Innehållsförteckning för January 2018 från Guitar Player

I NEVER PUT MUCH STOCK INTO NEW YEAR’S RESOLUtions. There’s definitely a feel-good vibe to telling oneself that the coming year will birth a different and much better you, but it’s all like a pretty birthday card that’s forgotten and left in the rain without the accompanying actions of commitment, follow-through, and achievement. For example, my dad told me constantly that people are great at talking about stuff, but terrible at actually getting stuff done. Given that dad and his crew could have been crown princes of meaningless bull sessions, these little teaching moments were hilariously ironic, but, in fact, they stuck with me. I haven’t always “gotten stuff done” as much as I would have liked, but I do try to shut up, listen, and drive action. At its…

WHEN SUSAN REY FIRST MET JERRY Donahue 35 years ago, she was an upand- coming singer/songwriter, and he was already a 6-string legend, thanks to his otherworldly Telecaster mastery with Celtic folk-rockers Fairport Convention and sideman stints with Elton John and Gerry Rafferty, among others. The two remained friends as Donahue gained a higher profile with The Hellecasters, and Rey became an in-demand performer and song stylist. After reconnecting in 2012, Rey and Donahue enlisted drummer Tom Walsh and bassist Matt Malley to form Ashgrove— a band that reimagined material from Donahue’s tenure with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay, and The Hellecasters, as well as Rey’s extensive cover repertoire. Gigging and recording intermittently between their other professional commitments, the band was about to begin mixing its first CD when tragedy struck. In…

“MUSIC IS A SANCTUARY FROM THE HEAVIness for a musician,” says Scott Sharrard. “We are all country preachers trying to help people and ourselves get through.” When it seems that, each week, another rock legend moves on to the great gig in the sky, Gregg Allman’s passing from liver cancer on May 27, 2017, is particularly notable for the indelible imprint his music made on the guitar community. Allman was a straightforward acoustic strummer and organist, but he had arguably the all-time hottest lineup of dual lead-guitar players by his side with his older brother Duane and Dickey Betts in the original Allman Brothers Band. And throughout the band’s incarnations that spanned generations, outstanding string-slingers included Dan Toler, Jack Pearson, Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes, and Derek Trucks. Allman’s solo outfits…

THE STRUTS LOVE OF QUEEN GOES DEEP. YOU can hear it in the epic glam-like grandeur of the songs, and it’s beamed front and center by vocalist Luke Spiller’s uncanny resemblance to Queen’s late and legendary frontperson Freddie Mercury. The cherry on top is the Brian May-influenced fretwork of Strut’s guitarist Adam Slack. Yet, despite the reverential tribute to a beloved band, the Struts are not a pack of clone-worthy renegades from the Queen musical We Will Rock You. A mere tribute act probably wouldn’t be asked to open arena shows for Guns N’ Roses, the Who, Foo Fighters, and the Rolling Stones, and fan interest is wildly impressive. The Struts have logged millions of You- Tube views, with their latest single for “One Night Only”—a full album is expected…

A PRIME CONTENDER FOR FUNKIEST jazz-rock riff of all time—just ask Jeff Beck, who’s been quoting it onstage for years—John McLaughlin’s threebar E♭-minor-pentatonic-based ostinato that emerges 18:43 into “Right Off,” the opening track that spans the entire first side of Miles Davis’ 1971 landmark album Jack Johnson (later reissued as A Tribute to Jack Johnson), foreshadowed the future of fusion guitar. The origin of the riff seems to date back to Freddie Stone’s rhythm guitar figure from Sly & the Family Stone’s “Sing a Simple Song,” the B-side of 1968’s “Everyday People,” before it evolved into this incarnation (recorded in early 1970), and ultimately ended up as the basis for the cornerstone figure in the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “The Noonward Race” from 1971’s The Inner Mounting Flame. But here, with Miles…

