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killswitch engage badasses of sxsw robben ford
MAY 2013
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Digital aDvantage
In addition to the insightful reads in our May 2013 print edition, check out the following online-only reviews. >>>
DR1 DR3 DR5 DR7 DR9
Z.Vex Loop Gate Z.Vex Basstortion Ibanez AFJ957 Eastman Ar371CESB CESB Way Huge Echo-Puss
Adam Dutkiewicz, Joel Stroetzel, and Mike DAntonio pummel and wail on Disarm the Descent.
KillsWitch engage
early graves
After a tragic loss, Chris Brock and company charge back into the fray.
guitarists of sXsW
A look at eight notable pickers who rocked East Austins dives this year.
REVIEWS:
Vigier Excalibur Special 7 Gibson EB Bass Bogner Ecstasy Pedals Breedlove Oregon Series C20/SMYe Hartman Silicon Crystal Valve Eastman T185MX Spaceman Saturn V Harmonic Booster Verellen Meatsmoke Preamp Ruppert Acouswitch IQ DI
ID:Series combos and heads are programmable and feature our patent-applied-for True Valve Power. Each of the 6 different TVP settings delivers the tone, feel and most importantly volume, of an equivalent valve power amp. With 6 unique preamp Voices from crystal clean to high gain filth, 12 studio quality effects, and our patented ISF control, ID:Series will help you deliver the sound in your head.
Amazing... It inspires and truly captivates you
- Mario Sebastian
Guitarist for Marc Anthony & Jennifer Lopez
Photo by Johnny Rodriguez; Glasses provided by Tortoise & Blonde
THE RIGHT GEAR, WITH SERVICE TO BACK IT UP!

THATS THE
DIFFERENCE!
Whether youre taking the stage, making tracks, or playing for enjoyment, youll find your dream guitar rig right here at Sweetwater. We carry the hottest guitars, amps, pedals, and accessories available. And were musicians too so we know how to help you find the gear that fits your needs best.
PICK YOUR DREAM GUITAR Sweetwaters new and improved online Guitar Gallery lets you check out our world-class inventory of guitars in beautiful multiple-photo detail. You can then pick the exact guitar you want by serial number! Visit Sweetwater.com/guitargallery. SAFELY STORED AND READY TO SHIP After its carefully inspected and photographed, each guitar we stock is safely stored in our humidity- and temperature-controlled warehouse not hung on a music store wall! READY FOR YOU TO PLAY, RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX Nearly every guitar we stock receives a detailed 55-point Evaluation before its shipped. We make sure it looks and sounds great and plays as well as it possibly can right out of the box! Visit Sweetwater.com/55-point for more details.
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The New DC Series
6-string - 25 scale with optional active A60 Humbuckers
DC600C
7-string - 25 1/2 scale with active A70 Humbuckers
DC700M
8-string - 27 scale with active A80 Humbuckers
DC800
Carvins USA Custom Shop offers a vast selection of premium woods, nishes and options that will suit even the most discriminating players needs. Order your DC model Direct from Carvin and receive it in 4-8 weeks. Or, check out Carvins online selection of In-Stock instruments ready for immediate shipment.
6 months NO interest
factory direct sales carvin.com 800-854-2235
MADE IN
USA
Keeley 6-Stage Phaser

Whether your past experience with phasing effects is rooted in 1970s innovation or modern digital pedals, I invite you to experience our new, pure analog 6-stage phaser, meticulously designed to inspire the muse within featuring the most versatile speed, rotation and sound-shaping controls ever offered in a true analog phaser. Edge Control One part regeneration depth control and one part envelope filter, the Edge control ranges from a perceptible, subtle phasing effect to far-out and spacey. Ramp Mode & Tap Tempo Our exclusive phaser speed Ramp Control and tap tempo deliver a panoramic range of switchable speed and rate settings on the fly for maximum versatility.
introducing
with ramp & tap tempo
Dual Speed Controls Further expand the versatile range of phased voices with two independent, footswitchable phaser speeds. True bypass for zero signal loss, 9 volt battery or DC power, standard Keeley attention to detail and professional construction. Robert Keeley
CLICK HERE
360 asset for tablet
1.866.846.7539 www.robertkeeley.com
You play the guitar. Well build the gear.
TriplePlay has arrived.
fishman.com/tripleplay
TriplePlay is here, and your patience has paid off. Fishman has been fine-tuning this revolutionary wireless guitar controller to let you do more with your guitar than you ever imagined. To let you turn your guitar into any instrument you want. To make it easy to start composing, performing and recording like never before.
I typed that wrong because Im pretty excited. Damon Harris
Eagerly awaited in Sweden...

S Anders Nystrm
Need a beta tester??
Any word on approximate release date?

Vladimir Puchek
Delta Bluz
Its almost ready? Were working out some bugs? anything?!?!?!?

Mylo E. Bettencourt
Hello??
Chris Sewell
...WHEN?
That is one AWESOME gizmo!
Stephen Mougin
Moray Roberstson
Its been a long time a-comin...

Graeme Jaye
Fishman TriplePlay release date please??

Jorge Rodrguez Tras
Cant wait to get one

Ernesto Barros
Nice!!
Thanks for your impatience.

Any news?
...How can I pre-order??
Moray Roberstson
Joe Delgado
Compose
Revolutionary songwriting and composition software makes it easy to create music. Full accurate notation lets you share your compositions in multiple formats.
Perform
Experience a guitar controller with revolutionary accuracy. Access unlimited guitar tones and effects. Use the split fret option to play up to four instruments at once.
Record
Seamlessly integrate your guitar with the included comprehensive software suite running on Mac or PC, and create a complete music recording and production tool.
*All Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube quotes used with permission.
Publisher Jon Levy
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Shawn Hammond Tessa Jeffers Andy Ellis Meghan Molumby Rebecca Dirks Chris Kies Rich Osweiler Jason Shadrick Daniel Dorman Managing Editor Senior Editor Gear Editor Senior Art Editor
Charles Saufley
Web Content Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor Video/Photo Editor
PRODUCTION & OPERATIONs

Operations Manager Shannon Burmeister Circulation Manager Lois Stodola Production Coordinator Luke Viertel
sALEs/MARKETING
Advertising/Artist Relations Brett Petrusek Director of Retail Sales Dave Westin Marketing Manager Nick Ireland Multimedia Coordinator Matt Roberts
GEARhEAD COMMUNICATIONs, LLC

Chairman Peter F. Sprague President Patricia A. Sprague Managing Director Gary Ciocci
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The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources believed to be Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant complete accuracy of such information and assumes no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance thereon. Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at any time without notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages if for any reason it fails to publish an advertisement. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Premier Guitar is a publication of Gearhead Communications, L.L.C. Premier Guitar [ISSN 1945-077X (print) ISSN 1945-0788 (online)] is published monthly. Subscription rates: $24.95 (12 issues), $39.95 (24 issues) Call for Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates 877-704-4327; email address for customer service lois@premierguitar.com.
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Volume 18, Issue 5 Published monthly by: Gearhead Communications, LLC Three Research Center Marion, IA 52302 Phone number: 877-704-4327 Fax: 319-447-5599 Periodical Postage Rate paid at Marion, IA 52302 and at Additional Mailing Offices POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Gearhead Communications, LLC, Three Research Center, Marion, IA 52302 premierguitar.com info@premierguitar.com Distributed to the music trade by Hal Leonard Corporation.
8 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2013
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Make'n Music is a registered trademark of Make'n Music, LLC.
The Fender Strat redefined
This this is how we imagined the Master Vintage Player Series (MVP) Limited Edition run, built exclusively for Maken Music in the Fender Custom Shop!!! These special instruments are designed to offer the Ultimate in Tone, Playability and Feel. Each guitar is hand-made to our specs in order to provide the vibe and look of an actual vintage instrument, but with all the conveniences of a true modern players piece. Custom neck profiles with bigger frets and flatter fingerboards, special pickup configurations and unique switching, along with a headstock adjustable truss rod are just some of the improvements we have specd on these timeless classics. In order to best suit the needs of any Fender Custom Shop connoisseur, several models and finish packages are available in Masterbuilt and Team Built configurations. Pictured above are the Heavy Relic 1956 & 1960 Stratocasters. (NOS is also available) Visit Maken Music today: www.makenmusic.com/mvp
See the MVP Series:
TuninG uP
Pop Doesnt Suck, Youre Just Listening to the Wrong Stuff

know what Im sick of hearing from guitarists? Man, pop music sucksits not like the good ol days. I know its not a majority of us (thankfully), but its enough to make you want to periodically shriek. The selective rememberers who say crap like this inevitably lament mythical bygone years when pop bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boysthe ones that were real musicians apparently played 24/7 on every radio station. If theyre not too young to have been there, they either conveniently forget or have lost too many brain cells to remember that Engelbert Humperdinck, Tiny Tim, the Association, Captain & Tennille, and Rupert Holmesthe lovely gent who gave us Escape (The Pia Colada Song)raked in plenty of royalty checks during the supposedly amazing 60s and 70s, too. To save a little face and show how open-minded they are, these same musical bigots/ flat-earthers might be so bold as to admit they (now) like
BY shawn hammond
Michael Jacksons Beat It or maybe Jessies Girl by Rick Springfield. (At least those tunes had a little guitar in em, yknow what Im sayin? Cause if they didnt, that wouldnt be manly or something.) If theyre slightly more up-todate, they might even cop to being able to listen to, say, a little Pinkbut there again, is it really just because she has a badass guitarist by the name of Justin Derrico? Lets just admit it: Its not about pop or any good ol daysthere always has been and always will be the same basic ratio of detritus to genius (with a middling majority) in human-produced audio compositions. So if youre one of those who feels compelled to slam everything past a certain date, everything that comes out of the mouths, brains, and bodies of those who dont look like your particular musical heroes, or everything that doesnt live up to your canonized definitions of radass guitar tone and thundering drums, just summon the intestinal fortitude
to say, I cant stand drum machines. Or I only listen to guitar tones that bear the blessed all-tube brown sound. Or Any tune in my ears has gotta have at least one wailing minor-pentatonic solo. Otherwise, just start listening to stuff thats outside your comfort zone. Yeah, its going to take some effort and some getting used to, but there is so much cool music out there. A lot of it is going to be stuff you just stumble upon, maybe while youre at the grocery store or enduring a commercial on YouTube. (Helpful hint: Get a smartphone app like Shazam that can listen to the tunes, tell you who theyre by, and even help you purchase them.) Or maybe your significant other shares your iTunes account and puts something on there that starts playing unexpectedly when youve got it on random playand then, boom, youre caught unawares and hooked. This last scenario happened to me as I was typing this screed. Months ago, my wife downloaded an album by a British
trio called Friendly Fires, and their tune Lovesick came on for the first time that I can recall as we were about to send this issue to press. Its chock-full of synth pads, funky clavinet, Nintendo-style 8-bit blips, hand claps, fantastic singing, and an eminently danceable groove from (gasp!) some evil electronic contraption. Intertwined with it all are ingenious, taut-toned guitar partstwangy lower-register riffs, glissando licks sliding up the neck, tick-tock-ing palm mutes, and rattlesnake-like atmosphericsthat add a delectable organic touch to the pop glitz. The lines are so good I immediately googled the band to see who the guitarist is (its Edd Gibson). But this example almost undermines my argument because guess what? A song doesnt have to have guitar to kick your ass. Check out something by the Presets, Shiny Toy Guns, Ladytron, DeVotchka, or a bazillion others to see what I mean. You dont have to give up anything you loveyou can still idolize Zakk Wylde or Satriani or SRV. Just add to it. Let the glorious variety of innumerable different consciousnesses and sensibilitiesincluding unabashed pop freaksenrich your being and your own music.
Edd Gibson uses his Fender Mustang to weave deliciously twangy lines between the multifaceted synth parts and irresistible dance grooves of Friendly Fires Lovesick in this YouTube-hosted clip of a gig at the 2009 Reading Festival.
Shawn Hammond shawn@premierguitar.com

premierguitar.com
Martin playe Seth Avett r, 12 years
Learn how North Carolinas rich musical heritage influenced Seth Avetts sound at martinguitar.com/Seth. Order the new Martin D-35 Seth Avett Custom Signature Edition at your local authorized Martin dealer.
TABLE OF COnTEnTS > FEATURES & REVIEWS
contents
Volume 18 Issue 5 May 2013
74
Robben Ford
FEATURES
58
monsters of High-gain
For the 2013 Monsters of High Gain series, weve rounded up 7 fire-breathing, high-gain heads by Blackstar, Diezel, Engl, EVH, Marshall, Orange, and Randall.
74 78 83
Robben Ford
On Bringing It Back Home, Ford goes simple: one guitar, one pickup.
Early graves
After a tragic loss, Chris Brock and company charge back into the fray.
Killswitch Engage
Adam Dutkiewicz, Joel Stroetzel, and Mike DAntonio pummel and wail on Disarm the Descent.
93 103
guitarists of SXSW
A look at eight notable pickers who rocked East Austins dives this year.
Photo by George B. Wells
Steven Wilson
The prog scientists dark mystique thickens with new solo effort, The Raven That Refused to Sing.
109
mesa/boogie mesa/b
Randall Smiths amps revolutionized the entire concept of tone, giving voice to some of musics biggest players.
REVIEWS
122 124 127 130 133 136 139 142 145
VIgIER Excalibur Special 7 gIbSon EB Bass bognER Ecstasy Pedals bREEdloVE Oregon Series C20/SMYe HARTmAn Silicon Crystal Valve EASTmAn T185MX SpAcEmAn Saturn V Harmonic Booster VEREllEn Meatsmoke Preamp RUppERT Acouswitch IQ DI
124 133
Hartman Silicon Crystal Valve
Gibson EB
130
Breedlove Oregon Series
premierguitar.com
THE HARDEST WORKING GUITAR

GLEN HANSARD AND HIS NP15 THE HORSE
Photo: C.J. Foeckler
See the entire line of Takamine guitars at takamine.com.

2013 KMC Music, Inc. TAKAMINE is a registered trademark of KMC Music, Inc. All rights reserved.
TABLE OF COnTEnTS > lESSonS & dEpARTmEnTS
contents
(Contd )
18 23 28 30 32
Volume 18 Issue 5 May 2013
14
Vintage Vault
dEpARTmEnTS
Rig Rundowns opening notes Reader Feedback news Staff picks
PG editors and Princes touring guitarist, Donna Grantis, name the metal guitars of their dreams.
34
media Reviews
Joe Satrianis Unstoppable Momentum Plus: Cassie Taylor, Leroy Justice, and Brad Paisley
148 new products 150 modern builder Vault

Longfellow Guitars
152 gear of the month

1971 Fender Bullet Stratocaster
Photo by Tim Mullally
160 last call

Hey Jude Revisited
colUmnS
gIggIng & REcoRdIng 36 38 40 Tone Tips
The Road Guitarists Studio
48 50
mod garage
Telecaster Obsession
The bass bench

Tuning the Fretboard
on bass
Bringing Back the Fretless
VInTAgE & UpKEEp 52 54 Vintage Vault

1961 Gibson Les Paul Custom
guitar Tracks
Keeping the Peace, Pt. 2
TEcH TIpS 42 44 46 State of the Stomp

A Wave of Your Hand
guitar Shop 101

Import Tuning: 3 Simple Ways to Upgade Your Strat
Esoterica Electrica
Guitars from Thin Air
56
bottom Feeder
Cutaway Cigar Box with Higgins Bender
Ask Amp man

Bringing a Supro 1x10 out of the Closet
26
Opening Notes
on THE coVER Marshalls JVM410HJS, Blackstars Blackfire 200, Diezels D-Moll,

Engls Fireball 100, Randalls Thrasher, EVHs 5150 III, and Oranges TH100.
14 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2013 premierguitar.com
Photo by Silvia Paveri
I like the sound of the Elixir Strings better than any other string. - John Paul White
The Civil Wars
Photo Credit: Sigried Duberos
Extending your tone life

like no other string.
Every time you play your guitar, bits of you are left behind to invade the windings, contaminate your strings and kill your tone. Elixir Strings is the only brand to coat the entire string and form a barrier against tone-killing gunk. Thats why players report with Elixir Strings their tone lasts longer than any other string, uncoated or coated. Youll get the tone you dig and the feel you love gig after gig after gig.
Hear why John Paul White loves his Elixir Strings: www.elixirstrings.com/johnpaulwhite
GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE LONG LIFE, e icon, and other designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. 2012, 2013 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
ELX-132-R2-ADV-US-FEB13
WEB ExCLuSiVES
ONly ON PremierGuitar.com
Your guide to the latest stories, reviews, videos, and lessons on PremierGuitar.com
FEATUREd
Get Inside Springs Hottest Releases!
Orianthi talks about creating a live energy and channeling the swampy blues vibes of Robert Johnson and Howlin Wolf on Heaven in This Hell, Pearl Jams Mike McCready gives PG the scoop on the bands next album and reminisces over the Mad Season reissue and the making of Above, and Clutchs Tim Sult discusses the bands riffs-in-yourface approach on Earth Rocker.
lESSonS
Access all of our lessons online, for free, with streaming audio and downloadable, printable notation PDFs.
beyond blues Chromatic ColorsHow to Add Outside Notes to Your Lines By Levi Clay Rhythm Rules Call and Response Funk Guitar By Avi Bortnick Fretboard Workshop Flipping Arpeggios Creating New Sounds with Old Shapes By Aurelien Budynek Twang 101 Why You Should Care About Hybrid Picking By Erik Halbig
Also
Nels Cline picks his five cant-live-without effects, former Eric Clapton tech Lee Dickson shares stories from the road, and we get up close and personal with some holy grails in our photo gallery of Bon Jovis gear.
WEIgH In
We counted the top six answers among some pretty strange onessaucy?for this months poll. Weigh in on the topic at facebook.com/premierguitar or reply @premierguitar on Twitter.
Crunchy, crispy, creamy, chimeywhat clich tone descriptor would you like to see retired for good?
14% Fat 14% Warm 18% Crunchy 16% Organic 18% Brown
20% Transparent
REVIEWS
Check out our latest reviews with audio samples of the Z.Vex Loop Gate and Basstortion, Way Huge Echo-Puss, Ibanez 7-String Artcore, and MJ Guitars Duke Deville.
looKIng FoR oUR gIVEAWAy lISTIng? Weve moved our contest schedule to page 158. Head there now to see whats coming up and a list of winners.
RiG RunDOWnS
RIG RUNDOWNS
Our latest, greatest behind-the-scenes gear videos with the stars.
Minus the Bears Dave Knudson, Jake Snider, and Cory Murchy explain and demo their expansive pedalboards, multi-amp setups, and go-to guitars in our Rig Rundown video from the bands spring tour. Here are some highlights.
Dave Knudsons pedalboard is famous for its four Line 6 DL4s, used for live looping and modulating samples saved in the two Boss RC-3 pedals. He uses the Barber Tone Press to smooth out his tapping segments and uses the Line 6 M5 in place of bulkier EHX HOG and DigiTech Whammy pedals. He also uses a Boss DD-20 Giga Delay, Boss CS-3 to bring down his volume, his favorite fuzz the Z.Vex Box of Rock, a Tube Screamer, and a wah.
Frontman Jake Snider also uses a pair of Line 6 DL4s for sampling during the show, a Vox DelayLab for everything from quick slapback to tape-style delays, a BBE Green Screamer for distortion, a homemade clean boost, an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal Jr. as a mute for sampling between songs, and his favorite pedal, a vintage Mu-Tron Phasor. Fredrik Thordendals main guitar for this tour is an 8-string Ibanez Custom Shop Stone Man 27" scale guitar built on his own design (pictured, left), incorporating elements of the Fireman, Firebrand, and Explorer guitars with Flying V knob placement. It has Lundgren M8 bridge and neck pickups with a coil split. Mrten Hagstrms main guitar is a stock Japanese Ibanez M8M with alder body and Lundgren M8 pickups, also tuned a half-step down with a foam mute, as well as an Ibanez M8M with a swamp ash body (pictured, middle) for the first half of the set. Dick Lvgrens main bass is nicknamed the Devil (pictured, right). It is a custom Warwick Dolphin Pro I 5-string with Bartolini pickups, an upside-down cross inlay, and is tuned A%E%B%FB%.
premierguitar.com
Guitar tech Kent Eriksson details the precisely-planned Fractal Axe-FX and Cubase rigs used by Swedish metal legends and 8-string pioneers Meshuggah, and discusses the bands preference in guitars and basses. Here are some highlights.
RiG RunDOWnS
Pink guitarist Justin Derricoalso of The Voice fameexplains the 20 guitars he travels with, why he cant get enough of his Bogners, and how he employs his rack full of stompboxes. Bassist Eva Gardner also discusses her rig. Here are some highlights.
Head to premierguitar.com/rigrundown or youtube.com/premierguitar to watch these three videos in their entirety, plus all 135+ Rig Rundowns in our archives. Also new this month:
Watch now
Between the Buried and Mes Dustie Waring and Paul Waggoner
Animals as Leaders Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes
Justin Derricos Dave Friedman-built rig features two drawers of pedals and four amps. He switches between a Bogner Shivahis longtime go-to soundand a custom Friedman amp based on the Brown Eye model but with a Fender-style clean channel. He runs his amps high gain, adding in some overdrive and compression from pedals, as well as a number of different modulation pedals. Also in the rack is a Roland SDE-3000 delay and Dave Friedman amp switcher. The rig is controlled by a Voodoo Lab Ground Control programmed for different parts of each song, with the ability to build tones on the flyJustin often switches between lead tones from either amp depending upon his mood. The signal goes through iso cabs underneath the stage to the front of house and through two more Bogner heads, which act as power amps to power two 4x12 cabs onstage for monitoring and to feel the weight of the guitar onstage.
PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2013 19
premierguitar.com
He fired his drummer for not having a 28 inch waist. He changed studios 3 times because the dust didnt sound right. So yeah, details do matter to him.
Hand-made for some of the worlds most demanding assholes artists.
opEnIng noTES
uLi JOn ROTh

February 6, 2013 Stage 48 New York, NY Photo by Frank White
Metal pioneer Uli Jon Roth explores the nether regions of his custom Sky guitar during a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of his involvement with the Scorpions. The guitar shown here is an exact replica of the Sky guitar he conceptualized in the 80s and built by hand in collaboration with Dean Guitars for a limited run of 25. Boasting a six-octave range and powered by a handwired Mega-Wing III pickup system, an Uli Jon Roth Sky guitar can be had for a cool 12 grand.
premierguitar.com
opEnIng noTES
CLAuDiO SAnChEz
February 8, 2013 The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI Photo by Ken Settle
Armed with his current No. 1, a 1980 Gibson E2 Explorer modded with a Bare Knuckle Nailbomb humbucker in the bridge position, Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez serves up a dose of heavy prog in Motor City. Sanchez kept the stock Gibson pickup in the neck position, though hes experimented with a few different models. Its a monster, says his tech, Kevin Allen. No matter which pickups are in it, this guitar sounds killer.
premierguitar.com
opEnIng noTES
ALEx SkOLniCk
February 28, 2013 Ace of Spades Sacramento, CA Photo by Alex Johnson
Multitalented guitarist Alex Skolnick takes a break from some of his jazzier adventures to work up a Sacramento crowd with Testaments raging brand of thrash metal. His mahoganybodied Heritage Alex Skolnick Signature H-150 bears his name on the headstock and is loaded with a Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck position and a JB in the bridge position.
premierguitar.com
opEnIng noTES
JERRY hORTOn
February 13, 2013 Club Nokia Los Angeles, CA Photo by Silvia Paveri
Papa Roachs Jerry Horton digs into one of his Schecter Skull and Pistons signature models, which are based on the companys Solo-6 model. Horton, an avid car enthusiast, came up with the graphics for the Seymour Duncan-packed axe, and the idea for a black top finish and glossy red side and back finish came from a hot rod he once saw and thought, That would look badass on a guitar.
premierguitar.com
LETTERS
your Feedback
Learning Curve
Guys, I have been checking out your lessons on your website, and think theyre fantastic. The emphasis on groove music, like the soul jazz stuff and the current funk lesson, is well supported by the audio. Im still sorry the lessons are not in the magazine, but if thats how youre doing it, thats how youre doing it. I understand a magazine cant just be a magazine anymore. I rescind my earlier email (below). Premier Guitar, Are you eliminating the lessons section of your magazine? When I was making the choice to subscribe, it was the quality of your lessons that led me to choose Premier Guitar. They were interesting, accessible, and sounded cool. Your columnists are also greatI couldnt believe it when you included a Mary Halvorson lesson. Lessons are the reason I save back issues. I hope you will reconsider the significance of the instructional content in a guitar magazine. We readers enjoy posing as gear dweebs, and the gear porn assures your magazines presence in our bathrooms; but the lessons, modest as they are, are the heart of the magazines substantive content, and assure the magazines presence on our music stands. If you give up on the instructional content, you give up on treating your readers as a community of guitar buffs (people who play guitars), and just treat us as a mere ad demographic (suckers who buy crap). Your magazine is lame without good lessons; it basically turns into Pedal Aficionado. Even your advertisers should complain. Please fix it.
Todd Masuda, via email
Mo Guitars, Mo Problems
FinDinG AuERBAChS Fuzz
Hello, This may be a little bit of an odd request, but as you guys presumably have Dan Johnsons (Black Keys guitar tech) contact, is there any chance you could either provide it for me, or else shoot him a question for me? Ive been dying to figure out a tone Dan Auerbach gets in the solo of Getaway on the Dr. John album Locked Down, and I figure he might know what equipment was used (and is surely easier to get in touch with than Auerbach himself ). Thanks!
Matthew Agpaoa, via email
Hey Matt, We contacted Auerbachs tech, Dan Johnson, and he had this to say: I wasnt at any of the rehearsals or recording sessions, but from what I know and what Ive heard Dan say, I believe he used a vintage Marshall Supa Fuzz, an old Tele, and a vintage blackface Deluxe combo. Hope this helps your quest for fuzzy bliss!
Guys: Im at home enjoying my 95 PRS CE24 and the March 2013 edition arrives in the mail. I read, reread, and reread again your Mod Madness PRS makeover article. You guys are cruel! I LOVE my guitar (picture is attached). It has great intonation, feels worn-in, has great pups, resonates warmly I love it. Now, Im wondering how it would look with a resanded and recolored purple V12 finish. How about housing new tuners in my existing Phase I winged tuners? Hmmmm, is it really possible that the new 57/08 pups sound better than the original pickups? Thanks a lot! Yes, its easy to sneak a few pedals in the house but how in the heck am I going to get away with sneaking in a totally refreshed PRS? My screams of joy will probably tip her off that something is up!
Ray Johnson, via email
Photo by Chris Kies
Keep those comments coming!
Please send your suggestions, gripes, comments, and good words directly to info@premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
INTRODUCING THE NEW

RICH, COMPLEX TONE FROM 100% ALL SOLID SUSTAINABLE TONEWOODS
Handcrafted In Bend Oregon, USA Exclusive Fishman Electronics We at Breedlove have been building custom guitars with Myrtlewood for over 20 years, achieving exceptional results. We found Myrtlewood to be balanced - not too bright, not too dark - with the best sonic qualities of maple, walnut and mahogany. Our new Oregon Series carefully pairs a Sitka Spruce top with Myrtlewood back and sides. An Ebony fingerboard further compliments this wood combination to produce articulation and depth. These guitars ship with a hardshell case and come with a limited lifetime warranty.
Photographed in the new Breedlove Custom Design Center
Experience Breedlove
breedloveguitars.com
nEWS
news bits
OBiTuARY
Remembering Alvin lee: 1944 2013

Alongside Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival are arguably the greatest concert documentaries ever filmed. Though those films captured some of the most iconic guitar performances everJimis fiery Wild Thing
and Star Spangled Banner, Santanas Soul Sacrifice, the Whos auto-destruct My Generationyou could make the case that the incendiary performances by Alvin Lee and Ten Years After in Woodstock and Message to Love were as white hot and smoking as any of them. Lee passed away on March 6, 2013, after complications from routine surgery at age 68, leaving
Lee in 1975. Photo by Jim Summaria, jimsummariaphoto.com.
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behind a legacy as the godfather of fastand-heavy British blues. Ten Years After released their eponymous U.K. debut in 1967, just as Cream, Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and a Jimmy Page-led Yardbirds were reshaping British blues into a heavier, hallucinogenic, and often-experimental twist on the form. In comparison to the barrier-shattering work of Hendrix, Lees playing could seem staunchly traditional. But from the beginning it was clear he had a spectacularly facility for speed and precision that fewif any of his contemporaries could touch. Ten Years Afters 1969 sophomore studio effort, Stonedhenge, played on the obvious with the inclusion of the cut Speed Kills, and by the time the Woodstock LP and film were released the following year, Lees reputation for freakishly fast playing on his stickerbedecked cherry-red Gibson ES-335 was cemented worldwide. While some critics at the time regarded Lees fretboard acrobatics as speed for speeds sakeand in more cynical, shallow appraisals, an affront to the bluessuch sentiments overlooked Lees reverence for original rockabilly
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nEWS
heroes like Cliff Gallup, Paul Burlison, and Scotty Moore. Ten Years Afters 1971 LP, A Space in Time, included the Lee-penned single Id Love to Change the World, which solidified Lees reputation as a songwriter and remains a classic-rock radio staple to this day. It also hinted at a taste for more song-oriented material Lee explored on his more countrified and rootsy 1973 album with Mylon LeFevre, On the Road to Freedom, which featured guest appearances by George Harrison, Steve Winwood, Ron Wood, and Mick Fleetwood. Lee willingly and happily retreated from the limelight in the latter half of the 70s, though he continued to tour and release albums right up to 2012. While he was accorded less of the god-like, guitar-genius status enjoyed by Brit contemporaries like Page, Clapton, and Beck, his work remained profoundly influential to more modern, heavy, and fleet-fingered players such as Zakk Wyldea testament to how exponentially great his reach and influence was. Charles Saufley
EVEnTS
Willie Adler, small group lessons, songwriting workshops, nightly jam sessions, and a full LOG concert including retreat participants. There are 170 spots for the event, which is scheduled for July 1519, 2013. lamb-of-god.com/metalonthemountain
Warwick to Hold Second Annual bass camp

Markneukirchen, Germany Warwicks bass camp will take place from September 27, 2013 at Warwick & Framus German
headquarters. Bass heavyweights Victor Wooten, Lee Sklar, John Patitucci, Stu Hamm, Alphonso Johnson, Steve Bailey, Jonas Hellborg, John B. Williams, Dick Lvgren, Victor Brandt, Regi Wooten, Antonella Mazza, Andy Irvine, Hellmut Hattler, Wolfgang Schmid, Gnther Gebauer and Ove Bosch have all signed on for workshops. Tuition, including six overnight stays, food, and the party on the last day, is 599 Euro if booked by June 30. warwick.de
Taylor Road Show Announces 2013 dates

El Cajon, CA Held at Taylor dealers around the globe, the Road Show connects fans with Taylor factory experts and offers attendees the chance to play exceptional, one-off Build to Order guitars and the latest models from Taylor. Attendees have the opportunity to learn how tonewoods and body shapes affect a guitars sound, test innovative designs such as the Expression System acousticelectric pickup, and hear about the latest development ideas behind the companys guitar line. Between March and June, the Road Show will cover more than 130 stops across the U.S. and Europe. taylorguitars.com/roadshow
lamb of god Announces metal on the mountain Retreat

