Innehållsförteckning för January 2017 från Total Guitar

It’s that time of year again! 2016 has flown by, and it doesn’t seem like 12 months ago that we were celebrating the release of Fender’s fantastic Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster. This month’s issue is the final one on sale in 2016, so we’re round out the year by showing you how to get back to basics and really nail some guitar-playing fundamentals, plus hopefully pick up some brand new skills to add to your arsenal along the way! Also inside, if you’ve got some Christmas bonus cash burning a hole in your pocket, we’re revisiting the biggest gear bargains of 2016 – all of which will come in around the £400 mark, most of them a lot less. Our shortlist showcases the best and most affordable electrics, acoustics, amps and…

GEAR WINTER NAMM SHOW 2017 A new year in guitar always starts strong with the biggest and best musical instrument show in the world taking place at Anaheim, California. TG will be there to sniff out the best gear for you but, ahead of the show, a lot of the largest manufacturers are playing their cards close to their chests and have the details of their new product launches on strict lockdown. That doesn’t mean we’re not hearing rumours and speculation, though. Look out for some signature surprises, the return of an old name to guitar and a brand new affordable line of instruments from at least one higher-end builder when it all kicks off next month. WHEN 19-22 January LIVE TOMMY EMMANUEL / CLIVE CARROLL Following the release of…

THE ORIGINS OF FUZZ ARE WITH GUITARISTS OVERDRIVING THEIR AMPS AND SLASHING THEIR SPEAKER CONES FUZZ From retro riffs to stoner sludge, meet the effect that’ll make your distortion mammoth WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How to use common fuzz controls What to look for in a fuzz pedal Popular fuzz pedals to try out The origins of fuzz are with guitarists such as Link Wray overdriving their amps and slashing their speaker cones to make them sound more aggressive. Further to this, Grady Martin (guitarist for Marty Robbins) helped push the fuzz sound forward after recording his part on Don’t Worry using a faulty preamp, resulting in a broken, fuzzy tone. Fuzz got its first real breakthrough, though, when Keef used a Maestro FZ-1 to ape the sound of horns on…

1 IBANEZ KIKUSUI SAKE CUSTOM SHOP FIREMAN “The finish is based on a bottle of Japanese saké [it’s a brand called Kikusui, hence the name – Ed]. I have a big collection of Ibanez guitars from over the years and I always kept going back to the same four or five guitars in the studio. I realised that they all have the big neck joint. They sound better because they use more wood. When Ibanez first made me the Fireman, I told them to make a big, chunky neck joint. Every Fireman I’ve ever played sounds great because of that.” 2 IBANEZ PGM MICRO “This is the guitar that has three strings tuned to E, in different octaves [Ibanez will be making it available to purchase soon]. I also have…

Fast hammer-ons and pull-offs Virtuosos like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai are fearsome players, but beginners can try out techniques like hammer-ons and pull-offs. Instead of picking every note, use fretting fingers to hammer down firmly (known as a hammer on) and to re-pluck the string as you pull away to a lower note (known as a pull-off). It’s a smoother sound than picking. TRACK 43 Our lick boils down to two phrases – and this is the first part. Use your first, second and third fingers at the 10th, 12th and 13th frets respectively. The second half of our lick repeats this simple phrase. It’s the same rhythm as the previous phrase, but played on the 9th, 10th and 12th frets. Van Halen-style tapping Taking inspiration from rock guitar…

The acoustic guitar has long had a role in rock music, with bands such as the Eagles and Bread in the 70s, through to Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, Coldplay and John Mayer all crossing over between rock and pop. Inspired by these artists, we’ve recorded an instrumental track for you to jam your own rhythm and lead ideas along to. It’s up to you whether to use an acoustic guitar or plug in your electric – both will sound great over the backing. There are three sections to play along with: an intro, which also doubles as the bridge, plus a verse and chorus. Both the intro and verses use ‘major 7’ chords, which have a characteristic mellow and emotional sound. There’s a change of feel in the chorus…

You probably think of a Fender Stratocaster when you think of Mark Knopfler, but he recorded this track on a Gibson Les Paul Standard with neck pickup selected and plugged into a Marshall JTM45 amp. The swells were created using an Ernie Ball volume pedal – a crucial part of the sound that makes it much easier to operate than flicking your volume knob as you play! You’ll still need to use your guitar volume, though: dial in enough gain on your amp for the loudest licks in the outro solo and back off your guitar volume to reduce the distortion on the earlier, cleaner-sounding lines. GET THE TONE CHANNEL OVERDRIVE Use a neck position humbucker and a moderate amount of amp gain. Use a volume pedal for the swelled…