AS GUITARISTS WHO LOVE TO EXPERiment with bizarre sounds, how could we pass up anything called a “modulated monophonic harmonizing PLL?” The phrase itself almost makes no sense, unless you’re one of the science nerds on The Big Bang Theory. But it portends secret labs and clandestine government agencies messing with the fabric of time and space, so count us in. There actually is a boatload of science in the Data Corrupter ($225 street), and if you truly believe the mysteries of PLL—or phase locked loop—technology, it dates back to 1673 and some wacky Dutch physicist goofing around with pendulums. Fast forward a few hundred years to 1932, and you have the British deploying the PLL concept to both strengthen and stabilize telecommunication signals. A relatively quick trip of four…

EMERGING SOLIDLY FROM ATOMIC’S amp-modeling wheelhouse, the new Ampli-Firebox ($299 direct) aims to deliver the most compact and form-factor-familiar live modeling tool yet. Its success in that realm might just make it a first-call solution for many players in search of a backup amp or all-in-one virtual rig for fly dates, or both. The unit contains the same tech created by Studio Devil for Atomic’s more fully featured Amplifire 12, all packed into a rugged 4.5” x 3.5” x 1.5” pedal with eight knobs, three toggle switches, and two footswitches, with both ¼” and XLR outputs (one 3-way toggle assigns cab simulation to either or both, so you can run a ¼” cable to your backline amp without sim and an XLR feed to front-of-house with sim), input for standard…

INSPIRED BY THE TRAINWRECK Express amplifier (built by the late Ken Fischer), the TWE-1 is solid-state pedal designed to emulate the touch-responsiveness and clean-to-overdriven range you get from a high-grade tube amp. Along with Volume, Hi Cut, and Gain controls, the pedal has 3-position Cab switch (4x12, 2x12, off), a Presence switch that provides three levels of high-frequency boost (post OD), a Voice switch (Traditional and Modern British), and a bypassable Brite switch that provides two levels of highfrequency boost (pre OD). Tested with Tele and a Trussart Steeldeville though a Fender Deluxe Reverb set clean, the TWE-1 with its Gain at noon or higher responded in an amp-like way to changes in guitar volume and picking strength, delivering everything from gritty cleans to richly saturated distortion textures. Thanks to…

A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THANKSGIVING 2017, THE COMMUNITY was embroiled in a “pedal debacle” that fundamentally revolved around whether those who depend on stompboxes were making up for deficiencies in their technique and/or creativity, or even if those artists who use pedals solely to craft soundscapes—rather than negotiate the typical, time-honored performance gestures of conventional guitar technique—can be considered “guitarists” at all. It was a heck of a lively discussion, and many readers shared their thoughts on the subject with us. Here’s a sampling… “They are saying the guitar is dead in modern music, and the soundscape people are not helping. I prefer going straight into a tube amp, but I do have a wah, chorus, and a phaser. All the tech is cool, too.” —ANTHONY HINTON “I am…

HARDWARE DIGITAL EFFECTS HAVE come a long way—which you know if you’ve tried new technology like the Kemper Profiling Amp, Fractal Axe-FX, or Line 6 Helix. Lately, I’ve been particularly fond of the Helix’s ability to do multiband processing that lets you split the guitar into four bands (low, low mid, high mid, and high), and then distort each band individually. For rhythm guitar and power chords, this gives a big, clean, focused sound compared to having all the frequencies go into a single amp. Here’s how to do multiband amps with the Helix. Split the Bands. Set both signal paths to the same input, and then drag a block downward from each signal path to create a second, parallel line for their respective paths. This creates four parallel signal…

IN MY OPINION, “SOLSBURY HILL” IS one of the most perfectly written and produced pop songs ever. I know that Peter was having trouble with a line or two in the lyrics at one point, so this song ended up being the last one we recorded. Literally, the day after we recorded it, all the New York musicians were scheduled to fly back to New York. Robert Fripp had already flown back to England because he had sessions scheduled. I remember Peter and I went into producer Bob Ezrin’s office so that Bob could show me what he had in mind for the tune on piano. As Peter was playing it, I began to realize it was in an odd time—7/4— and that it was a particular style of 7/4.…

