THE PLAYER SERIES

Often Imitated. Never Duplicated.

BEABADOOBEE and the Player Series Mustang ®
in Firemist Gold.
 17 13

19 28

REGULARS

04 News
05 Around The Web
06 Fresh Frets
08 Spotlight

CONTENTS
26 Subscriptions
62 Producer Profile
64 Studio Tips
72 Hot Gear
84 CD Reviews

INTERVIEWS FEATURES REVIEWS

10 Phoebe Bridgers 28 Cover Story: Signature Sizzlers 66 RØDE RØDECaster Pro Digital Production Studio
11 Alex The Astronaut 45 The Most Iconic Guitar Amps 86 Anasounds Spinner + Ages + Silver Pedals
12 Jeff Rosenstock 48 Beatles Blowout 87 Jackson Adrian Smith SDXM + Pro Series Soloist
13 Dream Wife 52 Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s New Strat SL2P MAH
14 Khruangbin 54 A Guide To Seven- And Eight-String Guitars 88 Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster
15 DMA’s 74 Shootout: Fuzz Pedals 89 Ernie Ball VPJR Tuner • Fender Smolder
16 Hockey Dad 98 Final Note: Inspiration vs Intimidation Acoustic Overdrive
17 Neck Deep 90 Blackstar Silverline Deluxe Head • Vox Cambridge50
18 Mark Seymour TECHNIQUE 91 Faith Neptune Blue Moon
19 Megan Washington 92 Ernie Ball Music Man Sabre
20 Custard 37 Lesson: Oasis - “Some Might Say” 93 Sennheiser XSW-D Wireless Digital Pedalboard Set •
21 Enter Shikari 69 DIY: Making A Bone Saddle Boss RC-10R Rhythm Loop Station
22 Make Them Suffer 79 Intro To Intervals 94 Gibson Les Paul Modern • Orange Terror Stamp
23 Asking Alexandria 80 The Blues Scale 95 Positive Grid Spark • NU-X B-2 Wireless System
24 Diesel 81 Powerchord Riffs 96 Taylor Builder’s Edition 324ce • MXR M267 Octavio Fuzz
25 Firewind 82 Chord Structures 97 Cort KX500MS • Epifani DIST2 Bass Cabinet
4 | NEWS
#139
EDITORIAL
EDITOR Matt Doria
ART DIRECTOR Kristian Hagen
CONTRIBUTORS
Alex Lynham, Amit Sharma, Chris Bird, Chris Gill,
Christopher Scapelliti, Dale Turner, Dave Burrluck,
David Mead, Damian Fanelli, Ed Mitchell, Jack Ellis,
Joe Daly, Jonathan Horsley, Justin Sandercoe, Matt
Doria, Michael Astley-Brown, Nick Guppy, Paul Riario,
Peter Hodgson, Richard Bienstock, Rob Laing, Sam
Roche, Steve Allsworth, Tom Gilbert, Trevor Curwen
ADVERTISING
NATIONAL ADVERTISING MANAGER Lewis Preece
EMAIL lewis.preece@futurenet.com
ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATOR Di Preece
EMAIL diane.preece@futurenet.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
techmags.com.au or call +61 2 8277 6486
PO Box 1077 Mount St, North Sydney NSW 2059
MANAGING DIRECTOR Neville Daniels.
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australianguitarmag.com.au
C
hris Cornell’s estate has released a
surprise studio recording of the late
Soundgarden frontman covering Guns
N’ Roses’ track “Patience”. The release was
produced and mixed by regular collaborator
Brendan O’Brien, and coincides with what
would have been Cornell’s 56th birthday.
Soundgarden supported Gun N’ Roses on the
Use Your Illusion tour in the early ’90s, with Axl
Rose hailing Cornell as the best rock vocalist
at the time. Guns N’ Roses regularly covered
Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” in the months
FENDER LAUNCHES FIVE NEW
SHORT-SCALE, OFFSET PLAYER
SERIES MODELS
Words: Amit Sharma
Replacing the Mexican Standard line in 2018, the
Player series made headlines for bringing all the
nostalgia and spirit of the Fender legacy to those
shopping on smaller budgets. Now, five offset,
short-scale electric guitars and basses have now
officially joined the Player line-up, after being
announced at NAMM 2020 – the Mustang, Mustang
90, Duo-Sonic, Duo-Sonic HS and Mustang Bass PJ.
The new models all feature vintage-inspired
pickups and modern ‘C’-shaped necks, and brings
four new finishes to the Player series: Firemist
Gold, Desert Sand, Aged Natural and Burgundy Mist
Metallic. Ever on the pulse, Fender has tapped up
some of the most exciting guitar artists of today to
promo the range, including the Black Pumas, The
Regrettes, Omar Apollo and Beabadoobee.
CHRIS CORNELL’S
PREVIOUSLY
UNHEARD GUNS
N’ ROSES COVER
RELEASED
WORDS: MICHAEL ASTLEY-BROWN
following Cornell’s passing on May 18th, 2017.
Cornell was working on a covers album with
Brendan O’Brien prior to his death. It’s unclear
how far along the recordings were, but the
appearance of “Patience” could point towards the
release of additional tracks from the sessions.
The final Soundgarden album, which Cornell
was also writing and recording around the time
of his death, is currently subject to a dispute
between the singer’s estate and surviving band
members, with Cornell’s wife Vicky Cornell suing
over rights and royalties.
ORANGE DEBUTS FS1 MINI
FOOTSWITCH FOR CROWDED
PEDALBOARDS
Words: Michael Astley-Brown
Orange has announced the FS1 Mini Footswitch,
designed to take up minimal pedalboard real estate,
while still offering the same guitar amp-switching
functionality. The metal-cased mini pedal features
an orange LED indicator, single footswitch and
quarter-inch jack to connect to any Orange amp.
It can be used to go between channels on
twin-channel amps (eg, the Crush series), turn
reverb on and off (Rockerverb and Crush Pro),
or to adjust in-built attenuators (Rockerverb and
Dual Dark), to name a few functions.
In a neat touch, Orange has thrown in 12
stickers with its iconic, erm, icons to match
whatever you end up using the footswitch for –
there are even three blank stickers thrown in to
add your own designs. Keep ’em clean, please.
SEYMOUR DUNCAN UNLEASHES
“BRUTAL” SIX-STRING WES
HAUCH JUPITER HUMBUCKER
Words: Richard Bienstock
Seymour Duncan first teamed up with former The
Faceless guitarist Wes Hauch in 2019 for the Custom
Shop Jupiter Seven-String Rails bridge position pickup.
Now the company has unveiled a six-string version
of the “brutal” humbucker, available for both neck
and bridge positions. The passive rails humbucker
set features dual stainless-steel rail poles, a ceramic
magnet and a finely tuned high output wind. The
result, according to Seymour Duncan, is a pickup pair
that “delivers aggressive mid-range attack, evenly
balanced string response and focused clarity.”

AROUND Australian Guitar is proud to be a part of the Guitar World family!
Did you know they have a whole world of exclusive online-only
THE WEB content to explore? Here’s what we’ve been loving the most…
WHITESNAKE’S JOEL HOEKSTRA
SHOWS US A TRULY JAW-
DROPPING SOLO PASSAGE
Words: Sam Roche
Guitarist Joel Hoekstra has enjoyed a diverse and
storied career, serving six years to date in British
hard-rock legends Whitesnake, touring with
Trans-Siberian Orchestra and even working with
pop icon Cher. And, in fact, we’d rank his ongoing
contributions to Guitar World right up there with those
achievements. Adding to the portfolio, the guitarist
shows us how to playa mind-bending solo run,
sections of which he performs live with Whitesnake.
Hoekstra throws everything in his technical arsenal
at the solo as he glides through nimble two-handed
tapping lines, hammer-on/pull-off passages and
dextrous hybrid picking phrases with ease.
Check it out: http://bit.ly/HoekHathNoFury
TOM MORELLO SURPRISES TEN-
YEAR-OLD ACTIVIST SHREDDER
Words: Michael Astley-Brown
Earlier this month, ten-year-old Nandi Bushell
set the internet ablaze with her performance of
Rage Against the Machine’s “Guerrilla Radio” in
support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Judging by the video’s play count, she won a lot
of fans – among them Tom Morello himself, who
set out to surprise the UK multi-instrumentalist
with a very special gift.
The RATM and Audioslave firebrand – who
had previously praised Bushell’s performance
on Twitter – sent out his just-released signature
Fender Soul Power Stratocaster, along with a video
message. “I’d like you to have this guitar as a gift
from me to you because you rock so great, and to
see someone rocking so great who is so young, it
really gives me hope for the future,” Morello said.
Check it out: http://bit.ly/MicroRager
PEARL JAM DEBUT DRIPPY
“DANCE OF THE CLAIRVOYANTS”
QUARANTINE PERFORMANCE
Words: Richard Bienstock
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pearl Jam never
made it out on the road in support of their recent
album, Gigaton.But the band has finally played
one of its songs live, as part of the All In WA: A
Concert For COVID-19 Relief event.
The band contributed a trippy performance of
Gigaton’s first single, “Dance Of The Clairvoyants”,
with lead guitarist Mike McCready donning some
wild face paint, co-electric guitar player Stone
Gossard moving over to bass and bassist Jeff
Ament handling keyboards.
But those weren’t the only guitar player hijinks –
the video also features a guest appearance from
former Red Hot Chili Peppers six-stringer Josh
Klinghoffer, who contributes backing vocals.
Klinghoffer had been set to join the Seattle icons
on their US tour with new project Pluralone,
following his departure from the Chilis after a
ten-year tenure.
Check it out: http://bit.ly/PearlJamming
AROUND THE WEB | 5
BECCA STEVENS UNPACKS THE
ENRAPTURING ACOUSTIC LINES
OF “HEATHER’S LETTERS TO HER
MOTHER”
Words: Sam Roche
Becca Stevens is an American singer/songwriter
and guitarist who’s just released her latest full-
length, Wonderbloom, featuring some of her most
diverse work to date. But it’s the final song on the
record, “Heather’s Letters To Her Mother”, that
she’ll be teaching you in full.
COVID-19 left the singer/songwriter stranded
in Baltimore with limited equipment, but sE
Electronics and Focusrite generously sent her
microphones and an interface to get back up
and running again, enabling her to film this
video for you all!
Check it out: http://bit.ly/HeathersLesson
NAIA IZUMI SHOWS OFF THE
ACOUSTASONIC STRAT WITH A
VIBE-HEAVY, LOOP-INFUSED JAM
Words: Richard Bienstock
Lately, we’ve witnessed everyone from Kenny
Wayne Shepherd to Daniel Donato and Tyler Bryant
doing their thing on Fender’s Acoustasonic guitars.
Now, the American giant have released a series of
videos showing a new group of artists putting the
guitar through its wide-ranging paces.
Leading the charge is singer-songwriter and
multi-instrumentalist Naia Izumi, who incorporates
a variety of techniques including percussive hits
and volume swells, as well as the use of a loop
pedal, into his jaw-dropping performance on an
Acoustasonic Stratocaster.
Check it out: http://bit.ly/NaiaVsTheStrat
6 | FRESH FRETS
SAN MEI Photo: Savannah van der Niet
SHE IS a fiercely enigmatic indie-pop trailblazer whose overdriven road-trip
anthems are at once emphatically eruptive and deliriously dreamy. Mei (by
night, or Emily Hamilton by day) revels in a labyrinthine soundscape that sears
and swells with emotional tension, just enough restraint in play that she never
truly kicks over into grunge territory, but teases a dry, warbly edge.
SHE SOUNDS LIKE the future of retro. Mei is a pioneer of the way guitars
will exist in a synth-dominated pop world as the decade ahead of us unfolds.
YOU’LL DIG HER IF YOU LIKE Metric, Grimes and the Yeah Yeah
Yeahs. With her sharp and spry slithers of musical whimsy, Mei evokes the
imagery of late-night journeys through foreign cities, humming neon lights
and open-zippered leather jackets, blood-red lipstick and bold, black-rimmed
sunglasses; she’s cool as f***, basically. You’ll dig her if you’re cool, too.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT her latest EP, Cry, showcasing four
soul-absorbing gems of nostalgic pop plucked straight from the heart and
wrung through a filter of fuzzy luminescence. You should also check her out
onstage, off-white Strat firmly in-hand, where she truly shines as she tears
through a jungle of reverb and delay, reeling the listener up close with her
minimalistic verse rhythms all cool and cruisy, then roundhousing them into
the sixth dimension when a blindingly bright chorus kicks in.
WING DEFENCE Photo: Kristy Lee Hague
THEY ARE a loose and livid pub-punk duo from Adelaide who deal in short,
jammy scorchers that could put a smile on the dial of even the sulkiest amongst
us. Skye Lockwood and Paige Court wield a monstrous tone with their strummy
fretwork, an avalanche of fuzz and distortion driving their equally bright and
blunt vocal melodies.
THEY SOUND LIKE an injection of concentrated V Energy directly into the
eardrums. Like a game of netball (a position in which their name is derived),
the duo can be deceptively fierce – especially live. Beneath the summery veneer
of their upbeat boppiness lies a vicious fuse just waiting for ignition. It’s in the
gristly pomp of their basslines; drenched in the battered snark of Lockwood’s
quips on “Listerine”.
YOU’LL DIG THEM IF YOU LIKE Alex Lahey, Press Club and Luca Brasi.
They’re a band you’ll want to get into with a group of mates – these are the kind
of songs you virtually need to scream along to at a window-rattling volume as
you cruise down the highway at licence-risking speeds.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT their inhumanly catchy debut EP Friends.
With not a second of filler weighing it down, the six-track romp breezes by in a
flash; before you know it, you’ll be on your eighth consecutive play, belting at
the top of your lungs, “Be! Who! Ever you wanna be!”
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
PARADISE CLUB Photo: Paradise Club
THEY ARE an odds-defying Adelaidian quartet who bury gut-punching themes
under wickedly groovy blankets of sheer bliss. We’re branding it ‘dreamo’ –
earnestly poignant nuggets of angst driven by warm, shimmery guitar lines and
utterly charismatic vocals, the whole affair infectiously chill and inescapably catchy.
THEY SOUND LIKE gauzy, pseudo-psychedelic synthpop that instantly
teleports the listener to a sunset boogie at Splendour In The Grass, circa
freshman year of uni. Ah, how good were music festivals? Those were the days!
Anyway, if you’re into crystal clear beach water, ice-cold guava Cruisers and
sleeping in on your Saturday mornings, there’s a good chance you’ll get around
Paradise Club; it’s all about the good vibes, baby, and they’ve got plenty to share.
YOU’LL DIG THEM IF YOU LIKE Bloc Party, The Midnight and M83.
The guitars are twined around layers of ‘80s-esque keyboard melodies,
understated yet always compelling, Casey Adcock noodling away with a
carefree sprightliness that makes every three-minute jam feel like a full-on
holiday in musical paradise.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT The self-titled debut album they just dropped
on Farmer & The Owl. The youthfully buoyant “Heart Of Gold” and Oasis-tinged
“Saturday Night” are highlights, but there’s plenty to love throughout the whole
40-minute joyride.
HATTIE OATES Photo: Daniel Nash
SHE IS a Tamworth-native singer-songwriter with as keen an ear for dark,
smoky alt-pop vibes as bristly folk and glittery indie-rock. Her acoustic fretting
is cool and charismatic, and though she’ll often go long stretches without
employing it, whenever she does hit the fretboard, the impact is felt long after
the last note rings out.
SHE SOUNDS LIKE a breathtaking new voice eager to bring Australia’s
pop scene a striking personality it’s never seen before. The genuine passion
she plays with – present in abundance on even her shortest and most lowkey
tracks – is nothing short of transcendental; we could listen to her ebb and flow
around a minimalistic drum beat or warbling piano jam all day long.
YOU’LL DIG HER IF YOU LIKE PVRIS, 1989-era Taylor Swift, and Megan
Washington. she thrives on the beat with an untouchable might and crystalline
confidence that whips from the speakers like a hungry dog towards its dinner;
if you want to feel like a total badass while you strut down the street with your
headphones cranked up high, Oates has your soundtrack sorted.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT her latest single “High”, which starts off
deceptively calm before blazing into a rich and riveting alt-pop anthem. Oates’
catalogue is rather bare at the moment, but we’d bet a hot dollar on some huge
things coming from this up-and-coming luminary in the not-too-distant future.

OLD HAUNTS
Photo: Simon Dobson
IT IS the latest project from Illawarra rock dog Nathan Foley – best known for
cutting sick with his brother Ben in the alt-rock project Elia Fell – who’s cranked
his amps up a little higher and whacked on an extra distortion pedal to conjure
up a maniacally heavy, yet also wickedly groovy new world of sound.
IT SOUNDS LIKE the alt-metal boom circa 2002 was revisited with all the
tech we’ve since gained to make guitars sound great. The tones are sharp,
crunchy and deliciously dynamic, and the way Foley dips and dives around
them with his enrapturing honeyed vocal melodies… Words really can’t do it
justice. You absolutely need to hear it for yourself.
YOU’LL DIG IT IF YOU LIKE Northlane, Deftones and Periphery. Fellow
Aussie metallers Dead Letter Circus are an easy callback as well – it clicks instantly
when you learn their shredder Clint Vincent produced the first three Old Haunts
singles. But rest assured there’s so much unique about this mystifying new project,
too; Foley has clear influences, but also a virulently strong voice of his own.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT the twisting and turbulent single “Iron
Birds”, which marries deep, droning post-hardcore melodies with a cataclysmic
prog-metal twist that demands a thrash of the head with every pummelling jut,
while Foley’s soaring vocal cuts deep into the soul. We need a full-length album
of this stuff, like, yesterday.
AARON GUN Photo: Avinash Yatiyawela
HE IS a Sri Lankan-born singer-songwriter, now based in Sydney, with
a voice that channels Americana greats and fretwork that, while notably
and tastefully subdued, gushes with sincere emotion. He writes energetic
songs for laidback moods, with tinges of reggae, jazz and blues adding a
captivatingly colourful pomp to his tight and tepid indie-rock jams.
HE SOUNDS LIKE a future mainstage staple at Bluesfest. It’s impossible
to finish one of his tunes with a frown on your face; it’s the kind of stuff you’ll
want to listen to in the morning to inspire yourself to have a good day.
YOU’LL DIG HIM IF YOU LIKE John Mayer, Tash Sultana and Dave
Matthews. Gun keeps his sound tight and close to heart, his radiant acoustic
fretting in the foreground as a jungle of instrumental idiosyncrasy unfurls
behind him. The production is markedly unfettered, allowing Gun’s raw and
rootsy spark to really own the spotlight.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT his debut single “On My Way”, which
bubbles and brews with breezy strums and bright, crackly percussion – a classy
and dry saxophone riff bleeding in at just the right moments – before finally
kicking over into a massive (and massively fun) climax. It’s the only original
song he has out right now, but rest assured Gun is hard at work on plenty of
jubilant jams for you to bounce your shoulders and bop your head to.
|7
MONKEY KNIFE FIGHT
Photo: Dylan Laver
THEY ARE four emphatically industrious Sydneysiders gearing up to
grab Australia’s rock scene by the throat with their sharp and spontaneous,
one-of-a-kind intensity.
THEY SOUND LIKE a kinetic blend of belting ‘00s pop-punk and sizzling
country – like if the current trend of Southern fried emo was flipped on its head
and given a cheery makeover. There’s a little bit of a twang to the guitars and
a warbly spark to vocalist Carla Gates’ harmonies; coupled with the convulsive
energy the four-piece revel in, it’s one hell of a winning formula.
YOU’LL DIG THEM IF YOU LIKE Pinegrove, The Academy Is... and
the self-titled Paramore album. They wield a lighthearted and lively sound that
Australia’s underground rock scene is sorely missing; once the live music scene
bursts back to life, expect to start seeing their name pop up everywhere.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT their latest single “Seeing Red”, with its
roaring hooks and bombastic breakdown so inescapably huge that one spin
is all it takes to have the chorus involuntarily tattooed into your memory.
There’s a piercingly powerful chemistry at play between guitarists Max
Russell and Fred Roberts, with Gates whipping vocal magic over them like a
gymnast busting out backflips on a whim. Also peep the ripping guitar solo
on debut single “Icy Shoulders”, which is just goddamn jaw-dropping.
PAPER TAPIR Photo: Rachel Brown
THEY ARE a trio of gruff and grungy post-hardcore heroes from Melbourne
who, in five short years, have built themselves up a the country’s absolutely
must-see underground acts.
THEY SOUND LIKE an abandoned Triple Crown Records sampler from
2001, left behind by a time traveller from an alternate dimension. Their cuts
are battered and brash and decidedly lo-fi, but that’s exactly what their style
beckons; it wouldn’t make any sense for these emotionally visceral scorchers
to sound polished or pretty, and so every distorted wail, dusty snare hit and
whistling whippet of reverb feels acutely indispensable.
YOU’LL DIG THEM IF YOU LIKE Sunny Day Real Estate, Brand New
and the really early, never-intended-for-public-release Nirvana demos. If you’ve
got some feels you’ve gotta let out, Paper Tapir’s edgy effervescence will guide
you along in that journey.
YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT the split EP they recently put out with
fellow emo-punks Nova. At a scratch over six minutes long, “The Crown” shines
with a loud and livid prickliness before twisting into a deep, droning interlude
that’s sure to keep the listener gripped on the edge of their seat in anticipation
of what comes next. Too, the brassy angst that drives “Frogg” is powerfully
bewitching – especially when that meteoric solo crashes in.
8 | SPOTLIGHT
NICK ADAMS
HAILS FROM SYDNEY, NSW
PLAYS IN JUSTICE FOR THE DAMNED
SOUNDS LIKE THICK, FAST AND PUNISHING DEATH METAL
LATEST DROP PAIN IS POWER (LP OUT NOW VIA GREYSCALE)
What’s your current go-to guitar?
My go-to for everything heavy is my Jackson USA Select Soloist SL2H. It
was by happenstance that my rep had this lying around at the HQ when I
first began my relationship with Jackson. It was destined to go to a store
unless I wanted it, and he offered me a great deal on it – I took the chance
and fell in love with it. It just feels right in my hands, it’s so comfortable and
sounds amazing. Not only that, but after taking it out on so many tours and
recording all of our music with it, it’s gained tremendous sentimental value. I
truly believe that I’ll be using this guitar forever.
How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
My introduction to music and the concept of being in a band started with
Guitar Hero. I got really into the game, and after a year or so I started to really
like the idea of playing for real and starting a band with some friends that were
also playing a lot. My first guitar was an L&D Luthier’s Les Paul knockoff – not
a great guitar, but a solid one for someone just learning. The story isn’t too
out there! Really I just went into the store with my mum and played around on
various guitars for a few hours until we settled on that one. I was lucky to have
a very supportive mum! I believe I was 12 or 13 at the time.
What inspires you as a player?
I’m influenced by countless other guitarists to varying degrees. But one
guitarist that really inspired me when I was developing as a player (and still
does today) is Marc Okubo from Veil Of Maya. In my late teens, I listened to
his band religiously and admired his playing hugely. I didn’t go on to play
music much like that in my own band, but I’ve always felt that pieces of his
influence are deeply embedded in my playing when I’m just jamming, or
when I’m writing. It’s subtle but I know it’s there.
Are you much of a gear nerd?
Somewhat! I feel like I can nerd out to a certain degree. I’m really into pedals.
Being in a band that rocks the HM2 style tones, I do have a few HM2 variants, my
favourite easily being the very limited Nails ‘Tyrant’ pedal by Dunwich Amps. It’s
the most intense when you max out the parameters, but I feel it’s also the most
balanced and easy to work with. You can pull it back and get a broader range of
sounds than others that I have tried. I also have a soft spot for modulation effects
and my recently acquired Ibanez FL9 Flanger has quickly become a favourite.
Do you have any ‘white whales’?
Aside from wanting to continuously expand my pedal collection, over the last
year I started to really like Jackson Warrior guitars, and now I really want one.
Specifically, I’ve been eyeing off the USA Select Warrior WR1 in Gloss Black.
They look like absolute riff machines!
What would your signature model look like?
I would very much like to have something similar to my USA Soloist. I think on
some of the specs we’d be looking at a reverse headstock, black in colour with
some kind of cool finish. An ebony fingerboard for sure, black hardware, 25.5-inch
scale length, no fret markers (or one fret marker on the 12th fret) and probably
the Seymour Duncan Black Winter pickups. The rest is undecided at this point!
If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
I’d have to borrow from one of my previous answers and have a jam with Marc
Okubo. I’d love to just sit and learn Veil Of Maya riffs from the man himself!
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
LIZ STOKES
HAILS FROM AUCKLAND, NZ
PLAYS IN THE BETHS
SOUNDS LIKE FUN, JAMMY INDIE-POP WITH AN EMO TINT
LATEST DROP JUMP ROPE GAZERS (LP OUT NOW VIA DEW PROCESS)
What’s your current go-to guitar?
A G&L Tribute Fallout. I’ve played it for a few years now. I wanted a guitar that
was light and small, and I tried all the usual suspects but nothing really spoke to
me. I think I can be a bit contrarian, and I liked the idea of having a guitar that
not as many people did. I watched a few video reviews of the Fallout, and liked
that it had both a P90 and a humbucker, which you could blend, and the blend
has ended up being my go-to pickup setting. The first time I held one in a shop
it just felt right, the neck felt smooth and well-made and the body was light and
comfortable. And it was pretty cheap, too!
How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
Growing up, there was a lil’ cheap nylon-string guitar in my house because
my older sister learned it briefly. So when I signed up for lessons at my high
school, that was the one I started on. The lessons were a good start, but I
started to progress more when I started looking up tabs for my favourite
songs on the internet. I started busking with my best friend, and that was
a great incentive to learn a lot more. I think that’s what made me love the
guitar – I could enjoy the songs I loved in a hands-on way, without having to
be an expert or virtuoso.
What inspires you as a player?
I find Courtney Barnett’s playing very inspiring – the way she really takes
charge of the instrument, playing with both delicacy and chaos. It’s really
expressive and I’d love to be able to play like that.
Are you much of a gear nerd?
Only a little. I bought a nice MXR Carbon Copy delay last year, and previously
I was playing [a delay pedal] I picked up for ten quid so it was quite a step
up. The other five pedals on my board are all distortions or fuzzes. I love the
Proco Rat that I pinched from Jonathan [Pearce, also in The Beths]. When
we’re at home, we play on NZ vintage Jansen amps, which sound so great –
even if they are a pain to lug around.
Do you have any ‘white whales’?
Oh man, while recording our new record, we borrowed a friend’s guitar – a
single-cut Jerry Jones guitar that’s basically a Danelectro copy, but so, so
smooth and lovely to play. It had such beautiful clean bell tones, was in tune
up the neck… The perfect sparkly-jangle machine. I didn’t want to give it back!
What would your signature model look like?
It would be small and light. The rest I suppose I’d have to work out by trial
and error. I personally would love if it was easier to switch between pickups
mid-song – mid-strum, even! So I’d work on that. Then maybe all the fret dots
are small dogs.
If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
I would love to just get wasted by Freddie Green at playing in time. Just
destroyed. That would be incredible.

RUNNING TOUCH
HAILS FROM MELBOURNE, VIC
PLAYS SOLO AND IN OCEAN GROVE
SOUNDS LIKE GROOVY, EXPERIMENTAL DANCE/HOUSE
LATEST DROP “MEET ME” (SINGLE OUT NOW VIA UNIVERSAL)
What’s your current go-to guitar?
I play an American Performer Stratocaster. I have always been
drawn to Stratocasters. I love the jumbo frets and satin finish on this
particular model.
How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
I was always unconsciously trailblazing my brother – he wanted to play
everything, which meant the same for me. When I found my musical
idols, it only deepened my love. The first electric guitar I got was an
Ibanez that my brother and I got before a G3 concert in 2006. We got
it signed by Steve, Joe and John that day. Looking back, I don’t think I
appreciated that enough.
What inspires you as a player?
Production and working with other instruments feeds into my guitar-
playing a lot. My first instruments were drums and piano, so a lot of how
I use rhythm and how I perceive theory is very heavy influenced by those.
With music production, it’s all about choice and negative space for me. It
teaches you that less is more.
Are you much of a gear nerd?
I love my processing in the box at the moment. I’ve written the current
record all through my Kemper so the tones are seamless live. The
functionality and depth of the Kemper is incredible.
Do you have any ‘white whales’?
A Heeres Archtop would be at the top of my list. The Strandberg Boden 7,
too – I’ve never owned a fanned-fret guitar or a seven-string. A ’58-64 strat
would be up there as well. I always dreamt of owning a toured guitar from
another artist. Gear-wise, anything by Elysia would top my list right now.
What would your signature model look like?
Thats a hard one. It would be a black ’57 styled two-piece Stratocaster,
maple fingerboard at 24 frets. Maybe V mod or Seymour Duncan Hyperions
pickups. Black hardware.
If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
Hendrix. Anything he wanted. Alive, probably Julian Lage! Maybe we’d play
“Who Put You Behind The Wheel?” by Charlie Hunter.
|9
OLI LEIMBACH
HAILS FROM SYDNEY, NSW
PLAYS IN LIME CORDIALE
SOUNDS LIKE FUNKY POP JAMS TO GET STONED TO
LATEST DROP 14 STEPS TO A BETTER YOU (LP OUT NOW VIA CHUGG)
What’s your current go-to guitar?
An American Custom Stratocaster with N3 pickups. It has that John Mayer
warmth to it. I know everyone has a Strat and they’re not that exciting to talk
about, but there’s a reason why they’re so popular – I just can’t stop picking this
one up. My contrasting guitar is a ‘50s Harmony H44. I’m trying to stop taking
that on the road so much, but I can’t help it. It has flat wound strings on it, and
it sounds so good with a nice muff pedal.
How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
I’ve played the clarinet since the age of eight, but around 12 or 13, everything
changed and I start listening to the Chill Peppers, Jimi Hendrix and a bunch
of Aussie rock ‘n’ roll. I picked up the guitar so I could start singing along with
something. It came pretty easily for me because I already had some musical
knowledge – I just had to get my fingers working. I definitely don’t shred on the
guitar, but I’m able to work out what I want to play, and I like to think I create
interesting parts because I’m always inspired by classical, jazz and world music.
What inspires you as a player?
I’ve always been hugely influenced by The Strokes. I love the two straight, almost
robotic guitar parts constantly dueling throughout their songs, and the guitar
solos are so singable at the same time. It was great to hear Albert Hammond Jr.
say in an interview that he’s never been much of an improvisor, because I’m the
same – I go home and sit down for a few hours and write the best part I can. I
tend to write fewer guitar parts and try to make them really interesting, instead
of just building a lot of rhythm parts. The guitar has such a unique sound, but
there’s so much room to stretch its potential, unlike any other instrument.
Are you much of a gear nerd?
I’m trying to only buy gear when I know it’s going to improve my sound or
workflow. I’ve got a pretty great pedalboard now, but the biggest change for
our band is that we’ve started to use Kempers. We haven’t played a show with
them yet, but during lockdown we’ve spent a lot of time building our new set.
I’ll definitely miss playing through an amp and using pedals, but it gives us a
lot more freedom and versatility on big stages.
I have a Fender Hot Rod at home, but I tend to find other amps to
record with. I love an old Princeton. A lot of the time I’ll just D.I. my guitars
through pedals and a bunch of studio gear. I have a great range of guitars
now, too – my Harmony H44 is amazing in the studio. I recently bought a
pedal by Hudson Electronics called the Broadcast, and that’s my favourite
overdrive pedal. I love having an overdrive with an extra gain boost on it. A
Moogerfooger Clusterflux helped me get real wacky on the last two records. A
lot of the warped, tapey sounds you hear often come from a Zvex Lo Fi Junky.
Do you have any ‘white whales’?
I love all the Moog pedals – I’d love to get my hands on a bunch of the
discontinued ones. I’d love my own Roland Space Echo RE-201; our producer
had one of those during the making of our first album and We used it so much.
What would your signature model look like?
I’m not quite sure. I’d probably do something stupid like those Moog guitars.
If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
Someone that plays singable, tasty guitar parts. George Harrison. I’d probably
just chat to him about playing, rather than jamming. Or I’d get him to show me
how you actually play “Blackbird”. Might get a little sitar lesson while I’m there!
10 | FEATURE
CROSSING
BRIDGERS
AFTER THREE YEARS OF HECTIC SELF-DEVELOPMENT,
INDIE-FOLK LUMINARY PHOEBE BRIDGERS TACKLES
SOLO ALBUM #2 WITH A SHARPER, BRIGHTER AND MORE
CONFIDENT MINDSET.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY OLOF GRIND.
T
he new album by Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher, her
second solo effort and fourth LP in total – simmers
with a low, folky drawl that always teeters on
erupting into sheer chaotic disarray, but never does;
the LA indie-rocker plays with sharp and noodly guitars,
buzzy and ethereal synths, and the occasional horn solo
on the follow-up to 2017’s Stranger In The Alps. But as
broad and sprawling as the 11-tracker is, the energy is
distinctly restrained throughout – Bridgers plays her
cards incredibly close to her chest, and only offers the
listener a glimpse of them on her own terms.
In the three years that separates Punisher from its
predecessor, Bridgers went from being an underground
luminary to a force to be reckoned with on the world’s
stage. Her tunes became a favourite of those in charge
of wrangling soundtracks for TV and film projects, and
in addition to a whirlwind stint of solo touring, she
formed two bands – Boygenius with Julien Baker and
Lucy Dacus, and Better Oblivion Community Center with
Conor Oberst – which both released stunning full-length
records worthy of their own outpourings of acclaim.
In returning to her solo project, she’s hardly the person
she was at 22, a lifetime’s worth of experience doling the
now 25-year-old a musical depth those with thrice her
training struggle to reach – all of which is channelled into
Punisher. The end result is an album that beckons replay
after replay – you need to nibble around every layer of
this intricate musical trifle to truly understand how it
clicks. And when it does click, it clicks hard. Punisher is an
immensely dynamic and personable record, and Bridgers
is right to be as proud of it as she is. After racking our
brains over each of the record’s defiantly understated, yet
intensely meticulous elements, we bit the bullet and gave
Bridgers a call – we simply needed to uncover some of the
secrets behind this album.
How did you want this record to build upon
what you established creatively with
Stranger In The Alps?
I think I’ve just gotten better over time. I’m learning
what I like about my own songs more. Stranger In The
Alps was a collection of songs I’d written from being a
teenager to being an adult, but these are all songs that
I’d written over the past couple of years. I like it more,
and I hope people like it more.
I like that this record is mostly slow-burning,
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
but there are some really crucial moments
where you strike a balance between levity
and melancholy – like at the start of the
record, sandwiching “Kyoto” between
“Garden Song” and “Punisher” – and I think
that leads to it having this really nice ebb and
flow as it unfolds. Is that unravelling of a
tracklist something you consider important
when you write an album?
Yeah. I never did before – I definitely didn’t on my
first album, I just had songs and thought about them
all as singular. Conor Oberst sequenced my first record
for me because I didn’t know where to start; I was like,
“I have no idea how to do this, but you’ve done this
before,” and he was like, “Okay, well this is what I think
the sequence should be.” But with all of these songs, I
definitely thought about them all more in the context of
a record. I was sequencing as I was going [in the writing
process], because I knew that was something I hadn’t
considered last time. I also chose an intro and an outro
to kind of make it feel more like a cohesive piece.
Were you writing each song on the record in
order of the tracklist?
Not really, but I would finish a really slow song and
say to myself, “Man, I would love to play live and be
able to do some kind of faster, more uptempo stuff –
maybe I should write a song like that next.” At least
trying to do that. I don’t even care if I fail when I set
out to do a project, as long as I create something I like.
Between your debut in 2017 and Punisher
now, you released two records with
Boygenius and Better Oblivion Community
Center, respectively. Did those projects have
much of an influence on how you approached
your second solo record?
It does feel like a true ‘second record’, weirdly,
because I think of those bands as very separate
projects – I definitely wouldn’t consider either
of those records to be a follow-up to Stranger In
The Alps. But I think I made a better record [with
Punisher] for it. And also they all participated on this
record in whatever way – Conor was my editor, all
the guys sang on it, and I was sharing demos back
and forth with everyone. So yeah, I definitely think it
sounds different because I made those two records.
Is there a lot of improvisation involved in
your playing, or are you more of a
perfectionist with the guitar?
I’m definitely not a perfectionist – I basically use the
same three chords over and over [laughs]. I think I’d
get too distracted if I tried to come up with cool chords
on the spot. I have a lot of cool chords in my songs,
but I come up with them later, or someone suggests
something to me. I’m lucky enough to work with a
lot of really big music nerds who say stuff like, “Oh,
there’s a passing chord you’re accidentally playing!”
That’s always really fun for me.
So you recorded this LP at Sound City. Were
you excited to jump in and get your hands on
every bit of iconic gear you could find?
Yeah! I mean, I had the same experience with Tony
Burg’s house, because he has a lot of iconic gear. And
then ARC Studios in Omaha has this epic Neve console
that all my stuff was mixed on… Yeah, I’m very lucky to
be surrounded by beautiful gear!
What were the guitars you found yourself
playing most on the record?
So at Sound City, there’s a really nice Gibson J-45
that used to belong to Glen Campbell, and that was
my favourite. It belongs to Tony now, but he brought it
to the studio when they moved. It was just beautiful. I
think it was probably in a fire or something, because
it’s really dry-sounding – but it’s pretty much every
acoustic sound you hear on Punisher. It’s just really
resonant without being sharp – it’s very dull sounding,
which leaves a lot of space. It sits in a really interesting
place in the mix.
Are you the type of player that nerds out over
all the effects and amps, too?
Oh yeah. We actually ran one of the acoustics
through the iPad – there are a couple different iPad
apps that we like to use a lot for effects and samplers.
But for electrics, I typically gravitate towards the
baritones, and I have this Danelectro that I’ll run
through a couple of pedals. I have a [Catalinbread]
Echorec pedal that we used on a few songs. I like the
Mellotron Orchestra pedal a lot too, that was really
fun. And then a bunch of different distortion pedals –
I used the [Klon] Centaur quite a bit.

A TRUE
SHOOTING STAR
ON HER NARRATIVE-RICH DEBUT ALBUM, ALEX THE ASTRONAUT
(ARGUABLY AUSTRALIA’S MOST UPBEAT SINGER-SONGWRITER)
TACKLES A FULL SPECTRUM OF EMOTIONAL INTENSITY.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
I
t was the final night of BIGSOUND 2017 when
Alex The Astronaut (or Alexandra Lynn, to
friends and family) managed to cram virtually
the entire Australian music industry onto a
single sweaty, uncomfortably cramped nightclub
dancefloor. Her debut EP To Whom It May Concern
was buzzing around the underground pop circuit
like a house fly after landing on one too many
ice creams, but this was a short while before its
follow-up, See You Soon, would catapult Lynn from
club corners and showcases to festival mainstages
and sold-out theatres.
Her set ended on unofficial Australian
queer anthem “Not Worth Hiding”, which left
approximately half the room – this scribe included,
of course – sniffling through tears over its
unrestrained beauty and gut-punching timeliness
(this was right before the controversial same-sex
marriage plebiscite engulfed local politics).
Such is one of Lynn’s biggest skills as a
songwriter – her incomparable knack for telling
powerfully poignant stories and spreading direly
crucial messages through enigmatic folk-pop tunes
that cut as deep into the soul as her voice, twee
and twangy and emphatically radiant, does into the
eardrum. And on her (excruciatingly) long-awaited
debut album, The Theory Of Absolutely Nothing,
Lynn uses her idiosyncratic spark to soar above
and beyond the boundaries of how many massively
moving stories a typical album could fit.
Is there a statement you wanted to make
with this record, or an overarching theme
you wanted to encapsulate?
Yeah, I think I called it The Theory Of Absolutely
Nothing because that’s what a lot of people in their
early 20s work out; we think we have such a solid
understanding of how everything works – we’re
going to do everything to help everyone, and fix all
the world’s problems in a weekend – but it’s actually
really, really complicated! Things are really hard, and
the world is really tricky, and we actually know very,
very little. And by the time I was 23, I was like, “Oh
my God, I know absolutely nothing!”
It wasn’t really a bad thing to figure out, either – it
felt almost comforting. ‘Cause when you’re a kid,
you look at the adults and go, “They must be given a
playbook on how to navigate the world – they seem
to know what’s going on!” And then you get to an age
where you’re like, “Oh, okay, nobody really knows
anything.” No one gets that playbook. Everyone’s just
trying to figure it out as they go along. I think that’s
the overarching theme of this record, and I think it
comes out in lots of different ways.
There’s obviously the more serious songs like “I
Like To Dance” where, growing up, I didn’t really
experience any violence and the people in my
| 11
I love the way you blend elements of
strumming and fingerpicking in a lot of your
songs, hitting this balance where you’re
exploring the entire instrument. How did
you develop your playing style?
I was always pretty bad at the guitar – it’s
never been something that I was exceptionally
good at, growing up. I knew the basic chords, but
I struggled a lot with things like barre chords, so
I always just stuck with the things I was capable
of, like open tunings. I guess I learn a lot from
the songs that I listen to – at the start, it was lots
of Paul Kelly and Bob Dylan and stuff like that.
And then when I was around 13, 14 years old, I
came back to Australia from England, where I
first started learning the guitar, and I started
playing lots of Taylor Swift songs. That was a lot
of C, D, E minor, D – that’s what I remember all
personal bubble hadn’t, so I was oblivious to that, and the Taylor Swift songs were, and I really liked
I didn’t understand how that worked. But then when those chords, so I was using them a lot when I
you get older, you start seeing more of what other first started writing proper songs.
people go through, and it’s really eye-opening. My cousins and I really liked Jack Johnson, and
we played “Banana Pancakes” all the time
How did you want to channel the experiences together – we always thought we were super cool
you had over the past few years into this LP? because we could do that [laughs]! I guess I just
Well, I guess I didn’t really know how to write an kind of absorbed what I saw. I didn’t really look
album a few years ago. As a kid, I mostly listened to deeply into the guitar until a bit later in high
single tracks on their own – I had a little playlist on school – I think it was in year 10, so, like, age 16?
my old-school iPod Shuffle that I would listen to, And then I don’t think I improved much from that
and the structure of a full-length album wasn’t really point. I maybe got a little bit more consistent, but
something I understood. my skill level stayed the same. I know the chords,
But as I got more into music, I started listening to and I can muck around with the knowledge that I
records in full, and understanding why a good album have and make new songs out of that.
And if you listen to lots of my songs, that
is good – why there’s balance and how the shades of
thread kind of runs through them: it’s usually the
light and dark mesh.
same chords – lots of things in C – all moved
I started to look at the macro parts of around. And I think that works for me! I think it’s
constructing an album, when previously I’d been good to have a simple chord base, so that when I
so focused on the micro bits, like each line and the do have really dense lyrics with lots of narrative
internal structure of an individual song. Eventually focus, there’s a good balance.
I got to the point where I was like, “I think I want
to try to make my own album!” And then I figured
out that it’s a really hard process! There’s a lot that
goes into it! But it’s really exciting. It’s really fun to
be releasing a full-on, proper album.
And I’ll get to tour it eventually, which is really
exciting – I think that’s something I’ve gotten much
better at over the years. I’d had experience with
performing in restaurants, and I did a few folk
bars while I was at Uni in New York, but when I
started properly touring, I didn’t really know what
I was doing. I didn’t have the musical background
that some people had, and I’d never had the
experience of playing on a real stage. So things like
constructing a show: that’s definitely something I’ve
had to get way better at.
What are your go-to guitars at the moment?
I have a black Martin 00L1-7E, and then a brown
Maton – I’m not sure what the exact model of that
one is – and then a blue Fender Stratocaster; and
I kind of rotate between those three guitars. I’ve
always fiddled around with acoustics, but I never
knew too much about the specific details of each
type; I usually just liked the colours, so I’d pick
based on the finish first.
And then the Martin sounded really
cool – it just has such a rich tone, and
it’s really small, so I can just pick it
up and start strumming around on
it. I just think it’s a really nice guitar
to play, and then apparently all the
people that really know guitars think
it’s a nice guitar too, so I’m like, “Yeah,
that’s good! The people that know about
guitars like it, so that’s validating!”
12 | FEATURE
LIVING THE DREAM
JEFF ROSENSTOCK PEELS BACK THE TECHNICOLOUR COAT ON HIS CHARISMATICALLY CHAOTIC NEW ALBUM.
N
o matter how hard, nor pettily you search, it’s
nigh-on impossible to find a reason not to love
Jeff Rosenstock. Between his infectious joviality,
fantastical creative spark, and the fact that regardless
of how far he surges in popularity, he still gives away
all his records for free – not to mention how goddamn
brilliant all those records are – the 37-year-old Long
Islander is a DIY punk icon we can all aspire to be more
like; the patron saint of mid-fi Telecaster shreddage and
engagingly semi-coherent ramble-screaming.
On his fourth solo effort, NO DREAM, Rosenstock
digs his heels deeper into the equally slick and searing
political turbulence he first explored in depth on 2016’s
WORRY. In some ways, it feels like the closing chapter
of a trilogy – in others, the start of a whole new saga
in itself. But defiant of where it sits in Rosenstock’s
echelon, the album – essential listening in the erratic
throes of 2020 – explores a downright unbelievable
sprawl of sonic depth.
Even by Rosenstock’s standards, NO DREAM is an
impressive feat of creative acrobatics. So, obviously, we
needed to figure out how he made it work.
It kind of blows my mind how freely you’ve
let your musicality soar on this album –
you’ve got slow songs, hardcore songs, some
‘90s skate punk, a Weezer D-side… How do
you go about crafting the flow of an album
and finding where to hit those different beats
without the transitions feeling polarising?
I don’t think about whether or not they’re polarising.
To be honest, the way I mix genres up isn’t really
something I even realised I was doing until I talked to
other people about my music, which is really funny to
me. When I’m thinking about making a record, I’ll start
with a handful of songs that make me think, “Oh, these
songs all make sense together.”
I’m always thinking of things in sequence, to an
extent – at a certain point, you get songs where
you’re like, “Alright, what does this need to make
it compelling to listen to?” I try to think about the
dynamic and the ebb and flow of the whole thing; it’s
important to think about where on an album you’d be
excited to hear something super fast, or when you’d
be like, “Okay, there’s been a lot of loud shit in a row, I
need to give my ears a break.”
I try to think, y’know, not just about the songs but
what it’s going to be like to listen to 40 minutes of them
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
back to back – is it going to be an enjoyable experience?
Does much of that have to do with the
creative chemistry that exists between
yourself and the rest of the band?
I go to the band with pretty fully formed ideas, just
because that’s how I write. But everybody is so quick to
not only learn the stuff, but add cool stuff of their own
in – and also be really supportive of when I do things
that I feel are really big risks that potentially nobody
could be into. Like when I sent the demo for the second
half of WORRY. to everybody, I was like, “Hey guys, I don’t
know if this eight-songs-into-each-other shit is going to
work,” but they were all just like, “Hell yeah, this is tight!”
I think I’m just in a band with people who have cool
tastes, or do cool stuff, and they bring a lot to the party.
And if there is anything that feels weird in a song, we all
just talk about it between the five of us and we figure
out how to make it better. We also just like playing
music with each other. Every record we’ve done, you
can hear that we’re just rocking out and having fun!
And you recorded this album pretty much
entirely live too, right?
Y’know, to an extent – we did the basic tracks live,
which is drums, two guitars, bass, and either acoustic
guitar or some organ stuff. That’s how we’ve done all
of these records; we get into a room and Jack [Shirley,
producer] puts up some microphones, and then we try
to play a good take. And then, y’know, eventually we
play a good enough take, and then we move on to the
next one! This album was cool because we stayed on
the two-inch tape for a really long time – I did the
vocals on tape, which was something totally new.
Did it just make sense with how raw and
intense a lot of these songs are?
I’m just not much of a fan of records that have a lot
of pitch correction on them, or audible quantisation –
anything where I can hear the studio trickery to make
something perfect, I’m like, “Nah, I can’t get into this.”
It loses the human element to me. But most of the
bands that Jack works with, he records live to tape. I
didn’t know that going in, either – I just knew that I liked
the way his records sounded.
He presented it as an option over the phone, and I
was like, “Ahh, I don’t think so.” But then he presented it
as an option while we were there – he’s was like, “Ah, just
try it! Just give it a shot,” and we were like, “Okaaaaay.”
And then we played through whatever the first song we
recorded for We Cool? was, and by the time we were
done, we were all like, “Oh shit, that actually sounds
awesome!” And now that’s just how we do it!
What were you jamming on, axe-wise?
I’ve got a Jazzmaster – I don’t know the exact type,
it’s called a Vintage model but it’s a new guitar… It’s
a Fender! I know that! That was something I got at
a really cheap rate from Fender after our band got
robbed in 2015, they kind of hooked me up with it,
which is really nice. It’s a fun one one to play – it’s got
a whammy bar, so you can do all this cool shoegaze-y
shit on it, and make a lot of really hazy, fuzzy sounds.
I really like playing chords while just kind of loosely
messing with the whammy bar on a lot of fuzz pedals,
making it all sound really dreamy. That’s one of my
favourite guitar vibes.
And then I play a Fender Jaguar baritone on some
stuff, and I have this pink Tele Deluxe that I played on
the other stuff! And then there’s a 12-string on one of
the tracks… Mike [Huguenor] plays a Jazzmaster too.
We pretty much all just use Fender guitars – some of
them have humbuckers, some of them don’t… We’re
not much of a Gibson band. I don’t feel like I know how
to make a Les Paul sound good, y’know? I know people
who play Les Pauls and they’re just like, “This is the
only guitar that exists!” But for some reason, it’s never
really made sense to me.
What about in the way of effects?
I get really into very specific things with distortion
and fuzz pedals – when I step on the distortion pedal,
I want it to feed back immediately. I feel like having
really precise control of when you go, like, [hilariously
imitates roaring feedback] – that’s a big thing for me.
And also just that it sounds fuzzy and Black Sabbath-y
or Weezer-y, versus that Marshall-ish crisp kind of
tone – I don’t like that stuff. I’m more into blown-out,
really nasty, fiery guitar tones.
I feel like I used, like, seven different fuzz pedals on
this record, because they all just kept breaking as we
were recording. Jack has this modded Rat, and I used
an Earthquaker Acapulco Gold pedal a lot. I also have
a Wampler Pinnacle Deluxe, which is a really great
distortion pedal, but it’s been on tour with me for so
long that, like, you look at it the wrong way and it goes,
“F*** you, I’m not gonna work now.”

