Innehållsförteckning för July 2017 från Total Guitar

It’s never easy when we lose an icon of our instrument, but Chris Cornell’s untimely passing on May 17 has had a profound effect here at TG. Chris may well have been recognised first and foremost as a vocalist (and in my mind, one of the greatest rock has ever known), but his guitar playing should never be overlooked. His altered tunings were inventive, contributing to the band’s unique voicing, but to me a big part of Chris Cornell’s genius playing in Soundgarden came from the timings. As a unit, Soundgarden made odd time signatures feel natural. You can nod your head to the 6/4 grooves of Fell On Black Days, and the 9/4 phrasing of the solo in Black Hole Sun, despite them being outside the usual 4/4 box.…

GEAR Double Up What’s the greatest thing about mini pedals? There’s always room for one more. It seems that TC Electronic are also accutely aware of this as they add to their range with the Mini Mimiq Doubler and HyperGravity pedals (£TBC). The Doubler can bring some big fat tone for breaks in a small package. The HyperGravity Mini Compressor is a shrunken version of a big brother’s multiband compression, losing only its blend control knob. WHEN June GEAR Political Bite As we all bask/recoil in the drama of a UK general election, one pedal maker has been inspired by the referendum that set the whole thing in motion last year. Tate FX’s Brexit Means Brexit pedal (£75) is a “super hot-rodded Rat-type distortion” emblazoned with key players Michael Gove,…

1 “I’ve never seen one like it before. It’s a 1973 Ibanez V, and it’s what they call a Lawsuit guitar. I guess a lot of companies were getting their guitars made in Japan in the 70s and companies would take the specs of a Gibson and make their own. Then they got sued and there was a lawsuit, so that’s why they’re called that. This one is cool, I’ve never seen one like it again. I got it from eBay for $400 – and you’re taking a gamble when you buy a guitar from eBay but it plays so fucking good. It sounds amazing. It was already beat when I got it and I tour a lot, so aesthetically it doesn’t matter if it’s in pristine condition – I…

Taylor’s new Academy Series is a bit of a game changer in setting a very high standard for its entry-level guitars. Aimed at making playing more enjoyable and comfortable for beginners, Taylor do it so well that the rest of us want in on it too. The company’s master luthier and all-round acoustic guru has given the 10 dreadnought and 12 grand concert models a lot of thought – and it shows. A minimal, clean design with a shorter scale, and an arm-rest bevel previously seen on Taylor’s high-end custom models makes these guitars comfortable and accessible – especially with the friendly low action, Taylor’s digit-delighting NT neck and the responsive and resonant build. The icing on the cake for our prize 12E model is that it’s gig ready, with…

RICH 1. GIBSON ES-335 “This guitar I recently bought in Chicago because I’m always up for getting more 335s. It’s ’68 and when I played it, I got that feeling right away... it generated a sound that was pleasing. It’s one of my favourite new ones.” 2. GRETSCH FALCON “This Black Falcon is something Gretsch made for me with a few tweaks here and there. It’s got TV Jones pickups and is literally one of my favourites; a real go-to guitar for me. I would use it on songs that need more of classic Gretsch sound… I had it back in the Crowes for songs like Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye or Good Friday. The guitar has a crispness to it, but when you turn it up there’s a real…

David Gilmour is ranked as one of the UK’s finest guitarists for good reason. When most people think of a player with taste, poise, immense phrasing and the silkiest of tones, few names will crop up as regularly as David’s. He has been behind some of the most revered rock guitar performances of all time with solos such as Shine On You CrazyDiamond,MoneyandAnotherBrick In The Wall (Part II). Comfortably Numb features two epic solos that define many of the traits with which Gilmour is associated: three-fret string bends, whammy-bar vibrato, memorable melodies, expressive pentatonic phrasing and more. It’s incredible how much mileage he gets out of solos that will often only use a couple of scale shapes. Notice how many of his ideas are easy to remember and to sing…

