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GUITAR & BASS MAG May 2013_Layout 1 copy 1 13/05/2013 19:49 Page 1

PROMENADE MUSIC

01524 410 202

www.promenademusic.co.uk

Electric Guitars

Electric Guitars

Acoustic & Electro Acoustics

Bass Guitars

8030 - 1963 Gibson ES175 Jazz Guitar, Sunburst

10067 - Brian May Bass in Cherry with Gig Bag
10066 - Brian May Red Special, Antique Cherry
10055 - Brian May Red Special, Metal May
7028 - Brian May Red Special, Antique Cherry
10065 - Brian May Red Special, Baby Blue
10061 - Brian May Red Special, Black
10063 - Brian May Red Special, Gold
10064 - Brian May Red Special, Green
10059 - Brian May Red Special, Honey Sunburst
10058 - Brian May Red Special, Natural
10057 - Brian May Red Special, Sunburst
10062 - Brian May Red Special, White
10060 - Brian May Red Special, Windermere Blue
10069 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Black
10068 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Cherry
10071 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Red
10070 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Sunburst
10231 - Brooks Custom Steve, Lukather Clone
9767 - Cort G260 Electric Guitar
10224 - Cort M600 AVD Antique Violin Dark
10220 - Cort Sunset I in Black
10223 - Cort X6 S-M BK Electric Guitar in Black
7793 - DBZ Barchetta Eminent FR Absinthe
7785 - DBZ Barchetta ST, Aubergine
7789 - DBZ Barchetta ST FR, Cobalt Blue
7814 - DBZ Crucifixion Electric Guitar
7810 - DBZ Dark Angel Electric Guitar
7812 - DBZ Bare Bones Religion Series Devil
7811 - DBZ Bare Bones Religion Series Preacher
7800 - DBZ Bolero AB, Solid Wine Red
7796 - DBZ Bolero FM, Trans Wine
7794 - DBZ Bolero ST, Black
7837 - DBZ Venom, Dark Blue Metallic
9770 - Dean Evo, Pre-Owned
5043 - Duesenberg 49er Cow Limited Edition
5040 - Duesenberg Rocket II in Black & White
10233 - ESP LTD MH50, Black, Pre-Owned
9769 - Encore Electric Guitar, Black
5205 - Epiphone Broadway Jazz Semi, Natural
8220 - Epiphone ES339 Semi Hollowbody, Ebony
9155 - Epiphone ES339, Natural
8528 - Epiphone ES339 Ultra, Vintage Sunburst
5432 - Epiphone G310 SG Shape, White
9631 - Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II, Natural
9695 - Epiphone Les Paul Special II Cherryburst
9905 - Epiphone LP Stan Plustop Pro, Cherry S/B
10351 - Epiphone LP Stand. Plustop Pro, Wine Red
8365 - Epiphone Les Paul Standard in Gold
10352 - Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Ebony
10217 - Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Sunburst, S/H
9604 - Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III Alpine White
8096 - Epiphone Ltd Ed Flying V, Antique White
8165 - Epiphone Ltd Ed 1961 SG, Alpine White
9666 - Epiphone Phrophecy LP Custom Plus GX
8101 - Epiphone by Gibson, Pre-Owned
4231 - Fender Am Special Strat, Candy Apple Red
9074 - Fender American Special Strat, Sunburst
9914 - Fender Am. Special Tele, Vintage Blonde
9348 - Fender American Stan. Hand Stained Strat
10199 - Fender Am Stand. Strat LH, Sburst
9910 - Fender Am Standard Strat, Mystic Blue
8342 - Fender Am Standard Strat, Sienna Sburst
9134 - Fender American Stratocaster Daphne Blue
9023 - Fender American Vintage '70s Strat Reissue, Nat
9287 - Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH, Black
10072 - Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster, Blonde
9261 - Fender C. Player Jaguar Spec HH, White
9559 - Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Strat, GR
7112 - Fender Deluxe Lonestar Strat, Sunburst
10163 - Fender FSR 72 Telecaster Deluxe, Aqua Flake
10198 - Fender FSR Am Stan. Strat, LH, Sunburst
9085 - Fender FSR Strat HSS TBX Amber Burst
10218 - Fender Japanese Strat, CAR, Pre-Owned
4634 - Fender Jim Root Signature Strat, Black
9775 - Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar, Metallic KO
10164 - Fender Kurt Cobain Mustang, Sonic Blue
8113 - Fender Modern Player Available To Order
9945 - Fender Modern Player Strat HSS, O. White
8224 - Fender Modern Player Telecaster, Honey Burst
8286 - Fender Modern Player Tele Thinline Delux
7784 - Fender Mustang Pawn Shop Special, Red
9089 - Fender Pawn Shop 51 Stratocaster, Black
9090 - Fender Pawn Shop 51 Stratocaster, Blonde
10149 - Fender Pink Paisley Telecaster, Used
5287 - Fender Road Worn 50s Strat in Black
8290 - Fender Road Worn 60's Strat, Sunburst
4229 - Fender Road Worn Player Strat, Sunburst
4232 - Fender Road Worn Player Tele, Black
9449 - Fender Select Tele USA Violin Burst
10101 - Fender Standard Strat, CAR, Secondhand
7954 - Fender Standard Strat, Copper Met Burst
4560 - Fender Standard Telecaster, Black
4748 - Fender Standard Tele, Brown Sunburst
10090 - Fender Telebration Mahogany Tele, Sburst
9911 - Fender USA 75 Telebration, Natural
9507 - Fender USA Hardtail Stratocaster 1977
8285 - Fret King Jerry Donahue, Natural
9137 - G&LASAT Classic Bluesboy Semi, Natural
9140 - G&LASAT Classic in Walnut
9136 - G&L Legacy in Black
9135 - G&L S500 in Blueburst
9150 - Gibson ES137 Custom, Triburst
8029 - Gibson ES175 1956 Original
9277 - Gibson ES330 VOS, Vintage Sunburst
10146 - Gibson ES335 Dot Plain Gloss, Sunburst

10273 - Gibson ES339 Antique Sunburst

9840 - Gibson Lee Roy Parnell Goldtop
8376 - Gibson Les Paul Classic 60s Trans Ebony
5317 - Gibson Les Paul Custom in Alpine White
7919 - Gibson Les Paul Custom in Wine Red
10197 - Gibson Les Paul Signature T, Trans Ebony
9444 - Gibson Les Paul Standard 2012 Goldtop
10116 - Gibson Les Paul Std 2013 Prem. Tea Burst
10117 - Gibson Les Paul Std 2013 Premi. Trans Amber
10144 - Gibson LP St Premium Plus, Desert Burst
10322 - Gibson Les Paul Stand., Heritage Cherry
9341 - Gibson Les Paul Studio, Radiant Red
5090 - Gibson Les Paul Studio Lefty, Wine Red
9557 - Gibson Les Paul Studio, Vintage Sunburst
10281 - Gibson Les Paul Trad., Caramel Burst
8202 - Gibson Nighthawk. Pelham Blue
5594 - Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar in White
10350 - Gibson SG Special Faded Cherry
10268 - Gretsch G5422TDCG Hollow Body ,White
9771 - Ibanez S470DXQM
9764 - Italia Electric Guitar, Pre-Owned
9161 - Jackson RR5 Japanese Ivory Pinstripe
4992 - Jackson JS30 Randy Rhoads, Black
4150 - Jackson SL3MG Soloist, Natural
9669 - Jackson Super Light Soloist SLSXMG GMG
0000 - Levin - 7 models in stock now
8051 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Black
8052 - Lodestone Electric Artist in Sunburst
8048 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Honey
8049 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Red
8059 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Chignal Blue
8065 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Rodings White
8058 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Tobacco Sburst
8066 - Lodestone Electric Pro S in Waltham Black
8055 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Chignal Blue
8056 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Rodings White
8053 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Roxwell Red
8057 - Lodestone Electric Pro, St James Silver
8054 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Tobacco Sunburst
8072 - Lodestone Electric Standard S, T. Sburst
8070 - Lodestone Electric Standard Trans Black
8071 - Lodestone Electric Standard S, White
8069 - Lodestone Electric Standard in White
8085 - Lodestone Pulse in Burr Maple Honeyburst
8086 - Lodestone Pulse, Matt Black
8084 - Lodestone Pulse in Metallic Gold
8087 - Lodestone Pulse, Tobacco Sunburst
7091 - MusicMan Luke HSS, Pearl Blue
4720 - MusicMan Silhouette Special, Candy Red
0000 - PRS - 12 Models in stock now
6123 - Patrick Eggle Double Cutaway in Blue
6121 - Patrick Eggle RSG Electric Guitar, Amber
9478 - Peavey AT200 Antares AutoTune Guitar
9450 - Peavey EVH Wolfgang USA-Made Goldtop
9001 - Peavey Rockmaster Captain America
9300 - Peerless Martin Taylor Virtuoso
4268 - Rickenbacker 330 12 String Semi, Jetglo
6951 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Fireglo
6952 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Jetglo
4270 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Mapleglo
10165 - Road Worn Player Tele, Candy Apple Red
8992 - Roland G5 Strat COSM Technology Black
8993 - Roland G5 Strat COSM Technology Sunburst
9857 - Roland G5A Strat Candy Apple Red
8990 - Roland GC1 Black GK-Ready Stratocaster
8991 - Roland GC1 Sunburst GK-Ready Strat
0000 - Squier - 6 models in stock now
0000 - Stagg - 3 models in stock now
9273 - Steinberger Spirit GT Pro
10131 - Traveller Speedster, Blue, Pre-Owned
9079 - Ventures VM100SB Bob Bogle Sig, Sunburst
9078 - Ventures VM65MBL Electric Guitar, Blue
4256 - Vintage AV2, Sunburst
9420 - Vox Apache I
9652 - Warwick Electric Guitar Accessory Pack
6982 - WashburnUSADD70MayaDanDonegan,Grey
4757 - Washburn N1 Vintage Nuno Bettencourt Nat
7074 - Washburn SI61 Obey Scott Ian Sig, Black
6991 - Washburn USA Custom WI556, Metallic Red
6997 - Washburn V200 ProE in Black
7005 - Washburn WI100, Gunmetal Grey
7002 - Washburn WI100, Red
7009 - Washburn WI15 Idol Standard ,Black
8412 - Washburn WI18 Idol Quilted Trans Black
8411 - Washburn WI18 Idol Quilted Trans Red
7356 - Washburn WI420KB Idol, Black
8409 - Washburn WI-440F Idol Elect Flame Honey
8408 - Washburn WI-440F Idol Tobacco Sunburst
8406 - Washburn WI-460E Idol Electric, Black
8405 - Washburn WI-460E Idol Electric in White
6988 - Washburn WI50 in Black
6989 - Washburn WI50 Pro-E, Black
8404 - Washburn WI-63 SF Donegan Sig, Black
6995 - Washburn WV40VASIK Scott Ian Blood Splat
6996 - Washburn WV66ANC, Nick Catanese, Black
6898 - Washburn Wi14 Idol in Metallic Blue
6899 - Washburn Wi14 Idol in Wine Red
8230 - Washburn X10 Bass Guitar, Black
6895 - Washburn X100 in Metallic Grey
6900 - Washburn X200 Pro in Trans Black
6425 - Westcoast ST Junior in Black & Sunburst
6449 - Westcoast ST1 in Ivory, Red & Natural
8416 - Yamaha Pacifica 012 in Red Metallic
8414 - Yamaha Pacifica 012, Dark Blue Metallic
10234 - Yamaha Pacifica 012 in Black
8121 - Yamaha Pacifica 311H, Vintage White
8184 - Yamaha Pacifica 510V , Candy Apple Red
10319 - Yamaha Pacifica 611 VHFM
8124 - Yamaha Pacifica 611 Root Beer

8033 - Breedlove AD25/SM

8035 - Breedlove AJ250/SF Plus Electro Acoustic
10296 - Breedlove Atlas Solo Series C350/CR
10284 - Breedlove Cascade C25/CRE Electro
10285 - Breedlove Cascade OM/CRe S Cutaway
10287 - Breedlove Passport C250/COe Electro
10288 - Breedlove Passport D/MMe Electro
10289 - Breedlove Passport D250SMe Electro
10299 - Breedlove Passport PLUS D/CME Electro
10292 - Breedlove Passport Plus C250/SBe Elect
7979 - Breedlove Passport Plus C250SFE
4282 - Breedlove Passport + D/SFE Elec Sunburst
10301 - Breedlove Passport Plus D250/SB Electro
10300 - Breedlove Passport Plus OM/CMe HH
10294 - Breedlove Retro D/ERe with LR Baggs
10295 - Breedlove Retro OM/ER Orchestra Electro
10298 - Breedlove Revival OM/SMe Top Burst
4283 - Breedlove Solo C35/Sme Electro, Natural
10069 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Black
10068 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Cherry
10071 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Red
10070 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Sunburst
10219 - Cort NDX50 Electro Acoustic Guitar, Nat
10221 - Cort SFX-E NS Electro, Natural Satin
10125 - DRL 008 8 String Electro Acoustic Guitar
10124 - DRL CT09 Thinline Electro Acoustic
4769 - EKO Ranger EQ Vintage Series, Black
8905 - Eko Ranger Vintage 12 String w/Fishman
9206 - Epiphone EJ200CE, Natural
5157 - Epiphone EJ200CE Jumbo Vintage SunB.
9542 - Faith FMETB Mercury Electro Parlour
9104 - Faith Saturn Cutaway High Gloss FSCEHG
8300 - Faith FECS Electro Acoustic Guitar
10320 - Fender CD60CE Mahogany
7881 - Fender Kingman SCE, Dreadnought, Nat
6929 - Fender Stratacoustic, Electro, Black
10194 - Fender T-Bucket 300CE, Amber
6930 - Fender Telecoustic, Electro, Black
10243 - Fender Tim Armstrong Deluxe
10106 - Fylde Alchemist Electro Acoustic
7867 - Gibson J200 Standard Electro in Natural
7032 - Gibson J200 Standard Jumbo Guitar
8241 - Gibson J200 Studio, Vintage Sunburst
10150 - Gibson J35 Electro Acoustic Guitar, Nat
10143 - Gibson LG2 American Eagle
10147 - Gibson SJ100 Modern Classic V.Sunburst
8091 - Jimmy Moon 0003CE Electro Acoustic
4555 - Jimmy Moon Bryan Adams Signature
4554 - Jimmy Moon PF0003 Electro, Pau Ferro
6948 - Jimmy Moon RD3, Electro, Natural
9552 - LAG T300AE Electro Acoustic Guitar
7302 - LAG T66ACE Auditorium Cutaway Electro
7972 - LAG T200ACE Auditorium Cutaway Electric
5403 - Levin LD60CE, Dreadnought Electro, Nat
9243 - James Neligan NA72CBB Electro Acoustic
0000 - Levin - 5 models in stock now
8277 - Martin DC15ME Dreadnought Cutaway
6404 - Northwood R70 00 14fret Electro, Natural
4400 - Northwood R80, 000V Electro, Natural
6403 - Northwood R80, 0M Electro, Natural
9841 - Ovation Adamas 1581-7 Electro Acoustic
5093 - Ovation CDX24 Electro Acoustic in Natural
10033 - Ovation Celebrity CC44S AB, Autumn
10031 - Ovation Pro Elite 2078AX
10032 - Ovation Pro Elite TX 1868TX Super
10151 - Ovation Pro Speciality 1773AX-4 Natural,
9299 - Peerless Martin Taylor Maestro
10095 - RainSong BI-JM1000N2 Graphite Guitar
10094 - Rainsong S-DR1000 Graphite Guitar
10038 - Rainsong S-DR1000 Graphite Guitar
9820 - Rainsong CO-DR1000N2
9821 - Rainsong CO-JM1000N2
9819 - Rainsong CO-OM1000N2
9818 - Rainsong CO-WS1000N2
9814 - Rainsong DR1000 Graphite Guitar
10097 - Rainsong H-DR1100N2
10100 - Rainsong H-OM1000N2
10098 - Rainsong H-WS1000N2
9815 - Rainsong JM1000 Graphite Guitar
4812 - RainSong OM1000
10082 - RainSong P12 Parlor
10084 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Blue
10086 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Green
10085 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Pewter
10087 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Red
10088 - RainSong P14 Parlor
10091 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Blue
10092 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Green
10093 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Pewter
10089 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Red
9824 - Rainsong S-DR1000N2 Dreadnought Std
9823 - Rainsong S-OM1000N2 OM Studio Electro
9822 - Rainsong S-WS1000N2 WS Studio Electro
9827 - RainSong SG Shorty Gloss Shorty Series
9828 - RainSong Shorty Fine Texture SFT Model
7974 - Rainsong WS1000 Graphite Guitar
5257 - Satori YD18EQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat
5256 - Satori YD28EQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat
5252 - Satori YD28HEQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat
8234 - Satori YD42EQ Electro Acoustic
5255 - Satori YO28HEQ, OM Electro, Natural
9536 - Sigma 000MC 15E Electro Acoustic Guitar
10303 - Takamine EG340SC, Pre-Owned
0000 - Tanglewood - 17 models in stock now
10118 - Terry Pack PLSR Parlour w/Pre-Amp
9615 - Terry Pack SJRS Small Jumbo LR Baggs M1A
8007 - Vintage Gordon Giltrap Signature
9561 - Vintage VEC1400 Electro Acoustic
9535 - Walden CG570CE Electro Acoustic Guitar
8307 - Westcoast SW201BK -VT Acoustic Guitar
8305 - Westcoast SW201RDS VT Electro Acoustic
8306 - Westcoast SW201VT Acoustic Guitar
6960 - Yamaha CPX500 Electro in Red
9190 - Yamaha CPX700 Electro Dusk Sun Red
8020 - Yamaha CPX700, Tinted Finish
9191 - Yamaha FGX730SC Electro Acoustic, Nat.
9192 - Yamaha FJX730SC Electro Acoustic, Black
6965 - Yamaha FX370C Electro Acoustic in Nat.
8141 - Yamaha SLG110S Silent Steel String

8687 - Breedlove Passport Plus B350/CB4

10297 - Breedlove Solo BJ350/CMe4 Fretless Bass
10067 - Brian May Bass in Cherry with Gig Bag
4910 - Bridge Cetus Electric Double Bass
10108 - Cort A4 4 String Bass Guitar, Natural
10107 - Cort A4 Custom Z 4 String Bass Guitar
10109 - Cort A5 5 String Bass, Open Pore Natural
10105 - Cort A5 OPBC Bass Guitar
10110 - Cort B5 5 String Bass Guitar, OPN
10213 - Cort GB75WBL 5 String Bass, White Blonde
10242 - ESP LTD B204 SM, Natural, Pre-Owned
4882 - Fender USA 62 Vintage Precision Sunburst
10166 - Fender 75 Jazz Bass in Natural
9083 - Fender Am Special Jazz Bass, Sunburst
9353 - Fender Am St Hand Stained Ash Jazz Bass
9231 - Fender Am Standard Jazz Bass, Sunburst
7943 - Fender Am Stan Precision Bass, Sunburst
9727 - Fender FSR Precision, Sea Foam Metallic
8113 - Fender Modern Player Available To Order
9367 - Fender Select Jazz Bass, Amber Burst
9284 - Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Arctic White
8287 - Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Brown S.burst
9909 - Fender Standard P Bass, Lake Placid Blue
10113 - G & L M2000 4 String Bass Guitar, Honeyburst
10112 - G & L M2500 5 String Bass, Honeyburst
9703 - G & L Tribute Series JB2, Natural
9138 - G&L L2000 Tribute Bass, 3-Tone Sunburst
9702 - G&L L2500 5 String Bass, Walnut
9593 - Gibson Firebird Studio Reverse 70s Bass
9575 - Gibson Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Honeyburst
10074 - Gretsch G6073 Electrotone Bass, Burgundy
0000 - Levin - 7 models in stock now
8073 - Lodestone Primal Artist
8075 - Lodestone Primal Instinct J Bass, Green
8079 - Lodestone Primal Instinct P Bass, Green
8080 - Lodestone Primal Instinct Pbass Sunburst
8081 - Lodestone Primal Pro in Chignal Blue
8082 - Lodestone Primal Pro 4, Tobacco Sunburst
8174 - Lodestone Primal Pro 5, Chignal Blue
4179 - Marleaux Consat Custom 5, Satin Black
10279 - Marleaux Consat Sig 4 String Bolt On
5713 - Marleaux M Bass Custom 5, Maple & Walnut
10278 - Marleaux Votan XS Deluxe, Black
10216 - MusicMan Sterling 4, Blue, Pre-Owned
4703 - MusicMan Stingray 2EQ, Blue Pearl
4781 - MusicMan Stingray 3EQ, True Gold
4920 - MusicMan Stingray 5, Black
8997 - Musicman Sterling SB14 Bass, Sunburst
5110 - NS Design NXT Electric Double Bass
9002 - Overwater Aspiration Deluxe Bass, Black
8435 - Overwater Aspiration Std 4, Black Cherry
7849 - Overwater Contemporary Jazz, Trans Blue
9009 - Overwater Contemporary 5-String Bass
9867 - Overwater Inspiration Jazz PJ 4 String
10102 - Overwater J Series Deluxe 4, Natural
7259 - Overwater Perception Std 5, Bubinga
10152 - Overwater Progress Deluxe, Pre-Owned
9418 - Rickenbacker Bass, Jetglo Rick Kemp
5121 - Rockbass Streamer LX5, Black
7204 - Squier Classic Vibe Precision 50s Blonde
9072 - Squier Vintage Modified 70's Jazz, Nat
9517 - Squier Vintage Modified Tele Bass, Black
9704 - Stagg BC300 Lefthanded 4 String, Nat
4417 - Steinberger Spirit XT2 4 String Bass
9428 - Tobias Toby Standard IV Bass Guitar, White
9653 - Warwick Bass Guitar Accessory Gig Pack
6447 - Westcoast BG2, Natural or Trans Red
6446 - Westcoast BG4 Neck Thru Body, Brown
6445 - Westcoast BG5 Fretless, Natural
6448 - Westcoast JB5, Trans Amber
8438 - Westcoast JP1 4 String Bass in Black
8437 - Westcoast JP1 4 String Bass in Trans Red
10120 - Yamaha BB1024X 4 String, Caramel Brown
4649 - Yamaha BB2024X, Vintage White
9350 - Yamaha BB424 Bass Guitar in Black
9351 - Yamaha BB425 5 String Bass Guitar, Black
9352 - Yamaha BB425 5 String Bass, Sunburst
9000 - Yamaha RBX170
10314 - Yamaha RBX170EW Bass
8999 - Yamaha RBX5A2 5 String Bass, Black
6360 - Yamaha SLB200 Silent Double Bass
4331 - Yamaha TRB1004J, Trans Black
10307 - Yamaha TRBX304 Bass
10308 - Yamaha TRBX305 Bass
10310 - Yamaha TRBX505 Bass

Classical Guitars

0000 - Azahar - 6 models in stock now

10290 - Breedlove Passport N250/COe Electro
7365 - Jose Ferrer 3/4 Size Classical Guitar
0000 - Mendieta - 6 models in stock now
9482 - Ovation 1616 Classical Guitar, Pre-Owned
0000- Raimundo - 4 models in stock now
0000 - Ramirez - 10 models in stock now
5828 - Roberto - 3 models in stock now
5481 - Strunal Electro Classical Guitar
9404 - Takamine G344RC Electro, Wine Red
0000 - Tanglewood - 4 models in stock now
8351 - Westcoast - 5 models in stock now
10323 - Yamaha CGX102 Guitar
10321 - Yamaha NTX700 Guitar

For full guitar details, pricing and photos, enter the number next to each guitar model into our SKU search facility on the website.

EDITORS LETTER Welcome

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Now thats some

Goode livin
A true rocknroll outlaw, Chuck Berry has always
been his own man. Our cover story delves deep into
the achievements of one of the most innovative
rocknroll performers weve ever had the joy to
witness, and credits him with shaping the course
of rock. Listen back to some classic Chuck cuts,
celebrate their majesty, and it quickly becomes
obvious how the man really did lay down the
blueprint for much of the music worth listening to
for the past few decades.
Our reviews section this issue includes newies
from Gibson, Yamaha and Sandberg, as well as a tape-style echo unit roundup
that could add a new dimension to your playing and sound. Top Topham
and Harry Manx are among the wise players brave enough to face the G&B
interview inquisition and both pass with flying colours. Add in some liberal
dashes of vintage features and workshops and we hope its more than enough
to sustain you during these summer months. Enjoy the issue

ART DIRECTOR Jenny Cook

Jenny.Cook@anthem-publishing.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Simon Lewis
Simon.Lewis@anthem-publishing.com
MARKETING ASSISTANT Anna Wilkie
Anna.Wilkie@anthem-publishing.com
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Anthem was established in 2003 and publishes Music Tech
Magazine, Music Tech Focus, Guitar Tech and Video Focus.
www.anthem-publishing.com

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 5

SEPTEMBER 2013 Vol 24 No 12

COV

TO
ER S

RY

MR ROCK'NROLL

18

He had the strut, he had

the licks, he had the songs,
and he had rebel spirit in
abundance; Chuck Berry was
the full explosive package

Interviews
Gary Clark Jr

26

His unique fuzzed-up blues, rock and soul is

earning the Texan some famous fans

Marcus Bonfanti

26

GARY CLARK JR
Southern fuzz

32

With a Blues Award under his belt, rising star

Bonfanti has turned things up for his latest

Top Topham

36

Topham quit his position as lead man in the

Yardbirds and made way for Eric Clapton

Harry Manx

40

Few players have forged their own path like

multi-instrumental slide stylist Harry Manx

Workshops
Drills For Thrills

105

Warm up your vocal chords and fine-tune your

ears for scales and intervals

Neck Workshop

106

The devils in the details when it comes to

guitar necks. We investigate one of the most
vital aspects of the trade

Regulars

Photo: Judy Totton

READERS LETTERS 8 NEWS 10 ALBUM REVIEWS 16 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 1O2

6 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

IN THIS ISSUE Contents

Cover photo: Chuck Berry courtesy of
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Cover Photo:

46

Gear

GIBSON
Stripped-down power

Gibson SGJ

46

DiVill By Italia F100 & M100

50

Blackstar HT Stage 60
& Artisan 15

56

Tape Echo Pedals

62

Yamaha APX500II

72

Tanglewood TWJF & TWJP

76

Kay Pro Electric Bass

80

Gibsons latest SG offers the same striking look

and aggressive rock tone we love but all for a
very attractive price indeed

Italia have taken their quirky design aesthetic

and applied it to a brand new budget range. We
sample two of the four-strong line-up

Two vastly different designs of equal merit

from Blackstar: an impressive combo with
boutique tone and a powerful all-purpose amp
Tape echo was a favourite of both country
music and rocknroll artists. Huw Price
evaluates seven stompbox versions of one of
guitar worlds best-loved effects
The updated Yamaha APX will provide
beginners with their best starting point yet

A fine pair of Tanglewood cedar-tops that offer

a mite more than the money suggests
Kays latest reissue guides us into the realms
of the upright bass and more besides

50 DIVILL

BLACKSTAR

56

Sandberg Basic Ken Taylor 20th

Anniversary 5-string Bass
84
Sandbergs latest top-spec creation offers
exceptional value for a handcrafted bass

35%
OFF
when you subscribe
PAGE 102

62 TAPE ECHO

YAMAHA

72

Vintage
Hooked On Classics

90

Phil Harris pinpoints parts of his collection

hed have loved to see used by some great
guitar players who are no longer with us

The Bishop Of Denmark Street 93

When the British sun eventually came out,
Denmark St became a Mecca for tourists and
locals with plenty of money to spend

Private Collection

94

Lars Mullen meets Paul Brett, a man with a

love of old blues acoustics and unusual
electrics from both sides of the Atlantic

READERS FREE ADS 128 SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE 130

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 7

Reverberations

Write to Guitar & Bass, Anthem Publishing, Station House, Station Approach, off North Street, Carshalton, SM5 2HW or e-mail us: guitarandbass@anthem-publishing.com
Please note, we reserve the right to edit where we feel it is appropriate, or to print extracts from longer correspondences

STAR GUITAR
LETTER THERAPY
As a longstanding reader of G&B, having read with
interest some of your letters, I thought you might be
interested in me. I am 66 years old and have played the guitar
since I was 10. Ive been in various bands along the way, although
purely self-taught. For the last 20 years I have suffered from
osteoarthritis that has affected various parts of my body. About four
months ago, it spread to my fingers and caused me a lot of pain and
discomfort. I went to my GP and explained this, and told her that I am
a guitar player. The doctor gave told me to persevere with my playing
as it is the finest exercise for arthritic fingers. So it now turns
out that, as well as the years of pleasure Ive had, playing
guitar is therapeutic.
Chris Parker Bradford

G&B Sorry to hear about your health issues, Chris,

and hats off for sending us a handwritten letter to
let your fellow guitar players know about your
doctors prescription. Being robbed of the ability to do the things you love doing is a
true tragedy, and to find out that actually pursuing your passions is just what
the doctor ordered must be music to your ears. We suggest you follow your
doctors advice to the letter, and may many happy hours of playing be good for
the fingers, as well as the soul

Written a Star Letter? Contact Rosetti on 01376

550033 to claim your Fusion gig bag electric,
acoustic or bass available!

OY MCVAE!
I have been a subscriber for a year or two now
and have to admit that I usually skim through the
Private Collection section: I just cant get up that
much interest in the seemingly endless lines of
Fenders, Gibsons and Rickenbackers, even if now
and again these include the odd interesting
guitar. Imagine my surprise when I opened the
August 2013 issue to find the collection of Simon
Jones staring at me. The McVae guitars, the Gus G1
Vibrato, the David Lacugo in fact, all of them.
Surely this is what guitar collecting is about? Even
my wife was commenting on these, rather than
saying, Yes, its a Strat, so what? as she normally
does. Please tell Simon that I hate him with a
passion he can only imagine. The only way he can
get back into my good books is for him to send
one of the guitars, preferably the ebony McVae, to
Ian Hughes c/o G&B.
Ian Hughes via email

G&B Glad we managed to finally pique your

(and your dearly beloveds) interest with the
8 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Plasters and iodine are

all well and good but
there are times when a
guitar can offer all the
first aid you need

Private Collections. Weve published your

request to Simon, but in all honesty we
suspect it will be a fruitless one. Simon came
across as an upstanding gent, but to part with
a fine instrument might be a step too far!
Simon Jones' McVae
guitars: what guitar
collecting is all about?

VINTAGE PETER GREEN

Great article on Greeny in the August issue. The
first time I saw Peter Green and this guitar was at
The Beachcomber in Nottingham. This was when
the soul band era was ebbing and the blues boom
was taking hold: sad, in a way, as one could meet
girls via soul, while the blues was blokes and
bored girlfriends! Anyway, my hero was Jeff
Beck, who I had seen with the Yardbirds, and
Peter was the new guy in the Bluesbreakers:
somehow I had sidestepped Eric Clapton
twice. Peter knocked my socks off and I
couldnt wait for the Bluesbreakers to return.
So much has been written about Peters sound
at the time, but on the first Beachcomber gig
Peter had a bridge pickup and a hole where the
neck pickup was supposed to be. This was
particularly memorable, as people didnt
damage their guitars on purpose. In fact, a
damaged new guitar was negotiation for a
discount so a pro with an imperfect guitar was
unusual. Peters Marshall 4x12" was micd up,
probably with a Reslo, with a tiny PA that

EMAILS, LETTERS, PHOTOS Reverberations

A LEGEND
IS REBORN
THE ROTOSOUND RFB1
1960s FUZZ REISSUE

TESTED

AUGUST 2013

American Tele that Id wanted for years, but when

I finally got it, I hated it! The Baja Classic Player is
so different and so good. You guys tested it, I
bought it and I love it!
John Dunstall via email

Peter Green

& THAT Les Paul!

Disco

ver the truth about the

blues legend and his myst British
ical guitar
www.guitarmagazine.co.uk

PLUS!

Fender and
PRS tested!

PRS Dave Davies

Ibanez Joe Moretti
Peavey Ampeg
Al Di Meola
and more

Private
Collection

Vol 24 No 11

Off the beaten guitar path

AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No 11

4.25
08

08

9 771755 338229
9 771755 338229

formed a T with the usual PA. This was unusual

for the time, too. Other memories of that first gig
was John Mayall playing his weedy slide through a
Burns Orbit amp. No pros used one, at least not
those that came to Nottingham at that time. Also,
John Mayall had an ashtray on his organ that
filled up as the evening went on. At the end of the
gig he threw the contents on the floor and put it
in his little leads case. Forty odd years ago and I
can still remember this gig in that tatty little
cellar club, it was that good. If you want Peter
Green at his best, build a time machine.
Neil Winfield via email

ALL AT ONCE
Im a longstanding reader and subscriber and
never written to you till now but had to tell you I
have never enjoyed reading your mag so much as
this latest edition. Reasons? Im a huge Peter
Green, Gary Moore and Al Di Meola fan. Im also
the proud owner of a Jan Akkerman signature
guitar, bought new in 73 and still going strong.
Barry Hochfield via email

G&B What are the chances of that happening?

We have no idea, but were glad it all hit home
with you, Barry.

