Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i Total Guitar

Welcome to November’s Total Guitar ! You know, some people will try and tell you that you need to spend a fortune on a guitar to get one that’s up to snuff. Don’t listen to them. In our minds, £500 is not a small amount of money, but it’s more than enough to bag you a very tidy new axe. But if you’ve ever sat down and looked at what you can buy for that much, you’ll know that it’s also a highly competitive and confusing end of the market! That’s where we come in. You might be looking for your first guitar – this may even be the first time you’ve picked up a guitar magazine (if so, it’s nice to meet you!) – or you…

The countdown has begun. Not to extinction, but rather the live debut of Megadeth’s new lineup on these shores – cemented by Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro – founder of São Paulo power metallers Angra – and Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler. The sticksman has signed up for two sets, with LoG also co-headlining, supported by Children Of Bodom and the UK’s very own Sylosis. As you’d imagine, Megadeth singer/guitarist Dave Mustaine has been sharpening his claws in preparation for some arena-conquering heavy metal mastery. “There’s a lot to be excited about,” he grins. “But what I’m most looking forward to is seeing Kiko let loose, because not many people are aware of his incredible talent. And playing with Chris, he is just so exciting to watch.” It’s hardly first…

“IT’S MAHOGANY-bodied with a maple cap and I’ve got a few upgrades on it, too. I upgraded the pickups to Bare Knuckle Black Hawks and I upgraded to locking tuners. PRS were kind enough to send me some for it.” “PRS HAVE been great to me, they’ve sent me a couple of guitars now and some great acoustics. If you want the Krispy Kreme of the PRS guitars you’re talking big money, these are made in Korea but built to the highest quality. I think you can pick this up for about £650 now, which is a great price and very affordable – because it sounds great. I’m happy to endorse this particular model because you want to inspire a generation of kids to play and when you’re playing those…

THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE Little Wing Arguably the most iconic Strat player ever gives us one of the most iconic, imitated Strat tones ever. Jimi’s most famous ballad is a work of languid beauty, seeing him coax pure gold out of a 60s Strat through a Leslie speaker. DEREK AND THE DOMINOS Layla Eric Clapton used his famous ‘Brownie’ Strat to sublime effect in this air-guitar staple, trading muscular, chunky licks and wailing solos with slide legend Duane Allman. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Under The Bridge He may have played a Jaguar in the video, but don’t be fooled – Frusciante’s a Hendrix disciple, and from the crystal clear intro riff to the just-breaking-up chordal riffs and chorus, this one’s pure Strat. BIFFY CLYRO Mountains Simon Neil has the ability…

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro BEST PRICE £440 LP ’Phone home… Noel Gallagher recorded most of Definitely Maybe with an Epi LP, so they’ve never been slouches, but the Les Paul Custom Pro kicks things up a gear or two. Les Paul originally designed the Custom to be the ultimate in electric guitar luxury, and it’s always remained an expensive model (current Gibson versions will set you back over £2,000 more than this one!) but despite this, the Custom was adopted by everyone from Keith Richards to the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones, to Dave Grohl – it’s like the LP Standard’s tab-smokin’ ne’er-do-well cousin. Standard Custom appointments include block (instead of trapezoid) fretboard inlays, the ‘split diamond’ inlay on the headstock, gold hardware and black or white finishes, and this…

LTD EC-256 £300 The LTD’s LP inspiration is plain to see, with a maple-capped mahogany body and twin humbuckers, but it’s a versatile little beast, too, thanks to the nicely voiced LH-150 humbuckers, and a coil-tapped tone control for single-coil sounds. The more drastic pointy cutaway also gives you better access to the upper frets, making this a perfect budget single-cut for those who want to shred. GRETSCH ELECTROMATIC PRO JET G5435T £350 The Jet offers a retro take on the single-cut format, perfect for everything from indie to heavy rock, and the rockabilly twang that Gretsch is famous for, courtesy of the chambered basswood body Black Top Filter’Tron pickups and Bigsby vibrato. You can pick up a hardtail version for less, but if you’re going to be different, we…

