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34
Musikmesse
We highlight the coolest
gear from Europes
biggest show.
50
Tim
Mahoney
After two decades, 311
comes full circle with
Stereolithic.
58
Neon Trees
Chris Allen and Branden
Campbell on playing
with nuance.
94
State of
Metal
Guitarists from six hot n
heavy bands discuss the
state of hardcore
in 2014.
147
Top 5
Heavy Rig
Rundowns
A look back at our fave
metal gear videos.
REVIEWS: Aristides 070 PRS Archon Third Man Bumble Buzz Warwick RockBass Star Bass
TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper DiPinto Melody Mach IV Black Cat OD-Boost Dr. J Sparrow
Breedlove Premier Auditorium Origin Effects Cali76 Limiting Amplifier T
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MAY 2014
311 NEON TREES MUSIKMESSE 2014 10 GUITAR AND BASS REVIEWS
STATE OF METAL &
HARDCORE ROUNDTABLE
DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN / BARONESS / GORGUTS / AND MORE
p
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Extreme high gain and crushing tone make these valve ampliers the ultimate metal tone
machines. From a 1W combo to a 6L6-loaded 100W head, they deliver a full-on
Blackstar metal assault. Accept no imitations - stay metal!
www.blackstaramps.com
FR_WolfHoffmannArtistSeries_9x10,875_USA.indd 1 14.03.14 14:08
iOS
Controllable
GM36H
Knowledgeable Staff, Top Brands, and Competitive Prices
Thats the Sweetwater Difference!
Sweetwater ALWAYS exceeds my expectations
in sales, customer service, and knowledge on
the gear being sold to me.
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2-YEAR WARRANTY
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ON SELECT BRANDS, USING YOUR SWEETWATER MUSICIANS ALL ACCESS PLATINUM CARD, THROUGH MAY 31, 2014*
24 MONTHS SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE
*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for details or visit Sweetwater.com/fnancing.
**Please note: Apple products are excluded from this warranty, and other restrictions may apply. Please visit Sweetwater.com/warranty for complete details.
GUITAR GALLERY SHOWS YOUR ACTUAL BASS OR GUITAR
Sweetwaters new and improved online Guitar Gallery lets you check out our world-class
inventory of basses and guitars in beautiful multiple-photo detail. Then, you can pick the exact
bass or guitar you want by serial number! Visit Sweetwater.com/guitargallery.
55-POINT EVALUATION PROVIDES MAXIMUM PLAYABILITY
Nearly every bass and guitar that we stock receives a detailed 55-point Evaluation by our
experts before its shipped. We make sure it looks and sounds great and plays as well as it
possibly can right out of the box! Visit Sweetwater.com/55-point for more details.
Hector from Kissimmee, FL
Tube Screamer
TS808DX
Slammi Pedal
Slammi
Profling Amplifer
ProfilingAmpBK
DSL40C Combo
DSL40C
Striped Series
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GrandMeister 36
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FSM 432 MK III
FSM432FS
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Guitar 24/7!
Swtr_PG_May2014.indd 1 3/14/14 5:03 PM
iOS
Controllable
GM36H
Knowledgeable Staff, Top Brands, and Competitive Prices
Thats the Sweetwater Difference!
Sweetwater ALWAYS exceeds my expectations
in sales, customer service, and knowledge on
the gear being sold to me.
(
800
)
222-4700
Sweetwater.com
2-YEAR WARRANTY
**
Total Confdence Coverage
Warranty
FREE PRO ADVICE
Were here to help! Call today!
FAST, FREE SHIPPING
On most orders, with no minimum purchase!
ON SELECT BRANDS, USING YOUR SWEETWATER MUSICIANS ALL ACCESS PLATINUM CARD, THROUGH MAY 31, 2014*
24 MONTHS SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE
*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for details or visit Sweetwater.com/fnancing.
**Please note: Apple products are excluded from this warranty, and other restrictions may apply. Please visit Sweetwater.com/warranty for complete details.
GUITAR GALLERY SHOWS YOUR ACTUAL BASS OR GUITAR
Sweetwaters new and improved online Guitar Gallery lets you check out our world-class
inventory of basses and guitars in beautiful multiple-photo detail. Then, you can pick the exact
bass or guitar you want by serial number! Visit Sweetwater.com/guitargallery.
55-POINT EVALUATION PROVIDES MAXIMUM PLAYABILITY
Nearly every bass and guitar that we stock receives a detailed 55-point Evaluation by our
experts before its shipped. We make sure it looks and sounds great and plays as well as it
possibly can right out of the box! Visit Sweetwater.com/55-point for more details.
Hector from Kissimmee, FL
Tube Screamer
TS808DX
Slammi Pedal
Slammi
Profling Amplifer
ProfilingAmpBK
DSL40C Combo
DSL40C
Striped Series
StripeRBW
GrandMeister 36
GM36H
FSM 432 MK III
FSM432FS
iPad sold separately.
FSM432FS
John Petrucci Majesty
JPM6SS
Find and Order
Your Dream
Guitar 24/7!
Swtr_PG_May2014.indd 1 3/14/14 5:03 PM
Where made in the USA matters
6 months No interest
www.carvin.com
8 0 0 . 8 5 4 . 2 2 3 5
Redefining a Classic
Features:
Alder body and tung-oiled maple neck
Optional Swamp Ash body and gured tops
34-scale 14-radius rosewood ngerboard
Optional Ebony, Maple and Birds Eye ngerboards
PB4 4-string: 20 medium-jumbo frets
PB5 5-string: 22 medium-jumbo frets
SCP split-coil humbucker with vintage enamel wire
and Alnico V magnets delivers a punchy low end
Optional PJ with JVA jazz type bridge pickup with a
well rounded bottom end, full punchy mids & crisp highs
Passive or 18v Active Electronics
The new PB4 and PB5 basses feature classic
looks combined with improved playbility and
tone. Carvins new SCP split-coil humbucker
with its large Alnico V magnets and vintage
plain enamel wire sounds so huge, that players
immediately think theyre playing an active bass.
Order your PB direct from Carvins USA Custom
Shop and choose from our vast selection of options.
audio & video samples carvin.com/pb5
TAYL0232 2014 Taylor Campaign Spread- Jake PREMIER GUITAR ID: MAY 2014 T: 18" x 10.875", L: 17.625" x 10.5", B: 18.25" x 11.125" Gutter: .5 each side", Bind: PB, 300%md CMYK mt
TM
2
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1
4

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JAKE WAS A GUITAR PLAYER. BUT THE DAY A CHEMICAL EXPLOSION TOOK HIS RIGHT ARM, PEOPLE
STOPPED SEEING JAKE, THE GUITAR PLAYER, AND STARTED SEEING JAKE, THE GUY WHO LOST HIS ARM.
THE PROBLEM WAS, THAT WASNT THE JAKE HE WANTED TO BE. SO, HE MADE THE DECISION TO
FIGHT FOR HIS IDENTITY A BATTLE AGAINST STEREOTYPES, PREJUDICE AND WORST OF ALL, PITY.
IT WAS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, BUT SOMEHOW, HE LEARNED TO PLAY ALL OVER AGAIN IN A WAY THAT
COULD ONLY BE DONE WITH A SPECIAL PROSTHESIS AND HE DIDNT STOP THERE. EVENTUALLY HE
GOT ENOUGH COURAGE TO GET BACK ON STAGE, WHERE AUDIENCES SAW SOMETHING JAKE WASNT
SURE THEYD EVER SEE AGAIN. JAKE, THE GUITAR PLAYER. ITS A STORY THAT INSPIRES US, AND
SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT THE WORLD NEEDS MORE PEOPLE LIKE JAKE. FOR MORE ABOUT JAKE
AND OTHER STORIES OF PEOPLE WITH THE COURAGE TO STEP FORWARD, visit taylorguitars.com
the man who went to hell, and c ame out s i ng i ng.
TAYL0232 2014 Taylor Campaign Spread- Jake PREMIER GUITAR ID: MAY 2014 T: 18" x 10.875", L: 17.625" x 10.5", B: 18.25" x 11.125" Gutter: .5 each side", Bind: PB, 300%md CMYK mt
TM
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JAKE WAS A GUITAR PLAYER. BUT THE DAY A CHEMICAL EXPLOSION TOOK HIS RIGHT ARM, PEOPLE
STOPPED SEEING JAKE, THE GUITAR PLAYER, AND STARTED SEEING JAKE, THE GUY WHO LOST HIS ARM.
THE PROBLEM WAS, THAT WASNT THE JAKE HE WANTED TO BE. SO, HE MADE THE DECISION TO
FIGHT FOR HIS IDENTITY A BATTLE AGAINST STEREOTYPES, PREJUDICE AND WORST OF ALL, PITY.
IT WAS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, BUT SOMEHOW, HE LEARNED TO PLAY ALL OVER AGAIN IN A WAY THAT
COULD ONLY BE DONE WITH A SPECIAL PROSTHESIS AND HE DIDNT STOP THERE. EVENTUALLY HE
GOT ENOUGH COURAGE TO GET BACK ON STAGE, WHERE AUDIENCES SAW SOMETHING JAKE WASNT
SURE THEYD EVER SEE AGAIN. JAKE, THE GUITAR PLAYER. ITS A STORY THAT INSPIRES US, AND
SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT THE WORLD NEEDS MORE PEOPLE LIKE JAKE. FOR MORE ABOUT JAKE
AND OTHER STORIES OF PEOPLE WITH THE COURAGE TO STEP FORWARD, visit taylorguitars.com
the man who went to hell, and c ame out s i ng i ng.
premierguitar.com
8 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2014
Publisher Jon Levy

EDITORIAL
Chief Content Officer Shawn Hammond
Managing Editor Tessa Jeffers
Senior Editor Andy Ellis
Senior Editor Joe Gore
Gear Editor Charles Saufley
Art Director Meghan Molumby
Associate Editor Chris Kies
Associate Editor Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor Jason Shadrick
Nashville Correspondent John Bohlinger
Nashville Video Editor Perry Bean
Photo Editor Kristen Berry

PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS
Operations Manager Shannon Burmeister
Circulation Manager Lois Stodola
Production Coordinator Luke Viertel
SALES/MARKETING
Advertising Director Brett Petrusek
Advertising Director Dave Westin
Marketing Manager Matt Roberts
Director of Marketing Colton Wedeking

GEARHEAD COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Chairman Peter F. Sprague
President Patricia A. Sprague
Managing Director Gary Ciocci

WEBSITES
Our Portal
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Copyright 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is prohibited. Premier Guitar is a publication of
Gearhead Communications, L.L.C.
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Volume 19, Issue 5
Published monthly by:
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Phone number: 877-704-4327 Fax: 319-447-5599
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premierguitar.com
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Distributed to the music trade
by Hal Leonard Corporation.
I love the sound of
vintage guitars.
Im always the guy in the front row, enjoying
performances of the great acoustic guitarists of
our time.
Ive devoted a career to exploring nuances of
guitar design, the intricacies of voicing, infinite
colorations of tonewoods, and the way a guitar
sounds in the hands of a gifted player.
Aged Tone guitars combine whats in my ear and
heart to recreate a sound thats in my head. In a
very real sense, theyve been in the making for
nearly 40 years.
- Dana Bourgeois
The Aged Tone
Series
bourgeoisguitars.com
Aged Tone Package now available
on most Bourgeois guitars.
Bourgeois Third Page Square Premier Guitar 2/13/14 7:40 AM Page 1
premierguitar.com
TUNING UP
S
ociety is obsessed with efficiency and self-improvement. We read countless books on it (only to
find out later that they are selling snake oil and junk science). We buy questionable products
to fix some perceived problem with our bodies or minds. We have apps to help us exercise or
eat better. We have to have the latest gadgets because their miniscule spec improvements will save us
a couple of seconds when updating our cyber followers on every aspect of our lives. Its exhausting!
Our most precious of pastimesplaying musicis not spared, either. We scour videos, articles,
reviews, ads, and retailers websites for info on gear thatll improve our tone. At concerts, we often
spend more time wondering what pickups are in axes or which pedals are behind wedge monitors
than we do soaking up the music. We spend countless hours practicing licks and riffs, reading
lessons, and watching videos on how to play like our heroes.
Having interviewed hundreds of guitarists and bassists over the years, Ive heard a lot of advice on
how to improve. The tips range from fingering exercises to practice with a metronome to what sorts of
players to jam with, what settings will get the most out of a typical rig, what books or albums are most
educational or inspiring, and what to do and not to do when youre in a rut.
All of these tips are great, but some of the best advice Ive heard is something far easier. Let me rephrase
that: Given our obsession with self-improvement, it may not actually be easierbut its far simpler: Put
down your guitar and go live. Go have fun. Spend quality time in other life-affirming pursuits.
Over the years, players of all stripes have stressed essentially the same idea, but its often dismissed or
forgotten as we snap back to the 21st-century habit of thinking the solution is always try harder, work
smarter, and maximize [insert business- or self-improvement buzzword here].
Ironically, forcing ourselves to chill out and have fun has an incredible impact on our lofty self-
improvement goals. Science proves it refreshes usphysically, emotionally, and intellectuallyand is
more effective than any quick-fix fad or innovative technology.
I recently returned from the first proper vacation Ive had alone with my wife (i.e., without our three
awesome boys) in the 19 years weve been married. We escaped the frigid climes of the arctic-vortex-
whipped Midwest and basked in the awesomeness of the Caribbean, where it was 80+ degrees in or out
of the water. We didnt plan a thing ahead of time. Just drove around the tiny island in our tiny car,
chose restaurants on the spur of the moment, snorkeled, petted stingrays in water so aqua youd swear it
was photoshopped, and scuba-dived for the first time everon a whim.
I brought along one of my trusty Teles to plunk away on for a few minutes before hitting the sack
each night and falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing outside our window. Guess what? As
I aimlessly fretted that maple neck, I found myself playing things differently than Ive ever played
before. Not necessarily new riffs or song parts, but a new mentality and viewpoint. Holy shitI gotta
remember this, I thought.
A couple of weeks after returning, we went to see comedian Jim Gaffigan perform his hilarious brand
of food-obsessed self-derision and deceptively gentle commentary on the ironies of modern life. When
I got home, I shouldve gone straight to bed. Instead, I picked up another Tele and twanged for a bit.
Suddenly, the viewpoint Id started tapping into on vacation yielded concrete ideas for a new song in
what I like to think of as my own stylebut with a new twist.
Put down your guitar and go live.
Your family, your bandmates, your coworkers, and your soul, if there is such a thing, will thank you
when you come back as a new being.
Slacker Science: The Case for Laziness
BY SHAWN HAMMOND
Shawn Hammond
Editor in Chief
shawn@premierguitar.com
Self-help "guru"
Kevin Trudeau
was recently
sentenced to 10
years in jail for
his fraudulent
claims that
capitalize
on our self-
improvement
obsession.
@PG_shawnh
premierguitar.com
Keep those
comments coming!
Please send your suggestions,
gripes, comments, and good words
directly to info@premierguitar.com.
Hot Rod, Suhr Style
I got really intrigued by the
December 2013 edition of your
websites gallery of Readers Hot
Rods submissions and thought
Id like to share mine with PG
as well.
For viewing pleasure, this
2011 ESP Grass Roots 52
Telecaster copy (basswood
body) originally had a maple
neck and fretboard, and rather
run-of-the-mill hardware and
electronics. I swapped out all
the stock chrome-hardware parts
for gold parts, a transparent
acrylic pickguard, Gotoh tuners,
a Wilkinson Bridge, wired in
orange caps to the pots, and
changed the stock pickups for a
Suhr Classic T combination.
But the biggest highlight
will always be its custom
airbrushed artwork on the body
and headstock, and refretting
the maple fretboard for a
handcrafted ebony vine of life
inlay. The entire guitar took
close to a year to complete the
modifications.
Regards,
Kenny Wong
Mourning a
Flamenco Master
That was a beautiful article
[Flamenco Master Paco de
Lucia: 1947-2014, February
2014] and Im saddened to
hear of his death. I was blessed
to see Paco live, along with
McLaughlin and company at the
Great American Music Hall in
San Francisco in the early 80s.
JimDep,
via premierguitar.com
John Frusciante
My compliments to PG for
bringing us such a killer inter-
view [John Frusciante: War
and Peace, April 2014]. I wish
it went on for another three
pages. Frusciante is that rarest of
things-a true eternal student.
Because he is humble, he finds
and wrings all possible value
from the work of masters of
all styles and genres, be it Jimi
Hendrix (classic rock) or John
McGeoch (new wave). Theres
a lesson for all of us as artists
there: Dont get hung up on any
one aspect of music. True inno-
vation only occurs when we are
bold enough to move across as
many different fields and medi-
ums as we can possibly incor-
porate during our lifetimes. Im
gladder with each passing year
that Mr. Frusciante was able to
get his life and career back on
track, and grateful for what Ive
learned from interviews with
him and listening to his work.
I will never be half the guitar-
ist he is, but he inspires me
continually. May he continue
writing, recording, and playing
until the moment he draws his
final breath.
Nik Farr,
Eternal Lessons
Been listening to cacophony
since I was a young teenager and
absolutely love those wrong
notes, and like all diminished,
suspended and similar things
[Electric Etudes: Jason Becker,
February 2014]. Of course, I
also play some instruments
guitar is the main oneand
always learn by help from
Yngwie stuff, and then Marty
and Jason. What a mess I find
myself in, but learning never
stops and will go till the end of
my time! Thanks PG.
Sasha,
DIY Success
Wow. What an awesome job
[Guitar Shop 101, How to Set
Up a Floyd Rose-Style Trem,
August 2013]. I followed this to
the letter. I had to buy a capo,
truss rod wrench, and an action
gauge, but now I feel like I have
a brand new guitar. Thanks for
the skill. Again, amazingly thor-
ough job right down to string
retainer. Thank you so much!
Mark Edge,
This is going on
my pedalboard
TOMORROW. I
dont even care how
it sounds. RT @
premierguitar
Dread Ivy,
@Dread_Ivy
@premierguitar When
showing guitar pics ...
please show headstock.
Its very important to the
whole look!
Matt Beatty,
@yycmattbeatty
Thanks for posting this
[DIY: How to Mic Your
Amp for Stellar Tone,
February 2014]. It was
actually really good for
someone like myself just
beginning to record.
Stephen Swiontek
My 67 Gibson Barney
Kessel, and the Billy-Bo
are the ones I cant put
down right now.
Columbo Saiya
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premierguitar.com
People have tons of chops, but no songwriting
ability I dont want to watch dudes masturbate.
I want music to convey emotions.
Baroness' John Baizley, p. 94
CONTENTS May 2014
147
Top 5 Heavy
Rig Rundowns
A look back at our fave
metal gear videos.
94
State of Metal
Guitarists from six hot
'n' heavy bands discuss
the state of hardcore
in 2014.
34
Musikmesse
We highlight the
coolest gear from
Europe's biggest show.
79
Sideman Stories
Tips from veterans on
how to succeed as a
supporting guitarist.
114 Aristides 070
116 PRS Archon
121 Third Man Bumble Buzz
124 Warwick RockBass Star Bass
127 TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
130 DiPinto Melody Mach IV
133 Black Cat OD-Boost
137 Dr. J Sparrow
140 Breedlove Premier Auditorium
143 Origin Cali76 Limiting Amplifier
REVIEWS
58
Neon Trees
Chris Allen and
Branden Campbell on
playing with nuance.
70
Manchester
Orchestra
The dual-guitar coup
de main of Andy Hull
and Robert McDowell.
ARTISTS
50
Tim Mahoney
After two decades, 311
comes full circle with
Stereolithic.
9121 -MF Premier Guitar - May Ad - PRG_v2-print.indd 1 3/12/14 2:23 PM
premierguitar.com
20 News Bits
22 Gear Radar
25 Opening Notes
160 Media Reviews
162 Staff Picks
172 Next Month in PG
174 Esoterica Electrica
176 Last Call
GEAR
30 Rig Rundowns
44 Modern Builder Vault
46 Bottom Feeder
48 Vintage Vault
68 Tone Tips
HOW-TO
76 Acoustic Soundboard
86 The Recording Guitarist
88 Guitar Shop 101
90 On Bass
92 Bass Bench
108 Mod Garage
110 Ask Amp Man
112 State of the Stomp
Each new
mic adds
something,
but takes
something
else away.
Joe Gore,
The Recording
Guitarist, p. 86
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CONTENTS May 2014
On the Cover:
The Aristides Instruments 070
7-string and PRS Archon head.
Photo by Meghan Molumby
- Bolder, stronger high end
- Fuller, warmer low end
- Balanced voice across
all strings
- Ideal for narrow bodied guitars
- Comfortable, balanced hand feel
- .013, .017, .025, .032, .042, .053
GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE LONG LIFE, e icon, and other designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. 2014 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. ELX-318-ADV-US-FEB14
HD Light Phosphor Bronze with NANOWEB
Coating HD Light 80/20 Bronze with NANOWEB Coating

Elixir
Light Strings
a new voice to love for longer
BOL DE R h i g h e n d
F U L L E R l o w e n d
LIGHT
New Elixir HD Light Strings
are a blend of medium gauge
plain steel strings with light
gauge wound strings, bridged
by a custom .025 third string.
Increased tension of the
treble strings improves their
articulation. The interaction
of the tension profle with the
soundboard also adds harmonic
content to the bass strings.
Learn more:
www.elixirstrings.com/hdlight
US_Master_9x10.875_HDLight_A.indd 1 14/03/2014 14:48
premierguitar.com
FEATURED
LESSONS
BEYOND BLUES
Progressive Progressions
By Levi Clay
RHYTHM RULES
Chops, Speed, and Rhythm
By Fareed Haque
ACOUSTIC ADVENTURES
Leo Kottkes
Invisible Thumb
By Shawn Persinger
FUTURE ROCK
Hybrid Picking
By Tom Monda
Access all of our lessons
online, for free, with
streaming audio and
downloadable, printable
notation PDFs.
ONLY ON PremierGuitar.com
Your guide to the latest stories, reviews, videos, and lessons on PremierGuitar.com
Grissom's Bristle
Session hero David Grissom has worked with a laundry list of music titans, including but not
limited to John Mellencamp, the Dixie Chicks, Ringo Starr, Chris Isaak, Robben Ford, and Buddy
Guy. Hes an accomplished songwriter in Nashville, penning tunes for Trisha Yearwood, Lee Ann
Womack, and others. But we talked to him about his new solo album, How It Feels To Fly, which
offers bristling recorded guitar tones generated by the union of his PRS signature guitar and amps:
a whammy-equipped DGT 6-string and his brand-new, ultra-responsive DG Custom 30- and
50-watt tube barkers. In other web-only coverage, look for our interview with Marty Friedman,
and a gear review of the ISP Theta Preamp.
NEW FOOTAGE
Premier Guitars road crew just returned
from Germany with a whopping amount
of gear news. Check out the editors
picks from Musikmesse 2014 on p. 34, and
then head online to see photo galleries of all the
guitars, basses, amps, and effects that we could get
our grubby paws on. In addition, well be rolling
out more than 40 video demos of the same, so
you can decide for yourself if you like what you
see and hear.
GO ONLINE
M
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Marty Friedman
premierguitar.com
OBITUARY
Flamenco Master Paco de Lucia:
1947-2014
Guitarists and devotees of flamenco music
around the world are mourning the death
of Paco de Lucia, heralded as the greatest
flamenco guitarist of our time. De Lucia
reportedly suffered a heart attack while
playing with his children on a Caribbean
beach resort in Mexico and died at a local
hospital on the evening of February 25.
He was 66.
Born Francisco Gustavo Snchez
Gomes in 1947 in the Spanish port city
of Algeciras, de Lucia began playing
traditional flamenco guitar at an early age. His father and two brothers also played flamenco guitar,
and the four of them accompanied another brother who was a flamenco singer. A child prodigy, de
Lucia made his radio debut at age 11 and recorded his first album at 14. At that time, de Lucia took
his professional name to honor Lucia Gomes, his Portuguese mother.
For many years, de Lucia devoted himself to traditional flamenco music and became recognized as
a master of the genre, following in the footsteps of Sabicas, the great flamenco guitarist de Lucia first
met as a youngster. Sabicas became de Lucias mentor and friend, and eventually de Lucia was widely
acknowledged as Sabicas successor.
But de Lucias restless musical curiosity and interest in jazz and Latin music led him to explore new
sounds. Through collaborations with John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Larry Coryell, and Chick Corea,
de Lucia introduced the fiery rhythms and lightning-fast runs of flamenco to rock and jazz guitarists
around the world whountil hearing de Luciahad little familiarity with traditional Spanish and
Gypsy music. Released in 1981, Friday Night in San Francisco, which featured de Lucia, Di Meola, and
McLaughlin, sold more than a million copies and is considered one of the greatest live acoustic-guitar
albums of all time.
To have worked and played music with Paco is one the greatest blessings in my life, says
McLaughlin. In the place where he lived in my heart, there is now an emptiness that will stay with
me till I join him.
Though guitarists enthusiastically embraced de Lucias nuevo flamenco, not everyone in the
flamenco world endorsed this new sound. Like Ravi Shankar, who brought the melodies, timbres,
and rhythms of sitar and Indian classical music to the West and was decried by traditionalists for
doing so, de Lucia had critics in Spain who saw the marriage of flamenco and jazz as diluting the
pure form. But also like Shankar, de Lucia never lost his heartfelt connection with his musical roots,
and his stunning technique, impassioned improvisations, and artful compositions always honored
the music he learned as a child in Spain. De Lucia will be remembered as flamenco guitars greatest
ambassador and one of the finest musicians to ever hold a nylon-string guitar. Andy Ellis
FOR SALE
Gruhn Guitars Offers
Earliest Known
Stratocaster
Gruhn Guitars has announced
for sale the earliest known
1954 Fender Stratocaster (serial
number 0100) with original
poodle style hard case for
$250,000. Ive seen a vast
number of fretted instruments
during the 50-plus years Ive
been in this business and
this guitar spoke to me the
moment I opened the case,
says George Gruhn. Its
significance goes far beyond its
place in the history of musical
instruments. This Stratocaster
made an incredible mark on
music history as well when
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these differences after years
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Mike Landau. Incredible.
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premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2014 21
it left the Fender factory and landed in
the first owners hands at a music shop
in El Monte, California. This is the
earliest example of the most successful
model electric guitar in the history of the
instrument and is the guitar that launched
a revolution.
The Strat is reportedly in exceptionally
fine condition. The neck date is 1/54
(January 1954) and the body date is 4/54
(April 1954). As is typical of the earliest
Stratocasters, the serial number is stamped
on the tremolo cavity plate rather than the
neck fastening plate as seen on later Fender
instruments.
gruhnguitar.com
CRUISE
Mtorhead, Megadeth,
and Anthrax Team Up for
Mtorheads Motrboat
Megadeth, Motrhead, and Anthrax will
perform at the first annual Motrheads
Motrboat cruise onboard the Carnival
Ecstasy from September 22-26, 2014.
In addition to these three rock giants,
The Loudest Boat In The World will
also feature performances from Zakk
Wylde, Jim Breuer, Danko Jones, Fireball
Ministry, Wilson, and more.
Motrheads Motrboat will sail from
Miami, visiting the ports of Key West,
Florida and Cozumel just off Mexicos
Yucatan Peninsula. While onboard, guests
will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to interact with band members and see
unforgettable performances on various
stages throughout the ship.
Motrhead founder Lemmy Kilmister
proclaims: "This will be everything youve
come to expect from a night out with us,
except even louder, with more great bands
and no way of escaping! If you thought
waves could rock a boat, youve got another
thing coming with this lovely little outing!"
Scott Ian of Anthrax adds, Anthrax,
Motrhead and Megadeth at sea??? To
quote Chief Brody [Jaws], Were going to
need a bigger boat.
motorheadcruise.com
INTRODUCING THE WALRUS AUDIO
DESCENT REVERB
premierguitar.com
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TV JONES
Brian Setzer
Signature Pickup
Building on more than 20
years of working together,
TV Jones and rockabilly
master Brian Setzer
team up for a signature
pickup derived from the
TV Classic, but a bit more
over-the-top.
Street $145
tvjones.com
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EASTWOOD
Airline 59
Newport
Based on the National
Newport Val-Pro 88, the
new Airline 59 sports a
lightweight chambered
mahogany body, maple
neck, and two NY mini
humbuckers.
Street $1,099
eastwoodguitars.com
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ANALOG
OUTFITTERS
Road Amp
This amp is built from a
decommissioned road sign
enclosure and a vintage
Hammond organ amp
chassis foundation, has
a pair of 6V6 tubes, and
weighs in at 20 watts.
MSRP $1199
analogoutftters.com
5
HOBO KING
GUITARS
Standard Cigar
Box Guitar
An American-made
3-string axe with an
ebonized black walnut
neck, birch and mahogany
boxes, Grover Rotomatic
tuners, and a Hobo King
MKIII pickup system.
MSRP $249
hoboking.com
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MODTONE EFFECTS
Bohemian
Overdrive
With a simple 3-knob
confgurationvolume,
tone, and gainthe
Bohemian is right at
home as a main overdrive
in the front end of your
amp or as authentic tube
saturation when used as a
solo boost.
Street $109.95
modtone-efects.com
GEAR RADAR
New products on the horizon.
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FREE THE TONE
Red Jasper
Based on an original HTS
(Holistic Tonal Solution),
the Red Jasper is a
low-gain overdrive with
smooth highs, punchy
mids, and tight lows.
Street $265
freethetone.com
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BOSS
GT-001
A sleek desktop unit with
a huge selection of COSM
amps and efects, 1/4" and
XLR outputs, and an XLR
input to record vocals or
acoustic instruments.
Street $299
bossus.com
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TAILPEACE DSIGNZ
Custom Series
Tailpieces
These patent-pending,
lightweight designs mount
easily on traditional
tailpiece studs and appear
suspended or foating
without ever touching the
surface of your guitar.
Street $79.99-99.99
tailpeace.com
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SYNAPTICGROOVE
Slackjaw
The companys second
pedal handles single-coils,
humbuckers, and solid-
state or tube amps equally
and ranges from nearly
clean boost to warm
saturation to hairy fuzz
without tone coloration or
signal degradation.
Street $239
synapticgroove.com
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ANGELTONE
John Stannard
Telecaster Pickups
This set has vulcanized
fber bobbins made
in-house, nitrocellulose-
lacquer, coil-insulation
dipping, Alnico magnets,
black wax potting, and
22 gauge vintage-style
hookup wire for great
vintage looks and sound.
Street $149.90 (set)
angeltone.com
GEAR RADAR
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tcelectronic.com/ditto-x2-looper
Ditto X2 Looper takes all that made the original smash-hit
Ditto Looper great and brings it a quantum loop forward!
Weve added reverse and half speed loop FX, a footswitch
for instantly stopping and clearing loops, the ability to import
and export loops and Stereo I/O. All of the award-winning
features of the original Ditto, plus new, next level looping
features forged from pure awesome!
DITTO. X2
011914-TCE-Ditto-x2-Looper-ad-Premier-Guitar.indd 1 20/01/14 23.37
Gary Clark Jr.
February 11, 2014
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI
Photo by Ken Settle
The Grammy-winning bluesman
brings the heat to Detroit and
bends big with his main axe, a
1966 all-original Epiphone Casino.
OPENING NOTES
premierguitar.com
Bob Weir
February 24, 2014
House of Blues
Boston, MA
Photo by Rich Gastwirt
The Grateful Dead legend gets
Ratdogs two-night stop in Boston
started with the help of his Lindy
Fralin Vintage Hot-loaded axe that
was built for him by San Francisco
luthier Rich Hoeg in 2010.
OPENING NOTES
Stephen Malkmus
February 25, 2014
Paradise Rock Club
Boston, MA
Photo by Tim Bugbee
The frontman for Stephen
Malkmus and the Jicks serves
it up to Beantown with one of
his two current go-to guitars, a
mostly stock, beat-to-hell 1970
Guild S-100 thats been through
the ringer, but its mostly intact,
says his tech.
OPENING NOTES
premierguitar.com
James Edward
Bagshaw
January 28, 2014
Teatro Latino
Barcelona, Spain
Rosario Lopez
At a surprise show in Barcelona,
Temples lead guitarist James
Edward Bagshaw delivers the bands
brew of psychedelia with his 2013
stock Gretsch Country Gentleman.
OPENING NOTES
premierguitar.com
ROBBEN FORD
RIG RUNDOWNS
In celebration of his
new album A Day
in Nashville, guitar
virtuoso Robben
Ford returned to
the scene for two
shows at Music
Citys 3rd & Lindsley
club. On March 5,
2014, ace luthier Joe
Glaser filled in as
the Premier Guitar
Rig Rundown host,
meeting Ford and
his tech/co-producer
Rick Wheeler before
the second show
to talk about the
beauty of vintage
guitars and what
its like to tour with
what may be the
most valuable guitar
amp out there.
GUITARS
Over the course of his
incredible 40-year
career, Ford has toured
and recorded with
some very drool-worthy
guitars. Currently, he
travels with just two
vintage beauties: a
1966 Epiphone Riviera
(Glaser removed the
original Bigsby trem and
replaced it with a stop
tailpiece) and a 1960
Fender Telecaster with a
rosewood fretboard.
FACTOID
Since 1983, Robben
Fords main amp
has been a Dumble
Overdrive Special,
serial number 002.
AMPS
Since 1983, Fords main
amp has been a Dumble
Overdrive Special, serial
number 002, which
Alexander Dumble
made for him that year.
(Serial 001 is Dumbles
personal amp.) Ford
keeps this sweet baby
safe by plugging it
into a variable voltage
regulator. He runs
this Overdrive Special
through a Dumble
2x12 cabinet that was
actually made for his
second Dumble head.
The cabinet houses a
pair of Celestion G12-
65 8 speakers.
EFFECTS
Given that Ford plays
top-shelf guitars and
amps, his tone does
not need much help in
the pedal department.
Ford uses a Vertex
pedalboard designed
by Mason Marangella
in 2013. Although the
board has gone through
some changes, today it
includesin signal-
fow orderaVertex
I/O interface, a TC
Electronic PolyTune
Mini, a Vertex-modded
Boss FV-500 volume
pedal with expression
control running out to a
Vertex Boost, a Hermida
Audio Zendrive, a
Strymon TimeLine
thats controlled by a
Roland EV-5 Expression
Pedal, a TC Electronic
Hall of Fame Reverb,
and (confgured
independently of all
the efects) a Dumble
footswitch with pre-EQ
boost and overdrive
switches. Voodoo Labs
Pedal Power Digital
provides the juice.
premierguitar.com
J. D. Cronise & Kyle Shutt
THE SWORD
RIG RUNDOWNS
Austin metal
quartet The Sword
talked with Premier
Guitar before their
show at the Exit/
In, in Nashville on
February 17, 2014.
Guitarists John J.D.
Cronise and Kyle
Shutt explain why
all they need for a
successful tour is
four guitars, a couple
amps, and a bass
player that builds
custom pedals.
J.D. CRONISES GEAR
Guitars
John J.D. Cronise is
a full-on Gibson man.
When not bludgeoning
his beloved 1979
Gibson E2 Explorer,
hes playing his 2007
Gibson Les Paul Custom
plain top. Both guitars
feature Gibson TP6
tailpieces. The E2
features a DiMarzio
Super Distortion in the
bridge and a DiMarzio
Super Distortion 2 in the
neck. The Les Paul sports
a Super Distortion in the
bridge and a Seymour
Duncan Pearly Gates in
the neck.
Efects
J.D.s pedal chain starts
with a TC Electronic
PolyTune into a Rocktron
HUSH. Next is an MXR
Phase 90 into a Bogner
Ecstasy Red overdrive/
boost and ending with
an MXR Carbon Copy
delay. J.Ds board also
holds a TC-Helicon
VoiceTone D1 that he
uses as a doubling efect
for his vocals.
FACTOID
Kyle Shutt keeps
things simple
with his one-knob
wonder: a 50-watt
Big Crunch One
Knob.
Amps
Cronise plays through an Orange OR100 and keeps
a Laney AOR pro-tube as a backup. Both players run
their amps into two black tolexed Orange 2x12 and
4x12 cabinets, (modelsPPC412 and PPC212), loaded
with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers that have twice
the wattage of a standard Orange cab.
KYLE SHUTTS GEAR
Guitars
Kyle Shutt tours
exclusively with two
Electra Guitars. The frst
is a lovely 2013 Electra
Omega Prime featuring
a maple fretboard, a
Duncan Invader pickup
in the bridge and a
Duncan JB in the neck.
The other is a very black
beauty-ish 2013 Electra
Omega featuring a Super
Distortion in the bridge
and a Duncan Phat Cat
P-90 in the neck.Electra
was an innovative guitar
company in the 70s that
could not survive the
pointy guitar craze of
the 80s, but theyre now
back and better than ever.
Efects
Kyles efects chain starts
with a Boss TU-2 tuner
into a wah (although
you see a Vox enclosure,
the actual circuitry is a
Dunlop Cry Baby thats
been heavily modded
by The Swords bassist
Bryan Richie). Next in
line is a Boss DS-1 into a
Rocktron HUSH, then into
a phaser (built by Richie),
ending with a delay
also built by Richie.
While PG was conducting
this interview, Bryan was
soldering something
in the background and
looked a bit like a mad
scientist, only way
cooler. Both guitarists
use a Voodoo Lab Pedal
Power 2 to provide juice
for all this grease.
Amps
Kyle uses a 50-watt
Big Crunch One Knob,
which, as you probably
guessed, gets it all done
with a single volume
control. Both players
run their amps into two
black tolexed Orange
2x12 and 4x12 cabinets,
(modelsPPC412 and
PPC212), loaded with
Celestion Vintage 30
speakers that have
twice the wattage of a
standard Orange cab.
premierguitar.com
WRITTEN BY JOE GORE | PHOTOS BY CHRIS KIES
MUSIKMESSE
M
usikmesse isnt what it used
to be, show veterans say.
Attendance is far from peak.
There are fewer full exhibition halls. High
participation costs (and the ability to
announce and publicize products digitally)
have prompted numerous companies to
bypass the once-essential event.
But you know what? Messe is still huge.
NAMMs European equivalent, held
each year in Frankfurt, Germany, is
substantially larger than its Anaheim
counterpart. Far louder, too: As at
NAMM, sound police armed with
decibel meters patrol the floor, but theyre
slackers. Messe is deafening.
But, hey, whats a little tinnitus when
you get to spend four days ogling so
many cool new music products? From
March 12th through 16th we roamed the
vast halls, marveling at superbly crafted
boutique instruments, solid working-
player tools, and some remarkable budget-
gear bargains.
The show highlights? For North
American players like us, its probably the
chance to fondle the phenomenal creations
of small-production European shops whose
instruments tend to be scarce in the States.
The phrase Old World craftsmanship may
be a clich, but Messe schools you on how
it became one. You can hardly turn around
without being dumbstruck by a ravishing
instrument that blends the engineering
chops of Stuttgart or Turin with the design
elegance of Milan or Barcelona.
But our report isnt just some
glamour-gear buyers guide for
investment bankers and lottery winners
indulging in a European grand tour.
Quality work and compelling style were
equally evident in mid-priced gear for
working stiffs and in some remarkable
entry-level bargains.
Its hard to summarize such a vast
event with a simple tagbut if pressed,
Id go with retro fun. Per usual, vintage-
inspired designs reigned supreme. But
we saw more manufactures playing with
vintage aesthetics, recombining old-
school elements in winning new ways.
By and large, manufacturers seem to be
having fun. We certainly wereand its
not just the beer and schnitzel talking!
| |
Look for this icon to see a video demo at premierguitar.com or youtube.com/premierguitar.
ELECTRIC GUITARS
1. Poland-born, Berlin-based luthier Nick Page
creates ultra-high-end, one-of-a-kind custom
instruments. His designs boast unique and
exquisite detailing, yet they have a worn-in,
well-loved feel. We drooled over his Blitz
model, with its Charlie Christian neck pickup
(beneath a humbucker cover), a bridge PAF, and a
customized Duesenberg trem. Page winds all his
own pickups. nickpageguitars.com
2. Hagstrom showed the colorful Viking Deluxe
Custom Limited, a double-cutaway semi-
hollowbody with a fame maple ply body, a
set maple neck, and a pair of Hagstroms H-50
humbuckers. Its available in mandarin orange
and black cherry fnishes. hagstromguitars.eu
3. Vibe on a budget: Jay Abend, whose
Guitar Fetish line specializes in solid gear at
unbelievably low prices, debuted the new Earl
Slick guitar series. Created in tandem with
John Lennon/David Bowie sideman Slick, the
axes exude rawk attitude with their swamp ash
bodies, distressed fnishes, and chunky brass
hardware. We dug his Tele-themed SL50, which
will sell for just a couple of hundred bucks.
slickguitars.com
4. Shredmeister Dario Lorina, who just joined
Zakk Wyldes Black Label Society, demoed his
new signature model, the LG Arkanator. Its a
mash-up of two previous LG models, combining
the neck from the Arkane with an Imperator
body. It boasts Seymour Duncan Blackouts
pickups, a Floyd Rose trem, a mahogany body
with a quilted maple top, and a hard maple neck
with an ebony fretboard. usa.lagguitars.com
5. The Gibson Custom Shop's Collectors
Choice series clones instruments from private
collectionsextraordinary guitars that just dont
happen to be associated with a famous player.
The 18th model in the series is a masterful
replica of Dutch Bursta memorable 1960
Paul owned by a Netherlands collector. This isnt
your typical antiquing: Gibson made hundreds
of scans of the original, and cloned every single
ding and crack. It may be the most convincing
faux-antique guitar weve encountered.
gibsoncustom.com
6. Frances Wild Customs guitars truly earn
their Custom moniker. Their guitars are built
from several templates, but each one has some
unique design detail. From ravishing engraved
metalwork and elaborately carved surfaces to
funky distressed fnishes, this is Grade A eye
candy. wildcustomguitars.com
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premierguitar.com
AMPS
1. Thomas Blug, creator of some of Hughes &
Kettners best products, has gone solo with his
BluGuitar line. His new Amp 1, a 4-channel,
100-watt amp head that looks like a small multi-
efect pedal. Employing much novel circuitry
and a single mini-sized Russian tubethe tiny
foor unit summoned fat, full tones the belied its
modest size. bluguitar.com
2. TubeArt of the Netherlands bowled us over
with their three-channel V6 head and 2x12
cabinet. It nails classic California tones, AC/DC-
style crunch, and hard rock saturation, all with
spectacular punch and dynamics. A cryptic knob
labeled That mimics the resonances of varying
cabinets with remarkable realism. Its a big, bold
amp with a big bold price: 4,200 for the basic
model. tubeart-amps.com
3. Friedman Amplifcation, specialists in ultra-
high-end, Marshall-derived amps, introduced the
Small Box, a 50-watt, EL34-powered head with
dual channels, one with a vintage plexi sound,
and one summoning the hot-rodded tones of
Friedmans Brown Eye model. The dynamic
response is simply stunningyou can go from
crispy-clean to monster crunch by touch alone.
friedmanamplifcation.com
4. Two-Rock fred up their new Coral model. Its
a 2-channel amp with numerous tone-sculpting
switches and other impressive extras, such as
independent reverb send and return controls for
both channels, and the option of bypassing the
entire tone stack for a brighter, more ferocious
tone. It comes in both cab and combo versions,
and in 6V6 and 6L6 confgurations of varying
wattages. Clean tones sparkle. Dirty tones roar
and sparkle. Its a frecracker! two-rock.com
5. Carlsbro previewed the VAC 15 classic, a new
class A, 15-watt, dual-EL84 combo amp. It will be
a budget-conscious model, yet it boasts a bona
fde 12" Celestion Greenback. carlsbro.com
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premierguitar.com
ACOUSTIC
1. Cheap chic: Ekos new Italian-designed/
Chinese-made NXT Parlor is a sleek black
small-format acoustic that will sell in the U.S.
for around $170. It looks cool, sounds decent,
and would make an awesome kids guitaror a
great couch/beach axe for experienced players.
ekoguitars.it
2. Martins new 000-18 is a 14 fret model with
a Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides.
Its a sweet-toned beauty with a manicured EQ
profle perfect for recording. martinguitar.com
3. The Blues Elite BE70SB from Alvarezs
high-end Elite Masterworks series is a pretty
and petite acoustic with a true carved top of
AA Sitka spruce, a one-piece mahogany neck,
Indian rosewood back and sides, famed maple
binding, hand-carved bracing, a bi-level ebony
bridge, and lovely pearl and abalone inlays.
alvarezguitars.com
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premierguitar.com
EFFECTS
1. Norways Aalberg Audio previewed a crowd-
funded delay pedal comprising two components:
Ekko, a digital delay stompbox (with light meters
to denote the delay time, feedback, and mix
settings), and Aero, a small, ergonomic wireless
controller that can be clip-mounted on your
guitar, belt, or wherever. Aeros push/pull pot lets
you set tempo by tapping, scroll through efect
parameters, and enter values. Its the frst in a
planned series of remote-controllable efects.
Theyre still securing funding via Indiegogo,
but given the interest at the show, we doubt
theyll have trouble reaching their funding goal.
aalbergaudio.com
2. Dutch amp and pedal company Koch
previewed the 59OD, a full-featured preamp in
pedal form. (Yeah, the picture says 63OD, but
Koch says the fnal name will be 59OD.) Its got
a 12AX7 tube and two efect loops, one before
and one after the gain stage. (The pre-gain loop
would be perfect with Fuzz Faces, wahs, and
other efects that sound best when not preceded
by a bufer.) It runs at 12 volts, but includes a
9V output (not pictured) capable of powering
other efects on your board. Theres an XLR out,
plus a 1/4" out switchable between 0 dB, -10
dB, and a ReAmp-like mode. The pedal sounded
impressively amp-like running directly into a PA.
koch-amps.com
3. Israeli stompbox manufacturer Greenhouse
showed of a line of colorful-looking, colorful-
sounding stompboxes. Their latest, Self-titled,
boasts clever interchangeable tone modules.
Just plug in a new module to morph the pedal
from fuzz to trem to overdrive. ghefects.com
4. Korg mixes old and new with the Nuvibean
updated Uni-Vibe that nails the vintage sound
while ofering unprecedented user control. A
row of LED sliders lets you tune the modulation
efect to taste and create endless variations
on the classic chorused sound. The controller
pedal is included. Tired of miniature-format
stompboxes and endless talk of pedalboard real
estate? Take this big boy for a ride! korg.com
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Emil Werstler - Chimaira
Zach Myers - Shinedown
Dustie Waring - Between the Buried and Me
Mark Tremonti - Alter Bridge

