

driven lead runs ring through, while also excelling

split switching on volume pots

CONTROLS

Individual Tone and Volume for

The ES-339 Pro had a tasty setup right out

at warm jazz tones. Kickin g in a Tube Screamer

FACTORY STRINGS

D’Addario XL .010-.046

of its optional hardshell case, with an easy

queued beefy rhythm tones and creamy lead

WEIGHT

7.9 lbs

action, good playability all up and down the

voicings so familiar from five decades of 335-wei-

BUILT

China

neck, and a lively, somewhat snappy acoustic

lding rockers, and added more liveliness to the

KUDOS

A clever re-imagining of the

tone. Plugged into a Dr. Z Remedy head with

ES-339 Pro’s overall sonic feel, too, goosing its

ES-335. Well put-together and

1x12 cab set for clean tones, the guitar dis-

dynamics in a rather tasty way. An impressive

impressively playable for its price.

played a slightly nasal, midrangey honk that

performer for an attractive price, the ES-339

Delivers classic “semi” tone with

predisposed it toward even more than expected

successfully captures the ES-335 magic in a

toward toward raunchy blues in the neck position and

more compact format. — D A V E

HUNTER

split-coil options CONCERNS

None.

gutsy rock’n’roll in the bridge. Clarity wasn’t


91

Gear ROUNDUP

FENDER ST STARCASTER ARCASTER PRODUCED FRO M 1974 TO ROUGHLY 1982, THE STARCASTER STARCASTER

anchoring the map maple le to a laminated maple body with a newly added alder

wasn’t the semi-hollow success that Fender had originally hoped for. Leo

center-block. The former string-through-body bridge has been updated

Nocentelli of the Meters could occasionally be seen playing the funk out of

to a pinned Adjusto-Matic with anchored tailpiece, and the f-holes now

the distinctive looking guitar, but, like the Jazzmaster, Jazzmaster, it remained lost in the

feature the same binding as the body. Gone too is the master volume,

wilderness for some time after its release. Things change, though, and the

which is too bad.

popularity of this idiosyncratic idiosyncratic axe among younger, younger, alternative musicians

I found the C-shaped neck quite comfortable. The 22 medium-jumbo

such as Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, Sammy James Jr. of the Mooney

frets and excellent setup allowed unfettered bends with a relatively low

Suzuki, Dave Keuning of the Killers, Arctic Monkeys guitarist Jamie Cook,

action—despite the traditional 9.5” radius. The semi-hollow design gives

and Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie, made it ripe for reissue.

it plenty of acoustic ring, th ough the sound is not what you would describe

The new Starcaster’s offset waist body and curved headstock make

as warm. Still, that is one thing that sets the Starcaster apart from other

it instantly recognizable as descended from the instrument of decades

semi-hollows: semi-hollows: the combination of a maple neck and maple body makes

past. Fender has, however, however, made a few changes: the original three-bolt

it significantly brighter than most instruments of its ilk, and less prone to

neck joint has been replaced with a more solid four-bolt variety, firmly

muddying out, especially at high gain settings.

92


MODEL

STARCASTER CONTACT

fender.com

PRICE

$699 Street

S P E CI F I CAT I O N S

.

NUT WIDTH

1.650"

NECK

Maple bolt-on, 25.5" scale

FRETBOARD

Maple

FRETS

Medium jumbo

TUNERS

Fender Standard die-cast

BODY

Laminated maple with alder center block

BRIDGE

Pinned Adjusto-Matic with Anchored Tailpiece

This clarity of tone carried over when plugged into Little Walter 50-watt and Orange Tiny Terror

pots that let me achieve a wide variety of tones

PICKUPS

Two Fender Wide Range humbuckers

by merely adjusting the level of each pickup.

Dual Volume and Tone controls,

heads, or a Fender Blues Junior combo. Rolling

Semi-hollow guitars were invented to offer

off the Tone of the neck-position Wide Range

some of the acoustic properties properties of an archtop

humbucker allowed a serviceable jazz sound,

while reducing feedback issues. This makes

FACTORY STRINGS

Fender, .009-.042

but where the Starcaster shined was the extra

them extremely versatile instruments that can

WEIGHT

11 lbs

presence available in the neck position, which

work equally well for rock, country, funk, blues

BUILT

China

afforded blues bite, funk snap, and pop jangle

or jazz. While firmly in this tradition, the Fender

KUDOS

Well made. A great sounding

rarely heard from a semi-hollow. The bridge

Starcaster Starcaster is not only un ique in appearance, but

semi-hollow with its own look

pickup produced plenty of twang through a clean

has a sound of its own—providing a combination

and voice.

amp setting, while retaining enough girth to play

of fast attack, in your face presence, and hol-

well with overdrive and distortion. Switching on

lowed out woodiness that’s perfect for stand-

both pickups revealed smoothly tapered Volume

ing out in the band. — M I C H A E L

CONTROLS

3-way toggle

CONCERNS

Heavy. May be too bright for some.

ROSS


93

Gear ROUNDUP

GIBSON HISTORIC 1963 ES-335 TDC INTRODUCED IN 1958, THE EARLY “DOT NECK” ES-335 GOT

accurate trussrod (which is heavier than modern rods and doesn’t have

its first update in 1963, which morphed it into the classic “block neck”

a plastic sleeve), Aniline dye grain filler (which exactly matches the orig-

model associated with Eric Clapton, Larry Carlton, Alvin Lee, and many

inal translucent color), single-line Kluson tuners with double ring “tulip”

other top-name players. The Gibson Memphis reissue of the 1963 ES-335

buttons, an ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge with nylon saddles, and an alu-

TDC nails all the key elements of the original model, including the lam-

minum stop tailpiece that uses long, original-style anchor studs with the

inated body construction with spruce bracing, cedar rim liners, and a

correct metallurgy, spline size, and “flat cut” slots.

maple center block with period-correct “window.” In case you’re wonder-

On the pickup side are new Memphis Historic Spec (MHS) hum-

ing, “TDC” in the name stands for “Thinl ine, Double cutaway, Cherry finish.”

buckers, which are based on ’50s-era models a nd designed to enhance

The quartersawn mahogany neck is carved to a correct ’63 profile—

the sound of semi-hollow guitars. These unpotted pickups feature

which is fairly slender by today’s standards—and the original-style nylon

asymmetrical coil winding using 42-gauge enameled wire, and they

nut is cut to perfection using very modern PLECK technology. The bind-

feature alnico 3 and alnico 2 magnets respectively for the neck and

ing is nicely aged to replicate the yellowis h appearance of 50 year old cel-

bridge. The Historic 1963 ES-335 also uses custom audio taper CTS

luloid, and the nitro-lacquer finish on the body and neck is also treated treated

550kΩ pots—a value that ensures the pots will be at least 500k Ω, so

to Gibson’s VOS process to give it a lightly aged look. In concert with the

as to keep the neck pickup from sounding muddy or the bridge pickup

dulled patina on the nickel-plated hardware and pickup covers, the over-

from being too bright.

all effect is one of a guitar that has been lightly used for a half century by a non-smoking player who never wore a belt. Other details include hot hide glue for the neck joint, a historically

94


Our review model a rrived with an excellent setup that provided low action without any string buzz. The neck shape is very comfy, the frets are evenly crowned and lightly polished, and the intonation sounds sweet

MODEL

HISTORIC 1963 ES-335 TDC CONTACT

gibsonmemphis.com

PRICE

$3,999 Street


.

NUT WIDTH

1.650"

NECK

Mahogany, glued-in

FRETBOARD

Rosewood

and tuneful. In all , we give it top marks for play-

I could vary the distortion or nudge the 1963

FRETS

Medium jumbo

ability as this guitar h as a very easy and accom-

ES-335 into controlled feedback. There were

TUNERS

Kluson Deluxe

modating feel that facilitates everything from

no problems with squeals from the unpotted

BODY

Laminated maple with maple

string bending to flatpicking to fingering com-

pickups (that might be an issue if you play at

plex chords.

really high volumes, however), and the dual

center block BRIDGE

Tune-o-matic with stop tailpiece

Played on gigs and rehearsals though a’65

Volume controls and well voiced Tone pots

Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue and a Dr. Z Z

made it easy to dial in just the right texture

Wreck combo, the Historic 1963 ES-335 was

for whatever the song called for. This guitar

an inspiring instrument. Its clean to lightly

sounds badass for slide, it’s great for finger-

overdriven tones are juicy and sweet with a

picking, and its do-it-all versatility makes it a

nice sense of acoustic openness, and when

fine candidate for blues, rock, country, fusion,

I turned it up to coax more sustain from the

funk, and probably anything else you care to

FACTORY STRINGS

.010-.046

amp or pedal (an Alairex Halo in this case), the

throw its way. All considered, it’s easy to see

WEIGHT

7.5 lbs

singing distortion tones gushed with harmonics

why early to mid ’60s ES-335s have been

BUILT

USA

and assumed a cool, vocal-like character that

popular over the years with so ma ny different

KUDOS

Abeautifullymadereissue.Inspir-

stood out compared to other guitars I’ve played

kinds of players, and the Historic 1963 ES-335

though these amps. The touch responsiveness

brings it all together in classic form to easily

is excellent, and simply by adjusting my picking

nab an Editors’ Pick Award. — A R T

PICKUPS

Memphis Historic Spec humbuckers; alnico 3 neck, alnico 2 bridge

CONTROLS

Dual Volume and Tone controls, 3-way selector

ing playability and tone. CONCERNS

None.