A TRUE PLAYER
It was interesting to read the letter from Neil
Tostevin in the August issue, and then your
suggestion that we let you know about our recent
purchases. Well, its all your fault! I read the
reviews on all of the Telecasters and just had to
try the Baja Classic Player. It was and is awesome.
I loved it and bought it. Back in the 90s I had an

G&B Many thanks for letting us know, John.

While were delighted to hear youre made up
with your new guitar, the majority of the
credit needs to go to you, for seeking out the
right guitar for you, and to Fender for making
something that ended up hitting the spot.
Were just glad to know we didnt point you in
the wrong direction

NOT A REAL SPECTACLE?

Just a bit of advice: always use your naked eye
when adjusting guitar necks. Not so long ago I was
setting up a bridge with Allen keys and put on my
reading glasses to help find the holes. I was
horrified at the state of the neck. It was concave.
When I looked again without my reading glasses
on it was straight. It was the same when I looked
at all other guitar necks!
Colin Richards Windsor

G&B Blimey! That would send the mind (and

the peepers) boggling. Not being qualified
opticians were not in a position to question
your prescription, but it might be worth
getting in touch with yours to get to the
bottom of the situation. Has anyone else ever
experienced this kind of eye-altering
phenomenon?

Photography: Katarina Benzova

NEW TAY LOR GUITARS

I LOVE IT!

Its very Tonebender-ish. Reminds me

a lot of my MKII but with more hair
and beef to it. I have a ton of fuzz
pedals (both vintage and new), and
the Rotosound has instantly become
one of my go-to fuzzs for sure!
RICHARD FORTUS - GUNS N ROSES

The Framus Jan

Akkerman
signature
model: standing
the test of time

WORLD FAMOUS MUSIC STRINGS

WWW.ROTOSOUND.COM
facebook.com/rotosound
twitter.com/rotosound_uk
PROUDLY MADE IN ENGLAND

FIND OUT MORE

NOVEMBER 2012 Guitar & Bass 9

Woke up
this mornin...

NEWS

Metal Works
Blackstar has turned its attention to foot-down
power with its new HT Metal range recently unveiled
at Summer NAMM. With custom looks and a design
that takes its lead from its award-winning HT-1,
HT-5 and Venue series amps, this hefty new range
accommodates those after a bedroom practise amp
as well as those seeking the high wattage needed
to incite the moshpit. Six new models include 1W
and 5W two-channel versions available as combos
and heads with corresponding 1x12" and 4x8" cabs,
a 60W 4x12" combo, and a no-holds-barred 100W
three-channel stage head and matching 4x12" cab.
Each HT Metal is fitted with ISF (Infinite Shape
Feature) for fine tuning tone from British heavy
metal to scooped gain action. Get behind the grille
at www.blackstaramps.com

BRIGHT SPARK

Three Ring Circus

Paul Reed Smith announces the launch of his brand new retro-style
midrange solidbody Stevensville 2 series at Summer NAMM

hose who have always hankered after

one of Paul Reed Smiths beautiful
creations but couldnt quite find the
funds will be keen to try out the new S2
series models which recently debuted at Summer
NAMM. This line up of US-made guitars has already
been road-tested by a diverse range of punk and
rock artists from Southern blues/rock man JJ Grey
through to indie darlings Surfer Blood, and they
seem to have gone down rather well.
Were big fans of the nostalgic look too, and
despite their attractive mid-range price tags
this elegant trio of new guitars are made in the
same Stevensville factory as their high-end
flagship brethren, where they have blended new
manufacturing techniques with the usual standard
of state-of-the-art construction. The vintageinspired S2 Mira (pictured left; 1095) with an
all-mahogany body, asymmetrical bevelled top,
rosewood fretboard and specially-designed PRS
10 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

pickups promises punchy, organic sounds. The S2

Starla (centre; 1095) offers jangly, trashy tones
thanks to some specially-voiced pickups, and it
features an all-mahogany singlecut body with
tunomatic bridge and Bigsby B50 tailpiece for
shimmering goodness. Lastly, the S2 Custom 24
(right; 1375) is based on the classic PRS model
but with stripped-down appointments including a
bookmatched figured maple top, mahogany back,
custom-wound pickups with three-way switch and
a PRS whammy bar. PRS S2 locking tuners ensure
perfect tuning across the board.
The S2 range is available in a variety of opaque
finishes (depending on the model) complete with
matching headstocks that include antique white,
black, McCarty tobacco sunburst, black cherry,
blue crab smokeburst, dark cherry burst, gray
black sienna, vintage cherry and our favourite hue,
seafoam green. Head over to www.prsguitars.com
to find out more.

TC Electronic introduce the

new Spark Mini Booster
this month, a miniaturised
take on its original Spark
Booster pedal that should
suit lead guitarists to a
tee. The new PrimeTime
feature allows players to
switch between latching
(permanently on/off) or
momentary (on while
switch is held down),
theres a healthy 20db of
boost, and its compact
enough to take up the
minimum of room at
your feet. Go to: www.
tcelectronic.com

Red Hearing
Hughes & Kettner has unleashed the Red Box 5,
the latest version of its award-winning DI box
with speaker simulation. This stylish unit is great
for home recording, live and studio situations
with a sound that mimics the sound of a real cab
rather than one thats micd up. Controls include
the usual Ground/Lift and Pad switches as well
as three sliding switches Loose/Tight, Vintage/
Modern and Small/Large for further soundsculpting filters and EQ. This lightweight tool is a
soundmans best friend, as it sidesteps the need to
spend hours repositioning mics around the stage.
Price 89.99; www.hughes-and-kettner.com

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

NEWS IN BRIEF
Bare Knuckle
Celebration

WILKO JOHNSON SIGNATURE

Fender pay tribute to the explosive ex-Dr Feelgood guitarist with
a brand new signature Telecaster thats exclusive to Europe
UK proto-punk icon Wilko Johnson, recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, has been honoured with a
new signature Fender Telecaster dressed in the unmistakable red and black colour combo that became
his trademark. The distinctive new model features a maple neck with Wilkos preferred C profile, dual
vintage-style single coil pickups, 7.25"-radius rosewood fingerboard with 21 vintage-style frets, threeway pickup switching, a vintage-style string-through-body bridge with three chrome-barrel saddles and
vintage-style tuners. This unique Telecaster arrives with special goodies, including two photos of the
eccentric guitarist and facsimiles of Johnsons notebook entries featuring Dr Feelgood hits She Does It
Right, Back In The Night and Roxette. Detailed rundown at www.fender.com

Boutique pickup manufacturers

Bare Knuckle celebrates its
10th anniversary in style with
100 limited edition sets of
handmade guitar and bass
pickups personally wound
by founder Tim Mills. These
jubilant humbuckers are based on vintage originals
made for one of Mills personal guitars, use roughcast Alnico II magnets and are wound with 42
AWG plain enamel wire. All feature custom-etched
anniversary covers and arrive with a certificate of
authenticity hand-signed and numbered by Mills.
All the details at www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk

Vital Lite
Rolands new innovation for Summer NAMM was
the CUBE Lite guitar amp, a compact system that
combines a guitar amp with an iOS music system.
Guitarists can rig the CUBE Lite up to their iOS
device and download
Rolands free CUBE JAM
iOS app to jam along to
backing tracks and lay
down song ideas. A 2.1
channel speaker system
with a subwoofer provide
quality sound and COSM
amp models and effects
add a decent palette to work with. Colours are
black, white or red. See www.roland.co.uk

T-Model Ford Dies

Marshall In Colour
Last year Marshalls 50th anniversary line was expanded to include the Hanwell, an innovation that takes the
classic Marshall sound off the stage and into the home. Now this elegant amplifier is available in a limited
edition run of colourful alternatives to the original black vinyl in the form of three new shades cream,
British racing green and purple. This desirable new amp is housed in a wooden cabinet and features a grey
fretcloth outlined with swish gold piping and a vintage-inspired gold Marshall logo. Tones can be dialled in
using the analogue power switch as well as Volume, Bass and Treble controls. Dual long-throw woofers create
gut-shaking lows and hi-fi tweeters ensure a defined tone (650). www.marshalheadphones.com

Mississippi blues legend James Lewis Carter

T-Model Ford died of respiratory failure at his
home in Greenville on 16 July.
Ford couldnt remember his
exact birthdate, but claimed
to be 93. The self-taught
bluesman took up guitar late
in life (58) and was known
for his raw and humorous
approach. His debut LP PeeWee Get My Gun was released
in 1997 and he recorded a further six inspired
albums. Ford served time for killing a man in
self-defence as a young man, was married total
six times, and is said to have had 26 children.

Calendar SHOWS, GIGS, FESTIVALS, WORKSHOPS

The Lost Chord

Cambridge Rock Festival

London Acoustic Guitar Show

1-4 AUGUST
CRF was shortlisted for Best Small Festival at last
years Festival Awards, so this is well worth a look.
Confirmed artists include the Quireboys, Caravan,
the Animals, Pure Floyd, Bonafide, Hazel OConnor,
Pearl Handled Revolver and Magnum
WHERE? Haggis Farm Polo Club, Barton
TICKETS From 20 (day); 30 (weekend + camping)
CONTACT www.cambridgerockfestival.co.uk

7-8 SEPTEMBER
Head down to Londons Olympia for what promises
to be an acoustic lovers dream featuring top name
exhibitors, masterclasses and live shows from X
Factor winner Matt Cardle, Martin Simpson,
Antonio Forcione and Ben Montague
WHERE? West London
TICKETS 30 (weekend); 17/20 (day)
CONTACT www.londonacousticguitarshow.co.uk

Bright and breezy fare this month for those

summery chord progressions. John Mayer put
it to great use for his breakthrough hit No Such
Thing, as did Ryan Adams in alt-pop single This
Is It. Its relatively easy to achieve, though some
may find it easier to use the 2nd finger on the
B string. The 3rd and 1st fingers are naturally
inclined to dampen the A and top E strings too!

Great British R&B Festival

23-26 AUGUST
The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival
celebrates its 24th anniversary with a fine line-up
of artists including Bill Wyman and the Rhythm
Kings, Joe Louis Walker, Chris Farlowe, Nine Below
Zero, Dr Feelgood and Ian Siegal
WHERE? Colne, Lancs
TICKETS 125 (full festival); 33-37.50 (day tickets)
CONTACT www.bluesfestival.co.uk

Worleys Guitar Show

14-15 SEPTEMBER
This free two-day guitar show is unmissable with a
great line-up of exhibitors and brands, demos,
on-site guitar set-up workshops, prize draw,
one-off show deals and giveaways. Live music
features gypsy jazz, blues and pop acts
WHERE? Stourport Civic Centre, Worcestershire
TICKETS Free
CONTACT www.worleysguitarshow.co.uk

Emaj9
1

9th

x
1

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 11

Woke up
this mornin...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

NEWS

WEVE BEEN AD...

ED SHEERAN SIGNATURE ACOUSTIC

Martin Guitars collaborate with award-winning singer/songwriter and
pop star Ed Sheeran for the brand new LX1E signature acoustic guitar
When Martin announced this new signature model,
Sheeran fans managed to crash its website in
record time so it looks like this neat travel guitar
may well be one of its most popular models to
date. The LX1E (499) features Sheerans personal
touches including a headstock with his signature
fluorescent orange plus sign and est. 1991, a
nod to both his debut album title and his birth
date; the plus logo is also laser-etched into the
solid sapele top. Part of the proceeds from the
guitar (including Sheerans personal royalties) will
be donated to East Anglias Childrens Hospices.

The guitar was a big draw at Summer NAMM and

will be unleashed towards the end of the year.
Detailed specs over at www.martinguitar.com

TALONS OUT
They dont come much more 80s than Fenders
extravagant run of adverts for their metal-friendly
superstrat the Heartfield Talon, endorsed by
UFOs very own Vinnie Moore, pictured here
putting the guitar through its paces. Fender
wasnt the obvious brand for shred fans and in
order to crack the metal market and weaken
Ibanezs stronghold it chose not to put its decal on
the headstock of these Japanese-made rockers,
instead adopting the Heartfield moniker. In other
ads Fender went all-out by characterising the
Talon as a giant chrome phoenix but, despite the
angry futuristic robot birds and the the promise
that guitarists could buy a path to devastation,
the Talon failed to make its mark and was
discontinued in 1993. Still, nice jacket, Vinnie.

Super Bad
Those in the market for a versatile new distortion
pedal are advised to give the new MXR M75 Super
Badass a few hours in the demo booth. Designed
by an award-winning team, the M75 is 100 per cent
analogue and says it can
deliver everything from
vintage overdriven
bliss to a more modern
scooped distortion for
todays metal tastes.
Effects hounds can
fine-tune the crunch
via controls including
Distortion, Bass, Mid
and Treble, while
true bypass ensures
a crystal-clear signal
when the pedal is
dormant. For all
the intricate details
and for two earcrushing demo videos
head over to www.
jimdunlop.com

12 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Rotosounds Magnificent Seven

Summer NAMM brought with it a veritable breeding ground of new goodies for guitarists to get excited about,
not least the half-dozen colourful new stompboxes that followed last years revival of the classic Rotosound
RFB1 fuzz. These vibrant new handwired effects units were designed by effects guru John Oram with a
brief that insisted they evoke the swinging 60s in every minute detail from period-correct components to
the Austin Powers-inspired get-up. The finished articles include the Wobbler tremolo, with vintage optical
attenuator for vintage valve tremolo fun; the King Henry phaser, fitted with a Peak control for a far-reaching
palette of options; the Pusher compressor pedal, for both noise-reduction and even strumming; the Crusader
chorus, offering smooth and spacious soundscapes; the Aftermath, giving warm analogue delay thanks to its
high-tech circuitry; and the Leveller EQ pedal, housing silicon and germanium trannies and delivering a choice
of Boom, Funk and Honk settings. The pedals will be out in September. See www.rotosound.com for more

METAL SOUNDS
Things are hotting up at the heavier end of things
with the release of four new metal-friendly pickups.
PRSs \m/ Metal humbuckers are engraved with the
metal horns emoticon and use ceramic magnets
to ensure clarity and weight (www.prsaccessories.
com). Next, the EMG 25th Anniversary Zakk Wylde
set comes in a hefty 81/85 combo and is available in
Buzzsaw, Bullseye or Vertigo versions with a choice
of black chrome or brushed gold (www.emgpickups.
com). Seymour Duncans Black Winter humbuckers
are prepped for headbang-inducing sounds with
a special wind for crushing distortion (www.
seymourduncan.com) and Laces Finger Burner
passive humbuckers employ ceramic and barium
ferrite magnets for low-end punch and come in a
striking burnt chrome finish (www.lacemusic.com).

Fully Automated
Valve Testing & Matching

Introducing the VT1000

Another World First from Orange
Read More...

TECHNOLOGY

www.orangeamps.com

Woke up
this mornin...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

NEWS

HOUSE MUSIC
Fargen expanded its boutique offerings at Summer
NAMM with the debonair new Townhouse microsized amp. Having scored success with its previous
Micro Plex mini, Fargens handwired 5W Class A
combo should find its way into many a bedroom
soon. Features include a two-way Decade switch
delivering both 50s and 60s tones with vintage
tweed and brownface-inspired sounds, vintage 60s
style caps and carbon comp resistors, a USA-built
transformer and DC filaments for noiseless playing.
One neat little noisebox! The amp is paired with
an equally diddy 1x12" speaker cab. For further
inspection head over to www.fargenamps.com

BONHAMS STRIKES GOLD

Some interesting rocknroll rarities featured in
a recent sale of entertainment memorabilia at
Bonhams auction house in Knightsbridge. Top billing
went to Jimmy Pages Martin D-28 Birthday Special
2007 acoustic guitar; inlaid with Led Zeppelin
Zodiac symbols and complete with a signed letter
and a photo, it sold above all estimates at 26,250.
The guitar was played by the iconic Led Zeppelin
guitarist at Roy Harpers 70th birthday at the Royal
Festival Hall and was donated to the charity auction
in aid of Brazils Children Trust. David Bowie-related
lots included a rare set of handwritten lyrics for

Jean Genie, signed by the star, which fetched a cool

18,750 and a cardinal red Vox 12-string electric used
by Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust era (13,750).
One lucky Rolling Stones fan outbid the competition
for a lock of Mick Jaggers hair (4,000) cut by his
then-girlfriend Chrissie Shrimpton. Other popular
lots included a canvas painting by Radiohead
frontman Thom Yorke (5,000), a Yamaha piano used
during the recording of Radioheads experimental
albums Kid A and Amnesiac, and a microphone from
the subsequent album tours signed by the band
(3,750). See www.bonhams.com for more

New Nighthawk
Three new additions to the Gibson stable this
month include a five-string
bass, a vintage reissue jumbo
acoustic and the fine new Nancy
Wilson signature Nighthawk
pictured right. The Heart
guitarists new signature model
has a beautiful look thanks to its
grade AAA figured maple top with
high-gloss nitrocellulose fireburst
finish with cherry back and neck,
a bound rosewood fretboard and a
commemorative Fanatic trussrod
cover that gives it a personal touch.
The standard Nighthawk body
contours, bridge and through-body
stringing remain, while power
comes from a mini humbucker
at the neck and a slanted Lead
humbucker at the bridge
with five-way switching for
a variety of single coil and
humbucking options. Also
new from Gibson is the 1934
Original Jumbo, a reissue
based on the extremely
rare original, and the
EB five-string bass with
offset double-cutaways,
freshly-designed EB pickups,
a Babicz Full Contact bridge and
a choice of plenty of vintage gloss finishes. Visit
www.gibson.com for more details.

14 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Heavy Set
With its award-winning HT pedals as a starting point, Blackstar has fashioned a new set of five boost,
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23/07/2013 09:51

Woke up
this mornin...

NEWS

Album reviews
Tedeschi Trucks Band

Norman Watt-Roy

The Rides
CANT GET ENOUGH
Provogue

FAITH & GRACE

Cadiz

Last years Revelator was a fixture on our stereo

until this latest missive swiftly took its place. This
11-piece troupe stirs up an addictive soup with
classic flavours, and with Trucks skilled touch and
Tedeschis all-round talents they simply cant fail.
Part Of Me is a radiant
old-school R&B duet,
the title track is fierce
blues goodness with
flabbergasting slide,
and the touching Idle
Wind and funked-up
Misunderstood seal it.

Stephen Stills, Barry Goldberg and Kenny Wayne

Shepherd? With a fine pedigree such as this we
expect big things, and big things are afoot. Theres a
simple, robust thread that holds this US blues-rock
set firmly together. Originals blend with covers
including the Stooges
Search And Destroy, Neil
Youngs Rockin In The
Free World and Muddy
Waters Honey Bee for a
cohesive diversity, and
Shepherd and Stills
vocals mix it up further.

Named after cockney slang for bass, Watt-Roys

first solo LP is a shopfront for his talents that
swerves excitedly from animated vitality to
graceful jazzy strains. A woozy take on Ian Durys
Billericay Dickie and a revamp of Wilko Johnsons
Roxette (with Wilko)
are inspired, his own
Me, My Bass & I is a
biographical thrill and
a cover of My Foolish
Heart, his late wifes
favourite song, is bliss.
Robin Hood (good).

Moreland & Arbuckle

Deke Dickerson

Buddy Guy

7 CITIES
Telarc

ECHOSONIC ELDORADO
Raucous

RHYTHM & BLUES

Sony

M&As newest undertaking charts the story of

Coronado, a Spanish explorer in search of the
Cities Of Gold. An odd theme for a rootsy, rocky
blues album one would think, but instead it works
a charm and propels the LP forward. Opener
Quivira is riffed-up
garage, The Devil In
Me adds twang, Road
Blind is an unfettered
stomper but
Everybody Wants To
Rule The World? For
us, thats a mismatch.

A fantastic title for a pearl of an album with 14

spine-tingling rockabilly treats. Fans of slapback
vocals, twanging guitars and general sonic mayhem
will love Dickersons style. Little Innocent and Im
Getting Your Message, Baby are boppin standouts,
Sneakin All Around is
piano-backed fun and
Big Guitar is a
rock-steady homage to
the six-string. Deke
takes an authentic Sun
Records sound and adds
his own peerless flair.

Buddy is joined by an elite headcount including

Beth Hart, Kid Rock and Steven Tyler for this
double disc, split into Rhythm and Blues. The
quality of workmanship throughout vindicates
Guys legendary status, particularly Best In Town,
with some unique
unhinged wah-wah
guitar; One Day Away,
a soft duet with Keith
Urban; and fiery thrills
on Blues Dont Care
with Gary Clark Jr. A
master in action.

Jonny Lang

Hamilton Loomis

Oli Brown

FIGHT FOR MY SOUL

Provogue

GIVE IT BACK
Ham Bone

SONGS FROM THE ROAD

Ruf

The last we heard from Lang was his superb

Grammy-winning album Turn Around. Now he
breaks a seven-year silence with this powerful
and moving follow-up. Equipped with an angelic
voice and an equally soulful set of digits, Lang is
as proficient in gentle
fingerplay (All Of A
Sudden) as upbeat,
driving soul (River),
Prince-like funk (Not
Right) and refined
balladry (Ill Always
Be). Recommended.

Funked-up blues has never grasped our attention

quite like this tight yet breezy, affair. Loomis
explores soul, R&B, pop and rock too and in doing
so carves out his own joyful niche. Cuts like Shes
Had Enough skirts funk, blues and rock for a unique
tilt, Partner In Crime is
slinky stuff, and ballad
A Woman Like You is
Rhodes-led silk. Bass
god Victor Wooten joins
the fray on groovesome
opener Stuck In A Rut
too. Unquantifiable.

This electrifying live CD/DVD was captured at

Browns homecoming gig in Norwich last year,
and its one hell of a workout with cuts from all
three of his excellent albums. Theres hot-blooded
fretwork from set-starter Speechless through to
the raucous Stone Cold
that ends the gig, with
intermediate highs
including the bile of
Manic Bloom, Devil In
Mes creeping riff and
a brutal cover of the
Black Keys Next Girl.

MADE UP MIND
Sony

SNAP JUDGEMENTS
Niko Tsonev
BANSHEES AND
HARPSICHORDS
Stunted Records
Industrial distortion,
fuzzed-up jazz
interludes, oddball
solos and lightningquick fingers make Niko
one talented enigma

Tess Of The Circle

THORNS
Vintage Voice
A grand production of
strings, piano and some
inspired lead work from
Lee Clifton naturally
support Jones acoustic
tunes for this epic folk
pop record

16 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Omar Dykes
RUNNIN WITH THE WOLF
Provogue
Dykes gravelly tones
are the perfect vehicle
with which to revisit 14
classic blues tracks
made famous by
Howlin Wolf, plus one
fine original on top

The Fran
McGillivray
Band
SOME LUCK
Self Release
Folk and blues join
gently together for this
bright and rootsy
delight. Some fine
musicianship too

Dana Fuchs

Roadhouse

BLISS AVENUE
Ruf

GODS & HIGHWAYS &

OLD GUITARS
Kross Border

Soulful rocknblues
from the big-voiced
blueswoman helped
along with gospel BVs,
co-writer Jon Diamonds
guitar work and a cast
of quality musos

Shadowy blues-rock
with Gary Boners
vocals played off
against a cleaner
female chorus. Deep,
eerie and hypnotic

AZ_SanGB_1109.fh11 16.11.2009 13:12 Uhr Seite 4

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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

COVER STORY
CHUCK BERRY

SCHOOL

Of Rock

With his performing flair, pioneering guitar style and storytelling savvy, the
great Chuck Berry was the epitome of early rocknroll. Michael Stephens
charts the rise of a legend who was never far from genius or trouble

he late John Lennon had a way

with a soundbite. He famously
declared the Beatles more
popular than Jesus, and also said
before Elvis, there was nothing.
He also noted, if you tried to give rocknroll
another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.
The Beatles epithet for Berry is arguably
the most accurate of his three: the music of
Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry is so
closely intertwined with rocknroll, the two
may just as well be interchangeable.
Chuck Berry was never as diverse as the
Beatles or as multi-faceted as Elvis, of course,
but his songs are the simplest encapsulation
of the music that changed the world. If aliens
ever do visit this third stone from the sun
and want rocknroll explained, dont even
say anything just play them Chuck Berrys
Chess 45 Roll Over Beethoven. ET would
understand, and will tap that long finger.
Like many an artist, Berry is a much
more complex character than his rollicking
tunes convey. Over his 85 years, hes become
infamous for his temper and his parsimony
Keith Richards says he was disappointed
when he worked with Chuck, and even
bullied by him. On top of that, Berrys
numerous brushes with the law suggest,
to some, an unsavoury and occasionally
dangerous man. In the preface of his
astonishingly honest The Autobiography, Berry
himself bluntly admits: Every 15 years it
seems I make a big mistake.
But what cannot be denied is Chuck
Berrys music. Lairy and lyrical, poetic
and punchy, Berrys best songs influenced
millions, from songwriters to showmen to

guitarists to fashionistas. Berry has his flaws

and he admits to them but being dull has
never been one of his faults.

Born to rocknroll
Despite his later lawlessness, Chuck Berry
was born into a respectable middle-class
family in St Louis, Missouri. His mother and
father were both professionals and sang, as
was customary, at their local Baptist church.
But the Berrys also had a piano in their family
home. Long before I learned to walk I was
patting my foot to those Baptist beats, rocked
by the deacons feet, focussed on the tempo of
the times, Berry wrote. Oh, but the feeling
it generated still stirs my memory of back
when. Hallelujah!
Berry says he fixated on the blues and
country sounds of local radio at an early age.
But then, hes always claimed to be a seeker
he says that by the time he was to seven, he
not only knew how to cook but also knew the
intricacies of sex. At 12, he had performed at
his high school, singing Jay McShanns big
band hit Confessin The Blues, backed up by a
guitar-playing friend. Chuck soon borrowed
a guitar and began to learn to play with the
help of Nick Mannalofts Guitar Book Of
Chords. However, while still a high school
student of 17, he served a prison sentence
for armed robbery (from 1944 to 1947). In
custody, he learned more cooking, boxing and
playing music with fellow detainees. Released
from jail on his 21st birthday, the wayward
son of church deacon Henry Berry was ready
to make music his life.
On his release, Berry settled into married
life and worked at a car assembly plant. By

early 1953 he was already 26 guitar

playing and performing had become his real
love. The showmanship and guitar licks of
blues player T-Bone Walker were a big
influence; after his car plant day was done,
Berry was performing in the evenings with
the Johnnie Johnson Trio.
Berrys break was fortunate. Johnsons
regular band-member Alvin Bennett (a
saxophonist) suffered a stroke and could not
perform for a New Years Eve show. Pianist
Johnson called Berry as the only musician he
knew who, because of his inexperience,
would unlikely to be booked on New Years
Eve. Berry jumped at the offer. Replacing an
ailing horn-man, he began his own climb.
Berry described the Johnson trios music as
country-western, which was usually called
hillbilly music. In many ways, Berrys early
career mirrored that of Elvis, playing this
uptempo music early rocknroll that
confused and scared some folks. But, unlike
Elvis, Chuck Berry was a more of a threat.
Why? His skin colour. He remembered the
impact he made: The clubgoers started
whispering, Who is that black hillbilly at the
Cosmo [club]? After they laughed at me a few
times they began requesting the hillbilly stuff
and enjoyed dancing to it. Berry himself
called the venues he played salt and pepper
clubs white and black, together but this
was still then something of a rarity. America
was still racially segregated, and Berry was a
memorable frontman.
Berry was in demand, whether it was down
to his talent, showmanship or negro novelty.
He got a contract to front his own shows at St
Louiss Cosmopolitan club with his own
SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 19

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Berry sporting a 50s Kay

Thin Twin guitar, aka the
Jimmy Reed model

CHUCK'S CHAMPIONS
The brown-eyed handsome mans
friends and fans speak out
[My mama] said, You and Elvis are pretty
good. But youre no Chuck Berry
Jerry Lee Lewis
Even on a bad night, Chuck Berry is a lot better
than Eric Clapton will ever be Angus Young
Chuck was my man. He was the one who made
me say, I want to play guitar. Jesus Christ!
Suddenly, I knew what I wanted to do
Keith Richards
He wrote all of the great songs and all the
rocknroll beats Brian Wilson
I knew when I first heard Chuck that hed been
affected by country music. I respected his
writing his records were very, very great
Carl Perkins
Theres only one true king of rocknroll. His
name is Chuck Berry Stevie Wonder
Chuck Berrys On Top is probably my favourite
record of all time; it defines rocknroll. A lot of
people have done Chuck Berry songs, but to get
that feel is really hard. Its the rocknroll thing
the push-pull and the rhythm of it
Joe Perry

20 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

newly-recruited band though Berrys

backing bands have never been there to do
anything but one thing make Chuck Berry
look good. He debuted as a solo act as Chuck
Berryn; adding the n to try and not alert his
father. Still, his guitar playing, singing and
own songs were impressing everyone else
who saw him perform, and soon hed make
his major breakthrough beyond St Louis.

Sweet Home Chicago

With an old schoolfriend, Berry visited
Chicago for a vacation. He lapped up the
amateur blues clubs everywhere, but
scrimped 50 cents to see Muddy Waters play
at a bigger venue. Berry, being persistent, got
to meet the blues master after the show. It
was the feeling I suppose one would get from
having a word with the president or the pope.
I quickly told him of my admiration for his
compositions and asked who I could see
about making a record. Other fans of Muddy
were scuffling for a chance just to say hi to
him, yet he chose to answer my question.
Muddys answer was: go and see Leonard
Chess at Chess Records. Berry stayed in
Chicago one extra day than planned, to try
and get an audience with Chess, and it
became the most pivotal 24 hours of his life.
He got to meet Chess the next morning. I
had been taping on a $79 quarter-inch

reel-to-reel recorder that Id purchased in

contemplation of such an audition, Berry
wrote in his autobiography. I told him I was
visiting from St Louis, but could return with
the tapes (which I hadnt truly made yet)
whenever he could listen to them He stood
all the while with a look of amazement that he
later told me was because of the businesslike
way Id talked to him.
Berry swiftly drove back to St Louis
getting his kicks on Route 66, no doubt and
rehearsed with fervour. With his friends
Johnnie Johnson and Ebby Hardy, Berry
honed his own proto-songs: Leonard Chess
explained to me that it would be better if I had
original songs.
Johnson was happy to become backup to
the young man he had hired in desperation
only a few years before: I figured we could get
better jobs with Chuck running the band. He
had a car, and rubber wheels beat rubber
heels any day. [Chuck] did so many things for
the band... we didnt have a booking agency,
so he got out and hustled up the jobs.

COVER STORY
Berry and company recorded quite a few
tracks, but there were two standouts when
they returned to Chicago. Ida Red was an old
uptempo country tune a hit for Bob Wills &
The Texas Playboys in 1938. Chuck had added
new lyrics and renamed it Ida May. He also
put forward a slower-burning blues number,
Wee Wee Hours, itself a reworking of Joe
Turners Wee Baby Blue.
Leonard Chess was intrigued. Berry said
the label owner was enthusiastic about the
commercial possibilities in a hillbilly song
sung by a black man. Chess wanted a bigger
beat for the song, and added a bass and
maracas player to the trio at Berrys debut
Chess session. He also felt the titles Ida Red
or Ida May were too rural. According to
pianist Johnnie Johnson, Chess spotted a
lipstick tray on the studio floor and said,
Well, hell, lets name the damn thing
Maybellene (the spelling was altered to avoid a
suit by the cosmetics company). Perhaps
typically, Berry claimed the songs namechange was his own idea. He also rewrote his
lyrics at the direction of Leonard Chess; The
kids wanted the big beat, cars, and young
love, Chess later recalled. It was the trend,
and we jumped on it.
Berrys first attempt at recording a 45 was
draining. Every recording was live, of course,
and Berry initially struggled to impress Chess.
It took, remembered Berry, 35 tries before
completing a track that proved satisfactory to
Leonard. A recording of Wee Wee Hours, plus
Thirty Days and You Cant Catch Me followed.
Leonard Chess then treated the young men to
hamburgers and pop at a local diner before,
at 10pm, taking them back to Chess studios.
It was good news: Chuck Berry had won a
recording contract. Because of a fairly old
tune, new lyrics and a title inspired by a
chance spotting of a lipstick case, Maybellene
made Chuck Berry a rocknroll star and it
went to #1 on the R&B charts in July 1955.
After that, Chuck landed an improved
contract with Chess a guaranteed $40,000
(equivalent to 250,000 in 2013) of work
every year for the next three years.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

CHUCK BERRY

The Shakespeare of rock'n'roll

Leonard Chesss decree of big beat, cars, and
young love was dead on the money. Chuck
Berrys hits kept on coming, and they mostly
fitted that lyrical template. In the next two
Berry strikes a pose
years, Roll Over Beethoven, Too Much Monkey
with his treasured
Business, Rock And Roll Music, Sweet Little
blonde Gibson ES-350
Sixteen and the indelible Johnny B Goode all
kept Berry busy, and they also kept Chesss
cash-tills ringing like bells.
Berry quickly grew into an enviable
performer. Whether it was his guitar-soloing
duck walk, addressing the audience between
lyrics, or toting his guitar like it was his snake
(you know what we mean), Chuck nailed the
business of show. If Elvis was the pelvis,
Chuck was the cock(erel) a true show-off, a
flash dandy, crowing from the rooftops about

He wrote the book. The Beatles, the Rolling

Stones, even Elvis, they all took a leaf from
Chuck Berry Angus Young

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 21

Y
COVER STORR
Y
CHUCK BER

RECOMMENDED
The Ultimate
Chuck Berry
This three-CD boxset (via the
Spectrum Audio label) is the
best value beginners can get,
with most of the hits, and
many alternative takes. Some takes are not the
best (Sweet Little Rock And Roller misses a
great guitar solo from the singles take), and
there is filler. But from 5.99 online, this packs
plenty of rocknroll per penny.