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The Archon was designed to leave you
with just the essentials for killer tone.
Five gain stages deliver a full and lush
distortion while the clean channels
ample headroom is a perfect platform
for pedals. The Archon is a powerful,
imposing and articulate amplier that
caters to the needs of any player.
100/50W (Switchable)
2 Channels
6L6GC Tubes
PRS_Archon_Ad_PG.indd 1 3/18/14 5:10 PM
premierguitar.com
BASSES & ACCESSORIES
1. Swedens Hagstrom has resurrected a classic
bass, the Northern Super Swede. Its based on
the instrument that Abbas Rutger Gunnarsson
played on such hits as Dancing Queen.
Its a neck-through model, its central slab of
mahogany visible from headstock to bridge
and surrounded by double-cutaway mahogany
wings. The pickups are hand-wound J-types by
Lundgren. Love the Stockholm-meets-Fullerton
styling! hagstromguitars.eu
2. Beatle-style, only bigger: Germanys Hfner
showcased the new Federal 500/15 bass, which
grafts a Beatle Bass neck onto a full-depth body
with no sustain block. Fitted with fatwound
strings, it nailed that signature sound, but with
greater acoustic mass. hofner.com
3. Italys Eko showed the Italian-designed/
Chinese-made Mia, a single-cutaway acoustic
bass guitar with a solid cedar top, rosewood back
and sides, and lots of cool styling. Ekos onboard
preamp/EQ delivered full, fat tones through an
acoustic amp, and the system boasts a built-in
tuner. ekoguitars.it
4. Timber Tones, a Brighton, U.K., manufacturer
specializing in high-end guitar picks made from
unconventional materials, has expanded their
product line, which includes picks made from
agate, crystal, and various metals.
timber-tones.com
5. Barcelonas Aclam Guitars displayed their
Modular Track pedalboard frames. Crafted
from brightly colored anodized aluminum and
available in three sizes, these boards boast
height-adjustable legs, cable concealing covers,
and suction-cup mounts that slide along the
frame to secure stompboxes of varying sizes.
Aclam also does custom sizes and confgurations.
aclamguitars.cat
6. TV Jones has been winding pickups for Brian
Setzer for 20 years, but has only now released
a Brian Setzer signature model. Its descended
from the Gretsch FilterTron, but features a
new pole screw alloy and what Jones describes
as a more over-the-top sound. Its a sonic
knockout, with crackling transients and airy
highs that never seem harsh, and a fat bottom
end to anchor that brightness. It sounds stunning
through an overdriven amp, where the bold
treble response maintains defnition even as you
slather on gain. (The guitar pictured is Jones' test
rig, which lets him swap pickups in seconds.)
tvjones.com
1
3
5 6
4
2
Create your own masterpiece.
McPhersonGuitars.com
A vast selection of tonewoods from all over
the world give you the option to not only
create a beautiful guitar, but choose
from a wide palette of tonal colors.
Give us a call at: 608.366.1407
well guide you through the process.
When you invest in a high-end instrument, its nice if you can make it your own.
premierguitar.com
MODERN BUILDER VAULT
Amfisound Guitars
BY RICH OSWEILER
F
innish luthiers Tomi Korkalainen and
Sampo Leppvuori met in 1997 at the
Ikaalinen College of Crafts and Design
where they were both students in the guitar-
making department. And though they came
from different parts of the countryalong with
completely different personalities and tastes in
musicthey quickly found they had a lot in
common and became close friends. One of those
commonalities was a huge respect and love for
nature and the North. Another was a shared
belief that music is more than just soundtheres
something deeply emotional and personal about
it. These are things that we have always applied
to our guitar building, says Korkalainen.
After finishing their initial studies in 2001,
the two founded Amfisound Guitars in 2002 and
decided to base their shop in Oulu, in Northern
Finland, because our Northern roots and attitude
are very important for us. A lot of things about
Finland are pretty extreme: the climate, the nature,
the history, the people, the music, etc. But there
is also a deep sense of tradition and that deep love
for nature. Our guitars often impart these feelings,
shares Korkalainen. In fact, the name for each of
our models refers to something Finnish or Northern
that is deeply meaningful to us.
Korkalainen and Leppvuori choose not to use
CNC technology their for bodies or necks. We build
our guitars in a traditional way by using old-school
machines that are operated by hand, because it gives
us endless possibilities for shaping the wood. Almost
all of our machines are from the 70solder
than we are, says Korkalainen. People
often ask if our guitars are
available in a left-
handed version,
and questions
like this seem
funny to us
because it
just shows that mass-production companies are much
more limited when it comes to doing things even a
little bit differently. Since we do everything by hand,
there are no limits to our building.
The luthiers essentially have two lines
extreme and classic. Korkalainen says that the
companys reputation as a primarily heavy metal
guitar outfit is somewhat misleading since the pair
has always made classic-style guitars as well. I
have always had a big heart for the beauty of the
classic guitars, and the reason for my conservative
soul is probably because I have always respected
the traditional violin and cello makers.
For the most part, however, Koralainen is focused
on designing the companys extreme and metal
guitars and taking care of special paint work, while
Leppvuoris main focus is on their bass guitars and
classic line. It rarely happens that one man builds
one guitar alone though, says Korkalainen. Most
of our guitars have various custom features, so the
contribution or the specialized skills of the other
builder is often needed. That way, we manage to
optimize our potential and our time, and share our
individual skills and abilities.
The pair says their biggest inspiration comes
from their musician customers and the crazy
and cool ideas they come up with. From them,
we also learn what they want for their music,
what sort of improvements are needed to keep up
with the music styles or developments in music
technology, and what works on instruments
and what doesnt. For all these things, we find it
really important to keep in close contact with our
customers and to provide a warm and welcoming
family atmosphere, says Korkalainen. It gives
more personal meaning to the work we do
and a more rewarding feeling. Listening to our
customers and understanding what they want is
really, really important. In my personal opinion,
this is the only way to build a truly custom guitar.
amfisoundguitars.fi
Kuru 5
The Kuru 5 is a fne example of one of Korkalainen and Leppvuoris bass oferings. This 35"-scale low-end
machine has a swamp ash body, a bolt-on maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, and quilted maple topping both
the body and headstock. Appointments include the style A bridge and HB6 tuners from Hipshot, as well as Amf-
sounds non-slip potentiometer knobs. This particular Kuru is outftted with a 3-band preamp from Glockenklang
that pairs with a Seymour Duncan SJ53b and SMB5a combo.
PRICING &
AVAILABILITY
The two-man shop
builds about 40 custom
guitars a year. Emailing,
calling, or visiting the
shop is the best way to
get the process started
since Amfisound deals
direct for the most
part. Approximate
build time once an
order is placed can
be as little as three
months for a bolt-on
basic model, and up to
12 months or more for
more involved, unique
custom instruments.
Depending on the
build, pricing ranges
from approximately
$2,800 to $9,800
(including EU VAT). And
for customers outside
the European Union,
pricing ranges from
approximately $2,265
to $7,900.
PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2014 45
Halti Arcticia
A modern take on a classic guitar shape, the
Halti model features Amfsounds new SET-LOCK
construction that consists of a long, lockable
neck-joint meant to provide faster playability
and easier access to the entire fretboard. The
Halti Arcticia shown here has a mahogany
neck and body, famed maple top, and a
rosewood fretboard. Adorned with classic-
style gold hardware and appointments, the
guitar is packed to rock with a pair of custom,
handwound Jarno Salo pickups.
Routa 8 Celtic
The neck-through Routa is Amfsounds frst
guitar model and built with speed and metal
in mind. The Routa 8 Celtic here is a 27"-scale
8-string with a mahogany semi-hollow body and
maple/mahogany/walnut neck thats capped with
an ebony fretboard. Cocobolo is used for the top,
back, and headstock veneer. Features include the
Celtic-themed f-hole and inlay work, Kahler 2318
tremolo, and Amfsound non-slip potentiometer
knobs. Powering this Routa 8 Celtic metal
machine is a single Lundgren Model M 8 pickup.
Halla
The solidbody Halla model is part of Amfsounds
classic line of guitars and this particular example
thats fnished in a high-gloss red has an alder
body with a famed maple top, and a bolt-on
maple neck thats dressed with a rosewood
fretboard. Hardware appointments include
Hipshot locking tuners, a Bigsby and TonePros
Nashville-style bridge, and Amfsound non-slip
potentiometer knobs. For electronics, this regal-
looking axe has a pair of TV Jones Classics.
premierguitar.com
BOTTOM FEEDER
I
have to confess that the finishes on
most sunburst Teles make me yawn,
but I found this Douglas T-style on
eBay about a year ago, and its highly
figured ash burl front and back just
looked cool. Week after week the seller
listed it with a BIN (buy it now) price of
$169 plus $35 shipping, with no takers. I
kindly informed him that these sell brand
new for $129.99 plus $19 shipping from
an import company in California. After
several weeks, I emailed again with a
lowball offer, but he held firm, explaining
what a great guitar it was and that hed
already spent $50 to have a tech set it up
for super-easy playing.
Bottom Feeder Tip #375: Whatever
you spend to set up a guitar or upgrade
its parts, understand that youll never get
your money back if you decide to sell it.
This guitar languished on eBay until
the price came down to $99. Now it was
in Bottom Feeder territory, and I pulled
the trigger on it. With shipping, it totaled
$134not much better than what this
model goes for newbut I liked this
guitars ash burl pattern and knew the pro
setup would make my life easier.
I received it about a week later, and
sure enough, it was set up great and
easy to play. My other observations: The
high quality sealed Schaller-type tuners
are smooth and easy to turn. The bridge
pickup has a nice, typical Tele twang, but
the neck pickup sounds a little wooly.
Down the road, I might replace it with a
Seymour Duncan.
I really dig the old-style ashtray
bridge. All that metal does some kind
of weird voodoo to the sound, and the
railing surrounding the three sides of the
ashtray lets me anchor my right hand
comfortably for intricate hybrid picking.
This particular bridge allows for top or
rear loading of strings, giving you the
option of two different string angles
going over the bridge saddles, which
can result in slightly different tones and
sustain. Also, installing a Hipshot String
Bender is a lot easier when you use
top-loading holes as the string guides.
And the 3-way chrome saddles? To my
ears theyre way twangier than modern
6-way saddles.
Finally, the guitar is a little heavy (8.5
pounds), but most Teles are, so thats not
a deal-breaker. I dont know if the highly
figured ash burl is real or photo-flame. It
looks cool, and I cant tell the difference,
so at this price, who cares?
Douglas Highly Figured T-Style
BY WILL RAY
WILL RAY is a founding member
of the Hellecasters guitar-twang
trio. He also does guitar clinics
promoting his namesake G&L
signature model 6-string, and
produces artists and bands at his
studio in Asheville, North Carolina.
You can contact Will on Facebook
and at willray.biz.
Left: Could Leo have imagined the
enduring popularity of his original
solidbody design? This copy has a highly
fgured ash burl front and back. The steel
ashtray bridge and old-school 3-way
saddles enhance the lead pickups nice
Tele twang.
Top: The high-quality sealed tuners move
smoothly and seem stable.
Above: Real or photo-fame? At this price,
it simply doesnt matter.
To hear this guitar,
head online to
premierguitar.com
Exhibition Model No. 35 Mystique
with Natural Koa Top
(3739MYST)
The Dirty Shirley
40-Watt Tube Guitar Head

The Dirty Shirley 1x12 Guitar Cabinet
with Celestion Creamback
Exhibition Model No. 47
in see-thru Black Burst
(3741MYST)

Exhibition Model No. 46
Mystique in Tiger Eye
(3740MYST)
THE GREATEST SELECTI ON
OF THE FI NEST GUI TARS
SEE THESE INSTRUMENTS AND MORE AT GCPLATINUM.COM
8909-Premier-Guitar-Platinum-Ad-May-9x10.875-V2.indd 1 3/14/14 4:29 PM
premierguitar.com
T
he flattop 12-string guitar was
a foundation of the folk music
movement of the early 60s, and
this inspired Rickenbacker to design
and manufacture an electric 12-string in
1963. Although other companies (notably
Gibson and Danelectro) had made earlier
attempts, the Rickenbacker 12-string
electric became the most sought-after
because of its association with George
Harrison of the Beatles.
Musician and inventor James E. Gross
was intrigued by the electric 12-string
and decided to put his imagination to
work on improving it. Born in 1931 in
Lafayette, Indiana, Gross began playing
music professionally at a very young age.
He was distinguished as a performer and
bandleader in the Chicago area for many
years, and was known for playing unique
double-neck banjos and combining comedy
with exploding light shows and robots.
In 1966 Gross approached
Rickenbackers owner F.C. Hall with his
practical, easy-to-install converter device.
This converter comb could turn a
12-string into a 6-string (or any number
in between). When the converter was
engaged, it pulled strings down away from
the players right hand, leaving only the
desired number of strings to be picked.
Gross demonstrated the converter at the
July 1966 NAMM show. A licensing
agreement was signed in August, and the
guitars went into production by winter.
The models produced were the
336/12, 366/12, and 456/12. The
original Rickenbacker advertisement copy
read: Now, one instrumentthe most
versatile guitar ever madeends the need
for carrying extra guitars. By means of
an exclusive, patented converter on the
brilliant Rickenbacker 12-string guitar,
any combination of strings can be played.
The 1967 366/12 pictured here was
James Gross personal guitar. It has most
of the features associated with classic
Deluxe Rickenbacker models of the 60s.
These include a bound maple neck, a
gloss-finished rosewood fretboard with
large triangle-shaped inlays, two toaster
single-coil pickups, a maple body with
checkerboard binding on the back, a slash
soundhole, and an R tailpiece.
This example is finished in
Rickenbackers most popular color,
Fireglo. The main differences between
it and a regular 360/12 are the chrome
converter comb and the extra pickguard
under it, which extends below all 12
strings. The 1966 list price was $579.50.
The current value for one in excellent all-
original condition is $4,500.
The 366/12 rests against a late-60s
Rickenbacker Transonic TS100 amp. The
Transonics current value is $1,000.
Sources for this article include Tony
Bacons Rickenbacker Electric 12-String
and The History of Rickenbacker Guitars
by Richard R. Smith.
A very special thanks to Cody
Appel for acquiring the guitar and
original paperwork from James Gross
wife Peggy.
VINTAGE VAULT
1967 Rickenbacker 366/12 Convertible
BY DAVE ROGERS, LAUN BRAITHWAITE, AND TIM MULLALLY
DAVES GUITAR SHOP
Dave Rogers collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite
and Tim Mullally and is on display at:
Daves Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601
davesguitar.com
Photos by Mullally and text by Braithwaite.
Opposite page:
Thanks to its
mechanical
converter
comb, this 1967
Rickenbacker
366/12 can
be played as
a 12-string or
a 6-stringor
something in
between.
Far left: With
the converter in
place, you can
selectively pull
as many as six
strings away from
the picking hand.
The converters
hooks engage the
octave strings, as
well as one string
in each of the
unison sets.
Left: This sketch
of the convertible
is dated April 12,
1966.
premierguitar.com
BY CHRIS KIES
FULL CIRCLE
311 guitarist Tim Mahoney
T
im Mahoney is a cheerful dude. You cant
blame himhes coming up on some
enjoyable milestones. For starters, he just
welcomed his first son, Tim Jr., in late 2013. And
hes been playing guitar in the ska-funk-metal
band 311 with the same homeboys from Omaha,
Nebraska, for more than 20 years. For the groups
11th studio album, Stereolithic, 311 reunited with
producer Scott Ralston for the first time since
Transistor and Soundsystem in the late 90s.
Were the happiest, most content, weve
been as a unit in a long time and I think that
combined with reconnecting with Scott [Ralston]
as our producer made this last album cycle a
really fruitful, fun time, says Mahoney. Weve
always been a close band, but we have our own
families, friends, and lives outside of the band
and sometimes that takes precedentas it should.
But right now were all in a good place and its
hopefully felt in our music and live shows.
The band released Stereolithic on March 11, or
3/11a date that has become an annual holiday
for the band, celebrated with special extended
performances in a different city each year.
Surprisingly, this is the first time 311 has released
an album on March 11, and it also marks the
first release on the bands new label, 311 Records.
Mahoney recorded his parts at the home studio of
SA Martinez (vocals, turntables).
We all kind of recorded in our most
comfortable environments this time. I love the
Hive, our studio in L.A., but it was nice for me
to record at SAs house because we live in the
same area so traffic and the commute wasnt
bumming me out when I was going in to record
[laughs], says Mahoney. Its funny, back when
we started we fought, clawed, and grinded to get a
major label deal, and now two decades later were
liberated to go full circle where were still making
music were proud of and releasing it ourselves to
get to the fans a lot easier, quicker, and smoother.
As a guitarist in 311, Mahoney combines
interpretations of reggae and metalhis two
favorite kinds of musicsometimes in the same
song. Take, for instance, 311s Sweet, Transistors
No Control, and Evolvers Beyond The Gray
Sky. The new music continues the tradition
of mixing a Marley-esque Kaya vibe, sonically
moving from tranquil beachside jam to 80s metal
with harmonized solos and pick squeals.
My favorite guitarists are probably Bob
Marley or Jerry Garcia, and Dimebag Darrell of
Pantera, says Mahoney. So for me to be able to
incorporate both my musical loves into our band
has pretty much been a dream come true.
Lucky for him, his band of brothers enables his
pedal addiction. Constantly.
Pedals can be inspirational, Mahoney testifies.
The main riff of Stereolithics Revelation of the
Year came when I stumbled upon a combination
of phaser, vibe, and chorus that breathed new life
into an old riff Ive been sitting on for years. Im just
lucky Im in the band that not only understands my
pedal love, but encourages it [laughs].
In between dad duties and rehearsals, the
perpetually upbeat Mahoney spoke about his
mahogany-bodied guitar preference, the ins
and outs of his complex pedalboard setup, and
what acid and Jerry Garcia have to do with his
favorite stompbox.
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premierguitar.com
All the high-gain sounds on this album
are a 90s Bogner Uberschall and a
Diamond Spitfire II. Recently I got my
hands on a PRS Custom amp and I
couldnt believe how great the overdrive
sounded, so we used that quite a bit, too.

Nope, this time I paired one of my
Spitfire II heads with a Lexicon PCM-42
in its effects loop and an early 68 Fender
Twinit has the silverface front panel
but the components and guts are of the
AB763 circuit.

Ive always had Fender amps in my
personal stash, but I got hip to a great
vintage AC30 when we worked with
Bob Rock on Uplifter and Universal
Pulse. I loved blending in tones with that
combo. I tracked at S.A.s house about
90 minutes north of our rehearsal space
in L.A., which is where my Vox was. So
I just used my Twin that I had out of
necessity and it turned out to be some of
the best tones Ive recorded to date.

I really enjoy the complement meshing
and a fatter, wider spread the two amps
give a recorded guitar track. Each head
is routed through its own 4x12 and our
producer Scott Ralston mics each cabinet
with two micsand all four mics are
differentso when were mixing we have
an entire collection of choices that we can
queue up, dial back, isolate, and mix to
best suit the overall song.
Ive found that even if you have two of
the same exact amps, they produce a
distinct tone all their own. So with the
Spitfire and Uberschall having the same
tube layout, they still produce unique
sounds because the brand of tubes is
different, and the wiring, transformers,
and capacitors are all different, too.

We pretty much used my live rig to record
my parts. The only thing we indulged on
was adding amps to thicken the sound
and provide more options in post. I used
my live pedalboard and my go-to guitars
that I still take on the road. For amps, Ill
just be using a Spitfire II for clean and
probably the Uberschall for dirty, which
will be her first time on the road so Ill
have to extra nice to her [laughs].

Oh yeah, Blue was the main dog again
[laughs]. I got the Paul Reed Smith
Signature Limited last year and it has
these pickups (the bridge is oversized and
the neck is a tad undersized) that make it
sound monstrous like a Les Paul so I used
that a bit on the heavier parts. For the
clean parts, I primarily used my Fender
David Gilmour Stratocaster.

I tried out and really liked Seymour
Duncans Antiquity humbuckers designed
after the Seth Lover pickups from the
50s. I actually put PRS 57/08s in all of
my main PRS guitars and I love them.
Everything I try to go after when it comes
to guitars and pickups is based on what I
love in my 76 Gibson Explorer that has
its original PAF pickups. Another guitar
I use as a benchmark for tone is my early
70s Fender Telecaster Deluxe with the
Lover-designed Wide Range humbuckers.

Typically, guys might think they want
high-output pickups through a high-
gain amp for the best, most aggressive
sound, but I need to balance between
very, crystal-clean chill parts and
heavy-rocking jams. The lower-output
Mahoney
recorded his
guitar parts in
the home studio
of bandmate SA
Martinez. The
members of 311
transplanted
from Omaha,
Nebraska, to Van
Nuys, California,
in the early 90s.
premierguitar.com
pickups have clarity and leave an open,
dynamic rangeespecially with the high-
gain stuffthat you lose if you push
everything to the max. I think it gives you
more room to use overdrives and boosts
because if youre using active or high-
output humbuckers, youre eating up a lot
of frequency space just from their power.
It takes the tone out of the wood, amp,
and effects.

There were no time constraints like when
you rent studio time so we procrastinated
and the solo on First Dimension was
the spontaneous last take I did after about
100 other solos. I didnt realize until I
listened back that the delay time on the
PCM-42 was cranked so it starts to wash
out a bit, which is something I didnt
intend to do at all, but it was a happy
accident. The pitch shifting youre hearing
is my Boss OC-2 pedal running through
the dirty Uberschall/Spitfire II setup.
That is a song Nick wrote before
rehearsals and its funny because hes a
very relaxed, centered dude. So for him
to exhibit this hard sidewhich I love
because Im a metalhead from Omaha
was interesting and funny because hes
not really into that scene as a music
fan. It gave me a chance to work out
some scales and brush up on my pinch-
harmonic
squeals [laughs].

I love pinch harmonics and I try to
incorporate them in the live setting,
but this album I was able to put some
in that felt timely and appropriate with
the overall song. Whether its spacey
interludes or more aggressive tones,
were a bit more reserved when we
record and push things to the extreme
live. But The Great Divide was a riff
Ive had worked up for years and we
implemented an old, unused drumbeat
from Chad [Sexton] to salvage our
two separate, incoherent ideas into a
complete song. It was a fun challenge
working that into shape with the basis
of a cool riff and fresh beat.

It was a comfort thing. Hes been around
us the longest and hes been our live
sound guy forever, so he knew how
to craft things and push us in a new
direction or further in a familiar area
to deliver an album that is polished but
represents our dynamic range showcased
when we perform live.

I hope sowe really try to keep the
liveliness of certain songs in mind when
we write, record, and come up with setlists
because we want our fans to get off their
feet to jump, dance, and have a good
timethats our main goal as a band.
Guitarist Tim
Mahoney
still plays
his longtime
favorite
guitara 93
PRS Standard
24 nicknamed
Old Bluebut
hes also been
rocking a 2012
PRS Signature
Limited model
recently.
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Early 93 PRS Standard 24 (Ol Blue)
2012 PRS Signature Limited
1976 Gibson Explorer
Fender David Gilmour Stratocaster
1975 Fender Telecaster Deluxe
Two Diamond Spitfre IIs
(one set to clean, one to dirty)
90s Bogner Uberschall
1968 Fender Twin
Two Diamond 4x12 cabinets
with Celestion Vintage 30s
DigiTech Whammy
CAE Wah MC404
Boss TU-2
Boss FV-100 Volume Pedal
Boss OC-2
Mu-Tron III
KR Musical Products Mega Vibe
MXR Phase 90
Ibanez CS-9
XTS Pegasus Boost
Maxon AD-9
MXR Envelope Filter
EHX Small Stone Phaser
XTS Precision Overdrive
TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay
Strymon Timeline
Jacques Meistersinger
DigiTech Synth Wah Envelope Filter
Boss DSD-2 Digital Sampler/Delay
TC Electronic Repeater
Mr. Black SuperMoon
TC Electronic Ditto Looper
Two Lexicon PCM-42s (rackmount)
Lexicon PCM-60 (rackmount)
L.A. Sound Design Loop Strips
Ernie Ball Slinkys .010.046
Dunlop Tortex 1.14 mm
Dunlop Big Stubby 2.0 mm
TIM MAHONEYS GEAR
premierguitar.com
[Laughs] Its not as easy to go there anymore
now that were older dudes, but I think this
new batch of songs should really capture
and excite our fans like the early stuff.

