Innehållsförteckning för January 2016 från Guitar Player

DESPITE INITIALLY ANNOUNCING THEIR farewell tour and subsequent retirement in 2010, Germany’s the Scorpions were midway through a two-year-long global circumnavigation when they began having second thoughts. “We were really enjoying ourselves on the road and found that playing to a new generation of fans who were just discovering us was remarkably inspiring,” observed rhythm guitarist/songwriter Rudolph Schenker. Schenker, along with lead axe man Matthias Jabs and vocalist Klaus Meine have made up the core of the band since the ’70s and forged its reputation through world-renowned anthems “No One Like You,” “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” “Still Loving You,” and “Winds of Change,” among others. The current lineup is rounded out by drummer James Kottak and bassist Pawel Maciwoda, and their latest offering, Return to Forever [Sony], was originally…

MOST ROCK GUITARISTS HAVE ALREADY sussed out a version of Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s A Mixolydian-based two-guitar harmonies sandwiched between Elliot Randall’s solos and the verse and chorus figures in Steely Dan’s 1972 classic, “Reelin’ in the Years”—I call them the “Irish jig” sections— but a few important details often tend to go unnoticed. Here’s the skinny. (Tip: Use the middle position, i.e., neck and bridge pickups, on a Tele or a capably equipped Strat, and add a healthy dollop of single-repeat slap-back delay.) When the figure first appears following the second verse and chorus, Gtr. 1 plays the lower-pitched part alone for the first round through the first and second endings as notated in Ex. 1. Details include staccato eighths on the first and third downbeats of bars 1 and…

BACK AROUND THE TIME OF MY ALBUM Dog Party, I rediscovered how much fun it is to play in a guitar trio. For me it’s more challenging to play without any support from a keyboard player, and especially when there’s no vocalist, which is the situation on my new record, Vibe Station. One of the first things I learned when playing guitar in a trio is that single-coil pickups are more full range than humbuckers and make the band sound bigger. I also learned that chord voicings using open strings make the guitar vibrate more and filled up even more sonic space. Also, I’ve always loved chords with small intervals between the notes, but I don’t have the ability to stretch my fingers like Allan Holdsworth, so the way I…

FOUNDED IN 2012, ECHOPARK HAS already built guitars for Johnny Two Bags, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Jacob Dylan, and an impressive list of others stars. Surprising for such a newcomer, until you learn that Gabriel Currie, the luthier behind this brand named for the central Los Angeles neighborhood in which it’s located, has several decades of experience working amid the California guitar-making elite under his belt, with stints at G&L in the ’80s and Hosono Guitar Works (building custom set-neck USA Ibanez models) in the ’90s. We checked out a new Clarence GC to discover more intimately how this new maker seemed to hit the scene with full street-cred already established. A cool guitar by any measure, the Clarence GC is also a testament to how adaptable the original Telecaster…

TO CELEBRATE KENDRICK’S 25 YEARS in the boutique amp business, founder Gerald Weber came up with this limited-edition model that combines his idea of ultimate clean tone with a high-gain channel that’s designed to give singing sustain along with the presence needed to cut through onstage. To create his sonic masterpiece, Weber started with a preamp section lifted from his BadAssMan and Signature models, tweaked it to sound even fuller, configured the inputs so that you could plug in to either or both channels, and put it all together in a solid-pine cabinet that’s covered in blue and white Tolex with gold and white piping. Enter the 25th Anniversary 4210 combo, which also features a four-6V6 output stage, tube/transformer-driven reverb, and a hand-wired circuit that is beautifully laid out on…

IN 2010, ROCK PRODUCER ERIC VALENTINE was not only deep into a successful career producing huge records for Queens of the Stone Age, Third Eye Blind, Smash Mouth, Nickel Creek, Good Charlotte, and other popular bands, he was also deep into the development of his innovative LC Series analog mixing consoles, which he designed with his partner, engineer Larry Jasper. (The pair later made these consoles available to the public through their company, UnderTone Audio.) But one afternoon that year, while tracking Slash, the gifted producer and gear designer suddenly found himself baffled by one of the simplest guitar accessories you can name—the instrument cable. “Around that time, I was really into lowcapacitance cables, because they don’t kill off the high frequencies the way ordinary guitar cables do,” says Valentine.…