A BOLD LEAP FORWARD
FOR THEIR SECOND ALBUM, DREAM WIFE REINVENT THEMSELVES WITH EQUAL PARTS POWER AND POIGNANCY.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
PHOTO BY SARAH PIANTADOSI.
I
n the two years following their self-titled debut,
London trio Dream Wife have traversed the
whole world over and bared witness to all its
intricate ups and downs, all the while navigating a
lifetime’s worth of their own personal exploration.
Their experiences come to a head on So When You
Gonna…, an album that pushes far beyond their
indie-punk roots to roam through nuanced pillars of
pop, rock and avant-garde indie flavours. Australian
Guitar met (virtually, of course) with guitarist Alice
Go to vibe on how the band channelled the whole
of their personal spirits into a record as powerful
as it is polychromatic.
How did you want album two to really define
what Dream Wife is in 2020?
We really wanted to elevate and broaden our
sonic palate from album one through to this record.
We recorded the first record in something like a
week and we had live shows in-between, so it was a
very live, in-the-moment experience, trying to get
that raw energy down on track. But going into the
recording process of this second album, we had a
whole month to record, and we were working with
this amazing team.
Marta Salogni was this amazing producer who we
got to share a conversation with, and we were able
to dig into the sound [of Dream Wife] and really
take the songs to a broader place, sonically, that
we ever got to on the first record. It was a really
exciting chance to explore what’s possible for us to
achieve as a band.
We’d been playing live for something like two
years prior to writing the album, and we were like
really locked in as a live band, so the sound and the
vibe from the first record is carried through – that’s
kind of in our soul, y’know? That kind of rawness
and that sense of fun. But also, I feel like we’ve
kind of embellished upon that, and we’ve come up
with these songs that can sound stiller and hold a
statement – they don’t have to be as punk, I guess I
would say, as a lot of the songs from the first album.
For us, it was about pushing the extremes – taking
everything that was great about the first record and
everything we can do as a live band, and pushing
that in the studio with Martha to develop something
we hadn’t been able to do as a unit before. It felt like
quite an organic evolution of what we’d achieved on
the first record, being able to push things more in
that studio setting where we could actually explore
sounds in a new way for the first time.
What was the creative dynamic like between
the three of you?
We did a lot of the preproduction ourselves and
with our drummer, Alex Paveley – we would be in a
room together, and we all just clicked. We feel like a
really well-oiled machine after playing so many
shows, and I think the songs came very naturally to
us. It’s a really fun and trusting space, and I think,
y’know, dealing with sensitive topics such as
miscarriage on the song “Temporary” – from from
pouring so much of our personal lives into this
project, we’ve reached this stage with each other
where it really is like a sisterhood.
There’s a lot of trust in that creative space, and I
think that really allowed us, in the writing process, to
push forward and explore these softer sides of our
sound, and the more statement-based sides of who we
are as a band. And from the writing process through
to the recording, that trust kind of carried us along.
Working with Martha as our producer, Grace Banks as
our engineer and Heba Kadry mastering [the album],
we had a very sensitive team who helped us feel like
we could truly take advantage the space we were in.
We had a month at Pony Studios [in London] with
Martha, and we were able to hold this conversation
together where there was no ego – it was unlike
anything I’d ever experienced in a studio; it was
everyone engaging in this conversation together,
where, really, anything was possible. And I think that
really allowed us to tackle more sensitive subjects in
a way that felt respectful and right. It was a real
dream team throughout, really.
And then also, y’know, coming back from two years
of straight touring… We took six weeks off over
Christmas in 2018, and when we came back to the
| 13
writing space, it was a very refreshed atmosphere. I
think it was really nice to actually just re-enter that
space as friends. We’d been through all of these crazy
adventures together, and I think that allowed us to
really push the lights and shades, and the contrast
between moods on this record as a whole.
The curation of this record as a whole was very
intentional. You start with a song like “Sports”,
where it definitely carries that sense of fun and raw
energy through from the first record – but then you
end the record with a song like “After The Rain”,
which couldn’t be more diametric. And those
extreme bookends, for me, were the result of able to
really dig into our artistry with the team around us,
trusting ourselves and trusting our vision, and
pushing ourselves in the right ways.
So it’s a combination of a lot of different
chemistries, I think. I know that’s quite a long-winded
answer, but it’s a very complicated tapestry of trust
and respect – and excitement, I think, for this thing
that we get to create!
I love that in a lot of the verses, you’re
playing with this tone that’s really prickly
and bright, yet totally cuts through the mix.
What are you doing to get that sound?
There’s a lot going on actually! I guess with the
first record, it was a real sort of punk vibe with the
guitar. That was my form of rebellion, in a way –
stating myself as a guitarist and holding no
prisoners. But now, it almost feels like I’m rebelling
by softening the edges, and creating all these new
textures – be that with an EBow or a pedal or
something else. Going from the first record over to
this one, it was about pushing all the tones and
colours that it’s possible to get out of a guitar, and
not just being this one-size-fits-all sort of spiky,
edgy punk thing. It’s still got that edge, but I’m also
pushing our sonic repertoire to new places.
I used a lot of the EBow on this record, just to
create a lot of ambience and background tones, and
some of the sounds that almost feel like strings. I
recently got an American Pro Jazzmaster, too, which
is responsible for a lot of the guitar sound on this
record. I used mostly Burns guitars on the first one,
but the range of sounds I can get with this new
guitar… There’s just more depth, really, and using
the EBow with it created a whole new space for me,
sonically, in the way I could approach the layering
with my parts.
Another big new thing was this pedal I got from
Roland last year, the BOSS SY-300. It’s a guitar
synthesiser pedal, and I’ve been using that a lot for
this kind of spiky, spacey sound. “Hasta La Vista” is
a prime example of that – almost this kind of plonky
synthesiser sound – and with that pedal, it’s possible
for me to play that part live at the same time as the
main guitar part.
I think the big question for all of us was, “How can
we broaden our sound and add new flavours to the
mix, while still keeping this unit as much a live band
as possible?” And for me, that meant asking, “How
much can I do live? How much is it actually possible
to play on the guitar itself?” So in a way, I’m treating
the guitar on this record almost as an audio interface
– it’s this panel to create other sounds with, not just
that raw, kind of indie type sound that I think really
defined the guitars on the first record.
14 | FEATURE
NEW HORIZONS
KHRUANGIN ARE THE TYPE OF BAND THAT TAKE EVERY SONG AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE A
NEW SOUND, STYLE OR MUSICAL TECHNIQUE. SO WHEN WE SAY THAT LP3 IS SURPRISINGLY
EXPERIMENTAL BY THEIR STANDARDS, YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN FOR SOMETHING TRULY OFF-THE-RAILS.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY TAMSIN ISAACS.
T
hrowing tinges of disco, techno, punk, funk,
psychedelica, blues, roots, and virtually every
corner of avant-garde experimentalism thought
possible into one big, beautiful smoothie of pop
music, Khruangbin are a genre perfectionist’s worst
drug-induced nightmare come to life. Their third album,
Mordechai, is perhaps their most ambitious, too – it’s
a silky, slinking journey down a rabbithole of artistic
exploration, at once loose and lucid and loveably raw,
and surprisingly tight, with song structures that require
multiple listens to fully understand and appreciate.
Though mostly defined to this point by their
sprawling nuggets of instrumental gold, Khruangbin
employ vocals more prominently than ever before on
Mordechai, gifting it a brightness in personality that
previous records lacked. We caught up with guitarist
Mark Speer to chat about how that personality is
weaved throughout the album, and how the new ways
Khruangbin approached the recording process for it
led to material they never expected would materialise.
How did the philosophy behind Khruangbin
inform this record?
We’re constantly influenced by music from all over
the world, and specifically what was happening in the
mid-to-late ‘70s and early ‘80s. We’re informed really
heavily by the collision of culture – what happens when
western funk and indie meets regional styles, and
how they mix together. We really like what happens
when something from the west collides with a foreign
subculture – something like disco, for example,
becomes so mainstream that it becomes influential in
a country like Turkey. But Turkey might not have the
same context disco has – or had – in its time in the US.
But it continues to influence music in that region for
years, well after the disco demolition in the States.
That whole thing is all really fascinating to me. And
with this particular wave, in 2020… Khruangbin had
been on the road for just about four years straight, and
it was time to make a new record. When it comes to
doing a record, we make the time to do it, and then we
just go in and do it. Sometimes we have stuff written,
and sometimes we don’t – in this case, we had some
bits and pieces, and a few ideas for some things we
wanted to do on the record, and that’s what dictated
and informed what we ended up doing.
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What is it you wanted people to get out of the
LP when they pop it on for the first time?
Y’know, I don’t know! I don’t know what I want people
to experience… I don’t know if that’s really my business.
We try to make our music as intentionally vague and
open-to-interpretation as possible, so that everybody
can have a unique experience when they listen to it.
That’s why I’ll never tell you what any of the songs are
specifically about, because that would just ruin the
experience. I love that each song means something
unique to the listener – it’s more fun that way.
You can use the music as a backdrop for your
own experiences, in a sense.
Yeah. You know Hello Kitty? Hello Kitty is obviously
a cat – I’ve read that it’s actually a little girl dressed
as a cat, but that’s a whole different story – but the
idea is that you have this face that’s kind of blank;
Hello Kitty doesn’t have any expression, which allows
the person looking at Hello Kitty to adapt their
own emotions onto that character. That’s what we
want to do with Khruangbin – you can put your own
interpretation of a theme onto the music, because we
leave it open enough to that.
What was the creative dynamic like between
the three of you in the studio?
Generally, DJ [Donald Johnson, drums and keys] will
start off with a drum loop; he puts stuff into folders
for us – these eight- or 16-bar drum loops – and Laura
[Lee, bass and vocals] has a link to that folder, so she’ll
sit there at her computer and record herself playing
bass for an hour, or whatever, and then she’ll send
it over to me. I’ll listen back and pick out the stuff
that I like and kind of make an arrangement with
those parts, and then I’ll add the guitar to that. That’s
generally how we write music.
When it actually comes time to record, we learn the
the demo, and then we play it together. What you hear
on the record is generally us playing it for the second
or third time, live. For this particular record, it was a
similar kind of situation, but it happened faster than it
has in the past. We were all at the farm, chilling in the
barn, and it would be like, “Okay, so this morning we’re
going to pull up a drum loop, I’m going to get it set up
for Laura to play her bass on, and I’ll go do something
else for a couple hours while she does that.” And
then I’ll come back and she’ll go and do something
for an hour while I’m cutting up her part and writing
something to go on top of that.
Then we’ll learn that, and then we’ll play it, and
then we’ll record it – and that’s pretty much what
happened! The only difference with this record was
that we had a very short amount of time to record at
first, and then a whole lot of time to do things in post.
How did you take advantage of that situation?
We focussed more on the bass and drum writing, and
that interplay between those two instruments, moreso
than the guitar parts. A lot of the times, I ended up just
playing my rhythm parts in the recording session, with
the thought that I would go back later – because we had
all this time in post to do overdubs, which is not usually
the Khruangbin way – and I would overdub a really
refined guitar part. I was going to take the time to work
it all out and make it as strong as it could be.
But what ended up happening was that we actually
kept most of the rhythm guitar parts, and just ran with
that. Laura had gone through a really life-changing
experience, and that threw the writer’s block into
whack when it came to her lyrics. So I kind of sat down
with her and helped her write lyrics – she had tonnes
of stuff written in her notebooks, and all I had to do
was basically arrange them all into song form, change
some words here and there, put some phrasing
together… And we decided to go down the path of
exploring what the vocals would sound like over that
stuff – it was a bit of an experimental process.
So the vocals became the main melodic force for
this album. Because in KB Land, you basically have two
kinds of songs – you have those songs where the guitar
is the focal point and the main melodic element, and
you have those songs where the guitar plays simple
chords and the vocal is the main melodic element. And
on this record, because it’s very rhythm guitar-based,
the vocal ended up being what drives that melodic
element almost all of the time.
There’s a lot of chordal stuff that I’m playing – mainly
because I was listening to a shittonne of fingerstyle
players, and I just really liked that stuff. I thought it was
beautiful. And that just left a lot of room for the vocal to
sit on top and drive the song, so that’s what we did.

GLOWING SOMEWHERE NEW
FOR SYDNEY BRITPOP REVIVALISTS DMA’S, LP3 IS A SHOT AT COMING FULL-CIRCLE WITH SOME SPICY NEW BEATS.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
I
t’s a sunny Wednesday morning when Australian
Guitar catches up with Johnny Took; the DMA’s
guitarist is in naturally high spirits with physical
copies of his band’s third album, The Glow, having
just landed at his doorstep. Having firmly established
themselves as one of Australia’s biggest and brightest
rock outfits – taking ‘90s-style Britpop back from the
underground to impressively luminous new heights –
the new release sees DMA’s take a slight left turn from
searing acoustic balladry towards dancehall techno,
bubblegum pop and post-punk. But as Took lets us
know, The Glow is only a natural progression – or
regression, in some ways – for the Sydney three-piece.
This record obviously represents a massive
leap in style for DMA’s. Where did the idea
come from to shake things up and get more
experimental?
DMA’s has always been a project based around
songwriting, but particularly songwriting in the studio.
A lot of it was about listening to what sounds we were
liking and trying to experiment with them in our own
way. When we were first starting out, I was around
22 – 23 maybe – and I was getting really deep into
things like production and engineering. And that’s how
Tommy [O’Dell, lead vocals] really discovered his voice;
we’d been in a band together before and I’d heard him
sing, just mucking around on the piano or whatever,
but it was only once I got into audio engineering that
he figured it all out.
He came around to drop off some drum gear one
day, and I was driving a folk tune on my computer… I
had a mic set up and he just had a stab at it for fun,
and he was like, “Wait, do I sound like that!?” Y’know,
he’d never heard his own voice recorded properly
before, and he was like, “Holy shit! Can we do more of
this?” And I was like, “Yeah mate! Of course!” And from
there, we were writing for two-and-a-half years before
we released any music.
So kind of stemming from that, it’s been a natural
progression for us, and a progression of our love for
recording and whatnot, to keep growing, and keep
experimenting with new sounds and new techniques
in the studio. When we started, Tommy was the
drummer, but he didn’t have any gear to record on so
it started with electronic beats. We used to joke that
DMA’s stood for Drum Machine Anthems.
But then obviously, we kind of went down a different
path, y’know, because we all loved rock ’n’ roll, and
we love noisy guitars and all of that kind of stuff.
That seemed like a natural place to start off when we
decided to take the band seriously, but it’s funny that
we’ve kind of gone full circle. And working with Stuart
Price on the record really helped with that, what with
his history of electronic production and whatnot.
I guess when you get down to the basics of it
all, DMA’s has always been a pop band on
some wavelength.
We’ve always been a pop band, and we’ve never
shied away from that. We did hide it under some
noisier kind of stuff for a while. It’s not My Bloody
Valentine, but there’s some pretty heavy guitar
moments in it, y’know? But yeah, fundamentally, the
songs have always had those big pop melodies.
Have you always had an ear for the more
electronic vibes of pop music?
Not really, to be honest. The last few years in
particular, as I’ve started getting better at production,
I’ve grown to like it more. I’d spent years and years
blowing every cent I made on guitar pedals and
experimenting with sounds in that regard, so I guess
the natural progression was to start mucking around
with synthesisers and drum machines as well.
And then we slowly started getting our heads
around that as a band. You can kind of hear that on
“Life Is A Game Of Changing” with the sequencers
and drum beats at the start – that song started as
an experiment for us to incorporate little bits and
elements of that sound into our regular songwriting.
But obviously it wasn’t just going to be synths, y’know?
A big part of it for us is playing synths and guitars
together, and making them coexist in that one spot –
sonically, that’s one of our favourite positions to be in.
Did you have to change your process to write
for the guitar with all those different song
structures in the mix?
Not really, because I guess fundamentally, the
same concepts applied. That’s what I’m learning at
the moment – melody is melody, y’know? How you
choose to play it, or what instrument you choose to
play it on, or what sonic landscape you choose to set it
in – that’s just another part of the creative process. But
fundamentally, melody is melody. If you can play it a
| 15
certain way on the guitar and the voicings work right,
then it’ll also work with the synthesisers and such.
That’s one of my favourite things, actually, when you
work out the right voicings for guitar parts. And Mason,
being the lead guitarist, he’s particularly great at that.
What gear were you rocking?
So I’ve got a ’66 Mustang – I picked it up out in the
country, actually, near Cessnock! Mason got me into
Mustangs when we first met – I like the way they’ve got
a smaller neck, and it’s just got the right type of jangle
for me. But this ’66… I picked it up for $1,500, which is
pretty amazing! I think the guy thought it was broken –
he was like, “Ha! Little does he know…” But if it’s just the
electronics, it’s always repairable.
It was actually funny – Mason has family in Cessnock,
and his aunty was like, “Hey, come down to our little
community ukulele group.” And the guy that sold me
the guitar was the guy running the ukulele group at the
Cessnock Community Centre. He’d asked me if I was in a
band, so he obviously looked up DMA’s and recognised
Mason, and he was like, “Hey, I sold your mate Johnny
a guitar! I think there were some problems with it…”
And Mason was like, “Yeah man, sorry to say, but it was
just the electronics. Johnny fixed it and now it sounds
incredible.” I think he was a bit heartbroken.
What did you end up doing with the tech?
So I ripped out all the switches from the top and put
hot rails in, and then I changed the tone and volume
knobs just so they just controls the bridge and the
neck straight-up. Depending on what tones I want,
I just blend the volume of the neck and the bridge
pickups – but if I completely turn off the neck, then it’s
got the hot rails in it, so it really screams.
Beautiful stuff. And the rest of the arsenal?
Mason’s got a Jaguar that he bought from that
famous strip in London, which is great. And then our
live guitarist Joel uses a late ‘80s Strat – I think it’s an
’89 – which is beautiful, and he’s also got a late-‘90s
Tele as well. So we’ve got a bit of everything! We
stayed true to the Fender theme for this album, but I
use Gibsons for my acoustics live – I’ve always played
the J150-XLs. I’ve got three of them now, actually,
because every time I’d switch the capo out for a new
song or something, my guitar wouldn’t sound as good
as it did the previous song. I didn’t want to have to
keep re-tuning, so I just got a couple spares.
16 | FEATURE
SWEET RIFFS FOR SMART KIDS
WOLLONGONG’S HOCKEY DAD THROW CAUTION TO THE WIND ON ALBUM #3, SOARING PAST
THEIR INDIE-PUNK ROOTS INTO A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL INSANITY.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY IAN LAIDLAW.
T
he first time we saw Hockey Dad tear shit up in
the flesh, they were opening the side stage at a
regional festival (the name of which escapes us)
where the security guards propped against the barrier
made up around a fifth of their crowd. This was long
before their debut album Boronia put them on the
map as one of Australia’s biggest and most ballistic
indie-punk outfits, but regardless of the punters they
were pulling (or weren’t), the Wollongong duo put on
one hell of a set. They played as though their legion
of fans spread far beyond the hills, each strum Zach
Stephenson pummelled done with the passion of
someone shredding out to a jam-packed stadium.
When they did hit the mainstream not too long
after, they were an easy hit with the Triple J crowd
and those on the market for simple, fun rock ’n’ roll
that didn’t take itself too seriously. They carved out
a winning formula for themselves in quick and witty,
easily-singalong-able quips and sharp, pit-ready
pop-punk hooks that echoed the likes of Blink-182 and
Goldfinger, but with a distinctly Australian edge. Circa
mid-2018, they were absolutely unstoppable.
But eventually, two chords and the truth starts
to flake away at the surface. After the February ’18
release of their second album, Blend Inn – which
was certainly no small drop, landing at #6 on the
ARIA Albums Chart – Stephenson and drummer Billy
Fleming started to hunger for more than just quick
riffs and snare hits; they set their sights high and
spread ambitions out to cover a wealth of new sonic
avenues – everything from slow, searing ballads to
roaring country and Americana.
Cue: Brain Candy, the duo’s third full-length (via
local legends Farmer & The Owl) and a defiant
proclamation of what Hockey Dad are truly capable
of. There in excess is the instantaneous energy
that catapulted them from the Rad Bar to arenas
worldwide, but weaved around it is a slew of musical
inspiration that kicks their artistry up to a whole new
level. This is Hockey Dad declaring that not only are
they one of Australia’s best indie-punk bands, but one
of our best rock bands in general, defiant of subgenre.
Before the band played to a sold out field of
Commodores and Corollas as part of their Alive At The
Drive-In concert series (since, y’know, regular gigs
are totallly off the cards at the moment), we caught
up with Stephenson for a chat about how Brain Candy
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came to life throughout the last few months of 2019.
In addition to an off-hand mention of a fourth album
already in the making, we learned a lot about how the
band endeavoured to step outside the box for LP3.
The biggest recurring theme was how, while they
could’ve easily slapped together another stack of
two-minute crowdsurfer anthems, the pair needed
to shake things up – part of why Brain Candy has its
title is because that’s exactly what it was for Hockey
Dad: material that kept them thinking as opposed to
just mindlessly churning through the motions. We also
spoke about how Stephenson’s current obsession with
country music, which is something literally none of us
could’ve seen coming a few years ago…
So of course this record has a lot of the Hockey
Dad flavour we’ve all come to know and love,
but you’ve also pushed the sound in some
interesting new directions. How were you
excited to shake things up with this record?
I don’t know how it kind of came about. We’ve done
a few albums already now, so I think we just naturally
started to be excited by different sounds and new ideas.
I was writing a lot on my own, and I think a lot of those
sounds came out of that process – being at home and
listening to different things, trying some new stuff in the
studio whenever I had the chance… And once we brought
all of our ideas together, we realised that we were both
super excited to try some different things, like a real
slow-burner and a big fast track, and a few little country
licks here and there. That’s really what kept us interested.
Does part of it come down to necessity, being
three LPs deep and not wanting to get stale?
I don’t think it’s ever really a conscious thing where we
go, “Oh, we have to make this record sound different.” I
think it just kind of happens. You’d get bored doing the
same thing for three albums in a row; it just wouldn’t be
fun anymore. We play in a band to have fun, and because
we like trying out new things and new sounds. That’s
what makes us excited. So yeah, I think it just comes
naturally, and it’s probably going to happen a lot more
with every record that we do in the future as well. We just
want to keep going and keep pushing forward, making
new sounds and seeing what we’re capable of.
As a guitarist in particular, were you keen to
explore a few different playing styles and
techniques as well?
Yeah, I think so! We’ve been listening to a lot of
country music lately, and I just really love that whole
atmosphere. I love pedal steel guitars and slide guitars,
and how they give the music a bit more of a character. I
was inspired by a lot of that kind of stuff, so there a lot
more of a jangle on this album, I think, than there was
on the older Hockey Dad records. A lot of it was done on
the bottom three strings of the guitar for this one.
Country music definitely isn’t what we think
of when Hockey Dad comes to mind. How did
you get into that vibe?
We were never really into it until maybe a few years
ago when we travelled all over America. You go to
Nashville and see it out in the open, and it’s all a bit
too much and a bit animated for some people, but we
were really drawn in by how fun it was. So we went and
picked up some records – and y’know, there’s a process
to getting into country. First you have to find those
gems, and then you kind of just go deeper and deeper
down the rabbithole. I think I just fell in love with the
simplicity and the soul behind country music, and now I
can’t stop listening to it!
What guitars were you slinging in the studio
this time around?
I used my two Jazzmasters for this record. John
Goodmanson [producer] had a bunch of guitars with
him in the studio, too. There was a ‘60s Les Paul and a
‘60s SG that he had – they were these total Frankenstein
things – and I really fell in love with the SG, so I used
that a lot on the record. And then there was a ‘90s
Les Paul that we used for the beefy, crunchy stuff. But
otherwise, I stuck to the Jazzmasters for most of it.
Playing live, I’ll probably just be using those.
What is it about the Jazzy that you froth?
I think it’s the floating tremolo – I just love the feel
of that, having the strings up and just having more air
around them like that. The string-through bridge, or
whatever it is on something like a Strat – I can get into it,
but I think I just love the openness of the Jazzmaster a lot
more. I think you can feel the bridge move when you play
if you’re playing it too hard, and I kind of like that feeling –
y’know, it might fall apart at any second.

DIVING DEEPER
NECK DEEP HAVE ALWAYS HAD A KNACK FOR MAKING BOLD STATEMENTS IN ALBUM TITLES. BUT WITH THEIR
EXPERIMENTAL POP-PUNK OPERA, ALL DISTORTIONS ARE INTENTIONAL, THEY’VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY STEVE GULLICK.
A
t some point on the road down which every
pop-punker travels, there comes a critical
intersection: keep kickin’ it up with punk jumps
and powerchords, or explore some more cultured,
less preteen-friendly corners of the rock genre. For
the English riff-splitters in Neck Deep, it would’ve
been a smart choice to stay cruising down the lane of
least resistance – they blew up in the mid-2010s for
reinvigorating the kind of loveably dorky 4/4 looseness
that defines the pop-punk genre, and fans would
happily have lept at a fourth collection of it.
But Neck Deep aren’t the type to rest on their laurels;
especially not in 2020, with their strongest lineup
yet and all eyes on them as they gear up follow two
of the past decade’s biggest pop-punk releases. All
Distortions Are Intentional is an audaciously ambitious,
wide-sprawling concept album that shows the fivesome
throwing caution to the wind and diving headfirst into
a hectic new world of rock ’n’ roll ebullience.
Its title, as guitarist Sam Bowden tells us, refers not
just to the cataclysmic story that frontman Ben Barlow
unfurls across its 12 tracks, but also to the unpredictably
sharp left turns that Neck Deep themselves steer it with.
How did LP4 being a concept record influence
the direction you took in the writing process?
So to answer that, we have to go back a record
further. The Peace And The Panic followed Life’s Not
Out To Get You, which was such a memorable and
monumental pop-punk album that it was like, “Okay, how
do we follow this? What do we do here?” Because we
wanted to take the logical next step, sonically, but didn’t
want to alienate any of our fans. We were on tour at the
time, and literally the day after the last show, we were
in the studio tracking new songs – so it was very rushed.
Five songs into it, we were picking singles… It was quite
an odd experience to do The Peace And The Panic.
We were so concerned about not doing too much of
one thing or not doing enough of another thing… And
it was great in the end – I’m really stoked with how The
Peace And The Panic turned out – but I think we were
too caught up in our own heads for a lot of it. So with this
album, we just wanted to come together and write what
we write – don’t overthink too much, don’t say, “Oh, this
isn’t pop-punk enough,” or, “This is too punk,” or, “This
doesn’t sound like Neck Deep” – because ultimately,
when Ben sings on it and Danny puts his drums to it, it’s
going to have that Neck Deep flavour no matter what.
So we were like, “Let’s just write music, and then if
it doesn’t end up working, it doesn’t end up working.”
The concept idea didn’t come until a little bit after. Ben
had written pretty much all of “Lowlife” on an acoustic
guitar, and we were a bit like, “If anything, I don’t
think this sounds like a Neck Deep song!” And then he
had the idea for it being about this character Jet and
falling in love with a girl named Alex – he explained
this whole concept of how it could work, and how the
songs could follow this story. And we were all like,
“Okay sick, this will work great!”
It gave us room to go in a few different directions
with certain songs, and really take the listener on
this journey – whether that’s sonically, or emotionally
through the lyrics. It actually opened up a lot of
freedom for us; for Ben, it was about not having the
pressure to be like, “This is all true, this is my life
story.” He had a little bit of wriggle room, knowing
that these characters were fictional in the end, and
Ben being super focussed on the narrative and having
that stress-free environment, it made the rest of us
super focussed as well. We weren’t concerned about
whether anything would work or not – and it all
worked out! It was a real pleasant experience.
Plus, Ben’s brother Seb – he’s always been like the
unsung member of Neck Deep, and now he’s in the
band playing bass, but he also ended up mixing this
album as well, and he was mixing in the studio while
we were tracking. So once we’d done a song, we’d
hand it over to Seb, and he’d be in a different room in
the house mixing it while we worked on other stuff. So
by the end of the six weeks that we had in the studio,
we had an almost fully mixed album. It was a pretty
weird experience, not waiting two months to hear back
from a mixing engineer.
So what were some of the new sounds and
styles – and for yourself as a guitarist, playing
techniques – that you were keen to explore?
Well I joined the band in 2015, just around the time
they did Life’s Not Out To Get You. And so with The
Peace And The Panic, I was really trying to stick within
the guidelines and not do too much that they wouldn’t
already be doing without me. So my personal sort
of style – some of the more punkish riffs or country
progressions that I like to write – I wouldn’t dream of
| 17
putting any of that into The Peace And The Panic. But
because of the way we loosened up the process for this
record, I was able to go, “Okay, well this is how I hear
the song,” or, “This is where I would want to go with it.”
For example, “Lowlife” being this sort of
lackadaisical song, it was kind of like, “Okay, we need
to get some Weezer tones in here. Let’s turn our shit
up, let’s get a Marshall plugged in and cranked up
high, and let’s go crazy on the overdrive.” Just things
like that – things we’d never even thought about
doing before. I don’t know whether that was because
of nerves, or because we didn’t want to mess up the
formula… In the past, it was kind of like, “Okay, we’re
a pop punk band – three chords and the truth – let’s
just stick with that.” And this album felt a bit like our
chance to go, “Actually, no.”
Do you find that you’re able to use the guitar
as a tool to set an emotional basis, or almost
tell a story of its own in that way?
I think so. Like I mentioned with “Lowlife”, it was
kind of like, “It’s just going to be this angsty song
about this guy who doesn’t give a f*** – he’s just living
his life, being a stoner, and that’s him.” And because
of that, we had to go, “Well, we’re not going to give
him a polished guitar tone with brand new strings on –
let’s give him some raw, worn-in strings…” Like I said,
we had the Marshall cranked up to full bore… I was
listening through the stems the other week, and they
sound ridiculous – I was stood in a room next to the
amp while I played it, so it was feeding back the whole
time, and it just sounds gnarly.
And so with certain songs, it was definitely like,
“We want to capture this feeling.” We used things
like an EBow to capture certain moods, too. It was
just about being mindful of what the song was and
what it needed. Ben would come to us and go, “Okay,
this song is going to be about this,” and we would
go, “Okay, well it’s a love song, so we’re not going to
have some ripping solo going through it – we’ll make
sure not to go in that direction.” There’s a song called
“What Took You So Long?”, which to me is a little bit
country sounding, and we used the EBow to get that
glassy slide sound, just to try to capture the kind of
mood that a classic love song would have.
It’s not too overthought, but it’s thought about
enough that it all makes sense.
18 | FEATURE
ON THE DAWN OF GREATNESS
MOST OF US PASS THE TIME ON ROAD TRIPS BY READING OR PLAYING
GAMES. MARK SEYMOUR, ON THE OTHER HAND, WRITES ALBUMS.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY MARTIN PHILBEY.
I
n the words of Mark Seymour himself, “The songs
on Slow Dawn are, in many ways, a search for home
through a landscape of decay, love and memory.
Much of my thinking takes place behind the wheel. All of
the songs are triggered by travel, looking out at the land.”
On his fourth album leading Mark Seymour & The
Undertow, the 63-year-old Victorian luminary – an icon
of Australian rock due both to his solo work and as
the frontman of Hunters & Collectors – looks further
outward than ever before, finding inspiration on-the-fly
and in unexpected places, rather than in dedicated
notebooks or longwinded songwriting sessions.
We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of how the
man works his magic – here’s what we learned...
What is it about being on the road that you
find so creatively liberating?
I tend to do a lot of thinking when I’m on the road.
Driving is almost like downtime – you’re not necessarily
talking to people, or being engaged with anything
mentally stimulating – it’s a real neutral space. And over
the last few years, I’ve become more and more aware
that the potential for creative thought is enormous
when you’re in that kind of content. And I always tend
to look for ideas as I’m moving around – I don’t sit down
and plan my songwriting, y’know? I take a lot of notes
and I make a lot of really short little recordings into
my phone. There’s a lot of scratchy activity, which I’ve
becoming a lot better at judging the benefit of, lately.
I remember when I first started as a solo artist, I
felt compelled to get into that whole DIY multitrack
world – I bought myself a version of Pro Tools
and I did a lot of things that a lot of artists
do, y’know, thinking they’ve got to create
their own sort of artistic mastery in their
bedroom. But I moved on from that as time
went by – when I realised I wasn’t actually
writing great songs. The quality of the
song matters more in the end, and I think
that you’ve really got to be connected with
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
something much deeper, psychologically, to come up
with good work. And for me, that tends to happen
more when I’m moving around, so I had to work our a
more portable way of recording.
If I went into the Voice Memos app on your
phone, would I just see thousands of rough
little demos in various forms?
Pretty much, yeah. We’ve got a little methodology
going with the band – I’ll send a bunch of files over to
them and go, “Here’s what I’m working on – let’s book
a rehearsal in somewhere.” Then they’ll go, “Okay,
what night are you free?” And I’ll say, “Ah, whenever.”
And then I’d just rock up to some rehearsal room I’ve
never been in before and start playing the songs.
That whole process of just being really random and
energetic and simple – it’s perfect for us.
All of these guys have been in bands before and
they’re all pros, so we’re able to really just throw shit
at the wall and see what sticks. There’s only four of
us, and the whole project has got a lot of spontaneity
to it, which I really like. It just keeps things fresh. And
you get good results from it!
Because records are like chameleons – they’re
constantly changing colours. So if you have one
common thread throughout the process, it has to be
the energy – you’ve got to have energy at the end
of the process, because you hear that in the final
product, and it’s got to be there
from the start as well because
otherwise it ends up being
too forced.
A lot of these tracks
have a very raw and
personal flavour
to them, but you
could almost
rework a bunch
of them into pop
songs if you wanted to. Is there an intentional
level of duality that you strive to hit with
your songwriting?
If I don’t feel emotionally connected to the track, it
never sees the light of day. I’ll sort of nibble around an
idea for a long time, and hopefully it’ll either connect
with me or I’ll find some way into it emotionally – there’s
a way of singing it I can get my head around, or there’s a
line in there that somehow clicks with my psychological
state. And when I find that connection, that’s when it
ends up becoming a song. Because I know that when I
go to play it for the other guys, I’m going to believe in it.
I’ll be at the microphone going, “Here it is guys, the next
masterpiece!” But if I don’t have that feeling, it won’t
go very far – regardless of whether it’s a love song or a
political song or whatever; if I haven’t got that feeling
of passion and charging when I step up to the mic, I just
won’t bother with it.
How did you find writing this album to be
stimulating for yourself as a guitarist?
I’m really not a great guitar player [laughs]. I am
pretty fussy with it – I have a set of chord clusters that
I go to, and I’m really passionate about the different
tones and how I can work with them. I use capos a lot,
because I’m always looking for harmonic tone that
I feel emotionally connected to. So there’s specific
setups that I look for and return to a lot. And I’ve got
a pretty reasonable vocabulary, chordally – but again,
it’s still all just chords and melody; I’m not that good
on a technical wavelength.
Fortunately I have Cameron McKenzie in the band,
and he is an incredibly good guitar player. He’s just
nuts. Absolutely nuts. But y’now, the guitars are a
big part of the conversation in this band – we talk
about them all the time and we discuss the different
parts of the songs a lot. I’m a huge fan of the Fender
Telecaster, I have to say. Although that’s actually
an interesting point – I’ve come back to playing the
electric guitar a lot more than I used to. I went to the
acoustic when I went solo, and I still write on acoustic
guitars, but the Telecaster is definitely a much bigger
part of the picture now than it used to be.
What is it about the Tele itself that you can’t
get enough of?
It’s well set-up; the pickups are quite specific, but
they’re loud, and they’re single-coil pickups so they’ve
got a very narrow band, which means you can smash
the shit out of it and it doesn’t flinch. I’ve tried playing
Gibsons, and I just find them a bit too loud for me.
They’re just too big of a sound – because I’m playing raw
chords aggressively, while I’m singing, so the guitar has
still got to sound tuned on the harmonic and not take
over what I’m doing on vocals. It’s got to compliment
what the melody is doing. And I find that the Gibson
tends to be too ballsy and fat for what I’m usually going
to put it to. It tends to just take over and dominate.
The thing with the Tele is that it’s really transparent;
it can sit inside the band and have this real gritty
mid-range toughness to it, but it doesn’t interfere with
what everybody else is doing around me. With the
Undertow, it’s like there’s a conversation happening
between the bass player and the guitarist, which is
very eloquent; they riff off each other, and I’m sort
of sitting in the middle between them, holding the
chords down. And I think the simplicity of that
arrangement is actually what contributes a lot to
how the band works out its sound.

THE MOST BOUNTIFUL HARVEST
SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING, MEGAN WASHINGTON MAKES A CAREER-DEFINING DECLARATION OF
PERSONAL GROWTH AND POWERFUL SELF-REALISATION WITH BATFLOWERS.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY W.A. JOHNSTONE.
B
efore she even released 2014’s deservedly
acclaimed There There, Megan Washington was
earnestly chipping away on what would become
the multi-hyphenate Brisbanite’s third studio album,
Batflowers. But it wasn’t an easy project for her to
conjure up – not the least of which because it came to
life amidst a great time of personal (and professional)
evolution for Washington.
“It’s been a bit of a Rorschach test for me,” she
admits to us in call; “I thought this album was a few
different things before I realised it was a Batflower.”
So how did this record shapeshift from what
you initially thought it would be into what we
hear today?
Well, that it took six years is probably testament
to the fact that it’s gone through a few incarnations!
I think I was really searching for something, and it’s
been there in a whole bunch of different forms – the
album title was Achilles Heart, then it was Sugardoom
and there was all this other crazy bullshit, and then… I
don’t know, I just never really accepted those versions
of the album; I didn’t love them. They didn’t feel real
after a while, or they didn’t fit the form I was trying to
shape for it. What I was trying to find was a little more
unconscious and sort of harder to put my finger on.
When I decided to really get serious about making
the album, it was because I wrote the title track last.
I wrote the music last November while I was in LA
for a film thing – I did a session with this guy, Rabbit,
because I really like him and we work really well
together; we made this track, but I couldn’t quite find
the top line, so I took it home and sort of chipped away
at it over the next few months.
And then in February, I was going over to Berlin for
the Berlinale, and we booked our tickets via LA because
Asia was really hectic with the Coronavirus, and we
thought that would be safer or whatever. But our flight
to LA got delayed, so we were late with our connecting
flight and we had to stay overnight. So I rang Rabbit
and said, “Hey, surprise, I’m in LA! Can I come and track
vocals for this song?” And he said, “Yeah, of course!” It
was, like, 11 o’clock at night on a Saturday, and we just
went into the studio and bashed it out.
Once I’d done that, I was like, “Wow, I think this is a
good time to really make this record – it really wants to
come out now!” So I just kept working on it! I was like,
“Okay, what this world really needs at the moment,
and what I can offer as an artist, is some fun.” I
wanted to give some contrast to what’s happening on
the planet right now, which is so serious.
It goes without saying that you are an
exceptionally busy woman, between voicing
a character on the kid’s show Bluey, projects
like the CrossBread podcast, being a mother…
Did all of those inform what this album would
grow to become over time?
1,000 percent! Working in theatre is actually what
really made me able to see music clearly – realising
that there’s a world beyond the music, and the music
is just one part of the storytelling. Because we have
eyes and ears, right? I never really had a relationship
with my eyes – and I know that sounds funny, but I’ve
never really thought about it as a multi-sensory thing.
But then when I started animating… I’ve always
drawn pictures, but I never really made it my identity or
focussed on it at all; I’ve always had that sort of visual
affability, but it was so repressed and twisted that I didn’t
really exercise it at all. So when I started animating the
lyric video for “Dark Parts”, it all just connected for me.
Hand-drawn animation is so labour-intensive, but it
really works for me. It’s really good therapy because
it’s so painful and I suffer so much while I’m doing it,
but what I do when I’m drawing is really dumb and
simple, because it’s all I have the skill for. Like, drawing
a googly eye 100 times in a row is just the right sort of
balance between being very, very serious and being as
dumb as possible.
I guess what I’ve realised is that when I turn my
art dial up to ‘very serious’ and my ‘taking myself
seriously’ dial right down to zero, I end up with
something that actually feels really good to make and
really fun to share. Because I just don’t see myself as a
musician. Washington – she’s a choice. She’s my avatar,
y’know what I mean? It’s like when those games go,
“Choose your fighter!” I choose Washington.
There’s a power in lightheartedness where
you can have something so off-the-walls
and ridiculous, but underneath it lie such a
powerful emotion, theme or story.
It’s all about leaning into the feeling of fear. I think the
biggest motivation for this record was that in order to
| 19
complete it in this current version of the world, I had to
lean into so many of my fears. I mean, all the producers
on it are all of my dream producers – I was like, “Okay, so
hypothetically, it’s the end of the world, and you need to
make an album in isolation – who would you ask?” And I
was like, “Well, I would ask John Congleton!”
I actually did ask him last year, but he was so busy
that it wasn’t possible. But I was like, “Okay, it’s the
end of the world, I have to make this isolation album,
and I would ask John to produce for me.” So I sent him
another email, and he was like, “Yeah, I’ve got time
now! Let’s do it!” And so all of these things just became
amazingly possible. All these people who I just adore
and have wanted to work with for such a long time
suddenly all had time, and I had the energy, so we did it!
It’s been a real labour of love for everybody, because
everyone’s just brought so much to the record. It’s been
recorded remotely from all over the world and in all
different sorts of situations and time zones.
Would you say this record is the culmination of
everything you’ve learned as an artist thus far?
Here come the cliches, but yes, definitely! The real
birth of this album was this psychological breakdown I
had in Minjerribah, which is on Stradbroke Island where I
spent a big portion of lockdown. I was tracking vocals for
John – he sent me a track and I was trying to sing over
it, but I didn’t know who to be for the performance. I did
a chilled-out vocal take, and then I did an intense vocal
take, and then I did a dramatic vocal take, and then I
did a lazy vocal take… Then I was adding harmonies and
trying to figure out how to toggle the beeping on and off
in Logic so I could send him the session…
It was just all so much, so I rang my friend Sam in
London to be like, “What’s the best way for me to send
him all these vocal options so he can like choose which
me he wants me to be in the thing, because he’s not in
the same room as me?” And Sam was like, “You need
to choose the vocals that you want to send him, and
send him the vocals. You need to be Kanye West just
own it.” And I was like, “Oh… I can do that!?” And he
was like, “…Yeah dude. It’s your song. The producer is
just there to help you as much or as little as you need.”
And then I was like, “Well, I reckon I should sing it like
this because this is what feels good.” And that’s what’s
on the record. It was just this realisation that there’s
nobody in charge of me except me.
20 | FEATURE
FRESH ‘N’ FUNKY
WHEN IT CAME TO MAKE LP8, CUSTARD TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE OF THEIR SPONTANEOUS WHIMSICALITY.
T
hough they reformed in ’09 and have been
going strong since, even Custard themselves
will admit they peaked in the ‘90s. Virtually
the forefathers of witty Australian pop-rock that took
itself about as seriously as our government takes
climate change (see: not at all), the quintet revelled
in a brand of loveable larrikinism that seemed to
have fizzled out around the mid-2000s.
But such is the power of nostalgia that Aussie crowds
are once again starving for quirky, off-beat bangers
that pose such philosophical inquiries as, “Will we
ever be that funky again?” With album #8, Respect
All Lifeforms, Custard have erupted back into their
rightful place under the spotlight. The songs are sharp,
smart, and just sound great – David McCormack and co.
shine with the bright and bombastic spryness of their
twenty-something selves, as though they dove headfirst
into the fountain of youth with instruments in hand.
As McCormack fills us in, much of that loose and
lively energy comes from how quickly LP8 came
together – over half of it on-the-fly in one five-hour
session they walked into without any demos, to boot!
Would you go as far as to say we’ve got the
definitive Custard album on our hands here?
Oh, no! God no! It’s probably as good as the other
ones, maybe? I tend to like the more recent ones, just
because… Well, they’re more recent, I guess. I think it’d
probably be somewhere in the middle lane – six out of
ten maybe? It’s certainly the quickest one we’ve done.
It all started in March of 2019 – we were over in
Perth for a festival and we had a bit of time before
our set, so Glenn [Thompson, drums] booked us into a
studio called Poons Head in Fremantle. I’d never heard
of it, but Rob [Grant], who owns the studio, had the
best collection of old gear and beautiful drum kits and
microphones and valve compressors… It was just an
amazing treasure trove.
So we went in there at ten o’clock in the morning; we
hadn’t practised any songs but we all had ideas in our
heads, and we bashed out eight songs before three in
the afternoon! And then we went and played the festival
at sundown. So it was a very quick record to start.
And then we came back to Sydney, and Glenn and
I went to our little studios – I’ve got one in my house
and he’s got one near his house – I did some vocals on
my songs and he worked on his, and then Glenn mixed
it all and made it sound amazing, and now here we
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY LYNDAL IRONS.
are! Bang, we’ve got an album, a year and a half later!
How much of that Poons Head material made
it onto the record?
We recorded eight in that morning, and six of
those ended up on the record. The first single, “Funky
Again”, was the first song we played – I’m thinking
it was 10:15am on the Sunday morning. We got into
the studio and got some sounds up through the
headphones, and I said, “Okay, what about this song?
It’s only got three chords or so, let’s start with this.”
And we played it once, and then Rob said, “Okay, let’s
do another take,” and that second take is the one that
ended up on the record.
I do all of my vocal recording and writing at home –
I like to get the music down with the band and then
record at home on my little iMac in the front room;
that way I can just mess around, no-one’s listening so
I don’t have to worry about embarrassing myself… I
don’t know what the words are going to be, so I’ll just
try throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall, and chop and
change parts around… It’s definitely my preferred way
of working these days.
What do you reckon sparked that burst of
intensive creativity?
We hadn’t really done any recording for two years
at that point, but knowing that we were going to Perth
and knowing that Glenn had booked us into that studio
for a couple of hours, I was like, “Ah, okay, I’ve gotta
come up with some ideas!” So it was very raw and very
different, just figuring things out on the fly like, “Ah,
okay, what about this chord progression?”
I’d record the ideas into my iPhone, just so I
wouldn’t forget them. And once we were all in the
room together, we’d look at each other, and whoever
had an idea for a song would call out the chords,
give us an indication of whether it was a fast one or
a slow one, and then everyone would just get to do
whatever they wanted.
Chordally, the songs on this album are pretty
simple; like I said, “Funky Again” has maybe three
chords, just with a little extra bit before the chorus,
and then most of the other songs are pretty basic as
well. In the early days, I think we made our songs a bit
overly complicated, maybe – there’d be a fast bit and
then a slow bit, and then a stop bit, and then another
bit, and then I’ll do this and Paul [Medew, bass] will do
that… Whereas these ones are a lot more restrained.
With my songs in particular, there’s a couple of
chords for a verse, then maybe the same chords for
the chorus, and if we’re lucky, there might be a little
middle-eight that pops up for a minute, and then bang,
back to those first three chords. I think the older I get,
the more I want to keep it really simple.
Do you feel like that immediacy is evident in
the final product?
Definitely! Some of the albums that we did in the
‘90s, I can’t listen to them anymore because we spent
so long in the studio trying to flub around with things –
we spent so long in pre-production and then so long
tracking and so long overdubbing and so long mixing…
It’s like, “Ah, I can’t listen to any of these again, I’ve
already heard them a million times!”
Whereas these ones… In the case of “Funky Again”,
I’ve only listened to it a handful of times – when we
recorded it, we did it twice. And then when I was doing
the vocals, I probably would have listened to it around
20 times. And then Glenn mixes all the stuff by himself,
so the next time I heard it was the finished product. So
to me it’s still like, “Oh, cool, this is pretty fresh!”
Let’s talk gear!
Over at Poons Head, I was using a Vox AC30 – it was
a beautiful ‘60s one that Rob was showing off – and
because we were doing a gig over there, I had my
Japanese reissue ‘90s Fender Thinline that I love. And
then Matty’s [Strong, guitar] got a black Strat, and
he was playing through some really funky old Fender
Bassman, I think. I’m talking really early ‘60s, twee,
beautiful… Like I say, the amps in that studio were just
immaculately old and brittle and broken, but sounded
so good. And that’s all – I just go straight into the amp.
Matty has a couple of effects – an overdrive and
a flanger, mostly – but we keep it pretty simple with
our Fender guitars, because we just love the way they
naturally sound. Y’know how some bands get these
amazing tones, but they’ve got so many pedals and
cables and impedance balance things or whatever –
hex loops and signal chains… When we play live, I just
plug straight in – sometimes I have a tuner, which
is very professional of me, but sometimes I don’t
even have that! We’re not really a gear-centric band,
y’know? Whatever we’ve got there, we’ll use, but we’re
not obsessive about it.

