Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Keith urban
Contemporary-country superstar Keith Urban reflects on how Waylon Jennings indie spirit inspired him more than 20 years ago in Australia, why Mark Knopfler became his first guitar hero, and how he rehabilitated many of his treasured vintage axes after the tragic Nashville flood of 2010.
Besides playing on so many sessions and hits that they called him Mr. 2500, Cornell Dupree was a favorite of major-label producers and superstars alike because he could come in and lay down tight, soulful tracks for Aretha Franklin, and then show up the next day to hit a home run for Paul Simon or Miles Davis.
Though he shook up the industry in 1993 with the Flythe most unique solidbody design the electric world had seen in yearsfor more than 30 years now his primary passion has been advancing the art and science of archtop luthiery.
stanley clarKe
inseParable
Guitars often help their owners get through tough times, but few have seen times as tough as those faced by British Royal Air Force pilot and prisoner of war Alf Binnie and his 1940s German archtop.
Fusion legend Stanley Clarke talks about his double-bass roots, his bevy of Alembic electrics, why all bassists should jam with other 4-stringers, and his recent reunion album with fellow Return to Forever bandmates Chick Corea and Lenny White.
Premier Guitar treks to Piscataway, New Jersey, to scope out the annual boutiqueamp extravaganza.
Maine-based mathcore brainiacs Last Chance to Reason meld facemelting chops with mind-bending music theory and their own epic Metroid-style video game to mutate every notion you have about youth, metal, and gaming culture.
REVIEWS
Gibson Les Paul Studio Baritone Kustom KXB500 and DE115NEO Batson No. 5 Metal Pedals HardCore XXX Reverend Thundergun and Justice Anacon Technology Zagray! Trombetta Tornita! Fernandes V-Hawk Elite 81 P R E M I E R G U I T A R AMulti-Drive UGUST 2010 w w w. p re m i e rg u i t a r. c o m Empress Vox TB35C2 Bruno
Review-O-Rama!
11 Sizzling-Hot Guitar & Bass
Products Go Under the Microscope
Keith Urban
Finger-lickin Good Country
Stanley Clarke
The Fusion Bass God Goes Acoustic
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Each VOX Guitar is a true original. Now you can have one built exactly how you want it, and fashioned with an exquisite attention to detail in our Novato, CA Custom Shop. Innovative features, superior tone woods, and hands-on craftsmanship provide unparalleled comfort and playability. And what better way to enjoy your VOX guitar than through an AC30 or AC15 Hand-Wired amp? Created for the tone purist, these all-tube amps are assembled by hand using premium components to deliver the classic VOX chime, response, and touch that legends are made of.
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Products Shown: VOX USA Custom Guitar; AC15HW1 amp; Joe Satriani Time Machine Delay; VCC090WH Cables.
Has the Guitars and Gear You Crave, the Expert Service You Need, and Prices Youll Love!
We have a HUGE selection of guitars, basses, amps, and effects on hand to meet all your tonal needs, whether youre a tube-tone fanatic or a digital enthusiast. Heres just a small sampling of the gear youll find at Sweetwater!
Sweetwaters Exclusive Guitar Gallery: Choose the Exact Guitar You Want
We make finding the perfect guitar easy! At our online Guitar Gallery, you can browse through a huge selection of individual guitars, right from your living room. We post each instrument by serial number, and detailed photographs let you see your future guitar from many different angles. Check it out at Sweetwater.com/GuitarGallery.
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2011 Peterson Tuners. StroboClip and the Sweetened Tunings logo are trademarks of Peterson Electro-Musical Products, Inc. Buzz Feiten Tuning System is a registered trademark of Buzz Feiten Design Co., Inc.
N E W F O R 2 011
Channel Assignable Power Soaks
TWO CHANNELS THREE MODES: The ROYAL ATLANTIC also features our revolutionary new Multi-Soak Channel Assignable Power Attenuation that will redefine for you the concept of Power Expression and put you in total
command of playing volume independent of power clip. At last dial up a preamp sound in each of the Modes and crank in the perfect amount of power saturation at the right volume and footswitch between them seamlessly!
Chairman Peter F. Sprague President Patricia A. Sprague Editorial Director Joe Coffey Managing Director Gary Ciocci Managing Director Jon Levy
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Shawn Hammond Senior Editor Andy Ellis Gear Editor Charles Saufley Senior Art Editor Angela Cox Senior Art Editor Meghan Molumby Web Content Editor Rebecca Dirks Associate Editor Chris Kies Associate Editor Rich Osweiler Associate Editor Jason Shadrick Video Editor Steve Worthington Acoustic Editor Gayla Drake Paul Assistant Editor Liana Prudencio
sALEs/MARKETING
Advertising/Artist Relations Brett Petrusek Director of Business Development Jessica Sullivan Director of Retail Sales Dave Westin Marketing Manager Nick Ireland Multimedia Coordinator Matt Roberts Multimedia Coordinator Seth Hansen
WEBsITEs
Our Portal www.premierguitar.com Our Online Magazine: http://digital.premierguitar.com
The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources believed to be Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant complete accuracy of such information and assumes no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance thereon. Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at any time without notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages if for any reason it fails to publish an advertisement. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Premier Guitar is a publication of Gearhead Communications, L.L.C. Premier Guitar [ISSN 1945-077X (print) ISSN 1945-0788 (online)] is published monthly. Subscription rates: $24.95 (12 issues), $39.95 (24 issues) Call for Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates 877-704-4327; email address for customer service lois@premierguitar.com.
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TuninG uP
ave you ever noticed how the early work by many of your favorite musicians, actors, comedians, writers, and other kinds of artists blows your mind, while their later work is often less engaging and somehow lacking? This is an oversimplification that cant be applied to all creative types across the board, of course. But all of us can think of a lot of once-amazing artists who are now more likely to draw attention for something bizarre in their personal life than for their most recent workwhich is often more likely to incite a yawn or a guffaw than an inspired sigh of wonder. To be clear, when I think about this phenomenon with guitarists, Im not talking about physical facility on the instrumenti.e., chops. Anyone with time and the will can develop impressive dexterity. That said, Im fully aware of how daunting
it must be to maintain a continuously amazing repertoire and certainly not from personal experience. I also understand the statistics associated with creative lightning striking twice for one individual (say, with a huge hit song), let alone once. But something doesnt have to be a hit or achieve widespread acclaim to be electrifying.
No, what Im talking about is something more endemic to creative types with a tendency toward perfection. Its what Ive decided to call Gollum Syndrome. For the three of you reading this who are unfamiliar with the infamous character from J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings trilogy and/or Peter Jacksons masterful film adaptations of it, Gollum is a creepy-as-hell, uglyass freakazoid who was at one point a regular, happy-go-lucky hobbit called Smeagol who loved ale, pipe-weed, and singing in the pub every bit as much as the next four-foot-tall, hairy-footed fellow. But then he discovered a magic ring that happened to have the power to destroy the world and do lots of other cool stuff, like keep him alive for 500 years. Whats not to love about that? There was just one problem: The ring, which also housed the soul of pretty much the most powerful and evil demigod ever, transformed him into a crazy ghoul with a huge head and an urge to kill anyone who stood between him and his precious (the term functioning here as a noun, not an adjective). In my opinion, thats pretty much the crux of the problem for a huge swath of players and right-brained people in general these days. Not the murderous ghoul part, but the obsessing over one or two aspects of their art partthe tendency to become so preoccupied with our precious that our craft is morphed into an endeavor so inwardly focused and selfabsorbed that all the seemingly extraneous aspects of life that previously seeped into it and made it as much fun as a carefree hobbit dancing on a table at the pub are gone and replaced with unnatural obsessing that
stifles our previous unpredictability and freshness. Some might be inclined to think this freshness and zeal naturally slips through our fingers like the sands of time as we ageor, worse, that such youthful abandon is immature, unrefined, and undesirable and that the only logical way to counter either scenario is to woodshed endlessly in pursuit of better chops and relentlessly pursue the rarest, most expensive gear extant in order to get better tone. But I call B.S. on that. A lot of incredible musicians started out with either crappy or mediocre gear and somehow made it not just work, but made it theirs. Further, weve all witnessed players (or bands, actors, etc.) who just seem to get more and more badass with agewhile retaining their youthful zeal regardless of the technology or gear involved. Thats because these people have discovered their inner punk. You dont have to like punk rock to discover your inner punk. I happen to love punk. The best punk bandsincluding Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Dead Kennedys, the Circle Jerks, the Ramones, Fugazi, and the Misfitsliterally saved rock n roll from suffocating in the sap-filled folds of its own bloated and predictable excess. In essence, they raised the middle finger, aurally and literally, to the establishment and insisted on doing things their own way. And if people didnt like it, they could take a walk off a cliff. If you trace the etymology of the word punk, you find that its modern meaning grew out of a reference to youthful inexperience. Sounds bad at first, right?
But youthful inexperience is fantastic when it leads you to wondrous discoveries you never wouldve found if youd worried about experts preconceived notions about how things should be done. Thats why I contend that all of musics true legends and icons were punks, regardless of their genre of choice. They took a good look and listen at what was going on and said, No, thanks. Ill do it my way. And they reveled in that finger-flipping abandon, too. Django, Robert Johnson, Charlie Christian, Les Paul, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Dick Dale, Page, Beck, Hendrix, Van Halen, Rhoads, Yngwie, Tom Morello . . . all punks at heart. Thats what made us fall in love with them in the first place. They slapped us awake and saved us from drowning in a sea of sameness. Only one thing can save music (and the arts in general) and assure us a future of continual discovery and excitement: A mutual, concerted effort to find your inner punk. Once you doonce you set her or him freetheres no telling where itll lead you. Save the Smeagols!
FEATURES
81 Last Chance to Reason
Maine-based mathcore brainiacs Last Chance to Reason meld face-melting chops with mind-bending music theory and their own epic Metroid-style video game to mutate every notion you have about youth, metal, and gaming culture.
Stanley Clarke walks the walk and talks the talk with one of his many Alembic basses at a Return to Forever gig. Photo by Martin Philbey
92
135 Inseparable
Guitars often help their owners get through tough times, but few have seen times as tough as those faced by British Royal Air Force pilot and prisoner of war Alf Binnie and his 1940s German archtop.
92
Stanley Clarke
Fusion legend Stanley Clarke talks about his double-bass roots, his bevy of Alembic electrics, why all bassists should jam with other 4-stringers, and his recent reunion album with fellow Return to Forever bandmates Chick Corea and Lenny White.
REVIEWS
156 161 164 167 170 175 179 182 185 188
Gibson Les Paul Studio Baritone Kustom KXB500 and DE115NEO Batson No. 5 Metal Pedals XXX Distortion Reverend Thundergun and Justice Anacon Technology Zagray! Trombetta Tornita! Fernandes V-Hawk Elite Empress Multi-Drive Vox TB35C2 Bruno
premierguitar.com
Heres how it works. You start playing small clubs. You post videos on the web. Your fan base grows and bigger venues come calling. All you need is a little help from the pintsized Olympus LS-20M. Easily capture hours of magnificent high-definition video and give it an edgy, stylized look with built-in movie effects. Like all Olympus LS recorders, the audio sounds more amazing than anything youll hear on a CD. The Olympus LS-20M. Promoting yourself just got ridiculously easy.
For reviews, tips and tricks, visit olympusamericaaudioblog.com.
LESSONS
65 Inside Jazz
By Pat Martino Alphabetic Junctions
DEPARTMENTS
17 25 26 28 Opening Notes News Letters Staff Picks
PG editors and Guest Picker Tommy
Emmanuel talk about their dream band lineups.
66
Fretboard Workshop
By Adam Levy Connecting the Dots
36
On Track
By Rich Tozzoli Secrets of Compression, Pt. 1
69
Beyond Blues
By Jeff McErlain The Bends
30
Media Reviews
ALBUMS: Kenny Wayne Shepherds How I Go, 311s Universal Pulse, Fountains of Waynes Sky Full of Holes, White Denims D, and New Universe Music Festival
38
On Bass
By Dan Berkowitz Risk... And Survival
73
40
Guitar Tracks
By Mitch Gallagher Instant Capture
76
44
161
46
Esoterica Electrica
By Jol Dantzig Playing Buzzword Bingo
48
Acoustic Soundboard
By Larry Fishman Acoustic Amplification, Pt. 1
50
52
Mod Garage
By Dirk Wacker The ABCs of Guitar Switches
182
12 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
56
Vintage Vault
By Dave Rogers, Laun Braithwaite, and Tim Mullally
58
Trash or Treasure
By Zachery R. Fjestad Gibson J-160E Norwegian Wood
60
Restoring an Original
By John Brown Bridge Work on a 74 Gibson Flattop
62
Elixirs are great. I dont have to change them all the time and they still sound fantastic. -JohnPaulJones
Extendingyourtonelife
like no other string.
Every time you play your guitar, tiny bits of you are left to invade the windings to contaminate your strings and kill your tone. Elixir Strings are the only strings that keep dirt out of the windings by coating the entire string. Our patented micro thin NANOWEB Coating provides a clean, smooth feel while increasing string tone life 3 to 5x longer than ordinary strings.
Hear more from John Paul Jones and find out why he loves his Elixir Strings: www.elixirstrings.com/jpj
WEB ExCLuSiVES
Your guide to the stories, reviews, galleries, and videos appearing on premierguitar.com/aug2011 this month.
Inside Godin: Video Factory Tour
Take a tour through Godins electric and acoustic factories in Canada to see how the company attains their rare blend of quality and affordability across the Godin family of brands, including Richmond, Simon & Patrick, Seagull, Art & Lutherie, Norman, and LaPatrie.
Its a hot summer full of blazing licks, and three of the axe-slingers providing new tunes are Lynch, Shepherd, and Mo. In three brand-new interviews, each guitarist shares the details on recording their new albums and the gear theyre relying on for their tone.
Wondering about the hot new gear released in Nashville? PremierGuitar.com has all the details first! From news updates to photo galleries to comprehensive video coverage, we let you read, see, and hear the new gear first.
ONLY ON FACEBOOK...
Bonus Feature Photos
Head to facebook.com/premierguitar, Like us, and click on the Fans Only tab for exclusive access to all of this and more.
FACEBOOK PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Want to see more photos from this issues artist and gear features? Look for the image above in select articles in this issue and then click on the Photos tab on our Facebook page to access additional pictures for that piece. This month, you can see more shots of Stanley Clarke, Cornell Dupree, and Last Chance to Reason.
This months fan photo comes from Kevin Burbulak, whose budding musician son picked at his extra-special Les Paul. See the signature in the lower left? Thats an autograph from Les Paul himself, signed just two months before Pauls death. Thanks, Kevin, for sharing your treasured axe and adorable babymay he grow up to do that guitar justice! For next months Facebook Photo of the Month contest, post your best guitar-related photocool gear, concerts, your band, you reading PG in unique places, or anything else youve got legal rights to poston our wall and well pick one winner to feature here in the magazine and on our Facebook page.
premierguitar.com
WEB ExCLuSiVES
In addition to our written online-only reviews, were doing more video reviews than ever! Head online to watch video reviews of Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Basses, Fender 60th Anniversary Telecaster, Wampler Pedals Leviathan Fuzz, Bogner Brixton, Bogner Panama, Bogner Barcelona, HardWire HT-6 Tuner, Strymon Lex Rotary, Gibson Les Paul Studio Baritone, Fernandes V-Hawk Elite, Metal Pedals Hard Core XXX Distortion, and Black Cat Mini Tremall in beautiful 1080p high-definition.
Adventures in Amplification columnist Tim Schroeder discusses why you might want to upgrade your amps transformer, what kind of changes you can expect, and how to perform the upgrade in his latest column. Remember, amps contain potentially lethal voltages, so do not attempt this yourself if youre not completely comfortable!
From your take on pedal kits to amp circuits of your own design, we want to see your handiwork. Email up to three pics as well as a caption that identifies the gear and tells both what went into it and how it sounds to rebecca@premierguitar.com for your chance at being featured in our next gallery.
Facebook fans get exclusive access to weekly giveaways. Log on and click on the Contests tab to enter.
WIN IT!
Our Rig Rundown videos are now rolling out weekly, so check back often for the latest looks into the rigs of the stars. The latest videos include Keith Urban, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Stanley Clarke, Lynyrd Skynyrds Gary Rossington, and Korn.
1%
5%
27%
.009s
18%
.011s
49%
.010s
August 1521
Make your voice heard in next months poll questionand other discussion topics throughout the monthby clicking the Questions tab on our Facebook page!
premierguitar.com
Want to see whats coming up? Check out our Gear In Our Studio album by clicking on the Photos tab. The album features photos of hundreds of review candidates and other cool gear thats passed through our doors, and is updated regularly with the latest and greatest from PG HQ.
OF THE
FEATURING
HEAD TO SCHECTERGUITARS.COM AND ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO ROLL IN STYLE TO THE 2011 UPROAR FESTIVAL AND WALK AWAY WITH A SET OF SIGNATURE MODEL GUITARS FROM AVENGED SEVENFOLD AND SEETHER.
TREY AnASTASiO
June 3, 2011 DTE Music Theatre Clarkston, MI Photo by Ken Settle
OPENING NOTES
Using his latest Paul Languedoc custom guitar, nicknamed Ocelot, Trey Anastasio pleases the loyal Phish followers while performing Wolfmans Brother. This koa hollowbody features an intricate headstock inlay of an ocelot and is one of many guitars built for Anastasio by the former long-time Phish soundman. Languedoc also built a pair of custom 2x12 cabinets in the 80s for Anastasio, which are currently in use on this tour.
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
BOnO
On the third and final leg of U2s 360 tour, Bono shows off his new Tele during a sold-out show at Angel Stadium of Anaheim while drummer Larry Mullen Jr. rocks steady behind him. Handmade in the Fender Custom Shop, Bonos guitar features doublebound f-holes, TV Jones pickups, a chambered thinline body, and Bonos signature at the 12th fret.
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
ROBin TROWER
June 2, 2011 House of Blues Cleveland, OH Photo by Ken Settle
British blues legend Robin Trower is shown here during his tour stop in Cleveland. Trower is playing his go-to Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster, complete with a 70s- era large headstock. While he carries two additional Strats on the road, Trower prefers to use this cream-colored axe for the entirety of his set. Trower plugs into two Marshall Vintage Modern 100-watt heads, two Marshall 1936 2x12s and one 4x12.
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
RAY LaMOnTAGnE
June 10, 2011 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN Photo by Wayne Dennon
At the 2011 Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, acclaimed singersongwriter Ray LaMontagne flatpicks his Bourgeois Custom DS-260. With a slope-D design and an Adirondack spruce top and Indian rosewood back and sides, this is one of four Bourgeois guitars that LaMontagne has purchased. Hes also currently working with Dana Bourgeois on a signature model.
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
PAuL LAnDERS
May 20, 2011 LA Forum Los Angeles, CA Photo by Lindsey Best
At a recent show in Los Angeles, guitarist for the German industrial metal band Rammstein, Paul Landers digs into his Gibson Custom Les Paul. A prototype for his soon-to-be released signature model, this matte black, grey-bound axe is outfitted with EMG pickups and one Volume knob.
premierguitar.com
the originals
1957
1958
1960
1961
1963
1964
1964
1965
1965
1965
the reissues
Custom 57 Relic
57 Reissue
Custom 60 Relic
62 Reissue
62 Reissue
(773) 525-7773 or (888) 686-7872 info@chicagomusicexchange.com 3316 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago Mon-Sat 11am-7pm | Sun 11am-5pm
www.cme6.com
2011 Fender, Squier, Jackson, Charvel, Guild, SWR, Tacoma, Stratocaster, Telecaster, Precision Bass, Jazz Bass and the distinctive headstock and body designs commonly found on the Strat, Tele and P Bass are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. 2011 Reverb Music, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 3316 N. Lincoln Ave Chicago, IL 60657 (773) 525-7773
nEWS
Glen Campbell Diagnosed With Alzheimers, Announces Farewell Album and Tour
BY ReBecca diRks
Iconic singer/songwriter/ guitarist Glen Campbell has announced that he has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. The disease is still in its early stages, and Campbell has said he will release a final album, Ghost on
the Canvas, and then complete a tour dubbed The Glen Campbell Goodbye Tour. The new album will be released on August 30 on Surfdog Records, and it features appearances by Chris Isaak, Dick Dale, Billy Corgan, Brian Setzer, Rick Nielsen, Roger Manning, and the Dandy Warhols. Campbell was a part of the go-to 60s and 70s group of session musicians referred to as the Wrecking Crew, and he played on countless hits of that era before achieving success as a solo
artist with songs like Gentle on My Mind and Rhinestone Cowboy, as well as with an acting career that has included films such as True Grit and The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour.
The editors of Premier Guitar offer up some unsolicited opinions about guitars and 6-string life.
Googles Les Paul Doodle Google celebrated Les Pauls birthday with a playable, recordable guitar doodle that proved so popular Google kept it online indefinitely.
Leslie West Undergoes Leg Amputation The legendary Mountain guitarist lost his leg to complications of diabetes. We wish him a swift recovery! PosessedHand Device Makes You a Robot The forearm band and electrode pads send impulses to your muscles to control your hands motion, making users play more accurately. We say, Just practice your #*@%&*! Instrument!
New ZZ Top Album This Year Gibbons told a Texas news station that the new tunes produced by Rick Rubin are loud and fast and a return to the roots. To the people who stole my Les Paul After a Canadian musicians highly modified 53 Les Paul was stolen, his heartfelt Craigslist plea spread like wildfire (including on Peter Framptons Facebook page). Heres hoping all the attention leads the guitar home.
Oranges Music Aid for Joplin In response to the tornado that killed 153 people and destroyed the town of Joplin, Missouri, Orange organized an auction highlighted by a Union Jack half-stack and Rush-signed gear.
premierguitar.com
LETTERS
Instructional Seasoning
BLUES LESSON
[Deep Blues: Old Blues, New Chords, July 2011 web-exclusive] is the kind of knowledge you can expect from sitting with a seasoned player. Very powerful, very practical. Well done, Dennis [McCumber] . . . look forward to seeing you at the National Guitar Workshop in a couple of weeks.
Gary via premierguitar.com
pieces instead of the traditional three. Not being able to individually intonate each string is a non-starter for meI cant abide a guitar that is slightly out of tune due to intonation issues. This has been the one sticking point that has kept me from purchasing a Tele. Kudos to Fender for addressing this defect in an otherwise perfect guitar.
Sky via premierguitar.com
$5.95 U.S./Canada
Bogner, Fret-King, 3rd Power Amps, Genz Benz, HardWire, Artinger, Wampler, DVK, and More!
GEAR REVIEWS
Youre welcome, Gary. We know how important it is for you to have audio the way you want it, which is why were now offering lesson audio as both streaming and as a download, and streaming review audio examples. Were going to be streaming a lot more audio and video online soon, too. So stay tuned!
Always loved Martins tone and feel. Saw them five times as a kid. Hes right, 95 percent comes from the PLAYER. Better to leave the 58 in the vault and take something else on tour. Martins got it down and has always been one of my favorites. Good luck with the tour.
Ricky Rue via premierguitar.com
Thanks for the great interview. Martins ability to play all the different styles required in Tull, from rock to folk and everything in between, is amazing! In the days of inflated egos, it speaks volumes about a person of Martins talent to be able to let Ian run the show for over 40 years. Take a listen to his solo work on his album Stage Left to really appreciate his versatility.
Greg Miller via premierguitar.com
Thanks, guys! Its great to get such well-articulated feedback on the stories we plan and craft so carefully. Let us know what youd like to see covered next at info@premierguitar.com or at facebook.com/premierguitar
premierguitar.com
Although certain Tele aficionados would beg to differ, Sky, were just glad you dug this webexclusive review. It takes all kinds! Let us know if you take the plunge and buy onewed love to hear whether it meets your expectations!
I had saved all my money from working after school and intended on buying my first car. A demo of the British Dream [reviewed July 2011] changed my plans. I tried it and was blown away! I bought the amp and scrapped the car [plans] and have no regrets. None whatsoever! I have to hitch rides to get to band practice, LOL! But hey, a lot of people have cars . . . [but] I have the BEST guitar tone of anyone!
Tony V via premierguitar.com
For me, its Michael Bloomfields Your Friends [that epitomizes my tonal approach]. Like [PG senior editor Andy Ellis] said, when I heard that, there was no turning back. Staff Picks is a great idea . . . might turn us on to something we havent listened to before, and it gives context to the equipment reviews and other commentary from the staff at PG. Thanks!
Tim G via premierguitar.com
I know the feeling, Tony! I decided to spend all my money on guitar gear as a high-school student, too, and I never regretted it a bit (though I was kind of bummed my parents never decided to spoil me with a free set of wheels). When I look back at the gear I ended up buying, however, Im pretty sure none of it was as great as the amp you purchased. See, this was in the 80s not a decade particular famous for its juicy tones. Heres to helping you wisely invest more of your money in the future! Shawn Hammond
Thanks, Tim! Thats exactly why we do Staff Picks. Further, the regular question about what were listening to gives us more opportunities to talk about cool new albums we get but just dont have enough room to cover.
Correction
It looks like a great guitar and I am keen to get my hands on one. I am SO glad this one has the six individual bridge
We misidentified some of the people in a photo in our July 2011 Steve Cropper feature [The Royale Treatment]. The caption on p. 172 should have read: The MGs and friends hard at work in the studio in the mid to late 60s. Left to right: Isaac Hayes sits at the piano while Sam Moore and Dave Prater lean on the piano, Duck Dunn plays his Fender bass in the background, Booker Jones plays the tuba, and Cropper plays through what appears to be a blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb. We apologize for the confusion.
THE BOSE L1 MODEL II SYSTEM THE MOST ADVANCED L1 SYSTEM FOR MUSICIANS
More than just a speaker system this represents a different approach to live sound. The Bose L1 Model II system delivers our widest and most uniform sound coverage. Add the T1 ToneMatch audio engine and youll get access to an extensive library of ToneMatch presets, custom EQ capability and a suite of studio-class effects and processing. Using proprietary Bose technology, L1 systems combine PA and monitors into a single, highly portable solution. So whether you choose the L1 Model II, the original L1 Model I or the L1 Compact system, you fill the room with your sound in a way no ordinary speaker can.
The L1 Compact portable line array system is the latest and most portable addition to the Bose L1 product line. This system fills the room with only one speaker, can be carried in a single trip and set up in less than one minute.
Take your live sound in a new direction. Find out how at Bose.com/live11 or call 1-800-905-1852.
STAFF PiCKS
Since the term supergroup was conceived, weve all thought about whom we would love to play with if time, space, and willingness were things we could control at will. This month, we pose that question to our PG editors and Guest Picker Tommy Emmanuel. Send your dream lineups to info@premierguitar.com
Joe Coffey
Editorial Director What am I listening to? Moreland & Arbuckle, Just a Dream. This threepiece out of Kansas fuses Southern rock with delta blues. The album does a good job of capturing the Foos-like rawness of their live shows. Who would I want in my dream band? Get this: Jimi Hendrix out front, Dave Mason on acoustic, Tommy Shannon on bass, Chuck Leavell on B3, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums. Id try to keep up on rhythm and eventually pick up a cowbell.
Andy Ellis
Senior Editor What am I listening to? The Beatles, Love. Giles Martins creative remix does justice to the Fab Four and his father George, and each listening reveals something new about the Beatles cosmic oeuvre. Who would I want in my dream band? Bekka Bramlett on vocals, Levon Helm on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, Mike Finnigan on Hammond, and Id play baritone guitar. The music? Memphis soul classics reborn as dub reggae.
Shawn Hammond
Editor in Chief What am I listening to? Random punk and funk bands on Pandora Radio. Who would I want in my dream band? Amy Winehouse on vocals, Darryl Jenifer on bass, Brian Blade on drums, and John Paul Jones on keys would be a hoot. But I could dream up a lot of cool lineups. Im a firm believer that awesome stuff happens when you bring together open-minded players who are stoked to jam despite having very different MP3 collections.
Seth Hansen
Multimedia Coordinator What am I listening to? Superdrag, Head Trip in Every Key. When summer comes around, I love crunchy, guitar-driven pop. This is about as good as it gets. I could put Im Expanding My Mind on repeat the whole summer and be satisfied. Who would I want in my dream band? Nick McCabes lead work soaring over tight rhythm from Johnny Marr, with Robert DeLeo laying the groundwork on bass. Add a pocket drummer and minimalist singer to fill in the rest.
Chris Kies
Associate Editor What am I listening to? Nick 13, All Alone. Nick 13 countrifies Tiger Army originals while going Bakersfield-style two-stepping on the rest of All Alone. He does a great job of reviving the Nudie-suit era of country on his solo debut. Who would I want in my dream band? William Elliott Whitmore and Johnny Cash (vocals), Brent Hinds and Jerry Reed (guitars), Marshall Grant (standup bass), and Drifting Cowboys Jerry Rivers (fiddle) and Don Helms (steel guitar), creating a country-psychobilly freak-out ensemble.
Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor What am I listening to? Superchunk, Heres Where the Strings Come In. This recently remastered gem from 1995 captures Superchunk at their finest. The fast-and-furious power pop doesnt let up all the way through. Who would I want in my dream band? John Bonham on drums, Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass, and yes, Robert Plant doing the vocals. Id handle whatever theyd let me playor I'd simply watch and listen.
Tommy Emmanuel
Guest Picker What am I listening to? Ive been listening to country music on satellite radio, artists like George Strait and Allison Krauss. I listen to everything. I once drove from New Orleans to Nashville listening entirely to the Elvis station. Sometimes I go to the 70s or 80s channel. Who would I want in my dream band? Steve Gadd on drums, John Patitucci on bass, Larry Goldings on keyboards, and Pat Bergerson on rhythm guitar.
Charles Saufley
Gear Editor What am I listening to? White Denim, D. Theres not much they dont do. All these dudes have mad chops, but guitarist James Petralli channels Ollie Halsall, Jimmy Page, and Tony McPhees rapid-fire, clean-Strat tones into furious lead and rhythm work that supports the bands funky-prog-Skynrdmeets-summery-indie-art-pop-blooz attack. Who would I want in my dream band? Ill take any combination of the MGs and White Denim.
Jason Shadrick
Associate Editor What am I listening to? Phish, Live Bait Vol. 5. This is a free collection of the bands shining moments from all of their festivals dating back to 87. The 34-track exploration covers everything from dirty NOLA funk to spacey, Dead-inspired jams. Who would I want in my dream band? Stanton Moore on drums, Audley Freed on guitar, and Page McConnell on keys. The set list would contain mostly 70s soul tunes and classic rock anthems.
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p r em i er b ui l d er rs gui il l d p l at i n u m de a l er s
Chicago Music Exchange Chicago, IL chicagomusicexchange.com The Music Zoo Little Neck, NY themusiczoo.com Wild West Guitars Riverside, CA wildwestguitars.com World Music Nashville Nashville, TN worldmusicnashville.com Willcutt Guitars Lexington, KY willcuttguitars.com Innity Guitars Houston, TX innityguitars.com Destroy All Guitars Fuquay Varina, NC destroyallguitars.com
MEDiA REViEWS
ALBuM
Some Kenny Wayne Shepherd fans have been waiting for this album since the 90s. Thats when he stormed out of the gate with three platinum-selling albums of guitar-driven blues and blues-rock that went to No. 1 on Billboards Blues chart and produced a halfdozen Top 10 hits on the mainstream rock chart. Thats not to say that his material from the last few years wasnt fantastic. But last years offering, Live! in Chicago, was a live album and 2007s stellar 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads) was more of an exploration of traditional blues. And his 2004 album The Place Youre In rocked a bit harder than most fans were expecting. So, really, he hasnt done a studio album in this vein since 1999s Live On. The new albums lead single, Never Lookin Back, sets the tone for the record by drawing on the mojo from his early materialbut youll notice theres a playful irony at work as Shepherd also looks back, musically, at other great artists from the past: Its opening riffs are an obvious homage to Keef, the driving rhythm pays respect to Billy Gibbons, and the nods to Stevie Ray Vaughan are plentiful, including a few quoted licks from Tightrope. Guitarists will enjoy Shepherds carefully crafted formula of showing his reverence for the great players and styles that came before him while also employing the approach that put him on the map. His cover of the Beatles Yer Blues puts to good use the woodshedding he did to pay homage to Jimi on the most recent Experience Hendrix tour. It fuses Hey Joe-ish elements with the When the Levee Breaks-type groove that undergirds some of his best soloing on the album. His supercharged tone on that track is to die for.
Songs like Cold and Show Me the Way Back Home showcase Shepherds ability to craft radio-ready songs that can reach audiences beyond guitarnutdome. Thats no easy featespecially now. Despite our love of the instrument, its a sad fact that very few guitarcentric songs end up in heavy rotation on contemporary radio these days. But just as Shepherd earned scores of fans via radio with hits like Blue on Black and In 2 Deep back in the day, a number of well-crafted cuts on this album seem destined to do the same. In fact, this album is Shepherds strongest effort as a songwriter. Many people think of him as a great guitar talent, but his penchant for finding the right balance of lyrical and musical hooks is just as impressive. Fans of Shepherds straight-blues side have plenty to sink their teeth into with How I Go, too. Highlights include his Texasshuffle treatment on Bessie Smiths Backwater Blues, a funky, wah-fueled rendition of Oh, Pretty Woman (Albert Kings version, which was written by A.C. Williams, not the identically titled song by Roy Orbison), and a hard-driving, horn-heavy number called Dark Side of Love. Shepherd made waves at an early age and is still subjected to endless references about being a young player, despite having toured for nearly 20 years. But the 34-year-olds maturity is notable on this record. He chooses his notes more carefully. His use of space stands out. His soaring bends are fewer in number but have twice the impact. The craftsmanship of each songs components on this albumthe heads, rhythm parts, turnaround riffs, bridge rhythms, etc.reflects the work of a musician who is really thinking everything through in order to serve each song. The net effect of this kind of talent and effortnot to mention the tremendous abilities exhibited by KWSB vocalist Noah Hunt, drummer Chris Layton, and the rest of the bandis a soulful experience that covers a lot of ground. This album is very much worth the wait. Joe Coffey any true balladssomething theyve excelled at on previous recordingsTrouble starts with P-Nut laying down a creeping bass line thats countered by an intoxicatingly barebones distorted guitar riff that carries the song toward upstroke-driven euphoria. And Count Me In is a fun-loving jam that has Mahoney using his trusted Mu-Tron III for bubbly tones la From Chaoss Amber. And the funky arcade-game-like And a Ways to Go is driven by a galloping, envelope-filtertreated bass line. While Universal Pulse has only eight songs, its more of the same tasty 311 cocktaila shot of reggae, a shot of rock, and a garnish of funkthats perfect for summertime chillin, coastline cruisin, or afternoon grillin. Chris Kies
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ALBuM
311
Universal Pulse 311 Records/ATO Records
Universal Pulse 311s tenth studio releaseis rife with their signature tasty-waves-and-acool-buzz vibe. The Omaha, Nebraska, bunch acknowledges that much of their success and fan base has been built off years of relentless touring, so word is they took to their Hive Studio looking to create stage-ready songs.