THE MEMBERS OF TETRARCH ARE OBVIOUSLY too young to have starred in some golden-era-of- Hollywood film celebrating the American Dream, but their story would have made an excellent script for a ’30s feel-good flick, nonetheless. The timeless plot revolves around hard work and a maverick spirit, but, today, when so many bands struggle to find an audience and a viable way to support their art, the Tetrarch narrative also becomes a kind of beacon of hope. The band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2007, and while it has released a bevy of albums and singles— and gained tour-support spots for major acts such as Avenged Sevenfold, DevilDriver, and Seether—it has never had the commercial and promotional benefit of a major record label. Even more intriguing, Tetrarch’s latest album, Freaks, cracked…

THE DESIGNERS AT MERIS BRING extensive effect experience from their days at Line 6 and Strymon to their new line of pedals, and one of the sonic modifiers chosen for the launch is the Mercury 7 reverb ($299 street). Rather than offer preset reverb types, the Mercury 7 permits you to sculpt your own ambient flavors with six knobs, two buttons, and a second layer of alternative parameter access. But it goes even deeper. You can program up to 16 different sounds, with four available through an optional four-button footswitch plugged into the expression input, or access all 16 through MIDI. You can also use an expression pedal to morph between two different sets of parameter settings. The sonic possibilities of the Mercury 7 are too many to go into…

IN MY MAY 2015 PREVIEW STORY ON the Schaffer Replica Pedal, I called it “Instant Angus.” Now, I’m done with that. I’m not talking about Angus Young anymore. Sure, part of Young’s delicious tone recipe for Back in Black—as well as other AC/DC albums and live shows of the era—was his Schaffer- Vega Diversity System wireless, which not only allowed the guitarist to perform his school-boy pranks unbound by guitar cables, it also imparted some mysteriously wonderful preamp coloration to his sound. Some three decades later, Angus enthusiast Fil Olivieri cracked the tonal code, sought out Ken Schaffer (who manufactured just 1,000 SVDS systems before moving on to other pursuits), and developed the Schaffer Replica Pedal and Tower. If you want the full story—and it’s interesting and historical and pretty…

EMERGING GUITAR BUILDERS WANTING to cash in on the electric-guitar boom of the ’50s and ’60s, had to contend with a market that had been cornered by Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, and Rickenbacker. Or had it? One way for a company to attract new customers in a far out and groovy way—and avoid trademark disputes with bigger, more established manufacturers—was to offer what was essentially a basic guitar, but with a different shape or funky finish. Teisco had many guitars they hoped would catch on in that way. Which brings us to the Banjitar… WEIRDO FACTOR Well, it looks like a dang banjo! But it ain’t! It’s a fairly regular electric guitar. Psych! PLAYABILITY & SOUND After Teisco merged with Kawai in the mid-1960s, a lot of the brand’s build aesthetics…

THE TWO 300 SERIES 12-STRINGS featured here are new models for Taylor, and they represent the luthiery prowess of Andy Powers, who is now head of guitar development for the California-based company. More compact and easier to get around on than traditional big-bodied 12s, the 352ce and 362ce also intentionally deliver a less booming sound, which makes them ideal for recording and performance situations where you don’t want to overpower a mix. These guitars are identical in size and shape, both measuring 19 1/2” long x 15” wide x 4/38” deep, and their necks feature a slightly shorter scale length of 24 7/8” and 12 frets clear of the body. The latter point is important because a 12th-fret joint moves the bridge into the center of the soundboard, which warms…

“We have a conceptual formula for our tones. They’re not accidents. There’s a certain combination of elements that gives us our identifiable sound. At times, we want the chaos and sloppiness of pure energy, and, other times, it’s about being as tight and precise as possible, but there’s always a consistency to the guitar tones. For something to be recognizable, there has to be some consistency, some grounding.”…

PRESTIGE GUITARS TROUBADOUR RS Street $999 The Troubadour RS is the first addition to Prestige’s 2018 lineup and the newest guitar to be launched in its Prestige Custom Series, which features solid and semihollowbody guitars with hot-rodded custom designs, finishes and components. The Troubadour RS is a single cutaway solidbody guitar, carved Canadian maple top, and a solid mahogany body and neck. The Troubadour RS comes with the option of either the Seymour Duncan Pegasus Bridge pickup, or a Seymour Duncan Custom Shop ’78 Custom bridge pickup. prestigeguitars.com WAMPLER PEDALS TUMNUS DELUXE $199 The Tumnus Deluxe delivers all the string-to-string clarity, highheadroom output, and amp-like breakup that made the Tumnus pedal so iconic. But its 3-band EQ will enhance your tone with warm low end, instantly identifiable midrange, and just…