Big Indian, NY This summer, Lamb of God fans are invited to interact faceto-face with the band through a retreat that includes Q&A sessions with band members, clinics with Mark Morton and
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PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 31
STAFF PiCkS
We let our hair down this month to ponder our weapons of choice as would-be metal gods. Princes touring guitarist Donna Grantis and reader Nick Atkins join us in our fantasy world, where we dream up the axes wed use to rock faces off (literally, in some cases).
Heavy lifting
nick Atkins
Rebecca dirks
Web Editor What are you listening to? I havent deviated from my 70-song Spotify playlist of 90s classics from my youth in preparation for my new cover band with Jason, Dan, and Tessa. Thats still happening, right, guys? Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? A silverburst Vwatch your back, Brent Hinds. Id probably rock a face tat, too.
daniel dorman
Video/Photo Editor What are you listening to? Finger Elevens The Greyest of Blue Skies, Soundgardens King Animal, and The Headhunters Survival of the Fittest. Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? I would have a low-slung Schecter Tempest Custom, because I would take that guitar for just about any type of band! (Though it might not hang as low for softer stuff.)
Reader of the Month What are you listening to? Karnivool are currently reminding me that Australia exports more than just terrifying, murderous creatures. They also export terrifying, awesome music. Oh, and local band Boundary (shameless plug) out of Coventry, United Kingdom. Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? A Dean Razorback. Metal is all about looking like everything youre wearing could kill someone. Color isnt so importantyou can have any color you likeso long as its black.
Andy Ellis
Senior Editor What are you listening to? Tim Sparks, The Nutcracker Suite. In this 20th anniversary re-release, Sparks performs Tchaikovsky and amazing Balkan music on solo acoustic guitar. A true fingerstyle master. Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? My 2006 28"-scale Les Paul Studio baritone in dropped-A tuning. Its stock 490 humbuckers are a little brash perfect for cutting through loud drums and you can shake the walls with its .072 6th string. Bonus: 24 frets on a Paul!
Tessa Jeffers
Managing Editor What are you listening to? My heads a bobbin to the dirty sax and axe on Menomenas Moms. I also was recently turned on to Marnie Stern um, where have I been all her life? Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? Visionary Instruments unreleased metal model, called Edges, with a color-changing LED screen that alternates between images of Albert Einsteins face with Medusas hair and an energy force field. It might impale me, but Im an artist.
chris Kies
Associate Editor What are you listening to? Since Im in a metal state of mind, Ive been rattling my cerebrum with Dredges vicious Sediment, Dillinger Escape Plans twisting, jazzy-hardcore Miss Machine, and Kylesas forthcoming neo-prog, neck-breakin jammer Ultraviolet. Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? As a huge Dimebag fan, Id go with an old ML, but to steer clear of the signature path and forge my own legacy, Id probably bark at the moon with a less intimidating axe like a 6120 or an ES-355.
donna grantis
Guitarist, Prince What are you listening to? Prince! Funk riffs for days with impeccable feel and some of the most spectacular lead and rhythm playing ever. Sly & the Family Stone, especially their live performance at Woodstockthe energy is incredible! Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? A custom PRS shaped like a lightning bolt, in white and bright purple, with diamond studs along the neck, gold and silver hardware, a Bigsby, and an ebony neck for fast shredding. Oh, and Id like it to shoot out neon light beams.
Rich osweiler
Associate Editor What are you listening to? Low, The Invisible Way. Produced by Jeff Tweedy, this Minnesotan trios 10th effort is a ballad-rich grouping of mostly acoustic, alt-folk/country tunes with stunning harmonies. Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? A custom Ibanez RG8. Everything is black (of course) and no fretboard markers with the exception of the LED-powered goblin eyes at the 12th that become more intense the faster I shred. No animals were harmed in the process, but my headstock rocks baby goat horns.
Jason Shadrick
Associate Editor What are you listening to? Marc Ribots Ceramic Dog, Your Turn. I know Ribot mostly from his work with Tom Waits and his Cuban projects, but this album sounds like the hippest indie-rock from Brooklynwithout the skinny jeans and ironic facial hair. Youre in a metal band. What axe are you rocking? I imagine it would be an all-mahogany Les Paul loaded with EMGs, a set of .012s, and a scene from Game of Thrones painted on it.
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MediA Reviews
ALBUM
Joe Satriani
Unstoppable Momentum Epic
Not since the heyday of hearing Satch Boogie and Cliffs of Dover on the radio has instrumental guitar rock been so fun. Now that Joe Satriani has found an outlet for his more commercial output with Chickenfoot, its almost like the pressure is off and he can sit back, relax, and play. On Unstoppable Momentum, Satch sets aside the futuristic slant from his last few outings and gives his strongest performances since his self-titled 1995 release. Even though you can hear the joy in Satrianis playing on every track, he doesnt hesitate to unleash a barrage of pick-tapping Whammy pedal fury in the opening title track. His saturated Ibanez-meets-Marshall tone is in full force and even though the gain is plentiful, the clarity is rather amazing. Outside of maybe Tom Morello, Satriani is one of the few guitarists who can play an entire solo devoid of licks and still pull it off with aplomb. The medium-tempo stomp shuffle of Three Sheets to the Wind brings to mind the melodicism of the Beatles without becoming derivativea tough feat these days. Drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Chris Chaney are mostly to blame for the burning rhythmic backing that allows Satriani to explore every inch (both harmonically and dynamically) of each tune. And honestly, is there anything keyboardist Mike Keneally cant do? The former Zappa alums presence is felt throughout the straight-ahead lo-fi grind of Jumpin Out. To my ears, the true sign of a well-crafted instrumental is that you could easily imagine lyrics going along with the melody. On Cant Go Back, Satriani begins with a new wave-ish groove before launching into a wah-drenched melody la Cool #9. For the Satriani army, this will be a welcome return to a stripped-down sound that relies a little less on futuristic themes and motifs and more on what inspired many of his followersa cool guitar plugged into a loud amp. Jason Shadrick Must-hear track: Jumpin In
its her voice thats so arresting. Taylor floats through her melodies with a relaxed, sassy vibe and none of the melismatic tinsel that plagues many contemporary female singers. And when she hits the gas, man, you feel it. In guitarist Steve Mignano, Taylor has a perfect foil. His long, searing bends and snarling riffs wrap around Taylors latte voice like a well-worn leather glove. Tone for days, deluxe dynamics, spirited deliveryMignano has it all. He mingles fat Wheels of Fire-era Clapton licks with the snappy attack of Texas titans Doyle Bramhall and David Grissom. If youre craving rootsy music delivered with a fresh, progressive flair, this is it. Andy Ellis Must-hear track: Thats My Man
ALBUM
Leroy Justice
Above the Weather Elm City Music
ALBUM
Cassie Taylor
Out of My Mind Yellow Dog Records
The daughter of bluesman Otis Taylor, bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist extraordinaire Cassie Taylor has lived music all her life. As a teenager, she sang and played in her fathers band, appearing on eight albums and touring the world. In 2011 she released Blue, her solo debut, and then hit
34 PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013
the road in the trio Girls with Guitars. Packed with soulful singing and blazing 6-string, Taylors new Out of My Mind is a mesmerizing, nuanced, and imaginatively arranged collection of blues-inflected originals. Her big, round bass is deep in the pocket, but
Leroy Justice treads carefully into jam-band territory, owing to a musicianship and tightness that can turn out 8-minute listening experiences and 34-second guitar solos that are complex and fast-traveling without flying away to Noodleville. The band self-describes as guitar-driven, which is accurate if not too simply put. Collectively, the dual guitars are the frontman, with singer Jason Gallagher holding down rhythm while vocally channeling Shannon Hoon. Meanwhile, the revolving tones (delays, country twang, esoteric reverb, jangly Jazzmaster, psychedelic 70s riffs, crunchy blues) of lead guitarist Justin Mazer (who also plays with MiZ) are controlled and pronounced, leading the rest of the band to pockets and bounties of grooves. Before I Die goes from subtle to sprawling, each pick stroke working for position, no laurels to rest on in a song layered with at least 10 (I lost count) different 6-string parts of varying technique. This is a band on the move, and while the slower ballads build and break out
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nicely, the players shine during blues rompin and longer, instrumental-onsteroid arrangements. Through earbuds, Above the Weather is a collective of heartfelt, seriously rockin tunes. The more promising thought, however, is imagining it live, vis--vis. Tessa Jeffers Must-hear tracks: Watch Him Fall, Two Trees
ALBUM
Brad Paisley
Wheelhouse Arista Nashville
There are a few things you can count on with every new Brad Paisley album: great tone, somewhat shtick-y lyrics, and the most stonecold country shred this side of Hank Garland. That being said, Paisleys albums sometimes seem burdened by heavy-handed production. With Wheelhouse, Paisley continues to take chances and push modern country away from the auto-tuned sing-alongs with a simple twist of his B-bender. Released nearly six months before the album release, Southern Comfort Zone is a nostalgic look at life below the Mason-Dixon line. Paisley throws in just enough EL84-powered twang and Stones-inspired double stops to keep the guitar nerds eyes from glazing over. The melding of country-rock riffing and programmed drum beats on the intro to Outstanding in Our Field shows that Paisley isnt afraid to push buttons (literally) when it comes to a perceived innovation in country music. Dont get me wrong, I love innovation as much as the next 6-stringer, but there is a fine line between a true visionary and an artist whos never heard the word no. Wheelhouse is Paisleys most popsounding album to date, and with that, makes me wonder how long it will be before that vitamin that you stick in the cupcake disappears completely. Jason Shadrick Must-hear tracks: Southern Comfort Zone, Onryo
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GiGGinG & RecoRdinG > Tone TiPS
the RoAd GUitARists stUdio BY Peter thorn
s a professional guitarist, to feel like Im covering all the bases I need a healthy balance of road and studio work. I really enjoy playing gigs and touring, but I also love creating new music in the studio. And the art of recording guitar well is a passion of mine. When Im not on tour, Im generally doing sessions and producing video gear demos for amp and pedal manufacturers. So having a studio of my own where I can record world-class guitar tones has become essential for me. Ive had a good home studio for 10 years or so, but recently, I was presented with an opportunity to move my studio to an available room in a commercial facility. I learned many things in the process, so Im going to give you some ideas in my next two columns for getting the most out of your own studios. This month, were going to focus on micing guitar cabinets in the studio, but keep in mind that much of the info can be applied to the stage as well. Mic that cab. The biggest change between my new space and my old home studio is that I now have an actual live tracking room. In my old studio, I used a coat closet to isolate and mic a 1x12 Bogner cabinet, but now I have enough space to record virtually any size cab. Yes, speaker simulators have come a long way (more on this in a minute), but theres still just something about mics and speakers moving air. In my old space, I surrounded the cab with 24" x 24" acoustic panels from ATS Acoustics to absorb volume and reflections. To isolate it from the floor, I also positioned the cab on sandbags I bought at the hardware store, and sometimes Id cover it in packing blankets. Not only did all this work to eliminate reflections and absorb sound, cutting down the volume also helped ensure I wouldnt disturb the neighbors. Though the closet worked really well, it sure is nice to have a big room now. I can
mic cabs in ways that I just couldnt before. For example, I recently made a video demo of a Jim Kelley Reverb amplifier and I micd an open-back cab with an SM57 and an sE VR1 in front, along with an AKG C 214 in the back. Using a mic on the backside can add depth and air to the sound, but it was something I just didnt have the room to do in my old space. If you do use a mic on the back of an open cab, just make sure you flip the phase of the rear mic because otherwise itll be out of phase with the front mic(s). When using just one mic on a cab which I still often doI normally use the tried-and-true SM57 on a Celestion or Celestion-style speaker and place it at the distance shown in Fig. 1. This position always seems to work because I get a great balance of lows to highs. You can move the mic forward or back an inch or so, depending on how much proximity effect you needthe closer you get, the more the bass will be boosted. If you do add a second mic, however, just be sure the diaphragms are aligned by making them equidistant from the speaker. Otherwise, you can get phase cancellation that can wreak havoc with your tone. (See the Phase Coherency Test sidebar for an easy trick to establish phase coherency between two mics.) Or dont mic that cab. As I mentioned, speaker simulators have come a long way in recent times and they offer a viable alternative to micing cabs. With the advent of impulse responses (IRs), its now possible to accurately capture the unique tonal signature of any speaker, mic, and preamp combination, and then turn it into an IR. I recently acquired a useful box that facilitates using IRs with tube amps. Its called the Two Notes Torpedo Live, and this MIDIcompatible unit lets you safely connect and load any amplifier up to 100 watts. (Note:
Fig. 1 This illustration shows the distance at which I normally place a SM57 from a speaker.
Fig. 2 Had I not used the phase coherency test, I wouldnt have known that this is precisely where the VR1 (second mic) should be placed in relation to the SM57.
Phase Coherency Test

1.) Without a guitar plugged in, turn up the gain of the amp you are using until there is a fair amount of hiss coming from the speaker cab. Send this signal out through a headphone send. 2.) Next, invert the phase of your second mic on your mic pre or in your DAW using a plug-in. 3.) Listen to the sound of the amplifier hiss in your headphones. When you move your second mic towards or away from the speaker, you will hear the hiss level change as the mics go in and out of phase with one another. The position where you hear the least amount of hiss is where the mic should be placed. This is because when the second mics phase-reversal switch is flipped on, the sound should cancel out as much as possible. Unflip the phase on the second mic, and voil, you should have a great tone when the two mics are blended. My SM57 and sE VR1 mics shown in Fig. 2 are aligned for proper phase. Youll notice that the VR1 is placed slightly back from the SM57.
Tube amps must see a load, which is what your speaker cabinet serves as normally.) You can then use any of the included IRsor make and use your ownand send a line-level signal out of the unit to your recording interface. What you end up with is an incredibly realistic micd amp tone. From recording silently with headphones to being able to quickly audition different cabinet and mic combinations for your recordings, the advantages are obvious and many. The live application possibilities are also pretty incredible, since youre able to switch between different virtual cabinets to get the tone you are going for, be it a closed-back 4x12 for dirty sounds or an open-back 2x12 for clean sounds. Ive just started using this box, so Im still in the honeymoon phase, but so far Im definitely impressed with what it can do. Next month, well look at the control room. Meanwhile, happy tracking!
peteR thoRn
is an L.A.-based guitarist, currently touring with Melissa Etheridge. His solo album, Guitar Nerd, is available through iTunes and cdbaby.com. Read more about his career at peterthorn.com.
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GiGGinG & RecoRdinG > on BaSS
BRinGinG BAck the FRetLess BY Victor Brodn
f you listen to rock/pop radio, youre always exposed to sonic trends, though those waves of popularity that certain sounds enjoy dont last very long. For example, a lot of pop hits these days contain a dubstep breakdown, but Im sure before long well regard the dubstep breakdown as so two years ago. There are very few recorded sounds that could be considered a musical equivalent of, say, blue jeansthe very long-standing staple in the fashion world. Im old enough and lucky enough to have lived through quite a few of these trends. And as a consumer of music, this also means I often miss some of my favorite ingredients from the past in the musical cake Im fed everydaywhether Im walking through a shopping mall or driving in my car. The sax solo certainly belongs on the list of sounds that were once heard everywhere, but eventually lost popularity. In songs from the 50s all the way up to the 80s, there was no other sound that could take the energy level even higher than that of a guitar solo. But for the past two or three decades, a sax solo in rock n roll would just get laughed at. Fortunately, recent hits by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have featured some prominent saxophone solos, so we just might be seeing a comeback of sorts. Perhaps the saddest loss of a musical sound that was once frequently heard on the radio is the fretless bass. Its a sound so gorgeous and hypnotic that it sent me to the music store as a teen to purchase a fretless Fender just a few days after I first heard Paul Youngs Wherever I Lay My Hat (Thats My Home). I grew up loving bluesy guitar solos and saxophone leads because they sounded just like the human voice to me, so I was thrilled to discover that a bass guitar also had the ability to sound like somebody crying, whining, singing, or displaying some other human emotion. If you play guitar (or pickstyle bass for that matter), the sound is determined by the vibration of the string caused by the piece of plastic in your picking hand and the fret material on your neck. When playing fretless bass, however, the sound you hear is produced by soft skin on both ends. The humanity is instantly more present than when playing a fretted bass or guitar. I feel like my level of proficiency on a fretted bass does not vary that much between the days I am feeling on and days
Fig. 1 A fifth played in the lower register of a 5-string fretless bass.
Fig. 2 In the upper register of a fretless bass, octaves (shown) or fifths are played with either the first and fourth or first and third finger.
Fig. 3 For minor thirds, using your first and third finger will likely feel most natural.
Fig. 4 Using your first and second finger for major thirds is the best way to go.
when I feel like Im not playing particularly well. But with my fretless, playing is more like a stormy relationship with a beautiful woman: Some days I feel ecstatic and completelike I am right where I am supposed to be in lifeand on other days the fretless just wants to pick a fight and make my life miserable. Fortunately, on most days, the love between us flows freely. There are some basic physical practices to make the move from guitar or bass to fretless bass smoother. I still warm up with the following exercises when I pick up my fretless because it reminds my eyes and muscles how things are supposed to look and feel. These exercises can be frustrating, but they produce great results. Start with octaves and fifthsthe two intervals that function as the foundation for bass lines in many musical genres. And note that it is very important to practice these in many different positions along the neck. When playing them in the low register, use your first and fourth finger (Fig. 1). Moving
higher up on the neck, I use the first and fourth fingers, but the first and third might be more comfortable for some (Fig. 2). Once youve grasped the concept, try sliding this root/fifth fingering a whole-step down, say, from D to C with both the root and the fifth ringing. It produces a stunning effect that can be very effective in a big ballad, and when your octaves and fifths are in tune, youll have a solid foundation to play basic, fretless bass. Just listen closely for pitch, and take your time. The next step is to start using thirds and tenths (or thirds an octave up). This is decidedly harder and requires even more attention to pitch, but makes for an amazing sound, even when played on their own. Thirds sound better in a higher register since the notes are too close together sonically when played down low. The natural thing to do when playing minor thirds is to use your first and third finger (Fig. 3), but for major thirds, employing your first and second finger (Fig. 4) is the best way to go. Vibrato is an astoundingly important part of playing fretless bass. Make it too wide and it will make the whole band sound out of tune (or make you sound like a cello soloist). If the vibrato is not wide enough, you most likely will not infuse your fretless playing with that dramatic, human emotion that makes people love the sound of the instrument so much in the first place. Listening to great music thats recorded with a fretless bass and then experimenting to see what you like will help you develop your own style of vibrato. Because the sound of fretless bass is fairly uncommon in pop, rock, and country today, quite a few artists Ive played with lately, or audience members that have seen me play recently, have come up to me after shows or sessions and told me how good it felt to hear the fretless again. It feels good to me to play it too. Partly because I feel like my whole soul is involved, and partly because it always makes me a little nervousjust like everything important in life should.
Nashville bassist and producer Victor Brodn has toured and recorded with more than 25 major-label artists, including LeAnn Rimes, Richard Marx, Casting Crowns, and Randy Houser. His credits also include Grammy-winning albums and numerous television specials on CMT and GAC, as well as performances on The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. You can reach him at vbroden@yahoo.com.
victoR BRodn
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ACOUSTIC REVELATION.
A3 pre-Amp & effects for Acoustic guitAr.
Zooms A3 is the first pedal of its kind. It allows players to maintain the natural tone of their acoustic guitar while performing live or recording. The A3 offers 40 effects, 28 acoustic guitar models, an XLR Out for direct box use, a combination Mic Input with Phantom Power and an Anti Feedback footswitch to eliminate unwanted noise on up to three frequencies simultaneously.
2013 Zoom | Photo: Neil Zlozower | richiekotzen.com
| zoomfx.com
GiGGinG & RecoRdinG > guiTar TraCkS
keepinG the peAce, pt. 2 BY Mitch gallagher
n last months column, we began exploring the issue of sound control. We looked at both controlling the sound from amps and other instruments that bleeds out from our space and controlling external noise from wafting into our microphones when were recording. You may have just noticed that I didnt use the word soundproof, which implies that sound is completely stopped cold in its tracks and prevented from leaving or entering the room. In the real world, achieving a truly soundproof space is extremely difficult and extremely expensive. But what we can do is knock down the level of sound that is escaping from or coming into the room. A professional acoustician will have a large bag of tricks to draw from to achieve sound control. Theres a lot of science, education, and experience behind what those guys do. If you can afford to hire one to create a studio for you, I highly recommend it! But whether you hire a pro or do it yourself, there are several components to controlling sound that we can address. What will work for you all depends on your specific space and situation. Mass Sound travels by vibrating materials. Whether were talking about air, water, metal, drywall, wood, or whatever else, the principle is the same. It probably seems obvious, but the more mass a material has, the harder it is to make it vibrate. Its also a matter of how inert a material is and where its resonant frequency falls. For example, a thin brass pipe might ring like a bell when struck, because it vibrates easily. On the other hand, a sheet of lead probably wont ring at all, no matter how hard you strike it. One of the main components of sound control is mass. But it has to be mass that is installed correctly to prevent resonance. In studio design, for example, you might use two layers of drywall on each side
This is probably not a good place to shop for acoustic treatment and soundproofing materials. Photo by Francine Girvan, Wikipedia Commons
of a wall to increase the mass of the wall, instead of just a single sheet. Air Space Air between two boundaries (such as between the sheets of drywall on the two sides of a standard wall) helps to control sound transmission. The bigger the air space, the better. The key here is making sure the boundaries on the two sides of the air space arent resonating. Decoupling This has nothing to do with breaking up with your significant other over noise issues. Decoupling means preventing the vibrations in one surface from causing another surface to vibrate. Many of us use foam pads or other decouplers under our studio monitors to prevent vibrations from being transmitted into the desk or stands on which they are sitting.
When it comes to acoustics and sound control, there are a lot of myths floating around out there. So lets bust a few of them. Acoustic foam or fiberglass panels will help with sound control. FaLSe. Absorptive materials, such as acoustic foam, will do the job of taming and tuning the acoustic response inside your room, but will do little to prevent sound from escaping into the outside world. egg cartons can be used for sound control. Very FaLSe. Lets not even go there. Egg cartons are for transporting and storing eggs. Using carpet on the walls and ceiling is a good option for sound control. FaLSe. In fact, from an acoustic standpoint, carpet on the walls and ceiling is generally a bad idea inside the room because its a poor acoustic absorber and will do next to nothing in terms of blocking sound from escaping.
Mythbusters
In pro studios, the floor and even the walls and ceiling might be mounted to springs or rubber pucks to prevent vibrations from propagating. Tight Seals Sound can travel through the smallest of openings. The more airtight you can make the space, the more you will control the sound. Be it gaps around and under doors, AC outlets punched through wall surfaces, or holes cut for lighting fixtures and light switchesall of these and more can reduce how tightly a room is sealed. Lets also not forget about heating and cooling vents and returns. Sound will travel right through these into the ductwork, and from there, throughout the rest of the building. Now that weve looked at some of the components of sound control, we can begin to look at how to utilize or address those components in our spaces to cut down on noise escaping or entering. Tune in next month, well get started!
Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar Sound. He is the former Editor in Chief of EQ magazine. In addition to being a writer, he is a freelance recording engineer/producer/mastering engineer, teaches music business and audio recording at Indiana University/Purdue University, and is Sweetwaters Editorial Director. www.mitchgallagher.com
Mitch GALLAGheRs latest book is
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tech tips > STaTe oF The STomP
contRoL YoUR pedALs with the wAve oF A hAnd BY KeVin BoleMBach
n 2006, Source Audio took the effects market by storm with their feature-laden digital effect processors and the unique motion-sensitive effect controller, the Hot Hand. While the brand seemed to appear out of nowhere, the team behind it had served time at various M.I. companies and boasted an extensive background with more than 80 years of combined experience in the field. Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Source Audio is its complete lack of consideration for current trends in the music products industry. While many companies choose a well-worn path, SAs right-brain approach to product design blazes a trail thats anything but trendy or traditional. Arguably their most innovative and radical product is the Hot Hand Wireless Effects Controller. Via a ring-mounted sensor device, the Hot Hand lets you control effect parameters using hand motion. The Hot Hand took tone tweaking off the floor, allowing players an unprecedented degree of freedom and versatility when controlling an effect parameter. Users could now control wah sweep, volume level, modulation rates or any other effect parameter with the wave of their handor other body part, depending where the sensor is attached! The Hot Hand controller and accompanying effect modules received critical acclaim and soon showed up in the rigs of many touring professionals. Notable among these is guitarist Herman Li of shred-metallers DragonForce, who uses the HH to create and control wah effects with staggering results. The HH has also found a home among DJs and electronica artists, further confirming its broad appeal and potential. While revolutionary, the Hot Hand did have one shortcomingit only worked with Source Audios own HH and Soundblox series of digital effect units. This meant that it could be difficult to incorporate the HH into an existing guitar rig, and it also meant analog purists might dismiss the device entirely. Always thinking forward, Source Audio recently released the Hot Hand 3 Universal wireless controller. Not only does the HH3 work with all SA effects, its compatible with most third-party effect units that feature a 1/4" expression control jack. This means musicians can now incorporate the controller into their existing effect setup, assuming they have pedals that accept
The wireless Hot Hand 3 lets you use hand gestures to shape sounds of virtually any pedal equipped with a 1/4" expression pedal jack.
expression control. More importantly, the HH3 brings the ability to create new and exciting sounds to a much larger group of musicians and performers. The HH3 system itself is compact, relatively affordable, and easy to use. Consisting of the motion sensor ring and a receiver base station that measures less than 3" x 2", the HH3 can be integrated into the tightest of pedalboards. The ring itself is slightly more than 1" long, weighs less than half an ounce, and features an adjustable strap to accommodate different finger sizes. Its comfortable to wear and doesnt get in the way of your picking or plucking. Once you charge the ring using the provided AC adaptor, you follow a quick and simple calibration procedure to set the mid-point of the motion sensors axis. This allows you to optimize the rings performance to your particular hand position and degree of movement. Theres also an option to select which axis of motion will control the expression output of the unit. There are three directional axes: X (forward/back), Y (side to side), and Z (up and down). The ability to select a particular direction of operation helps when learning to use the HH3 and also prevents triggering the effect at unwanted times. Unfortunately, you can only assign one axis to the expression output at any given time (more on that in a moment). The base station features knobs that adjust the depth and sensitivity of the input signal from the ring, allowing further finetuning of the systems reaction to your hand motion. Theres also an array of small DIP switches that configure the output to work with different expression pedal input types.
Once youve adjusted the sensor and receiver to your particular movements and effect setup, simply engage the pedal youre controlling and rock out. Assuming the HH3 would work well with SAs proprietary effect units, my tests focused on how well it operated with third-party stompers. With the demo unit I received from Source Audio, I was able to control the cycling rate of a Moog MuRFs filter array, the filter sweep of a TWA Triskelion, and the delay time on a Line 6 DL4all with the wave of my picking hand. It does take a bit of practice and experimentation to use the HH3 effectively, and figuring out how to move your hand in a particular direction while retaining a steady rhythmic pulse can be a learning experience. But once you get used to how the hand controller reacts to your movements, its simply a matter of implementing it into your performance in a musical manner. I should mention I found myself pondering what it would be like if all three directional axes could be operated simultaneously to control different effect parameters. Based on Source Audios track record for innovation, I cant help but think that such a function is already being considered for some future product release. Words sometimes fall short when explaining a products operation, so if youre curious about hand-control technology, check out several videos on Source Audios website that illustrate its potential.
kevin BoLeMBAch is the president
and founder of Godlyke, the U.S. distributor for many well-known boutique effect brands, including Maxon, Guyatone, EMMA, and Providence.
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tech tips > eSoTeriCa eLeCTriCa
GUitARs FRoM thin AiR BY jol dantzig

igh school shop classes are mostly a thing of the past. In their march to churn out white-collar robots, education experts have argued shop classes out of existence, contending that they are a waste of students time. If you or your kids are hell bent on occupying that thankless and unfulfilling office job, you might as well turn the page now. For me, those classes were a welcome interlude where I could indulge myself in scheming, doodling, and designing guitars. Okay, it was more like tracing guitars. What I was really doing was learning real-world problem-solving skills. In study hall, I would pull my copy of The Ventures Knock Me Out! album from my book bag, place a sheet of thin drawing paper over the photo of the bands namesake Mosrite guitar, and sketch an outline. I practiced the proportions until I could draw an accurate guitar without reference. And not satisfied with merely mimicking every detail, I would add pickups, knobs, and modify the shapes of my little guitar drawingssoup them up as the hot rodders would say. It was 1965, a time when aftermarket parts and even specialty work was not common, but for me, the custom car aesthetic carried over into all things. Art classes taught me to render my drawings with perspective, which inched them closer to being real. I learned about balance, composition, and contrast, as well as how to follow the rules and when to break them. Meanwhile, in shop class, my fellow students and I had graduated from cobbling together crude birdhouses and serving trays for our moms, to building actual furniture. Working with wood by chiseling joints and fitting parts together in three dimensions brought life to my spiritless and flat sketches. Still, I found it difficult to translate my ideas into parts that actually worked together as a whole. Thats when I elected to take mechanical drawing, a discipline that allows for the relationship between solid parts in a three-dimensional world. It is a skill that has served me well ever since, because design isnt merely an outline. The final element was the part of shop class that dealt with machining materials like wood, plastic, and metals of all kinds. We drilled, sawed, screwed, and sprayed certainly a liability insurance nightmare in todays coddled world. But back then,
Because shapes that look great on paper can be impractical to replicate in reality, designing a guitar is an exercise in physics that requires some practical forethought.
you simply put on a bandage or visited the school nurse if you cut yourself, and then returned to class. Learning the properties and limitations of stuff is indispensable if you want your projects to succeed. Again, it was about learning rules and getting the feel for when not to follow them. I was curious, and I took the path my curiosity dictated without regard to the outcome. I was unknowingly foreshadowing my entire careerin a decidedly 3-D world. When I started building guitars, it was the combination of my experience in school and from a half-dozen factory jobs that kick-started the process for me. I had been exposed to hard toolingthe jigs and fixtures that shops use to create consistent parts. Imagining and drawing an instrument is only the beginning. You have to make sure that it will physically work. Shapes that look great on paper can be impractical to replicate in the real world. Even as manufacturing has moved into fiveaxis computerized routing, you cant defy physicsand you still have to hold your parts down in the machine. Actually, part of the enjoyment of building is solving the tooling challenges. Another issue is the practical stuff. Where will the wires run, and how will the holes for them be drilled? Will each pickup require a separate wire-channel? You might want to create a single rout in the body before the top is bonded on instead. If time and money are of no importance, all of these things can be done in separate steps. But in a commercial shop, its better to accomplish things in a single operation. Even something as simple as aligning the centerline of the body requires forethought to create repeatability. During a restoration of a 1937 DAngelico, for instance, I found the centerline of both the top and back
didnt line up with the seams of the sides, but a massive tail strip hid this fact. In design, there are always many roads to the same goal. For example, switches, volume pots, and tone pots mount to a surface at 90 degrees to the axis of the part. This way, the fastening nuts will sit flat on the instruments face, pickguard, or metal control-plate. With an arched top, however, it poses a problem because the inside of the control cavity may not be parallel to the guitars face. This is where the designer has to make a decision. One solution is to minimize or even eliminate the arch in the area of the controls. This is somewhat the case with a Les Paul where its outermost controls are located. Any slack can then be taken up by the use of a washer and a little bit of force. Another approach might be to create a dimple in the top so the locknut can sit flat, such as on a PRS. A third option would be to machine the inside of the arch to be parallel to the outsidewhich is what occurs on true hollowbody guitars. As you can see, this is a design consideration that isnt readily apparent in a simple outline drawing, but one that experience anticipates. The odyssey from copying shapes in study hall, to building guitars and other cool stuff, is a journey Im still on. I now can draw in CAD and am versed in applications like Rhino and SolidWorks3-D programs used for designing and manufacturing with computer-controlled equipment. Oddly enough, I still prefer to do my blue-sky designing on a sheet of paper. Ill never know it all, but that motivates me. Every day brings new knowledge if you let it.
joL dAntziG is a noted designer,
builder, and player who co-founded Hamer Guitars, one of the first boutique guitar brands, in 1973. Today, as the director of Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to help define the art of custom guitar. To learn more, visit guitardesigner.com.
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tech tips > aSk amP man
BRinGinG A sUpRo 1x10 oUt oF the cLoset BY jeff BoBer

Hi Jeff, Recently I was reading several of your columns concerning old amps and caps [Bringing a Gibson Duo-Medalist Back to Life, Parts 1 & 2 and Dusting Off a Pignose G40V in the March, April, and June 2011 issues]. Well, they struck a chord. I just got a 50s Supro from a drummer friend. I assumed it was a Comet because of the look, but the schematics would point to a Spectator because the only schematics that fit this chassis are for a Spectator. [Our money says its a 50s Supro Comet 1610 made by Valco of Chicago. Editor] My friend put this amp in a closet 30 years ago when it stopped working, and there it sat in the land of dust bunnies until I bought it. Someone had bypassed the fusecrudely, I might addbut other than that, it all seems to be stock and everything looks fine. Should I rewire the fuse correctly and fire it up? (Maybe fire it up isnt the best term to use here.) I know a visual check only goes so far. Because of the amps age, should I remove all the caps and put them on a tester before attempting to power it up? Or perhaps you have another suggestion? Thanks, Mark 1
1. A sweet Supro 1x10 from the 1950s. These combos are prized by harp players, as well as guitarists and lap steel players looking for singing, low-wattage tube distortion. 2. Time capsule: This is how amps were wired by hand more than half a century ago. 3. The amp is powered by a single 6V6 and sports a 12AX7 preamp tube and a 5Y3 tube rectifier.
Hi Mark, Since your question contains the phrases stopped working and someone bypassed the fuse, my initial thought is that worrying about the state of the caps might be a bit premature. First, I would pull all the tubes (mark their positions, if necessary) and remove the chassis. After repairing the fuse holder and properly fusing the amp, plug the amp into a Variac or similar unit (quite a handy device in situations like this) and connect an AC voltmeter to the high-voltage output leads of the amplifier transformer. Turn the Variacs output voltage to zero. Now turn the amp on. Slowly raise the output voltage of the Variac and see if you measure any output from the Supros transformer. If you can raise the Variac to the 90V to 100V range and voltage is still present, the transformer may be okay.
Reduce the voltage to zero again and connect your meter to the 6.3V filament output of the transformer. Raise the Variac to approximately 100V and check for the presence of about 5-6 volts. If this is also good, I would then drop the Variac to zero, substitute a solid-state rectifier for the rectifier tube, and once again slowly raise the voltage from the Variac, while monitoring the DC voltage on the main capacitor. Do this with the capacitors facing away from you in case one decides to vent. If you can raise this voltage to the 350V range or so, reduce the Variac voltage to zero, and remove the solid-state rectifier. Now test all the tubes. If theyre good, reinstall them. If not, get replacements either new ones or used tubes you can confirm are working. Now youre ready to check the amps operation. With a little
luck, the Supro may work, but you may still want to replace the filter caps in a unit that old, as theres no telling how good they are or how long theyll last. Wishing you cool Supro tones! Warning: All tube amplifiers contain lethal voltages. The most dangerous voltages are stored in electrolytic capacitors, even after the amp has been unplugged from the wall. Before you touch anything inside the amp chassis, its imperative that these capacitors are discharged. If you are unsure of this procedure, consult your local amp tech.
jeFF BoBeR, one of the godfathers of the low-wattage amp revolution, cofounded and was the principal designer for Budda Amplification. Jeff launched EAST Amplification in 2010, and he can be reached at pgampman@gmail.com.
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tech tips > mod garage
teLecAsteR oBsession BY dirK wacKer
fter exploring the Fender Esquire for a full year, its now time to turn our attention to the venerable Telecaster. Over the next few months, well explore Tele pickups, various factory wirings, and, of course, Tele mods. But first, lets review our Tele history and get some insights from one of the best Tele masters alive, Greg Koch. After producing the two-pickup Esquire (for details on this transitional guitar, read The Two-Pickup Esquire Wiring in the April 2013 issue), Fenders next model was the Broadcaster. Basically, this was an evolution of the two-pickup Esquire, only now the guitar sported a one-piece maple neck with an adjustable truss rod. In early 1951only a few months after the Broadcaster was officially introduced in late 1950Fender dropped this name at the request of Gretsch, which had been selling a Broadkaster drum kit since 1948. It was Don Randall, the head of marketing for Fenders distribution company, who came up with a new moniker. In the early 50s, television was the big thing in the U.S., so Randall blended television with the original Broadcaster name and voilthe Telecaster. In April 1951, the new name was finally cleared as a trademark and immediately Fender adopted it for their electric guitar. You might wonder what happened to the Broadcaster between early 51 and April 51. Leo Fender was very pragmatic, and instead of stopping production of his electric solidbody, he simply clipped the Broadcaster name off the headstock decal. So for this period of time, the guitar featured only a Fender logo on the headstock. Theoretically, he could have stopped this practice in April 51, once the new Telecaster trademark had been cleared for public use. But Leo Fender was not a man to waste anything, so workers happily kept on using clipped Broadcaster decals until they ran out in early August 1951. Today, these guitars are known as Nocaster models. I own an original 51 Nocaster and seeing its headstock always makes me smile. Though its not the first electric solidbody, the Telecaster is without doubt the first commercial electric guitar manufactured in large quantities. The Tele is an American icon and a product of the pioneering, postWorld War II days, where companies had to struggle with limited availability of materials and machines. But Fender met those
Do you still own it? Unfortunately, years ago I sold it to someone who gutted it to install humbuckers. What makes a Tele so special? Its a durable, primitive tool that encourages honest and organic musical activity. I recently returned from Europe and hadnt played the Tele I brought over there since Id been home. Two weeks and one intercontinental flight later, it was still in tune when I took it from its gig bag. Thats why I like Telecasters.
Greg Koch knows how to tear up a Tele. Proof? Check out some footage of him jamming onstage with Joe Bonamassa. Search term: Joe Bonamassa, Greg Koch Further On Up The Road
challenges, and today the Telecaster is built virtually the way it was in the early 50s. Take a moment to ponder this: What items couldnt be improved since their invention? Do we drive cars that are made like they built them in the 50s? Or do we use a TV, radio, toaster, or a popcorn maker from that time? Yet in more than 60 years, we havent been able to develop the Telecaster any further. Its a brilliant concept that was mature from the first production run. In closing, as promised, heres an excerpt from a chat I had with Telecaster guru Greg Koch. Do you remember the moment you saw your first Telecaster? It was probably on the TV show Hee Haw when I was a kid. Also, I remember the Tele headstock being burned into my consciousness from seeing a giant poster in a neighbors basement of Jimi Hendrix playing a white Strat with a Tele maple neck. When did you get your first Telecaster and what model was it? Well, I really wanted a Strat because I was initially a Hendrix and Clapton fanatic, but my guitar teacher was selling a white 68 Tele with a maple neck. It was a Fender and I knew that a Tele was an iconic guitar, so I wanted it. I had some money saved and somehow I convinced my dad to pay the difference. I loved it from the first strum and a lot of my formative years were spent playing that guitar. I discovered I loved the Teles sound and ergonomics. It wasnt that I had to have one, it just ended up that way.
What features should a good Telecaster have? All Teles are sexy to metheyre pretty hard to mess up. Ive always been a fan of Teles with an ash body and maple neck, but of late Ive been digging ash with rosewood. For some gigs and sessions I played a Fender Custom Shop Wildwood 10 62 Tele Custom with an ash body and a rosewood fretboard, and it was sublime. A friend of mine, Rick Land, made me a T-style guitar with a sugar pine body and a rosewood fingerboard and that guitar is a super freak. I like a flatter radius and taller frets. I can pretty much make any Tele work for me, but it helps if they are surf green, fiesta red, Taos turquoise, or lakefront blue. What albums do you recommend for hot Telecaster playing? There are so many! But for starters, Roy Buchanan, the first Polydor release. The Byrds Live at the Fillmore, Led Zeppelins debut, Danny Gatton Unfinished Business, Albert Lee Speechless, and anything by Jimmy Bryant or Albert Collins. There you have it! Tele insights from a true master. And heres some homework: To prepare for next months column, unstring your Tele and remove the two pickups. Well prepare those pickups for future mods, and while were in there, well also look at ways to bust unwanted feedback and make pickup height adjustment procedures a bit easier. Until then, keep on modding!
is fascinated by anything related to old Fender guitars and amps. He plays country, rockabilly, and surf music in two bands, works regularly as a session musician for a local studio, and writes for several guitar mags. Hes also a hardcore guitar and amp DIY-er who runs an extensive websitesinglecoil.comon the subject.
diRk wAckeR lives in Germany and
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tech tips > The BaSS BenCh
tUninG the FRetBoARd BY heiKo hoePfinger
he fretboard: Its where we focus most of our practice time and that means we stare at it a lot. Its interesting how todays fretboards look exactly the same as in the old days. Weve seen some changes in fretboard radius over time, but even the fret material has remained consistent for the vast majority of instruments. True, we now have stainless steel frets, which were developed to reduce fret wear, but most manufacturers dont push this material, as its way harder to work with than standard fretwire. What bassists have used for decades is a board with straight frets, and fret position is calculated using a constant divisor. This way, the 12th fret ends up exactly in the middle of our scale length. The math behind this divisor is very accurate and the system seems to work wellafter all, a lot of great music has been made with it. (Note: Were not talking about different tunings. This discussion is all about getting accurate pitches in standard tuning.) The mathematic model behind fret distances is an approximation of an ideal string. We have to make some shifts from the ideal to accommodate real-world parameters, and one of these parameters is the stiffness of the string. The further we reach up the fretboard, the more this plays a role in the resulting pitch. Another factor is mass and whether a string is wound or plain, although plain strings are something that only a few extended-range bassists will ever have to deal with. On a traditional fretted instrument, our only key to adjusting intonation is the bridge, and it can only do one compromised adjustment for the entire scale length. The result is that our intonation will only work well for a certain area of the fretboard. You could say that the system works fine the way it is, but some creative minds have come up with interesting ideas that at least shed some light on our workspace and its limitations. Most of these ideas initially focused on the guitar market, as a guitars higher notes show the effect of various systems more prominently, but when it comes to stiff, heavy, and thick strings, well, we own that world. Lets look at a few of these ideas for improving intonation. The Earvana nut. These replacement nuts are easy, non-permanent mods that offer an alternative intonation system. The principle is that the nut is no longer
No, you dont need new glasses: This is a 4-string fretboard equipped with True Temperament frets.
straight, and it provides a compensation thats similar to the bridge. The nut position, and therefore scale length, is slightly altered for each of the strings. Once a non-straight nut is installed, the bridge will need a new setup. This mod makes the biggest difference in the range of the first frets. Claims that a compensated nut works over the entire range seem to be a bit over the edge and probably depend on how closely you look at the data, but this technology surely helps overall intonation. The Circular Fretting System. The idea behind the Circular Fretting System (C.F.S.) is that the strings, coming from the nut, are not parallel. They are indeed slightly divergent, and on a 4-string bass, the outer strings are shifted sideways about 10 mm. That means that the outer strings see a slightly larger scale length. To compensate to an equal scale and make all strings cross the fret at an exact angle of 90 degrees, the C.F.S inventors
curve the frets. Installing curved frets involves way more work than classic straight frets, so lets look at the inventors claims to weigh the benefits. For starters, its claimed the equaled scale will make an extremely accurate pitch and sharply defined tone. The exact 90-degree crossing delivers a longer sustain, sonorous harmonics, bellclear sound, and a fast resonance. Sounds like its worth the additional work to install curved frets. Here are the numbers for a traditional 34"-scale bass: The additional scale length of the outer strings is 0.002" or 0.06 mm, and the strings cross the frets at an angle of 89.9998 degrees, instead of exactly 90 degrees. But because even the most accurate fingering will generate bigger variations in this angle, there will be no intonation benefit to having an exactly equal scale length for different strings. Also, the aforementioned divisor still generates the same inaccuracies. And every slightly bent note on any fretboard would, to use circular fretting terms, create a less sharp tone and impact the harmonics and sustain. Somehow this conflicts with experience. True Temperament fretting. At first sight, this is pretty wild! It represents the most laborious fretwork one can do, as it keeps track of the real pitch of each and every note on the fretboard with a corrected fret position, and almost none of the frets remain straight. Additionally, the Swedish company behind this technology produces fretboards with a variety of temperaments, including 12-tone equal, Wohltemperierte Gitarre, Thidell Formula 1, low-tune guitar, and bass guitar. Each of these serve a special purpose and is a world of its own. Alternative intonation systems can inspire you to dig deep into the tradition and evolution of musical instruments. Its a fascinating journey, but for not everyone in fact, some players love their basses for their impreciseness. A final thought: If you chose to explore this sonic world, youd better convince your guitar-playing bandmates to do the same.
physicist and long-time bassist, classical guitarist, and motorcycle enthusiast. His work on fuel cells for the European orbital glider Hermes got him deeply into modern materials and physical acoustics, and led him to form BassLab (basslab.de)a manufacturer of monocoque guitars and basses. You can reach him at chefchen@basslab.de.
heiko hoepFinGeR is a German
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vintAGe & Upkeep > VinTage VauLT
1961 GiBson Les pAUL cUstoM
This 1961 Gibson Les Paul Customserial #3690was designed to compete with the sleek, sculptured Stratocaster and Jazzmaster models that were becoming so successful for Fender. The new 61 Custom model was finished in gleaming white, replacing the black paint of the original 50s Les Paul Custom.
52 PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2012
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vintAGe & Upkeep > VinTage VauLT BY daVe rogers, laun Braithwaite, and tiM MullallY
y the end of the 1950s, sales for the original single-cutaway Les Paul Standard and Custom models were dropping. This led Gibson president Ted McCarty to have the guitars revamped in 1960 for release in 1961. The new Les Pauls double-cutaway and lightweight body with contoured edges were influenced by players requests for lighter, more comfortable guitars with easy access to the high frets. Also a factor in redesigning the Gibson solidbody line was the popularity of Fenders Stratocaster and Jazzmaster. The Les Paul Standard was the first to receive the new design, and the Les Paul Custom followed soon after. The guitars new body measured 12 3/4" wide, 16" long, and 1 5/16" deep. (Compare that to the original single-cutaway Les Paul body, which measured 12 3/4" wide, 17 1/4" long, and 1 3/4" deep). But a few things stayed the same: The new Les Paul kept the 24 3/4" scale on a 22-fret neck and also retained the split-diamond headstock inlay and gold hardware of its predecessor. The 61 Standards mahogany body (which lacked the maple cap of the prior version) was stained cherry red, while the 61 Custom was finished in gleaming white, rather than the black of the original Custom. These reimagined Les Pauls were also equipped with the newly designed (and soon abandoned) sidewinder vibrato. The 61 Les Paul Custom featured here matches the details provided in Gibsons 1961 catalog, which reads: Ultra thin, hand contoured, doublecutaway body. New extra slim, fast, low-action neck with exclusive extra low fretsjoins body at 22nd fret. One-piece mahogany neck with adjustable truss rod. Ebony fingerboard, deluxe pearl inlays. Adjustable Tune-O-Matic bridge. Three powerful humbucking pickups with unique wiring arrangement. Two sets of tone and volume controls. Three-way specially wired toggle switch. New Gibson Vibratooperates in direction of pick stroke, swings out of way for rhythm playing. This 1961 Gibson catalog also shows the Les Paul Custom priced at $425 plus
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Gibsons sidewinder vibrato tailpiece was not a hit with most guitarists and the company ultimately abandoned the design.
In case you didnt know what you were playing, the pickguard would inform you.
$47.50 for a 0537 Faultless gold plush-lined case. The current retail value for a 1961 Gibson Les Paul Custom is about $10,000. Sources for this article include Gibson ElectricsThe Classic Years by A.R. Duchossoir, The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy 1915-1963 by Robb Lawrence, Gibson GuitarsTed McCartys Golden Era: 1948-1966 by Gil Hembree, and the 1961 Gibson catalog.
original price: $425 plus $47.50 for plush hardshell case in 1961 Current estimated market value: $10,000
The 61 Custom retained the split-diamond headstock inlay and gold hardware of the 50s original. dAves GUitAR shop
Dave Rogers collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite and Tim Mullally and is on display at: Daves Guitar Shop 1227 Third Street South La Crosse, WI 54601 davesguitar.com Photos by Mullally and text by Braithwaite.
PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2012 53
vintAGe & Upkeep > guiTar ShoP 101
iMpoRt tUninG: 3 siMpLe wAYs to UpGRAde YoUR stRAt

