BUCKET BRIGADE 101 • CHRISSIE HYNDE • WARPAINT • MESHUGGAH • LARRY CORYELL

FEBRUARY 2017
FEBRUARY 2017

ΔΔΔ

RIG
RUNDOWN
THE DAND S
Y WA
& GANG O RHOLS
F FOUR
premierguitar.com

14
GUITAR & BASS
REVIEWS
MILKMAN / SANDBERG
FENDER / EASTWOOD
LOLLAR / & MORE!
 BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK

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 AKERS
e et THE M
M HAL
L 16
TH
BOO82

E
 THE FOREST

AND THE CHAINSAW

zn perfect harmony.

THIRTY YEARS AGO, WHEN STEVE MCMINN STARTED SOURCING WOOD FOR

GUITARS, FINDING THE RIGHT LOGS WAS AN EASY TASK. BUT WITH A DEPLETING

FOREST, FINDING THOSE SAME LOGS TODAY IS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT.

A GENERATION FROM NOW, WHO KNOWS? SO, TO ENSURE WE HAVE GUITARS

TOMORROW, STEVE IS STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN, TODAY. HE IS

PIONEERING NEW FORESTRY TECHNIQUES TO GROW AND CUT TREES

JUST FOR GUITARS, SECURING THE FUTURE OF THESE WOODS.

STEVE CONTINUES TO INVEST HIS PASSION, TIME AND MONEY

TACKLING PROBLEMS THAT WILL TAKE GENERATIONS TO

SOLVE. AND WHILE STEVE WON'T EVER MEET HIS SON'S

GRANDCHILDREN, HE KNOWS THEY'LL HAVE A GUITAR

TO PLAY. THIS STORY INSPIRES AND REMINDS US THAT

THE WORLD NEEDS MORE VISIONARIES LIKE STEVE.

For more information about Steve and others with the

courage to step forward, visit tcglorguitars.com.

Step forward. MUSIC IS WAITING.™

Raise Your Voice
A New Series I Elevated Features I Limitless Possibilities

©2017 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. FENDER.COM

 AMERICAN
PROFESSIONAL
Corona, Ca.

Avalanche Run ™
Stereo Delay & Reverb
The Avalanche Run is a stereo through sonic
exploratory multi-tool that includes up to two
seconds of delay time, reverse delay, tap
tempo with subdivision control, switchable
true bypass or buffered bypass with 5 different
tail lengths (including a sound-on-sound
style lo-fi looping mode) and an assignable
expression control that maps the expression
jack to a control of your choice, including the
toggle! The delay section allows tweaking
from tape emulation to bucket brigade styles
with a twist of the wide range tone control and
the cavernous plate-style reverb has just a
touch of modulation similar to the one found in
our precious Dispatch Master only more lush
with an adjustable decay length. Otherworldly
reverse delay and dynamic swelling reverb
settings are adjustable through a 3-way toggle
switch. And that is just the beginning...
www.earthquakerdevices.com
10 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
Publisher Jon Levy
EDITORIAL
Chief Content Officer Shawn Hammond
Managing Editor Tessa Jeffers
Senior Editor Andy Ellis
Senior Editor Ted Drozdowski
Gear Editor Charles Saufley
Art Director Meghan Molumby
Associate Editor Chris Kies
Associate Editor Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor Jason Shadrick
Nashville Correspondent John Bohlinger
Nashville Video Editor Perry Bean
Digital Designer Ben Kuriscak
Photo Editor Kristen Berry
Contributing Editor Joe Gore
PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS
Operations Manager Shannon Burmeister
Circulation Manager Lois Stodola
Production Coordinator Luke Viertel
Administrative Assistant Kerri Thompson
SALES/MARKETING
Dir. of Business & Audience Dev. Ashley Atz
Advertising Director Brett Petrusek
Advertising Director Dave Westin
Marketing Manager Matt Roberts
GEARHEAD COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
President Patricia Erenberger
Managing Director Gary Ciocci
WEBSITES
Our Portal: premierguitar.com
Our Online Magazine: digital.premierguitar.com
The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources
believed to be Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant
complete accuracy of such information and assumes no responsibility for any
consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance thereon. Publisher reserves
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CUSTOMER SERVICE: lois@premierguitar.com.
PREMIER GUITAR (USPS 025-017)
Volume 22, Issue 2
Published monthly by:
Gearhead Communications, LLC
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premierguitar.com
TUNING UP
The (Sort of) Zen Art of Limiting in Order to Gain
BY SHAWN HAMMOND
Q
uick show of hands: How
many here immediately obsess
over which piece of lust-list
gear to buy as soon as
you get a little extra cash?
Ah—yes, just as I thought. Pretty
much everyone.
Our logic seems pretty watertight,
right? We’re creating art, and different
kinds of gear produce different types
of tones. Ergo, the more you have,
the more “colors” you’ll have to paint
with—and therefore, the more types of
music you’ll be able to play and enjoy.
For those of us with these perpetual
holes in our pockets, the events may
play out in a different order, but the
end result is largely the same: We “need”
every iconic instrument on the planet.
Six-stringers require at least one Les
Paul, Strat, and Tele (and before long,
an SG, ES-335, Firebird, Jazzmaster, and
6120). Four-stringers gotta have a P, a J,
a Rick, and a StingRay—followed by a
Hofner, an EB-O, and a Thunderbird.
And let’s not forget amps: A plexi
and JCM800 are a must. Same goes for
vintage-ish Fenders … and Voxes … and
maybe even Hiwatts. For low end, it’s
an Ampeg SVT or B-15N, or maybe a
Boogie 400+.
To be fair, some of us may not be
quite that brand-specific—maybe
it’s more like, “I gotta have a Strat-
ish guitar, a P-90 machine, a dual-
humbucker axe, amps in every power-
tube flavor,” etc. And of course we really
have a heyday with stompboxes.
“So what’s your point?” I hear many
of you asking. “What’s wrong with
wanting it all?”
My answer: Maybe nothing. Maybe
it just depends on what you want to get
out of all this.
If you just aim to have some
fun learning tunes by your favorite
bands and players, it might seem not
just perfectly harmless but actually
quite logical and fulfilling to amass a
collection that yields some level of tonal
12 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
and visual authenticity to the endeavor.
Same goes, I suppose, if you’ve got
cover-band ambitions.
But even if you’re quite happy
focusing on emulating other players’
sounds, is it possible that obsessing over
their gear is actually holding you back?
Does ponying up for their preferred
guitar or amp or pedal undermine
you by attributing too much magic
to inanimate objects? Are you letting
the classic curves, bookmatched top,
or legendary name on the grille cloth
blind you to the playing nuances that
really make your favorite players great?
Further, does having a new instrument
or amp to set up, maintain, and
endlessly mod every time you get a
bonus or a birthday check from mom
distract you from the hands-on playing
time required to learn those nuances
first-hand?
And what about those of us who
aren’t just into this as a means of blowing
off steam after work or making a few
bucks off popular songs? What about
those of us who are deluded or idealistic
or narcissistic or ambitious enough to
think we too could achieve some level of
musical uniqueness? Is it worth reining
in gear cravings and stepping back to
consider our heroes in a different light—
namely to recognize that just about every
distinctive player we can call to mind
relied on a pretty limited array of gear to
achieve their hallmark sounds? And often
the gear was nothing special in and of
itself—heck, in some instances it’s gear
everyone used to laugh at.
The difference is that these players
spent innumerable hours bonding with
a fairly static setup—getting to know it
inside and out. And I’m not talking about
knowing pickup-magnet alloys or pot
or cap specs. I’m talking about knowing
it like a best friend rather than one of
many shallow acquaintances. I’m talking
about knowing its quirks—even flaws
and imperfections—and loving them—
using them. I’m talking about knowing
@PG_shawnh
exactly how your instrument will respond
to minute finger-pressure or attack
variations. Or how it gets an addictively
ghastly or dreamy or funky sound you’ve
never heard before when plugged into a
particular set of stompboxes, perhaps in
unconventional order, and plugged into
an amp that hardly anyone else on earth
knows or cares about.
The catch, of course, is that either
track—hobbyist or serious-ist—is one
where we often discover what we like
along the way, sometimes looping back
to take a route that suddenly seems more
our style, sometimes traversing new
terrain just to ponder new vistas, and
sometimes realizing that there were more
paths than we originally thought. That’s
what makes playing music so exhilarating,
and it’s also why the route that our tone
quest takes should inspire no shame.
Nevertheless, it’s worth keeping in
mind that long, winding journeys are
the ones where it’s easiest to get lost
if we’re not paying careful attention
to where the twists and turns lead.
The alternate paths may be scenic and
intriguing, but they may not lead where
we’re trying to go.
Shawn Hammond
Chief Content Officer
shawn@premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
 Since 1833, we’ve made
2,000,000 GUITARS
and not one compromise.

Two Millionth

#MartinPride
MartinGuitar.com
 FEEDBACK LOOP
Cro-Mags from
Down Under
Okay, I know this ain’t gonna be
popular, but the December [2016]
issue, excellent as ever (Thalia
Zedek, Buddy Miller, Joe Gore!)
reminded me of an itch I think we
all should scratch. Namely: What
the !@#$ is up with the continued
reverence for those Cro-Mags from
down under, AC/DC?! How has
this one-trick, way-past-the-due-
date, remnant of a band escaped
critical scrutiny for so very long?
You want straight-up, no-irony
sexism (“Givin’ the Dog a Bone”)?
You want a live show so frozen in
amber that Angus can’t think of
anything else but the schoolboy
cheese (Dude, you’re old now...
it’s okay.), or a band whose most
universal tune has great riffage,
great soloing but then blows it all
with that late section of unison
lead guitar and vocals, which I
swear sends me racing for the mute
button every time. I mean, if you
don’t get the difference between
raw and primal (Stooges, MC5,
Sonics) and stupidly simple (Kiss,
Nugent, Kravitz) then.... Thank
you for your time.
—Stephen Barr,
Canada
Soundboard: Appreciating the
Beauty of Underused Guitars,”
January 2017]. Some are wrecked,
but I try to get each playing again.
I take before and after photos.
My playing/recording space in my
garage is hung with guitars—some
are on stands, and some just hide
in cases. The aim is to record
their different voices in various
combinations, and do one song
per guitar. Photographing them
together in various combinations
makes great art, and one day a
book with each guitars’ story.
—Jeremy David Acton,
via premierguitar.com
Dear John
After intending to do this many
times, I’m finally getting around
to telling you how much John
Bohlinger has improved my
experience with Premier Guitar.
From his online reviews/lessons
to his no-bullshit columns, he
has shown himself to be an
extremely talented, thinking-
person’s guitarist. He’s an excellent
writer and he makes me think
(as with his recent “Don’t be
Bogged Down by Gear Dogma,”
December 2016), reflect on my
choices, and follow my instincts
and ears rather than doing what’s
commonly “accepted.” He’s a great
asset to PG and to your readers,
and I hope he continues doing
this for a long, long time. Thanks.
—John English,
via premierguitar.com
Caveman Talk
from closed-minded cavemen. Socialize
I, for one, have recognized
that over the years I ’ve had to
with Us!
work hard to make sure I’m
choosing my words wisely. As
a part-time guitar teacher, I’ve
had the pleasure of teaching I’m gonna need this
guitar and bass to a lot of young Adam Sandler rig
ladies. It seems to me that girls rundown pronto
are flocking to guitar and bass @premierguitar
in greater numbers than ever. —@DeanoSupreme
How awesome is that?! I think
it’s our responsibility to make @premierguitar
sure girls and women know I hope to see an
they’re welcome members of the appropriate tribute
guitar community and also to to the late great
make sure boys are not exposed Leon Russell soon.
to the same caveman practices His talent cannot be
you wrote about. Thank you for overlooked!
using your platform in such an —@saharrismusic
important and responsible way.
—Brian N. Phelps,
M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Correction
In our December 2016 review
of the Soundshine Electronics
Magnum Swampus, our
explanation of the pedal’s origin
may have led some readers to
believe Creedence Clearwater
Revival cofounder John Fogerty
was involved with or endorsed the
pedal design. Although Fogerty
did approach Soundshine’s
Jonas Davidsson about a custom
tremolo pedal build in 2008,
a spokesman for Fogerty says Guitars sound best
the guitarist eventually looked when they have
elsewhere after purchasing three plastic push buttons.
Soundshine prototypes that —Joe Gore
weren’t quite to his satisfaction.
We apologize for any confusion Doesn’t matter.
Top left: Photo by Harry (Howard) Potts

Hi Shawn, our review may have caused. Hendrix will always

Guitar Salvage
I’ve begun to gather old guitars
that I find locally online,
preferring obscure makes and
now-defunct brands, and
guitars with a story [“Acoustic
I really enjoyed your editorial,
“Let’s Acknowledge the Caveman
in the Room” [December
2016]. I’m emailing you to
help balance out the number of
emails you’re probably getting
Keep those
comments coming!
Please send your suggestions,
gripes, comments, and good words
directly to info@premierguitar.com.
sound like Hendrix.
And you will always
sound like you. There
was only one Hendrix.
There is only one you.
—Frank J. Barbaric

premierguitar.com
14 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
a new collection of right-sized 20w & 50w heads,
combos and cabs, designed for the working musician

FRIEDMANAMPLIFICATION.COM
 CONTENTS February 2017
41 REVIEWS
Bucket Brigade 180 Foxpedal Defector
Mark Hammer reveals
everything you need
180 Spector Timbre
to know about analog 181 TC Electronic Tailspin
effect chips.
181 Free the Tone Ambi Space
55 182 Eastwood Jeff Senn 197 Dunlop Cry Baby Mini
Model One Bass Wah
Forgotten
Heroes: 184 Sandberg Forty Eight 201 Fender ’57 Custom Pro
D. Boon
The Minutemen’s 187 Milkman Pint 205 Wren and Cuff Sonder
visionary leader
shattered the rulebook.
191 MXR EP103 Echoplex Delay 209 Lollar Staple P-90
194 Collings OM2H T 211 Ernie Ball Ambient Delay

157 70 83 97 108
Lesson: Animals The Pretenders Warpaint Stick Men
Out & About as Leaders Chrissie Hynde Undeniable chops and Tony Levin and
Four easy ways to Tosin Abasi and Javier discusses making a surprising influences Markus Reuter
break free from Reyes on producing rocking new album fuel the moody melodies continue to redefine
conventional chord- The Madneess of Many with Dan Auerbach. of Emily Kokal and touch guitar and bass.
scale relationships. as a band. Theresa Wayman.

118 127 141

“I think it’s important to not
know the standards.” Larry Coryell Meshuggah Gary Rossington
A jazz-fusion icon Mårten Hagström The Lynyrd Skynyrd
—Theresa Wayman,
invokes the spirit of dishes on why he’s such legend gets back to
Warpaint, p. 97
improvisation’s past. a harsh critic of shred. blues-rock basics.

p. 97

premierguitar.com
16 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Comet
| 6W / 14W | 1x10 | ReVeRB & tReMOLO |

DiSCOVeR the LegenD

SUPROUSA.COM/COMet
 On the Cover: BUCKET BRIGADE 101 • CHRISSIE HYNDE • WARPAINT • MESHUGGAH • LARRY CORYELL
FEBRUARY 2017

Tosin Abasi with one of

FEBRUARY 2017
his new signature Ibanez ΔΔΔ

8-string prototypes. RIG

RUNDOW NS

CONTENTS February 2017

THE DAND
Y WARHOLS
& GANG OF
FOUR

Photo by Joe Russo

premierguitar.com
14
GUITAR & BASS
REVIEWS
MILKMAN / SANDBERG
FENDER / EASTWOOD
LOLLAR / & MORE!

12 Tuning Up
26 Reader Guitar of the Month
27 Opening Notes
214 Staff Picks
238 Esoterica Electrica
240 Last Call

GEAR
22 Gear Radar
32 Rig Rundowns
36 Vintage Vault
38 Trash or Treasure
68 Tone Tips
178 Tools for the Task

HOW-TO
134 Acoustic Soundboard
136 The Recording Guitarist
138 Speaker Geeks
150 On Bass
p. 32 154 Bass Bench
168 State of the Stomp
170 Mod Garage
174 Ask Amp Man

Top left: Photo by Christophe Pauly

The only rule is: When a

groove is right, you feel it.”
—John Bohlinger,
Last Call, p. 240

premierguitar.com
18 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
GO ONLINE

ONLY ON PremierGuitar.com…
Your guide to the latest stories, reviews, videos, and lessons.

FEATURED

LESSONS
Access all of our lessons
online, for free, with
streaming audio and
downloadable, printable
Santa Barbara Guitar Show, Crobot’s Chris Bishop notation PDFs.
The inaugural Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration was held in the autumn of 2016,
FREE YOUR MIND
in sunny coastal California. We were on the scene and witness to hundreds of top luthiers and A New Way to Approach
players showing their wares. Even Santa Barbara resident and guitar pickup guru Seymour Duncan Open Strings
was there, checking out all the beautiful instruments on display! Head online to view our gallery of By Luke Brindley
more than 30 instruments from the best of the best in acoustic guitar craftsmanship from a show FUTURE ROCK
that pulled widely from Canada and Europe, with heavy representation from the U.S. West Coast. Shredding Enclosures
In artist news, we caught up with Crobot lead guitarist Chris Bishop in a Pennsylvania tattoo parlor, By Sam Bell
where he was working on his other artistic passion. Bishop is full of surprises, from his love of chicken BEYOND BLUES
pickin’ and Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee,” to his side-job as a part-time tattooist. Learn about the making Connecting the Dots
of Crobot’s new album, Welcome to Fat City, and the crazy custom “noise buttons” on all his guitars. By Levi Clay
And in case you missed it, Premier Guitar editors looked back over the tough year that was 2016
Trey Anastasio’s
and found light in the music. Read our “Best of Music 2016” feature to learn about our favorite Jazz Odyssey
albums of last year. By Rob Compa

NEW FOOTAGE!
What Bohlinger Plays Video Lesson
Ask and you shall receive! We’ve got a spanky-fresh new video
lesson from John Bohlinger, at your service. In the latest
installment, Bohlinger gives tips on how to work your way up
the neck in standard tuning, playing slide while utilizing open
strings—either hybrid style with a pick or fingerstyle. Head
online to find “What Bohlinger Plays: Bouncing Slide in
Standard Tuning” and add a new technique to your forte. In
his own humble words: “Remember, if I can play this, you can
definitely play it!”
What should Mr. Bohlinger cover next? Send your lesson ideas
and requests to info@premierguitar.com.

premierguitar.com
20 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 GUITARDOM’S
TOP TWEETS
Out on the road today I saw a
Nickelback sticker on a Cadillac.
—@jaketapper

WALRUSAUDIO.COM

Rory backstage in the early 70’s

re-stringing his @Fender ‘61
Stratocaster. Rory used Fender Rock &
Roll light gauge strings on his Strat.
—@rorygallagher

My brand new practice amps

will be available soon ...
—@orianthi

Some mornings I wake up and wish

there was a @deadandcompany
show to play tonight. (There isn’t.)
Feelin’ it today.
—@johnmayer

1. I know I did nothing

2. I DON’T CARE THIS FEELS SO GOOD
I AM SO PROUD OF MY CUBBIES
YES YES YES YES YES YES
WEEEE DIIIIID IIIIIIT!!!!!!!!
—@christhile

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 21

 GEAR RADAR
New products on the horizon.

1 2 3 4 5
IK MULTIMEDIA KHDK BAE AUDIO EMG GRETSCH
iRig Nano Amp ELECTRONICS Hot Fuzz Super 77 Retro Cliff Gallup
This micro-sized amp is Dark Blood Normally toiling in the Active Humbucker Signature Duo Jet
a battery-powered, dual- Overdrive pro-audio realm, BAE dips The tone scientists over One of the founding fathers
mode device that can Metallica lead guitarist its toe into the pedal world at EMG have created a of the rockabilly explosion
drive up to a 4x12 cab. It Kirk Hammett has kept with the release of this PAF-style sound with some of the ’50s gets his own
also serves as an audio busy this year—first dual-function stomp that added modern technology. signature Duo Jet. A
interface, sports a 3" recording Hardwired... is half classic top-boost The Super 77 features a recreation of Gallup’s 1954
speaker, and comes with to Self-Destruct and now and half classic, singing low impedance output model, it features a Bigsby
a TRRS cable for constructing a stomp that ’70s fuzz. Think the Isley with virtually no hum vibrato tailpiece, flatwound
iOS operation. offers an angry, merciless Brothers’ version of and a preamp designed strings, and classic “arrow”
$49 street amp-like distortion, with “Summer Breeze.” to evoke the sounds of control knobs.
ikmultimedia.com tube-like, mid-heavy tone $225 street ’70s-style classic rock. $3,849 MSRP
boasting extra high gain. baeaudio.com $279 street gretschguitars.com
$229 street emgpickups.com
khdkelectronics.com

premierguitar.com
22 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 6

10
7

6 7 8 9 10
BLACK CAT KILLER GUITAR SUPRO PROVIDENCE OVERLOAD
EFFECTS COMPONENTS Tremolo PEC-4V GUITARS & BASSES
Deluxe Edition Brass Vintage Thanks to this analog Professional-level Taurus
OD-Fuzz Telecaster Bridge trem’s split personality, switching options are now 4-String Bass
Based around the original This direct-fit, solid- players can use the available to the average The Italian company’s
OD-1, the deluxe version milled brass aftermarket pedal’s amplitude mode guitarist. The latest newest model is a 4-string
adds an independent bridge aims to improve to conjure up traditional update to the company’s with a swamp-ash body
Fuzz Face-style circuit intonation, tone, sustain, swampy Supro tremolo loop switcher is a 4-loop and flamed bubinga top.
to the mix. You can even feel, and overall playability sounds or go with the setup that’s entirely Each model can be tailored
select the routing order thanks to its compensated harmonic mode for the programmable, comes to the customer’s specs
of the effects and choose brass saddles. Tele freaks psychedelic tones of Leo equipped with a built-in with various wood and
between silicon and rejoice—these fit most Fender’s treasured amps. power supply, and uses the pickup options.
germanium modes. vintage and existing $229 street Vitalizer circuit to improve Coming soon: 5- and
$210 street T-styles. suprousa.com weak signals. 6-string versions.
blackcatpedals.com $149 MSRP $449 street $1,720 street
killerguitarcomponents.com providence-america.com overloadguitars.com

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 23

 GEAR RADAR
Cont’d

11
14

13

12

15

11 12
MOJOTONE ROCK STOCK
’52 Tele PEDALS
Quiet Coils Skyline Reverb V2
Designed to sound The company’s popular
like vintage ’50s-style handmade ’verb gets
pickups—without the updated with an
hum. These passive independent drive circuit
pickups use vintage- that allows you to add dirt
spec wire, Gauss alnico to the trails, pushing the
magnets, and cloth- wet signal even further
covered leads. and creating some harsh
Starts at $89 direct reflections.
mojotone.com $169 street
rockstockpedals.com
13 14
JACKSON AUDIO STRYMON
Prism Riverside
This new branch of Multistage Drive
Jackson Ampworks The company’s first
releases their first overdrive offering is
product—a tricked-out the result of a thorough
tone-shaper that is a analysis of various
buffer, boost, preamp, EQ, vacuum tube circuits.
and overdrive wrapped Inside the pedal, an analog
inside a compact stainless JFET gain stage works
steel enclosure. alongside a DSP gain stage
$259 street to ensure dynamics and
jackson.audio feel with tonal complexity
and harmonics.
$299 street
strymon.net
15
HUGHES &
KETTNER
GrandMeister
Deluxe 40
Powered by four EL84s, the
all-tube head combines
old-school valve technology
with built-in modulation
effects and onboard digital
reverb, plus allows users
up to 128 unique tonal
presets. It also includes
their Redbox AE speaker
emulation and a gig bag.
$1,199 street
hughes-and-kettner.com

premierguitar.com
24 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 20
17

16

18

19

16
FISHMAN
SA Performance
Audio System
Coffee shops will welcome
this 330W PA that
provides a wide dispersion
of clean, crisp audio
without overwhelming
the front rows. Features
include two mic/
instrument channels, high-
quality preamps, 3-band
EQ on each channel, and
four digital reverb effects.
$999 street (starting price)
fishman.com
17
CRAZY TUBE
CIRCUITS
Planet B Bass
Overdrive
Bassists dealing in the rock,
doom, sludge, or stoner
genres should get a whiff of
this noisemaker that gives
your tone a ’70s high-
wattage-guitar-tube-amp
kick in the pants. Its controls
are tone, gain, volume,
blend, and a supersonic
switch that boosts the mids.
$200 street
crazytubecircuits.com
18 19
MOD DEVICES MESA/BOOGIE
MOD Duo Triple Crown TC-50
This open-source audio This 3-channel amp
processor is a multi-effects maxes out at 50 watts, is
pedal that uses a variety powered by EL34s—but
of plug-ins that can be 6L6s and 6V6s also work,
downloaded from their thanks to the amp’s bias
website. It’s armed with select switch—and comes
a dual-core processor, with Mesa’s CabClone
MIDI capabilities, and two speaker simulator. It also
independent inputs. has a tube-buffered effects
$649 street loop and spring reverb.
moddevices.com $1,799 street (head);
$1,999 street (combo)
mesaboogie.com
20
ZENZERO
ELECTRONICS
2KP
Here’s a preamp/booster
that’s designed to be
“always on” while using
your guitar’s volume to
adjust the amount of gain.
It can also work as an
extra gain stage and move
from gritty overdrive to
saturated fuzz.
$139 street
zenzeroelectronics.com

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 25


Subscribe to get exclusive content
www.redwitc hanalogpedals.com
845.269.8275 / hahnguitars.com
26 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
READER GUITAR
OF THE MONTH
Name: Buz Zoller
Hometown: Bradenton, Florida
Guitar: Zoller Partscaster
When I saw the story about the
Grassfire Phoenix Firebird [October
2016], it made me think about how
much I love my No. 1 and how it’s
not-so-ordinary.
I’m a huge fan of Luxxtone Guitars;
they can do nothing wrong in my eyes.
So beautiful, yet so functional and
a perfect blend of a few of my
favorite things: vintage guitars
with unique relic’d finishes—real
or faux—blended with my love
of ’80s metal and the “super
strats” of that time period, and
specifically, the one-pickup
variety seen in the early VH
guitars. That said, Luxxtone
guitars are super expensive and
all I’ll be able to do is admire
from afar. But I’m thrifty and pretty
mechanically inclined, and since I’m pretty
good with woodworking, I figured maybe
I could create my own guitar “inspired”
by Luxxtone’s aesthetic. So, I hit eBay and
started to acquire the parts needed.
I got an All-Parts “second” ash Strat
body from eBay, which was super rough
and required some serious sanding work. I
then found a great deal on a used Warmoth
reverse Strat-type neck. Turns out it’s from
the pre-’90s agreement that Warmoth
made with Fender, so it’s unlicensed and
features a straight cut at the 22nd fret. I
found gold hardware, including a bridge
from Guitar Fetish. One knob (MXR-
style of course) and a Seymour Duncan
JB rounded it out. Once all the parts were
assembled, I knew I’d struck gold because
it sounded great and played better than any
guitar I’d ever played.
The final touch was deciding what
color to paint it. It went through a few
colors and lots of trial and error before I
finally ended up with the glorious finish
it has now. I finished it off with a custom
decal on the headstock.
Don’t be afraid to take on the challenge
and create your own dream guitar.
Send your guitar story to
submissions@premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
 OPENING NOTES

Myles Kennedy
November 9, 2016
Ancienne Belgique
Brussels, Belgium
Photo by Christophe Pauly

Alter Bridge’s frontman lets

loose with his fave, a 2008 PRS
SC245 he refers to as “Tobacco.”
Kennedy’s made a few mods over
the years, including adding a
TonePros AVT2 bridge, Kluson
tuners, and a Seymour Duncan
Custom Custom SH-11 bridge
humbucker. “I’ve used it as my
go-to on the last three Alter
Bridge records for a reason,”
shares Kennedy. “It’s sonically
tight and to the point.”
premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 27
 OPENING NOTES

Ben Little
November 5, 2016
El Rey Theatre
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by Debi Del Grande

The Wild Beasts guitarist opens

an L.A. stop with his long-time
No. 1—and first guitar—the
2000 Burns Marquee Club Series
he bought as a 14-year-old. It
still has the original Rez-o-matic
single-coils, but the trem has
been blocked to keep the guitar
from slipping out of tune. “I
think because I essentially grew
up learning to play on it, it’s the
guitar that fits best in my hands,”
says Little. “And every other guitar
I pick up gets compared to it.”

premierguitar.com
28 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 OPENING NOTES

J Mascis
November 15, 2016
Vicar Street
Dublin, Ireland
Photo by Colm Laverty

Indie hero and Dinosaur Jr. leader

J Mascis moves big air with a
wall of Marshalls and the 1963
Jazzmaster he bought years ago at
his local guitar shop that “never
has old Jazzmasters.” Mascis says
his No. 1 still has the original
pickups, but he’s replaced the
pickup covers, nut, knobs, tuners,
and jumbo frets, as well as added
a Tune-o-matic bridge and an
additional string tree.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 29

 OPENING NOTES

Greg Lake
April 16, 1973
Ernst Merck Halle
Hamburg, Germany
Photo by Heinrich Klaffs

After a lengthy battle with

cancer, prog-rock pioneer Greg
Lake passed away on December
7, 2016, at age 69. Best known
for his work with King Crimson
and Emerson, Lake & Palmer,
Lake’s musicality—be it through
his bass, guitar, or voice—
helped mold a genre and define
a generation of classic music.
Here, Lake wows a Hamburg
crowd through his (then) recently
completed, custom Zemaitis
doubleneck—a control-laden,
metal-front bass/guitar combo
that weighed in at a massive
17.4 pounds.

premierguitar.com
30 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
RIG RUNDOWNS

Peter G. Holmström, Zia McCabe, & Courtney Taylor-Taylor

THE DANDY WARHOLS FACTOID

Holmström has a
signature Malekko
stompbox, the
Charlie Foxtrot.
PG’s John Bohlinger
met with Peter
G. Holmström,
Zia McCabe, and
Courtney Taylor-
Taylor of The
Dandy Warhols
at Nashville’s
Mercy Lounge. We
quickly found out
that Holmström
runs with a rig of
such complexity
that any gear nerd
would envy it, but
bandmates Taylor
and Zia go as
minimal as they can.

GUITARS & BASSES

Top: Peter G.
Holmström’s 2013 TK
Smith T-style guitar
sports an old-school
vibe in the style of
Paul Bigsby’s guitar
creations. He splits the
strings on this guitar by
using Ernie Ball for the
top three (.010–.013–
.017) and D’Addario
Chrome Flatwounds
for the lower three
(.035–.045–.056).

Bottom left: Courtney

Taylor-Taylor tours
with not just one, but
two extremely rare and
nearly identical 1967
Olympic White Fender
Coronados.

Bottom right: Zia

McCabe recently
added this ’72 Fender
Musicmaster Bass
into her lineup. This
short-scale bass
features a Curtis Novak
Musicmaster pickup in a
lipstick case.

premierguitar.com
32 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 AMPS
Holmström recently
retired his two vintage
Vox AC30s, which now
serve as amp stands, in
favor of two Soursound
GV-15 1x12 combos.

EFFECTS
Holmström uses a lot of
effects, so you’ll have
to watch the full video
to check them all out.
However, the epicenter
of his rig resides at
the Custom Audio
Electronics CAE RST-24
MIDI Controller that
sits on his pedalboard.
Nestled around the
RST is a Boss TU-2,
Malekko Charlie Foxtrot,
AnalogMan Mini Bi-
Comp, Boss DM-3 Delay,
Boss DD-5 Digital Delay,
Boss PN-2 Tremolo/
Pan, Strymon TimeLine,
Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
(which was modded
by Tim Hochstedler),
Mission Engineering
VP Pro, and a switch
for the tremolo on his
Soursound amps.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 33

RIG RUNDOWNS

Andy Gill

GANG OF FOUR FACTOID

Andy Gill produced
the Red Hot Chili
Pepper’s first album.

Known for hard-

hitting, jagged
guitar riffs that
helped shape post-
punk in late-’70s
England, Andy Gill
proved he’s not one
to remain locked
in the past when
he met with John
Bohlinger at Mercy
Lounge in Nashville.
While his axes and
amps may seem a
bit staid, a closer
look at his rig
shows his approach
to live and recorded
guitar has evolved
into something
decidedly modern.

GUITARS
Top: Andy Gill has been
through a lot of guitars
over his long career.
His No. 1 for the past
several decades is this
’80s Fender Strat Ultra
that has been modified
with a kill switch.

Bottom: This Reverend

Double Agent also
serves time during a
Gang of Four set. It has
an angry P-90 in the
neck with a humbucker
in the bridge. All of
Gill’s guitars are strung
up with Ernie Ball 2222
(.09–.046) Hybrid
Slinky strings.

premierguitar.com
34 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 AMPS
Gills runs two Peavey
Classic 50 4x10
combos. One is angled
to hit stage right and
the other is angled
straight to hit stage left.

EFFECTS
Middle: The “modern”
part of Gill’s rig is
centered around these
two MacBook Pro
computers running
Apple’s MainStage. For
each song in the set, Gill
has a specific patch that
covers the tones he will
need. The signal chain
is rather complicated,
but here’s a quick
overview: It starts with a
Boss TU-2 tuner before
splitting out into a pair
of Focusrite Scarlett
2i4 audio interfaces.
Those interfaces are
connected to their
own computer via USB.
The 2i4s then each
feed a Radial ProD2 DI
which gives the FOH a
MainStage-only mix.
Each of the DI boxes
also are connected
to individual Radial
ProRMPs, which feed
the Peaveys.

Bottom: Instead of a
traditional pedalboard,
Gill uses a pair of Tech
21 MIDI Moose pedals
(one on each side of the
stage) to change patches
in MainStage.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 35

 premierguitar.com
36 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 VINTAGE VAULT

1959 Gibson ES-330TD

BY DAVE ROGERS, LAUN BRAITHWAITE, AND TIM MULLALLY

T
he revolutionary double-cutaway
thinline electric guitar series
begun by Gibson with the
ES-335 in 1958 expanded to both higher-
and lower-end models by 1959. These
included the upscale gold-hardware-
bearing ES-345 and ES-355, as well as
the student level ES-330T, ES-330TD,
ES-125TC, and ES-125TCD. (The “D”
was used to denote a double pickup
model.) The ES-330 shared the same
body dimensions as the ES-335, ES-345,
and ES-355, but had a very different
interior construction. Rather than having
a semi-solidbody, the ES-330 was fully
hollow, similar to the original 1955
thinlines like the ES-350T and ES-225.
The original catalog text describing
the guitar highlights the similarities to
the ES-335: “A wonderful instrument
with truly magical tone available in
single- or double-pickup models. The double
cutaway body and thin silhouette make laminated maple back and sides, and a
it wonderfully easy to hold and play. The nickel-plated trapeze tailpiece. The horns
new slim neck provides fast, low action and of the body’s double cutaways have the
perfect response. A beautiful guitar in the classic rounded “Mickey Mouse ear”
finest curly maple and rosewood and nickel- shape (less perfectly rounded after 1962).
plated metal parts.” Gibson made 270 sunburst ES-330TDs
This month’s featured 1959 in 1959. The list price was $275. The
ES-330TD has the usual features seen current value for one in excellent all-
that year. These include a mahogany neck original condition is $4,500.
with bound-dot inlays (block inlays were Sources for this article include Gibson
used after mid-1962), 22-fret rosewood Electrics: The Classic Years by A.R.
fretboard joining the body at the 16th Duchossoir, Gibson Shipment Totals
fret, individual Kluson Deluxe tuners 1937–1979 by Larry Meiners, and The
with white plastic buttons, an unbound Gibson 335: Its History and Its Players by
headstock with a pearl Gibson logo, a Adrian Ingram.
nickel Tune-o-matic bridge attached to
the body, two single-coil P-90 pickups
DAVE’S GUITAR SHOP Opposite page:
with black plastic covers (metal covers Dave Rogers’ collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite The laminated
were standard by 1963), individual and Tim Mullally and is on display at:
top on this
Dave’s Guitar Shop
volume and tone controls for each 1227 Third Street South 57-year-old
pickup, a dark tobacco sunburst finish La Crosse, WI 54601 guitar practically
davesguitar.com glows. Three
on a laminated maple top, a dark-stained Photos by Mullally and text by Braithwaite.
years later,
in 1962, the
neck dots were
replaced by
block inlays
and the “Mickey
Mouse ear”
shape became
less rounded.

Far left: A
close-up of the
ES-330TD’s
classic ’50s
angled Gibson
headstock
displays its
pearl logo
and individual
Kluson Deluxe
tuners with
white plastic
buttons.

Left: Among
fans of P-90
pickups, the
vintage dog-ears
on this guitar
and on Epiphone
models from the
same era are
highly coveted
for their rich,
balanced sound.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 37

 TRASH OR TREASURE
Vox Rio Grande V278
BY ZACHARY FJESTAD
Q: Hey Zach,
I bought this Vox acoustic guitar in the early 1990s at a guitar show
for $150. At the time, I thought it was really cool, but didn’t play
it much. Now it sits around amongst my guitar collection and I’m
considering selling it, but would like to know what it’s worth and if it’s
worth holding onto. Could you share some history on the guitar and
tell me what it’s worth?
Thanks,
Jeff in Eugene, Oregon
A:
Built in the mid- Hi Jeff,
to-late ’60s, this When it comes to Vox,
Vox Rio Grande
dreadnought
AC30s and the Beatles
features a likely come to mind first. But since
solid-spruce top, the company was founded in 1957,
mahogany back they’ve also offered a wide range of
and sides, a set
electric guitars, acoustic guitars, organs,
mahogany neck,
and decorative and effects in addition to their famous
inlay along amplifiers. I suspect $150 was a pretty
the rosewood fair price to pay for this guitar in the
fretboard and early 1990s, but the question is if the
headstock.
guitar has increased or decreased in value.
Vox’s first electric guitars were
designed in 1960 and introduced
in 1961. Built in England, these
first models—called the Stroller and
Clubman—were based on Fender
designs. Interestingly, Fender guitars
were unavailable in England during the
early ’60s, so these first Vox models were
designed to fill a void. The pentagon-
shaped Phantom series followed in
1962, and became Vox’s best-known and
most-collectible guitars. Other models
followed in 1963.
A few things happened to the
expanding company in 1964. First, Vox
outsourced production of their guitars to
an Italian manufacturer called Eko. Then,
in order to raise capital for his company,
Vox founder and owner Tom Jennings
sold a controlling interest of Vox to
U.K.-based Royston Industries. A year
later, the Thomas Organ Company of
California began importing a line of Vox-
branded acoustic guitars built by Eko
into the U.S. For those of you familiar
with Eko guitars, the similarities are
38 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
striking. As far as I can tell, no acoustics
were offered in England.
Vox’s acoustic models included the
dreadnought Country Western V238 (a
rebranded Eko Ranger 6), the Folk XII
V239 (essentially a 12-string version of
the Country Western and a rebranded
Eko Ranger 12), the entry-level folk-
style Serenader V220, the 12-string
Shenandoah V279, and your guitar—the
Rio Grande V278.
The Rio Grande is essentially a more
ornate version of the Country Western
and also a quasi-signature model for the
late Nashville-based country artist Eddy
Arnold. Your Rio Grande features a solid-
spruce top, mahogany back and sides, a
set mahogany neck (as opposed to the
bolt-on neck of the Country Western), a
rosewood fretboard with large pearl-block
inlays, a pearl vine-themed headstock
inlay, and a three-point pickguard with
both Eddy Arnold’s signature and the
model-name “Rio Grande” adorning it.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any reliable
serial-number lists for Vox guitars and the
numbers used by Eko seem like they were
assigned completely at random. We do
know that Vox acoustic guitars were built
from late 1965/early 1966 until they were
all discontinued in 1969—when both U.S.
and European guitar manufacturers were
feeling the pressure brought on by cheaper
offerings from manufacturers in Asia.
Vox restructured their line with a
series of Japanese-produced solidbody
guitars, but they didn’t offer acoustic
guitars again. Vox reissued their Phantom
guitars in the late 1990s and would also
produce the original-design Virage series
that launched in 2007. Vox continues to
produce a full line of guitar amplifiers,
but currently only has one guitar in their
line-up, called the Starstream. They are,
however, currently producing ukuleles.
Today, a Vox Rio Grande is worth
between $600 and $750 in excellent
condition. If you paid $150 for this in the
early 1990s (let’s say, 25 years ago), that
$150 guitar should be worth $266 today
just based on inflation. So if you decide
to sell it now, the guitar is worth about
three times more than when you bought
it. If you decide to hang onto it, only
time will tell if it increases or decreases
in value. I don’t have a crystal ball, but
as far as Vox acoustics go, this model is
definitely the treasure of them all!
ZACHARY R. FJESTAD is a
freelance writer who specializes in
guitars and amplifiers including
the history behind them and
their current values. Fjestad has
been evaluating and appraising
guitars for over 20 years. For
more information, email Zachary
at zacharyfjestad@hotmail.com.
premierguitar.com
PORT CITY
AMPLIFICATION
Merino Combo in Black Tweed with Black Flame Maple

Handcrafted in Asheville, NC

www. portcitya mps.com

 Behind the
Bucket Brigade
Everything You Need to Know About the
Analog Effect Chips of Yesterday and Today
BY MARK HAMMER

I
s there a 15-year-old out there who’s never dreamed of
having a time machine—a hi-tech contraption that’d
take you back in time 10 minutes to avoid the botched
joke that ruined your chances with so-and-so, or maybe to
think twice about that failed guitar twirl that obliterated mom’s
favorite lamp? Or, even better, beam you into the future, Biff
Tannen-style, so you can ferret-out bankable sports bets—or
just skip the rest of high school altogether! It’s a silly fantasy, yet
one we never completely outgrow over the post-teen decades.
The funny thing is, in a sense, time machines have existed
since the early 1970s. They may not have had all the bells and
whistles we dream of, they may not have come with a clever
talking dog who explained all the new sci-fi awesomeness for
us—and heck, they didn’t even take you into the future—but
they still existed in the form of delay/echo units. The first such
“time machines,” at least in terms of mainstream availability and
affordability, came out back during the bell-bottom decade—
and they were powered by another hyphenated double-B
technology: “bucket-brigade” chips.
If you’ve been playing guitar for a while, you’ve no doubt
heard a lot of hoodoo and voodoo about expensive vintage
bucket-brigade effects pedals and processors over the years, but
even players with fewer axe-wielding years under their belts have
likely seen and heard a fair amount about devices powered by
modern renditions of this once-dead, now-resurrected circuitry.
Which is why we’re offering this handy-dandy guide to help you
understand bucket-brigade devices
(BBDs) from then and now.

