CREAM RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS RYAN ADAMS

CROSSROADS CALIFORNICATION COME PICK ME UP

* Rockschool version

LEARN TO PLAY

TOOL
SCHISM
(VIDEO RIFF)

25 OF THE
GREATEST

GUITAR
TONES
AND HOW TO GET THEM
ALL THE SETTINGS FOR
GUITARS, EFFECTS
AND AMPS
 EDITOR’S LETTER

Welcome!
FuturePublishing
QUAYHOUSE,THEAMBURY,BATH,BA11UA
Tel 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 822763
Email totalguitar@futurenet.com
Website:www.totalguitar.co.uk

EDITORIAL
Editor: Rob Laing
Production Editor: Katie Nicholls
Group Art Director: Graham Dalzell
Senior Music Editor: Jason Sidwell The idea that Clapton, Van Halen, Satch or Angus
Guitars Feature & Tuition Editor: Chris Bird
Content Editor, Musicradar.com: Michael Astley-Brown Young could plug into any rig and still sound
MusicCo-ordinators:PollyBeauchamp,NatalieBeilby recognisable is certainly believable. A huge part of
CONTRIBUTORS
SteveAllsworth,RichardBarrett,JonBishop, JackEllis,CharlieGriffiths, Nick
what we know as tone is in the mysterious
Guppy,JonathanHorsley,GeorgineHodson,StephenKelly,AlexLynham, Kit relationship between the mind and hands. That’s
Morgan,CliffNewman,MatthewParker,AmitSharma,
unique to every player, so why shouldn’t these
Music Engraver: Simon Troup
Photography:OllyCurtis,NeilGodwin, James Sharrock, guitarists be able to take it wherever they go and
ADVERTISING whatever they play? Well, because it’s not quite
Phone: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 732285
Director of Agency Sales: Matt Downs, matt.downs@futurenet.com the whole story. Tone is also about the detail of
Commercial Sales Director: Clare Dove clare.dove@futurenet.com
Advertising Sales Director: Lara Jaggon lara.jaggon@futurenet.com
sound that’s beyond the physical act of playing;
Account Sales Directors: Alison Watson alison.watson@futurenet.com; Steven
Pyattsteve.pyatt@futurenet.com;GuyMeredithguy.meredith@futurenet.com
the results of the limitless combinations of gear
we can choose. Indeed, players as diverse as U2’s
MARKETING
Head Of Marketing: Sharon Todd The Edge and My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields
SubscriptionsMarketingManager:TomCooper
are immersed in the details of those possibilities – using painstakingly
PRODUCTION&DISTRIBUTION
Production Controller: Frances Twentyman curated combinations of effects to create their parts. If you want to sound
HeadofProductionUK&US:MarkConstance
PrintedintheUKby:WilliamGibbons&SonsLtdonbehalfofFuture like your favourite players did in the studio, technique will only get you so
Distributedby:Marketforce,2ndFloor,5ChurchillPlace, Canary Wharf
London,E145HU
far in many cases. And that’s what we’ve focussed on in our 25 legendary
Overseasdistributionby: Seymour International
HeadofNewstrade:TimMathers
tone choices from guitar history; iconic and distinctive sounds that are
accessible for you with standard effects, and without breaking the bank. In
CIRCULATION
TradeMarketingManager:MichelleBrock02074293683 creating these classic guitar sounds and learning the stories behind them,
SUBSCRIPTIONS you might just be inspired to create your own. 03
UK reader order line & enquiries: 0844 848 2852
Overseas reader order line & enquiries: +44 (0)1604 251045 Duane Eddy is a player who was one of the first electric heroes with his
Online enquiries: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
Email:totalguitar@myfavouritemagazines.co.uk signature tone in the 50s, that still stands apart today. We were delighted
LICENSING to be able to speak to him ahead of his visit to the UK for gigs celebrating
InternationalLicensingDirector:MattEllis,matt.ellis@futurenet.com Tel: + 44
(0)1225442244
his 80th year (p34). At the other end of the scale, Black Peaks’ Joe Gosney
MANAGEMENT (p40) is really just getting started as a player carving his own path.
Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford
Management Director: Julian March
Both offer plenty for us to learn from.
Group Content Director: Paul Newman
Head Of Art: Rodney Dive
Group Editor-In-Chief: Daniel Griffiths
Group Art Director: Graham Dalzell

Rob Laing Editor

Future is an award-winning international media group and
leading digital business. We reach more than 49 million
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MAKING THIS MONTH’S MAG

content and advertising solutions for passionate
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www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 (Bath)

All contents copyright © 2018 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No
part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or used in any way without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered
office: Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath, BA1 1UA. All information contained in this
publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.
Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised
to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price and other details of products or
services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our
control. We are not responsible for their contents or any changes or updates to them. CHRISBIRD MICHAELASTLEY-BROWN DALLAS GREEN
If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission
in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical While attempting to recreate Eric In between chatting to Black Peaks’ While the City And Colour man told
or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every Clapton’s legendary woman tone, Joe Gosney and reviewing Sterling’s us about his new live album (p82)
care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.
TG’s tuition editor was pleasantly Valentine model, our gear guru has he also had a favourite tone to
We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from
responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine free manufacture.
surprised to discover that neighbour- been pondering his favourite guitar share: “Dimebag Darell’s tone on
The paper in this magazine was sourced and produced from sustainable bothering amp levels aren’t always tones – Billy Corgan, Tom Morello and Far Beyond Driven, specifically on
managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic
standards. The manufacturing paper mill holds full FSC
required. “Roll off your guitar tone, Jeff Buckley all rank highly, but he’s Five Minutes Alone. Just how
(Forest Stewardship Council) certification and accreditation.. max out your amp tone, adjust gain an absolute sucker for Alain gnarly that is. Pantera were always
and volume to taste and you’ll get Johannes’s shimmering cleans and their own thing but Dimebag was
surprisingly close,” says Mr B. Turn to searing octave fuzz on Chris such a singular player… there’s not
our huge feature on p46 for more. Cornell’s Euphoria Morning. really anyone like him.”

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 #312
MONITOR
046 006 First Look
008 Scene
25 OF THE 010 Five Minutes Alone: Danny Jones
012 On The Up
GREATEST 014 Me & My Guitar: John Smith
TONES 016 Albums
018 Back Track: Bob Mould

HOW TO
020 20 Minutes To… Learn altered
tunings
030
022 Riff Of The Month: RIG TOUR: SOULFLY
Tool: Schism
024 Getting Started With…
04 The major pentatonic scale THE GAS STATION
026 The FX Files: Fulltone OCD 088 Start Me Up
028 What The F? 3/4 time 090 Sterling Music Man Valentine JV60
094 Line 6 Powercab Plus
096 Guild Jetstar
FEATURES 098 Group Test: Affordable Eight-Strings
030 Soulfly
104 Pedal round-Up:
034 Duane Eddy
Chorus
040 Black Peaks
106 TC Electronic Ditto Jam X2 Looper
046 25 Of The Greatest Tones
108 Fix Your Guitar

096 LEARN TO PLAY

114 The Playlist: Joe Hoare

GUILD JETSTAR 064ClassicTrack:Cream

Crossroads
076 The Turnaround: Joe Bonamassa
040 BLACK PEAKS
078 Jam Track: 80s rock

TG UNPLUGGED
082 News
084 Interview: Gregory Alan Isakov
086 Open-Mic Songbook: Ryan Adams
– Come Pick Me Up

SUBSCRIBE!
Subscribe to Total Guitar and save a
whopping 30% on the regular cover
price – turn to p112 for full details.

T OTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

06

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 FIRST LOOK
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

Photography: Olly Curtis

DEF
Walrus Audio launches Ryan Adams-
designed DEFCON4 Preamp/EQ/Boost
cclaimed US singer-songwriter Ryan Adams has really been 07

A
embracing his gear-head tendencies lately. Following the
JHS VCR Volume/Chorus/Reverb – and preceding his
long-teased signature Fender Strat – is this altogether
80s-vibed collaboration with Walrus Audio: the DEFCON4
Preamp/EQ/Boost pedal. Nine months in the making and
lqvsluhg#e|#U|dqġv#idyh#ľlfn#Ğ#4<;6ġv#WarGames – the DEFCON4 aims to serve
all your tone-tweaking needs, whether that be switching from single coil to
humbucker guitars, boosting your amp or honing your overall tone, courtesy of
a trio of rotary knobs for low-, mid- and high-band frequencies, plus a
vzlwfkdeoh#43gE#PRVIHW#errvw1#ģL#zdqw#wklv#wr#orrn#olnh#vrphrqh#iurp#wkh#;3v#
was pushing the technology they had available at the time,” says Ryan. Job
grqh/#zhġg#vd|1#Khuhġv#zkdw#wkh#†5<6#dvnlqj#sulfh#jhwv#|dĩ

UP CLOSE

Toggles Launch Packaging

Three toggles activate or bypass Adding the Launch rocker The DEFCON4 even comes packaged
each frequency, accompanied by switch activates a 10dB in a collectable blister pack, like the
illuminated numbers MOSFET boost action figures of yore

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

Metallica circa the

original release of
... And Justice For All
in 1988

YOUR MONT

ALBUM
Nita Strauss
e met up with

W Qlwd#Vwudxvv#
backstage before
her clinic at our UK Guitar
Vkrz#rq#63#Vhswhpehu/#
and it’s an especially
exciting time for the Alice
Cooper band guitarist as
she’s announced her
instrumental debut album,
08
Controlled Chaos/#lv#Ľqdoo|#
being unleashed.
“The reason I waited to
release my own music
wasn’t so much a
conscious decision as one ANNIVERSARY
ri#qhfhvvlw|/Ĥ#Qlwd#h{sodlqv#

JUSTICE REVISITED
as to why it’s taken this
long to hear an album
under her own name. “I’ve
jrw#p|#edqg/#Zh#Vwduw#
Wars, I’m touring with
Alice, there’s a signature hirty years on from its record’s bleak tone echoing the

T
guitar coming out, my release, Metallica’s themes. The band were still coming to
clinics, I did the Kickstarter landmark …And Justice terms with the tragic loss of bassist
[campaign] and I have a lot For All album is getting Folļ#Exuwrq#rq#wrxu#lq#Vzhghq lq 4<;9/
ri#ixoĽophqw#iru#wkdw1#Lw# the reissue treatment, but rather than dwell on the well-worn
was more about having no dqg#zh#vsrnh#wr#Mdphv#KhwĽhog#dqg# controversy of the album concerning
time to record and release Kirk Hammett about the recording of Folļġv#vxffhvvru#Mdvrq#Qhzvwhg dqg klv
vrphwklqj#ehiruh1#Exw#zlwk# arguably the band’s greatest release. lack of bass presence in the mix, we
all my heroes being Their last album with Danish zdqwhg#KhwĽhog#dqg#Kdpphww wr vkduh
instrumental players, it producer Flemming Rasmussen, it their own guitar memories of
was always something I Ľqgv#Phwdoolfd#ehwzhhq#wkhlu#shulrg#dv# …And Justice For All – and with The full package: see right
had planned to do.” an ambitious thrash-based band and xqľlqfklqj#krqhvw|#wkh| wrog xv derxw for the complete list of
Qlwd#kdv#|hduv#ri#vwxglr# the arena-conquering force they would a creative victory born from pressure…
what you get for £155.99
and touring work behind become on the Black Album three years “I know there are quite a few people
her and was happy to share later. Tonally, compositionally and wkdw#oryh#wkdw#uhfrug/Ĥ#Mdphv#KhwĽhog#
advice during the Q&A in wkhpdwlfdoo|#lwġv#d#kxjho|0lqľxhqwldo# acknowledges when we ask him for his
her clinic at our show. Look album for musicians and it sees take on the album’s dry scooped guitar
Photography: Ross Halfin

out for more on her as a Hammett at a creative peak as a lead tone, “there’s a real punchiness to it
solo artist in TG soon. sod|hu1#KhwĽhog#zrxog#qhyhu#djdlq#eh# and because it’s somewhat progressive.
WHEN 16 November as political in his lyricism with the You can hear things a little better.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


Obviously, there’s not much depth to it
as far as thickness goes and you know,
it is what it is because Lars and I were
trying to venture into producing
ourselves and discovering… well you
can tell who produced it because the
guitars and the drums and the vocals
are really loud.”
Although most fans have grown to
love that layered sound of …Justice’s
uk|wkpv/#KhwĽhog#lv#txlfn#wr#srlqw#rxw#
the circumstances of tracking it: “To be
honest I’ve got to cut ourselves some
slack because when we were mixing
that record we were right in the middle
ri#grlqj#wkh#Prqvwhuv#Ri#Urfn#wrxu1#Vr#
zh#vwduwhg#rļ#rq#wkh#Hdvw#Frdvw/#zh#
were mixing it there and it was easy at
the beginning but once the tour started
moving further west we were travelling
d#orw1#Rq#d#gd|#rļ#Oduv#dqg#L#zrxog#ľ|ĩ#
SCENE
zhoo#ľ|#ru#gulyh111#L#uhphpehu#dw#wkh#
time limos were a big deal and it
dfwxdoo|#kdg#ohj#urrp#iru#ph1#Vohhslqj#
on an eight-hour drive in a limo to
wherever from somewhere in Iowa or
wherever when we were mixing in
xsvwdwh#Qhz#\run1#Vr#zh#zhuh#suhww|#
fatigued, ear fatigued as well. That’s a
big factor in it I think. There’s a lot more
high-end and it had to cut through our
deaf ears at that point.”
Hammett remembers being under
the gun during the tracking stage: “It’s
interesting because when we were
recording that album I really didn’t
have as much time to do the solos as I’d
wanted to,” he admits to TG. “And
time was running out, literally. I think
we had to leave for the Monsters Of
Urfn#wrxu#rq#d#Vdwxugd|#dqg#lw#zdv#
Thursday but we were still recording
guitar solos. I can remember showing
xs#dw#43#ru#44#lq#wkh#pruqlqj#dqg#
working on solos and that leading to
two or three o’clock in the morning the
qh{w#gd|1#Lw#zdv#mxvw#ulglfxorxv>#48#ru#49#
hours of recording. And I had four or
Ľyh#gd|v#ri#wkdw1Ĥ#Vrphkrz/#wkh#
guitarist was able to summon some of
his most creative work…
“The one thing that sticks out the
most,” adds Hammett, “as far as what
was challenging for me is I remember
the guitar solo for Harvester Of Sorrow
and I remember I was so tired, it was so
odwh#dw#qljkw#dqg#p|#Ľqjhuv#dqg#kdqgv#
were so fatigued that I had trouble
bending a note in key to another note.
And I remember Flemming saying,
‘Okay, just bend it this much. Just bend
it a half step and I’ll take it up with the
harmoniser for the other half step.’
And I remember thinking to myself, ‘Is
this really necessary? Or can we just
stop and do it all over again properly
wrpruurzBġ#Exw#wkhuh#zdvqġw#d#
tomorrow. We had to do it that way.”
The 30th anniversary remaster of
…And Justice For All is released on 2
November via Metallica’s own
imprint Blackened Recordings as a
deluxe box set including: 180-gram
double LP of the album; three live LPs
from the era; 11 CDs; four DVDs
featuring unreleased content;
120-page hardback book. A
three-disc expanded CD version,
including demos and a live set; a
single CD and a double LP version will
also be available.
 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
10
FIVE MINUTES ALONE
DANNY JONES
The McFly man reflects on misconceptions,
Mike Oldfield and the teachings of Mayer
For whom the bells toll
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Whohfdvwhu/#vr#wkhq#L#zdqwhg#d#Whoh#dqg#wkdw#
vrolglĽhg zklfk jxlwdu L zdv jrlqj wr sod|1Ĥ
“IF WE DIDN’T HAVE THAT MOMENT OF, ‘SHIT, I’VE GOT
A PROBLEM’ THEN I THINK WE’D BE OVER, OR DEAD”
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018
Miming? Moi? Danny
has been playing since he
was six years old
Finger tips
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delolw|#wr#olvwhq#wr#|rxuvhoi1ġ#Wkdwġv#vr#wuxh1Ĥ
Everybody’s got to learn sometime
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wkh#zd|#kh#sod|v#wkh#fkrugv1Ĥ#
Running back
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wr#wklv#sxe#dqg#lw#zdv#d#elw#odlu|1#L#vdlg#wr#p|#
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Obviously...
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khdg#qrz1#L#sod|#iru#wkh#hqmr|phqw#ri#sod|lqj1Ĥ
Squeeze me baby
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ru ghdg1 Vr orqj olyh wkh juhhq whd/ wkh ylwdplq
Words: Matthew Parker
G dqg wkh ylwdplq F$Ĥ
Danny Jones’ debut solo single
Is This Still Love is out now
 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
12
EMMA RUTH RUNDLE
A tale of two cities and one dynamic talent
ouisville,
L Kentucky is
perishingly cold
in the winter yet
hot and close in
summer. It is appropriate as
an adopted home for Emma
Ruth Rundle – a dark, dynamic
guitarist who can move from
iron0wlqwhg/#Ľqjhu0slfnlqjv#wr#
tonal mass destruction in the
blink of an eye.
“There seems to be a bit of
confusion, even among the
people that live here, as to
whether this is the Mid West
or the South,” acknowledges
Rundle, an LA native.
“Outside there are trees that
are six-stories tall, full of
cicadas. It’s super-humid.
When I got here, last year, it
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018
was like this and that’s when I
started writing the album. So
you have this beautiful nature
that vanishes in winter. You
could throw a glass of water
into the air and it would
freeze. Everything dies.”
On Dark Horses is the
record borne from this
polarised environment. While
previous solo outing Marked
For Death channeled the
ragged, isolated desert locale
of her label’s Pinion Hills
recording studio into a starkly
honest document of struggles
with alcohol and mental
“WHERE WE PRACTISE THERE ARE OLD, ABANDONED
FACTORIES... A FOREIGN BLEAK LANDSCAPE”
khdowk/#wklv#lv#d#glļhuhqw#
beast. The likes of Light Song
are heavy and humid, full of
fat-rounded bass and
splashing chords, but there
are counterweights dotted
around the record, like the
distant, icy-delays of Apathy
On The Border.
“Where we practise, there
are train tracks everywhere,
you have these old abandoned
factories and it’s like this
foreign, bleak landscape,”
FOR FANS OF Chelsea Wolfe, Big Brave
GEAR Guild T-Bird, Marshall JCM900, Roland Jazz Chorus
The Emma Ruth
Rundle mystery: “a dark,
dynamic guitarist”
says Rundle. “Then we were
living in this house that’s 200
years old and everyone calls it
‘the witch house’. So we have
this spooky house, a weird
industrial landscape... the
freezing cold. I reached a point
writing Apathy On The
Indiana Border where I think
it got to me. I almost named
the record Estranged In The
Mid-West. There’s an
element of being a stranger in
a strange land.”
 ON THE UP
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

Toby Young
pictured centre

THOSE DAMN CROWS OUR HOLLOW, OUR HOME

Classic-rocking crossover corvids Laying a gauntlet to grief
ridgend’s Those Damn It’s a record that’s about leaving our months. That is pummelling and modern metal

B Crow’s practise a ‘less

talk, more rock’ brand
of grunged-up classic
ulĿqj1#Elj#fkruxvhv/#wkxqghulqj#
toms and no-nonsense songcraft
duh#wkh#Ľyh0slhfhvġv#nh|#zhdsrqv#
and they use them well. “Chucky
ulļv#dqg#grzq#pxwlqj#dqg#
harmony chords,” is how guitarist
Ian ‘Shiner’ Thomas explains his
approach. The punchy formula has
pricked the lugholes of Earache,
which recently released TDC’s
debut album Murder And Motive.
pretension at the door, embracing
the big ’n’ brash and riding
down-muted lightning. “A wall of
guitar tone that punches people to
the wall,” is how Shiner puts it,
when asked to describe the sound
in his head. “It changes by the
second - it’s not a stable place, ha!
But mostly it has to be powerful. [It
has to] make people bang their
heads and tap their feet.”
FOR FANS OF Glorious Sons
GEAR Gibson Les Paul, MESA/Boogie
F how long Toby Young
had to say goodbye to
his father, before
losing him to cancer in 2017. Lost,
Toby poured his thoughts,
memories and frustrations into
writing Our Hollow, Our Home’s
powerful second album In Moment
In Memory. “It’s a record that I
had to make,” he tells TG. “It
documents one of the most
glĿfxow#shulrgv#ri#p|#olih/#dqg#
how I had to learn to move on with
my life.” It’s an honest,
album. Searing and purgative.
“Writing songs has been a very
cathartic experience for me,”
uhľhfwv#wkh#jxlwdulvw1#ģP|#jxlwdu/#
as lame as it sounds, has been
there for me when it felt like I had
qrwklqj#hovh111#dqg#kdv#ghĽqlwho|# 13
helped shape me as a person,
teaching me discipline and
perseverance. I don’t know where
I’d be without it.”
FOR FANS OF Bury Tomorrow
GEAR Schecter PT7, Line 6 Helix

THROAT DEATHVALLEYGIRLS BLOXX

WHO: Finnish guitarists Jukka Mattila and WHO: LA guitarists Bonnie Bloomgarden and WHO: London guitarists Fee Booth and Taz
Aleksis Juhakoski Larry Schemel Sidhu
M chae -Ha ght / Ju enPhoto / H ja-Mustonen

SOUNDS LIKE: Noise-rock’s dark arts SOUNDS LIKE: A blend of menace momentum SOUNDS LIKE: Straight-down-the-line
masterfully manipulated and rattle that we’re gonna call ‘death-glam’ indie-pop making drama from the day-to-day
GEAR: Jukka: EGC 1000S, Sovtek MIG100H; GEAR: Bonnie: Hagstrom Futura, 70s Music GEAR: Fee: Fender Telecaster; Taz: Fender
Aleksis: Japanese Fender Jaguar Man 112RD; Larry: 72 Custom Telecaster Jazzmaster

FOR FANS OF Big Business, Shellac FOR FANS OF Ramones, New York Dolls FOR FANS OF Inheaven, Superfood
HEAR No Hard Shoulder HEAR More Dead HEAR Second Opinion

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
1 “This is my first Fylde guitar,
a Falstaff. I had this built
back in 2006 and I picked it up
in 2007. I had played a Fylde in
the old Hank’s Guitar Shop on
Denmark Street. I’d seen it on
the wall and it had completely
blown my mind. But there was
no way I could afford one. I was
playing a factory-built acoustic
guitar at the time but this guitar
was way, way better than
anything I’d ever played.”
Photography: Olly Curtis
ME AND MY GUITAR
JOHN SMITH
As the British acoustic singer /
14 songwriter celebrates his roots
with new album Hummingbird,
he shows us the first Fylde
from his growing collection
3 “ It’s a Madagascan
rosewood back and sides
with cherry bindings, a cedar
top and an ebony fingerboard.
I’ve gone for no fret markings
on the fingerboard. There’s just
this one at the 12th fret and
then I’ve got dots going up the
side. I have these dots on all my
Fyldes but I like to keep the
fretboard simple.”
4 “It’s a great-sounding guitar that
I’ve really mistreated over the
years. I’ve scratched it up pretty good
and put a big crack in it that I had to
take back to Roger to have him fix. He
pretended he was angry but he didn’t
mind too much.”
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018
7 2 “I was on tour with John
Martyn and driving past
the Fylde workshop on the way
to Glasgow, because they’re
based in Penrith in the Lake
District. So I just stopped in
and pretty much cold-called
them. I knocked on the door
and I said, ‘How are you doing? I
think you need some young
endorsees and I’m your man.’ I
could see that Roger [Bucknall,
3 Fylde founder] looked at me a
bit suspicious. Then we got
chatting, I played a bit and he
agreed to make me a guitar.
It was amazing and it started
me on a journey with these
instruments.”
1
5 “It’s serial
number 7337
with Duncan Turner
pickups – it’s got a
4
little mic and a piezo
that comes out of a
stereo output into a
preamp that I make
a mono signal from
and send to front
of house.”
2 5
6
7 “I’ve got a mixed set of strings on here; the
top and bottom from a 13 set and the
middle from a 12 set. These are Elixir Nanoweb
phosphor bronze strings that I think are the
best strings you can get. So it’s a .056, .046,
.032, .024, .017 and .013 so it gives you plenty of
resistance higher up and at the bottom you’ve
got a bit of weight. Then at the middle it feels
kind of fluid and easy to get around. Then you
put all that together and it just feels like it
works. Quite recently, I was delighted because
6 “I play this guitar a lot when I’m in the UK. When I’m
touring I have another one that I fly with because
it’s Indian rosewood and spruce. You have to be very
I found out Derek Trucks does the same with
his electrics. So if it’s good enough for Mr
Trucks, it’s good enough for me!”
careful flying now with rosewood [because of CITES
regulations] so I take that one. I play this a lot, it’s such
a beautifully resonant instrument. It’s all there, you Hummingbird is out now on Commoner Records
know? All across the spectrum it just sounds amazing.” See the video at bit.ly/tg312video
 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
EXCEPTIONAL
16
THE SMASHING
PUMPKINS
SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL 1
B
illy Corgan was often labelled a
musical dictator in the Pumpkins
– he was long-rumoured to have
overdubbed all of co-guitarist
James Iha’s parts on 1993 opus
Siamese Dream – and although his attitude
may have softened for this long-awaited
reunion album, it appears his songwriting
approach has not. The release – full title:
Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past.
No Future. No Sun#Ğ#lv#wkh#edqgġv#Ľuvw#qhz#
material to feature Iha and drummer
Jimmy Chamberlin in over 18 years, yet
much of the Rick Rubin-produced
tracklisting could have come from any of
Corgan’s wistful, mid-tempo Pumpkins
albums over the past decade. There are
THE LAST ALBUM I BOUGHT…
Nita Strauss
ANGEL VIVALDI SYNAPSE
“Not only because I
collaborated with Angel as
a guest on it but the full
album as a concept. It
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018
| EXCELLENT | GOOD
some ear-catching, six-string touches
peppered throughout the recordings –
Frujdq/#Lkd#dqg#ihoorz#jxlwdulvw#Mhļ#
Schroeder lend some sweet warbly leads to
the 1979-channelling Silvery Sometimes
(Ghosts), but arguably, Oceania and
Monuments To An Elegy hold more
standout moments – certainly when we’re
left with an EP half-populated with
saccharine ballads that fail to capture the
orchestral majesty of the band’s former
glories. It’s left to scorching single Solara
dqg#wkh#ulļ0khdy|#Marchin’ On to remind
us that this was once one of the most
exciting guitar bands in the world.
Michael Astley-Brown
DOWNLOAD Marchin’ On
takes you through all the Angel was skilful in doing
different emotions and the that and creating the feel
chemicals in the brain that of each song; his playing is
create these emotions. top notch as well.”
| FOR FANS OF | POOR
TOSKA
FIRE BY THE SILOS
W
hen he’s not clocking up YouTube views
with top-notch gear demos, Rabea
Massaad can be found laying down
atmospheric jams with instrumental prog trio
Toska. The band’s debut album is awash with
big, reverb-heavy guitar textures and
intelligent, interlocking melodies, but it’s when
Massaad is at his most furious playing-wise
wkdw#wkh#frqfhsw#uhdoo|#wdnhv#rļ>#wkh#gmhqw0
tinged grind of A Tall Order is the album’s
highlight, but more conceptual cuts, such as
the title track's fusion of movie score and
socio-political commentary, can wear thin.
Nonetheless, this is a compelling intro to a
guitarist we already have a keen eye on.
Michael Astley-Brown
Download A Tall Order
ARCHITECTS
HOLY HELL
I
t’s not possible to separate this album from
the tragedy it has followed. The despair and
anger echo here from the death of guitarist
and main writer Tom Searle in 2016, but Holy
Hell’s#phulwv#duhqġw#ghĽqhg#e|#wkh#edqgġv#
undeniable strength in regrouping and
continuing on. They’ve made a record worthy of
Tom’s high standards. Sylosis chief, new recruit
Josh Middleton and Adam Christianson craft
irresistible groove and even ambience under
what could have been a precarious balance of
Sam Carter’s emotional and furious vocal
performance with a new level of anthemic
krrnv1#Wkh#|hduġv#prvw#dļhfwlqj#phwdo#uhfrug#
dovr#dĿupv#Dufklwhfwvġ#xszdugv#wudmhfwru|1
Rob Laing
Download Holy Hell
 ALBUMS
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE 
  

   
 

 



       
 
   


NITA STRAUSS
CONTROLLED CHAOS

H
aving been Alice Cooper’s right-hand woman for the past
four years, Nita Strauss conquered many of the biggest
arenas the world over. On her solo debut, it’s even more
evident just why she’s become the face of guitar for a new era –


  

marrying neoclassical symphonies inspired by her long-distant
composer relative with crushing metalcore beatdowns. Our Most
Desperate Hour sits somewhere in between Dragonforce and In 
     
     

Flames whereas Lion Among Wolves channels the kind of      

    

khooĽuh#wkdw#udjhg#ghhs#zlwklq#Qruzd|ġv#lqidprxv#eodfn#phwdo#
scene. Equally as impressive is Strauss’s ability to take it all down
              

a notch and colour in slower melodies that imprint on the mind  


zlwk#wkh#nlqg#ri#Ľqhvvh#pdgh#idprxv#e|#ihoorz#Ledqh}#hqgruvhhv#
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Having made history as the Japanese
eudqgġv#Ľuvw#ihpdoh#vljqdwxuh#duwlvw/#vkhġv#d#shuihfw#dpedvvdgru#
      
 
for the good winds of change – but most importantly of all –
she’s simply a phenomenal player.
Amit Sharma
Download Lion Among Wolves

