Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Guitarist

Welcome to another issue of Guitarist. This month, we were lucky enough to catch up with a man who’s fast becoming the proverbial ‘guitarist’s guitarist’, Andy Timmons (see p60). If you’ve not come across this American player’s superb playing before, he comes from that powerfully melodic tradition of instrumental electric guitar that Jeff Beck pioneered. Like a good story, the human ear tunes in on melody, following it wherever it leads if the thread of notes is strong enough. So why do we guitarists so frequently focus on learning set-piece ‘chops’ that we then try to shoe-horn into various musical scenarios, rather than trying to just work out a melody in our minds and replicate it on the fretboard? Well, like using the phrase ‘over the moon’ instead of working…

SCHECTER DIAMOND SERIES SOLO II SPECIAL £659 WHAT IS IT? Single-cut solidbody with dual single-coil soapbars AXL USA BEL AIR £999 WHAT IS IT? Single-cut solidbody with a single TV Jones Power’Tron and USA Bigsby vibrato Gibson first introduced its Les Paul Junior and Special models in 1954, aiming at players on a budget who aspired to trade up to the pricier Standard or Custom at a later date. The company certainly didn’t realise what lasting appeal these instruments would have beyond this ‘student’ market, particularly the start-up Junior, which found its way into the hands of Johnny Thunders, Mick Ralphs, Bob Marley, John Lennon and Leslie West to name a few. Our two review guitars call to mind differing aspects of the Junior and Special’s legacy. Both are styled…

Artist collaborations are not a new concept for US effects specialists Pro Tone – the company has already worked with a diverse range of artists on pedals, including Reeves Gabrels and Periphery guitarists Mark Holcomb and Misha Mansoor. Now, one of the great talents of contemporary progressive guitar playing is joining the Pro Tone family with a signature overdrive ($239), adapted from the Dead Horse overdrive, that has some interesting low-end shaping. “The six-way filter on the pedal works by reducing low-end gradually, which allows for other parts of the EQ to shine as they’re not fighting with the low-end frequencies,” Animals As Leaders’ eight-string player Tosin Abasi tells us of the evolution of Pro Tone’s Dead Horse. “This is really useful as a boost in front of a driven…

“The 335 was my first ‘proper’ guitar when I was young and despite going round the houses with many different makes and styles, I think I got it right the first time round” ADAM GOLDSMITH Thinking about the annual gear pilgrimage to NAMM coming up, and having just returned from playing in the house orchestra for ‘Sports Personality Of The Year’ (well done Andy Murray!), I’m now off to treat myself at my friend John’s excellent guitar shop, Peach Guitars, in sunny Essex. I’ve had my eye on a lovely Gibson Custom ’63 reissue ES-335 he’s had in for a while. The 335, for me, is the perfect guitar and I’d never want to turn up on a session without one. It was my first ‘proper’ guitar when I was…

Quinn Sullivan has shared the stage with Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Derek Trucks and Joe Bonamassa. He’s opened for BB King and appeared on US TV a number of times, including The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. It may sound as though we’re talking about a veteran blues performer – but Quinn is just 17 years old. Obviously a prodigious talent, he first picked up the guitar when he was only three. “My parents had a whole bunch of music in the house,” he tells us. “We used to listen to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers – a lot of different rock bands and my mum and dad used to bring…

One great advantage of blues-rock guitar is that so much is accessible to the relative beginner. The guitar’s layout means that many classic sounds can be accessed after memorising a handful of notes in one box position. However, that can be an obstacle, because many intermediate players lack the confidence to explore outside of those comfort zones. Looking beyond a single position gives you a distinct advantage. You don’t have to become a fretboard master overnight; adding one box shape will give you a huge increase in melodic variety. The new positions of the target notes (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th) make a difference, and each shape has a new set of ‘feasible bends’. Be brave! Example 1 Here’s our basic shape. The focal point is the A note on the…

