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MARCH 2013
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EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Shawn Hammond
Managing Editor Tessa Jeffers
Senior Editor Andy Ellis
Gear Editor Charles Saufley
Senior Art Editor Meghan Molumby
Web Content Editor Rebecca Dirks
Associate Editor Chris Kies
Associate Editor Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor Jason Shadrick
Video Editor Steve Worthington
Acoustic Editor Gayla Drake Paul
Web Production Assistant Champ Long
Sales/MARKETING
Advertising/Artist Relations
Brett Petrusek
Director of Retail Sales
Dave Westin
Marketing Manager Nick Ireland
Multimedia Coordinator Matt Roberts
EarthQuaker Devices
Handmade one at a time in Akron, Ohio
www.earthquakerdevices.com
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Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
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maken music
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Get this limited edition SuhrIts waiting for you at Maken Music.
Dream of playing a Suhr? Heres your chance. The Limited Edition Pro Series Modern M5 & M7 are specially
designed so you can own a Suhr masterpiece without the long waiting list or hefty price tag. Crafted in Suhr Guitars
California Custom Shop and available exclusively at Maken Music, these new instruments bring improved sonic
versatility to a classic design. Features include Mahogany body and neck, figured maple top, dark rosewood
fingerboard and advanced electronics. The perfect blend of killer tone and exceptional playability. Want legendary
Suhr quality at an unbeatable price? Visit Maken Music today: www.makenmusic.com/suhrlimited
Tuning Up
Wayne Richman at ToneGuard pickguards was incredible. When I called him about
buying one of his anodizedaluminum pickguards for a Tele
Custom, but with a Jazzmasterpickup neck routea design
for which he didnt have a CAD
file yethe didnt even blink.
After seeing a pic of my guitar, he opened his Fender Tele
Deluxe rendering file, called
me up, and knew exactly which
areas to have me measure. He
Shawn Hammond
shawn@premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
Learn more about the Martin 2 Concert Uke, Ocean Way Recording and Warner Bros. recording artist LP at martinguitar.com/lp
Contents
101
FEATURES
56
Bad Religion
Blasphemy or
Alchemy?
PG reader Ben Friedman commissions
a makeover for his 80s PRS CE.
66
Surf-Twang
Tweak-a-Rama
A Squier Tele gets a Bigsby, Curtis
Novak pickups, and more.
74
Flying Double
Dutchman Crunch
Luthier Yuri Landman transforms a
cheap axe into a weird wonder.
84
88
91
JD Simo
Nashvilles country hero steps out with
his psychedelic rock.
Builder Profile:
Bob Bradshaw
Inside the shop of the tech to the stars.
Reviews
114 Mesa/boogie Pedal Line
120 teye R-Series La Gitana
123 TC Electronic Flashback X4
126 Epiphone 1962 Sheraton E212T
128 strymon Mobius
131 roland GA-112
134 carvin HH2 Allan Holdsworth
137 van amps Sole-Mate Jr.
140 Takamine P3MC
143 Vox StompLab IIB
10 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
120
131
Roland GA-112
143
Vox StompLab IIB
premierguitar.com
Contents
(Contd )
50
Departments
16 Rig Rundowns
J Mascis, Dweezil Zappa, and Billy
Corgan tell us about their gear.
Vintage Vault
19 Opening Notes
24 Letters
26 News
28 Staff Picks
PG staff members and GNRs
Richard Fortus talk about their
makeover guitar dreams.
30 Media Reviews
Robben Fords Bringing It Back Home
Plus: Stray Cats DVD, Boz Scaggs, and
Ivan & Alyosha
Columns
32 Tone Tips
Simplify Your Life
34 On Bass
Bass Pedals: Basic to Playhouse
36 Guitar Tracks
Addressing Home-Studio Hums
Tech Tips
38 State of the Stomp
What Does a Pedal Sound Like?
40 Esoterica Electrica
Private Domain: The Sound
Ethics Laboratory
42 Acoustic Soundboard
Designing and Ordering a
Custom Guitar, Pt. 2
46 Mod Garage
The Ultra-Flexible Esquire
Wiring, Pt. 2
54 Bottom Feeder
60s Silvertone Sharkfin
ET-460 K4L
19
Opening Notes
premierguitar.com
Every time you play your guitar, bits of you are left behind to invade the windings,
contaminate your strings and kill your tone. Elixir Strings is the only brand to coat
the entire string and form a barrier against tone-killing gunk. Thats why players
report with Elixir Strings their tone lasts longer than any other string, uncoated or
coated. Youll get the tone you dig and the feel you love gig after gig after gig.
Hear why John Paul White loves his Elixir Strings:
www.elixirstrings.com/johnpaulwhite
GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE LONG LIFE, e icon, and
designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. 2012 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
ELX-132-R1-ADV-US-APR12
Web Exclusives
Only on PremierGuitar.com
Your guide to the latest stories, reviews, videos, and lessons on PremierGuitar.com
FEATURED
Access all of our lessons
online, for free, with streaming
audio and downloadable,
printable notation PDFs.
Diary of a
So-Called Shredder
Doom in E Minor
By Terry Syrek
Rhythm Rules
16th-note Accents
By Alex Nolan
Style Guide
Left-Hand Essentials
By Marc Schonbrun
Also
14%
Mod with
new pickups
or wiring
15%
REVIEWS
Play something
new or in a
new way
26%
Adjust amp
and effects
Check out our latest reviews with audio samples of the FuzzHugger
Pocket Arcade, Godin Session Custom, Blackstar ID:60, and TC
Electronic Ditto Looper.
premierguitar.com
Lessons
rig rundowns
RIG RUNDOWNS
premierguitar.com
rig rundowns
Watch Now
Head to premierguitar.com/rigrundown
or youtube.com/premierguitar to watch
these three videos in their entirety, plus all
130+ Rig Rundowns in our archives.
Also new this month:
premierguitar.com
Corgans rig consists of eight preamp modules custom built by Antonin Salva Salvation
Mods. Corgan flew the builder in to clone his personal amps: a 60s Selmer, Soul Marshall
2203, Reeves Custom Jimmy (Jimmy Page Hiwatt clone), Marshall Super Lead 1959RR
Limited Edition Randy Rhoads, VamPower amp with a fuzz mod (for Oceania material),
Diezel VH4, and a 69 Marshall Super Tremolo. This allows him to recreate his classic tones
throughout the night.
He uses Mesa/Boogie Strategy 500 power amps (from his Mellon Collie touring rig) modded with different tubes run at half power. A Palmer PDI-03 signal is mixed in with the
live micd signal from a 1960 Marshall 4x12 cab (also from his Mellon Collie rig) with new
Celestion 75-watt speakers.
PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013 17
AMPS SHOWN:
HELLRAISER USA 212 COMBO
HELLWIN SYNYSTER GATES SIGNATURE FULL STACK
HELLRAISER USA 100 FULL STACK
SCHECTERGUITARS.COM
OPENING NOTES
mark farner
November 23, 2012
The Fillmore Detroit
Detroit, MI
Photo by Ken Settle
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
Dave Matthews
December 5, 2012
United Center
Chicago, IL
Photo by Barry Brecheisen
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
Josh Rand
November 26, 2012
Alcatraz
Milan, Italy
Photo by Silvia Paveri
premierguitar.com
TRUE BLUE.
letters
Your Feedback
Berlin Walls
My First Amp
Keep those
comments coming!
1971
NEWS
News Bits
INDUSTRY
DAngelico Commissions
Premier Builders Guild for
U.S. Production
Pittsburgh, PA Recently relaunched
DAngelico will begin producing masterbuilt
U.S.-made instruments through the Premier
Builders Guild. The reissues will be built in
Arroyo Grande, California, by Gene Baker and
MARCH 2013
2013
26 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH
NEWS
Pedals-Intro-HalfPage-PG.indd 1
PREMIERGUITAR MARCH
2013 27
1/7/13 12:45 PM
staff picks
Hocus Pocus
This month were in the magical makeover mood, whether grounded in reality or not (theres a little bit of both here). PG staff along with
our Reader of the Month Alex Cora and Guns N Roses guitarist Richard Fortus conjure up their dream guitars.
Alex Cora
Andy Ellis
Shawn Hammond
Senior Editor
What are you listening to?
George Marinelli, Believe.
The new album by Bonnie
Raitts longtime lead guitarist
is packed with great tones and superb songs.
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it
be? Id ask to have a TV Jones MagnaTron
installed in the neck position of my
beloved ol G&L ASAT. Toss in a Hipshot
B-Benderno routing requiredand Id be
in honky-tonk heaven.
Editor in Chief
What are you listening to?
Dick Dale and His DelTones, Surfers Choice. Tauttoned twang, attitude for
miles, riffs that just wont quit, and glorious,
glorious reverb!
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll
it be? See p. 66.
Nick Ireland
Chris Kies
Rich Osweiler
Marketing Manager
What are you listening
to? The Boys are Back by
Dropkick Murphys. This
romper had me stomping
my foot so hard at my desk, Im pretty sure
I hyperextended my knee.
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll
it be? Id love to clean up the wiring
on my Squier Affinity Series Tele (from
my last mod attempt), install a Fishman
Powerbridge with a piezo pickup, new frets,
new nut, and have the body refinished in
the colors of Irelands flag. Signature model!