Thats my Mu-Tron III paired with a
PCM-42 dialed in with a fairly long delay
time. The Mu-Tron III is great by itself,
but in that instance the PCM-42 gives
those repeated notes such life instead of
sounding sterile or repeated.

I love Jerry Garcia so being a deadhead
opened the door to the Mu-Tron. I
remember tripping on acid and hearing
songs like "Delta Dawn," "Estimated
Prophet," and Run for the Roses, and
being just blown away [laughs]. I started
playing music on a trombone and the
envelope filter can dial in some horn-
like tones and sounds. I just totally dig
the expressiveness you can get with it
depending on your picking style or attack.
You can get it to quack or mellow and fade
into the mix. When I realized Jerry used the
Mu-Tron III I knew it was myholy grail.

Im using a vintage MXR Envelope Filter
on that song. I track with that as my go-to
dirty envelope filter effect since its really
warm and almost lends itself to being
overdriven. The Mu-Tron works fine
through a dirty amp, but I prefer to leave
that one pristine because its that classic
sound. I set the MXR so the effect is more
exaggerated, but the length of each pulse
isnt nearly as long as the Mu-Tron.

Yeah, I pretty much run three different
signal paths on my pedalboard. One goes
through my clean amp. The second goes
through my dirty amp. And the third
goes through my party boardwhich
can go through either headthat has fun
effects like ambient verbs, long delays,
and a looper. Thanks to Dave Phillips at
L.A. Sound Design who rigged this up
for me so I could go from a tone with my
clean amp, the Mu-Tron III and a long
Tim Mahoney
runs three signal
paths through
his pedalboard,
and often
uses multiple
brands of the
same efects
for diferent
favors through
diferent amps.
Still, he says he
uses everything
on his board.
Watch 311s entire set from the 2011 KROQ Almost Acoustic
Christmas show to fully appreciate Mahoneys chameleonic range,
from ska to funk to metal.
311 live at KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
2011 FULL SHOW
YOUTUBE IT
delay like my Maxon AD-9 to a sound
with my dirty amp, Boss OC-2, and TC
Electronic Nova Delayon a short delay
timeby hitting one button otherwise
Id need a lot more feet onstage.
I prefer to set and use pedals so they can
sound the best for what I feel they can do.
Like, with my phasers, I think the MXR
Phase 90 is great for either clean or dirty so
I start it on the dirty side set to a quicker
setting, and the EHX Small Stone is at its
best through a clean amp so I use that for
a watery, almost-Leslie-ish vibe and for a
reggae tone. But some pedals sound killer
and they can go to both amps like the XTS
Pegasus Boostgood for a level boost and
giving me more clarity depending on the
roomand my MXR Phase 90, but its
currently only going into the dirty amp so I
can have a subtle or luscious phase effect.
Both heads have Lexicon PCM-42
delays in their effects loops so I can have
the purest sound when I just want an
amp and delay. Plus, putting those digital
rackmounts after the preamp gives you the
cleanest, straightest-sounding delay. Its
more important for the dirty amp because
Im using it on solos so Im delaying the
preamp signal and it thickens it up a bit,
too. Ive heard youre supposed to jumper
the effects loop if youre not using it to
engage the preamp tube that governs the
master volume for a bigger, fuller sound.

We put that song together on the demo and
when we tried recreating it in the studio, I
couldnt remember what I was using when
I came up with the riff originally, jamming
by myself. So I ended up playing that part
through the Small Stone, Mega Vibe, and
the Ibanez CS-7 chorus. And then for some
of it, I squish it with the TS9.

Many times, Ill take a picture of
my pedalboard with the pedals lit
up so I know what Im using when I
record something into my phone or
my computer and I queue it up a few
months later. And then when we record,
Ill take detailed notes along with photos
so I can dial in my rig before the tour
or rehearsals. Its like a crazy science
experiment [laughs].
I dont see it like that at all probably
not enough. Currently, everything I
bring on the road gets used at every
showall the effects, guitars, and amps.
Im streamlined!

I dont think I could trust anyone else
to do it. I enjoy being able to screw
with things on the fly, even if its just
bending down or using my foot to max
out a delay so it starts oscillating [makes
spaceship landing noise] and sounds like
its powering down.
premierguitar.com
185 PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2013
premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2013 186
premierguitar.com
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER
N
eon Trees, the modern pop band that is musically and
sartorially indebted to new wave, might rely heavily on
synthesizers to achieve its dance-approved approach.
But on its latest album, Pop Psychology (Island Records), the very
first soundsthe transient rasp of an instrument cable, followed
by the ringing open D and G stringsgive a hint of both the
importance and the subtlety of the guitar on the record.
Throughout the album, Chris Allen doesnt play standard-issue
rock guitar but something more thoughtful. His collection of
riffs and timbres, plus the occasional oddball atonal move, feel
spontaneous and orchestrated, and pair nicely with that of his
bandmate Branden Campbell, whos style is equally informed
by such great session bassists as Donald Duck Dunn and by
Campbells contemporary counterparts like John Stirratt of Wilco.
The roots of Neon Treeswhose name was inspired by the
signage of In-N-Out Burger, the fast-food joint headquartered
in Southern Californiago back to Allens childhood days.
He and Tyler Glenn, the groups singer and keyboardist, were
neighbors in Murrieta, California. When Allen took off to
college in Utah, Glenn followed him, and there they eventually
teamed up with bassist Campbell and drummer Elaine Bradley,
independently releasing a debut EP, Becoming Different People,
in 2006.
Before Neon Trees, Campbell was involved with, among
many other bands, a ska group with the drummer Ronnie
Vannucci, Jr., who would go on to join The Killers. After
witnessing an early live show of Neon Trees, Vannucci was
suitably impressed by his former bandmates new outfit, and as
a result Neon Trees got its big break in opening for The Killers
on its 2008 tour. This led to the Trees scoring a record deal with
Mercury Records, which released Habits (2010) and Picture
Show (2012), respectively spawning the hit singles Animal and
Everybody Talks.
As was revealed a few years ago in our PG Rig Rundown
(http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Rig_Rundown_Neon_
Trees_Chris_Allen_and_Branden_Campbell), Allen and
Campbell might be described as major gear heads, aficionados
of equipment both new and vintage, so we were excited to
check in with them on their most recent rigs and hear about the
thought processes behind Pop Psychology.
GUITARIST CHRIS ALLEN AND BASSIST BRANDEN CAMPBELL DISCUSS
PLAYING WITH NUANCE IN NEON TREES, AN ALT-POP ROCK BAND WITH
A SOUND THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS NEW NEW WAVE.
premierguitar.com
Tell us about your gear.
CHRIS ALLEN: My main guitar is an
Eric Johnson Strat, and then I have a
Telemaster that I had a Master Builder at
FenderJason Smith, I used to play with
him in high schoolmake for me. Its
got a Jazzmaster body and neck pickup
but a Telecaster bridge and bridge pickup
and selector switch. The neck profile is
the same as on the Eric Johnson model
guitar, and it has this 12-string-like head-
stock. I also had him build me a guitar
based on a 48 Esquire prototype with
one TV Jones pickup and the whole thing
painted a uniform color, Ford Grabber
blue, so that it looks like a big hunk of
plastic. Then I have a Jazzmaster and a
bunch of guitars I only use in the studio.
And I really like old Silvertones, which
have such unique voices. Im always pick-
ing them up on eBay or when were out
on tour, at local shops. My favorite is the
black-and-white hollowbody Silvertone,
the 1446 that everybody calls the Chris
Isaak model.
Live I use a Laney Lionheart, the
L20H with a matching 2x12 cab, as well
as a Roland JC-120. I also use those amps
in the studio, plus a Divided by 13 JJN
50/100, a Silvertone Twin Twelve, and a
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. The main pedal
on my board is an Ibanez Tube Screamer,
a handwired TS808. I held off on that
one for the longest time because of the
price tag, but then I realized that I had no
problem spending $350 on a delay pedal,
so why not spend that much on overdrive,
being as its such a big part of my sound?
I also use a Keeley 4-knob compressor
and a Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay.
The RV-3 has been discontinued, so I
went searching on eBay and got a few
of them, since theyll probably only
get harder to find in the future. In the
studio I like to use a JangleBox and the
GUITARS
Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster
Fender Telemaster
Fender Jazzmaster
Assorted vintage Silvertones
AMPS
Divided by 13 JJN 50/100
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe
Laney Lionheart L-20H head
with matching 2x12 cabinet
Roland JC-120
Silvertone Twin Twelve
EFFECTS
Boss RV-3 Digital Reverb/Delay
DigiTech HardWire CR-7 Stereo Chorus
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb
Eventide TimeFactor delay
Fulltone GT-500 booster/distortion
Ibanez TS808HW Handwired
Tube Screamer
JangleBox compressor/sustainer
Keeley 4-knob compressor
Malekko Trem
Malekko Vibrato
MXR Micro Amp
Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo
Z.Vex Fuzz Factory
STRINGS & PICKS
DAddario EXL110 (.010.046)
Fender Medium picks
CHRIS ALLENS GEAR
Chris Allen's
Telemaster
was made by
his high school
friend, Jason
Smith, who was
a Master Builder
at Fender. It has
a Jazzmaster
body and neck
pickup, but also
a Tele bridge,
bridge pickup,
and selector
switch.
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Inuence Series chena and kenai
Knaggs best thing:
www.knaggsguitars.com
premierguitar.com
Eventide TimeFactor, but with so many
knobs on the TimeFactor, it can be a bit
intimidating to use live.
BRANDEN CAMPBELL: My main bass
is made by Mike Lull, who teamed up
with [Pearl Jams] Jeff Ament to make
a signature model oversize bass with a
neck and body that are 20 percent larger
than standard. Mine has a custom satin
finish, in Kerry green. Ive got a Fano
hollowbody bass that I love, as well as
Fender Pino Palladino and Adam Clayton
signature basses. Then theres the 1975
Gibson Ripper and the Rickenbacker
4003, both which I tune down to D,
and a 1966 Guild Starfire. Bass players
dont usually switch up that much, but,
travelling between different climates, and
using different tunings, I need at least a
few basses on the road. Some basses lend
themselves more to D standard [low to
high: DGCF], and nothing seems to
respond quite as well to the lower tension
as the Ripper.
For amps I use an Aguilar DB 751,
and Ive also got an Aguilar Tone
Hammer preamp pedal. Thats my holy
grailI take it everywhere I go. We
once had a gig in the Philippines where
I had no choice but to play through a
questionable old amp that had gotten
all rusty due to the climate there. Even
though that wasnt optimal, I knew
that with the Hammer in the front
end, everything would be fine and the
10,000 people waiting to hear us would
not be disappointed.
Most of my D-standard songs use
a chorus pedal, the EBS UniChorus,
which is my nod to Peter Hook from
New Order and Joy Division. The
EBS Billy Sheehan Drive pedal with
a built-in compressor is really solid,
too. Im a sucker for drive and also use
the SolidGoldFX Beta bass overdrive,
the Z.Vex Wooly Mammoth, and the
Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi. Im
really stoked on the new DigiTech Bass
Whammy pedal, and have been using
the Electro-Harmonix Micro Synth. I
also added the Moog Sub Phatty analog
synthesizer keyboard. Running that thing
through the bass Big Muff is just insane!
Who are your benchmarks?
ALLEN: The first one that comes to mind
is Peter Buck from R.E.M. Hes just a real
team player, he doesnt need to stick out
or be the star of the show. Thats where
I come fromI just want to play for the
song, to be part of a team. I want my
playing to be really musical. It doesnt
need to be all about technical prowess,
except, of course, in certain styles where
its called for. And I really like Johnny
BASS GUITARS
Jef Ament JAXT4 by Mike Lull
Fano Alt de Facto GF4
Fender Pino Palladino Precision
Fender Adam Clayton Precision
Gibson Ripper
Guild Starfre
Hofner Club Bass
Rickenbacker 4003
AMPS
Aguilar DB 751
EFFECTS
Aguilar Tone Hammer
EBS Billy Sheehan Drive
EBS UniChorus
Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muf Pi
Moog Sub Phatty
SolidGoldFX Beta
Z.Vex Wooly Mammoth
STRINGS & PICKS
DR Fat Beams (.045.105)
Fender Stainless Steel Flatwound
(.055.105)
Clayton Acetal rounded triangle picks
BRANDEN CAMPBELLS GEAR
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Neon Trees
bassist Branden
Campbell works
his Fender
Pino Palladino
Precision at
the Taste of
Chicago fest in
September of
2013.
Marr from the Smiths. Hes got such an intri-
cate style that jumps all over the place. I might
not play a lot like him, but hes definitely
inspired my melodies.
This might sound random, but Im a huge
fan of Cyndi Lauper I love bands like
Modest Mouse and Built to Spill. In the mid-
90s I started listing to a lot of groups that
came from the Northwest. Growing up in
Southern California, theres a really different
music climate. I had a friend who moved up
to Seattle for a semester, and when she came
back she brought all of these tapes, so I started
listening to those bands. It was a breath of
fresh air to hear these musicians who always
played things a little weirdly. Plus, some of
those melodies really struck a chord with me.
CAMPBELL: My biggest influences are Duck
Dunn, the house guy for Stax Records, and
John Entwistle of The Who. Each had this
certain sound. Years ago, they didnt have
such fancy equipment. They had to use gui-
tar amps, which for solo bass just sounded
so horrible. But they sounded good by add-
ing frequencies from cymbals and guitars
and having just enough of the bass to poke
through. I took that as a lesson, so when I go
in the studio I start with a gnarly tone, often
using flatwounds with a pick and maybe
even a mute, and then I sculpt the sound
from there.
Getting back to Entwistle, I love his sustain
and dirtthose little bass runs on My
Generation are just so awesome. I should
mention James Jamerson, and also on the
Motown side, Michael Henderson, who did
a lot with Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.
He recorded Lets Get It On,
which is one of my all-time favorite
grooves. On the rock side of things
theres Peter Hook, as I mentioned
before, and Duff McKagan. On
the contemporary side of things
theres John Stirratt from Wilco
and the homie from My Morning
Jacket, Two-Tone Tommy [Tom
Blankenship]. All great players with
such great ideas.
Have you had to modify your play-
ing for Neon Trees?
CAMPBELL: Ive always loved the
warmth of the fingers, but Ive
learned that the attack that comes
from a pick blends really well with
synth. Another thing Ive learned
from this setting is that its not always
about when the note starts but when
it ends, how long youll hold it. Ill
sometimes let a note linger just a little
Lightly overdriven guitar
with a little reverb is not
that big of a deal, people
dont scrutinize the tone live
and feel ripped off that it
doesnt sound exactly like the
record. But if they do notice,
sometimes people even like
the live sounds better!"
Chris Allen
premierguitar.com
longer than I would have in the past. That
can be where the funk is ateven if its not
really a funky song.
ALLEN: For the longest time, I played not in a
full band but just with a drummer, and I really
had to almost overplay to fill out the songs.
Now in Neon Trees, Ive learned to keep
myself in check, and am always simplifying
things to make sure I dont step on the vocals
or any of the other parts. Come to think of it,
thats an important thing for any style!
Can you let us in on your compositional
processes?
CAMPBELL: It comes from all different
directions. Sometimes Tyler makes these
Neon Trees performs its frst hit, Animal, live in
a stripped-down setting.
YouTube search term: Neon Trees Animal //
SiriusXM //
Here the Neon Trees out themselves as Beliebers
in an unplugged cover of a topical pop song.
YouTube search term: Neon Trees Baby
(JUSTIN BEIBER COVER)
YOUTUBE IT
computer demos, and hes always very
careful to leave room for the rest of
us. He might come up with a bass line
on the computer or keyboard, but its
up to the group to get jamming on
the demos and make the parts our
own. Ill take the demos into my bass
cave and live with them a little, feel
them out before I come up with the
parts that best suit the songs.
ALLEN: Over the years its changed
a lot. When Tyler and I first got
together, I would write all of the
guitar parts, and he would take them
and come up with melodies and add
a little keyboard before the whole
premierguitar.com
band would get together and finish the
song. Now Tyler works with our producer,
Tim [Pagnotta], and brings the demos
to us with the basic structures and parts
in place. We can tweak some of the parts
and add what we feel is best. Before we go
into the studio, we rehearse and get tight
on all of the songs. We also wrote a few
from scratch in the studio this time. Its
nice we can still do thatall write togeth-
er. You never know what will happen, we
all have such different influences.
What about your recording processes?
ALLEN: Before we record an album, we
usually have a couple weeks of prepro-
duction, followed by rehearsing in our
practice space. Tim comes and works
with us on transitions, shows us what
to streamline and what might make our
individual parts better. For drums, for
instance, this will involve making sure
that all the accents are in the right places,
that theyre not stepping on the vocals or
anything else. In preproduction, every-
thing is recorded. We try to get scratch
tracks before we go in the studio, one
person at a time, to record our individual
parts. Normally I go near the end, just
before the keys and vocals, but this time
in the studio I recorded before a lot of
the other parts. Some guitars had to be
re-recorded later if it felt like something
was missing, that a little lead needed to
be added.
CAMPBELL: For my part on this record,
we did everything in Provo [Utah], at
June Audio. I really had a blast laying
down my parts. Tim, the engineers, and
I focused on the bass for 10 straight days;
they brought in about 20 different basses
and a bunch of different amps. I was in
heaven, messing around with so many
different tools I dont normally have at
my disposal, a bunch of boutique stuff
and retro instruments, great old tube
compressors and whatnot.
What are some of your favorite
moments on the record?
CAMPBELL: Theres a song called
Another World, which got me back into
plucking strings with my fingers. Neon
Trees generally requires a bass pick with
a little more dirt, but something cleaner,
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Guitarist Chris
Allen, shown
here with his
Eric Johnson
Strat, is a big fan
of Johnny Marr.
"Hes got such
an intricate style
that jumps all
over the place,"
says Allen. "I
might not play a
lot like him, but
hes defnitely
inspired my
melodies."
Ill sometimes let a note
linger just a little longer than I
would have in the past. That can
be where the funk is ateven if
its not really a funky song.
Branden Campbell
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with 16th-notes on the fingers just felt right for
that song. Whats great is that before we made
the album, Hofner sent me a Club Bass, which
I love. On Love in the 21st Century, we
should get credit for making that Hofner not
sound like a one-trick pony. That bass normally
has a very particular sounda Beatles sound.
But we added so much dirt to it that it sounds
like a completely different instrument.
ALLEN: I really love my playing on the whole
track of Living in Another World. I just had
a really good time writing it. That was one
of those songs we did at the last minute, just
before heading into the studio. At the begin-
ning of the day it didnt even exist. We started
jamming, and Tyler kind of pointed me in the
first direction it took from the little intro riff,
and we built on it from there. A lot of times
we do so much tweaking and rewriting, but
this one came right together, in like an hour.
We tracked it on the spot, and when it came
time to think about re-recording it, Tim didnt
find it necessary. He just thought maybe wed
add some acoustic guitar and itd be done.
Another moment I really like happens in
I Love You, but I Hate Your Friends, in the
chorus where there are two guitars that work off
of each other. Its really fun and upbeat, kind
of like the Smiths. You cant pick out what each
guitar is doing; theyre kind of blended into one
giant thing thanks to the Tube Screamer and the
plug-ins that Tim used to further modify the
tones on this and throughout the album.
Chris, given the plug-ins, is it difficult to
recreate these sounds in concert?
ALLEN: It can be a little tricky, but I dont get
too picky when it comes to matching tones. Its
not like were talking about a complex sound
like [U2s] the Edge has on Mysterious Ways,
where the intro riff is such a big part of the
sound. Lightly overdriven guitar with a little
reverb is not that big of a deal, people dont
scrutinize the tone live and feel ripped off that
it doesnt sound exactly like the record. But if
they do notice, sometimes people even like the
live sounds better!
How have you evolved as a musician since
the early days of Neon Trees?
ALLEN: When we first started, I didnt consid-
er myself a songwriter. I never focused on what
part comes after the next as far as structure is
concerned, intro-verse-chorus-bridge
or whatever. I didnt think about
things like a second verse needing
something new and exciting to move
the song forward. Now, I try to focus
more on the song and what I can
add to the big picture through differ-
ent textures, something really ambi-
ent and reverbed-out, strategically
placed whammy-bar splashes, things
like that.
CAMPBELL: I was very traditional
in the beginning. I was the rock
guy, while the others were very new
wave. Ive always loved players like
Duck Dunn or Entwistle, who made
the very best of just the bass guitar,
but Ive learned not to be afraid to
incorporate lots of processing and
even bass synth sounds, to use what-
ever tools needed to convey the low-
end message.
premierguitar.com
T
o be yourself is all that
you can do. Thats how
the Audioslave song goes
that we played nightly when I was on
tour with Chris Cornell. Its a simple
sentiment that Ive always liked, yet
sometimes its easier said than done.
As modern guitarists, we always
feel the pressure of musical trends and
fads that pull us in one direction or
another. This is whynow more than
everits important for us to figure out
who we are and where were going. And
developing our own style and voice on
the instrument is the name of the game.
Way back in 1990 when I was just 19,
I made the trek to Los Angeles to attend
the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT),
which is now Musicians Institute. Id
planned on going there since I was 14, so
it was truly a dream come true to be able
to immerse myself in guitar and music
for a full year in my effort to become the
best possible guitarist I could be.
Once I arrived in L.A., I moved
into my one bedroom apartment
(with two other roommates) and got
settled. Orientation week at GIT was
a whirlwind of activity, and there were
great concerts every night at the school.
That first week I saw a diverse parade
of incredible players, including Carl
Verhyen, Greg Howe, and the late,
amazing Michael Hedges. The bar was
quickly raised for me forever and I had a
whole new outlook on what it meant to
be great.
I figured if I really applied myself and
practiced daily, Id come out of GIT
with a broad array of styles mastered and
would be able to play it all! I worked hard
and I made great strides getting a solid
background in theory and improving
my chops. But I really wasnt becoming
the jack-of all-trades that Id expected I
would. I was becoming a better me, but I
still just sounded like me.
There was a great guitarist at
GIT from Germany who ended up
winning student of the year that year.
He was a terrific jazz-fusion player
with killer chops and command, and
I really wished I could do what he did
on the instrument. One day, he was
participating in a rock-performance
workshop (a class where guitarists,
bassists, and drummers all learn a
predetermined song, and then randomly
get teamed with each other as bands).
Its a great real-world jamming and
performing experience, but when
the German fellow I was such a fan
of got up and played, I was kind of
underwhelmed. He seemed out of his
element, both stylistically and tonally.
And thats when the light bulb went
off in my head: Maybe we are best off
focusing on the music that really moves
us. His heart and musical soul were
obviously elsewhere.
There is a fantastic and inspirational
video on Steve Vais YouTube page called
How to be Successful that I think
should be required watching for aspiring
musicians. Steve essentially says that its
important to figure out what it is you
really want. He believes that the thing
you are most comfortable with is what
you will do the best. He also says that he
ignores his weaknesses and focuses on his
strengths. Its hard for me to think of any
obvious weaknesses when I think of Steve
Vai, but thats because hes so driven and
focused on what his thing is.
Steve Vai has spent his whole career
cultivating a unique style. You hear
him, and you instantly know its him.
The same goes for Jeff Beck, Eddie Van
Halen, and the other guitar greats. None
of these players is a jack-of-all-trades.
Each is a stylist who only makes music
that moves him.
Im not suggesting that we guitarists
should rest on our laurels. Diligently
cultivating and perfecting new
techniques to add to our arsenal, or
diversifying and expanding our playing
by adding some unfamiliar scales
and chords to what we already know
is something I recommend highly.
Challenges are a part of becoming a
rounded musician. What I am suggesting
is that if you dont truly love a style of
music, dont worry about working on
playing that style. Ask yourself who you
are musically, where you want to be, and
what you want to accomplish.
By the end of my year at GIT, I had
come to terms with the fact that while
I enjoyed many styles of music, what
resonated with me was rock n roll. If
I was going to be a success, I knew the
only way was to stay true to what I was.
So everything I did from that point
forward reflected that realization.
Throughout the 90s and into the
following decade, I backed off on playing
lead guitar and focused mainly on
songwriting and rhythm playing. This
was largely because I felt the backlash
against 70s- and 80s-style guitar playing
when grunge hit big. But by the time I
released my solo album Guitar Nerd in
2011, Id decided to really be proud of
who I was. And that meant I was going
to cut loose on some gratuitous solos!
Until next month, remember to be
honest about who you are as a musician
and what you want to achieve. Success
will follow.
TONE TIPS
Guitarists: Be Yourself
BY PETER THORN
PETER THORN
is an L.A.-based guitarist, currently
touring with Melissa Etheridge.
His solo album, Guitar Nerd, is
available through iTunes and
cdbaby.com. Read more about his
career at peterthorn.com.
A self-described
guitar nerd at
heart, Peter
Thorn made sure
he stayed true to
who he is as
a guitarist
for his 2011
solo album.
premierguitar.com
BY TED DROZDOWSKI
E
lectric bees swarming in
harmony. Tectonic plates
slowly grinding over a fault
line of pickups. A surging
tsunami ridden by Homers Sirens as
they call Odysseus and his men toward
a volatile fate.
Those may seem like abstractions,
but the supremely overdriven sound
of the new Manchester Orchestra
album, Copewhich frontman Andy
Hull describes with a single word,
brutalputs gravel in their bellies. But
what the album truly sounds like is a
creative breakthrough for the uncannily
hardworking Atlanta quintet thats
propelled by the dual 6-string thrust of
Hull and Robert McDowell, childhood
friends and kindred spirits who do for
post-atomic-age rock guitar what gospel-
raised Southern siblings like the Louvin
Brothers did for close harmonies.
To listeners casually familiar with
the band through breakthrough tunes
like 2006s Wolves at Night or 2011s
Simple Math, Cope may seem like a
radical departure. After all, those hits
were fueled by the post-Cobain mantra
of alternating loud and soft dynamics in
support of melodic pirouettes that soften
the edge of Hulls lyrics.
A lot of people who've never seen us live
think of us as playing pretty musicwhich
we do, and we enjoy, notes Hull. But this
album is as relentless as our live shows.
Although Cope does stand up on its
hind legs and beat its chest, its noise
also comes from mental static. Few
songwriters today have Hulls psychic
pipeline into the minds of his characters.
His gift for interior perception makes
offerings like The Mansion, about
a lost, hollow-hearted soul, and The
Ocean, a roiling tribute to futility, seem
nakedly genuine and haunted.
Then theres the gift for hooks,
melodies, and harmonies thats deep
in Hulls and his bandmates collective
DNA. Manchester Orchestra seems
so instinctually adept at upholding
those values that theyre able to build
a sing-along vibe into the neurosis of
Indentions, which starts with a church
burning and chews on lines like, It
doesnt matter to me I tell myself
repeatedly/What a nightmare it seemed
to honestly think of anything.
Were at a point as a band where the
hooks come out naturally in every song,
Hull explains. We dont have to think
about it. Everybody was on the same
page every step of the way in making this
album, and as we put together the songs
in the studio things just fell into place
exactly how they needed to.
Hulls voice also lends a buoyance to
the band dynamic. He channels his airy
tenor into rising and falling melodiesa
trick he learned from one of his 80s and
90s post-punk heroes, Morrissey, whose
hometown of Manchester, England,
inspired the groups name.
Manchester Orchestras Andy Hull and Robert McDowell
deliver a dual-guitar coup de main on Core
the Atlanta indie-rockers heaviest record to date.
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Manchester
Orchestra
guitarist Robert
McDowell
(left) and
former bassist
Jonathan Corley
performing live.
premierguitar.com
Jesus, Dinosaurs, and Pumpkins
Copes evolutionary leap was accomplished
in part by looking back to those same
decades, tooa time when rock guitars
territory was wide enough to encompass the
subterranean growl of the Jesus and Mary
Chain, the 6-string howl of Dinosaur Jr.s
J Mascis and Smashing Pumpkins Billy
Corgan, and the frayed harmonic declama-
tions of Sonic Youth and Glenn Branca.
Hull and crew even drafted John Agnello
an expert at wrangling the untamable gui-
tars of some of the aforementioned acts, as
well as the Screaming Trees, the Breeders,
and Kurt Vileto mix Cope. John kept
saying, This is so My Bloody Valentine
on steroids, Hull says, laughing.
But looking ahead to a blank canvas
also lit the fire for Cope. We had come
home after touring behind Simple Math,
and found ourselves without a record
label, wondering what we were going
to do next, Hull recalls. We had a
band meeting about it, and all five of
us said, Lets make something super
heavy, something where the guitars are as
powerful as the drums and it never slows
downa no-holds-barred rock record.
There are only a few super-heavy
rock bands with real songwriting out
there these days, he continues. We
wanted to get away from all the trendy
electronica and sampling stuff too many
bands are doing, and make a great guitar
record that doesnt sound like anything
elselike when Led Zeppelin and
Hendrix changed music in the 60s.
While invoking those two names is
bound to raise some hackles among some
players, the bands core mission seems to
have been accomplished: Cope is replete
with 6-strings that rise and ebb but never
lose their power as the songs unfurl. The
trick was layering as many as 10 guitar
tracks on each tune, all slightly varied in
tone and execution so that, even when Hull
and McDowell played the same chords,
their varied picking, amp choices, and
instruments created small differences that
make the combined tracks pulse like a hive.
Everyone Gets a Vote
The monolithic guitars on Manchesters
latest wont sound foreign to die-hard
Sonic Stacking
The secret to Copes pummeling tour de force o
lies in the strategy guitarists Robert McDowell
and Andy Hull employed when layering their
instruments. At certain points you want to go
down diferent rabbit holes, McDowell says. Our
goal has been to make our records sound bigger
and bigger than a fve-piece band typically does,
and this time we really nailed it.
Only two guitars were deployed in the
sessions: McDowells Fender 1972 Telecaster Deluxe, which he swaps out with
an SG Standard onstage, and the parts-built T-style solidbody that Hull uses
for everything.
They fred up a variety of amps, including Hulls Fender Hot Rod DeVille
stage rig and McDowells Vox AC30, which was also routed to a Marshall 4x12.
I wanted to be louder onstage, so I started powering the Marshall cab with my
Vox to get six speakers moving air, McDowell explains. Although I did that
just to get more volume, I noticed that the Marshall was also making my sound
darker. Now Im totally smitten with it!
Since Andy and I have very diferent tones, that was a starting point for
layering, he continues. We began recording the guitars for each song with
both of us in the same room, playing the same part together at the same time,
but with each of us using two diferent amps. In order for the layering to work,
we needed to marry the guitars into one great tone as the foundation.
Then came a second pass, where they exchanged and mixed amp, head, and
cabinet combinations. They brought in a Fender Super-Sonic cab, as well as a
Fulltone OCD pedal for the sessions. That gave every song as many as eight
foundational guitar tracks to work with at mixing. Next, additional leads and
overdriven sounds were added, sometimes going direct, occasionally with Hulls
Boss BD-2 Blues Driver pedal slamming the recording consoles preamps.
Hull explains that duplicating tracks of the same chord progressions by
recording separate performances, rather than simply copying them via Pro Tools
or using a multitude of isolated amps simultaneously, gave the album a more
live and detailed sound. All the slight diferences in the picking, attack, and
tone we used every time we played a track really comes through and makes the
guitars sound bigger, he says.
A few carefully curated stompboxes were also used. Two Electro-Harmonix
Holy Grail Reverb pedals were used at once to get the cathedral-like sounds that
ramp up to the crescendo of The Mansion, and that songs secret weapon was
a Walrus Audio Janusa tremolo/fuzz that McDowell describes as completely
blown-out and insane sounding. It entirely changes your tone. There are two
joysticks to control the fuzz and tremolo separately, and I was down on the foor
playing with those as I recorded.
We began recording the guitars for each song with
both of us in the same room, playing the same part
together at the same time, but with each of us using
two different amps. In order for the layering to work,
we needed to marry the guitars into one great tone as
the foundation. Robert McDowell
fans whove heard the bands sound grow
increasingly heavy onstage during the
past decade. Right from the start we
needed to rock hard at concerts, Hull
says. We were opening shows for other
bands, and quickly learned that if we
werent loud and in peoples faces, theyd
totally ignore us. Cope is what our music
sounds like onstage. The amps are roar-
ing up there, and this is the first time
weve been able to capture that sound in
the studio.
The group once again recruited
friend and collaborator Dan Hannon to
co-produce. They also built their own studio
in the Atlanta house they once shared.
McDowell and drummer Tim Very both
have construction experience and oversaw
the project, which delayed the albums start,
but saved money on the studio time Copes
meticulous creation required.
When we were making the album,
wed have breakfast together every day
and then go into the studio to create
a song, Hull recounts. Wed start by
jamming on a riff or another idea, and
then when it was starting to take shape
Id go off in a corner and write some
lyrics about whatever was on my brain
that day, and then wed come back to
finish the form. Then wed play it three or
four times and comp together a version,
and Id stay late putting on the vocals.
That process yielded 28 songs before
the band felt they had the anatomy of
Cope. Everybody had to be in agreement
that every song was a home run, says
Hull. Doubles and triples are sometimes
really good for an album, but our goal
was that if everybody didnt feel a song
was totally awesome, it wasnt going on
the record.
Hull tried to nix the track Top
Notch, which pits Verys offbeat drums
against cascading waves of burly guitar
and a desperate vocal performance.
But McDowell, Very, keyboardist/
percussionist Chris Freeman, and new
bassist Andy Prince argued for its
inclusion. The tune ultimately became
the first single, released in January.
The Best 16 Seconds
Manchester Orchestras democratic spirit
rests on the axis of Hull and McDowells
The trick was layering as many as 10 guitar
tracks on each tune, all slightly varied in tone and
execution so that, even when Hull and McDowell
played the same chords, their varied picking, amp
choices, and instruments created small differences
that make the combined tracks pulse like a hive.
premierguitar.com
GUITARS
Fender 72 Telecaster Deluxe
Gibson SG Standard with
Burstbucker pickups
AMPS
Vox AC30 driving a Marshall 4x12 cab
Orange OR50 driving a Marshall 4x12
EFFECTS
Walrus Audio Iron Horse,
Jupiter, and Janus
Two Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverbs
STRINGS & PICKS
Ernie Ball 2220 Power Slinky
sets (.011.048)
Jim Dunlop .73 mm
Tortex .60 mm
ROBERT MCDOWELLS GEAR
GUITARS
T-style with a Seymour Duncan
Little 59 bridge pickup
AMPS
Fender Hot Rod DeVille combo
driving Fender 4x10 cab
EFFECTS
Boss BD-2 Blues Driver
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverbs
Fulltone OCD
STRINGS & PICKS
Ernie Ball 2220 Power Slinky
sets (.011.048)
Jim Dunlop .73 mm
Tortex .60 mm
ANDY HULLS GEAR
friendship. They met in school, as music-
obsessed teenagers. Both were already playing
guitar. McDowell was initially inspired by
Christian rock and AC/DC, and Hull, several
years older, was listening to everything from
Morrisseys the Smiths to roots-rockers Wilco,
visceral storytellers Built to Spill, and Delta
bluesman Son House. They started recording
songs in McDowells primitive basement studio,
and when Hull decided to start Manchester
Orchestra he invited McDowell to join. I
was 14, and my mom said, No, McDowell
recounts. Two or three years later, I joined the
band and weve been doing it since.
With their music and personal lives
intertwinedHull is also McDowells brother-
in-lawits no surprise that the guitarists play
together as if they share lungs. That cohesiveness
and their work ethic have driven them to
relentlessly tour and record four albums and
eight EPs over the last decadenot to mention
each band members solo projects.
If Andy or I come up with the coolest part,
thats what gets played. It doesnt matter whose
stamp gets put there, McDowell relates. The
best thing to do is to always put your pride
aside, and to put whats best for the song and
the band first.
Nonetheless, Hull says his pal
McDowell is the most likely to conjure
a daring solo off the cuff, like the
bright, bristling melody that brings the
ominous See It Again to its crescendo.
He was playing a scratch track as we
were demoing the song and got bored
with the part he was playing, so he just
ripped out this solo, Hull remembers. It
was through a cheap transistor amp, but
it sounded so great that we kept it.
And then theres the title track,
which brings the album to its final
reckoning and serves as its emotional
mission statement. The word cope
means getting by, letting go,
being able to find a way to
deal with the bad things
in life, Hull states. Weve
been in this band since we
were teenagers, so weve
grown up playing this
music. You can cope
in a positive way or a
negative way when bad
things happen. And that
inspired me a lot when I was writing
lyrics. The song is a 10-layer cake
of growling guitars that perfectly
match the lyrics, bemoaning the
sometimes-crushing weight of
the human experience. But while
cheerful melodies and catchy riffs
counterbalance most of Manchesters
pessimistic outings, here were left
to founder, to listen as the album
closes with dying gasps of feedback.
Despite the bleakness of that title
track, Hull and McDowell are both
elated with the album and are proud
to have made what they consider to be
Manchester Orchestras finest recording.
Every note, every lyriceven the intros
if its a 16-second intro, its absolutely
the best 16-second intro possible, Hull
asserts. We kept pushing ourselves in
every way to make a great rock record,
and this album speaks for itself.
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premierguitar.com
ACOUSTIC SOUNDBOARD
F
or the first nine years that Huss
& Dalton was in business, we did
things pretty much exactly the way
a one-person shop does, with the exception
of sometimes doing larger batches of parts
for our small-production situation. We did,
however, lust heartily for the advantages of
a CNC (computer numerical controlled)
machine in our shop and began to save our
coins and investigate a bit.
In the summer of 2004, we finally
took the plunge and took delivery of
our Fadal 4020 CNC and Mastercam
CAD (computer-aided design)/CAM
(computer-aided manufacturing) software
package. We had to modify a building
to house the massive beast and install an
extra air compressor and wiring, so this
was no small undertaking.
We were aware that some customers
who viewed us as more of an elf-in-a-tree
type of operation would not embrace
the idea of Huss & Dalton as a CNC-
aided shop. But, we were convinced that
the benefits far outweighed the negative
stereotype thats often associated with the
evil CNC machine.
Learning Curves
After setting the machine up and then
standing around scratching our heads
for a bit, it was time learn the software
and get the thing running. Jeff Huss and
I knew that we couldnt afford to pay a
software engineer to work here full-time,
so we decided that one of us needed to
learn to program the machine. Since he
had small children at the time and I had
none, I volunteered to take on the task,
and set forth by enrolling in some classes
at our Mastercam dealer.
I soon found out that this was going
to be both one of the most challenging
things that Id ever done, and one of the
most interesting. When I finally got up the
nerve, I drew a basic program to try out and
started the up machine. To my surprise, it
did exactly what I had told it to do and we
were off. I then started writing programs for
some of the simpler tasks we thought the
machine could do better, and later worked
my way to some of the more complicated
3-D parts like bridges and necks. It wasnt
long before I had a new appreciation for
the intricacies of the steel-string guitar. Its
interesting to note that even though we call
them flattops, almost no surface of a guitar
is actually flat. Even the underside of a
bridge, for example, has a built-in radius.
Fail-Safe Sidekick
I should first debunk the myth that a CNC
machine drastically speeds up guitar mak-
ing: It doesnt. The main tasks that take up
most of our timesuch as building and
binding the body, and all the work that
goes into finishing, buffing, and setupare
not the ones the CNC can do. What the
CNC can doand do very wellis make
extremely accurate parts every time you ask
it to. And make no mistake, starting with
perfect and repeatable parts every time not
only makes our jobs easier, it makes the
guitars better in some ways.
In removing some of the possibility for
human error when making parts, we save
quite a bit of wood. The CNC machine
doesnt make errors on parts as long as
the part stays attached to the machines
bed. We use a vacuum system for much
of the clamping, which allows us to
machine all the way around a part.
We also use the CNC to make jigs
and fixtures for the shop, and we remade
all of our body molds and side-bending
forms. Having perfect molds does speed
things up some since we no longer have to
spend valuable time tweaking the bodies
to remove any possible errors. The bodies
come out square with accurate centerlines,
which allows the builder to spend more
time on the critical job of binding the body.
What CNC Means for the Buyer
If the CNC makes any real difference to
the guitar-buying public, it might just be
that the larger companies are able to turn
out larger numbers of instruments with the
machine, keeping the cost of some pretty
great guitars pretty low. This is not to say
that some of the finest guitars in the world
arent being made without the use of CNC.
The machine is just another tool, nothing
more, and the luthier must still use each
tool to best effect in making your guitar.
The machine is not an evil thing. In
the end, it really doesnt matter if your
guitars bridge was handshaped by a guy
standing at a belt sander for an hour or
if the CNC took two minutes to do the
same task. It only matters that the bridge
was made well, right?
Even though were one of the smallest
guitar companies out there with our own
machine, it has become an invaluable tool
to us. If we lost every tool here and had
to start over tomorrow, the first thing Id
want to buy is another CNC.
Until next time: Pick up your guitar,
play, and enjoy!
Is it a bad thing
if a machine can
crank out labor-
intensive parts
in a fraction of
the time, do it
perfectly, and
save wood while
doing so?
CNC Technology in Guitar Making
BY MARK DALTON
MARK DALTON is a founding
partner of Huss & Dalton Guitar
Company. When not building
guitars, Mark and his wife,
Kimberly, tend to the draft horses
and mules that inhabit their farm
in the Piedmont region of Virginia.
MARTINSTRINGS.COM
BRING OUT YOUR GUITARS TRUE VOICE.
I NTRODUCI NG
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S
ome take up guitar to be heroes,
strutting their stuff as a solo
instrumentalist or a bands blazing
lead player. Others prefer to be singer/
songwriters, using the instrument to
create tunes and accompany themselves.
There is yet another type of player who,
though he or she might occasionally shred
or write songs, finds a primary calling in
helping others realize a musical vision.
These players are sidemenor, more
accurately, sidepersons.
For these hired guns, a musical career
entails recording and/or touring with a
succession of solo artists, or as an adjunct
to self-contained bands who need a
specialist to fill out their sound. These
highly skilled pickers might specialize in
one style of music, but more often they
handle a variety of genres to maximize
employability.
Being a sideperson has advantages and
drawbacks. On the plus side, you get to
play with new players all the time, and you
get paid whether or not anyone shows up
at the gig. If you enjoy travel, this is the life
for you. While other band members are off
the road recording their next record, you
can be out touring with another artist. For
an excellent guitarist who enjoys diverse
creative challenges, but isnt interested in
the trials and dramas of a cooperative band
or the responsibility of a solo career, hired
gun can be a fulfilling job.
On the downside, you get paid the
same whether the gig is in a theater
or a sold-out stadium. Theres no job
securitybeing hired for this tour or
record is no guarantee youll be called
for the next one. And until you reach
a certain career level, you may have to
play a lot of mediocre music amongst the
plum gigs.
It largely comes down to the difference
between being an entrepreneur and an
employee. The former (solo artist or
band member) entails greater risks for the
promise of potentially greater rewards (hit
records). The latter (hired gun) offers a
paycheck for services rendered, though,
like any freelance employee, a sideperson
alternates looking for work, doing the
work, and, sometimes, trying to get paid
for the work.
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Go for It
If playing for others is the path you
choose, where do you start? First you have
to get the gig. Word of mouth is the best
way, which means you need to hang out
where other musicians hang, and play
local gigs and sessions as much as possible
while youre the new guy, says Will
Kimbrough (Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle,
Emmylou Harris, Josh Rouse). To this I
would add a tip from personal experience:
Dont hang out exclusively with guitarists.
They might occasionally recommend you
for a gig they cant make or dont want,
but non-guitarists are likelier to hip you
to gigs that need a 6-string slinger.
Your behavior and demeanor on local
gigs and sessions while climbing the
music-circuit ladder create an indelible
impression. Most of the time, the
recommendation comes from a musician
you met on a crappy $50 gig, says Larry
Salzman (Blue Nile, David Johansen,
Bette Midler). For that and many other
reasons, its important to take every gig
you agree to do seriously. And its not
only musicians you need to impress. Try
not to alienate anyone you meet in the
business, no matter how small their job
seems to be, says Vinnie Zummo (Joe
Jackson, Shawn Colvin, Roger Daltrey,
Art Garfunkel). You never know where
someone will end up.
Study for the Test
So you got the callusually an
opportunity to audition. If youre asked
to audition, do your homework, advises
Eric Ambel (Steve Earle, Joan Jett).
Check out the artists latest record and
the catalog, too. Nowadays its not too
hard to track down any touring artists
setlist. The setlist tells you a lot about the
gig, as will a few current YouTube clips.
You might receive a list of tunes and
charts, but not necessarily. If youre told
the tunes in advance, learn them from
memory. Unless its 30 songs received the
night before (or maybe a jazz gig) no one
wants you reading charts. They want to
see a level of commitment to the music.
Knowing the music is a given, but
its only the beginning. The song is the
sacred thing here, says Kimbrough.Its
Eric Ambel plays
his chambered
55-style Les
Paul with the
Del-Lords at the
CBGBs Festival
in NYC.
not about your incredible chops and
speed.The artist wants you to play the
song. Play the tune, but dont forget to
pay attention to whats going on around
you, too. Listen carefully to whats being
played in the room, and react to that,
Salzman says. Music is a communal
sport. Dont be afraid to go the extra
mile either, and be vocal about other
musical talents you can offer. On almost
any singer/songwriter gig, harmony
singing is a plus, says Ambel. If you can
sing harmony, let them know.
Having your gear together is another
must. Make sure all your guitars, pedals,
and cables are working and organized.
If you can bring your own amp, do it.
You want to represent your sound as
accurately as possible. And use the gear
that fits the gigno Marshall stacks at
a singer/songwriter audition, or Fender
Princetons at a heavy metal one.
Of course, some aspects of auditioning
are non-musical. If you get the gig, these
people will be living with you in close
quarters for weeks or months at a time,
so take a shower before the audition.
(As obvious as that sounds, it must be
said, because more than one interviewee
mentioned it.) Have a positive attitude,
but dont suck up or talk too much.
Be confidentnot cocky. One way to
calm nerves is to remember you are
auditioning them as well. Are these
people you want to play and travel with?
Though we might wish it werent
so, age and appearance matter in
a professional music career. While
alternative bands have proven its okay
to be heavy or bald, your appearance
must fit the band, so dress appropriately.
Dont show up in a suit if youre
auditioning for a hippie jam band.
Consider the odds well against you if
youre 50 and auditioning for a band of
twentysomethings. It can work the other
way around as well: Legacy bands (read:
old) tend to hire more experienced (read:
old) musicians.