QUICK HISTORIES OF THE ROOTS OF GUITAR LUST THERE’S NO MORE CLASSIC PIECE OF Classic Gear out there than the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Model, and no standard-production amp or guitar is more valuable, either. Gibson shipping records indicate that a total of 1,712 sunburst Les Pauls were made between 1958 and ’60, fewer than half of which are accounted for today. But scarcity isn’t the only reason these guitars are so highly prized. It can be argued that wood, steel, magnet never before or after coalesced into an instrument so sonically rich and utterly expressive as the ’58-’60 Les Paul, and examples from that period are responsible for some of the most groundbreaking playing in popular music. The Les Paul was conceived as Gibson’s means of entering the solidbody…

$50 Rebate on System 10 Stompbox Digital Wireless Audio-Technica Available Now Thru Dec. 31, 2015 Get a $50 rebate on System 10 Stompbox wireless purchased Oct. 1 - Dec. 31, 2015. Features 2.4 GHz operating range free from TV & DTV interference, and advanced 24-bit operation. See website for complete details. $349.95 Street Price www.audio-technica.com pro@atus.com BFTS - In Tune At Last™ Buzz Feiten Tuning System Available Now Retrofit any guitar or bass to actually tune and intonate correctly. On Washburn, Tom Anderson, MTD, McPherson, Peterson, D’Addario, and hundreds more. Used by Michael Thompson, Vince Gill, Nuno Bettencourt, Jimmy Haslip, Brad Paisley, Andrew Gouche, Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Eagles, Florida Georgia Line and hundreds of thousands more. Retrofit MSRP $139 www.buzzfeiten.com bftsgp@buzzfeiten.com VintageVibrato™ MannMade USA Available Now Fits vintage style Strat®…

Her given name was Peggy Tiese Jones, and when Bo Diddley asked her to join his band in 1957, “Lady Bo” likely became the first female lead guitarist to perform in an international, hit-making rock act. She was also a dancer, singer (with a fouroctave range), multi-instrumentalist (bass, drums, keyboards, ukulele), and studio musician (you can hear her on “San Franciscan Nights” by Eric Burdon and the Animals). She also subbed for Jimi Hendrix whenever he couldn’t make his Curtis Knight and the Squires gig, and joined James Brown’s band for a short time. This pioneer certainly earned her title of “Queen Mother of Rock Guitar.”…

PUBLIC IMAGE LTD. RECENTLY RELEASED its tenth studio album, What the World Needs Now [PiL Official]. Here, fiery, take-no-prisoners founder/frontperson John Lydon discusses the creative process of his band, which includes guitarist Lu Edmonds, drummer Bruce Smith, and bassist Scott Firth. What was the flow of ideas like for the What the World Needs Now sessions? It’s a very healthy workplace, Public Image. You could call it a workshop. We’re all together in the room with the microphones on, and there’s lots of improvisation. From little acorns, bigger ideas do grow. An idea could be anything— right down to just someone tapping their feet. I’ve been known to throw accordions down staircases and be absolutely thrilled with every bubble and squeak the noise boxes made, because they inspired a word…

SOME SAY THE BLUES HAD A BABY and they called it rock ’n’ roll, but it takes at least two to tango. Early rock and roll— played on amplified electric guitars from its inception—was a generational crosspollination of not only country and blues elements, but swing and Latin rhythms as well. For instance, forefather Chuck Berry borrowed rhythms and phrasing equally from country, big band, and blues styles, but, ironically, he became best known for the straight-eighth, barrelhouse/boogiewoogie style spotlighted in Ex. 1. The infamous “Bo Diddley Beat” illustrated in Ex. 2 is itself an adaptation of a long/short Latin clave rhythm that had already been modified and ingrained in American culture as “shave and a haircut, two bits” by the time Bo had made it famous in hits like…

MOST GUYS WHO FINALLY FULFILL their dreams of building their own guitars go about it by setting up a workbench, acquiring some tonewoods, and getting down to carving. In launching his own guitar-making business in San Diego in 2012, however, Brian Ostosh followed his own path. Having spent 25 years in the aeronautical industry specializing in specialized aircraft parts, Ostosh instead machined his guitars from two billets of solid aircraft-grade aluminum using CNC technology, completing the next-level process with a neck supplied by Moses Carbon Graphite. The result is the Luma T, an eye-catching marriage of traditional electric guitar and alternative materials and construction. The first impression established by the Luma T is… whoa, shiny! Its polished aluminum body gives off a reflection akin to chromed or mirrorfinished showpiece guitars…

I WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH Ron Ellis’ LRP humbuckers in our PAF roundup a few issues ago, but this San Diego pickup maker has forged an even better reputation for his Fender-style single-coils. He’s also gotten some notoriety for the long wait times that sometimes follow customers’ orders for these units. Ron says he’s doing his best to reduce the wait times, currently around five months for the single-coil sets. Nevertheless, a host of major players have been willing to pay their money and get in line, so we thought we’d test a couple sets to see what all the fuss was about. MID-TALL TELE NECK/BROADCASTER BRIDGE SET Ellis, who works in engineering on a National Fusion Energy Program at General Atomics in San Diego by day, makes several variations…

OFTEN SEEN IN THE HANDS OF GUItarists such as Paul Gilbert, Noodles (The Offspring), Tom Morello, Kim Gordon, and the late Bob 2 (Devo), Ibanez Talmans were pretty much period pieces of the mid 1990s. Debuting in 1994, and ceasing production just four years later (excepting an acoustic version, which is still available), Talman solidbodies became one of those quirky designs sought after in the used-instrument market by iconoclasts, lovers of grunge, and players simply looking for something different. According to Ibanez, these Talman fanatics were not an insignificant community, and, over the past 20 years, the Talman became one of the most-requested models for the company to revive. It’s easy to see the attraction. The Talman is a simple, no-frills, ready-for-just-about-any-gig guitar with easy-to-reach controls, a fast neck, and…

I PERFORM WITH MULTIPLE BANDS, so I’m constantly struggling to keep my pedalboard up to date and consistent with the styles of music I need to play. For example, the effects I’d use for a Queen tribute band aren’t the same effects I’d find appropriate for accompanying a soul singer, playing disco/funk tunes, or trading solos with a violinist in an indie-rock group. So I was thrilled to try out the Stompblox Modular Pedalboard by Renovo Amp Works—a system that offers a stress-free and practical solution for customizing a pedalboard to suit any playing situation. A single Stompblox Module ($59 direct) can hold from four to six standard-size stompboxes, or a bunch more if you’re into mini pedals. This makes for a handy and portable “essentials” rig that’s perfect for…

JIM PETERIK HAS COMPOSED ENOUGH HIT SONGS TO FILL an armada of Lincoln Navigators—perhaps most notable is “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, a band he founded in 1978—but, way back in 1970 with the Ides of March, he managed to craft a tune that shot up to #2 on the Billboard charts, becoming the fastestbreaking single in the history of Warner Bros. Records at the time. Peterik, who had written the song to win back a girlfriend, thought it was a throwaway at best. This is the story of “Vehicle.” So what was the concept behind the song? [Laughs.] Well, there was no game plan or demographic research done. We were mainly thinking, “How do we get that girl in the front row to throw her panties at us?”…

THIS STORY BEGINS IN MAY OF 1958 at Arthur’s Music in Indianapolis. Amos Arthur, a proud Gibson and Fender dealer, takes delivery of a mysterious, wedgeshaped Gibson guitar. It is very futuristic, it has these new, unproven, humbucking pickups, and, to make matters worse, a case that resembles a coffin. Now for the real deal breaker: You can’t even sit down and play it comfortably! Who is gonna want one of these guitars? It’s a folly and so is that Explorer thing! But, as you can tell, we are talking about the original run of korina Gibson Flying Vs made between 1958 and early 1959. One of the true holy grails among guitar collectors. Probably around 100 real ones exist from what I can gather from experts. These guitars are…

FENDER CUSTOM SHOP LIMITED EDITION MIKE CAMPBELL “HEARTBREAKER” TELECASTER Goodies Limited-run, near-exact reproduction—from the nail scratch on the lower horn to the chipped nut—of the Tom Petty guitarist’s longtime 6-string companion. Select ash body with nitrocellulose lacquer finish, 25.5"-scale flame maple neck, maple fretboard with black dot position markers and vintage-style frets, custom wound single-coil bridge pickup, string-through-body bridge with brass barrel saddles. Artist proceeds go to the Tazzy Animal Rescue Fund. Price $TBD More Info fendercustomshop.com GODLYKE TWA TK-02 TRISKELION MK II Goodies With a circuit based on the Frank Zappa-approved Systech Harmonic Energizer, the Triskelion MKII is a variable-state bandpass filter with adjustable Energy (Q), Variant Mass (frequency), and Amplitude (gain) controls. An Energize footswitch turns the Amplitude effect on and off, and an internal Classic/Modern DIP switch…

