TG 2021 - Summer

TOM PETTY CREAM ROYAL BLOOD
FREE FALLIN’ STRANGE BREW TYPHOONS
M AY E R
“YOU CAN’T
TAKE THE GUITAR PBYLASOHYUNODGHWEARTADEOVY!
PLAYING OUT OF ME” KIM THAYIL N’S
THE NEWALBUM
HIS WHOLE STORY
GEAR BREAKDOWN
TECHNIQUE LESSONS
SHAME
MODES MADE EASY
TEDESCHI TRUCKS
REVIEWED LINE 6 HX STOMP XL
CHARVEL PRO-MOD
SO-CAL STYLE 2
T-STYLE TONAL ALL-ROUNDER
EDITOR’S LETTER
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Welcome… I feel like there aren’t all that many
contemporary guitarists you can
CONTRIBUTORS truly call megastars. I’m talking
Jonathan Horsley,Charlie Griffiths, StuartWilliams, Jonny Scaramanga, RobLaing,
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Printedin the UK by: William Gibbons & Sons Ltd on behalf of Future
a new album.
Distributed by:Marketforce, 2ndFloor, 5 Churchill Place, CanaryWharf
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Head of Newstrade: Tim Mathers since his solo debut dropped – but look at how he’s
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email: help@magazinesdirect.com dog videos to his own sage advice on guitar playing.
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email: help@mymagazine.co.uk And he’s a musical shapeshifter – his back catalogue
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Contact theLicensing team todiscuss partnership opportunities. a picture of an artist unafraid of spreading his creative
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MANAGEMENT
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Group Art Director:Graham Dalzell Clapton, Mary Spender, John Scofield... Well, you get
the point – he’s versatile, and he has the guitar
chops to back it up!
So, read on as we look at all things Mayer, including
a six-page profile of his extensive gear collection,
lessons on his playing style with audio tracks on the
cover CD, and Paul Reed Smith himself talks us through
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company quoted on the
London Stock Exchange
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Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford
Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand some of the design process of John’s signature PRS
(symbol: FUTR)
www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 Silver Sky. Enjoy the issue!
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H#348
E GA
Contents
T
S ON
S
04
42
oarreS solraC egami revoC
TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

JOHN MAYER
CONTENTS
24 MONITOR
SHAME 06In The Picture
08Scene
12First Look
HOW TO
14Riff Of TheMonth
Royal Blood – Typhoons
16Getting StartedWith...
Legato Licks
FEATURES
18Shred SpecialYngwie Malmsteen,
Paul Gilbertand Nick Johnston
24Shame
28Derek Trucks
32 Icon: Kim Thayil
38Modes Made Easy
COVER FEATURE
42 John Mayer
LEARN TOPLAY
72Classic Track 05
Cream – StrangeBrew
80 Rockschool
Nirvana – Come AsYou Are
82Open-Mic Songbook
TomPetty – Free Fallin’
THE GAS STATION
84Start Me Up
86 Friedman Be-Mini Head
90Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal
Style2 HH HT
92 Line 6 HX Stomp XL
94 Universal Audio UAFX Astra
Modulation Machine
SPOTLIGHT
98Jocelyn Gould
32 Download your audio files at

KIM THAYIL bit.ly/tg348audio
SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

MONITOR
PEOPLE ✪ NEWS ✪ NOISE
BULLET FORCE
Words Paul Elliott Photo Kevin Nixon
When the Download Pilot festival was staged at Donington Park over the
weekend of June 18th–20th, it was a landmark event in the return to live
music in the UK. More than 30 British rock and metal bands performed over
the three days - including Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Enter Shikari,
The Wildhearts, Creeper, Conjurer and Sleep Token. And it was fitting that
the grand finale came with a performance from Bullet For My Valentine,
whose long association with Download dates back to 2004. The band’s eighth
album, titled simply Bullet For My Valentine, is out on October 22nd. And for
guitarist/vocalist Matt Tuck - pictured here during the Download Pilot show
- it’s an album of huge significance, written during a dark period when his
marriage was breaking down. “It wasn’t easy to write an album so personal,”
he says. “But it’s only going to have a positive effect on my life now.”
06

IN THE PICTURE
07

MONITOR
SCENE
YOUR NEWS IN GUITARS
08
nosbiG / yksvonamruF l iJ otohP

SCENE
“IT SOUNDS EXACTLY
LIKE MINE... EXACTLY. ”

NOEL GALLAGHER’S NEW SIGNATURE ACOUSTIC COMES WITH A RICH
HERITAGE AND A HEFTY PRICE TAG. BUT THERE IS ANOTHER WAY
TO GET THE CLASSIC GALLAGHERSOUND..
L imited to just 200 models worldwide, the
new Gibson Noel Gallagher J-150 acoustic
certainly turned a few heads during its
long-awaited official launch in June.
The limited-edition replicas retailed for
a whopping $4299 and were snapped
up quickly, with a handful of instruments ending up on the
secondhand market at three times the price. As seen played by
GET NOEL’S SOUND
WITH 2021 GEAR
Noel on a rainy doorstep in the video for 2002 Oasis single Little Epiphone Sheraton-II Pro, £599
By Little, the guitar would later feature an Adidas Trefoil sticker Though it was an Epiphone Les Paul handling
on the body above its 15th and 17th frets and accompany Noel the bulk of electric tones on Oasis’ 1994 debut
on his solo ventures with the High Flying Birds. And despite the Definitely Maybe, on the tours and albums that
boutique price tag on the new signatures, the original models followed Noel switched to semi-hollow bodies
were launched in 1999 as an affordable take on an old favourite, like the Epiphone Riviera and the Epiphone
the Gibson J-200... Sheraton. The latter would end up becoming
“It was just hanging up in a shop and I just picked it up and did arguably the most iconic six-string in his collection 09
what I always do [plays E chord],” reveals Gallagher. “And then after he had it repainted in a Union Jack finish.
said, ‘I’ll take it!’ I’ve played it in stadiums, in pubs, at home,
round the f*ckin’ campfire at Glastonbury... I took it everywhere JHS Morning Glory,£195
and I still go back to it. These guitars become a part of you and In the early days of Oasis, Gallagher did not
I find it very easy to write songs on this one. This new reissue use pedals. “I used to just turn up the amps
sounds exactly like mine... Exactly.” as full as I could get them – I never used
Amit Sharma distortion pedals or anything like that,” he
revealed in 2002. These days, however, his
pedalboard has no shortage of additional
gain stages – from Tube Screamers to
original Klons and clones, as well as other
units by Colorsound, ZVEX and Audio Kitchen. The
JHS Morning Glory is not only appropriately named
for your Brit-rock needs, its Blues Breaker circuit
will also get you the tones.
Marshall JCM 900 4100, £1199
For the first few Oasis albums and tours, Gallagher was
mainly using Marshall JCM 900s through matching
cabinets. These two channel dual reverb reissues would get
you very close to those classic tones and certainly live up
to their promise of carrying “a sound loud enough to fill
stadiums” – though with the well-considered addition of
a 50-Watt mode for those of us playing smaller venues.

MONITOR
ALBUM
“I WAS
WILLING
TO TRY NEW
10
THINGS”
SINGER-SONGWRITER
JAKEBUGGON HIS NEW
ALBUMAND THE OLD
GUITARS HEUSED FOR IT
J ake Bugg’s new, fifth album
Saturday Night, Sunday Morning is
filled with his signature blend of
anthemic pop and introspective
folk rock. For guitars, he
favoured vintage models - and one made
Sometimes, as musicians, you probably stick
an extra guitar solo in there that doesn’t need
to be there and things like that. I don’t have
too many guitar adventures on my albums
- we kind of save those for the live shows.
vintage guitars, but I haven’t bought many for
a while. I have so many that I still need to use
and I’ve got some very special items. I’ve got
a 1953 J-185 Gibson acoustic. Apparently - I got
told - they only made 860 of them or something
ridiculous. I got that in Japan and it’s a bit of
from a table! Which of your guitars will we hear on a dilemma because you’ve got these beautiful
the album? guitars and you don’t want them to get ruined,
You say you’ve had more fun making this On Kiss Like The Sun we used a 000-18 Martin but they’re also supposed to be played.
record than ever before – what made it so? - an old vintage one - which was great. I’ve got
I think I allowed myself to enjoy it, just by being a 1940s D-28 which I think I used on a couple And there’s a guitar made out of a table?
a lot more-open minded this time around and of songs, and I have my 1966 Fender That’s true! It’s a Patrick Eggle parlour guitar
more willing to try new things. Stratocaster, which I just love and that’s my that he made for me. I believe the story was that
main live guitar. I bought it in Texas many he had a friend who was getting rid of an old
What does the new record say about you years ago. Also, I have a 1950s Les Paul double mahogany kitchen table, and I think he paid
as a guitarist? cutaway, which I bought in Nashville. That him thirty quid, and just made me this
To be honest, I think the new record probably got used on Lonely Hours. absolutely stunning guitar. That’s the
dnalegdirB kcaJ otohP
doesn’t reflect my playing as much as previous main acoustic I use live.

records, but I think that’s because I just tried to Do you always buy vintage?
play to the songs a bit more this time around. I kind of went through a phase of just buying Ellie Rogers

SCENE
ALBUM
“THE GUITAR TONESON
THIS ALBUM ARE SUBLIME”
PRINCE’S SHELVED 2010 ALBUM WELCOME 2
AMERICA IS NOW BEINGRELEASED, AND IT’S
A FUNK TOURDE FORCE
R
ecorded 11 years ago, Welcome
2 America was inexplicably
archived without release.
Thankfully, Legacy Records is
putting that straight, because it
combines vintage funk grooves with Prince’s
One Day We Will All B Free
To close out the album, Prince has one guitar
riff that incorporates everything great about
funk guitar: syncopated rhythms, compact
chords voicings, and staccato single notes.
The whole album sounds totally fresh.
supreme melodies. If you know nothing about
funk and gospel guitar, this will teach you. Jonny Scaramanga
Here are five outstanding guitar moments
to listen for:
Born 2 Die
This song opens with jazzy extended chords,
doubled by synths. They stand out thanks to
Prince’s languid rocking of his wah pedal, 11
adding expression to each chord after he’s
played it. Later in the album, he closes out
Stand Up and B Strong with a fiery wah-
drenched solo, showing he mastered
every type of wah expression.
Hot Summer
In the middle of this funk opus
comes this unexpected surf-rock
tune. Prince’s palm muted,
fuzzed out powerchords open
the track like an R&B Summer of
69. He pulls out his Chuck Berry
licks for the middle 8, too.
Same Page, Different Book
The guitar tones on this album are
sublime. The James Brown-style
chord stabs on the high strings are
cutting and tight, while the lower
single-note funk melody lines on
the wound strings are fat and quacky.
The riff here reminds us of Mark
Ronson’s Uptown Funk – an
anachronistic comparison because
ziuR ekiM otohP etatsE ecnirP ehT thgirypoC
this song is actually four years older.

Yes
When the guitars on this album aren’t
clean, they’re fuzz-powered. Here that fuzz
comes over a Motown drum beat and gives
some serious grunt to this celebratory
number’s basslines.
MONITOR
12
NOVENTAREIGN
Photography Olly Curtis
Fender’s latest workhorse range embraces the power of Nine

W hat’s in a name? A lot, it
turns out. Fender is
continuing a prolific level
of output with the Noventa
range - so-called because
of the pickups it’s chosen to
arm its slightly re-imagined new Stratocaster
(£799), Telecaster (£759) and Jazzmaster
attention during those Spanish lessons, you’ll
know that Noventa translates as ‘Ninety’, and
Fender has equipped these with its MP-90
single coils, boasting, “classic midrange bite,
crisp highs and warm, smooth lows”.
The series features three guitars, each
adorned in a choice of retro and contemporary
Fender finishes, with C-shape necks on the
Jazzmaster. The single-pickup Tele comes
in Vintage Blonde, Fiesta Red and 2-Color
Sunburst; the dual-MP-90-loaded
Stratocaster is available in Surf Green,
Daphne Blue and Crimson while the triple-
pickup Jazzmaster is finished in Surf Pearl,
Fiesta Red and Walnut.
The Fender Noventa Series come equipped
(£899) rock machines. If you were paying Strat and Tele and a V-shape profile on the with a Fender gig bag and are available now.
TOTAL GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2021

FIRST LOOK
UP CLOSE
Noventa MP-90s
The unmistakable sound of thick single
coils appears across the board, with
single, dual and triple-pickup guitars
on offer.
Specs 13
Fender has moved away from tradition here
with features such as a ‘cut’ Tele bridge,
hardtail on the Strat and a five-position
switch in lieu of the Jazzmaster’s rhythm
circuit/toggle pickup selector.
Jazzmaster
The Noventa Jazzmaster is a fire-breathing,
triple-pickup assault featuring an Adjusto-
matic bridge and simplified electronics.
SEPTEMBER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

HOW TO WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
C# standard tuning
Natural minor scale riffing
Finger slides
Get the tone

5 5
CHANNEL DISTORTION
6
8
0
GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB
A fuzz pedal plugged into a lightly
driven amp should give you enough
sustain and attitude to do the riff
justice. To mimic the recorded tone
more closely, add a pitch shifter
effect set to an octave below the
pitch you are playing. Ideally, the
lower octave should be a clean
signal to keep it separated from
the fuzz tone. You could achieve
this by using a signal splitter to
divide your guitar individually
between fuzz and pitch shifter.
Sound a little more bass-like by
adding a compressorintothe
octave-down signal chain. Or, play
OREUOY C
Bridge humbucker
riff of the month
ROYAL BLOOD
guitar and jam with a bassist!
D I NO
D
V
Typhoons
14
R oyal Blood frontman and bassist
Mike Kerr is well known for his
effects-laden playing style which
blurs the line between bass and
guitar, so this month we attempt
to make our guitar sound more bass-like as
string at various positions between the 8th fret
and the open string. Those changes will be most
fluent if you use all four fingers spread across
the length of the fretboard.
Once you have the notes and rhythm under
your fingers, add some light vibrato to the
CHEAT SHEET…
Appears at: 0:51-1:08
Tempo: 114bpm
Key/scale: C# minor
Main techniques: Slides,
position shifts, vibrato
we tackle the title track from the duo’s latest sustained notes to give extra attitude. Be sure to
album. Downtune to C# standard and you’ll follow our slowed-down performance in the
be able to play the riff exactly as Mike does. video on your Guitar Skills CD for a clearer idea
The first half of the riff is played on the sixth of how this riff is played.
C#
G#
E
B
B C# F#
C# D# E F# G# A C#
segam I y t t e G otohP
You’ll need to be tuned to C# standard, so that means strings to help keep your guitar string tension roughly A along the sixth string, then add the higher B and C# on
dropping all six strings down by three semitones to give as it should be. The riff is based in the C# natural minor the fifth string. Handily, five of the notes coincide with
C# F# B E G# C# from low to high. Opt for heavier gauge scale (C# D# E F# G# A B). Plot the notes from C# to the fret markers on the 3rd, 5th and 7th frets.

HOW TO
GETTING
STARTED WITH...
LEGATO
LICKS
These techniquesappearin
everygenreof guitar and
wil rescue you if you run
out ofideasmid-solo
HAMMER TO FALL
Repeating legato licks are
essential to blues, rock, and
metal guitar.Here are some
of TG’s faves:
1 GUNS N’ ROSES PARADISECITY
Slash grinds out a similar idea to our third tab
16 example from 5:22-5:26
2 THIN LIZZY CHINA TOWN
The phrase at 2:04 has become a standard;
Iron Maiden and Gary Moore use it all the time.
3 ERIC CLAPTON HIDEAWAY
Clapton’s cover of this Freddie King classic
introduced Britain to the repeating
hammer-on lick.
4 FREE ALL RIGHT NOW
The solo’s three-note repeating ideas are still
devastatingly effective.
W
5 LYNYRD SKYNYRD FREE BIRD
This epic solo is stuffed with hammer-ons and
pull-offs, but the phrase that first appears at 5:24
is essential guitar knowledge.
hether you admire authentic rock and blues licks

MINOR PENTATONIC BB King’s sublime using only fretted notes from
SCALE
Startyourlegato workout
phrasing, Ed
Sheeran’s acoustic
flourishes, or Eddie
the pentatonic scale.
If you’ve ever tried to improvise
a solo, you’ve probably had
withthis essential shape Van Halen’s scorching runs, you’ll
need to master legato technique.
moments where you couldn’t
think what to play. This month’s
‘Legato’ is an Italian word that repeating licks are useful
12 1 1 1 1 1 1 simply means to play smoothly, vocabulary to have for those
but electric guitarists use it situations. Once you’ve mastered
3 3 3
specifically to refer to notes the mechanics, they don’t require
played without picking – your much brain power, so you can
4 4 4 fretting fingers sound the notes concentrate on deciding what to
instead. In TG342, we looked at play next. And once they’re in
E minor the basics, hammering on from your muscle memory, you can
pentatonic scale and pulling off onto open strings. develop terrifying speed with
This time, we’re looking at them if that’s your thing.
Guitars and backing Jonny Scaramanga
TECHNIQUE CHECK...
Get your fingers in prime position to make those licks easier
1PULL-OFF 2PULL-OFF
(BEFORE) (AFTER)
Let gravity help you Spot thedifference
play pull-offs by in wrist angle from
using theweight the previous
of your hand to picture. This tiny
fall off the string, wrist flick will make
‘plucking’ it in your pull-offs much
the process. clearer.
3HAMMER-ON 4HAMMER-ON
(BEFORE) (AFTER)
The key to Finish the
effective hammer hammer-on in the
ons? Hit hard, and same position you
from a height. For would start a
now it’s just about pull-off, so you can
generating enough switch rapidly
finger power. between the
techniques.
17
1 SIMPLE PULL-OFF LICK TRACK 07 2 PULL-OFFS AND STRING BEND TRACK 08
# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~~~
q=130
# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~~~~
4
& 4 3 4
& 4 3
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~
3 3 3 3
12 12 12
T 15 12
14
15 12
14
15 12
14 12 T 15 BU12 15 12 15 12
14 (16)
B B
Ignore the usual ‘one finger per fret’ approach; high up the neck frets are This is a similar lick to the last one, but played on first and second strings this
closer together so usewhatever fingers are comfortable. time. Notice that all these notes are from the E minor pentatonic scale.
3 SIMPLE HAMMER-ON LICK TRACK 09 4 VARIATIONS TRACK 10
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~~~ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # ˙˙ 1/4
& # #
& . .
Play 4 times
~~~~~~~
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
1/4
T
A
12
12
12
15
12 BU( )
12 15 12 15 15 17 T
A
.. 15 12 15 15 15 12 15 12 15 12 15 12 15
14 ..
B B
Here, you’ll need a partial barre on the 12th fret to move smoothly between You’ll get more mileage from all our licks if you mix and match the endings.
the notes on the first and second strings. The last note of each lick can be used to end any of the others.

SHRED special
TO SHRED OR
NOT TO SHRED
That is the question for fast-fingered virtuosos Yngwie Malmsteen,
Paul Gilbert and Nick Johnston...
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN:
“IT’S LIKE PAGANINI ON ACID!”
Shred pioneer Yngwie Malmsteen showcased his virtuosity in
a blues-driven format on 2019’s Blue Lightning. But on new
18 album Parabellum he’s up to his usual tricks…
With Parabellum, was it a conscious I’ve ever made. There are six, five and three
decision to return to the neoclassical string shapes plus string skipping, it’s just
metal style you invented? f*ckin’ crazy. That’s a very tricky thing to play.
I didn’t really intend to do anything one way or It sounds really cool, like Paganini on acid!
another. This had nothing to do with going back
to my roots. When I did the blues album, it was Despite the heaviness of it all, the tones
almost on-request! People really wanted me coming from your signature guitar,pedal
to go in that direction. This time I must have and amp have always felt incredibly clean.
written around 100 songs... Or at least 80. Then That’s because the signal from my guitar is not
I have to choose 10 and these ones feel special distorted. The Seymour Duncan pickups are not
to me. I would describe them as pure. Because, hot, but they’re not particularly weak either,
if you wanted me to, I could write you a country and they sound amazing. Then it gets boosted
and western song. I could write you a death by my Fender pedal, which is modelled after
metal song. I could write whatever the f*ck the DOD 250 and it’s very close... Actually,
you want, just give me 10 minutes and I’ll I think it’s better because it’s even cleaner.
have it for you. But that’s not how I like It’s not a distortion pedal at all, just a boost.
to create music. And then the pre-amp and power-amp
have to distort in linear fashion.
So how exactly do you like to create music?
Improvisation is the genesis for composition.
I’ll basically just improvise until something
Which explains why you prefer the
old‑school Plexi‑styleMarshalls.
“YOUR PLAYING
NEEDS TO BE
comes out and I’ll record it, whether that’s If you have an amp that has a gain and master
a vocal melody or arpeggio. I keep building control, it’s not linear. You want the power
CLEAN FIRST
on it. Once these songs were formed, I had so tubes to be working at the same level as the
much time to detail them. I would drive around player. If I wanted to, I could put a power brake
in my Ferraris, listening back to the songs and at the back somewhere. I also use 300-Watt
hearing things like harmonies. This time I just
wanted to allow the music to happen, it really
speakers which have no cone distortion. All
of these things play a role. Ultimately, all that
BEFORE YOU THINK
ABOUT TONE!”
didn’t have to be a certain kind of song or idea. matters is how you play. Your playing needs
As a result, the title track ended up having to be clean first and foremost before you
some of the most insane arpeggio formations think about tone!

INTERVIEW
PAUL GILBERT: “I FOUND MELODY!”
From first-generation shredder in Racer X to power-drill enthusiast in Mr. Big, Paul Gilbert is famed for
his high-performance style. A new album, Werewolves Of Portland, showcases his slide playing, but if
the people want shred, they’ll get it...
Once a shredder, always a shredder?
Well, I’ve been working on this boogie in C,
and if I just do this dumb lick – this chromatic
shape, a whole step – then all the people
who are craving the widdly widdly are
satisfied customers.
We often talk to you about the guitar first,
direct the conversation around the subject
of technique, but on WerewolvesOf
Portland, the vibe is not just instrumental
guitar. It’s entertainment.
I’m just excited that I found melody! It sounds
like something simple. How could you play
a musical instrument for 40 years and not
discover melody? But that wasn’t what I was
into when I got into it. The guitar players I was
into were would back up the singer while the
singer is doing the melody. When it is the
guitar player’s turn to do something, they
might play some melodic things but, overall,
they’re just trying to burn up the place with 19
something exciting.
Is this where slide comes in?
Slide helps. It’s just getting really deep into
the melody not just as a set of notes with
a particular rhythm but how to perform it in
such a way where it doesn’t die because it is not
being done by a singer. And it’s a challenge! It’s
really a different way of playing the guitar.
This placesmore emphasison nuance,
vibrato, tone, texture...
Well, the pressure is on me to be good at it.
Because if I do a show or a record and people
expect quality shred or whatever then I start
playing melodies, then they better be good
melodies, because I am giving some people
something that they didn’t pay for. They go,
‘What!? I paid for shred. What are you doing?
I paid for a cheeseburger! Why are you giving
me a pie?’
And what about the guitars? You’ve gone
online and raided the Ibanez archive
– Roadstars, Ghostriders and so on.
I’d go on the Reverb website and the cheapest
one was $200 and it’s an awesome guitar. They
always need some work – a lot of the times it is
just cosmetic. The one that was $200, I loved it,
but I didn’t like the way the pickguard looked so
I took it to the shop and said, ‘Can I get a new
pickguard for this?’ and the pickguard cost
as much as the guitar!
JANUARY
SUMMER 2020
2021 TOTAL GUITAR
Shred special
NICK JOHNSTON:
“IHe citesNEEDED TO GROW AND CHANGE”
Yngwie and Gilbert as major influences, but Canadian Nick Johnston is
expanding his sonic horizons - with a new signature guitar inspired by Jimmy
Page, and a new band in which he makes his debut as a singer…
What prompted you to switch from S‑style What exactly do you mean by that?
to T‑type bodies with Schecter? It’s literally like they’d been out on the streets,
When you start to develop a fanbase, you get fighting people! None of them were hugely
known for your sound. I’m the guy who plays educated, they didn’t go to Berklee or anything.
instrumental music with a Strat-style guitar. I’m self-taught too, and it can get real dry if
It began feeling a bit like a tight-fitting pair of you’re studying etudes or transcribing
shoes. I started wondering, ‘Is this it? Is this flute solos. I needed the deep-dive into
what I’m going to be known for?’ I don’t want weird, making it as grimy and bluesy
to be playing only one type of guitar until I’m as I can, while also incorporating
eighty! In order to grow and change, I needed to techniques like sweeping and
see what other guitars would do to my playing, tapping. My picking is terrible,
like having a humbucker in the neck – which is though! Because of that, I’ve
the case with my newest model. Jimmy Page, always had one foot dragging in
for example, would use different things for the blues, almost a bit sloppy.
riffs and leads. That’s what made me want to It’s a style that’s not perfect.
approach the guitar more like a production tool. But at the same time, for me,
it’s f*ckin’ perfect. I play the right
And how about the transition from notes but when you look closer
shredding instrumentalist to chord‑ I go through a lot of the wrong
strumming frontman in your new ones. You hit this median of
20 band Archival? right and wrong and then
I realised I can’t just do instrumental music for suddenly it’s like, ‘Oh baby!’
the rest of my life. That would be horrible.
There’s way too much to learn in order to grow, It’s interesting how you’ve
so I decided to start a band with vocals. I learned embraced being a legato
how to sing. I had to try this and I’m pleased to player, rather than
say, after fighting with it for a while, I’m totally dwelling on itslimitations.
at peace with my vocals. If anyone finds it Those of us who aren’t great
comical, it’s my first try! I’ve only been singing pickers might not think in
for six months. Would you make a record on typical three note per-
guitar if you’d only been doing it six months? string patterns, because we
Probably not. But for this, I wanted to take the can’t get through them
risk and I love the fact that people won’t have as fast as others.
seen it coming. I might use four
notes on one string
You’rewell known for combining elements and then two on
of blues with the kind of dissonance the next but it’s
normally found in fusion or progressive the same note
styles of music. What’s the secret to groupings and
making the wrong notes sound so right? rhythmic value. The
I see myself as more of a rock player than a jazz four note parts will
musician. My foundation is Eddie Van Halen, often be chromatic.
Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck and the early That way I don’t
Yngwie records... They each had their unique have to worry about
fingerprint. Some of Eddie’s playing was changing strings
complete and utter nonsense but he made it so much, but
work through conviction and confidence. Love I also get this
him or hate him, if you ever see Yngwie playing dragging
through a I-IV-V change, he’ll add these pedal effect. It’s
tone descending licks over those blues changes mainly to
– and it actually works! Everything SRV did avoid
was incredible. The same goes for Jeff. They the
all have their own twists. I call it street Paul
guitar playing. Gilbert
INTERVIEW
“I REALISED I CAN’T JUST
DO INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FOR
THE REST OF MY LIFE. THAT
WOULD BE HORRIBLE!”
thing because honestly I’m not very good at it.

Instead I’ll use certain intervals for suspense. If
I’m in D minor and I play a flat five, which is an
A flat, I’ll hang on before slowly bending up.
That helps me avoid clichés and explore the 21
unexpected. It’s probably all Eddie sh*t,
specifically the stuff from Van Halen II like
Somebody Get Me A Doctor or Light Up The Sky.
Some of his ideas didn’t really make sense but
you could still draw that bluesy line through it.
Though you don’t share too many
similarities with Eric Gales, you both have
a habit of throwing in unexpected chords
to catch people off‑guard.
That guy is so good, man... He could be the best
guitar player in the world. Everything he does is
the most musical sh*t and it just seems to fall
off him! For me, a lot of those outside-ish
sounds came over time spent playing alone.
I’d add those chords to make my solos feel like
they had movement. It’s good to view one idea
in as many ways as possible. Take that D minor
I mentioned earlier, for example. Is that
D minor in a straight pentatonic sense or
D natural minor? Is it D minor with a raised
seventh for that harmonic minor twist. Or
a Dorian minor, which has a major six? Or
a Phrygian minor with the flat second or even
a minor Lydian scale keeping the sharp four?
I find it super exciting because every time you
change those notes, the chord progression
around them changes. Just with those six
different mindsets I listed, you have 42 chord
shapes to play with – because there are seven
per key. The more you think like that, the more
you can string different sounds together and
the more it will affect you intervallic approach.
SHRED special
IN THE WOOD SHRED
Learn the techniques of our shred superstars with TG’s tabbed licks
Players like Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert and Nick Johnston are fiercely talented technicians. Aside from their sheer speed and accuracy, a deep
understanding of harmony is at the heart of all their music. However, though the road to shred may be long, you can always pick up a few tips and
develop your playing along the way.
And that’s the idea behind the licks we’re looking at here. Each one outlines a few of the technical elements of the player in question. They’re
challenging licks, sure, but if you isolate a few notes at a time, you’ll begin to understand some of the creative ideas these shred icons bring to their
music. The old adage of ‘start slow and gradually build speed’ definitely applies here, so aim for steady progress rather than blasting off at a high
speed right away.
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN TRACK 11

q.=150
√Amœ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ ~~~~~~~
&8 . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Play 4 times
#œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙. .
# œ ~~~~~~~
T
A .
. 20 17 19 20 19 17 19 16 17 19 17 16 17 13 16 17 16 13 16 12 13 16 13 12 13 12 10
12 10 9
10 9 7
9 7 6
..
B 8 7 5
7 5 4 5
This lick is based in the typically neoclassical A harmonic minor scale (A B C D E F G#) and starts with one of Yngwie’s favourite six-note patterns. Start by repeating the
22 first six notes, then, once you’re comfortable, shift down the neck while staying within the scale. Use your neck pickup for a more fluid, flowing tone.
PAUL GILBERT TRACK 12

q =100
√E Em
# ## . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ n œ œœ œ œœ~~~~~~~ Play 8 times

.
œ œ
~~~~~~~
T .. 12 16 12 16 12 16 13 14 13 16 12 16 14 12 16 14 12 12 15 12 16 12 16 12 14 12 14 12 15 12 BU(1217) .. 15
B
Paul is well known for using string skipped arpeggios and here we’re mixing them with scalic lines. The first three beats in bar 1 are part of an E major arpeggio, before the
major-scale run on beat 4. Bar 2 switches to E minor, running through the arpeggio for two beats and wrapping up with a bluesy minor pentatonic scale lick.
NICK JOHNSTON TRACK 13

