MASTER CLASS SPECIAL!
ISSUE 1 OF 3:
EXPAND YOUR PLAYING
WITH STEVE VAI!
GUITAR & BASS TRANSCRIPTIONS
METALLICA “Spit Out the Bone”
ERIC CLAPTON “Motherless Children”
BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS “Rock Around the Clock”
L e a r n t h e f r f r o m t h S M A S T E R
LINDSEY
IS I S S U E � O F � !
STEVE STEVE
VAI
AC DC’ DC’s MALCOLM YOUNG 1953�2017
TAKE A SEAT ... ... AND LE LEAR ARN N FROM THE FROM THE GREAT ONE
ASKING ALEXANDRIA MORBID ANGEL
n o s t r e b o R s i r h C E S
N V S E S y e L 4 2 m o t s u C E S
d o o w a r b e Z 4 2 m o t s u C E S
d e t l a p S 4 2 m o t s u C E S
l i o F i t l u M d r a d n a t S E S
y e l g i u Q c r a M y b s o t o h P / s r a t i u G S R P 7 1 0 2 ©
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n o s t r e b o R s i r h C E S
N V S E S y e L 4 2 m o t s u C E S
d o o w a r b e Z 4 2 m o t s u C E S
d e t l a p S 4 2 m o t s u C E S
l i o F i t l u M d r a d n a t S E S
y e l g i u Q c r a M y b s o t o h P / s r a t i u G S R P 7 1 0 2 ©
New for 2018 Our mission with the PRS SE Series is to bring tremendous value to the player. Whether you’re searching for a great first guitar or the last guitar you’ll ever need, our new 2018 lineup reflects that commitment. From exotic woods to leies and a seven string with a 26.5” scale, there is something for everyone.
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CONTENTS VOL. ��
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NO. �
F E A T U R E S
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FEBRUARY ����
Pull up a chair and learn from a true master, Steve Vai
�� THE STEVE VAI GUITAR METHOD In the first of a three-issue series, the legendary guitar wizard stands at the front of the class and takes you on an unprecedented journey through various philosophies, fundamentals and essential techniques. Now listen up!
��
�� MALCOLM YOUNG: A TRIBUTE Guitar World mourns the passing of Malcolm Young, the solid-as-a-rock rhythm guitarist and songwriter who served as the unshakable foundation of AC/DC from the very beginning.
�� ASKING ALEXANDRIA Older, wiser and more mature, Asking Alexandria—now reunited with singer Danny Worsnop—put the ugliness of the recent past behind them and look ahead to a future full of good vibes, fun times and ferocious metalcore mayhem.
�� MORBID ANGEL On their ninth studio album, Kingdoms Disdained, the Florida death metal pioneers reteam with vocalist/bassist Steve Tucker and return to the furious hellspawn riffage and demonic blast beats that old-school fans expect.
TRANSCRIBED “Spit Out the Bone” by Metallica
DEPARTMENTS �� WOODSHED / MASTHEAD
PAGE
�� SOUNDING BOARD
��
Letters, reader art and Defenders of the Faith
�� COLUMNS 80. String Theory
by Jimmy Brown 82. In Deep
by Andy Aledort
�� TUNE-UPS “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets PAGE
���
Corrosion of Conformity, Of Mice & Men, Milligan Vaughan Project, Tracii Guns, Eric Johnson, Lidgett Music
�� SOUNDCHECK 71. EVH 5150 III 50-Watt EL34 Head
“Motherless Children” by Eric Clapton
74. Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL7 HT 76. Yamaha Pacifica PAC611VFMX 77. KHDK Electronics Ghoul Jr Overdrive
PAGE
���
78. New EQ Electro-Harmonix Slammi Plus
and Ibanez AVN11 Acoustic Guitar
84. Mob Rules
by Mike Orlando 86. Wood Vibrations
by Mike Dawes
�� NOTATION GUIDE �� PERFORMANCE NOTES ��� TONAL RECALL We reveal the secrets behind Malcolm Young’s “Thunderstruck” guitar tone.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY DIMARZIO
��
GUITAR WORLD • FEBRUARY ����
O I Z R A M I D Y R R A L
Photographed in the original Martin factory, built in 1859.