Associate Editor
What are you listening
to? Two new releases from
old favoritesDropkick
Murphys boisterous,
whiskey-swilling Signed and Sealed in Blood
and Clutchs Earth Rocker, featuring some
of the bands heaviest material since Clutch
and Pure Rock Fury.
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll
it be? Id upgrade the pickups in my current rigeither some Duncan Dimebuckers
for my Jackson Dinky Pro or a Fralin P-90
Alnico neck model for my Squier Vintage
Modified Telecaster Special.
Associate Editor
What are you listening to?
Darlings, Perfect Trip. With
whiffs of Sonic Youth, Joy
Division, and Pavement,
the ultra-sludgy, lo-fi garage rock of this
second full-length effort is full of fun,
catchy jams and shenanigans.
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll
it be? My first electric, a 75 strat-style
Epiphone that first belonged to my dad, is
all original. But I would happily allow
the guitar gods to replace its lifeless
humbuckers with a set of Seymour
Duncan SH-55s.
Richard Fortus
Charles Saufley
Jason Shadrick
Gear Editor
What are you listening to?
The new split 7" from Kurt
Vile and Meg Baird, Sic
Alps by Sic Alps, and demos
from the forthcoming Feral Ohms LP.
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll
it be? Definitely a magical little dude
that changes the strings on my 12-strings.
Other than than, just a nice new neck
with a rosewood fretboard for my old
Squier Telecaster.
Associate Editor
What are you listening to?
Jonathan Kreisberg, One.
Kreisberg goes it alone and
places the focus squarely on
the guitar. With some acoustic textures and
subtle effects, he creates what could possibly
be Virtuoso for a new generation.
Youve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it
be? I would take my old Mexi-Tele and swap
the current pickups out for some Lollars.
Then I would go all Brent Mason and add
a middle pickup with a blend control.
premierguitar.com
Media Reviews
ALBUM
Robben
Ford
Bringing It Back Home
Mascot Label Group
EDITORS NOTE:
We were not permitted to print our review of Jimi Hendrixs
People, Hell & Angels by press time. However, you can read the
review on premierguitar.com on February 15, or check it out in
our April 2013 print edition.
ALBUM
Boz
Scaggs
Memphis
429 Records
Boz Scaggs is
musically complicated. For Memphis, he
brought on producer Steve Jordan (John
Mayer) who also plays drums on the album,
and the rest of the studio band is also starstudded: Ray Parker Jr. (guitar), Willie
Weeks (bass), Lester Snell (string arrangements), and Spooner Oldham (keys).
30 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
Probably best
known for hometown hero Jimi
Hendrix and the
birthplace of a
particular music
movement that got
started in the 80s, music-rich Seattle has
long been churning out artists in the indie
vein. The Emerald City has also been home
to a vibrant folk-rock scene, further evidenced by the release of the first full-length
effort from Ivan & Alyosha, All the Times
We Had.
Formed in 2007 by core members Tim
Wilson and Ryan Carbary, and later joined
by Tim Kim and Pete Wilson, Ivan &
Alyosha has quickly built up both acclaim
and a loyal fan base by delivering their
happy ballads about love and life through
their shows and EP releases.
Floating above the hook-infused,
sweet guitar sounds throughout are Tim
Wilsons vocalsa haunting hybrid of
George Harrison and Roy Orbison.
Speaking of Harrison, theres a lot of very
inviting Beatles-esque feel here. And while
I also found myself reminiscing about
favorite melodies and harmonies from the
likes of Trip Shakespeare and Big Star,
what Ivan & Alyosha have going on is all
their own.
premierguitar.com
Stray Cats
Live at Montreux 1981
Eagle Rock Entertainment
has really gotten to the point where even tubeamp purists have to stand up and take notice.
Globe-trotting guitarist Dweezil Zappa has
totally replaced his amp rig and two refrigerator-sized racks with a pair of Axe-Fx IIs, saving
untold thousands in shipping costs. Likewise,
I left my traditional rigs at home for a couple
of European tours with Melissa Etheridge, and
used the Axe-Fx by running it direct to the PA.
A Portable Practice Solution
Plugging into an amp to practice isnt always
practical in, say, a cramped dressing room
or the back lounge of a bus. The best solution Ive found (and currently my favorite
piece of gear) is the Roland eBand JS-10.
With built-in speakers, its a totally selfcontained audio player that also boasts amp
modeling and effects. It has 350 pre-loaded
audio loops and drum grooves for you to
jam along with, but you can easily add your
own audio files for playback, too. Ive been
running my laptop into it with great results.
Its just a killer, portable, simple all-in-one
practice solution, and it sounds fantastic.
Now more than ever, modern guitarists
have incredible variety of powerful and portable tools for the studio, stage, and practice
room to choose from. I said it last month
and Ill say it again: Its never been a better
time to be a guitarist!
peter thorn
premierguitar.com
LEFT: Providing a big, warm, well-compressed tone with an option for extra distortion, this basic
pedalboard setup covers the needs for 90 percent of my work. RIGHT: For solo-bass performances and funk gigs, Ill bring a pair of envelope filters, along with synth-bass, chorus, and octave pedals to add to the necessities like the preamp/DI and compressor pedals from my basic pedalboard.
premierguitar.com
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B asses
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2D
The 2 0 1
This is the fix for your tone jones. If you know Darryls discography, then
you know hes played with some heavyweights...Miles Davis, Sting,
Madonna, The Rolling Stones...
The Darryl Jones Signature 4 and 5 strings are some of the most renown
basses Lakland has ever produced, and now theyre back for 2012 with
Darryls own pick of colors and options; including pearl fingerboard blocks
on a beautifully bound neck with matching color headstock.
Check out the 2012 Skyline DJ4 and DJ5 or the USA Series Signature 4,
were confident your Jones will be satisfied!
For more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.com
Hi Mitch,
Im currently trying to put together a simple
bedroom studio setup, and as a music student, my main use of this rig will be for
arrangements. What I have in mind so far
is an M-Audio Fast Track C400 (which
comes bundled with Pro Tools SE software)
to record my bass and guitar, and an Avid
KeyStudio for a MIDI controller.
I dont know what to get for speakers
or headphones. And I havent considered
a microphone yet, since my priority is to
record the guitar and bass. I just want to be
able to record whatever idea I have and get
decent sound quality. I was told that Logic
works the best for arrangers, but since Im a
PC user, I decided that Pro Tools SE would
be good enough. Ive checked my computer
specs and it meets all the requirements for
the software.
Do you have any recommendations, or
am I at least on the right track?
Thank you!
Derek
Hello Derek,
Yes, I think you are on a good track and Pro
Tools SE will be fine to get you started. As
you progress, you might also look at Cakewalk
SONAR or Steinberg Cubase, which have a
lot of nice virtual instruments and MIDI/
scoring features that can help with arranging
and composing.
I would choose a good all-around microphone. A Shure SM57 dynamic microphone
works well for guitar and bass. And when
its time to record acoustic instruments or
vocals, a condenser microphone would be a
good investment.
And for speakers, a good set of powered
studio monitors, such as those from M-Audio,
Alesis, Samson, Focal, Mackie, KRK, or the
many other manufacturers, would pair nicely
with the C400.
Thats it for this time, faithful readers. If
you have questions, send them via my website. Who knows, you may find your question answered in an upcoming column!
Mitch Gallaghers latest book is
premierguitar.com
[I N T R O D U C I N G
A R T S TA R ]
Hollow Bodies Of the Highest Order
The guitar builder for the giants of jazz, Ibanez now introduces
.com
Official Ibanez Guitars USA
@Ibanez_USA
Ibanez Guitars
Distorting a guitar
signal generates
more harmonics.
With more harmonics, your amplifiers inherent tone
becomes more
dominant.
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od H g-i
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STEP UP
For years, guitar legends Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa, Brian May, Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, and
John Petrucci have depended on Eventide. Now, the legendary Eventide sound can be yours with effects
carefully selected from Eventides catalog of boundary-smashing effects, used on hit after hit for over forty
years. Check out Eventide stompboxes at eventide.com, or visit your local Eventide dealer.
Studio quality effects made stompbox simple. What are you waiting for?
Harmonizer
Modulation
Twin Delay
New
EVENTIDE.COM
Eventide and Harmonizer are registered trademarks of Eventide Inc. 2011 Eventide Inc.
Todays increasingly sophisticated technology is making it easier and easier to identically duplicate the sound of a particular manufacturers instrument, amp, or effect. Once cloned, who then
really owns the produced sound?
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waldenguitars.com
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Many styles
One voice
Celestion.
www.celestion.com
Fig. 1. Though the Mnajdra only sports a single pickup, it delivers nine switchable sounds.
Photo and illustrations courtesy of singlecoil.com
premierguitar.com
1. For an instrument to be
boutique, it should be in some
way personal. 2. Mike Sabre
builds basses with passion.
This is his new Dominique
Di Piazza Signature Model.