UNLOCKING THE TRUTH
ON WHAT MAY JUST BE THE ALBUM TO DEFINE 2020, ENTER SHIKARI PULL AN IMPRESSIVE DOUBLE
FEAT, BOTH RETURNING TO FORM AND REACHING NEW HEIGHTS.
P
acked to the brim with whiplash-inducing twists
and turns, searing social commentary and
enough chaotic, kaleidoscopic energy to have
listeners drenched in sweat and out of breath by its
interlude, Enter Shikari’s sixth full-length effort is the
perfect musical rollercoaster for pop, rock and punk
fans to embrace as the album that will undoubtedly go
on to define 2020. It’s also a distinct encapsulation of
all the colour and calamity the band have spent their
past 21 years brewing – that fact by design, according
to guitarist Rory Clewlow.
The 15-track Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible
comes three years after a decidedly focussed effort in
The Spark, which sought to revolutionise the aesthetic
behind the English electronicore warriors; less garish
and erratic, with a defined sound and restrained
potency… A calmer Shikari, in a lot of ways. But
alas, the state of affairs in 2020 is too turbulent for
Clewlow, frontman Rou Reynolds and co. to maintain
that calm façade – the world needs Enter Shikari at
their ballsiest and most batshit crazy.
And by gum, have they stepped up to the plate with
this absolutely captivating clusterf*** of an album.
What is it about LP6 that makes it the
definitive reflection of what Enter Shikari is
and stands for as a band in 2020?
The first ideas for a new record started coming to
us around the time Rou was writing this book [Dear
Future Historians], which is basically a collection of
essays about every single one of our songs. We also
had the ten year anniversary of [debut album] Take To
The Skies around then, and we did a year of touring for
that, so we had to re-learn a lot of those songs for the
first time since 2007. With those two things coupled
together, it was the first time that we’d really sort of
looked back at our history.
Because normally, we’d very, very rarely go back and
listen to the earlier stuff – we’re always just thinking
about what we’re doing now and what we’re going to do
in the future. But these things forced us to reflect on our
past for the first time, and that had a big influence on
this album because all of a sudden we were going, “Oh
yeah, we used to do that all the time! We used to sound
like that!” There were some techniques we loved to play
with back in the day that we had sort of forgotten about
as new ones popped up.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
The Spark was so different to anything you’d
done before it, but in a lot of ways, this
record feels like a callback to the Shikari we
knew and loved right before it. Was it always
the plan to wind the dial back a bit after
making an album as left-field as The Spark?
There was a little bit of backlash we faced when
that record came out. Because with The Spark, we
were like, “Let’s just push ourselves – let’s just see
what we can do, and how different we can make
this.” Just to kind of get ourselves out of the formula,
y’know? It was like, “C’mon lads, we’ve done four
records now, let’s do something different.” We
wanted to try a really focussed concept, and the
idea we had was for this retro ‘80s synthpop kind
of vibe – something really ridiculous.
But then after that, when it came to thinking
about this record, we stepped back and went,
“Y’know what? Let’s not have a focus at all. Let’s
just go back to making records that have everything
and the kitchen sink in them.” So we didn’t have a
singular concept that we wanted to explore, or
anything like, “This is what the record is going to
sound like.” We just went into it saying, “Let’s start
writing, and let’s not worry about whether it falls
into the same world as the rest of the songs.” And
that had always been our mentality towards Enter
Shikari albums before The Spark as well.
I feel like one of the benefits of writing for
Enter Shikari would be that you can never
really disappoint anyone by straying too far
from your core sound, because your core
sound has always been so aggressively
diverse and experimental. Do you feel like
you have a level of freedom as songwriters
that other bands don’t?
Definitely! I mean, we’ve heard of bands that openly
talk amongst themselves about how they’re bored of
their own sounds. A producer will say to them, “Why
don’t we try adding something like this in this bit?” And
they’ll go, “No, our fans won’t like that – we’re a metal
band, we’re just going to do metal.” And these are
bands that are doing really well for themselves, but they
have that mentality where if they do anything outside of
the ordinary, they’re suddenly cheating themselves. And
that’s completely alien to us. We’ve always been like,
“Oh, that sounds different and unusual – let’s try that!”
| 21
We’re always looking for the next thing – the next idea
that will spark our imagination and interest us.
What kind of guitarsenal did you have to play
with on this album?
I’m very much about keeping things simple – I’m
not a real tech-y gear head kind of guy. I pretty much
recorded the whole album with one guitar, which
is the same guitar I use live – it’s an American Pro
Telecaster with stock pickups in it, and the only real
modification I’ve made is the Evertune bridge. Ever
since I discovered it – eight years ago or whatever – it’s
been a complete lifesaver. I tune my guitar once in the
morning, and then all day in the studio, I can just pick
it up and play. It’s saved so many hours in the studio.
I know you use a Kemper for all of your
effects live – are you using that in the studio
as well, or do you have a secret toybox of
pedals we should know about?
So this record was done in halves – we had about
three weeks in the studio, then we went on tour for
a couple of months, and then we came back and had
another three weeks in the studio. For the first three
weeks, we hit up some of our friends who use a lot of
Orange amps. Because yeah, like you said, I do only
use the Kemper in my day-to-day life – I don’t even
own any real amps anymore, I sold them all years ago.
So we borrowed some Orange amps – a Dual Terror
and a Pedal Baby – and I also borrowed a Victory
Kraken, which was really nice. I played on all of those
for our first stint in the studio. and then when we
came back to record the second half of the album a
few months later, the engineer we were working with,
Dan Weller, he got sent the Neural DSP Archetype:
Nolly, which is a really good amp simulator plugin. And
literally, we tried it out once, and after that we didn’t
use anything else for the whole session.
We did the whole second half of the recording with
one guitar and one amp sim, because the sound we
got from them was just so good. And that’s normally
how I like to work; I like to keep the workflow going
and not worry too much about which guitar I’m using,
or stuff like that. We do a lot of the effects in post as
well – because this album was self-produced, we had
a lot more time and a lot of freedom to tweak stuff, or
experiment with different patches and plugins.
22 | FEATURE
THE NEW SOUND OF SUFFERING
MAKE THEM SUFFER LEAP INTO A SCORCHING NEW WORLD BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF METALCORE.
I
f you’ve ever seen them live (and you probably have,
given they’ve toured with everyone from Architects
to PVRIS), you’ll know that Perth quintet Make Them
Suffer are one of Australia’s most destructively mental
metalcore acts kicking. Their sound is defined by a
kaleidoscopic clashing of brutal breakdowns and sparkly
synths, garish gutturals and drum fills that’ll put even the
highest quality speakers to the test. They’ve spent the
past 12 years feverishly carving out a career that puts
them neck-to-neck with some of the best bands in the
world’s wider heavy music scene, and with LP4, they’ve
set their sights on some of the biggest, too.
How To Survive A Funeral is an unquestionably
monolithic release for Make Them Suffer – not just
because marks their debut on Greyscale Records, or
because it sees them team up with the universally
acclaimed Drew Fulk (a.k.a. WZRD BLD, who’s produced
for everyone from Motionless In White to Lil Wayne), but
because it’s one of the most creatively daring albums to
come in 2020, point blank. It takes everything fans have
come to know and love from the fivesome and amps it up
a thousandfold, yet also twists and turns it into something
entirely unheard of. It’s metalcore for a new generation
of moshers – one keen to break free of the metaphorical
shackles imposed by the notion of genre; it’s an album
that may prove to be ahead of its time, or (more
optimistically) spark a much-needed musical revolution.
To learn a little more about how Make Them Suffer
brought their rulebook-defying fourth album to life, we
got down to the wire with shredlord Nick McLernon.
Why would you say this is Make Them
Suffer’s most important record to date?
I don’t think I have a good third-person perspective
on how people see MTS right now. I would call this our
quintessential record for sure, though. Something I
really want people to know about Make Them Suffer is
that I feel like we’re capable of doing any kind of sound
we want, and still have that X factor in there – however
you might define that. It’s hard for me to really say,
because it’s my band, but the way I see it is that we
certainly belong in this metalcore genre, but we’re
able to explore past and push the boundaries beyond
what defines the genre.
As a general rule of thumb, I’d say that four out of five
bands in the metalcore genre tend to keep within the
box. And there’s nothing wrong with that – y’know, every
band is different, and a lot of them really find their own
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
WORDS BY MATT DORIA. PHOTO BY SANDRA STEH.
style and stick to it, and it works for them to reciprocate
that formula with every new album – but we’re not one
of those bands. As a matter of taste, we’re just not about
making the same record over and over. And this album is
an example of something we’re doing different.
How is it that you wanted to break through
those boundaries and eschew the rules of
what metalcore typically is?
Honestly, we don’t think about the direction of an
album until we start writing it. We never discuss what
our music is going to sound like on one particular
record – it’s just whatever comes out at the time. It
would be against my philosophy as a musician to sit
down one day and be like, “Okay, this is the concept
for this record – this is the direction we’re going to
head in.” But the sound on this record had actually
been greatly influenced by the producer we chose to
work with, Drew Fulk.
When you write with somebody, you tend to take on
their influences and some of their own style of sound.
And people who work with Drew knowingly go into the
studio expecting that. He would say to Jordan [Mather,
drummer], “Come up with a couple of ideas,” which
I’d probably then play over with the guitar – and after
three or four hours of writing and arranging together,
you could imagine how much of an influence he’d have
on the music.
You’ve spoken in the past about your affinity
for ‘riff banking’, where you’d write a stack
of riffs on the fly and then work them into
songs. Did you employ that technique on this
record as well?
Yep, absolutely. I would spend hours riff banking,
and then between Drew, Sean [Harmanis, lead
vocals] and I, we’d pick out the right riffs from there,
and then I’ll either introduce more riffs into the riff
bank, or write something completely from scratch in
accordance to what was taken out of it.
“Hollowed Heart” is an example of a song that was
made purely out of riffs from the riff bank – we picked
them all out, then just gathered them all and slapped
them together. But then tracks like “Soul Decay” or
“Drown With Me”, we’d take one or two riffs out of the
bank and go, “Okay, what can we write to continue this
vibe?” We used a few different approaches to the way
we’d use riffs from the riff bank.
So what does that process involve? Do you
have a bunch of spreadsheets full of different
riff ideas?
Yeah, pretty much. I’m very methodical in my
writing – years and years back, I used to just record
things on the fly, and I really found a talent in
producing or writing stuff on the guitar with no clear
direction of where the parts would go. And the setback
there was that I would never really know what to do
with any of my riffs – they would just sit on my laptop,
taking up space. So one day, I just decided to group
them into different columns… They’re all organised by
tempos, time signatures, key signatures, etcetera…
What guitars were you ripping on in the
studio for this record?
I took a couple of Jacksons with me over to Drew’s
place in LA. My go-to guitar at the moment is a Pro
Series Soloist – I’m really into that mahogany body
body. Especially for riffage, if you’re a band that
plays a lot of riffs and really heavy rhythm parts,
then it’s got to be mahogany all the way. And I’m a
Jackson-endorsed artist, so I’m vibing really hard on
their guitars right now.
How did you link up with those legends?
A few years ago, my rep at Fender approached
me and was just like, “Hey man, do you want to try
a Jackson guitar?” This was just before the Worlds
Apart record came out; I was like, “Okay, sure. Do
you want to send me one?” I’d never actually picked
up a Jackson guitar before at this point – a couple of
my friends used them, but I’d never really considered
them. But he sent me a guitar – it was a Pro Series
Monarch, kind of similar to a Les Paul shape because
I was super into Les Pauls at the time – and yeah, I
loved it. I thought the neck profile was fantastic, so I
went back to Fender with nothing but praise and they
were like, “Yeah, cool, we’ll sign you and send you out
a Dinky.” I fell in love with that as well, and I’ve been
playing Jacksons ever since.
Is it too early to start talking signature
guitars, or…
[Laughs] You’d have to ask my rep about that.
There’s no plans for anything like that at the moment,
but it’s definitely on my bucket list! I am probably
going to be picking up a custom this year, at least.
 UP IN FLAMES
A DECADE ON SINCE THEIR DEBUT, ASKING ALEXANDRIA EMBRACE THE FACT THEY
COULDN’T MORE DIFFERENT NOW IF THEY TRIED.
W
hen we were first introduced to the brash
and ballsy metalcore madness of British
trailblazers Asking Alexandria (around
the rise of the Soundwave age circa 2010), they were
but wide-eyed teenagers with less f***s to give than a
Catholic nun, and more cocaine surging through their
bloodstream than pseudo-scientific bullshit out of Pete
Evans’ mouth (no, kombucha doesn’t prevent cancer –
he hasn’t said it yet, but it’s only a matter of time).
But in 2020, the youngest member of the group is
fast approaching 30; the rock ’n’ roll fantasy doesn’t
last forever, and if they were to pretend it did, they’d
probably all wind up in a set of matching coffins by
the decade’s end (not to mention how forced and trite
their tunes would become). So, they’ve adapted to the
situation – their recent sixth album, Like A House On
Fire, sees them embrace a new lifestyle as clean-living
adults with smiles on their faces and families to feed.
Rest assured, of course, Asking Alexandria are still
churning out balls-to-the-wall musical mayhem worthy
of your thrashing heads – they’re just keeping it real and
not force-feeding fans some wank they don’t believe
in. The end result is a genre-bending album that’s
effortlessly as exciting as their early stuff (if perhaps
not as loud or chaotic). And according to guitarist
Ben Bruce, it’s also the record he and his bandmates
unanimously agree is their strongest work to date.
How did Asking Alexandria get to where it
needed to be for this album to exist?
I think it’s our past that brought us here, because
we’ve had such a turbulent past. I always say to people
that we were thrown in at the deep end – we were
teenagers when we got signed. Final Episode came out
and just kind of exploded, and that threw us into the
limelight at a time when we had all just left home and we
were young and excitable. And obviously, everything that
came with being in a rock band and being surrounded
by drugs and alcohol, and people that had been in the
industry for a long time and were looking for that next
big thing… It all sort of dragged us into this hole.
I would say finally, after all this time, we’ve grown up.
We’ve left that lifestyle behind us, we’re all clean from
drugs and we’re all happy – we’ve moved on, and I think
we’ve embraced that on this record. We didn’t want to
make a record about trying to live out some fantasy that
we’re not living. We stayed true to ourselves and wrote
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
a record about where we are now, and I think that’s
what makes the record so magic and special to us. We
weren’t afraid to tell people, “Yeah, f***in’ hell, life can
be shit! But it gets better! It actually gets really good,
you just have to hold on to get to that good part.”
With our other records, it was all, like, “We’re on
drugs! We’re sad! Nothing’s ever going to be good! I’m
lonely!” But we’ve embraced the fact that we’re happy
adults now. And I know that can be a bit of a scary
prospect for a lot of people – especially songwriters.
John Mayer said one time that he would love to have
kids and stable relationships, but he’s afraid that
once that happens, his ability to write good songs will
disappear. It is a scary thing, but we fully embraced it
and we dove in with two feet.
Was there a very collaborative energy
between the five of you?
As far as the writing went, not so much, just because
we know we have a process that works, and has worked
for us since the beginning. I’m left to my own devices in
the beginning stages, just to sort of figure out where I’m
at, where the guitar riffs are coming from, where the
direction of the record is headed… And then once I’ve
got a grasp on things, everyone else comes in and gets
a little bit more involved.
But as far as where we all were mentally, it was 100
percent a collaborative effort. We were all very much
under the impression that this record was going to be
a step in a positive direction – this record was going
to be something that we hoped would inspire and
instil ambition and happiness in people, rather than
encourage them to drink and do drugs and, y’know,
live that rock ’n’ roll lifestyle – which isn’t even real life.
As a guitarist, were you excited to explore
some new playing techniques?
I was. And it’s really hard for me because I always
forget that I’m the guitarist in this band [laughs]. Like,
I love the guitar – it’s obviously my weapon of choice,
and I’m obsessed with the guitar. Especially blues
guitar – Clapton, Gary Moore, B.B. King… Y’know, a
guitar, to me, can sing just as well as the best singers in
the world. And so I love the guitar, but I’ve never been
one of those guitarists that’s like, “Right, I have to learn
how to play this as fast and complex as I possibly can!”
I’ve always thought of myself as more as of a
| 23
songwriter, and over the years, I’ve focussed very much
on developing my songwriting skills. A lot of people
have sort of said stuff like, “Oh, I’ve noticed the guitar
has taken a bit of a backseat on this album.” And in my
head, I’m thinking, “Well, it hasn’t, I’ve just used it in a
better way.” I look at it like the song is breathing and
building up without the guitar, so that when the guitar
does come back in, it’s able to really kick your ass,
because it’s unexpected and it’s back with a vengeance.
As far as my style of playing goes, it was a lot of fun
writing this record. With some of my earlier work, I
definitely fell into a trap that a lot of guitarists fall into,
where you find a comfort zone on the fretboard and
you get stuck there, and you start rehashing riffs that
are all effectively the same, just presented in a new
way. On this record, the riffs are nothing like any of the
riff styles I played on previous records – simply because
Matt Good, our producer, pushed me not to do that.
Every time I would fall back into that comfort zone,
he’d be like, “Nah, I’ve heard it before.” I’d be like, “No,
it’s different!” And he’d be like, “Yeah it’s different, but
it’s not really, is it?” So he really pushed me to move
around the neck more and find other ways to get the
idea out of my head. The riffs still have the same effect
as they always have, but they just feel more fresh and
exciting – and not just for the listener, either, but for me
as a guitarist as well.
That’s what you’re saying about the guitar
being able to sing just as well as a vocalist –
you’re using the instrument to capture an
emotion and vibe on its own merit.
Exactly! And that’s why I didn’t feel the need to just
constantly go [mimics breakdown riff] – there’s other
ways to get that real driving metal energy. And if you
strip the guitar away for a minute, when it does come
back in, it really shines, and it really screams. It’s just
way more powerful to me.
Like I said, I’m a big, big blues fan, and the thing I
love about the blues is that someone like B.B. King or
Eric Clapton, y’know, they can hold their guitar and play
one note, and that one note says just as much as Yngwie
Malmsteen shredding up and down the neck. They’ve
said all they need to say in that simple note or modal
scale or lick – whatever. I’m not necessarily playing
blues licks, but I’ve taken that same approach with my
songwriting where less is more.
24 | FEATURE
F
our years after dropping his aptly titled Americana
record, Mark Lizotte (better known as Diesel)
looks closer to home for inspiration on album
no. 14: the sonically rich and searingly radiant Sunset
Suburbia. The record itself builds on two EPs released
throughout 2019 (both also sharing the same title)
and shows a striking new side to the Perth-native
blues rocker – one that Australian Guitar was graciously
allowed to prod at for a hot minute!
Suburbia is often represented as bland and
domestic, which makes it an odd choice for a
rock album; what is it about that setting and
scenery you wanted to embrace?
The heart and soul of my fascination is really in
the song “Sunset Suburbia” itself. But you’re right –
whenever the word ‘suburbia’ is used, it’s always as
part of a sentence that says something derogatory;
nobody ever has a romantic view of suburbia. And
that’s why the pairing of the two words together
stands out: ‘sunset’ is a romantic word, generally, so
there’s a really nice juxtaposition in the term ‘sunset
suburbia’. I felt like that was enough for me to write a
song about it, and then the rest of what I was coming
up with seemed to go with that theme.
It’s sort of a look back on a lot of times in my life,
even to the present day. My parents-in-law live across
the road from me, in a dwelling that wasn’t there five
years ago – it’s that sort of urban gentrification where
they’ve built apartments everywhere. My sister-in-law
is next door to me as well – we’re in a little compound
where we’ve almost made our own type of suburbia.
It’s a bit of a weird area, to be honest: you’ve got
these really old cottages that would’ve been the first
houses built around here, and then these sprawling
apartment buildings that the government whips up in
a matter of months. And that’s happening all over the
country, y’know – wherever there’s a piece of land they
can clear, they’ll put up an apartment building. But it’s
really interesting here because there’s a lot of people
that are new to the area, and then a lot that have been
here for generations.
I think I’ve been fascinated with the whole idea of
suburbia since we moved from the place I grew up in,
which was a very country sort of setting with farms all
around us, and everything was all pretty spread apart.
The first time I saw houses with fences, all next to each
other for rows and rows, block after block, was when I
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
THE SUBURBAN
SPARK
DIESEL TAKES US FOR A RIDE THROUGH
SUNSET SUBURBIA: A PIERCINGLY
POIGNANT ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PARADISE.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
moved to Perth; that was a bit of a trip-out at first.
How do you translate those sorts of visual
cues and emotions into tones?
The scenery… It evokes things, y’know? The ‘sunset
suburbia’ theme itself, that just suddenly hit me while I
was out riding my bike – it just sort of came to me, and
I conjured up the whole concept of it. And then when I
got home that afternoon, the riff just randomly came
into my head, so I picked up the bass and wrote it on
that… It seemed like a riff that wanted to be written
on a bass guitar; the bass really drives that song, so I
went for a really dirty P-Bass sound.
I use this little pedal that was made specifically
for the bass – I can’t remember the name of it, but I
thought, “I’ll write it all fuzzy and raw, and then later
on I’ll re-do it and split the signal to make a clean one
as well, and have a dirty take and a clean take.” But
then I listened to the first cut and the way it was sitting
with the drums, and it was like, “Y’know what? I don’t
need to re-do this! It’s done!” It doesn’t matter that
I don’t have a pristine bass sound – there’s plenty of
good tone coming through the blend, and the pedal
was still letting a lot of the actual attack and everything
shine through. It turned out really well, I think!
How do you decide what guitars to bring into
the studio with you?
It’s funny – the guitars I play live get used as
workhorses on the road, but they’re not so much
workhorses in the studio. There are things that just
work in the studio that onstage, I’m kind of limited
with. Like the Telecaster, for instance – I love Teles, but
I find it a bit limiting for me onstage. That’s where the
Strat is a little more practical, because I need a wider
range of sounds and a tremolo. But in the studio, the
Tele just carves it up – especially the one I’ve got,
which is a nice old ’68, a very well-seasoned piece of
wood; you just pick it up and you’re like, “Ah, there it
is!” There’s not much you need to think about – you
just plug it in, and it does its job.
Other than the Tele, I’ve got my Greco Les Paul for
the humbucker-heavy sort of stuff, and a hollowbody
for a few other things – that’s a Gretsch Falcon with
Rickenbacker pickups, which I find works really
nicely. I’m a little picky with hollowbodies; I find that
they can get a bit tubby in a track, y’know? They
almost take up too much real estate. That’s where
the Tele comes in again – it’s got that real pointy,
defined sound that a hollowbody doesn’t.
And there’s the acoustics. The beds that I do are
usually really important – I’m a big fan of having a
bed of acoustics that I can then put electric guitar
on top of, if that’s what a song calls for. But even
just a sneaky bit of acoustic, just ghosting behind
the electric to give it a sort of percussive character –
that can be really nice as well.
There’s something about the natural grunt of
a Tele that you just can’t replicate.
It’s all about that back pickup, and the way the
strings go through the body. The Tele I’ve got is the
real basic, meat and potatoes kind of deal – there’s no
Bigsby on it or anything that’s not stock… I call it the
Stanley Screwdriver of guitars!
Where did the idea come from to progressively
unveil this album cycle with EPs?
Making an album can be pretty overwhelming
sometimes – the whole idea that it’s gotta be 12 or 10
songs or whatever, it doesn’t really suit my lifestyle so
much. I’m obviously stuck in the one place now, so this
doesn’t apply for the moment – but generally speaking,
trying to get three or four months blocked out to work
on an album… It’s just not practical for me.
So the idea of doing EPs was just a lot more inviting:
I could round up the troops for three or four days, bash
out three or four songs, and have a record over to the
label in a week. That’s way more practical for me than
doing a traditional album. And I liked the idea of an EP
being this format where you can still have a cohesive
little group of songs, but without the pressure to make
a whole album’s worth. I think it also suits people’s
listening capacities these days.
And then, y’know, inevitably after making a couple
of EPs, the idea of an album doesn’t sound as taxing. I
think this project, starting off as EPs, actually lent itself
to eventually becoming an album – you get some extra
tracks on the EPs that wouldn’t have made it onto the
album, and then a proper album with a couple of tracks
that you’re already familiar with from the EPs.
It just kind of elongates the album cycle in a nice
way, too – it’s a different way of delivering what
has essentially ended up being 16 songs. I think the
food analogy is the best: you get a couple of tasting
plates, and then you get the main meal.

GONE WITH THE WIND
FIREWIND ARE OFFICIALLY BACK, AND AS GUS G FILLS US IN, MORE FIERY THAN EVER BEFORE.
S
ince their cataclysmic breakthrough at the turn
of the 21st century, the Greek power-metallers
in Firewind have been at the forefront of heavy
music’s most manic and monolithic high-points. Their
first eight studio albums were met with universal
acclaim, and despite having one of the loosest
lineups in metal history (there are thrice as many
ex-members as there are active ones), each new
iteration of Firewind seems to be even tighter and
more tempestuous than the last.
As the sole founding member (and the core
architect behind their sound since the earliest
demos), axeman Gus G is effectively the key to
Firewind’s success – his work on the fretboard is some
of the metal genre’s most deft and dynamic, and
such has never been more evident than on the band’s
long-awaited ninth album: a self-titled affair that Gus
has declared to be a full-scale reinvention of Firewind.
The album itself plays out like a compilation of
greatest hits that fans had previously never heard;
the fuzz and fire of ‘80s power-metal is as prominent
as the djenty spark that erupted in the 2010s.
Naturally, we needed to figure out how Gus found a
way to brew the definitive Firewind album over three
decades into their tenure. To Skype, we ride!
What’s the significance in having this album
be self-titled?
Well, it certainly is a significant record for Firewind.
I look at it as a very monumental and very special
moment in our career, and there are a couple of
reasons why it’s a self-titled record. Firstly, it’s almost
like a complete makeover for our band, because we
switched singers; I mean, we’ve had different singers
in the past, but it wasn’t just that – it was the way it
happened. We lost [Henning Basse] and we also went
from being a five-piece band to a four-piece when our
keyboardist [Bob Katsionis] quit, so for me, it was like,
“Okay, this is the right time to reimagine the band.”
It put me at a crossroads for a while, where I didn’t
know if I even wanted to continue the band. I was like,
“Well, maybe this is it. I don’t know how many more
lineup changes we can handle.” And I was right in
the middle of a production when the lineup change
happened, so it was a bit like a wakeup call. I felt
like, “Okay, I know I need to continue now, and if I’m
going to do it, I need to do it on new terms, with a new
approach.” So that was one thing.
WORDS BY MATT DORIA.
The other thing was the material – the material
that came out of our first sessions was almost like a
collective of elements from all our previous records.
I would say that this the most complete Firewind
record to date – you’ll hear stuff you heard on the
first album, all the way up to the most recent stuff
we’ve done. So when it came time to decide on a title,
I thought, “Well, this is the one.” You can see the
cover – the new symbol rising out of the lava – and
it’s like… This is it, y’know? This record is us.
What guitars did you have in the booth?
I played my signature model Jackson guitars. I
recorded a lot with my new model that came out
this year, which we launched at the NAMM show in
January. I also used a Jackson Monarch for some of
the rhythms – just a stock guitar, y’know? It was one of
the guitars they sent me when I first started working
with them, and I’ve always liked the way that guitar
sounded. It has a shorter scale too – 24.75 inches, I
think. I also used a ’61 reissue Gary Moore Strat. They
only made 60 of those and I have one of them, and I
used it for a lot of the clean parts and the stuff that
required that single-coil sound.
What made you want to team up with Jackson
for your most recent signature models, as
opposed to continuing with ESP?
The whole switch happened back in 2016. I think
it was just a number of things – I still love ESP
instruments, y’know, they make great guitars! But all
the people I was working with and had a relationship
with, they all ended up leaving the company. It got
to a point where I had nobody to talk to, and nobody
to approach if I wanted to design something new.
There were no real plans for the future, and they they
became less and less artist-focussed… Well, either that,
or maybe they just lost interest in me – either way.
So there wasn’t any communication about what we
were doing with the guitars, and to me, that’s when
it’s not interesting anymore. I was like, “What are we
doing here?” I’m into creating guitars and designing
models and looking at new ideas, and I needed to be
able to keep doing that. And then right around that
time, my buddy Mike Tempesta, who’s the A&R of
Jackson in the US, we had a conversation where he
was like, “Dude, we’ll send you some guitars to check
out.” And then when I was on tour in the States, I
| 25
went to the Corona factory in California and met with
everybody face to face.
They basically said, “We’ll build you a couple of
guitars, and if you like them, cool, and if not, then
you’ve got a couple of one-off customs.” Mike Shannon,
one of their Master Builders – he made me a couple of
guitars, and they were just f***ing great, man! It was
a combination of the quality of the instrument, the
excitement, and the work ethic of the team, y’know?
When you’re doing something like an endorsement, you
need to have the right team behind you.
Are you very hands-on in the design process?
They saw what I did with ESP for all those years, and
we tried to make some things better and different. We
went back and forth a lot – we all work on it together,
y’know? We’ll go back and forth with each other’s
designs and mockups and ideas, and we have all these
calls and video meetings. And whenever I have the
opportunity to, I go over to the factory and see how
it all goes down. I want to say I’m pretty hands-on – I
mean, I don’t really build them myself, but y’know, I’m
there with the team and we’re always talking about
what we’re going to do next.
What’s more interesting is that I recently decided
to start my own pickup company. And I reached out
to [Jackson] and said, “Look, I’m doing these pickups,
it’s a new venture for me – would you be interested in
launching these guitars with my pickups in there?” So
the new signature models have my own pickups on
there. And that was a first for them as well, they’d never
done something like that with an artist before.
What can you tell us about those pickups?
It was one of those things – kind of a necessity.
And the fact that I could do it. It was pretty insane
that… Y’know, it’s like… I was talking to my buddy Rob
Chapman, who’s a famous YouTuber – we’ve been
friends for years, and he started Chapman Guitars
in a kind of similar way. I was talking to him about a
year and a half ago and I said, “Look man, I want to
do these pickups – I’m thinking of leaving Seymour
Duncan.” It was the same thing as ESP, where there
was nobody there to talk to anymore. And Chapman
goes, “Dude, f*** it! If I can do it, you can do it!” So he
encouraged me to do it. He even put me in touch with
some of his people and some of the factories in Asia to
make prototypes with.
26 | COVER STORY

THE
SIGNATURE
SOUND
FROM THE WAILING BLUES OF B.B. KING
TO THE FIRESTARTING FUSION-METAL THAT
TOM MORELLO CUT HIS TEETH ON, PLAYERS
OF ALL SHAPES, SIZES, SOUNDS AND STYLES
HAVE USED THE GUITAR TO EXPRESS THEIR
ECCENTRICITY. AND FOR OVER A CENTURY,
THEY’VE BEEN DOING IT WITH VERSIONS
OF THE INSTRUMENT SPECIALLY TAILORED TO
THEIR OWN PECULIAR PLAYING TECHNIQUES.
LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MOST
LEGENDARY CUSTOMS TO EVER HIT THE STAGE.

WORDS BY MATT DORIA

E
ver since the guitar was invented, players have gone to
virtually unimaginable lengths to put their own personal
touches on the instrument. There’s a whole world of
variables to argue when it comes down to the specifics
(whether we’re talking mass-produced axes or one-offs,
luthier-customer deals or big-name sponsorships,
homemade works and so on), but the first real “signature model”
guitar can be traced back to 1913, when the Martin company
developed a boutique acoustic to the specs of Hollywood-based
teacher – and historically significant virtuoso of her own accord –
Vahdah Olcott-Bickford.
Gibson pioneered the trend of marketing signature guitars for
big-name stage players, credibly lighting the spark in 1927 when they
launched the Gibson Nick Lucas flattop. 1952 saw them make electric
guitar history when they debuted the first ever Gibson Les Paul – a
model type still at the tippy top of guitarists’ vocabularies today, and
one that countless major label monsters and stadium-stuffing soloists
have put their own spin on past Paul’s original, trapeze tailpiece-
flourished flair.
Over half a century later, and the signature model guitar has
evolved into somewhat of a badge of honour for most famous
players – official, brand-recognised certification that you’re a
goddamn freak with a fretboard in hand, worthy of shredding it up
with the big dogs. But there are thousands upon thousands of them
on the market, now – having a signature guitar, while an enormous
career milestone and certainly something worth boasting about for
the rest of your life, isn’t the show-stopping, instant induction into
the hall-of-fame that it once was.
Throughout history, there have been a stack of signature models
and custom builds that not only wowed crowds at gigs and made
the records they were played on that extra bit memorable, but have
inspired hordes of wannabe virtuosos around the globe to chase their
wildest six-stringed dreams – guitars that have become as much their
own pieces of art as they are instruments to create it. This piece aims
to celebrate some of those – a small handful of them, admittedly, but
some that we look to as the finest examples of what players can do
when they combine their talents as guitarists with their creativity as
artists in general.
So, sit back, relax, read on through and start thinking about what
your own once-in-a-lifetime custom guitar would look like. Who
knows – it might just wind up in our follow-on story ten years from now!
TOM MORELLO’S “ARM THE HOMELESS”
MONGREL
THE AXE
At first a Strat knock-off with a Performance Corsair neck, two Seymour Duncan
JB humbuckers and a chrome Floyd Rose, Morello has given this little-shredder-
that-could its fair share of upgrades (some desperately needed, he’s stressed).
Its specs have gone through more changes than we could count, however its
most notable setup features (or featured – we’re unsure if Morello has made any
recent changes since it returned to his main arsenal at the turn of the ‘10s) a
graphite Kramer-style neck – which he scored dumpster-diving out the back of a
shop called Nadine’s Music – an Ibanez Edge double-locking tremolo, and a set
of EMG 85/H pickups. Adorned atop the stock baby blue finish are drawings of
hippos (which Morello once joked was the only thing he knew how to draw) and
its infamous titular phrase, “ARM THE HOMELESS”.
THE STORY
Morello had the first version of this unsuspecting baby blue beast custom-built at a
Hollywood store dubbed Performance Guitar – which was, at its core, a deceptively
lucrative-looking outlet aimed at duping newbie shredders into thinking they were
picking up a high-class custom, but actually paying out the arse for cheap parts,
dodgy builds and all-around laughable quality. “Everything about it was bad,” Morello
declared in a 2012 interview with Music Radar; “It looked bad, it sounded bad, it was
grotesquely overpriced, and of course over the next two years, I changed literally
everything about it except for the piece of wood.” Nevertheless, the axe would become
Morello’s go-to throughout the glory days of Rage Against The Machine, and despite a
short stint of reprieve between ’02 and ’07, has remained a core part of his live setup.
THE REPLICA
There is no officially licensed remake of Arm The Homeless, however because
Morello’s never shied away from delving into the customisations he’s made to it, plenty
of fan-made replicas exist – hit Reverb, or your favourite buy-and-sell forum to see
what’s currently floating around. That said, another of Morello’s classics – the modified
black Strat he pained “Soul Power” over, which was a staple of his kit in the Audioslave
days – was recently given a run by Fender, sans the hand-painted branding but up to
spec with Morello working closely alongside the design team.

EDDIE VAN HALEN’S
OG FRANKENSTRAT
THE AXE
Eddie Van Halen has added to, taken away from, and
otherwise messed around with the core attributes
of the Frankenstrat at least a bajillion times since
he first built it. As for the original model, we know
it started off with a northern ash body and maple
neck – a factory reject Eddie bought from Wayne
Charvel himself for a neat $130. Initially rocking the
stock Fender tremolo from a 1958 Strat, he later
switched it out for a pickup taken from a Gibson
ES-335, modified to take advantage of the disparate
string spacing between the Gibson’s pickup and the
Fender-designed bridge. That whole setup would
eventually be ditched for a more simplistic Seymour
Duncan humbucker. Eddie whipped up its finish on a
whim, slicking the whole body in a deep black, then
repainting in coats of red and white with strips of
gaffer’s tape strewn around to create the striking
design we all know and love today.
THE STORY
Hell hath no fury like Eddie Van Halen in search of
tonal perfection. This instantly iconic piece of rock
history was borne of Eddie’s wish to fuse the sound
of a classic Gibson with the functionality of a Fender
Strat. A teen of grand ambition but shallow pockets,
he sourced parts as cheaply as he could, chiseled
and chopped and soldered all the parts on himself,
and continued to toy around with new ideas and
technological advancements well into Van Halen’s
fame. A copy of the Frankenstrat is displayed in
the National Museum of American History (via the
Smithsonian Institution) in Washington, DC. The
OG model lives on at the New York Metropolitan
Museum of Art, where it was put up for show in April
2019 as part of their Play It Loud exhibit.
THE REPLICA
One of the most cloned guitars in the history
of rock ’n’ roll, Eddie’s first-model Frankenstrat
has been mimicked and mashed-up by well over
100 brands – some more reputable than others,
of course. Official replicas have circulated on-
and-off since the ‘80s, when Van Halen landed a
sponsorship with Kramer Guitars and they churned
out a few ace models based on it. Ibanez and Fender
have both tried their hand at the axe, too, but it’s
undoubtedly with Eddie’s own EVH brand that the
(now-renamed) Frankenstein would secure its legacy
in the signature model market. 2020 saw EVH drop
a new variant, the Striped Series Frankie, marketed
to more budget-conscious players. In addition to the
essential striped finish, the basswood-bodied axe
features many of the Frankenstrat’s best specs, like
the EVH-branded Floyd Rose locking tremolo, Floyd
Rose locking nut and EVH D-Tuna.
GEORGE HARRISON’S “ROCKY” STRATOCASTER
THE AXE
Starting life as a standard, no-frills Fender
Stratocaster in a lovely Sonic Blue finish, George
Harrison (guitarist for The Beatles, just in
case you’re new to this whole ‘music’ thing)
quickly fell head over heels for the warm,
rumbly jangle of this inimitable classic.
Spec-wise, we’re looking at an alder
body with a flame maple neck (featuring
an unconventionally asymmetrical
‘C’ shape), rosewood fretboard and
classic tremolo bridge. Harrison kept the
core elements the same throughout the
decade-plus he favoured it, making only
major changes to its aesthetic form.
THE STORY
Given the scarcity of Stratocasters in
1950s England, the illustrious George
Harrison was over-the-moon when he
finally got his hands on one in 1965 – it
was early on in the Help! days, and
Harrison (alongside fellow Beatle
John Lennon) sent roadie Mal Evans
on a mission to score them a pair of
matching Sonic Blue Strats. Two years
KURT COBAIN’S JAG-STANG
THE AXE
Grunge’s prodigal son was never one to beat
around the bush, so he didn’t leave much to the
imagination in naming his prized six-string: it’s
half Jaguar, half Mustang. Maybe it’s because
Strats and Teles were too “mainstream” for the
king of the outcasts, but Kurt Cobain found plenty
to love in these two underdog Fenders – for
the ‘Jag’ part, the wing-shape body and pickup
configuration; and for the ‘Stang’, a Dynamic
Vibrato bridge and 24-inch short scale neck. It
was always a particularly unusual setup, even for
the well-experienced modifiers and DIY luthiers
of the era. Such made it perfect for Cobain; in an
interview with Fender Frontline, he declared, “I
like the idea of having a quality instrument on the
market with no preconceived notions attached.
In a way, it’s perfect for me to attach my name to
the Jag-Stang, in that I’m the anti-guitar hero – I
can barely play the things myself.”
THE LEGEND
According to an early ’94 interview Cobain
did with Nardwuar the Human Serviette, the
| 27
later – once The Beatles had well enamoured
themselves with the visceral voodoo only LSD
can offer – Harrison took to his Strat with a
paintbrush and gave it a psychedelic dayglo
do-over. The Rocky strat (which earned its
name from the headstock Harrison had
crudely scrawled the title over) was a
go-to for the axeman all throughout the
‘60s and ‘70s – keep an eye out for it in
the classic “I Am The Walrus” chunk of
1967’s Magical Mystery Tour film.
THE REPLICA
It was just a few months ago that Fender
stuffed a plug on the endless stream of
homemade Rocky copies, announcing
their official Custom Shop replica. As
the Fender team themselves boast,
“Master Builder Paul Waller examined and
measured the original in exacting detail –
body, neck (with that asymmetrical ‘C’
profile intact), pickups, wiring, and
everything else right down to Harrison’s
famous DIY paint job. Even the
‘Grimwoods’ decal remains in place on
the back of the headstock.”
Jag-Stang design came from an arts-and-crafts
sesh where Cobain took Polaroid photos of both
the Mustang and Jaguar, lopped them in half
and glued them together. He sent the idea off
to Fender, who gladly whipped him up a couple
prototypes. He would unfortunately pass before
getting his hands on a Fiesta Red version made
by Custom Shop Master Builder Larry Brooks, but
his original Sonic Blue prototype was an instant
hit on Nirvana’s In Utero tour; Cobain would play
it for the entirety of the trio’s last proper headline
show in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Upon its debut, fans
would note the Jag-Stang’s distinctly peculiar
design – it spoke to the off-kilter quirkiness of
Cobain himself, and would quickly come to be an
icon of his enduring legacy.
THE REPLICA
Fender wasted no time in racing those blueprints
off to the factory line once Brooks mastered the
Jag-Stang design. First hitting shelves in 1995, the
production model axe features a vintage-style
single-coil pickup and a customised humbucker,
each rocking a toggle switch for ‘on’, ‘off’ and
‘out-of-phase’ settings. The Mustang-style maple
neck and Dynamic Vibrato bridge are both
essential to the fold, but there have been bodies
produced in both basswood and alder options.
Fender have produced short runs of the Jag-Stang
on-and-off over the last few years, though it’s not
too hard to find used models from its heyday in
the early ‘00s, when Fender were churning them
out like hotcakes.
28 | COVER STORY

PRINCE’S CLOUD
THE AXE
According to maker Dave Rusan, Prince’s
only demands for the first Cloud prototype
were that it feature its iconic twisty
shape, a bright white coat and shiny
gold hardware. Rusan went with his
gut and built the neck-thru body out of
hard rock maple, gave it 22 frets and
made sure to include EMG pickups, as
Prince had mentioned them off-hand in
conversation with Rusan. Initially intended
as a prop for his ‘84 flick Purple Rain,
Prince was an instant fan of the Cloud,
and promptly commissioned Rusan for
two more. It would go on to become
his go-to guitar from ’84 through
to ’93, and popped up a great deal
played a similarly shaped bass in the
music video for “Why You Wanna Treat Me
So Bad?”. The original Cloud that Prince
played excessively throughout and beyond
the Purple Rain era (painted over many
times, finally in a deep ‘Blue Angel’
coat) was auctioned off in June 2020,
racking up a mouth-drying $563,500 –
American dollars, too.
THE REPLICA
For a good while, Prince-sanctioned
Cloud copies were available – albeit
abnormally elusive – only by purchase
in-person at Paisley Park. However,
in 2019 Schecter finally unveiled the
Cloud as a consumer-grade guitar with

BO DIDDLEY’S
here and there afterwards as well. the release of two mass-produced
replica models (one blue and one
THE STORY white, both adorned with piercing

TWANG MACHINE First conceptualised by

Minneapolis-based luthier Dave
Rusan, the oddly shaped shred-
master was commissioned by
THE AXE Prince specifically for use in the
Ellas Bates’ original strummer was a self-designed, one-of- Purple Rain film. “[Prince] and
a-kind head-titler that he crafted out of an old cigar box. Jeff went into the back office
Growing up in poverty, the legend soon to be immortalised and they talked a long time,”
as Bo Diddley was a resourceful player, making his Rusan told Premier Guitar, “And
instruments out of whatever materials were available to him; then Jeff came down and told me,
in an interview with Vintage Guitar, he noted that its pickup ‘Prince is going to make a movie.
was “part of a Victrola record player where the needle went He needs a guitar, and you’re going to
in”. The first Diddley-built Twang Machine would eventually make it.’” Supposedly pulling its name from
be stolen, but in 1958 he collaborated with Gretsch to the cover art Prince And The Revolution’s
develop a more proper, stage-ready beast. We’re talking 1985 album Around The World In A Day, the
a semi-hollow body with maple top and mahogany back, Cloud was designed as a way for Prince
maple set neck, ebony fingerboard and mother-of-pearl to paying tribute to childhood friend and
thumbprint inlays. former bandmate Andr«Cymone, who
gold hardware) averaging $2,500
Down Under. You’ll have to grab
one second-hand today, but rest
assured it’ll be well worth the
expected uptick in dollarage:
Schecter’s 2019 Cloud features
a premium mahogany body,
three-piece maple set neck
and maple fretboard, with
two EMG humbuckers (an 81
in the bridge and an SA in the
neck) wired to master volume and
tone controls, and a three-way pickup
switch. If you’re interested in something a
little more one-of-a-kind, however, there
are plenty of fan-made replicas floating
around the market from decades prior to
the official release.