So What Exactly Are BBDs? Chorus Ensemble and CE-2 Chorus;

Bucket-brigade devices were the first
wholly electronic devices for producing
time-delay of electronic signals. Prior
to their development, most effects that
time-staggered an audio signal relied
on magnetic tape and manipulation
of tape speed. (Examples include the
various iterations of the Echoplex and
Roland’s Space Echo.) BBDs permitted
Echoplex and Space Echo photos courtesy of Tom Hughes
flangers like those from Electro-
Harmonix, A/DA, and MXR; and
delays like the Electro-Harmonix Deluxe
Memory Man and Boss DM-2—not
to mention desktop and rackmount
delays and multi-effectors like the Ibanez Before BBD chips,
AD-230 and MXR Flanger/Doubler. time-staggered
effects like flanging,
BBDs would also find their way into chorus, echo, and
synthesizers, mixers, and even karaoke double-tracking

easier production of echo and effects like
flanging, chorus, and double-tracking
from a much smaller device. Further,
BBD effectors enabled flanging to be
produced onstage without the prior need
for two tape decks, and rotary-speaker-
like effects were possible without lugging
around a massive Leslie setup.
Between the late 1970s and mid
1980s, many classic BBD-based effects
were issued, including the Boss CE-1
machines. Eventually, many of these were only possible
effects—particularly the delays—would with magnetic-tape-
driven units such as
become replaced by digital units, largely
the Echoplex EP-3
because of the latter’s greater delay and Roland Space
capacity. But the demise of original BBD Echo RE-201.
effects was also due to the fact that the
principal manufacturers—Matsushita
(now known as Panasonic), Reticon,
and Philips Research Laboratories—
eventually ceased production. Even so,
musicians’ affection for analog BBDs

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 41

 never really went away. Despite
the fact that both entry-level and
high-end digital multi-effect units
became all the rage during the
’80s (with players like U2’s the
Edge, Steve Vai, and Eddie Van
Halen becoming notorious for their
“refrigerator stacks” full of rackmounted
Above: digital gear), a small segment of devoted
Manufacturers players never gave up on the “warm,”
such as classic sound of analog gear. As the
Coolaudio
(whose new
1990s wore on, new boutique pedals
1024-stage powered by new-old-stock (NOS)
V3207 BBD is BBD components (for example,
shown here), Moogerfooger’s MF-104M Analog
Xvive, and
Delay) started to build the buzz anew—
Belling are now
manufacturing although at a premium price, and often
accurate replicas in very limited runs. Beginning slowly in
of classic analog the early 2000s, and picking up the pace
chips of yore. considerably in 2015, a new generation
Right: The
of much more affordable BBD-driven
original Boss pedals has been made possible thanks to device to spit them out slower than
CE-1 Chorus companies like Coolaudio, Belling, and they came in, or by simply holding
Ensemble Xvive Audio producing accurate replicas onto them for a wee bit. Because the
was a classic
of original BBD chips. innards of these IC chips acquire and
early BBD-
driven chorus Much like classic 3-tube amplifiers of pass along the samples continuously, analog sampling of a BBD circuit made
stompbox, while yore—amps like the Fender Champ, with from input to output, in a manner for higher audio fidelity. With 24-bit
MXR’s Flanger/ its basic preamp-tube, power-tube, and similar to a line of firefighters passing digital encoding being common these
Doubler was an rectifier-tube circuit—there are common along buckets of water from one to the days, the difference in audio quality
BBD processor
found in studios design aspects and considerations for other, they are referred to as “bucket between an encoded digital snapshot,
during the nearly all effects that use BBDs. So let’s brigade” devices. And just as with motion and a literal analog snapshot, is largely
early ’80s. take a closer look at the nuts and bolts of pictures, the more samples (or frames, unnoticeable to most players.
how these magical chips work and how in the case of a film) taken in within A second way in which analog samples
they’re used. a set period of time, the smoother the are different from digital samples is that,
apparent transition between samples. unlike digital code’s ability to be retained
Would You Care to Try a Sample? When most people hear the word in memory for as long as one wishes,

BBDs—or analog shift registers, as they
are properly called (or sometimes charge-
coupled devices)—were first developed
in 1969 as integrated-circuit (IC) chips
containing a large number of storage
cells (tiny capacitors, actually) and
switching transistors. The “register” part
of a BBD chip is capable of holding
a sampled voltage (i.e., the “analog”
part) and passing (or “shifting”) those
sampled voltages along in a first-in,
first-out fashion. Like a film that creates
the illusion of continuous motion using
24 frames per second, BBDs create
the illusion of continuous sound by
capturing and spitting out samples. The
sampled voltages (or sounds) can seem
to occur more slowly by setting the
“sample” in a context such as this, they
immediately think of digital samples.
How are analog BBD samples different
from digital samples? In a number of
ways. First, they aren’t transformed or
encoded, as digital signals must be.
They are a literal snapshot of whatever
the signal voltage is at the moment the
snapshot is taken. One could argue
that analog BBD devices have infinite
resolution, because unlike with the
analog-to-digital (and then digital-to-
analog) conversion required in digital
processors, there’s no rounding off of
signal information to the nearest coded
value. In fact, back in the early digital
days when the best signal resolution one
could hope for was 12-bit resolution, the
Boss photo courtesy of Spaghetti Vintage; MXR photo courtesy of Vintage and Rare/Soundgas
analog samples have a limited lifespan.
The capacitors storing them leak, so
each sample has to get moved along to
the output quickly enough. Otherwise
there won’t be much left in the “bucket”
to pass along. At the exact moment a
sample is taken, it may have been 250
millivolts (mV), but eventually declines
to 247 mV, then 243 mV, etc., if it’s not
passed along right away. This signal loss
is less of a problem when the delays are
very short and the samples get passed
along quickly, as in flanging. But when
samples get passed along very slowly (for
example, to achieve a long echo), they
pass through all those leaky stages again
and again for additional repeats. If you
set an analog delay to its maximum delay

premierguitar.com
42 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Top right: The setting, you can often hear a substantial
more Legos you loss in fidelity. Given this reality, it goes
use, the more without saying that no matter how much
realistic-looking
your sculpture. you may like analog delays, the very idea
Same goes for of an analog looper pedal is a nonstarter.
audio sampling. Another thing to remember is that
the sample that gets passed along is
Fig. 1: In this
pin diagram for
a snapshot of something that already
a Matsushita happened. It may not have happened
MN3005 BBD very long ago, but it still already
chip, pin 7 is happened. So, while BBDs can almost
where the signal
catch up to real time in some instances,
enters the chip,
pins 3 and 4 are in general they will always lag behind by
the output, and some small amount of time. The various
6 and 2 are musical applications of BBD chips vary
the tick and how much they lag, and how closely they
tock pins.
nearly catch up to a nondelayed version
of the signal.
Audio Legos
Year after year, a group of local
enthusiasts shows off fantastic dioramas
made entirely out of Lego bricks at the
annual Maker Faire in my area. One of
the things I’m always struck by is that
the realism of the construction depends
on how many bricks are used to make
it—the more bricks there are, the more
nuance there is in the final image.
The same is true of audio sampling.
Basic depiction of a sound at any given
frequency can be accomplished with two
samples: one representing the positive
half-cycle of the sound wave, and one
representing the negative half-cycle.
But that turns the signal into a series of
square waves, and does that really convey
the complexities of the original, or are
we building something with two bricks
that really needs many more to look and
sound like the real thing? A sound wave
might have a gradual ascent and descent,
so describing it as one step up and
another step down just doesn’t cut it.
The general principle with digital
audio sampling is that the sample rate
should be three to four times the highest
frequency to be reproduced, if not more.
So, if a signal processor is intended
to process and output a signal whose
content goes as high as 5 kHz, it should
not sample the audio signal fewer than
20,000 times per second (20 kHz). That
will do a bare-bones job of accurately
44 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
representing a 5 kHz signal, and a better
job at representing lower frequencies. At
a 20 kHz sampling rate, a single cycle of
a 1 kHz signal would be portrayed with
20 samples—better than four, but still
somewhat block-y and definitely not hi-fi.
Think Commodore 64 graphics rather
than 1080p.
Considering this, the amount of delay
time one can expect to get out of a BBD
depends on how wide a bandwidth you
want to reproduce with it. If you want
more frequency content to be included
in the time-shifted signal, you’ll need to
sample more of the signal and do it faster.
But the trade-off is that, even though
sampling faster yields better sound
quality, it also yields less time from the
BBD. Which brings us to….
Time to Move
Just as a movie projector and tape
recorder require a motor to pour out their
content, a BBD requires something to
move the samples along. That something
is a clock that puts out a complementary
tick and tock to pins on the BBD chip
at varying speeds, which in turn help
dictate the fidelity and bandwidth of the
signal. Internally, the chips themselves are
essentially divided up into two parallel
sets of stages—two lines of little people
passing buckets, if you will. And just
as with a real bucket brigade made up
of people passing pails of water, each
pin in the BBD can hand off or take a
bucket—but it can’t do both at once.
Consequently, the two parallel sets of
Fig. 1
stages take turns. When the clock ticks,
one set of stages is passing off a sample
to the next stage in line, and the other
set of stages is receiving a sample. When
the clock goes tock, the reverse happens.
The two paths work in complementary
manner so that there is always one sample
available in interleaved fashion, each
arriving at a separate output pin. Fig.
1 is a pin-out diagram of a Matsushita
MN3005, the chip used in many analog
delays from the late ’70s to the early ’80s.
As you can see, there is only one input
pin (7) but two output pins (3 and 4).
The tick and tock pins are 6 and 2.
When these alternating interleaved
samples reach the output of their
respective path, they are combined to
provide a continuous, seamless stream
of samples (see Fig. 2 on p. 45). Some
Photo by Shawn Hammond
pedals (such as the Boss BF-2 Flanger)
simply link the two output pins together
directly, while others (like Electro-
Harmonix’s Deluxe Electric Mistress)
use a pair of equal-value resistors to
premierguitar.com
 Transmisser ™

Resonant Reverberations
The Transmisser is a modulated reverb with extra-long decay
fed to a highly resonant filter. It is the sonic recreation of
blowing your signal to bits, shooting it through a black hole then
beaming it back down on a cloud of cosmic dust. It is a Blazar for
musical instruments.
If you can’t already tell, the Transmisser is not your everyday
reverberation device. It does not do subtle. It does not do spring.
It does not do a wood paneled rumpus room with 1" thick carpet.
It will not recreate the classic sounds of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s.
The Transmisser will create an ultimate soundscape-y backdrop to
your all-night guitar freak-out. It’ll quickly turn you into a one note
per minute knob twiddler. It’ll make you want to break out that dusty
old expression pedal to do slow riding filter sweeps for days. It’ll get
you out of that stupid ergonomic chair, close that flaptop computer
and force you to enjoy playing music again and that’s the most
important thing, am I right?
You’re gonna love what it does with your space.

www.earthquakerdevices.com
 Fig. 2: The if clocked twice as fast in order to give
input signal Fig. 2 the signal a little more bandwidth and
is sampled,
fidelity. It works the same in reverse:
with a tick and
tock from the An effect designer could squeeze a full
BBD’s clock second out of a 4,096-stage BBD chip
assigning each (which is normally not used for more
sample to its than maybe 350–400 milliseconds),
respective path.
The alternating
but doing so would require a very slow
samples are clock rate—which would seriously
interpolated limit bandwidth and fidelity. (It would
and “stitched” sound like something happening in
together at
the apartment next door, and lose
the output.
considerable fidelity after two or three
Table 1: Delay electronically mix the two paths together. exceptions, however. Sometimes reduced repeats through the chip.) The old Boss
times available Still others (like the old A/DA Flanger) BBD availability and cost resulted in DM-1 used a now out-of-production
from 512-, use a trimpot to perfectly balance the two products such as Ibanez’s AD-230— Reticon chip with 2,000 stages and
1,024-, 2,048-,
and 4,096-stage outputs. In the latter example, not only which used 16 512-stage BBDs for longer claimed a maximum delay time of 500
Panasonic does the more precise balancing yield a delay (plus two more for flanging)—or ms, but at that delay setting there was a
BBD chips at more faithful representation of the input the more recent Maxon AD-999 analog steep roll-off of the signal above 1 kHz.
various clock signal, but it also serves to better cancel delay, which uses eight 1,024-stage chips. The next Boss analog delay, the DM-2,
frequencies and
out artifactual noise from the clock— The maximum time delay available used a 4,096-stage chip to generate
sampling rates.
kind of like a humbucker in a chip! from any single BBD is a joint function a maximum delay time of 300 ms at
of the number of stages, the clock greater bandwidth.
How Much Time You Got? (i.e., sampling rate), and the desired Cascading multiple BBDs yields
Many tube-amp fans can calculate bandwidth. So, a 1,024-stage chip can the sum of their individual delays—
roughly how much power an amp will provide twice as much delay time as although each handoff between BBDs
deliver based on the number and types a 512-stage chip if it runs at the same does pose small possible risks to audio
of output tubes it uses. For example, we clock rate, and the same amount of delay quality. But careful circuit design can
don’t expect more than 5 to 10 watts
from a single-ended amp using one Table 1
power tube, 12 to 25 watts from a pair
500
Delay produced at clock frequency (in milliseconds)

of 6V6GT tubes, and so on. Similarly,

we wouldn’t expect a builder to design a
100-watt amp based on a dozen EL84s, 200
because a quartet of EL34 will yield N= 4096 stages (MN3005)
that kind of power in a smaller, more 100
N= 2048 stages (MN3008)
affordable, easier-to-maintain package. 50
Similarly, BBDs come in different
capacities, as indicated by the number (MN3001)
20 N= 512 + 512 stages
(MN3010)
of stages they have. Just as with power
N= 1024 stages (MN3007)
tubes, stages can be coaxed to yield a 10
MN3002
little more or a little less, depending on N= 512 stages MN3004
the rest of the circuit. For audio purposes, 5 ½MN3001
BBDs begin at 256 stages, with each unit ½MN3010
higher in the series generally doubling in 2 N= 256 stages
capacity: 512, 1,024, 2,048, and 4,096 (MN3009)
1
stages. The latter is the largest capacity
available on a single chip. With some 0.5
exceptions, BBDs with 1,024 or fewer
stages are generally used for short-delay 0.2
applications like chorus, flanging, vibrato,
and occasionally slapback, while those 0.1
10 20 50 100 200 500 1000
with 2,048 or 4,096 stages get used for
delays and double-tracking. There are Clock frequency (sampling rate) in khz

premierguitar.com
46 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 mitigate these risks. There have been
some interesting products over the years
that used this cascading BBD approach.
Before 4,096-stage units became
available, the earliest EHX Deluxe
Memory Man pedals, as well as the
MXR Analog Delay and the Southwest
Technology Products Corporation
(SWTPC) Ambience Synthesizer, used
a trio of 1,024-stage chips in series.
More recently (but still before 4,096-
stage chips were back in production),
Electro-Harmonix used four 2,048-stage
Panasonic MN3008 chips for its Deluxe
Memory Man reissue.
Table 1 shows how much delay
time can be expected from the various
Panasonic/Matsushita chips at different
sampling frequencies. A pair of 4,096-
stage chips in series can produce around
500 ms with respectable bandwidth. A
number of commercial delays have gone
this route, often with a switch to select
between the outputs of the first or second
BBD. (It should be noted that, though
premierguitar.com
there are two chips in these designs, both
chips are driven by a single clock.)
All the Trimmings
All BBD chips require what is referred
to as a bias voltage. If the audio signal
does not come riding into the chip
sitting on top of a particular DC voltage,
it won’t make it to the other side. As a
consequence, nearly all pedals that use
BBDs, regardless of effect type, will have
a small bias trimpot (separate from the
one used for balancing output signals).
Some pedals with cascaded BBDs may
have a single trimpot providing the same
correct bias for all BBDs used, but the
effectiveness of such a setup would be
due more to a lucky guess than anything.
Optimal audio quality occurs when every
BBD in the circuit has its own trimpot
for custom-tailoring its bias. It’s more
work and increases production costs, but
it makes for a better transfer between
chips and is worth the additional labor,
parts, and space.
The trimpot for adjusting a chip’s DC
bias voltage is usually located somewhere
near the delay chip’s input pin. If that
bias voltage is too high or too low, you
won’t hear any signal from the BBD. If
it is just a little high or low, you’ll hear
output, but it will be distorted. So if you
have an old BBD device that doesn’t seem
to be working (or sounding quite right),
it’s worth opening it up and fiddling with
this trimpot to see if that fixes things.
There’s no risk of damaging the BBD
or overall circuit if you simply let your
ear guide you as you adjust it to restore
audio quality. But when there’s more than
one BBD in series and you can’t hear the
impact of each separate adjustment, it’s
handy to have an oscilloscope so you can
measure each chip’s output for minimum
distortion as you adjust its bias trimmer.
Typical BBD-based effects have
anywhere from one to four trimpots on
the circuit board. As previously noted,
some designs also have a trimpot for
balancing output between two BBD
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 47

Even simple outputs—and this is also found very
effects with BBD close to the chip. Further, BBD effects
chips typically
in which feedback is used (like flangers
have one to
four internal and echoes), often have another trimpot
trimpots for for adjusting maximum feedback
adjusting things before howling or oscillation set in.
like bias voltage, This is usually found close to where
output balance,
maximum the feedback is returned. Finally, there
delay time, and may also be a trimpot for adjusting the
feedback. As maximum delay time. This is useful for
you can see when, between like-valued BBD chips,
from the guts
there’s variation in where the clock-noise
of this Maxon
AD-999 analog filtering begins to roll off top end and,
delay, each consequently, the clock speed has gone
BBD chip can low enough to be audible.
exponentially As you’ve probably gathered by now,
increase the
number of when there’s more than one BBD chip
trimpots. in an effect housing, these trimpots can
appear in duplicate or triplicate. For
example, as noted earlier, the much-
coveted Maxon AD-999 delay eschews
high-capacity chips in favor of eight
1,024-stage chips, resulting in 25 total
trimpots! Meanwhile, Electro-Harmonix’s
most recent reissue of the Deluxe
Memory Man has a bias trimmer for
each of its two 4,096-stage BBDs, and
an output balance on the second one,
but it also includes a small gain stage for
each BBD to compensate for potential
signal loss (all BBDs lose a tiny bit of
signal in comparison to the dry path),
48 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
which means there’s a trimpot for each
gain stage, too. Needless to say, when
it comes to repairing or recalibrating a
BBD-based effect, it pays to know where
all the specific trimmers are and what
they do! To aid in the process, track down
a schematic and—if possible—a service
manual for your pedal’s circuit.
Whoa, Slow Down!
As mentioned earlier (and as revealed in
Table 1), shorter and longer delays can
be produced by clocking a chip faster
or slower. But there are limits. You can’t
transfer the samples inside the chip too
slowly (which is why Table 1 doesn’t go
below 10 kHz), but you also can’t clock
them too fast either—otherwise the
sample-transfer process gets corrupted.
A BBD chip’s clock input pins have
what is referred to as input capacitance.
For our purposes, we’ll simply say that
this capacitance can “dull” the clock
pulse and turn it from square-ish to more
triangular. When the clock frequency is
low enough, the capacitance has no effect
and the clock pulses are able to instantly
switch the transistors in the chip that feed
the samples to the next. But as the clock
frequency increases, that input capacitance
begins to add some lag and to turn what
started out as a pretty square (i.e., either
on or off ) clock pulse into something
more triangular. The near-instant
switching action that normally yields
seamless taking and passing of samples
now begins to have a gap, as it takes
longer for the transistors to be switched
on. The gap itself is not directly audible
since it is on the order of microseconds.
But imagine a movie with a blank frame
inserted between each successive image.
It simply won’t look the same—the
seamlessness of the flow of samples
matters. Consequently, data sheets for
many BBDs indicate a maximum clock
frequency, beyond which performance will
suffer. Table 1 shows that many common
Matsushita chips can’t normally be
clocked faster than 100 kHz.
Second-generation Matsushita chips
had about 700 pF of capacitance for each
1,024 stages on the chip. For example,
a 4,096-stage MN3005 or MN3205
would have an input capacitance of 2800
pF. In contrast, Reticon chips only had
110 pF for the same pins. Why does this
matter? For long delay, it doesn’t. For
flanging, where the most dramatic effects
are produced by shortening the time
delay to something almost negligible,
you want a chip that is tolerant of very
high clock frequencies (remember, faster
clocking results in shorter delay time).
The Matsushita chips weren’t comfortable
being clocked much faster than 100 kHz,
while the Reticons were good up to 1.5
MHz. If you ever wondered why that A/
DA Flanger or Boss BF-1 sounded so
much better than your Boss BF-2, it’s
because your Matsushita MN3207-based
BF-2 couldn’t delay any shorter than 1
ms, while Reticon-based pedals could zip
well below 1 ms with ease.
But don’t blame the Matsushita BBDs
too much. They were limited by their
companion clock generators: the MN3101
(for MN30xx chips) and MN3102 (for
low-voltage chips). These provided an
inexpensive, simple, compact solution for
directly driving Matsushita’s BBDs, but
they couldn’t adequately overcome that
clock-pin capacitance. They were great for
chorus or medium-delay echo, but you
couldn’t get them to clock fast enough for
great flanging, and they couldn’t handle
the total capacitance of more than 8,192
stages (i.e., from a pair of 4,096-stage
chips) needed for longer delay times.
However, when properly buffered to
overcome that capacitance, Matsushita
BBDs can be pushed much higher—just
like a buffered guitar signal can travel long
cable distances and still retain treble. I’ve
witnessed MN3207s pushed to 1.5 MHz
clock rates without difficulty.
Can it work the opposite way? That
is, can you buffer a clock chip to drive,
say, four MN3005s (for a total of
16,384 stages, and 11,200 pF of clock
capacitance)? It’s a bit like our earlier
example of a 100-watt, EL84-powered
amp: In theory, it could be done—but
why not simply go digital?
Photo by Mark Hammer
Cut out That Racket!
BBD-based designs are susceptible to
noise. The chips themselves differ in their
premierguitar.com
 Xvive Audio individual noisiness, but the necessary inclusion of a clock only
manufactures
makes matters worse. There are two basic sources of noise to
replicas of the
Matsushita contend with in normal use. One is the sometimes-audible whine
MN3005 of the high-frequency clock that’s always running. If a 10 kHz
chip found in clock pulse is required to achieve the desired delay time, there’s a
original Electro- chance you might hear that clock leaking through to other parts
Harmonix
Deluxe Memory
of the circuit, and eventually coming out your speakers.
Man pedals—as Now let’s talk about the second kind of noise. We may think
well as in its of BBDs as providing a seamless, continuous representation
own W3 Memory of the input signal, but in actuality there are teensy-weensy
Analog Delay.
steps between each successive sample, and those can create the
illusion of high-frequency content riding on top of the actual
signal. This is referred to as aliasing noise.
Historically, these two noise sources have been addressed
using some combination of the following five strategies:

• Low-pass filtering. A low-pass filter is placed before and

after the BBD in an effort to eliminate everything above
the highest frequency that’s intended to be audible. This
approach is used in virtually all BBD-based effect devices.
• Gating. A noise gate is applied at the BBD output, so that
any remaining BBD noise is killed when you stop playing.
This approach is used in the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
and A/DA Flanger.
• Treble manipulation. Treble is emphasized at the input
and then de-emphasized in complementary fashion at the
output. This restores normal tone to the dry signal, but cuts
any hiss or clock whine added by the BBD to the delayed
signal. This approach is used in the Boss CE-2 Chorus and
BF-2 Flanger.
• Companding. Companding—compressing and
expanding—keeps the audio input to the BBD at an optimal
level, well above the noise floor, and restores dynamics after
the delay is created. This approach is used in the Electro-
Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man and Boss DM-2
• Output balancing. As noted earlier, a trimpot is used to
balance BBD levels in an effort to cancel out clock noise.
Ironically, a great deal of the “warmth” that players are
referring to when discussing analog delays is actually a result of
the low-pass-filtering strategy for eliminating clock noise. The
thing is, if you use the same sort of filtering in a digital delay
circuit, it can sound remarkably similar to analog!
Grading BBD Chips
For the longest time, there were effectively three manufacturers
of BBDs: Reticon, Panasonic/Matsushita, and Philips. I’m not
sure about Philips, but Reticon stopped making BBDs in the
early ’80s, so anyone trying to repair or clone a Reticon-based
pedal has to pay astronomical prices for NOS replacements.
Panasonic (formerly Matsushita) stopped production in the late
’90s, but since there was demand for them, several companies
resurrected clones of the old Matsushita chips. In the late
1990s, Belling began reissuing copies of Matsushita’s MN3208
and MN3207 with the designation BL3208 and BL3207,
and more recently Coolaudio started producing clones of
the MN3207, MN3208, and MN3205. Even more recently,
China-based Xvive Audio (which, not so coincidentally, has its
own line of very affordable stompboxes) began making replicas
of Matsushita’s venerable MN3005. The chip is available for
sale separately, but is also used in the company’s higher-end
W3 Memory pedal—which was designed by Howard Davis,
manager of analog circuit design at Electro-Harmonix from
1976–1981. The chip itself isn’t cheap, but it’s not prohibitively
priced, either. Sadly, new Reticon chip clones don’t seem to be
on the horizon.
As with seemingly everything else in guitar gear, there are
many legends attached to different BBD chips. One is that
there’s a difference between generations of Matsushita chips—
particularly between the MN30xx series and the lower-voltage
MN32xx series. Certainly the earliest Matsushita chips (like
the MN3001 and MN3002 used in the Boss CE-1, and the
MN3010 used in the A/DA Flanger) were quieter and could be
clocked faster (because they had a lower clock-pin capacitance).
But the quality of the signal in any of the various issues is still
very much a matter for debate. I’m not so sure specs and data
sheets capture the differences people think they hear.
With regard to the difference between the MN30xx and
32xx generations, recall that BBDs can’t pass an audio signal
unless it’s sitting atop a DC bias voltage (derived from the power
supply). In the 1980s, the power supply for the bias voltage
would’ve usually been a battery. As the battery aged and the
voltage dropped, dividing down that voltage could result in the
“wrong” bias voltage, and sound quality would suffer. It seems a
silly consideration now, in an era of plentiful power supplies, but

premierguitar.com
50 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 back then there were no pedalboard power
bricks, and you couldn’t expect musicians
to keep changing the battery or opening
up a pedal to twiddle the bias trimmer.
So Matsushita designed the MN32xx
series to operate off of 5 volts, and the
bias would be derived from that 5 volts.
The pedal’s 9-volt battery would then be
down-regulated to provide a stable 5 volts
for the BBD and its bias until the battery
dropped below around 7 volts—at which
point it wouldn’t have enough juice to
power the pedal anyway. The redesign
allowed the MN32xx series to work
flawlessly without any drift in the bias as
the battery aged. But with contemporary
powered pedalboards, concerns about
supply-voltage drift are history.
Tying It All Together
Happily, in comparison to modern
production of vacuum tubes, the quality
of BBDs currently in production is
generally no different from those made
in bygone days. A new MN3205 is the
52 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
equal of a NOS version from 1981.
Further, many of today’s effect designers
have mined the rich vein of tricks and
strategies for extracting the best out of
this technology. That said, there were a
lot more BBD types and configurations
available 30 years ago, and I do wish
someone would reissue certain models—
like the Reticon SAD-1024 used in great
old flangers from Boss, A/DA, EHX,
and MXR (as well as in the ADR S24
Scamp), and the multitap Matsushita
MN3011, which powered the legendary
A/DA STD-1 Stereo Tapped Delay
exploited to such great effect by Allan
Holdsworth. But that hasn’t stopped
current designers from coming up with
feature-rich pedals yielding remarkable
sounds and options that nobody dreamed
of in 1979—including things like tap
tempo and digital control.
Although many stompbox companies
are migrating to the digital domain, I find
it both interesting and heartening that
new BBD pedals are unveiled quite often
these days. Which prompts the question,
is there anything about using BBDs that’s
somehow inherently better than state-
of-the-art digital circuitry? Probably not.
And certainly, back in the day when all
effects were analog, there were both stellar
and ho-hum products. But the reason
many BBDs have been reissued in recent
years is not simply due to romanticized
notions about the good ol’ days. When
all is said and done, it’s because both the
established old-school BBD know-how
and newly discovered circuit-engineering
tricks—and yes, even the things that have
to be done to keep noise down—simply
sound great when done well.
Special thanks to Joel Korte at Chase
Bliss Audio, Steve Daniels at Small Bear
Electronics, and Mike Irwin.
MARK HAMMER is a psychologist who has been building
and modding pedals, amps, and guitars since the late
’60s, and worships at the altar of Craig Anderton, Robert
Penfold, and John Simonton. He gets up in the morning
and thinks guitar.
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D. BOON
The Minutemen’s visionary guitarist shattered everything—from his tone
to melodies to the rock ’n’ roll rulebook, and created a punk-fueled legacy
of scalding, eccentric, and influential music along the way.
BY TZVI GLUCKIN

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 55

 D
Usually Boon IY may be commonplace for
wore his punk most bands today, but it was
ethos on his
a downright revolutionary
sleeve, but
this time it’s concept back in the late ’70s. That’s when
a bit higher. punk bands who couldn’t land a record
The guitar he’s deal, get press, tour, book local gigs, or
wearing is the get on the radio pretty much wrote the
ES-125 he used
for overdubs
DIY playbook. Their approach went
on the band’s on to develop into a massive movement
magnum opus, and spawn multiple scenes—including
Double Nickels the indie-, alternative-, and college-rock
on the Dime.
scenes—and its bands inspired everyone
Inset: from the most intense thrash artists to
With 33 songs, sensitive singer-songwriters.
the band’s two- One of the earliest DIY punk bands,
LP classic Double an influential trio that was do-it-
Nickels on the
Dime strove to yourself in every sense of the term,
recreate the was the Minutemen from San Pedro,
variety of songs California. If anything, they personified
and rapid- the movement in how they embodied
fire urgency
its proletarian ethos and values. They
typical of the
Minutemen’s were determined, idealistic, and a prime
concerts. example of great music that the industry
missed or ignored.
But the Minutemen—Dennes Dale
Boon on guitar (known as D. Boon, in
homage to his hero, E. Bloom—Eric
Bloom from Blue Öyster Cult), Mike
Watt on bass, and George Hurley on
drums—sounded nothing like their
contemporaries. They didn’t play
hardcore. They flirted with genres
anathema to most punks, including classic
rock, Motown, and post-bebop jazz. They
knew how to play their instruments, too, catalog of albums, EPs, videos, and anyway, albeit posthumously, although
and boasted formidable chops, impeccable live footage. They were just beginning like everything associated with the
time, and wide-open ears. to get noticed, too—their final tour Minutemen, it’s probably more accurate
Although the Minutemen were very was opening for R.E.M.—when Boon to call him something else—and to
much a group effort, it was Boon’s guitar was killed in an auto accident in late acknowledge that he did it, as the band
playing that stood out as the band’s most 1985. He was only 27. It was a tragic would say, “econo.”
idiosyncratic element. Boon almost never and untimely end to a story that was Boon’s story has been told many times
played power chords or used distortion. just getting started. His bandmates and in many forums, but, surprisingly,
His tone was abrasive, his comping—a almost called it quits, but eventually very little has been written about his
hyperactive synthesis of ’ ’70s funk and regrouped and went on to much greater playing, tone, gear, and experiences in
British post-punk—was complex yet acceptance, and even a major label deal, the studio. We reached out to Boon’s
rhythmically tight, and his soloing, as Firehose, among many other projects former bandmates, Watt and Hurley, as Photo by Bev Davies/Courtesy of Mike Watt
although influenced by his classic-rock and collaborations. well as Spot (Glen Lockett), who was
heroes, veered far from the blues scale But Boon had made his mark. His the house engineer and producer at
and often incorporated unusual note playing, energy, outlook, and idealism SST Records and the engineer on many
choices and dissonance. have inspired a generation of musicians. Minutemen sessions, in addition to
The Minutemen toured hard and Other guitarists often cite him as a his contemporaries Nels Cline (Wilco)
their profitable low-budget road trips primary influence. He was an outlier, and J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.), to compile
are legendary. They were also prodigious an individual, and not interested in a musical snapshot of an idealistic,
in the studio and left behind a large becoming a rock star. He became one influential, and sorely missed talent.

premierguitar.com
56 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 For Southern Corn Dogs from Pedro
California punk
D. Boon was born on April 1, 1958,
bands, a ritual
of acceptance and raised in San Pedro, California, a
was performing neighborhood about 20 miles south
on the L.A.- of Hollywood. Blue collar and middle
based New Wave class, San Pedro was the opposite of its
Theatre TV show
with host Peter
northern neighbor. Mike Watt was Boon’s
Ivers, from 1981 childhood friend and the pair became
to 1983. When musicians at the insistence of Boon’s
the Minutemen mother. She thought it was a way to keep
appeared, Boone
them out of trouble. “Our first guitars
played the parts
S-style guitar were pawnshop,” Watt says. “I think D.
that he used to Boon had a Melody Plus. His cost $15
record the 1980 and mine was $13. Mine was a Teisco.”
Paranoid Time EP. Boon played guitar and Watt played bass,
not that they knew what that meant.
“I only had four strings on my guitar
because that’s what I thought a bass was,”
Watt says. “I took the B and the E string made a big impression him. “He would from those in San Pedro. They didn’t
off and now it was a bass. I didn’t know it teach him songs off records,” Watt says. immediately become punks, but they
was tuned lower. I had no idea.” “But then he would sneak in other soon formed their first band, the
Boon grew up listening to the music stuff—some Vivaldi, some Bach, and he Reactionaries (with Hurley on drums),
his father listened to: country star Buck showed D. Boon some flamenco.” You which after a few fits and starts morphed
Owens and Creedence Clearwater Revival. can hear the Spanish influence in Boon’s into the Minutemen.
“When I first met him, the only rock later playing—particularly in his use of Their big break came when they met
band he knew was Creedence,” Watt fingerpicked arpeggios and on his solo Black Flag in a parking lot outside a
says. “John Fogerty was a huge influence feature, “Cohesion,” off the 1984 release Clash show. “We opened for Black Flag
on him.” Watt turned Boon on to Blue Double Nickels on the Dime. But perhaps in February of 1978,” Watt says. “I think
Öyster Cult and their guitarist, Buck Lopez’s biggest influence was on Boon’s it was their second or third gig. It was our
Dharma, as well as the Who. “He was a work ethic. “He did impress upon us one first gig.” Some members of Black Flag
strange mix of John Fogerty and Buck thing: practice, practice, practice,” Watt were handing out fliers for an upcoming
Dharma. And then I turned him on to the says. “And that was one thing about me show in San Pedro. “We couldn’t believe
Who and he got into Pete Townshend.” and D. Boon … and still today, with my they were trying to play a gig in Pedro,”
Boon and Watt spent time together bands, I practice every day.” he continues. “We said, ‘We’re from
after school, learning songs off records—a Boon and Watt started to play in bands Pedro and we’re the only punk rockers in
tedious process in the days of low-budget together. They played covers—mainly that town.’ They said, ‘There are punk
turntables and 8-track tapes—and rock staples by the Stones, Alice Cooper, rockers in Pedro? Do you want to open?’
rehearsing the songs they knew. Sometimes Black Sabbath, and others. They finished It was fucking like that; we didn’t even
it was with Boon’s brother Joe on drums, high school, started college, and that know them and they asked us to open.”
but more often playing along to the record. probably would’ve been the end of their In 1980, Greg Ginn, the guitarist in
It was painstaking and slow, but Boon built music careers. Writing songs and making Black Flag and the head of then-nascent
up impressive chops, which made him records was not something they thought SST Records, invited the Minutemen
stand out in the early days of punk. people like them did. to record their first EP. “I met them at a
“I remember the first song was But then they discovered punk. show,” Spot says. “At that time, D. Boon
‘Suzie Q,’ and him running that down The ethos of punk—playing in had a mohawk and was wearing coveralls.
after school every day,” Watt says. “D. small clubs, writing songs, and doing They were playing these super-short songs
Boon never used record covers and so it yourself, the scene’s emphasis on and I thought, ‘Whoa, this is geeky.’ But
his records would be on the deck and community and its acceptance of misfits then I thought, ‘This is really good geeky.’
covered in grape juice, and you’d have to and outsiders, and even its left-leaning They didn’t have anything recorded as far
put six quarters on the stylus to keep it politics—spoke to them. It validated as I knew; maybe some practice tapes or
from skipping. It was terrible.” their ambitions. It gave them permission something, but that wasn’t even an issue
Boon also took a handful of lessons on to break rules. It taught them that art then. It was just, ‘Let’s get these guys in
Photo by Spot

nylon-string acoustic from Roy Mendez was within their grasp. It also exposed the studio and do something because it
Lopez, a colorful local character who them to people who were very different will definitely be good.’”

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58 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Those first sessions, which resulted in the
EP Paranoid Time, featured a band with a
large repertoire, a distinctive sound, and low-
budget gear. They upgraded their instruments
as the years went on, but simple, utilitarian
gear was an ideal Boon stayed true to.
“D. Boon had a guitar that by any
standards people would consider a piece of
junk,” Spot says. “It was a Frankenstein Strat.
It had a typical ’70s neck—probably a 3-bolt
heel—with maple fretboard, big headstock,
and bullet truss rod. The bridge pickup was
a normal-looking single-coil. The body may
or may not have been Fender. That was the
era of third-party DiMarzio, Mighty Mite,
Schecter—or whatever was cheapest—stuff.
It was a guitar he put together that had been
just parts. It had paint splattered over it. It
was not a prime-looking instrument any way
you looked at it, but it was his instrument
and he knew how to make it sound.”
Watt adds, “He also had a single-cutaway
Melody Maker and put a Strat pickup in that.
He got that from Dezo—Dez Cadena—of
Black Flag. He had a buddy make him a
pickguard out of sheet aluminum so it wouldn’t
break. It just had a volume knob and that one
Stratocaster bridge pickup. He played that for
a few years until I got him his first Telecaster,
because he always wanted a Telecaster.”
Low-Budget Gearhead
Boon’s cheapo guitars were similar to what
many other punks were using. High-end gear,
as you’d expect, was expensive and beyond
the means of most early punk rockers. But
they were making an aesthetic statement as
well. “Late ’70s and early ’80s punk/trash/
noise bands were notorious for gutted pickup
wiring, intentional or not,” Spot says. “There
was a pride in making the most basic, cheapest
system work. By the mid-’80s, attitudes got a
bit more urbane or ‘professional.’”
D. Boon’s penchant for low-cost, ad-hoc
gear applied to his amps as well. “He
had an old blackface Fender Bandmaster
head,” Spot says. “At that time, it was
considered the low version of a Fender
piggyback.” He also had a 2x12 cabinet
with mismatched speakers, which were
wired out of phase. “I recorded it in stereo.
I had each speaker miked separately. When
I was mixing the stuff down, I tried to see
how everything sounded in mono and the
60 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
Punk Tone’s Mr. Clean
D. Boon liked his tone one
way: clean and bright as a
freshly shampooed polar bear
in a blizzard. His ingredients
were essentially Fender or
Fender-inspired, starting
with a Melody Plus electric
solidbody guitar that was
made in Japan and acquired
for a mere $15. By the time
the Minutemen recorded their
debut EP, 1980’s Paranoid
Time, he’d thrown together
an S-style instrument from
parts of now-forgotten origin.
Than came the Telecasters—
the model he played until
his tragic death just four
years later. He had at least
three—each acquired as an
improvement on the previous
one, including the natural
rosewood guitar he played on
his final tour. The exception
was a severely beaten
single-pickup Gibson Melody
Maker that he played in the
The toll D. Boon’s sweat took on
band’s early years, which he his instruments makes this Telecaster
nonetheless made sound like look like a battle-scarred warhorse.
a Tele—thanks in no small part Note the sealed EMG pickup in
to sporting just one single-coil the bridge position.
pickup, in the neck slot.
Boon used zero effects, other than his imagination, to conjure
the jolting, prickly riffs that branded his individuality as a stylist.
And his amps, once he had the spending money, were a succession
of Fenders—a Bandmaster, perched atop a rough-hewn mutt of a
cabinet with two mismatched speakers, followed by a Super Twin,
and then Twin Reverbs, which he revered for their cleanliness and
loudness. He turned the bass and mids off, and jammed the treble
up to 10, often making his notes sharp as a pirate’s dirk.
His clean live tone marked him as different from most of the guitar
players of the punk and post-punk years, and it was all the more
astonishing for the precision of his lines—despite that fact that he
almost constantly capered onstage while he riffed and soloed.
Éminence grise rock critic Robert Christgau summoned up the loss
Photo courtesy of Mike Watt
of this singular virtuoso in his review of the Minutemen’s final album,
3-Way Tie (For Last), which was released the month that Boon died: “I
tried to cut myself a little critical distance in the wake of a rock death
that for wasted potential has Lennon and Hendrix for company …
After seven amazing years, he was just getting started. Shit, shit, shit.”
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 guitar disappeared. That’s when I learned,
‘Whoops, this ain’t going to work.’”
Regardless of the gear he used, Boon
always sounded like Boon. His tone was
unique—even unusual—and not something
most guitarists aspire to. “D. Boon would
play all treble,” Watt says. “He would turn
down all the tone knobs except for the
treble, which would go all the way to the
D. Boon Essential Listening
“D. had a powerful rhythm guitar thrust, putting his whole body
into it,” Nels Cline says. You can see that in action in this 1985 clip
shot live at the Stone in San Francisco, as he wails on “I Felt Like a
Gringo” from Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat.
YouTube search term: Minutemen – I Felt Like a Gringo
To view more essential videos showcasing D. Boon’s singular style,
head online to premierguitar.com.

top. It was a total cheese-slicer sound.”