MARK KNOPFLER
DOWN THE ROAD WHEREVER

N
lqh#doexpv#lqwr#klv#srvw0Gluh#Vwudlwv#vror#fduhhu/#Nqrsľhu#
continues with the blend of intimacy and melancholy that’s
become his calling card. The intensely weighty Celtic
melodies of Drovers’ Road are energised by Mark’s instantly
lghqwlĽdeoh#ryhugulyhq#Ľqjhuvw|oh#ohdg#zrun1#Wkh#jdlqġv#uroohg#
back a touch on Nobody’s Child and My Bacon Roll but the leads
duh#vwloo#xqplvwdndeoh#Nqrsľhu1#Rffdvlrqdoo|/#wkhuhġv#d#vhqvh#
that Mark may be retreading old ground. Back On The Dance
Floor and Matchstick Men both remind us of chord progressions 7KHUH DUH VRPH JUHDW
from 2015’s brilliant Tracker. And we’re just not sure about the
UHDVRQV WR /RYH3DSHU
vprn|#md}}#foxe#yleh#lq#When You Leave and Slow Learner. A
'LVFRYHU WKHP QRZ
deliberate choice to branch out? Probably, and of course Mark’s
WZRVLGHVLQIR
abilities as a songwriter and storyteller remain unquestioned.
We’d just prefer to hear more of that timeless melodic lead Û
81)$2 *OREDO )RUHVW 5HVRXUFHV $VVHVVPHQW 
playing that’s been his trademark for so long.
7ZR 6LGHV LV D JOREDO LQLWLDWLYH SURPRWLQJ WKH UHVSRQVLEOH XVH RI SULQW
Chris Bird DQG SDSHU ZKLFK ZKHQ VRXUFHG IURP FHUWLåHG RU VXVWDLQDEO\ PDQDJHG
Download Drovers' Road IRUHVWV LV D XQLTXHO\ SRZHUIXO DQG QDWXUDO FRPPXQLFDWLRQV PHGLXP
 MONITOR
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE

Bob Mould: his influence

stretches far beyond the
mainstream recognition
he has received

18

Back track
A GUITARIST’S GUIDE TO THE ARTISTS YOU NEED TO KNOW

BOB MOULD
From his days fronting punkers
Hüsker Dü, to the polished alt-rock of
Sugar and a decades-spanning solo
career, Bob Mould is a man whose
influence on popular music has always START WITH
far outstripped his mainstream
recognition or commercial success,
FLIP YOUR WIG (1985)

1
With Flip Your Wig, the group’s third release for SST Records in little over a
with acts like Ryan Adams, the Pixies, year, Hüsker Dü lunged from the underground and into the daylight, their
Green Day and, of course, Nirvana all evolution from hardcore punk to power pop now fully realised. Emboldened
by a cleaner, livelier production (and more thrifty with his beloved MXR-induced
acknowledging their debt to Mould’s
Words Stephen Kelly Photo Getty

brand of muscular, pop-inflected rock.
“I’m a really good rhythm guitar
player, a fair vocalist and a pretty
simple songwriter,” he said in 2016.
Let’s look at the evidence.
glvwruwlrq,/#Prxogġv#jxlwdu#olqhv#duh#vkdushu#uljkw#iurp#wkh#rļ/#wkh#fkrss|#srzhu#
chords of the title track segueing into boisterous solo licks and back again. His
wudghpdun#ulļv#duh#uhsodfhg#e|#d#mdqjo|#E|ugvldq#sv|fk#rq#Games, while droning
fkrug#surjuhvvlrqv#uhfdoo#Wkh#Mhvxv#)#Pdu|#Fkdlq#rq#wkh#hļruwohvvo|#oryho|#Green
Eyes. Makes No Sense At All is Mould’s most convincing anthem here, a hearty
urfnhu#ryhuľrzlqj#zlwk#wkh#nlqg#ri#phorglf#krrnv#wkdw#fhuwli|#wklv#uhfrug#dv#d#
cornerstone of alternative rock.
Recommended track Makes No Sense At All

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


THEN TRY
COPPER BLUE (1992)
2 3
Zlwk Vxjdu/ Ere Prxog wrrn dqrwkhu
whack at the power-trio format and
scrubbed up the late-period Hüsker sound
into something vastly more accessible, a
clean-cut blast of MTV-ready hard rock backed
up by a dense mix and an abundance of tight,
plg0whpsr ulļv/ dv rq wkh glhvho0hqjlqh fkxj
of The Act We Act and The Slim. Revisiting Copper
Blue lv d uhplqghu ri wkh Ľqjhusulqwv lw ohiw doo
over modern rock, from the ringing arpeggios
of Changes that would become a Jimmy Eat
World hallmark, to the New Wave-ish synth of
Hoover Dam foreshadowing the electro-tinged
indie rock of The Killers. One of Mould’s
vwurqjhvw/ prvw frkhvlyh rļhulqjv/ dqg fdwfk|
as hell.
Recommended track The Slim
WORTH A SPIN
PATCH THE SKY (2016)
5 6
For a record ostensibly concerned with
the death of a parent, Patch The Sky is a
olih0dĿuplqj#froohfwlrq#ri#vrqjv/#
swelling with the kind of euphoric groove that
informed 1992’s Copper Blue. Tracks like
Voices In My Head and Pray For Rain are concise,
perfectly-formed blasts of anthemic hard rock
comfortably on a par with the best Dave Grohl’s
fuhz#kdv#wr#rļhu#+zklfk#pljkw#jr#vrph#zd|#wr#
explaining Mould’s regular guest appearances
with the Foo’s in recent years). As usual, the
pearl-bright melodies here smile right back
lqwr#wkh#o|ulfdo#gdunqhvv/#h{hpsolĽhg#lq#Hands
Are Tied/#d#udwwolqj#mr|ulgh#wkurxjk#KÞvnhu#
country that seems delighted to declare, ‘If you
don’t exist/then you can’t be missed’.
Recommended track Voices In My Head
DON’T MISS OUT
WORKBOOK (1989)
Klv Ľuvw vror yhqwxuh diwhu wkh
disintegration of Hüsker Dü in 1987,
Workbook Ľqgv Prxog lq d uhľhfwlyh/
sombre mood, with several songs composed on
450vwulqj dfrxvwlf dqg ľhvkhg rxw zlwk
mandolin and sweeping cello arrangements,
notably the austere hymnal Sinners And Their
Repentances, reminiscent of his former tour
mates, REM. And while See A Little Light lays the
blueprint for the kind of upbeat earworms he
would perfect with Sugar, there’s still a wolf
beneath the folk-rock sheep’s clothing: listen
to the ominous chime of Poison Years erupt into
a squalling solo as Mould rails against his
former bandmates (‘Treason is the reason...’).
Recommended track Whichever Way The Wind
Blows
WILD CARD
LAND SPEED RECORD
(1982)
Mould once said of Hüsker Dü’s early days
that they “needed to be the fastest band
in the world,” and on this debut they
certainly give it the old college try, battering
wkurxjk#4:#vrqjv#lq#mxvw#ryhu#58#plqxwhv#gxulqj#
an amphetamine-fuelled live show. This is
messy, no-holds-barred hardcore punk in the
vdph#yhlq#dv#hduo|#Edg#Eudlqv#ru#Plqru#Wkuhdw/#
with none of the carefully-crafted nuance that
zrxog#frph#wr#ghĽqh#wkh#edqg#lq#odwhu#|hduv1#
You’re Naive is like a light-speed rendition of
Dead Kennedy’s Life Sentence and Push The
Button savages Cold War-era fears, though
there’s little to tell these songs apart. A
jorulrxvo|#eoxqw#remhfw/#iru#wkrvh#zkr#olnh#wkdw#
sort of thing.
Recommended track Push The Button
BACK TRACK
PEOPLE - NEWS - NOISE
ALSO RECOMMENDED
NEW DAY RISING (1985)
4
Although New Day Rising bristles with
Prxogġv fxvwrpdu| ulĿqj dqg zdoo0ri0
noise ‘shimmer’, the strength of these
songs lies in their sense of melodic counterpoint:
a simple, air-punching chorus prevents The Girl
Who Lives On Heaven Hill from imploding under
the weight of its own feedback, while the
simmering momentum of Powerline is
bookended by a trickle of crystalline harmonics.
It’s moments like these that save this record
from a paper-thin production sound and sloppy
wdnhv1 Eh|rqg wkh glvvrqdqfh wkhuhġv d jurzlqj
vulnerability in the group’s songwriting, such
as the wounded, Replacements-esque
harmonies of Terms Of Psychic Warfare.
Recommended track The Girl Who Lives On 19
Heaven Hill
AVOID!
MODULATE (2002)
7
Like many guitar-oriented musicians
before him, and with about as much
success, Mould blundered into the
realm of experimental electronica and dance
music on 2002’s Modulate, and despite best
intentions, this clotted marriage of genres
never quite makes sense of itself.
Synthesizers dominate on tracks like Semper
Fi/#dq#lqvxļhudeoh#grvh#ri#qrlvh#srs/#dqg#
while Slay-Sway and The Receipt are more
familiar in both instrumentation and
structure, they still fail to convincingly
hybridise guitar music and electro-pop with
the same kind of success as contemporary
dfwv#olnh#Vohljk#Ehoov#ru#Dqlpdo#Froohfwlyh1
/Recommended track
The Receipt
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 HOW TO

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

How to use four of the most
important alternate tunings
Loads of new chord shapes
How to use open E tuning for
slide guitar

20
20 MINUTES TO…

LEARN ALTERED TUNINGS

Get to grips with four creative ways to re-tune your guitar
with TG’s whistle-stop tour of altered tunings
v#wkh#Ľuvw#wxqlqj#|rx#ohduq#zkhq# uhlpdjlqh#wkh#iuhwerdug#dqg#lqwurgxfh#qhz# rwkhuv/#xvh#dowhuhg#wxqlqjv#wr#fuhdwh#wkhlu#

A |rx#vwduw#sod|lqj#wkh#jxlwdu/#
Ġvwdqgdugġ#HDGJEH#wxqlqj#
vkrxog#eh#idploldu#wr#prvw#
jxlwdulvwv1#Dq|#fkdqjh#wr#wkhvh#
qrwhv#lv#nqrzq#dv#dq#dowhuhg#ru#dowhuqdwh#
wxqlqj1#Wkhuh#duh#vlpso|#gr}hqv#ri#glļhuhqw#
wxqlqjv wr wu| rxw/ doo xvhg sulpdulo| dv d zd| wr
vrxqgv#dqg#d#qhz#zd|#ri#sod|lqj#jxlwdu1#
Lq#pdq|#wxqlqjv#wkh#qrwhv#rq#wkh#iuhwerdug#
zloo#vhhp#xqidploldu#exw#zkdwġv#uhdoo|#idqwdvwlf#
derxw#glļhuhqw#wxqlqjv#lv#wkdw#|rx#fdq#riwhq#
Ľqg#qhz#dqg#h{flwlqj#vkdshv#dqg#vrxqgv#sxuho|#
e|#dfflghqw1#Jxlwdulvwv#vxfk#dv#Nhlwk#Ulfkdugv/#
Nlp Wkd|lo dqg Ghuhn Wuxfnv/ dprqjvw pdq|
xqltxh#yrlfh#dqg#lghqwlw|#rq#wkh#jxlwdu1#
\rxu#rqo|#uhdo#frqfhuq#zkhq#xvlqj#d#glļhuhqw#
wxqlqj#lv#hqvxulqj#wkdw#|rxu#jxlwdu#lv#vhw#xs#wr#
pdqdjh#wkh#dowhuhg#vwulqj#whqvlrq#hdvlo|1#
Yleudwr#v|vwhpv#zloo#pdnh#uh0wxqlqj#uhdoo|#
glĿfxow/#vr#d#jxlwdu#zlwk#d#Ľ{hg#eulgjh#lv#wkh#
ehvw rswlrq zkloh |rx h{shulphqw1

DROP D POST-GRUNGE RIFF (DADGBE) TRACK 7

q =120-160
#
Gsus 2 Esus 2 D5 N.C. G5 E5 Csus 2 Csus 2 / 4

# .. ..
œ n n
E
T B
G
. 8
7
5
4 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11
.
D . 7 4 0 0 5 2 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 .
Guitars and backing: Steve Allsworth

B A
D
5
5
2
2
0
0 4 5
4 0
2 0
5
5
2
2
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥

Guitarists often only think of drop D as a way to make easy one-fingered powerchords. As you can see here, a little adjustment on this basic powerchord shape can elicit
some interesting intervals such as the sus2 and #4 as well as the almighty two-octave powerchord shown in bar 3, which sounds epic with dollops of distortion.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 20 MINUTES TO LEARN ALTERED TUNINGS

OPEN G STONES STYLE RIFF (DGDGBD) TRACK 8

q = 90-120
C Csus 2/4 C D Dsus 4 D G Cadd 9/G G Cadd 9/G G C

†
# .. ..
œ œ œ œ
D 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 7 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 5
B
G
5
5
. 5
5
6
7
6
7
5
5
7
7
7
7
8
7
8
7
7
7
12
12
12
12
13
12
12
12
12
12
13
12
13
12
12 5
5
.
B
D
G
5
5
. 5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
7
12
12
12
12
14
12
12
12
12
12
14
12
14
12
12 5
5
.
≤ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤
D

† tacet 2nd time

The classic ‘Keef’ sound from the Rolling Stones’ back catalogue is easy to achieve with this tuning. We’ve provided a handful of similar chord shapes that sound great as
ad libs over major chords. These shapes will work particularly well in a I-IV-V blues progression, but there’s nothing to stop you moving them all around the fretboard.

JIMMY PAGE STYLE RIFF (DADGAD) TRACK 9

q = 60-80
A /D D A /D D A /D D G add 9/D A /D D A /D D B b 6/9 Csus 2

.. ..

D
A . 11
0
11
0
12
0
12
0
0
0
11 11 12
0 0 0
12
0
0
0
11 11 12 12 0
0 0 0 0 0
5
0
7 7
0
7
0
7
0
0
0
11
0
11 12 12
0 0 0
0 11
0 0
11
0
12
0
12
0
0
0
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
5
0
5
0
5
0
0 .
B
G
D
A
. 9
0
0
9
0
11
0
11
0
0
0
0
9
0
0
9 11
0 0
11
0
0
0
0
9 9 11 11 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0
4
0
0
6 6
0
6
0
6
0
0
0
9
0
0
9 11 11
0 0 0
0
0 9
0 0
0
9
0
11
0
11
0
0
0
0
0
3
1
0
3
1
0
3
1
0
3
1
0
3
1
0
5
3
0
5
3
0
5
3
0
0 .
≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
D 0 0 0 0 0 0
cont. sim.
21
DADGAD tuning is often associated with fingerstyle folk; Jimmy Page used it in Led Zeppelin’s epic Kashmir riff. The notes of the tuning form a Dsus4 chord (D G A), and,
though it may feel alien at first, its rich, open sound is very rewarding. Notice the semi-circular ‘anti-accent’ lines under certain chords; these tell you to play more gently.

OPEN E TUNED SLIDE LICK (E B E G# B E) TRACK 10

j 3

q =70-90 q q =q q
E N.C. E5 G F# E G A E G F# E G A E G F# E
~ ~ ~ ~n 3 ~~ 3 ~~ 3

# ~
.. ..
3 3 3 3
œ œ œ œ œ œ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
w/slide
~~~ ~~ 5 ~~ 5
E
G#
B . 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12
12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 15 15
5 2 3 0 0 3
3
2
2
0
0
3
3
5
5 5
0
0
3
3
2
2
0
0
3
3
5
5 5
0
0
3
3
2
2
0
0 .
B
E
B
. 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 15
0
0
3
3
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
3
3
3
5
5
5
5
5
5
0
0
0
3
3
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
3
3
3
5
5
5
5
5
5
0
0
0
3
3
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
.
E 0 3 2 0 3 5 5 0 3 2 0 3 5 5 0 3 2 0

Tuning all the strings so that you hear a major chord is ideal for slide guitar. It allows you to place your slide across one fret and pick out any of the six strings. Ideally, place
your slide on your third finger, with the first and second fingers sitting on the strings behind the slide to keep string noise to a minimum.

PRACTICE PLAN
1. One minute: Play through one exercise slowly
2. Two minutes: Slow down further and focus on tricky parts such as position shifts
3. Two minutes: Gradually build your playing speed
4. Try out the other examples
We recommend using this month’s ideas as a springboard for your own ideas in each tuning. Identify chord shapes or short phrases
that you like, then try moving them around the neck. There are several different shapes in the DADGAD example that will sound great
in other fretboard positions. You could even try the shapes from one tuning in the other tunings! After all, the whole idea of altered
tunings is to totally re-order the notes and make you think outside the box!

NEXT MONTH 20 minutes to… Better riffing

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 HOW TO WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Alternating 5/8 and
7/8 time signatures
Palm muted single
note riffing
Drop D tuning

Get the tone CHANNEL CLEAN

6
3 3 3 3

GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB

Guitarist Adam Jones is well known

for using Gibson Les Pauls. The tone
on this riff comes from a bright
sounding, treble-rich bridge
humbucker with a little drive adding
bite. All but the cleanest amps will
have enough gain to get you a
ballpark tone. The studio recording
uses double tracking for a fatter
sound – you could try using a chorus
or flanger with slow, light settings
for a similar effect.

U RO
YO E
Bridge humbucker

ON ID
riff of the month
CD
V

TOOL
Schism
22 arking a move away from the to say ‘1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7’. The 3rd fret Bb note vrxqglqj dļdlu1 Nhhs wkh vlgh ri |rxu slfn kdqg#

M band’s alt-rock roots towards a

more progressive art-rock style,
Tool’s third album Lateralus is
also notable for its Grammy-
lands on beat 1 of both bars; the rapid double
hammer-on falls on the last beat, each time
leading you neatly into the next bar. Take a
listen to the slow play through in the video and
rested gently against your guitar’s bridge to
achieve this feel.

winning lead single Schism.
Wkh gurs G wxqhg ulļ dowhuqdwhv ehwzhhq wzr
time signatures: 5/8 and 7/8. We’ll try not to dig
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if you want to count along to keep time it’s best
CHEAT SHEET…
try counting along. Appears at: 0:27-0:44
Palm muting is the most important playing Tempo: 216bpm (eighth-note pulse)
technique here. And although Justin Key: D minor
Chancellor’s bass notes ring out clearly, the Main techniques: Hammer-ons / palm-
accompanying guitar line is a dry, chunky muting / 5/8 and 7/8 time

A C A Bb C
D F G D E F G
Photo: Steven Ferdman/Getty

D minor pentatonic scale D natural minor scale

The riff is based in the D minor pentatonic scale (D F G A C) with a b6th Bb note thrown in for good measure. For theory buffs, this note comes from the D natural minor scale
(D E F G A Bb C). Practise the scale to gain a little insight into Jones’ note choice. The riff finishes on an open D5 chord.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 HOW TO
GETTING
STARTED WITH…

THE MAJOR
PENTATONIC
SCALE
Get your solos on track the easy WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
way with a look at a scale used Two major pentatonic lead licks
A commonly-used scale shape

by countless rock legends Creative soloing ideas

“I’ve heard lots of guitarists talk about
scales. Why are they important?”
One of the most challenging things about
playing the guitar is deciding which notes to
play. Now remember, a scale is a run of notes
that sound good together, so, by learning a few
shapes, you’ll take some of the guesswork out
of choosing those all-important notes.
24
“Isitaleadthingoradoesitapplytochords?”
Both but working out chords from scales can be
quite tough until you’ve got a handful of shapes
under your belt, so we’ll stick to soloing here.
“Cool. How do I get started?”
In the boxout on the right you’ll see two
illustrations of the C major pentatonic scale.
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Play one note at a time starting on the lowest
pitched note to get a feel for the scale. The
second picture tells you what the notes are.
“It’s easy enough but it’s pretty boring.
Does anyone really use it?”
Sure! The scale can be heard extensively in
blues-rock with players like Eric Clapton and
Jimmy Page making their careers out of UPSCALED…
pentatonic soloing. The scale’s bright feel All you need to know about this vital scale
makes it well suited to major key solos such as
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.
1 1 1 E A D
Pentatonics aren’t the preserve of 70s rock, 7 7
with acts like Pearl Jam, Arctic Monkeys and 2 2 2 C G C
Rival Sons making use of the vital shapes. 3 E
4 4 4 4 4 D G C A D
“How do I turn the scale into music?”
Think about creative approaches. Try playing
two notes at the same time, or have a go at
messing with the timing of the scale notes to 1. USE THE RIGHT 2. LEARN THE NOTES
inject space and rhythm into your ideas. Or, try FINGERS There are five notes: C,
The numbers tell you D, E, G and A. After the A
‘skipping’ over a string or playing longer runs
which fretting fingers the scale starts again on
up and down through the scale. Have a look at to use. A ‘1’ refers to another C note. Note
our tab examples, which explore these ideas. your index finger, ‘4’ is that we’ve coloured the
your little finger, and ‘2’ C root notes black.
“The tab’s great, but does the scale work and ‘3’ are in between.
over any chord progression?”
3. WHAT’S IN A NAME?
No! The C major pentatonic scale will always
Just as with chords, ‘major’ refers to the scale’s
sound good over a C chord or other chords bright sound. Minor scales have a dark, sad feel.
made up of notes from the scale. G major The word ‘pentatonic’ tells you that there are five
pentatonic sounds great over a G chord, A major (penta-) notes or ‘tones’ (-tonic), C, D, E, G and A.
pentatonic over A, and so on.

1 THINK INSIDE THE BOX TRACK 11 2 CREATIVE IDEAS TRACKS 12-13

q =105
C Am F C C Am F C
. ~~
.. . .. j
..
‰ ‰ .. œ
œ
j

let ring

8
~~~~
T . 7 9
8 10 8 . T . 7 9
8 8
7 7 9
10 8 .
. 10 . B
. 10 10 7 10 .
B
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≤
This lick is a run of notes from the major pentatonic scale. We’ve timed the notes Lots of ideas for you here! Our lick uses two-note shapes, notes played out of the
to help bring each phrase to a natural end on each chord change. order they appear in the scale and we’ve even skipped over a string in bar 2.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 HOW TO
THE FX FILES TG’S CLASSIC STOMPBOX GUIDE
FROM TRANSPARENT TONES TO AMP-LIKE ROAR,
THE FULLTONE OCD IS ONE OF THE MOST
ENDURINGLY POPULAR MODERN DRIVE PEDALS
2 TONE
The tone control is essentially a
treble roll-off. Although a fair bit of
treble is filtered at the main
amplification stage, the tone
control is used to remove treble

1 DRIVE
The clipping waveform distortion on
the OCD is delivered by two 2N7000
above a fixed frequency right
before the output of the pedal.

transistors after the first stage, with

the Drive control determining how
much the signal is amplified before it
hits this point. After the first version,
the drive pot had its value bumped for
more dramatic distortion, and on later
iterations of the pedal an asymmetric
1N34 germanium diode was
3 HP/LP SWITCH
The HP/LP switch isn’t a
high-pass, low-pass selector as the
controversially added to more abbreviations imply, but instead
26 dramatically shift the character of the selects between different
clipping. In the DIY community, the frequencies to use at the shelving
pre-germanium version remains more frequency for the Tone control. For
popular to build. most players, guitars and pickup
combinations, the HP, or higher,
frequency should be the better
option, but like most things it’s
about personal taste.

FULLTONE OCD
An op-amp based overdrive in the family tree of the Tube Screamer, the OCD
is widely reckoned to be one of the most open-sounding drives on the market
hen Mike Fuller of inspiration from a now little- platforms for modding by the change is on version 1.3 -

W Fulltone originally
devised the OCD,
he wanted an
open-sounding
distortion pedal with decent
headroom to more faithfully
emulate a driven tube amp. This
desire for extra headroom is why
the OCD can be run from anything
from 9-18V, with the pedal
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less compressed sound when run
at the higher voltage.
Although this has never been
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the OCD takes its driving
known pedal partly descended
from the Ibanez Tube Screamer. As
can be discerned from looking at
the schematics side-by-side, the
original OCD is essentially a
Voodoo Labs Overdrive, itself
similar to a cascaded MXR
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version of the OCD featured an
expoxied or ‘gooped’ board, later
iterations would prove popular
MIKE FULLER ORIGINALLY WANTED AN
OPEN-SOUNDING DISTORTION PEDAL
DIY community.
There have been seven distinct
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by the PCBs and layout on the
inside, alongside visual cues like
the size of the logo on the front
panel. The changes on the versions
between 1.1 and 1.7 are relatively
subtle, and are mainly component
value tweaks to slightly alter the
EQ reponse. The most interesting
increasing the drive pot to 1M for
more sustain, and the addition
around 1.4 of a germanium
clipping diode.
The leap that was made with
version 2 brought even more
dramatic change. The three key
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exļhu/ d glvfuhwh 5Q878: MIHW
transistor input stage, which raises
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0 dv |rxġg Ľqg rq dq Hfkrsoh{ ru
Space Echo preamp - and the
option to use a new type of
switching, called enhanced bypass,
instead of true bypass.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


# UNDER THE INFLUENCE
EHX GLOVE
£64
One of the characteristic elements of the OCD’s
clipping is that, when run at 9V, much of the
clipping comes from the op-amp itself. The
EHX glove resolves this with an internal charge
pump, which bumps the circuit internally from
9V to 18V, from the ‘Super OCD’ modded OCD
designed by Fred Briggs. Sadly, it doesn’t
include Fred’s additions of a dedicated bass or
higher-quality op-amp, but it’s still a great-
sounding drive.
# CLASSIC TONES
GET THE TONE #1
CLASSIC ROCK LES PAUL LES PAUL LEAD
RHYTHM GUITAR With a humbucking guitar in the bridge
position, start with this setting for some
Into a clean Marshall-style amp you can get
some dark rhythm sounds with a neck pickup
and this setting. Increase the tone at the pedal,
dqg#uroo#rļ#dw#wkh#jxlwdu#dqg#|rx#jhw#vrph#Eloo|#
Howerdel-style mid-2000s rhythm tones too.
Get the tone
VOLUME DRVIE TONE
Volume: 10 o’clock Drive: 2 o’clock
Tone: 2 o’clock Toggle: to LP
MOOER HUSTLE DRIVE
£43
Small but perfectly formed, this diminutive and
dļrugdeoh#shgdo#lv#doohjhgo|#d#gluhfw#forqh#ri#wkh#
OCD. However, if we were judging the Mooer
Kxvwoh#Gulyh#e|#wkh#orzhu0jdlq#vrxqgv#rq#rļhu/#
it would more accurately be described as a clone
of the original version of the pedal, before the
gain potentiometer was bumped up in value,
though it is possible that this might just be our
ears playing tricks on us. At this price though,
it’s worth taking the punt.
GET THE TONE #2
classic, powerful leads. With a hotter amp, pull
back the volume as required. Try running the
pedal at 9V in order to get some pre-amp
compression, then adjust tone and drive to tame
the highs as required.
Get the tone
VOLUME DRVIE TONE
Volume: 11 o’clock Drive: 10 o’clock
Tone: 1 o’clock Toggle: to HP
THE FX FILES
JOYO ULTIMATE DRIVE
£32
It may look an aesthetic atrocity, but beyond
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clear descendant; in fact, an OCD version 1.4 27
clone with slight component tweaks.
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manufacture, the germanium diode was
incorrectly oriented, meaning the pedal
had a sound all of its own. This was later
corrected, returning it closer to the sound
of the original.
GET THE TONE #3
DARK SINGLE COIL
Depending on your amp, you might have to
tweak the volume and gain slightly, but this is a
good starting point for experimenting with
darker, thumpier blues tones. Particularly
when run at the higher voltage, a neck single
coil will really sing when given just a bit of hair
by the OCD.
Get the tone
VOLUME DRVIE TONE
Volume: 1 o’clock Drive: 11 o’clock
Tone: 1 o’clock Toggle: to LP
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 HOW TO WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
How 3/4 time relates to 4/4
How to keep time in 3/4
Rhythm and lead ideas in 3/4 time

WHAT THE F? /4 is a simple time signature – with three pulses

3/4 TIME 3 in each bar, count to three along with the music
to get the timing down. A kick-snare-snare
drumbeat outlines the 3/4 feel in Elliott Smith’s
Waltz #2, with chord changes on beat 1 of each
Master the basics of this easy bar underpinning the groove. The verse in Free Me by Foo
Fighters has a similar feel but with an emphasis on beat 3 from
time signature complete with a ringing guitar chord. The Beatles’ Norwegian Wood achieves
its 3/4 feel with McCartney and Harrison’s guitars accenting
rhythm and lead tab examples bass notes on beat 1 and striking other notes on beats 2 and 3.

1 4/4 TIME TRACKS 14-15

727#lv#wkh#prvw#frpprq#wlph#vljqdwxuh#lq#pxvlf1#Wkh#Ľuvw#Ġ7ġ# q =120
whoov#|rx#wkhuh#duh#irxu#ehdwv#lq#hyhu|#edu#ri#pxvlf>#wkh#vhfrqg#Ġ7ġ# E7 Play 4 times
tells you each beat has a quarter-note rhythm. Unless the music
you’re playing has lots of stop-start rhythms you should be able # .. ..
to count to four to stay in time. Remember, 4/4 still allows there
‰
to be more than four notes or strums – you might need to count
Ġ4#)#5 ) 6 ) 7 )ġ wr lqfoxgh hljkwk qrwhv iru h{dpsoh1 count: 1 2 3 4

T . 5
7
5
7
5
7
5
7
5
7
5
7
.
44 B
. 6
7
6
7
6
7
6
7
6
7
6
7
.
œ œ œ œ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
Here’s a simple E7 chord played in 4/4 time. Counting to four will help you stay in time;
1 2 3 4 strum downwards on the numbers and upwards in between.
28
2 3/4 TIME TRACK 16

If you understand 4/4 then 3/4 should be easy because music in this
time signature simply has three quarter-note beats in each bar E7 Play 4 times
instead of four. Generally, the first beat of the bar is accented, so, if
|rxġuh frxqwlqj Ġ4 5 6ġ wr vwd| lq wlph/ mxvw pdnh qrwhv rq wkh Ġ4ġ d elw
# .. ..
louder. The notes shown here are the kind of notes you’ll see
‰
presented in traditional music notation.
count: 1 2 3

T . 5
7
5
7
5
7
5
7
.
B
. 6 6 6 6 .
3 7

≥
7

≥
7

≥
7

≤
4œ œ œ Compare this track to our 4/4 example – it's obvious that there are three beats not four.
1 2 3 More important is the feel – the ‘kick, snare, snare’ drumbeat outlines the groove.