Hooray, You Got the Gig
Okay, youre in. How do you keep the job?
A good rule is to always be on your best
behavior. Remember its not about you,
says Salzman. Youre there to play the
artists music to the best of your ability.
Continued on p. 83
Nowadays its not too hard to track down
any touring artists setlist. The setlist will tell
you a lot about the gig, as will a few current
YouTube clips. Eric Ambel
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premierguitar.com
My Two Cents
In my years as sideman to folk legend Eric Andersen, blues artist James
Armstrong, and countless others, Ive learned some valuable lessons about
getting, holding, and losing gigs. Here are my additions to the conversation.
1
The right music store is your friend. If you can play no one minds you
taking an instrument down and making music at low volume. (Please
note italics.) When I frst moved to San Francisco I loitered at Real Guitars,
a small vintage shop with a separate shop in the back run by repair legend
Gary Brawer. A number of gigs ensued from networking with customers and
recommendations by the owners.
2
Dont take rejection to heart. In the early 80s, singer/songwriters on
New Yorks Bleecker Street occasionally fred their current guitarists
to hire meand vice-versa. Often the thinking was, I dont have a record
deal yetit must be time to change my guitarist.
3
Dont refuse to play for cheap or free. Some players say, I wont leave
the house for less than $100. If you dont love to play just for the
sake of it, youre in the wrong business. I often sit in as an unpaid side-
man at singer/songwriter rounds. Fun is guaranteed, and its a great way to
improve your ears. Gigs and sessions may be a result.
4
Always ofer the full extent of your talent and creativity. Ive seen
sidepersons read chord charts and just play chords, marking time until
their solos. Unless the artist specifes just chords, most appreciate any
tasteful rifs, licks, countermelodies, sounds, and/or hooks you add to their
music. If they appreciate it enough, you become indispensible, and the
gig is yours as long as you want it. And should they get signed, it increases
your chance of being the guitarist on the record.
5
Dont step on the vocals or soloist. I once had a famous guitar hero lean
over and whisper, Wow, check out how that guy is playing in between-
the vocals. (As opposed to what? I thought.) And dont just play any old
thingcreate something that adds to the mood of the tune.
6
Dont be a whiner. The joke is, How do you get musicians to com-
plain? Give them a gig. Its easy to grumble about the pay, the food,
the miles, the venue, or the soundnot to mention the quirks of the artist
paying you. Resist the urge. The easiest way to get over this is book a gig
as a leader once or twice. Youll quickly learn how difcult it is to deal with
expenses, venue owners, sound people, and, er, sidepersons. If you dont
like the pay, the music, or the conditions, do everyone (including yourself)
a favor, and dont take the gig.
Michael Ross
Above left: Larry Salzman preps his custom acoustic backstage before a show in
London. Says Salzman: It was made for and played by the Everly Brothers!
Left: Will Kimbrough
the Straight Truth About Pickups by Jason Lollar
The magicfound in some (but not all) classic vintage pickups
was created by accident. Dont let anyone tell you different. And
over time, some pretty stellar accidents happened.The only way
to recreate that magic is to study more than a few exceptional
examples of all the classic pickup types, while acquiring a
thorough understanding of exactly what materials were used
and precisely how each pickup was constructed and wound. Only
then is the magicrepeatable, if you are willing to spend the time
and money required to chase the dragon. I am.
I personally design and wind over 30 different pickup models,
including all the vintage classics, many obscure works of art
known only to lap and pedal steel players like Robert Randolph,
and even a few of my own designs that never existed in the past.
I invite you to visit our website for sound clips, videos and
current product information, or call us for a free product
highlight brochure.
Lollar Guitars PO Box 2450 Vashon Island, WA 98070 (206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com
There
are stories
about musicians
whove lost big gigs because they played
loudly and endlessly at soundchecks. Keep
your eyes on the artist to see what he or
she needs. Always be on time or early.
Play in tune and in time. Be humble. Ive
had several instances in a room with a
legendary sideman, and it became obvious
why that person has had a decades-long
career. They were interested in music.
They didnt know how good they were.
They listened. They were kind, inviting
people. It was a groove just to be in
a room with them. They met me
someone who meant nothing to them
and were completely welcoming.
Be yourself, but make an effort to
socialize with your touring compadres.
You should try to fit in and play well with
others, on and off the stage. Take a good
look around and see how the veterans of
the tour behave before you open that beer
or start telling dirty jokes, says Kimbrough.
Look decent at all times, until you know
its okay to be sloppy in your jammies.Be
polite and courteous.Dont be sexist or
racist.If you feel like ranting about politics
or religion, go off and write it downdont
bring that mess to other people who are
stuck out on the road with you.Focus on
the music, the show, and the tunes.Tweak
your gear.Exercise and eat welldon't be
the last person up drinking at 4 a.m. on the
bus.You'll start to look bad and play badly.
Even if youve reached a high level of
musicianship, remember there are many
other players qualified for the gig. This is
where the other hang comes in. (The
first hang was meeting musicians in
clubs). Chris Botti was a member of
Stings band for two years, says Marc
Shulman (Chris Botti, Suzanne Vega).
He told me that the ability to hang was
the single thing that determined whether
a player kept the gig. This hang is about
how people feel around you, and theres
more to it than basic professionalism.
Continued on p. 85
Be on time for lobby call. If youre late on
Stings tour, they leave without you, and its your
responsibility to get to the next city on your own.
Marc Shulman
Marc Shulman
plays his
Avante acoustic
baritone at a
session with
Micah Shevelof
at Firehouse 12
in New Haven,
Connecticut,
in the summer
of 2013. Yes,
that's a parrot
on the front
under the clear
coat, Shulman
says. As such,
we call this the
Parrotone.
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premierguitar.com
Be upbeat or lay lowkeep your
darkness to yourself unless you are
confiding to a friend in the
organization, Shulman explains. Being
dark and crabby will not endear you to
the team. Projecting negativity or
inviting conflict probably wont work to
your advantage. If something comes up
and you start arguing, all that is
remembered afterwards is your vibe,
says Zummo. Even if it turns out you
were right, all anyone remembers is that
you got angry.
Above all, dont miss your bus,
figuratively or literally. Be on time for
lobby call. If youre late on Stings tour,
they leave without you, and its your
responsibility to get to the next city on
your own, says Shulman.
Is It for You?
Ive spent my own career alternating
between cooperative bands and sideman
work. Being in bands allowed my creative
energy to flourish. In a good band I
could invent my own parts and play
whatever I deemed appropriate, while
still considering the needs of the group.
A working, cooperative band is like a
healthy marriage, where each person is
allowed to be himself or herself while
creating something larger than themselves.
Being a sideman is more like a
codependent relationship. One definition
of codependency is a relationship
in which a person is controlled or
manipulated by another who is affected
with a pathological condition (typically
narcissism or drug addiction); it often
involves placing a lower priority on
ones own needs, while being excessively
preoccupied with the needs of others.
Thats an extreme way of expressing it.
But while rarely pathological, talented artists
often display some degree of narcissism.
It can go with the territory, allowing an
artist to focus with laser intensity on
their art. This can make a certain kind of
codependency a healthy thing in a hired
gun. As these interviewees attest, placing
a lower priority on ones own needs while
serving the artist and their music is essential
to being an in-demand sideperson.
But dont get too deep into psychological
analysis. If you find great joy in using your
skill and talent to help others create the
sound they hear in their head, you were born
to be a sideperson. Now go take a shower!
If something comes up and you start arguing, all that is remembered
afterwards is your vibe. Even if it turns out you were in the right, all
anyone remembers is that you got angry. Vinnie Zummo
Guitarist Vinnie
Zummo plays
his vintage
Steinberger
TransTrem at a
recent concert
with his trio
in NYC.
premierguitar.com
T
his month well see how blending
sound from two mics can add
color and distinction to an
electric guitar recordingor ruin it.
But first, a few clips inspired by reader
comments. I recorded last months audio
examples with the mics element aimed
directly at the grille, just at varying
positions on the near/far and center/
edge axes. But several folks mentioned
orienting the mic at a biassay, at a 45
degree angle relative to the grille. How
does that alter the tone?
Hear for yourself: I recorded an audio
clip four ways (Pic. 1) through a Shure
SM57. (Audio clips are embedded in the
online version of this column.)
A. Center position, 1" from grille
B. Center position, 45 degree angle,
1" from grille
C. Midway to speaker edge, 1"
from grille
D. Midway to speaker edge, 3"
from grille
No surprise that clip B sounds darker
than clip Athe element points away
from the bright speaker center. Now
compare clip B to clip C, where the
element is aimed to the same spot, but
with its barrel perpendicular to the
grille. Clip C has a touch more low-end
warmth. Thats the proximity effectthe
mics tendency to pump up lows when
positioned close. The mic is a couple of
inches further from the grille in clip D,
nixing some of the proximity effect and
producing something quite similar to
clip B.
Key point: Angling the mic reduces
proximity effect. (It probably makes
total geometric sense if, unlike me, you
know your ass from your hypotenuse.)
The technique is especially useful for
minimizing leakage on live stages or
when tracking multiple instruments.
The birth of big. Theres a great
illicitly circulated Led Zeppelin studio
outtake (sadly not on the official Outtakes
collection). While Jimmy Page plays the
Heartbreaker solo, we hear an engineer
bringing up two mics. First is a close mic,
dry and claustrophobic. Then we hear
a spooky, resonant room mic. Then we
hear the two together, slightly panned
in stereo. Its like witnessing the birth of
modern rock guitar tone, but without
messy placentas and stuff.
Exploitation of ambient space is a big
part of Zeppelins magic. Jimmy Page
realized that the emotional impact of
a riff wasnt merely about the players
notes and guitar tonespace itself could
impart majesty and mystery.
But before you set up 47 mics,
consider this: Each new mic adds
something, but takes something else away.
Double trouble. Whenever you blend
mics, phasing comes into play, because
the sound reaches each mic at a slightly
different time (see Pic. 2). Like a phase
shifter pedal, which combines your dry
signal with a slightly delayed signal, some
frequencies resonate more strongly while
others are cancelled. The result can add
THE RECORDING GUITARIST
Pic 1. Angling a close mic in relation to the grille slightly lessens the proximity efect, which sometimes yields clearer tones.
Pic 2. Positioning a second mic at varying distances from a close mic emphasizes diferent frequencies while attenuating others.
Two Mics Are (Sometimes) Better than One
BY JOE GORE
JOE GORE has recorded and
performed with Tom Waits, PJ
Harvey, Tracy Chapman, Courtney
Love, Marianne Faithfull, Les
Claypool, Flea, DJ Shadow, John
Cale, and many other artists. Joe
has written thousands of articles
about music and helps develop
music tools for Apple and other
clients. He blogs at tonefiend.com.
cool texture and dimension, or just make
parts sound thin and diffuse.
I recorded a quick clean-toned example
with the SM57 right on the speaker,
with a Neumann TLM 103 condenser
alongside, and then at increasing distances
from the amp. In the online audio clips,
you hear the 57 alone for six seconds
before the 103 switches on. Its dramatic!
Which sounds best? To my ear, none
of the blends sound as good as a single
close mic. My vintage Strat tone is
already phasy sounding. The cancelled
frequencies overemphasize this quality,
while the added ones just sound sloppy.
Its tricky to predict the results of mic
blendsyou must experiment. For that
reason, engineers often record via several
mics, but wait till the mix to decide which
sources to use. Yet the technique can be
more than hit-and-miss. For example, I got
to visit Metallica in the studio when they
were tracking the Black Album. Producer
Bob Rock had erected a low tunnel of drop
cloths extending many feet in front of one
of James Hetfields amps. He explained
that the tunnel was tuned to emphasize
one particularly prominent frequency
in Jamess tone. (Bob clammed up real
fast when I asked which frequency, but I
assume he referred to either the 77.8 Hz of
Jamess low E%, or 139 Hz an octave above.)
Rate your room. Evaluate the sound of
your room before laboring to capture it.
Hetfield and Rock were working in a fine
studio. Pagey recorded in spacious rooms
and spooky old castles. But if youre
working in a crappy-sounding bedroom or
garage, your best bet may be to close-mic
and add artificial ambience later.
But before surrendering to an
uninspiring room, search for its hidden
sweet spots. Have a friend play your
guitar (or ReAmp one of your parts) as
you wander around, listening for lively
spots. Get down on all fours. Crawl
around. Bark like a dog. (Well, the
barking might not help.) You may be
shocked by how much better certain
spots sound.
Toilet tone. You may already have a
great guitar chamber: your bathroom.
Reflective porcelain and tile can add a
tough, resonant edge, especially to rough-
hewn rock parts.
I recorded another set of two-mic
tones, close-miking a Marshall 18-watt
clone in the shower with a Royer
R-121 ribbon mic, adding the 103
condenser at varying distances (Pic 3).
Here I feel the second mic does improve
things, adding texture and depth to a
potentially generic crunch tone. (The
online clips feature the close mic, then
the far mic, and then both.)
All clips so far feature roughly equal
mono blends. Adjusting relative levels,
panning positions, and dynamic processing
adds infinitely more wrinkles. I recorded a
few more variations: In clip A (online), the
panning morphs from mono to maximum
stereo back to a modest spread. (Does one
particular position sound best?) In clip B
I apply extreme compression to the room
mic, a common technique. And for clip
C, the condenser mic is behind the open-
backed amp. (This thumping tone can
bulk up a track, though you usually need
to reverse the phase of one track when
mics face each other.)
In short, multiple mics can summon
magic or misery. So lets hear about your
magical/miserable recording experiences!
Pic 3. A
bathrooms
refective
surfaces can
lends a bright,
aggressive edge
to rock tracks.
premierguitar.com
I
f youre the kind of guitarist who
likes to work on instruments
doing your own basic setup and
maintenance, for exampleyou need to
have the right tools at your fingertips to
get the job done correctly. With simple
tools, good instruction, and a modicum
of patience, youll save yourself money
and have the satisfaction of keeping your
guitar or bass in top playing condition.
And heres another important payoff:
By performing routine maintenance and
basic setups on your instruments, you
can better understand how they actually
produce sound, and ultimately this will
improve your playing.
A well-equipped guitar shop has
lots of toolswith good reason. The
professional luthier or repair person has
the training and experience to handle the
kind of projects that require an expert,
such as fixing broken headstocks, doing
fretwork, installing tremolo systems,
and dozens of other demanding tasks.
Fortunately, maintaining your guitars
doesnt require a complete workshop.
Lets take a look at the essential tools
youll need for the kind of projects that
fall within a musicians purview.
Measuring tools. An invaluable part
of any kit is the String Action Gauge
(Fig. 1) from Stewart-MacDonald
(stewmac.com). I use this tool dailyits
perfect for measuring action at both the
12th fret and nut, and also determining
neck relief. You control the latter by
adjusting the truss rod, and this handy
gauge lets you accurately measure relief
before and after making any adjustments.
Another useful tool is a 6" machinists
metal rule. You can use this when adjusting
pickup height or anytime you need precise
measurements for replacement hardware,
knobs, tuners, and so on.
Screwdrivers, nut drivers, and hex
keys. I recommend having six different
screwdrivers on hand: three flathead and
three Phillips in large, medium, and small
sizes (Fig. 2). Parts you can adjust with
these include pickguard screws, jack plates,
neck bolts, tuning key screws, bridge
plates, certain truss rods, and some bridge
saddles. Having several sizes lets you handle
most types of screws used on guitars.
Nut drivers (Fig. 3) are great for
tightening output jacks, tone and volume
pots, switches, tuning key collars, and
some truss rods. Id suggest you keep
seven different sizes in your kit: 3/16"
and 11/32" for mini switches, 5/16" for
Gibson truss rods, 1/4" for Taylor, Guild,
and many other truss rods, 1/2" for
most potentiometers and jacks, 7/16" for
import jacks and potentiometers, and 10
mm for tuning key collars.
Having a set of hex keys is essential
for adjusting your guitar at home and on
the fly. I use about 13 different sizes on a
regular basis (Fig. 4). You may not need
all 13, but its a good idea to collect all
the hex keys that fit your guitars. Here
are the go-to hex keys in my toolkit:
.050", 1/16", 3/32", 1/8", 9/64", 5/32",
3/16", 1.5 mm, 2 mm, 2.5 mm, 3 mm,
4 mm, 5 mm. Having both metric and
imperial (U.S.) sizes means youll be able
to adjust most bridge saddles, truss rods,
locking nuts, tremolos, and much more.
Nut files. Unlike regular files, these
specialized files are designed to produce
round-bottom slots that correspond to
strings of different gauges (Fig. 5). Nut
files come in handy when you have a
string thats constantly hanging up at the
nut and causing tuning problems. Many
luthier suppliers sell single nut files or
sets of them. Although most sets dont
match the exact string gauges you might
GUITAR SHOP 101
The Guitarists Essential Toolkit
BY JOHN LEVAN
3
6
1
4
2
5
Fig. 1. The String
Action Gauge
from Stewart-
MacDonald
(stewmac.com)
is designed to
precisely and
quickly measure
action and neck
relief.
Fig. 2. Three
fathead and
three Phillips
screwdrivers in
large, medium,
and small sizes
will cover most
jobs.
Fig. 3. Nut
drivers are
essential for
tightening
output jacks,
tone and volume
pots, switches,
tuner collars,
and some truss
rods.
Fig. 4. Many
guitar
adjustments are
done with hex
keys. The two
odd-looking
tools on the left
are designed
to reach truss
rods accessed
through a
fattops
soundhole.
Fig. 5. Unlike
regular fles, nut
fles produce
round-bottom
slots that
correspond to
diferent gauges
of strings.
Fig. 6. This
Planet Waves
ProWinder
includes a
string-cutter
and bridge-pin
puller.
use, thats not a problem. I typically
select a file thats slightly smaller than
the string and then simply roll the file as
I work the slot to expand it to the right
width. I recommend you have at least six
filesone for each basic string width.
String winder and wire cutter. Few
things make changing strings easier than
a string winder. In fact, its good to have
two: One in your toolkit and one in
your gig bag to ease that panicked feeling
when you break a string at soundcheck.
There are several great string winders
on the market. If you prefer a manual
string winder, check out the Planet Waves
ProWinder (Fig. 6). It fits the tuners on
most acoustic and electric guitars, as well
as mandolins. It also has a built-in string
cutter and if you have a flattop, youll
appreciate the bridge-pin puller. There are
winders for bass, too.
If youre like me and prefer an
attachment for your hand drill, Planet
Waves also makes a Drill Bit Peg Winder
(Fig. 7). Its sized to fit both guitar and
bass tuners. It really speeds up the stringing
process. Just chuck it into your drill and
start winding. The hardest part of using
a drill bit winder is remembering which
direction the drill is about to turn. Youll get
the hang of it after you use it a few times.
For trimming strings, its always good
to have a solid pair of wire cutters in your
kit, especially if you use a drill bit winder,
which wont have a built-in clipper. And
a wire cutter is essential when you rewire
a guitar or work on its electronics.
Soldering supplies. A soldering kit (Fig.
8) is another must-have for any guitarist
who wants to tinker with potentiometers,
pickups, and circuitry. Plus you never know
when youll have to re-attach a wire to your
jack or one of the switches or pots.
Heres what I keep in my soldering
kit: 60/40 rosin core solder (not acid
core), 30-watt soldering iron (dont use
a soldering gun because it can degauss
pickup magnets), cloth-covered stranded
wire (not solid core wire), hemostats for
holding wires and parts while you solder
them together, and heat-shrink tubing to
make the wiring job look professional and
provide insulation. Most soldering irons
include a small stand for your iron. If you
dont yet have a stand, get one for safety.
And while were discussing electronics,
keep a spray can of electronics cleaner
handy for fixing scratchy pots (Fig. 9).
Glue. If youre entertaining the idea
of gluing a guitars parts, you may have
crossed the line that separates setup or
mod projects a guitarist can handle from
this is a job for a professional. Dont get
in over your head. When in doubt, take
the instrument to your favorite tech.
That said, two small bottles of glue
can go a long way when your guitar needs
an emergency repair. Your toolkit should
have a bottle of Titebond wood glue and
a small bottle of cyanoacrylate, such as
Super Glue. In addition, stock up on a
few toothpicks and Q-Tips (Fig. 10).
Combined with a toothpick or two,
wood glue can temporarily secure a loose
strap buttonat least until you can get
the instrument to a repair shop. This
combination also works well for fixing
stripped holes for pickguard and pickup
ring screws.
Super Glue is perfect for gluing a loose
string nut or temporarily filling a nut slot
to get you through a gig. The Q-Tips
are essential for immediately cleaning up
any excess glue. In fact, whenever youre
holding instant glue in one hand, you
should always have a Q-Tip in the other!
If you spill or squeeze out too much glue,
a Q-tip works great for a quick cleanup.
Files. A set of miniature bastard
files can solve a lot of little problems,
including removing a burr from a bridge
saddle, smoothing out a sharp fret end,
carving string slots into the nut on a bass,
widening the string slots in an acoustic
bridge, and much more. They are
available in many shapes and sizes. I have
four main shapes in my kit: round, flat,
half-round, and square (Fig. 11).
If you have several instruments, its
good to invest in a carefully organized
and well-stocked toolkit. You may find
you enjoy the process of maintaining
your axes almost as much as playing
them.
JOHN LEVAN has written five
guitar repair books, all published
by Mel Bay. His bestseller, Guitar
Care, Setup & Maintenance, is
a detailed guide with a forward
by Bob Taylor. LeVan welcomes
questions about his PG column
or books. Drop an email to
guitarservices@aol.com.
10
11
7
8
9
Fig. 7. Got a
hand drill?
You can get a
string-winding
attachment
for it.
Fig. 8. Guitarists
who want to
tinker with
potentiometers,
pickups, and
circuitry need a
basic soldering
kit.
Fig. 9. Keep
a can of
electronics
cleaner handy
for fxing
scratchy pots.
Fig. 10. Along
with a few
toothpicks and
some Q-Tips,
fast-acting
cyanoacrylate
adhesives like
Super Glue
can be useful
for emergency
repairs.
Fig. 11. A set
of miniature
bastard fles can
remove a burr
from a bridge
saddle, smooth
out a sharp fret
end, and perform
many other
useful tasks.
premierguitar.com
O
ne of the many benefits of my
growing up in a fairly small
town was the short supply of
bassists. Being one of the few available
meant that I had to play in metal
bands, Latin trios, 50s rock n roll
bands, folk duos, 18-piece big bands,
fusion quartets, and electronic synth-pop
bands. I wasnt very good at a lot of it, but
I loved being in this situation, and it was
a blessing in disguise.
I started all of these other projects
while still a member of a rock band with
serious ambitions. Some of the guys in
my band didnt understand how I could
enjoy playing so many styles, and Id
constantly hear snide remarks about
not staying true to my art or being a
musical whore. As a listener, however,
my musical tastes have always been very
diverse. And the dream of staying in a
rock band with high school pals who
made it to greatness together eventually
became less important to me.
Back then, I looked up to the bassists
that were not necessarily associated with
only one specific genre. Pino Palladino
has toured with rockers The Who, neo-
soul legend DAngelo, folk icons Simon
and Garfunkel, and pop sensation John
Mayerall within the last decade. Darryl
Jones has performed with Madonna,
Miles Davis, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and the
Rolling Stones. And after studying players
like them in my teens, my sights began to
focus on becoming a versatile, professional
sideman instead of a rock star.
I guess you could call me a jack-of-
all-trades, master of none. By no means
does this mean that I am equally strong
across the board. The styles I am most
passionate about are the hard rock of
the 80s and soul music of the 60s. This
shows up clearly in my playing, and
it also influences the way I approach
other styles. Theres a lot of jazz music
and traditional jam-band music I dont
necessarily love, so Im absolutely not
offended when somebody else gets hired
for those gigs. They might be better than
me, love the music more, or most likely
both. But when I do get called to play
those gigs, I want to be able to fake my
way through them fairly well and sound
somewhat professional!
I was lucky enough to study bass at
Music Tech of Minneapolis (now called
McNally Smith College of Music). My
small group of teachers there constantly
reminded me that I needed to learn the
basics of all modern, commercial genres in
order to make a living. This was certainly
right in line with what I had already
started discovering on my own, but it is
also the greatest advice Ive been given in
my career as a bass player.
Many music schools focus on genres
that are technically more advanced or
culturally more sophisticated, but some
of those genres have very little to do
with actually making a living in todays
music industry. I was happy focusing
my learning on what the marketplace
needed. And its my true love of musical
styles that appeal to the masses over artsy,
less-commercial styles that has kept me
working full-time as a bassist for almost
20 years.
From scales to standard bass patterns,
there are so many pieces of knowledge
that are directly interchangeable between
styles on bassmore so than on guitar. If
you know how to properly adapt a root-5
pattern, for example, youre able to play
a country ballad as well as quite a few
Black Sabbath songs.
When it comes to gear for working
bassists, we got lucky there too. Thats
because the sound and approach for
many genres only involves a few pieces
of gear, whereas guitarists often need
a large collection of instruments and
other gear to cover a wide variety of
styles. Just think about the classic sound
of Precision- and Jazz-style basses and
how they have been the foundation for
virtually every genre. Tonal differences
between genres are largely decided by our
touch on the instrument and perhaps
a little tweaking of the onboard tone
control. This means that we can sound
authentic in many styles on a fairly small
budget. All you have to do is listen, learn,
and emulate. Thats not to say youre just
working on becoming a skilled copycat.
Youll undoubtedly still find your own
style while learning to emulate others.
Next time, Ill go through the basics of
a few different styles and how to emulate
the sounds heard on some pivotal records
without having to touch a single piece of
gear except your bass. See you then!
ON BASS
Covering Your Basses
BY VICTOR BRODN
VICTOR BRODN is a Nashville
bassist and producer who has
toured and recorded with more
than 25 major-label artists,
including LeAnn Rimes, Richard
Marx, Casting Crowns, and Randy
Houser. You can reach him at
vbroden@yahoo.com.
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H
ave you ever wondered why
some of your instruments go
out of tune faster than others,
even though you cant identify a specific
reason why? Tuning instability is a much
bigger problem for guitarists than bassists,
yet because modern bass players are
often asked to do more than just keep
the groove, tuning and intonation have
become important issues for low-enders
too. Playing an extended-range bass,
doing solos, or even just covering a wider
frequency spectrum requires you to stay
in tune if you want to keep your gig.
Naturally, many bassists who wrestle with
this problem assume their tuners are the
source of any instability and immediately
swap the machine heads as a way to
combat it. There are several things you
can do to avoid tuning instability, but its
rarely the tuner thats causing the problem.
To get an idea of what could be the
cause, it makes sense to look at the
problem the other way around:
If you were to design the bass with the
most stable tuning of all time, how would
you begin? First, youd get the shortest
possible active string length. By active,
I mean everything that is under tension.
Remember, you cant stretch whats not
there. The minimum would be the scale
length plus all space needed for either
tuning or intonation adjustment. The tuner