THOMPSON


95

Gear ROUNDUP

GODIN MONTREAL PREMIERE CANADA’S GODIN HAS A SOLID TRACK RECORD AS ONE OF

with a lightweight spruce center block that’s contoured to touch the guitar’s

the most innovative makers of stringed instruments around. MIDI-equipped

back in just a few areas. This not only leads to the guitar being incredibly light,

acoustic-electrics? Check. 11-string, oud-inspired fretless creations? Oui. State-

but it also creates an ability to resonate that gives the God in much more true

of-the-art electric nylon-strings? Of course! Having expanded its offerings

archtop character than is typical for most semi-hollows.

into the archtop and jazz guitar market in recent years, it’s no surprise that

The Montreal Premiere features a medium-depth, half-round ma hog-

Robert Godin and his crew didn’t simply copy a classic design when creat-

any neck that wears an unbound rosewood fretboard with simple dot

ing the Montreal Premiere semi-hollowbody. With its elegant, 14 5/8”-wide

inlays. The fretwork is excellent excellent and the intonation is tuneful in all posi-

single-cutaway body, floating pickguard, and curvy f-holes, the guitar gives

tions. Topped off with a great factory setup, the playability was superb.

off a sophisticated vibe that is enhanced by its beautiful sunburst finish. And

The Montreal Premiere is a very resonant guitar with an acoustic voice

while you might think the Montreal Premiere is based on an ES-335 (Gibson’s

that is dynamic and complex. For example, when I covered the f-holes

iconic semi-hollowbody that uses laminated maple for its body construc-

with my hand after strumming the strings, the guitar’s tone and volume

tion), Godin chose laminated wild cherry wood for the body, which is paired

changed considerably. This can’t be said of most “thinline” guitars, which

96


MODEL

MONTREAL PREMIERE CONTACT

godinguitars.com

PRICE

$1,495 street


.

NUT WIDTH

1 11/16"

NECK

Glued-in mahogany

FRETBOARD

Rosewood, 24.75" scale

FRETS

22

TUNERS

Vintage Kluson-style chrome

BODY

Cherry top, back, and sides; solid spruce center-block (a.k.a. Breathe-Through Core)

BRIDGE

GraphTech Resomax Tune-o-matic style

PICKUPS

Two custom Godin humbuckers

are built more stiffly. Plugged it into my Mesa/

funky. Even though my AER Compact 60 acous-

Boogie DC-5, my immediate impression was

tic amp it yielded a warm, burnished tone that

CONTROLS

Volume, Tone, 3-way selector

that the Montreal Premiere sounded more like

would work well in a jazz trio.

FACTORY STRINGS

Godin High-Definition E-10 Nickel Regular Light, .010-.046

a traditional archtop—especially on the bass

Kicking in some overdrive gave me a great

strings, which had that slightly dry timbre you

roots-rock sort of a sound, and while a com-

WEIGHT

6.2 lbs

typically get from a deep-bodied acoustic-

pletely hollow archtop wouldn’t be likely to

BUILT

Canada

electric. But the cool thing is that the Montreal

stay cohesive sounding with the Boogie’s lead

KUDOS

Highly resonant arch-

Premiere offers offers those tonal qualities with the

channel, the Montreal Premiere performed

top-like tone. Surpris-

enhanced sustain and resistance to feedback

admiringly in this context too. A killer guitar

ing versatility. Innovative

that are gained by adding a center block. The

that’s bound to find a ton of fans among jazz

guitar excelled at clean tones and could easily

cats and rockers alike, the Montreal Premiere

be dialed to sound fat and jazzy or bright and

receives an Editors’ Pick Award. — T E J A

design. Light weight. CONCERNS

None.

GERKEN


97

Gear ROUNDUP

IBANEZ ARTCORE EXPRESSIONIST AM93 THE ARTCORE SERIES HAS BROUGHT A BROAD RANGE OF

sunburst finish over a beautifully figured top (trans yellow and red sun-

fully- and semi-hollow electrics to the Ibanez stable for several years—

bursts also available), gold-plated hardware, acrylic pearloid block mar k-

from jazz boxes to thinline rockers—and has won over a lot of fans, pro and

ers, and multi-ply-bound body, headstock, and pickguard.

amateur alike. The Artcore Expressionist AM93 combines a little something

The pickups are Ibanez’s Super 58s, the same humbuckers that

for players from both polarities , ultimately landing on what is likely to be a

have appeared in higher-priced si gnature models for John Scofield, Pat

budget-conscious fusion player’s dream. The qui lt-maple laminated body

Metheny, Metheny, and George Benson. Hardware is also solid, time-tested time-tested Ibanez

with solid core is just enough smaller than the ES-335 template to feel a

fare in an ART ART-1 -1 Tune-o-matic Tune-o-matic style bridge, stud-mounted Quick Change

bit more speedy and manageable, and the AM93 also leans toward con-

III tailpiece (with the strings loading through slots in the bar, rather than

temporary temporary design with its deeper cutaways and sharper horns, although

running through from the rear like a traditional stopbar), and enclosed

the headstock’s broad top and decorative inlay give a nod to the compa-

Ibanez tuners that are reminiscent of Grover “kidney beans,” all gold plated.

ny’s many successful full-bodied archtop-electrics. archtop-electrics. Right out of the box

The glued-in neck is a three-piece affair made from mahogany and

it promises to be a versatile and value-packed semi-acoustic—and deliv-

maple, with a volute behind the nut. As with many Ibanez axes, the pro-

ers soundly in the looks department, too, with a tasty transparent black

file leans toward the thin side; it’s a little shallower than I would normally

98


MODEL

ARTCORE EXPRESSIONIST ARTCORE AM93 CONTACT

ibanez.com

PRICE

$600 street

S P E CI F I CAT I O N S NUT

Synthetic, 1 11/16" wide

NECK

Three-piece mahogany/maple, slim C profile, 24.75" scale

.

FRETBOARD

Rosewood, 12” radius

FRETS

22 jumbo

TUNERS

Enclosed die-cast, gold plated

BODY

Quilted laminated maple top, back and sides; semi-hollow with solid center block

BRIDGE

Ibanez ART-1 Tune-o-maticstyle bridge and Quick Change III stopbar tailpiece

prefer, and just a bit square-edged to my palm

bonus was that it stayed crispy and well

while playing. But it still feels good overall and

defined, with a cutting edge remaining in its

should delight fans of what some makers like

attack even in the warmer neck-pickup set-

to call “shred” necks. The AM93 arrived with a

tings. This kept jazz runs from getting mired

decent factory setup, with action on the lower

in the mud, and even allowed a little semi-

side of medium, and good overall intonation.

twang from the bridge pickup when called

FACTORY STRINGS

D’Addario XL .010-.052

My only issue concerned some sharp corners

upon. With an Ibanez Tube Screamer TS-10

WEIGHT

8.1 lbs

on the low- and high-E saddles saddles where you rest

engaged, the overdrive tones were tight and

BUILT

China

the edge of your picking hand.

focused, yet with plenty of sting in the tail—

KUDOS

Upmarket looks. Great build

Through a Dr. Z Remedy and 1x12 cab set

definitely no trouble rocking out on this thin g.

semi-clean, the Artcore Expressionist AM93

A confident and versatile performer overall, overall,

sounded a little underpowered compared

the AM93 is a welcome addition to the Art-

to other humbucker-loaded semis, but the

core line. — D A V E

PICKUPS

Ibanez Super 58 Custom neck and bridge humbuckers

CONTROLS

Individual Volume and Tone for each pickup, 3-way switch

quality for the price. Versatile tones. CONCERNS

Sharp bridge saddle corners.

HUNTER


99

Gear ROUNDUP

PRS SE ZACH MYERS SIGNATURE UNZIP THE ZACK MYERS SIGNA TURE M ODEL’S GIG BAG,

The guitar’s glued-in neck has wh at PRS calls its Wide Fat profile, a

and you’ll immediately be wowed by the insane value that PRS is offer-

designation that basically denotes denotes that the neck feels a bit thicker than

ing with its imported SE series. But let’s zero in for a closer look. Based

a typical PRS design. I loved its satin finish, which lends a feel that is sim-

on PRS’s Singlecut Hollowbody design, the Zach Myers features a cham-

ilar to unfinished wood. The unbound rosewood fretboard sports PRS’s

bered mahogany body with a maple top that’s flat overall, but beveled

well-known Bird position markers, markers, and the headstock is home to a set of

around the edges. Rather than using a single piece of cosmetically attrac-

Kluson-style Kluson-style tuning machines.

tive maple for the entire top, as would be customary for a more expensive

In the electronics department, the SE Zach Myers is fitted with a set

guitar, PRS chose to use a highly flamed veneer to cap the actual top—a

of PRS SE 245 humbuckers, which are wired to a 3-way selector in the

move that brings cost down and enhances the appearance. On the Zach

upper bout and individual Volume and Tone controls. Another hardware

Myers, the top features a lovely green stain, which offers a contrast to the

choice worth noting is PRS’s original Stoptail bridge, which adds intona-

lightly colored mahogany of the body. The guitar’s single f-hole is located

tion adjustments to a wrap-around design.

on the bass side of the lower bout.

100


Semi-hollow electrics can range in character from being not much

MODEL

SE ZACH MYERS SIGNATURE CONTACT

prsguitars.com

PRICE

$679 Street

S P E C IF I CAT I O N S

.

NUT WIDTH

1 11/16"

NECK

Glued-in mahogany

FRETBOARD

Rosewood, 24.5" scale

FRETS

22

TUNERS

Vintage Kluson-style chrome

BODY

Chambered mahogany body with maple top and flamed maple veneer

different than a solidbody to leaning more in

sound, which then allowed me to solo using

the direction of a fully hollow jazz box, and the

a variety of tones. Playing single-note lines, I

SE Zach Myers leans firmly toward the former

found that while I sometimes wished for more

category. Plugged into a Mesa/Boogie DC-5

fatness in the trebles when playing clean, the

BRIDGE

PRS Adjustable Stoptail

PICKUPS

PRS SE 245 Treble and PRS SE 245 Bass humbuckers

CONTROLS

Two Volume, two Tone, 3-way switch

amplifier, the guitar immediately immediately impressed

guitar excelled with overdriven tones, whether

FACTORY STRINGS

.010-.046

me with a sparkly response and great sus-

coming from a DigiTech DigiTech iStomp pedal loaded

WEIGHT

6.5 lbs.

tain. Combined with low action and excellent

with a “Screamer” overdrive patch, or my Boo-

BUILT

Korea

fretwork, the guitar’s somewhat shorter 24.5”

gie’s lead channel. In this context, the PRS

KUDOS

Excellent playability. Great sus-

scale facilitated stretched-out jazz chords,

offered killer sustain, clarity, and note sepa-

and I had fun laying down the changes to

ration. Bottom line: The SE Zach Myers is an

“Blue Bossa” into a looper pedal, rolling back

impressive axe that offers a ton of performance

the neck pic kup’s Tone Tone control for a clean jazz

for a great price. — T E J A

tain.Happeningoverdriventones. CONCERNS

Slightly thin treble with clean sounds.