Bridge ‘Classic’ examples of the Tele bridge usually offer three saddles (two-per string), whereas modern versions give you six individual saddles. The obvious benefit of this is that you can adjust the height and intonation of each string independently, however traditionalists swear by the resonant qualities of the classic three-saddle design Slab body The Telecaster’s slab body is most commonly cut from ash, alder or pine. It’s a simple shape that has stuck ever since it’s introduction thanks to its agile weight and easy access. Unlike the Stratocaster, the Telecaster body doesn’t usually feature arm or belly carves. Pickups Telecasters are known for their versatility. The bright twang from the bridge single coil can be clear, aggressive or chimey depending on how you manipulate it. The neck pickup is where…

Epiphone Dot BEST PRICE £329 ES-y does it From BB King’s Lucille to Dave Grohl’s Trini Lopez-inspired signature, the Gibson ES-335 remains the go-to configuration for many players wanting to get semi-hollow. The large-body, plus familiar dual-humbucker/four-control/three-position switching makes for an easy transition from the solid Gibson format. The Epiphone Dot is the entry-point into a proper 335, with a laminated maple body, mahogany neck and Alnico Classic humbuckers. The Dot takes its name from the fingerboard inlays of the late-50s Gibson ES-335, and while the block inlays are more common and arguably more desirable, it’s likely to be the only thing that could put you off the Dot. The model pictured plays smoothly, with a slim neck and comfortably low action. There is an even less expensive version, the…

IBANEZ AS73 £295 If you thought Ibanez only made widdle-sticks for over-excited hairy blokes, then think again. Before all the shred machines and extended range monsters, Ibanez made its bones as one of the biggest ‘foreign’ alternatives in the semi-acoustic guitar market. The AS73’s got all the right things in the right places, and at £300 it’s continuing the tradition for great features at a great price. EPIPHONE ES-339 P90 PRO £299 The P-90 pickup is renowned for its ability to give thick clean tones, and also snarl when pushed through some meaty gain. Here, the perfect ‘in-between’ pickup for those who find single coils too weak and humbuckers too muddy meets a slimmed down 335 to become the ultimate punchy semi-acoustic feast! At this price, don’t ask how or…

Neck Shredders favour thin, sleek neck profiles, usually with 24 frets on the ’board. The enhancements don’t stop there – the fretboard radius will be wider to help bigger string bends maintain their sustain, and some guitars also have a ‘compound radius’, where the neck is rounder at the nut and flatter at the neck Bridge Extreme whammy bar techniques are made stable on shred guitars thanks to double-locking vibratos. The Floyd Rose is the most famous example (although Ibanez uses the Edge vibrato), but tuning stability comes at a price – changing strings and intonating the guitar can be a right pain in the behind… Body The bodies of double-cut shred machines are built to offer comfort, tone, access and speed, while drawing very basic inspiration from the classic…

IT’S NO SECRET that Alexi Laiho is a technically gifted guitarist, and with his band Children Of Bodom, he continues along a path as one of the all-time greats of melodic death metal. As a virtuoso he puts the tools of his trade – his hands – on the line every time he gigs so it’s pretty important that he has a decent warm-up routine. TG picked the Wildchild’s brains to get the lowdown on his pre-show practice sessions and we’ve tabbed out what he showed us for you. There’s plenty more to follow next month, so stay tuned! You may be surprised to learn that Alexi’s exercises are, in the main, quite accessible; even less experienced players should be able to make use of his practice routine. We’d suggest…