First coming to prominence as Eric Clapton’s replacement in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Peter Green would go on to form Fleetwood Mac in 1967. This early lineup of the band was heavily blues-oriented, penning such classics as Albatross and Black Magic Woman, and recording a definitive version of Need Your Love So Bad. His performances in Fleetwood Mac proved a life-changing influence on a young Gary Moore, who subsequently used Peter’s own 1959 Gibson Les Paul on many of his own greatest works, such as Back On The Streets. One of Peter’s trademarks was the unusual, arguably unique, tone he coaxed from this hallowed guitar. This was due in part to a factory error, with the magnet in one of the guitar’s humbuckers having been reversed, giving a piercing sound when…

“A lot of the songs on the album touch on topics that are tricky...” In early 2016 Lucy Rose found herself in a post-touring slump. The Midlands-born artist’s second album Work It Out had been released on Columbia and had hit the Top 10 the year before, but by the following spring, she was lost, feeling disconnected from music-making, her audience and a world that seemed to be worsening by the day. When she stumbled across the fact that the location with the most streams of her music on Spotify was Mexico City, a plan began to form. Why not meet those people? Why not use social media to actually socialise? A call was put out to South American fans: book Lucy for a gig, put her up at your…

LINE 6 SPIDER V 30 Line 6’s Spider V is the latest incarnation from the market leaders, featuring over 200 amps and effects, all accessed from a smart colour-coded control panel BOSS KATANA 50 Boss’s anticipated Katana range merges superb amp tones and effects with real-world usability. Ideal for use at home or for small gigs BLACKSTAR ID: CORE BEAM With 20 watts of stereo power and a pair of 3" loudspeakers, the ID:Core BEAM’s compact dimensions are ideal for home use and recording…

As any devotee of fuzz pedals knows all too well, the quest for the perfect fuzz is nothing short of a lifelong passion. The problem is, you’re pushed for time. That’s fine. We get that. So we’ve scoured the length and depth of this riff-filled land for the finest high-gain fuzz pedals to shoot out. Clean up with the volume knob? No, we’ll be having none of that, thank you - these are not subtle beasts and, as you’ll soon see, they go far beyond the classic Big Muff and Fuzz Faces of old. So gather round as we rip speaker cones, upset the neighbour’s pets and square some audio waves with these gnarly beasts... IBANEZ 850 FUZZ £85 SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL The Ibanez 850 fuzz is an adorable mini…

CHRIS BIRD Chris has been working with TG contributor Richard Barrett recording our Guide To Effects video lessons. Asked for his favourite of the 15 riffs, he said: “She Sells Sanctuary. The Gretsch G5622T Electromatic guitar we used just seemed to take the sound to another level.” MICHAEL ASTLEY-BROWN Left reeling by Chris Cornell’s passing, Mike has been delving into the band’s alternate tunings – there is nothing more cathartic than tuning down to CFCGBE and breaking into 4th Of July. You can read excerpts of his interviews with the man himself in Rob’s powerful tribute on p30. ROB LAING It’s safe to say the death of Chris Cornell has cast a shadow on all of us at TG this month, and Soundgarden were a key band for Rob when…

DAN AUERBACH WAITING ON A SONG When Dan Auerbach takes time off from making records he, er, makes records. This follow-up to debut solo album Keep It Hid was recorded in his own Easy Eye Sound studios during some rare Black Keys downtime and it’s delivered with as much of a grin as we think Auerbach will ever muster. Described as a love letter to Nashville, the title track Waiting On A Song is an ode to the magic of writing and is delivered with a succinct whimsy that recalls early 70s Brian Wilson. Elsewhere, Malibu Man , a roast of Auerbach’s pal Rick Rubin, channels West Coast soul and funk, recalling the guitarist’s recent work under his Arcs…