A LEGEND REIMAGINED
“We have selected the nest features of the D-28 from both my grandfather’s and my father’s eras. We’ve brought forth this guitar’s rich history and married it with modern innovations.” — Chris Martin IV, Chairman and CEO
martinguitar.com
WOODSHED |
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EDITORIAL
…WE SALUTE YOU IN LAST MONTH’S WOODSHED , which focused
on Tony Iommi and the end of Black Sabbath, I made references to grief and loss, specifically with regard to our heroes—which we have all dealt with quite a bit recently—because, for me, Black Sabbath calling it quits earlier this year felt like a death. That editorial had barely gone off to the printer when we heard the news of Malcolm Young’s passing. Malcolm hadn’t been active for the past few years since he fell ill, and it certainly didn’t slow down AC/DC when it came to touring or putting out new music—but really, does AC/DC exist without Malcolm Young? Not to me. Regardless of who is handling rhythm guitar duties for the band, Malcolm was irreplaceable—the unshakable foundation of the group who let his brother Angus soak up the spotlight while he stayed in the shadows. He was the quiet one for sure, the unsung hero—and the very reason you should always appreciate the ones who hold down the fort. Now, before some of you start writing in and chastising us for not putting Malcolm on the cover, you have to understand that the issue you are holding in your hands has been in the works for many months, and it is the first in a special threeissue series—in other words, the cover stories for this month, next month and the month after are already locked in place, and changing this one at the last minute would have thrown a monkey wrench into our plans for this series. The concept of this three-issue series is simp le, but exciting if you typically come to us in the hopes that you’ll wind up a better pl ayer. Beginning this month, with Steve Vai leading the way, we’re having the world’s greatest players teach you how to play guitar. Next month it’ll be Joe Satriani’s turn, and in the April issue, John Petrucci will be your guide. By the end of the three issues, you’ll have an incredible collection of techniques, tricks and wisdom that you can start using in your playing right away, regardless of your skill level—and with those three legends as your teachers, we think you’ll be in very good hands. On a side note, I want to make sure you are all aware of the return of our Performance Notes section (see page 90)—which was reinstated after a long absence because so many of you wrote in consistently to request it . Now we want your transcription suggestions. Email us at
[email protected], and give us five songs you wish to see transcribed in t hese pages. I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!
—Jeff Kitts Executive Content Director
EXECUTIVE CONTENT DIRECTOR Jeff Kitts MANAGING EDITOR Damian Fanelli TECH EDITOR Paul Riario ASSOCIATE EDITORS Andy Aledort, Richard Bienstock, Alan di Perna, Chris Gill CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mike Dawes, Eric Feldman, Randy Harward, Mike Mettler, Damon Orion, Mike Orlando, Jon Wiederhorn SENIOR VIDEO PRODUCER Mark Nuñez
MUSIC SENIOR MUSIC EDITOR Jimmy Brown MUSIC TRANSCRIPTIONIST Jeff Perrin MUSIC ENGRAVER Patricia Corcoran
AR T ART DIRECTOR Mixie von Bormann ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Tamara Lee CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Alexis Cook
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GUITAR WORLD (ISSN 1045-6295) is published 13 times a year, monthly plus Holiday issue following December issue, by NewBay Media, LLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Phone: 212.378.0400. Fax: 917.281.4704. Web Site: www.nbmedia.com. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Newsstand distribution is handled by Curtis Circulation Company. Subscriptions: One-year basic rate (12 issues) US: $14.95. Canada: US$29.95. Foreign: US$49.95. Canadian and foreign orders must be prepaid. Canadian price includes postage and GST #R128220688. PMA #40612608. Subscriptions do not include newsstand specials. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Guitar World, P.O. Box 2029, Langhorne, PA 19047-9957. Ride-along enclosure in the following edition(s): None, Standard enclosure: None. Returns: Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada. Entire contents copyright 2018, NewBay Media L.L.C. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. NewBay Media L.L.C. is not affiliated with the companies or products covered in Guitar World. Reproduction on the Internet of the articles and pictures in this magazine is illegal without the prior written consent of Guitar World. Products named in the pages of Guitar World are trademarks of their respective companies. PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE: Guitar World Magazine Customer Care, P.O. Box 2029, Langhorne, PA 19047-9957. Online: www.guitarworld.com/customerservice. Phone: 1-800-456-6441. Email
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behind and just focus on the positive side of music rather than all the negative political diatribes. Now, on the subject of bands like Venom, if you dislike their subject matter, take it with a grain of salt and move on. After all, the varied content of the magazine isn’t going to please everyone all of the time. I have read and enjoyed Guitar World for many years, but let’s keep the politics in check and not let it become the focus of attention.
[email protected]
structured two-hour guitar lesson. One of the true highlights of my life, jamming with one of my guitar heroes: priceless.
—Rob Kobrzynski
—John Meikle
Petty Gripe I enjoyed your Tom Petty tribute in the Holiday 2017 issue—it covered some interesting stuff, although I think it overlooked Tom’s early days when he first started taking lessons with Don Felder. Tom grew up in an area relative to where Felder, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers Band and whole host of others lived. I think the story of his childhood and his teenage years is pretty interesting, especially with regard to the Florida music scene that existed between Gainesville and Jacksonville.
—Howard Lovitz
Let the Music Do the Talking As I read the Sounding Board of the December 2017 issue, I had a thought: Can we just stick to the music, please? We are surrounded with all the social media platforms, 24-hour news channels, newspapers, etc., telling us that the end of the world is nigh due to this world leader or that world leader, and that they’re all Nazis or communists. That’s all fine, but I like to open Guitar World each month and leave all that nonsense
SEND LETTERS TO: The
To all those people who write in to say that political views they disagree with should not be printed in Guitar World : None of you are even the slightest bit rock and roll! Please stop acting like it; then I won’t have to read your obnoxious idiot views in Guitar World anymore.