30 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
With producer Bob Rock onboard againhe also worked on 09s Uplifter Universal Pulses guitar parts are larger and thicker than life, with articulate crunch, and they even tastefully dip into arena-rock mode during guitarist Tim Mahoneys harmonized solos in Rock On. Mahoneys gritty, skarock riffing on Time Bomb and Wild Nights creates the familiar head-bobbinand-hypnotic vibes that go so well with the good-time rhymes of Nick Hexum and S.A. Martinez. The albums first single, Sunset in July, has Mahoney going back to his bag of riff tricks and conjuring a snake-charmerstyle intro that hearkens to Transistors Beautiful Disaster. Its super-simple, groovin rhythm and sing-along chorus are classic 311. While the album doesnt boast
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MEDiA REViEWS
ALBuM
Various Artists
The New Universe Music Festival 2010 Abstract Logix
Last November, in a theater in North Carolina, some of the greatest jazz/rock musicians alive came together for the inaugural New Universe Music Festival. These players all happen to be signed to the Abstract Logix label, but this festival wasnt merely a showcase for their sponsorits more like a look at the history of this genre and where its headed. The album opens up with one of the young lions on the bill, Alex Machacek whose trio includes Neal Fountain on bass and Jeff Apt. Q258 Sipe on drumscombining his angular, jarring melodies with dissonant chords on Strafe. Closing out the first disc is Widespread Panics lead axe-slinger Jimmy Herring. Rainbow kicks off Herrings set with keyboardist Matt Slocum playing a pensive piano intro before jumping into an oddtime riff that sets up Herrings absolutely burning solo. Here, Herring mixes the whammy-bar tricks of Jeff Beck with the harmonic vocabulary of Coltrane. On the second disc, Wayne Krantz appears with his triobassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Cliff Almondand blurs the line between composition and improvisation with Why, a frenetic tune that combines chord stabs with Krantzs signature intervallic soloing. Herring later returns as part of Lenny Whites group to tear through the odd-time madness of Joe Hendersons Gazelle with guitarist Tom Guarna, and the two guitarists come off like a futuristicsounding Allman Brothers. The final guitarist on the album is the Mahavishnu himself, John McLaughlin. His band, the Fourth Dimension, is a tight and nimble unit that can change directions at will as if all the members are a single organism. McLaughlins amp-less tone sings its way through the opener, Recovery, and bassist Etienne Mbapp shows no shortage of chops on his turn in the spotlight. Joining the group for some extra rhythmic propulsion is tabla master Zakir Hussain. On the album closer, Mother Tongues,
32 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
Hussain and McLaughlin bring back some of that Shakti mojo with a 21-minute firestorm that lets everyone in the band stretch out. It will take most listeners some time to work through both discs, but the chance to hear the evolution of jazz/rock guitar in a live setting is well worth the investment. Jason Shadrick
ALBuM
train wreck. Instead, the band and the record leapfrog from hyperactive Skynyrdas-prog breakdowns and melancholy Moody Blues-y balladry to passages reminiscent of the Grateful Deads most fiery and illuminated moments with an ease and joyful sincerity that make this one of the most exciting and beguiling releases of 2011. Charles Saufley
ALBuM
White Denim
D Downtown Music
Fountains of Wayne
Sky Full of Holes Yep Roc Records
If you ever see Austins White Denim live, theres a fair chance that at some point in the evening youll witness the most rippin band on the planet. Still, the real shape-shifting beauty of White Denim has always been the range of contexts to which they apply their chops. They may do their share of free jammin, but they are a song-first band. That collision of aesthetics defines their fourth release D, as well. These may be White Denims strongest songs yet, and the playful and inspired sense of arrangement and texture that the band applies in the studio simultaneously lends ballast and make these tunes soar. The territory covered on D borders on mind-blowing at times. Lead guitarist James Petrallis deft and funkily nimble-fingered fret work is built on a super-clean tone that evokes Groundhog Tony TS McPhees darting Stratocaster work on Who Will Save the World, some of Jimmy Pages Presence and In Through the Out Door sounds, and Ollie Halsalls work with Patto (he even nicks the guitar hook from Pattos Hold Me Back on Its Him). The rest of the bandJoshua Block on drums, Steve Terebecki on bass, and newcomer Austin Jenkins on second guitarare a fantastically cohesive and telepathic bunch. And the spacious productionwhich often has the clarity and atmosphere of the Flaming Lips grandiose later workgives the band room to exhibit their teamwork and tasteful virtuosity. In the hands of a less skilled and inspired bunch, D could have been a style-leaping
With their first new release since 2007s Traffic and Weather, Fountains of Wayne carries on its critically acclaimed brand of shimmery pop. Formed in New York in 1996 and named after a garden store in neighboring New Jersey, this two-time Grammy-nominated band was formed by songwriters Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood. Interestingly, bassist Schlesinger penned the title song for That Thing You Do, a 1996 Tom Hanks film about a 1960s onehit-wonder band. The title track became a hit (unlike the film), and the band has continued to churn them out ever since. FoWs original lineup, which also includes guitarist Jody Porter and drummer Brian Young (formerly of the Posies), has remained unchanged since their first tour. Full of blazing power pop and acousticdriven ballads, Sky Full of Holes comes just in time for late-summer fun. The stories remain great, and the songs have the same feel that longtime fans expect (check out Road Song), with a gentle, lap-steel love song quickly being taken over by a happy and quacky pop song with a big horn section. The different styles work well with this fun and sometimes-clever group of tunes, many of which sound destined for Top 40 radio. The album doesnt have all the scrap and surliness of their earliest stuffthis outing has its share of Hollywood glossbut then what is crunchy power pop all about, anyway? Fun, thats all. So if youre into Big Star, Evan Dando, and Weezer, Sky Full of Holes is definitely worth a listen. Rich Osweiler
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very music genre has guitar tones and gear associated with it. Of course there are exceptions, but a Telecaster or a Gretsch into a blackface Fender is certainly a good starting place if you want a twangy country tone. For classic rock crunch, a Les Paul through a Marshall will get you into the right ballpark. Yes, these are broad generalizations, but these combinations of amps and guitars are good starting points that you can modify as needed. When it comes to a modern heavy tone, I usually start with a guitar that has heavy strings and active pickups, and then add a noise gate and a high-gain amp to complete the equation. Heavy strings and drop tunings both play a major role in getting a powerful heavy tone. I use .012.052 SIT Power Wound strings on my Schecter Hellraiser, which is tuned a whole-step below standard tuning to DGCFAD. I have a loose rule of increasing each strings gauge by .001 for every half-step I tune it below standard. That way, the tension and feel of the strings stay somewhat consistent to that of a set of .010s tuned to EADGBE. The next order of business in crafting a heavy tone is finding the right pickups. My Schecter is loaded with EMG 81 and 89 active humbuckers. These pickups have a ton of output and complement a high-gain amp very well. Because the tone will usually diminish as the batteries lose juice, the most important thing to remember with active pickups is to keep the batteries fresh. Another great set of active pickups are the Seymour Duncan Blackouts, which have a more present high end, yet also deliver plenty of output. The next link in the gear chain is the noise gate, and
LefT: A Mesa/Boogie Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier and a Mesa/Boogie Road King 2x12 cabinet join forces with a Schecter Hellraiser to create fantastic heavy tone. riGhT: One of the most important components for a heavy tone is a noise gate. The MXR Smart Gate keeps noise regulated and adds to the pumpy sound that is essential in dialing up the heaviness.
there are a couple of qualities I look for in a gate. The first and most importantis that the gate doesnt interfere with my pick attack. Sometimes the gate wont open up unless you strike the string with enough force, and this results in missing the front end of the note. A sluggish noise gate gets in the way of dynamic playing, and the last thing anyone wants is a piece of gear dictating dynamics. Second, I dont want the gate to interfere with a sustained chord by cutting off the sound prematurely. The MXR Smart Gate has a sensitivity knob that curbs both of these issues. You can also set the Smart Gate so that it only gates out certain sounds. When Im playing heavy music, I need to have dead quiet spaces between highly rhythmic blasts of chords. And a good noise gate will help me accomplish this. There are a few different aspects of my choice amp that make it my choice amp. For crushing crunch sounds, the recently re-voiced Mesa/Boogie
Multi-Watt Dual Rectifier is my go-to amp for heavy tones. The Multi-Watt can be loaded with 6L6 or EL34 tubes. But for modern heavy tones, I prefer the more open and full sound of the 6L6s, with the Modern setting engaged on Channels 2 and 3. The biggest difference between a modern country tone and a modern metal tone lies in the Midrange knob. For modern metal, youll generally want to scoop the mids. Contemporary country is the exact opposite, since the mids are pushed way up. My cabinet of choice for the Dual Rectifier is the Mesa/ Boogie Road King. The Road King cab has a Celestion Vintage 30 and a C90 for speakers, and the combination of these different 12" speakers adds a lot of depth to the sound. The cab also gives me the option to play through the speakers individually or together, which is a big plus in the tonal variety department. Because a wooden partition separates the speakers, the cabinet responds more like two 1x12s
than a standard 2x12 cabinet. This is useful because the low end is tighter, and I prefer that when playing heavy music. Another useful aspect of this cabinet is the combination of open and closed back panels, which also adds depth to the sound. Lastly, the biggest component in creating a heavy tone is picking-hand technique. When you have a loud amp thats saturated in gain, you have to control the strings with your palm. The pick, your pick angles and velocity, and palm muting all play a huge role in getting a massive and heavy tone. I encourage you to observe how different players approach their instruments, technique, and gear. Then add up what you learn and create a heavy tone equation that works best for you.
PAUL TFo ALLen
is a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with Big & Rich, Adele, Sebastian Bach, 112, Jake Owen, Larry the Cable Guy, and many others. He also has his own project called Ten Finger Orchestra, and can be reached at tenfingerorchestra@yahoo.com.
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n this first installment in a two-part series, well take a look at compression as it applies specifically to us guitarists. For starters, well talk about using compression in the studio and how you can apply it to your tracks during mixdown. Next month, well examine the differences between compression pedals youd typically use in the recording prodcess and plugins or hardware youd use after youve finished tracking. Briefly, compression is about controlling the dynamic range of your instrument. A compressor reduces your volume using a set of controls that vary with each type of device. With your typical studiobased hardware unit or software plug-in, the main controls are Threshold and Ratio. When audio peaks rise above your chosen Threshold setting, they are reduced. Anything under the Threshold setting is not reduced or affected. Ratio determines the amount of gain reduction that happens after the audio rises above the Threshold setting. For example, a typical 3:1 Ratio setting means that, if the audio rises 3 dB above the Threshold setting, the compressor will hold that level
LefT: A screenshot of the Sonnox Oxford plug-in. riGhT: The control set on a Waves API 2500 plug-in.
how quickly it lets go of your signal. Makeup Gain lets you raise the overall output level after youve compressed the audio, thus maintaining a robust signal even though youve reduced its peaks. With electric guitar, compression is not always necessaryespecially when mixing heavily distorted parts. For example, when recording with distorted tube amps, youve already got a lot of compression built into the sound (courtesy of the power tubes), and compressing the signal further in the mix may make it mushy or washy. In that situation, I may compress very lightlyperhaps using a 2:1 or 3:1 ratioand then apply makeup gain to add
There is no right or wrong way to apply compression. Whatever sounds right, is right.
to only 1 dB above the threshold, thus reducing the peak by 2 dB. Very high compression ratios yield an effect called limiting, which well explore in further columns. The other set of adjustable controls found in most compressors are Attack, Release, and Makeup Gain. Attack determines how fast or slow the actual compression takes place, and Release governs
36 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
some volume. Even that may not be required: My old Gibson amps sound compressed right at the speaker, so I tend not to compress guitar parts recorded on them. But with lightly distorted, clean, or acoustic parts, I compress a bit higher (4:1 or so) and again use makeup gain. In that case, I just want the compression to barely hit, so that only a few peaks that stick
out are reduced. Sometimes, Ill choose not to use compression at all and just let the sound ebb and flow naturally. Or, I use volume automation to bring down specific spikes in a part. Different makes and models of compressors have unique tonal qualities. For example, the Waves API 2500 plug-in sounds quite different from the Sonnox Oxford plug-in. Both are compressors/limiters, but each has its own different character. So dont think that just one compressor should be applied and thats that. Try different types and see what works. I think of the Waves compressor as having color, because it includes tone-shaping options (as does the API hardware version). So Ill turn to that when I want to control the texture of a particular instrument, such as a distorted electric guitar. But with compressors like the Sonnox Oxford (which models a mixing console that costs six figures), I think of them as non-colored or transparent. I tend to turn to those when I want to maintain clarity on acoustic guitar parts or clean electrics. Sometimes Ill put a compressor on and set the Threshold so it barely peaks at all, using it simply as a gain
processor. You can do that by turning up the Output Gain (most compressors feature this control). Of course, you can raise levels using a Volume fader, but the difference is that if a part jumps up suddenly, the compressor will grab it and hold the level down. The fader alone will not do that. Note that over-compressing a part will squash the dynamic life out of it and make it sound dull. However, I do sometimes record a distant room mic when cutting guitar parts and then intentionally over-compress it during mixdown for effect (especially using the Universal Audio 1176). Panning the overcompressed room sound hard left or right can deliver a wide, ambient guitar tone. There is no right or wrong way to apply compression. Whatever sounds right, is right. Again, each type of compressor has its own sonic thumbprint and the only way to know what it will do to your guitar part is to apply it and listen.
rich ToZZoLi is a Grammy-nominated engineer and mixer who has worked with artists ranging from Al Di Meola to David Bowie. A life-long guitarist, hes also the author of Pro Tools Surround Sound Mixing and composes for the likes of Fox NFL, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, and HBO.
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laying bass fills a good piece of my non-work time. For 15 years or so, Ive had a regular gig with a blues band, but the amount of those gigs has been dwindling, along with the venues to play them. I augment that downtime with a variety of other gigs on electric bass and acoustic upright. My plan is to keep playing bass as long as my hands, arms, and mind allowwhich requires a bit of resourcefulness to unearth other musical opportunities. An important consideration for lining up a variety of opportunities is the risk involved. Without risk, theres little chance for growth. Will I get through the gig successfully? A lot of my playing strategy for these one-off gigs is aimed at not getting caught, while also trying to make the most of my musical abilities. I think all of us have moments of doubt and question our abil-
bass, Ive tried to assess my strengths and play to them, so that Im able to contribute. Im not a particularly fast player, so I work toward a simpler, solid grooveand stay in a supporting role that the players up front really appreciate. Likewise, my music reading skills are acceptable, but I cant always sight-read a part and nail it. Combining these two challenges, I often simplify the written part to bring out its essence. As a rhythm section player, I also pay close attention to the other players, making eye contact with each at some point. I listen for their dynamics and if theyre getting busier in their playing. I try to help keep the tempo steady when things are getting frenzied. I know I wont ever be the bass player who steps out with the dazzling solo. But I have the quiet confidence that Im making a contribution to the groups musical success by
An important consideration for lining up a variety of opportunities is the risk involved. Without risk, theres little chance for growth. Will I get through the gig successfully?
ity to get through a gig successfullythose thoughts of being a musical imposter who will be found out as somebody who cant cut it. Despite a few close calls, things have worked out for me so far by keeping three things in mind. 1. Contribute from your strength. A bad way to avoid getting caught is trying to stay under the radar all the time. When you do that, youre not contributing to the overall musical enterprise, and you might not get called back. As long as I have been playing
38 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
doing what I do best. 2. Do no damage. I learned this idea from a couple of experienced musicians, and it comes out in two ways. The first concerns playing music beyond your ability. If a particularly difficult part comes upone that I might make a mess ofI try to find a way around it that captures the spirit of whats called for. I recently listened to a friends recording of a blues trioguitar, bass, and drumsthat was technically very good, but sounded
sterile. The bass player was technically capable enough that he could precisely double the guitar players lines, but thats not what blues bass playing is all about. Had I tried to double the guitar lines, I certainly would have done damage. But by simplifying and paraphrasing the basic line, I could avoid doing damage while also providing the bass glue that makes the music sound like blues. A second way of doing damage is the way you get back on track when lost. Simply stopping can do damage and confuse everybody. In these situations, I try to avoid playing any clear root notes that might be misleading, and listen carefully for notes that seem to mesh. Ill also watch a guitar players left hand (a valuable skill for bassists to have), reading the chords being played and hitting the roots if possible. Ill listen for hints from the drummer that suggest chord changes and phrase endings and look for the beginning of a new verse or chorus. Eventually, things will get back on course and the damage will be minimalized. 3. Study hard. There are lots of resources out there for learning about and preparing for your upcoming bass experiences. Turn to legendary performances on YouTube. Buy a song or album from one of the online MP3 stores. Pick up a few versions of the same song to learn about your musical alternatives. If youre facing a reading gigbe it classical, jazz, or whateverlisten to recordings while watching the music. When I do that, complex rhythms get simpler. Hearing the context for a musical line while reading that line really helps. I also own a copy of
Endorsed by McCoy Tyner and Ron Carter, Sher Musics The New Real Book contains hundreds of jazz standards written out in an easy-todigest, condensed format. Best of all, the tome is legal. If youre looking to master the classics, these composerapproved transcriptions will help you reach your goal.
Band-in-a-Box and can usually find a file with the song Im after, complete with a passable bass line. If I have multiple performances of the same project, Ill try to go back and work out a part I may have flubbed. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. So wheres it all going? In the next couple of months, Ill be pondering how to get through some risky situations as a bassist. My upcoming gigs are widely varied: A chamber orchestra performance, a blues trio at a winery, musical theatre, an outdoor gig with the local uke club, a Real Book jam, a folkie jam party, and more blues gigs. And as I get into these musical opportunities, Ill keep the above three points in mind, preparing for the next opportunity to arrive.
dAn BerkowiTZ
is a professor by day and a bassist when the sun goes down. He plays upright and electric bass for blues, jazz, orchestra, and musical theater. Contact him at profdanb@gmail.com.
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FENDER.COM/RUMBLE
2011 FMIC. Fender, Make History, and Rumble are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
Capture Captured Ive ended up with a threepronged capture solution. It actually has four components if you count my full studio rig but I reserve that mainly for serious work, not for quickly capturing ideas. Maybe its overkill to have multiple solutions and just one will cover it for you. But I like having a few options that let me swiftly adapt to the situation at hand. You could use one of those little dictation recorders, but those dont have an input for a guitar and the sound quality is pretty dismal. Line 6 BackTrack This little box was released by Line 6 awhile back without much fanfare, and it has flown under the radar ever since. Its a little recorder thats dedicated to exactly what were talking about hereeasily capturing ideas played on a guitar or bass. You simply plug your guitar into one side and plug the other side into your amp. Turn it on, and its always recording. Play an idea you like, hit a button, and its marked for later. When youre done, and if youve got an idea or two you want to keep, its an easy matter to transfer them to your computer via USB. Brilliantly simple, affordable, and it really works! Theres also a BackTrack model with a built-in mic for those acoustic guitar ideas you want to save. Roland R-05 There are a number of little handheld digital stereo recorders on the market. I use mine all the time for recording rehearsals and gigs, recording lessons, and for songwriting sessionsespecially if theres more than one musician playing. Just set it up, hit record, and the built-in stereo mics
3
1. The Roland R-05 sports a pair of mics and records stereo MP3 and WAV files. 2. Plug Line 6s BackTrack between your guitar and amp and this always on device automatically records everything you play. 3. Cut demos on the fly: The Zoom R24 offers 8-track recording with 24-track playback, a drum machine, onboard effects, and a pair of mics for field recording.
capture whatever gets played. Some of this recorders even have guitar inputs and built-in amp simulation for better tone while recording. Its easy to transfer the recordings to your computer later for further work or archiving. I happen to use the Roland R-05, which sounds excellent for live recording, but there are great models from Zoom, Yamaha, Tascam, Sony, and more. Zoom R24 Even though I have a wellequipped studio, there are times when you just want to make a quick multitrack recording to preserve ideas. Maybe its because I came up in the era of cassette 4-tracks, but I find the new generation of digital all-in-one multitrack recorders to be perfect for this. They boot up instantly, you can plug in directly, and you can quickly lay down a rhythm part and a melody. Some even have amp simulation. I use the Zoom R24, which even has a little onboard drum machine, as well as two built-in mics for those times when you have
a vocal line you want to lay down or youre playing acoustically. You can plug the R24 into your computer to use as a control surface, it works as an audio interface, and you can directly transfer files via USB. In other words, it does everything. But what I really like is that its ready to use as soon as you power it on, it sounds good, and it makes it easy to lay down a couple of quick tracks. Roland/BOSS, Tascam, and others make similar devices that work equally well. These three particular devices work for me. You might find similar (or not so similar) units that do a better job for you and the way you work. It doesnt matter what you usewhat matters is that you capture those ideas quickly and easily before the muse decides to take flight.
the former Editor in Chief of EQ magazine and the author of six books on recording and one instructional DVD on mastering. He operates MAG Media Productions and the Sound Sauna studio, and is Sweetwaters Editorial Director. His upcoming book is Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Electric Guitar Sound. mitchgallagher.com
miTch GALLAGher is
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ew dispute the apocalypse is nigh. Its the method of destruction thats being debated. Some say the end will be quick, while others say the demise of our species may last many, many years. Ive heard folks in the latter camp claim that during this prolonged struggle, zombies will rule the planet. Theres not much we can do in a swift-exit scenario, but preparing for a zombie threat could be a smart move. Oh, you laugh? Well, on the internet I saw an authentic draft of the pamphlet the Federal government is preparing on how to defend yourself in a zombie invasion, so I dont really think this is a laughing matter. The government plan was well written, and although I agreed with most of it, unfortunately the authors fell a bit short. They did not mention the guitar. Instead, they focused primarily on protecting self, family, friends, lovers, and pets. But no mention of ones cherished axe? Thats a huge oversight. I mean, really. The problem with the guitar is that it can attract zombies. So, lacking direction from our leaders, its important that we take matters into our own hands and zombie-proof our instruments. Heres what you need to know: 1) Get in tuneand stay there. Zombies are attracted to unpleasant noises, especially those that sound like a human shrieking in fear (they either think its the real deal or its just a bit of a turn-on . . . its hard to say for sure) or those that induce people to scream out yknow, like Pavlovs dog, and all. Anyway, poorly tuned guitars rank high on the list of the worlds most unpleasant noises. There are several reasons a guitar will not play or stay
in tune. First, not playing in tune means that even after youve tuned all six strings to perfect pitch with an electronic tuner, when you fret chords in certain regions of the fretboard, they dont sound right. This is a problem of intonation. Few people have perfect pitch, so many guitarists are unaware that their guitars are not properly intonated. Spend some time in a music store and youll realize how bad the problem is. Why is it that the guy who insists on playing the loudest usually sucks the most at tuning a guitar? These guys are bigtime zombie attractors. Please! Get your guitar professionally set up and learn to tune it. The setup should include bridge adjustment with a strobe tuner, as well as other intonation-improving procedures like checking the depth of each nut slot, adjusting the truss rod, and setting the correct action. These adjustments are all interrelated. A pro understands how changing one element affects the others and knows how to get the entire system working harmoniously. Then theres staying in tunewhich is a very big deal for humans reluctant to join the ranks of the undead (or their next meal). Do you find your strings going out of tune after a short period of playing? If you aggressively stretch the strings where the neck meets the body, this will work better than buying fancy locking tuners. Pull up on each string and wiggle it three or four times, then tune it up to pitch. Repeat this operation until stretching the strings no longer pulls them out of tune. The G string usually needs the most attention. Get some key lock lubricant from the hardware store and grease those nut slots. This
LefT: Ahhh!! Zombie loose in the workshopits Parsons Guitars luthier Persia! Photo courtesy of RJB Photo riGhT: In the late 60s, Baldwin developed The Exterminator amp, touting its ability to put out a screaming treble that is almost unreal. Many guitarists bought this 250-watt behemothwhich had two 15", two 12", and two 7" speakersbelieving it was the ultimate zombie defense weapon. Unfortunately, they soon discovered that zombies are actually attracted to unpleasant noises that mimic and/or induce a human scream.
substance is a black graphite powder you can dab in the nut slot under the string. You can also use this to blind zombies: Squirt the powder in their eyes and then run like hell! 2) Use tube amps. Theres credible evidence that zombies recoil at the sound of loud second-order harmonics (which humans seem to enjoy, particularly in high-gain distortion) because they make a guitar sound fat and rich, rather than jagged and edgy. Also, you can break the tubes and use them as weapons, if, God forbid, it comes to that. In a worst-case scenario, you might entice a zombie to stick her hand inside the chassis and fondle a filter cap. A shocking thought! 3) Get a wireless system. This one will be pretty controversial, but hear me out: A wireless enables you to keep jamming if youre forced to escape to the safe room. Other than that, I see no reason to use one. 4) Change your strings. They dont get dirty from dirt, they get dirty from DNA. This
is bad for two reasons: First, it deadens your strings by causing intonation, sustain, and tuning problems. Second, it can undead-en you. Yup, your dead skin and blood on those strings can attract a zombie from over a mile away. 5) Practice. See, if you suck, thats just another form of unpleasant noise. And we know who goes for that, right? 6) Weaponize your rig. Although any guitar can function as a blunt implement for destroying a zombies head or removing its brain, something with sharp edges and a more aerodynamic profilelike a B.C. Rich or perhaps a V-style axewill make the chore that much easier and more effective. Speaking of axes, whatever you hear Mr. Simmons say about the reasoning behind his proprietary bass design, dont believe itits safety first for Gene!
builds guitars for Jack White, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, and other adventurous players using out-of-the-box materials like bone, flowers, copper, and solid ebony.
rAndy PArSonS
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d like to open this column by saying its an honor to have been chosen to write it. When I was first offered the gig, my initial reaction was, Why me? With so many better-known companies and talented designers out there, I was surprised that PG editors considered me worthy of writing a column about pedals. While I have some knowledge of effect design, Im not an engineerIm not even a guitarist (although I have been known to slap da bass)! When I asked a PG editor about this, he said my experience marketing different effect brands from around the globe gives me a unique perspective on the effects industry as a whole. I think this answer confused me even more, but it also got me thinking: Do I have a unique perspective? And if so, what is it? How did it lead me to the various pedal lines Ive worked with over the years? Is there a common thread running between all the brands weve handled, and if so, what is it? Did I see something other people didnt, or was it just dumb luck? One thing I will say is that sometimes not being an engineer has its benefits. In my experience, designers can sometimes take a myopic view of their creation and overlook small aspects that could take the design from good to great. I do have a tendency to look at the whole picture (or lack thereof ), and this has certainly worked to my advantage in the past. At this point, it might help to offer a bit of background on how I got into this business. I owe my fascination with effects almost entirely to one person Mike Matthews from ElectroHarmonix. When I was a kid in the late 70s, EHX was at
the height of their first round of success, which was due in no small part to Matthews ability to write incredibly captivatingoften mesmerizingad copy about his pedals. A pedal that can make your amp 10 times louder? Whoa! How about one that makes your guitar talk? Or sound like a screeching harpsichord whose strings are whipped instead of plucked? These were just a few of the amazing benefits that vintage EHX pedals could bestow on the lucky userat least according to their catalog. Keep in mind, there was no streaming video or other ways to preview pedals back then (hell, there werent even websites). When it came to creating demand for a product, ad copy was everythingand the only thing. The EHX catalog was more mysterious and intriguing than those grow your own Sea Monkey ads in the back of comic books. To a 13-yearold kid just starting to play, it was better than porn. If youve never seen a vintage EHX catalog, I strongly urge you to hunt one down on the internet and give it a read. Youll witness a modern day P.T. Barnum in action. Years later, I was fortunate enough to work for the resurrected EHX and help with the launch of reissues like the Memory Man and new products like the Q-Tron. I learned a lot working for Mike Matthews, but probably the most important thing I took away from the experience was that a product needs a good story to stand out from the competition. Great sounds, the right price point, and bulletproof construction aside, its a great story that really grabs peoples
An example of early-70s Electro-Harmonix ad copy, complete with references to whipped strings and singing hummingbirds. Image courtesy of Kitrae and the ElectroHarmonix forum.
attention. Once theyre hooked by the story, they can be reeled in by a products features and benefits. Many of PGs more conservative readers might balk at this assessment. For them, pedals are toolsnot toys. However, keep in mind that even that mindset is just another story that appeals to a particular type of player. Would Fulltone have been as successful if there werent photos of Mike Fullers Porsches, Harleys, and vintage amps plastered on their website? Fulltone was selling the story of successtheir product just had the added benefit of being able to help deliver it. Oh yeah, so back to me and my perspective. Looking back now, its pretty easy to see the unique feature or story that each of our brands carries. In my view, each of these attributes played a key role in helping us bring these brands to market without a major financial investment:
Guyatone Micro Effects. The totally cute, ultra-compact size and candy colors were what initially caught my eye. In 1998, this had never been done before (but it was soon copied by a much larger company). Bixonic Expandora. The round tuna fish can chassis was a unique statement, and an endorsement from one Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top certainly didnt hurt. Maxon. The guys that designed and manufactured Ibanez pedals from 197498? Come on, this ones a no-brainer. As you can see, theres no common thread between the lines that weve represented, except for the fact that each of them had a unique quality or story we could use to catch peoples attention. From there, the product itself did most of the work. So, I guess my perspective is this: I like to view the big picture and envision where and how products can fit into the market. Im able to recognize a good story and this ability coupled with a fair degree of serendipity and lots of hard work has allowed me to be surrounded by guitar effects for the past 12+ years and continue to earn a living doing what I love. In future columns, Ill expand on this idea and apply it to other brands and products, as well as trends in the effects market. Until then, thanks for reading. If you have any topics youd like to see covered, please drop me a line at kevin@godlyke.com. Rock on!
kevin BoLemBAch
is the President and founder of Godlyke, Inc. - the U.S.distributor for many well-know boutique effect brands Including Maxon, Guyatone, EMMA and Providence.
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The same kind of thinking buried the American car companies. When polled in focus groups, the US public said they wanted vinyl-clad landau roofs and hubcaps, while the European and Japanese companies were fitting their cars with independent suspensions, alloy wheels, and disc brakes. That was over three decades ago and Detroit is still trying to catch up. Good, bad, or indifferent, music instrument makers tout their latest and greatest with fervor and conviction. Will a new gizmo take your music to a new level? How does a consumer separate useful information from hyperbole? Consider the source. The story about wisdom is that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of application on a task to be considered an expert on any subject. Ill save you the math and let you know thats 20 years of 40-hour weeks with no time off for vacations or holidays. Im not saying this level of experience is needed to have a worthwhile opinion on the noise level of a P-90 versus a humbucker, but it does give you some pause for thought. The takeaway is that Id respect the views of a seasoned pro tech before that of a chain-store guitar salesman. Its the economy. Things are tough and builders large and small are feeling the pinch. Anything that gives them a perceived advantage in the marketplace could mean the difference between success and failure. Is a products selling point something that actually makes music better? Does it solve a real problem? If a feature is a solution to a problem that doesnt exist in the practical world, why is it better? If you need help determining what is a real problem, consult an expert. When in doubt, I always apply the principle of WWJP: What would Jimi play?
P-90s and humbuckers: Can you describe their sonic characteristics and differences? Les Paul photos courtesy of Gibson Guitar
Examine endorsements. We live in a wonderful time for choice. There are lots of great products out there and many of them can get the job done. When someone you admire lends his or her name to a product in an advertisement, you should immediately wonder why. Read interviews and look at live photos and videos to see if an endorsed product is actually being used. This can be tricky because some musicians will use fake cabinets or amp heads in their backline to satisfy endorsement commitments. Ive actually had artists stick another brands logo on a guitar that I had built to do just that. If a big-name artist endorses a small company, it probably isnt about money, but if they endorse a legendary product it might be about pride. The best and most honest endorsement is one where the spokesperson isnt being paid to endorse and they dont appear in ads at all. Determine the motivation. Engineers and designers are just as bad as marketing people when it comes to championing an idea that no one needs. Just because the technology allows something doesnt mean it should be done. CNC machining is resulting in some pretty complex and contoured instruments, but Im not convinced that its an improvement. Ive never been a fan of
super-tech on guitars, but microprocessor-driven effects switching is pretty useful. When a guy from the aerospace industry crosses over to music, the results might be mixed. Just because Lexan makes a great fighter jet canopy doesnt mean it will sound good on a guitar. I do like the way those Dan Armstrong guitars look though. There is a flip side to all of thisgreat new products can get killed off too. Just as you should be wary of exaggerated claims, realize that sometimes good ideas get a bad rap. When the shoe is on the other foot, comments made against a product online might be merely a territorial spat. We all get very protective of our individual product choices. Just remember its not a zero-sum game. Just because your choice is good for you, it doesnt mean my choice is wrong. Nothing beats real world experience with products in the kind of situations youll be facing with your purchase. Thats where that expert opinion can save your camels back from being broken.
noted designer, builder, and player who co-founded Hamer Guitars, one of the first boutique guitar brands, in 1973. Today, as the director of Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to help define the art of custom guitar. To learn more, visit guitardesigner.com.
joL dAnTZiG is a
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BY laRRY FishMan
Once you grasp the basic mechanics of an acoustic guitar, youll see why many types of pickups can be used to sense its complex vibrational characteristics.
preamps, effects pedals, and amplifiersthat are available are at an all-time high. Its very clear that a large number of players are focusing on amplifying their acoustics, but with all the available choices, deciding on what works best for you can be a little daunting. In an effort to help you select the best gear for your needs, Ill first cover a few amplification fundamentals and then dig into some details in each product category. So lets get right to it, we have a lot of ground to cover!
48 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
Why amplify in the first place? After all, an acoustic guitar is already an amplifier of sortsits a mechanical amplifier. The source of an acoustic guitars sound is the vibrating strings. But when you think about it, without some sort of amplification, the amount of air that the strings can push around is quite small. Additionally, the vibrating motion of the string is sinusoidal in nature, and the resulting sound it creates by itself is a fairly pure tone. While certainly a pretty sound, its not really that interesting on its own. The roles the top of the instrument and the sound chamber play in enhancing the string vibration are huge! They add more volume by pushing a larger amount of air, and they create sonic complexity by adding resonances and overtones to the sound of the vibrating string. Taken together, the result is a louder and richer set of sounds that are able to project into a room. This is why each individual instrument has its own unique and characteristic tone. Before we decide the best way to further amplify this sound by adding pickups or microphones and amplifiers, it is important to understand the physical operation of the existing mechanical amplifier. Now please stay with me on thisit will be important to understand this later when you are deciding on a system for your instrument. Once you grasp the basic mechanics of an acoustic guitar, youll see why many types of pickups can be used to sense its complex vibrational characteristics. I like to look at it like this: First, when the string is plucked, it creates a string excitation force (SEF) at the saddle. This force is dynamic
This 1933 National Duolian represents an early effort to mechanically amplify an acoustic guitar. A 9 1/2"-diameter aluminum conethe Duolians resonatoracts like a speaker, enriching the sound of the vibrating strings by increasing their volume and adding complex overtones.
in nature, in that it changes or pumps in relation to the pulling and relaxing of the stringthe string vibration. This ever-changing SEF is then transferred through the saddle to the bridge, which responds in a very interesting way. Since the top of the instrument is a compliant structure and is often asymmetrically braced, it is going to move when a SEF is applied to it. Now the bridge, being excited by the string, moves with the top. This motion occurs in three primary axes. (Think of a ship on the ocean, where the ship experiences pitch, rolling and heaving as it moves through the waves.) This complex motion of the bridge causes several things to occur. First, it causes the top to vibrate. The vibrating top moves a lot of air in the room and adds richness and complexity to the sound due to the addition of its own resonances. Second, the moving top excites the air chamber. The chamber, being a Helmholtz resonator, is designed to resonate at a frequency that enhances the amount of bass energy coming out of the instrument. If you like math, search for Helmholtz resonance on Wikipedia.com to learn more.
Third, the moving string supportin this case the bridgealters the initial vibration pattern of the string due to something we call mechanical admittance. The result is a more complex and interesting overall tone shape. Before I wrap it up, Id like to leave you with a simple assignment: Determine what your own guitar really sounds like by having a friend play it for you. If you do this and are surprised that your guitar actually sounds brighter than you expected, dont feel badits a very common misconception. Because you are always sitting or standing behind your instrument while you are playing it, and because the higher frequencies are very directional and project away from you, youre simply not getting the whole picture! Thats it for now. Ill be back in a few issues, and thats when well start looking at the theory of operation for some of the most popular categories of gear.
LArry FiShmAn holds more than 30 patents in transducer and musical instrument design. He is president and founder of Fishman Transducers, which he began in his garage in 1981. In the early 90s, he also co-founded and managed Parker Guitars (which was later sold to U.S. Music Corp.) with his friend Ken Parker.
