Innehållsförteckning för August 2019 från Guitar Player

YOU CAN SAY a lot of things about Zakk Wylde, but never say the man lacks perspective. Ask him how he feels about the 20th anniversary of Black Label Society’s debut album, Sonic Brew, and he quickly puts the years into context. “Everybody’s like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it’s 20 years already!’” Wylde remarks from a Black Label Society tour stop in Chicago. “But look, I have an old Guitar Player magazine with Keith [Richards] on the cover, and it says, ’16 Years in the Rolling Stones.’ That was a big deal at the time! Now they’re past 50. So we had a birthday cake made for our band that said, ‘Happy 20th Birthday, Black Label Society. Thirty More Years to Go. Now Get to Work!’” The 52-year-old guitarist lets…

DUFF McKAGAN HAS spent the past few years traveling the world with Guns N’ Roses on the band’s massive — and massively successful — Not in This Lifetime tour. The jaunt, which reunites the core Guns trio of Axl Rose, Slash and McKagan for the first time in more than two decades, has put the bassist on some of the largest stages and in front of some of the biggest crowds of his 30-plusyear career. And while that’s been a thrill ride in and of itself, as McKagan tells it, the time in between the shows has often proved as impactful as the performances themselves. “When Guns was out, we would only perform every third day, because we were playing huge places and we have a huge production that has…

EPIPHONE WAS OFTEN seen as the redheaded stepchild after Gibson acquired the company in 1957. However, one Epi electric has always outgunned its parallel model from the sibling brand, both for popularity and for street cred: the Casino. Ever since its arrival in the early 1960s, the Epiphone Casino has been hipper and more successful than the Gibson ES-330, which features the same design and construction. Three names easily explain that phenomenon: John, Paul and George. Paul McCartney was the first Beatle to acquire a Casino, a ’62 model he purchased in late 1964. Soon after, Lennon and Harrison bought Casinos of their own. The three Beatles guitarists used these Epiphone thinlines for a significant proportion of their time in the studio. Given that just about everything the Fab Four…

RELEASED ON EPIC Records in 1975, Jeff Beck’s Blow by Blow came out well after he had established himself as one of rock’s premier guitarists. He had already made significant innovative contributions to music, using feedback in the Yardbirds, creating the fantastic guitar sounds heard on his 1968 Truth album (with newbie Rod Stewart) and launching his successful power-trio, Beck, Bogert & Appice. But to me, Blow by Blow was when it all came together for him. On it, he fine-tuned and fully realized his voice, making this one of the great guitar-instrumental records of all time. The album has Max Middleton on keyboards, bassist Phil Chen and drummer Richard Bailey, and while it features no vocals, Beck’s guitar ably stands in, as he uses it to emote throaty screams,…

SOME PEOPLE COLLECT stamps. John 5 collects Fender Telecasters. Lots of them. of them. Over the years, he’s amassed an assemblage that includes more than 100 pieces, with a model representing each year, starting at the introduction of the instrument (the 1950 Broadcaster) and stretching to 1983. “I just love history, and I love Telecasters, so I have the best of both worlds,” he says. “I know a lot of people don’t want to hear this, but they’re great investments. Some folks know about stocks. I know about Telecasters.” He admits that he’s regularly contacted by fans, musicians and vintage collectors looking to sell him Telecasters, but he cautions that he’s a tough customer. “Anybody can buy a bunch of guitars. It’s not that difficult,” he says. “The key is…

“I USE FINGER PICKS WHEN I PLAY STEEL GUITAR BECAUSE I LIKE THE CLANKINESS THEY BRING, AND I LIKE THE WARM SOUND OF FINGERS ON A WOODEN GUITAR” KEB’ MO’ HAS been such a fixture on the acoustic roots scene for the past quarter century that it’s easy to take him for granted. That would be a major mistake, however. The Grammy-winning master finger picker and slide stalwart is still challenging himself and listeners, both onstage and on record. His new release, Oklahoma (Concord), features inventive songcraft and interesting acoustic instrumentation, as well as important contributions from players like Robert Randolph, Taj Mahal and Rosanne Cash, and producer Colin Linden. The title track begins with a wild stuttering, turntable-scratching kind of sound layered over a Latin-flavored nylon-string vamp. It proceeds…