q =120
Dm7 Dm9
œ n œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ ˙
Dm7
~~~~~~~ œ œ Dm9
œ œ œ œ œ n œ~~~~~w Play 4 times.
. œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~
T
A
.. 9 12 10 9 9 10 12 9 12 10 9 12 9 10 12 10 13 12 10 12 10 12 13 10 13 12 11 10 BU(15) 10 13 10 12 10 12 10 9
13 ..
B 8 10 12 12
This flowing lick is based in the D Dorian mode (D E F G A B C), a sweet-sounding scale which is great for fusion-tinged melodic lines. Our Johnston-inspired lick uses
a repeating eight-note pattern, ascending the strings. Repeat those first eight notes to memorise the pattern and make it easier to transfer to the other strings.

24

SHAME
Words Jonny Scaramanga
Rising stars of the UK’s thriving post-punk scene,

their latest album a top ten hit, Shame specialise
S
in punchy three-minute songs. So why do they
need three guitarists in the band? As they
explain, it’s all about interplay...
hame exploded out of the same it was like, ‘Eddie’s rhythm guitar and Sean’s 25
south London gig circuit that lead guitar’. Sean would just solo in every song,
brought you black midi and Black basically. As it went on we tried to do more
Country, New Road. They share interplay, cutting it down a lot, doing a lot
those bands’ love of post-punk more single notes and trying to harmonise
and indie aesthetics, but where each other in that way.”
black midi offer sprawling Like their post-punk-inspired peers, Shame’s
odd-time epics, Shame specialise guitar tones rely on single coil pickups, usually
in three-minute gut-punches. That ear for a hook Fenders, and vintage amps. Eddie summarises
made their 2018 debut Songs Of Praise an their recording guitars: “Lots and lots of Teles!
unexpected Top 40 success. The follow-up, I was using an American Standard Tele for pretty
Drunk Tank Pink, was released in January, much everything. For a few little additions
landing at #8 on the UK album chart. I used a Gibson semi-acoustic with P90s.
What’s unusual about Shame is that they have “A lot of the time, Sean used the same American
three guitarists - the correct number, in our Tele for his parts just because it cut through
opinion. Originally, Eddie Green played rhythm nicely,” adds Josh. “I used a P-bass for a lot of it,
and Sean Coyle-Smith played lead, but over time and then doubled a lot of the bass parts with the
these roles have become blurred, with Josh Finerty, producer’s Squier Bass VI with flatwound strings.
nominally the band’s bassist, also contributing It just sounded massive. We’ve now bought one
guitar parts. Despite this, Drunk Tank Pink is ourselves and it’s become the main bass live.
a tight album with plenty of space. Sometimes [with a normal bass] there’ll be a lot
“With the first record, we hashed it all out of mud because of all the subs from the bass when
playing in a room together,” Josh says. “But on this want all the parts to gel together a bit more.”
one we set up mics in my room and started DIY Amps were resolutely vintage. Eddie used
recording. We’d come up with an idea without a Fender Princeton and a vintage Selmer Zodiac
being able to play together. We’d layer a bunch of combo, while Sean largely used a Supro Black
stuff on and cut certain things out.” Eddie explains: Magick. “The Selmer scared me a bit because it
“Having a moment to step back from the song, to seemed like the sort of thing where if you tap it
add things and take them away as you’re going, too hard it’s just gonna explode,” Eddie says. He
assisted it not sounding like three guitars mushed. sometimes used an Audio Kitchen The Big Trees
It was easier to isolate different parts.” pedal amp into that pair: “You had to be really
This considered approach sees the band layering careful not to make it complete overkill, but it was
parts cleverly; Sean and Eddie rarely play the same definitely fun. You can get like a nice clean a nice
thing. As Josh recalls: “When we started the band, clean boost or a slight crunch, but then you can
like really whomp up the gain and it’s “You’ve got to take shooting into the stratosphere courtesy we’re not gonna sit there for hours
just insane.” into account the of Sean’s Earthquaker Rainbow discussing different chip sizes and
The reverb sounds on Drunk Tank Pink averagehuman Machine, but the only frequently circuits.” The Rat is used for bursts
attention span...”
are awesome, captured the old- Eddie Green employed effect is vibrato. “We used of feedback between songs, while the
fashioned way. “We actually went in the TC Electronic Shaker Mini,” says Euphoria provides a more subtle tone.
quite dry for the guitar takes,” Eddie Eddie. “We just like the sound of them. Eddie is an exponent of twin delay
says. “They had a stone room in the Obviously you can really go down the pedals, the TC Echo Brain and the Boss
studio, like a bunker or something, rabbit hole with those kinds of effects DD-3. “One’s analog, and one’s digital. I
where we recorded the drums. You hit but we like the Shaker because it’s use the Echo Brain for doubling sounds
a snare in there and it sounded like straightforward.” in the middle of songs. The time knob
a gunshot. Sometimes we’d set up He takes a similarly no nonsense creates an almost synthy sound which is
guitar amps in there with room mics. attitude to the ProCo Rat that sits on cool when you’re writing because
That’s where a lot of the reverb came his live pedalboard. “I don’t know what you can adjust it to match the key. The
from. We cut down on the amount of Rat I have. Whenever I talk to other Boss is just for real industrial heavy
reverb we were using. We wanted it guitarists they’re like ‘oh what Rat is machinery noise.” His number one
to be a bit more in your face and it?’ It’s a Rat, mate. It’s the one in live axe is a newly-acquired Telecaster
a bit more rhythmic.” the shop.” Exactly what you need for Deluxe. “It’s double humbuckers, so can
With that intentional reduction in writing three-minute punk songs, then. be big when you want it to,” he says.
reverb, pedals were relatively minimal. “We like to be somewhat precise about The American Standard Tele used to
Eddie sometimes steps on his Wampler the gear we’re using to make sure it record Drunk Tank Pink comes out live
Euphoria drive, and album closer Station works for what we’re trying to do, but for songs in different tunings. They all
E NOTE FOR FIVE

Wagon features pitch shifted delays
PLAYING THE SAM

"WE WERE INTO… BUT
MINUTES NOW ENERGY IS OUR THING”
g g e r G maS o t o h P

SHAME
go into an Orange Tiny Terror, which is an unexpected cake delivery. “It’s nice just trying to copy David Byrne,” says
joined by a Fender Hot Rod DeVille. everyone’s breaking through,” adds Josh bluntly. Eddie interjects, “Some
Happily, the commercial success of Josh. “It’s fun seeing your friends or people were like ‘Oh you’re really trying
Drunk Tank Pink hasn’t yet got to the yourself in the charts alongside “There’s a certain to sound like Squid now’. It’s like, we’re
band’s heads. When asked about having major international artists.” practice playing live doing the same thing here, guys!”
a top 10 album, Eddie replies “I think Among those friends are Squid, who that you don’t really Unlike Squid, however, you are unlikely
get in a rehearsal
we were pleasantly surprised when that share Shame’s Talking Heads-esque room.. ” to an encounter a 10-minute jam at
came through,” as though talking about vocal delivery. “I think they’re both Josh Finerty a shame gig. “You’ve got to take into
account the average human attention
span,” Eddie smiles.
Josh admits they have attempted
experimental epics. “We were all super
into Krautrock when we started the
band. I feel like we tried to write Squid
songs for our first two years. Before
Squid existed we were into playing the
same note for like five minutes but
making it sound good. We have all these
voice memos called things like ‘Kraut
Jam 38’. I just don’t think we were cool
enough to pull it off. Energy is our thing.
We put out songs that are immediate.”
Although their songs are more
compact, Shame have as much musical
ambition as their more experimental
contemporaries. “When we started,
we were all listening to the American
post-punk that was happening, like
Protomartyr and Preoccupations,” Josh
recalls. “We were listening to all this 27
weird time signature sh*t, really
experimental cool stuff. Then black midi
came and just absolutely smashed that.
We didn’t see many bands in the UK
doing it at that point. Those guys are so
extremely musically proficient that it’s
kind of scary. I don’t think we sound like
them but we’ve all played together a lot.
We want to keep pushing the boat out.”
Josh attributes the band’s success to
one thing: “Play all the shows you get!
I don’t know what else did we did. At
school I spent the whole time being
berated by teachers. I had A Levels
coming up and they were like, ‘You
literally have five shows this week.
What are you doing?’ My entire memory
of early Shame was playing all the time.
The main thing we got from playing
those shows was just getting better at
our instruments. There’s a certain
practice playing live that you don’t
really get in a rehearsal room.”
That training came into its own in
June, as Shame were finally able to tour
in support of the album six months after
its release. “It’s been amazing,” says
Eddie. “Going out on a run of shows was
a really great experience. We felt lucky
to be doing that. You get a real vibe that
everyone’s grateful to be out, especially
watching live music which they’ve
been deprived of for so long.”
INTERVIEW
“THE MOST RESPECTFUL
Words Ellie Rogers Photos Dave Vann
THING TO DO IS REALLY PLAY,

IMPROVISE AND MAKE IT
COMEALIVE AGAIN.. .”
When guitar heroes Eric Clapton and Duane Allman joined
forces in 1970, they created a rock classic. 51 years later,
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs is reinterpreted on
a new live album from The Tedeschi Trucks Band.
And for slide maestro Derek Trucks, it’s personal.
28

I
DEREK TRUCKS
t is one of the most iconic albums of all a natural progression for him to join that band,
time - Layla And Other Assorted Love filling the late Duane Allman’s shoes. All of which
Songs by Derek And The Dominos. leads to the new album from The Tedeschi Trucks
Released in 1970, it was the coming- Band, the 12-strong ensemble led by Derek and his
together of two legendary guitarists: partner in life and music, Susan Tedeschi. Layla
Eric Clapton, the British blues rock Revisited (Live at LOCKN’) Featuring Trey Anastasio
master who had recently featured in - is a complete live performance of that classic
the supergroups Cream and Blind Faith, album, recorded in August 2019, at the LOCKN’
and Duane Allman, a rising star and slide-playing Festival in Arrington, Virginia. And as Derek says,
virtuoso in the American outfit that defined the “More than trying to copy the record, it was about
sound of Southern rock, The Allman Brothers trying to tap into the energy and the feel of it.”
Band. There was a magical chemistry between This music has been a part of his life for as long
them, most powerfully illustrated in this album’s as he can remember. “Even before I was playing
title track, a timeless rock anthem. It is an album guitar and taking it all serious, Layla... was one of
that has inspired countless guitarists across those albums that was really present in our house,”
the years. And for one player, it has he recalls. “That and At Fillmore East (The Allmans’
a special significance. 1971 live album) and a B.B. King album or two.
It was in honour of Derek And The Dominos that Those albums were just leaning in our living room
Derek Trucks got his name. His uncle, Butch next to the stereo. And the Layla record also tied
Trucks, was a founding member and drummer in the local family history and connection to the
The Allman Brothers Band, and in later years, once broader world because of the Duane Allman
Derek had become an accomplished player, it was connection with Eric. Eric was this larger than
29

INTERVIEW
life character and Duane was closer to
home, and it kind of came crashing
together. So that album always held
a little bit of a mythical feel and, you
know, I was named after it, which
always carries a little weight too.” Add
to the mix the fact that Susan Tedeschi
was born the day the original album was
released - November 9th, 1970 - and
the sense of destiny surrounding this
live recording is palpable.
Derek explains what he and the band
wanted to capture: “I knew a little bit
of the backstory about Eric and the
Dominos being down in Miami - at
Criteria Studios - and the fact The
Allmans were in town playing a gig and
how it was kind of a whirlwind. So you
kind of approach it from that feeling of
knowing what a real collaboration feels
like and knowing what the excitement
is of getting to play with somebody
you’ve looked up to.”
The Tedeschi Trucks Band is a huge
collaborative force with twelve
members. The original record featured
- at most - six musicians. So finding
a space for everyone could easily have
been mishandled. However, the band is
30 adept at identifying and leaving spaces,
so, as Derek says, “When it’s time to get right
on it you just have extra gears.” Derek onstage with
Summing up its unique dynamic, he Tedeschi Trucks
adds, “It kind of operates smaller in
a sense where the drummers are really
thinking as a unit and the background Having taken on Duane Allman’s role departure, made all the more fitting
singers are thinking as a unit, so it feels in The Allman Brothers Band, Derek because the love story of Layla and
smaller and a little more like a sports approaches well-known lines and solos Majnun that inspired Clapton years
car than the size of it.” with a mix of familiarity, reverence earlier originates from Persian and
On this occasion, Derek brought in and creativity: “When I think back to Indian mythology.
two additional virtuoso guitarists: a certain solo of Duane’s, there’s a few Adept at mixing familiar scales with
Doyle Bramhall II and Trey Anastasio. melodies or moments that I just always Indian melodies, Derek explains:
In other hands, and to borrow Derek’s hear - they become part of the canon,” “I think really the best thing you can
automotive metaphor, having so many he says. “Those are the touchstones do is listen to that music until it’s just
guitarists on one stage could have ended that I feel like - especially if you’re doing second nature. Whether it’s Qawwali
up a car crash. In this instance, however, the material just one night - are worth or Indian classical, there’s so many
it truly feels like a joyride. Says Derek, placing there. Then once you have those different ragas out there - the scales
“It’s usually a bad idea to have four cornerstones, I feel like the most perfectly fit with a major pentatonic
guitar players on stage, that’s for sure! respectful thing to do is really play, or blues scale.” From a theoretical
But there was enough mutual respect improvise and make it breathe and perspective, not all the notes will fit all
for each other's playing that no one was make it come alive again.” the time, but he suggests, “You can
fighting for position or trying to prove A great example of this can be heard sneak little parts because some of the
anything.” There was no scope for in the band’s nine-minute rendition of Indian melodies ascending are one scale
poaching each other’s licks either: “I’m Layla. The familiar lines are there, but so and descending they’re another.”
in open tuning, Doyle’s upside down, too are Trucks’ trademark Indian- An avid listener as much as a player,
so no stealing each other’s patterns!” inspired inflections - a refreshing Derek emphasises a certain ‘you are
CAL FEEL
UM ALWAYS RHELDIT!” ADERMYTEKHITRUC
“THE LAYLA ALBNAM
- AND I WAS ED AFTE KS
DEREK TRUCKS
Museum, he became intrigued by a Les
Paul that had been brought in because
its owner thought it could be close to
Duane Allman’s iconic Gibson - maybe
from the same batch. It transpired that
said Gold Top was just one serial
number away.
Unable to let the opportunity of
owning the guitar slide, Derek explains,
“I sold a few instruments and ended up
grabbing that thing. I knew getting
a hold of one of Duane’s original
instruments was probably not on the
above cards. We’ve been very fortunate but
Derek And The we’re not bankers,” he laughs. “It’s
Dominos’ 1970 studio
album Layla And really the only over the top vintage
Other Assorted instrument I own like that but it feels
Love Songs important, it feels close to home and
it’s a great sounding guitar.”
A purist when it comes to tone, Derek
introduces very little in the way of
pedals to his live set-up: “I’d say 95 per
cent of the time it’s just guitar to amp.
Every once in a while I’ll put some type
of Tube Screamer in between but I end
up not using it all that much.” Instead
he relies on an Alessandro amp, which
he describes as “a cross between
a Dumble and the Fender sound.” He
explains, “When the amp is working 31
right and tuned-up right, it’s hard to
beat. There’s just something about
knowing there’s nothing in between,
and it’s just you and a few tubes
and speakers!”
what you eat’ mentality: “I think it’s revelation.” Up to that point, he says,
important the things you listen to. If you “I’d been listening to a lot of horn
think about the way athletes have to players - non-guitarists - thinking ‘it’s
think about everything they put into all melody’, but then when I heard that,
their body, as a musician - especially I thought ‘Oh yeah, you should really
if you’re improvising - it’s really be singing!’”
important what you listen to because As for the other tools of his trade,
when you’re playing and you’re in the Derek is rarely seen without a cherry red
moment, everything that you’ve heard Gibson SG, and for this performance, he
sneaks out at some point.” But he adds, reached for an old favourite: a reissue
laughing: “The bad stuff can sneak in of the 1961 SG that Allmans guitarist
too, so you gotta be careful!” Dickey Betts gave Duane Allman, called
When it comes to slide, Trucks is one the ‘Brother to Brother’. Says Derek,
of the most vocally expressive players “Duane’s daughter Galadrielle gave me
out there, and that little glass tube gives a version of it maybe ten years ago. It’s
him access to the in-between spots one of the lightest SGs I’ve ever played
otherwise off-limits due to the and it’s just a great feeling and sounding
delineations of the frets. Asked if he ever instrument. That’s my main guitar
thinks of himself as a singer that doesn’t unless I have a reason to play
happen to use his voice to sing with, he something else.”
laughs, “I try to think of it that way!” On this particular occasion, however,
Having been gifted an Aubrey Ghent there was a reason to bring in another
record while on the road with Govt. Mule guitar - a 1958 Les Paul Gold Top used on
in his teens, he recalls, “The first track the band’s storming rendition of Why
I heard was Amazing Grace, and for the Does Love Got To Be So Sad. The story
first five or ten seconds I really thought behind this instrument, as Derek puts it,
it was a woman singing until I heard is “pretty wild!” Following a call from
the pick noise. That was kind of the the owner of the Allman Brothers
Kim
ICON
Thayil
AS SOUNDGARDEN’S LEAD GUITARIST, KIM THAYIL’S HEAVY, DARK AND
Interview Amit Sharma
I
PSYCHEDELIC GROOVES SET THE TONE FOR ALT-ROCK. NOW, ON THE 30TH
ANNIVERSARY OF THE BAND’S CLASSIC ALBUM BADMOTORFINGER, HE REVEALS
32
THE ORIGINS OF HIS UNIQUE SOUND. HIS MOTTO: “I LIKE NOISE!”
n 1991, three albums by Seattle bands had a seismic effect on
the sound of rock music - Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s
Ten and Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger. Like punk before it,
grunge was a revolutionary force, and Soundgarden, the first
of those bands to sign to a major label, played a leading role
as architects of the ‘Seattle Sound’.
Badmotorfinger was the band’s third album and the first to
feature the classic line-up of Chris Cornell (vocals, rhythm tough to play. It is discouraging. It
guitar), Kim Thayil (lead guitar), Matt Cameron (drums) and will take you longer to learn those
Ben Shepherd (bass). It was also the heaviest of those three era-defining chords. You want something that
albums of 1991 – with Thayil delivering screaming leads and scorching riffs, will facilitate your learning and give
and combining altered tunings and odd-time meters into his own church you the rewards to encourage you
of psychedelic noise. to go on. The S-100 is the guitar
30 years on, as Thayil speaks to TG from his home in Seattle, his thoughts I bought when I was 18, and
are focused on the album that stands tall as the pinnacle of Soundgarden’s ultimately was the one I could afford
career - a career which ended, tragically, with the death of Chris Cornell in to buy. I had started playing a few
2017. Most of all, he remembers the fun that he and Cornell had working as years before that, when I was 15.
a two-guitar team. But in an hour-long Zoom call, the conversation turns So at that stage I was learning new
to all things six-string-related. techniques and getting better
gradually, as I was self-taught. But
First, he offers an apology. “I’ll try how an “affordable” guitar was I had to buy a guitar that I could
my best for you,” he grins from pivotal to his development as afford. And the Guild S-100, which
behind his white wizard-like beard. a self-taught player. I bought in ’77 or ’78, was pretty
“But I must admit, I fail to be on affordable. It only cost me $250,
a first-name basis with my gear. You’ll knowwhen you find the which was way less than a Les Paul
I can probably come up with the right instrument for you... or Strat. I think friends would have
general make and then the Unfortunately, I don’t think this directed me to those other guitars,
specifics somehow elude me!” advice is given to younger guitarists. but this one looked good – it was
Even so, he has plenty of sound Get something that feels good to black – and it was in good condition
y t t e G otohP
advice to pass on - beginning with play. Don’t buy a cheap guitar that’s with great action. When I picked it
KIM THAYIL
33

ICON
the markets. They may not have had
a factory production going, it may have
just been some demonstration models.
I guess they’d do it to bring product
awareness to their brand and different
lines. So these S-300s weren’t fully in
production and made for test markets.
Chris Cornell and Ben Shepherd really
liked the sound of those guitars, because
they were a bit beefier than the S-100.
They didn’t play the same way. The
strings didn’t move as much if I was to
bend behind the neck or tailpiece. They
played more like a regular electric guitar,
and didn’t have the weird feedback
thing. But it was a nice solid sustain
and very warm, which is why it ended
up in the set for certain songs.
Always go with what serves the
song best...
I played some Gibson ES-335s on [2012
comeback album] King Animal, but I was
kinda forced to. The band, the crew, the
producer... They all wanted me to have
other guitars in my rig for different
“I avoid fuzz boxes.

voicings. And that made sense. We’d
travel with a dozen or so guitars because
of all the different tunings. We tried it
34
They kill the dynamics”
the other way when we were goofy and
naive. We’d take a break in between
songs and change the tuning, which was
terribly demanding of the attention of
our audience! With techs and a bigger
up, I found that it was easy to play and weird noises with my guitar and my Above collection, you can swap guitars and
had a fast neck.” fretting hand adapted to that guitar, Thayilwith Soundgarden you’re ready to go in an alternate
with a slightly thinner neck and lower singer andguitarist tuning. So, get a Firebird, because you
Chris Cornell
Embrace the peculiarities of your action. I felt familiar and comfortable played it on this song so it works well
chosen instrument... with it. That’s how it came to be my there. I used a lot of Teles on the Down
There were things about the S-100 that main guitar. On The Upside tour. I don’t use them as
I didn’t fully understand. I didn’t really much anymore. Because of the bridge
know what distinguished it from a Les See what you can do with similar and how they’re made, they’re great for
Paul or a Strat. By learning on that models from the same series... standard tunings but I don’t find them
guitar, my style developed. It was how it I also started playing Guild S-300s, great for some open-tunings like C or G.
made me play and what it allowed me to which came with DiMarzio pickups. The Guilds stay in tune, that’s another
do. Weirdly it had a microphonic pickup, I was learning about how guitars got great thing. They come stock with
I could blow on the strings or talk into it that big, distorted sound – was it the Grover tuners, which hold up perfectly
and that would get picked up. amp or the instrument? I was led to for all the weird tunings we used.
Consequently, I would get this weird believe it was the guitar and perhaps
feedback and hum – which I would also the pickup. All these guitarists Thicken your guitar parts for
probably discourage, because the people I knew would talk about DiMarzios. So more motion...
you play with might not want to hear I saw this advert for an S-300, which I always liked using multiple guitar
your guitar screaming or humming looked a bit cooler than the S-100, tracks. Whatever I play, I like to double
away. But I did! So eventually that would a little more electric. And the ad said it it with another track, doing that on
become a component of what I’d do in came with the Guild pickups – just like different parts for colour. And then
Soundgarden. It seemed to voice really on my S-100, which I knew I already Chris started doing that, so it’s tough to
loudly beneath the bridge. There’s this liked – or two different DiMarzios, a PAF tell who is playing on that album. If you
good space between the bridge and in the neck and Super Distortion in the hear two guitars, both could me. Or
tailpiece where I can hit the strings and bridge. I thought it sounded like a cool a couple of me, and a couple of Chris.
strum it to get this ‘krring’. I noticed guitar and decided to get one. But Or one of me and one of Chris... Or even
I could do that on the headstock, though I never saw them in stores. I came five each! It would depend on the song.
y t t e G sotohP
some of my friends’ guitars didn’t do to learn that sometimes guitar There were a number of tracks that
that. I liked the fact I could make these manufacturers would run ads just to test Chris didn’t play on – usually the faster
songs or maybe a riff I wrote that was
more difficult for him to play. In those
cases, you might hear three or four
guitars and they’re all me. We liked
thickening parts so they were slightly
out of sync. That would bring a cool
motion to it. I heard Led Zeppelin doing
it and even some hardcore bands like
Minor Threat. And that made me think
about not making things perfectly
in-sync, and try to get two unique
performances that are naturally a little
bit out. It’s not the regular sweep of
a delay effect or modulation effect, it’s
an irregular sweep, which is a little bit
more trippy. I liked that a lot. I would
always insist on doing it!
Think hard about the right tempo
and feel for each riff...
Sometimes I naturally play behind the
beat, like on the track Outshined.
I definitely like playing that way. Matt Use extra gain only when you Think long and hard aboutwhat
[Cameron] was and is such a great need it... each pedal does to your tone...
drummer, he knew exactly how to Initially I didn’t use any overdrive or When you have a distortion or fuzz
direct and accent the groove towards distortional pedals in the band, back pedal it changes the character of your
my playing style. I always liked dragging when I was the sole guitarist. I only guitar, which is why I prefer not to
the beat. It sounded a bit heavier when started when we had began using two use them. Some bands – like
being on the beat could be too guitars. If Chris was playing, I’d use the Mudhoney, for example – love fuzz
mechanical and stiff to my ears. gain or boost just for solo sections or pedals. I find them limiting, they 35
Producers like it when you’re on the other colours I would add. When it was compress and limit things. You end
beat, they like to encourage that because just bass and drums behind me, I didn’t up taking a lot of dynamics out, and
it makes them look good, like they know need that. I’d just start soloing and there a lot of our riffs were very dynamic-
what they’re doing. They also don’t like would be nothing else framing me or oriented. That was our interpretation
noise, because that’s how they constraining me. When there’s another and mood for when playing live. The
represent their skills as an engineer. guitar in there, if it’s a linear note it’s expression and expressiveness was
Unfortunately, I like all those noises less constraining. If it’s a chord, it will important to how we played the song
[laughs]. I like disassembling the things limit the frame in which I play – the and interpreted it. That might have
they want to assemble. Noise and Below sounds start competing so to cut swung from day to day. I like those
playing behind the beat are both things Kim with his through I’d add the gain. I didn’t try out dynamics – going from loud to soft,
we would do and I will probably instantly-recognisable lots of pedals or anything. I knew what total aggression to something more
continue to do. Guild S-100 I wanted to change over the years but fluid. Distortion and fuzz pedals
when I found what I needed, I’d often kinda ruined that, they squished
stick with that. On more recent tours it’s everything into a box and killed the
been the MXR CAE Boost/Overdrive. dynamics. It also created a tone that
Back in the day, it was an Ibanez Tube overshot what you get out of your
Screamer. And the stereo chorus was fingers and guitar. Eventually I found
Ibanez, too, the lavender-coloured one. I had more range without fuzz. If you
So yeah, it was purple and green for me! get 10 players using the same fuzz
I also tried a bass distortion that was box with the same settings, it’s going
designed by Paul Barker from Ministry, to hard to distinguish who is who.
he gave me a couple of these pedals Unlike synthesizers, which totally
I ended up using for my guitar. They had kill the element of attack and
the coolest screaming sound but I just dynamics to the point of making
kept blowing them, they’d last for two a two year-old and concert pianist
shows and then die so I’d have to get sound the same, the guitar is a real
another one. So, in the end, I started musical instrument that allows
sticking to mainly boosts. I like the for own interpretation and
tone of the guitar and my fingers. I still expressiveness. Which is why I avoid
wanted gain and to sound heavy, but fuzz boxes. I don’t need them to
I didn’t want to lose the personality... create a tone or sound. I basically
Or lack of personality, may I add, in need more volume and a bit
my sound. more gain at times.
ICON
faster one for the verses and was very
happy with it.
Try using about your wah more like an
envelope filter or EQ shift...
I used my Cry Baby for Rusty Cage to help
change the colour and timbre of the
song. I guess the opening part has a bit
of an Eastern feel, which is the kind of
sound I had picked up from The Beatles
and Led Zeppelin. Interestingly, it was
a sound we all liked – Chris loved The
Beatles too. Live on stage, sometimes
I might have gotten bored and I might
have moved my wah more. But generally
A
I like keeping it up and open, and then
leaving it there. Sometimes I might
slowly move it as the song flows, just to
get a 360 effect. It’s my flat impression
ALTERED TUNINGS
s the primary innovators of the ‘Seattle Sound’,
of a Leslie, I guess [laughs]! a lot of the dropped-D riffs associated with
the movement had a direct connection to
Write songs that celebrate your Soundgarden. Their love for altered tunings
weirdness... stretched much further than that, however, such as
If you listen to Badmotorfinger, you might standard with the low E dropped to B, the all Es and
notice there are so many distinct feels Bs of My Wave and The Day I Tried To Live, as well as
across the record – different Badmotorfinger’s Mind Riot – which was played on
interpretations of the heavy, dark and guitars strung exclusively to E. “I believe it came from
psychedelic things we liked in music.
a conversation Chris had with [Pearl Jam bassist] Jeff
Ament,” Thayil commented in 2013. “Jeff said to Chris,
“We liked
I really like Room A Thousand Years Wide ‘Hey man, wouldn’t it be crazy if someone did a song
36 because it’s solid, heavy, repetitive and where every string was tuned to E?’ Well, that wasn’t
thickening
insistent. I like the psychedelic a completely uncommon tuning. It was done well before
components of Searching With My Good us. But Chris was like, ‘That would be weird!’ And he
Eye Closed. I’m really drawn to that. And came up with Mind Riot. But I think Jeff had said
parts so
it as a joke...”
T
out of the singles, I liked Jesus Christ Pose
the most because of its manic-ness. It
THE MIXOLYDIAN SCALE
they were
sounds like a race car or train that’s gone
out of control or off the rails... It’s just hayil’s appreciation of the Mixolydian scale,
slightly
trying to hang onto itself. I like that side often employed to give his parts an uplifting
of it. That song has wild elements but at and psychedelic feel, is one that can be traced
back to The Beatles. Their music was popular
out of
the same time it’s very precise. The
drum parts are challenging and there’s with his parent’s generation, he explains, noting how he
a very fast, rhythmic demand on the came to appreciate the Fab Four’s Eastern-inspired
sync” guitar, and yet it sounds like it’s experimentations in his teenage years. “I was instantly
spinning out of control. responsive to those cool rock grooves on Taxman and
Day Tripper,” he tells TG. “But as I got older, I started to
Pay close attention to your song appreciate the Eastern and Indian influences, some of
arrangements... which I’d learned from my parents and various relatives.
Don’t automatically dismiss Rusty Cage is probably one of the coolest
The song Love You To, for example, felt kinda scary – the
backward guitar was heavy, insistent and a little bit
digital gear... arrangements we’ve ever done. I’m so frightening. It created this sense of unease that was
Before Black Hole Sun, I was mainly proud of Chris for writing that one. very psychedelic, which is what we would try to do in
using chorus as my modulation. After That is the most risky and courageous Soundgarden – mixing atmosphere with danger.”
I
Superunknown came out, I swapped in arrangement. The song doesn’t repeat
a Rotovibe to try and simulate the Leslie
cabinet heard on the recording. But
in a traditional arrangement. Chris had
this lean towards radio-friendly writing.
ROTARY SOUNDS
actually, over the last 10 years or so, He’d write songs that pushed the f you’re hoping to recreate the psychedelic
I’ve been using a digital approximation envelope. They were uneasy, they modulation employed on Black Hole Sun without
instead of an actual Rotovibe. I wish weren’t formulaic, but they would
needing to carry a Leslie cabinet around with you,
it might be worth investing in a pedal to simulate
I could remember which one it is, address an arrangement that might be the motion of moving speaker cones. Some of the best
my guitar tech just said, ‘Try this - go good for radio. Rusty Cage is not that! It available today include the Pulse by Dawner Prince
between setting A for fast and setting goes from one place to another hooky (who count David Gilmour, John Mayer and Steve
B for slow!’ And I was like, ‘Alright, this guitar riff that isn’t established in the Stevens among their famous users), the Neo Mini Vent
II (favoured by Paul Gilbert, Steven Wilson and Simon
y t t e G sotohP
works!’ So for Black Hole Sun, I’d use verse or the chorus... It’s brilliant.
a slow setting for the choruses and the I love how it switches groove. McBride), the Strymon Lex and the Boss RT-20.
MODES
MADE EASY
Mystified by modes? Muddled by Mixolydian and
lost your love for Locrian? Join TG as we delve
into these exciting worlds of sound that will
inject character into your solos, riffs and songs
M odes are often misunderstood
because we jump into the theory
too quickly. They are just scales,
like the major and natural minor
(in fact, these two well-known
scales have modal names too, as you’ll
you can use them to enhance your lead playing,
riffs, songs – well, anything! Remember, we
can use notes from scales to make chords, so
chord progressions derived from modes bring
their unique sounds into play.
In this feature, we take a ‘G’ root, and explore
discover below). each mode starting on the G. Each mode has
So, why bother with modes at all? Well, they a different sound that lends itself to different
each have a unique sound, and, once familiar, styles and moods. The rest is up to you!
G IONIAN MODE
CHEAT SHEET… O O G chord A D G B E G Ionian mode
Notes G A B C D E F# This open chord shape
has a G and D on the
The Ionian mode and
the major scale are the
Intervals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 first and second
C same! It’s a case of two
Character Bright, happy 1 strings, which gives it names for the same
Chords Major, major 7 a bright, strong sound. B E A F# thing. The notes and
Hear it Tom Petty – Free 2 3 4 Play the chord,and then
G C D G
intervals correlate, so G
Fallin’ [F Ionian] learn the scale in the is 1, A is 2, B is 3, C is 4,
next box. The numbers and so on.
here tell you which F#
fingers to use – they’re
not intervals!
G G Ionian mode
G IONIAN LICK TRACK 14
q=75
# Gœ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œ œ œ œ œ w
let ring let ring
T 2 4
3 1 0
2 0 2 4 2 [2] 0 0
4
B
segam I y t t e G otohP
This lick uses the open strings and fretted notes from the scale shape (plus an extra 4th fret B on the third string). Be sure to let the notes ring over each other where
shown in the tab for a lush Americana sound!

G DORIAN MODE
CHEAT SHEET… Gm7 chord G Dorian mode
Notes G A Bb C D E F 1 1 1 1 Barre your finger at the This shape explores the
Intervals 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 31 3rd fret, making sure 2 E A neck a little higher up
Character Sweet but moody you find a position that than our Ionian shape.
allows all the strings G C F Bb D G Make a note of which
Chords Minor 7, minor 6 to ring clearly. Minor 7 intervals are different
Hear it Pink Floyd – Breathe 3 chords have a mellow to the Ionian mode
(In The Air) [E Dorian] quality perfect for – the B and F# in
Dorian mode A D G C E A Ionian are lowered by
progressions. We’ll a semitone to Bb and
use the same chord Bb F Bb F to make the
when wereachthe Dorian mode.
Gm7 Aeolian mode. G Dorian mode
G DORIAN LICK TRACK 15
3
e=101 q =q q
Gm7
6 œ œ. ‰ ≈ œ œ œ œ n œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
. œ œ œ œ bœ œ ˙~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 BU ( 6) BD ( 5 ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 6 5 BU
A 3 3
3 5
3 5 (6) 5 3
B
This slow 6/8 blues-rock line makes use of the characteristic Dorian sound, evoking Pink Floyd. We have climbed up the neck to 2nd position and are using all four fingers,
so practise this one carefully!
39
G PHRYGIAN MODE
CHEAT SHEET… Abmaj7#11/G chord G Phrygian mode
Notes G Ab Bb C D Eb F 31 1 1 This is a bit of a complex
3 G C F Bb D G This is a minor scale,
Intervals 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 one! If the full chord is but the second degree
Character Dark, unsettled too much to start, just Ab Eb Ab is always flattened,
work on the four high thus placing it
Chords Minor, or major built 2 3 strings. This will give you D G C a semitone away from
on the b2 (eg, Abmaj/G) the Abmaj7#11 sound. the rootrather than
Hear it Megadeth – Symphony a tone. This gives that
4 Bb Eb Ab F Bb minor but slightly
Of Destruction [E Phrygian] darker sound! Compare
it to the Aeolian mode
on p41.
Abmaj#11/G G Phrygian mode
G PHRYGIAN LICK TRACK 16
q= 80
#
A b maj7 11/G A b maj7 #11 b 7 #11
~~~~~~~~~~~ œA majw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‰. œ bœ œ œ œ.
/G
b
& b œ. œ œ. œ bœ œ œ œ
~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 3 5
6 6 8
7
5 5 6 5 3 5 6
B
Mysterious and exotic-sounding, this Phrygian lick is perfect for those epic half-time heavy metal moments!