AT A GLANCE  BODY: Laminated maple, hollow NECK: Mahogany, glued-in SCALE: 629mm (24.75”) FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 22 PICKUPS: 2x Gibson P-90s CONTROLS: 2x volume 2x tone, 3-way toggle pickup selector HARDWARE: ABR tune-o-matic bridge, Bigsby B70 vibrato, Grover Rotomatic tuners – all nickel plated LEFT-HANDED: No FINISH: Blueburst only CONTACT: Gibson www.gibson.com BODY THE Casino, like the Gibson ES-330, is a fully hollow guitar, without the wood centre block of the ES-335 or Sheraton. Feedback, therefore, might be an issue PICKUPS TWIN Gibson USA P-90s are lurking under those metal covers. Worth the extra cash? We think so. You could buy the standard model, of course, and upgrade when you feel the need but rewiring thinlines isn’t always easy! VIBRATO YOU have a choice of this licensed B70 Bigsby or…

AT A GLANCE TYPE: Analogue synth, polyphonic pitch arpeggiator, pitch shifter and digital delay/reverb CONTROLS: Bit Commander: sub, down 1, up 1, filter, level, base Arpanoid: Rate, step, wet, dry, mode selector, up/ down toggle switch Rainbow Machine: secondary, pitch, primary, Magic, tone, tracking, Magic footswitch Dispatch Master: reverb, repeats, mix, time SOCKETS: Input, output, expression pedal input (Rainbow Machine only) BYPASS: True bypass POWER: 9V power supply (not supplied) CONTACT: Rocky Road 01494 535333 earthquakerdevices.com AKRON, Ohio – the rubber capital of the USA, no less – is home to boutique pedal maker, EarthQuaker Devices. The firm boasts a large and varied range of pedals, including no fewer than 12 different fuzzboxes. From pedals designed to replicate vintage Park and Shin-ei units, to more off-the-wall boxes, if it’s scuzzy…

BEAUTIFUL DAY reached No 1 in october 2000, and shows a return to the epic stadium sound that U2 honed in the 1980s on albums such as The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree. Although all The Edge’s anthemic, echo-laden riffs are present, U2 have not ignored the experimentation of their 1990s albums. Consequently, there are all sorts of unusual sounds and textures from The Edge’s filter effects and his Lovetone foot-pedals. He also uses a pitch-shifter set up two octaves to create the almost flute-like sound in the middle section. None of the playing is technically demanding, although you will need to use your fourth finger for some parts. In live performances, The Edge seldom plays exactly the same idea twice, especially on those echo-soaked riffs where it’s often…

ALSO AVAILABLE: THE NEW BIG ACOUSTIC GUITAR SONGBOOK Guitar chords with full lyrics & chord names, 192pp. £12.95 ref. HLE90004728) 73 songs by artists such as Joni Mitchell (The Circle Game), T. Rex (Cosmic Dancer), Jake Bugg (Two Fingers), The Velvet Underground (Femme Fatale), Frank Turner (I Still Believe) and 68 more. Presented in chord songbook format, arranged in the same keys as the original recordings with chord symbols, guitar chord boxes and complete lyrics. www.musicroom.com Backing track (track 27) THIS song comes with a backing track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in your player, press play and jam along guitaraoke style!…

RheF yoLTIe a hot band with a growing reputation on both sides of the Atlantic, who’ve slaved away on the ‘difficult’ second album for months, you don’t expect your founding guitarist to turn around and quit out of the blue after the record’s in the can. but that’s what happened to british blues-rockers The Temperance Movement, as Luke Potashnick decided he wanted to focus on his production and songwriting career instead. It leaves the band in an awkward position, as remaining six-stringer Paul Sayer confirms Potashnick was a key component of new long-player, White Bear, which is out in January. “by the time Luke had decided that he wanted to leave, the album had been made, so he was involved in it in the same way everybody else was,” confirms…