Photo courtesy of mike-sabre.
com 3. Looking at Bas Wittenbergs 1-string doubleneck, its hard not to smile and
immediately feel the fun he
had building it. Its unique and
dead-on target! Photo courtesy of bas-extravaganza.nl
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
Fig. 1. This top cracked from lack of humidity. Fig. 2. Fretboards can also crack as a result of low humidity. Fig. 3. The Humidipak guitar humidifier
system. Photo courtesy of Planet Waves Fig. 4. A room humidifier in action. Fig. 5. Thanks to heat exposure, this bridge separated from the top leaving
a gap big enough to slide in a seam separation knife blade. Fig. 6. Use a wood conditioner to protect your rosewood or ebony fretboard.
premierguitar.com
Wood Conditioning
Conditioning the fretboard
and bridge can keep them
looking new and slow the
effects of humidity changes. This should be done
every time you change
strings. Dont worry about
over-conditioningthe
wood will only absorb
what it needs and sweat
out the rest.
There are several wood
conditioners on the market, and I recommend
1. When three pickups simply wont do, reach for a Silvertone ET-460 K4L. 2. This guitars
Sharkfin moniker comes from its cool, sculpted headstock. The Grover tuners were added by
a previous owner. 3. The entire guitar sports a teal paint job. 4. The Bigsby-inspired bridge
includes roller saddles.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
ABOVE: The PRS was originally outfitted with Standard Treble and Standard Bass
pickups, and a 1-piece MannMade brass bridge. RIGHT: The CE after the off the
frame customization.
premierguitar.com
The autographs from members of Vixen, Molly Hatchet, and other 80s bands ...
The guitar also came with its original PRS Phase I winged tuners.
Stripping, Buffing,
and Refinishing
As the before and after pictures
here show, the PTC teams work
reflects both their expertise and
incredible tone
for playing blues,
I couldnt ask for
anything more
unbelievable sound
perfect sweet,
smooth early 60s
Les Paul/SG tone
the real sound I wanted
stewmac.com
for Tele
P-90
for Basses
Overwound
stewmac.com
Stewart-MacDonald: Everything for building and repairing stringed instruments! 800-848-2273 stewmac.com
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Sadly, the signatures had to come off for the greater good.
The final fretwork is exemplarytheyre perfectly seated and the ends are immaculately dressed.
premierguitar.com
H OT R O D YO U R TO N E
MICK THOMSON
SLASH
Its happened to all of us: We fire up the amp, plug in our favorite guitar, hit the first chord and boomthe tone
just isnt there. Whats going on? The answer lies underneath the strings.
Pickups are essential to unlocking the sound you crave. Whether you need shimmering chords, Texas swamp sludge
or out-of-control gain, pickups create your signature tone.
Changing pickups isnt rocket science, but if its too daunting there are thousands of qualified guitar techs out
there who can help you. Plus, all of us here at Seymour Duncan are happy to assist you in choosing the right pickup
and getting it installed.
OUR FORUM
WIRING DIAGRAMS
guitarpickups.com/forum
guitarpickups.com/changeyourpickups
guitarpickups.com/wiring
REAL SOUL.
GENUINE TONE.
Slashs guitar painted by Eva Gelbart
vintage-PAF-style humbucker.
These R&D efforts were augmented in 1994, when PRS
brought in veteran Gibson
executive Ted McCarty as a
consultant to offer insights on
the guitar designs and pickups
of golden-era Gibson electrics
from the late 1950s and early
60s. Combined with input
from big-name artists and the
same sorts of materials used to
manufacture original Gibson
PAF humbuckers, these insights
led to a series of vintage-style
PRS pickups, culminating in
2008 with the 57/08 humbuckerwhich Paul Smith feels is
the best PAF-style humbucker.
Strats
Handmade Pickups From Sweden
Humbuckers
Teles
8 strings
and beyond
Since 1998
www.lundgrenpickups.com
Lundgren Annons 180x123 2013.indd 1
2013-01-07 13.23
premierguitar.com
The completed guitar features new PRS 57/08 pickups, exposedbrass string-contact points, and tapered knobs.
the tonal response and playabilityIm not sure if its the finish,
the pickups, the exposed-brass
string-contact points, or just the
whole package togetherbut Ill
share some thoughts.
First off, although changing
pickups was the most difficult
decision, its the one Ive been
the happiest with. The original
pickups were cool in a band
settingthey were hotter and
more compressed than the
57/08s, and they cut through
wellalthough they werent as
appealing when playing unaccompanied. In the past, some
players have been critical of
PRS pickups because they felt
they were lifeless and/or too
hot. Personally, I wasnt crazy
about the pickups in a McCarty
I owned. But the 57/08s change
all that in my book. To my ears,
theyre warmer than the originals, but just as capable of cutting through a band mix while
also maintaining a pleasing,
balanced tone thats a lot of fun
when youre playing by yourself. They have amazing clarity,
theyre very dynamic when
you adjust the volume knob,
they have the right amount of
high-end bite that you expect
from an authentic-sounding
>>>
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The Vision
When Shawn first bought this
Squier, it was mainly so hed
have at least two Teles on hand
in case one died or had a string
bust during a gig. What Shawn
wanted to see when I was done
with it was a guitar that sounds
and looks great. Hes not concerned about knee-jerk reactions that other players might
have to the headstock decal. In
fact, he hopes to maybe help
a few players out there realize
its not the price or the brand
name that matters, but knowing
which things to change to get a
fantastic-sounding guitar for a
very reasonable price.
To that end, the first nobrainer upgrade for almost any
guitar this affordable is new
pickups. Shawn wanted authentic Telecaster twangsparkly, complex tones with some
spankfrom the bridge pickup,
so he went with a handwound
Curtis Novak TEL-V. The more
he thought about the project,
though, the more he wanted to
have some fun with it.
Shawns also a big Bigsby
fan, and given that Teles with
Bigsbys are pretty rare on the
wholelet alone at a low price
pointhe added that to the
upgrade list, too. He was also
intrigued by Tele-forum talk
of keeping the ashtray bridge
rather than using the standard
Bigsby Telecaster kit (which
requires replacing the ashtray
assembly with a chromed
pickup surround that has a
Mustang-style bridge attached
to it), so he asked me to mod
the ashtray bridge to work
with the B5. He also wanted to
replace the Squiers original steel
saddles with compensated brass
ones that would facilitate better
intonation while maintaining
old-school tones.
Because Shawn usually prefers single-coils and
often finds neck pickups too
bass-y for his bands original
68 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
indie-twang-punk tunesand
because he still hasnt been
able to add a Jazzmaster to his
collectionShawn decided to
swap the Tele Customs stock
humbucker with a Jazzmasterstyle pickup. I want to be
able to get that hollowed-out,
ghostly twang without having
to pick way back by the saddles, he told me. Having heard
great audio samples online,
he decided to go with Novaks
JM-V, which is based on the
pickup in the builders own
1963 Jazzmaster. The pickup
is narrower and has different
screw placement than a Wide
Range-style humbucker, so this
also required a new pickguard.
Shawn chose a visually striking
gold-anodized aluminum model
from Tone-Guard.com. He also
wanted the guitar set up to play
with .011.052 string sets.
Exploration and
Brainstorming
Although I knew what Shawn
wanted from the final product
when he dropped off the guitar
and the main parts, I still needed to give the Squier a thorough
exam to see if there were any
other issues to address in the
process. When I did, I found
that it has a good, solid feel and
really nice fretwork for its price.
But once it was on my workbench I noticed the neck angle
was slightly crookedthe low
E was almost off the edge of the
neck near the body (Photo 1).
Luckily, when I took the neck
off to see what was causing the
misalignment, I found that it
was due to a bit of sawdust and
polishing compound wedged
in the pocket. Cleaning that
out allowed me to remount the
neck at the proper angle.
When I plugged the Squier
in, I was surprised by the quality of the pickups. The neck
pickup looks like the Wide
Range unit used in the first
Telecaster Customs from 1972,
Photo 1. The Squiers low E was originally misaligned, but cleaning excess
sawdust and polishing compound out of the neck pocket remedied the issue.
Photo 2. The Teles interior was nicely shielded and grounded straight
from the factory.
Photo 3. When I first placed the ashtray bridge and Bigsby, I worried that the
string width was too wide from the saddles to the vibrato, but it ended up fitting
just right.
Enhance.
Express .
Impress.
www.bourns.com/proaudio
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Photo 4. Stringing the new Bigsby and viewing the bridge from the side
revealed how much metal I needed to remove from the ashtray bridge.
Next, I disassembled it so I
could mill string channels in the
back. To keep it absolutely still,
I mounted it in a vise and then
put the sanding-drum bit into
my Dremel, threw on some safety
goggles (a must when using any
power tools), and created six
gently arced pathways that are
approximately 1/16" from the
original top edge at their deepest
point (Photo 6). When the rough
cuts for all the channels were
done, I switched to a polishing bit
to make them both smooth to the
touch and attractive to the eye.
With that done, I installed
the new brass compensated
saddlesmaking sure I positioned them as shown (Photo
7) so that the guitar will intonate a little better than it would
with standard Tele saddles. To
test how the Bigsby and saddles
work together, I needed to reassemble the rest of the bridge.
Photo 10. Fortunately, strategic twisting enables the new CTS pots to fit
where mini pots used to be.
Photo 11. Match string height to fretboard radius at the 12th fret.
Electronics Time
One of the fantastic things
about the Vintage Modified
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Photo 12. Press each string at the third fret to measure how much action
to adjust at the nut.