—Matthew Goodings
Full Monti Thank you for the behind-thescenes look at Alter Bridge’s performance at London’s O2 Arena. Particularly big thanks to Mark Tremonti for walking us through his snapshots of the band’s preparation, PRS factory prototype talk, game planning during soundchecks, gear breakdowns, various tunings corresponding to each song and so on. These intimate moments provide us fans with what it might feel like tagging along backstage with our favorite bands. Speaking of the Tremonster, I’ve actually had the fortune of meeting and conversing with Mark a few times; I even had a private guitar lesson with him. During my “I’m not worthy moment” guitar lesson, I learned that Mark was a down-toearth super nice guy, passionate about his professional craft while providing me an intuitive and
Unfamiliar Ring I wonder if you might be able to clarify something with respect to your otherwise excellent transcriptions and lessons. In many you will have some chords and/or double stops ringed, while others are not. Could you explain what the difference between them is? I’ve studied some of the lesson videos and audio tracks, but I can’t hear a discernible difference between those that have rings around them and those that don’t. I would therefore really appreciate if you could enlighten me as to what this means! Also, would you consider periodically publishing a tablature glossary in the magazine, or at least making one available online? I’m sure many guitarists of all skill levels would find it extremely useful.
right of a tab number indicates a 50 percent increase in the note’s duration. So, a dotted half note is held for three beats. A diminution dot placed directly above a tab number or stack of tab numbers indicates a 50 percent reduction in that note’s or chord’s duration (what’s known as staccato articulation). A broken (dashed) line arcing, like a rainbow, from one tab number to the same number appearing next to it, indicates a tie. Hold the first note or chord for the combined durations of both rhythmic values. The tied note or chord is additionally enclosed in parentheses, unless there’s a ring. For the complete Notation Guide, see page 88 of this issue.
Ink Spot I’ve been a massive Zeppelin fan since I was 11, and to me, this image of Jimmy Page is the very definition of iconic. It was done by Juan “Papito” López at Underskin Tattoo Corp. in Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
—Noel Dávila
—Mark Bailey Mark, Guitar World’s notation format borrows elements from standard sheet music. A ring around a tab number or stack of tab numbers indicates a whole note (held for four beats). If there’s a stem (vertical line) attached to the bottom of the ring, that indicates a half note (held for only two beats). An augmentation dot appearing to the
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READER ART OF THE MONTH
If you created a drawing, painting or sketch of your favorite guitarist and would like to see it in an upcoming issue of Guitar World, email soundingboard@ guitarworld.com with a scan of the image! KARL SANDERS BY FRANCOIS RUEL
DEFENDERS
MALCOLM YOUNG B Y R E A N N A V A N C E
of the Faith
Joe Ferguson AGE HOMETOWN Martin, TN GUITARS Gibson Les Paul Custom,
Gibson Les Paul Studio, Charvel Model , Taylor ce, EKO vintage -string acoustic, Ovation Celebrity acoustic SONGS I HAVE BEEN PLAYING
Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz, Diary of a Madman and Tribute, White Lion’s Pride, Eric Johnson “Cliffs of Dover,” Living Colour “Cult of Personality” GEAR I MOST WANT A case for my Ovation Celebrity, a real python guitar strap like Randy Rhoads had on his Les Paul, and a Jackson Randy Rhoads custom Flying V in the original colors
Gustavo López AGE
Mexico City, Mexico GUITARS Fender Custom Shop Nocaster relic, Fender Custom Shop ’ Strat, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, Gibson SG with Lyre Vibrola
Matt Brudniewicz
HOMETOWN
AGE
Elmwood Park, IL Mirage, Guild D-, Ibanez Jem VBK, PRS Custom HOMETOWN GUITAR ESP
SONGS I HAVE BEEN PLAYING
SONGS I HAVE BEEN PLAYING
Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird,” Pink Floyd “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” King Crimson “st Century Schizoid Man” GEAR I MOST WANT Gibson EDS-, Gibson Les Paul R
Original songs from my band, Saint Tragedy, and the Who “Behind Blue Eyes” GEAR I MOST WANT Bogner Uberschall amp, ESP LTD Kirk Hammett Ouija Natural guitar
Are you a Defender of the Faith? Send a photo, along with your answers to the questions above, to
[email protected]. And pray! guitarworld.com
R A T S . G S U G E R U T A N G I S S E I R E S X
2 3 S J R A T S . G S U G E R U T A N G I S S E I R E S S J
GUS G. A L L- N E W G U S G . S I G N A T U R E J A C K S O N S T A R M O D E L S
HEAR GUS ON THE NEW FIREWIND ALBUM
I M M O R T A L S
VISIT JAC KSON TO VIEW ALL GUS G. MODELS
www.firewind.gr
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TUNE-UPS OF MICE & MEN
��
MILLIGAN VAUGHAN PROJECT
��
DEAR GUITAR HERO: TRACII GUNS
ERIC JOHNSON
SHOP TALK: LIDGETT MUSIC
��
��
�� tktktktktkt (from left) Reed Mullin, Woody Weatherman, Pepper Keenan and Mike Dean with a vintage Dodge Challenger
Corrosion of Conformity STILL A DRIVING, HEAVY METAL POWERHOUSE AFTER �� YEARS, NORTH CAROLINA GRIME�METAL LEGENDS CORROSION OF CONFORMITY RETURN WITH THE PEPPER KEENAN�LED NO CROSS NO CROWN.