GE RKEN


101

Gear PRODUCT GUIDE

10 Top Signature Signature Guitars Guitars Rock the Same Tone Machines as Your Heroes!

CARVIN ALLAN HOLDSWORTH SIGNATURE HH2 $1,299 street

Key Features • Headless design • Chambered alder body with white birch top • 25 1/2"-scale, eastern hard rock maple, set-neck • 20" radius • Ebony fretboard • 24 jumbo frets • 1.68" nut width • JCustom Headless Research hardtail or tremolo bridge • Black hardware • H22 humbuckers • Factory Strings: Elixir, .010-.046 carvinguitars.com

“The vibrato that I use mostly came from the violin, and is akin to the vibrato that classical players use—stretching and shortening the string by by moving your finger backward and forward—as opposed to across the fret.” —ALLAN HOLDSWORTH

102


COLLINGS PETE HUTTLINGER LIMITED EDITION OM1 $4,725 retail

Key Features • Sitka spruce top • Mahogany back and sides • Mahogany neck • Ebony fngerboard and bridge • 25 1/2"-scale mahogany set neck • Bone nut and drop-in saddle • Ebony bridge pins and end pin • Nickel Waverly tuners • Tortoise-style Tortoise-style binding and pickguard • Pre-war scalloped bracing • High gloss nitrocellulose lacquer fnish • Pete Huttlinger Signature on 12th Fret • Factory Strings: D’Addario EJ-16, .012-.053 collingsguitars.com

“I’m not the kind of player who likes to edit takes together because you lose lose the feel, feel, and it’s just not honest. I’m really only good for four or five takes, and if I can’t pull a song off within that time—I go practice.” —PETE HUTTLINGER


103

Gear 10 TOP SIGNATURE SIGNATURE GUITARS GUITARS

EPIPHONE MATT HEAFY LES PAUL CUSTOM $699 street

Key Features • Mahogany body with maple veneer top • 24.75"-scale, mahogany set-neck • 12" radius • Ebony fretboard • 22 medium jumbo frets • 1.68" nut width • EMG-85 (neck) and EMG-81 (bridge) pickups • LockTone bridge • Die-cast tuners with black metal tulip buttons • Kill switch on neck Tone knob • 7-string also available epiphone.com

“We took my original Les Paul Custom—the one I got when I was 12 years old—and old—and modeled modeled its playability playability and all the specs. But the big test was whether it could withstand Trivium’s grueling touring schedule. I wanted to make sure that what I was playing live was the same guitar that Trivium fans can pick up in the stores.” —MATT HEAFY

104


ERNIE BALL/MUSIC MAN LUKE III $1,750 street

Key Features • Alder body • 25-1/2"-scale, bolt-on, roasted-maple neck • 12" radius • Rosewood fretboard • 22 low-prole wide frets • 1-5/8" nut width • DiMarzio Transition humbuckers • Music Man oating vintage tremolo • Schaller M6-IND locking tuners • Push/pull Volume knob for gain boost • Factory Strings: Ernie Ball Slinkys, .009-.042 music-man.com

“ I just like so many different kinds of music. I think that’s why I’ve sort of fallen through the cracks. I’m too rock for jazz, too jazz for rock. I’ve never totally fit in anybody’s club. ” —STEVE LUKATHER


105


FRAMUS STEVIE SALAS SIGNATURE $TBD

Key Features • Mahogany body with AAA quilted-maple top • 24.75"-scale maple set-neck • 12" radius • Tiger-stripe ebony fretboard • 24 jumbo frets • Invisible Fret Technology and Plek fret leveling • Graph Tech Black Tusq low-friction nut • TonePros bridge • Graph Tech Ratio locking tuners with wooden knobs • Toggle kill switch • Factory Strings: Cleartone, .010-.046 framus.de/en/framus

“I like a guitar that has a unique and sexy look. I remember being a kid in sixth grade going to see Kiss in concert, and when Paul Stanley walked out with that Iceman, I never saw anything like that in my life. So I decided I didn’t want to play guitars on stage that look like everyone else’s.” —STEVIE SALAS

106


BUDDY GUY INTRODUCES THE 60 TH ANNIVERSARY FENDER ® STRATOCASTER ®

FENDER® 60TH ANNIVERSARY CLASSIC PLAYER ’50S STRATOCASTER® (014 0602 789)

A true living legend, Buddy Guy is more than just an originator of the Chicago-style blues, a Kennedy Center honoree and a six-time Grammy winner. The music of Buddy Guy, as a guitarist and singer/songwriter, transcends any era or geography and has influenced countless artists the world over. For most of his career, Buddy Guy has had the Fender Strat as his guitar of choice. Due to his stature as a player, he was offered a signature model guitar, although it didn’t happen immediately. “You know, it took them a while to make the polka dot. My mother, I promised her … I lied to her … and told her I was going to move to Chicago and get a job at a university and drive back to Louisiana in a polka dot Cadillac. And I knew I was lying. And she passed away and I said, ‘You know, I owe her something.’ And I went to them, and I said, ‘I want a polka dot guitar if I

endorse for you.’ And they said they couldn’t do it … And finally, I guess it was 10, 12, 15 years, they called back and said, ‘We found a guy [who] can put those polka dots on that guitar for you.’” Guy’s amplifier has remained the same for many years. “The Fender came out … Bassman, for a bass. We guitar players turned that thing into a guitar amp … You didn’t have to plug no special effects or nothing on it.” He still has one of his first models, as he explains. “I remember I loaned Otis Rush my amplifier once, the Bassman. And Gary, Indiana, is about 30 miles away from here, and he was on his way back here and he had an accident in the car. I said, ‘Oh, my amp.’ And when they broke the trunk open, all smashed up, I plugged it up, and it’s at my house now, still playing.”

Read the entire interview and see the gear at guitarcenter.com.

FENDER® 60TH ANNIVERSARY AMERICAN STANDARD STRATOCASTER® (017 0182 703)

FENDER® 60TH ANNIVERSARY AMERICAN VINTAGE 1954 STRATOCASTER ® (011 0002 803)

Get the new album, Rhythm & Blues , available on iTunes & all digital retailers. buddyguy.com


IBANEZ ANDY TIMMONS SIGNATURE PRESTIGE $2,699 street

Key Features • Alder body • 25.5"-scale, bolt-on maple neck • 12" radius • Maple fretboard • 22 jumbo frets • 1.59" nut width • DiMarzio Cruiser and DiMarzio AT1 Custom pickups • Wilkinson/Gotoh VSVG bridge • Sperzel locking tuners • Chrome hardware • Factory Strings: D’Addario XL110 ibanez.com

“Chops are great, but I always make the analogy that making music is like painting a picture—if all you have is red, it’s going to be a really boring picture. So I always want to hear something lyrical to go along with the t he flash.” —ANDY TIMMONS

108


PRS SE MARTY FRIEDMAN $649 street

Key Features • Mahogany body with beveled maple top • 25"-scale, mahogany set-neck • 20" radius • Rosewood fretboard • 22 medium-jumbo frets • 1.68" nut width • PRS Designed SE humbuckers • PRS Adjustable Stoptail bridge • PRS Designed SE tuners • Factory Strings: Elixir, .010-.046 prsguitars.com

“You’re not going to wind up in the studio with Paul McCartney one day, and hear him say, ‘Alright mate, can you play play some of those those arpeggios arpeggios a little faster?’ There’s no reason to get stuck on stuff that won’t have any real-world application. application.” ” —MARTY FRIEDMAN


109


REVEREND REEVES GABRELS SP S PACEHAWK $1,199 street

Key Features • Semi-hollow korina body with solid maple top • 24 1/4"-scale, korina set-neck • Rosewood fretboard • 22 medium-jumbo frets • 1 11/16" nut width • Railhammer Chisel (bridge) and Hyper-Vintage (neck) • Bigsby B-50 bridge • Reverend pin-lock tuners • Toggle kill switch • Bass Contour control • Factory Strings: .009-.046 reverendguitars.com

“The only way to get an idea to blossom is not to judge it until it does. But I’m always looking for that event— that shard of sound that hits and then is gone.” —REEVES GABRELS

110


The electric guitar. Remixed. TriplePlay® the wireless guitar controller that lets you turn your electric guitar into any instrument that you want − and compose compose,, perform perform and and record record like like never before. Includes a comprehensive software suite from PreSonus, Native Instruments, Notion Music, and IK Multimedia. ,

Compose The revolutionary songwriting and composition software makes it easy to create your own guitar tabs, lead sheets, and standard sheet music complete with an audio track of your work.

Perform Experience limitless guitar tones and effects, and a split fret capability that lets you play up to 4 instruments at once! This revolutionary new guitar synth provides fast, accurate tracking with virtually no lag.

Record Use the included DAW software on your PC or Mac to build entire multi-instrument arrangements or mind-blowing patches. Explore an entire library of tonal choices to help your music stand apart.