The Tools
Sharpie marker
Phillips-head screwdriver
Small mallet
Gauged nut files
40-watt soldering iron
Blue painters tape
Hand drill
3/32" drill bit
T-square
Safety goggles
Dremel rotary tool with course
sanding-drum and polishing bits
Stick of lip balm
tip of the ramp, and I use long
steady strokes to keep the channel
nice and smooth. Cut a little, then
put the string back to check it. Go
slow and be precise, its easier to
cut than to fill.
Twang On!
There you have it folksweve
taken a few upgraded parts
and some simple tools, and we
turned a decent bedroom rocker
www.bigsby.com/ShowUsPG
Want a chance to be in a Bigsby ad? Send us an e-mail with a picture of you and YOUR Bigsby to
everythingyouneed@bigsby.com or send a picture to Bigsby, P.O. Box 2468, Savannah, GA 31402*
*Submitted photos will not be returned; submission constitutes permission to use photo in its entirety or edited form in print,
on the web, or in promotional materials. Bigsby is a registered trademark of Fred Gretsch Enterprises, Ltd.
By Yuri Landman
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The Vision
This instrument has two main modifications, and each has its own 1/4" outputin addition to the original output. Youll notice in the photos that
the guitar has a rotated single-coil pickup. This allows you to route the 6th string to a separate ampone with ideal rhythm-guitar tonesto
fake the sound of a second guitarist playing power chords. It may even inspire you to kick the second guitarist out of your band. You think Im
joking, but here are some of the benefits of this artificial second guitarist:
She/he always plays perfectly in sync with your part.
She/he is always perfectly in tune with your guitar.
She/he isnt bored onstage when she/he has to skip a verse
to give the song breathing room or sit out for a song to yield a
more dynamic set.
She/he doesnt argue about being asked to play a simple part
(or other artistic differences).
premierguitar.com
Willie Adler
LAMB OF GOD
Wayne Lozinak
HATEBREED
Dan Auerbach
THE BLACK KEYS
Zach Myers
SHINEDOWN
Brian Marshall
ALTER BRIDGE / CREED
David
DavidEllefson
Ellefson
MEGADETH
MEGADETH
Jona Weinhofen
Richard Kruspe
RAMMSTEIN
Aaron Lewis
STAIND
USA
Im a strong proponent of
functionalism. Form follows
function. I dislike sunburst
finishes and any other kind of
useless decoration, considering it kitsch. It makes guitars
look like a jukebox! Therefore
I trash the polish with a band
polisher. After five minutes
weve got a messed-up body
(Photo 2).
Photo 2. Five minutes with a band polisher yields a fitting look for the avant axe.
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Photo 3. New cavities for the behind-the-bridge pickup and rotated single-coil.
premierguitar.com
The Tools
Phillips-head screwdriver
Electric screwdriver
40-watt soldering iron
Linemans pliers
Wire stripper
Drill press or powered hand drill
Angle grinder OR hacksaw
Band polisher for scuffing the body to match
the experimental sonic vibe (optional)
The Parts
Spare pickup
Two on/off/on mini toggles
One on/off mini toggle
Two 1/4" jacks
4"6" length of insulated wire
1/4" x 1/4" x 3 5/16" piece of brass
Three 1"1 1/4" wood screws
Four pickup-mounting wood screws
Four pencil springs or rubber bushings (for
pickup mounting)
EN GARDE!
Ive made more impressivelooking guitars in the past,
and so have many others
including the late, great Hans
Reichel, who made extraordinary guitars with remarkable
behind-the-bridge systems.
But these particular mods are
a relatively affordable and easy
(this project took me about
two hours) way to start down
the path of experimentalism
for adventurous guitarists.
Although they look weird,
they can add a new sonic
dimension to music of all
typesnot just avant-garde,
out-there stuff. I hope these
rude guitar modifications
inspire you to explore the wild
world of sound research!
premierguitar.com
allparts.com
guitarmill.com
mightymite.com
usacustomguitars.com
warmoth.com
ELECTRONICS
Awesome Guitars
Bourns
MEC/Music Electronic
Toneshaper
awesome-guitars.
bourns.com
mec-pickups.de
toneshapers.com
HARDWARE
Bigsby
Callaham Guitars
Earvana
EverTune
Floyd Rose Marketing
Floyd Upgrades
Gotoh
Graph Tech
Greasy Groove
Grover Musical Products
Hipshot Music Products
Kahler
P-Whammy
Picksguard Heaven
Schaller
Sperzel USA
Stetsbar
bigsby.com
callahamguitars.com
earvana.com
evertune.com
floydrose.com
fu-tone.com
g-gotoh.com
graphtech.com
greasygroove.com
grotro.com
hipshotproducts.com
kahlerusa.com
p-whammy.com
pickguards.us
schaller-electronic.com
sperzel.com
stetsbar.com
Super-Vee Tremolo
Tone-Guard
TonePros
Towner Down
Trem King
Vibramate
Wammi World
super-vee.com
tone-guard.com
tonepros.com
townerusa.com
tremking.com
vibramate.com
wammiworld.com
PICKUPS
Amalfitano Pickups
Arcane Inc. Pickups
Bare Knuckle Pickups
Bill Lawrence Pickups
Curtis Novak Guitars and Pickups
D. Allen Pickups
DiMarzio
EMG
Fender
Fishman
Gibson
Guitar Fetish
Harmonic Design Pickups
Iconix Pickups
Joe Barden
Kent Armstrong Pickups
Klein Pickups
Lace Pickups
Lindy Fralin Pickups
Lollar Pickups
Lundgren Pickups
Martin Six String Customs
amalfitanopickups.com
arcaneinc.com
bareknucklepickups.co.uk
billlawrence.com
curtisnovak.com
dallenpickups.com
dimarzio.com
emgpickups.com
fender.com
fishman.com
gibson.com
guitarfetish.com
harmonicdesign.net
iconixpickups.com
joebarden.com
kentarmstrong.com
kleinpickups.com
lacemusic.com
fralinpickups.com
lollarguitars.com
lundgrenpickups.com
martinsixtstringcustoms.com
motorcitypickups.com
mullinaxpickups.com
nordstrandpickups.com
railhammer.com
seymouduncan.com
shadow-electronics.com
skatterbrane.com
suhr.com
ttspickups.com
tvjones.com
vanzandtpu.com
voodoopickups.com
wcrguitar.com
wolfetone.com
zexcoil.com
RETAILERS
ABM Guitar Parts
All Parts
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Best Guitar Parts BGP
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killerguitarcomponents.com
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usacustomguitars.com
wdmusic.com
warmoth.com
www.jetcityamplification.com
Contact us for participating dealers
jetcity@starin.biz (800)846-5606 x260
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Less is More...
More Tone... More Styles... More Quality....
Less Expensive...
Lets be honest, a Guitar Pickup is a pretty simple device. Simple and yet devilishly difficult to make just right... to deliver
all the tone your guitar can produce, to deliver the vocal, warm Vintage tone we all seek.
GFS Pickups are designed, prototyped, inspected and shipped from our Boston Massachusetts headquarters. Every
pickup encapsulates the decades of experience of our pickup designers.
We offer some of the most unique pickups on the market, yet in almost every case our prices are BELOW the wholesale
prices of the Name Brands. In fact, all of the pickups shown below are available for under $40 each.
In most cases we use the same ingredients as far more expensive products, but our unique Warehouse Direct business
model strips out the typical expenses of dealers, distributors and sales reps. With GFS you buy DIRECT and save.
GFS Surf 90
Alnico II Single COil
GFS 63 Professional
Alnico V Single COil
GFS KMZ+
Alnico V Humbucker
GFS offers dozens of different styles, from noise cancelling single-coil sized pickups to single coil humbucker-sized pickups. We do some of the oddball pickups that the Big Boys deem too niche to offer. Constantly designing, we continue
to offer new kinds of pickups on a monthly basis.
Keep an eye on our website, youll always find something new!
With tens of thousands of satisfied customers and dozens of artists playing GFS pickups on the road and in the studio,
isnt it time you tried a set of our pickups?
www.Guitarfetish.com
WINNERS
WILL BE
DRAWN!
ON
SIG
FROM
&
WIN
ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO
The new NS-14 and NS-15 PRS guitars are on the cutting edge of now. I love everything about
them. I had the pleasure of helping in the creation of these beauties and I love the weight, sound
and ultimate playability. These are among the best guitars Ive ever played. Check em out.
- Neal Schon, Journey
Sweepstakes void where prohibited. Read full rules on PremierGuitar.com. Model pictured is the PRS NS-14.
bonded
by rhythm
Raised in two vastly different
cultures, Eric Bibb and Habib
Koit celebrate their harmonic
common ground, proving that
music has no borders.
Written By Jon DAuria
Photos by michel Debock
premierguitar.com
Mississippi Delta blues player Eric Bibb (right) naturally picked up on the rhythms of Habib Koits (left) West African music, and vice versa.
YOUTUBE IT
Habib Koit
(left) and Eric Bibb work out some arrangements on their custom Fylde acoustics, built by luther Roger Bucknall.