By Richard Bienstock “WE KNEW EVENTUALLY it
R R A K N A E D
would happen—it was just a matter of when the time was right,” says Corrosion of Conformity guitarist Woody Weatherman about reuniting with singer and guitarist Pepper Keenan. “And I guess the time was right now.” For fans of the band, that time has been a long time coming. Corrosion of Conformity began life in North Carolina more
than 30 years ago, and spent their first few years building a name for themselves as one of the most ferocious units on the hardcore punk scene. And while members came and went around the core trio of Weatherman, bassist and singer Mike Dean and drummer Reed Mullin, the band had their greatest success in the early and mid Nineties when they were fronted by Keenan and were churning out sludgy,
Sabbathy, southern-tinged anthems like “Albatross” and “ Drowning in a Daydream.” Following 2005’s excellent In the Arms of God , however, things went sideways. “We made a slammin’ record, and then our label [ Sanctuary ] just kind of f ell apart and left us hanging,” Keenan says. “I moved back to New Orleans, and then Hurricane Katrina hit and tore a bunch of shit up, and I had to get my life together down there and rebuild.” COC went on a hiatus, and in time, Keenan began focusing primarily on his other project, the New Orleans–based, Phil Anselmo–led sludge-metal supergroup, Down (when asked about the current status of that band, Keenan says guitarworld.com ��
NEWS + NOTES
W H A T ' S
O N
M Y
PLAYLIST
PHIL MANANSALA FROM OF MICE & MEN
1 Pepper Keenan
that he’s “spoken with the o ther guys a couple of times, but everyone’s just busy at the moment”). The rest of COC, meanwhile, eventually continued on, returning to their mid-Eighties threepiece configuration. But, Keenan says, when it came to Corrosion of Conformity, “I knew the book wasn’t done yet in the grand scheme of things.” And indeed, in 2015 Keenan got together with the band and they did a short run of live dates in Europe. “We thought maybe we’ll go out and do three or four shows and see what happens,” Weatherman says, then laughs. “And the next thing you know, it’s two years later!” Now, not only is Keenan firmly back in place in Corrosion of Conformity, but the band also has a new label, Nuclear Blast, and a new studio album, No Cross No Crown. From the thundering sludge-doom of “The Luddite,” to the amped-up biker metal of “Cast the First Stone,” to the heavy southern-boogie blues of “Wolf Named Crow,” No Cross No Crown in many ways picks up right where the foursome left off a dozen years ago. But there are also some curveballs scattered throughout the track list, such as a handful of short musical interludes and the title cut itself, a droning, atmospheric composition adorned with a gothic-y choir in the background. “The album goes in so many damn different directions,” Keenan says. “It stretches out there, and that’s kinda the point.” “When we went into the studio, our thought was, The last thing we did was ��
GUITAR WORLD • FEBRUARY ����
Woody Weatherman
In the Arms of God —let’s have that in our minds as our starting point and see where it leads us,” Weatherman adds. “And it worked out good because the new album doesn’t really sound like any of our other albums, but there are elements of all of ’em kinda mixed up in there. There’s some juggernaut, thumpin’ kind of stuff, there’s a couple of rockers, there’s some of the segues we like to do. And there’s a lot of guitar candy on this record. We always have a good time doing that shit.” Indeed, Keenan and Weatherman play plenty of guitar on the record, though they kept their setups fairly stripped down in the studio. “I just used an Orange head and an Orange cabinet, and Woody used his same old Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifiers,” Keenan says. “And we did the enti re record with one ESP each. They’re both customs, the same ones we’ve been playing since we toured with Metallica back in the day. They’re just beaten to hell. But it doesn’t really matter, you know?” They’ll be taking those guitars back out on the road for plenty of touring with COC in 2018, first with Black Label Society and then continuing on throughout the year. “I hope the four of us keep on rollin’,” Weatherman says. “We’re having a good time and we’re loving playing all this material.” Keenan concurs. “As long as it still means something and still has legs, we’ll keep doing it. As for how far it goes, who knows? I don’t have a crystal ball. But I think we still have a lot to say and play, so we’re just gonna keep doin’ our thing.”
“Enter Sandman” Metallica “It’s the first song I learned on guitar. That riff will never leave my head.”
2 “Through Struggle” As I Lay Dying “Nick Hipa and Phil Sgrosso are two of my favorite guitar players, and their riffs fueled my teenage years. Those riffs will always have a special place in my heart.”
3 “Guerilla Radio” Rage Against the Machine “Tom Morello’s playing style is truly one of a kind; he showed me that there are no limits with any sort of effects and that some of the simplest riffs are some of the grooviest.”
4 “Into the Mirror” Minus the Bear “I’ve always been blown away by how awesome the guitar players in this band are—multiple loop stations going on and so many effects.”