3 LEAD LICK TRACKS 17-18

E7
# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.. ..
b .
nœ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T . 5
4
5
4 7 4 0 1
.
B
. 7 2 0
2 0 1 0
2 0 2 .
3 0

There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ 3/4 lick. Our example has a blue-rock vibe but most time signatures are found in most styles of music. Still, notice how we’ve phrased our lick
to bring out the 3/4 feel. New phrases begin right at the start of bars 1, 2 and 3, emphasising the all-important first beat of the bar.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

30

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


Words Jonathan Horsley Photography James Sharrock
1 2
SOULFLY
Armed with an ESP RPR, Washburn and Peavey 6505+
amp, ‘travel light and play hard’ is the ethos for
Soulfly’s power duo Max Cavalera and Marc Rizzo
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try and play melodic and do
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rig tour
pickups, a comfortable guitar
and a Peavey 6505+
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24 frets!
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lot of solos, so it just made
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intonation just goes all over
wkh#sodfh1#L#hqmr|#sod|lqj#d#
vhyhq0vwulqj#dqg#kdylqj#wkh#
guitar in standard tuning and
zkhq#L#zdqw#wr#jr#orzhu#Lġyh#
jrw#p|#Ľiwk#vwulqj#+orzhu#E,1#Lw#
nhhsv#wkh#ihho#uljkw1#Zkhq#L#
dp#grlqj#vrorv#L#olnh#wr#ihho#p|#
jxlwdu#lq#vwdqgdug#wxqlqj1Ĥ#
PEAVEY 6505+
2 ģLġp#qrw#lqwhuhvwhg#lq#
xvlqj#dq|wklqj#hovh1#Lwġv#
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L#mxvw#nhhs#lw#rq#wkh#ohdg#
fkdqqho1#Lwġv#orxg1#L#grqġw#
uhdoo|#jr#dq|#orxghu#wkdq#irxu/#
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ehfdxvh#lwġv#d#olwwoh#zduphu#wr#
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khdulqj#lw#dw#khdg#khljkw1#L#olnh#
khdulqj#lw#iurp#grzq#ehorz#Ğ#
lwġv#d#olwwoh#zduphu1#\rx#fdq#
khdu#lw#uhvrqdwh#rļ#wkh#
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delay pedal, turn my gain up
iru#vrorv#dqg#zkhq#L#Ľqlvk#wkh#
vror#khġoo#wxuq#wkh#ghod|#rļ#
and back my gain back down
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dqg#zh#qhyhu#kdyh#sureohpv111
qhyhu#eorz#wxehv1Ĥ
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 rig tour
4
32
DIGITECH DROP POLYPHONIC ROCKTRON HUSH
DROP TUNE PEDAL THE PEDAL
3 ģWklv shgdo lv dfwxdoo|#yhu|#
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After 15 years of experimenting,
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DUNLOP CRY BABY
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TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER
B 20185
5 ģWklv#^qrlvh#uhgxfhu`#lv#
dqrwkhu#shgdo#L#xvh#d#orw#zlwk#
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need to but we use it once in a
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BOSS DD-3 DIGITAL DELAY
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vsrw1#L#olnh#wr#frqfhqwudwh#rq#p|#
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7
5
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8
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my old band, going back to like
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guitar in probably 15 years, but
zhġuh#xvlqj#lw#rq#wklv#wrxu#dqg#lw#
vrxqgv#jrrg1Ĥ
MAX’S RIG
ESP MAX CAVALERA
RPR SIGNATURE
8 ģLw#kdv#d#olwwoh#elw#ri#d#Zduorfn#
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jxlwduv1#Lw#kdv#d#qhfn0wkurxjk#
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strings started as a joke back in
Eud}lo1#D#vwulqj#eurnh#dqg#L#glgqġw#
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10
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ph#zkhq#L#grqġw#kdyh#wkh#vl{#
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zkhq#L#gr#wkhp#zlwk#wkh#guxp#
pdfklqh1#Lwġv#ixqq|#ehfdxvh#wkhuh#
kdyh#ehhq#vrph#nlgv#zkr#kdyh#
11
erxjkw#wkh#jxlwdu#zlwk#irxu#vwulqjv#
dqg#wkhlu#gdg#skrqhg#HVS/#Ġ\rx#
vrog#p|#vrq#d#eurnhq#jxlwdu$ġ#
ģWkh#slfnxs#lv#iurp#d#frpsdq|#
fdoohg#Odfh>#wkh|#pdnh#p|#rzq#
slfnxs#fdoohg#Grzqvwur|huv/#
named after one of my songs from
wkh#hduo|#Vrxoľ|#gd|v#Ğ#dqg#
wkh|ġyh#jrw#d#jdv#pdvn#rq#wkhp1#
Lwġv#d#frro#frpsdq|1#Wkh|#gr#jx|v#
olnh#Pdvwrgrq#dqg#Kljk#Rq#Iluh1Ĥ
PEAVEY 6505+
9 ģShdyh|#lv#zkhuh#lwġv#dw1#Lwġv#
wkh#ehvw#vrxqg#|rx#fdq#jhw/#
9 vrxqg#wkdw#|rx#khdu#rq#wkh#uhfrug#
“IF YOU HIT THE BOSS AW-2 WITH THE
DRUM PART, IT’S JUST, ‘RAAAARGH!’”
wkh#ehvw#glvwruwlrq1#Qrz#wkh|#
frph#zlwk#wkh#olwwoh#rqh#|rx#fdq#
sxw#lq#|rxu#edfnsdfn/#wkh#
Sludqkdv1#L#oryh#Shdyh|1#Lġyh#ehhq#
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sodqqlqj#wr#gr#vrphwklqj#uhdoo|#
frro#zlwk#ph#qh{w#|hdu/#vr#zhġuh#
krslqj#wr#jhw#d#elj#fdpsdljq#dqg#L#
get to be involved in some kind of
vshfldo#dpsolĽhu1#L#mxvw#zdqw#wr#
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qlfh#zdup#wrqh1#\rx#grqġw#kdyh#wr#
gr#dq|wklqj#vshfldo#wr#lw1#Zh#xvh#d#
little overdrive just to bump it up a
olwwoh#elw1#Vrphwlphv/#wkhuhġv#qrw#
hqrxjk#glvwruwlrq#iru#ph1#Lġp#d#
glvwruwlrq#iuhdn/#vr#L#orrn#dw#p|#
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SOULFLY
33
BOSS PH-2 SUPER PHASER
10 ģZh#xvh#wkh#fohdq#wrqh#rq#d#
song called Pduv/#dqg#L#xvh#
^wklv`1#Zhġoo#kdyh#wkh#frpsuhvvru#
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BOSS AW-2 AUTO WAH
11 ģWkdw#lv#wkh#ehdvw$#Wkh|#
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NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 feature
Words Matt Parker / Photography Eric Fairchild
SO ND
34
ROCK ’N’ ROLL HALL-OF-FAMER DUANE EDDY SHIFTED
100 MILLION RECORDS ON THE STRENGTH OF HIS RAW
PLAYING AND POWERFUL LOW-END TONE. THE SECRET,
HE TELLS TG, IS LETTING IT ALL HANG OUT…
an Auerbach puts it best.
D
“The thing about Duane is
that he sounds like
Duane,” he told TG in 2017
diwhu#Ľuvw#frooderudwlqj#
with his fellow Nashville
resident. “I mean, think about that. Think
about how many fucking guitar players there
are in the world. Everybody pretty much
sounds the same. To be able to have your own
sound is so crazy. And he did it. And he still
does it.” Go listen to any one of Eddy’s
records and you’ll hear a guitarist that can
carry a song by his sheer force of personality.
Rebel Rouser, Cannonball, Moovin’ ’N’
Groovin’, Ramrod, his earth-shaking cover of
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018
Peter Gunn – or, for TG’s money, the vicious
Stalkin’ – the list goes on… on any track
you’ll hear the rib-rattling tone and stripped-
down playing of his famous Gretsch-powered
’twangy’ low-end sound.
Between 1958 and 1963 Eddy sold 12 million
records, all instrumentals. Nowadays that
number is over 100 million. Along the way he
lqľxhqfhg#Wkh#Ehdwohv#+zkr#zrxog#kdqj#
around outside his hotel when he played
Liverpool in the early 60s), made a fan of
Elvis, helped invent surf rock and became a
peer to the likes of Eddie Cochran, Chet
Atkins and Buddy Holly. As he celebrates his
80th year with trio of rare UK gigs, we pick the
brain of the man behind the twang…
DUANE EDDY

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 feature
FIND YOUR
OWN VOICE…
Wherever it may come from
“I learned to play by playing along to
country records on the radio. Besides
listening to guitar players, I listened to
singers. Hank Williams in particular
was like a mentor in that he let it all
hang out. When he sang, he just
touched your heart. I sang myself
when I was a teenager, but I realised
that I was contributing more by
playing than singing. Somebody asked
me once, ‘What was your great
contribution to the music business?’
And I said, ‘Not singing!’ But when I
went in to record, I knew I had to have
my own sound, the same as all the
country singers. I could tell you which
country singer was about to sing, just
by hearing the intro to the record, even
if I’d never heard it and it was a brand
new record because they all had their
own instrumental style. When the
singer started, sure enough, it would
be someone you knew. I’d processed
all that and I thought it was quite
clever, actually.”
36 REMEMBER
THE HOLY
TRINITY
Find a way to communicate
“You have to have your own sound, do
it with authority and let it all hang out.
Those three things. You put the
emotion into it and, as the country
artists did, you do it with authority,
whether you’re right or wrong and just
lay it out there! Just believe it yourself,
you know? If you do that you
communicate with your guitar. That’s
what all the good artists do: they
communicate to people. Whether
you’re a singer or writer or player or
actor or a painter – communicate.
Leonardo Da Vinci communicated to
people, to a lot of people, with his
pictures. Rembrandt is another one.
All of those famous painters. That’s
just a basic principle, if you will, of art
itself. There’s a lot of great painters, a
lot of great singers, a lot of great
players who never get heard because
they just don’t communicate with
what they’re doing. They’re very
skilful but something is missing.”
“HAVE YOUR OWN SOUND
& DO IT WITH AUTHORITY”
REMEMBER
THOSE WHO
ARE GOOD
TO YOU
How Duane became a Gretsch man
ģWkh#Ľuvw#Juhwvfk#L#jrw#iurp#]ljj|ġv#
Music Store [in Arizona]. It had a
vibrato on it and that’s why I wanted a
new guitar. I had a Les Paul gold top
’54 and I wanted to do what Merle
Travis did and have the vibrato. I
walked in in spring 1957 and I was
looking at a White Falcon on the wall,
but it was almost $800, and that was a
fortune in those days [approx $7,084,
doorzlqj#iru#lqľdwlrq`1#]ljj|#vdlg/#
‘Well, I’ve got something you might
like…’ He pulled this case out, opened
it up and handed me this Orange 6120
Gretsch and it just nestled in there so
sweetly and it had the nicest neck I’ve
ever played. I started packing up my
Gibson after looking at this wonderful
Juhwvfk#dqg#]ljj|#vdlg/#ĠZkdw#duh#|rx#
doing? Don’t you want to take the
Gretsch with you?’ I said, ‘Could I!?’
He said, ‘Sure. Leave the Gibson. Take
the Gretsch.’ My dad didn’t get in for a
couple of months to sign the paper
zrun#dqg#]ljj|#qhyhu#vdlg#d#zrug1#Kh#
was truly the musicians’ friend.
Everybody who’s played it since has
commented on how great the neck is.
Buddy Holly loved it. Chuck Berry
loved it. Everybody who tried that
guitar said, ‘Oh boy, great neck on it.’”
KEEP IT
SIMPLE,
STUPID
‘Less is more’ was basically
invented by Duane
“When I recorded with my 6120, that
became my sound, along with a
prglĽhg#dps#L#kdg#lq#wkrvh#gd|v/#zlwk#
a JBL speaker and 100-watts and a
DeArmond tremolo. That was my rig. I
did not use the tremolo on Moovin’ ’N’
Groovin’. I did use it on Rebel Rouser
and Stalking and Cannonball. I did not
use it on Ramrod. It was just what felt
right to me and sounded and recorded
right. With my style, of keeping it
simple and meaningful, as I thought of
it, I couldn’t play a lot of fast notes,
they’d get jumbled up. Because that
sound was so in your face, if you
turned the highs up
and make it more
mellow, you could
play a lot of fast
vwxļ#dqg#lw#grhvqġw#
jumble up so much,
but when I tried to do it
with my sound, if you make one
mistake it’s glaring! I tried to do a
fancy lick one day and Lee Hazlewood
my producer said, ‘Erm, you might
want to come in and listen to this…’ I
did and it was just a jumble and it
didn’t translate on my guitar [so I
stripped it out] and it came out
sounding better.”
FIND THE GAP
Why Duane hit the low-end
“I developed the style because of what
little recording I had done in Phoenix,
Arizona. I worked on a few sessions
and I realised whenever I got to play
ohdg#ru#d#Ľoo#wkdw#wkh#edvv#qrwhv#rq#wkh#
guitar were much more powerful than
the high notes. Also, on all the early
rock ’n’ roll records, I was getting sick
of the high notes going ‘Dndndndn’
and playing the same thing over and
over again, you know? They’d do the
same licks over and over, which they’d
jrwwhq#rļ#d#Eloo#Kdoh|#uhfrug#ru#Ohv#
Paul, but they weren’t as good. I
zdqwhg#wr#vrxqg#glļhuhqw#dqg#wkh#
bass strings were more powerful. The
Ľuvw#uhfrug#L#pdgh/#L#wkrxjkw/#ĠZhoo/#
I’ll try both.’ So I did Moovin’ ’N’
Groovin’, which has a high part to
start with and then it goes down to the
low notes – very basic, very simple.
But that record reached out and
touched a lot of players in California
and The Surfaris said that record
inspired them to start surf music. If I’d
known that I’d have never done it!
Bad-dum-bum! Naw, I’m kidding. I
thought that was amazing.”
SOUNDTRACK
YOUR MENTAL
IMAGERY
Can you play what you picture?
“I wrote Rebel Rouser at the [second]
session. With that I had a mental
picture. I’d worked a rock ’n’ roll
show, after doing Moovin’ ’N’
Groovin’, for a week in LA and I
realised it would be cool to have
something to get me onstage. I could
picture the spotlight hitting me and
just playing by myself or walking on
playing and having the band come in.
I also pictured a gang walking toward
 DUANE EDDY

Getting that
‘twang’...
Duane Eddy has been
loyal to Gretsch
since walking into
Ziggy’s Music Store,
Arizona in 1957

37

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 DUANE EDDY

“USE TECHNOLOGY BUT dqg doo ri lw rļ ri phĩġ Vr wkh| wzlggohg

DON’T LET IT USE YOU”
me down a dark alley, with their knives,
their switchblades and chains. I wanted
wr sxw d eulgjh lq lw exw L frxogqġw Ľjxuh
it out, so I thought, ‘Ah, to heck with
that. I’ll just modulate and do the same
thing again!’”
WORK HARD.
AND QUICKLY
Why you should embrace pressure
“I always thought that working under
pressure was good. That inspires you to
get it done and you take bigger leaps,
mentally. Working under pressure with
time is a big help. If you’re going to take
time, take the time at home to write and
come up with ideas, before you get in
the studio with the cash register
running. Dan Auerbach from The Black
Keys has his own studio here in
Nashville and he hires musicians and
records. He has the best equipment, a
great engineer and a great studio. He
works very hard at getting the right take
38 and he does have all the time in the
world and all of the money, but he
doesn’t spend all of his money on it and
he doesn’t spend all of his time on it. He
just goes in there and works very hard,
very quickly and comes out with great
records. He is concerned about the
feeling on the record. That’s what we
were thinking about [back then].”
BEWARE
TECH...
The key to using gear
“Use the technology but don’t let it use
you. One thing I hate is compression. A
lot of times I don’t like playing on other
people’s records because I know they’re
going to put compression on my guitar,
which destroys the sound of it. Phil
Everly and I did a record which we
haven’t released. He wanted me to get it
out there some day. My producer friend
mixed it in a state-of-the-art studio and
Phil harmonised with himself. But
when I went in to listen to it, it just
sounded like two guys singing and one
guy playing guitar... there was nothing
distinctive about it. I asked, ‘Have you
got compression on this?’ And they
smiled and nodded. And I said, ‘Well can
zh wdnh lw doo rļBġ Dqg wkhlu idfhv ihoo$
ĠDoo ri lw$Bġ L vdlg/ ĠZhoo/ doo ri lw rļ ri Sklo
the knobs and there’s Phil sounding like
Phil and me sounding like me. I
thought, ‘I don’t care what you do with
the rest of the record – compress your
brains out – but leave us alone!’”
THE CHARISMA
OF THE KING
How Elvis continues to inspire
“I never considered Elvis a peer, but he
considered the rest of us peers – and
[when I met him in 1970] he told me he
loved my records. He said, ‘Duane Eddy:
you’re too much!’ I wish I had a video of
that, because he did the whole swinging
thing with his arm and mimed the
guitar as he said it! He was just
everything I wanted him to be. An
amazing, beautiful man. He was so
perfect-looking, you know? He had
whatever ‘it’ was in spades. He showed
me a clipping of a poll from Melody
Maker dqg kh vdlg/ ĠOrrn dw wklvĩ L zrq
it again. I’ve been number one every
year for 15 years!’ He was proud of that,
you know? I thought: ‘I love that he
appreciates that people love him so
pxfk1ġ L nlqg ri ihho wkh vdphĩ Lġp vwloo
thinking, ‘I need to play these songs like
Lġp sod|lqj wkhp iru wkh Ľuvw wlph1ġ Lġp
giving it all I got, which is getting harder
as I get older!”

six stringer
Duane Eddy’s “A DANO ON
bespoke six-string
bass built by STEROIDS”
Gretsch’s
master builder,
How Duane’s six-string
Stephen Stern bass came to be...
Duane’s recently unveiled his brand new Gretsch
G6120TB-DE six-string bass, but the instrument’s
story begins back in 1959 with the discovery of a
$150 Danelectro in a Hollywood music store. “I fell in
love with it,” explains Duane. “I thought, ‘Well this
was made for me!’” Despite its infamous intonation
issues, Duane used the Dano extensively, particularly
on third album The “Twang’’s” The “Thang”, but it was
eventually lost in the 2010 Nashville floods. “Finally, I
asked Stephen Stern, who’s the master builder out in
California for Gretsch to build me one,” says Duane.
“I said, ‘Can you put a long neck on it like a Dano?’ He
said, ‘What’s a Dano!?’ And I thought: ‘This is going to
be a train wreck!’ But, genius that he is, I sent him
the measurements of the neck on the Dano and it
came in the mail and it was gorgeous. I wanted it
black with white binding and a subtle dark grey ‘G’
brand on it, because I’ve never had a Gretsch with
a G brand. [Stephen] knows what kind of neck I
like because he made my 6120 signature model. I
picked it up and it was a dream.”

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

40

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 BLACK PEAKS

Divide
Conq
Words Michael Astley-Brown / Photography Olly Curtis

WITH THEIR SECOND ALBUM, ALL THAT DIVIDES, BLACK PEAKS 41

HAVE UNITED AN ARMY OF FANS FROM PROG, METAL AND ALT-ROCK
ALIKE AND ASSERTED THEIR STATUS AS FUTURE FESTIVAL
HEADLINERS. GUITARIST JOE GOSNEY DISCUSSES HIS
UNCONVENTIONAL SIX-STRING JOURNEY SO FAR

here are few UK bands more band’s audiences and idols quickly took note, Peaks their idiosyncratic riff clock. It played a

T
hyped than alt-prog-
metallers Black Peaks, but
in this instance, the fervour
surrounding the Brighton
four-piece is very much
deserved. Second album, All
That Divides, solidifies the Mastodon-meets-
Mars Volta ideals of its predecessor and
channels it into nine tracks of meticulously
crafted heaviness, which provides an
arresting showcase for guitarist Joe Gosney’s
mercurial playing approach, which spans
everything from punishing detuned riffage to
ethereal extended chords.
Black Peaks first rose to prominence with
the release of 2016’s Statues, a debut that
came fully formed with the kind of sinuous
song structures that can only come from an
unadulterated dedication to the craft. The
with a series of UK and European tours, a
headline position at this year’s 2000 Trees
festival and support slots with Architects,
System Of A Down and Prophets Of Rage.
Yet none of this phases Joe, who points out
that what seems like a meteoric rise has been
the culmination of years of collaboration and
hard graft.
“It’s always funny when people say it
seems like it’s been a rapid ascent,” he muses,
“because for us, we’re so involved with it, and
on a day-to-day basis, on every decision that’s
being made, whether that’s a poster for a gig,
or the routing of the tour… Every little thing
we’re thinking about and talking about.”
Like the band’s music, Joe’s journey to the
guitar took the road less travelled. He may be
the man pulling the strings now, but it was his
background as a drummer that lent Black
big part in shaping his approach to playing
then, and continues to fuel the creative
process today.
“The fundamentals lie in rhythm for me,” he
considers. “I used to down-tune the guitar to
drop D and just play barre chords, but I feel
like my left hand has always played catch-up
with my right hand, because it’s always been
about rhythmic playing, as opposed to being
really dextrous with my left hand, which I’m
still learning.”
It was Joe’s desire to explore more melodic
sensibilities that first drew him to the electric,
as well as a love for guitarists who stalked
out their own paths: Mastodon’s Brent Hinds,
Tool’s Adam Jones and Omar Rodriguez-López
of The Mars Volta. Like those aspirational
players, Joe is never standing still, and neither
are his compatriots.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 BLACK PEAKS
field music
Joe Gosney shot
for Total Guitar by
Attack Of Olly Curtis at
The Drones ArcTanGent Festival
ģZkhq Eodfn Shdnv Ľuvw vwduwhg/ zh
were playing a lot more weird shit like
The Mars Volta,” he recalls. “We
originally played as a three-piece
without Will [Gardner, frontman], so it
was just instrumental. And then when
we got Will in, that’s when the band
started to take on some of the heavier
sound, especially with his screaming.
But it’s still changing now; we’ve
already started writing bits of new
music, and that’s already sounding
glļhuhqw#wr#wkh#vhfrqg#doexp1#Zh#zdqw#
hyhu|#doexp#wr#eh#glļhuhqw#iurp#wkh#odvw#
one, as much as possible.”
Producer Adrian Bushby – whose past
credits with Muse and Foo Fighters give
a hint at what could lie ahead for Black
Peaks – proved to be key in committing
the band’s dynamic and rhythmic shifts
to record, knowing just when to step in
dqg#zkhq#wr#hdvh#rļ1#Lwġv#dq#dssurdfk#
that inspired Joe’s performances on the
new album.
“Adrian is the hardest-working
person I’ve ever worked with in any
capacity,” Joe enthuses. “He’d be up at
42 6:30, 7am every morning making
hyhu|rqh#frļhh/#dqg#wkhq#khġg#dovr#eh#
working until 2 in the morning. When
you see someone work that hard, you
just want to give them your best.
ģKh#zdv#dovr#yhu|#kdqgv#rļ#zkhq#lw#
came to guitar sounds, which I found
“I LISTEN TO that part; it felt like it needed an extra
layer on top of it, so we just put it on and
it’s ended up staying there, which I’m
vwudqjh#dw#Ľuvw/#ehfdxvh#Lġp#qrw#d#
massive tech-head or anything. But BANDS THAT stoked about.
“I think people shy away from it too
Adrian would sit back and let me just
dial everything in, so what you’re
hearing on the album is very much
WILL JUST riwhq>#Lġp#d#vxfnhu#iru#doo#wkdw#rog#vwxļ1#
It can be a bit cheese, but I listen to
bands that will just rip solos, so why
Black Peaks sounding like Black Peaks,
dqg#L#wklqn#|rxġoo#Ľqg#kh#grhv#wkdw#zlwk#
RIP SOLOS...” not? I’m only gonna get to make that
album once, so I may as well throw
all his records; he’s got a way of making JOE GOSNEY down as much as I can!”
those bands sound like the best versions
of themselves.” quite chimey, so I play around a lot with Peaky blinders
Dvlgh#iurp#Ľulqj#xs#d#fruqxfrsld#ri# wxqlqj#wkh#Ľuvw#vwulqj#wr#wkh#nh|#ri#wkdw# Speaking of throwdowns, Black Peaks
living-the-dream amp heads, including track. It just makes the guitar sound duh#rqh#ri#wkrvh#Ľqh#euhhgv#ri#edqg#wkdw#
a Marshall Plexi, Diezel VH4 and Orange glļhuhqw/#dqg#pdnhv#lw#pruh#ixq#wr# bring as much to the stage – maybe
Thunderverb, Joe’s other great discovery write with sometimes.” more – than they do the studio. Their
on All That Divides zdv#d#txlfn0Ľuh# This thinking-outside-the-box live show is a dizzying display of ebb and
alternate tuning. While he usually opts mentality also found Joe emboldened to ľrz/#zlwk#ghydvwdwlqj#exoogr}hu#ulļv#
for D standard, with the odd drop-C turn his hand to some head-turning and dream-like textures deployed in a
sledgehammer thrown in, he explains melodic lead moments, delivered via his formidably tight formation. The secret
that one small tweak was behind a arsenal of Teles and SGs, although solos to Joe’s impeccable life performance lies
number of the album’s highlights and duh#ghĽqlwho|#vrphwklqj#kh#kdg#wr#exlog# in his past six-string life as a wedding-
his now-trademark chord drones. up to in Black Peaks. edqg#jxlwdulvw#Ğ#dq#rxwĽw#wkdw#udq#
ģWkh#Ľuvw#vwulqj#rq#Home is tuned ģL#wklqn#zh#glg#dyrlg#lw#wr#vwduw#rļ# concurrently with Black Peaks during
down half a step, then on another song with,” he ponders. “I’m not the best the group’s formative years.
on the album it’s tuned down a full step lead player or anything, but I’m trying to “You know what, you have to play a
from D standard,” he reveals. “I play a serve the songs as well as I can. And Fate lot of shit music, but it gives you really
orw#ri#rshq#slfnlqj#vwxļ/#zkhuh#Lġp# I & II, the last song on the album, we good discipline, because you have to be
allowing those strings to ring out and be demoed that before, and it never had playing 20 songs a night – and playing

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 feature
three or four times a week, you know,
it really helped me get used to any
sort of troubleshooting on a show,”
he explains.
“Especially when it’s someone’s
wedding; it’s the most important day of
their lives and you can’t be like, ‘Oh
shit, this pedal’s not working!’ It helps
|rx#Ľ{#wklqjv#dqg#ohduq#vwxļ#txlfno|#dv#
well. I think it was a good thing to do; I
had to stop when I did, only because it
genuinely started to kill my love for
playing guitar – there are only so many
Razorlight songs you can play!”

wall of sound
Although years of honing abilities are
integral to Black Peaks’ surgically
precise performances, that doesn’t
explain quite how they sound so
uncompromisingly gargantuan live,
particularly given Joe’s role as the lone
guitar-slinger. When questioned on
how the band retains such a wall of
sound even when he takes a lead break,
Joe reveals the answer doesn’t lie with
him at all.
“It’s Dave [Larkin], the bass player,”
he laughs. “At the moment, he’s using
my old Orange combo amp, and he’s 43
sending an octave-up [signal] to that,
and so what we’re doing at the moment
lv#zkhq#L#jr#wr#wkh#ohdg#vwxļ/#khġv#
kicking in the octave-up, so we’re trying
wr#Ľoo#rxw#wkrvh#iuhtxhqflhv1#Zhġuh#qrw#
quite there with it; it’s always a work
in progress.”
The same goes for Black Peaks as an
ongoing entity. They’re one of the
shining examples of success stories in
an increasingly fragmented and
challenging industry; heavy guitar
music isn’t usually a locale for role
models, but it feels fair to call the Black
Peaks boys just that. According to the
band’s guitarist, though, it’s only just
SNEAK PEAKS
the beginning. We take a look around Joe’s cunningly co-ordinated guitar rig
“You wake up every day and it’s like,
‘I’m going to do everything I can to
make this the most successful thing it
can be.’ And that’s it; it’s just inch by
1 FENDER TELECASTER
DELUXE SILVERBURST
& ELITE TELECASTER
a tune really well, and it’s just
got a vibe to it. Acoustically,
it’s really loud, so I’ll just sit
fingerboard; I’d never tried one
of those before, and it feels
great to play.”
inch,” Joe asserts. “First of all, I got the black Elite there at home on the couch
“To us, I think it feels like… not a slow
thing, but a steady thing that hopefully
Tele with the single-coil
pickups (next page), which I
love and it cuts through really
playing it acoustically and love
it, and then switch it to an amp
and it just roars.”
3 ORANGE
THUNDERVERB 50
& ROCKER 30
we can work on for the next 20 years,
well on certain songs, but I “They’ve been in my rig forever
udwkhu#wkdq#mxvw#eh#d#ľdvk#lq#wkh#sdq1#
I’ve been in bands in the past where it’s
just one person that’s really trying to
really wanted a Tele with
humbuckers in that I could use
for the majority of our set.
2 FENDER PLAYER
SERIES TELECASTER
“I used that on the whole of
now. They’ve got a nice warm
sound – I like the distortion on
them, because they’re not
drive it, and I don’t think it’s sustainable “It turned up in the post, and the last tour. It’s very similar to fizzy at all; it’s just chunky.
and I don’t think it works. Sometimes it was the most beautiful the Silverburst Deluxe; it’s just I’m channel-switching both
there’s a leader in a group, for sure, but guitar I’ve ever seen. And not a rock machine. A really solid via a Boss ES-8, so it’s stereo,
you need to have everyone willing to put only that, but it’s the best guitar, and I use it every night. but then both go from clean
in the work to make anything of it.” guitar I’ve ever played. It holds It’s got the pau ferro to dirty.”