Chuck Berry:
The Chess Box
The best of Berrys early
years for obsessives. You get
a 12" box (for stacking your
vinyl Chuck LPs), three CDs,
and every Chuck single listed in the order they
were released, accompanied by a 36-page
colour book full of biographical detail. Not
cheap 50 as an import, when we checked
but quality from Chesss master recordings.

Johnny B Goode
You can download many a
Berry track for 79p from
iTunes. When Marty McFly
regressed to the 50s in 80s
movie Back To The Future,
what did he pick up a guitar to play? Johnny B
Goode. Its 1950s rocknroll in a nutshell.

the lusty joys of rocknroll. Singles were

Berrys bread and butter; he was never much
of an album artist. As a live draw, cranking
the hits, he was phenomenally successful.
Perhaps it was Berrys lyrics? His words
have been dissected thousands of times, of
course, but Berry had something special:
cadence, rhyme and (self?) mythologising all
rolled into one. Johnny B Goode is a classic
case in point. The starting point was Berrys
appreciation for Johnnie Johnson, his
one-time mentor and his pianist. Then,
however, Berry the poet stepped it up. Is the
lyric about a mythical guitar-man? Or is it
Chuck Berry writing what Chuck Berry hoped
others believed about Chuck Berry himself?
He changed his original line of coloured boy
to country boy at the last minute, wary that
he may not have a hit if he mentioned colour
when referring to the Louisiana-residing star
of the song.
Berry has often been called rocknrolls
poet laureate, and its understandable why.
His words though simple not only scan
without music, they perfectly embody
rocknrolls devil-may-care obsessions: cars,
sex, ambition, guitars, dancing, wild youth,
high living, jukeboxes and working hard just
to play the music... and, eventually, get the
girl. John Lennon understood. He remarked:
Chuck Berry is one of the all-time great poets,
a rock poet, you could call him. He was well
advanced of his time, lyric-wise. We all owe
him a lot, including [Bob] Dylan. Ive loved
everything hes ever done.
22 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

For AC/DCs Angus Young not a man

youd usually associate with appreciation of
wordcraft its simple. He basically wrote the
book. The Beatles, the Stones, even Elvis
Presley, they all took a leaf from Chuck Berry.
Of rocknroll, hes probably the Shakespeare.

Storming the States

In late 1957, Berry was booked for DJ Alan
Freeds Biggest Show Of Stars For 1957, a
USA tour where he shared bills with the
Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly and others.
Berry fitted well with such exalted company.
From 57 to 59, he scored over a dozen chart
singles even his B-sides became radio hits.
Like Elvis, he was persuaded to appear in
movies. The first was Rock Rock Rock (from
1956) where he sang You Cant Catch Me. He
graduated to a speaking part in 1959 movie
Go, Johnny, Go! along with DJ Alan Freed, and
performed Johnny B Goode, Memphis,

Tennessee and Little Queenie. Yet Berry still felt

like an outsider. He was no natural actor; he
was a hustler, and aware of his skin colour.
Alan Freed championed Berry, but Chuck
still felt in awe of the company he was
keeping. Back then, it was no way popular for
a black person to be invited to an all-white
get-together, he wrote, so I hung around for
the experience and information I could get
about the music business. Berry did learn
something. It was only in the late 1970s that
he got back the writing copyright for
Maybellene from Leonard Chess even if
Berry had based the song on a standard.
By the end of the 1950s Berry had earned a
great deal of money, even if he wasnt topping
the charts every time. He established a
racially-integrated St Louis nightclub, Berrys
Club Bandstand. He bought big houses. He
lived a high life of which his churchman
father was possibly despairing. And then, in
archetypal rocknroll style, it all went wrong.
In December 1959, Berry was arrested
under the USAs Mann Act after an allegation
that he had sex with a 14-year-old waitress
whom he had transported over state lines to
work as a hat check girl at his St Louis club.
He was found guilty and, after appealing a
sentence of five years, eventually served 18
months in prison [February 1962 to October
1963.] Berry had other notable hits after No
Particular Place To Go is another classic cars/
girls/guitars 45, and Nadine is great but
soon Chuck Berrys career as a musical
trailblazer was over.

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Y
COVER STORR
Y
CHUCK BER

Chuck's children

Even as his own star slowly faded, Berrys

influence continued to burn brightly. His
songs were covered by an astonishing array of
acts from 1960 onwards: Maybellene (Gerry
and the Pacemakers), Johnny B Goode (Elvis,
Beach Boys, Hendrix, Beatles), Roll Over
Beethoven (Beatles, the Sonics, ELO),
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Buddy Holly,
Paul McCartney, Nina Simone), Run Rudolph
Run (Keith Richards, and also The Muppet
Shows Dr Teeth And The Electric Mayhem
though that is hardly essential listening).
Berrys effect on British rocknroll was
huge. The teenage Mick Jagger bought
Chucks records by mail-order from the USA:
the Stones first single was a cover of Come
On. The Stones then covered Carol. Fellow
Stone Keith Richards was in awe of Berry. In
his Life autobiography, Richards writes, I
could never overstress how important he was
in my development. It still fascinates me how
this one guy could come up with so many
songs and sling it so gracefully and elegantly.
The Beatles also owed a huge debt they
played many Berry covers in their Hamburg
days. Paul McCartneys Back In The USSR
was a light-hearted riposte to Berrys Back In
The USA. John Lennon was smitten by Berry:
Come Together is influenced by Berrys 56 hit
You Cant Catch Me: the lyric here come old
flat-top is a straight steal. Berry was an
admirer and friend of Lennon, but his
publishing company sued. Lennons 1975
RocknRoll covers LP included You Cant Catch
Me a way of paying back the money. No
Chuck Berry? No Beatles or Rolling Stones.
Chuck Berry remains one of musics
badasses hes been bad, and hes been an
ass, too. Theres a scene in the movie Hail!
Hail! RocknRoll (1987) when Berry chides
Keith Richards for getting the guitar intro to

Carol wrong. Its possibly the only time you

will ever see Keef look like a scolded
schoolboy. He took credit for most of his hits,
but did he really write them all? In Life, Keith
says that, when he worked with Berry and
Johnnie Johnson, everything Chuck wrote
was in Eb or C# piano keys! Not guitar keys.
Johnsons piano melodies were possibly the
real bedrock of most of Chucks hits.
However, Berrys contribution to rocknroll
is up there with Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Buddy Holly and many others. As a guitarist,
he nailed a new style. As a vocalist/lyricist, he
flowed and told stories. As a showman, Chuck

Berry was one of the best. Bruce Springsteen

maybe the USAs designated rocknroll
poet of recent years wrote the foreword to
Berrys autobiography. It starts; I met Chuck
Berry once It ends after the Boss ends up
playing guitar for Chuck, the Godfather. In
closing, Springsteen writes, When Im 65 or
70, Ive got to tell my grandkids. Yeah, I met
Chuck Berry. As a matter of fact, I backed up
Chuck Berry one night. Its a story youre
always going to tell. For all the good times
and all the bad times, Chuck Berry remains
Mr RocknRoll.

JUST LIKE RINGING A BELL: CHUCK BERRYS SOUND AND STYLE

Chuck Berry recorded his classic Chess sides on a
blonde-finish Gibson ES-350 with P90s. At the end of
the 50s, the guitar reappeared with a new set of
PAFs, having been sent back to the factory for an
upgrade. This was used through the early 60s, but in
1966 Berry put aside his jazz guitar and moved to a
cherry Gibson ES-345. By the 70s, he was commonly
seen with an ES-355. His move from the ES-350 to
thinline semi-acoustics did much for their popularity.
Berrys guitar style is a bedrock of rocknroll. His
licks werent without precedent he took influence
from T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters and Charlie
Christian, among many others but he assimilated his
forebears style into something uniquely his own.
The Chuck Berry guitar sound relies a lot on his
use of double-stops or two-note licks on the top two
strings, punctuated by third-string bends listen to
any of Johnny B Goode, Rock And Roll Music or Roll
Over Beethoven for typical Chuck-isms. He played
with humour, too. On School Days, immediately

24 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

after singing ring, ring, goes the bell he stabs out a

bell-like guitar lick. Berry also has very large hands,
despite his lean build, and this may well have helped
him splash those already-talented fingers across
the fretboard. Just about every beginner rocknroll
guitarist learns the intro to Johnny B Goode, and it
soon became emblematic. The Beach Boys Surfin
USA could be a Chuck Berry song in all but credit and
vocals. AC/DCs Angus Youngs solos are basically
Berry solos played super-fast and super-loud (he also
stole Berrys duckwalk).
Berry was never the smoothest of players, but who
really wants that in rocknroll? In the 1987 biopic
Hail! Hail! RocknRoll, Eric Clapton says, Theres not a
lot of other ways to play rocknroll other than the
way Chuck plays it. Hes really laid the law down.
Hard-rockin Ted Nugent the self-proclaimed Motor
City Madman perhaps expresses Berrys influence on
six-stringers most succinctly: If you dont know every
Chuck Berry lick, you cant play rock guitar.

A late-50s Gibson
ES-350; Berrys own
guitar was blonde
and was retrofitted with PAFs

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or
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26 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2011

INTERVIEW
GARY CLARK JR

CasinoKing

The intense and soulful fuzzed-out sounds of Gary Clark Jr are fast
gaining fervent fans across the world. Steve Bailey meets the man
being hailed with good reason as the new force of Texas blues

let me play his goldtop it blew my mind, man! So my

first time on stage at Antones was with all those great
musicians. From that point they kept inviting us back
and we got to open up for people that we had seen like
Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall and Robert Cray.
Gary was still only 15 years old at this point, and one
of his favourite memories is hooking up with Hubert
afterwards to just hang out. We sat at his hotel for a
couple of hours talking about what it was like playing
with Howlin Wolf. To hear those stories from him, to
watch him, to trade licks and talk about music with
someone that I looked up to so much was a privilege.
Clifford Antone would always say This guy invented
rock and roll guitar!
Clark quickly made a
name for himself locally,
and at the age of just 17
he was first awarded the
prize of best blues and
electric guitarist at the
Austin Music Awards.
Austins mayor at the
time, Kirk Watson, even made 1 May 2001 Gary Clark
Jr Day, such was the youngsters impact.
Its been a long road since, with distractions along
the way the main culprit being the lure of Hollywood.
Garys finest celluloid moment saw him starring in
the 2007 film The Honeydripper with Danny Glover,
Stacy Keach and Keb Mo. An invitation to play
Eric Claptons prestigious Crossroads festival in

We sat with Hubert Sumlin,

hearing his stories about
playing with Howlin Wolf

Gear
Guitars
Casinos lots of them
(25 in total) including
the latest buy, a 1966
vintage model. He also
uses a Gibson ES-330,
a DAngelico Standard
Series (cherry), and a
Fender Custom Shop
60s Stratocaster

Amps
Fender Vibro-King,
Fender Twin

Effects
Ibanez Tube Screamer,
AnalogMan ARDX20
delay and Astrotone
fuzz, Strymon reverb/
vibrato and a Fulltone
Octafuzz

Clarks extensive collection

of Casinos includes a
couple of Elitist models
complete with hard cases

Photo: Frank Maddocks

he list of esteemed figures queuing to

endorse the talents of Mr Gary Clark Jr is
becoming a long one. The shrewd eye of
Eric Clapton spotted him early, the Rolling
Stones couldnt wait to get him along for an onstage
blues jam, and the president of the USA himself,
Barack Obama, heralded Clark as the future after a
performance at the White House.
Clarks style is rooted in blues and soul but integrates
grungy space rock, modern R&B and roaring, cascading
fuzzed-up wig-outs. Its a heady, ambitious concoction
that promises great things. The bold new album Blak
& Blu contains nods to heroes like Hendrix and Albert
Collins, but this quietlyspoken Texan has been
fortunate enough to mix
it with guitar greats faceto-face right out of the
blocks. Back in his home
town of Austin, some 15
years ago, an underage
Gary badgered his father
to take him down to the legendary Antones night spot,
and there a whole new world opened up for him.
It took me until I was about 14 or 15 to realise that all
this great blues and rock was coming from just up the
street, Clark laughs. Once Id figured it out, I was in it!
My old man had to drive me down and then hang out
with me because I wasnt old enough to be there.
The first time he walked into Antones, local
luminaries the Mercy Baby Revue, Johnny Moeller and
Mike Keller were all ripping the place up. Gary was
transfixed. They were all young guys in their early/
mid 20s up there, playing just badass blues. It was
a stirring introduction that drew Clark to return again
and again, witnessing legends like Buddy Guy, Jimmie
Vaughan, and Doyle Bramhall II. Soon Gary brought
his neighbour and schoolfriend Eve Monsees along,
and both were inspired to work even harder on their
own playing.
Before long, proprietor Clifford Antone began to
take an interest. One night Gary and Eve were on hand
to witness Hubert Sumlin playing an amazing set
with a regular whos-who of blues greats in his band,
including Calvin Jones, James Cotton, Mojo Buford
and Pinetop Perkins. Clifford said Well, you want
to get up? Either youre in or youre not, kid! So that
was the gig that kinda changed it all, Gary recalls.
They let us get up there to play T-Bone Shuffle. Hubert

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 27

INTERVIEW

Photo: Frank Maddocks

INTERVIEW

Clarks first Casino

was bought in Austin
in 2008 and it soon
acquired a Bigsby

Listen up
GARY CLARKE JR
Blak & Blu
(2013)
The major label debut
record is daring stuff,
with psychedelia,
blues and garage rock
colliding with modern
R&B, southern soul
and hip hop beats

GARY CLARKE JR
Worry No More
(2004)
Clarks first three
studio albums were
released on his own
Hotwire Unlimited
label, and this was his
real debut. Early
versions of When My
Train Pulls In, Bright
Lights and Numb all
crop up in the
catalogue

2010 brought Clarks focus squarely back around to

his music although it was very nearly a harrowing
experience. Id never played in front of that many
people before, and Id never played within earshot of all
my favourite guitar players either, so I had a lot of stuff
going on in my head. It was intense!
The main sound in the venue during my set cut
off while we were playing Bright Lights and we didnt
realise until afterwards what had happened. I could
hear people yelling and
giving me the thumbs
down. I thought they just
were not enjoying what
they were hearing, so it
was quite devastating
for a moment.
Things happened
very quickly after that
fateful set. The Red White And Blues gig at the White
House alongside the likes of BB King, Jeff Beck and
Buddy Guy followed in 2011, and a major record deal
saw Clarks Blak & Blu album come together in 2012,
co-produced by the chairman of Warner Bros records
himself, Rob Covallo (whose credits include Green Day,
Kid Rock and My Chemical Romance). The production
team was completed by Mike Elizondo (Eminem, Dr
Dre, Snoop Dog) who also played bass.
The three assembled at Covallos studio in LA with
drummer JJ Johnson, and the incendiary blues-driven
When My Train Pulls In was immediately committed
to tape. That was the first song we played and we just
kept everything as it was from the very first take. We all
looked at each other and went like... yeah! I think we
were all kinda amazed. That started up the momentum.
It was like: Great, lets just keep doing stuff like that.
Basic tracks were all laid down quickly and then added
to in breaks between tour commitments.

28 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Mike Elizondos mid-60s ES-335 was put to good

use, but Clarks main squeeze has long been his
cherry Epiphone Casino and his attachment for
that particular model has become something of
an obsession. Its a bit mad at this point, he grins
sheepishly. Ive probably got about 20 or 25 now.
Its a love affair that began in Musicmakers guitar
store back home in Austin in 2008. I just walked in,
picked the Casino up off the rack, plugged into a Super
Reverb and it was game
on from there. I still use
it. I threw a Bigsby on,
and thats about all Ive
done to it. I get carried
away sometimes and
abuse the Bigsby. It does
make it go out of tune and
outta whack, but its fun!
Clark began on Ibanez guitars a Blazer and an ARC
series model and moved on to Strats and Teles, but the
Casino has become his talisman during his recent rapid
rise. Just what is it about those guitars?
The Casino changed my approach. I keep feeling
inspired every time I pick one up. Hollowbodies just
make me play differently. I love the way that Casinos
can be sweet and mellow, and then you slip it down
to the bridge pickup and they just bite and scream at
you. Often I like sitting around and playing unplugged.
Basically, it got me closer to the music that I loved when
I first started playing guitar, like T-Bone Walker and BB
King. I use my Gibson 330 from time to time; its a lot
lighter and it bites a little bit more, but the tone is not
quite as rounded as the Epiphone.
Clarks favourite live amp is a Fender Vibro-King
but a selection of other Fenders were put to use on
the album including a Princeton, a Twin and a Super
Reverb. However, its pedals that really make his eyes

The Epiphone Casino changed

my approach. Im inspired
every time I pick one up

Martin Huch

INTERVIEW

Photos: Mike Prior

Fuzz and wah

is where its
at: Clark has
pared down
his board to a
few choice
faves

To celebrate the release of his

new album Epiphone gave Gary
two black & blueburst Casinos

And another
thing...
In December 2012
Clark capped his year
by guesting with the
Rolling Stones in
Brooklyn, New York,
and found the bands
preferred volume
alarming. Those guys
play loud, man! I
usually I play my
Vibro-King on about 4
or 5, and I had it
cranked all the way up
to full just to hear
myself. But to be
playing blues with the
Rolling Stones? It was
like a dream.

light up. His wah gets a regular workout throughout

record; Its one of those trippy sounds that I never
the record
got sick of. Its outta this world, Clark says. For me it
automatically adds a colour. I had this beautiful white
Crybaby, but it disappeared at a gig in Austin. Since
then Ive been using a Real McCoy RMC wah.
Other pedals include an Ibanez Tube Screamer, a
Strymon reverb/vibrato, an AnalogMan ARDX20 delay
and Astrotone fuzz, and a Fulltone Octafuzz. I like
fuzz pedals and Ive got
a lot. Ive been fortunate
to have people send me
a few because they know
I love em so much. The
Astrotone is a great pedal.
Its pretty simple, just a
volume, fuzz and a tone. I
dont really use the effect
so much, I use it as more of a boost. I have the volume
pretty much all the way up and fuzz on like 1 or 2, so
its not too overpowering just enough to boost it up
and make it a little more fierce.
Not too many of Garys own pedals actually made
it onto the record, though Mike Elizondo offered a
few new toys for Clark to peruse. By the end of it my
rig was a little bit dusty, laughs Gary. He had this
Morpheus DropTune DT1 pedal. It has eight or nine
settings, each one giving you another half-step down,
or a full octave, which I used. Its got a fuzz too, and I
used that with Astrotone. It makes things sound really
weird. That sound is kinda what the song You Save Me
is about. Its real crunchy like a baritone guitar. I just
loved hearing that through an amp, standing right in
front of the speaker, it just shakes your whole being!

30 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

As we caught up with Gary he was in the middle of

his run opening for Eric Clapton at his latest residency
at the Albert Hall,
Hall and the restraint of the British crowd
was taking a little getting used to.
The first couple of nights were a little shocking to
me because I wasnt
wasn prepared for everyone to be so
attentive,
attentive he admits. Coming from the States with
kinda wild audiences,
audiences for people to actually sit there
and pay attention was quite strange. I can hear my
tuning pegs squeaking when Im tuning my guitar! But
its been great, weve been getting a good reception,
reception and
its a beautiful venue.
The respectful Clark has been at pains not to be a
bother to Clapton and has kept out of Erics way, but
he did sit in one night at the end of the great mans set
for a rendition of Sunshine Of Your Love and a version
of Joe Cockers High Time We Went. I got up there with
my reverb tank just cranked and he called me the
reverb king, Clark laughs. He was messing with me.
I guess hes not too big
a fan of reverb! I noticed
he doesnt step over to
his pedalboard too much.
Ive been watching, and
with him its all about this
rolling back the volume
on the Strat. It goes clean
and beautiful, and then
he cranks that thing up and it screams at you! Ive been
taking notes. Man, he played this blues the other night
and it blew my mind. He is truly amazing to watch.
Its been a fruitful trip all round, as Gary has also
added to his Casino collection. I wandered into this
shop down on Denmark Street and found myself an
all-original 66 a beautiful, beautiful guitar. It hasnt
left my side since Ive been here. Its cherry, but faded
like its been in the sun for a while kinda natural with
a red tint. I took it off the shelf and straight to the Royal
Albert Hall for the gig, no soundcheck or anything, just
tuned it up, adjusted the action a little bit, and there it
was. A great find. My old Casino is competing with my
new-found love. Its an ongoing battle for the number
one spot at this point. A battle, we would suggest, that
is well worth following.

I like fuzz pedals, and Ive got

a lot. People send them to me
because they know I love them

7-8 SEPTEMBER 2013

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Photos: Mike Prior

INTERVIEW
MARCUS BONFANTI

Demolition Man
Marcus Bonfantis seismic new album Shake The Walls is stirring up the
UK blues-rock scene. Rik Flynn meets him to discuss biker brawls, the
lure of cheap whisky and finally letting go of his first guitar

t takes a certain kind of character with the right

kind of steel-capped bravado to give the blues
scene a royal kick up the posterior when it needs
one. Overblown frettery and a vinyl collection full
of delta field recordings just doesnt cut the Colmans
anymore, and apathetic artists who peddle hackneyed
licks over yawn-inducing 12-bars are not helping. Fear
not, blues lovers, this donkey hasnt quite kicked the
bucket yet; a bit of nous, a bank full of attitude and a
fine head of hair is all
it takes to get it up and
whinnying once again.
Jack White did it, Dan
Auerbach did it, Seasick
Steve did it, and now we
have a new protagonist
with a fine punt in that
right leg of his.
Marcus Bonfanti has turned up the dials for Shake
The Walls, his third and rockiest album to date, and
it seems more than likely to bring the house down.
Add to that his Mediterranean good looks, silky locks
and appropriate face furniture, and theres little left to
chance. Its early days, but sometimes you just know:
this is a pivotal moment for the young Londoner.
We meet Bonfanti, recently returned from a gruelling
but eventful solo tour, at a Kings Cross warehouse,
sporting a majestic pair of road-worn cowboy boots. It
seems his legion of followers now counts a contingent
of hardcore bikers amongst its ranks
We played Europes biggest biker festival in
Helmsley last year, he recalls, and on this tour I kept
seeing more and more bikers at gigs. At Glasgow more
and more were arriving; big fuckers with mohicans,
tattoos on their heads and leather jackets. I literally
played the last note and the background music came
through the speakers deafeningly loud. When I looked
over, there was this three-stone soundman pushed onto
the desk and all the faders had gone up because there
were three big bikers on top of him, while another three
were punching the shite out of him!
Perhaps it was Cheap Whisky that incited the ruckus.
Its Beefheart-esque vocal refrain of cheap whisky
made me do it growled in a gritty baritone over sleazy,
overdriven 70s chording was itself borne of trouble.
I used to sit on my roof at 2am with a couple of beers
and a guitar and watch the late night revellers on the
high street, Bonfanti explains. I remember watching
these guys having the time of their lives in the Irish

bar opposite, absolutely smashed, causing all sorts of

trouble, and I started playing this really slow sort of
drinking song. Thats how it began.
Bonfanti has recently unwrapped the elusive sound
thats been bouncing around his cranium since his
first strum. Ive always had it in my head, but my
songwriting wasnt there yet, my playing wasnt there
yet and I didnt have the resources I needed around
me, he continues. I always knew that at one point it
had to get here.
So has he reached
perfection? Im never
100 per cent happy, but
now Im only 10 per
cent critical! he jokes. I
always wanted to make a
proper rocknroll record,
and to do it you have to
have the right songs and a killing rhythm section. Im
really proud of the stuff Ive done to get me here, but
this is my proudest moment.
The killer rhythm section are Scott Wiber and
Alex Reeves; add Bonfanti and you get a brutal trio
that harness the three-strong set up with the same
conviction as Taste, the Jimi Hendrix Experience or
SRV and Double Trouble. The recording was analogue,
and wartsnall; they dispensed with click tracks much
of the time and imposed a three-take maximum

I always wanted to make a

proper rocknroll record. This
is my proudest moment

Gear
Guitars
2005 Fender
Telecaster, 1974
Gibson SG, Dean
electric resonator,
50s Hofner Senator,
Gibson Hummingbird,
60s Martin

Amps
Fender Blues Junior,
Fender Deluxe

Effects
Boss TU-2, Boss OD-3,
Catalinbread WIIO,
Jim Dunlop DallasArbiter Fuzz Face,
Danelectro Wasabi,
Line 6 DL4, Carl
Martin Hydra Boost,
MXR Phaser

The varied sound of

Bonfantis 2005 Tele
through a Fender Blues
Junior dominates on
Shake The Walls

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 33

INTERVIEW
MARCUS BONFANTI

Listen up
MARCUS BONFANTI

Shake The
Walls
(2013)

A heavier edge propels

the young Londoners
sound forward and
superb songwriting
includes a British
Blues Award-winning
acoustic treasure

MARCUS BONFANTI

What Good Am
I To You?
(2010)
Bonfanti was granted
next-big-thing status
with this varied and
hair-raising
sophomore album

MARCUS BONFANTI

Hard Times
(2008)

With influences from

Zeppelin to John Lee
Hooker, this is a fine
debut packed with raw
electric blues,
fingerstyle and slide

(l-r) Dean Electric Resonator,

Bonfanti with his 74 SG, a
50s Hofner Senator and
Gibson Hummingbird

for each track. All my favourite records

have got howling mistakes, Bonfanti
laughs. Since Ive Been Loving You has my
favourite one of all time. They go for this
heavy chord change and John Paul Jones
fumbles a note, but it sounds so good! Its
one of Jimmy Pages finest moments
they werent going to re-do it for a small reharmonisation that doesnt really matter.
You have to sacrifice for the greater good.
Id rather feel all of us growing with the
solo, so I didnt overdub any on my album.
It was the prime chops on album closer
The Bittersweet that earned Marcus Best
Original Song at the British Blues Awards,
but the process of unlearning, seeking out
that long-lost naivety, has borne interesting
fruit. I listen to albums that I played on
when I was 19 and theres some really
out-there stuff, but I cant play like that
anymore. I almost know too much. When
I listen to phenomenal guitarists like Marc
Ribot, he can sound like hes picked up the
guitar for the first time. Thats the sound Ive always
strived for being really innocent on the instrument.
Another album highlight is the Keef-like strut of My
Baby Dont Dance, a track where Bonfanti was helped
along by friend and songwriter Paddy Milner. There
was a lot riding on that its always got an incredible
audience reaction. My manager famously says that he
doesnt actually like music, but he really liked that one!
I saw it as a swaggery rocknroll number. We decided
in the studio that we needed more fire in our guts, and
I think we nailed it. Paddy put some Hammond on at
the last minute and that set it all off.
Cautious not to get stuck in no-mans land, Bonfanti
has soaked up techniques and tricks from his heroes
ranging from Tom Waits to John Lennon, Shuggie
Otis and Leadbelly and from his various session stints
with artists including
folkie Sandi Thom,
soul singer PP Arnold
and British songwriter
Findlay Brown. Hes
also a regular face in the
eight-piece house band at
Ronnie Scotts immense
Blues Explosion, a gig
that serves as an ongoing musical education thanks
to guest slots from the likes of Eric Burden, Buddy
Whittington and Joe Lewis Walker. Bonfanti clearly
cant get enough of it.

Xxx x x x xx x x x
xx x x x x xx x x x
x x xxxxxxxx
Xxx x x x xx x xxx
xx x x x x xx x x x
xx x xxxxxxxx
Xxx x x x xx x x x
xx x x x x xx x x x
xx x xxxxxxxx

Ive had the privilege of playing with some really

top people, and I try to have my ears open all of the
time. Theyll give you an overview of how they like their
music played something youve never thought of
before, or a story about how it was recorded. It opens
your mind and you can then transfer it to your own
stuff. When I was recording I almost felt like I was
playing session guitar on my own record.
Marcus adores all of his guitars, and last time we
met he couldnt bear to let a single one go. I sold my
first one in December! It was an Ibanez AS-200, the
first pro guitar I ever bought, but it was just before
Christmas, I had no money and I really wanted a Les
Paul. Luckily the bloke who bought it was a fan. He was
chuffed that Id played a lot of the solos from my first
record on it. I took that money down to Denmark Street
and ended up buying an old 74 SG. It was all battered
up and just played great.
Ive always been one
for having one guitar
that I really like and then
getting to know it. The
electric sounds were done
on a Telecaster through a
Blues Junior. Between the
controls, pickup selection
and the amp, I found some really great sounds. The
Blues Junior is probably the most versatile amp in the
world, the tonal options are fantastic. Theres a lot of
my Dean resonator on there as well. Thats one of my
favourites and its the cheapest guitar I own.
A distinct guitar set-up helps ensure that Marcus
style is all his own. I use very heavy strings as that
gives loads of attack, he explains. The low end sounds
really meaty. I like it when it hurts when I bend a
string, it makes me feel like Im playing! Most of my
friends hate my guitars because the action is really
high and I always favour a much heavier guitar.
Heavy strings, heavy guitars and one heavy blues
rock album Shake The Walls may well take Bonfanti
swiftly skyward, but one things for sure: hes made
sure that our spines will tingle once more.

I like it when it hurts when

I bend a string. It makes me
feel like Im playing

Shuggie in Paris
One of Marcus Bonfantis biggest influences is the brilliant R&B guitarist, singer and
songwriter Shuggie Otis. I opened for him at the Jazz Cafe, which was a big deal for me.
We got the chance to hang out and he asked me to go to a Paris show with him to look
after his guitars. His manager said that was quite an honour as he doesnt usually let
anyone touch them. After the gig we chatted away and then started playing blues
together, which just blew my mind! I was trying not to show him how badly I rip him off;
Ive got a fair few of his licks stored away! Hed made a CD of the tunes he was into when
he was younger and we sat up for hours talking about music and playing. I was having a
few whiskies but trying to stay on the right level of sobriety so I could remember it all!

34 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

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7/15/13 9:03 AM

Photos: Mike Prior

INTERVIEW
TOP TOPHAM

BluesHorizons
Top Topham, the Yardbirds first lead guitarist, quit just before the group
flew into pops highest stratosphere. Alan Clayson lends an ear to his story

ecisions made in our youth can echo on for

the rest of our lives, and rock and roll can
have an especially cruel way of highlighting
the difference between what is and what
might have been. Long ago, in 1963s rainy autumn,
lead guitarist Top Topham was urged by his parents
to quit the Yardbirds, the group hed launched a few
months earlier with singing harmonica-blower Keith
Relf, drummer Jim
McCarty, rhythm guitarist
Chris Dreja and, on bass,
Paul Samwell-Smith.
Decades later at a
time when Eric Clapton,
Tophams Yardbirds
replacement, was filling
the Albert Hall for his
customary few weeks every winter Topham could be
heard for the price of a pint at Bobs Goodtime Blues
sessions every Wednesday at the Station Tavern. Just
like Clapton, the Top Topham-Jim McCarty Blues Band
played R&B songs from another Station long ago if not
far away, from where the capital dissolves into Surrey.
The two mens music, then, was much the same but
few venues could be more different.
In 1958, Topham and best mate Chris Dreja met
at Surbitons Hollyfield Road School (where the older
Clapton was also a pupil). A flair for visual art found
both in a dedicated academic stream. There was a
building away from the main school, remembered
Dreja, where a handful of us were left completely alone
to, theoretically, follow our artistic inclinations. No-one
interfered, even when we brought guitars into class.
Musically, Topham and Dreja zeroed in on the blues
a subject in which Tophams father had immersed
himself. Tops dad had all these imported records, said
Dreja. Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Boy Fuller... they
kept me awake, just thinking about them and I went
ballistic over the electric sounds of Jimmy Reed.
Blues absolutely changed my life, concurs Top. I
was always seeking the ultimate blue note, the ultimate
experience from that feel though I first wanted to
be a drummer. Despite the embargo on importing
American instruments, my first serious acoustic guitar
was a Harmony Sovereign and my first electric was a
Stratotone, which I sold to Dave Brock of Hawkwind. A
few years after that, I blew my entire college grant on a
Gibson ES-335.