HOPEFULLY, THE PAST four Frets Learn columns have helped you get your best acoustic guitar tones in the box. Now it’s time to maximize their effectiveness in the mix. One major factor involves the number and nature of all instruments in your arrangement. We consulted with Grammy-nominated producer/engineer Travis Kasperbauer, who teaches digital audio at the Academy of Art University, to compile some tips. All of these can be applied to the tools commonly found across popular digital audio workstations, and all are universal to mixing acoustics. EQ ADVICE: START HERE The multiband EQs found on DAWs have similar features. The buttons on the far left and right that look like arches engage the hi- and low-pass filters, which trim the frequencies above or below a given point. Set a…

THE LATEST IN Quilter’s 200 series of Tone Block amplifiers, the 202 is a pint-sized device that features a hefty complement of controls, including gain, limiter, three-band active EQ, reverb and master, along with a Voice switch that selects three amp profiles: Vint (Fender-style tone stack), FullQ (a neutral EQ setting that preserves the natural voice of the guitar) and FRFR (intended for systems that use external cabinet modeling). To facilitate use with a DAW or a P.A. mixer, the 202 has a Sig Out (TRS) on the front panel and an accompanying Pre/Post switch that, in the former position, provides a full line-level signal that’s independent of the master setting. In short, this optimizes the 202 for situations where speakers aren’t needed. For stage applications where a speaker cabinet…

KEEPING WHAMMY SYSTEMS in tune has been an issue since, well, the advent of whammy systems. We all remember how Floyd Rose built an empire with his double-locking solution to the problem, but we also remember how getting Floyded came at a price — namely an invasive mod that changed a guitar’s look and sound. While huge numbers of players jumped on the Floyd bandwagon, others resigned themselves to doing the best they could do with their trem’s tuning anomalies. Tony Artino has spent decades trying to crack this code, and he thinks he’s done it with his Guitar NutBuster. The device doesn’t require any modifications to your instrument whatsoever. NutBuster doesn’t even come in contact with your guitar — it attaches directly to the strings and floats just behind…

Raid Dana’s Gear Stash! Looking for a great-sounding boost pedal? This month, we’re offering one lucky reader a chance to win a Bogner Harlow boost. At the heart of the Harlow’s 100-percent analog circuit is a custom audio transformer created by legendary audio pioneer Mr. Rupert Neve. It puts a tastefully transparent squeeze on your guitar signal and gives it a three-dimensional punch. Controls for level, tone and bloom (compression) deliver a wide range of tones, from a crystal-clear light boost to a thick, meaty high-output assault. For a chance to win the Bogner Harlow, simply send an email to nbmgearcoordinator@gmail.com with “Harlow” in the subject line. One lucky winner will be chosen on August 20. Note that all gear is “as is.” Thanks for playing. —DANA PARKER Back in…

“I WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HEAR ME THROUGH A WALL AND KNOW IT’S ME PLAYING” JACKIE VENSON ISN’T afraid of technology. On Joy (Systematic), the Austin guitarist’s new album, she combines tones from a Moog synth and an Electro-Harmonix Synth9 pedal to create funky, futuristic-sounding songs with overdubbed guitars. When it comes to performing those tracks live, she’s happy to bring the tech, including a looper, to the fans. “I perform with samplers now,” Venson explains. “I load the samples and the stems from the actual record onto the sampler and use them live.” Venson belongs to a new generation of artists who take a fearless attitude to songwriting and arranging. Her winning approach has connected with audiences at some of the most celebrated venues across the country…

IN A LONG and highly successful recording career that began when he was just nine, George Benson has moved smoothly through various genres, initially playing straight jazz, usually in the small-combo format. In 1976, with the album Breezin’, he made a surprising switch to smooth jazz, a genre which he could almost be said to have invented, and emerged as a capable vocalist. The album went to the top of Billboard’s Pop, Jazz and R&B charts, and produced the hit singles “This Masquerade” and “Breezin’.” This transition into a mellow pop/R&B groove saw Benson achieve huge global success and score a string of Grammys. It was also something of a revelation. Prior to then, few were aware of his vocal abilities, and he has continued to mix and match vocal…