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in the chassis and install the octal sockets. The wrench in the works here is that the 9-pin sockets are mounted on a circuit board, and you would need to start from scratch installing all the appropriate wiring and components necessary for the new sockets and tubes. Additionally, you would need to modify the bias supply to get the increased voltage required to bias the 6V6s. Thats not terribly difficult for a seasoned tech, but definitely something to consider. You mentioned 6L6s as an alternative tube type. While the primary impedance of the output transformer in most amps with four EL84s would be close enough to work, it would not be as close of a match as four 6V6s. You also mentioned changing transformers. The mains (power) transformer should be fine, and well address the possibility of replacing the output transformer in a moment. In order to alleviate all the chassis cutting and rewiring required for the above changes, let me suggest three
simpler (and cheaper) alternatives you can try first. 1) Have the bias of the output tubes checked and set. [Warning: This requires working around high voltages, so the procedure is not for a novice.] Carvin recommends setting the bias for a reading of 85 mA across the Standby switch (in the off position). This seems a bit low for four EL84s, though. Id suggest setting it up closer to the 100 mA range. This will warm up the output tubes a bit. To my ears, EL84s always sound better when theyre running a bit warm. 2) Experiment with different brands of output tubes. Each make has very different tonal and distortion characteristics, so try some Sovteks, some JJseven some new-old-stock tubes, if you have a little extra money to spendor anything else you can find. They will definitely make a difference. Personally, Ive always liked standard Sovtek EL84s in the amps I build. Always use a matched set, though, and remember you will need to reset the bias when you change the tubes. 3) Install an upgraded output transformer. An amps output transformer makes a big difference in the sound. The stock transformer may do an adequate
job, but at higher output levelslike those needed to push the output tubes to the point of global meltdown and fantastic tonethe transformer may be saturating. Replacing it with a better transformer may make a very noticeable difference. If you choose option number 3, search around and see what you can find thats recommended for using with four EL84s. A Vox AC30-type transformer will work, but you will be limited to only 16 and 8 output taps and youll need to cut a substantial hole in the chassis, because the transformer is a lay-down type. You may also have limited chassis real estate due to the size of the circuit boards in the amp. If you cant find an appropriate stand-up type transformer, contact me and well get you into one of the transformers I use in my 30-watt amps. That should work well for your project. There you have it. Hopefully thats all youll need to bring that Nomad home!
jeFF BoBer, one of the godfathers of the low-wattage amp revolution, co-founded and was the principal designer for Budda Amplification. Jeff launched EAST Amplification in 2010, and he can be reached at pgampman@gmail.com.
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f you are really into guitar modding, there is no way around learning how switches work. So this month lets explore the basics. Two types of switches are commonly used for guitar mods. One is a potentiometer with a switcha push/pull, push/ push, or the Fender S-1and the other is a common toggle, which is available in different sizes, shapes, and configurations. When adding a switch to a passive circuit, you dont have to worry about voltage and power ratingsall that matters is that switch will fit your guitar! Though switches come in various configurations, they all have a single purposeto turn a signal on or off. Many variations are available, but well concentrate on the four most common guitar switches: SPST on/off, SPDT on/on, DPDT on/on, and DPDT on/on/on. The first two letters of these names indicate the number of poles, while the last two letters are the number of throws. So a SPST (aka 1PST or 1P1T) means single-pole/single-throw, a SPDT (1PDT or 1P2T) means single-pole/double-throw, and DPDT (2PDT or 2P2T) means double-pole/double-throw. There are many more configurations, including 3PDT devices used for true-bypass switching in effects, and Fenders 4PDT S-1 switch. Found on push/pull or push/push pots, the DPDT on/on switch is by far the most common, and mini toggles are available in an endless number of variations. Lets take a closer look at whats known as the switching matrix. A switchs poles are like separate channels that arent connected until you add a jumper wire between them. A SPST or SPDT switch has only one of these channels, while a DPDT switch has two. Likewise, 3PDT and 4PDT switches have three and four
channels, respectively. A switchs throws are simply the different sides of a switch. For example, a DPDT on/on switch has two channels (poles) with three lugs on each channel. Engaging the switch turns on one side or the other. When one signal is turned on, the other is turned off. An SPST switch has only one channel (pole) with two lugs. Its the archetypal on/off switch for simple projects like replacing a 5-way switch with three on/off switches. In one switching position, the two lugs are connected, while in the other theyre disconnected. Below is a visual representation of the SPST switch.
also works for the seven-sound mod (if you leave one lug unconnected) or for the cap-switching mod. Below youll see whats going on in this type of switch.
In one position, lug A and lug B are not connected (that is, the circuit is open). In the other, both lugs are connected (the circuit is closed). To use our sevensound mod as an example: In one switching position, both lugs are not connected, so the neck pickup connected to the switch is not engaged. In the other position, both lugs are connected and the neck pickup is engaged. This is a great opportunity to start working with a digital multimeter (DMM). Track down an inexpensive DMM and make sure it has a continuity function, preferably with an audible connection indicator. You can then trace how switches work by connecting the individual lugs to your DMM and seeing which are connected, and then switching to the other position and taking the same measurement again. The beep that sounds when youve made a connection is a great help when youre taking these measurements. A SPDT (1PDT or 1P2T) on/on switch also has only one channel (pole), but offers three lugs instead of two. This switch
In one position, lugs A and B are connected (this is throw 1), while in the other position lugs B and C are connected (throw 2). So lug B is the common output of this switch, while lugs A and C are inputs. A DPDT (2PDT or 2P2T) on/on switch has two channels (poles), each having three lugs. This is like having two SPDT switches in one. Its the standard configuration for most push/ pull or push/push pots, and you can use it for almost all mods, including the seven-sound mod (if you leave one pole unconnected), coil-splitting a humbucker, out-of-phase mods (by adding some jumper wires from pole 1 to pole 2), a direct-through mod, and countless others. Lets see whats going on here.
In one switching position, lugs B and C of pole 1 and lugs E and F of pole 2 are connected (throw 1). In the other position, lugs A and B of pole 1 and D and E of pole 2 are connected (throw 2). Its exactly like a SPDT switch, but with two poles instead of one. Finally, we come to a very special but important type of switch: the DPDT (2PDT or 2P2T) on/on/on. Larry DiMarzio made this switch famous in the 80s, and this is
the device to use when you have a four-conductor humbucker and want to take full advantage of all its wiring possibilities. Its still a 2PDT switch with two channels (poles) sporting three lugs each, but in comparison to a DPDT on/on switch with only two switching positions, the DPDT on/on/ on switch has three positions. This is often called a centeron switch, because it has a third position in the middle between the common left and right positions. Although the DPDT on/ on/on switch has the same number of poles and lugs as our previous DPDT on/on switch (which means the illustrations for these switches look identical), this version has an additional switch position. In switching position 1 (left throw), lugs B and C of pole 1 and lugs E and F of pole 2 are connected. In position 2 (center throw), lugs A and B of pole 1 and lugs E and F of pole 2 are connected. Finally, in position 3 (right throw), lugs A and B of pole 1 and lugs D and E of pole 2 are connected. This switch facilitates three sounds from a four-conductor humbucker: both coils in series (standard humbucking mode), both coils in parallel (sounds similar to a single-coil, but in a hum-cancelling configuration), and a true single-coil mode. All rightthats it. I know this is very dry, but its worth investing some hours to understand switching basics. See you next monthand keep on modding!
dirk wAcker lives in Germany and is fascinated by anything related to old Fender guitars and amps. He plays country, rockabilly, and surf music in two bands, works regularly as a session musician for a local studio, and writes for several guitar mags. Hes also a hardcore guitar and amp DIY-er who runs an extensive websitesinglecoil.comon the subject.
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custom guitar eect pedals hand built in the U.S.A. Brad Paisley Signature Overdrive Pedal*
Ego Compressor
...we actually recorded this (pedal) in the studio, you know, trying it out. I turned up a Trainwreck Amp that I've got and compared the sound of the distortion and it was very, very similar. And that's a very good test because any time a pedal can mimic a great overdriven amp then you're on to something...
Brad Paisley on the Wampler Pedals Paisley Drive
www.bradpaisley.com
www.wamplerpedals.com
* 100% of all artist royalties are donated to W.O Smith/Nashville Community Music School
or inexplicable reasons, Ive been bitten by the cigar-box guitar bug. At present, I own eight CBGs and counting. It all started when I was doing my daily search on eBay for Kay guitars, and this baby showed up. It was a totally playable guitar made out of a cigar box and some extra guitar parts, including a bolt-on neck off an old Kay solidbody. I was intrigued by how the builder had spraypainted some of the hardware red to match the Kays headstock. Pretty crafty! So I bookmarked the auction and checked on its status each day untilafter repeated viewingsI knew I just had to have it. So I sniped in the last few seconds and snagged it for $107 plus $25 shipping. When the guitar arrived, I just marveled at its construction: It had a Stratstyle bridge with six individually adjustable saddles, a humbucking pickup, Volume and Tone controls, and a jack mounted on the face of a wooden Puros Indios cigar box. How cool is that? The action was kind of high for my taste, so first I adjusted the truss rod. Removing excess relief lowered the action a bit, but not enough. I could have lowered the bridge saddles, but then they would have been very near the end of their downward adjustment range. Instead, I decided to shim the neck and thus preserve some latitude for lowering the saddles in the future. Bottom Feeder Tip #2287: When you need to significantly lower the action on a bolt-on neck, never be afraid to use a shim. Its a quick and easy way to realign the neck angle to keep your action low and the playability factor high. When shimming a neck, I first loosen the strings, place a capo on the neck around the 12th or 14th fret to keep the strings in place, and then
This vibey cigar-box guitar sports an old Kay neck. A wooden Puros Indios cigar box serves as the guitars hollow body.
carefully unscrew the neck bolts and remove the neck. If I wish to raise the fretboard towards the strings to lower the action, Ill place a thin piece of cardboard about 2" x 3/4" long in the furthest end of the neck pocket towards the bridge. (Conversely, if I want to raise the action, Ill position the shim towards the headstock side of the neck pocket. This tilts the end of the fretboard down, dropping it away from the strings.) Note: A little bit of shimming goes a long way, so use a thin shim at first to see how much it changes the neck pitch. Cereal-box cardboard is about the thickness I prefer to start with. When youre done shimming, gently put the neck back into the neck pocket, being careful not to accidentally skew the shim. Then fully tighten the bolts, tune the
guitar up to pitch, remove the capo and see how your action is. If its relatively close, go ahead and use the height-adjustment screws on the saddles to fine-tune the action. If the action needs more adjusting, fiddle around with different size shims until you get it where you want it. So how is the CBG now? Great! The action is nice and low, its fun to play, and it always turns heads whenever I bring it out. The fellow who made it, Tom Hiles, lives in South Dakota and has built many CBGs (mine is serial #37). I was so impressed with his workmanship that I eventually had him build another CBG that incorporated some old Fender Will Ray signature-model guitar parts I had lying around. I got to know him pretty well and later recorded a YouTube video of me playing one of his CBGs
in hopes of turning more people on to his work. CBGs are not hard to make if youre adventurous, and there are many kits available. Bottom Feeder Tip #267: Always make friends with gifted craftsmen you run across, because you never know when you may want to use their expertise. This CBG is part of my arsenal now, and I look forward to getting more of these instruments down the road. They are fully functional guitars, very light, sound great, and are supremely fun to play. This ones definitely a keeper.
wiLL rAy is a found-
ing member of the Hellecasters guitar-twang trio. He also does guitar clinics promoting his namesake G&L signature model 6-string, and produces artists and bands at his studio in Asheville, North Carolina. You can contact Will on Facebook and at willray.biz.
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vinTAGe & UPkeeP > VinTaGe VauLT BY Dave ROGeRs, laun BRaiThwaiTe, anD TiM MullallY
y the early 50s, guitar virtuoso Chet Atkins was a well-known Nashville studio musician on his way to becoming a successful recording artist in his own right. Seeing his potential, the Gretsch Company asked him to work with them to create an Atkins signature model. In the middle of 1954, Atkins received his first prototype, which was based on Gretschs existing Streamliner hollowbody model. He approved, but requested the addition of a Bigsby vibrato and a brass nut to improve sustain. After Atkins received a second prototype with those revisions, Gretsch began producing his signature-model guitar in late 1954 to be ready to sell in early 1955. The 1955 Model 6120 included those features requested by Atkins, as well as a 22-fret neck (a few early examples had only 21 frets) and a 24.5" scale. The body was 15.5" wide and 2.75" deep. The transparent amber red (orange) finish and kitschy Western designs were intended to appeal to country music fans. Atkins disliked the extra cosmetic decorations and had them gradually removed as he and the guitar became more popular. The 1956 Chet Atkins 6120 pictured this monthserial #18527has features common to the first two 100-unit batches of 6120s made for the 1956 retail year. (These guitars were actually built in late 1955.) The distinctive features include a large truss-rod cover (which replaced the bullet cover), a fixed-arm aluminum B6 Bigsby (replacing the gold-anodized version of 55), a steer-head headstock inlay, a rosewood fretboard with steer and cactus inlays, and a G brand near the bass-side f-hole.
In 56, a fixed-arm aluminum B6 Bigsby replaced the gold anodized unit found on 1955 models.
A steer-head inlay and a large truss-rod cover were two new features on the 56 6120s headstock.
If youd like to dig deeper into Gretsch 6120s, youll find a wealth of detailed information in the 2010 book Gretsch 6120The History of the Legendary Guitar by Edward Ball. More on Gretsch guitars
can be found in The Gretsch Book: A Complete History of Gretsch Electric Guitars by Tony Bacon and Paul Day, and also in Gretsch: The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company by Jay Scott.
Dave Rogers collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite and Tim Mullally and is on display at: Daves Guitar Shop 1227 Third Street South La Crosse, WI 54601 davesguitar.com Photos by Mullally and text by Braithwaite.
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body at the 15th fret, allowing room for the pickup between the fretboard and soundhole. While the J-160E was certainly a dual-purpose instrument, many collectors dont realize that it was designed primarily as an electric that could be used as an acoustic. Piezo and internal pickups were years from being developed, so this is all Gibson knew at the time. The laminated top and ladder bracing were used intentionally to prevent unwanted frequencies and feedback. Also, because the neck was moved up to allow room for the pickup, the bridge had to be moved forward as wellso traditional X bracing wouldnt work in this situation. According to the serial number, your guitar dates from either 1966 or 1969. The long-style pickguard on your guitar was introduced in 1968, so we can safely assume your guitar is a 1969 model. This was probably one of the last J-160Es produced before Gibson switched to the square shoulder body style they adopted on nearly all their acoustics in the late 60s and early 70s. For whatever reason, the J-160E was always a bit late to adopt changes compared to other Gibson models. Everything appears to be stock on the guitar, including the bridge and control knobs. This 1969 J-160E, in the condition it appears (which is 70 percent or average), is valued today between $1850 and $2250. If it were mint, it would be a $3000 to $3500 instrument. Astute
LEFT: This well-played 1969 Gibson J-160E sports a single-coil pickup. In an effort to reduce feedback, Gibson built the guitar with a laminated spruce top. RIGHT: The J-160Es back is made of solid mahogany.
readers will know that the J-160E is more valuable than an SJ produced during the same period. The J-160E s value is higher simply because of its association with the Beatles, and this is fairly typical of any guitar that a famous musician or band is known for using. Instrument association has affected every instrument the Beatles ever played, including Paul McCartneys Hfner 500/1 Beatle Bass, John Lennons Rickenbacker 325 and Gibson J-160E, and George Harrisons Rickenbacker 360 12-string. So where does Martin fit into all of this, given theyre the granddaddy of American acoustic guitar builders? Four years after the J-160E hit the stores, Martin introduced their first acoustic/ electric flattop guitars with the D-18E and D-28Eelectrified versions of the D-18 and D-28, respectively. Both variations featured two large DeArmond pickups and four knobs (one Volume and one Tone for each pickup) mounted on the soundboard. The construction of these guitars required ladder bracing
similar to the J-160E, and the overall sound quality suffered because of it. Those who have seen these electric Martins know they were clunky, and large parts of the soundboard were removed for the pickups. Production of the D-18E lasted only two years and the D-28E was produced through 1964. There is little collector value with Martins first acoustic/ electricsroughly half of the acoustic versions. The J-160E will never replace any high-quality flattop acoustic in terms of sound, but as one of the first guitars to allow a player to use it acoustically and electrically, it succeeds wonderfully. Any guitar associated with the Beatles is a treasure in my book! If youre interested in exploring this subject further, check out Gibsons Fabulous Flat-Top Guitars by Eldon Whitford, David Vinopal, and Dan Erlewine.
is author of Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, Blue Book of Electric Guitars, and Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers. For more information, visit bluebookinc.com or email Zach at guitars@bluebookinc.com.
ZAchAry r. FjeSTAd
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hen a customer recently brought a 74 Gibson flattop into our shop for evaluation, I determined that its rosewood bridge should be replaced. The strings were sloping over a bottomed-out plastic saddle, and I could hear that the strings were getting slightly choked off because the action was too low. Additionally, I was concerned that the wafer-thin bridge would develop cracks between each bridge-pin holeand also possibly bust out at the front. I felt a new bridge and saddle would improve the guitar both sonically and structurally. Last month, we looked at the first phase of this operation and discussed the tools, materials, and procedures required for the job. (If you missed the first installment, youll find it in the July issue at premierguitar.com.) This time around, well look at what it takes to complete the project. Bridge Installation. Before gluing in the replacement bridge, its important to clean the wood and remove the oils, dyes, and any other substances that could bleed into the glue from the gluing surface and get absorbed into the finish. I did so using acetone, Scott Xtreme Rags, and a good pair of protective
1. Ibex clamps secure the bridge while the glue sets up. 2. Using a specialized cutter to countersink and bevel the bridge-pin holes. To protect the guitar top, Ive masked off the bridge. 3. Finishing the bridge-pin holes with a 3-degree reamer. 4. Before routing out the slot for the new compensated saddle, I mark each strings intonation point with the Intonator tool. 5. Cutting the saddle slot with a Dremel rotary tool and saddle-routing jig. 6. Prestoa new bridge and bone saddle for this handsome 74 Gibson.
Ibex bridge clamps (#0682), as well as a bridge plate caul I cut out from 1/4" plywood and wrapped in wax paper. Saddle Location and Routing. Once the glue had cured, I removed the clamps, chamfered the bridge-pin holes with the bridge-pinhole chamfer tool (#0459),
Whether you do professional repairs or pursue luthiery as a hobby, the right equipment is crucial to achieving superior results.
gloves. I repeatedly wiped the bridge with acetone until the cloth came away from the wood clean. For gluing and securing the bridge to the top, I used several specialized guitar tools from stewmac.com: a bridge-clamping caul (item #4600), two
60 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
and seated the pins using a 3-degree bridge-pin-hole reamer (#3227). My plan was to route the saddle slot into the bridge after it was glued to the guitar top. This way, I could be sure the saddle would be optimally positioned for accurate
intonation. For starters, I used the Saddlematic (#4462), a tool that quickly and accurately finds the correct location for an acoustic guitar saddle slot. I like to finalize the intonation with the Intonator, (#5245), another innovative tool designed by Dan Erlewine that lets you dial in the exact position of the saddle route and allow room for compensating the saddle later on. For cutting the slot, I used a saddle-routing jig (#4043), a precision router base (#5260), and a Dremel rotary tool (#0358) with a 3/32" diameter carbide bit (#5153). A pair of camless clamps with a 4 1/2" throat (#3708) worked well to hold the saddle routing jig in place as I moved the Dremel base plate along the jigs guide plate. Before
restringing the guitar and trying out the new bridge, I finalized the unbleached saddle and seated the strings properly using a set of bridgepin-hole slotting saws and files (#5813). All these tools help me work efficiently and achieve a high standard of quality craftsmanship. Whether you do professional repairs or pursue luthiery as a hobby, the right equipment is crucial to achieving superior results. Its always satisfying to get a guitar ready to make sweet music!
john Brown is the inventor of the Fretted/ Less bass. He owns and operates Browns Guitar Factory, a guitar manufacturing, repair, and restoration facility staffed by a team of talented luthiers. His guitar-tool and accessory designs are used by builders all over the world. Visit brownsguitarfactory.com or email John at info@brownsguitarfactory.com.
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Jude Gold
Check out Jude playing the entire DeltaLab line. Visit youtube.com/ deltalabeffects
Director of GIT, the Guitar Program at Musicians Institute, Jude Gold performs with DeltaLab pedals.
es fro DeltaL m Shifte ab, the PS1 r and FL1 Fl Phase anger !
Introd
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used them through Ampeg B-15s, SVTs, and Marshall Majors, as well as contemporary rack rigs with high-tech cabinets. Again, the big consideration is whether to play or collect. The majority of these basses have repaired headstocks, but if its a good bass with a stable and clean repair, Ill buy it and use it. 1963-1965 These basses are the blue chip, crme de la crme of all T-Birds. They look great and sound heavenly with a midrange punchiness that really cuts through the mix. Keep in mind that trying to coax a J-bass-like high end will not happen with any T-Bird. These basses have balls even at low volume. The construction technique is shared with the 70s basses, featuring a center plank that runs from the butt to the headstock, with glued-in wings. The neck heel is slightly squared and is unique to this series. The bridge has a separate stop anchor mounted behind the saddle unit, but the bridge is mounted from the factory in the wrong position, and perfect intonation with the original unit is nearly impossible. Upgraded repro units are available, but to be honest, the intonation issues never really bugged me. The pickups on these basses are to die for, and are encapsulated in either nickel or chrome covers, though I have seen a mix of both from the factory on the same bass. These pickups are mounted to the body with two screws and no mounting basket. 1966-1969 The second series of Thunderbirds are by no means second-class when comparing them to their earlier counterparts. The construction technique and look of this series is way different, and the basses sport a solid body with a glued-in necka technique very similar to an SG. Because the heel
A killer pair of 76 Blackbirds. Photo courtesy of Ray Mauldin/ Grinning Elk Music
shape is a glue-in, these basses will not be confused with any other T-Birds out there. The hardware and intonation issues are the same as the 63-65 basses. Quite a few 1966 and some 1967 models have horrible action. This is the result of a design flaw from the factory, and Im talking fit-your-pinky-underthe-strings action. Though the neck is laser straight, the bridge is bottomed outand you cannot file out the saddle because you will not have enough break angle. The issue is simply that the neck angle is wrong, and Gibson had a habit of doing this on many models in the first year of introduction. The only remedy here is a neck resetnot a biggie if you want a player. The tone on these is a little different than the reverse-style models. The tone is still insane with this series, but these basses sound a little more open and have some singiness to them. The mids are a little sweeter, and though these models dont have the massive punch of their forebears, they are still punchy. 1976 & 1979 Think Beatlemania Stage Show versus the Beatles. Beatlemania looked like the Beatles, kind of sounded like the Beatles, they were enjoyable to listen to like the Beatlesbut at the end of the day, they were an emulation of the real thing. The construction techniques for the 1976 and 1979 basses were identical to the 63-65 series. The obvious changes were a rounded heel and the Gibson
3-Point bridge, which did a fine job of intonating the bass. The neck shape is rounded in a typical 70s fashion and is quite fast. The tone of the bass is good, but does not compare to any of the 60s bassesthe pickups are sonically level and lack the chutzpah of the earlier models. The pickups feature three screws connecting to a mounting basket, and the basket is held in place to the body. Yes, these are good basses, but they are not great basses when compared to their predecessors. modern birds I bet you think Im going to slam the modern T-Birds because they are new. Youre wrong! I actually love them. For the money, these are a best bet in both the new and used market. Structurally, they are almost identical to the 70s basses, and the biggest change is that the headstock is about 35 percent smaller. This keeps the inertia down if you hit something and they will fit in a case properlysomething all the previous basses could not do. The hardware is similar to the 70s basses, except for the change to black chrome, and the tuners are lightweight, narrow-shaft units. The pickups are soapbars and produce a unique tone thats modern, middy, ballsy, and cutting. This is a great rock n roll bass. The Low down Bottom line is that Muffy and Timmy wouldnt be caught dead playing these basses at the cotillion party. You also will not be slapping and popping on them. These are basses for shot-anda-beer players, but trust me, if you get one, you will love it!
kevin Borden has been playing bass since 1975. He is the principal and co-owner, with Dr. Ben Sopranzetti, of Kebos Bass Works (visit them online at kebosbassworks.com). You can reach Kevin at kebobass@yahoo.com. Feel free to call him KeBo.
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Alphabetic Junctions
repeats down the right column). Similarly, Fig. 2 pairs the alphabet with A natural minor (or A Aeolian). We can then use these templates to create melodic motifs based around selected words. Fig. 3 illustrates the process using beautiful and ugly to produce a tonal structure. Its simple: First, spell out each word, then find the note in the right column that corresponds to each letter and enter that below it. Once youve established the structure, you can introduce rhythm to create a basis for your composition. Any scalar moduleor number of themcan be attached to this system. You can transpose the motifs to create even more variations. I had a student interested in John Coltranes legendary composition, Giant Steps. In addition to studying the song itself (including linear substitutions through its chord structures), we used this words-into-melody technique to create motifs. We chose the words Coltrane, Tenor, and Blue and then transformed them into melodies using the Aeolian mode. You can see how we applied this to Coltrane and Tenor in Fig. 4. Notice how in both Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, we resolve the phrase using notes that were generated from the respective words. In Fig. 4, we create additional melodic variety by transposing E and G down an octave. I used this example as the basis for the title track to my Fig. 1 Fig. 2 2003 album, Think Tank. Visit the online edition of this lesson to download a special solo guitar version of Think Tank. Fig. 5 shows how I applied the melodic material I generated from Coltrane and Tenor in the pieces A section. I encourage you to create your own combinations using this method. Many times the right mixture of a certain scale or mode with a few descriptive words can create a spark that will lead to a new motif, melody, or even entire composition. Fig. 3
B E A U T I F U L U G L Y U U & D G
8 7
by PAt MArtino
Since his first recording as a leader in 1967, Pat Martino has constantly pushed the limits of jazz guitar with his flowing technique and powerful, muscular tone. Showing no signs of slowing down, Martino still travels the world performing and giving lectures about his approach to the guitar. Currently, Martino is working on an autobiography and serving as adjunct faculty at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. For more info, visit patmartino.com.
chopS: Intermediate thEory: Intermediate LESSoN ovErvIEw: Create musical motifs by combining selected words with a musical scale. Develop new ideas based on the C Ionian and A Aeolian modes. Create new motifs by varying rhythms and using transposition.
click here to hear a solo-guitar version of think tank.
C
8
B
7
A
10
D
7
A
10
B
7
G
8
B
12
B
4
G
3
F
6
E
5
nder any condition, imagination produces interesting alternatives. When composing music, there are times when creative continuity seems to fade and is momentarily replaced with emptiness. In this lesson, well look at a practical way to jumpstart your creativity and replace emptiness with ideas. Its rewarding to apply musical techniques to other forms of language. For example, if we take the English alphabet and display it alongside a scalar series, the two separate systems become a device that can translate the language of words into one of melodies. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 offer two examples that will serve as the starting point for our exploration. In Fig. 1, we combine the alphabet (shown in the left column) with a C major scale (which
Fig. 4
&
3 J J
U U U U Resolve
C O L T R A N E T E N O R C
5
A
2
E
5
F
3
D
3
A
2
G
3
E
5
F
3
E
5
G
3
A
5
D
3
E
2
D
3
E
5
G
5
A
2
Fig. 5
&4 4 & w
3 j j J
3 j J J
w w
& w
3 j j J
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Connecting Chords
voicesand overlooking the movement of the bottom voice for nowwe could say that the cumulative movement is one-and-a-half total steps (G to A, plus E to F). To hear the voice leading most clearly, try playing Fig. 1 again, but sounding only the top three voices. Note that the bottom voice leaps more than the others. The bottom voice in voice leading is often allowed more independence in order to define root motion clearly (in this case, IIVVI) or to follow its own melodic logic. As we saw in the first example, voice leading takes care of itself, more or less, when we play in open position. However, when we get into keys where open-position chords arent available, most guitarists default to using barre
Fig. 1 Fig. 1
C
by AdAM levy
Adam Levy is best known for his tenure as the featured guitarist in Norah Jones Handsome Band. He played on her breakout 2002 CD, Come Away with Me, as well as her subsequent two albums. Levy has also recorded several albums on his own. His latest isThe Heart Collector. Visit adamlevy.com for more information.
chopS: Intermediate thEory: Advanced Beginner/ Intermediate LESSoN ovErvIEw: Learn the basic principles of voice leading Discover new ways to play through chord progressions Explore inversions across the fretboard
click here to hear sound clips of these examples
chords, and smooth voice leading is given up in favor of common memorized grips. Try this: Play a IIVVI progression in the key of B% major using common barre shapes with no regard for voice leading. Theres nothing wrong with this, yet you can get a more lyrical flow by applying voice leading to this progression. The first step is to settle on a clear melody. Check out Fig. 2 and start by playing only the top voice of each chord (the notes DE%CD). As in Fig. 1, the most direct voice leading can be seen in the top three notes, while the bottom voice moves more freely. Go back and play the barre-chord version of our B% IIVVI progression
G
4 &4
Fig. 3 Fig. 2
1 0 2 3
j
F
1 2 3 1
0 0 0 3
j
1 0 2 3
uitarists tend to think of chords in terms of fretboard grips. But remember, the concept of chordal harmony has been around a lot longer than the guitar. Harmony began eons ago as the result of people singing different notes together that sounded naturally sweet to the ear. As chords move from one to the next in vocal music, the music flows most naturally when each singer sings a smooth melodic line, connecting the notes without awkward leaps. This is called voice leading, and we can approach chordal movement similarly on the guitar, for similarly smooth results. Play Fig. 1, a simple IIVVI progression in the key of C major. You can think of the starting C major chord as four voices (CEGC, low to high). Note that as we move to the F major chord, the top voice remains on the same note (C), the voice below that moves just one whole-step (G to A), and the next voice below moves only a half-step (E to F). Tallying just those three
4 & 4 b b
B
j b b
E
4 3 1 3
1 2 3 1
j b b
3 3 3 1
Fig.43 Fig.
3 3 3 1
4 b &4 b
B
j b
4 3 5 6
F
6 5 3 5
j b b
3 3 3 6
Fig. Fig.54
3 3 3 6
j 4 &4
F
j E b bb
10 6 8 8 6
n
7 8 7 5
w nw w w
8 8 9 8
8 10 10 10 8
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and then Fig. 2 once more. Can you hear the difference voice leading makes? Now play Fig. 3, which is a variation on Fig. 2, with same the melody on top, slightly different chord voicings, and a less adventurous bottom line. While IIVVI progressions are fairly common in pop music, voice leading can be used to streamline chord progressions that might otherwise sound herky-jerky. Take, for example, the intro to George Harrisons Something. The song is in the key of C major, and the intro chords are FE%GC. That E% chord doesnt belong in this key, and going from E% to G is not the most natural chord movement. As a general rule, chords move most smoothly by a fourth or fifthsay, from C to F or Gor by stepwise root motionfrom C to Dm, for example. We can use voice leading to sweeten the sound of this chord progression, as shown in Fig. 4. Notice that the top voice inches upward in the last three chords as the bass line steps downward.
Fig. 5 6 Fig.
Eric Claptons Bell Bottom Blues is another classic song built on a progression that contains an unexpected chord. In the key of C major once again, the verse chords are CEAmCFGFG. That second chord, E major, is the odd man out, not belonging to the key of C. On the original recording, from the 1970 Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, Clapton uses open-position chords and a descending bass line to gracefully connect the dots. Fig. 5 is similar to his approach. It may be tricky to appreciate the voice leading here, as the chords are broken into arpeggios. To focus on the harmonic motion without any rhythmic distractions, try playing each chord without arpeggiating it. Now we can more easily see how the top voice in the first three chords goes chromatically upward while the bottom voice goes downward scale-wise. Smooth move, Slowhand. We can use the same sort of voice-leading strategy on even thornier chord progressionssuch as Kurt Cobains Lithium from the Nirvana album Nevermind. The
song is in the key of D major, and the verse chord progression is DF#BmGB%C AC. The chords D, Bm, G, and A belong in the key, while F#, B%, and C do not. Played as full barre chords, or as root-andfifth power chords (see Fig. 6), the progression has a punk-rock edge. It takes on a breezier, almost Beatlesque quality in Fig. 7, when we use voice leading to string the chords along. Of course, sanding the rough edges off of Nirvana may seem heretical to some, but thats not the point here. The point is that harmony is universal, and its laws apply across borderlines. Thus, voice leading can be applied to virtually any chord progression, regardless of musical genre. Now its your turn to take voice leading for a test drive. Apply it to the chords in your own songs, or even just one section of the song, so that the effect stands out. You might also try re-arranging a cover song with voice leading in mind. As with any musical skill, voice leading gets easier the more you work at it, so get at it and keep at it until its second nature.
4 & 4 #
C E/B A C/G F G F
2 3 3 1
0 0 0 3
Fig. Fig. 6 8
0 2 3 2 2 2
1 2 0 2
2 2 3 3 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 0
0 0
2 3 3 1
4 &4
D
j # #
F
7 5 11 9
j B #
11 9 9 7
j
9 7 5 3
j b
5 3 8 6
j
C
8 6 10 8
j
10 8
7 5
j
C
7 5 10 8
j
10 8
Fig. Fig. 7 9
7 5
4 # &4
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7 7 7 10
## #
7 6 8 9
#
7 7 9 7
7 5 7
b
6 7 8 6
5 5 5 8
#
5 6 7 5
n
5 5 5 8
the bends
playing on Wheels of Fire for a great lesson on this particular bend. Actually check out everything he plays on that album! We move to the other minor-third interval in Fig. 3. This is a classic sound that I first picked up from listening to Jimi Hendrix. Now we have covered whole-step and minor-third bends, but lets go deeper. In Fig. 4 we have a lick in the style of Albert King that will add a blue note, which will bring some half-step bends into the mix. Make sure to keep each bend in tune. In my previous column [The Composite Blues Scale, June 2011], I discussed the composite blues scale, which is basically a scale derived from mixing both the major and minor blues scales. This adds some very cool notes that we can
by Jeff MCerlAin
Jeff McErlain is a New York City-based guitar player, producer, songwriter, and educator. He performs regularly in NYC and abroad with his trio and blues band. Jeff has a number of instructional DVDs available at TrueFire.com, and he is a featured instructor for the National Guitar Workshop. Jeffs latest CD Im Tired is available on iTunes or at jeffmcerlain.com.
chopS: Intermediate thEory: Advanced Beginner LESSoN ovErvIEw: Combine whole-step, half-step and minor-third bends. Learn how to bend in tune through a scale. Develop phrases in the style of Eric Clapton, Albert King and Jimi Hendrix.
click here to hear sound clips of these examples
Check out Claptons playing on Wheels of Fire for a great lesson on minor third bends. Actually check out everything he plays on that recording!
Fig. 1
&4
Fig. 2
j C7 4
1
3
8
j b
1
8
11 10
ending strings is one of the coolest guitar techniques, and when it comes to playing blues, bends are essential. The most obvious bend is the whole-step. What solo would be complete without a bend from the %7 to the root, as in Fig. 1? But lets look a bit deeper, shall we? In a minor-pentatonic scale, we have two intervals we can use for bluesy soloing, the whole-step and the minor-third bend. The scale formula for the minor pentatonic is root%345%7. Lets apply this formula to the key of C (CE%FGB%) and look at the cooland sometimes overlookedbending options. There are two minor-third intervals in the scale, CE% and GB%. The bend between the root and b3 as shown in Fig. 2 was a staple of Eric Claptons playing during the Cream era. This is often called an overbend, but really all were doing is bending within the scale. Ive got to say I love this sound. Check out Claptons
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&4 4
Fig. 3
j b j j j
1 1/2 1 1/2
b
3
3
5
b
1 1/2
1 1/2
1 1/2
4 &4
C7
b b
1 1/2 1
11 8 10 10 12 12 10 13 10
bend up to and out of. In Fig. 5, I take advantage of these half-steps by bending the 6 to the %7 and ending with a very cool bend from the %3 to the 3 of a C7 chord. Fig. 6 is a slick little move that works great over C7 and contains a bend from the
3 to the 4 in a very Jeff Beck-like fashion. The last example, shown in Fig. 7, is a cool move that advances chromatically from the %3 up to the 5all done with bends. Take your time with these examples. Bends can very easily land you in trouble if
you play them out of tune. As an exercise, I suggest you first fret the note you plan to bend to, then bend into that target note and try to match the fretted pitch. If your fingertips are sore after checking out this lesson, youre on the right track!
