Innehållsförteckning för 285 från Total Guitar

What kind of guitar player are you? For years, the traditional two-guitar setup in a band was defined by ‘rhythm’ and ‘lead’, but even if you consider yourself a ‘lead guy’ chances are you’re actually both. Rhythm guitar is what we spend most of our time playing in songs, and that doesn’t have to mean chugging barre chords. This month, we’re exploring some fundamental techniques of the rhythm masters in different styles to help you develop your timing, learn some valuable new chords and hopefully get to grips with some new genres . Elsewhere in this month’s mag we speak with former Verve man Nick McCabe. Nick played on some of the era-defining tunes of Britpop, and it’s interesting to see an ‘indie’ player approach the guitar free of the…

As well as standard guitars, Seasick Steve is known for playing his ‘one-stringed diddley bow’ and his ‘three-string trance wonder’. Even on a six-string he’s creative with his tunings (often to make slide easier), which means playing like him isn’t easy. Thankfully, this riff can be played in standard tuning (EADGBE), which is what we’ve done. Played four times, this riff is essentially based in 4/4 time, but the first two cycles in the intro have an unusual length. Steve extends these phrases by two beats to create a longer pause between them. That means it’s best to think of the first four bars as 4/4, 6/4, 4/4, then 6/4 again. For the final two repeats, he removes the ‘extra’ beats and locks in with the 4/4 drum groove. FRUIT…

EXCEPTIONAL EXCELLENT GOOD FOR FANS OF POOR Alter Bridge THE LAST HERO With two other bands on the go, Mark Tremonti and Myles Kennedy should really be burning out by now. Yet somehow they keep their creative fires stoked despite their relentless schedule, and for Alter Bridge’s fifth go-round, the motto seems to be go big or go home. Seven-strings enter the equation for the first time, and the darker metallic grooves of The Writing On The Wall and The Other Side raise the bar high early on. The band have flirted with running themes before, but it’s never been so prominent, as the nature of leaders and heroes falls under the microscope. For My Champion and You Will Be Remembered it means channeling their inner Journey; it’s unashamedly upbeat…

“You really love your workhorse guitar, not the one that gets polished on a Sunday” BODY “I got the Jagstang [as a teenager] and I used to spend ages drawing it, but I always thought the shape was a bit weird. I thought, I could do one that’s like ‘Mus-uar’. It turned out that the two body shapes that I’d cut together balanced perfectly.” HARDWARE “One of my personal hangups, is trying to make sure that a guitar sustains as much as possible. That definitely factored into the decisions on the bridge and tailpiece.” CONTOURS  “The original prototype was a slab body. They sent me it to try out, and I realised that I’d forgotten to add contours!” HUMBUCKER “All of my guitars from Fender, I mod them to have…

“ The humble shuffle groove is at the very heart of blues rhythm guitar” BLUES is a massively diverse genre spanning many decades and with hundreds of influential players to listen to. One key musical element that has endured the years is the blues shuffle rhythm. Used by traditional players such as Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley and John Lee Hooker, through to later more technically accomplished riffers such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Philip Sayce and Dan Patlansky alike, it’s fair to say that the humble shuffle groove is at the very heart of blues rhythm guitar. Although the shuffle feel itself is easy to get to grips with, there are lots of riffs and tricks to learn and we’re looking at just a handful. Follow our workout exercises to hone…

“ Soul requires taste and subtlety, with guitar parts often supporting vocal melodies” SOUL requires taste and subtlety, with guitar parts often supporting vocal melodies rather than being a strong feature of the songs. Here, TG’s technique examples will help you develop a few tricks to embellish those major and minor barre chords we all play every time we pick up the guitar. In particular we’re looking at ‘diatonic’ 6th intervals in the style of Stax Records house guitarist, Steve Cropper. Don’t be put off by the theoretical term – ‘diatonic’ simply means ‘notes from the same scale’; a 6th means the notes are six steps apart in the scale. For example in G major the notes are: G A B C D E F#, so G and E form…