DEBORAH COLEMAN WAS a great blues player, and I was proud to call her my friend. We toured together in support of our 2007 collaborative album, Time Bomb, and I interviewed her shortly after we got off the road in 2008. She was well known in the blues world but had a rock background, which gave her playing a distinct edge. Deborah was as at home playing Billie Holiday as she was Jimi Hendrix, and she was known to stretch out her live show into extensive and expressive jams, where one song might last 40 minutes. The blues world felt a great loss when she passed away suddenly in 2018 from complications due to pneumonia. How did you start playing professionally? On weekends I would go to blues jam sessions,…

USUALLY WHEN WE see a guitar made of plastic, we assume it’s of low quality. But every now and then, I’m humbled by the acoustic properties found in fiberglass, acrylics and even carbon fiber. Built by Valco, this mid-’60s Supro Folkstar resonator guitar is partly made with fiberglass — or as the company dubbed it, Res-O-Glas. And it doesn’t just sound good — it sounds great! When it comes to resonator guitars, some players prefer a certain style of resonator (they come in many variations) or a metal body over one of wood. But the fiberglass-bodied Folkstar has a distinct, rich resonance all its own. Valco (whose founders included former National Dobro Company owner Louis Dopyera) wasn’t the only musical instrument company experimenting with plastics. Mario Maccaferri, who built the…

THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF LEGENDARY, GENRE-DEFINING GUITARISTS WHO ARE INS TANTLY IDENTIFIABLE BY THEIR FIRST NAME ALONE: JIMI, EDDIE AND ANGUS, FOR EXAMPLE. ARGUABLY THE MOST immediately recognizable name of all is that of Yngwie, the man who invented an entire genre of music known as neoclassical rock. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s astounding technical ability and unprecedented approach to virtuoso guitar playing set the bar to a previously unimaginable level when he was first heard on record in 1983, on the self-titled debut album from American heavy-metal band Steeler. For those old enough to remember, Malmsteen’s initial appearance in the U.S. press was in Mike Varney’s “Spotlight” column in the February 1983 issue of Guitar Player. The tape he submitted to Varney has surfaced on YouTube and serves as a…

I FIRST BECAME aware of the harmonic minor scale back in high school, originally as an abstract entity I learned in music theory class, in which the seventh note of the natural minor scale was raised a half step. I later discovered that it was the “secret scale” that a certain young hot-shot, Strat-wielding shredder from Sweden named Yngwie Malmsteen was using to achieve his uber-dramatic “neoclassical metal” sound. Still, from a practical standpoint, I had no idea how to apply these two ostensibly related pieces of information to my own guitar playing. I did, however, manage to cop a ham-fisted version of what a friend of mine called the “Spanish scale,” an exotic-sounding series of notes that worked well when played over two major chords a half-step apart from…

THE GP STAFF got an early peek at stompbox releases at the winter NAMM show last January, and we requested many of them for reviews — some of which have already been published, including models from Aclam, Danelectro, EarthQuaker Devices, Electro-Harmonix, Tech 21, TWA and others. As more pedals are rolling in for upcoming reviews, we decided to take this opportunity to present 24 of our top picks from the show, which highlight how manufacturers are creating distortion, fuzz, delay, modulation, reverb and multi-effects pedals that give guitarists more sonic options than ever before — whether the goal is better lead tone, crafting otherworldly soundscapes or being able to get your entire stage sound from something small enough to fit in a suitcase. There are tons of options out there…

I DON’T KNOW about you, but if I have time to kill before heading out the door, I grab a guitar and start noodling. And if I happen to stumble on some inspiring licks, well, I may be late to meet you. Recently, though, I was in this situation and couldn’t be late because I had to get to LAX to catch a flight to Ohio with Jefferson Starship. Nonetheless, with 12 minutes to spare, I grabbed the Chapman ML3 Pro Modern Semi-Hollow and proceeded to wail. I had already used the ML3 to track a solo through a Dr. Z EMS head, so I knew it had a great overdriven sound. Its bridge humbucker delivers a delicious midrange snarl that doesn’t oversaturate too easily. But here, with the ML3…

BORN IN SWINGING ’60s England and spawned from the mating of instrument-maker Dallas and electronics company Arbiter (of Dallas Arbiter fuzz fame), Sound City amps were initially made in the back of the Arbiter-owned Sound City music store in London. The early designer was Dave Reeves, who went on to found another legendary British amp company, namely Hiwatt. Occasionally employed by Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan of T. Rex, Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen and the Who’s Pete Townshend, Sound City amps receded from the scene until Neal Ostberg and famed amp builder Steven Fryette obtained full rights to bring the brand back to life in 2016. Following on the heels of the more powerful SC30 combo (which we reviewed in June 2018), the company’s latest offering is the 20-watt SC20. The…

