Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2018 i Total Guitar

We could have named this month’s issue ‘Become a better guitarist’, because defining yourself as either a rhythm or lead player is an easy trap to fall into. No doubt some of us consider ourselves to be stronger at one than the other, but there’s also plenty of crossover between the two. Skills that apply to one will definitely benefit the other and, indeed, the two are certainly not mutually exclusive. Just take a look at legendary lone guitarists like Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Andy Summers, The Edge, Clapton, Tom Morello and many, many more who have combined rhythm and lead techniques to create a huge sound within their bands for the proof. So this month we’re taking a look at each side of the coin to show you how to…

1 “We call this the Frenchie. [The original guitar design] was made right around when we released a Ratt album called Reach For The Sky [1988] and Mike Shannon took a Strat and cut around it to make a kind of Telecaster edge. I went to Charvel – at that time it was in San Dimas, California. Grover [Jackson] had these blank [bodies], four of them: one was red, one was white, one was black and one had no finish on it at all. And the one that had no finish on it ended up becoming the snake guitar. Because I actually had a real snakeskin that I got in New Orleans, a friend of mine applied that to one of the four blanks and the other one, the white…

KEELEY MEMPHIS SUN “I don’t use effects much, just once in a while. Every delay pedal will do slapback but I thought it was cool that it was specifically for it. It was just easier to get all those sounds in one little box.” CATALINBREAD BELLE EPOCH TAPE ECHO “The tap tempo is difficult from night to night because we’re particular about the rhythms so we set it. And what I do, like for the timed delay in Come Wander With Me or something like that, it has to be the same every time. So I’ll set it to the record and then I pull the knobs off. So wherever the knobs are when it’s right, I’ll pull all the knobs off and then set them all at noon. That…

This month’s jam track is inspired by legendary alt-rock bands such as U2, Radiohead and Muse, and has three sections for you to jam along to. The verse and pre-chorus follow the same four chords (D5, D5/A, B b and Csus2); the chorus uses three chords (D5, Em7 and Fmaj9) and we have included a fingering for every shape so you can jam along on rhythm guitar. These chords use notes from the key of D minor so the D natural minor scale will sound great throughout the track, providing a pool of notes for simple melodies and blazing solos alike. We recommend experimenting with textural ideas to give the track some variation during the repeating chord progression. Think about how loud or soft you play, your amp tone, including…

Despite enduring a lengthy bout of writer’s block, it didn’t take frontman John Rzeznik long to write the Goo Goo Dolls’ career-defining hit single, Iris. “It probably took me an hour or two,” he revealed to ultimateguitar.com. Not bad for a song that would go on to top charts in several countries and still be getting airplay two decades on. Guitarists might be surprised that the track came together with such an unusual altered tuning being used – namely BDDDDD. It was strange for a melodic rock band, but certainly not a first for Rzeznik, who had written GGD hits Name and Black Balloon in DAEAEE and D b A b D b A b D b D b respectively. Though the tuning is the most striking element, we recommend…

“I TALK ABOUT HOW HARD YOU HAVE TO WORK TO GET ANYWHERE IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS” GUITAR GETAWAY Tommy Emmanuel brings Guitar Camp to Europe One of the world’s greatest acoustic players will share his knowledge in stunning Scottish surroundings with students this May. Tommy Emmanuel’s Guitar Camps have already found success in the US and his homeland of Australia, but the Scottish event – which is running between 11-15 May in 2018 – will be the first time Emmanuel has brought the camp to Europe. All playing levels are catered for, and there will be nightly performances and morning Q&As with Tommy. The grandiose surroundings of Atholl Palace and Fonab Castle in Pitlochry are the perfect locations to focus completely on guitar. And Tommy’s chosen some great players who…

Originally appearing on Simon & Garfunkel’s classic Bridge Over Troubled Water album, The Boxer has been covered by many artists, from Bob Dylan and Joan Baez to Mumford & Sons, who recorded a version with Paul Simon himself. The fingerstyle pattern has the lower strings pounding out the roots and 5ths of the chords – an approach often referred to as ‘Travis picking’ after the great country player Merle Travis. Rockschool’s arrangement maintains this bass pattern and the harmony is filled out on the treble strings. The best way to practise is to go slowly – after all, you are programming your fingers to ‘remember’ the movements, so the slower and steadier you go, the easier it is. If you’re unsure of where the notes fall rhythmically, remember that each…

This year marks Orange Amplification’s 50th anniversary. In an industry where amplification brands are often short-lived, it’s a stellar achievement, more so because Orange is still owned by its original founder, industry legend Cliff Cooper. Things haven’t always been plain sailing, but today Orange enjoys well-deserved international popularity, thanks to products that are always on target for the players they’re aimed at. One of Orange’s biggest successes in recent times was the Tiny Terror, which sold well over 30,000 units worldwide and almost single-handedly kick-started today’s ‘lunchbox’ head trend. Although that amp was discontinued in 2016, the Terror range is still with us, and Orange has just unveiled a couple of new additions, in the shape of the Rocker 15 Terror and this very special signature version for Mastodon’s lead…