Eric Bibbs
Gear
GUITARS
Fylde Signature acoustic,
Fylde Pink Ivory
custom baritone,
1930s Weymann
6-string banjo guitar
STRINGS
Elixir Nanoweb
Habib Koits
Gear
GUITARS
Godin Multiac Nylon SA,
Fylde acoustic
STRINGS
Savarez Blue
high-tension nylon
premierguitar.com
Rodney Crowell
and Collings Guitars
By Michael Ross
Photo by Sean Marshall Studios
Nashvilles JD Simo is a
graduate of the Don Kelley
school of honky-tonk, proving
ground for some of the worlds
best pickers. Other alumni
of Kelleys legendary Roberts
Western World band include
Johnny Hiland and Jerry
Douglas/Patty Loveless sideman Guthrie Trapp.
88 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
JD Simos Gear
GUITARS
RS Guitars Slab 59
1962 Gibson ES-335
1967 Gibson J-50
AMPS
1967 Fender Deluxe
1967 Plexi Marshall
Super PA
Silvertone 1484
(on record only)
EFFECTS
The SIMO trio features Frank Swart on bass, JD Simo on vocals and guitar, and Adam Abrashoff on drums.
Photo by Sean Marshall Studios
To avoid starvation in
Nashville, Simo put his love
of classic rock on the back
burner and soloed up a storm
on Folsom Prison Blues at
Roberts on Broadway. On
a street full of players with
cookie-cutter pedalboards, he
became known as the kid with
no effects. I tried every pedal
there was, but, in the end, I
preferred the sound of the guitar
straight into the amp, he says.
At the time, the amp was a stock
Fender Deluxe Reverb, and
the guitar, an RS Guitarworks
Tele-inspired model. I wanted
something that looked like Mike
Bloomfieldsrosewood board
and white body, he explains.
SIMOthe bandcame
about through a chance to play
with his favorite Nashville rhythm
section. Frank Swart and Adam
Abrashoff had been playing
together for years, says Simo.
Frank emailed me out of the
blue and said, Want to jam? We
got together and improvised for
three hoursI had never done
that before. It felt like 10 minutes.
We changed keys and tempos,
went to noiseit was beautiful.
The bands classic rock is filtered through a modern sensibility that allows for some sophisticated harmonic ideas, and
premierguitar.com
STRINGS
AND PICKS
DAddario
.010.046 strings,
Dunlop Tortex
.73 mm picks
he says. We mastered it for
vinyl. Those sub-frequencies that
have become standard in modern
mixes arent cuttable to vinyl.
With their styling, musical references, and equipment
drawn from the 1960s, it would
be easy to dismiss Simo as some
sort of ironic retro lark. Nothing
could be further from the truth.
Like Jack White and The Black
Keys, JD Simo and his band
have taken what was great about
the rock music of another era
warm tone, direct emotions,
freedom to experimentand
adapted it to now.
Like the bands of the era
they honor, such as Cream or
the Grateful Dead, this band is
not afraid to go out on a ledge.
Some nights are better than
others, says Simo. There have
been a handful of nights where
it was really something else, but
every night has a moment
that is the nature of improvisational music.
PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013 89
premierguitar.com
Custom Audio Electronics founder Bob Bradshaw (center) with Michael Landau (left), Steve
Lukather (right), and the racks he set up for them
in the 90s. INSET: This 1982 sketch details the
first rig Bradshaw designed for Landau. Photo
by Glen LaFerman
GBU-300
GBA-300
Guitar-hook Thingy
GBX-302
GBX-302
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Practical Pedaling
Bob Bradshaws Advice
Pedals have come back from their initial popularity in the 80s, says effects systems
designer Bob Bradshaw. Theyre great because its a self-containing little thing,
he says. There are tons of people out there making all kinds of different things so
its wide open in terms of the choice you have in sounds. When he first started his
career in pedalboard engineering, there werent many rackmounted piecesthe
ones he worked with were studio pieces like Eventide Harmonizers, for example. I
remember the first time I saw a rackmounted Roland delay that Buzzy Feiten had
and I was like, Wow! Look at that, because it was like a space echo.
While rackmounted pedalboards are very common now with touring guitarists,
Bradshaws innovation with two-board systems uses a controller mounted on one
board and the pedals on another board rather than a rack tray, which Bradshaw
says is easier on pedals and allows for for better upkeep and transport than
rackmount trays.
Here he gives some general advice on what to consider when designing your
own pedal setup, from streamlining your board to your specific needs as a player.
Clean up
your signal.
Put your pedals into
some form of looping system, Bradshaw
advises. This is optimal
as long as the looping
system is well designed,
because not only is it
bypassing the pedal; it
is bypassing the cables
connecting the pedal.
Follow your
instincts.
Bradshaw has just
about seen it all in his
decades of switching
system routing, and
through this hes learned
that in the end, its all
about personal preference. Anything goes, it
doesnt matter, as long
as it works for you.
premierguitar.com
TONE
FIT
FOR A
QUEEN
NickelSteel.
Platinum-selling strings thatll
satisfy your tone obsession.
premierguitar.com
Gurewitz (far left) at one of Bad Religions first showsa University of Southern California frat
party held on November 20, 1980. Photo by Gary Leonard / Epitaph Records
In this pic from a March 5, 1981, gig at the Vex Club in East L.A., Gurewitz proselytizes with a
Les Paul plugged into a Music Man head. Photo by Gary Leonard / Epitaph Records
premierguitar.com
www.EastmanGuitars.com
Bad Religion cofounders Greg Graffin and Brett Gurewitz at the 2007 Warped Tour Pre-Party.
Photo courtesy of Epitaph Records
premierguitar.com
Record
Use the included DAW software on
your PC or Mac to build entire multiinstrument arrangements or mind
blowing patches. Explore an entire
library of tonal choices to help your
music stand apart.
Gurewitz works the mixing console while co-producing True North at producer Joe Barresis House of Compression. Photo courtesy of Epitaph Records
EASY FLANGER
WWW.GNIPEDALS.COM
premierguitar.com
-Mark Lee
photo: storyboardlifemusic.com
Left to right: Brooks Wackerman (drums), Gurewitz, Graffin, Jay Bentley (bass), and Brian Baker (guitars) at producer Joe Barresis House of Compression
studio on July 23, 2012. Photo courtesy of Epitaph Records
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+Fo
ot
MF Contro
C-1 ller
0
ALEX LIFESON
Rush
STEVE VAI
Solo Artist
JOHN PETRUCCI
Dream Theater
DWEEZIL ZAPPA
Zappa Plays Zappa
int
The introduction
of
the Ultra was akin to
the invention of the
wheel... The Axe-Fx II
is like having four
wheels and racing
into the abyss.
The Axe-Fx
II has
A
completely changed
the way I think about
guitar processing. It
does an incredible
number of things
astonishingly well.
STEVE STEVENS
Billy Idol
Atomic Playboys
GUTHRIE GOVAN
The Aristocrats, etc.
NEAL SCHON
Journey, Solo Artist
BRIAN NUTTER
Keith Urban
Awesome! Really
impressed with the
added dynamics of
version 7.0. Great
work! Id be lost without it in my studio.
The Axe-Fx
A
II is
simply the most
useful and exible
tone tool you could
ever have. Its like
its custom made for
every guitar player.
CHRIS TRAYNOR
Bush, Gavin Rossdale,
Helmet, Orange 9mm
BILLY HOWERDEL
A Perfect Circle,
Ashes Divide
PETE THORN
Chris Cornell
Melissa Etheridge
SHARON AGUILAR
Cee Lo Green, 2NE1
When it comes to
tone, I will not compromise. Axe-Fx II is
my big rig in a small
box. This thing is
seriously powerful.
The Axe
A FX is a
mainstay of my rig.
No matter how I use
it live or in the studio,
it always delivers
stunning results.
The Axe
A FX II is
simply unreal. It has
a ton of capabilities
that I never imagined could be found
in a single unit.
It totally rocks!
MISHA MANSOOR
Periphery
TOSIN ABASI
Animals As Leaders
DEVIN TOWNSEND
Devin Townsend Project
CHRIS BRODERICK
Megadeth
The Axe-Fx
II is way
A
beyond just amp
modeling or effects
processing! This is
is the new standard
for guitarists The
new must have.
A Fx II inspires
The Axe
me to create sounds
that transcend the
conventional guitar
amp. I consider it
another instrument,
and indispensable.
Unbeli
Unbelievable
on every
level! The exibility
is so great that every
player on earth could
have one and Id still
be able to have my
own unique tone.
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photo credits: fractalaudio.com/artist
In the past, you've often bought a new guitar leading into a new album cycle because
you view the instrument as a writing partner and motivational tool. What new gear
purchases did you make this time?
My new toy this year was a tobacco-burst
Fender Kurt Cobain Signature Jaguar. It
has a very full, complete sound like a Les
Paul, but it also has these crazy, ringing
overtones that are caused by the bridge
being much more springy than a standard
bridge thats entirely anchored to the body.
cables
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Those type of overtones are richly harmonic and complemented the tones
from the Les Pauls.
One of the guitars youve had for a
long time is the red, sticker-covered
super-strat. Whats the story about
that guitar and did it see some time on
True North?
Oh yeah, I call that one "the Red
Rocker. Thats a single-pickup Charvel
I bought in 89 while on tour in Boston
because mine had gotten stolen the
night before. I went into the nearest
music store and bought it. Over the
years, Ive just swapped things off it
out of necessity. The neck now is an
unfinished ESP maple neck with a
maple fretboard that has jumbo frets
because the old neck played like crap.