WHEN MICHAEL SWEET AND GEORGE LYNCH released their first collaboration, Only to Rise, in 2015, the conceptual pull of their ’80s bands—Stryper and Dokken, respectively—was quite thrilling for those who had been waiting for some melodic shred by two icons of the genre. The album delivered on its promise with great songs, and, of course, kick-ass guitars. It also zoomed up into the top 10 of the Billboard charts—which meant that those who waited for such a musical mash-up were legion. Well, the hordes should be prepared to be exhilarated again, as the collaborators—under the band name Sweet & Lynch—have launched stage two, Unified [Frontiers]. Musically, he new album follows the same general path as Only to Rise, but with two notable exceptions. Lynch was more involved in the arrangement…

BEFORE HE JOINED DEEP PURPLE IN 1994, guitar virtuoso Steve Morse already had an impressive career as a solo artist, and as a member of Kansas. Before that, however, is when the story really starts. Back in the early ’70s, Morse, fresh out of the University of Miami, put together the progressive rock-fusion group, the Dixie Dregs. During the band’s initial run, from 1973 to 1982, they released seven wildly acclaimed albums that mixed rock, jazz, classical, country, and bluegrass into a sound that thrilled discerning music fans while it confounded radio programmers. Even the band’s label at the time, Capricorn, didn’t know what to make of them. “I think Capricorn took us on as a sort of interesting art project,” Morse says with a laugh. “We followed a pretty…

THE USE OF NATURAL HARMONICS—harmonics played on open strings—is common in many styles of acoustic and electric guitar music, from classical and jazz to rock and metal. The technique is fairly easy to perform and allows a player to sustain a pure-sounding, high-pitched tone after letting go of the string with the fret hand, which frees up both hands to play notes on other strings. Many resourceful guitarists have employed natural harmonics creatively, often using them into conjunction with fretted and/or open notes to craft rich textures for their song riffs, parts and melodic fills. In this lesson, we’ll cover how the technique is performed, cite a few well-known instances of its use in popular music and look at some cool and relatively easy ways to employ natural harmonics, with…

ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC PEDAL makers on the planet, Electro-Harmonix has just blessed us with another release of creative contraptions in a quartet that includes reworked favorites, a transition-era fuzz monster, and an otherworldly soundscape generator. All were tested with a Les Paul and a Stratocaster, into a custom JTM45-style head and 2x12 cab. GREEN RUSSIAN BIG MUFF Emerging from Mike Matthews’ rebuilding phase circa 1990 after the closure of EHX’s New York operation in the mid ’80s, the Russian-made rendition of the Big Muff Pi became a favorite of ’90s grunge, punk and noise-rock guitarists, and a collectible fuzz in its own right in the process. The reissue, the new Green Russian Big Muff ($80 street), has a circuit that purportedly remains true to the original, while incorporating…

Pro-Series Deluxe Traveler Guitar: On the Road Since 1992 Available Now Introducing the Pro-Series Deluxe Mahogany, a special edition of Traveler Guitar’s enduring original design. Featuring an ebony fingerboard, locking tuners, gold hardware, and abalone inlays, the Pro-Series Deluxe is also available in maple. $499.99 www.travelerguitar.com travel@travelerguitar.com 909-307-2626 Shredneck BelAir Models Shredneck LLC Available Now Shrednecks practice and warm-up tools are for guitar and bass players to use when your instrument is not available or convenient. BelAir models feature real rosewood fingerboards, real nickel steel strings and chrome hardware. Includes Gig bag. MSRP: $129.99 www.shredneck.com ATH-M50x Professional Monitor Headphones Audio-Technica Available Now The critically acclaimed Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones provide exceptional clarity with deep, accurate bass response. Features large-aperture drivers, 90° swiveling earcups and three detachable cables. Ideal for studio/DJ use…