Players of a certain age will remember the double-page adverts in mags like TG, crammed full of tiny images of the guitars that made up our imaginary wish lists. For many, Ibanez was the aspirational brand of choice. Fender and Gibson were very grown-up, a bit too much like what your dad would play. Ibanez, on the other hand, projected a vision of futuristic precision and technicality that pressed all the right adolescent buttons. Consequently, the Ibanez RG550 became the default aspirational guitar of choice for an entire generation of player. Expensive enough to make it lust-worthy, but not so expensive that we’d never get to own one, the RG550 hit that rare sweet spot of quality and other-worldly attraction. Introduced in 1987 and discontinued in 1994, the Ibanez RG550…

The song that made me want to play... Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – Jimi Hendrix “I remember hearing that riff blaring on the vinyl player and having an urge to play it. I actually started learning classical guitar, and my dad said that if I could play Classical Gas, he’d buy me an electric, thinking I’d never be able to learn it. So I learned it to spite him and he had to buy me one!” The first song I covered... Breakfast At Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something “I remember we did Breakfast At Tiffany’s. Also (and this one wasn’t a cover) we wrote a song about Jason Donovan! The first band I was in was just awful. Sometimes people will send me their band’s music and they’re like, 16-year-olds,…

CHRIS BIRD Stuck in his nest during a bout of icy weather, Birdman took off his feathery mittens and passed the time playing bass. Chris is often heard playing grunge covers and emulating Jeff Ament’s 12-string Hamer with an EHX Nano POG, but, with Maiden, Clapton and Goo Goo Dolls on the menu, TG’s very own CD provided ample entertainment. MICHAEL ASTLEY-BROWN This issue’s baritone round-up has Mike jonesing for a bari to call his own. “Sometimes going lower takes you higher,” our resident gear sage tells us, in a rare moment of rig-based profundity. Plus, it’s an essential piece of kit if you’re going to tackle the surf guitar line in Ricky Martin opus, Livin’ La Vida Loca! ROB LAING The plight of the rhythm guitarist is something that…

With last month’s music reading exercises under your belt, the next step is to look at higher and lower notes. In music notation, this is done with ‘ledger lines’ – lines placed above and below the stave so that the notes can continue into higher and lower registers. It’s a logical extension of the notes found within the stave; so, the seven notes (A B C D E F and G) continue in order as you ascend through the ledger lines. The only difficulty for guitarists is that we have to move up the fretboard to reach the high notes. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN Learn the notes on the stave Learn the notes on the fretboard Four music-reading exercises 1 NOTES ON THE STAVE TRACK 17 The position of a…

When Michael Schenker first acquired a wah pedal, he was so young and inexperienced that he plugged it in the wrong way and he remembers it “sounded like a police siren!”. However, it didn’t take long for the burgeoning musician to come up with his own sound – and it was that instantly identifiable half-cocked wah tone that would hold the secret to many of his finest solos… “I would describe myself as treble-sensitive,” he explains. “So when an old-fashioned wah-wah is all the way down, it’s piercing to my ears. I love the Jim Dunlop Dimebag model because you can change the EQ, but the more vintage ones were too harsh. Back in the day, I opened mine up and found this wheel inside… after some experimentation, I found…

GO BEYOND THE LIMITS OF FAMILIAR CHORDS AND SCALES AND START PLAYING MORE CREATIVELY For every Angus and Malcolm style ‘lead and rhythm’ pairing you encounter, there are just as many lone axe-wielders – players who fill out their sound without a bandmate covering their backs. Jimi Hendrix, Van Halen, Muse, The White Stripes and Royal Blood all spring to mind, but trying to create a bigger sound is something most players will need to think about. This month, we’re taking a look at techniques to help you fill out your sound. From richer chords and a funk rhythm workout to creative lead techniques that will help you break any soloing plateau. Turn the page and let’s get started! 01 TRACK 22 10 CHORDS TO FILL OUT YOUR SOUND Adding…

Eric Clapton’s importance in the history of rock can’t be overstated. He was an early pioneer of overdrive. Later with Cream his blistering wah-wah solos would inspire legions of players. There are two ways to use a wah-wah in your solos. The first is to rock the wah pedal in time with the music as if tapping your foot to the beat. The second is to open and close the pedal slowly to create expressive vocal-like sounds. Experimentation is vital to this approach because you have to match the rhythm of the wah with the phrases you play. Eric uses both techniques in White Room and he occasionally rocks the pedal in ‘double time’ when playing a repeated lick to create psychedelic effects. Check out bars 7 and 8 of…

Born in Mississippi in 1902, Son House was an early influence on none other than the great Robert Johnson. He took up slide guitar, aged 25, after hearing a drinking buddy playing one night. Many slide players use an open tuning to facilitate chord playing and House generally tuned his guitar to open G (low to high: DGDGBD). As a solo musician, there was often no reference point to tune to, so many of the old recordings vary as much as a tone or so in pitch. Our examples, however, are recorded in actual open G – though we’ve ‘aged’ our recordings by reducing the treble to recreate a sound like the resonator guitars House played. We recorded with a metal slide, so there is a little handling noise. Position…