It went out of tune a lot, so I replaced
the stock tuners with some high-quality
Schaller tuning machines. I had the
tone knob circuitry disconnected, so the
signal path is even more direct from the
pickup to the ampI normally leave
tone knobs wide open, so it just made
sense on this one-pickup monster. And,
I also put in a Seymour Duncan JB in
the bridge position, which all my Les
Pauls have, too. Everything Ive done
to it ended up making it sound like a
brighter Les Paul.
The Red Rocker gets on every
album. It wasnt featured that much this
time around, but its been with me for
over 20 years, so its paid its dues and
deserves some studio time [laughs].
What do you like so much about the
Duncan JB versus other humbuckers?
I prefer the JB because of the smooth
midrange within the overdriven Marshall
sound I like, particularly in the low
mids around the 500600 Hz range.
Sometimes other humbuckersespecially
newer oneshave such high outputs that
you cant hear the gain stages of the amp
as much.
What amplifiers did you record with?
We pretty much exclusively used the
Marshall JCM800. Aside from the new
guitars, we deliberately tried to keep
most of the gear simplistic and reminiscent to our early days, so we just stuck
with what we know when it came to
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SHUBB
New for 2013...
Our most popular capo the standard C1 now sports
the design features of our deluxe models!
Besides the subtle phaser on the opening of The Past Is Dead, did you
use any effects this time around?
No, not really at allTrue North was
definitely a less-is-more record. The
only effects we used besides that small
phaser part were delay and reverb on the
background vocals.
When you're working in the studio,
is there anything you absolutely need
to have in terms of microphones, mic
preamps, or other gear?
I always use a Shure SM57 for guitars, and I put it right on the speaker,
pointed right at the [cone-paper's]
crease because I feel it gives a little more
woof that way. I always experiment, and
if I need something to ring out a little
more, Ill go off axis but still point it at
the cone. Ill also use another large-diaphragm condenser mic, like a Neumann
U87, on another speaker of the same
cabinet. Ill take my time to dial-in the
exact distances the mics are placed so
the phase coherence is as perfect as possible. But the majority of the guitars
you hear on Bad Religion records come
from the SM57. I just use a tiny bit of
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Contoured lever
is easier to use.
info@shubb.com www.shubb.com
707-843-4068
the condenser mic to add a little more wellrounded body to the sound. I exclusively
use Neve channel strips when tracking guitars, because you cant find a better or more
dynamic preamp or EQ.
My favorite mic preamp on vocals is the
Martech MSS-10its an old-school, solidstate, 1-channel pre with a high-quality
VU meter. Ive never found anything to
beat it, in terms of realistic vocal reproduction, in recording. Im not a big fan of the
new fad of tube mics that are trying to be
retrothey have too much built-in gain for
me. Id rather use a lower-gain mic matched
with the Martech to get vocals peaking near
distortionthats what those old records
and real rock n roll sound like to me. And
I always use my original Focusrite Red 3
compressor with the detented potsnothing beats it.
What's your favorite song off of True
North and why?
Id have to actually say the title track,
because its classic Bad Religionstraightahead punk-rock guitars, beautiful vocal
harmonies, and thought-provoking lyrics
that offer an uplifting message.
Hello Cruel World is almost four minutes
long and has a more subdued pace similar
to Sanity off No Control and Digital
Boy from Against the Grain. How did
that come about, given that you guys were
focused on a more up-tempo and retro writing strategy?
Even our fastest, most punk-rock albums
have always had a slower, longer songlike
Drastic Actions off our first EP, Bad
Religion. We were influenced by the Germs
song called Shut Down (Annihilation
Man), which is super, super slow. But
other than that, all their songs were hyperfast. We always looked up to them, so we
took a page out of their book and have
been doing it ever since. I dont think itd
be a true Bad Religion album without a
slower song that broke up the pace. So even
though we broke our own rule [of having
all short songs on the album] we kind of
still followed one of our other ideals.
Dharma and the Bomb has some great
verse riffage that sounds like a psychobilly song from Deadbolt or the Misfits'
Hollywood Babylon, while the calland-response "oh yeah vocals in the
112 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
GUITARS
Gibson Les Paul
Fender Kurt Cobain Signature Jaguar
Nash Guitars T-style
Late-80s Charvel with a maple ESP neck,
Seymour Duncan JB pickup,
and a Badass bridge
AMPS
Mid-80s Marshall JCM800 head
70s Marshall JMP head
Mesa Boogie 4x12 cabinet loaded
with Celestion Vintage 30s
EFFECTS
None
premierguitar.com
Pauls Guitar
mesa/boogie
CLICKHere
Tone-Burst,
Throttle Box,
Grid Slammer,
and Flux-Drive
BY Jordan Wagner
lot about pedal-based overdrive and distortion units since. Rather than trying to stuff
too much in a single unit, the company
has designed pedals that serve up specific
flavors of overdrive. But for all that focus,
they often excel at delivering tones beyond
the expected.
An Army of Four
Mesa built these pedals to withstand abuse.
Each one weighs in at nearly a pound and
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Tone-Burst
The Tone-Burst has the distinction of
being the most transparent-sounding
pedal in the bunch. Its remarkable just
how evenly it boosts clean tones whether
youre using single-coils or humbuckers.
The pedal puts an extra 20 dB of boost
at your toe tips, which yields plenty of
headroom for country fingerpicking,
arpeggiated chording, and aggressive
garage-rock rhythms. Most players will
immediately notice the pedals fidelity and relatively neutral color, and it
does little to mess with a guitars basic
voice save for some hot, borderingon-spiky overtones in the high end at
more extreme gain settings. Even then,
though, you can tune most of it out by
working with the pedals treble knob.
While the purpose of most boost
pedals is to add volume without adding much color, the Tone-Burst gives
you the ability to tailor the tone with
+12 dB of bass and trebleall without
the hiss or noise you tend to hear from
an EQ pedal you might use for the
same purpose. These controls come in
handy when youre tackling a potentially
unruly equation, like a Stratocaster
and a Twin Reverb. And though metal
players may think a boost/overdrive is
beneath them, if they give the ToneBurst a chance theyll find that its a
knockout for tightening up low end
to make fast riffing through high-gain
amps more taut and powerful. For
instance, when I set the Tone-Burst up
for neutral treble, a slight cut in the
bass, and moderately high volume, and
then ran it into a Mesa Dual Rectifier,
the Rec kicked out low-end that rivaled
Mesas Mark IV and V amps.
The Tone-Bursts gain control can
add a lot of warmth and fullness, too
it comes in handy when the boosted
tone is a little too raw. Twist it to 1
oclock and beyond, and itll add sustain without adding icepick-y overtones
to the pick attack. There isnt a ton of
overdrive on tapabout what youd find
in an Ibanez Tubescreamer or Boss SD-1
Super Overdrivebut theres more than
enough for gritty blues leads and classicrock riffing. Thankfully, its also very
responsive to picking dynamicscoaxing
a little more drive is as simple has hitting
the strings with more force.
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Mesa/Boogie Tone-Burst, $179 street, mesaboogie.com
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
Throttle Box
For heavier tones that run the gamut from
razor-edged leads to brain-rattling rhythms,
theres no better choice in this lineup than the
Throttle Box. The pedal features switchable
low- and high-gain modes, along with controls for gain, tone, volume, and midrange
cutthe latter serving up the sort of scooped
tones that put Mesa on the metal head map.
Additionally, theres a tiny switch inside that
functions as an EQ boost. Its a great feature
that we really wish was accessible externally so
it could be engaged on the fly.
Tested with a Les Paul Standard and a
Marshall JCM800, the Throttle Box dished
out an impressive array of low- to mid-gain
rock and blues tones in its lower gain mode.
Single notes have a very even midrange presence, and raising the mid cut knob to the
2 oclock range results in a thick, raucous
punch that you can use for Santana-inspired,
smooth-but-heavy lead work. Pulling mid
cut to about 9 oclock and digging into the
neck position of a Strat conjures tasty blues
tones with a fierce edge. Bringing up the
gain control doesnt really change the tones
overall EQ shape, eitherwhich is wonderful for players who simply want to add more
saturation without mucking up their signal.
The pedal cleans up really nicely when rolling down the guitars volume pot, too.
As youd expect, the pedals hi-gain mode
serves up plenty of the liquid grind that
players have come to expect from the house
of Mesa. The amount of gain on tap borders
on menacing, but output stays very focused,
even when using hotter, fatter-sounding
humbuckers. Hi-gain mode also makes the
Throttle Boxs controls very sensitive, with
even small changes to the mid cut and tone
knobs effecting drastic tonal shiftsfrom
classic, scooped Metallica tones to modern,
mid-heavy Southern metal or the super-tight
industrial grind of Meshuggah.
While the Throttle Box delivers Mesas
signature high gain tones like few other
stompboxes can, its obviously not going to
make your Strat-and-Twin setup sound like
a Les Paul and a Triple Rectifier. Its transparent enough that your tones will retain the
natural color of your amp, no matter how
hot you run the pedaland thats a really
cool thing: Its sweet to hear Mesa-style
richness combined with a Twins glassiness,
a JCM800s midrange bump, or the trademark tones of any other great-sounding amp
you might throw into the equation.