ather than spending a cool grand or two on a new Custom Shop or topline American Stratocaster, many guitarists opt to find a solid Mexican or Japanese Fender Strat and trick it out. Often my clients ask me how they can upgrade one of these instruments to make it gig-worthy. There are several ways to customize a budget Strat without spending a fortune. Replacing key componentssuch as the pickups, string nut, and tunerscan turn a workhorse guitar into a killer axe! The project. To illustrate this process, well use a 2004 Fender Mexican (MIM) Strat. When it landed on my bench, it was in great structural condition, but I knew some mods and a good setup could make it a pro-level instrument. My first step was to sonically evaluate the guitar. Though it played well, it didnt have a lot of sustain and the stock tuners tended to drift out of tune. The single-coil pickups sounded weak and too bright, and I decided to begin the transformation by upgrading them. Install new pickups. The owner wanted to stick to a traditional single-coil configuration. There are dozens of great options made by independent pickup makers, as well as excellent upgrades from Fender. Based on feedback from other clients, I chose a set of Seymour Duncan Five-Two
In position 2 or 4 (the combined neck/ middle and middle/bridge settings) of a 5-way switch, the paired pickups become humbuckers. The benefit? You cancel the 60-cycle hum that plagues single-coils, but still get that traditional Strat tone we all love. Adjust pickup height. This is commonly overlooked during a setup. Its important to set the pickups at the right distance from the strings. If the pickups are adjusted too close, you can lose sustain and run into intonation problems because the magnets are pulling on the vibrating strings. But if the pickups are too low, youll end up with a weak signal. To adjust the pickups, I fret the 1st and 6th strings at the last fret. Then, using a 6" metal machinist ruler, I measure the gap between the top of the pole pieces to the bottom of the 1st and 6th strings (Fig. 1). Carefully turning the screws on either side of the pickup lets me raise or lower its height to my preferred measurements: Bridge pickup: 2/64" 1st string, 3/64" 6th string. Middle pickup: 3/64" 1st string, 4/64" 6th string. Neck pickup: 3/64" 1st string, 4/64" 6th string. These measurements are starting points, but I wouldnt recommend adjusting Strat
Bone is always a good choice for string nutsits very hard, it lasts longer than plastic and graphite, and produces a sweeter tone than metal.
single-coils, which employ a combination of alnico 2 and alnico 5 magnets. The three treble pole pieces are made from alnico 2, which produces a warmer sound. This reduces that ice-pick-in-the-ear tone when you play a solo. Conversely, the three bass pole pieces are alnico 5, a magnet known for producing a bright, clear tone. This is perfect for adding clarity to rhythm parts and chord voicings. Duncan FiveTwos sound louder than traditional Strat pickups, but when adjusted properly, they offer excellent tone and balance. Whenever I replace a trio of singlecoil Strat pickups, I use a reverse-wound/ reverse-polarity (RW/RP) middle pickup.
54 PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2012
pickups any higher. If a pickup is too loud relative to its mates, lower it to balance its volume. Dont bring the quieter ones closer to the strings. Upgrade the tuners. Upgrading your guitars tuning keys requires some research. There are many excellent brands available that will retrofit a Strat, and its important to explore all the options before you drop cash on a set that doesnt fit. In the case of our Fender MIM Strat, I had to find a quality set that would retrofit the existing holes in the neck. The owner and I decided to use sealed Gotoh keys with a 16:1 turning ratio (Fig. 2.) This ratio determines how many times you have
to completely turn the button in order for the post to make one full revolution. The higher the ratio (i.e., 16:1, 18:1), the finer the tuning. Most vintage keys have a 12:1 or 14:1 turning ratio. Keys with lower turning ratios can make it frustrating to tune a string because its so easy to jump past the desired pitch as you approach it. Replace the string nut. Believe it or not, the nut material makes a noticeable sonic difference. Most guitars come from the factory with a plastic string nut (Fig. 3.) Plastic is easy (and cheap) to install, but it insulates the guitar from string vibration and thus negatively impacts tone and sustain. Other materials Ive seen used are graphite, bone, ivory, brass, and aluminum. Each has specific tonal properties and varying sustain, and based on years of working with guitars, heres my take on these materials: Graphite is great for keeping your guitar in tune (especially if you use a tremolo) because strings slide easily through the nut slots, but it sounds rather dead. Bone has excellent sustain and broadens the dynamic range of virtually any guitar. Ivory has good sustain and produces a warmer tone. (Of course, there are serious conservation and even legal issues surrounding the use of ivory, but thats beyond the scope of this column.) Brass and aluminum produce a bright tone but have little sustain. For this project, we decided to carve a new string nut from bone. Bone is always a good choice for string nutsits very hard, it lasts longer than plastic and graphite, and produces a sweeter tone than metal. You can buy pre-slotted string nuts, but I find the spacing is never quite right. I prefer to use a Stratcut bone blank from Allparts (allparts.com) or Stewart-MacDonald (stewmac.com). Caution! When replacing a string nut, be aware that theyre often glued into the nut slot from the bottom or they may be lacquered in. You want to avoid damaging the end of the fretboard facing the tuning keys when removing the nut. If youre not sure how to safely remove a nut, take your guitar to a qualified repair tech or luthier. Carve a bone nut. Carving a string nut requires skill and patience (Fig. 4). One cut too far and youll have to start all over again with a new nut blank. If you dont have the proper experience, training, and tools, turn this part of the project over to someone who does. To see photos and read a detailed explanation of the process I use to cut a bone
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vintAGe & Upkeep > guiTar ShoP 101 storY and Photos BY john leVan
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 1. Measuring the gap between the pole piece and the 6th string on a Strat. Fig. 2. Replacing vintage-style tuners with a set that has a higher turning ratio, like these 16:1 keys, can make it easier to tune a string quickly and accurately. Fig. 3. The string nut plays an important role in a guitars sound and performance. Most guitars sport a stock plastic nut, and replacing it with a bone nut can yield sonic benefits and improve tuning stability. Fig. 4. Carving a new nut is an art. You need to consider string spacing, slot width and depth, and the string angle over the headstock. Fig. 5. The saying measure twice, cut once certainly applies to getting the correct string spacing on a new nut. Fig. 6. A nut slot needs to angle down toward the tuner, and its highest point must be right at the leading edge where the nut meets the fretboard. Fig. 7. Gig worthy! Tricked out with 16:1 tuners, a new bone nut, and a rockin set of replacement pickups, this imported Strat is now ready for prime time.
Fig. 6.
nut and what tools are required, read the March 2012 feature How to Convert Your Axe to a Baritone at premierguitar.com. Step 4 in that article explains how to carve a nut, measure string spacing (Fig. 5), and cut the string slots (Fig. 6). Consider your moves before you make them. When upgrading the parts on your
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guitar, always buy quality hardware that can be installed without any major modification to your instrument. In other words, if you have to route out the body or drill new holes, its best not to do it. The more holes, routing, or finish work you do, the less your instrument is worth. Keep the upgrades clean, simple, and reversible.
has written five guitar repair books, all published by Mel Bay. His bestseller, Guitar Care, Setup & Maintenance, is a detailed guide with a forward by Bob Taylor. LeVan welcomes questions about his PG column or books. Drop an email to guitarservices@ aol.com or visit guitarservices.com for more info on his guitar repair workshops.
john LevAn, Nashville guitar tech,
PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2012 55
vintAGe & Upkeep > BoTTom Feeder
cUtAwAY ciGAR Box GUitAR with hiGGins BendeR BY will raY

everal years ago I was bitten by the cigar-box guitar bug. Theres something wonderfully earthy about CBGs. Most are one-of-a-kind handmade instruments built simply for fun. They express someones creativityusually with a twist of weirdness thrown in. Note: Not all CBGs are actually made out of cigar boxes. Rather, many are crafted to look like a cigar box with a squarish shape and hinged lid. A few years ago, this CBG caught my eye on eBay because it kind of resembled a jazz guitar with its deep 3" body, cutaway, and fetching trim. I scored it for $128, but like most CBGs, I knew it would probably have some issuesand it did. The Tele-style neck pickup was dead, the bridge completely unusable, and the wiring was a mess. So I made a trip to Asheville (North Carolina) guitar guru Jack Dillen to seek help. Fortunately, I keep a wide assortment of parts handy. To reduce repair costs, I brought Jack a spare G&L S-500 pickup and a shortened black Tele-style 3-saddle bridge. Because the dead neck pickup looked cool, I asked him to leave it where it was and mount the S-500 close to the neck. Now that would be enough to keep most techs busy, but I also asked Jack to install a Higgins B-Bender Id just acquired in a trade. Theres not much real estate on a CBG to mount most benders, so the Higgins seemed a logical choice for me. It works by pulling downwards on the supplied strap, which activates a cable that attaches to the bender mechanism on the headstock. Crazy! A week and $50 later, Jack had my CBG ready. I was surprised by how easy it is to play. The new neck pickup has a nice jazzy twang and the bridge humbucker delivers plenty of beef and volume. The Higgins is a trip to use but definitely has a learning curve. It also requires daily tweaking with different allen wrenches, so I added a magnetic strip behind the headstock to keep these tools handy. The Higgins uses a different motion than Im used to, so Im still learning how to pull it smoothly, but its so cool to have a bender on a CBG. So is this a keeper? It has to be. I have too much invested for me to ever come close to getting my money back by selling it. Bottom Feeder Tip #221: Never modify a guitar thinking youll be able to recoup your expenses later. It seldom works out that
1. This cigar-box guitar features a 3" deep body, funky pinstriping, andbelieve it or nota Higgins B-bender. 2. The G&L S-500 neck pickup is a new addition. The Tele-style pickup arrived DOA and while operative, the bridge humbuckers origin remains a mystery. 3. One end of the benders cable attaches to a pulley on the shoulder strap. 4. The Higgins bender mechanism mounts on the face of the headstock. 5. Two allen wrenches adjust the movement of the pull-string cam. 6. The blue-and-white trim adds a folksy flair.
way. For every dollar you spend on mods, you usually get back only 2050 cents on resale. But if modifying a guitar means the difference between playing it or not, I always err on the side of playing. Guitars need to be played, not hung on a wall.
wiLL RAY is a founding member of the
Hellecasters guitar-twang trio. He also does guitar clinics promoting his namesake G&L signature model 6-string, and produces artists and bands at his studio in Asheville, North Carolina. You can contact Will on Facebook and at willray.biz.
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MVP Series 1960 Stratocaster NOS, Black
Top performing instruments for top performing players.

MVP- An honor typically bestowed upon the bestperforming player for a particular contest or series of contests. It is also a fitting title for the MVP Series Limited Edition run, built exclusively for Maken Music in the Fender Custom Shop. Carefully selected appointments offer the Ultimate in Tone, Playability and Feel. Reach your MVP potential with these special instruments! Each guitar is hand-made to our specs in order to provide the vibe and look of an actual vintage instrument with all the conveniences of a true modern players piece- Custom neck profiles with bigger frets and flatter fingerboards, custom pickup configurations and unique switching, along with a headstock adjustable truss rod are just some of the improvements weve specd on these timeless classics. Heavy Relic instruments feature a hand distressed finish designed to replicate decades of road worn wear and tear, while NOS finish packages feature a glossy, nitrocellulose lacquer body combined with a unique, gun stock oil finish on the neck for the soft, natural feel of bare wood. Another custom feature of the MVP Series Stratocaster models is the S-1 switch hidden discretely in the center of the volume knob to provide the neck & bridge pickup combination, (coil tap on HSS guitars) along with all the classic Stratocaster tones you know and love. Act now and get out there with your MVP this limited edition run wont last long!
60 Strat NOS
56 Strat Heavy Relic
MVP Series 1960 Stratocaster NOS & Heavy Relic features: Fender Custom Shop John Cruz Ltd. Single-Coil pickups, SRV #1 Tribute Strat C shaped neck profile MVP Series 1956 Stratocaster NOS & Heavy Relic features: Fender Custom Shop Fat 50s SingleCoil pickups, Custom 10/56 Soft V neck profile Additional Models Available! All MVP models Include: Hardshell case, Accessory package and Certificate of Authenticity. For detailed specs and information visit Maken Music:
www.makenmusic.com/MVP
FeAtURe > monSTerS oF high gain
nce upon a time, heavy rock and metal players who craved crushing volume and lightning-fast response had just a few places to turn. There was Marshall and Orange, smaller American manufacturers like Sunn, or smaller English builders like the blokes at Laney. But just as hard rock and metal have mutated into a hydra with jaws of doom, sludge, speed, stoner, and shred variants all gnashing and writhing from atop its back, heavy amps have splintered
into a plethora of subsetseach with its own set of performance ideals. Some are built for guttural low end, others for sharp midrange definition, others still for the hyper-fast responsiveness that speed-metal warriors demand. Theres a specimen of each among our menagerie of seven gained-out beasts. The Orange TH100 relies on brutish, old-school simplicity to do its damage, while companies like Diezel and Engl delve into aggressive high-mid output and tight response to
meet the needs of contemporary shredders. Marshalls JVM410HJS capitalizes on more than four decades of experience and heavy associations to cover everything from primitive savagery to nuanced clean tones. Despite all the different approaches in our bunch, each shares a common goalapocalyptic levels of loud. So plug your ears and prepare to ride into the netherworld and meet the denizens of heaviness that reside there the Monsters of High Gain.
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engL
Fireball 100
to watch Ola Englund take the Fireball 100 through its paces at premierguitar.com.
CLiCk here
SPeCS
Tubes: Four 6L6CG power tubes, four ECC83 preamp tubes Output: 100 watts at 4, 8, or 16 Channels: Clean and lead with separate gain controls Controls: Passive 3-band EQ, lead volume, bright switch (clean channel), bottom switch (both channels), footswitchable mid boost switch (both channels), footswitchable master A and master B, presence Additional Features: FX loop with balance control, lead channel noise gate
Jordan Wagner
he Fireball 100 builds upon the simple, no-frills approach established by its 60-watt predecessor. Four 6L6s burn inside the jet-black enclosure, dishing 100 watts of power while being monitored by an internal fail-safe system. The amp has two channels for clean and overdrive. Both channels share a 3-band EQ, dual master volumes, and push buttons for separately boosting the brightness, low end, and midrange. Theres also a built-in noise gate thats adjustable from the back panel to keep feedback from the gain channel in check. Thanks to the amps simple controls, I had little trouble dialing up satisfyingly crisp cleans and heavy tones that burst with an authoritative, devilish roar. The EQ controls were so sensitive that for most applications, I barely had to move them out of the confines of the 10 to 1 oclock range. And with the clean channel activated and a Stratocaster in hand, tweaking within that range allowed me to move between smooth blues lead work, warm jazz progressions, and midboosted rock rhythms. Plus, there was enough gain on tap from the channels gain knob for covering everything from lighter 70s rock to more modern and aggressive rhythm tones. A Les Paul driving the second channel highlights what the Fireball 100 is really designed forpure, unadulterated rock and metal fury. The gain controls lower range has a snarling bark and very detailed midrange that retains presence when backing off the guitars volume. Bringing up the gain and the master volume unleashes a wickedly hard-hitting overdrive that gets tighter and fiercer as it gets louder. Digging in with a tight thrash rhythm firms up the tone even further, with the great note definition that Engls are known for. This combination of voice and feel might turn away players that like a little sag and dont favor superquick attack and stiff response. But if youve been craving the unique voicing of high-performance German amplifier engineering, the Fireball 100 is hard to top.
RATINGS
Engl Fireball 100 $1,799 street engl-amps.com Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
easy to use. great fidelity and note separation. huge gain voicing. sensitive eQ.
Cons
Both channels share the eQ. Quick attack and response could frustrate players who like a saggier response.
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BLaCkSTar
Blackfire 200
CLiCk here
to watch Ola Englund take the Blackfire 200 through its paces at premierguitar.com.
SPeCS
Tubes: Four KT88 power tubes, one ECC82 and four ECC83 preamp tubes Output: 200 watts at 4, 8, or 16 , adjustable to 20 watts with dynamic power reduction control Channels: Clean, Crunch, Fire, and Fury Controls: Master resonance, presence, and volume; independent gain and volume on each channel; Clean and Crunch share a 3-band EQ and ISF; Fire and Fury share another 3-band EQ and ISF. Additional Features: Series FX loop with level control, speaker-emulated output with balanced XLR & 1/4 outs, MIDI switching, 4-button footswitch
he Blackfire 200 is Gus Gs signature amplifier, and it unites the extra firepower from the guitarists signature HT-Blackfire overdrive pedal with Blackstars Series One 200 head. It uses a quartet of KT88s to deliver a potent 200 watts, and four ECC83 preamp tubes fuel the amps two dual-mode channels, with an ECC82 functioning as a phase inverter. Each of the two channels has its own 3-band EQ and ISF control for sweeping between U.S.- and U.K.-style voices. Both of channel 1s modes have clean and crunch settings, dedicated gain and volume knobs, and brightness and gain-boosting options. Channel 2 has two overdrive modes (dubbed Fury and Fire) inspired by Gus G.s HT-Blackfire pedal. Each has a dedicated gain and volume, plus a button-activated gain boost. To save your eardrums, the amps brutally high wattage can be set anywhere between 200 and 20 watts from the DPR (Dynamic Power Reduction) knob on the front panel. With a Les Paul Custom in front, the Blackfire dishes out crystal clean tones and an impressively diverse array of metal tones, beginning with grungy 70s Sabbath and mid-heavy Randy Rhoads-style chug on the first channels crunch mode. The gain control affects the sponginess of the low end and presence in the mids almost as much as the EQ control. Low gain settings, meanwhile, give upper mid content a crisp response that gets rounder and punchier as gain is applied. No matter where you set the gain control, though, youll get plenty of low-end definition. The second channels Fury and Fire modes pick up where the crunch mode leaves off. The Fire mode sounds the most open of the two and is less mid-heavy and clearer in the highs. Note-to-note separation is exceptional, making it a great choice for intricate thrash rhythms. The Fury modes liquid sustain makes playing legato licks a breeze. But the tone can become congested and compressed in higher gain settings. Most of the time though, the amps considerable headroom keeps the low- and highend content present and focused, which is essential for an amp that covers as many heavy tones as this one does. Jordan Wagner
RATINGS
Blackstar Blackfire 200 $2,499 street blackstaramps.com Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
Versatile modes with distinct voices. Plenty of volume for metal and hard rock.
Cons
heavy. expensive. limited to only 225 units.
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randaLL
Thrasher
CLiCk here
to watch Ola Englund take the Thrasher through its paces at premierguitar.com.
SPeCS
Tubes: Four Ruby 6L6 power tubes, six Ruby 12AX7HG preamp tubes Output: 120 watts at 4, 8, or 16 Channels: Channel 1 (gain) and channel 2 (clean) Controls: Master depth, presence, and volume controls, independent 3-band EQ and gain for each channel, channel 1-specific low-frequency gain, highfrequency gain, and footswitchable boost controls Additional Features: Tube series/parallel FX loop with level control, speaker emulation DI, 2-button footswitch
andalls all-tube Thrasher amp head is the companys new flagshipthe result of a recently forged partnership with boutique amp guru Mike Fortin. The 6L6-based design packs 120 watts of heavy metal fury, and bears some family resemblance to Fortins own Natas amplifier. The Thrasher uses six 12AX7s to shape clean, rhythm, and lead tones on two separate channels. Each channel features its own dedicated gain, 3-band EQ, and volume controls. The lead channel features Fortins signature low- and high-frequency gain knobs, as well as a variable gain boost and a small switch that lets you move between three different overdrive voicings. Mix in master depth, presence, and volume controls, balanced XLR and 1/4" line outs, footswitchable channel switching and boosting, and individual inputs for passive and active pickups, and youve got yourself a tool for unleashing sonic Armageddon. The Thrashers overall feel and response is extremely tight and quick with a beefy, hard-hitting midrange that thickens chords and adds a nice rubbery bounce to the attack of picked notes. The clean channel yields big lows and smooth highsparticularly with humbuckers. In general, you wont be able to relax the amps tight response enough to cop vintage Fender-like cleans nor unwind things quite enough for spongier-sounding Jerry Cantrell-style riffing. But for full-bore thrash metal mayhem, youll be hard-pressed to find an amp that can top the sheer brutality of the Thrashers overdrive channel. Even at its highest gain settings, tones stay well defined and full, and the quick attack and massive headroom ensure that riffs played at warp speed dont lose clarity and definition. And as I discovered after plugging in a Les Paul Baritone tuned down to G, it even handles extreme dropped tunings with ease, churning out ripping distortion with gut-wrenching lows. If you think youve heard the best that Randall has to offer, this channel is sure to make you think twice about that sentimentespecially if youre a dyed-in-the-wool metal head. Jordan Wagner
RATINGS
Randall Thrasher $1,699 average street price randallamplifiers.com Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
Powerful cleans with plenty of headroom. enormously vicious overdrive with loads of gain and excellent note separation. low tunings stay firm with heavy distortion.
Cons
can be just a tad stiff for anything other than thrash.
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Many styles One voice
Robben Ford is the master of many musical styles. But when it comes to his speakers, theres only ever been one choice.
Dont trust your tone to anything less.
Celestion.
www.celestion.com
diezeL
D-Moll
CLiCk here
to watch Ola Englund take the D-Moll through its paces at premierguitar.com.
SPeCS
Tubes: Four KT77 power tubes, six 12AX7 preamp tubes Output: 100 watts at 4, 8, or 16 Channels: Clean, OD1, OD2 Controls: Master presence, deep, mid-cut intensity and level, and two master volumes; independent gain and volume on each channel, shared 3-band EQ for channels 2 and 3, independent 3-band EQ for channel 1 Additional Features: Switchable series and parallel FX loop with parallel Return Level control, compensated recording out, MIDI switching, 7-button footswitch
he Diezel D-Moll is a 100-watt powerhouse that delivers crystal clean tones and smoldering overdrive from six ECC83 preamp tubes and a quartet of KT77 power tubes. Each of the three channelsclean, crunch, and leadhas dedicated gain and channel volumes. The clean channel uses a dedicated 3-band EQ, while the crunch and lead channels share a 3-band EQ. Diezel also threw in their highly regarded variable mid-cut circuit, along with two master controls, a series/parallel effects loop, and a pair of presence and deep knobs for tweaking the highs and lows. The amps channel-switching, midcut, effects loop, and muting functions can be activated from the front panel, a standalone MIDI controller, or Diezels own Columbus footswitch. Diezel amps have always been known for refined tone and smooth response, and the D-Moll does not disappoint on either count. The clean channel does a bang-up job at delivering massive body and warmth from the dark-toned humbuckers in a Les Paul, but also adds a beautiful piano-like chime in the upper mids and highs. Few high-gain amps have clean tones on par with a great Fender or Vox, but the D-Molls exquisite clarity could easily bump it onto that exclusive list. Channel 2 delivers the smooth and highly detailed overdrive that the third channel from Diezels VH4 made famous, but with spongier lows and a more rounded top end. Both single notes and riffs have monstrous body, and the midcut circuit yanks back the low mids for supremely vicious metal tones. The third channel has considerably more gain than the second, but except for a stronger upper-mid focus, their voices arent that different, and channel 3s fluid lead tones are a perfect compliment to channel 2s ripping onslaught. The ferocious nature of the D-Molls overdrive makes it pretty intimidating, But its the remarkable note separation, midrange detail (which is present across the entire gain range), and refinement at even high-gain settings that make the amp truly special in its class. Jordan Wagner
RATINGS
Diezel D-Moll $2,999 street diezel.typo3.inpublica.de Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
incredible note separation. clean tones with humbuckers sound surprisingly clear. drive channels have a perfect balance of girth, punch, detail, and cut.
Cons
channels 2 and 3 share an eQ section. expensive.
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Back when Grover started building and hot rodding guitars, he was creating greatly improved versions of some of the most popular, but then fading, instruments of the day. Originally, the shop was in San Dimas, California, but soon moved across the road into the City of Glendora. It is in honor of the true home of Grovers beginnings as one of the worlds greatest guitar innovators that we have proudly introduced our new line of bolt-on neck instruments Glendora.
Visit us online today to learn more about GJ2 Guitars and the all new Glendora.
Glendora.
www.GJ2Guitars.com
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marShaLL
JVM4 10HJS
to watch Ola Englund take the JVM410HJS through its paces at premierguitar.com.
CLiCk here
SPeCS
Tubes: Four EL34 and one ECC83 in power amp, four ECC83 in preamp Output: 100 watts at 4, 8, or 16 Channels: Clean, crunch, OD1, OD2 Controls: Independent volume, 3-band EQ, gain, and noise gate threshold controls for each channel; two footswitchable master volumes plus master reverb resonance and presence controls Additional Features: Series FX loop, footswitchable parallel FX loop with return level, balanced XLR line out with speaker emulation, MIDI switching, 6-button LED footswitch
oe Satrianis signature 100-watt JVM410HJS builds upon the jack-of-alltrades JVM410H, and is designed to deliver five decades worth of Marshall tones from a single head. Its four channels each feature dedicated EQ, gain, and volume controls, as well as three gain modes, individual noise gates with threshold controls, global presence and resonance knobs, and two footswitchable master volumes. Per Satchs request, the clean channels green mode is voiced to match the Marshall 6100 model, the Crunch channels circuit has been modified for slightly more gain, and a mid-shift button has been added to the OD1 and OD2 channels. The MIDI interface and included 6-button footswitch are completely programmable for instant recall of channel and effects-loop assignments, as well as mid-shifting and noise gating. With a Les Paul Standard driving it, the JVM410HJS clean channel has great high-end range and solid low end. Green mode conjures old non-master volume Marshalls like the JTM45 and disables the gain control, though that returns postEQ in the other two clean modes. The crunch channel introduces plexi-era tones that made Marshall a household name, delivering a sweet and succulent midrange across all three gain modes with a low noise floor. Here, you can easily cover everything from classic Cream to late-80s Guns N Roses. OD1 and OD2 channels are based on the JVM410s OD1 channel, with a bit more gain added to help lead work cut through. Their focused midrange, aggressive voicing, and tight lows make them ideal for soaring leads and classic power and thrash styles, la Slayer and Testament. In red mode, hotter pickups tend to muddy the midrange with gain settings higher than 2 oclock, but the mid-shift button helps clear up the congestion. Both channels maximize clarity, sustain, and detail with preamp gain around 1 oclock and the master volume relatively high. And a good set of mid-output pickups can reward you with some of the sweetest lead tones Marshall has produced to date. Jordan Wagner
RATINGS
Marshall JVM410HJS $2,399 street marshallamps.com Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
strong, well-defined clean tones are among the best that Marshall has produced. od1 and od2 can cover many rock, vintage, and modern metal applications by themselves.
Cons
hot pickups can muddy up rhythm tones while in the red modes of od1 and od2.
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Distortion Dirt grit chunk fuzz overDrive grinD
It goes by many names and comes in many flavors. With vintage pedals, however, finding that sweet spot isnt so easy. You have to deal with noise, signal loss, and tones that can change with battery life or when things heat up on stage. Some of those old Germanium-powered effects are more sensitive than a train-car of nitro. Tech 21s all-analog circuitry unifies righteous, vintage tones and modern dependability. Utilizing the best individually-selected, hand-biased discreet components, each unit delivers a wealth of hot driven tones. A powerful Boost function kicks in up to 21dB of clean boost, which can be used independently from the effect. It is a true post-boost to punch up the volume of the tone you dialed in, not to simply smother it in excess distortion. Give your pedalboard a boost with some tasty vintage distortion, dirt, grit, chunk, fuzz, overdrive, grind...
Boost Distortion
Hey, remember the 80s? A lot of bad clothes perhaps but some way-cool, aggressive distortions. Tight, muscular grind with buzz-saw harmonics never went out of fashion and the Boost Distortion delivers that fast punchy tone. It features its own unique SAG control that adds an expressive,tube-like response to every pick stroke.
Boost overDrive
Putting an overdrive pedal in front of a hard-pushed amp has been the secret weapon for generations of guitarists wanting to punch up the midrange and add sustain. The Boost Overdrive is packed with voluminous amounts of screamin tone. Just hit the Boost switch to go bigger and badder. The unique SPARKLE control adds upper harmonics for an open, snappy sound.
Boost fuzz
Vintage pedal hounds know that germanium fuzz sounds are way sweeter than silicon fuzzbut only when the temperature is just right and doesnt spike. The Boost Fuzz solves that problem by nailing that creamy germanium tone, consistently all night long. This SAG control allows notes to bloom and sing at your command, for dynamic, organic performances.
BAss Boost fuzz

When you need a huge, 360-degree, room-filling bass tone, step up to the Bass Boost Fuzz. Get the fat, gritty sounds of the 60s fuzz bass and put some musical rage in your low-end. When you need more focus and edge, dial in the +CLEAN control to add just the right amount of direct tone to your mix.
Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A.