Early in 1963, Chris and Tops talk of starting a group

led to Jim McCarty entering their orbit. He was the link
to Paul and Keith, recollects Top, and they were half
of the Metropolitan Blues Quartet. Within a fortnight
of their unbelievably good first rehearsal, the five
made a maiden appearance in the rotting grandeur of
Twickenhams Eel Pie Island dancehall. Soon, now as
the Yardbirds, they did more shows in other parochial
venues and also at
Studio 51, Londons oldest
jazz venue.
We became more
popular, reminisces
Top, and took over from
the Rolling Stones at
what was named the
Crawdaddy after it moved
from Richmonds Station Hotel to the Athletic Ground.
We heard the Stones were leaving, added Jim
McCarty, so we got Giorgio Gomelsky, who ran the
place, to come to a rehearsal in a functions room
above a hostelry next to the Station. As he climbed the
stairs, he heard one of our crescendos, and thought
immediately that wed do.
The late nights were taking their toll on Jims
training as a City financier; My mum took some
convincing that the Yardbirds were going places, he
mourned. Top, however, had to jump an ultimately
insurmountable hurdle of opposition: I was only 15,
and my parents wouldnt let me continue six nights a
week as a Yardbird, even though I was bringing home
double what my father was earning. It was a blow, but
I was very talented at painting and had already started
a full-time course at Epsom Art School. So it was that
Top Topham, the Stuart Sutcliffe rather than Pete

Blues absolutely changed my

life. I was always seeking the
ultimate blue note

Gear
Guitar
Tops main guitar is a
1966 Fender
Telecaster: It had
been run over by a
taxi. I had it put back
together by renowned
London luthier
Graham Noden with
P90s plus Hot Rails in
the middle with a
five-way switch.

Amp
Its just the guitar
straight through a
Fender Super Reverb
from the 1970s. I dont
use any pedals.

Good Times Bad Times

After the Yardbirds disbanded in 1968, Top Topham was approached to join a new
edition of the group: I received three telegrams from Jimmy Page and Peter Grant, the
Yardbirds last manager, expressing an urgency to get in touch. I called Jimmy, who said
he wanted The New Yardbirds to hit America, and asked if Id be interested. As everybody
knows, they were to mutate into Led Zeppelin. Wait for it: I said no. As I was busy with
Ascension Heights then, it seemed the right choice.
Topham had committed himself also to six months on the road accompanying old friend
Christine Perfect, striking out on her own in the wake of Id Rather Go Blind, her Top 20
strike with Chicken Shack. This trek was not a happy experience. It was an awful band,
sighed Top. Dreadful! It was like how to strangulate the soul out of blues music in one
easy lesson.

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 37

INTERVIEW
TOP TOPHAM

Listen up
DUSTER BENNETT

Bright Lights
(1969)
With Peter Green on
bass, Top lent poignant
accompaniment during
this blues boom
titans concert
recorded at
Godalmings Gin Mill
Xxx x x x xx x x x
xx x x x x xx x x x
xx x xxxxxxxx

Xxx x x x xx x x x
xx x x x x xx x x x
xx x xxxxxxxx

TOP TOPHAM

Ascension
Heights
(1970)
Backed by London
session musicians, Top
delivers a dozen
scintillating (and
mostly self-penned)
instrumentals, later
reissued on 2008s
Complete Blue Horizon
Sessions

P90s
Top plugs his 66 Tele loaded with
a
and a hotrails pickup straight into
red
Super Reverb with no effects requi

Best of the Yardbirds, sat on the sidelines as the other

lads became pop stars. He joined a band called The
Fox, and their second single Hey Mister Carpenter was
backed by Seek And You Find, co-written by Top, who
left after the band opened for the Who at Londons
Roundhouse in October 1968.
More enduring was Tops association with multiinstrumentalist Duster Bennett, a childhood friend.
We had a Chicago-style blues band that played at an
art school dance in 1964
with Jimmy Page yet to
join the Yardbirds on
slide guitar. Topham
and Bennett were both
signed to Blue Horizon,
brainchild of Mike
Vernon, compiler of
R&B Monthly, the first
fanzine of its kind in Britain. Top, however, was
unable to capitalise on critical praise for a debut album,
Ascension Heights, owing to ill-health.
Tiring of showbiz, Topham moved to mid-Wales and
became an interior designer and painter: I had many
children, and needed to make money. Then, in 1987,
work took me to Florida where I read in a US magazine
about a Yardbirds World Convention in Oxford.
Offending none by refusing to autograph, say, a
dog-eared Five Live Yardbirds LP, Jim McCarty was at
this event too, and subsequent discussions triggered
the emergence of The Top Topham-Jim McCarty Blues
Band. On eliciting a glowing review from Guardian
journalist Mike Oldfield present during one of their
regular Bobs Goodtime Blues bashes the group
(fronted by singer and guitarist John Idan) remained

a club attraction until 13 July 1990 when Topham

announced his departure straight after an engagement
at Readings After Dark.
Since then, Top has returned to North America
where he worked principally with singer-songwriter Bill
Morrissey and has been seen on small British stages,
sitting in with such as Berkshires Jive Alive during
their seasons at Twyfords Waggon and Horses where
his playing staggers the type of person who attends Eric
Clapton concerts out of
habit. And in March 2013,
at a packed auditorium
attached to Twickenham
Stadium, Topham joined
McCarty and Dreja for
a friendly, downhome
celebration of half-acentury since that first
Yardbirds rehearsal. Thats what interested me most
about the Yardbirds, Top concludes. Later on, they
shifted away from it and, if Id stayed, Id have been
pushing, like Eric, to keep blues as the bands focus. Id
probably have left for the same reasons he did.
As if in acknowledgment, Top is central to Top
Tophams Early Yardbirds, a group consisting otherwise
of musicians based in Lancashire, and hell still be
pitching in on For Your Love, Shapes Of Things and
further hits as an official Yardbird early next year in a
round-Britain theatre tour. Perhaps, in some parallel
universe, Eric Clapton is enduring the sweet torment of
celebrity by association while Top Topham is sustained
into old age by income and acclaim for his latest
big-selling album as much as the repackagings of hits
hed recorded back in the Swinging 60s.

If Id stayed in the Yardbirds,

Id have been pushing to keep
blues as the bands focus

And another
thing...
Christmas Cracker, a
self-penned Blue
Horizon single by Top
Topham, was issued in
time for 1969s
December sell-in. Its
flip-side, Cracking Up
Over Christmas,
featured Mike Vernon
on lead vocals.

38 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Hughes & Kettner ad 2013_Layout 1 15/05/2013 16:04 Page 1

Photos: Shimon Karmel

40 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2012

INTERVIEW
HARRY MANX

On An Island
Using a multitude of fabulous stringed instruments made of wood,
metal, old cigar boxes and even sports implements, Harry Manx
has carved himself a unique path. Interview by Steve Bailey

ut in the Gulf Of Georgia not far

from Vancouver dwells Harry Manx;
maverick, innovator and one of the
finest exponents of Indian slide guitar
in the Western world. Harrys Salt Spring Island
abode is also home to his exotic and downright
bizarre collection of stringed slide instruments. Its
a suitably idyllic setting for a colourful character.
Manxs blend of Indian, delta and contemporary
influences sets him completely apart from other
slide stylists, and his latest album Om Suite Ohm
mixes these far-flung
ingredients with
great skill and a
seductive sense of
earthy spirituality.
Intrinsic to Harrys
sound is his mastery
of the Mohan Veena,
an instrument that
sits roughly halfway between a sitar and a big old
jazz-style archtop guitar.
Somebody told me the other day Youre in a
category of one with that sound and Im glad
about it, smiles Manx with typically enthusiastic
wonderment. There are so many fine players
doing so much great music, so if you find your
own corner, its a blessing.
Back in the early 1970s youd have found Manx
working as a sound engineer in a Toronto blues
club, pushing the faders for greats like Muddy
Waters and Willie Dixon. From there he was off to
Paris, a stepping-stone for a long period playing
slide guitar for small change on streets
throughout Europe. His wanderlust took him to
India in the early 80s where he would eventually
be introduced to the Mohan Veena and find a
musical awakening.
Ive had a relationship with the Mohan Veena
now for 20 years, and its deep, Manx ponders.
Im not even close to knowing it yet. Your
average listener might be knocked out by what I
do, but for me, having studied Veena with
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, I know where I sit in the
world of slide. Hes the mountain and when
you hang out with guys like him, you yet get
humbled pretty quick.
Manx had been in India for seven years,
studying sitar in Bombay, when word came to

him of an Indian slide guitar innovator based in

Rajasthan in the north west of the country. It was
the late 1980s by the time he decided to make the
journey to seek out Mohan Bhatt.
I got to his house in the middle of the night,
recalls Harry. I played a couple of songs for him on
slide guitar, he really liked it and he went and got
the veena. It was the first time Id seen one. He
opened the case and strummed all the sympathetic
strings, and it was so beautiful I just about died on
the spot. I realised in a flash that my whole
direction in life had
changed. I didnt leave
there for years, because
the only thing that
mattered to me was
learning how to make
that sound.
Veena is a general
term for any Indian
plucked string instrument, and they can take many
different forms. Mohans father had been a great
player and a teacher, and one of his European
students had left a Craftsman archtop guitar at the
family home. The teenage Vishwa decided to
experiment by putting sympathetic strings on the
guitar. With the help of a fine Indian luthier the
idea evolved, and a new kind of veena was born.
Bhatts Mohan Veena is generally played lying

There are so many fine

players that if you find your
own corner, its a blessing

Gear
Guitars
Three Mohan Veenas
made in Calcutta, Tim
Kill Veena, Wickland
Veena resonator,
Lowebow and
Wickland cigar box
guitars, Goldtone and
Wickland banjos,
Subway Baritone,
Asher Ben Harper
signature. National
and Sunrise pickups

Amps
API 500 series
Lunchbox preamp,
API 512 preamp

Effects
Radial Looper

Manx and his 20-string Mohan

Veena. Far right: at home with
the Wickland resonator Veena

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 41

Photos: Shimon Karmel

INTERVIEW

The salt of the earth

Lowebow complete with
Springsteens scrawl. Above,
the Wickland cigar box guitar

flat on the lap, and it has 20 strings in total. At the top,

strung on the treble side of the fretboard, are three
melody strings for slide playing; below them and to the
bass side of the fretboard are five drone strings, and
below them all are 12 sympathetic strings that attach to
the tuning pegs that run along the top of the fretboard.
Vishwas use of the Mohan Veena is perfectly captured
on his 1993 Grammy-winning album with Ry Cooder,
A Meeting By The River.
One aspect of Vishwas Mohan Veena technique
eluded his student his use of a Honda scooter axle for
a slide. Manx did experiment for a while before settling
on the Dunlop Lap Dawg slide bar he now uses. I
switched for a while to the door bolt from the house I
lived in in India, he grins. Every day I kept looking at
it, thinking that would be a great slide. I had a guy
come over and take it off, and I tried it, but it wasnt
right so I put it back. Ill try anything!
Vishwa actually gave Manx that first Veena he had
showed him, but these days that important instrument
Manx manipulates the
strings of his Tim Kill
custom veena

42

is back with the master while Manx has the use of three
Veenas made by a Calcutta-based luthier, Bhabasindhu
Biswas. Gradually, Manx has solved the problem of
amplifying the complex instrument. It was a real
challenge to get the sound electronically that I knew
was in the instrument. I float a National pickup right in
the middle between the lower sympathetics and the
upper strings so it picks up on both sides.
Harrys most visually striking instrument is perhaps
his National steel-style Mohan Veena (see header page),
a creation from a fellow Salt Spring Islander, engineerturned-luthier Grant Wickland. He loves the challenge
of instrument making. Hes been turning out
resonators and cigar box guitars since the 70s, Manx
explains. He came over and did measurements on my
Veenas and I pointed him in the right direction.
Suddenly he came over with one that hed banged up
out of metal! Hes an experimental fellow and I love
that about him. He doesnt play by the rules at all.
Harry has one more Veena, this one with something
of the Weissenborn look about it. It was Australian
luthier Tim Kills first attempt at this kind of
instrument, again with Harrys advice. Hes really well
known among slide players he builds guitars for
Xavier Rudd and he gave me that one as a gift. He
makes Veena-type instruments, and also what he calls
Chaturanguis theyre really amazing. Theyre like
Veenas except they have six strings on top instead of
three. I find I have trouble playing them because theres
too much going on I cant control all the overtones.
Harry has also been playing six-string banjo for 20
years. His current Goldtone Banjitar festooned with
stickers of Hindu gods and tuned to open C, a whole
step down from DADFAB features on the new album
on songs such as All Fall Down and Carry My Tears.
Its funny the traditional kind of banjo doesnt
really attract me, but I love the six-string, he muses. I
play it on a lot of records. Ive had the Goldtone a long

40 Guitar &

&

INTERVIEW
HARRY MANX

time. Ive got big fat strings on it .016" to .056" so

theres a lot of bass. It actually has more bass than any
other instrument I have. You dont think of the banjo
like that, but I use it for playing everything from Jimi
Hendrix to Indian kind of stuff. My other banjo is a
Grant Wickland banjo. Its like the Goldtone, but a step
up in quality. I play it at home because I love the sound,
but for the stage I cant give it up my old Goldtone.
Many like their cigar box guitars built on the
rudimentary side, but Harrys main squeeze made by
Johnny Lowe in Memphis takes the concept to new
levels. He calls it the Lowebow. Its held together by
those shitty dollar clamps its real salt of the earth!
The neck looks like two broomsticks. I got tired of
shooting in the dark trying to find the bloody notes, so I
put all those fret markings on with tape. I recorded the
Springsteen tune Im On
Fire with it and it didnt
sound half bad. Bruce
Springsteen came along
to a Manx gig in New
York and when asked to
sign the Lowebow, he
scrawled all over it.
Harry also showed the
cigar box to Grant Wickland, and he clearly took it as
another challenge. I think it was Thursday night and
not even two days later, on Saturday morning, he
brought over the best cigar box Ive ever played. Its
made with great precision. His wife told me hed stayed
up all night making it. Its tuned low to F#; the string
length is really long, so its pretty slack. If you put too
much pressure on the slide youre out of tune very
quickly, but its got a huge sound. From the high string
I tune root, 5th, root, and then a low root, so three F#s
and a C#. The lowest string is the G string from a bass.
Arguably his most bizarre instrument is, well, what
appears to be a hockey stick with strings on it. I really
shouldnt have the ability to indulge myself sometimes,

grins Manx. In Canada hockey is more popular than

anything, so I tried to cash in on some of that.
Originally I gave Grant an actual hockey stick and said
Put some strings on this for me, so he came up with
this. I took it out to one show and people laughed so
hard I couldnt get them to take the song seriously!
Manx doesnt own a traditional solidbody electric but
his white Subway baritone from Berkeley in the San
Francisco Bay area comes within the remit. It was built
by a man known simply as Fatdawg. Everybody knows
Fatdawg! He works out of this little crowded shop that
you can hardly get into its full of used instruments
and junk. You might see Taj Mahal sitting in the
corner Taj loves the place. Mark Knopfler plays his
guitars, Michael Franti used to work there, Charlie
Hunter worked in that shop too. It really is a trip. When
Danelectro went out of
business Fatdawg bought
containers of stuff from
them bodies, necks,
electronics and he
builds instruments he
calls Subway Guitars. You
can ask him to build you
anything; theyre cheap
$400 or $500 and sound amazing. Dont try and
email him, though he doesnt do internet! He says,
Come over and talk to me if you want something!
The only other guitar that resembles a normal
electric is an Asher Ben Harper. The Asher is probably
the best you can buy, the Rolls Royce of electric slide
guitars. I love it. It has just the right tension on the
neck and its perfectly balanced. Its really lovely.
Its been a busy couple of years for Harry: theres
been the release of his second collaborative album with
Kevin Breit, Strictly Whatever, and his latest solo
recordings for Om Suite Ohm had to be shoe-horned in
during lulls in a busy gigging schedule. Tracks were
laid down in Melbourne in Australia with didgeridoo
player Ganga Giri and vocalist Gunjaarra Waitairie,
who brought a flavour of the outback to Way Out Back.
Ex-LA session man, producer and fellow Eastern
music devotee Hans Christian added rhythm tracks,
cello, bass and strings in Wisconsin, and Harry
brought the whole thing together in a studio on
Vancouver Island in Canada.
Manx actually saw fit to play a standard Telecaster
on the record, although it did have the strings raised
and a Hot Rails pickup onboard and, of course, it
was borrowed. Ive never owned an actual electric
guitar in my illustrious career, but on Blues Dhamra
you can hear me playing the melody on a Tele. Its
at a pretty good volume so that helped to get the
sustain, which allows you a lot more possibilities.
Though a late starter he didnt record his first
album until he was 46, in 2001 Harry Manx is
fast making up for lost time. The latest is his sixth
studio solo effort, and his two collaborative LPs
with Kevin Breit bolster the numbers further. It
came easily, this album. I didnt have to struggle,
it came like it was the right time. I think its
probably the best work Ive done. Maybe its
because its the sum of everything Ive learned
up until this point.

People laughed so hard at

the hockey stick, I couldnt get
them to take the song seriously!

curing
ckey stick (obs
Left to right: ho ritone), Harry with
ba
white Subway
njo sits far
o, Wickland ba
Goldtone banj
na the dog
Bi
:
ht
rig
t
right. Fron

Listen up
HARRY MANX

Om Suite Ohm
(2013)
The latest album is a
gem, summarising
everything Harry is
about and also adding
the sounds of the
outback to his
inspirational Eastern/
blues hybrid

HARRY MANX &

KEVIN BREIT

Strictly
Whatever
(2011)

The follow-up to
2007s brilliant In
Good We Trust
collaboration sees
Manx play baritone
almost exclusively
alongside Hugh
Lauries current
sideman Kevin Breit

HARRY MANX

Isle Of Manx
(2010)
The title of this best
of collection could be
a reference to Harrys
birthplace, the Isle Of
Man, or indeed his
current home Salt
Spring Island. Either
way, a visit to Harrys
mystic shores will be
time well spent

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 43

Music Tech G&B.indd 1

12.07.2013 09:28:06

Mus

8:06

Music Tech G&B.indd 2

12.07.2013 09:28:30

ELECTRIC GUITAR

499 REVIEW

GIBSON

FACTFILE
GIBSON SGJ

DESCRIPTION: Solidbody
guitar. Made in the USA
PRICE: 499

SGJ

BUILD: Mahogany body,

maple set neck with
rosewood fingerboard with
24 medium jumbo frets.
Tune-O-Matic bridge and
tailpiece, Kluson Deluxe
vintage-style tuners
ELECTRICS: Twin Modern
Classic humbuckers (490T
neck, 490R bridge), twin
volume and tone controls,
three-way selector switch
LEFT-HANDERS: Yes
FINISH: Chocolate
(reviewed), cherry, rubbed
vintage burst, trans white

How much? And the real thing? Gibsons new strippeddown SG offers the promise of genuine rocking thrills for
remarkably little outlay. Review by Martyn Casserly

here are some words that

you just dont expect to
see alongside each other.
Reality TV and quality are
a few, Edward Snowden and fair trial
are more, but two that nary grace a
well-constructed sentence are Gibson
and cheap unless you also add the
words Mel, takes, and a shot into
the mix, maybe with a dash of drunken
outburst for good measure. So it was
with tremulous fingers that we unzipped
the padded gigbag and withdrew from
its white, soft padded interior the rarest
of creations... the SGJ.
In these bleak financial days it
feels odd to think that it would be
Gibson that held out its hands to the
struggling artists of the world and said
here, impoverished minstrels were
paraphrasing, obviously take these
wondrous tools of musichood and do
glorious battle against community
choirs and tightly-choreographed boy
bands. But thats exactly what theyve
done... except for all the words.
The SGJ is the spiritual successor
to the classic Junior models that have
graced Gibson catalogues for over half
a century. The stripped-back, no-frills
approach is evident throughout the
design, but the real eye-catcher is the
price less than 499 on the street. In
the past weve had a few issues with
the less-expensive Gibson offerings,
many of them suffering from sharp-

Maple neck is
stained to match
the mahogany body

Black-keyed Kluson
machineheads are a
quality touch

The SGJ is the spiritual successor to the

Junior models that have graced Gibson
catalogues for over half a century
edged frets or dry boards that made the
playing experience less than stellar. Of
course these could be addressed by a bit
of handiwork or a decent setup, but it
shouldnt take that much effort to turn
a pricey guitar into an enjoyably usable
instrument. The SGJ is a different beast:
it looks fantastic, plays beautifully, and
sounds like a Gibson in all departments.
So how has the Kalamazoo company
managed such a feat? Well, first,
its eschewed expensive paint jobs,

SCALE LENGTH:
630mm/24.75"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 42mm
12th fret 52mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 24mm
12th fret 26mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 35mm
Bridge 50mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 2.0mm
12th fret bass 3.0mm
WEIGHT: 3.17kg/7lbs
CONTACT: Gibson Europe
0031 347 324010
www.gibson.com

pickguards or trapezoid fret markers,

instead covering the mahogany body
with choice of stained wood colourings
this one is chocolate protected by
a thin grain-textured nitrocellulose
lacquer. Gibson call this a worn-look
finish and theres no doubt that after
a few hard gigs there will be some
nicks and dents but thats personality
over resale value. Closer inspection
reveals that the body is made up of at
least three pieces of mahogany,
SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 47

ELECTRIC GUITAR

REVIEW 499
Like this?
Try this...
Vintage
VS6 Icon
Trevor Wilkinson has been
working marvels with his
low-cost Vintage range for
years now and this
distressed SG clone is
another treasure to add to
the collection
RRP:329

PRS
Santana SE
Carlos himself moved from
a Gibson to a PRS and
helped launch the brand.
The current SE model is a
tribute to his decision
RRP:749

TOKAI
USG85
One of the original tribute
manufacturers, Tokai still
makes good versions of
classic designs, with its
SG-inspired USG85 being
a class act
RRP:780

probably recycling offcuts from the

more expensive models, and we think
this is great. Not only does the guitar
sound big and hold sustain impressively
well, but it also means that the
production is environmentally friendly,
or at least friendlier, which is important
as supplies of many wood types begin
to dwindle.
The maple neck is carved into a
rounded 50s profile thats glued into
the body at the 19th fret. This means
you have unfettered access to the
dusty end in classic SG fashion, and can
widdle away for hours until the local
cats rally together and take you down in
a maelstrom of claws and teeth. Before
the feline deluge youll also appreciate
the 24 medium jumbo frets that give the
rosewood fingerboard a spacious and
comfortable action, perfect for rhythm
or lead gymnastics.
Visually theres an air of menace
about the SGJ. The darker-toned wood
is matched by the two humbuckers that
at first glance look like EMGs or some
other variant of active pickup thanks to
their black plastic covers. In actuality
they are a pair of Modern Classic nonactive buckers with a 490T at the neck
and 490R in the bridge position. These
are voiced to perform as slightly hotter
PAF-style pickups, which they certainly

A stop tail, a Tune-O-Matic

bridge and covered Modern
Classic humbuckers

do. The rest of the hardware is standard

fare, with a Tune-O-Matic bridge and
tailpiece, a three-way switch and twin
controls for the pickups. Even the tuners
are Kluson-branded vintage-style ones
rather than the nameless wonders that
can be employed to cut costs.

Sounds
With all the rock and roll vibe emanating
from the SGJ its hugely tempting to
slam on the overdrive and break out
your best Angus Young chops, but that

The Gibson SGJ is a road warrior built

to be used, abused, then used again
because you had so much fun last time

Satin-faced headstock, a black

Plek-cut corian nut and a real
rosewood fingerboard

48 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

would be missing out on a significant

part of the guitars arsenal. Played clean
the SGJ is a sweet, sweet instrument.
The neck pickup is warm but retains
a definite edge that rewards fingers
rather than plectrums for Hendrix-style
melodic chordal techniques. Jazz chords
get you into Robbie Krieger territory,
which isnt surprising as he was one of
the many that fell under the SGs charm.
Of course you can only resist so long
before the urge to rock out overcomes
you, and as you might expect the SGJ
is ready and willing to play. Keeping
the overdrive to a reasonable level
and sticking on the neck pickup finds
long, fuzzy sustaining tones that
hark back to Clapton and Santana in
their heyday. Switching to the bridge
increases the focus and bite, so AC/DC
and Stereophonics riffs appear as if by
magic from your fingers. Load up the
gain to sillyville and the pickups retain
good clarity while delivering some
crunching power chords and deeply
satisfying lead tones. It can get a little

messy down low, but a quick adjustment

on the volume control sorts that out
without any fuss.

Verdict
The SG has always been a favourite of
ours thanks to its aggressive tone,
drop-dead gorgeous looks, and
lightweight frame. The SGJ retains most
of those qualities, but adds a sense of
modernity that will sit better with
todays players. At the price, were not
entirely sure how Gibson has managed
to make an instrument this good. Sure,
a full-blown SG is smarter, sounds more
refined, and will sell on for a good deal
more, but that requires that you look
after your investment. The SGJ is built to
be used, abused, then used again
because you had so much fun the last
time. Its a road warrior that will age
quickly due to the thin finish, and look
all the better for it. Actually the only
thing that looks or feels cheap are the
top hat knobs, which you can change for
next to nothing. With Gibson also
making an LPJ as part of this 2013 range
celebrating the Year of Les Paul, were
left wondering whether theyve made a
mistake; when you can get something
this good for this little, why would you
spend more? The SGJ is probably only
going to be around for a limited time, so
go out right now and buy one. Youll
have to get in the queue behind us.

FINAL SCORE
GIBSON SGJ
Build Quality

18 / 20

Playability

18 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

19 / 20

Looks

18 /20

TOTAL

91%

ELECTRIC GUITAR

429 REVIEW

DIVILL BY ITALIA
F100 & M100

Italia, purveyor of all that is kitsch and kooky, has spawned

a compact range of guitars under a sister brand, all costing
just a little less dosh. Review by Richard Purvis

esigned by a Brit, made in

the Far East yet named after
a funny little country on the
other side of France, Italia
guitars have a deserved reputation for
nostalgic frolics with an underpinning
of modern practicality and solid
construction. Now the company
has that ultimate badge of big-time
respectability: the brand within a
brand. The instruments on test today
are two of a new three-guitar range
bearing the words DiVill by Italia on
their headstocks. They look a lot like
Italias, really neither quirkier nor
more traditional and are even built in
the same factory, but toning down the
kitschy opulence has enabled them to
be priced a little bit more affordably.
Peculiar name, isnt it? Its
significance may be a secret known
only to Trev Wilkinson, the designer
behind Fret-King, Vintage and the
Wilkinson aftermarket parts empire.
Both review guitars are solidbodies with
bolt-on necks and some discreet but
unmistakable flourishes of Wilkinson
design, most notably in the nibbled by a
leopard scratchplate shapes. They both
look pretty cool, but not in a way thats
going to make granny fall off the settee.
The headstock shapes nod
emphatically in the direction of the
parent company, though gig punters
wont actually be able to see the by
Italia part unless theyre close enough
to risk having a few teeth removed

The F100 shares a

headstock design
with the Italia
Modulo and
Modena

Two DVS single

coils in the
middle and neck
positions

FACTFILE
DIVILL F100

DESCRIPTION:
Solidbody electric guitar.
Made in Korea
PRICE: 429
BUILD: Agathis body, bolt-on
maple neck, 22-fret
rosewood fingerboard,
roller-saddle bridge and
vibrato tailpiece
ELECTRICS: One humbucker
and two single-coil pickups,
five-way switch, master
volume and tone controls
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISH: Heritage burst (as
reviewed), vintage white
SCALE LENGTH:
648mm/25.5"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 42.5mm
12th fret 51.5mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 21mm
12th fret 22.5mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 35mm
Bridge 51mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 1.5mm
12th fret bass 1.5mm
WEIGHT: 3.4kg/7.5lbs
CONTACT:JHS
0113 286 5381
www.jhs.co.uk
www.italiaguitars.com

Both these DiVills have bolt-on necks

and carry discreet but unmistakable
flourishes of Trevor Wilkinson design
when you turn round to shout at the
bassist. The DiVill name itself is quite
hard to see anyway on the F100,
because its been applied in gold on
maple without a black border.

F100
This guitar is only 20 cheaper than
its closest equivalent in the Italia
line, so were not expecting it to be
a cruddy little plank with all the fun
squeezed out. It certainly looks Italian,

with distinct echoes of the Eko 700

and other lost gems of the 60s. The
vibrato tailpiece looks uncannily like a
Jazzmaster unit, the bridge humbucker
has the 3+3 screw arrangement familiar
to all Tele Deluxe owners, and the
plastic-covered single-coil pickups
could have hopped right off a Mustang.
The scale length is Fenders favoured
25.5" and in fact its only the bridge, a
tunomatic type with roller saddles to
aid tuning stability, that points to

Like this?
Try this...
ITALIA
Modulo Tipo 3
Crazily retro styling,
including the worlds
coolest scratchplate, on a
three-pickup solidbody
with a P90 at the bridge
RRP: 449

EKO
Vintage 700
Revival of a 60s Italian
classic that looks even
more wacky than the
Modulo; see also the
Camaro, sadly not
available in the UK
RRP: 345

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 51

ELECTRIC GUITAR

REVIEW 429

A vibrato closely modelled

on the Fender Jazzmaster
provides subtle wobbles

Mixing singles and humbuckers is

always a risky enterprise because the
need for tonal compromise means one
or the other can easily end up being too
bright or too dark, but the F100 walks
the line confidently and offers a good
range of usable tones. It would be nice
to hear the bridge pickup coil-tapped,
especially in partnership with the
neck unit for some Jazzmaster-esque
sweetness, but theres no such jiggerypokery available in the stripped-down
DiVill range. The whammy bar doesnt
do Jazzmaster tricks either, because
of that non-rocking bridge, but it can
manage gentle Bigsby shimmers and
even flatten down by a fourth or so if
you really hammer it, and the roller
saddles help it return to tune with
impressive precision.

M100

The F100s single coils offer fresh and

snappy sounds, while the humbucker is
a pretty chunky slab of sonic beef
any other obvious influence. Overall,
the guitar has been put together
with impressive attention to detail
and then finished immaculately in
a red-to-orange sunburst that Italia
calls heritage burst. The F100 comes
equipped with master volume and tone
controls plus a blade-style five-way
pickup switch. The body is made of two
pieces of agathis and the neck is satinfinished maple, with a dark rosewood
fretboard and 22 frets. Jam it in as
hard as you like, but the vibrato arm
will work itself loose eventually; other
than that, though, this seems to be an
issue-free guitar. It certainly doesnt
feel expensive but it doesnt feel like a
throwaway budget model either, thanks
in large part to the neatly-dressed frets.

Sounds
The dynamic shape might suggest one
of Fenders offset-waist models, but
pickups are king, and in this case if
only because of how many there are
and where theyve been sited along
the string length theyre taking us
into Stratocaster territory. The F100 is
agreeably light and breezy in feel and
acoustic tone, and both single-coils
offer fresh and snappy sounds. Digging
in brings out a nice natural snarl, and
the in-between positions offer plenty of
that infamous out-of-phase cluck.
Middle and bridge is a touch darker
than middle and neck not surprising
as the humbucker on its own is a pretty
chunky slab of sonic beef. This is the
place to go for solidity and lots of added
aggression in the upper mids, but while
lead players will quite rightly be rushing
to slam that switch to the back position
in advance of every trip up the neck, its
worth pointing out that the single-coils
overdrive nicely too.

FINAL SCORE
DIVILL F100

The M100 has an

agathis body and a
bolt-on mahogany neck

52 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Build Quality

18 / 20

Playability

18 / 20

Sound

17 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

89%

Playing spot the influence is not

so easy with the M100, whose most
striking characteristic is a blue sparkle
finish that recalls the Bay of Naples
shimmering under an August sun
either that, or a gaudy dress on Strictly
Come Dancing. It has the same rough
outline as the Italia Maranello, but with
a proper cutaway on the treble side and
without the Hagstrom-style plastic bits.
Like the F100 its made of agathis with
a bolt-on neck, but this model takes a
few steps towards the Gibson tradition
most clearly with the twin humbuckers
and bridge/tailpiece arrangement, but
also with the neck material (mahogany)
and the slightly shorter 25" scale.
Build quality is sound again, though
microscopic inspection reveals some
scruffy unsanded timber beneath the
lip of the rosewood fretboard. The
neck feels maybe a tiny fraction more
chubby than that of the other guitar
but its still eminently graspable and
again the fretting is excellent, making
it a supremely easy player all round.
The Grover-type tuners work smoothly
and theres no sign of badly cut saddles
or nut slots. Inexpensive guitars really
arent what they used to be and
hallelujah to that.

Sounds
This ones not as naturally ringy as
the F100, perhaps because of the
shorter scale length, but the acoustic
tone promises plenty of fullness and
warmth. The first strum when plugged
into a clean amp quickly confirms that
impression if it were any more full and
warm, youd be able to dunk biscuits in
it. The other side of that coin, however,
is that theres not a great deal of

Lose Yourself.

The clearing up after the night before. The emails. The gardening. It can all wait.
Life, in fact, can wait.
You know how a great acoustic guitar can take you away from it all. Find
out more about the SE Angelus and how you could win time in a professional
recording studio at www.prsguitarseurope.com.