LETTER RORY’S GLORIES Hello Total Guitar, I recently saw a picture of Rory Gallagher in a magazine playing what looks like an old Gretsch Corvette. Do you guys happen to know anything about this? I thought the man only played his famous road-worn Strat, and the odd acoustic of course. I’m intrigued! MARTIN THORPE, via email Hi Martin, Rory was indeed best known for his Strat, but he also had a pretty substantial collection of ‘other’ guitars that he played at various times on tour or in the studio, including Teisco ('65 TRG-1), Supro ('63 Dual Tone), Airline (JB Hutto), and the 1963 Gretsch Corvette you mention. The guitar in question was purchased by Rory’s brother, Donal Gallagher from a pawn shop in LA for just $50, which was…

Fender Standard Stratocaster BEST PRICE £470 Maintaining standards Fender’s Standard series is the go-to for guitarists wanting bang-for-buck with a Fender logo on their headstock. The Standard packs all the Strat hallmarks – that contoured body design, the triple-single coil/ five-way selector and Synchronised Tremolo whammy bar. You can choose from five safe finishes (all in a hard-wearing modern polyester lacquer), with either a rosewood or maple (for a slightly brighter tone) fingerboard. Purists may get sniffy about the Mexican-made origins of this guitar, but if you want US, you’ll need to fatten your wallet. The Standard is a workhorse that we’ve encountered in the hands of pro players in live situations from pubs to large festivals. One of the things that makes the Standard such a popular choice is…

FENDER MODERN PLAYER SHORT SCALE £300 The Modern Player line offers iconic shapes with tweaked features. Here, the Strat is shrunk to a shorter scale; ideal for little people, or the small-handed. You also get a Guild Anti-Hum pickup in the bridge position for noise-free rock tones. These were a Special Run, but they are still out there, so you’ll need to move fast to bag a ‘real’ Fender for £300! CHAPMAN ML-1 £419 You might know Rob ‘Chappers’ Chapman from his YouTube demos. Chappers launched his own guitar company three years ago, and the ML-1 was designed by committee using the hive mind of hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers. The result is an extremely well made S-style guitar with a bridge humbucker, Wilkinson hardware and a competitive price…

THE ROLLING STONES (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction Keith Richards recorded the Satisfaction riff with his Les Paul running through a Maestro Fuzz-Tone trying to sketch out a horn part. Thank the rock gods his bandmates convinced him to stick with the guitar riff… FLEETWOOD MAC Oh Well The neck pickup on Peter Green’s ’59 Les Paul was wired incorrectly, creating the unique ‘out of phase’ sound here. Cue millions of guitarists replicating the ‘mistake’… LED ZEPPELIN Whole Lotta Love For Zep’s second album, Jimmy Page turned to a ’59 LP he’d bought off Joe Walsh. He stuck it through a Marshall stack, cranked it up, and played the legendary descending riff… GUNS N’ ROSES Welcome To The Jungle Is Slash playing a Kris Derrig LP copy here? Or is…

Fender Standard Telecaster BEST PRICE £330 The Standard delivers We’ve already extolled the virtues of Fender’s Standard series in our S-type round-up, but when it comes to Teles, the point bears repeating. The Standard Tele comes in a choice of five different finishes (each with maple fingerboards), and you get the mainstays of the Telecaster design: the slab body, the dual single coils, the classic headstock shape. The bridge is a modern six-saddle design offering greater adjustment than three-saddle vintage-style Telecaster bridges, and you get the standard Tele control layout of volume, tone and three-position paddle switch. One of the Standard’s greatest attributes, though, is that neck. It remains one of the most comfortable (in our opinion) that you can get at this price point, and after playing a number…

CORT/MANSON MBC-1 £499 Cash-strapped Muse fans had their prayers answered earlier this year with the MBC-1 – a joint venture between Manson, the Devon boutique luthier that makes Matt Bellamy’s axes, and Asian guitar giant Cort. While not strictly a T-shape, it does lean that way, and is also a cracking guitar for the money. Stripped back in the right places, but packing the quality where it counts, we’d strongly recommend the MBC-1, Muse fan or not. SQUIER JIM ROOT TELECASTER £350 The Slipknot man brings firepower to the Tele shape with its matte finish (black or white), high-output humbuckers and a volume control. It’s a great affordable gigging guitar that’s for more than metal – just ask Catfish & The Bottlemen’s Van McCann, who uses one as his main…