THE STORY
Diddley was a pioneer of the ultra-bright, shimmering
rhythm sound that came to define rock ’n’ roll at the turn
of the ‘50s; his tones were as unique as his personality, and
true to his passion for improvisation and DIY attitude, a great
majority of his guitars were designed and built by Diddley
himself. He had a knack for unconventional designs made
from unconventional materials and built in unconventional
ways – none more famous than the Twang Machine, which
turned heads with its wacky rectangular design, and then
had them bopping with its inimitable sounds. His original
model was a lot bulkier than the Gretsch-made Twang
Machine he played later down the line – notably, version
2.0 had a much slimmer and more compact profile, which
Diddley found necessary after accidentally smacking himself
in the groin with the notably weighty Gibson L5.

THE REPLICA
The Twang Machine remains one of the few guitars most
builders won’t even attempt to recreate, lest they butcher
what made Diddley’s original models so special. We’ve
still got our fingers crossed that one day, Gretsch will
break out the blueprints and issue at least a small run of
replicas, but until then, players looking for that signature
warbly, whistling twang will have to reach out to one of the
many boutique luthiers specialising in cigar-box guitars.
They’re relatively rare and certainly an instrument of its
own classification, but they’ve a tone entirely of their own,
and are well worth looking into for any country and blues
diehards (with the spare change to spend on a well-built
one).
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30 | COVER STORY

JIMMY flair. “I wanted to consecrate this

guitar and really make it my own,”

PAGE’S
he told Classic Rock in 2019. “So I
had it stripped, then I painted it. I

“DRAGON”
wanted to use something that was
going to make psychedelic patterns
in it. I wanted to paint it in colour

TELECASTER opposites to begin with. When you

THE AXE
It’s the sound that would come to
define Led Zeppelin, and a guitar
that immediately reflected
Jimmy Page’s cool, yet crunchy
playing style. In terms of build,
this was a relatively simple ’59
Telecaster – Page didn’t screw
around too much with the tech,
running two single coil pickups
with a three-position switch. It
featured a two-piece ash body
do colour opposites, they’ll flash
when they’re close to each other.”
The Dragon can be heard all over
Led Zeppelin’s debut album, but
its most famous appearance is
arguably the timeless solo on
“Stairway To Heaven”.
THE REPLICA
Fender unveiled their official
recreation of the Dragon Tele
in 2019, with 50 sets lovingly
handcrafted in the Fender
Custom Shop by acclaimed
Master Builder Paul Weller (in

RANDY RHOADS’
and a tinted maple neck with a direct collaboration with Page,
rosewood fingerboard. no less). Each one matches the
specs of Page’s original beauty

POLKA DOT V
THE AXE
In dire need of a guitar as bold and
audacious (both in tone and aesthetic)
as himself, Ozzy Osbourne’s right-hand
man – and a legendary shredder in
his own right – Randy Rhoads had the
first Polka Dot V assigned to luthier
Karl Sandoval, who in 1979 designed
a model based on the classic Gibson
Flying V, but with several unique
appointments that would make
Rhoads’ piece of kit truly one-of-a-kind.
These included a maple Danelectro-
style neck with rosewood fingerboard
and bow-tie inlays, whacked onto a
mahogany body with two DiMarzio
THE STORY to a T, and came packaged with a
The original bare-wood slew of goodies picked
Tele was a gift from out by the Zeppelin
Jeff Beck, who wanted shredder himself
to thank Page for (easily the coolest of
scoring him a role in which being a violin
humbuckers, independent volume and The Yardbirds. It was bow). A factory-made
tone controls, standard vibrato setup well-loved by Beck version soon found its
and a selector switch on the upper before reaching Page’s way to store shelves
bass bout. hands, but it was en masse, retailing
certainly the latter to at a surprisingly
THE STORY whom the instrument inviting $2,699 for
Rhoads was the kind of guitarist to truly belonged. Australian players.
whom typical rock ’n’ roll excess Shortly before Though it quickly sold
was just another Sunday morning founding Led Zeppelin out through the official
breakfast; he craved intensity, and in 1968, Page decided he needed channels, finding one second-hand
upon seeing Xciter guitarist George to give the guitar some personal isn’t as taxing as one might expect.
Lynch – who he massively respected
– rock up to a show with his new
V-shaped guitar, Rhoads was certain
he needed one of his own. Admired by
the concept of a Gibson-esque shape
with Fender-like tech, he reached out
to Sandoval (who also built Lynch’s
model) and had his own whipped
up. The polka dot finish came from
Rhoads’ determination to give his
guitar an identity of its own – it had
to look like nothing any rockers were
ripping on at the time, and polka dots
were about as far away from the norm
as one could travel back then. Who
else could make such an unsuspecting
design look so f***ing badass!?

THE REPLICA
Rhoads never gave a mass-production
company license to issue the PDV on a
wide scale; he chose to play custom-
built models throughout the entirety
of his short-lived career, favouring the
handmade spirit and intricacies of each
individual take on a luthier’s build.
That said, the Polka Dot V is a favourite
of custom-builders around the world –
finding a homemade replica shouldn’t
be too difficult, if you’re willing to put
in the hard yards with research and
shell out a pretty penny.
 | 31

JAMES HETFIELD’S
“EET FUK” ESP
THE AXE
This unsuspecting monster started life as a stock ESP MX-
220, in a bold off-white finish that, against the all-black garb
that Metallica donned with aplomb, stuck out like a monkey
in a room full of pigeons. Based on the Gibson Explorer
design, the MX-220 featured a mahogany body and set neck,
22-fret rosewood fingerboard, active EMG 81 pickups, Gotoh
tuners, volume and tone controls, three-way toggle selector,
and an ABR-1 Tune-o-Matic bridge. As for that irreplaceable
“EET FUK” sticker that Hetfield scrawled by hand and
slapped on the top-lefthand corner? There’s never been any
proper explanation, but legend states it’s a subtle tribute to
two of his favourite activities.

ANGUS YOUNG’S THE STORY

JAYDEE SG
THE AXE
As if we weren’t going to round
this list off with an Aussie
favourite! Angus Young’s custom
Jaydee SG was built as a premium
upgrade to the Gibson models he
favoured throughout the ‘70s,
rocking a mahogany body,
mahogany and maple neck,
bound ebony fingerboard,
lightning bolt inlays, two Jaydee
Hooligan pickups and gold-plated
hardware – y’know, for that extra
bit of rock ’n’ roll oomph! Fun
fact: one of the requirements
Jaydee had to meet was a
sweatproof setup – Young liked to
crank the heat up onstage, and
had his fair share of Gibson SGs
die after his sweat seeped into
the electronics.
Honestly, we could write an entire list – thrice this long,
too – filled entirely with James Hetfield’s custom guitars.
We’re pretty sure the dude gets his hands on a new piece
of eye (and ear) candy every other week, with each new
design somehow crazier than the last – and hey, if you’ve
got Metallica levels of dosh to blow, why wouldn’t you!?
We’re going with the good ol’ “EET FUK” as our pick to
showcase, though, because it was arguably the first guitar
that ‘Tallica fans came to know as a Hetfield classic. He
played it passionately throughout the entirety of the
touring cycle for …And Justice For All, and though it was
officially retired from the stage in 1990, it still shows up
on Metallica’s recorded works every so often.
THE REPLICA
Alas, the “EET FUK” remains one of the many guitars in
Hetfield’s arsenal that haven’t made their way to store
shelves. Unofficial replicas can be found occasionally on
Reverb or through the abundance of Metallica forums that best matches your personal sonic preferences (just
buzzing around the web – often for surprisingly decent make sure it’s white – that part is irrefutably crucial), rip
prices, too. Or, you could just do what most Metallica fans off a strip of gaffer’s tape, and bust out your best black
wanting their own “EET FUK” do: pick up an ESP Explorer Sharpie. You know where to go from there.

THE STORY
It’s hard to picture Angus Young
ripping out on anything other
than a crimson red SG – whether
a classic Gibson Standard or one
of the many he’s had custom
made by the UK-based Jaydee
company. John Diggins presented
the first custom build to Young in
1981, shortly before Young and
the rest of his AC/DC brothers
made history at the Donnington-
set Monsters Of Rock concert.
He’d tend to flick back and forth
between the Jaydee model and the
Gibsons he already owned, but it’s
undoubtable that the Jaydee held
a special place in his heart.
THE REPLICA
Jaydee are still cranking out the
exact same guitars they built
for Young himself – labelled the
Donnington SG, they run about
$3,000 new, which is pretty damn
cheap when you consider how
monumental the instrument itself
is. The retro schoolboy uniforms
(and insurmountable talent) are
sold separately, however.
RICK NIELSEN’S QUINT-NECK HAMER
THE AXE
This absolute masterstroke of
construction is actually five different
Hamer guitars fused into one, each
rocking a slightly different tech setup.
Altogether, though, we’re looking
at a whole lot of mahogany on that
body and all five necks, each of which
adored with rosewood fingerboards
and two DiMarzio humbucking
pickups. There are two standard
six-string necks, a six-string neck
with a Vibrola tailpiece, a six-string
neck with no frets, and a standard
12-string neck. To hop between them
all, Nielsen utilises a five-way rotary
control, a three-way selector switch,
and two controls for volume and one
for tone.
THE STORY
With his band literally named Cheap
Trick, you can expect Rick Nielsen to
bust out some wacky – unashamedly
gimmicky – props onstage. In the
band’s early days, Nielsen would strap
on five individual guitars, and during
a point in their set where his soloing
took the spotlight, he would play one
section on each guitar, stacking them
atop each other after every part. He
teamed up with Hamer in 1981 and
submitted to them a sketch of his
dream guitar – a six-neck shredder
that spun like a roulette wheel.
Logistics would prove such ambitions
to be futile, but the team at Hamer
weren’t about to let Nielsen down,
and soon the quint-neck we see today
was prepared as a consolation, made
by laminating together five separate
Hamer Specials.
THE REPLICA
No. Do not. Seriously, why would you
ever consider buying one of these
things!? [Sigh] If you must get your
hands on a quint-neck guitar, your
best bet is to reach out to luthiers
directly – Nielsen’s axes are rarely
recreated, and, quite honestly, for
good reason. That’s not to say they
don’t exist, of course! Hamer will
obviously never issue this piece of
art on a mass scale, but DIY builders
around the globe have taken it upon
themselves to remake it. If you
manage to find one, expect it do
outright drain your savings account.
32 | COVER STORY

GENE SIMMONS’ AXE BASS

THE AXE
Well, for starters, this one has the
distinct idiosyncrasy of actually being
an axe. It’s also the only bass guitar
on this list – we know, it’s technically
cheating, but… Uh… Have you seen
this thing!? Obviously the KISS icon
didn’t have this polarisingly peculiar
bass made from a real axe (though you
just know he would’ve mulled it over)
– it’s a mahogany body with maple
neck, rosewood fingerboard, Mighty
Mite MMJB-R and MMPB-4 pickups
and chrome hardware. Various models
produced throughout the decades
feature slight variations in tech and
build; one thing that remains the same,
of course, is that they all look (and
sound) absolutely insane.
THE STORY
The year is 1978, and KISS are the
undisputed kings of garish, larger-
than-life rock ’n’ roll. Soaking up the
spotlight was Gene Simmons (and his
monstrously long tongue), dolled up
in kitschy makeup and making parents
costume, and would represent the way
he felt a bass should be treated in the
hands of its player – “like a weapon”.
So he reached out to esteemed luthier
Steve Carr, and before too long, the
axe bass was born. 42 years later, it
lives on as one of the most important
pieces of KISS iconography.
THE REPLICA
KISS and licensed merchandise go
together like butter on toast, so
of course there’s been a stack of
official axe basses to hit shelves.
Most of them come from a run Cort
did in collaboration with Simmons,
replicating his stage model in a
faithful, yet consumer-friendly
form that doesn’t skimp on any of
the technical highlights, and looks
downright magnificent – certainly one
intended for display cases over stages,
but with all of the authentic Simmons-
esque tonal brutality at its disposal.
In 2012, Simmons commissioned a
separate run of axes from luthier Jim
Cara, who he tasked with developing

BRIAN MAY’S RED SPECIAL
THE AXE
With the aide of his father, Brian May
built the Red Special himself over
the course of two years, starting in
August ’63 with a neck chiseled out
from a piece of fireplace mantle
that he nabbed from a family friend.
Topped off with an oak fingerboard
and mother-of-pearl inlays, May
settled on a chunk of blockboard (a
compound wood made of softwood
strips sandwiched between two sheets
of plywood) for the body, with oak
inserts from an abandoned table.
He and May Sr. gave it mahogany
marquetry veneer for a little aesthetic
boost, then went to town on the tech
with three single-coil Burns Tri-Sonic
pickups and a custom aluminium
bridge. An early model of the Red
Special featured an inbuilt distortion
circuit, which May ripped from a
Vox-branded effects unit. But, once
he’d reckoned with the sonic weight
of an AC30 ripping at full
power, he decided to ditch
the circuit after all.
THE STORY
Though it’s Freddie
Mercury’s voice
that most note
as their defining
superpower, Brian
May was the real
king of Queen: his
fretwork – often soaring,
occasionally savage, always
sensational – was (and is) second-to-
none, and it’s largely thanks to the Red
Special that he was able to establish
a signature sound unlike any of his
around the world fear for the lives of
their children, who were surely on the
path to Satanism with KISS’ volatile
a unique chrome and gold plating
process for them. The chrome models
would be made available for purchase
peers. May built the first edition Red tunes and vulgar image. Simmons by diehard KISS collectors, and remain
Special out of scrap parts (like, for the needed something that would either some of the rarest signature model
tremolo system, an old steel knife and stand out or blend in with his onstage guitars ever crafted.
two motorbike valve springs) when he
was unable to afford a name-brand
axe. May would go on to use a wealth
of high-quality rebuilds as Queen
skyrocketed in fame, but the original,
handmade Red Special still has a place
in his arsenal to this day. And by gum,
it sounds as rockin’ as ever!
THE REPLICA
May’s own brand (Brian May Guitars,
naturally) offers a few variations of
Red Special replicas – most notably
the BMG Special, which is a
phenomenal mid-tier recreation
of the OG axe at a player-friendly
price point. Then there’s the BMG
Super, which is a good squeeze
more expensive, but represents a
truly authentic recreation of the
Red Special in its most
specced-up form. Aiming
to bridge the gap between
the BMG Special and
the handmade
instruments
lovingly crafted by
Andrew Guyton,
the Super will
run you close
to $10,000
aftermarket – but,
for that classic Queen
tone and a visual feast
unlike any other guitar you’ll
ever encounter, you really can’t put
a price on it. Otherwise, the standard
BMG Special runs at an average price
around $2,000.

B.B. KING’S “LUCILLE” ES-335
THE AXE
One thing all of the guitars on this list have in common is that their owners
treasured them like family – perhaps none moreso, however, than B.B. King
treasured his little Gibson L-30 Archtop, which despite costing him just $30, was
a staple in his setup writing some of the most striking blues tunes of the era.
Each of King’s guitars post-1949 were dubbed Lucille, and he played a great
JIMI HENDRIX’S UPSIDE-
DOWN STRATOCASTERS
THE AXE
Truth be told, there’s nothing too
special about the Stratocasters that
Jimi got his hands on; he had more
than the average collector could
ever dream of piling up, but they
were mostly stock builds, fresh off
the factory line and straight into the
hands of one Mr. James Marshall
Hendrix. The unique part comes in
how Hendrix played them – despite
being left-handed, he always swore
by right-handed models, restrung
and played upside-down. Because
the angle of the bridge pickup was
reversed, the higher strings would
sit further away from the bridge
where they pass over the pickup
(and vice versa for the lower strings);
this allowed Hendrix to unlock more
summery, mellow tones on the high
strings, and a crunchy, biting grunt
from the lower ones. The upper horn
placement also made it easier for
Hendrix to strap his Strat on lower
than typically possible, making it a
breeze to fret along the higher notes.
THE STORY
Hendrix eschewed the rulebook
wherever possible – it’s one of the key
reasons his name is inextricably linked
to the guitar itself. Left-handed guitars
were difficult for Hendrix to find in his
early days of playing, and rather than
wait around or waste his days hunting
one down, he adapted to circumstance
and chose to modify a right-handed
strat to work for himself. Even once
he was able to afford virtually any
guitar he wanted, Hendrix stuck with
| 33
variety of them over the years – the most notable, though, being the semi-hollow
ES-355 that rocked dual humbucking pickups, both stereo and mono outputs,
multi-layered binding, mother-of-pearl fret markers and sharp gold hardware.
In the early ‘80s, King and Gibson buddied up to build an official Lucille model,
which took King’s classic ES-355 setup, ditched the f-holes (King would often stuff
his with rags to minimise feedback) and gave it some aesthetic upgrades.
THE STORY
It was an otherwise typical winter’s night in Twist, Arkansas when B.B. King took
to the stage at his local dancehall. As it often was, the venue was heated by a
garbage can half-filled with kerosene and set alight in the middle of the venue.
The bin was tipped amidst a brawl between two men fighting over a woman
named Lucille (who worked at the bar) and within seconds, the entire venue was
up in flames. King barely escaped alive, but made the split-second decision to
race back inside the burning building to save his prized L-30. Naming it in Lucille’s
honour, he cherished it as a memento “to remind me never to do a thing like that
again.” ‘Lucille’ as a moniker would soon become B.B. King’s unofficial stamp of
approval – he adorned it to guitars he truly loved, mostly Gibson semi-hollows,
and played a variety of Lucilles from the mid ‘50s through to his death in 2015.
THE REPLICA
Gibson have issued a range of certified Lucille replicas throughout the past
four decades, most recently at the tail end of 2018 in collaboration with the
B.B. King Family Trust. It’s a work of true passion for King’s classic tone, rocking
his beloved Gibson 490R and 490T humbuckers and a Stereo Varitone setup.
Other spec highlights include the TP-6 Fine Tune tailpiece, rounded C neck
with mother-of-pearl inlays, gold hardware and multi-ply bound tortoiseshell
pickguard. The 2018 Lucille ES runs for a hefty $6K+ on the resale market, but
there’s always a cheaper model floating around somewhere on the web. The
beauty of King’s philosophy behind the Lucille means that not every ‘Lucille’ guitar
needs to be an actual branded ‘Lucille’ model – grab a semi-hollow of your own
choosing and cherish it with all your being; voila, you’ve got a Lucille of your own!
right-handed axes – partially because
it was what he already knew, and
that echoed his own setup – the
most notable of which are Fenders,
partially for the unique advantages available in configurations ranging
such configurations would offer him. from entry-level beginner bits to the
kinds of hand-crafted beauties that
THE REPLICA only those with mafia money could
As one of the most iconic musicians afford to wail away on. Of course,
in the history of the art form, it Hendrix played an almost comically
shouldn’t come as any surprise that wide range of Strats in his day –
Hendrix lent his name to dozens any properly restrung Strat played
upon dozens of signature models upside-down could technically qualify.
34 | COVER STORY
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
LES PAUL’S LES PAUL
Who’d’a thought one of the electric
guitars that would come to define the
instrument started off as an attempt
to slash down a rival brand? Gibson
developed the first Les Paul to feed
off the rising success of the Fender
Telecaster; Les Paul himself – a
renowned innovator in the DIY realm
with a keen eye for experimentation
– was brought in as a consultant,
and alongside Gibson president Ted
McCarty, began work on the first
prototype in 1951. Though it would go
through a fair few revisions in quick
succession – and thousands more over
the next half-century – the original Les
Paul-certified Gibson Les Paul featured
a mahogany body with an inch-thick
maple cap, mahogany neck with
rosewood fretboard, two single-coil
P-90s, and a trapeze-shaped tailpiece.
TONY IOMMI’S “OLD BOY” SG
Much like Angus Young’s, this
weathered-looking brute (which got its
unmistakable visual flair from being
delivered from the UK to the US before
the lacquer had set, causing the finish
to crack and flake away) was hand-built
by acclaimed luthier John Diggins,
and over time became one of Iommi’s
most prized pieces of kit – and by a
long margin, his most recognisable.
Loosely based on a cherry red Gibson
SG Special that Iommi used in the
early ‘70s, the Old Boy was first used
for overdubs on Black Sabbath’s 1980
album Heaven And Hell. It wouldn’t
immediately make its way into Iommi’s
touring arsenal, but by 1983 it was his
pick of the litter.
ERIC CLAPTON’S “BLACKIE”
STRATOCASTER
In 1970, when Strats were “so out of
fashion you could pick up a perfectly
genuine [one] for two or three
hundred dollars” (as per his foreword
in The Stratocaster Chronicles),
Clapton bought an entire rack of
vintage models from a Nashville
guitar shop. He gave one to Pete
Townshend, one to Steve Winwood
and one to George Harrison, then had
the remaining three butchered for
parts and Frankenstein’d into what
Clapton would consider his ultimate
Stratocaster. Blackie features the alder
body from a ’56 Strat and the maple
neck from a ’57, with two mid-‘50s
pickups and one from 1970. It made its
live debut three years later, and made
its mark on several of Clapton’s most
acclaimed compositions – “Cocaine”, “I
Shot The Sheriff”, “Lay Down Sally”…
It may have been black in colour, but it
delivered some of the most colourful
lines in rock history.
KEITH RICHARDS’
“MICAWBER” TELECASTER
At face value, it’s a butterscotch blonde
Tele with a missing string. Richards got
a hold of Micawber – its name pulled
from Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield
– in the last few weeks of 1970,
supposedly as a gift from Eric Clapton.
Shortly after he wrapped the touring
cycle for the Rolling Stones’ Exile On
Main Street album, Richards customised
the axe considerably. The most
notable upgrades include a Gibson PAF
humbucker in the neck (installed in
reverse, so the pole pieces actually face
the guitar’s tail), a Fender Champion
lap steel pickup in the bridge, Sperzel
locking tuners, and a modified brass
bridge with the low E saddle removed
(in order to accomodate Richards’ five-
string tuning).
ZAKK WYLDE’S
“BULLSEYE” LES PAUL
When he began playing for Ozzy
Osbourne in 1987, Wylde was adamant
on on establishing a brand for himself
– he wanted to stand apart from those
who preceded him in the role, avoiding
any comparisons to Jake E. Lee or
Randy Rhoads. So, what better way
to market yourself than with a visual
cue? While Rhoads had polka dots on
a Flying V, Wylde was more into the
trippy stuff, and after seeing a trailer
for Hitchcock’s Vertigo on TV, decided
he wanted to spray a spiral pattern
onto his 1981 Gibson Les Paul Custom.
Alas, Wylde accidentally botched his
vision in practise, leading to more of a
bullseye look. He embraced it, though,
and the design has since become
somewhat of a trademark for the New
Jersey-native shredder.
JACK WHITE’S AIRLINE
For a man who effectively doubles as
alt-rock’s own version of Willy Wonka,
it’s no surprise White fell for the Airline
59 2P, with its unusual shape, Res-O-
Glas body and bright blood-red finish.
By White’s own admission, the original
model was virtually unplayable, and
sounded god-awful – which is exactly
why he sought it out. Eastwood Guitars
would eventually take over the brand
and make an Airline worth picking up,
with a tone-chambered mahogany body
and appropriated neck for enhanced
playability (or, well, any at all).
JIMMY PAGE’S
DOUBLE-NECK EDS-1275
For live performances of “Stairway
To Heaven”, the double-neck Gibson
EDS-1275 is a lifesaver – Page uses
the six-string bottom neck for the
intro and first verse, then kicks over
to the 12-string top, back down for
the extended solo, and again up top
for the final chorus. Page’s EDS-1275
was custom-built to match his
specs, featuring a slightly different
body shape, custom humbuckers,
a one-piece mahogany neck (as
opposed to the three-piece maple
necks on the stock model), and
a tailpiece at the bottom of the
guitar’s body (which is said to boost
sustain). In 2007, Page teamed up
with Gibson to issue 250 copies of
his original-recipe model, the first of
which off the line he kept for himself.
MATT BELLAMY’S KAOTIC
MANSON MB-1
Bellamy isn’t rounding out this list
because he’s the most newcoming
addition to it, but rather because his
Manson MB-1 is easily the most high-
tech. Amongst its most badass features
is the toggle killswitch, which routes
the guitar’s signal to the ground wire
as opposed to the pickup, momentarily
killing the volume and allowing for a
cool, scratchy stutter akin to the kind
of DJ-esque frettage Tom Morello
cut his teeth on. And speaking of DJ
tools, the futuristic guitar includes an
inbuilt MIDI touchpad – a Korg Kaoss
unit, to be exact – which Bellamy uses
to manipulate synth units, effects
processors and even lighting rigs.
Last but not least, there’s an inbuilt
Fernandes Sustainer unit, which utilises
a magnetic field to vibrate strings
indefinitely, to whichever rhythmic
pitch Bellamy chooses. Onstage with
Muse, he uses it to conjure up ethereal
pseudo-orchestrations and wicked
Hendrix-esque walls of feedback.
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LESSONS | 37

GET THE SOUND EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO

KNOW BEFORE PLAYING

R
OASIS’ “SOME MIGHT SAY”
umours of a big Oasis
reunion have been on and
off for years. And, though
current world events have
put a stop to any comeback
Noel’s sound at the
in the near future, we
remain optimistic that the
Get the sound CHANNEL DISTORTION time came courtesy of
Gallagher brothers will Marshall JCM900 amps
6 6
7 7 3 and various Epiphone
bury their respective hatchets and start playing
together again soon. After all, it can only be good guitars: Les Paul, Riviera
for guitar music, right? and Sheraton models
This issue we’re looking at one of the band’s in particular. Ideally,
GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB then, use a Marshall
biggest and most popular songs appearing
on 1995’s (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? valve amp and a guitar
In the grand scheme of all guitar music you’d equipped with a bridge
A bridge position
probably be right to say that Noel Gallagher’s position humbucker.
humbucker with the
playing isn’t that difficult. Still, there is tone control maxed Use an overdrive pedal
a challenge to get to grips with - and it’s the out will get you close for a boost in the solo –
thorny subject of what guitarists call ‘feel’. to Noel Gallagher’s Noel favoured a classic
It’s not exactly bluesy; it’s definitely not funky biting drive tones. overdrive choice, the
or virtuosic, but there’s a lazy, yet tidy ‘in the Ibanez Tube Screamer.
pocket’ delivery to Some Might Say. For the Almost every digital
bedroom shredders out there it’s often an modeller will include
overlooked skill. Whatever music you’re usually a suitable amp and
into, this is a great track to jam along to. Just overdrive patch.
remember - it’s all about feel!

CHORDS
The majority of this track uses simple open they are essentially just variations on D, Em, G, A,
SCALES
This track uses several chords
position and barre chords, so it’s just a question of Bm and C. Noel often creates a more natural and from the key of D major (D E F# G
authority and delivery when tackling these shapes. varied rhythm sound by striking different groups of A B C#) so Noel uses the D major
Although there are quite a lot of chords here, strings, so practise your strumming technique. pentatonic scale (D E F# A B)
throughout, occasionally using
X X O X X O X X X X O X X X X O O X O two-note chords to help spell out
X some of the chords. The only time
he moves out of this scale is when
1 2 1 1 1 he hits an occasional F natural note
on a string bend.
3 3 2
3 3
1 1 1
9
D D5 D6 Dsus2 D/A 2 2 2
X X O O O X O O X O O X O X X 3

4 4 4 4 4
1 1 2 1 2 3 1 2

3 4 3 4 2 3 4
D major
pentatonic scale

Dsus4 Em7 G5 A A5 1 1 1 1 1
7
X X X X O

1
3 3 3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

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

D major
Bsus2 B5/F# Bm/F# Cadd9 pentatonic scale
38 | LESSONS

OASIS
SOME MIGHT SAY
Words and Music by Noel Gallagher
Copyright © 1995 Sony Music Publishing United Kingdom
and Creation Songs Ltd.
All Rights Administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing, 424 Church Street,

SOME MIGHT SAY Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219

International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
Used by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY INTRO (GUITAR 1)

q =112
D5 D6 D5 D6 D5 D6 D5 Bsus 2
# 4
& # 4 œœ œ œœ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ
œ
œ œ œ
œ
œ œ œ
œ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
PM PM PM

T 2 4 2 4 2 2
3
4 2 2 4 4
2
4
2
4
2
4 0
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 4 4 4 0
B 0 2 2 0
1 ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≥
G5 D Dsus 2 A D/A A D/A A D/A A5
## œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
& œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3 2 0
T 0 0
3 3 3
2
3
2
0 2
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 0
A 0 0 2 4 2 2 4 2 4 4 2 2 0
B 3 3
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5
≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥

Slightly emphasise the D5 and D6 chords in bars 1 and 2 and de-emphasise the open strings. Watch out for the D major chord at the end of bar 5; you don’t want the
previous G5 to ring through underneath the D. Aim to mute the open third and fourth strings as you move to the D chord.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY INTRO (GUITAR 2)

N.C. A5 B 5/F #
# 4 j
& #4 ∑ Ó. ‰ œœ ww ˙˙ .. œœ œ
œ ww ˙˙ .. œœ
T 2 4
A 2 4 4
B 0 2
2
1

# # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
G
~~~~~~~D ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A

& ˙. œ œ ˙. œ
j œ œ w ˙ œ Œ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T
A 5 [5] 7 7 9 7 [7]
B
5

This intro part sounds pretty beefy thanks to a B5 powerchord that’s played across four strings, instead of the more commonplace two- or three-string shapes.
All you have to do is play the 2nd fret F# note on the sixth string under the standard B5 powerchord shape.

| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
 | 39

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY INTRO SOLO

# # 4 DŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
œ œ œ œ
Bm
œ œ œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ J
nœ
& 4 J J
0:18 RP PB 9

BU BU BD BU BD
T 9 (11) 9 7 9 7 9 (11 ) (11) ( 10 )( 9 ) 7 7 9 9 (11 )
(9) 7 7 9 7
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
A 7 7 7 9
B
1

G D A

# # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ w ˙ œ œ.
& J

T 10
11
10
11
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8
9
10
11
10
11 11
12 10 12 10 [10 ]
A
B
5

Noel’s simple solo is played right in the middle of the neck, which really lends itself to the easy two-fret string bends. The handy two-finger chords in bars 4 and 5 can easily
be slid between the 8th and 10th position and are best fingered with your second and third fingers. Play the 7th fret chord with your first finger.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY VERSE

D j j j Bm/F #
# 4 œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ j œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
& # 4 .. œœ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œœ œœ œ œ œ
œœ J J
0:36

T . 3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
A
B
. 2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
2
4
4
4
4
4
4

≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤
2
1
cont. sim.

G5
œœ œœ œœ j
## œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ
D
j j j
& œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ J œ J
2 2 3 3 2 2
T 3
4
3
4 0
3
0
3
0 0 2
3
2
3
2 0
A 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 2
2 3
4

1. 2.

## A
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ j . A œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œœ œœ œœ œœ . œœ ˙˙ ..
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J œ œ J J
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
let ring let ring

T 2 2 3 2 3 2 0 . 2 3 2 3 2
A
B
2
0
2
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
2
0
2 2 2 2 0
. 2
0
2
2
0
2 2 2 2

7 ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥

You should notice a distinct rhythm pattern emerging in bars 1 to 6. It’s best approached using a standard ‘alternate’ strumming technique. Just keep a constant down-up
strumming motion going and you should end up with down-down-up-up. There are strumming directions underneath the tab for you.
40 | LESSONS

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY CHORUS

Em7 G5 D Dsus 4 D Dsus 4 D Dsus 4 D Dsus 2 D5

## 4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ j
& 4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
œ œ J J J
1:11 œ
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 0
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 0
A 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 2
0 3
1
≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤
Em7 Cadd 9 G5
## œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ œ
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 2 3

≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
0 3
5

Noel popularised a very similar chord progression in Oasis’s Wonderwall. It works so well because you can easily anchor two fingers at the 3rd fret on the first and second
strings, which allows easy changes and a smooth sound thanks to the shared notes in most of the chords.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY BRIDGE

D G5 Em7 G5 D G5 Em G5 Play 7 times

## 4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& 4 œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ .. œœœ œœ
œ
œœ
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ..
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
1:29

T
2
3
2
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 . 2
3
2
3
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 .
A
B
2
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0 . 2
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0 .
3 3 3 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 0 3 3 3 3
1

Bars 3 and 4 are played seven times in a row here. Down-up style strumming is the best way to get the groove, so bar 3 has a down-down-up-down, down-up pattern; bar 4
is played down-up-down-up, up-down-up. Think of bar 2 as a slight variation on bar 4.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY INTERLUDE SOLO

F#m F Cadd 9 A
œ œ œ œ œ.
## 4 œ
j œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
j
J J J
& 4 J J J

2:04 w/phaser

BU BD BU BD 10 12
T 9 11 9 7 7 9 9 (10 ) ( 9 ) 7 7 7 7 9 (10) ( 9 ) 7 7 7 9 11
10 12
A 9
B
1 ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤≥ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≤
This repetitive pentatonic idea should be fairly straightforward, but note the semitone bend on the third string in bars 2 and 3 – take care not to overbend these. Aim to
use your second finger as you slide from 9th to 11th fret in bar 3. This places your first and third fingers in prime position for the end of the lick.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY MAIN SOLO

œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
D Bm
## 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& 4 œ J

2:13

BU BD
T 7 7 7 9 9 (11) ( 9 ) 7 7 (9) 7
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
7
7
8
9
10
11
10
11
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
A 7 9 9 9
B
1

| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
 | 41

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY MAIN SOLO (cont’d)

œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœj œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ
G D A
## œœ
j
œœ
j
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& J ‰ J J

T 8 10
9 11
10
11
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8 10
9 11
10
11
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8
9
7
7
8
9
8
9
7
7
8
9
7 8 10
7 9 11
10
11
10
11
8
9 9
7
7
A
B
5

Use your first and third fingers for the pentatonic lick in bars 1 and 2. This leaves you in position to hit the first two-note chord with your second and third fingers. You might
achieve a slightly better tone and a more even sound if you pick constant downstrokes on the two-note shapes.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY VERSE AD LIBS

D Bm

# 4 ww ww œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& #4
j
Œ œ
J J œ
2:30

BU BD
T [7]
[7] 7 9 (11 ) (9) 7 7 9 7 9 7
A 7
B
1

## G5
nœ œ œ œ œ ~~~~
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
D A

& ∑ ∑
RP
~~~~
BU BD
T 7 7 7 7 9 (10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (9) 7 9 7
A 7 9 9
B
5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
D Bm
œ
## w nœ œ œ œ œ
˙. Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
& J

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7
BU BD BU
T 9 (10) (9) 7 7 9 (11) 9 7 9 7 9 7
A 9 7 9
B
9

## G5
nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
D A

& ∑ ∑
RP

BU BD
T 7 9 (10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (9) 7 9 7
A 7 9
B
13

This is a good example of simple repeating pentatonic improvising. Noel stays in the D major pentatonic scale (D E F# A B) throughout, except when he bends up to the out
of key F notes in bars 8, 15 and 16. These F notes give the section a slightly edgy, bluesy sound.
42 | LESSONS

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY CHORUS AD LIBS

œ j
œ œœ œœ œœ
Em7 Em7
# 4 w nœ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ
G D
j
œ œ œ œ j
˙
& #4
œ
∑ Œ œ
J ‰
3:05 PB 9 PB 9

BU BD BU 7 BD
T [7] 9 (10) ( 10 )( 9 ) 7 9 7 9 (10) ( 10 )( 9 ) 7 9 7
7
7
8
9
7
7
A
B
1

Cadd 9 A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
D G Em G

œ n œ œ œj œ
# # ˙˙ .. œœ œ #œ œ nœ œ œ œ
& œ ˙ œ
J w ˙. Œ

7 7 7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BU BU BU BU BD
T 9 (10) 9 (10 )
7
9 (10) 9 (10) ( 9 ) 7
A 7 9
B
6

These pentatonic ideas are similar to the verse. The 7th fret B notes on the first string in bars 4, 7 and 8 all follow string bends on the third string. In each case use your
second and third fingers to bend the third string and fret the first string with your first finger. Repeat and ad lib around the bridge before starting the outro.

OASIS SOME MIGHT SAY OUTRO

## 4 D G5
j
Em
j
G5 D G5 Em G5 D G5
j
& 4 Œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ
jœ j
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ
jœ j
œ œ œ œ œ j
4:40
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
T
A 4 2 0 0 0 4 0 0 4 4 2 0 0 0 4 0 4 2 0
B 0 2 2 0 2 2 0
1

Em G5 D G5 Em G5 D G5 Em G5

j œ œ œ œ œ. œ .
Play 3 times
## jœ j j j œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œJ .. œ œ œ œ œJ œ
j
&
œ
œ œ œ .
œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
BU BU BU
T 3 5 (7) 3 . 3 5 (7) 5 3 3 3 5 ( 7) 3 .
A
B 2
0
2
0 4 0 0 4 2 0 2 4
2 4
. 2 4 4
.
6

D
# œ œ œ œ œ œ
G5 Em
œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œj
G5
j
D
~~~~ Em
~~~~
G5 D

& #
œ
J J J œ œ œ œ œ w
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ ~~~~
BU BU
RP
BD ~~~~
T 3 5 (7) 5 3 3 5 ( 6 ) ( 6 )( 6 )( 5 ) 3
A 7 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 3 3 0 0 0 3
11

This section is fairly easy to play, but be aware of note ‘bleed’ (where one note rings out over other notes) in bars 1 to 6. Try flattening the position of your first finger so
that you can stub up against the open fourth string to keep it quiet as you fret the fifth string.

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 FEATURE
K
CR A N
P ,
IT U
!
S O N
VOX AC30 TOP BOOST
Vox engineer Dick Denney created the AC30 when Hank Marvin, guitarist for
Britain’s the Shadows, complained that his 15-watt Vox AC15 couldn’t be heard
over the screams of fans when they backed pop sensation Cliff Richard. Vox
introduced the 30-watt AC30 in 1958, offering it in one-by-12-inch and
two-by-12-inch configurations, and with a single tone control.
In late 1960, the amp was redesigned with three, rather than two, channels,
each with two inputs, and offered with an optional Top Boost, or Brilliance, circuit,
which introduced an extra gain stage and separate bass and treble controls.
The Top Boost feature proved popular enough that it became standard on
the AC30/6 (so named for its six inputs). Its chimey high end was a signature
of the Beatles’ early recordings and was later favoured by guitarists like
Brian May, Tom Petty, Peter Buck and The Edge, whose 1964 AC30/6 has been
featured on every U2 album.
| 45
DAMIAN FANELLI, CHRISTOPHER
SCAPELLITI AND TOM GILBERT DIVE
DEEP INTO THE HISTORY OF THE HUMBLE
GUITAR AMP TO DECIDE ON THE GREATEST
TEN OF ALL TIME. THESE TONE MACHINES
HAVE EARNED A PLACE IN HISTORY FOR
BEING FIRST-RATE GAME-CHANGERS, AND
CONTINUE TO SHINE AS CORNERSTONE
CREATIONS TO THIS VERY DAY.
L
ike anything else, the concept of what sounds good is purely
subjective - it’s in the ears of the beholder. Therefore, it’s difficult
to declare that one guitar amp sounds - or simply is - better than
another. And there are other factors to consider.
Case in point: if your $3,667 vintage British amp weighs 45 kilos, and
you’re an easily flustered busy gigging musician with a little Subaru and
an achy back, guess what: that cheap 20-pound amp in the basement is
suddenly better.
That said, it’s a lot easier to determine whether or not an amp is
classic, or better still, iconic. After all, we’ve had 70-plus years to listen,
learn, put two and two together and decide which amps have a special
place in the history of, well, amps.
So we went ahead and put two and two together - and came up with
ten. Here, for your reading and listening pleasure, is a list of ten iconic
guitar amps - heads and combos that have earned a place in history for
being - in one way or another - first-rate game-changers. Enjoy!
FENDER 5E3 DELUXE
Introduced in 1948, the Fender Deluxe was praised for its dynamic,
harmonically rich overdrive and compression. It was offered in numerous
configurations and designs over the years, but the most desirable model
is the 5E3 narrow-panel Deluxe, built from 1955 to 1960 and offered in a
tweed-covered cabinet.
The circuit runs at higher voltages than other models and features a
split-phase inverter and driver that add a little gritty breakup at the start
of the output stage.
Two easily overdriven cathode-bias 6V6 output tubes deliver a sweet,
harmonically rich tone, and the 5Y3 tube rectifier has the sag required for
dynamics and touch sensitivity. This holy grail of vintage combos has been
used by Neil Young, Mike Campbell, Rich Robinson, Mark Knopfler, Billy
Gibbons, and countless others.
46 | FEATURE

MESA/BOOGIE DUAL RECTIFIER ROLAND JC-120

From its beginnings in 1970, Mesa/Boogie was beloved for its small-but-powerful
Mark series amps; in 1989, however, the company decided to take its game to a
new audience. The result was the Rectifier range of bigger and beefier Dual and
Triple Rectifier amps. Since then, the Dual Rectifier has become one of the most
popular rock amps on the planet.
Designed by Mesa founder Randall Smith, the amp uses silicone diodes
that give it a gain level and feeling all its own. The amp proved especially
popular with metal and hard-rocking groups such as Living Colour, Metallica,
Tool, Korn, Soundgarden and Foo Fighters. In 2009, Mesa revamped the Dual
with a third, dedicated clean channel, making the venerable workhorse more
versatile than ever.
Producing one of the most popular clean sounds in rock, you’ll rarely see a
solid-state amplifier with as much notoriety as the Roland JC-120. The amp was
introduced in 1975, offering pure JC Clean sound with 120 watts of power and a
built-in Dimensional Space Chorus effect.
The JC-120 features dual 12-inch speakers plus dual power amps that drive
the speakers to their full potential for a stunningly clear sound. As a result, the
amplifier became a favourite among players like Andy Summers, Robert Smith,
Johnny Marr, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter and more.

MARSHALL JCM800
Named using Jim Marshall’s initials and numbers from his car’s license plate, the
Marshall JCM800 debuted in 1981. With the newly introduced Master Volume
feature, the JCM800 allowed for crunchy, sizzling distortion at low output levels,
making it the amplifier of choice for heaps of hard rock and metal players,
including Slayer’s Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman and Slash of Guns N’ Roses.
The JCM800’s popularity carried on beyond the ‘80s, becoming a favourite of
Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.