“I started experimenting with mixing magnets, but in the context of the instruments, so it wasn’t a one-size-fits-all thing” Rebooting one of the most successful guitar lines ever is quite a challenge, something Shawbucker designer Tim Shaw was more than aware of when he was asked to work on the new single coils for what would become the Professional series. “I don’t know if ‘iconic’ is the right word to call the American Standards,” he muses from his Nashville base, “but if not, there has to be a word that conveys their wide use and how well they’re respected. It was like being handed a ball and you really don’t want to drop it! “For a couple of other projects,” he continues, “I’d been messing around with different Alnico magnets,…

Featuring Roland’s COSM amp and effects modelling, the Boss GT range of multi-effects processors has often been the ideal choice for those who like the practicality of having all their onstage effects in one box, or those who want a complete self-contained signal chain with fully processed sound for recording. Since 2012, the GT-100 floor pedal (£365) has been the flagship model, with the GT-001 desktop unit (£209) also being available to give players the COSM experience without a floorpedal. Now, Boss has released the GT-1, a floorpedal that offers the COSM sounds from the GT-100, but delivers them in a form factor that’s much smaller and fully portable, and incidentally replaces the similarly sized ME-35 (£165). What you get is a patch-based unit with 99 preset patches alongside 99…

1. Martin D Jr £599 Solid Sitka spruce top, solid sapele back and sides, 24-inch scale, 1.75-inch nut, 37.625-inch total length. From its classic looks and traditional build to its balanced and powerful tone, this is every bit a proper Martin. Such a big sound for a little guitar makes it a very strong contender. 2. Taylor Gs Mini £559 Solid Sitka spruce top, laminate sapele back and sides, 23.5-inch scale, 1.68-inch nut, 36.625-inch total length. The pretty outline belies a seriously powerful punch with plenty of low end and sparkle, too. The laminated, arched back is not traditionally braced, giving the guitar a unique voice. An absolute must-audition. 3. sigma 00r-28Vs £592 Solid Sitka spruce top, laminate rosewood back and sides, 25.4-inch scale, 1.75-inch nut, 37.75-inch total length. At…

TEYE SUPER COYOTE £4,320 approx WHAT IS IT? Small ’shop USA-made solidbody inspired by Brit luthier Tony Zemaitis Teye Guitars is named after the brand’s founder, Teije Wijnterp (aka Teye), whose claim to fame as a guitar player is his association with Joe Ely in the 90s. He started building guitars a decade ago and now aims to produce 150 guitars a year in the company’s new Nashville-based facility, where it relocated to, from Austin, early in 2016. The Super Coyote is part of a limited run that begun in 2015 at the company’s previous Austin base and, despite its price, comes from the start-up TMF (Teye Music Factory) level. The Artisan models, with hand-engraved plates, are the next ‘level’ up, topped by the very limited Master guitars, which are…

1 Gretsch Cliff Gallup Signature Duo Jet $3,849 It’s a long time coming for Gene Vincent’s trailblazing late Blue Caps guitarist, but this is a welcome signature model for an unsung and unassuming player in early rock ’n’ roll as it signals the return of the 50s style Duo Jet. Cliff’s original was purchased in 1954 (Serial Number: 15654). Gretsch put out an appeal to track it down last year, but it seems they had plenty of photos and details to work from. The G6128T-CLFG packs a pair of DynaSonic pickups, along with a rosewood ’board with ‘big block’ pearloid inlays, dark-stained headstock, arrow controls knobs, compensated aluminium bridge and a Bigsby B3BBST vibrato. It ships with flat-wound strings, of course. www.gretschguitars.com 2 Mooer Micro Drummer £TBC Not everyone is…

GARY’S LEGACY Hi, I just wanted to say what a great article your extended piece on Gary Moore’s Red Start was. The stuff about the guitar was fascinating, of course (can anyone lend me £8,000?!), but what really moved me were the words about the man himself. I have been in awe of Gary’s playing for decades and still think he’s underrated. But when you guys talked about his fingers, brain and heart being his real tools of the trade, and the fact that he was only complete with a guitar in his hands, you sum it up perfectly. The man was a true genius and never played – including demos for your mag or whatever – without putting 100 per cent into every single note. A total musician who…