Body Let’s get this straight; a semi-acoustic is an electric guitar, it’s not an amp’d-up acoustic (that’s an electro-acoustic). However, they do add some ‘acoustic’ properties to the electric guitar; and it comes from the body. We’re focussing on the larger type, which features a solid ‘centre block’ flanked by hollow wings. They’re louder unplugged, and the air inside creates resonance and a smooth high-end. Bridge As with a LP, a fixed tune-o-matic is a common feature here, but more traditional models (such as the Epiphone Casino) are adorned with trapeze tailpieces, and for some, a Bigsby vibrato is an essential add-on for a semi-acoustic. These retro vibratos add a more subtle, gentle flutter to your whammy than Fender-style vibratos, and many players swear by the added sustain created by…

CHORDAL SEMI RIFF TRACKS 21-22 IT’S THAT full-bodied but oh so sweet tone that inspired blues guitarists such as Freddie King, Eric Clapton and BB King, as well as rockers such as Dave Grohl and Noel Gallagher to adopt semi-acoustics. Our simple rock rhythm part was recorded with an Epiphone Dot 335 and showcases the tone. Emphasising the open top strings and varying the strings you strike helps the part groove.…

VAN HALEN Eruption With whammy bar histrionics and lightning fast tapping, many say that Eruption is the genesis of shred. EVH’s built-from-parts ‘Frankenstein’ set the template for a generation of hot-rodded S-type guitars that would follow. DEF LEPPARD Pour Some Sugar On Me Def Leppard were massive in America during the 80s thanks to their LA poodle rock sound. Collen recorded their biggest hit using his ‘Crackle Jack’ Jackson Soloist. EXTREME Get The Funk Out Nuno Bettencourt debuted his N4 on Extreme’s 1990 album Pornograffiti and he’s rarely played anything else since! You can get your funk on with the baby N1 for not much over £100. METALLICA The Unforgiven Kirk Hammett has used ESP guitars since the 80s and the solo to this classic power ballad from The Black…

Ambition is not a dirty word in Shinedown’s world. In fact, it barely does justice to the US band’s insatiable drive. “I’ve heard bands say, ‘We won’t be happy until…’ so many times,” the band’s lone guitarist Zach Myers tell us. “Well the difference between them and us is that we’re happy but we’ll never be content. Nothing will ever be good enough. You can look at that in a negative light or a positive light like we do. We’ll never be satisfied, because there’s no ceiling, there’s no mountain top.” Zach isn’t being a hype man here, because Shinedown’s continued ascent is walking his talk in the US and in Europe. Frontman Brent Smith’s belief in big has infected his band – now a stable line-up after the changing…

Obviously, if you need a vibrato then the Bigsby version of the Blak & Blu is an obvious choice, but the archaic-design wobble bar has its, ahem, issues. Firstly, it not only adds cost but also adds nearly half a kilo to the guitar’s weight compared with the trapeze version. Then there’s the return to pitch after a vigorous vibrato workout: we had to smooth the wound-string bridge saddles with a needle file and add some lube, plus fully stretch the strings before we got reliable tuning stability. And that’s not to mention the restringing: in brief, compared with the trapeze version it’s a pain. Also, if you use your controls a lot, the Bigsby’s arm really gets in the way. But with all of the above, we still prefer…

AT A GLANCE  BODY: Eastern Poplar NECK: Maple, triple laminate SCALE: 25.5”/648mm FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 24 Medium Jumbo PICKUPS: 2x Wilkinson Double Coil PHS7 CONTROLS: Volume, tone, 3-way toggle switch HARDWARE: Chrome LEFT-HANDED: No FINISH: Gloss Black CONTACT: JHS 01132 865 381 www.jhs.co.uk TUNERS GUITAR COMPONENTS designed and manufactured by guitar guru Trevor Wilkinson – such as these tuners – have long offered durability and tone for a fraction of the usual price PICKUPS THE WILKINSON Double Coil PHS7s cover plenty of sonic ground, and strike a perfect balance between the V7’s low-end chug and higher-end sparkle CUTAWAY THE LOWER fin cutaway gives plenty of access up to those higher frets, perfect for utilising the instrument’s extended range all the way up to the 24th fret MORE often that not,…