could be a locking version, reducing the
string-length on the axis, but even better yet
would be a linear and non-winding tuner.
Youd also need to have two saddle
points for each string and both should be
very slippery to equal out any differences
in tension along the string. A solid, stiff
body wont have much effect, but you
might want to add some lacquer to save
the body from moisture changes. Same
thing for the neck, which is much weaker
and these days is often combined with
reinforcing layers of carbon. Lastly, you
could eliminate all temperature- and
moisture-sensitive material. Voilyouve
just designed your first headless bass in
the classic Steinberger style!
Now, given that the majority of bass
players tend to own Fender-style basses,
it makes sense to look at the differences
between those and our hypothetical
design. We want to know how these
differences potentially affect tuning
stability. The most obvious difference is
the headstock, which adds roughly 15
percent additional active string length. It
cant be as stable as the shorter headless,
but 15 percent sounds like something
one can live with. Still, there are typically
two other parts on a headstock that
have way more influence on tuning
stability: the nut and one or more string
trees. Both add friction to the strings,
hindering them from equaling out
different tensions.
You can test this yourself by bending
a string. If its flat after the bend, then
theres too much friction. Raising the
string tree by loosening its screw will
reduce the friction at both the tree and
nut. Then if you can confirm that each
nut slot is wide enough not to bind the
string, there isnt much more you can
do, except lubricate the slots. You have
many options for this task, including
gun oil, pencil graphite, or Vaseline. The
differences between these lubricants wont
be huge, so use what you have at hand,
but be sure to apply it regularly. It doesnt
hurt to lubricate the bridge saddles at the
point where the string contacts them, but
saddles rarely cause problems.
Of course, different nut materials
have different frictions. Graphite is the
slipperiest nut material, and because
installing a graphite nut is way cheaper
than replacing all the tuners, its well
worth trying. Ball-bearing roller nuts
and saddles have long been available
to guitarists, but only a few exist for
bass. Mark King got one on his Jaydee
basswhich John Diggins built back
in 1978 in Birmingham, Englandbut
even that had just one roller for the G
string. Kramer made one for their DMZ
aluminum-neck basses in 1979, but they
located it behind a zero fret and used
the rollers to adjust the strings side-to-
side spacing.
Another bass with a roller nut is the
prototype Explorer bass built by Tom
Lieber for John Entwistle around 1981
(Fig. 1). Here, the rollers are used to
set string spacing across the zero fret
and also create the requisite downward
pressure against it (Fig. 2). As you can
see, Entwistles preferred headstock
shape compels a rather unfavorable
arrangement of the tuners, and the extra
hardware required to guide the strings
causes additional frictionthe enemy of
tuning stability. Its another example of
how fashion can override the practical
benefits of pure functionality.
THE BASS BENCH
Tuning Stability
BY HEIKO HOEPFINGER
HEIKO HOEPFINGER is a
German physicist and long-time
bassist, classical guitarist, and
motorcycle enthusiast. His work
on fuel cells for the European
orbital glider Hermes led him to
form BassLab (basslab.de)a
manufacturer of monocoque gui-
tars and basses.
Fig. 1. Tom
Lieber built
this prototype
Explorer bass for
John Entwistle
around 1981.
Fig. 2. Lieber
used rollers to
adjust string
alignment on
the zero fret
and also create
the necessary
downward
pressure to
hold the strings
against it.
Entwistles
preferred
headstock
shape requires
additional
hardware to
guide the
strings into
their respective
tuners.
Fig. 3. This
Lieber bass also
features sliding
pole pieces on
the EQ-4 bridge
pickup a
unique and bold
design.
1
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BY SHAWN HAMMOND
Guitarists from six of the hottest metal
and hardcore bands on the planet
including Dillinger Escape Plan,
Baroness, and Funeral for a Friend
sit down with Premier Guitar to discuss
the state of metal and hardcore in 2014.
E
ver since prehistoric humans began
chanting, clapping, banging on
logs, and blowing into bone flutes,
music has been an outlet. Regardless of
era, origin, skill level, or instruments
used, rhythms and melodies have always
been a means of expressing joy and
sorrow, a way to supplicate. Primitive
or modern, the aural arts have served to
rally, unify, and commiserate.
But heavy music from the last few
decades stands in stark contrast to that
truismor at least adds some intriguing
twists to it. More than any other type of
music, metal and punk (and the many
sometimes-silly-sounding subgenres) aim
to defy, provoke, and instigate.
There are no clear lines cleanly
demarking which bands and movements
embody the seismic shift from rock n
roll to a new kind of heavy. Indeed, then
as today, the trailblazing bands had their
feet in two worldshow could they not?
Regardless, its safe to say the origins
of punk and metal go back more than
40 years to the mid or late 60s. And
from the Stooges to Sabbath, MC5 to
Maiden, Deep Purple to the Damned,
Bad Religion to Bathory, and NOFX to
Neurosis, headbangers and fist-pumpers
have always made their mark on public
consciousness by exploring the dark side
of the human experience more graphically
and unapologetically than any other,
whether from a belligerently theatrical
viewpoint or an indignant polemicist one.
Given this, its of course a bit ironic
when razored-up punks and leather-clad
metalheads become mainstream stars,
their sneering faces sold posthumously
on millions of t-shirts and their tunes
used to sell product for corporate
conglomerates. Some might argue these
are small signs of progress or hope,
while others see it as sad evidence of art
co-opted, misunderstood, and sold out.
Even more ironic, many times these
travesties may not even be something the
artists themselves (or their estate holders)
can control. But we wont get into a rant
about publishing rights here.
As musicians, we draw inspiration
and insights from these proud misfits no
matter what capitalism and fickle listeners
do with the rest. Still, all too often the
heavies we hear from in conversations
about our beloved instrument are how
shall we put it? The usual suspects. No
disrespect to the guitar gods of yore
weve spoken to them plenty of times
ourselves, and we will continue to do
sobut not here. Not today.
Heavy music is about confrontation,
fearlessness, defiance. And though theres
just as much imitation, banality, and
corporatized bullshit in brutal, high-
octane music as there is in any other
genre right now, theres also a ton of
ragingly fresh and stimulating hard rock,
metal, hardcore, et al coming out today.
The blitzkrieg pace of change in todays
technology (and the seemingly inverse
relationship with our attention spans)
will probably never turn the heavy-music
innovators of today into the icons of
tomorrow in the same way that Ozzy
Osbourne became a household name,
but that can be said of pretty much
everything these days. (Plus, isnt that a
good thing?)
Following in the same spirit that has
always guided masters of punk and metal,
we decided to sit down with some of
the most innovative, unfetteredand,
in the wider guitar universe, unknown
guitarists playing heavy music today.
Given the breadth of subgenres, we
purposely sought out players from
different headspaces, though all are
masters of guitar who push boundaries
in ways both obvious and not. We asked
them about the state of metal, hardcore,
etc. today. We got the lowdown on what
albums inspire them. We got them to
go on record about what ills plague this
deliciously dark corner of rock. We found
out who they look up to, and we got
them to offer up uncensored advice on
how to stab stagnation and clich in the
gullet. And if you dont like what they
have to say, you can well, these guys
will tell you what you can do.
premierguitar.com
THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN'S Ben Weinman
Mathcore icons the Dillinger Escape Plan formed from the ashes of a more
straight-ahead hardcore trio that recorded a six-tune EP and signed a deal
in 1997. From the beginning, DEPs mastermind guitarist Ben Weinman
has brewed a heady mix of dissonant mayhem, brain-busting time
changes, and on-a-dime tempo shifts that have won them attention from
many quarters, including Faith No Mores Mike Pattonwho invited them
to support Mr. Bungle on the road. Current vocalist Greg Puciato joined
in 2000 and cemented the quintets fate. His relentlessly brutal vocals
and ballistic stage persona fit perfectly with Weinmans attention-getting
fretboard and stage antics, which include launching himself from atop
4x12 cabs, and hanging upside-down from venue raftersall while not
missing a beat between stomping riffs and tapped clean arpeggios.
GUITARS
ESP BW-1 FM/ET
Ben Weinman signature models
AMPS
Mesa/Boogie Mark V
Orange 4x12 cabs
EFFECTS
Way Huge Swollen Pickle
TC Electronic Flashback
Jim Dunlop Dimebag Signature Cry Baby wah
STRINGS & PICKS
Ernie Ball Slinky sets (.010.046)
Dunlop .88 mm Tortex picks
BEN WEINMANS GEAR
Thoughts on the State of Metal/
Hardcore in 2014: Metal and
hardcore are more exciting now than
theyve been since the mid 90s. It
feels like formulaic, over-produced,
soulless metal is being seen for
what it is, and an exciting resurgence
of underground hardcore and metal
is emerging. The underground
grindcore and hardcore scenes are
starting to resemble something
similar in ethic to what I remember
when I was coming up with
Dillinger: Bands are creating music
and playing shows knowing theres
no way in hell theyre ever going to
be on commercial radio or played in
an Apple commercial.
Best Album of the Last Year:
Like Clockwork by Queens of
the Stone Age is definitely a good
one. Im a little biased on that one
though, because my side project,
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra, and
Queens share John Theodore as a
drummer and Im super proud of
the work he is doing with them.
Best Metal or Hardcore Album
of All Time: That answer could
change for me on any given week.
Entombeds Wolverine Blues is
pretty flawless. Another great one is
Beneath the Remains by Sepultura
that was both a metal and a
hardcore record, in my opinion. For
straight-up hardcore, you cant go
wrong with Damaged by Black Flag.
The True till Death 7" by Chain of
Strength has a special place in my
heart, as well.
Most Underrated Metal or
Hardcore Guitarist: Steve Brodsky
from Cave Inthat dude still rips.
His new project Mutoid Man is
awesome.
Metal or Hardcore Clich That
Must Die: Every metalcore,
mathcore, metalcore, whatevercore
band uses the same exact guitar
simulation tone and drum samples.
Meshuggah is great, but you are not
Meshuggahstop!
Metal or Hardcore Tradition That
Must Not Die: Starting a riff with
just bass and then dropping the
bomb when the whole band comes
in and we all explode!
People Who Dont Get Metal
and Hardcore These Days
Should: Not make bands! If
you want to be a pop band, then
just be a pop band. Why scream?
Why write breakdowns? Just go
be in One Direction, dickhead.
Metal and hardcore are about
making music thatif you played
it loud in your car while driving
around school98 percent of your
classmates would look at you like
you were possessed.
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BARONESS' John Baizley
Alt-metal band Baroness formed in Savannah, Georgia, in 2003, and its
debut EP followed the next year. Two EPs later, vocalist/guitarist John
Baizleys quartet signed with Relapse in 2005 on the strength of their
eclectic blend of melodic, old-school metal vibes mixed with post-punk,
indie-rock, and occasional psych-rock elements. Their last release, 2012s
Yellow & Greenwhich saw Baizley and company branching even further
into art-rock territoryhad been out less than a month when, in August
of that year, the bands tour bus took a 30-foot plunge off a viaduct in
England. Baizley went through intense physical therapy to recover from
a broken arm and leg, and bassist Matt Maggioni and drummer Allen
Bicklewho suffered fractured vertebraeleft the band in March of
2013. Baroness resumed touring in April.
GUITARS
G&L ASAT Special
G&L Legacy HB
Custom God City Instruments 6-string
Framus Mayfield
Custom First Act
Rockbridge acoustics
AMPS
Two Budda Superdrive 45 combos
Fender 1965 Twin Reverb reissue
EFFECTS
Loop-Master switcher
Retro-Sonic Compressor
Fulltone OCD
Tym Guitars Big Mudd Ramhead
Ernie Ball passive volume pedal
Maxon AD-999 analog delay
DigiTech Whammy
Strymon Mobius and TimeLine
Mu-Tron Phasor II
STRINGS & PICKS
DAddario strings (.010.049, .012.052
for low tunings)
Dunlop Tortex .60 mm picks
Planet Waves American Stage cables
Shure KSM 313 and KSM 32 mics
JOHN BAIZLEYS GEAR
Hardcore in 2014: The first 10
years of the millennium were fertile
for intelligent, thought-provoking
music from bands like Mastodon,
Botch, and Converge. But then the
copycats found a way to blend that
with a commercial sound and make
money. Also, everybody is a well-
trained guitar playereverybody can
play circles around me. People have
tons of chops, but no songwriting
ability. Its all about how fast you can
play, how far you can tweak time
signatures. When youve got that
mindset, the rabbit hole you can fall
down is very deep and very difficult
to get out of. I dont want to watch
dudes masturbate. I want music to
convey emotions.
Portals Vexovoid was totally amazing
and intense and uniquebeyond
insane. I also liked Uncle Acid & the
Deadbeats Mind Control.
Best Metal or Hardcore Album of
All Time: Ill just say my most-often-
listened-to metal record of all time
Neurosis Through Silver in Blood.
Hardcore Guitarist: Kurt Ballou
from Converge. Hes a total master
of the instrument.
Must Die: Idiocy in lyrics. The
bands in power positions, the bands
who sway peoples opinions, arent
speaking intelligently enough. The
big metal bands of the 70s and 80s
felt that the burden was on them to
do something unique. Bands that
were selling bundles of tickets and
bundles of records had albums with
content and structure and, dare I say
it, thought-provoking lyrics. That
has gone by the wayside in the upper
echelons of metal, and it needs to
come back.
Must Not Die: Innovation. We need
to continue to treat what we do as
a legitimate art form, because it is.
Theres room for metalespecially
on the underground side of things
to pose questions, to challenge
things, to fly in the face of the status
quo, to be anti-pop, but also be
listenable and powerful and emotive.
Should: If you dont get it, its
not for you. It is not meant to be
easy to digest. It is meant to offer
a challenge to those who want the
challenge. My advice for people
who are on the cusp or are seeking
to be re-inspired is to go out and
support local music. Thats where its
happening in the most hungry and
heartfelt way. Somewhere in your
town theres a club that young bands
play at. Go see a show.
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PROPAGANDHI'S Chris Hannah
Formed as a more straight-ahead punk outfit in Manitoba, Canada, in
1986, Propagandhi is very much what its name implies: Outspoken on
sociological issues of equality and fairness. After opening for NOFX in
92, singer/guitarist Chris Hannah and his bandmates were signed to Fat
Wreck Chords label. In 97, they formed their own imprint, G7 Welcoming
Committee Records, and their sound took a turn toward heavier, more
complex rhythms and guitar work in the new millennium. Their breakneck
rhythms, deliciously raw chugging, and blistering leads (dig the pull-off
fusillades on Status Update and the tapped whammy-bar freakout on
Cognitive Suicide from 2012s Failed States) burst any notions that
hardcore equates to not being able to solo.
GUITARS
Gibson SG Standard
AMPS
Fractal Audio Axe-FX II
Mesa/Boogie Fifty/Fifty power amp
Mesa/Boogie 2x12 cab
STRINGS & PICKS
Jim Dunlop .88 mm Tortex picks
.011.052 strings (no specifc brand)
CHRIS HANNAHS GEAR
Hardcore in 2014: Its the same as
its always beenthe lamest, most
compromised, most boring music
rises to the mainstream top while the
most interesting, most challenging
exists under the radar.Guitarists
need to go back to the greats in their
prime and imagine what it was like
to make a record like Black Sabbaths
Sabotage, AC/DCs Let There Be Rock,
Celtic Frosts To Mega Therion, Bad
Brains Rock for Light, or MDCs
Millions of Dead Copsback before
anyone else had made anything
remotely resembling those. Tune into
that spirit.
Voivods Target Earth had the hardest
expectations to live up to and did an
admirable job. As far as hardcore, the
most interesting band on my radar
right now is War on Women from
Baltimore. Their upcoming record is
going to turn heads.
of All Time: Ravens All for One
perfected the power-metal that
bands like Accept had only hinted
at previously. Metallicas Ride the
Lightning set a new standard for thrash
metal. Without Venoms Welcome to
Hell, nothingnothingwould have
been the same in metal. Not Slayer,
not Metallica, not Bathorynothing.
They broke the whole thing open with
reckless abandon. And Cro-Mags
The Age of Quarrel took pure metal
progressions to the streets and made
something really special.
Hardcore Guitarist: Either Dave
Carlo from Razor, or Joe Rico and
Rob Urbinati from Sacrifice. Listen
to Sacrifices The Ones I Condemn
and tell me those riffs dont make
you want someone to break into
your house in the middle of the
night just so you can kill them with
a hammer![Laughs.]
Must Die: I guess I could do without
the misogynistic pabulum that still
passes for lyrics in this day and age.
Metal or Hardcore Tradition
That Must Not Die: Id like to see
the tradition of art in opposition
to illegitimate authority expand.
The worst, most pathetic music has
always been that which defers or
bows to the prevailing political and
social order. Pussy Riot, for example,
are about a thousand times more
badass than the majority of bands on
the metal and hardcore scene now.
Should: Go on their merry way,
doing their best to advance and
encourage the art and music that
speaks to them and celebrates the
Great Mystery of the cosmosjust
as the best metal and hardcore
music does.
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MORE THAN A PEDALBOARD. IN A PEDAL.
Youve got to go, like, now. Its a paycheck, an opportunity, maybe the
gig of a lifetime. When you arrive, there wont be much time, space
or patience, but you better sound incredible. You could rent a van and
bust your back trying to load a half-stack and rack system on your
own, maybe pay baggage overages so the airline can play dodgeball
with your hard-earned gear.
Or, you could slip the sleek Fly Rig 5 into your guitar case and hit
your gig so chill it would make Sinatra look awkward.
The Fly Rig 5 is a complete, professional rig with mammoth Tech
21 tones in the footprint of a pixie. You get 5 must-have gigging
pedals for 1/3 the cost at 1/3 the size. A genuine SansAmp with
3-band EQ, a DLA delay with tap-tempo, lush reverb, a 21dB clean
boost, and our glorious Plexi distortion, all packed into a gunmetal
chassis less than 12 long. A lightning rod for inspiration with
nothing to program or patch. Just the essential, blistering tones you
want to have for every gig.
The lovable, totable Fly Rig 5 is perfect for y gigs, fast-turnaround
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Freedom never sounded so sweet.
Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A.
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DEAFHEAVEN'S Kerry McCoy
San Franciscos Deafheaven formed when guitarist Kerry McCoy joined
forces with vocalist George Clarke in 2010 and, just for the hell of it,
recorded a four-song demo for $500. Though McCoy didnt own an
electric guitar or amp and had to use borrowed gear, the EP eventually
caught the attention of Jacob Bannon, frontman for veteran metalcore
band Converge. McCoy and Clarke soon signed with Bannons Deathwish
Inc. label and released Roads to Judah in 2011. Their sophomore effort,
2013s Sunbather, is a magnum opus whose nuanced, more enlightened
black-metal shrieks are so seamlessly melded with blastbeats and
shoegaze and ambient post-rock elements that it received worldwide
critical acclaim, including being voted the years best metal album by
Rolling Stone, Spin, Pitchfork, and Stereogum.
GUITARS
Gibson Les Paul
AMPS
Peavey 6505
4x12 cab
EFFECTS
Ernie Ball volume pedal
Boss TU-2 tuner
Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man
with Hazarai
Delta Labs SC1 chorus
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb
DigiTech JamMan
KERRY MCCOYS GEAR
Hardcore in 2014: I think metal
or at least the subgenres of it that I
listen tois in a fascinating place
right now. Were lucky to be living
in a time where so many people are
willing to push the envelope.
Best Album of the Last Year: This
is a really tough one. I loved Rhyes
Woman, My Bloody Valentines
MBV, Weekends Jinx, Russian
Circles Memorial, Drakes Nothing
Was the Same, Kanye Wests
Yeezus. Last year was a great year
for music!
of All Time: How do you pick just
oneand of all time?
Hardcore Guitarist: Ive always
thought thateven as celebrated
as he isMike Sullivan of Russian
Circles doesnt get nearly enough
love for being the genius that he is.
Must Die: I dont know how clich
this is, but I was recently shown this
band of teenagers doing a nu-metal/
deathcore mashup. Id say the sooner
that stops, the better. It is hilarious
for the first minute or so, though.
Metal or Hardcore Tradition
That Must Not Die: This question
is better suited for my diehard
girlfriend. Im gonna say drinking,
tailgating, and heavy-metal-parking-
lot-ing before going to a show.
Should: Not listen to it. Some
things arent for everyone.
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GORGUTS' Luc Lemay & Kevin Hufnagel
Formed by vocalist/guitarist Luc Lemay in 1989, Quebec technical death
metal outfit Gorguts has had its share of ups and downsso many, in fact,
that it would be depressing if not for the inspiring denouement: From
90 to 93, the bands incredibly complex rhythms and raging solos were
distributed by esteemed metal label Roadrunner Records. But then they
were dropped, went through multiple hiatuses, and had several lineup
changesincluding the untimely deaths of two members. When Lemay
finally reassembled Gorguts with the help of guitarist Kevin Hufnagel
and released 2013s Colored Sands (12 years after the bands previous
studio effort), the album received laudatory praise from around the globe
for its mind-boggling brutality, virtuosity, and compositional diversity
including Lemays classical string-quartet piece, The Battle of Chamdo.
GUITARS
Gibson SG
AMPS
Peavey 5150
EFFECTS
Sanford & Sonny Bluebeard Fuzz/Distortion
Boss DD-7 digital delay
STRINGS & PICKS
DR Strings Tite-Fit JZ-12 strings (.012.052)
Jim Dunlop Jazz III picks
KEVIN HUFNAGELS GEAR
GUITARS
1990s Ibanez S-series 7-string with
Bare Knuckle Aftermath humbucker
Two custom Marc Chicoine 6-strings
AMPS
Matrix Amplifcation GT1000FX
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinet
EFFECTS
Line 6 POD HD500
STRINGS & PICKS
DR strings (.013.056)
Jim Dunlop .88 mm Tortex picks
LUC LEMAYS GEAR
Hardcore in 2014:
Luc Lemay: I think the scene
is super creative and very much
alive. The quality of composition,
production, and musicianship is
great. Im very happy to belong to
this era of metal.
Kevin Hufnagel: Bands like
Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord,
and Portal are prime examples of
artists pushing metal into totally
refreshing and creative realms again.
Lemay: There are a few records I
really likedSteven Wilsons The
Raven That Refused to Sing, Ulcerates
Vermis, Katatonias Dethroned &
Uncrowned, Cult of Lunas Vertikal,
Carcass Surgical Steel.
Hufnagel: Kayo Dots Hubardo.
of All Time:
Lemay: Ill say Scream Bloody Gore
by Death, because that record made
me decide to play death metal.
Hufnagel: Voivods Dimension
Hatross.
Hardcore Guitarist:
Lemay: Christian Bouche (aka
Hasjarl) from Deathspell Omega for
his creativity, style of playing, and
style of writingjust pure evil.
Hufnagel: Currently, Id say Vindsval
from Blut Aus Nord. I love his totally
unorthodox approach and balance of
melodic and dissonant playing.
Must Die:
Lemay: Talking to the crowd with a
death-metal voice thats as guttural as
possible so no one can understand.
I mean, I get that its a show, but
I dont like this type of interaction
with the crowd. Once the song
starts, everything is possibleits all
about compositionbut when the
time to introduce a song comes
real voice, please.
Hufnagel: Breakdowns.
Must Not Die:
Lemay: I hate the fact that metal
is often snubbed in other musical
circles, and that metal musiciansor
any kind of extreme music artists
are seen as no-talent players.
Hufnagel: Guitar solos.
Should:
Lemay: Open their mind! Metal is
one of the boldest and most creative
forms of music. Of course it has its
clichs, but if you pass by that stuff,
a whole world of expression and
creativity will open up to you.
Hufnagel: Dig a little deeper into
the underground, where most of the
best music is being madeor just
go listen to something else.
L
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premierguitar.com
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND'S Gavin Burrough & Kris Coombs-Roberts
Hailing from Wales, U.K., Funeral for a Friend garnered attention as a post-
hardcore outfit in the early 2000s with its blend of screamo vocals, indie-
rock sound palettes, and metal stylingsmelodic leads, palm-muted
arpeggiations, and breakdowns. Their 2003 major-label debut, Casually
Dressed & Deep in Conversation, earned them a spot opening for Iron
Maiden and was influential on subsequent British post-hardcore bands
such as Asking Alexandria. Their latest release, Conduit, debuted at No. 34
on the U.K. charts in early 2013.
GUITARS
PRS Singlecut
PRS S2 Mira
AMPS
Peavey 6505+
Peavey 6505 4x12 cab
EFFECTS
Boss TU-2 tuner
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
STRINGS & PICKS
Jim Dunlop strings (.011.056)
Jim Dunlop heavy picks
Line 6 wireless
KRIS COOMB-ROBERTS GEAR
GUITARS
Framus Panthera
Framus Diablo
AMPS
Peavey 6505
Peavey 4x12 cabs
EFFECTS
Morpheus DropTune
Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor
Boss DD-6 digital delay
TC Electronic PolyTune
STRINGS & PICKS
Jim Dunlop strings
(.054, .042, .032, .019, .014, .011)
Jim Dunlop 1 mm picks
GAVIN BURROUGHS GEAR
Hardcore in 2014:
Gavin Burrough: There are
some great bands out there at the
momentComeback Kids and
Shai Huluds recent records are top
notch. Theres also a plethora of
British bands who are pushing the
boundaries of hardcore. Goodtime
Boys, Landscapes things are
looking strong for the future!
Kris Coombs-Roberts: But now it
seems a band comes through and
within a month theres a ton of
bands who sound just like them. It
quickly leads to interest in that style
of music dying out, so a lot of bands
never go on to reach their potential.
Burrough: Pearl Jams Lightning Bolt.
Coombs-Roberts: There are too
many to choose from, but some
bands people should check out
instead are Castles, Goodtime
Boys, Landscapes, and Bleed from
Within.
of All Time:
Burrough: Drowningmans Rock
and Roll Killing Machine.
Coombs-Roberts:
Panteras Far Beyond Driven.
Hardcore Guitarist:
Burrough: Me.
Coombs-Roberts:
Yeah, Gav.
Must Die:
Coombs-Roberts: Leather trousers
and spiked wristbands. Need I
say more?
Burrough: Awwwjust let people
carry on with whatever idiosyncrasies
they fancy. To each their own!
Must Not Die:
Burrough: That would have to be
the mosh. If your head doesnt feel
like its going to fall off the day after
youve been to a show, then you
should be ashamed of yourself!
Coombs-Roberts:
Community.Within our music scene
theres no divide between the bands
and the people who come to shows,
who buy shirts and albums. Bands
hang out and talk to the people who
support them and get to say thanks
for it. Bands help each other out and
help promote each other by talking
about each other in interviews and
taking each other on tour.
People Who Dont Get Metal and
Hardcore These Days Should:
Burrough: Carry on being
themselves. We cant all like the same
thingswhat a boring place the
world would be if we did! I dont
even get metal and hardcore in
its entirety. Theres a lot of rubbish
to wade through. Just like any type
of music, there are bands that are
carving their own niche and then
there are the imitators.
Coombs-Roberts:
Get on with their lives and enjoy the
things that make them happy. You
cant make someone like what they
dont, so whats the point in trying?
P
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A true living legend, Buddy Guy is more than
just an originator of the Chicago-style blues, a
Kennedy Center honoree and a six-time Grammy
winner. The music of Buddy Guy, as a guitarist
and singer/songwriter, transcends any era or
geography and has inuenced countless artists
the world over.
For most of his career, Buddy Guy has had the
Fender Strat as his guitar of choice. Due to his
stature as a player, he was oered a signature
model guitar, although it didnt happen
immediately. You know, it took them a while to
make the polka dot. My mother, I promised her
I lied to her and told her I was going to move
to Chicago and get a job at a university and drive
back to Louisiana in a polka dot Cadillac. And
I knew I was lying. And she passed away and I
said, You know, I owe her something. And I went
to them, and I said, I want a polka dot guitar if I
endorse for you. And they said they couldnt do it
And nally, I guess it was 10, 12, 15 years, they
called back and said, We found a guy [who] can
put those polka dots on that guitar for you.
Guys amplier has remained the same for many
years. The Fender came out Bassman, for a
bass. We guitar players turned that thing into a
guitar amp You didnt have to plug no special
eects or nothing on it. He still has one of his rst
models, as he explains. I remember I loaned Otis
Rush my amplier once, the Bassman. And Gary,
Indiana, is about 30 miles away from here, and he
was on his way back here and he had an accident
in the car. I said, Oh, my amp. And when they
broke the trunk open, all smashed up, I plugged it
up, and its at my house now, still playing.
B U D D Y G U Y
Read the entire interview and
see the gear at guitarcenter.com.
INTRODUCES THE 60
TH
ANNIVERSARY FENDER
STRATOCASTER
FENDER
60TH ANNIVERSARY
CLASSIC PLAYER 50S STRATOCASTER
(014 0602 789)