5 “Hos Down” Jason Richardson “He is one of the best up-and-coming guitarists around!” OF MICE & MEN’S NEW ALBUM, DEFY , WILL BE RELEASED JANUARY �� VIA RISE RECORDS.
S E N R A B M O T : A L A S N A N A M L I H P
R R A K N A E D : Y T I M O F N O C F O N O I S O R R O C
TOSIN ABASI
Shreds 8 strings. Every single one is NYXL.
NEWS + NOTES
Tyrone Vaughan in the studio with a 1995 Fender Stratocaster and a Category 5 amp
Milligan Vaughan Project SON OF JIMMIE, NEPHEW OF STEVIE RAYTYRONE VAUGHAN IS HERE TO CARRY ON THE GREAT AUSTIN BLUES TRADI TION SET FORTH BY HIS FAMILY. By Damian Fanelli FROM A BLUES FAN’S point
of view, Tyrone Vaughan’s childhood was incredible. His uncle, Stevie Ray Vaughan, gave him a guitar when he was seven. His dad, Fabulous Thunderbirds co-founder Jimmie Vaughan, gave him lessons. His mom took him to see Albert Collins, Hound Dog Taylor and Freddie King. Oh yeah, and Muddy Waters gave him a harmonica. So it’s no surprise that Vaughan, 44, is committed to the genre that has played a massive role in his family’s history and legacy. The Milligan Vaughan Project, his new band with singer Malford Milligan (Storyville), just unleashed their debut album, MVP. Its 11 tracks were recorded in Austin, Vaughan’s hometown. “Ultimately, we’re a band that plays great blues,” Vaughan says. “If we aren’t playing a I-IV-V, we’re playing rock that’s blues based. I approach my solos from a blues standpoint, and Malford’s vocals are blues natured. Our fan base and circuit is the blues scene, which is alive and well from what I’ve seen.” MVP includes original material by Milligan, Vaughan and producer David Grissom—including album highlights “Soul Satisfaction” and “Little Bit of Heaven”—plus Rev. James Cleveland’s “Two Wings,” “Palace of the King” (Freddie King’s signature tune) and Buddy Guy’s “Leave My Girl Alone,” which Stevie Ray covered on 1989’s In Step. “[ Influence wise ] I loved Buddy first, then B.B., Freddie and Albert King,” says Vaughan, who caught the guitar bug when he was 19. “Then there was Otis Rush, Albert Collins, Jim Hendrix, T-Bone Walker, Billy Gibbons, Johnny Watson and Eddie Hazel. I loved blues as a kid, I always heard it playing…but the idea that Stevie really wanted me to play was very inspiring.”
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Vaughan’s main ax is a custom 1995 Fender Strat Jimmie gave him around 20 years ago. “It’s to my dad’s specs and has actual car paint, [ a finish called ] Cream Dream, jumbo frets and a custom bridge by Killer Guitar Components. I get an incredible feel and sound with this guitar.” Besides Strats, Jimmie has supplied Tyrone with priceless playing tips. “He really showed me how to shuffle and to be steady. He also said to have a beginning, middle and end to your solos.”
Despite his last name, Vaughan says MVP’s major challenge is to be recognized as a group. “It’s a matter of covering as much ground and playing for as many people as possible, but it takes time. With our names or not, we have to pay our dues and do our time on the circuit. But it’s an honor to carry on the name and tradition. I feel like it’s in my blood and I have a blast plugging in every night. The comparisons are always there, good and bad, but I have to play for my own well-being and satisfaction.”
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DEAR GUITAR HERO
Tracii Guns rocks a Gibson Les Paul
N E R R A W R E H T A E H
T K T K T K T
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TRACII GUNS He was instrumental in the formation of Guns N’ Roses and had plenty of success of his own as the guitarist in L.A. Guns, but what Guitar World readers readers really want to know is… Interview by Richard Bienstock
WAS IT WEIRD FOR YOU WHEN L.A. GUNS WERE OUT TOURING AND YOU WEREN’T IN IT? THE BAND IS NAMED AFTER YOU! —LIAM HENDRICKSON
No weirder than Guns N’ Roses, you know? [laughs] But, I mean, when you create stuff and you walk away from it, you don’t want it to fail. Because then your legacy is a bunch of failures. The thing that bothered me the most in that time, and the reason that I ultimately had to get away from it, was that there was poison running the business and running the perception of the band right into the ground. Out of desperation for cash. I just watched it go down, down, down. But, yeah, I felt weird about it!