OGRE THUNDERCLAP DISTORTION £124 A round of applause for this extreme dirt monster TYPE: Distortion pedal CONTROLS: Level, bass, treble, gain SOCKETS: Input, output, power BYPASS: True bypass POWER: 9V battery, 9V power supply (not included) CONTACT: Red Chilli Audio 07766 756789 www.redchilliaudio.com WE challenge you to name a more imposing pedal than the one you see before you. The Thunderclap is a high-gain distortion with a hand-crafted, heavyweight die-cast enclosure from Korean brand Ogre. Each of its four horns controls a parameter – level, bass, treble and gain – while to activate the Thunderclap, you have to stomp down on the poor devil’s jaw. And yes, its eyes are the status LEDs. Unbelievably, the Thunderclap’s tones are as extreme as its looks: devastating. It packs some of the highest…

HAVING STARTED HIS musical career as a hardcore singer, Frank began performing as a folk influenced singer-songwriter in 2005 and has released a series of acclaimed albums. Chief among these is his emotionally charged break-up album, Tape Deck Heart, which features our track, Recovery. The tempo of the song is quite brisk, which, coupled with the shuffle feel, lends the song a playful, jovial atmosphere. Keep a consistent shuffle feel throughout by moving your strumming hand down and up continuously, but make the downstrokes last twice as long as the upstrokes. Frank makes ingenious use of slash chords such as A/C# and E/G#, in order to create ascending basslines within the chord changes, reflecting the positive message in the lyrics and also makes the chord progression sound more original. This…

THE RHYTHM guitar playing section of RGT’s electric guitar Performance Awards requires you to choose two chord progressions to play from the RGT Grade Five handbook. An example of one of these has been included here with a sample rhythm pattern. You won’t find this notation in the handbook, but our notation should give you some different ideas to try out and develop. The chart is in 4/4 time and you’ll notice that a slightly different rhythm pattern is notated as the dynamics vary – in broad terms as the chart indicates you should get louder, the rhythm is slightly busier (for instance, in bars 7 and 8 the crescendo mark is accompanied by a change in the rhythm). You can hear the impact this has by listening to the…

WHAT IS TAB? TAB is short for tablature, a notational system used to give detailed information as to where notes should be played on the fretboard. Tab appears underneath conventional music notation as six horizontal lines that represent the strings of the guitar, from the sixth (thick) string at the bottom to the first (thin) string at the top. On these lines, numbers represent the frets where you should place your fingers. For example, an A note on the 2nd fret, third string, will be shown as a number ‘2’ on the third line down on the tab. Unfretted strings are shown with a ‘0’. The key and time signatures are shown in the traditional notation. TG also includes a timestamp to tell you where in the original track you’ll…

tracks 0U-08 This month we’re checking out the verse riff in Noble Savage from Clutch’s recent MlNum, Psychic Warfare. The song is in stMndMrd tuning, so tune to EADGBE to plMy Mlong. The verse section estMNlishes the song’s mMin riff, outlining the chord progression Mnd introducing emNellishments for flMir Mnd excitement. The tricky pMrt is switching Netween eMch phrMse without tying yourself in knots. LeMrn the section in two-NMr chunks to get eMch line under your Nelt Ms you plMn MheMd for the position shifts. The rhythm section reMlly drives the song Mlong. Listen to the NMss to heMr where chord chMnges tMke plMce, Ms this will guide you when eMch phrMse Negins or ends. Focusing on the Mccents Mnd timing of the drum pMttern will ensure thMt you don’t…