Rush 2112 (double CD Version) (UMC) Prog overlords celebrate album’s 40th Anniversary This multi-format deluxe release marks the 40th anniversary of Rush’s classic 2112 album. Guitarist Alex Lifeson is on record as saying that this album was “the first record where we sounded like Rush”, and it is regarded as a landmark. It went on to achieve platinum status and transformed the Canadian trio into stadium superstars. The album has enjoyed an Abbey Road Studios remastering – 2015’s vinyl re-release got there first, but this is its first appearance on CD – and it sounds as crisp and fresh as ever. Not only do you receive the digitally dusted-off version of the album, but a separate CD with artists such as Dave Grohl offering their own readings of tracks from…

Now that he is the grand old age of 29, Julian Lage is relieved to no longer qualify as a prodigy. The term, after all, has dogged the US jazz guitarist ever since he came to public attention on the 1997 documentary Jules At Eight. It followed him through teenage collaborations with jazz greats Jim Hall and Gary Burton, and past the release of his Grammy-nominated debut solo album, 2009’s Sounding Point. Thankfully, with the success of last year’s acclaimed Arclight – both his first album in a trio format and armed with a Telecaster – Lage has emphatically stepped up to the genre’s top table and confirmed his place among the jazz men. Live Is The New Studio “I’ve spent so much more time playing live than I have…

“The players that I gravitated to naturally – I’m thinking about Metheny, Lukather or Stevie Ray, Hendrix, Robben Ford, Carlton – have such command of time” Andy Timmons is one of those guitarists who leaves other great players just shaking their heads. A hero of the late-80s shred revolution, Timmons’ playing has matured like a fine wine into a poised but formidable blend of virtuosity and pure, headlong self-expression. He can ‘do’ flights of technical virtuosity but generally prefers to keep his powder dry until the perfect moment to let fly, tapping into gutsy emotion and free-flowing ideas in a deeply instinctive way that at times recalls Jeff Beck’s approach but remains wholly his own voice. So what’s the secret? On the phone to his home in Texas, we caught…

Backstage at Charleston Music Hall, South Carolina, Steve Vai is surveying a battle-scarred electric guitar. The instrument has plainly seen better days. The chipped white finish reveals the ravaged alder beneath. The neck has already been replaced twice. Ostensibly, it’s an unlikely choice for Vai: a multi-platinum star whose website lists a 138-strong guitar collection. But to those who know, this is Evo, the model that Vai fans will crane their necks for in an hour, and the most famous member of the Ibanez JEM family. “It’s beat to shit,” Vai informs Guitarist, “but I’ll be playing it again tonight.” If Evo’s lifespan is astonishing, so too is the apparent immortality of the JEM series. Thirty years have passed since news of Vai’s signature model raced through the 1987 NAMM…

Supro’s return to regular production is one of the most anticipated relaunches we’ve seen in recent times. Now owned by New York-based Absara Audio of Pigtronix pedals fame, the new models are made with care and respect for Supro’s extensive heritage, perfect for the current pedalboard trend as well as providing authentic vintage tone when used on their own. Here, we’re looking at a new addition to the Classic range that promises to be one of Supro’s most popular amps yet, the reverb and tremolo-equipped 1610RT Comet. The Comet name has a lot of resonance for Supro and the wider guitar universe. It was used on amps and lap steels made by Valco in Chicago as far back as the late 1940s and early 1950s. The smaller 1x8 amps were…

Do you like putting the pedal to the metal when you play? You might just be interested in two new offerings from Ernie Ball. Based on a treadle system as opposed to the more usual footswitch, they allow you to dial in the amount of either overdrive or ambient delay on the move. Stand by for action on p112. Strymon has been producing some interesting and innovative units of late and the company’s new Riverside drive pedal is no exception. Capable of dishing the dirt with the best of them, we found it to be an incredibly flexible unit that offers a surprisingly wide spectrum of usable sounds. If your rig could use another shovelful of overdrive mojo, we invite you to check out the review on p114. Walrus Audio…

The background Mike French, Guitarist reader: I’ve been through the full circle of gear. I started with basic amps and a couple of (Boss/Arion) pedals, then moved on to a multi-channel valve amp and digital multi-effects… then went digital with no ‘real’ amps until a couple of years ago (PODXT). I’m now back to ‘real’ amps and a few pedals. I find it easier to get nice sounds quickly instead of all that menu-scrawling, which leads to my actual question about delay. I’ve never really understood it, so could you do a basic description? The questions 1. What are the main delay types/sounds? 2. What are basics of delay times and repeats: what sounds like what? The answers You are definitely not alone, Mike. The important thing to remember is…