“Thank God I was behind that amp,”
drummer Hurley recalls. “He used a
Fender Twin Reverb with the treble turned
mercilessly high. I remember seeing a few
unsuspecting people jump up and run.”
J Mascis, no wallflower when it comes
to volume, adds, “It was definitely the
most ear-damaging show I ever went to.
I stood in front. He had the treble all the
way up with bass rolled all the way down.
It shredded my ears more than any other
gig I ever went to.”
But Boon’s tone, as distinctive as it
was, wasn’t just a preference. It was in sync
with the band’s political outlook as well.
“Watt and D. had very deliberately created
sovereign states,” Nels Cline says. “One
state was identified as ‘treble’ and the other
as ‘bass.’ They stayed out of the way of
each other’s frequencies in a way that was
‘political,’ which means—I think—that they
had cooperation and respect for each other’s
‘territory.’”
“The political part of the Minutemen
wasn’t the words,” Watt says. “D. Boon
called those, ‘thinking out loud.’ The
political part for D. Boon was how the
band was structured. Obviously, we were
just a power trio, but he wanted to make
room for the drums and the bass. He
liked the way the R&B guys restrained
themselves—this idea of restraining
yourself so you made room for the other
guys in the band, instead of this hierarchy.”
Punk promoted independence and
rule breaking, and paid lip service to
anarchy. But like most movements, it
became established and rigid. Hardcore,
in particular, had set rules, and bands
were expected to sound a certain way.
But that didn’t apply to the
Minutemen.
In addition to their classic-rock roots,
they borrowed from British post-punk and
learned from bands like the Pop Group
and Wire. “The Pop Group were basically
putting Captain Beefheart together with
Parliament-Funkadelic,” Watt says. “We
liked that idea, too—the idea that you
can do whatever you want. We never saw
the movement as a style of music. It was
more like permission to try anything. Put
Funkadelic with Beefheart? Do it. We
thought that was really interesting.”
That same spirit inspired another
Minutemen trademark: short songs. Most
of their songs were less than two minutes—
many were less than one—but their songs
weren’t supposed to be stand-alone. They
were mini-movements and part of a greater
symphony. “A Minutemen gig was to try
and make one song out of 30 or 40 parts,”
Watt says. “We got the idea from Wire, but
we also thought it would purge some of
that rock ’n’ roll we learned off the records.”
Purging those influences explains their
cavalier attitude toward establishing a
musical style as well. “We didn’t think motifs
or style,” Watt says. “Those were all devices
to help us spell the word ‘Minutemen.’ We
didn’t want to be a ska band or a reggae
band. We could play anything—that was
the idea—and still you could tell it was the
Minutemen. During the gigs, there would
be three or four times during the set when
we’d play free jams for a minute or two. We
did a lot of that. But the songwriting—we
wanted it short and the songs were concise.”
Spartan Punks
“I Felt Like a Gringo,” off their album
Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat,
is quintessential Minutemen. It also
encapsulates many of the qualities in Boon’s
playing. The song’s primary theme is a
unison odd-metered line, with hyper-fast
funk comping under the vocals, and a guitar
solo that starts with an extended quote from
the Champs’ 1958 hit, “Tequila.” It eschews
the standard verse/chorus formula and
clocks in at under two minutes.
That minimalist approach applied to the
studio, too. Their first full-length album,
1981’s The Punch Line, was recorded at
Media Art Studio in Hermosa Beach,
California. “We had an old Tangent 3216
console, which, frankly, I thought was a
great-sounding board,” Spot says. “It wasn’t
considered the most state-of-the-art board,
but for what I call ‘gut-bucket music,’
you could really get a good sound going
to tape.” The recording was quick, as was
the mixing, and it required very little EQ.
“At one point I realized, ‘Wait a minute,
these tracks don’t need any EQ on them.’
The rough mixes of the basic tracks on a
cassette sounded incredibly good, and they
were coming off the machine straight—no
EQ, no nothing. I think there were one
or two tracks that I needed to put a little
compression on, and maybe something
through an outboard EQ, but other than
that, everything else was just a raw signal
with no reverb or any kind of effects on it.”
“The first records were kind of like
gigs,” Watt adds. “We even played them
in order so we didn’t have to spend
money on sequencing.”
But as simple as their approach was,
they refined that even more. “Paranoid
Time and The Punch Line were done on
a 16-track machine,” Spot says. “What
Makes a Man Start Fires? was 24-track. But
somewhere in that whole thing, Mike was
grousing about the multitrack stuff. He
was a guy who, kind of like me, was very
much influenced by the jazz approach,
where you go into the studio, do it live,
and don’t worry about any of that other
stuff. I found a studio up in Hollywood.

premierguitar.com
62 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 It was an 8-track studio, and the guy who
owned the place said, ‘If you really want
to go for what you’re describing, why don’t
you just do it live to 2-track?’ And that
was one of the best things I ever heard.”
Playing for Change
Spot recorded the tracks for Buzz or
Howl Under the Influence of Heat live to
2-track. They didn’t use that approach for
their next album, their magnum opus,
Double Nickels on the Dime, but it was
definitely done “econo”—a term the band
coined and lived by.
“That record cost $1,100,” Watt says.
“Almost all that stuff is one take. D. Boon
went back though and overdubbed some
lead guitar. And it’s 8-track. It’s kick, snare,
toms in stereo, bass, guitar, vocal, and then
maybe guitar overdub. That’s all the tracks.”
The overdubbed solos on Double
Nickels, as well as on subsequent sessions,
were done at the behest of Ethan James, the
engineer and owner of Radio Tokyo, where
the album was recorded. (James was also
64 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
the keyboardist in a late-’60s incarnation of
Blue Cheer.) Boon used a Gibson ES-125
for those overdubs. The guitar had a soap
bar pickup in the neck position and he ran
it through an Ibanez Tube Screamer. But
other than on those overdubs, he almost
never used distortion or effects.
By that point, Boon was using much
better gear. “He had a Super Twin,”
Mascis says about Boon’s amp. “It was a
180-watt Twin with six tubes, from the
late ’70s or early ’80s.”
“After his Bandmaster amp, D. Boon
pretty much fell in love with Twin
Reverbs,” Spot says. “The Twin Reverb
was what they would call a ‘proper amp.’
It was a silverface. It had a master volume
control on it. His was a good one.”
Boon’s guitar of choice at that time
was a Telecaster. He had at least three.
“You can see him playing the first one
when you open up Double Nickels on the
Dime,” Watt says. “It’s black with a white
pickguard. Then on that tour, ‘Campaign
Trail ’84,’ we played Canton, Ohio, and
he got his rosewood Telecaster. After that
we found his purple one. The purple one
is the one he really liked.”
“D. experimented with a few different
guitars,” Hurley says. “His Fenders were
his favorite. If his sound was rude with
plenty of attack, he was proud of it.”
“D. Boon favored Telecasters, he used
a lot of treble, and he sweated like crazy,”
Cline recalls. And that sweating caused
electrical problems with Boon’s guitars.
“We had a problem with sweating at
gigs,” Watt agrees. “It would soak the
pickups and shut out all the high end,
which, for D. Boon, was like, ‘What? No
high end?!’” The solution, eventually, was
to use EMG pickups, which were sealed
in epoxy. We took out the pickup—for a
little while there was a Seymour Duncan
blade pickup in there—and put in the
EMG, so we wouldn’t have to deal with
the sweat. That fat one—the humbucker
in the neck position—he hardly used
that. He used that sometimes for
sustaining when he wanted to play like
premierguitar.com
 Curt Kirkwood from the Meat Puppets,
but he always used the bridge pickup.”
Boon favored heavy gauge strings—
usually D’Addario .012’s—and gray .88
mm Dunlop picks. “He liked heavier
strings,” Watt says. “They stayed in tune
better. More tone, more piercing. He got
that from Randy Bachman.”
Double Nickels showcases the full range
of Boon’s style. His hyper-fast, funk-
style comping is in full force on songs
like “West Germany” and “The Roar
of the Masses Could Be Farts,” and is
often juxtaposed with drastically different
sounds, like mellow jazzy chords, twangy
solos, or unusual riffs.
“I think he was drawn to certain sounds
and notes he thought were interesting or
even jazzy,” Cline says. “Hence his playing
was rarely just pentatonic. He started on
classical or Spanish guitar and as such,
early on, he may have learned something
about scales without actually knowing
theory. He was hearing more than just a
so-called ‘blues scale.’”
66 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
The album also includes songs like
“Corona,” which plays off a Latin-
influenced chord progression; “Jesus and
Tequila,” which is a great example of
Boon’s oddball phrasing; and a few covers
including “Dr. Wu” (Steely Dan) and
CCR’s “Don’t Look Now.” The album’s
hit—if you could call it that—was “This
Ain’t No Picnic,” which is one of the few
Minutemen songs to use a standard verse/
chorus formula.
The band continued to tour and
returned to the studio twice more to
record the EP Project: Mersh and the
album 3-Way Tie (For Last). They had
a successful run supporting R.E.M.,
performing their last concert of the
tour in Charlotte, North Carolina,
on December 13, 1985. But then, on
December 22, 1985, Boon was thrown
from the back of a van after the driver
dozed off and lost control. He broke his
neck on impact and died instantly.
And with that, the Minutemen called
it quits. There was only one D. Boon.
The bigger the wave,
“That’s a band that could only have been
those three people,” Spot says. “How
each of those guys played and when they
played had everything to do with how
great they were.”
“At heart they were punks,” Cline
adds. “Including, discarding, and
challenging the notions of music-making,
and expressing themselves as self-
determined artists—not emulating the
rock establishment and pining for general
acceptance. They were mavericks and
visionaries: passion and no pretension.”
“People ask me, ‘What kind of bass
player are you?’” Watt says. “I say, ‘I am D.
Boon’s bass player.’ Almost everything I do
comes from playing with that guy. D. Boon
had a sincerity in the way he sang, the
way he played, and the way he presented
himself at a gig that really blew people
away. I thought that was such a human
quality—a fabric to bring us together
without somebody having to have his boot
on your throat. I was glad to be part of the
human team with D. Boon.”
premierguitar.com
TONE TIPS
Thicken It Up!
BY PETER THORN
N
By employing o matter what style we play or
a good, basic whether we use a clean, crunchy,
ABY box with
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a buffer to
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digital delay on verses. Perhaps you play in a guitar/bass/
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fattener.
wish your acoustic or electric guitar didn’t
sound so small, mono, and pinpointed
in your in-ear monitors when playing
live. Whatever the case may be, I’d like
to share some strategic ways to fatten,
thicken, and widen your guitar signal.
Delays can be used in simple, creative ways
to build a larger than life tone, but without the
obvious modulation of a chorus effect.
I’ve previously touched on both the
virtues of buffering your signal when
appropriate and the benefits of a clean,
properly wired rig. It should go without
saying, but clean wiring will help ensure
that you are starting with a robust, core
tone that’s free of loss due to capacitance
and free of ground loops or extraneous
noise. So, with that out of the way, we
can get to the fun stuff.
Choruses and harmonizers. When
chorus units came on the market in
the ’70s, they found favor by providing
guitarists with a quick and easy way
to make rigs sound thicker, while also
helping to create a stereo setup (when
desired) by running the output of the
chorus to two amplifiers. The initial
aim of choruses was to create an illusion
of more than one guitar playing—
hence the “chorus” moniker—and that
was accomplished by delaying and
modulating the core guitar signal and
then blending in that modulated signal
with the core tone. Notable guitarists in
68 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
trios, such as Andy Summers and Alex
Lifeson, have used stereo chorus units to
great effect for thickening and widening
their tones to fill up sonic space.
Harmonizers came on the scene in
the late ’70s, and some guitarists used
them to create dense harmony lines with
multiple intervals. (Trevor Rabin’s solo
on the Yes classic “Owner of a Lonely
Heart” is a good example.) Other players
discovered that a harmonizer could be
used to create a sort of “still” chorus
effect—accomplished by slightly detuning
the core guitar tone by generally +/- 9
cents or less. This technique can sound
fat and like a subtle chorus in mono, but
in stereo, it can sound positively huge,
which is why it became a staple sound
throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s.
(Eddie Van Halen relied heavily on this
sound for over a decade.)
More subtle thickeners. Delays can
be used in simple, creative ways to create
a larger-than-life tone, but without the
obvious modulation of a chorus effect. If
you have a simple mono delay pedal and
two guitar amps, try placing the amps a
few feet apart and running your guitar
into an ABY box. Send “A” to your first
amp and send “B” to the delay pedal on
its way to the second amp. Dial in a very
short delay time, the mix to 100 percent,
and the feedback all the way off. When
you play through both amps at once and
switch the delay unit in and out, you
should hear the image go from pinpointed
and cutting to wide and huge. By varying
the delay time (but always keeping it quite
short), you can fine-tune the width and
the diffuse quality of the sound.
If you have two amps running in stereo
via a stereo delay unit, try setting up a
stereo delay patch with a different short
delay on
each channel
(30 ms on the left and
40 ms on the right, for example). By
setting the feedback to zero and blending
in the delay using the mix control, you’ll
hear the stereo image get fatter and wider
the more delay you blend in. If your delay
has modulation controls, increasing these
can create a cool chorusing effect.
In-ears and the dreaded mono
guitar. Many artists are using in-ear
monitors these days, but it can be
a difficult adjustment for guitarists,
especially if you use a mono amp or
acoustic setup. We just aren’t used
to hearing our instrument in such a
pinpointed, mono way! Using a stereo
rig can really help, but not every guitarist
can do this, or wants to do this.
Try this trick: Have the engineer pan
your main guitar signal left 40 percent
and use an auxiliary send to route your
guitar signal to a delay set for 8 to 11 ms
of delay, zero feedback, and 100 percent
wet. Send the return of the delay to
another channel and pan that channel 40
percent right. Then pull up that channel,
blend it at the same level of your main
guitar channel, and voilà—your sound
is now far more spacious and stereo-ized
in your in-ears. This sounds great on
electric-acoustic guitars as well as miked
guitar amp signals. Singers who play
guitar really dig this trick because it splits
the guitar wide and makes space for their
voice up the middle.
I hope you get a chance to experiment
with some of these tricks. Until next
month, all the best to you, guitar nerds!
PETER THORN
is an L.A.-based guitarist who has
toured with Chris Cornell, Melissa
Etheridge, Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, and
many others. He released a solo
album, Guitar Nerd, in 2011. Read
more at peterthorn.com.
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 16 Strings
vs.
The World
Eight-string guitarists Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes
of Animals as Leaders reveal how, for the first time,
they bypassed outside producers and collaborators to write,
track, and mix their new album as a band.
BY PAUL KOBYLENSKY
ΔΔΔ
 A
nimals as Leaders has had a massive
impact on modern electric guitar. The
8-string instruments the band use for
their mind-bending fretboard acrobatics are now
commonly found in stores around the world,
their use of Fractal Audio’s Axe-Fx units helped
propel the company’s products to international
recognition, and their heavy electronic-music
influence made it okay for bands to add
considerable non-guitar elements to their guitar-
based live performances. For proof of the band’s
influence, start an Animals as Leaders Pandora
channel and listen to a steady stream of like-
minded artists that would have never achieved
recognition without this trio from Washington
D.C. come pouring from your speakers.
Animals as Leaders had their genesis in
what was supposed to be lead guitarist Tosin
Abasi’s solo album. Initially the outing was
intended to have more electronic-based
production, but with the help of Abasi’s
friend, producer, and Periphery guitarist
Misha Mansoor, the album Animals as Leaders
took on the heavier and more guitar-based
character we know today. When it came time
to put his band together, Abasi reached out to
Javier Reyes, his former bandmate from the
Opposite page: Drummer Matt Garstka and guitarists Tobin Abasi and Javier Reyes, from left to right, combined all their diverse influences for The
Madness of Many, crafting a sound that extends from classical music to Björk.
Photo by Joe Russo
premierguitar.com
D.C. area, and the 8-string guitar-playing core
of Animals as Leaders was set.
Since then the band has achieved critical
and commercial success, touring the world
with a wide variety of artists and releasing
three more acclaimed albums, including their
latest, The Madness of Many. Each album
showcased a new side of the band and drew
on the influences of outside producers and
musicians, such as Periphery’s Mansoor and
Adam “Nolly” Getgood, drummer Navene
Koperweis, and Volumes’ Diego Farias.
The Madness of Many represents a rebirth
of sorts for the band. For the first time in their
career, Animals as Leaders kept all performance,
songwriting, and production duties in-house.
What you hear on The Madness of Many is the
sound of three mind-blowing artists with free
rein to create the music they want.
Their newfound approach allowed Reyes
and drummer Matt Garstka to interject
their song ideas and compositions on an
even playing field. This brought influences
as diverse as Squarepusher, classical guitarist
Yamandu Costa, and even Björk.
The trio also stuck to a less-is-more ethos
in all aspects of this project. Pulling way back
on post-editing their performances allowed
Garstka to push and pull the songs’ grooves
and lent a human element to the band’s
super-human sound. “I think I’ve gotten out
a lot of the super-aggressive technique-based
lead playing on the previous releases,” says
Abasi, explaining the bands’ current song-
first approach.
Animals as Leaders and their new album
continue to defy categorization. When they
released their self-titled debut, the world
was treated to an aggressive blending of
genres and guitar-playing techniques that
had seldom been heard before. Many rushed
to call them djent. But one listen to The
Madness of Many disproves that notion, and
any comparisons to other genres or bands are
simply due to a lack of obvious descriptions.
As a massive fan of the band, it was this
journalist’s honor to get the opportunity
to chat with Abasi and Reyes about the
new album, their gear, and their ever-
expanding playing styles and knowledge.
And maybe most importantly, why they feel
like the challenging, intellectual, and often
mystifying sound of Animals as Leaders
continues to thrive across the world.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 71
 At a December The Madness of Many introduces a new
concert in New way of working for Animals as Leaders.
York City’s
Webster Hall,
What was it like self-producing the
Javier Reyes album and why did you choose to go
plays his ESP that route?
LTD Signature Tosin Abasi: We initially intended to just
JR-608 8-string, do pre-production on our own. Then the
while Tobin
Abasi digs in songs started to really come together in
on his Ibanez a way that, ultimately we were like, “I
TAM100 don’t really know what a producer would
signature model do.” And it started to dawn on us that
8-string.
we could release this thing as the work of
just three of us.
Javier Reyes: The original idea was to
work again with Misha Mansoor of
Periphery. Even with the mixing, we
actually sent it out to three different
people. But the mixes that I had on it were
closer to what we wanted. So we decided
again, “Well, let’s just handle it ourselves.”
You seem to have benefitted musically
from the process. Going forward, is this
the way you see yourselves working?
Abasi: It’s a good question. We’re really
feeling empowered by self-producing
this album, so I think there’s going to be
more of the same. And you’re just going
to hear more exploration from us.
72 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
Are there any drawbacks to keeping
everything in-house?
Abasi: Some of the drawbacks would be,
depending on who you work with, you’re
going to get different levels of editing,
quantization, and stuff like that. We
wanted as little editing or quantizing as
possible, but there are some producers
whose sound is reliant on replacing
drums and samples and editing things to
fit perfectly on the grid.
Reyes: The drums are way less edited
than they were on The Joy of Motion
or any of the previous albums. We just
wanted to have a more organic feel. The
band wants to grow in that direction.
Listening to the mix, I noticed the
guitars in particular are very clear on
this album. You can really hear the
strings moving on the instruments.
How did you achieve that?
Abasi: By using as little gain as possible.
And by choosing [Axe-Fx modeled] amps
that are mid-forward and articulate. The
cool thing about extended-range guitars
is that the lower the pitch, the more
amplitude the actual string seems to have.
It’s almost like driving the preamp harder
just because
the string is that
much thicker. We really like the sound of
the lower strings, so we go for as little gain
as possible.
Reyes: Also by referencing a lot of
recordings that I felt were really good.
And listening to Matt and Tosin’s
feedback. It was a matter of a lot of
negotiating with each other and a lot of
referencing other really good material.
You guys are well known for using
Fractal Audio Axe-Fx guitar processors
and playing 8-string guitars. Is that
what you used for this album?
Abasi: It’s funny you say that, because
for the album, yes. But right now I’m
running a completely analog rig. No
Axe-Fx. I just fell back in love with the
immediacy of that response. I’m using
a Morgan SW50R. It’s a single-channel,
handwired tube head. It’s just very
basic. Pure, clean, lots of headroom,
and nothing fancy. I use it as a pedal
platform. I actually realized rehearsing
Photo by Joe Russo
The Madness of Many songs that I
didn’t need a bunch of different amp
models and a bunch of different effects.
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One of Animals I’m actually using the equivalent of a
as Leaders’ 3-channel head and some core effects.
signature Reyes: I’m still running the Axe-Fx. I
approaches
is the bass- like the simplicity of it. And with travel,
technique-like I don’t want to have to remake tones
“thumping” wherever I go. It sounds great, I know it,
employed by and it’s extremely economical. I love my
both guitarists.
Here, Abasi
Axe-Fx. If I could sleep in bed with it, I
puts his thumb would! [Laughs.] I’m using the XL+ right
to work on now. I’m also using a Sub Machine fuzz
his prototype octaver pedal from MXR on “The Brain
signature
Dance.” That’s the only third-party pedal
Ibanez.
I’m using outside of my Axe-Fx.
Is the band still using Port City cabinets?
Abasi: Javier is. But I’m using Morgan
and a 4x12 that Paul Reed Smith gave
me. It has alnico 65-watt speakers in
it. I mike up my Morgan 2x12. It’s got
Celestion G12H speakers.
Reyes: The Port City cabs are great. They
haven’t done me wrong. I’m actually
74 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
TOSIN ABASI’S GEAR
GUITARS
• Ibanez Tosin Abasi prototype
signature 8-string
• Ibanez TAM100 signature model 8-string
• Ibanez RG90 Prestige 9-string
• Strandberg custom 8-string
• Rick Toone Blur 8-string
Extended Range Guitar
AMPS
• Morgan SW50R 50-watt head
• Morgan 2x12 cabinet with
Celestion G12H speakers
• Paul Reed Smith 4x12 cabinet with
Celestion G12M-65 Creamback speakers
EFFECTS
• Pro Tone Tosin Abasi
Signature Overdrive
• two Friedman BE-OD Overdrives
• Leqtique overdrive
• Empress ParaEQ
• Strymon BigSky Reverb
• MXR Carbon Copy Delay
• TC Electronic Ditto X4 Looper
• Wampler Ego Compressor
• ISP Decimator noise gate
• Carl Martin Octa-Switch
sending two signals out of the Axe-Fx. STRINGS & PICKS
One has a cab sim that goes to front of • D’Addario NYXL custom 8-string sets
house and my in-ear monitors. The other (.0095–.074)
doesn’t have a cab sim, and it goes into • Dunlop .73 mm signature
the front of the [Port City] Pearl, which (similar to a Jazz III, but slightly larger)
is a very clean single-channel amp with a
non-colored tone. I have two 2x12 Port
City cabs. One of them has Celestion
Creambacks and the other one has G12s.
I use that for my stage sound.
What guitars did you play on the album?
Abasi: For about 90 percent of the
album, minus the acoustic songs, I played
It started to dawn
my signature prototype Ibanez—though on us that we could
release this thing
“Private Visions of the World” is on a
9-string.
Reyes: I think I used an 8-string PRS on a
couple of songs. We used an Aristides guitar
as the work of just
Photo by Joe Russo
with Bare Knuckle pickups in it. And on three of us.”
“Private Visions of the World,” I used a
Vintage Plus from ESP. I love that guitar. — Tosin Abasi
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 We used my signature Ortega 8-string
classical on “The Brain Dance,” as well.
Tosin, your prototype guitar has been
seen all over the web and on tour. I’m
assuming it is something that will be
coming out soon?
Abasi: Yeah, we’re just trying to nail the
design, but I’ve been playing it for over
a year. And, I should add, I’m using
Fishman Fluence pickups now.
Why the change from your signature set?
Abasi: It was kind of an accident. I A/B’d
them against my Duncan prototypes and
they smoked my Duncans. I just couldn’t
believe it. So in that moment I literally
couldn’t move forward with what I was
playing. Those A/B comparisons are
definitely the best way to really expose
differences between pieces of gear.
You’ve also been famously seen with
Rick Toone and Strandberg guitars.
Did those guitars make it to the album?
Abasi: Yes. The Rick Toone is on
“Backpfeifengesicht.” Those instruments
have a unique sound. And they both
have extended fretboards beyond the
nut, on the seventh and eighth strings.
So there are certain songs, like “Physical
Education,” that were written specifically
on the Rick Toone or the Strandberg.
Javier, are you still playing your
signature ESP 8-strings on tour?
Reyes: Yeah, I have two of them out right
now. In Europe I even took my lower-
tier model. It’s a really great guitar. For
the price, it’s one of the better 8-string
guitars. I use my signature Eclipse 8
DiMarzio pickups. I voiced them to have
a single-coil sound but still have that
humbucker thing to them. I love them.
They’re very clear.
Animals as Leaders is known for
incorporating Latin influences and
electronic elements, and using such
guitar techniques as slapping and heavy
low-tuned riffing. Are those trademarks
something you’re conscious about
keeping in your sound?
Abasi: Animals as Leaders is a space to
bring all that together without many
rules, and so you hear it all come out.
Reyes: The technical stuff comes pretty
naturally. But I always want to come
up with something that’s listenable and
isn’t complicated for the sake of being
complicated. But I think we’re aware that
the “thumping” is definitely a unique
quality that the band has. For the time
being, it’s definitely our signature sound.
Tosin, in the last interview you did
with Premier Guitar for The Joy of
Motion, you mentioned wanting to
increase the lyrical qualities of your
playing. Do you think you achieved
that on this album?
Abasi: Yeah, I think so. This album
is the least shreddy, as far as my lead
work is concerned, and I feel like it’s a
result of a few things. One is not trying

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76 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
[]UEA[]A~UE

Besides his to express the same things repeatedly.
signature And my taste in guitar music has really
electric 8-string evolved a bit. I’m really responsive
model and its
to vocal-centered minds, like Derek
accomplices, the
rest of Javier Trucks. And by doing the Generation
Reyes tonal Axe tour and being around guys like
recipe lies in Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt,
his blend of
Fractal Audio’s
Yngwie, and Vai—all quintessential
Axe-Fx and Port electric guitar players—it starts to really
City’s Pearl head sink into my playing.
and cabinets
with Celestion
Javier, how has your playing expanded
speakers.
on the new album, and who has
influenced you?
Reyes: I’m thumping a lot more. A lot
of these songs I can get through without
using a pick. The line between guitar and
bass technique is getting more blurred.
Sometimes I look down and think, “I’m
literally playing what looks like bass
stuff.” But it’s still guitar. I like that it’s a
totally unique style.
There’s a Brazilian classical player
named Yamandu Costa who is just
phenomenal. He has an album with
a Brazilian mandolin player named
Hamilton de Holanda that will
blow away any guitar player with an
appreciation for beautiful music.
Are there moments on the album that
display each of your styles and influences?
Abasi: I think all of Javier’s parts on “The
Brain Dance” and “Apeirophobia.” And
even “Private Visions of the World” …
he’s doing the lead line there based on my
78 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
chord melody. I think you can really hear
him offer a wider range of expression
than just rhythm, like on the first album.
Reyes: On “Private Visions of the
World,” Tosin has really dense chord
melodies happening. So I wanted to write
something that was very complimentary,
but still very melodic. Sometimes it’s
hard because we’ve been playing together
a long time. We definitely go back and
forth with influencing each other.
You have electronic elements and
harmony guitar lines running
throughout your albums. How do you
pull those off live?
Abasi: If it’s not something Javier and
I can play, then it has to be a layer,
the same way the synth stuff is on the
background track.
So you have to be right on your click
track! That’s impressive. You have to be
tighter than humans, basically.
Abasi: We are just really tight humans.
[Laughs.] We play to a click for
everything, so we know that if we get off,
it’s a potential disaster. There’s no margin
for error.
How would you describe the evolution
of Animals as Leaders from the self-
titled debut to where you are now?
Abasi: With the self-titled, it was not
really a band. It was a bunch of guitar
ideas I had and some demos I made.
JAVIER REYES’ GEAR
GUITARS
• ESP LTD Javier Reyes
Signature JR-608 8-string
• Ortega Guitars Javier Reyes Signature
JRSM-RWC 8-string classical
• ESP Vintage Plus 6-string
• Paul Reed Smith 8-string
• Aristides 080
AMPS
• Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II XL+
• Port City Pearl Head
• Port City 2x12 Wave cabinet with
Celestion G12H speakers
• Port City 2x12 Wave cabinet with
Celestion G12M-65 Creamback speakers
EFFECTS
• Fractal Audio MFC-101 Foot Controller
• Fractal Audio EV-1 Expression
Volume Pedal
• MXR Custom Shop Sub Machine
Octave Fuzz
STRINGS & PICKS
• D’Addario NYXL custom 8-string sets
(.009-.074)
• Dunlop .73 mm signature
(similar to a Jazz III, but slightly larger)
Basically the self-titled was the end result
of my collaboration with Misha Mansoor.
And then with Weightless, we worked
with Navene Koperweis, who was our
drummer at the time. And that kind of
led things in a slightly different creative
direction.
On The Joy of Motion, we went back
to Misha, as well as working with Diego
Farias of Volumes. And the focus was
on making tracks that were shorter, a bit
more focused, and song oriented.
Photo by Joe Russo
Then with The Madness of Many, we
just wanted to reference everything we had
done previously. But we also worked where
premierguitar.com
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 we didn’t have outside influence at all. I
think The Madness of Many is the album
we all wanted to make collectively. So the
biggest difference in the process is that it
was purely an internal collaboration.
Reyes: It has definitely been an evolution,
as far as third-party contributors and
ourselves. We always try to write as who
we are in that current time, using the
influences we have at the time. But this
time we really wrote everything together.
It was way more collaborative within the
band than it ever has been.
What do you think it is about your sound
that makes it so accessible worldwide?
Reyes: I think we were at that cusp of
the internet that allowed us to blow up,
as well as timing it with Misha. We were
super-impressed with what he was doing.
I remember hearing demos of Animals as
Leaders before Misha, and they do not
sound like anything from the first album.
I don’t know if the band would have had
the same amount of success without him.
80 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
YOUTUBE IT
This live version of The Madness of Many’s opening track is a stellar
example of how the band uses a wide array of guitar techniques.
Check out the atmospheric breakdown at 1:10.
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@ Glasshouse 11/11/16
And we’re lucky that there are bands today do you feel about so many players now
that are making it a scene for us now. chasing the Animals as Leaders sound?
Abasi: I think it’s because the sound is Reyes: It’s a dream come true. To get
of musical value at the end of the day. to the point where you’ve seen a piano,
We’re concerned with compelling rhythm, flute, sitar, or harp cover of your songs,
melody, and harmony, and I think that is or people writing to tell you they’re using
what people are responsive to. We are trying your song for their Berklee [College of
to bring metal, progressive metal, electronic Music] audition ... I don’t know if there’s
music, jazz, and classical all into one space. really words that can describe it.
So I guess we’re merging the things we love. Abasi: I think it’s awesome—the word
And by doing that, providing music for “renaissance” comes to mind. There’s an
people who love the same things. elevation of artistry on the instrument and
an attraction to learning about harmony
Today such artists as Intervals, Plini, and technique. It’s inspiring to see someone
Sarah Longfield, and Chimp Spanner are do something on this level, and I think
doing their own take on a similar sound. these young players have their eyes on a
But it was Animals as Leaders that helped very awesome prize. We’re in store for a lot
bring that sound to prominence. How of great guitar playing.
premierguitar.com
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 If It Gets Polite—
GAME OVER
Chrissie Hynde talks
about making a rocking
new Pretenders album
with Dan Auerbach, her
guitar history, and why she
absolutely loves to play.
× BY TED DROZDOWSKI ×

“T
here’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think, and skilled musician who
‘This is fucking great,’” Chrissie Hynde replies sometimes talks about the
when asked about her 36-year run with the guitars she’s owned over the
Pretenders. She’s right, of course. Growing up in years as if they were pets.
Akron, Ohio—the Rubber City, where she attended Firestone “I didn’t learn to play
High School—Hynde wanted nothing more than to be in a rhythm guitar by default
rock band. And for more than half her life she’s led one of the because I couldn’t play
best through a dozen incarnations—all of them dependent on lead,” Hynde explains. “I
her poetic writing, her smoky and commanding voice, and her never tried to play lead. I
partnerships with a variety of fellow guitarists that have created was a rhythm guitar fan
a perfect union of artful rhythm playing and terse, conflagrant right from being inspired
solos, leads, and licks. to play by listening to
Those fretboard collaborations have bristled and purred James Brown, where the
through truly extraordinary songs. They range from the rhythm was the anchor of the whole song and
punk-inflamed and bellicose early classics “The Wait” and everything was based around it—sometimes on only one
“Tattooed Love Boys” to meat-and-potatoes rockers like chord. That really turned me on. I like things that never
the title track of the band’s new album Alone to elegant and change. I’ve discovered that with the least amount of chord
reflective ballads like “Hymn to Her” from 1986’s Get Close changes you can come up with the most melodies and stuff,
and “Almost Perfect” from 2008’s Break Up the Concrete. and I’ve stayed on that.”
“I’m not really very guitar savvy,” Hynde says. “I just do the
Photo by Photo by Jill Furmanovsky

Premier Guitar caught up to the great Pretender in Nashville

job. But I won’t talk to fashion magazines or Esquire or Rolling
Stone—all the ones I think have gone the wrong way. So I’m
delighted to talk to a guitar magazine.”
She’s also clearly delighted to play guitar, and while Hynde
isn’t likely to engage in a deep conversation about orange drop
capacitors or tuning machine gear ratios, she is an impassioned
the morning after Hynde and her band opened for Stevie Nicks
in an early November concert at the Bridgestone Arena. Hyde
talked about some of her favorite instruments, recording Alone
in Music City with Dan Auerbach at his Easy Eye Studio, her
band’s current lead guitarist James Walbourne, and what she
looks for in a 6-string sparring partner.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 83


“I never tried I first saw you in 1980 at Toad’s
to play lead,” Place in New Haven, Connecticut, on
says Hynde. “I
was a rhythm
your debut U.S. tour, and you were
guitar fan right playing a Telecaster. You’re still playing
from being Telecasters. What interested you in
inspired to play that model and what’s sustained your
by listening to
interest over the decades?
James Brown.”
I like the feel and look of it, the necks
and everything. But the first electric
guitar I had was a Kay—a semi-
hollowbody. I was a teenager trying to
play [the Butterfield Blues Band’s] “Born
in Chicago” and stuff on my own. I
didn’t want to jam with anyone, because
they were all guys. I missed out on that. I
just like to get straight into it—although
I really regret that, because that’s where
all the fun is and where you can go on
84 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
a journey with the rest of the band. My
excuse is that I was a girl and I never
really felt like, you know, wanting to. I
would maybe go for it now, but it never
comes up. Jams aren’t me.
So I had that Kay electric, and then
I had a fantastic little Gibson Melody
Maker. I loved that guitar. It was in the
boot of a car and got stolen, so a guy I
was working with leant me his Melody
Maker, and I went into a guitar shop to
have the machine heads fixed or changed,
and I saw my Melody Maker that had
been stolen the past week. They said,
“How can you prove it?” I got it for my
21st birthday. I saw it in the paper and
my parents got it for me for $100. I
checked the serial number on the receipt
CHRISSIE HYNDE’S GEAR
GUITARS
• 1965 Fender Telecaster
• Fender Custom Shop Telecaster
• 1998 Fender Squier Telecaster
• 1964 Fender Telecaster
AMPS
• two Ampeg Super Jet SJ-12T reissues
EFFECTS
• Fulltone Fat Boost
• Boss CE-2 Chorus
• Boss TR-2 Tremolo
• Boss TU-2 Tuner
• Shure wireless
STRINGS AND PICKS
• D’Addario EXL120s (.009–.042)
• Scotty’s medium nylon
and wrote it on my arm and showed it
to them, and they said, “Yeah, it’s yours.
Some kid brought it in last week and
we’ll have him arrested.” I said, “don’t
bother,” because I was real punked-out
and anti-police.
Then I had an SG—that was a nice,
light nifty little thing. James Walbourne
is the other guitar player in my outfit
and he’s doing amazing things on an SG.
And then I don’t know how I got the
Tele. Maybe I thought it looked cool or
something. But when I first picked one
up I thought, “I’ll never be able to carry
this for an hour.”
I have a few. I’ve had a couple made
… a Zemaitis … but the one I’m using
now, I don’t know what year it is. I got
it a long time ago and it was already old.
They had two in this shop in New York.
Maybe in Manny’s. There was one with
Photo by Larry Marano/Atlas Icons
the original finish and one with spray
paint. They said the one with the original
finish was worth more. I said, “Give
me the other one.” Only because I hate
collectors’ things. I’m anti-collector. I
thought, “Give me the shitty one.”
premierguitar.com
 “Run Everything
Loud and Rock Out”
—James Walbourne
T
Laying into a he Pretenders have a lineage
Telecaster that’s of distinguished lead guitarists,
now departed
his touring
beginning with the incendiary
arsenal, James but self-destructive James
Walbourne Honeyman-Scott and continuing
slams it down with Billy Bremner (Rockpile, Nick
with Chrissie
Lowe, Dave Edmunds), Robbie
Hynde at
Chicago’s Riviera McIntosh (Paul McCartney, Roger
Daltrey), Johnny Marr (the Smiths),
Theatre during
the Break Up the and Adam Seymour (Katydids). That
Concrete tour. gives the band’s current string-
slasher, James Walbourne, 10 pairs
of shoes to fill—but the biggest
belong to Honeyman-Scott, who
helped define the Pretenders’
savage-to-soothing sound on 1980’s
Pretenders and ’81’s Pretenders II.
“When I first joined the band, it
was great to discover all of Jimmy’s
parts,” Walbourne says. “He was
a great stylist, really, and to try to
make those parts my own a bit,
without changing up the character
of the songs, was a challenge. But
Chrissie made it clear that she
wanted me to bring my own thing
to the table.”
Walbourne’s own thing is, well,
nearly a bit of everything. Before
joining the Pretenders he played
with Americana roots outfit Son Volt
and was a member of the Kinks’
frontman Ray Davies’ solo band,
navigating the singer-songwriter’s
new works and classic-rock catalog.
He met his wife, Kami Thompson,
while playing on the sessions for
her mother Linda’s 2007 album,
Versatile Heart. And Walbourne was
recruited from Irish gutter-punk
group the Pogues by Pretenders
drummer Martin Chambers just in
time to cut 2008’s retro-leaning
Break Up the Concrete, where
Walbourne showcased his slapback-
dappled rockabilly licksmanship.
Since 2011 he and Kami have also
performed and recorded as the Rails,
86 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
whose sound nods toward Fairport
Convention, the groundbreaking
English folk-rock band cofounded by
his father-in-law, Richard Thompson.
“I’ve played with him quite a
bit, so it’s definitely rubbed off,”
Walbourne relates. “Now, being in
the Pretenders lets me play rock
guitar, and the Rails gives me the
opportunity to do everything else I
enjoy, so I get to have a lot of scope.
“Chrissie is a great rhythm
player,” Walbourne continues,
“but it’s kind of funny, because
sometimes she gets so lost in
performing that she forgets which
fret she’s on. But she’s always
inspiring. She writes aggressive
lyrics that really bring out an
aggressive edge in my guitar
playing, and I love that she can
go from extreme rock to doing a
ballad seamlessly. She’s a natural,
and she can also write some really
complicated rhythms, like in ‘The
Phone Call.’ To get your head
around a song like that takes some
time. The bottom line is, her guitar
drives the band—even Martin.
Besides that, she’s just amazing to
be around. When we’re not onstage
we always talk about music and
have quite a good time, really.”
It also took Walbourne some
time to wrap his head around
chorus pedals, which Honeyman-
Scott made a staple of the
Pretenders’ foundational sound
with his ringing chord stabs and
arpeggios in numbers like “Mystery
Achievement” and the band’s first
single, “Brass in Pocket.”
“To me, they were the Devil’s
pedal,” Walbourne says. “I couldn’t
stand them, really, but Jimmy
made it work. He was fantastic
with the chorus and used it to
really create his own sound,
JAMES WALBOURNE’S GEAR
GUITARS
• 1963 Gibson SG Junior
with Maestro Vibrola
• 1968 Gibson Firebird
with Maestro Vibrola
• 1958 Fender parts Strat
• 1950 Fender Tele Relic
• Gibson Les Paul Classic
AMPS
• two Fender ’68 silverface
Deluxe Reverb reissues
EFFECTS
• TC Electronic Flashback X4 Delay
• ZVEX Box of Rock overdrive
• Crowther Audio Hotcake distortion
• MXR Custom Audio  Electronics
Boost/Overdrive
• Dunlop Cry Baby wah
• Tone Bender fuzz
• Boss CE-2 Chorus
•  Boss TR-2 Tremolo
STRINGS AND PICKS
• D’Addario EXL120s (.009–.042)
• Scotty’s medium nylon
instead of that horrible singer-
songwriter chorus approach. So
now I can’t be without one.”
Another essential element for
Walbourne’s tone is volume. “I run Photo by Tim Bugbee / Tinnitus Photography
everything loud and just rock out
on it,” he says. “I turn everything
up on my amps and guitar, and I
don’t touch my volume and tone
pots except for some swells on
‘Hymn to Her.’ I don’t like to fiddle
around. I just like to concentrate
on playing.”
premierguitar.com
rite of passage
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 “Dan Auerbach sees an album as a two-sided
vinyl LP. That sets a kind of boundary so it
doesn’t get lost up its own ass.”
I just do the job with my guitar and
I’m not as diligent with it as I wish I was.
I also found a $200 Stratocaster not long
ago. My office had them to sign to give
to some charity, and I picked it up and
said, “I love this guitar.” So they gave me
one and I played it a while at home, but
I’m aware of the fact that no one wants
to see me playing a Stratocaster. Not
that I’m that image conscious, but when
I said I was going to bring in a Strat, I
could see a look in my guys’ faces, so I
thought, ‘Oh, oh. Maybe that’s not such
a good idea.’ ”
What did you play on Alone?
I don’t really play on the album. I play
on one song. We recorded the album in
two weeks. Dan Auerbach plays on all
of it, and Kenny Vaughan. I just kind
of brought in some demos. I wasn’t very
well for those two weeks and wasn’t sure
I’d get through the sessions. I was on
cortisone. It was changing seasons and
88 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
I had a bronchitis kind of thing. From
being an ex-smoker, smoking all my life, I
couldn’t even talk. And Dan said, “Don’t
worry about it. We’ll do all the vocals in
the last few days.” I was literally crying
when I got back to the hotel after the
first day, because I was so sick.
[Bassist] Dave Roe would pick me
up and take me back to my hotel every
day. We’d play the demos, which I sent
to Dan before the sessions, and Dave
would write out a chart, pass it out to
everyone, we’d do three takes, and move
on to the next song. And I might croak
out a guide vocal.
I played on “Gotta Wait.” That really
is a rhythm-driven song. I might have
played on “Chord Lord,” too. But I’m
playing all the songs now, because we’re
doing them live.
You’ve worked with a series of
distinguished guitar players. What are
you looking for in a guitar foil?
I want excellence. But it’s not about
who’s the best; it’s about who does the
right thing. I like a guitar player who can
hold down the fort with a nice rhythm
part, a nice arpeggio, and then let it rip.
James is a wild card, so that’s great. I see
my position as a singer as being there
to set up the guitar player. I orchestrate
the band and keep them on their toes,
because if it gets polite or you’re going
through the motions—game over. It’s not
rock ’n’ roll and it’s not fun anymore. If
you’re playing for an extended period you
have to be very mindful of that. So I’ll
come in at a different place or end songs
in different spots, or tell James to keep
going or cut a solo. He always has to be
ready to switch the plan.
I like bands. I’m not, for the most
part, interested in individuals. It’s the
band dynamic that turns me on. And
there you go. The line-ups have changed,
but the spirit of the thing has remained
the same.
premierguitar.com
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CRAFT A DIFFERENT  KIND OF SOUND

 Kenny Vaughan and Dave Roe:
Inside the
Alone Sessions
I
Dave Roe plays f you check the credits on Dan
his Lemur Music
Auerbach-produced albums by the
Jupiter upright
at Easy Eye Arcs, Nikki Lane, Ray LaMontagne,
Studio. He ran and Lana Del Ray, you’ll notice the
the bass through names of guitarist Kenny Vaughan
a custom DI, and bassist Dave Roe. They’re
a console
zsidecar, and
regularly drafted for sessions at
a compressor. Auerbach’s Easy Eye Studio because
they’re among Nashville’s sharpest
and most versatile players, and they
likely appeal to Auerbach because of
their ability—although it’s practically
an insistence—to think outside of the
box. Plus, they have tone for eons.
During their regular Monday
night gigs together at Nashville’s 12
South Taproom, Roe and Vaughan’s
sets rip from surf music to jazz
to swamp blues to R&B to classic
country to originals to, really, just
about anything that crosses their
minds. Today Vaughan’s most high-
profile gig is with Marty Stuart’s
Fabulous Superlatives, where
he and Stuart regularly engage
in virtuoso crossfires. Early on,
Vaughan was a student of Bill Frisell
and he left an indelible mark on the
music of Lucinda Williams during
his tenure in her band. Roe held the
bass chair in Johnny Cash’s group
for 12 years and has played the
same role for Dwight Yoakam and,
more recently, John Mellencamp.
They’re also in demand throughout
the broad spectrum of Nashville’s
recording scene.
Vaughan praises Auerbach’s
approach: “Dan takes each song as
a separate entity, and maintains
a focus on the song until he sees
it through. He doesn’t fall prey to
letting other tunes on the project
affect the one he’s sculpting at
the moment. There’s none of
90 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
that foolish, ‘Oh, we can’t do that
because we did that on the last
song’ mentality, which is something
that drives me nuts. He looks for the
essence of each song, and that takes
work. Sometimes you have to admit
that you’ve gone down the wrong
road and you need to break it down
and start over.
“Recording with Chrissie was
great,” Vaughan adds. “She’s easy to
work with and very open to trying
things out. She’d stand there and
sing live with the band, and we’d all
get shivers when that voice came
through the speakers.”
For each song, Vaughan was
“assigned a position: electric guitar,
acoustic guitar, sound effect guitar,
baritone guitar, etc.—and then we’d
look for the right instrument and
amplifier to make it happen. I don’t
use a pedalboard, but there are
hundreds of pedals around if you
might need to try one. I don’t recall
using one.” A highlight: “I played my
Dan Dunham Junior Watson model
through a cranked tweed Gibson
GA-5 on the rock tune with all the
chords [“Chord Lord”] and the solo
went down live in one take. It was a
roller coaster ride.”
“If anything was out of the
ordinary about the sessions,”
says Roe, “it was just that it was
Chrissie fucking Hynde! Working
with Chrissie was unbelievable,
on so many levels. From day one,
I’ve always been a Pretenders fan,
and she’s one of the best singer-
songwriters ever. Once I was able
to step back from that, it turned
into a really enjoyable place to
be. She was delightful, extremely
intelligent, and a really fun hang.
Chrissie totally handed the reins
to Dan, trusted him and us, and it
went great. To hear that voice in the
phones was sublime and inspiring.
“I also loved hearing her stories
about the Pretenders starting out
in England,” Roe continues. “Most
everyone associates them with
the British punk and post-punk
explosion of the late ’70s, so one of
the striking things for all of us was
the realization that the Pretenders
never related to that at all. They
had that punk energy for sure, but
it surprised them to find that they
were lumped into that. I think that
the playing level in that band was
far beyond any of that.”
Roe used Auerbach’s vintage
Fender Mustang with La Bella
flatwound strings that he almost
always uses for Easy Eye recordings.
“The way that the bass sits in the
mix on those old records is what he
goes for. He loves to say that you can
‘see the bass,’ and I get that,” Roe
relates. “Modern music, especially
the stuff that comes out of Nashville,
is overloaded with a sort of false
low end that really doesn’t allow for
much movement. I like that as well,
but it’s not right for everything.”
Roe also played his Lemur Music
Jupiter upright, a 3/4-size bass with
a 7/8 body strung with “the classic
Nashville upright setup—flats on the
bottom, and gut G and D.” He also
employed a Collin Dupuis custom DI
through a channel of an Altec 9300
console sidecar through a Universal
Audio LA-3A compressor. The Jupiter
was miked with a Funkwerk Leipzig
RFT 7151 through an Old World
Audio U33 compressor for color, not
to compress.
premierguitar.com
 Think of an Effect Here.
How did you and Dan come to work
together on this album? Make it Happen Here.
We’ve met over the years in passing. I
don’t think we ever had a conversation. I’d
admired him from afar and seen the Black
Keys a couple of times. I didn’t listen to the
stuff he was producing. I’d seen him play
guitar and that was all I needed to know.
You don’t know what’s going to happen until
you get into the studio anyway, and I didn’t
have a real idea about what I wanted. I never
do. You just take the songs in. And Dan is
absolutely the producer of the moment.
He’s super organic and really
traditional, and if you’re traditional
in a rock thing, you’re going to be
experimental. He sees an album as a
two-sided vinyl LP. That sets a kind of
Simple. Intuitive. Wireless Touch Effects.
boundary so it doesn’t get lost up its own
ass. Look at the difference from when
people were working with eight tracks and
then went to 48 tracks? Less is more.
Your Sound, Our Technology
Dan brought in his Nashville team,
including guitarist Kenny Vaughan and gtcsound.com
bassist Dave Roe, to play on Alone. How
different was that from using your
own band?
It had a good vibe, just like with my
band. The first thing I noticed about all
these guys is that they really just want
to play rock ’n’ roll. When I walk into
the room, they know they’re safe—they
know it’s gonna be a rock thing. That’s the
impression I get. Everyone wants to be in a
rock band, like they did when they were 16.