G LYDIAN MODE X O
CHEAT SHEET… Gsus2 chord G Lydian mode
Notes G A B C# D E F# The sus2 chord has The Lydian mode is
Intervals 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 a nice ‘open’ quality to 2 B E A C# F# a major scale with
Character Bright, unsettled it, which is perfect for a raised 4th. This gives
1 the Lydian mode.Take G D G it a wistful and hopeful
Chords Major, major 7#11 care to mute the fifth quality – once you get
Hear it Joe Satriani – Flying 2 3 4 string under your C# F# B used to its sound you
In A Blue Dream [C Lydian] second finger. will hear it in abundance
A D G E A in film scores!
Gsus2 G Lydian mode

G LYDIAN LICK TRACK 17
q= 60
~~~~
# Gsusœ 2 œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ # œ w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2
~~~~ BD
PB2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 3 2 2 3 5 3 5 (3) (2)
A 4
5
4 4
B
1
Watch out for the pre-bend in this example, which spices up the technique a bit. This is quite an expressive line, so be sure to keep your vibrato smooth and even.
40
G MIXOLYDIAN MODE
CHEAT SHEET… G7sus4chord G Mixolydian mode
Notes G A B C D E F 31 1 1 1 This is a nice Beatles-
esque chord, and has 2 B E A Though played in a
differentfret position,
Intervals 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 a bluesy but unresolved this mode is very similar
Character Bright but bluesy sound. Make sure your G C F D G to the Ionian. In fact,
Chords Major, dominant 7 barre finger is in a good the onlydifference is
Hear it Free – All Right Now 3 4 position so all the B that Mixolydian mode
[A Mixolydian] stringsring clearly. has a flattened 7th,
To resolve the chord, A D G C E A which creates a more
bring the note on the bluesier sound.
third string (a C note) F
down a semitone to
G7sus4 a B, and you have a G7
barre chord. G Mixolydian mode
G MIXOLYDIAN LICK TRACK 18
q=107
G 7sus 4
& # nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ ˙ gg n www
gw
let ring
let ring
0 1
T 1 3
gg 100
A 3
0 2 4 [4 ] 2 0
3
2
B
This lick is typical of 60s psychedelia-inspired indie rock, making the most of the open strings for a true ‘jangle’ effect! The final chord is another voicing for G7sus4
– notice how it blends with the other guitar part on the backing track.