DESPITE THE FACT THAT JAZZ/ROCK FUSION IS OFTEN MALIGNED, MARGINALIZED, AND overlooked by the general listening public, the genre has provided guitarists with a treasure trove of revered practitioners and recordings. It’s also the ultimate research and development lab, where daring cross-pollinations between rock guitar’s thunderous power, jazz’s harmonic complexities, and world music’s exotic timbres and rhythms are allowed to freely grow and blossom. Debuting while still in his teens with seminal fusion foursome Return to Forever (alongside bassist Stanley Clarke, keyboardist Chick Corea, and drummer Lenny White), guitarist Al Di Meola has risen to become one of the genre’s most influential 6-string sorcerers, admired for his blazing technique, bold compositions, and unbridled passion. After releasing a trio of groundbreaking albums with RTF, Di Meola embarked on a successful solo…

Talking to John McLaughlin, you’re frequently reminded that he is a global citizen throughout. His British charm is immediately evident in conversation, and his years of living in New York and touring in the U.S. have left a distinct imprint on his understanding of American music and culture. What’s more, his devotion to Indian music, fascination with flamenco, and the fact that he’s lived in France for many years pop up to underscore points he’s making. Fluent in several languages—both verbal and musical—McLaughlin is clearly a master communicator. And, as with all great communicators, being a good listener and a team player is in McLaughlin’s DNA. At the same time, while it would be easy to point to the stylistic range of McLaughlin’s output over the past five decades, it’s…

ANY MELODIC MOTIF AND ITS PERMUtations may be used to create a numerical sequence. Using numbers to indicate scale steps, a basic “1-2-3” motif produces the following ascending melodic sequence: 1-2-3, 2-3-4, 3-4-5, 4-5-6, 5-6-7, 6-7-1, 7-1-2, and 1-2-3. There are six permutations of each three-note motivic sequence illustrated in Ex. 1. For example, a permuted “1-2-3” motif yields the following six combinations: 1-2-3; 1-3-2; 2-1-3; 2-3-1; 3-1-2; and 3-2-1. Play the following ascending and descending sequences as written or relocated to any of the five major scale fingering patterns, and then explore each permutation. Transpose each motif to all 12 keys and repeat the same process. (Next: Four-note melodic sequences.) Jesse Gress is the author of The Guitar Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Rhythm, Melody, Harmony, Technique & Improvisation…

NOW THAT SMARTPHONES AND HANDheld devices are commonplace for generating amp and effects sounds, recording, and livesound mixing, it’s logical that a forward-thinking company like Line 6 would come up with Firehawk FX, a rugged, all-metal floor processor that is controllable with phones and iPads, and can double as a stage rig and a recording interface for Mac, PC, and iPad. Firehawk FX comes loaded with over 100 amp models in categories that include American, British, boutique, vintage, and “original,” and in gain ranges that cover clean to uber distortion. You also get 24 speaker cabinets and 120 effects—a list that includes many boutique and classic/vintage models, which are presented in a dizzying assortment of distortion, delay, filter, modulation, pitch-shift, reverb, and synth flavors. Many of the models are HD…

A PRIME EXAMPLE OF HOW LOOKS can be deceiving, this pint-sized head is huge when it comes to tone. But that’s not really a surprise, considering that the Micro Dark head is based on other raging runts in the Orange Terror line, such as the Tiny Terror, Dual Terror, and Dark Terror. I tested this 20-watt, hybrid tube/solid-state amp with my Les Paul, plugging it into a Peavey 2x12 cabinet, and immediately got a massive tone that we’ve come to expect from the current Orange line. Obviously designed for hard rock and metal players—which is a good fit for me, as my band Discordia performs symphonic metal—the Micro Dark puts out high gain for days. Hide the amp behind a curtain, and I don’t think anyone would guess such aggressive…