Lil Luber/Groove Luber/Bench Luber Big Bends LLC Available Now Big Bends LLC is proud to introduce the complete line of Nut SauceTM tuning lubricant applicators: the 0.5cc Lil Luber - for the guitar hobbyist; the 1.5cc Groove Luber-for the serious player; and the 6cc Bench Luber-for the guitar tech or repair shop. Accept no imitation! MSRP: Lil Luber $12A5, Groove Luber $24.95, Bench Luber 59.95 www.bigbends.com 1(888)788-BENO Shrednecl BelAir Models Shrednecl 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 Easy Guitar Songbooks Children's Books - Christian Books - Christmas Books Available Now Full-color, illustrated songbooks…

SOUND OFF! GET EXCLUSIVE NEWS. COMMENT. CRITIQUE. SHARE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER. FACEBOOK.COM/GUITARPLAYERMAG TWITTER.COM/GUITARPLAYERNOW GUITARPLAYER.COM CHRISTOPHER SCAPELLITI Editor chris.scapelliti@futurenet.com ART THOMPSON Senior Editor arthur.thompson@futurenet.com JUDE GOLD Los Angeles Editor judegold@gmail.com JIMMY LESLIE Frets Editor jl@jimmyleslie.com DAVE HUNTER Gear Section & Video Contributor dhunterwordsmusic@yahoo.com ROSIE WEBBER Art Editor rosie.webber@futurenet.com…

DOYLE DYKES LONG ago surrendered his career to his deeply held Christian faith. His illustrious “life behind the guitar” (the title of his 2017 album) has been a journey on which he has encountered many kindred spirits, including his mentor and friend Chet Atkins, who called Dykes “one of the finest fingerpicking guitarists around.” “I didn’t take guitar lessons,” Dykes says. “I went to the Chet Atkins school of pickin’. Chet used a thumb pick most of the time, and did everything with his right hand. He played the guitar like a piano. He played the bass, and then the rhythm, alternating between his thumb and fingers with his strumming hand. It would be like rocking your hand on the piano keys. I once bought a Del Vecchio guitar for…

STEVE MORSE HAS defined himself as one of music’s most versatile shredders, not only through his work with Deep Purple but also with the Dixie Dregs and the Steve Morse Band, where he’s demonstrated his talent for crafting inspiring instrumental fusion and rock guitar songs. What does it take to write a successful guitar instrumental? We asked, and he answered. What about guitar instrumentals appeals to you? The main thing is that the guitar can control the mood and energy. It’s totally a composed creation mixed with some improvised soloing. Vocals are very expressive, and the guitar can be too when you use a wide range of attack, tone, vibrato, bends and so on. What can an instrumental provide a listener that a vocal song can’t? Less repetition, for one…

THE SIDE-CHAINING process uses audio from one track to control an effect parameter on another track. In this way, you can, for example, insert a noise gate in a guitar track and control the gating action using a kick-drum track, so that you’ll hear the guitar only when the kick drum hits. Another example is to control the compressor on a guitar track using the vocal track, so that the guitar is compressed whenever singing is present to open up space in the mix for the vocals. To check if an effect has a side-chain input, look at a track, send or bus output in your host program. If it shows a side-chain input as a destination, then the host supports side chains, and the associated effect has a side-chain…

WHILE A SIZABLE CONTINGENT OF METAL FANS KNOW JOHN 5 FROM HIS LONGTIME GIG AS ROB ZOMBIE’S GHOULISHLY FLAMBOYANT SHRED MASTER, GUITAR ENTHU SIASTS HAVE A BROADER PICTURE OF HIM — that of a deeply eclectic and prodigiously proficient player schooled in country, bluegrass, western swing, jazz and flamenco. Whether he’s peeling off hyperspeed chicken-pickin’ lines, replicating cascading banjo rolls, or dispatching immaculate, sweep-picked solos, there seems to be no end to his knowledge or skill set. “I appreciate anything that’s done well,” John states. “You could be throwing knives or juggling bowling pins, and I’ll be amazed. “But with music, it goes a lot further. If I hear a bluegrass player killin’ it, I’m like, ‘I have to play that!’ And if I hear a metal player rippin’ it, my…