AUGUST 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 BLACK PEAKS

44

4 DIGITECH
DROP
“I use it just for the octave and dry signal.
7BOSS/JHS JB-2
ANGRY DRIVER
“I’m using both sides on that. It’s running
It’s just for those single-note riffs, to fatten through the ES-8; you can toggle between
the low-end up a bit.” the settings via the ES-8, which is cool. I run
it into the distortion with the octave on; it

5 STRYMON
TIMELINE
“I’ve gone through a bunch of different
just gives the octave a bit more bite, and
then I use it again with the distortion, but
the Blues Driver side of it with the drive
presets: dual delays, reverse on some turned right down but the volume right up; I
things, and then it’s all running on MIDI use it more as a clean boost for solo stuff.”
through to the ES-8, so I have a bank for
each song. We don’t play to a click, but
tempo-wise, they’re in sync roughly, if we’re
playing in time! [laughs]”
8 MIMIQ
TC ELECTRONIC
DOUBLER
“I’m running it in stereo, which is really cool,
actually, especially for the single-guitar

6 STRYMON
MOBIUS
“I use some chorus but also the Leslie
effect, the rotating speaker... I use that a
bunch, more on the new songs.”
stuff. It doubles the signal but with the
slightest bit of latency on one of the amps,
and it just sounds chunkier; you put it on
and just everything widens out. It’s on
everything, all the time.”

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 COVER FEATURE

WORDS ROB LAING, MICHAEL ASTLEY-BROWN, JONATHAN HORSLEY, CHRIS BIRD

25 OF THE
GREATEST
GUITAR TONES
…AND HOW
TO GET THEM
Join us as we investigate, dissect 47

and unlock the most iconic guitar

sounds in electric guitar history and
show you how to get them too
e’ve all been inspired by the sounds of classic songs at some

W point, propelled to chase down or even buy our way to get that
sound. Online debate constantly rages between players over
who used what, how and when on record, but there cannot be
a ‘definitive’ list of the 25 greatest tones ever in order; that’s
an impossible task. Instead, we’ve unleashed the tonehounds
and hunted down the very best classic sounds you can achieve with accessible gear.
And we’re covering a world of possibilities in the process with valuable tips these tones
can teach us that all players can benefit from. From Hendrix to Homme, and Marr to
Marvin, we’re breaking down their sounds and building your signal chain. It’s time to
dust down the pedalboard and fire up your valves for tone city…
PEDAL KEY
Photo: Will Ireland

FUZZ DELAY OVERDRIVE DISTORTION MODULATION REVERB COMPRESSION TREMOLO WAH WHAMMY

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 01

CD T HE
ON
48
WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME
And the repeats aren’t the same
PLAYER THE EDGE ALBUM THE JOSHUA TREE (1987)

W
e’ll stand on a
box in a
crowded room
and boldly
declare this is
the most iconic use of delay ever; a
jxlwdulvw#xvlqj#wkh#hļhfw#wr#fudiw#
iconic parts. To hear The Edges’s
cascading notes bouncing across
the stands of a stadium is a rock
rite of passage that has to be
witnessed. But, boy, does he make
us work to get it for ourselves. Yes
you’ll need two delays to nail it,
and modulation too. The good
news is TC Electronic’s Flashback
delay models the exact TC unit the
man himself uses onstage.
“They work together to become
a part of one delay sound,” was
The Edge’s reasoning to Guitar
World#iru#xvlqj#wzr#glļhuhqw#
delays at once. “When I use two
delays, I like to mess with the pitch
modulation of the delay signal. It
increases the depth of the sound
and gives it a tremendous 3-D
sensation. But straight slapback
echo with no modulation isn’t very
inspiring; the shape of the sound
doesn’t change.”
Parts of Streets... are composed
with this deeper and wider delay in
mind. Though The Edge sends his
signal to two Vox AC30s, routing
delays to separate amps for greater
control over the mix is a luxury
prvw#ri#xv#zrqġw#eh#deoh#wr#dļrug/#
but there’s more going on here
than just stereo repeats. The
percussive shimmer needs single
coils, preferably a Strat like the
man himself, and some Tube
Screamer drive will give just the
right transparency to let your
chime shine. If you can’t get access
to two delays, try increasing the
feedback repeats on one. Our
delays are set to a dotted eighth
note (360ms) and a quarter note
(480ms), tying in with the track’s
125bpm tempo.

CH A NNEL : O V ERDR I V E P I CK UP : BR IDGE A ND MIDDL E S INGL E CO IL

Photos: Neil Lupin / Ian Gavan Jason / Kempin/ C Flanigan / Getty

G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

TONE TIP
The Edge uses standard Herdim
plectrums and the way he holds them is
an integral part to the tone of Where The
CHORUS DELAY 1 DELAY 2 Streets Have No Name, and indeed many
DEPTH: 1 TIME: 360MS TIME: 480MS other U2 songs. Half of the Herdim picks
are textured for grip and The Edge uses
RATE: 1 FEEDBACK: 1-2 REPEATS FEEDBACK: 1 REPEAT
this part to pick and get more Strat
LEVEL: 3 LEVEL: 5 LEVEL: 8 single-coil chime from notes.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 25 GREATEST TONES

02 03 04
MY IRON HOW SOON (I CAN’T GET NO)
LUNG IS NOW? SATISFACTION
Iron man Tremolo can you go? Keef revives the fuzz
PLAYER JONNY GREENWOOD PLAYER JOHNNY MARR PLAYER KEITH RICHARDS
ALBUM THE BENDS (1994) ALBUM HATFUL OF HOLLOW (1984] SINGLE (1965)

J J
onny Greenwood’s pitch-shifted refrain
in this Bends-era track remains a
standout in Radiohead’s cornucopia of
lqjhqlrxv#hļhfwv#prphqwv1#Wr#dfklhyh#
the robotic opening salvo, Greenwood played
his arpeggiated lick through an original
DigiTech Whammy pedal, set to one-octave-up
plus dry signal. The original Whammy was
monophonic, so it couldn’t track the ringing
notes from the altered EGDGBE tuning, lending
wkh#wudfn#lwv#jolwfk|/#or0Ľ#dsshdo1#Mrqq|#
hpsor|hg#dq#KV0frqĽjxuhg#Ihqghu#Whohfdvwhu#
Plus and Fender Twin for the recording, before
switching to a Marshall Shredmaster running
through a Fender Eight-Five combo for the
distorted chorus and solo.
ohnny Marr’s crowning achievement in
The Smiths soundscapery is often
heralded as a tremolo-pedal classic,
but the actual recording is far more
complex than that.
The original track features an Epiphone
Casino running through a Fender Twin, which
was then played back through four Twins set to
wkh#yleudwr#fkdqqho1#Mrkqq|#Pduu#dqg#surgxfhu#
Mrkq#Sruwhu#vwuxjjohg#wr#nhhs#wkh#sduwv#
vibrating in time, which resulted in the pair
uhfruglqj#wkh#ulļ#lq#430vhfrqg#exuvwv1#
Thankfully, nowadays you can get a remarkably
vlplodu#hļhfw#xvlqj#d#vtxduh0zdyh#wuhpror/#
especially using tap tempo to sync it to the
track’s bpm.
T
he story goes that on 7 May 1965,
Richards woke up in the night at his 49
hotel room in Florida on tour with
wkh#ulļ#dqg#rshqlqj#yrfdo#olqh#lq#klv#
head. It initially became an acoustic song when
the Stones tracked at Chess Studios in Chicago.
But Richards’ acquiring a Maestro FZ-1
FuzzTone suddenly turned things snarly, likely
zlwk#klv#Eljev|0Ľwwhg#ġ8<#Ohv#Sdxo1#Jlevrq#zhuh#
also the company behind Maestro and launched
wkh#I]04#edfn#lq#4<95#exw#vdohv#glgqġw#wdnh#rļ#
until Keef’s patronage. “I was imagining
horns,” he said in his 2010 autobiography Life,
“trying to imitate their sound… the fuzz tone
came in handy so I could give a shape to what
the horns were supposed to do.”

CH A NNEL : D I S T OR T I ON P I CK UP : NECK S INGL E CO IL CH A NNEL : CL E A N P I CK UP : NECK HUMBUCK ER CH A NNEL : D I S T OR T I ON P I CK UP : BR IDGE HUMBUCK ER

G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E PRE SENCE
Photo: Graham Lowe /Redferns/Getty

WHAMMY DISTORTION TREMOLO [SQUARE WAVE] FUZZ [VINTAGE-STYLE] REVERB

PITCH: ONE OCTAVE UP GAIN: 8 TONE: 7 16TH NOTES AT 95BPM LEVEL: 6 SPRING: 5
BLEND: 5 VOLUME: 9 DEPTH: 7 TONE: 7

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 child in time
Voodoo Child is a
righteous example of
Hendrix’s trailblazing
guitar tone and playing

05

50
VOODOO CHILD (SLIGHT RETURN)
Standing next to a tone mountain
PLAYER JIMI HENDRIX ALBUM ELECTRIC LADYLAND (1968)

I
f you’re ever in doubt about
the timeless power of an
electric guitar, just play the
Ľyh plqxwhv ri wklv vrqj wr
remind yourself of what it
can be. His ability was otherworldly
exw Mlpl zdv htxdoo| dv pdyhulfn
with his tone. The two facets blend
here for guitar nirvana.
There is no exact record of what
Mlpl xvhg lq wkh vwxglr exw klv
go-to guitars were contemporary
standard Strats from the time,
strung upside down, and the
xqlghqwlĽhg dps khuh lv fohduo|##
being pushed hard into wonderful
places. The ingredient for fattening
the single-coil tone is from his
Ix}}idfh 0 wkrxjk Mlplġv Hb tuning
helps. There’s also one of the
greatest showcases of wah ever
– on a Vox model – and it sounds
like he’s playing that intro on the
neck pickup before switching to
the bridge when it kicks in. Be open
wr frpsurplvh rq hļhfwv fkrlfh1
Neville Marten, editor of our prgho#lq#p|#Olqh#9#Khol{/#fudqnlqj#
sister mag Guitar Techniques and the amp volume but keeping the
pro touring musician, recently had drive low on the distortion pedal. I
the task of nailing this tone for sets feather the guitar’s volume control
paying tribute to Hendrix and +dv#Mlpl#glg,#dqg#dovr#vzlwfk#
Clapton as The Cream Experience: between neck pickup (for intro and
“Wah and fuzz are not natural early sections) to bridge (for later
ehgihoorzv#exw#Mlpl#vrphkrz# Ľoov#dqg#vrorv,/#vzlwfklqj#edfn#dqg#
makes it work,” he explains. “I’ve iruwk#rq#wkh#ľ|1Ĥ#
resorted to using a Vox wah with a Those with a keen ear will notice
[Paul Cochrane] Timmy pedal [a panned slapback delay on the track
Fulltone OCD would work well too – some multi-fx pedals like the
too], through a Marshall Plexi BOSS GT-1 can give you that.

CH A NNEL : O V ERDR I V E ( RE COMMENDED M A R SH A L L V IN TA GE - S T Y L E VA LV E )

Photos: David Redfern / Kevin Winter / Val Wilmer / Graham Lowe / Getty

G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

TONE TIP
Jimi’s sound had plenty of mids so
don’t be afraid to tweak your EQ, and
then kick that overdrive in for the riff
WAH OVERDRIVE REVERB after the wah intro!
RECOMMENDED: FULLTONE ROOM: MODERATE
OCD-STYLE (SEE P26)
GAIN: 3.5 VOLUME: 7

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 25 GREATEST TONES

slash
Bridge ’bucker
for the solo but the
neck for the riff

06 07 08
CD T HE

CD T HE
ON

ON
ROUND NO ONE SWEET CHILD
MIDNIGHT KNOWS O’ MINE
Under the thumb No one really knows Sunset Strip acme
PLAYER WES MONTGOMERY PLAYER JOSH HOMME PLAYER SLASH
ALBUM THE WES MONTGOMERY TRIO (1959) ALBUM SONGS FOR THE DEAF [2002] ALBUM APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION [1987]

A T
self-taught player who learned by
immersing himself in Charlie
Christian records, Montgomery is
the sort of maverick who comes
around once in a generation. His tone is the
perfect synthesis of feel, technique and gear, in
that order. Montgomery later became
v|qrq|prxv#zlwk#wkh#Jlevrq#O08FHV#
hollowbody and a 1965 Standel Super Custom
XV, but here he’d have most likely played a
Gibson ES-175 through a Fender Super Reverb.
His thumb technique was crucial and you can’t
buy that on Denmark St, so get practising!
Ditch the pick and pluck with your thumb; as Wes said,
what he lost in speed he gained in control of his
instrument. And use thick strings – 14s if you can take it.
he QOTSA brain trust keeps its own
counsel on gear and tone. But this
much we know: Homme is a vintage
jhdu#dĽflrqdgr/#idyrxulqj#jxlwduv#e|#
Ovation, Maton and Motor Ave. He loves
Ampeg’s VT series combos. Having played a
Maton MS500 in the No One Knows video, we’d
bet one would have been in the studio, too. He’s
a neck pickup guy but his tone is never muddy.
There’s plenty of low-end, some overdrive
crunch and a saucing of fuzz. Pedals such as the
Stone Deaf PDF-1 add the dirt, the likes of the
Fulltone Fat-Boost hold it together. Probably.
Homme tunes down to C, so using a heavier gauge of
string (11s should do it) will help those riffs cut through.
I
wġv vr hdv|ĩ Mxvw wdnh d ġ8< Ohv Sdxo
replica, built by luthier Kris Derrig and 51
equipped with Seymour Duncan Alnico II
humbuckers, and run it hard through a
krw0urgghg#Pduvkdoo#MFP;33/#ru#d#4<;:#
Pduvkdoo#Mxelohh#58881#Hdv|$#Exw#Vodvkġv#ihho/#
adjusting his guitar’s tone and volume pots on
wkh#ľ|/#lv#dq#dofkhp|#eh|rqg#xv#phuh#pruwdov1#
Rq#wkh#lqwur#ulļ/#kh#xvhv#wkh#qhfn#slfnxs/#zlwk#
the tone set to about 2 and playing just past the
point of break-up – this is about volume rather
than slathering on gain. An act of eighth-note
discipline makes it all the more spectacular
when he cuts loose with the bridge pickup and
wah on the more intense part of the solo. And
don’t forget plenty of reverb!

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G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E PRE SENCE

COMPRESSION OVERDRIVE FUZZ WAH OVERDRIVE REVERB

ATTACK: 5 GAIN: 7 GAIN: 4 USE AS SOLO BOOST TYPE: HALL
SUSTAIN: 8 AS REQUIRED

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 COVER FEATURE
king of tone
Killer Queen’s solo is
one of Brian May’s
favourites
09
KILLER QUEEN
52
Sheer mic placement
PLAYER BRIAN MAY
ALBUM SHEER HEART ATTACK (1974)
W L
e could have so to up your gain and mid with a
many great single coil. Some of the character
individual Brian here is also provided by the room
May tones but his mic that was in the studio – so is
solo tone here is so instantly Bri we there a pedal for that? Yes, it’s your
keep coming back to it. But with a delay. But keep it short with no
khdylo|#prglĽhg#Uhg#Vshfldo#dqg# feedback to simulate that sound
equally hot-rodded AC30, can we hitting the mic with each
all get it? A Voxy combo is certainly millisecond simulating around a
a good place to start but you’ll need foot between cab and mic.
CH A NNEL : O V ERDR I V E P I CK UP : BR IDGE S INGL E CO IL
G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB
TONE TIP
Photos: Scott Legato / Rob Verhorst / Michael Putland / Getty
The breakthrough hit began as a
Freddie Mercury composition and 3/4
of Queen working on the song in
Rockfield studios while May was in
hospital with severe stomach
problems. Thankfully they left space
for his solo. “There’s always space for
all the little ideas to come through,”
May said. “And of course, I like the
DELAY REVERB solo, with that three-part section,
TIME: 9MS TYPE: ROOM where each part has its own voice.
FEEDBACK: 0 LEVEL: 9 What can I say? It’s vintage Queen.”
10
PLUG IN BABY
Z.Vex appeal
PLAYER MATT BELLAMY
ALBUM ORIGIN OF SYMMETRY (2001)
ong before he donned the the initial squeals, before Bellamy
rave shades, Matt launches into the heavily-driven
Bellamy was a master of ulļ/#olnho|#fkdqqhoohg#yld#rqh#ri#klv#
unusual guitar textures, signature Manson guitars, many of
and this neoclassical earworm is a zklfk#kdyh#vlqfh#ehhq#Ľwwhg#zlwk#
Ľqh#h{dpsoh1#]1Yh{ġv#erqnhuv# the pedal. For the rest of the track,
Fuzz Factory is the key to the running a subtle slow phase before
opening tone: its germanium your drive pedals will help to capture
transistors can be teased into the sense of movement that
self-oscillation, which provides pervades throughout the track.
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G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB
TONE TIP
We can also hear a pitch shifter
adding an octave below Bellamy’s
notes that you can bring into your
effects chain if you have access to
one, but it’s mixed very low in the
studio track at around 10% of the
played notes.
FUZZ PHASER
VOLUME: 10 TONE: 7 RATE: 2
GAIN: 10
 police squad
Sting is shocked to
see Summers using a
flanger pedal rather
than chorus

11

CD T HE
ON
MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE 53
Just a castaway, no chorus but some clean
PLAYER ANDY SUMMERS ALBUM REGATTA DE BLANC (1979)

L
et’s get straight to it, is trio’s touring life but it’s perhaps ears don’t actually detect the latter everything,” Andy told us. “I did
it a chorus or is it a odd his early work with The Police in most of the song though. start using a Strat later on, but this
ľdqjhuB#D#idlu#dprxqw# lv#vr#dvvrfldwhg#zlwk#dq#hļhfw#kh# He was a one-guitar man in the was the Tele that got used all the
of people hold this didn’t actually use on his most early days playing a 1963 Telecaster time, on all the records. It had
tone up as a classic iconic tones. Nevertheless, it’s not that had already been modded by everything I needed in one.”
example of the marriage between the only pedal involved here. the time Summers bought it with Dps#vshflĽfv#duh#wulfn|#vd|v#wkh#
electric guitar and the chorus Olvwhq#dqg#|rxġoo#qrwlfh#krz#kh# some unusual features to make it a man himself… “I can’t remember
hļhfw1#Exw#lwġv#qrw1#Vxpphuv#xvhg# ups the shimmery ante in the versatile instrument (a Gibson PAF a fucking thing about the amps on
an Electro-Harmonix Electric chorus as his chords ring out; some neck humbucker and an out of The Police records… it makes me
Plvwuhvv#ľdqjhu/#exw#wr#eh#idlu#lwv# claim it’s MXR’s classic Dyna phase switch). More unusual was laugh,” he told us earlier this
character is quite a watery Comp compressor (at the end of its built-in preamp controlled by |hdu1##Wkdw#vwxļ#lv#iru#wkh#uhdo#
shimmer. Summers would add a the chain) and tape delay in the dq#rq2rļ#vzlwfk#dqg#d#jdlq#frqwuro1# nerds.” Sorry, Andy, we are guilty
Boss CE-2 to his board later in the mix - likely an Echoplex unit. TG’s “It was the one guitar I used for as charged!

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G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

TONE TIP
If you’re substituting the
Electro-Harmonix Electric
Mistress for a chorus try rate
around 8 and depth around 3. FLANGER COMPRESSION
MANUAL: 3 DEPTH: 5 ATTACK: 7
RATE: 2 RES: 5 SUSTAIN: 2

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 the tone sultan
Knopfler’s
fingerstyle touch is
as important as his
clean tone

12

CD T HE
ON
54
SULTANS OF SWING
He’s got a cleanish tone, he’s doing alright
PLAYER MARK KNOPFLER ALBUM DIRE STRAITS (1978)

W
hile it’s
ghĽqlwho|#
applicable for
all the
examples in
wklv#ihdwxuh#wkdw#d#vljqlĽfdqw#
degree of the tone is in your hands,
that adage is especially relevant
here. Of course there’s a recipe for
Pdun#Nqrsľhuġv#fohdqlvk#wrqh#
here with essential ingredient, but
equally important is the
relationship between his picking
hand and the strings. And that’s
jrlqj#wr#wdnh#wlph#Ğ#exw#wkh#sd|rļ#
could open new doors for you. For
Photos: Gary Wolstenholme / Neil Lupin / Gus Stewart Larry Hulst / Getty
– indeed it was originally written
in open tuning on a National Steel
guitar that would later become
synonymous with the band for
1985’s Brothers In Arms. Things
fkdqjhg#zkhq#Nqrsľhu#erxjkw#
his red ’61 Strat in 1977 and tried it
again in standard. And the tonality
of the Strat is all over this song -
it’s one of the great recorded
Fender tones.
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“It’s just a Fender Twin and the
Vwudw/Ĥ#Nqrsľhu#wrog#rxu#XV#vlvwhu#
mag Guitar World, “with its
three-way selector switch
jammed into a middle position
that gives it its sound, and I think
wkhuh#zhuh#txlwh#d#ihz#Ľyh0zd|#
switches installed as a result of
that song.”
Wkhq#wkhuhġv#wkdw#Ľqjhu#
approach. The outro is
Ľqjhuslfnhg/#dqg#wkdw#fdq#vhhp#
daunting going at the 148bpm
tempo but everything with guitar
can be approached in a
manageable way by building
your speed up slowly with the four
note picking pattern; thumb the
Ľuvw#qrwh/#sxoo0rļ#wr#wkh#vhfrqg#
note, thumb-pick the third note
dqg#xvh#|rxu#Ľuvw#Ľqjhu#wr#slfn#wkh#
last note.

now, let’s start with the gear…

The song goes right back to the G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB
roots of the band – it was present
rq#wkhlu#Ľuvw#ghpr/#whoolqj#wkh#
TONE TIP
vwru|#ri#d#Orqgrq#md}}#sxe#edqg#lq# Knopfler reportedly used a Dan Armstrong
Nqrsľhu#vljqdwxuh#odfrqlf#vw|oh/#lw# Orange Squeezer compressor in the early
was completely at odds with the era of the band. It delivers a fixed, subtle
new wave and punk bands of the compression setting without affecting attack. COMPRESSION
Using an alternative compressor but with the ATTACK: 4
time. The balance of space and attack dialled down could help smooth out the
ghwdlo#lq#Nqrsľhuġv#sod|lqj#qrgv#
SUSTAIN: 5
gain and definition for playing multiple strings
fohduo|#wr#klv#Dphulfdqd#lqľxhqfhv# at once for this song.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 25 GREATEST TONES

Pathfinger
Alex Hellid helped
usher in a new tonal
era for death metal

13 14 15
ROCK KILLING IN DROWNED
BOTTOM THE NAME Taking things to
Add MSG for flavour Do what Tom tells ya new extremes
PLAYER MICHAEL SCHENKER PLAYER TOM MORELLO PLAYERS UFFE CEDERLUND (RHYTHM),
ALBUM PHENOMENON (1974) ALBUM RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE (1992) ALEX HELLID (LEAD)
ALBUM LEFT HAND PATH (1990)

O F
ne of rock’s most almighty or a guitarist who has wrung so many

pentatonic pyrotechnicians, Michael
Schenker’s tone would have been
hot already, with his trusty Gibson
Flying V going into an overdriven 50-watt
Marshall Plexi, but with his signature cocked
wah (or parked wah) manoeuvre, he could
move through frequencies alien to other
guitarists. A cocked wah is simply the practice
ri#xvlqj#d#zdk0zdk#lq#d#Ľ{hg#srvlwlrq#dqg#
Ľqglqj#wkh#vzhhw#vsrw#iru#|rxu#wrqh1#Rq#XIRġv#
Rock Bottom, Schenker’s wah is dialled to
maximise his midrange, delivering a chewy
crunch that sounds combustible – especially on
wkh#vshfwdfxodu#shuirupdqfh#fdswxuhg#rq#XIRġv#
live album, Strangers In The Night.
otherworldly sounds from his
instruments, Tom Morello has always
had a simple, to-the-point rig. That
vhwxs#lv#h{hpsolĽhg#wr#shuihfwlrq#rq#Udjh#
Against The Machine’s most iconic track,
Killing In The Name, which features Morello’s
long-serving Mexican standard ‘Sendero
Oxplqrvrġ#Whohfdvwhu#0#klv#jr0wr#iru#gurs0G#
ulļv#0#vhw#wr#wkh#qhfn#vlqjoh#frlo/#uxqqlqj#lqwr#
klv#wudghpdun#830zdww#MFP;33#khdg1#Wkurz#lq#
d#ľdqjhu#iru#wkh#lqwur#+Pruhoor#xvhg#dq#;3v#
Ledqh}#GIO,/#dqg/#ri#frxuvh/#dq#ruljlqdo#
Whammy pedal set to two octaves up for the
solo, and you’ve hit upon one of the most
explosive tones in rock history.
T
here are few things as revered 55
among underground metal’s inner
circle than the Studio Sunlight
Swedish death metal tone, as
perfected on Entombed’s incendiary debut.
You could call it anti-tone, with Cederlund and
Hellid’s guitars tuned down to B, dissolved in
od|huv#ri#Ľ}}|#glvwruwlrq#iurp#d#pd{hg0rxw#Ervv#
HM-2 in front of a solid-state Peavey Studio Pro
40-watt combo, but it proves that great tone is
whatever best articulates what you want to say
musically. Cederlund credits producer Tomas
Skogsberg for the sound that transformed his
cheapo Ibanez into something so feral, morbid
and aggressive it was nigh-on transcendent.

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G A IN BASS MID T REBL E PRE SENCE G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

TONE TIP
The Boss HM-2 is out of
production but you can
grab one second-hand for
around £70. Similarly,
featuring a two-band EQ
and high-gain circuit, the
Behringer HM300 is a
cheap alternative.

WAH DELAY FLANGER WHAMMY DISTORTION

FIXED MID SWEEP, TIME: 0.50MS MANUAL: 3 DEPTH: 9 PITCH: 2 OCTAVES UP [HIGH GAIN TYPE]
AROUND HALFWAY REPEATS: 0 RATE: 3 RES: 8 BLEND: 10 ALL CONTROLS ON MAX

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 double cream
Jack Bruce (left) and Eric
Clapton, the latter with his
‘Fool’ custom-painted
Gibson SG

16

CD T HE
ON
56
SUNSHINE OF YOUR LOVE
Man, I feel like a woman tone
PLAYER ERIC CLAPTON ALBUM FRESH CREAM (1966)

I
f you’re a guitarist and you
have ears, we’re assuming
you must have heard the
term ‘woman tone’ by
now. But what does it
actually mean? It means Clapton,
and it’s good news for anyone
looking for a lesson in using the
tonal potential of their guitar.
When Slowhand hooked up with
edvvlvw#2#yrfdolvw#Mdfn#Euxfh#dqg#
maverick drummer Ginger Baker
he was already a guitarist who had
been described as a ‘god’, but
rather than resting on his holy
laurels he sought to evolve his
playing further in this new trio.
Dqg#uljkw#dzd|#rq#wkhlu#Ľuvw#
recorded song together with I Feel
Free their ambitions for a new
psychedelic slant on the blues rock
Photos: Richard E. Aaron / Getty / Alamy
synonymous with the band’s sonic
tendencies on follow-up album
Disraeli Gears. Key song Sunshine
Ri#\rxu#Oryhġv harder edge
dssurdfk#zdv#gluhfwo|#lqľxhqfhg#
e|#wkh#ulļġv#dufklwhfw#edvvlvw#2
vocalist Bruce seeing Hendrix live
lq#wkh#XN1#Wkh#zrpdq#wrqh#zdv#lq#
full force, especially on the solo
here – with a cheeky nod to Blue
Moon’s melody before blending
the minor and major pentatonic.
The tone uses the four control
od|rxw#wkdw#dssolhv#wr#wkh#OS#dqg#
SG. And who better to explain than
the man himself? Over to you,
Eric: “The woman tone is
produced by using either the bass
[neck] pickup or the lead [bridge]
pickup but with all the bass [tone]
rļ/Ĥ#kh#h{sodlqhg#lq#d#4<9;#
television interview. “And, in fact,
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G A IN BASS
if you use both pickups you should
wdnh#doo#wkh#edvv#rļ#rq#wkh#wrqh#
control. Turn it down to 1 or 0 on
the tone control, and then turn the
volume full up.”
Set your amp’s gain control to
taste or experiment with an
overdrive pedal to get closer to the
tone. Max out the tone controls
and, if your neighbours are out,
crank your volume too.
MID T REBL E RE V ERB
TONE TIP

If you want to see Clapton’s Cream-era

were made clear. And Clapton was
demonstration of his tone for yourself,
crafting a new sound for it at his OVERDRIVE REVERB just search for ‘Eric Clapton 1968’ on
Ľqjhuwlsv>#Ġzrpdq#wrqhġ1# GAIN: 2 TYPE: HALL YouTube to see some classic interview
Kh#zdv#xvlqj#klv#Ohv#Sdxo#dw#Ľuvw# LEVEL: 3 footage.
but his handpainted 1964 ‘Fool’ SG
Standard would become

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 van wail’in
Eddie teaches a
lesson in using
effects to enhance
on this song

17
AIN’T TALKIN’ ’BOUT LOVE
chords, although its preamp also
works its own tonal magic. 57
And then there are EVH’s FX,
masterfully employed to enhance
Might as well jump… on a phaser nh|#hohphqwv#ri#wkh#ulļ1#Lq#wkh#
intro, when Eddie hits the end of
PLAYER EDDIE VAN HALEN ALBUM VAN HALEN (1978) each cycle, he kicks in an MXR
Flanger for a vocal sweep that

G
uitar modding,
amp-pushing,
two-handed
tapping… There
were seemingly no
rules Eddie Van Halen couldn’t
break. Before this maverick
came along, you didn’t have
humbuckers in Strats. At all. Enter
the ‘Frankenstrat’, Eddie’s iconic
black-and-white-striped axe,
which featured a PAF ’bucker
swiped from an ES-335 and powers
this raucous debut album anthem.
In the process, Eddie pioneered
the ‘super-Strat’.
Eddie was also a leading
proponent of high-gain tones,
regularly running a Marshall Super
Ohdg#zlwk#yroxph#dqg#wrqh#
controls on 10. This was then run
through a variable transformer to
lower the volume before it hit an
H&H power amp. Not only did this
sag and compression yield his
legendary ‘brown sound’, but it
also allowed him to employ an
Echoplex EP-3 tape echo in
between the Marshall and power
amp without distorting the
repeats. It’s this device that
provides the slapback echo on
Dlqġw#Wdonlqġ#ġErxw#Oryh’s staccato
tickles the eardrum. He also
employs the same company’s
Phase 90 for the track’s lead
sections. In today’s era of roaring
distorted amps and all-
hqfrpsdvvlqj#pxowl0hļhfwv/#lwġv#
not too hard to pin down the sound,
but the fact that Eddie was able to
revolutionise guitar tone with a
relatively limited array of tools is
testament to his enduring legacy.