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 which frets you 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 notation. TG also includes a timestamp to tell you where in the original track you’ll find each example…

“As soon as I started singing with it, people started responding differently” Keen-eyed TG readers may recognise John Smith’s name from our Ben Howard cover feature back in issue 241. Ben told us about how he’d had an epiphany seeing Smith supporting John Martyn in Manchester and been blown away by his percussive lap playing. But while Howard has gone on to arena level, the proudly independent Smith continues on a more low-key path. That’s frustrating to some degree, because one listen to his last album, Great Lakes, confirms the Devon-born singer/songwriter’s status as one of the most underrated musicians in the country. And here, ahead of a low key gig road-testing new material in Bristol’s cosy Old Bookshop bar, we find a man with two paths as a player.…

Welcome to the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome*) Station! Every issue, the 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 on it on whether it looks good, sounds good and plays well – not by the name on the headstock. NO SNAKE OIL You won’t…

FRET-KING SUPER-HYBRID If it’s tonal versatility you’re after, the Super-Hybrid offer humbucking, single-coil and acoustic sounds, the latter thanks to an onboard piezo pickup system FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER HSS WITH FLOYD ROSE The original pimped classic features a Floyd Rose whammy, a humbucker and two single coils in the engine room and a rosewood fingerboard CHARVEL PRO MOD SO-CAL STYLE 1 HH FR The So-Cal comes loaded with a Seymour Duncan TB-6 Distortion humbucker in the bridge position and a SH-6N Distortion at the neck, with push/pull knob to split both pickups’ coils…

“TONES ARE FULL OF CHARACTER WITH EXCELLENT RESPONSE” 1 CONTROLS  The colour-coded control panel is good-looking and easy to navigate; just select amp or effects and you can quickly dive straight into editing your sounds 2 DISPLAY  The Spider’s display is a little small, but nevertheless it’s clear and easy to understand. If you want better graphics, download the excellent mobile app 3 ROUND THE BACK Direct recording via USB? No problem. The Spider also has a handy aux in, and it’s compatible with most Line 6 floorboards, for extra versatility AT A GLANCE TYPE: Digital modelling amplifier OUTPUT: 60W SPEAKER: 1x10” special design plus HF tweeter CONTROLS: Drive, bass, mid, treble, volume, master volume, amp/FX select, loop, play/pause, edit, tap tempo, home, rotary pre-set control SOCKETS: Guitar in, 3.5mm…

So, four great guitars for your appraisal. Yet some are greater than others, or more suited to certain jobs, if you want to be diplomatic. The fact is, the Jackson is the most sorted guitar in this line-up. It takes us back to a time when squeezing the maximum tone and playability from the bare essentials was everything. These days, the smart money says the fatter the neck the better, but we like the fact that the X Series Soloist defies that trend and delivers a seriously capable shred machine at a killer price. The BC Rich and LTD offerings are evenly matched despite the price difference. These are good metal all-rounders. If you play heavy stuff, you’ll find yourself at home here. The chubbier necks will appeal to more…

CHRIS BIRD TG’s tuition editor has been jamming along to this month’s Classic Track, Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms. “It’s a song I learned years ago”, Chris informs us, “But I never quite got the feel of it down. Of course, I didn’t have a volume pedal, so that might just explain it.” JOSH GARDNER Black Friday might be long gone, but that hasn’t deterred Josh - he spent this month trawling through the last 12 months of TG gear to pick out the best bargain guitars, amps and effects for you to blow your Christmas cash on – turn to p48 to see what he found. Think of him as your Welsh Gear Santa… ROB LAING Rob’s had the blues this issue – he’s been raving about the new…

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN Three unusual chord shapes Ringing arpeggio style playing Playing in E b standard tuning This month we look at Dave Keuning’s somewhat fiddly but oh-so-catchy arpeggio riff from The Killers’ hit Mr Brightside. The guitar on the recording is tuned to E b standard (E b A b D b G b B b E b ) so you’ll need to detune every string by a semitone to play along. On your first look at the tab you may assume this is a ‘one note at a time’ kind of riff. In fact, you’ll be holding down a chord shape throughout each bar of music, but picking one string at a time. With the strings pressed down together you’ll hear a sweet ringing sound as the…