www.tech21nyc.com
eVh
5150 III
to watch Ola Englund take the 5150 III through its paces at premierguitar.com.
CLiCk here
SPeCS
Tubes: Two JJ 6L6 power tubes, seven JJ ECC83 preamp tubes Output: 50 watts at 4, 8, or 16 Channels: Clean, crunch, and lead Controls: Master presence and resonance; channel 1 and 2 share gain, 3-band EQ, and volume; channel 3 independent gain, 3-band EQ, and volume Additional Features: 4-button footswitch, FX loop, MIDI switching
ender has once again joined forces with Eddie Van Halen to expand the 5150III amp family. This time the result is a smaller 50-watt version of the masters signature amp. Its driven by two 6L6s and seven 12AX7s, which glow inside the amps ivory shell (black is also an option), and the three channels are configured to deliver clean, crunch, and molten lead tones. The clean and crunch channels share EQ, gain, and volume knobs, and a pair of presence and resonance knobs adjusts the high-end cut and low end. An included footswitch controls channel-switching and engages the amps serial effects loop. And in a classic Fender-inspired design move, there are two metal plates with thumbscrews mounted to the bottom of the head, which securely lock it to the EVH 2x12 cab when its leaned back on its tilt-legs. Using a Stratocaster on the clean channel with the preamp gain set just under 10 oclock delivers a clean tone that works well with arpeggios and rhythmic interludes, but doesnt have quite as much girth or sparkle as you might expect. Paired with a Les Paul, the crunch channel delivers a thick, woody midrange and snappy low end that sounds closer to Eddies famous brown sound than just about any previous 5150 model. Crunch is easily the most versatile channel of the three, with enough range of gain to pull off everything from classic to modern hard rock. With a Les Paul, the third channel delivers a raucous and sizzling overdrive with more gain on tap than most players will ever use. In fact, theres not much of an audible difference in tone when the gain is turned up past 1 oclock. The snappy attack is very intense, and perfect for modern thrash metal. But its nearly impossible to reign in that aggression without sacrificing a lot of high-end character, and this limits the amps ability to pull off more dynamic lead work while keeping the tone robust. Jordan Wagner
RATINGS
EVH 5150 III $999 street evhgear.com Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
crunch channel delivers brown sound tones with ease. More than enough gain to handle the heaviest of tones. heaps of available volume.
Cons
occasionally weak clean tones. lead channels strident attack limits it to mostly aggressive tones.
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TH100
CLiCk here
to watch Ola Englund take the TH100 through its paces at premierguitar.com.
SPeCS S PeCS
Tubes: Four EL84 power tubes, four ECC83 preamp tubes Output: Class AB switchable between 100, 70, 50, and 35 watts at 8 or 16 Channels: Dirty and clean Controls: Volume, shape, and gain for dirty channel; treble, bass, and volume for clean channel; full/ half output power switch, 4/2 output tube switch Additional Features: Tube FX loop, footswitch jack (footswitch not included)
he dual-channel TH100 is a lesson in brutal simplicity that hearkens back to Oranges golden era of no-nonsense designs with immense power. Four EL34s generate 100 watts, but the front-panel half-power switch and a rear-panel switch that pares the tube array down to just two let you reduce it to 70, 50, or 35 watts. The preamp has four 12AX7 tubes, and the clean channel has bass, treble, and volume knobs, while the dirty channel is governed by gain, volume, and shape (EQ) knobs. A series effects loop and channel footswitching round out the amps features. The TH100s huge-sounding clean channel wont disappoint those who relish the bottom-heavy cleans and velvety highs of the classic OR120 amp from the early 70s. With the amp set at full power and with all four power tubes in play, the enormous headroom makes it challenging to generate any real distortioneven with high-output humbuckers. And its ideal if you like loud clean passages or use pedals to lend color. Setting the amp to use just two output tubes softens the low end significantly, and setting it to half power and cranking the volume up halfway yields a smooth, rich overdrive with a humbucker-loaded Les Paul out front. The amps overdrive channel dispenses mammoth-sized distortion that can be tailored to a wide range of rock and metal tones. The slight tinge of upper-mid fuzziness thats a hallmark of Orange amps is there, but even in extreme gain settings, it never gets too overbearing. Small adjustments of the shape control can have a big effect on the presence, mids, and highs, and the knob is particularly useful for dialing back the intensity of all three for refined modern metal tones. Setting the shape above 2 oclock when using brighter-toned humbuckers can make the highs piercing, so its best to start at about noon and use it conservatively from there. That said, the TH100s spartan control layout makes it really hard to get a bad sound out of the amp, and its copious headroom and blistering gain channel make it a no-brainer for players who crave house-leveling Orange grit and power, yet like a classic clean tone in the mix too. Jordan Wagner
RATINGS
Orange TH100 $1,499 street orangeamps.com Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Pros
easy to dial in great tones. switches for halving power and number of active power tubes increase versatility. overdrive channel combines classic orange fuzziness and modern punch.
Cons
shape control on the overdrive channel can add raspiness.
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CLaSSiCS
mesa/Boogie dual rectifier Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four 6L6s Channels: Three channels, 8 modes Used by: Kim Thayil, Adam Jones, John Petrucci Street price: $1,999 Soldano SLo-100 Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four 5881s or 6L6s Channels: Normal, Overdrive Used by: Eddie Van Halen, Tommy Kessler Street price: $4,149 krank krankenstein + Output: 120 watts Power-amp tubes: Four 6550s Channels: Dime, Kleen Used by: Dimebag Darrell Street price: $1,699 hughes & kettner Triamp mk ii Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s Channels: Three dual-channel modes Used by: Alex Lifeson Street price: $2,799 Bogner ecstasy 101B Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s or 6L6s Channels: Green (clean), Blue (rhythm), Red (lead) Used by: Steve Vai, Jerry Cantrell Street price: $3,599
new BLood B
diamond heretic Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s Channels: Clean, Crunch Standout feature: Two distinct gain settings available on crunch channel Street price: $2,699 egnater Vengeance Output: 120 watts (with half-power switch) Power-amp tubes: Four 6L6s Channels: Channel 1, Channel 2 Standout feature: Reverb on each channel that decays naturally when switching channels Street price: $1,099 Schecter hellraiser Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s Channels: Clean, Lead I Standout feature: Normal or active inputs and focus control tailor the amp to different guitars Street price: $1,799 Peavey Triple XXX ii Output: 120 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s or 6L6s Channels: Clean, Rhythm, Lead Standout feature: Power amp switchable for different tube types Street price: $1,199
rhodes Colossus h-100 Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s, 6L6s, or KT66s Channels: Clean, Crunch, Lead 1, Lead 2 Standout features: Deep MIDI functionality, biasing controls for different tubes Street price: $3,050 Friedman SS-100 Steve Stevens Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four EL34s Channels: Clean, Lead Standout feature: Metro SS effects loop with send and return levels Street price: $3,699 Bugera Trirec infinium Output: 100 watts Power-amp tubes: Four 6L6s, 6550s, or EL34s (or combinations) Channels: Classic, Vintage, Modern Standout features: 1-100-watt Varipower, self-biasing tube-life multiplier, tube, solidstate, or combined rectifier modes Street price: $799 Laney ironheart irT120h Output: 120 watts Power-amp tubes: Four 6L6s or EL34s Channels: Clean, Rhythm, Lead Standout feature: Pre-boost switch at the front end of the preamp Street price: $999
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Feature > Robben FoRd
One Guitar, One PickuP, One album

Robben Ford challenges himself to simplify his rig and his melodic approach on his soulful new album, Bringing It Back Home.
By Jason shadrick
Robben Ford chose a little-used axe from his collection for the new album a 1966 Epiphone Riviera. Photo by George B. Wells
lues-bopper Robben Ford has done more to develop the more sophisticated side of blues guitar than anyone since T-Bone Walker. Without blinking an eye, he can move from a sweet, B.B. King-inspired bend to a furious diminished-scale runand make it all work seamlessly. His playing encompasses a lot more than those
two extremes, but no matter where his muse takes him, that ability to be both approachable and intellectual is always part of his sonic signature. Even on his R&B-flavored new album, Bringing It Back Homeon which Ford challenged himself to record everything through a single pickup from one specific guitar, a 1966 Epiphone Riviera.
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Robben Fords Gear

GUITARS
1966 Epiphone Riviera
AMPS
Dumble Overdrive Special Matchless 1x12 open-back cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers
eFFeCTS
Tremolo pedal of unknown make (Robben uses a Strymon Flint in his live rig)
STRInGS, PICKS & ACCeSSoRIeS

For the main sessions, Ford plugged into his trusty Dumble Overdrive Special, but used a Matchless 1x12 cab instead of his usual 2x12 setup. Photo by Alison Toon
One of the main inspirations for this unusual move came from Kind of Blue, the seminal 1959 jazz album by trumpeter Miles Daviswho Ford played with back in 1986. It presents quite a moody thing, Ford says, and its consistentthere arent a lot of highs and lows. It stays in one place and just explores it. Once hed decided on the albums approach, Ford had to choose three things: the songs, the players, and of course, the guitar. He chose the 66 Riviera not because it was one of his go-to guitars, but precisely because it was not. I bought it around 1991, and as cool as it was and as much as I liked it, it just stayed under the piano, he says. Hes used it for the occasional overdub and for his 2002 Blue Moon album. But until now, the Epi pretty much went back under that piano after each session. After some attention from Nashville luthier-to-the-stars Joe Glasermost notably a refret, new bridge, and tailpieceit became such an integral part of the vision of the album that Ford purchased a second one. The
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original Bigsby just locked up the sound a little too much and the tension was wrong from my style of playing, Ford mentions. Ford knew from the beginning he wanted to rely mostly on covers for the soulful vibe of Bringing It Back Home. Nobody can write those songs today theres no way you can get the same feeling that you find in these songs from this particular period in music, he says. Given that sentiment, it makes sense that Ford was adamant about choosing tunes he felt he could present authentically. To that end, bassist Andy Hess helped Ford discover some lost R&B gemsmany with a decidedly New Orleans bentwhile they were on tour in Italy last year. Hes a very funky guyhe gets that feel thing, Ford explains, So I asked him to send me a bunch of music. God bless him, he sent me 100 songs! It was a goldmine of R&B, and there was very little that I knew. Out of Hess bequeathed playlist came Trick Bag and Fair Child, both medium-tempo groovers that highlight Fords deft arranging skills.
But Hess didnt provide all the tunes. Through some exploration on iTunes, Ford came across Little Buddy Doyles version of Slick Capers Blues. I came across a CD called Blues Roots of the White Stripes, and I like Jack WhiteI like what he doesso I took a look at it and checked out all the short previews, says Ford. I heard that harmonica [on Slick Capers Blues] and thought, That could be trombone, so I bought the one song and based the arrangement on it. As for his choice of guitar for Bringing It Back Home, Ford says he used minimal effectsmostly hints of delay and reverb in post productionin order to keep the tone of the Riviera a focal point of the album. However, in the intro of You Go Your Way, he did use a tremolo pedal. I should be able to tell you what the name of the pedal was, but Im so not a pedal guy. I get the pedal, put it on there, and then forget about it. Theres one setting, and I turn it off and on now and then. Fords long association with Alexander Dumble and
DAddario strings (.010 .046), Planet Waves heavy picks his amplifiers has been well documented over the years, so its no surprise his mythical Dumble Overdrive Special was the amp of choice this time around. However, Ford says he didnt want to employ it the way he has previously. I called Alexander and said, Look, man, Im looking to do a different thing hereI wanted a very focused sound, says Ford. He said to try just the Dumble head with a single 12" open-back cabinet. This was a bit of a change for Ford, who normally uses an open-backed 2x12 with Celestion 65-watt speakers. I had one rehearsal, two days before we started recording, just with Harvey and David. My cartage company had a Matchless cabinet with, I think, a Celestion speaker. We tried it at the rehearsal and it was perfect. With the 2x12 cab, its just bigger and open. In this situation, because of the levels I would be playing at, the guitar would sound smallerthe 2x12 just spreads it out, while the single 12" is so clean. Its like a
lens. Its a smaller picture, but its clearer and its very present. With the songs, players, and gear in place, Ford was ready to focus on conveying the vibe of the original versions. The goal wasnt to play a lot of notes or explore more extended harmonies. Its not about notes anymore, its about colors. Its about nuance. Its about phrasing. These are the things that turn me on in music anyway. Its why I love Miles Davis playing so much. He was not the greatest trumpet player in the world, but he was the greatest stylist in the world. Jimi Hendrixthe same thing. Not necessarily the greatest guitarist in the world, but what he did was incredible, says Ford. I just love that style of simple blues playing that is all about communication. This record was all about a feeling. Joy is the word that comes to mindthats my definition of music.
"Nobody can write those songs todaytheres no way you can get the same feeling that you find in these songs from this particular period in music," says Ford about why he chose mostly covers for his new album. Photo by Alison Toon
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Feature > eARly GRAveS
thrash
in the Saddle aGain
AFteR A seRies oF tRAgic setbAcks including the deAth oF Founding vocAlist MAkh dAnielschRis bRock And eARly gRAves chARge bAck into the MetAl FRAy And eMeRge tRiuMphAnt with A thundeRing MAsteRpiece.
By Jordan Wagner
ed Horsethe latest release from San Francisco metal band Early Gravesdescribes an outfit toughened by constant adversity. As guitarist Chris Brock describes it, the title is a reference to numerous obstacles that have threatened to derail the band, including the terrible loss of founding vocalist Makh Daniels to a fatal 2010 van accident while the band was touring to support their second album, Goner.
and Goner. We wanted to make literally every second count, says Brock. We didnt want long transitions between songswe wanted to do the most we could possibly do in 30 minutes. As evidenced on Red Horse and previous Early Graves albums, Brocks style ties together thrash, punk, and early hardcore influences with riffs that often come from
Photo by Denise Borders/punkwordviews.com
After months of hibernation and emotional recovery, the remaining members of Early Graves, as well as new vocalist John Strachan (also of Funeral Pyre), returned to the studio with a vengeance, recording the most focused and succinct record of the bands career. Red Horse has fewer of the noisier textures and dragging moments of feedback that were hallmarks of 2008s We: The Guillotine
the same school as Slayers Jeff Hanneman and Morbid Angels Trey Azagthothbut his style also somehow still manages to pull from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Thin Lizzy, and Black Flag. We definitely have punk and death metal riffs, he explains, but in more of a rock n roll structure. Brock is an unabashed fan of the Gibson Les Paul. When I was young and learning to play the guitar, I was really into all of the metal guitars that were cool at the time. But when I got older and got my first real guitar, it was a Gibson Les Paul Studio.
Theres just something about Les Pauls that I cant describethey feel the most natural to me, and they sound gigantic. I want to have to really battle the guitar, he says. While Im writing a riff, the feeling and sound from fighting the Les Paul is part of what tells me Im playing a good riff. The experience of playing one translates directly to my writing. Both Brock and guitarist Tyler Jensen mainly rely on Gibson Les Paul Studios when playing live, and both are loaded with Lace humbuckers. Ive got a set of Nitro-Hemis in my
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Chris Brocks Gear

GUITARS
Gibson Les Paul Studio with Lace Nitro-Hemi pickups (live), Gibson Les Paul Standard with Burstbuckers (studio only)
AMPS
2-channel Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier driving two Marshall JCM900 4x12 cabinets loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s and GT-75s
eFFeCTS
Dunlop Dimebag Darrell wah MXR Carbon Copy delay Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus
STRInGS, PICKS And ACCeSSoRIeS

DAddario custom .012.056 sets with an unwound G, Dunlop Jazz III picks, Boss TU-2 tuner and NS-2 Noise Suppressor, DiMarzio ClipLock straps Studio, and Tylers got a set of Drop N Gains in his, says Brock. Its really hard to cover mistakes when playing a Les Paul, because the notes sound so huge. The Lace Nitro-Hemis take that to the next level theyre so clear sounding that it was almost frightening when I first used them. They dont roll off the gain, but they make everything sound so much clearer. I totally love them. Both guitarists also used Brocks completely stock Gibson Les Paul Standard with Burstbucker pickups to record Red Horses solos and the few clean guitar tracks. I never felt the need to change the
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pickups, because it just sounds great as it is. I love using the neck pickup for solosit just sounds so smooth and even. Although Brock is always open to trying new amps, he and Jensen are devotees of Mesa/Boogie Dual and Triple Rectifiers, specifically the 2-channel models made from the early to mid 90sin fact, he just traded an ESP Ron Wood T-style guitar for an old 95 Dual Rec. Like many hardcore Recto fans, Brock says his all-time favorite Rectifier is what enthusiasts refer to as a revision G, and he insists theres a huge difference between the feel and body of
older, 2-channel Rectos and the more modern 3-channel models. I love trying everything, but I always come back to my old Triple Rectifier. I just dont think Ive played anything else that fits me and how I play as well as that amp. Although older 2-channel Rectifiers have risen in price over the past several years, they havent gotten to the level of vintage Mesa/Boogie Mark I and Mark IIC+, or Marshall Super Lead amps. Brock says this is mainly because of an unfair stigma. Im telling you, people knock on them now because they were nu-metal machines back in the day,
but those old Dual and Triple Recs are really sweet. A lot of people complain that the lows are flubby, but you just have to know how to set them and not be afraid to use the midrange knob. A lot of players inclination is to scoop the mids and crank the gainbut youve got to have those mids in there, otherwise they can sound kind of goofy. Brock also points out that he gets his best Rec tones by setting the master volume as close to noon as possible so that the power section is really working and allowing the amp to react more dynamically. When playing live, Brock and Jensen each run their
2-channel Triple Rec heads into a full stack of Marshall 1960 cabs loaded with a mixture of Celestion Vintage 30 and GT-75 speakers. Each cab is lined inside with egg-crate foam, which Brock says makes the bass pop out a bit more. While the Les Pauls-intoBoogies recipe has long been a staple for Early Graves, Brock says that when he recorded Red Horse he had in mind a very specific set of tones that required a little something more. Im a huge fan of Metallicas older stuff, but Ive spent the last 20 years fighting the Black album. But it just sounds so damned heavy, and I wanted that aspect of it. So I basically went into the studio wanting the guitars to sound like a mixture of the Black album and And Justice for All. To accomplish this, producer Tim Green mixed in Brocks revision blue-era Bogner berschall and two of his own late-70s Marshall Super Lead amps to give the guitars more crunch. The berschall is really cool in that its kind of in the middle of a hot-rodded Marshall and a Mesa Recto, says Brock. Green also used his vintage Marshall Guvnor overdrive pedal to boost the Marshalls, which were in turn mixed down into their own track and layered against the track that combined the berschall and Triple Rectifier. However, even with that new amp combination in the mix, Brock still felt the tracks lacked the Black albums crisp detail. Because the guitars on Red Horse are tuned to B standardthree steps below the Black album he decided to double each riff with a Danelectro 56 Baritone reissue. We used it a bit when we recorded Goner, but we used it for everything on Red Horse. It just made everything sound clearerand it just sounded great when everything was put together. In addition to the
Chris Brock (right) rocks out with Early Graves' new vocalist John Strachan (left). Photo by Denise Borders /punkwordviews.com
YOUTUBE IT
Visit the worlds TV to check out Early Graves in all their thrash-tastic glory.
Filmed most appropriately in ashen shades of gray, this October 2012 clip shows Brock and companys entire rafter-shaking set at the Speakeasy Lounge in Lake Worth, Florida. youTube search term: Early Graves Full Set - Live at the Speakeasy (Skeletonwitch/Havok) (Southern Lord)
This Early Graves footage shows the San Francisco headbangers with late vocalist Makh Daniels at an April 2009 gig at Seattles Studio 7. youTube search term: Early Graves [Ed. note: To find this vid easier, look for the file posted by YouTube user Underdose2005.]
Brock, Jensen, and company perform Goner at 2012s Sound and Fury Fest in Santa Barbara, California. youTube search term: Early Graves - Goner (Sound & Fury 07.22.2012)
Danelectro, a new baritone built out of spare parts by Jensen the bands resident fix-it guy, according to Brockhas already been inspiring new material for the next Graves album. For live shows, Brock and Jensen keep effects use to a minimum. Brocks pedalboard contains a Dunlop Dimebag Darrell wah, Boss TU-2 tuner, MXR Carbon Copy delay, Boss NS-2 noise gate, and an Electro-Harmonix Small
Clone chorus. Jensens is barren in comparison, consisting of just a Boss TU-2 tuner, Boss NS-2 noise gate, and a Robert Keeley-modded Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive. He keeps it on at all times, and has it set as a boost with the volume up and the gain almost all the way down, says Brock. It slams the front end of his Rectifier and makes it grind more. Despite their relatively simple rigs, Jensen and Brock
are both avowed gearheads constantly on the lookout for new stuff to try. I want to try the new Bogner berschall pedal, and the new pedals from Mesa/ Boogie, says Brock. And I know that theyre not new, but Id love to get my hands on a vintage Roland JC-120 combo, and Ive been on the hunt for an old rackmount Triple Rectifier for years. If I find one for the right price, Im snapping it up.
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This is the fix for your tone jones. If you know Darryls discography, then you know hes played with some heavyweights...Miles Davis, Sting, Madonna, The Rolling Stones... The Darryl Jones Signature 4 and 5 strings are some of the most renown basses Lakland has ever produced, and now theyre back with Darryls own pick of colors and options; including pearl fingerboard blocks on a beautifully bound neck with matching color headstock. Check out the Skyline DJ4 and DJ5 or the USA Series Signature 4, were confident your Jones will be satisfied!
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Trinity Cubed
The quintessence of tone! This powerful digital multieffect begins with the flawless polyphonic tracking of the Micro POG, generating an octave above and below your pitch. Next, the creamy flanging and chorus of the Stereo Electric Mistress weave and undulate the richest modulations. Finally, the Holy Grail Plus wraps you in a silken shroud of luxurious reverb. Switch on Shimmer to re-route the effects. Now the Grail reverberates the POGs wet signal, with the Mistress at the end of the chain, adding lush flanging to the reverb tails. Shimmer also transforms the Grail into a digital delay with the POG in its feedback path for inspiring ascending and descending octave effects.
Rogue Fundamentals
The enhanced version of the venerable Bass Big Muff Pi. Switchable 0dB and -10dB input ensures the pedal is equally effective with passive and active pickups. The built-in noise gate eliminates unwanted hum, while the blend control allows you to mix the dry and distorted signals to taste. Footswitchable crossover activates a variable low pass filter on the dry signal and a high pass filter on the distorted signal. Features Effect, Direct (buffered dry) and XLR DI outputs.
Tone Genesis
A faithful reissue of the 1980 rarity. This palm-sized synth produces randomly changing, pure tones over a 4+ octave range. Rate controls speed. Glide adds portamento. The RTG creates a perpetual soundscape of evolving sounds. Use it alone or with other effects to capture the beauty of the unexpected.
Feature > KIllSwITCH enGAGe
By shaWn hammond
leFT To RIGHT: Adam Dutkiewicz with his PRS Custom 22, Joel Stroetzel with his Caparison JSM signature model, and Mike D'Antonio (photo by Alex Solca) with his Ibanez MDB3 signature bass.
s ominous as the name Killswitch Engage sounds, as gutturally as the metalcore vets verses assault the ears of the faint, as ferocious as their blastbeats and breakdowns are, and as infamously irreverent and, well, goofy as their most visible member, guitarist/producer Adam Dutkiewicz, may be onstage, the Boston-based quintet has always been about warm-n-fuzzy messages of hope, redemption, and forgiveness. Yeah, it can be a little weird taking such ponderous themes seriously when youre either shaking your head or laughing your ass off at a 6' 4" dude with huge Amish chops and a fauxhawk storming the stage with a tuxedo-print muscle shirt, Daisy Duke cutoffs with boxers hanging out the bottom, a cape and/or inflatable sex toy strung about his neck, and perhaps an outline of his, er, member Sharpied onto his thigh. But beyond the catchy paeans to optimism wedged between the brutal verses of Killswitch tunes like Unbroken, Breathe Life, and A Light in a Darkened World, there does seem to be something to the conciliatory, life-affirming lyrics.
The biggest test of all that talk goes back to 2002, and it came full circle last year. After seeing their sophomore album, Alive or Just Breathing, reach No. 37 on Billboards Top Heatseekers chart, Dutkiewicz, fellow guitarist Joel Stroetzel, and bassist Mike DAntonio had the breath knocked clean out of them when original vocalist Jesse Leachwhod been suffering from vocal-cord issues and depression gave notice he was leaving. Via email just days before a gig. No one could blame the four remaining members if theyd left Leach on their blacklist when they found themselves singer-less again after the 2012 departure of Howard Jonesthe guy whose uncommonly versatile and melodic vocals paved the way for tunes like The End of Heartache, My Curse, and The Arms of Sorrow to find favor with movie studios, video-game producers, and the Grammy-nominating committee. And yet, here they are, fresh off the release of their sixth fulllength album, Disarm the Descentwhich sees the return of Leach and more fleet-fingered guitar solos than Dutkiewicz and Stroetzel have ever put to disk strewn amidst the relentlessly throttling riffs.
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You guys seem revitalized on this album. How did having Jesse back in the fold change your outlookother than apparently paving the way for more guitar solos? Mike DAntonio: [Laughs.] There were actually more solos, but we took them out. Joel didnt want it to seem like all of a sudden there were too many running rampant all over the record. But, if you can play em, why not have em, right? Thats what I said, anyway. As far as the music, everything was complete before Jesse joined. Wed had two years off, trying to figure out what was going on with Howard, and I was just stewingI really wanted to get out and play. So I was writing really pissed-off musicold-school stuff with breakdowns and flip-flopping beats like I used to write when I was a kid listening to New York hardcore like the Cro-Mags, Leeway, Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, and Madball. When I went to the demo session for the new album, I played the first song, which was All That We Have, and it was so inyour-face that Adam turned to me and said, This is exactly what I want to do. I was, like, Score one for the little guy! [Laughs.] Adam Dutkiewicz: I was a little unhappy with the last record and how it felt a little ballad-y, a little singer-songwriter-y at times. I wanted to make more of a return to metal and put some more aggression into the music. I think we all tried to write faster, spunkier songs. Mike, you mentioned the demo session. Whats that process like? DAntonio: We go our separate ways and write demos, and then bring them to practice and sit in a circle and listen to whats there and decide what wed like to pursue. Next, we set up Pro Tools and some automated drums, have everyone play the guitar parts theyre liking, and add and subtract riffs. Its a really streamlined way to develop songs, but its totally differentIm used to jamming out with buddies in a room. What were the vocalist auditions like? DAntonio: We did it in New Yorkwe wanted to make sure we left no stone unturned. We spent all day ushering people in and out, playing the same three songs over and over. Six oclock rolls around, and were all dead tiredwed just eaten a lot of pizza and drunk a lot of alcoholand Jesse walks into the room. The mood immediately brightened, and we proceeded to play 14 songs. There were smiles, happiness, a sense
Do-rag? Check. Franz-Josef 'stache? Check. Pinstriped-suit shirt? Check. Raging riffs? Check. Dutkiewicz in action.
TRACKInG RAGInG GUITARS

Although hes pretty outspoken and crazy onstage, Adam Dutkiewicz is pretty skittish when asked to name the most unique aspects of the Killswitch guitar sound. Oh, geeshI dont know, he says. I dont think we do anything special. There are other guys out there who can run circles around us. Were more of the songwriter kind of dudes than the guys who are, like, Hey, check out how good I am at guitar. Weve always been concerned about making a great song. Dutkiewiczs entirely too self-deprecating point seems to be that he thinks he cant shred on the level of, say, All That Remains Oli Herbert. And yet, when it comes to studio savvy, Herbert and company are the ones dialing up Dutkiewiczand not just to capture raging guitar tracks, but bass, drums, and vocals, too. In fact, the Big Dude is the go-to producer for many of the heaviest hitters in modern metal, including Shadows Fall, Every Time I Die, As I Lay Dying, and the Devil Wears Prada. We asked Dutkiewicz to detail his top tips for tracking great guitar parts. First off, know what youre going to playbe able to execute it, he says. Then get a good amplifier, get a good speaker cabinet, get a nice microphone, and get a guitar that intonates properly and has decent electronics. Its pretty much like a good mealits only going to taste as good as the ingredients. As for what makes a good metal amp, he says hes used many makes and models over the years, including an early Peavey 5150 and a circa-2002 Framus Cobra. Really, its just about finding a head that you really like the sound of and dialing it in so it sounds balancedwithout too much low end. Thats the curse of a lot of guitarists these days. They think their guitar has to be this massive, chunky thing. But the bass guitar should be in charge of all the low end. Sealed, straight-front 4x12 cabs loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s have long been Dutkiewiczs staple, as has the industry-standard Shure SM57 microphone. Ill spend an hour or two in the studio just moving the mic around to different speakers and listening to how it reacts to the cone, he explains. I usually back it up about six inches from the grillebecause you get a lot of proximity effect the closer you get to the cabinetI point it toward the most focused-sounding part of the cone. Just listening to the speakers really makes a difference.
adam Ds tips for
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ON TOUR NOW
ERIC PETERSON
TESTAMENT
MIKE MARTIN
ALL THAT REMAINS
NICLAS ENGELIN
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MATT BAUMBACH & MIKE KENNEDY
PAUL SIDOTI
TAYLOR SWIFT
VISION OF DISORDER
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GOJIRA
CHRISTIAN ANDREU
GOJIRA
GAURAV BALI
EVE TO ADAM
MIKE SCHLEIBAUM & MIKE LONESTAR CARRIGAN
DARKEST HOUR
ORIANTHI
ALICE COOPER/ SOLO ARTIST
THIS IS WHAT I USE.

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FALLING IN REVERSE
SEVENDUST
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of synergywe just had a really good time. Three-quarters of them were Howard tunes, and I think Jesse did that to show us not only that he really wanted the job, but also that he was going to take it seriously. He definitely sounds differenthes not a carbon copy. We couldve easily found a carbon copy of Jones, but we wanted somebody real, and we wanted somebody who believed in what they were doing. Joel Stroetzel: I think one of the things we liked the most about Jesse coming back is almost the same thing we liked about Howard: Howard was the one guy, years ago, that wasnt trying to sound like Jesse. He came and did his own thing. Its the same thing now. A lot of the people we tried were really good but they tried to mimic Howard a bit, whereas Jesse just came in and did his own thing. Did the fact that Jesse has a different vocal style and a narrower range than Howard affect how you wrote the new songs? Stroetzel: Not really. Howard was still with us when we were writing a lot of this record. I dont think we changed the writing process at all, instrumentally.
Dutkiewicz: We look at it really simple when were putting a song together: Just try to make it feel good, try to do what feels right yknow, its all vibe, man. But that was something we were concerned about when we hired Jessewe wanted to make sure he was going to do justice to the Howard songs, which are pretty much 10 years of our career. DAntonio: Jesses scope is a bit narrower than Howards. But thats not necessarily a bad thing, because I think his emotions are more apparenthe really feels what hes saying, and you can tell that pretty easily. One of the main concerns, obviously, would be playing the Howard tunes live. Theyre a really important part of the development of the band, and the Howard records are our biggest-selling by far. What about all the solosthere are a lot more than on the past few albums? Dutkiewicz: I dont know why the hell I did that. Now Ive got to pay more attention live! [Laughs.] Stroetzel: I think its just gotta happen naturally. We wanted to have a high-energy record and express how excited we were to be
playing again, and there were a few moments where we were, like, Yknow what, a solo makes sense there. Lets try it out. So there wasnt a conscious decision to bring solos back? Dutkiewicz: Not at all. Everything I did on the songs I wrote was completely by feel like, This feels right here, lets try this. It was just for the hell of it, I guess. Adam, youre a pretty big Eddie Van Halen fanis the two-handed-tapping part of the solo in In Due Time a little tip of the hat to him? Dutkiewicz: Yeah, thats one of the, like, five [EVH-style] licks I can play [laughs]. Did you play the harmonized parts later in that solo, or was that Joel? Dutkiewicz: Yeah, in the studio, whenever Joel or I write a specific song, we usually just have that person track all the guitars on it. It ends up being tighter because that person is more familiar with the riffs. Mike, whats the most difficult part of laying down the low end for Killswitch?
2013 tour GeAR Adam Dutkiewicz

GUITARS
Two EVH Wolfgang USA HTs
Joel Stroetzel
GUITARS
Caparison JSM Joel Stroetzel signature models with EMG 85 (neck) and 81 (bridge) pickups
Mike D'Antonio
bASSeS
Ibanez MDB3 Mike D'Antonio signature models
AMPS
Laney Ironheart 100-watt heads driving Ironheart 4x12 cabs with Celestion Vintage 30s, Laney Ironheart 2x12 combo (for clean tones)
AMPS
Laney Ironheart 100-watt heads driving Ironheart 4x12 cabs with Celestion Vintage 30s, Fuchs Clean Machine with Jet City Jettenuator (for clean tones)
AMPS
Ampeg SVT-VR heads driving Ampeg SVT Classic 8x10 cabs
eFFeCTS
Maxon OD808 Overdrive, Maxon AD-9 Pro analog delay, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, Boss ABY switcher, Jet City JetDirect DI box, Korg DTR2000 tuner, Audio-Technica 5000 Series wireless
eFFeCTS
Tronographic Rusty Box preamp, EBS MultiComp, EBS UniChorus, Tech 21 SansAmp RBI, Korg DTR2000 tuner
eFFeCTS
Maxon OD808 Overdrive, Maxon AD-9 Pro analog delay, Maxon CP-9 Pro+ compressor, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, Boss ABY switcher, Jet City JetDirect DI box, Korg DTR2000 tuner
STRInGS, PICKS, And ACCeSSoRIeS

D'Addario EXL115 (.011.049) strings, custom InTune 1.14mm picks, Planet Waves America Stage cables, Planet Waves solderless cables, Planet Waves straps, Schaller Strap Locks

DR Hi-Beam strings (.055, .075, .095, .120), custom Dunlop Gator Grip 1.14 mm picks, Planet Waves American Stage cables, Planet Waves solderless cables, Rebel Clip-Lock straps, Audio-Technica 5000 Series wireless