G AEOLIAN MODE
CHEAT SHEET… Gm7 chord G Aeolian mode
Notes G A Bb C D Eb F 31 1 1 1 Minor 7 chords have A You may have come
Intervals 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 a warm quality which 2 across the natural
are great for lots of G C F Bb D G minor scale. The Aeolian
Character Wistful, moody different styles of mode is the modal
Chords Minor, minor 7 music, especiallysoul description fornatural
Hear it Judas Priest – Breaking 3 4 and blues. You will need Eb minor, and is very useful
The Law to make sure that for creatingmellow
the barre finger is A D G C A lines over all kinds of
positioned comfortably music.
as the only other fretted Bb Eb F Bb
note is on the A string!
Gm9 G Aeolian mode
G AEOLIAN LICK TRACK 19
q=70
œ œ. œ. œ œ ≈ œ œ~~~~~œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ~~~~~~w
9
b Gmadd
Œ ‰.
6 3 5
~~~~~ ~~~~~~
T 6 6 3 4 [4] 3 3
5 3 3 0
B
This is a soul/blues line, and you will find these sorts of ideas helpful if you are looking for a way to expand your minor pentatonic lead ideas. Try experimenting with the
slides and pull offs to get creative over this backing track, and don’t forget to use the scale for your own ideas!
41
G LOCRIAN MODE X X X
CHEAT SHEET… G diminished chord G Locrian mode
Notes G A b Bb C Db Eb F Diminished chords have
a verymenacingquality 3 G C F Bb G Compare this to the
Phrygian mode and it
Intervals 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 – perfect for metal or becomes easier to
Character Unsettled, 1 tense film soundtracks! Ab Db Eb Ab remember, the only
menacing, difficult to use This is a moveable difference being in
Chords Diminished, or major 2 3 shape – you can take it G C Locrian that the fifth
built on the b2 (eg, Abmaj/G) three frets higher up degree of the scale
Hear it The Strokes – Juicebox the neck again and Bb Eb Ab Db F Bb is also flattened.
again and you will have
[E Locrian in bass riff] the same chord in
a differentvoicing.
Gdim G Locrian mode
G LOCRIAN LICK TRACK 20
q=70
G 5/A b G 5/A b
G5
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~G5 ~~~ ~~~F5 ~~~~~~G5
& bb œ b œ œ œ œ œ . b œ. œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ b œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ PM
~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~
T 3 5 3
4
6 5 5 3 3 5
5 6 3 5 5 6 6 6 6 5
B 4
There is some tricky fingering here, due to the strange scale tones! Make sure your legato and vibrato techniques are secure, and be patient with this mode. It’s probably
the trickiest to work with but can sound incredible when used effectively!

COVER FEATURE
JOHN MAYER
GUITAR SUPERSTAR
A TG SPECIAL, FEATURING
44 The Player 60 Dead & Company
An in-depth profile of an A journey of discovery
extraordinary career
62 “I saw social media going wild”
50 Sob Rock How YouTuber Mary Spender beat
A track by track guide to his slick Mayer to the punch with her
new album version of his song
52 The Connoisseur 64 The Shapeshifter
A rundown of Mayer's most Mayer’s key collaborations, from
significant guitars, amps and blues to hip-hop and beyond
pedals
65 Behind the scenes at PRS
58 “You can’t take the guitar Designing the Silver Sky
playing out of me”
John Mayer in his own words 66 Mayer’s trademark techniques
Learn the tricks and techniques
of John's playing style

Player
COVER FEATURE
Words Grant Moon Photos Getty Images
44 Inspired by Stevie RayVaughan and feted by Clapton, John Mayer is

one of the most gifted guitarists of the modern era. He also knows
how to the play the fame game - from craftingpop hits and
I
collaborating with fellow A-listers to teasing his new album
via TikTok. This is his story: the makingof a guitar superstar...
n March 2021, when John Mayer phrasing of great blues singers. Others take just dip a toe in the mainstream, he
used TikTok to preview a snippet more skill to implement – such as choosing cannonballed straight into it.
of Last Train Home - the flagship notes within your solo that imply the chord This modern-day guitar virtuoso/vocalist/
single from his new album Sob changes behind it – while his most advanced songwriter has three US Billboard No.1 albums
Rock - it was a typically smart musical philosophy has echoed down the under his belt, can fill arenas across the world,
move. Since the prehistoric age ages through countless other great guitarists: and is also regularly invited to cameo with some
of MySpace, Mayer has always “Practise thinking from the idea first,” he of modern music’s most recognisable stars:
embraced social media. He’s advises, “instead of what the guitar offers you.” Sheeran, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys; he’s even dated
a shrewd guy who knows the game, and in his To be a true musician, then, think beyond your some of them, notably Taylor Swift and Katy
two decades of stardom he’s accrued 5.2 million scale boxes and your muscle memory – hear the Perry. And he’s not afraid to shower irony-free
followers on Instagram, 1.4 million on Twitter melody in your head first and play that. All the praise on Justin Bieber for his melodic gifts, or
and 1.2 million on TikTok. Clearly, his global while tap your foot in time and imagine the on Dua Lipa for her rhythmic hooks. But while
fanbase stretches far beyond the guitar chord progression, the band, behind you. he has an eye on the poppier realm, it’s telling
community. But dig down – past the meme- That’s what Mayer does, and things have that Mayer was also speed-dial buddies with
friendly videos of his dogs swimming in his worked out nicely for him. Apple’s Steve Jobs – because this talented,
pool, the pastel-shaded, 80s-vibe promo shots His 2001 debut album Room For Squares went handsome, successful guy is also a bit of a nerd.
for Sob Rock, and the numerous photos of celeb five times platinum in the US and earned him Along with his geeky passion for watches,
friends such as Ed Sheeran, Herbie Hancock the first of his seven Grammys to date. It also design and fashion, his fastidious, obsessive
and Barbra Streisand – and you’ll find some introduced the world to an unusual talent, nature is evident in his detailed posts about
videos in which he offers sage advice on someone who straddles the camps of guitar playing - and his massive guitar
the art of guitar. commercial pop and also blues/rock music collection. He can happily expound on the
Some tips are immediately practical: don’t like no other modern star. With his pop savvy, relative merits of different six-strings, cables
start your solo too high or you’ll have nowhere his smooth, pillow-talk vocal style and Johnny and amps, right down to the attributes of
to go; to play great blues guitar listen to the Depp-level movie star looks, Mayer didn’t certain tube brands. He was hands-on at the
JOHN MAYER
Fender Custom Shop for the
production of his beloved
‘Black1’, the Relic Strat strapped
to him on the cover of his 2003 US
No.1 album, Heavier Things. Ten
years later and about to embark on his first
tour with remaining members of the Grateful
Dead, he approached luthier Paul Reed Smith
to make him a guitar. Mayer went to the PRS
factory personally and sifted through every
pickup, neck and component, in the quest
for the exact right tool for the job.
And just as he will gladly join those A-listers
of pop, rap and RnB, Mayer’s equally
comfortable ripping it up with legends of the
blues, such as BB King, Buddy Guy and Eric
Clapton. “He’s a master,” Clapton said of
Mayer recently. ‘His facility is phenomenal.
I don’t think he even knows how good he is.”
It was the blues that got him into all this.
Born in 1977, Mayer grew up in Fairfield,
Connecticut. As a child of the 80s he was
welded to MTV, soaking up all the slickly
produced, deftly played soft rock, yacht-rock,
MOR and AOR the new-fangled channel could
offer. Among the artists soundtracking his
youth were Clapton (in his shoulder-padded
pomp, enjoying a renaissance with hit albums
August and Journeyman) plus Toto, The Police,
Huey Lewis & The News, Phil Collins 45
(in Genesis and solo), Elton John
and Steve Winwood.
When Mayer was 13, a friend gave him
a mixtape featuring the blistering Texas blues
of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, and
he was hooked. Vaughan’s MTV-friendly image
and rocky take on the blues offered a perfect
entry point into that world for a white teenager
from the suburbs, and opened the door to Jimi
Hendrix, Cream/Bluesbreakers-era Clapton,
Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Robert Cray and the
three Kings – BB, Albert and Freddie.
His dad rented him an acoustic guitar from
a local music store and he took lessons. He
played obsessively, emulating his heroes, soon
learning the language of the blues on his first
electric, a Squier Strat. His teenage power trio,
Another Roadside Attraction, played amped-up
blues covers à la SRV, and by the time his next
group, Villanova Junction, was playing dances
at Fairfield High School circa ’96, he had saved
enough to buy himself a Stevie Ray Vaughan
Signature Strat, his main axe for years.
Landing a place at the prestigious Berklee
College Of Music, he looked around and no
longer hankered to be the best guitarist in the
room, and realised he didn’t want to make
music just for the enjoyment of other
musicians. His ambitions were to
reach a wider audience, and
he worked hard on his
songwriting, heavily
inspired by the
COVER FEATURE
meaningful, modern-classic approach with horns, loops and synths, and at the time Mayer was coming of age
of the brilliant singer-songwriter and Mayer’s Strat more to the fore – the as a player. He formed his own trio,
pianist Ben Folds. Speaking to Oxford chiming intro chords of Something Else, completed by virtuoso drummer/
Union years later, Mayer said of Folds: choppy rhythm of New Deep; the notably producer Steve Jordan and Welsh bass
“He made songwriting feel so exciting gutsy solos on country-like ballad Come great Pino Palladino. Having supported
to me. I said, ‘Stop everything – I want Back To Bed and soft rocker Only Heart. The Rolling Stones during their A Bigger
to be able to put that much personality These early records only hinted at Bang tour, the John Mayer Trio released
into music through songwriting’.” Mayer’s deep skill and ear for blues- their electric live album, Try! – recorded
Mayer barely lasted a year before infused electric guitar, but during his at the Chicago House Of Blues. Opener
ditching his studies to try his luck on first major tours critics and fans alike Who Did You Think I Was blended Mayer’s
the coffee shop/club circuit in Atlanta soon realised he was a serious player. songwriting smarts and the rhythmic,
as one half of Lo-Fi Masters, with fellow Word spread, and guest slots soon came neck-pickup blues fire learned from
Berklee dropout Clay Cook. With Mayer with artists such as Buddy Guy, BB King, Vaughan. Along with a read of hit-to-be
strong-minded and intent on pursuing Derek Trucks and one of Mayer’s Gravity and his Grammy-winning,
a pop/popular course, he split from songwriting heroes, Paul Simon. crowd-pleasing waltz-time ballad
Cook and gigged relentlessly to establish Such cameos would pepper his whole Daughters, the trio gave a funky,
a solo career, plugging in his Martin career, and whether trading licks with full-bore cover of Wait Until Tomorrow
OM-28 acoustic alone on Atlanta’s Guy, King or, later, Clapton, the rising (from Mayer’s favourite Hendrix album,
small stages, fostering his fanbase, guitarist lapped up every opportunity Axis: Bold As Love) and Ray Charles’ I Got
shrewdly encouraging his followers to to learn from his heroes. “When you’re A Woman (newly popular thanks to
spread the word by sharing his songs on on the same stage as they are,” he once Kanye West sampling it on his Gold
Napster. He went viral, and when real observed, “and in the same moment, Digger, a global hit that year).
success came, it came fast. His self- it’s such an unbelievable lesson in The trio toured North America, Mayer
released 1999 EP Inside Wants Out led to a what to do when.” loving the space the three-man format
showcase gig at South By Southwest His credibility and confidence afforded him. With Jordan and Palladino
Festival, he subsequently signed his received a major boost in 2004, when he both masters of their instruments, the
record deal with Aware, a sub-label of was invited to join Guy, King, Jeff Beck, guitarist had to raise his game. He found
Columbia Records, and in 2001 – a mere JJ Cale, Steve Vai and other big names on himself playing at the peak of his own
five years after he bought that SRV Strat the bill of Clapton’s all-star Crossroads abilities, and occasionally surpassing
46 – Room For Squares set him on his Guitar Festival in Dallas, Texas. And that them. He was growing, and after the
present, stellar course. year, a new member of his crew would dizzying, vertical lift-off of his career,
It’s easy to underestimate the musical bring him even closer to his childhood was learning to be open to musical
intelligence and taste at work beneath hero, the man whose three initials he discovery again: “The trio opened up
Mayer’s brand of radio-friendly has tattooed on his left shoulder. that part of my brain I was waiting on,
pop-rock. The relatively conventional René Martinez had been Stevie Ray that next phase in my mind.”
Your Body Is A Wonderland was the Vaughan’s guitar tech from 1985 until Completed in the trio’s afterglow and
breakout hit (384 million Spotify hits the guitarist’s tragic death in 1990. 13 produced by Jordan, 2006’s double
and counting), but Room For Squares also years later, he was working with Carlos Grammy-winning Continuum benefitted
features Neon, a great example of the Santana and on the verge of retirement from the newly acquired maturity in
fingerstyle technique that’s one of the when a producer mentioned this Mayer’s playing, with the electric guitar
powerful weapons in Mayer’s arsenal hotshot new guitarist doing the rounds, – and those blues and soul influences
(redeployed regularly, notably on fan and Martinez was subsequently offered – more prominent in the mix. Along
favourites Stop This Train and Who Says). a job tech’ing for Mayer at just a few with the accomplished, light-touch
With his OM-28’s low-E tuned to shows. When the veteran engineer cover of Hendrix’s Bold As Love, he
C and the other strings standard, he heard the twentysomething play at played soulful pentatonic lines on three
fingers Neon’s oddly-voiced Cm/E b /Fm/ soundcheck he was genuinely blown classic entries to his catalogue: the
A b /Bb chords with his huge fret-hand away. He delayed his retirement and studio version of Gravity (over 250
thumb over the top to fret the bass went on to tech for Mayer for the next million Spotify hits thus far), Waiting On
notes. His right hand uses a twist on 15 years, until finally hanging up his The World To Change (259 million) and –
the clawhammer picking technique: soldering iron in 2019. “John is a true with its mellow, minor-key harmony
thumb and forefinger pick the notes guitar player,” Martinez once said, guitar hook – the romantic Slow Dancing
alternately, the thumb’s percussive and he knows one when he hears one. In A Burning Room (304 million, and
slap on the low C giving the song its “He’s one of those guys who has a lot climbing – these are Sheeran-level
propulsive rhythm. It’s a remarkable of respect for me and vice versa. I know stats). The film of the Continuum tour,
musical and physical feat, and my guitars so well and he knows that 2008’s Where The Light Is: Live In Los
a technique that has seeped into the I do. He just lets me at it.” When asked Angeles featured three sets – acoustic,
modern acoustic player’s lexicon. on Twitter in 2017 what he did to new trio, full band – and showed the
As influential as it’s been, Neon is guitars as soon as he got them, Mayer strength of Mayer’s growth across
hard to emulate well. “Having giant simply replied, “I hand them to René. the board, in less than a decade.
thumbs helps,” Mayer wrote dryly, It’s not my guitar till he touches it.” By comparison, 2009’s Battle Studies
when later tabbing the song. By 2005, one of those guitars was was relatively restrained, but the
His first US No.1, second album the Fender John Mayer Signature guitarist’s fire burned through in parts.
Heavier Things had a broader palette, Stratocaster, a real moment of arrival As with the simple lines and Neon-style
JOHN MAYER
picking of Continuum’s The Heart Of Life, guitar highlights abounded, too: the below Born And Raised (2012) saw Mayer
Friends, Lovers Or Nothing evoked the gorgeous slide solo on sad, simple Performing onstage change tack again, delving into the
at the Bourbon And
sounds of another early influence, the All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye; bluesy Beyond Music dusk-dappled 70s Americana of Laurel
Beatles’ George Harrison. To the popular major-pentatonic blues of Perfectly Festival in 2018 Canyon. Crosby, Stills & Nash and Neil
audience, the album is best known for Lonely and that cheeky picking Young were notable influences. David
its memorable hit single Heartbreak masterclass, Who Says. Crosby and Graham Nash even sang
Warfare and Half Of My Heart, Mayer’s Such tasteful acoustic playing was on the title track, and with its lyrical
smooth, Fleetwood Mac-worthy duet a cornerstone of his next US No.1 album reference to Young’s classic LP After
with then-girlfriend, Taylor Swift. But Exquisitely co-produced by Don Was, The Gold Rush, Queen Of California’s
“IT’S ALL FEELINGENOW. I

JUST KNOW WHER MAYEIT IS.
IT’S VERY JEDI” JOHN R
47
COVER FEATURE
downhome, bluegrassy motif
– a fingerstyle, mixolydian-
flavoured riff around a B7 chord.
The echoes here of JJ Cale’s
nice ’n’ easy vibe continued on
follow-up Paradise Valley. Along
with a spot-on cover of Cale’s
classic Call Me The Breeze, Mayer
cooked up tasty harmony slide
parts (Waiting On The Day), sparse
and soulful soloing (Paper Doll),
with vocal turns from his
then-partner Katy Perry (duet
Who You Love) and neo-soul star
Frank Ocean (Wildfire). To gauge
the sheer scale of his success and
connection with an audience by
this point, search ‘John Mayer
Dear Marie Rock In Rio 2013’
on YouTube.
Coming in 2017, his third US
No.1 album, The Search For
Everything, was one of his most
eclectic, a quasi-concept piece
broaching everything from
Mayer’s standard uptown soft
rock (three-chord hit Love On The
Weekend – G, C and the occasional
D spun into radio gold), to You’re
Going To Live Forever In Me
– a charming, melancholy spin
on Randy Newman’s child-friendly,
adult-complex music for the Toy Story up a friendship with Weir after a TV Above On Sob Rock’s none-more-80s,
movies. In one interview while touring show, and was invited to join the ranks Mayer at a 2018 pastel-tone cover, Mayer – jacket
the album, Mayer gave an eloquent, of Dead & Company, touring the Dead’s iHeartRadio LIVE sleeves rolled up, lit by soft sunlight
session playing his
revealing insight into what actually music across the US. Given Garcia’s signature Martin through slatted blinds – is
occurs in the mind of an elite guitarist standing, Mayer was initially worried OM-28JM acoustic brandishing his PRS Silver Sky, in
while soloing: “Streams of about the reception he’d get from the the kind of pose grunge supposedly
possibilities – shapes, what’s where fans, and whether he’d be able to adapt did away with back in the 90s. The
and where does it go. I’ve done it so his own style and keep up. “It would Silver Sky’s all over this record,
long now that a lot of that data has take six guitarists to accomplish what a lovingly rendered homage to the
dissolved and it’s all feeling now. Garcia did,” he said later. “You really MTV soft-rock he grew up on. The
I just know where it is. It’s very Jedi.” have to think on your feet in a number guitar’s prominent on heavily trailed
All of Mayer’s Force powers are of axes at the same time.” But Weir had lead single Last Train Home, whose
required for his ongoing gig alongside confidence in him, and Mayer took on 80s tone owes much to the presence
guitarist Bob Weir and other members the challenge. Dead & Company’s first of Toto regulars Greg Phillinganes
of legendary US psychedelic rockers, 2015 run was a success and they’ve (keyboards) and Lenny Castro
the Grateful Dead. Their catalogue of gigged every year since. (percussion). And if there was ever
live recordings is large, and larger yet Garcia’s distinctive mid-range, any question that Mayer had fallen
is their reputation for long, raggedly middle-pickup sound owed much on the wrong side of pastiche, Steve
glorious extemporisations drawing to ‘Wolf’, his custom-made Alembic Lukather himself took to the star’s
on rock, blues, jazz and country. Lead guitar, and with this in mind Mayer Instagram to offer his own view:
guitarist and singer Jerry Garcia, who reached out to Paul Reed Smith “Killer new track, John,’ he wrote.
died in 1995, remains a musical icon personally to collaborate on a model “Great tasty playing as always, I
and cultural figurehead to legions of he could use for the Dead gig. They think it sounds like you”. Lukather
Deadheads across the world, to whom came up with the PRS Super Eagle got it, as usual. The whole of Sob Rock
the band’s music is sacrosanct. – an ultra high-end, boutique sounds like Mayer. The lulling voice.
Mayer had long loved their concert instrument (only 100 ever made). The confessional, catchy songs. The
regular Althea, with its languid groove, The equally exclusive Super Eagle beautifully performed guitar parts.
and hypnotically repetitive Bm/A/E II followed in 2017, and his good The sheer level of style and detail.
verse, particularly the snatchy, woozy experience with Smith led to the It’s all down to the fastidiousness
recording cut live at Nassau Coliseum production of Mayer’s current and nerd energy that has powered
in 1980. Over 20 years later, he struck weapon of choice. Mayer’s extraordinary career.
JOHN MAYER
“THE TRIO OPENED UP THAT

PART OF MY BRAIN I PHASWAS
WAITING ON, THAT NEXTMAYER E
IN MY MIND” JOHN
49

I ❤
COVER FEATURE
The 80s
Words Grant Moon
A track-by-track guide to the slick sounds and

classy guitar playing on Mayer’s new album,
Sob Rock...
Last Train Home Shot In The Dark
This slick, catchy opener sets the album’s 80s MTV’ This glossy mid-tempo track is packed with synth,
tone beautifully - with a synth sound reminiscent echoing piano and – with gentle guitar joining in
of Toto’s 1982 hit Africa. Mayer peppers the main, – an instrumental hook around the song’s main
E-major riff (A/E/A/E/B/E/A) with both funky/ sequence of D/G/D/Em7/Bm7/A/G. Mayer’s
bluesy minor and major pentatonic licks, his nuanced lead playing includes triumphant,
processed tone – light chorus, tubey gain, gentle reverb-heavy sliding notes, and one funky-assed
slapback – evoking that of Clapton in the late-80s. line repeated over the outro.
Shouldn’t Matter But It Does Guess I Just Feel Like
With one F-bomb spiking its reflective mood, this A world-weary Mayer reflects on our modern,
bittersweet ballad sees the troubadour squarely in post-truth landscape with this high-class,
his wheelhouse. The mild synth strings and sparse low-tempo ballad. Shades of The Joshua Tree-era U2
pianos are given movement by the bass, drums and here – plaintive falsetto ‘oohs’ and Edge-y chords
acoustic guitar, which strums the verse’s main I/iii/ – the mid-song solo is restrained yet packed with
vi/IV progression (E/G#m/C#m/A), while laconic feel, and over the long B/A/E outro we get tasty,
electric arpeggios enter on the song’s slow fade. B-blues licks that only hint at his power.
New Light Til The Right One Comes
With over 450million Spotify hits by mid-July, this The chorus here’s a classic vi/V/IV/I pop progression
elegantly constructed G-major pop tune is clearly in Eb (Cm/Bb/A b/Eb), but as usual with Mayer the
hitting the spot. With earworm synth and vocal devil’s in the detail: the lush 80s production, his
hooks abounding, it’s propelled by some tight easy vocal delivery, the tight rhythmic guitars and
economic guitar lines, with Mayer’s clean, single clean, double-stopped licks. Perhaps a dash here
coil sound coming into its own on the groovy of Ry Cooder’s similarly pastel-coloured 1979
bridge and short, melodic solo. album, Bop Till You Drop...
Why You No Love Me Carry Me Away
Principally in the key of A, this clever, haunting Sob Rock doesn’t get much more MOR that its brief
piece opens with a lovely descending Dm6 - penultimate track, basically a two-and-a-half-
Aadd9/C# - Esus4/C - E progression (note the minute chorus. This wistful driving song’s in
downward D, C#, C line in the bass), doubled on E-major, with reverb-soaked production, strident
acoustic and clean, chorused electric. Mayer details piano octaves supplying the simple melodic hooks
the yacht-rock proceedings with lap-style slide and strummed acoustic guitars propelling it down
guitar, subtle tap harmonics and a digestible solo. the Pacific Coast Highway circa 1986.
Wild Blue All I Want Is To Be With You
With rhythmic nods to Fleetwood Mac circa Tango With its twangy, country guitar riff, this mid-
In The Night, this smooth and breezy cut owes much tempo C-major piece ebbs down to Mayer’s
to the laidback approach of JJ Cale. Also adored by yearning vocal, then flows up into intense,
Clapton and Knopfler, Cale’s ‘Tulsa-Sound’ is here Springsteen-like swathes of sound. Mayer takes
in Mayer’s intimate, double-tracked vocal, his it out with a minute-long salvo of bluesy electric
single-coil chords, and expressive bluesy fills. licks over C/F/C. It’s a classy end to a stylish record.
JOHN MAYER
51

COVER FEATURE
The Connoisseur
Taking an inventory of Xanadu would be easier
than cataloguingJohn Mayer’s rigs, but let’s
take a quick head count of his most significant
J
guitars, amps and pedals
ohn Mayer is a bona-fide tone king. Fender, and when he felt the latter was unable to
This takes hard work and taste, with follow him down the rabbit hole, Mayer partnered
the blues-rock pop megastar taking with Paul Reed Smith for his signature Silver Sky.
an epicurean approach to gear, his He has signature PRS and Two-Rock amps, and
gourmand’s palate uniquely attuned owns so many Dumble amplifiers he has lost count.
to the most flavoursome frequencies. Few players in history have fused exemplary
The ingredients might change but sound technique, a curatorial zeal for tone and mass
remains instantly identifiable. Think early 60s appeal like him, but here we take a look at some of
Strat through Fender amps, but refined, purified, the gear behind the phenomenon. We’ve loosely
and made transcendent via a meticulously arranged our rundown by time, but be aware that
curated pedalboard. His arsenal is swollen by John switches his gear in and out all the time
a number of signature instruments – Martin, – he gets rid of nothing!
Early days: The big F

Novax Fender
Expression
The guitar from the cover of Room For Squares, the
Vibro-King
Mayer has used all kinds of Fender amps but it made
Novax and its fanned-fret futurism seems like an outlier total sense that he’d use the Vibro-King so much in
for Mayer – though he has played a hot-pink Jackson those early days. It’s bright, big, spanky, super-clean...
Soloist on occasion. Very John Mayer.
Marshall BB-2
Bluesbreaker
Mayer gets all his drive from his pedals, and alongside
the Klon and TS-10, the once slept-on and now collectible
Bluesbreaker has been a mainstay of his tone.
Martin DM3MD
Dave Matthews
Mayer’s taste for spruce-topped, rosewood Martin
acoustics developed early, and the Dave Matthews
dreadnought was all over Room For Squares.
Fender Artist Series SRV Strat

The first serious guitar to articulate his style of playing, the SRV Strat was funded by shifts at
a gas station and was part exchanged for a Takamine 12-string and a Mesa/Boogie distortion
pedal. He would later be given one of only 185 Lenny Tribute Strats.
JOHN MAYER
The new millennial guitar hero: 2002-2013
Enter, the Dumbles
Made by Alexander Dumble, rarer than hen’s teeth, super-expensive and arguably the greatest amplifiers ever made, the Dumble is the holy
grail for tonehounds. Mayerhas used a number over the years, but the Steel String Singer remains a mainstay of his rig, with the likes of the
Dumbleland making appearances – notably onthe 2017 Dead And Company tour. These amps are merciless on inexperienced players, with
little sag to stop notes poking out, but if you’re playing’s on point, they’ll reward you with godly tone.
2002 Martin Gibson ’61

OM-28JM SG Standard
John Mayer The SG was most notably used for the lead
on Friends, Lovers Or Nothing and was his
If you own one of these limited edition favourite guitar circa-Battle Studies.
Orchestra Models we hope you have
insurance. Only 404 were made, and
they’re insanely expensive. But who
cares, right? The solid Engelmann spruce
top and East Indian rosewood back and
sides make for Michelin starred tone.
53
Makin’ 2007 Two-Rock John Mayer
a splash:
Mayer’s
outboard
Signature Amp
Based on Two-Rock’s Custom Reverb Signature
reverbs
Not all of Mayer’s
amp, with added je ne sais quoi from the Sterling
Signature, Overdrive Signature, and Kimock
amps have reverb but Signature models, this has heaps of headroom
that doesn’t stop him. and dynamics, tube-driven spring reverb you
Indeed, it presents an could fish in, and museum-grade US guitar tones.
opportunityfor our
soft-rock sensualist
to welcome an
outboardreverb
Fender
Monterey
to the party. For
old-schoolspring
Stratocaster
reverbs,he might use
an outboard Fender
unit,or oneinspired
by one, such as the
Victoria Amps One of Mayer’s most-spotted
Reverberato. For more Strats, it arrived on the scene
pristine sounds, the circa 2003 as Mayer jammed
studio-quality Bricasti Come Back To Me with Buddy
M7 is preferred. Guy and Double Trouble live
on Conan O’Brien.
Fender Custom Shop Black1 Strat

So legendary is Mayer’s 2004 Strat, that it is the only Fender Custom Shop guitar to get a replica, when Fender
released 83 of them in 2010. For many, this is the John Mayer guitar. He spent two days at the Custom Shop
selecting wood, getting in the way. It was worth it.
COVER FEATURE
Circa 2015-2019: The Fractal Affair,
Dead and Company, the Great John
Mayer Pedalboard Reveal and
a light in the Silver Sky
Martin D-45
Laid headstock to end pin, Mayer and
Fractal Axe-Fx III

Even for a player unafraid to take an iconoclastic
Eric Clapton’s collection of Martin
acoustics could span the Earth’s
equator. But this, introduced at
NAMM 2018, is out of this world.
approach to guitar gear in search of godly tone, his use
of a Fractal Axe-Fx III digital modelling unit for a fly-in
guest spot on Khalid’s set at Coachella 2019 made the
internet heave in protest... Why? Who knows, he had used
a Kemper Profiler earlier in his Dead And Company career.
Mayer would later revert back to tube amps, and, for the
record, said that modelling tech “doesn’t quite
54
PRS John Mayer

J-MOD 100 amplifier
This 100-watter has more headroom than a Hobbit in an
aircraft carrier. Designed as a workhorse amp for Dead And
Company and solo dates, the J-MOD 100 offers a clean
platform for his pedalboard.
PRS Silver Sky

The the big bang moment for moment for Mayer’s six-string life arrived in March 2018.
People were outraged, until they actually played it. Never mind the reverse PRS headstock
on a Strat-style body, this was good, with its custom-wound single-coils, custom 635JM
neck carve and 7.25” fretboard radius giving it an early Strat feel, and yet it still delivered
the electric shock of the new. “I get to call the guy whose name is on the guitar and we
get to build stuff together,” said Mayer. “That’s too cool… The Silver Sky is my vision of
what a reboot of the electric guitar should look and feel like.”
JOHN MAYER
The Great John Mayer Pedalboard Reveal Vol. 1: 2016
Keeley
Electronics
Katana Boost
BOSS
Robert Keeley’s first design remains
a staple of many player’s ‘boards,
TU-3 Tuner
capable of slapping the front-end
of your amp with 35dB of boost.
He’s a musician; got to stay in tune,
and this is a great value pick!
Pete Cornish
TES Tape Echo
Simulator
If you can find one of these online, expect
55
to pay around two grand. Basically, guitar
electronics guru Pete Cornish got in a room
with David Gilmour and made this studio-quality
analogue delay and tape echo sim. Endlessly
tweakable, with delay times of up to 960ms.
Klon Centaur
A mainstay of Mayer’s ‘board, the archetypal boutique
overdrive treats your guitar and amp tone kindly while
simultaneously frying guitar players’ minds, given the
Strymon
amount of money one might spend on one. Made by Bill
Finnegan between 1990 and 1994, now a bona fide
OB.1 Optical
pedalboard unicorn, the Klon has inspired countless
top-quality imitations and is one of those pedals
Compressor
responsible for the expansion of pedalboard culture. When
you hear “a pair of germanium diodes” in the description of
& Clean Boost

an overdrive, it’s a good bet it is a riff on this.
Sadly out of production thanks to a worldwide

shortage of Light Dependent Resistors, Strymon’s
first ever pedal, the OB.1, offered studio-quality
compression and a switchable boost.
Electro-Harmonix Q-Tron+
Mayer uses this envelope filter on tracks such as In Repair.
COVER FEATURE
The Great John Mayer Pedalboard
Reveal Vol. 1: 2016 [continued]
Strymon Flint
A top-quality digital emulation of classic
reverb and tremolo sounds, with three
flavours of each on tap.
Real McCoy
BOSS OC-3 Custom RMC8
Super Octave Guitar EqwahlyzerSound the boutique klaxon, folks! Mid-60s
Italian Vox wah vibes collide with a 5-band EQ.
A polyphonic octave pedal, with drive,
capable of transposing your parts
56 one or two octaves down.
MXR M-107
Phase 100
More versatile than Mayer’s other
favourite, the Phase 90, this has a four-way
waveform selector and a speed dial, and
heaps of vintage chew.
Ibanez TS10 Way Huge Aqua

Tube Screamer Puss Analog
The TS10 has long been Mayer’s favourite
edition of the Tube Screamer, and thanks to
this, vintage Japanese units can fetch over
Delay MkI
Another John Mayer essential, and a super-collectible
£500 online. You’re paying for the magic MkI at that. Photos would suggest Mayer sets this
JRC4558D IC chip, which makes a mockery Jeorge Tripps-designed delay for a slapback effect,
of the expression “as cheap as chips.” complementing his reverb to add some depth.
JOHN MAYER
The Great John Mayer Pedalboard Reveal Vol. 2:
Dead And Company / 2019 / new additions
Source Audio Gear
True Spring shopping #2
Reverb
Arguably the best digital spring
A bigger budgetmeans more
ways to buy into Mayer’s tone
Fender Vintera Road Worn ’60s
Stratocaster £999
reverbs on the market, with hidden
Xotic
It’s not as heavily relic’d as Mayer’s
tremolo feature accessed via the Black1, but those city miles look
app, the True Spring does a similar
Wah XW-1
good on it. No matter how you slice
job to his Strymon Flint. It’s quite it, it’s an exceptional Strat.
possible it has been added Fender Blues Junior IV £599
because it’s more compact. One of the best-selling tube
A premium wah pedal voiced after vintage 1967 to ’68 combos of all time, used by
Italian-built Clyde McCoy wahs, the XW-1 has a bias control Mayer, and it’s great value
for tightening the bottom end and smoothing out the sweep, J. Rockett Audio Designs
treble and bass controls, and a Q control to adjust the width Archer Ikon £199
of the frequency peak. A super K-style overdrive with
Strymon a lovely gain structure that can

also be used as a clean boost.
Volante
An all-singing, all-dancing
Catalinbread Topanga £189
Digital spring reverbs don’t get
much better than this, and it’ll help
add a lush Dreamsville, Americana 57
digital echo station that vibe to your playing.
plays the percentages Way Huge Smalls Aqua-Puss
between Binson-esque Analog Delay £129
magnetic drum, tape, and A downsized version of the
reel-to-reel studio echoes. Aqua-Puss, ideal for slapback
Expensive but a lot cheaper and dreamy repeats.
than the Pete Cornish TES.
GEAR SHOPPING #1
Get Mayer-esque tone and change from a grand with gear that’s available right now!
SQUIER CLASSIC VIBE ’60S HARLEY BENTON TUBE15 WAMPLERMINI FAUX ELECTRO-HARMONIX
STRATOCASTER£349 CELESTION £199
An exceptional budget alternative to the Classy tube tones from pocket change.
SPRING REVERB £139
Respectfulof your pedalboardspace
SOUL FOOD £58
The best-value Klon clone on the
Strat’s golden era, this will get you those The Thomann-owned brand is a budget- and budget, this is a lush, amp-like market and a regular on pro
spankytones. tone powerhouse. spring reverb. guitarists’pedalboards.

COVER FEATURE
“You can’t take the

Interviews Mick Taylor, Jamie Crompton, Brad Tolinksi
guitar playing out

of me” John Mayer, in his own words.
Rule number one
“I’ll tell you the number one rule about guitars for me. I’m so sorry you Hendrix
“I picked up on Hendrix
couldn’t get the colour that you wanted, but if you pick up a guitar at after I heard Stevie Ray
a store and it’s sunburst, and you hate sunburst, but it feels and plays play Little Wing and
great for you – lightning strikes – then that’s your guitar! As soon as you Voodoo Chile. The first of
start getting greedy and you go, I want one like this sunburst, but can you his records that I had
make it blue? The blue one is going to sound and feel terrible. Never in my was Axis: Bold As Love,
life has that ever succeeded. To be lucky enough to have lightning strike because it had Little
twice – it doesn’t happen.” Wing on it – that song is
Continuum
so beautiful. That album
to me is still the best
SRV
“The first guitar influence when I was “I think I’ve stayed true to what my sound
Hendrix record. It’s that
moment where he was
just discovering his
about 13. The moment I heard Stevie
Ray Vaughan I thought, ‘Wow – that’s should be. I still aggravate the hell out of power, before he
the thing that’s not just strumming people by not committing to being a blues discovered people trying
chords!’ I heard him on a mixtape that to rob him blind of just
a neighbour had given me. It had SRV guitar player or a pop musician, but I like about every commodity
on one side and Robert Cray on the
’em both and I think I proved with you could imagine. It just
other. I came to appreciate Robert
Cray much later on, but it was the Continuum that it’s at least possible to has this beautiful spirit
drama in Stevie’s playing that I was to it. It’s the artist
attracted to. People who go for the get people to bop their heads along to beginning to realise the
SRV tone – it’s not distorted, it’s just something that contains guitar playing musical scope that he
loud. There’s a difference in
something loud hitting a microphone, and pop melodies.” could create.”
and something distorted hitting an
The John Mayer Trio

amplifier: two completely different
things. People would be really
surprised, if you are going for that
Tube Screamer thing, just how “The Trio was a great compositional tool for me, because as a composer,
much it was a volume thing and not when you have those two guys (bassist Pino Palladino and drummer
a distortion thing with Stevie. I don’t
like things that are quiet and Steve Jordan) you think, I want to give these guys something to really
distorted – if it distorts because it’s play! It really upped the ante on my compositions. We started rehearsing
loud, then you’re happening!” and I felt like I’d lifted off the ground!”
80s music
“I was really lucky to grow up in that time. There was everything that came to the radio or TV – so Extreme,
Michael Jackson, Phil Collins and Genesis, Van Halen, Madonna. Even though it was the pop music of its
time, it was incredibly musically rich.”
JOHN MAYER
The collector
“I have a ’52 Blackguard Tele that took me to
another place. It’s the most beautiful sounding
of every note: it rings like a piano, so for chords
it’s just beautiful. I also have a Gibson L-5 with
1997. I’m a big fan of prototypes! I love custom
colour stuff, too. My favourite Fender colour is
guitar I’ve ever heard. Only one pickup is really flatwound strings on it, just gorgeous. I also Charcoal Frost Metallic so I collect those. I’ve
usable, because on those old Teles the neck I have a prototype 1979 Hendrix Tribute Strat: never seen a Charcoal Frost Tele, but I think I have
pickup was wound for ‘jazz’. I also have white with a reverse headstock with a contour every other guitar made in that colour! I have a ’68
a gorgeous, beautiful sounding Gibson ES-335 on the front which is really interesting. The Fender Strat, black, big headstock, classic [Jimi Hendrix]
which is another kind of sonic power to write Custom Shop built 100 of them, based on my one Band Of Gypsys, and I have a very-hard-to-find ’69
for. I have a PRS McCarty Hollowbody that’s actually. And a prototype Hendrix Monterey Strat Olympic White Strat with maple cap neck, which
dynamically so pure. I love hearing every harmonic that (San Francisco artist) Pamelina painted in is the Woodstock Strat.”
The Black One The Gold Leaf Strat

“It’s got that incredible second position
“It really is the Continuum guitar – you know, it’s just f*cking great every time; it’s the – what do they call it, the quack? That’s
best feeling guitar I’ve ever played. Y’know, I still can’t get a guitar manufacturer to
explain to me why two guitars that are made in exactly the same way, why one of the the quackiest Strat of all time! That weird,
guitars has more [string tension] slack than the other. They’ll tell you like, ‘No, the scale hollowed-out, out-of-phasey type sound.
length is exactly the same’. So why are these strings tighter? You know what I mean? I’ve always liked that sound, especially
And why do these ones go loosey goosey and all buttery? But this one is the same the fourth. When I was a kid, that was my
guitar and you’re telling me it’s the same specs, and I can’t get the strings to have a
swish to ’em, y’know? Who knows what it is? The infinitesimally small differences in favourite sound on the guitar; it’s even, it’s
tolerances of measurement between one guitar and the other? But [The Black One] smooth, it has chimeyness, but it still has
just has a little extra slack; a little leeway. Some guitars, you’ll put 0.011s on, and it’s bass. It’s the most colourful selection
like [makes abrupt noise] and you just can’t move around.” on the Strat.” 59
Amps
“I never use amp channels and
I know there are people who think
that that’s a waste. But I like the
amps to be one solid, singing clear
Distortion
“When it comes to distortion, it’s not
really distortion as much as it is
Recording
“Studio time is very expensive, and if
you go into the studio and explore
and don’t find what you’re looking
for, then you get – or at least I get
voice and then change the signal sustain and volume. I use distortion – disheartened very fast and it can
send me into a flat spin, creatively.
with pedals. I am always searching pedals as a way to affect the mix, like I take it very seriously when I walk
for the loudest, cleanest amp I can
find – I can’t get enough of clean a pedal that’s bringing a fader up on into the studio and I say, I don’t have
amp tone! The Dumble I guess comes your guitar; it brings a bit of saturation. anything yet, but follow me here. The
from the SRV mythology. They record People get carried away with alternative is admitting that you got
everyone together and nothing
beautifully. I don’t even see the point
in owning one if you are not going to
distortion and I do too.” came of it.”
Passion
record with it.”
Obsession
“I work in polar opposites. Like we all do – half your readers are all the way on this end of loving
the guitar again, half your readers are nearing the other end where they just want to put it down.
“That joy and passion and chemistry of
just picking up the guitar and playing
- that’s never been in jeopardy. Yeah,
We all work in opposites: it’s all this until it’s all that. You go through phases like, ‘Oh man, I’m
having this total Charlie Christian phase’. Then it’s, ‘Oh, I’m having a Pearl Jam phase’,.. Or Bill you can take my picture when I come
Frisell, or that Hendrix bootleg. You make all of these giant strides from both ends of the out of a club, but you can’t take the
spectrum and back and forth. All that really does – as any guitar player knows – is just serve guitar playing out of me.”
to set up the next time you get into it – you’re gonna be that much more excited, because
you cleansed for a minute.”

COVER FEATURE
“I GREW UP A LONE WOLF IN MY

Words Ellie Rogers
BEDROOM PRACTISING MY
GUITAR. ALL IEVER REALLY
CRAVED WAS ACOMMUNITY”
J
When John Mayer joined Dead & Company – featuring members of the original jam
band, the Grateful Dead – he got a kick out of being a team player. And by honouring
the legacy of the late Jerry Garcia, he found a new dimension to his playing.
ohn Mayer’s discovery of the was presented with the opportunity to perform with PRS to create the Super Eagle II - a guitar
Grateful Dead happened by chance. with another founding member of the Dead, which became his main touring instrument
In 2011, while listening to random rhythm guitarist Bob Weir. The song they with Dead & Company - and which comes in
suggestions on Pandora, he heard played together was Althea. A bond was formed a super duper trippy hemp green finish. The
the Dead classic Althea, and with between them, and by the end of that year, Super Eagle II features specially-wound 58/15
that he fell hard and fast. Taking Mayer was invited to join Weir in Dead & JM treble and bass pickups with a Narrowfield
a deep-dive into the band’s vast back catalogue, Company, a touring outfit also featuring Mickey JM pickup in the middle position (with three
he became a committed ‘Deadhead’, leading Hart and Bill Kreutzmann, two drummers who individual coil-tap mini-switches), and a JCF
to a remarkable chapter in his career. played together in the Dead for many years. Audio preamp - a layout and design very
The first evidence of the Dead’s influence on For all Mayer’s success, this was a challenge similar to Garcia’s instruments.
60 Mayer came with his 2012 album Born And - not only to step out of his pop-meets-blues When it comes to playing live, the jam band
Raised and 2013 follow-up Paradise Valley. Both box into the realm of the jam band, but also to environment seems to bring out the team-
albums marked incrementally intensifying take the place of Jerry Garcia, the talismanic player in Mayer. After-all, Dead & Company
departures from polished pop, with Mayer figure who died in 1995 at the age of 53. With a is the first band he’s played in where the
doing and playing exactly what he pleased. vast repertoire to learn and a comparatively songs and the spotlight are not all his.
And both contained subtle but abundant unstructured style of playing to get to grips Certain songs have bluesy in-roads and
Grateful Dead influences. with, Mayer entered a bootcamp for the role Mayer employs his well-honed chops to bring
Queen Of California, the opening track from with all the reverence and sincerity a Deadhead flamboyant interpretations to the music.
Born And Raised, was in tune with the folksy, could hope for. He wrote on Instagram, Elsewhere, the more psychedelic material
acoustic numbers that abound on the Dead’s alongside a 1970s era photo of Garcia: “I’m leaves room for wandering melodic noodles
two albums from 1970, American Beauty and only here as an interpreter of a master. I play where the destination may be predetermined,
Workingman’s Dead. In the second verse from in constant emotional, psychological and but the route to finding it is a little (or a lot)
Queen Of California, Mayer also made a reference musical deference to Jerry Garcia.” more flexible. Embracing simple, scale-based
to Neil Young’s After The Goldrush, before This being said, long-time Deadheads could melodies without the large leaps and bends
a lengthy pedal steel-driven outro took hold be forgiven for reacting with some scepticism associated with blues soloing, Mayer is able
over a bedrock of Dead-esque repeating chords. to the news that the man behind hits such as to meander rather than race and, with
Another connection was made in this Daughters and Waiting On The World To Change’ trademark chromatic passages, channels
album’s title track. Jerry Garcia - the founding could be right for the job - especially as more Garcia effectively and respectfully.
member and de facto leader of the Grateful likely jam band candidates such as Warren On stage, Bob Weir looks like a cross
Dead as vocalist, lead guitarist and principal Haynes and Phish’s Trey Anastasio had already between a wise mentor and a proud father
songwriter - had played pedal steel on the song tried out and then withdrawn from the figure as he and Mayer trade looks and licks.
Teach Your Children from Déjà Vu, the first album position. But Mayer was nothing if not Back in 2016, alongside a snap of the band,
featuring Neil Young in the 70s supergroup thorough about taking on the role. As he stated Mayer posted on Instagram, “I grew up a lone
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. For the song in a 2016 SiriusXM Radio interview regarding wolf in my bedroom practicing my guitar, and
Born And Raised, Mayer had David Crosby his training for playing one of rock’s most all I ever really craved was a community.” This
and Graham Nash on backing vocals. expansive repertoires: “I’m naturally obsessive is perhaps what best sums-up the effect that
And in Wildfire, the first track on Paradise anyway, so it suited my way of life.” joining Dead & Company has had on Mayer’s
Valley, a comparatively jam-based number with Further to the material itself, Mayer went musical outlook. As a band who were able to
an outdoorsy feel, Mayer sang: “We can dance all-in on gear to make his transition to fronting draw the same crowd night after night in
with the dead/You can rest your head.” Which Dead & Company as seamless as possible. Jerry a country-wide “long strange trip”, the idea
- depending on how deeply you like to read into Garcia’s tone was made unique by the of community will not be alien to any
things - may well be a reference to the band. pioneering addition of in-built pre-amps and long-serving Deadhead.
Fast-forward to 2015, and while appearing effects loops to his custom-made Doug Irwin Thanks to Mayer, the live experience that
as a guest host on The Late Late Show, Mayer ‘Wolf’ and ‘Tiger’ guitars. Mayer teamed-up captivated fans for decades is far from dead.
JOHN MAYER
61

COVER FEATURE
“I’M NOT SURE

Words Jonny Scaramanga
HOW I’D FEEL

IF SOMEONE
WROTEMY
SONG BEFORE
IEnglish
DID!” singer-songwriter
Mary Spender was already
a successfulYouTuber when
62
she had the idea to finish and
releaseJohn Mayer’s new
M
single before he could.
“I’m glad he hada sense
of humour about it”, she says...
ary Spender is unusual among
YouTube guitarists because she’s
best known for her original
music. In March, John Mayer
teased the release of his single,
Last Train Home, with a TikTok
clip of the video. A few days later,
Spender had written, recorded,
and released a video of her vision of how the full track might
sound, beating Mayer to the punch. Luckily, John took it well,
promoting Mary’s video on his Instagram and making
a cameo in the follow-up. She told us how it happened...
How did you get the idea to write and release John’s
single before him?
I saw social media going wild and I just got a butterfly of
inspiration. I just went ahead and did it. I didn’t expect him to
see it, let alone what happened next. It was a time-sensitive
situation because I thought the single was going to be released
that Friday, and it was Tuesday when I started recording the
song and filming the process. Sometimes I get that moment
sitruC eillO sotohP
of inspiration, and I was like, ‘Oh god this is such a good idea.
Someone else obviously thought of it already, surely?’ Luckily
MARY SPENDER
no one had. I felt like I found my niche perfectionism. Once you start realising I was like, ‘Oh no, he knows how to write
on a platform like YouTube, where it’s so that you need to get something out of a song. I’ve still got a lot to learn.’ I’m
difficult because basically everything has your brain, you then make space to move really proud of my version, but he’s
been done already. This was actually an on. You’ll probably have learned a lot John Mayer. He wins.
original concept. from that process anyway so you’ll be
able to move quicker and possibly get What did he say to you about
Were you more inspired because of a bit closer to where you want to be. your version?
that deadline? I’ve been very private on purpose about
Most definitely. The only reason I make Be honest: which version of Last Train the conversation behind the scenes,
anything is because I give myself Home do you prefer? because it’s so special to be able to talk
deadlines. That’s the beauty of YouTube. That’s a difficult question! I’m still just and have a conversation with someone
To be able to crack the platform you have glad that he had a sense of humour about you’ve admired for 14 years. All I can say
to be consistent, so you have to give it. I’m not even sure how I would feel if is he spoke to me like a peer, and that was
yourself deadlines. Then the audience someone wrote my song before I did and very generous of him. He contributed
kind of helps you. They might get a little released it online just from like a few a voice note to the second video as a way
bit disappointed if you don’t release the snippets, but now I think it will be of completing the story. Again, he didn’t
video every week. It definitely helps you something I encourage from my need to do that. He’s a smart guy because
figure out exactly how to get things audience. I think they’re both really he understands the power of YouTube,
done, and then it also helps you avoid cool songs but once I heard his version TikTok, all those things. He’s very
63
“I’M REALLY PROUD OF MY

VERSION, BUT HE’S JOHN MAYER.
HE WINS.” MARY SPENDER
open-minded when it comes to someone sounds swiftly and get the sound out What John Mayer influences do
like me where I’m not just a singer- of my brain. you hear in your own songwriting
songwriter, I’ve also got to play this and playing?
other game. Having some acceptance John has massive cross-genre appeal. I like to think I sound like me now, but he
and understanding from someone who’s Why do you think that is? definitely inspired me. Battle Studiesis one
been much more in the traditional music I think he’s used songwriting to of my favourite records. Just the timing
industry but who understands how the transcend as a guitar player. He’s not of when it came out and where I was
game’s being played now, it’s really just a guitar player. He’s an exquisite with my own music, it suddenly clicked
eye-opening and a good affirmation. singer-songwriter, amazing lyricist, and everything into place. I was like, ‘That’s
Like, ‘Okay, I’m on the right path for me.’ the fact that he can do what he does on the kind of storyteller, singer-songwriter
the guitar but he has some restraint. He I want to be.’ I’ve been inspired by other
What did you use for amp sounds? could show off a lot more than he does artists like Andy McKee, Joni Mitchell,
I was using a Victory Duchess, and then but instead he just creates tasteful music. Ariel Posen, Joey Landreth, and blending
I was using the [Universal Audio] OX Box He’ll drift from genre to genre—blues, all of them. It’s not like I’ve just been
[load box/cab sim]. I think I was using the country, pop, and now he’s headed into inspired by John Mayer. What I love about
Sultans of Clean preset. I am a huge fan 80s yacht rock. When a musician is all those artists is it’s all about the story,
of just being able to get things down as so well-versed and can apply that to and guitar is just the tool to get it out of
quickly as possible and yeah that's set up songwriting the way he does, I don’t your system. I think that’s where I drift
just being straight into my UAD Apollo know how you could not like his music to: confessional lyrics and sharing that
X4 means I can capture electric guitar because there’s something for everyone. we all have a lot of feelings.
64
THE SHAPESHIFTER
In ten key collaborations, John Mayer has travelled from classic
blues to hip-hop, modern rock to mainstream pop and beyond...
Buddy Guyand Double Trouble collaborator Keys for a stunning read of Bill Jimmie Vaughan, Gary Clark Jr. and Doyle
In a moment of arrival, Mayer was joined by Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine, at the Black Ball Bramhall II
blues legend Guy and SRV’s band for a 2003 charity event in New York City. Mayer shared the stage with these other top
TV performance of his Heavier Things tune, bluesmen at SRV and Double Trouble’s
Come Back To Bed. Jay-Z induction into the Rock And Roll Hall
Guesting at the rap superstar’s 2009 concert at Of Fame in 2015.
Steve Jobs Madison Square Garden, Mayer gave blues-rock
Launching Apple’s new music software heft to the riff for D.O.A. (Death Of Auto Tune). Shawn Mendes
GarageBand in 2004, Jobs needed a modern Mayer produced and added tasteful guitar to
guitar champ to demo the goods, and knew Eric Clapton Like To Be You, on his pop star pal’s 2018 hit
who to call... Along with Tom Petty, Mark Knopfler and Derek album, Shawn Mendes.
Trucks, Mayer was among Clapton’s friends
Fall Out Boy on The Breeze, his heartfelt tribute album Thundercat
On 2008’s Live In Phoenix the rockers took on to JJ Cale. In an Instagram jam in 2018, the master
Michael Jackson’s Beat It, with soloist Mayer guitarist riffed with one of the most exciting
stepping into Eddie Van Halen’s scary Ed Sheeran bassists of recent times, and sparks duly flew.
sneakers... With a pink Jackson in hand, Mayer
s e g a m I y t t e G otohP
accompanied The Ginger One at his 2015

Alicia Keys Grammy performance of hits Don’t and
In 2009, Mayer joined friend and frequent Thinking Out Loud.
Silver sky
tremolo setup
SS owners receive this note inside
their pride and joy’s case…
At John Mayer’s request, Silver Sky tremolo
bridges are set up differently than PRS’s
normal tremolo-equipped guitars. PRS’s
standard setup allows for the tremolo to go up
in pitch a little bit and down in pitch a lot. The
PRS Silver Sky is set up so that the back edge
of the tremolo plate rests on the body in a
neutral position and the tremolo bridge only
goes down in pitch. The reason for this type of
tremolo set-up is so that the bridge plate is in
contact with the body in the at-rest position.
This improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the
single-coilpickups byincreasing the acoustic
volume of the guitar and therefore creating
more differential between the actual volume of
the guitar as it’s played and the normal
single-coil pickups’ hum and noise. (The
The Sky’s The Limit

in-between sounds on the PRS Silver Sky are
noise-canceling; the individual single-coil
sounds arenot).
I
WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT JOHN MAYER’S IDEALISED DOUBLE-CUT, 65
WITH THE HELP OF PAUL REED SMITHHIMSELF

t’s fair to say that John Mayer raised more than a few eyebrows in 2018 - abandoning John sets the bridge on his vintage guitars so
the vintage and vintage-inspired instruments with which he was closely associated - in that the back of the bridge is in touch with the
favour of what some tonehounds would define as the antithesis of ‘vintage mojo’. The body when you are not using the arm. The knife
doubters were silenced, however, when after over two years of development, the Silver edge screws help the guitar to stay in tune, and
Sky took flight at that year’s NAMM Show. the touching of the body gives it a louder,
Mayer’s collaboration with PRS mixes the familiarity of classic guitar design with the thicker tone.
precision of a modern instrument to deliver a slick contemporary guitar that straddles
both worlds. Here, Paul Reed Smith discusses working closely with John Mayer - How much experimentation was there
himself a discerning disciple of tone - to create what Mayer has described as “My version of what a with the pickups?
reboot of the electric guitar should look and feel like”. The design process has a lot of back and
forth; too much to discuss. But it wasn’t so
The Silver Sky is positioned as a blend of Sultans Of Swing and Machine Gun sounded much experimentation as it was scientific
vintage and modern guitar design. great... investigation, thanks to what became the TCI
Presumablyworking with an artist like John process [‘tuned capacitance and
is an extremely hands-on process? The headstock is inverted. Is this the first inductance’]. John is specific about his tone,
Yes. John did have very strong ideas of what he time for this on a PRS? but there was no brief for the final output
wanted from each part of the design from the It’s not the first time we inverted it – we’ve characteristics – it was only about how they
outset. We basically retooled that kind of done that for left-handed guitars a ton. But, for sounded as an instrument he would use live
instrument through an extremely hands-on John, we not only inverted it, we modified it. and in the studio. This was incredibly
process from both John and a large team at We moved the lower ear of the headstock back difficult to get tooled up correctly, but I am
PRS. What personally got to me was retooling [away from the nut] so it would be out of the pleased.
the neck shape our way. way of your first finger. So it was all about how
it felt, not how it looked. But in the end it The Silver Sky is offered in rosewood and
The neck radius in particular is a very looked good, too. maple fingerboard configurations, with a
vintage size. How does it interact with slight difference in profile for each.
John’s techniques? What benefit do the knife-edge vibrato Did John express a preference for each
It interacts with John’s techniques perfectly. screws offer on performance, and were material and their applications within his
The illusion from the internet is that you can’t there discussions around it being set playing during the design?
play solos on a 7 ¼” radius, but I thought to offer ‘down-only’ pitch bend? The simple answer is ‘Yes’.
COVER FEATURE
MAYER’S
PLAYING STYLE
From subtle acoustic works to full blown rock, we look at the ever-versatile
J
playing style of John Mayer
ohn’s guitar vocabulary is anchored in electric blues with guitar work in our tab examples showcases both the strumming and
obvious tips of the hat to players like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi fingerstyle techniques used by JM. And, with blues forming a great
Hendrix, BB King and Eric Clapton. He is equally at home on well of inspiration for Mayer, we’ve recorded a handful of examples
the acoustic guitar too, and has a solid foundation of modern in this style for you to try.
acoustic techniques and approaches in his arsenal. Finally, we’re looking at John’s pop and ballad styles and you
For this lesson we are using Mayer’s versatility as a vehicle can try out a classic John Mayer drop-tuning. You may just need
to focus on a variety of core techniques and vocabulary. The rhythm a heavier gauge spare string on hand for this one!
1 ROCK RHYTHM 1 TRACK 21
q=108
œDm7
œ
C/D
œ Dm7
~~~~~
Am
œœ ‰ C/Dœœ ‰ œœ Dmœ œœ ‰ Am~~~~~ ~~ œ Play 4 times≈ .
Dm7 7
. œœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ¿ ¿ œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œœ œœ œ œœœ œ œœ œœœ œœ

