Innehållsförteckning för December 2017 från Total Guitar

It’s our birthday! Our 300th, in fact. That’s 23 years of Total Guitar in which time we’ve seen countless genres become the current face of the guitar. We’ve seen heroes made, fade, and in some cases return. We’ve seen Slash go back to Guns N’ Roses, The Stone Roses split up, reform and apparently split up again, and The Rolling Stones… keep going. Some people say the guitar is dying, but maybe, like many things, it’s just a bit polarized. There’s barely any guitar in pop music, yet the biggest pop star on the planet stands alone on stage with nothing but an acoustic and a couple of pedals. We’re obsessed with technology from the last century, yet we’re constantly striving – and managing - to replicate them digitally with…

1 “When I sent over the specs for my guitar I said the only thing I wasn’t using on the Jetstream 360 model I had was the neck and middle pickup. I asked them to take them out because I kept dragging my pick on them. Years ago I saw Green Day using P-90s and I ended up picking up a guitar with one. I liked the tonality, how it reflects what you’re picking. I found with a lot of humbuckers that they were good but there wasn’t really much dynamic range with them. With the P-90, if I’m picking lightly or playing a clean part you can really hear it; if I’m going full throttle and smacking the living daylights out of the strings you can feel the grit…

1 He didn’t use a Gibson SG  “We were always going from one studio to another – between tours and stuff, so it was very sporadic, not one block. I had an Epiphone SG and I was borrowing guitars off people all the time. [The rhythm guitar] didn’t go past the first fret really. And the only reason a lot of the chords on that album were used is because my third string would always be out of tune if I put it on the fifth. So I’d never play the fifth in my G, B or C. That’s why you get that constant ring of that note coming through – the third is always ringing, otherwise it would have been out of tune. Then we got signed and I…

“I’m still learning to relax my left arm [Mark’s fret hand], when I’m playing. The more you can learn to relax that left arm, the more fluid you’ll be. If you tense up, you’re just gonna slow down. And for a long time I played that way – and I used to get pain all down my forearm. I used to play Sultans… like that a lot. It’s just habit. Getting the urgency into the playing gets translated into tension, unfortunately. But you’ve got to stop associating emotion with tension.” DON’T PLAY LIKE THIS… If your guitar is too high you’ll stress your strumming arm. Too low and it’s harder to reach around the neck and you’ll stress your fretting hand. Experiment to find a comfortable compromise. …PLAY LIKE THIS!…

Appearing on their career-defining 1997 album OK Computer, the melancholy and reflective No Surprises has become one of Radiohead’s most popular songs – and this month we’re taking a look at how to play the chords, as delivered by singer/guitarist Thom Yorke, and the intro arpeggios, which Ed O’Brien plays. To stay true to the original arrangement you’ll need to use a capo on the 3rd fret, just as Yorke does. This approach keeps you in the correct area of the fretboard and actually makes the chords easier to play. O’Brien’s arpeggio line is also capo’d, but way up high at the 15th fret. It’s unusual to see a capo used so high up the fretboard, but doing so makes the 15th fret notes ring out as if they were…

HEADLONG INTO 2018 John Smith caps off his best year yet with a tour We’ve long been fans of John Smith’s music, so we were doubly pleased when he played for TG’s first Facebook Live session recently. Viewers could see John play highlights from Headlong, one of this year’s finest acoustic albums (with some electric layers too) – and a breakthrough for the Devon-born songwriter. “It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” he tells us of the reaction to the record. “I think a lot of people have found me through Spotify, where the record has had some success, so that’s been very encouraging and means the music industry still seems to be working!” As you read this, John will be out on the road, driving the length and breadth of the UK…

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 neckplate is my tattoo, the flower of life. I didn’t want to make a big song and dance about it, but I wanted something on there. I didn’t want to have my name on it, because I feel like this guitar is more than Radiohead; it’s more than me. I just want this guitar to be out there, because, although it’s great if Radiohead fans like it, I think it’s got the potential of people doing extraordinary things with it, and doing different things and making their own mark on it. So, the less it has my name on it, the better. That’s why it’s ‘designed with’ – that feels right to me.”…

CHRIS BIRD This month’s cover feature, Ultimate Pro Tips, has got TG’s Tuition Editor thinking about his favourite interviews for the magazine: “My high points were picking Joe Satriani’s brain for two full hours and meeting Steve Vai,” says Chris, “but Mark Knopfler is the guitarist I’d most like to meet.” Maybe one day, Chris... MICHAEL ASTLEY-BROWN This issue, Mike fell for the charms of Fender and Ed O’Brien’s ultra-versatile EOB Sustainer Stratocaster. Back in the summer, Radio-Ed himself handed our starstruck writer the guitar and invited him to try it, through Ed’s mammoth guitar rig, no less. No pressure, then. Fortunately, the review process was more relaxed. ROB LAING Rob’s been giddy on a nostalgic journey this issue; he still has misty-eyed memories of cradling Radiohead’s The Bends and…

NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS WHO BUILT THE MOON? As Noel’s back catalogue threatens to enter the realm of national treasure he’s keen to take a leaf out of Paul Weller’s book and become a ‘changing man’. Under the production of David Holmes, they’ve set the dials to ‘cosmic pop’. A move that’s already polarised with the infectious glam punk of single Holy Mountain. But the path to the summit here twists further... It’s A Beautiful World is a prime example of where the approach of processed beats, shimmery guitar textures and Gallagher’s euphoric melodies work in harmony to create an otherworldly but accessible sound. He’s dipped toes into these waters before, of course (Setting Son and Falling Down) but never so brazenly. And much ground is covered: Be Careful…

Last month we saw how major and minor chords (called ‘triads’) are made of three major scale notes. Triads are made of stacked 3rd intervals – simply play a note, miss the next note, then play the following note to make a 3rd. Extend the scale into another octave and continue adding 3rds to build some richer-sounding chords – the kind favoured by jazz and funk players like Nile Rodgers. You can add any major scale note to a triad and you’ll always be in key. Some notes sound better than others, but, of course, trust your ear. Read on as we look at some extended chords... WHAT YOU WILL LEARN How to construct 7th chords using the major scale How 9th chords are built How to play a progression…

1 NECK  “So the first thing we started off on was the neck; it was great – I was sort of going up and [trying them]: everything from a Stevie Ray Vaughan neck, which is massive and it’s amazing, but I’ve got big hands, so I wanted something that filled my hands that I could still do the job with, but, obviously, I wanted it to be a guitar that people with smaller hands [could play]… It was an excuse, this guitar, to find the perfect neck for me and a neck that would work for everyone.” 2 FINISH  “Colour was important: I really wanted it to be white. I just felt that the white suited. I didn’t quite realise, though people had told me about the lineage of the…

1990S GIBSON SG Kelly: “I bought it in ’96 so it could be an early 90s. It’s had a refret. the headstock has been stuck back on twice and there’s a hairline around it. AC/DC and The Who attracted me to SGs. When they started selling them in Cranes in Cardiff they said I was selling more guitars than Angus Young. I was quite pleased with that!” GIBSON ES-336 Kelly: “I use that a lot now. I always used to just use the SG and the Les Pauls, with maybe the odd Telecaster. But when Ad joined, because he was playing a lot of the Les Paul stuff and a lot of the solos I did on the earlier records – the overdub stuff, his sound was a lot fatter…

In the late 60s, icons like The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix pioneered the drug-fuelled style of music known as psychedelic rock. There was a resurgence in the 90s when bands like Blind Melon and Kula Shaker drew heavily from 60s roots, and acts like The Black Angels and My Morning Jacket continue to fly the flag. These musicians use a combination of long reverbs, delays and modulation effects, like phasers and choruses to create a spacey, ‘far out’ sound. Eastern influences are often heard in psychedelia – particularly the early era – and the pre-chorus section of our track gives you the chance to play over a typical progression. We’ve shown the Phrygian mode below. It has a distinctive sound that complements this style but take care…

Born in Texas in 1944, Johnny Winter was encouraged from an early age to play music – inspired by seeing Muddy Waters and BB King live, Johnny had his own band and was recording by age 15. He released his debut album The Progressive Blues Experiment in 1968, though mainstream success would come the following year when, after jamming with the late blues great Mike Bloomfield, Johnny was signed to Columbia records. A string of successful albums, production credits, Grammy nominations and awards followed and Johnny was a busy live artist right up to his death in 2014. His bright, attacking tone was enhanced by his Gibson Firebird guitars, which he described as somewhere between a Fender and Gibson tonally. He would crank the treble on his Music Man and…

““I THOUGHT, ‘SURELY I’VE PAID MY DUES ENOUGH NOW TO HAVE THE GALL TO ASK TO BE PAID TO PLAY MY MUSIC’” London-based musician Charlie Cunningham is supporting Lucy Rose, he has thumping endorsements from the likes of Zane Lowe and he has released a stunning debut album that melds ambient synths, dynamic Spanish guitar and poignant penmanship. But it was a decision to board a flight to Spain in self-imposed exile that got him here. Raised in Bedfordshire, Charlie studied music to degree level, doing time with a Botch-style hardcore band and developing an obsession with ambient music and atmospheric spine-tinglers like Sigur Rós and Mogwai in the process. “I spent ages playing reverb-y stuff on a Tele,” he tells TG. “But I was torn – there was no…

Fender has produced a lot of artist-designed Strats over the years but the format has stayed largely the same: a branded single coil here, a neck tweak there, but it’s still very much the model that set the world alight back in ’54. It’s taken an unconventional player like Radiohead’s sonic architect Ed O’Brien to deliver a fresh take on the Strat outline, and one that can inspire a new generation of players – just don’t call it a signature. “ED HAS CRAMMED HIS SUSTAINER STRAT WITH TECH” Ed has crammed his ‘designed-with’ Sustainer Strat with tech while staying as faithful to the traditional Strat look as possible. The headline-grabbing addition is the Fernandes Sustainer, which provides the key to the alternate realm of guitar tones that awaits. Essentially, the…

“IT RESEMBLES A JAZZMASTER YET TO SHED ITS PUPPY FAT” A common accusation levelled at guitar manufacturers is that there’s no innovation. We are largely using the same designs, shapes and technologies that players have used since the 1950s. A side benefit to this status quo is that, every now and again, a guitar comes along promising something genuinely interesting. And, when something breaks from the norm, its differences are often amplified. The Italia Vario is one such guitar. You can tell from first glance that there’s something unique about the Vario. There are a lot of esoteric design elements to get your head around. Shape-wise, it resembles a Jazzmaster yet to shed its puppy fat. Its rounded edges bring to mind a Tele, although its shallower depth makes it…

There’s always been as much economy to Weezer’s guitar sounds as there has been behind the songs they’ve been writing since 1992. The Californian quartet penned some of the most infectious rock music to land in the aftermath of Smells Like Teen Spirit, throwing pop sensibilities and college angst into a neon wall of garage band fuzz, yet always favouring simplicity. Standing in a cavernous Wembley Arena as roadies rush by to complete their duties before doors open, guitarists Rivers Cuomo and Brian Bell laugh and shrug about only having a handful of guitars between them – it’s all they need. As they’ve shown time and time again – in the right hands, simple and straightforward methods can go a very long way indeed… RIVERS CUOMO 1 WARMOTH STRAT COPY…

OVER THE LAST 23 YEARS TG HAS INTERVIEWED HUNDREDS OF GUITAR LEGENDS, SO WHAT COULD BE MORE FITTING FOR OUR 300TH ISSUE THAN TO DISTIL SOME OF THAT ACCUMULATED WISDOM DOWN FOR YOU TO LEARN FROM? WHAT FOLLOWS IS A SELECTION OF LESSONS DESIGNED TO TAKE YOUR PLAYING TO NEW HEIGHTS, ALL INSPIRED BY SOME OF THE GREATEST PLAYERS IN HISTORY. TURN THE PAGE AND LET’S ROCK! 01 PLAY FINGERSTYLE LEAD LIKE DAVID GILMOUR “I tend to play more with my fingers than a guitar pick these days, for some reason that I don’t quite understand. It just seems to be the way it is. That might make a little bit of difference to the sound, but it’s not really anything I’ve been analysing or intending to do.” 02 DOWN-PICK…

Although recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions, Day Tripper wouldn’t appear on the album (it was on the band’s 1965 double A-side Christmas single). Over the years the track has become a favourite Beatles number among guitarists thanks to the iconic Lennon-penned riff played by George Harrison. This classic line will introduce you to the art of using minor and major 3rds in blues riffs – an idea also heard in country, rock, jazz, soul and more. The two notes in question appear on the 3rd and 4th frets of the sixth string near the start of the main riff. Begin by playing the intro then look at the verse where the whole phrase is transferred across to the fifth string, using that minor to major 3rd move. To really…

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 first thing to look at in this classic Metallica track is the 6/8 time signature. This is ‘compound’ time, meaning its rhythmic pulse is based on groups of three eighth notes – and its lilting feel makes the song sound a little like a classical guitar piece. Try counting ‘1 & a 2 & a’ with each bar of music, emphasising ‘1’ and ‘2’ to keep time. You’ll need to use either a pure fingerstyle or hybrid picked (pick and fingers) approach. With fingerstyle, your thumb picks the three bass strings, while your first, second and third fingers play the third, second and first strings respectively. An exception to this general rule occurs when you encounter melodic passages, such as in bar 6. Classical players and fingerstylists hone their…

DIGITECH FREQOUT £149 If you’re looking to conjure infinite sustain from your existing guitar, this feedback generator is pretty darn convincing and offers a range of harmonic intervals. SCHECTER SUN VALLEY SUPER SHREDDER FR S £849 Shred machine packing the Sustainiac infinite-feedback system, a locking Floyd Rose vibrato and EMG Retro Active bridge humbucker. FENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER HSH £569 For a versatile Strat minus the Sustainer, this HSH offers a push-pull tone knob for myriad tonal options from its Blacktop humbuckers and Strat single coil.…

“A SUB-£500 SHRED MACHINE WITHOUT AN OUNCE OF FAT ON IT” Signature guitars tend to fall into two camps. On one side you have painstakingly detailed remakes of an artist’s iconic instrument – these tend to be favoured by the die hards who know every string slide and trem wobble of every lead line. On the other side, you have guitars that are more ‘artist designed’ than ‘artist replica’, offering insight into the player’s visual and technical preferences. After all, the artists are the ones out at the coal face every night, so they know what makes for a decent instrument. And when you’ve been playing in Iron Maiden for over 30 years, it’s fair to say you have a decent grasp on what makes a good guitar. The Jackson…