D'Addario EXL115 (.011.049) strings, Planet Waves Black Ice 1.10 mm picks, Planet Waves American Stage cables, Planet Waves solderless cables, Planet Waves straps, Schaller Strap Locks, Audio-Technica 5000 Series wireless
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DAntonio: Stepping up to the level that Justin [Foley, drums], Adam, and Joel are at is pretty difficult for a self-taught guy like me. Those guys went to music college and all that stuff. Its very intimidatingIm surprised Ive held up so well [laughs]. Is it because sometimes they use more academic terms to communicate ideas or DAntonio: Its just the riffshave you seen Adams hands? Theyre humongous! He can do some pretty amazing stuff, but Ive got some of the smallest fingers going. Sometimes I have to dumb-down a riff by playing it at half speed, or use open strings to fill it out. Dutkiewicz: Yeah, I have big digits [laughs]which is a curse for things up higher on the neck Because its more cramped for space does that make you tend to avoid playing up there? Dutkiewicz: Not necessarily, Im just a little sloppier than most up there, I guess thats what she said [laughs].
[Laughs] So what are the advantages of those massive mitts? Dutkiewicz: [Suggestively] I dont know. Guitar-wise. Dutkiewicz: You can just do different chord voicings. Someone with small hands probably couldnt make a two-full-step reach as easily. Does that ever lead to situations where you really like the sound of a chord thats stretched out and Joel is, like, Dude, I cant play that!? Dutkiewicz: Yeah, Joel will get mad at me at times for certain voicings, but either Ill play one part and hell play another, or hell just buck up and figure it out. He can pretty much play anything. Stroetzel: [Laughs.] Indeed, Adam has some large digits! A lot of the chord voicings in his songs are challenging for me he can stretch further on the fretboard with his 1st and 3rd fingers than I can with my 1st and 4th. Ive got Polish kielbasa fingers!
Lets talk gear. Mike, which basses did you use for this album? DAntonio: Ive played Ibanez basses for a long time, and Im pretty happy about my latest MDB3 signature bass. It has a Duncan SPB-3 pickup and a single volume knob. It feels a lot like my old Gibson Thunderbird, which is one of the things I loved about it right off the batit took me back to when I was a kid, rocking out. Which features of the MDB3 are you most excited about? DAntonio: Im sloppy onstageI jump around like a nut and its basically gym class for meso if I have a lot of knobs, Im going to knock into em and turn them off or change my tone. Ibanez came up with the idea of putting a tone trimpot in the back, under the plate for the electronics. Theres a little hole so you can stick a screwdriver in and adjust your tone. Joel, youve been pretty faithful to Caparison guitars for a while now, and
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you updated your signature model over the last year or so. What did you change? Stroetzel: The guitar Ive been playing has a cool neck profile: Toward the headstock, its kind of flat, and toward the body it gets rounder. You can do fast rhythm stuff down low and its nice and flat, almost Ibanez-style, and then you go up and its rounder, like a Les Paul. Ive had a couple of versions with coil-tapping stuff, Ive had a couple with a Gibson-style stop tailpiece, but we got rid of that and had the strings go through the body. You get better string
tension for the low [drop-C] tuning with the greater angle of the strings behind the bridge. So that, and the smaller fret sizefrom jumbo down to medium-jumbois the main difference. I love the feel of big frets, but its tough in the studio to intonate chords with bigger frets. I really like Caparisons craftsmanship. Theyve got great fretwork and nice woods, and theyre well balanced as far weight and tone. Adam, youve gone from Caparison to Parker to PRS over the last few years?
Dutkiewicz: We used Caparisons to track this record, too, actuallyone of my old ones and two of Joels. My Caparison with EMGs was just one of the only ones set up and ready to go at the time. What will you be playing on the road? Dutkiewicz: I just started checking out some EVH gear, which is cool because its yet another nod to my hero. It has a birds-eye-maple, bolt-on neck. Ive got one thats a solid finish and one thats a flame top. What do you like most about them? Dutkiewicz: They sound great, but I think the biggest selling point is the neckits one of the most comfortable Ive ever played. Youve used EMGs for quite a while, Adam. Are you sticking with the EVHs stock passive pickups? Dutkiewicz: Yeah, the electronics they developed for that guitar sound fantasticvery musical. That was one of the things I loved about PRS, too. The EVHs are pretty road-ready, and theyre locked on both ends, so its going to be hard to get them to go out of tune. Mike, which amps are you using? DAntonio: I have an Ampeg SVT-VR tube head and a couple of 8x10 Ampeg cabs. You dont even really have to dial them in, they just sound good no matter what. Do you use channel one or channel two? DAntonio: One. I adjust the bass and treble pretty high but leave the midrange low. Joel and Adam, which amps did you guys use for this album? Stroetzel: For the record, it was mainly a mix of a Laney Ironheart and a Fuchs Viper. The Fuchs sounds big and round and bubblylike a warmer-sounding Rectifierwhile the Laney has more of that Marshall-style cutting quality, where the palm-muting has some crack to it. The Ironhearts have a good, tight, focused sound, and all the notes jump out nice and clear. For the delayed-out sounds, we used a Matchless Clubman 30, and for some of the delayed stuff and
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textural sounds we used a Custom Tones Ethos overdrive pedal, which has a speaker out. Live, were both using Ironheart heads, and Adam uses an Ironheart combo for cleans. I use a Fuchs Clean Machine. What about pedals? DAntonio: Im using a SansAmp RBI, and Im really stoked about the Tronographic Rusty Box bass preamp. It sounds great and doesnt lose the low-end. The bass is way more in the forefront on the new record, and thats because we just freakin loved the tone of the Rusty Box. Adam and Joel, you guys swear by the Maxon OD808 Overdrive. Why? Stroetzel: It adds a little bit of solid-state tightness in front of a tube amp, but it also adds a little bit of compression and sustain and just kind of smooths things out. I havent not used it in, like, 10 years. Dutkiewicz: We have the gain all the way downits just for a little bit of compression and a little bit of focus and clarity in the picking. It doesnt add any real distortion.
Stroetzel onstage with one of his older Caparison signature models (note the stop tailpiece) and Laney Ironheart half-stacks.
Is it pretty transparent, or does it add a bit of a mid hump like an Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer? Dutkiewicz: Oh yeahits pretty much like a TS9.
What other pedals are you using? Dutkiewicz: Its real simple, its guitar into a wireless unit, into the OD808, into a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, and then into the head. I also use a Maxon AD-9
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Pro analog delay for specific parts of the set. Stroetzel: The main things are the 808 and the Maxon AD-999the bigger analog delay pedal. The biggest difference between that and the AD-9 Pro is that the AD-999 is a little bit warmer sounding and you have better control over the delay timesyou can dial in slow speeds more easily. [Ed. note: Killswitch tech Josh Mihlek says Stroetzel uses the AD-999 in the studio and the AD-9 Pro live.] For clean stuff, I also use the Maxon CP-9 Pro+, and I have a Boss NS-2 in front of the dirty amp. Adam, how is your back doing these daysis guitar weight still an issue? Dutkiewicz: Ive been very healthy, so hopefully it remains that way. Thankfully, the EVHs arent that heavy. I was really concerned about my back shortly after the emergency surgery I had [in 2006]. I was looking for the lightest possible guitar and, of course, Parker was it. But Ive been feeling pretty good knock on wood!for a little while. Back pain is one of the most debilitating types of pain. How did you stay so upbeatand so prolific? Dutkiewicz: You kind of have toyou dont really have much of a choice. You can sit there and lament, or just accept the situation and deal with it and move on, yknow? But when it drags on as long as it did for you, it can sometimes completely transform your outlook and personality. Dutkiewicz: Oh yeah, my ex found me in our living room, like, just swallowing pills I drank two bottles of wine and Im just punching the floor, and Im, like, Ahhh! Get me to the hospital now! It was bad news! [Laughs.] And yet you were still doing a lot of playing and producing during that time. Do you have any tips for other guitarists facing similar problems? Dutkiewicz: Well, I heard something cool the other day on ESPNThe only handicap is a bad attitude. Yknow, youve got to freakin take things for what they are and push through. Its pretty much the only choice you have.
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Feature > GUITARISTS oF SXSw
story and Photos By roBin sinhaBaBu
outh by Southwest is the festival whose best-of lists you should view with the most skepticism. More than 2,000 acts played its official events, and its impossible to tally how many more performances were staged in the warehouses, parks, and dives of East Austin. One could go on a live music bender and see bands play non-stop from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (or later), Tuesday through Sunday, and miss 98 percent of them. So, this list acknowledges James Williamson, Rick Nielsen, and the thousands of other players unseen and unheard by many attendees. Its worth repeating that yes, it is actually possible to see bands play non-stop and around the clock for the entire week of SXSW. Perhaps not if you wanted to emerge with your feet, liver, ears, and brain intact, but you could do it. Or, you can remain unscathed, save your health, and just read about eight of the best players we saw this year.
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Jim Schroeder, UUVVWWZ

UUVVWWZ cant be an easy band to play guitar in. The rhythm section is groovy and skilled, but on many songs, its a closed system that doesnt have room for a guitar to ride along with it. Meanwhile, singer Teal Gardner covers a wide range and sits at the top of the mix, as she should. You can imagine how a lesser player might try to fit. It would be tempting to hang back a lot, and equally easy to overplay and get in Gardners way. A guitarist could simply be a counterpoint to her, playing melodies in between the ones she sings. With the exception of some well-chosen silences, Jim Schroeder doesnt do any of these things. Hes the most dynamic player in a dynamic band, employing muted riffs, percussive rhythms, and massive distortion, depending on the moment. He switches quickly between these and other techniques within songs, and makes it look as though theyre all natural, intuitive ways for him to play. His variety is chosen well, though: a quiet two-note riff played at the beginning of a song might be reprised as a wall of sound at the end.
Schroeder plays the guitar he wanted really bad in high schoolan Epiphone Dot LE. Hes had it for 11 years, and its now his only guitar. I think its good for sustain, he says, with a really dark, low, mid-range-y tone, which I am just really drawn to.
A surprising feature of this bands show was interpreter Chelsea Richardson, a longtime friend of Gardners who signed the lyrics from the stage. Standing next to Gardner and dancing gently, her movements were so fluid as to make her seem like a natural extension of the band.
chriStian Lee and octaviuS nebeaux, Dolores Boys

The Dolores Boys, Christian Lee and Octavius Nebeaux, are hardly the first to send their Telecasters through a laptop nor the first to strum with a drumstick. But this didnt turn out to be a performance suspect of email checking or pretense. Instead, Lee rocked out. His singing barely decipherable, yet smart and as visceral as the musicalone would differentiate him from the masses of less extroverted guitar processors. He goes further, letting the music shake him, occasionally even out into the audience. A tiny theater with eight people seated might not sound like the perfect venue for the Dolores Boys performance, but it was. A band this amplified, in which Nebeauxs every touch and slight scrape of his strings barreled out of the P.A., was further illuminated by the dimly lit, silent surroundings. When they were loud (which is most of the time), it was hard to tell who was making what sounds. In general, though, Lee sang, played the faster riffs, and started the tracks on the laptop.
Nebeaux seemed like the more amplified, droning player, and also had a small drumset at his disposal. Hes actually a really great guitar player, Lee says of Nebeaux. Folk, blues,
anything. He could sit down and youd think he was the greatest guitar picker, and that thats all he does. I think we [both] come from a pretty wide range of intense, strange, beautiful music.
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Photo by Daniel Muller | hearnebraska.org
bradLey Fry, Pissed Jeans

A relentless juggernaut revved to full-throttle with fuzz and reckless abandon thats Pissed Jeans. Ive always been super sloppy, Bradley Fry says of his guitar playing. I have really small hands, so I cant play super fast or anything like that. I figured instead of trying to play like somebody else, let me play how I play, and write songs to fit with that embrace feedback and that sort of stuff. Fry sells himself short, but deliberately unkempt was certainly his method and the bands, as they didnt plan a setlist but charged right through. Fry had a great, sludgy tone reminiscent of Greg Ginn circa 1982, and put it to work at sharp riffs with plenty of feedback. His right hand never seemed to hit the strings the same way twice, flailing back and forth yet somehow holding down a melody. You want it to have some sort of spontaneity to it, versus everything being planned, he adds. Its just what feels like coming out. On the recent Pissed Jeans record, Fry did most of the solos in one take. His philosophy was: Lets just do it,
record it, boom. Was it horrible? No? Okay, keep it. On the other hand, hes found it hard to recreate those solos, he says, played through two favorite ampsincluding a Peavey Renown 400and two cranked fuzz pedals, at shows. This was apparent in Austin, where
his excellent riffs and their devil-may-care strumming, not the solos, were the highlight. Fry generally plays Jaguars and Jazzmasters, but at Austins 1100 Warehouse, he played a Godcity guitar that Kurt Ballou built with three different P-90s and phase switching, allowing at least a dozen pickup combinations.
Steve auStin, Today is the Day

Brooklyn Vegan held a two-stage, onequeue event at the space formerly occupied by 6th and Red River stalwart Emos. While Nashville metal trio Today is the Day played for a sparse crowd at The Jr. (the indoor space), Dallas non-metal concern The Polyphonic Spree entertained a capacity crowd in the larger area, leaving a handful of Today is the Day fans waiting outside for indie pop fans to exit. Fortunately, those in charge recognized the jam and let the metal folks advance to the small room. Like his band, Steve Austins playing is kinetic. He wasnt trying to win a shredding contest on the Jr.s stage, and he probably wouldnt. Thats beside the point. This metal band deals in volume, heaviness, and intensity, but theyve always delivered these staples with varied rhythms, tempos, vocal styles, and even instrumentation, replacing bass with keyboards and samples on 1996s self-titled LP. Bassist Ryan Jones sound is just dense enough that Austin can solo without making the music sound thin, but he generally
didnt. Instead, he favored short fills and leads that often joined drummer Curran Reynolds in transitions, rather than grabbing the spotlight. Dripping with sweat, Austin played and sang his agonizing songs with total sincerity
and intensity. Frankly, songs like these would sound pretty corny otherwise, but he nailed it. He quarreled with the soundwoman throughout the set, perhaps grist for his mill, and he finished the show by snapping all the strings on his black, beaten-up PRS.
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Photo by Tim Wynarczuk
Patrick higginS, Zs
Despite what was previously written about the relative unknowability of SXSW, for the sake of this article and the scope of performances seen, it wouldnt be entirely unreasonable to name Patrick Higgins the best guitarist of the 2013 event. By some combination of talent and a well-conceived rig, he makes breakneck playing look effortless. Hes sending two signals from his sunburst Fender Strat, each controlled by a volume pedal. One goes to a laptop with a delay he programmed in Pure Data, which sends stereo outputs that sound back and forth, and the other goes to a rack of analog pedals that he uses for pitch shifting, oscillations, and more extreme manipulations. As for talent in style, its almost suspenseful how he adjusts his voicing and changes up the delay on his riffs. Drummer Greg Fox and saxophonist Sam Hillmer are skilled in issuing nearly as many tones as Higgins does. Its a super agile band all around, and though its odd to say a band so busy is restrained, they certainly are. Many minutes into their compositions, Higgins does indulge in some satisfying, beefy, major-chord breaks, but they dont feel obligatory or out of place. They take the music somewhere, and are usually good riffs themselves. Though Higgins had an ordinary path to weird music, it was an accelerated one. He says he started playing at 9 and quickly got into blues, rock, and heavy metal, had his punk phase at 11, and then by 12 began to study and play jazz and classical, which he stayed with through college. Hes had his chair in Zs since 2012, when he replaced another great player, Ben Greenberg. Its a little easier, Higgins said of the trios preference for sitting while
playing, and I think the idea is also to take focus away from people roaming around stage and detract from the physical presence of the performers a little bit. Help the audience focus in on the sounds and less the performance gestures.
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JeFF Skunk baxter, Official SXSW Music Panelist

However cheesy, Jeff Baxters POLICE LINE DO NOT CROSS guitar strap is appropriate. After a successful career playing guitar in Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, and numerous sessions, he became an indemand consultant to the Department of Defense, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), and various defense contractors. Now, this wasnt an entirely non-musical career change, like those made by James Williamson and Santiago Durango. In the 1980s, Baxter became interested in military developments like high-capacity storage devices and data-compression algorithms for their music recording applications. His monologues on physics, his defense work, and music comingle freely. And, as the Wall Street Journal reported in 2005, he still dresses for work like a session guitarist, even in a world of stern ex-military men.
Baxters talk was more focused on basic physics than on military applications, or musical applications for that matter, and his Strat began to seem like an unwieldy, needless prop. But itd be silly to evaluate the lecture by any conventional public-speaking rubric. When you have a man with a white trucker moustache and ponytail who s been a member of associations with names like Ultimate Spinach sitting on a stool, lecturing a crowd at an event that costs hundreds of dollars to enter about whether Native American drum circles prevent illnesses, it hardly matters that hes wearing a sunburst Strat. Questions ranged from whether tape still exists of the full outro guitar solo from My Old School to whether there is a particular frequency that will destroy tumors. Baxter also had a question for the audience. Did anybody bring a guitar? No hands rose. Nobody brought a guitar? Still no one. Feigning disappointment, he claimed that in five minutes he could have turned any one of us into a great bebop jazz player.
New Sounds. New Songs. Your New Voice.

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marnie Stern
Marnie Sterns show could be a challenging one to mix. Her guitar parts are mostly composed of either high-register fingertapping and tremolo, or loud powerchord breaks. Her singing mirrors the former: soprano and staccato. Meanwhile, shes backed by busy drums and Nithin Kalvakotas loud, thick bass. Point being, its easy to see how her quieter, thinner sections could get drowned out, either by the rhythm section, her own vocals, or by being mixed at chord volume. In the joined, sprawling backyard of Eastside bars Hotel Vegas and The Volstead, it often did. It was one of 10 shows she played at the festival, and she notes that Theres no way to do soundchecks at SX. To her credit, she gave her Jazzmasters fretboard a major workout. Bad sound at a shoegaze show, or anything with two or three guitarists, could sink the thing, but in addition to being funny and magnetic, she has a style thats energetic and physical enough that you could easily follow along. Well, its also kind of bizarre, so maybe
follow along isnt the right phrase. It would be more apt to say that Stern is engaging and knows how to keep an audiences attention. Whats impressive is that she alternates fluidly between her various
techniques without making the songs sound disjointed or gimmicky. She convinces you that tapping frets while ooh-aah-eehing into the microphone is a normal and good way to play rock songs.
dan mcgee, Spider Bags

You could easily be a fan of Chapel Hills Spider Bags for years without knowing what a great player frontman Dan McGee is. He didnt need to be when he had Gregg Levy (who McGee says is great at coming up with countermelodies), Rob DiPatri (never goes for the easy path), and/or Chris Girard (one of my all-time favorite guitar players) backing him. Now that the bands down to a trio, McGees risen to the occasion. He still downstrokes his axe like he did when he was the rhythm guitarist, but his styles gotten bluesier and more fluid. There has to be rhythm guitar, he says, there also have to be countermelodies, and I also have to do the best I can with my vocal instrument, which is not my strongest point. Back when he was the more rudimentary guitarist in the band, sometimes hed nonetheless play at full blast while singing passively, completely obscuring the lyrics with the guitar. Whether due to the backline, a conscious shift, or his one-off guitar "Peanut" (handmade and wired by friend
Ric Palao, with a maple top and fretboard, poplar body, and a lone DiMarzio PAF Pro in the bridge), you could hear everything well at the Saturday afternoon Beerland show. Though the band was sweaty and energetic, McGee says they were getting fatigued. They played a show a day from Wednesday to Sunday (backing off from two or three a day in recent years). The Sunday was like a locals one, he says, and I knew it was a crowd that was already into the band. Saturday, then, was the last time I felt like I had to, like, prove it to a new audience. McGee saw a chance for a funny breather-as-stage-move during the closer, Shape I Was In from last falls Shake My Head. During the instrumental break preceding the final solo and double-time chorus (you need a lot of breath for that), he
hopped offstage, and the crowd parted as he lay down on the floor. I was like, weve got one more chorus after this, he remembers, Im just going to lay down for a minute, play this little guitar solo and take a breather.
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feature > steven wilson
Of Ravens, Revenants, and Creeping Things

Porcupine Trees Steven Wilson and the Aristocrats Guthrie Govan conjure a prog juggernaut with a little help from studio giant Alan Parsons.
By James Rotondi
ABove: Photo by Frank White
teven Wilson likes creepy stuffhe must. Theres no other explanation for the Porcupine Tree frontmans new solo album, The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories)a prog-rock opus featuring six supernatural tales in the vein of M.R. James and Edgar Allan Poe, and eerie artwork by German illustrator Hajo Mueller. It certainly explains a lot of his other activities, including producing Opeths 2001 death-metal masterpiece Blackwater Park and collaborating with Opeth frontman Mikael kerfeldt on the decidedly macabre, Grammy-nominated Storm Corrosion project. As with his compatriots in Porcupine Tree, Wilson seems to gravitate toward monster musicians, too. After touring with Aristocrats drummer Marco Minnemann and keyboardist Adam Holzman in support of his previous solo effort, 2011s Grace for Drowning, Wilson also brought terrifyingly talented Aristocrats guitarist Guthrie Govan into the fold. Govans incredible legato technique and stunning phrasing lend The Raven a tastefully virtuosic guitar element that brings new dimensions to Wilsons majestic vocabulary, and it was perhaps Govans presence in an already fire-breathing band that gave Wilson the courage to track the album almost completely livea feat he never felt confident enough to attempt before. Of course, it helped that Wilson tapped one of the giants of studio engineeringAlan Parsons, renowned both for his work on Pink Floyds The Dark Side of the Moon and his many hits with the Alan Parsons Projectto oversee the sessions at L.A.s equally legendary East West Studios. With a lush guitar tone courtesy of a PRS Custom 22 plugged into Vox AC30 and Marshall amps, Wilson pumps out chiming, expansive rhythm parts that form a locus around which Minnemann, Govan, and Holzmanas well as bassist Nick Beggs and flute, sax and clarinet player Theo Travis rally their estimable talents on tracks that evoke classic Yes, King Crimson, U.K., Genesis, and even Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Luminol features Steve Howe-inspired staccato licks and a massive, half-time Mellotron coda, while Drive Home has a lush shuffle buoyed by EBowd guitars and a wriggling Govan solo, and the 3/4-time acoustic epic The Watchmaker boasts the albums most memorable vocal and lyrical touchesand theyre possibly the heaviest, darkest harmonies Wilson has ever composed.
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The Raven is the first time youve recorded a live bandwhat prompted that? For me, thats quite an unusual way to work. Ive simply never felt confident enough with the whole team to do that. But with this band and this engineer, I thought it was time to try itand it came out great. We recorded the entire album live, in seven days, with the exception of vocals and a few other things I did later. There were seven songs originally, but one didnt make the final record. Every day when we showed up, wed pick a song and run through it a few times while Alan would be in the control room tweaking the sounds, and then it was, Okay, lets go for a few takes. Wed do a few takes, then go into the control room to listen back, pick our favorite one, add some keyboard or guitar overdubs, and that was itfinished. Next song, next day. Im a convert to that approach now. And the results speak for themselves. In some of the solos, for instance, you can really hear Marco responding to the way Guthrie is phrasing, and those types of moments become cumulative over a whole record. They absolutely give the record a more organic and warm feeling.
What was it like capturing such big, pristine sounds with a legendary engineer like Alan Parsons? He did a fantastic job. Its funny, but my only concern with Alan was, Will this guy, who is really a producer, be okay with taking on the engineer role again? And he was greatvery happy to defer to me on production. We had a great connection in the studio. So you werent interested in having him act in more of a production role? Alan had a number of good ideas in that respect, and he is credited as associate producer on the album, but Im afraid I can never be really produced. Im too much of a control person. No, I couldnt do itbut I do understand the philosophy. Its interesting to put yourself in the hands of someone who perhaps doesnt have the same ideas that you do, but I just dont know if I could do that. If Ive written songs, I know how I want them to be born, yknow what I mean? But having someone come in with cool ideas about how to record things? Thats fabulousthats just what I wanted. Lets try this mic or Lets try putting that instrument through a Leslie cabinet great! But the sort of producer mentality of Can we shorn this bit? or Can we make this bit longer?no, thats not for me. Forget it, mate! Tell us about bringing Guthrie Govan aboard. I didnt know about the Aristocrats when Marco came onboard and, admittedly, that kind of fusion music is not my thing. But I went to see them play and, watching Guthrie, I just thought, This guy could do some amazing things for my music. I knew he could help me take my music to a much higher level. Of course, the worry with guys at that level is whether theres enough to keep them interested. I mean, I dont like shredding and I dont like fast playing just for the sake of it. I like guys who will play one note that will break your heart, if thats the right thing to do. So the first thing was to figure out if Guthrie was going to be okay with that. And he absolutely was. Hes a truly great musiciannot because hes technically phenomenalbut because, despite that, he always understands how to play what is right for the song. There are things on the recordlike the title track,
for instancewhere he only plays three notes. He did exactly what Id hoped he would do, which is to take the whole record to another level. In addition to blazing solos, he plays quite a few nice, melodic lines with a lot of warm, jazzy tones. Yes, we did a lot with that jazzy guitar tone. We call it the Lonely Swede Lost in the Forest sounda sort of jazzy, warm, and dark clean sound thats mixed with a mono plate reverb. I love that soundits on many 70s records, and its especially noticeable on old Scandinavian records. My buddy Mikael kerfeldt from Opeth uses that sound quite a lot. The use of mono plate reverb, in particular, Steven Wilson performs with his solo band in Belcame from working on the gium on March 12, 2013. Photo by Tom Van Ghent old King Crimson records that I remixed. I learned from working with Robert Fripp that a lot of the noodling around those riffs, time they kept the reverbs mono, and they adding little colors, little textures. And its kept the reverb returns with the instrument. If something that comes, again, from the idea the flute was on the right, thats exactly where of a band, in the studio, rehearsing and the reverb was, too. They didnt do that very writing togetherplaying live together in 80s thing, where you take a guitar, keyboard, the studio. So, in a way, the music is always or drum sound and put it through a massive in a state of flux. Because of computer techstereo reverbwide-screen cinema!and sud- nology and the way we tend to record in a denly youve lost all this space in your mix and very piecemeal way these days, we tend to you wonder why theres no space for anything edit the [expletive] out of things so that all else. That mono reverb has a wonderful charof those happy accidents where the guitar acter about it, an auraalmost a halo around player is noodling in the background just the sound. behind the vocalwhich is a lot of what Guthrie was doingare lost. I dont hear You write such great chord changes that on many modern records. In fact, I theyre often for rock songsand Guthrie dont hear it on any modern records. is such a master of outlining chords using chord tones and modal playing. Presumably, you demoed all this mateThats something I really notice from old rial in Logic Pro beforehand, like you records, 70s recordsmusical phrases and have on past projects. That must be quite sections repeat, but they dont completely a challenge, demoing 11-minute songs, repeat, if you know what I mean. Its one of each with several sections, as well as the malaises of modern music that sections tempo and time-signature changes. The of songs and musical moments literally drum parts alone repeat verbatimlike someones gone and Yes, but thats exactly why they really have copied and pasted them. If you listen to to be demoed in full. But, yeah, I spend records from the 70s, sure, theyre playing a lot of time working on the song strucriffs, but usually the guitarist is constantly tures. I use the EXS24 sampler in Logic
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to program the drumsI play the basic drumbeat ideas on a keyboard controllerand then I send that to Marco. From those demos, he learns the structures and basic rhythms, and then throws it all away and plays it like only Marco can. The thing is, with this kind of music, you cannot divorce what the drums are doing from the songstheyre integral parts of what makes the song what it is. If youre a Neil Young or Bob Dylan sort of songwriter, your song is basically you and the guitar or piano. You dont have to think too hard about what the drums are going to doits fairly obvious. But with this type of music, the drums may be the lead instrument, in a sense: They may be the basis for a phrase, a whole part, or even the entire tune. So you have to really think about that, and you have to write that into the composition. The same is true of the other instruments. A lot of the music was written on the bass guitar, too. For example, the way the album starts, with Luminol. You can clearly hear that the bass figure is the foundation of that part of the song, so of course I had to demo it on the bass guitar. Basically, when Im in the studio demoing these songs, Ive got guitars and basses and keyboards and drum modules around me, and Im essentially doing my less-thanspectacular versions of what I want the guys to eventually play. Its not just about sketching each part, but about showing the guys how it all works togetherhow the whole musical story unfolds. And they are musical stories, not just in the sense of the way I use the ghost stories around themthats another thing entirely but also the way all the different sections unfold.
In a way, while progressive rock gives me all this freedom to throw traditional pop song structures out the window, its also a bit of a mind [expletive], because I have all these different sections to deal with and no set way to arrange them. In fact, I can easily write all the different sections of one of these multi-section songs in a single day, but I can then spend an entire week juggling them all around before I arrive at the right order. Thats when I know Ive found the key to a track, especially some of these longer pieces. This also means I have to fly things around in Logic and tweak tempos to make sure the parts fit together well before I take it to the players. Because you may decide one section makes sense following another section, but then the tempo may seem sluggish in comparison and you need to bump it up two or three beats per minute, and then itll feel just a little more right than it did before. Which guitars, amps, and effects did you favor for this album? I used the same PRS Custom 22 that Ive used for a long time. Im now endorsed by PRS, but the very first PRS I bought when I was very young is still my favorite one. I have to confess I dont know a great deal about guitarspeople ask me what guitar I play, and I say a red one. I also used a Stratocaster a bit on The Raven That Refused to Sing. In terms of pedals, I used a bunch of the new TC Electronic TonePrint pedals, including the delay, the reverb, and the vibrato. I love very subtle modulation on guitar tones. I dont like choruses, flangers, or phasers, but I do love a little vibrato or tremolo, or sometimes a bit of Lesliewe
put one of Guthries solos through the Leslie on The Pin Drop. Tremolo, vibrato, and rotary speaker give color to guitar sounds that might otherwise be sort of flat. My amps for the sessions were a Vox AC30 and a pair of old Marshall 100-watt heads. Theres a lot of great acoustic playing and very lush, distinctive acoustic tones on the album. Most of the acoustic on this record is an Ovation in Nashville tuning, which
GUitARs
PRS Custom 22, AlumiSonic Ultra 1100, Visionary Instruments Video Guitar, Babicz Dreadnought Cutaway, Ovation acoustic (Nashville tuning), PRS SE Mike Mushok signature baritone, Fender Stratocaster
AMPs
Vox AC30, Bad Cat Lynx 50 head driving a Bad Cat 4x12 with Celestion Vintage 30s
eFFeCts
TC Electronic Flashback Delay/ Looper, TC Hall of Fame Reverb, TC Shaker Vibrato, Dunlop Cry Baby wah, Boss FV-500L Stereo Volume Pedals, TC Electronic G-System, Boss SD-2 Dual Overdrive, Source Audio Soundblox Multiwave Distortion, Carl Martin Compressor/Limiter, Option 5 Destination Rotation Single, Boss GE-7 Equalizer, TheGigRig MIDI-8 foot controller
YOUTUBE IT
Watch a live performance of music from The Raven, as well as some intimate behind the scenes footage from the studio sessions.
stRinGs, PiCKs, AnD ACCessoRies

DAddario EXL110 sets (electric), DAddario EJ10 sets (acoustic), DAddario EJ38H sets (Nashville-tuned acoustics), DAddario EXL140 sets (detuned electrics), Jim Dunlop Tortex 1 mm picks, Providence E205 guitar and P203 patch cables
The 2012 Raven band featuring guitarist Niko Tsonevperforms Luminol live in Mexico City. search term: Steven Wilson Luminol (from the Get All You Deserve Blu-Ray & DVD)
Steven Wilson and his lineup of monster players hash out some of the arrangements while working on Luminol at East West Studios in L.A. search term: Steven Wilson Recording Luminol in LA (for The Raven That Refused to Sing)
Tracking The Watchmaker with Alan Parsons at the console. Govans beautifully fluid solo overdub begins at 1:45. search term: Steven Wilson in LA - Part 2: Recording The Watchmaker
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Guthrie Govan on Soaring with T he Raven

Steven Wilson is still incredulous. I mean, wed gotten this LaRose Classic Jazz [Jazzmaster-style] guitar with a Sustainiac sustainer circuit in the studio on the second day, and I asked Guthrie what he thought of it, Wilson recounts. He picked the thing up and, literally, the first thing he played was the solo on Drive Homethe solo that made the album. First time, first take. Isnt that insane? Even crazier is that, during the solowhich Govan tracked live with the bandyou can hear the E-string popping out of the saddle, forcing Govan to play the rest of the solo without it. I later learned, the Aristocrats chopsmaster explains, that the Jazzmaster bridge/tailpiece design is famously ill-equipped to deal with extravagant string bending! While Govan thought later versions of the solo sounded a little more perfect, the other players unanimously preferred the first take. I suppose the first one did have a certain vibe to it, he shrugs, presumably because I was still getting used to an utterly unfamiliar instrument, which made me play a little differently. And, having played a lot with Marco in the Aristocrats, I think we had a couple of spontaneous interactive moments during that solo which could have only happened in real time. As far as his approach to Wilsons Raven sessions on the whole, Govan says, Steven described the overall guitar vibe he wanted for this album, and I just tried to serve the music as best I could, whilst remaining true to myselfbut without making any effort to leave a giant GG thumbprint all over the record. Govan called on a small coterie of pedals, including a Suhr Koko Boost, a Z.Vex Mastotron Fuzz, a DLS RotoSIM, and a TC Electronic Hall of Fame Reverb, and he typically recorded time-domain effects live, per Wilsons request. While darker textures and clean-toned lines do make up a significant portion of Govans contribution, there are plenty of scorching, dramatic solos, too. I did try not to go too over the top with the frantic technical stuff, but a couple of sheets of sound moments probably slipped through the net anyhow, he laughs. Ive gathered that there are some folks in the progressive rock community who get turned off when a guitar player exceeds their chosen notes-per-second quota. But as I remember once observing to Steven, these are often the same people who would be perfectly happy to hear a sax player playing at a comparable velocity. So I try not to worry too much about those people!
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is basically all the higher strings of a 12-string guitar. It has that wonderful crystalline qualityI find it incredibly inspiring. And adding a capo to the second fret gives it even more of a mandolin-like register. I didnt know much about Nashville tuning until about a year ago. We were on tour and a fan brought me an Ovation guitar as a gift. It was so nice that I said I simply couldnt accept such a generous gift, and I had little use for another acoustic guitar anyway. Well, Tonto, my guitar tech, said its a lovely gift, why dont you accept it and Ill string it up for you in Nashville tuning? I said, what is that? Well, immediately upon playing it, I knew it was going to inspire something. I ended up writing The Watchmaker and Drive Home on it. I tend to double-track the Nashville parts with an electric guitar, which warms it up and gives it a bit more body. Thats pretty much the big rhythm sound you hear on The Watchmaker and Drive Home. Interestingly, though, apart from that I have actually taken to not double-tracking stuff on this album, with one or two exceptions. The exceptions would be the acoustic guitars, which I tend to double or even quadruple track. Why? Another thing I noticed about the classic 70s albums I was remixing is the economy of overdubbing. Double-tracking tends to sound impressive in the studio, but it also takes away from some of the character of the performance as it irons out the quirks that give a part so much of its personality. Do you have any tips for recording perhaps how to best capture a solo or favorite plug-ins for guitars or mixing? My favorite plug-ins for mixing are the Universal Audio ones, especially the EMT 140 plate reverb, the 1176 compressor, and the SSL channel strip. The native Logic EQ is also great for the basics. But I have to say that, generally speaking, the guitars are untreated once theyre recordedperhaps just a little EQ to filter out low end or add a little more air at the top end, but thats all. I cant think of any particular approach for getting a solo to sit rightbut sometimes a really nasty EQ, or heavy compression, or just making it very loud.
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Bill Frisell and Collings Guitars
Serious Guitars | www.CollingsGuitars.com | (512) 288-7770
Bill Frisell at the Village Vanguard with his Collings I-35 LC
Builder Profile > MesA/BooGie
Randall Smiths amps have given voice to some of the biggest names in musicfrom Santana to Metallica, Dream Theater, and now Sir Paul McCartneyand, in the process, theyve revolutionized the entire concept of amplified tone.
By CoRBin Reiff
rom his humble origins repairing amplifiers and other musical equipment inside the confines of a meat locker in a converted Chinese grocery store in Berkeley, California, Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith has managed to take his company and his amplifiers to soaring heights and worldwide recognition. For almost 50 years, hes pushed the envelope of amplification possibilities while continuously creating increasingly durable, versatile, and innovative products. But despite all that, Smith is quite frankly a lesson in contradictions: Hes one of the industrys most trailblazing amp designers, and yet he doesnt play guitar. Hes a businessman whos not out for the biggest buck, as evidenced by his steadfast refusal to send his manufacturing operation overseas. Hes an old-school, handbuilt kind of guy who simultaneously has an eye further down the road of innovation and new technology. The philosophy he lives by and has instilled in the DNA of his company is quite succinct: Stay true to the vision, make the best amplifier or product possible, treat each customer as you yourself would like to be treated, and treat your employees the same way. Its as simple as that.
Meat-locker Man Smith grew up in the Bay Area of Northern California and, from an early age, developed two deep passions: music and electronics. His father was a professional saxophonist and clarinetistfirst chair in the Oakland Symphonyand early on taught his son how to play. One of the first things my dad taught me when he was teaching me clarinet and saxophone was tone, Smith recalls. The basis of good horn playing is long tones. You get used to thinking about your instrument as your voice. For as long as he can remember, Smith has been interested in electronics, and he had a number of mentors throughout his youth who fostered his curiosity in the electrical arts. However, when asked specifically what got him into repairing and working on amplifiers, his answer comes fast and easy, Being in poverty. His lifelong work with amps began one eventful evening while playing a gig with some buddies around Berkeley sometime in 1967. One night, we were playing and the keyboard players Sunn 200 amp blew up. I said, Let me have a look at it, maybe I can fix it. I saw what was the matter with it, went out and bought some parts, put it all back together, and it worked. The keyboard player, Dave Kessner, was thoroughly impressed and, two days later, said he wanted to open a music store and have Smith handle repair duties. Smith thought the idea had some merit and, before long, the two men rented out a converted Chinese grocery store and, voil, Prune Music was born. The amp maker proudly confides, My repair shop was in the former meat locker. Smiths reputation as a reliable amp repairman spread like wildfire. In practically no time, the biggest acts around San Franciscoincluding Country Joe and the Fish, Steve Miller, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplanewere bringing in their gear. The fact that I was both honest and reliable meant that I got a lot of good business right away. Carlos Santana, one of Smiths earliest and most dedicated customers was quick to recognize this quality in the man. Randy is impeccable with his integrity, and Ive never known him to make excuses, Santana recently told Premier Guitar. There is not one iota, cell, or molecule of shuck and jive in that dude.
Randall Smith repaired his first amplifier in 1967, when keyboard player Dave Kessner's Sunn 200 blew up during a gig. Soon Randall was repairing amps out of an old meat locker. Photo courtesy of Frank Bevans
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the Fearless tinkerer In addition to repairing the amps brought to him by his loyal clientele, Smith soon began modifying stock amplifiers. As an intended joke on Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish, Smith cut up and modified the guitarists Fender Princeton, replacing the 10" speaker with a 12" JBL D-120, installing a bigger set of transformers, and rewiring the circuit to match a tweed Fender Bassman. The result was a compact amp with massive amounts of power that turned the head of pretty much every guitarist who encountered it. The day Smith put the amp out on the floor, Santana happened to stop by and became first person to play one of Smiths creations. I used to come down the hill to his store, Prune Music, and Randy was in the back making amplifiers, recalls Santana. Basically, he was making souped-up little Fender Princetons, and I just noticed that he brought something to the table when it came to enhancing and putting some turbo on amplifiers. For Santana, playing Smiths amp was a transformative experience: I felt like I found what I needed. I needed an amplifier that was not hurtful, but it would sustain. You have to play so loud to sustain. I remember saying to Randy when I first played that amp, Man this thing really boogies! It rocks! Smith took this sustain problemwhich seemed to be a ubiquitous issue frustrating guitarists of many stripesand began trying to come up with a way to address it. The complaint was, Man, you take a [Fender] Twin, and its just way too loud for a medium[-sized] or a small room. I cant turn it up to the point where it begins to sing, or If I have a Princeton or a Deluxe and I take it to a bigger room, it aint cutting itI cant get a clean sound or even be heard. What I saw was this big need to separate the gain characteristics from the volume characteristics, Smith shares. Im not sure I even understood it that well at the time. I knew all the guitar players that hung around our store in Mill Valley kept bringing up this need to get sustain and so forth. Around this time, Smith came across an opportunity that would change the way he thought about what amplifiers were capable of doing and solve the problem of limited sustain. It was somewhat by accident that this Lee Michaels project came along, Smith recalls. The project for Lee was for
1. Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith gives one of his early models a test run. 2. The Mark IIC+ was a revolutionary 2-channel invention, but ironically, Smith says the hair-band movement of the '80s caused some to view Mesa as a "hippie" ampflifier-building outfit. His responses to that were the Dual and Triple Rectifiers. 3. A young Carlos Santana jams with Smith on flute.Smith was musically trained by his father, who played saxaphone and clarinet in the Oakland Symphony. 4. Dubbed the "Home of Tone," Mesa/ Boogie's '70s tone shack was a converted doghouse located in the hills of Luganitas. Photos courtesy of Frank Bevans
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somebody to make a preamp that would make a solid-state Crown DC300 a great guitar amp. Michaels had previously hired three companies to assist him in transforming the ampwhich was originally intended to power hi-fi stereo and recording unitsbut to no avail. I didnt know how much signal the Crowns needed to drive them, so I thought Id cover my bases by adding an extra complete stage of tube gain to the basic preamp architecture, adding three variable gain controls at critical points in the circuit. The result was a staggering amount of gain that shocked both men. When he hit that first chord, it blew us through the wall of the studio! It was just, like, What was that? After leaving Michaels studio, an idea crystallized in Smiths mind. I saw that the two of thosethe small, high-powered combo and the extra gainneeded to be put together. That was immediately apparent to meI gotta build this circuit with the four 6L6s in a Princeton-sized amplifier. The concept of what would ultimately become the Mark I Boogie was born.
I remember saying to Randy when I first played that amp, Man this thing really boogies! It rocks! Carlos Santana
At that same time, Smith padded his income by rebuilding Mercedes-Benz engines and jacking up houses in the hills of West Marin. In order to get all the parts he needed for his various projects, he needed an official name for his expansive enterprise. He settled on Mesa Engineering. It seemed familiar and professional sounding. To suit the diverse needs of his business, he set out in search of more space to build and modify amps. He purchased a converted doghouse in the hills of Lagunitas and dubbed it the Home of Tone. I had this little mountain-chalet, custom-amp-building deal well under way, and I loved it. Mesas reputation for high-performance amps spread quickly, with most of the buzz being generated by word of mouthincluding by luminaries like Santana. I was with Bob Dylan at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, and someone said, Hey, the Rolling Stones are playing tonightdo you want to go there and maybe jam? Santana recalls. So me, Bob Dylan, and my snakeskin Boogie amplifier all packed into a cab to get to Madison Square Garden. [When we got there,] they said, Do you want to do Sympathy for the Devil? I said, Yeah, sure. So the Stones did their thing, called me on for an encore, and set up my amplifier. Then Mick Jagger goes, Oh yeah, Santanatake a solo. I put my fingers on the guitar and all the heads onstage just turned around like, Damn! They started looking at me, looking at my
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hands, looking at the guitar and then they looked at the amplifier. The next Rolling Stones tour, there was nothing but Boogies on the stage. enter sandman Throughout the late 1960s and into the 70s, despite the small size and limited reach of Smiths company, Mesa/Boogie quickly built a reputation for performance and exacting standards of quality. Even though I was this really tiny, one-man shop up in the mountains of Northern California, it didnt take any time at all before people started phoning me up. Over the next several years in the Home of Tone, Smith cranked out somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 Mark I amps before relocating to a factory in Petaluma in 1980. By the time we moved Mesa out, that mountain house had grown into a 4,000-squarefoot, mini-industrial zone with a woodshop, an electronics shop, a loading dock, two offices, and several full-time employees. Despite the success of the Mark I, Smith knew there were still plenty of guitarists who
John PeTRuCCI on Boogies