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~
T .. 5657 5555 5555 67 5657 7 7 5 7 ¿ ¿ 5 5 5
6
5
5
5
5
5
5 6 6
5
5
5 5
..
66 B 5 5 5 5 7 5 7
7
5
5
5
5 7 7
5
7 7 5 7 5 7 7 5
7 5 3
Our first riff is a straight-ahead rock/pop track that features electric strumming and Hendrix inspired chords and riffing. The A minor pentatonic phrases in bars 2 and
4 are played in unison with the bass. Aim for a tight and driving feel with a light, blues-orientated overdrive.
2 ROCK RHYTHM 2 TRACK 22
. œ ¿ ¿ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Fadd 9 F Am G
œœ ¿ ¿ œœ œœ œ~~~~~œ œ œ œ œ œ Play 4 times.
Gadd 9 G Am
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœœœ
œ ~~~~~
.. 3123 ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ 3123 1123 7 7 7 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 3 ¿¿ ¿¿ 5 3
let ring
T 3 ¿ ¿ 3 3
4 ¿ ¿ 4 4
5 5 5 5 5 7 7 5 7 5 7
5
7 5
..
B 1 5 5 3 3
7 5 3
John generally uses his thumb to fret the bass notes for the shapes you’ll see in bars 1, 2 and 3 – the chords sound effective and highlight John’s Hendrix influence.
Use a first-finger barre if you find it more comfortable, but make sure you keep the idle fifth string muted out.
3 BLUES-ROCK LEAD 1 TRACK 23