PRS Guitars Europe

+44 1223 874301
info@prsguitarseurope.com
www.prsguitarseurope.com
Twitter @prsguitarseuro
Facebook prsguitarseurope

Martin Huch
angelus_A4.indd 1

21/05/2013 16:16

ELECTRIC GUITAR

REVIEW 399

Two chrome-covered,
scratchplate-mounted
high-output DVH buckers

FACTFILE
DIVILL M100

DESCRIPTION:
Solidbody electric guitar.
Made in Korea
PRICE: 399
BUILD: Agathis body, bolt-on
mahogany neck, 22-fret
rosewood fingerboard,
tunomatic bridge and
stopbar tailpiece
ELECTRICS: Two humbucking
pickups, three-way switch,
master volume and tone
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISH: Metallic blue (as
reviewed), satin black
SCALE LENGTH:
636mm/25"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 43mm
12th fret 52mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 21mm
12th fret 23.5mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 35mm
Bridge 51mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 1.75mm
12th fret bass 2mm
WEIGHT: 3.1kg/6.8lbs

With a Tube Screamer the M100 makes

a decent stab at classic crunch, while a
Rat reveals its calling as a rock machine

CONTACT:JHS
0113 286 5381
www.jhs.co.uk
www.italiaguitars.com

Like this?
Try this...
Italia
Maranello Speedster 2
Korina-bodied punk
machine with two
humbuckers, a wraparound
bridge/tailpiece and
strum-faster stripes
RRP: 529

CUSTOM 77
Lust For Life
Gold-plated hardware adds
a whiff of glamour to this
French-designed,
Korean-made rock axe
RRP: 915

top-end zing, and clean sounds on the

middle pickup setting are a little lacking
in the twinkly character youd get at
similar amp settings using, for example,
a standard-spec SG. You could say its
more like a Les Paul with the maple cap
missing. Having said that, single notes
can sound very nice indeed, with just
enough clarity at the top and a right old
thump at the bottom.
What the M100 is really begging for
is a bit of overdrive ideally something
that will add an element of bark to the
upper mids while thinning out the low
end. As it happens, thats exactly why
God created the Tube Screamer, and a
little green box is just what this guitar
needs to fulfil its real potential. Chords
can still get swampy if youre not
careful but what we have on our hands

now is a very decent stab at classic

humbucker crunch and thats equally
true in all three pickup positions, from
smooth and jazzy at the neck to raw and
growly at the bridge.
Things get even better when you
trade in that Screamer for the full-on
fizz of a higher-gain distortion unit
such as a Rat. Now the M100s
true calling as a rock machine is
revealed: it revels in executing
chunky power chords at one end
of the neck and authoritative
lead runs at the other. For soloing
work it doesnt sound massively
different to the other DiVill when you
skip from one to the other with both
set to the bridge pickup, but the added
low-frequency content is still apparent
even with gain at levels bordering on
the irresponsible.

Verdict

Kidney-buttoned
chrome machines
take care of tuning

54 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Well, the first thing to say is that both of

these guitars are quite nice. Theyre not
offering anything wildly individualistic
in terms of sound, but each does a
conventional job in a nicely
unconventional-looking way. If youre
looking for an affordable guitar with
two single coils and a humbucker at the
bridge, the F100 has to be a viable
alternative to the thousands of copycat
models out there; and if youre after a
Gibson-type solidbody with the
emphasis on low-end thump, and dont
require bright and breezy cleans, then
the M100 is an equally serious

contender. The third model in the line,

incidentally, is the B100: another
offset-waist design, but this time with a
P90 at the neck and a Firebird-type
mini-humbucker at the bridge an
arrangement that seems to work well
enough for Neil Young. That one comes
in light blue or metallic orange and is
surely worth checking out too.

FINAL SCORE
DIVILL M100
Build Quality

18 / 20

Playability

18 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Looks

17 / 20

TOTAL

87%

Martin Huch

GUITAR AMPS

899 REVIEW

BLACKSTAR

FACTFILE
ARTISAN 15

DESCRIPTION: Handwired
15/5W 1x12" combo with
Celestion G12M speaker
PRICE: 899

Artisan 15 & HT Stage 60

VALVES: One ECC83, one

EF86, two EL84s, one EZ81
CONTROLS Volume and Tone
for each channel

Valves are the name of the game with both these Blackstar amps, but
one is aiming for purity and simplicity while the other is gunning for
more power and versatility at a great price. Review by Huw Price

lackstar makes an amp to suit

just about anybody, and this
month were taking a close
look at two very different
models: a 15W handwired 1x12" combo
and a much larger and more complex
60W 1x12" combo.

CONTACT: Blackstar
01604 652 844
www.blackstaramps.co.uk

One of the Artisans EL84s

can be disabled to lower
the power from 15W to 5W

Artisan 15
As 15W amps go, this one is pretty
large. The finger-jointed birch plywood
cabinet houses a single Celestion G12M
greenback speaker, but theres almost
enough room inside for two. First
impressions are good: you could spend
several hours playing spot the joins in
the burgundy tolex, as the finish is so
good it almost looks shrink-wrapped.
Cosmetics are important, of course,
but its what is on the inside that
really counts. This amp is the real
deal because it features turret board
construction, just like a vintage Hiwatt
or Marshall amp. Even the control panel
has a classy, bespoke look. There arent
many controls to worry about, because
Blackstar has only allocated a volume
and tone knob to each of the two
channels. However, the preamp circuits
are quite different: Ch1 is built around
an ECC83 valve, while Ch2 has an EF86.
Both channels feed a pair of EL84 power
valves, one of which can be switched
out of circuit to drop the output power

The Artisan 15 is certainly loud enough

for a pub or club gig, and the tone is
equally delicious clean and dirty
from 15 to five watts. In other words,
this power stage provides push-pull and
single-ended options.
Most of us will be familiar with
ECC83s (aka 12AX7s) in guitar amps,
and Ch1 has a lot in common with the
original Marshall 18W/WEM Dominator
design. Although frequently found
in microphones, mic preamps and
hi-fi amps, EF86s are somewhat less

FINAL SCORE
ARTISAN 15
Build Quality

20/20

Versatility

15 / 20

Sound

19 / 20

Value for money

19 / 20

Vibe

19/ 20

TOTAL

92%
SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 57

GUITAR AMP

REVIEW 899

Simple Volume and Tone controls

for each channel, plus two inputs
one flat, one with 6dB extra

Like this?
Try this...
Vox
AC15HW1
Handwired 15W combo with
1x12" Celestion G12M, three
ECC83/12AX7 preamp
tubes, two EL84 power amp
tubes, EZ81 rectifier tube,
plus High and Low inputs
for the Normal and Top
Boost channels
RRP: 882

Marshall
1974
Marshalls authentic
reissue of its 1974 combo
from the late 60s features
handwired tagboard
construction, two channels,
a valve-driven tremolo
circuit, three ECC83s, an
EZ81 rectifier and a pair of
cathode biased EL84s in
the power stage
RRP: 1350

65 Amps
Lil Elvis
Apparently rooted in some
lost designs from the early
60s best designer, the Lil
Elvis has a dual EL84 power
section, a 12AX7 front end
and a clean output of 12W
and 65s Master Voltage
power technology that
attenuates the output down
to 2W. Other features
include a passive FX loop,
two speaker outs and a
unique tremolo
RRP: 1999

common in guitar amps. In contrast

to the ECC83, the EF86 is single
pentode rather than a dual triode. The
advantages are even higher gain and
low noise, but finding EF86s that have
low enough microphony to deal with
the vibrations found in guitar amps
isnt especially easy (in fact some of the
original Mullards are the worst, so NOS
enthusiasts beware). Even so, Vox used
EF86s in various AC4s, 10s, 15s and even
the early AC30s. Modern manufacturers
who have rediscovered this valve
include Matchless and 65 Amps. Despite
having a standby switch, the Artisan 15
also has an EZ81 valve rectifier.
Each channel has two inputs offering
high and low sensitivity. Both first
inputs provide 6dB of extra gain, so this
is the one Blackstar recommends for
regular guitar connections, while the
second input may be preferred for high
output pickup systems and effects units.
You can also use a patch cable to link
the two channels.

Sounds
The Artisan 15 is loud for a 15-watter;
you could certainly use one for a club or
pub gig, and even in 5W mode its not
exactly a practice amp. Nevertheless,

58 Guitar & Bass SEPTMEBER 2013

The HT Stage 60 is almost the polar

opposite of the Artisan 15, with three
channels, a full EQ and digital reverb
the tone is equally delicious clean
and dirty. Ch1 has a throaty midrange
with chewy lows and plenty of touch
compression. Ch2 is hardly dissimilar
after all, they both drive the same
power stage and speaker but this
second channel has more gain and a
hint of glassy chime in the treble region.
Instead of becoming harsh as you crank
the volume controls, the Artisan 15s
midrange gains girth to catch up with
the treble frequencies, so you might end
up backing the tone control off more at
half volume than at full volume.
Single-ended mode is a little less
bright than push-pull, but the decrease
in dynamic response is more noticeable.
This isnt a bad thing because you can
switch to 5W for a smoother, more
compressed feel. On the 15W setting the
Artisan is livelier, more percussive and
touch-sensitive. While not especially
loud, the clean tones sparkle and
chime. The Artisan 15 also has a way of
enhancing the subtler characteristics of

a guitar without being bright or clinical.

Theres a gradual shift into overdrive
thats very controllable, and it cleans up
superbly from the guitar. At full whack,
especially with both channels linked,
this amp delivers thunderously heavy
chords, while single notes bloom into
glorious harmonic overtones.

HT Stage 60
The Stage 60 is almost the polar
opposite of the Artisan 15. This is a
medium-power combo with three
channels, a full EQ, digital reverb, a
master volume and only one input.
Rather than allowing you to sculpt your
sound via selecting different pickups,
pedals or even choosing different
guitars, the Stage 60 provides the tools
you need to dial up all manner of tones
straight from the control panel.
Ch1 is designated for clean tones,
and the controls are relatively simple.
Volume combines with Bass and Treble,
and these controls work in conjunction

www.headstockdistribution.com

GUITAR AMP

REVIEW 749

Three channels means a lot of

knobs, but the Stage 60 takes
little time to learn to navigate

FACTFILE
HT STAGE 60

DESCRIPTION: 60W 2x12

valve combo with Celestion
speakers, effects loop,
simulated speakers output
with cabinet switch
PRICE: 749
VALVES: 2 x ECC83s,
2 x EL34s
CONTROLS Volume, Bass,
Treble & Voice (Ch1), Gain,
Volume & Voice (Ch2), Gain,
Volume & Voice (Ch3), Bass,
Middle, Treble & ISF
(Channels 2 & 3), Reverb
Level, Resonance, Presence
and Volume
CONTACT: 01604 652 844
www.blackstaramps.co.uk

Like this?
Try this...
Fender
Hot Rod DeVille III
Three 12AX7s and two 6L6s
generate 60W for two 12"
Celestion G12P-80
speakers. Three channels
(normal, drive, more drive),
external speaker out and
FX loop. With two button
footswitch and cover
RRP: 808

EVH
5150 III
Eddie Van Halen 50W
combo with two JJ 6L6s and
seven JJ ECC83, two
Celestion G12M speakers,
three channels, FX loop,
reverb, headphone out,
two speaker outs with
impedance switch (4,8 & 16
Ohms). With footswitch
RRP: 1159

Egnater
Renegade 212
65W tube combo with a
Celestion Elite-100 and a
Celestion Vintage 30. Six
12AX7s, two 6L6s and two
EL34s. Two channels, an
18W/65W switch, and Tube
Mix to blend the 6L6 and
EL34 valves. Individual
reverb controls, main and
secondary Master Volumes,
Bias Adjust, balanced XLR
cabinet-voiced Line/
Recording Output
RRP: 1120

with a Voice switch. Boutique voicing

focuses on the middle and top end,
with the power amplifier damping
configured to simulate a traditional
Class A tone. Modern voicing provides
extra bass response with a tighter Class
AB style power amp response.
Channels 2 and 3 both have
independent Gain and Volume controls
plus Voice switches. For Channel 2,
Voice switches between Classic and
Modern; on Channel 3 the Classic
setting resembles Ch2s, but some
gain is added. The other voicing adds
mid-band gain to give the overdrive
sound more body and a smoother
overdrive characteristic. Channels Two
and Three arent entirely independent,
mind, because they share an EQ section
comprising Bass, Middle and Treble.
Theres also Blackstars patented ISF
feature. Put very simply, many modern
rock amps are categorised as having
British or American sonic signatures,
and the ISF control is designed to shift
the response of the tone circuit in order
to achieve both from a single amp.
The manual suggests using the Bass,
Middle and Treble to get your basic
sound, then fine-tuning the tone using
the ISF control. Counter-clockwise
gives you the American side and
Clockwise provides British and since
this is a rotary control, you can set ISF
anywhere in between.
Presence provides even more control
over the overall treble response of the
A pair of 12" Celestions
provide the Stage 60
with some serious welly

Stage 60, and the Resonance control

adjusts the bass response. Further
features include an effects loop with
switchable -10dB and +4dB settings
and a simulated speaker output with
a Cabinet switch which can mimic the
response of 4x12" closed-back or 1x12"
open-back cabinets.

Sounds
The HT Stage 60 is a very powerful
amp, so loud clean tones are well within
Ch1s capabilities. The tone controls
provide ample adjustment, but setting
Resonance is key to getting the best
out of this channel. When set low the
transients can be a tad stiff and spiky,
but dialling Resonance up softens the
attack and provides an easier, more
compressed feel. It also fattens the
lows, so you may need to roll back the
Bass control. All in all, it appears to
behave like a negative feedback control.
Channel 1 is the best place to look
for classic overdrive, which comes
on progressively and of course can
be kept under control using the main
output volume. The voicing switch
also has a strong influence on the
midrange flavour and clean headroom.
Encompassing country, funk, surf,
jangle and bluesy overdrive, the clean
channel is no mere afterthought.
Channel 2 has a very wide gain range
with a throaty bark that resembles
the rock response of British classics
over several decades. Channel 3 ramps

up the aggression, with extra bite in

the upper mids and a harder, more
contemporary edge. Again the voicing
switches are effective, and on Ch3 the
midrange can be fattened up with an
accompanying gain boost for a fantastic
soloing/shredding tone.
The main feature that sets Channels 2
and 3 apart from many similar products
is the way that focus and note definition
is always maintained regardless of
the gain level. We didnt notice any of
the odd, beating harmonics that seem
to occur with lesser high gain amps.
Whether set for blues rock, classic
metal or modern crunch, both these
channels sound convincing. The ISF
feature certainly does its job and it
complements rather than conflicts with
the regular tone controls.

Verdict
The Artisan 15 is a fabulous-sounding
amp and it seems designed to bring out
the best from a guitar you really like,
rather than twisting and turning it into
anything you want. Even so, if you
accept that there is such a thing as
boutique tone, the Artisan 15 has it in
spades. The HT Stage 60 has a copious
number of controls but its easy to
operate and it delivers usable sounds
pretty much however you set it, with
surely enough volume and tonal range
for any gigging guitarist. Were
impressed that any manufacturer can
produce amps that represent such
wildly different design philosophies with
equal aplomb. No wonder that so many
top artists are now using them.

FINAL SCORE
HT STAGE 60

60 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Build Quality

17 / 20

Versatility

20/20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

19 / 20

Vibe

18/ 20

TOTAL

92%

THIS IS THE SOUND

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PINO PALLADINO
The Who February 6, 2013
Jobing.com Arena, Phoenix, Ariz.

Martin Huch
2013 Fender Amps Palladino UK 210x297mm[3mbld].indd 1

05/06/2013 12:56

Tape-sTyle eCHO
sTOMpBOX ROundup
Few things sound as fabulous as real old-fashioned tape delays with their gritty lo-fi
repeats, pitch fluctuations and unique boost capabilities but theyre big and can be
noisy and fiddly to maintain. Can any modern box sound the same? Huw Price finds out

rom the Ray Butts-designed EchoSonic

of Scotty Moore fame, to the Echoplexes,
Echolettes and WEM Copicats of the 60s,
to Roland Space Echoes and beyond,
some of the finest delay sounds in popular music
relied upon low-tech tape technology. Tapeaholics,
alas, tend to live a life of constant tweaking in their
search that sound but now the tide may finally
be turning. Digital audio was once purported to
be about clarity and cleanliness, but designers

62 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

seem to have realised that musicians do not assess

audio on the basis of dry technical standards of
quality. Irony of ironies, the current thrust of
DSP technology seems to be directed towards
mimicking and recreating analogue quirks with
an almost obsessive attention to detail. In fact,
theyre getting so good at it that many diehard
traditionalists are at last retiring their old tape
echoes and going over to the digital side with
specialist stompboxes. After all, if you can access

the same tonal qualities and special features

like tape warble, multiple heads and lo-fi sonics
without needing to de-magnetise heads, clean the
tape path or change tape loops, then why not?
Best of all, your echo pedal can sit on a board
rather than perching precariously on top of your
amp, obstructing access to the controls. Web
forums buzz with discussions about which pedals
do tape delay best, so we thought a roundup
article was the best way to find it out for ourselves.

tape-style
Echo PEdalS

Carl Martin
Delayla
at a glance
RRP: 279.99
coNTRolS: Echo, Tap, Time,
Repeat & Tap (switch)
EXTRa FEaTURES: Second
playback head
coNTacT: First Line
01626 853876
www.carlmartin.com

wo features make the

delayla stand out from
all the other pedals in this
roundup it has a cable with
a three-prong mains plug coming out of
the enclosure, and the delay circuitry is
apparently analogue rather than digital.
dont be fooled by the Tap
footswitch, though, because its not
a tap tempo feature; for that, youll
need to step up to the larger and
more expensive delayla Xl. Tap
actually refers to the delaylas second
tap feature that simulates a second
playback head. an accompanying Tap
control shifts the balance of the echo
sound from the first to the second
head. This works in conjunction with
the echo level control. The delay time is
set using a control knob too, and Repeat
sets the number of echoes.
The delaylas dry signal has a very
slightly smooth and refined sound
quality. Since the circuitry is analogue,
ultra-long delay times were never really

on the cards, so this pedal is really

about shorter echoes particularly
slapback. Its nice to hear a bit of
grittiness getting into the sound as the
echoes die away, and the delaylas
overall vibe is warm and full-bodied.
Its certainly reminiscent of tape echo,
but theres no pitch modulation to
seal the deal. on the other hand there
are no noise issues, and the delaylas
limitations are in some way its strength
because its more of a set-and-forget
kind of a pedal.
The tap function is interesting,
adding an extra dose of ambience when
required. It also shifts the rhythmic
character from straight repeats to a
triplet feel that proved to be a lot of fun
and inspired us to play in different ways.
The onboard transformer and power
supply rectification require a lot of
components to be squeezed into this
pedal so the enclosure is fairly large,
and theyve chosen to go upwards
rather than outwards. We think its the

right decision because it takes up no

more space than usual on a pedalboard
and the 6cm height means you can
place it in the back row and still have
good access to the footswitches.

fiNal score
caRl MaRTIN dElaYla
Build Quality

18 / 20

Versatility

14 / 20

Sound

17 / 20

Value for money

15 / 20

Looks

16/ 20

ToTal

80%

DaneleCtro
reel echo
at a glance
RRP: 169
coNTRolS: Mix, Lo-Fi,
Repeats, Tone, Warble &
Speed Range
EXTRa FEaTURES:
Sound On Sound
coNTacT: JHS
01132 865 381
www.jhs.co.uk

ot content with trying to

make the Reel Echo sound
like a tape delay, the
danelectro dudes have tried
to make it look like one too. Measuring
24cm by 16cm, this is one for larger
pedalboards or sparsely populated
smaller ones. The sliding Speed Range
control (0ms1500ms) works just like
an Echoplex the original idea being
that varying the distance between the
record and playback head was a more
effective way to set the delay time than
using multiple fixed heads or varying
the tape speed.
The metal knobs look like tape spool
hubs, the switches feel substantial,
and the two mini jewel lights look
tremendous. Variable treble roll-off
comes courtesy of a lo-Fi control, and
a Warble switch activates a hint of
pitch modulation. Theres a Solid State/
Tube switch that adds some midrange
fatness while rolling off a small amount
of treble, plus a second footswitch to

activate the Sound on Sound feature.

Its far from intuitive; to get SoS
working the Repeat knob must be
turned fully up and lo-Fi turned all the
way down. hit the Echo switch, record
a note or chord, adjust the slider to the
desired tempo then hit the SoS button
and you can improvise over the top.
The Reel Echo has a wide range of
features and the sound more than holds
its own. The issue is the noise level.
Its adequate if youre dialling in a hint
of slapback, in fact its excellent, but
longer delay times and higher level
settings for the repeats reveal the hiss
a lot more. Youll also notice the noise
gradually building in intensity when

using SoS. The noise is lower than most

tape echo machines but higher than you
might expect these days and perhaps
betrays the fact that the Reel Echo is
now showing its age. Even so, within its
limitations it still does a fantastic job.

fiNal score
daNElEcTRo REEl Echo
Build Quality

15 / 20

Versatility

16 / 20

Sound

15 / 20

Value for money

16 / 20

Looks

18/ 20

ToTal

80%

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 63

lE
tapE-styLS
ECHO PEDA

EmprEss EffEcts
tape Delay
at a glance
RRP: 229
CONTROLS: Mix, D Time/
Ratio, Feedback, Output
with switches for Tape Age,
Delay Time, Filter &
Modulation
EXTRA FEATURES: Tap tempo,
storable presets, buffered/
true bypass & pitch shifting
time changes
CONTACT: Tone World
0161 605 0871
www.empresseffects.com

ith its analogue dry

signal path the Empress
Tape Delay matches the
DeLayla in the straightahead sonics department, but Empress
have managed to squeeze around four
times the degree of functionality into
a box thats half the size. This is where
things get really serious for serious tape
echo enthusiasts.
Starting with the delay time, it can
be set in three ways. With the Delay
Time toggle switch set to tap, the left
footswitch acts as a regular tap tempo
control. This works in conjunction with
the ratio side of the delay time/ratio
control. The control can be set so that
the resultant delay time is a ratio of 1:1,
2:3, 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4 of the tempo you tap
into it so a 2:1 ratio means that the
delay time will be twice as fast as the
tempo tapped.
The Delay Time toggle switch can also
be set to slow or fast, which allows
the delay time/ratio control to be used

to set the delay time in the

conventional way. The Mix and
Feedback controls perform
their usual functions, but the
output control can also provide
plenty of clean boost. The Tape
Age switch on the left has three
settings new, vintage and
old. New provides clean full
frequency echoes, while old adds wow
and flutter. Vintage has more rolled-off
highs and extra compression.
The three-position Filter switch is
labelled hp, none and lp, and it can
attenuate the low or high frequency
content of the echoes. Lastly, the
degree of modulation can be set to
little, lots or none at all, and the tap
footswitch and the toggle switches are
all dual-function. When the Tape Delay
is switched to advanced configuration
you can create and recall presets, select
buffered output or true bypass, and
choose smooth or pitch shifting delay
time transitions.

Empress says they spent over two

years painstakingly recreating some of
our favourite analogue tape machines.
It was time well spent; this pedal is a
gem. If youre familiar with the tape
echo vibe, youll feel right at home.

final score
EMPRESS EFFECTS TAPE DELAy
Build Quality

18 / 20

Versatility

19 / 20

Sound

19 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Vibe

18/ 20

TOTAL

92%

rolanD
rE-20

at a glance
RRP: 234
CONTROLS: Repeat Rate,
Intensity, Echo Volume,
Bass, Treble, Reverb
Volume, Mode Selector and
Input Volume
EXTRA FEATURES:
Tap tempo, reverb,
multiple tape heads
CONTACT: Roland UK
01792 702701
www.roland.co.uk

niquely in this review, Roland

actually has a manufacturing
heritage with genuine tape
echo machines most notably
the RE-201 and RE-301. In recent years
they have become equally well-known
for COSM digital modelling technology,
and the new RE-20 is re-imagining of
their iconic tape echo in stompbox form.
It also looks the part, because Roland
has replicated the original green and
black colour scheme on a brushed
metal plate. It would have been daft to
install an old-style Vu meter, but theres
a red peak level indicator set into an
authentic metal surround along with an
input volume control.
The echo controls are Repeat Rate,
Intensity and Echo Volume plus Bass
and Treble. The pedal even has the
rotary mode selector switch with four
repeat settings, seven reverb echo
settings, and a reverb-only mode. The
original version had a generally unloved
spring reverb but its included here too.

64 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

The housing is Rolands

standard twin-pedal metal
enclosure with a black crackle
finish. The left switch activates
the effect and the right switch
is designated for tap tempo and
twist (echo oscillation). Inputs
and outputs can be mono or stereo, and
a little switch removes the dry signal
from the output. An optional expression
pedal can be used to control repeat
rate, intensity echo level, and twist.
Due to a severe impedance mismatch
plugging a guitar directly into an
original Space Echo causes a severe
loss of treble, so you need a buffered
pedal in front. Theres no such problem
here. We have an original on hand to
compare, and this pedal sounds and
feels a lot like its predecessor. However,
Roland has been a bit conservative
with the input level; we couldnt get the
pedal to overdrive and compress like
the original; it certainly cant be used to
drive an amp, and you cant get those

chewy and fuzzy repeats. Roland did a

sterling job with the cleaner side, then,
but its a shame the RE-20 doesnt do
the boost thing and you cant get that
cool analogue overload. Even so, its
practical and well thought-out and it will
get you most of the way there.

final score
ROLAND RE-20
Build Quality

18 / 20

Versatility

19 / 20

Sound

17 / 20

Value for money

17 / 20

Vibe

17/ 20

TOTAL

88%

Guitarist371_Guitar and bass February 2013.qxd 10/07/2013 10:20 Page 1

Your Complete Music Store in Manchester, since 1857

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0161 834 3281 ext. 606 guitars@forsyths.co.uk

le
taPe-StyLS
ECHO PEDA

Skreddy PedalS
echo

at a glance
RRP: 199
CONTROLS: Repeats,
Mix, Time, Intensity & Rate
with trim pots for Warble
range & loop level
EXTRA FEATURES:
Parallel loop
CONTACT: Joes Pedals
07793 814123
www.skreddypedals.com

e absolutely love the

style of this pedal with its
retro green hammertone
finish and funky metal
knobs. However, a quick peek inside
suggests that the box is about twice as
tall as it needs to be. We had expected
to find a circuit board smothered in
epoxy resin to foil the copyists, but all
the components were there in plain
sight, including a cool little LED/LDR
combo used to create the warble effect.
This is another echo pedal focused
on sonics rather than features. Theres
no tap tempo and the main controls
are restricted to Repeats, Mix and
Time. As youve probably guessed, the
warble feature mimics wow and flutter
through the use of an oscillator. There
are controls for Intensity and Rate, and
a trim pot on the side sets the range of
the warble intensity control.
Unusually, the Skreddy is also
equipped with an effects loop along with
a loop level trim pot. Various effects

can be patched in here to alter

the sound of the echoes (Skreddy
recommend trying an MXR Phaser).
The trim control remains active
regardless of whether the loop is
being used. This allows you to deintensify the Mix control so you can
exploit its whole range more easily.
The Skreddys core tone has a
hazy, analogue quality, a bit fuzzy
around the edges and undeniably
like the sound of a genuine tape echo.
Some time does need to be spent finetuning the range trim to get the best out
of the warble feature. It can get quite
extreme in a fun sort of way, but used
subtly its influence on the echoes is lush
and pulsating, especially with longer
(up to 550ms) delay times. It doesnt do
pristine echo, but controllable feedback
is on the menu and theres plenty of
scope to explore psychedelic textures
or to lose yourself in rhythmic repeats.
Theres no boost or multiple head
simulation, but the Skreddy is simple

to operate and performs a range of

slapback to cathedral echo effects with
an analogue chewiness that few pedal
delays can match.

final score
SKREDDy ECHO
Build Quality

19 / 20

Versatility

15 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Vibe

18/ 20

TOTAL

88%

Strymon
el Capistan
at a glance
RRP: 279.95
CONTROLS:Time/Spring
Reverb, Tape Age/Low End
Contour, Repeats/Tape Bias,
Wow & Flutter/Tape Crinkle,
Mix/Boost/Cut
EXTRA FEATURES: Tap tempo
CONTACT: Music Psych Ltd
0207 6076005
www.strymon.net

his pedal, from the company

also known as Damage
Control, has been garnering
some pretty ecstatic reviews,
so we had been looking forward to
trying it out for a while. Its simple
and straightforward to operate, yet
only the Empress competes with the El
Capistans range of features.
The Time, Mix and Repeats knobs
are straightforward enough, but you
also get tape age and wow & flutter
controls. Unlike the switchable Empress
equivalents, these are continuously
variable. Theres tap tempo, of course,
and an ingenious simulation of three
virtual multiple heads. These have three
settings single, multi and fixed that
work with a three-way mode switch so
you can to use the heads individually
or in all possible combinations.
There are also hidden features
that simulate tape crinkle, tape bias,
low-end contour, spring reverb and
+/- 3dB level adjustment. Theres also

66 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

a sound-on-sound mode with instant

tape splice and bulk erase like a
tape-style looper. The single input
can be mono or stereo and there
are left/right outputs. The dry signal
always remains analogue and digital
processing works at 24-bit 96KHz.
True bypass is standard but if you
select tails on switch off, a buffered
analogue bypass is engaged.
This is the echo pedal that can really
do it all it feels almost exactly like
playing through a real tape echo. One
of the factors behind this may be the
way that the pitch fluctuation of wow
and flutter doesnt seem to be linked to
the delay time. Like all the others, the
echoes increasingly become grittier and
darker, but with the El Capistan they
also take on a tonal colour that almost
screams tape colouration.
However, the thing that really
impressed us was the way that the El
Capistan emulates the way that random
things seem to happen with real tape

echo machines. Its small details like the

way a string squeak or a random thunk
ends up mangled and morphed into
something completely different due to
the nature of the circuit.

final score
STRyMON EL CAPISTAN
Build Quality

19 / 20

Versatility

20/20

Sound

19 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Vibe

18/ 20

TOTAL

94%

introducing the

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Guitar_Dec12.indd
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12-OME-009_MT20_GUITARBASS_210x297mm_MECH.indd
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19/10/2012
16:48
9/13/12 7:40
AM

LE
TAPE-STYLS
ECHO PEDA

T-REX
Reptile 2
At a glance
RRP: 199
CONTROLS: Echo, Level,
Repeat, Time, Tone, Speed,
Width & Input Gain
EXTRA FEATURES:
Tap Tempo and Flutter
CONTACT: Westside
Distribution
0141 248 4812
www.t-rex-effects.com

anish pedal manufacturer

T-Rex earned a lot of respect
for its Replica delay pedal;
and it garnered a stellar
review in G&B March 2013. Still, quality
comes at a price and many players
opted for the cheaper T-Rex Reptile,
which shared the same sound but had
fewer features. The Reptile 2 is T-Rexs
updated version, now with Tap Tempo.
The Reptile always had two
footswitches, but now the second
footswitch handles tap tempo duties.
Previously the Flutter controls were
Speed and Depth, but now theyre
labelled Speed and Width, and a tone
control has been added to roll off the
high frequency content of the repeats.
Other controls comprise Echo,
which mixes the dry and echo signals,
and Repeat, which sets the number of
echoes. Time can be used instead of tap
tempo and covers the delay range 101000ms. The Reptile 2 has an input level
control located on the side of the box

along with an LED overload indicator

and an output level control.
The Reptile 2 is very simple to
set up and use. With single coils we
couldnt get the overload light to
flash at all, and the dry signal path
through the pedal is pristine. We had
hoped that the output level control
would allow us to drive the front end
of our test amp a little harder, but that
only works when the Echo control is set
fairly low.
As the Echo knob nears the halfway
point the overall output of the Reptile
2 begins to fall. Its tempting to suggest
theres some sort of phase cancellation
going on, but the absence of comb
filtering and swooshing suggests
otherwise. The Level control, therefore,
is a volume compensator rather than
an actual booster.
The Flutter feature is the Reptile 2s
trump card. The effect can be subtle
or really swirly and sumptuous in a
Gilmour sort of way. Its not unlike a

vibrato or even a chorus, but without

the naff 80s connotations. The Reptile
2 produces impressive slapback and
simple echo effects, but its mono so
look elsewhere if you want complex
multiple head-type repeats.