There’s some bizarre notion that British rock in the 90s saw the return to ‘the band as a gang’. Y’know, four or five lads united together, taking on the world. But just as The Beatles and The Stones previously had their share of fallouts, so Blur, Oasis and Suede mixed mighty collaboration with regular (metaphorical, sometimes literal) punch-ups. And it certainly happened with The Verve. It depends on who you ask, of course, but were The Verve a) the anthemic soul-rockers led by Richard Ashcroft? Or b) the weirdo guitar-splattering pyschedelicists built around mercurial guitarist Nick McCabe? They were both, you lucky people. With that in mind, it’s a convenient time to reassess The Verve’s earlier days, thanks to the release of a super-lavish remastered three-CD reissues of their first…

Touché Amoré’s gear is not like other hardcore bands’ gear. Far from ESPs and EMGs, Clayton is a ‘cut me and I bleed Fender’-type, favouring the headroom of his ’65 Reissue Fender Twin, paired with a Nash ’63 S-type or his ’62 Reissue Tele. “It’s super-heavy compared to any other Tele I’ve had,” he tells TG. “It’s great, it’s just solid! Especially for clean stuff, it’s just fantastic.” Meanwhile, Nick also has classic American tone in his veins and uses a custom-coloured Blue Sparkle ’65 Reissue Jazzmaster, cream Strat (with matching headstock) and custom-covered Mesa/Boogie amps, usually the Lonestar. “It’s really natural and it’s got a really tight response and it’s super reliable,” says Nick. “It’s covered in a champagne floral embossed leather, so you can see I’m a bit…

IN the mid-60s the Rolling Stones were at the sharp end of the ‘British Invasion’ counter-culture – a movement of rebellious but incredibly talented rock and pop bands from the UK making waves in the USA. Keeping them company were acts like The Kinks, the Animals, the Who and, of course, the Beatles, who arguably spearheaded it all. It was a period of intense recording activity for the Rolling Stones, releasing five albums between 1964 and 1965. Our first video lesson this month celebrates 50 years since the release of one of the band’s best known and best loved tracks, Paint It Black – originally released as a standalone single in the UK in 1966. Brian Jones’ sitar lines fueled the original recording, but these days you’ll see Keith Richards…

GUILD S-200 T-BIRD £745 Originally introduced in 1963, this second version Thunderbird originally had a built-in stand! That feature aside, the new version includes the same Hagstrom Tremar and dual modes to voice the twin LB-1 ’buckers. ITALIA MODENA CHALLENGE £829 A typical slice of modern retro from Italia, the Challenge places three mini Ricky/Gretsch-like humbuckers on a non-reverse Firebird-inspired korina body with Bigsby. SQUIER CLASSIC VIBE ’60S STRATOCASTER £415 Here’s a 60s-style Strat (in Three-Color Sunburst or Burgundy Mist) that adds jumbo frets and a modern 9.5-inch fingerboard radius. Pickups are Alnico V vintage-style single-coils with custom staggered polepieces that “provide improved string-to-string balance”.…

Blackstar has come close to providing the perfect interface AT A GLANCE TYPE: Digital preamp, solid-state stereo power amp OUTPUT: 2x 50 watts SPEAKER: 2x 10” Blackstar Special Design CONTROLS: Voice select, gain, volume, bass, mid, treble, ISF (Infinite Shape Feature), effects select, effects level, master volume SOCKETS: Guitar in, USB in/out, speaker emulated headphones, mp3 in, effects loop send/ return, footswitch WEIGHT: 12.5kg DIMENSIONS: [H x W x D] 447 x 573 x 241mm CONTACT: Blackstar Amplification 01604 817817 www.blackstaramps.com USB THE USB socket acts as a computer interface, with a re-amping function that lets you apply the ID:Core’s effects to a dry track EFFECTS LOOP THE ID:Core 100’s rear panel features a useful effects loop, so you can mix your favourite real-world pedals with the amp’s built-in effects…