Dm7 Dm7
~~~~~~ Dm7 Dm7
. ‰ œ b œ œ œ œ œ~~~ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ b œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ b œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~ ‰ œ œ ˙ .
C/D Am C/D Am
Œ .
Play 4 times
~~~ ~~~~~ BU(10~~~~~~

T .. 7 8 7 5 7 5 7 5 7 8 7 5
7
7 8 7 5
7
7 8 7 5
7
5
) 8 ..
B
ytteG / relliM yraG otohP
The opening phrases in each bar flirt with the b5 note of the blues scale (Eb in this key), and Mayer’s use of the blue note is reminiscent of the way SRV used to include it.
JOHN MAYER
4 ROCK LEAD 2 TRACK 24
√Fadd 9 Am G Am
3 ~~~~
. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Play 4 times.
3 3
~~~~~ BU BU BU BU ~~~~
T
A
.. BU(17) 15 BU(17) 15 15 BU(17) 15 15 BU(17) 15 15 BU(17) 15 15 BU(17) 15 15 BU(17) (15) 13 (17) 15 (17) 15 (17) (17)
15 15 15 15 15 15 15
15
..15 15 15
B
You can really draw out the string bends in bars 1 and 2 to make them sing. Try to approach bar 3 with ‘feel’ rather than a rigid sense of timing – the rhythm of triplets can
be tough to get bang on, but John’s bluesy style leaves room for a looser approach.
5 FINGERSTYLE ELECTRIC 1 TRACK 25

q=104
Ab9 A9 Ab9 A9 Ab9 A9 Ab9 A9
1. 2.
œ n œ ≈ ≈ b b œ n n œ b b œ nn œ Œ . œ n œ ≈ œ ‰ ¿¿
A9 D 7/A D 7/A
## . n œ ≈ œ ≈ bb œ nnœ bb œ nnœ Œ Œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
T
A
.. 45 45 34 45 34 45 7
5
4
5
4
3 4
4 5
3
4
4
5
.. 7 54 54 ¿¿¿
B 5 5 5 5
67
Once again, the thumb of the fretting hand is used for the bass notes on the low string. Mayer has great finger/thumb reach, so you may find this tricky if you have smaller
hands but it’s easier to get the light ‘bounce’ in the bass notes if you can manage it.
6 FINGERSTYLE ELECTRIC 2 TRACK 26
#9 #9 b9 b9
. n œ œ ≈ œ ≈ n #n n œ # œœ œ ‰
A9 9 9 13 A9 9 9
# œ œ
œ
C D C D
# œ
D
œœœ ≈ œ ≈ b bbAœ nnnAœœœ bAbb œ nAnn œ œœœ œœœ
nœ œ
T .. 5 5 554 554 443 554 443 554 554 7 5 5
5
5
4
5
5
4
4
4
3
4
5
5
4
5
4
4
3
4
5
5
4
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
4
5
B 1
D9
œ œ œ œœ
D 13
œœ
D9 A9
œœœ ≈ œ ≈ ~~~~~~~œ
&# œ nœ ≈ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ .
Play 4 times
œ œ nœ œ œ
5 5 7 7 5 5 5
~~~~~~~ ..
T 5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5 5
4
7 5
4
4 4 4 4 5 5 5 7
B
3
pohsiB noJ gnikcab dna sratiuG
We’re developing the previous riff with some more jazzy chords here. Listen to John Mayer Trio’s version of Ray Charles’ I Got A Woman to get a sense of John’s funky,
soulful fingerstyle treatment of this kind of riff.

COVER FEATURE
7 DOMINANT BLUES 1 TRACK 27
104
# # ‰ œ œ œ œ n œ . ⇥ œ œ œ œ~~~~~~
q=
D7
. œ œ œ nœ œ ~~~~~
.
Œ ‰ ⇥ œœœ œœ ‰ ‰ ¿
(13) .
BU ~~~~~~ 12 BU
~~~~~ ¿
T
B
11
10
11
. 12 10
11
10 12
12 12 (13) 12 10 10
11 11 [11]
√A7~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ n œ

# # œ. œ œ œ œ œ. œ ‰.
œ nœ œ
⇥ œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~ œ Playœ 4œtimes.
~~~~~~ 17~~~~ ~~~~~~~ 17~~~~~ BU(20) ~~~~~ BU( )
13 .
17 17 BU
T 19
A
B
12 (13) 12 10
11
10
11
10
11
12
.
3
The phrasing here is in bite-sized pieces with gaps in between, a typical BB King-like approach which you can apply when improvising. For a brighter, less bluesy sound,
68 target the 14th fret C# note on the string bends.
8 DOMINANT BLUES 2 TRACK 28
nœ œ œ
7 7
œ nœ
E D
œ œ œ œ œ
#
& ## 4 Œ
n œ n ≈ œ œ œ nœ œ
1/4 1/4
‰. . œ œ œ œ nœ ‰. Œ
1/4 1/4
.. [[ 78 ]]
BU
7 7 7 7 (8) 5 7 5 8 10 8
T 8 10 8
9 7
7 8 10
9 7 5
B
A7
œ. œ. œ Dœ œ œ œ œ. œ œ n œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7 A7
## ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ .
Play 4 times
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..
BU BU BU BU BU BU BD
10 (12) 10 (12) 10 (12) 10 (12) 10 (12) 10(12) (10) 8
T 10
B
3
Another bluesy offering here, with some typical tricks to give our lick some bite. The important part about the quarter-tone bends in bar 1 isn’t that you hit the target
pitch, but rather that the bend should be more gradual.

JOHN MAYER
9 ACOUSTIC LEAD 1 TRACK 29
q.= 58
œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ gg ˙˙˙ ..
C G Gsus4 G Cmaj 9
# . Œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œPlay 4œtimes.
let ring
T .. 9
8 10
7 8 7 5
7
5 7 5 2 4
3
3
4
3
4 5
3
3
3
4
3 .. ggg 10787
B
Here, we switch over to the acoustic guitar for an emotional pop track in 6/8. The final Cmaj9 chord sounds great and is one that John is especially fond of.
10 ACOUSTIC LEAD 2 TRACK 30
Em A D/A A
# .œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œœ œ œœ œ n œ œ # œ . Play 4 times
œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ .
œ
#œ œ
let ring
T .. 7 9
8 8
9
8
9
7 8
8 9
8
9
8
9
8
9
7
7
5
5
2
2 2
2
2 4
3
4 2
2 .
2 .
B 2
The use of doublestops helps to thicken up the lead melodies and the intervals used add an emotional quality. The semitone approach between the doublestops is also
used to great effect. 69
11 ACOUSTIC FINGERSTYLE 1 TRACK 31
q=104
C7#9
. b#œ ≈ œ œœœ b # œ ≈ œ .
Play 4 times
b œ œ ¿ œ bœ nœ . œ œ œ œ ¿
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ
T
A
E
B
G .. 8 8 10 8 8 5
..
10 ¿ 5 ¿
D 8 8 10 8 8 5
B A
C 0 0
7 7
0 10 12 17 15 16 0 0
7 7
0 5 7 3 3
p p a a
m m
i i
Here we’ve used a classic JM open tuning – simply drop the low E string down to C. This gives the acoustic guitar a deep resonance and can provide the illusion of multiple
musicians playing at once. The fingerstyle technique is fairly simple: bass notes are plucked with the thumb and the chords are played by the fingers.
12 ACOUSTIC FINGERSTYLE 2 TRACK 32
Fm7 Gm7 A b m7 B b m7
& . b b .. œœ ¿ b œœ œœ .. b b bb œ ... œœ ¿ b bb œœœ ¿ .

Play 4 times
œ. œ ¿ œ œ. œ ¿ œ. œ ¿ œ œ
T GB . 11
E ¿
1 ¿
1 ¿
¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ..
D . 1
3 3 3 4 4 6
B A
C 5
1
5
¿ 5
3
3
7
3
3
7
3
3
7
4
4
8 8
4
4 ¿ 6
6
8 10 12
i p
A development of the previous example, the bass notes are a bit of a stretch here, so you’ll benefit from using a ‘thumb over the neck’ approach if you can. Take a look at
a live performance of Neon and you’ll see that John has a long reach with his thumb.

CLASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM
STRANGE BREW
Learn Eric Clapton’s blues phrasing
tricks inthe psych-blues stomper
that kicked off Cream’s breakthrough
‘DisraeliGears’album
72

CLASSIC
R
T R AC K
eleased in 1967, Disraeli Gears,
Cream’s second LP, would eclipse
the moderate success of its
GET THE SOUND
predecessor, taking the band to
Everythingyou need to know before playing‘Strange Brew’
C
new heights in the US and
establishing Cream as one of the lapton typicallyplayed
most important bands of the decade. According
to Eric Clapton, Strange Brew “came from
hearing an album that Buddy Guy and Junior
Get the tone
4
CHANNEL OVERDRIVE
5
a Gibson SG, ES-335 or
Firebird through a 100-watt
Marshall JTM45 amp and 4x12
Wells did together” – Hoodoo Man Blues, we 7 cabinets during his time in Cream.
assume. Explaining in the Classic Albums: Disraeli 8 8 He’d wind back the tone control
on his guitar most of the way,
Gears documentary, Eric continued, “And he did but crank all the amp’scontrols
Hey Lawdy Mama on that, but that riff is from GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB (volume and tone) tomaximum
another song, I think a Little Walter song called for stratospheric volume levels.
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright. What we did is The mix of preamp and power
amp saturation, combined with
we took it from shuffle to straight time... Experiment with both speaker breakup is key to an
So we took that riff then just [put] the bridge and neck authentic tone – assuming you’re
song over that.” humbuckers with the tone using the same gear and Clapton’s
rolled off to get close to fingers, of course! A more
Take a listen to those two songs to compare Clapton’ssound. practical approach is to roll off
the rhythmic characteristics, and also Eric’s your guitar’s tone, set your amp’s
interpretation of the piano, lead guitar and EQ fairly high, and gradually
harmonica lines. Notice how he combines increase gain to give you enough
drive and sustain. Finally,
the parts for one guitar in Cream’s version make sure to dial in plenty
and apply some of these ideas in your of spring reverb.
own phrasing.
CHORDS SCALES
T he D9 shape makes the sound and movement from A major much smoother, and
is a typical blues device. The 7#9 ‘Hendrix chord’ is used at the end of each section
as part of the turnaround. The major 3rd and #9 clash in this chord, making it
a staple shape in blues and blues-rock.
A lthough the A minor pentatonic scale
(A C D E G) is used throughout the track,
Clapton occasionally hints at major 3rd
C# notes and b5 Eb notes. Use the scale patterns
shown here as a skeleton for learning the
73
X licks and map out the C# and Eb notes

on the fretboard.
5 1 1 1 4 1
2 2 3 3 3 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 7 1 1
3 4 2 2
3 3 3 3
4 4 4 4 4 4
A D9 A minor A minor
pentatonic scale pentatonic scale
X X X X
0 0 0 0
4 1 6 1 1 1 1 1 1
12
2 3 2 3 2 2 2
4 4 3 3 3 3 3
ytteG otohP htrowsllA evetS gnikcab dna sratiuG
4 4 4
A minor A minor
D7#9 E7#9 pentatonic scale pentatonic scale

CLASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM STRANGE BREW
Words and Music by Eric Clapton,
STRANGE BREW
Felix Pappalardi and Gail Collins
Copyright © 1967 by Eric Patrick Clapton
and Universal Music - Careers
Copyright Renewed
International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.
Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd.
CREAM STRANGE BREW Intro
q=107
n œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ~~~~~~~ œ .
N.C. A
#
3
. œ ˙ œ b œ œ~~~~~~~ n œ .
&#
‰ ÛÛÛÛ Û nœ œ
Drum pickup
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
T 8 10 8 10 8 8
87 5 7
B 1
nDœ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9
# ~~~~~~~ . œ ˙
& # nœ #œ Œ Œ bœ œ nœ œ nœ ‰
1/4
74
PB 7
~~~~~~~ 1/4 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T BU BD 10
A 5 (6) (8) (7) 5
7
5
B
3
# # n œ œ~~~~~~~~
. œ œ œ bœ œ nœ
1/4
A
œ œ Œ Œ
nœ
‰ œ nœ œ œ œ. ‰ Œ
&
8
~~~~~~~~ 8 1/4 8
T 10 10
8 7 5 9
8 10 8
7 7
B
6
# #E 7#9 D7#9 A
Œ œ œ~~~~~~~
. œ œ. œ. œ n œ
œ œ œ nœ œ œ
1/4
&
~~~~~~~ 5 1/4
T BU
7 (9)
5
7 5
7 5 7 7
B 7
9
Practise the first two minor pentatonic scale patterns shown on p73 before playing these lead licks, because Eric uses both of them. Notice where he jumps outside of
the scale to hit the C# (major 3rd) and E b (b5) notes. These are common motifs in blues lead guitar.

FULL TRACK + BACKING (TRACKS 33-34)
This song comes with a full demo track and a backing
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
CREAM / STRANGE BREW
CREAM STRANGE BREW Verse 1
# œœ ‰ ‰ œœ ‰ ‰
&#
D9
œœ ‰ ‰
A A
œ œ ≈ n œ
1
1
2
œ œ œ œ n œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ
3
3
0:28 1 œ œ 1 œ œ 2 2
1
5 5
T 5
6
5
5
5
6
5 5 7 4 5 5 7 5 5 7
B 5 7 5 5 5 7 5 7
1
≥5 ≥5 ≥ ≥ ≤≥ 5 5
# œ. œ œ. œ. œ n œ œ
D9 D9
œ
œ œ nœ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ Œ n˙. Œ
T 5
5 6
BU
7 (9) 6 7 5
4 5 5 7 5 7
5 5 5 7
4
# A
n œ œ~~~~~~~
. œ œ œ œ nœ œ E7 # 9
nœ
1/4
&# Œ Œ œ œ # œœ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ
4
œ œ œ 2 2
3
1
BU ~~~~~~~ 1/4
75
T 8 (10) 8 5
7 5
8
7
7 6 5 5 7
B 7 7 7 7 5 7
7
œ œ~~~~
#
# # D7 9 n œ ‰ ‰ ≈
A
. œ nœ œ œ nœ #œ œ
œ œ œ œœ n œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ
~~~~ 5 8 5 BU
T 5
5
BU
7 (9) 7 5 (6)
4 5 5 7 7 5 5 7
B 5 5 5 7
5
7 7 5 7
10
We’ve provided a composite of the rhythm and lead parts here; the two parts work nicely for one guitar. The timing of the phrase at the end of bars 1 to 4 is tricky.
Notice that Eric uses hammer-ons, which is easier than picking all the notes at full speed. Follow the pick directions in bar 1 to help with the rhythm.
# œœ ‰ ‰ œœ ‰ ‰
&#
D9
œ
A A
œœ ≈ n œ œ œ œ œ n œ ‰ ‰ œœ ≈ n œ œ œ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ
0:55
œ œ œ œ
5 5
T 5
6
5
5
5
6
5 5 7 4 5 5 7 5 5 7
B 5 5
5 7 5 5 5 7
5 5
5 7
1

CLASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM STRANGE BREW Verse 2 (cont’d)
# œœ ‰ ‰ D9
œ œ n œ œ œ nœ œ. œ ‰ Œ
≈ n
œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ ‰
œ œ
5 10
T 5
6
5
5 9
8 10 8 5
5 5 7 4
B 5 5
5 7 5 5
4
œ œ~~~~~~
E7 # 9
# # AŒ . œ œ n œ œ. œ œ n œ b œ œ n œ~~~~~~œ œ nœ ‰ nœ
& œ œ œœ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ
~~~~~~ 5
~~~~~~
T BU
7 (9)
8 5 8
7 9 8 7 5 7 9
8
7
6 5 5 7
7 7 5 7
7
# D7#9
n œœ ‰ ‰ ≈
A
œ œ~~~~~~
. œ œ. œ œ n œ œ nœ œ
œ œ œ ‰
1/4
œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ
76 ~~~~~~ 5 1/4 BU
T 5
5
BU
7 (9)
5
7 5 14
13 15
4 5 5 7 7
B 5 5 5 7
5 5
7
10
Once again, this is a composite of the rhythm and lead parts. You should be able to work out the remaining rhythm guitars from the parts shown in the tab, because the
groove repeats continually. Notice that the lead licks are played on the top four strings, so you don’t need to use the full scale patterns.
CREAM STRANGE BREW Solo
œ nœ
A
# œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ
1/4
Œ ‰
1:23 1/4
BU BU BU BU
T (17) (20)
14
15 (17) 15 (17) 13 13
14
13
B
1
œ œ œ œ n œ Dœ9 œ~~~~~~~
. œ nœ nœ
‰ œ nœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ nœ
1/4
# Œ œ
Œ
BU BD
1/4 ~~~~~~~ 8
T 15 (17) [17] (15) 15 13
14 14
13
9
8 8 10 8
7 5
7 5
4

CREAM / STRANGE BREW
CREAM STRANGE BREW Solo (cont’d)
7#9
#
A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ n œ ~~~~~~~~ œ œ nœ #œ œ nœ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ.
E
& ˙ œ n œ # œ ‰ ‰
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5
~~~~~~~~[ 8 ] BU BU BU BU BU
T 8
5 6
(14) 15 13 (15) 13 (15) 13 (15) 13 (15)
14
13
7
B
7
D7#9
# nœ œ. œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ~~~œ~~~~~~~
A
. œ œ nœ œ œ nœ #œ
1/4 1/4
&# œ ˙ nœ # œœ
BU BU 1/4 1/4 ~~~ ~~~~~~~ 5 BU
T 13 (15) 13 (15) 13 15 13 15 13
14 14
8 5
7 5 (6 ) 5 6
5
7 7
B 7
10
The solo starts with Eric playing a whopping five-semitone bend. Fortunately, it’s in an area of the neck where bending is easier, but don’t worry if you can’t quite manage it.
Try playing the bend on the third string at the 20th fret instead. The third string is often easier to bend.

77
# œ œ
& # 4 œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ œ œ n œœ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ
A D9 A
1:50
5 5
T 5
6
5
5
5
6
5 5 7 4 5 5 7 5 5 7
5 7 5 5 5 7 5 7
5 5 5 5
1
# œœ ‰ ‰ ≈ œ
D9
n ˙~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ n œ œ n œ~~~~~~~~~~~
.
œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ
œ
5
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
T 5
6
8
9 7 5 7 9
8
9
5 5 7
B 5 5
5 7 5 5
4
E7 # 9
# # AŒ œ œ~~~~~
. œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ nœ ˙ nœ
œ œ œœ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ n œ œ œ
~~~~~ 5 8 5
T BU
7 (9)
8
7 9 7 5
8
7
7 5 6 5 5 7
7 7 5 7
7

CLASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM STRANGE BREW Verse 3 (cont’d)
D7#9
## œ
A
œœ ‰ ‰
œ œ nœ ‰ ‰ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ œ ‰ Œ Œ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ
5
T 5
5
5
6
4 5 5 7 5 5 7
B 5 5 5 7
5
5 7
10
Take care during the lead licks in bars 5 to 8; you have to change position mid-lick and this requires accurate fingering. The rhythm groove comes to a halt in bar 11.
Make sure to count carefully during the pause in order to pick up the riff again on beat 2 of bar 12.
CREAM STRANGE BREW Outro
##
A
œœ ‰ ‰
D9
œ n œ~~~~~~~
. œ. n œ œ œ nAœ œ~~~~~œ . œ œ .
œ œ œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ ≈ Œ
2:17
5 BU ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ 8 8
T 5 10 (13)
6
10 8 10 8 8 10
5 5 7
B 5 5
5 7
1
~~~~~~~ n œ œ~~~~~~~œ
78
# # nœ œ. œ
D9
œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ nœ ‰ Œ nœ ‰ œ œ nœ œ
BU ~~~~~~~ BU ~~~~~~~ BU BD
T 8 (10) 8 5 8 5
7 5 7 5
8 (10) 8 7 (( 8 )) (( 7 ))
7 9 7 5 5
B
4
n œ ~~~~~ #
≈ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ.
E7 9
# nAœ œ œ. œ œ œ œ ≈ œ Œ
8
~~~~~[10]
T 6
10 8
6 7 7 9
8 8 10
12 9 7
5 7
B
7
7#9
# #D n œœ ‰ ‰
A N.C.
œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ n œ
A 7sus2
U˙
œ œ ≈ nœ œ œ ‰
œ œ
œ œ
rall.
BU 0 5 0 3 0 BU( BD 3
T 5
5
3 (5) 3 5) ( 3) 1 3 1 3 5 53 1
4 5 5 7
B 5 5 5 7
10
Once again, the A minor pentatonic is the scale of choice with the occasional 6th fret C# (major 3rd) added in. The two note diads in bar 6 are very quiet on the original
track, so are probably throwaway lines. Feel free to improvise using your own ideas based on Clapton’s tasty phrasing.

ROCK
SCHOOL
NIRVANA
COME AS YOU ARE
‘Nevermind’ the amps, TG and Rockschool
dive into the depths of this MTV Unplugged
smash from Seattle’s grunge pioneers
N irvana’s world-beating 1991
album Nevermind turned rock
music on its head, featuring
alt-rock anthems that
harnessed the energy and frustration
of 90s youth. Released after the
astonishing Smells Like Teen Spirit, the
album’s second single Come As You Are
The iconic intro riff should be played
with a steady eighth-note rhythm.
Whether you play with downstrokes or
alternate between down and up, your
picking hand direction will be down to
personal preference. Experiment with
some ideas and when you settle on
your preferred approach, remember to
ditches the loud/soft dynamic changes be consistent with it. In bar 10, there
for a more moderate rock approach is a sudden ‘opening out’ from the
– however, it’s the band’s MTV single-note riff to two strikes of an
Unplugged version which Rockschool’s open E major chord. Make sure you’re
arrangement is based upon. prepared and looking ahead for this.
80 Words Jono Harrison
Photography Getty
Whether you’re taking your first steps on guitar or
moving into further/higher education, a Rockschool
Grade will improve your playing ability whilst you
learn iconic tracks from the world of popular music.
For moreinfo visit: www.rslawards.com
facebook.com/rslawards COME AS YOU ARE
Words and Music by Kurt Cobain
instagram.com/rslawards Copyright © 1991 The End Of Music and Primary Wave Tunes
All Rights Administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
@RSLAwards All Rights Reserved Used by Permission
NIRVANA COME AS YOU ARE TRACKS 35-36

FULL TRACK + BACKING (TRACKS 35-36)
This song comes with a full demo track and a backing
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
NIRVANA / COME AS YOU ARE
NIRVANA COME AS YOU ARE TRACKS 35-36
81
The powerchords that make up the chorus and bridge sections need to be punchy and clear for full effect, and using a pick might get a more aggressive sound for this
alt-rock anthem. You might try keeping your picking hand really close to the strings so that you get a clean attack, and you can also try muting any unwanted strings
with your fretting hand to keep things tidy.

TLOEPLARANY
OPEN-MIC SONGBOOK
TOM PETTY
FREE FALLIN’
Discover how Tom Petty and Mike
Campbell’s easy shapes morph three
sus chords into an anthemic riff
I t’s a curious coincidence that we
find ourselves looking at Tom
Petty’s classic track this month.
Not only is it one of Petty’s finest
offerings, but this month’s cover star
John Mayer also recorded a first-class
live acoustic arrangement in 2008.
With the two versions racking up
The simple but oh-so-hooky opening
riff was played on Petty’s 12-string
acoustic and the 12-string electric of
Mike Campbell (though it sounds great
on a six-string, too). The acoustic part
was played with a capo on the 1st fret
and the electric guitar was capo’d in the
3rd position. This unusual approach
almost 800 million Spotify streams allowed both guitars to play contrasting
between them, and with just a few open shapes for maximum resonance.
82 easy chords to learn, we’d say the The blending of these two parts created
song is a fitting addition to every a riff that earned a place in rock ’n’
guitarist’s songbook! roll history.
CHORDS
T
O O O X O O O X O O X X O X X O
CAPO – 1st fret CAPO – 1st fret CAPO – 1st fret CAPO – 3rd fret CAPO – 3rd fret
here are nine shapes to learn 1
if you want to deliver an 2 3 2 3 1 1 2 1
authentic reproduction of
Petty and Campbell’s chords. 3 3 4
Notice that they’re all based 3 4
around F, Bb and C root notes F Bbsus2 Csus4 F Fsus4
- so it’s possible to busk your own (E) (Asus2) (Bsus4) (D) (Dsus4)
arrangement around just three X 0 O O X X X X X X X X X X X X
chords if you prefer to take
a simpler approach. Listen out CAPO – 3rd fret CAPO – 1st fret
5 1 7 1
for the sound qualities of the
sus chords. They’re key to 1 2 3 2 3 3
the song’s uplifting feel.
If you’re new to sus chords then
some of the shapes here may look
a little wrong! That’s because C F5 Bb5 C5
these are regular major shapes (A) (E5) (A5) (B5)
with one note omitted (A to
Asus2) or added (D to Dsus4).
ytteG otohP enopaC lihP gnikcab dna sratiuG
Don’t worry about the theory

behind these chords, it’s the
sound they create that’s FREE FALLIN’
Words and Music by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne
important. Add a few sus chords Copyright © 1989 Gone Gator Music and EMI April Music Inc.
All Rights for EMI April Music Inc. Administered by Sony Music
to your rhythm parts and you Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219
All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.
might just hit on that killer riff! Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Europe Ltd.

BACKING TRACK (TRACK 37)
Free Fallin’
This song comes with a backing track (minus guitar)
SONGSHEET
on your CD. Simply insert the disc in your player, press
play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
Intro
F Bbsus2 F Csus4 x2
ChoruFs Bridge
Bbsus2 F Csus4 F Bbsus2 F Csus4
And I’m free
Verse 1F Bbsus2 F
F Bbsus2 F Csus4 [no lyrics]
F Bbsus2 F Csus4
Csus4 Free fallin’ Free fallin’, now I’m, free fallin’, now I’m
She’s a good girl, loves her mama F Bbsus2 F Csus4 F Bbsus2 F Csus4
F Bbsus2 F Csus4 Yeah I’m free [no lyrics]
Loves Je - sus and America, too F Bbsus2 F Csus4 F Bbsus2 F Csus4
F Bbsus2 F Csus4 Free fallin’ Free fallin’, now I’m, free fallin’, now I’m
She’s a good girl, crazy ’bout Elvis
F Bbsus2 F
Loves horses and her boyfriend Csus4too VerseF 3Bbsus2 VerseF4 Bbsus2 F Csus4
Interlude
F Bbsus2 F Csus4
All the vampires
F Csus4
I wanna glide down over Mulholland
F Bbsus2 F
Walkin’throughthe valley I wanna write her name in the Csus4
sky
Verse 2F Bbsus2 F F Bbsus2 F Csus4
Move west down Ventura Boulevard
F Bbsus2 F Csus4
I’m gonna free fall out into nothin’
Csus4 F Bbsus2
And it’s along day livin’ in Reseda And all the bad boys F Bbsus2 F Csus4
F Bbsus2 F Csus4 Gonna leave this world for a while
There’s a freeway Are standing in the shadows
F Csus4
Runnin’ through the yard F Bbsus2 Repeat chorus
F Bbsus2 And the good girls
And I’m a bad boy F Csus4
Are home with broken hearts Breakdown
F5 Bb5 F5 C5 x2
F Csus4 83
’Cause Idon’t even miss her
F Bbsus2 F
I’m a bad boy for breakin’ her Csus4
heart
Repeat chorus Repeat chorus to fade
TOM PETTY FREE FALLIN’ Intro/Verses (acoustic) TOM PETTY FREE FALLIN’ Intro/Verses (electric)
q= 85
F B b sus 2 F Csus4 F Fsus4 F C
(E ) ( Asus 2 ) ( E ) ( Bsus4 ) (D) ( Dsus4 ) ( D) (A)
.
Capo 1st fret
œ.
Capo 3rd fret
œœ ˙˙ œœ œ œœ ˙˙
& b . œœœ .. œœœ ˙˙˙ œœœ œœ œœœ ˙˙˙Play 6 times.
& b . œœ .. œœ ˙˙ œœ œœ .
Play 6 times
œœ ˙˙ œœ œ œœ ˙˙ œœ ˙˙
œ. œ
T
A
.. 0
0
1
0
0
2
0
0
2
0
0
1
0
0
4
.. T
A
.. 2
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
2
3
2
0
2
2
..
B 2
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
2
0
4
2 B 0 0 0 0 2
0
Fret right on your fingertips to make sure you’re not accidentally muting the This part repeats throughout the track with just the odd variation or two. The
open second string when you’re fretting the Bb sus2 andCsus4shapeshere. chord shapes are different to the acoustic guitar thanks to a 3rd position capo.
TOM PETTY FREE FALLIN’ Interlude / verse 2 (acoustic) TOM PETTY FREE FALLIN’ Breakdown
F B b sus 2 F Csus4 F5 Bb5 F5 C5
( E ) ( Asus 2 ) (E )(Bsus4 ) Play 5 times (E 5) ( A 5) ( E 5 ) (B 5 )
.
Capo 1st fret
& b . .. œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœœ œ œœœ ‰ œœœ œ œœœ œ . Capo 1st fret
œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ &b . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ .
0:34 œ. œ œ œ 3:19 œ throughout
œ œ œ œ
T . .. .. ..
PM
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T
B . 0
1
2
2
0
1
2
2
0
1
2
2
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
1
2
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
4
2
0
4
4
2 B 2 2 2 7 7 7 7 7 7 2 2 9 9 9 9 9
⇥ ≤⇥ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ≤
0 0 0 0
≥≥≥ ≥ ≥≥≥≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥
0 0 0 5 5 5 5 5 5 0 0 7 7 7 7 7
The strumming is busier but steady here. Keep your motion even and apply only There’s more of a straight-ahead rock feel here with these powerchords. Slide
light accentuation to the chord changes. along the strings on the changes but make sure to strum every chord.

THE GAS
86
STATIONREAL WORLD REVIEWSOF THE

BEST NEW GEAR
Welcome to the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome*)
Station! Every issue, TG scours the market for the
hottest new gear and brings you transparent reviews
that you can trust. From the smallest of accessories
that make your life easier, to big investments, such as
brand new guitars, amps and effects pedals – if it’s
84 worth your attention, you’ll find it here!
HOW WE TEST BEST BUY AWARD
TG Best Buy Awards are
reserved for stand-out
CURATION NO SNAKE OIL
90
products that earna five-star
Our product selection is You won’t find us getting rating.This isthebest, most
driven by our love of gear. hung up on hokey mythology exciting new gear thatyou
We select the most exciting or nonsense marketing need to check out
products on the market every
month to bring you opinions
you can trust.
speak: we aim to bring you
bullsh*t-free opinions on the
gear you’re interested in.
85START MEUP
Five essential new products
FACE-VALUE REVIEWS WE CAN’T BE BOUGHT
We’re not gear snobs here at TG review scores are a true 86FRIEDMAN BE-MINI HEAD
How does a head this small sound so huge?
Total Guitar. We judge it on reflection of our experts’
whether it looks good, sounds
good and plays well – not by
opinion on the product
they’ve been testing. You’ll BEST FOR… 90CHARVELPRO-MOD SO-CAL
the name on the headstock. never find a rating in our
mag that has been bought
and paid for.
Different guitarists have
different needs. This badge
highlights a particular strength
that a product has in a TGTest
STYLE 2 HH HT
Charvel widens its appeal
*WHAT IS GAS? or Group Test, so you can
Gear Acquisition Syndrome
is theguitar-player’s
never-ending urge toacquire
REAL WORLD REVIEWS
We test every product under
the conditions that they were
choose what’s bestfor you
92 LINE 6 HX STOMP XL
Expanded stompbox puts Helix sounds on your
new gear,irrespective of designed for. For example, pedalboard with flexible switching options
whethertheyactually need it.
Don’t pretend you don’t
if an amp is designed to be
played loud, rest assured BEST 94 UNIVERSAL AUDIO UAFX
have it – we all do! FOR…
ASTRA MODULATION
that we’ll have tested it at
rehearsal/gig volumes!
SUPERB, A BEST BUY EXCELLENT ABOVE AVERAGEKIT SOME ISSUES POOR

MACHINE
A special kind of ensemble
GAS STATION
5
4
1 85
START MEUP!
Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month...
1 2 3 5
BOSSWhatHM-2W HARLEY BENTON CLP-15E IBANEZ Q54 FENDER KURT COBAIN BOSSTheCUBE STREET II
4
do David Gilmour and
Swedish death metal have
The German company’s A boldstatement with
Custom Line is raising the a spec tomatch; Ibanez’s
JAG-STANG
It’s finallyback; the
RolandCubeStreet is
a street performer
in common? The HM-2and bar on acoustic guitar spec new headless range plus signature the Nirvana icon favourite and is reborn
it’sfinallyback –the Boss Heavy value here;solid mahogany back its firstsignature modelfor a spec’d and road-tested here under theBossbanner.
Metal pedal has received the and sides, bone nut and saddle Japanese artist with the ICHI10 beforehis passing in 1994. Now A 10-wattbattery-powered
Waza Craft treatment that with the Fishman Presys II for Ichika Nito. The Q Series itself a Mexican-made model,it follows (eight AAalkaline batteries or
recreates and enhances a cult preamp.The parlor CLP-15E is encompasses five models the original Japanese model’s AC adaptor)wedge stereo
classic. A Standard mode with a partof a new four-model range including the Q54pictured in specs elsewhere with a Mustang amp offers dual channelswith
reduced noise floor and 3dB level that includestheCLA-15M Black Flat. It’s a comprehensive 24” scale, 7.25” radius rosewood three-band EQ and reverb for
increasewill please purists but auditorium non-electro, spec; lightweight Nyatoh body, fingerboard and vintage-style each. There’s chorus, delay,vocal
the Custom offers moregain and CLD-15MCE dreadnought Jescar EVO Gold frets, roasted single-coiland custom harmony and alooper with up to
attackwith tweaked low and cutaway electro and CLA-15MCE birdseye maple fretboard, the humbucker.TheMustang 45-seconds of stereo recording
mid frequencies. auditorium cutaway electro. new Ibanez Mono-Tune bridge, slider switches allowfor in or time too. Anoptional Bluetooth
£129, www.boss.info While thoseguitars are 25.3-inch dyna-MIX9 switching system out-of-phase options, too.The adaptor also allows wireless
scale,this parlor is a more for the R1/Q58 pickup combo. Jaguar/Mustang hybrid body controlwith the Cube Jam
compact24.7”with a slotted £849, www.ibanez.com was envisioned by Cobainto app for iOS.
headstock for vintage vibe. combine his favouritemodels. £321, www.boss.info
From £315.60 (inc VAT), Availablefrom October.
www.harleybenton.com £1,249, www.fender.com