Three’s Company Difficulty 10 mins per example Tutor: Martin Taylor Gear used: Mike Vanden Martin Taylor Artistry Caprice NOT ONLY is this the third instalment of my column, the major 3rd is also the interval we’re going to add into the framework of the minor pentatonic. I hope you’re managing to keep track of the notes we’ve inserted into the scale. The trick is to keep a mental image of the minor pentatonic shape in your mind – it’s your master document here – and look at the ‘extras’ we’re putting in as mere visitors to an old, familiar framework. As you make use of them more and more, it won’t matter what they’re called, you’ll call on them automatically, by thinking what colour or nuance you want to add…

Electrics Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus, Trans Blue, Gibson 57 Classic PAFs. Totally mint. £375. P/X Telecaster Classic Series 50s white. Call 07983 876605 or email richardphilipharding@gmail.com. Sheffield Epiphone Wilshire 60s reissue, approx. 2009, black, faded, mini-humbuckers, Bigsby B5 retrofitted by Bristol luthier. £250. Email nas1552003@yahoo.co.uk Bristol/Bath Fender 1977 Stratocaster, all original, natural ash, maple neck with case, accessories, original receipt. VGC. £1,200. Call Kev on 01536 203200 or email c_kev@hotmail.co.uk Corby, Northants Fender Stratocaster, 50th Anniversary, new, never used. Master Built by John English, Two-Tone Sunburst. Hardcase. £4,999.Email torstein@btc.as 1969 Fender Telecaster, original Bigsby, no holes in body. Original case and pamphlet. Butterscotch yellow. Superb condition. £6,500. No offers. Call 07956 020887 Yorkshire Gibson Les Paul ’59 Historic Reissue, 50th Anniversary. Sunburst. Mint condition, case. Stunning looker, plays…

PATRICK JAMES EGGLE THE 96 CARVED TOP £2,795 WHAT IS IT? HSS configured solidbody with high-class pickups and hardware, plus patinated brass pickguard Having reviewed a Macon and 96 back in issue 408, we felt it was time to check out another in Patrick James Eggle’s ever-evolving line. Again, it’s a 96, but this time employing more conventional guitar-building timbers than our previous example – swamp ash, maple (albeit roasted birdseye) and ebony – but boasting new finish ideas and a unique pickguard. The 96’s outline is a tweaked version of Fullerton’s finest: more streamlined and modern, but the influence is clear to see. “It’s scaled down in size from a Strat,” affirms Patrick. “It’s designed to be more comfortable and ergonomic but without losing any of the classic appeal.”…

Country To Country Festival 10 to 12 March London, Glasgow, Dublin As Stateside country stars hit three cities again this year, the biggest draw will be one of the genre’s finest players and former Guitarist cover star Brad Paisley. The Tele-picker is making up for cancelled Dublin and London shows last year and celebrating next month’s Love And War album by headlining the O2 Arena on Friday, Dublin 3Arena on Saturday, and Glasgow Clyde Auditorium on Sunday. All three days for the Glasgow stop have already sold out – a clear indication of just how popular country music is becoming here. Away from fellow established artists and headliners Reba McEntire and the Zac Brown Band, there’s also successful Stateside mainstream country artists showcased including Chris Young, Cam and young multi-instrumentalist…

It’s fairly common knowledge that Strat #1 has accompanied me on the majority of my musical ventures – both in the studio and on stage. But there are other guitars that play an ever-more important part of my musical sounds and moods. On the acoustic front, I’ve been fortunate to have two Martins – a 1947 D-18, and an early 70s D-28. Both magnificent and I would never taint either with a pickup – microphones only! In this past year, I experienced Gordon Giltrap’s ‘Vintage Signature Deluxe’ Electro Acoustic. Replete with Fishman Rare Earth Blend electronics, and sound characteristics vastly different from my Martin, it is another important part of my acoustic paintbrush. I also dabbled further into ’63 Strats; I bought two more in the 70s. One I still…