The Warp Drive’s bandwidth and frequency controls offer so much variety AT A GLANCE TYPE: Active EQ, fuzz, overdrive & distortion pedals CONTROLS: Fig Fumb: Effect on/off,cut/boost, balance, frequency, fuzz, bandwidth, noise gate level and on/off; Kliptonite: Effect on/off,Fuzzy/Klipped on/off, cut/ boost, balance, frequency, Fuzzy drive, bandwidth, Mirror Mix; Warp Drive: Effect on/off, cut/boost, balance, frequency, Warp, bandwidth, noise gate level and on/off; PDF-2: Effect on/off,clean/dirty, height, gain, frequency, bandwidth BYPASS: True bypass POWER: 9V battery or mains adaptor [not supplied] CONTACT: Stone Deaf 01706 882486 www.stonedeaffx.com IF you’re thinking the guitar world needs another pedal brand like your local high street is crying out for another coffee franchise, hold that cynical thought. We also assumed we’d seen it all… Then, we had our mind blown by four gain pedals…

The Dirty Robot’s tracking is faultless – play fast runs and the pedal is right on your tail TYPE: Stereo mini synth pedal CONTROLS: Effect on/off with momentary vibrato activation, Voice, Sens/Time, Drift, Start/Stop, Mix/Mod SOCKETS: Stereo 1/4” Inputs & Outputs BYPASS: True bypass POWER: Harman PS0913DC-02 9V mains adaptor [£16, not supplied] CONTACT: Sound Technology 01462 480000 www.digitech.com THE new Dirty Robot pedal from DigiTech is typically robustly built, and it’s here to make your guitar sound like a synthesiser. You get two basic synth voicings. The first DigiTech describe as a ‘straight envelope- style synthesis’. This is just like holding down the keys on a synthesiser… only in this case you’re controlling the dynamics on this occasion by whacking your guitar strings. The second sound is a ‘vocal…

GET THE SOUND For live performances, the Followill brothers both use humbucker-equipped Gibsons to play Sex On Fire. Matthew most often plays an ES-137 and Caleb plays a 1972 ES-325. A Les Paul or SG type guitar will certainly suffice, but a semi-acoustic is a more authentic choice of guitar. Vox, Matchless and Orange amps have all figured in their line-ups, so we’d opt for one of these or a digital modelling option. CHORDS   the majority of this track uses riffs and two-note chord ‘fragments’ which are easy to play but don’t necessarily have their own names. In fact, many of the chord names above the tab are ‘implied’ chords suggested by the combined sound of all the guitars and the bass. That means the names under the shapes…

RGT Exam RGT is the UK’s only specialist guitar examination board. View info on RGT’s guitar and bass guitar exams, and find a registered guitar tutor at www.rgt.org FINGERSTYLE GUITAR (aka fingerpicking) involves picking the strings with your fingers instead of a pick. There are two fingerstyle studies set for RGT’s Grade Two acoustic guitar exam and we’ve transcribed one of these below. The piece is based around a repeating picking pattern, which means that once you’ve learned to play the first bar the rest should be relatively easy. The pattern stays essentially the same throughout, the only variation being that root notes fall on different bass strings. This shouldn’t upset your groove, though, because you still use your thumb, so it has the same feel. We strongly…

10. It’s portable When a guitarist wakes up on a glorious summer’s day, they simply amble down to the park with an acoustic. The same can’t be said for a drummer with a 10-piece kit, who has to lurk in their waterlogged basement, battering away in the gloom like Gollum, and eventually dying from a vitamin D deficiency. 9. It’s dirt-cheap After a shaky start back in the 70s, budget guitar factories in Asia can now make their CNC routers perform like keyhole surgeons, and you can now pick up a giggable electric for around £100. Good luck getting a pipe organ for that kind of wedge. 8. It looks awesome Well, obviously. To strap on a guitar is to feel yourself imbued with outlaw cool. To hit a power…

CHRIS BIRD HAVING warmed himself up with this month’s cover feature, Chris has also recorded video riff lessons on some of our favourite songs featuring the Human Riff, Keith Richards. “Riffy classics such as Honky Tonk Women remind us not to neglect those rhythm skills,” says the big man. Wise words. JOSH GARDNER JOSH spent a fair proportion of this issue swanning around sunny New York City while the rest of the team slogged away back in rainy England. He returned with a bounty of Jolly Ranchers and Peanut Butter Cups, however, so he’s been begrudgingly welcomed back into the TG fold… ROB LAING ROB’S been grappling with his live acoustic tone since he could say ‘piezo’, sniffing around other players’ rigs like a tonehound desperate to discover the secret…