WHEN THE WORLD learned of Rory Gallagher’s death in 1995, he was mourned almost as one might a friend, even by those who only knew him through his music. At 47 years of age, he was too young to leave the stage with such finality. Witnesses to Rory’s electrifying live shows knew what a formidable performer he was — coming back for encore after full-tilt encore, shredding with his battered ’61 Strat as long as the crowd cheered and stamped their feet for more. So it was all the more saddening that there could be no more curtain calls for a man who was humble by nature but whose guitar playing was loved by millions for its ecstatic energy and unaffected eloquence. Rory was also a prolific recording artist and…

METAL LEGEND AND former Megadeth lead guitarist Marty Friedman remains an important source of inspiration for building unusual melodic twists and finding unique directions in music. As a player, Friedman has always combined self-expression with a fearless approach to the less-traveled areas of music and his instrument, entertaining and inspiring metal-minded musicians and fans since the 1980s. As a founding member of the shred-metal group Cacophony in the late ’80s, Friedman honed his chops alongside fellow six-string firebrand Jason Becker. Together, they raised the bar of the dual-guitar attack heard at the time and were commonly referred to as “the band with two Yngwies.” While Cacophony failed to chart massive success, the band’s output was noticed and enthusiastically admired and embraced by shred-hungry guitarists the world over. The two rising…

CREATED TO CELEBRATE the six decades since Gibson rolled out the Les Paul with newfangled humbucking pickups and a sunburst finish, this Anniversary model is an accurate replica of what is probably the most coveted solidbody electric guitar of all time. The Custom 1959–2019 60th Anniversary Les Standard is a classic beauty, with its Royal Teaburst nitro-lacquer finish (one of 10 sunburst options) on a very vintage-looking two-piece maple top (note that the guitar shown is not of the example we tested). The neck is hide-glued to the body for superior transfer of vibration, and it has an extended tenon for enhanced neck-to-body coupling and, hence, sustain. As per original spec, the pickguard is made from laminated acrylic and the trapezoid fretboard inlays are aged nitrate. All the metal parts…

FOR LOOKS, POP-CULTURE reference points and overall magic mojo, Gretsch has it going on. Yet, the traditional models often don’t cut it for the modern player seeking contemporary-minded versatility and performance. With this in mind, Grammy Award–winning singer/songwriter and top-tier Nashville collaborator Steve Wariner — with assistance from his son Ryan and Nashville-based guitar maker Jeff Senn — has spec’d out his “ultimate Gretsch,” and the results will likely suit other demanding players eager to rub up against that Gretsch swagger. The platform of the Steve Wariner Signature lies in the 15 3/4–inch-wide body size of the Gretsch 6120, rendered in a fully hollow archtop made from maple ply with vintage-style trestle bracing. From there, just about every appointment makes a subtly thoughtful departure. The maple neck is carved to…

SMART TECHNOLOGY HAS fully arrived onboard the acoustic guitar, and the breakthrough comes from France’s Lâg Guitars in the form of the Tramontane HyVibe series. While we’ve seen shades of similar technology, we’ve never seen anything as advanced or flexible as the HyVibe system, which provides integrated onboard effects that emit from the guitar’s soundhole. In addition to eight acoustically generated digital effects, HyVibe also features a metronome and looper, and in Speaker mode the acoustic guitar becomes a speaker that can amplify tunes or tracks from your phone using Bluetooth. The system charges via USB to provide an estimated 10 hours of use, and there’s a free app on the way that will greatly expand the HyVibe’s functionality and flexibility. Lâg makes three dreadnought cutaway models with HyVibe technology…

> “He’s the greatest guitarist in the world. The ultimate virtuoso. His skill is extraordinary, his ear is extraordinary, and he’s gifted on just about every level.” So said Eric Clapton of Albert Lee, known to many as both “the guitar player’s guitar player” and “Mr. Telecaster.” Born in Lingen, Herefordshire, England, on December 21, 1943, Lee began studying piano at age seven but took up guitar in 1958, when rock and roll came along. His first guitar was a second-hand Höfner President, which he later traded for a Resonet Grazioso, the forerunner of the Höfner Futurama. Said Lee, “I always used to wish that I’d bought a Fender instead.” > Lee was drawn to American country, rock and roll, and R&B, and his early influences included Jimmy Bryant, Cliff…