116 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
RATINGS
Mesa/Boogie Throttle Box, $199 street, mesaboogie.com
Pros:
Build/Design
Boost switch only accessible through battery
compartment. Can sound strident through amps with strong high end.
Value
Cons:
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Grid Slammer
With its volume, tone, and gain knobs,
the Grid Slammer overdrive is easily the
most intuitive of the seriesits a layout
anyone with a Tube Screamer will feel right
at home with. Just like Ibanezs classic, the
Grid Slammer has a strong midrange bump
that makes it ideal for low-gain blues, classic rock, and any situation where you can
use a little more presence. Unlike the little
green classic, you get a lot more focus in the
upper midrangewhich can help you really
cut through a crowded live mix.
The dynamic responsiveness of the Grid
Slammer is pronounced when playing simple blues progressions through single-coils
and a clean Fender amp. The pedal has a
very natural response to picking dynamics,
and you can ease up on picking intensity
without losing any crispness or sustain.
Volume-knob jockeys will rejoice at its ability to go from snarling to a quiet purr by
simply backing off the volume and letting
up on string attack and vice versa.
Though it doesnt serve up heaps of
gain for, say, the heaviest late-70s and 80s
rock, the Grid Slammer does move from
the brash tones of classic AC/DC to biggerthan-Texas blues-lead tones with ease. And
though it doesnt have a ton of gain on tap,
fans of heavier music shouldnt dismiss Grid
Slammer too hastily, because its a very powerful tool for giving your tone a much more
focused punch and tightening up high-gain
amps that are a little flabby in the low end.
Strong upper-mid focus is another one
of the Grid Slammers defining traits. If you
want it to, it can even be a very Britishsounding voice that could initially throw
Mesa fanatics for a loop. The Brit emphasis
becomes stronger as you turn up the gain
control, and with a little high-end roll off,
it starts to take on the muscular characteristics of a JTM45. But with its trademark Mesa crispness and clarity, the Grid
Slammer delivers an articulate-but-edgy,
Brit-meets-American tone that will intrigue
any rock-oriented tone hound.
RATINGS
Flux-Drive
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Mesa/Boogie Flux-Drive, $179 street, mesaboogie.com
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
teye guitars
r-series
la gitana
CLICKHere
BY David Abdo
Nordstrand Music
Man-style pickups
Mood knob
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RATINGS
Teye Electric Gypsy R-Series La Gitana, $4,400 street (as tested), teye-guitars.com
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
red,
white
and blue
savings.
PROU
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The all-American strings that sound better, last longer, and come in your
favorite colors, now cost less. Because when it comes to American
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stringsbyaurora.com
122 PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013
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TC Electronic
Flashback X4
BY Matthew Holliman
Four dedicated
TonePrint slots
CLICKHere
that aspect of the X4s performance at a premium. The upper leftmost knob switches
between twelve delay types (including 2290
with modulation, tube, and space settings),
plus an additional four TonePrint presets.
TonePrints can either be uploaded from the
TC Electronic website via USB, or via your
smart phone through your guitars pickups.
Yes, you can literally beam a TonePrint
to the Flashback X4 by placing the phone
speaker output to your pickup and transmitting the TonePrint data (assuming
Dedicated
40-second
looper
TC 2290
rack model
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
epiphone
1962 sheraton
E212T
CLICKHere
BY Charles Saufley
or most of planet Earth, double-cutaway, semi-hollow Epiphones will forever be synonymous with the Beatles. The
Fab Fours embrace of the P-90-equipped
Casino, which John and George conspicuously used on the bands 1966 tour (and
Lennon also used it in the Let It Be film),
cemented Epiphones semi-hollow legend
forever. But while the Casino may have
ridden Beatlemania to become the most
famous Epiphone, it was the offspring of
an even earlier semi-hollow, the Sheraton
conceived by Gibson in 1958 as an alternative to the companys new ES-335.
When you first lay eyes on the new
1962 Sheraton E212T, a 50th-anniversary
Frequensator
tailpiece
Mahogany neck
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Epiphone 1962 Sheraton E212T, $799 street, epiphone.com
Pros:
Grover 14:1
tuners
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Cons:
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
Strymon
mobius
BY Charles Saufley
CLICKHere
Assignable parameters
12 modulation
types
Tap temposwitch
200-preset
capability
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
roland
GA-112
CLICKHere
By Joe Charupakorn
Four presets
Master volume
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volume levels is the ticket to mid-gain classic rock or blues territory. And at this point,
I pressed the voice button, half expecting
an entirely different amp model. Instead, it
re-voices the EQ section, boosting the highs
and lows for a much bolder tone.
Engaging the boost button changes the
amps character more significantlytransforming the nature of the drive control in
a big way. With the boost on and the drive
around 9 oclock, I got just about the same
amount of gain as I did with the drive
maxed and the boost disengaged. Turning
the drive just slightly past the halfway
mark yielded a tight, controlled, high-gain
sound thats ideal for classic metal. And
when I cranked the drive, I got into hotrodded Marshall/Soldano SLO territory,
a setting that invited thrash chords and
blazing licks, and which truly surprised.
Ive never heard or felt a solid-state amp
that could pack quite this much punch on
its own.
Even with the amp raging, there was
still plenty of clarity. Playing complex and
harmonically detailed chord voicings found
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keep things as traditionally amp-like as possible. As a result, the amp feels familiar, highly
usable, and very navigable. Considering all the
self-contained-rig-type functionality, it's a bit
of a surprise that there's no built-in tuner. In
that small instance, at least, Roland may have
played it too safe.
Trying to walk the line between tradition and modeling flexibility does leave
the GA-112 with something of an identity
crisis at times. Its not a full-blown modeling amp as weve come to know them,
but it is much more than just a solid-state
amp. Once you really sit down and play
the GA-112, however, a lot of those questions go out the window. Most of the time,
RATINGS
Pros:
Wide range of great sounds. Auto-save and LEDequipped knobs make the amp very practical for live use.
Cons:
Tones
Versatility
Build/Design
Value
Singleman
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pigtronix
infinity looper
by Charles Saufley
MIDI input
CLICKHere
Nine presets
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
carvin
HH2 allan
holdsworth
BY Adam Perlmutter
CLICKHere
7.3k neck
humbucker and
the 8.6k bridge
humbucker
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RATINGS
Carvin HH2 Allan Holdsworth, $1,199 direct, carvinguitars.com
can be ordered. Perhaps due to the diminutive size of the guitar, the pickups share a
master volume and master tone control and
a metal 3-way mini selector switch specifically requested by Holdsworth. This switch
seems a bit fragile, and Id prefer to see a
full-sized component here.
I must confess that when I first removed
the HH2, just 31" long, from its undersized
hardshell case it felt like something was
missing. Even though headless designs have
been around forever, it can still strike you as
unusual. It also looks small, and the vintage
yellow metallic finish tends to highlight
some of the more unconventional aspects
of the design. The matte black hardware
may appeal to some but not others, and I
couldnt help but think how some chrome
touches might better complement the futuristic aesthetics. Luckily, at least for my tastes,
the guitar is available in translucent finishes
like honeyburst and cherry sunburst, which
would give the guitar a more respectable
look. Unfortunately, at this time, black is
the only option for the hardware.
While our review model of the HH2
looks anything but traditional, it boasts tiptop craftsmanship, which is the norm for
Carvin. The 24 frets are meticulously done,
cleanly seated and polished, and the ebony
fretboard has been sanded to silky smoothness. The finish is rubbed to a faultlessly
even gloss, and its entirely devoid of any
orange-peel effect, even in tricky areas like
the neck-to-body joint.
Fleet Machine
A player as seasoned and skilled as Allan
Holdsworth is probably pretty in tune with
what he wants from an instrument. And
indeed, the HH2 plays as well as its built,
and it feels built for playing above alla
real exercise in function over form. At just a
little over five pounds, its very comfortable
to play in standing position and feels wellbalanced despiteor perhaps because of
its lack of a headstock. Its very comfortable
premierguitar.com
Tones
Playability
to play seated as well (unusual for a headless), thanks to the Telecasterinspired silhouette. And no matter how you play, over
time the lack of headstock becomes a lot
less disorienting.
The neck on the HH2 feels full in hand,
and is capped by a flattish 20"-radius fretboard and 24 jumbo frets (different radii
and fretwire are available). Action is predictably low and feels zippy in all registers. This
is especially noticeable at the highest frets,
which are made considerably more negotiable by a low-profile neck heel. Altogether
the neck feels very fast, and its especially
accommodating of the legato phrasing for
which Holdsworth is celebrated.
Through a Fender Deluxe, the
Holdsworth displays a range of satisfying
tones. The warm neck pickup works particularly well for fingerpicking the complex
chord progressions Holdsworth favors, and
rolling the tone back summons a dark, but
clear timbre that makes this an excellent
jazz solidbody.
The bridge pickup is more aggressive,
but hardly without refinement, and it works
equally well for rootsy rhythm and singing
and cutting leads. It doesnt get strident at
higher volumes and sustains beautifully,
even at lower output levels. The pickups
are nicely balanced in relation to each other
too, which invites a lot more tone crafting
with the guitars controls.