How has your guitar playing evolved?

I don’t think it’s evolved at all. I’m in
exactly the same spot I was at when I was
22. I’ve played more because I’ve gone on
tours. I absolutely fucking love guitar, but I
don’t dig it that way.
I mean, I started painting a lot this year.
Once I start that, I can do it for four hours
and not look at or listen to anything else,
and not lose focus. Shit, if I did that with
a guitar, I’d be a hotshot player by now.
But it’s not my medium. For me, it’s more
writing songs and singing.

How do you compose?

It’s the rhythm, a few chords, and
the melody.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 91

 “Everyone wants to be in a rock band,
like they did when they were 16.”

Digging into one What amps are you using these days? things. So I thought, “I’ll call it a solo
of her favorite Two Ampeg Super Jets. I like small amps. album.” This album also has a different
Telecasters,
I like the sound of the rehearsal room. If line-up, but when my manager played
Hynde displays
her joy onstage. you can recreate the sound of the rehearsal it for someone, he said, “Oh, it’s great
“It’s always felt room and keep it relatively contained to hear the Pretenders again.” So my
great to be in a onstage, then the house guy can crank it manager, Ian [Grenfell], said, “What do
rock band. It’s and control the sound, and that gives him you think about calling it a Pretenders
what I wanted
when I was 16,”
a lot more to play with. If it’s too loud, album?” So I wrote Dan to ask him what
she says. it’s a mess onstage. We consistently get he thought about it, and he said, “Call it
compliments on our volume. whatever sells the most records.”

Do you use effects? Your voice has continued to become

I use a chorus pedal and stuff, but my
guitar tech switches that on the side, so I
don’t need to think about that so much.
How did you decide to make another
Pretenders album instead of a solo
album, like 2014’s Stockholm?
None of them have been solo albums.
They’ve all been Pretenders albums,
but with different line-ups. For the last
album, I went to Sweden and the guys
I work with usually were all doing other
richer, warmer, and more controlled.
How has your singing grown?
I don’t know what to say about that,
really. I just do what I do. I don’t know
technically how to talk about singing.
I don’t train or warm up or rest my
voice. I think singing is psychological.
The things that are unique about singers
are probably the things they don’t like
about their voices. I don’t think there
were any comps on this album. I just
sang the songs a couple times and Dan

Photo by Ken Settle

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92 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Original took the best take. You can tell on one
Pretenders’
song that I’m hoarse—“Blue Eyed Sky.” I
guitarist James
Honeyman- sound like I’m on death’s door, but I got
Scott, onstage used to it and said, “Oh fuck it.” And I
with Hynde quit smoking a few years ago, and that’s
during the obviously a huge benefit.
Pretenders’
first U.S. tour in
1980, played You’re having a great career. What do
a major role in you think when you look back at what
defining the you’ve done?
band’s guitar-
I’m just glad I got away with it, to be
driven sound.
honest. I’m on the road and I’m in a
nice hotel and I can order room service.
Fuck it. When I’m on tour, I’ve got a
tour manager who will carry my bags,
and when it’s over, I go home and I live
above a shop on my own and I can do
some painting. I live a very, very ordinary,
almost kind of reclusive life at home.
And nobody knows who I am. I’m pretty
YOUTUBE IT
In this guitar-laden performance of “Holy Commotion,” the first much the same as when I moved to
single from Alone, the Pretenders are joined by the album’s producer, London in 1973. I just do my thing. It
Dan Auerbach, on the BBC’s Later … with Jools Holland. That’s Eric feels great! It’s always felt great to be in a
Heywood laying down extra texture on pedal steel.
YouTube search term: The Pretenders feat Dan Auerbach -
rock band. It’s what I wanted when I was
Holy Commotion 16. I didn’t think it would happen.

premierguitar.com
94 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Childhood pals Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman
of Warpaint grew up making music together.
With undeniable chops and a common affection for
dissonant, moody melodies and trance-like qualities,
they carve an authentic, guitar-centric sound within
an all-female rock group bearing surprising,
uncharacteristic influences.

STORY BY TZVI GLUCKIN

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 97
 “M
y mom was always listening
to her old records,”
Warpaint’s Emily Kokal
says about the music she heard growing
up. “She was really into Bonnie Raitt,
Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young, Leon Russell, and all
those people—Jackson Browne—so I was
around a lot of acoustic guitar music.”
Guitar-based classic rock and early new
wave were in the air when Kokal and
Warpaint co-guitarist, Theresa Wayman,
were coming of age as budding musicians
in Eugene, Oregon. “Bob Dylan, Talking
Heads, Al Green, Cyndi Lauper—those
were all things I was listening to when
I was growing up,” Wayman adds. “My
friends recently made a playlist from
The Harder They Come soundtrack, and
I thought, ‘I listened to that album so
much when I was younger.’” But it was
Emily Kokal
electronic music, and specifically ’90s-era
(right) shares
a happy vibe trip hop—a genre reliant on samples and
with Warpaint drum machines—that inspired them to
bassist Jenny become musicians.
Lee Lindberg Trip hop’s dark moods, textures, noir
at the Roxy in
West Hollywood vibe, and heavy rhythmic element—and
during a gig on its repetitive figures and almost trance-
February 8, 2015. like quality—were what they found so
98 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
alluring. “I started going back in time
with music and discovering all these guitar
players that had that kind of dark, moody,
melody stuff,” Kokal says. “Their parts
are like melodic leads.” That describes
Warpaint’s music, too: linear ostinatos,
unorthodox chord voicings, gentle warbles,
and pulsating modulations. In many ways,
their music is a re-imagining of their
sample-heavy, studio-bound influences,
but as a live, guitar-centric band.
“I was about 13 when I started guitar,”
Wayman says. “But I wasn’t really into it
for a while. I went to drumming, synths,
electronic sounds, samplers, and things
like that. When I was about 19, my friend
had an SG and a bunch of cool pedals in
his garage. I started playing with it and I
realized what could happen with guitar.”
Warpaint formed in 2004 and released
their first EP (mixed by John Frusciante),
Exquisite Corpse, in 2008, before settling
into their current lineup—Kokal and
Wayman on guitars and vocals, Jenny
Lee Lindberg on bass and vocals, and
Stella Mozgawa on drums and vocals—in
time for their first full-length album,
The Fool, in 2010. Their third album,
Heads Up, was released in September
2016, and although still very much a
Warpaint album, marks a significant
departure in how the band created their
material. “A lot of the album was written
in the studio,” Kokal says, distinguishing
the sessions from the endless hours of
jamming that preceded their previous
efforts. “It was really fun, actually, and it
was really different.”
Kokal and Wayman are particular
about their gear. They both play vintage
Fenders and rely on a floor full of pedals,
including choruses, delays, and various
oscillators. But where Kokal keeps it
simple and only recently added overdrive,
Wayman has multiple gain stages,
frequency modulators, and loopers.
She also uses multiple reverbs that she
pairs with the one in her amp. “I adjust
it every night for the room,” she says.
“Some rooms you can turn your reverb
way down and it’s fine. Some rooms you
can’t get enough.”
We spoke with Kokal and Wayman
about their non-guitar influences, unusual
chord voicings, and their basic tonal-
building blocks—and, although Kokal
didn’t say, Wayman revealed her interest
in joining a Steely Dan cover band.
I want to be in a
Steely Dan cover
band. Stella wants
to as well—it’s her
dream—so it
might happen.”
—Theresa Wayman
Photo by Debi Del Grande
premierguitar.com
 YOUTUBE IT
Warpaint performs
songs off their new
album, Heads Up,
at Seattle’s KEXP in
October 2016, kicking
off the mini-concert
with the release’s
opener, “Whiteout.”
YouTube search term:
Warpaint – Full Perfor-
mance (Live on KEXP)
Kokal plays a Who inspired you to make music?
1966 Fender Theresa Wayman: The music that made
Jaguar modified
me want to start making music was not
with a Mastery
Bridge. That guitar music—it was Björk, OutKast, and
seems to be a things like that. I remember sitting in
choice year for my bedroom and thinking, “I want to do
both Kokal and this. I want to make beats and something
Wayman when it
comes to guitars. that falls into a pattern like this.” It was
Both play Fender really repetitive and satisfying. It was
models dated down to the most basic elements and all
to 1966, and the best little morsels were tied together
they often swap
to create something so satisfying. I like to
instruments
onstage incorporate guitar into that kind of music
depending on nowadays, but that’s what inspired me to
the song. make music. I fell into playing guitar, and
in my band playing guitar is what worked.
Emily Kokal: When I was in high
school, I was listening to a lot of rap,
R&B, and a lot of stuff that wasn’t really
reflected in my guitar playing, but it
was definitely reflected in the mood.
But what really changed my life was trip
hop. Portishead, Björk, Tricky, Massive
Attack—when I first heard all that music,
even Radiohead, it graduated me into
finding that kind of music I identified
with the way my mom identified with the
albums [she grew up with]. That became
my music. It had a melancholy to it, but
it was dark and rhythmic, and I think
that also came into my guitar playing. I
100 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
started playing more repetitive parts and
not traditional song structures. I started
getting into mantra-ing-out on a riff and
darker, more melancholic sounds.
Dark textures and repetitive patterns
are such a big part of your music.
Kokal: Totally. Theresa and I grew up
together, we started playing guitars around
the same time, and we would play songs
together, but we were also discovering all
this music at the same time. She bought a
DJ Shadow album called Preemptive Strike
and it had a song on it called “What Does
Your Soul Look Like (Part 2).” There is a
guitar riff in that song—the entire song
is one guitar riff—and I swear that guitar
riff and that song influenced me so much.
I still feel like my guitar sound sounds
like that one song [laughs]. It’s a sample
and I just found out that it’s actually a
Foreigner sample [“Girl on the Moon”]
slowed down. It’s really slowed down and
super sexy. I started going back in time
with music and discovering all these guitar
players that played dark, moody, melodic
stuff. Their guitar parts are like melodic
leads. I love that stuff.
Wayman: I would say it’s what gets us off.
It’s like you make music that appeals to
you or to your sensibilities. That’s what it
EMILY KOKAL’S GEAR
GUITARS
• 1962 Fender Strat
• 1966 Fender Jaguar modified
with a Mastery Bridge
• A second 1966 Fender Jaguar
she shares with Wayman
• Blonde pre-war Martin acoustic D-28
• Fender Villager 12-string acoustic
• Gibson Les Paul Goldtop reissue
AMPS
• Roland JC-120
EFFECTS
• Electro-Harmonix Polychorus
• Boss VB-2 Vibrato
• Electro-Harmonix Small Clone chorus
• Ibanez Tube Screamer
• Strymon El Capistan dTape Echo
• Hardwire DL-8 Delay/Looper
• Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb
• Boss tuner
STRINGS & PICKS
• D’Addario (.011–.049)
• Orange Dunlop Picks .60 mm
is for me. I like finding the perfect hook
or accent to another hook, piecing it all
together, interweaving it, and creating a
whole that stays within a pattern, but also
morphs and changes with what you take
out and put in.
You both use interesting chord voicings
and stay away from bar chords, power
chords, and even open chords. Where
does that come from?
Kokal: When I got my first guitar when
I was little, the chords sounded like shit.
Photo by Debi Del Grande
I would fingerpick and I got really into
that. I wasn’t good at playing power
chords because my fingers were so small
and I wasn’t strengthening them by
barring. I didn’t bar for a really long time.
premierguitar.com
 John—I used to date John Frusciante—
he used to tell me how I played, because
I didn’t know. He is more theory-based
and he said, “You are really into double
stops.” I would usually play two notes at
a time to make harmonies. I had an open
string and I’d play an open string with
another note. Then I’d play a note on that
open string, close it, and play another
harmony. I would create shapes. The last
song on our new album, “Today Dear,” is
an acoustic song. It’s a song I wrote when
I was 19, actually, but we put it on the
record. If you listen to it, it is all double
stops and harmonies.
Wayman: When I was younger, I detested
the idea of playing anything like anyone
else around me. I didn’t want to write
songs that used A minor, G, D minor,
E—the chords that many songs are
written with. There is no problem with
that, but I wanted to find something else.
I wasn’t drawn to that and I never wrote
songs with those chords. Also, when I was
jamming with people, which is basically
how I learned how to play, I would have
this method of playing along and finding
the notes that work along the neck and
then putting them together into different
chords. I was finding clumps of notes that
work and I was probably stumbling upon
voicings that were unique, different, or
not used often. I never learned it from the
outside in, as in, “We’re going to play in
D minor now. These are the chords that
work. Here are the basic formations of
those chords. You can play it as a power
chord here or you can play…” I didn’t
learn it that way. I knew theory. I could
tell you what chords are in a D minor
scale if I thought about it, but I didn’t
know it translated to the guitar like that.
The piano is a little bit easier because it’s
all right in front of you, but with guitar I
never tried to learn it that way.
Do you still do that? Is that how you come
up with your parts in the band now?
Wayman: Yeah, though I’m starting
to learn more. I’m trying to put myself
through a bit of schooling—learning
songs and collecting knowledge like,
“This song is in this key. This is the
progression they’re using and it’s these
chords.” I am starting to familiarize
myself in that way, where I intellectually
know what’s going on. I don’t necessarily
think it is important for knowing how
to write a good song, but I am curious
and I want to know. I want to be able to
speak that language better. It’s fascinating
to me. But I don’t want to be limited by
my knowledge either. At this point, I’ve
been doing what I’ve been doing for a
long time—so it can only make me better.
There are a lot of people who learn that
way originally and it kind of limits them,
thinking, “I have to do this. I have to do
that.” It trains the ear to be within a box
and a standard. I think it’s important to
not know the standards. Even if I see a
band I think is incredible, if I hear them
writing songs that sound derivative of
something it puts me off immediately. I
don’t understand that. I can’t understand

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 going, “I love this type of music. I want
to play that type of music. What is that
person that I love that invented that type
of music doing? I’m going to do that and
make a song like that.” That doesn’t make
sense to me. That’s not inventive enough.
You don’t want to learn a particular
style or how to play within that style?
Wayman: Not really. Of course, taking
bits and pieces is important. It’s a fine
line. I don’t want to say that it doesn’t
have any value, but I think it’s easy to take
it too far, where all of a sudden you sound
like something that’s already happened.
To me, that’s slightly missing the point.
But that being said, I would love to be
in a cover band and play exactly like my
heroes [laughs]. But that’s because I want
to play their music, not because I want to
write my own music that is exactly like
that type of music.
What kind of cover band do you want
to be in?
Wayman: My latest one is Steely Dan. I
want to be in a Steely Dan cover band.
Stella wants to as well—it’s her dream—
so it might happen [laughs].
You flirt a lot with dissonance. You
use a lot of minor seconds in your
vocal lines, too. Would trip hop be the
influence for that as well?
Kokal: Probably. I think trip hop was
the reason I identified with it. Some
people find that music to be dark, but I
found it to be beautiful, especially when
I was a teenager. I was going from being
a teenager who liked dorky music or
whatever was on the radio to finding the
music that seemed dangerous, moody,
kind of sexy—but mostly just English.
Discovering English music. Rainy. Dark
music and violence. I think that was it. I
don’t think I was always attracted to that
necessarily, but once I found it—I love
Erik Satie, the classical composer, too—I
guess it is sad music. But that kind of
music makes me feel good. I sound so
emo [laughs]. I like uplifting, too, but I
find a lot of that stuff uplifting.
You juxtapose rhythms against each
other as well. For example, you will set
up threes against fours and have them
line up, go off, and then come back,
and do similar things to that.
Wayman: Definitely. I find that really
exciting. It’s nice to take people in and
out of alignment, creating tension and
then bringing them back into something
that feels satisfying. I like doing that with
rhythmic changes and dissonance, too. I
like any way possible really.
It creates a nice tension and then a
release. Do you sometimes not resolve it
and just leave it hanging?
Wayman: I usually try to resolve it,
but sometimes I don’t even know if I’m
doing that. Maybe the other girls know
more, but I’ve realized my ear lends me
to thinking that something works when
it maybe doesn’t to most people. It’s not

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102 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 FACTOID
Bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg’s older sister, actress Shannyn Sossamon (A Knight’s
Tale), was Warpaint’s original drummer from 2004 to 2008. Current drummer Stella
Mozgawa joined in 2009 and played drums on all three of the band’s studio albums.
The lighting always so intentional, but more and more,
matches Theresa as I’ve grown, I’ve started realizing what
Wayman’s 1966 I’m doing more as opposed to just acting
Dakota Red
Fender Mustang on instinct. I’ve been trying to harness the
during Warpaint’s power of that ability, like finding perfect
set opening for dissonances. But I’m generally bringing it
Band of Horses at back; I don’t like to leave it uncomfortable.
the Fox Theater
in Pomona,
California, on Talk about not playing. What is the
December 9, 2016. musical aspect of sitting out, leaving
space— and how much of not playing
is playing?
Kokal: Somebody I respect taught me
something I really love: You have to
respect the space between the notes as
much as the notes themselves. That was
good advice for me. For a lot of people
who are flashy, your muscles get so strong
that you almost compulsively play, because
you can. And as technically impressive
as that might be, it’s not musically or
aesthetically pleasing. I would sometimes
do that myself, where I would overplay—
or we would all overplay—and we weren’t
totally listening to each other.
How did you learn to respect the space?
Kokal: After a lot of years of doing that,
and also the way that we wrote songs for
104 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
a lot of years—we would practice all the
time or we would just jam—and jamming
was how we found a lot of these parts that
would interweave. We would jam parts
for so long that they became perfect little
puzzles with each other. We stopped writing
like that because we’re so busy. When we
were younger, we would just practice five
days a week and now that’s not realistic.
Also, for the last album, I wanted to focus
more on singing. We’d done so much of this
micro-playing with each other that it felt
nice to take a little break and discover what
it felt like to not sing and play at the same
time as much. Part of our evolution was
getting the vocals and harmonies to a strong
place—to the same place where the guitars
were. I also had moments when I was just
less interested and wasn’t writing things on
the guitar in the first place. I would write
things on keyboard or on my computer and
I would add guitars, but I wasn’t writing on
guitar and we weren’t jamming them out
together. If you make a demo at home, sing
on it, and you’re not playing guitar, you
don’t necessarily add it later.
What are the basic building blocks of
your tone?
THERESA WAYMAN’S GEAR
GUITARS
• 1966 Fender Mustang
• 1966 Fender Jaguar
(shared with Kokal)
AMPS
• Vox AC30 CC2
EFFECTS
• JHS Prestige buffer/booster
• JHS Sweet Tea dual overdrive
• Catalinbread Adineko delay
• TC Helicon VoiceTone reverb
• Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork
• Robert Keeley Monterey
Rotary Fuzz Vibe
• DigiTech Whammy
• Line 6 DL4
• Boss RC-3 Loop Station
• Boss DD-7 Digital Delay
• EarthQuaker Devices
Dispatch Master delay/reverb
STRINGS & PICKS
• D’Addario (.011–.049)
• Fender white medium picks
Kokal: For a long time I would just use
the Roland JC-120. And for most of the
albums, except for the last two, I used a
’62 Strat. I didn’t use that on the road,
but it was a big part of my recorded
sound. I also had a Vox AC30. I would
use the Electro-Harmonix Polychorus
and the Boss VB-2 vibrato pedal. Those
two pedals created a tension I really liked.
I like a clean tone. I don’t like to sound
distorted because I feel that in the band
I serve almost as a pathway between the
bass and the guitar. Sometimes I feel I’m
Photo by Debi Del Grande
almost doubling the bass. What I find
interesting to do is repetitive melodic
lines more than chords or rhythms. That
is kind of changing, but usually I write
a top line and that fits in with the bass
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 line, and Theresa would usually go off
on top of that. I like to have a really
clean tone so you can hear the line, but it
doesn’t take up too much air. That’s why
I’ve always gravitated toward choruses:
I always felt that chorus didn’t interfere.
It was something that could smoothly
fit in the relationship between the
three guitars without creating a chaos.
I wanted a really slick clean sound and
there’s something about chorus that can
transform a traditional guitar sound into
almost something in between a synth and
a guitar. And nowadays, I play through a
Jazz Chorus.
Do you use the chorus on the amp?
Kokal: I don’t use that chorus. I also
always have a reverb. For a lot of years,
I would just have a combination of the
reverb, the vibe, and the Polychorus. I
didn’t mess with delays and I didn’t have
overdrive. But as we’ve grown, now I have
two delays and I actually always have an
overdrive on. I started to feel that, when
5 BOUTIQUE AMPS YOU NEED
106 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
translating my guitar parts live, they
weren’t coming across loud enough. I also
play pretty delicate, so that was my way of
lifting the sound for live. I have an Ibanez
Tube Screamer. I basically have it on at 5
all the time and I keep it on to just give it
a little bit of grit.
Wayman: I play a ’66 Mustang and the
sound of those are pretty bright—it’s
pretty poke-y, it’s not very round, which is
actually not what I’m going for. So, I have
to do a lot to try to thicken and widen
the sound. I’ve been going pretty far with
chorus and that’s changing every single
night, I think I’ve developed it quite a bit
since [last summer]. I have a gain booster
that helps to intensify the sound and I
have a JHS Distortion pedal, the Sweet
Tea. I have a reverb and I try not to make
the tail end of that too long, but I like
to have a lot of reverb. I keep the tone
pretty bright on that. I realized a trick on
that—I turn the tone knob down pretty
far on my guitar and I turn it up on the
reverb. It actually creates a nice sound,
as opposed to having the tone up on the
guitar. It brightens it through the reverb,
which is cool.
When recording, how much is live and
how much is layered later?
Kokal: The new album was a lot more
overdubs than we usually have done. A lot
of the album was writing in the studio.
It was fun, actually, and it was really
different. Our first EP was songs that we’d
been working on in one form or another
on-and-off for four years. So, to have
an album which was like, “What’s your
instinct to play?” And to trust that instinct,
for all of us that was liberating. We learned
how to be a band writing a few songs at a
time—we were just starting from scratch,
trying to find out what our sound was, and
how we interacted together. Nowadays,
because we all have our chops a little bit
more, it was fun to get in the studio and
riff a little guitar, improvise things, come
up with things, have happy accidents,
record, and move on.
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premierguitar.com
108 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 T
he Chapman Stick is a strange and often misunderstood
instrument. It’s not a guitar, bass, or keyboard, but,
in a sense, it’s all three. This 10- or 12-stringed beast,
invented in the early 1970s by the jazz musician
Emmett Chapman, is played using a two-handed
tapping technique, and despite how long it’s been around now,
it’s still seldom seen onstage or in the studio—or anywhere else.
Relatively few players have fully realized the exciting
possibilities inherent to the Stick. That’s what makes Stick
Men—a band that includes two of the instrument’s most
accomplished practitioners, Tony Levin and Markus Reuter,
rounded out with the drummer Pat Mastelotto—such a force to
be reckoned with.
Levin, who’s now 70, was an early adopter of the Stick,
having taken up the instrument in the mid 1970s. An
in-demand bassist, he’s played on some 500 albums by everyone
from David Bowie to Judy Collins and Pink Floyd. But his
virtuosity has long been most evident when he picks up a Stick,
as he’s done extensively in his work with progressive rock artists
like Peter Gabriel and King Crimson, as a solo artist, and in
Stick Men.
At 44, Reuter might be Levin’s junior by three decades,
but he’s no less a touch-guitar master. In the 1990s, Reuter
emerged as one of the leading Stick/touch-guitar virtuosos, and
since then, in addition to his work as a contemporary classical
composer and record producer, he’s expanded his concept of
the touch guitar to include extreme signal processing. He’s even
designed his own instruments under the brand—you guessed
it—Touch Guitars.
When Levin and Reuter get together with Mastelotto, as
on Stick Men’s most recent album, Prog Noir, an uncanny
music that draws from prog-rock, 20th-century composition,
and modern jazz emerges. The touch guitars combine to
form dizzying flurries of sound that leave even expert players
wondering how they were created.
We chatted with the touch-guitar tandem about how they
Photo by Anya Roz

developed their voices on this unusual instrument and how

they worked remotely—on two different continents, no less—
to create a coherent album that sounds as if they recorded it
together in the studio.
premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 109
 TONY LEVIN’S GEAR
Tony Levin was
an early adopter
of Emmett
Chapman’s INSTRUMENT
invention, • 12-string Chapman Stick
using the Stick
on influential
albums by Peter AMP
Gabriel and King • Kemper Profiler
Crimson. He
also invented
“Funk Fingers”— EFFECT
modified drum • Analog Man Bi-CompROSSor
sticks used for
tapping the
bass strings.
You’re both experts on a very
nonstandard instrument. What drew
you to the touch guitar—and how did
you master it?
Markus Reuter: The instrument’s
directness is what drew me to it. In a
way, it’s easier than playing regular guitar
because it’s much more immediate—you
don’t have to coordinate the left and
right hands to make notes. It’s really a
wonderful thing, because you’re putting
the finger down onto the string, the
string hits the fret, and you get the note
immediately. It’s like a piano without the
keys. Somehow the musical intention—
or you could even say the emotional
expression—flows directly from the finger
into the string. On a regular guitar it
never really has that feeling.
When I started on the Stick, I saw
that nobody really knew how to play
it. So I created this body of exercises,
which I called “The Family” because the
etudes have names like “The Son,” “The
Daughter,” etc. Basically, it’s a group of
110 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
compositions that really teach you how
to play the instrument. The research and
development of this took over 20 years.
I started in ’93 and am finally to a point
where I can teach somebody to play Stick
or touch guitar in a few days.
Tony Levin: I heard about the Chapman
Stick and touch playing in about 1976. It
sounded like an interesting way to get my
bass playing into a new area, so I got one
right away. I played only the bass side of
it for years—with Peter Gabriel and King
Crimson—and gradually grew to include
the guitar side and writing material of my
own with it, especially on my album Stick
Man and the handful of albums with
Stick Men.
Tony, how did you go about migrating
to the guitar side?
Levin: The other strings were there
all along—I just started playing them.
Probably the first time I ventured to the
guitar side was in King Crimson. Some
of the pieces from the [1981] Discipline
album had room for another guitar voice,
as Adrian [Belew] and Robert [Fripp]
were doing their interweaving thing.
What’s the range of your instrument
compared to a standard guitar, and
how many notes can you play at once?
Reuter: My instrument goes from a low
B%—below a 5-string bass—up to a high
D, which would be the 22nd fret of the
highest string on an electric guitar. It’s
tuned in fifths. You can theoretically play
up to eight notes with eight strings, but in
actuality you usually play no more than six
notes at a time. There’s an arpeggio-study
piece of mine that you can find on YouTube
called “Prelude” [Editor’s note: The full video
title is “Alexander Dowerk & Markus Reuter:
Prelude”], and you can see three notes per
hand. That’s really what I would consider to
be the maximum of what makes sense.
Photo by Robert Juckett
Now seems like as good a time as
any to talk about your instrument
company, Markus.
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 Reuter: I started a brand called Touch
Guitars around 2007. My initial idea
was to come up with an instrument
that was affordable, but it turns out that
the quality of a touch guitar needs to
be very high in order for the [hammer-
on] technique to work properly, so it
wasn’t really possible to come up with
a budget instrument. We have several
different models at the moment: There’s
a 10-string version, a couple of 8-string
versions, and also a semi-acoustic
8-string, which I use onstage with Stick
Men, because it’s just so incredibly
responsive.
Speaking of Stick Men, what was it like
when you met each other for the first
time—and how did the group come
together?
Reuter: I played with [drummer] Pat
[Mastelotto] for a number of years before
he introduced me to Tony at his place in
Texas. I think it was in September 2010.
Tony and I immediately had the greatest
112 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
chemistry—we have shared classical
backgrounds and really got along very
well on that level. Quite a few of the
pieces we play in our live set we actually
wrote that very first day we met.
At first I wasn’t really sure if I was
going to be strong enough onstage—
robust enough to counterbalance the
power of Pat and Tony, who are such
iconic musicians. But after our first
show together, in Argentina, I felt, “Oh,
this is going to work.” The first couple
years I tried to be a very solid player for
them so that they could actually be the
great musicians they are—I tried not to
interfere with their greatness, let’s say.
Over the years things have developed
in such a way that I’ve become an even
member of the group and it is just
wonderful now … the dynamic of us
onstage. It’s a dream come true, really.
Levin: Having recorded the album Stick
Man [2007] with multiple Stick parts, I
was wanting to take it live and perform
the music, but needed another player.
So, Michael Bernier, an excellent player
who lives nearby [in upstate New York],
seemed ideal—and, of course, so did
Pat, my King Crimson bandmate who
had played on the album. But after a few
years of touring, Michael needed to be
home more than the band could handle,
and we made the change to Markus on
his self-designed touch guitar. Since then,
we’ve had many tours and albums, and
we’re very gratified to be playing our
music around the world.
How does the arranging process work
with two touch guitars?
Levin: Most start with Markus or me
writing a piece, laying down some parts,
and then passing it on to Pat. Sometimes
the original parts stay the same, but
often there are changes—melodies
added, sections added. There are some
pieces where Markus wrote a melody on
top of what I had done that I liked so
much I wrote lyrics to it and it became a
vocal piece.
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 Inspired by the Do you have to really work to stay out
playability and of each other’s way or do things just
response of the
happen organically?
Chapman Stick,
Markus Reuter Reuter: It’s kind of happening organically,
developed his because even though we both play
Touch Guitars instruments that cover the full range, we
instrument line, still compose pieces with certain roles in
including his
current favorite,
mind for the part that each of us is playing.
the AU8. When Tony has a chordal idea with a
bass part, then obviously I’m going to
write the melody. In the process it’s always
pretty obvious what is missing, and then
the other player fills in that gap. When
we then take stuff on the stage, obviously
sometimes we change things around. For
example, when Tony has to sing a part, I
might take the chords—even if he played
them on the recording—then, when I
play a lead part, he takes the chords. The
roles basically go back and forth all the
time, which is sometimes confusing for the
audience, but I think it’s fascinating.
The band
members didn’t
convene in the What have you learned from all of this
studio for their back and forth with each other?
new album, Reuter: The mere fact that we have
but Markus the opportunity to perform so much
Reuter’s creative
has made us evolve together with these
post-production
helped cohere instruments. I think both Tony and I
its live, have come to a point where the touch
unconventional instrument has become a real musical
sound. instrument and not just a gimmick.
Really that’s what makes it so special
for me—that we’re actually playing real
music with these new instruments.
Levin: I’ve always been impressed with
Markus’ innovative way of playing and
writing. He also has terrific technique
and is very reliable, in concert, to do
things right—much more so than I am!
Can you talk about how Prog Noir
came together, and about some of the
ideas that bind the record?
Reuter: When we started talking about
the new record and didn’t have material
yet, we decided that we wanted some sort
of cyberpunk concept, and to work with
lots of polyrhythmic activity between our
hands. There are a couple of pieces on the
album, like “Mantra” and “Embracing the
Sun,” which really illustrate this concept.
Then there are other pieces that were
written entirely intuitively and melodically.
114 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
I wrote most of the previous album,
Deep, and didn’t want to repeat the same
process. We decided that Tony should
write the majority of the starting points
on this record. Tony would send an
idea, or sometimes almost a complete
song. Then I would play parts of it—
sometimes just improvising, and then
taking the improvisation as the seeds for
the composition of my parts.
We never tell Pat what to play, and
sometimes he would surprise us by
changing the whole rhythmic feel of
a song—putting a shuffle on top of
something we thought of as straight, for
example. It’s really highly interactive and
we’re very much connected as people,
even though we might not even see
each other when we’re working on these
pieces. We’re mostly working at a distance
when we’re not on the road.
Levin: Quite a few compositions were
things I’d been working at for years—
especially the lyrics—so I had some of
them pretty worked out on my own. But
still there was time and mindset to change
them in some instances. And, as usual,
there were a few good pieces that didn’t
make it to the album for various reasons.
MARKUS REUTER’S GEAR
As its name suggests, the album turned
out kind of dark.
Reuter: Yes. It’s like when you’re on the INSTRUMENT
road, you’re in the van, and it’s raining and • Touch Guitars AU8
black outside. All you see are headlights,
and there’s a certain kind of feeling being on AMP
the road, playing for people and sacrificing
• Tech 21 SansAmp Para Driver DI
parts of your life for your music. We wanted
to represent this kind of melancholy on
the album, and I think we succeeded with EFFECTS
• Dedalo Tres Tremolo
that. It’s on one hand dark, but on the other
hand somewhat hopeful and playful. • Dr. Scientist The Elements
• Electro-Harmonix Pitch Fork
You mentioned recording remotely. • Red Panda Context
How does that work—do you email • Red Panda Particle
each other scores or audio files? • ZVEX Mastotron
Reuter: Mostly recordings. Both Tony
and I write music [in notation], but POST-PRODUCTION EFFECTS
whenever we share something we actually • Alesis QuadraVerb2
record the ideas and then use Dropbox or • Boss SY-300
Photo by Kai R. Joachim
something to just share the thoughts. • Electro-Harmonix C9 Organ Machine
• Jack Deville Dark Echo
Do you then get together and practice • Red Panda Subdivision
for a few days before recording? • Tech 21 Red Ripper
premierguitar.com
 Levin: Making the album, we actually
decided to have two periods of Markus
and me together. We did one near the
beginning in Berlin for a week. I had written
a few songs at that point, but wanted to
bounce them off Markus and also try some
experimental things, at the same time giving
some Berlin flavor to the music. Then, near
the end of the writing process, he joined me
in Kingston [New York] for a few days in my
home studio, again developing things, adding
new pieces, and homing in on the sound,
feel, and sense the album would have.
Reuter: But we mostly even record at a distance.
It’s funny—it doesn’t sound like it, right?

Not at all—the album sounds live.

Reuter: We have so much experience playing
together that we can somehow recreate the
feeling even if we’re not in the same room.
I guess its part of my production, too. I try
to make things sound live even though it’s
being recorded at a distance. The whole
approach is to make it sound organic—not
just organic, but also exciting.
ad_CC_PremGuitar_3rdpage_Layout 1 2016-11-02 10:31 AM Page 1

What sorts of things did you do as

producer to achieve those ends?
Reuter: I basically take performances
and re-amp them, and I have a couple
pedals where I’m turning the knobs as I’m
rerecording. The re-amping process becomes
a performance in itself, and that’s how I
treat all the sounds in the mix. I actually
create maybe three, four re-amped versions
of each track, including the drum tracks,
with all sorts of crazy effects. In the mix, the
signal creates this extra dimension that you
wouldn’t really get if you were just working
with static performances.

How do you feel about the mixing, Tony?

Levin: I know that my Stick sound, which
I’d already worked on while recording,
definitely changed in the mix—and in a
good way. So it’s fair to say that we’re always
trying to improve on the sound of a track,
and with a lot of mutual respect. There’s no
competition on who does the changing or
has the last say. That’s one of the hallmarks
of a band that’s fun to be in.

How does improvisation factor into the

record, if at all?

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 115

 Levin: There are no improv pieces
per se on this album, but in the
past we’ve done pieces that were
completely improvised and even
an entire album [2012’s Open] that
way. But of course there’s Markus’
soloing, which was improvised as he
recorded it.
Reuter: There’s always a great deal
of improvisation in everything I do.
SHUBB
Most of the parts I’ve written are
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707-843-4068
116 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
actually sparked by improvisation.
In a way, I’m trying to always
improvise just to keep things fresh
for myself. Sometimes it’s just
a little detail that’s being varied
when I play a piece. On the record,
there’s a lot of stuff happening in
the background, if you pay close
attention. A lot of micro sounds, a
lot of details, a lot of glitchy things.
All of those were done on the first
take and everything is improvised. Mostly I
didn’t even know which key things were in,
and I just played a few notes and they become
the backdrop. That’s also how we create this
harmonic complexity, by allowing, for lack of
better words, random notes.
So there was some indeterminacy, like in a
John Cage piece?
Reuter: Exactly, yes.
It’s particularly noticeable on the title track.
Reuter: Yes. You have both the 7 and the %7
of the chord, and the 6 playing at the same
time in the background—this cool cluster of
notes. You can hear things like this all over
the place on the record—odd details that were
improvised in the background. I did most of
these atmospherics on the record using a Red
Panda Particle pedal.
What is it that you like about the Particle?
Reuter: Really the random functions it has,
because you can send the same signal to it twice
and it will create different results. It is a highly
digital pedal but it feels really, wonderfully
f
Jef k”
analog. Some people might not know what to
do with it, but I think it’s very, very useful to
n
have something that is a little unpredictable and
k u
just sounds great. It’s just so highly inspiring. I
“S ter
cannot recommend it enough.
Bax
Considering the randomness generated by the
gear and the recording process, what’s it been
like to learn to play the finished results live?
Levin: We’re really only getting started
preparing to play the album live. We’ve done
some of the pieces in concert before, but not
all of them. It’s always a challenge, once you’ve
fine-tuned a record, to look at how to do it live.
Reuter: Basically what we have to do when we
go on the road is to break things down into
the parts that best represent what you hear on
the album. Then anything that’s happening
on top is a bonus that makes it even better.
Sometimes that means a part will get extremely
simplified on the road. Things that work well
in the studio don’t always work as well onstage.
We can also prepare some of the atmospherics
that the Particle created as samples, and Pat
can trigger them during the show. But really,
the pieces are living things that can evolve in
concert—surprising the audience as much as
they do us.
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The Godfather Part II

Photo by John Pierce Jr.

 Forty-five years after Larry Coryell’s seminal in the back room. When I came back to
the club the next night, it was gone. I
Barefoot Boy album was recorded at Electric was told—but I don’t know if it’s true or
not, nor do I care—that it was stolen by
Lady Studios, the jazz-fusion icon releases members of the Velvet Underground.
Barefoot Man: Sanpaku, a group of seven That’s actually pretty cool.
original compositions intended to invoke the Yeah. I had just hooked up with Gibson
as an endorser and it was unbelievable.
spirit and high energy of improvisation’s past. I called the company—I can’t remember
if they were in Nashville yet. They
might have still been in Kalamazoo
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER [Editor’s note: Gibson was in Kalamazoo
at that time], but I got a new guitar, the

I
one I still have, right away. Nowadays,
n 1965, the jazz guitarist Larry Coryell quit journalism school and moved to something like that would rarely happen.
New York City to establish himself as a professional musician. This might have
been a dicey proposition in such a cutthroat environment—one of the world’s Have you done any work on the guitar
great music cities—but within a year Coryell was flourishing, working with over the years?
some of the biggest names in jazz, like the drummer Chico Hamilton and the It got broken three or four times when,
vibraphonist Gary Burton. again, very naïve of me, I thought I
Throughout the late 1960s and the ’70s, Coryell was one of the most prominent could check the guitar [on an airplane]
voices in fusion. He merged rock and avant-garde tendencies with jazz improvisation— without loosening the strings, or maybe
first in the band the Free Spirits and then in the Eleventh House. Coryell recorded I just forgot to. Anyway, on at least two
a game-changing solo album, Barefoot Boy, in 1971 at Electric Lady Studios. The occasions I opened the case and the neck
influence of the studio’s founder—Jimi Hendrix, who had died the year before—is was cracked right at the headstock, and
apparent in the experimental way Coryell approached the guitar on that recording, I had that fixed. It looks ugly, but it still
both sonically and conceptually. plays and sounds great.
Forty-five years later, Coryell revisits this heady period in a new album, Barefoot
Man: Sanpaku, with pianist Lynne Arriale, bassist John Lee, saxophonist and flautist Did you use other guitars on the record
Dan Jordan, and drummer Lee Pierson. Coryell, now 73, might not be the young or just the Super 400?
whippersnapper he was in 1971, but it’s clear from listening to the album he’s no less I’m trying to remember how many
fiery and energetic as a guitarist and improviser. tracks I played my Martin on. Martin
A few weeks before Election Day 2016, Coryell called us from his home, in Orlando, made a guitar for me about five years
Florida. We chatted about his music then and now, his steadfast Gibson companion, ago. It’s got my name inside, when you
playing with Miles Davis, and his affinity for Wes Montgomery and Igor Stravinsky. look into the soundhole, but they never
manufactured it.