One of Mesa Engineerings biggest endorsees is Dream Theater shredmaster John Petrucci, whos been playing Mesas since he was 18. Mesa/Boogies always sounded great to meI just fell in love with them, he tells Premier Guitar. The first thing I bought was a Quad Preamp rack, a power amp, and an Abacus [MIDI controller]all of which I still have. I hooked this system up, and it was the beginning of a real love affair. But theres also a deep and abiding platonic love between Petrucci and the Boogie staff. Those guys have become my brothers and my family, he says. From the first call I ever made to Doug [West] when I was just an unknown kid and on through my career, they have been unbelievably supportive beyond anything I can describe. Petrucci echoes Mesa founder Randall Smiths stated MO, We want to make the ideal amp for every player and for every situation, when asked specifically what he loves about Mesa gear. All the amps have their different characteristics goingfrom a Lone Star to a Road King to a Mark series amp like a Mark V or a Mark II. They are all voiced differently, but they do have this certain Boogie sound. They have the ability to cover a really full and broad range of tones. Though hes owned many Boogies over the years, Petrucci says the Mark V is his go-to amp. Its unbelievably versatile, says Petrucci, the three different channels and all the variations within those channelsgoing from cleans to crunch to leadsmake it just an amazing amp. And it really authentically and genuinely re-creates the sounds of the amps that came before it. A Mark V in the Mark IV mode sounds exactly like a Mark IV, and the Mark V in C+ mode sounds exactly like a C+. On our last album, I ended up using the Mark V even though I have all those vintage amps in the studio.
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Willie Adler LAMB OF GOD
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Dan Auerbach THE BLACK KEYS Zach Myers SHINEDOWN
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David Ellefson David Ellefson MEGADETH MEGADETH Richard Kruspe RAMMSTEIN Aaron Lewis STAIND
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Jona Weinhofen
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Power, punch, and clarity are the conerstones of my bass guitar tone and these S.I.T. Signature strings are designed to deliver just that. - David Ellefson, Megadeth
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wanted more out of their amplifiers, and he began working on a new model to satisfy his customers growing list of desires. I was a little caught off guard when I started making these Mark Is, because I thought I solved the problem of sustain and gain, but then people said, Can you make it footswitch back to a clean sound? So I started working on how to achieve that and found that you really had to swap things around in order to add another master and another gain controlyou basically had to have two preamps
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in one. That was a groundbreakerto have two preamps that werent the same. That really set the mold for amplification and what was expected from that point on, and it caught on really rapidly. The end result of that epiphany was the Mark II. But Smith and his clientele still werent satisfied. The Mark II was the first channel-switching amplifier, Smith says. Then there was constant need to improve the effects loop, whichagainwas a new concept. So the Mark II-B sought to
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improve upon the effects loop. But they also used a relay that made a huge pop when you footswitched if you didnt stop playing at the moment you footswitched. Realizing something had to be done to eliminate that annoying pop, Smith began work on what many consider to be the holy grail of Mesa amplifiersthe Mark IIC+. The footswitch pop and the effects loop caused me to rearrange a lot of other stuff in the Mark II-B to try and accomplish that, Smith confides. The other thing that happened was that Doug West came on the scene around that same time, so it became a collaborative project between me, Doug West, and Mike Bendinelli. Who could have predicted at the time that it would be such a groundbreaking project? We were just trying to make it sound great and overcome what we saw as some of the shortcomings of the predecessor. Judging by the esteem with which the Mark IIC+ is held by so many eminent players, its really not a stretch to say it was a revelation to the world of amplification at large. Regardless, as times and styles changed, Mesa found itself in a precarious position in the mid 80s. When the whole hair-metal scene was in full swing, the notion of a little Boogie combo was just too friendly and wasnt threatening enough, Smith explains. We realized that and noticed that everyone was into big stacks and big crunch and so forth. I mean, you can crank a IIC+ and get killer crunch listen to James [Hetfield] and Kirk [Hammett] on Master of Puppetsbut it just didnt look the part. People thought of Boogie as some sort of friendly hippie deal, and it didnt fit the style. So Smith and his team began work on what would become the Dual and Triple Rectifiers. I came up with the idea of making an amplifier that would be our rendition of a big, monster-metal head. I thought of the idea of putting the diamond plate on the front, which I thought was pretty damn tough. Circuitwise, its pretty evolutionary, where everybody stands on the shoulders of those who preceded them and you can trace the circuitry back to a Fender 4x10 Bassman via Marshall, and so forth. We just put together everything that we
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knew and were completely blown away by the success of it. The positive reaction to the Rectifier line was so immense, in fact, that those who had before considered Mesa a hippie outfit making amps for blues dudes came to regard it as the premier metal amp manufacturer. It just got so crazy, Smith laments, to the point where some people think of us as only a heavy metal amp company. So we have to occasionally remind these doubters that you couldnt get anybody who has paid more homage to the Fender legacy than us. Design elegance from start to Finish As its founder, Smith is rightfully the public face of Mesa/Boogie, but he is quick to point out the impact of other key personnel. The bottom line is that the depth and breadth of talent we have with everybody collaborating on these products in the beginning, throughout, and in the end is staggering. Smiths first employee hire was Mike Bendinelli, who was put to work immediately on powersupply boards. Bendinelli continues to work for the company to this day and is one of many Boogie employees who have been with the company for well over two or even three decades. Smith says he prizes every employee and the expertise and experience they bring to their position. [Leader of product development and marketing] Doug West has 31 years, and Mike Bendinelli has got probably close to 40 years, Smith relates. And the average lady wiring amps for us has 17 years with the company. Do you think they know how to wire a doggone amplifier after 17 years? Vice president/cabinet guru Jim Aschow is described as being absolutely essential, and engineer Dan Van Riezen has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring some of the companys most intricate and impressive productssuch as the Triaxis, Royal Atlantic, and a myriad of hybrid bass gearto life. Given the complexity and ingenuity of Boogie designs, its no surprise that the processes of brainstorming, prototyping, and producing them are labor intensive. The way we do it, there are so many different steps of assembling
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and building an amplifier, says Smith. First there is the design and layout of the circuit board, which is integral to the whole thing. On a circuit boardtake the Mark V, for examplethere are 200300 little resistors. And we use 1-percenttolerant resistors so that they are exactly the same. We have an auto-insert machine that puts all those parts on the circuit board. Then the board has a whole bunch of stuff that has to be put in by handbut even though its a hand-done job, there is a
machine telling you which part to pick up and where exactly to place it. Once the circuit board is complete, it gets put into a handbuilt chassis. All the potentiometers and the heavy-duty stuff thats likely to get broken throughout the life of the amplifier is connected by individual flying leads, Smith explains. I used to tell people when I walk around [the shop] that there are at least a thousand mistakes you can make on each ampso even if youre 99-percent accurate, an amp could have 10
mistakes in it. Thats why, after each step in the process, the newest work is checked, rechecked, and then checked again. Smith is so adamant about this attention to fine details, in fact, that his workers sometimes chide him about being a bit over-the-top. Everybody at Mesa/Boogie has read the book Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs [a satirical biography] and laughed at me, but our neurosis is exactly that. For example, the traces on the bottom side of the circuit boardwhich nobody can seenot only have to be correct and musically appropriate, but also they have to be beautiful. Thats where the artistry comes in. Thats one of the reasons I still enjoy doing itbecause of the satisfaction I get from achieving what I think is artistry in design, even if it doesnt show. every Player, every need Although it might sound like hyperbole, anyone whos looked at the history of Mesa/ Boogie still has to admit that its never rested on its laurels. From its genesis facilitating sustain for blues-rockers to its preeminence
In Memoriam: Kurt Houser 1973-2013

Founder Randall Smith and the entire Mesa/Boogie team asked to pay tribute to longtime team member Kurt Houser, who passed away not long before this article went to press. Kurt was a truly passionate family member and 21-year comrade in tone. He applied his integrity, creativity, and incredible attention to detail across a wide range of departmentsfrom quality control to sheetmetal design to sourcingwith an unwavering attitude toward perfection. He accepted nothing less than the absolute best for Mesa and its customers. Kurt passed on February 21 at the age of 39, and is survived by two children, Kenneth and Mackenzie. His contributions to Mesa and our products were invaluable and he will be dearly missed.
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SE Angelus Standard
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The PRS SE Angelus Standard and Custom models are made with high-quality components and share the same proprietary bracing pa ern and several distinct construction features as PRSs acclaimed Maryland-made acoustics, as well as the companys trademark bird inlays and headstock design. A PRS pickup system option is also available, highlighting the instruments rich, resonant tone.
The SE Custom 24 7-String takes familiar PRS aesthetics and playability to new sonic territory. Whether youre playing rock, jazz, or metal, this guitar provides extended lowend growl, increased chordal variance, and a greater ability to embellish standard chords.
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Clint Lowery is recognized worldwide for his raw melodies and empowering ri s. The SE Clint Lowery guitar is designed for metal and hard-rock players with a itude, and its adjustable stoptail and 25 scale length make it perfect for dropped-tuning*.
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The SE Tremonti Custom provides a quality, powerful single-cutaway guitar for guitarists ready to rock. Designed and built to Marks specifications, the SE Tremonti Custom trades a mahogany body and neck for a figured maple top and maple neck and adds a trem-up-rout, providing a new aesthetic and feel for this popular model.
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2013, PRS Guitars - all photos by Marc Quigley
among headbangers to its more Fullertonflavored Lone Star designs to the 2010 introduction of the chimey-sounding TransAtlantic series, Smith and Boogie have always had their eyes to the future. The latter series first served up the TA-15 as a means to help bedroom and small-club players achieve great tone without having to crank an amp to ear-splitting volume. As Smith pointed out, Given the economics of business today, a lot of people needed a real lightweight fly rigsomething under 50 pounds that they can carry with them and still get their tone. Though the TA-15 was inspired by the classic Vox AC15, Mesa took the series beyond that recipe both in terms of what the TA-15 itself can do and in terms of what that new TransAtlantic framework enabled them to do afterward. In the TransAtlantic, we went beyond Vox in several ways, Smith says. First, we gave you the two different gain structures for the Vox channel, plus the ability to switch the master. Secondly, we wanted to give people something that was
several amps in one. Once youve committed to these expenses of the cabinet, the speakers, the chassis, and the transformers, building more amps on that same platform is really where the value packing comes from. Boogies new line of overdrive and distortion pedals [reviewed in the January 2013 PG] further exemplify both the companys adventurous spirit and Smiths support for the ideas of his team members. The stompboxesthe Tone-Burst, the Grid Slammer, the Flux-Drive, and the Throttle Boxwere developed and designed over the course of two years by engineers Dan Van Riezen and Tommy Waugh. Theyre really gratified to see just how readily they are being accepted and all the accolades theyve received, says Smith. Meanwhile, bassists whove long heard about the legendarily robust and gritty tones of Mesas Bass 400+ tube bass heads will be thrilled to hear that two new bass amps of that ilk are in the works. Its been a long and involved process, says Smith. The Strategy draws its heritage from the Bass
400+, and the Prodigy is a much smaller version. My thumbnail description of the Strategy is that its half the size and half the weight of an [Ampeg] SVT, but its half again as powerful450 all-tube watts vs. the SVTs 300 wattsbut with twice the tone. The Prodigy is smaller than the TA-30, but packs a whopping 250 watts. Though no release date has been given, the company has already lined up their first endorsee for the new lineSir Paul McCartney. Boogie on! Although Smith was cool enough to pull back the curtain a bit and give us an idea whats next on the bass-amp front, what lies beyond that for Mesa/Boogie is anyones guess. Given his companys history, though, its probably safe to bet itll be innovative, impeccably built, and chock-full of great tones. Weve been asked by people, Did you guys ever think of making a limited-edition, premier, super-signature model using all of the best parts and everything? And I say, Yeah, that is what we do. In fact thats all we do!
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review > viGieR
VigieR
By JoRdan WagneR
Excalibur SpEcial 7
I
n an industry that so often looks backward, Vigier Guitars seems to thrive on pushing forward. They were among the first electric-guitar builders to experiment with carbon fiber-reinforced wood to improve durability and tuning stability. Theyve used onboard microprocessors and helped pave the way for the fretless guitar with their Surfreter in the early 80s. Vigier has also catered to 7-string players for more than 30 years. And though the new Excalibur Special 7 reviewed here doesnt find Vigier reinventing the wheel, the tweaks and refinements that set this guitar apart make it one of the biggestsounding and slinkiest-playing 7-strings youll ever encounter. seventh Heaven The ingredients in the Special 7s sonic brew begin with the two-piece alder body, which is capped with a beautiful bookmatched, flamed maple top. The woods have been subjected to Vigiers drying process, where the wood is dried for three years before the body sections are cut and the
to hear audio clips of the guitar at premierguitar.com/may2013
CLICKHere
pieces joined. Once the body is completed, Vigier applies a thin varnish thats given a five-week minimum curing time. Crafted from wood that goes through the same drying process as the body, the hard maple neck is bolted to the body and reinforced with carbon fiber, which improves tuning stability, helps counter the pull of a seventh string, and makes the neck particularly resistant to changes in humidity. With this design, the neck should require little adjustment over the life of the guitar. The necks 24-fret maple fretboard
Proprietary needle-bearing vibrato system
DiMarzio Blaze pickups
Kill switch
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review > viGieR
sports stainless steel fretwire, as well as a specially hardened and removable Teflon nut. A zero fret ensures proper action across the fretboard. Vigier also chose top-quality hardware for the Special 7. In place of traditional string trees, a custom string-retention system moves with the strings during play to prevent binding. Heavy-duty Schaller locking tuners not only hold the strings securely in tune, but also add mass to the headstock, which may result in more sustain. Vigiers proprietary 2017 model tremolo system might be the most impressive bit of kit on the Special 7. The floating design pivots on needle bearings instead of knife edges, which can wear out over time with heavy usage. Vigier test the bearings by turning them up to 10,000 times a minutewhich makes it rather unlikely youll ever wear them out during your lifetime. For pickups, Vigier decided to use the same set of DiMarzio Blaze pickups and 5-way switching that are featured in their Supra 7 modelspecifically, a 15.8k DP700 humbucker in the neck, a 13.7k DP701 single-coil in the middle, and a 20.8k DP702 in the bridge. And while those output ratings might seem hot for anything but hard rock and metal, they extend the low-end range and help deliver the detail and clarity that can make the difference between average and greatsounding overdrive tones. Vigier also added the momentary kill switch thats sported on their Ron Thal DoubleBfoot signature model, and its stealthily hidden, yet easily accessible, right above the volume knob.
RATINGS
Vigier Excalibur Special 7, $3,495 street, vigierguitars.com
pros:
flawless build. detailed, robust tone with tight lows on the low B. effortless playability.
Tones Playability Build/Design Value
cons: attack and high end might be too strong for some. Pricey.
specialized tone I could tell I was in for a treat when I discovered that the Special 7s action, intonation, and tuning were absolutely perfect right out of the box. A lot of guitars need a tweak or two after shipping, but thanks to Vigiers precise engineering and meticulous design, the Special 7 played perfectlyand this guitar came all the way from France. The guitar also has great resonance when you strum it unplugged, and the mattefinished neck has a silky feel that plays effortlessly. If youve never played on stainless steel frets, you might feel like your fingers are sliding around on a skating rink. This slinky feel is great once youre used to it, but these frets have a very slippery feel compared to traditional nickel fretwire, and youll probably benefit from playing with a little extra looseness in your fretting hand. In fact, bending notes on this guitar feels so unrestricted that its easy to miss the target completely and take them well past the intended pitch. Plugged into a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, the guitar sounds huge and delivers tones that have a sharp, smooth, and
distinctive attack. Digging hard into the low-B string with a jumpy single-note riff, the attack grew sharper and more focused, helping the Mesa deliver wallop after vicious wallop of heavy, detuned tones. And even extreme levels of gain failed to adversely affect note definitioneven with chords that stretched over all seven strings. Nor did it diminish the punch of the low Bs super-taut bottom end. The virtually frictionless stainless steel frets make long runs up the fretboard feel effortless, and individual notes ring with great sustain. The kill switch comes in handy for percussive passages in the middle of runs or for dramatic, sputtering finishes when bending the notes to oblivion. The Special 7s Blaze pickups have a bright tonality and they match very well with darker-sounding amps like the Mesa I used for this review. In particular, the neck pickup excels in clean environments, but it can also apply a warm sting to the upper midrange in mildly overdriven blues-rock applications. Through a brighter Fender Twin, the high-end clarity of the Blaze pickups is magnified, and I often dropped the guitars tone control to soften the hi-fi edge. Even pulling back the treble, however, leaves a tone thats detailed, deep, and supremely lush. the verdict Vigiers exacting standards and performance-car approach to guitar building has earned accolades from players throughout the world, and the Special 7 is sure to enhance the companys reputation among 7-string devotees. The Special 7s tone, playability, and flawless build elevate the guitar to a level of all-around performance that few companies can touch. Unfortunately, this level of quality comes at a boutique price. But if you havent been satisfied with any of the current crop of 7-strings on the market today, this is one that may be worth saving for.
Stainless steel fretwire
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review > z.vex
z.vex
by LyLe zaehringer
loop gate
T
heres almost nothing like the thrill you get when a new piece of gear arrives on your doorstepa sense that cool, new sounds are just a box away. But even more rewarding is the moment you discover a new way to use a piece of gear you already have. With the Z.Vex Loop Gate, you get both sensations because it combines the relatively simple and familiar principles of noise gating and effects loops in a way that opens up huge new tonal possibilities. Yes, the Loop Gate pedal is a noise gate and an effects loop. But because it can slice and smear your tone in almost unlimited ways, at times it feels as if an alien hand has split your skull and reached out from inside the center of your creative core to alter your sound. Tweak Masters Z.Vex has a well-deserved reputation for taking radicalor at least significantly skewed perspectives on shaping guitar tone. Their Probe units, for instance, have featured antennas and copper touch plates that allow players to interact with a classic effect like fuzz in a whole new way. Their Nano Head is a full-fledged tube amp in the palm of your hand. And nearly every unit in
to hear audio clips of the pedal at premierguitar.com/may2013
CLICKHere
their lineup has at least one feature that sets it apart from other units in its genre. The Loop Gate is the latest pedal in Z.Vexs Vextron series of lower-cost pedals. Vextron series pedals are built in Taiwan using many of the same high-quality components as their hand-painted, lifetime warranted counterparts, and are tested by the Z.Vex team in Minneapolis. Vextron series pedals also share the same small form factor as most other Z.Vex pedals, which makes them easy to squeeze into even the busiest pedalboardsan impressive feat given how much Z.Vexs pedals tend to
Chop mode Mix mode Release control
Effects loop
DR1 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2013
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review > z.vex
do. With four 1/4" jacks, three pots, two footswitches with LEDs, and two toggle switches, the Loop Gate packs a lot into a small footprint. While the Loop Gate works on fairly basic principles, its not quite fuzz-simple. After staring at the unit for a few minutes, I realized there was more going on than I would be able to decipher without consulting the manual and putting in some practice. The sonic payoff proved more than worth it, however. Noise Gating Breakthrough At times it seems like the Loop Gates noise gate functionality is Zachary Vex way of telling you that, despite all your attempts at trying to silence a noisy signal chain, youve probably been doing it all wrong. The problem with typical noise gates is they sit behind all your noise-generating gearsuch as noisy old analog fuzz unitsand attempt to take on the often impossible task of deciphering what to let through. With the gate footswitch engaged, the Loop Gate listens to your dry, incoming signal (adjustable using the sensitivity pot) and uses that signal, rather than an impossibly noisy one, as reference. To put this feature to work, I set my Fender Stratocaster to its traditionally noisiest single-coil bridge pickup, plugged it into the Loop Gate, and sent an insanely saturated distortion from my BK Butler dual-tube preamp into the Loop Gates loop. To get the Loop Gate to respond appropriately to this pickup, I quickly found that about 2 oclock on the sensitivity setting worked best. And it only took a few muted power chords to hear the magic at worka wall of thick, slamming distortion, followed by the sound of absolute silence thats perfect for creating an extremely percussive and punchy rhythm performance. The release pot controls the speed at which the Loop Gates noise gate closes. So rather than a jarring snap to silence at the end of your note, you can get a nice smooth taper that sounds great with reverb and delay units and works well when youre trying to get a little more sustain out of your instrument. The same function also works well for managing feedback. As your note gradually transitions to singing feedback, the release control will slowly activate the gate, producing a dramatic and musical decrescendo. On the other hand, shortening the release and using an effect like reverb
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produces very unusual and interesting tones. Reverb will normally sustain your signal after youve stopped playing, but the Loop Gate can snap it off, which will completely defy your listeners expectations in very cool ways. You can also enable a chop setting that marries a tremolo effect to the gating effect. When your instrument triggers the gate, it opens and closes repetitively at a speed determined by the release knob. The result is a super-choppy, helicopter-sounding tremolo that youll only hear when your instrument is activating the gate. In the center of the Loop Gate control
the Loop Gates effects loop, and finally, as a result of playing your instrument, the sound from the Freeze spews from the Loop Gate. Just as in gate mode, the release knob controls the decay of the sound in the loop when gating ceases. This allows you to create a smooth and musical fade out to each wave of sound you unleash from the effects loop. Z.Vex has an arsenal of pedals that would work well in this setting too, like the Lo-Fi Loop Junky. With a rhythmic sound in the effects loop, you can use your instrument to crossfade on the beat, much like a DJ would do with a mixer crossfader.
It only took a few muted power chords to hear the magic at worka wall of thick, slamming distortion, followed by the sound of absolute silence thats perfect for creating an extremely percussive and punchy rhythm performance.
layout youll find a knob that is actually a 2-way switch. This gate/mix switch toggles between the pedals two modes. In gate mode, the gate switches between the effects loop and silence to achieve a powerful noisegating effect. In mix mode, however, the gate switches between the effects loop and your unaffected instrument. The catch is that your instruments signal is never sent to the effects loop in mix mode. Consequently, this mode requires that you have some sound generating device in the effects loop, such as a self-oscillating filter, infinite delay, synthesizer, or a pre-recorded sound loop. At that point, your guitar effectively becomes a way to switch on the sound thats humming away in the effects loop. The Electro-Harmonix Freeze pedal, a source of infinite drones, works well in this setting. You start by capturing a chord with the Freeze pedal, then drop the Freeze into The verdict The Loop Gate doesnt do a lot of effects processing on its own, but dont let the outward, surface simplicity of its functions fool you. This unit may open up the sonic possibilities of your existing pedalboard more than any other single pedal you own. That doesnt mean the Loop Gate is all insanity. Its handy in some very straightforward waysyou can simultaneously switch on multiple effects in the manner of a preset, for instance. But the Loop Gate can make you think about your effects chain and the way you can route itin different, more creative ways. Youll likely find that even a small number of pedals working in concert with the Loop Gate will expand your sound options significantly. Factor in the units potential for creating riffs and hooks for whole compositions, and the Loop Gate adds up to much more than the sum of its very utilitarian parts.
RATINGS
Z.Vex Loop Gate, $199 street, zvex.com
pros:
Simple and powerful noise gate. Flexible routing. enhances existing pedals. enables multiple pedals with a single stomp switch. Solid construction. Less than totally intuitive.
Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
Cons:
PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2013 DR2
review > z.vex
z.vex
by DaviD abDo
basstortion
P
edal builders truly are the mad scientists of the music industry, and these sonic alchemists tirelessly toil in their labs with the shared goal of concocting brave, new tonal spices for players to add to their sound. One of these sound scientists is Zachary Vex, a mighty Minnesotan whos been building pedals since the mid 90s, attracting pedalprocuring artists such as Matt Bellamy, J Mascis, and Nels Cline. When it came to Vexs attention that some of his bassist friends were integrating his guitar effects into their signal chain, he and his team felt it was time to build more bass-friendly boxes. One such pedal is the Basstortionthe companys new stompbox for low-enders thats intended to serve up tube amp-inspired overdriven sounds and dynamic responsiveness. Spawn of Tron The Basstortion is based on Z.Vexs Distortron pedal for guitar, and the knob layout is similar to the popular box, consisting of volume, tone, and drive controls. But instead of including the Distortrons sub switch (for added lows) and gain switch, Z.Vex placed a bright/dark switch between the volume and tone knobs. This switch works along with the tone control to give the sound an edge or a mellow vibe, depending on the desired outcome. The Basstortions main objective is to deliver a tube-like overdrive thats similar to a cranked SVT, as opposed to a fuzz effect from Z.Vexs Mastotron and Woolly Mammoth pedals. And like the natural overdrive from a tube amp, the pedal is designed to respond to the touch, so players can hear variances in the breakup as their picking dynamics change. Striped Simplicity Upon first inspection, the Basstortion appeared to be one well-built device. The solid-metal chassis and tough components assured me that this pedal could handle the rigors of the road and probably survive a few mishandlings.
CLICKHere
Bright/dark switch
Volume, tone, and drive controls
Removing the bottom plate revealed a clean circuit board and well-organized wiring. Due to the compact space in the relatively small pedal, the battery was in pretty close proximity to the input and output
With that small gripe aside, it was time to see how well the Basstortion could introduce some SVT-ness into a clean signal. To get started, I connected the pedal to a Phil Jones D-600 head and a pair of
The effect responded nicely to variations in touch, applying a satisfying bump in the overdrive when I dug into the strings.
jacks. Not a huge issue if the jacks are properly insulated to prevent any potential contact with the battery, but in this case, a piece of electrical tape was used to cover the end of the output jack. Electrical tape isnt the most durable of insulators, and if the pedal was jostled enough, it could loosen the tape and potentially result in ground-outs. Glockenklang 112 cabinets. It didnt take long to get comfortable with the userfriendly Basstortion. Whether dialing in the tone control for a biting, snarling sound with a Fender Modern Player 4-string, or by maxing out the drive control to assist a Nash P-style bass in sounding more like a giant light saber, the pedal proved very intuitive.
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review > z.vex
The bright/dark switch was quite useful. And while my ears preferred the tonal variety available in the bright setting, having the option to mellow out the sound with the dark mode could certainly be a benefit when playing naturally brighter basses. Another impressive aspect of the Basstortion was the level of note definition, regardless of the amount of drive on the signal. The effect responded nicely to variations in touch, applying a satisfying bump in the overdrive when I dug into the strings. Overall, the Basstortion did what its intended to do by adding a bit of tube emulation to a modern rig. David and z.vex versus Goliath Pleased with what the Basstortion could do in a medium-volume environment, I wanted to A/B the Basstortion next to the real thinga 70s Blue-Line SVT and its matching 8x10 cabinet. The Basstortion was paired with a Markbass Little Mark Tube 800 digital amplifier, which is rated at 800 watts at 4 . This modern duo was plugged into the SVT-810 cab, and after a
bit of tweaking, the combination conveyed plenty of volume with a significant amount of breakup in the tone. While it came as no surprise, however, that the Basstortion couldnt quite muster the same beefy lows and huge gain that the SVT amp produced, those who like a controlled, edgier overdrive might like what the Basstortion has to offer. And lets not forget that Z.Vexs pedal is considerably easier to move around than the Goliath rig it proudly took on this day. The verdict Z.Vex describes the Basstortion pedal perfectly in three wordssimple, flexible,
RATINGS
Z.Vex Basstortion, $199 street, zvex.com
musical. Though it may not appeal to bassists looking for more authentic and burly sounds, oldies and newbies to the world of bass effects will find the Basstortion very user friendly for adding just the right amount of hair on their tone. And with its road-ready construction and small stature, it will fit in nicely on a number of players pedalboards. The only real concern I had with the Basstortion was the price point. The pedal streets at $199, and there are other options out there that might offer a bit more for a bit less money. But overall, its definitely a solid choice for those running a solid-state rig that want to inject a controlled amount of overdrive at the stomp of a switch.
Pros:
an easy-to-use pedal capable of producing some tasty, overdriven sounds. Unable to fully attain SvT nirvana. on the pricier side.
Cons:
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review > GiBson
giBson
By RiCh osWeileR
Eb baSS
I
f you ran a survey asking folks to name the most iconic electric guitar manufacturer ever, youll get a variety of answers, but the majority may likely end up being a split between Gibson and Fender. Change the question to most iconic electric guitar and bass manufacturer ever, and that number will probably skew heavier in favor of the company Leo built. Thats not to say Gibson hasnt been making some killer basses for almost as longbecause they havethough a number of them have been a bass version of an existing guitar in their line. Gibson has kept busy on the bass front over the last couple of years, but its the new incarnation of the EB that could break the mold about what a Gibson bass can be. Its got a totally new
Babicz full-contact bridge
to hear audio clips of the bass at premierguitar.com/may2013
CLICKHere
body style, a pair of newly designed pickups, and a vibe thats all its own. elements of style When I initially pulled the curvy bass out of the included hardshell case, the instrument that was revealed just didnt quite shout Gibson. The new body shape for the EBwhich the company says draws inspiration from their SGactually has little resemblance to other basses with the EB moniker. Its shapely cut seems to draw more flavor from a few models outside the Gibson line, including some sort of reversed-horn Mosrite. While the satin finish of the EB is also available in creme, ebony, or fireburst, our test bass was done up in Gibsons fourth option, au naturel. And in contrast to the
dark red-tortoise pickguard, the clean and simple finish highlighting the grain of the ash body pushes the vibe of a classic, woodsy instrument from the early 70s. A 34"-scale maple neck is glued to the body and is topped with an unbound rosewood fretboard and 20 medium-jumbo frets. And moving up the neck took me to the traditional and recognizable headstock that houses a quartet of 20:1 Grover tuners, letting me know I was indeed checking out a Gibson. The EB appeared to be put together well: I didnt detect any finish blemishes, the neck matched up in the pocket cleanly, and all the hardware was installed nice and tight. Getting a strap on the 8-pound bass and myself into the standing position, the
Coil-tappable alnico 5 humbuckers
Ash body
124 PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013
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review > GiBson
feel of the EB was comfortable with its 12" fretboard radius and middle-ground 1.6" nut width. And it was weighted nicely with no hint of the neck wanting to do something it shouldnt. As I explored the landscape up and down the semi-chunky neck, both it and the fretboards topside felt smooth and pit-free, and around back the satin finish was inviting. But while sliding my cupped hand up and down the sides of the fretboard, however, I did find a number of sharpish fret edges along the way, sharp enough to tear up a paper towel with just a couple of passes. Anchoring the EBs strings is not the 3-point bridge were used to seeing from Gibson. Instead, they outfitted the EB with a full-contact, top-load bridge from Babicz. User-friendly for intonation and string-height adjustments, this big bridge also excels in vibration transference. Even with the instrument still unplugged this was evidentnot only to my ears, but my body as well.
RATINGS
Gibson EB, $999 street, gibson.com
pros:
Classic looks. Capable of handling numerous styles. decently priced for a U.s.-made bass from a revered brand.
cons:
neck pickup on its own is a bit dark and muddy. some sharp fret edges.
allows swapping from humbucker to singlecoil tones via a pop of the black top-hats. eB tone Home Ready to hear what this recently minted 4-string sounded like plugged in, I set the EB up through a Gallien-Krueger 800RB matched with a TC Electronic RS410 cab. With the GKs EQ set relatively flat, I started out by soloing on the neck pickup with its volume knob rolled to 10 and the master tone at about 3. I was hit with a wall of thick and dark gravy-esque bot-
User-friendly for intonation and stringheight adjustments, this big bridge also excels in vibration transference.
Aforementioned similarities to other basses seem to end when you get to the EBs electronics. Newly designed by Gibson luthier Jim DeCola with the intention of providing both power and versatility, the passive pickups loaded into the EB bass are a pair of beefy alnico 5 humbuckers. Pretty straightforward, they share a master tone pot and each of the pickups has its own volume control. However, each of the volume knobs is also a push/pull control, which tom end, but some quick tweaking was in order as it was a bit too muddy for any meaningful articulation. Rolling the tone knob to about 6 and blending in the bridge pickups volume about halfway got me to a nice, rich and smooth sound with defined midsspot-on for taking on 70s classic rock or punk, to thick blues runs and whatever else between. And switching the neck pickup to single-coil mode with these settings did add a bit more girth and
slicing kick to the tone. The notes were articulate, even with the thick bottom end the EB delivered when I hung out on the fretboards lower landscape. Almost disengaging the neck pickup and leaning heavily on the bridge pickups volume takes you to brighter territory and where you want to be if slap and pop is your game. And while the EBs tone isnt blindingly bright or biting here, theres plenty available for covering funk, dance, and anything else in need of more aggressive punch and definition. There was just a hint of hum when soloing the bridge pickup with the coil tap engaged, but for the most part, it was relatively minimal. And blending in the tapped neck pickup swallowed any hum considerably. As much as I liked the humbucker tones, I did find myself favoring the tones with both pickups coil-tapped and adjusted to pull most of the sound from the neck. the verdict Whether youre a long-time Gibson bass fan or a bassist who, for whatever reason, has shied away from the companys 4-string offerings in the past, the EB is worth taking a look. The dressing work on the frets was a little disappointing, but overall, the bass was put together well. The classic vibe of the EB and the versatile tones its capable of delivering make it a solid option for all types and levels of players, be it an intermediate looking to make a move up, or an addition for a regularly gigging player. Actually, at just less than a grand for a U.S.-made, set-neck bass with quality appointments from Gibson, just about any player should feel pretty good about what theyre getting for the coin. And though the EB is most definitely a bass that leans towards rock and darker sounds overall, its sublime design and spectrum of achievable toneswhich is a lot wider than, say, a T-birdwill allow it to sit in on a variety of gigging situations.
Maple set neck
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review > BoGneR
BogneR
EcStaSy S bluE & rED Sy ovErDrivE pEDalS