It’s so awesome that you and singer Phil Lewis are back together in L.A. Guns. What led to the reunion? —Tim Florian Phil and I, we never had a serious issue—there was other poison in the water that kind of drove a wedge between us. That’s the best way to describe it. And Phil didn’t really recognize what the wedge was until way later. But we started talking again in 2013, and then a few years later, at the end of 2015, we were asked to do a set together for the 25th anniversary of the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas. And he had come up onstage with me right before that—I had done a Toys for Tots benefit and he came up unexpectedly and we did some stuff. At that point I thought, This sounds like L.A. Guns. This is where it’s at. But I didn’t want to push it, because I really wasn’t interested. But then when we did the Hard Rock thing, it was beyond packed. It was insane. So there was a lot of ego massaging going on, and we got some really good reviews. And then offers started coming in to do real shows. Eventually I had record companies calling me: “Hey, now you and Phil
should do a record!” And it was like, “Hold on, here…” And Phil was in an odd position because he was still in L.A. Guns, the version at the time. But I sent him some music and he called me back and he goes, “Oh, wow. Okay. I see what you’re talking about…” And that was when it happened. We said, “Hey, this is real. Let’s take one of these deals and let’s make a record.” And so Phil let the other guys know, “Hey, “Hey, I’m outta here. I’m going to go do L.A. Guns the right way.” And I suggested he take [guitarist] Michael Grant, who was filling in for me in that band and who’s just an amazing spirit, with him. And that’s how we did it. It was seamless, painless, and definitely the right thing to do. It’s a very happy family now. The new record, The Missing Peace, is killer. How did it come together? —Mike Holloway Well, the greatest thing about not doing new L.A. Guns music for over 10 years was being able to look at what L.A. Guns really is, musically. musically. And the strongest element of L.A. Guns is that sleaze/ hair metal kind of dark thing that
we did. Taking some elements of punk rock and mixing them with classic rock and speeding all that shit up. Then we also had great success with songs like “Over the Edge,” that are more kind of epic in feel. So songs on the new record like “It’s All the Same to Me” and “Speed,” those are classic L.A. Guns. “Speed” was actually something I had in a folder on my computer called “Bad Eighties Riff.” And I thought, What’s “Bad Eighties Riff”? And I opened it up and I went, “Wow, this is ‘Badass Eighties Riff’!” But, you know, at the time I wrote it I was probably just nause nauseated ated by the the whole whole situsituation and put it away. But I’m glad I listened to it, because “Speed” is a damn fine representation of L.A. Guns. And then Michael [Grant] wrote “Don’t Bring a Knife to a Gunfight” and “The Devil Made Me Do It,” and Johnny [Martin, bass] wrote the music for “Baby Gotta Fever,” which is a perfect representation representation of that L.A. Guns snotty riff-rock thing. Then “Kill It or Die,” “A Drop of Bleach,” they’re kind of like Hollywood Vampires– era L.A. Guns. And at the end of the record there’s some really big classical-influenced pieces of mu-
sic that I actually originally wrote for Quiet Riot in 2005. So I just put everything together and we took it from there. You helped form Guns N’ Roses in the mid Eighties. How did you first meet Axl Rose? —Jordana Colvan I first met Axl from Izzy [Stradlin ]. Izzy always told me, “Yeah, you know, know, I have this buddy in Indiana. He can really sing. I’m gonna bring him out here.” Izzy was living at my mom’s house. I was about 16 or 17 and he was about 19 or 20. And so eventually Axl came out and they put together, I think it was probably Hollywood Rose. And then L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose and Poison did a show—our first show—together at Madame Wong’s West. Poison played upstairs in the big room and L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose played in the small room downstairs and that was really the first day I heard Axl sing. It was at soundcheck. And I was like, “Holy shit!” He was incredible. We became friends after that, and within the next six months he ended up singing for L.A. Guns. And we eventually changed that into Guns N’ Roses. I was in that version of Guns N’ Roses for about eight months and then I took off to do L.A. Guns again. What was your main guitar setup on the new record? —Anders Roil The new record is pretty specific. The brass tacks in the amplification for the heavy stuff was a Bugera 1960, 1960, which is basically a plexi clone, into a Marshall basketweave cab with 30-watt Greenbacks. Greenbacks. And the amp was set up basically clean—big and loud and not much distortion. Then, for most of the rhythm tracks, particularly the doubled rhythm tracks, I used Mooer pedals. I had guitarworld.com
DEAR GUITAR HERO 10 of their preamps, and the one I ended up using for the rhythm was something called a UK Gold, which is basically like a JCM 900 preamp. For lead tracks I used a Mooer that was like a 5150 preamp, and for the clean stuff I had a 1974 Fender Super. And then a final setup was a Bugera BC-30. And the main guitar I used for everything wasn’t even my own guitar—my tech has a really nice Gibson R9 with Bare Knuckle The Mule pickups in it that sounded great. Onstage I also have two Chubtone California Classics, one with a DiMarzio Super Distortion and one with a PAF 59. And I use Apex strings. Recently, I’ve also been working on some signature pieces of gear. I’m doing a guitar with Billy Rowe from Rock N Roll Relics that’s going to be a smaller Les Paul shape, but it’ll have DiMarzio PAFs in it and be relic’d to hell. And then I’m working with Adam at FU-Tone on an Eighties-style hot-rod guitar with a star body and
a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the bridge and a PAF 59 in the neck. Finally, Bobby Smith from RJS Amplification, he and I are doing a 100-watt handwired amp that will have that high-gain Marshall sound but without losing definition. Very similar to that early EVH tone. And with all of this stuff, we’re trying to keep it consumer friendly and affordable.