Derek Song performs “Solar Flare” with the Fishman Fis hman TriplePlay

fishman.com/tripleplay


SEAGULL ARTIST PEPPINO D’AGOSTINO SIGNATURE CW QII $1,499 street

Key Features • Solid spruce top • Solid rosewood back and sides • 25 1/2"-scale, mahogany, integrated set-neck • Ebony fretboard • 21 frets • Graph Tech Compensated Tusq nut and saddle • 1.9" nut width • Ebony bridge • Godin EPM Quantum II electronics electronics with tuner • Seagull high-ratio tuners with cream buttons • Factory Strings: Godin Phosphor Bronze Light, .012-.053 seagullguitars.com

“I like both live and studio playing, because they both help me grow as a musician. There is a big difference between live gigs and studio recording. The precision required in the studio and the excitement of a live performance are both essential and fulfilling elements in my life.” — P E P P I N O D ’ A G O ST ST I N O

112


TAYLOR JASON MRAZ $2,999 street

Key Features • Grand Concert shape • Western red cedar top • Indian rosewood back and sides • 25-1/2"-scale, tropical mahogany neck, NT design bolt-on • Ebony fretboard • 17 frets • Tusq nut and saddle • 1-7/8" nut • Nylon bracing • Expression System-N electronics • Classical gold tuners with synthetic ivory buttons • “Be Love” circle/triangle inlay • Factory Strings: D’Addario Classical Extra Hard Tension taylorguitars.com

“On steel-string I’ll play differently, I’ll feel differently, and ultimately I’ll emote differently. I’ve fallen in love with vintage steels lately, lately, but my go-to is always the nylon-string. There’s something soft and smooth and buttery about it that really sits with me in a beautiful way.” —JASON MRAZ


113

Gear 1 0 T O P S I G N AT AT U R E G U I TA TA R S Paul Waller

The Making of a Signature Model FENDER CUSTOM SHOP’S NILE RODGERS HITMAKER STRATOCASTER in that area due to years of playing.”

FENDER CUSTOM SHOP MASTER

Chic and Sister Sledge to David Bow-

find something that was identifiable, he

Builder Paul Waller has pretty much

ie’s Let’s Dance to the recent mega-

would stop, take a photo, and make a

Soon, the Nile Rodgers Limited

seen it all when it comes to Fender

hit by Daft Punk, “Get Lucky.” He got

note. That’s when I really did feel confi-

Edition Hitmaker Stratocaster was a

guitars, but even he got a big surpri se

the “Hitmaker”—a 1960 Stratocaster

dent I was going to get my baby back—

reality, which prompted Rodgers to

when he started measuring Nile Rod-

with a 1959 neck—for a trade-in at a

or a reasonable facsimile of it.”

reflect on the guitar’s past.

gers’ Strat for what would become the

small music shop in Miami Beach.

Eventually, Rodgers traveled to

“I feel like I’m the most fortunate recipient of this incredible accident—

Limited Edition Hitmaker Hit maker Stratocaster. Stratocaster.

Waller traveled to Rodgers’ home

the Fender Custom Shop in Corona,

“He told me, ‘I’ve never seen a guitar

in New York to study the Hitmaker,

California, to oversee final details.

this chain of events,” he said. “I could

like this before,’” related Rodgers. “He

and, apparently, become quite inti-

While playing yet another prototype prototype,,

have gone to a different music shop

said, ‘It’s so not to spec that a guitar like

mate with its features.

he asked for neck measurements at

or seen another instrument in the

the 5th and 7th frets.

window. This was probably the cheap-

this would never get past the inspectors

“After two hours of measuring it and

today.’ Then, he promised the replica

doing all of this stuff, he spent another

“The neck width dimension was off

est Strat in the place. Who would ever

would be exactly like my one-of-a-kind.”

two hours rubbing the neck,” n eck,” said Rod-

by .020,” explained Waller, “which is

thought in a million years that I’d get

Rodgers’ Strat has reportedly made

gers. “I’m going, ‘Dude, that looks like

about the same thickness as a human

something so unbelievably unique

the scene on hundreds of hits, from

porno to me.’ But whenever he would

hair. The neck had been worn thinner

and special?” — M I C H A E L M O L E N D A g

114


Audley Freed and Collings Guitars

Serious Guitars

| www ww w.CollingsGuitars.co .CollingsGuitars.com m | (512) 288-7770

A u d l e y F r e e d a n d h i s T V Y e l l o w C o l l i n g s 2 9 0

Gear TEST DRIVE

Dr. Z Zwreck

TE S TED

B Y ART THOMPSON

ORIGINALLY DESIGNED FOR BRAD

so. That changed in 2010, when the flood that

subsequently, the combo version on deck here.

Paisley, the Z Wreck was born out of a collab-

hit Nashville destroyed all of Paisley’s road

For the production model , Dr. Z started with

oration between Dr. Z and Ken Fischer of Train-

amps, except for his Z Wreck. Dr. Z quickly built

a clean slate and began with a new aluminum

wreck Circuits. The amp has been a mainstay of

two more ’Wrecks to keep him going, and that

chassis and a birch-ply cabinet. According to “Z,”

Paisley’s Paisley’s rig since 2006, but when Ken Fischer

effort spurred the idea to add the Z Wreck to

every component was placed with the utmost

passed away the same year, Dr. Z shelved the

the Dr. Z line. With some further refining of the

attention to having short wire lengths and

project and refused to put the amp into pro-

circuit and Brad Paisley’s encouragement, encouragement, the

increased separation between the preamp and

duction despite getting a lot of requests to do

end result was a Z Wreck head/cab setup, and,

output sections. Dr. Z says the “heart of the amp”

HEAR IT NOW! 116



is the output transformer that Fischer designed

Tested with a PRS 22, a Gibson Gi bson Les Paul, and a

in the early 2000s, but a newly designed power

Feiten T-Pro, the Z Wreck proved the less-is-more

transformer was added that incorporates a multi-

theory when it comes to tone. The Volume knob is

tapped secondary, which allows for two different

a primary function here, and at settings below noon

CONTACT

drzamps.com

plate voltage settings that you can choose via

(with the EQ knobs at or around 12 o’ clock) the

PRICE

$2,999 street (padded cover

the Comfort/Speed switch. The Speed setting

amp delivers shimmering clean tones with great

runs the tubes at 320 volts for a strong attack

note detail and chime. The headroom is excellent,

with increased clarity and dynamic headroom,

and the well-implemented passive EQ makes it

and the Comfort position drops it to 280 volts

easy to obtain anything from darker jazz sounds to

CHANNELS

1

for a softer, more vintage-like feel.

supremely sparkling timbres, especially with sin-

CONTROLS

Volume, Bass, Treble, Cut; Com-

MODEL

Z WRECK COMBO

included) S P E CI F I CAT I O N S

fort/Speed switch

For the combo version, Dr. Z uses an open-

gle-coils. Never a thin-sounding amp, however, the

back cabinet made from 1/2” birch-ply, which

Z Wreck stays beefy and balanced when it’s oper-

POWER

30 watts

houses a Celestion Gold 12” speaker and grips

ating on the cleaner side of the tracks. Although

TUBES

Three 12AX7s, four EL84s (cath-

the chassis in a top-mount position with the

it doesn’t have a spring reverb, the resonance of

tubes laying horizontally. Covered in navy blue

the cabinet makes the sound breathe with a sort

SPEAKER

12” Celestion Gold

Tolex with gold piping and a black grille, the amp

of natural ’verb that is quite cool.

EXTRAS

4Ω, 8Ω, and 16Ω speaker outs

WEIGHT

46 lbs

.

ode bias), 5AR4 rectifier.

exudes a hip, British kind of look. On the inside

But this is only half the story, as the Z wreck

we find beautifully handwired circuitry with nicely

quickly brews up a storm of distortion as the

BUILT

USA

dressed leads, and high-grade components such

Volume control is turned up past noon. Things

KUDOS

Excellent build quality and com-

as Mallory 150 coupling caps (which are known

begin mildly enough as the tones take on a grit-

for their smooth sound), NOS 6N14NS (EL84)

tier attitude, and depending on the strength of

power tubes, and one-percent tolerance metal-

the pickups, there are plenty of places where

oxide resistors. (See chassis photo.)

the clean grind is spot-on for rhythm playing

ponents. Amazing dynamics and playing feel. CONCERNS

None.


117

Gear DR. Z

and twangy leads. Turn the wick up and the tones become more savage, delivering a rush of harmonics and touch-responsive sustain as the Volume knob points toward three o’ clock or higher. The cool thing is how dynamic the Z Wreck remains even when pouring out a torrent of Brit-flavored distortion. Turn down the guitar volume and/or adjust your picking, and the tones clean up in an organic way that allows for seamless transitions between lead and rhythm. Excellent! The Z Wreck has no master volume or wattage-reduction features, and it does get loud. The Comfort setting tames the aggression a bit and makes the amp feel a little saggier, but a good attenuator (such as Dr. Z’s own Airbrake) would be helpful for situations where you need to crank up in smaller rooms. In a ll other regards, the Z Wreck is an ideal stage amp for anyone who prefers to get their sound from one great channel coupled to a dynamically responsive output stage. Ultimately, if you’re looking for the simplest route to tone, this boutique amp killer tone,

delivers on a level

that earns it an Editors’ Pick Award. g

118

The Zwreck combo includes a 12'' Celestion Gold speaker.