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How minor chords relate to the major scale The notes that make up A and Am chords Five different Am chord shapes Just like the major kind, minor chords are used throughout every style of music. They’re also some of the easiest shapes to play – chances are you learned a few minor chords in your first lessons. And, like most music theory, you’ll get the hang of how minor chords work if you’ve learned the major scale first (check out issues 286 and 287 for more on the major scale). This is because major chords use notes taken directly from the scale, and minor chords do the same, but with one small change: the third note is played a semitone lower. Read on and we’ll…

1 1966 FENDER ESQUIRE “I got it cheap when I was 15 because its previous owner had attacked it with a knife – as you do to vintage instruments [laughs], so I put a humbucker in and it’s got a five-way switch . I’ve got an Albert Collins signature Telecaster, too. I only tour in the UK with the Esquire now. I will tour it in Europe if we are going via ferry and van but it doesn’t leave my side, it goes in the hotel all the time. I used to fly it and I was on a particular flight back from Detroit once [where Joanne has lived for eight years] to come back to London for Christmas and now there is a huge chunk of wood missing out…

There’s nothing more inspirational than a lovely bit of new gear, and lucky us – it’s never been more affordable to pick up quality new tools to make music with! So, is that Christmas bonus burning a hole in your pocket? Has your nan come good with some cold hard readies instead of the usual socks or an awful jumper? Or are you in the mood to treat that special someone (or yourself!) with a guitar gift this festive season? Come with us, as we pick out the new bargain guitars, amps and effects that you need to have on your list… Electric Guitars SCHECTER C-6 PLUS Best for: Shredding until your fingers bleed Best Price: £335 We said: “There’s really no mystery to the C-6 Plus – except maybe…

C MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE TRACKS 25-27 You hopefully already know the C chord Just press down on the strings with your first, second and third fingers where the dots show you, then strum the top five strings! Unlike chords, scales are played one note at a time. You should be able to see that the C major pentatonic scale uses all the notes from a C chord, plus a couple of extras. Play through the chord and scale before attempting this Keith Richards-inspired C major pentatonic line. After that, try making up your own lick using notes taken from the scale. E MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE TRACKS 28-30 Em is another common chord that any beginner will know. Just press down on the relevant strings with your second and third fingers,…

Most beginner guitarists start out learning a handful of chord shapes, chord changes, rhythms and simple lead guitar ideas. Most likely you’ll be practising bite-sized pieces of music, and this will allow you to progress quickly. Tackling a full-length song at this early stage, however, can be quite a challenge so you’ll need to cherry-pick a few manageable pieces, which is where we come in. The first song we’re looking at is Hendrix’s Hey Joe. With lead fills and extended chords throughout, it’s really not a song for beginners. Until you look at the basic chord structure, that is. You can jam along to the whole song following just five easy open chords. Sure, it’s a simplified version of the song, but its enough to get you started. We’re also…

Billie Joe Armstrong’s rhythm playing is the driving force behind Green Day’s sound. But his technique isn’t always about powerchords. In Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) the guitar gradually shifts from picking to strumming, allowing the tune to grow in an organic way. Following a picked intro and verse, the part evolves in the first interlude, then settles into a strummed rhythm pattern for verse 2. Although the tabbed intro may look tricky, you don’t have to be too fussy about the picking unless you’re dead set on reproducing it note for note. Verse 2 follows the same chords and rhythm as the intro, just strummed – so the tab is a helpful guide for the whole song. Whether you’re picking, strumming or doing both, the most important thing…

TAKE SOME TIME “I find that having a bit of time to sit and think is important for writing songs, which is quite hard to get hold of if you’re on tour, the thing you actually do the least of is writing and playing. But I always think first, what do I want to do?” KEEP WRITING “I’m not a consistent writer and most of what I write is horrible, I have to pick one in three things to work on because so much of it is rubbish. But I think that’s true for a lot of people.” BUY OR BORROW “A new guitar always helps, picking up one of my own guitars I haven’t played in a while or borrowing someone else’s guitar. See what happens.” DIVERSIFY “Life’s too…