MARSHALL 1959 SUPER

LEAD 100-WATT PLEXI
Played by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend - among countless
other electric guitar innovators – the 1959 Super Lead helped shape rock and
roll as we know it. Introduced in 1965 (1959 has nothing to do with its year of
release), the amplifier included four inputs, two channels, 100 watts of searing
power and a Plexiglass faceplate (hence “Plexi”). Matched with four-by-12-inch
cabinets, the 1959 Super Lead helped to popularise the Marshall stack.
The amplifier can be famously seen being played by Jimi Hendrix at the
original 1969 Woodstock. It’s been highly sought after ever since.

| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar

FENDER TWIN REVERB
Well, to be more specific, we’re talking about Twin Reverbs made between
1965 and 1967. Throughout the decades, these sought-after tone machines
have turned up in the rigs of countless guitarists, including Stevie Ray
Vaughan – who used a mid-’60s 85-watt blackface model during his 1985 tour
of Japan – Steve Howe, Johnny Marr, Jack White and Dweezil Zappa.
The Fender Twin Reverb is considered a standard model for players seeking a
clean sound, and it is especially known for the quality of its built-in spring reverb.
Of course, Fender fans will note that 1965 is the year the company was sold
to CBS. Guitar-wise, the sale is still regarded as a turning point – but not in
a good way. However, the sale didn’t seem to affect the company’s amps. In
fact, Fender makes a 1965 Twin Reverb reissue today.
HIWATT DR103
Sure, Marshall and Vox contributed to the sound of British rock in the ‘60s
and ‘70s – but let us not forget the mighty Hiwatt DR103. Although it’s often
associated with the Who’s Pete Townshend (who would test their durability
night after night), it was a favourite of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, not to
mention the Moody Blues, the Stones and beyond. Although the DR103 looks a
bit like a Marshall, it certainly doesn’t sound like one. This was the result of a
vastly different design.
| 47
PEAVEY 5150
Maybe the most well known amplifier released under the Peavey name, the 5150
is the result of a collaboration between Peavey and Eddie Van Halen. Debuting in
1992, the 120-watt, all-tube, two-channel head featured a searing lead channel
that helped usher in a new wave of high-gain guitar ferocity in the early ‘90s.
Since Van Halen and Peavey parted ways in 2004, the model name was
changed to the Peavey 6505 and has become an industry standard for modern
metal bands such as Chimaira, August Burns Red, All That Remains and others.
FENDER BASSMAN
The list of musicians who are (or who have been) in love with their vintage Fender
Bassman amps - especially the four-by-ten tweed variety made between 1957
and 1960 – is pretty much endless. Just for starters (past and present), there’s
Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Mike Campbell, Mike Bloomfield, Jimmie Vaughan, John
Fogerty, Josh Homme, Brian Setzer, the guy up the street from me...
Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg, people. After all, many professional
music industry analysts have heralded ‘50s four-by-ten Bassman amps as the
greatest amps – ever.
Fender introduced the Bassman in 1952, and, as its name implies, it was
intended for bassists. However, enterprising (and/or bored) guitarists soon
noticed the magical effect the amp had on their guitars and harmonicas. Fender
took note and stopped billing the amp as a bass-only model.
48 | FEATURE

SHRED IT BE
DAMIAN FANELLI EXPLORES THE GUITAR GEAR BEHIND
THE BEATLES’ LEGENDARY LET IT BE SESSIONS.

T #TRACETHEBASS
he footage from the Let It Be sessions leaves no
question as to the band’s gear choices during
that time. George Harrison is often seen playing
his custom-made rosewood Fender Telecaster (serial
number 235594) – which he later
gave to Delaney Bramlett – and
‘Lucy’, the 1957 Gibson Les Paul
Standard electric guitar (refinished
to cherry red) given to him by Eric
Clapton and famously seen in the
Revolution promo film.
John Lennon is rarely seen
without his stripped-down
Epiphone Casino. Paul McCartney
uses his 1963 Hofner 500/1
exclusively, although he can be
seen playing his 1961 500/1 at
Twickenham Film Studios (that
model was stolen soon after
filming, which we’ll talk about
in a little bit). His Rickenbacker
4001S was also present, but only
as a backup.
In terms of acoustic guitars, Harrison and Lennon often
shared Harrison’s Gibson J-200, and McCartney plays
his Martin D-28 on “Two Of Us”. When McCartney is in
six-string mode, Harrison and Lennon take turns laying
down the bottom end with another type of six-string, the
Fender Bass VI, a six-string bass; Harrison uses it on “Two
Of Us”, and Lennon can be seen
playing it on “Dig It”. Lennon also
plays the bouncy solo on “For
You Blue” on a Hofner Hawaiian
Standard slide guitar.
Fender provided the
amplification, with Harrison
and Lennon playing through
85-watt Silverface Twin amps
with vibrato circuits and reverb,
and McCartney using a 50-watt
Silverface Bassman head and
tall Bassman cabinet (Harrison
and Lennon also played through
the Bassman rig when using the
Fender Bass VI).
Additionally, Harrison played
through a Leslie 147RV revolving
speaker cabinet, as heard in countless hours’ worth of
studio outtakes and on his Telecaster solo on the single
version of “Let It Be”.
Speaking of Beatles gear, the gang
at Hofner recently launched their
#tracethebass campaign, which aims
at tracking down McCartney’s stolen
Hofner 1961 500/1.
“Someone, somewhere, knows what
happened to this bass and someone
knows if it still exists and where it is
now,” reads the Hofner website. “This
information is out there if only someone
would provide it. We strongly believe it is
time for this bass to return to its owner,
Paul McCartney, if it still exists.
“It is such an important instrument,
and we all deserve to see it again. So we
offer the following to anyone who can
positively give information about the bass:
࠮ We would handle any information in
total confidence.
࠮ We do not need to know your identity
if you prefer.
࠮ We can collect the bass from
anywhere.
࠮ Total anonymity.
࠮ No recriminations.
࠮ No question of the authorities
being involved.

Here are the specs:

࠮ Solid spruce top
࠮ Maple back and sides
࠮ One-piece flat back
࠮ Three-piece neck
(maple-beech-maple)
࠮ Two diamond logo pickups with
no poles
࠮ Van Gent ‘rugby ball’ tuners
࠮ Long tailpiece with arched thin bar”

If you have any real information

about this bass – no conspiracy
theories! – please write to
thelostbass@hofner.com
 | 49

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” revolves around strummed

versions of the chords in Figure #1. Much of this song’s
emotional power stems from its mostly chromatic (notes
one half step apart, the distance of one fret) descending
A-G-F#-F bass line. The song also features a famous,
inspired solo by Eric Clapton.

WITH HANDS LIKE

Chromatic movement is a characteristic common to
many of Harrison’s popular Beatles tracks, among them
HARRISON’S
“Something”, which informs Figure #2. While the original DALE TURNER EXPLORES THE ACOUSTIC FLAVOUR THAT
Abbey Road version is played on electric guitars (in the
key of C), the original demo (key of A) on The Beatles:
GEORGE HARRISON BROUGHT TO THE FAB FOUR.
Anthology 3 is a solo performance by Harrison, who plays

a hollowbody electric, warranting its relevance here. Use
the picking pattern in bar 1 for the A, Amaj7 and A7 chords,
and note the descending chromatic line on the G string.
Similar chromaticism is also encountered in a later F#m-
F#m(maj7)-F#m7 change.
Hands down, the most popular acoustic guitar ‘picking’ riff
in the Beatles oeuvre is the passage that opens Harrison’s
“Here Comes the Sun”, which gets its sparkling quality from
the fact that it is capoed at the seventh fret. Figure #3 is a
passage inspired by the song’s main riff, containing mostly
D, A7 and G chords (use alternate picking throughout,
beginning with a downstroke). Figure #4 features a
variation on the chords used in the song’s bridge.
O
f the four Beatles, George
Harrison brought to the group
an assortment of electric and
acoustic guitar approaches, flavours
influenced by everyone from Chet
Atkins and Carl Perkins to the Byrds
and Bob Dylan.
Harrison’s pioneering use of the
Rickenbacker 360/12 electric 12-string
on songs like “A Hard Day’s Night” and
“Ticket To Ride” added another dimension
to the sound of Beatles’ music and left
an imprint on ‘60s-era rock: soon after,
the Byrds, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones
began to use 12-string guitars.
In the mid-‘60s, influenced by Indian
culture and Hinduism, Harrison introduced
the sitar and exotic scales into the Beatles’
catalog on songs like “Norwegian Wood”
and “Within You Without You”. In essence,
he played a huge role in stylising the
Beatles’ music.
But Harrison also contributed a wealth of
guitar-centric hits to the band’s repertoire,
many of which center around an acoustic
guitar (his Gibson J-200). In this lesson,
we’ll look at musical examples inspired by
Harrison-penned Beatles classics like “Here
Comes the Sun”, “While My Guitar Gently
Weeps” and “Something”.
50 | FEATURE
HERE ARE MCCARTNEY’S TOP SIX
(YES, SIX) ELECTRIC GUITAR SOLOS
AS A MEMBER OF THE BEATLES.
6
BACK IN
THE USSR
By the White Album era, the days
of the Beatles sticking to their
traditional roles were very much
over. In this case, McCartney wrote
the song, sang it and played drums
on it. Why not play lead guitar, too?
The solo, which follows the melody
line, is simple but effective – and
don’t forget his fine, fast, alternate
picking during the last verse.
5
ANOTHER GIRL
This “solo” is more of a collection of
creative, bouncy fills and bends by
McCartney – more than enough to
make it obvious that he started out
as a guitarist.
4 GOOD MORNING
PAUL IN CONTROL TOMORROW
NEVER KNOWS
DAMIAN FANELLI EXPLORES THE SIX BEST GUITAR “People tend to credit John with
SOLOS THAT PAUL MCCARTNEY EVER LAID DOWN the backwards recordings, the
loops and the weird sound effects,
WITH HIS MAIN SQUEEZE.
but the tape loops were my thing,”
McCartney says in Barry Miles’ Many
A
s a musician, Paul McCartney is probably best known for his creative, Years From Now. “The only thing I
melodic Beatles and Wings bass lines. But he’s always been a guitarist ever used them on was ‘Tomorrow
at heart. The guitar was, after all, his first instrument (if you ignore Never Knows.’ It was nice for this to
the trumpet his father gave him for his 14th birthday), and it’s always been his leak into the Beatle stuff as it did.
main songwriting tool. “We ran the loops and then
And while George Harrison played the bulk of the Fab Four’s lead guitar we ran the track of ‘Tomorrow
parts (especially in the band’s early years), McCartney occasionally – and Never Knows’ and we played the
understandably – claimed the lead-guitar spotlight, as did rhythm guitarist John faders, and just before you could
Lennon (and Cream’s Eric Clapton, on one famous occasion). tell it was a loop, before it began
to repeat a lot, I’d pull in one of
the other faders, and so, using
the other people, ‘You pull that in
there,’ ‘You pull that in,’ we did
a half random, half orchestrated
playing of the things and recorded
that to a track on the actual
master tape, so that if we got
a good one, that would be the
solo. We played it through a few
times and changed some of the
tapes till we got what we thought
was a real good one. I think it is
a great solo.” Rumor has it that
McCartney’s “Tomorrow Never
Knows” guitar parts are actually
transplants from “Taxman”.
3
THE END
The extended guitar jam on the
Abbey Road finale (unless you count
“Her Majesty”) could also make the
list of the best Beatles guitar solos
by Harrison and/or Lennon, since all
three guitarists take turns soloing
for two bars each.
McCartney starts it off, followed
by Harrison, followed by Lennon –
around and around until “the end.”
And speaking of solos, it’s also the
only Beatles song to include a Ringo
Starr drum solo.
2
GOOD MORNING
Young, guitar-playing Beatles
fans are often disappointed when
they find out Harrison didn’t play
this very 1967-sounding, brash,
psychedelic, distorted, raga-
inspired gem of a guitar solo from
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band. It was, in fact, played by
McCartney.
1
TAXMAN
On what is clearly one of the most
powerful guitar solos to be found
on a Beatles song, McCartney
channels a bit of Jeff Beck (with
descending pull-offs a la “Shapes
of Things”) and gives a nod to
Harrison’s current, Indian-inspired
frame of mind.
“I was pleased to have Paul play
that bit on ‘Taxman’,” Harrison said
in 1987. “If you notice, he did like a
little Indian bit on it for me.”
 | 51

O
kay, so before you read
any further, whip out your
phone, laptop or other
device capable of loading up a
YouTube page, head to this
website – bit.ly/LottaPepper –
and crank your volume up high.
Now, some of you might

HOW THE LONELY

HEARTS BEAT
DAMIAN FANELLI EXPLORES A GAME-CHANGING VIDEO
THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW ONE OF THE BEATLES’ MOST
ICONIC TRACKS CAME TOGETHER.

remember an ad that appeared

in guitar magazines in the late
‘80s or early ‘90s. It showed a
photo of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s
Hearts Club Band LP propped up
against a shiny new four-track
recorder (possibly a Tascam, but
who knows at this point?). The
slogan that appeared above the
photo was something along the
lines of “A Couple of Four-Track
Masterpieces.”
Although its goal was to sell
a ton of multi-track recorders
(and to lodge itself in a dusty
corner of my brain for a few
decades), the ad also served
as a reminder to the average,
non-Beatles-obsessed human
that the band’s game-changing
1967 masterpiece was, in fact,
GREEN LINE: On February BLUE LINE: In early RED LINE: On February YELLOW LINE: They also recorded using a mere four tracks.
1st, the band recorded March, John Burden 2nd, McCartney, who added the overdubbed If you followed our task in the
nine takes of the rhythm recorded his French horn wrote the song, recorded crowd noises in March. first paragraph of this article, you
track, although only the part, and some brass his lead and harmony should now be in the presence of
first and last takes were parts were overdubbed. vocals, and John Lennon a handy video that demonstrates
complete. They tracked McCartney also tracked and Harrison added their how the album’s iconic title track
drums (Ringo Starr), bass his lead guitar part. harmony vocals. came together. The video shows
(Paul McCartney) and (NOTE: The band’s the final four-track mixdown
guitars (McCartney and traditional roles had of the song. First each track is
George Harrison). essentially dissolved by played alone, then all at once. It’s
that point, and there kind of awesome.
really was no single lead The song was recorded between
guitarist; be sure to February 1st and 2nd, then March
check out McCartney’s 3rd and 6th, 1967 at Abbey Road
brilliant guitar solos on Studio Two with engineer Geoff
“Taxman” and “Good Emerick at the helm and George
Morning Good Morning”). Martin producing.
52 | FEATURE
A SHEPHERD
OF TONES
AUSTRALIAN GUITAR EDITOR MATT DORIA
CATCHES UP WITH KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD
FOR AN EXCLUSIVE IN-DEPTH LOOK AT HIS NEW
SIGNATURE MODEL FENDER STRATOCASTER.
O
kay, so the guitar that Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s
holding in that picture isn’t his new 2020-model
Stratocaster – the guitar itself is so brand-
spanking-new that at print time, Fender didn’t have
any available photos of him holding it (they do now, of
course – head online to see Shepherd in action rip out
on it). After a closed-doors debut at NAMM earlier this
year, Shepherd has finally unveiled his his latest pièce de
rèsistance – the culmination of over two arduous years’
work shoulder-to-shoulder with the legendary luthiers at
Fender in effort to create one of the most stunning Artist
Series guitars to date.
Complete with a Fender-first translucent Sonic Blue
finish, the 2020 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster in a
major step up in spec from his original ‘08 model, featuring
enhanced pickups (still custom-voiced to Shepherd’s
inimitable tone, of course), five-position switching, 21 jumbo
frets, and a new chambered ash body for unforgettably
vibrant, first-in-class tones. It’s exactly the kind of guitar an
artist like Kenny Wayne Shepherd – with nine solo records
(three platinum-certified) and a slew of sold-out world tours
under his belt – could boast owning with genuine pride.
And in a Zoom call to Australian Guitar HQ (because
y’know, social distancing and all that), genuine pride is
exactly what Shepherd gushed over his new Strat. With
the axe in hand, noodling away as he waxed lyrical on its
state-of-the-art specs, Shepherd is beyond stoked on the
final product of his and Fender’s unrivalled dedication.
And when you get your own hands around its ‘60s-style
maple neck, you will too.
What is it about the iconic Stratocaster form that
draws you in as a player?
Like with most people, a lot of my heroes played Strats,
so I naturally gravitated towards the instrument for that
reason. Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughn… All these guitarists
that I looked up to played Strats, so I was like, “Well,
that’s the guitar I need to go and check out!” And then
once I started playing one, it was just like… Y’know, the
ergonomics of the Stratocaster are just about as perfect as
a guitar could get, in my personal opinion.
Everything is placed perfectly for my style of playing
and my approach to the instrument – the knobs, the
pickup selector, the contours of the body… Everything just
feels right. From the first moment I got my hands on my
very first Stratocaster, I knew it would be my companion
for the rest of my life.
The specs on this new signature model are a solid
progression on from your 2008 Strat. How did you
want to kick things up a notch on this one?
The main thing about this guitar is that we’re going
from a Mexican-made Strat to one that’s made in America.
The Mexican Strat is a very fine instrument, don’t get me
wrong, but y’know, it’s a significant step up in quality and
components and craftsmanship. So I wanted the guitar to
reflect that. Rather than just be a continuation of the last
guitar, I wanted this one to kind of stand on its own, have
its own identity.
The premium quality is reflected both in the
appearance of the guitar and the sum of its components,
but for the most part, the specs on this guitar are just
different. It has a 7.25-inch radius as opposed to the
12-inch radius on the 2008 model. The neck on this one
is a bit milder shaped, too – it’s not quite nearly as thick.
The pickups have been improved upon, too… I think the
only thing we’ve carried over from the last model is the
Graph Tech saddles, but just about everything else has
been upgraded and improved upon.
What does the chambered ash body add to the
playing experience?
Well, the chambered option makes the guitar significantly

lighter than it would be with a standard ash body.
With the visual effect that we were trying to create,
ash was the appropriate choice. But to my ear, the
tonal differences between an ash body and an alder
body are very subtle – they sound virtually the
same, so I don’t feel that we’re sacrificing anything
in tone, we’re just gaining the visual effect.
We’d built a couple of prototypes with alder, but
alder just doesn’t have enough obvious grain to it. It
was important that to get the real proper effect we
wanted with the semi-translucent finish, we used a
wood that had enough grain to it that. So ash was
the appropriate choice.
And y’know, with this guitar we’re harkening
back to a couple different eras of Fender guitars:
some of the earliest models they produced were
on ash bodies. And then with the block inlays… I
don’t know if anyone knows exactly how many they
issued, but in ’66 and early ’67, there were some
bound-neck Strats that left the factory, and there
were some that had block inlays and bound necks –
this guitar is kind of a nod towards that.
And then with the block inlays and the bound
neck and the matching headstock, it’s like we were
taking a little bit out of the Jaguar toolbox. So we’re
touching on a lot of different eras of Stratocasters,
and pulling several little details that Fender has
been known for over the years, but not necessarily
all put together on the one Stratocaster.
SPEC IT OUT
RRP: $1,999.99
Series: Artist
Body Material: Chambered Ash
Body Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Neck: Quartersawn Maple, Early ‘60s “C”
Neck Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 7.25” (184.1mm)
Frets: 21, Jumbo
Position Inlays: White Pearloid Block w/ Split
Block at 12th Fret
Nut: Bone, 1.650” (42mm)
Tuning Machines: Vintage-Style
Scale Length: 25.5” (648mm)
Bridge: 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronised
Tremolo w/ Graph Tech Saddles
Pickguard: 4-Ply White Pearloid
Pickups: Custom-Voiced Kenny Wayne
Shepherd Single-Coil Strat (Bridge,
Middle, Neck)
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade:
1) Bridge Pickup. 2) Bridge and Middle Pickup.
3) Middle Pickup. 4) Middle and Neck Pickup.
5) Neck Pickup.
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1 (Neck/Middle
Pickups), Tone 2 (Bridge Pickup)
Control Knobs: White Plastic
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
Strings: Fender USA 250L Nickel-Plated Steel
(.009-.042 Gauges)
Case: Deluxe Hardshell
| 53
So this is your love letter to the Strat as an
instrument, and its rich history.
Absolutely. It’s a combination all my favourite
components. And sometimes that doesn’t work,
y’know? Sometimes when you go off and start
grabbing this element from this guitar and that
element from that guitar, it doesn’t come together
in the end. So I think we practised just enough
restraint to create a very cohesive instrument that
I think is pretty stunning.
What can you tell us about the new finish?
It’s a custom colour that we developed just for
this guitar. I think they’re going to start using it
on other guitars – I think they’re using it on one of
the new Acoustasonic Stratocasters as well – but
we developed it for this guitar. They’re calling
it Translucent Sonic Blue, and it’s like a very
light baby blue colour, which is just translucent
enough for you to be able to see the grain
through the finish. Sometimes it’s a little harder
to see in photos and on video, but in person, it’s
just… It’s subtle, but it’s just beautiful.
How long had you been working on this
new Strat, and what was the sort of
process like in going from your initial
idea to what we see today?
I think it’s probably been about two
years. Between my schedule being as busy
as it was prior to this pandemic, and those
guys and their busy schedules, I mean, we
made a number of different prototypes and
a number of different changes to those over
the course of the development of the guitar – so
y’know, all that stuff takes time. Every time you
change an aspect of the instrument, we have to just gives you that nice, natural sound that I think
actually see it in reality, so they have to go and you would expect from a Stratocaster.
build another guitar so we can see what it looks
like in real life and see how it affects the sound Where do you see this guitar shining most
of the instrument. So y’know, these things take in your stage arsenal?
time. But the end result that came after about two This particular guitar has been under wraps
years of development – it’s exactly the guitar that for a long time. I was only allowed to play it live
I imagined in my mind. for one weekend last year, and then again at the
Fender event at NAMM in January. Other than that,
Let’s talk about those three custom-voiced the guitar hasn’t made any public appearances.
pickups! Are they particularly new? We wanted to keep it under wraps while it was
Our reference point was the sound of the last still in development. But now that this guitar has
guitar’s pickups. We worked for about two years been revealed to the world and is being made
to develop the sound of those pickups and dial available to the public, it’ll be played on all kinds of
them in just right, so I was really happy with those. songs! I mean, I’m trying to create a guitar that is
They’re new pickups on this guitar, but we wanted appropriate for every song in the set, not just one
to revisit the ’08 Strat and use that sound as a or two of them.
kind of a foundation. We just gave these pickups a
broader spectrum across the board. What pedals and amps would you
I wanted them to be a little bit hotter, and recommend players dive into with
therefore more dynamic and more responsive – this guitar?
a just a little bit more across the range, y’know? The idea is that you should basically make it
A little more lows, a little more mids… Not too your own; you’re going to buy this guitar because
much more highs, though – we dialled back a you want to play it the way you want to play it.
little bit on the bridge pickup especially, because So I would say to plug it into anything you feel is
sometimes those can just be a little bit too appropriate. For me, personally, I’ve been using the
thin-sounding or too bright. And that’s why we same kinds of things for a while now, because they
have it wired up with the second tone control, work really well for me – I’m a Tube Screamer kind
so you can dial some of the top-end back off the of guy, and the Analog Man King Of Tone is one of
bridge pickup if you so desire. my most used overdrive pedals. I’ve got a wah, a
We put the treble bleed circuit on the volume [Roger Mayer] Octavia, a UniVibe and all those kinds
knob, too – that’s been a must-have mod of mine of things – but I don’t use a whole lot of stuff to
ever since I first found out about it. And the cover up the natural sound of the guitar. I feel like
pickups: to me, they have that classic single-coil players should put this guitar through anything at
Stratocaster sound – they’re pure, they’re really all that’s going to make them feel inspired to play
transparent… They’re aggressive in their response it. Because at the end of the day, that’s what the
and their output, but they’re not muddy or dirty. It guitar is for!
54 | FEATURE

BEYOND THE
SIXTH STRING SIX STRINGS JUST NOT CUTTING IT ANYMORE? THE WORLD OF
EXTENDED-RANGE ELECTRICS CAN BE DIZZYING, BUT WE’VE
SIMPLIFIED IT ALL FOR YOU RIGHT HERE.
I
banez Introduced the industry’s first
mass-produced seven-string solidbody
electric guitar - the Universe UV7,
designed in collaboration with Steve
Vai - in 1990. Although guitarists
overwhelmingly applauded this
new innovation that expanded the
instrument’s range, Ibanez surprisingly
discontinued their Universe model
seven-string guitars in 1994 after an
unusually short period of production. This caused
a few music industry observers to prematurely
conclude that the seven-string guitar was just a
passing fad with little more than novelty appeal.
The timing of the discontinuation was
unfortunate, however, as seven-string guitars were
just starting to catch on with an increasing amount
of players around the same time. During the mid-
’90s an impressively diverse variety of bands and
guitarists embraced and popularised the heavier
sound of the seven-string guitar, including Cannibal
Corpse, Deftones, Dream Theater, Fear Factory,
Korn, Meshuggah, Morbid Angel, Nevermore, Uli
Jon Roth, Voivod and many others.
Guitarists who favoured the extended range
of a seven-string guitar grew to significant
ranks over the next few years, and Ibanez
soon reversed course and started building
seven-string models again in 1997. Other major
manufacturers also introduced seven-string
models during this time, although it took almost
another decade before several companies
started to offer more than just a handful of
seven-string models in their product lineups.
The market for seven-string guitars has
changed radically over the past 15 years, as have
the designs of many of the instruments. Today
guitarists can choose from several hundred
different models, and a handful of manufacturers
each even offer a larger variety of models than
what the entire industry provided at the dawn of
the new millennium.
About the same time as the seven-string surge
took place around a decade or so ago, a handful of
companies started to offer the first mass-produced
eight-string models, providing yet another
tempting alternative instrument for guitarists
interested in exploring a wider sonic range than
WORDS BY CHRIS GILL.
that of a standard six-string guitar.
Over time, the design of the seven-string
guitar has expanded to include instruments with
extended scale lengths and alternate tunings,
which has made the decision process more
confusing for newcomers as well as experienced
guitarists shopping for their first seven- or
eight-string guitar.
While the basic features on a standard six-string
and seven- or eight-string guitar are essentially
the same, many of these attributes on seven-
and eight-string guitars require more careful
consideration based on how one plans on playing
the instrument (such as riffs, solos, chords and
“IDEALLY, THE GUITAR
SHOULD CONSTANTLY
REMAIN IN A BALANCED,
COMFORTABLE PLAYING
POSITION WHETHER
YOU’RE STANDING UP OR
SITTING DOWN.”
rhythm or all of the above), the tuning one prefers
to use (standard, drop tuning or alternate tunings)
and other playing and performance details.
Fortunately, price is no longer as much of an
issue as it once was (the high cost of the first
Ibanez Universe guitars accounted probably more
than anything for their initial failure to catch on),
and a wide variety of budget-priced instruments
are available to choose from as well as expensive
boutique models that can be customised to a
player’s preferences.
To help demystify today’s seven- and eight-string
guitars, we’ve put together the following shopper’s
guide that discusses several of the most important
features to consider before making a choice.
In some respects, the seven- and eight-string
| 55
guitar are almost like entirely new instruments, but
the differences between them and standard six-
string guitars is not as vast as the gap between a
six-string guitar and a bass. Once a guitarist knows
what to look for, buying one’s first seven- or eight-
string is as easy as choosing another guitar to add
to one’s growing collection.
SCALE LENGTH
Probably 99 percent of all six-string solidbody
electric guitars made today have scale lengths that
fall somewhere between 24.5 and 25.5 inches, but
the scale lengths found on seven-string guitars
span a much wider range, generally between 25.5
inches to 27 inches or above.
Eight-string guitars typically have scale lengths
that are at least 27 inches, while a handful of
examples (like the Ibanez M80M Meshuggah
signature) measure almost 29.5 inches long. For a
guitarist who is used to playing a Gibson Les Paul
with a 24.75-inch scale, playing a guitar with a scale
that is 1.5 inches longer or more than they’re used
to can literally prove to be quite a stretch.
A seven-string guitar with a 25.5-inch scale is
the best choice for a six-string guitarist looking to
make a quick, easy and comfortable transition.
However, instruments with longer scales offer
certain sonic advantages, particularly for players
who want to tune down the lowest string a whole
step or the entire guitar a whole step or more.
On a shorter scale guitar, tuning down reduces
string tension to a point where the lowest strings
can feel too slinky and loose, which also makes
those strings difficult to play in tune as even the
slightest amount of excess pressure while fretting
notes can bend the pitch. Some players use heavier
string gauges to compensate, but intonation can
become problematic for heavier gauge strings
on shorter scale instruments and heavier gauge
strings may not fit into the tuning pegs.
Longer scale lengths require greater string
tension when tuning to the same pitch as a
shorter scale instrument, which allows players
to use lighter string gauges that they are more
comfortable with (especially on the high E string)
instead of the heavier gauge strings required to
maintain adequate tension on instruments with
shorter scales. Conversely, longer scales allow
56 | FEATURE
players to use heavier strings at lower tensions,
which can make heavy strings easier to play,
especially when bending notes.
Several companies now offer seven-and eight-
string guitars with fanned frets (also known as
multiple-scale fretboards), where the nut, bridge
and frets are installed at varying angles instead of
perpendicular to the strings. These instruments
provide the best of both worlds - shorter scale
lengths for the treble strings and longer scale
lengths for the bass strings - delivering the
“TRY PLAYING RIFFS AND
CHORDS ALL OVER THE NECK,
WHILE PAYING ATTENTION
TO THE FRETBOARD’S WIDTH
UP AND DOWN THE NECK TO
EVALUATE THE INSTRUMENT’S
OVERALL COMFORT AND
PLAYABILITY.”
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
is one instance where guitarists need to try
out instruments before they buy to see how
comfortable the neck width feels in their hands.
Some seven-string necks are as narrow as 42 or
43 millimetres (certain ESP and Caparison models,
for example), which is about the same nut width
as a standard six-string Stratocaster, so with the
addition of an extra string the strings are now much
more closely spaced together.
Players who prefer the same average string
spacing as a six-string guitar should look for seven-
string guitars with nut widths around 47 to 48mm.
However, if you’re using lower tunings you may
prefer to opt for even wider nuts that measure 49
to 51mm to provide the lowest bass strings more
room to vibrate freely and make it easier to finger
chords when using heavier gauge strings.
It’s particularly essential to try out an eight-
string guitar as some players may find instruments
with wide string spacing very difficult to play,
particularly when fretting chords on the lower
strings. Some players may find that eight-string
guitars with the same string spacing that they’re
normally accustomed to on six-string instruments
are impossible to play, so
a narrower nut may be the
better option.
Try playing riffs and
chords all over the neck,
while paying attention to
the fretboard’s width up and
down the neck to evaluate
the instrument’s overall
comfortable “slinky” comfort and playability.
playability guitarists Having to adjust your playing
prefer for the treble style is normal at first, but if
strings along with your fretting hand feels stiff
bright tone and reliable or sore after a few minutes
intonation afforded by you’ll probably want to try
adequate tension on the instruments with wider or
bass strings. narrower string spacing
Fanned scale lengths until you find your personal
generally range from comfort zone.
25.5 inches for the high
E string to 26.5 or 27 NECK PROFILE/RADIUS
inches for the low B Because the necks on
string, or even as much as 25.5 to 28 inches for most seven-and eight-string guitars are wider
an eight-string instrument. than those on six-string guitars, the shape of the
neck profile and curvature of the radius can seem
NUT WIDTH more exaggerated. Generally, most seven-string
The rule of thumb for seven- and eight-string and particularly eight-string guitars have thin and
guitars is basically the same as it is for a six-string relatively flat profiles as even an average C-shaped
guitar: narrower nut widths are generally more
comfortable for players with smaller hands while
profile can seem overly thick and unwieldy. The
trade-off for the easier, faster playability of a flat,
wider nut widths are better for players with bigger
hands or who want more space in between each
thin neck profile is that the tone may not be as full
and rich or the neck may not always feel solid, so
string to facilitate fretting notes more cleanly. you have to determine your priorities here.
Depending on the nut width of a seven- or Be particularly careful when considering cheaper
eight-string guitar, the addition of an extra instruments with flat, thin neck profiles as the
string or two can result in strings that may
feel too close to each other or a neck that
materials, construction and truss rod support may
not be solid enough to handle the excess string
feels uncomfortably wide and unwieldy. This tension, causing the neck to bend easily (and tuning

stability to go out the window) when playing. Try
strumming the open strings while applying steadily
increasing pressure to the back of the headstock as
if you’re pushing the headstock forward. If the pitch
dives with only slight pressure, you might want
to consider an instrument with a more solid and
sturdy feeling neck that doesn’t budge as easily.
Most seven- and eight-string guitars also have
a larger, flatter radius than a standard six-string
guitar. While a vintage Tele’s 7.25-inch radius
may seem perfectly fine (especially if you just
play open cowboy chords on the lower frets), on
a wider seven- or eight-string neck it will seem
absurdly rounded.
On a wider neck, even a 12-inch radius will have
noticeable curvature. Fretboards with a radius of
15 inches or larger more closely replicate the “flat”
feel of a modern six-string shred guitar neck. Many
models feature a compound radius that becomes
flatter further up the neck, which can make it
easier to play chords in the lower registers while
facilitating string bending further up the neck.
STRING GAUGES
One common overlooked consideration is the
gauges of the strings that the instrument was
designed to use. Never assume that any seven-
or eight-string guitar can accommodate whatever
gauges of strings the player plans on using. For
example, players who find the lowest string on
a 25.5-inch scale guitar too loose and floppy
may want to use heavier gauges on the lowest
strings, but on some guitars the hardware may
have difficulty accommodating strings that are
wider than .060 inches.
The hole or slot in the tuning peg may not
be wide enough, or the string may be too wide
to fit into a locking nut or the holes for a stop,
through-body and tremolo tailpiece where the
ball end (or string end) is anchored. Also, on a
shorter scale guitar the bridge saddles may not
provide enough travel to properly intonate heavier
low-end strings, so the bridge will need to be
either replaced or moved. On some instruments,
| 57
the action may be too low to accommodate phone with a tuning app with you (unless you have
heavier strings, which can cause fret buzz and perfect pitch) to make sure that the instrument
other problems that one may not be able to fix by you’re trying is properly tuned so you can better
adjusting the bridge and/or truss rod. evaluate how it is supposed to play and feel as
Hardware can be modified or replaced, but in shipped from the factory.
the long run it’s better to get an instrument that
can accommodate the strings you plan on using ERGONOMICS
right out of the box, as modifications can cause Because many seven- and eight-string guitars
strings to break easily if not performed properly have wider and longer necks, the neck may also
and replacement parts may not always fit properly. be heavier and not well balanced with the body.
It’s better to get an instrument that’s It’s important to try the instrument
right from the beginning. There are with a strap in a standing position
so many different models available to make sure that the headstock
today that one should be able to
find an instrument that can handle
“FANNED FRET doesn’t dive to the ground unless
you’re okay with supporting the neck
a player’s preferred string gauges INSTRUMENTS an entire gig with your fretting hand.
without modification. Ideally, the guitar should constantly
PROVIDE THE remain in a balanced, comfortable
TUNING
The most common tuning for a BEST OF BOTH playing position whether you’re
standing up or sitting down.
seven-string guitar is (low to high)
B-E-A-D-G-B-E, and for an eight-
WORLDS – Many seven- and eight-string
guitars also have wider and longer
string it’s usually the same but with SHORTER SCALE bodies, so make sure you’re
the addition of the lowest string comfortable with the larger size.
tuned to F#. Some players prefer to LENGTHS FOR Body contours can increase playing
tune the lowest string down a whole
step to A on a seven-string or to E on
THE TREBLE comfort, but make sure that they
conform or fit to your body and arm
an eight-string.
However, don’t assume that
STRINGS AND positions. Instruments with neck-
through-body or set-thru designs
all seven- or eight-string guitars LONGER SCALE usually have a seamless transition
LENGTHS FOR
are designed to accommodate where the neck meets the body
these tunings. Some instruments, compared to the bulky heels on most
particularly those with longer
scales and/or heavier strings, may
THE BASS set neck and bolt-on neck designs.
As a result, a neck-through-body
be designed to be tuned down a STRINGS.” or set-through instrument is usually
whole step or more, or they may be more comfortable for guitarists
designed as baritone instruments who often play above the 15th fret,
with heavier string gauges better although plenty of guitarists aren’t
suited to playing chords and riffs instead of solos really bothered by neck heels. It’s all a matter of
and bent notes. what’s really important and comfortable to you.
Before you go into the guitar store or place Most seven- and eight-string guitars weigh about
an order online, do a little research to verify the same or a little more than a standard six-string
what tuning the instrument was designed to solidbody, but don’t be discouraged should you
best accommodate. Also, bring a tuner or smart find a model that you particularly like that’s a little
58 | FEATURE
heavier than you’re used to.
Using a wide strap and wearing the instrument
a little higher and closer to your body can
compensate for the added weight to the point that
you won’t notice the difference.
ELECTRONICS
When trying out a seven- or eight-string guitar, you
should play it through an amplification rig similar to
one you already own or plan on buying. You’ll want
to pay particularly close attention to the lowest
bass frequencies while playing clean and distorted
tones to determine if the clarity and definition
meets your needs and preferences.
If the bass notes sound muffled or flabby or if
they distort too quickly while other notes remain
clean, you may want to try a different rig and/or an
instrument with different style pickups. This also
is a good time to listen for fret buzzing (which may
or may not be easy to fix) and rattles coming from
inside the instrument (in which
case you should probably select
another guitar).
Passive pickups work great “THE VARIETY OF
with guitar and bass alike, but
design features that work great SEVEN- AND EIGHT-
for standard six-string guitars
(windings, shape and strength STRING MODEL
of the magnetic field, etc.) don’t
always work well for lower
GUITARS AVAILABLE
frequencies. Active pickups tend TODAY IS TRULY
to deliver greater overall clarity
across a wider frequency range, STAGGERING, AND
and the attack can be faster and
more pronounced (which can be
IT CAN BE DIFFICULT
very desirable).
It mainly depends on which
TO KNOW WHERE TO
tonal characteristics matter START.”
more to you personally. If you
prefer warm, fat tones with
midrange emphasis and greater
dynamic responsiveness, passive pickups may be
better, but if you are more into precise clarity and
brighter overall tone with a wider frequency range,
active pickups can be a better choice.
Note that the selection of pickup configurations
for most seven- and eight-string guitars is less
varied than that for six-string electrics. In fact, the
majority of these instruments have dual-humbucker
designs, while only a handful have a pair of single-
coil pickups, a single-coil in the neck or bridge
position along with a humbucker, or, in very rare
instances, three pickups (usually a single-coil in
between neck and bridge humbuckers).
Many dual-humbucker models also have coil-
split/tap features that provide single-coil tones.
Most instruments also have only master volume
and master tone controls, and many have only
master volume controls, so if you prefer having
separate volume and tone controls for each pickup
or more sophisticated tonal shaping capabilities for
active pickups, you may have to consider buying a
custom-made instrument.
AMPLIFICATION/EFFECTS
Most modern high-gain amplifiers can handle the
extended bass frequency ranges of seven- and
eight-string guitars pretty well, especially if you are
primarily using distorted tones. However, excess
distortion tends to emphasise the upper harmonics
of bass notes over the fundamental frequencies, so
the overall tone may not be as deep, booming and
punchy as you’d expect or want it to be.
If you want more low-end boom and rumble,
you really don’t need as much gain as most players
would use for a standard six-string guitar, and you
actually may prefer the tones
of an amp with greater clean
headroom that provides better
clarity, attack and punch.
Speakers are a more
important consideration
as most 10- and 12-inch
speakers designed for guitar
have prominent midrange
frequencies and significantly
roll off bass frequencies
starting around 100 to 70 Hz.
Because the low B on a seven-
string guitar has a fundamental
frequency of about 62 Hz, that
means the low B’s fundamental
frequency could potentially be
-10 to -20dB quieter than the
fundamental frequency of the
low E string.
Subjecting standard guitar
speakers to lower bass frequencies also can
cause them to distort earlier than they do when
subjected to normal guitar frequencies, and in
some cases the speakers may be more likely to
blow out. Using speakers with a wider, flatter
frequency response is one alternative, although
these speakers can make regular guitar midrange
frequencies sound cold and sterile.
Instead, it’s better to use a subwoofer with a
built-in crossover to boost the lowest of low-end
fundamental frequencies while still using a
standard guitar cabinet for more satisfying
guitar tones.
Many seven- and eight-string players prefer to
use digital modelling amps like the Fractal Audio
Axe-Fx II XL and AX8 or Line 6 Spider series heads
in conjunction with a full-range P.A. system. This
type of system is capable of handling a wider range
of bass and treble frequencies while providing the
rich midrange tones that guitarists prefer and are
accustomed to.
ALTERNATIVES
Depending on how a guitarist plans on playing, a
seven- or eight-string guitar might not be necessary
and it may be better to use a six-string down-tuned
standard guitar, long-scale guitar or baritone
instead.
A seven-string guitar with the seventh string
tuned to B provides only an additional five
notes, yet it can present a somewhat dramatic
conceptual shift (such as when playing chords on
the bottom four strings) for certain players who are
accustomed to six-string guitars in addition to the
physical adjustments some guitarists will need to
make to get used to playing instruments with wider
necks and potentially longer scales.
If your band has two guitarists, it may make
better sense for the rhythm guitarist to play a
baritone and the lead guitarist to play a standard
guitar if they mostly adhere to chord/riff (rhythm
player) and full-range solo (lead player) roles but
want heavier bottom-end punch to fill out the
band’s sound. If you tend to dwell in the upper or
lower strings almost exclusively you probably won’t
need the extra string(s) or the challenge of learning
the fingerings for a new set of chords.
And in some bands with lots of different
instruments occupying similar frequency ranges
(such as six-string piccolo bass, keyboards, horns
and so on) the expanded frequency range of a
seven- or eight-string guitar may just add to the
sonic clutter and serve little useful purpose.
However, if you consistently use the guitar’s
entire range and want more, then by all means
a seven- or eight-string guitar is a worthy choice
over the various six-string alternatives. A seven- or
eight-string guitar may also help players get out
of a stagnant creative rut by encouraging them to
think about their instruments slightly differently,
whereas a six-string baritone or down-tuned guitar
wouldn’t necessarily light that spark.
The additional strings do provide certain
advantages (such as making it possible to
simultaneously play bass lines and treble chord
voicings) that a six-string guitar can’t always
replicate, so for some applications a seven- or
eight-string guitar really is the only viable choice.
BRANDS
The variety of seven- and eight-string model
guitars available today is truly staggering, and it
can be difficult to know where to start. Companies
that produce the largest selection of seven- and
eight-string models include big names like ESP/
LTD, Ibanez, Jackson and Schecter as well as
up-and-coming specialists like Jericho, Legator,
Strandberg and Strictly 7.
Other popular manufacturers of affordable
seven-string guitars include Agile, B.C. Rich,
Caparison, Carvin/Kiesel, Charvel, Dean, Ernie
Ball Music Man/Sterling by Music Man, Epiphone,
Michael Kelly, PRS and Washburn. Several of
these companies (but not all) also offer
eight-string models.
With so many companies producing seven- and
eight-string guitars today, it’s safe to say that the
instruments are here to stay and the selection of
models will continue to evolve and expand in the
years to come.
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 CAPTURE THE SOUND

GROW N I N G A
G I G AT O SH E VAN S
WITH JO
BROUGHT TO YOU BY

ROAD-TESTED RECORDING TIPS

RØDE RØDECASTER PRO A GUITARIST’S GUIDE TO
DIGITAL PRODUCTION STUDIO THE WORLD OF EQ
62 | PRODUCER PROFILE
RECORDING
TECHNIQUES
WITH JOSH EVANS
AFTER 30 YEARS OF GRUFF AND GRUNGY WORLD DOMINATION, SEATTLE ROCKERS
PEARL JAM HAVE CHOSEN TO SWITCH THINGS UP A BIT. THEIR MILESTONE 11TH
ALBUM, GIGATON, EXPLORES A WORLD OF EXPERIMENTAL POST-PUNK AND
ALT-ROCK THAT FANS NEVER EXPECTED FROM THE BANDದAND AT THE CORE OF IT
IS LONGTIME COLLABORATOR, FIRST-TIME PRODUCER JOSH EVANS. WE CAUGHT
UP WITH EVANS TO DISCUSS HOW THIS ADVENTUROUS NEW ALBUM CAME TO LIFE.
D
efying the odds as a rock
’n’ roll unit as bright and
bombastic in 2020 as they
were 30 years ago, Pearl Jam have
all but reinvented themselves on
album #11: the equally caustic and
kaleidoscopic Gigaton. To bring their
ambitious new vision to life, they
enlisted the help of fellow Seattleite
Josh Evans, who’d first linked up
with the band in the mid ‘00s as
WORDS BY MATT DORIA
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
an engineering assistant. Though
Gigaton marks his first time in the
big player’s chair at the helm of
production, Evans knows Pearl Jam
like the back of his hand, working
closely with them as a roadie,
gear tech, assistant and good ol’
fashioned friend.
In addition to his work with Pearl
Jam, Evans laid his magic touch on
records by such acclaimed artists
as Gary Clark Jr, Soundgarden and
Brandie Carlile – he’s certainly no
up-and-comer in the world of soul-
riveting rock ’n’ roll, and Gigaton is
only further proof of his innately
idiosyncratic talents. With Gigaton
making waves as one of the best
Pearl Jam records in decades – and
one of 2020’s best rock albums in
general – we caught up with Evans
from his home studio to find out how
he made it all happen.
You’ve been a part of the Pearl
Jam team for a few years now, but
this is the first album you fully
produced with them. How did your
journey with the band lead you
to this point?
It’s been a bit of an unusual
path. My background is as an audio
engineer, and I worked as a freelance
engineer in Seattle for a long while;
years and years ago, when I was just
getting my start, I worked at this
place called Studio X where [Pearl
Jam] were recording the self-titled
record – the one with the avocado on
the cover. At at that time, I was just
an engineer, so y’know, I was getting
coffee, getting sandwiches, setting
up equipment, cleaning up at the
end of the day… But I got to know the
band a little bit through that – and
more importantly, got to know some
of their crew pretty well.
After that record came out, I was
hired to work for the band, just doing
odd jobs – y’know, it helped that I
had an audio background, but if they
needed somebody to paint walls or
build shelves or move boxes… In the
rock ’n’ roll world, I started in the
mail room with these guys. But a
few years later I started touring as a
roadie, taking care of [keyboardist]
Boom Gaspar – I had that studio
background and knew a lot about
MIDI, keyboards, synthesisers, all of
that stuff, so I got drafted to go on
the road with him.
I’d always been recording and
doing other projects on the side,
and for the past five or six years,
I’ve been working with a lot of the
individual band members on their
side-projects, or working with them
in their home studios on film scores
and solo records and things like
that. And then around 2017, when
we really started working on this
record, I was kind of just the guy
helping record the demos; Pearl
Jam has a little studio in their
warehouse here in Seattle, and
they wanted to kind of start small
and record a few little demos.
It was a really organic evolution
where we just kept working on those
demos, refining and adding more
songs – and at some point, we all
kind of realised, “Hold on… We’re
not recording demos anymore, we’re
making an album!” I fully expected
that at some point, they’d go,
“Thanks for your service, Josh, but
now we’re going to bring the real
producer in to take it home.” But
that conversation never happened.
I think they figured, “Everything’s
sounding good, and everybody’s
excited – let’s just keep working
and see where it takes us!” And
I feel really grateful that they
gave me a shot, and trusted me
with finishing the process that
we started together.
So when you all started working
on the record, what was the vision

that you and the band had for it?
Yeah, it’s interesting – I don’t think
anybody in the band necessarily had
a final product in mind, or even a
mood or a sound. But they definitely
had some ideas about trying out a
different process and working in a
different way. We probably recorded
these 12 songs in every kind of way
you could record a song – from what
you’d imagine a jam session looks
like with everybody in the room
and guitars on straps, amps all over
the place, etcetera; to just sort of
experimental things, playing around
with textures and ways of assembling
parts, different people coming in on
different days and adding things, and
different people editing…
Y’know, they had an agreement on
this record that anybody could edit
anything they wanted to; anybody
could delete anybody else’s part
if they didn’t like it, and if one of
the guys came in the next day and
wanted their part back, they could
put it back in… There were no rules,
and no ownership in a way – it was
just, “Try anything.” I think they were
really open to working in a different
WE UTILISED
PRO TOOLS IN
A WAY WHERE
WE WEREN’T
JUST USING
IT AS A TAPE
MACHINE, BUT
AS A SORT OF
COMPOSITIONAL
TOOL AS WELL
way, and once we got rolling with
that – just making every song as
exciting and interesting as possible –
we ended up with songs that sound
really different.
I was reading about how songs
like “Seven O’Clock” were pieced
together from different portions
of jam sessions early in the
recording process, then layered
with new elements later on.
How many songs came together
in that way, where you were all
doing things loosely and on the
fly as opposed to working with
a rigid formula or song-building
structure?
That’s a hard question to answer,
because it’s like, where’s the line
where something turns from an
experiment, or a session of just
playing around with sounds, into
a song? We went in with dozens
and dozens of little pieces of ideas,
and these were the 12 where, at
some point, they started to have a
conversation with each other, and sort
of asked to be put next to each other.
We utilised Pro Tools in a way
where we weren’t just using it as
a tape machine, but as a sort of
compositional tool as well. I think Pro
Tools can be used for good or for evil
– you can use it to over-edit things
and make things sound too perfect,
but I really liked that it also lets you
just hit record, y’know? There are
some things, like the first solo that
Stone [Gossard] plays on “Quick
Escape”, which is literally just DI’d
guitars. We didn’t even run it through
| 63
an amp simulator. If someone had
an idea, we would just plug a DI in
and capture it.
You can actually use Pro Tools to
keep things messy and loose, and
capture some of those first ideas
in their purest form. With “Seven
O’Clock”, there are a lot of these
ambient guitar textures popping in
and out and swelling up and down,
and some of those were from an
initial jam session we did where we
were just playing around with chords.
After we had re-tracked the actual
song, I could go back to that ‘demo’
and sort of mine it for cool sounds;
I would listen through and create
a little palate of interesting sounds
that I could then glue back into the
master recording.
I think there’s stuff on this
record that sounds really loose
and wild, that was probably edited
to death. And there’s things like
Matt Cameron’s drum performance
on “Dance Of The Clairvoyants”,
which is more or less, start to
finish, one performance – and it
sounds edited and precise and
computerised, even though it was
a fully acoustic performance.
Having worked with some of
the band members as a tech
beforehand, were you able to
really dial in their specific tones
in the studio?
I mean, one of the great things
about this record was that we made
it in their warehouse, so we had
every guitar, amp and pedal they own
at our disposal – 30-plus years of
collecting and acquiring equipment.
So that was really exciting. Y’know,
it’s funny – the themselves don’t have
a lot of patience for sitting around
with a bunch of fuzz pedals and
picking out the best ones – they’re
not tweakers over gear. I mean,
they have great taste in gear and
they have all these amazing pieces
of equipment, like vintage ’59 Les
Pauls and Strats from the ‘60s, tweed
Fenders and all of that stuff… And
they’re all great musicians, so that
makes my job incredibly easy.
But especially with Mike
[McCready, lead guitar] – I might
come in a couple hours before he
would and play around with six
different fuzz pedals, then find one
and go, “Oh, this would be cool!”
And then I’d have it dialled in so
that when he showed up, he could
just pick up the guitar and hit the
chord. They care about tones and
they’re very interested in creating
interesting sounds, but y’know, they
don’t want to sit there and audition
cables or try different picks, or think
about whatever gauge strings they’re
playing on – they just want to get in
there and play!
64 | RECORDING TIPS
A GUITARIST’S
GUIDE TO EQ
WHETHER YOU’RE PLAYING LIVE TO THOUSANDS OR CREATING
MIXES IN YOUR BEDROOM, EQ IS AN ESSENTIAL (BUT ELUSIVE)
TOOL. IN THIS COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE, WE BREAK IT DOWN SO
YOU CAN MAKE YOUR TONE BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER
BEFORE. WORDS BY ALEX LYNHAM.
E
Q might not be the sexiest subject
when it comes to the universe of
things like pedals and tone-shaping
for guitarists – but it’s probably the
most overlooked. We know what
you’re thinking – you’re looking at
the EQ controls on your amp and
wondering what we’re on about.
Okay – most guitarists have a pretty good idea
of how to set up their amp, but how does that
translate to what the audience hear? Guitar amp
EQ tends to be quite a blunt instrument, with EQ
filters that are either shelving or with a wide Q –
that is, affected range of frequencies.
Ever wondered what the sound engineer is
tutting about at your gigs? Or why that studio
engineer is making so many EQ adjustments to your
already perfect-sounding guitar tone? Well, it’s a
subject that could involve many years of study, but
we’re going to break it down into some practical
advice for knowing which frequency ranges –
roughly – do what to your tone.
You’re probably, like we were, a little confused at
what ‘Q’ is if you’ve not heard the term before, so
we’ll explain before continuing. In technical terms,
Q is the ratio of centre frequency to bandwidth.
However, an easier way of thinking about it is
simply narrow or wide – where wide affects more
frequencies and narrow is more focused.
EQ TERMINOLOGY
We’ve all heard people refer to low mids, sub
bass and growl, so here’s a quick glossary. A lot of
these are a little subjective – this is our opinion,
but we’ve also checked online to make sure our
versions are not way wide of the mark. Take them
as rules of thumb, and you’ll be able to use them
when talking to engineers or mixers with more
confidence and precision.
Sub-bass: anything under 60Hz.
Bass: 60-150Hz. Some consider this to go up
into the low mids, and would go as high as 200-
250Hz.
Low-mids: 150-800Hz. We’ve seen people argue
for 120Hz as low mids, or say it should instead start
at 250-300Hz.
Mids: centred around 1kHz. Note that this is a
little guitar-centric; some engineers would argue
it’s more around 1.6kHz
High mids: anything from around 800-3kHz,
depending on who you ask. We tend to think of it as
above 1.6kHz.