How are you?
A little anxious. I just don’t know what’s
going to happen in this election. The
country has been torn apart and brought
down a very ugly road of lack of good
behavior. There’s so much backbiting and
criticizing; we’ve hit a new low.
I hear you. Let’s talk about something
less stressful. What’s the main guitar on
Barefoot Man?
I’m playing a Gibson 1967 Super 400.
The Super 400, to me, is the best guitar
ever made. Period. It’s got such an
amazing neck. The quality of necks has
gone way down since 1967.
That’s the exact same one you’ve played
for years, I would imagine.
Yeah, off and on, because when I started
doing electro-fusion in the early to mid-
’70s, my managers demanded that I play
a solidbody, a Stratocaster or Les Paul.
I’d bet that Super 400 has got lots
of stories.
I had a Super 400, just like the one I have
now, when I got to New York in 1965.
A couple years later I was working in
clubs there. And because I was kind of a
hillbilly, kind of unsophisticated, I thought
it would be okay one night, because I was
probably really tired, to leave the guitar
With Barefoot Man, you deliberately
set out to make a high-energy record
like you did in the early 1970s. How
did you go about doing that?
I started by re-listening to Barefoot Boy
and tried to figure out what I was doing.
“Gypsy Queen” was a composition that
was made popular by Carlos Santana. I’ve
never played like that since. I think when I
did I retuned the guitar a little bit. I think
I moved the sixth string about a half-step
and also used a wah-wah pedal, but because
of my avant-garde tendencies in New
York throughout the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, I
was able to go play some different stuff. I
actually liked it when I heard it again.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 119

 Larry Coryell Why haven’t you played like that since?
is shown here Because it was a unique situation. I was
with his No. 1,
playing with one of the greatest saxophone
a 1967 Gibson
Super 400 he’s players I’ve ever played with, the late Steve
had since the Marcus. And one of the best drummers
late ’60s. He in the world—fortunately, he’s still
acquired it from alive—Roy Haynes. I had my drummer
Gibson after his
first Super 400
from my band that I had right before the
was stolen. “I Eleventh House and he was a very soulful
was told that gentlemen named Harry Wilkinson from
it was stolen the state of Tennessee—he’s living in
by members
Nashville now. The way everybody played
of the Velvet
Underground,” made me play in a certain way that I’m
Coryell says. not always able to do.
In jazz music—at least for me—you
have to respond to what the other
musicians are doing. You can’t just put
your head down like a bull and forge
forward. It’s a listening thing.

On that note, how have you learned

to be a deep listener and to respond in
the moment?
Because that’s what everybody told
me to do when I was coming up. I’d
be chastised if it sounded like I wasn’t
listening to the other people.

Can you talk a little bit more about the

process of rediscovering those old tapes
and revisiting that world in preparation

Photo by John Pierce Jr.

for the new record?
The rediscovering and the revisiting the
world is not exactly what happened with
Barefoot Man. Remembering what we
had done on Barefoot Boy was enough
to set me in the right direction for the
compositions. I tried to use the same
type of personnel that we had on Barefoot
Boy. In other words, I had piano, I
had saxophone, and we did not add
percussion. The drummer, Lee Pierson,
was so good he covered everything. But
the spirit was to just try to play with
the kind of intensity that we had on the
original record.
How did you capture that intensity?
Did you have certain strategies or did it
just kind of happen?
I definitely had ideas I wanted to execute.
I wanted to do some funk. I wanted
to use a wah-wah pedal on at least one
track. I wanted to do one really popular
LARRY CORYELL’S GEAR
jazz song: “Manteca” by Dizzy Gillespie.
GUITARS
Once we got that stamp of a style
• 1967 Gibson Super 400
happening, the other compositions just
• Martin Custom MC-40E
played themselves and they had a life of
their own. They weren’t all exactly carbon
copies of the spirit of Barefoot Boy, but
AMPS & EFFECTS
• Fender Deluxe Reverb
they related to what Barefoot Boy had
• Dunlop Cry Baby wah
spawned. It stayed consistent, I think.
How did it feel to be playing in this STRINGS & PICKS
style 45 years later? • Assorted DR strings
• Herco Nylon Flex 75 picks

premierguitar.com
120 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 I wasn’t sure we could do it—and we didn’t do
it 100 percent—but we did capture enough to
make a unique sound. It’s not like any other
record I’ve made.
What sets it apart from everything else in
your body of work?
I think a lot of it is shaped by the kind of
compositions on the record. One of the tunes,
“If Miles Were Here,” was inspired by Miles
Davis. Another composition was based on
some orchestration and melodies that are in
an opera that I’m writing, and it’s called Anna
Karenina. The world premiere is planned for
way the business was during those
times. The record companies were
there with money and distribution
and people bought records, and I
think Miles would not be happy
with the trivialization of music.
Of course, Miles was very
intelligent and perspicacious. He had
tremendous vision. I’m guessing he
wouldn’t have liked the trivialization
of music through putting millions
of pings on a little tiny chip. But
then again, Miles was very upbeat
and very intelligent and so maybe he
would’ve taken it in stride. It would
be nice to ask him, but unfortunately
I’m not psychic.
How do you feel about the
scene today?
I’m sad about the trivialization of
the music. It used to be you put

Joaquin Lares Photography

next May in Russia.
and now
Speaking of opera, what does the classical
literature mean to you as a jazz musician? Grace Harbor
Ukuleles!
A lot. I study Stravinsky, for example. There’s
a little thing on the record called “Improv on
97,” which was inspired by improvising on
one of his scores. I love “Autumn Leaves” and
“Alone Together” and “All the Things You Are,”
but I can only play those so much. I’m always
looking for new forms to play on, so that I Come see our
can sound different. All that stuff, of course, I new line of
learned from Miles.
ukuleles at
Talk about Miles Davis’ importance to you NAMM Booth
as a guitarist.
He was a good man. Miles was interested
#4750
in new ideas and he wanted to work with
young players, and the first guitar player he
recorded with was George Vincent. He also
Great Quality!
recorded with Joe Beck, and then when John Great Price!
McLaughlin came to town he tried a great
combination of his ideas and John’s ideas,
Great Company!
and the rest is history. You just listen to the
music— especially on “Go Ahead John.”
That’s a great song. It was so cool to hear a
nice funk thing with John playing a solidbody
guitar, some great James Brown stuff. Miles
was getting into the stuff that we had started
getting into a little bit before him in New
York, but we wanted to mix Miles and rock
and punk and jazz and avant-garde.

What do you think that Miles would make Grace Harbor Artist Yvonne Silva
of the scene today? is playing a GHD-100CE
He would be very sad, because the record
companies… When I did my thing with Miles
in 1978, his motivation for doing that session
was to help me—he told me he was trying to
help me get signed with Columbia. That’s the
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premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 121

 out a recording, and people go to a store
to check it out. This was a whole mode
of behavior—very pleasing behavior. I It used to be you put out a recording, and people
remember spending whole afternoons in
record stores when I was in college, listening go to a store to check it out. This was a whole
to albums and even buying some, even on mode of behavior, very pleasing behavior.
my meager budget. I loved discovering Wes
Montgomery and Grant Green records and
so much more. Those were the days, man.
I’ll never forget … in the basement of YOUTUBE IT
one of my best friends, the lead singer in an
R&B band I was in, in Seattle, right around
1962 or ’63. He put on a Coltrane version
of “My Favorite Things.” It was just so fresh
and so different. I’d never heard a soprano
saxophone soloing before, and it was almost
Middle Eastern, do you know what I mean?
Here’s a great live video of Larry Coryell holds his own on the Check out this cool mini-lesson
Yeah. Coryell playing a Hagström acoustic guitar in this perfor- from Coryell, a great pedagogue.
Swede with his 1970s band mance with fellow virtuosos YouTube search term:
Almost Asian, and Coltrane was a big Eleventh House. John McLaughlin and Paco de Improvising with Larry Coryell
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generation, because he was attracted to and Eleventh House live in the Spirits tour, which spanned
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122 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 FACTOID
Larry Coryell’s Barefoot Man: Sanpaku
includes compositions inspired by Miles
Davis and Stravinsky, as well as an
arrangement based on an opera Coryell
is writing, Anna Karenina, that is planned
to debut in May 2017 in Russia.

Can you share any other defining

moments you’ve had when discovering
new music?
I grew up in the Southeastern section of
Washington State, where there was mostly
just country music on the radio. One night
I was somewhere out in the country and
my radio just happened to pick up a jazz
station. I heard this amazing guitar player
and I had no idea what he was doing,
but I took an immediate interest in it. It
turned out it was Wes Montgomery. Such
a beautiful tone. There are so many players
of my generation who had the same kind
of moment the first time they heard those
octaves. It was so creative and sensual—
better than having sex for the first time.

Getting back to Barefoot Man, what was

it like to record the album?
Fantastic! I had four of the best musicians—
Lee Pierson, John Lee, Lynne Arriale,
and Dan Jordan—and they were all well
rehearsed. I sent them the music well in
advance, and Lee and I actually started
jamming earlier in the year when we were
both at a jazz festival in Indonesia. We had
a strong rapport and you’ll hear some of
that on the record. Our instruments start

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 123

The Godfather of talking to each other. I really liked
Fusion onstage that. I like playing with the drums
with a P-90- rather than playing on top of the
equipped Hamer
Monaco III.
drums. Many unevolved players,
like young players, might think
the rhythm, the time feeling, is the
drummer’s responsibility. Really,
it’s everybody’s responsibility, and
when everybody takes responsibility
for it, your playing changes.
Earlier you mentioned practicing
Stravinsky. Do you arrange
his pieces for guitar or do you
loosely borrow some of his ideas
in your own work?
It’s both. I’ve written a multiple-guitar
arrangement, for up to six guitars, of
The Rite of Spring. I’ve been working on
that for the last five years. It’s more like
an instructional book than anything that
might ever be performed, but it forces
you to improve your technique as well as
your reading. In so many passages you’ve
got consecutive bars that are in different
BOOTH# 5286
124 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
oddball time signatures. Boy, does it
make for some exciting music.
Do you ever use it as a springboard for
improvisation?
Absolutely! I don’t just want to play
bebop and blues vocabulary. I’m always
looking for more and love to try out
different ideas.
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What other different ideas outside
of bebop do you try?
The serial or 12-tone thing, for
example. Occasionally what I’ll do is
try to emulate a 12-tone row, or use
intervallic jumps that don’t sound
particularly melodic.
I imagine it would be difficult
to improvise with a 12-tone row,
because you have to make sure to
only use a pitch once before you
using it again.
I use the concept loosely; it’s
12-toneish. Scofield is very good at
that as well.
Photo by Veronica Tales Jazz Club Photography
But you still identify as a jazz musician.
Yes. People ask me why I became a jazz
musician, and all I can think of to answer
is, “I couldn’t help myself.” Remember
that moment in the car when I heard
Wes for the first time? I didn’t understand
what it was, but I knew I really wanted to
do it.
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premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 125
 BY DAVID VON BADER
Meshuggah 8-string idol Mårten Hagström reveals the
back-to-basics approach on the metal gods’
latest LP, The Violent Sleep of Reason—as well as
why he’s such a harsh critic of shred.
F
ew bands have shifted the metal landscape in the
cataclysmic way Meshuggah has. Nearing its 30th year in
existence, the Swedish quintet has had an impact in myriad
ways—so many that it really is difficult to overstate. Their
savage early thrash work and more progressive recent leanings have
made them virtual gods to a who’s-who of heavy bands—including
Animals As Leaders and Periphery—as well as diehard headbangers
the world over. Further, the low-end decimation wreaked by guitarists
Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström with their custom
instruments is inarguably responsible for major guitar manufacturers
getting into mass-production of baritone-scale 8-strings.
For the uninitiated, Meshuggah’s sonic Molotov cocktail is a fusion of
death metal’s bludgeoning intensity, prog’s structural complexity, and an
obsession with ultra-controlled, airtight, and—one could even argue—
weaponized polyrhythms. It’s a visceral sound that’s spent the better part
of three decades escaping the grasp of sub-genre definition, only to be
referred to with the now oft-derided term “djent.” Admittedly, like many
new musical monikers, djent has already become passé for hardcore
heavies weary of the endless and inevitable string of copycats. Even so,
there’s no denying the onomatopoeia specifically coined to describe
Hagström and Thordendal’s low, snarling, complex palm-muted stylings
Photo by Olle Carlsson
is fitting, even if it remains to be seen whether it sticks for good. And
with the release of Meshuggah’s eighth studio LP, The Violent Sleep of
Meshuggah (left to right): Jens Kidman, Tomas Haake, Mårten Hagström, Dick Lövgren, and Fredrik Thordendal.
premierguitar.com
Reason, the metal mavericks from Umeå have effectively sent the hordes
of biters and rip-off artists back to the drawing board.
The Violent Sleep bristles, grooves, and stomps with the weight
and unpredictability of a bull elephant on PCP. Rife with the skull-
crushing, industrial-grade guitar work that’s become Thordendal and
Hagström’s calling card, it finds Meshuggah’s formidable songcraft
in as fine a form as ever. And while it doesn’t necessarily venture too
far from the stylings of the band’s most loved past works, it does
have an immediacy and an organic, incendiary quality that departs
from the somewhat sterile sound of recent Meshuggah albums.
This is no doubt due in no small part to the band’s decision to
track the record live—a daunting task that required two months of
rehearsals and an immense level of care during tracking to make sure
complex arrangements stayed true. In addition, to further accentuate
the aforementioned organic qualities, Thordendal and Hagström
dispensed with the digital modeling amps that have been a staple of
their rigs of late in favor of real tube amps.
Premier Guitar recently took audience with Meshuggah’s chief
rhythm machine, Mårten Hagström, to get the story on tracking The
Violent Sleep of Reason, working with storied Ibanez custom-shop luthier
Tak Hosono, whether—as legend states—he truly has an aversion to
shred guitar, and staying inspired after damn near 30 years penning and
performing some of the most extreme metal on the planet.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 127
 Mårten On past Meshuggah records, you guys
Hagström
have typically fleshed-out full songs
onstage in
1999 with a independently, then brought them to each
pre-Ibanez other. Did that change this time around?
custom 7-string Nope. The actual writing process was the
outfitted with a same. What was different this time was
recessed Floyd
Rose vibrato, a
that Dick [Lövgren, bass guitar] and Tomas
single pickup, [Haake, drummer and lyricist] collaborated
and a master very heavily, since Tomas needs a string
volume. instrumentalist to help get his ideas across. I
worked a lot on my own, too, but all in all
we approached it the same way. We worked
in Cubase and programmed the drums for
the demos in full, so that part was basically
We never wanted to start a trend. We were just trying
to go somewhere specific and new with our sound.”
128 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
the same. The other big difference was
going into a new studio and doing it with
a more old-school approach, using live
amps and tracking live. That affected how
we conceptualized songs and how we were
going to rehearse them. So the writing
process was pretty much the only thing that
didn’t change this time.
Which songs did you pen on
Violent Sleep?
“Born in Dissonance,” “Our Rage Won’t
Die,” “Into Decay,” and “Ivory Tower.”
Those are some of the more groove-
oriented, less chaotic songs on the
record. Was there anything specific that
drove your writing in that direction?
Yes and no. I’ve been intrigued with
groove and minimalizing things that don’t
sound streamlined ever since we wrote
[2008’s] ObZen. I don’t know how else
to put it—it all orients back to groove
because that’s the most essential part of
why I write guitar riffs. Another thing that
was different this time around was that I
had heard bits and pieces here and there
of what Dick and Tomas were doing, so
for the first time I actually wrote stuff
to sort of counterbalance their ideas and
to anchor and give context to the stuff
they were writing—which was quite a bit
more chaotic. On [2012’s] Koloss, we were
focused on writing a lot of groove-oriented
stuff—which was nice for me, because
that’s my natural writing environment, but
I think this time it was more optimal in
the grand scheme of writing an album. I’m
pretty happy that the journey of the record
ends with the more groove-oriented tracks.
It provides the album with a ride out, so
to speak.
How much of the album is live?
Most bands track a little bit together, but
we tracked everything at once—essentially,
it was all live this time. Jens [Kidman, lead
singer] even put down vocals while we
tracked instruments, just for the hell of it,
and some of those vocals made it to the
final release. We decided it was going to
be everything or nothing if we were going
to do things the old way. Although, to be
honest, I played less on the album than I
normally would because I got arthritis in
my left shoulder.
Did that change your playing style at all?
No, it didn’t really change my style, but I
did have to have Ibanez make me a new
guitar for this touring cycle. I scaled down
my Ibanez signature model from 29.4" to
28", just for the sake of playability—and I
have to say, the Ibanez custom shop always
delivers. I don’t understand how [Ibanez
luthier] Tak Hosono managed to make a
28" B-string so neat and playable and still
sound so very baritone and deep—it sounds
like a longer guitar than the 29" one!
I did have to make some adjustments
to how I stand onstage, because how
you stand around for an hour-and-a-half
every night really affects the shoulder.
When your body breaks, there’s a lot of
adjustments to make.
Tell us more about the new guitar—is
it the same shape and specs as your
M8M, just with a shorter scale?
Yeah, it’s the same shape, electronics,
and hardware setup as the typical M8M.
Fredrik’s been working on his Stoneman
design, but I still love the same M8M
setup. I have a few Iceman-shaped
8-strings called the IC8M, but I don’t
take those on the road. I also have a new
guitar that we’re working on that’s going
to be a little different, but we’re still in
the planning stage and I don’t want to say
too much until it’s ready.
Have you played other builders’
8-strings, and how do you feel about
them becoming so normalized in the
metal world?
Yeah, I’ve owned a bunch of bad ones and
a bunch of really good ones from other
makers. There’s one guy out of Arizona
whose company is named EIR Guitars,
and he makes really, really great stuff.
Photo by Frank White
That said, the guitars that the Ibanez
custom shop delivers to us are always so
incredible that I don’t feel much need to
look elsewhere. Tak is always compliant to
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“I’ve always what we need, but also really wants us to
failed to see try new things and push the envelope—
why a rock or and they’re always willing to discuss
metal song
absolutely has whatever new ideas we have. That kind of
to have a lead,” working relationship is unbeatable. You
says Hagström. just can’t top having someone with that
“I do not kind of knowledge and experience at your
understand it.”
disposal who also wants to progress.
As far as how I feel about the boom in
bands using 8-strings, it’s cool for us that
it’s become so easy to get ahold of the
spare parts and stuff! We never wanted
to start a trend. We were just trying to
go somewhere specific and new with our
sound. I’m actually a bit surprised that
it caught on the way it has, because if
any band uses it the way we do, they’re
instantly going to sound at least a little
like we do. It’s a quirky thing that it’s
become such a big deal, but it’s also
pretty cool. That’s not to take ownership
of tuning down—a lot of bands have
tuned down this low over the years. And
it’s not so much just tuning down that
low. It’s that when you start playing an
130 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
8-string, there are certain ways your
hands naturally want to move and do
things, and those moves became a huge
part of our sound.
What brought you and Fredrik back
to tube amps after so many years with
Fractal Axe-Fx units?
It just felt natural with the approach we
took this time, agreeing as a group to
finish the writing and rehearse the stuff
as a band and feel the songs and hash
through it all. When you rehearse the
songs for almost two months to get them
tight and then work with an engineer and
go to a studio to sit down, old-school
style, for weeks at a time, it just follows
suit to go back to amps.
Another thing is that Fredrik’s been
messing around with tube amps for his solo
stuff for the last five years, so he’s amassed
a really great collection. He brought a
truckload of them down to the studio, so it
all just felt natural and in-line with how we
were working this time around.
MÅRTEN HAGSTRÖM’S GEAR
GUITARS
• Custom 28"-scale Ibanez M8M
with Lundgren M8 pickups
AMPS
• Custom Fortin Amplification
50-watt head
• Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II
STRINGS & PICKS
• DR Tite-Fit TF8-10s (.010–.075)
• Dunlop 1 mm Nylon Standard picks
What were some of the standout amps
that wound up on the album?
The main sound is a modified Marshall
that Mike Fortin [of Fortin Amplification]
tweaked for us many years ago. We also
used the Fortin Satan, and Salvation
Mods’s C-Watt module for Randall MTS
amps. We were running four or five amps
most of the time, and what actually wound
up on the album is a question for our
producer, Tue Madsen. We gave him free
rein on how to color the guitar tones on
each track, although we were pretty rough
with him during the mixing process—we
threw a lot of mixes back at him and were
extremely picky about it. Luckily he had the
patience of a saint about the whole thing. Photo by Tim Bugbee/Tinnitus Photography
He thought “Born in Dissonance” needed
a tighter low end because it has a messier
rhythm, so he went for the Satan amp. But
on “Into Decay” he opted for more of the
C-Watt, because it’s a sludgy track and that
sound worked better for it. But the reality is
the tones on the album are a patchwork and
only Tue knows what’s what.
premierguitar.com
 How about effects?
Fredrik’s been on something of an amp
and pedal rampage for a long time now,
but we actually didn’t use a ton of effects
on the album because Fredrik didn’t write
much of anything for this particular record,
so he didn’t provide much input in the
sound-shaping. We used the prototype for
his signature boost pedal, the 33, a bit. It’s
basically a booster with a sweepable bass
filter. The TC Electronic preamp booster
that we used back in the day to gain the
fuck out of the signal before it hit a tube
head is the template for the 33, but it’s got
some tweaks to make it more useable.

Will you be using the Axe-Fx on

tour again?
We’re using custom 50-watt amps that
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been a long time since it’s been so much fun

to just riff onstage, and these amps brought
that back for me in a way I don’t think
I’ve ever experienced—to the point that
sometimes I just get lost in the riff and how
powerful it feels.
The thing about the Axe-Fx is that it
sounds really good. If you did an A/B test
for use between the Fortins and the Axe-
Fx for front-of-house, you’d probably only
hear a slight difference because the Axe-Fx
is really that great at modeling sounds. But
when I have that Fortin head cranked up
loud and I’m hearing it through my in-ear
monitors, it’s a massive difference that really
changes the game for us live. And there’s
something that happens in the feel, too.
It’s not a matter of latency or a matter of
it being “direct” enough, but there’s still a
tangible difference in using tube amps.

What are some of the tricks you’ve learned

to keep lows so focused and crisp despite
using so much gain?
The truth of the matter is that the whole
signal path is designed around using that
much gain. That’s part of why the Lundgren
pickups we use are so flat—we want a pickup
that represents what’s going on with the

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 131

 Right: After a guitar sonically instead of just adding
severe bout more power. It’s also got a lot to do with
of shoulder picking technique and how you attack
arthritis during
the recording your low end. I hit that 8th string in
of The Violent a different way than I chug on the 7th
Sleep of Reason, or play single-note stuff. It’s not easily
Hagström explained, but there’s just a different way
commissioned a
of approaching your pick attack when you
custom 8-string
M8M signature go for the low stuff. I actually switched
axe with a 28”, my picking angle from right to left when
rather than a we wrote Bleed, but went back to it being
29.4”, scale. angled to the right for The Violent Sleep
of Reason to see if it would sound better
for this material—and it did, so I stuck
with it. So now I switch techniques
subconsciously throughout the live set,
because half the songs were written and
recorded the other way. But pick attack
has everything to do with how we keep
things articulate.
After this many records, how do you
stay fresh and progressive when writing
for Meshuggah without drifting too far
from the band’s sonic idiom?
It’s kind of reflex after this many years.
When I sit down and come up with
ideas, most of the time I kind of know
where they’re going to go—whether
they’re going to wind up in one of my
other side projects, or whether they’re
suitable for Meshuggah. For the last few
years at least, I try as much as possible
not to think too much about what I’m
doing and to not be concerned with
whether something’s going to be this
or that, or what I should accomplish in
sitting down to write. I try to find an
environment in which I can feel good
and fired up about just sitting down and
coming up with new shit. If you’re in
the right mood, it’s supposed to feel a
little like Christmas—you go into this
imaginative world of music and coming
up with different soundscapes, and you
come back with something cool. I play
music to scratch my own itch, y’know?
For me, that’s the trick—to find that
place and just be natural about it.
With the band nearing its 30th year,
what fuels it for you now?
I don’t think it’s entirely possible to stay
completely inspired within a project for
132 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
that long, but it’s enough when the guys
stay inspired enough to lift the others up
when they falter and lose the fire. So we
talk about our music and our projects
quite a lot within the band, but we don’t
necessarily discuss how we’re supposed
to stay inspired. We know why we do it,
and we still have fun doing it together. It’s
as simple as that. We’re just lucky enough
to feel that we haven’t covered all the
ground there is—or gotten jaded.
How do you keep so many tricky
rhythmic variations straight as a player,
and do you have any advice for those
struggling with rhythmic abilities?
I know this sounds weird in the context
of our music, because it is so percussive—
but I think of rhythms as melodies. If
you think of it like a melody and listen
to how things move, you hear the part
as a whole instead of as just a rhythm.
You hear the significant points of the riff
and break it down. Most of the time I
instantly know where the 4 [count] is. It’s
not rocket science in that way—it’s still
an AC/DC song, just hidden.
I’d be lying if I said there never
came any points within this band in
which we’ve had to break things down
theoretically from a rhythmic standpoint
in order to know what’s actually going
on. The key is to follow where the
cymbals are, because most of the time
Tomas plays them in 4/4.
How has the guitar relationship
between you and Fredrik evolved over
the years?
When you play together with someone
for a really long time—especially the
same instrument—you can’t help
picking things up from one another.
We’ve gotten much closer to each other
stylistically as rhythm guitar players
through the years. I know how Fredrik
writes stuff, so if there’s something like
a subtle acceleration in a group of notes
or a pitch bend—like some of the tricky
stuff in “Combustion” [off ObZen]—I
know exactly how that note is supposed
to be hit, because I know him so well.
He knows my idiosyncrasies, too. We
don’t talk about it much, though. It’s just
second nature at this point.
I’ve played in bands with Fredrik since
I was 16, and I really, truly think he’s an
amazing lead guitar player. He’s come
up with so much beautiful shit, I just
can’t explain. I’ve heard a lot of Fredrik’s
leads that no one will ever hear, when we
rehearse and such, and he’s really, really
good. But we also ground each other,
and he actually thanks me sometimes for
not having leads in some of my songs.
So we play specific roles as editors of
Photos by Annie Atlasman
one another, and I think we both really
appreciate that.
You’ve said in the past that the
popularity of the Swedish shred scene
premierguitar.com
 put you off from the idea of virtuosity
when you were starting out. Can you
elaborate on that?
I’m glad you brought that up, because
I stand by the things I’ve said about
shredders in previous interviews, but I
always have people come up and act like
I’m a traitor and ask, “Hey Mårten, why
don’t you like shredders? What’s wrong
with you?” But that’s not the point—I
like shredders and love good guitar
players. There are just not enough good
ones. I just have a higher standard. There
are millions of good guitarists out there,
but I’ve always failed to see why a rock
or metal song absolutely has to have a
lead! I do not understand it. I love a good
lead—I drool over Eddie Van Halen and
Allan Holdsworth, and Alex Lifeson, who
was one of my biggest, biggest inspirations
growing up. [Lifeson] made soundscapes,
and he has this almost Tourette’s style of
lead playing that’s very unique. He played
in the most technically achieved band
of their time and did a lot of shit that
premierguitar.com
inspired a lot of people—but it wasn’t I could go on for hours, but without
really in the technique department that he saying good or bad or whether I like
excelled, though he was very proficient. It something or not. It’s very cool to me
was in his tone and his taste, and the way that people have become so focused
he composed things. That’s why I’ve never on their playing, and it’s cool that a
seen myself as an instrumentalist—I’ve lot of young bands have become very
always been a composer. technically inclined. But there’s a lot of
It’s the same with any music: If it people that come to me and say, “Oh,
grabs me, then I guess it’s good. But if these guys are heavily influenced by you
I can’t pinpoint anything unique nearly guys,” and I can’t hear it—but then I hear
immediately—like most of the leads I’ve our sound in places that no one else does.
heard since I was 16—then, I’m sorry, So I’m not sure I’m a good person to
but I don’t think it’s worth my time. judge. It is interesting being held in the
regard of an older band now. To us, we’re
Are there any newer metal groups that just beginning—because we still want to
have caught your ear, and do you have create more and do new shit.
an opinion on the ones that still nip at You can continue to grow and explore in
Meshuggah’s tail, so to speak? metal, even if you’re not 18 and ripped!
YOUTUBE IT
Mårten Hagström, Fredrik Thordendal, and company obliterate an Or-
lando House of Blues crowd in this highlight reel from October 2016.
YouTube search term: Meshuggah Full Set highlights October 2016
Orlando Great Sound
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 133
ACOUSTIC SOUNDBOARD
Why Guitar Builders Blend Tonewoods
BY ANDY POWERS
W
Conifer wood, hen guitar makers are asked
such as spruce, about wood, the questions
and deciduous
are often about what
wood, such as
maple—shown certain woods sound like. While we do
top and bottom, our best to describe the different sonic
respectively— flavors like the seasonings in a spice
are structurally rack, it’s easy to get lost in the subtleties
very different,
but pair them
without first explaining the fundamental
correctly and relationship between two other important
magic can contributors to tone: how an acoustic
happen. guitar actually works and the different
personalities of trees.
As an object designed to amplify
vibration, the acoustic guitar has two
objectives. It needs to be flexible enough
to bend with each vibration to displace
air and produce audible volume, and it
needs to be rigid enough to allow strings
to vibrate for a long time. So right from
the start, there must be a compromise
between rigidity and flexibility. But let’s
set this conflict aside for a moment to
break down the basic signal chain of
acoustic sound.
The strings a player sets in motion
are attached to the soundboard. (Think
of the soundboard like a drumhead.)
The soundboard vibrates and sets the air
inside the body in motion, causing it
to move against the back of the guitar.
While some movement is transferred
through the sides of the guitar to the
back, most of the action is the body of
the guitar acting like an air pump. As
the soundboard squeezes and tugs on
the air in and around the body, the air is
displaced, creating audible sound waves.
To make more volume, this “air pump”
needs to be made efficient.
As mentioned, rigidity is the key to
making the notes last a long time. If
the structure that supports the strings
is strong and rigid, it won’t bend and
absorb the strings’ vibrations. The stiffer
the neck and body are, the longer the
strings tend to continue vibrating.
In other words, flexibility equates to
volume and rigidity equates to sustain.
And both are, of course, important. After
looking at the mechanics of the signal
134 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
chain, it becomes clearer that some parts
need to vibrate easily, while others need
to be solid. It’s like a band, in the sense
that each instrumentalist has a different
role to play and, therefore, different
job requirements. On a guitar, these
criteria can be met with different types
of tonewoods.
Coniferous vs. Deciduous. Acoustic
guitars are essentially made from two
kinds of wood. The first is from coniferous
trees that have cones and needles, and
hang on to their needle-shaped leaves.
(Picture a Christmas tree.) The second
comes from deciduous trees. These drop
their leaves and grow new ones, like a
maple tree that is bare in winter and looks
like an umbrella in the summer. The two
tree types have very different personalities.
Coniferous trees tend to grow wood
that is strong, but doesn’t weigh much.
Deciduous trees (the leaf droppers) tend
to grow wood with more homogenous
consistency and weights commensurate
with their strength.
The conifers grow their strong and
lightweight wood by making a sandwich
of soft, light layers in between thinner
bands of hard, strong layers. Together,
the result is like the structural I-beams
used in skyscrapers. Material put together
this way can vibrate like crazy, and
because it doesn’t weigh much, it doesn’t
require much force (or string power) to
get it moving. Its springy nature acts
like a speaker cone for the strings and it
also has a resilient character that resists
deformation while vibrating. This is the
perfect wood for making a guitar top.
And, as expected, we see instrument tops
made with coniferous trees like spruces,
cedars, and even firs.
Deciduous tree wood, by contrast,
doesn’t have the same I-beam-like
composition or the same tendency as
coniferous tree wood to be stronger than its
weight would suggest. Because deciduous
tree wood doesn’t grow this way and has
weight that is equivalent to its strength as a
result, it doesn’t vibrate so easily.
If you think of the guitar body as a
speaker cabinet, the goal is to make the
top (or speaker) vibrate and set air in
motion while surrounded by an enclosure
robust enough to not immediately move
with this motion. If the entire enclosure
was allowed to move freely, the effect
would be like a finger poking into one
side of an inflated balloon—where the
rest of the balloon would simply change
shape to absorb the indentation—
negating the movement that produces
both volume and sustain.
Smart luthiers figured this out
centuries ago, and we’ve been playing and
hearing variations on this construction
ever since. The subtleties of exactly
how strong the cabinet of a guitar is
and exactly how flexible the top of a
guitar is—or should be—are topics we’ll
continue to write novels about. But the
basic point to remember is that each part
has a different role to play, and as a result,
guitars are made of trees that grow in
different ways.
ANDY POWERS is the Master
Guitar Designer at Taylor Guitars.
His expertise as a craftsman
blends a finely honed sense
of aesthetics with nuanced
woodworking skills, building
upon the rich heritage of previous
generations of instrument makers
while advancing the art form
into inspiring new sonic territory. 
For more information, visit
taylorguitars.com
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THE RECORDING GUITARIST
The Narrow-Range Tuning Trick
BY JOE GORE
C
onfession: Most of the ideas
in this column are stolen from
Sonic Youth, and the rest are
swiped from other people.
The topic is alternate tunings that
require restringing—a royal pain in the
posterior! But time and again, these
tunings (all of which narrow the interval
between the 1st and 6th strings, hence
my “narrow-range” moniker) have
inspired parts that fit the mix when
nothing else did. Perhaps you’ll find the
idea compelling enough to keep a spare
guitar strung for these sounds?
The most famous string-swap tuning
is Nashville high-stringing (explained and
demoed here).
YouTube search term:
How Nashville High-
Stringing Works
You hear this sound on the Stones’ “Wild
Horses” and Floyd’s “Wish You Were
Here.” But these narrowed tunings aren’t
delicate and pretty like that. They’re crude,
simplistic, and usually out of tune. Yum!
Guitars in the fridge. When I
met Sonic Youth in the late ’80s, they
couldn’t yet afford lots of nice guitars.
They toured with their pawnshop beaters
knocking against each other in cardboard
refrigerator boxes. Their oddball tunings
didn’t just inspire new riffs—they
provided a unique sonority, especially
when cranked through fuzz pedals and
funky amps. No other band resonated like
Sonic Youth.
The guitars and tunings literally
varied from song to song, but they shared
common themes. Many strings were
tuned in unison pairs, and the distance
between the highest and lowest strings
was usually an octave or less, as opposed
to the usual two octaves. Thurston Moore
and Lee Ranaldo often played melodies
by barring across unison string pairs,
which is a technique that enforces a
minimalist style.
136 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
You can replicate most Sonic Youth
tunings with the same string set: use two
of your usual 5th strings for the 6th and
5th strings, two 4th strings for the 4th
and 3rd strings, and two 3rd strings for
the 2nd and 1st strings, as if you were
tuning A–A–D–D–G–G. (String pitches
are listed low to high throughout.) From
there you can crank strings up or down
for hundreds of possible combinations.
A sketchy sketch. Clip 1 is a sketchy
demo of the idea. A standard-tuned
guitar in the left channel is joined by a
narrow-range guitar (tuned G–G–D–
D–G–G) on the right. I mutilated the
tone with trashy fuzz and didn’t sweat the
sloppy tuning.
The effect has a rough, artless quality
perfect for some musical contexts—and
not just punkified ones. Example: my
guitars on Tracy Chapman’s “America.”
(Flea’s playing bass, Mitchell Froom and
Michael Webster are on keys, and Tracy
and Quinn Smith are drumming. Tchad
Blake produced.)
YouTube search term:
Tracy Chapman
America
Clip 2 is a solo riff in the same tuning.
I pick out a tune on the top string pair
while droning on the low open strings, or
barre across several string pairs for chords.
Tuned G–G–D–D–E–E, the guitar in
Clip 3 exploits the clangorous whole-step
interval between the upper string pairs.
The tuning options are nearly endless:
G–G–D–D–A–A, G–G–D–D–E%–E%,
G–G–C–C–F–F, G–G–C–C–E–E. I
could go on, but instead of over-thinking
it, I recommend simply twisting your
tuners till the strings resonate nicely with
the song, and then picking out simple
melodies. For Clip 4, I chose the random
key of F minor. I fiddled around and
arrived at this F–F–C–C–E%–E% tuning.
You don’t have to restrict yourself
to unison pairs. One particularly nasty
Click here to hear
sound clips.
Sonic Youth tuning is G–G–C#–D–G–G,
with that gnarly minor second in the
middle. Meanwhile Thurston’s “Teenage
Riot” tuning is G–A–B–D–E–G, with
no unisons. The open strings form a
pentatonic scale for a dreamy Aeolian
harp effect (Clip 5).
Clip 6 uses the same tuning, but with
a drumstick shoved beneath the strings
at the 12th fret. This mimics an Asian
zither, especially when you vibrate and
bend strings by pressing down behind the
drumstick.
Strictly stoopid. I saved the stoopidest
one for last. In Clip 7, all six strings
are tuned to G in various octaves. This
is based on the A–A–A–A–A–A “Gary
Glitter tuning,” as heard on “Rock and
Roll (Part 1 and 2).”
YouTube search term:
Gary Glitter – Rock
and Roll (Part 1&2)
I learned this one from Polly Harvey,
who wrote several songs in this tuning,
including “Goodnight,” which I got to
play with her on tour.
YouTube search term:
PJ Harvey –
Goodnight (Live
White Room)
This technique isn’t for everyone. You
might find it overly simplistic and
discordant. But why not try slapping
on a few spare middle strings before
your next string change? At worst,
you’ll be amused. With any luck, you’ll
be inspired.
JOE GORE has recorded and
performed with Tom Waits, PJ
Harvey, Tracy Chapman, Courtney
Love, Marianne Faithfull, Les
Claypool, Flea, DJ Shadow, John
Cale, and many other artists. Joe
has written thousands of articles
about music and helps develop
music tools for Apple and other
clients. He blogs at tonefiend.com.
premierguitar.com
SPEAKER GEEKS
Alnico or Ceramic—What Gives?
C.J. SUTTON
I
’m going to tell you something you
already know: People like different
things. Shocker, right? Apples or
oranges, cake or pie, Strat or Les Paul …
the list goes on. And it seems the more
polar opposite things are, the more likely
a person may gravitate toward one choice
and show disdain for the other. Like
the English and Scottish in Braveheart,
guitarists can end up on opposing sides
ready to do battle over such life-or-death
issues as whether to use tube or solid-state
amps. That said, I urge us all to agree on
one thing: Amplifiers don’t make sound
without speakers. Even the simplest
amplifier can be an extremely complex
piece of electronics, but a speaker is a
very basic electromagnetic motor (Fig. 1).
When you apply signal to a speaker,
the voice coil begins to move in and out
in response to that signal. As a result, the
voice coil creates a magnetic field of its
own, which works against the magnet
and tries to demagnetize it. However, the
magnet generates energy in the opposite
direction, and it becomes a back-and-
forth struggle. Gluing a cone to a moving
voice coil harnesses this motion and
makes it audible. That’s the basic idea
behind a speaker.
A voice coil is like an electric motor.
The bigger the voice coil and the more
wire used, the more torque or pulling
power you have to move the cone. With
the proper match of components, you
can get more sensitivity, wider frequency
response, and more power-handling
ability. The size and type of magnet
also affects a speaker’s sound. There are
two major types of magnets used in
loudspeakers: alnico and ceramic. These
magnet types differ and this difference
affects a speaker’s overall tone. Let’s take a
closer look.
The first crop of speakers in the early
1950s used alnico magnets, which is why
some people say they sound more “vintage”
than speakers built with ceramic magnets.
An alloy comprising aluminum, nickel,
and cobalt, alnico demagnetizes relatively
138 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
easily, which gives a smooth response
with compression at higher average
volumes. As the voice coil’s effect
lowers the available magnetic field
of the alnico magnet, the speaker
becomes less efficient, and the voice
coil moves less. The physics of it
is that the small magnets near the
surface of the magnet poles (called
“domains”) begin to change state, or
flip directions. The result is smooth
compression, which is the same kind
of operating-curve compression that
occurs in a tube amplifier.
During the 1960s, the popularity
of speakers with ceramic magnets
increased. The most common type
of ceramic magnet is strontium
ferrite, which demagnetizes much
less easily than alnico. The domains
change state much faster, so there
is little to no compression as the
The first crop of speakers in the early 1950s
used alnico magnets, which is why some people
say they sound more “vintage” than speakers
built with ceramic magnets.
voice coil moves to its mechanical the battlefield you want to be on. Or
limit. Because the ceramic magnet isn’t you can decide that it doesn’t have to
introducing compression, the result is a come to war at all. That maybe it’s best
cleaner sound in comparison to alnico. to have each type of speaker, so you
Some folks might liken the difference can be ready for whatever tone might
between alnico and ceramic speakers to be necessary at any given time. Some
the difference between tube and solid- players even mix alnico and ceramic
state amplifiers, where one compresses speakers in the same cabinet. Though
smoothly and the other gives all it has different in the way they operate, their
and then clips hard. I don’t know that it’s purpose is the same: to supply energy
a fair comparison because the differences to the motor, so the cone will move and
between the speaker types aren’t as starkly thus everyone will hear whether you’ve
contrasted as the differences between the been practicing or not.
two amp types. Furthermore, by varying
Image courtesy of Weber Speakers
the size of the magnet, it’s possible to C.J. SUTTON is the resident
speaker guru and graphic designer
build very efficient alnico speakers, as at Weber Speakers. He worked
alongside Ted Weber from 2004
well as very inefficient ceramic speakers. until his passing in 2009, soaking
Now that you know the reasons up as much knowledge from the
speaker legend as possible.
why the two magnet types do what
they do, you can decide which side of
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 SIMPLE MAN
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington
gets back to blues-rock basics in a
new album with wife Dale Krantz,
and shares the recipe for
his fat, classic Les Paul tone.
| BY JOE CHARUPAKORN |

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 141

 cat on its ninth life would be wise to trade What inspired Take It on Faith?
places with Gary Rossington. The seemingly We decided to do meet-and-greets with
invincible Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist and Skynyrd every night, and a lot of the fans
cofounder has triumphed over catastrophe kept asking if Dale would ever sing or do
numerous times—including one of the most another album. So we did it for the fans
famous disasters in rock history. In 1977, just three from the Rossington-Collins Band days, and
days after the release of Street Survivors, a tragic plane everybody seems to like it. We’re very happy.
crash put the kibosh on the band’s meteoric rise and
took the lives of members Ronnie Van Zant, Steve I understand the writing process for
Gaines, and Cassie Gaines, and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, among Take It on Faith goes back a decade?
others. Rossington emerged from the rubble with two broken arms, a broken leg Yeah. We always write songs here and
and pelvis, and a punctured stomach and liver, yet miraculously lived. He’s also there. We can’t stop ourselves. [Laughs.]
endured whiskey-and Quaalude-induced car wrecks, quadruple bypass surgery, and We wrote some of them and we took
several heart attacks, including one in October 2015 and one this past summer. some of them from our producer, who
As the last original member still touring under the Lynyrd Skynyrd banner, helped us pick a few songs. It came
Rossington continues along the route he, singer Ronnie Van Zant, and their together real quick.
friends set out on in 1964 as if he’s on a crusade to keep the dream alive. “All these
years later, ‘Freebird’ and some of these songs have taken on an anthem-like feel,” When you revisited the previously
says Rossington. “Everybody yells out ‘Freebird’ or ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ I’m written material, did you make any
the only one left that gets to tell about it.” major revisions?
In addition to his legacy with Skynyrd, Rossington has been part of other Nah. Most of them were blues songs,
projects throughout the decades. Two years after the plane crash, he and Allen and blues never changes. You can play
Collins, another of the founders, formed the Rossington-Collins band. To avoid blues from way back in the day until
accusations of being a Skynyrd knockoff, they brought in Dale Krantz, who now. We just started writing two or three
had previously opened for Skynyrd as a singer with 38 Special. Rossington and blues tunes, and we had a few in mind
Krantz fell in love making music together and eventually got married. After the that we thought were great that we didn’t
Rossington-Collins band disbanded in 1982, the Rossington Band, featuring write. We figured a blues album would
Rossington and Krantz, formed. be fun, but then we went more rhythm
When Lynyrd Skynyrd reunited in 1987, Rossington and Krantz were back in and blues, and picked a few other songs
the fold, where they’ve remained. (By then Collins was paralyzed from the waist that weren’t hard blues … or I don’t
down, due to an alcohol-fueled car wreck. He died in 1990.) And now, almost 30 know what style you’d call it, but it was
years later, they’ve released a new album called Take It on Faith. This time, there’s different than the blues.
no band. The album is simply credited to Rossington. And, in fact, the guitar
legend explains that the songs were recorded seven or eight years ago and awaited Do you prefer old-school recording
release. For the sessions, producer David Z (Etta James, Buddy Guy, Prince) chose methods or today’s hard-drive-based
a diverse group of studio musicians—including Jack Holder on guitar, Bruce approach?
McCabe on keys, David Smith on bass, and Richie Hayward on drums—to lay We just did it with tape—analog, you
down a foundation that would bring Rossington’s vision of a blues-tinged rock know? Put down a basic, overdubbed a
album to life. Notably, Holder and Hayward—also legends of Southern rock— little bit, and “boom,” there it was. For
died before the album was released. blues, that’s the best way. But we did
Rossington, who has otherwise always recorded with bands, says making Take a little Pro Tools for tuning up things
It on Faith was a new experience for him. “A band goes in, works together, and and moving things and this and that.
kind of tries to change things here and there,” he says. “We just went in there and Pro Tools and computer stuff nowadays,
showed these studio guys the songs real quick—sang it once—and then they went I don’t understand all of that, but my
out into the studio, and, bang, it was there. It was so cool.” engineers did and that was real good.
Nonetheless, fans of his big-boned guitar work will be pleased. The title track
features his elegant slide playing on acoustic guitar, and his keening bends, On all of the album’s ripping solos, you
recognizable from decades of recorded and live Skynyrd performances, shine still seem to be focused on maintaining
through on Krantz’ vocal showcase “I Should’ve Known.” Ditto the pinch the integrity of the songs—never
harmonics that decorate the rocker “Good Side of Good” and recall his stellar overplaying. That’s impressive
opening and solo on the classic Skynyrd smoker “That Smell.” considering how much free reign you
On a break from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s still-busy touring schedule, Rossington can have with overdubs.
talked about creating the new album, his love for Gibson Les Paul Standards, and I try. That’s coming from Skynyrd and
his basic-but-effective recipe for achieving his classic sound. trying not to overplay over everybody.

premierguitar.com
142 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 GARY ROSSINGTON’S GEAR
GUITARS
• Gibson Custom Shop
Gary Rossington Les Paul
• Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul Standard
• Gibson Custom Shop ES-335
• Fender Eric Clapton Stratocaster
• Fender Telecaster (customized by late
Skynyrd guitar tech Gary Smalley)
• National resonator
• Gretsch Tennessean
Rock ’n’ roll survivor Gary
Rossington plays one
of his beloved Les Paul
Standards in Bethel, New
York. “Everybody yells out
‘Free Bird’ or ‘Sweet Home
Alabama,’” he says. “I’m the
only one left that gets to
tell about it.”