I remember for a brief moment in the Nineties you had Michael Starr of Steel Panther singing for L.A. Guns. What was that like? —Joe Reed That was one of my favorite eras of L.A. Guns. It was like L.A. Halen, you know? [laughs] Because at the time he was doing [Van Halen tribute act] Atomic Punks. He was playing at FM Station a lot, and one night he invited me up. We did “Atomic Punk,” I think. And we hit it off. And that was an interesting time for L.A. Guns. The American
Hardcore era of the band had ended and I was tired of having no women in the audience. So I said, “Hey, what about singing for L.A. Guns?” And he was like, “I’d love to!” So we did an EP together, which is called Wasted, and the live experience was one of the best because the way he connects with an audience is like nothing I’ve ever been involved with. We did it for about a year, a year and a half. And when it ended I was really heartbroken. I was like, ‘Ah, man, I was having such a good time…” And he was like, “Me, too!” And within a year or a year and a half after that he had Metal Shop, and that was the beginning of Steel Panther.
on their comeback. And there was a lot of camaraderie. But the absolute best was two tours we did with AC/DC. They were so good to us. We had full lights, full P.A., full stage. We were in New York and we were playing the Meadowlands, and [former L.A. Guns co-guitarist] Mick Cripps had gotten married. And Angus let him use his limousine for a week. And they were so responsible for our record sales on our first album. I think we sold exactly as many records that first year as the amount of people we played to just on that tour alone. That gave us a really positive outlook on playing rock and roll. Of course, it’s never been that great again. But it was awesome!
What’s the best tour you’ve ever been a part of? —Graham Kelly I had a lot of fun on our very first tour, with Cheap Trick. They had just put “The Flame” out and were
L.A. Guns in 1988 (from left): Kelly Nickels, Steve Riley, Mick Cripps, Phil Lewis (on motorcycle) and Tracii Guns
WHAT WAS YOUR WORST ONSTAGE MISHAP? —BARRY MULLAN
Oh, man. I knocked myself out once at a place called Spit, on Long Island. The monitors were hung from the ceiling, about five feet above the drum riser. And the very last note of “Rip and Tear,” I think it was, I jumped off the drum riser and hit my head on the thing and knocked myself out. I woke up upstairs with everybody standing over me. I thought I was having a nightmare. So that was a crappy night. I had a headache for a long time after that! ��
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NEWS + NOTES
Eric Johnson ON HIS LATEST TOUR, THE AUSTIN, TEXAS, VIRTUOSO REVISITS HIS BEST�LOVED WORK, AH VIA MU SIC OM . By Damon Orion YOU’D THINK ERIC JOHNSON
would look back fondly on the making of his breakthrough album, 1990’s Ah Via Mu sicom. Melodic, stylistically diverse and filled with stunning displays of instrumental agility, this self-produced rock guitar classic earned Platinum sales and yielded three Top 10 Mainstream Rock chart singles, including Johnson’s signature tune, the Grammy-winning “Cliffs of Dover.” Yet when he describes the year and a half he spent crafting Musicom, the Austin, Texas, guitarist/ vocalist sounds far from nostalgic. “I really was going for broke, and it kind of wore me out making that record,” he recalls. “I would record a song completely, overdub it and get it all finished, ��
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and then I’d listen to it and go, ‘That’s not it!’ And then I’d just tear it down and start again.” Much of Johnson’s struggle centered on his pursuit of the perfect tone. “I’ve always had a dream of the electric guitar sounding elegant,” he explains. “I tktktktkt thought, Wouldn’t it be cool to get Wes Montgomery’s tone, but through a Marshall on 10? It’s kind of like an antonym: ‘I want a pure distortion.’ That’s kind of like saying, ‘I want dry water.’ But it can be approximated a little bit.” Nearly three decades since Musicom ’s release, Johnson is taking to the road to play the album live in its entirety. During the first several months of 2018, he will be joined onstage by the original rhythm
section from the record: drummer Tommy Taylor and bassist Kyle Brock, the latter of whom he hasn’t performed with in about 20 years. As well as coinciding with the release of the new Eric Johnson Signature Thinline Strat, the Ah Via Mu sicom 2018 Tour promotes Johnson’s new Collage album, which places his latest originals alongside covers of songs by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and the Beatles. In a willful attempt to break old habits, the guitarist cut a good portion of Collage live, not always going back to correct mistakes. “It’s part of my therapy: I’m forcing myself to leave stuff in that I normally wouldn’t,” he chuckles. “I can listen to some of the records that I’ve made where I just beat ’em to death, and I paid a high price for it: ‘Okay, you finally got it, but there’s not much life force in it anymore; it’s kind of become like a mannequin or something.’ The more I let things go, the more I retain the life force.”