FINAL SCORE
T-REX REPTILE 2
Build Quality

18 / 20

Versatility

16 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

16 / 20

Vibe

17/ 20

TOTAL

83%

The verdict

hen bucket brigade devices and

early digital delays swept all
before them during the 1980s, the
tape echo era seemed to be over.
New technology promised less noise, cleaner
sounds, higher fidelity, smaller size and far
longer delay times. So why did so many guitarists
persist with tape echo? It seems the quirks and
idiosyncrasies that were regarded as technical
shortcomings by non-guitar players were the
very things that we liked about them. The lower
fidelity of the repeats ensures that you can
distinguish between the dry sound and the effect,
which helps to retain clarity and definition. The
inconsistent speed of the tape loop causes pitch
fluctuations that sound like natural chorus and
few guitarists would object to ever-increasing
grittiness and distortion as the echoes trail away.
So which of these pedals has that tape-style
lo-fi grittiness in the repeats? All of them, to a
greater or lesser extent and only the DeLayla
fails to provide a wow and flutter function.
What about multi-head features? Original
tape echo devices allowed you to use multiple
playback heads simultaneously to create complex
echo patterns with cavernous ambience then
you could turn up the feedback control and
send the unit into feedback meltdown for dub

68 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

or psychedelia. In this group only the Strymon,

Roland and DeLayla have this multi-head feature.
Then theres the matter of boost. Valves or fatsounding FETs were the devices that drove many
of the old devices, allowing output levels to be
cranked to push valve amps into distortion and
colour the sound with the echo units circuitry.
Its a procedure not dissimilar to the way many of
us use clean boost pedals today.
Only the Empress is capable of giving your
signal a decent clean boost, although the
Strymon does have +/-3dB adjustment. Brian
Setzer is one of the best well-known Roland tape
echo enthusiasts and the boost he gets from his is
every bit as important as the echo if youre trying
to nail that Stray Cats tone. So its surprising,
and perhaps disappointing, that Roland chose
to play it so safe with the RE-20. However, if you
run the RE-20 in conjunction with a booster or
subtle overdrive, we found that the results were
fantastic. (Many rockabilly players of the Gretsch
persuasion swear by the Nocturne Brain because
its actually a Roland preamp in a pedal.)
If youre less interested in tap tempo and
multiple replay head simulations, the Skreddy
Echo nails the feel and sound of playing through
a genuine standalone tape echo unit. The
Danelectro Reel Echo impresses for the same

reasons, but it may be just a bit too noisy. The

Carl Martin DeLayla and T-Rex Reptile 2 both
have their charms, and the sonic quality is
excellent. As much as we liked the DeLaylas
second head, the Reptile 2s Flutter feature
made it that bit more tape-like.
For the widest range of tape echo features and
comprehensive controllability, nothing beats the
utterly remarkable Strymon El Capistan, though
the Empress Tape Delay and Roland RE-20 come
fairly close. Ultimately all these pedals perform
impressive tape echo impersonations and when
deciding which is best for you its worth
considering the features you need and which
ones you can live without.

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10/05/2013 12:11

ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR

329 REVIEW

YAMAHA

FACTFILE

Yamaha APX500II
DESCRIPTION: Cutaway
electro-acoustic guitar.
Made in Indonesia
PRICE: 329; hard case 109

APX500II

BUILD: Laminated spruce

top with unscalloped
x-bracing, laminated nato/
meranti back and sides.
Nato neck with 22-fret
rosewood fingerboard.
Rosewood bridge, plastic
nut and saddle, sealed
Grover-style tuners, neck
heel strap button
OPTIONS: APX500FM with
flame maple top (379)
ELECTRICS Yamaha System
65 preamp with Vol, Bass,
Mid (with Mid slider),
Treble. Onboard tuner
LEFT-HANDERS: Only on the
APX700IIL (594)
FINISH: All-gloss body, satin
neck finish

The ever-evolving APX line now has a handsome and improved

entry-level model with a pickup and preamp that promise to
be better than ever before. Review by Rick Batey

ith a quarter of a century

of service under its belt,
the Yamaha APX must
now be one of the mostgigged guitar designs on the planet.
The current line-up is based around
four main models, the APX1200, the
APX 1000, the APX700 and, sitting
proudly in the most affordable slot,
this APX500II (its sister model, the
APX500FM, has a flamed maple top).
This latest version has undergone a
number of tweaks including a new
preamp, a new pickup, a trussrod
redesign and a slight change in trim.
Affordable it may be, but this alllaminated guitar makes a great first
impression. Take that finish on the
spruce top, what Yamaha calls old
violin sunburst; its beautifully done,
and wouldnt look amiss on a high-end
ES-335 (if sunburst isnt your thing
then youve got five others to pick
from including natural, metallic red,
black, vintage white and oriental blue
burst). The back and sides made of
a veneer of nato over meranti have
been stained a very dark brown, with
hardly any grain visible, and the body
finish is gloss all over (the headstock
is also gloss, and faced in black, which
is a recent change). Cream plastic
binding surrounds the top, back, and
fingerboard; the headstock is unbound.

Preamp offers a
three-band EQ, a Mid
slider and a tuner

Satin-finished
neck and chrome
enclosed tuners

With a sunburst that wouldnt look amiss

on a high-end ES-335, the all-laminated
APX500II makes a great first impression
The familiar raised plastic soundhole
ring is still in place, and its decorated
by four stylish pearloid inlays that
give a very swooshy look. The bridge
is rosewood to match the fingerboard,
designed with a slightly curving front
edge, and it holds a plastic saddle with
basic compensation and six black plastic
bridgepins with white dots.

The neck is now built so that trussrod

adjustment takes place through the
soundhole. The neck is nato, darkstained to match the back and sides,
with a slightly rough-feeling natural
satin finish. For us, the neck profile
is one of the best things about the
APX500II; slim and rounded, its

electric-comfortable. Playability

SCALE LENGTH:
634mm/25"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 43mm
12th fret 51mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 21mm
10th fret 24mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 36mm
Bridge 50mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 2.0mm
12th fret bass 3.0mm
MAX RIM DEPTH: 90mm
MAX BODY WIDTH: 385mm
WEIGHT: 1.81kg/4lb
CONTACT: Yamaha Europe
0844 811 1116
uk.yamaha.com

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 73

ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR

REVIEW 329

Like this?
Try this...
Ibanez
AEG15II-LG
A slimline cutaway
mini-jumbo with cedar top,
mahogany back/sides and a
Fishman Sonocore pickup
with Ibanez AEQ-SP1
preamp with tuner
RRP: 236

Crafter
GAE6
A useful cutaway stage
guitar with solid sitka top,
laminated mahogany body
and the CR-Pro preamp
RRP: 369

Gretsch
G5013CE Rancher Junior
For something a little or a
lot different, this
all-laminated cutaway
electro has a triangular
soundhole like some
Gretsch flattops of the 50s
RRP: 298

is very good, and much helped by the

medium 634mm/25" scale length, and
the action at the nut is really good for
a guitar in this price range. Theres
no need for any work at all, really,
and the chunky Grover-alike chrome
machineheads do an excellent job.
Theres also a second strap button
located on the tip of the heel a
position which tends to tip the guitar
slightly, and being super-light the APX
also dives a little, but a little forearm
pressure keeps everything in place.
There are two main criticisms. Firstly,
though the string spacing at the nut
is 36mm with an overall nut width of
43mm, which is fine, string spacing
at the bridge is a mere 50mm. Thats
extremely narrow even by Yamahas
usual close-spaced standards, so
this guitar would be a challenging
fingerpicker for those with the most
spindly of digits (for strumming, on the
other hand, its fine). Also, although the
action is nicely playable, the neck angle
is on the low side, so if you wanted to
get a near-electric action something

Yamahas latest undersaddle pickup uses six

individual piezo elements

you might well want to do on a guitar of

this type then you would end up with
mighty little saddle left, and that might
be a concern long-term.
The pickup and preamp has always
been a big APX selling point and
this model now comes with six piezo

You could take the Yamaha APX500

straight onstage and get a workable
sound without any worries at all
elements instead of a continuous strip,
while the quick-change spring-loaded
battery drawer on the upper treble side
now takes not a 9v but two 1.5v AAs,
so you could use rechargeables. The
output jack is integral with the endpin.
The System 65 preamp comes with a
redesigned control panel with a volume
rotary and three tiny centre-detented
rotaries for Bass, Mid and Treble, plus
a slider to control the range of the Mid
pot. Theres also an effective pushbutton tuner, with dimming sharp and
flat arrows leading you to an in tune
green dot. Oddly, when plugged in, the
tuner does not mute the output, which
is a little hard to understand.

Sounds

Bound fingerboard
and a stylish raised
soundhole surround

74 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

Taking the APX500IIs electro side first,

the System 65 delivers really excellent
string balance and sweetly-graduated
controls. Theres a perfect amount of
gain on tap and well-chosen control
over the mids, without any horridsounding extremes in terms of treble
or bass. It doesnt sound very piezo-y
or elasticky at all, just smooth and rich,
with pleasingly full trebles. You could
take this guitar straight onstage the day
you bought it and get a workable sound
without any worries at all.

With its 87mm/3.5" deep body and

laminated spruce top the APX500 is
never going to win a campfire guitar/
banjo throwdown in the pure volume
stakes, but we like the way it delivers.
Its very scooped, with a hint of
travel-guitar boxiness, and its also
pretty forward-sounding on the plain
strings, but theres a sweet warmth
and elasticity to the overall attack an
almost jazzy tonality that lends itself
well to single-string work as well as
comped chords. Strumming sounds
predictably bright, but controlled.

Verdict
The APX500II is such a well-balanced
package. Its a bit like turning up at a
car hire place and being given the keys
to a Ford Focus; itll handle well, go
well, nothing will annoy you, and youll
have a fine holiday. The Yamahas neck
is a real sweetie and the body and
ergonomics are comfy, the pickup
sounds very good and is exceptionally
even in response, while the controls are
well-attenuated for the real world. As
ever with the APX line this guitar hangs
its hat slightly on the electric end of
the acoustic-electric spectrum, but the
unplugged sound though scooped and
none too loud is pretty pleasing. Just
make sure you can cope with the close
string spacing at the bridge, and then go
ahead and buy with confidence.

FINAL SCORE
YAMAHA APX500II
Build Quality

16 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

17 / 20

Value for money

17 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

85%

#31913 - E M Guitarist_Layout 1 22/11/2012 16:19 Page 1

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ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC

379.95 REVIEW

TANGLEWOOD

FACTFILE

Tanglewood TWJF E
DESCRIPTION: 000-style
acoustic. Made in China
PRICE: 379.95

TWJF E & TWJP

BUILD: Solid cedar top,

laminated amara and
spalted mango back/sides,
mahogany binding, nato
neck with 20-fret bound
sonokeling fingerboard. PPS
nut and saddle, open-geared
machines, two strap buttons
OPTIONS: TWJP with no
pickup, 299.95
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISH: Gloss natural body,
gloss neck

We love cedar tops and now Tanglewood has a pair of guitars

with just that, plus some spectacular pieces of tree for backs
and sides, and all at a very good price. Review by Rick Batey

he new Java series from UKbased company Tanglewood

comprises a set of four
guitars well, two really,
but with an electro option on each
with some tempting timber. Solid
cedar, known for its easy-speaking
tone, is used for the tops that makes
a pleasant change from sitka spruce.
The backs and sides are laminated with
rosewood on the inside, but its whats
on the outside that stands out: dark,
stripey, almost ebony-like amara wood
for the sides and the outer sections
of the backs, and spalted mango for
the backs central sections a golden,
flamey, almost koa-like timber with
characterful dark disease lines. Its one
heck of a look, giving much of the aura
of a super-high-end instrument.

TWJF E
The TWJF E is an 000-sized guitar with
a full 650mm/25.5" scale length. Its
your classic, slim, comfortable 000,
then, and our first impressions are
that its very neat, very glossy all over,
and slightly heavy. The warm-hued
cedar top is extremely even-grained
and set off by mahogany edge binding
(coachlined on both top and sides
with a black/white line) with a dead
simple soundhole rosette. Around
the back, the mango is delineated

SCALE LENGTH:
650mm/25.55"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 43mm
12th fret 54mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 20.8mm
Tenth fret 24mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 35mm
Bridge 54.8mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 2.0mm
12th fret bass 2.5mm
MAX RIM DEPTH: 106mm
MAX BODY WIDTH 402mm
WEIGHT: 1.95kg/4.3lb
The long-scale TWJF
has a solid headstock

Slotted headstock for

the shorter-scale TWJP

The tempting timbers of the four Java

models from Tanglewood give much of
the aura of a super-high-end instrument
from the amara with more coachlined
mahogany. The bridge Tanglewoods
familiar slightly winged design is
sonokeling rosewood, with cream
bridge pins and a compensated nut
made of PPS plastic most likely much
the same material as Tusq. Truss rod
access is through the soundhole.
The neck is nato, with a stacked
heel, mahogany binding and a

FINAL SCORE
TANGLEWOOD TWJF E
Build Quality

16 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

17/ 20

Value for money

17 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

85%

CONTACT: Tanglewood
01937 841122
tanglewoodguitars.co.uk

Like this?
Try this...
Vintage
V200NC Bossa Nova
Solid cedar-topped
12-fretter: very folky and
very 60s, and a bargain
RRP: 219

Tanglewood
Evolution TFA CSN
Same basic design, same
solid cedar top, but minus
the TWFA Es posh woods
and pickup, saving you 150
RRP: 229.95

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 77

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

REVIEW 299.95
FACTFILE

Tanglewood TWJF E
DESCRIPTION: 12-fret
parlour-style acoustic.
Made in China
PRICE: 299.95
BUILD: Solid cedar top,
laminated amara and
spalted mango back and
sides, mahogany binding,
nato neck with 20-fret
mahogany-bound
sonokeling fingerboard. PPS
nut and saddle, open-geared
machines, two strap buttons
OPTIONS: TWJP E with
Fishman Sonitone and
soundhole volume and tone
controls, 379.95
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISH: Gloss natural body,
gloss neck
SCALE LENGTH:
626mm/24.75
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 43mm
12th fret 55mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 22mm
Ninth fret 25.4mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 35mm
Bridge 54mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 2.0mm
12th fret bass 2.5mm
MAX RIM DEPTH: 107mm
MAX BODY WIDTH 334mm
WEIGHT: 1.63kg/3.6lb
CONTACT: Tanglewood
01937 841122
tanglewoodguitars.co.uk

Like this?
Try this...
Faith
Naked Series Mercury
Parlour designed by Patrick
James Eggle, with scant
trim but all solid woods
RRP: 389

Takamine
GMINI NS
Solid cedar and laminated
mahogany parlour with
short scale neck. Cute
RRP: 259

sonokeling fingerboard. Its decorated

with a pearl peghead logo and 12th
fret emblem, an amara headstock
facing and a mango heelcap. Theres
a 43mm-wide PPS nut, 20 neatlyinstalled narrow-gauge frets, and a set
of chrome Waverley-alike open-back
tuners (the B tuner is noticeably
notchy). The set-up is nice, from nut
to neck relief, and though the neck
set doesnt give a massive amount of
saddle its certainly adequate.

The Javas big selling point is

back and sides of laminated
amara and spalted mango

Sounds
The TWJF sounds very nice. Its bright
yet smooth, together and controlled,
with a firm but not boomy bottom end
and bouncy mids, while the smooth
tuning and excellent intonation make
it a pleasure to play everywhere on
the neck. Cedar has a reputation as an
open-sounding topwood from the getgo and this one is quite lively, but with
a real richness underneath it all. Being
the E model this guitar has a Fishman
Sonitone system with soundholemounted Vol and Tone controls. String
balance is very even, and the tone
control is handy for rolling off piezo-y
highs. Aside from the inconvenience
of having a battery bag taped to the
bass-side rim quite a long way inside,
the electro side hard to fault.

The differences? Size, obviously: at

334mm or a shade over 13 across the
lower bout and with a 12th fret neck
to body join, its a real sofa picker. Its
also a whole lot lighter, though our
non-electro review model accounts for
a few ounces of that. The headstock
which is noticeably deep is slotted
this time, while the scale length is
shorter at 626mm, or round about
24.75". Nut and bridge dimensions are

The Javas arent all big hat, no cattle.

Build quality is fine and the cedar tops
give satisfaction right out of the box
TWJP
In terms of timber and general build
the parlour-sized TWJP is exactly the
same as the 000; finished in gloss all
over, with a pseudo three-piece back
of amara and spalted mango, amarafaced rims, an impressively closegrained cedar top, a nato neck with
a sonokeling fingerboard, mahogany
binding and the same bridge and
open tuners and, inside, the same
spruce X-bracing.

The E versions add a Fishman

Sonicore system with volume
and tone thumbwheels

78 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

the same, the neck profile a touch

deeper and clubbier, and this guitar
does feel a touch less spacious to move
around. Also, the more acute breakangle over the nut makes the tuning
a touch more sticky than on the TWJF.
Fretting, action and intonation is just
as good as on the sister model.

Sounds
Summoning richness from a small
guitar is no easy feat. Theres no way
youll get a guitar that sounds like a
Collings Baby or a Santa Cruz Firefly
without spending that kind of money
and our first impression was that the
TWJP rises to the challenge with a bit
less aplomb than its 000-sized sister.
Initially it was zingy, loud and eager
but with a boxiness, a bluesy edge
slightly at odds with the sumptuouslooking woods. After an hour or so of
playing it did begin to open up, with
good sustain and more warmth coming
through. You cant beat physics, but
its a likeable little guitar.

Verdict
How much did THAT cost? is a
question youll definitely hear when
playing one of these exotic-looking
Tanglewood Javas. But theyre not all
big hat, no cattle. Build quality is fine,
solid cedar tops give you playing
satisfaction right out of the box, and
the 000 especially is, we reckon, a very
nice guitar by any standards.

FINAL SCORE
TANGLEWOOD TWJP
Build Quality

16 / 20

Playability

16 / 20

Sound

15 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

83%

THE HARDEST
WORKING GUITAR
SIMON NEIL
AND HIS PRO SERIES P7DC
See the entire line of Takamine guitars at takamineguitars.eu
www.facebook.com/takamineguitarseurope
Photo: David Wolff-Patrick
2013 KMC Music, Inc. TAKAMINE is a trademark of KMC Music, Inc. All rights reserved.

2013_Takamine_Ad_Simon Neil UK 210x297mm[3mbld].indd 1

13/05/2013 16:15

BASS GUITAR

1099 REVIEW

KAY

FACTFILE

KAY VINTAGE
REISSUE PRO
ELECTRIC BASS

Vintage Reissue Pro

Electric Bass

DESCRIPTION:
Semi-hollowbody bass.
Made in China
PRICE: 1099

If youre looking for pure plunk and thud and a look thatll suit howling
blues or hip alt-country, then read on. Review by Gareth Morgan

emember those mail-order

shopping catalogues of the
70s and 80s? The name Kay
at that time a name strictly
reserved for not-great copy instruments
had certain connotations that hardly
inspired an expectation of quality, nor
a sense of a solid and serious historical
lineage. But if we look further back,
we find that the company was founded
in 1928 by Henry Kay Kuhrmeyer in
Chicago, USA, and began trading as Kay
Musical Instruments in 1931. Up until
1955 KMI produced a dizzying array of
acoustic guitars, lap steels, hollowbody
and solidbody electrics and basses, plus
legions of instruments sold as ownbrand models by other Chicago-based
makers and even department stores.
Kuhrmeyer retired in 1955, but Kay
continued to churn out vast quantities
of instruments before being broken up
at auction in 1969.
Theres been a recent upsurge in
interest in Kays of the 50s and 60s,
especially since luthier Roger Fritz a
long-time Kay fan and previously a
producer of quality replicas using his
own company, Fritz Brothers Guitars
hopped on board in 2007. Fritz got
involved with Kays Vintage Reissue
models, and this month were taking a
look at the Vintage Reissue Pro Electric
Bass Guitar, originally called the K162
an instrument that was highly regarded
by blues bassists from the Chicago area
in the 50s and 60s.
Visually, the Chinese-made Kay

Laminated
maple body
and a glued-in
maple neck

Ornate headstock
echoes the tacky
charm of the original

The original Kay K162 bass was highly

regarded by blues players from the
Chicago area in the 50s and 60s
makes a clear statement: this is a bass
designed for roots music, whether
traditional folk or country or blues. It
ideally suits many of these genres or
associated sub-genres because it is
designed to approximate an upright.
Its a visual feast, with the high-gloss
polyester honey sunburst finish
accentuating the tiger striping of the
two-piece flame maple top. Flame
maple is also the wood of choice for
the sides and the two-piece back, with
multi-ply cream and black binding along
both edges. The top boasts a higgledy-

piggledy tortoiseshell scratchplate that

seems to have been casually dumped
randomly in vaguely the right position.
Overall this Kay is odd, quirky, even
awkward but also extremely cool.
Though theres no f-hole, this is a
semi-hollowbody with two chambers
on either side of a central block that
runs to somewhere between pickup and
bridge, leaving room for a third, smaller
chamber underneath the tailpiece. The
Kay is 70mm deep a Fender Jazz is
44mm and this takes a little time to
get used to, especially as you get

BUILD: Flame maple top,

back and sides with
feedback resistant bracing
and multi-ply black and
white celluloid binding. Set
Canadian maple neck with
20 small nickel frets,
rosewood fingerboard.
Wilkinson Vintage Style
tuners with clover leaf
buttons and rosewood
bridge and chrome trapeze
tailpiece. Chrome hardware
ELECTRICS: Passive with one
blade single-coil pickup, one
volume, one tone
LEFT-HANDERS:No
FINISH: Honey sunburst,
blonde (both 1099), black
(949)
SCALE LENGTH:
787mm/31"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 37.5mm
12th fret 45mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 22mm
12th fret 23mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 10.5mm
Bridge 15mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 2.5mm
12th fret bass 3mm
WEIGHT: 3.35kg/7.41lbs
CONTACT: Cranes Music
029 2039 8215
www.cranesmusicstore.com

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 81

BASS GUITAR

REVIEW 1099
Like this?
Try this...
Epiphone
Jack Casady Bass
Wide, gold, and handsome:
a rich-sounding big bodied
semi-acoustic that looks
great on stage
RRP: 899

Hagstrm
Viking
The Swedish take on the
Guild Starfire Bass, you
might say; can have balance
problems but adaptable
thanks to a six-position
rotary and humbucking or
single coil modes
RRP: 566

Hofner
Contemporary Series
500/5 President Bass
Big, sunburst and utterly
nostalgic, with a short 30"
scale and similar close
string-spacing at the
bridge. Rootsy and retro
RRP: 659

neither forearm nor ribcage chamfer

provision. If you could look into the
chambers, youd find what Kay describe
as their unique feedback-resistant
bracing, a build detail that bodes well
for its tone. At the neck end there are
two shallow cutaways bordered by a
pair of rounded horns.
The neck is secured using the set-in
method, being glued into a central block
via a mortise-and-tenon or dovetail joint
as it should be for a bass with upright
bass pretensions. Its made from a
single piece of Canadian maple, and the
heel is capped with a squashed semicircular cream celluloid cap to match
the binding.
In terms of profile, its an altogether
thinner and more comfortable neck
than youd expect certainly more
friendly than some Kay neck profiles of
the 50s. Aided by the narrower width
and the reduced 31"/787mm scale
length, its actually pretty fast and lots
of fun to flail around on, although it may
feel cramped to those more used to the
regulation 34" scale.
Another thing that feels cramped if
authentically so is the string spacing
at the bridge just 15mm, whereas
a Fender Precision would measure
somewhere in the region of 19mm. It
feels like a throwback to the plectrum
bass style common in years gone by.

Simple trapeze tailpiece and

a saddle system that will be
familiar to Hofner players

The headstock is big and brash, a

widening oblong that, the company
says, displays a 3-D raised Kel-von-ator style emblem. Kay has fitted a set
of four chrome Wilkinson Vintage Style
tuners with clover leaf buttons. The
bridge is an old-school two-piece unit
made of rosewood with fretwire saddles
and two adjustment thumbwheels, while
the string ends hook into a chrome
trapeze tailpiece, so set-up may be a
little tricky and might well require the
trained eye of your local luthier.
Theres just one pickup and its

The Kays acoustic-biased tone lacks the

feel of a large mass of air being shifted
but its got plenty of warm, natural lows
passive, of course. Its a blade-polepiece
single coil that echoes the one found
on the original (and the sister Kay Thin
Twin guitar). The controls are simple:
one Volume and one Tone.

Sounds

Basic Volume and

Tone knobs and a
side-mounted jack

82 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

The original K162 always had the

reputation of being quite uprightsounding for an electric bass, and when
it comes to the PEB reissue Kay has
gone the right route from the start by
fitting flatwound strings to simulate
the correct feel under the fingers,
though the frets interrupt the legato
flow. Plugged in, theres undeniably
an acoustically-biased tone on display,
and while it lacks the feeling of a large
mass of air being shifted, it offers a
decent thud on the lower strings plus
plenty of warm, natural lows. Theres
no real growl, probably partly due to
the flatwounds, so by contemporary
standards the definition is a little
unfocused. The bottom E sounds a

trifle too forward, but apart from that

response across the neck is even and
plenty fat for practicality, especially if
your technique is on the healthy side of
decent. The midrange actually sounds
a bit like an old Precision; no cursed
trendy nasal honk, but a bit hollow and
mellow without great punch and impact
(but well take smooth and squashy over
honky and nasal any day of any week
of any year, thank you very much). The
trebles are also very natural-sounding,
with just a slight sheen and a bit of
spikiness from the frets themselves.
From about 6 downwards the
handily-numbered tone control reduces
what little bite the PEB has; full cut is
all woolly and sub-aquatic. You could
easily employ some level of tonal
reduction from the amp or preamp to
approximate an upright-style EQ, and in
terms of space-filling rumble the PEB is
a purveyor of much happiness.

Verdict
Does the Kay PEB sound exactly like an
upright bass? No, but its a viable and
definitely acoustically-biased option
when that particular feel is required. Its
also very comfortable to play thanks to
the thin neck and short scale. The PEB is
a splendid character bass a little bit
expensive in relation to competition,
perhaps, but all the same, its a unique
flavour to have at your disposal.

FINAL SCORE
KAY VINTAGE PRO ELECTRIC BASS
Build Quality

18 / 20

Playability

19 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

15 / 20

Looks

17 /20

TOTAL

85%

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BASS GUITAR

1530 REVIEW

SANDBERG

FACTFILE

SANDBERG BASIC
KEN TAYLOR 20TH
ANNIVERSARY

Basic Ken Taylor 20th

Anniversary 5-string Bass

DESCRIPTION: Solidbody
bass. Handbuilt in Germany
PRICE: 1530
BUILD: Alder body, bolt-on
Canadian hardrock maple
neck with 22 frets on a
maple fingerboard.
Sandberg closed gear tuners
and Sandberg High Mass
bridge. Chrome hardware
ELECTRICS: Active with two
Powerhumbuckers, Volume
(pull for passive mode),
Balance, Bass, Middle and
Treble controls, splitter
switch for single-coil mode
LEFT-HANDERS: No
FINISHES: Gloss Black only
RANGE OPTIONS: Four-string
(1471), Standard KT
4-string (1315), Standard
KT 5-string (1430)

Available in shiny black only, this limited-run active five-stringer

celebrates 20 years of a successful collaboration between an
artist and the German company. Review by Gareth Morgan

n 1986 Sandberg began making

basses that answered the
demand for popular construction
techniques and tonal preferences
of the time. These through-neck basses
looked as if they had been pieced
together like some bizarre jigsaw puzzle
from multi-laminates of exotic woods.
This novel approach was complimented
with classy natural finishes, soupedup electrics and high-output pickups
delivering a hi-fi sound. By the early
90s this had begun to change,
and Sandberg decided to forge a
mainstream, almost traditional, path.
It was around this time that Ken
Taylor appeared on the scene. Born in
London of Jamaican extraction, Taylor
needed a reliable workhorse bass, and
Sandberg supremo Holger Stonjek
came up with a concept to make his
dream come true a design that he
describes as a mix between a Music
Man and a Precision. After months of
testing different pickup positions via
a prototype with pickups fitted onto a
rail that Taylor nudged back and forth
until he found his sweet spots, the Basic
Ken Taylor model was born. Taylor has
gone on to use the bass on hundreds of
sessions for artists as diverse as Bruce
Springsteen, the Scorpions and the
London Philharmonic Orchestra.
So, 20 years on, Taylor and Sandberg
present a fitting tribute to the original
flagship, the Basic Ken Taylor 20th
Anniversary 5-string bass. The echo of

Maple neck clamped

to the alder body by
six recessed bolts

Smooth tuners
carry Sandbergs
four-dot logo

The Sandberg BKTs main innovation is

one pickup in the MM position and the
other where a Precision pickup would be
Music Man and Fender is indeed there in
the BKTs sculpted alder body, although
the waist section is pure Sandberg,
and upper-fret access is far better
than youd get on a Precision. This
anniversary model which is limited to
one years production comes in only
one finish, an expertly-applied high
gloss black (although given the custom
nature of the Sandberg operation, if
you asked really nicely wed be very
surprised if the request for some other
colour or finish was turned down). The

SCALE LENGTH:
864mm/34"
NECK WIDTH:
Nut 45mm
12th fret 63mm
DEPTH OF NECK:
First fret 20.5mm
12th fret 23.5mm
STRING SPACING:
Nut 9.5mm
Bridge 19mm
ACTION AS SUPPLIED:
12th fret treble 1.5mm
12th fret bass 2.5mm
WEIGHT: 4.25kg/9.37lbs
CONTACT: Synergy
0121 270 6485
synergydistribution.co.uk

20th Anniversary version differs from

the standard BKT in form (Sandberg
describe it as being back in its original
shape, although youll struggle to spot
any real difference), in the fitting of a
three-ply pearloid scratchplate plus the
gleaming chrome control plate. Nice.
Secured by the contemporary
favourite six-bolts-and-no-neckplate arrangement, the maple neck
is the usual Sandberg offering thin,
ultra-comfortable and super-fast,

demanding to be played and

SEPTEMBER 2012 Guitar & Bass 85

BASS GUITAR

REVIEW 1530
Like this?
Try this...
Ibanez
Grooveline G105
This bass is another
successful marriage of
modern materials,
electronics and design and,
most importantly, it also
sounds really good
RRP: 2289

Music Man
Stingray 5 Classic
The source when it comes
to active five-stringers:
does what you expect a
Music Man to do, but with
the addition of a
tight-sounding B-string
RRP: 2255

liable to throw a bit of a strop if you

dont oblige. Theres a strengthening
bulge beneath the synthetic selflubricating nut and this leads us to a
back-angled slab headstock with a form
reminiscent of the old Aria SB1000.
As ever Sandberg provides all the
hardware, here in standard chrome,
including a beautifully-designed
bridge and five Closed Gear tuners
with downsized T-shaped buttons. The
maple fingerboard carries a zero fret,
designed to give the open strings similar
characteristics to the fretted notes or
at least to minimise the difference
between them. Otherwise there are 22
medium jumbo nickel frets expertly
seated in their maple bed, and while the
face is unmarked, theres a set of small
black dots along the top edge.
As with any Sandberg BKT, the 20th
Anniversary has active electronics, with
a pair of Sandberg Powerhumbuckers
feeding into a Sandberg preamp. The
the rear pickup is in the Music Man
position while the second is sited
roughly where youll find the split
humbucker on a P Bass. This is what
Taylor spent hours in rehearsal studios
searching for; its the main innovation
on the BKT, and the major contributor
to its very variable and extremely
versatile sound. If you fancy some
passive action, simply pull on the
Volume knob, and theres a Balance
control and three-band EQ to get your

High-mass Sandberg
bridge has slotted string
retention for easy changes

teeth into. A little chrome switch allows

you to toggle between humbucking and
single-coil mode, a feature that ups the
potential versatility.

Sounds
So does the BKT 20th Anniversary
sound, well, like a Music Man? No, it
doesnt; even with Treble on maximum,
no matter what mode you choose, you
get plenty of cut and bite but no fizzing,
crystalline highs. In humbucking mode
theres a controlled feel to the BKTs
tone and it speaks beautifully cleanly
and evenly across the neck; lower
strings growl with enough width and
belligerence for fun and the midrange
is even, with a clarity-enhancing hint of

The BKT is a well-balanced, versatile

instrument and you get a high-quality
handmade bass for just over 1500

Neat and tidy

headstock: note the
presence of a zero fret

86 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

high-mid zing. Youll get benefit from

digging in a little just a tad more force
produces a noticeably throatier growl.
Flick the switch upwards to singlecoil mode and youll notice a sizeable
discrepancy in output too much to
really be able to use this feature as a
mid-song tone changer. Theres less
bottom, more nasal zing and generally
less oomph. Dialling in Bass creates a
warm, silky sound thats rather spoiled
when the spiky G string gets involved.
The Middle knobs focus is towards the
lower end of the midrange spectrum,
so adding some of this induces more
of a discernible shape with less of the
slightly excessive adenoidal edge. Add
a little treble for a rock/pop tone with
pleasing presence and attitude.
Given the basic nature of the pickups,
humbucking mode is the BKTs natural
home. Adding bass EQ widens the sound
into a more diverse stylistic area its

still a poppy tone but the added fatness

will please the rocknroll inclined,
and upping Middle focuses this into a
ballsier, harder-hitting sound without
the high mids becoming more prevalent.
Use the Treble control sparingly, unless
you want a clangy tone awash with
fret and finger noise. By the way, the
B-string is well-focused and highly
practical on any of these settings.
So, plenty of good stuff, but youve
also got the individual pickup options.
The front pickup ranges from a dark,
fat, growling humbucker sound to a
less weighty variation that retains
earthiness but is cleaner and more
full-range in single-coil mode. Its the
same with the burpy bridge humbucker
more substance and impact in neck
mode, more gurgly high-mids, less
volume and less width from the bridge.

Verdict
Weve always been fans of Sandberg at
G&B. They dont make ornaments, they
make proper bass guitars, and the BKT
is a well-balanced, versatile instrument
with plenty of easily accessible tonal
variations definitely one of the better
modern interpretations on Leo Fenders
virtually perfect body design. But, in
some ways most importantly, with the
BKT youre getting a high-quality, well
specd, handmade bass for a smidgeon
over 1500 that, in anyones language
(and of course in relative terms) is
pretty good news.