There’s a good chance that you already use the minor pentatonic – it’s probably the most commonly-used scale in rock and blues lead, and players such as Angus Young, Eric Clapton and Jack White frame most of their solos around it. Learn some of the basics of the scale and you can unlock these players’ approaches to phrasing and you’ll have a better understand of their note choice. It’s generally played as a ‘two notes per string’ shape – a useful structure that helps you figure out a suitable two-finger fretting pattern, as well as making down-up style alternate picking easier to use. Let’s pick the essential scale apart. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN One shape of the minor pentatonic scale How to ‘imply’ sounds of other scales Phrasing ideas for…

“STANDARDS ARE SO FRICKIN’ HEAVY, MAN” GIBSON LES PAUL STUDIOS “On the road, I was originally playing Standards. But they were so frickin’ heavy, man. I move around a lot on stage, you can’t do that with a big tank around your neck! I needed the next step lighter, so I started working with Studios, which had the right weight and still sounded good – with enough wood in the guitar. I have three Alpine White Les Pauls that are always in 440 standard tuning. We have different tunings like half a step down or dropped D, so white must symbolise neutrality! I had six at one point, I bought three and Gibson gave me three free on top of that. But about seven years ago, I had 20 guitars…

VIDEO LESSONS ONLINE  Visit bit.ly/tg294 video for riffs and pedal settings LEARN HOW THEY WORK PLAY THE RIFFS THAT MADE THEM FAMOUS MUCH OF THE JOY OF PLAYING COMES FROM LETTING RIP WITH A DIRTY TONE 1 OVERDRIVE For many guitarists, much of the joy of playing comes from letting rip with a dirty tone, and there are three flavours of true grit: overdrive, distortion and fuzz. Although the boundaries may blur between them, the way they produce their tones is quite different. On the whole, overdrive offers the lowest amount of gain of the three types, and aims to simulate the sound of a valve amp running at ear-splitting volumes – minus the tinnitus. It can also be used to boost an already cooking amp into further levels of…

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…

The classic (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay features R&B great and co-writer of this tune Steve Cropper on guitar. Rockschool’s arrangement is full of classic soul licks, both lines from Redding’s original track and adaptations shaped to be more playable on the acoustic guitar. The line in bar 13 is Cropper’s classic part simply played an octave lower. As with many old soul licks, most of these are based around chord shapes – a style popularised by Jimi Hendrix. To start using this approach, take a song you know well and begin by playing the chords slowly. Now try to find some new notes (other than the chord tones) that you can easily fret while keeping the basic chord shape under your fingers. By adding even one note…

“THE PATCHES ARE INSTANTLY PLAYABLE AND USABLE” 1 LOOKS FAMILIAR The Mustang GT 40 has a familiar set of controls and a pin-sharp colour display to tell you what’s happening under the hood 2 PORT THAT BASS The Mustang GT 40’s speaker enclosure has a rear-facing port to improve bass 3 USB ENABLED  Thanks to the Mustang’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, you may never need use a USB connection, but there is one, just in case Digital modelling is a wonderful thing, making it possible to carry around a whole truckload of virtual amps and effects in one small box. For manufacturers though, technology is a double-edged sword, because there are constant changes that make it difficult to stay ahead of the curve. Fender has always been out in front…

“THE CANYON HAS A VAST CHASM OF DELAYS TO EXPLORE” 1 TAILS  An internal switch allows you to choose whether you want repeats to ring out when the pedal is bypassed, or if you want them to cut out immediately 2 TAP Unless you disable it, the pedal’s tap tempo is always active, and you can divide your taps into quarter notes, dotted eighths and eighths via the tap/divide button 3 TYPES  This is an impressive range of delays for a compact pedal, and the pitch-shifted inclusions ensure the Canyon stands out from the crowd EHX has an enviable delay pedigree: The Edge is as synonymous with his Deluxe Memory Man as he is his beloved beanie. The Canyon marks the company’s first compact, multi-mode offering. Until now, Boss and…