Treble: around the 3kHz mark. Some
consider treble to be a shelf that extends from
around 3kHz to about 20kHz, but we like to
break it down further.
Highs: 6-8kHz.
Air: 14kHz and above.
WHAT TYPES OF FILTERS
DO WE HAVE?
High pass: this type of filter allows through –
‘passes’ – frequencies above its target frequency
and attenuates frequencies below that, with
varying degrees of severity depending on the filter.
Low pass: this filter passes frequencies below
its target frequency and attenuates frequencies
above that.
Band pass: this type of filter passes frequencies
in a certain range and attenuates frequencies
outside the range.
Shelving filter (‘shelf’): this type of filter
boosts or cuts frequencies in a band. They are
often employed so that they extend out of the
range of human hearing.
NOW FOR THE MORE
VAGUE TERMS
Rumble: anything in the bass frequencies
that’s a lower octave resonance rather than a
fundamental note. In the lower bass and sub-bass,
these sounds can build up quickly, while not
perceptibly adding an actual note for the listener.
This can not only make your mixes quieter, but also
sound more muddy and less focussed.
Growl: this is the area that gives grind to guitar
and basses, and particularly with distorted lower
sounds, will need attention. It’s around 100-150Hz,
or with a very wide Q can be a wide hump from
60-80 all the way up to the low mids around 3-500Hz.
Bite: a rule of thumb for bite is around
2-10kHz, but crucially, you’ll know it when you
hear it. Get a distorted Peavey 6505+ in a mix,
and remove all the bass and low mids – all that
will be left is the bite.
Warmth: this is often a wide hump centred
around the mids; think the sound of the Ibanez
Tube Screamer.
Crunch: a less compressed and more open
distorted mid sound often gives a gravelly,
‘crunchy’ sound. It’s notable that even some
scooped Big Muffs like the Ram’s Head can get
‘crunchy’, which tells us it’s probably more to do
with the character of the low mids and upper mids
either side of the notch.
The Big Muff usually has a notch at around 1kHz,
although it moves as you change the tone control.
We tend to set the tone on our Triangle and Op
Amp reissues at around 2 o’clock, making the
notch in the 800Hz ballpark. As a result, we tend
to assume most of the ‘crunch’ can be found at
around 1.6kHz, since this setting of the tone knob
‘reveals’ that frequency by moving the notch.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
EACH FREQUENCY RANGE
Okay, so those are the glossary terms, but what
can we hear in the actual mix at which frequency,
and why is it important?
It’s worth remembering that where other
instruments and elements sit is important. The
guitar has such a wide range that unless you’re
playing completely solo, how much bandwidth you
have in each range will determine how impactful
your playing is to the listener.
If you have access to multi-tracks of your band
playing, it could be a valuable learning experience
for you to look at things like bass and drum tracks
through a meter or imager so you can see visually
the space they take up versus your guitar parts.
As always, however, don’t be overwhelmed by
the visual cues – your ears should always be your
guide for what sounds good in a guitar tone, or
either a live or studio full-band mix.
50-60Hz: you might expect to hear the kick
around this range, as well as bass and synths.
Guitars generate noise in this range, but unless
it’s an extended-range instrument, you might find
it interferes with the bass without actually adding
to the sound. It’s often a good idea to locate the
lowest note played on the guitar in a song and then
apply a high pass filter a little below that frequency
to give plenty of space for the bass and kick drum.
100-200Hz: this is where you might find the
fundamental of the snare. Sounds here go from
| 65
‘rumble’ to ‘growl’ and ‘bloom’.
150Hz: one of the most valuable mixing
tips we’ve ever been told is that this is the
rough area that gives a bass guitar ‘beef’. By
carefully changing the EQ of bass and guitars
around this point, you can alter the balance of
the two instruments so that they gel together
better in a mix.
200-500Hz: a lot of the ‘weight’ of a mix can be
found here; guitars with plenty in this band sound
warmer, but if you overdo it, they might sound
overly ‘woody’.
500-1kHz: this is where the ‘body’ of the
sound comes from. Some snares will have their
overtones in this area, and it can overwhelm their
‘snap’, which generally sits somewhere in the ‘bite’
frequencies.
2kHz: ‘bite’ for guitar and vocals sits here.
3kHz: in this area you quite often get guitars
‘building up’ in a mix, and also see the ‘cymbals
eat guitars’ phenomenon, especially with washy
cymbals or open hats – and yes, the collision of
guitar and cymbal frequencies is where the band
got their name from. Male vocals in a rock context
also often need some extra bite adding in this
band, meaning it’s very busy in some mixes.
5-10kHz: clarity and openness; when trying to
get a really ‘soaring’ lead sound, it can be good
to roll treble off of rhythm guitars and free up
this band for the lead guitar to cut through more.
Overdoing it can lead to a fatiguing, or piercing
sound; this is the area you’ll often find unpleasant
‘ice-pick’ resonances. When mixing distorted
pitch-shift effects like the DigiTech Whammy,
you’ll often have issues between 3-6kHz. Surgical
EQ with a narrow Q or careful use of multi-band
compression is usually able to tame problem
frequencies, however.
10-12kHz: live, above this point can often cause
issues depending on the room. Especially for very
high-gain tones, you’ll sometimes see touring
bands use an EQ with a low pass filter around this
point to take the edge off unpleasant highs.
FINAL TIP: PITCH TO
FREQUENCY MAPPING
Finally, we’ve alluded often to the fundamental
note. Especially with guitar, the majority of
its unique timbre is as a result of the mix of a
fundamental note and its overtones – although this
is true of all instruments. If you use a particular
tuning or often write in a specific key, then working
out what the frequency of a note is allows you to
EQ around the impact of that note. Not only that,
but you can then calculate overtones.
With a graphic EQ that has ten or more bands,
this could be the difference between an overtone
being in one band or the next, and with a pedal like
the Empress ParaEQ, it’s likely to have an effect on
either the centre frequency you use, or indeed the
Q you apply to the low, mid, or treble band.
In the studio this is a far more powerful tool, as
it can be applied on a song-by-song basis, or even
automated over sections that need a slight tweak.
As a rule with EQ, you want to keep the transition
between bands as smooth as possible, but careful
mapping of frequencies can pay off even if you’re
having to make more surgical adjustments.
66 | REVIEWS
I
t started
at a crawl,
but demand
for podcasts has
grown by leaps and
bounds over the last
few years. iTunes alone
hosts more than half a million shows; you’d almost
have to be naive to not investigate (or even get
involved with) this burgeoning medium.
Last time I checked, there are only a handful of
episodic discussion and interview-style podcasts in
the guitar-related zeitgeist for iTunes. Guitar World
contributing editor Jude Gold hosts one called No
Guitar Is Safe, which has proven to be popular among
players. Considering the numerous social media
platforms guitarists use to launch their own brands, it
seems podcasting is surprisingly overlooked because
the potential to become a very big fish in a small pond
can easily be nurtured in this forum.
Now don’t get me wrong, the idea of podcasting can
be overwhelmingly intimidating without a clear plan
or proper equipment, but I’m here to eliminate one of
those fears by letting you know RØDE has introduced
the RØDECaster Pro (RCP), a fully integrated podcast
production studio with an intuitive and user-friendly
design that removes all guesswork so you can stay
focused on managing your own original podcast or
seamlessly stream live shows.
At its core, the RØDECaster Pro is a mixer and
digital recorder rolled into a smart all-in-one
unit that delivers superb audio quality. The RCP
features four high-quality XLR mic inputs that can
accommodate dynamic and condenser microphones,
eight faders to control audio levels, solo source
listening and mute buttons for each channel, a
four-channel headphone amp, eight programmable
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
THIS IS A MIXER AND
DIGITAL RECORDER
ROLLED INTO A
SMART ALL-IN-ONE
UNIT THAT DELIVERS
SUPERB AUDIO QUALITY.
REVIEW BY PAUL RIARIO.
pads that can might be overkill if it’s just you, but if you interview
offer instant playback of guests (in a studio or remotely via phone) and
sound effects and jingles (with the bands for your podcast, consider it an upgraded
aide of the RØDECaster companion app), portable recording studio, with advanced
two echo-free phone-connection channels (via TRSS functionality, that will make your workflow in live
cable or Bluetooth), a USB audio channel and can broadcasting a breeze to control on the fly with a
record 24-bit/48kHz audio directly to microSD card touch of a button or fader.
or computer via USB. You won’t even need your computer because it
The servo-biased preamps and outputs can record in stereo directly to an SD card. And if
feature Class A circuitry that deliver professional you don’t deal too much with post production, the
broadcast-quality signal, and for fine-tuning RCP is incredible for quickly cutting to commercials,
audio, the RCP incorporates Aphex Big Bottom and injecting applause and sound effects when tapping
Aural Exciter processing, along with multi-stage the custom colour pads, isolating channels and
compression, limiting, de-essing and gating. muting if you’re in the middle of an interview or
The gorgeous full-colour touchscreen is so easy livestreaming a performance.
to navigate that you can be up and running within In other words, you have complete control of your
minutes without hitting the manual. Downloading live show. Obviously, the RØDECaster Pro is great for
the latest firmware (as of this writing, it’s version post production too, but I find it shines as a portable
1.2.0) adds enhanced updates, like multitrack live broadcasting tool. As a guitar journalist, the
recording direct to SD card, record-pause function RCP makes me rethink the many ways I can use it to
and colour-coding for the record button. create even more ambitious content – and maybe
For the uninitiated, all you need to create a one day start my own guitar gear podcast.
podcast is a computer, headphones, recording and As a full-production broadcast studio with intuitive
editing software (GarageBand, Audacity and Adobe operation and mobile capability, the RØDECaster
Audition are favourites), plus a really good USB Pro is an essential standalone unit for professional
microphone. So, it would seem the RØDECaster Pro podcast recording and live streaming.
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 DIY | 69

MEET YOUR EXPERT

Jack Ellis runs Jack’s Instrument
Services from his workshop in
Manchester. In his career, he
has worked on thousands of
instruments, from simple fixes and
upgrades to complete rebuilds.

SKILL
LEVEL
INTERMEDIATE

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Bone saddle blank

MAKING A BONE SADDLE

• Truss rod tool
• End cutters (to use as pliers for
stubborn saddles)
• Shaping flat files
• Wet/dry paper (240-2,000 grit) HOW TO GET A CRUCIAL COMPONENT OF YOUR ACOUSTIC TONE RIGHT.
• Mechanical pencil WORDS BY JACK ELLIS.
• Radius gauges

• Steel ruler
• Callipers
• String pin puller
• Imperial feeler gauge
• Band saw (optional)
• Disc sander (optional)
SHARP SHINE
You can get some extra bling
from your bone saddle by
polishing up to a super-fine
2,000 grit to get it gleaming!
S
etting the saddle height on an acoustic
is a crucial part of setting one up, and
sometimes you’ll need a replacement. But
similar to top nuts, a saddle is pretty much unique
to each guitar so it’s best to create a bespoke one
rather than an off-the-shelf pre-cut saddle.
Your saddle will need to be exactly the right
dimensions for the bridge saddle slot and,
crucially, the correct radius curvature to match
your fretboard’s radius. It also needs to be
the right height so it’s a comfortable action to
play – so that’s more than enough reason to
build one from scratch!
A lot of saddles that are fitted to acoustics
these days are made from resin or other
injection-moulded plastics. But you can do
better than that. We’re always making bone
saddles for customers in our shop and it’s
because it improves the tonality and, when
made correctly, the sustain too. Other options
to upgrade with are real horn (often buffalo),
brass or synthetic Tusq.
70 | DIY
1 Our old saddle is cracked so let’s take it out. Hiding in the bottom of the
saddle slot are three shims; these tone-sappers are no use, they’ll just make
the new saddle taller. Many guitars have an under saddle piezo pickup which must
be treated carefully as they’re delicate. Sometimes shims are also found hiding
underneath piezos.
If you have a piezo, leave it in there and keep it from harm. Make sure no
2 dust has gotten underneath it as that would affect the pickup’s output. First
let’s deal with the saddle thickness. We suggest using your sanding board to thin
down the saddle slowly and checking loads of times in the saddle slot.
3 Be careful that you’re sanding down the saddle blank evenly; it’s easy to
accidentally sand a taper into it. Keep checking – you want this to be a tight
fit otherwise the saddle will lean forward or sap sustain. A set of callipers is a
great help when it comes to sizing up your new bone blank.
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
4 Now let’s trim the saddle blank to length; again, the callipers are handy for
this. Be certain that the callipers are at full length inside the slot. Mark with
a fine pencil the length desired onto your bone blank, again this should be tight in
the saddle slot.
Saw the bone saddle down, being careful not to cross your line, then follow
5 by sanding. We’re using a disc sander to help with this. Cross reference with
the saddle slot and the callipers to check you haven’t gone too far.
Now let’s put those lovely rolled edges onto the saddle blank. This is best done
6 slowly on a sanding board with more careful checking as you go. Round off
one side completely then turn your attention to the next; test fit and subtract the
amount required to get a nice fit in the bridge’s saddle slot. Patience is a virtue!

Next challenge: let’s begin to carve the top profile, starting with the
7 curvature. First we must determine the fret board curve for ourselves
and not from the guitar’s spec – it’s often wrong or not the same anymore.
Radius gauges are best for this. Mark on the bone with a fine pencil and it will
match the fretboard!
Now it’s time to carve the top profile; you can get all snazzy and carve an
8 intonation profile into it – this is as pictured. If that’s too hard then you can
opt for a nice rounded top profile (just like a fret) and it’s almost the same. To
carve the fancy version make sure you don’t disturb the nice radius we just made.
You can see why we made a new one! It’s never safe to assume the old one
9 was right, plus we know it had naughty shims in there raising the height. Using
the old one for inspiration, we’re adding around 2mm to the height and testing from
there. Always make it too tall and then drop it down to the right height by testing it!
| 71
We cannot determine saddle height unless the truss rod and nut slot
10 depths are set. Press on the 1st fret, then press on 15th fret and use
the straight string as a guide to see how bent forward the neck is. The feeler
gauge is put over the 8th or 9th fret underneath the string; .007” is the magic
clearance. Adjust the truss rod.
As setting the nut requires specialist tools, this is best left to a guitar tech.
11 Once the nut and truss rod are set and it’s tuned you can measure the string
height at the 12th fret. A suggested clearance is 2.2mm from the bottom of the
string to the top of the fret on the low E and 1.5mm on the high E.
Sand down the bottom of the saddle. Keep test stringing and tuning up to
12 determine when it’s enough. Be sure as you can’t un-sand this! When you’re at
the final height, be sure that the bottom lets no light through when compared to a
straight edge. This will make sure you have a good contact to the saddle slot bottom.
72 | HOT GEAR
YAMAHA STORIA III
RRP: $699.99 • au.yamaha.com
A guitar that makes a statement when you
play – and when you don’t! The STORIA III
delivers warm, yet balanced tones and a
luminous finish; a refined addition to your
environment that is both relaxing and
stimulating. With designs that evoke the
natural colours of your day, STORIA guitars
KYSER LIMITED-EDITION
MEREDITH ACOUSTIC
QUICK-CHANGE CAPO
RRP: $59.95 • cmcmusic.com.au
Kyser continues its 40th anniversary with a
nod to the future and a new generation of
leadership. The limited-edition “Meredith”
capo comes boxed in a premium package
complete with a hand-numbered and
signed Certificate of Authenticity. The capo
itself features an exclusive, thoroughly
modern, chromed-out Candy Teal finish,
Kyser’s revolutionary low-tension spring in
black, a handwritten signature stamp, and
the classic Quick Change shape. Production
is limited to 2020 units worldwide.
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
IBANEZ WH10V3
WAH PEDAL
RRP: $249 • australismusic.com.au
Having been introduced in 1987 the WH10 wah pedal has
had a strong following for guitar and bass range switch to
mix control all in a lightweight package – loved by many
including John Frusciante. The WH10V3 is a return to the
original WH10 sound but with additional value adds from
previous editions including switchable bypass (true and
buffered) – with no loss of strength or frequencies in the
true bypass, and less on/off noise in the buffered bypass.
feature statement-making finishes and
brilliant details like shimmering inlays, brass
adornments, and eye-catching champagne-
gold tuners. The accommodating body shape,
slim walnut neck, comfortable string height
and hand-rolled fingerboard edges make
STORIA easy to pick up and play at any time.
D’ADDARIO FLAT
PATCH CABLES
RRP: $22.99+ • daddario.com
D’Addario’s Custom Series Flat Patch
Cables help you optimise pedalboard
space by allowing closer pedal placement
while accurately transferring the subtle
details of your sound. These cables have
an oxygen-free coaxial copper conductor
with two layers of noise-rejecting shielding,
formulated for extremely low capacitance,
so your instrument’s brilliance, presence,
and character transmit with the utmost
transparency. The Flat Patch Cable plugs
feature the patented Geo-Tip, which ensures
a secure connection with any instrument, TWO NOTES LE CRUNCH
pedal, or amplifier. Encapsulated soldering
points and molded strain relief combine
PREAMP PEDAL
to deliver the ultimate long-lasting, high RRP: $619 • innovativemusic.com.au
performance patch cable.
Le Crunch combines the greatest tones of the classic
British stack of amps that have defined rock ’n’ roll since
the late ’60s. Channel A’s clean throaty voice is pure
plexi heaven, while Channel B screams, “Move over, let
there be rock!” The Hot Fusion mode crosses over into
the high gain territory where shredders and down tuned
riffers write all the rules. Each preamp features two
channel footswitches, and simultaneously pressing both
will activate the Fusion mode. In addition, the preamp
will respond to a Program Change command sent from
another MIDI device, allowing seamless integration into
any pedalboard switching system.
 | 73

DAVA GRIP TIP PICKS

RRP: $9.90+ • jvbstrings.com

Nothing parallels the grip and comfort of Dava’s new Grip Tips. These are
the first completely over-molded rubber-grip picks. In the past, frustrated
musicians have tried everything from gluing sand to even pieces of rubber to
the sides of their picks. Grip Tips have officially changed everything. Dava’s
latest design gives musicians a comfortable, thin-profiled pick with incredible
feel, sound and multi-gauge control.

FENDER MTG TUBE

TREMOLO
RRP: $479 • fender.com

The name Fender is synonymous

with real tube tone. The MTG Tube
Tremolo brings the hypnotic sound
typically found in vintage amps,
and conveniently places it into a
stompbox based on a genuine,
US-made NOS 6205 preamp tube.
The pedal features Level, Intensity
and Speed controls; three oscillator
wave shapes; and a dedicated tap
tempo footswitch, which allows
access to various note subdivisions.
Designed by their in-house team of
experts, the MTG Tube Tremolo is
an all-original Fender circuit. The
chassis is crafted from lightweight,
durable anodised aluminium, and the
amp jewel LED gives your pedalboard
an unmistakably Fender-esque look.
The switchable, back-lit LED knobs
ensure you can adjust your control
settings on even the darkest stage.
FAITH LYRA
NYLON-STRING ACOUSTIC
RRP: $1,995 • cmcmusic.com.au
Designed as the perfect nylon-string guitar for non-classical
specialists, the Faith Lyra has a specially profiled neck
slimmer than a traditional classical guitar, but not so
narrow that proper fingerstyle technique is inhibited; you’ll
be well-served whether playing Rodrigo or Radiohead.
The Lyra features a Mmhogany neck with a figured ebony
bridge and fingerboard, alongside a 5-millimetre Waru
soundhole border. This model is fitted with a Fishman
Sonitone preamp and pickup specifically designed for
nylon-string guitars, the controls for which are mounted
discreetly just inside the soundhole of the guitar.
ZOOM F8N FIELD
RECORDER
RRP: $2,299 • dynamicmusic.com.au
When developing the F8n, Zoom‘s mission was to
provide every sound professional with the tools to create
something exceptional. With features such as Advanced
Look-Ahead Hybrid Limiters, Zoom AutoMix, and
mic/line options for both XLR and TRS inputs, the F8n
is the next
generation of
professional
field recording.
The F8n is
equipped with
Advanced
Look-Ahead
Hybrid Limiters
that provide
overload
protection no matter what comes your way. By adding
a one-millisecond delay, the limiters “look ahead”
anticipating clipping before it’s recorded. Limiting is
applied to each of the eight channels simultaneously
at full resolution, with ten to 20 decibels of headroom
to ensure pristine audio on every take. The F8n also
features a super-low noise floor and high gain.

ORANGE PEDALBABY 100 WATT POWER AMP

RRP: $699 • australismusic.com.au

The most convenient Class A/B amplifier Orange has designed is here – the Pedal Baby 100 is
a 100-watt beast designed for the touring musician. Neutral-sounding but still flattering, it’s
perfect for guitarists running pedalboards, modellers or digital processors. Light, compact and
built for the road, fly dates and changing venues are all taken in its stride. Inspired by valve amp
design, the Pedal Baby 100 uses a Class A, single-ended front end. Forget sterile-sounding solid
state amps – the Pedal Baby 100 keeps all of your tone’s mojo, then adds a bit more.
74 | FUZZ PEDALS
FREAKY
FUZZDAY
WANT TO KNOW YOUR FUZZ FACE FROM YOUR FUZZ FACTORY
AND INJECT EXTRA DIRT INTO YOUR GUITAR TONE? YOU’VE COME
TO THE RIGHT PLACE. WORDS BY ALEX LYNHAM.
A
long with overdrive and distortion, fuzz is by
far the most common electric guitar
effect – and also one of the most diverse –
and in this best fuzz pedals guide we’re going to help
you find the right one for the sound you’re after.
The first fuzzes were created and used early in the
history of rock n’ roll, unlike say, delay, which didn’t
appear in earnest until the ‘70s. These fuzzes were
often home-brewed or erratic concoctions, designed
for pure noise, and it was a while before more stable
designs like the Big Muff, Tonebender and Fuzz Face
appeared – although the early Fuzz Faces were
notorious for variation between units.
It’s for this reason that Jimi Hendrix bought them
by the bucketload, carefully auditioning each pedal
until he found the one that suited his sound. They’re
not for everyone, but if what you want is some rock
gnar, then look no further than a fuzz.
WHAT IS THE BEST FUZZ PEDAL?
With its balance of seriously gnarly fuzz on tap, as well
as the ability to be dialled back to suit many styles of
playing, the Big Muff has to be our recommendation
– doubly so as it’s pretty affordable for most players.
Specifically, though, we are big fans of the op-amp
reissue, which until recently was only available via
boutique builders, DIY kits, or trading your right arm
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
for an original. This is the best fuzz pedal for that
classic Smashing Pumpkins sound and beyond.
If you want to get wilder, then the original madcap
fuzz is probably what you seek. Used by Robert
Fripp, Matt Bellamy, Rivers Cuomo, Buckethead,
Stephen Carpenter, Trent Reznor, St. Vincent, Jack
White and J. Mascis, you’re in good company with
the ZVex Fuzz Factory on your pedalboard. The
controls may not really describe what they do, and
yes, it might sometimes pick up radio transmissions,
but that’s all part of the charm of this insane,
inspirationally weird fuzz. Your playing will never be
the same again.
BUYING ADVICE
Where an overdrive or distortion pedal generally
works by amplifying the guitar signal using an op-amp
and then applying either soft clipping, like a Tube
Screamer, or hard clipping, like a ProCo RAT, a fuzz
pedal usually works by either mis-biasing transistors
or amplifying them so much that they clip.
Of course, there’s some crossover. The original
ProCo RAT’s signature clipping sound was largely its
LM308 op-amp being driven into nearly triangle-wave
clipping. The fact it had hard clipping diodes after the
amp stage was more important to the later models
that used a different op-amp.
THE BEST
FUZZ PEDALS
AVAILABLE
RIGHT NOW
On the other side, the Electro-Harmonix Big
Muff gets its signature sound mainly due to two
soft-clipping amplification stages, which in terms
of topology makes it closer to a drive, even as its
square-wave signal screams, “Fuzz!”
A lot of things change the tone of a fuzz.
There’s the obvious stuff, like the EQ profile of
any components in the signal path, and whether
there’s an EQ control on the pedal itself. The type
of transistors used matters too, with germanium
transistors being heat-sensitive, unpredictable,
‘warm’, ‘wooly’ and ‘spluttery’, while silicon
transistors are more predictable in mass-
manufacture, but a bit ‘colder’ and ‘sharper’.
Finally, there’s the intent of a fuzz to consider –
is it supposed to sound smooth, or like a hole being
torn in a partition wall? Where an op-amp based
circuit tends to have a limited number of designs
that will work, transistors are more lenient – at
least in the sense that they will often make noise in
unpredictable ways even when not used in the way
the manufacturers intended.
This makes fuzz a uniquely accessible area
of pedal design, and it’s where most boutique
builders got their start, from the noisemakers
at Death By Audio to the digital whizzes at Old
Blood Noise Endeavors.
 | 75

ZVEX FUZZ FACTORY

A GREAT FUZZ OPTION FOR THE PSYCH PLAYERS WAY HUGE
Using a combination of germanium transistors, feedback loops SWOLLEN
PICKLE
RRP: $279
Distributor: Global Vintage and controls that allow the user to mis-bias the circuit inside, the
Fuzz Factory is versatile in a way that most pedals simply aren’t.
Want to reduce the input voltage so the pedal breaks up into THE BEST FUZZ PEDAL IF YOU
Topology: Germanium transistor oscillation? Go right ahead. Feed the output from one block back WANT MORE OPTIONS THAN THE
EQ: No into itself? Sure thing! BIG MUFF OFFERS
For this reason, it was a breath of fresh air when released,
Pros: and gave ZVex the foundations on which to build an empire of
the unusual.
RRP: $269
Distributor: Australasian Music Supplies
Crazy sounds In terms of sounds, it’s in the Fuzz Face family tree, so it’s
Sensible sounds possible with some tweaking to get a quite sedate blues lead tone
out of the pedal, but of course it shines when it’s a screaming Topology: Transistor IC, soft-clipping
Cons: ice-pick of velcro-fuzz mayhem. EQ: Yes, passive cut and mids
Even now, when there’s seemingly more pedal companies out Bypass: True
Price
there with each passing day, there’s something simple, elegant,
and thrillingly iconoclastic about the humble Fuzz Factory.
Pros:
A more versatile Big Muff-style fuzz
More compact than the NYC muff

Cons:
ELECTRO- If you want an EHX original
HARMONIX If you want a Russian, Triangle or Op-amp Muff
NANO BIG MUFF
THE ORIGINAL CLASSIC FUZZ PEDAL
IN A SMALLER FORM Despite having an IC on the board instead of
discrete transistors, the Swollen Pickle’s IC is just
RRP: $209 a transistor package, making it a variant of the
Distributor: Vibe Music regular Big Muff instead of the op-amp Big Muff, as
some assume.
With quality components, a buttery smooth
Topology: Transistor, soft-clipping footswitch and controls for scooping the mids and
EQ: Yes, passive cut changing the voicing, as well as a couple of internal
Bypass: True trimpots for further tweaking, the Swollen Pickle
offers more tone tweaking options than almost any
Pros: Big Muff-like pedal on the market.

;dYkka[nagdaf:a_Em^^kgmf\
Iconic looks
Cons:
You might want a different muff?
Though the internals have changed drastically
over time, the wedge-shaped silver NYC Big Muff is
the most iconic and best fuzz pedal that EHX have
produced. It’s now available in a Nano enclosure.
Chances are you’ve heard this on countless
recordings, and if you’re looking for a huge
wall-of-sound fuzz, then it’s probably the Big Muff
that you’re thinking of.
The only thing to be aware of is that the Big Muff
has been in production since the end of the ‘60s,
so knowing exactly which Muff sound you’re after –
Russian, Triangle, Op-amp – will help you in getting
the exact sound in your head.
However, if you’re not sure, then you can’t go far
wrong with the NYC classic.
76 | FUZZ PEDALS

ELECTRO-HARMONIX
OP-AMP BIG MUFF REISSUE
THE BEST FUZZ PEDAL FOR the grunge party with their ‘guitar
SMASHING PUMPKINS FANS army’, and had legions of guitarists
scratching their heads as to how to
RRP: $229 make that sound.
Distributor: Vibe Music Of course, part of the answer was
‘a lot of overdubs’, but when the word
got out that Billy Corgan had used
Topology: Op-am, soft-clipping a Big Muff on the record, the pedal
EQ: Yes, passive cut became hugely sought after overnight.
Bypass: True Unfortunately for wannabe sound-a-
likes, Billy’s Big Muff was actually an
Pros: unusual vintage op-amp version.
Due to availability of parts, the
That fuzz sound
design of the Big Muff shifted over
Records really well time, and the op-amp version, which
was a completely different circuit from
Cons: the quad-transistor original Big Muff,
Not suitable for every style of playing was comparatively rare. Billy had just
gotten lucky that he picked up that
specific version from a pawn shop.
Although many household names have Until recently your only option
used the Big Muff over the years, perhaps was a boutique clone, rare original,
the band most associated with the pedal or building your own, but luckily EHX
is Smashing Pumpkins. On their 1993 recently reissued it, so you too can
classic Siamese Dream, they gatecrashed bask in its fuzzy glory.

DEATH
BY AUDIO
SUPERSONIC
FUZZ GUN
A GREAT GUITAR EFFECT FOR
OFF-THE-WALL INSPIRATION

RRP: $425
Distributor: Death By Audio

Topology: Transistor
EQ: Yes, treble filter
Bypass: True

Pros:
Unique sounds
Expressive controls

Cons:
Only really suited for noise-rock and shoegaze

The brainchild of Oliver Ackermann from noise-rock
band A Place To Bury Strangers, Death By Audio
make insane, off-the-wall pedals, from mind-bending
reverbs and delays to oscillating fuzzes like this,
which is how they made their name.
The Supersonic Fuzz Gun is their most
recognisable and best fuzz pedal, and epitomises
the early DBA circuit-design strategy of ‘throw
parts at a breadboard until it sounds crazy.’ Like
the Fuzz Factory, the labels on the controls only
bear a slight relation to the effect they have on the
sound of the pedal.
At least half the joy of the Supersonic Fuzz Gun
is that it sounds completely unlike something a
large manufacturer would make. It’s dirty, it’s
punk, and its design is more about the artistic
intent of the creator than anything as dull as
engineering rules.

| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar

OLD BLOOD
NOISE
ENDEAVORS
HAUNT
FOR A FUZZ TONE THAT’LL STAY WITH YOU
RRP: $299
Distributor: Old Blood Noise
Topology: Transistor
EQ: Yes, toggle and passive cut
Bypass: True
Pros:
Versatile
Extreme sounds
Cons:
A little uncomfortable at extreme settings
A spin-off of a pedal called the Gatekeeper that
Brady Smith made under the name Little Axe
Effects before founding OBNE, the Haunt was one
of their first creations. A highly tweakable and
somewhat extreme fuzz, they’re relatively secretive
about the circuit topology.
It’s transistor-based, which probably puts it
somewhere in the extended family tree of the Big
Muff, but that’s less important than the sounds –
everything from more middle-of the road fuzz to
ripping velcro and gated sputter. If you want a pedal
that’s weird, but not DBA levels of weird, then the
Haunt could well be the fuzz for you.
| 77
WALRUS AUDIO JANUS
A FUZZ PEDAL THAT PEOPLE WILL ASK ABOUT AT EVERY GIG
RRP: $415 The Janus is a bit of a sneaky addition to this list,
Distributor: Walrus Audio as it’s technically not just a fuzz. One side is a
fuzz with a joystick to control the fuzz level and
Topology: Transistor tone, while the other is a tremolo with joystick to
EQ: Yes, toggle and passive cut control the rate and depth of the trem.
Bypass: True Besides looking cool, the joysticks are useful
features if you’re using the Janus in the studio, or -
Pros: shock horror - on a table, for synthesisers.
Looks cool The fuzz side is essentially the Walrus Jupiter,
Sounds cool a fuzz pedal based on the Big Muff with a series
of mods to the clipping options and bass. Apart
Cons: from the artwork being cool, the Jupiter isn’t the
Expensive most exciting fuzz around, but in the Janus it’s a
Easy to knock joysticks with your feet different, radically more expressive beast.
JIM DUNLOP Although it’s been out of production at various points,
the distinctive ‘smiley face’ Fuzz Face pedal has been
MINI in production since the sixties. It’s sought after for its
GERMANIUM
responsiveness to the guitar volume knob, and ability to
go from mild, bluesy grit to all-out fuzz.
FUZZ FACE The early units were made with germanium
transistors; these were favourites of Jimi Hendrix.
GO BACK TO WHERE IT ALL Most reissues have been silicon, on the other hand,
STARTED but Dunlop - the current manufacturers - have recently
released a swathe of reissues and miniature versions
RRP: $289 with germanium transistors, true to the original sound
Distributor: Australasian of the Fuzz Face.
Music Supplies
Topology: Germanium transistors
EQ: No
Bypass: True
Pros:
That classic Fuzz Face sound
Interacts well with guitar volume knob
Cons:
More expansive than silicon version
 TECHNIQUE | 79

INTERVALS
LEARN SOME MAJOR SCALE BASICS AND TAKE
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
TWO MAJOR SCALE SHAPES
HOW TO BUILD 7TH CHORDS
YOUR LEAD PLAYING TO THE NEXT LEVEL. A SHREDDY LEAD LICK
WORDS AND LESSON BY CHRIS BIRD.

R
emembering notes in chords and scales can be a bit of
a headache. However, learn about the intervals and the
fretboard might just open up for you. Intervals tell you
which note of a scale you’re playing and how many steps above
the root note you are. Useful info, because if you can play the
intervals of, say, a C major chord, then you can work out any other
major chord; if you know how Dm7 is structured, then you’ve got
all minor 7ths covered. You can develop your soloing too – learn
these chord types as arpeggios and you’ll soon be burning up the
fretboard. Read on and we’ll explain all.

1 MAJOR SCALE INTERVALS

q = 90
Uœ Uœ
œ œ #
C D E F G A B 4 œ œ œ œ
&4
œ
C major
## A major

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

A B C# D E F# G# T
A 10 12
9 10 12
10 12 13
11 12 14
11 13 14

B 12 14

The notes of any major scale also have numbers to identify them.
For example, here we’re looking at C and A major – the notes are
Here are C and A major scales for you to play. In C major, C is the root, D is a major
different, but both scales have a root, a 2nd, a 3rd, and so on. 2nd, and so on; in A major, A is the root, B is the 2nd etc.
These are known as intervals.

2 INTERVALS FOR 7TH CHORDS

q = 50
b
Cmaj 7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj 7 G7 Am7 Bm7 5 C
Cmaj7
~~~ U
1 3 5 7 4 œ
œ œ
œ œœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ √
œ œ œœœ œœœ
œ
œ œœ œ œ
CD E F G A B C &4
1 b3 5 b7
Dm7
T 5
3 7
6
5 8
8
7 10
10
8 12
12
10 13
13
12 15
15 18
~~~
17 20

5 7 9 10 12 14 16
You can build a 7th chord on each note in the scale – just use every A
B
other note. C, E, G and B notes give a Cmaj7 chord; D, F, A and C give
Dm7. Whatever key you’re in, the chord types are: maj7 (if you're These are the 7th chords using the notes of C major. Played as arpeggios these can
building on the root note), m7 (on the 2nd interval), m7 (3rd), maj7 yield some really creative lead guitar ideas.
(4th), dominant 7 (5th), m7 (6th), m7b5 (7th). Try to learn these.