Fig. 4
4 &4
j n #
1 1/2
13
j b b n #
13
11 13
1/2
11 13 13
13
13
13
Fig. 5
b b n 4 &4
C7
1/2 1/2
10
10
8 10
8 8
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
15
15
15
15
18
17
18
17
18
17
18
16
4 &4
j b
n
1/2
1/2
j n #
1/2
1/2
18
16
17
20
17
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t e aye s oi e
geddy lee
Guns n Roses
guthrie govan billy sheehan
Music Strings
www.rotosound.com
Paul Gilbert purposefully began playing guitar at age 9, formed the guitar-driven bands Racer X and Mr. Big, and then accidentally had a No. 1 hit with an acoustic song called To Be with You. Paul began teaching at GIT at the age of 18, has released countless albums and guitar instructional DVDs, and will remembered as the guy who got the drill stuck in his hair. For more information, visit paulgilbert.com
chopS: Intermediate thEory: Intermediate LESSoN ovErvIEw: Learn how to superimpose m7%5 arpeggios over dominant chords. Eliminate any fear of arpeggios containing six syllables. Develop phrases that fit over the IV chord in a blues progression.
wasnt lying. It has just four easy notes. This requires a couple of position shifts, but the shape always stays the same. I should point out that Im starting the arpeggio on the %7 (E), not the root (F#). The main reason for this is simply because I really like the shape. I think its easy to play, easy to visualize, and still covers all the notes I want. If I rebuild the fingering to start on the root, the shape becomes more difficult and the sound doesnt improve in any noticeable way. So Im staying with the easy one! Thats a lot of finger talk. Lets turn on our ears and listen to the arpeggio in context, by playing it over a chord. Our chord will be a D9, which is a common sound in blues, funk, rock, and jazz. In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, you can check out the voicing I use along with our arpeggio in context. I think thats a nice sound. But you may have noticed something odd. The chord is in D, while the arpeggio is in F#. How does that work? Here is where I should whip out some heady music theory to explain the details of chord substitution, intervals, and
rnold Schwarzenegger. Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Yngwie Johann Malmsteen. Minor seven flat five. Can you guess what the four names above have in common? Ill tell you. They all have six syllables. Ar-nold-Schwarz-en-egg-er. 1-23-4-5-6. Thats a lot of syllables to have in a single name. Ive only got three in mine: PaulGil-bert. 1-2-3. All those names have double what I have. Im a bit jealous, but thats not why I brought this up. I want you to think about this: What does your brain do when confronted with a six-syllable name such as minor seven flat five? I know what my brain does. It shuts right off. Thats too many syllables! Especially when Ive got simpler alternatives to rely on like minor and major (both with just two syllables). This leads me to a story.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
j # # 6 6 1/2
17 17 14 14 12 12 14 15 16 17 19 20
19
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
5 5 5 4 5
4 # &4
5 6 5 5
5 6 5 5
5 6 5 5
5 6 5 5
# # # # w # 6 6 6
D9
5 5 5 4 5 17 20 17 17 19 19 17 14 17 14 16 12 15 12 14 17 14 16 14
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extensions. But Ive made an executive decision to use a metaphor instead, and one that involves Ted Nugent, lots of food, and of course, the IV chord. Playing a solo over the IV chord is like going to a Thanksgiving party at Ted Nugents house. Heres why: You know that Ted is going to have a turkey. Hell have proudly plucked it out of the forest with his bow and arrow or possibly even his bare hands. Either way, rest assured that there is a turkey in the oven roasting away. So you, the guest, dont have to bring any turkey to the party. You might want to bring some cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, or strawberry rhubarb pie. But you dont need to bring any turkey. Uncle Ted has that under control. After much playing and listening, Ive discovered that the same is true for the IV chord in a blues progression. The bass, rhythm guitar, piano, or organ will be playing the root (the metaphorical turkey) of the IV chord. So you dont have to play it in your solo because its already there. It sounds more sophisticated to play the musical equivalents of cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, and strawberry rhubarb pie, while leaving the turkey to the accompaniment. The notes in our F#m7%5 arpeggio are the cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, and strawberry rhubarb pie. If you look at the four notes in this arpeggio they match up exactly to the notes in our D9 chord, with one exception. There is no D note in our arpeggio. Were not playing the root in our solo. We didnt bring the turkey! If youve studied music theory, you know this is called a substitution. If youre a guitar player, you can just think of it as moving a shape a certain number of frets to get a nice new sound. Fig. 4
b < q__q = a qe>
3
To digest this idea, lets repeat what we already did, but in some different keys. First play the chord, then play the arpeggio.
There is some math at work here, and Im tempted to start rattling off some notes and numbers. But I think the best way to get it is just to play these examples a few times. Im going to spare you the explanation and trust that youll play these chords and arpeggios for five minutes. Even in that short time, the pattern should become quite obvious, and youll no longer need any wordy explanation. Your fingers and ears will already have it. How do you know when you have it? Just try playing dominant 9th chords in some other keys and see if you can figure out where to put the arpeggio. Im betting that youll nail it. Ill give you five minutes to test it out now. Youre back. Now lets do a variation. Since this arpeggio shape is fresh in your mind, I want to show you one more substitution idea. This is where guitar players have a maddening advantage over piano players. On a guitar, its quite easy to play a chord and move it up and down chromatically. All you do is lock your hand into the shape and move it up or down a fret. On a piano, chromatic movement requires different shapes. This can be difficult to play and also difficult to visualize. I suggest taking 10 smug seconds to gloat about this. Piano players have so many other advantages, so its nice when we can have one too.
All right. Gloating over. In a blues progression, there are lots of opportunities to do this kind of chromatic movement. It adds a nice tension and release to our old familiar progression. Now lets use the m7%5 substitution weve been playing to outline some of this chromatic movement. In Fig. 4, I want to focus on the B%13 chord. To outline this chord (without the turkey), Ill play a Dm7%5 arpeggio. I want to use the same shape that I showed you earlier, but for variety lets start on the high note this time. Isnt that cool? Ive never sounded so sophisticated in my life. All I did was go up a half-step for a moment and leave out the turkey. I was so excited when I started experimenting with this sound that I decided to search for more fingerings and variations. Ill quickly show you a couple of my best discoveries. First, I found a more typical fingering for a m7%5 arpeggio. I say its typical because it stays in one position. For me, the fingering shown in Fig. 5 is not as easy to play at top speed, but its in such a convenient location that I still find myself using it a lot. In Fig. 6 I play it over the IV chord and also over our chromatic chord move. Please make good use of these powerful sounds, and if you missed my column last month [The Super-Hendrix Scale, July 2011], I encourage you to go back and have a look. Its all about soloing over the V chord in a blues, and this will connect very well with the ideas about the IV chord in this column. And if nothing else, remember that there are only four notes in an F#m7%5 arpeggio. Dont let that long name clobber you.
# 4# &4
7 6 5 5
A13
7 6 5 5
# n n A13 # n n 6 # n # 6
B13
16 13 15 13 13 10 12 10 11 8 10 8 9
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
8 12 8 5 5 4 5 8 12 10 9 11 10 9 12 5 10 9 11 10 11 9 10 11 7 6 5
4 6 7 5 6 7 5 6 8 5 8 9
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Original Photography by: Sammi Doll Illustration By: Richard Villa III
BCRich.com
Guitar George
So I set out to learn as many chords as I could. Along the way, I developed a little game to help me expand my harmonic vocabulary. Of course, since then Ive discovered that no one really knows all the chordsalthough the late Ted Greene could be the exceptionbut I still play the game. The rules are simple: Choose a note and then play as many chords as possible that each include this particular tone in the identical fretboard location. This common tone is the only fixed elementall the other notes are up for grabs. When playing this game, you suspend all requirements for keys, cadence, or tonality. The chords dont have to make sense as a progressionthats not the point. Instead, the goal is to construct a chord sequence based around one note thats shared by every voicing. Each chord earns you a point. How many can you build off a given note before running out of ideas ... four? Eight? Or maybe 12 or more? The only other rule: You must name every chord you play. Gripping a shape you cant identify is cheating. Guitar George has different levels of complexity. Ive found its easiest to begin with a common tone in the highest voice and build the chords below it. Fig. 1 illustrates the process. If you squint at the notation, youll see that every chord has E on the 2nd string as the top note. For example, in measure 1, Fmaj7, Dm9, C#m7, and B11 all share Ethis is the anchor tone, if you will. Likewise, the chords in measures 2, 3, and 4 have E as the top note. Dont be
A veteran guitar journalist and senior editor at PG, Andy is based in Nashville, where he backs singer-songwriters on the baritone guitar. He also hosts The Guitar Show, a weekly on-air and online broadcast. For the schedule and links to audio streams and archived audio interviews with inspiring players, visit theguitarshow.com.
by Andy ellis
The rules are simple: Choose a note and then play as many chords as possible that each include this particular tone in the identical fretboard location.
fooled by the F% in measure 2s B%dim7. Enharmonically, thats E, but the 5 of a B% chord is F, so when you lower it to a %5 to create a diminished voicing, it becomes F%which is an odd duck, I must say. Because F% is also E by another name, I havent broken the rules in this round of Guitar George.
First published in 1971, Chord Chemistry established the late Ted Greene as one of the great guitar gurus of modern times. The pithy book offers years of study to any guitarist looking for harmonic inspiration, and its still in print. Greenes fingerstyle magic is documented on YouTube, so if you havent yet explored it, jump online pronto.
cHOpS: Intermediate THEORY: Advanced LESSOn OVERViEw: Learn how to voice chords around a common tone Expand your harmonic vocabulary Play mind games with your guitar buddies
To hear sound clips of these examples, head to premierguitar.com/aug2011
hen Sultans of Swing first hit the airwaves in 1978, I remember going ape over Mark Knopflers supple lines and bell-like Strat tone. But something else struck me as well, and that was the line You check out Guitar George, he knows all the chords. I thought, Wow, I wonder what its like to know all the chords. I want to be that guy!
Fig. 1
Freely
4 &4
5 5 7 8
Fmaj7
Dm9
# #
5 5 3 5 5 4 6 4
C#m7
#
5 2 4 2
B11
Bm11
b # bn b
5 7 7 7 5 7 6 6 5 6 5 6
5 5 5 5
Ab7#5
b b
5 5 4 4
G13
# n # n
5 4 3 3 5 2 4 2 5 2 3 1
F#m7
Fmaj7
##
Emaj7
5 8 6 0
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But I digress: When you play the 13 chords in this example, youll seeand hearhow one note is the lynchpin of the entire sequence. Notice how this example is marked Freely, which simply means theres no tempo. Take your time with each chord and observe how the bass descends in a more-or-less stepwise manner. Essentially, the middle notes get filled in between the fixed high note and the descending bass line. Of course, in this game the anchor tone doesnt have to be the top note. In Fig. 2, the chord sequence revolves around A on the 6th string. Once again, the key is irrelevantall that matters is keeping that low A as the bottom note in each voicing. To make a chord sequence more demanding, simply add rhythm to it, as Ive done here. This makes the exercise a bit more musical and forces you to practice the chord-to-chord movement to nail the changes in time. There you have itGuitar George. Its fun, especially if you play the game with a friend or two, and you challenge each other to see how many chords you can play and name based on a common tone in a fixed fretboard position. Start off with a common tone in the lowest or highest voice to get a feel for the game, and then see if you can play a sequence using a middle voice as a common tone instead. Or make it really challenging by declaring two common tones. However you play it, Guitar George will push your chordvoicing chops to new heights. Fig. 2
Fmaj7 Dm9 C#m7 B11 Bm11 E7%5 B%dim7 Am7 A%7#5 G13 F#m7 Fmaj7 Emaj7
F root D C# B root B root B% B% root A root A% root G root F# root F root E root %5
A 3 F G# 5 F# 5 A G# 3 G %%7 G G% %7 F C# 5 C 5 G# 3 %7 %7 %7
C 5 C %7 B %7 A %7 D %3 D D% %3 C %3 C 3 B 3 A %3 A 3 D# 7
Am7b5
root %3 root
%7
E 5 G G F# 6 G
B 2 B C B 9
C# 3 D 5 E% %5 E 5 #5
%7 %3 %7 G 3 C
C F (E#) F# 13 G G# 7 %7
G C#
C# E 3 5
%7 %3
4 &4
&
Aadd2
#
2 4 2
G/A
3 4 5
b
4 5 5
#
5 4 4
Am7#5
A13
Am7
6 5 5
# #
7 6 5
8 5 5
Amaj7
# #
4 5 6
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Listen to the Jan Carlo DeFan signature El Vikingo Special on the new ELAN album Regular Weird People available now www.jamestrussart.com www.elan-online.com
hen you think about the preponderance of formulaic radio-friendly hits and the instant-gratification culture were fostering these days, things like skill and discipline can seem in short supply among up-and-coming performers. Some players may wonder why they should labor for hours, day in and day out, to become facile on their instrument and craft compelling songs when any 10-year-old with ADD can cut and paste GarageBand loops and become a YouTube sensation faster than your band can get tight on that tricky verse riff. Technically oriented players love to pine for the good ol days when the art required major woodshedding. And the current reliance on Auto-Tune and other computer-generated audio tricks only fires that nostalgia.
Yet while the current musical landscape may seem bleak, all is not lost. Technology has made it easy to become lazy, but some of todays bands are also churning out music that is taking complexity to levels never before reached. Take, Maine-based mathcore mavens Last Chance to Reason, whose recent release Level 2 is so dense and abstruse that it could give the guys in Dream Theater nightmares. Working from the bands fully notated score, the concept album fuses Arnold Schoenbergs 12-tone compositional theory with Meshuggah-like mayhem and superhuman guitar pyrotechnics. From beginning to end, with its relentlessly changing odd-meter sections and ultra-precise sixteenth-note sextuplets, the album is a virtuosic tour de force.
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Last Chance to Reason (left to right): Chris Corey (bass), Tom Waterhouse (guitar), Evan Sammons (drums), Mike Lessard (vocals), Brian Palmer (keyboards), and A.J. Harvey (guitars). Photo by Jeremy Saffer
Last Chance to Reason was formed in 2003 at the University of Maine by guitarist A.J. Harvey and drummer Evan Sammons both jazz and contemporary music majors and bassist Chris Corey, who was in high school at the time. The band recorded an EP in 2005, and in 2007 a full-length album called Lvl. 1 followed. After several lineup changes over the years, guitarist Tom Waterhouse, a fellow University of Maine alumni, entered the fray prior to Level 2. Vocalist Mike Lessard and keyboardist Brian Palmer round out the bands current lineup. One of the more ironic things about LCTR is that theyre heavily influenced by an art form that might, at first, seem antithetical to their level of musicianshipvideo games. Their 2007 album Lvl. 1 was heavily influenced by the 1994 Nintendo game
82 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
Super Metroidwhich inspired the song titles Escape from Brinstar, Kraid Aint Got Shit on Me, and Destroy Mother Brain. Ever the overachievers, the band took the video game component of their own art a step further on this albumintroducing a full-length video game thats synchronized with Level 2s underlying tracks. We caught up with Harvey, Waterhouse, and Corey at their studio in the middle of one of their six-days-a-week marathon rehearsals as they prepare for their upcoming tour. First off, what bands inspired you guys? A.J. Harvey: Pretty standard stuff early onElvis, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and AC/ DC. When I started getting older, I got into heavier stuff.
Tom Waterhouse: Opeth, Dream Theater, Rush, Meshuggah, and Porcupine Tree. Chris Corey: I really like a lot of old prog, like Yes, Genesis, and Rush. And what about influences on your respective instruments? Harvey: In the beginning, I liked Kirk Hammett and Dimebag [Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the late Pantera guitarist]. It evolved from there. I like Allan Holdsworth and Frank Gambales stuff with Chick Corea. I like John Coltrane, because he really shredded, for lack of a better word. I really like the caliber of lead playing or soloing that the jazz guys like Coltrane haveits ridiculous. Waterhouse: Also Randy Rhoads. Those are probably our first influences.
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Corey: On bass, my biggest influences would be John Myung [Dream Theater], Billy Sheehan, and Dan Briggs from Between the Buried and Me.Interestingly, probably the biggest influencethe guy who took bass to a new extreme when I was youngwas Ryan Martinie from Mudvayne. He was the first guy I listened to where I heard the bass and was like, Wow, thats really, really awesomeI want to focus on this! Before that, it was grunge and very simple stuff. Then I heard Dream Theater, and I just couldnt believe it. I thought, I want to play like that. I played a 5-string at the time, and then I saw John Myung and he had a 6-string. So thats what got me into playing the 6-string bass. How did you guys come to develop an interest in jazz? Harvey: When I was in high school, I saw John Scofield play with Karl Denson, which was great because it was a really good crossover [act]. It was jazz, but there were people dancing in the audience and there were computers and all sorts of sampling [going on]. It was a real jam-band audience. At that time, someone turned me on to [saxophonist] Joshua Redman, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Tony Williams. I first heard the Brecker Brothers around then, too. Those guys are sick. Waterhouse: Also, jazz guitarists like Kurt Rosenwinkel and Lenny Breau. Corey: Im not as jazz-inclined as these guys, butI do enjoy it and I can play
84 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
some jazz. I wouldnt necessarily walk into a jazz gig and get a lead sheet and say, Okay, here we go. Id say Im semicomfortable playing jazz. How did your jazz interests meld with your contemporary classical influences? Harvey: I got introduced to the atonal thing in school, and Evan, our drummer, was into it, too. He, Chris, and I were writing in the practice room for Lvl. 1. All of the songs on that album are based on different 12-tone rows that we would just vary rhythmically throughout each tune. Once I started learning about 12-tone stuff, I started listening to dudes like Schoenbergbut
not all the time. Its not a huge part of my repertoire, I just throw it in here and there. Can you explain the 12-tone row for those who are unfamiliar with it? Waterhouse: The 12-tone row stuff is kind of simple in a sense, because its just making a melody out of twelve notes. In some cases, it could be just a riff in 6/8 or a riff in 6/4. Is the same row used throughout the whole album? Waterhouse: Yeah, its loosely based on it. Its a theme that occurs throughout the entire thing.
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rich tone.
No SACrifiCeS.
LoNg Life.
Harvey: For Upload Complete, the first riff is what I call a fragmented 12-tone row, where it repeats the first four notes twice, and then it adds three notes, and then two more. The second riff is the whole 12-tone row played in sequence, in a simple rhythm [sings riff].That same 12-tone row also appears in The Prototype and Apotheosis, but just starts on a different note. Does it continue in sequence after the displaced starting note? Harvey: Yeah. Waterhouse: But youve also got to stray away from it here and there, and rhythmic
variation with Evan is a big part of that. It gives way to creating a full song just using a small idea, being able to create something larger out of a small number of notes. Is an intellectual understanding of music needed to write and perform music this complex? Waterhouse: Well, a big form of communication with us is notated musicthats how we usually get things across. Harvey: Chris didnt go to school for music, but even so he can still definitely communicate with us. Sometimes I just shout out the notes to him and he memorizes it. Chris, do you read notation? Corey: Yes, I do read notation. Im not spectacular at sight-readingits a constant work in progress. I have a pretty good understanding of the more in-depth parts of theory. Ive kind of acquired it all just from playing with these guystheyre all very talented and very knowledgeable with this stuff. I just try to play along and keep up with the madness. What was the writing process for Level 2? Harvey: Level 2 wasnt written in the practice room as much as Lvl. 1 was. Wed record fragments and ideas, and then Evan [Sammons, drummer] would put together the song skeletons. He would program drums, and then wed go over it again and refine the parts a little more. Then wed record them again.
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Some things seem complex, but theyre actually simple ideas. Waterhouse: It was a collaborative effort. We all have a strong understanding of music theory, and everybody would experiment and bring something different to the table. After we all agreed on something, we would then move forward. A big part of it was the 12-tone row that we developed and used throughout the entire album in different ways.
Corey: We also have a video game that is programmed to run with the album. Certain things that happen in the game are accented by whats happening in the song. For example, on beat one, the skulls will drop, and on certain parts with solos it will go into another section where things are bright and things are falling upward. Did you employ compositional techniques like retrograde and inversion with your 12-tone rows?
Harvey: We did more with retrograde and inversions in Lvl. 1. Theres a song on the new record called Portal, which actually uses a different 12-tone row. It starts out by repeating the first five notes of the row, and then it busts into the song and I play three different inversions of the 12-tone row. The repetitive structures in songs like Coded to Fail, Temp Files, The Linear, and The Prototype are reminiscent of phrases you might hear in the music of minimalist composer Steve Reich. Harvey: Yeah. For example, Coded to Fail is based on three notes: C, B, and F. Its just variations of rhythms on those three notes, based around the time signatures 7/8, 7/8, 5/8, 5/8, 3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 3/8. The three notes are rhythmically varied throughout the song and grouped into riffs. For example, the first riff is kind of a standard metal riff based on those three notes, but it does throw in a little run from F Lydian, too. Most of the material is based on the notes C down to B down to Fthe interval sequence being down a half-step, then down a diminished fifth. Conventionally, 12-tone rows are atonal. But does your jazz background cause you to think harmonically about what chords the notes in your tone row could fit over? For example, the C, B, and F notes could function as the %7, 13, and %3rd of Dm13. Harvey: Were not really thinking about the key when were writing the tone rows. But it sounds like there are also discernible pockets of tonality in your songs. Harvey: Yeah, and the vocal melodies will happen more in the parts where there are chord progressions. In Upload Complete, after we do the 12-tone row, it goes into something thats more melodic, with an E%5 pedal against Gsus accents. And there are four other chords throughout that part. The chorus goes Amaj7#11, C#min, Dmaj, and F#min, so its tonal but its not all in one key. Are those chords derived from the tone row?
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Harvey: Not really. We transition into it in some shape or form by combining some of the material from the tone row and some of the material from the next riff. Are the songs conceived in 4/4 with superimposed meters, or is it all different time signatures? Waterhouse: Its all different time signatures. But one of the big efforts with this
album was for it to be as close to 4/4 as possible. So it would be, like, 15/16, but if you play it four times through you get that feel. Tom and A.J., you guys seem to be coming from different schools of shred articulationA.J.s doing more alternate picking, and Toms playing more legato. Harvey: Yeah, John Petrucci was definitely an influence. I mostly use alternate picking
in our materialall the sixteenth-notes and sixteenth-note triplets are played that way. Waterhouse: Im definitely more of the legato guy, coming from my background listening to Allan Holdsworth and Brett Garsed [The Mike Varney Project, Derek Sherinian]whos my favorite. Ive been really working on his hybrid picking technique and trying to incorporate it into the riffs. Its more fluid and requires less movement.
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Guitars Ibanez RG7321 7-string with an EMG 707 bridge pickup and a tappable 707 TW in the neck position, Eastman El Rey, Carvin DC747 Amps Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier, Boogie oversized 4x12 cabinet Effects Ibanez Tube Screamer, Empress Effects ParaEq, Keeley Compressor, Boss DD-3 Digital Delay, Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb Strings, Picks, and Accessories DAddario EXL110-7 sets (.010.059), Jim Dunlop Stubby 2 mm or 3 mm picks, Monster Cable, Levys Leathers straps
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Guitars Ibanez S7320 7-string with EMG 707s Amps Peavey 6505 with Mesa/Boogie tubes, Peavey 5150 4x12 cabinet Effects Ibanez Tube Screamer, TC Electronic G-Major 2, Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro, Voodoo Lab GCX Audio Switcher Strings, Picks, and Accessories DAddario EXL1107 sets (.010.059) or EXL110 sets with an extra .059 or .060 for the low B, Jim Dunlop 1 mm picks, ISP Technologies Decimator ProRack G Noise Reduction System, Furman M-8 Power Conditioner, Korg DTR-2000 rack tuner, Monster Cable, Levys Leathers straps
Basses Carvin BB76P Bunny Brunel signature 6-string with piezo saddle pickups Amps Ampeg SVT-3PRO head, Avatar B410NEO and B212NEO cabs Effects TC Electronic G-Major 2, BBE 362 Sound Sonic Maximizer Strings, Picks, and Accessories DR Hi-Beams MR6-30 sets (.030.125), Furman RP-8 Power Conditioner, Korg DTR-1000 rack tuner, Monster Cable
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How about when you guys play harmonized linesdo you articulate them the same way? Harvey: A lot of the things we harmonize are more on the rhythmic side of things. On those, yeah, wed be articulating the same way. Did you record the stuff in chunks, or did you record whole passes? Waterhouse: It was definitely chunks to keep that consistency. To be on par with a lot of other bands, we had to keep everything as tight as possible on the album. Did you use click tracks? Waterhouse: Yeah, we all do. Do you have the click programmed into all of the different meters? Harvey: It depends on the part. If the odd time signature is really characteristic of the part, the click will change with it. But if its an underlying thing that just creates more syncopation, the click will stay in 4/4. Waterhouse: The click track is intenseall the accents, subdivisions, and time signatures are there. Evan actually plays the click tracks live. Harvey: Its on a sampler, and Evans got headphones on. One reason we do that is because theres so much atmospheric stuff on the backing tracksynth layers, different oscillators, distorted synth tonesthat goes in sync with the music and comes in different parts throughout. The other reason is because it keeps the tempo consistent. Are the song tempos also preprogrammed into your delay units? Harvey: Yeah. For example, its 150 BPM for the solo in Upload Complete. Then
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the next bank is set at 180 BPM for the leads I have at that tempo in Apotheosis, and so on. I only use time delays on solos and leads, and I have consolidated all of my delay and harmony effects into two or three banks on my TC Electronic G-Major 2. This would be a good time to talk about the rest of your gear. Harvey: I have a new Ibanez S7320 7-string loaded with EMG 707s that I play through a Peavey 6505. I also push it with an Ibanez Tube Screamer. Venue to venue, the rig will have more or less gain for some reason or another, so the Tube Screamers drive is changed night to night, but its usually between 1 oclock and 3 oclock, while the level is between 12 oclock and 3 oclock. Waterhouse: I have an old Ibanez RG7321 7-string that also has EMG 707sbut my neck pickup is tappable. I have a borrowed Carvin DC747 that is unbelievable, and an Eastman El Rey hollowbody too. I use a stock Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier with a Mesa oversized 4x12 cab, and I have the controls pretty much all in the middle. I also use a Tube Screamer to boost it a little bit and tighten up the low end of the oversized cab. Corey: I play a Carvin BB76P Bunny Brunel signature 6-string. My B string has a Hipshot Xtender that tunes it down a whole step to A, and I use that on Taking Control and The Linear. My amp is an Ampeg SVT-3PRO head, and I run it through Avatar B410NEO and B212NEO cabs, which have speakers with neodymium magnets so its light on the lifting. I like them, but Im looking to upgrade soon.
I feel like anytime Ive played out of an Ampeg 8x10, it just pushed a lot more power and had a lot more balls. But cabs are such a wide market that I havent really decided. Because of touring, I can only stop in a guitar shop so much. Your music obviously demands incredible precision, but, live, theres no margin of error. If somebody gets off by even a sixteenth-note, you could have a train wreck. Has that happened? And if so, how did you recover? Waterhouse: Its happened maybe once in the past year. If we fall off that badly, Evan can turn off the click track and continue. It takes a lot of listening to everybody else and making sure youre right in the pocket. The jazz background helps in always knowing how to get out of it as quickly as possible. Ive seen the scores to some of your songs, and theyre as complex as The Rite of Spring. But, unlike orchestral players, you guys play everything from memory. How do you balance the showmanship aspect of a concert with trying to keep the music together? Waterhouse: We do as much as we can onstage, but its really important to us to play the stuff correctly. Harvey: At this point, we move to the rhythms and look like were feeling it, but not to such an extreme extent. We still try to keep some ounce of showmanship in there. We headbang, but we arent doing guitar whipstheyre not as conducive to sounding good.
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Fusion legend Stanley Clarke talks about his double-bass roots, his bevy of Alembic electrics, why all bassists should jam with other 4-stringers, and his recent reunion album with fellow Return to Forever bandmates Chick Corea and Lenny White.
By Dan Berkowitz
or those in the know, the name Stanley Clarke brings many things to mindbeautiful Alembic basses funky slap solos a big Afro ... and, most likely, Return to Forever. Founded by legendary keyboardist Chick Corea in 1972, Return to Foreveralong with John McLaughlins Mahavishnu Orchestra and Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorters Weather Reportwas hugely instrumental (no pun intended) in establishing the jazz-fusion genre. Though RTF has included such noted players as session drummer Steve Gadd and guitarists Al Di Meola, Earl Klugh, Bill Connors, and Frank Gambale (who currently plays with the band), Clarke is the only member other than Corea whos been there from the get-go. Through this and other vehicles, Clarke became one of a handful of 1970s bassists who brought electric bass to the forefront and gave it a solo voice of its own. In addition to RTF work, Clarkes prodigious musical accomplishments over the years include collaborations with the likes of Jeff Beck, Ron Wood, Larry Carlton, Jean Luc Ponty, Stewart Copeland, and fellow bass gods Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten. He also has a formidable track record in film scoring with credits including such feature films as Boyz N the Hood and Like Mike 2, television series like Lincoln Heights and Soul Food, made-for-TV movies such as Murder She Wrote and The Red Sneakers, and even Michael Jacksons video for Remember the Time. Considering that Clarkes stellar career as a bassist has centered on the electric, the last thing you might associate with him is the upright bass. But all of that changed when he and longtime RTF drummer Lenny White reunited with Corea for this years Forever. In fact, after 2010s Stanley Clarke Band album won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, Clarkenow 60 years old asserted that he might not be recording and performing on electric bass again for quite a while. I told Lenny that the worst thing in the world is for a guy over 60 years old to be playing electric bass. I get this picture of an old, fat guy holding an electric bass, and I said, It wont be me.
While the thought of Clarke behind an upright bass may be new for those used to seeing him groove on an Alembic, its nothing new for him. He began his musical career at the age of 19, backing jazz greats Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, and Stan Getz in New York jazz clubs. I didnt formally study the electric bass like the kids do today, Clarke says, but the acoustic bass is something I studiedI was planning on joining an orchestra. When you listen to Clarkes recent acoustic bass excursions on Forever, his years of developing a unique electric bass style clearly come through. Ive always viewed them as two completely different instruments, but the music I play on the electric bass and the music I play on the acoustic bass have a kind of cross-pollination, he says. Personally, I think [playing both] makes you a better player on both instruments. Forever comes with two discs. The first is a best-of collection that includes tunes from the 2009 RTF Unplugged tour, jazz standards like On Green Dolphin Street and Waltz for Debby, RTF classics such as Seor Mouse and No Mystery, and originals by Clarke and Corea. The groups founder plays acoustic piano on all these songs, while Clarke is mostly on upright. The second disc features studio tracks from rehearsals for a one-off Hollywood Bowl concert that kicked off their world tour. It includes Corea, Clarke, and White, as well as Jean Luc Ponty on violin, singer Chaka Khan, and original RTF guitarist Bill Connors. On this disc, the acoustic tunes are mixed with electric-driven tracks in the more traditional RTF vein, with Corea getting behind his synths and Clarke bringing out his trusty Alembics. Rather than taking the trio back on the road, though, Clarke, Corea, and White decided to support the US launch of Forever with a new Return to Forever touring band that includes Ponty and Australian sweep-picking master Gambale, who has recorded and performed with Corea several times over the years. We spoke with Clarke recently about the double album, his collaboration with Miller and Wooten, his to-die-for gear, and his philosophies on music as a vocation.
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Although the first Forever disc features acoustic-jazz instrumentation, you can definitely hear jazz-fusion thinking within the straight-ahead stuff. Yeah. Its very difficult to have a partition between genres. I think thats true in all music today. You really have to put your mind into it, like Okay, its straight-ahead and Im going to do it in the style from 1960 to 1965 Miles Davis. Its difficult. I think those days are over. One of the things I love about young players right now is that its all there. You even hear hip-hop influences in their stuff. Its cool. One of the guests on Forever is Chaka Khan. A lot of people think of her as a funk singer because of her groundbreaking work with Rufus in the 70s, but on this album she sounds like a seasoned jazz singershe does some sweet scat singing. Chaka has always been a big, big, big jazz fan. Shes a serious musician, and whenever we call her to sing, she loves to do it. But you have to remember that in the 70s, she and Rufus had hits and managers that were kind of controlling. Thats all they wanted you to see. The perception of an artist from an audiences point of view is completely different from what the guys and girls are really like. I know country artists that, if you go to their house, theyve got Miles Davis and Coltrane on. Bill Connors also makes a return appearance. At the end of the last RTF tour, the band and Al Di Meola decided to go separate ways. We were wondering what we should do for the guitar scene, and Chick came up with the idea to call Billy. I didnt even know if he was still playing. We called him up and he says, Yeah, Im still playing. So he came in and
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Stanley Clarke plays his Lemur Music-made upright through a Ampeg SVT-2PRO head and an Ampeg cab at De Oosterpoort in Groningen, Netherlands, on November 13, 2009. Photo by Klaas Guchelaar
we messed around. He rehearsed a bit with us and took some music home. He came back again and hung out. And so he played with us at the Hollywood Bowl. The thing I like about Billy is that hes always a warm playerhes a melodic player. And he still has that. Youve been playing with Lenny White since you were teenagers. How would you describe the way you interact musically?
Were both predictable to each other. That can be a good thing, but it can also be a bad thing. So we have to work on trying to surprise each other and amp the game up. Weve been together 40 years now. You know, you have this musical mind and two or three people can be the owners of that mind. And thats a great thing. But what makes it even better is when you challenge itwhen you go against that mind. Everyone will start
smiling, and itll throw everybody back into playing games its great. My logic tells me that maybe it would be boring because were both predictable I know what hes going to do and he knows what Im going to dobut Im pretty sure what were doing sounds great. Your 2008 album, Thunder, with Marcus Miller and Victor Wooten is quite a contrast to what youre doing now. What
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was it like playing with those remarkable bassists? You know, Ive been playing with other bassists for a long, long timeback to New York in the early 70s with bass choirs. I think its very important to play with other bass players, because it forces you to really bring your musicality up. You cant just go in and survive with technique. When I played with Victor and Marcus, we were lucky in that we had a natural orchestration. Marcus loves to play low all the time. Victor likes to play in the middle, high well, hes kind of all over the bass. I was playing tenor bass and piccolo bass. I was the guy laying out the harmony or comping. If there was a melody, I would either play it or support the melody harmonically. But it was a challenge trying to come up with music
I told Lenny that the worst thing in the world is for a guy over 60 years old to be playing electric bass. I get this picture of an old, fat guy holding an electric bass, and I said, It wont be me.
that works for three basses. I dont think many people know this, but some promoters actually didnt want to have us play, because they thought we would blow up their PA or that it wouldnt sound musicalthat it would be just a bunch of rumbles and that we were just taking advantage of our names. Obviously, that wasnt the case. It was a really fun experience for me, because it forced me and Marcus and Victor to really play different. The only time we played like ourselves was when we played individual solos. Marcus did that along with a bass clarinet thing. I chose to play an acoustic bass solo, which was great, because I was in front of a lot of kids who were there because of Victor and had probably never even seen an acoustic bass. We plan to get back together again maybe at the end of next year. I told those guys that I dont know if Ill even be playing electric bass by then well see. Lets talk about gear. What electric basses are you playing? I still play an Alembic bass. They just made a brand-new one for me. Its absolutely the best Alembic bass I ever heard in my life. Ive been with those guys a long time. I like playing their basses. I would never dare say that its the best bass in the worldI dont believe in that kind of thinking but this bass is good for me because Im used to it. Its got a good sound. Tell us about your electricbass amp rig.
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Click here to hear a song from Clarke, Corea, and Whites new album, Forever.
Clarke thumbs a ride with a triple-pickup Alembic Signature Standard. Photo courtesy of Concord Music Group
Ive been playing stereo bass for a long time, so I have a bi-amped system. My cabinet configuration is either two 15s on the bottom or 18s on the bottom. And I have 10s, or sometimes eight-inch speakers, to deal with the treble. Now this is something I got from Chris Squire: I split off the treble into another set of speakersusually small guitar amps, just to give it a little edge on the stage. Because its a stereo rig, not only do I have all the EQ possibilities on the bass and the amp, but I also have the ability to use phasing between the low pickup and the high pickup. Essentially, its like Im running two basses at the same time. There are a lot
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Its very difficult to have a partition between genres. One of the things I love about young players right now is that its all there. You even hear hip-hop influences in their stuff.
of possibilities. And Im using a TC Electronic G-System. I had to find something really clean because the Alembic bass isnt naturally warm. You used to play SWR amps, but now youre endorsing Ampeg. I like SWR a lot, but when we travel today we sometimes have to rent a backlineespecially when Im doing my own tour. Return to Forever is different. Its a bigger scene, so we carry our own equipment. When I go into a city, for some reason the Ampeg stuff is always newer. I go into some towns in Europe, and I just cant find the other stuff. So Ampeg is a better scene for me. You played the more rocking Seor Mouse on electric. Did you think about playing it on upright? Ive surprised some people with my upright playing in rock formats. I finally found a pickup that works for me, an Underwood. Ive tried them all. And I got a bass with a removable neck made for me by Lemur Music. They measured my boyhood bassthe bass Ive used on all the records Ive
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doneand made 14 of them. I kept seven of them. As an acoustic instrument, it sounds okay it has a nice, sweet soundbut when I put the Underwood pickup on it, its a monster. I think the removable neck is the way to go for traveling, too. What do you use to amplify your uprights? Ampeg works better for acoustic bass, too. I can compete with the loudest playersI dont care how loud they are. And this bass actually sounds pretty good with the bow, too. I also use a piece of equipment from a company called EBSthe MicroBass II. I think its the best unit you can use for acoustic bass. It has two separate EQs, and theyre really designed for bass. Its a direct box, but it also has EQ.
Clarke tracking his 2009 Jazz in the Garden album with pianist Hiromi Uehara and drummer Lenny White. Photo courtesy of Concord Music Group
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Lets wrap things up by talking about musical careers. What would you like to tell young bassists today? Try to be as honest as you can. The more honest you are, the more you open yourself up for possibilities and opportunities. Sometimes youre playing some music and youre, like, stuck in one thing. If you look around, youll find that probably some of the things that are reinforcing that stuck feeling are other people telling you what you should dowhether its your wife, your brother, or your bandmate. Its not a bad thingits nice to be thought ofbut I think it helps to really sit back and come up with nine or 10 other things that youre not doing. If you try those nine or 10 things, youll be surprised at what you can get into. In my case, film scoring was completely an accident. I was on this jazz-special TV show, and the director said, Man, Ive got this show and Ive got a couple of episodes coming up that I need some crazy music for. Can you do it? And I said, Yeah, sure. But I didnt know if I could do it. I knew I could compose, but. Anyway, it turned out to be Pee-wees Playhouse! And you know what? I was nominated for an Emmy Awardand it was, like, by accident. I didnt even know what an Emmy was. Ive done 50 films, television movies, and television series I dont even know how many of those Ive done. But it happened in a blink. If I had time, Id write a book about the things that happen in your life at a blinkand the flip side, the things you decide not to do at a blink. So, to summarize what I just said for a young guy, dont pass up nothin. If you have the ability to try it out, try it out.
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Clarke has multitudes of Alembics, but this Signature Standard is noteworthy because of its BIgsby tremolo. Photo courtesy of Concord Music Group
Stanley Clarke rig rundown Click here to watch a video rig rundown of Stanley Clarke walking through his live gear.
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ny amp Show Video Demos Click here to view video demos of the amps, effects, and guitars in this article.
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air or not, New Jersey is the butt of 90 percent of the jokes made about the eastern USfrom jabs at the oft-unintelligible accent we associate with its residents to cracks about the stomach-turning inanity of MTVs Jersey Shore and its frighteningly clueless subjects, and references to the Mob and the number of corpses floating in the Hudson River. Which is probably why the organizers of the NY Amp Show fudge the facts a bit and name it after the nearby city whose image has a lot more going for it. Monikers aside, the Piscataway, New Jersey, gathering has something pretty cool to offer guitar-gear junkies. Held June 4th and 5th in a bunch of rooms on the first and second floors of the Embassy Suites hotel on Centennial Avenue, the NY Amp Show brings together some of the most notable boutique-amp builders in the business, in addition to several upand-coming amp designers and even a few representatives from big-name companies. Youll even find a few effects outfits and guitar and bass luthiers renting out rooms for the show in a smart attempt to offer attendees a respite from all the blaring combos and half-stacks. This year, traffic at the amp fest was more subdued than in past years, but that didnt make the wares any less compelling. Smaller, low-wattage heads and combos that are easy to transport continued to be a popular platform, but there were also plenty of more powerful heads and cabs of varying configurations, in addition to the occasional 3x10 combo. Here we highlight some of the most eye- and ear-grabbing products from the only situation in Jersey that a gear aficionado should consider wasting his or her time on. Oh, and be sure to check out our stash of video demos from the show at premierguitar.com.
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Fractal Audios new Axe-Fx II has twice the processing power of the previous version. Its dual processors enabled the Fractal team to start from square one with new amp models that feature an unprecedented level of granularity. It also features all-new USB recording capabilities and new low-noise 1/4" inputs and outputs. fractalaudio.com As one of the planets premier speaker suppliers, Celestion (celestion.com) is one of the regular amp show exhibitors that has to sit back patiently and hope you remember that its products, though hidden inside cabinets, are integral to the stellar tones youre hearing from their enviable collection of demo amps. One of the most newsworthy of these amps was the new Komet Songwriter 30. Based on the very last Trainwreck amp design from the legendary Ken Fischer, it features four cathode-biased EL84s and a solid-state rectifier, and was designed by Fischer to sound amazing with currentproduction parts rather than new-old-stock. kometamps.com
Long a favorite supplier of cabs for the budgetconscious tone connoisseur, Avatar wasnt officially displaying its new 18-watt, handwired EL84 head at the show, but their pals at Celestion brought one along as a favor. We dug its old-school British tones through a 2x12 loaded with George Lynchs new signature Lynchback speakers. avatarspeakers.com
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The new 3 Monkeys Virgil head is based on the BW119 head built for Aerosmiths Brad Whitford, only instead of 6L6s it pumps out 30 watts via four 6V6s. Unique features include a front-panel UK/USA voicing control and a footswitchable variable boost. 3monkeysamps.com
UK blues wunderkind Davy Knowles has a new signature octave-fuzz pedal from Freekish Blues. The Chubb Up! features dual footswitches for engaging fuzz and octave effects together, or just the fuzz. Other controls include Fuz, Tone, and Vol knobs, and a Thin/Fat toggle. freekishblues.com
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Booya! Amplifiers founder and designer Jamie Simpson says hell build your dream amp from the ground up based on the tone of your favorite player or a famous amp model. He also says his approach is unique because hell use newold-stock (NOS) or current production componentsor a mix of both. This particular head was built for a customer who wanted to replicate early-80s thrash-metal sounds. Sour Patch Kids and Jolly Ranchers not included. booyaamps@gmail.com
The new Markbass Alain Caron signature combo features a bi-amped design that sends 200 watts to its compression tweeter and 800 watts to a 12" driver. The tones are thumping and articulate, and the removable top hatch makes it a cinch to access rearpanel jacks. markbass.it
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Satellite Amps revived the White Higher Fidelity brand with the new Model 80. Based on the early combo made for Forrest White by Leo Fender, the Model 80 features a 6V6 tube for 4 watts of power, a 12AX7 preamp tube, and either a 5Y3 or a 5AR4 rectifier, as well as an 8" alnico-magnet Jensen Special Design or a Voice of Rock speaker. satelliteamps.com
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Sandberg Guitarsa German brand with a proud 25-year heritageannounced its entry into the American market at the show. The Umbo bass (left) includes Hussel pickups, a 3-position Tone switch, and Volume, Balance, and Tone knobs, while the 5-string Custom Thinline has a mahogany-and-walnut hollowbody with a flamed-maple top, as well as a Delano Xtender pickup and a Sandberg 3-band EQ. sandberg-guitars.de
Red Iron Amps point-to-point-wired Bronx heads come in a mesquite cabinet and each features a trio of 6SL7GT preamp tubes, a simple control scheme (Volume, Bass, and Treble), and a footswitchable EQ-bypass function. Their 40 watts of 6550-derived power resounded with surprisingly muscular, harmonically rich corpulence through the burly 1x12 cab shown here. redironamps.com
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The EAST Amplification Theater 30 head is driven by four EL84s and features a Master Volume, a 3-band EQ section, a Timbre knob, and a footswitchable variable Gain knob. The cab (right) has two custom EAST Amps 10" and two custom 12" speakers in an X configuration, with one of each being in the open-backed top section. eastamplification.com
You & 3 friends could attend a private party at John Varvatos Bowery NYC.
facebook.com/EastwoodGuitars1 or www.eastwoodguitars.com
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Famous for its intriguingly twisted and complex designs, Pigtronix reversed that trend with a new pedal thats as simple as it gets: The Class A Boost gooses any signal up to 20 dB with a 96 dB signal-to-noise ratio. pigtronix.com
Navarro Guitars of San Juan, Puerto Rico, showed its new Studio Pro guitar, which features a Gibson humbucker, Fender Custom Shop 69 single-coils, on/off toggles for each pickup, a 5-position rotary control for various bridge-pickup tones (including split coils and phase changing), Volume and Tone knobs, and a Wilkinson tremolo. facebook.com/navarro.guitars
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iven his involvement with so many chart-topping radio hits since 1965, it is astonishing that so few peopleincluding guitaristshave heard of Cornell Dupree. Yet there is little doubt theyve heard him play. For almost half a century, AM and FM radio stationsand now internet-radio channelshave been broadcasting tunes he played on many times a day. Commercial hits that featured his unique playing include crooner Brook Bentons 1969 smash Rainy Night in Georgia, Aretha Franklins soulful 1971 hit Rock Steady, Paul Simons Kodachrome, and former Mott the Hoople frontman Ian Hunters Letter to Britannia from the Union Jack. Jazz fans have heard him on records by everyone from Buddy Rich and Carmen McRae to Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Miles Davis. Cornell Dupree played on so many sessions during his lifetime that his nickname of Mr. 2500 could easily be an understatement. But those who have only heard him on a hit record are missing much of the Dupree experiencebecause, as his solo records and band-fronting live shows prove, he was also a skilled purveyor of singing melodies and blues-drenched solos. It is in those contexts that it is easiest to understand the words of session bassist Will Lee (David Letterman, Fab Faux), who did countless studio and live dates with Dupree: He was pure heart and soul.
CORneLL DupRee G
By miChael roSS
the early years Cornell Luther Dupree Jr. (December 19,1942May 8, 2011) was born to Cornell and Bernice Dupree in Fort Worth, Texas. Though Duprees father played guitar a bit at parties, it was his grandfathers fiddle that first caught the younger Cornells ear as a child. Given his Fort Worth upbringing, its not surprising that Dupree was exposed to more country and western than R&Bsave for his mothers gospel piano playing and the blues and R&B on radio station KNOK. Dupree soon figured out some boogiewoogie on the piano, but the first instrument that truly attracted him was the saxophone. At 11, he began lessons and
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1971
1973
Records There Goes Rhymin Simon with Paul Simon, yielding the hit single Kodachrome
1942
December 19,1942, born Cornell Luther Dupree Jr. in Fort Worth, Texas
1974
October 1, 1962, moves to New York City to join King Curtis Kingpins.
1962
Tracks Joe Cockers I Can Stand a Little Rain, also records his own first solo record, Teasin
1965
Plays on the sessions for Wilson Picketts hit In the Midnight Hour, in addition to opening for the Beatles at Shea Stadium with the Kingpins
Plays on Donny Hathaways classic Live record recorded at New Yorks Bitter End club
1972
played the horn through junior high school, including in the marching band. But by then Dupree had started frequenting local venues where artists including Ray Charles and B.B. King performed. On one of these fateful nights, he saw the flamboyant Johnny Guitar Watson at a Masonic Hall.
guitarist Wayne Bennett, as well as Billy Butlerthe man who played the classic solo on Bill Doggetts 1956 instrumental hit Honky Tonk. Cornell bought the Doggett single and learned the solo note-for-note on his Gibson Les Paul Custom, which he replaced with a TV-yellow Les Paul Junior
Lightnin Hopkins, Fenton Robinson, and Clarence Gatemouth Brown, as well as country stars like Ray Price, Bob Wills, and Roger Miller. Dupree may have even run across avant-garde jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman, who was also from Fort Worth. king Curtis and Jimi Hendrix In 1959, 17-year-old Dupree married Erma Kindles. And country star Delbert McClinton asserts that, by 18barely out of high schoolDupree had a reputation as one of the best blues guitarists in the area. 1961 would be a pivotal year in his career: While visiting Texas, R&B sax player King Curtis sat in with Louis Howard & the Red Hearts at the Paradise Club. Before returning to his home base of New York City, Curtis told Dupree to keep on practicing and one of these days I will send for you. True to his word, he called the guitarist the very next year and had him audition over the phone by playing Curtis then-new hit Soul Twist, as well as the standard Moonlight in Vermont. Apparently, Dupree had been practicing, because Curtis promptly sent him a ticket to New York. On October 1, 1962, Dupree and Erma arrived in Manhattan, leaving their two children in the care of Duprees mother and
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. . . every take would start with [Dupree] playing a completely different, amazing guitar intro. Will Lee, session bassist
Virtually overnight, he was begging his mother for a 6-string. Bernice obtained a sunburst Stella acoustic from a pawnshop, and the 14-year-old Dupree started learning licks from local pickers. By 1956, he had a Harmony hollowbody with a DeArmond pickup and hed formed a band with a couple of guitar-playing friends named Frank Lott and Calvin Love. The three young musicians played a mostly instrumental repertoire at talent shows and at local clubs on Sunday afternoons. Two players whose influence is evident in Duprees style were Bobby Blands
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when the Custom was lost in a fire. Duprees musical education continued when he was hired to play with U.P. Wilsons band, where he played rhythm on Wilsons Stratocaster while the leader soloed on Duprees Les Paul Junior. The late 50s found Dupree playing with Leon Childs Hi Tones, as well as Louis Howard & the Red Hearts. While venturing out from Fort Worth with these bands, Dupree was exposed to music of many styles and crossed paths with cream-of-the-crop Texas musicians. These included blues artists such as T-Bone Walker, Lowell Fulson, Albert Collins,
1991
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Completes the Rhythm & Blues Guitar instructional book/CD for Hal Leonard
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Fig. 1 echoes the type of parallel fourths that grace Brook Bentons Rainy Night in Georgia. Theyre over a G chord here, but they can be employed over Cmaj7 and D major chords, as well. In the last measure, we use a little slight-of-hand by only striking the D on beat one and the A on beat two and sliding into the final double stop. Fig. 2 illustrates the types of parallelsixth fills Dupree liked to play in both R&B and country tunes. In the first measure we stay within the diatonic scale except for the E% on the and of beat three. This chromatic move sets up the implied G7 sound (F and D) to give it a bluesy feel.
Fig. 1 1 Fig.
4 &4
Fig. Fig. 2 2
17 17 15 15 15 15
12 12 10 10 10 10
J J
5 3 5 3 3
# b 4 # n & 4 #
12 10 11 12 12 10 8 9 7 7 5 5 4 4 3 3
j # #
3 4 4 5 5 5 5 3 3
Search YouTube for Cornell_Dupree_-_Signed_Sealed_Delivered.avi to see this 1992 video of him playing with Stuffs RIchard Tee and bassist Will Lee.
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. . . when Dupree, the pride of Fort Worth, came to our rescue, it was bye-bye to multiple guitarists becausemiraculously, it seemed to meone man playing rhythm and lead at the same time took the place of three. Jerry Wexler, Atlantic Records producer
grandfather. The day after his first plane ride, the Texas guitar man was onstage with King Curtis and the Kingpins and learning the rest of the repertoire onstage. The Duprees lived with Curtis, and the Kingpins played weekends at Smalls Paradise in Harlem. At his first recording session, Dupree shared guitar duties with the same Billy Butler whose solo he had diligently learned and who he would replace in Curtis performing band. Switching to a Gibson ES-335, Dupree would sit with Curtis, who played a Guild Starfire, and the two would work out licks and arrangements for the band. Eventually, the sideman exchanged his Gibson for a Guild like his boss. From 1962 to 1966, Dupree worked with Curtis backing soul stars of the day. On a 1963 tour supporting Sam Cooke, Dupree ended up on the singers Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 album. These tours often featured Cooke and other artists like Fats Domino and the Isley Brothers. Dupree would trade licks and songs with Cookes
Cornell Dupree in the late 70s or early 80s with his modified Fender Telecaster. Photo courtesy of Gordon Edwards
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PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 115
guitarist Clifton White and Roy Montreal from Fats Dominos group. He also worked on string bending with the Isley Brothers guitaristJames Marshall Hendrix. Hendrix left the Isleys in 1964 and bounced around the Chitlin Circuit with other R&B acts for a bit before Curtis saw him playing with Little Richard and added him to the Kingpins. Playing alongside Cornell, Hendrix helped fill out the sound of the thenkeyboard-less band. The showy Hendrix fell naturally into the soloing slot, leaving Dupree to cover rhythm. As with many of his early gigs, however, Hendrixs deafening volume, flashy dress, and punctuality issues led to his dismissal from Curtis group. By 1965, when the Kingpins opened for the Beatles in Canada, Los Angeles, Chicago, and the famous Shea Stadium gig, Hendrix was gone. Meanwhile, Dupree kept building his resume. That same year, he joined another legendary session guitarist, Steve Cropper of Booker T. & the MGs, in the studio to back Wilson Pickett on his first hit, In the Midnight Hour. At that point, Dupree was playing a Standel thinline equipped with humbuckers through a blackface Fender Twin Reverb. Neither he nor Curtis were happy with how Cornells guitar fit in the mix, but
This ATCO promo shot shows Dupree with saxophonist King Curtis and James Marshall Hendrix (playing a right-handed Fender Jazzmaster upside down at far right) at a May 5, 1966, record-release party for Percy Sledge. Photo by William PoPsie Randolph
he had yet to discover the instrument with which he would come to be identified. Having earned enough to buy a house and a car in Texas, Dupree left King Curtis band and moved back in 1966. Bassist Chuck Rainey, whom he had met while in
the Kingpins, had also left the band but had stayed in New York and was getting a lot of session work. Rainey convinced Dupree to return to The Big Apple in 1968, where he rejoined Curtisand started playing sessions for other artists.
Cornell Dupree played on so many tunes that you could spend countless hours learning from themif you could easily decipher which were his. Here we cherry-pick some of his choicest work.
eSSenTiAL LiSTeninG
Teasin
Duprees first solo record is awash with bluesy Texas soul. The song Okie Dokie Stomp pays homage to another Lone Star guitar greatClarence Gatemouth Brown.
Uncle Funky
Will Lee, Richard Tee, and Eric Parker help Dupree amply prove that he is not a mere studio phenomenon.
Duprees jazz-funk outfit was great in the studio, but they really cooked liveget the CD and the DVD.
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in Sessions Recommendations from Rainey and guitarist Eric Galewho would later become Duprees bandmate in the jazz-funk band Stuffbrought Dupree a steady stream of session work in New York. More fortuitously, Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler, who had first met Dupree at a live recording date at Harlems Apollo Theater in 1965, was soon using the guitarist on sessions in New York, Miami, and Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In the liner notes to Duprees 1994 solo album, Bop n Blues, Wexler described what made him so valuable in the studio: It was our practice to use three or even more guitarists on a record session. Time and again what we would get into was a hellacious mess as the three guitarists got in each others way, said Wexler. So when Dupree, the pride of Fort Worth, came to our rescue, it was bye-bye to multiple
guitarists becausemiraculously, it seemed to meone man playing rhythm and lead at the same time took the place of three. Duprees big breakthrough came in 1969, with a session he did for another Atlantic producer, Arif Mardin, in 1969. He backed Brook Benton on the Tony Joe White tune Rainy Night in Georgia, and the flowing, parallel-fourth double-stops and sliding-sixth fills hed played on the hit had his phone ringing off the hook. By 1971, videos show that Dupree had started playing a Fender Telecaster to help him cut through dense live and recorded mixes. The pickguard had been removed, and the screw holes had been filled with large metal bolts that gave it a studded appearance. It also had a Gretsch-style DeArmond pickup between the neck and bridge pickups. An additional control plate under the original
appears to have held an extra knob and switch, no doubt to control the middle pickup. Dupree eventually collaborated with Yamaha and began playing a Tele-style instrument that was marketed as the Cornell Dupree model. And with a humbucker in the neck position, a single-coilsized blade humbucker in the middle, and a Tele-style bridge pickup it was a versatile machine. Toward the end of his career, Dupree was seen primarily with Yamaha Pacifica Tele-style instruments. The 70s and 80s saw two decades of constant session work with some of the biggest names in the business including Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Donny Hathaway, and Mariah Carey. But he wasnt just playing for commercially successful vocalists. He also tracked sessions with heavyweight jazz artists such as David Fathead Newman, Les
Wordsand even audiocan only elucidate a players style so much. To truly appreciate their mastery of the instrument, you have to see how they pull it off live. Cornell Dupree was no different. The following videos will give you an idea of the easy, funky grace he had onstage.
MuST-WATCH MOMenTS
a rare video of Dupree using a les Paul to tear up a blues number in the late 80s. the fact that you can hear him singing along with his solo is a testament to his vocal-style phrasing. Check out the middle-finger tremolo picking at the end of his solo too! YouTube search term: Cornell Dupree with Jon hammond & Bernard Purdie 1989 mikells
Check out how Duprees plectrum and three picking-hand fingers seem to work independently. youtube search term: ridin thumb king Curtis & the kingpins (live)
honky tonk is one of the first tunes Dupree learned. here he nails Billy Butlers original solo on one of his early yamahas. YouTube search term: Steve Gadd - Cornell Dupree
this clip features one of the funkiest soul guitar licks ever, even if it is a little out of tune. Check out the big bolts that replaced the pickguard screws on Duprees pickguard-less telecaster. YouTube search term: memphis Soul Stew (live) king Curtis & the kingpins
here Dupree turns in a beautiful version of way Back home on his yamaha Pacifica. note how theres little flashbut every note is in the pocket and dripping with soul. YouTube search term: (Different) Stuff - way Back home (1998)
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McCann, Eddie Harris, Herbie Mann, Grover Washington Jr., Billy Cobham, and Sonny Stitt. And his rock and pop gigs included stints with Joe Cocker, Ian Hunter, and Carly Simon. Will Lee recalls the sort of inventiveness and spontaneity that led to Duprees firstcall status. I can remember my first Cornell experience vividly, says the legendary bassist. It was on Don Covays Overtime Man session. What was astounding was that every take would start with him playing a completely different, amazing guitar intro. I said to him, That was greatbut why did you change it from the one before? He said, Because I have no idea what I played. the Solo years By 1973, Duprees star had risen enough for Atlantic to offer him a solo record deal. His debut, Teasin, is rife with soulful blues excursions and signature Dupree double-stops. Through the 70s, Dupree also played live gigs around New York City with longtime friend and bassist Gordon Edwards group the Encyclopedia of Soul. Edwards echoes Wexlers assessment of Duprees ability to
cover multiple chairs. Pianos were rough in those days, most of the time half the keys were gone and if they werent they were out of tune. With Cornell, I could fire the piano player because he played chords and melody at the same time, says the bassist.
The Encyclopedia of Soul evolved into a session-player supergroup called Stuff that consisted of Dupree, Eric Gale, pianist Richard Tee, and drummers Steve Gadd and/or Chris Parker. A regular gig at a Manhattan club called Mikells allowed
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the members to keep busy in the studios during the day. We played onstage just like we played behind the artists, says Edwards. If we laid down a groove in bar one, by bar 955 we were still playing that same groove. The band was signed by Warner Brothers and released six records for the label. Though it occasionally sounded like they were vamping until the singer entered, musicians appreciated the records as a master class in soulful band interaction. We never stepped on each others toes, recalls Edwards. It was like a polite conversation. In 2008, a DVD of a 1976 Montreux gig was released, offering a close-up look at this monster groove machine to those who missed them in their heyday. Stuff s breakup in 1982 coincided with a dip in New York session work, which
prompted a move to Beverly Hills. The Los Angeles scene proved hard to crack, but Dupree eventually landed a gig backing Bonnie Raitt, as well as a chance to cut the theme to The Cosby Show. With more work coming from New York than Los Angeles, Dupree moved back in 1985, where he did dates with jazz musicians including Hank Crawford and Michael Franks, and vocalist Lou Rawls. In the latter part of his career, Dupree focused on live performance with various groups. Live work in Europe and Japan kept him busy through 2010, and he played his last gig at New Yorks Iridium club on September 26th, 2010, at which time he
was suffering from chronic emphysema. Dupree decided to return once more to Texas to work on his last solo record, but once he was there his health steadily deteriorated and he died May 8, 2011, at the age of 68. musical immortality Cornell Duprees name may never spread much farther than a select cadre of musicians and liner-note aficionados, but there is no doubt his combination of Lone Star grit and Big Apple sophistication will continue to be widely enjoyed as the hit records he helped make are playedin whatever formin perpetuity.
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Dupree picks an early-60s Guild Starfire III with two DeArmond single-coils and a Bigsby B6 tremolo as he shares the mic with King Curtis at a 1966 record-release party for Percy Sledge. Photo by William PoPsie Randolph
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Though he shook up the industry in 1993 with the Flythe most unique solidbody design the electric world had seen in yearsfor more than three decades now Ken Parkers primary passion has been advancing the art and science of archtop luthiery.
By Gayla Drake Paul
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Ken Parkers Fig model features a Sitka spruce top, Big Leaf maple veneers (on the back, sides, and neck), ebony bridge and pickguard, and an anodized aluminum tailpiece.
hough most players know Ken Parker because of the innovative guitar he and Larry Fishman designed and introduced under the Parker Guitars brand in 1993the Flyhe has been obsessed with archtops for decades. Given the Flys striking ergonomics, composite-covered body, carbon-fiber fretboard, and proprietary, multifunction tremoloall of which made it one of the most unique and successful new solidbody designs of the last 20 yearsit should come as no surprise that Parkers obsession is now advancing the art and science of archtop guitars. But that shouldnt overshadow the fact that he does it all because hes striving to inject the playing experience with real joy: To me, if a guitar isnt fun to playif it doesnt put a grin on your face and beckon you from the corner of the roomwhat is it for? To provide insight for this article, Parker sent a guitar for us to spend some time with and get the hands-on Parker archtop experience. The first touch is extraordinary.
Its featherlight and incredibly comfortable to hold. The neck is smooth, wide, easy to play, and devoid of anything that might create tension. When I played an Em chord, there was so much . . . everythingso much bass, so much liveliness, so much sustain. Everything we think the opposite of when we think archtop. And yet, its all archtop. clockwork Parker trained as a toolmaker for a grandfather-clock making company before he started building guitars. This beautiful guy kind of took me under his wing, because they didnt have somebody to do all the tooling they needednot the wooden parts, the metal parts. It was like going to grad school. I did four years worth of training in a year and a half. That training and facility for machining custom parts would play a vital role years later. Today, Parker handbuilds almost every piece of his archtops. That is really a huge ingredient of who I am nowit was an
Though Ken Parker still uses the same headstock shape found on the Parker Fly, the simiarlities to his current archtop designs end there, and he no longer has a stake in Parker Guitars. PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 123
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incredible playground, says Parker. I was a sponge. It was just thrilling to me. I had dropped out of college, because I was studying philosophy and physics and I didnt know what I was going to do with that. But I sure knew I liked to build things. I used my brain, my imagination, my body, my coordination, my balance, my eyesall that stuff. It seemed so rich an endeavorI just loved it. Parker also did serious repair work as a guitar tech in those early years. One of the first and most troubling things he learned on that job was the appalling state of fretwork on even guitars right off the shelf. Its better now than it was 30 years ago. I was doing refrets on brand-new, made-in-America guitars that were unplayable. I was offended. I felt that those companies werent taking musicians and their needs seriously, and it really bothered me. That eventually led to the nowlegendary stainlesssteel fretwork on the Parker Fly. I had done thousands of fret jobs by the time I started that company. And one of the original design goals I told my partner, Larry Fishman, was If I cant build a guitar that doesnt need fretwork, I dont want to do it. Evolution of a Revolutionary Parker got serious about playing jazz guitar when he was 22, and he took group lessons with a teacher named Dick Longale. One of the most important things that happened in those lessons was that they gave him his first exposure to a good archtopLongales Gibson L12. It was beautifully balanced, rich sounding, complex . . . We were all trying to turn the knobs on our guitars to try and sound like Dick, but we couldnt. So I was intrigued. The other significant development was Parkers realization that he wasnt going to be a player. No matter how much I
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This Brownie model features a red spruce top, curly mahogany veneers (on the back, sides, and neck), and a European spruce neck core.
practiced, I was still struggling after two or three hours a night. So I said, Well, maybe Ill just try and make one of these things. That was in 1974. Parkers Brief Archtop Primer Being in the New York area was a boon for Parker and his aspiration, because it offered him many opportunities to get his hands on archtops. He quickly became an avid student.
The archtop guitar is one of the very few instruments on our planet that was not the product of an intensive period of competition by competent builders. You can count on one hand the number of people who built archtop guitars by hand before 1975. And thats just weird. The pianoforte came from these little carry-around-in-a-suitcase instruments, and it took 300 years to develop. The violin went through a huge period
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Your guitar is part of who you are. It has to respond to every nuance of your playing. Whether its singing sweet, clean tones, supporting with overdriven chords, or screaming a distorted lead solo, it has to feel great and sound even better. Introducing the Wechter Pathmaker Solid Body. Pure inspiration.
[Jimmy DAquisto] said, This is the best first guitar I ever saw . . . Youre crazy if you stop building guitars.
of developmentwere talking centuries. And even the classical guitar is still evolving. But the archtop was basically stillborn. By that, Parker means that many of the earliest archtops left a lot to be desired. They weighed a tonthey were made like packing crates. Then all these marketing geniuses got together with all these German
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craftsmen in Kalamazoo, and they made some pretty cool stuffmandolins, flattop guitars, archtop guitars in the model of [Orville] Gibson . . . but they made them better. And then, in 1922 they hired this genius [named] Lloyd Loar. He was only at the company for about 26 months, and in
that time he invented and perfected the F5 mandolin, the Mastertone banjo, and the L5 guitar. He is my hero. The L5 did get some improvements after Loar left Gibson in 1924. The examples that are most highly prized by people who listen were made in 27, 28, and 29, Parker continues. You could make an argument that no one seriously built an acoustic archtop since 1929 except for two people, DAngelico and Stromberg, because in 1938 Charlie Christian came along. He was like an evangelist Get a pickup guys! And everybody did! After that, archtops were built heavier to avoid feedbackbut that made them less responsive and rich sounding. They were really electric guitars with air inside, Parker says. I dont mean to say there werent
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Mrs. Natural has a red spruce top, rift-cut Big Leaf maple veneers (on the back, sides, and neck), a bronze tailpiece, and snakewood veneers on the fretboard, headstock, strap buttons, and bridge.
some brilliant guitars made by these guysand hats off, because when they came out great, they were great. But a lot of them were pretty clunky, quiet instruments. Achieving Knighthood In 1976, a young Parker tried to get an apprenticeship in Jimmy DAquistos shop. He took the first archtop hed made to show DAquisto that he was serious. He was turned down, but DAquisto clearly saw
something magical in the instrument Parker had made. He said, This is the best first guitar I ever saw, and on my way out the door he said, Youre crazy if you stop building guitars. I walked out of there going, I guess Im a guitar maker. He knighted mehe knighted me in his shop in 1976. Thus began the obsession. This is what I think about before I go to bed, what I think about in the shower. Ive worked on thousands and thousands of guitars. Ive seen all the good stuff and all the funny stuff, and Im trying to make my contribution to the field and make a better guitar. One of Parkers innovations is his bridge. The majority of the response from any acoustic guitar comes from the topnot
only the two pieces of wood that normally make the top, but also the braces and the bridge. For reasons I dont understand, most people dont think of the bridge as a transverse brace. But that is exactly what it is. On the classical and flattop, its bonded to the top, and on an archtop its forced down against the top. Its well known that the material in the bridge, the size and weight of the bridge, and the configuration of the bridge impact the sound of the instrument. And not only is the bridge a transverse brace, its also a transducer that changes vibrational energy into sound energy by delivering the vibrations to the top. Its a key part of the signal path from the strings to the top. So why are we taking this holy piece of material, cutting it in half, and putting a couple of hokey pieces of 6-32 brass rods and adjusters in there? It never made any sense to me.
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...But it did.
Better definition in every aspect. Harmonics flew out eagerly, the characters in my sonic story were more colorful and present. I cant believe it. The claims made by Vovox were apparent. The lowly cable made an obvious difference. The best comparison to my fellow guitar players is that the change was on the level of swapping out a pickup on your guitar.
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Parker makes most of his bridges out of ebony. They start out at 120 grams, but he hollows them until to 2124 grams. It would blow off a bench in a little breeze. It is no thicker than an eighth of an inch, and many places are much thinner than that. Thats partly what contributes to the low end of the dynamic range. You havent got a lot of mass to accelerate, so you tickle the string and its very happy to light up and make a sound. Since these miniscule bridges cannot be adjusted to change the action, Parker decided
to make action height adjustable by the player, on the fly. The neck literally floats over the guitars topthe only thing touching the body, aside from the bridge and tailpiece, is a carbon-fiber neck pin that extends into a thin-walled receptacle of aluminum tubing bonded inside the neck block. On the back of the guitar is a small, round grommet through which a hex wrench can be used to move the neck up for ridiculously low action or down to, say, play slide. With [that design], I got all these other great features: incredible access to
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[An archtops bridge] is a key part of the signal path from the strings to the top. So why are we taking this holy piece of material, cutting it in half, and putting a couple of hokey pieces of 6-32 brass rods and adjusters in there? It never made any sense to me.
the second octave because there is no heel, de-mountability for repair or travel, lots of room for a neck-end-mounted electromagnetic pickup, and the ability to fit another neck to the guitar for a different scale, a different number of strings, or whatever. It took Parker nearly a year to perfect his neck system. I start with a neck core out of my favorite stuffbeautiful-sounding, perfectly quartersawn Douglas fir or spruce. This one-piece core is only visible on the side of the headstock, but it goes all the way to the end of the neck. The back of the neck has a hardwood veneer that matches the sides. Between the veneer and the neck core theres quite a bit of carbon fiber set in an aerospace resin that needs two hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit to cure. Roomtemperature resins just arent rigid enough to do that job. Its kind of challengingyou have to make a metal mold, you have to get the resin pretty hot, and its kind of tough to control all those things and have them all come out looking gorgeous at the end. I cant tell you how happy I am with the result. It works just beautifully. hold Your head(stock) high Parker makes every single component of his archtops except the tuners and the strings. For the tuners homethe headstockParker machines a strop of aluminum that resembles the Parker Flys headstock, has it anodized, and then, unlike most archtops, positions the tuning pegs in a row. But he doesnt use this arrangement for aesthetic or branding reasons.
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The braces are there not to keep the top from collapsing, theyre there to unify the behavior of the top so that it doesnt get out of phase with itself and create dead spots and wolf notes.
The Fig flaunts its incredibly figured Big Leaf maple veneers. Note the hexwrench port for adjusting neck height and action.