The song that got me into music… Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City “For me, Appetite For Destruction was the album that got me into guitar. I was about eight or nine, maybe younger when Paradise City came out. I remember it from school and I heard it on the radio. I wasn’t old enough to have the album but I managed to get a cassette of it from someone. It wasn’t until a few years later that I decided to pick up the guitar and have a go.” The first song I learned to play… Guns N’ Roses – Don’t Cry “A few years after hearing Appetite… I got into guitar at school. Use Your Illusion had come out by then and they had some tab books at school.…

Since the late noughties a new wave of modern-folk and folk-rock has gained popularity with acts like Bon Iver, The Lumineers and Ben Howard putting their individual stamp on the traditional sounds of folk music. Typical band line-ups are based around a core of drums, bass and acoustic guitars with a selection of traditional instruments such as violins, cellos, banjos and brass in the mix. Generally, folk doesn’t have a lot of lead guitar. When there are lead parts, they tend to be melodies that complement the music and enhance the songs. Playing standard rock or blues pentatonic licks may work, but often won’t fit the style of the track. As you’re jamming over this month’s track, aim to play melodic phrases that someone could sing after hearing them. When…

Taken from Chasing Yesterday this track bears hallmarks of Noel’s earlier style but also illustrates how his writing has matured since the heady days of Britpop. The song is played with a capo at the 3rd fret, which allows you to use a selection of shapes that would otherwise need trickier barre chords. Clamp your capo behind the 3rd fret to effectively retune your guitar three semitones higher – making the G minor key signature much easier to manage. The notation shows you the chord names for both the original shape and the ‘true’ pitch of the capo’d chords – the idea being that uncapo’d open position shapes are easier to remember. The true pitch is on top; the open chord shape is underneath, shown in brackets. We’ve shown just…

AMERICAN ENGLISH The Shires and Ward Thomas play Bristol Americana fest Both The Shires and Ward Thomas have been proving that you don’t need to be American to play Americana. The British duos share the stage at Bristol’s River Town Americana weekend on 14 July. It’s a reunion because the two acts have shared stages before – even covering Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere together at BBC Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park two years ago. The Shires’ (guitarist/ vocalist Ben Earle and vocalist Crissie Rhodes) growing repertoire and profile means Earle’s guitar collection has grown, with a Martin HD-28E Retro and OOO-18E proving live favourites. “I have the dread in DADGAD and the OOO in standard and it makes them so different to use,” he says. Meanwhile, twins Catherine and Lizzy…

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…

The concept of ‘connected’ hardware has slowly grown in importance. It’s a vital part of most digital consumer products yet the guitar amp has taken a while to come round to the concept and it’s only in the past decade that things have taken off. Most digital amps can be hooked up to the internet via a desktop PC and there’s a choice of several Bluetooth-enabled amps with apps and manufacturer-supported portals that can be hooked up anywhere. Fender’s Mustang GT series has Bluetooth, but is also the first Wi-Fi amp with the ability to sort out its own connection to the internet, update firmware, and download new patches and presets from Fender’s Tone portal – a seamless web interface for the amp and mobile app.…

“SUPREMELY COMFORTABLE FOR CHORD WORK OR RIPPING LEADS” 1 HEADSTOCK  The Duplantier’s Telecaster headstock is typical of Charvel’s modus operandi, imbuing a hot-rodded electric with a little old-school cool. 2 NECK  With its 12"-16” compound radius, the Charvel Duplantier has a real Goldilocks feel that’s super-quick for leads and comfortable for riffing. 3 PICKUPS  These Duncan-designed humbuckers are crucial to the Duplantier, delivering fierce metal tone and plenty of gain and attitude. Gojira man Joe Duplantier describes his Charvel signature model as “a killing machine with class” (the same could be said of his band, Gojira). This Charvel Joe Duplantier does something similar: adopting the sophisticated broad strokes of classic guitar design and appropriating a Fender Telecaster headstock for genuine retro kudos to offset a beefed-up, T-style body shape. Borrowing…