FENDER
60TH ANNIVERSARY
AMERICAN STANDARD STRATOCASTER
(017 0182 703)

FENDER
60TH ANNIVERSARY
AMERICAN VINTAGE 1954 STRATOCASTER
(011 0002 803)

Get the new album,
Rhythm & Blues,
available on iTunes &
all digital retailers.
buddyguy.com
8855-gc-premier-gutiar-05-14-ad-buddy-guy-FINAL.indd 1 3/19/14 9:47 AM
premierguitar.com
W
ere examining the evolution
of Telecaster bridge pickups,
and previously we looked at
three categories of the earliest types50s
lap steel, Broadcaster/Nocaster, and 50s
vintage [Exploring the Tele Pickup
Palette, April 2014]. Now lets continue
our journey.
Sixties vintage. Offering even more
high end than the 50s vintage design, the
60s vintage type of bridge pickup has a
twangier sound with lots of snap. This is
due to the pickups construction (less DC
resistance and smaller diameter magnets),
but hardware-related factors also help create
the typical 60s Telecaster lead tone. These
include different bridge saddles (mostly
steel, not brass) and alder bodies, as well as
the 1 Meg pots Fender eventually used in
conjunction with an over-calculated treble-
bleed network that was designed to prevent
high-end loss when rolling back the volume
pot. These elements all contribute to the
classic, penetrating 60s sound, so if you
want to replicate this tone, its important to
also use the electronics from that era.
But for other applications, youll benefit
from using 250k pots and snipping off
the miscalculated treble-bleed network.
And Id avoid installing a 60s-style
pickup in a body made from such bright-
sounding wood as basswood or maple. The
60s-style bridge pickup is pure rock n
roll, especially when played with overdrive
(but choose a warm-sounding pedal). This
pickup also interacts perfectly with a tube
amp and will easily push it into saturation.
Vintage overwound. Designed for a
hotter tone with enhanced output and
midrange, a vintage overwound bridge
pickup is ideal for blues, SRV-inspired
blues-rock, and even Southern rock. Its
also a great choice for taming the highs
on an excessively bright guitar.
A good example of this design is the
Fender Custom Shop Texas Special.
Compared to standard models, a typical
vintage overwound pickup has more
winds (hence its name), and this is often
paired with a different wire gauge. With its
prominent midrange and mellower tone,
this breed of pickup is often described as
fat sounding, and its increased output
makes it easier to drive your amp into
saturation. For many players, a vintage
overwound pickup delivers the ideal
combination of chime, output, and top end.
Avoid using an overwound bridge
pickup on a dark-sounding guitar because
this can lead to a surplus of midrange
and a muddy tone. On typical Teles,
250k pots work great, but on a slightly
darker guitar, 500k pots can be the
way to go. Another great alternative:
mixed sets of 250k volume and 500k
tone pots. Choose an overdrive pedal
with a less prominent midrangethe
pickups already have plenty of it. For
tube overdrive, use the mid and presence
knobs on your amp to tweak your tone.
Pentagonal humbucker. Designed to
drop right into a Tele, these humbuckers
consist of two coils in either a stacked
or parallel configuration. Bridge
humbuckers eliminate most of the typical
single-coil hum and noise, and because
their twin coils are wired in series, they
increase your output. Models with
4-conductor wiring also let you use a
bridge humbucker in split mode (this
yields a quasi-single-coil tone with all its
hum and noisy glory) or with both coils
wired in parallela mode that delivers a
hum-free, single-coil-like sound. Thats
three unique tones from one pickup.
Because of their small physical size,
pentagonal bridge humbuckers see a
smaller magnetic window than a full-sized
humbucker and this gives them a brighter
tone than their big brothers. Introduced in
the 80s, Tele-sized humbuckers were made
popular by DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan.
Bridge humbuckers with parallel coils
(such as Duncan Hot Rails or Little 59s)
are constructed like a standard humbucker
with two side-by-side coils. Though these
coils are very narrow, they see a wider
window of the strings than a standard
single-coil or a stacked humbucker (more
about those in a moment). These pickups
have either two rows of pole pieces or twin
blades, and their magnetic fields yield a
fatter tone than a single-coil. Typically
these pickups are designed to mimic the
tone of a PAF-style humbucker.
The second hum-cancelling design
features stacked coilsone coil sits on
top of the other. Often called noiseless or
vintage-stacked pickups, these incorporate
slightly dissimilar phase-opposed stacked
coils that are surrounded by metal
sawtooth-shaped shielding to reduce
hum. Though theyre usually a tad deeper
than true single-coil pickups, stacked-coil
humbuckers have essentially the same
narrow magnetic window and offer a
brighter tone than parallel-coil pickups.
These pickups are not sonically identical
to a real single-coilthe design is always
a compromise and some models sound
closer to true single-coils than others. This
pickup type is perfect for players who seek
single-coil tone without hum and noise.
Examples of this design include Fender
Noiseless and Kinman Zero Hum pickups.
Next time well examine another stash
of Telecaster pickups. Until then, keep
on modding!
MOD GARAGE
A traditional Tele single-coil with a
pentagonal, copper-coated soft-iron
baseplate and staggered alnico magnets.
Exploring the Tele Pickup Palette, Pt. 2
BY DIRK WACKER
DIRK WACKER lives in Germany
where he plays country, rockabilly,
and surf music in two bands,
works regularly as a session musi-
cian for a local studio, and writes
for several guitar mags. Hes also a
hardcore guitar and amp DIY-er
who runs an extensive website on
the subject (singlecoil.com).
premierguitar.com
Hi Ron,
Why Fender included
external speaker jacks (Fig. 1)
on its early combo amps is a
bit of a mystery to me. On most Fender
combo amps (except for later types
with impedance switching), the output
transformer impedance is optimized
for the combos particular speaker load.
A Deluxe Reverb output transformer,
for example, would have an output
impedance of 8 in order to generate
its full 20-watt power into the 8 load
of the single 12" 8 speaker.On a Twin
Reverb, theres a 4 secondary on the
output transformer to develop the full
100 (or 80) watts across two 8 speakers
wired in parallel (for a 4 load). A Super
Reverb has a 2 secondary winding to
develop 40 watts across four 8 speakers
in parallel (a 2 load).
Fenders external speaker jack was a
nice feature, cause we all know more
cabinets are better! But using it to
power any other speaker would cause an
impedance mismatch. Say, for example,
you connect an 8 cabinet to the
extension speaker jack of a 100-watt Twin
Reverb: This presents the amp with a
total load of 2.66 , which makes the
output power drop due to the impedance
mismatch. (From experience, I can
guess the power decreases by about 30
percent.) It also increases the impedance
load on the output tubes, causing more
wear. So now youre left with a Twin
Reverb with an output of approximately
70 watts, with 46.7 watts powering the
combo speakers and 23.3 watts powering
the extension cabinet. Your sound may
be better dispersed and, depending on
the efficiency of the external cabinet,
may even seem louder, but the bottom
line is theres an electrical mismatch. I
must say, however, Fender seems to have
overdesigned their output transformers in
the past. Thousands of them have been
running into improper impedances for
decades, hanging in there just fine for the
most part.
On the other hand, avoid impedance
mismatches when it comes to Marshall
amps. Fair warning! I hope that sheds a
little light on the mismatch mystery.
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks! Im glad you
found my column
helpful to your Silvertone resurrection.
Regarding the capacitor values and
ratings in the power supply: You can
always go higher in voltage than what
was originally installed in the amp.
Capacitor design has come quite a way
since those amps were designed and
built, and capacitors can be substantially
smaller these days. For an alternative to
100 F 150V caps, consider the more
readily available 100 F 350V caps
(Fig. 2) from such suppliers as Mojo
Musical Supply. They should fit fine and
work well. (It might be more difficult to
find slightly higher capacitance values
such as 125, 150, or 200 F, as these
are relatively uncommon values.) I hope
they give your Silvertone a killer tone!
ASK AMP MAN
JEFF BOBER, is one of the
godfathers of the low-wattage amp
revolution. He co-founded and was
originally the principal designer
for Budda Amplification, though
he launched EAST Amplification
(eastamplification.com) in 2010.
You can catch his podcasts at
ampsandaxescast.com or email
him at pgampman@gmail.com.
From Silverfaces to Silvertones
BY JEFF BOBER
Jeff,
I have a 1975 Fender silverface Twin Reverb. It has two 8 speakers
wired in parallel, a 4 load. It also has an external speaker jack wired in
parallel with the internal speaker jack. But the labeling on the chassis and schematics
seems inconsistent and unclear. If the internal speaker load is 4 and I connect a 4
external load, the output transformer sees a 2 load. Or if the external load is 8
ohms, the OT sees 5.6 . Is either of these loads safe? Keep up the good work!
Ron Rumsey
Jeff,
Im in the process
of bringing an old
Silvertone 1484 back to life, and I
came across your Premier Guitar post.
Thanks for sharing your expertise! I
have a quick question about one of
your comments. You said that replacing
the four 100 F 150V caps in the
voltage-doubler circuit could generally
improve performance and increase
voltage or capacitance values slightly.
But how much is slightly? Im having
a hard time finding 100 F 150V
caps for less than $20 apiece, and Im
curious what my alternatives might be.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Jonathan Clay
Q: Q:
A:
A:
Fig. 1. On most
older Fender
combo amps,
the output
transformer
impedance is
optimized for
the combos
particular
speaker load,
so hooking up
an external
cab causes an
impedance
mismatch.
Fig. 2. These
replacement
100 F 350V
flter caps are
more readily
available from
amp parts
suppliers.
WARNING:
All tube amplifiers contain lethal voltages. The most dangerous voltages are stored in
electrolytic capacitors, even after the amp has been unplugged from the wall. Before
you touch anything inside the amp chassis, its imperative that these capacitors are
discharged. If you are unsure of this procedure, consult your local amp tech.
1
2
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a contemporary take on the Greenback recipe all that unmistakable vintage G12M tone and the
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premierguitar.com
W
inter NAMMthat magical,
mythical gathering of the
talent and technology that
comprise our beloved music products
industry. Held every January in the palm-
laden paradise of Southern California,
NAMM is the Mecca for musicians and
the tools they use to create their art.
Fame and fortunes have been won and
lost in this great, surging sea of sound.
Most industry insiders view the show as
a yardstick to gauge the coming years
triumphs or tribulations.
Its been a few years since I attended
NAMMour company stopped
exhibiting in 2011, opting to direct the
weighty booth costs into other, more
quantifiable forms of promotion. But this
year I attended as a visitor, just to catch
up on whats happening.
While I didnt miss the old panic
attacks or hangovers, I have missed the
GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) that
typically accompanies a NAMM show.
Theres always some new piece of gear
you just have to have, and I always come
back from the show with a product wish
list. This year was no differentthere
were plenty of interesting and innovative
products in all categories. But since this
column is about pedals, here are my top
10 NAMM stompbox picks, presented in
ascending order.
So there it is: my Top 10 coolest
pedals from NAMM. Now get down, get
going, and go git sum!
STATE OF THE STOMP
Top 10 Pedal Picks from NAMM 2014
BY KEVIN BOLEMBACH
KEVIN BOLEMBACH is the
president and founder of
Godlyke, the U.S. distributor
for many well-known boutique
effect brands, including
Maxon, Guyatone, EMMA, and
Providence.
10. Malekko Heavy Industry Malekko
has scrunched several of their circuits
into custom, bud-box sized chassis with
lower-profiles and rounded edges. Sleek
and sexy, these new versions sport gor-
geous graphics and exude an unmistak-
able air of quality. Most notable is the
downsized B:Assmaster, now known as
Diabolik. (malekkoheavyindustry.com)
9. Darkglass The Duality Fuzz fea-
tures two independent fuzz circuits that
can be blended together along with
dry signal for a variety of unique fuzz
textures. Aggressive yet articulate, this
pedal was a real treat to play.
(darkglass.com)
8. EarthQuaker Devices EarthQuaker
has been making waves lately, and their
massive display was both eye- and ear-
catching. I was treated to demos of their
latest models, including the Pitch Bay
harmonizer/distortion and the Terminal
fuzz. These are the guys to watch when
it comes to a left-of center approach to
product design. (earthquakerdevices.com)
7. Catalinbread I always enjoy what
the Catalinbread crew dreams up, and
this year they had a couple of cool new
boxes to show. The Topanga is a reverb
pedal designed to emulate the sound
of a vintage Fender tube unit, while
the Karma Suture (great name!) is an
even-order harmonic fuzz based on the
rare Harmonic Percolator. Great stuff, as
always. (catalinbread.com)
6. Pigtronix I first met Dave Koltai
at NAMM more than a decade ago,
and watching Pigtronix blossom into a
household name has been a real treat.
Echolution 2 is a kitchen-sink reboot of
their popular delay with full program-
mability, incredible sound quality, and a
cornucopia of features. This pedal is truly
echolutionary! (pigtronix.com)
5. Sonuus Keeping with the
high-tech trend, my next pick is
the Sonuus Voluum pedal. An
analog/digital hybrid, Voluum
offers a variety of level-compensating
effects including gate/expander, limiter,
compressor, tremolo, and standard vol-
ume control. Settings can be saved to
presets, and the upgradeable firmware
promise to make that Voluum future-
proof. (sonuus.com)
4. Hotone Audio I love tiny pedals!
I stumbled across the Hotone Skyline
Series and immediately became smitten.
Ultra-compact yet loaded with features,
these pedals brought me back to discov-
ering the Guyatone Micros all those years
ago. With great sound quality and fantas-
tic price points, the Skylines are sure to
impress. (hoteoneaudio.com)
3. Aalberg Audio One of the best
things about NAMM is discovering those
Why didnt I think of that? products.
EKKO is a multi-function digital delay
that, when combined with the wireless
Aero controller, lets you adjust effect
parameters remotely from your instru-
ment. Cutting-edge technology put to
practical use! (aalbergaudio.com)
2. Audio-Technica More innovation
in the wireless domain: the System 10, a
24-bit, UHF wireless system that fits in
your pedalboard. It also features a foot-
switchable output mode selector to mute
signal and/or route to a tuner.
(audio-technica.com)
1. OGRE Theres a lot to be said for
something that's just plain cool. Koreas
OGRE pedals delivers this in spades,
with die-cast chassis in the shape of
disembodied robot and monster heads.
Glowing eyes indicate effect status while
controls are accessed via moving parts
on the heads. These arent just pedals
theyre functional works of art that sound
as amazing as they look. (ogre.kr)
The glowing
eyes of OGREs
Thunderclap
distortion
and Tubeholic
overdrive
(above right)
indicate efect
status while
controls are
accessed via
fip-top
faceplates or by
turning horns
on the monster
head.
premierguitar.com
ARISTIDES
070
By Joe Charupakorn
REVIEWS
1-piece composite
body and neck
Seymour Duncan
Pegasus pickup
Seymour Duncan
Sentient pickup
5-way selector
with coil tapping
Hipshot
fxed bridge
F
or folks who embrace the notion that electric guitar
design begins and ends with classics such as the
Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Les Paul, materials beyond
wire, wood, and metal are sacrilege. Maybe thats why
in spite of their stability and consistencyguitars made
from nontraditional materials like carbon fiber have
never really managed to seize the guitar-playing publics
imagination in numbers as large as instruments made from
traditional materials.
But with the popularity surge of high-profile prog-metal
virtuosos who explore forward-thinking designs like headless
guitars and fanned fretsas well as a growing contingent
of guitarists who favor mathcore over Mustang Sallythe
demand for envelope-pushing guitars is also increasing.
Dutchman Aristides Poort is an engineer who bases his
instrument designs on Ariuma material made from a mixture
of resins and microscopic bubbles that approximates the cell
structure and acoustic properties of wood. The company says
Arium took 15 years to perfect, and was created with help
from scientists at the Delft University of Technology.
The first Aristides modelthe 010was designed
in collaboration with Adrian Vandenberg of Whitesnake and
introduced at Musikmesse 2009. At winter NAMM 2014,
Aristides introduced its first 7-string, the 070.
Synthetic Yet Soulful
Like its siblings, the handbuilt 070 is crafted from a hard,
hollow exoskeleton made from multiple layers of glass fiber and
carbon, which is then filled with resonant Arium. The only
wood on the guitar is the ebony fretboard. The neck and
the body start out in liquid form and are shaped
in an aluminum mold that the company
says has been engineered with absolute
precision. The resulting single piece
that incorporates the body and
the neck is intended to
allow vibration to
resonate through the whole guitar
without impediment. In the midst of this
body-forming process, they also embed a
security microchip with a scannable code
inside the bodynice!
The hardware on our review model
might seem a bit staid in comparison to
some of the other details, but its still high
quality: a Hipshot hard-tail fixed bridge
with an Aristides stainless-steel tone block
(a Floyd Rose-equipped model is also
available,) and a GraphTech Black TUSQ
nut. The Seymour Duncan Pegasus bridge
and Sentient neck pickups are controlled
by a 5-way switch and volume and tone
knobs (the former of which is push-pull
for outer- and inner-coil tapping options,).
You can also order a model with Seymour
Duncan Blackout or EMG active pickups.
Looks That Kill
Outwardly, the 26.5"-scale 070 is daring
and distincta look that some will love
and some will loathe. Though Im by
no means averse to an outside-the-box
visual vibe, Ill admit I never completely
warmed to the matte anthracite finish
or the sleek, stylized indentations in the
guitars top. And given how functional
the 070 is, I cant help but wonder if
splitting the difference between radical
design and tradition wouldnt make the
guitar appealing to a wider audience.
That said, plenty of innovative designs
(Steinberger comes to mind) made a
splash precisely because their look was as
bold as their functional departures from
tradition. And players who feel theres a
lot of stylistic homogeneity among guitars
aimed at heavy players will no doubt find
the 070s distinctive aesthetics refreshing.
One of the biggest advantages to using
alternative materials for guitar making
is increased stability. So I wasnt too
surprised when the guitar arrived perfectly
in tune after a long trans-Atlantic flight
from the Netherlands to Premier Guitar
headquarters in Iowa, and then back to my
place in New York City. How many other
guitars could you take out of the shipping
crate after trips across two continents, and
use them at a gig that night without any
adjustments? The intonation was perfect,
and the factory setup was great.
The 070s playability is fantastic, too.
The C-shaped necks 24 medium-jumbo
frets and 12"16" compound-radius
fretboard offer great balance for lower-
register chords and soloing in the middle
and upper registers. Even with the larger
7-string neck, it wasnt really any more
difficult to play than a 6-string shred
axe. The heel-less neck joint is contoured
to allow excellent upper-fret access, and
deep bends rang true without choking.
After vigorous and prolonged bending
episodes, the Hipshot Grip-Lock locking
tuners held tuning remarkably well.
Surprises Aplenty
The 070 has a punchy, lively sonic
character. Even unplugged, first-position
chords sounded and felt noticeably more
full than other electric guitars in my
studio. Through an Ampeg SuperJet
Reissue, the 070 exhibited a modern,
focused sound almost like what youd
expect from active pickupsbut with
a lot more warmth and soul. With a
clean tone, I tried some tapped, Tosin
Abasi-inspired contrapuntal figures and
was surprised at how notes articulated
only with left-hand hammer-ons had
such a precise attack and maintained
their robustness however long I held
them. When I used my right hand to
tap chord fragments against the left-
hand figure, I was amazed at how even
the notes in different registers sounded,
as well as how organically they blended
together. For comparisons sake, I tried
the same maneuvers on other electrics,
and the difference in overall balance was
obviousupper-register notes on my
guitars sounded plinky and were easily
overpowered by the lower notes.
When I used an MI Audio Tube
Zone pedal to add some dirt, the first
thing I noticed was that the 070s sustain
is unreal. Notes lasted so longeven
without any finger vibrato to keep them
goingthat it almost felt like I was using
an EBow. The Aristides website claims
Arium facilitates sustain on the low E
for easily 45 seconds. I tested this and
got between 25 and 29 seconds with the
dirt box on, and about 20 seconds with a
clean sound. Still, thats a damn long time.
To see how the 070 would handle
harmonically complex chords with a lot
of gain, I played a second-position Bsus2
chord with the open low B and an F#
on the low E. The result sounded three-
dimensional and in-your-facewith huge
bottom end and a crisp top. Unsurprisingly,
I could get sharp, percussive attack perfect
for djent rhythms, but I was impressed
to find that, by varying pickup and pedal
combinations, I could get an almost
vintage, PAF vibe for rock or blues tunes.
The Verdict
At slightly more than three grand, the
Aristides 070 is upscalethough you do
get some nice extras, like a leather strap,
Schaller strap locks, and a Gator XL
hardshell case. But its a serious professional
axe that seems destined to withstand
a lifetimes worth of the most grueling
touring. Its also a surprisingly versatile
guitarsonically, there arent many styles
that it cant cover. Visually, it seems more at
home in a metalcore or prog-metal setting,
but then again, since when have modern
7-strings been known for tame styling?
Most importantly, judged on tones,
playability, and stability, its a near-flawless
instrument with very few peers.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this guitar at
premierguitar.com/may2014
PROS Fantastic factory setup and
intonation. Incredible resilience under
virtually any conditions. Impeccable
craftsmanship.

CONS Expensive. Aesthetics might be
polarizing.
Aristides Instruments 070
$2,998 street (with harshell case)
aristidesinstruments.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com
PRS
Archon
By Jordan Wagner
P
aul Reed Smiths tube amplifiers, like the companys
guitars, walk a fascinating line between tradition and
mold-breaking innovation. Theyve found favor among
tone connoisseurs like Warren Haynes and David Grissom
players who like fat, classic sounds somewhere between clean
and gritty. But PRSs new hand-wired, 100-watt Archon was
designed to court metal and hard rock guitarists. Its capable
of both punishing distortion and big clean tones, and it marks
an impressive debut in the tough-to-crack world of heavy
amplification.
Lord of this World
The Archon (from the Greek term for ruler) is clad in PRSs
striking stealth design, which combines black vinyl with a
flamed maple faceplate stained with a transparent charcoal fin-
ish. The aluminum chassis, knobs, and mesh ventilation grates
are also black, highlighting Smiths golden John Hancock on
the faceplate. Its beautiful to behold, especially when perched
atop the matching solid pine, finger-jointed 2x12 cab with its
Celestion Vintage 30 speakers. (PRS recommends pairing the
amp with their closed-back birch 4x12 for even bigger tones.)
REVIEWS
Two-channels
(clean/overdrive)
Celestion
Vintage 30
speakers
Solid pine
cabinet
The amp boasts first-rate components:
chassis-mounted Belton tube sockets, high-
quality shielded wiring, handwired boards,
and Alpha pots mounted on the front
panel. It employs six 12AX7s in the preamp
section and four 6L6GCs in the power
section. The output is switchable between
50 and 100 watts. An external trim pot and
handy multimeter contacts make it easy to
adjust tube bias without disassembly. With
two speaker outs and selectable ohmage
(4, 8 or 16), you can pair the head with a
variety of speaker cabinets.
The amps clean and dirty channels
each have dedicated bass, midrange,
treble, preamp gain, master volume, and
bright boost controls. The clean tone of a
high-gain amp is sometimes treated as an
afterthought, so its nice that the Archon
makes it easy to dial out dirt. Master depth
and presence controls provide even more
tone-sculpting power. Its a bummer that
theres no onboard reverb, though there
is a serial effect loop for external effects.
A two-button footswitch for channel and
effects loop switching is included.
By Demons Be Driven
With all controls at noon and bright
boost on, I could clearly hear every
nuance of my pick slicing across the
strings. Notes sustained evenly and
impressively, each with tremendous
punch. Blindfolded, I might have thought
I was playing through a 4x12 cabinet.
Easing my pick attack for clean
arpeggios made mids and lows and feel
looser and wider, while snappy Jerry
Reed-style fingerpicking highlighted how
tight and responsive the amp can be at
the same settings. One of the Archons
greatest strengths is its ability to get so
many tonal variations via pick-attack
variation, from subtle blues lead work to
driving, Stones-style rhythms to warm
jazz progressions.
After such a beautiful array of clean
tones, its a bit shocking to hear the
amps hell-raising overdrive channel
for the first time. Its power, dynamic
responsiveness, and capacity for detail
are impressive. Tones have a cool three-
dimensional vibe that sometimes feels
like two different amps working in
perfect harmony.
Chunky fifths played through the
Les Pauls bridge pickup yielded a
tremendous roar with thick, woody
mids, round highs, and a deep, drum-
tight low end. The low-end response
softened slightly when I switched
to playing low-register Clutch riffs,
creating a fat, robust tone that felt like
a cross between a Mesa Dual Rectifiers
larger-than-life delivery and a fluid,
midrangy Marshall. Cranking the
master volume to 11 oclock was like
waking a dangerous beast. Here the
amp is blisteringly loud, and the low
end feels like a medicine ball to the
ribs. Thanks to the responsive EQ and
presence controls, I never encountered
the abrasive buzz-saw sound prevalent
among many high-gain amps.
The overdrive channel is remarkably
flexible. Setting the controls at noon
with the gain knob at 11 oclock
produces modern hard rock tones
perfect for drop-tuned Tool and Alice
in Chains riffs. Raising the presence
and treble knobs while dipping the
midrange to nine oclock provided fast
low-end response well suited to old-
school Metallica-style thrash. Boosting
the mids while pulling back lows and
highs is perfect for barreling 70s/80s
British metal. The amps brawny
midrange makes it slightly trickier to
achieve the razor-like edge needed for
some extreme forms of modern metal,
4 x 6L6GC
output section
Switchable
50/100-watt
output
premierguitar.com
but the amp handles low B, A, and even
G tunings exceptionally well, never
sacrificing tightness or detail, even
within full chords.
The Archon has such ludicrous
amounts of gain on tap that you dont
need to do much dialing to obtain
enormous tones. If youre willing to
make the power amp sweat a bit, youll
find that many of the Archons tightest
and heaviest tones dont require preamp
saturation.
The Verdict
Paul Reed Smith sets the bar high with
the Archon. Its exceptional build, out-
standing cleans colors, and ruthless
but defined overdrive position it among
the todays top hard rock and metal
amps. Its rare that an amp capable of
such brutal overdrive can generate such
deep, detailed clean sounds. This may
not be the only amp that performs so
capably at both extremes, but its one
of the best.
PROS Incredible projection, clarity and
body with natural response. Can match
the volume of most 4x12 cabinets.

CONS A bit pricey for a 2x12 cab.
Paul Reed Smith Stealth Pine
Closed-Back 2x12 Cabinet
$899 street
prsguitars.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
PROS Ample headroom and power.
Extraordinary clean tones for a high-gain
amp. Superbly detailed overdrive, mus-
cular and downright brutal.

CONS No reverb.
Paul Reed Smith Archon Head
$1,899 street
prsguitars.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this amp at
Serious Guitars | www.collingsguitars.com
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Rodney Crowell
and Collings Guitars
www.gibson.com
The J-29 Rosewood
Introducing the new
J-29 Rosewood. Play
one today at your
Gibson dealer and
experience the new
American Legend.
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PG_03_14.pdf 1 1/20/14 12:35 PM
THIRD MAN
Bumble Buzz
By Charles Saufey
J
ack White formed Third Man Records back at the turn of
the 21st century. Like most small label proprietors,
he started the company to release records that big labels
wouldnt touch, whether it was a White Stripes live rarity, a
7" from blues primitivist Seasick Steve, or an LP from psych-
pop trickster Kelly Stoltz. When you visit the Third Man shop
in Nashville, you get the sense that Third Man remains a labor
of love. Its a minimalist affair, mostly stocked with limited
editions of records that strike Whites fancy.
Third Man has diversified a bit and now offer a stompbox
called the Bumble Buzz. Its an octave fuzz built for Third Man
by Vancouver, British Columbias Union Tube & Transistor, and
it reflects the ethos that guides Third Mans record business.
While the knob-free, on-or-off Bumble Buzz may not have
widespread appeal, its a lovingly designed and executed
heirloom that will blow the minds of those who get it and can
imagine a place for it in their own music.
Trip Inside This Hive
The Bumble Buzz is so visually arresting that you might not
notice that the only functional component is the footswitch.
The bold neo-Art Deco graphics look killer. There are abundant
visual puns in the electrified bee logo alone. (It looks like a
tube, a transistor, and a bee with a lightning bolt stinger.) The
pedal has a clear visual kinship to Union Tube & Transistors
other stomp boxes, most overtly in the laser-etched aluminum
label, which looks lifted from the engine compartment of an old
Studebaker.
Given the lack of knobs and switches, its little surprise to
encounter a relatively spartan circuit inside. The wiring is tidy,
and the board itself is affixed to the enclosure via the same
assembly used to adhere the label to the front. Its streamlined
and rock-solid. It also reflects Union Tube & Transistors
commendable desire to building repairable stompboxesa rare
commodity in our disposable age.
Brawny Octave Buzzer
The four-transistor Bumble Buzz may not have a varied voice,
but it bellows with authority and an outsized presence. It's the
Howlin Wolf of fuzzes. The basic voice is a lot like a Univox
Superfuzz in the first (unscooped) tone-switch position, though
theres a little less high-octave presence and a more corpulent
lower-octave sound. Its louder than a Superfuzz at maximum
output, and much of the extra thrustparticularly on the
bass sidehas the round muscularity of a Big Muff. (Not
REVIEWS
Single footswitch.
No tone or volume controls.
It bellows with authority
and an outsized presence.
Its the Howlin Wolf of fuzzes.
premierguitar.com
surprising, given Whites well-chronicled
affinity for the current, full-sized NYC
version of the Muff.)
Like many octave fuzzes, the Bumble
Buzz is less than ideal for chords. In
fact, playing anything other than I-V
power chords reduces the Bumble Buzz
to a spitting, hiccupping mess. But the
Bumble Buzz excels at generating bossy
single-note riffs and leads. Working
below the seventh fret, you get the best
results playing slower runs, which let
the octave overtones bloom a bit. I had
great success playing in this style with
humbuckers and single-coils, though the
extra cut from, say, a Telecaster bridge
pickup would add a cool complexity to
the bass-heavy output.
Leads played further up the neck
change the character considerably. In
this range, the individual colors in the
octave spectrum become more defined
and harmonious. The Bumble Buzz reacts
relatively well to picking nuances in these
environs, at least for a fuzz with so much
octave content. This lets you speed up
your attack and use hammer-ons, slides,
and bends without signal collapse. And
while the ring modulation-like artifacts
arent as pronounced as what you might
hear in a Superfuzz or MXR Blue Box,
theyre strongly present, adding a touch
of cool dementia to a rich octave fuzz.
The Verdict
Though you hear traces of Superfuzz and
Whites beloved Big Muff in the Bumble
Buzz, its a distinctive octave fuzz that
inhabits a cool world somewhere between
the two. Union Tube & Transistor built
this pedal like a rock. Its obvious qual-
ity, rich sounds, and the chance to own a
slice of Jack Whites creative universe will
justify the steep $325 price tag for some.
Players who dont dig White or octave
fuzz might find the pedal frivolous. But
to write the Bumble Buzz off on this
count would be a mistake. Its a powerful
fuzz that can color a riff or lead in fasci-
nating ways.
PROS Rich, unique, and power-
ful octave fuzz. Couldnt be simpler.
Excellent build quality.

CONS No volume or tone shaping
control. Expensive.
Third Man Bumble Buzz
$325 street
thirdmanstore.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pedal at
The electric guitar.
Remixed.
TriplePlay
, the wireless guitar controller that lets you turn your electric
guitar into any instrument that you want and compose, perform and
record like never before. Includes a comprehensive software suite from
PreSonus, Native Instruments, Notion Music, and IK Multimedia.
shman.com/tripleplay
premierguitar.com
WARWICK
RockBass Star Bass
By Rich Osweiler
W
arwicks motto Basses, Amps & Rock n Roll
is what this endorsee-rich company has been
committed to since Hans-Peter Wilfer founded the
outfit in 1982. And be it one of their instruments from HQ in
Germany, or one of the Pro Series or RockBass offerings that are
manufactured in East Asia, Warwick pretty much has something
for most bassistsaspiring or pro. Here, we take a look at a
newer offering from the RockBass line that dons the historic
Star Bass name. Its a vintage-looking thumper thats a more
affordable alternative to the German-built version of the model.

Wish Upon a Star
The Chinese-made RockBass Star Bass is a semi-hollowbody
that presents some modern twists along with the old-school
look of yesteryears classic basses. After pulling it out of the box
(case not included), I couldnt wait to check it out. This double-
cutaway, medium-scale (32") axe just had that kind of vibe you
can feel even before plugging in.
The top, back, and sides of our Star Bass testers body are
fashioned from AAA-grade flame-maple laminate, finished
with a high-polish vintage burst, and then dressed with creme-
colored binding. RockBass Star Basses are also available finished
in black, creme white, Daphne blue, and gold metallic.
The set neck is carved from maple, adorned on the backside
with a pair of thin ekanga-veneer stripes, and topped with an East
Indian rosewood fretboard thats 1 1/2" at the nut. (A fretless, tiger-
stripe ebony fingerboard is also available.) Its a personal preference,
but I have a fondness for fretboards sans position markers and
appreciate that Warwick enhanced the elegant look of this bass by
leaving them off, as they do with many of their models.
REVIEWS
Passive MEC
single-coils
Vintage
sunburst
fnish
Semi-hollowbody
construction
AAA-grade
fame-maple
laminate top,
back, and sides
Another thing I dug about the
Star Bass are the Warwick hardware
appointments that really set it apart both
visually and functionally from some
other instruments in this category. The
downward-angle position of the smooth-
action tuning machines isnt just there
for show. Reaching for and adjusting
the tuners really feels rightits an
ergonomic design. The Star Bass is also
outfitted with Warwicks solid Just-A-
Nut III nut and 2-piece 3D bridge to
complete the trio of tools taking care of
the strings.
Looking over the Star Bass from top to
bottom, I didnt find a glitch, drip, scratch,
or gap that might raise a red flag about
the construction. The build was quite
impressive overall with the only exception
being a few frets in the upper register that
could have used just a little more attention
during the final dress, but Ive seen rougher
edges on basses that cost much more.
Strapped and standing, the ample-
feeling 9 1/2 pound Star Bass was comfy
and well balanced for a semi-hollowbody
and there was no real significant neck-
meet-floor scenario. Its medium-scale
DNA just might be the answer for a
number of players who are looking for
a middle ground between short and
standard scale. The neck felt fast and easy
to navigate, and I should add that I didnt
have to lay a hand on the bridge or nut
because the setup was spot-on (and this
is after the bass was shipped in a simple
cardboard case).
Hello Hollow
A semi-hollowbody is often going to
have more sustain than a solidbody,
but I was still pretty impressed with the
amount the Star Bass mustered when
played unplugged. Its a very resonant
instrument acousticallya great sign for
what was to come.
For electronics, the RockBass Star
Bass sports a pair of passive, vintage-style
MEC single-coils that from afar look
like a set of big-ass humbuckers. Theyre
controlled by a standard 3-way toggle,
and there are dedicated volume and tone
dials for each pup.
Ready to hear what the RockBass Star
Bass sounded like plugged in, I paired it
with a Gallien-Krueger 800RB pushing
an Ampeg SVT-410HLF with all the
amps EQ dials set flat. I started out
soloing the neck pickup with its volume
knob dimed and the corresponding tone
knob set about halfway. I was met with a
big and warm tone that really responded
well to changes in my hand position
and attack. Its right here youll get those
smooth and thick sounds that are perfect
for 60s and 70s bluesy rock and soul.
Switching the toggle all the way down
to hear just the bridge pickup in action,
I dimed the corresponding volume and
tone knobs. The tone certainly thinned
out as expected, but I liked the degree
of mellowness it still possessed (for this
almost all-maple instrument) when dialing
in the more pointy and tight tones the Star
Bass has to offer. Players who dont often
work their axe with only the back pickup
engaged may surprise themselves by doing
just that: Its got enough muscle to sound
really good hanging on its own.
In both solo-pickup scenarios, I
detected very little to no hum. And when
playing at a quite loud clip while facing
the amp directly, there wasnt a trace of
feedback. I looked down at the bass again
just to make sure it was a semi-hollow
with a pair of single-coils. Yep.
I didnt get too much play spinning
the tone dials, but engaging both pups
and tweaking their volume levels allows
for some useful sound shaping, and Id
suspect many would most likely keep
the toggle in the middle. I found myself
pretty much sticking with the neck pup
dimed and the bridge just a touch above
the halfway point, which resulted in a
great tone for picking rock tunes.
The Verdict
It certainly seems that semi-hollow and
hollowbody basses with an old-school
vibe have been having a renaissance
of sorts, and that there are a lot more
available options than there were just
10 years ago. The RockBass Star Bass is
one pretty awesome option considering
how versatile it is tonally and its level
of build. The quality of this bass is
further testament to how far overseas
guitar manufacturing has come and that
countries dont make good instruments,
well-trained people do. A slap stylist
probably wont go here for their primary
instrument, but those looking for a solid,
workhorse bass thatll get the job done
for a number of styles and has a different
aesthetic than the usual suspects, the
RockBass Star Bass is certainly worth
looking into.
PROS Nice variety of tones, great
build, vintage/modern vibe.

