Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Guitar World

I’M NOT CRAZY. I’m not suggesting that the whole pandemic thing is over. However, there’s no denying the fact that live music — actual live music, with flesh-and-blood musicians in the same physical space as flesh-and-blood music lovers — is creeping back into our lives as I write these non-Pulitzer-prizewinning words. I don’t have to look too far for proof, either. First of all, my bands have seven gigs (so far) lined up this summer; and while that’s nothing compared to 2019, it’s a massive improvement over 2020. And then there’s all those tour-announcement press releases in my inbox; everyone from Megadeth to the Monkees — including Korn, Staind, Weezer, Green Day, Dead & Company, Rise Against, Lamb of God, Vince Gill, Zepparella, JD McPherson and many more — is…

1 “Dawn of the Angry” Morbid Angel Sonia [right]: This is the first death metal song I ever heard, and I was directly hooked on Morbid Angel. The tremolo picking harmonizations are amazing and made me appreciate this technique. 2 “At the Left Hand ov God” Behemoth Sonia: I’m a sucker for octave riffs on guitar, Middle Eastern-sounding melodies and death metal. This song has it all. There is something very mystical about it, and the slower riff with a pinch harmonic on top of a triplet double bass is my soft spot. 3 “Shadowfear” Vader Tainá [left]: The riffs at the beginning are very inspiring, something that really touched me [the first time I heard it]. Also there’s that last solo, which somehow tells something between…

“The distortion of Fugazi, Nirvana and Pantera, for example, are all completely different, and they all add their own elements to the music” HAVING TRAINED AS a concert pianist in Tel Aviv, Israel, from an early age, Tamar Aphek wasn’t exposed to rock music until she was 18. Then, when she put her career on hold to begin mandatory service in the army, she experienced an epiphany. While visiting a hip, local bar, she heard Radiohead for the first time. Impressed by the band’s experimental, multifaceted style, Aphek began a quest to learn more about the music she had previously avoided and was enthralled by the raw guitar sounds of Sonic Youth, the Jesus Lizard and the Stooges. “The first thing that captivated me about rock was all the kinds…

IT’S ONE THING for an established rock band to make a back-to-basics album. But it’s quite another to go all the way back to the songbook and sidemen who inspired you in the first damn place. For their 10th studio release, Delta Kream [Nonesuch], the Black Keys did just that, hosting a Hill Country blues party in honor of their departed heroes R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, with help from musicians who performed with them on classic albums and throughout their heyday. The whole affair was partly an act of serendipity — guitarist Kenny Brown and bassist Eric Deaton were both in Nashville to back Robert Finley on a session at Easy Eye Sound, Auerbach’s studio near Nashville’s Music Row, in December 2019. However, just three weeks removed from the…

WITH ITS SEPTEMBER 2011 issue, Guitar World went out on a limb and proclaimed BLACK VEIL BRIDES and ASKING ALEXANDRIA to be “The Future of Hard Rock,” even going so far as to feature one member of each group on that month’s cover. Given the mass success of each band over the past decade, we like to think our prediction was accurate. Here, BVB guitarist Jake Pitts recalls the moment he learned that he and Asking Alexandria guitarist Ben Bruce were sharing space on a Guitar World cover. “It’s a funny story actually,” Pitts says. “We were playing Rock on the Range in May 2011, and all I knew was that Jinxx and I were doing this roundtable interview with Asking Alexandria — whom we had never met before —…

A QUICK PERUSAL of Jackson Guitars’ Pro Series lineup of instruments is like gazing into a showroom containing a fleet of the most elite, high-performance sports cars. Car analogy notwithstanding, we can probably agree “Jackson Guitars” should be synonymous with “fast,” and thankfully, if dextrous celerity is what you’re after, the company’s appealing selection of body styles, pickups and bridges — whether it’s hardtail or locking tremolo — all provide the technical and sonic means to up your virtuosic game. Even more encouraging is that Jackson Guitars regularly incorporates the latest cutting-edge hardware and electronics in their instruments, as evidenced by their Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern EverTune 6, which includes the revolutionary EverTune F6 bridge and Fishman’s tremendous Fluence Open Core pickups. If you’ve never test driven either…