He says there are two things that can change the dynamic tension of a string: the angle over the bridge and the nut, and the after lengththe distance between the bridge and the termination at the tailpiece, and between the nut and the tuning peg. Thats why, in one mans opinion, a three-and-three headstock is just plain-old physically wrong. Parker reasons that it doesnt make sense for the tension of the high-E and the B strings to be the same as the low-E and A strings. I think it makes the strings feel wrong. You have to get everything right in order to create an extraordinary experience for the player, and I really try to get this balancing-the-string-tension thing right. Its not my ideathis is a European idea from hundreds of years ago but the only way to do it is to put all the
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strings in one line, so the top string is more supple than it would be otherwise, and theres a nice, even progression in tension. He says that arrangement facilitates greater customization, too. For example, if you primarily play rhythm guitar, and you dont care so much about bending strings, Im going to make you a left-handed headstock for your guitar so you can put huge strings on the bottom and they wont feel too tightand theyll drive the pickup crazy. Parker says his headstock angle makes the instrument feel more playable, too. Gibsons is 14 degrees. Mines four and a quarter. Its as low as you can get it and
not [have the strings] come out of the nut slots and start behaving badly. And I know, because Ive explored it! Wooden Boxes Arguably, one of the sexiest things about the Parker archtop is the way hes cut the
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soundhole into the shoulder instead of putting f-holes on either side of the bridgealthough hes certainly not the first luthier to shift the soundhole or change its shape. Now, I realize I said Lloyd Loar is my hero, and it was his idea to [put f-holes on the top] in the first place. Having said that, it still doesnt look like the right place to me, because thats valuable real estatethats part of my speaker cone. I put the soundhole in
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Alumitone Humbucker
Right: This view of the Fig reveals its Douglas fir neck core, as well as the Waverly gears set into Parkers custom-made anodized aluminum strip. Below: The soundport offers a look at Mrs. Naturals immaculate interior.
what I call the least-worst place. Its as far away from the bridge as I can get it, and its as close to the player as I can get it. It delivers this immediate sound that makes people feel so confident. A lot of low end is available to the player. I have been able to create a guitar that has very, very even output, note to note and string to string, and very, very good separation within chords. You can play a chord with consonant or dissonant notes, and you can hear all the notes. It doesnt turn into a bunch of stirred-up warm ice cream. Note separation, clarity, and evennessthose are big targets for me. Parkers optional pickup was designed by Scottish archtop builder Mike Vanden,
who collaborated with Larry Fishman to create the Fishman Rare Earth soundhole pickup. For his archtops, Parker takes the pickup apart and puts the coils in an ebonyveneered box that rests unobtrusively at the end of the fretboard. He hides the batteries, 1/8" jack, and controls under the pickguard. The whole assembly weighs 100 grams, and it serves these guitars beautifully through a variety of amps. With an L.R. Baggs Core 1, it sounded stunningly clear, brilliant, and full. Plugged into a Vox AC15, it produced a wildly satisfying growl while retaining the richness that defines the guitar. As for the main box on a Parker archtop, its gloriously empty. Look inside the soundhole, and you see nothing but handbent kerfing and an X-braced top with two delicate pieces of spruce. When I brace a guitar, I put in two braces, Parker explains. Theyre off-center, for nefarious reasons of my own, and they dont touch. I glue one
brace on first and tune it, and then I glue on another brace that hops over the first brace. They taper out to little tiny whiskers at the glue line. If you dont do that, you wont get a big, supple low endperiod. The braces are there not to keep the top from collapsing, theyre there to unify the behavior of the top so that it doesnt get out of phase with itself and create dead spots and wolf notes. If theres a trick, if theres a secret, its getting those five pieces of woodthe two sides of the top, two braces, and one bridgeto work together to be an efficient structure so that you can get some real dynamic range out of the guitar. As for the wonderfully natural-looking and satin-soft finish on his guitars, Parker says its clean, easy to apply, and environmentally safe. He first applies an epoxy sealer, wipes it off, and then applies an oldfashioned oil varnish thats designed for gun stocks. If you put on a few coats, it looks kind of satiny and dry, and if you put on twenty coats it looks glossy and wet. And its repairable in a way that other finishes simply arent. If you get a dent in the top but you havent busted any fibers, you can pretty much take the dent out with an iron and a wet cloth. the Goose Bump Dance When all is said and done, its no exaggeration to say that Parker doesnt just walk the line between artist and scientist, he dances along it. His archtops are handmade, utterly unique masterpiecesfrom the strap button to the tuning-gear strop. He sums up his motivation and mission statement by saying, I want to build instruments that give people goose bumpsand I dont really care that it takes me a long time. Because when people play my archtops they say, This makes my Martin sound like theres a blanket over it. And thats what I want to hear!
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SR1205EVNF RG920QMRDT
Whether youre after the aggressive punch of the 6L6 tube or the classic British bite of the EL34, theres a Series One amp for you. Each offers multiple channels and switchable modes, delivering the broadest range of tones, from incredible high gain performance to sparkling boutique cleans. The DPR circuit provides full-on gain at any output level; ISF lets you customize the EQ to quickly dial in the sound in your head.
pril 26, 1942, was a day of anticipation and relief for the Allied prisoners of war at Stalag IX-C in the central German town of Bad Sulza. It was relatively early in World War II, and the POWs had no reason to believe they would be released anytime soon. They lived a squalid, crowded existence and were emaciated from meager rations of cabbage soup and hard bread. But that Sunday marked a rare occasion for smiles: The inmateswho came from many nations, including Poland, Belgium, and Francehad been given permission to put on a concert, complete with a stage, sets, costumes, and lights. Dubbed Strike up the Band, the evening gala featured sets by a rag-tag orchestra by the name of Jimmy Culley and the Stalagians, and a smaller jazz quartet billed as the Four Bilge Brothers.
p their l e h n e t f o Guitars ough t h g u o r h t owners get few have seen times, but ugh as those times as to ish Royal Air it and faced by Br Force pilot prisoner ofie n war Alf Bin 0s and his 194top. ch German ar iGHurst
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Above: Alf Binnies archtop features a rich antique burst finish and a pearloid pickguard. Left: Alf in a photo taken of his POW camp band, Jimmy Culley and the Stalagians.
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l, with POW camp was disma the Stalag IX-C Nazi son rea had n me Above: Though life in se und, the and disease to go aro asional concert. Alf plenty of hard labor occ the form per to e allowed was to smile when they wer for Alfs guitar, which t. Right: The receipt m. the for y pla Binnie is at middle righ he t tha on guards on the conditi purchased for him by
One of those brothers was Alf Binnie, a guitar-playing Canadian pilot serving in Britains Royal Air Force. Hed recently marked the one-year anniversary of being shot down over Holland, and just a few weeks before this rare performance, Binnie had miraculously acquired a new handmade archtop guitar from a music store in Weimar, Germany. Acquiring a good guitar is special for any guitarist, but for Binnie it was part and parcel of how he survived the most grueling trial of his life. Somehow, the guitar survived too. The story of Binnies POW guitar came to light earlier this year in the tiny Daily Inter Lake newspaper in Kalispell, Montana. An editor there became aware of Leslie Collins, a real estate agent in nearby Whitefish who had been helping Alf s widow, Joan, find the best home for Alf s small, precious collection of wartime belongings. The collection, now in the possession of the Canadian War Museum, includes a poster from the Strike up the Band concert at Stalag IX-C, a photo of one of Alf s prison-camp bands, the original bill of sale for the guitar, and, most remarkably, the guitar Alf acquired in February of 1942. It stayed with him through four more prison camps and The March, during which thousands of POWs were forced out of their camps and sent hundreds of miles on foot to flee from
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the invading Russian army. We recently spoke with Collins and Joan Binnie to find out more about this remarkable story about a man and his guitar. More Adventure than he Bargained for Alfred E. Binnie was born in Montreal, Quebec, on January 6, 1920. His father, a reporter for the Montreal Star, was also the long-time organist and choirmaster for a large church. Joan believes Alf had a ukulele as a boy and perhaps a guitar, and he was an avid fan of Django Reinhardt and Louis Armstrong. Apparently Alf never harbored a desire to become a professional musician. When pressed to find work during his teenage years, he opted for adventure and a short-term commission in the Royal Air Force of Great Britain, an option open to Canadian citizens. By the time he got to England in 1939, the Germans were on the march across Europe, and in September, Britain and France formally declared war on the Nazi regime. Alf s program was suddenly eliminated, but with some persuading and patience, he was accepted into the RAF as an officer and pilot
Left: The printed program from the April 26, 1942, Strike up the Band performance for the guards at Stalag IX-C. Inset: Alfs pilots log indicates he was shot down on March 11, 1941, over Alkmaar, Holland. He was one of two survivors from his seven-man crew, but his leg was wounded badly and subsequently saved by German doctors.
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the Royal Air Force one Alf began piloting for ton Mk II bomber like the ling Wel ers Vick a of . r to lic-domain pho nds in March of that yea A British government pub ical treatment for his wou n, captured, and given med in 1941. He was shot dow
in training. By 1941, he was co-piloting missions in a Vickers Wellington Mk II bomber. Its unclear how many missions Alf flew before he was shot down, but it wasnt many. On March 12, 1941, his plane took enemy fire and, with a badly wounded leg, he bailed out over Holland. Only one of his fellow crewmen survived. Alf managed to bury his parachute and walk to a farmhouse, where a family called a doctor. After looking at Alf s wounds, the doctor said there was no alternative but to call the German authorities, both to get access to a proper hospital and to ensure the family wasnt called out for harboring an enemy combatant. Joan Binnie says the Nazis showed surprising respect and compassion for enemy officers and pilots. The next three months in the German-run hospital were agonizing, but several surgeries did manage to save Alf s leg. When hed recuperated, he was processed in the German city of Oberursel and then sent to Stalag IX-C. The prison camp was part of a complex that held as many as 47,000 inmates in horribly overcrowded conditions. Some reports say as many as 150 people lived and ate in 120' x 60' rooms. Prisoners were sent to work daily in nearby salt mines and stone quarries. Disease was rampant, and Joan Binnie says Alf felt fortunate to have never gotten dysentery, which was commonplace. Alf also avoided the hardest manual labor by virtue of being an officer. But he didnt escape the prisons ghastly dentistry, on one occasion having the wrong tooth pulled before passing out. They (also) gave them very little to eat, which was very hard on them, Joan says. Mostly just soup and hard bread. I asked Alf how they managed to exist, and he said it was only
Alf managed to bury his parachute and walk to a farmhouse, where a family called a doctor. After looking at Alfs wounds, the doctor said there was no alternative but to call the German authorities . . .
because they were so young. Nineteen or 20. He said you could take a heck of a lot [at that age]. A light in the Dark Alf s 6-string deliverance was made possible by a remarkably unusual circumstanceat least for a jazz musician: He didnt smoke. Cigarettes were literally currency in the camp, and inmates could either smoke their meager tobacco rations or use them to buy personal effects. Somehow (Joan attributes it to a particularly compassionate camp commandant), Alf s desire to
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Alfs guitar features a bound headstock with a handsomely aged pearloid veneer that, unfortunately, bears no labels or marks to indicate who made it. Note the well-worn tuning buttons and the zero fret.
spend his saved-up cigarettes on a guitar moved up the chain of command and was approved. A prison guard apparently bought it on his behalf. The receipt from the August Becker Musical Instrument shop specifically notes that The aforementioned instrument is the property of A.E. Binnie (inmate 39159). He has bought and paid for it out of his own means, or resources. When Alf got the guitar, says Joan, he just about fainted. Because it was a beautiful thing and it was just handed to him. He was absolutely floored. It was a copy of a Gibson L series, but nobody has been able to find a makers mark on it, so its provenance is unknown. A luthier who repaired its neck after the war said it is a very fine instrument. One can only imagine the solace and the relief from boredom such an instrument could afford. Not to mention the camaraderie that came from being able to form bands, whichaccording to accounts and photographswas not uncommon. Performances, however, were rare, and life in camp was interrupted by lockdowns after escape attempts and outbreaks of
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L series archtop guitara copy of a Gibson Above: At some point, Alfs ng to his widow, ordi Acc ilt. rebu be to ed need was damaged and the neck ity instrument. qual a was it said it ired who repa Joan, the Canadian luthier guitar. Alfs of back le carves on the Left: A detail shot of the supp runs parallel to the strings that k crac ine hairl a of Opposite: A close-up iece. Note the the anchor of the trapeze tailp all the way from the f-hole to e. piec le sadd le stab the adju clean, art-deco-like lines of
disease. But it does seem that Alf was able to keep the guitar and play it basically when he felt like it. Joan relates that, at some point, Alf ran out of guitar strings and his father corresponded with one of the Dorsey Brothers (a popular jazz group from the 1920s and 30s that was fronted by Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey), who helped arrange for delivery of a care package that included new strings. The latter stages of the war should have meant the worst was over, but the opposite was true: Russian troops had purged the Nazis from their homeland and were marching west, liberating countries in eastern Europe as they went. This led to a frenzied evacuation of prison camps all over Poland, Czechoslovakia, and eastern Germany. About 80,000 prisoners were sent on foot across hundreds of miles in the dead of the coldest winter in decades. Thousands died, some from starvation or exposure, others to friendly fire incidents when Allied planes strafed the columns of men they mistook for retreating German troops. Alf saw friends and comrades die in such a manner. All this time, Alf kept his guitar slung on his back, covered with some of the inadequate clothes still in his possession. Rations were literally scavenged from fields and farms en route,
140 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 premierguitar.com
Alfs desire to spend his saved-up cigarettes on a guitar moved up the chain of command and was approved.
and it was never enough. As his group reached Gresse, east of Hamburg, their long-awaited deliverance arrived. They were on the road, and it was miserable because it was wet and raining, she says, but all of a sudden the guards all left, and then they heard that the war had ended. He and this friend went into this small town and took this soldiers motorcycle. The Americans were coming towards them, and they [the prisoners] were waving at them. They had a white flag. They stopped that first night at a German farmhouse and took a ham [from it]. 011_ad.pdfThey 4/26/11 PM stayed 1:23:20 in the barn and they werent bothered. But those guys were somethingthey took the ham, but they left cigarettes [as payment]!
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for a guitar that surthe binding, but its not bad ens a bit as it approaches wid separating from the ar be guit to Alfs ears of app top ing the : The bind LEFT: The crack in end of the war. MIDDLE the at le working as a whi ch Mar met e he Th m and n, who vived both a POW camp n. RIGHT: Alfs widow, Joa ditio con d goo bly arka e in rem med with guests. body a bit, but its otherwis hotel where he often jam The two later ran a small ski instructor in Quebec.
lifelong companions Alf recuperated in England and returned home to Canada, where despite his wounded leg he went back to his passion for skiing. He bought a small hotel and became chief ski instructor at a larger resort called Jasper in Quebec. Thats where he met Joan. I was working in Montreal, she says. I went up every Friday. Although many things that brought back memories of life in Stalag IX-C were repugnant to Alf throughout the remainder of his lifefor instance, he couldnt stand the smell of boiled cabbagehis guitar stayed with him as a source of joy till the end. He had the neck repaired when he was back home, and he often played for hotel guests, sometimes alone and sometimes sitting in on informal jam sessions with musicians who came up for breaks from New York or Montreal. It was romantic, Joan recalls. I dont think I appreciated it enough at the time. Around 1950, Joan and Alf moved to a more practical life in Long Beach, California, where he became a real-estate appraiser for a bank. Upon retirement, they moved back to snowy climes in the town of Whitefish, Montananear the Canadian border and more great skiing. Alf continued to love jazz and some hillbilly country, becoming a fan of Chet Atkins and Glen Campbell. He played the guitar until nearly the end of his life. Sometimes it would sit unused for a while, but then, says Joan, All of a
T housands died, some from starvation or exposure, others to friendly fire incidents when Allied planes strafed the columns of men they mistook for retreating German troops All this time, Alf kept his guitar slung on his back. . . .
sudden, something would come on the radio or TV or something and hed go upstairs. Hed play quite often by himself up there. He would rush up there to get it. I used to love when he did that. The guitar was a big part of his lifeall of his life.
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Contemporary-country superstar Keith Urban reflects on how Waylon Jennings indie spirit inspired him more than 20 years ago in Australia, why Mark Knopfler became his first guitar hero, and how he rehabilitated many of his treasured vintage axes after the tragic Nashville flood of 2010.
By tHomas sCott mCkenzie PHotos By Bill Bernstein
ith his scruffy surfer-heartthrob looks, his celebrity lifestyle (he regularly shows up in paparazzi pics with his wife, actress Nicole Kidman), and his incredible string of hitswhich includes 15 singles on the US charts, 10 of which went No. 1Keith Urban is one of those success stories thats so big its hard for serious musicians to take seriously. But that probably says more about the skeptics and haters than it does the man himself. See, although Urban has been a mainstay on the American contemporarycountry scene for the past 12 years or so, he started slogging it out as a session guitarist in his native Australia 20 years ago before scoring a record deal with his band the Ranch in the late 90s. And though most of us are used to seeing him singing and wearing an amazing vintage guitar on a TV program or
in a Target endcap display, that guitar isnt just a stylish pendant. The man is a hardcore playerand not just of acoustic and electric guitar: He also plays bass, banjo, keyboards, mandolin, drums, bouzouki, and sitar. Given that Urbans audience is a lot larger than the worlds population of guitarists, its natural that people focus a lot more on his singing and songwriting abilities. Reviewers point out that his recent albums focus primarily on love. His November 2010 release, Get Closer, is a largely upbeat affair full of happy songs dedicated to the positive influences of a solid relationship. He sings about putting his woman in a tune, taking her for a drive, loving her since the first day, and savoring the change she introduces into his life. Gossip magazine readers quickly assumed these songs were all about him and Kidman.
However, given Urbans enviable collection of vintage guitars, these sentiments could just as easily apply to his love of the instruments he uses onstage each night. Many of those axes were tragically damaged during the catastrophic flooding in Nashville, Tennessee, last year. As a guitarist who felt more like a caretaker of fine instruments than an actual owner, Urban was heartbroken when his guitars floated in dirty river water for days. He and his team struggled to resurrect the instruments, making the lyric, Hiding from the world with a broken wing, But you better believe you gonna fly with me particularly meaningful to this conversation. Currently, many of those rehabbed guitars accompany Urban on his 50-plus-city Get Closer 2011 world tour.
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Knopfler, Vintage Guitars, and Old Cars Urbans musical career began not on a wellloved guitar but on a simple instrument more aligned with soothing island rhythms than with searing solos. My dad bought me this ukulele when I was four, he says. I dont know why he bought it for me. He comes from a musical family, so maybe he just thought it would be a cool thing. I used to strum that in time with the radio, so he thought, When the kid gets older, maybe well get him a real guitar to learn some chordsbecause he seems to have rhythm. It was just a progression from that little ukulele I used to hack at. As his musical endeavors grew, Urban initially focused more on songs, chords, and rhythms than on obsessively scrutinizing guitar heroes. I just wanted to learn songs, he recalls. I learned a lot of songs that I heard on the radio, and I would not have a clue who was playing guitar. I was not really thinking about the lead guitarI was just playing chords and singing. But that all changed when Urban discovered Mark Knopfler while playing in a band as a teen. An older bandmate suggested he check out the Dire Straits axe slinger. I just fell in love with his playing, Urban says. Mark had a real clean, compressed, Strat style that was right at home with the kind of country music I was listening to. He had a melodicism and a touch and feel that was like nobody else. It was such a recognizable tone. Today, Urbans love of vintage guitars, amplifiers, and automobiles is well documented. The fascination with cool rides comes from his father, who owned a Pontiac, a couple of Chevys, and some classic Lincolns. Old cars were part of my family, he recalls. But I never thought much about vintage guitars until I had some money. Suddenly, I got to play somebodys Les Paul or old Strat, and it was just a whole different thingtheres nothing quite like it. One of Urbans favorite acquisitions is the iconic black-and-white, leather-wrapped Fender that outlaw legend Waylon Jennings made famous. Added to his arsenal in late 2009, the 1950 Broadcaster is particularly special not simply because of its historical significance. Theres a very personal tie-in to Urbans life and career. I grew up listening to Waylon and, ultimately, I probably have a career today because he had the courage to come to a town like Nashville and do it his way,
146 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
Urban inspires a toast from a fan with his double-cutaway Les Paul Junior.
Urban says. He wanted to use his own band, he wanted to choose the studio, he wanted to choose the songs, choose the producerand that was not the way things were done. So many of us have that freedom today in Nashville, and we really have Waylon to thank for that. So that guitar represents so much to me about just
following your path. Even if you come up against the system, you can stay true to yourself. When I plugged it in and played it, it was just amazing. Its so full of mojo. While Jennings Broadcaster obviously stays at home, Urban uses a number of pricey vintage guitars on tour. And several of thoseincluding a 1952 Gibson Les Paul
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Brian Nutter (left) backs Urban on 6-string banjo while the boss takes a solo on one of his Teles.
Standard and a 1962 Gibson ES-335were damaged in the Nashville flood. The Les Paul was submerged for four days. It has some flaking that happened after it got out of the water and started drying
out, Urban says. From the goldtop around the pickups, there are huge chips that have come off since then, and it has bits flaked off all around the neck. That is particularly worn from all of the flood damage. The
ES-335 was also a flood victim that has been salvaged. It does not look overly damaged, but it has a muted look to the lacquer and got more worn lookingmuch more so than before it went into the river. Urbans main stage instrument was also waterlogged but successfully revived. Nicknamed Clarence, its a Fender 40th Anniversary Telecaster obtained at Mannys Music during the musicians first visit to the United States. According to Urbans guitar tech, Chris Miller, over the years the guitar has had every pickup combination under the sun put in it at one time or another. During the restoration process, Miller set about returning the instrument to its original state before subsequently launching new pickup experiments. Of course, no guitar could go through so much physical devastation and remain tonally unchanged. However, Urban says the tone has changed for the better as a result of the flood and restoration. I think it sounds a little more unique now than it did prior to going into the river, Urban says.
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The Aussie star strums an Em chord on an Eric Clapton Signature Strat with Lace Sensor pickups.
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Asked about his ultimate tone, Urban says he loves amps that have lots of headroom without sounding sterile. To that end, he owns many revered amplifiersincluding a Dumble Overdrive Special and an EL34-driven, 45-watt Trainwreck Express, both of which feature prominently on Get Closer. However, hes sticking to old Fenders and Marshallsa purple 100-watt 1969 Marshall Super Bass head and a mid-60s blackface Fender Showmanon the road. Miller says the amps are routed through two vintage Marshall 4x12 speaker cabinets loaded with Electro-Voice speakers and two Alessandro open-backed 2x12s, so that each head goes through six speakers, as loud as I can get them without them breaking up. No Vintage Snob Despite his drool-inducing collection of old 6-strings and amps, Urbans arsenal also includes some offbeat acquisitions. He has a thing for cheap guitars with a funky, lo-fi vibe, guitar tech Miller laughs. He owns several old Airlines and Teiscos
that were damaged in the flood and have yet to be put back in working order. He recently got another Teisco that [Nashville tech] Joe Glaser is improving so it can be used during a gigthe bridge is a little dodgy. Urban himself ascribes the habit of buying these overlooked instruments to a Charlie Brown-like desire to take care of an item everyone else ignores. I often buy or go to the store and look for the ugliest runt guitar and bring it home because I feel sorry for it, he says. I often think about the 10-year-old kid at our concert who is checking out all the brands of the guitars. I always loved Tom Petty and those guys with the quirkiest, weirdest guitars. I like to remind kids that if youve got a hundred bucks, you can go and buy a great guitar that is going to get you where you want to go. You dont have to have thousands of dollars to get a solo happening! Taking It on the Road Typically, studio versions of tunes are rearranged and adjusted for live
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performancesfor instance, maybe a long intro is shortened or adjusted to make up for lack of an orchestraand to a limited degree, Urban has done so for his current tour. For example, he kicks things off with Put You in a Song, the first single from Get Closer. Urban says the song has been stretched and elongated to the point of functioning almost like a remix. He also explains that other tunes have to be tweaked because delicate lines and musical textures arent necessarily going to translate well to large arenas. Like in Long Hot Summer, which begins with a warm, Andy Summers-like arpeggio, the important piece is the electric riffs, Urban says. The banjo has a nice sound to it on the record, but its not something you would miss live. So I would probably put my guy onto some other instrument that sounds more needed in a live situation. As for the songs Police-esque vibe, Urban says, It definitely comes from that Message in a Bottlekind of place, but the actual lyrics were inspired by a song called Short Memory
by Midnight Oil. Short Memory is completely different, but the arpeggiated intro always stayed with me, and this is sort of a sped-up version of that with a couple of chord changes. Other than the live adjustments made to Long Hot Summer, Urban says his set doesnt require as much alteration as you might think. Ive gotten to the point where I record songs like I would probably play them live anyway, yknow? he says. Like long solos on the outros, if the songs require them. Thats definitely an ode to the Dire Straits records I grew up with, which had three-minute outrosalmost like a part two of the song. Other than Knopfler, one of Urbans big guitar influences is U2s the Edge, as evidenced by the shimmering, echo-y part that gently floats under the piano in All for You. The Edge is absolutely one of the greats, Urban says. We were just playing todaywe were trying to get a muted, arpeggiated, single-string thingand I was trying to get my other guitarists to get the
right guitar to make it nice and woody in the middle. I said, Yknow, like the Edge that kind of thing. Then, I actually came to the conclusion that it was probably more David Gilmour than the Edge because of that single-string thing. Following in Waylons Footsteps? Urbans current Get Closer tour affords fans plenty of opportunities to check out his guitars and be inspired by either the vintage gear or the quirky stuff. The concert features an entirely new stage set, new production, and a new look that fans are going to loveincluding multiple stages that enable Urban to get closer to fans all over the venue. During one of those forays into the audience, its entirely possible that some young boy, an eager and determined young musician, might look upon Urban and Clarence the Tele with the same reverence that the Aussie once bestowed upon Waylon Jennings and that leather-clad Broadcaster. It would be a huge honorId better take care of it!
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(Left to right): A pine-bodied Fender Tele with a rosewood fretboard, a Fender Custom Shop La Cabronita Especial whose TV Jones Classic has been swapped for a mini humbucker, and a Dan Strain-built T-style Danocaster used for Kiss a Girl, Im In, Jeans On, and Days Go By.
A 64 Strat Urban grabbed to test an amp withand promptly boughtat a store in Australia.
Urban uses The Mirror Tele, which tech Chris Miller says is very light, every night for Somebody.
Guitars
Pine Fender Telecaster with rosewood fretboard, Fender Custom Shop La Cabronita Especial with mini humbucker, Dan Strain T-style Danocaster, 62 Gibson ES-335, 64 Fender Strat, custom Fender Tele nicknamed The Mirror, 57 Gibson Les Paul Junior, stock Fender Custom Shop La Cabronita Especial, Fender Custom Shop 60th Anniversary Snake Head Tele, Martin OMJM John Mayer signature acoustic, Maton acoustic, Yamaha nylon-string, and, according to tech Chris Miller, a zillion other guitars that are constantly going in and out of rotation
Amps
Dumble Overdrive Special (studio), 45-watt Trainwreck Express with EL34s (studio), two mid-60s Fender Dual Showmans (live, one is a spare), 69 Marshall Super Bass, two vintage Marshall 4x12s with Electro-Voice speakers, two Alessandro 2x12 cabs, Marshall Valvestate power amp (for cabs)
To prevent this rosewood-fretboarded Tele from ringing out too much when strummed hard, Urban places a piece of folded-up foam under the strings and just behind the nut.
2, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Custom Audio Electronics RS-10 MIDI Foot Controller and an RS-10 Expander Module, Cry Baby DCR-2SR rack wah, RJM Music Technology Effect Gizmo loop switchers, Lexicon MPX 1, two TC Electronic G-Major 2s, Avalon Design U5 DI/preamp (for acoustics)
Effects
Demeter COMP-1 Compulator, Wampler Ego Compressor, Analog Man Juicer, Wampler Paisley Drive, two Boss GE-7s, MXR Distortion III, T-Rex Alberta, B.K. Butler Tube Driver, two Klon Centaurs, Pro Co Rat, MXR GT-OD, XTS Custom Pedals Precision Overdrive, Boss CE-
Fender Custom Shop 60th Anniversary Series Snake Head Tele with 1.5" pine body.
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This 57 Les Paul Junior is one of Urbans preferred axes for the song Stupid Boy from his 2006 album Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing.
Miller says this all-original Fender Custom Shop La Cabronita Especial was Urbans go-to guitar for most of 2010.
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Although there are numerous pick-holding solutions on the market these days, Urban still prefers to secure his Herco picks to the upper bouts of his guitars with rolled-up gaffer tape.
Urbans 100-watt 1969 Marshall Super Bass head features a multitude of strategically placed tape to block the lower-right 1/4" input (note the jumpered inputs), to indicate desired knob settings, and to elucidate proper Power and Standby toggle positions.
The Marshall and Fender heads are each routed through one vintage Marshall 4x12 loaded with Electro-Voice speakers and one Alessandro 2x12. The 4x12s are micd with Shure KSM32, while SM57s kiss the Alessandros grilles.
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Urbans main mid-60s Fender Dual Showman (the bottom one is a spare) has almost as much setting-reminder tape as his Marshall Super Bass.
Kr a u t s t e r
The Krautster totally nails the sound and sheer power of raw music. Its design and craftmanship, meanwhile, demonstrate massive scope and breathtaking ambition. Disguised as a plain, down-to-earth guitar, the Krautster comes proudly stripped of everything but the very essence of Rock!
www.nikhuber-guitars.com
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Urbans stage rig includes (left rack, top to bottom) two Shure UR4D Dual Wireless receivers, a Radial Engineering JX44 Air Control guitar-signal manager (note the two outputs at right labeled Showman and Plexi), an Avalon Design U5 class-A DI/preamp for his acoustics, a Jim Dunlop Cry Baby DCR-2SR rack wah, an RJM Music Technology Effect Gizmo loop switcher, and two stompbox drawers (detailed below). The rack at right includes (top to bottom) another RJM Music Technology Effect Gizmo, another pedal drawer (see below), a Rack Systems Preset 210 phase and level controller, a Lexicon MPX 1 multi-effector, two TC Electronic G-Major 2 units (one is a spare), a Marshall Valvestate power amp, and an APC Smart-UPS 1500 uninterruptible power supply.
The first stompbox drawer in Urbans rack is loaded with a Demeter COMP-1 Compulator, a Wampler Ego Compressor, an Analog Man Juicer (which is a replica of Dan Armstrongs vintage Orange Squeezer compressor), a Wampler Paisley Drive, and two Boss GE-7 graphic-equalizer pedals. A Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus powers all the stompboxes.
An adjacent rack features a pedal drawer with an early-80s Pro Co Rat, an MXR GT-OD overdrive, an XTS Custom Pedals Precision Overdrive, and a Boss CE-2 Chorus powered by another Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
The next drawer down features an MXR Distortion III, a T-Rex Alberta overdrive, a B.K. Butler Tube Driver, and two Klon Centaur overdrives, all powered by a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus.
Onstage, Urban controls his rack with a Custom Audio Electronics RS-10 MIDI Foot Controller and an RS-10 Expander Module (the latter is an add-on unit that expands the RS-10s capabilities with two extra columns of footswitches above the PS-5 and PS-6 labels). The RS-10 is flanked by a Boss FV500H expression pedal (left), an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal (right), and a Boss FS-5U momentary footswitch (far right).
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give it a
turns any flat surface into a guitar stand
rest
where do you rest your guitar? upload your photos to facebook
works great on amps, tables, road cases, and studio furniture inert material will not damage guitar finishes
Planet Waves is a registered trademark or trademark of DAddario & Company, Inc. or its affiliates in the US and/or other countries. 2011 DAddario & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Anthem...Simplified
ANTHEM SL
TRU MIC TECHNOLOGY
TM
A streamlined version of the new microphone system that everybody is talking about.
"Just what you expec t from a ver y good mic. Ever ything else simply vanishes beyond the horizon in comparison." -Laurie Williams, Luthier
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GiBson
he electric baritone guitar has been popping up on pop, rock, and country records for almost as long as the standard 6-string. Brian Wilson was a huge fan, utilizing its unique tone and capacity for lower tuning registers to help create the expansive textures of many classic Beach Boys cuts. Danelectro baritones were a staple of Nashville recording studios. And players as diverse as Pat Metheny, Peter Buck, and Duane Eddy have used electric baritones as a secret weapon of sorts. Its also found favor among modern heavy rock and metal players, most notably Stainds Mike Mushok and Metallicas James Hetfield, the latter of which used one for rhythm tracks on Sad But True. Gibson built 6-string basses decades ago, but only in the past decade has the company combined the qualities of the baritone guitar with their classic Les Paul design. The initial run was a short one, but theyve revisited the concept with the new
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limited-edition Les Paul Studio Baritone and the results are no less impressive than they were the first time around. Devilish Details Despite the original Les Paul Baritones short life on the market, it found a lot of fans. After it went out of production, prices for the original pewter-finished instruments more than doubled the original price. The demand is rooted in much more than novelty and collectability, though the marriage of Les Paul humbucker heft and the long scale makes the Les Paul Studio Baritone a unique and formidable sonic tool. This new bari Les Paul has a lot in common with Gibsons original release. It employs the same 28" scale, which means its one-piece mahogany neck is a full 3 1/2" longer than a standard Les Pauls. This keeps the string tension tight in lower tunings such as C (CFB%E%GC), B (BEADF#B), and A (AEAD F#B), while retaining the percussive snap and low-end tightness that you lose when tuning a standard-scale guitar down that low. Its a sound and feel that cannot be completely replicated by simply throwing a heavier set of strings on your regular Les Paul and dropping the tuning.
. . . the marriage of Les Paul humbucker heft and the long scale makes the Les Paul Studio Baritone a unique and formidable sonic tool.
Because of the extra 3 1/2" in scale length, two additional frets have been added, giving the Les Paul Studio Baritone a 24-fret, two-octave runway. Like the first Les Paul Baritone, the necks profile is the companys standard rounded 59 shape. And the body is finished with a thin coat of nitrocellulose lacquer for maximum resonance and wood breathability. The guitars chambered, two-piece mahogany body is remarkably light, thanks to internal tone chambers. Because of that and the longer scale, I expected it to be neck-heavy. But it remained balanced when I adjusted the strap to tilt the neck a little higher than the body. The beautiful two-piece maple cap is finished in Honeyburstthe only color available at this timeand the edges are stained a lovely golden hue that gives the guitar a subtly luxurious vibe. Gibson made some very practical changes to the electronics in the newest belting out some power-chord-fueled metal riffage, and the sound was tight and huge, with the thick, solid midrange that Les Pauls are known for and highs and upper mids that cut through like a bolt of lightning over the thundering low end. Rather than an overbearing, sludgy tonality, the guitar sounded firm and full, with the low end serving as a foundation for the mids and highs rather being the dominant quality. Tonally, this guitar is very balanced, despite its specialized function. The Baritone came strung with Gibsons standard .013.060 baritone strings and tuned to the key of C#. Intonation was spot-on, and the superb setup made the guitar exceptionally playable. The extra scale length made the thicker strings feel as slinky as .010s, and playing one-and-a-half-step bends in the middle of the neck was almost
59 neck profile
Baritone. The original version had 490R and 498T humbuckers with alnico 5 magnets and metal covers. However, because a prominent treble response can give baritones a more balanced sound and keep the inherently pronounced low-end frequencies tight and audible while adding detail and emphasis to highs that would otherwise be a dull thud, Gibson installed a pair of uncovered ceramic-magnet humbuckers a 496R in the neck position and a 500T bridge pickupthis time around. The
496R and 500T are much hotter and brasher sounding than the vintage-voiced 490R and 498T in the original, but their ability to handle low frequencies and enhanced highs alike gives them an edge over their lower-output predecessors. lay It Down I tested the Les Paul Studio Baritone by plugging into a Bogner Brixton head and a Bogner 2x12 cabinet. I couldnt help
PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 157
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Rating:
switched to the neck pickup. However, the 496R can sound so big that I found myself wishing for a coil-tap switch. Some of the best baritone-guitar recordings were made with single-coil-equipped guitars after all, and their piano-like qualitiesespecially on the low stringscan make a baritone much more manageable in the studio. the Verdict Gibsons new Les Paul Studio Baritone is much more than a flash-in-the-pan rock/ metal machineand its more than a Nashville studio tool, too. Its a vibrantly tuneful and wide-ranging guitar that can work in countless musical settings thanks to its versatile tones and inviting, familiar-feeling ergonomics. Though a coil-tap function would give the wellmatched pickups even greater range, careful manipulation of the Volume and Tone knobs yields a variety of usable sounds. If youre looking for tones that are even more burly and muscular than a standard Les Paul, this unique instrument can definitely deliver.
effortlessso much so that I had to be careful not to bend double stops too sharp. It takes some mental recalibration to get used to the added neck length, but the guitars playability of the instrument speeds the process considerably. The Baritones comfort and surprising ability to handle note separation led me in very unexpected directions. From downtuned metal, I moved to bluesy single-note runs and arpeggiated rock melodies, and the amount of detail and bounce in every note was astonishing. I spent the next hour recording an impromptu song in the vein of the Cures Burn, with its chugging, sixteenth-note pattern, to see how the LP Studio bari fit in a band mix. I coaxed a glistening clean tone out of a Bogner Barcelona 40-watt combowhich was surprising, considering the 500Ts hot outputand the guitar sat beautifully in the multitrack mix. Not only did it make a great complement to the two standard electric guitar tracks, it also lent more definition to the bass track. The tone was even more expansive when I
Buy If...
you crave the punch of lowered tunings but arent willing to sacrifice treble and mid response.
skip If...
you prefer single-coil-fueled bari tones.