T H E GA S
STATION
86

3 REVIEW
1 FAMILIAR
CONTROLS
The BE-Mini’s familiar
controlsareeasy to
2 use, with a smooth-
acting passive EQ
aided by a pair of
three-position toggle
switches.‘Cut’ acts
on the gain control
range, while ‘Tight’
trims the lows.
2 SERIES
EFFECTS LOOP
On the rear panel
there’s a simple but
high qualityseries
1 effectsloop.
Positioned at the end
of the preamp and
before the output
stage,thisis the
perfect place to plug
FRIEDMANBE-MINI HEAD
in time-based effects.
£299 3 SPEAKER
OUTPUTS
The BE-Mini’s dual
speaker outlets are
D
How does a head this small sound so huge?
connected in parallel
and take a total
minimum 8-ohm load.
Ideal if you want to
use apairof16-ohm
ave Friedman’s amp tones and a price-tag to match affecting its range, while Tight 4x12 cabs.
design career stretches that puts it out of reach for most progressively leans out the amp’s 87
back over twenty-five
years, during which he’s
of us. However, there’s hope in
the shape of the new BE- Mini,
bass response, stopping the low
end from becoming flabby at AT A GLANCE
been a jealously-guarded a solid-state design which shares higher gain settings. Talking of TYPE: Analogue
secret for many of the world’s top DNA with Friedman’s coveted gain, there’s a lot of it, even at low solid-statehead with
players, including legends like BE-OD pedal, as well as being settings, while with things maxed 30-watt classD power
Eddie Van Halen and Steve inspired by the Brown Eye out even the weediest of single- stage and 24VDC
Stevens, alongside contemporary Deluxe’s lead channel. At roughly coil pickups can sound practically external powersupply
wizards like George Pajon Jr. and a quarter of the size of a regular god-like. Like all Friedman amps POWER: 30 Watts
the astonishing Doug Rappoport amp head and weighing in at just the BE-Mini is made in the USA CHANNELS: One
to name a few. There was a time under 2KG, the BE-Mini looks and internally it’s built to last, CONTROLS: Gain, Bass,
when Friedman’s legendary amp almost toy-like, but inside its with high-quality circuit boards Mid, Treble, Presence,
tuning and building skills were immaculately trimmed cabinet bolted to a robust chassis. Power Master volume, Cut
switch, Tight switch
only available to guitarists who there’s a veritable volcano of comes from a 24-volt laptop-style EFFECTS LOOP: Yes
had achieved a certain degree of overdriven lead tone waiting to be external supply which can operate
MOSTOF A BROWNEYE DELUXE

OUTPUTS: Two1/4jack
almost anywhere in the world. speaker outs
The BE-Mini’s features are pared FOOTSWITCH: No
AT A TENTH OF THE PRICE

down to the bone; there’s just one CONTACT: Friedman,
channel and no footswitchable friedmanamplification.
options for anything remotely com
resembling cleanliness. Around
notoriety; happily, his unleashed through a thirty-watt the back there’s a simple series
supercharged vintage Marshall- class D output stage. Hooked up to effects loop and a pair of speaker
inspired signature tones are the right cabinet, that’s plenty of outlets which handle a minimum
available to us all today, with a power for practice, recording and total load of 8-ohms. The speaker
generously large and varied live gigs too, when they return. jacks are wired in parallel, which
catalogue including heads and The BE-Mini’s reassuringly means hooking up a pair of
combos and pedals, not to familiar control panel has knobs 16-ohm cabinets will give you
mention a new range of guitars for gain, bass, middle, treble, that 8-ohm load, however a pair
co-designed with the legendary presence and a master volume. of 8-ohm enclosures produce
Grover Jackson in the pipeline. Two three-position mini toggle 4-ohms. While many solid-state
s i t r uC y l l O y h p a r g o t o h P
Friedman’s flagship is the switches called ‘Cut’ and ‘Tight’ power amps can handle 4-ohm
infamous ‘Brown Eye Deluxe’, an add extra versatility: Cut acts on loads, the BE-Mini cannot, so
all-valve head with eye-watering the BE-Mini’s gain control, pick your enclosures carefully.
T H E GA S
STATION
Analogue
Advantage
Analogue still has a few
tricks up its sleeve
W hile digital modelling
continues to inspire
many guitarists, the
immediate feel of being able to
grab controls that directly affect
your tone is where analogue
circuits still have an edge. It’s
why many guitarists swear by
their favourite valve amp,
88 although if truth be told it’s
possible to coax similarly great
overdrive tones from analogue
solid state circuits. Solid-state
brilliant with single coils or
humbuckers, with the Cut switch
working to shift from classic rock
ALSO TRY.
LANEYCUB
.
analogue has other advantages: tones to more contemporary high
it’s not so power-hungry as gain and the Tight switch SUPERTOP £329
valves and doesn’t need big, progressively reducing excessive Laney’s Cub
heavy expensive transformers. lows as the gain control is wound Supertop is a proper
And transistors don’t wear out, up. Classic rock stuff like Cream, all-valve 15-watt
head with
while valves do. That great valve and Led Zep is easy to replicate at amp from the guitar the old- footswitchable
tone you got at yesterday’s gig the lower gain end, while you can fashioned way. The lack of boost and a custom
may disappear a few hours later, easily add more for thick MTV-era a clean channel rapidly becomes digital reverb effect. It has a ton of
while an analogue solid-state ZZ Top, Jake E. Lee, Randy Rhoads insignificant as a wide grin ready-to-shred boutique tone.
A real steal.
amp will reproduce the exact and many, many more. Thanks spreads across one’s face. While
same sound night after night. partly to the beefy 24-Volt power the BE-Mini can be a little hissy HUGHES & £199
supply, the BE-Mini’s dynamics when used for quiet recording, you KETTNER
The BE-Mini’s ‘Brown Eye’ tone feel like a real valve amp, cleaning can’t hear it with the amp plugged VINTAGE SPIRIT
is Dave Friedman’s unique take on up as you back off and going into
classic 1970s and 1980s British rock meltdown as you pick harder, with
into speakers and turned up loud,
which is what everyone who buys
NANO HEAD
heads, full of harmonic depth and more than enough volume to stand it will want to do. Best of all H&K are renowned for
their solid-state prowess, and the
so much gain that you can up to an averagely loud drummer. though, it’s a real USA-made Spirit Nano amps offer great tone
coax feedback squeals at almost Meanwhile, the series effects loop Friedman you can afford, offering with a serious 50-wattoutput
conversation level. One advantage sounds great with time-based most of the fun of a Brown Eye stage in a package almostsmall
of using solid-state electronics in effects like chorus, reverb or delays Deluxe at less than a tenth of the enough to fit in your pocket.
high gain circuits like this is that and you can use the send jack to price. What more temptation BOSS KATANA £385
overdrive tones are easier to sculpt, record into a desk with the
with smooth, interactive tone loudspeaker disconnected,
does a guitar player need?
Nick Guppy 100 MKII HEAD
controls making it easy to dial in although the signal has a little If you need the
FEATURES flexibility of digital
great tones and find them again. more hiss than we’d like to hear. modelling,then for
We used the BE-Mini with our Friedman’s BE-Mini is instant SOUND QUALITY a few quid morethe
VALUE FORMONEY
YRAMMUS
regular Strat and Les Paul, plugged sonic gratification; it’s all about best-selling Katana
into a 2x12 open-back cabinet that amazing hot-rodded BUILD QUALITY MkIIhasit all covered, with superb
USABILITY amp voices and effectslinkedto a
loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s. British-inspired tone and getting powerful 100 watt outputstage.
The Friedman sounds equally back to the basics of driving a great OVERALL RATING
T H E GA S
STATION
90

REVIEW
CHARVELPRO-M£959ODSO-CAL 1 REVERSE AT A GLANCE

STYLE2 HH HT
HEADSTOCK
The reverse licensed
Fender Telecaster
headstock will turn
1 BODY Alder
NECK Caramelised
some people off but it maple
keeps a Charvelslant SCALE 648mm(25.5”)
Charvel widens its appeal
W
on the familiar Fender FINGERBOARD
form here. Caramelised maple,
2
12-16” compound
JACK INPUT radius
The recessed FRETS 24,jumbo
e love it when guitar neck and fingerboard with rolled Strat-style jack input PICKUPS Fishman
companies blur the edges, reinforced with graphite to isn’t at the front or Fluence Open Core
side –it’s aroundthe PRF-COC
lines and change our provide more stability in changing back in a contoured CONTROLS Volume,
preconceptions. temperatures that can affect corner, designed so Tone (with push/pull
Because most of us tunings. And Luminlay side notes the lead winds back activation forVoice3),
will think of a type of guitar and for better visibility onstage in low over your strap. 2-waymini togglefor
Unconventional switching between
even genre when the names light and a curved neck heel for and smart. Voice 1and 2
Jackson and Charvel are enhanced fret access. Great on
3
HARDWARE Charvel
mentioned. But just as Misha paper and even better in play BACK die-castlocking
Mansoor MJ Series So-Cal 2PT - this is a lovely neck indeed. The So-CalStyle tuners, Charvel HT6
leans into Strat heritage, so too The low action and friendly 2 bodyfeatures string-through-body
a carvedbelly cut and hardtail bridge with
do Style 2 Charvels with the tension help – springy and great heel contour belowthe brass saddles,
Telecaster. And with that comes for bends, but not a flappy 4-bolt sculptedneck heel-mount trussrod
a potential widening of appeal. buzzfest. It will help Tele players heel –an excellent adjustment wheel
Both Jackson and Charvel have with the transition to the 12”-16” design for playing LEFT-HANDED No
comfort. FINISH Robin’s Egg
been part of the Fender Musical radius 24-fret ‘speed neck’ here. Blue (reviewed), Satin
Instruments Corporation since We’d really like to see a 22-fret Black, ShowWhite
CONTACT Charvel,
91
2002, and the brands’ instruments option like the DK22 but this
are produced at Fender facilities. doesn’t feel like a shred exclusive www.charvel.com
For the Charvel Pro-Mod So-Cal guitar. And the pickups confirm it.
Style 2 HH HT it’s the Ensenada The Fishman Fluence active
facility in Mexico but while the humbuckers offer two voices in
similar body curves and the three positions, plus a three-
licensed Telecaster headstock position single-coil Voice 3. They
nod firmly to Fender, there’s cover a lot of ground but have their
plenty of distinctly Charvel specialties for us; the Hot Rod
calling cards here. Bridge’s overwound, compressed
We don’t think it’s a bold claim character is highly effective for
to suggest Charvel are offering tighter high gain, but the Vintage
some of the very best examples of P.A.F humbucker voices allow
pro standard spec on sub £1,000 more characterful string definition
electric guitars around. And to shine and the muscular rounded
they’ve been ahead of the game cleans are welcome and superb
when it comes to delivering it. for blues and jazz.
The Robin’s Egg Blue finish Voice 3 isn’t a coil-split either;
really pops – previous Style 2 hard the Fluence technology really
tail models have been Satin Black
and Snow White so it’s a very
delivers cutting single-coil Tele
twang that is effectively wound
3
distinct step away from finishes back with the tone control. This
associated with Charvel tradition. guitar can effectively cover so
It’s good to see and we’d like to see much ground that it makes
more choice for those who aren’t preconceptions redundant.
drawn to this bright blue. Rob Laing
Hopefully that will follow. FEATURES
The rest of the features here
should be far less divisive and even SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FORMONEY
YRAMMUS
the details really matter

– especially with the neck, BUILD QUALITY

a guitar’s most tactile strength USABILITY
or weakness. Caramelised maple OVERALL RATING 2
T H E GA S
STATION
92

REVIEW
3 1 DISPLAY
The display offers
either Playview or Edit
view, toggledwith the
adjacent Viewswitch.
1 Play view, typically
used when
performing, shows
footswitch
assignments.
2 MODE
FOOTSWITCH
This toggles between
Stomp and Preset
footswitchmodes.
Hold itfor onesecond
2 to engage Pedal Edit
mode forhands-free
editing using just
LINE 6 HX STOMP XL
footswitches.
£769 3 USB SOCKET

Connect to
a computer via USB
for audio interface
Expandedstompbox puts Helix sounds on your capability and for
access to the HX
T
pedalboard withflexible switchingoptions
Edit software which
makes easy work
of all editing.
he original HX Stomp
gives players access to
models to populate the blocks,
including over 80 amps and
footswitches. Besides these
there’s a ‘Snapshot’ mode for
AT A GLANCE
Helix sounds without pretty much every effect type access to the four snapshots ORIGIN China 93
having to buy one of the you’ll ever need. The upshot of available for each preset – each TYPE Multi-FX pedal
large Helix floorboards, that is a real sonic flexibility that’s snapshot can have altered with amp/cabs and
but while its diminutive form may got you covered whatever type of parameters an/or a different effects
be ideal for adding to a pedalboard music you play. Setting up sounds number of active blocks. You can FEATURES Selectable
buffered or true
set-up or as an easily-portable ‘fly is straightforward, especially if you also have looper controls spread bypass, 128 preset
rig,’ the fact that it only has three use the computer-based editor across 6 footswitches, and extra locations (32banks
footswitches limits its onstage and you can use the unit for a full performance capabilities can of 4), 8 in /6 out audio
flexibility. That has now been signal chain, amp sim and cab be opened up by using the interface, looper,
addressed by the XL version which included, or set up presets without expression pedal input. tuner, MIDI, regular
firmware updates
adds five footswitches for a total of amp and cab to use purely for Either version of the HX Stomp MODELS Over 300
THEXL’S ADDITIONAL
eight while retaining a workable effects – there’s a ‘Stomp’ offers real versatility for both effects and models
home use, (with USB recording from Helix, M-Series,
capability and headphone socket and legacy Line 6
FOOTSWITCHES ARE DEFINITELY for silent practice), and onstage; products

each is compact enough to be CONTROLS Volume,
WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY

a practical travelling asset for use soft knobsx 5,buttons
x 4, footswitches x 8
with your own amp or direct into CONNECTIONS
a PA. The XL, though, has the edge Standard inputs
in the latter context where more (L/Mono, R), standard
form factor – it’s about five inches mode that gives you individual onstage footswitches will give outputs(L/Mono, R),
wider but now has all the socketry footswitch access to six blocks you more options more quickly Stereo Send, Return/
Aux In (L/Mono and R),
round the back rather than on from the loaded preset for an – definitely worth the extra money Exp pedal,MIDI In,
three sides. instant ‘pedalboard’ with six if you have the space for it. MIDI Out/Thru,
While the HX Stomp XL has the effects, and it’s that kind of Trevor Curwen standard stereo
same effects, amps, cabs and IR flexibility offered by its extra headphone output,
loading as full-size Helix, some of footswitches that sets the XL USB
the more complex signal chains apart from the smaller version. POWER Supplied
FEATURES 9VDC DC-3Gadaptor
are not available. What you do get A dedicated ‘Mode’ footswitch lets SOUND QUALITY 3000 mA
though are 32 banks of 4 presets you toggle between ‘Stomp’ mode DIMENSIONS 316 (w)
VALUE FORMONEY
YRAMMUS
constructed from up to 8 blocks and ‘Preset’ mode where each x 120 (d) x 68 mm (h)
(DSP permitting) in a serial signal preset in a bank has its own BUILD QUALITY CONTACT YamahaUK,
chain with parallel routing footswitch and you can change USABILITY www.line6.com
possibilities. There are over 300 banks with the up/down OVERALL RATING
T H E GA S
STATION
94
UNIVERSAL AUDIO UAFX ASTRA MODULATION MACHINE

U
A special kind of ensemble £355
niversal Audio’s first
foray into pedal
We love the aesthetic here – and
yes, that logo is a bit SEGA isn’t it.
chorus (inspired by the coveted
Boss Chorus Ensemble), flanger/ AT A GLANCE
hardware comes The Astra balances sleek brushed doubler that recreates MXR’s 80s CONTROLS Speed, Depth,
from years of building metal with a graphical approach rack unit); there’s vibrato, tube Intensity, Shape, Shade; toggle
a formidable reputation that comes on like a UA plugin tremolo and more. A bonus phase switches for effect type, preset
for industry standard recording printed in 3D. The tonal palette X90 based on the classic MXR store and sound A/B selection,
plugins. Like Neural DSP, it’s an draws its influence from the 70s Phase 90 alongside a Fender rotarymodeswitch; manual/
interesting angle to approach the and 80s here; if you’re looking for Brownface-inspired Dharma bypass and preset/bypass
footswitches
effects market, but you’re already leftfield, progressive approaches Trem ’61 harmonic tremolo can FEATURES Mono/stereo inputs
frowning at the price here, aren’t there are other modulation units be downloaded via UA’s Control and outputs,USB-C for app
you? Yes, we’re now above the that will serve you better. The app. And we’d advise you do controland updates, Bluetooth
snow line of pedal price mountain lack of MIDI functionality is also – they’re great. for app control;switchable true
when it comes to a modulation puzzling – seemingly justified With so many gorgeous musical or buffered bypass (via app)
pedal. But, you’re getting a lot by UA to focus players on the sounds we’d have liked to see POWER SUPPLY 9-volt mains
of modulation pedal here. hands-on old school pedal more than one preset to store supply only (minimum 400mA)
(not included)
We’ve chosen to focus on the approach to the controls. For £355 a favourite, but this is still DIMENSIONS 141 x 92 x 65mm
Astra Modulation Machine here we’re not so convinced, but the a benchmark modelling pedal.
rather than the reverb and delay collection of classics is really the Rob Laing
pedals in the UAFX launch trio source of the appeal here – so FEATURES
because we think it offers the do the tones deliver?
most distinct proposition in Very much so. If you’re on the SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FORMONEY
YRAMMUS
the market; a comprehensive fence about modulation this could

modelling of classic top drawer knock you over into a sea of BUILD QUALITY
modulation pedals in a rugged and shimmer and oscillation. The USABILITY
very attractive compact chassis. menu serves Bucket Brigade OVERALL RATING
FREE
BLACKSTAR FLY 3
MINI AMP
worth £65
when you subscribe to
96 Total Guitar
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IN THESPOTLIGHT
JOCELYN
Words Grant Moon Photo Anna Yatskevich
GOULD
“F or artists there are these moments
of serendipity,” says Jocelyn Gould,
whose smile implies both wonder and
gratitude. “You can’t explain them,
but they change everything.” For this
rising Canadian guitarist such a moment came in June,
when her debut album Elegant Traveler scooped the
trophy for Jazz Album Of The Year at the Juno Awards,
Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys.
Another came a decade ago when the Winnipegger
was 19, a bedroom guitar player into the folk of Joni
Mitchell and the blues of BB King. “I was majoring
in Chemistry in college, and I had a couple of friends
studying jazz in Winnipeg,” she recalls. “I went to
a jam session with them and was blown away by the
community, and the fun of it.” She ditched science
for music, and by 2018 had completed a Masters in
Jazz Studies at Michigan State University.
Elegant Traveler showcases Gould’s clean,
98 sophisticated and soulful playing, her warm tone
coming from her Benedetto 16-A guitar via a Fender
Blues Junior. The record speaks to her skill as
a composer, too. Garnished with songs by Cole Porter,
Duke Ellington and Richard Rodgers, it’s stacked with
original instrumentals dreamed up on long daily walks
through New York City. She was living there back in
2019, making rent as a session guitarist. “New York’s
so cool,” she says.” I’d play clubs with musicians like
Etienne Charles, Diego Rivera and Michael Dease.”
That same year Gould was jamming at a late-night,
guitarists-only club gig. The Dean of Toronto’s
Humber College was present and so impressed that
he mooted the possibility of Gould teaching there.
Just a month later a vacancy came up, and she now
balances her performance commitments with her
duties as the head of Humber’s 80 student-strong
guitar department.
“I try to impress upon my students that jazz is
a language, and if you don’t hear it you can’t speak it,”
she explains. “So on the first day I list ten amazing
jazz guitarists to listen to. My ‘big four’ are Wes
Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Grant Green and Joe
Pass.” From there her students learn the juicy stuff,
like the best way of approaching a dominant (fifth)
chord in a progression. Gould’s hot tip: next time
you’re jamming blues in A, over the E turnaround try
the E altered scale – E F G Ab Bb C D – for extra spice.
“Blues is the bridge between jazz and rock,” she
says. “Grant Green is rooted in the blues. He’s a lot
like, say, Eddie Van Halen – ‘pentatonics’ is just
a fancy term for blues. The further I’ve got into this
the less I see genre divides as an obstacle. It’s all
about the spirit of the music...”

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TOM PETTY CREAM ROYAL BLOOD

FREE FALLIN’ STRANGE BREW TYPHOONS

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

32 Download your audio files at

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

YOUR NEWS IN GUITARS

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LIKE MINE... EXACTLY. ”

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

doesn’t reﬂect my playing as much as previous main acoustic I use live.

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this song is actually four years older.

Fender’s latest workhorse range embraces the power of Nine

TOTAL GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

Get the tone

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

hether you admire authentic rock and blues licks

1 SIMPLE PULL-OFF LICK TRACK 07 2 PULL-OFFS AND STRING BEND TRACK 08

3 SIMPLE HAMMER-ON LICK TRACK 09 4 VARIATIONS TRACK 10

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

thing because honestly I’m not very good at it.

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN TRACK 11

PAUL GILBERT TRACK 12

# ## . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ n œ œœ œ œœ~~~~~~~ Play 8 times

NICK JOHNSTON TRACK 13

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

Rising stars of the UK’s thriving post-punk scene,

E NOTE FOR FIVE

PLAYING THE SAM

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

THING TO DO IS REALLY PLAY,

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

“I avoid fuzz boxes.

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

Gsus2 G Lydian mode

TOTAL GUITAR SUMMER 2021

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

44 Inspired by Stevie RayVaughan and feted by Clapton, John Mayer is

“IT’S ALL FEELINGENOW. I

“THE TRIO OPENED UP THAT

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A track-by-track guide to the slick sounds and

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Early days: The big F

Fender Artist Series SRV Strat

2002 Martin Gibson ’61

Fender Custom Shop Black1 Strat

Fractal Axe-Fx III

PRS John Mayer

PRS Silver Sky

& Clean Boost

Sadly out of production thanks to a worldwide

Ibanez TS10 Way Huge Aqua

Strymon a lovely gain structure that can

SUMMER 2021 TOTAL GUITAR

~ ~ BU(10~~~~

√A7~~ ~ ~~~ n œ