The Verdict
Carvins HH2 Allan Holdsworth signature
model will doubtless prove ber-appealing
to Allan Holdsworth fans and players
without a bias against headless designs. But
with its tip-top build, smooth playability,
and wide tone profilenot to mention its
modest pricethe HH2 is good enough to
tempt those on the fence. Regardless of how
it looks, the HH2 does much to recommend this California company that, decades
on, is still quietly making killer boutique
guitars to order.
PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013 135
infinitely
ORGANIC.
strymon.net/mobius
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van amps
CLICKHere
sole-mate jr.
BY Alex Maiolo
Mix and
dwell controls
Separate,
mountable spring
reverb tank
RATINGS
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com
takamine
P3mc
BY Charles Saufley
CLICKHere
Mahogany back
and sides
Cedar top
Split-saddle bridge
with Palathetic pickup
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
FUZZHUGGER(fx)
POCKET ARCADE
by Matthew Holliman
CLICKHere
Turbo mode
Lo-glitch
octave down
RATINGS
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
premierguitar.com/pgperks
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vox
stomplab IIB
BY Jordan Wagner
Tiny Dancer
At only 8 1/2" wide and a hair shy of 5"
deep, the StompLab IIB takes up very little
real estate on the floor. At first glance, its
diminutive stature and fire-truck-red paint
give it the look of a small toy, but the metal
chassis, smooth pot movement, and solid,
weighty feel in the hands quickly alleviate any possible concerns about durability.
Powered by either a 9V power supply or four
AA batteries, the StompLab IIB is ready for
the studio or travel, though it is somewhat
limited with just a single 1/4" jack to handle
both mono and stereo headphones outputs.
Despite the limited output options,
the StompLabs tonal capabilities are quite
extensive. There are a total of 61 effect,
amplifier, and cabinet models to choose
from, each of which can be stored in one
of 20 user programs in any configuration
you can dream up (provided that your
dreams allow for a maximum of eight
effects at one time). Vox also includes 100
pre-programmed patches, which helps in
getting started with the pedal right out of
the box. Since the StompLabs LED readout
is only able to display two numbers or letters at a time, youll most likely be spending
some time referring to the manual until you
memorize the readouts that correspond to
each model.
premierguitar.com
CLICKHere
Onboard
expression
pedal
RATINGS
Pros:
Cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
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M
M
iPhone
premierguita
App Features:
Mobile
Mobile
ar.com/apps
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iOS users purchase subscriptions/issues within the Premier Guitar app. Android users purchase
subscriptions/issues at PremierGuitar.com/Android. Print subscribers enjoy free access to the
Premier Guitar app by signing in using the email they originallly used when purchasing their print subscription.
GEAR
New Products
Amptweaker Bass TightFuzz
Inspired by the TightFuzz, the Bass TightFuzz
offers extended lower range of the tight and tone
controls, and special input circuitry allowing active effects and pickups to be used in front.
Street $180
amptweaker.com
Walden Guitars
B-1E Baritone
Acoustic Guitar
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new products
New Products
(Contd)
Orange Amplification
OR100 Head
Drawing on the Pics Only amp
launched in 1972, this new 2-channel
OR100H features four-ECC83/12AX7,
one-ECC81/12AT7, four-EL34 tubes,
plus output power that can be scaled
between 100, 70, 50, and 30 watts.
MSRP $2,199
orangeamps.com
MOD Kits
DIY Verb Deluxe
Using the Belton Digi-Log
Mini Module, the Verb Deluxe
ranges from a hint of reverb to
cavernous echoes complete
with step-by-step instructions
(requires point-to-point wiring).
Direct $79.95
modkitsdiy.com
JHS Pedals
SuperBolt Overdrive
This true-bypass analog overdrive
is heavily inspired by the Valco/Supro amplifiers produced between
the 30s60s with three simple
controlsvolume, tone, and drive.
MSRP $199
jhspedals.com
Gretsch G7593T
Billy Duffy Falcon
Gretschs latest signature model has a 17"
wide, 2.75" deep single-cutaway, threeply maple body with a three-ply maple
arched top, a three-piece maple neck with
ebony fretboard, and custom Black Top
FilterTron pickups.
MSRP $5,050
gretschguitars.com
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CARRAMPS.COM 919.545.0747
premierguitar.com
www.empresseects.com
PREMIERGUITAR MARCH 2013 149
Zeal Guitars
W
Concrete II
Cupido
Hydra
The understated Hydra is sure to please guitarists who also have an appreciation for minimalist
design. The Hydras Honduras mahogany body
is topped with maple and finished in eggshell
white, while the bubinga neck is capped with
an ebony fretboard. Ebony is also utilized for
the frame surrounding the Hydras RVH Big
Humbucker pickup. For hardware, the Hydra
is equipped with Schaller M6 tuners, six ABM
single bridges, and Schaller strap locks.
By Rich Osweiler
premierguitar.com
zeal-guitars.com
Mercury
Killerbass
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1968 Marshall
50-Watt JMP and 4x12
By Chris Kies
actually labored and constructed this specific plexi. According to Sinigalliano, this
particular Marshall model was an original
designa departure from the companys
first Fender Bassman-based amplifiers.
Some of the long-lasting design shifts away
from Marshalls original recipe were the use
of EL34 power tubes, a solid-state rectifier
tube for more gain, and two separate channelsbright and normal. Guitarists such
as Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and countless others would eventually blend the two
channels to get some of the most iconic
guitar tones of all time.
This particular plexi has Mullard
EL34s, Mullard 12AX7s in the input,
Amperex Bugle Boy and Mini Watt
ECC83s, says Sinigalliano. All these tubes
Gryphons
2Astounding
&
a
Terz
new sounds under the sun!
Gryphon
12
Terz
12
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nordstrand pickups
909-790-2548
Chicagos Destination
For The Finest Guitars and Amps
Gibson
Fender
Paul Reed Smith
New Orleans
Don Grosh
Warwick
Martin
Taylor
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INTRODUCING
The
OLINTO BASS
Totally handcrafted by Master Luthier
Mas Hino
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Hosa Technology
Mad Professor
Joe Bonamassa
Yep, the man has another band actually a couple of
them. One is the jazz-funk outfit Rock Candy Funk Party,
which just released an instrumental effort called We Want
Groove. But Joe discusses a bigger projectgoing somewhere hes never gone beforewith the unveiling of An
Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House, an DVD/CD
filmed during a two-week acoustic tour in Europe where
he performed with a group of eclectic virtuosos.
Dave Kilminster
Sideman to the stars Dave Kilminster tells us about his
raucous new album, ScarletThe Directors Cut, his
thoughts on stepping out on his own, and what it takes to
cop Gilmours tones when Roger Waters comes knocking.
Gear Reviews
Our April reviews offer something for every type of player.
Were checking out the Anderson MadCat and an Island
Instruments solidbody, as well as a fretless Waterstone
Meaden bass. Well experiment with an array of effects,
including (but not limited to) the Sonuus Wahoo, Loud
Button WTF, and the Reuss Rowland S. Howard.
Icarus Boost
February 20-26
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DOZENS OF
COOL
SOUNDS!
MARK TREMONTI (ALTER BRIDGE/CREED/SOLO):
THE ROOK SOUNDS AMAZING! IT REALLY HELPS ME
GET THE SMOOTH, FAT LEAD TONE IVE BEEN
SEARCHING FOR.
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Go ahead baby.
Stick it in.
(But leave the battery out)
The battery-free,
on-board overdrive!
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Baby Blues
Overdrive /
Clean Boost
The ZT Junior is
the smallest amp in the world
that demands to be taken
seriously.
ZT
Last Call
Has anyone tracked more mind-blowing, finger-crippling solos than Brent Mason? Photo by Ariel Ellis
that lots of time has passed. A natural adrenaline rush caused by a nerve-racking riff played
under pressure has the same time-stretching
effect. It almost sounds like a physics puzzle or
the equivalent of traveling through a wormhole, but the rush to my system slowed down
time, which actually gave me enough room
to rush the fast lick. When I practiced the riff
under calming circumstances, time moved at its
normal rate and I could not fit it all in. Crazy,
right? So if nerves negatively influence time
perception and performance, whats a musician
all jacked up on adrenaline to do?
I recently read two different articles about
classical musicians taking beta-blockers to
battle performance anxiety. Doctors usually
prescribe beta-blockers to treat high blood
pressure, but they work equally well for highstrung musicians because they block receptors
that tell your body to kick into fight-or-flight
mode while under pressure. Less highfalutin
musicians playing popular music often try to
achieve the same affect by self-medicating with
a pre-gig shot of Jack Daniels.
Ive found a semi-effective alternative. Im
not one to fall for any new-agey nonsense. I
dont keep my bread under a pyramid, I dont
put magnets in my shoes, I dont attempt to
unleash the power of crystals, but I have taken
a few yoga classes to decelerate my bodys
decline. I started yoga for the cardio workout,
but unexpectedly gleaned something thats
helped my playing a bit. Now when I feel
John Bohlinger is a Nashville multi-instrumentalist best known for his work in television. He led the band for all six seasons of
NBCs hit program Nashville Star, the 2012,
2011, 2010, and 2009 CMT Music Awards,
as well as many specials for GAC, PBS,
CMT, USA, and HDTV.
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