AMPS
• Peavey Mace 100-watt head
• Peavey 4x12 cabinet with
JBL 120F speakers
• Fender Prosonic Amplifier

STRINGS & ACCESSORIES

• D’Addario NYXLs (.009–.042)
• D’Addario medium gauge-mixed
strings for the National
• Mel Bay green light nylon
contoured picks
• Score Marketing Coricidin bottle
• Buffalo Straps custom leather strap

Photo by Frank White

premierguitar.com
144 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Back in the day we had three guitars and a
keyboard, so that’s all strings. It’s hard to get
all those strings together, and the hardest
part, is not playing. Growing up, we learned
where not to play. Even though you could
play, you leave the space and room. That’s
cool, too.

“I Should’ve Known” alternates between

two feels. How did you come up with that?
It’s just different tempos. The song lent itself
to being played fast or slow. A lot of songs,
when you’re writing or playing them, you
play them a little faster at rehearsal and it
sounds good that way, too. So I just put it
together—the first verse is slow and the next
verse is fast. It seemed to work out. There’s
a few songs like that I’ve heard throughout
the years, and it was kind of fun, having
two tempos in one song.

Was that tricky to record?

Nah, man. It’s on beat. When it picks up the
beat, just jump on and hang on. It’s not that
hard once you’re going.

Tell us about Billy Gibbons’ involvement

on “Good Side of Good.”
Well, he didn’t play on it. I played all the
guitar there. But he cowrote the song. We’ve
toured with him throughout the years, and
became friends. We just love him. He lives
right in Texas, and there’s some guy [Tom
CAPOS & PICKS
Vickers] he writes with. They sent us one
song, and it just seemed to fit our feel. It’s
got a little blues feel to it. It’s just got a weird
sound on it and there’s a piano, too. On that
particular song, I used my Les Paul, the one
I always use. When I went to the studio I
also took a Strat, a Gretsch Tennessean, a
Telecaster, an ES-335… hopefully to get a
different sound than Skynyrd.

Even with all those axes, you’re ultimately

a Les Paul guy, aren’t you?
I always use Les Pauls. With Skynyrd, I thaliacapos.com
always used my ’59 Les Paul the whole
time until 1977. I just use reissue Les Paul
Standards now. They’re still old and good.

Are you still using the Les Paul that we

looked at in our 2011 Rig Rundown that was
damaged in the 2010 Nashville flood and
restored by RS Guitarworks in Kentucky?

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 145

 I use that one sometimes. It’s real, real
Buttery slide playing heavy. The newer ones are lighter, and
is one of Rossington’s
they still sound great if you get them all
signatures. Here,
he uses a medium- tuned up.
sized reproduction
of a Coricidin bottle. How would you describe the perfect
Occasionally he plays in Les Paul?
open G, but mostly he
slides in standard tuning.
To me, it’s the Les Paul Standard.
Humbucking pickups are great. I love
the warm tones that you can get, and
if you turn the treble up really high on
the amp, you can get kind of a Fender
sound, too, with a Les Paul. But you
can’t get a Les Paul sound with a Fender.
I always liked Gibson—really because
of Keith Richards and Brian Jones. Way
back when I was learning to play, they

Photo by Tim Bugbee/Tinnitus Photography

had Les Pauls. I saw them on The Red
Skelton Show and I just fell in love with
that guitar.

What about amps?

I’ve used a Peavey Mace throughout my
whole career, really, even in the early
days back in the ’70s. But we also use

premierguitar.com
146 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Marshalls. Peavey and Marshalls, to me, sound
pretty similar if you get them side-by-side. The
Peavey seems to carry out into the crowd more,
and have that tone even 100 feet out, whereas the
Marshall seems to get a little tinny when you get
out front.
What do you use for gain—the amp or pedals?
I just use the amp, but put the preamp up high
and the regular volume down, so it’s dirty. If you
turn the guitar volume knob, like, halfway down,
it’s a lot cleaner. That’s what I do, I play all my
rhythms on 4 or 5, and for leads, I just crank it up
and it gets that bite.
Can a guitar with the volume rolled-off get
clean enough for something like, say, the intros
to “Simple Man” or “Sweet Home Alabama?”
Yeah, but actually that’s a Stratocaster doing that
“Sweet Home Alabama” intro. Sparky [Mark
Matejka], our guitar player now, does it, and it was
Ed King that started it. I play the little lick right after.
So there’s a Fender sound and a Les Paul sound.
You’ve got other guitars throughout the album.
It sounds like a 12-string on “Where Did Love
Go?” and a dobro on “Take It on Faith.”
Yeah, I played dobro on “Take It on Faith” and
“Something Fishy,” and a couple of songs here and
there. I just love that. I wish I could’ve played it
more, but we didn’t record that much. We only
did it in a few weeks. The studio cats were so good
they put down one or two tracks a day, and we
just went in and overdubbed on them—played
some lead, and “bang,” we’re done.
There was a 12-string and an acoustic up
front on “Where Did Love Go?” and we kind
of brought it down a lot so it doesn’t sound real
twangy. I just played slide on that song. Wayne
Perkins wrote it and it’s a beautiful song. He’s a
good friend of mine from Alabama.
Will you tour with Dale to support Take It
on Faith?
on the road and everything is good. at night and doing all the other
She takes care of me. I’m a mess these stuff like talking about the old
days with my health. [Laughs.] I had guys and the original band. That’s
a couple of heart stents put in. But what I try to do everyday, to keep
I’m feeling great and I’m playing, the dream alive and keep them
and we’re enjoying our grandkids and alive. It’s a lot of hard work, but
taking a few weeks off here. it’s worth it and it’s fun. It’s all I
know how to do.
Being on the road is hard.
Yeah, it’s a lot of work, just the Do you ever get tired of playing
traveling. Playing for the people the Skynyrd stuff?
Jennifer Adams Laurie Anderson Felipe Andreoli Jeremy Arrowood Pat Badger Adam Baldych
Randy Barnes Cindy Baucom Quintin Berry Ron Bienstock Blake Bowen Andre Bowman
Damien Boyd Karen Briggs Jorg Brinkmann Michael T Brown Michael Burd Gregory
C. Byers Jeffrey Byrd Rob Calder Jean-Michel Charbonnel Eric Chardon Grace C h a t t o
Noor Cheree Paul Dateh Jennifer Choi Brandon Christy Anthony Cimorosi
Jonathan Clarke Les Claypool Annie Clements Jacob Collier Evan
Coniglio Anthony Cooperwood Shiah Coore Claire Courchene
Jeff Cox Jim Creeggan Ryan Cross Stefan Custodi Connie Darden-Young
David Darling Paul DeJong - The Books Carlos DelPino Robert Derhak
Yvette M. Devereaux Ramin Djwadi Casey Driessen Charles S.
du Chateau David Dyson Steve Earnhart Jeff Elbel Lee
England Jr. Dan Eubanks Markus Fahrenberger Joseph A
Fazio Silvio Ferretti Robin Finck Ken Ford Dave Fowler
Zach Fowler Adam Frederick Ed Friedland Eugene Friesen
Brittany Frompovich Lucine Fyelon Geoff Gascoyne
Nora Francesca Germain Kristian Gilmore Tatiana Glava
Yorgis Goiricelaya Tomaz Goleviewski Thaddeus Graham Derek
Gray Alan Grubner John Hanifin Robert Harper Winston Harrison
Anna Heifetz Harold “Hal” Henkel Bill Holt Edward Howe Simon
Huber James Hutchinson Trevor Hutchinson Aleksey Igudesman Dean Jarvis
Jeff Jenkins Theresa Jenkins-Russ Jun Jensen Benjamin Johnson Ben Johnson
Polo Jones Kameron Keller Ryan Kienle Jody King Gregoire Korniluk Sandra
Kreisler John Krovoza Bakithi Kumalo Gary Kuo Mat Labess Scott Laird Juho
Laitinen Jonathan LaMaster Mark Langis Paul R. Langosch Zoltan Lantos Morwenna
Lasko Tony Levin Gard Lewis Derrick Long - DeRock Ulrich Maiss Robbie Malone Janice
Martin Timmy Massey Melissa McGinley Mike Meadows Avery Merritt Jim Messina
Tom Michael Eric Mingus Philippe Mius Cregan Montague Glen Moore Jason Moore
Joseph Patrick Moore Miles Mosley Tony Mowell John Mullett Juan Nelson Jeremy Nesse
Tommy Nichols Kenny O’Quinn Steve Octave Chance Onody Aleksey Orlov Alex Page
Mike Parker Christopheur Payne Pedro Perez Kyle Perkins Chase Potter Paul Priest Vernon
Prout Dustin Pyrtle Mugurel Radu Michael Rais John Regan Ernst Reijseger Benny
Rietveld Bonnie Riley George E. Rodgers III Michael Rosch Zachary Rudulph
Bryan Russell Sav Sankaran Bahman Sarram David Sartore Anna Schaad Sarah
Clanton Matthew Schoening Ron Shuffler Khari Simmons Sean O’Bryan
Smith Olivier Soubeyran Jesse Stern Kersten Stevens Danny Stewart
Mike Sugar Patrick Swoboda Wayne Taylor THERoberto Tiezzi
Michael Thurber

We haven’t planned it yet. If it calls for it, or we get

Tim Tipton Pascal Tirapani Paul Turner
Jimmy VanCleve Marcos Varela Rick
some offers, we would, I guess. We’re touring all over Vitas Dr. Gregory Walker Matt Wallace
the world with Skynyrd so we’re taking a few weeks Hitoshi Watanabe Brandy Weeks
off for the holidays, and then starting back up. Weskewicz Kevin Williams Jedi Willis
Woods Billy Wright Charles Yang
Anne-Colombe Martin Bonnie
Is it hard to separate work and life
Bud Snyder Buffi Jacobs Christian
with Dale? Blair Daniel Perry Darrol Anger
No, man. We just get along really good and she’s Abraham Glenn McDaniel Grace
my best friend. If we weren’t playing music together, Josef Crosby Joseph Smith
we’d still be hangin’ together. We help each other Larson Kristian Attard Louis
ARTISTRY
Michal Urbaniak Etnoacustica
Marcel Radina Veliova Christopher
OF
Charles M. Ward Jr. Rob Wasserman
Jair-Rohm Parker Wells Danushka
Doug Wimbish Adrienne Woods Chris
Jason Yang Andrea Young Ion Zanca
Paine Brazilian 2wins Bryan Kuban
Hebel Craig Jarvis Dango Rose Daniel
David Leikam Dominic Peters Frank
Chatto Jacob Collier Jasper Lorentzen
Judy Kang Julie Lyonn-Lieberman Katie
Ochoa Luis Espaillat Margot Lane Maurice

Ned Steinberger.com
Ellis Melissa Priller Mendosa
Villalobos Rhonda Smith
Mendosa “LOY” Mitchell Brown Nicholas
Richard Egolf Rob Zisette Sam McMahan
Tatiana Glava Todd Williams Vonnie Quinn Wytold Lebbing Zack Clark

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 147

 Nah, man. It’s a pleasure and an honor
for me. Back when it was new and we
first wrote it and toured with it, it was
magic to us that we could do it, and
that we finally made it after all those
years of trying. That was our dream.
And to play it now … unfortunately
Ronnie and a lot of the guys in the
band, after the crash, they never got
to hear “Freebird” and “Sweet Home
Alabama” be played for years and turn
YOUTUBE IT
Gary Rossington and the 2003 edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd—
including Blackfoot founder Rickey Medlocke and Outlaws
frontman Hughie Thomasson on guitars—tear through the
classics “Simple Man” and “That Smell.” Both songs are
showcases for Rossington’s burly tone, roughhouse licks, and
singing feedback technique. He’s playing one of his beloved
Les Paul Standards while Thomasson jams on a Fender Strat and
Medlocke plays a Gibson Firebird, the preferred instrument of
original Skynyrd co-guitarist Allen Collins.
YouTube search term: Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man | That
Smell (Live)

into classical music.

It’s great that you’re still staying true to
your roots, after all these years.
We just do what we do. Unfortunately,
Ronnie would have gone on to be a great
songwriter, which he already was. He was
one of the best I’ve ever heard. His lyrics—
he had a magic way of talking to people,
and the common person. But as far as
Southern music, that’s just the way we play.
Are there any new artists that have
caught your attention?
Like I said, I’m an old blues guy so I
listen to old blues. And I love the Beatles,
actually, and all the old groups like the
Yardbirds. I listen to that stuff. We were so
lucky—our generation that grew up with
the Beatles. These kids nowadays, I don’t
think they know how to appreciate real
musicianship with real people that try to
rehearse all day to sound good. [Laughs.]
There’s not a lot of bands around anymore
that tour all the time. There’s a lot of solo
artists with dancers, but never a real band.
But I’m gonna keep on going until I can’t.
Where do you see yourself during the
next 10 years?
Oh wow! I don’t know the future, really.
I just see us doing some more tours with
Skynyrd stuff. We’re loving that and will
keep on going until our farewell tour,
whenever that might be. Anything me and
Dale get going with this album … who
knows, in the future we could do another
album or songs. It’s hard to do a whole CD
now because people just stream one song or
two. You don’t have to do a whole album
now because nobody cares. [Laughs.]

HAND CRAFTED HIGH FIDELITY

AVA I L A B L E F R O M T H E F I N ES T R E TA I L E RS WO R L D W I D E
W W W. M I L K M A N S O U N D . C O M

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148 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
ON BASS

Click here to
hear clips from

It’s All in the Approach this lesson.

BY VICTOR BRODÉN

I
Photo 1: n most modern styles of music, our
Approach A7’s main job as bassists is to provide a
1
root from below
by playing
basic harmonic foundation. There are
G# with the several reasons for this, but it’s mostly just
second finger. because it sounds good. Usually there are
other instruments whose job it is to play
Photo 2:
the colorful chord tones, which can include
To approach A7’s
root from above, upper structures of a chord that extend well
play B using the beyond simple triads. Most non-bassists
fourth finger. will agree: One of the worst things you can
encounter in an ensemble is a bassist who
isn’t holding down the bottom end due to
overplaying. Too many inversions or too
many notes won’t win you friends.
A happy medium is to aim for rock-
solid playing while adding just enough
personal touches to make a lasting impact
on both the audience and your fellow
musicians. So this month, I want to share
2
the fairly basic concept of approach notes
through a fun, musical set of exercises.
Approach notes will add personality to
your chord tones, and if you apply the
knowledge tastefully, it can really take your
playing to the next level. Let’s use an A7
chord to illustrate the process. The formula
for a dominant 7 chord is 1–3–5–%7,
relative to a major scale starting from the
chord root. For A7, this yields A–C#–E–G.
We’ll start by approaching every chord
tone from below. Set your metronome
to a comfortable, quarter-note tempo
and play these first three exercises as
eighth-notes. The first order of business
is to approach the root—A. As shown in
Photo 1, begin by playing G# on the 4th
string with your second finger, and follow approached all four chord tones from a the same fret, so make sure you play the
that by playing A on the next fret with half-step below. Once you’ve played this note with the softer, meaty part of your
your third finger. Next up, approach the 3 exercise ascending, reverse directions and finger. (By flattening out the last knuckle
(C#) from below by playing C (3rd string, descend through the same set of moves. of your second finger, you don’t have to
3rd fret) with your first finger, then C# The next exercise approaches the move your fingertip off the A you played
(4th fret) with your second finger. target notes from above. As shown in before fretting D, and this will keep the
Root and 3—so far, so good. Now Photo 2, start with your fourth finger whole exercise sounding very legato and
repeat the same concept to approach the on B (4th string, 7th fret), and then relaxed.) Now move down to the 3 by
5 (E). Use your third finger for D# (3rd play the A—our root—located two playing C# with your first finger.
string, 6th fret), and your fourth finger frets below with your second finger. To To approach the 5, play F# (2nd
to play the E (7th fret). Finally, approach approach the 3 from above, place your string, 4th fret) with your first finger,
the %7 (G) by playing F# (2nd string, 4th second finger on D (3rd string, 5th fret). using that knuckle-rolling technique I
fret) with your first finger, and G (5th This requires you to use the same finger just described, and then E with your
fret) with your second finger. We’ve now you just fretted the 4th string with on fourth finger (3rd string, 7th fret). Last,

premierguitar.com
150 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Photo 3:
Nailing E—A7’s
3
5—from D#, a
half-step below.

Photo 4:
Approaching G
(A7’s %7, played
by the second
finger) by way
of A (fourth
finger) and F#
(first finger).

approach the %7 by first playing the A

4
(2nd string, 7th fret) and then tagging
G two frets below. Use your fourth and
second fingers, respectively.
As with the previous exercise, once
you’ve reached the last note, flip the pattern
around and descend to the low root.
A real ear-bender, the exercise
illustrated in the next two photos is my
favorite. In it, you’ll approach every
chord tone from both above and below.
This means the notes will be in groups of
three, so set your metronome to a slower
quarter-note tempo and play this exercise
as eighth-note triplets.
Start with your fourth finger on B
(4th string, 7th fret), followed by G# (4th
fret) with your first finger, and then A
(5th fret) with your second finger. See Finally, Photo 4 shows the %7 approach
VICTOR BRODÉN is a Nashville
how that works? that occurs entirely on the second string: bassist and producer who has
Approach the 3 by playing D, C, and A (fourth finger, 7th fret), F# (first finger, toured and recorded with more
than 25 major-label artists,
C#—all on the 3rd string—with your 4th fret), and G (second finger, 5th fret). including LeAnn Rimes, Richard
third finger, first, and second fingers. These exercises can add pizzazz to Marx, Casting Crowns, and Randy
Houser. His credits also include
Next move to the 5 by playing F# (first your bass lines and serve as a great Grammy-winning albums and
finger, 2nd string, 4th fret), then D# (third launching pad for soloing, so I hope numerous television specials
on CMT and GAC, as well as
finger, 3rd string, 6th fret), and finally E you’ll find them useful. If you’ve been performances on The Tonight
Show and The Ellen DeGeneres
(fourth finger, one fret higher). The last stuck playing triads, you have now Show. You can reach him at
half-step shift is shown in Photo 3. officially been set free. vbroden@yahoo.com.

premierguitar.com
152 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 153
BASS BENCH
Time to Put Your Bass on a Diet?
BY HEIKO HOEPFINGER
W
One of these hen you bring your axe
bridges is very to a local shop for some
light, but only
a hands-on
minor repairs or a hardware
inspection of upgrade, it gives you an opportunity to
the uninstalled chat about the advantages or drawbacks
hardware will let of certain mods. You might also get
you experience
a chance to physically inspect some
the differences
that lurk beneath uninstalled hardware, and this tactile
the finish. experience can be quite instructive.
The whole point of modding a bass is
to improve it aesthetically, sonically, or
ergonomically. Photos and sound samples
can guide your decisions in the first two
categories, but many ergonomic decisions
require personal, hands-on engagement.
Most of us only know the overall
weight of our bass—too heavy, right?—
but rarely do we know the weight of
its various components. So once a
player gets a chance to make a direct
comparison between uninstalled solid
brass and aluminum bridges, it prompts
a question: “What if I replace all my
standard hardware with the lightest
available equivalents?” After hefting
brass and aluminum bridges, one’s initial
expectations are usually high. Of course,
there are other considerations than simply
weight. Do you like the tone or look of
the new parts? Can you afford them? As
the saying goes, your mileage may vary.
But here’s a good question to start with:
How much weight could I actually save?
The heaviest components that come
to mind are those composed mostly
of metal—the tuners, bridge, pickups,
and even knobs. The market not only
offers all these in many functional
variations, but also made from different
materials, which of course translates into
different weights. Brass and steel are the
materials that most often get replaced by
aluminum. Here’s a first impression of
what to expect by looking at the densities
or specific weights of two common
hardware metals expressed in grams per
cubic centimeter (g/cm3):
• Brass 8.5
• Aluminum 2.75
154 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
And just for comparison: Most woods
range within 0.4 to 0.8 g/cm3, which
hints at why we don’t see many metal bass
bodies—or at least no solid metal ones.
The fact that aluminum’s density is
more than three times lower than brass
implies that any hardware made from
aluminum is just a third the weight of
its brass counterpart. Unfortunately,
aluminum lacks hardness, so all screws
and many load-bearing parts still need to
be made from brass or steel. Nonetheless,
the weight differences can be impressive.
Let’s begin with the tuners. Saving
weight here makes a lot of sense because
it fights neck heaviness and benefits the
instrument’s overall balance. A standard
bass tuner weighs in at approximately
60 grams, while the lightest aluminum
versions are 36 grams, which means a
reduction of 40 percent.
And in the case of the aforementioned
bridges, you can easily drop from 250
grams to a mere 90 grams. That’s a
60-percent weight reduction. Typical
5-string humbuckers weigh about 200
grams, while the Lace Aluma pickups go
as low as 70 grams—a reduction of 50 to
70 percent.
Swapping knobs is the easiest and
cheapest way to trim weight. And
presumably not even the most diehard
vintage purist would claim that moving
from a 30-gram brass knob to a 4-gram
plastic or aluminum knob—a weight
savings of more than 80 percent—would
extract a sonic penalty.
Now let’s sum up what we could
potentially save on a 5-string bass with
five controls that weighs a total of 4
kilograms or 8.8 pounds in its original
condition: 670 grams or 1.4 pounds—
about 15 percent of the bass’ overall
weight. Does this really justify the
presumed cost? And even if you have
a lot of expertise gauging the potential
tonal effect of swapping out parts, it’s
hard—or even impossible—to know
what you’ll sonically end up with after
changing this much hardware.
So far we’ve been targeting parts
made of the densest materials, but more
voluminous parts can easily add way
more to the bottom line. Most Jazz-bass
bodies range between 4 to 6 pounds,
so you can save almost twice as much
weight by replacing a heavy body than
going after hardware.
Okay, back to the beginning: Does
replacing parts make sense? It can,
especially if there are parts you want to
replace anyway, but it never makes sense
to do all of the above. It costs more
to trick out a bass this way than buy a
new one, and you’ll never wind up with
a better instrument than one that was
originally conceived as a whole.
If your beloved bass feels oppressively
heavy, here’s a thought: Keep it as it
is and play it seated for practice and
recording, and get a cheap light one for
stage use. When we’re onstage we all want
to present ourselves in the best light, but
that doesn’t mean we have to be playing
the best sounding instrument. The only
ones who would likely hear the difference
are other bassists, and they won’t buy
your latest record anyway. If you sound
good, bassists will credit the instrument’s
manufacturer, but if you play well
because you feel comfortable, the glory is
on you.
HEIKO HOEPFINGER is a
Image courtesy of basslab.de
German physicist and long-time
bassist, classical guitarist, and
motorcycle enthusiast. His work
on fuel cells for the European
orbital glider Hermes led him to
form BassLab (basslab.de)—a
manufacturer of monocoque
guitars and basses.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 155
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 Out
Click here to hear
audio examples
from this lesson and
download a PDF.

About
To improvise compelling solos, you sometimes
have to violate the conventional rules of harmony.
Open your ears and discover how to harness the power of
controlled chaos with these four easy principles.
| BY ADAM LEVY |

“C
an we talk about outside
playing?”
One of my guitar
students asked me this recently. This
shouldn’t have surprised me, because
for quite a while the student had been
working so hard at playing inside. For
example, if he was improvising over a
tune and the sheet music indicated an
Am7%5 in the third measure, he was able
to outline that chord in a really musical
way. He had developed his ears and
technique to a level where he could “make
the changes,” as jazzers say, whether
playing jazz, blues, rock, or other styles.
As anyone who’s done the woodshedding
Photo by Tedra Walden
done all of this. Then, one day, he was
hungry for something different.
As I’ve been teaching for 25 years or
so, I’ve had more than a few students
reach this point in their development.
Dishearteningly, when such players start
to seek information on how to play
outside from online resources, in books,
and from some teachers, they’re likely
to encounter thesaurus-like approaches.
To play outside over Dm7, these are the
12 scales you can use. To play outside over
A7, these are the 17 arpeggios you can use.
Does anyone really improvise like that?
Possibly so, but I sure don’t. In my own
experience as a teacher—and as a lifelong
hearing, and then playing, sounds that are
beyond listeners’ expectations.
With that in mind, I’d like to show you
my approach to outside playing, both as a
performer and in my teaching practice. It’s
based on a handful of easily understood
principles, all of which are derived from
one big-picture concept: Outside is inside.
(Or, less succinctly put: Outside one
thing is inside something else.) What I
mean is that when we want to play notes
beyond the prescribed harmonic structure
of any song, we’ve still got to be thinking
inside some other structure—an alternate
harmony, or melodic motif, or rhythmic
motif. Wherever you’re at in your own

knows, this is no small achievement. student myself—I’ve come to believe that development as an improviser, I think
There are so many rules to heed, so many the path to outside playing is not merely you’ll be able to understand the principles
formulas to memorize, so many fingering rote memorization of exotic scales or presented here and apply them in your
patterns to get down pat. My student had arpeggios. It has more to do with actually own musical escapades.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 157

 Play from triad shapes, not 6-string scale patterns.”
Start with Triads
The first principle is this: Play from triad
shapes, not 6-string scale patterns. For
instance, if we’re going to improvise over
an Am chord, we can use a simple Am
triad (A–C–E) as our starting point, as
opposed to the commonly employed A
minor pentatonic scale (A–C–D–E–G)
or A natural minor scale (A–B–C–D–
E–F–G). Why would we bother with
such a small shape when we could easily
grab two octaves of scalar material?
Good question! The answer is twofold.
First of all, scales are finite. If we choose
to play, say, A minor pentatonic, that
obliges us to using only the five notes
of that particular scale. We’re setting
tight boundaries, when the whole point
of outside playing is to be free from
such restraints. Secondly, when we use
common two-octave scale fingerings, it’s
easy to rely on muscle memory rather
than actually appreciating the quality of
each individual note.
When we start with just three notes,
it’s much easier to hear what’s going on.
Improvising over four measures of A
minor, using just the notes of our Am
triad, we might play something like Ex.
1. Play this example a few times, then
improvise your own four-measure phrases
at the same tempo (142 bpm), using only
these three notes. Be certain that you
can really hear each of the notes you’re
playing. If you can’t, try taking the tempo
down a few notches and practicing awhile
at the slower pace.
Once you’re comfortable improvising
this way, it’s time to step outside. We’ll do
that by allowing access to the notes that
are a half- or whole-step above or below
each of our triadic tones. (These nearby
notes are sometimes called “neighbor
tones.”) Ex. 2 was improvised using such
neighbor tones. You can analyze the non-
triadic tones–G#, G, F, E%, and B% (7, %7,
%6, %5, and %9, respectively), but harmonic
specificity isn’t the point here. What we’re
after is introducing some non-triadic
sounds that we can hear in relation to the
triadic tones. Ex. 3 is another variation,

Ex. 11
Ex.
Moderately fast q = 142

‰ œj j
Am
4 œ Œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ ˙™ Œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ
& 4 Ϫ J .

—
mf 1/4

˙
5
5 5 5 5 5
7 7 7 7 7 7

Ex. 22
Ex.

˙™
Moderately fast q = 142

j œ
Am
4
& 4 œ™ œ Œ ‰ œ #œ œ œ ‰ nœ Œ ‰ bœ œ bœ œj ‰ Œ
J .
mf

˙
5 6
5 5 8 5
7 7 6 5 6 5

Ex. 33
Ex.

˙™
Moderately fast q = 142

#œ ‰ #œ nœ œ œj ‰ Œ
Am
4
& 4 œ™ œ Œ
J ‰ bœ bœ nœ #œ ‰ nœ. Œ
J
mf

˙
5 7
5 8 6 5 6 5
7 8 5 7

premierguitar.com
158 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
WASHBURN IS A DIVISION Of us MUSI( Cerni'' A DIVISION OF )AM INDUSIRl[S, LID 11000 (ORPORArl GROVE DR I BUIFALO GROVL ll 60089 I 800 877 6863
 Ex. 44
Ex.
Moderately slow q = 84

Ϫ Ϫ Ϫ
D

Ϫ
4 j œ j j
& 4 #œj œ œ œ #œ œ
J œ œ #œ œ œ #œ
mf

˙
3 3 2 5 3 2
2 4 2 4 2
4 4

Ex. 55
Ex.
Moderately slow q = 84

nœ ™ bœ ™
D

bœ ™
4 j œ œ #œ j œ j œ
& 4 #œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ
J #œ œ J
mf

˙
9 8 10
7 9 8
8 7 10 9
9 10 9

using the same concept. Once you get the

Rhythm can be the

hang of these lines, improvise your own at
the same tempo. Next, you may want to

driving force behind

try different phrase lengths and different
tempos. There are Am triad shapes in
various inversions all over the fretboard, so
take time to explore those too.
There are many other chord qualities
as well. Be sure to practice all of the
common sonorities. For major-type
chords (A, A6, Amaj7) or dominant-type
chords (A7, A9, A7%9, and so on), use
A major triads. For minor-type chords
(Am, Am7, Am11, and the like), use A
minor triads. For diminished and half-
diminished chords (Adim7, Am7%5), use
A diminished triads. (I’ve kept everything
rooted on A here for simplicity’s sake.
You’ll need to practice in all of the major
and minor keys, not just A.) If you
want to craft melodies that have a wider
melodic span, pick two triads in different
areas of the fretboard and practice playing
phrases that bridge the two positions.
Rhythm Rules
Did you happen to notice that the first
three examples are all built upon the same
rhythmic structure? If so, you’ve already
melodic invention.”
caught a glimpse of our second principle:
Rhythm can be the driving force behind
melodic invention. This may be obvious to
some, but it’s an easily overlooked idea.
Too many tenderfoot improvisers jam
simply by choosing a scale position and
roving around within that box. While this
won’t lead to playing any so-called wrong
notes, it’s not likely to lead to many
musically right-on choices either, because
the convenience of familiar fingerings
is prioritized over essential musical
elements, such as rhythm and melody.
For a moment, let’s think solely about
rhythm, without regard to the melodic or
harmonic implications. We’ll start with
the opening riff to Radiohead’s “Airbag,”
which, I hope, is familiar to you. The
rhythm is simple and repetitive. That’s
just fine for our purposes here. If we were
to superimpose a D major tonality and
decide to work from a 1st-inversion D
major triad in 2nd position (on strings 4,
3, and 2), we might improvise something
like Ex. 4.
Now, what if we were to improvise
on the same rhythmic structure and
completely eliminate any harmonic
context? To lend a bit of shape to the
chaos, let’s keep it all in one area of the
fretboard, say, 7th position. That might
lead to something like Ex. 5. When we
open our scope to include all possible
notes on the fretboard, it’s easy to feel
overwhelmed, which may inhibit the flow
of our creative juices—the exact opposite
of our intention. Claiming a specific
parcel of the fretboard for this exercise
can help us stay on task. A particular
position is an easy framework to impose

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160 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Strong melodic motifs are malleable and moveable.”
when improvising. Focusing on just one
string is another kind of limitation that
can spark some fresh melodic substance,
as illustrated in Ex. 6 (played entirely on
the 3rd string).
Note that Ex. 4 is clearly tonal, with
the key of D major being outlined by
the melody, while Examples 5 and 6
have no central tonality. Outside playing
is not always as black-and-white as this.
At any given moment, we may choose
to play mostly inside, taking just a
few adventurous sidesteps. Or we may
embrace total musical pandemonium.
Or we may decide to live anywhere
along the continuum between these
two polarities. As you practice playing
outside, be sure to explore varying
degrees of relative outness.
Motif Manipulation
Once you’ve got the hang of using a
single rhythm to generate multiple
melodic possibilities, our next principle
should be relatively easy for you to grasp
because it’s closely related: Strong melodic
motifs are malleable and moveable.
Take, for instance, the well-known
phrase that opens Mozart’s “Eine kleine
Nachtmusik” (Ex. 7). It starts with a
two-measure melody outlining a G
major chord (the I chord, as this piece
is in the key of G major), followed by a
melodic variation that outlines D7 (the
V7 chord in this key). Mozart’s melody is
so ingeniously simple and strong that we
can liberate it from its diatonic lockup
without sacrificing the intrinsic charm.
The chord suggested in measures
three and four of Ex. 8 could be analyzed
as F#m6 (or, perhaps D#m7%5). That
particular harmony wasn’t premeditated.
It was simply where my ears
spontaneously led my fingers as I skirted
Mozart’s original, but it never hurts to do

Ex. 66
Ex.
Moderately slow q = 84

Ϫ Ϫ
D

bœ ™ œ™
4 j œ œ œ bœ œ #œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ
&4 œ J J J J
mf

˙
2 3 7 12 10 8 6 4 6 11 14 9 7

Ex. 77
Ex.
Moderately fast q = 150

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
µ
#4 œ œ œ
& 4 ‰ œJ ‰ œJ Œ ‰ J ‰ J œ Œ
mf

7 10 8 8 8

˙
8 8 8 8 10 10 10 7 10
7 7 7 7

Ex. 88
Ex.
Moderately fast q = 150

œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ #œ
µ
#4 œ œ
& 4 ‰ œJ ‰ œJ Œ ‰ J ‰ J Œ
mf

7 10 9 9 9

˙
8 8 8 8 10 10 10 7 10
7 7 7 8

premierguitar.com
162 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Playing inside alternate chords will
sound outside to everyone but you.”
Ex. 99
Ex.
Moderately fast q = 150

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
µ
#4 œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ J J ‰ J ‰ J œ ‰
& 4 J J
mf

7 10 8 8 8

˙
8 8 8 8 10 10 10 7 10
7 7 7 7

Ex. 10
Ex. 10
Moderately q = 116

œ
E7
##4 œœ œœœ
j œœœœ œ 3 #œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ 3

& # #4 Œ œ œ œ nœ#œ œ Œ œ bœ œ nœ#œnœ ˙

3 3 3 3 3
mf

˙
5 5 5 7 9 5 7 5 5 9 9 8 8 7 7 5
4 6 4 6 6 4 4
5 6 9 8 7 5 6

some analysis after the fact. (Especially if
the improv pleases your ears.)
In one final variation (Ex. 9), the
implied harmony (two measures of I,
two measures of V7) is the same as in
Mozart’s original. The difference here is
solely rhythmic. Notice how the phrase in
measures three and four swings in a totally
different way—yet is still recognizable
as a natural extension of measures one
and two. How much can you tweak the
rhythm of a phrase before it loses its
character? There’s only one way to find
out: Start tweaking and keep listening.
Alternate Chords
Though suggested harmonies can happen
extemporaneously, there are times when
we’ll intentionally superimpose some
different harmonic colors over whatever
chords are inherent to the music at
hand. This is the idea behind our final
principle: Playing inside alternate chords
will sound outside to everyone but you. Let’s
say we’re improvising over a bluesy E7
vamp. Playing totally inside, we might do
something like Ex. 10.