Gear TEST DRIVE

R E T N U H E V A D

Komet Aero 33

T ES TED

B Y DAVE HUNTER

A SMALL OUTFIT RUN BY RIVERFRONT

volume, a versatile EQ, and an emphasis on

well as the gain and the degree to which play-

Music of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Komet is con-

tone, articulation, and playing dynamics. A

ing dynamics induces breakup. breakup.

sidered by many to be the torchbearer torchbearer for the

lone Volume control governs multiple gain

Inside the chassis, the Aero 33 reveals Kom-

late Ken Fischer of Trainwreck Circuits. This rep

stages fueled by two of the amp’s three 12AX7

et’s adherence to Fischer’s “no effort or expense

comes not because they copy Trainwreck’s leg-

preamp tubes, in a contemporary re-think of

spared” ethos. The chassis is 1/8”-thick aircraft-

endary Express or Liverpool amps (they don’t),

an old-school “high gain” design, intended to

grade aluminum, laser cut and welded; trans-

but because the brand was launched more

be controlled with playing dynamics and your

formers are custom-designed and built in the

than a decade ago on a then-new model, the

guitar’s volume control. And while the EQ facil-

USA; and all switches, switches, jacks, tube sockets, and

K60, designed from the ground up by Fischer

ities might look like a somewhat modified Brit-

other components are of the highest quality

himself and put into production by Komet with

inspired tone stack, nothing within the circuit

(often military spec)—including stainless-steel

close guidance from the New Jersey tube-amp

is directly lifted from anything that has gone

PEC 2-watt potentiometers and a big output-

guru. Since that time, Komet’s Michael Kennedy

before—other than a little past Komet here

impedance switch that barks a sturdy “click”

and Holger Notzel have branched out into their

and there. In addition to the front-panel offer-

when you twist it. All signal capacitors and resis-

own original designs, of which the hotly awaited

ings, the back panel holds what is arguably the

tors on the 1/8"-thick fiberglass circuit board

Aero 33 is the latest.

most powerful control in the Komet arsenal—a

are individually concealed in black shrink wrap,

The Aero 33 is entirely what we’ve come to

Fast/Gradual Touch Response switch that dra-

although I have no concerns about the verac-

expect from Komet: single channel, no master

matically alters the playing feel of the amp, as

ity of what’s inside. Everything is immaculately

HEAR IT NOW! 120



MODEL

AERO 33 CONTACT

kometamps.com

PRICE

$3,799 street (head only)

strung together with silver-plated Teflon wire.

Switching to Fast mode not only ups the

I tested the Aero 33 with a Les Paul, a Tele-

gain and volume, it increases the rapidity with

caster, and a Thorn SoCal C/S, through 1x12,

which your pick attack spurs the Aero 33 into

2x12, and 4x12 cabs loaded with a variety of

overdrive. With the Tele and th e amp Volume

CHANNELS

1

Celestion and Scumback speakers. First reveal:

backed down to 11 o’clock, the Aero 33 delivers

CONTROLS

Volume, Treble, Midrange, Bass,

toss your preconceptions about classic EL84

some of the sweetest sweetest hot-country sounds you

chime out the window. Oh, the Aero 33 will do

could wish for, slipping from throaty twang to

that, but this is an amp that’s born to grind,

snarly, wiry lead tones at will. The Aero 33 is loud,

Gradual Touch Response switch

wail, and roar, and it does so pretty quickly once

too, so it simply ain’t a bedroom amp. That said,

on the back panel


Presence, Hi-Cut, 3-way Bright switch (low/off/high); Fast/

.

you get the Volume up beyond 10 o’clock. This

it responded well to the three quality output

POWER

33 watts

amp to be governed by by your guitar-volume set-

attenuators I used to control its volume: an Alex’s

TUBES

Three 12AX7 , four EL84

tings and picking attack, so once you find your

Attenuator, Weber High-Powered Load Dump,

EXTRAS

4/8/16 Ω impedance switch, dual speaker outs

sweet zone, clean to mean is only a twist or a

and a D r. Z Air Brake. Throughout its range, and

quick away. Push the Volume Volume past noon with

no matter what I threw at it, the Aero 33 deliv-

WEIGHT

38 lbs

Touch Response set to Gradual, and the Aero

ered like few amps I have ever played. Make no

BUILT

U.S.A.

33 is thick, rich, and more classic-Marshall-y classic-Marshall-y

mistake, though, this is predominantly a lead

KUDOS

Top-tier build quality and com-

than you’d ever expect from EL84s, but with a

player’s amp. Sure, it’ll eat chu nky, power-chord

ponents. Extremely deep, rich

fine texture and glassy clarity that you don’t get

rhythm work for breakfast, but its abundant h ar-

tones. Superb dynamics and

from bigger bottles. My Les Paul ate this stuff

monic texture and “wired to your fingertips” play-

playing feel.

up, churning out vintage-rock tones of the sort

ing feel urge you to tear it up in a major way. For

that dreams are made of, with easy, controlla-

all of this, and more, the Komet Aero 33 earns

ble feedback at the ready.

an Editors’ Pick Award. Award. g

CONCERNS

Expensive, but you get what you pay for.


121

Gear TEST DRIVE

Demeter TGA 2.1 2.1 Inverter Inverter

TESTED B Y B ARRY CLEVE LAND

ROOTED IN DEMETE R’S FEATURE-PACKED FEATURE-PACKED

and the rugged handle is comfortable and sol-

transformer, transformer, etc.) and is available as either a 1x12

legacy TGA-3 amplifier (still available by spe-

idly attached, attached, which is a good thing given that

or 2x10 combo, or as a head. The 1x12 combo

cial order from the Demeter Custom Shop), the

this 1x12 combo weighs a substantial 51 pounds.

reviewed here produces 22 watts via a pai r of JJ

TGA 2.1 goes for a simplified and more stream-

Inside, the handwired amp is also a thing of

6V6 power tubes, with four 12AX7s—three Mul-

lined design than its predecessor. It’s a hand-

beauty, beauty, with all components and wiring orga-

lard and one Electro-Harmonix—in the preamp

some amp, with classic lines, a vintage-style

nized neatly and all workmanship well executed.

section, along with a Triode TF110-48UL Deluxe

woven speaker grille with white piping, and a

As detailed on Demeter’s website, the TGA

Style Ultra-Linear output transformer and a Clas-

slightly angled front panel for increased upward

2.1 may be ordered in several configurations (22

sound dispersion. The classy ribbed knobs, too,

to 110 watts, class A or AB, various tube com-

The TGA 2.1 is a 2-channel amp, with two

contribute to the amp’s retro-modern design,

plements, with or without a toroidal power

variations on the second channel, resulting in

HEAR IT NOW! 122


sicTone 40-18066 power transformer.


three options: Clean, Edge, and Solo—but these

including a PRS Custom 24 Brazilian, a 1969

are only general designations. For example,

Gibson Les Paul Custom, a ’70s Fender Strato-

cranking the Clean Gain control on the Clean

caster, caster, and a Danelectro 59 Alligator with lip-

channel results in impressive Fender Deluxe-

stick pickups. In general, I preferred the bolder

like overdriven overdriven sounds (and pulling the control

tones I got with the humbucker-equipped gui-

knob up for Bright provides additional bite). The

tars, though the Strat and Dano sounds were

Edge setting was designed to deliver brighter

also superb, particularly the clean and slightly

and higher-gain overdriven sounds, a little like a

overdriven ones. The amp’s four tone con-

pumped-up ’60s-era Marshall, and the Solo set-

trols are beautifully voiced, with wide ranges,

ting increases the gain yet further, while adding

and they were definitely useful when sculpting

overall girth. The amp comes with an FS-2 Dual

tones for specific purposes or compensating

Footswitch for toggling between Clean/Dirty

for the room generally—but after several hours

and Edge/Lead (but don’t break or lose it, as a

of experimentation I wound up leaving them

replacement will set you back $149).

more or less straight up, which worked well for

Switches on the Edge Gain (pull/Boost),

MODEL

TGA 2.1 INVERTER

all three settings.

Solo Gain (pull/Dark), and Channel 2 Master

In other words, I was able to dial in all the

(pull/Boost, with midrange emphasis) controls

variations I needed—from gorgeous, full-bod-

CONTACT

demeteramps.com

PRICE

$2,599 retail/$2,099 direct

present even more gain-staging and tone-color-

ied clean tones to vibey crunch and overdriven

ation options, and although the Treble, Middle,

sounds to searing, super-saturated, over-the-

Bass, and Presence controls are global, per-

top distortion—just by adjusting the gain staging,

SPEAKER

12" Jensen Jet Special Edition

sonally I didn’t find that to be a significant lim-

engaging the Bright switch on the Clean channel,

POWER

22 watts

itation. (Note: according to Demeter the tone

and toggling between Triode Triode and Pentode oper-

CONTROLS

Channel 1: Clean Gain (pull/

controls are boost/cut, with the center posi-

ation. Classic and modern rock, blues, country,

tion being essentially flat).

jazz—you name it, the TGA 2.1 can handle it. And

Edge Gain (pull/Boost), Solo


Bright), Master; Channel 2:

.

There is also a Triode/Pentode Triode/Pentode switch on the

when pushing a 4x12 cab, the amp even does a

Gain (pull/Dark), Master

rear panel that decreases the power by 50 per-

respectable job of bringing the metal fury. The

(pull/Boost); Treble, Middle,

cent, as well as altering the amp’s overall char-

TGA 2.1 is also pedal friendly, particularly when

Bass, Presence, Send, Return.

acter and responsiveness, and a tube-buffered

run clean. Hit it with a little boost and it satu-

TUBES

2 6V6 power, 4 12AX7 preamp

effects loop, with front-panel Send and Return

rates smoothly without losing definition; blast

EXTRAS

Triode/Pentode switch

controls. A Voltage Selector enables the TGA 2.1

it with an overdrive or a nasty fuzzbox, and it

WEIGHT

51 lbs

to run on either 110 or 240V, to facilitate globe-

maintains its sonic integrity.

BUILT

U.S.A.