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SHOP TALK
LIDGETT MUSIC
150 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503 Established: 1988 lidgettmusic.com
historic 100 block of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Lidgett Music has been serving up great guitars and gear for the past 30 years. The shop’s location has always played a significant role in the area’s musical history dating back to the days when Waylon Jennings and George Jones recorded there for Safari Records. Recently remodeled, Lidgett boasts an amazing collection of curated brands that will truly amaze guitar players of all levels. LOCATED IN THE
NUMBER OF INSTRUMENTS CURRENTLY IN STOCK
Sean Lidgett (Owner) We have roughly 600 instruments in stock. COOLEST INSTRUMENT CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP
The cleanest 1957 Les Paul we’ve ever come across. There was no checking or wear on it at all. It was so clean that it made us second-guess if it was a reissue the next day.
more about giving a certain discount or a percentage off. Guitars should be more about the instrument being the right one for the player at their budget. ONE FACT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT LIDGETT MUSIC
With just the two of us here for the last almost 30 years, you can have a much more personal experience in the store and online. STRANGEST REQUEST FROM A CUSTOMER
We had a customer leave a vintage Martin D28-12 for a setup when she purchased a McPherson from us. Five years later she called and asked if we still had her guitar, to which we replied, “of course!” We told her we would make sure there were fresh strings and the setup was still good after storing it for so long—and seven years later, it’s still here! MOST COMMON SONG OR RIFF WHEN TRYING GUITARS
“Blackbird” by the Beatles continues to be very popular, especially when picking up a perfectly setup acoustic.
FAVORITE INSTRUMENT YOU EVER SOLD
A 1965 Fender Jazz Bass (it’s hidden here in the shop).
THE ONE PIECE OF GEAR EVERY PLAYER SHOULD HAVE
MOST EXPENSIVE INSTRUMENT YOU’VE EVER SOLD
You must take care of your guitar! Invest in a humidifier, especially if you live in the Midwest.
A 1957 Fender Stratocaster. ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO BUY A GUITAR MOST SOUGHT�AFTER INSTRUMENT BY CUSTOMERS
Anything built by John Suhr right now is in big demand. He is really building incredible guitars, amps and pedals at an unbelievable price point. BIGGEST PET PEEVE AS A SHOP OWNER
Big box/retail chains have made the industry less personal and ��
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If you don’t love a guitar or bass in the first few minutes of playing it, you more than likely won’t keep it. BEST PART ABOUT OWNING A GUITAR SHOP
Meeting so many great and interesting people, and getting to see so many great and interesting guitars!
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onto the guitar in different ways. A lot of it might have to do with who you are hanging out with, or if you have a brother or sister that plays the instrument, or you might have seen someone playing it. There are so many different styles of music to play and to be interested in. First and foremost, I think one’s attraction to the instrument needs to be very organic. Perhaps your goal is to be a worldclass virtuoso, or maybe you just want to play some songs. The guitar has so many dimensions to it. There are two “levels” that you may want to consider looking at, which, to me, need to be in balance—this is true in the life of any musician. One is the technical side, which includes your tone, the way you touch the instrument, your facility, your intonation and your “language,” meaning the way you communicate your connection with the instrument. That takes a certain amount of practice, study and focus. The deeper dimension of playing an instrument involves connecting with the musical voice inside of you and developing a way to let it seamlessly and effortlessly flow out of you. Where the balance sits between these two things is different for different people. Some players need a lot of technique to get their point across—like me, for instance. I was always attracted to the idea of being able to play relatively effortlessly; it was just a feeling that I had before I even started playing. But I was also very interested in EOPLE ARE TURNED
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the academics: technique, music theory and that level of musical study. Two levels: the music that is inside of you and your unique musical voice; and the mechanics of getting it out. Musicians have to find the balance that works best for them. What I often see in young people is some sense of confusion and frustration, often because they are told how much they “need” to know in order to play their instrument. To me, much of this is unnecessary. You don’t really need to know much at all. It should be based on what you are interested in. The most important thing in the career of any musician is the ability to listen. We will get into a few ways in which one can address the ability to listen, and to “hear” music in the most effective ways. I am sometimes reluctant to give direction, because each of us has the potential to have a very unique sound, touch and technique on the instrument. Sometimes, too much
direction will go against the grain of one’s natural inclinations. That said, there are a handful of things that I can point out to players who have just picked up the instrument but do not yet know the function of it or how they are going to learn to be creative with it. If you were to prioritize, the first thing is to decide what kind of music you’d like to play. Anything is fine. There are no rules in that regard: you may want to play like another guitarist, or you may want to find your own unique voice, or you may just want to play simple songs. Whatever your penchant is, it’s fine. The next step is to figure out how to play a song that’s in line with those criteria. One of the first songs I ever learned to play was this ( FIGURE 1 ), which is built around simple open chords. Once I got serious about the guitar, my approach, my method for learning, was really intense. That was the approach I needed to take, but that doesn’t mean it would be the best approach for everyone. I’d play guitar all day and make up lists of what to work on, such as three hours of scales. Picking up the guitar and simply playing a riff is a great way to immediately feel like you’re accomplishing something. For me, it was riffs like Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” or Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker.” Try to get a song going, because it feels good. I remember the first time I played the opening lick to Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You,” and I thought, I’m playing music! It’s exciting!
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