By JoRdan WagneR
hen it comes to high-powered boutique amps, few command the respect of the Bogner Ecstasy. The buttery cleans, extreme dynamic range, and guttural overdrive have enthralled fans of hotrodded British tone since the early 90s. For many, Ecstasy amps embody the ideal combination of these qualities. Unfortunately, they're quite pricey, too. Reinhold Bogner recently set out to provide a more affordable path for guitarists who want to tap into the Ecstasys potent tones. The result is the Ecstasy Blue and Red overdrive pedalseach based on a channel from the Ecstasy series. Each aims to capture the tonal nuances that made the Ecstasy 100, 101, and 20th Anniversary models so desirable. Red vs. Blue The Ecstasy pedals use class A circuits that eschew diodes or op-amps for overdrive clipping. Each circuit board is populated with select componentsJapanese Nichicon and German WIMI caps, gold-plated relays, and Carling switches for true bypassing and boosting. You can also vary voltage to widen dynamic range and touch sensitivity. Both pedals share the same simple control layout: volume, treble, middle, bass, and gain knobs. Directly above these are four switches that change the gain structure, response, and feel. Variac, which acts like an actual Variac transformer by lowering the pedals voltage, gives the tone more sag and pulls back the volume to more neighbor-friendly levels. The mode switch flips between lower- (plexi) and higher(blues) gain modes on the Ecstasy Blue, and three different EQ curve and gain presets on the Ecstasy Red. Each pedals pre-EQ switch has two levels of presence and high-end boost, and these can be bypassed completely when set
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to neutral. The coolest feature might be the 3-way switch that realigns the pedals' EQ and gain structures to match the major versions of the Ecstasy amplifierthe 100, 101, and the coveted 20th Anniversary. Both pedals also have a footswitchable boost feature that can boost the volume and gain levels at the same time. You can independently set the amount of volume and gain boost via two small potentiometers located directly beneath the pedals main volume and gain knobs. The mini-boost pots also house LEDs that light up when you stomp the boost footswitch.
to hear audio clips of the pedals at premierguitar.com/may2013
CLICKHere
eCstAsy BlUe
The Ecstasy Blue excels at clear, harmonically rich clean tones, purring low-gain rhythms, and biting Variac classic-rock overdrive. Its threeon/off dimensional tone and woody attack are astonishingly close to the Ecstasy amp's blue channel. In plexi mode and with structure at 100, the Blue transformed a Fender Deluxe Reverb, embellishing the rich cleans with detailed highs and butterysmooth lows. Raising gain to 11 oclock and switching the pre-EQ to b1 gave the Deluxes trademark sparkling top end and refined
attack a little more body, and the midrange took on a much beefier quality. Mids sound less aggressive in 101 mode, and the overall tone is smoother and a bit more compressedmuch like the difference between the 100 and 101 amp revisions. With a Strat, the 101 modes springier low end really lends itself to blues leads that are just over the edge of breakup. For overdriven AC/DC riffing and Zepinspired leads, 20th Anniversary mode and a Les Paul delivered the requisite upper-mid aggression, steel-drum tightness, and velvety
Plexi and Blue modes Pre-EQ switch
RATINGS
Boost function
Bogner Ecstasy Blue, $299 street, bogneramplification.com
pros: sounds authentically like the actual ecstasy blue channel. three modes sound and feel like three different amps. Variable boosting is super-useful. cons:
Boosts cant be set to cut gain and volume individually.
Tones Versatility Build/Design Value
review > BoGneR
Tight/mellow/low voice switch
overdrive in spades. It cleaned up remarkably well without losing volume or body when I rolled back the Pauls volume. The boost not only affects the gain and volume, but also the presence in cleaner settings. Boosting volume from 11 to 2 oclock made the upper mids much more prevalent and full. Pick attack also became more pronounced, without significant loss of warmth. And boosting the gain slightly with the volume control gave the high end a softer edge that was handy when I cranked the Deluxe into slight overdrive and slammed the front end with output from the pedal. Though it can take a little tweaking to nail a tone thats a match for your amp, the balance between Bogners brawny voicing and the Deluxes own sound was remarkable. The Fenders clean tones are a great blank slate for any pedal, and the Bogners ability to emulate a hot-rodded Marshall without turning the Deluxe into a sputtering, muddy mess says a lot about how carefully this pedal was voiced. the verdict The Ecstasy Blue is a fantastic pedal for both clean tone shaping and low to moderate overdrive. Bogner has captured the natural response, note-to-note clarity, and robust overdrive that made the Ecstasys blue channel a hit with blues and rock guitarists. Its ability to get you so convincingly in the Ecstasys sonic ballpark at a fraction of the price is nothing short of remarkable.
eCstAsy ReD
Bogners little red devil aims to capture the searing overdrive that made Bogner a household name among fans of heavy guitar. And for all intents and purposes, it succeeds. It puts many of the nuances that distinguish the Ecstasy amp's thick and chewy overdrive at your fingertips, and the extremely sensitive EQ section can help you drastically reshape its voice. The noteto-note clarity and dynamics are just as remarkable as the Ecstasy Blues, though the cost of massive gain can be noisier output. With a Twin Reverb and the Ecstasy Red set to its 100 mode and a low-gain setting, the pedal generated the barking midrange and juicy low end that defined the original Ecstasy. Every note had enormous body, sustained smoothly, and teetered at the edge of luscious feedback. Lighter pick attack revealed even more detail in the midrange
and created a jelly-like bounce in the low enda defining characteristic of Bogners amps. Things got more ferocious when I turned the gain to 1 oclock and engaged the b1 presence boost, unleashing a roaring overdrive perfect for dropped tunings. The 101 mode increases compression and smooths out top end slightly, but retains enough power in the high-mids for Alice in Chains-style hard rock. Even at super high-gain settings where most overdrive and distortion pedals begin to mush out, Red's drive remained fluid, dynamic, and powerful. And switching variac on added a touch of brown sound with looser mids and slower attack that begged for EVH-style playing. The pedals 101 and 20th Anniversary modes unleash the most unrelenting and aggressive tones. The midrange is more snarling in the 20th Anniversary mode than in 100 or 101 mode, and a harder pick attack lends a grittier edge to the highs. Increasing the gain in the 101 and 20th Anniversary modes also seemed to make the already sensitive EQ even more reactive. When I accidentally moved the treble control from 1 oclock to 11 oclock, I thought Id rolled back the tone knob on my Les Paul. The only control out of the three that seemed to have less of an effect in high-gain settings was the bass control, though it still had plenty of range. The pedals only major drawback was how much hiss was present when I had the boost gain set above 3 oclock. I had no issues with feedback, but the white noise was somewhat excessive, and I was often tempted to dig out my noise suppressor to clamp down on the hiss. While the Ecstasy Red has plenty of overdrive to satisfy the heavier proclivities of most players, it isnt really designed with
Boost function
the scooped-mid crowd in mind. I was able to get some seriously heavy tones by scooping the mids down to around 9 oclock, but since the circuit is dedicated to generating that brawny mid voicing, some of the pedals body and detail are lost in these scooped-mid environs. Keeping the mids at 11 oclock or above highlights the pedals strengths. At the end of the day, this is a pedal for heavy players who cut their teeth on hot-rodded British style amps, and really understand how important great midrange presence is in crafting the best heavy tones. the verdict If youre a rocker who has drooled at the thought of owning an Ecstasy amp but cant cough up the required cash, you should take a close look at the Ecstasy Red pedal. Bogner has done an amazing job replicating the tone, feel, definition, and response of all three of the Ecstasys variants. Granted, youll need a good, blank slate of a tube amp to make the most of these pedals. But considering how inaccessibly priced most of these amps are for the average player, laying down $300 for the companys flagship overdrive tones seems like a fair price to pay for the next best thing.
RATINGS
Bogner Ecstasy Red, $299 street, bogneramplification.com
pros:
infuses clean tones with the signature ecstasy high-gain sound exceptionally well. Very responsive to pick attack and playing dynamics. Wide-ranging, sensitive eQ. three modes have noticeable differences, like having three amps in one. Boost has some background hiss at higher gain settings.
Tones Versatility Build/Design Value
cons:
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the Straight Truth About Pickups by Jason Lollar

The magic found in some (but not all) classic vintage pickups was created by accident. Dont let anyone tell you different. And over time, some pretty stellar accidents happened. The only way to recreate that magic is to study more than a few exceptional examples of all the classic pickup types, while acquiring a thorough understanding of exactly what materials were used and precisely how each pickup was constructed and wound. Only then is the magic repeatable, if you are willing to spend the time and money required to chase the dragon. I am. I personally design and wind over 30 different pickup models, including all the vintage classics, many obscure works of art known only to lap and pedal steel players like Robert Randolph, and even a few of my own designs that never existed in the past. I invite you to visit our website for sound clips, videos and current product information, or call us for a free product highlight brochure.
Lollar Guitars PO Box 2450 Vashon Island, WA 98070 (206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com
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review > BReeDlove
BReedloVe
By ChaRles saUfley
orEgon SEriES c20/SMye

CLICKHere
ver since Breedlove Guitars formed in the early 90s, the company has emphasized forward-thinking design and alternative materials. Larry Breedlove, after all, was a former Taylor employee, and as such had learned a few things about modern acoustic-guitar construction. But Breedloves adopted home in central Oregon, and the wealth of wood from the region, seems every bit as big an influence on what the
companys guitars would become. And emphasis on sustainable materials and an outside-the-box view of tonewoods like walnut and myrtlewood led to unique and evolutionary instruments that helped put Breedlove on the map. In the years since, Breedlove has explored more traditional designs and materials, too. But the C20/SMYe from the new Oregon series feels like revisiting the companys
earliest, more radical design impulses, and it possesses a distinct personality and voice that is bound to appeal to a wide swath of fingerstylists and singer-songwritersparticularly those with an understated and nuanced touch. left Down Myrtlewood street Even at a distance, its hard to mistake the C20/SMYe for anything other than
Myrtlewood back and sides Sitka spruce top
Fishman Ultratone pickup
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review > BReeDlove
a Breedlove. The companys signature headstock, which tends to be a polarizing factor for some players, is a dead giveaway. But the concert-sized body also speaks to Breedloves go-your-own-way styling sense. Its a little more curvaceous, pinched at the waist, and wider at the bass bouts than a traditional concert-sized guitar like a Martin 00. Instead, the 15" body and more dramatic shape make it more akin to a Taylor Grand Concert or a fatter Gibson L-0. The less formal styling is tempered in small measure by touches like the herringbone-like binding. In general, though, the guitar is a showcase for more modern design sensibilities. Past the 12th fret, the pearloid dot inlays on the ebony fretboard are on the treble side of the fretboard and between the high E and B strings. Below the 12th fret, the dots are situated between the 5th and 6th strings. At the 12th fret, the offset dots suggest a sort of figurative hand off between octavesan easy detail to miss, perhaps but a thoughtful touch. The blonde-on-blonde look of the Sitka spruce top and myrtlewood back and sides may not be as typical of a match as the spruce top and maple back and sides on a Guild or Gibson jumbo, but the earth-and-stone hues of the myrtlewood lend the guitar a sort of organic visual cohesiveness. the Middle way The first thing youre likely to notice about the Breedloves playability is how instantly agreeable it feels. The action is pretty low despite a saddle and bridge design that creates a considerable break angle behind the saddlea nice combination when you consider long-term maintenance. The lowish action makes chording easy, but its also
RATINGS
Breedlove Oregon Series C20/SMYe, $ 1,499 street, breedlovemusic.com
pros:
Beautifully responsive and articulate for nuanced fingerpicking work. excellent high-mid presence for rhythm work. Unique voice. great studio guitar. not much low end.
cons:
very friendly to fingerstyle maneuvers making hammer-ons, pull-offs, and legato phrases relatively effortless. If the C20/SMYes playability makes it seem like a natural fingerstyle machine, the prevailing tones make it feel doubly so. This is a very midrange-y guitar, and if youre the kind of fingerstylist who works with a nuanced, delicate touch, youll savor the detail, dynamics, and overtones you can coax out of it with very little effort. These applications reveal the similarities between the Breedloves spruceand-myrtlewood composition and sounds commonly associated with spruce and maplebright, warm, and not too bossy. The union of warmth and articulation makes it a great guitar for the studio. It can be both compact and present in a mix as fingerstyle accompaniment to a vocal, or yield a bounty of rewards for players who use a thin pick and/or light touch for propulsive Jeff Lynne/ELO/Wilburys-style strummed rhythms. In these contexts, the Breedlove sits both succinct and airily spacious in a mixadding bounce, atmosphere, and an almost 12-string- or Nashville-strung-like presence. If theres a flip side to the beautiful, harmonic responsiveness to light picking, its that the C20/SMYe can be equally unkind
to a heavy handat least when set up with the low action the guitar seems meant to have. The compact body and myrtlewoodand-spruce recipe produces a lot less bass thump. In fact, in standard tuning, the low E doesnt generate much at all. The way the guitar is set up, tuning down to CGCFAC or even DADGAD did little to summon much additional low end. For players who value the exquisite midrange attributes, the lack of big, resonant bass may be a plusespecially in the studio. But if youre used to the low-end of, say, a rosewood OM or a dreadnought, the absence of that boom can throw you for a curve. Plugged in, the C20/SMYes Fishman Ultratone undersaddle transducer can help you dial in a little more bass, but youll likely have to augment it via your amps (or mixing desks) EQ, because while the pickup does a very good job of communicating the guitars ample midrange content, rolling back its tone control too much shaves off some of the gorgeous detail. Dial up the right amount of low end on your amp, though, and the Fishman gives you a little more bass without substantial sacrifice in high-mid articulation. the verdict While it may not put a lot of low-end tonnage at your fingertips, the C20/SMYe has enough range to sound feather-delicate or downright propulsiveand it feels positively slinky while doing either. If you cant live without the low end of your D-28, this Breedlove probably wont do the trick. That said, players who love the C20/SMYes warm and bright myrtlewood tones but miss the bass might well find a solution in the Oregon Series dreadnought. But if youve already got a boom box in your collection and youre looking for a less roughhewn voice for fingerstyle and strumming, the C20/SMYe would be a great addition to your quiver.
Maple neck
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review > Ibanez
ibanez
by Joe Charupakorn
AFJ957
ince the days of lawsuit guitars, through the companys breakout period of Icemans and Professionals, and on into the JEM age, Ibanez has always been about delivering excellent off-the-shelf instruments. But though many of us tend to associate the brand with rock chops these days, some of the companys first, most important artist associations were with jazz guitarists. And its rather telling that some of the genres biggest icons like George Benson, Pat Metheny, and John Scofield choose to tear through their IImV changes using Ibanez signature axes. These are the guys that transformed jazz guitarplayers
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to whom any boutique maker would happily hand over a one-of-a-kind custom gem just to see it slung about their shoulders. Yet, these legends all choose Ibanez production models that retail to the rest of us mortals for attainable, if not entirely affordable, sums. Previously, the only way to get a 7-string jazz box was to commission a handmade, custom instrument that was likely to come with a prohibitive-for-most price tag. In 1998, though, Ibanez released the Japanesebuilt AF207, which was just about the first production 7-string hollowbody. Since then, 7-string jazz boxes have become a
more familiar sight. Theyve also become more affordable, as evidenced by the Ibanez Artcore Expressionist AFJ957. Priced at about 800 bucks, this Chinese-built axe is perhaps the least expensive, quality 7-string hollowbody on the market. Seven Steps to Heaven Players like George Van Eps and Bucky Pizzarelli proved that the 7-string guitar is a formidable jazz instrument, but it took a while before players were ready to break from 6-string tradition in any real numbers. Nowadays it seems every other jazzer sports a 7-string and its not hard to figure out why:
Wooden ART-7 bridge
Flatwound .011-.065 strings
Mahogany back and sides Maple top
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review > Ibanez
You get lower notes to add a greater range to chord voicings or walking bass lines. The AFJ957 has a strong visual appeal. The vintage sunburst finish coupled with gold hardware, wooden ART-7 bridge, cream binding, and bound F-holes give it a majestic look that exudes class. Smooth, gold mini-humbuckers also lend a touch of luxury. The workmanship on our test model was excellent, although if I had to be ultra-nitpicky, I noticed one speck of paint overspray on the binding. In short, theres not a lot to complain about from a quality perspective, and Ive also seen much, much worse on instruments costing more than three times the AFJ957s price. Playability is excellent on this guitar. Its 20-fret neck, which features a 24.7" scale and a 15.75" fretboard radius, is very comfortable for playing lines and chords. And if its not quite as silky feeling as the neck on my Ibanez George Benson, its still easy to move around fast on the neck. Whisper to a Roar Acoustically, the AFJ957 is not super loud, but its vibrant and sounds clear and full enough for a late-night practice session sans amp. To put the 7-string through its paces, I ran it through a blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb and a Polytone Mega-Brute, with the low string tuned to A, la Van Eps. The guitars combination of a spruce top with flamed maple back and sides, and
RATINGS
Ibanez AFJ957, $799 street, ibanez.com
Pros: rich sounds at the right price. excellent quality. Cons: neck pickup can be a bit muddy.
a 3-piece mahogany/maple set neck with a bound rosewood fretboard is a fairly classic archtop formula. And the sonic evidence suggests it works here. Starting with the neck pickup, I immediately took note of the AFJ957s dark and velvety character, which was no doubt aided by the factory-installed DAddario .011.065 flatwound strings. The neck pickup is fairly dark. In fact, I thought the tone knob was rolled off even though it was all the way up. Rolling it back softened the attack a little, but also made chords sound a bit muddy. Unlike its predecessor, the AF207, which had only a neck pickup, the AFJ957 is equipped with both neck and bridge pickups, and a 3-way selector switch, which is a very practical addition. At one point during a jam session, I wasnt cutting through the mix very well so I switched to the middle dual-pickup position, which yielded a slightly sharper attack that made all the difference in terms of being clear and audible. It wasnt quite as warm as the neck pickup alone but
was a great option and colorto have available in a situation where the neck pickup alone was not going to cut it. The bridge pickup is even further away from the traditional jazz sound, but its a great fit for other jazz styles like funky fusion, as well as non-jazz styles like rockabilly and traditional blues. One minor complaint is that the pickup selector was slightly stiff, demanding a little more effort than I would like for switching pickups mid solo. If your style leans more toward John Scofield than Pat Martino, the AFJ957 can still make the cut. I pulled out a Pro Co Rat pedal to dirty up the AFJ957 and I was able to get some killer sounds. As you might expect though, controlling feedback required continuous attention to proper string muting. And if your mind wanders for a second in these higher-volume environments, the axe will grab your attention by howling like a beast. The Verdict If youre in the market for a 7-string archtop, you probably already know that there are very few instruments out there that can truly be termed affordable. Youre usually looking at instruments that start at $3,000 and quickly head higher. At the ludicrously low price of $799, the AFJ957 is almost a no-brainera particularly great choice if youve always been intrigued by 7-string jazz boxes but were afraid to take the plunge. One slight issue I have that directly corresponds to the instruments rock-bottom price tag is that there is no case included. The Ibanez hardshell case runs about 100 bucks, and youll certainly need that, or something like it, if the guitar is ever going to leave the confines of a practice room. In some ways, it might have been better for Ibanez just to include the case and raise the price because theres no real way around it. Case or no case, Ibanez should be applauded for making such a killer instrument priced within reach of most musicians. Its not just a great guitar for the price. Its a great guitar, period.
The bridge pickup is even further away from the traditional jazz sound, but its a great fit for funky fusion, as well as rockabilly and traditional blues.
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Premier Tone for your Guitarsenal

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david sullivan red fang LACEMUSIC.COM andrew fidler black tusk victor griffin pentagram jeff tuttle dillinger escape plan P I C KUP S bobby ferry - -(16)-
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review > hartman electronics
Hartman electronics
BY cHarles saufleY
silicon crystal valve

ad the ancient Egyptians erected a temple to fuzz, the Tone Bender and Big Muff would be two sides of the pyramid. Apart from being legendary in their earliest and most basic forms, they have each spawned almost innumerable iterations, copies, spin-offs, and re-imaginationsmany of which have become classics in their own right. One of the more curious offspring of the Tone Bender or Big Muff, the Colorsound Supa Tone Bender has the unique distinction of being relatedalbeit via a rather twisted pathto both. For while the Supa Tone Bender was a Tone Bender in name and was built by the Colorsound/Sola Sound company that had built the first and most famous versions of the Tone Bender, the circuit itself was inspired by the Big Muff. Sonically speaking, the Colorsound Supa Tone Bender was much closer to a Muff than a Tone Bender. In fact, save for a missing first-stage clipping diode and a few other components, it was a copy of a Rams Head-era Big Muff. But the absence of that diode made the Supa Tone Bender a very different kind of Muff indeed. The new Silicon Crystal Valve from Hartman Electronics is based in significant measure to the Supa Tone Bender. And like the original, its a cool twist on a classic sound thats full of unique fuzz flavors and arguably more flexible and multifaceted than a lot of old Muffs. Built for the long haul Though the template for the Silicon Crystal Valve is about 40 years old, Hartman doesnt make the pedal a retro exercise, at least outwardly. Instead, its dressed up in more contemporary graphicsa swatch of circuit schematic thats overlaid with the periodictable shorthand for silicon that, like a lot of modern tech-inspired graphics, becomes pretty jumbled and vague. In fact, in low stage-light, its a little hard to make out the gain, tone, and volume labels amid the clutter. Yeah, a three-knob fuzz isnt rocket science, but on a crowded pedalboard, even
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the most intuitive pedals benefit from clear labeling. And why not be bold and have a little more funespecially with that cool, glossy gold-flake paint as a blank slate. Inside, however, the Hartman is the essence of streamlined. The circuit board (built around four NPN silicon transistors) is flawlessly put together, solders are clean, components are locked down tight and free of rattles or play, and the interior of the enclosure is clear coated. All of these very nice details reflect a concern for quality, durability, and the realities of frequent, real-world touring and stage use. On the exterior, its more of the same. The knobs move with a near perfect resistance that prevents you from knocking your settings out of whack if you graze the pedal with your shoe, but still move easily enough to adjust with your toe in the middle of a solo if you have to. The switch work and jacks are all top-quality, rugged stuff, and the LED, while bright enough to blind you,
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eliminates any doubt about whether the pedal is off or on. Bees Buzz, lions roar One of the coolest facets of the Silicon Crystal Valves performance is that while it owes much of its genetic makeup and sonic signature to the Big Muff, it exhibits many of the best qualities of a good Tone Bender toocutting, buzzy, and a lot of bite in the midrange. Much of that shape-shifting ability comes down to a basic fuzz voice thats full, muscular, and aggressive, but not bogged down by too many lower-octave overtones the way some Big Muffs are. The less-woofy voice that it generates will work with a greater variety of guitars in more musical settings. A Telecaster and Deluxe Reverb are as well suited to the Silicon
Gain, tone, and volume controls
review > hartman electronics
Crystal Valves voice as a beefy Wide Range humbucker and a Marshall. In terms of output, the Silicon Crystal Valve is closer to an old Rams Head Muff than the bossier Sovtek version, which seems to have become the de facto output standard for a lot of Muff re-issues. You dont perceive unity gain until about 1 oclock on the volume side if you have the tone and gain (fuzz) at noon. But as any old Rams Head user can attest, this is hardly an obstacle to getting loud and aggressive. In general, the Silicon Crystal Valve sounds a little more compressed than a Big Muff, but you lose surprisingly little in terms of picking dynamics or definition for faster leads. That may not be enough to sway metal fiends that love a Muffs sledgehammer brutality. But it makes the pedal a much better fit for more melodic and ornate rock leads. Cranking the gain and volume gives you a sweet but menacing biker-rock grind that retains chord detail and sounds smooth, sonorous, and a bit nasty with a neck pickup, but sounds positively feral and ferocious with a Telecasters bridge pickup driving the works. With this setup, you can move between Ron
Ashetons Funhouse grind and Mick Ronsons rip and sting with just a little tweak of the Telecasters tone knob. Open up the gain and tone, roll back the volume to unity, and you get a full but buzzy mid-60s fuzz that stays buzzy and articulate enough for chording, a sweet spot not a whole lot of fuzzes can achieve. The tone controls sweep is wide and effective, which not only enables moves from psychedelic sizzle to more civilized fuzz realms fast, but also makes this a great pedal for recording sessions. You can easily tailor the Silicon Crystal Valve to fit a mix without much hassle, and the menu of flavors available via these three simple knobs is surprisingly expansive.
RATINGS
Pros: cons:
the Verdict With the lack of any real star associations, you dont see many companies exploring the Supa Tone Bender as a point of departure. Hartman, however, has created something unique and genuinely exciting from the recipeno mean feat in a crowded fuzz market. Big Muff dogmatists may find the pedal a too-considerable deviation from the form. Tone Bender and Fuzz Face devotees may find it too Muff like. But the fact is that crafty players that dont mind digging in and twisting knobs to their extremes will find plenty of colors that are evocative of all three fuzz typesand a whole lot more. For what you may not get in mega-tonnage with the Silicon Crystal Valve, you get in myriad shades of musicality. And if youre looking to shape your own fuzz sound, this is a great place to start.
Hartman Electronics Silicon Crystal Valve, $179 street, hartmanpedals.com Wide range of unique, silicon fuzz tones. exceptional attention to construction detail. Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
may not have enough gain or output for some modern fuzz players.
incredible tone for playing blues, I couldnt ask for anything more unbelievable sound perfect sweet, smooth early 60s Les Paul/SG tone the real sound I wanted

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review > eastman
eastman
BY adam Perlmutter
t185MX
ack in 1992, Eastman Strings began selling violin-family instruments that were built by hand with minimal assistance of power tools. So it was only natural given the design, structural, and construction attributes archtops share with violinsthat Eastman would enter the archtop market a decade later. While archtops remain the cornerstone of the Eastman line, the company has grown to offer a range of fine flattop guitars from parlors to jumbos. More recently, Eastman un-veiled a family of thinline electrics. Thats a pretty logical evolution
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for a company thats made a name in affordable, high-quality archtops. But when we checked out the T185MX, an all-solidwood 15" thinline that channels the rich sound of a full-bodied archtop, we were tempted to wonder why they didnt make the move sooner. Fancy and Familiar At a glancewith its double cutaways, dual-humbucker electronics package, Tuneo-matic-style bridge, and stop tailpiecethe T185MX resembles the mother of all thinlines, the Gibson ES-335. But the T185MX
deviates from the classic Gibsons build formula in many respects. Rather than laminate maple and poplar for the body construction, the 15" T185MX has a two-piece back carved from solid mahogany (with beautiful figuring), mahogany sides, and a carved maple soundboard. The T185MX is also fully hollow, with a small block underneath the bridge and tailpiece, more like an ES-330 or Epiphone Casino. Theres no shortage of cosmetic niceties on the T185MX. In place of plastic binding, the body is wrapped in figured maple binding with a pair of black pinstripesan elegant
Seymour Duncan 59 pickups Solid arched maple top
Solid mahogany back and sides
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review > eastman
flourish thats repeated, albeit with a single black line, around the f-holes, fretboard, and headstock face. Clean pearl-micro-dot position markers stud the ebony fretboard, the same wood used for the truss-rod cover. And an Eastman logo inlaid in maple graces the headstock, which has the sort of bold, dramatic flair of an old DAngelico. Overall, the T185MX is a well-built instrument. The fretwork was tidy, if just a tad jagged at a few edges. The finish was smoothly buffed and free of any apparent orange-peel effect, but there were a few less-than-well-executed areas. In spots, the sunburst finish encroached unevenly on the binding and there appeared to be a slight excess of glue at the neck joint. That said, these cosmetic details had no bearing on what is otherwise a great-playing guitar. Not surprisingly, the hollowbody Eastman is very light, weighing just 6.3
RATINGS
Eastman Guitars T185MX, $1,600 street (with hardshell case), eastmanguitars.com
Pros: Great sounds and playability in an extremely comfortable, all-solid-wood thinline. cons:
craftsmanship imperfections.
single-note excursions, and deep bends, even though it comes equipped with .011 DAddario strings rather than the customary .010s youd expect. thin lines, Fat tones The T185MX is a pleasure to play unplugged. It has impressive sustain and presence without an amp. Individual notes across all 22 frets sounded crisp and clear, and there was excellent note articulation in
The guitar broadcasts a rich jazz tone thats a bit more complex than what you typically hear from a laminated thinline.
pounds. And as a longtime ES-335 player, the T185MX felt immediately comfortable and familiar, even though its light weight, longer 25" scale length, and more slender waist are all significant differences. The C-shaped neck, which is similar to the neck profile youd encounter on an early 60s Gibson thinline, felt sleek and fast in all registers. It was equally accommodating of complex barre-chord shapes, speedy complex chords. Few electric guitars are this satisfying to pick at while stationed in front of the television. Once plugged into a Fender Pro Junior, the Seymour Duncan 59s T185MX really came alive. With the neck pickup engaged, the guitar broadcasts a rich jazz tone thats a bit more complex than what you typically hear from a laminated thinline. Its perfect for everything from Wes Montgomerystyle
thumb-picked octaves to Joe Pass chordmelody solosa plus for those who want a classic jazz tone but dont enjoy the heft and girth of a traditional archtop. The T185MX is nothing if not adaptable, and it excels in myriad musical contexts. The bridge pickup has an articulate bark thats never harsh and lends itself to everything from chicken-pickin and stripped-down punk to fingerstyle blues, depending on your attack and where you set the responsive and wide-ranging tone control. Better still, it can deliver the authoritative voice and response of a solidbody without sacrificing the warm woodi-ness of its hollow body. With the pickups in tandem, the tone controls rolled back, and an Ibanez Tube Screamer in the mixthe Eastman served up a sweet and fat variation of Claptons classic woman tone. And played at high volumes, the guitar was surprisingly resistant to the most screeching feedback while remaining capable of very musical feedback thats a blast to control via amplifier proximity. the Verdict Eastmans T185MX is an attractive, alternative twist on the classic, laminated semihollow formula. The slender neck and slightly slimmer body make it fast and easy to play. And the all-solid-wood construction and Seymour Duncan pickups generate a deeply resonant voice thats delightfully full of range and musical possibilities. The $1,600 price tag may seem a little steep for an imported axe, but the solidwood constructionwhich adds to the pricedoes seem to pay sonic dividends. The refreshing design guarantees youll cut a unique profile on stage too. And given the plethora of tones lurking within the T185MX, this may be the only guitar youll ever need in a stage situation. That kind of versatility can be hard to sum up in dollars alone.
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review > eastman
eastman
by adam Perlmutter
ar371cesb
U
ntil fairly recently, jazzers had few options for affordable, high-quality guitars. But Eastmanwhich started out in the early 1990s as a maker of violin-family instrumentsnow offers a range of jazz boxes that deliver nice playability and tones at relatively accessible prices. As Eastmans line has grown, it has developed guitars for just about every style, from traditional, fully carved 17" archtops for an old-school sound to compact, laminated thinline electrics for those who align more with, say, Larry Carltons take on the genre. For this review, we checked out the AR371CESB, an Eastman heavily inspired by the Gibson ES-175, which has been favored by jazz players and a few notable rockers over the years. Like the guitar that serves as this Eastmans template, it has tones rich and varied enough to tantalize both types of playersand at a price that will tempt a lot of players whove rarely considered a big archtop experiment worth the price. Classic Lines Unveiled in 1949, Gibsons ES-175 has been a jazz workhorse for years, preferred by improvisers like Jim Hall, Joe Pass, and Pat
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Metheny, and virtuosic rockers like Steve Howe and Mark Knopfler. The model has gone through a lot of pickup changes over its lifetime, including single- and twin-P-90 versions, as well as and single- and twinhumbucker incarnations. The 24 3/4"scale Eastman AR371CESB uses a single humbucker in the neck position of its 16" laminated maple body, which also features a Florentine cutaway that meets up with a 20-fret rosewood fretboard inlaid with split parallelogram markersall of which is very Gibson-esque. The Eastman does deviate from convention on several important
16" body
5-ply maple top
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review > eastman
counts, however. It uses a 3-piece maple neck with a 1.75" nut rather than the traditional one-piece mahogany neck with a 1.687" nut. The Eastman also uses 5-ply binding on the top and 3-ply binding on the back, whereas the ES-175 has 3-ply on both. As seems to be typical of Eastman instruments, craftsmanship on the Chinese-built AR371CESB is quite good overall, though its not entirely without issues. The Dunlop 6130 fretwire is smoothly polished and free of rough ends, the nitrocellulose lacquer finish is applied evenly (except at the neck joint, where it gets a bit thick), and the sunburst finish has a cool vintage vibe. But there are areas where the binding could have been more cleanly scraped, and on the back of the headstock a bit of finish chipped off near the 1st-string tuner, which might have been installed too tightly. About the only other disappointment is the hardshell case, which has a relatively flimsy-feeling lid and an under-padded interior. As nice as this
RATINGS
Eastman Guitars AR371CESB, $780 street with hardshell case, eastmanguitars.com
Pros: top-notch sound and playability. Classic, handsome look. cons: Finer craftsmanship details could be better.
guitar is, a gigging guitarist would be wise to swap this case for a more durable option. excellent Playability and sound When I first lifted the Eastman from its case, my disappointments about its container disappeared upon discovering how refreshingly lightweight the guitar is. I strummed a few open chords and found the guitar to be very loud and lively for a laminated electric archtop. Its also unexpectedly and appealingly bright, with an impressive capacity for mid-range.
And no matter the technical demands, the guitar is uncommonly playable and truly a joy to handle.
Dunlop 6130 fretwire
1 3/4" nut
The neck is on the slender side, but the wider nut gives you room to range, and the fast, low action enables execution of sustaining single notes, deep bends, and complex chord shapes up to the 20th fret and across all six strings. Intonation on our review guitar was spot-on and there were no dead areas on the neck, and when I played uninterrupted for a half hour I didnt experience any of the fret-hand fatigue I often encounter on a 1940s archtop. With just one pickup, its perhaps unsurprising that the AR371CESB doesnt pack a staggering assortment of tones, but it is an excellent-sounding guitar nonetheless. Through a Fender Pro Junior, it sounded full, articulate, andunlike some guitars in this categorynot muddy in the slightest. While the guitars inherent brightness adds welcome definition to single-note lines and complex chords, it can be easily deemphasized with the tone knob, which, works very smoothly and has real range. The guitar is also surprisingly resistant to feedback. I had to turn the amp over halfway up before it started to exhibit any real propensity for squealing. Happy in a wide range of jazz approaches, the AR371CESB lends an authentic voice to everything from Freddie Green-style strumming to Jim Hall legato lines and Derek Bailey-inspired free improv. Naturally, selections from the classic Yes catalog also sound great on the guitar. And no matter the technical demands, the guitar is uncommonly playable and truly a joy to handle. the Verdict The Eastman AR371CESB might look like a Gibson ES-175 clone, but its a great guitar in its own right. Its lighter and louder than the average hollowbody electric, plays like a dream, and has a rich, complex sound that will satisfy the staunchest jazz purist and the most adventurous rocker alike. Best of all, with a price tag under $700, its a value thats nearly impossible to beat.
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review > spaceman
sPaceman
saturn v Har HarMonic M Booster