“You go crazy, paranoia kicks in, but something gets you over the line...” As any parent will tell you, having children is one of the biggest upheavals one can experience. At the time of talking, Scott Matthews’ son was yet to be born, but he was already feeling the seismic shift that is impending fatherhood. “It’s definitely had a big influence on the ideas I had on this new record,” he says. He’s talking about The Great Untold, his second release through his own label Shedio Records, through which he released his last album, Home Part 2, in 2016. The Great Untold is very much a labour of love. Working entirely alone – Matthews wrote and played every song himself – he combined his creativity with the business demands of…

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 worth your attention, you’ll find it here! HOW WE TEST CURATION Our product selection is driven by our love of gear. We select the most exciting products on the market every month to bring you opinions you can trust. FACE-VALUE REVIEWS We’re not gear snobs here at Total Guitar. We judge it on whether it looks good, sounds good and plays well – not by the name on the headstock. NO SNAKE OIL You won’t find us…

EVH 5150III LBXII £508 EVH’s lunchbox version of the 5150 head may have fewer features, but the killer tones we’ve come to expect from EVH haven’t been compromised. VICTORY SHERIFF 22 £799 The Sheriff 22 offers twin-channel flexibility and superb build quality, with tones approved by some of the world’s top players, including Guthrie Govan. PEAVEY 6505MH £595 Peavey’s 6505MH has a footswitchable crunch option on the rhythm channel, along with all the juicy high-gain stuff the 6505 range is renowned for.…

Certain things will make us smile here at TG, and Yamaha’s TransAcoustic is one of them. That is, once we’d got over the shock of hearing reverb and chorus effects coming out of an acoustic guitar that wasn’t plugged into anything. But how? If you peek inside the soundhole, just under the top there are the electronics of an actuator, and this responds to the vibrations of the strings as you’re playing. These vibrations are pumped back through the guitar’s body, moving the air inside and around it and... bingo! Controllable reverb and chorus sounds come from inside the guitar! It takes a little while to get your head around, and then you’ll be smiling. Because it’s really that good. This technology first surfaced on two Yamaha models in 2016…

There’s a common misconception that playing acoustic live means plugging the guitar straight into a DI and job done. But why should electric players have all the fun of effects? Reverb, delay with tap tempo, chorus and boost – there are useful tone shapers and a whole preamp too in this compact-but-sturdy, sleek, black metal unit. Trace Elliot are presenting a do-it-all solution that’s reflected in the price. Is it worth it? For ease of use the Trace Acoustic Transit A certainly takes some beating – the control layout and bright green LEDs let you know exactly what’s in operation at any point. There’s a handy Pre-Shape button – boosting lows and highs while cutting mids for a smooth EQ for piezos. There’s also a piezo button that raises the…

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club have long defied convention. They blur the lines between indie garage and stoner fuzz, swap sides/rigs mid-set, plug hollow bodies into bass amps and use live loops. It could all go horribly wrong. And yet it never does and the San Franciscan trio stockpile an orchestral wash of riffs drenched in wetness, split through a variety of amps. Welcoming TG on stage at Brixton Academy are founders Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been, the mad scientists behind their whirlpool of noise. PETER HAYES GIBSON ES-335 1 “This guitar is the most personal one to us, it’s a 60s Gibson in cherry red that we started off writing all our songs on. It was Rob’s dad’s guitar and it’s got a really nice neck. I’m not sure…

Though famed for his Cream-era ‘woman tone’, White Room is not a prime example of Eric’s signature sound. You’ll need a humbuckerequipped guitar set either to a middle or bridge position – on Cream’s final tour Eric used his Gibson ES-335 and single-pickup Firebird. One hundred-watt Marshall Super Lead amps paired with 4x12 cabinets were key to Eric’s tone, and his volume! Any digital modelling rig should have a suitable patch. Use a Vox or Cry Baby wah pedal for the soloing.…

This year Orange celebrates its 50th year of manufacturing. The first Orange amps were assembled in the basement of Orange founder Cliff Cooper’s shop in London’s Old Compton Street. Cooper found it difficult to stock his shop with name brands, so with a background in electronics he solved the problem by designing his own range. The iconic ‘pics only’ amplifiers were first produced in 1972. The legendary Orange Graphic became synonymous with classic rock; users included Paul Kossoff, Jimmy Page and Peter Green. After a quiet time in the 1980s, Orange relaunched with the arrival of Brit rock in the 1990s. Orange’s biggest modern hit – the Tiny Terror – was first produced in 2006 and went on to become one of Orange’s all-time best sellers.…

If you’ve never played a baritone before, you’re in for a treat. Realistically, any of the four guitars on show today would serve as a solid gateway to the world of long-scale playing but, depending on your style, not all would keep you there. The SE, in our opinion, is perhaps the best all-rounder on account of its tonal versatility. This gives it the edge over the Chapman, which shines as a metal guitar but is let down slightly by its ability to excel in other styles. The SE, despite lacking a bit of personality (compared to the other models on review) has enough quality in the tank to make for a hugely-rewarding, extremely playable guitar. It’s the model that most inspired us to keep playing, writing, tinkering and experimenting…