Prog-rock harbours some of the world’s finest guitarists, but for every saint there are 100 sinners: the world’s most vapid, mechanical players. Sam Vallen, guitarist with Australian proggers Caligula’s Horse, is definitely not one of the latter. “The problem is that complexity becomes a thing unto itself, rather than embellishment of the songwriting,” says Sam. “When we write, it tends to be with an acoustic laying the foundations – before I even create the riffs. You can’t go wrong when there’s substance to your songs and they’re not all about technicality.” Nonetheless, Sam is one of the cleanest and most technically-adept players we’ve heard in recent memory. He just uses his tools well. His band’s third album, Bloom, is filled with vibrant twists and turns, not least in Sam’s stunning…

I got my first real six-string… “My first guitar was a Kay – they were the cheapest, nastiest instruments you could lay your hands on. But, if you did a paper round and you’d saved up £18 you could buy one second-hand. So that’s what I did, and I couldn’t even describe the shape because it’s not really recognised as a legitimate electric guitar shape. But it got me started.” Friday I’m in love… “I was listening to The Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance when I was young and that introduced me to a world of music – from Saxon to Atomic Rooster and everything in between. And then seeing Hendrix, Rory Gallagher or Alvin Lee on television, that was impressive. I thought it would just be fun to…

Whether they’re bringing the boogie downstairs in smoky basement bars or taking blues to new limits on stadium tours with the legends of old, Vintage Trouble are undisputed masters of the stage. They’ve only been around for five years, having formed in Los Angeles during the summer of 2010, but in that time they’ve supported Bon Jovi, The Who, and more recently AC/DC, in some of the world’s biggest venues. It’s the kind of start that would sit firmly beyond most band’s wildest dreams, simply just too good to ever be true. And naturally, you could bet your bottom dollar the quartet have learned a thing or two along the way. Founding guitarist Nalle Colt sits down with TG to share his 10 best lessons about stagecraft and becoming a…

Neck Modern affordable Strats are usually fitted with a crowd-pleasing C-shaped neck profile, and a medium fingerboard radius to keep things comfortable while making bigger string bends sing. It’s the perfect middle ground for most players, but there are some more niche neck shapes available Pickups The classic three-single coil configuration is what you’ll find – and probably want – from most S-types. These are controlled by a five-position selector, a volume and two tone controls. Some S-types feature humbucking pickups for a beefier rock sound, and these can often be split to still deliver the classic Strat tone Floating Tremolo Also known as the whammy bar, trem arm or er, wang bar, Leo famously misnamed the pitch-bending device on the Stratocaster – tremolo refers to a pulsing volume rather…

Neck Like the body, a single-cut’s neck is usually mahogany, and often glued (set), rather than bolted. The classic scale length for 22-fret single-cuts is Gibson’s 24.75 inches – less than typical Fender scale lengths. To compensate for the string tension, they’re often strung with heavier-gauge wires Pickups Early Les Pauls were fitted with P-90 single coils, giving a beefed-up sound compared to those found in a Strat. But come 1956, the Les Paul became known for the fat, hum-free sound of Seth Lover’s PAF (Patent Applied For) humbucking pickup. Modern single-cuts often include a coil split switch, giving you the versatility of single coils and humbuckers in the same guitar Bridge LP-style guitars often sport the trusty tune-omatic bridge and stop tailpiece. The six saddles can be adjusted individually…

LED ZEPPELIN Good Times, Bad Times He later became one of the Les Paul’s most famous users, but Jimmy Page invented hard rock with a Telecaster, which he used for almost every guitar part on the first Zep album. QUEEN Crazy Little Thing Called Love Nope, it’s not his famous Red Special – Brian May borrowed Roger Taylor’s Tele to record the classic rockabilly-style solo on Queen’s 1980 megahit. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Killing In The Name When it was drop D time, Tom Morello turned to his trusty Standard Tele ‘Sendero Luminoso’ – proof positive that a single coil-loaded Tele can still deliver crushing riffs. JEFF BUCKLEY Hallelujah With its delicate fingerpicked chords, played on a Tele with buckets of reverb from an Alesis Quadraverb rackmount unit, Buckley’s timeless…