It seems like PRS Guitars have been around forever, but Paul Reed Smith didn’t launch his brand until 1985 – even though he had been building guitars since the 70s, working on designs that would combine the best attributes of the mighty Gibson and Fender houses in a package with cool vintage looks and high-spec tonewoods. Smith built his first guitars for the likes of, er, Happy The Man’s Stanley Whitaker and former Heart guitarist Howard Leese, but it was the endorsement of Latin rock legend Carlos Santana that marked PRS out as a contender, and Santana was later rewarded with a US-built signature model, as also featured in the 2017 SE range. The rest is rock history, with PRS growing over 30 years to become one of the ‘big…

While overdrive, wah and delay are a guitarist’s bread and butter, modulation effects are the delicious icing on top of your tonal cake. Whether it’s the subtle throb of a vintage vibe or an all-out phase assault, the right mod can add a sense of movement to your playing, or emphasise that crucial moment. Imagine Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love without Eddie’s momentary yet extreme use of flange, or Come As You Are minus Kurt’s eerie Small Clone warble: those riffs simply wouldn’t bend your ear in the same way. And that brings us to the quartet of pedals in front of you, some of which riff on some old classics (MXR Phase 95, Pigtronix Quantum Time Modulator) and some that bring something…

1 “It’s the signature guitar that I created with Charvel and I’m really proud of it. It’s a heavy guitar, Tele shape. I was always a big fan of the Tele but the single-coil, the type of sound you get with the Tele is not really suited to metal. I need a guitar that has a lot of gain, a lot of weight and precision. It’s a very classic shape but a very heavy sound.” 2 “The wood is mahogany with an ebony fretboard. Mahogany is very heavy, very dense and it gives a very solid sound. Nice low end – really tight. Ebony gives the precision and high end to the sound with a lot of attack. And that’s what we’re looking for with our music.” 3 “I have…

When six-string prog ace Mark Holcomb isn’t wielding crushing riffs with Periphery, he’s been busy designing an absolutely killer signature model with PRS Guitars – and now, thanks to the good folks at PRS Guitars Europe (www.prsguitarseurope.com) you could lay your hands on this Best Buy-winning electric, too. Packing a 24-fret, 25.5-inch scale neck with 20-inch radius, the SE Mark Holcomb is made for finger-twisting leads and arpeggios. A pair of Mark’s signature Seymour Duncan Alpha and Omega pickups provide utmost clarity even when delivering the heaviest of riffs – handy, given the guitar comes shipped in drop C tuning (low to high: C G C F A D). To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following question correctly: Which of these guitarists plays with Mark…

They say British bands have to work twice as hard to get to the top, and that’s exactly what Glasgow quartet Twin Atlantic have been doing for nearly a decade now – taking their blend of jangly chords and crunchy riffs as far around the world as they’ll possibly go, hot on the heels of fellow Scottish rockers and longtime friends, Biffy Clyro. This year’s fourth full-length, GLA, stands as their most cohesive offering to date – with boutique fuzz providing much of the muscle behind their brand of chart-bothering, anthemic rock. Moments after soundcheck at London’s O2 Forum in Kentish Town, singer/guitarist Sam McTrusty and lead guitarist Barry McKenna guide TG through the gear they’re relying on to deliver the goods on their biggest headline shows yet… SAM MCTRUSTY…

Experienced guitarists reading this feature will be familiar with the welcome sensation of your fingers intuitively knowing where to go on the fretboard when you’re playing a song you’ve spent time learning. Equally, you’ll probably be all too familiar with feeling completely lost when you start learning a new piece of music. If you’re a beginner, you probably feel a bit lost with everything guitar-related! Don’t worry, it’ll pass. Muscle memory is the process that bridges this gap. The simple act of repeating short, bite-sized pieces of music trains the muscles in your fingers to ‘remember’ the movements. From chord changes to challenging solos, the ‘start slow and gradually build speed’ mantra is guaranteed to help guitarists of every level improve. Got any change? Follow these chord change exercises to…

1. Bob Marley Three Little Birds (A D E) 2. Chuck Berry Johnny B Goode (B b E b F) 3. Dire Straits Walk Of Life (E A B) 4. George Ezra Budapest (F B b C) 5. U2 I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (C# F# G#) 6. Stevie Ray Vaughan Pride And Joy (E b A b B b ) 7. Tracy Chapman Give Me One Reason (F# B C#) 8. Jake Bugg Lightning Bolt (E A B) 9. Status Quo Rockin’ All Over The World (C F G) 10. Led Zeppelin Rock And Roll (A D E)…