KUDOS

Excellent sound and work-

trotting users, and there’s there’s a choice of 4Ω, 8Ω, and

The TGA 2.1 delivers a huge array of spec-

16Ω speaker outputs. Conspicuously absent is

tacular sounds, features well-designed and

manship. Diverse tone-

an onboard spring reverb, which is ironic given

easy to use controls, and despite its boutique

crafting capabilities.

that Demeter makes two of the best stand-

qualifications, its solid construction should

alone spring reverb units available.

make it highly roadworthy. That’s why it earns

I tested the TGA 2.1 with several guitars,

Solid construction. CONCERNS

No onboard reverb.

an Editors’ Pick Award. g


123

Gear STUDIO TOOLS

CelemonyMelodyne Celemony Melodyne Editor 2.1.2 TESTED BY BARRY CLEVELAND

again with the implementation of its Direct Note

Melodyne Assistant ($199 street), the stripped-

application blew a lot of minds when it was first

Access (DNA) technology, which enabled Melo-

down Melodyne Essential ($69 street), and the

introduced back in 2001. Rather than merely

dyne to function polyphonically. Suddenly, entire

multi-track Melodyne Studio Bundle ($559

displaying waveforms or even frequency infor-

chords and even lines played simultaneously by

street), which is likely more Melodyne than

mation, Melodyne teased out actual notes, and

more than one instrument could be extracted

most non-pro users will ever need. (See the

represented them as individual “blobs” within a

from audio files and manipulated mani pulated in myriad ways.

Celemony website for full details and a com-

CELEMONY’S MELODYNE AUDIO EDITING

user interface that functioned much like a stan-

Since then, Celemony has continued to

dard “piano-roll” MIDI editor. You could then

both refine and expand Melodyne’s capabil-

Melodyne is compatible with both OS X and

adjust their pitch and duration, and even modify

ities, and now offers the application in four

Windows operating systems, and functions as

the phrasing, dynamics, and other primary char-

flavors, to address the needs—and fit the bud-

either a stand-alone application (linked to your

acteristics of complete performances—as long

gets—of users from home recording enthusi-

DAW via Rewire), or as a VST, AU, RTAS, RTAS, or AAX

as you were dealing with a monophonic event

asts to recording industry professionals. There’s

plug-in, within both 32- and 64-bit environ-

such as a melody line or a drum part. Then, in

the fully featured polyphonic Melodyne Editor

ments. The plug-in versions play particularly

2009, Celemony stunned the audio community

($349 street) reviewed here, the monophonic

well with Presonus Studio One and Cakewalk

124


parative chart.)

Gear CELEMONY

Sonar, via Celemony’s proprietary Audio Random

they apply to guitar. I tested Melodyne both as a

envelope or duration, or even substitute notes

Access (ARA) extension, which integrates them

stand-alone application, and as a 32-bit RTAS

played with one tone for those played with another.

more thoroughly by streamlining communication

plug-in within Pro Tools 10 (there’s also a 64-bit

And most of these things a re done by simply drag-

and expanding functionality. functionality.

AAX version for Pro Tools 11). The interfaces for

ging and dropping or via simple key commands.

The principles upon which Melodyne is based have their origins in the works of mathematicians

the two versions are very similar, and the results

Don’t like the sound of that Db? Just drag its blob

in all cases were essentially essentially identical.

to, say, the Bb line and presto!

such as Pythagorias, Ptolemy, and Kepler (partic-

Melodyne operates in three modes: Melodic,

Another truly amazing capability is translat-

ularly the latter’s Harmony of the World , which,

Percussive, Percussive, and Polyphonic. When working with,

ing audio/note information into MIDI informa-

among other things, specifically addresses the

say, single-note single-note guitar lines and riffs, you’ll likely

tion. Once you have a performance loaded into

mathematics of vibration and harmony). German

want to go with Melodic mode, whereas Poly-

Melodyne, and converted to MIDI, you can have

software engineer Peter Neubäcker—who is also

phonic mode is required for chords. Melodyne

any MIDI synth, sampler, or other device play the

a musician and a luthier, as well as something of

does a good job of identifying notes and other

part—and the MIDI information may be used

a mystic—reportedly stumbled upon the concept

musical events, though there are lots of ways to

to generate musical notation for creating sheet

for Melodyne while pondering the question, “What

fine-tune the analysis process, and to correct any

music (heads up sound designers, remixers, remixers, and film composers). composers).

does a stone sound like?” Given the application’s

errors. Then, once you have an accurate represen-

seemingly magical music-manipulating music-manipulating capabil-

tation of the performance, you can use the Pitch,

You’ll find an abunda abundance nce of information about

ities, it might be more pertinent to ask, “What can

Timing, Amplitude, Formant, and many other tools

Melodyne on the Celemony website, website, including

a stone sound like?”

to either correct problems, or get creative. For

some excellent instructional videos—and you

Melodyne Editor is so robust that it isn’t pos-

example, you could add, subtract, or alter notes

can download a free 30-day trial version, along

sible to even list all of its features and capabili-

within chords to create new harmonies, change

with demo files for several major DAWs, to see for

ties in a quick overview such as this, much less

keys, or even construct voicings that it would be

yourself what all the fuss is about. But beware:

provide details about them—so I’ll just h ighlight

impossible to actually play on a guitar. You can

this thing is totally addictive, and i t has the poten-

a few of the most important ones, particularly as

also accent particular notes, change their attack

tial to change the way you make musi c forever.g

126


Just follow the tab, listen to the CD to hear how the guitar should sound, and then play along using the separate backing tracks. Mac and PC users can also slow down the tempo – without changing pitch! – by using the CD in their computer. The melody and lyrics are also included in the book in case you want to sing, or to simply help you follow along.

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Gear ACCESSORY FILE

D’Addario

to GP’s Matt Blackett while covering the Winter NAMM show. (Sorry, Matt, I decided to keep it.) The trigger-style operation made using the Artist Capo quick and easy. easy. I could position it on the guitar neck, take it off, clamp it to the

NS Artist Capo

headstock so I wouldn’t lose it, and then put it back on the neck practically without thinking. Tuning integrity was spot-on. I didn’t notice any sour intonation at any time I used the capo— even with those open “Beatle” “Beatle” chords played so far up the neck. I never had occasion to use the micrometer-adjustment mechanism that helps prevent string buzz, because, right out o f the packaging and onto my Gretsch Rancher acoustic, the Artist Capo didn’t cause any buzzing issues. The capo’s performance was just as flawless on my Epiphone Dot semi-hollowbody, when I decided, post-memorial, to try playing an electric version of the song, as well as fool around with capo positions and chord inversions. There are actually a lot of textures to discover when you start moving that thing up and

I’D SOMEHOW MANAGED TO AVOID

said, “Cool—capo at the 7th fret.” Ack. Thanks

down the neck. Who knew? Call me converted!

using a capo my entire career, until a memorial

a lot, George Harrison! But any trepidation over

The NS Artist Capo also comes with a pick

gig requested I perform the Beatles’ “Here Comes

using a “string clamp” dissipated almost imme-

holder and a mounting bracket for a D’Addario

the Sun.” I found the chords online, of course,

diately, diately, when I deployed the NS Artist Capo ($17

NS Micro Headstock Tuner (not included).

but got a wake-up call when the other guitarist

street) that D’Addario had given me to deliver

planetwaves.com — M I C H A E L

and Lou Reed records (among many others), he

Swim Swim-like, planet-rending explosions of cartoon

would do me one more huge solid by devising the

anger. anger.I’malsomore inclinedtochangemystrings

String Change Buddy ($9.99 direct). As he says

long before they become caked with sweat, grit,

himself, “Sometimes the most frustrating prob-

and other nasty things that kill tone. The String

lems have the simplest answers,” and the über-

Change Buddy also can be stored between the

simplistic String Change Buddy is a lifesaver. lifesaver.

bridge and string bar to dampen string rattle.

Pre-Buddy, it took gymnastic dexterity to drop

stringchangebuddy.com — M I C H A E L

Steve Hunter Hunter

String Change Buddy

the ball end of the string onto the tremolo bar’s pin, and, in my case at least, nine times out of ten, as soon as I started pulling the string towards the headstock tuners— plop—the

ball would drop off the pin. Now,

I LOVE BIGSBYS. I LOVE THE VI NTAGE NTAGE

I just slide

vibe and the smoo smooth th warble, and, as a result, I have

the foam

far too many guitars that are Bigsby equipped.

String

This is a problem—a BIG problem—because that

Change

means I have a lot of strings to change on these

Buddy under

beautifuldemons,andchangingstringsonaBigbsy

the bar, and the

tremolo sucks almost as bad as slamming your

string-end balls

thumb in door of a Ford F-150 truck. Well, little

are held gently and

did I know that for all the joy Steve Hunter’s guitar

firmly on their pins.

parts have brought me on classic Alice Cooper

Voila! No more Adult

128


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MOLENDA

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SIZES Decades of legendary tone goes into every Acoustic amp we make. And now is the perfect time to join musicians worldwide who have trusted Acoustic’s low-end FREQs for over 45 years in the studio and on stage...no matter what the size.

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Low-End Freqs Since 1967

Available Av ailable at these preferred retailers

n o i t a c i f i l p m A c i t s u o c A 4 1 0 2 ®

Gear TEST DRIVE

Recycled Sound Power Plug 100 TESTED BY MICHAEL ROSS “ G U I T A R P L A Y E R , T U R N D O W N ! ”

to -10dB. At -10dB, the large knob takes over for

can accompany intensive attenuation. Regard-

Those words are heard so regularly because

continuous “bedroom level” control, up to -30dB.

less of the volume drop, both amps reacted to

tube amps sound best when th e power stage is

I tested it with an Orange Tiny Terror 15-watt 15-watt

the guitar volume knob by cleaning up quickly—

pushed, often resulting in a louder volume than

head and a Little Walter 50-watt head through a

just as if they were going full blast. The Power

a venue or gig permits. That’s where an atten-

custom cabinet with one 12” Emi nence speaker.

Plug 100 will ingratiate you with soundmen and

uator comes in: Placed between the speaker

Each 2dB increment of the left knob revealed a

club owners everywhere without compromising

output of a combo or head and the speaker, it

distinctly audible volume drop, with virtually no

your tone, and for that reason alone it’s worthy

lowers or “attenuates” the volume—ideally with-

tone loss. With the right knob between full on

of an Editors’ Pick Award.

out affecting the tone of the amp. Recycled Sound’s Power Power Plug 100 ($199 direct)

(-10dB) and about halfway counter-clockwise (approximately (approximately -20dB) the sound of both amps

KUDOS Allows wide ranging control over your

is suitable for taming amps of up to 100 watts.

remained nearly identical to bypass. Once past

amp volume, without sacrificing sound.