CONS A few rough fret edges. A little
bit on the pricey side. No case included.
Warwick RockBass Star Bass
$949 street
warwickbass.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this bass at
TC ELECTRONIC
Ditto X2
By Charles Saufey
G
uitar effects can foster serious divisions among players.
Every new development in stompboxesfrom fuzz to
flangehas spawned love from the adventurous and
ire from purists.
When dedicated digital loopers first appeared, they too
sparked spirited debate. To open-minded and cutting-edge
players, they were a godsenda means to approximate the
studio manipulations and overdubbing miracles of the Beatles
or Hendrix onstage, or create and improvise compositions of
previously unattainable depth. To naysayers, loopers were an
affront, cheating, or worsea gimmick for nerds.
As with all guitar technologies, much of the most vehement
resistance has ebbed over the years. But one of the latest broadside
blows to the anti-looping camp has been the development
of more compact, less complex, less nerdy units like the TC
Electronic Ditto. With a single effect-level knob and one
footswitch, the original Ditto is the antithesis of the multi-button,
million-preset looper that traditionalists dread. TCs new evolution
of the Ditto, the X2, isnt much more complex than the original
Ditto. But with a few very cool effects, a second footswitch that
can be used as a loop stop switch, and stereo outputs, the X2
significantly expands on the capabilities of the little Ditto, and in
some ways makes this the easiest Ditto to use yet.
Double Ditto, Bigger Box
The legions of original Ditto fans that fell for its microscopic
size will probably be bummed by the relative largeness of
the X2. But there is a lot of upside to this bigger enclosure.
For one thing, the X2 is completely stable when affixed to a
pedalboardgood news for players who use a looper and little
else in their line. The extra space also means plenty of room
between the two footswitches and the new functions. And
considering how timing-critical looping can be, the spacious,
easy-to-navigate interface is a luxury.
Just as on the original Ditto, the primary control is the effect
level. On the X2, its bigger and much easier to adjust with
your footno small consideration if youve got your hands full
in a busy looping situation. On either side of the level knob,
however, youll find two small toggles that are critical to the X2s
additional functionality. The intermittent toggle to the left of
the level enables you to store backing tracks and adjust backing
track level. The switch toggle to the right of the knob enables
you to change the function of the right footswitch (from a
dedicated loop-stop switch to a effect switch) and select between
the two available effects, a reverse loop and half-speed effect.
Another simple improvement to the X2 (and a reason that
its twice the size of an original Ditto) is the inclusion of stereo
ins and outs, which can accommodate much more complex
amplifier and effects rigs. Theres also a USB jack for importing
backing tracks or loops of your own creation or exporting loops
to a DAW. You can also power the X2 with a 9V battery, and
theres a slot for a second battery if youre away from a DC
power source and you want to extend battery life.
Day Job at the Copymat
Curiously, one of the real payoffs of the X2s extra switches
and size is that its simpler to use. The original Ditto is a
brilliant design. But the process of using a single footswitch on
that pedal for arming, recording, overdubbing, and clearing a
loopwhile easy enough in the practice spacecould be tricky
live. Anyone who suffered bouts of self doubt induced by that
process will be psyched that the second footswitch on the X2
can be assigned as a stop switchreplacing the two-click tap
you use to stop a loop on the original.
If youre comfortable with the two-click stop command and
loop-clearing sequences on the original Ditto, the X2s second
switch can be dedicated to very cool reverse and half-speed effects.
The first of these is capable of potentially intoxicating loop textures.
REVIEWS
Second footswitch for loop
stop function or efects.
Half-speed and
reverse efects
premierguitar.com
If youre just noodling at home (and
especially if you have strong psychedelic-
rock predilections), you can spend whole
days lost in the swirling, looking-glass
image of your own riffs and melodic note
cycles. This process can be much more than
mere navel gazing. A lot of song ideas and
insights about your own melodic tendencies
can be revealed when you play over your
own twisted accompaniment.
And whether youre playing solo or in
a band, the cool breakdowns and shifts
in momentum and feel you can get from
throwing on the reverse loop for a verse
or chorus can be musically powerful and a
useful arrangement tool. Like any looping
technique, it takes practice to master
the reverse effect, and timing can be the
difference between an inspired passage
and sonic oatmeal. Thankfully, the big
effect level knob, is easy to find and twist
with your sneaker if things get too messy.
The half-speed effect is similarly
dramatic, its great for half-time interludes
and breakdowns in solo performances,
and it can take on a cool disorienting
and transformative effect in a band
arrangement. Obviously, its also cool
for practicing a lead over a looped chord
passage or nailing a guitar harmony part.
The Verdict
While the Ditto X2 wont wow
pedalboard-space obsessives like its
diminutive predecessor, it is, in many ways,
a more intuitive, practical, and satisfying
looper to use. The extra functions do
nothing to diminish the overall streamlined
feel of operating the Ditto X2, and when
you use the second footswitch in stop
mode, the pedals operation is arguably a
lot more straightforward.
Just as on the Ditto, the 24-bit loop
quality is excellent, and the ease with which
you can set a loop level with your sneaker
while noodling away makes the Ditto X2 feel
like a seamless extension of your guitar and
fingers. And while the $169 street price takes
the X2 out of the realm of wow, thats all?
that made the original Ditto such a success,
its a high-quality unit that can pay back your
investment with its reliability and ease.
PROS Sturdy, stable, and simple to
use. Cool effects. Switchable dedicated
stop switch.

CONS Less bang for the buck than
standard Ditto.
TC Electronic Ditto X2
$169 street
tcelectronic.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
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wide range of clean and dynamic overdriven tones at variable
volume levels complementing single coil and humbucking
pickups alike, as well as your favorite effects pedals.

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DIPINTO
Melody Mach IV
By Charles Saufey
F
rom the sidewalk outside, DiPinto Guitars doesnt look
that different from a dozen other tastefully curated, well-
stocked American guitar shops. But from that little shop
in Phillys Fishtown district, Chris DiPinto has built a tidy and
growing business in 60s-styled guitars that play great and dont
cost a lot of bread.
The Melody Mach IV is a new twist on the companys
excellent Mosrite homage, the Mach IV. The first Mach IV was a
glammed-up, surf- and deuce-coupe-centric design with zinging
single-coils, custom colors, and racing stripes. Now DiPinto has
melded the Mach IVs alluring lines with hardware and design
elements from Gibsons entry level warhorses, the Melody Maker
and the Les Paul Jr, transforming the Mach IV into a punky yet
elegant guitar capable of a surprising array of moods.
With a P-1000 pickup in the bridge position (a stacked
humbucker that fits in a P-90 cover, and measures a walloping
19 ohms of resistance), the Melody Mach owes as much to
Gibsons original mahogany econo-slab, the Les Paul Jr., as to
the Melody Maker that inspired its name. While the Melody
Mach only superficially echoes the design of the original Melody
REVIEWS
Mahogany body
P-1000 bridge pickup
Tune-o-matic bridge
Makers, it captures the spirit of Gibsons
60s bestsellers, which were rock-solid,
wailing, and straightforward guitars ideal
for punk riffing, rock, and blues.
Though inspired by what were once
dirt-cheap guitars, nothing about the
DiPinto feels downmarket. The maple
neck is slinky, fast, and comfortable,
like the cross between a short-scale 60s
Fender Jaguar and a 60s Stratocaster. The
factory setup and intonation are excellent.
The neck is free of fret buzz. The guitar
has a familiar, broken-in feel despite its
newness.
Most DiPintos Ive encountered
are very well built. But the Korean-
made Melody Mach IV is one of the
most flawlessly constructed guitars Ive
encountered in a long time. Fretwork on
the bound neck (usually a dead giveaway
to a guitars affordable origins) is
perfect. The sunburst and finish have a
deep, luxurious glow. When I plugged
in, I found the potentiometers had
useful and discernable ranges, unlike
those essentially on-or-off pots you often
encounter on low-cost instruments. The
extra attention to detail makes DiPintos
a little more expensive than some
comparable imports, but it translates into
a great-playing, great-sounding guitar.
Rowdy To Refined
Here on a mahogany solidbody equipped
with effective controls, the ultra-hot
P-1000 is essentially its own boost/over-
drive pedal. With the guitars volume
control wide-open, tones are rowdy,
brash, and brutish. Doubtless, some
players who prefer the contoured and
crystalline tones of neck single-coils or
jazzy humbuckers will find it downright
trashy. But its great for rocking hard at
lower volumes. Even a moderate amount
of amp volume generates nasty Faces/
Stones-style crunch.
If theres a complaint to be made,
its that at wide-open levels the P-1000
lack the dimension and airiness of a
traditional P-90. The pickup can also
generate a kind of compression that
diminishes its ample power. But the basic
voice resides in a cool midrange zone that
lets you really open up the treble and bass
on your amp. It feels especially full of piss
and vinegar when the treble, bass, and
volume are maxed on a blackface Fender.
If youre unaccustomed to using your
guitars volume and tone controls (or if
you only intend to use the Melody Mach
as a full-throttle punk machine) the
versatility of the P-1000 and the Melody
Mach is less apparent. But the responsive,
wide-ranging volume and tone pots let
you dial in cool clean tones ranging from
jangly to jazzy, depending on how much
top end you subtract.
Some of the Melody Machs most
rewarding sounds come from the
combination of the P-1000 and the hot,
rich neck single-coil. With tone and
volume controls all the way up, the two
pickups evoke the combined-pickup
position on a Telecaster, but with some
extra humbucker muscle. A touch of
volume and tone attenuation rounds off
this husky yet singing sound, yielding
lovely tones perfect for Memphis- or
Hendrix-style blues and soul chord
melodies. This blend is also an ideal
vehicle for open tunings. The contrasting
pickup tones highlight the delicious
micro-differences in octaves and unisons,
producing an almost 12-string-like
richness and timbre.
The neck pickup is a treat by itself too.
Its clean and responsive, providing a great
contrast to the excitable and dirty P-1000.
Its rounded, pearlescent highs make it
great for folk-rock jangling or clean,
alternate-tuned arpeggios la Sonic Youth.
The Verdict
With pickups that deliver raw rock and
folky chime with equal aplomb, the
Melody Mach IV has enough versatil-
ity to become a go-to axe. Not everyone
will love the brash attitude and midrange
focus of the P-1000, and some may feel
that a P-90 in the bridge would have
provided a better match for the excellent
neck single-coil. But those differences can
be strengths, particularly when the two
pickups are combined, or when navigating
a set that veers from nuanced melodies to
rock assaults. Factor in the guitars extraor-
dinary playability, and its easy to imagine
this as the only guitar a touring roots or
indie rocker might need. While its not the
most inexpensive of affordable guitars, its
a well-designed instrument of quality and
distinctionsand it feels like a steal.
PROS Great neck. Excellent quality.
Wide-ranging tones, from high-voltage
rock to clear, chiming cleans.

CONS The super-hot P-1000 can make
chords sound too compressed.
DiPinto Melody Mach IV
$715 street
dipintoguitars.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
Wilkinson Grover-style
tuners w/pearloid keys
premierguitar.com
In 1959, the legendary luthier
John DAngelico built this
magnificent hollow body archtop
guitar with P-90 pickups. We are
proud to introduce this
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The Theta Preamp and the Stealth Power Amplifier are the perfect
pairing. Put them together and plug into your favorite speaker cabinet
for massive punch, authoritative high gain and dynamic cleans, night
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you wont fall in love with this new rig!
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BLACK CAT
OD-Boost
By Charles Saufey
T
here are moments, believe it or not, when I relate to
those old-school dudes who wouldnt touch a pedal with
a ten-foot pole. Even as an acknowledged pedal fiend
with a sideline seat to the parade of pedals that passes through
this magazines clutches, some days I cant be bothered with all
the minutiae. Boost, overdrive, fuzz, distortion? Dude, I dont
knowI just want to kick out the jams.
If youre similarly inclinedwhether just for today, or for
the whole of your guitar-playing lifethe Black Cat OD-Boost
may be one pedal you can live with. It certainly kicks out the
jams. But it also rocks out in many shades, reminding you just
how many flavors of overdrive, boost, and distortion you can get
from a relatively simple circuit. Its a pedal for players who like
the fewest pedals possible, yet its bound to impress dyed-in-the-
wool stompbox heads with its range and flexibility.
Mean Ol Copperhead
The Black Cat OD is a compact affair. With its three knobs,
two footswitches, two LEDs, and single toggle crammed into
a 4 3/4" X 2 1/2" copper metallic enclosure, it may seem a
bit more complicated than it is. While a more spacious layout
would have advantages (not least in the case of the perilously
close footswitches), its a smart and compact arrangement.
Drive and volume knobs control the overdrive section
(essentially a Black Cat OD-1 circuit). A third knob sets
adjusts the boost level. Each section has a dedicated footswitch.
Between the orange and red eyes of the LEDs resides one of
the keys to the Black Cats shape-shifting powers: a toggle that
swaps the order of the boost and overdrive stages.
Many Shades of Dirt
You can almost categorize the Black Cat OD-Boost as a boost/
OD/distortion for all the gain it can produce. The OD side in
particular is ready to get rowdy. Even at low gain settings its a
growling little monster, so plan on using your volume knob or
the boost for anything close to the near-clean, jangle-plus-grit
tone of, say, a TS-9-style pedal at low gain settings.
Theres all kinds of upside to having such gain available at
modest levels. A little Blues Jr. amp turns into a barking street
thug without twisting the amp volume past three or the Black
Cats drive control past 10 oclock. Even at these lower volumes
you can exploit the Black Cats pick sensitivity for dynamic lead
lines and loud-to-soft chord passages. In the Black Cats higher
gain zones, chords still sound clear, spacious, and defined, rich in
overtones and free from excessive compression. Players who tend
toward mid-gain 70s rock tones may find that the Black Cat is
REVIEWS
Boost and OD
footswitches
Toggle for
switching
efect order
Drive and level knobs
for OD section
Boost volume
You can almost categorize the Black Cat
OD-Boost as a boost/OD/distortion for all
the gain it can produce. The OD side in
particular is ready to get rowdy.
premierguitar.com
all they need for everything from Black
Sabbath grind to clean Santana tones,
provided they put their guitar volume and
tone pots to good use.
You add even more air to your
overdrive when you toggle to the boost-
after-overdrive setting. This excites the
overdriven sound, adding sharpness
(particularly in the midrange) and
providing a more panoramic feel. On the
other hand, boost before OD generates
more focused overdrive/distortion tones,
with an emphasis in the high mids.
Adding enough gain provides acidic
near-fuzz textures perfect for psychedelic
garage punk jams.
Switching between these settings
mid-song or mid-solo is tricky, but can
make for cool and dramatic mood shifts.
You must pay close attention, however,
to the relationship between the boost
and volume controls. Set to identical
positions, the boost and OD levels are
about the same. But you can create
great contrast between toggle settings by
setting the boost high and the volume
low, or vice versa.
The Black Cat excels as a clean boost.
The high headroom compensates for the
filthier tendencies on the OD side. It
adds much body and sustain, and lends
a cool mid and high-mid presence that
enlivens rhythm parts and arpeggios. This
is the kind of boost you might leave on
throughout a set.
The Verdict
Weve seen some extraordinary fuzzes
from Black Cat (especially the Super
Fuzz and Bee Buzz), so the range and
aggression of the OD-Boost are no
surprise. Its great how beautifully the
aggressive OD and the clean boost
contrast each other, yet work together.
The effect-order toggle is a genuine
bonus. Tuning and balancing the
two stages provides myriad shades of
overdrive. The Black Cat OD-Boost
may be the only dirt pedal some
players need.
PROS Gazillions of overdrive shades,
from near-clean boost to mid-gain dis-
tortion. Well built.

CONS Footswitches dangerously close
together (though hitting both simultane-
ously can sound great). Pricey.
Black Cat Pedals OD-Boost
$195 street
blackcatpedals.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
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DR. J
Sparrow
By David Abdo
A
sk any player exactly why they use a particular effect
pedal, and aside from tone, theyll probably say
versatility and simplicity. For bassists, one effect pedal
that should demonstrate all these qualities is the DI/driver box.
A number of companies have offered their take on these tone-
sculpting pedals over the years, which are meant to provide
bassists a simple EQ to fine-tune their sound, the ability to
gnarl up their tone, and a way to send their signal directly into
a soundboard. One of the latest entries into the club of these
practical pedals is the Sparrow from Dr. J. It contains features
reminiscent of some popular DI/driver boxes of old, but its
smaller in stature and price.
Hello Sparrow
To the uninitiated, the Sparrows layout is logical and inviting.
Anyone who has used DI/driver pedals in the past should feel right
at home with the Sparrows functions. The smooth, solid knobs
are arranged with the EQ and driver effects on the top of the face,
with the volume and mix knobs positioned in the middle. Tucked
into the left side is a tiny ground/lift switch, essential for XLR use.
Checking out the interior, I saw that the Sparrow would
probably best be used with a 9V adaptor instead of a battery. There
is a 9V snap connector inside the pedal, but there isnt enough
room for the battery to be secured somewhere around the circuit
board. A thin, plastic tray is positioned over the circuit board, but
there is nothing to hold the tray in place, and an unsecured battery
could cause damage to the circuit board or other essential parts of
the pedal. Beyond my concern about the battery placement, the
interior was otherwise clean with well-installed components.

Brawny Brownie
I took my initial flight with the Sparrow by placing the pedal
between a Nash P-style bass and an Epifani AL112 combo. With
a click of the footswitch, a blue LED lit up to confirm operation.
The responsive volume, low, and high knobs made it very easy
to balance the output levels, and with just slight adjustments,
I was able to get pretty close to the uneffected sound of the
Nash, meaning very little to no coloration. For additional EQ
enhancement, the low and high knobs are nicely voiced, providing
low-end warmth and an airy presence that was never harsh.
Through the trio of the drive, harmonics, and blend dials,
I was able to arrive at different dimensions of distortion, from
doomy dirt to a pseudo-square-wave sound. The harmonics
knob nicely enhanced the higher frequencies, which, depending
on the desired tone, could benefit a fingerstyle player with an
added edge or presence to their sound. And pick players will dig
the attack and snarl that can be achieved with the Sparrow.
Using both a 1964 Fender Jazz and a Brubaker Brute MJX-
5, I continued experimenting. The EQ knobs gave the slap-
friendly 5-string some extra brightness and booty, and through
the drive section I was able to create a tone ferocious enough
to satisfy Failure fans. The Sparrows EQ nicely pumped up
the pickups on the 64, and when I was in drive mode, I could
closely emulate a hive of giant bees. With its user-friendly
interface and well designed effects, the Sparrow really made it
effortless to sculpt both clean tones and burly bass sounds.
Live Sound and a Rig-less Existence
When hitting the stage, I had a couple of questions for the
Sparrow. How would the tones Id previously gleaned from the
device work in a live setting through an amp? And how well
would the pedal perform without an amp if I sent my signal
from the Sparrows XLR straight to the board?
The first question was answered right away at a gig with a
rockin cover band. I ran the Nash into the Sparrow, plugged
the pair into an Epifani UL 501 amp above a Glockenklang
Quattro 4x10, and went straight into drive mode. With a
boost to the low end (courtesy of the Sparrow), what was once
a clean, boutique rig delivered a sound that could only be
REVIEWS
XLR out
Drive and
harmonics
knobs
premierguitar.com
described as a herd of buffalo running
over razor blades. And this meaty tone
worked great for tunes from Running
with the Devil to Bulls on Parade.
Wielding the Brubaker and the
same rig on a horn-band gig, the
effectiveness of the EQ section was
confirmed while doing some slapping.
The low and high knobs provided
just the right enhancement to craft a
modern, Marcus Miller-like sound. And
with a slight boost of the drive and
harmonics dials, I copped a tone akin
to Larry Grahams bass on Dance to
the Music.
For the DI test, I brought only the
Nash and the Sparrow to a gig with a
blues triono amp, nada. With the
help of a decent monitor system (and
a savvy soundman), I was able to hear
the bass on stage with plenty of low-end
foundation. Whether it was just out of
puzzlement that there was no bass rig, or
shock that he could hear my bass lines,
the typically loud guitarist in the group
actually tempered his volume, which
established a pleasing balance onstage.
After the gig, the soundman remarked
that the Sparrow performed quite well,
especially so when considering its modest
price. Depending on just an instrument
and a DI for most gigs isnt a likely
scenario for this bassist, but in those
unfortunate situations where an amp dies
mid-show, having the Sparrow in your
corner would be a quick and effective
solution. That said, it was pretty awesome
packing up in less than a minute. Hmm.
The Verdict
Dont let the Sparrows size fool you. This
pedal is packed with a tasty EQ, flexible
overdrive, and a handy DI. As its name
might suggest, its small footprint will
easily fit on a pedalboard or in the smallest
pocket of a gig bag. Compared to other
DI/driver pedals out there, the Sparrow is
functionally quite similar, but it also lacks
the often hefty price tag. Whether youre a
bassist on a budget or a tone connoisseur,
Dr. J has created a simple-to-use pedal
that just could become a permanent
fixture in your nest of effects.
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Designed & Manufactured in the USA.
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PROS A great sounding, easy-to-use
pedal at a modest price point.

CONS Less than ideal 9V battery
placement.
Dr. J Sparrow
$110 street
drjpedal.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com
BREEDLOVE
Premier Auditorium
Rosewood
By Teja Gerken
B
reedlove is one of the most original makers of acoustic
guitars to emerge in the last few decades. Now owned
by Two Old Hippies (which also owns the Bedell and
Weber brands), the Bend, Oregon, outfits offerings include
instruments that range from quality, affordable import models
to extravagant, one-of-a-kind instruments built in the spirit
of Breedloves original vision as a bespoke custom shop. The
new U.S.-built Premier series sits somewhere in between the
most affordable Breedloves and the most exclusive ones
although the Premier Auditorium Rosewood reviewed here
often manages to sound custom-shop luxurious at a much more
accessible price.
Understated Beauty
With its distinctive, asymmetrical headstock and unique take
on the auditorium profile, the Premier Auditorium Rosewood is
instantly recognizable as a Breedlove. Appointments are simple
and unfussy: a single ring of abalone for a rosette, basic white
body binding with black-and-white purfling around the top,
and no back strip. Rather than the flamboyant, thunderbolt-
inspired Breedlove bridge design of yore, the Premier uses the
traditional-style bridge it introduced in the Atlas series several
years ago. Measuring 15 5/8" at the lower bout, the guitars cur-
vaceous auditorium body also somewhat fits the description of
the popular mini-jumbo style.
REVIEWS
Indian rosewood
back and sides
Sitka spruce
Fishman Ultra-Tone
electronics
Without a lot of distracting bling, the
quality of materials and craftsmanship
become the focus. Our review guitar
passed that up-close inspection with
flying colors. The Indian rosewood used
for the back and sides has a lovely, three-
dimensional quality and, while the spruce
top had a few brown streaks, it also had
really cool cross-grain and a bit of bear-
claw figuring. The mahogany used for
the one-piece, C-shaped profile neck
(which is bolted to the body, and has a
1 3/4" nut) is also very attractive, as is
the ebony used for the pinless bridge and
the fretboard. Despite the understated
design, there are many thoughtful,
elegant little design touches, like small
abalone dot position markers with pearl
centerson the bass-side they follow the
fretboard up to the ninth fret, and on
the treble side they go past the octave.
But the most impressive aspect is the
craftsmanship: Calling it perfect is only
a slight exaggeration. It exhibits excellent
fit and finish throughout, right down
to details like finely sanded braces and
immaculately clean kerfing.
Versatile Picking Partner
With a particularly nice Breedlove Ed
Gerhard signature model that I once
nearly bought in mind, I took the
Premier on a fingerstyle excursion in
standard tuning. Right away, I heard
the unique sonic thumbprint that Ive
heard in every original-design Breedlove
Ive played: An incredibly resonant bass,
and a depth that belied the instruments
size, rattled my chest and found me
wondering if Id inadvertently tuned the
guitar lower than Id intended. Perhaps
this is what Breedlove means when they
say the JLD Bridge Doctor and thinner
top lets the top vibrate more freely.
Whatever it is, the Premier Auditorium
is a low-end beast, and that dramatically
expands the range of available tones. Not
surprisingly it sounded rich and lovely in
a solo context. Dropping into DADGAD
enhanced these qualities, and I enjoyed
using the guitar for Leo Kottke-style
alternate-bass picking and more graceful
Celtic tunes.
Small-jumbo bodies often display a jack-
of-all-trades versatility, and the Breedlove
was no exception. While it might not
have the boom and punch to replace a
dreadnought in a bluegrass jam, its loud
and focused when strummed with a flatpick,
offering a hint of natural compression when
I dug in hard. In fact, the guitar sounded
so good with a pick that Id encourage
Breedlove to install a pickguardthis guitar
loves to be strummed!
Fishman Power
Realizing that many of todays acoustic
players like to plug in, Breedlove includes
a custom Fishman pickup system on
Premier models. Using the companys
coaxial Sonicore undersaddle pickup
and a soundhole-mounted preamp with
volume and tone controls, the Ultra-Tone
system is an active design powered by a
9V battery mounted internally on the
backs bass side. Plugged straight into
an AER Compact 60 amp, the guitar
sounded remarkably alive, with excellent
string-to-string balance, and a pleasant
amplified sound overall. I did hear a
few fret buzzes that I didnt detect while
playing acoustically. I also found the
guitar to be a bit more prone to feedback
when I cranked the AER than other
flattops with undersaddle pickups. This
might be a consideration if you play with
a loud band.
The Verdict
Its hard not to marvel at the value
you get with the Breedlove Premier
Auditorium Rosewood. Getting a small-
shop-built guitar with solid woods,
excellent craftsmanship, and a very
expensive-sounding and complex voice
for under $2,000 is noteworthy. Judging
by the quality of this guitar, Id surmise
that if the rosewood auditorium recipe
isnt your cup of tea, its worth checking
out other Premier models. Though the
electronics may not be perfect, there
are few other settings in which this new
Breedlove does not absolutely excel.
PROS Nearly perfect craftsmanship.
Killer low-end response. Unique design.

CONS Somewhat low feedback
threshold when amplified.
Breedlove Premier
Auditorium Rosewood
$1,999 street (with hardshell case)
breedlovemusic.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
1 11/16" nut
the most impressive
aspect is the craftsmanship:
Calling it perfect is only a
slight exaggeration.
To learn more about Sagas
Blueridge Guitars, visit
www.sagamusic.com/PG
Saga Musical Instruments
P.O. Box 2841 So. San Francisco, California
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Blueridge BR-160 Guitar
Select, aged, solid Sitka spruce
top with traditional herringbone
puring for tone and beauty
Expertly handcarved top braces
in authentic, pre-war, forward-X
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Select, solid East Indian rosewood
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Carved, low prole, solid mahogany
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BR-160 Dreadnaught

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hen its your instrument thats holding
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BR-160_Premier_Guitar_Aug13_NEW_SIZE.indd 1 8/2/13 1:04 PM
ORIGIN EFFECTS
Cali76 Limiting Amplifer
By Joe Gore
W
e fixate so much on the effects our favorite
guitarists place in front of their amps that we
sometimes fail to appreciate the importance
of back-end processing. But the sonic imprint of mics,
preamps, console channels, tape, and outboard gear are crucial
components of our favorite studio tones.
Few single pieces of non-guitar gear have defined recorded
guitar sound as thoroughly as the Urei 1176. Since its 1968
debut, audio visionary Bill Putnams compressor has tightened
and brightened countless guitar performances. The effect has
also been modeled extensively, so many musicians are familiar
with the effect via software, even if theyve never encountered
the hardware original.
Now Englands Origin Effects has captured the 1176 sound
in stompbox form. The Cali76 Limiting Amplifier ($339
street) reviewed here is the basic model, with simple 1/4" input
and output jacks. (Origin offers several higher-priced versions
with more studio connectivity and/or high-grade Lundahl
transformers. They also produce the SlideRig, a stompbox with
two compressors designed to replicate the dual-1176 signal path
reportedly employed by slide guitarist Lowell George.)
None are exact 1176 clones, though theyre all derived from
the schematic. The Origin circuitry is tidily assembled on
circuit board using the small, low-wattage components you find
in most stompboxes. Theres a 12-stage LED gain-reduction
indicator in lieu of the originals VU meters. And Origin has no
affiliation with Urei or Universal Audio (the company run by
Bill Putnams sons, and official owners of the 1176 brand).
But yeah, the Cali76 sounds a lot like an 1176.
Expansive compression
How does the 1176 sound differ from those of most stompbox
compressors? Most compressor pedals are based on one of three
vintage designs: the MXR Dyna Comp, the Ross Compressor, or
the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer. Scratch the surface of any
boutique compressor pedal, and chances are youll uncover only
minor variations on one of those circuits. None of them are sub-
tletheir funky preamps color your sound, and their pumping/
gulping artifacts are obvious at high settings. (Those arent neces-
sarily bad traitsmany guitarists have used them to fine effect.)
By contrast, the 1176 is famed for its speed and transparency.
Which is a polite way of saying you can slam the living
crap out of the thing with relatively little unwanted coloration.
You can apply heavy compression without being obvious about
it, and the circuit even adds a nice touch of brightness, restoring
the sparkle that can be dimmed by gain reduction. And when
you slam the input hard, you get the corpulent distortion that
helped define the sound of modern rock. In fact, such classic
guitar performances as Jimmy Pages Black Dog and Nile
Rodgers Le Freak were tracked direct to tape via recording
console and 1176no amps needed.
The Cali76 nails those qualities, which youll perceive the instant
you plug in. At modest settings, the effect tightens and fattens. As
you increase the effect, sustain increases, with relatively little noise.
Chords are less likely to overpower single notes. Inconsistencies of
touch get papered over. The circuits speedy response reins in unruly
note attack. Clean-toned parts in particular sound louder and fatter.
Lo-fi and mid-fi compressors can also have those effects, but with
the Cali76, youre far less likely to perceive them as effects. Yes,
you can hear the compression in the audio clips accompanying the
online version of this article, but Im slamming the pedal at close
to maximum, and the parts still sound lively. Whacking a standard
stompbox compressor that hard? Think shoe, bug, and sidewalk.
The Big Squish
Even at daringly high settings, my 50-year-old Strat retained
its airy sparkle, but with increased balance and smoothness,.
I wondered how long the powerful pickup in my old lap steel
would sustain a note, but it rang out so long that I got bored
and moved on. A Les Paul recorded direct from the Cali76 into
an input channel soundedwell, direct-recorded, but in a cool,
Chic-meets-Earth,Wind & Fire fashion.
REVIEWS
12-stage
LED gain
reduction
meters
Runs on 9-volt
battery or
18-volt adapter
(included)
premierguitar.com
Its easy to grasp why some players
feel compression of this sort makes them
play better. That lightly grazed single note
might sing with surprising fullness. That
clumsily plucked bass note might not
overpower everything else quite so readily.
You also can see why some engineers and
producers like tracking guitars to disc or
tape via an 1176, and not just applying the
effect in the mix. And the circuit sounds
fantastic in front of an amp. In fact, I
could imagine some players using it 100
percent of the time, either at the beginning
or end of their pedalboard signal chain.
Like a real 1176, the Cali76 makes it
easy to adjust the response via exquisitely
precise attack and release controls. Short
attack settings generate an ironclad corset
of compression. Slower ones let transients
squeak through for greater percussive
impact. (Origin says theyve optimized
the taper of the attack and release
controls for guitar, but I cant claim to
hear a big difference. It just feels and
sounds great.)
You can power the Cali76 with a 9V
battery, but chances are youll prefer
to use the included 18V power supply.
The higher voltage provides greater
headroomin other words more sparkle,
clarity, and sweetness.
The Verdict
The price may seem steep for a com-
pressor pedal, but this isnt yet another
Ross/MXR/Armstrong retread. Its not
identical to a true 1176 (which sells
new for about $2,800), yet its a hi-fi,
studio-quality device capable of massive
compression with minimal tone dam-
age. In fact, its surgical response and
subtle sparkle can improve your tone if
properly deployed. This solidly crafted
box could serve with distinction on
both your pedalboard and studio desk-
top. If youve avoided compressors due
to their deadening properties, consider
listening again through a Cali76. It
proves that compressed tones can be fat
and sassy.
PROS Great sound. Solid workmanship.
First pedal to capture the 1176 sound in
stompbox form.

CONS Pricy for a compressor stompbox.
Origin Effects Cali76
$339 street
origineffects.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com
DR1 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2014
WEB-ONLY REVIEWS
ISP
Theta Preamp
By Charles Saufey
F
or technique-obsessed guitar
players, control is king. But that
fixation typically goes beyond the
moment and place where fingers and
fretboard meet: Its also about precise
equalization and eliminating noiseor
just about anything else that gets in the
way of perfect note articulation.
If the 14 knobs and three
footswitches didnt clue you in, ISPs
Theta preamp is built for control freaks.
Its a preamp and a 2-channel distortion
device, and it includes ISPs popular
Decimator noise gate. But that doesnt
mean its only effective for session
slicksters and metal surgeons. With a
little tinkering, the ferociously powerful
Theta can work wonders for country
pickers, fusion jazzers, experimental
and classic rockers, and any touring
musician who has to grapple with an
ever-changing backline.
Beyond Decimation
ISP is probably most famous among
guitar players for the Decimator noise-
reduction pedal, which metal shredders
love for its door-slamming noise gating
and the way it enhances chunky, high-
gain rhythms and machine-gun note
flurries. But the company also builds
high-gain amps and concert-hall and
line-array speaker systems. So they have
a very broad perspective on how to
Sweepable mid controls for
preamp and distortion section
Two distortion channels
Decimator noise
gate
make an instrument sound loud and
clear, and the convergence of pedal and
pro-audio design sensibilities is easy to
see in the Theta.
Though the many-knobbed Theta
reflects a control freaks mindset, not one
of the 14 controls is frivolous or wasted.
The six leftmost knobs in the upper row
are dedicated to the preamp section, and
once youve sorted out which is which,
its as intuitive to operate as an overdrive
pedal. All three of the EQ controls
bass, mid, and trebleare cut/boost
controls with 15 dB to play with on
either side of zero.
The one function that will be
relatively tricky for the uninitiated is
the sweepable mid section. But if youve
never tinkered with parametric or semi-
parametric EQ (the principle at work
here), it takes just a little practice to
grasp the essentials: You use the sweep
knob to pinpoint the midrange frequency
you want emphasized (from 300 Hz to
6 kHz), then use the mid knob to cut
or boost that frequency. The additional
precision means you can very specifically
tailor the Theta to juice the sweet spots
on a given guitar or amp, or boost a
frequency thats otherwise absent. This
EQ is also perfect for dialing in cutting
lead or rhythm tone in the studio before
you ever have to tinker with it at the
mixing desk.
The 2-channel distortion section uses
an identical EQ section, complete with
the sweepable mid function. These dual
channels, which are selected using the
leftmost footswitch, share the EQ section,
so you cant individually EQ the two
gain stages. But the respective levels can
be set for wildly varied amounts of gain
for thrusting a lead to the forefront or
exploring soft-to-loud (or loud-to-louder)
dynamics in a song.
A simplified version of ISPs
Decimator circuit is controlled via a knob
at upper right that sets the noise-gating
features threshold.
Box of Brutality
Lets cut to the chase. The Theta is loud
brutally loud 160 dB of extra-gain loud
when you use the preamp and distortion
sections together. Thats the reason a lot of
players are going to buy the Theta. And its
hard to imagine high-gain freaks being dis-
appointed by the output or Thetas impres-
sive ability to shape and tame the savagery.
The latter set of capabilities is especially
impressive when you put the Theta out in
front of a clean and loud amp like a Twin
Reverb. Thats not the most obvious pairing
for a pedal geared to the high-gain set, and
finding the best distortion and EQ setting
takes a little work (an aggressive distortion
setting with slight boosts in the high, mid,
and low end can make the Twin loud and
shrill), but feed the distortion circuit with
a low-heavy setting from the preamp, drop
the high end, and move the sweep control
to its lower reaches, and the big Fender
amp will bellow with a rich distortion that
billows with bass depth and overtones,
and exhibits the fast pick responsiveness
shredders love. In settings like this, the
Theta is powerfully transformative.
No matter what amp you use, the
Thetas distortion is aggressive and
hotthe nasty, brutalizing stuff of
modern metal from the 90s onward. But
introducing the Thetas preamp channel
to its distort channel lets you tune in
funky, fuzzy sounds from Muff-meets-Rat
corpulence to buzzing 60s tones or the
strangled-and-mangled sound of an old,
compressed tweed driven to its limits.
The preamp gain alone is crazily
effective for coaxing organic, harmonic amp
distortion. And though there is an essential
heat in the Thetas preamp (even the lowest
gain settings give your output a discernable
edge, and this makes the sweepable mid
control invaluable), the clean output can
give clean single-coil pickups a considerable
push without adding a lot of dirt.
The Verdict
On the surface the Theta is most appealing
to heavy players, yet its a pedal that guitar-
ists well outside the heavy realm will find
impressively practical. Clever use of the
preamp and sweepable mids can transform
the savage distortion output into civilized
and unique fuzz and low-gain distortion
tones. And the preamp overdrive alone
is wide ranging, vocal, and responsive
enough for classic rockers or modern jazz
players that like a little heat on their signal.
Few pedals do such an effective job
standing in for the front end of a high-gain
amp. That may be what Theta does best,
but that it excels at more routine tasks with
such a wide range of amps is a testament
to how thoroughly and thoughtfully this
unit is engineered. And if youre looking
to get more oomph, definition, and
control out of the amp you have, the ISP
Theta can provide a lot of very interesting
alternatives and solutions.
premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2014 DR2
PROS Huge gain range. Effective noise
gate. Very impressive tone-shaping
powerespecially in the sweepable
mid control.