STREET PRICE: $799.99 MANUFACTURER: Cort, cortguitars.com The torrefied Sitka spruce top provides the dynamics, projection and tonal complexity of naturally aged and dried wood. Hand-rolled fret edge treatment enhances playing comfort thanks to the smoothly polished, rounded surfaces at the edges of every fret. THE BOTTOM LINE The Cort Gold-A6 with its torrefied top provides the rich, dynamically responsive tone of a vintage-aged acoustic without requiring a huge investment or the patience of waiting for decades.…

AROUND THE BENDS, PART 7 More string-bending techniques in E Dorian AS WE NOW arrive at part seven in this series of studies addressing string-bending techniques, we continue our examination of bending up to and back to each note of the E Dorian mode (E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D), as played on the high E string. As we have done in the previous columns, the idea is to utilize each scale degree of E Dorian as a pivot point or note of emphasis in a given phrase, and to sound each pitch by either bending up to the note from a half step or whole step below, or back down to it from above, using what’s known as a pre-bend, or reverse bend. Applying this type of focus…

“THE LESS I KNOW THE BETTER” Tame Impala AUSTRALIAN MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST KEVIN Parker crafted this super-catchy, retro-disco/r&b-influenced song and arrangement all by himself, playing every part, which is quite impressive, both technically and creatively! The track kicks off with a punchy, aggressive bass riff that Parker actually recorded on guitar using an octave-down pitch shift (like what Jack White had done on the White Stripes song “Seven Nation Army”). Playing the notes high up the fretboard on the lower strings contributed to the tonal fatness of the part, as did tuning down a whole step. Parker combined a variety of musical techniques and textures in the arrangement’s various guitar parts, which blend together beautifully, creating a rich sonic tapestry and counterpoint. Notice, at bar 5, the contrast between the ringing, jangly…

“IT’S PROBABLY BRIAN MAY’S INFLUENCE. I TRY TO MULTI-TRACK EVERYTHING ON BACKGROUNDS, BUT I DON’T DO THE SAME WITH THE MAIN SOLOS” WHILE MOST MUSICIANS’ TOUR plans are still sidelined by COVID-19, Marty Friedman happily reports that he’s already played live dates — in Japan. “Gigs are happening here, and for a lot of people that’s a great thing,” says the guitarist, a Tokyo resident since 2003. However, he’s quick to point out that, for the time being, concerts in his adopted homeland have been a far cry from what he’s used to. “There are very strict guidelines everybody has to follow. We can’t go beyond 50 percent capacity at any venue, and the other restriction is, artists can’t use their voices on stage. So there’s no singing.” Which, of…

Mississippi Fred McDowell Known as one of the great “lost” bluesmen whose popularity surged in the folk music scene of the 1960s, Fred McDowell influenced some of the biggest stars of the day — including the Rolling Stones, who recorded a faithful cover of his song “You Gotta Move” for their 1971 classic Sticky Fingers — while penning classics “Shake ’Em on Down,” “61 Highway” and “Drop Down Mama.” On his final album, I Do Not Play No Rock ‘N’ Roll [Capitol], he nonetheless took up an electric guitar, the instrument of choice for young rock ‘n’ rollers. Before his death in 1972, he passed along his slide technique to an up-and-comer he had befriended named Bonnie Raitt. R.L. Burnside Taking inspiration from John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Fred…

TOM MORELLO THE CLASH, THE ARAGON BALLROOM, CHICAGO, 1982 “Seeing that my favorite musician, Joe Strum-mer, used the exact same little Music Man amp that I had in my mom’s basement made me realize that rock wasn’t something I might be able to do in the future. I was doing it now.” METALLICA, LOS ANGELES COLISEUM, LOS ANGELES, 1988 “Metallica were sandwiched between Kingdom Come and Dokken on the Monsters of Rock tour. They sounded 10 times louder and 10 times better than any of the bands on the bill, and the entire stadium erupted into a chair-throwing, fence-scaling awesome midday heavy metal riot. I’ve never seen another band deliver such an ass-kicking to the rest of a bill.” NINE INCH NAILS, LOLLAPALOOZA, 1991 “I had never heard of Nine…