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G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

TONE TIP
Eddie doubled the solo section with an
electric sitar… well that’s what he
FLANGER PHASER DELAY suspects. “I never really knew it was an
MANUAL: 6 DEPTH: RATE : 3 TIME: 300MS electric sitar,” he told Guitar World,
5 RATE: 5 RES: 4 FEEDBACK: 2 “because it didn’t sound like one. It just
LEVEL: 8 sounded like a buzzy-fretted guitar. That
thing was real bizarre.”

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 COVER FEATURE

18 19 20

CD T HE

CD T HE
ON

ON
CHERUB UNDER THE BRIDGE
ROCK BRIDGE OF SIGHS
A fuzzmeister’s dream Above the neck Vulgar display of Trower
PLAYER BILLY CORGAN PLAYER JOHN FRUSCIANTE PLAYER ROBIN TROWER
ALBUM SIAMESE DREAM (1993) ALBUM BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIK (1991) ALBUM BRIDGE OF SIGHS (1974)

T A
he opening of Smashing Pumpkins’
58 90s opus Siamese Dream remains an
exhilarating introduction to the Big
Pxļ1#Iurqwpdq#Eloo|#Frujdq#
harnessed a V4 Op Amp version for the
majority of the guitar tracks, which he ran into
the low-sensitivity input of a 100-watt
Pduvkdoo#MFP;33/#zlwk#wkh#pdvwhu#yroxph#rq#
full and the preamp volume set low. His guitar
of choice for this track was the ‘Bat Strat’; a ’57
uhlvvxh#Ľwwhg#zlwk#d#vhw#ri#Odfh#Vhqvru#slfnxsv/#
while the solo also features the volatile sound
of the Fender Blender fuzz. Electro-Harmonix
kdv#uhfhqwo|#uhlvvxhg#wkh#Rs#Dps#Elj#Pxļ/#
putting Billy’s ripping fuzz tones within reach
once more.
classic that was born back to front
with Anthony Kiedis’s lyrics
inspiring Frusciante’s parts. The
intro, if you’re doing it without a
fdsr#olnh#Mrkq/#uhtxluhv#d#orw#ri#dznzdug#
stretches and barring for young hands, and his
use of thumb in his chord shapes in the song
becomes vital to nailing this one – it’s going to
wdnh#wlph#dqg#hļruw1#Exw#dw#ohdvw#wkh#wrqh#lv#
easier to dial in. You need to be using high gain
but on the clean channel to add enough of the
necessary light distortion chime to this. The
fast attack on the compressor is also important
for that. We’ve also included the chorus used
+srvvleo|#d#ERVV#FH04#exw#xqfrqĽuphg#e|#
Frusciante) in the second half of the song.
T
rower delivers one of the moodiest
blues tones of all time here, proving
that dialling in the right sound can
make playing around a tasty Em
shqwdwrqlf#ulļ#lqwr#d#gudpdwlf#vrxqgvfdsh#wr#
get lost in. This is a guitar tone soaked in the
Xql0Ylehġv#Khqgul{ldq#zruog1#Wurzhu#xvhg#d#
standard Strat on the track and these days he’s
driving his Marshalls further with a Fulltone
Full-Drive and a Fat Boost for solos. For the
song’s distinctive sound he uses Fulltone’s Deja
Vibe 2 (with a piece of wood wedged in to make
sure it stays in tempo) but a TC Electronic
Vicious Vibe will get you close for less money.
Your pickup selector switch is also great for
further accentuating its vibrations.

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G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB
Photos: GJeff Kravitz / Paul Natkin / Ian Dickson / Simon Ritter / Getty

TONE TIP
We’ve focussed on the main riff
parts here but we’re detecting
some added modulation in the
solo to Cherub Rock. It’s
reportedly the result of it being
recorded to two different tapes
with one running slightly slower -
an old-school flanger effect.

FUZZ COMPRESSION CHORUS OVERDRIVE UNIVIBE

VOLUME: 6 TONE: 6 ATTACK: 3 DEPTH: 8 RATE: 4 GAIN: 3 DEPTH: 3 RATE: 2
GAIN: 10 SUSTAIN: 8 LEVEL: 7 LEVEL: 5

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


21
APACHE
Test for echo
PLAYER HANK MARVIN SINGLE (1960)
I
t’s hard to overstate the
importance of The
Shadows in rock ’n’ roll
klvwru|/#dqg#vshflĽfdoo|#
the evolution of electric
guitar playing. They brought it to
the fore, and at the turn of the 60s
their lead man Hank Marvin was
wkh#Ľuvw#hohfwulf#khur#wr#wkrvh#wkdw#
would become idols in his wake.
Imagine your fanbase including a
young Gilmour, Harrison, Clapton,
Pd|/#Nqrsľhu/#Lrppl/#
Townshend, Blackmore and
Beck… you get the picture.
Written by English composer
Mhuu|#Orugrq#+zkr#zrxog#dovr#zulwh#
other hits for the Shads with
Zrqghuixo#Odqg and Atlantis) and
Ľuvw#uhfrughg#e|#wxlwlrq#nlqj#Ehuw#
Weedon, it would be Hank’s gang
who took Apache to the top of the
XN#fkduwv#diwhu#wudfnlqj#lw#dw#Deeh|#
Road, and it became their
signature tune in the process.
Such is its allure that over the
years many, many Hank-
Folļ#Ulfkdug#zkr/#ri#frxuvh/#Wkh#
Shadows backed. Though the
maple ’board Strat was described
as Fiesta Red, its unique Flamingo
Slqn#Ľqlvk#pdgh#lw#xqplvwdndeoh1#
Hank used a Vox AC15 EF86
preamp version with it for the
vrqj#dqg#klv#Ľuvw#pxowl0wds#hfkr#
worshipping players have devoted unit (so-called as it turns a single
countless hours into capturing his note into multiple repeats and are
tone, with endless discussions of integral to Apache) that he’d been
tape echo in their wake. And that introduced to by fellow musician
is part of the three key tonal Mrh#Eurzq1#Lw#zdv#oryh#dw#Ľuvw#
components here – aside from listen. This Italian Meazzi
Hank’s hands – and one is of Hfkrpdwlf#4#xqlw#erdvwhg#Ľyh#wdsh#
historic importance quite aside khdgv#rļhulqj#d#ydulhw|#ri#hfkr#
from the music. types, plus a control that could
Hank’s Strat used on the song dowhu#wkh#guxp/#ehfdph#klv#Ľuvw#
zdv#wkh#Ľuvw#wr#duulyh#lq#wkh#XN/#yld# and the die was cast for the
CH A NNEL : CL E A N P I CK UP : BR IDGE S INGL E CO IL
G A IN BASS
DELAY 1 DELAY 2
(ANALOGUE] [ANALOGUE]
TIME: 224MS TIME: 336MS
FEEDBACK: 3 FEEDBACK: 1
LEVEL: 8 LEVEL: 1
Hanks a lot
Mr Marvin possibly
laughing at all the
players who have
attempted to copy
his legendary tone
CD T HE
ON
Shadows’ distinctive sound. It
remains a prized piece for echo 59
enthusiasts to this day.
“Those echoes were embryonic
for me,” Hank told our sister mag
Guitarist in 2012, “and very much
a part of that early sound and
those favourite [sounds] would be
the ones that I returned to as a
starting point to see how it
worked.” Charlie Hall’s dedicated
work in replicating Hank’s
multi-tap delay sounds resulted in
Alesis Quadraverb units preloaded
with his the Echoes Of The Past
patches. They were so successful
Hank himself ended up using one
but failing that, you’ll need two
analogue delay pedals…
MID T REBL E RE V ERB
TONE TIP
If you can hear a subtle percussive ‘plunk’ in
the early Shad’s notes it’s because new strings
were a real luxury back then so what they had
was producing a deader sound, but due to
Hank holding his trem he’s also often playing
closer to the neck pickup for a plummier sound
– Apache’s mid section being a prime example.
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 Billy cult duff
With his Gretsch
White Falcon:
“A Les Paul into a
Marshall wasn’t
going to get it”

22
SHE SELLS SANCTUARY
120. I ended up getting an Ampeg
VT22, which was kind of a weird,
rare bird. But I ended up getting a
Marshall eventually.
60 The sparkle in your Falcon, keeps me alive Zh nqrz Eloo| Gxļ|ġv ghod|
settings for this anthem because
PLAYER BILLY DUFFY ALBUM LOVE (1985) he told us: “I’ve always used two
delay pedals... an analogue Roland

“I
tried to be part
Vwhyh Mrqhv dqg
part Ennio
Morricone,” Billy
Gxļ| whoov xv ri
his approach in forging The Cult’s
sound as their only guitarist in the
early days. “How can you make
the guitar ballsy but have this
spacial sense?” This song was his
response to his own question.
“But at the time She Sells
Sanctuary came out in ’85 there
weren’t any guitars in the charts,”
he adds. “Which is probably why it
glg zhoo/ ehfdxvh lw zdv glļhuhqw1Ĥ
Vwud| Fdwv idq Gxļ| zdv gudzq
to the Gretsch White Falcon during
his time in Theatre Of Hate. “If I
take that guitar, that look, and
make it heavier… that’s what my
goal was,” the Manchester
guitarist explains. “The Gretschs
mxvw vrxqghg glļhuhqw wr d Ohv
Paul. I was aware that it was a way
wr jr wr jhw d glļhuhqw vrxqg jrlqj
on, and it was all about getting a
xqltxh vrxqg dw wkdw srlqw1 D Ohv
Paul into a Marshall really wasn’t
going to get it. I just messed
around with amps and discovered
wkdw wkh Urodqg MF 453/ lq
conjunction with a valve amp
together made this sound that
gave me what I was hearing in my
head. Add a bit of delay, and
chorus. I never used a chorus pedal
rq wkh ľrru dqg wkh rqo| fkruxv L
xvhg zdv rq wkh MF 453 dps1 Wkdw
was basically it, and I just
experimented at looking at
glļhuhqw dpsv wr jr zlwk wkh MF
[Boss] DM-2 and I use that in
conjunction with the DD-3. And
for that intro to She Sells
Sanctuary or the beginning of Fire
Woman, that picked sound is just a
frpelqdwlrq ri MF 453 zlwk wkhvh
hļhfwv1 Lwġv dq dssur{lpdwlrq exw
they’re roughly set at 400 and
800ms. Then for solos I just use to
800ms on the DD-3, it just makes
it sound bigger. I think I learned
that from Steve Stevens… repeat
echo on a lead guitar tricks the ear
and you think it sounds bigger.”

CH A NNEL : O V ERDR I V E

G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

Photos Larry Marano / F n Coste o / Getty

TONE TIP
BillyuseshisDunlopGoldflex50plectrumssidewayson.
“WhenIwenttowatchJohnnyThunders&The
FLANGER DELAY 1 DELAY 2 Heartbreakers at Manchester University in ’77 or ’78, I
MANUAL: 2 DEPTH: [ANALOGUE] [DIGITAL] cornered Johnny Thunders when he was on a payphone.
6 RATE: 4 RES: 2 TIME: 400MS TIME: 800MS He raised his index finger, went into the pocket of his
FEEDBACK: 4 FEEDBACK: 1 501 Levis and whipped out the pick, gave me a wink and
went back to whatever he was doing.”

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


towing the lime
Lifeson likes his
semi-hollows and
single cuts but he
was a super-Strat
man for this song
23
LIMELIGHT
A song in the key of Lifeson
PLAYER ALEX LIFESON
ALBUM MOVING PICTURES (1981)
I
t just happens that Rush’s
biggest album contains their
jxlwdulvwġv#Ľqhvw#prphqw1#
There are many, many great
Olihvrq#wrqhv#exw#klv#xqltxh#
approach and sound on the solo to
Limelight is probably his
quintessential; otherwordly and
highly expressive – or ‘elastic and
hprwlrqdoġ dv Olihvrq ghvfulehg lw
CHORUS
RATE: 3
DEPTH: 4
LEVEL: 2
CH A NNEL : O V ERDR I V E P I CK UP : BR IDGE HUMBUCK ER
G A IN BASS
arpeggios require chorus and
reverb to recreate the expansive
girth of the double-tracked
uhfruglqj1#Olihvrq#kdg#Dgydqfhg#
Audio and Roland digital delay
units in the studio for Moving
Pictures#zlwk#d#ORIW#fkruxv#xqlw#
+jrrg#oxfn#Ľqglqj#rqh,#exw#prvw#
to Songmaster.com in 2007. The chorus pedals will get you close.
song is also led by one of the great Although the ES-355 semi-
Olihvrq#ulļv#zlwk d kxpexfnhu gluw kroorzv#Olihvrq#idyrxuv#duh#juhdw#
tone through a Marshall 4140 for the ringing / rhythm hybrid
combo, but his parts through the work, the solo demands a tremolo
verse and chorus feature some dup#Ğ#Olihvrq#uhsruwhgo|#xvhg#d#
fodvvlf wrqdo Olihvrqlvpv vr zhġuh prgghg#Eloo#Odzuhqfh#
looking at them here too. humbucker-loaded Strat with
In the chorus the mix of Floyd Rose he called the ‘Hentor
strumming chords and ringing Sportscaster’ to track it – there’s a
FOUR TO THE FLOOR
The unsung pedalboard heroes of tone
1. EQ
A great way of lifting your sound and a boost
you can fine-tune to taste – as well as
shaping the iconic tones featured here in a
more detailed way before the amp.
2. BOOST
A basic clean, transparent boost is a vital
tool for helping your leads and solo sections
cut through organically in the mix of a band.
3. COMPRESSION
A hugely overlooked effect. Compression
25 GREATEST TONES
DELAY 1 (SOLO)
TIME: 480MS
FEEDBACK: 1
DELAY 2 (SOLO)
TIME: 680MS
FEEDBACK: 7
MID T REBL E RE V ERB
lot of feel work going on, moving
in and out of the song’s tempo,
and it’s a massive part of the
Ġhodvwlfġ#vrxqg#Olihvrq#ghvfulehv1#
There’s also delay to consider. 61
“Normally, live I have a few delays
vhw#xs/Ĥ#Olihvrq#wrog#Vrqjpdvwhu1
com, “one that is a fairly medium
length delay of around 480ms and
then I have a second delay that’s
set up for 680ms with more
repeats so that you can get all
these cascading notes tripping
over each other over the main part
of what the solo is.”
That shorter delay seems to act
dv#d#uhyhue#hļhfw/#wkh#orqjhu#dv#wkh#
solo fades out.
can balance louds and softs for clean
picking and fingerstyle. It can also even out
of a phaser, flanger or wah’s peaks and
troughs if placed after them .
4. WAH
Many people think wah and go off on a
wacka wacka funky tangent but setting
one in position (known as parked or cocked)
can be a great way to hit a sweet spot and
most midrange frequencies - see Mick
Ronson’s work with Bowie. There are even
pedals dedicated to a parked effect.
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 numbs up
Comfortably Numb is
one of the greatest
marriages of player
and tone ever

24

CD T HE
ON
COMFORTABLY NUMB
62 frpsuhvvlrq iru dwwdfn1 Wkh
Comfortably Numb solos were
played using a heavy pick, his
iconic black Fender Strat with
Hello. is there a Big Muff in there? maple neck through an Electro-
Kduprql{ Elj Pxļ dqg ghod| yld#d#
PLAYER DAVID GILMOUR ALBUM THE WALL (1979) Hiwatt DR103 amp and a subtly
mixed Yamaha RA-200 rotating

I
t’s natural to blur the
lines between a great
performance and a great
tone – they are
interconnected, after all.
But there’s no doubt that David
Gilmour was great at dialling his
Pink Floyd tones in. And for his
greatest moment, in fact, probably
the greatest guitar moment when
it comes to sheer majesty, he
totally aced it.
“I just went out into the studio
dqg#edqjhg#rxw#Ľyh#ru#vl{#vrorv/Ĥ#
Gilmour told Guitar World in 1993
in his typical, matter-of-fact
manner. “From there I just
followed my usual procedure,
which is to listen back to each solo
and mark out bar lines, saying
which bits are good. Then I just
follow the chart, whipping one
fader up, then another fader,
jumping from phrase to phrase
and trying to make a really nice
solo all the way through.”
Mission successful. It’s
important to note that the track
was doubled with slight delay for a
bigger layered sound with some
speaker cabinet. Of course, there’s
also the small matter of touch…
ģLw uhdoo| lv mxvw klv Ľqjhuv/ klv
vibrato, his choice of notes and
krz kh vhwv klv hļhfwv/Ĥ vd|v
orqjwlph whfk Sklo Wd|oru1 ģL Ľqg#lw#
extraordinary when people think
they can copy his sound by
duplicating his gear.” But it’s a
start, right? The rest is up to you!

CH A NNEL : O V ERDR I V E
Photos R chard E Aaron / Pau Natk n / Jorgen Ange / Getty

G A IN BASS MID T REBL E RE V ERB

TONE TIP
If you’re using a tube amp
and if you have all the gear,
COMPRESSION FUZZ ROTARY SPEAKER DELAY why not try Gilmour’s
ATTACK: 4 EHX BIG MUFF SIMULATOR TIME: 703MS twin-drive trick. Simply place
SUSTAIN: 6 GAIN: 5 SPEED: 2 FEEDBACK: 4-5 an overdrive pedal after your
DEPTH: 3 LEVEL: 8 fuzz, with the gain set low and
the volume set high.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


25
HYSTERIA
Better late 80s than never
PLAYER STEVE CLARK AND PHIL COLLEN
ALBUM HYSTERIA (1987)
A
t some point we just
had to go back to the
80s again, and why not
gr lw zlwk wklv VkhĿhog
band’s ‘rock’ version of Thriller? A
lot of the guitar talk about the
Hysteria album’s lengthy recording
surfhvv zlwk surgxfhu Pxww Odqjh
centres on obsessive tales of
tracking chords one string at a
time to achieve tonal paradiso. The
song Animal took all those three
years to get right alone. The 25
million+ sales suggest it was time
zhoo vshqw dqg wkdw Ľqho|0krqhg
feel of the lush chorus cleans and
crystal precise palm mutes of Phil
Collen and the late Steve Clark can
CH A NNEL : CL E A N
G A IN BASS
ACOUSTIC SIM COMPRESSION CHORUS
(BOSS AC3) TONE: 6
MODE: JUMBO ATTACK: 7
BODY: 2 TOP: 8 SUSTAIN: 4
still be captured with a pedal
combination for the title track.
Compression and chorus with a
frosted icing of delay is a highway
to the danger zone of 80s tonality
(see also Run To You by Bryan
Adams) but if you want to add a
vxusulvlqjo| hļhfwlyh dgglwlrqdo
layer of multi-band compression
to get you closer to Hysteria, try a
BOSS Acoustic Simulator on the
Mxper vhwwlqj zlwk Erg| vhw grzq
and Top up (full credit to player
Mrkq Gdoh rq \rxWxeh iru wkdw olwwoh
secret weapon). And please don’t
forget to pour some sugar on those
ringing chords with your tremolo
dup Ğ lwġv hvvhqwldo iru Ohssdug1
MID T REBL E RE V ERB
OVERDRIVE DELAY
RATE: 3 GAIN: 3-4 TIME: 400MS
DEPTH: 6 FEEDBACK: 3
LEVEL: 5
25 GREATEST TONES
THE MARMITE EFFECT
Opinion-dividing tones
1. REVOLUTION – THE
BEATLES (1968)
Lennon’s B-side to Hey Jude saw
him up the ante on dirty by
adopting the somewhat
reckless tact of plugging his
Epiphone Casino straight into
the ’board with Paul and George
to overload the preamps. It’s
probably not a sound most fans
seek to emulate but, hey, we’ll
cut them some slack as they
earned plenty of musical credit
in their decade together.
2. REELIN’ IN THE YEARS –
STEELY DAN (1972)
The Dan were known for
recruiting the creme de la creme
of musicians for session work,
and Elliott Randall’s playing with
his ’63 Strat isn’t the bone of
contention here. More that this
kind of distortion with a PAF
neck humbucker through a
cranked 400-watt, eight
speaker AMPEG SVT bass amp
sounds jarring in the context of
the other instruments. But you
may disagree, because one
player’s bad is another’s bold…
odd moment
Steve Howe: great
player with a very
strange solo choice
63
3. FOOL IN THE RAIN – LED
ZEPPELIN (1979)
Page’s reputation as a
consummate composer and
tone creator in Zeppelin is
undeniable, so this was no
accident. But two octaves down
on an MXR Blue Box in the solo
sounds like sabotage in the
context of this song.
4. LAYLA – DEREK AND THE
DOMINOES (1971)
Okay, this is controversial; great
song, great players… but Duane
Allman’s slide on that outro?
Tuning or tape speed issues
undermine his tone and it sounds
far from a choice moment from a
great player.
5. HEAT OF THE MOMENT –
ASIA (1982)
You’re a prog supergroup
streamlining your songwriting
and you’ve just penned your
most commercial tune to date.
How can you give it that finishing
touch? Enter Yes man Steve
Howe and his off-key outro solo
with a tone to strip paint with.
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 CL ASSIC
T R AC K

CREAM
CROSSROADS
If it’s bends you want, you’ve come to
the right place! TG uncovers some of
the most unconventional string-
pulling in rock history…

64

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K

A
ppearing on Cream’s third
album Wheels Of Fire,
Crossroads was recorded at a
GET THE SOUND
live show in 1968 with
guitarist Eric Clapton playing Everything you need to know before playing ‘Crossroads’
his famed cherry red Gibson

W
ith no separate gain/master
ES-335. The techniques employed in the volume option on his amps,
solos (two in total, which we’ve split into
12-bar sections, 1a, 1b etc,) were fresh
Get the tone CHANNEL OVERDRIVE Eric’s distortion tone was
created by simply running the amplifiers
4 at full tilt. Be careful not to overdo the
and innovative, and included pre-bends, 7 7 3 gain on modern amps, however, which in
huge bends, palm muting, aggressive 8 most cases have far more distortion on
vibrato and an unconventional double- tap than their 1960s forebears. If you’re
ehqg prphqw1 Wkh pdlq ulļ/ zlwk lwv using digital modelling, opt for an
GAIN BASS MID TREBLE REVERB emulation of a Marshall JTM45 or 1959
vwdffdwr skudvlqj Ğ dqg md}}0lqľxhqfhg amp with a 4x12 speaker cabinet. Try
drummer Ginger Baker steadfastly dialing in a little bit of echo to help
refusing to play the down-beats is recreate the ‘room space’ you can hear
pretty funky. on the original recording.
Through the opening solo, note the use
of both minor and major pentatonic
scales and the neat way that Clapton Use a humbucker-
equipped guitar set
wkurzv lq wkh rshq Ľuvw vwulqj gxulqj edu
to the middle position
6. These are core scales in rock and blues and with the
lead, so even if scales aren’t really your neck tone control
thing, it’s worth taking the time to learn turned down to 2.
these shapes.

CHORDS SCALES
side from a handful of powerchords (A5, D5, E5), Eric doesn’t really play key part of blues is how it mixes up the bright 65

A dq|#fkrugv#khuh1#Vwloo/#Mdfn#Euxfhġv#edvvolqh/#wkh#pdlq ulļ dqg Hulfġv ohdg

playing all work together to outline a chord progression that follows, in the
main, A7, D7 and E7. Jam along with the chords and you’ll start to understand how
A sound of major chords and scales with darker
sounding minor ones. Play through these scales
before tackling the solos and you’ll see how many of
Eric phrases his licks to ‘imply’ the chord progression. It’s also fun to play along Eric’s licks are a mixture of the two shapes.
with the chords!

X O X X X X X O X X

1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 4
1 2 1 2 2 2

3 3
4 4 4 4 4

A5 A7 D5 A major pentatonic scale

X X O X X X X X X
1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 5
7
Guitars and backing: Kit Morgan Photo: David Redfern/Getty

2 3 1

3 4 3 3 3
4 4 4

D7 E5 E7 A minor pentatonic scale

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 CREAM / CROSSROADS

CREAM
CROSSROADS
Words and Music by Robert Johnson
FULL Copyright © (1978), 1990, 1991 Standing Ovation
TAB and Encore Music (SESAC)

CROSSROADS Under license from The Bicycle Music Company

All Rights Reserved. International Copyright

CREAM CROSSROADS Intro / main riff

q =130
A7 ~~ 1/4 1/4

. . n # . . n . . n
let ring
~~~~ .
1/4 1/4
T 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0
2
2
0
0
2
2
2
2 0 2 0
BU
B 0 3 (4) 0 3 0 3
1

~~~ 1/4 D7 1/4

#
1/4
. . n n n
. ~~~~~ let ring let ring
2 2 2
T 2
2
0
0 2 0 2 0 1/4 1 1
2
1 1/4
1
2
1 1/4
0 0 0 0
B 0 3 3 3
4

A7 ~~~~ ~~~ E5
1/4 1/4

67
. . n . n
. .
~~~~ ~~~~~
1/4
T 2
2
0
0 2 0 2 0
1/4 2
2 0 2 0 2 0
2 2
B 0 3 0 3 0 2
0 0 0
2
7

D7 A7
# 1/4 ~~~~~ . ~~~
. . .
PB 5 PB 5
1/4 ~~~~~~ 5
~~~
T (6) 7 5 5 (6) 5 6
5 8 5
7
5
5 6
5
5 6
5
5
5 7 7 7 7 7
B 7 7 [7]
10

The main riff has pull-offs and hammer-ons right from bar 1. For a pull-off you pick the string, then, when you want the next note to sound, pluck the string by pulling your
fretting finger downwards to re-pick the string. With hammer-ons, bring your finger firmly down onto the string to make contact without picking the string.

CREAM CROSSROADS Verse

A5 D5 A7
# ..
> n #
0:22 PM PM
cont. sim. on repeat

T . 2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 BU
B
. 2
0
2
0
4
0 ¿ 2
0
2
0
4
0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
0 3 (4)
1

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM CROSSROADS Verse (cont’d)

D5
~~~
#
>
PM
PM ~~~~~
T 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
B 0
4

A7 1/4
~~ E5 D5
#
n . . œ œ œ œ œ œ >
>
PM PM
~~~~ PM
1/4
T 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 4 2 2 4 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
B 0 3 0 2
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
4
0
0
0
0
7

1. 2. 3.
A7 A7
1/4 ~~
..
. . n . . . . n #
~~~~ >
1/4
T 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0
. 2 0
2
2 0 2 0 BU
B 0 3 0
2
0
. 3 (4) 0
68 11

The verse builds on the intro riff as Eric adds in some chunky palm-muted powerchords. These are quite easy; the challenge lies in switching between powerchords and the
more intricate riff. We recommend practising both sections slowly and swapping between them until you get a feel for the changes.

CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 1a

A
~~~ ~ ~ ~~~~
# . nœ
j

1:28
~~~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~~~
BU 5 5 5
T 4 (6)
5 7 7 5 5 7 5 7 5
2 4
2
4
2 2
4
2 2 2
4 0
¿ 2 4
2
4
2
0
4
0
4
0
6 7 56
7
B
1

D
# ~~~~~ . j . ~
œ .
3 let ring
~~~~~ 5
~~~ 0
BU BU
T 5 7 5 7 (9)
8
7 (9) 5 7 5 7 5 5 7 9
8
9 7
5 7 7 7
B 5 7
4

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 FULL TRACK + BACKING (TRACKS 29-30)
This song comes with a full demo track and a backing
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along guitaraoke style!
CREAM / CROSSROADS

CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 1a (cont’d)

1/4
A E

#
~~~ nœ
j .~~~~~ n ~~~~ n 1/4

. .
1/4
~~~~~ 5
~~~~~~ 8 10
~~~~~ 8 8
1/4
BU
T 5 (6) 5 6
5 8 9 10 10 8 10 8 10
9 7 5 7 5
7 5 7 7
B
7

D A
# 1/4 1/4 ~~~~~ n
j j
nœ j nœ
nœ
n
1/4
~~~~~ 5
BU
BU
T 5 6
5
7 5
1/4
5 6
5 8 5
7
5
5 7 5 (6) 5
5
6
13
7 5 7 7 5 7
B 7 5 3 0 0 7 [7 ]
10

The solo opens with some A major pentatonic lines in bars 1 to 3 before switching to the minor pentatonic scale in bar 4. Notice how Eric swaps frequently between the 5th
and 6th frets on the third string – these are the all-important minor and major 3rd intervals (C and C# notes).

CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 1b

A
~~~~~~~ n # # n # ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ n #
.
69

1:50 PB 15
BU ~~~~~~~~~ BU BD BU ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ BU
T (14)
14
13 (14) 15 (17) (16) 13 (14)
14 14
13 (14)
12 12 12 12
12 14 14 14 14
B
1

D
j
~~~ ~~~~~
. n # œ n
# œ
j

let ring
~~~~ ~~~~~ BU
12
BU BU BD
T 12 12 12 14
13 (14) 15 (17) 15 (17) 15 (17) 15 (17) [17 ] (15) 13 15
14
14 12 10 12 14 14 BU BU
B 12 10 12
4

A E
~~~~~ n # . œ
j
n # ~~~
# œ
j

~~~~~~ BU
12
BU ~~~~~
T [14 ]
13 (14 )
0 0 0
15 (17) (15) 13 (14)
14 13 14
12
12 12 12
BU BD
12 14 14 12 10 12 10 10 12 14
B 12
7

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 1b (cont’d)

D
~~~
A
~~~~~ j . ~~~~~
# œ

~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

PH

BU BU
T 14 14 14 14 14 16 14 14 14 14 16 (18) 16 (18 ) 14 0 2 0
14 16 16 16 16 14 16 16 0 2 2 0
B 16
10

Bars 5 and 7 of solo 1b contain unison bends – the idea being to bend the second string up to produce the same note as the first string. Use your first finger on the first
string and your third finger to bend the second string. Your first finger must stay perfectly anchored to avoid bending the string out of tune.

CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 2a

A
wide
j ~~~~~~~~
# nœ
œ
j

2:32 RP RP RP wide
17 17 17 17 17 17 17
BU ~~~~~~~~ 17
T 17 17 17 17 17 17 20 17 17 17 17 20 (22) 20 BU BD
19 (21) (21) (21) (21) 19 (21) (21) (21) 19 (21) 19 (21) 19(21) (19 ) 17
BU BU BU BU
B
1

70 (√) j
D

# 1/4
. nœ ~~~~ . ~~

3
PB20
PB 17
1/4
17
BU
20 (22) 20 17 20 17
~~~~~ BU ~~~ 17
BU
T 19 17 (18)
17 20 17
19 17 (18)
20 (22) 19 20 (22) 20
19 19
B
3

(√
A

œ
j ~~~~
j
nœ

PB 19
~~~~~ let ring

BU BD
T 19 (21)(19 ) 17 19 17 19 (21) 19 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
19 19 17 19 19 17 17 19 19 19 17 19 19 19 17
B 17 19
6

E D
n
1/4

j
œ

3
RP
1/4
BU
T 17 17 17 17 17 BU 17 17 20 17 17
17 17 19 17 19 (21) (21) (19) 19 (21) 19 (21) 19 17 19 17
17 19 19 19 19 19 17 19 BU BD
B 0
9

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 CREAM / CROSSROADS

CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 2a (cont’d)

(√A ) ~~~~~~~~~
# nœ
j .
.

BU BD ~~~~~~~~~~ 17
T 20(22) [22 ] (20)
17 19 17
0
17 17
17 19
19 19 17 17 17
B 19 19
11

The bends in bars 2 and 3 of this solo need even more control as it’s easy to accidentally over-bend the third string and pull the second string sharp. Make sure to play with
plenty of gusto to get close to Eric’s fiery style.

CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 2b

# .~~~~ œ
j
~~~~~ n n # . ~

3
2:54
BU ~~~~~~ 17 17
BU ~~~~~~~ 17 17 20 17 20
BU
(22)
BU
20 (21) 17 17
BU ~~~
T 20 (22) 20 20 (22) 20 20 20 20 (22)

B
1

D
( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~ 71
j j j
1/4
œ œ nœ
.

17
~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3
1/4
BU BD BU
T 20 17 20
19 17 19 19 (23) (19) ( 19 )(21) 17 19 17 19 17
17
17
19
19 17 17 19
19 19 19 19
B
4

( )
A E

~~~~
wide
~~~~
.
wide
~~~~ œ
j
nœ
j
. . .
.
~~~~~ ~~~~~
wide
BU ~~~~~
wide

T 17 18
17
19
17
18
17
17 17
20 17
19
20 17
19
20 17
19
20 17
19
20 (22)

19 19 17 17 19 19
B 19
7

( )
A

~
# œ
j
. œ
j

~~ 17
T 20 17 BU BD BU
19(21) (19 ) 17 19 17 17 (18 ) 17 19 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
19 19 19 17 17 19 17 19 17 19 17 19 19 19 17 19 17 19
B 19
10

By the time you get to this solo the tension is really building, and when you get to that massive four-fret bend in bar 5 we defy you to not feel excited by it! The triplet licks
in bars 2 and 6 are very typical Clapton – a phrasing trick he’s used in his playing right up to today.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 CL ASSIC
T R AC K
CREAM CROSSROADS Solo 2c

√
A

1/4 1/4 1/4

j j j
œœ œœ œœ

3:15 PB 19 PB 19 PB 19
1/4 1/4 1/4 BU PB 19 PB 19
BU BU
T 17
17
19
19
(20)
(21)
19
19
(20)
(21)
19
19
(20)
(21)
19
19
19 (20)
19 (21)
19 (20)
19 19 (21)
19 (20)
19 19 (21) 19
(20)
(21) 19
(20) (19)
(21) (19) 19
19 BU BD
B
1

(√
~~~~~~~~~~
wide

# ~~~~~ œ
j
.

~~~~~~ BU
wide
~~~~~~~~~
T 17
19
19 17 17 17 20
20 17
19
20 17
19
20 (22)

19 17 17 19 19 19 17 19 19
B 19
3

(~ )
D

j j
œ œ
72

~~ 17
BU
17
BU
17
BU
17 BU BD BU
T 20 17 20 (22) 20 17 20 (22) 20 17 20 (22) 20 17
19 (21)
(19) 17 19 17 (18)
19
B
5

(√)
A E

j ~~~
# nœ
j
œ

17
BU
19 (21)
BU
19 (21) 17 19 17
~~~~ 17 17 17 19
BU
(21)
T 17 18
17 20 17
19
17
17 19 17
19 19 19
19 17 19 19
B
7

(√)
D A

j ~~~~~ ~~~~
# nœ
œ
j
nœ
j

3
BU ~~~~~~~ BU ~~~~
¿¿
20 (22) 20 17 20 17 17 17 BU
T 17 20 20 (22) 20 17 BU BD 17
19 (21) (19) 17 19 17 17 (18 )
19
B 19 0
10

The double bends in bars 1 and 2 of the final solo (2c) are outrageous! The best way to execute this is by using your third finger flattened across both strings and bending
up (towards your face). It’s not comfortable, admittedly, but bending downwards doesn’t give the same effect.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 CREAM / CROSSROADS

CREAM CROSSROADS Verse

A5 D5 A7
#
1/4

. n
3:36
PM
.
1/4
T 2 4 2 2 2 0 2 0 2 0
2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
1

~~~ D5
^
#
. . >
~~~~~ PM

T 2
0
0 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 4 2 2 2 4 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
B 0
4

73

#
A7
1/4
~~ E5 D7
¨
n . .
~~~~ PM
1/4
T 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 0
1
2
2 0
B 0 3 0 2
0
0
0
0
0
2
0 0 0
2
0
4
0
0
0
0
7

N.C. A7 N.C.

#
Freetime 1/4
3

n
. > 3
>
æ
3
let ring

T 2 0 2 0 0 1/4
2
0 5 6
5 8 5
7
5
5 7 5
2 0 2 0 2 0 2 7
B 3 0 0 0
0
11

This is a return to the riff and powerchords style playing of the previous verse. The closing lick is played in free time as the track comes to a close so feel free to let rip with
your own ideas to round things off.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 ROCK
SCHOOL
ROCKSCHOOL
RED HOT CHILI
PEPPERS
CALIFORNICATION
Try out Rockschool’s cool Grade 2
arrangement of this red hot track
from the LA funk rockers
ne of RHCP’s most popular slowly and try to feel the pulse. Many

O tracks, Californication begins

with an interplay between
Flea’s bassline and guitarist
John Frusciante’s arpeggios. Note the
use of 9th intervals on these chords
uhľhfwlqj#wkh#lqľxhqfh#ri#Mlpl#
Hendrix’ soul rhythm style. The 9th
intervals are a B note in the A minor
chord and a G in the F chord: identifiable
thanks to being open strings.
74 The strumming starting in bar 7
needs to be rock solid, so practise
players keep time by tapping their feet
or nodding their head – making the
pulse physical really helps.
Edu#48#ihdwxuhv#wkh#Ľuvw#sduw#ri#
Frusciante’s solo. There are only three
string bends but they’re a key feature.
Focus on nailing the timing of the up/
down part of each bend and accurately
hitting the pitch of each bend. Check
your pitch by seeing if your bends
match the equivalent fretted notes
shown in brackets.

Transcriptions from
Rockschool’s Classics series can
be used as Free Choice Pieces in
Guitar Grade exams and in public
exams such as GCSEs. For more
info, visit: www.rslawards.com
FULL
TAB
CALIFORNICATION
Words & Music by Anthony Kiedis, Michael Peter Balzary,
John Frusciante & Chad Smith
© Copyright 1999 Moebetoblame Music
All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS CALIFORNICATION TRACKS 31-32

q = 96
Am F Am

.. .. ..
Drums enter

T . 0 1 . . 0 1

B
. 0
2
3
0 2
. . 0
2
1
1

F C G F Dm

..
œ
.
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty

1
T 1 3

B 3
0 2
. 3
2
0
2
2
0
0 3
2 2
0
2 2
0
1 3
4

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 FULL TRACK + BACKING (TRACKS 31-32)
This song comes with a full demo track and a backing
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
RHCP / CALIFORNICATION

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS CALIFORNICATION (cont’d) TRACKS 31-32

Am Fmaj 7

..

T . 0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1

B
. 2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3

Am Fmaj 7

..

T
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1 .
B
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
2
3
3
.
9

C G Dm Am C G Dm

0 0 0 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 1
T 1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0
B 3 3 3 2
3
2
3
0 0 0 3 3 3 2
3
2
3
75
11

F#m Dmaj 7

# . œ
J

9 BU BD
T 10
11 (13 ) (11)

B
14

F#m
.
Dmaj 7 Bm D
# œ
J

9 BU BD
T 10
11 (13 ) (11) 11 11 11 11 9
11 11 9 11
B
17

A E Am F
# œ n .
œ
J
. ..

T BU BD
. 0 1 .
B
9 11 (13 ) (11) 9
. 0
2
3
0 2
.
1
20

There are three styles of playing here: arpeggios, strumming and soloing. Practising each section on its own allows you to hone each technique. Putting all three parts
together is harder than you might think – changing technique can be tough! Practise slowly while you get a feel for the changes.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 TURN
A ROU N D

THE TURNAROUND
LICKS OF THE BLUES GIANTS

JONNY
LANG
With a new album Signs out
now, we thought we’d check
out the Dakota-born blues
ace’s fiery playing style
onny took up guitar at the age of 12, with an interest in

76 J blues as well as more contemporary pop styles. Though this

can be heard in his music, it’s clear that the blues is what
informs his electric lead playing most profoundly. His
phrasing is sometimes quirky, often playing along a string,
rather than staying within more traditional pentatonic shapes –
wkrxjk kh grhv/ ri frxuvh/#xvh#wkhvh#wrr1#Mrqq|#lv#d#Ľqh#uk|wkp#
player, but as a singer, he often uses his guitar skills to play
‘answering’ phrases to vocal lines and, of course, the occasional
solo. He employs a variety of Gibson and Fender guitars – with a
particular fondness for the Telecaster, but any type of electric will
work for our lesson. These examples highlight Jonny’s use of
both a traditional smooth overdrive and a jagged Hendrix-style
fuzz, though the playing style remains the same, whichever
sound or style of guitar you use. Though all the examples are
faithfully transcribed, you may want to ‘push and pull’ the
timing a little. That is to say; don’t be too precise. Instead, try
pulling back and playing some of the phrases ever so slightly
ehklqg wkh ehdw1 Wklv#lv#d#yhu|#hļhfwlyh#eoxhv#ohdg#wulfn/#wkrxjk#
like all things, don’t overdo it!

1 PLAYING BEHIND THE BEAT TRACK 33

q = 60
F # dim
C
~~~~~~
C7
√F ~~~~~~~
œ
j
œ
j ~~ œj
œ
j . .~~~~ œ
j . ~~
Guitars and backing: Richard Barrett Photograph: Getty

BU ~~~~~~~ BU ~~~ BU BU ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ BU BD ~~~~

15 (17) 15 15 17 17 20 20 [20] 17 20 (22)
(20) [20]
T 12
15 (17 )
12
13 15 15 (17) 15 13 15 (17)
12
13 13

This is a very slow tempo, so take care not to rush. If you accidentally play ahead of the beat you’ll end up with a tense, ‘anxious’ sound, rather than the laid back feel this
lick needs. You could even aim to play slightly behind the beat on occasion to enhance the vibe. Despite the slow tempo, aim for a rapid, deep vibrato.

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 FULL TRACKS (TRACKS 33-39)
These tab examples come with audio tracks
on your CD. Simply insert the disc in your player,
press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
THE TURNAROUND / JONNY LANG

2 TAKING IT DOWN TRACK 34

C C7
~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ .
j
œ
.
3 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 5 5 7 9
8 8 10 10 13 13 15
5 7 5 7
B
F # dim
1

√
F

j ~~~~~~ . œ
j . 1/4
~~~~~~
œ

BU BD ~~~~~~~~ BU
13 (15)
BD
(13 ) 11
1/4
~~~~~~~~
T 15 (16) (15 ) 13 [13 ] 13 13 13 13 10

B
3

An alternate take over the same backing as our previous example, this time we’re playing in a lower register. Note the use of grace notes, string bends and vibrato – all
expressive musical devices that bring this phrase to life. We’ve also used slides in bars 1 and 2 as a way to make the position shifts easier.

3 TRIPLET PHRASING TRACK 35

D7 G7 F7 Fm7 G7
√ ~~~
C A C C

j j . . . . . ~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~

. .
œ œ j j j
œ
j
. . œ œ nœ
. .
3
BU ~~~~~~ BU BU
3
~~~ BU ~~~~~~ 3
BU BU ~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
15 (17) 15 (17) 15 13 13 (15 ) 11 13(15 ) 12 (13 ) 11 77
T 15 (17) 13 15
14
13
14 14
13 13 13 13 11
12 12

Notice the triplets played with staccato phrasing in bar 1. These give a sense of pulling back the tempo, giving our lick alotmoregravitasthansimplyplayingbynumbers.
Really take some risks and push the timing here; see how far you feel is ‘out of time’ as opposed to expressive!

4 FUZZY BENDS TRACK 36

q = 91

√j Cm
7

œ œ
j
œ
j
œ
j .. œ
j ~ 1/

œ
j ~~
j j
œ œ

15 15 15 15
BU BD ~~~~~~~~~ BU BU
8
1/4
8
~~~~
BU BD
T 18 (20) 18 (20) 18 (20) 18 (20) (18 ) 18(20)(18 ) 16 18
17 17
16 [16 ] 11 8 11 (13 ) 11 (13 ) 11 8
10
8 8 11
10 (12 )(10 ) 8 10 8 [8 ]
BU BU BU BU BD 10 10
B

Changing to a more uptempo vibe and using a bright fuzz style distortion, this example begins with a series of shrill unisonbends,beforeshiftingdowntoaslightlylower
register for some pentatonic phrasing. The opening bends can be drawn out to make the most of the two clashing notes.

5 MINOR PENTATONIC LICK TRACK 37

7#9 Eb7
#
F
~~~~~~~~~ .
Cm7 G 7 9

~~~~ j
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j . œ
œ
j
œ
j
œ
j 1/4
œ
j

~~~~~~ BU ~~~~~~~~~~~ 8 1/4

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BU BU BUBD BU BU BU BD BU
T 10 (12 ) 10 (12 ) 10 (12 )(10 ) 8
11 (13) 11 8
10 8 10 (12 ) 10 (12 ) 10 (12 ) (10 ) 8 10 8 10 (12 )
10 10
B

It’s all about the bends, vibrato and sustain at the start of bars 1 and 2. The lick is based in the C minor pentatonic scalethroughoutso,hopefully,it’llfeelfamiliartoyouvery
quickly. As always, pay close attention to small, seemingly insignificant details like staccato notes, pull-offs and quarter-tonebends–thesearevitaltothefeel.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 JA M
T R AC K

JAM TRACK PLAY GUITAR WITH A BAND

80S ROCK
Don your spandex and slow things down
with our 80s rock ballad style jam track
he 1980s was a time of big hair chorus is much simpler, featuring

T and tight trousers for rock

bands, and acts like Van Halen,
Whitesnake, Bon Jovi and
Aerosmith ruled the roost.
Our 80s rock style track is played at
a sedate 70bpm so it’s the perfect
canvas for heartfelt, extended solos.
The chords in the verse use the trick of
keeping the top notes the same whilst
the bass notes change – you’ll be
holding down the D note on the 3rd
fret of the second string here. The
standard rock powerchords in the
main. We’ve written out chord shapes
that you can use to play along with the
jam track.
For solos, take inspiration from
iconic guitarists like Steve Vai or Def
Leppard’s Phil Collen. Pentatonic
scales sound great and capture the rock
vibe of solos from the period. For a
Phil Collen pouring on the
more melodic approach and if you feel
sugar with his Black
like donning your shred hat, try the Cracklejack Jackson
natural minor scale.

78

SCALES CHORDS
hese two scale shapes can be used in both here are a few complicated-sounding chords here, but the shapes are all fairly

T the verse (which is in G major) and the

chorus (in E minor). This is because the
two keys share the same notes (E F# G A B C D) –
T hdv|#wr#sod|#vr#wu|#qrw#wr#eh#sxw#rļ#e|#wkh#qdphv1#Uhphpehu/#li#|rxġuh#mdpplqj#
along with these chords you’ll be holding down the D note throughout the verse.

G major just starts on G instead of E. This means

that you can improvise quite freely – stick to the
shapes shown here and you’re guaranteed to be X O X O X O X X O X X X O O
in key throughout the track.

1 2 2 1 2 2
3 3 3

1 Gmaj7 Em9 Cmaj9#11 Dsus2

11 11
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1
O O X O O X X O X X X O X
2
3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3
1 1 2
4 4 4 4 4 4 4
Guitars and backing: Jon Bishop Photography: Getty

2 3 4 3 2 3
E minor pentatonic E natural 3
scale minor scale
4

E5 G5 D5 Csus2

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 BACKING TRACK (TRACK 40)
This song comes with a backing track on your CD. Simply
insert the disc in your player, press play and jam along,
guitaraoke style!
JAM TRACK / 80S ROCK

JAM TRACK 80S ROCK LICK TRACK 40

#
Gmaj 7 Em9
~~ ~~~
Cmaj 7 11
~~~ Dsus 2
~~ Gmaj 7

œ œ œ œ œ. ~~~~~~~~~~~
q =70
j j
# . . œ
j
œ
j
. œ
j œ
j
.
1:05
~~~~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~ 3
~~~~ BUBDBU ~~~ BD ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
T
¿ BU BD 10 (12 )(10 )(12 ) [12 ] (10) 8 10 [10 ]
7 9 9 9 7 14
5 7 (9) [9 ] (7) 5 7 7 9 14 7 9 9 5
B 7

The rhythm of our lick is quite complex, but, with the track’s slow tempo, it’s fairly easy to pick up by ear. Dial in plenty of mid-rich distortion, adding reverb and
even a light chorus effect for an authentic smooth 80s lead tone.

JAM TRACK
CHEAT SHEET
Tempo 70bpm
Time signature 4/4
Key/scale G major / E minor

79

VER SE

| Gmaj7 / / / | Em9 / / / | Cmaj9#11 / / / | Dsus2 / / / |

| Gmaj7 / / / | Em9 / / / | Cmaj9#11 / / / | Dsus2 / / / ||

CHORUS

| E5 / / / | G5 / / / | D5 / / / | Csus2 / / / |

| E5 / / / | G5 / / / | D5 / / / | Csus2 / / / | E5 / / / ||

Once you’ve digested the chords and scales you’ll be using, take a look at the chord chart and think about how to approach the track over its
duration. The verses are noticeably lighter in feel, so match your playing style as the song progresses, perhaps saving your blazing licks for
the end of the chorus.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 ACOUSTIC

82
Unplugged
YOUR MONTH IN THE ACOUSTIC WORLD

083
ACOUSTIC NEWS
084
GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV
086
ACOUSTIC TAB:
COME PICK ME UP

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 ACOUSTIC
TRACKS 41-45

FIVE
MELLOW
CHORDS
Essential chords to
fuel your creativity
X

1 1

3 4

Bbmaj7
X X

2 3
4

83
Cmaj9
O O O

PRIMARY COLOUR 2
1

How City And Colour’s live album inspired Dallas Green

4

D
allas Green may already
have a new studio album
close to completion but
khġv#uhľhfwlqj#rq#45#|hduv#
under his solo career with City And
Colour for new live record Guide Me
Back Home. It’s become a
whvwdphqw#ri#fuhdwlqj#vrphwklqj#
srvlwlyh#iurp#d#qhjdwlyh#wlph1#
“The idea came for a couple of
reasons,” he explains to us while
krph#lq#Wrurqwr1#ģVshflĽfdoo|/#L#
zdv#zdwfklqj#wkh#Dphulfdq#
presidential election, just like
most of the world and whether you
djuhhg#zlwk#lw#ru#|rx#glgqġw/#L#wklqn#
everybody was a little bit shocked
by how full of madness the whole
wklqj#zdv1#Dqg#L#wkrxjkw#wr#
myself, ‘Do you know what I’m
jrlqj#wr#grB#Lġp#jrlqj#wr#vhh#li#L#
fdq#errn#d#uhdoo|#orqj#wrxu#ri#p|#
frxqwu|#dqg#jr#dqg#wu|#dqg#sod|#d#
lot of small towns and just kind of
wu|#dqg#Ľjxuh#vwxļ#rxw1ġĤ
Accompanied by C&C bandmate
Pdww#Nhoo|#rq#whqru#jxlwdu#dqg#
keys, Dallas played intimate shows
in towns he’d never visited before
rq#wkh#534:#wuhn#wr#or|do#idqv#dqg#
fxulrxv#orfdov1#Wkh#53#vrqjv#wkdw#
make up Guide Me Back Home were
doo#wdnhq#iurp#glļhuhqw#vkrzv#dqg#
they showcase Dallas’s voice with
his Custom Shop D-45 and
bespoke small-bodied Martins, an
rog#Nd|#soxv#d#Eljve|#dqg#
FilterTron-loaded Gretsch
Udqfkhu#lq#vwxqqlqj#lqwlpdf|1#
Ghflglqj#wr#uhfrug#wkh#vkrzv#dovr#
had unintended results…
ģL#grqġw#zdqw#wr#fdoo#lw#d#Ġjuhdwhvw#
hits’ but it is almost like a best-of
record because it’s not just me
sod|lqj#qhz#vrqjv/Ĥ#vd|v#Gdoodv1#
“It’s me as a 38-year-old man
sod|lqj#vrqjv#wkdw#L#zurwh#zkhq#L#
zdv#53#|hduv#rog1#Vr#|rx#jhw#wr#khdu#
this evolution in my voice, and the
sod|lqj#dqg#wkh#vrqjv1#Lwġv#ehfrph#
d orw pruh wkdq zkdw L jxhvv zh vhw#
out to make it, which was literally
just to document it and see what Eadd9
would come of it.”
X O
Dallas was so inspired by the
wrxu#kh#hqghg#xs#zulwlqj#zkdw#zloo#
become City And Colour’s next
1
record, already tracked and due
qh{w#|hdu1#ģL#kdg#d#ihz#qhz#vrqjv#
but I hadn’t been able to write 2 3 4
dq|wklqj#^hovh`#qhz/Ĥ#kh#h{sodlqv/#
“I don’t want to say it was writer’s
eorfn/#Lġp#qrw#rqh#wr#irufh#wu|lqj# C#m9
wr#zulwh1#Zkhq#lwġv#qrw#kdsshqlqj#
I just kind of let it be and hope it’ll X X
frph#edfn#durxqg1#Grlqj#wkdw#wrxu#
helped clear my head and open my
mind up,” he adds. “Every once in 1
a while you need a reminder of
zk|#|rxġuh#grlqj#lw#dqg#zkdw#|rx#
love about it.” 2 3 4
Guide Me Back Home is out now
digitally and on 3 x LP and 2 x CD Abm11
via Still Records on 23 November

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 ACOUSTIC Words Matthew Parker

Gregory Alan Isakov

A MASTER CRAFTSMAN SONGWRITER, GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV CAPTURES RICH
SNAPSHOTS OF LIFE WITH DECEPTIVELY MINIMALIST ARRANGEMENTS

I
t is no surprise that the music of
Colorado singer-songwriter Gregory
Alan Isakov has always occupied its own
space. His heavy-hearted indie-folk
seems both cavernous and intimate all
at once, like diary entries scrawled across
landscape paintings. He sees the world through
the eyes of a traveller and that sense of open
vsdfh#vhhpv#wr#ghĽqh#klv#olih#dqg#klv#dssurdfk#
wr#pxvlfldqvkls1#Lvdnry#vshqw#wkh#Ľuvw#vl{#|hduv#
of his life in South Africa before his family
84 upped sticks for Philadelphia, PA.
“My parents moved to the States in 1986,” he
tells TG. “It was during the peak of apartheid
and it was an intense change. You know,
wkdwġv#d#uhdoo|#glļhuhqw#yleh#jurzlqj#xs#
with mango trees, and then moving to
Philadelphia. It’s grey. I was scared of the
things I’d seen on TV – tornadoes from
Wizard Of Oz#dqg#vwxļ#olnh#wkdw$#Zh#kdg#d#
one bedroom apartment and then after
that my dad got a job and so we moved
durxqg#txlwh#d#elw1#Zh#fkdqjhg#vfkrrov#d#
ihz#wlphv1#L#glg#Ľqlvk#kljk#vfkrro/#exw#L#
dropped out. I did some travelling, hiked
a part of the Appalachian trail. I could
never sit still.”
Zkhq#khġv#qrw#rq#wkh#urdg/#|rxġoo#Ľqg#
him settled on a farm in Colorado, raising
everything from sheep to medicinal
cannabis. Even now, though, the
songwriter confesses he’s naturally shy
by nature. That the performer tag is not
one he wears easily, but during those
formative years music became a reliable
companion in a somewhat subsistent
lifestyle. “It’s weird,” he says. “Looking
back, my two brothers and I always had a
band set up in the basement, wherever
we went, so we got really close and played
Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty
dependent on his family or social life. “It was
just nurturing this really wild inner world that
is, I think, in all of us and really spending a lot
of time there,” he says. “That’s where songs
frph#iurp#iru#ph1#Shrsoh#riwhq#vd|/#ĠZkrġv#
wkdw#vrqj#derxwB#Zkhuhġv#wkdw#vrqj#frph#
from?’ And I can never answer that and I
wonder if people are ever telling the truth in
uhvsrqvh#wr#wkdw1#Wkdwġv#qrw#p|#h{shulhqfh#ri#
how it works, you know?”
Wkh#Ľuvw#vljq#ri#wkh#lwfk|0irrwhg#pxvlfldq#
putting down roots came, ironically, with his
enrolment at horticultural school in Colorado.
Music and a calling in agriculture made for
THE ’67 SOUND
How a veteran J-50 found its
way to become a mainstay
Isakov’s go-to instrument is a ’67 J-50 Gibson. “It was
given to me by a friend of mine,” he explains. “He’s a
farmer and he has a ranch up in Nebraska. He’s a
veteran and he brought that guitar to Vietnam with him.
One day he said, ‘I’ve left you something in the garage…’
I thought it was weed because he smoked weed all day.
I looked in and there was a buffalo skull and this guitar
natural bedfellows in Isakov’s mind. The
farming allowed him to work, to make and the
space to think and be inspired, while music
rļhuhg#wkh#fuhdwlyh#rxwohw#kh#qhhghg1#ģLw#
stuck,” he says. “I think any kind of landscape
makes it into your music, you know? I was
working on this farm throughout college and in
wkh#zlqwhuv#L#kdg#d#orw#ri#wlph#rļ#dqg#L#zdqwhg#
to go travel and sleep in my truck. I thought,
ĠZhoo/#li#L#frxog#mxvw#sd|#iru#p|#fdpsvlwh#e|#
playing songs, that’d be awesome.’ So that’s
how I fell into it. It came from a love of
travelling and a love of landscape, because I was
so shy. I still am, I think, but I that was what
made me go for it, you know?”
Thousands of miles of travelling
and seven albums have followed and
Isakov has earned a reputation for
pdnlqj#Ľqho|0krqhg#pxvlf1#Klv#prvw#
recent album Evening Machines is a
typically masterful construction, building
a sense of airy, spaciousness up from
quiet acoustic arrangements.
“I remember [aged 14] me and my
guitar player busting up our four-track
ehfdxvh#zh#zhuh#olnh/#ĠZhġoo#qhyhu#vrxqg#
olnh#Shduo#Mdp$ġĤ#odxjkv#Lvdnry1#ģWkhq/#L#
realised that what came naturally to me
was a lot of quiet music and a lot of space
in my writing… Saying the most with a
short fragment of a thought. I love
Leonard Cohen as a poet because he’s so
sparse. It’s like the whole world is
slowing down and there’s space. That’s
what I want my music to do.”
In the end, it comes down to craft. “It’s
something I’ve always been blown away
by,” concludes Isakov. “Creating
something with your hands is so rare
qrzdgd|v1#Exw#zhġuh#sod|lqj#wkhvh#er{hv#

a lot. Someone once said, ‘You’re really case. It smelled like a library book and the neck was of wood with strings and creating
juhdw#dw#zulwlqj$ġ#Dqg#L#zdv#olnh/#ĠMxvw#kdyh# just bent to shit, but I took it to a friend in Ithaca, New something out of thin air.”
qr#iulhqgv#iru/#olnh/#53#|hduv$ġĤ York and he steamed off the neck and re-fretted it and
Instead, music became a tool for I’ve been playing only that guitar ever since.” Gregory’s album, Evening Machines,
ghĽqlqj#klpvhoi#lq#d#zd|#wkdw#zdv#qrw# is out now on Dualtone Records

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 INTERVIEW

85

“SOMEONE
ONCE SAID,
‘YOU’RE
GREAT AT
WRITING!’
AND I WAS
LIKE, ‘JUST
HAVE NO
FRIENDS
FOR, LIKE,
20 YEARS!’”