Gibson Guitars
Street $1389 gibson.com
CLICKHere
or use a mobile device to watch a video review of the guitar at
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MULTIWAVE DISTORTION
>
Effect: Multiband 04 Sustain: 75% Drive: 65% Distortion Mix: Full Output: 55% EQ: Low and High Boost
ADRIAN BELEW
EARL SLICK
Solo Artist
REEVES GABRELS
JAKE CINNINGER
Umphreys McGee
BILLY SHEEHAN
Mr. Big
CLASSIC DISTORTION
CHUCK GARVEY
moe.
TRI-MOD WAH
BRENDAN BAYLISS
Umphreys McGee
- NEW Bass Envelope Filter - NEW Classic Distortion - NEW Multiwave Bass Distortion - Multiwave Distortion - Tri-mod Wah - Tri-mod Phaser - Tri-mod Flanger
Soundblox Pro
- NEW Classic Distortion - NEW Multiwave Distortion - NEW Multiwave Bass Distortion
My Morning Jacket
CARL BROEMEL
HOT HAND
My Morning Jacket
JIM JAMES
EFFECTS EVOLUTION
SOURCEAUDIO.NET
DragonForce
HERMAN LI
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Kustom amplification
ts called Occams razorthe simplest solution to a problem tends to be the best. Its a good route for choosing a bass rig, too. Add too many features and you have a better chance of doing damage to your tone. In fact, the longer Ive played bass, the less I twiddle with an amps knobs. When I do decide to twiddle something, Ill do it in moderation. The rig reviewed here does a good job of following the Occams razor principle. You might remember the Kustom bass amps, ubiquitous in the 60s and 70s with their legendary tuck n roll auto upholstery, that were offered in an array of sparkly colors and decked out with chrome ports and a cool script-like name badge. The appointments may have been fancy looking, but Kustom bass amps were downright humble when it came to knobs. This new Kustom bass rig retains that simplicity while knocking down the weight considerablythanks to the use of some newer technologies.
the KXB500: A tidy, Basic package The first key technology contributing to big power in a lightweight form is the use of a class D power amp. The KXB500 uses a Bang & Olufsen ICEpower module that puts out 500 watts RMS at 4 all in a package measuring a mere 12" wide, 8" deep, and 2.5" high. Despite its diminutive stature, the KXB500 has all the features the average bassist needsOccams razor in action. On the front panel sits one Input jack, one input Gain control, a 3-band EQ, and a Master volume. Kustom includes a pushpull switch on the Midrange knob that toggles its center frequencies between 500 Hz and 700 Hz, both useful for bass, though a little close together. The front panel also includes a handy Mute switch (with a red light that flashes when engaged), a 1/8"
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Plugging in, I found it a simple task to get a good basic sound by centering the easyviewing EQ knobs, turning the input Gain up to around noon, and adjusting the Master to taste. I found that the EQ knobs had plenty of sound-shaping ability, with tonal centers at musically pleasant frequencies. It would have been nice, though, to have center detents on the three tone controls. The input impedance, at 690k , is a little low for acoustic piezo-based pickups, but should be fine for magnetic pickups on electric basses. Though the Master control seemed to get loud a little quicker than Id prefer, Kustom states they used an input stage that could accommodate a very wide range of input signals, allowing for clean tones and still having enough gain to overdrive the system. All said, it was still easy to adjust to my desired level, and I found the KXB500 to have a neutral voiceone that would be useful for a lot of musical situations. Kustom does include rack ears if youre so inclined, but keep in mind that a rack case would likely weigh more than the amp itself. Deep End DE115nEo cab: Yet Another tidy, Basic package This Kustom Deep End Neo cab is both lightweight and compact, thanks in part to the Eminence neodymium magnet speaker that weighs far less than a conventional ceramic magnet design. The use of plywood over particleboard also keeps the weight in check, especially by going with rear ports that eliminate about 6" or so of height necessary for front shelf porting. This cab ends up a little smaller than many others with a 15" speaker, measuring 24" high, 20" wide and 16" deep. The DE115NEO uses an 8 speaker, which allows the amp to put out 300 watts RMS. A second Deep End 115 Neo would be needed to reach the amps full power. The jack plates connections had a
PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 161
Aux In jack (for practicing along with your iPod), and a similarly-sized Headphone jack. The Bass control offers +/-20 dB at 40 Hz, right at the bottom of the E strings range. On the high end, the Treble control has the same amount of control at 20 kHz, adding snap to your slap. In between, the Midrange knob allows up to +/-12 dB of scoop or presence. On the back of the KXB500, theres a socket for a removable power cord, a pair of output jacks (speakON and 1/4"), and an XLR DI out thats switchable pre/post with ground lift and level controls. There is also a Tuner Out jack, effects loop Send/Receive jacks, and a Footswitch jack for both the mute and effects loops. Everything a bassist needs is there.
somewhat unusual configuration, though, with two 1/4" jacks and one speakON jack. Compared to a 1/4" jack, speakONs offer a much more secure and reliable connection, which is especially good for high-power bass amps like the KXB500. Because the head and cab each have only one speakON jack, its not possible to hook up a second cab with speakON cables for both. The cabinets sound was round and full, with a focused bottom and clean attack, yet not edgy. The piezo horn has a simple on/ off switch. If you want a little string noise and bite in your sound, turn on the horn. If youre more of an old-school player, turn off the horn for a rounder and well-defined tone. If there was one thing I would change about this cab, it would be raising the side handles a touch higherI kept reaching for a handle that wasnt there, and when I did find the handle, the balance was not ideal. I should add that the handles are plenty sturdy. They have metal grip bars attached to the cab, with machine screws and T-nuts for extra dependability. I also would have liked the cab to have sockets or interlocking corners on top for stacking a second cab.
I first tried this rig with my trusty P bass, outfitted with a Duncan Quarter Pound pickup. With the tone knobs set flat, the sound was clear, punchy, and round, and I didnt sense any boominess. It pushed out plenty of volume and should be fine for moderate-level gigs. I then tried a G&L 5-string. Once again, the rig provided a sound that instilled confidence, handling the low B string well at moderate volumeI didnt try to push the rig to the point of distortion, but again, it put out a lot of volume. the Verdict In all, this affordable rig is nothing fancy in terms of features, but it gets the job done and does it well. The build seemed sturdy and should stand up to regular gigging with a reasonable amount of care. If you poke around the web, youll be hard-pressed to find many other amps with this power level priced under $400. Likewise, few bass cabs under 40 pounds with an Eminence neodymium speaker check in at $300, making this rig a good value all the way around.
Skip If...
you like a bass rig with heft and lots of bells and whistles.
Kustom Amplification
Street $399.99 (KXB500); $299.99 (DE115NEO) kustom.com
HEADOnline
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W E N
TM
DRAGON SKIN strings have a proprietary patent pending coating from K3 Technology Coating that makes them the rst coated strings that sound as good or beeer than uncoated strings.
TM
Players comments include: the rst coated string that sounds louder than uncoated strings Im not complaining, I just dont understand how a coated string can sound beeer, and louder than my uncoated strings. Doesnt that violate some law of nature? you managed to make the rst coated strings that denitely do not sound muddy. All six (6) strings are coated for improved performance and corrosion resistance.
nO. 5
By charles harles saufley
Upper-bout soundport
volution is slow in the guitar universe. And when you consider how many 50-year-old instrumentsor even 150-yearold instrumentshave come to represent design perfection, you can understand why. But while guitar purists may look askance at any attempt to improve the dread, the OM, the Les Paul, or the Telecaster, many engineering minds still consider the 6-string a blank slate calling out for revision. Nashville-based Cory Batson is clearly of this more irreverent school. A woodworker and student of electrical engineering, Batson is also a self-trained luthier. And hes nabbed the attention of players such as Phil Keaggy and fingerstyle wiz Don Ross with guitars distinguished by side soundports, truss bracing, and cantilevered fretboards. With the help of his woodworking brother and business partner, Grant Batson, Cory has built Batson Guitars into one of the more respected new acoustic guitar companies in a Nashville music community that can be wary of innovation. Batson guitars have never been inexpensive, however. Though its not cheap, the brothers latest model, the handbuilt No. 5, is an effort to make their offerings more affordable. the sum of changes The mahogany-and-spruce No. 5 we received for review is evidence that Batson hasnt taken any shortcuts on the innovations that have made their instruments special from the beginning. The guitars bridge looks like it was inspired by the organic shapes in 70s furniture design, with fluid curves that are both comfortable for fingerstyle playing and practicaladding mass and structural reinforcement where the strings pass through the bridge from saddle to tailpiece. Our No. 5 is built around a traditional grand concert-style body profile. But similarities to any cookie-cutter version of that style end there. The most overt difference is the lack of a center soundhole. Though
164 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
ShorTail tailpiece
this is more common on boutique guitars than it used to be, it still gives the No. 5 an oddly minimalist visage that takes a minute or two to adjust to. Theres also an architectural bent to the Batsons design. The cantilevered fretboard, which hovers free of contact with the top past the 14th fret, evokes some of the more intriguing bridges on modern roadways, as does the portion of the guitars bridge that resides behind the saddle. Similarly, the ShorTail tailpiece is suspended above the soundboard by a space the width of a few business cards. The architectural and engineering influence is even more apparent when you peek through the oval soundport on the upper treble bout. Rather than Martin-style X
or A bracing, youll find that the top is diaundergirded with a grid of smaller, dia mond-shaped trusses that resemble bracing used by some modern classical builders. According to Batson, this signature lattice bracing is more flexible and responsive, giving the guitar a greater dynamic range. Batsons effort to make the No. 5 more affordable involves a few aesthetic sacrifices, depending on your view of such things. The choice of materials is still top-shelf, but the luxurious finish seen on pricier Batsons is replaced here by an ultra-thin satin finish that seems a little ordinary for a guitar in this price range. Inside our review model, there were a few errant spots of glue and some bracing joints that werent quite flushfactors that dont affect sound or
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Cantilever fretboard
playability but that are somewhat surprising given the price. Elsewhere, however, fit and finish were superb to flawless. rumbling, ringing, resonant If youve never played an acoustic with a soundport, your first experience can make your ears do a double take. In general, the literguitar will sound louder and, quite liter ally, more in your face. The No. 5 is no exception, and the difference can require compensating adjustments to pick attack and touch dynamics. Once you do so, its plain that the No. 5 is a very sensitive and articulate instrument. As the lack of pick guard might suggest, it works best as a fingerstyle guitar. The softer tones of the mahogany back and sides mean you might have to put a little more oomph behind your picking to get a really kicking midrange. But bass and treble notes resonate and ring with definition and sustainthe guitar truly captures the best warm and bright qualities of the mahoganyand-spruce combination. Fingerstyle players who play in alternate tunings with dropped fifth and sixth strings will discover an expansive range of color and dynamics to work with in the No. 5. The guitar has an impressive bass presence
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in standard tuning. Tuning down to D and even C, however, makes the No. 5 growl like a lion. This is where you sense that Batsons bracing, cantilevered fretboard, and tailpieceall designed to maximize vibrationreally pay sonic dividends. Sustain and overtone content were impressive in DADGAD and CGCFAD, and when I wobbled the neck a little here and there, it made a single chord sound wondrously colorful and multidimensional. The No. 5 feels especially fast and playable when detuned. Hammer-ons on the sixth string brim with a deep, funky, almost baritone-like quality, and peppering lazy legato moves with sitar-style bends was perfect accompaniment for the big, droning bass notes. However, the Batson feels slinky in standard tuning, too. While I wasnt pulling off full-step bends with the same ease I would with a lightly strung Les Paul, I was still able to play some pretty expressive blues runs. Batson claims this is because the extra string length behind the bridge makes a given string gauge feel lighter. If theres one the thing the Batson is less than ideal for, it might be the heavy strumming that tends to find a singer-songwriter type opting for a big dreadnought. The Batson is loud and bossy enough for the job if you want it to beand it also retains a lot of its low-end characterbut heavier strumming can obscure the overtone minutiae and low-end detail that are the guitars greatest strengths. the Verdict Batsons quest to create a better-sounding guitar through unconventional bracing and other non-dogmatic design moves pays off in a guitar thats full of character and responsive to nuanced playing. In that sense, its a fantastic fingerstyle guitar, and if
the soft midrange of our mahogany model is a deterrent to fingerstylists that crave popping mids, the rosewood-backed version may well do the trick. If theres any one beef to pick with this Batson, its that, at $2800, its still a bit pricey for whats ostensibly a more affordable guitar. That said, an American-made, handbuilt guitar is rarely an inexpensive proposition, and innovation doesnt come cheap. And, if youre jazzed about the potential of evolutionary guitar engineering and creative woodwork, youll consider the No. 5 a piece of art just as much as you consider it an instrument.
Skip If...
you wish theyd stopped tweaking the look of git-fiddles back in 32!
Batson Guitars
Street $2800 batsonguitars.com
CLICKHere
or use a mobile device to download audio clips of the guitar at
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metal peDals
By JorDan waGner
HaRdCORE XXX
etal music and distortion-generating stompboxes can be odd bedfellows. So much of what we think of as metal tone is generated by big, high-gain amps that pedals sometimes seem redundant. But not all of us have the luxury of an expensive, 200-watt monster to generate the biggest metal sounds, nor do most players have either the inclination to regularly transport such a beast or the appropriate space in which to unleash it. And even players who do own those pricey high-gain amps and are adventurous enough to want to add a distortion, fuzz, or overdrive stompbox to the equation find that many units on the market are less than perfectly suited to the slicing, mid-heavy environs of modern metal. In sum, its hard to find a good all-in-one metal distortion that will turn smaller amps into raging animals and bigger amps into more versatile behemoths. New Jersey-based Metal Pedals is one company thats unafraid of the challenge, though. In fact, the HardCore XXXwhich has massive amounts of gain meets the challenge quite admirably.
5-band EQ
feature creature With seven knobs arranged across its adultthemed surface, the XXX looks way more complex than your average fuzz or overdrive. But its actually a fairly simple circuit. Most of the controls are dedicated to the super-flexible 5-band EQ thats one of the fundamental strengths of the pedal. Other than the EQ, there are Gain and Volume knobs and a 2-way switch that engages a noise-reduction circuit. The most interesting and unique aspect of the XXXs controls is the EQs midrange section, which gives the pedal a tonal expansiveness that helps emulate voicings from the upper midrange of a Marshall JCM800 to the signature low mids of a raging Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier. strength Beyond strength Many of the pedals that cater to the metal crowd are voiced on the brighter end of the spectrum. But the HardCore XXX can be quite dark if you need it to be. In fact, with a Les Paul Custom and a Bogner Barcelona
40-watt combo, the XXX tended to sound a little too dark. Compensating with the pedals Hi and Mid-Hi controls helped, because both have tremendous range and an incredibly powerful effect on the tone. However, with the Les Paul and Bogner, at least, they never seemed to totally transform the XXXs basically dark voice. It seems that the XXX was designed with a brightly voiced amp in mind. That was confirmed when I plugged the pedal into a Fender Twin Reverb reissue. While the Twin is light years from a metal amp, the XXXs dark tone was a great match for the bright Twinhighlighting the sustain and highend detail of my single-note leads. In general, the XXXs tone and feel is very amp-like and responsive to pick attack, which makes it a blast to imitate various metal styles with. By tweaking the L-Mid and Mid-Hi knobs, I was able to approximate everything from classic Motrhead to early Metallica and mid90s Pantera. The XXX was especially good at generating the cutting qualities
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Rating:
lower gain settings, and I could hear why: The gate shut down a little too quickly on the ends of notes, sending them crashing to earth instead of shrieking into the stratosphere. With the gate off, I was able to summon some really smooth and purring low-gain tonesprovided the Hi control wasnt set too high. the Verdict Guitarists have been searching for years for a one-stop pedal that can convincingly cover everything from old-school metal to stuff at the thrashier end of the headbanging spectrum. If youre on that quest, the Metal Pedals HardCore XXX is definitely worth a look. Its versatile, flexible, easy to use, and works really well with brightvoiced tube amps. Some minor tweaking is required to get a good balance of rhythm and lead tones, but the powerful EQ is up to the task. For those who have spent countless hours and dollars trying to achieve killer metal tones beyond those that lurk in their amps, the search may well end with the XXX.
of thrash-type tones without sacrificing dimensionno mean feat, given the highmid content that typifies the style. Given the current trend toward thrashier distortions with a razor-sharp high end, this was a welcome surprise. The only trouble I encountered with the XXX was trying to find a sweet spot that was perfect for both rhythm and lead. When the XXX was set for an inspiring, sustaining lead tone that could rip the paint off the walls, chugging riffs played with the same tone seemed to have raspy, unrefined edges. Most of the time I could cure this by decreasing the gain, though that also stole away some of the violin-like sustain I loved so much. The XXXs noise-reduction circuit is pretty phenomenal. Instead of clamping down on the end of notes like a steel trap, it quickly rounds off the ends into silence. It sounds exceptionally natural, so much so that at times I forgot I even had it turned on. Even so, I would have liked to be able to alter the circuits settingssuch as the threshold. The manual recommended that I keep the switch off when using
Buy If...
you want to add a variety of tight, fluid metal tones to a brightly voiced amp.
Skip If...
you require a dual-channel pedal for contrasting lead and rhythm tones.
Metal Pedals
Street $215 metalpedals.com
HEADOnline
or use a mobile device to watch a video review of the pedal at
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NiteV FR
D-1
Pacer Classic
Assault 220FR
Striker 211 Custom
SATCHEL- STEEL PANTHER photo: Erin Lassahn
ARTISTS
its 25.5 scale and 14 radius slim profile neck set into a deep belly scarved, thinner body, VISIT US AT the Assault series is the twist on traditional single cuts WWW.KRAMERGUITARS.COM that youve been waiting for! For dealer info and more A member of the Gibson family of brands
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reverenD
By Dan BerKowitz
harder and driving the music a little more. Its like getting behind the wheel of a muscle car and feeling the need to drive a little more aggressively. The Thundergun has a familiar and sturdy feel in the hand, yet weighs in lighter than expected at about 8 pounds. Its Vintage Clear glossy finish was applied very evenly, with nary a glitch on some of the more difficult finishing spots like the raised lip of the bodys center section. The setup was carefully adjusted, and the control knobs and tuners felt solid, smooth, and consistent. One of my pet gripes about many basses is that the nut slots arent cut deeply enough at the factory. That wasnt the case with the Thundergun. The wiring in the control cavity was tidier than most basses I see, with less excess wire and a tie keeping things in place. Shielding was accomplished via a good coat of conductive paint. As I mentioned, Naylor created pickups for this bass with a specific sound in mind. The Split Brick neck pickup is essentially a P-style pickup in a humbucker casewith mighty big magnets. Sound-wise, this pickups voice is aimed toward the lows and mids. I thought it served decently when soloed, much like a P-style pickup should. The Thick Brick bridge pickup, in contrast, provides mainly mids and highs. I cant imagine its somewhat nasally sound being very useful on its own, except for the muddiest of rooms. Blending the bridge with the neck pickup created several useful sounds with both body and bite. This task was made easy with the black plastic Blend control, along with the master Tone and Volume controls. On most basses with two pickups, there would be two volumes and one tone instead. When the pickups were balanced evenly right at the detent, I noticed that the volume went down a little, but thats normal for any two-pickup, parallel-wired bass. I can see this bass working well when edge is needed rather than thump, as most of the
sounds lean toward the modern, but a simple Tone knob adjustment imparted more warmth and thump when needed. Another thing to consider is the body edge shape, which is slab cut on the front side. If youre the type of player who rests your wrist on the body top while playing, the sharper edge could create a pressure point on your wrist joint. the Justice: A twist on the familiar From the moment I pulled the Chronic Blue Justice from its case, I puzzled over
J-Rail humbuckers
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Set-neck design
the simultaneous familiarity and oddity of its design. Reverend admittedly dubs the Justice their take on the classic J setup, and there should be an emphasis on take rather than copy. Ive played a Fender Jazz since the late 70s, so I know its nuances well. Like a J bass, the Justice bears a pair of skinny pickups in the neck and bridge positions. On closer look, these are not the usual noise-prone single-coils, but instead have a humbucking rail design and are appropriately named J-Rails. Unlike a J bass, youre free to blend the pickups to any proportions without inducing hum the neck or bridge can even be soloed with confidence. This emphasis on take carries over to some other features. The body is certainly a departure, both in its shape and slabcut top. The usual J-style design includes a pickguard thats separate from a metal control plate, but the Justice combines everything on one plastic plate much like a P-style axe. One of the attractions of a J bass is the skinny nut width, usually specd at 1 1/2". Instead, the Justice sports the same nut width as the Thundergun at 1 21/32". And the Volume-Tone-Blend
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you need a bright, aggressive bass, both in looks and sound.
Reverend Guitars
Street $998 reverendguitars.com
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thundergun Rating:
In all, the Justice might be a good choice for a J bass player looking for something a little differentboth sonically and visually. And unless youre a J bass traditionalist, the added benefit of humbucking pickups makes the Justice all the more appealing. the Verdict Reverend has returned to the bass scene after several years with some new designs that build on bass guitar traditions, yet head in new directions without blasting off to another planet. Like their predecessors, these basses bring a quality build with top-drawer components. While they are no longer made in the US, they are set up in Michigan by Reverend veteran Zach Green (look for the ZSG in silver ink alongside the serial number on the back of the headstock). Although their appearance is based on familiar designs, the sound is not. Be sure to give a good listen to the Reverend youre considering to make sure it meets your needs. The pricing is just on the brinkhigher than a typical import, but a little lower than basic models built in the US.
setup is yet another departure from a traditional J bass with its Volume-Volume-Tone arrangement. Some other design features help out in the resonance category. The bridge (same as the Thundergun) has a solid feel going well beyond the customary bent plate of a J bass. Locking saddles enhance the transmission of energy from the strings to the body, and stringing can go through the body or through the back of the bridge for a somewhat different attack and sound. On the flip side of the body, the neck is attached with six screwsrather than the usual four also enhancing the instruments resonance. Tone-wise, Reverend once again designed its pickups to work with the characteristics of their locations. They created a bridge pickup that emphasizes highs and mids, and a neck position pickup that covers the lows and less of the highs. In an instrumental blues rehearsal with electric guitar and drums, I favored the sound of the neck pickup with its warm and focused tones. Even though the neck pickup didnt produce a lot of highs, its note definition made it easy to hear in the mix.
Buy If...
youre after a dependable bass thats eye-catching on stage and you like some edge to your sound.
Skip If...
youre a traditionalist in both sound and design.
Reverend Guitars
Street Thundergun $1098 reverendguitars.com
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NEW
Jeff Stinco & Sbastien Lefebvre of May 2011 Planet Studios - Montreal, Quebec
SIMPLE PLAN
Canada's Simple Plan is known for their classic punk energy and addictive pop hooks. The band has been hard at work working on their fourth studio album, "Get Your Heart On!" which features collaborations with Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, Natasha Bedingfield, K'NAAN, and others. To achieve an array of perfect tones for their new album, guitarists Jeff and Sbastien trusted T-Rex Effects.
t-rex-effects.com
anacon technoloGy
ZaGRay!
By steve ouimette
nacon Technologys Aleksander Niemand is a restless and very busy man. When hes not tinkering in his workshop in Gothenburg, Sweden, hes chiming in on amp discussion forums. But, by now, most probably know him for the Zagray! amp, which was unveiled in its prototype stage at the 2010 New York Amp Show. The Zagray! experienced a very public birth. The much-discussed 23-watt, 7591-powered head went through a variety of well-documented circuit tweaks and redesigns before it was ready to ship. So when the amp arrived, I already knew a lot about the Zagray!s development and designer enough to have me twitching at the chance to check it out in my own studio.
scandinavian style The Zagray! is a cool, unique marriage of modern and industrial design, Art Deco motifs, and a Scandinavian wood-andsteel aesthetic that looks like an antique radio scrambled up in a future-bound time machine. The chassis is built of powdercoated steel, a steel cage keeps the tubes ventilated well, and rolling, wood handles are handy, comfortable, and lend a touch of country craft. If desired, it can be fitted with optional flanges so it will fit into a into a standard 19" 5U rack. A peek through the steel cage reveals a 12AY7 and four 12AX7 preamp tubes, two 7591 power tubes (a favorite of Gibson and Ampeg designers in the 60s) and two
toroidal transformers. The circuit is laid out on two double-sided PCBs, and switches, pots, and tubes are mounted to the chassis and handwired to the board. While oodles of amps returning to minimalist designs of late, the Zagray! bucks that trend by loading the amp with more options than you can shake a stick at. The control layout is both interesting and unconventional as a result. But while at first glance the ten knobs and four switches look intimidating, theres a sound logic behind it all. Next to the single 1/4" input theres a three-way mini toggle labeled SC/90/HB for matching singlecoil, P-90, and humbuckers to the input. Next up is a Bottom knob with a two-way
Overdrive channel
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mini toggle above for Trim/Bottom, then Bass and Treble controls, and a Gain knob. The real meat of what helps the Zagray! stand apart, though, is the powerful midrange tone shaping section, which rivals any amp Ive encountered. A four-way Range control selects between midrange points spaced half an octave apart, and just above it is a Mid knob used for boosting or cutting gain. To the left of the Mid knob youll find an Accent toggle, and to the right is a Midboost toggle. Together, the four controls give players authority over just about every midrange tweak a guitarist could imagine. Volume controls are just right of the mid section. Theres a Drive knob followed by Crystal and finally Clean Vol (clean mode volume) and Xod Vol (overdrive mode volume). Knob type helps to differentiate function. Tone-shaping knobs are black chicken head-style and the volume-based are larger, circular knobsa brilliantly simple design concept once you get used to it. Around back, an FX loop with Send, Level, and Mix controls can be used in series or parallel. A toggle also offers 15 dB of buffered gain on the return signal. And speaker outputs can be switched for 16, 8, or 4 operation. mids machine! While the Zagray! proved to be an amp of stunning versatility over the course of testing, it works beautifully in the simplest settings, and loves nothing more than a Stratocaster driving the amp in clean mode. From squeaky-clean to spanky and edgy and powerful, the Zagray! was a great blank slate for the many voices of a Strat. For a country session, setting the Stratocaster to the bridge/middle pickup position had the Zagray! quacking with authentic Blackface tones. And the midrange controls gave me
176 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
so much flexibility that it literally felt as if I was dialing in different amps throughout the process. By pushing the clean output, the tone got hairier and heavier, edging into the territory covered by Roger Fisher on Hearts Magic Man. I even dialed in some of those elusive Jimmy Page, Presence-era tones through manipulation of the midrange controls. A 74 Les Paul Custom and a switch to HB mode pushed the Zagray! harder into mid-gain territory in clean mode. And with the Drive up all the way, the tone was muscular and tight, prompting thoughts of Montroses Rock the Nation. Activating the Mid Boost kicked the drive up another notch, which also beckoned me to switch to Xod mode. Its in this environment that the Zagray! both surprises, and at least to my ears, feels most at home. Its huge and powerful sounding, with an edgy confidence that makes individual notes jump and command attention. There are really no lousy tones to be found here. Whether I cut the Mid Boost, switched the four-position Mid control or backed down the Mids altogether, there wasnt a bunk sound in the batch. A Hamer Korina with P-90s was a great fit for Xod mode, toodelivering sort of a Steve Marriot Humble Pie crunch crossed with a Billy Gibbons Jesus Just Left Chicago tone that barked with sweetness. Piling gain on top of high volume in Xod mode made the tone edgy but refined and controllable, and it was easy to create beautiful harmonic feedback that bloomed with raw complexity and significantly broadened my tone vocabulary. The amps dynamic response is, well, dynamite, and notes exploded off the pick with a vengeance when I put a little aggression behind my attack. Easing back the Gain and pushing up the Drive reveals tones that are biting yet
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Rating:
Zagray! puts at your disposal all on its own. The footswitchable FX/boost mode offers 15 dB of gain that can be used to kick solos up a notch so they stand above the mix. the Verdict Few amps Ive played over the past few years offer the flexibility, performance, tone shaping options and pure fun of the Zagray! If I had to choose a single studio amp for my work, this might be it. It works as comfortably with a 1x12 cab as it does with a 4x12. The power is just right for pushing it into harder territory without blowing your ears out, and its midrange capabilities smoke just about every amp on the market. Whether your needs are country-clean twang or hard, driving rock, youll find a way to get it with the Zagray! It was a sad day at the studio when I packed up the Zagray! and sent it off to the New York Amp Show. Its quite simply a knockout thats sure to rise to the top of a lot of wish lists. Its on mine right now, and it hasnt even left the building. Dang!
Buy If...
flexible, clean-to-mean ripping tones with super-versatile midrange control and bells and whistles to spare are what you crave.
Skip If...
all you need is a volume and tone knob
anacon technology
Direct $2900 anacon-tech.com
intense, and reinforces how much range is available just through the use of these two controls. Combining the two in both clean and Xod modes gives you anything from light-gain, blackface-like tones to overthe-top Marshall grind or thick, buttery, Dumble-like notes. The super-quiet FX loop offers multiple options for blending in color. And the Mix control is great for blending in FX that dont already have mix controls on them, which expands the versatility of your existing gear beyond the huge menu of tone the
CLICKHere
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www.tech21nyc.com
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PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 177
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tORnIta!
By michael ross
outique manufacturer Paul Trombetta came to the effects business via a pretty traditional path. His pedals, though, are anything but typical. At 16, he started wiring his own guitars and rehousing effects. By 2003, he was modifying Electro-Harmonix Big Muffs and Pro Co Rats for friends, and in 2005 birthed Paul Trombetta Design to market pedal creations of his own. Trombetta says his primary design motivation is to provide cutting-edge tonesin pedals that are also capable of generating more recognizable and universally useful sounds. His Mini-Bone, for example, offers fat, dynamic Fuzz Face-style drive, yet also yields trumpet and trombone sounds, low octaves, and can harmonize a fifth down. All Trombettas pedals aretrue bypass, handwired, point-to-point, with carefully selected and matched components. And as many as half the pedals he sells are ordered with custom paint or engraving. Theyre real works of art, from both an aesthetic and musical perspective. So its little surprise that Trombettas work drew the attention of experimental guitarist and soundtrack composer David Tornor that he and Trombetta would conspire on a pedal to suit Torns needs. The result is the Tornita! torn and paid Torn and Trombettas relationship dates to 2009 when Torn (David Bowie, k.d. lang, John Legend, Tori Amos, Bill Bruford, Mick Karn, David Sylvian, Meshell Ndegeocello, Don Cherry) ordered a Mini-Bone from Trombetta. Pleased with his purchase, Torn had Trombetta send him one of the now-discontinued Donita pedalsa six-knob, highgain distortion that could produce self-oscillating feedback. Discussions ensued between Torn and Trombetta concerning modifications to the Donita designthings like latching and momentary feedback buttons, and foot adjustable feedback pitch control. The inclusion of these options and the layout of the resulting stompbox created something that was as much an instrument as a guitar pedal.
Phase switch
Though Trombetta produces over 200 pedals a year, the appearance of our test Tornita! retains a DIY aesthetic: The word inlike all the pedals detailsis handcarved into the brushed metal casing to indicate the whereabouts of the input, a circle with a line across it (presumably representing negative tip) marks the adapter input, and the big Blend knob looks like it was pulled off a piece of gear from the 50s. The controls include Volume and Bias, as well as the oversized and unlabeled Blend knob. The Bias control creates cool bitreduction effects and affects the way the feedback reacts to both your playing and the fuzz sustain. There is a 3-way, mini-toggle Presence switch on the back, which has a very subtle mid-boost effect. A mini-toggle Feedback phase switch offers Up and Down modes. Up emphasizes the upper frequencies in feedback mode, while down favorsyou guessed itthe lower ones. Either mode has the potential to unleash auto arpeggiating patterns, low octaves, and droning. The Momentary feedback footswitch enables you to engage the feedback effect for as long as you hold it down. The Latch mode holds and sustains feedback so you can use your foot to adjust the Blend knob for pitch changes and other surprises. The Tornita! operates on a 9V battery and standard 9V adapter.
chaos theory I tested the Tornita! with a Fernandes Stratstyle and a Fender Stratocaster run through an Egnater Rebel 30 and an Orange Tiny Terror. I also recorded some samples by running the Tornita! directly into Ableton Live using Lives Amp and Speaker plug ins to warm up the recorded tone. With the Bias all the way up, the straight fuzz sound of the Tornita! was fat, warm, and reed-like, with plenty of sustain. Backing off the Volume thinned and cleaned up the sound significantly, creating a sharp cutting tone that sliced through a mix. Turning the Bias down transports you to more experimental realms. A slight nudge counterclockwise added a cool crackle to the fuzz and shortened the sustain considerably. Turning it almost totally down transformed my guitars tone into an electronic blip. Moving beyond the straight fuzz setting, I entered a world of character-rich tones that are definitely designed with the more adventurous guitarist in mind. Stepping on either the Latch or Momentary Feedback switches gave me pitch shifts, random arpeggios, and synth-style oscillator sweeps that I could controland I use the term looselywith my pickup selector switch, guitar volume and tone knobs, and/or the pedals Blend control. As I began to change
PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 179
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the relationship between the knobs and switches, the tones started mutating thick and fast, and I found dozens of really musical, if unorthodox sounds. The one hitch may be in trying to recreate them. Getting the same tone twice isnt always just a question of recalling the position of each knob and switch. And what felt like the same notes or licks on the guitar would often yield different effects each timeeven with identical settingsas the Tornita! picked up nuances in attack and intensity. It didnt take long to embrace the chaos, and I had hours of fun exploring the different squeals and squawks emanating from my axe. I found that with the guitar volume full up it was possible to play lines over the feedback, and that reducing the Bias brought out more arpeggios. The Tornita! is a blast for creating unusual-sounding passages for recording projects. And editing some parts yielded inspirations for whole songs. For live applications, its worth taking the time to learn which settings yield predictable, repeatable
results (changing the position of the 5-way on the Strat, with the guitar volume all the way up, was one of my favorites), but a big part of the fun of the Tornita! is the surprise factor for both you and your audienceif youre willing to take a few chances. the Verdict Tornita! is not for everyone. If your music is more experimental in nature, this pedal is a must-have, but if you just want the straight fuzz sound, you might opt for Trombettas Fudge fuzz or any number of more traditional fuzzes instead. Should you want to combine the far-out with the traditional, Trombettas FeederBoneMachine offers a version of Tornita! combined with a MiniBone in one pedal. The effects world is rife with distortion and fuzz pedals, making it hard to come up with something new. Paul Trombetta has not only come up with fresh noises, he manages to make them sound great. The Tornita! pushes the envelope of what a distortion/fuzz can do and fuzz freaks and outer-limits players alike should rejoice.