THE NAME D’ANGELICO instantly conjures images of archtop hollowbody guitars as well as semi-hollow models for many who have paid casual attention to the company’s recent offerings. However, for the last seven years D’Angelico has also offered a fascinating range of solidbody models that are worthy of attention, especially by players who are looking for something different than the standardized iterations that make up maybe 90 percent of the market’s offerings. D’Angelico’s latest Deluxe Atlantic and Deluxe Brighton models are great examples of how a few “little” changes can make big differences in tone. We’re talking about details like the tonewood/scale length pairings, fretwire dimensions and even the pickup magnets. While the D’Angelico Deluxe Atlantic and Deluxe Brighton may look similar to classic solidbody models, these guitars offer bold, distinctive…

STREET PRICE: $1,599.99 MANUFACTURER: Jackson Guitars, jacksonguitars.com The EverTune F6 mechanical bridge system uses springs to keep consistent and balanced tension on your strings, offering unwavering tuning stability and precise intonation for any playing style and variable temperature changes. A pair of Fishman Fluence Open Core PRFCOC humbucking pickups offer three distinct voices from vintage PAF to hot-rodded output, and single-coil sparkle. THE BOTTOM LINE The Jackson Pro Series Dinky DK Modern EverTune 6 is a next-level performance machine with multi-voiced tones and pitch-perfect intonation, making it an unrivaled instrument for the studio and stage.…

GET ORGANIZED! Emulating organ-style chord melodies, part 2 LAST MONTH, WE took an introductory look at an early composition of mine, “2.65,” a bluesy shuffle that was originally recorded for my 1994 album, Strat’s Got Your Tongue. As I mentioned, the guitar part is intended to emulate the block-chording sound of a Hammond B3 organ via the use of descending and ascending triads played against syncopated bass notes, just as a B3 player will add rhythmic accents with the left hand in the “spaces” left by the right hand. Together, the two hands create a swinging groove that’s free to alternate between simpler or more complex rhythmic syncopations. In the previous column, I detailed the tune’s first theme, or “A” section, which is centered in the key of A and…

• GUITARS 2019 Fender Jazzmaster HH, 1989 Gibson Explorer, 2019 Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cut, 1957 Gibson LG-1/ LG-2 “Conversion” • AMPS Milkman The Amp 100, 2x12 Vertical Marshall Cab • EFFECTS Strymon El Capistan Delay, J. Rockett The Dude Overdrive, T.C. Electronic Vibraclone Rotary Pedal, T Rex Effects The Quint Octaver • STRINGS Ernie Ball Slinky Electric Strings (10-46), Ernie Ball Medium Light Earthwood Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Strings (12-54) • ACCESSORIES Dunlop Primetone .88 pick, Keyser Capos, brass slide, Shure 55SH mic, Mogami cables…

IT’S PROBABLY THE most iconic image of Jimi Hendrix, kneeling in ritual over a sacrificial Stratocaster, beckoning the flames upward and pausing only to squirt more Ronson lighter fuel onto the pickguard ablaze. In an era when oneupmanship and headlines were sometimes more important than musicianship, Hendrix was looking for a way to outdo his axe-smashing rival, Pete Townshend. Jimi is known to have definitely performed the stunt twice, and at least three guitars are part and parcel to the stories. The first time was March 31, 1967, at the Astoria show in Finsbury Park, London — three months before the fabled June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. The 1965 Stratocaster was apparently soaked in lighter fuel, and the resulting meter-high flames landed Hendrix in the hospital with burns on both…