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 LEARN
TO PL AY

OPEN-MIC SONGBOOK
RYAN ADAMS
COME PICK ME UP
Grab your guitar, a capo and a
box of tissues for Ryan Adams’
country-tinged heartbreaker
his track from Ryan Adam’s to use familiar open chords transposed

T 2000 debut solo album

Heartbreaker has a lazy feel,
best achieved with a relaxed
strumming motion. Copy the song’s
vkxŀh jurryh vlpso| e| pdnlqj |rxu
downward strums last twice as long as
the upstrokes.
If your hand isn’t quite strong
enough to play barre chords for the
entire song then a capo can be a real
86 lifesaver. This essential tool allows you
and given a new lease of life higher up
the fretboard. For CPMU clamp your
capo across the 3rd fret and kick things
rļ#zlwk#dq#rshq#J#vkdsh1#Wkdqnv#wr#wkh#
fdsr#wkh#fkrug#orrnv#dqg#ihhov#mxvw#olnh#d#
regular G but now sounds a Bb pitch.
Lwġv#Ľqh#wr#wklqn#ri#lw#dv#J#li#wkdw#lv#
easier for you but we’ve written the
chords on our chart at their actual pitch
vr#wkdw#|rx#fdq#mdp#dorqj#fdsr0iuhh#li#
you need to.

CHORDS
his song can be

T vlpsolĽhg#grzq#wr#mxvw#
four basic chords: Bb,
Gm, Eb and Cm (or G, Em, C
O O
CAPO – 3rd fret
X O O
CAPO – 3rd fret
X X O
CAPO – 3rd fret
X X O O
CAPO – 3rd fret

1
O X O O O O
CAPO – 3rd fret
X
CAPO – 3rd fret
O

and Am if you’re looking at

1 2 1 2 2 1
the un-capo’d shapes).
However, there are a few 2 3 4 3 3 2 3 4
variations. The 7ths and 9ths
give a little ‘prettiness’ to the
sound of the basic chords,
Bb Bb/D C7sus4 Cm7 Cm9 Ebadd9
usually achieved simply by (G) (G/B) (A7sus4) (Am7) (Am9) (Cadd9)
sodflqj#d#Ľqjhu#khuh#ru#
there. You’ll also see one or
two ‘sus’ chords, which are X O O X X O O X O O X X X O O O
xvhg#eulhľ|#lq#rughu#wr#dgg# CAPO – 3rd fret CAPO – 3rd fret CAPO – 3rd fret CAPO – 3rd fret CAPO – 3rd fret

movement to the 1 1 1
progression.
2 2 1 2 1 2

3 3 3 3 4
Guitars and backing: Charlie Griffiths Photo: Jo Hale

Ebsus2 Eb Ebsus2/D F Gm7

(Csus2) (C) (Csus2/B) (D) (Em7)

COME PICK ME UP
Words and Music by Ryan Adams and Van Alston
© 2000 BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited.
Reproduced by kind permission of Hal Leonard Europe
All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 BACKING TRACK (TRACK 46)
This song comes with a backing track (minus guitar) on
your CD. Simply insert the disc in your player, press play
and jam along, guitaraoke style!
RYAN ADAMS / COME PICK ME UP

O G HEET

Intro
c M
E badd9 E badd9
B b Gm7 E badd9 They’re all full of shit Take me out
B b Gm7 E badd9 B b /D C7sus4 Gm7 Cm7 Cm7
B b Gm7 E badd9 B b Gm7 E badd9 With a smile on your face Fuck me up
B b /D E badd9 E badd9
Verse 1 And then do it again
F
Steal my records
Bb Gm7 Bb
When they call your name I wish you would Screw all my friends
E badd9 E badd9
Will you walk right up Interlude 1 Behind my back
Cm7 Cm9 Cm7 B b Gm7 E badd9 Cm7
With a smile on your face? B b Gm7 E badd9 B b /D C7sus4 With a smile on my face
Bb Gm7 B b /D E badd9
And then do it again
Will you cower in fear
E badd9
Verse 2 F
Bb Gm7 I wish you would
In your favourite sweater When you’re walking downtown
Cm7 Cm9 Cm7
With an old love letter? Do you wish I was there?
E badd9
Interlude 2
Cm7 Cm9 Cm7 B b Gm7 E badd9 B b Gm7 E badd9 B b /D C7sus4
Pre-chorus 1 Do wish it was me? B b Gm7 E badd9 B b Gm7 E badd9
Cm7 E bsus2/D E b E bsus2 E b Bb Gm7
I wish you would With the windows clear Bridge
Cm7 E bsus2/D E b E badd9 F B b /D E badd9
I wish you would And the mannequin’s eyes I wish you’d make up my bed
Cm7 F B b /D E badd9
Chorus 1 Do they all look like mine?
F
So I could make up my mind
Bb B b /D E badd9 877
Come pick me up Pre-chorus 2 F
Try it for sleeping instead
E badd9 Cm7 E b sus2/D E b E b sus2 B b /D E badd9
Eb
Take me out You know you could Maybe you’ll rest sometime
Cm7 Cm7 E b sus2/D E b
Fuck me up I wish you would Chorus 3
E badd9 B b Gm7 E badd9 B b /D C7sus4 Gm7
Steal my records
Bb
Chorus 2 I wish I could x3
Bb
Screw all my friends Come pick me up Outro
B b Gm7 E badd9 B b

RYAN ADAMS
TRACK 36 COME PICK ME UP Verse 1
3
j
q =120 q q =q q
Bb Gm7 E b add 9
(G ) ( Em7) ( Cadd 9 )

..
Capo 3rd fret

.
..
.
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0
1

Bb Gm7 E badd 9 B b/D C 7sus 4 Gm7

(G ) ( Em7) (Cadd 9 ) (G/B ) ( A 7sus 4 ) ( Em7)

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
0 0 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 0 2 2 2
3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5

All of the chords share the same notes on the treble strings, so leave your third and fourth fingers on those frets while your first and second fingers move between shapes.
The first six bars use more familiar open shapes; the last two bars use slash chords and sus chords to outline a descending bassline. This crops up later in the song.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 THE GAS 90

STATION REAL WORLD REVIEWS OF THE

94

BEST NEW GEAR

Welcome to the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome*)

Station! Every issue, TG scours the market for the
hottest new gear and brings you transparent reviews
that you can trust. From the smallest of accessories
that make your life easier, to big investments such as
brand new guitars, amps and effects pedals – if it’s
88 worth your attention, you’ll find it here!

HOW WE TEST BEST BUY AWARD

CURATION NO SNAKE OIL

Our product selection is
driven by our love of gear.
We select the most exciting
products on the market every
month to bring you opinions
you can trust.
FACE-VALUE REVIEWS
We’re not gear snobs here at
Total Guitar. We judge it on
whether it looks good, sounds
good and plays well – not by
the name on the headstock.
*WHAT IS GAS?
Gear Acquisition Syndrome
is the guitar-player’s
never-ending urge to acquire
new gear, irrespective of
whether they actually need it.
Don’t pretend you don’t
have it – we all do!
productsthatearnafive-star
\rx#zrqġw#Ľqg#xv#jhwwlqj#
hung up on hokey mythology
or nonsense marketing
speak: we aim to bring you
bullshit-free opinions on the
gear you’re interested in.
WE CAN’T BE BOUGHT
TG review scores are a true
uhľhfwlrq#ri#rxu#h{shuwvġ#
opinion on the product
they’ve been testing. You’ll
qhyhu#Ľqg#d#udwlqj#lq#rxu##
mag that has been bought
and paid for.
highlightsaparticularstrength
thataproducthasinaTGTest
REAL WORLD REVIEWS
We test every product under
the conditions that they were
designed for. For example,
if an amp is designed to be
played loud, rest assured
that we’ll have tested it at
rehearsal/gig volumes!
TGBestBuyAwardsare
reservedforstand-out
089 START ME UP
Five new products for you to try
rating.Thisisthebest,most
excitingnewgearthatyou
need tocheckout
090 STERLING VALENTINE JV60
Maroon 5 signature model offers a fresh approach
094 LINE 6 POWERCAB PLUS
Digital modelling-friendly cabs get real
096 GUILD JETSTAR
BEST FOR… An old 60s shape takes flight again with new tweaks
Differentguitaristshave
differentneeds.Thisbadge
098 THE TG TEST:
orGroupTest,soyoucan
choosewhat’sbestforyou
AFFORDABLE EIGHT-STRINGS
Low-end pleasure that’s pocket-pleasing too
104 ROUND-UP: CHORUS PEDALS
From subtle watery colour to seasick warble...
BEST
FOR… 106 TC ELECTRONIC DITTO X2
The latest smart looper from TC

SUPERB, A BEST BUY EXCELLENT ABOVE AVERAGE KIT SOME ISSUES POOR

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


START ME UP!
Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…
SEYMOUR DUNCAN BILLY
GIBBONS ‘RED DEVIL FOR
STRAT’ PICKUPS
1
Designed to recreate Billy’s
trademark PAF humbucker
tone in a pickup that will fit
any Strat-sized single-coil rout.
Promising an “extra-spicy PAF”
response from the bridge, while
the neck and middle are a little
less hot. The set features three
unique pickup winds, with
specially calibrated Alnico V
magnets, four-conductor lead
wire and vacuum wax potting.
Get ’em as a single neck, middle
or bridge, or as a set. (£132.95
per pickup, seymourduncan.net)
01
03
KORG RIMPITCH 2
2 PATCH CABLES
Besidesboastingoneof
ourfavouriteproduct
namesinrecentmemory,
theoriginalRimpitchwasanifty
littletunerthatslottedintoan
acoustic’ssoundhole.Its
successorisfullychromatic,so
supportsalternatetunings,as
wellasreferencepitchesfrom
438to445Hz.Otherwise,the
designismuchthesame,witha
rubber-cushionedchassisthat
mountsonto100mm-diameter
soundholes,andusesapiezo
pickuptodetectpitch.Tuning
precisionis+/-1cent,while
batterylifeis36hours.
(£21.99,korg.com)
02
GHS FINGERBOARD CARE
KIT
3 4
To keep your guitar playing
its best, you’ve got to
maintain that fingerboard,
keeping it in tip-top condition.
Fast-Fret maker GHS reckons it
has just the tonic with its
appropriately monikered
Fingerboard Care Kit. Consisting
of a fret buffer, bottle o’ GHS
fingerboard cleaner/conditioner
and a plush cloth, the kit
promises to give any instrument
with a non-glossy, darker
fingerboard – such as rosewood,
ebony and pau ferro – a thorough
once-over. (£14.95,
ghsstrings.com)
04
XOTIC ALL-BRASS
For players who want the
ultimate in signal integrity,
Xotic’s All-Brass patch
cables are a sound investment. A
low-noise to high-performance
ratio promises ultra-transparent
signal transfer with low
capacitance and the nickel-
plated brass jacks feature a
pancake-thin design that allows
you to position pedals closer.
Xotic say the cables’ stress relief
and corrosion resistance gives a
tight fit and long life too. They’re
available in 6", 12", 6" two-pack
and 12" two-pack formats.
(£17.99, xotic.us)
GAS STATION
055
89
ISP DECI-MATE
5
ISP Technologies has
downsized its Decimator
noise suppressor into a
mini-pedal format with the
Deci-Mate, promising tracking
improvements with an adaptive
response for staccato playing
and sustained notes. A single
threshold knob controls the level
of noise reduction, with ISP’s
algorithm aiming to do away with
any release control. It’s a fully
analogue design with no digital
artefacts or aliasing, with up to
90dB of noise reduction, true
bypass switching and 9V power
supply operation. ($139,
isptechnologies.com)
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 T H E GA S
STATION

90

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018


STERLING BY MUSIC MAN
VALENTINE JV60 £749
With a flexible feature set, this
Maroon 5 signature model will be loved
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ITS BODY LOOKS AND
FEELS INSTANTLY CLASSIC
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Photography: Olly Curtis
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REVIEW
AT A GLANCE
BODY:Swampash
NECK: Roasted hard
maple
SCALE: 648mm (25.5")
1 BOOST!
Push that volume
control for a mighty
FINGERBOARD:
Roasted hard maple
12dB volume boost,
very handy for your
FRETS: 22
PICKUPS: 1x SBMM
single coil (bridge), 1x
solos and chunky
distorted tones SBMM humbucker
wkdw eulgjh sxs lv d vlqjoh frlo/ (neck)
ohqglqj wkh lqvwuxphqw wkh wrqdo
sdohwwh ri d KV Whoh/ Â od Nhlwk 2 SINGLE COIL
It may look like a
humbucker, but this
CONTROLS: 1x volume
w/ push/push volume
boost, 1x tone, 3-way
Ulfkdugvġ lfrqlf Plfdzehu1 H{fhsw
pickup is actually a toggle pickup selector
prvw Whohv grqġw frph Ľwwhg zlwk
spanky single coil in switch
dq rqerdug errvw= suhvvlqj grzq disguise HARDWARE: Hardtail
rq wkh Ydohqwlqhġv yroxph frqwuro bridge w/ vintage bent
dggv d ixoo 45gE ri dgglwlrqdo
yroxph wr jlyh |rxu dps dqg 3 ROASTED
The maple neck
and fingerboard have
saddles, locking tuners
LEFT-HANDED: No
shgdov d jrrg nlfnlqj1 Lw vkrxog eh been roasted for a FINISH: Trans
qrwhg wkdw wkh Vwhuolqj lqfduqdwlrq sweet caramel colour 3 Buttermilk, Black
orvhv wkh ixoo0idw Pxvlf Pdq and enhanced stability CASE: Included gigbag
yhuvlrqġv frlo0vsolw dqg dgmxvwdeoh CONTACT: Strings &
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91
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iruhehduv/ zkloh uhwdlqlqj d ľdyrxu
ri lwv rzq1 Wkh edodqfhg qhfn
vlqjoh frlo lv d eodqn
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 T H E GA S
STATION
Seeing double: not two
humbuckers but a cleverly
disguised single-coil pickup

Be my Valentine
The Maroon 5 guitarist
reflects on designing his
Music Man signature

“I
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Vwhuolqj ^Edoo/ Huqlh#Edoo#FHR`#
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92 od|rxwv ri d Whoh dqg d 6681 Zh
sxw wkhp rq wrs ri hdfk rwkhu/
vwduwlqj sxoolqj rq wkh hgjhv/
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ALSO TRY...
Zkloh wkh jxlwdu zdv vwloo d FENDER CLASSIC
surwrw|sh/ L vqxfn lw lqwr SERIES ’72
Pdurrq 8 uhkhduvdov/ zlwkrxw TELECASTER
dq| h{sodqdwlrq1 L zdqwhg wr CUSTOM
jdxjh d wuxh uhdfwlrq1 L jrw juhdw A clear comparison
ihhgedfn iurp p| edqgpdwhv/ point is this
exw dovr iurp rxu iurqw0ri0 HS-configured Tele,
which comes with
krxvh vrxqg jx|/ zkr fdph xs
a Wide Range
wr ph uljkw diwhu rxu humbucker and
vrxqgfkhfn dqg zdv olnh/ ĠZkdw Tele single coil.
lv wkdwB Lw vrxqgv idqwdvwlf$ġĤ

fdqydv lghdoo| vxlwhg#wr#fkrug#
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olnh d vxshufkdujhg#vlqjoh#frlo#Ğ#lwġv#
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wkh eulgjh vlqjohġv kljkv#zlwk#
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shukdsv krshg1
Photo: Kev n W nter/Getty
STERLING BY
fohdq#wrqh/#exw#|rx#pd|#Ľqg# vljqdwxuh#prgho#wr#d#vxe0†;33# MUSIC MAN
|rxuvhoi#ohdylqj#lw#rq#doo#wkh#wlph/# sulfh#srlqw/#wkhuhġv#qr#dujxlqj#zlwk# LUKE LK100D
ghshqglqj#rq#|rxu#dps#dqg#shgdo# wkh#txdolw|#ihho#dqg#zrunkruvh# It may feature twin
humbuckers, but the
vhwxs1#Vr#pdq|#ydoyh#frperv# shuirupdqfh/#zkloh#wkh#dgglwlrq#ri#
Luke also delivers a
vrxqg#ehwwhu#zlwk#d#errvw#xs#iurqw/# wkdw#exlow0lq#errvw#hohydwhv#wkh# push/pull 12dB
dqg#wklv#45gE#nlfn#vhwv#|rx#xs#zlwk# zkroh#sdfndjh1#Pruh#yhuvdwloh# boost, and adds a
vrph#uhfrug0uhdg|#fohdq#vrxqgv1# jxlwduv#duh#dydlodeoh#iru#wklv#nlqg#ri# vintage-style
Dv#|rxġg#h{shfw/#wkh#wudqvsduhqw# prqh|/#exw#ihz#rļhu#wkh#vkhhu# vibrato.
errvw#frphv#lq#kdqg|#zkhq#|rx# fodvv#wkdw#Ydohqwlqh#kdv#gholyhuhg1
qhhg#wr#sxvk#h{lvwlqj#jdlq#ryhu#wkh# Michael Astley-Brown IBANEZ
hgjh#iru#d#vzhhw#vxvwdlqlqj#vror/# AZ224F
FEATURES
wrr/#dqg#vhuyhv#xs#d#olwwoh#pruh#ri# Reviewedlastissue,
SOUND QUALITY
hyhu|wklqj#iru#uk|wkp#khiw1 this AZ offers a
SUMMARY

Xqohvv |rx zdqw wr#eorz#|rxu# Zhġuh#elj#idqv#ri#Ydohqwlqhġv# VALUE FOR MONEY similarly playable
BUILD QUALITY roasted maple neck
dxglhqfhġv hduguxpv/#wkh#rqerdug# qr0qrqvhqvh#dssurdfk#wr#jxlwdu# and quality feel, with
errvw suredeo| lvqġw#vrphwklqj# ghvljq1#Zkloh#wkhuh#kdyh#ehhq# PLAYABILITY
added flexibility.
|rxġoo vzlwfk rq dqg#rļ#gxulqj#d# vpdoo#frqfhvvlrqv#lq#eulqjlqj#klv# OVERALL RATING

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 T H E GA S
STATION

94

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 2 3 REVIEW

1 CABINET
The Powercab Plus
uses a custom 12"
co-axial driver in a
smartly-designed
cabinet, with curved
rear corners and a
front port, maximising
projection and clarity

1 2 ILLUMINATION
The Edit/Select
knob surround can
be programmed to
light up in different
colours as a useful
quick guide to which
patch is in use

3 CONNECTIONS
The Powercab
Plus has full digital
integration with the
Line 6 Helix and AES/

LINE 6 POWERCAB PLUS

EBU digital in/out
£799 connections for
maximum audio
fidelity with almost
zero latency
Digital modelling gets real with a proper amp for your floorboard

I
n recent years digital
modelling for the guitar has
really come of age thanks to
bigger, faster processors and
the plummeting cost of
memory. The latest modellers,
arguably led by Line 6’s Helix
range, have a realism and ease of
use that would have been
unthinkable just 10 years ago. The
doo0lq0rqh#hļhfwv2dps#prghoohu#
with direct outputs is a perfect
solution for events that use ‘quiet
stages’; typically broadcast,
Plus has a special co-axial
loudspeaker that reproduces the
full range of your amp modeller. It
also includes built-in speaker
modelling, with six jaw-
droppingly accurate digital
recreations of classic loudspeakers,
and 128 Impulse Response-
enabled pre-sets, with the ability
to load more through the
Powercab’s editing software.
Rļhulqj#sudfwlfdo#ihdwxuhv#olnh#
retractable kickstands, cool
designer looks and a neat,
select knob that features a 95
programmable coloured surround, AT A GLANCE
so you can see at a glance which
TYPE:Full-range
patch is in use. Rear-panel poweredcabinetfor
connectors cover every need, with modellingpreamps
lqsxwv#rq#frpel#[OU2Mdfn#vrfnhwv/# OUTPUT:300W
a balanced output with ground lift, SPEAKER:1x12"
gljlwdo#DHV2HEX2O9#Olqn#lq#dqg# customdesignco-axial
rxw/#ixoo#PLGL#dqg#XVE1 CONTROLS:Volume,
Line 6’s Powercab Plus is edit/select,home,
technology at its most brilliant, save,groundlifton/off,
LFcuton/off
but the most important thing is a
SOCKETS:Inputx2,
reassuring volume knob that you
balancedXLRoutput,
can turn up. With a digital power AES/EBU/L6in/out,
amp peaking at 300 watts and MIDIIn/Out/Thru,USB

THIS IS TECHNOLOGY AT 125dB SPL on tap, there’s more

than enough volume for most
(audioin/outand
softwareconnection)

ITS MOST BRILLIANT small to medium gigs and there’s a WEIGHT:16.1kg

theatre and churches, where
volume levels have to be tightly
controlled and backline and
onstage monitoring is removed,
with performers using in-ear
monitors. But what about those
gigs that don’t use quiet stages?
For those, you need a powered
speaker cabinet, but one that
doesn’t colour your carefully
Photography: Adam Gasson
balanced output ready for bigger DIMENSIONS:
stages. The only downside is the [HxWxD]
462x567x305mm
understated control panel, price. There’s a simpler and
CONTACT:Yamaha
Powercab Plus can be used with voljkwo|#pruh#dļrugdeoh#Srzhufde/#
MusicEuropeGmbH
any MIDI-capable amp modeller; which keeps the loudspeaker line6.com
however, it comes into its own modelling but does away with
zkhq#xvhg#zlwk#wkh#Khol{/#rļhulqj# almost everything else, but we
end-to-end digital audio with think the Plus is the one to go for.
practically zero latency. You can Nick Guppy
choose to keep cabinet modelling
FEATURES
lq#wkh#Khol{#ru#rŀrdg#lw#lqwr#wkh#
SOUND QUALITY
Powercab Plus, freeing up memory

SUMMARY

programmed amp models. Line 6 iru#rwkhu#frro#vwxļ1#Wkh#frqwurov# VALUE FOR MONEY

has come to the rescue, with the couldn’t be easier: there’s a small BUILD QUALITY
new Powercab range, including the LCD display with a volume knob, USABILITY
amazing Powercab Plus. Powercab krph2vdyh#exwwrqv#dqg#dq#hglw2 OVERALL RATING

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 T H E GA S
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96

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 REVIEW

GUILD 1 CONTROLS
If the Gibson AT A GLANCE
approach of two tone,
two volume on the BODY Mahogany

JETSTAR £539 more expensive

SG-leaning new Guild
S-100 Polara don’t
suit, you can revel in
NECK Mahogany,
glued-in
SCALE 648mm (25.5")
FINGERBOARD Pau
Taking flight again the streamlining here.
But a coil-split would
ferro
FRETS 22, narrow
have added versatility jumbo

T
here can be an odd the great upper fret access. The for the price PICKUPS 2 x Guild LB-1
paradox with electric 254mm (10") radius neck hitches mini humbuckers
guitar players – some
bemoan a lack of
its wagon between the Fender and
Jlevrq#zruogv>#vr#zkloh#wkh#vkdsh# 2 NEW BUILD
Up until now the
Newark St Guild
CONTROLS Three-way
toggle pickup selector,
master volume and
innovation and fresh pd|#sxw#vrph#rļ/#wkh#ihho#lv#pruh# revival series has tone
approaches to guitar design, but in a middle ground. been built in South HARDWARE
when they come they’re passed The Jetstar balances quirky retro Korea but the Jetstar Nickel-plated
over by the majority in favour of with evergreen rock appeal, and is the first to be tune-o-matic-style
manufactured bridge with stud
the tried and true. Nevertheless, wkdwġv#uhľhfwhg#lq#shuirupdqfh#
in China tailpiece, vintage
there are always people looking for because those Little Buckers cover LEFT-HANDED No
vrphwklqj#glļhuhqw#dqg#Jxlog# the breadth of ground we hoped
might have just what they want. for with jangle and raucous bite on 3 SCALE
Unlike the original
60s Jetstar, this new
FINISH Black
(reviewed), Seafoam
Green, Vintage White
The US company has previous the bridge that’s surprisingly
version has a longer all gloss polyurethane
form recently reviving its 60s Fender-y. They help fuzz and Fender-style 648mm CASE Gigbag included
oddity the Thunderbird as the distortion sound articulate, rather (25.5") scale 3 CONTACT
T-Bird, and now resurrecting than mushy, with the resonance Selectron UK Ltd
another 1963-born model, the coming through sustain that 01795 419460
guildguitars.com
single-pickup S-50 Jetstar with begins to suggest this is a solid
changes for the modern era here. contender for a main instrument. 97
Jxlog#kdv#qhyhu#ehhq#d#jr0wr#iru# Of course, we are all familiar
electrics in the way it has with with how certain guitars lend

IT BALANCES QUIRKY RETRO

WITH EVERGREEN ROCK
acoustic but the new T-Bird made
a strong case for that to change.
Fdq#wklv#Mhw#ľ|#dv#kljkB
The Jetstar’s back contoured
body looks broad in pics but it’s
ghfhlylqj#0#wklv#lv#sdfnlqj#Jxlogġv#
new LB-1 (standing for Little
Bucker) mini humbuckers and the
dimensions make a lot more sense
now we see it before us, though it’s
not what you’d call slim. There’s a
glossy black neck to match the
body and it does look mightily
impressive set with the contrast of
tortoiseshell scratchplate and
chrome hardware. The back
angled Firebird-esque headstock
ghvljq#Ľwv#lq#zhoo#wrr1#
This 7.74lb guitar sounds
resonant unplugged – always a
good sign – and a slinky low action
Photography: Adam Gasson
wkhpvhoyhv wr vshflĽf dssurdfkhv 2
when you pick them up, and we
fdqġw#khos#exw#Ľqg#rxuvhoyhv#jrlqj#
grzq#wkh#ulĿhu#eoxhv#urfn#urxwh#d#
od#Ulydo#Vrqv#dqg#Jdu|#Fodun#Mu1#Exw#
stoke the gain and the bite
channels into chunk clarity for
classic metal rhythm, with some
wonderfully plummy lead tones on
the neck.
All in all, it’s no slight return for
the Jetstar but rather an update
wkdw#rļhuv#sod|huv#d#zrqghuixo/#
eye-catching design with a solid
build and powerful performance
that manages to be retro without 1
being niche.
Rob Laing
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY

SUMMARY

combined with a shallow VALUE FOR MONEY

F0vkdshg qhfn rļhuv dooxulqj BUILD QUALITY
comfort for bends and runs, PLAYABILITY
allowing us to take advantage of OVERALL RATING

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 T H E GA S
STATION

98

Words Jonathan Horsley / Photography Adam Gasson

AFFORDABLE
EIGHT-STRINGS
These extended-range electrics promise sphincter-troubling
low-end for the financially compromised musician
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

W
hen it comes to getting to grips
with an eight-string guitar, the
eljjhvw#glĿfxow|#kdv#w|slfdoo|#
been found far from the
iuhwerdug1#Krz#|rxu#iuhwwlqj#
kdqg#zloo#idploldulvh#lwvhoi#zlwk#
wklv#h{sdqghg#whuulwru|/#ru#krz#
|rxu#slfnlqj#kdqg#zloo#dgdsw/#lv#
vhfrqgdu|#wr#wkh#exvlqhvv#ri#dļruglqj#rqh1#Exlow#wr#
idflolwdwh#wkh#phwdo#y513#sod|huġv#h{fxuvlrqv#lqwr#wkh#
edvvlvwġv#uhjlvwhuv/#wkhvh#h{whqghg0udqjh#lqvwuxphqwv#
duulyhg#rxw#wkh#er{#h{rwlfdoo|#vfhqwhg#ri#wkh#fxvwrp#
shop, and with a price to match. This has changed, and
iru#wkrvh#zkr#irxqg#wkh#surgxfwlrq0olqh#hljkw0vwulqjv#
THE TG TEST
99
lq#wkh#†:33#eudfnhw#wrr#sulfh|/#zh#kdyh#irxu#hqwu|0
ohyho#prghov#wkdw#rļhu#wkrvh#zlwk#vxĿflhqw#iurqwlhu#
vslulw#d#frvw0hĿflhqw#hqwu|#lqwr#wkhlu#zruog1#Wkh#
Mdfnvrq#Glqn|#MV650;T#GND#KW/#OWG#K053;/#dqg#
Vfkhfwhu#F0;#Ghox{h#duh#idploldu#ulļv#rq#vrph#ri#rxu#
idyrxulwh#V0vw|oh#vxshu0hohfwulfv1#Zlwk#wkhlu#exlow0iru0
phwdo#erg|#vkdshv#dqg#vkdus#khdgvwrfnv/#vkuhgghuv#
oryh#ġhp1#Wkhq#wkhuhġv#wkh#qhzfrphu/#wkh#Vxe]hur#
Jhqhudwlrq#;>#exlow#iru#dqg#glvwulexwhg#e|#rqolqh#uhwdlo#
jldqw#Jhdu7Pxvlf/#lw#wdnhv#wkh#whpsodwh#ixuwkhu#zlwk#d#
eroghu#grxeoh0fxw/#frqwrxuhg#erg|#dqg#dv|pphwulf#
vl{0dqg0wzr#khdgvwrfn#frqĽjxudwlrq1#Lw#orrnv#wkh#
sduw1#Wkh|#doo#gr1#Wkh#txhvwlrq#lv#zkhwkhu#d#frqylqflqj#
orz0hqg#ghswk#fkdujh#lv#dfklhydeoh#dw#wklv#sulfh1
NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR
 T H E GA S
STATION

SCHECTER JACKSON DINKY

C-8 DELUXE £415 JS32-8Q DKA HT £375
Dark knight in white satin Shoulda called it chunky
That’s a lot of guitar there. What’s the body made of and will my Haven’t we seen this before?
back survive? No, but the Dinky S-style is one of Jackson’s most popular shapes.
Sure, the C-8, like all its eight-string kin here, feels like there’s a lot Featuring the very 21st century spear headstock (which, while
of neck, and that takes a bit of getting used to. But the basswood we’re here, we still prefer the old-school inline headstock – you
body is contoured in all the right places; it’s not as brutally heavy as can’t improve upon perfection), this Dinky is a super-sized take on
a mahogany slab and it sits well when playing seated or standing. a favourite.