“As you start to improve your rhythm playing, it translates automatically to your lead playing without you realising” 1 What was your first guitar and when did you get it? “My first guitar was a three-quarter-sized, nylon-strung classical. It was my eighth birthday. The first kind of stuff I tried to play was Hideaway or The Stumble, because all the records my dad was playing was that kind of 60s electric blues stuff. At the time, I had no idea that – obviously – you can’t really bend nylon strings, but I had a good crack at it anyway! It wasn’t until just after my 10th birthday that I got my first electric, an S-type, and I suddenly realised it’s a lot easier.” 2 The building is burning down; which…

“I don’t touch a guitar [before stage time]… I find that if I warm up, there’s a newness or an excitement that I take away. I’ve played enough beforehand not to need to warm up” What was your first ever gig and how did it go? “I was 14 and I played at a bar mitzvah and we got paid 10 rand, which at the time was about four quid. With that 10 rand I bought a microphone; I can’t remember the make, I think it might have been a Sony. It was because we didn’t have a microphone, we borrowed one that I think a guy had used at the horse races, or something. So it sounded not much better than a megaphone! We plugged our mic into the…

For the likes of Robben Ford, Larry Carlton, Michael Landau, Sonny Landreth, Eric Johnson, Joe Bonamassa, John Mayer, SRV and Lowell George, this would have been just another day. All either current or past owners of the fabled Dumble, they used the near-mythical amps to sculpt their sounds and playing to a level of artistry forever embedded in six-string history. For me, not so much. A confirmed enthusiast player at best, the sound of my heroes has nevertheless fuelled a passion for inspirational sounds. I’ve been lucky enough to play pretty much all the classics along the way so far, but quality time with a genuine Overdrive Special by Dumble has eluded me… until now. A couple of hours with one, uninterrupted in a studio, where we could crank it…

Last year, Guitarist paid a visit to Norway’s Notodden Blues Festival where we enjoyed the company of Supersonic Blues Machine, a band whose nucleus comprises Texas-born blueser Lance Lopez, drummer Kenny Aronoff and bassist Fabrizio Grossi. The band’s debut album, West Of Flushing, South Of Frisco, attracted a host of blues superstars as guests, including Billy Gibbons, Robben Ford, Warren Haynes, Eric Gales and Walter Trout. Describing themselves as “not just a band… a comradeship, a melting pot of ideas”, the Supersonics took to the stage in Norway for a set of the most intense blues ’n’ boogie our ears had ever witnessed. On the side of the stage that night stood Doug Rappoport, a fiery player, whose style is difficult to define. He’s had a dalliance with the shred…

01 Pillar Drill Used for various jobs – machinehead holes in headstocks, making jigs and wherever holes need to be drilled! 02 Strings & Guitar Parts Bridges, control plates, stains for refinishing, air brushes and decals 03 Bass Neck A part-finished bass neck, clamped to neck stays, being shaped using rasps and scrapers 04 Truss Rod Wrenches A variety of truss rod wrenches to fit just about any make of guitar 05 Short Wrenches These are used for tightening pots and jack sockets 06 Magnifier For close-up work, such as fitting inlays or any fine, detailed work on guitar bodies or necks 07 Rulers A nut rule (far left), an engineers’ set square (centre) used for setting out scale lengths 08 Straight Edges For setting and checking the relief in…

Swinging Chords Difficulty 10 mins per example Tutor: Richard Barrett Gear used: Fender Strat, Vox AC15 C1 IN A three-piece line-up of guitar, bass and drums a lot of harmonic and melodic responsibility falls on the guitarist. While this can seem like an onerous task, it actually frees us up to experiment with chord voicings, dynamics and improvisation in a band context. By this, I mean exchanging a look to agree on extra choruses, endings and so on. Although backing tracks can’t (yet) offer this kind of flexibility, it’s great to put yourself in situations that stretch your ability – that’s how we improve, after all. Players such as SRV, Jimi Hendrix and, more recently, John Mayer have used the electric guitar as a great ‘engine’ for the power-trio format.…