BB KING The Thrill Is Gone The late, great BB King was never far away from a Gibson ES-style semi, each one dubbed Lucille. The great man’s tone and touch here typifies one of the most lyrical players ever. THE SMITHS Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before Johnny Marr turned to a rare 12-string Gibson ES-335 to record The Smiths’ final record, Strangeways Here We Come. This track is pure semi-hollow jangly bliss. ERIC JOHNSON Cliffs Of Dover Guitar god Johnson is a famous Strat-wielder, but his most famous bit of guitar virtuosity was actually recorded using an ES-335. Semis can shred, too! OASIS Champagne Supernova Noel Gallagher’s is famously vague about the specific gear used on What’s The Story (Morning Glory), but his trusty Epiphone Riviera, with…

Ibanez RGIR20E BEST PRICE £499 A shred original, reborn Ibanez’s RG550 was born as an affordable version of widdly guitar pioneer, Steve Vai’s legendary JEM guitar (minus Vai’s distinctive ‘monkey grip’). Since then, the RG shape and feature set has become the blueprint for budget shred guitars. Ibanez doesn’t make the original 550 anymore, but its DNA still flows throughout the Ibanez catalogue, including this: the RGIR20E. As part of the Iron Label range (Ibanez’s best-selling series for the last three years), it offers an RG-shaped guitar with modern appointments. Let’s take a look; speedy Nitro Wizard Neck? Tick. Ibanez Edge-Zero double-locking vibrato? Tick. Active EMG 60/81 pickups? Tick! As well as this, Ibanez has included a kill-switch so you can create stuttering effects, or simply mute the output of…

SCHECTER STEALTH C1 £429 If you want your double-cut shredder to have a bit more of a classic rock vibe, the Stealth rocks Schecter’s awesome SuperRock-II humbuckers, modelled on the units famously used by Pete Townshend back in the 80s – just check out those fat pole pieces! The Stealth isn’t a guitar for windmilling to 60s rock however – this thing is built to melt faces, and those humbuckers are still seriously high output. It also has one of the smoothest satin necks around at this price point, and a handy Ultra Access neck joint that gives you unencumbered access to the dusty end – the only limitation is your mind! KRAMER BARETTA VINTAGE £519 If you want nothing but the stripped-down 80s hair metal thrills, this Baretta is…

VINTAGE VSA590 £399 Available in Vintage Sunburst only, this close cousin of the Casino sports twin Wilkinson P-90-style single coils with nickel-plated covers, block inlays and tapered heel join. EPIPHONE CASINO £459 Essentially the same guitar as the Blak & Blu, but with pickguard, Epiphone P-90s and trapeze tailpiece. It comes in Vintage Sunburst, Natural, Cherry or Metallic Goldtop. HOFNER HCT VERYTHIN CT £599 With similar heritage to the Casino, this centre-blocked thinline has retro appeal aplenty, three colour options (Sunburst, Red or Black) and full-size Hofner humbuckers.…

1. Denmark Street, London With the highest concentration of guitar shops in Europe, this Covent Garden rat-run is great for both window shopping and star-spotting, as A-listers such as Clapton and Weller hunt for their 517th Les Paul. Sadly, Tin Pan Alley may not be around for much longer, as there are plans to ‘develop’ the site into shops, flats and the like – go soak it up while you can. 2. The Cavern, Liverpool It was an air raid shelter in the 40s, and a jazz club in the 50s, but this subterranean sweatbox achieved immortality in February 1961, when The Beatles played their first set after returning from their legendary Hamburg residency. The rest is history. 3. Donington Park, Leicestershire One of Britain’s oldest motor racing circuits is…