Why does the neck feel so long? It looks pretty smart. Are we reading the price correctly?
With a scale length of a whopping 711 mm [28"] (if you bear in mind It does, and we love the quilted maple top and white binding. They
that a Les Paul is billed at 628mm [24.75"] from nut to 12th fret) the rļhu#d#zhofrph#wrxfk#ri#ox{xu|#rq#d#jxlwdu#wkdwġv#d#elw#olnh#doo#ri#xv#

100

C-8 certainly has a lot of neck going on, and it’s carrying all that
length in order to keep the tuning and intonation of those seventh
and eight strings nice and stable.
Are there any hidden features on the Schecter C-8 Deluxe,
coil-taps or suchlike?
Not particularly, aside from a neat sculpted heel that’ll please those
looking to noodle up the top-end as well as jockeying the lower
strings. But at this pocket-friendly price, a sense of minimalism is
wr#eh#h{shfwhg/#dqg#wkh#F0;#lv#fhuwdlqo|#qlfho|#Ľqlvkhg#dqg#zhoo#
put-together.
lq#wkdw#lw#dvsluhv#wr#sdvv#lwvhoi#rļ#dv#d#sulflhu#prgho1#Dv#|rxġg#h{shfw/#
wkhuh#duh#vrph#frqfhvvlrqv#wr#Ľvfdo#uhdolw|>#|rx#zrqġw#Ľqg#wkh#nloo#
switch and active DiMarzio humbuckers as you do on the
Pro Series.
What makes this so playable?
Doo#irxu#ri#wkhvh#pdnh#zhofrph#frqfhvvlrqv#wr#wkh#sod|hu/#exw#
there’s something about that Jackson neck, and the 304mm–
406mm (12"-16") compound radius fretboard that makes it as
comfortable zipping about above the 12th fret as it is fretting chords
for your rhythms. That playability is Jackson all over.

AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE
KEY FEATURES:Basswoodbody, KEY FEATURES:Poplarbodywithquilted
maple neck, 24 narrow extra-jumbo maple top, maple neck, 24 jumbo frets,
frets, 711mm (28") scale, rosewood 673mm (26.5") scale, rosewood
fretboard, 2x Schecter Diamond Plus fretboard w/Piranha Tooth inlay,
humbuckers, hardtail bridge 2x Jackson High-Output
FINISH: Satin White [as reviewed], Eight-String humbuckers, Jackson HT8
Satin Black hardtail bridge
CONTACT: Westside Distribution FINISH: Trans Black [as reviewed],
SchecterGuitars.com Trans Red
CONTACT: Fender EMEA
JacksonGuitars.com

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 THE TG TEST

LTD £429
SUBZERO
H-208 GENERATION 8 £180
Built for deft tones It’s almost free
Is this a Stephen Carpenter model? I’ve never heard of SubZero before. What’s so special about this
No, it’s not but it does take LTD’s much-loved Horizon body guitar then?
surĽoh#dqg#vfdoh#lw#xs#iru#hljkw0vwulqj#dfwlrq1#Ghiwrqhv#idqv# Iru#dq#hqwu|0ohyho#hljkw0vwulqj/#|rx#zrqġw#Ľqg#ehwwhu#ydoxh#wkdq#
zloo#vwloo#oryh#lw#ehfdxvh#wkhuhġv#sohqw|#ri#vkduhg#GQD#zlwk#wkh# wklv1#Khuh/#zhġyh#jrw#d#vrolg#doghu#erg|#Ğ#d#Ľqh#fkrlfh#ri#wrqhzrrg#
Carpenter model and the sort of build quality that we’ve grown well – with a svelte bolt-on maple neck that is both satin-smooth and
accustomed to from LTD. super-playable, and we love the bevelling and contouring on the
body shape. It’s a nice twist on the S-style double-cut.
What type of pickups have we got?
The H-208 comes equipped with two direct-mounted ESP LH-308 Is that a rosewood fretboard?
humbuckers in the neck and bridge positions. These are high- No, but it looks it from a distance. SubZero use a thermally-treated

101

rxwsxw#sdvvlyh#slfnxsv#dqg#duh#Ľqh#exw/#rq#edodqfh/#li#zh#zhuh#wr#
mod this guitar (we know you are thinking this), these would be the
Ľuvw#wr#jr#Ğ#Ľwwlqj#wkh#K053;#zlwk#d#vhw#ri#dfwlyh#HPJ;3;#
humbuckers would be an obvious choice because it would sound
incredible. These are impressive nonetheless.
Wait, this is 2018 – impressive sounds indifferent.
Not at all. It’s already a minor miracle that you can pick up an
eight-string from LTD at this price, and impressive is impressive;
wkhvh#slfnxsv#duh#Ľw#iru#sxusrvh>#wkh|#fdq#kdqgoh#sohqw|#ri#jdlq#dqg#
will facilitate all your pinch harmonic needs.
pdsoh#odplqdwh#iru#wkh#Ľqjhuerdug1#Lw#grhvqġw#h{dfwo|#uroo#rļ#wkh#
tongue, but it responds well and, crucially, is ethically sourced.
These pickups look active. Are they?
There’s no question that’s the look they are going for but, as with
the LTD model (as with all of these models) active pickups are too
pricey for a guitar retailing at this price. That said, we were very
impressed by the output on these passive humbuckers. They
sure do kill the hum well enough and those powerful ceramic
magnets make for a hot pickup, providing some much-needed
treble bite.

AT A GLANCE AT A GLANCE
KEY FEATURES:Basswoodbody, KEY FEATURES: Alderbody,maple
maple neck, 24 jumbo frets, 647mm neck, 24 extra-jumbofrets,711mm
(25.5") scale, rosewood fretboard, 2x (28") scale, thermallytreatedmaple
ESP designed LH-308 humbuckers, laminatefretboard,2xSubZero
hardtail bridge passive humbuckers,hardtailbridge
FINISH: Black [as reviewed] FINISH:High-glossJetBlack
[asreviewed]
CONTACT: Sound Service
ESPGuitars.com CONTACT:Gear4Music
Gear4Music.com

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 THE TG TEST

HEAD TO HEAD
Who’s hitting the low notes
and who’s a winner?

T
his is one of those occasions in which
each of our guitars is not only
competing for a similar playing
h{shulhqfh/#exw#vtxdeeolqj#iru#
supremacy over the same frequencies
and, indeed, the same demographic. There is
little variance over the electrics and their setup;
each guitar is equipped with two high-output
passive humbuckers in the neck and bridge
positions, with a three-way selector and master
volume and tone pots to get the best out of The LTD: “a minor miracle
wkhp1#Wrqdoo|/#wkh#Ľuvw#whvw#lv#krz#wkh#jxlwdu# that you can pick up an
eight-string at this price”
handles the lower register strings, and here the
Jackson and SubZero both come out ahead, if
only slightly, with the eighth and seventh
strings showcasing a thick industrial tone. You
qdwxudoo|#orvh#ghĽqlwlrq#zkhq#sod|lqj#fkrugv#
down there, but the separation of notes is a
little clearer than on the LTD or Schecter.
The SubZero, by far the cheapest option here,
102 kdg#d#ihz#Ľqlvk#lvvxhv/#exw#lw#zdv#pruh#wkdq#
convincing in teasing out the sort of progressive

THE SUBZERO’S
RHYTHM SOUNDS ARE
BEST DESCRIBED USING
ONOMATOPOEIA
metal chug and rhythm sounds that are better
described using onomatopoeia and referencing
sounds from the animal kingdom. Those stock
pickups are not bad. So, too, the Jackson
The Jackson:
humbuckers; there’s plenty of squeal in those, featuring high-output
and, sonically, when playing in the more eight-string
frqyhqwlrqdo#uhjlvwhu/#wkh#Mdfnvrq#Glqn|#h{fhov# humbuckers
as a reliable budget shredder. Where we found
some of the Schecter’s low-end a bit unruly,
there was no quarrel with its handling of the
upper registers, with a natural classic rock tone
that is powerful and authoritative. The LTD,
olnhzlvh/#lv#pruh#frpiruwdeoh#lq#vwulqjv#vl{#
through to one, and it’s easy to get to grips with
lwv#wklq#X#qhfn/#d#surĽoh#wkdwġv#frpiruwdeo|#
rounded in the right places. Might a longer
scale have given it a bit more solidity in the
bottom-end? Well, that’s a question you
zrxog#eh#uhoxfwdqw#wr#dvn#Dxqw#Yhud#ryhu#
lunch. But we rather suspect that she would
dqvzhu#lq#wkh#dĿupdwlyh1

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 T H E GA S
STATION

FINAL VERDICT
Which travel electro-acoustic is the right one for you?

I
t’s a sign of the times that these
h{whqghg0udqjh jxlwduv duh dļrugdeoh
enough for beginners. If they struggled
with the sort of über-gain metal tones
that inspired the eight-string’s
srsxodulw| lq wkh Ľuvw sodfh/ fhuwdlqo| zkloh
playing chords (a 12" speaker in your practice
amp is a must), we were encouraged by the
sonic potential. Playing single-note rhythms,
trying new techniques and slapping the eighth
string a la Les Claypool all sounded cool.
Wkhuhġv qrw d orw ri glļhuhqfh ehwzhhq
them. If the SubZero and Jackson sounded a
little more solid in the low-end, the Schecter
and LTD were still resonant, playable and fun.
If you intended on gigging these, then
perhaps you’d still be looking to spend
around £700 or thereabouts on a Jackson Pro
Series or an Ibanez Iron Label multi-scale; or
|rx zrxog ghĽqlwho| frqvlghu xsjudglqj |rxu
humbuckers to a set of active pickups at least.
With an onboard preamp, that simple mod
would render those low frequencies with
more conviction. But to learn on and practise
your eight-string chops, these are largely
fuss-free and inspiring.
Zkhwkhu lwġv wkh Vfkhfwhuġv wlg| Ľqlvk dqg
typically solid construction, or the Stephen
Carpenter vibe of the LTD, there’s no lack of
dpelwlrq khuh1 Wkh Ľqlvk dqg vkuhgdelolw| ri
the Jackson makes a case for it as the all-star
slfn/ exw wkhq/ li lwġv dļrugdeoh |rxġuh orrnlqj
for, then the SubZero is hard to argue with.

SCHECTER JACKSON DINKY LTD SUBZERO

C-8 DELUXE JS32-8Q DKA HT H-208 GENERATION 8

103

BEST BEST FOR BEST FOR BEST

ALL-ROUNDER SHRED NU-METAL VALUE

FEATURES FEATURES FEATURES FEATURES

SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY

SUMMARY

SUMMARY

SUMMARY

VALUE FOR MONEY VALUE FOR MONEY VALUE FOR MONEY VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY PLAYABILITY PLAYABILITY PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING OVERALL RATING OVERALL RATING OVERALL RATING

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 T H E GA S
STATION
104
CHORUS PEDAL ROUND-UP
A Way Huge Smalls
fter being, ahem, a little
bit overused in the
1980s, chorus fell out of
fashion. Outside of a few
surolĽf#xvhuv#olnh#Nxuw#Fredlq/#
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Billy
Howerdel, it was relegated to the
vwdwxv#ri#qlfkh#hļhfw1#Qrz/#
krzhyhu/#lwġv#yhu|#pxfk#edfn1#
Fuhdwhg#e|#d#ghod|#olqh#wkdw#sxoov#
part of the signal out of tune,
chorus can go from subtle
wklfnhqlqj#ri#d#wrqh#wr#d#jodvv|/#
vkdus#urdu#0#wklqn#wkh#vror#lq#
Vphoov#Olnh#Whhq#Vslulw. By
lqfuhdvlqj#wkh#pl{#ri#wkh#hļhfw#
toward fully wet, a chorus
typically crosses the line into
vibrato, with an even more
pronounced detuned pitch
hļhfw1#Zhġyh#froohfwhg#wrjhwkhu#
a few of the best boutique boxes,
vr#ohwġv#jhw#vwxfn#lq111
TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018
Blue Hippo £152
HIP AS HECK
I A
t may be simple but the Blue Hippo still
ticks all the boxes. Extreme settings give all
the rotary nonsense you could hope for,
perfect for that B-side solo you were thinking
of. More subtle settings, however, with the
speed pulled right back and the depth backed
rļ wr durxqg 4 rġforfn uhyhdo d oxvk fkruxv ixoo
of detail. Switch it into vibrato mode and the
hļhfw lv pruh vxewoh 0 wkh rssrvlwh ri zkdw
|rxġg qrupdoo| h{shfw1 Qhyhuwkhohvv/ pd{lqj
wkh frqwurov zloo uhvxow lq fkdrv/ wkrxjk |rxġg
be advised to seek out the gorgeous tones
available with the depth maxed and the speed
sxoohg edfn wr derxw ;0< rġforfn1
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
Walrus
Audio Julia £175
THE BEST FROM THE BLACK
lthough the front panel of the Julia
vxjjhvwv#d#frpsolfdwhg#shgdo/#lwġv#
relatively simple. The mix knob allows
you to travel from chorus to vibrato territory,
and the wave-form shape control is intuitive;
the main complication is the lag control. This
controls the centre delay time for the LFO,
meaning it can be used to get more unusual
sounds. The classic, spacey chorus for the
Würm#sdvvdjh#iurp#\hvġv#Starship Trooper is
easily found, with max depth, a slow rate and
wkh#odj#vhw#dw#5#rġforfn1#Dv#lwġv#doo#dqdorjxh/#wkh#
Mxold#vrxqgv#dpd}lqj/#d#wdg#qrlv|#0#exw#lwġv#d#
small price to pay for great vintage tones.
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
OVERALL RATING
 ROUND-UP
ROUND UP

105
From subtle watery colour to seasick warble, these
chorus and vibrato pedals have you covered...

MXR EVH 5150 Seymour Duncan AT A GLANCE

CHORUS Catalina BYPASS:
Way Huge - True Bypass

DIVE DOWN £219 STRAP IN £289 Walrus Audio - True Bypass

MXR - True Bypass / Buffered
Bypass

T T
he streamlined MXR chorus is a
brilliantly intuitive little box, and when
uxq lq vwhuhr vrxqgv idqwdvwlf1 Wkhuhġv
not a huge amount to the controls, with the
intensity pot dealing with the chorus rate, and
the volume and tone allowing for tweaking of
the guitar signal. For vintage-style tones, pull
the tone control back, and vice versa for
modern. The only complexity of the pedal is
wkdw wkhuhġv d vzlwfkdeoh udqjh ri lqsxw dqg
output levels, which leaves you reaching for
wkh pdqxdo1 Dv d ylqwdjh0vw|oh dqdorjxh hļhfw
lwġv qrlv|/ wr wkh h{whqw wkdw zlwkrxw d qrlvh
jdwh/ zhġg eh frqfhuqhg uhfruglqj zlwk lw1
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY
he Catalina has more options than you Seymour Duncan - True Bypass
can shake a stick at. It markets itself as a
POWER:
dynamic chorus, meaning that when
Way Huge - 9V DC Centre-negative
engaged, chorus mix is dependent on picking Walrus Audio - 9V DC Centre-
dynamics. Rest assured, however, that the negative
core chorus sounds are present and correct, MXR - 9V DC Centre-negative
and that should you ignore that somewhat Seymour Duncan - 9V DC
Centre-negative
jlpplfn|#ihdwxuh#dowrjhwkhu/#|rxġoo#vwloo#eh#lq#
possession of a brilliant chorus pedal. The CONTACT:
Way Huge - Westside Distribution
delay control on the front panel allows you to westsidedistribution.com
dip into more of a vibrato-type sound, and is
usable even in more subtle applications, with Walrus Audio - FACE
face.be
a slow, deep chorus still tolerating the control
sdvw 4 rġforfn ehiruh#ehfrplqj#zdueo|1 MXR - Westside Distribution
westsidedistribution.com
FEATURES
Seymour Duncan - Rosetti
SOUND QUALITY rosetti.co.uk

SUMMARY

VALUE FOR MONEY VALUE FOR MONEY

BUILD QUALITY BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY USABILITY
OVERALL RATING OVERALL RATING

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 T H E GA S
STATION

106
£199

TC ELECTRONIC DITTO JAM X2 LOOPER AT A GLANCE

TYPE:Looperpedal

Game-changer or gimmick? Enter TC’s latest smart looper... CONTROLS:Loopvolume,

modeselector,loop
footswitch,stop

W
ith the Ditto X2, TC
Electronic already
has one of the most
solid live loopers on
the market, and with
the Jam, it hopes to bring some
extra smarts. Those changes
include a beat sense tempo
detector, dynamic loop editor that
keeps your loop in sync and a
tap-tempo global control for
the loops.
When the beat sync works, it’s
basically magic. The built-in mic
isn’t perfect, but a clip-on mic is
included, which you can place
closer to your drummer, so it can
more clearly distinguish snare hits
and a core beat. It’s an impressive
technical achievement,
nevertheless there’s an air of
gimmick to proceedings; setting
up the mic isn’t hard, but it is
another thing to think about, and
just how much you trust the guitar
whfk zloo ghĽqlwho| ghwhuplqh
zkhwkhu |rx ihho olnh |rxġuh ľ|lqj
more by the seat of your pants or
less. Slowing down a loop using
tap tempo is a particularly nice
feature and it works seamlessly for
practice scenarios, although
trusting a guitarist with tempo
changes is hardly a foolproof
move, as any drummer will
certainly attest.
The feature that drags the unit footswitch
down is the way it tries to pad out SOCKETS:Input,output,
micin,USB,power
to the end of a beat at the tempo it
BYPASS:Truebypass
has registered. When using the POWER:9VDCCentre-
looper without additional negative
musicians, some loops seem to CONTACT:TCElectronic
confuse the Ditto, leaving notes tcelectronic.com
vrphwlphv fxw0rļ/ wlph0
stretched or garbled.
Slower chord passages are
susceptible to becoming mangled,
and if you’re not playing in 4/4,
then it certainly feels like the Jam
is less predictable as a looper than
the older X2.
Alex Lynham
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
SUMMARY

VALUE FOR MONEY

SLOWING DOWN A LOOP USING BUILD QUALITY
USABILITY
TAP TEMPO IS A NICE FEATURE OVERALL RATING

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 T H E GA S
STATION

108 FIX YOUR GUITAR

MAKING A NEW Top Tip!

Apply som

bone will s
e Big B
Sauce into ends Nut
you
string slots r new
and the
oak it up a

BONE NUT
nd
give you
tuning sta
bility

Going nuts: learn how to make your own and what goes into it with our DIY guide
Words:JackEllis

N
uts are not as simple
as they appear: each
one should be made
bespoke for the
guitar. A bad or
worn-out nut can give you an
array of symptoms: poor
tuning, action and intonation.
Sometimes, it’s been bad
since the day it was made!
Bone is a traditional
material that machines well
and has the great advantage of
being porous, meaning tuning
lubricant is absorbed
permanently. It’s also the
right amount of tough and it
won’t wear out prematurely
from tuning and doing
tremolo dive bombs.
You’ll need some specialist
Ľohv iru wklv mre Ğ wkhuhġv qr
zd| durxqg lw Ğ exw prvw ri
the other tools are
commonplace. We regularly
use the Stewart Macdonald
double-edged gauged nut
Ľohv1 Uhphpehu/ kdylqj wkh
MEET YOUR EXPERT
right tools isn’t everything: Jack Ellis runs Jack’s
they still require skilful use. WHAT YOU NEED Smallflatfiles Wet/dry paper (240, Instrument Services
Stanleyblade Smallvice 400,800,1200, from his workshop in
We’ve not yet found a Nutspacingrule 2000grit) Manchester. In his career
Hammer
pre-made nut that’s ready to Smallchisel (optional) BigBendsNutSauce he has worked on
thousands of instruments,
Ľw#zlwk#qr#dgmxvwphqw1#Vshqg# Calipers Superglue Masking tape from simple fixes and
time making yours and you’ll Boneblank Gaugednutfiles upgrades, to complete
vhh#wkh#ehqhĽwv#ri#wklv#vpdoo/# Sharppencil Capo SKILL LEVEL rebuilds. For more info, see:
Half pencil Feeler gauges Intermediate www.jacksinstrument
inconspicuous part! services.co.uk

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

 FIX YOUR GUITAR

1 Out with the old: score around every edge of the old nut to cut through the
lacquer. Most Fender and Gibson nuts are glued in before the paint job, if you
tap out the nut without cleanly cutting the lacquer, you may chip it. Use a brand
2 Time to see how well secured this old nut is… Use a thin chisel to drive out the old
nut. We’re attacking from the ends with the chisel; it’s angled so the nut will lift up
out of the slot it’s in. Tap gently with a light hammer on each end and you should get
new Stanley blade. some movement. Be very careful!

109

3 With the nut slot out, you may find some old glue that needs cleaning up. Measure
the length and width of the nut. You want to use a piece of bone that’s too tight
then sand it back to be a nice, snug fit. Sand the edges of the bone blank to leave a nice
4 With the nut dry-fitted into its nut slot we’re going to use half a pencil to mark a
rough top profile. Use a pencil sanded in half so its cross section is a semicircle.
Lay this on the frets and draw up against the nut. This is a rough indication of where
finish at the edges of the nut. the string slots depth will end up.

5 We’ve made this vice specifically as the workshop, it allows great access around
the nut with files for shaping purposes. Take off the bulk of the top profile of the
nut with a file. You should leave 1.5mm above the sixth string’s pencil line and 1mm
6 Glue in the nut with two small blobs of superglue only. Install the sixth and first
strings only and eyeball their placement; you can play with a wider string spacing.
Check that the strings stay on the fretboard properly all the way up the neck, (this can
above the first’s pencil line as a guide. We like to put a slight round-over on the top too. be due to other problems). Mark on your desired placement for the two string slots.

NOVEMBER 2018 TOTAL GUITAR

 T H E GA S
STATION

7 We’re making a direct copy here in spacing terms, so use the old nut as a guide –
but a guide only. Never trust that an old nut has equal spacing. Even from a factory
there are plenty of terribly spaced nuts! StewMac sell a graduated ‘string spacing rule’
8 After you’ve very carefully checked spacing, take a nut file and make a nick in the
nut top. This will serve as a starting point for our strings. Use your thumbnail as a
file guide; you can roll side to side to really fine-tune the location of the cut. A couple of
for this purpose, that accounts for the strings getting thicker. Very clever! file strokes will do.

110

9 String up your guitar with your desired gauge of string. Tune it too as this presents
the right tension for the neck. You cannot cut a nut without being under tension as
the neck bows forward slightly under pressure at the nut. We need to account for this
10 Let’s cut each slot to its final depth. Stick a capo on the 3rd fret, we’ll check the
clearance over the 1st fret with a feeler gauge. The clearance should be .004"
under the first string graduating to .008" under the sixth string. Cutting the slots too
bow. Your truss rod must also be set correctly before the next step. shallow will give you bad playability; cutting too deeply will buzz on the open strings.

11 We use gauged, rounded-bottom files for this task; each string needs a different
size slot. Use a shallow angle, aiming down to the headstock to ensure that the
strings’ contact point is on the fretboard side of the nut. Work slowly and test your
12 With the slots finished, let’s complete the top profile. Pull the strings out of the
way and pop on some masking tape. Sand down with each grit of wet/dry paper
ascending in grit number. Erase the previous paper’s scratch marks, all the way up to
progress by re-tuning and checking the clearance with the capo and feeler gauge. 200 grit. That’s no longer sanding, that’s polishing!

TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

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 THE PLAYLIST

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The Playlist
certain I’m probably the only Peter Frampton
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A solo I admire… Further On Up The Road –

Orange Goblin’s rifflord in residence Joe Hoare tells us
about the guitar influences that helped forge his style…
Eric Clapton & Robbie Robertson
“Eric Clapton and Robbie Robertson’s duel
soloing on Further On Up The Road from the
Ľop The Last Waltz by The Band really stands
out as a great example of what soloing is all
about for me. The band and the crowd just
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T
he first song I remember wkh vrorv duh qrwklqj fohyhu/#wkh|#mxvw#ľrz1#L#
hearing… Helter Skelter – wklqn Fodswrq hyhq klwv d#ihz#gxļ#qrwhv#exw#lw#
The Beatles grhvqġw pdwwhu ehfdxvh wkh#yleh#lv#uljkw1Ĥ
“My dad was always playing The
Beatles when I was a kid. I The Orange Goblin song I’d play someone
remember him putting on the White Album who’s never heard our music… Songs
iru wkh Ľuvw wlph dw ixoo yroxph dqg whoolqj ph Of Salem – Orange Goblin
to duck as a plane was about to crash into the ģIurp rxu qhz#doexp/#The Wolf
room just before Back In The USSR came on. Bites Back/ ru Scorpionica from our
Once I’d remerged from under the sofa I was third album The Big Black – they’re
krrnhg dqg L kdyh ehhq d pdvvlyh Ehdwohv idq erwk vkruw dqg#wr#wkh#srlqw1#Zhġyh#
hyhu vlqfh1 Exw lw zdv Helter Skelter that really fryhuhg pdq| vw|ohv#ryhu#wkh#|hduv#
struck a chord with me. It’s such a great song but really we’re just a rock band and I
dqg mxvw vr khdy| iru lwv wlph$Ĥ think these tracks really show that. I
might then play The Stranger/#dovr#
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dv vorz eoxhv#exw#wkhq#jrhv#doo#ryhu#
114 wkh sodfh$ dqg#wkhq#Suicide
Glylvlrq that is simply just a
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plqxwh/#eodvw#ehdw/#sxqfk#
lq wkh#idfh$#Mxvw#wr#vkrz#
that we’re not just a
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The tune that made me want to write…
Bring It On Home – Led Zeppelin A track that
ģWkh Ľuvw wlph L khdug Led Zeppelin II reminds me of
through headphones I remember being home when I’m on
blown away with all the layers and tour… Tiny Dancer –
panning going on around my head Elton John
and it being almost magical. It’s “On the last big tour we
that whole album that made me glg hyhu| wlph#L#khdug#wklv#L#zrxog#
want to start writing my own get a little home sick as it was the last song
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was the one that really did it. vlqjlqj dorqj wr lq wkh#fdu1Ĥ
I was always into the blues
dqg L uhphpehu orylqj wkh The most challenging song to play live… A
zd| wkh wudfn vwduwv rļ vr Eulogy For The Damned – Orange Goblin
stripped back and then ģLq wkh sdvw Lġyh whqghg wr#jhw#d#elw#fduulhg#
wkdw ulļ nlfnv lq1Ĥ dzd| lq wkh vwxglr ryhu od|hulqj#jxlwduv#dqg#
adding keyboards etc to tracks and then
A track I’d like reylrxvo| vwuxjjolqj wr#sod|#ġhp#olyh#dv#d#
to cover… Ľyh slhfh1 L zrxog oryh#wr#sod|#wkh#wudfnv#A
Love Taker – Eulogy For The Damned and Vdyh#Ph#Iurp#
Peter Frampton Myself exw wkh| mxvw grqġw#zrun/#xqiruwxqdwho|1#
Words: Robert Laing Photo: Kevin Nixon

“It’s on an album by Peter Iru wkh qhz doexp zhġyh#pdgh#vxuh#zh#fdq#

Frampton & Friends sod| suhww| pxfk doo wkh vrqjv olyh$Ĥ
(2001) and it’s brilliant.
Wkh ulļ lv lqfuhgleoh dqg The Wolf Bites Back is out
the whole song just rocks now on Candlelight
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TOTAL GUITAR NOVEMBER 2018

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