The small notched knob on the left offers 2db

noon, the amps started getting more compressed

CONCERNS None.

increments of attenuation from none (bypass)

and distorted, but without any of the fizz that

CONTACT recycledsound.net g

130


Gear WHACK JOB

Dinette Guitars Harlequin BY TERRY CARLETON

OFTEN FOUND IN TOP-TEN LISTS OF

that just rip, a ’60s Schaller bridge and trem-

the world’s ugliest guitars is the late-1950’s Kay

olo, and modern Kluson locking tuners.

Solo King, whose shape looks like the state of Ohio with a guitar neck sticking sideways out

VALUE

of its eastern border. The guitar pictured here—

The Kay Solo King listed for 75 bucks in 1960.

made in 2013 and dubbed “The Harlequin” by

Now, if you ever came across one, I suspect that

Dinette Guitars—is an obvious nod to the origi-

it would fetch stoopid money—though money—though there’s

nal Kay whack job, but it differs greatly for what

a great copy made by MyRareGuitars that sells

might be obvious reasons , as well as some not-

for just under $500 that is worth investigating.

so-obvious reasons. Um, let me explain…

The Harlequin is “mos def” a one-off. It is what it is, and only this one exists. What I paid for it

WEIRDO FACTOR

doesn’t even begin to express how much I like

The body shape is close enough to the origi-

it, so I’m not going to say

nal Kay design that a silhouette-only rendering

what I paid, but I would

might prompt an ambulance chaser to consider

highly recommend that

the benefits of a copyright-infringement case.

you go to the Dinette

But Dinette dressed things up (or down) a bit

website to get a better

more than the rather Spartan Solo King. The

idea of what they do.

phrase “functional art” comes to mind, as the diamond-shaped pieces of hand-painted, inter-

WHY IT RULES

locking plexiglass look like wall art stolen from

This guitar rules on

Ricky and Lucy’s apartment. Then, there’s the

many levels. The Har-

hollow pink formica body, which further trans-

lequin’s color combi-

forms the vibe into the arena of kitsch. What

nations, playability,

were they going for here? An LSD-inspired—

and sound are awe-

and subsequently junked—tailfin design for a

some and unique to

powder-puff hued 1956 Plymouth?

this guitar. Everything comes together in per-

PLAY YA ABILITY & SOUN D

fect harmony. But I have

Another one of the ways the Harlequin differs

to warn you, Dinette gui-

from its Kay counterpart is that it plays like a

tars are hard to come

dream. While I’m not suggesting that Kay guitars

by, and for as long as

didn’t play well—some models are, in fact, awe-

they have been around,

some—the Solo King was not known as one of

they’ve managed to

their better-playing models. I’ve played several

stay very underground.

Dinette guitars (I own two), and they really have

Located in some secret

a special feel. There’s a resonance and tight-

lair in northern Califor-

ness that just shakes your bones—and that’s

nia, one might surf into

when it’s unplugged! Plugged into an amp, this

one for sale on Craigslist

guitar has a wonderful sustain and a raucous,

or reverb.com. But however

vintage-vibe sound. The 22-fret neck is quite

hard the hunt is, these gui-

comfortable, and it allows clear access to the

tars are well worth it. Check

upper frets. The components are a combina-

out dinetteguitars.com and try

tion of new and old: Seymour Duncan P-90s

to tell me it ain’t so! g

132


Mitchell Acoustic Guitar Pack MO100SPK

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19999

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The Mitchell Acoustic Pack Includes: • Solid-top acoustic guitar •Protective gig bag • Instructional DVD • Extra set of strings

• E-Z Tune digital tuner • Comfortable strap • Guitar picks

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Quality Musical Instrum Instruments ents MitchellGuitars.com ©2013 Mitchell Guitars

Gear FA B L E F I G H T E R S

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ANALOG ABOUT ANALOG DELAY PEDALS? BY DAVE HUNTER

IN BROAD SWATHES SWATHES OF THE CONSUMER

help matters much.

Digital has come a long way in the three

audio world “digital” has long been the watch-

Digital delay does its thing, in basic terms,

decades since its infancy, though, and the ways

word for clean, clear, precise, and perfect sound.

by splitting the signal at the input, running one

in which more creative effects designers today

Why is it, then, that so many guitarists con-

path through an analog-to-digital (A/D) con-

are using the technology to process delays has

tinue to go nuts for analog delay? Can it really

verter, sampling it, and blending it back with the

come even further. Essentially, manufacturers

still outstrip the best that digital has to offer?

dry signal at a desired delay time after trans-

such as Strymon, TC Electronic, Eventide, Line

Part of our frequent predisposition toward

lating it back through a digital-to-analog (D/A)

6, Wampler, Wampler, and others have made digital delay

analog delay pedals circles back to old truths

converter. Voila: echo! When this is done at a

sound much more appealing to guitarists’ ears

about guitar tone in general: distortion adds

low resolution, however, and with little extra

by doing what the digital-audio realm often does

depth, imperfection adds character. Just as we

thought to the timbre and character of the

in respect to guitar tone: copying the sound of

rarely like the sound of a guitar played through

sound, the delayed signal can often sound cold

analog. Vastly improved resolution, better A/D

a high-fidelity audio amp with extremely low

and slightly harsh.

and D/A converters, and all-analog side chains

total harmonic distortion (THD), we often find

Analog delay happens in much the same

have been teamed with accurate emulations

that an echo effect with a little fur and flutter

way, essentially, except except that the entire delay-

of what different types of analog echoes really

on the repeats simply sounds better—whether

line portion of that split signal path is produced

sound like. The result is not only a great-sound-

or not we pause to analyze how accurate that

with analog technology, which also means that

ing digital effect, but in many cases, one with

delayed signal actually is. The slight distor-

no conversion of the signal out of the analog

enormous versatility and tweakability, enabling

tion in many analog delays is often heard as

realm and back again is required. The original

you to hop from warm, grainy BBD delay; to ric h,

a good thing, an artifact that thickens up the

and most beloved form of non-mechanical (i.e.

warbly tape delay; to sharp, pristine digi tal delay

sound. Digital delays can distort too, but in its

non-tape-generated) solid-state analog delay

at the punch of a preset button.

native state, this doesn’t occur in a way that is

technology of the mid ’70s onward was the so-

Meanwhile, while analog delay still sounds

very appealing.

called “bucket-brigade delay,” the echo at the

great, some of the best-loved renditions are vir-

To a certain extent, the quality qual ity or lack thereof

heart of early delay pedals by Electro-Harmonix,

tually in their death throws, thanks to the ever-

of many of the more affordable (though often

MXR, Ibanez, and others. Enabled by Bucket-Bri-

decreasing availability of the preferred BBD chips

still quite expensive) early digital delay pedals

gade Device (BBD) chips that, essentially, took

used to build them.

on the market in the mid ’80s compounded this

a signal in at one end an d passed it along to the

Fortunately, amid all this debate, it’s mainly

analog/digital dichotomy. Not only did these

other via several stages at a desired delay time,

just we guitarists who fret over such nuances.

units sport fairly low resolution (a.k.a bit rates)

these units had a warm, rich sonic quality with a

To the ears out in the audience, an echo is an

compared to what is more commonly used

smooth, furry texture when they clipped. In short,

echo is an echo. Maybe that little bit of warm

today—say 8 bits or 16 bits versus 32 bits—but

when the echo signal came out the other end

and fuzzy we hear in just the right kind of echo

the rest of the technology technology used around their

in less-than-pristine condition, it often actually

makes us better players, though, and that’s

digital hearts to produce the echo effect didn’t

sounded better to guitarists than it did going in.

really what it’s all about. g

134


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GettSmart Ge Gary Brawer on Maintenance Dropped Tuning Do’s and Don’ts

S O T S A V E S T R A U T S

D L U O G K C I R

Dropped Tuners—Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil (top), and Ty Tabor of King’s X.

AS IF PLAYING IN TUNE

isn’t hard enough on a normal day, try doing it in a lowered or dropped tuning. When your strings are tuned to a lower pitch, the tension is also lower and the vibration is much more erratic, which makes the pitch harder for a tuner to read. On top of that, it’s more difficult to get the lower part of the neck to play in tune, since 136

there is normally no intonation adjustment at the nut, and it’s easy to squeeze the string sharp when fretting. Then, there is the fact that the harder you hit the string, the sharper the pitch goes on attack, going flat on the decay. So what can you do to correct for lowered tension, and get the string to have more tuning stability? First let’s talk about strings,


scale length, and pitch. There is a reason that a bass has a longer scale and larger strings than a guitar. In a perfect world, whenever you lower the pitch, you would increase both string size and scale length. For example, if you have a 25.5" scale-length guitar, guitar, and you want to drop your low E low E to to C# , you would increase the scale length to around 26" or 27" and step up the size of the string from .046 to around .060. Another trick is to try strings with a larger core-to-wrap ratio. The tension and stability of the string can be increased with a larger core, and combining that larger core with a smaller wind adds up to the same gauge. A simple thing you can do with a normal set of guitar strings is to swap out the plain G string with a wound G string of similar gauge. So long as you intonate correctly, all of a sudden your cowboy chords will be more in tune. I have worked with many bands that play in dropped D or D or dropped-C dropped- C# , where the whole guitar is tuned a halfstep down and the low E i E i s dropped an extra full-step down to C# . Again, this is doable on regular-scale guitars guitar s if you use heavier strings or a heavier coreto-wrap ratio. When the low string gets below C# you you have real problems playing chords in tune. I have checked in with a few bands that tune low and they use tricks like hitting the

string briskly when tuning and tuning to the attack, attack , not the decay. decay. Another helpful tip is to purposely tune a few cents flat on the low E low E and and maybe the G string if it is a plain/ unwound string. The first few frets can be especially problematic—that’s where everything plays sharp and there is no intonation adjustment to fix it. There are some tricks to help: tuning systems like Buzz Feiten, the Earvana Nut, and the newer Hosco S.O.S. nut shim. The idea of the Earva na and S.O.S. is that you are shortening the distance from the nut to the first fret to flatten the pitch of the string near the nut. You have to make up the difference as you go up the neck by intonating the bridge saddles. Of course there are compromises on other areas of the neck, but the payoff of getting those first-position chords in tune is usually worth it. The The good good news news is that that string stringss are relatively cheap and changing them is easy, so if you want to experiment with lowered tunings, you can do it without fear. Just be sure the nut slot is cut wide enough for whatever size string you are trying and check your intonation. Gary Brawer runs Stringed Instrument Repair in San Francisco. His many clients include Joe Satriani, Metallica, and Neal Schon. g

GettSmart Ge Carl Verheyen on Performance Some Good News from SXSW I JUST RETURNED FROM

Aus ti n, Texas Texas,, wh wher er e I wa wass asked to be a panelist on one of the many sessions the SXSW (South by Southwest) conference schedules for the music industry. The conference panels are too numerous to mention, but you can attend everything from Rodney Crowell discussing songwriting to an interview with Neil Young. The sess session ion I parti participat cipated ed in focused on the new world order of the music business. Panelists consisted of a record producer, produce r, a music attorney, a branding/ talent executive, and myself representing the recording artist. I found the discussion to be invigorating and quite positive.