Brothers In Arms was the biggest selling studio album of Dire Straits’ career, topping the charts worldwide in May 1985. The title track, a dark and moody anti-war song contains some of Mark Knopfler’s finest playing, which had moved on since the early days of Sultans Of Swing. Crystal clean country-esque had been replaced with a darker, bluesier tone and style, delivered here on a Les Paul rather than the Strats Mark was known for. Knopfler always favours playing fingerstyle, however much of the lead work in Brothers In Arms will sound just as good played with a pick. It’s mainly single-note playing, so, if fingerpicking isn’t for you, stick with your pick. We do recommend using your fingers wherever Mark plays a diad, however, to get just the right…

Texan blues ace Stevie Ray Vaughan is rightly considered one of the all time great guitarists. Inspired by his older brother Jimmie to pick up the guitar, he came to prominence when Texas Flood -his debut album with his band, Double Trouble – made fans of Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, John Lee Hooker and many others. Stevie is most associated with the Fender Strat – with a battered example put together from late 50s and early 60s parts, ‘Number One’ serving as his main guitar, plugged into a mixture of Fender, Marshall and Dumble amps. Though he famously used heavy strings and a high action on his guitars, this isn’t essential to get in the tonal ballpark – as long as you hit the strings with confidence and play like…

With over a billion views on YouTube, 750 million streams on Spotify and a few million sales thrown in too, Thinking Out Loud has been a massive hit for Ed Sheeran and it’s a great song to learn on the guitar. Ed uses a simple rhythm technique, hitting the strings with his picking hand on beats 2 and 4 to give a percussive effect. A lot of singer-songwriters do this to add a rhythmic element to accompaniment that may lack a little groove. It may become natural to mix this into your playing, especially if you lean towards a stripped-back, solo style. Rockschool’s arrangement also includes the electric guitar solo to give a fuller impression of the original song. This solo is well worth learning as it’s full of classic…

“THE 2017 MODELS ARE THE HIGHEST SPEC SE GUITARS YET” 1 NECK  The PRS SE ‘Floyd’ Custom 24 comes spec’d with a Wide Thin neck profile. Add 24 fat frets and you’ve got a guitar with serious playability 2 FLOYD  This SE pimps the classic Custom 24 format with a chunky Floyd Rose double-looking vibrato with a recess for pull-ups and the ability to dump the strings on the pickups 3 PICKUPS  The new pickups are based on PRS’s 1985 Standard Treble and Bass humbuckers, which also offer convincing classic single-coil tones. This is one versatile guitar AT A GLANCE BODY: Mahogany w/ bevelled maple top and flame maple veneer NECK: Maple, glued-in SCALE: 635mm (25”) FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 24, jumbo PICKUPS: 2x PRS 85/15 humbuckers CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x…

“THIS OFFERS A UNIQUE TAKE ON THE PORTABLE GUITAR THING” 1 COMPACT  The Viator’s minuscule Sitka spruce and sapele body is based on the parlour style popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries 2 MODERN SPEC  This guitar might look like something found in granny’s attic, but it features up-to-date goodies such as a Fishman Sonitone pickup with built-in USB port 3 NECK PROFILE  The Viator’s neck has a pronounced vintage-style V profile that not only slips beautifully into your palm, but its strength also aides the general tuning stability AT A GLANCE TYPE: Electro-acoustic 12-string travel guitar TOP: Solid Sitka spruce BACK & SIDES: Laminated sapele HARDWARE: Grover open-geared machineheads ELECTRONICS: Fishman Sonitone pickup w/ USB LEFT-HANDERS: No FINISH: Natural only CONTACT: JHS 01132 865 381 www.jhs.co.uk…

The first song I remember hearing Off The Wall – Michael Jackson “My mom listened to a lot of soul, R&B and Motown, so I remember hearing early Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, a lot of Prince, some Temptations, some Cream. I remember the song Off The Wall – when I think of my childhood, I remember hearing that all the time, so it must have percolated and permeated my brain!” The song I wish I’d written… The Sound Of Silence – Simon & Garfunkel “I remember when I was a kid, being really impressed with Paul Simon’s guitar playing – I still am! He’s one of the most underrated players. His fingerpicking and his chording, and the way he writes is just incredible. And what just stuck with me is…