BLACK VEIL BRIDES, the fashionable metalcore outfit from Hollywood, California, has been taking it on the chin since the group made its mainstream splash in 2010 with its debut album, We Stitch These Wounds. Guitar World has been actively championing Black Veil Brides since the group’s early days, and has had numerous discussions with guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx throughout the years about the band’s polarizing nature. In a 2013 Guitar World interview, Jinxx commented: “Nikki Sixx is a friend of ours. And he told us, ‘You guys get a lot of love, you get a lot of hate. But you know what? Mötley Crüe got the same hate back in the day. You’re going through exactly what we went through when we did Shout at the Devil. So just…

STREET PRICE: $1,499.99 (each) MANUFACTURER: D’Angelico, dangelicoguitars.com The swamp ash/flame maple top and alder body tonewoods provide a distinctive alternative to the industry-standard mahogany 24.75-inch scale models. The Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbucking pickups have A4 magnets instead of the usual A2 magnets to provide crisp articulation and bolder upper midrange. The slim 1.625-inch body thickness and belly contour provide lighter overall weight and enhanced playing comfort. THE BOTTOM LINE: The D’Angelico Deluxe Atlantic and Deluxe Brighton update the dual-humbucker solidbody voice for players seeking a guitar with tone and looks that stand out from the pack.…

IF YOU’VE EVER played a vintage acoustic alongside a new acoustic with the same construction and materials, you probably noticed that the vintage guitar sounded a lot more lively, dynamic and sweeter. Some players claim that the reason is because older guitars are “broken in,” but the simple explanation is that the natural aging process of the wood has enhanced its performance. Fresh cut wood retains vibration-damping moisture, oils and resins that regular kiln drying can’t eliminate entirely, whereas aged wood that has dried naturally makes the material stiffer and lighter, which results in more efficient vibration characteristics. A process called “torrefaction” where wood is heated to a specific temperature range in a humidity-free environment replicates the cell-structure of vintage-aged material. Until recently, torrefied spruce tops were only available on…

I GOT RHYTHM, PART 19 Quarter-note triplets LAST TIME, WE learned how to count and play eighth-note triplets, for which you subdivide a beat into three equally spaced notes, as indicated by an Italic 3. We then saw how you can create swing eighth notes, or swing eighths, by tying the middle note of the triplet to the first note. This gives you that lopsided “long-short-long-short” sound that, when paired with accents on beats 2 and 4, produces the classic “blues shuffle” feel, or groove. Today I’d like to continue with this topic and introduce another important and interesting subdivision that’s based on eighth-note triplets — quarter-note triplets. Quarter-note triplets are essentially eighth-note triplets in half time, meaning they’re literally half as fast. The way this works is you take…

FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION Incorporating position shifts across multiple strings when soloing IN THE LAST few columns, we focused on the concept of horizontal playing — moving up and down a single string while improvising. In my experience, I find that taking this approach will immediately pull one out of the “positional” frame of mind and will encourage players to connect, aurally as well as physically, to the improvised lines they create. The next logical step is to combine those positional shifts that the single-string approach presents with string crossing, striving to attain a sense of “freedom of navigation” and an ear for musicality. This month, the track we are using to solo over comes from my TrueFire In The Jam series. We’re in the key of E minor, and the…

NOEL GALLAGHER IS known for having a pretty damn sweet guitar collection that includes vintage Gibson Les Pauls and ES-355s, Epiphone Sheratons and Rivieras, Telecasters, Rickenbackers and much more. However, long before Oasis became a multi-Platinum-selling sensation, his rig was about as modest as it gets. In December 1993 when Oasis recorded their first single, “Supersonic,” at the Pink Museum recording studio in Liverpool, all he had was an Epiphone Les Paul Standard, a used WEM/ Watkins Dominator MKIII combo and a Roland RE-201 Space Echo (back when one could be bought for a few hundred bucks instead of a few thousand like today). The Dominator combo is the secret weapon here, as the amp was unfairly maligned by tone snobs for decades and has only recently caught the attention…