3 ARPEGGIO AND SCALE-BASED LICK

q =132
C5 Asus 2 ~~~~~~ . C5 Asus 2

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
œ œ œ œ
j œ œ œ œj œ œ .
4 . œ œ œ œ J ≈ œœœœœ œ
&4 . œ ‰ ..
~~~~~~[12] BU
RP
BD BU
T . 7 3
5 8
10 7
8
7 10 12
10 12 12 (13 ) (13 ) (12 ) 10 12 (13 ) [13 ] .
A
B
. 5 4 5 9
9 10 12
9 10 12
.

This lick offers you two ways to think about intervalic playing in a lead guitar context. Bar 1 uses a Cmaj7 arpeggio (that’s C, E, G and B notes remember!). By contrast, bar 3 is a
run through the C major scale. Listen to how the intervals in the arpeggios are broader and fill out more of the sound than the shreddy scale run.
80 | TECHNIQUE

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

EASY BLUES SCALE SHAPES
ONE OPEN POSITION RIFF
A BLUES SCALE LEAD LICK

GETTING STARTED WITH…

THE BLUES SCALE

TRY OUT SOME EASY RIFFING AND SOLOING WITH THIS
FEELING BLUE…
Learn the essentials of this
TOP-NOTCH LESSON ON AN ESSENTIAL SCALE. vital scale fast!
E A D G B E
1) E BLUES SCALE
WORDS AND LESSON BY CHRIS BIRD. Make sure to learn this Bb

much used blues scale B E A

shape. Played over the E G Bb D G
“I’m not really into blues. Why do I need to the structure for you in the boxout on the right. root note, the dissonant Bb
know the blues scale?” note gives the scale its dark
Well, despite its name, the biting tones of the “So Bb is the most important note…” and edgy sound. E blues scale
blues scale can be used in almost any style of In the E blues scale, yes! It’s that b5 interval,
music: obviously it sounds good in blues, but which, when played over the E root note, 2) E BLUES SCALE UP
hard rock, metal, jazz, country and soul are all sounds so menacing and gives the scale its ONE OCTAVE E A D G B E
12
on the cards too. Basically, don’t be put off by edgy sound. If you’re in another key, G blues Move the shape up 12 frets Bb
the name. It’s an easy scale to jam with. scale for example, you can still target the b5 (one octave) to another
B E A
interval but it’ll be a different note (Db, as it area of the fretboard to
G Bb D G
“Can you tell me some of the songs that use happens). Check out “Black Sabbath” by Black try out your blues scale
the blues scale?” Sabbath (at 0:38-1:08) to hear Tony Iommi lead ideas. You’ll need to
To name but a few: Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your milking the b5 interval in the G blues scale. use more fingers for this E blues scale

Love”, Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way” and Led Remember, it can take a while to learn all the shape though!
Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker” are classic blues notes – so just move the scale shape around
scale riffs. The main riff in Pantera’s “Cowboys and target the b5ths. 3) G BLUES SCALE 1 4 b
7 b3 5 1
WITH INTERVALS 3
From Hell” puts a heavier slant on the scale. b
5
Using the same shape as
Lamb Of God’s “Redneck” is similarly weighty “Useful tip! Shall we play some music?”
before at different frets 5 1 4
and includes a note from outside the scale too. Sure. Take a look at our first tab example. It’s a
shows you how you can b
3 b
5 b7 b3
“Psycho” from Muse’s Drones album uses a simple riff played in open position. Every single
move the blues scale to a
string bend to target one of the most note of the blues scale is used and there’s a
different pitch. We’ve shown G blues scale
important notes of the scale. slight string bend on the last note (known as a
intervals here (1 b3 4 b5 5
quarter-tone bend).
b7) instead of notes (G Bb C
“Plenty to listen to, then! Tell me more.”
Db D F) – the notes are
Just like any scale, the blues scale is a selection “How shall I tackle the second example?”
different in every key, so it’s
of notes; the relationships between these notes Start by familiarising yourself with the scale in
often easier to remember
are at the heart of the scale’s signature sound. the 12th fret position then see which notes
the intervals.
The easiest way to learn the scale is to play it we’ve used. With the basics covered, try
from its lowest note to its highest. We’ve outlined experimenting with your own ideas too.

1 HEAVY RIFF 2 SOLO LICK

q =115
E5 E 5dim E 5 E 5dim E 5 G 5
˙ ~~~~~~~~ œ œ œ b œ
E5 E 5dim E 5 E 5dim E 5 G 5
j œ œ
œ
œ ˙~~~~~~~
Play 4 times
#4 . #4
& 4 . j œ œj j ..
1/4

œ œ j œ œ & 4
œ b œ n œ bœ œ œ
œ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
BU BD
T . . T 15 (17) (15) 15 12 15 12
A
B
. 2 2 1 2 0 0 2 2
1 0
. 1/4 A
B
15 12
14
0 0 3

Inspired by bands like Lamb Of God and Black Stone Cherry, this heavy riff brings out Moving up 12 frets, we’re still in the E blues scale, but an octave higher. Try
the all important b5 Bb note of the E blues scale. experimenting with your own licks using E blues scale.

| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
 | 81

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

FOUR POWERCHORD SHAPES

POWERCHORD RIFFS
OPEN-POSITION POWERCHORDS
TWO ROCK RIFFS TABBED

POWER UP YOUR RHYTHM AND RIFFING WITH OUR LESSON POWER UP!
ON THESE STAPLE CHORD SHAPES. Four chord shapes to get you rocking
X X X
1) SIXTH-STRING
WORDS AND LESSON BY CHRIS BIRD. 5
1 ROOT NOTE
The lowest note is on
“Obvious question: what’s a powerchord?” “The last two shapes are a bit harder.” 3 4 the sixth string here.
Powerchords are slightly different to the major If you’re struggling with a stretch, try practising If you prefer, hold down
and minor chords you already know. Hopefully higher up the neck where the frets are closer both the fourth and
you remember that major chords have a bright, together. Gradually move lower down to A5 fifth strings with your
happy sound and minor chords sound dark and improve your stretch. It’s also worth knowing third finger.
sad. Well, by leaving out the most colourful that you don’t have to play every note. Try X X X
playing just the lowest two notes of each shape. 2) FIFTH-STRING
notes, powerchords have a more solid, neutral 5
1 ROOT NOTE
sound. Perfect for rock and metal, then! Or just the highest two. It won’t sound as heavy This shape is the same
as the full three-note shapes, but the history of 4 as the first one. All you
3
“Can you give me some examples of songs rock is littered with two-note powerchords. have to do is move it so
with powerchords?” the lowest note’s on
Sure! Powerchords can be heard everywhere so “Got it! Shall we play some music?” the fifth string.
D5
there are virtually limitless tracks to check out. Yes! Take a look at our first tab example below
For a classic option, listen to the verse in where we’ve used two-note powerchords in the X X X
3) FOURTH-STRING
Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid”, which features open position. It should be fairly easy to play. 5
1 ROOT NOTE
Tony Iommi’s palm-muted powerchords. The With the root note on the
verses in Queens Of The Stone Age’s “Go With “It’s pretty easy, but these aren’t the same 3 fourth string you’ll need
The Flow” also stay on powerchords. Following shapes we just looked at.” 4 to stretch a bit here.
an intro of ambient arpeggios and melodic riffs That’s because they’re down in open position.
Tool’s “7empest” settles into powerchord That just means the root notes are played on G5
grooves at 1:46. Slipknot’s “Unsainted” is way open strings. Take a look at the B5 shape – it’s X X X
down in drop B tuning but the pre-verse and a powerchord with its root note on the fifth 4) THIRD-STRING
string. A5 is the same, just two frets lower. 5
1 ROOT NOTE
verse riffs are still powerchord-based. Again, there’s a bit of a
“I get it. What’s next?” stretch to play this shape.
“How do you play powerchords?” 4 4 Tackle it by laying your
There are a handful of shapes to learn and these The second tab example includes full three-
note powerchord shapes. Keep an eye out for fourth finger across both
alone will cover thousands of powerchord-based treble strings.
C5
songs. Take a look at the box on the right where the root notes – they’ll help guide you as
we’ve outlined four shapes for you. you change position.

1 OPEN-POSITION POWERCHORDS 2 THREE-NOTE SHAPES

q =105
q =105 E5 D5 G5 C5

#4 . E5 A5 B5
# 4 . œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ
& 4 . . & 4 . œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œœœ œœœ œ œœœ œ ..
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ .
PM PM PM PM PM

T . . T . 8 8 .
A . 2 4 4 4 4 4 . A
B
. 9
9
9
9
7
7
7
7
7
5
7
5
5
5
5
5 .
B 2
0
0 2 2 2 2 2 7 7 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 3

In Bar #1, the root notes are open strings, which makes these powerchords easy! Bar We’re using two powerchord shapes here – with fifth- and fourth-string root notes.
#2 ends palm-muted; use the side of your pick hand to deaden the strings. Switching between the full shape and just the root note adds shape to the riff.
82 | TECHNIQUE

CHORD
STRUCTURES
HERE’S A LITTLE THEORY ON HOW TO BUILD
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON CHORDS.

WORDS AND LESSON BY CHRIS BIRD.

H
opefully you’ve played through some of the tab examples
in this lil’ magazine and picked up some new chords along
the way. One thing many guitarists struggle with, however,
is how chords are constructed and what their names mean, so
we’ll try and explain it here for you. It can be dry at times but it’s WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
worth persevering. Remember, once you understand the basics, HOW BASIC CHORDS ARE BUILT
you can apply it to any key – that’s a boatload of chords for you!
Our lesson’s based in C in this case, but it’s fairly easy to play in FIVE DIFFERENT CHORD STRUCTURES
another key. You just need to know how the major scale is A HANDFUL OF ARPEGGIO PATTERNS
constructed, and that’s exactly where we’ll begin…

C MAJOR SCALE 1 C MAJOR

Try playing these
O O O two shapes of the C C

major scale. The idea

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 & œ œ œ
1 is to learn to move

2 2 1 1
the shapes around
the fretboard. For C D E F G A B T
1 3 5

3 3 2 2
example, if you
move either shape 1 3 5 A
B 3
2
0

two frets higher

3 you’ll be starting on
a D note – so you’d
be playing the D You’ve played the C major scale, now here are the notes. Major chords are made up
4 4 4 of the first, third and fifth notes of the major scale; in C that’s C, E and G – which you
major scale. Another
two frets higher and can see played as an arpeggio in the tab.
C major scale C major scale it’d be E major.

2 C MAJOR 3 C7
Cmaj 7 C7

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 & œ œ œ œ 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 & œ œ œ bœ
b7
C D E F G A B T
1 3 5 7

0
C D E F G A Eb T
1 3 5

b
1 3 5
0

7
0 3

7 A
B 3
2
1 3 5 A
B 3
2

To play a Cmaj7 chord all we have to do is simply add the seventh note of the major C7 is just like Cmaj7 except that the seventh note is lowered by a semitone to Bb.
scale (B) to a C chord (C E G). Different key signatures have different notes, but the This is known as a flat 7th (written b7th or b7).
formula is always the same.

4 C MINOR 5 C MINOR 7
Cm Cm7

1 2 b3 4 5 6 7 & œ bœ œ 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 & œ bœ œ bœ
b3 b3 b7
C D Eb F G A B T
1 5
C D Eb F G A Eb T
1 5

1 b3 5 A
B 3
1
0

1 b
3 5 b
7 A
B 3
1
0 3

C minor is like C major but with a b3rd. Guitarists often duplicate notes in the Finally, Cm7 takes a Cm chord and adds a b7th. Any arrangement of the notes is fine,
chords we play because we’ve got so many strings to cover – and three notes as long as you play the right ones! For example you could play C-G-Bb-Eb-G and it’d
might sound a little bit thin at times! still be Cm7.

| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
Th e Staz Lindes of
P a r a n oy d s
plays the Lead III in Metallic Purple.

The II
Lea d II& I t f r o m o ur pas t w i t h s c
n
r e
e
a
w
m i ng
c o l ors .
A b las u p s & e lect r ic
hot p i c k

LEAD II in Neon Green

LEAD III in Metallic Purple

STUDIO
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HEDD
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Visit www.addictedtoaudio.com.au
 CD REVIEWS | 85
W
TOP PICK BENNY WALKER
Chosen Line
INDEPENDENT
IN HEARTS WAKE
Kaliyuga
UNFD
On his smoky and With its predecessors
raw – yet at all turns focussed on the
inescapably groovy – Earth, sky and water
third album, Benny elements, In Hearts
Walker embraces Wake turn their
the guitar as a tool enviro-conscious ire
to reckon with, towards the flames
affirm and (most on Kaliyuga: the
importantly) conjure world’s first carbon-
emotions. He dips negative metalcore
into funk territory on the silky and upbeat “All Ya record, and one of the Byron Bay quintet’s strongest
Gotta Do Is Call”, loose and jangly noodling carried efforts yet. It’s a fitting theme, given how absolutely
along with a deep bassline and simmering keys; on scorching the riffs on this LP are. Strewn between
“I Don’t Blame You”, where he pushes the subject the nu-metal spark of “Crisis” and the slick, acidic
THE FRONT BOTTOMS to chase the fire in their heart, he digs deep into
his own and emerges with a downright gnarly solo.
soloing on “2033” is a full spate of six-string sadism;
standouts come in the numbing final breakdown on
In Sickness & In Flames Most noteworthy is how much ground Walker covers “Hellbringer”, the Southern warbles on “Crossroads”
FUELED BY RAMEN / WARNER in the 14 tight and tempreate cuts – from roaring and the all-authorative crunches on “Force Of Life”.
blues and passionate soul to tender folk and rugged Braided with luminous flickers of melody and

A fter 2015’s country, glimmers of pop and that aforementioned groove, Kaliyuga shines as an exceptionally dynamic
Back On Top funky spark, we’re treated to a wealth of ups and showcase of intense passion, emotion and talent. And,
delivered some of downs, almost all of them immediately captivating. true to the band’s form, it’s gonna sound insane live.
The Front Bottoms’
quirkiest and most
FONTAINES D.C. OCEAN ALLEY
experimental gear A Hero’s Death Lonely Diamond
PARTISAN / LIBERATOR INDEPENDENT
to date, its follow-up
(2017’s Going Grey) 2020 is officially the Despite coming
was a major slip year of doom and out in the dead of
down the staircase: gloom, so it feels winter, Ocean Alley
tired, stagnant, and fitting that LP2 from have brewed up the
its musical departures sounding far too forced for these trailblazing perfect summer
comfort (especially given the album’s narrative of post-punks would be soundtrack in LP3.
midlife crises and coveted nostalgia). In Sickness & In distinctly crushing. Fuzzy, low-fi quips
Flames doesn’t just throw singer/strummer Brian Sella The guitars are tuned of ‘70s psychedelica
and drummer Mat Uychich back into chaos mode – low and simmer with gel with blindingly
not even their fiercest obsessives could predict the a ghostly, almost bright indie rock
super-manic rollercoaster of shred and synth this album unsettling angularity. The melodies they warble out hooks, the whistling keys and punchy drums a
doles in excess – it has them downright overdosing are lustrous and catchy, but spun through a filter of radiant backdrop for Angus Goodwin’s sharp and
on eccentricity. Make no mistake: this record is truly, flagrance à la Grian Chatten’s dull, numbing howl soaring leadwork to shine. His ripping solo on “Way
utterly, uncontrollably off-the-rails. And it’s golden. that leaves the whole affair feeling like a car crash Down” is an early highlight, but rest assured there’s
Guitars on the disc are unexpectedly spicy at times. that you just can’t help but stare intently at. This plenty of kaleidoscopic ebbing and flowing across
Sella’s trademark beaten, scraggy and honeyed strum all surely reads as negativity, but let us be clear: this 45-minute mind-melter to keep fans old and
lingers around every corner, but it’s rarely a track’s focal A Hero’s Death is certainly worth diving into. It’s a new alike gripping their armrests. At times jammy
point – choruses rein in deep, gravelly electric juts and record that revels in the kind of off-kilter garishness and others jazzy – sometimes cool and sometimes
vicious wallops of distortion, while mid-song detours that a good horror flick does – certainly not for kids, chaotic – Lonely Diamond is not just the Sydney
throw wide, wailing feedback into the foreground for and admittedly rather niche, but for those to whom sextet’s most sonically diverse and interesting set
some added ‘oomph’. “Montgomery Forever” and it does appeal, there’s a damn good time to be had. of tunes to date, but also undoubtedly their best.
“Leaf Pile” are prime examples of Sella’s big six-string
moments, while cruisier jams like “The Truth” and “Love
GEORGIA MARLEY STAND ATLANTIC
At First Sight” embrace cooler, more summery acoustic Yearning Pink Elephant
HUNGRY TIME HOPELESS
melodies. There’s a wobbly, country-esque edge to Sella’s
fretting on “The Hard Way”, which is polarising at first Twirling dry, twangy Like the pop-punk
but quickly cements itself as an album highlight. folk guitars around greats in whose
Gifting the record a slick of his signature downbeat ethereal synths and footsteps they follow,
whimsicality, producer Mike Sapone’s fingerprints are clicky, minimalist Stand Atlantic have
painted all over Sickness; not just in the overdriven riffs beats, Georgia Marley taken their coveted
and sober rawness he has a knack for wringing out of makes a strikingly sophomore album
bands, either, but too in the twangy, glitchy ebb and flow, sharp first impression as a chance to build
the sharp plot twists and pseudo-psychotic interludes. on Yearning. The upon the nexus of
Sapone is the last collaborator we’d’ve imagined The Front singer-songwriter plucky, distorted
Bottoms seeking out, and the end result of their meshing is deals in slow-burning hooks and booming,
something immediately and immensely intriguing. slithers of emotional intensity, cut from the same singalong-ready choruses that made their debut
Like all The Front Bottoms’ records, Sickness serves to cloth as indie stalwarts like Angie McMahon and turn heads in 2018. The production is beefed up, the
fossilise a very specific set of times, places, moods and Gretta Ray, yet shining with a spate of tones and guitars are tighter (and on key cuts like “Jurassic Park”
atmospheres – these a little more uncertain than usual, tenacity entirely of her own. From the simmering lull and “Hate Me”, downright inhumanly catchy), and
and certainly some more tense and turbulent. The duo of “What I’ve Realised” to the crystalline bounciness of scattered amongst the standard stack of 4/4 push-pit
tracked the album before all the great calamities of 2020 “Radiators”, we’re taken on a colourful (if sometimes bangers are a few left-field gems that highlight
unfurled, but it feels emphatically suited for them. One gut-punchingly gloomy) journey deep into the mind the sprawling scope of the Sydney foursome’s
moment, it’s all cutesy and chill – the next, you’re hoping of a lovelorn storyteller with a massively lucrative polychromatic chemistry – see “Drink To Drown” and
Sella’s next therapy sesh isn’t too far off. Altogether, future ahead of her. Every dusty, angular prong “Silk & Satin” especially. The way rifflord David Potter
LP5 is nigh-on an hour of a glowingly tight, stunningly of her acoustic and low, luminescent hum rings weaves around Bonnie Fraser’s every volatile howl
dynamic and absolutely essential pop-rock. out with astonishing power; the spacial breadth and heartstrung twill is simply magical. Prepare to
MATT DORIA of Marley’s soundscapes is truly transcendental. smash the heck out of your replay buttons.
86 | REVIEWS
ANASOUNDS SPINNER, AGES + SILVER PEDALS
AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, ARE THERE STILL INTERESTING AND/OR UNIQUE THINGS TO BE DONE WITH TREMOLO
EFFECTS? HECK YEAH, IF ANASOUNDS HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT. REVIEW BY PETER HODGSON.
Y
ou only need to look at any pedal by France’s
Anasounds to know you’re in for something a
little different. Their designs feature elegant
laser-cut wooden faces, cool see-through knobs,
plexiglas panels, logos that light up in sync with rate
controls or, in the case of the Spinner expression pedal,
what looks like a freaking fidget spinner protruding
from the top! Everything they do has an aura of ‘unique’
about it. Distributor sent us three Anasounds pedals
to check out: two tremolo pedals (the Ages Harmonic
Tremolo and the Silver Tremolo) and the Spinner.
The Ages Harmonic Tremolo is Anasounds’ take on
a sound that you might know under one of a number
of names: Univibe, harmonic vibrato, vibe… You know,
that syrupy, undulating tone recognisable in the
recordings of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd.
It’s more like a phaser swimming through honey rather
than the ‘rhythmic volume variations’ effect with think
of when we hear the word ‘tremolo pedal.’
The Ages has four knobs (output volume, tone,
depth and rhythm subdivision) along with a Tap Tempo
footswitch for easily setting your effect speed. The
inclusion of a tone control is a neat idea that you don’t
often find on pedals of this type. Even more rare is
the Attack Detector mini toggle, which allows you
to change the depth or rate of the tremolo effect in
realtime through the strength of your pick attack. The
Subdivision knob offers four settings: the first doubles
the preset tempo; the second is whatever tap tempo
value you’ve input. The third position divides the tempo
by two, and the final setting divides the tempo by three.
The Silver Tremolo is a more straightforward
‘variations in volume level’ tremolo effect, although
Anasounds doesn’t release a pedal without bringing
something unique to the table. In Silver’s case, a purely
analog signal path is modulated by a digital processor:
the processor doesn’t touch your guitar signal at all
but it generates waveforms that are transmitted to the
optical circuit to apply the tremolo effect.
The analog and digital PBCs are carefully separated
inside the circuit, partially to make servicing easier but
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
also so you can swap out new chips with additional
waveforms in the future. How ‘bout that!
The digital processor also allows the Silver to
incorporate a tap-tempo footswitch which can also
double as a self-oscillation trigger when you hold it
down. The control knobs govern output, rate, depth
and rhythmic subdivision (with the same parameters
as the Ages’ subdivision pot). There’s also a mini-
toggle for selecting waveform (saw, sine, square), and
trimpots for adjusting the bias and output level.
Each of these pedals has a little eighth-inch TRS
jack for use with the Spinner expression pedal.
There’s nothing else out there like the Spinner: its
top-mounted spinny-thing (Anasounds often refers to
it as a star) incorporates three magnets which interact
with a sensor: literally spin it with your hand or the
side of your foot and the rotation rate will be sent to
whichever pedal you’re plugged into. Give it a hearty
thwack and the effect will immediately speed up to the
tempo of the spin, gradually slowing until it returns to
your preset tempo.
Inside are three trimpots to set the speed thresholds
that activate and deactivate the effect, and the
acceleration or deceleration of the effect. A mini-toggle
lets you trigger your effect while the star is spinning
even if the effect is turned off. There’s also a killswitch
mode for otherwise unattainable stutter effects.
That’s a lot to take in, but any perceived
complicated-ness melts away once you start to play.
The Ages sounds like a great Univibe-style effect, but
that’s only the beginning of it: once you start messing
around with the Attack Detector switch you open up a
VERDICT PROS
Anasounds’ two unique takes on two very Unique design.
different types of tremolo effect seem enticing Very interactive.
enough, and that’s before you add the High quality sounds.
never-before-heard capabilities of the Spinner
expression pedal, which does things that other
expression pedals literally cannot do.
RRP: $195-385
whole new world of interactivity. The harmonic vibrato
effect is no longer something that’s ‘happening to’ your
guitar sound. It becomes a part of whatever you’re
playing. Hit the string harder to speed up the speed of
the effect for a really dramatic accent, or trigger deeper
effect levels for emphasis. Add the Spinner for sounds
that were literally unavailable until now.
The Silver Tremolo is also a really nice-sounding
version of a traditional effect, but again really steps up a
notch when you bring in the capabilities of the Spinner.
It’s capable of producing a truly beautifully expressive
shimmer effect that interacts with your music.
Imagine hitting a sustaining chord as the rest of the
band stops at the end of a section and sending your
tremolo into a rapid, fluttery flurry that gradually backs
off until either returning to the original tempo or until
the effect turns off completely, and then having the rest
of the band kick back in again.
Anasounds didn’t even need to create the Spinner
in order to great sounds and performance features out
of its pedals – they certainly stand on their own merits
without it – but the Spinner brings out so many cool
new possibilities that it could do what the DigiTech
Whammy Pedal did upon its introduction, which is to
inspire players to find their own ways to use it.
Once you get the hang of it, manipulating the
spinning star becomes as personal and unique as the
way each player manipulates their guitar strings. So
yeah, by all means give Anasounds’ tremolo pedals
serious consideration – both are well-built and
feature-packed – and then make sure you budget for a
Spinner as well to bring out something really unique.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
Stereo would be nice. STUDIO CONNECTIONS
Ph: (03) 9416 8097
Web: studioconnections.com.au

JACKSON ADRIAN SMITH SDXM +
PRO SERIES SOLOIST SL2P MAH
JACKSON DELIVER TWO NICELY PRICED ELECTRICS THAT COVER ALL THE BASES. REVIEW BY CHRIS GILL.
4
0 years ago, the very first guitar with
the Jackson name on its headstock
made its debut: a custom model
designed in collaboration with Randy Rhoads
called the Concorde. While the company started
out as a custom shop with a clientele of artists
who could afford to pay more for quality,
eventually Jackson started offering production-
line models in the ‘90s, including an affordable
line of import instruments.
Today Jackson is bigger than ever, producing
155 different models, which is probably more
than the total amount of guitars the company
built during an entire year during the early
‘80s.
Jackson currently offers a comprehensive
selection of guitar models that range in price
from $150 to $5,300. What is truly remarkable
is that the majority of today’s Jackson models
(104 of them, to be exact) sell for street prices
of around $1,000 to $2,000. We took a closer
look at two new Jacksons that fall into that
range – the Adrian Smith SDXM and Pro Series
Soloist SL2P MAH – to see how their quality
stacks up to the competition as well as its
higher-end models from the past and present.
While the Jackson Adrian Smith SDXM and
Pro Series Soloist SL2P MAH are both quite
attractively priced, selling for street prices
of $1,099 and $2,099 Australian dollars,
respectively, they stand out from many other
competitors’ models in the same price range
with their distinctive styling.  unique (and for some, perhaps even a little
To the naked eye, the Adrian Smith SDXM
looks identical to its pricier USA-made San
Dimas flagship version, with the differences
lying in details like a slightly wider nut width
(42.86mm on the SDXM com-pared to 42mm
on the USA version), different materials and
different hardware.  Series Soloist SL2P MAH are both
The SDXM has a full-sized Strat-style San
Dimas body made of basswood and a maple
bolt-on neck with a satin finish, 25.5-inch scale
length, compound 12-to-16-inch radius, 22
jumbo frets and a licensed Fender Stratocaster
headstock with oversized “arena” Jackson logo.
RRP: $1,099 (SDXM) • $2,099 (SL2P MAH)
Hardware includes a top-mounted Floyd Rose
Special double-locking tremolo, Jackson sealed
die-cast tuners, dome-style master volume and
master tone knobs and side-mounted output
jack. Pickups consist of a Jackson high-output
humbucker in the bridge and Jackson single-coils
at the middle and neck positions, controlled with a
five-position blade pickup-selector switch.
The Jackson Pro Series Soloist SL2P MAH is
one of the latest iterations of the company’s
best-selling super strat design offered since the
mid ‘80s. It features the standard (and very sleek)
Soloist 7/8-size body made of mahogany with a
poplar burl top and smooth satin Carmel burl
finish and a maple neck-through-body with 25.5-
inch scale length, compound 12-to-16-inch radius,
24 jumbo frets, ebony fingerboard with subtle
Alumiloid Piranha Tooth inlays and iconic Jackson
pointed six-in-line headstock.  hour of playing.
The pickups are mounted directly to the body
and consist of a Seymour Duncan Distortion TB-6
at the bridge and Seymour Duncan Distortion
SH-6N at the neck. Other features include a
three-position pickup toggle switch, master
volume and master tone knobs, recessed Floyd
Rose 1000 Series double-locking tremolo, and
single-layer white binding surrounding the top,
fretboard and headstock. All make for a seriously
polarising) look.
While the Adrian Smith SDXM leans a little more
VERDICT PROS
The Jackson Adrian Smith SDXM and Pro SDXM has 22 jumbo frets
and a slim, C-shaped
incredible additions to Jackson’s current profile to provide the
line that deliver outstanding value and ideal combination of tone
live up to the company’s storied reputation and playability.
for playability and tone. Soloist’s Seymour Duncan
humbuckers provide rich,
.
complex tones.
| 87
toward traditional design with its larger, heavier
body and 22-fret neck with a slightly thicker,
rounder profile than the Soloist model, it still falls
within the definition of a hot-rodded SuperStrat
that lives up to its namesake’s reputation as a
string slinger for Iron Maiden.
The bridge humbucker’s tone is very aggressive
with a prominent midrange growl, while the single
coil pickups deliver fat Strat-style tones with
crisp percussive attack enhanced by the maple
fretboard. Attention to detail is immaculate, and
its playability is simply outstanding.
I have to admit that the Pro Series Soloist SL2P
MAH is actually a better guitar than an early
Jackson Soloist I was privileged to play in the mid
‘80s. The neck is extremely comfortable, with a
slim, fast action that facilitates precise playing. I
found it hard to put the guitar down even after an
 
The Duncan pickups deliver harmonically rich
tone with a voice-like midrange that hits the sweet
spot while also producing deep, barking bass and
bell-like treble. This is a first-class axe through and
through, and it’s difficult to believe that it sells for
only a little over a grand.
With incredible value for money, state-of-the-art
designs and tones that seriously rival guitars ten
times their cost, both of these entry-to-mid-level
Jacksons are no-brainer buys, and definitive proof
of Jackson’s dedication to their craft.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
Not everyone will be keen on FENDER
the Floyd Rose. Ph: (02) 8198 1300
Soloist’s looks won’t be for
everyone, either.
Web: fender.com
88 | REVIEWS
A YEAR ON FROM THE GROUNDBREAKING ACOUSTASONIC TELE, THE BIG F RELEASES THIS HYBRID
ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC STRAT. BUT IS IT JUST A NEW SHAPE OR A NEW VOICE? REVIEW BY DAVE BURRLUCK.
C
all it shock of the new, but just a year after
Fender launched its American Acoustasonic
Telecaster, doesn’t it look less radical now
and more a part of the furniture? That familiarity
certainly informs this new 2020 Stratocaster
version.
With its natural or coloured inset spruce top, it
initially appears far less modern than its original
sibling, albeit far from our vintage friends.
Whatever your thoughts are on that, there’s little
to dispute the fact that the Acoustasonic platform
suits the once pioneering Stratocaster style.  an AER combo and from the off it’s game on. In terms
Even before you plug in to explore the different
acoustic and electric voices, it has a surprisingly
strong and full voice, and while it obviously won’t
challenge even the smallest of acoustic steel-
strings for volume and depth, it’s roomy and
resonant, an inviting playing experience. A very
good start.
First and foremost it is an acoustic guitar, albeit
with a relatively small soundbox chamber and that
central soundhole colloquially referred to as the
‘doughnut’, which is officially called the patented
Stringed Instrument Resonance System (SIRS). It’s
more a soundport than a simple hole in the top to
let the air out and, as Fender’s Tim Shaw has stated,
such was the key to kicking off this Stratocaster
version.
Both the mahogany neck and body have quite
a textured feel that will benefit from playing and
probably burnish the seemingly near bare wood.
Like the Tele, it’s a full Fender-scale bolt-on but
with acoustic strings, including a wound third
string, acoustic-style bridge and compensated
saddle – very much an acoustic/electric hybrid.
And that’s exactly what it is and it leans almost
as heavily as the Telecaster on those amplified
acoustic voices.
So, like the Telecaster, we get a master volume
and a five-position lever Voice Selector switch,
which offers five pairs of voices (A and B) that
can be voiced individually or as a blend of the two
via the Mod control. Powering for the extensive
onboard electronics comes not from a conventional
battery but a simple USB plug on the circular
output jack dish. And, yes, just as you would your
phone, you’ll need to charge it before it’ll work.  or more classic Americana or alt-rock. It also sounds
FEELS AND SOUNDS
It’ll probably be the lightest Strat in your
collection, and even though it’s very slightly
heavier than the Tele we reviewed last year, at
2.32 kilograms, it’s light in anyone’s book. As we
mentioned in our introduction, however, it’s the
unplugged acoustic sound that initially impresses
with surprising volume and a strong mid-flavoured
voice that you could probably put a
| australianguitarmag.com.au
FENDER AMERICAN
ACOUSTASONIC STRATOCASTER
RRP: $3,999
mic in front of and capture quite an accurate acoustic UNDER THE HOOD
archtop or even Selmer Maccaferri-ish voice.  Exactly like the Acoustasonic Telecaster that
The response is balanced across the range, too, preceded it, when you remove the controls’ rear
from big and vibrant first position chords up to backplate, you get some idea of the considerable
strong-sounding high-fret lead lines, which, of course, technology at play here. The big PCB, which has over
this Strat excels at; for an electro-acoustic electric 380 components, is a very alien sight – about the only
guitar, the fingerboard access is stupidly good. ‘normal’ thing is the five-way lever switch!
We initially plug in via our acoustic pedalboard to Remove the central backplate (which holds the
battery pack), and where you would expect to see
of playability, you’ll have to get used to a tougher feel springs and vibrato block, it’s equally unusual:
if you’re coming from your regular Strat, because it there’s the Fender N4 MVT magnetic Noiseless
ships with Fender Dura-Tone coated phosphor bronze pickup, and between that and the string anchor point
0.011 to 0.052-gauge strings. But the ‘deep C’ neck is the rectangular top/body sensor, the Fishman
profile is exactly the same as Fender’s Professional Acoustasonic Enhancer. You can’t see the third pickup –
series, except it has a slightly flatter fingerboard a Fishman piezo transducer – under the compensated
radius. Setup on our sample was pretty much bang saddle within the bridge, but what’s clearly visible
on 1.6mm on treble and bass sides. Gauge and string is the hollow nature of the guitar and the two small
type aside, you’re playing an electric guitar here.  longitudinal top braces running either side of that
Plugged in, it’s a different, mainly acoustic world. doughnut soundhole.
In positions five and four, you really should be able
to find a sound whether you’re strumming hard FINAL THOUGHTS
where those dreadnoughts do their thing or losing Clearly, new guitar design is alive and well. There’s
your pick for some mellower fingerstyle on the a very ‘open book’ vibe here. On one level it’s a
smaller-body voicings, which don’t sound ‘small’ at lightweight electric-sized electro-acoustic with some
all if we’re being totally honest. highly credible acoustic voices without the big body
The addition of the top pickup in position three – and feedback potential – of the real thing. If you
adds a touch of ambience to the sound as well as used it for solo function gigs alone it’d soon pay you
making the top livelier if percussion is part of your back, but that’s missing so much of the instrument’s
style; simple rhythm taps sound very natural. The potential that can begin to be realised once you plug
electric sounds are tighter and maybe don’t work into your electric rig and pedalboard. 
quite as well in this environment, but the acoustic/ The voicing of that bridge pickup is superb and
electric mix in position two is a very usable acoustic/ the clean, hair and hairier crunch will soon have you
electric hybrid. rocking out. While there’s only one sound pair where
By design, the Acoustasonic platform is about you can blend acoustic and electric, it’s extremely
much more than simply giving you some pretty well voiced. Our test time only scratches the surface
impressive acoustic sounds. Swap over to your of the instrument’s potential.
electric rig and the three shades of that clean Yes, Fender could provide us with an optional
magnetic pickup are equally impressive. There’s a bit saddle that’s compensated for a plain third string, and
more body and output to the sound compared with we can only hope that sometime soon a version with
our reference Strat, albeit with a shorter note decay, a neck pickup surfaces for those of us with jazzier
and there’s a lot of fun to be had kicking in various tastes. But until then, for the creative musician, or
boosts and overdrives. You could find a place for simply someone who wants quality acoustic sounds in
this in anything from old blues to modern country, a very easy and ergonomic package, there’s nothing
quite like this. And if push comes to shove, we prefer
great as a really swampy slide guitar. it to the OG Tele.
VERDICT PROS CONS DISTRIBUTOR
The Acoustasonic Strat ups the ante with an Innovative design with No compensated saddle for FENDER
even more versatile range of tones than the sharp, lightweight build. an unwound third string. Ph: (02) 8198 1300
superb Telecaster, and its inventive hybrid Very credible plugged-in Left-handers are ignored.
Web: fender.com
build remains a joy to play. acoustic voices.
Expanded electric sounds
over the Tele version.
 | 89

ERNIE BALL VPJR TUNER

ERNIE BALL COMBINES TWO ESSENTIAL PEDALS AND KNOCKS
IT OUT OF THE PARK. REVIEW BY PAUL RIARIO.

W
hat can you say about a volume pedal? be routed as either a master volume or
“It smoothly sweeps from no signal to full gain control.
volume, and it’s great for volume swells.” There’s no guesswork using
Review over. I jest, but seriously, just when thought the VPJR Tuner. I mean,
you couldn’t improve upon a volume pedal, think it’s still a volume
again. Ernie Ball has been making some of the most pedal! In combo
durable, best-selling volume pedals longer than most mode, heel down cuts
guitarists reading this review have been alive. out the signal and
They recently released the Ernie Ball VPJR Tuner: a displays the tuner. I’ve
two-in-one pedal that combines a numerical graphic seen a lot of digital
volume display and an onboard digital chromatic tuner tuners, but this
on a crystal-clear display screen integrated on the incredibly accurate one
pedal’s treadle. on the VPJR Tuner is a standout. 
This rugged piece of machinery uses aircraft-grade The large-screen readout, incremental needle
aluminium for its compact chassis. It features a movement, and having the entire display field
high-quality discrete buffer circuit, quarter-inch input/ light up from blue (sharp or flat) to green (in tune)
output and FX send/return jacks, a non-slip, super-grip ensures precise tuning. What’s really cool is that
surface on its treadle and a practically unbreakable gradually sweeping your toe down triggers the level VERDICT DISTRIBUTOR
PVC-coated braided Kevlar cord that retains consistent indicator that goes from 1-10, and offers obsessive A clever, space-saving pedalboard CMC MUSIC
tension throughout the sweep of the pedal.  guitarists a numerical point of view on where they idea which Ernie Ball have brilliantly Ph: (02) 9905 2511
The heart of the VPJR Tuner is the enhanced- can determine clean, rhythm and lead ranges.  executed with the VPJR Tuner.
definition touchscreen display located on the treadle The treadle is so precise that once you get used Web: cmcmusic.com.au
that lets you choose between three modes (volume to its throw, slightly tapping it easily accomplishes
and tuner, volume only, tuner only). Most players will this. Most players use their ears and feel when it PROS CONS
likely use the combination of both, because its design comes to using volume pedals, but the VPJR Tuner
Modern user interface featuring No polyphonic tuning.
activates the tuner at no signal or minimal volume is like having a digital speedometer to know how
a touchscreen display.
(heel down) and switches to a graphic volume readout fast you’re going.
Built-in effects loop.
once a signal is detected.  Having an effects loop built into the VPJR Tuner
Affordable given the combined
The tuner can also be calibrated to a wide variety of makes it a must-have, but I’m certain you already
functionality.
reference pitches, and just as handy, the treadle can get my gist that this pedal is indispensable.

FENDER SMOLDER ACOUSTIC OVERDRIVE RRP: $299

THE BIG F’S EVER-GROWING EFFECTS FAMILY BIRTHS ITS FIRST ACOUSTIC STOMPBOX. REVIEW BY ROB LAING.

W
hen Fender launched a brand new making everything clear. Metallic brown
effects line with six pedals at the is an ‘unplugged’ vibe too, right?
beginning of 2018, few could have The optional LEDS on the controls
predicted just how enthusiastically it would are a win for us too for dark stages –
embrace expanding it; there’s now 22 pedals and and can be switch off at the back.
counting in a consistently impressive range that Fender’s effects reflect consideration
brings innovative features to the table. in what its new circuits can offer that
This is the first acoustic pedal in the family, and others on the market may not.
rather than a more ubiquitous reverb, compression This goes further than you may
or delay, Fender have gone for a dedicated overdrive. presume; the Pickup Compensation
We’re intrigued! And after getting our hands (and control effectively smooths out our
feet) on the pedal, it turns out we’re right to be. piezo electro-acoustic’s tone to prove a
Like the rest of the line, the Smolder has a hardy useful tool in itself, even with the
chassis, with its simple and contemporary typeface drive dialled right down. 
While the gain takes you from a
VERDICT DISTRIBUTOR boost to fiercer territory, the EQ
effectively shapes it to become a
A hugely musical drive pedal FENDER versatile, organic tool. The Tone dials
complemented by a powerful EQ Ph: (02) 8198 1300 out any unwanted sizzle from your
section that’s a tone sweetener
Web: fender.com drive tone (we didn’t get much anyway,
in its own right. to be fair) and the Blend is the real key
control here; it balances overdriven
PROS CONS and pure piezo signal. 
Great Fender pedal build with Not much, though overdrive is The combination is a highly editable,
LED-lit controls. not every acoustic player’s bag. versatile and very musical acoustic
The drive is excellent. pedal that’s another win for the series.
Pickup Compensation is a If the quality of this build is to give us
great tool. any indication of where Fender are
EQ and blend make for an heading with the next batch of their
editable and versatile experience. boutique pedals, we can’t wait to get
Good value. our hands on them!
90 | REVIEWS
BLACKSTAR SILVERLINE DELUXE HEAD
BLACKSTAR’S NEXT-GEN SILVERLINE PROVES THAT DIGITAL IS THE NEW BLACK. REVIEW BY NICK GUPPY.
T
he Silverline series has a unique look in
Blackstar’s catalogue: a light-grey vinyl coat
teamed with a black and silver sparkle grille cloth,
and a small silver badge instead of the familiar moulded
plastic logo. The MDF cabinet surrounds a steel tray
chassis, which contains the modular PCB electronics.
The dimensions are typical for a compact valve head,
apart from the weight – there are no valves, and
therefore no heavy transformers.
The USB connector allows direct recording and
reamping, plus remote patch access, firmware
updating and storage via Blackstar’s Insider app. The
control panel features a six-position rotary switch to
choose the basic voice, followed by familiar controls
for gain, volume, bass mid and treble. Not so familiar
(unless you’re already a Blackstar user) is the Infinite
Shape Feature control, which adds further tonal
versatility by continuously varying the EQ stack from
classic British to USA response. This rotary selector
provides six distinct responses based on the most
popular valve output stages.
Next up are the Silverline’s digital effects, with
three button switches and a knob to select the basic
effects types, and an effects level control. There
are also non-programmable master controls for
presence, resonance and volume.Around the back
there’s a sparsely populated rear panel with a pair
of speaker jacks, footswitch and MIDI sockets, and a
speaker-emulated phones/line-out jack together with
an MP3/line-in. These last two can be reconfigured
in Blackstar’s Insider app to run as a series effects
loop. Overall, the Silverline Deluxe looks the part,
especially atop its matching two-by-12-inch cabinet.
Rather than offer an impressionist’s repertoire of
classic amplifiers from yesteryear, Blackstar’s Silverline
features updated versions of the proprietary voices
found on its ID series: Clean Warm and Clean Bright,
Crunch and Super Crunch for light to medium drive
sounds, and the well-known OD1 and 0D2 lead voices.
W
hen it comes to guitar amplification,
it’s hard to overstate the longstanding
influence of Vox. Found in the rigs of
pioneers such as Hank Marvin, Brian May, The Edge and,
frankly, countless other icons of guitar, the company’s
legendary AC15 and AC30 models have shaped the
sound of rock music for more than six decades.
The Cambridge50 continues in the vein of the
company’s Valvetronix digital modelling series of
the early 2000s, employing a NuTube preamp valve
alongside Virtual Element technology and a solid-state
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
Combining the regular
EQ controls, ISF control,
resonance, presence and
the TVP response switch,
there’s a lot of tone-shaping
flexibility. However,
everything is arranged in
an intuitive way, so it’s
quick and easy to dial in
the sounds you’re after. The
Silverline’s two clean sounds
are good for all vintage and
modern styles. Clean Bright has a little extra gain as
well as a tighter bass and extended high range, which
works really well with single coils, while Clean Warm is
ideal for humbuckers.
Crunch and Super Crunch add extra gain and
enhanced dynamics, which sound great for blues and
classic rock, while OD1 and OD2 pile on gain and sustain
for high-energy solos, with OD2’s mid-boosted tone
working better for single coils.
The True Valve Power response switch emulates
EL84, 6V6, EL34, KT66, 6L6 and KT88 power stages,
with compression and drive progressively reducing as
you travel up from the EL84 setting to the KT88, which
has the biggest, most open sound. The Silverline’s tones
breathe and respond like a good valve amp, cleaning up
as you back off with the pick or guitar volume control
and increasing in bite and aggression as you dig in.  studio companion, with a speaker-emulated line out and
We used our regular Les Paul and Duncan Alnico
Proloaded Strat alongside a Gibson Memphis ’63 ES-335
and found our favourite sounds using the four clean
and crunch voices in combination with the EL84, 6V6
VERDICT PROS
Blackline’s Silverline range represents Very authentic valve-like
excellent value for money, with something tone and dynamics.
for players at all levels to enjoy. Competitive price.
VOX CAMBRIDGE50
CHRIS BIRD GOES HANDS-ON WITH VOX’S NEW DIGITAL-VALVE HYBRID.
power amp to deliver what Vox promise to be “realistic
and stage-ready” sounds. We’d agree that this is
indeed a stage-ready offering – for small gigs at least.
For a relatively lightweight amp, this box dishes out
impressive volume levels. And yes, it’s realistic, too!
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Cambridge50’s most
authentic sounds come from Vox’s own AC30 and
AC30TB models. There’s a warmth and naturalness
to these, and the breakup on the grittier TB model is
especially pleasing. The three Marshall-inspired Brit
models also see the Cambridge50 in its sweet spot.
Head into high-gain territory and you’ll find the Vox has
a biting top-end. We found ourselves winding the treble
right back to tame the highs on the SL-OD and Double
Rec models. A touch too much top-end? We’ll let you be
the judge of that, but even if it does sound harsh to your
ears, consider that it might be just the ticket to get you
heard in a busy mix or over a heavy-hitting drummer.
VERDICT PROS
Serious value for money, with a NuTube valve Naturalistic valve tones.
offering traditional tones/response alongside Onboard tuner.
all the onboard effects and amp modelling. Lots of in-app tone-tweaking.
.
RRP: $1,099
and 6L6 TVP settings. This offered us a great selection
of AC30-ish cleans and Tweed-inspired leads that
covered everything from woody jazz tones to ‘70s
classic rock. For modern rock and metal, the OD1 and
OD2 voices are ready and waiting with enough gain and
sustain to make even the weediest of single coils sound
like the axe of a rock god.
Unlike amps that use effects to mask less-than-great
core sounds, the Silverline’s onboard effects are the
cherry on top of a very tasty cake, including four choices
each for modulation, delay and reverb, with all three
effects types able to run simultaneously.
With 100 watts powering the Silverline Deluxe’s
two-by-12-inch, Celestion V-Type-loaded cabinet, this
little beast has plenty of volume to handle any gig, as
well as looking impressive on stage. It’s also a great
a USB socket for direct recording and reamping using
Blackstar’s Insider app, which accesses the front panel
controls and a few hidden functions, as well as being a
storage library for your favourite patches.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
Effects choice limited when CMI MUSIC & AUDIO
compared to the competition. Ph: (03) 9315 2244
Web: cmi.com.au
RRP: $549.99
Eight effects are included on the Cambridge50 – four
modulations and four delays/reverbs – and, though
you can’t dial all eight in at once, you can save up
to 11 presets. That’s probably enough for most gigs
and a fair reflection of the amp’s capabilities – this
is a product designed for players who want to dial in
their tone quickly, and not for those who want to go
deep into menu editing. You’ll get the most out of the
effects via Vox’s included Tone Room editor app (for
Mac, Windows, iOS and Android), and there’s also an
optional VFS-5 footswitch controller.
The Cambridge50’s onboard tuner, audio interface,
auxiliary input and preset recall controls are all
welcome additions, alongside the JamVOX III modelling
software which comes bundled as standard. The
NuTube valve is the ace up this amp’s sleeve, though,
helping to deliver a natural feel and response in those
traditional Vox-inspired medium drive tones.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
High-gain tones can be a bit YAMAHA AUSTRALIA
on the brighter side. Ph: (03) 9693 5111
Web: au.yamaha.com
 | 91

FAITH NEPTUNE BLUE MOON RRP: $2,495

WITH A FIGURED JAVA MANGO BUILD, FAITH’S NEW NEPTUNE ACOUSTIC OFFERS A FRESH APPROACH.
BUT ARE THE TONES OTHERWORLDLY? REVIEW BY DAVID MEAD.

W
ith 18 years’ experience behind it and a
respectable number of awards to its credit,
Faith has built a reputation as a builder of
medium-priced quality acoustics that’s embedded in the
psyche of players worldwide. The mastermind behind
the design of the instruments is Patrick James Eggle – a
luthier who knows a thing or two about guitars, both
electric and acoustic, after all.  prove to be a good friend in this respect. Flamed maple
In the past, Faith has brought us series such as
the PJE Legacy, Blood Moon, Nomad and Eclipse and
sprouted body shapes that are named after celestial
bodies like Venus, Saturn, Mercury and Mars. The Blue
Moon Series is the company’s latest theme and the
model we have here is a Neptune, a planet from the
outer reaches of the solar system and, coincidentally,
blue in colour when viewed from Earth.  adding to its general bonniness. Once we reach the
We like a well thought-out plan… In recent years,
guitar builders big and small have been experimenting
with alternative timbers in order to be environmentally
aware and circumvent restrictions on the exportation
of traditional timbers such as rosewood and mahogany.
So we are becoming used to seeing unusual body-wood
formulae appearing in the spec of current models.  hardware includes a set of Grover Rotomatic tuners,
We have to admit, though, that mango is a new one
on us. It’s usual that the lesser-known timbers make
their appearance as back and sides, or even necks and
fingerboards, but for the company to have used mango
for both back, sides and top wood, shows a considerable
leap of, erm, faith. Any new character in the dramatis
personae of guitar woods deserves an introduction and
mango is predominantly Hawaiian, although there is an
Indonesian variety, which is what we find here.  of the fine-wine market and begin making some fairly
Mango can be highly figured, with natural colouring