Skip If...
you just want fuzz.
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WIN
on
.com
TM
Fernandes guitars
By Jordan Wagner
V-Hawk Deluxe
Neck-through-body construction
etals visibility among the wider record-buying public ebbs and flows. To many, it probably seemed like metals torch was extinguished right around the time that spandex sales bit the dust. But the explosion in metals popularity in the last few years cant be denied even if its no longer an MTV-fueled phenomenon. And the hard-hitting tones that are the signatures of thrash doom and gloom drive not just a flourishing metal underground, but a thriving segment of the gear industry that serves the players behind it. Fernandes is among the guitar builders the new metal guard favors. And the new V-Hawk Deluxe reviewed here is built to give metal players aggressive tones, fast playability, and radical styling in a quality package that wont break the bank. talons of tone Although the Snow White-finished, allmahogany V-Hawk is so light that it makes the neck feel a little heavy when worn with a strap, the guitar feels amazing played sitting down in a quasi-classical positionfast, legato-style runs were a breeze! Whether youre sitting or standing, the neck-through construction and 14"-radius ebony fretboard feel fantastic, with a near-perfect setup and a combination of mass and thin profiling that begs for shredding. All 24 jumbo frets are carefully dressed and highly polished, and the ebony fretboard is encased in white
binding. I couldnt find a single buzzy spot on the neck, and the extended cutaway on the lower bout of the neck gave me unhindered access to the guitars upper registers. The body is home to two EMG humbuckersan 81 in the bridge position and an 85 in the neckwhich suits the guitars thrash-metal mission. Output is controlled by Volume and Tone knobs, and a 3-way selector. A tried-and-true Tune-o-maticstyle bridge and stopbar tailpiece round out the hardware complement.
White Hawk Cries As youd expect, the V-Hawk is a metal machine first and foremost. And through a Mesa/Boogie Multiwatt Dual Rectifier and an Emperor 4x12 cab, it pounded out incredibly mean and percussive rhythm tones. The EMGswhich proved their worth in the metal world ages agowere smooth and balanced, with a tendency toward scooped mids, a tight low end, and a razor-sharp top end that sliced through like an indomitable battle ax. Further, the
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14"-radius fretboard
EMGs hi-fi efficiency and power enabled the V-Hawk to retain high-end sting even when using a long cable. If youre looking for a metal weapon that also has a warm, soft side, however, the V-Hawk may not be your implement of choice. Even when using very different settings on the Mesa, the V-Hawk emphasized mids and treble frequencies, which tended to sound a bit one-dimensional when I tried to play more sensitive licks. There wasnt much tonal give or sag to extend the expressiveness of the instrument beyond a tighter-than-a-drum onslaught of overdrive. Granted, the V-Hawk isnt designed for classic rock and jazz, but it was difficult at times to exploit the natural advantages of a neck-through-body design in non-bludgeoning, take-no-prisoners
contexts. Though the acoustic resonance of the body and neck made me think that digging into string bends at the right gain levels would produce a pleasing, overtonerich bloom, the pickups consistently imparted the indelible sonic fingerprint their known for. Even with the gain turned down to moderate levels, the tone was a little too flat to play more nuanced or bluesy licks or melodies. Plugging into a 1981 Marshall JCM800 half-stack added some detail to the midrange guts, yielding a tone perfect for thrashy mayhem. But, again, it was difficult to summon tones well suited to subtlety. To be certain, this guitar wants to go full bore! the Verdict For those who need to lead their metal forces into battle on a budget, the Fernandes V-Hawk Deluxe is an excellent choiceparticularly given the top-notch construction. The guitar is a straight-up
fire-breather, with a comfortable, wellcontoured neck thats one of the best Ive seen in its price range if youre looking to scorch eardrums. If your metal preferences lean more toward late-70s and early-80s metal in the fashion of, say, Judas Priest, you might find the guitars tone a little too modern and focused. But if you need the tight, raging tones that define mid-80s to mid-90s thrash, the V-Hawk Deluxe is a superior choice.
Skip If...
you need to occasionally chill your molten metal tones down to warm, classic-metal levels.
Fernandes Guitars
Street $799 fernandesguitars.com
. . . the neck-through construction and 14"-radius ebony fretboard feel fantastic, with a near-perfect setup and a combination of mass and thin profiling that begs for shredding.
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HEADOnline
or use a mobile device to watch a video review of the guitar at
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Randy Lutz
Owner
JET Earlewood
LsL Saticoy
Infinity Guitars
Houston, TX
www.InfinityGuitars.com
281-759-4040
We are now taking pre-orders for the New Book and the new DVD at a package price of only $99.95 and WE PAY SHIPPING! All pre-ordered books and DVDs will be signed by the author when they are ready to ship. By pre-ordering, you will be assured of being the first kid on your block to own this set, plus you get the package pricing and the free shipping. You save $16.95.
KENDRICK AMPLIFIERS
531 County Road 3300 Kempner, Texas 76539-5755 +1 (512) 932 3130 www.kendrick-amplifiers.com
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empress eFFects
MultIDRIVe
By steve ouimette
f youre a pedal-crazed tone chaser who has a hard time making decisions (is there any other kind?), Empress Effects might have just made life a little less difficult for you with the Multidrive. The Multidrive is three pedals in onea fuzz, overdrive, and distortion. Thats far from a revolutionary concept. But with a parallelrather than stackedcircuit, the Multidrive offers a lot more flexibility than a stacked multipedal or even a set of stompboxes in series. This all-analog device effectively produces panoramic tone-shaping power thats more akin to what youd get from simultaneously running multiple amps. And the end result is a stompbox thats significantly easier to control and tailor to multiple needs. driving under Control Housed in a gray, die-cast aluminum box thats bedecked with 10 knobs, five 3-way toggles and two stomp switches, there is a lot happening in a relatively small enclosure (3.5" x 4.5" x 2"). The controls are separated into the three drive sections Fuzz, Overdrive, and Distortionfollowed by a master EQ and output section. The Fuzz, Overdrive, and Distortion sections each use the same three controlsVolume, Gain, and a 3-way filter switch (Low Pass, None, High Pass), as well as a corresponding LED (fuzz is red, overdrive is yellow, and distortion is green). The Distortion section adds another 3-way toggle for selecting between Crunch/Mild/Lead distortion types. The master EQ section has Hi, Mid, and Low knobs that cut or boost a given frequency by 10 dB. In addition, a super-useful toggle determines which midrange frequency500 Hz, 250 Hz, or 2 kHzis the zero position for the Mid control. At the bottom of the pedal are stomp switches for Select and True Bypass, as well as a blue LED. Another very important control set lurks behind the back panel. Six DIP switches configure the Select switch presets and dictate which combination of distortion, fuzz and overdrive are activated for a given state.
Switches 1-3 are dedicated to State and switches 4-6 are assigned to State A. triple play Running the Multidrive into a 3rd Power British Dream on the 68 Plexi channel and with my Hamer Korina Special at the ready, I set the pedal up to combine all three gain channels at once. This allowed me to dial in as much or as little (or none) of each channel, as well as fine tune the tone of each channel individually. I tackled the Fuzz mode first. With the filter switch off and all settings at noon, the Fuzz channel coughed up a thick, gainheavy, stoner-rock chunk. Maxing the gain thickened the tone considerably and created sustain that seemed virtually endless. Low notes on the 6th string held up well, though they werent necessarily as tight as you might find on the Distortion channel. Engaging the Low Pass filter darkened the tone considerablylike shaving the top off almost completelythough you could effectively dial some highs and mids back in via the master EQ section. Switching on the High Pass dropped out the bottom almost entirely and made the fuzz sound like it was coming through a telephonea great potential effect setting for an intro or breakdown in a song.
High- and low-pass filters for each channel
The Overdrive section is perfect for pushing a Stratocaster to the edge and getting that extra punch to cut through a track. This gain channel is the most dynamic of the three. It cleans up beautifully by rolling off the guitars volume control, and its inspiring, spanky, and expressive. In the highest gain settings it has enough headroom to feel powerful, but not over-saturated. Engaging the Low Pass filter and cranking the mids from 2 kHz I was able to get a killer, Ty Tabor Gretchen Goes To Kansas rhythm and lead tone. With my Les Paul running through the Distortion channel, I set the distortion type to Lead and pulled down the mids (500 Hz) to get a Montrose Rock Candy sound. And with a few tweaks and a bit of treble, it wasnt hard to get into modern metal territory, even though the bass isnt voiced quite right for super-aggressive modern chunking. Too much bass made the sound a little on the tubby side, but that could also be attributed to the Celestion Alnico Gold in my signal chain, which is not a metal speaker by any standard. Switching to mild distortion shaved off a ton of gain and sounded fairly tame in comparison. But my favorite setting had to be the Crunch position. Diming the Gain control in Crunch mode resulted in a little collapse of the signal, but backing off this control ever so slightly resulted in a smoking tone that was the very definition of heavy-rock rhythm guitar. Malcolm Young would have been proud. Combining the three channels is a process of investigation that could occupy many happy hours. Over the course of my time with the Multidrive, I was able to pull out convincing takes on classic tones from Kansas Carry On Wayward Son to
Master EQ section
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Rating:
Soundgardens My Wave to Dire Straits Money For Nothing. Having the Low Pass/None/High Pass filter for each gain channel is a super-effective way to carve out a distinctive sonic space for each gain section. For instance, I engaged the High Pass filter on the Fuzz channel, left the Overdrive channel set to None, and the Distortion channel to Low Pass. The extent to which the 3rd Power took on the expansiveness of a three-amp setup was remarkableeach pedal channel claimed its own frequency spectrum without stepping on the toes of another. With the fuzz searing on top, I could mix in just the right amount of bottomheavy distortion and blast the overdrive to give body to the guitars basic voice. Even though Ive used pedalboards with multiple drive units extensively, the Multidrive made balanced blends of mixed-gain tones easier than ever, thanks to its filters alone. The highly functional tone-shaping with the master EQ section is icing on the cake. My quibbles with the Multidrive are very few. The Output knob is situated Strymon_Lex_PG.pdf 3/2/11 5:25:03 directly above the Bypass switch and given the easy travel on the knobs, more than once I bumped it, and either pushed up or dropped my volume by quite a bit. It would also be nice to see the DIP switches on the exterior of the pedal, where they could be accessed more easily, and a few extra preset states would be nice. the Verdict To say Im impressed by the Multidrive would be an understatement. Its a genuinely fun pedal that will take your playing in many directions. Given that it packs exceptional versions of the three most popular gain effects and myriad options for combining them into such a small footprint, it has the potential to be the only pedal a lot of gigging guitarists will haul to a show. The dedicated filters for each channel make tailoring them to a multi-gain environment easy, and the master EQ section is a handy tool for shaping the collective output. Powerful, smart, and compact, the Multidrive will be a serious contender for the number-one pedal on a lot of boards in the years to come. PM
Buy If...
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amp overdrive is all you need or you already have a channel-switching monster of an amp.
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vox
W
tB35C2 BRuno
By charles sauFley
hen boutique designer Tony Bruno built the Underground 30the amp that went on to be his signature pieceit was often lauded for successfully adding something of an American accent to the classic Vox tonality. The appeal of an amp that can live with a foot on either side of the Atlantic is obvious. Its also easier said than done. But its an idea that must have stewed in the brains of Bruno and the folks
at Vox alike, because now, 15 or so years after the Underground 30 hit the streets, we have the first products from an official mind meld between these two amplifier legendsthe 35-watt TB35C 1x12 combo and the TB35C2 2x12 reviewed here. For those expecting these latest Voxes to be an Underground 30 lurking in diamond grille-cloth clothing, the TB35C2 may be a surprise. With four 6V6s, its unmistakably
American-voiced at its coreeven with twin, 65-watt Celestion G12-65 12" speakers. But just as Bruno found a way to sprinkle a little California valve flavor on his EL84-driven Underground 30, the TB35C2 has more than a little Vox tone on tapas well as a lot of very unique and individual tones that make it a worthy canvas for everyone from heavy blues-rock dudes to jangle-pop songsmiths.
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dark disguise Youd be forgiven for assuming that the TB35C2 is some kind of custom derivative of the AC30 line at first glance. The dimensions are virtually identical, and the control-panel location and top-mounted handles all are vintage Vox design elements lifted from the companys most famous design. But there are subtle differences, too: Its covered in vinyl thats smoother than the cloth-like texture of the classic AC30 covering, theres no strip of gold just above the grille, and the grille cloth itself is crises-crossed by diamonds of silver thread rather than Voxs trademark green, red, and white thread. As a whole, the amp has a more aggressive, getdown-to-business stancesort of a surly James Bond to the AC30s more refined John Steed. Once you begin to navigate the Brunos controls, you realize youre most certainly not dealing with a classic AC30-style circuit. Theres a simple array of six chicken-head knobs for Master Volume, Reverb, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Volume.
[The TB35C2] ranges between the big, bluntedbut still overtone-richclout of a Hiwatt or Neil Youngs tweed tones.
But there are also three switches that can have enormous impact on your tone. The first is a ultra-valuable master volume bypass (labeled MV Bypass), which greatly enhances the TB35C2s flexibility and headroom. A very self-explanatory and useful Bass Boost switch is located between the Bass and Middle knobs. And the more curiously named (but apt) Macho switchwhich can also be activated with the included footswitchboosts both gain and midrange to effectively give the single-channel amp a separate lead channel, albeit without the benefit of completely different EQ settings. The guts of the amp look impressively streamlined and built for power, with three 12AX7 preamp tubes, and a 12AT7 and 12AX7 dedicated to the springreverb unit. Bossy in Black For players accustomed to distinctly Vox or Fender tones, the TB35C2 can confound in the most pleasant way. With tone controls at high noon, Master Volume bypassed, and Volume at about 10 oclock, the Vox was an agreeable companion to all of my test guitarsa Fender E Series Stratocaster, a Rickenbacker 330, and a humbucker-equipped Gibson SG. At these relatively neutral settings, the TB35C2 is more blackface Fender than anything elseharmonically even, but a
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little bit spongy like a bigger, brawnier Deluxe or even a tweed Bassman, but not as bright as a Twin. Dial up a little more mids and treble, though, and the TB35C2 comes alive with a brighter, more articulate top end that sounded lovely with ringing R.E.M.- and Smiths-style arpeggios and Heartbreakers-flavored jangling on all three guitars, as well as round-but-biting single-note stabs from the SG. Kicking on the Macho switch gave the same lead lines from the SG an enormously dirty and long-sustaining girth that you could drive to the brink of very controllable feedback with a bump of the amps volume. While big and certainly very present, the Macho feature doesnt facilitate a lead tone nearly as cutting as, say, Paul Kossoff stabbing at a Marshall or Jeff Beck hurling sonic daggers from a top-boost AC30or a Fender Twin, for that matter. Instead, it ranges between the big, bluntedbut still overtone-richclout of a Hiwatt or Neil Youngs tweed tones. The Macho switch also does a fine trick of retaining detail for high-gain chordingpreserving the chiming characteristics of the Rickenbacker, as well as the Stratocasters bridge pickup, while adding an impressively muscular growl that could drive a 70s-style power trio. Further, whether the Macho function is on or off, the amp always retains a remarkable touch sensitivity. Given the TB35C2s impressive bass presence, it struck me as odd at first that Bruno included the Bass Boost switch. If you play in a power trio or duo, it will give you substantially more weight, but it can be a bit woofy unless you dial in
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a fair bit of high and mid contentand it can swallow a lot of harmonic content from humbuckers. Still, its an impressive sound that also sounds great with fuzz or an overdrive geared for Tube Screamerstyle midrange, and it could set your bass player free to explore some Jack Bruceflavored runs high up on the fretboard. Rest assured, the TB35C2 has a place in more civilized environments, too. Its very sensitive to volume adjustments on your guitar, and it can be dialed back into zones where the amp retains its full and impressive harmonic spectrum without taking on a bullying presence in a band mix. Roll back your guitar volume, and it remains chiming and rich, again, provided youve dialed up enough mid and high end. And the Master Volume is effective for scaling back the amps burlier characteristics even though you do sacrifice a little of the clarity you get in bypass mode. the Verdict Versatile, beautifully designed, and relatively affordable, the Vox TB35C2 is an intriguing intertwining of the Bruno and Vox tone and design philosophies. The fundamentally American voice of Brunos 6V6 circuit is rangy enough to flirt with very Vox-like performance, but it also has a personality all its owninhabiting a kind of ideal tone zone where the rounded edges and give of a Bassman live alongside the sharp clarity and grit of an AC30. There are lots of in-between-and-beyond tones at your fingertips, depending on your pick attack and how aggressively you dial up the mid and highs. And it loves pedals too, especially fuzzes and boxes
with pronounced midrange. Those hoping for a Vox-branded Underground 30 will be better served opting for a Top Boost AC30 or one of Brunos own amps, but if youre interested in covering a lot of stylistic ground with a single amp that retains a distinct character and color, this impressive collaboration will make a solid cornerstone for your sound.
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you believe anything other than EL84s in a Vox amounts to blasphemy.
Vox amplification
Street $1399 voxamps.com
CLICKHere
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new products
ere constantly hearing about manufacturers latest gear unveilingsstuff thats so new we havent personally laid eyes or hands on it yet. Were as excited as you when manufacturers tell us about new toys coming down the pike (hellowere Premier Guitar, after all!), so we figure the least we can do is pass the news along. Check back every month to get the scoop, and who knowsmaybe well end up reviewing the stuff youre stoked about when its available. J naylor LLC axe Balancer Keeps neck in playing position with a tiny tungsten steel block mounted to the body under strap button Because block is mounted directly to body at the farthest possible point from the headstock, it acts as an effective counterweight Block is only 7 ouncesbarely visible when strap is on For any guitar or bass, acoustic or electric Street $39.99 neckheavy.com go go tuners tt-1 tuner Bright, easy-to-read LED screen Green youre in and Red youre out 360-degree swivel for multiple positions and easy visibility 5 settings: Chromatic, Guitar, Bass, Violin, and Viola Calibrates for alternate tunings Street $29.99 gogotuners.net
schecter guitars Hellraiser solo e/a Mahogany body with a quilted maple top, a 3-piece mahogany set neck with 24 jumbo frets on a rosewood fretboard Accurate acoustic emulation via the Fishman TuneOMatic Powerbridge pickup and Powerchip preamp Solid center block prevents feedback from the EMG 81/89 active pickups in highgain settings. MSRP $1399 schecterguitars.com
KW Cabs artistic Creations Line Poplar ST-2v design with exotic stain jobs and interesting grille cloths Ported design for huge sound and deeper bass response Partially removable back for open- or closed-back tones 4 & 16 mono, 8 stereo, 8 single speaker mono, and an extension output to connect another cabinet Loaded with standard speakersCelestion Vintage 30 or Jensen Electric Lightningwith optional wood and speaker upgrades available Street $899 kwcabs.com
moog music mf-108m Cluster flux analog fX processor MIDI IN allows control of Delay Time, Range, Feedback, Output Output Level, LFO Waveform, LFO Rate, LFO Amount and Mix LFO waveforms: Sine, Triangle, Square, Saw, Ramp, and Random Random Sync LFO modulation effects to MIDI Clock or Tap Tempo Tempo Send/Return Insert for external processing of BBD signals MSRP $599 moogmusic.com
192 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 premierguitar.com
new products
radial engineering tankdriver enables 500 series module that enables the user to use the spring reverb in a guitar amplifier and bring this unique effect into a recording system Designed to fit both the Radial Workhorse and older API-type racks Features a wet/dry mix to balance the signal and shimmer and boom controls to add top-end or extra boom to the tone The Drive switch increases the output to compensate for older, less sensitive reverbs For those equipped with a Workhorse, the Omniport adds a TRS insert point for easy interfacing to a patchbay List $300 radialeng.com
gretsch g6120de duane eddy signature Hollowbody guitar Bound single-cutaway hollowbody with a three-ply maple back, sides and arched top Outfitted with trestle bracing and bound oversized f-holes Three-piece bound maple neck has a brass nut, lacquer finish and slim profile based on Eddys original 57 G6120 12"-radius rosewood fretboard with 22 medium frets and hump12"-radius block pearloid inlays Dual DynaSonic single-coil pickups with 3-position switching Dual Modern Tru-Arc bridge and Bigsby B6CBDE vibrato tailpiece Modern with Duane Eddy-style DE handle MSRP $4300 gretschguitars.com
towner usa Vibrato retrofit Kit towner Converts any guitar with a stop tailpiece to Converts any guitar with a stop tailpiece to use a B3, B30, or B60 Bigsby vibrato bar Retrofit require drilling holes Retrofit kit doesnt require drilling holes into guitars body during installation Variable tensions per the height Variable string tensions per the height adjustment of the studs Street $40 townerusa.com
mXr noise Clamp your Eliminates hiss and excess noise from your effects chain threshold Single Trigger knob sets the volume threshold Capable of reducing noise up to 26 dB gain levels Maintains riff definition at extreme gain levels Street $79.95 jimdunlop.com
sKB 1sKB-fn-8 footnote amp designed by legendary amp designer Gary Sunda Features a built-in 5W combo amp designed by legendary amp designer Gary Sunda Built with a 6" Eminence speaker access to the rear pedals Boasts a 9"x12" mounting surface which is sloped for easier access to the rear pedals cables Powers up to eight 9V DC battery powered pedals with the supplied power cables 1/8" AUX/MP3 stereo line input for external audio playback and Headphone Output for monitoring or silent practice and a Line Out that is ideal for live or recording use Incorporates the same cable tester found on the SKB-PS-55 StageFive Professional pedalboard Street $179.99 skbcases.com
194 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 premierguitar.com
b.y.o.c.
like me t o tun e your Paul , De ar? O r do you feel like play ing the Te le Tonigh t?
Wou ld
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www.buildyourownclone.com
DIY Effects For Guitarists
2011 BYOC, llc Photo by:Sloane Koller
n 1973, after about four years of successful experimentation with lowimpedance pickups, active electronics, and custom instrument design, Ron and Susan Wickersham launched Alembics standard line of high-end instruments. Thanks in part to a rather large hole in the highend bass market, and some star bassistsReturn to Forevers Stanley Clarke and Jefferson Airplanes Jack Casady purchasing their instruments, Alembic quickly became known for their incredibly versatile and unique basses. Sporting high quality woods, neck-through bodies, brass hardware, silent single-coil-style pickups, and active electronics, the handmade instruments were comparatively quite expensive to other products at the time. Demand was high for the Series I and II instruments, but their coststarting around $5000was slightly prohibitive for many players at the time. The Spoiler bass, like the one featured here, was one of the many instruments released throughout the 80s to shave off the price of Alembics top models. Still a high-end bass in its own right with little change in the build process, the Spoilers, initially released in 1981, featured simplified electronicsa four-way pickup selector, master volume and master tone/filter, and a mini-toggle to activate the active low-pass filter. Sporting a very common 32" scale length and ebony fingerboard, this Spoiler shows a mahogany top with a decent amount of finish wear in the right hand playing position, but is otherwise in great shape. Thanks to Chuck Riley at Rumble Seat Music for listing this bass on Gear Search. Whether youre looking for a vintage piece or the latest on the market, theres a great chance youll find it at Gear Search. More than 47,000 pieces of gear are listed, including some of the rarest gear in the world.
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Ribbecke Guitar Co. Halfling & Retro Channel RR1 Prize Package Value: $5,970
TM
uitarists would revere Leo Fender the world if hed only designed the Stratocaster and Telecaster. But you could make the case that popular music fans over the last 60 years are as much indebted to Leo for the Precision Bass. The P Bass is the seminal electric solidbody bass, even if companies like Rickenbacker has flirted with the idea before Fender. Leo built the first prototype in 1950 and full production started a year later. The genius in Leos design is evident not only in the P Bass longevity, but in the wide spectrum of players that have carved new musical paths with the P Bass as a foundationMotown Records James Jamerson, Carol Kaye, Black Sabbaths Geezer Butler, U2s Adam Clayton, The Whos John Entwistle, Queens John Deacon, Steely Dans Walter Becker, Flea, The Cures Simon Gallup, Dee Dee Ramone, and Roger Waters, to name just a few. This particular 1958 P Bass is 100 percent original and is said to have been used onstage with Boxcar Willies band and by rockabilly legend Eddie Cochrans bassist Connie Guybo Smith [see inset photo]. 1958 was a year of transition for the P Bass. And many features and appointments were only seen together for one year because of the many alterations the P-bass saw between 57 and59. The contoured, second generation body has a two-tone sunburst finish that was discontinued in May 1958, while its one-piece maple neck and fingerboard was replaced in mid 1959 by a maple neck and rosewood fretboard combination. This instrument also sports the gold, anodized aluminum pickguard of mid 57 to late 59 and the P Bass signature split-coil pickupa humbucking design thats connected in series but magnetically inverted (N/S-S/N)though in this case it uses raised-A pole pieces that were discontinued and made flush in 1959 production models. A special thanks to Greg Mayo of Gregs Guitars in Atlanta, GA, for the opportunity to feature this fine instrument and its story.
198 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011
Have an axe that would make a great guitar of the month? then email pics and your instruments story to us at gotm@premierguitar.com.
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ptions, options, and more options. Graham Drew, master luthier at Drew & Sebastian Guitars in Virginia, says his company offers various options for every detail on their instruments, all the way down to how the pickups are wound. I think its our level of boutique that really sets our guitars apartmost certainly when people play and hear them, says Drew. Trained as a carpenter in the UK, Drew came to the US in 1999 and repaired guitars as a hobby while playing in a full-time band. He learned a lot about his craft from British luthier Bernie Goodfellow while he was home visiting for a few months in 2000. Three years ago, shortly after opening Jade Guitarshis own guitar repair shop in Virginia that is also the sole distributor of D&S Guitars in the USDrew entered the custom guitar market after speaking with numerous customers and other musicians in the area. He began by offering building services and specializing in solidbodies inspired by the classics. Drew has found that, while customers do request a variety of custom features, most want to maintain the look of a traditional guitar. Guitarists are a pretty conservative bunch, says Drew. And speaking as a guitarist, Ill put my hand up and say Im totally the same way. [Laughs.] That hasnt kept Drew from toying around with ideas like unconventional woods and configurations. For instance, hes currently building a thinline Tele-style guitar with a neck made of solid wenge. And his Avenger model looks like a cross between a Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster but has the pickup and hardware configuration of a Tele. Those are the kind of ideas that Ive got, says Drew. I want to do something thats familiar but different. Drew & Sebastian Guitars offer vintage-style hardware, like Kluson tuners, and more contemporary machines such as Grover, Gotoh, Schaller, and Sperzel. The standard pickup options are handbuilt by UK-based Wizard Pickups for each guitar. Drew calls the guys at Wizard and they determine how each set will be wound and produced using several criteriafrom the woods and shape of the guitar to the customers playing style. Standard specs on Drew & Sebastian guitars are a 25 1/2" scale, 22 frets, and 9.5" fretboard radius. Basses have a standard 34" scale, 20 frets, and 9.5" fretboard radius. However, customers can always request alternative specifications, electronics, and hardware.
eurOpa
The most popular D&S model is the Europa, a Tele-style guitar thats available in Standard, Deluxe, or Special pickup configurations. The Standard option has two single-coils, the Deluxe option features two humbuckers, and the Special option has three single-coils. Standard wood choices for the body are alder or ash. The Europa has a maple neck with either a maple, rosewood, or pau ferro fretboard, and is also available in a semi-hollow thinline version.
aVatar
The Strat-style Avatar model comes in Standard and Deluxe configurations. The standard woods are the same as the Europa, and other standard options include a Callaham Vintage S tremolo and TweedTone, Texas, or Triple Cream pickups from Wizard. The Avatar in the photo was a tribute to Ritchie Blackmore and features a swamp-ash body, 21 frets, and a Callaham Vintage S bridge.
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aVenger
This model got inspiration from the Jazzmaster, Jaguar, and Telecaster. With the same standard wood options as the Europa and Avatar, the Avenger is also available with a Jazzmaster-style floating tremolo or a Jaguar-style 24" scale. This Avenger has Velvet Alnico II Wizard pickups and a Joe Barden compensated, vintage-style bridge.
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Like JamHub on Facebook cuz were giving away one BedRoom model a month
NEXT MONTH IN
Photo by Sam Charupakorn Play in one of the best sounding rehearsal spaces money can buy. Every month in 2011 we will be giving away a JamHub BedRoom to some lucky musician. All you need to do to enter is "Like" JamHub on Facebook and comment on our wall. JamHubs give you the ability to play more, with studio-quality acoustics and with great clarity and control. Parents can't hear it, neighbors can't hear it, cops can't hear it and you won't believe what the band hears.
matt sCHOfieLd We sit down and talk with UK-based blues-rock sensation Matt Schofield about the challenges of writing, recording, and performing both the vocal and guitar work from his new album, Anything But Time, as well as the gear he relies on both on the road and in the studioincluding his trusty 1961 Strat, SVL guitars, and Two-Rock Custom Reverb amps. mOntreaL guitar sHOW If youre into boutique guitars, theres no show thats more amazing or prestigious than this invitation-only gettogether that takes place every Fourth of July. Well take you there with words, pics, and online videos of the faceslappingly awesome guitars and their luthiers. def Leppard If youre a fan of the 80s hair-rock juggernaut, then you already know they recently released their first-ever live album. So we had to sit down with guitarists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell to get the scoop on how they did it and whats next for them. VieuX farKa tOur Vieux Farka Tour, son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Tour, just released The Secretone of the freshestsounding new guitar albums of the yearand it features guests such as John Scofield, Dave Matthews, and Derek Trucks. We talk to him about what went into the album and what drives his unique take on the 6-string. reVieWs, reVieWs, reVieWs Gear investigations this month include the Kendrick V-Front 212, Richmond Empire, Vigier G.V., Breedlove Focus SE, Carvin V3M, Jack Deville Mod Zero, Ampeg PF-350, Yamaha BB 1024VW, Crimsontone SE Mini, and Electro-Harmonix Stereo Talking Machine.
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202 PREMIER GUITAR AUGUST 2011 premierguitar.com
Enter on
Read full giveaway rules on PremierGuitar.com.
.com
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Ribbecke Guitar Co. HalflingTM & Retro Channel RR1 Prize Package Value: $5,970
Wiring kits for Stratocaster. Fully solderless. Get Wired. www.toneshapers.com 772-770-1919
To enter our gear giveaways by mail, legibly hand-print your first and last name, address, age, and day and evening phone numbers on a 3x 5 card and mail to: Sweepstakes Gearhead Communications, LLC Three Research Center Marion, IA 52302
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Overdrive
Tremolo
Overdrive Boost
Fuzz
lotuspedaldesigns.com
Quality hand built effects pedals. Every Lotus pedal is point to point wired to give you that vintage sound but uses the highest quality components.
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Compulator Pro
Grosh Guitars
The Compulator, compressor of choice for Ry Cooder, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend is available in a more Flexible version. Same great sound as the original Compulator with added controls for Attack and Release and pre-set gain control. Great tone just got better.
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last call
n her book Bossy Pants, Tina Fey discusses how her time with Second CityChicagos legendary sketch comedy theater groupmade her the incredibly successful, confident, sexy ruler of modern media she has become. In her words: Studying improv literally changed my life. Fey dedicates a large section of her book to the Rules of Improvisation, which became her personal precept and influenced her destiny by guiding most of her decisions. As I read the Rules of Improvisation, I kept thinking, This is how the best musicians approach their art. Long direct quotes remain the lazy writers best friend, so here are some italicized goodies extracted from Feys book, served up with light commentary by your humble scribe. The first rule of improvisation is AGREE. Always agree and SAY YES. When you are improvising, this means you are required to agree with whatever your partner has created. If I say, Freeze, I have a gun, and you say, Thats not a gun, thats your finger, our scene has ground to a halt. Start with a YES and see where that will take you. Have you ever tried to make music with a naysayer? Its about as much fun as a root canal. Start a slow blues groove and Donnie Downer says something like, Can we please play something with some changes? Negative statements like that are the verbal equivalent of a turd in the punch bowlthey kill the party. You cant really create music when someone makes you doubt your ability or direction. The best music starts with a yes, because this gives license to the creators to chase their muse. Bands usually break up over direction, which is a nice
way of saying there is a lot of no going around the rehearsal hall. Yoko was probably not a yes kind of girl when she was destroying the Beatles. Just look at those candid Let It Be video clips, as she sits nearly on top of John, glaring with disapproval at Paul, George, and loveable Ringo. Check out the Beatles earlier candid videos or audio outtakes, and you hear four best friends encouraging each other. The second rule of improvisation is not only to say yes, but to say YES, AND. You are supposed to agree and then add something of your own. If I start a scene with, I cant believe its so hot in here, and you just say Yeah, were kind of at a stand still. [But if] you say, What did you expect? Were in hell. Or I told you we shouldnt have crawled into this dogs mouth, now were getting somewhere. Yes, and means you are contributing. Getting back to our jam scenario, if I start a slow blues and the other players leave the stage to get a drink, begin texting on their phones, or just ignore the jam, we are done. But if the drummer comes in with a funky, Chitlin Circuit-type groove, and the bass player starts going all Billy Cox, then we have at least 10 minutes of good times with those three simple chords. The Next Rule is MAKE STATEMENTS. Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Dont just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles. Weve all worked with that person. That person is a drag. Most of us had bands when we were teenagers, but rarely keep bands going as we age. Thats because naive teens with
ridiculous haircuts, limited ability, and crap gear make statements and go with them rather than weigh the costs and point out obstacles. Teens say things like, Lets combine bluegrass with classic Zep bass lines and Brazilian drums. The rest of the band responds, Great idea, lets make a record. Will it succeed? If success means having a good time while creating something, then yes, this will be a wildly successful project. When approached with the same enthusiastic fools errand, older players respond with something like, Brazilian drums are so yesterday. That market is already oversaturated. Besides, we will never get the budget together for a decent recording. Then everyone slumps home to watch TV and nothing is accomplished. Granted, the GrassZepBrazil thing may sound like a mistake, but this brings us to Feys best rule: THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, only opportunities. Many of the worlds greatest discoveries have been by accident. I mean, look at Reeses Peanut Butter Cups or Botox. Some of the most creative and satisfying work stems from what may at first sound like a terrible idea or a full-on mistake. I recently did a track with hick-hop star Cowboy Troy. My cowriter, Dave Goodwin, wanted to add harmonica to the song, but he did not have a harp in the right key for straight or cross harp. I concealed my skepticism, stayed true to Feys agree rule, and let the man do his thing. Goodwin ended up playing the coolest, weirdest part that far surpassed any trite blues-harp solo I could have played. It brought the song to a much more exciting place, because we took Feys advice to
Tina Feys Bossy Pants offers invaluable tips for improvising guitarists.
Start with a YES and see where that takes you. Fey explains that, if youre performing with somebody, it is your responsibility to make your partner look goodand thatll make you look good in the process. Naysayers take a perverse glee in pointing out what they perceive as others mistakes. This accomplishes nothing. Yes people merrily take over the world, while the naysayers cynically watch from a distance and bitterly mutter, That band sucks. I know this for a fact, because I use to play with them. Im sooo much better than those idiots. Fey doesnt exaggerate when she says these rules changed her life. People who say yes, agree, make others look good, contribute, and find opportunities in mistakes just seem to be happier and more fulfilled. Lifes a stage now get out there and play.
is a Nashville multi-instrumentalist best known for his work in television. He has been the bandleader for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 CMT Music Awards, all six seasons of NBCs hit program Nashville Star, and on many specials for GAC, PBS, CMT, USA, and HDTV. His compositions and playing can be heard on major-label albums, motion pictures, over 100 television spots, and even Muzak. Visit him at youtube.com/user/johnbohlinger or facebook.com/johnbohlinger.
John bohlinGer
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