FINAL SCORE
KEN TAYLOR ANNIVERSARY 5-STRING
Build Quality

19 / 20

Playability

19 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

17 / 20

Vibe

16/ 20

TOTAL

87%

FROM THE MAKERS OF

ON SALE NOW AT

AND OTHER REGULAR STOCKISTS WORLDWIDE

Or buy online at

anthem.subscribeonline.co.uk/Products/guitar-classics

Music Tech G&B.indd 3

12.07.2013 09:27:50

Mus

7:50

Music is Our Passion

www.thomann.de
Music Tech G&B.indd 4

12.07.2013 09:27:51

o
D
E
K

HOO
CLASSICS
N

MATCHES
MADE IN HEAVEN
If the Beatles had a decent PA, would they have stopped touring? If Jimi had
access to a modelling amp, would he have used it? Phil Harris takes a flyer
and puts guitars in the hands of players who would have used them well

ll the thinking about the perfect

marriage between person and
guitar when putting together last
months column on Peter Green
and his legendary Gibson Les Paul Standard
set my mind turning (no, it hasnt come to a
complete halt just yet, and for that Im
grateful). Now, both with my hire company
and as a guitar consultant, Ive played the role
of matchmaker between player and gear
many, many times over the years. However,
theres always a bit of sigh when I come
across something that I know would be
absolutely perfect for a particular guitar
player, only to realise a nano-second later that
they are sadly no longer with us.
Now, I know theres always been a debate as
to what extent a guitar players sound
(particularly one of the legends) is down to
their skill and/or the equipment they use. I
can see both sides of the argument, but
sometimes history decides to time it so that
all the right parts are in place. Take Jimi
Hendrix, for example, coming to England in
1966 the same year the first Marshall 100W

stack hit the shops. Im sure that Hendrix

would have made his mark on music
regardless of what Jim Marshall had been up
to, but the history of guitar playing would
have been quite different, wouldnt it?
A lot of the time, the gear a guitar player
uses affects their mental state as much as
anything else. When I was auditioning for
various bands as a young guitarist, my
treasured Les Paul felt to me like a
charismatic shield that gave me confidence to
express myself. Years later, I acquired a

this to my friend, who was a music fan but

not a musician, he bluntly replied: What are
you talking about? You just sound like you
always do. And Im pretty sure that, if Stevie
Ray Vaughan was still alive and could play a
thousand different types of Stratocaster, youd
still be able to tell in the first couple of bars
that it was him.
Despite this, if youve ever experienced the
true joy of finding what you believe is the
right guitar, amp or pedal, theres no scientist
on earth who could prove to you that there

Theres always been a debate as to what extent

a players sound is down to skill, or equipment
wooden-bodied, single-pickup Steinberger
from Status Quos Rick Parfitt. It wasnt the
kind of guitar I would normally play, but Ive
always been a big Leslie West fan. When a
mate came round the house, I plugged the
guitar in and played some bits and pieces,
thinking the guitar was really changing both
my playing and my sound. When I mentioned

isnt something special and magical about the

whole thing. I know plenty of guitar players of
all levels who act like they were born with a
certain instrument in their hands and might
well be buried with it, but sometimes its good
to experiment. Here are a few things from my
collection that I would have loved some of the
greats to have used

1968 SHIN-EI UNI-VIBE

Although Paul Kossoff used an actual Leslie on
some tracks, I think he would have got more
response from this Leslie simulator. The
Shin-Ei has more variations and room to
experiment, and Im sure Kossoff would have
made a lot of rockin hay from the extra
options on offer to him

90 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

HOOKED ON CLASSICS

1955 GIBSON LES PAUL JUNIOR

Mick Ronson had such a stinging attack, and most of the time his sound
came from the bridge pickup, so a great Junior like this would have
really worked for him. It would have to be a single cutaway, though; Im
sure Mick would have thought a double cutaway was a childs toy

1963 GIBSON ES-335

Aged 13, I had the privilege of hearing Hendrix play a right-handed 335 through
a Twin Reverb in Selmers in Charing Cross Road. He sounded amazing. While I
know you cant bring people back, I truly believe that if he hadnt passed away
it would have been great to see him start playing a 335 on stage and on record

1963 FENDER STRAT

The recently-departed Alvin Lee had a Fender pickup in his 335, and he had about
the least 335-sounding 335 you could imagine. Id have loved to seen him work his
magic on an actual vintage Strat. He had such a commanding presence as a player
and as a performer that only a fiesta red Strat would have done

1962 HOFNER COLORAMA

If I could go back in time to the early days of Pink Floyd, I would bring this
Hofner Colorama with me and put it in Syd Barretts hands. Its a guitar
that begs you to think and play differently and Syd would be just the man!

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 91

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of

THE BISHOP OF DENMARK STREET

the BISHOP 


R E ET
DENMARK ST

HERE COMES
SUMMER!
As the heat descended on Denmark Street the thoughts of the
music trade turned to ice cream, portable fans and above all,
flocks of visitors from abroad the financial lifeblood of Tin Pan
Alley. Sid Bishop recalls the guitar tourists of the 1970s

hoopee, summer had finally

arrived to cheer up our
damp and shivering
population, and everyone in
the retail trade was rubbing their hands in
glee. The instrument dealers in Denmark
Street were certainly no exception, and one
word was buzzing on all our lips Tourists!
No one working in Denmark Street could
fail to notice the stream of foreign visitors
who habitually spent serious money buying
equipment every summer. I once sat down
and tried to calculate the amount of our
seasonal trade that was accounted for
by foreign visitors, and I came up with
an extraordinary figure of 85 per cent
during the peak months of July and
August; only the Christmas season came
anywhere close in terms of shifting stock
and earning money. Guitars seemed to be
their number one target, as Im guessing
that amplifiers, being bulky and heavy,
would certainly attract significant excess
baggage charges, as would drums and
most keyboards.
Back in the 70s and 80s the
overwhelming majority of these
customers came from Eastern Europe or
Russia, as good quality
instruments were virtually
impossible to obtain in their
own countries at the time.
We had some regular
visitors from as far afield as
Japan, some of whom we
got to know quite well owing
to their regular annual
jaunts. We also had a
significant number of
French or Spanish
buyers, and many from
the Scandinavian
Rickenbackers were
particularly soughtafter by Greek visitors

countries. Greeks, too; for some reason they

would usually go nuts for Rickenbackers. I
have little idea what the situation is in the
street these days concerning foreign guitar
buyers, although I would think that many
might now be Chinese or Korean, and quite a
large number from African countries too, but
this will depend on the sterling exchange rate.
I recall with some amusement that most
conversations would start with Hello, have
you Stratocaster Fender?, often
accompanied with a dreadful sketch on a
piece of crumpled paper that looked as
if it had been drawn by a nine-year-old.

fingers at the nearest of his flunkies, who

opened a briefcase. The case contained not
sandwiches but thick piles of sterling, a
couple of stacks of US dollars, and wads of
various other currencies. Rarely have I seen so
much cash in one go. The flunky peeled off
the required amount, barely depleting the
contents of the case, handed it to me, and off
they all went, back to the Middle East with the
Les Paul a gift for a very fortunate young
relation, or so I was told. This was not a
unique occurrence. Nigerian kings were also a
good source of income and there seemed to
be quite a few of them!

The case contained piles of sterling, stacks

of US dollars, and wads of other currencies.
Rarely have I seen so much cash in one go
If their grasp of English was totally
nonexistent, we just had to decipher the
crumpled paper. Somewhat bizarrely,
money was very often carried in knotted
socks, presumably as a security measure;
very effective, I should think. On many
occasions I had noxious, mouldering
banknotes counted into my hand
presumably these had been hoarded for
many years in expectation of a
future visit to England.
At the other end of the
scale I can recall a visit from
an Arabian gentleman,
swathed in white robes,
accompanied by his
entourage, who asked me
what the most expensive
guitar in the shop was. I
offered him a certain
limited run Gibson Les
Paul that we happened to
have at the time. He said
Okay, and snapped his

It wasnt all foreigners, of course. With the

UK festival season well underway, higherprofile pro bands would be gathering
themselves together for another tour. We
supplied a lot of equipment directly to
outdoor festival organisers, both PA and
backline, though as time passed it became
more usual for them to rent what they needed
for the duration of the event. The bands
themselves usually liked to appear on stage
with something new, and would top up their
collections in readiness for the flurry of
summer gigs. Without getting into a
name-dropping exercise, we always were very
happy to get the likes of Mott The Hoople,
Free, Skid Row, Yes, Widowmaker and Jeff
Beck come through the door, as we were
confident that they would never fail to buy a
guitar, or two not to mention piles of leads,
effects pedals and sundry other goodies and
of course strings by the boxload. But in the
fullness of time another summer would fade
into memory, and we would start getting
stocked up ready for Christmas.
SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 93

Echoes of THE PAST

Paul Brett may love his archaic acoustic blues guitars his Stellas, Regals, Oahus and
Weymanns but hes also got another side that displays an equal fascination with the
lesser-known electric brands of America and Europe. Lars Mullen listens in

ome guitar companies the

most famous ones are so welldocumented these days that with
the purchase of a couple of books
you can attain a level of knowhow
that would have been near-impossible to
achieve 30 years ago. When it comes to more
obscure brands, though, enthusiasts all over
the world are still poring over rare catalogues
and comparing notes to build up an accurate
picture of what really happened. One of those
enthusiasts is Paul Brett, whose interests
94 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

cover a range of instruments from exceedingly

rare flat-tops of the early 20th century, to more
modern handmade guitars to the unusual
electrics you see in the photo above. Its a
knowledge hes put to use compiling several
books and videos, and hes also an acoustic
guitar designer for a popular company. Over
the decades Ive built up what I suppose
youd call a working mans knowledge of
acoustic guitars, and Ive drawn on that for
my latest designs, said Paul. We use quality
tonewoods, and of course those contribute to

the tone and volume, but its what comes out

of the soundhole that matters. Its one of the
fascinating things about some older acoustic
and semi-acoustic guitars some of the ones
most responsible for the music we now adore,
the ones we regard as very collectable, were
actually almost slung together often with
whatever wood was available.
The bulk of my collection has always been
acoustics and electro-acoustics, but the ones
Ill be showing you today are guitars Ive had
for a very long time, stuff that Ive stacked

PRIVATE COLLECTION
A single-pickup
Harmony H45
Stratotone-Mars and
an H49 StratotoneJupiter Deluxe

These Harmonys have something that cant be

replicated. Copies dont sound or feel the same
away over the years just in case they ever had
some historical value at some point in the
future. Most of them were picked up during
the 60s and 70s from corner junk shops
in London, the kind of places that just dont
exist anymore. I paid a tenner for some of
these guitars and at the time I thought I was
paying far too much!
First into the limelight from Pauls
collection is a pair of Harmonys. The
sunburst one with the single pickup is a
Harmony H45 Stratotone-Mars, details Paul,
while the natural-finish one is a top-of-therange Jupiter with a pair of DeArmond gold
foil pickups. Both these guitars date from
the late 50s, and theyre prime examples of
the sound of that era. These guitars have got
something I just dont think can be accurately
replicated. There are some very nice reissues
available, and they play pretty well, but its
whats underneath that counts. They just
dont sound or feel the same as the originals.
The whole building process, the technicians,
the technology, the woods, even the
electronics from that age were so different.

Silvertones also fall into the early

workingmans guitar category. These were
available from the Montgomery Ward and
Sears and Roebuck mail-order catalogues
in the early 60s, and theyve have rocketed
in price over the last few years. These
two black Silvertones are in really good
condition and they both play and sound
exceptional the acoustic chambered
bodies really add to the raunchy sound.
The one on the left is a high-spec Jupiter
in black sparkle with a pair of DeArmond
silver foil pickups, and its really powerful
and sweet-sounding. The black Stratotone
on the right has a really raucous sound
superb for rhythm.
Someone who didnt have a clue about
guitars recently asked me why these
old and basic-looking guitars are now
becoming more collectable. Well, the
answer is that they were pretty good in the
first place! They were also really original
in design, and they played an early role in
the careers of many legendary acts from
American blues players to British

A Silvertone Jupiter
and a Silvertone
Stratotone

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 95

PRIVATE COLLECTION

Kay guitars sold

in huge quantities.
Some say they singlehandedly created
the vast American
guitar market

Companies were even set up to advise

young bankers on investing their
bonuses on valuable guitars instead
of watches and posh cars, but it was a
sure-fire bet that as soon as there was
a dip in the market, they were likely
A stunning Kay Upbeat
lose a lot of money. Interestingly, all
with the full Kelvinator
through the troughs and peaks of the
headstock (detail right)
recession, the acoustic market has
always remained pretty stable, unlike
electrics. I think thats possibly because
acoustics appeal to an older generation who
artists. Once, almost every up and coming
want to own and play a specific guitar, so
player was learning on these simple budget
theyre doing it for the right reasons.
models of the 50s and 60s, and to me they
But going back to budget electrics of the
make such a refreshing change to all the
50s and 60s the brand X guitars like
endless copies out there today.
Kays, Harmonys, Silvertones and others I
The collectors market has been through
think they offer an alternative approach to
some real ups and downs. Weve had serious
the boutique movement of today. There are
collectors paying up to a million dollars for a
many luthiers who make exquisite acoustics
50s Les Paul played by a legendary guitarist
and semi-acoustic guitars, and I know
and a lot of people paying almost that sort of
money for other highly collectable guitars,
but not really knowing what they were doing.
A Kay Style Leader
and a Kay 136 (with
headstock detail, left)

96 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

several bedroom players who own them, but

theyre often far too scared to take them to a
gig and imagine the bad karma involved
if anyone else touches them, or the worry
that the slightest ding will devalue it! You
should surely buy a guitar to play it, even if it
cost five grand. Having spent all that money,
though, youve got to wait a very long time to
see if its going to go up in value, and nobody
knows whats going to happen 40 or 50 years
down the line. But with Harmonys and the
like, some collectors simply want them in the
condition of the present day pretty scruffy,
and not buffed back to the original shine.
Kay is another brand that sold in huge
quantities to teenagers around the world
during the 50s and 60s so much so
that its often said that Kay was arguably
accountable for single-handedly creating the
vast American guitar market. The six-string
Thin Twin electric guitar in particular was an
instant hit with blues players in the Chicago
area; it became known as the Jimmy Reed
or Howlin Wolf model, and to this day it
remains a favourite with many guitarists,
session players and collectors.
This big archtop semi-acoustic Kay
Upbeat is a rare transitional model, made
around 1958. It has a black finish, the full
Kelvinator headstock, a white sparkle
pickguard and white pickup covers and
surrounds a combination of features that
didnt run for more than a couple months,
as Kay switched from white to black for their

PRIVATE COLLECTION

headstocks, pickguards and pickups. The

Upbeat has a well-rounded mellow jazz tone
with lots of clarity thanks to the Gibson-made
Kleenex tissue box pickups. Some say that
these pickups morphed into early Gibson
P90s. I was lucky with this one it was
literally an under the bed find.
The single-cutaway guitar with the two
copper-coloured anodised scratchplates is a
Kay Style Leader, and its in great condition
for a guitar built over half a century ago.
There are several versions, but this is the
twin-pickup model. The scratchplates seem so
retro today, but at the time they was a radical
step forward in design. Its a good player, and
the pickups can drive any amp, vintage or
modern its an ageless guitar for the serious
blues player. Lonnie Johnson, one of my
favourite blues artists, could make his Style
Leader sound so sweet.
The little guitar finished in various shades
of spring green is a mid-50s Kay 136. It only
has one pickup slap in the middle of the body
but what a killer sound! You can play jazz,
blues, rock or slide on this guitar; it sounds
as clear as a bell through an amps clean
channel, but it howls like a good un through
the dirty side. Mind you, I think even lovers of
really thick necks might find this one a bit of
challenge to play.
Lets move across the Atlantic from
Chicago, Illinois to Germany, and begin with
a 60s Hofner Committee. I actually swapped
a Kay Thin Twin for the Committee, as at
A 1962 Magnatone
MkIV and a 56
Magnatone MkIII

Left, Pauls acoustic

Hofner Committee; right,
an East German Goldklang

Most Hofners have a metallic midrange

bark, but this Committee is warm and
mellow you can play sultry blues on it
the time they were both about the
same in value, Paul recalls. I had
quite a few Kays so I thought this
would be a nice addition to my
hoard of Hofners. I was attracted
by the excellent condition and the
unusual distance between the
zero fret and the nut. Hofners, of
course, were basically designed
for 50s jazz bands. Most of
mine have that typical metallic
midrange bark, but this one is
warm and mellow you can
even play sultry blues on it.
Still with big-bodied
archtops, Paul unveils a very
unusual Goldklang. This is
one of my favourite-looking
guitars, similar in basic design
to the Hofner, and made by
Heinz Seifert in the 50s for
Goldklang in East Germany.
Its got a capped headstock,
full block fretboard position
markers, and a wonderful

piano-key design scratchplate that follows

the outline of the f-hole. The pickup was
added later at some stage; Ive no idea what
it is, but it sounds fabulous through an amp.
Goldklang started up in the 1920s making
mandolins, and they never made many
guitars. Its a fine example of Eastern bloc
luthiery on the other side of the wall it was
all Hofner and Hopf.
The two little blonde guitars pictured left
are something very special. Sometimes
simplicity is the best, and these two very
rare Magnatone instruments really take
some beating, Paul enthuses. In their day
Magnatone produced some of the finest
USA-built valve amps, and those amps are
now very collectable.
The main guys behind the guitar
designs were Paul Barth, who made a
major contribution to early guitar design
by working for all the big names including
Rickenbacker, Gibson and Fender, and
Paul Bigsby, who designed the vibrato unit
and also had input into some of the
guitars. Bigsby himself designed the

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 97

PRIVATE COLLECTION
Left, a Teisco Del
Rey MJ-2L; right,
an Alamo Fiesta

Gibson Sonex 180 Deluxe

and a three-quarter size
Melody Maker

56 Magnatone MkIII with a through-neck on

the right. I just love this guitar to bits. Played
acoustically, you can feel the chambered body
resonating; drive it through any big valve amp
and it sounds phenomenal, with a sound that
seems to combine the tonal characteristics of
a Strat, Tele and a Les Paul.
The one on the left is a MkVI with a bolton neck in a see-through cream finish. This
one was designed by Paul Barth, and once
more it just includes the barest essentials for
a well-made budget guitar. You could walk on
stage with a Magnatone guitar or similar, plug
A Fender Custom
Shop doubleneck Jazz
Bass/Stratocaster

The Japanese made some great guitars. I love

the innovative designs and quirky switches
into a basic amp, and without thousands
of pounds worth of effects still get that
early raucous blues sound, because these
are the original guitars that were used. Its
the rarity and condition of these two that
make them very collectable, and both come
complete with the original cases.
After all these thrilling obscurities, a
pair of Gibsons almost comes as a shock
to the senses. Well, I thought I would
throw in a few! Paul laughs. The Gibson
Sonex 180 Deluxe is very underrated and
undervalued guitar, in my opinion. It was
launched in the 80s as an affordable
Gibson with a bolt-on neck and a pair of
Sonex humbuckers. If you want a cheap
Gibson that does the same job as a Les
Paul, this is the one.
On the right is a short-scale 1959
sunburst Gibson Melody Maker, which
is actually my favourite electric guitar.
Once again, it was built way back for the
entry-level market. The way the wood

98 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

has matured over the last 50-plus years has

no doubt got a lot to do with the endless
sustain, which is evident even when played
acoustically. I love this guitar its just so
handy to have lying around.
Lets zoom back to the wacky side with a
pair of Far Eastern guitars from the 60s.
The Japanese built so many great guitars in
the 60s and 70s, and I love the innovative
designs and the quirky onboard switches and
effects, Paul enthuses. The one on the left is
a 60s sunburst Teisco Del Rey MJ-2L pretty
typical of the era, and superb for slide work in
a Hound Dog Taylor or Ry Cooder style. I love
the way the large pickup rocker switches are
labelled Mic 1 and 2 on/off!
This Alamo Fiesta is another collectable
USA-built budget guitar. Fitted with a pair
of single coil pickups, this one was regarded
as the luxury model, but it was still fairly
basic. A lot of these guitars are pretty similar
in construction, but they all have individual
sound characteristics and original

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PRIVATE COLLECTION
Trini Lopez meets
Coronado: a
Harmony H72V

designs. This one is quite bright and snappy

thanks to the bolt-on neck and lightweight
construction. I have the original case too,
complete with the guarantee card.
We couldnt resist asking Paul if he would
like to show us a solidbodied rarity from
later years, and we are astonished when he
produces a custom-made two-in-one Fender.
I have quite a few out of character guitars,
says Paul, and this mid-80s doubleneck
Fender is definitely unusual! It gives you the
choice of a four-string Jazz Bass and a sixstring Stratocaster.
This is a true hybrid Fender not a
production line model, but a very special
Custom Shop order. The extra mass of the
body certainly enhances the tone and sustain,
but the trade-off, of course, is the weight. It
would take a real man to stand up and play
this one all night. Ive used it for a lot of
recording and on my YouTube videos, where
I demonstrate a lot of these guitars luckily, I
was sitting down each time!
Our penultimate guitar from Pauls electric
collection takes us back to that guitar-making
giant, Harmony. Its interesting seeing just
how much certain brands influenced each
other, Paul points out. This big Harmony
H72V semi-acoustic has some of the essence
of Gretsch and Gibson, but with a bolton neck and a single-sided Fender-style
100 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

headstock. Its got the typical gold foil

DeArmond humbuckers and an original
factory-fitted Bigsby vibrato. In terms of
the sound, I think this guitar would have
been best suited to a really good dance
band rhythm player.
Lastly, I thought wed come back
home to an iconic British guitar maker,
Jim Burns. This Burns GB65 was his
first attempt at building an electroacoustic, and it was a model he was very
proud of. Its a big flat-topped semihollow, and theyre regarded by the Burns
Museum as the rarest and most unusual
Jim Burns guitar of them all. Very few
were made during 1965, and it was the
first model that Baldwin discontinued
when they took over the company.
The body is mahogany, with a sycamore
top; the neck is maple, and the fingerboard
is Brazilian rosewood. The two soundholes

were actually called the Controlled

Resonance Design, and the Rez-o-Matic
pickups give a clear, bright sound, great for
jazz or country picking. I think this guitar
could have been really popular as it came out
at the right time in the middle of the British
beat boom, a time when a lot of players, like
the Beatles, were using acoustic guitars with
magnetic pickups.
Jim Burns was incredibly innovative with
his designs, but it was always a hand-tomouth operation. Its a shame that he didnt
have proper financial backing at the time.
Recently the British prime minister said the
music industry in Britain is one of our major
exports yet what do they invest in the skills
of UK guitar makers? Nothing unlike the
USA, which backs their own with millions of
dollars. Why dont we have training schools
for guitar luthiery in this country?
So how would Paul sum up his eclectic
selection of lesser-known electrics? Well, to
me, theyre time-line guitars, instruments
which countless players used to craft their
own unique playing styles and sounds, he
points out. Ive had all the Les Pauls and
Strats, but instead of those Ive hung on to the
ones that I felt were valid to me, rather than
the brands that were on everyones lips. Sure,
Gibson and Fender made their mark, but in
my opinion only really from the mid-60s
onward, thanks to players like Hank Marvin,
Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. I
feel the guitars in my collection are some of
the true front-line workers, and they reveal a
world of guitar-playing history.
For more information on Paul Bretts guitars
see www.paulbrettguitarist.co.uk

Ive had all the Les Pauls and Strats, but Ive
hung onto the ones I felt were valid to me
Paul with the rare and
short-lived Burns GB65

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TECHNiqUES

WoRkshop

Drills For

ThRills

Easy On The Ear

A useful pack drill to assist you in honing that oft-neglected skill ear training

ar training means you can learn

songs and respond to bandmates
quicker. These three drills all
scales in the key of C are singing
exercises that will help you recognise scales
and intervals between two notes. Bars 1 and
2 of each one show the notes first ascending
then descending one octave. The pattern in
bars 3 and 4 is the same each time, and the
first note of each exercises third bar is the
first note of the scale. The etc means you

should continue this pattern up to the octave,

then all the way down the scale again.
At first, play these on guitar to get used to
the sound of each scale or mode. Next, sing
along to the guitar (dont worry about your
singing abilities just try to hold a clear,
constant pitch). Then play just the first note
of bar 1 on the guitar and sing to the end of
bar 2, checking against the guitar at the end
to make sure you havent strayed off pitch.
Its similar for the pattern in bars 3 and 4;

1 THE MAJOR C SCAlE

play the first note each time to avoid straying

off key. After doing the exercises, you will
have sung all 12 intervals in an octave. As
you tackle each scale/mode its important to
memorise the formula of each scale and the
interval name so you can learn to sing (and
hear) specific intervals. Do these exercises
daily, if possible it can take weeks to get
to grips with them. As youre working with
just the first four frets, the fingering should
correspond with the number of the fret.

4/4 TiME

The formula for the major scale is: root/first,

second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and
octave/eighth. Strictly speaking, the names for the
intervals from the root note to each note of the
major scale in turn are major second, major third,
perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth, major
seventh and perfect octave. The fourth, fifth and
octave are known as perfect intervals because of
their unique and very harmonious sound.

THE C BlUES SCAlE

4/4 TiME

The formula for a scale is worked out by comparing

each note with the equivalent letter name note in
the major scale. Hence, the second note in the C
phrygian mode is Eb, whereas the C major scale
contains an E note. Since in the key of C an E note is
described as the major third, Eb is the flattened or
minor third. So, the formula for the C blues scale is
root/first, flattened/minor third, perfect fourth,
flattened/diminished fifth perfect fifth, flattened
or minor seventh, perfect octave. Notice the blues
scale does not contain the second or sixth degrees
of the scale so no D nor A notes of any kind here.

THE C PHRYGiAN MODE

4/4 TiME

The reason the phrygian mode is used here is that

it includes the remaining two intervals not yet
encountered in the previous two scales the
flattened or minor second Db and the flattened or
minor sixth Ab. The formula for the phrygian mode
is: root/first, flattened or minor second, flattened
or minor third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth,
flattened or minor sixth, flattened or minor
seventh, and eighth or perfect octave.

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 105

Guitar

Workshop

O
Necks

In Line

Profiles, scale lengths, fingerboard cambers, lacquer

choices all part of the myriad subtleties that
dictate how a guitar neck feels to the player. We put
the microscope on the finer details of neck design

106 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

ne of the most important aspects

of any guitar, not surprisingly,
is how easy the instrument is to
play and its universally agreed
that this is mainly determined by the shape
and feel of the neck and fingerboard. The rest
of the instrument pickups, bridge and body
timber though important, can only perform
at their best once the neck is playable. In a
nutshell, everything starts at the neck.

Neck and neck

Styles of neck construction can vary
considerably between guitar makers. Most
necks are built from a combination of two
types of hardwood: one for the bulk or back of
the neck, the other for the playing surface that
holds the frets, aka the fingerboard (Fenders
one-piece maple neck with integral fretboard
is an obvious exception).
The rear section of a neck is shaped from
a hardwood blank with long, straight grain
to ensure that the neck can be slim but still
able to withstand the pull of the strings.
Some luthiers use a single piece of maple or
mahogany; others laminate three or more
pieces together longitudinally with the grain
direction of the outer pieces opposing in order
to balance stress and reduce the chances of
future twisting. Laminating the timber this
way is cost-effective and structurally sensible:
the laminate is very strong and stable. This
consideration ensures maximum strength,
especially where the headstock joins the top
of the neck, the thinnest and weakest point
(particularly if the headstock is back-angled,
Gibson-style).
While Fender and Gibson have habitually
plumped for one-piece necks and headstocks
(on the Strat, Tele and Les Paul), numerous
makers today especially those using pointed,
dropped headstocks splice the headstock to
the neck. Done properly, this can save timber,
but such a joint is only as strong as the glue
and the flushness of the two surfaces.
Fingerboards are usually rosewood or
ebony, two extremely hard timbers that do not
require a lacquer finish to protect them from
the environment and you, the player. Both
timbers are also suited to accept decorative
inlays. Maple is used successfully for
fingerboards, though being a naturally white
timber it requires a finish to protect it from
dirt. This has caused some controversy, not
least due to Fenders ultra-thick 70s finish
that gave maple fingerboards a bad reputation
for being sticky and slow, especially when
the players hands began to sweat.
Modem, thinner satin finishes and higher
frets tend to equalise the feel of a maple
fingerboard, but where the finish is applied

GUITAR

WORKSHOP
NECK SHAPES

V shape

D shape

The shape of the rear section of the neck dictates

how it feels in the palm of your hand, and whats
comfortable is obviously very personal
over the frets as on 70s Fenders a re-fret
can become a bit of a nightmare. Usually the
only solution is to remove both the frets and
the fingerboard finish, which then has to be
reapplied, adding to the repair cost.
Ideally, the combined shape of both the
fingerboard and the rear section of the neck
should complement one another, helping to
make complex fingerings more comfortable.
There are many factors at play here: the necks
width and depth, the shape of the back of
the neck, the fingerboard radius, the frets,
the guitars scale length and, of course, the
action. Thats why, at G&B, we list these specs
in reviews so give you the best chance of
deciding whether a guitar might suit you.

Neck shapes
To simplify matters, it could be said that there
are three basic styles of neck shape: the C, the
D, and the V shape. The C shape describes
most Gibson-type guitar necks, a smooth oval
in section. The D describes many Fender-style
profiles with fatter, squarer shoulders (the
sides of the neck). The V shape has shoulders

that are often quite steep, and although

usually attributed to Martin, the style was also
adopted by Fender at times in the 50s and
has been frequently reapplied to reissues and
signature models. Of course, these categories
are broad and the variations manifold, but
this should help you to understand the most
commonly-used terminology. In essence, the
shape of the rear section of the neck dictates
how the neck feels in the palm of your hand.
Whats comfortable is obviously very personal:
some players like the big, deep D-shaped
necks of old 50s Les Pauls, others will rave
about the super-thin C Wizard shapes of
contemporary lbanez necks.
Scale length is important here too, as it
directly relates to the distance between the
frets. Players with big hands may feel happier
playing on the longer 25.5" Fender scale than
the shorter Gibson 24.75" scale. More and
more companies, such as PRS, are using a
halfway 25" scale length. The best of both
worlds? Maybe.
Apart from the physical size of your hand,
the way you fret will affect how the neck

FIG 1
16"
12"

10"

71/4"
Fingerboard radii

C shape
feels. If you grab the neck with your thumb
around the bass strings, a bigger D shape
may be preferable; if you fret in the classical
thumb behind position then a thinner neck,
often with a flatter back, might suit you best.
If youre trying instruments in a shop, the
sales assistant should be able to help you
pick C and D shaped necks to compare, and a
well-stocked store should be able to produce
a V neck too, like the one Fenders Eric
Clapton Strat. Ask to try instruments with
different scale lengths so that you can gain
some idea of the neck shape and string length
combination that suits your hands best.
Of course, you may find a great neck on a
not-so-great sounding guitar, or vice versa
thats life. If youre rich, your answer may lie
in a custom-built guitar: the rest of us will
likely have to get used to a dodgy neck on a
great-sounding guitar. After all, if your sound
is poor, whos going to notice those solos?
On the subject of tone, the materials used
for the neck and fingerboard also contribute
greatly to the sound of the instrument,
although surprise, surprise opinions on
the effect run in all directions. Whatever
anyone tells you, the tone of a guitar is the
sum of its parts and your hands, and just
because you have a rosewood fingerboard
it wont make a guitar warmer than
another instrument with a brighter maple
fingerboard. Even highly experienced guitar
makers hesitate to be drawn into any precise
judgements on the sound of wood. Let your
ears and hands make the decision. You
may simply like the look of a nice piece of
rosewood; its a valuable resource, so enjoy it.

The camber never lies

The cross-sectional shape of the fingerboard
aka the radius or camber is very relevant
to a guitars playability. Consider, for instance,
the plight of players of vintage-spec Strats or
Teles who find it difficult to make first, second
and third string high-fret bends ring clean
and true. Beyond the 10th fret, bending more
than a semitone especially with a low action
can cause the strings to choke out on the
upper frets, the sound becoming throttled and
buzzy as they approach or pass the centre of
the fingerboard.

SEPTEMBER 2013 Guitar & Bass 107

GUITAR

WORKSHOP
Most guitars have a regular radius that
is the same at the nut as at the highest fret.
Older vintage and many reissue Fenders
have a relatively small radius of 7.25" inch.
Such necks feel great to play on; barre chords
feel good and first position riffing is easy.
However, the small radius causes upper fret
choking. Loads of players learn to live with it,
while others cant abide it.
Curing the choking on a 7.25" radius
fingerboard involves a cunning re-radiusing
of the frets so that the perceived radius
increases as you travel up the board. Though
this appears to flatten out the board, it is
actually only the frets which take on the new
shape; honed this way, the strings are less
likely to collide with them and choke out.
The trick is turned by subtle re-cambering
of the frets with carborundum or a grindstone
so that the top (or crown) becomes gradually
lower on the higher frets, the radius at the last
fret being anywhere between 12" and 14". This
modification works very well but requires
extra dressing and reshaping of the low-tomiddle sections of the higher frets, which
is difficult and expensive. The size or gauge
of the frets also has a large bearing on the
potential success of the job. Many repairers
see this repair as a compromise, since the
height of the frets is progressively reduced;
you may cure the choking but you now have
lower frets, and string bends are likely to
be harder to execute. However, on valuable
instruments it may be the only option.
The ultimate repair is to change the
fingerboard radius itself, work which involves
removing the frets then shooting the board
with a plane to flatten the radius. Once the
neck has been re-fretted, the new frets retain
a regular height from one end of the neck
to the other (bear in mind that on Fenders
with veneer fingerboards, like L-series Strats,

FIG 2
On the left, a
constant
radius
fingerboard
with a surface
like a tube

A normal fingerboard has the radius of a regular

tube, while a compound radius shapes the board
so that it takes on the contour of a cone
theres often not enough fingerboard material
to reshape). If any refinishing is involved,
as there will be if your fingerboard is maple,
the repair is going to be costly, though its
justifiable since the guitar will play and feel
much better.
Fender has taken notice of this and
have, for example, altered the fingerboard
radius on the American Standard Series,
swapping the vintage 7.25" for a gentler 9.5".
Incidentally, this specific choking problem
never afflicted Gibson guitars as their radius
was, and still is, typically 12", their fretboards
being much flatter in comparison. PRS

Rosewood allows easy refrets or even board re-radiusing

On maple fingerboards any re-radiusing means a refinish

Gibsons with their flatter-camber boards choke out far less

108 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

On the right, a
cone-shaped
compound radius
fingerboard,
growing flatter
towards the
upper frets

generally employ a halfway radius of 10" to

match their halfway scale length. Fig 1 shows
the four common radiuses: 7.25", 10", 12" and
16". Notice how curvy the Fender 7.25" seems
next to Gibsons 12".

Compound cambers
Re-working the neck is one solution for your
favourite guitar, but a much more elegant
way out is to swap the neck for one built
deliberately with a compound radiused
fingerboard and to stash the old neck out of
harms way, original and untouched. This
swap could also involve fitting the new neck
with a set of locking machineheads and a
graphite nut, a good move for both fixedbridge and tremolo-bridge guitars.
The compound radius idea is far from new
it crops up on certain classical instruments
but Warmoth in the USA were one of the
first to offer a compound radius on a retro-fit
neck to suit, for example, a Stratocaster. The
Warmoth compound radius shapes the
fingerboard so that it takes on the contour of a
section of a cone unlike a normally radiused
fingerboard which takes on the contour of a
tube (see Fig 2, above). A typical Warmoth
compound neck will start with a radius of 10"
at the nut and end with a radius of 16" at the
last fret. Many other companies employ
compound radii, from Jackson to UK makers
Overwater. Still, as we stated earlier, neck
shapes and fingerboard cambers are only part
of the playability story. Before you start
thinking of refrets, new necks or whatever, get
your guitar professionally set up youll be
surprised what a difference it makes.

www.coda-music.com
Gibson Frank Zappa
Roxy SG ~ 1699

Gary Moore
Les Paul
Standard
~ 1599

2013 Les Paul Standards,

all finishes, from 1899

100s of Gibson & Epiphone

guitars always in stock.
Check our website or visit
either store to find the
guitar of your dreams.

Official distributor of Joyo Pedals

Brand new
Standard
Stratocaster
Satin series
now in stock.
Only 409.

We always carry a great selection Fender & Squier

guitars, basses and amps. From Squier Vintage
Modified to Fender Mexican Standard Series,
right up to American Deluxe & American Vintage.
Were sure to have the guitar, bass or amp for you.

Redplate are true boutique amps,

hand built with an uncompromising
attention to detail combined with a
final tweaking process that gives the
player that last extra amount of tonal
excellence. Great selection in stock.

prices start
at 1699

Introducing 8 classic Guild guitar

styles from the 50s & 60s that
have helped shape popular
music. From the big jazz sound
of the Manhattans, through the
blues and lo-fi cool of the Starfire and
on to the pure rock of the Polara there
really is a model for every taste!

We always have a great

selection of Fano guitars,
and were adding two more
to our collection. Brand new
for 2013 the Fano GF4 & GF6,
both should be here soon.

Boutique Amps
Amazing selection of Collings Acoustic
and Electric guitars in stock at our
Stevenage store. Also due soon :Collings I35LC in faded cherry,
walnut, & tobacco sunburst, or with
P90s in Red. SoCo 16 LC in tobacco
sunburst, faded cherry, & tobacco
sunburst with P90s I35 Deluxe
tigers eye sunburst, Eastside.
100s of secondhand guitars, amps & pedals in stock,
see www.coda-music.com for an up to date list.
We buy secondhand guitars - bring yours in for
a quote & try something new at the same time

CUSTOM SHOP

Two more amp lines added to our collection. Fargen Amps, founded by Ben
Fargen, has become one of the top engineers of amplification & tone in
the guitar business. Fargen Amps now ships boutique guitar amplifiers to
dealers and distributors across the globe, and into the hands of discerning
players everywhere. Full range available on our website and in store.
Weve also just placed our first order for Bad Cat Amps. Bad Cat takes a no
compromise approach when designing & producing tube amps. Bad Cat
Amplifiers are designed and built entirely in Southern California. We also
carry a huge selection of other boutique amp lines including Swart, Carr,
Redplate, Two Rock & Tone King. Check out our website for full details.

Two-Rock ampli ers are incredible sounding,

hand built boutique guitar amps, made in
Rohnert Park, California. Two Rock Bi Onyx
Head, Two Rock Studio Pro Plus Heads &
Combos, Two Rock Sensor Heads & Combos.
Huge selection in stock, from 999.

Marshall Slash Signature SL5C

Combo now in stock. 589

If it is exceptional tone and superb build quality that you look for in an amp
then you have to consider Tone King. The amps are built in California at the
Two-Rock shop. We also have the new Tone King Anniversary Handwired
Imperial Combo & Tone King Sky King Combo on order due in any day.
Weve been Fender Custom Shop dealers for most
of our 25 years, during which time weve grown
to be Europes biggest Custom Shop dealer.
Over the years weve helped many customers attain their
fantasy guitars. We always keep over 100 Fender Custom
Shop guitars in stock at our Stevenage branch so visit our
website or call into Stevenage to see them.

Lowden guitars are made under direct

supervision by George Lowden in his
hometown in Downpatrick, N Ireland.
The integrity and passion recently described as Olympic guitar
making - which goes into each and every Lowden guitar, has never been
stronger. Coda Music in Stevenage has a great selection of Lowden guitars
always in stock. Come into the shop or see them on our website.

51a High Street, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 3AH t : 01438 350 815 e : stevenage@coda-music.co.uk
7 Guildford Street, Luton, Beds, LU1 2NQ t : 01582 725 625 e : luton@coda-music.com

Coda Music Ad 0713.indd 1

Instant decision 9 months 0% finance

available on all new products over 300 on our website

08/07/2013 15:36

DEAD OR ALIVE

OLD AND VINTAGE

GUITARS & EQUIPMENT
BOUGHT, SOLD AND TRADED
IF CAPTURED,
PLEASE DELIVER TO:
OLD HAT GUITARS

47 East Street, Horncastle,

Lincolnshire, LN9 6AA
Tel: 01507 525327
07850 802 219

www.oldhatguitars.com
wanted.indd
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15/04/2011
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12:14

Martin Huch

SUNDAY 25th
AUGUST 2013

10am till 4pm

5.00 ENTRY (unders 12's FREE if accompanied)

THE HIRED LAD

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Guitar performances & workshops throughout the day

Jimi Savage (Electric/Rock Masterclass)

Tristan Seume (Superb Acoustic Guitarist)
Ken Nicol (Fylde Guitars)
Adrian Ingram (Jazz & Blues)
Ben Hughes -Haarlin (Acoustic Guitar)
Chris Walton (Electric Guitar Workshop)

Martin Huch

W W W . S O U N D P A D . C O . U K

mail o

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Buy o

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info@soundpad.co.uk

Tel: (01271) 323686

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Pickup
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Condition
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Mon-Sat: 9.30am - 5.30pm. Sunday: Closed
All prices correct & products in stock at time of publication.
All used Instruments and Equipment carry full 3 months warranty (parts & labour). All prices include VAT.

FROM
49

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Showroom open: Thu, Fri, Sat - 10am-5pm

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Stripped 58 Limited Edition - Faded McCarty Sunburst ......... 2,299
DGT Standard Mahogany Limited Edition + birds - natural ... 1,599
DGT Standard Mahogany Limited Edition - vintage cherry ..... 1,699
NF3 Vintage Cherry - maple fingerboard ................................ 999
Stripped '58' Singlecut - Teal Black ................................... 1,499
Stripped '58' Singlecut - faded gray black .......................... 1,699
Modern Eagle Quattro - stop tail - gold top ......................... 2,799
Modern Eagle 11 - charcoal ............................................... 2,899

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Classic - tobacco burst ...................................... 2,099

Hollow T Classic - natural .................................. 1,999
Hollow Classic - 3 colour burst ........................... 1,899
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Classic - trans blonde ....................................... 1,899
Hollow Drop Top - natural blue .......................... 1,999
Classic - 3 colour burst ...................................... 1,699
Hollow Drop Top Classic Maui Kazowie ................. 2,399
Short Drop Top T - deep tobacco fade ................. 2,995
Bulldog - honeyburst - 2010 ............................... 2,449

NEW & USED GUITARS

Collings 290 TV Yellow ............................................................ 2,599

Collings 290DCS - faded crimson ............................................. 2,885
Collings City Limits Deluxe - amber sunburst ............................. 4,245
Collings City Limits Deluxe amber sunburst ............................... 4,380
Collings i35 Deluxe - dark cherry sunburst ................................ 5,134
Collings i35LC - vintage natural - 2011 - MINT !!!!!! ................... 2,999
Duesenberg Double Cat - black + case - 2011 - mint !!!! ............ 1,099
Duesenberg Fullerton TV Double Cutaway + case - TV Yellow ...... 1,399
Eatwood Airline/Supro Twintone - 2011 ....................................... 315
Epiphone Olympic circa 1963 ...................................................... 999
Fano Limited Run Alt de Facto RB6 - faded cherry ...................... 1,699
Fender Custom Shop 1960 Heavy Relic Strat - black................... 2,490
Fender Custom Shop 1961 Relic Tele Custom - faded sunburst ... 2,290
Fender Custom Shop Closet Classic Tele Pro - Nocaster Blonde .... 1,899
Fender Custom Shop 50's Duo Tone Relic Tele - honey blonde ..... 2,190
Fender Custom Shop '56' Relic Strat - fiesta red ........................ 2,299
Fender Custom Shop 60's Relic Strat - 3 tone sunburst ............... 2,195
Fender Eric Johnson Strat - 2 tone sunburst - 2007 .................... 1,375
Fender Master Built '57' Relic Strat - dakota red - Jason Smith .... 3,449
Fender Splattercaster Limited Edition - 2003 ................................ 490
Fender USA Tele-bration Old Pine 52 - white wash ..................... 1,159
G&L ASAT Classic - sunburst ...................................................... 839
G&L S500 Silver Metallic - circa 2001 .......................................... 799
Gibson Custom Shop ES345 Reissue - faded cherry - 2009......... 2,249
Gibson ES135 Natural - 2001 .................................................. 1,299
Gibson Gary Moore BFG Les Paul - lemon burst - 2009 .................. 829
Gibson Historic 1959 ES335 faded cherry - Nashville 2005 ......... 2,890
Gibson Les Paul Deluxe - red sparkle - circa 1974 ...................... 1,875
James Trussart Steelcaster Two Tone Green - holey gator ........... 2,999
McNaught Vintage Double Cut 'Burst' - 2004 ............................. 2,899
Musicman Axis Super Sport + Piezo - sapphire black .................. 2,190
Musicman Axis Super Sport + trem - natural ............................. 1,875
Patrick Eggle Berlin Pro - bahamian blue - 1992 ............................ 990
PRS 513 Brazilian Rosewood - tortoiseshell - 2007 ..................... 3,499
PRS Custom 24 10 Top + birds - McCarty sunburst - 2008 .......... 1,690
PRS Custom 24 artist pack 25th Anniversary - emerald green ..... 2,499
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PRS SC245 57/08 Limited Edition McCarty Burst - 2008 ............. 2,445
PRS SC245 Singlecut - black - 2008 ......................................... 1,490
PRS SC245 Whale Blue + bird inlays - 2007 .............................. 1,599
PRS Singlecut Artist Pack - 2006 - Tortoisehell........................... 2,290
Tyler Mongoose Retro - tobacco sunburst - 2007........................ 1,699
Tyler Studio Elite Retro - charcoal frost metallic - 2006 ............... 1,845
More tasty guitars in stock - visit www.guitars4you.co.uk

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Martin Huch
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HARMA EL34 Retro CRYO

SPECIAL OFFER
6L6WGB/5881 ORIGINAL PHILIPS USA MADE

If you want the best sounding EL34, then heres what

Tim Slater, the Deputy Editor of Guitar Buyer said
of the EL34 Retro-Cryo. In a word WOW!
The difference between the cryo and non-cryo Retro
is the difference between night and day. Clean tones sound tight and funky, and the
overdrive channel instantly sounds muscular and punchy with bags of sustain and a
lovely liquid high end. An exceptional valve that will give your
Marshall that classic British tone at the special offer price of only 24 each.
Read the full Cryo review on our website www.watfordvalves.com

These Philips 6L6WGB have had rave reviews from both sides of the Atlantic.
They are built to a higher spec than any other 6L6 and are noted for their rich
sustain, tight punchy bass and superb midrange twang, which no other 6L6
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ORIGINAL USA MADE CRYO VALVES

ORIGINAL PHILIPS USA MADE

The Cryo treatment when applied to some of the best made and best
sounding NOS valve provides a sonic performance that is not matched by
modern valves. These valves we ship to professional studios and musicians
worldwide where the best sound quality is the main requirement. These have
all been through vigorous test procedures and offer the best of the best.
ECC81-CV4024 Mullard 26.40
EF86-Philips
43.20
ECC82-6189 Philips
25.00
6L6WGB-5881 Philips 42.00
ECC83-5751 Philips
33.60
6V6GT-G.E
54.00
ECC83-12AX7 G.E
72.00
6V6GT-Philips
36.00
EL34-Tesla
72.00
6111WA-Philips
36.00

These valves are made with the highest quality materials and the tightest
quality control as specied by the US Government. They are also the best
sounding valves which outperform and out last their modern counter parts.
They also help your amp reach it true potential which is why NOS valves are
the most sought after by studios and professional musicians.
ECC81-12AT7
12.00
5Y3WGTA
24.00
ECC82-5814A
19.20
6L6WGB-5881
36.00
ECC83-5751
30.00
6L6GC-7581A
66.00
ECC83-12AX7
48.00
6V6GT
30.00
EL84-6BQ5
48.00
7027A
48.00

HARMA RETRO - CRYO SUPERIOR GRADE

HARMA SUPERIOR GRADE - raising the standard

The Harma Retro Cryo range recreates the classic sounds and designs of the
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Then the Harma Cryo Retro range is the one for you. All preamp valves are drive
tested. All output valves are high plate volt drive tested under full working
conditions for maximum reliability. Used by the industrys biggest names including
Brian May, Thunder, Iron Maiden and the We Will Rock You shows worldwide.
ECC83-Retro Cryo
21.60
KT66- Retro Cryo
48.00
EL34-Retro Cryo
23.76
5U4GB- Retro Cryo 24.00
EL84-Retro Cryo
23.76
6550A-Retro Cryo
33.60
EZ81-Retro Cryo
24.00
6L6GC-Retro Cryo 23.76
GZ34- Retro Cryo
26.40
6550A-Retro Cryo
33.60

Our own brand, the best selected and tested valves in the industry.
All preamp valves are drive tested. All output valves are high plate volt
tested under full working conditions for maximum reliability. Used by the
industrys biggest names including Brian May, Thunder, Iron Maiden
and the We Will Rock You shows worldwide.
ECC81-STR
ECC83 STR
ECC83-7025-STR
EL34-STR
EL34-Retro
EL84/E84L standard

14.40
14.40
14.40
19.20
21.60
14.40

EL84-Retro
GZ34-Retro
5881-Mil Spec
6L6GC- STR
6L6GC- Retro
6550A-Retro

18.00
18.00
18.00
21.60
21.60
28.80

GROOVE TUBES CRYO SUPER PREMIUM

GROOVE TUBES SUPER PREMIUM

Groove tubes are one of the most respected valve brands in the World.
Combine this with Watford Valves special test facilities and Cryo treatment
and you get distortion rated output valves which are burst tested and dual
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drive tested for premium performance. The Cryo treatment takes these
valves to new levels of performance and we have items that are special
selected for Mesa Boogie ampliers. These Cryo treated Super Premium
are the best sounding GT available.
ECC83-S-Cryo
21.60
6L6GC-R -Cryo
28.80
12AY7-Cryo
26.40
6L6GC-GE -Cryo
30.00
EL34M-Cryo
26.40
6V6GT-R -Cryo
26.40
EL84-S Cryo
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Whether you want to learn how to play the guitar,

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READERS FREE
ADVERTISEMENTS
FOR SALE
Marshall G100RCD 100W amp
& 4x12 cab", 300. Fender 50s
Classic Player Strat, gig bag,
home use only, 425. NJD
quartet stage lights, extra leads,
no stands, flight case, 300. Tel:
07778 577256, Middlesex
Fender Pawnshop Mustang
Special, r/wood, Lake Placid
blue, Gibson 57 PAF p/ups,
great sound, 2011, mint, 400.
Original pickups available (30).
Tel: Nick 01702 433914 or
email: dennisnixon1@
googlemail.com, Essex
PRS Bernie Marsden, mint
condition, 425. Blackstar
Limited Edition 1W combo in
white, mint, 175. Collection
only. Tel: 01206 820242, Essex
Ernie Ball USA Silhouette,
honeyburst, three DiMarzio
HSH, 1996 model, good
condition and comes with EB
case, 750 plus postage. Photo
poss. Tel: George 07745 908037
Gibson 1991 Reverse Firebird V,
sunburst, absolutely unmarked
mint condition with papers,
1100 ono. 2005 Les Paul
Custom, black, very heavy &
loud, superb, 1700. Tel: 07786
474157, Midlands
PRS Hollowbody II, double 10
Top, teal, super guitar, cased,
2200. Gibson Les Paul Ltd
Edition, pacific reef, vgc, ebony
fingerboard, cased, 1100. Tel:
07816 317889, Kent
Fender Telecaster Custom Shop
Ltd Edition 62 relic. Bound
edge, three-tone faded
sunburst, blond tolex case with
cert and candy, 2050. Tel:
Drew 07958 552138 or email:
drewlord@supanet.com, Lancs
1967 Vintage Gretsch 6120
Nashville (serial number 47153).
Original example, painted-on
f-hole, thinline, double cutaway
Electrotone body guitar,
FilterTron pickups, complete
with original padded back and
original Gretsch plush-lined

hard shell case, 3000. The

guitar is in nicely play-worn
condition but has been very well
cared for. Tel: 07734 362724 or
email: mikehague62@hotmail.
com, Sheffield
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
1959 reissue, home use only,
hard case, ltd edition no.1108 of
1959, 320. Tel: Mike 07939
208427, Guildford
Fender USA Stratocaster, 1996,
sunburst, rosewood
fingerboard, original case,
home use only, near mint
condition, 750 ono. Tel: 07970
928788 or e-mail: brianlewis
innis@googlemail.com
1991 Charvel Charvette HSS,
locking tremelo, royal blue
finish, body is sound, paintwork
almost 100% whole, buckle
scratched on back, hence 165.
Email: waynederek slater@
yahoo.co.uk
Fender Vibro-King, 1997, 60W
all-valve amp with 3x10" Alnico
blue speakers. Modified with a
Master Volume. Vgc, buyer
collects, reluctant sale, 995, no
offers. Tel: Kev 01536 203200
Northants
Fender Black Paisley Telecaster
from the limited edition factory
special run series, as new and
mint condition, 400. Tel: Ron
01384873390, West Midlands
Epiphone Sheraton left-handed
guitar, three-tone sunburst,
two years old, home use only,
excellent condition, includes
hard case, buyer to collect,
280. Tel: 07542 913192,
Sheffield
Gibson Les Paul Traditional,
wine red, AA top, immaculate
condition, never seen a
screwdriver, hang tags and
usual Gibson hard case, 1050.
Tel: 07868 263587, Wilts
Trace Elliot 1210 Combo, 12
band preamp, 500W power
stage, 2x10", specially designed
Celestion speakers, with foot
controller. Very little use,

excellent condition, 650.

Tel: 07974 410929, Nr Cardiff
Gibson Les Paul Studio circa
1984, Polaris white, DiMarzios,
590. 1976 LP Special single-cut
Ltd Edition, 1900. USA Fender
Jazz Bass, 1998 with Gator case,
750. Tel: 0777 327 6815
Boss BD-2 Blues Driver pedal,
condition as new, almost
unused, home use only, comes
with box and manuals. 55.
Tel: 07946601292 or email:
bozzywibble@googlemail.com
Mesa/Boogie Nomad 45
combo, three channels, solo
boost, footswitch and slip cover.
Excellent condition, 795 ono.
Tel: Alex 07593 667326 or
email: ae0020897@blueyonder.
co.uk, South Tyneside
Fender 1961 limited release
LPB heavy relic Strat, Abigail
Ybarra pickups, hard case,
1875. Mesa/Boogie MkV
combo, as new, 1875.
Tel: Simon 07881 525777,
West Sussex
Gibson Custom Les Paul 1960
R0 VOS, light at 8.3 lbs,
sunburst flame top, OHSC, COA
certificate and tags, just had pro
set up, stunning condition,
3250. Tel: 07966 348996
1966 Fender Precision bass
guitar (sunburst), rosewood
fingerboard, one owner from
new, original condition. No
alterations, includes solid case.
4000 ono. Tel: 0121 770 1175
or email: janeybabe1967@
hotmail.co.uk
Engl Thunder 50W all-valve
combo including cover and foot
switch, as new, 450 ono.
Crate 80W combo, 100. 500
for both. Tel: Paul, 07905
233788, London
Gibson LP faded doublecut,
2003/4, cherry, P90s, case,
Gibson gig bag, home use only,
excellent condition, pro set-up,
650 ono. Tel: 07970 928788 or
e-mail: brianlewisinnis@
googlemail.com

Ashdown bass stack ABM300

amp, 325W, 1x15 (300W) 4x8
(600W) cabinets. Made in UK,
one owner, vgc, 450. Tel:
01702 582014, Essex
Fender Custom Vibrolux
Reverb, 40W, vibrato and
reverb, classic blackface
cosmetics, with footswitch and
cover, vgc, 800. Tel: 07973
293083, North Devon
Mesa/Boogie Transatlantic
TA15 head. 2 channels, 5 modes,
5/15/25 watts. As new condition,
with carry bag, footswitch,
manual, 650. Tel: Steve 07933
799017 or email: smallpot@
virginmedia.com, Beds
Levin Goliath, 1963 LM-26,
few dings otherwise excellent,
700. Tel: Gary 020 8207 5015
or email: Fiona.zg@sky.com
for jpegs
Rickenbacker 4003 bass, near
mint condition, 2012, one
owner, lovely ruby red with
white binding, stunning,
includes Rickenbacker case,
bargain at 1350. Tel: 01702
582014, Essex
Fender Custom Shop Strat 63
NOS reissue in rare Seminole
Red, Abi Ybarra pickups, mint
condition, including case, C.O.A.
and all candy, 1595. Tel: Bob
01223 515478, Cambs
Gibson Les Paul Studio, wine
red, gold hardware, hard case,
mint condition, 650. Tel: 01352
732451, Flintshire
Mesa/Boogie Stiletto 100W
head, great condition, great
sounds and very loud, 925. Tel:
Steve 07803 116060, Beds. Will
consider swap for Marshall
valve amp
1930s twin neck lap steel,
aluminium and Bakelite,
hand-painted finish, 600.
1940s Selmer lap steel plus
matching Truvoice amp in case
(amp requires rebuild,), plus
original accessories, 400. Tel:
Gary 020 8207 5015 or email:
Fiona.zg@sky.com

brought to you in association with

fender Strat Standard Series

1984 sunburst, two knobs, No.
E323870, made in USA,
Freeflyte trem, manual, tag,
case. 1200 ono. Tel: 01298
74208 (after 6pm), Buxton area
DeArmond Jet Star Bass, vgc,
soft case, 285. Yamaha
Pacifica, as new, 150. Swift
heavy metal guitar, black, vgc,
120. Tel: 07791 139579, Beds
Gibson ES-175, natural finish,
2001 model, stunning flame,
mint, 2150. Gibson Chet Atkins
Country Gent, wine red, 1997
model, mint, 1750. Offers or
part exchange W.H.Y. Tel: Alex
020 8908 4278, Harrow
Epiphone Rivera, 2002, cherry,
two mini humbuckers, all
original, comes with OHSC,
never gigged, mint, 350 ono.
Tel: Duncan 07510 767122
Guitar & Bass magazines 1997
to 2012, 180 in total, all like
new, 3 each. Buyer collects or
give me an offer for the lot. Tel:
01634 817724, Kent
fender Princeton 65 DSP
amplifier, several years old but
virtually mint, ungigged, as has
stood in cupboard under wraps.
Cost approx 200, will accept
120. Tel: 07973 776234, E. Mids
Trace Elliott 130W SM7 1x15
bass combo, 1995, British built,
immaculate, 225. Tel: Pete
01442 863869, Herts
Epiphone Les Paul Standard,
midnight blue, tiger stripe,
never gigged, Korean, vgc,
serial no: U03121938, gig bag,
seven years old, 375 ono. Tel:
01298 74208 after 6pm, Buxton

Dean V79 Flying V,

BraziliaBurst, zebra
humbuckers, Grovers, bound
neck/body, abalone dots,
V-plate, case, unplayed, 270.
SKB Flying V flightcase, new,
70. Tel: Paul 07963 129773,
South East London
fender Deluxe Series Ltd
Edition vintage Strat with gold
hardware, t/shell plate and R/N,
S-1 switching system, tweed
case, mint condition, as new.
Tel: 01986 782383, Norfolk
Yamaha TRB5 5-string active
bass, natural cherry, gold
hardware, beautiful condition,
hard case, 390 ono. Email
kimberwood@virginmedia.com
for pix/spec. Tel: 01202 530865,
Poole, Dorset
Gibson SG Standard,
2005, cherry red, Gibson
hard case, unmarked, superb
guitar, genuine reason for sale,
700 ovno. Tel: 07948 705520
or email paulharrison1008@
yahoo.com, Cannock, Staffs
Orange Tiny Terror combo, 12"
Celestion, all valve 15/7 watts,
fantastic amp, bedroom use
only, as new, 250 ono, ill
health forces sale. Tel: Micky
020 7511 8528 or 07826 414727,
London
JV Strat (1984), 750. JV Jazz
Bass, 750. Vox SE Tonelab,
300. Roland V5880 WKSTN,
300. Alesis monitors, cheap,
150. Alesis drum machine,
100. Tel: 07727 2466231,
London

WANTED
Gibson Howard Roberts oval
hole guitar. Top cash for right
guitar. Tel George, 01566
775617, Cornwall
fender Tweed 50s Champ or
Princeton or Deluxe amp. Must
be original. Tel: 0151 638 9567,
Cheshire area
Lyricist seeks musicians/
collaborators. Blues, melodic
rock, pop, indie etc. Text H Jay
on 075802 84602, Essex
Noel Gallagher Union Jack Epi,
cash waiting for right guitar.
Tel: Steve, 07803 116060, Beds
Washburn Nuno Bettencourt
N6 in cream with gold

scratchplate. Tel: Jamie

07837 715474 or email
J_HOLMES92@sky.com
Guitarist wanted for
established NW-based Yes
tribute. Next gigs scheduled for
this autumn. Tel: 0161 928 9175
Hutchins Retro Star guitar,
white or blue, can collect. Tel:
01789 299663, Warwickshire
Epiphone Explorer Korina,
condition unimportant. Cash
waiting. Tel: Robin, 07958
103673, Surrey
Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 or
5:50 1x12" combo or Egnater
Rebel 30. Must be in vgc. Cash
waiting. Preferably London
area. Tel: Mick 020 8530 1208

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Rothwell Tornado overdrive,

UK made, as new, 75. Tel: Stu
0114 255 6185, Sheffield

WEM Dominator Mk11 combo

with 1x12", vgc, 500. Pair WEM
Club 2x12" speakers, each 12
ohms, 165. Orange rig, early
70s with 120W 4x12" cabinet,
850. Tel: 0777 327 6815,
Westmorland

Gibson J-45 acoustic in

vintage sunburst, two years old,
very little use, vgc, playability
and sound. Inc original Gibson
hard case, 1300. Call Joe on
07850 14505 or email jd.
dunwoody@gmail.com

fender Thinline Telecaster 72

reissue, MIM, 2005, natural ash,
M/Neck, two humbuckers,
unmarked, beautiful, super
player, low action, easy bends
no chokes, gig bag, 425. Tel:
01623 462795, Notts

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Soundtrack of my life

Aynsley Lister
From classic 70s rock to prog to hardcore electric
blues, the British guitarist selects the cherished vinyl
that steered him into a career in music

lways one of the most dependable purveyors of sweet, soulful

blues on these shores, Aynsley Lister has just delivered his best
record to date. His 10th album Home arrives on his own Straight
Talkin Records, and its a move that seems to have let him shake
off a few shackles and unleash a loose, meditative and confident new muse.
Lister was first signed up by Ruff Records in 1998 and critics raced to dub
him the new Clapton. These days he still draws inspiration from the worn red
1989 Japanese Strat that hes owned since he was 12 years old growing up in
Nottingham, but now theres Les Pauls and an ES-345 in his armoury too. The
signs now point to a golden period for Aynsley and if he has his way, Talkin
Straight will one day harbour a host of budding new talent.

Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac

Freddie King

LIVE IN BOSTON

RUMOURS

TAKIN CARE OF BUSINESS

I heard this early incarnation of the band very

This got my attention later on and was probably
early on I used to play along to it on my dads
one of my first inspirations to start writing. Its
record player. Peter Greens note choice and tone not a particularly guitary album it was the
is just sublime he
material that struck a
knew just what to play
chord. It made me
and when, and never
realise you could have
overdid it. Then you
great songs but still
have Danny Kirwan,
find a place for some
with the most
raunchy lead guitar
ridiculous vibrato and
too. Go Your Own Way
attack ever. Awesome.
is brilliant!

Proper old-school stuff, these early recordings

just sound so real. You can tell the whole band
played live together; its vibey, its got passion
and Freddies playing
is just super-cool. Not
flashy, not technical
just cool. I love the
sting in his tone. Hes
the kind of guy that
could make one note
mean everything!

Roger Waters

John Mayall With Eric Clapton

Jethro Tull

THE PROS AND CONS OF HITCH HIKING

BLUESBREAKERS

ORIGINAL MASTERS

I remember my dad playing this in the car on

cassette. In Waters style the lyrical dialogue
always made me smile, but it was Eric Claptons
guitar that made this
album for me. I can
imagine him sat in the
studio, listening to the
track and just laying it
down in one take with
a fag wedged into the
headstock!

Of course its another album with Eric Clapton on

I always preferred the electric side of Tull:
it, but his playing at this point was really quite
Minstrel In The Gallery is my all-time favourite of
different to the way he ended up once hed moved theirs. From about two minutes in the band go
from a Les Paul to a
into this proggy-style
Stratocaster. Its got an
riff that twists and
urgency to it and again
turns with all these
its one of those
weird chords and
recordings that you can
timings. It makes me
tell they didnt spend
want to plug a Les Paul
ages on. Its real
into a Marshall and be
seat-of-the-pants stuff.
Martin Barre!

John Mayer

Creed

Free

CONTINUUM

WEATHERED

LIVE!

On any album there are always songs you jump to, I love driving with this on really loud! I first heard
and on this theres about five that I can listen to
My Sacrifice on a random playlist at a gig in
over and over again. He got it absolutely spot on in Germany and instantly went to ask the engineer
every way on tracks
who it was. I loved the
such as Slow Dancing
melody of the chorus
and Belief. He knows
its proper anthemic
how to write songs with
stuff. I had to get more
depth and mood and
so I bought this album
how to incorporate
and a few others, but
ultra-tasteful guitar
this one has my
parts to augment them.
favourite tracks on.

130 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2013

A lesson in how what is essentially a three-piece

band can work so well. The interaction between
the bass and guitar like on Mr Big, when Andy
Fraser goes for it and
Kossoff is just nailing
the guitar! I love AC/
DCs If You Want Blood
Youve Got It for similar
reasons. Almost every
song is in the key of A
but it works!

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Lo ca t i o n: F i r e I s l a nd , Ca r d i f f

Crafted to be enjoyed

Martin Huch

Orchestra Body with gig bag Solid Engelmann Spruce Top Maple Back and Sides
Deluxe Chrome Tuners Abalone Soundhole Inlay & Position Marks Gloss Finish
LR-T NX (LCD Tuner + Notch Filter) PreAmp with L.R. Baggs Element Pickup 449 RRP