BY cHarles saufleY
HEADOnline
oosters, despite seeming simple in function and intent, vary wildly when it comes to tone, purpose, and potential. Clean boosts (though rarely truly clean) can increase pickup output without adding too much distortion, or compensate for signal loss at the end of a pedal chain. Treble boosters, with their narrow focus, can create the perception of a clean boost, though you typically hear an increase in noise, too. Its all confusing and abstract enough to scare off a lot of would-be users. Spacemans Saturn V Harmonic Booster may not really clarify the overarching issue of what, definitively, a booster is supposed to be. But its a pedal with a lot of character that can enhance dynamics, transform an amp, and breathe life into a rig that may have started to sound one-dimensional. Built for orbit There may be more colorful and sensational-looking devices than Spacemans wares, but precious few stompboxes are cooler or more elegant. And the pedals straightfrom-an-Apollo-capsule-control-panel design accurately reflects the build quality. The Saturn V is hefty and built to what NASA would call mission-critical standards of durability. Spaceman also invests a lot of time and effort in aspects that only the most curious tinkerers are likely to noticethings like the chrome-like coating on the circuit board, the super-exacting soldering work, and even cool touches like the little Saturn and stars logo on the battery contact sheath. The control layout is as simple as can be. The boost knob adds up to 18 dB, and if you crank the drive knob, you can get a summed boost of 35 dB between the two. Dirty Boost Though the Saturn V isnt complicated by any means, there is a great deal of complexity
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to the sounds and textures you can extract from it. Not surprisingly it takes a little trial and error to feel out how it works best with a given guitar-and-amp combination. This pedal is very sensitive and interactive, and it rewards picking nuance and responds dynamically to varied input from a instruments volume and tone controls. Its critical to keep this in mind because one of the first things youll discover is that with a guitars volume controls wide open, the Saturn V wont really work as a clean boost. Even with the drive all the way back to zero, theres a little extra grit, especially if you use humbuckers. But roll back your guitars tone knob just a touch and its like wiping your car window clean after a long interstate driveyoure suddenly seeing detail and color in the landscape youd missed through all the bug carcasses and grime. Set up your rig this way, and the Saturn V becomes a superb clean boost. It does a beautiful job of exciting and coloring attenuated guitar output. And you get the sense of a very gentle taper in boost level as you roll back your volume knob. You can hear this aspect of the Spacemans dynamic potential with a cheap solid-state amplifier and budget electric with bottomof-the-barrel potentiometers. But with a high-headroom tube amp, nice pickups, and wide-range pots, this simple interplay of boost and guitar volume control becomes a sweeping meadow dappled and bursting with spring color. Its a great way to get back in touch with the lost art of volumeknob manipulation. It also means you may never switch the Saturn V off. The Saturn Vs most natural and easy-tomanage clean boost tones tend to come when it sees a nice single-coil out front. Telecaster bridge pickups sound glorious, alive, and crystalline, and neck pickups are mellow and full of almost vocal detail. The humbucker
18 dB of boost Drive control
output from a Les Paul isnt as easy to manage. But if you get a feel for where the sweet spots are, youll likely get a fresh sense of how versatile those guitars can be. When you crank your guitars volume back up, the Saturn V seems to assume a whole different persona. Even at the lowest drive levels, it exudes the tough aura of a leather-clad ruffian. Its rowdy, twitchy, anddepending on how you pick or how high you set the drivepositively explosive. And just as the Saturn V can almost make a $100 Vox Pathfinder sparkle like an AC15 in a recorded mix, it can drastically recast the voice of a bigger amp. At the highest drive settings, for example, you can transform a blackface Fender into something much closer to snarling
review > spaceman
a Marshall plexi. And the distinctly unZeppelin-esque recipe of a Jaguar and a brownface Vibroverb can deliver the crackling, midrange-y, and fanged aggression you more closely associate with Jimmy Pages Whole Lotta Love lead tones. When you crank gain and volume together, the Saturn V not only generates a wall of wide-spectrum, harmonically rich distortion, but also has a way of exciting frequencies that are often lost in distorted settings. In fact, depending on your pick attack, the Saturn V can almost work like a treble booster and really expand your sonic palette for leads. If the Saturn V has a weakness, its in chordal settings where you want a little extra top-end bite, but dont want to surrender clarity. And here, the same excitability that makes every single note a potential tone playground can work against the Spaceman. It generates a lot of harmonic content. That doesnt mean that clear chord tones arent in there to findthey usually are, depending on where you set your guitars controls. But in situations where youre holding down a steady, fast arpeggio
rhythm, you probably have a lot less time and inclination to tinker with your volume knob and find the sweet spot. the Verdict If you have the curiosity and desire to really experiment with the Saturn V, it can be transformative to your guitar and ampthe difference between a bland, undercooked stew and a gumbo thats simmered all Saturday and tickles every bud on your tongue. On the other hand, players who have to hold down rhythm guitar and vocals, or just savor the simple pleasures of a wide-open Les Paul Junior wired straight into a cranked Marshall might be frustrated
by the tinkeringhowever minimalit takes to make the Saturn V really work. But for those who relish the profound shifts in color and mood that a little volume or tone knob tweak can provide, the Saturn V has the potential to be a very special, even indispensable piece of gear. Unfortunately, Spaceman wont be making many of them. In this run, at least, there are barely 400 units. Should those disappear in a flash of rocket flame, lets hope Spaceman sees the worth in another go round.
RATINGS
Spaceman Saturn V Harmonic Booster, $219 street, spacemaneffects.com
Pros:
thoughtful, high-quality design and construction. can open up whole new ranges of tone in even inexpensive rigs. super-responsive to picking dynamics and volume- and tone-knob manipulation. Hard to get. on the expensive end of things.
cons:
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review > Verellen
verellen
BY Jordan WaGner
MeatsMoke PreaMP
hile there are several stellar and very practical solid-state or digital modeling amp options on the market these days, theres still nothing quite like the robust sound and dynamic response that a good bassist and a great tube amp can produce together. And for players who revel in that type of tube-driven glory, the 300-watt Verellen Meatsmoke head is one of the most compelling new bass amps to come along in the last couple of years. Unfortunately, at $2,500, the Meatsmoke also commands a price as hefty as its tone a price that puts it out of reach for most budget-conscious players. But with the recently released Meatsmoke pedal, Verellen has essentially taken the amps entire preamp circuit and packed it into a stomp-able enclosure. That beefy Meatsmoke tone from brawny, glassy cleans to articulate grind to savagely overdriven roarcan now be had for well under a grand. Where theres smoke The Meatsmoke is built of thick, industrialgrade steel and Baltic-birch side panels, and thats a good thing, because theres a pair of JJ 12AX7 preamp tubes to protect in there. At more than 10" wide, the Meatsmoke takes up more space than most effects, so be prepared to shove a few stomps on your pedalboard out of the way to make room. The Meatsmokes top panel features a 3-band EQ, controls for gain and master volume, and a pair of footswitchesone for engaging the boost and a true-bypass one for the preamp. Around back, theres also a ground-lift switch, a high/low toggle for setting the level of the non-filtered 1/4" output jacklow for use in front of an
to hear audio clips of the amp at premierguitar.com/may2013
HEADOnline
1/4" line out with amp simulation
3-band EQ
Boost function
True-bypass switching
amp, or high for use with a power amp or in an amps effects returnand a dedicated 1/4" line-level output with speaker simulation. Personally, I would have preferred to see the latter as a balanced XLR jack to avoid hum and signal-degradation issues. slow-roasted tone I tested the Meatsmoke with a Fender American Jazz bass, a Gallien-Krueger 400RB head, and an Ampeg SVT-410HLF cabinet. I started by setting the output switch to low and routing the signal through the G-Ks main input. This configuration delivered an instantly noticeable difference in the midrange and lows, with deliciously pummeling clean tones and a warm, dynamic response thats rare to encounter when tubes arent part of the
equation. And I could shape the tone in ways well beyond what the amps controls could do on their own. The Meatsmokes EQ has a huge range, and even slight adjustments make a big difference. I didnt need to stray too far from 12 oclock settings to dial in a wide array of rock, jazz, and blues tones. Pushing midrange to about 1 oclock gave the G-K a raunchy, punchy sound, and inching the bass knob higher expanded the amps lows considerably. However, the Meatsmokes treble voicing was less pronounced, so if I wanted a brighter, snappier tonesay, one more apt for slapping and poppingI had to go beyond 2 oclock to get there. Because the Meatsmoke is capable of delivering a lot of outputeven with the output switch set to lowI had to be
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review > Verellen
careful with volume and gain settings. Too much caused the G-K to fart out rather easily, especially under heavy attack. And sometimes when I engaged the boost which delivers a huge jump in volume thats, unfortunately, not adjustablethe amp had an even harder time discerning the lows from the mids, resulting in a garbled, muddy overdrive. Coincidentally, and by popular request, Verellen has announced that next-generation Meatsmoke pedals will feature independent, footswitchable channels for normal and boost, each with its own gain, EQ, and volume settings. As nice as the Meatsmokes tones were running through the amps input, the results were nothing short of amazing when I ran it through the effects return. Suddenly there were incredible details and harmonics in the rich, deep clean tones, and overdrive sounded gargantuanwith endlessly sustaining low end and sweet midrange when I engaged the gain boost. I A/Bd this rig with a full-sized Meatsmoke amp andother than the added presence and detail in the lows and
highs from the Meatsmoke amps set of 6550 power tubesthe two setups sounded strikingly similar. The response was somewhat quicker through the solid-state G-K, but the overall tone was definitely in the same ballpark. While the Meatsmoke pedal is designed primarily for bass, it provides great tones for guitar, too. Its EQ boosted a Gibson Les Paul Customs midrange and low end exceptionally well, and added a cool, gravelly texture to the highs. The Gibsons hotter Tom Anderson pickups didnt push the gain in the same grinding way as the Jazz bass, but they did yield a thick, glassy overdrive reminiscent of an old Sunn Model T or a Hiwatt.
RATINGS
the Verdict With the Meatsmoke preamp, Verellen Amplification has managed to stuff most of the best traits of its beastly bigger brother into a tough, compact package. It works very well as a tone-shaping front-end tool, but really shows off its abilities when used as a preamp paired with a separate power amp. The only real bummer is that the boost circuit would be more practical with a dedicated gain control, but with Verellens next incarnation of the pedal, that should no longer be a gripe. The price is rather steep, but when you consider how similar its tones are to those from the stellar, all-tube Meatsmoke head, it feels a little more reasonable. All in all, pound for pound, its an excellent tool for rock and metal players.
Verellen Meatsmoke Preamp, $699 street, verellenamplifiers.com
Pros: adds tube warmth to stiff-sounding rigs. superb overdrive. tough construction. Gets very close to meatsmoke amp tones for considerably less money. cons:
no Xlr direct out. needs careful tuning to sound full and detailed with some bass amps. no dedicated gain control for boost.
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review > way huge
way huge
by Jordan wagner
echo-puss
T
he Echo-Puss analog delay is sort of the middle child in Way Huges delay-pedal line. On one end, theres the classic analog Aqua-Puss MkII, and on the other sits the immensely powerful SupaPuss. That doesnt mean the Echo-Puss is a middle-of-the-road compromise between the two, though. Its designed to appeal to players who favor the delay times and modulation circuitry of delay pedals from the 70s and 80s (for instance, the ElectroHarmonix Deluxe Memory Man). It features a brand-new circuit that uses bucketbrigade IC chips to deliver 600 ms of delay time and a handy, tweakable chorus. Touch n go Compared to other Way Huge pedals, the Echo-Puss has a slightly narrower enclosure. It isnt any less road-worthy though. The circuitry and components are neatly housed in an enclosure made of the same thick steel used elsewhere in the line. The footswitch and knobs feel built to last and, thanks to the flip-out door, replacing a dying 9V battery is a cinch. But since delay circuits tend to chew through batteries like theres no tomorrow, youre probably better off powering it with a power supply via its Boss-style power jack. The two large knobs set the delay time and number of repeats, and two mini pots (tone and blend) adjust the brightness of the repeats and wet/dry mix of the delay, respectively. The two remaining mini pots determine the depth and speed of the modulation circuit. If youre not a fan of chorusing, simply turn the mini depth pot all the way down to completely remove the effect from the Echo-Puss warm, adorably lo-fisounding repeats. wish you were here The Echo-Puss is capable of generating everything from a touch of bathroom-tiles slapback to massive echoes, all with the vintage-sounding grit of yesteryears famous delays. Though the thickness of its repeats
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600 ms analog delay
Modulation depth and speed knobs
Delay tone knob
doesnt exactly match those of the AquaPuss, the clear and open-sounding high end gives the echoes a crispness that the AquaPuss cant quite matchwhich will make the Echo-Puss perhaps a better match for experimentalists, modern rockers, metalheads, and players who like to hear a lot of definition and texture in their delay tone. Both single-coils and humbuckers sound great through the Echo-Puss, but I
found that it shines best with the former. Stratocaster single-coils bring out the chime and sparkle of the pedals repeats, and the springier lows you get from single-coils offset the delays grittier texture. The Echo-Puss excels at adding detail to dry tone in subtle delay settings. I did this by turning down both the delay and repeat times to around eight oclock, blending the repeats so they sat fairly low in the mix, and turning
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review > way huge
The Echo-Puss is capable of generating everything from a touch of bathroom-tiles slapback to massive echoes, all with the vintage-sounding grit of yesteryears famous delays.
the delays tone control up to match brightness of the repeats with that of the Stratocasters dry tone. When I then picked the intro to Ozzy Osbournes Diary of a Madman, the subtle delay underneath thickened each note, and as they all mixed together it sounded bigger and more increasingly dynamic. I used the same trick with a Les Paul to thicken overdriven leads through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, without any muddiness or garbled lo-fi artifacts between the notes. Jacking up the delay time and repeats creates seriously cavernous sounds. Its at these settingsbetween noon and five oclock that the modulation effect is most noticeable. The range of the chorus isnt as extreme as youll hear in some more modern modulation delays, though, and its not unlike a Deluxe Memory Man in terms of intensity. Repeats became more chaotic and harder to control when the delay time and repeat knobs reached their three oclock positions, often putting my tone on the brink of white noise and a wash of endless delay. Dial things back a bit and the EchoPuss creates the atmospheric textures that define rock bands like Godspeed You Black Emperor! and Mono.
RATINGS
pros:
The Verdict With the Echo-Puss, Jeorge Tripps and the Way Huge team have given guitarists an impressive and affordable analog-delay option. It delivers that magical combination of spacious echoes and grit that so many guitarists love in older bucket-brigade units, but repeats are also clean and lively enough that theyll jump out of the mix much like they would through a digital delay. The Echo-Puss will likely become a great option for vintage Deluxe Memory Man users who are reluctant to gig with their treasured units. But beyond that, the combination of performance, familiar functionality, and excellent sounds may just make this a future classic.
Way Huge Echo-Puss, $169 street, wayhuge.com

warm, full-sounding repeats. robust, compact enclosure. easy to dial in great sounds. Quite affordable compared to other bucket-brigade delays. Chorus range is a bit limited.
cons:
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review > ruppert musical instruments
ruPPert musical instruments
acouswitcH iq di
BY cHarles saufleY
f you play enough gigs with an acoustic a raised, almost roll-bar-like section on the HEADOnline to hear audio clips of the pedal at guitareven if its just a part of your pedals surface, which ensures you wont premierguitar.com/may2013 setit wont take long to understand the break any off or accidentally change setmerits of a DI. Even a very basic one can tings. (That said, given how stubbornly the be a bit like having your own little sound knobs turn when you want them to, youre But it can sometimes add a lot of low-end engineer in a box. A good one gives you the unlikely to have any such mishaps.) The overtones to the little Martins sound, and means to handle the excruciating variables control layout also makes the pedal surprisI wanted to experiment with adding a little of playing a coffeehouse one night and a ingly easy to navigate. more high-mid content to the guitars melrock box the next, and optimize the sound low, mahogany voice. of your instrument for either situation. stage presence With the Acouswitch IQ, it was an The German-built Acouswitch IQ I tested the IQ DI with an L.R. Baggs entirely painless process of isolating the DI from Ruppert Musical Instruments falls Element-equipped Martin 00-15 running desired frequency with the MF (mid freinto the very good category. Its built as through a Mackie PA, and in both solo and quency) control and boosting it with ML solid as an old Mercedes, has a very effecsmall-band settings, the IQ DI was invalu(mid level) control. Unlike a lot of DIs tive EQ, and boasts features like the body able for tailoring the Martin for a given and EQs with semi-parametric capabilities, contour control that will help you manage song or setting. The Element is a pretty the IQs mid-boost section had an actual the most harrowing feedback and garbagetransparent and accurate system that rarely range rather than just working in an onPA situations. But it can be a lot more than needs much help in a quieter, solo setting. or-off manner. There are no dB increments a tool for acoustic-crisis management. Its built to open up Body contour control performance possibilities too. Mixable This ability to expand your Semi-parametric effects loop midrange controls acoustic sound palate and help you avert disaster makes the Acouswitch IQ DI a pretty powerful tool. low profile, Brawny Build The IQ DI is one of those pieces of gear that feels thoughtfully designed at every turn. First, it would be hard to make a pedal that does as much as this one any less obtrusive. The whole thing isnt much wider or thicker than a paperback, yet its home to two channels (through which you can run separate instruments), eight I/Os, nine knobs, three footswitches, and two mini toggles. And all of it feels built to space-program tolerances. The real marvel, though, is how integrated it all feels. The knobs are all recessed into
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review > ruppert musical instruments
marked on the enclosure itself, but with a range of +/-18 dB, theres lots of room to feel through the EQ process intuitively. If your preferred EQ settings tend to induce feedback, particularly in the low end, the body contour controlwhich is effectively a notch filter that works within the 45 to 500 Hz rangeis pretty effective at reigning it in. But it can also help bolster the low end. And in solo settings, when combining a boost in the body contour level and a boost in the midrange, the Martin took on a more booming dreadnought-like presence without sounding dull, woofy, or inducing feedback. The IQ also features a serial effects loop and a switchable effects loop (the loop switch doubles as a boost when you have no effects in the loop). But its the latter thats the most fun to work with and what makes the IQ more versatile than a simple, passive DI. Along with a phaser, I placed a digital reverb and reverse delay with long settings in the loop, and set the mix control on the IQ for a slight boost in the effected signal. For a solo performance, this setup enabled a dramatic,
swirling texture over a passage where I also dropped the tempoall by pressing a single switch on the IQ. Needless to say, there are far more practical and pedestrian applications for the mix loop. But the radical shift in color I could achieve with a single switch in this setup (with no perceptible additional noise) was far more effective musicallyand less stressfulthan tap dancing around three effects while I kept up a fingerpicking pattern. the Verdict Its hard not to appreciate the thoughtful design behind the Acouswitch IQ DI. Where a lot of DIs can have a sort of unapproachable appliance- or hardware-like
RATINGS
Pros: cons:
functionality, the IQ invites interaction and tinkering, and feels like a more integrated part of your performance. The control layout is smarteven if those knobs can be really hard to turn with a light touchand the compact, low-profile design makes it feel natural and out of the way at your feet. There are more affordable DIs than the Acouswitch IQ. At about 600 bucks, it probably approaches the cost of some of the guitars in your stage rig. So it may come down to the frequency with which you gig that makes the purchase worthwhile. And if you do gig regularly, the simplicity, rugged construction, and sonic flexibility this unit affords may well make it worth the investment.
Ruppert Musical Instruments Acouswitch IQ DI, $599 street, rmi.lu Built like it was carved from granite. real soundsculpting power and flexibility. smart design. Tones Ease of Use Build/Design Value
stubborn knobs make fast adjustments harder. expensive.
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Modern builder vAult
LONGFELLOW Guitars
BY ricH osWeiler
n the town of Hanwell, located in the West London borough of Ealing where he grew up, metalworker/artist/luthier Pete Longfellow creates one-of-a-kind aluminum guitars out of his small workshop thats a scant 200 yards from Jim Marshalls (yes, that Jim Marshall) first shop. Its the same borough where the Rolling Stones came together at the famed Ealing Clubone of the main hubs of British R&Band where it was common and no big deal for the teen-aged Longfellow to sit with the likes of the scallop
The Scallop is the second instrument Longfellow built and he has no plans to part with it. Its shape is just my version of a traditional semiacoustic jazzer, says Longfellow. This early model has a cast aluminum neck topped with a rosewood fretboard, with a custom tailpiece designed and built by the luthier. Outfitted with a trio of vintage Hofner pickups he pulled from a guitar found on eBay, Longfellow says that the Scallop has a strong acoustic tone unplugged and really delivers a vintage sound when amplified.
Keith Moon and Peter Townshend at local pubs. Music was all around, and I watched it and bought it and have done it ever since, says Longfellow. Longfellow got his career started with a mechanical engineering apprenticeship as a toolmaker. He then went on to run a metalworking shop helping and instructing postgraduate, art and design students at the Royal College of Art in London, where he still is today. Its in his home workshop where he works on guitars and other commissions.
In fact, he first started building aluminum guitars simply because he wanted to have an instrument to play in his workshop when things were quiet, one that he could play without having to worry if it got knocked. And because Longfellow was already a fan of resonator guitars and their use of aluminum for the cones, it made perfect sense for him to have a go at an all ally guitar. Longfellow, who learned about guitar building from Jon Free of Black Guitars and legendary tech Stuart Monks, knew that past attempts at aluminum guitars had a reputation for easily going out of tune. But through his experience in working, welding, and sandcasting aluminum, Longfellow didnt really feel that aluminum should have this affect, since he was aware that the metal has little chance of expansion or distorting, and that it shrinks less
the Burner
The name for the Burner was inspired by the name of the company that manufactured its trio of pickups. Loaded up with Burns Tri-Sonic single-coils, each has a dedicated volume pot while the fourth control knob serves as a master tone. The Burners maple neck is topped with a rosewood fretboard, and the all-aluminum body is sealed with a matte lacquer finish. For good vibrato measure, Longfellow dressed the Burner with a Bigsby B70.
tuf
This design draws inspiration from a Charvel Surfcaster and gets its name from the Tufnol material used for the pickguard. Longfellow says that most manufacturers dont vary the styles of control knobs and usually settle for standard issue, so he decided to make his own by casting resin knobs to match the visual style of the guitar. In keeping with the aesthetics of a Surfcaster for the electronics, the luthier loaded up the Tuf with a pair of SLD-1 lipstick pickups from Seymour Duncan.
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Modern builder vAult
than one percent when going from molten to cold. I knew of aluminums qualities of resonance, so I thought Id better get at it, he says. Though his first attempt by using a cutdown aluminum pipe with a plate welded to it for a neck didnt quite work out, Longfellow was encouraged by its looks. After some initial trial and error using cast aluminum for the necks of his first few instruments, he found that even with relieving the weight somewhat by machining the necks with CNC, he still couldnt get the guitars to balance the way players are used to. Since then, hes been mostly using wood for his necks. Longfellow says that he doesnt make two guitars the same and that his favorite is always the last one I made. He admits that it can sometimes be difficult trying to tstyle
Longfellow has built many Tele-styles in his career, but this one in particular has a maple neck with rosewood fretboard, a Tufnol pickguard, and a custom bridge made by Longfellow. The aluminum twang machine is outfitted with Bare Knuckle Blackguard series pickups in both the neck and bridge positions.
think of shapes beyond those from Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch, but that he does try to make his shapes more sympathetic to the material itself. I am influenced by the great shape of the Gretsch lap steel, says Longfellow. Be it something fashioned from one of the classics, a way out there design, or one of his new amp casings, Longfellow has found a way to craft a wide assortment of instruments from this highly resonant material. The luthier prefers to make his own bridges and fittings as much as possible. Even though Longfellow doesnt believe aluminum guitar makers will make an impact in the mainstream industry, he feels he has something uniquely different to offer. My guitars have a good, strong sound with nice sustain. My customers like that and their look, he notes.
pricing and availability Longfellow enjoys working with customers for custom builds and encourages them to choose and supply pickups and/ or other parts. This shows their commitment to standards and keeps costs down, he says. The luthier prefers commissioned, custom work and welcomes inquiries through his website, but noncustom builds can be found in some of the guitar shops along Londons famed Denmark Street, and occasionally on eBay. Longfellow is equipped and set up to build approximately 50 instruments per year and the average turnaround time for a custom build is about four weeks. Base prices range from as little as $320 for a lap steel and up to $950 for a more detailed build.
longfellowguitars.com
sstyle
You cant improve on the classic shape of a Strat, but I tried to put my own mark on it, says Longfellow. This version, which just recently sold, has a cast-aluminum neck crowned with a rosewood fretboard, and features special appointments like the vintage-style, chicken-head knobs and a bridge handcrafted by Longfellow. This axe is loaded with a pair of Seymour Duncan SHR-1 Hot Rails single-coils in the neck and middle positions, and a Seymour Duncan SH-PG1B Pearly Gates in the bridge.
oyster lap steel

Longfellow is proud to say that he ironically sold one of his previous lap steels to a player in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Oyster model lap steel shownhis most recentsold via eBay to a player in Germany who reports that hes pleased with its strong tone. Longfellow constructed the fretboard from Tufnol, which was then inlaid with aluminum wire and discs. For electronics, the Oyster houses a single Gretsch Electromatic lap steel single-coil located near the neck.
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GeAr of the Month
1971 Fender Bullet stratocaster

BY cHris Kies
ince the vintage craze of the last two or three decades began, we certainly havent heard the highest of praise about the instruments Fender produced from late 1965 to 1985, when it was owned by the Columbia Broadcasting System conglomerate. Stratocasters, Telecasters, and Jazz and Precision basses from the 50s and early 60s sell for far more than CBS-era guitarssometimes fetching as much as an exotic sports car or a comfortable middleclass home. Perceived design flaws introduced to models during the CBS years include Strats and Teles that went from 4- to 3-bolt neck construction, and a larger headstock with an exposed bullet truss rod. Later in the 70s, cost-saving measures, such as using ash rather than alder for bodies, and finishing necks in polyester, were seen as missteps. And cosmetic, finishing, and/or consistency issues such as misaligned fret markers struck many as a sign that Leo Fenders innovative outfit had lost its way. However, plenty of everyday playersboth now and thenthink collectors derision of CBS-era Fenders is just nitpicking. For instance, in 1973, David Gilmour took his late 71 bullet Strats pickguard assemblyincluding the middle and neck pickupsand put it in his prized black Stratocaster. U2s the Edge used a black 70s Strat on early hits like I Will Follow and Where the Streets Have No Name, and R&B session and touring guitarist Josh Sklair jammed on the 71 Strat pictured here with legendary musicians like Etta James, Roy Orbison, and Bo Diddley. I grew up on my 61 SG/Les Paul, a 70s Les Paul Custom, and an ES-175, but I was always a stone-cold Jimi Hendrix disciple, says Sklair. Living in Hollywood in the 80s, I decided it was time to get a Stratocaster. So I bought one out of the Recycler for $300. His 71 Strat had a natural finish, Schaller tuners, and the bullet truss rod. Sklair wasted little time customizing the axe to make it his own.
Got some gear that would make a great Gear of the month? then email pics and its story to us at gotm@premierguitar.com.
First, he took it out to his backyard and let loose with a can of white spray paint. Then he enlisted the expertise of guitar guru John Carruthers (Carruthers Guitars, Fender Custom Shop, Yamaha, G&L), who re-fretted the guitars neck, installed a midboost feature, converted the neck joint to a 4-bolt array, and added copper foil and shielding paint to minimize hum from the pickups and controls. Carruthers also added a new 5-way switch and reversed the polarity of the middle pickup to make the second and fourth positions dead quiet. I took it on tour with Dick Clarks Good Ol Rock n Roll Show, Sklair recalls. It was my go-to guitar when I joined up with the amazing Etta James in 85, and was used all the way until she retired in 09. I even used it on the recording of Roy Orbisons Careless Heart in 1988. Even though Sklair revamped several aspects of his Strat, he never dreamt of
altering one thing. What brings me back to this little Strat is its neck. By industry standards, its not a great neckbecause its fat and not very wide. But it has been really comfortable for my average-sized hands, and I believe the big headstock adds an almost Gibson-like mellowness to its tone. While Sklairs beloved 71 Recycler find is special to him because of how it plays and sounds, as well as the countless memorable performances and sessions hes played with it, its also special because on the back it bears the signatures of five rock n roll greatsRoy Orbison, Dick Clark, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, and Del Shannon. Im not much of a signature guy because I dont want to be creepy, Sklair laughs. I never asked Etta for hers because it just didnt feel right, but I did get a few rock n roll heroes to sign it. It reminds me of where this guitar and I have been.
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Premier Guitar ISSN 1945-077x (print) and ISSN 1945-0788 (online) is published monthly by Gearhead Communications, LLC. Principal office: 3 Research Center, Marion, IA 52302. Periodicals postage paid at Marion, IA 52302 and at Additional Mailing Offices. 2013 Gearhead Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Premier Guitar are registered trademarks of Gearhead Communications, LLC. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address. U.S. Subscriptions: $24.95 for one year. Call for Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates. Postmaster: Send address changes to Premier Guitar, 3 research Center, Marion, iA 52302. Customer Service and subscriptions please call 877-704-4327 or email lois@premierguitar.com. Printed in uSA.
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hey Jude reviSited BY JoHn BoHlinGer

y a conservative estimate, Ive heard the Beatles Hey Jude 1,000 times. The first 333 times were in the 70s. My groovy parents and sibs dropped the needle on the delicious vinyl version of the single. While a big green Apple Records logo spun on our hi-fi, my G.I. Joes attacked each other with Kung Fu moves in a shag-carpet jungle. The second 333 times were in the 80s. My warbly The Beatles Again cassette sang seductively out of a boom box during tortuously awkward make-out sessions in my teens and early 20s. The next 333 times occurred when Hey Jude droned almost unnoticed from classic rock radio stations and the ceiling-mounted speakers of countless elevators, dentist offices, malls, and shops. But last night in a London studio, on what may have been my 1,000th listen, I experienced something in this track that made the song brand new to me. I heard Paul McCartney drop the F-bomb mid-song. Stop reading right now. Pull up a version of the track and fast-forward to 2:45. Right after Paul sings the minute you let her under your skin you hear him shout, oh followed by fucking hell at 2:58. A word of warning: Once you hear this, you can never not hear
acoustic instrument present much richer sonic variation, namely, my shouted curses. Blame jet lag or general incompetence, but last night my fingers refused to go where they should and I let out a few audible self-condemnations while recording. Keyboardist Andrew Nelson drew the comparison to Sir Pauls secret Hey Jude vocal part, and I felt much better about my crap performance. There are plenty of examples of F-bombing that slipped into the final mix of beloved songs. The Kingsmens Louie, Louie had over-protective parents, nut-ball preachers, and government officials concerned that the mostly indiscernible lyrics were lascivious and would lead children into concupiscent abandon. The governor of Indiana inadvertently helped promote the band when he banned the song from the state and enlisted the FBI in an effort to shut down The Kingsmen for indecency. Of course kids want forbidden fruit, so sales increased with the witchhunt. Lead singer Jack Ely wasnt profane, he just lacked dictiona fresh set of braces on his teeth did not help his pronunciation. My web research suggests clarity was further compromised by the three-mic recording process that forced Ely to sing/yell over the band into a mic suspended above his head.
Ah, the glory days of the 7" single: The original 1968 release of Hey Jude featured a large Apple Records logo.
These angry outbursts give us a little glimpse into the studio and illustrate the frustrating nature of recording.
itthe expletive becomes as pronounced as Ringos tom fills leading into the bridge. In his book, Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles, Geoff Emerick, who engineered most of The Beatles later recordings, quoted Lennons explanation of the curse: Paul hit a clunker on the piano and said a naughty word. Emerick notes that Lennon insisted that naughty word remain in the final mix, getting a devious thrill out of the idea that Pauls sensitive mega-hit includes profanity hiding in plain sight. Im no stranger to recording clunkers. Ive played some sessions where my parts contained more clams than a Red Lobster Saturday night special. Bum notes during an electric pass? No big deal. Sometimes you fix them, sometimes they make for an interesting color tone. Clunkers on an
Ely refrained from obscenity, even after his gigantic blunder of coming in at the wrong spot after the solo. But Louie, Louie does contain profanity, just not in the lyrics. The drummer hits something he shouldnt after the second chorus and offers a loud ah fuck at the 0:58 mark. Given the dodgy nature of this performance and a blatant profanity, its kind of amazing The Kingsmen didnt go for another take. Its equally amazing the FBI and the perhaps moronic state officials of Indiana could not find the obvious obscenity during their hours of combing the lyrics for naughty words. My all-time favorite F-bombing kicks off the title track on Johnny Winters Still Alive and Well. The track starts with the band fiddling with their gear, then Johnny drawls, Im hungry, lets do this fucker. The
engineer says, hit it and Randy Jo Hobbs obediently smacks his bass. Johnny retorts, Dont hit it nowhit it on four. Johnny counts them in and they erupt into an awesome, white-trash Texas boogie. I realize a column focusing on finding hidden obscenity in songs takes us to a juvenile place, but because the Premier Guitar audience consists primarily of guitarists, going lowbrow seems like a good calculated risk. What I love about these unexpected expletives is that they give us the fly-on-the-wall perspective of the sessions, whether its those kids in The Kingsmen jubilantly flogging their way through a future frat-boy anthem, Johnny Winter just wanting to get the session over with so he can get some barbeque, or perfectionist Paul reacting to his clunker. These angry outbursts give us a little glimpse into the studio and illustrate the frustrating nature of recording. Your fingers dont do what they should or it just takes too long to get it done. This re-listening exercise made me feel a bit like I did when I first really heard these songswhen Hey Jude turned from the ambient background noise into this incredibly moving song that would continue to play in my head late at night in my silent room. Its amazing what you hear when you really listen.
John bohlinGer
John Bohlinger is a Nashville multi-instrumentalist best known for his work in television. He led the band for all six seasons of NBCs hit program Nashville Star, the 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009 CMT Music Awards, as well as many specials for GAC, PBS, CMT, USA, and HDTV.
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