CONS Even the mellower distortion
tones have a trace of aggressive edge.
ISP Technologies Theta Preamp
$332 street
isptechnologies.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this preamp at
The preamp gain alone is crazily
effective for coaxing organic,
harmonic amp distortion.
velvetdistribution.com
engl-amps.com
Since the days of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, hard rock and metal have splintered in count-
less boundary-pushing waysand the evolution includes the ways in which they use gear. Here
we've assembled highlights from our Rig Rundowns with some of today's most interesting pur-
veyors of extreme musicfrom the shirtless experimentations of High on Fire's Matt Pike to the
crushing prog-rock virtuosity of Steven Wilson and Guthrie Govan. After whetting your appetite
with the photos and details here, be sure to visit premierguitar.com to dive in and get the full
scoop from the videos.
premierguitar.com
As seen in one of our earliest Rig Rundown clips, Matt Pike
keeps things stupid simpleas in not being bothered to
wear a shirt onstage ever. His setup consists of a custom
9-string First Act solidbody thats designed after Santanas
Yamaha SG-style guitar and is 1" thicker than a Les Paul.
During High on Fire shows, the 9-string is set in what Pike
coins as man tuning or C-F-A#-D#-D#-G-G-C-C. He runs
that beast through a Soldano SLO and Marshall Kerry King
2203KFK JCM800. The Soldano is the main amp behind his
live sound, but for the bands aggro-sludgy parts or Pikes
solos, he adds the Marshall for extra dirt and volume. Both
amps power three or fourdepending on the venues
sizeEmperor 4x12 cabs. Besides a Boss TU-2, the only
pedal he stomps on is an MXR Carbon Copy.
www.tonepros.com
www.toneproskluson.com
Tommy Shaw, Styx
Few guitarists have the bevy of
iconic performances of Tommy
Shaw, his portfolio of Platinum
Albums, Award Nominations, and
sold out arena concerts tell just part
of the story. With Tommys current
schedule of touring, videos, and
recording, only inspiring performance
from his guitars will doand that
means TonePros locking systems.
Whether your mission is a second
encore at an arena show, or
needing your Renegade
performance on a rst tour, only
one brand delivers the tone &
sustain that takes you over
the topTonePros. See why
artists like Tommy Shaw
always demand TonePros locking
performance on their guitars,
ask your music professional
today, or visit us at:
www.tonepros.com
premierguitar.com
BRENT HINDS: During the bands tour supporting the criti-
cally acclaimed Crack the Skye, Brent Hinds mainly used
his custom acrylic Flying V-style axe built by Kevin Burkett
of Electrical Guitar Company. For quieter and ethereal
passages in songs like The Ghost of Karelia, he would
often use his First Act Custom Shop Lola 12-string because
the doubled octave strings create a ringing, atonal chorus
not matched by a pedal. His two-amp rig included a 76
silverface Fender Twin Reverbthat also powered a 2x15
extension caband a 76 Marshall JMP MKII Lead Series
through two Marshall 4x12s. His stomp station had a Mon-
ster Efects Mastortionused to push his amps to the brink
of destructiona Roland RE-20 Space Echo, an Ibanez
Tube Screamer TS9, a Boss DD-6 Digital Delay, a Boss GE-7
Equalizer, a Morpheus DropTune, and a Boss TU-2 Tuner.
BILL KELLIHER: The older the betterespecially with Les
Pauls and Explorers, smirks Kelliher in his Rig Rundown
clip. During Mastadons 2009 U.S. run, he used a bevy
of 70s and early 80s LPs and Explorers, in addition, he
grappled with a silverburst First Act Custom Shop 9-string
for Ghost of Karelia. For his two-amp lineup, Kelliher
went with a 80s Marshall JCM800 and a Marshall Kerry
King 2203KFK JCM800, the latter of which has KT88 tubes
that crank out a chunkier, fatter, heavier sound than the
standard JCM800. The heads blast through two Mills
Acoustics 4x12s loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s and
a Marshall 4x12 equipped with 75-watt Celestions. Like
Hinds, Kelliher keeps a tidy board of essential boxes like
a Boss RT-20 Rotary Ensemble Sound Processor that
emulates rotary speaker sounds for some clean stuf, a
DigiTech JamMan Looper, a Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor, a
Guyatone MD-3 Micro Delay, a HardWire SC-2 Valve Distor-
tion (which replaced his beloved Ibanez Tube King because
of the fragility of the 12AX7 tube on the road), and a Korg
DT-10 Chromatic Tuner.
In sport we refer to the exceptional athletes
as games changers, someone who can take their
game to another level & raise the bar on the
competition. The GrandMeister 36 is the game
changer of amplifers.
JOSH RAND
*

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Everything you would expect from a Meister,
plus everything you wouldnt!
Watch and Touch your Tube Tone
... from a whole new perspective.
is an all analog tube amp as you
know it. We added effects, and simply replaced all the conventional
potentiometers with Smart Rotary Controls. For the frst time, you can
remote control every single pot and switch on your amp in realtime!
Simply with a footswitch, expression pedal or even with your iPad*.
It is really that simple.

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GrandMeister_Josh_Rand_Premiere_Guitar.indd 1 17.03.14 14:55
premierguitar.com
GUTHRIE GOVAN: Govans main axe is a prototype Charvel
with a basswood body, maple top, and pickups made by
Michael Frank-Braun. The neck is made of roasted birds-
eye maple with a pair of graphite truss rods that make it
hilariously stable.
Normally Govan is a fan of EL34-powered amps, but for
his gigs with Wilson hes been using a 6L6-favored Victory
Howler. Designed by Martin Kidd (formerly of Cornford),
the Howler is a prototype 100-watt head thats powered
down to 50 watts.
Govan had to create an entirely new pedalboard to
cover the diferent tones he plays in Steven Wilsons band.
Designed by Daniel Steinhardt from TheGigRig.com, the
system is based around their MIDI-14 switching system.
Rather than assign each pedal a dedicated switch, Govan
has 14 combinations to cover the sounds needed for a
particular show.
STEVEN WILSON: A PRS single-cut in standard tuning is
Wilsons main guitar. He also has a Custom 24 tuned to
dropped-D, and on the acoustic side of things he uses a Babicz
tuned to standard and an Ovation in Nashville tuning.
Wilson plugs into a Bad Cat Lynx 50 head with
matching cab. An important feature for Wilson is that
both channels are simultaneously active, meaning he can
blend in each channel through his TC Electronic G-System.
The guts of his pedalboard lie in this system, which has
patches programmed for each song of the setlist. Each
loop in the G-System is tied into a pedal to allow Wilson
to add efects on the fy. Both the G-System and his amp
are looped through his TheGigRig MIDI-8 controller.
Watch it here
Also available in nickel, gold,
trembucker and 7-string versions.
Comes with 4-conductor cable so you
can wire it for a coil-split that gives
you a robust single-coil tone.
premierguitar.com
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NEWSSTAND!
Its not about what
you play, or how.
Its why?
We never claimed that our handmade pickups sound better. Our artists
and customers certainly did and we trust that they know why. Since
making the frst Lundgren pickups in 1990 our ambition has always
been to fnd the short cut between your heart and ears. If youre still
searching, trust your heart; trust our pickups.
www.lundgrenpickups.com
American distributor Conklin guitars
In the process of fnding the perfect pickup for our 8-strings we stumbled upon
Lundgren Pickups. They had it all and still reign supreme. Unchallenged.
Fredrik Thordendal and Mrten Hagstrm of Meshuggah
with Lundgren Pickups since 2000.
premierguitar.com
MIKE SULLIVAN: Guitarist Mike Sullivan is a lifelong fan
of Gibson guitars, and gravitates towards the thick and
powerful humbucking tone that a Les Paul Custom brings
to the table. His two main axes are a pair of Gibson 1957
Les Paul Custom reissues in black and wine red fnishes,
and each is loaded with a Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup in
the bridge, and a Gibson 498T bridge pickup in the neck.
He also recently acquired a Maestro-equipped Gibson
Custom Shop 67 Flying V reissue. Sullivans new love
is a Fano RB6 that he received from the boutique guitar
makers custom shop. In addition to its Jason Lollar P-90
pickups, Sullivans RB6 utilizes a Gibson-like 24 3/4" scale
neck with a chunky C-shape. Sullivans guitars are strung
up with Dean Markley custom-gauge .012-.056 strings
(he occasionally uses a .058 for the lowest string), and are
tuned low to high to B-F#-C-F-G-B.
For live and studio use, Sullivans main amplifers of
choice are 300-watt Verellen Meat Smoke and 100-watt
Verellen Loucks tube heads, both of which are funneled to
a pair of custom shop Emperor 4x12 cabinets.
Starting at the top row, left to right, Sullivan has a
DigiTech JamMan, Reaper Pedals Deceived Delay/Reverb,
EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter Phaser, Mesa/Boogie
Tone Burst Boost/Overdrive, Mesa/Boogie Flux Drive
Overdrive, (middle row, left to right) Xotic Efects BB Preamp
Mid Boost, Z.Vex Efects Fuzz Factory w/ custom hockey
graphics paint job, Fulltone Secret Freq, Maxon CS-9 Chorus,
(bottom row, left to right) Akai E2 Headrush, Strymon Flint,
Strymon El Capistan, MXR Micro Amp, custom switchable
efects loop, Xotic Efects BB Preamp, Ernie Ball Volume Jr.
(NOT PICTURED: Lehle Splitter, Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail,
Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy used for a slight slapback-
style delay on Loucks only, and a DigiTech Whammy IV.
Sullivans monster-sized pedalboard is packed to the
gills with distortions, delays, reverbs, and numerous
tone-shaping tools. The guitarist relies quite a bit on his
BB Preamp and RC Booster pedals from Xotic Efects, but
recently became a die-hard convert of Mesa/Boogies Tone
Burst and Flux Drive overdrives.
BRIAN COOK: Bassist Brian Cooks main bass of choice
is his old vintage Gibson Ripper II, year unknown. He
also has a First Act Delgada bass, but his custom First Act
Bearitone is the star of the bunch. Cook says he wanted
something in between the guitar and bass spectrum, so
he opted for this bari guitar, which was used heavily on
the new Russian Circles record. The Bearitone name was
inspired by its fat guy mudfap-style inlays. Cook plays
his bari in standard B tuning.
Brians been using his trusty old Ampeg SVT 8x10
cabinet with a Verellen Meat Smoke for the warm tube
sound it adds. In addition to these personal staples, Cook
added into the mix Electrical Audios Traynor TS50, which
was also used on Russian Circles third album, Geneva.
This very expansive pedalboard shows Cooks
experimental tendencies as a bassist. His staple efects
are a DigiTech Whammy IV and EXH POG2 for flling up
space and changing octaves. He also uses a Tym Guitars
Big Bottom as well as three Fuzzrocious stomps: Oh See
Demon, Rat Tail, and Ram the Manparts pedals (the latter
was named after a lyric from a song by Cooks previous
band, Botch). He uses the Akai E2 Headrush in two ways:
as a tape echo simulator delay and for live looping. Other
pedals used include the Dwarfcraft Pitch Grinder and
SOMMS, Verellen Big Spider, and a Moog Taurus to help
with layers and lush sounds.
premierguitar.com
FREDRIK THORDENDAL: Fredrik Thordendals main guitar
on this tour was a prototype 8-string Ibanez Custom Shop
Stone Man 27" scale guitar built on his own design,
incorporating elements of the Fireman, Firebrand, and
Explorer guitars with Flying V knob placement. It has
Lundgren M8 bridge and neck pickups with a coil split.
He also uses the Japanese version of his signature Ibanez
M8M, which is a 29.4" scale length. He uses a foam mute
after the locking nut on all of his guitars. The 8-strings are
tuned a half-step down, and he experiments with string
gauges to get the feel that hes looking for.
MRTEN HAGSTRM: Mrten Hagstrms main guitar is a
stock Japanese Ibanez M8M with alder body and Lundgren
M8 pickups, also tuned a half-step down with a foam mute,
as well as an Ibanez M8M with a swamp ash body for the
frst half of the set.
DICK LVGREN: Dick Lvgrens main bass is nicknamed
the Devil. Its a custom Warwick Dolphin Pro I 5-string
with Bartolini pickups, an upside-down cross inlay, and is
tuned A%-E%-B%-F-B%. He also uses a Warwick Dolphin Pro II
5-string, and a stock 4-string Warwick Stryker with black
hardware tuned down one-and-a-half steps for Bleed.
All three players use Shure ULXD1 wireless units that
come into a single receiver. All three use Fractal Audio
Axe-FX Ultras for their amps and efects, programmed with
tempo for each song. The units are controlled by a laptop
with Cubase, which automatically cycles through the
patches throughout the show.
P
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With its cascaded, multiple JFET design the Hi Volt behaves like the perfect tube amp. Unlike any
pedal youve ever experienced, this little black box creates an extremely touch-sensitive ride and
responds dynamically to your pick attack. Once it's engaged it will transform an amp of any size
with an unprecedented amount of depth and mass. With plenty of usable of gain on tap, the Hi
Volt lets you create diverse musical landscapes, from grinding blues breakup to far beyond. When
playing chords, the distortion remains tight and focused while single notes soar.
Check out the new Hi Volt from Lovepedal todaywere proud to say theres nothing else like it.
premierguitar.com
Black Label Society
Catacombs of the Black Vatican
Zakk Wyldes Black Label Society
has enjoyed a 16-year career that
spans nine studio albums and
two live albums, and is still going
strong. Whats their secret? While
most bands try to up the ante
with each release, Wylde believes
in the if it aint broke, dont fix
it approach. If you ask me the
difference between this album and the last eight or nine? Its the
song titles, Wylde says. Catacombs of the Black Vatican, recorded
and mixed at Wyldes L.A. studio, The Black Vatican, doesnt
venture into uncharted territoryits business as usual, kicking
major ass.
Riff-driven numbers like the detuned, Sabbath-esque
Believe, and the high-octane bluesy boogie of Damn the
Flood recall classic BLS moves. The latter breaks down into
a delicious half-time groove just before Wylde takes the best
solo on the albuma mini-odyssey that climaxes with some
signature alternate-picked, repeating pentatonic phrases played
at a face-melting, supersonic speed.
But even with Wyldes imposing stature and biker look, hes
not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, or take distinctively
different approaches to soloing. In Angel of Mercy, Wylde,
ushered in by wistful strings, takes a searing solo that begins with
melodic blues bends, builds intensity with hyper-speed shred,
and climaxes with some wah-driven, repeating blues licks that
would send chills down the legions of fans flickering lighters in
the arena. Whereas on Scars, his solo begins with rising slide
guitar teasers that lead into a clean-toned, Allman Brothers-
influenced solo eschewing flash for heartfelt melodicism.
Catacombs finishes on a gentle note with a 50s-style doo-
wop ballad in C major that clocks in at almost seven minutes
and features vocal harmonies atop a heart-tugging, arpeggiated,
clean-toned progression with the bittersweet IVm chord and
judicious use of secondary dominant chords. It closes on a
yearning Cmaj7 chordWylde often jokes about his Barry
Manilow influence but maybe he isnt joking!
BLS has been around forever because they know what fans
want. When you listen to this, youre not going to want to go
on YouTube to try and learn how to incorporate EDM elements
into metal, or agonize over how to fit an 8-string tapping lick
over a metrically modulating pulse. Youre going to crack open a
beer and bang your head.
Joe Charupakorn
MUST-HEAR TRACKS: Damn the Flood, Heart of Darkness
Rodrigo y
Gabriela
9 Dead Alive
Its back to basics for the amazing
duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, guitar
virtuosos who draw ferocious
sounds from their nylon-string
instruments. After exploring orchestral music (2012s Area 52) and
contributing to major movie soundtracksa journey that took
them nearly five yearsthe two sequestered themselves in their
studio in Ixtapa, Mexico, to pay musical tribute to nine individuals
who continue to influence world events, even after their death.
The compositions are virtuosic, passionate, and intensely
rhythmic. Rod and Gab began playing together in a Mexican
metal band and on 9 Dead Alive those roots come through in
the riffs, power chords, and breakdowns that drive many of
the tunes. Yet Megalopolis and La Salle Des Pas Perdus
also reveal the duos appreciation of classical guitar. Each
guitarist has a specialty: Gabrielas fingerstyle technique
blends fast, flamenco-inspired rasgueado and strumming with
sophisticated, driving guitar-body percussion. Rodrigo takes
the lead guitar role, gripping a plectrum to play riffs, lightning
palm-muted lines, and melodic solos. (On Torito he even
plays slideimagine Elmore James over Phrygian power
chords.) By blending Spanish, classical, blues, metaleven
Celticsounds, Rod and Gab celebrate the 6-strings history
with their spirited music.
Andy Ellis
MUST-HEAR TRACK: Megalopolis
The Nels Cline
Singers
MACROSCOPE
If the only thing youve heard
from sonic alchemist Nels Cline
is the indie-rock rumblings he
adds to Wilco, youre missing
out on one of the most creative guitarists around. His latest
album, MACROSCOPE, is a deep exploration into free-from,
improvised music but with a more textural, melodic slant. Clines
trio (drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Trevor Dunn) actively
pursues the spirit and freedom of exciting jazz music, but with
modern tones. With that in mind, neither Cline or Dunn are
afraid to step on an effect and make some noise if it pushes the
groups aesthetic and mission forward.
MEDIA REVIEWS
The intro to Red Before Orange juxtaposes a throbbing, almost
EDM bass line with a beautifully unadorned Wes Montgomery-
like melody before the group collectively catches its breath and
Cline soars into the Hendrixian stratosphere. The stop-and-go of
Saschas Book of Frogs proves that NCS has a racecar engine with
an avant-garde outlook. This isnt easy music to get intoand its
not supposed to be. Clines musical trick bag is always surprising, but
never excessive.
Jason Shadrick
MUST-HEAR TRACKS: Climb Down, Canales Cabeza
Rodrigo
Amarante
Cavalo
For fans of artists like Jorge Ben and
Joo Gilberto, theres just something
about a nylon-string guitar and the
Portuguese language thats hard to
resist. Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Rodrigo Amarante brings
some of both with his debut solo record, but manages to mix in
indie flavor and more.
Amarante may not be a household name, but hes collaborated
with Devendra Banhart for years and has received accolades with his
bands Little Joy (with Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti) and Los
Hermanos. He holds down most all the singing and instruments
throughout Cavalo, but both Banhart and Moretti make appearances
here (as does Kristin Wiig, interestingly, who contributes vocals on
three tracks).
From crooning the gorgeous and unhurried opener Nada Em
Vo, Amarante wastes no time jumping into the catchy, Strokes-
flavored Hourglass. A few tracks later, Irene is simply a man and
his guitar playing a delicate ballad that conjures an instant daydream
of sitting in a Rio caf in the late 60s after a lazy beach day. Thats
until you get to the 70s-kissed funky samba of Manau, which
would probably get just about any dance party started. Cavalo is a
diverse and entertaining listen indeed.
Rich Osweiler
MUST-HEAR TRACKS: Hourglass, Irene
theres just something about a
nylon-string guitar and the Portuguese
language thats hard to resist.
premierguitar.com
STAFF PICKS
Randall Weinsten
Reader of the Month
What are you
listening to? Animals
as Leaders The Joy of
Motion (jaw-dropping
proggy amazingness),
Exmortus Slave to the
Sword (headbanging
and big, dumb smile
ensue), Black Clouds
Everything is Not Going
to Be OK (post-metal
thats, to quote the
two great ones, most
triumphant!).
What is your take on
modern metal music?
The music being made
now continues to push
boundaries. Its a great
time to be a metal fan.
Of course, theres also a
lot of crap, but theres
always a lot of crap.
Andy Ellis
Senior Editor
What are you
listening to? Ragas on
Slide Guitar by Barun
Kumar Pal. Timeless,
trance-inducing barwork.
modern metal music?
Though I love drop-
tuned guitars, Cookie
Monster vocals leave me
cold, so that rules out
a lot of modern metal.
And I abhor drums
tracked with a slew of
mics, mixed with hyper-
clinical precision, and
panned wide across the
stereo fieldtodays
metal approach. Instead
I dig the grinding
murk of stoner rock:
Arboretums The White
Bird does it for me.
Gus G.
Firewind, Ozzy Osborne
What are you listening to? Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Moore. I also
dig a lot of American modern rock right now, like Alter Bridge, Five Finger
Death Punch, Devour the Day, Halestorm, etc.
What is your take on modern metal music? The metalcore scene has a
few leading bands, and the rest sound the same to me. I haven't kept up
with newer death and thrash bands. But I love metal. Thats the music Ive
dedicated my life to, and theres a lot of great metal out there.
Tessa Jeffers
Managing Editor
What are you
listening to? U2s
Achtung Baby and
Elbows The Take
Off and Landing of
Everything. The latter
led me to Denver
songwriter John Grants
Pale Green Ghosts.
modern metal music?
Much has gone down
a rabbit hole, severely
lacking accessibility
and melody, with
abstract band names
and concepts. Some
of my favorite heavys
(Tool, Deftones, even
Led Zeppelin) dont fit
within todays disjointed
subgenres. I pine for a
return to form.
Chris Kies
Associate Editor
What are you
listening to? Thanks to
Spotifys suggestion, Ive
been listening to acts
previously unbeknownst
to me: Colour Haze
(psych-metal), desert-
rock ruckus from
Truckfighters, and the
stoner-metal rumblings
of Elder.
What is your take
on modern metal
music? It depends on
the listener. Its not
cool to be an old fogey
griping about the kids
and compare everything
to Paranoid or Vulgar. If
you listen with an open
mind, youll be pleasantly
surprised by how angry
the youth are today.
Perry Bean
Nashville Video Editor
What are you
listening to? Cory
Branan, Mutt, and The
Tony Danza Tapdance
Extravaganza, Danza
4: The Alphathe
Omega. Both are
mind-blowing.
What is your take
on modern metal
music? I grew up a
metalhead, played in
metal bands my whole
life, and got pretty
burnt out on it until
recently. Modern metal
bands are starting to
incorporate lots of
elements from all kinds
of genres into their
sound, which Im all
for. Get weird and
mosh on!
Heavy on the Mind
The state of modern metal, as discussed in recent (unofcial) PG social media polls, seems to be a point of contention
among guitarists. It wouldnt be metal if it wasnt angsty, right? Gus G. joins us in considering modern metal.
Check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/premierguitar to comment on our question of the month for your chance
to be our featured Reader of the Month in Premier Guitar.
Missing your favorite issue?
APRIL 2014
10
TANTALIZING GEAR REVIEWS
LINE 6 / LOWDEN / VOX / CARVIN
EASTWOOD / FENDER / MXR / & MORE!
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ierguitar.com
APRIL 2014
JOHN FRUSCIANTE WILL LEE & NATHAN EAST STORY OF THE BARITONE
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Premier Guitar ISSN 1945-077x (print) and ISSN 1945-0788 (online) is published monthly by Gearhead Communications, LLC. Principal office: 3 Research Center, Marion, IA 52302. Periodicals
postage paid at Marion, IA 52302 and at Additional Mailing Offices. 2014 Gearhead Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission
is prohibited. Premier Guitar are registered trademarks of Gearhead Communications, LLC. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further
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Enter at PremierGuitar.com/Contests
Gearheads Win!
Rowe Cierras
Winner of the Ibanez Iron Label SIR27FDIPT
WIN
an Archon 100w/50w Amp!
Rodrigo and Gabriela, Acoustic
12-Strings, the Pre-War Martin
D-45, Joe Satriani, Veillette
Guitars, and More
Next months features include an in-depth look at five acoustic
12-strings under $1,000, from Martin, Breedlove, Fender, Blueridge,
and Seagull. In the same realm, we look at one of the first luxury
guitars: the pre-war Martin D-45, a historical dreadnought made
from 1933 to 1942, discontinued, and then picked back up in 1968.
Rodrigo and Gabrielashare details of making 9 Dead Alive, an album
thats back to basics for a duo that possesses a deep interplay that
only comes from years
of performing and
recording together. The
prolific Joe Satrianiis
also back on the scene
to discuss his new
book and 15-disc
collection. Plus, we
talk to Joe Veillette
about his journey from
architecture to luthiery.
Next Month in
New Gear
In addition to the acoustic coverage, reviews for the June 2014 edition
include a Fender Coronado electric, Orange Crush 50 and Peavey
Valve King amplifiers, and three new effects: Positive Grids JamUp, the
Seymour Duncan Dirty Deed, and the EHX Soul Food. In bass gear, we
look at the Musicvox MI-5.
Gear Giveaways
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premierguitar.com
ESOTERICA ELECTRICA
U
nless youve been
living under a
discarded accordion
in the basement of a VFW
hall, you probably know
that this year marks the
60th anniversary of the
Stratocaster. Undoubtedly
one of the greatest
achievements of mankind, it
has been one of my favorite
guitars since, well, forever. I was barely 2
years old when this triple-pickup wonder
arrived on the planet and displaced me as
the center of the universe. I believe my first
words were, I want a Strat.
The fact that almost every guitarist
of consequence eventually gravitates to
one isnt why I admire it. Its not because
its sonorous cluck and quack is instantly
recognizable on a recording. Nor is it
the Stratocasters voluptuous curves and
flashing chrome that earns my unfaltering
allegiance. Its because of simplicity.
Yes, there are plenty of guitars that
are more plain or unadorned. There are
more utilitarian designs like its older
sibling Telecaster. But for downright
genius, easy-to-make-in-huge-quantities
simple, the boys in Fullerton laid the
puck in the crease when they conjured
up the Stratocaster. Every aspect of this
instrument was agonizingly scrutinized
for ease of manufacture, and I dont
believe it has ever been bested.
As we observe our specimen from
headstock to output jack, there are no
wasted opportunities for corner cutting
because every shortcut has been anticipated.
The neck is made from a single piece
of 1" flatsawn maplea material that is
plentiful, cheap, and extremely durable.
The bottom surface of the board is both
the back of the headstock and the heel
of the neck. This means that a shaper
knife or router needs only to be run
on the shaft of the neck to bring it to
final shape. And instead of pitching
the headstock backwards as on classical
instruments, the necessary downward
string pressure is accomplished by
removing half of the material on the front
of the peghead area.
A slot for the truss rod is routed down
the center of the back of the board.
There is a simple hole at each end and
no need for a truss rod cover. Instead of
a platform for the nut, a simple slot does
just fine. The individual necks are easy to
maneuver in the spray booth and a breeze
to buff. At the assembly stage, the six-on-
a-side configuration is beneficial in that
an inventory of identical tuners can be
held instead of two sets, as on three-on-a-
side designs. Handy.
Moving our eyes to the curvaceous
body, we may note how the light plays
upon sultry lines that mimic the human
form. The Strats comfy arm bevel and
tummy rout (attributed to a suggestion
made by Western swing guitarist Bill
Carson) are not just concessions to
coziness for the player. Introducing
curved surfaces helps to hide irregular
finishing results and masks grain sinking.
Painting curved surfaces is much easier
as the surface tension holds the paint in
suspension. The blunt rounds where sides
meet top and back are extremely forgiving
to both the spray painter and the buffer.
Finishing a guitar is not only one of the
longest and costliest operations in guitar
building. Its also the point in the process
where a builder has the most to lose from
mistakes and accidents in the buffing
stage. A master buffer learns to avoid sharp
edges that can catch the wheel and burn
through the finish, which requires a touch
up or even a strip and finish do-over.
These errors can easily happen around
routs for pickups, tremolo mechanisms,
and output jacks. Leo certainly understood
this, and he designed overlapping covers to
hide all these areas: a flanged edge on the
output jack, a tremolo-cover plate on the
back, and the pickguard itself for the front.
Speaking of the Stratocasters
pickguard, it is the magnum opus of
efficiency. Its the assembly template and
cover all-in-one, and the soldering can
be done ahead of time and in the open
instead of working down in a hole. Grab
a prefab assembly off the shelf, pop it on,
and screw it downfini.
With the neck and body completed,
its a simple matter to set the neck into
the body pocket and insert four screws
from the back. The neck is set up high
enough for the strings to clear the pickups
and bridge without resorting to any neck
pitch. There are no wacky angles to cut or
match from one part to another like there
is with violin-style guitar building. This
paragraphs brevity shows how simple the
idea is: Its pure genius.
The patented tremolo bridge stands
as the instruments most complicated
element, but its bent-steel components are
brilliant in their simplicity as individual
parts. Leo loved those punch presses. I
think adding the trem was another Bill
Carson idea, but Leo had to do things his
way, so Paul Bigsby's influence is most
evident in the peghead shape. Still, the
mounting of the Strats bridge is a true
model of simplicity. The only thing left off
was a way to lock it, which was addressed
a few years later on the Jazzmaster.
All of this speaks to why the mighty
Stratocaster is the most copied guitar design
on the planet. Sure, it sounds wonderful
(even when you set one on fire and chuck
it at a full stack), but thats only part of
why it endures. Its not due to its legendary
toughness in battle or its uncanny ability to
make you instantly attractive to audiences.
I suggest that our beloved Strat has been
flattered with imitation millions of times
because it is so easy to make. And that
makes me like it even more.
The Incredibly Smart and Simple Strat
BY JOL DANTZIG
JOL DANTZIG is a noted
designer, builder, and player who
co-founded Hamer Guitars, one of
the first boutique guitar brands,
in 1973. Today, as the director
of Dantzig Guitar Design, he
continues to help define the art of
custom guitar. To learn more, visit
guitardesigner.com.
The
Stratocasters
six-on-a-
side tuner
confguration is
just one of the
many examples
of brilliant
simplicity for
manufacturing
efciency.
WW_LeeSklar_9x10,875_USA.indd 1 11.03.14 16:22
premierguitar.com
T
he other day I watched Tommy
Emmanuel in amazement. Its
not like he hit the strings harder
than other players, but he hit with focus
and precision, like a skilled pugilist. Its
the guitar equivalent of Bruce Lees one-
inch punchequal parts skill and magic
that leaves you wondering, how the hell?
Great players constantly adjust their
hands to get the sound they want from
their instrument. This is what folks mean
when they say, Tone is in the hands.
But it sounds like a lot of hard work to
get there and Ive spent most of my life
trying to avoid hard work. My goal has
always been to be a better musician, but
we humans rarely move in a straight path
toward our goals.
When I began my musical journey
in Nashville 20 years ago, my complete
gear inventory included: a Fender Tele (a
total dog with a permanently bowed neck
and deep fret divots), a Strat-style G&L
(perhaps even more of a dog than the
Tele), a Gibson J-100 acoustic (awesome),
a Gibson Style A mandolin (awesome),
a solid-state Peavey Stereo 2x12 combo
(meh), one Korg tuner (meh), and three
questionable 1/4" cables.
I didnt own a single pedal. As I started
gigging, I received brutal thrashings by the
far better musicians I met at gigs. I studied
their playing and gear, asked questions,
read everything I could find about guitar,
and eventually learned a few tricks.
One of the first tricks was to nab a
stompbox compressor, which is a big part
of the Nashville Tele thing. The next was
delay, which fattens up your sound and
adds some forgiveness to slight meter
problems during solos. This was the
beginning of my pedal dependency.
A few months back, I read PG chief
Shawn Hammonds New Years resolution
to lessen his dependency on reverb so he
could ultimately move forward, explore,
and not stagnate. It felt a bit like a
drunks moment of clarity that triggers
a trip to rehab. This got me thinking,
Damn, Im totally dependent on
compression and delay, and Im stagnant
like swamp water. However, I didnt
want to do anything about it because
these crutches made me sound better
than I am.
More recently I watched an excellent
documentary about Rush called Beyond
the Lighted Stage. In it, Neil Peart goes
into detail about completely changing
his drumming technique. Given
that Peart is one of the most highly
regarded drummers in the history of
rock, this seemed pretty crazy, but even
with his mega-star status, Neil looked
unflinchingly at his shortcomings and
decided to fix them. While Peart was
producing a Buddy Rich tribute album,
he was struck by the tremendous
improvement in ex-Journey drummer
Steve Smiths playing, and asked him his
secret. Smith revealed hed been studying
with drum teacher Freddie Gruber, and
consequently, Peart put his band activities
on hold while he too studied with Gruber.
Peart went back to fundamentals,
changing how he held the sticks, how he
hit the drumspretty much everything.
It would be like me changing from
playing right-handed to left-handed.
Pearts new technique didnt sound all
that different to me. When a player is
already a virtuoso, breaking into the
next level is going to be a subtle change.
The point is Peart is happier now with
his playing, and thats what its about
getting the sound you want.
Taking a page from this self-
improvement book, I completely
revamped my touring guitar pedalboard,
which now looks like a modified
Bradshaw system. Not Bob Bradshaw,
Terry Bradshaw: Its a tuner, an overdrive,
and a delay pedal all zip-tied onto a board
I liberated from a road construction
caution sign (see photo). Cables are
gaff taped in place and the whole mess
is powered by a Visual Sound 1Spot.
The rig sounds great. It delivers more
dynamics, the tones are purer, and my
guitar cuts through the mix better. I play
with more precision and dig in more.
I discovered that for the past 15 years
or so, when Ive wanted to improve as a
player, Ive spent more time tweaking gear
than actually practicing. Getting closer
to a guitar-into-amp setup forces me to
try to get the sound I want by adjusting
my hands. This got me back to where I
was 20 years ago when I was trying to
figure out how to sound better by playing
better, rather than by stomping on a
pedal. When it sounds good, I feel less
like a counterfeit and more like a player.
Granted, I still have several pedalboards
full of gizmos I rely on in the studio and
for some gigs, but at least now I dont
leave the compressor on all the time. I
still want all the grease at my feet, but I
dont have to depend on it.

LAST CALL
My guitar cuts
through the mix
better with this
new pedalboard
that boasts
an Ibanez ES2
Echo Shifter,
a Homebrew
Electronics
Paradrive, and
a Peterson
StroboStomp.
Out of Hand
BY JOHN BOHLINGER
JOHN BOHLINGER
is a Nashville musician who has
led the band on NBCs Nashville
Star and served as musical director
of the CMT Music Awards for five
years. In addition to his Last Call
column, John recently joined PG
as our full-time gear demo/Rig
Rundown video dude.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
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