E X T R E M E A I R S H O T S

GOOD THING #1 THE CD IS NOT DEAD

As guitarists, guitarists, we are obsessed obsessed with tone. And, for many of us, this obsession with picks, strings, pickups, cables, tubes, and speakers feels like an exercise in futility when the final recorded product of all this effort is an mp3—the worstquality media for music playback in many decades. But I heard multiple times that, contrary to popular media ranting, the CD is not going away any time soon. Everyone from artists, management, marketing people, and booking agents agreed. In fact, David Goldsen, who is an A&R executive for Warner/Chappell Music, said the CD would be around at least until 2035. He cited many reasons including the most basic: a fan’s desire to own a piece of product from the band, and to get that product signed by the

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artist at the show. Audiophiles, serious listeners, and collectors make up another “CD Lives” demographic. Then, there is the infrastructure currently in place for playback in cars, computers, and home-entertainment equipment. For touring bands that rely heavily on merch sales on the road, this is positive news. And if you’re a tone freak, knowing that the higher audio quality reproduced by the CD is not going to disappear is even better news. GOOD THING #2 THE GUITAR IS NOT DEAD

Another positi positive ve observation observation I made was while checking out the shows in the clubs. Most of the bands were guitar based. It seems that the guitar is still king, and many young guitarists are tearing it up! I heard a


duo from London consisting of an accomplished singer/songwriter named Alex Vargas on an acoustic Martin D-18, and an electric guitarist playing a Gretsch Duo Jet. I wish I had caught his name, because the tones he got with a few pedals plugged into the house amp were astounding. The beauty of our instrument is the degree to which we can create a personal sonic statement using simple tools. Beyond tones, the guitarists I saw in young bands like Phox and Thumpers each had tons of vibe in their approach to the instrument. Taste and chops are a satisfying combination. GOOD THING #3 MUSIC IS NOT DEAD

Finally, I came away with a sense Finally, that music is still important to people in this country. NPR

radio offered a free download of 100 songs from 100 selected bands appearing at SXSW, SXSW, so you could plan your club excursions, and people enthusiastically did. Thee up Th upbe beat at so song ngss an and d ex exci citi ting ng stage show of Fantogram created a strong feeling of community within their audience. And, with the band Wild Cub (two Tele T ele players can’t be wrong!), the buzz was infectious. Kate, my 28-year-old niece and her friends had researched many of the featured bands, and I was swept up in their excitement. All of this this confirmed confirmed the the truth that we, the musicians, matter! Carl Verheyen Verheyen is a critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated Grammy-nominat ed guitarist,vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer, clinician, educator, and tone master with 12 CDs, two live DVDs, and two books released worldwide. g

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Craig Anderton on Technology Creating “Keyboard” Pads with Guitar HEY, I STARTED YOU OUT! Go to guitarplayer.com/june2014 to grab a 12-second pad in E major major (44.1kHz/24-bit) (44.1kHz/24-bit) that uses this technique. I’ve already looped it for you, so if you load it into a DAW that reads Acidized WAV files (most do), it will loop perfectly from 10bpm to 400bpm (really) . Or, you can just copy the clip end-to-end for as much sustain time as you’d like.

The expanded view of track 1 shows how the original track has been copied, layered, and crossfaded to extend the sustain. The tracks with additional chord notes are below it.

KEYBOARD PLAYERS OFTEN

ask me how to get a convincing guitar sound with keyboards, but few guitarists ask how they can sound more like a keyboard—maybe because they’re already playing the instrument keyboard players want to sound sou nd like! Yet Yet guitars guitar s are great for sound design. You can sample a guitar tone and/ or texture to make something interesting that you can drop into songs as needed. Here’s an example: example: Creating a sustaining, keyboard-like keyboard-like pad sound. This is particularly easy to do with a hex output-guitar, but as these are still relatively rare, try the following… 140

[1]

Insert six audio tracks in your DAW. Choose a chord to play, and then record each string of the chord individually in its own track. (Note: an E-Bow works great in this application.)

[2]

Cut off the beginning beginning of each attack (the part with the pick noise) to create a more keyboard-like characteristic. Add a short fade-in if there’s a click. Then, trim the clip clip ends to the same length. You’ll probably have five to eight seconds of sound before the sustain deteriorates.

[3]

Most DAWs have a timestretch algorithm. For


maximum sustain, use it to stretch each clip as long as practical. (Because the sound is relatively simple, I can stretch up to 400 percent with the iZotope stretch algorithm in Cakewalk Sonar). If your DAW lacks a good time-stretch algorithm, zplane’s élastique élastiqu e plug-in (VST, (VST, AU, RTAS) RTAS) is excellent. excellent.

[4]

For even more sustain, copy the clips and crossfade them, one after another, about every second or so ( Fig. 1) until the sustain is as long as desired.

[5]

Now, get creative with signal processing. Distortion gives a more synth-like timbre, and flanging each string independently independently at different rates sounds pretty amazing, as does applying phasing and/or reverb.

[6]

Once there’s a cool sound, bounce all the clips together into a single, stereo clip.

Note: You can record additional chords for a full octave of pads, but if your DAW has a

quality pitch-shifting algorithm, you can probably cheat. Simply copy the existing clip twice, and then transpose one copy up a semitone, and the other down a semitone. (A semitone transposition does virtually no damage to audio quality, but the sound will suffer will suffer if you transpose too far out of range.) ra nge.) You You may even be able to get away with transposing a single chord to cover an octave if you’re willing to tweak the transposed copies with EQ. This way, way, you can can compensate compensate for the extra brightness that happens when you transpose up, and the extra dullness when transposing down. Now you have an octave of pad sounds you can drag into a project whenever you need a sustaining background background pad that serves the function of a keyboard, but that has the organic, evolving sound of a guitar. Craig Anderton has played on or produced more than 20 major label releases, mastered hundreds of tracks, and written dozens of books. Check out some of his latest music at youtube.com/th youtube.com/thecraiga ecraiganderto ndertonn. g

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ight Touch Mastering. World Class Mastering & Mixing With The Largest Array Of The Finest Analog & Digital Gear Available. Mixing - How we do it Your Your studio - or home recording will be mixed through 64 channels of the finest classic outboard analog compressors, equalizers, converters, and finally through our world-class mastering gear. Our mixing engineer, with major artist & multi-platinum credits, brings decades of mixing, arranging, producing, and mastering experience – into one mix session for stellar results. Mastering - World-class mastering is within reach for the Independent Musician or Label Each recording requires a unique mastering process. Whether it’s tubes, transistors, vintage transformers, or the highest-resolution digital processing - what is needed is immediately available. Gear includes Lavry Gold, Weiss, Crane Song, Dangerous, API, Chandler, R. Neve, Shadow Hills, Apogee & others. Great music deser ves great masters. e Gear, the Ear, Ear, and 40 years’ experience, making music that lasts. Free samples of your music available. Deals for Independents. Contact: Gordon Bahary, Engineer 1-888-707-6070 www.righttouchmastering.com | By appointment only.

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The Super-Vee BladeRunner Super-Vee Tremolo Systems Available Now

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Contemporary Guitar Improvisation (Utilizing the Entire Fingerboard) Book & CD by Marc Silver Available Now

Since 1978, Contemporary Guitar Improvisation is THE classic book for learning guitar improvisation. This innovative system is based on five basic fingering patterns that form the foundation for improvising over virtually any chords, in any key, across the entire fingerboard. All patterns are diagrammed, so note-reading ability is not necessary. Recommended by guitar legend George Benson. MarcSilverGuitarImprov.com $42.00 USD (includes delivery in the U.S.)

GigBlade - World’s first side-carry hybrid guitar bag. Gruv Gear Preorder now, available July 2014

Grab your guitar and go with the amazing new GigBlade™ from Gruv Gear, the most revolutionary gig bag ever designed. Its un ique side-carry approach offers the quickest, most practical and user-friendly way to carry your guitar or bass. Staying closer to the ground, it keeps a low center of gravity so it feels more stable and natural. The top never sticks o ut above your head so you won’t have to duck under doorways, and having the bag against your side means it won’t bounce on your legs, staying clear out of the way while you walk. Offers both quick load and full clamshell access for ultimate versatility. Simple, intuitive, genius! Street Price: $199 www.gruvgear.com/gigblade (714) 253-GRUV (4788)

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Classic Column

CUSTOM GRAPHICS WERE STILL IN THE IR INFANCY IN 1975, AS EVI DENCED BY THESE PI CKS OF THE STARS STARS

in the July issue. — Matt Blackett

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