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164 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Ex. 11
Ex. 11
Moderately q = 116
E7 C7 E7
# ## 4 œ œ œ nœ bœ
&# 4 Ó nœ #œ nœ œ Œ Œ ‰ œj bœ œ nœ œ nœ #œ œ nœ œJ ‰ Œ

mf

˙
5 5 5
7 7
5 6 8 5 8 7 5 5 6
7 7

Ex. 12
Ex. 12
Moderately q = 116

nœ bœ nœ ™
Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7 G C E7

##4 œ bœ nœ œ nœ ‰ œj nœ nœ œ nœ nœ nœ
nœ œ œ™ œ
& # #4 Œ J bœ Œ J Œ
3
mf
7

˙
6 8 6 4 6 4 5 8 7
6 5 4 5 7
6 6 5 7

If we want to stray a little bit outside
of the E7 zone, C7 would be an
interesting choice (Ex. 11). It’s got one
note (E) absolutely in common with
E7. C7’s 5th degree (G) is a piquant %3
(or #9) against the E7, while the C7’s %7
degree (B%) is E7’s blues-approved %5. The
root of C7 is harder to justify against E7
(it would be the %6), but overall C7 has
enough overlap with E7 to make it an
accessible choice.
If we want to wander a little further
from home base, we might play Ex. 12.
There’s a bunch of implied harmony
here. In the first two measures, we’ve got
B%m7–E%7–A%maj7 (IIm–V7–I in the key
of A%). What helps connect this remote
key to E7 is the emphasis of the note A%,
the enharmonic equivalent of G#, E7’s 3rd
degree, which begins and ends the phrase
in measures 1 and 2. In measures three
and four, the implied G and C chords
both share common tones with E7. There’s
no formula to memorize here. Just bear in
mind that common tones can be helpful
gateways between inside and outside
sounds. (The chords notated in Examples
11 and 12 aren’t meant to be played.
They’re the chords I was thinking about
while improvising over E7.)
Before wrapping up this lesson,
let’s review the four principles we’ve
explored here:
• Play from triad shapes, not 6-string scale
patterns.
• Rhythm can be the driving force behind
melodic invention.
• Strong melodic motifs are malleable and
moveable.
• Playing inside alternate chords will sound
outside to everyone but you.
These aren’t the only ways to take your
playing outside, but the principles are
simple and effective, and can be suited
to just about any style. Remember, one
of our goals throughout this lesson has
been to really hear every note we’re
playing, regardless of how inside or
outside it may be.
One final thought to leave you with:
If you really want to play outside,
you’ve got to attune your ears to such
sounds. Listen, lots and lots, to players
who routinely bend the conventional
rules of music. You’ll have to find
your own favorites, of course. Among
mine are Nels Cline, Marc Ribot,
Mary Halvorson, Jeff Parker, and Noël
Akchoté. How these guitarists developed
their unique musical sensibilities is
likely different from how I’ve refined
mine. Still, I suspect that even when
they’re taking their music way, way out,
there’s still some organizing principle
(or insideness) at work—however
obscure it may be—that helps marshal
the mayhem.

premierguitar.com
166 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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STATE OF THE STOMP

The End of Mystery

BY BRADY SMITH

O
Brady Smith ver each of the past 10
and his team at years, things have changed
Old Blood Noise
exponentially for marketing a
Endeavors are
shown here hard product or brand. For the guitar pedal
at work on a industry, the mystery has diminished.
YouTube video The world isn’t as large. Magical pedals
to announce one are more attainable and, as a result, less
of their projects.
magical. It’s not that there isn’t top tier,
tasteful, and dramatic pieces of gear
created every year. There are. But they’re
easy to come by, easy to procure, easy to
know about. It’s all so easy. Think about
the first time you heard the word “Klon”
and how long was it until you actually
heard what a Centaur sounded like?
By that point, the pedal was probably
legendary—if for no other reason than
its mystery.
The ease of exploration and discovery
is great. The internet has everything. online marketplace where, if you were the customer. Today we use social media
Social media has everything. I’m not either gullible or smart enough to send to show the customer what we have, what
complaining, but I’ve found myself a complete stranger money, you could we’re doing, what we’re working on, and
reflecting on how showing guitar pedals wind up with vintage and unique gear what we like. It’s a lot of noise, but that’s
to friends, bandmates, and even customers otherwise geographically untouchable for the game. And we are playing. So we take
has changed. The marketing landscape has a teenager in, say, Oklahoma. My pedal pictures and make videos so we won’t be
evolved from word-of-mouth and print world grew larger still. forgotten or left out of the mix.
advertisements to blogs and social media, Back then an advertisement in a guitar Woof. I’ll admit it: I’m a little grumpy
and will continue to change. publication carried the most weight. The about the state of things.
For example, the first “boutique” pedal only way to hear about the new Electro- In 2016, there’s no mystery left.
I ever sought out was the Fulltone Full- Harmonix pedal was to skim a magazine. Posting a photo to social media instantly
Drive 2. I’d stomped through my Line And if you were lucky, the local Mars transfers intimate knowledge of new
6 DM4 Distortion Modeler and needed Music or Guitar Center would have one products and availability, which is great.
something to capture what I considered in stock to try out. But only if you were I do it. I like doing it most days. But it’s
at the time to be the desirable tone. A lucky. Not long ago, the unlucky went also terrible. Everybody knows everything
friend of a friend lent me his Full-Drive without. So it was a thrill to search for without working for it, and I can’t help
2, and I was in. I’d never heard of it new and different gear at a good price. but feel that we don’t deserve to know
before. I didn’t know how or why it was Then eBay and Craigslist gave everything about everything—at least not
different. I just knew that it made my way to music stores with e-commerce without working for it and taking the
amp sound “better.” It provided magical capabilities, offering products beyond journey to find magical and new guitars,
dynamics that I’d never thought to their immediate geographic region. This pedals, and gear. But that’s all right.
pursue. That was in 2003. I didn’t know gave every distributor and reseller an There’s always next year and there will
where or how to find one. After much opportunity to step up their advertising always be new and unexpected ways to
searching, I found one. And I knew that and marketing game. A quick web search discover and display what’s next.
hardly anyone else in my universe had flashed all the options in front of any
one. It was unique. Exciting. And my potential buyer. So your picture, your BRADY SMITH is the cofounder
of Old Blood Noise Endeavors
pedal world slowly began to grow. tagline, your deal had all better stand and the Coffee & Riffs video
Everything was relatively new and, out. The audience was larger, but the series, as well as a part
time guitar tech. Despite his
therefore, everything suggested by a competition was—and is—greater. deteriorating posture, he has a
friend or the local guitar guru was worth Here’s the catch-up to now: direct sales strong affinity for Jazzmasters
and aluminum necked guitars.
checking out. And there was eBay—the and marketing from the manufacturer to And coffee. And sleep.

premierguitar.com
168 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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MOD GARAGE

Four Ways to Configure a 4-Conductor Humbucker

BY DIRK WACKER

T
his month we’re going to explore Fig. 1
four ways to configure any
humbucker that has 4-conductor
wiring. (Note: These wiring schemes
are not intended for an old-school
humbucker with 2-conductor wiring, but
rather the modern humbucker that allows
coil-splitting and other wiring mods.)
For starters, let’s review our
terminology. Looking at a humbucker
from the front, we call the lower coil
“south” and the upper coil “north.” The
south coil is always the “screw side,”
while the north coil is the “slug side.” The
latter is named for the type of magnetic
material used on this coil. Each coil is
wrapped with very fine wire, and this
wire has a start and a finish. This results
in a total of five wires coming from the
humbucker: into whatever color code corresponds Fig. 2
to your particular brand of humbucker.
• North coil start plus north coil finish. Fortunately that’s not too hard—you only
• South coil start plus south coil finish. need to know which color wire on your
• Ground. pickup indicates the start or finish of
which coil. Once you have that info, you
The bare wire or braided shield always can draw up a reference chart to decode
goes to ground—there’s no exception—so this column’s wirings.
that leaves us with four wires to play Here’s the Seymour Duncan
with. Having access to the start and finish 4-conductor humbucker color code: Here are the connections for series
of each coil wire not only makes it easy wiring (Fig. 2):
to solve potential out-of-phase issues (a • North coil start is black; north coil
subject we’ll cover in another column), finish is white. • North coil start is the hot output.
but it also gives you the option to wire up • South coil start is green; south coil • North coil finish and south coil finish
your humbucker in one of four different finish is red. are soldered together and taped off
ways. If you’re ambitious, you can use • Ground is bare wire. (this is the series link).
a switch to put several options at your • South coil start is soldered together
fingertips. Fig. 1 sums up what we’ve covered so with the bare wire going to ground.
Every pickup company uses its own far in the Seymour Duncan format. Now
color-code scheme for these four wires. let’s walk through the four ways you can “Single-coil” humbucker wiring:
This makes discussing humbucker wiring wire up a humbucker. Ready? both coils connected in parallel. This
a little more confusing than necessary, Standard humbucker wiring: both option gives you a single-coil-like tone,
but that’s the way it is. As usual, I’ll use coils connected in series. This is the but still retains hum-cancelling capability.
the Seymour Duncan color code as a default wiring in almost every guitar It doesn’t deliver a crystal-clear Strat
Illustrations courtesy of singlecoil.com

quasi-standard. You should be able to get
color-code information for your pickups
from their maker, and there are several
charts available on the internet that let
you compare color-code schemes from
different manufacturers. You can use such
charts to translate the following wirings
loaded with one or more humbuckers
because it produces a warm, fat tone
with maximum output while offering
hum-cancelling capability. (It’s also the
factory standard for all humbuckers with
2-conductor wiring consisting of only hot
and ground.)
or Tele tone, but to my ears it at least
resembles a single-coil pickup—maybe
closer to a P-90 than to a standard single-
coil. Every type of humbucker sounds a
little different when wired this way, so
it’s simply a matter of giving it a try to
determine if you like the sound.

premierguitar.com
170 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Parallel wiring (Fig. 3) requires the
following connections:
• North coil start and south coil finish
are soldered together as the hot output.
• North coil finish and south coil start
are soldered together with the bare
ground wire.
Coil-splitting humbucker wiring #1:
splitting to the south coil. This wiring
172 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
splits the humbucker in half, shunting
one coil to ground and leaving the
other coil engaged like a true single-coil
pickup. In this mode, the hum-cancelling
function is no longer active, so you’ll
get the hum and noise of any single-coil
pickup. But don’t expect a true Strat or
Tele tone: If that’s your goal, investigate
the special breed of humbuckers that are
made out of two real single-coil pickups.
The downside of this type of pickup
is that it doesn’t sound great in a full
humbucker mode, so, as we’re so often
reminded, it’s about compromise.
Splitting to the humbucker’s south
coil, which is the screw side, is only
recommended for neck pickups. (You’ll
learn why we’re excluding the bridge
pickup when we get to our fourth wiring
scheme.) Let’s also remember that in most
guitars with neck humbuckers, the south,
screw-side coil lies closest to the neck.
For this coil-splitting wiring (Fig. 4),
you need the following connections:
• South coil start is the hot output.
• North coil start, north coil finish, and
south coil finish are soldered together
with the bare ground wire.
Coil-splitting humbucker wiring
#2: splitting to the north coil. This
wiring follows the same concept as our
previous coil-splitting recipe, but leaves
the north coil active—that’s the slug side.
This version is recommended for a bridge
humbucker because pole-piece slugs deliver
a fuller sound than pole-piece screws.
Here are the connections for our
second coil-splitting wiring (Fig. 5):
• North coil start is the hot output.
• North coil finish, south coil start, and
south coil finish are soldered together
with the bare ground wire.
Well, that’s it. In a future column we’ll
explore how to integrate and control all
these options with the help of a switching
device. And, of course, we’ll learn how
to compensate for possible out-of-phase
issues that can occur when you combine
several humbuckers or a humbucker
with a single-coil. But next month, we’ll
dig into a project designed to make a
Telecaster more sonically flexible. Until
then ... keep on modding!
Illustrations courtesy of singlecoil.com
DIRK WACKER lives in Germany
and has been a guitar addict since
age 5. He’s also a hardcore DIY-er
for guitars, amps, and stompboxes
and runs a website on the subject
(singlecoil.com). When not
working at his guitar workbench,
he plays country, rockabilly, surf,
and flamenco. Contact him at
info@singlecoil.com.
premierguitar.com
bridgeplate assemblies &
compensated saddles
 ASK AMP MAN

Supercharging a Super Reverb

BY JEFF BOBER

Q:
where the signal from the preamp is
Hey there from Argentina! Love your articles! attenuated in the circuit prior to reaching
I have a 1966 Super Reverb amp, all original. I’m looking to mod it the phase inverter. This can work fine
lightly to have early breakup (now it’s at about 7). I don’t like pedals, in many instances where the preamp is
so wanted to ask you for advice. designed to achieve distortion, and is the
Thanks so much, case with most mid- to hi-gain amplifiers.
Martin The drive is developed in the preamp
and that signal is fed to the output stage
via the master volume at whatever level
necessary, with the output stage being

A:
Hello Martin,
Glad you’re diggin’ the
column … in Argentina!
And, might I say, nice amp. The Super
Reverb is definitely one of my all-time
favorites. It has great midrange content,
which we all know (or should) is where a
guitar belongs in the mix, because, well,
a guitar is a midrange instrument. And
at only 40 watts, it can be pushed into
overdrive easier than higher-powered
amps (although not as easily as, say, a
Deluxe), and sometimes that’s the power
range we need for smaller venues. That
sounds like the situation you’re currently
looking to solve, so let’s see if I can help
you with some options. You mentioned
you’d be open to modification, so let’s
start with suggestions there, and then I’ll
give you other options, too.
Mod 1: Install a master volume.
Master volumes come in a few different
styles and affect the signal differently. A
standard type of master volume is one
used, for the most part, as a source of
clean power.
There is another type of master
volume—the simplest of all, actually—that
acts to combine the two out-of-phase
signals from the phase inverter before
they reach the output tubes. And what
happens when two out-of-phase signals
are combined? For those who don’t know,
they cancel out. Therefore, the signal being
sent to the output tubes is shut down in
varying degrees, from not-at-all to full.

At only 40 watts,
a Fender Super
Reverb can be
pushed into
overdrive easier
than higher-
powered amps
and is at a good
power range for If you decide to
smaller venues.
use a Variac-style
device, lowering
the wall voltage
10 to 15 volts
may get the
results you’re
looking for.”
Photo by GabeMe

premierguitar.com
174 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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 Unfortunately, neither of
these would work well for you,
in my opinion, as there is not
much in the way of overdrive
that can be achieved in the
preamp section of a typical
Fender amp. What I would
recommend is a master volume
that actually changes the signal
prior to the output tubes to
simulate a bit more drive—and
yes, they do exist. They’re called
post-phase inverter master
volumes, or PPI’s. There are
two different types that, when
reduced from maximum volume,
begin to actually flatten out the
Above: If you’re peaks of the signal being fed to the
running a 5AR4 output stage, which tends to mimic an
rectifier tube overdriven output stage. This is one way
in the amp, try
a 5U4. Super
to get more “apparent” overdrive from
Reverbs have your amp at a lower volume. These master
vacillated volume circuits can be found by you or
between them your tech on the internet. I would suggest
over the years searching “The Trainwreck Pages”
while using the
same mains online for more background.
transformer. This is an article written
by the late Ken Fischer of
Right: Removing Trainwreck Circuits in the
the 6L6 output
tubes, installing
mid 1980s. You’ll enjoy it.
Yellow Jackets in Mod 2: Convert to a
the tube sockets, quasi-triode mode. Have
and inserting your tech either convert your
a pair of EL84
amp, or install a switch, so
tubes into the
adaptors reduces you can run your output
the output by stage in a quasi-triode
20 watts. mode. This can reduce
the output power by
approximately 40 percent
and generally causes the
amp to have a somewhat
smoother response. This
can be done by simply
disconnecting the screen
grid voltage from pin 6,
which is being fed to the
WARNING:
All tube amplifiers contain lethal voltages. The most dangerous voltages are
stored in electrolytic capacitors, even after the amp has been unplugged from
the wall. Before you touch anything inside the amp chassis, it’s imperative that
these capacitors are discharged. If you are unsure of this procedure, consult your
local amp tech.
176 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
screen grid of the tube via the 470-ohm
resistor connected between pins 6 and
4 in a Fender amp. Simply connect
the pin 6 connection of that resistor to
pin 3 of the socket, which is the plate
connection of the tube. Connecting the
plate to the screen grid through that
470-ohm resistor causes the tube to
run in a quasi-triode mode. This can
also be accomplished with a heavy duty
DPDT switch so you can run the amp
in either standard pentode more or
triode mode for those smaller venues.
Non-mod 1: Swap rectifier tubes.
If you’re running a 5AR4 rectifier
tube in the amp, try a 5U4. While
the 5U4 draws a bit more filament
current than the 5AR4, Super Reverbs
have vacillated between them over
the years while using the same mains
transformer, so this should not be
an issue. As far as the difference, the
5U4 should lower the plate voltage
by 10 to 15 volts, and it seems to
compress a bit more. So, if you’re
The Brown Box was developed to run
looking for merely a subtle change,
vintage amplifiers at the voltages that were
this may be all you need.
present when the amp was designed, which
Non-mod 2: Install a Yellow in the U.S. was closer to 110 or 115 volts.
Jacket tube converter. This
allows you to convert the output
stage from 6L6 tubes to 6BQ5s. it’s impedance specific: You purchase a
You simply remove the 6L6 output 2-ohm model for the Super Reverb.
tubes, install the Yellow Jackets in Non-mod 4: Use an external voltage
the output tube sockets, and insert reduction unit. Try something like a
a pair of 6BQ5 (EL84) output Variac or a Brown Box. The Brown Box
tubes into the adaptors. The output was developed to run vintage amplifiers
is now reduced to approximately at the voltages that were present when
20 watts, but because the EL84 is the amp was designed, which in the
the baby brother to the EL34, the U.S. was closer to 110 or 115 volts,
tonal characteristics of the amp as opposed to the typical 120+ volts
will change and have a bit more currently supplied. If you decide to use
mids with less top and bottom. a Variac-style device, lowering the wall
But hey, vive la différence. voltage 10 to 15 volts may get the results
Non-mod 3: Use an external you’re looking for.
attenuator. There are certainly I hope that makes your Super Reverb
plenty out there. Just be sure super for all applications.
JEFF BOBER is one of the
godfathers of the low-wattage amp
revolution. He co-founded and was
originally the principal designer
for Budda Amplification, though
he launched EAST Amplification
(eastamplification.com) in 2010.
You can catch his podcasts at
ampsandaxescast.com or email
him at pgampman@gmail.com.
premierguitar.com
 TOOLS FOR THE TASK

Partial Capos
Whether you’re a beginner hoping to make starting out a little easier or a seasoned player who wants to explore
alternate tunings and sounds, a partial capo—like the 10 examples here—can open up a new world of possibilities.

1
WEASELTRAP RECORDS
Harmonic Capo 1
Ideal for use with open tunings, this capo lightly touches
the strings to create harmonics (instead of clamping the
strings), which allows fretted notes to be played above or
below the capo.
$34 street
weaseltrap.com

2
CAPO CLIPS 2
E/A/D Capo Clip
This device works with most any spring-loaded capo to
create a partial capo that provides open-E tuning without
retuning. Other key configurations are available.
$10 street
capoclips.com

3
3
G7TH
Newport Partial #3
This cut capo clamps three strings for a variety of
different tunings and features a fine-tuning tension-
adjustment screw for dramatically reducing common
tuning and sustain issues.
$21 street
g7th.com
4
4
KYSER
Short-Cut
Whether used alone or in combination with a standard
capo, the Short-Cut was designed to make simple chord
progressions even easier and alternate tunings reachable
without retuning.
$17 street 5
kysermusical.com

5
PITCH-KEY
PK-01
While not technically a capo, this device—which installs
behind the nut—enables a player to set up two different
pitches for a particular string, and allows quick switching
between the two.
$33 street
pitch-key.com

premierguitar.com
178 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Look for this icon
to click and
purchase the gear.

6
6 SPIDER CAPO
Spider Capo Std.
This universal partial capo lets players capo each string
individually, which allows for the exploration of new
tunings, keys, textures, and harmonies.
$29 street
spidercapo.com

7
LIBERTY GUITAR
Flip Model 43
This easy to adjust and operate capo is reversible, which

7 allows it to function as a 3-string or 4-string partial capo,

depending on the chosen tuning/configuration.
$24 street
libertyguitar.com

8
SHUBB
C8B
By skipping the 6th string and clamping the other five,
8 emulating drop-D tuning is a breeze with this lightweight
brass capo that features over-center clamping action.
$25 street
shubb.com

9
WOODIES
G-Band II
These low-profile capos grab the outer two strings (top or
bottom) of a standard steel-string guitar and work up to
the 7th fret.
$12 street
woodieshanger.com

9
10
PLANET WAVES BY D’ADDARIO
10 NS Drop Tune Capo
Designed for drop-tuning use, this capo’s micrometer-
adjustment mechanism allows players to dial in the exact
tension needed for clear, ringing notes without excessive
force on the neck.
$15 street
daddario.com

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 179

REVIEWS
Quick Hits
FOXPEDAL
Defector
By Jason Shadrick
Foxpedal’s Defector Fuzz is a modern
take on the Russian-built version of the
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff, but with
some somewhat secret features. There
are two parts of the pedal: a rather gritty
boost and a 4-stage transistor fuzz. The
boost (controlled with the pre knob) feeds
into the fuzz, but it can also be engaged
independently. Unity gain for the boost is
at about 9 o’ clock, although even here I
noticed the bubbling influence of the fuzz. You get a little bit
of dirt at lower boost settings, and when you crank it all the
way it yields a medium-gain, classic-rock vibe.
In the center of the pedal is a small toggle that can move
through three different fuzz flavors: silicon-diode clipping
(classic Muff), no clipping, and LED clipping. Used without
the boost engaged, the fuzz circuit is beefy and rich, with
plenty of low end—especially in the LED mode. But the
MVP here is the mid control: As you dial it counterclockwise
it adds a hump, while turning it the opposite direction gives
it the classic scooped Muff sound. If you can’t get over the
old-school scooped sound, then this knob alone is worth the
price of admission. Fuzz pedals aren’t meant to be timid, and
the cranked Defector is fat and saturated without any fizziness.
And it gets bonus points for its flexible tone controls and rock-
solid construction.
TEST GEAR Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster,
Fender Hot Rod Deville ML212
PROS Creative tone controls.
$199 street, foxpedal.com Very handy boost. Plenty
of gain.
Tones
CONS None.
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pedal.
180 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
SPECTOR
Timbre
By Rich Osweiler
When revered bass designer Stuart Spector went to work
conceiving a new acoustic bass guitar, strength and
responsiveness were at the front of his mind. In
turn, the jumbo-sized Timbre is constructed with
laminated mahogany for the back and sides, and
Spector went with an offset-soundhole design and
ladder bracing—rather than X-bracing—for the
solid Sitka top. Outside of some minor scratches on
and around our tester’s neck-joint bolts, the build
quality was tight and clean from top to bottom.
Unplugged, the Timbre produced a clean, dry tone
across the rosewood fretboard. It’s one of the louder acoustic bass
guitars I’ve had my hands on in recent memory, and the sound
projected well across my not-huge living room, but I was also
on my own. As with other instruments in this category, you’ll be
plugging in if you’re playing with others and want to be heard.
The Fishman Presys+ preamp is capable of wide-ranging
tone shaping through its 3-band EQ and brilliance dial. Rich,
earthy tones came forth with the Timbre plugged in, and I
especially liked what I heard with the mids dialed down and
the bass, treble, and brilliance set around 1 o’clock. The clean,
woody sound had plenty of thump for walking bass lines along
the Timbre’s comfy neck. If you’re after acoustic low-end tones
without the heft and hassle of an upright and you like the idea
of an acoustic bass guitar with an aesthetic different than most
others, a Timbre tryout could be time well spent.
TEST GEAR Gallien-Krueger 800RB, Orange OBC212,
Focusrite Scarlett 2i4
PROS Good build. Top-
$699 street, spectorbass.com notch electronics. Nice tones.
Visually striking.
Tones
CONS A touch pricey
Playability compared to others in its class.
Build/Design
Value
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this bass.
premierguitar.com
 TC ELECTRONIC FREE THE TONE
Tailspin Ambi Space
By Charles Saufley By Shawn Hammond

There’s a lot of anticipation about
TC Electronic’s new affordable
stompboxes. Much of it is related to
the rock-bottom prices. The Tailspin
is just 50 bucks. But after a spin with
the Tailspin, I suspect enthusiasm for
the sounds will rival the excitement
around the price.
Ridiculously inexpensive analog
vibrato has been a reality since TC’s
parent company Behringer built the
UV300 Ultra Vibrato. But the Tailspin’s bent metal enclosure
and robust construction make the TC pedal an altogether
more appealing proposition. Tailspin exhibits none of the
design shortcomings that make budget pedals unappetizing.
The potentiometers turn with satisfying resistance. Jacks are
stout and secure. The footswitch is smooth. And the pedal
is relatively quiet for an analog circuit. Even the minimalist
graphics are refreshingly stylish.
It’s the sounds that really sell you, though. There may
be more complex-sounding vibrato units out there, but
the Tailspin delivers many of the quivering undersea tones
favored by Boss VB-2 fans. Both speed and depth controls
have expansive range. And if it lacks the deep dimensionality
needed to simulate Leslie sounds, it delivers variations on those
textures that are very appealing in their own wobbly way.
TEST GEAR Fender Jaguar, Fender Telecaster Deluxe, Silverface
Fender Bassman, Fender Champ
The Ambi Space puts six 32-bit
reverbs and four programmable
presets into a box that feels
uncluttered despite its nine top
controls—two footswitches (on/
off and a preset-cycler), five
knobs (mode, mix, tone, decay,
and pre delay), and two small black buttons (one selects
manual or preset mode, and edit saves settings to the selected
preset). In preset mode, knobs are deactivated, effectively
preventing clumsy feet from wreaking havoc. In manual
mode, the mode knob cycles through reverb types: spring,
plate, room, hall, “cave,” and “serene.”
Each ’verb type boasts outstanding fidelity and virtually
no harshness, even with a Tele bridge pickup and Ambi’s
tone maxed. The spring and plate sounds are impressively
convincing, and room and hall modes really do yield a feel
like the spaces they emulate. Serene offers a valiant effort
at ethereal spacey-ness, while the hint of reverse ’verb in
cave’s tails sounds strange yet organic. The latter two were
my favorites for experimental sounds, but even at maximum
settings they’re pretty staid compared to the competition—
although the pre delay knob (one of the most natural
sounding I’ve encountered) helps expand quirky horizons a
bit further.
TEST GEAR Squier Vintage Modified Tele with Curtis Novak
pickups, Goodsell Valpreaux 21 driving Weber Blue Dog and Silver
Bell speakers

PROS Deep, immersive PROS Pristine tones. Cool

$50 street, tcelectronic.com analog vibrato tones on the $330 street, freethetone.com “cave” setting. Stereo ins
super-cheap. Fun to use. Stout and outs.
construction. Looks cool.
Tones Tones
CONS Pricey. Somewhat
Ease of Use CONS None. Ease of Use conservative sounds. MIDI but
no expression input?! Presets
Build/Design Build/Design
hard to discern onstage.
Value Value

CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pedal. CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pedal.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 181

REVIEWS
EASTWOOD
Jeff Senn Model One
By David Von Bader
E
lectric guitar culture has rarely strayed far from its mid-
century birthing grounds. Manufacturers still cling to
designs that were forged between the late-’50s and early-
’60s. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to explore those
themes in imaginative ways, and Eastwood Guitars—which
based its early business on homages to oddball mid-century
designs—is exploring its own retro-futurist tangents with guitars
like the Model One, designed by Nashville-based luthier and
tech Jeff Senn.
George Jetsonsmaster
Though you can see bits and pieces of iconic guitar designs in the
Model One—most notably, Fender offset cues—the Senn feels
original and unified. You never get the sensation that you’re holding
a cherry-picked mish-mash of classic parts. Even so, the vintage
Jazzmaster-style tremolo
and roller bridge
Basswood body
182 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
charm is strong. And while the Model One is clearly a product of
lust for the Space Age (it actually looks like it’s flying when hanging
from a strap!), there are certain aspects of the design, like the
headstock, that look a little more streamlined and 21st century.
With its basswood body, our demo Model One weighed
less than eight pounds and balanced nicely on a strap. (The
streamlined headstock is almost certainly an asset here.) The fit
and finish of the guitar are excellent where it counts most—the
metallic red that covers its body and neck is free of blemishes.
And the fretwork is smooth and consistent up the neck.
The Eastwood/Senn has a maple neck topped with a
rosewood fretboard that’s built around a comfortable D shape
that’s substantial without being chunky. In fact, it feels a little
like a ’50s-style Stratocaster with a much flatter fretboard radius.
While the Model One is built around a Gibson-style
Airline VVSC
single-coil pickups
premierguitar.com
 24 3/4" scale length, the Jazzmaster-style
vibrato provides a bit of extra string
length and tension, which, to my ears,
gives the Model One a little more top-
end resonance. These specs add up to a
playable and relatively pliable axe, but
with a string tension that makes it a killer
rhythm machine.
The Model One produced zingy
high-mid jangle tones and lots
of garage-rock snarl.
The Senn/Eastwood’s control array is
functional: a volume knob, a tone knob,
and a 3-way pickup switch in the shape
of a white flipper that looks nicked from
an old tube radio. While the pickup
selector knob looks cool, it didn’t always
feel as immediate, accessible, or robust as
it could be. The vibrato arm also could be
more responsive. It had a loose feel that
made deep bends seem a little imprecise.
On the upside, the roller bridge is a big
improvement over traditional Jazzmaster-
style bridges and does a fine job of
keeping the guitar in tune when you use
the vibrato heavily.
Bell Chimes and Beefy Tones
Model One tones feel like the product
of well-considered design moves. Clean
22-fret neck
premierguitar.com
tones are articulate and biting with
plenty of chime—thanks in no small
part to the duo of deceptive single-coil
pickups lurking beneath the Model
One’s chrome, humbucker-style covers.
The pickups are the same single-coils
Eastwood uses in its Airline guitars,
which are inspired by the Valco models
found in many late-’50s Supros,
Nationals, and Airlines. I really liked
the tones of the Airline Vintage Voiced
Single Coils. But customers that dig
the Model One aesthetic yet prefer the
muscle of humbuckers can take solace in
the fact that most PAF-style pickups fit
without any additional routing.
As the Jazzmaster-style vibrato
suggests, endless sustain is not a major
part of the Model One equation. The
attack is killer and the overtones are
colorful, but you’re a long way from
Les Paul-style hang-time. That said,
through an Orange Rocker 30 1x12
combo, the Model One produced
zingy high-mid jangle tones and lots of
garage-rock snarl. The Airline VVSC
pickups remained articulate when
filtered through beefy Muff-style fuzzes
and the Orange’s midrange-y EQ profile.
And though it has great capacity for
detail, the Model One just about begs
you to bash away at simple, brassy
chords. Using the bridge pickup and the
Rocker 30 at full volume, the Model
One dished muscular, MC5-riff tones
and laser-sharp lead sounds that never
seemed harsh.
Through a clean, Fender-style amp,
the Model One happily delivered British
Invasion chime and sparkle with plenty
of plunky, twangy top end on tap, and
I have no doubt it would excel with a
set of flatwound strings and a touch
of compression for even-more-vintage
sounds. The neck pickup is smooth and
flute-like with plenty of presence. It also
flattens out gracefully for jazzier passages
with a little tone attenuation.
The Verdict
If you’re looking for an original design
that remains fundamentally rooted in
a vintage aesthetic, the Senn/Eastwood
Model One is a killer, affordable option.
And for less than $700 (including a gig
bag), you get a balanced, well-built, and
thoughtfully designed guitar brimming
with detailed vintage tones that can run
from jangly to raunchy.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this guitar.
Eastwood Jeff Senn Model One
$679 street
eastwoodguitars.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
PROS Killer looks and vibey vintage
sounds. Available left-handed.
CONS Some hardware feels cheap for
this price range.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 183
REVIEWS
SANDBERG
Forty Eight
By David Abdo
B
ack in the late ’50s and early ’60s, Gibson challenged
tradition by introducing a number of futuristic-
looking instruments, including the Explorer and the
Thunderbird. While their shapes may not have been immediately
favorable to the masses, the Explorer and Thunderbird have long
since solidified their place in rock lore. Inspired by these classic
templates—but also motivated to tweak some of their commonly
cited shortcomings—Holger Stonjek of Sandberg Guitars and
Chicago Music Exchange’s Marc Najjar put their heads together
to dream up the Sandberg Forty Eight bass. It’s an instrument
that boasts aggressive styling with modern technology, tonal
versatility, and a boatload of wow factor.
Flying a New Bird
The Forty Eight’s looks combine the curvaceous corners of a
Thunderbird with the angularity of an Explorer. The body of our
test bass was constructed from alder (ash is used for matte-finished
Sandberg Powerhumbucker
Sandberg V-style
split-coil
Sandberg bridge
Push/pull
volume/mode knob
184 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
models), and a neck carved from Canadian hard-rock maple that’s
topped with a rich, rosewood fretboard is bolted on.
The gorgeous teal-metallic finish with gold racing stripes pairs
well with the assertive body shape and invokes memories of
Speed Racer vehicles. Our tester was made extra sporty with the
cool, matching headstock option as well as the “hardcore-aged”
relicing that gives the instrument character without forcing a
vintage vibe. In short, the Forty Eight looks pretty badass.
What really sets the Forty Eight apart is Sandberg’s electronics
and hardware package. A Sandberg V-style split-coil pickup rests in
the neck position for full, warm tones, while one of the company’s
Powerhumbuckers resides in the bridge slot for delivering bark
and bite. The pickups are dressed with aged-metal pickup covers
that contribute nicely to the vibe. Tone shaping is provided by
Sandberg’s 2-band active preamp, which can be disabled for passive
operation via the push/pull volume knob. And to complete the
package is Sandberg’s proprietary hardware, which provides pinpoint
premierguitar.com
 accuracy for intonation adjustments, string
stability, and overall playability.
Go, Forty Eight. Go!
Historically, critics of Thunderbird
basses have cited balance issues and
cumbersomeness. Sandberg was no doubt
savvy to this, since the Forty Eight held
its position in most playing angles when
strapped and standing. Not only that—
the Forty Eight’s balance held up in a
seated orientation as well.
The Forty Eight’s fast neck provided
effortless shifting and string crossing, and the
satin finish felt smooth against my thumb.
As someone who usually plays 34"-scale
instruments, I found the 35" scale to be
quite manageable. (The standard scale length
for the Forty Eight is 34".) Never did it feel
like I had to reach for the lower notes of the
fretboard. My only concern was in the upper
portion of the fretboard, where the deep
neck joint prevented my hand from reaching
the upper three frets of each string. Yes, it’s
the nature of the beast with this body style,
but at a price a touch north of 3K, I’d love
to have easy access to all of the notes.
Another not-uncommon gripe with
some Thunderbird-style basses is the
3-point bridge, known for providing some
challenges when setting up string height.
I appreciate that the Forty Eight has been
outfitted with Sandberg’s standard bridge,
where the string height can be adjusted at
each saddle. These saddles also allow shifts
in string spacing and easy adjustments to
intonation, and the locking mechanisms
for each saddle are a nice touch as well.
Forty Eight Bottles of Tone
I did not expect the Forty Eight to
be so sonically versatile. Basses of this
premierguitar.com
style are known for having—dare I
say—thunderous tone, but the Sandberg
pickups and electronics made it much
more than a one-trick pony.
To start out, I plugged the Forty
Eight into a Bergantino B|Amp paired
with a Bergantino HD112 cabinet, and
pulled up the volume control to set the
bass in passive mode and reveal the true
characteristics of the instrument. The
neck pickup on its own produced lush,
thick mids accompanied by lows that were
supportive rather than overpowering. And
the impressive 5th string felt solid while
it delivered bowel-shaking notes with heft
and bell-like clarity.
Soloing the bridge pickup delivered
tight, bark-y mids that would even
pleasantly surprise Jaco disciples, and
balancing both pickups created a focused,
scooped sound, with a top-end bite that
would fit nicely in most modern musical
styles. The responsive tone knob added
to the palette by topping my sound with
clang and bite, or tempering the highs for
brooding, deeper characteristics.
Ear-pleasing tones summed up my live
experience with the Sandberg Forty Eight
as well. Gigging with a blues-rock trio at
a medium-sized club, I expanded my rig
by adding a Bergantino HD210 to the
B|Amp/HD112 setup. When I soloed
the neck pickup and slightly boosted the
lows for a jam of Albert King’s “Killing
Floor” and “Born Under a Bad Sign,” the
tone was big and warm, and it established
a thick foundation that proudly held its
own within the loud ensemble.
Balancing both pickups in active
mode and boosting the highs and lows
created a smoking modern slap tone that
punched the low notes and projected the
popped strings with a pleasant edge—
perfect for a contemporary approach
to Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t
Do for Love.” And when soloing the
bridge pickup for tunes like Steve
Wonder’s “Superstitious,” the Forty Eight
shined by barking hard and giving my
5th-string notes a snarling intensity. I
can report that at the end of the night,
both listeners and bandmates lauded the
extreme looks and tonal versatility of
Sandberg’s newest creation.
The Verdict
The Forty Eight is simply a great-looking
bass with tones that will suit most
musical situations. The Powerbucker and
split-coil pickups provide a wide palette
of timbres, all the way from clean and
contemporary to dark and dirty. With
its excellent balance, playability, and
high-end hardware, Sandberg’s hybrid
design essentially eliminates the issues of
the models that influenced it. The Forty
Eight’s price tag places the instrument in
a range that typically caters to financially
comfortable players, but it’s hands down
one of the best Thunderbird- or Explorer-
style offerings I’ve had my hands on.
Sandberg already had a solid reputation
for improving on tradition, and the Forty
Eight confirms it’s well deserved.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this bass.
Sandberg Forty Eight
$3,035 street (as equipped)
sandberg-guitars.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
PROS Superb looks, playability, and
tonal versatility.
CONS Difficult to reach upper regions
of the fretboard. Pricey.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 185
 BOUTIQUE GUITAR EFFECTS MADE IN THE USA SINCE 1993 WWW.BLACKCATPEDALS.COM 203.764.2644

premierguitar.com
186 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017

MILKMAN
Pint
By Joe Gore
T
he term class A is often misapplied by naïve guitarists
and sneaky amp manufacturers. Maybe it’s because the
letter A signifies premium quality. Doesn’t class A/B
sound sort of second best, as if the device could barely manage
an A-/B+ in amplifier school?
For example, Vox amps are not class A, though they can
deliver sounds with class-A characteristics: explosive treble
energy, the early onset of harmonically rich distortion, and a
tendency toward loose, spattery tones. True class-A amps (also
premierguitar.com
REVIEWS
known as single-ended amps) usually have just one output tube.
That’s a design often used in vintage practice amps—notably the
Fender Champ (which probably makes Clapton’s tweed Champ
tones on “Layla” rock’s best-known class-A colors).
But there’s a rare exception to the “class A = one tube” rule: A few
vintage amps, including Gibson’s GA-8, deploy two outputs tubes
in parallel, essentially treating the pair as a single tube for increased
output. And that’s exactly what’s going on inside the 10-watt Pint,
the latest creation from San Francisco’s Milkman Sound.
Spring reverb and
tube tremolo
True class A
operation
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 187

Handwired on
turret board
12" Jupiter ceramic-
magnet speaker
Fantasy Fender
Milkman has a reputation for exquisite
Fender-derived amps, handcrafted
with audiophile parts and painstaking
attention to detail. Pint is a spinoff from
the 5-watt Half Pint, a sort of über-
Champ powered by a single 6V6 tube.
Pint is similar, except—you guessed it—it
employs two 6V6s in parallel for double
the output.
That’s a configuration Fender never
used, which makes Pint a sort of
Fullerton fantasy—something Leo might
have conceived if he’d pursued dual
single-ended circuits. And sure enough,
Pint provides a compelling take on the
Champ sound, but with greater power
and several killer upgrades.
A Pint of Perfection
Pint’s build is a thing of beauty. The
solid pine cabinet is flawless. The top-
shelf parts include Mercury Magnetics
transformers and Jupiter capacitors. The
12" ceramic speaker is also by Jupiter.
(Alnico-magnet speakers from Jupiter
and Celestion are upgrade options.)
The components are neatly arrayed on
turret board and linked by fastidiously
organized wires. In addition to the two
6V6s, there’s a 5Y3 tube rectifier, plus
12AX7s for the preamp, trem, and reverb.
Yep, Pint is sort of a Champ on
steroids. The shimmery cleans are detailed
and three-dimensional, with ample low
mids to balance their sparkle. Tones start
clipping relatively early in the volume
188 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
Two 6V6 power tubes
knob’s range, but all settings are extremely
touch-responsive. It’s easy to control the
amount of distortion via finger pressure
and guitar knob adjustments. You can
literally go from warm, sweet jazz tones
to violent clipping without touching the
amp. Class-A circuits are by nature less
efficient (that is, quieter) than their A/B
equivalents, but Pint’s dual power tubes
are at least loud enough for small gigs
with light-touch drums and bass.
Presence Plus
Be aware, though, that while I’ve given
Pint the highest possible tone rating, the
amp’s maximum-volume sounds aren’t for
everybody. Many players romanticize class
A distortion until they actually encounter
it. The hot class-A sound is bright, noisy,
and at times painfully present. If you
prefer your high-gain tones tight and fat,
this simply may not be the circuit for
you. (Whenever I post demo clips of a
maxed-out tweed-style amp, discerning
readers inevitably inform me how crappy
I sound.)
Take these comments as clarifications,
not criticisms. I happen to dig anarchic
class-A overdrive. You can also generate
less harsh colors with lower amp volume
settings and overdrive pedals. Also, the
two tone controls are perfectly voiced to
shape distorted tones. The treble knob
can help tame that brutal presence or
add sheen when playing darker-toned
pickups. The bass knob also helps rein
in diffuse distorted sounds. (Ironically,
siphoning off lows can make the highs
sing more sweetly.) And naturally, some
players will use Pint chiefly for its lovely
clean and lightly overdriven tones, rarely
venturing into the meltdown zone.
Pint’s effects are stellar. The tremolo
throb is sweet and sexy, and the rate knob
has a nice, musical taper. The reverb is a
warm bath you never want to exit, with
more headroom and top-end detail than
you tend to encounter on vintage amps.
The Verdict
With its dual single-ended design, Pint
provides a fresh take on familiar Fender
flavors. Its workmanship is faultless.
Rich and beguiling clean tones make the
amp ideal for refined jazz and fingerstyle
guitarists playing in living rooms and
intimate venues. Lightly overdriven tones
have impact and complexity. The maxed-
out class-A distortion won’t suit all tastes,
though some players will thrill to its
punky edge. The luscious trem and ’verb
are to die for. When the price is $249
per watt, you should expect excellence.
Thankfully, Pint pours it on.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A
REVIEW DEMO of this guitar.
Milkman Sound Pint
$2,499 street
milkmansound.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
PROS Stellar workmanship. Deep,
detailed tones. Glorious trem and reverb.
CONS Class A distortion isn’t for
everybody. Pricy.
premierguitar.com
 Bill Frisell
and Collings Guitars

Bill Frisell at the Village Vanguard with his Collings I-35 LC Deluxe

Serious Guitars | www.CollingsGuitars.com | (512) 288-7770

 (716) 630-7030

aud io
/ p r o
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. b o u
www

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190 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 REVIEWS

MXR
EP103 Echoplex Delay
By Charles Saufley

W
hen I was a kid, my brother’s surf band got a Steadily Wobbling
Maestro Echoplex to perform the swirling intro While I didn’t test the EP103
to the Tornadoes’ “Telstar.” (Imagine my surprise against other digital Echoplex
when, years later, I discovered it was the reverse-tape playback simulators, I did compare it
of a flushing toilet.) The Echoplex was a beguiling piece of to my own early-’70s Maestro
equipment for a 12-year-old already developing technologically EP-3, and I was very impressed
regressive tendencies, with a squeaky tape loop, an odd sliding with how close the MXR
lever that warped the echoes, and knobs that could turn the came to nailing the Maestro’s
machine into a madly oscillating monster if you weren’t careful. complex overall sound picture.
I fell hard for the Echoplex. I bought my own as soon as I We’ll get to the similarities, but
had bread to spare. And when digital engineers delivered the at least one critical difference
first good simulations, I rejoiced. Because you haven’t really bears mentioning.
experienced an Echoplex if you haven’t watched in horror as Specifically, the EP103
a tape ripped or some other irreplaceable part turned to dust does not contain an EP-3-style
and smoke. preamp. It’s a critical omission,
MXR’s EP103 is the first compact digital stompbox to wear because while the EP-3’s
the Echoplex name. The good news? MXR didn’t just slap a preamp is a very simple piece
cool logo on a digital delay and call it a day. The EP103 is of circuitry, it adds much to the
an excellent delay and an authentic homage to the Maestro EP-3’s tone signature. MXR has
Echoplex EP-3 and its many quirks. a solution in the form of the
EP101 Echoplex preamp pedal.
Tape Crinkle, Numbers Crunched (And in truth, most good JFET
The EP103’s interior hints at the digital horsepower required or FET boosters that don’t color
to simulate a whirring, wheezing contraption like the Maestro your signal too much can be a serviceable stand in.) But it’s hard
EP-3. It’s a busy, but near-immaculate circuit that bristles to fully approximate the EP-3’s sonic whole without that flavor,
with enough compact ICs to look like a little city viewed from and it stinks to have to buy or use a separate pedal to get it.
35,000 feet. The exterior is classy and functional. And though What the EP103 does really well is approximate the EP-3’s
the three-knob array is simple, the volume knob cleverly complex combination of tape modulation, high-end taper, and
doubles as a push-button that activates age mode—introducing the gentle, organic, bright-to-patinaed fade in the echoes. In
tape-warble-simulating modulation and a filtering effect that most respects, the EP103’s darkish echoes feel more natural
approximates tape degradation. It’s a clever setup that’s intuitive and pleasing than some of my favorite analog delay units. And
to use and keeps the pedal surface free of clutter. The sustain though the initial attack and first echo from the EP103 are not
control regulates the number of repeats, while the delay control as bright as my EP-3 (which can be surprisingly bright), the
sets delay time. The delay knob ranges to 750 ms. But by using tone inhabits a potentially ideal middle ground between digital
a tap tempo switch (not included), you can extend maximum brightness and analog darkness that players unconcerned with
delay time to 4 seconds. tape-echo authenticity are likely to dig.
Age mode isn’t the only concealed function. An internal Modulation is key in any tape echo simulator for creating
switch activates stereo mode, which requires two TRS splitter the illusion of tape warble. The EP103’s modulation sounds
cables. The pedal ships set up for an analog dry signal path. good, though single-coil pickups and bright amps can highlight
But sticklers for authenticity may prefer the wet mode, which a faint regularity in the modulations when the pedal is in
delivers only effected signal to your amp. You can also activate a standard mode. Activating the age mode, however, darkens the
trails mode at startup. repeats, adds cool coloration, and at times even seems to lend