that includes dark brown with streaks of lighter wood
and sometimes yellows and greens. Occasional spalting
adds to the ornate figuring within the wood, which will
have plenty of swirls and curls of its own.
As far as tonal expectations are concerned, luthiers
claim it to share many qualities with koa, with a bright
tone and plenty of bass present. Naturally, the quality of
the wood will vary enormously and so careful selection
is necessary when using it for musical instruments.  were being overly critical, we’d say that the Neptune
Faith tells us that “tonally, mango has an interesting
character. It is not as loud and punchy as rosewood nor
as straightforwardly mellow as mahogany, yet it bears
its own distinctive warmth. With frequency prominence
starting a little below that of mahogany and dropping
off a little earlier in the midrange, the overall tone could
be described as ‘dark and moody’.” 
We’re not averse to ‘dark and moody’ and so we’re
looking forward to bashing out a few tunes in a little
while. We may even try a little blues… As we’ve
established, the motif with the Neptune is heading
towards the mauve end of the spectrum and so the
figuring in the mango – present in abundance as far as we
can see – is something you have to view at close range.
You don’t have to be too far away before it becomes
pretty much invisible, although stage lighting could
binding contrasts the Neptune’s dark side, as does the
abalone rosette – it’s a good-looking instrument, even if
some of its charms are obscured from general view.
Faith’s body size designation here is a ‘Baby Jumbo’,
but at 405mm (15.9 inches) at its widest point and
116mm (4.5 inches) deep at the endpin, it’s a big baby.
It’s all in proportion, though, with the graceful cutaway
Neptune’s neck we’re back in traditional territory with
satin-finished mahogany and a fingerboard of ebony, its
radius clocking in at 406mm (16 inches).  operation. Flush controls here include a combined push-
The only ’board ornamentation is the Faith mother-
of-pearl crescent at the 12th fret, and at the other end
the Tusq nut measures the standard 43mm. Other
a Tusq saddle and a Macassan ebony bridge with
matching abalone dotted string pins.   treble and middle are similarly refined. It means that
Interested to hear what mango was going to bring to
the table, we plunged into the Neptune’s alleged ‘dark
and moody’ atmosphere with a few exploratory chords.
Now, we’ve said often in the past that sound is very
difficult to describe in words. If you’re not too careful
you skid immediately into the more pretentious end
ridiculous comparisons.
What we were expecting was something really quite
sombre – dark and moody, remember? – but instead we
found a brightness in the treble that was accentuated
when using a pick, but more mellowed down when
adopting fingerstyle. There’s plenty of bass, too. In fact,
it’s almost as if the Blue Moon wants to be drop-tuned –
and so, of course, we obliged. With the bass string
dropped to D the party really started, although, if we
might be a little lacking in the midrange. It seems that
treble and bass are both available in ample supply, but
maybe a little more oomph in the centre audio field
VERDICT PROS
If you’re seeking something a little more An interesting voyage
exotic from your acoustic look and tone, into the aural charms of
this mango-bodied beauty is well worth a little-known tonewood.
tucking into.
would liven things up even more.
We were a bit concerned that the 43mm nut might
mean that fingerstyle was a bit of a cramped affair for
the fingers, but everyone in the office who picked up
the instrument was surprised when we offered up the
stats in this respect. We came to the conclusion that the
depth of the neck at the nut (which is on the slender
side) and the generous C profile combine to make the
nut feel wider in the hand than it actually is. Whether
this is down to cunning luthiery on behalf of Mr Eggle
or sheer happenstance is open for debate, but we didn’t
experience any cramping in that region when switching
between campfire chords and deft pluckery.
The Neptune is equipped with a Fishman Ink 3
preamp and a Sonicore under-saddle pickup. The
advantages here are the low-profile design – no knobs
to spoil the guitar’s elegant looks or get in the way of
the happy strummer’s right arm – and its simplicity in
button tuner and display, plus four rotaries for volume,
treble, middle and bass. 
The good thing is that Fishman has chosen the range
of the EQ very wisely; there is more than ample bass but
not so much to allow things to become boomy, and both
any apprehension we had with the Neptune’s midrange
could be easily dispelled – we found that taming the
treble a smidge, boosting the bass a little and bringing
the mids fully into play made a big difference. You
certainly wouldn’t have any worries plugging in at a gig
or open-mic evening.  
There’s no doubt that the Blue Moon has a shelf-load
of virtues all of its own. It’s a shame that the figuring of
the mango wood is not more prominent, especially on
the front of the instrument as it could raise the guitar’s
game a little from a kerb appeal point of view. 
Mango brings its own characteristics to the picture
in the sound stakes, too. We wonder if, like koa, the
instrument’s brightness might mellow down given
the passage of time and offer the midrange the
opportunity to show through. After all, it usually takes
a few years before an acoustic guitar finds its true
voice and we suspect this might be the case here.
And it might just help the Neptune travel from just
‘moody’ to magnificent.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
A (very) slight lack of CMC MUSIC
presence in the midrange. Ph: (02) 9905 2511
Web: cmcmusic.com.au
92 | REVIEWS
ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN SABRE
EN GARDE! THIS NEW MUSIC MAN DOUBLE-CUT MIGHT BE UNSHEATHED FROM DESIGNS OF YORE
BUT IS NO VINTAGE FLASHBACK. REVIEW BY ED MITCHELL.
W
.e have to ’fess up here. If we hadn’t
eyeballed the headstock of the new for
2020 Sabre, we’d never have guessed it
was built by Music Man.
It’s easy to pick a Music Man StingRay or Axis out of
a line-up. The body shapes are a dead giveaway, not to
mention the StingRay’s conspicuous control plate. The
St Vincent model is too outlandish to go incognito, and
the Albert Lee and Steve Lukather signatures couldn’t
mask their origins if they hid behind big sunglasses and
a Magnum PI moustache.
The same could be said of the new Sabre’s
illustrious if short-lived ancestors. The original
Music Man Sabre made its debut in 1978 and was in
production for a couple of years. Aside from a better
known bass variant, the guitar was available in two
formats, the imaginatively titled I and II.  like the old Fender covers.  the outside coil option. The inside coil setting gets you
Designed by Leo Fender and George Fullerton
shortly before they scuttled off to found G&L, the I had
a 12-inch fingerboard radius and regular-size frets. The
II featured an old-school 7.25-inch radius, with skinnier
vintage-style frets to match. Both models were spec’d
with an active preamp, two-band EQ, and a phase
reversal switch.  Playability is maximised by a 254mm (10-inch)
In fact, aside from a Strat-ish chassis, bolt-on neck
and HH pickup layout, the new Sabre has just about
zero in common with those original guitars. Oh well,
out with the old… Like any ‘S-style’ guitar with direct-
mount humbuckers, the Sabre is also a descendent of
Eddie Van Halen’s Frankenstrat.  Schaller M6-IND tuners. The headstock is, of course,
Yet while Eddie’s old amigo looked like it had been
dragged through a hedge backwards, our Sabre is
way more refined, like it gets its clobber from a tailor
on Savile Row. The spec sheet opens with a okoume
body crowned with a 13mm thick slice of bookmatched
flame maple, finished in high-gloss polyester. Okoume
is an African hardwood that’s sustainable and provides
aesthetics and weight that might convince some that
they’re dealing with mahogany. The “subtly carved”
flame maple top has exposed edges that act as pretty
body binding. Just like PRS.  is immediately impressive. First impressions? These
As previously mentioned, the humbucking pickups
are direct-mounted. Both units are wound in-house.
The bridge pickup is loaded with Alnico V magnets
with a quoted DCR of 18kohms. The neck pickup runs
a Ceramic 8 magnet with a reading of 12.2kohms.
The wiring loom offers none of the over-engineered
exuberance of a 70s Sabre. Here, all you’ll find is a
master volume, master tone and a five-way pickup
selector switch. Peeking inside the control cavity, you’ll
uncover a well-ordered layout protected by graphite
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
acrylic resin paint and an aluminium cover plate to
ward off electrical hum.
The vibrato cover plate is also made from aluminium.
We were surprised to see that these plates are not
recessed. That little craftsman’s touch is something we’d
expect on a guitar of this value. You must have noticed
this guitar’s ‘Modern Tremolo’.
Music Man describes it as having a “crescent cover”
and vintage bent steel saddles. We’d agree with all that.
The cover is reminiscent of the ashtray thing that came
with old Strats and their Custom Shop doppelgängers.  ping off the ’board like fizzy bottle tops.
It’s possible to palm-mute with the Sabre’s cover in
place, and you can also intonate the guitar with it in
place. There are six access holes. If it gets in your way,
it can be removed by undoing a couple of screws from
inside the vibrato cavity – it doesn’t just pop on and off
That just leaves the push-in vibrato arm wanting of a
mention. It’s all good news there, too. There’s no thread
to strip and the arm obediently stays put wherever you
abandon it. Moving in to the pointy bit, the 648mm
(25.5-inch) bolt-on roasted figured maple neck is held to
account by the body with five screws.  but there’s a sliver of top-end that lays waste to any
fingerboard radius, 22 high-profile medium stainless-
steel frets, and a sculpted neck/body join. A hand-
rubbed gun stock oil and wax finish helps you avoid
any sticky situations. Tuning stability is maintained with
a slippery graphite compensated top nut and a set of
your now iconic ‘four over two’ format. The original
Sabres came with the Fender six-in-line tuner design.  run you – there’s no Australian RRP, but expect to shell
If you’ve ever heard the expression ‘this thing plays
itself’ then this is your opportunity to experience that
first hand. Despite being supplied with Ernie Ball Slinkys
0.010 to 0.046-gauge strings, the feel is super-light.
We figured incorrectly that we were dealing with a
compound radius ’board here. The fact is, this guitar is
just very well set up.  tone palette that implies.The Sabre is a guitar that can
Brandished at an amplifier’s clean channel, the sustain
humbuckers are full, punchy-sounding characters, but
there’s a lot of tonal variety on tap. At either end of its
VERDICT PROS
The Sabre might not immediately scream Outstanding looks.
“Music Man” but it does live up to its Stellar playability.
weaponised name tag. Yes, those who Great set of pickups.
choose to live by this sword will be very The weight sits perfectly
happy indeed. in the sweet spot.
PRICE: CHECK DEALER
travel, the five-way selector switch offers access to the
bridge or neck ’bucker running solo in series. 
Position 2 is the coil-split outer coils on each pickup
in parallel. The third position is both ’buckers on full
in parallel. Finally, you get a coil-split option with just
the inner coils of the bridge and neck pups. The Sabre
presents itself as a guitar for modern players. The
high-output bridge pup is mouthy enough for metal
and its countless sub genres. There’s bags of definition
in those coils. You can hear every note, and harmonics
Engaging the coil-split modes introduces some
woodiness, but it doesn’t come across as retro. It’s
more like laser-cut than hand-crafted. The two coil-split
modes might appear pretty similar, but there is a
discernible increase in bottom-end when you employ
some ways down the road to an in-between Strat thing
that’s perfect for that funky stuff.
While we were initially sceptical of the neck pickup’s
ceramic magnets, we’re sold on the sharp definition this
thing pumps out. Bottom-end is all present and correct,
muddiness, regardless of the amount of gain on show.
Ultimately, the Sabre is hard to fault on any level. In
other words, this gem represents contemporary guitar
building at its finest. It looks fantastic and practically
plays itself, with fit and finish that’s tidier than Marie
Kondo’s sock drawer. It also comes with a lightweight
but tough moulded hard case.
These days, a few grand (which is what the Sabre will
out a fair chunk of pocket money) will get you wrapped
around any number of high-spec electric guitars. That
choice is narrowed if your heart’s set on a vintage
reissue from the likes of Fender and Gibson. There are,
however, many guitarists looking for something with all
mod cons, and all the faultless playability and expanded
compete with Grosh, Suhr and the like. It might not
immediately scream “Music Man” but it does live up to
its weaponised name tag. Yes, those who choose to live
by this sword will be very happy indeed.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
The slim neck and modern CMC MUSIC
voice may discourage some. Ph: (02) 9905 2511
Web: cmcmusic.com.au

SENNHEISER XSW-D WIRELESS
DIGITAL PEDALBOARD SET
A SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE WIRELESS CABLING SOLUTION
THAT DEFIES ITS PRICE POINT. REVIEW BY PAUL RIARIO.
A
s much as I still love plugging in cables between
my guitar and amp, it’s hard to dispute the
untangled freedom and clear fidelity many of
the new digital wireless systems currently offer. Even
more astonishing is that most of these wireless units are
remarkably affordable for working guitarists.
The bigger question is, which is the best one for your
applications? While I can’t make that decision for you, I
can tell you I’ve tried many – from compact to rack – and
the new Sennheiser XSW-D Wireless Digital Pedalboard
Set is a professional wireless system that sits smack-dab
between budget– and touring-grade wireless systems.  any combination of transmitters and receivers.
With intuitive one-touch operation, a pedal-based
receiver that doubles as a tuner and a compact
plug-and-play transmitter with a rotatable guitar
input jack, the Sennheiser XSW-D Set is hard to beat.
Including the items above, the Sennheiser XSW-D Set
BOSS RC-10R RHYTHM LOOP STATION
A COMPACT LOOPER PEDAL WITH COMPLEX RHYTHMS – THE
ULTIMATE CREATIVE PLATFORM? REVIEW BY TREVOR CURWEN.
T
he latest in Boss’s Loop Stations earns its ‘R’
suffix by having a built-in rhythm generator.  care of adjusting parameters in the small but very
Now, while it’s true that the RC-3 and RC-30 both
have onboard rhythm patterns, too, what you have
here is altogether more sophisticated in the rhythm
department, making it almost a hybrid unit – a looper
crossed with a drum machine.  footswitch will play an intro then the basic pattern, but
There are 280 preset rhythms covering a host of
musical genres and each includes two unique sections
(Pattern 1 and Pattern 2) with transition fills and
an intro and ending. What’s more, there’s onboard
storage space for 50 imported user rhythms in SMF
(Standard MIDI File) format that you can create on
your computer. All of the rhythms are played back by
your choice of 16 onboard drum kits with sounds from
the Boss and Roland rhythm libraries.  practical if you need to hone your timing. If you don’t
For your actual looping (with or without the drums)
there’s a stereo looper with two independent tracks,
six hours’ recording time and 99 onboard memories
for storing phrases. The RC-10R is built into the same
chassis as the Boss 200 series pedals, so it has two
easily accessible footswitches – one for looping and
one for rhythm.  cycle. You can hold the switch to undo and redo loops
Besides standard pedalboard mono operation
there’s true stereo in/out operation if you want it, and
you can also utilise the L and R outputs to send loops
and rhythm to separate destinations – typically loops
to your guitar amp and rhythms to a PA or similar.  hitting the Loop switch.
If you’re sending the rhythms to your guitar amp
alongside your guitar then there are some very useful
output filtering/EQ options available to apply to the
rhythm tracks, likewise for tweaking your sound if it’s
not going to a guitar amp.
The front panel is a model of simplicity with
separate volume knobs and excellent rotary LED
displays for loops and rhythm. Besides these, there’s
just a pair of buttons and a press-and-turn encoder
knob to take care of adjusting parameters in the small
but very clear display panel.
The front panel is a model of simplicity with separate
volume knobs and excellent rotary LED displays for
loops and rhythm. Besides these, there’s just a pair of
| 93
RRP: $699
comes with accessories such as receiver power supply, seconds with a super clear and uncompressed signal. 
quarter-inch extension cable, belt clip and two charging It’s ridiculously easy to use and sounds flawless, and
cables (USB-C to USB-C and USB-A to USB-C).  the tuner works amazingly well, with a huge and bright
But the more important details are its digital 2.4 GHz LED display. Muting is as simple as hitting the footswitch
operating frequency for worldwide and license-free on the pedalboard receiver, or by holding the power
compatibility (the Federal Communications Commission button on the transmitter until the LED turns yellow.
subjects certain frequencies to paid licensing), an
operating range of 250 feet, up to five hours of battery VERDICT DISTRIBUTOR
life on a single charge, muting from either transmitter or One-touch operation and flawless AUROZ
receiver, switching between multiple transmitters linked sound make the Sennheiser
to the pedalboard receiver, and the ability to configure XSW-D a must-buy kit for serious Ph: 1300 650 571
gigging guitarists. Web: auroz.com.au
Of course, the most enticing feature is its one-touch
operation. After plugging in the stompbox receiver from PROS CONS
my pedalboard, pairing the transmitter to the receiver
Extremely intuitive. None.
by simply holding the power button till the mini LED Affordable.
blinks green, the whole system was up and running in Built-in tuner.
RRP: $579
buttons and a press-and-turn encoder knob to take
clear display panel.
To use rhythm patterns, you select a genre (funk,
rock, and so on), choose a named rhythm pattern in
that category and set the tempo in BPM. Hitting the
you can hold the footswitch down to access the second
(usually slightly busier) variation on it (Pattern 2). Fills
are automatically inserted when transitioning between
the two patterns and you can chuck in a fill at any time
by hitting the footswitch once.
There are some great patterns here that will really
entice you to play along: excellent for creativity and
sparking new musical ideas, but also extremely
like the sound of the kit that comes as the default with
a particular pattern, it’s easily changed for another
and you can adjust the reverb on it, too.
For looping you choose a free memory slot and get
started, with single presses taking you through either
a record/overdub/play cycle or a record/play/overdub
and press it twice to stop. With two tracks available you then external footswitches and the expression pedal can
can record two different song sections, and these can take on a number of roles – or you can use MIDI.
play serially with switching between Track 1 and Track All in all, it’s an inspirational tool for songwriting and
2 carried out by holding down the Rhythm switch and practice: its rhythms can feed creativity and stretch your
playing. Of course, the RC-10R is also perfectly capable
All of that is with rhythm and loops operating for live use, too, and if you don’t choose to use the
separately, but using them simultaneously is facilitated rhythms, you still have a looper that works like the Boss
by the very practical SYNC mode that lets you initiate compact models. 
loop recording by setting the rhythm going and having That’s not to say the rhythms aren’t useful live: a
the looper change to Track 2 when the rhythm changes solo act may find them invaluable for a bigger sound,
to Pattern 2.  It’s all very intuitive and great for looping especially as the facility to load your own enables ready
newbies. If you wish to expand your control options, access to tailor-made backing tracks. Impressive.
VERDICT PROS CONS DISTRIBUTOR
Bundling a heap of features into a Big variety of usable rhythms. Headphone output would ROLAND AUSTRALIA
reassuringly familiar and Instantly switchable between have been useful. Ph: (02) 9982 8266
well-designed pedal, Boss has two song sections. No battery power for
created a truly formidable creative Visual loop indicators. buskers. Web: roland.com
tool that’s inspiring and intuitive.
94 | REVIEWS
GIBSON LES PAUL MODERN
ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ICONIC ELECTRIC GUITARS GETS
A BEAUTIFULLY MODERN UPDATE. REVIEW BY CHRIS GILL.
E
ver since the late ‘50s, when Gibson installed
two humbucking pickups on the Les Paul
Model electric guitar, gave it a sunburst finish
and changed its name to the Les Paul Standard, the
model has remained exactly that: a standard. From
the late ‘60s and onwards, Gibson has introduced a
wide variety of variants of the Les Paul model like
the Classic, Studio, Traditional and Tribute, but, as
those names suggest, most of these models were
designed to deliver a vintage-inspired vibe that
evoked the original Standard.
As great as these retrograde models are and were,
they didn’t offer a lot for players whose tastes and
preferences are more in line with forward-looking
refinements and innovations. With the introduction
of the new Les Paul Modern model, Gibson has
finally rectified that situation by offering a modified
version of the beloved Les Paul with the versatile
features, fast playability and contemporary styling
many of today’s players prefer. If you’ve always loved
the sound of a Gibson Les Paul, but found the model
just a little too outdated, the Les Paul Modern is the
version you’ve been waiting for.
With the exception of the gloss nitrocellulose
lacquer Faded Pelham Blue, Sparkling Burgundy and
Graphite finish options and clear Top Hat control
knobs, the Les Paul Modern looks almost identical
to Standard models and similar variations from the
past, but closer examination reveals many more
changes beyond its cosmetic appearance.
Like the original Standard, the Modern is
constructed with a mahogany neck and mahogany
body with a maple slab top, but the body features
Gibson’s “ultra-modern” weight relief that reduces
the overall weight to nine pounds or less. For this
model, Gibson has returned to using genuine ebony
(instead of the previous ebony substitute Richlite)
for the fretboard, which also features a 10-to-16-inch
compound radius. The neck also features 22 medium
jumbo frets and an asymmetrical slim profile that’s
thicker and more curved at the bass strings, and
thinner and flatter at the treble strings.
ORANGE TERROR STAMP
IT’S THE TINIEST TERROR YET, BUT DOES IT HAVE THE POWER
TO REPLACE YOUR BACKLINE? REVIEW BY ROB LAING.
S
mall stompbox-sized and weighing under a
pound, the Terror Stamp is titchy. The company
claim it combines their Micro Terror and and
Dark – a potent combination if it can pull it off. Orange
deliver the all-analogue design by combining valve and
solid state elements; an ECC83 (12AX7) valve preamp
with a 20W Class A/B solid-state power amp.
The layout is simple, especially so compared to the
likes of Blug and Victory, with a switchable master
volume offering an instant boost for your leads,
alongside a shape control that is key to shaping your
tone and the all-important gain. No bass, middle or
treble here. The streamlining is actually liberating.
It may be small, but the Terror Stamp is loud. People
are going to be surprised by how loud it is. It also
becomes apparent this sounds like an Orange amp –
articulate, full... Did we mention loud?
On its own, the Terror Stamp is versatile and based in
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
RRP: $5,799
A few notable changes have been made to the furious, with unrestricted
hardware as well. While the tuners have familiar access to the upper frets
looking Kluson-style tulip-shaped (or keystone) (at last). Tuning stays
buttons, they’re actually a set of locking Grover rock solid, and with
Rotomatics. The Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge its updated makeover,
and stopbar tailpiece are crafted from lightweight the latest incarnation of
aluminium to enhance resonance and brightness. the Gibson Les Paul
Electronics consist of a Burstbucker Pro Rhythm Modern looks pretty
neck humbucker and a Burstbucker Pro + Lead rockin’ too.
bridge humbucker.
Push/pull functions on all four control knobs
greatly expand the available tonal options. The
volume controls provide coil splitting for their
corresponding pickups when pulled out; the neck
tone control engages an out-of-phase setting when
both pickups are engaged; and when the bridge
tone control is pulled out, it instantly mainlines the
bridge pickup only directly to the output, completely
bypassing the settings of all of the volume and tone
controls, and the pickup selector switch.
The Gibson Les Paul Modern’s tone is 100 percent
Les Paul, although the Burstbucker Pro pickups
provide character that’s a touch brighter and more
aggressive. The push/pull control knob functions
exponentially expand the tonal palette of your Les
Paul, with the coil-splitting functions providing the
bark and bite of P90 single-coils and the phase
switch delivering a wonderfully wah-like honking,
hollow midrange with a multitude of variations when
using both pickups and experimenting with various
tone control settings. 
The bridge tone control’s bypass function is the
real killer here, providing an instant balls-to-the-wall
aggressive boost that’s ideal for leads that cut to
the jugular vein. The Modern’s playability is fast and
VERDICT PROS CONS DISTRIBUTOR
This Gibson Les Paul Modern is a true Push/pull knobs provide None AUSTRALIS MUSIC
modern update that delivers classic Les coil-splitting for P90-style
Paul sounds, a significantly expanded single-coil tones, phase Ph: (02) 9698 4444
palette of tones and the fast playability switching, and a bypass Web: australismusic.com.au
that today’s players demand. that hotwires the bridge
pickup directly to the output.
.
RRP: $399
the Micro Terror’s territory; from rolling back to a light
chimey gain to Orange mid spank and poke and fuller
bore fuzz-tinged heavy rock.
Its gain range plays very well as a pedal platform;
namely, the overdrives we tried out with it enable more
gain voices for your palate, and you’ll need one to get Some players may not appreciate Orange’s aversion to
it into those scoopy metal chug realms. And while the three-band EQ controls, but the shape control is very
stamp is loud with gain, dialling back to crystal clean sensitive and versatile, and you can further tweak by
might see you struggle in a band mix. aligning the Terror Stamp with other pedals.
It feels like Cliff Cooper’s company have packed a Whether it’s your backup amp, introduction to
lot into the little Stamp – great Orange tones at a great Orange, portable rig or a power amp for a modeller, the
price and all at your feet. Terror Stamp is one of the best gear buys of the year.
VERDICT PROS CONS DISTRIBUTOR
The Terror Stamp has some very It’s a loud 20 watts. Lacks a bit of clean AUSTRALIS MUSIC
persuasive drive tones and makes an Super tough. headroom.
excellent pedalboard-friendly rig on the Takes pedals well. Orange’s EQ setup is Ph: (02) 9698 4444
fly or backup amp option. Excellent drive tones. good but unconventional. Web: australismusic.com.au
 | 95

POSITIVE GRID SPARK

AMP MODELLING, MUSIC-STREAMING, CHORD
TRANSPOSING, SPACE-SAVING… IS THE SPARK
THE FUTURE OF DESKTOP AMPLIFICATION?
REVIEW BY ROB LAING.
look like anything In addition to control over your tones, the
else in an effort to accompanying Spark app offers two key features:
appeal to home gadget Smart Jam and Auto Chords. In addition to a range of
fans. But that’s not to backing tracks that can be streamed from YouTube
say it doesn’t look inside the app, the ‘smart’ part generates a backing
good; the black and track based on what you’re playing, detected by your
gold, from piping to smartphone or tablet’s mic.
grill and controls, An update brings more genres in addition to the
should look reassuring existing pop and rock choices it ships with. While it’s
to any guitar player.  nice to have, we think Auto Chords is a much bigger
The general outer is high quality with a handy deal here; it listens to a song you choose within the
leather removable carrying strap. There’s seven app and if it doesn’t have the chords for it transcribed

I
n the worlds of smartphones and video games,
25,000 isn’t a big number when it comes to
preorders. But in the world of guitar amps, it is
huge. So how did the Positive Grid Spark manage to
convince so many people to lay their money down
without even trying it?
Firstly, the tone engine behind this amp is a known
quantity to anyone who has tried the company’s BIAS
modelling software or heads. And it’s very good. That
is really the main event, as we’ll discuss in more detail.
But we think there’s more to it than that; the
desktop amp market that Spark is gunning for the
hearts of recognises one central truth about guitar
players; most of us play at home.  makes it count for a lot. Yes, you can play at
Then, there’s the price – even at full price it hits an
‘I could justify this’ sweet spot for buyers. But then
there’s another factor; the Spark isn’t just an amp.
Yes, you’ve heard it before – amp integration blah
blah, bluetooth audio streaming yada yada... Yes, it
does all that, but it can also listen to a song of your
choosing from Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube and
transpose its chords for you to play along with.  compressor pedal models, nine overdrives, ten
Fancy a jam? Pick a tempo, play a riff or a chord
progression, choose the genre you want and it’ll play
you a whole backing track to jam over. Surely a cynic
would be raising an eyebrow by now?
First up, it looks like an amp; while the dimensions
are certainly table-friendly, the Spark isn’t trying to
channels to choose from; including bass and
acoustic. Then, familiar controls with three-band EQ,
gain, master and output.  Yes, it can miss chords from time to time, but is
The modulation, delay and reverb controls are
a simple but canny inclusion that means you can
quickly dial an organic blend of effects in and out to
your taste. Indeed, the amp is ready to roll, and rock,
as soon as you plug it in – no app setup needed.  This does a lot. Believe the hype; the Spark is a
You can get a taste of what’s on offer straight away.
And it is an addictive recipe – we lingered at this stage
for a long time, simply having too much fun playing.
The Spark sounds like the little amp that could;
and did. It is 40 watts with a stereo speaker and
house-friendly volumes or through headphones,
but this thing can really sound expansive and
loud, combined with modelling that feels like valve
response in a practice amp.
Turn it up when you can. Coupling with the Spark
app via bluetooth opens up the possibilities. For
your tones, that equates to 30 different amps, five
modulation pedals, six delays and nine reverbs.
Make your signal chain and save your choices into
one of the seven amp voices across the four preset
banks. And that’s going to take a while, not because
it’s a difficult process but there’s so many great tonal
possibilities here to get carried away with.
in its database, it evaluates the song and transposes
the chords in minutes for you to play along.
generally accurate and it opens up the Spark for you to
learn whatever you choose. Vitally, it makes learning
fun. For us, the quality of a piece of gear can be honed
to one question; does it make you want to play? 
fantastic practice and recording amp at a competitive
price. It lives up to the term ‘smart amp’. To be honest,
we’d recommend the Spark at this price if that’s all
it delivered as a combo, but the developing features
that encourage solo players to learn songs and stay
inspired make this an absolute home run.
VERDICT DISTRIBUTOR
Stacked with all the modelling, effects LINK AUDIO
and connectivity we’d expect from
a state-of-the-art desktop amp, the Ph: (03) 8373 4817
Spark takes things further with its Web: linkaudio.com.au
Smart Jam and Auto Chords features.
PROS CONS
The onboard BIAS modelling None, but demand has caused
technology is superlative. delays in delivery to some
Awesome practice tool. players.
Convincing tube amp tones.
Great value for money.
Intuitive designs.

NU-X B-2 WIRELESS SYSTEM RRP: $169

A GAME-CHANGING WIRELESS SETUP OPTION. REVIEW BY PAUL RIARIO.

A
dmittedly, I was never much of a “wireless
guitar” guy. I hated having to deal with
replacing batteries and traveling with a bulky
receiver and a transmitter that had to live on my
guitar strap. Plus, I always thought the sound wasn’t
as good as using a really good instrument cable.
Well, things have drastically changed in regards
to wireless technology because companies like NU-X
have improved audio quality and streamlined the idea
of wireless guitar with the release of its 2.4-gigahertz
B-2 Wireless System. It combines a transmitter with a
receiver that fits in the palm of your hand, a built-in
rechargeable battery and crystal-clear guitar response
that sounds as good as a high-quality instrument cable.
VERDICT PROS
The B-2 delivers a crystal-clear Super simple setup.
guitar response that sounds as good Sounds as good as a cable.
as a high-quality instrument cable. Huge range and battery.
The NU-X B-2 Wireless System delivers 32-bit digital Setting up
wireless sound quality and detailed 44.1-kilohertz the B-2 is as
frequency response with a wide dynamic range simple as
of more than 110 decibels, which allows for a full powering up,
frequency range of your guitar or bass. The B-2 selecting the
features a cleverly elegant quarter–inch swivel-jack same channel
design (280 degrees of rotation) on the transmitter for both the
and receiver so you can easily plug in and rotate the transmitter and
unit away from your playing area. receiver, plugging the
Both units include a power on/off switch and a receiver into your
channel button to scroll through the four channels, amp and inserting the
with red/green LED indicators. What’s even better transmitter into your guitar. That’s it. The sound is
is the B-2 operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range, so uncannily clear and transparent that you’ll totally
away from any TV or radio signal interference. forget you’re not using any cables.
The B-2 works flawlessly in a 50-foot range,
CONS DISTRIBUTOR and battery life lasts up to six hours, if you play
continuously. If not, the units go into Sleep Mode,
None. PRO MUSIC AUSTRALIA which extends battery life up to 20 hours. When it’s
Ph: (07) 3718 0600 time to recharge, the included USB cable is coupled
Web: promusicaustralia.com.au to charge both units simultaneously.
96 | REVIEWS
O
f all
the acoustic
guitars I’ve come across, one of my favorites
is the Pallet. More than 20 years ago, Bob Taylor
constructed this legendary acoustic entirely from oak
pallets and scrap two-by-fours found at the back of his
factory, and which still resides at Taylor Guitars. The
impetus behind the guitar was to demonstrate that
the builder’s craftsmanship is just as integral to a great
sounding guitar as the wood used. Fast forward to
the present, and it seems this notion has grown some
“green” new legs.
Bob Taylor, along with master builder Andy Powers,
and director of natural resource sustainability, Scott
Paul, decided to explore responsible wood sourcing
from trees that were being removed in the asphalt
jungles and suburbs of Southern California.  combining luxurious feel and comfort with high-fidelity
After partnering with a company called West Coast
Arborists, Inc., who provide tree maintenance and
management for municipalities throughout California
and Arizona, they stumbled upon a species of wood
known as Shamel ash that met their demanding
standards of a musical-grade tonewood.  will last a lifetime.
Dubbed “Urban Ash” to draw attention to the idea
of using reclaimed and salvaged city trees, and for its
characteristic tonal properties as a future tonewood,
Powers created the Taylor Guitars Builder’s Edition
324ce, an inspired eco-conscious model that sounds as
beautiful as it looks.
The Builder’s Edition 324ce is a seductively fetching
acoustic, mostly because its strikingly dark tobacco
kona burst finish, as well as all the sleek contours of
its chamfered body and fretboard edges, and beveled
armrest and cutaway, are flat-out captivating.  comfort, tone and playability.
What elevates the instrument is a new Silent Satin
MXR M267 OCTAVIO FUZZ
TREVOR CURWEN LOOKS AT A PEDALBOARD STAPLE MODERNISED WITH HENDRIX MOJO.
T
his is not the only Octavio pedal in Jim Dunlop’s
roster – there’s currently a mini-sized Jimi
Hendrix Octavio fuzz with selectable octave –
but it’s the only one available as a standard two-knob
MXR pedal without any artist connection.
And while there are no Hendrix graphics as seen in
a previous same-sized MXR version, the lineage can be
traced back to the vintage pedal used by Jimi to full
VERDICT PROS
Classic Octavio noises in standard MXR Typically solid MXR build.
pedal form – you now have a choice if Musical octave fuzz tones.
you opt for Dunlop. Excellent value.
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
TAYLOR BUILDER’S
EDITION 324CE
THIS STRUMMER’S WEIGHTY PRICE TAG IS ENTIRELY
JUSTIFIED GIVEN ITS EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE
AND AESTHETICS. REVIEW BY PAUL RIARIO.
finish with a dark edge-burst treatment that removes
any extraneous noises your forearms or hands might
make, for a whisper-quiet performance.
Most importantly, the guitar incorporates Taylor’s
revolutionary V-Class bracing, which not only projects
volume and enhances sustain, but also provides
intonation so precise one can only marvel at how
in-tune everything sounds across the fretboard.
From there, just about everything else featured
is first class, with a gorgeous tropical mahogany top
paired with its new “Urban Ash” back and sides, West
African ebony bridge and fretboard, Curve Wing
bridge, graphite nut, Compass inlays, Gotoh 510
tuners and Taylor’s ES2 electronics.
This year, Taylor’s Builder’s Edition collection is
comprised of four new guitars (324ce, 652ce, 816ce
and 912ce), and has been affectionately nicknamed
“director’s cut” models, the “crème de la crème,”
if you will, because they really are considered the
ultimate expression of Powers’ craftsmanship in
acoustic sound, and their prices certainly reflect this.  angles because I couldn’t believe an acoustic could
What’s noteworthy here is the Builder’s Edition
324ce was designed for working-class musicians in
mind, and while it’s not inexpensive, it’s what I’d like
to consider the base model of a luxury vehicle that
For a guitar that exudes sheer elegance, there
is a great deal of restraint involved here – Powers
has included all the bells and whistles of a premium
guitar, but made it appear tastefully traditional.
VERDICT PROS
Incorporating an alternative tonewood Perfect stage-friendly
with a warm and articulate voice, the acoustic for fingerpicking
Builder’s Edition 324ce is a stunning and strumming.
acoustic that represents the pinnacle in Urban Ash tonewood is
sourced from trees
removed from urban areas.
RRP: $299
effect on Purple Haze. This is silicon fuzz with a gritty
edge and that upper octave harmonic bedded into it.
If you turn up the fuzz and try playing standard
chords it can sound messy, but doublestops come out
sounding really powerful and single-note playing can
really take advantage of the singing quality of that
upper harmonic overtone – especially in the upper
reaches of the neck.
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
No octave adjustment. AUSTRALIASIAN
MUSIC SUPPLIES
Ph: (03) 9549 1500
Web: austmusic.com.au
RRP: $4,999
Its mid-sized and approachable Grand Auditorium
Cutaway shape – coupled with all the beveled
contouring and rolled edges – unquestionably
heighten the overall comfort level and playability,
and its unfettered access to the upper-note registers
makes it a pleasure to play. Somewhat surprisingly,
the guitar sports a more classic C-shape neck profile
that will certainly thrill vintage purists.
I’ve said it before, but the V-Class architecture under
the hood is the real game changer here. Whether it’s
the impeccable intonation or the continuous sustain at
play, the overall experience is transcendent.
But you’re probably wondering what “Urban Ash”
sounds like! Well, it’s reminiscent of good mahogany
that radiates a crisp top end and a taut bass, but its
sonic strength is that it dutifully serves up a warm,
sweetened midrange with a clear, bell-like ring. 
Whether you strum hard or pick softly, it tends to
stay within that middle register, and its euphonious
voice is so detailed that I sometimes found myself
leaning over the soundhole to listen from different
sound so three-dimensional and smoothly balanced
here. It’s a genuinely studio-quality tone, which I’d
venture to say even a cheap mic would have a hard
time making sound bad.
It’s an aspirational instrument, no doubt, and one
that may never leave your side if you can stretch for it.
But moreover, it’s hard to believe this all came from a
tree felled at the corner of Sunset and Fountain (that,
of course, is not true – but someday it could be).
CONS DISTRIBUTOR
Out of budget for many TAYLOR
acoustic fans.
Web: taylorguitars.com
This is pretty much
a pedal you can
‘play’, and there’s
plenty there
(sitar-like sounds,
for example) that
will reward a knack
for experimentation
with a wealth of
technique.
CORT KX500MS
DJENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES. REVIEW BY JONATHAN HORSLEY.
O
ccasionally, you’ll pick up a guitar and
be a little unsure as to what you are
going to get when you switch on the
amplifier. But usually there are some subtle (and
not-so-subtle) tells. Take the KX500MS – you might
call Cort’s flagship seven-string guitar a multi-scale
extended-range exercise in not-so-subtle tells.
It has fanned frets for enhanced intonation and
feel, and, complementing those, you’ll also find
an angled nut and an ingenious hardtail of six
independent saddles arranged in similar fashion to
Ibanez’s Mono-rail bridge design – adding yet another
angle into a souped-up S-style that is all angles.
With two active EMG-707 humbuckers in the neck
and bridge, there’s probably a little too much fire
for the open-mic folk night. Indeed, the KX500MS
might have too much firepower for all but the most
extreme styles – chug-heavy contemporary metal,
death metal, djent, that kind of thing – but, hey,
that’s what Cort built it for.
The KX500MS has a genuinely premium look and
feel. It has a lightweight swamp ash body with a poplar
burl top that lends a three-dimensional quality to the
finish, and a matching headstock that might have one
of the less-celebrated names in guitar manufacturing,
but is nonetheless one of the coolest – definitely easier
on the eye than, say, the similarly four-plus-three
profile offered on Jackson’s fleet of seven-strings.
And, again, it’s all angles, sharp, kinda dangerous.
On that headstock you’ll find a set of Cort locking
tuners in black nickel, matching the bridge and
volume and tone controls.
The KX500MS feels a little neck-heavy at first, but
that could be said of many extended-range electrics.
Its five-piece maple and purple heart (aka amaranth)
neck is certainly packing no extra flab; it is flat and
slim, topped with a macassar ebony 400mm-radius
fretboard with Raindrop inlay. Speedsters will love
it. The satin-smooth finish won’t gum up on you, and
sculpting around the bolt-on heel-joint offers safe
passage to the upper registers.
The multi-scale fretboard is certainly a boon when
EPIFANI DIST2 BASS CABINET
THE DIST2 USES ALL OF NICK EPIFANI’S CAB-BUILDING EXPERIENCE FOR A
LIGHTWEIGHT TWO-BY-TEN WITH SERIOUS POWER. REVIEW BY JOE DALY.
I
n view of the impressive strides that Epifani has
made in the amplifier space, one might overlook
the fact that founder Nick Epifani first made his
bones in cabinets. The DIST2 is a redesign of the
company’s DIST line, boasting a new dual voice-coil
speaker design and some interesting new electronics.
Immediately, you’ll notice the cabinet’s weight.
Like the UL 901, the DIST2 is astonishingly light.
Weighing in at a mere 19 kilograms, it’ll make you feel
like Superman as you effortlessly swing it in and out of
your practice room with nary a grunt. Thankfully, the
cab’s lower back-friendly portability factor does not
come at the expense of power.
Plugging in and thumping down on the E string, the
room fills with a booming potency throughout a range
of mids and highs. Testing out a five-string, the low B
pours cleanly from the cab, without any discernible
rattle or humming.
In line with Epifani’s premium on design, the DIST2
RRP: $1,499
it comes to intonation and keeping the solidity in that Ultimately, that compressed
low-end, and if it takes a little getting used to, with the quality will serve you well when
KX500MS’s scale running 27-to-25.5 inches from seventh it gets down to playing modern
string to first, the greater leap for anyone visiting the metal, splitting the atom with
KX500MS from a regular six-string is adjusting your shred and weaponising your
style so you can make full use of the low B string. rhythm tone so it can saw
The KX500MS is certainly voiced for low-end through concrete.
shenanigans. There have been a number of active
humbucker sets wound for seven-string players who
need plenty of gain, but the EMG 707 remains a firm
favourite, not least for its clarity. 
Featuring an alnico V magnet with wide aperture
coils, the EMG 707 brings plenty of crunch and definition
for open chords, and is good and tight when playing
busy, high-gain leads, ever ready for pinch harmonic
squeals – especially on the bridge humbucker.
The controls are fuss-free; you’ve got master
volume and tone and a three-way selector, while the
9V battery for the pickups onboard preamp is easily
accessed via a compartment on the rear of the body. 
Clean tones are excellent, so long as you enjoy
the precise piano-esque attack when using EMGs.
However, such are the EMG 707s’ output you’ll want
plenty of headroom on your clean channel or your
tone will start to break up pretty early.
This is by design; these active high-output
humbuckers hit your amp hard. If there’s a weakness
in the KX500MS’s tone it’s in that breakup. The cleans
are fine, pare excellently with a little modulation and
would take a pedal such as a Boss CH-1 Super Chorus
like mother’s milk. 
The high-gain tones are total nuclear sustain and
crunch – riff with abandon. Milder overdriven crunch
tones don’t quite have the dynamics as you might find
on a passive humbucker – but that’s the point, right? 
VERDICT PROS CONS DISTRIBUTOR
Cort courts djent players with a multi-scale Very competitively priced. Multi-scale might not be DYNAMIC MUSIC
seven-string, with totally brutal tone and a Solidly built hardware. to everyone’s liking
cool poplar burst finish. Active EMG 707 ‘buckers Not much middle ground Ph: (02) 9939 1299
deliver the goods. between clean and Web: dynamicmusic.com.au
Very playable. high-gain tones.
RRP: TBC
avoids any unnecessary frills and the back panel is
a study in efficiency. Beneath the Input and Output
jacks, a small red switch allows the player to select an
impedance of either four or eight Ohm.
This means that if you’re rocking a single cab, you
can set the impedance to four Ohms and you’re good
to go. However, if you add a second cab, simply toggle
up, which will result in a total impedance of four Ohms.
The crossover automatically sends the right
frequencies to the tweeters and woofers, so the player
has only the one choice to make. Even if you push
this amp into neighbor-bothering volumes, or muddy
things up a bit, the tone remains clear and powerful.
VERDICT PROS CONS DISTRIBUTOR
The DIST2 is an elite, gig-worthy bass cab Immensely gig-friendly. None. EPIFANI
made for pros. Available too in a one-by-12 Sturdy build.
configuration, the stylish design looks good Poweful and portable. Web: epifani.com
onstage, and the build quality is solid.
98 | FINAL NOTE
INSPIRATION OVER
INTIMIDATION
JUSTIN SANDERCOE OFFERS A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON HOW WE
SHOULD LOOK AT GUITAR HEROES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND BEYOND.
I
t seems like everywhere I look now, there are
incredible guitarists playing incredible things
that I will never be able to play. They must
have always been there but with the internet
making everything so much closer, it’s getting
much more personal in turn.
At NAMM this year, I met up with loads of
fellow YouTube instructors and also many top-
shelf players that I really admire. It seems
feelings of inadequacy are common; it’s a driving
force for some, and a pressure for others.
“I’ll never have such incredible note choice,
or extended vocabulary, be fast enough, or have
such a powerful tone, or be able to blast through
changes with ease, or pick that perfect note every
time… So what’s the point?”
I was musing on this topic and wondering how
it got to be like this. I doubt Neil Young would
feel bad about his playing after watching Tommy
Emmanuel – so why do I sometimes get down
about my playing skills after watching Josh Smith
or Tom Quayle work the fretboard?
Lately I’ve been wanting to get more into
hybrid picking, and cats like Josh and Tom make
it look effortless. It’s inspiring to watch in person;
they are human and it doesn’t look so hard… Until
you actually try to play it.
It seems to me that if you see or hear someone
doing something amazing, and you are inspired
to learn it, or even a part of it, there are stages
of the process that, if understood, might help
remove some of the fear and shield you from that
turning into a downer.
There’s a wonderful saying from the Stoic
philosopher Seneca: “We are more often
frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from
imagination than from reality.” I think there’s
| www.guitarworld.com/australianguitar
some interesting wisdom here that we can apply
to the study of music.
PHASE ONE: INSPIRATION
I’d never heard anything like it. It seemed Josh
and Greg had tapped into some magic – they
were finding incredibly strong melodies, with
incredible tone, touch and technique and I left
the gig feeling super inspired. I didn’t have a
guitar in my hotel room, so I was playing things in
my mind and was thirsty for practice!
PHASE TWO: MAPPING
I started thinking about what I might need to
do, to start working on some of that amazing
modern blues vocabulary and technique: where
should I get it – are there video lessons around,
or books? I found some online lessons from Josh
that explained some of his processes and some
specific licks to work on. I’m determined to get a
routine together to make it happen.
Sometimes at this point the fears kick in and I
worry that there’s no way I’ll ever be able to do
something… without even giving it a go? Really
dude? I need to give myself a stern talking to and
remind myself of the hundreds of times I thought
something might be impossible but, with some
practice, it started going fine. Don’t be afraid of
how hard a thing ‘might be’. Don’t let a scrawny
negative thought throw you off a desire.
PHASE THREE: DOING IT
I chose three licks that I liked the sound of
and started trying to get them under my fingers.
They’re difficult and I found it challenging. Much
harder than I thought. Not sure I’ll ever be able to
work them up to speed? Do I have time for this?
Maybe I’m not cut out for this? Maybe I should
work on something easier?
Oh dear. More fears have started. These need
to be turned off. They’re not helpful and I knew
they were likely to come by at some point. I
gather they are common when one is pushing
boundaries, trying desperately to get better.
This is the main thing to be aware of – that these
thoughts are not going to help at all.
When they visit me now, I ask my mind to
take them away and get me better thoughts.
Accept the thoughts are there but give them no
credence. You probably won’t be able to stop
them every time, but don’t allow them to put you
off your ambition.
PHASE FOUR: PUSHING THROUGH
Slow and mindful practice is the answer. I try
not to allow myself to be impatient – I know it’s
hard and it’s going to take some time. I want to
enjoy the journey, but I need to remind myself of
that too. And sometimes I might not reach the ‘end
goal’ but will have learned a lot along the way.
I’m also fine with sometimes simplifying or
adapting very difficult parts if I think it will help
me express them more musically – that’s the
point right? Unless it’s for a cover or lesson then
we can change things as we like – music is art
and should be fluid.
PHASE FIVE: ENJOYMENT
I always make a point of enjoying things
I’ve worked for (especially musical ideas) and
therefore I also often find myself using them
perhaps too much. But I’m cool with that –
the more we use a lick or concept, the more
instinctive it’ll become and the more likely it
will be to come out in a moment of pure, raw
improvisation.
I try to remind myself of the hundreds of
times I thought something would be too difficult
but that, with some practice, became something
I really enjoyed and could actually achieve.
I hope these thoughts might help you maintain
drive and motivation to learn something exciting
or ambitious. The more you do it, the less the
fears will influence your path and you’ll find the
whole journey more rewarding and fun. Safe
travels, my friends.
 Destination Tone
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