USE A slightly driven amp with an overdrive pedal to boost the guitar signal and add a little gain. A compressor is non-essential, but can help give a smoother, slick sound. Steve is very much a ‘warts and all’ kind of player, so dig in with your pick and let any extra sounds become a part of the overall performance. COMPRESSOR PEDAL Sensitivity: 5 Attack: 0 Level: 7 OVERDRIVE PEDAL Gain: 3.5 Tone: 5 Level: 7 ALL THE video lessons in this issue of Total Guitar are available to view online at www.bit.ly/tg285video…

“I liken being in a band to being in a relationship,” says Dan Steer, frontman of Reigning Days. “You might come out of it and think, ‘Wow, that was a lucky escape’ or ‘Damn, I miss those times’, but whatever the outcome, you’ve learned a lot about what and what not to do.” Having spent some years in the wilderness after the dissolution of his previous band, The Quails, Dan has returned in some style with this power trio. Economical songwriting, sizeable, anthemic tunes and goliath tone are the order of the ’Days. The latter is in part due to bassist Jonny Finnis’ dual bass and guitar amp set-up, forming a huge bed for Dan’s Strat and Blackstar combination. “I think Jonny has more effects than anyone I’ve ever seen,”…

“I am not truly connected to the instrument – I view it as a tool. The guitar is like a pencil to me” Got my first real six string… “The first acoustic guitar I owned was made by Sears, straight from the catalogue. It was an absolute, unadulterated piece of crap. When the neck broke it separated from the body but it was still connected by some kind of freak of nature, so I would pull on the headstock and make it act as a whammy bar. The first electric guitar I had was a Vantage Avenger. It was a hideous red, but very functional guitar. My dream guitar at that time was the one that was $50 more than I could afford and I wanted it because it was…

THE SIMPLE LIFE Dear Mr/Mrs TG, I’ve been reading lots of different guitar mags over the last few years extolling the virtues of expensive gear and I’m sorry to say, I’ve been sucked in by some of it, but it was only recently that something hit me square between the eyes – p68 issue 282: Five Ways To Improve Your Barre Chords. Apparently, I’m an ‘advanced’ guitarist (I’m currently studying for my RGT grade six electric guitar), but for the last few months have been feeling anything but advanced. But it was your two-page lesson on barre chords that made me realise that I need to spend more time practising and enjoying some of the simpler things in guitar. The Five Ways… feature hit home even more because the guitar…

Since their 2000 debut, Thrice have never stood still musically, weaving post-hardcore with electronic elements, time signature shifts and concept album-mindsets to become one of the brightest beacons in modern-day alternative rock. As they make their post-hiatus return to London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town, four years on from their then-farewell UK gig, their rigs have undergone an overhaul to match the renewed focus that resonates throughout comeback album, To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere. Here, we join Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi to discuss their uncompromising approaches to tone, the inspirational quality of a good baritone guitar and some serious overdrive stacking… DUSTIN KENSRUE 1 & 2 NASH JAGUAR-STYLE ELECTRICS “They’re exactly the same. I put Lollar humbuckers in: the High Wind Imperial humbucker in the bridge and the…

“There’s still a lot of adults in the music industry. It’s really bizarre” NECK  “I use a P-Bass, but before that I always used Mustangs and I wanted to find a balance between the two [scale-lengths], so we made a medium-scale neck.” BALANCE “[The prototype body] was really under-sized and there was a lot of neck dive, so we had to scale the body up and then re-proportion it because it was starting to look pretty unusual!” HEADSTOCK “We put the signatures on the back of the headstock – that’s the only way we could deal with the reality of it!” BODY “We based the design on the Bass V, which is pretty well derided for being out of shape and not very cool! We loved them because they were…

ROCK music has diversified from the blues inspired styles of The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix in the 60s, to the riff-driven sounds of Led Zeppelin and AC/ DC, reaching its zenith in the 70s with the birth of prog and with the likes of Van Halen completely changing the face of guitar music. In today’s post-grunge and post-Millennial world bands such as Muse, Biffy Clyro and Foo Fighters fly the rock flag with an ‘alternative’ slant, despite being in the mainstream. We’re looking at core rhythm skills that apply to most rock styles here. Follow our technique lessons to develop your downpicking skills and your ability to cross from string to string accurately and efficiently. Finish off by trying our classic and modern rock musical examples, which, as ever,…

“ The palm-muted gallop-style riff was popularised by bands such as Metallica and Megadeth” HEAVY metal rhythm playing is as diverse as the genre itself, which has dozens of sub-genres ranging from NWOBHM, thrash, black metal, to later prog and garage metal styles to name but a few. Here we look at two rudimentary aspects that have been used in most of these styles in one way or another: the ‘gallop’ and the powerchord slide. The ‘gallop’ is so called because of its similarity to the sound of a horse’s footfall. Most importantly, the rhythm is played with an eighth note downstroke pulse, with a 16th note upstroke added between every other eighth note. There are two main gallops: the classic gallop, much used by the mighty Iron Maiden and…

You’ll already know that Nick McCabe is no guitar purist; “An SM57 right on the speaker cone, which was very much the thing of that era, was the worst thing in the world to me,” he says of the early 90s. “I got to the point where my playing proficiency was enough for me, done with it. What I focussed on instead was expanding the palette.” Indeed, he’s not too fussed about guitars (stock, usually new) but his Mesa/ Boogie Mark III and Marshall JCM 800 were key to the first Verve albums. He bought his Marshall from a second-hand shop in Wigan that specialised in used prams and… amps! The must-have, however, is an Alesis Quadraverb. The settings are far too complex to list, but the other gear on…

All the current Hagstrom RetroScape models, like the originals on which they’re based, use a bank of switches to control the pickups and compensate for the lack of a conventional rotary tone control. The six slide switches placed above the master volume control have quite high, off-white plastic sliders that feel reasonably robust in use but make quite a ‘clunk’ when you use then at stage volumes. The top three are simply on/off switches for the neck, middle and bridge pickups. The fourth switch down is called Master Tone that engages a mid and high frequency cut; the next one down is called a Mute, although it doesn’t actually mute the guitar; it adds a volume drop and high frequency cut. The lowest switch is called Top, a high-pass filter…

The Echoplex’s authentic vibes are hugely addictive AT A GLANCE TYPE: Delay pedal CONTROLS: Sustain, volume,delay, age, internal mono/stereoswitch, bypass footswitch SOCKETS: Standard TRS inputand TRS output (stereo operationpossible by using splitter cables),tap tempo pedal input BYPASS: True relay ortrails bypass POWER: 9V DC adaptor(supplied), 240mA CONTACT: Westside Distribution0844 326 2000www.jimdunlop.com TAP TEMPO IF you plug the MXR Tap Tempo footswitch (£39) in here, you get increased delay time of up to four seconds, with instant foot control FOOTSWITCH TWO bypass modes are on offer: true bypass, which cuts the delay stone-dead, or a buffered trails bypass where repeats continue and fade naturally AGE THIS LED lights up red when you engage the Age function via a press on the volume knob – it simulates the sonic qualities of an…

D’ADDARIO/PLANET WAVES TURBOTUNE PEG WINDER A proper wind-up RESTRINGING IS a tedious process at the best of times, so a peg winder is pretty much an essential purchase for most guitarists. D’Addario’s latest not only handles mini, full and bass-sized tuners, but it also glows in the dark, so there’s no chance of losing it backstage. Even better, it includes a detachable socket for use with electric screwdrivers (take it easy, mind), plus an integrated bridge pin puller, which means you can chuck those pliers back in the toolbox. Covers all the bases, this one. (£15.80, www.planetwaves.com ) FENDER ARTISAN CRAFTED LEATHER STRAPS Fuss and leathers NOT ONLY can you feel the quality, but you can smell it with this luxurious new leather strap from Fender. Made…

WATERFALL featured on The Stone Roses’ 1989 debut album, but was later released as a single in 1991 – it smash it was a hit and became one of the songs of early 90s. The bulk of the track is built around a repeating two-chord arpeggio riff, as shown in the first two bars of tab. John Squire moves his pick from string to string at speed – and this can take a fair bit of practice to perform in a relaxed and musical way. Aim to keep your pick strokes tight and controlled, staying as close to each string as possible. If you prefer to put your own stamp on the song, why not play with a looser strumming style, or even combine strumming with the picked electric guitar…

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 the frets where you should 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 traditional notation. TG also includes a timestamp to tell you where in the original track you’ll…

“IT PLAYS amazing. It’s got a wide fat neck on it, which I like a lot. It’s kind of chunky and it feels really good. It’s not overly chunky like a ’59 or something like that. Just a natural feeling big neck that adjusts to your hand.” “IT’S A mahogany neck with a satin finish so it has no lacquer on the neck, which gives it a nice smooth vintage-y play that I like a lot. I sweat a lot on stage so this helps out with that. I actually used to wear a a glove that was cut [down] so I could feel like I had that kind of satin finish on my neck.” “IT HAS the PRS adjustable bridge, which is my favourite bridge on any guitar of…

GRAB YOURSELF ONE OF OLA ENGLUND’S SHREDTASTIC SIGNATURE MODELS GUITARIST Ola Englund is something of a phenomenon. Partly renowned guitar player for Feared and The Haunted, part producer, and part YouTube personality, Ola has built a following through his playing and willingness to share his experience with others. That’s continued with his range of Washburn Parallaxe Solar guitars – specced out to deliver top-notch features and playability for metal players. This month we’ve teamed up with UK distributor Sound Technology to give away a Solar 160 C, worth over £750! Featuring a lightweight alder body, thin maple neck with ebony fretboard and full-access cutaways for reaching the 24 frets, plus premium electronics and hardware from the likes of Seymour Duncan and Grover, the Solar 160-C is a tricked-out metal monster!…

“ Funk’s influence can be heard in most soul- and dance-based pop of the last 40 years” FUNK exploded in the 60s and 70s with players such as Jimmy Nolen (with James Brown) and disco pioneer Nile Rodgers providing guitar for much of the pop music of the era. Leo Nocentelli (The Meters), Freddie Stone (Sly And The Family Stone) and P-Funk’s Catfish Collins laid down guitars on classic funk tracks, too. And, although the golden era was in the 70s, funk’s influence can be heard in most soul- and dance-based pop of the last 40 years and in bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Extreme, Primus, Rage Against The Machine, Incubus and many more. Plenty of reasons to pick up your guitar and get your groove on, then! Develop…

Not long ago, we asked you for your input on the mag. Well, you spoke, and we listened! The new look Total Guitar takes the magazine you know and love, and makes it even better. We want TG to be the guitar magazine for ‘real world’ players: that means more tabbed songs and backing tracks than any other guitar mag, a strong focus on a wide range of styles and eras, easy-to-understand lessons to help you play better and faster, plus trustworthy, jargon-free reviews of the affordable gear you need to know about! Myself and the rest of the team can't wait for you to see it, and if you turn to p108, you can take advantage of our offer to get the first three issues for £5.00! THE UK’S…

“We didn’t want to sound like other hardcore bands” True grief is all-consuming. When Touché Amoré’s frontman Jeremy Bolm lost his mother to cancer in 2014, rays of light must have seemed in short supply. Bolm and his bandmates, including guitarists Nick Steinhardt and Clayton Stevens, had become nothing less than family over a seven year shared history and all parties were in no doubt that their fourth record would present by far their greatest challenge yet. “Jeremy is the kind of person that doesn’t really hold back much in the lyrics,” explains Nick, on the phone from California. “Even before we started writing I was pretty sure that would be one of the main topics.” A band with punk and hardcore ideals at heart, even if their sound has…

From a modern perspective it’s quite a slice of retro AT A GLANCE BODY: Alder NECK: Maple, bolt-on SCALE: 629mm (24.75”) FINGERBOARD: Resinator FRETS: 22 PICKUPS: 3x Hagstrom Ceramic C-Spin single coils CONTROLS: Volume, 3x p/upon/off switches, master tone, Mute and Top switches, kill switch HARDWARE: Chrome-plated Long Travel tune-o-matic-style Roller Bridge, Hagstrom Vintage Tremar vibrato, die-cast tuners LEFT-HANDED: No FINISH: White (as reviewed), Black, 3-Tone Sunburst, Aged Sky Blue CONTACT: Rosetti 01376 550033, www.rosetti.co.uk HYBRID STYLE THE H-IIIis quite a mash-up with a Fender-style alder body and bolt-on maple neck, but a Gibson-like scale and tune-o-matic bridge SINGLE-COIL SPIN THESE ‘C-SPIN’ pickups ape the Hagstrom originals, their flat poles giving them a Strat-like vibe, although the coils and ceramic magnets are moulded within the plastic cases IT’S A VIBRATO!…

Your favourite Megadeth track might suddenly feel achievable AT A GLANCE BODY: Basswood NECK: Maple, bolted on SCALE: 25.5” FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 24 PICKUPS: 2x Schecter Diamond Plus humbuckers CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x tone, three-way selector HARDWARE: Chrome LEFT-HANDED: Yes FINISH: Ocean Burst Blue (pictured), Trans Black Burst, Electric Magenta, Black Cherry Burst, Vintage Sunburst CONTACT: Westside Distribution 0844 326 2000 schecterguitars.com HEEL TYPICAL of Schecter’s Diamond Series, the C-6 Plus offers an ergonomic passport to the upper frets with a neatly sculpted heel BODY THE C-6 Plus’s contoured and bevelled basswood body strikes a happy medium between being lightweight and manageable, and solidity of build PICKUPS SCHECTER’S Diamond Plus humbuckers are bright and aggressive, making for a voice that’s perfectly suited to hard rock and heavy metal WITH its…

 AT A GLANCE TOP: Solid Sitka spruce It doesn’t feel that down-sized when you start strumming BACK & SIDES: Laminated mahogany NECK: Mahogany SCALE LENGTH: 603mm (23.75”) FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 19 ELECTRICS: Guild AP-1 w/ soundhole volume and bass controls HARDWARE: Rosewood bridge w/ compensated bone saddle, vintage-style open-gear tuners LEFT-HANDED: No FINISH: Natural CONTACT: Selectron UK, 01795 419460, guildguitars.com NECK THIS mini jumbo has a reduced scale length of 603mm (23.75”), although it’s tuned to standard pitch. Aside from being a compact traveller it makes for a great overdub guitar ELECTRO CONTROLS THE Guild AP-1 active under-saddle and preamp system uses soundholeplaced volume and bass controls – the latter reduces the bass response BODY THE body is 368mm (14.5”) across its lower bouts with a max depth of 105mm…

The WireTap kicks the arse of any smartphone simply because it’s always on call TYPE: Digital recording pedal CONTROLS: Recording start/stop footswitch, play, back and next buttons SOCKETS: Mono input, mono output, mini-USB, mains adaptor BYPASS: True bypass POWER: 9V mains adaptor [not supplied] CONTACT: TC Electronic 0800 917 8926/www.tcelectronic.com THE WireTap is a mains only, ultra-compact stompbox that allows you to capture song ideas as you play. ‘Big deal,’ you say. ‘I can do that with my smartphone.… Maybe, but the true bypass WireTap has more going on inside its chassis than you could imagine. For a kickoff, you can record up to eight hours worth of 24-bit 44.1khz CD quality files on this thing which can then be downloaded to a computer via the onboard mini USB socket…

IN 2008, Sex On Fire took Kings of Leon to new heights, particularly in the UK where the single became their first to hit number one. Although there are no solos, the mixture of rhythm guitar parts is enough to pique some interest as multiple lines weave in and out of each other. Frontman caleb Followill’s accented offbeats in the opening riff provide the first challenge. It’s all straight eighth notes but the emphasis on the last offbeat note of each bar can make the timing tricky. consult the tab and practise slowly, ignoring the accents all together until you start to get a feel for it. the potential for confusion is compounded by Matthew Followill’s intro line where what is essentially a reggae groove is brought into the mix.…