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 191

 randomness to the modulation. Typically,
I kept the pedal in age mode. The range
of the control is wide and useful, making
it easy to add just a touch of filtering or
simulate a decades-old tape loop chasing
dust bunnies.
The authentic functionality of the
EP103’s volume and sustain controls
also bears mentioning. The volume
control allows you to either tuck the
repeats well behind the original signal or
actually make the first few repeats quite
a bit hotter before they begin to fade.
The dynamic range is narrower than on
my EP-3, but it adds impressive tone
variations. The EP103 sustain control
also approximates the odd taper of the
EP-3’s sustain control. In the first half of
the range, you’ll rarely hear more than
two repeats and a very subtle, pleasing
fade. In the second half of the sustain
control’s range, however, the repeats
seem to get almost exponentially more
prominent depending on the echo
volume until you reach self-oscillation
192 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
at maximum settings. The interactivity
and odd dynamic curve of the controls
make the pedal feel tricky and twitchy at
times, but they add up to very organic
dynamism and sensitivity that enables
CLICK HERE TO WATCH
you to tuck and tailor repeats for a song
A REVIEW DEMO of this pedal.
or arrangement in very precise ways.
The Verdict
In purely sonic terms, it’s hard to imagine
getting much closer to an EP-3 without MXR EP103 Echoplex Delay
employing prohibitively expensive
$199 street
processing power and a complex control jimdunlop.com
set. The EP103 strikes a smart, elegant,
and sensible balance between simplicity, Tones
affordability, and authenticity that can get Ease of Use
you 90 percent of the way to EP-3 sounds
Build/Design
without the attendant hassles. That’s an
Value
impressive achievement in my book. And
while it’s near impossible for any compact,
affordable digital pedal to replicate a PROS Complex echo tones. Wide
dynamic range. Great sensitivity in
Maestro Echoplex’s arcane and expressive all controls.
mechanical functionality, the MXR EP103
is about as fine a sonic approximation as CONS No onboard preamp.
you’ll find in its price range.
premierguitar.com
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premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 193

REVIEWS
COLLINGS
OM2H T
By Joe Gore
W
ant to rub shoulders with some of the world’s
best acoustic guitar builders? Just hang out at the
Collings booth during a NAMM show, where a
who’s who of lutherie inevitably congregates to view the latest
creations from Austin’s Bill Collings. Excruciating attention to
detail and the transcendent naturalistic tones of Collings’ guitars
have earned him a reputation as a builder’s builder.
I just spent a day with one of Collings’ newest models, the
OM2H T. This guitar is easy to review: It’s perfect.
THE END.
Hey, guess what? Premier Guitar won’t pay me for an
85-word review! So I guess I have to cough up some paragraphs
telling you why this retro-flavored flattop is perfect.
Sitka spruce top
Thin nitrocellulose finish
East Indian rosewood
back and sides
194 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
OM Sweet OM
Let’s decode the Collings’ model number. OM stands for
orchestra model. The H is for the lovely herringbone purfling
that rings the guitar’s top. And the T represents Collings’
traditional series—guitars influenced by pre-WWII tones and
construction techniques. T models are built with animal-protein
glue and have thin nitro finishes. They’re voiced more warmly
than all those sizzlin’-bright modern flattops, with manicured
highs and complex low-mids.
The OM2H T is built from beautiful materials. The tight, even
grain of the Sitka spruce top seems to glow through an exquisite
finish. The East Indian rosewood back and sides are a delicious
dark chocolate hue. The elegant Honduran mahogany neck has
Herringbone purfling
14th fret body joint
premierguitar.com

The complex low-midrange
character makes solo playing
sound massive.
a retro-cool squared-off peghead and a
pretty volute with an offset pyramid shape.
The compound-radius neck’s relaxed V
profile feels simultaneously sleek and
substantial. The long-scale ebony fretboard
meets the body at the 14th fret. There
are 20 smallish, square-shouldered frets.
The bridge is ebony. The nut and bridge
are bone. A built-in-house, Bill Collings-
designed case that combines vintage
aesthetic with more thorough and modern
protective features is also included.
At this point in a review we usually
assess the detail work. Are the frets evenly
seated? Are their ends rounded and comfy?
Is the instrument devoid of acoustic dead
spots? Does the finish shine with mirror-
like perfection? Is the detail work of the
binding, purfling, and rosette flub-free?
Are the interior surfaces and X-bracing as
immaculate as the exterior? Well, duh—I
already told you this guitar was perfect!
And while most new acoustic guitars smell
nice, sniffing this soundhole is an apex
olfactory experience. If the fragrance were
sold as cologne, I’d buy it and bathe in it.
Honduran
mahogany neck
25 1/2"-scale ebony
fingerboard
premierguitar.com
OM Alone
I confess I’ve clocked relatively few
hours on OM-style guitars, so consider
these observations as an outsider’s
perspective. OM bodies aren’t as
deep or wide as dreadnoughts. You
don’t get a dreadnought’s volume
and bottom-octave thump, but the
midrange character—especially between
approximately 150 and 500 Hz—is
more pronounced and complex than on
smaller-bodied flattops.
Some OM fans describe the style’s
tonal tendencies as “piano-like,” and
I definitely hear that. Tones are dense
and complex in the best sort of way,
with an especially prominent second
(octave) harmonic, especially on the bass
strings. The mids never feel crowded or
constipated, however. There’s simply a
wealth of energy in that register. The
resulting tones can feel warmer than
those from 000-type guitars (which
typically have similar body dimensions,
but use shorter scale length) though
there’s no shortage of high-end shimmer.
Bone nut and saddle
Open-back
Waverly tuners
Fingerstylists First
Make no mistake: the OM2H T sounds
great for pretty much any style/technique,
from crude cowboy chords to fleet flatpicked
lines to refined fingerpicking. But the latter
style is probably the guitar’s greatest forte.
The wide, touch-responsive dynamics
amplify every nuance of fingerstyle
playing. The complex low-midrange
character makes solo playing sound
massive, but some of that particular
character might be obscured in ensemble
contexts. And while string spacing is a
matter of taste, the OM-signature 1 3/4"
nut width (as opposed a more common 1
11/16" you typically see on a 000) seems
more attuned to a relaxed picking hand
and fingerstyle phrasing than to speedy
flatpicking. (Man, a mere 1/16" can mean
such a difference in feel!)
The Verdict
I already told you: perfection! Collings’
OM2H T is glorious to listen to, look at,
and touch. It sounds magnificent now,
and its tones will only improve as the
instrument opens up and mellows out.
It excels at any style, though its detailed
low mids and 1 3/4" string spacing make
it especially suitable for sophisticated solo
fingerstyle work. It was an honor to spend
time with this extraordinary guitar.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH
A REVIEW DEMO of this guitar.
Collings OM2H T
$4,635 street
collingsguitars.com
Tones
Playability
Build/Design
Value
PROS Superb workmanship. Ravishing
tones. A perfect choice for many
fingerstylists. Cool case included.
CONS Premium quality = premium price.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 195
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196 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 REVIEWS

DUNLOP
CBM105Q Cry Baby
Mini Bass Wah
By David Abdo

I
f you watch John Bohlinger’s recent Rig Rundown
with Tim Commerford, you’ll enjoy a lengthy
conversation about the raging bassist’s pedals.
At the front of Commerford’s effects board is a white
wah pedal that, as he puts it, “looks like it’s made for a
baby’s foot.” Humor aside, the pedal in question is no
child’s toy. It’s the latest addition to Dunlop’s Cry Baby
Auto-return
family, called the Mini Bass Wah. And it contains useful
switching
features for bassists that are packaged into a frame about
half the size of a conventional Cry Baby. Bassists from
Bootsy Collins to Cliff Burton have used wah pedals
to add articulations and unique textures to their bass
lines, so I was excited to see if the Mini Bass Wah would
continue or improve on tradition.

A Brand New Rocker

The wah effect on a Cry Baby is typically activated by
stomping on a switch located under the toe of the foot
control. In lieu of tradition, the Mini Bass Wah employs
a spring-loaded rocker pedal and silent auto-return
switching technology. This system instantly engages the
wah as the rocker control is depressed. When the foot
raises off the pedal, the rocker automatically returns to
an upward position—bypassing the wah effect. Dunlop
also utilizes this technology in the full-size 105Q Bass
Wah and a minority of other Cry Baby models.
The Mini Bass Wah contains similar circuitry to the 105Q,
and the side of the aluminum chassis has two knobs. The
volume control allows a player to balance the sound level when
the effect is engaged, while the neighboring Q control adjusts
the width of the wah frequencies. Higher Q settings deliver
dramatic sweeps by enhancing brighter frequencies and vocal-
like qualities. Lower settings are darker, with subtle filtering.
Dunlop’s auto-return delay control is a welcome feature. This
dial inside the Mini Bass Wah determines how long the wah
effect rings out after being disengaged. Proper setting of the
control creates near-seamless transitions from the effected and
native signal.
Q control Volume control
Half the size of
standard wah
Little Wonder
While exploring the Mini Bass Wah at home, my signal chain
consisted of a Ritter R8 5-string plugged into the Cry Baby,
and then into a Bergantino B|Amp paired with a Bergantino
HD112. Keeping the pedal in its factory setting, I set the
Ritter to passive mode and balanced the effect with the volume
control. Within seconds, the Mini Bass Wah inspired funky,
filtered sweeps and wacky wah-laden warbles. However, I found
the auto-return switching to be a little touchy as it briefly
interrupted the signal with a split second of silence. This is
where the auto-return delay control is a big benefit. I simply
opened the bottom plate and adjusted the rotary control so the
effect would ring out enough to create a smoother transition
from effect to bypass mode.

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 197

 I began to get comfortable with the
nuances of the Mini Bass Wah over
time, similar to someone getting used
to a clutch on a manual transmission.
Rocking the pedal up and down, I
adjusted the Q control to a width that
leaned towards brighter sounds, which
allowed me to strum sharp, rhythmic
wacks or slow, enveloping wahs.
Once I felt familiar with the pedal, it
was time to take it to the stage for a soul
gig. I again connected the Ritter bass/
Dunlop duo to a Bergantino B|Amp
and paired it with Bergantino HD210
and HD112 cabinets. I pushed the Q
control to almost maximum for brighter
sweeps and balanced the volume for level
consistency—ideal settings for shaping the
bass lines for classic R&B and soul. During
Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish,” I soloed the neck
pickup and stomped the Mini Bass Wah
to the beat of the pulsing quarter-note
bass line. The responsive, spring-loaded
pedal gave the notes an accented, textured
timbre that made the familiar passage even
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198 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
funkier. With the Ritter’s pickups balanced,
I coordinated the pedal with slaps and
pops over Cheryl Lynn’s “Got to Be Real.”
As on the Stevie Wonder tune, the pedal’s
sweeping filter gave the lively bass line a
vocal quality—rife with blossoming wahs. CLICK HERE TO WATCH
A REVIEW DEMO of this pedal.
The expressive Mini Bass Wah had become
so easy to use, I found myself adding some
of its flavor on nearly every tune in the
three-hour show. Excessive? Indeed. But
this pedal is pretty damn fun. Dunlop Cry Baby Mini Bass Wah
$119 street
The Verdict jimdunlop.com
Dunlop has developed another welcome
addition to the Cry Baby series for Tones
bassists. Its small footprint minimizes Ease of Use
space on a pedalboard and it boasts
Build/Design
features that will reward professionals to
Value
novices with pleasing tonal shaping and
cool textures. If you’re looking to jump
into the world of wah—or are already PROS A fun, interactive wah pedal with
expressive effects and cool features.
savvy and curious to audition a pedal that
deviates from traditional wah design— CONS Auto-return switching takes
make sure the Dunlop Mini Bass Wah is some getting used to.
on your must-try list.
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premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 199

 Positive Grid

premierguitar.com
200 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 REVIEWS

FENDER
’57 Custom Pro
By Ted Drozdowski

I
’d never really played through a 15" guitar speaker before
firing up Fender’s new ’57 Custom Pro-Amp. Sure, in a
pinch I’ve jacked into a big bass amp when a guitar amp
wasn’t available, but it never sounded good. So while not
entirely skeptical, I approached this new spin on a classic tweed
with a certain curiosity.
Wow! My ears are now open! As a fan of fat, low-mid-
seated guitar sounds, I didn’t know what I’d been missing. But
plugging into this 26-watt, thin-cabbed combo rewarded me
with a rich, wide tone spectrum and uncompressed clear bottom
end. And yet the high end was exactly as I like it—bright when
appropriate, but never slicing. And it was impossible to get
a bad tone, even when cranking the bass all the way off and
the treble to the top—a sound I could certainly hear sitting in
a song mix, if not onstage. But perhaps I’m giving away too
much? Read on, read on.
The Skinny
The ’57 Custom Pro-Amp isn’t an exact reproduction of the Pro
that Fender made in the ’50s, but it is inspired by the original
amp’s 5A5 circuit, which was wired into a thin-bodied cabinet.
The new iteration is still slim—standing 21" tall, but just 9"
from font to back. The original versions had two channels
and four inputs—two marked “instrument” and two marked

Schumacher
transformer
Two 12AX7 preamp tubes,
12AY7 preamp tube,
5AR4 rectifier tube

26 watts 15" Eminence-made

custom speaker

Solid pine

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 201


Bass, treble, and two
volume controls
“microphone.” The original Pros came
with Jensen speakers. By all accounts,
they were unsung heroes in the early
Fender combo amp line.
The new ’57 Custom Pro-Amp comes
an astonishing 70 years after the first one
was built. And, needless to say, there are
significant improvements in the tube
array, the controls, and in a sweet new
Eminence 15" ceramic magnet speaker
designed specifically for the amp. The
improvements start, most visibly, with
the control panels. It’s got the same
two-channel, four-input set-up. The
independent volume controls are the same
too. All the dials go up to 12.
A word about the microphone input.
In the ’40s and ’50s, when decent club
PAs were not always available it was
often necessary for vocalist-guitarists to
plug both their instrument and their
microphones into the same amp. Usually
one channel was simply a duplicate of the
other, or the microphone channel had
lower sensitivity. The latter is the case
with the new Pro’s microphone channel
input 2, which has a 6 dB-lower rating
than input 1. It’s a nice vintage touch for
the authenticity hound, but the audible
difference is slight. I can imagine this
feature being handy in the studio as a
means of achieving a vocal effect, however.
The tube array is tasty. There’s one
12AY7 and two 12AX7 preamp tubes,
two 6L6 power tubes, and a single 5AR4
rectifier tube. There are also internal
bias pots for substitutions to the output
tubes. The hand-wiring is ultra-clean and
efficient, arrayed on an eyelet circuit board,
and includes reverse-engineered, vintage-
style “yellow” paper/foil/resin capacitors to
help the amp speak “tweed” more fluently.
202 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
Four inputs
The cabinet is solid pine and fronted with
Bassman-style grille cloth.
The Blast
I paired the Pro with a ’73 Fender Strat
with ’50s-inspired Seymour Duncan
pickups and my ’68 Les Paul Standard
with the original humbuckers and got
down. Both guitars sounded super-warm,
and twisting the Pro’s tone controls and
presence never yielded anything more
unpleasant than the boxy-but-usable
tones that occur naturally with treble at
zero and the bass at 12. (A goofy setting,
I know, but potentially amazing in a
studio setting.)
Although the amp has no master
volume, it does produce sweet, natural
distortion similar to that of other vintage
medium- and low-wattage Fenders and
Supros—which the Pro-Amp’s tones
brought to mind. At about 5 on the
volume, chords and notes start to purr,
and as the numbers move up, they
rumble. Even cranked up to a dirty
dozen, the speaker sounds great and isn’t
horrifyingly loud. Powerful and present,
sure! But not ear piercing.
If you love distortion and play in big
spaces, I could see running the Pro flat
out—if that tone suits you. A lot of us
prefer to use pedals to achieve overdrive
once we get to a certain volume, though.
And for me, volume at 5 or 6 is perfect
for that job—offering plump tones and
meaningful sustain that you can pepper
with pedal colors. And the ’57 Custom
takes to pedals well. Although the amp
sounds great dry, a touch of reverb from
my DigiTech Supernatural Ambient
stomp set on spring or plate sweetened
and smoothed tones beautifully. Really,
every dollop of phasing, delay, distortion,
vibrato, and even low-octave pizzaz
sounded splendid on top. This amp is a
killer pedal platform.
The Verdict
The Fender ’57 Custom Pro-Amp is
really a boutique-level product with
a major manufacturer’s nameplate.
Unfortunately, it also has a boutique price
of $2,499. The lack of reverb may be a
minus for some, too, but today plenty
of great amps require a pedal or box for
’verb vibes. The microphone input, in my
view, is an unnecessary nod to the past.
But the Pro is wired clean and with care.
The custom-built Eminence speaker gave
me every sound I wanted unequivocally.
This amp loves pedals and the feeling is
mutual. The controls are easy-to-use and
an improvement over vintage versions.
While I’m no expert on the
microscopic details of tweed amp
circuitry, I was smitten with the results.
So if you’re in the market for an amp in
this price range, don’t let boutique-brand
elitism keep you from firing up this tall,
lean machine in the showroom.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH
A REVIEW DEMO of this amp.
Fender ’57 Custom Pro
$2,499 street
fender.com
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
PROS Great, warm tones—from clean
to mean. Easy control set. Quality build.
CONS $$$$ and no reverb.
premierguitar.com
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204 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017

WREN AND CUFF
Sonder
By Charles Saufley
W
hile it’s not unusual to see multi-modulation
effects, or Uni-Vibe-inspired effects that combine
chorus and vibrato, tremolo/chorus combinations
like the analog Wren and Cuff Sonder are less common. This
mildly unconventional effect combination is built around a
very simple idea. But as in the company’s celebrated Big Muff
clones or their Germanium Compressor, the Sonder’s outward
simplicity conceals thoughtful design and surprisingly complex
tones and textures.
Muff Master Goes Mod
If you’ve ever played one of Wren and Cuffs’ other pedals,
you’ll understand how designer Matt Holl seems single-minded
about getting precisely the sound he wants. That laser-guided
focus usually takes the shape of vintage-correct exactitude
in his Big Muff clones. In the Sonder, it manifests itself in
a straightforward but idiosyncratic control set that delivers
beautiful and unexpected ends.
Consisting of depth/mix and rate controls, the top left
quadrant is dedicated to the chorus effect. The pedal’s upper
right section is home to depth/mix and rate controls for the
tremolo. In the center there’s a simple boost to compensate for
the perceived volume drop you hear when using chorus and
heavy tremolo, in particular.
At first glance, you’d probably suspect that the two soft-relay
footswitches are bypasses for each effect. But this is where the
Sonder’s idiosyncrasies come into play. Only the left footswitch
is a bypass, while the right footswitch doubles as a tap-tempo
switch for tremolo rate and a means for switching between sine-
and square-wave tremolo settings. To take either effect out of
the mix, you have to zero the respective depth/mix control. It’s
a less convenient approach in most respects, but the trade-off
yields a significant gain in space efficiency.
The Sonder’s guts are what you’d expect from Wren and Cuff.
It has a clean and neatly populated printed circuit, and you can
run the pedal on 9V AC or 9V battery power.
Extended Chorale Sojourns
Each of the Sonder’s effects sound great and exhibit chameleonic
range and color. There’s a lot of variation in each control, and
it pays to approach the pedal with an adventurous mindset and
twist knobs with abandon.
premierguitar.com
REVIEWS
Clean boost
The chorus is perhaps
most illustrative of the
Sonder’s rangy tendencies.
At the lowest settings, the
effect is mellow to barely
perceptible—depending
on the rate you select—but
it adds a beautiful, subtle
shading that you miss when
it’s gone. Want to add
motion to chord melodies
and arpeggios without
Tap tempo for tremolo
tipping listeners to the
chorus on your board? These
settings are the golden ticket. The next 25 percent of the depth
control’s range shifts the chorus into rich, first-generation analog
chorus realms. There’s more than a trace of the old Boss CS-1’s
deep, shimmering submarine textures in the mix here, and it
sounds beautiful at slower rates—particularly with a hint of delay
and reverb. If you advance the rate at the same depth settings,
the Sonder’s chorus becomes a more-than-passable facsimile of a
fast-rotating Leslie. In fact, I can’t think of an analog chorus that
does a better job at that task. It’s killer for driving faux-organ
chord sequences and liquid Hendrix-y blues melodies.
At the more extreme reaches of the chorus’ depth and rate
settings, the Sonder transforms itself into a throbbing, twitching
texture generator. These deep, pulsing modulations don’t totally
obscure picking dynamics or melodic nuance in a passage,
however. And even the fastest rate and heaviest depth settings,
which are bizarre enough to evoke the twitch of metallic insect
wings, integrate smoothly with the clean signal. Slightly more
modest depth and rate settings have the quavering, disorienting
qualities of a good analog vibrato unit.
Twisted up Tremolos and Tandem Tones
The Sonder’s tremolo is equally intoxicating and offers a
similarly wide range. At a recent NAMM show, Holl told us
that the gently undulating tones of Fender brownface and
blackface tremolo and the Demeter Tremulator were sonic
touchstones for the Sonder tremolo. And while the Sonder’s
sine-wave tremolo does have much of the silky smooth quality
of those Fender amp tremolo circuits, it also goes places the
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 205
 Fender can’t—most notably on the
extreme ends of the rate curve. The
Sonder can go very, very slow. Slow
enough to make you wonder if you’ve
unplugged your guitar momentarily. It
also goes fast enough to take the pedal
back into robotic insect and high-rpm
helicopter zones. These textures aren’t
uncommon in some of the more out-
there digital tremolos. On an analog
unit, they’re much more rare, and they’re
especially musical here.
The square-wave tremolo is also
deeply satisfying and happy at extremes,
and it provides a very different feel
and dynamic that extends the pedal’s
expressive potential. And where the sine-
wave tremolo might add sultry, slinky
animation to a slow arpeggiated passage,
the square wave can add powerful
propulsive thrust that enhances eighth-
note strumming patterns and percussive
arpeggio patterns.
When tremolo textures are interlaced
with the chorus, the Sonder becomes a
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206 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
real wonder. The two effects are often easily set you back the same sum—and
beautifully, unexpectedly, and seamlessly potentially never work quite as seamlessly
interactive. And the settings at which as these two effects do.
they interact musically are abundant.
Together, they can significantly extend the
already impressive range of color in each CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pedal.
individual effect. And if you’re skeptical
about the value of uniting chorus and
tremolo in a single device, a session using
them together will almost certainly change
your mind—and even reshape the way Wren and Cuff Sonder
you play and approach modulation.
$249 street
wrenandcuff.com
The Verdict
While Sonder is a source of copious sound Tones
delights, the lack of footswitch activation Ease of Use
for the individual effects—especially at
Build/Design
nearly 250 bucks—may deter players who
Value
switch effects off and on frequently within
a single song. For just about everyone
else, and studio tinkerers in particular, the PROS Deep, rich modulation tones that
interact seamlessly.
Sonder is a very deep well of inspiration
and modulation possibilities from radical CONS Lack of footswitch functionality
to subliminal. Scoring an excellent analog for individual effects.
chorus and tremolo independently could
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208 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017

LOLLAR
Staple P-90
By Joe Gore
G
ibson’s Alnico V pickup—usu-
ally called the “staple pickup”—
is one of the great forgotten
guitar gizmos. Introduced in 1954 as
a more articulate version of the P-90
pickup deployed in most post-WWII
Gibson electrics, the staple pickup occu-
pied the neck position in the first Les
Paul Customs. It also appeared in some
of Gibson’s upscale archtops. But it was
abandoned overnight when Seth Lover’s
humbucking PAF pickup debuted just
two years later, changing everything.
The humbucker has been the default
Gibson pickup ever since, though there
have always been fans of the rough, raw
P-90 sound. That’s especially so today, as
the P-90 is enjoying renewed popularity—
not just in Gibson-flavored guitars, but
also in Fender-style instruments and
various modern hybrids. Which makes this
a great time to revisit the staple design.
The Spirit of ’55
Lollar’s Staple P-90 aims to capture the
magic of the original. Unlike P-90s,
where steel pole pieces make contact with
an internal coil and magnet, the staple’s
pole pieces are themselves elongated
rectangular magnets that extend through
the coil. Gibson probably created the
design to compete with the brighter tones
of the DeArmond pickups in rival Gretsch
guitars, not to mention those newfangled
Fenders. And sure enough, the design
yields better string-to-string differentiation
and improved high-end detail.
I installed the Lollar Staple in the
neck position of PG’s house P-90 guitar,
a recent-model Gibson SG Traditional.
(Staple pickups have the same dimensions
as P-90s, so they’re an easy retrofit.)
premierguitar.com
But before performing
the swap, I made benchmark
recordings with the factory neck pickup
to better gauge how the Staple pickup
might alter the character of a P-90 guitar.
Screw vs. Staple
You definitely hear a difference! Staple
pickups are sometimes described as
“twangier” P-90s, but I don’t feel that’s
quite the right description. The Lollar
Staple isn’t unduly bright, and it certainly
sounds nothing like a vintage Fender
pickup. (If that’s your goal, check out
Lollar’s Alnico Pole P-90, which is sort of
a Fender-single-coil in soapbar clothing.)
For me, “extended range P-90” is a better
description. There’s a greater sense of “air”
on top, and the individual notes in chords
speak more clearly. When toggling between
my P-90 and Staple test recordings, the
latter have more snap and presence, and
the P-90s can feel dull in comparison. Yet
the Staple sound blends well with a typical
P-90 bridge pickup. You just get a bit more
air and clarity in the combined position.
However, my demo clips feature the
Staple alone, because your P-90 bridge
pickup might not sound like ours.
Vintage P-90s can display significant tone
and output variations from unit to unit,
and modern winders interpret the P-90 in
varying ways. But on average, staples and
P-90 have similar output. (In Lollar Land,
a standard P-90 is wound to 8.2k, just a
tad less hot than their Staple’s 8.9k.)
Rough or Refined?
It’s not terribly hard to decide whether a
Staple pickup is a good option for you. If
you have a P-90 guitar, chances are you dig
the pickups’ rude attitude and have made
REVIEWS
8.9k resistance
Fits most soapbar-pickup guitars
Available with black
or cream covers
peace with the fact that like all single-coils,
they’re a bit noisier than humbuckers. With
a Staple swap, you can remain as nasty
as you want to be at the bridge, but you
have the option of clearer and prettier neck
pickup sounds, plus a bit more openness
when blending neck and bridge. It’s strictly
a matter of taste. (I don’t happen to own
a P-90 guitar right now, but if I did, I’d
definitely consider the Staple switch.)
The Verdict
The Alnico V design is a classy, relatively
hi-fi alternative to the traditional P-90, and
Lollar’s gorgeous-sounding Staple P-90 is
a stellar incarnation of the design. If you
like the basic P-90 flavor but feel it might
benefit from a touch of treble clarity at the
neck, it may be time for a transplant.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pickup.
Lollar Staple P-90
$145 street
lollarguitars.com
Tones
Build/Design
Value
PROS An elegant, more hi-fi alternate
to a traditional P-90. Works great with a
P-90 bridge pickup. Looks bitchin’.
CONS None.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 209
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210 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 REVIEWS

ERNIE BALL
Ambient Delay
By Matthew Holliman

W
hile foot-pedal-controlled delay or reverb
isn’t a new idea (delays and reverbs with
external expression-pedal capabilities are
now ubiquitous), Ernie Ball has pursued the concept to
very convenient ends with the new Ambient Delay. This
re-imagining of Ernie Ball’s time-tested volume pedal
design combines digital delay and plate-style reverb with
the expressive potential of a wah. It can transform your
approach to traditional delay and reverb effects. But it
can also enable more radical and unusual effects, like
the rhythmic application of reverb and rising-and-falling
symphonic washes that typically require two pedals. Internal trimpot
for maximum
reverb mix
Concrete Design
Though the Ambient Delay is obviously and outwardly
related to the Ernie Ball volume and expression pedals,
the rose gold color and smaller footprint represent Reverb intensity control
design departures. It’s more compact than the VP Jr,
but this does not detract from its usability. Unlike some Delay feedback
and time controls
compact treadle-equipped pedals, Ernie Ball’s design
retains a practical, more full-sized width. In fact, it’s
about as wide as the VP Jr but it’s about two inches
Tap tempo
shorter. The height is ever so slightly taller than a switch input
volume pedal—presumably to accommodate the delay
and reverb circuitry.

Using it for a quick dash of color at the

end of a guitar solo or for a big finish at
the end of a song adds a layer of studio-
like production to live performance.
The treadle action is smooth, and even my fat foot falls
naturally and feels steady on the treadle. Toe-up action reduces
the effect mix. Toe-down action increases effect intensity. There
are three knobs on the front of the unit—reverb (which controls
the reverb intensity), and feedback and time controls for the
delay. The time knob can be set between 50 ms and a full
second of delay time, which can be further adjusted by using
a tap tempo footswitch (not included). Settings for maximum
reverb mix can be adjusted using an internal trimpot. It ships
with maximum mix at about 75 percent, but I jacked this up to
100 percent, which still seems to let a touch of dry signal trickle
through (no bad thing). I preferred having the extra range for
exploring more extreme reverb washes, and I didn’t seem to
sacrifice much in the way of sensitivity or range by making the
maximum setting extra wet.
As anyone who has handled an Ernie Ball volume pedal would
expect, construction is sturdy and the pedal feels substantial.
There is no battery option. But the new PVC-coated Kevlar cord
that connects the treadle and expression pot is noteworthy. It
seems like a major upgrade in roadworthiness, and I’m curious to
see how durable the new solution is, as I’ve gone through many
of the cotton cords on my volume pedals. And while replacing

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 211

 these cords on a volume pedal is generally
a pain, the removable back plate on the
Ambient Delay should make replacement
easier if the cord fails.
Casting Shadows and Echoes
Even at maximum mix settings, the
delay is crisp but never too digital or
sterile. The reverb also has a very natural
bloom that makes swells extra organic
sounding and sits nicely with the delay
without creating a messy slurry of echo.
Delay feedback never veers into the
wild oscillation of an analog unit—
even when maxed out, which seems
like underutilization of the expression
pedal’s functionality. But the gently
tapered swells of reverb and delay that
are the pedal’s strength are a sublime
effect, and open up subtler possibilities.
Mastering these subtleties takes practice.
But you may also quickly find you apply
the pedal in unexpected ways. Using
it for a quick dash of color at the end
of a guitar solo or for a big finish at
212 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
the end of a song, for instance, adds a
layer of studio-like production to live
performance.
For more ethereal, ambient work, the
Ambient Delay also plays well with other CLICK HERE TO HEAR this pedal.
delays. I enjoyed using the reverb from
my Twin Reverb as baseline coloration,
and fading in stronger reverb and delay
textures with the Ambient Delay.
Ernie Ball Ambient Delay
The Verdict
The Ambient Delay is a very versatile $199 street
ernieball.com
effect. It sounds vivid and rich with
small and large amplifiers and with
Tones
every pickup configuration I tried. It
Ease of Use
also sounds spectacular with synths
and bass. Most decent digital delay/ Build/Design
reverb combo effects have crept toward Value
the $200 mark, and the Ambient
Delay, at 199 bucks, is no exception. PROS Expansive tone-shaping
But with treadle functionality that will potential. Nice reverb tones. Solid
suit casual delay and reverb users and construction.
heavy-duty texturalists alike, the Ernie
CONS No battery option.
Ball stands apart on both practical and
expressive fronts.
aud io
/ p r o
rns .com
. b o u
www
premierguitar.com
STAFF PICKS

Question & Obsession

Call it admiration, if you please, but we aren’t ashamed—a twinge of jealousy can be a healthy thing. This month,
Ron Gallo joins PG staffers in naming the guitarists whose talents make us go green.

The guitarist I’m most

envious of right now is _____
because _____.

Ron Gallo Kris Judd

Guest Picker Reader of the Month

A: I’m not envious of any A: Derek Trucks. He can

guitar players, because what
I like about guitar playing
does not require “talent”
per se. I don’t care too much
about technicality or the
“guitar gods” but am more
connect to something
inside the emotional core
of humanity, and show it to
you without speaking a word,
because that’s something no
words can do.

Far left: Photo by Tim Duggan Below: Photo by Ken Settle

drawn to the freaks—ones
that have a primal approach Current obsession:
to the instrument, and an Learning new music! Practice,
innovative style that evokes practice, and more practice.
bizarre and unique sounds Learning new songs, new
from it. I like Robert Quine licks, new rhythm patterns in
of Richard Hell and the genres I don’t normally listen
Voidoids, Lou Reed, etc. to. Getting out of my comfort
zone and bringing bits of
Current obsession: what I find back to enhance
I don’t know what it means, my own style.
but I have pretty much
exclusively listened to
jazz lately. It’s like a warm
wool blanket on the soul
and mind. In jazz, there are
no wrong notes, there is
only jazz. There can be no
conflict while jazz is
on. Jazz is pure human
expression. Jazz is life.

premierguitar.com
214 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 Joe Gore
Contributing Editor
A: The guitarist I’m most
envious of right now is Mark
Twain, because he got to
hang out with Mark Twain all
day long. His wise, witty voice
would vastly improve the
21st century.
Current obsession:
Gold foil pickups. I’m such
a trend slut. But that open,
acoustic-like tone is so
Jason Isbell photo by Perry Bean
nice for fingerstyle
electric playing.
premierguitar.com
Tessa Jeffers
Managing Editor
A: Jack White, because he’s
so prolific and everything
he touches has authentic
mojo. Beyond playing guitar
in a raw, fury-of-passion
style, he plays drums, has
several bands, collaborates
with Beyoncé and gets
nominated for Grammys, and
his songwriting abilities are
undeniable. I believe him,
and that’s more than half the
battle. Maybe it isn’t envy—
perhaps I just want to marry
him. Boom!
Current obsession:
“Carpool Karaoke” with James
Corden. The only instruments
he needs are his Range Rover,
his vocal harmonies, and
Madonna twerking
shotgun …  #myhero.
Ben Kuriscak
Digital Designer
A: Although I would not be
too envious of the attention
garnered by any famous
guitarist, I’d have to say Jason
Isbell.  His abilities astound
me. To write and play music
that reaches out far beyond
whatever genre it may
happen to fall into… it’s not
something you see a whole
lot of with today’s artists. Plus,
his collection of guitars offer a
lot to be envious about.
Current obsession:
Watching my five-month-
old daughter experience the
sounds of various stringed
instruments for the first time.
She cracks up at the sound of
a banjo. It’s become my go-to
reason for playing lately.
PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017 215
 Giveaways

David Griego of Colorado Spring, CO

Winner of the Gary Holt Signature Giveaway
from EMG and Providence Pedals!

More @ PremierGuitar.com/Contests
Void where prohibited. Read full rules on Sweepstakes
PremierGuitar.com. To enter our gear giveaways Gearhead Communications, LLC
by mail, legibly hand-print your first and last
name, address, age, and day and evening phone Three Research Center
numbers on a 3”x 5” card and mail to: Marion, IA 52302

premierguitar.com
216 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
 TllE

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218 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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ESOTERICA ELECTRICA

The Price of Tides

BY JOL DANTZIG

T
It’s remarkable he link between guitars and cars
how easily the has enjoyed an indelible bond
curves, lines, and
colors of even
for generations, and for good
the most lowly reason. Flashing chrome, curvaceous
of pawnshop lines, aggressive angles, and the scent of
guitars will spark latent power are the language of both
a sprint to the
these parallel worlds. To a young person
nearest ATM—to
pay a sum that who sets sail on the sea of life, the guitar
often doesn’t can represent freedom and expression.
seem to add up. Likewise, the automobile symbolizes—or
literally delivers—the promise of a jour-
ney towards new horizons.
It’s no wonder that California’s Kar
Kulture of the 1950s and ’60s also
drove Fender—America’s most forward-
looking guitar company—to emulate the
styles and even borrow the names and
colors of popular vehicles. Even stodgy
Gibson copped the finned look of the
’50s to capitalize on our love affair with
wheeled speed. The suits in Kalamazoo
famously hired venerated auto-designer
Raymond Dietrich to create the Firebird
models, and in an act of reciprocity,
General Motors borrowed the name
for their Pontiac pony car five years
later—touché.
Along with the jet age and space
race, the world’s infatuation with cars
and mobility was a defining factor in
the arc of our industry. Even now it’s a
presence felt in musical products, though
it’s more of a romantic tie to the past in
a sort of hipster retro-rehash as opposed
to anyone’s love of E-Type Jaguars or
Maseratis. Still, the symmetry continues
to exist.
In tandem with the love of old-growth
wood fashioned into musical instruments,
our worship of mythology fuels the desire
for instruments produced in the halcyon
days of rock and blues. The emotional
echo chamber of our dreams and desire
for simple answers keeps us looking over
our shoulder for clues on how to rock a
more authentic life. Like wizened elders,
old gear promises to reveal the secrets
of a life well lived. The fact that these
instruments sound incredible is merely
the justification. These factors, and more,
drive the prices of legendary gear upward
into the stratosphere—where only high-
flying tycoons or serial debtors can fly.
So what do mere mortals do? Many
buy custom instruments carved out by
people like me. It’s the modern-day trip
to the blacksmith’s shop to be fitted for
hand-hewn wares of a bespoke nature.
But for a much larger contingent, the
allure of possessing a vintage instrument
still calls. As the saying goes, “a rising tide
floats all boats,” and it’s never been truer
than today’s hobbyist market. Classic
Ferraris and Porsches are multi-million-
dollar, blue-chip rolling investments
that are rarely navigated down scenic
country roads—let alone the drive-thru at
Wendy’s. This offers an opportunity for
next-tier hardware, as the vacuum sucks
lesser gear into the “affordable” spotlight.
A quick scan of the automobile
auction results show vehicles that were
once viewed as footnotes are now
collecting six- or even seven-figure
sums. When pedestrian Mercedes sedans
from the 1970s routinely blow through
the quarter-million-dollar mark, that
Corvette looks pretty tempting at $80k.
Likewise, a Fender Starcaster (that wasn’t
fit to be kindling when it was new) is
suddenly the new darling of those who
work for a living. The popularity of
any given instrument is owed to many
factors. Sometimes it’s a middle-finger
salute to the status quo, but more often
it’s purely affordability. All said, it’s
amazing how we convince ourselves that
rags can be riches.
I was lucky enough to be born at a
time when those classic items were new.
An old Telecaster was just a used guitar
hanging in a pawnshop. The Jazzmaster
was a redheaded stepchild and nobody
cared about a single-cutaway Les Paul
anymore. New artists today are chasing
different sounds, and some of those
tones are hiding in offbeat and previously
overlooked guitars. But things change, as
they will change again. The sun will rise,
followed by the moon, and the tides will
swell and float the yachts and the bay
boats alike.
They have a saying in the collectibles
world: “You can never spend too much,
you can only sell too soon.” Now that
the tide is in, I can’t afford the guitars
of my youth, but I won’t play junk
either. Thankfully I can make any guitar
sound lousy.
JOL DANTZIG is a noted
designer, builder, and player who
co-founded Hamer Guitars, one of
the first boutique guitar brands,
in 1973. Today, as the director
of Dantzig Guitar Design, he
continues to help define the art of
custom guitar. To learn more, visit
guitardesigner.com.

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238 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2017
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. .
LAST CALL
How the Kashmere Stage Band Stayed on the Good Foot
BY JOHN BOHLINGER
M
From 1968 y son played on a youth
to 1974, the basketball team when he
Kashmere Stage
was 13. From the moment
Band inspired its
young members these kids, with their spindly, newborn-
to give music calf legs, stumbled onto that cold gym
their all, thanks floor on early Saturday mornings, it was
to the leadership obvious that at best only three out of
of Conrad O.
Johnson. Today,
the 10 understood the basic concepts of
their albums the sport. They spent most of the game
are reissued rushing in every direction, chasing a
and their tracks rolling ball like drunks chasing their hats
sampled and
in the wind. Boys would stop mid-play to
revered.
stare at the ceiling. It was a shit show.
I’d sit right behind the bench so the
coach would feel guilty if my kid didn’t
play. The coach spent the game shouting
at the players through his megaphone
hands while thick veins popped out
of his dangerously red neck. During
time-outs, I’d hear him describing
these super-complex, four-set offensive
plays. A monkey locked in a room with
a tuba had a better chance of nailing a
Van Halen solo than those kids had of
achieving anything this delusional coach
was trying to impart. Maybe he should’ve
dumbed it down for these children who
couldn’t remember to tie their shoes?
I thought of this coach recently while I
was at PG staffer Tessa Jeffers’ Halloween
party. We were taking turns picking vinyl
out of big stacks of records—the rule
being that we spin the entire side of the
chooser’s album. (Abbey Road side two
is my go-to). When Tessa’s neighbor,
Mike Tristan, pulled out an LP recorded
in ’72 by the Kashmere Stage Band, a
group from a high school located in
a predominantly black neighborhood
in Houston, I thought I’d politely
pretend to listen for 20 seconds then
excuse myself and hide outside with
the smokers until his turn was over. I
imagined out of tune brass and Lawrence
Welk arrangements. Turns out, it was
shockingly good music full of deep-
pocketed funk grooves.
When I was in high school, I’d been
playing guitar for two or three years. I
can’t imagine making music at the time
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on the level of the ’72 Kashmere Stage
Band. If I practiced 10 hours a day for
12 months, I might have upgraded from
unlistenable to terrible, but I couldn’t
hang with those kids. So how did this
killer band happen?
There were probably some innately
talented kids in that band, but what
made them great was their music teacher,
Conrad O. Johnson. “Prof ” Johnson
managed to inspire greatness in these
kids—most of whom were what we
would now call “at risk.” They lived in a
poor part of Houston, known for its high
population of felons, and many came
from single-parent homes. One KSB
alumnus described himself and some of
his bandmates as “thuggy” before they
joined the Kashmere High School group.
The story goes that Johnson attended
an Otis Redding concert in 1967 and
was inspired to start this elite band for
his students. He composed original funk
songs for the group, dressed them in
platform shoes and matching crushed-
velvet suits, and got them moving with
impeccably choreographed steps that
would make James Brown take note.
For a decade, in spite of constant lineup
changes, KSB reigned in national high
school band championships.
With a lot of work, most bands can
learn to read what’s written on a page,
but Johnson instilled in his musicians
an understanding of groove—the secret
ingredient to great music. There’s no
formula for a deep groove: sometimes
grooves lay back, sometimes they rush,
sometimes they move, sometimes they
are locked solidly in place. The only rule
is: When a groove is right, you feel it.
Social media is full of children playing
wildly complicated music, but most of
these performances are heavy on notes
and light on feel. It’s impressive as hell
and makes us insecure about our own
abilities, but the music rarely moves you
emotionally because notes without groove
and feel don’t mean anything. It took
me a long time to tune into the groove
when I play, because for years I focused
so intently on where I put my fingers that
my peripheral vision was groove-blind.
Johnson told his students something
I wish I had heard when I was their age:
“You can do the right thing, for the right
reason, with the right person, but if you
do it at the wrong time, everything gets
jacked up and twisted.” Johnson got KSB
to listen to each other, lock in, and move
as a unit. They were so tight that you
couldn’t squeeze a Bible page between the
kick and the bass.
KSB recorded eight albums, which
are now coveted by collectors as well as
hip-hop artists and DJs who sample KSB.
The Warner Bros, Now-Again, and Kram
labels have all released KSB’s recordings.
And Thunder Soul, a 2011 documentary,
tells the band’s story. The movie leaves
you with plenty of feel-goodery and some
moral takeaways, including:
• With the right guidance, kids can
accomplish amazing things
• We need to continue teaching and
funding the arts
• Above all, if you want to make
music that leaves a mark, focus on
the groove
JOHN BOHLINGER is a Nashville-
based multi-instrumentalist best
known for leading the band on
Photo by Mike Tristan
NBC’s Nashville Star and serving
as music director for the CMT
Awards and specials on PBS
and GAC. When not filming Rig
Rundowns and gear reviews for PG,
John plays pedal steel for Lee Brice.
 II
PERFORMANCE
IS EVERYTHING: