premier guitar march 2013

eric bibb and habib koitGuitarists from worlds apart discuss being bonded by rhythms.

bad religionGuitarist Brett Gurewitz talks about the punk heroes 16th album and the art of the two-minute tune.

builder profile: bob bradshawInside the shop of the tech to the stars.

Mesa/Boogie Pedal Line Teye R-Series La Gitana TC Electronic Flashback X4 Epiphone 1962 Sheraton E212T

Strymon Mobius Roland GA-112 Carvin HH2 Allan Holdsworth Van Amps Sole-Mate Jr. Takamine P3MC Vox StompLab IIB

REVIEWS:

sponsored by dunlopMarchhighlights

CLICk HERE to sign up for your FREE subscription to Premier

Guitars digital magazine!

Digital-Only Reviews:DR1 Pigtronix Infinity LooperDR3 Fuzzhugger(fx) Pocket Arcade

digital adVantageIn addition to the insightful reads in our

March 2013 print edition, you also get the following fantastic material when you head

online to premierguitar.com.

premierguitar.com

MARCH 2013

bob bradshaw bad religion eric bibb & habib Koit

13 New Reviews

Mesa/boogie stoMps epiphone 62 sheraton tc electronic flashback x4 stryMon Mobius roland ga-112 coMbo vox stoMplab iib & More

March 2013

VOXAMPS.COM/STOMPLAB

The all-new, affordable line of StompLab effect processors gives you access to a variety of awesome, stage-ready sounds in a durable body.

103 Effects - StompLab IG; 60 Effects - StompLab IB (1 Additional Effect - StompLab IIG/IIB)

Edit & Save 20 of Your Own User Programs

Up to 8 Effect Models Can be Used Simultaneously

Built-In Auto Chromatic Tuner with Bypass & Mute Functions

- Mario SebastianGuitarist for Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony

AMAZING... ITINSPIRES AND TRULY

CAPTIVATES YOU

UNPLUGGED REVERB FOR ACOUSTIC GUITAR

WWW.ASPRI.COM__________________

"I made my first guitar pickups 34 years ago"

P-BASS SPLIT COIL Patterned after the origi-

nal split-coil humbuck-ing bass pickup- wound

to early 60's specs. Scatterwound for more

harmonic presence. Punchy with good defini-tion. Hand beveled Alnico 5 magnets, vintage cloth

covered wire. Wax pot-ted. Available in black

covers only. 11K.

(206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com

LOLLAR PICKUPS

CLICKHERE

handheld mobile device too (iPhone and the like)

Scan the QR codetablet (iPad and the like)tell us what you think

"Since then, Ive received a lot of valuable lessons repairing old vintage pickups, making one-of-a-kind pickups from scratch, and custom winding common pickup designs to order. "Overall, Ive designed most of my line around customer requests. I am constantly amazed at the diversity of players I have been privileged to work withMaster Guitar builders, Touring Pros and Weekend Warriors have all contributed to the Lollar Sound." "When you install a Lollar, you are going to get the best made pickups you can buy, backed by our outstanding technical expertise and years of design experience. On behalf of all of us here at Lollar Pickups, its an honor to work for you." Jason Lollar

(800) 2224700 Sweetwater.com

*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. Call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for details or visit Sweetwater.com/fi nancing. **Please note: Apple products are excluded from this warranty, and other restrictions may apply. Please visit www.sweetwater.com/warranty for complete details.

THE RIGHT GEAR, WITH SERVICE TO BACK IT UP!THATS THE SWEETWATER DIFFERENCE!

18 MONTHS SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLEON SELECT BRANDS, USING YOUR SWEETWATER MUSICIANS ALL ACCESS PLATINUM CARD, THROUGH MARCH 31, 2013*

Whether youre taking the stage, making tracks, or playing for enjoyment, youll find your dream guitar rig right here at Sweetwater. We carry the hottest guitars, amps, pedals, and accessories available. And were musicians too so we know how to help you find the gear that fits your needs best.

READY FOR YOU TO PLAY, RIGHT OUT OF THE BOXNearly every guitar we stock receives a detailed 55-point Evaluation before its shipped. We make sure it looks and sounds great and plays as well as it possibly can right out of the box! Visit Sweetwater.com/55-point for more details.

SAFELY STORED AND READY TO SHIPAfter its carefully inspected and photographed, each guitar we stock is safely stored in our humidity- and temperature-controlled warehouse not hung on a music store wall!

PICK YOUR DREAM GUITARSweetwaters new and improved online Guitar Gallery lets you check out our world-class inventory of guitars in beautiful multiple-photo detail. You can then pick the exact guitar you want by serial number! Visit Sweetwater.com/guitargallery.

FREE SHIPPINGOn most orders, with no minimum purchase!

FREE PRO ADVICEWere here to help! Call today!

2-YEAR WARRANTY**Free Total Confidence Coverage

ment, he hottest s too

leryitars k

Swtr_PG_March2013.indd 1 1/9/13 3:22 PM

6 months NO interest 800-854-2235 carvin.com

Factory Direct Sales

MADE IN

USA

Factory DirectFactory DirectFactory DirectFactory DirectFactory DirectFactory Direct Music Store Music Store Music Store Music Store Music Store Music Store

111Since 1946

###Factory DirectFactory DirectFactory DirectFactory DirectFactory DirectFactory Direct

###

A NEW ERA FOR OVERDRIVESAt Keeley Electronics, recreating, modifying and refi ning overdrives has been a signifi cant part of our heritage, but we think its time for a a fresh approach: the Keeley Luna Overdrive.

Dont let the name fool you the Classic/Modded toggle switch delivers the sounds of two pedals in one. By integrating our modified, high-fidelity Baxandall EQ tone circuit with op-amp clipping and tube-like FET gain stages, weve produced an unmatched range of overdrive possibilities, all with astounding transparency. While the Classic mode offers a relaxed, smooth and subtle stage, the Modded mode unleashes urgent, full-on, grit-n-grind.

From pretty-to-gritty, we invite you hear what the Keeley Luna Overdrive pedal can do for your tone rather than to it.

Robert Keeley

You play the guitar. Well build the gear.1.866.846.7539 www.robertkeeley.com

same little dynamo plays on your handheld mobile device too (iPhone and the like)

we've built a dynamic, little asset for your pleasure. Scan the QR code with your tablet (iPad and the like) tell us what you think

CLICKHERE

6 PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 premierguitar.com

EDITORIAL Editor in Chief Shawn Hammond

Managing Editor Tessa Jeffers

Senior Editor Andy Ellis

Gear Editor Charles Saufley

Senior Art Editor Meghan Molumby

Web Content Editor Rebecca Dirks

Associate Editor Chris Kies

Associate Editor Rich Osweiler

Associate Editor Jason Shadrick

Video Editor Steve Worthington

Acoustic Editor Gayla Drake Paul

Web Production Assistant Champ Long

PRODUCTION & OPERATIONs Operations Manager Shannon Burmeister

Circulation Manager Lois Stodola

Production Coordinator Luke Viertel

sALEs/MARKETING Advertising/Artist Relations

Brett Petrusek

Director of Retail Sales

Dave Westin

Marketing Manager Nick Ireland

Multimedia Coordinator Matt Roberts

GEARhEAD COMMUNICATIONs, LLCChairman Peter F. Sprague

President Patricia A. Sprague

Managing Director Gary Ciocci

WEBsITEs Our Portal

premierguitar.com Our Online Magazine:

digital.premierguitar.com

The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources believed to be Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant complete accuracy of such information and assumes no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance thereon. Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at any time without notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages if for any reason it fails to publish an advertisement. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Copyright 2013. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Premier Guitar is a publication of Gearhead Communications, L.L.C.

Premier Guitar [ISSN 1945-077X (print) ISSN 1945-0788 (online)] is published monthly. Subscription rates: $24.95 (12 issues), $39.95 (24 issues) Call for Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates 877-704-4327; email address for customer service [email protected].

PREMIER GUITAR (USPS 025-017) Volume 18, Issue 3

Published monthly by: Gearhead Communications, LLC

Three Research CenterMarion, IA 52302

Phone number: 877-704-4327 Fax: 319-447-5599

Periodical Postage Rate paid at Marion, IA 52302 and at Additional Mailing Offices

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Gearhead Communications, LLC,

Three Research Center, Marion, IA 52302

[email protected]

Distributed to the music trade by Hal Leonard Corporation.

Publisher Jon Levy

EarthQuaker DevicesHandmade one at a time in Akron, Ohiowww.earthquakerdevices.com

Right features. Right price. Right now.maken music

Dream of playing a Suhr? Heres your chance. The Limited Edition Pro Series Modern M5 & M7 are speciallydesigned so you can own a Suhr masterpiece without the long waiting list or hefty price tag. Crafted in Suhr GuitarsCalifornia Custom Shop and available exclusively at Maken Music, these new instruments bring improved sonicversatility to a classic design. Features include Mahogany body and neck, figured maple top, dark rosewoodfingerboard and advanced electronics. The perfect blend of killer tone and exceptional playability. Want legendarySuhr quality at an unbeatable price? Visit Maken Music today: www.makenmusic.com/suhrlimited

Get this limited edition SuhrIts waiting for you at Maken Music.

Mak

e'n

Mus

ic is

a re

gist

ered

trad

emar

k of

Mak

e'n

Mus

ic, L

LC.

See our video demo of theModern Pro Limited Edition:

M7

M5


TuninG uP

its a Mod, Mod, Mod, Mod World BY shawn hammond

If youre even marginally into guitar gear, you wont have any trouble envisioning the vast con-ceptual chasm that opened before us when we decided to do a series of stories on guitar makeovers for this issue. Even for players inter-ested in the same style of music, there are a zillion different cool mods you could do to a zillion different types of guitars. Factor in all the genre and subgenre possi-bilities, and it gets even messier. If we tried to please, say, the hordes of blues and blues-rock players in our audience, which canvas should we start witha Les Paul? A Strat? A Tele? Or one of the many boutique variants that blend elements of all three? You get the idea. It was a bit daunting.

That said, weve got plenty of makeover ideas for our own gear, not to mention lots of gear-crazy friends. So we were confident wed find some cool stories. We just knew we had to choose things that were unique enough that even guitar-tweaking junkies whove seen it all would at the very least think, Thats not for me, but yknow whatthats still damn cool!

To that end, we thought Ben Friedmans story of getting a call from his art-collector friend about an autograph-scribbled 80s Paul Reed Smith for sale on an antique auctioneers web-site (Blasphemy or Alchemy? p. 56) would appeal to more traditional players because of its quasi classicist bent. But the companys reputation with up-and-coming players in heavier genres, as well as the storys interesting historical consid-erations, should also render it interesting to hard-rock or metal fans, or anyone else whos struggled over whether to mod an old piece of gear. Thanks for sharing your adventure, Ben!

I didnt originally intend to put myself into any of the

makeover storiesyou get quite enough of me on this page every month as it is. But it just so happened that I was scoping out a Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom to upgrade at the very time that someone else on the PG staff suggested the makeover theme. Knowing we needed a project that fell in the middle of the makeover-inten-sity scale, I eventually figured, Hey, Im having Bill [Hook, author of Surf-Twang Tweak-a-

Rama, p. 66] do stuff you dont see everyday, so why not?

My whole project got a lot more intense than swapping pickups and modding the ashtray bridge to work with a Bigsby just when it was sup-posed to be done. One of my pickup choices just wasnt send-ing my ears into fits of ecstasy like I wanted, so I decided late in the game to buy a completely different type that required get-ting a new pickguard to mount everything to. I want to pub-licly thank everyone who rolled with the punches to make it all come together lightning-fast in order to meet our deadline.

Wayne Richman at Tone-Guard pickguards was incred-ible. When I called him about buying one of his anodized-aluminum pickguards for a Tele Custom, but with a Jazzmaster-pickup neck routea design for which he didnt have a CAD file yethe didnt even blink. After seeing a pic of my gui-tar, he opened his Fender Tele Deluxe rendering file, called me up, and knew exactly which areas to have me measure. He

tweaked his files measurements a bit, then marshaled his NASA-approved vendors to make sure something that normally takes weeks happened over a week-end. Thats some serious hustle! Curtis Novak got me his fantas-tic pickups in record time, too. Mr. Hook then busted a move on the guitar the same day I got the pickguard. And last, but definitely not least, senior art editor Meghan Molumby turned around and shot great pics on a dime. Thanks to all of you for kicking major ass!

We couldve gone many different routes for the third, more extreme makeover story,

but the provident timingand extremely unique natureof Yuri Landman and Bart Hopkins new book, Nice Noise, pretty much made Flying Double Dutchman Crunch (p. 74) a shoo-in. If you visit issuu.com/yurilandman and see some of the crazy stringed instruments Landman special-izes in, youll quickly realize that the project he details for us is actually pretty tame relative to what he normally does. Yuri was a pleasure to work with and didnt hesitate to help when I called out of the blue to recruit him for the task. Thanks, Yuri!

So what about you? Im guessing youre eager to share your own mods, your dream mods, and your opinions of the ones we settled on. And, actu-ally, we do welcome your input. Hell, if the stuff so many of you tell us about via email and on Facebook is any indication of the wider Premier Guitar audi-ence, you guys have some pretty damn ingenious and insightful ideas. So consider this your invitation. What are your most adventurous makeover stories? Wed love to hear them on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or via email.

Twang on,

Shawn [email protected]

Think Yuri Landmans beat-to-hell guitar on the cover of this issue is freaky? You aint seen nothin. Even the four totally whack instruments above arent the most out-there designs from his restless, fearless mind. Brings new meaning to the term experimental, doesnt it?

Learn more about the Martin 2 Concert Uke, Ocean Way Recording and Warner Bros. recording artist LP at martinguitar.com/lp

Singer and songwriter LPUke player 3 years

Music shook the studio walls, then the world.


TABLE OF COnTEnTS > FEATURES & REVIEWS

114 MESA/boogIE Pedal Line120 TEyE R-Series La Gitana123 TC ElECTRonIC Flashback X4126 EpIphonE 1962 Sheraton E212T128 STRyMon Mobius131 RolAnd GA-112134 CARVIn HH2 Allan Holdsworth137 VAn AMpS Sole-Mate Jr.140 TAkAMInE P3MC143 Vox StompLab IIB

101

Ph

oto

co

urt

esy

Ep

itap

h R

eco

rds

56 blasphemy or Alchemy?

PG reader Ben Friedman commissions a makeover for his 80s PRS CE.

66 Surf-Twang Tweak-a-Rama

A Squier Tele gets a Bigsby, Curtis Novak pickups, and more.

74 Flying double dutchman Crunch

Luthier Yuri Landman transforms a cheap axe into a weird wonder.

84 Eric bibb and habib koit

Guitarists from worlds apart discuss being bonded by rhythms.

88 Jd SimoNashvilles country hero steps out with his psychedelic rock.

91 builder profile: bob bradshaw

Inside the shop of the tech to the stars.

101 bad ReligionGuitarist Brett Gurewitz talks about the punk heroes 16th album and the art of the two-minute tune.

Contents

Roland GA-112

131

Vox StompLab IIB

143

Teye R-Series La Gitana

120

FEATURES

REVIEWS

Volume 18 Issue 3 March 2013

Bad Religion

CM

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Dunlop_Strings_BeHeard_Premier.pdf 1 12/18/12 3:12 PM


TABLE OF COnTEnTS > lESSonS & dEpARTMEnTS

Contents (Contd) Volume 18 Issue 3 March 201316 Rig Rundowns

J Mascis, Dweezil Zappa, and Billy Corgan tell us about their gear.

19 opening notes

24 letters

26 news

28 Staff picksPG staff members and GNRs Richard Fortus talk about their makeover guitar dreams.

30 Media ReviewsRobben Fords Bringing It Back Home Plus: Stray Cats DVD, Boz Scaggs, and Ivan & Alyosha

146 new products

150 Modern builder VaultZeal Guitars

152 gear of the Month1968 Marshall 50-Watt JMP and 4x12

160 last CallWhats the Rush?

dEpARTMEnTS

50

gIggIng & RECoRdIng

32 Tone TipsSimplify Your Life

34 on bassBass Pedals: Basic to Playhouse

36 guitar TracksAddressing Home-Studio Hums

TECh TIpS

38 State of the StompWhat Does a Pedal Sound Like?

40 Esoterica ElectricaPrivate Domain: The Sound Ethics Laboratory

42 Acoustic SoundboardDesigning and Ordering a Custom Guitar, Pt. 2

ColUMnS44 Ask Amp Man

Adding an Extension Cab to a Fender Combo

46 Mod garageThe Ultra-Flexible Esquire Wiring, Pt. 2

48 The bass benchCustom or Boutique?

VInTAgE & UpkEEp

50 Vintage Vault1949 Gibson ES-350N

52 guitar Shop 101Fighting the Humidity Battle

54 bottom Feeder60s Silvertone Sharkfin ET-460 K4L

on ThE CoVER Three makeover axes: A budget double-cutaway experiment, a 1989 PRS CE, and a Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Custom.

Ph

oto

by

Tim

Mu

llally

Vintage Vault

19

Ph

oto

by

Bar

ry B

rech

eise

n

Opening Notes

I like the sound of the Elixir Strings better than any other string. - John Paul White The Civil Wars

Extending your tone lifelike no other string.Every time you play your guitar, bits of you are left behind to invade the windings, contaminate your strings and kill your tone. Elixir Strings is the only brand to coat the entire string and form a barrier against tone-killing gunk. Thats why players report with Elixir Strings their tone lasts longer than any other string, uncoated or coated. Youll get the tone you dig and the feel you love gig after gig after gig.

Hear why John Paul White loves his Elixir Strings:www.elixirstrings.com/johnpaulwhite

GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE LONG LIFE, e icon, anddesigns are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. 2012 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

ELX-132-R1-ADV-US-APR12

Phot

o Cre

dit:

Sigr

ied D

uber

os

lESSonS

diary of a So-Called Shredder

Doom in E MinorBy Terry Syrek

Rhythm Rules16th-note Accents

By Alex Nolan

Style guideLeft-Hand EssentialsBy Marc Schonbrun

Access all of our lessons online, for free, with streaming

audio and downloadable, printable notation PDFs.


WEB ExCLuSiVES

ONly ON PremierGuitar.com

WEIgh In And WIn!Weigh in at facebook.com/premierguitar or reply @premierguitar on Twitter with hashtag #freshsounds for your chance to win new pickups from EMG.

When I want a fresh sound from my guitar, I

Your guide to the latest stories, reviews, videos, and lessons on PremierGuitar.com

DIY: How to Change Guitar PickupsNashville luthier Tony Nagy shows you the step-by-step procedure for swapping the pick-ups in your guitar, with some Strat-specific tips and considerations, in our definitive DIY video guide.

FEATUREd

Check out our latest reviews with audio samples of the FuzzHugger Pocket Arcade, Godin Session Custom, Blackstar ID:60, and TC Electronic Ditto Looper.

REVIEWS

Also Yngwie Malmsteen talks about Spellbound and Steve Lukather discusses Transition in our online-only interviews.

Weve moved our contest schedule to page 158. Head there now to see whats coming up and a list of winners.

lookIng FoR oUR gIVEAWAy lISTIng?

14%Mod with

new pickups or wiring

26%Adjust amp and effects

15%Play something

new or in a new way

8%Take a break and come back later

Ste

ve L

uka

ther

Ph

oto

by

Ro

b S

han

ahan


RiG RunDOWnS

RIG RUNDOWNS Our latest, greatest behind-the-scenes gear videos with the stars.

J Mascis main guitar is a sunburst 1963 Fender Jazzmaster with original neck and pickups but after-market knobs and pickup covers. Like most of his guitars, his No. 1 has a Tune-o-matic-style bridge, disengaged top toggle switch, and jumbo frets.

Mascis pedalboard is built around a Bob Bradshaw-built Custom Audio Electronics switcher that gives him a multitude of effect combinations. Among the notable boxes on the board are a ToneBender Mk I-clone/Rangemaster-clone combo pedal built by Built to Spills Doug Martsch (bottom right corner), Mascis first Electro-Harmonix Rams Head Big Muff (top right), an MC-FX clone of a Univox Super-Fuzz, a CAE Twin Tremolo (upper left), a Z.Vex Double Rock (two Box of Rocks in one, bottom left), and an Electro-Harmonix POG2 that hes using to mimic Mellotron and organ sounds from Dino Jr.s latest album.

Dinosaur Jr. guitarist J Mascis talks about his Jazzmaster preferences, demos his ped-als, and details his four-amp setup in our Rig Rundown video from the bands I Bet on Sky 2012 tour. Below are some highlights.

Dweezil Zappa demonstrates his Axe-FX II and expansive pedalboard, and talks about the prototype for his dads possible Gibson signature model in our Zappa Plays Zappa Rig Rundown from December 2012. Following are some highlights.

Zappa brings out a mostly stock Eric Johnson signature Strat with a piezo pickup in the bridge. Hes also playing a prototype of a (hopefully) forthcoming signature model from Gibson. Based off of Frank Zappas Roxy-era SG, it sports a white headstock, a series/parallel switch, and a phase switchboth located on the lower bout.

The heart of Dweezils tone comes from a Fractal Audio Systems Axe-FX II. In previous versions of his rig he actually ran two units simultaneously due to the CPU demand that his custom presets required. However, on this tour he runs everything through the top unit and the bottom is used as a backup or for any guests that might sit in. In order to recreate his fathers famous tones, Dweezil goes back to the master tapes to study and cop every little detail in order to program the Axe-FX II presets.

RiG RunDOWnS

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 17premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 17

Watch nowHead to premierguitar.com/rigrundown or youtube.com/premierguitar to watch these three videos in their entirety, plus all

130+ Rig Rundowns in our archives. Also new this month:

Lamb of Gods Mark Morton, Willie Adler and John Campbell

Journeys Neal Schon

Madonnas Monte Pittman

Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Billy Corgan talks tunings, modded Strats, his long-lost Gish guitar and why he doesnt use many pedals live in our Rig Rundown video from the bands Oceania 2012 tour.

Corgans rig consists of eight preamp modules custom built by Antonin Salva Salvation Mods. Corgan flew the builder in to clone his personal amps: a 60s Selmer, Soul Marshall 2203, Reeves Custom Jimmy (Jimmy Page Hiwatt clone), Marshall Super Lead 1959RR Limited Edition Randy Rhoads, VamPower amp with a fuzz mod (for Oceania material), Diezel VH4, and a 69 Marshall Super Tremolo. This allows him to recreate his classic tones throughout the night.

He uses Mesa/Boogie Strategy 500 power amps (from his Mellon Collie touring rig) mod-ded with different tubes run at half power. A Palmer PDI-03 signal is mixed in with the live micd signal from a 1960 Marshall 4x12 cab (also from his Mellon Collie rig) with new Celestion 75-watt speakers.

RIG RUNDOWNS Our latest, greatest behind-the-scenes gear videos with the stars.

SCHECTERGUITARS.COM

AMPS SHOWN:HELLRAISER USA 212 COMBOHELLWIN SYNYSTER GATES SIGNATURE FULL STACKHELLRAISER USA 100 FULL STACK

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 19

opEnIng noTES

MARk FARnERNovember 23, 2012The Fillmore Detroit

Detroit, MIPhoto by Ken Settle

Taking the stage at Detroits Rock for Jobs benefit, Mark Farner digs

into Baby, his 1997 Parker Fly Deluxe. Best know as lead guitar-ist and frontman for Grand Funk

Railroad, Farner was drawn to the lightweight Parker after having neck surgery in 1996 and being told no more heavy guitars by his doctor. Wired with the master volume pot removed, his Fly Deluxe is loaded

with stock DiMarzio humbuck-ers and a Fishman piezo-equipped

bridge. Farner tells Premier Guitar, This guitar made a better guitarist out of me, and I couldnt play any-

thing else now.


opEnIng noTES


opEnIng noTES

DAVE MATThEWSDecember 5, 2012

United CenterChicago, IL

Photo by Barry Brecheisen

On the Chicago stop of his winter arena tour, acoustic-rock troubadour

Dave Matthews and his crew deliver a 21-song set to a sold-out Windy City

crowd. Matthews sunburst steel-string is a handcrafted Rockbridge Guitar

Company SJ (small jumbo)one of eight Rockbridge guitars in his collec-tion. Adorned with abalone trim, this SJ features old-growth Brazilian rose-wood back and sides, an Adirondack

spruce top, koa binding, and ebony for the bridge, headstock, and fretboard.

Its powered by a Fishman Matrix Infinity pickup and preamp system.


opEnIng noTES

JOSh RAnDNovember 26, 2012

AlcatrazMilan, Italy

Photo by Silvia Paveri

Stone Sour guitarist Josh Rand serves up some metal to fans in

Milan, Italy, while touring behind the bands recently released House of Gold & Bones Part 1. Rands Ibanez

SA was made in the companys L.A. Custom Shop and features a mahogany body, ebony fretboard,

and a 3-piece maple-and-jatoba neck. Its EMG 81 (neck) and 85

(bridge) pickups are controlled by a 3-way selector and a master volume.

MS-100BT MulTiSToMp guiTar pedal wiTh BlueTooTh.

Zooms MS-100BT is the first guitar pedal to truly incorporate Bluetooth technology, with no cables needed to connect your iOS device.

In addition to the pedals 100 preloaded stompbox effects and amp models, of which up to six can be used at a time, the MS-100BT allows you to use Zooms StompShare iOS app (available for free in Apples App Store) to browse, preview, purchase and download additional effects instantaneously via Bluetooth from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

TRUE BLUE.

2012 Zoom. Apple, iPad mini, App Store and Bluetooth are registered trademarks of their respective owners.


LETTERS

Berlin WallsSo, everybodys happy but Jeff Berlin? Im referring of course to Jeff s outright dismissal of rock schools, rock camps and rock lessons [Interview: HBCs Scott Henderson and Jeff Berlin, February 2013].

Maybe Im taking this the wrong way because I just dropped a bundle to attend a guitar/songwriting camp this summer. Or maybe its be-cause Im a retired high school teacher. Or just maybe, its because throughout my play-ing career Ive managed to learn from a variety of different sources. Thats right, Jeff. Ive learned from DVDs, personal tuition, CDs, books, magazines, workshops, and seminars. Have these made me a better player? Probably. The point is, Ive al-lowed myself to take advantage of many different opportunities to improve. There is not one right way to learn.

If ones motivation to learn is genuine, then one can learn from anything, anytime, any-where. Maybe even at an HBC show. Unless, of course, one was entertained.Ross DeAeth, Lexington, Kentucky

Big Up to Big JimDear Shawn and Staff,Thank you so much and big ups for the article in the February is-sue on Big Jim Sullivan after his passing [Forgotten Heroes]. He was clearly one of the most underrated guitarists of out time, although he was truly a guitar players guitar player.

I hung on every 30-second bit that he did weekly on the Tom Jones show. Imagine a very impressionable, young 15-year-old guitar player watching Big Jim and Tom tear up Guitar Man. He made such a huge

keep those comments coming!Please send your suggestions, gripes, comments, and good words directly to [email protected].

My FiRST AMPGreetings from up North, After seeing my amp in your Trash or Treasure column in the September 2012 issue, I wanted to share my amp story with you. I bought my first guitar after being inspired by a Mike McCready cover story in Guitar Player in 94. I worked at a gambling riverboat casino with two friends who were also fellow art students and guitarists. We ran a photo lab taking photos of the passengers who boarded the boat. These guys convinced me to go for it and get a guitar. I bought a Fender Standard Strat in sunburst at Rondinelli Music Audio here in Dubuque. Another art student who was older than us had a daily gig playing acous-tic guitar on the riverboat. When he boarded the boat the next day, I asked if he knew of anyone that had a used amp, since I just got my Strat yesterday. He said he had an amp in his base-ment that he gigged with years ago that he no longer used and said he would bring it by. The next day he brought the Music Man 112RD with him and I asked him what he wanted for it. Fifty bucks, he said. I said, Cool.

I always thought I had a Fender tube amp in all but a name but was bummed to read in the column that Leo had nothing to do with the amps. Oh well, still sounds great! Thats my amp story and Im sticking to it! Im a new subscriber to your maga-zine and its a joy to get something other than bills in the mail. Keep up the great work! Michael Pankow, Dubuque, Iowa

your Feedbackimpression on me with his smooth style and class that I believe he was largely respon-sible for me sticking with it and following my dream. He was arguably more of an inspiration to me than either The Beatles or The Stones.

Excellent choice of subject material and great journalism by Corbin Reiff.

Love the mag.All the best,Johnny Mau, San Jose, California

A Case For BassI just read some complaints in your feedback section in the February 2013 issue. A couple of people complained about the prior issue having too much info on bass guitars. I play bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and even piano so I love reading about all of it. Please dont stop the bass articles. Theres enough room in the magazine for all of it. Kathleen Lamb, via email

Uphill Both WaysIn regards to John Bohlingers article on Shitegeist [Last Call, December 2012] I cant agree more. However, when I was a boy, we had to save up that dollar to buy a Beatles 45, or the 3 to 5 bucks for the LP, then get a ride to the music store and try to decide which record you were going home with. Not like today where you just hit the Buy it now button and in-stantly download your purchase. Its just a symptom of the times I suppose. Keep up the great work, you guys are the best.David Judd, El Cajon, California

MY PASSION FOR MUSIC CONTINUESTO DRIVE MY RELENTLESS QUEST FOR GREAT TONE. - PATRICK QUILTER

See the latest Quilter amp designs at quilterlabs.com

1971

2012

suspend the production of Hamer instruments in January 2013. The com-pany said in a statement that the move would allow them to focus efforts on other brands in the FMIC portfolio.

FMIC plans to continue support and warranty service for Hamer instruments, and says that, should the market dic-tate the need for Hamer instruments, it will be considered.

OBITUARY

Ministrys Mike Scaccia Dies at Age 47Fort Worth, TX Mike Scaccia, lead guitarist for Ministry and Rigor Mortis, died of a heart attack December 22, 2012, after collapsing onstage during a Rigor Mortis show. He was 47.

Scaccia founded the thrash group Rigor Mortis in 1983, and joined Ministry in 1989, appearing on 1992s Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs as well as other albums including this years Relapse. Rigor Mortis frontman Bruce Corbitt told the Metal Injection LiveCast that the band would not perform again under the same name.

CONTEST

Ernie Ball Launches Play Crossroads ContestNew York, NY Unsigned musicians can enter for the chance to perform live on the main stage at Eric Claptons Crossroads Guitar Festival at Madison Square Garden on April 1213, 2013.

NEWS

26 PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 premierguitar.com26 PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 premierguitar.com

INDUSTRY

DAngelico Commissions Premier Builders Guild for U.S. ProductionPittsburgh, PA Recently relaunched DAngelico will begin producing masterbuilt U.S.-made instruments through the Premier Builders Guild. The reissues will be built in Arroyo Grande, California, by Gene Baker and

News Bits

2013 DAngelico EXL-1

Compatible with

S O U R C E A U D I O . N E T

Create intimate to enormous room sounds without overcrowding your pedalboard. The SB2 Dimension Reverb packs the power of a rack system into a super-compact, cast aluminum stompbox with 12 bril l iantly engineered reverb effects including Room, Spring, Plate, and Echo. It also features 2 user presets, extended tweakabil ity, and external expression, Hot Hand, or MIDI control capabil it ies. Get roomy.

former Fender Custom Shop Senior Master Builder Art Esparza. The line launched at NAMM 2013 with their first offering, a 1943 DAngelico Excel. premierbuildersguild.com

FMIC Suspends Hamer Guitar Production Scottsdale, AZ Fender Musical Instruments Corp/KMCMusicorp announced plans to

premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 27premierguitar.com PREMIER GUITAR MARCH 2013 27

nEWS

Pedals-Intro-HalfPage-PG.indd 1 1/7/13 12:45 PM

Guitarists must complete a short profile and upload an MP3 of their playing to the Play Crossroads website. In addition to the performance opportunity, the winner will receive an Ernie Ball string package and endorsement and an Ernie Ball Music Man guitar endorsement. playcrossroads.com

hOnORED

kennedy Center honors led Zeppelin, buddy guyWashington, D.C. The surviv-ing members of Led Zeppelin were honored at a White House ceremony on December 2, 2012, along with Buddy Guy, David Letterman, Dustin Hoffman, and ballerina Natalia Makarova. Tracy Chapman and Bonnie Raitt led a tribute to Guy, while Hearts Nancy and Ann Wilson sang Stairway to Heaven with Jason Bonham on drums. Lenny Kravitz also paid trib-ute with a rendition of Whole Lotta Love. The program aired on December 26, 2012. kennedy-center.org

MuSiC

guitarist Rob Caggiano leaves AnthraxLos Angeles, CA Anthrax lead guitar-ist Rob Caggiano has parted ways with the band after 12 years. In a statement, Caggiano explained that his focus will shift to producing records, but added that he does intend to get back on the road even-tually. Anthrax tapped Shadows Fall guitar-ist Jon Donais for their upcoming Metal Alliance Tour with Exodus, Municipal Waste, High on Fire, and Holy Grail. anthrax.comtwitter.com/robcaggiano

david bowie Returns With The Next DayNew York, NY The new album, set for a March 12, 2013 release, is very diverse according to producer Tony Visconti. He told The Hollywood Reporter, Its very diverse. Some songs are up-tempo and driving and some are completely far out. Guitarist Earl Slick was in the studio for

the recording, though how much guitar work made the final product remains to be seen. I havent heard the finished thing yet. He was still finishing and polishing the lyrics when I left, Slick told The Guardian. I cant actually figure out the titles Ive seen. I dont know which ones I actually played on. davidbowie.com


STAFF PiCkS

Alex CoraReader of the MonthWhat are you listening to? Genesis Revisited 2 by Steve Hackett. I cant believe he went back and did all my old favorites with modern gearsome parts sound better than the originals! Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? The Crystar: a crystal, crescent-moon guitar that amplifies itself by tuning into peoples brain frequencies. Its played through telepathy, adding its own effects/tone. A sphere of light green aura surrounds the player as sparkles of gold dance around its majestic shape.

nick IrelandMarketing ManagerWhat are you listening to? The Boys are Back by Dropkick Murphys. This romper had me stomping my foot so hard at my desk, Im pretty sure I hyperextended my knee. Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? Id love to clean up the wiring on my Squier Affinity Series Tele (from my last mod attempt), install a Fishman Powerbridge with a piezo pickup, new frets, new nut, and have the body refinished in the colors of Irelands flag. Signature model!

Richard FortusGuitarist, Guns N RosesWhat are you listening to? Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound, the last ZZ Top EP, Fiona Apples Idler Wheel, Grizzly Bear, Knife Party, Jim Jones Revue, xx, new Crazy Horse, Imagine Dragons, Tame Impala, Frank Ocean, Japandroids, Yuck, etc. Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? James Trussart is making me a strat-type with a reverse-angle bridge pickup, a left-handed neck, steel top, and ash body. The Arcane pickups are based on a 60 slab board. I shunned Strats for years and have recently fallen in love all over again.

Andy EllisSenior EditorWhat are you listening to? George Marinelli, Believe. The new album by Bonnie Raitts longtime lead guitarist is packed with great tones and superb songs.Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? Id ask to have a TV Jones MagnaTron installed in the neck position of my beloved ol G&L ASAT. Toss in a Hipshot B-Benderno routing requiredand Id be in honky-tonk heaven.

Chris kiesAssociate EditorWhat are you listening to? Two new releases from old favoritesDropkick Murphys boisterous, whiskey-swilling Signed and Sealed in Blood and Clutchs Earth Rocker, featuring some of the bands heaviest material since Clutch and Pure Rock Fury.Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? Id upgrade the pickups in my cur-rent rigeither some Duncan Dimebuckers for my Jackson Dinky Pro or a Fralin P-90 Alnico neck model for my Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Special.

Charles SaufleyGear EditorWhat are you listening to? The new split 7" from Kurt Vile and Meg Baird, Sic Alps by Sic Alps, and demos from the forthcoming Feral Ohms LP.Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? Definitely a magical little dude that changes the strings on my 12-strings. Other than than, just a nice new neck with a rosewood fretboard for my old Squier Telecaster.

Shawn hammondEditor in ChiefWhat are you listening to? Dick Dale and His Del-Tones, Surfers Choice. Taut-toned twang, attitude for miles, riffs that just wont quit, and glorious, glorious reverb!Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? See p. 66.

Rich osweilerAssociate EditorWhat are you listening to? Darlings, Perfect Trip. With whiffs of Sonic Youth, Joy Division, and Pavement, the ultra-sludgy, lo-fi garage rock of this second full-length effort is full of fun, catchy jams and shenanigans.Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? My first electric, a 75 strat-style Epiphone that first belonged to my dad, is all original. But I would happily allow the guitar gods to replace its lifeless humbuckers with a set of Seymour Duncan SH-55s.

Jason ShadrickAssociate EditorWhat are you listening to? Jonathan Kreisberg, One. Kreisberg goes it alone and places the focus squarely on the guitar. With some acoustic textures and subtle effects, he creates what could possibly be Virtuoso for a new generation. Youve just been granted a dream guitar makeover from the guitar gods. Whatll it be? I would take my old Mexi-Tele and swap the current pickups out for some Lollars. Then I would go all Brent Mason and add a middle pickup with a blend control.

Hocus Pocus This month were in the magical makeover mood, whether grounded in reality or not (theres a little bit of both here). PG staff along with our Reader of the Month Alex Cora and Guns N Roses guitarist Richard Fortus conjure up their dream guitars.


classic Corrina, Corrina is morphed into a slowed-down, part-Willie Nelson, part-Muddy Waters ballad. The guitar highlight is Keb Mos slide resonator playing on the reverb-soaked Dry Spell, his soloing complemented by the amplified harp of Charlie Musselwhite.

This Kentucky-Fried Al Green smorgas-bord is a strange phenomenon, and likely to throw some listeners off. Scaggs chose to record at Royal Studios for a reason though, and this album carries that weightat times the familiarity is uncannybut when Scaggs own musical voice shines, he brings something to this place that weve never heard before. Tessa JeffersMust-hear tracks: Mixed Up Shook Up Girl, Dry Spell

ALBuM

Ivan & AlyoshaAll the Times We HadMissing Piece/Dualtone Music Group

Probably best known for home-town hero Jimi Hendrix and the birthplace of a particular music movement that got started in the 80s, music-rich Seattle has long been churning out artists in the indie vein. The Emerald City has also been home to a vibrant folk-rock scene, further evi-denced by the release of the first full-length effort from Ivan & Alyosha, All the Times We Had.

Formed in 2007 by core members Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbary, and later joined by Tim Kim and Pete Wilson, Ivan & Alyosha has quickly built up both acclaim and a loyal fan base by delivering their happy ballads about love and life through their shows and EP releases.

Floating above the hook-infused, sweet guitar sounds throughout are Tim Wilsons vocalsa haunting hybrid of George Harrison and Roy Orbison. Speaking of Harrison, theres a lot of very inviting Beatles-esque feel here. And while I also found myself reminiscing about favorite melodies and harmonies from the likes of Trip Shakespeare and Big Star, what Ivan & Alyosha have going on is all their own.

MEDiA REViEWS

ALBuM

Robben FordBringing It Back HomeMascot Label Group

Over the course of his 40-plus year career, Robben Ford has survived within a niche that is just jazzy enough for the beboppers and yet still contains enough soulful string bending for the hardcore blues hounds. With Bringing it All Back Home, he eschews his penchant for jazz-bop and instead pres-ents a collection of blues and R&B tunes that focuses on the emotional content rather than guitar pyrotechnics. Even though he is quite a prolific composer, Ford decided to dig deep into the history of American music for the source material with only two originals on the album. Everything from Charlie Patton and Allen Toussaint to Big Joe Williams and Bob Dylan are covered here and masterfully interpreted by a group of A-list musicians that includes organist Larry Goldings and drummer Harvey Mason.

Relying entirely on the neck pickup of his 1963 Epiphone Riviera, Fords tone throughout the album is the unifying thread here. It also provides a complete argu-ment for the musical clich that its all in your hands. During his solo on Birds Nest Bound, you hear everything from crystal clear rhythm stabs la Cropper to just a hint of breakup when he digs into some mean double-stops. Each track has the looseness of a jam session but refrains from the extended over-soloingonly the instru-mental On That Morning extends over six minutes. Ford breaks out some Wes-style octaves for the head while Goldings lays down some of the most tasteful B-3 fills since Jimmy Smiths Christmas album. With this album, Ford has found the right mix of vibe, tone, and materialnot an easy task. Jason ShadrickMust-hear track: Trick Bag

EdIToRS noTE:We were not permitted to print our review of Jimi Hendrixs People, Hell & Angels by press time. However, you can read the review on premierguitar.com on February 15, or check it out in our April 2013 print edition.

They do a lot of genre-jumping together, opening with a few soft jazz/R&B soul grooves, until taking a turn into a cover of Willie DeVilles Mixed Up Shook Up Girl, where Scaggs channels Aaron Neville in a croon that waltzes with an island-reg-gae riff and primitive percussion.

Itd be unfair to dismiss this as an album of mostly covers, as the beauti-ful re-phrasing and interpreting travels across the Delta and further, hitting a Rainy Night in Georgia, before kick-ing out some Southern roots rock with a ZZ Top-locomotive pace and vibrato in Cadillac Walk, and then the blues

ALBuM

boz ScaggsMemphis429 Records

Boz Scaggs is musically complicated. For Memphis, he brought on producer Steve Jordan (John Mayer) who also plays drums on the album, and the rest of the studio band is also star-studded: Ray Parker Jr. (guitar), Willie Weeks (bass), Lester Snell (string arrange-ments), and Spooner Oldham (keys).


From the gorgeously bittersweet title track (with guest vocalist Aimee Mann) to the expansive sunniness of On My Way, All the Times We Had is quite a killer col-lection of tunes. Rich Osweiler Must-hear track: All the Times We Had

DVD

Stray CatsLive at Montreux 1981Eagle Rock Entertainment

Brian Setzers albums over the last couple of decades have been so progressively ambi-tious that some might look back on the early Stray Cats days as almost quaintlike he, bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom almost lucked out with a handful of catchy songs when there happened to be a rockabilly revival across the Atlantic.

But the 15 tracks on the new Stray Cats DVD Live at Montreux 1981 will smack any such notions right out of your pompadour. Filmed six months after their first album debuted, its a thumping, sweat-soaked testament to just how hun-gry, relentless, and dedicated they were. Setzer, just 22, looks like a London street punk with his platinum hair, black leath-er, and sneering stage presence, but armed with his famed 1959 Gretsch 6120 and a blonde Fender Bassman head driving a Vox AC30 cabinet, he howls and prowls like a seasoned showman and holds the elbow-to-elbow crowd enthralled for 70 minutes with the same raw rave-up riffs and jazzy chords that are the core of his style today. Rocker, then 19, is incred-ible toomanhandling his upright like a vet with his taped-up knuckleswhile Phantom, 20, stands atop his kit and never misses a beat (the former also croons shockingly well on his own blues number Drink That Bottle Down).

This long-overdue release captures bud-ding prodigies of the rarest sortthose who dont let the drive for instrument mastery overshadow energy, chemistry, and genuine rock n roll swagger. A must for any serious Setzer fan. Shawn HammondMust-watch tracks: Ubangi Stomp, Storm the Embassy


GiGGinG & RECORDinG > TonE TIpS

SiMPLiFy yOuR LiFE: PORTABLE POWER TOOLS FOR ThE MODERn GuiTARiST BY Peter thorn

Remember the 80s? Im talking about crazy parties and limos, huge stadium tours, refrigerator racks, and 100-watt stacks. Rock n roll excess! But its 2013 now, and though gigs today require that you cover the same ground guitarists did back then, theres a catch. Budgets are smaller than they used to be, and you are expected to do moresometimes much morefor (and with) less. Fortunately, we guitarists have some amazing tools available these days to help us get killer guitar tones, without having to haul exces-sive amounts of gear to sessions and gigs. In this months column, Im going to talk about some favorite musical tools that make my life a bit easier. Each one of these pieces of gear packs a huge range of tone and features into a compact package, ultimately allowing a guitarist to cover more ground with less.

Why Simplify?I recently did some gigs with a well-known pop singer, and their camp had gotten used to touring with a very small crew consisting of just a front-of-house engineer, monitor engineer, and one tech. The tech was basically focused on the artistleaving the rest of the 5-piece band to fend for themselvesand thats how theyd always done it. We were play-ing some fairly big venues, including the first gig of the tour in an arena for about 6,000 people. Some of you might be wondering why there werent more techs at that level. In my experience, once an artist gets used to touring a particular way, they just dont want to spend the money on more crewno matter how successful they become. Younger musicians seem to be okay with doing more work for less dough, and most artists dont want to pay to ship huge rigs overseas. Moral of the story: In order to compete, its important for touring sidemen to learn to be mostly self-sufficient.

Modeling guitarsLets say you have a gig where you need a ton of different sounds at your fingertips. How do you cover nylon-string sounds, 6- and 12-string acoustic sounds, Strat, Tele, and humbucker tones in various tuningsand maybe even a sitar partwithout hauling a bunch of guitars to the gig? Go and check out a guitar that uses modeling technology. The VG Stratocaster from Fender and Roland is a great choice because it will do everything a

standard Strat will do, as well as provide all the aforementioned sounds, and more. Its an incredible tool that beats lugging 10 guitars around, and Ive used mine for various gigs and sessions. The Variax series of guitars from Line 6 is another option worth checking out.

dual pedalsI have a few pedalboards, and my small-est one is no slouch. I use it for sessions and gigs where portability is a must, so I chose pedals that would provide maxi-mum tone and versatility. There are a number of manufacturers producing pedals that do more than one thingwhich I call dual pedalsand they usually have two footswitches, allowing a player to access the different effects individually. I keep four of these pedals on my little, yet extremely power-ful, pedalboard: a Strymon Flint for reverb and tremolo, a Suhr Koko Boost for clean and mid boost, a JHS Sweet Tea for distortion, a TS-808-style overdrive, and a Red Witch Medusa for chorus and tremolo.

Amp ModelersAmp modeling is nothing new, but its come so far in recent times. With advance-ments such as profiling (the technology used for the Kemper Profiling Amplifier) and tone matching (used for the Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II), guitarists can now essentially duplicate the tone of any amp, speaker, or mic chain, and then store it as a preset to carry it wherever they go.

The Kemper Profiling Amplifier is a curi-ous- and modern-looking device thats about the size of a lunchbox, while the Axe-Fx II is a more traditional 2-rackspace unit. The Kemper has a basic selection of effects, but its forte is in profiling and storing the tones of amps and cabs with uncanny detail and real-ism. The Axe-Fx II has a full complement of effects that can be routed in any conceivable fashion, and with the amp and cabinet mod-eling enabled, you can replace an entire amp and effects rig. By disabling the amp and cab-inet modeling, the Axe-Fx II also functions nicely as a full-featured effects processor that can be used with traditional guitar amps.

Be it for direct recording or playing live, there are some die-hards that still scoff at the idea of using units like these. But modeling

has really gotten to the point where even tube-amp purists have to stand up and take notice. Globe-trotting guitarist Dweezil Zappa has totally replaced his amp rig and two refrigera-tor-sized racks with a pair of Axe-Fx IIs, saving untold thousands in shipping costs. Likewise, I left my traditional rigs at home for a couple of European tours with Melissa Etheridge, and used the Axe-Fx by running it direct to the PA.

A portable practice SolutionPlugging into an amp to practice isnt always practical in, say, a cramped dressing room or the back lounge of a bus. The best solu-tion Ive found (and currently my favorite piece of gear) is the Roland eBand JS-10. With built-in speakers, its a totally self-contained audio player that also boasts amp modeling and effects. It has 350 pre-loaded audio loops and drum grooves for you to jam along with, but you can easily add your own audio files for playback, too. Ive been running my laptop into it with great results. Its just a killer, portable, simple all-in-one practice solution, and it sounds fantastic.

Now more than ever, modern guitarists have incredible variety of powerful and por-table tools for the studio, stage, and practice room to choose from. I said it last month and Ill say it again: Its never been a better time to be a guitarist!

Compact yet loaded with effects, amp modeling, built-in speakers and much more, the eBand JS-10 from Roland is an ultra-portable practice station.

PETER ThORn is an L.A.-based guitarist who has toured and recorded with Chris Cornell, Melissa Etheridge, Daniel Powter, and others. His solo album, Guitar Nerd, is now available on iTunes and through CDbaby.com. Read more about his career and music at peterthorn.com.


ViCTOR BRODn Nashville bassist and producer Victor Brodn has toured and recorded with more than 25 major-label artists, including LeAnn Rimes, Richard Marx, Casting Crowns, and Randy Houser. His credits also include Grammy-winning albums and numerous

television specials on CMT and GAC, as well as perfor-mances on The Tonight Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. You can reach him at [email protected].

GiGGinG & RECORDinG > on bASS

BASS PEDALS: BASiC TO PLAyhOuSE BY Victor Brodn

A student of mine recently asked me to explain bass pedals, from the basics on up. Its no secret that almost every guitarist uses pedals as part of their artistic pallet of sonic colors and textures, and for a guitarist to show up at a gig without pedals is almost unfathom-able. Bassists, on the other hand, are usually expected to bring only a clean, strong founda-tion, without any real color beyond the sound of their fingers, bass, and amplifier. Ive gone through stages as a player where I used pedals for color only when absolutely necessary, and Ive also gone through stages when the sounds I heard in my head required some effect for the type of gigs I was doing at the time.

Many pedal manufacturers use true bypass as a major selling point, but in my opinion, the richer harmonics of the sub lows of my signal never stay completely unaffected when my pedals are in standby mode. And for me, this is the only major drawback of using ped-als. While power buffers and quality patch cables can help minimize this problem, I play bass, not guitar (which exists more in the midrange and is not quite as sensitive to this issue), so I might opt for no pedals at all to keep a pristine tonal path. In fact, the few times my pedalboard has gone down mid-show while out on tour, the FOH engineer confirmed that he got a richer bottom-end when the cable was plugged straight into the amplifier. With all that said, my current local gigs and main touring gig require that I use pedals. And for me, there are necessary ped-als, less necessary pedals, and candy pedals (the ridiculously fun ones that will get you fired from certain gigs if used too liberally).

The basic needs: preamp/dI, Compressor, and TunerI believe a preamp/DI pedal is an absolute necessity. Not only will you be familiar with the DI at the gig since its your DI, you also have the opportunity to warm up the sound and dial in some overdrive. (Personally, I use this type of pedal as an amp simulator, and never really dial up more of the heavily distorted tones its capable of.)

The basic pedalboard for bassists should also house a compressor pedal, since they really help make most basses punchier and more even. Because I play 5-string basses almost exclusively, having a compressor pedal helps that 5th string blend in better with the other fourboth in frequency and tone. And finally, a tuner should certainly

be part of the basic pedalboard, but because of the tone-deterioration possibility men-tioned earlier, I run a parallel line to it instead of running my sound through it.

The next Step: Secondary distortion and octave pedalsIn addition to a tube-warmth pedal that stays on my pedalboard permanently (which I only use for amplifier-type color-ation), I use a separate pedal for a heavier distortion sound that really pops. I prefer a very present bite in the high end, though Ive noticed that a lot of other bassists try to avoid this in their distortion settings. This tone is equally usable for heavy metal and Larry Graham-type lead-funk tones, and thats why it is almost a necessity for me.

When it comes to octave pedals for bass, their use can be heard on many classic records, and they can really make a dramatic state-ment. During my first years as a professional bassist, I was a 4-string player exclusively, and using an octave pedal enabled me to play the occasional low C or D when needed, and more importantly, allowed me to cover basic synth-like pop tones with a traditional 4-string instrument. While it can be a cool and fun effect for solos, an octave pedal can also be used to propel an entire song and provide you an additional voice as a playergiving you the opportunity for a greater variety of gigs.

The Fun ones: Envelope Filters, Chorus, Reverb, and Synth-bass pedalsI have to start this section with a disclaimer: If you are a funk player exclusively, these pedals might actually belong in the section for basic pedals. Since I primarily play pop, rock, soul, and modern country, these types of pedals are pure, playhouse candy for me. An auto wah/envelope filter is a pedal that is as effective

for bass as a traditional wah is for guitar. It can make a solo or other part really sound like its own thing by making a stronger sonic imprint and stronger artistic statement. I actually have two different envelope filters on my pedalboard, so Im able to better replicate different, classic funk tones. And for stepping even deeper into funk land, I also employ a bass-synth pedal for an assortment of wacky settings for really out-there sounds, or more traditional, moog-esque synth tones. But I have to watch out: This pedal can absolutely blow up a PA if used recklessly.

When playing solo piecesand ballads in some casesa good chorus pedal will come in handy by providing higher notes with a gorgeous voice. Using chorus in a band set-ting also totally works (Duff McKagan on the Appetite for Destruction album and Mark King with the band Level 42 are great examples), but you have to use diligence since its possible to make the whole band sound slightly out of tune. And when it comes to reverb pedals, they too can be tremendously useful for bass-solo pieces. I like to really indulge in reverb when Im performing a solo piece in order to emulate the acoustics of playing in an old cathedral. It inspires me to play fewer notes and helps me use a greater dynamic range.

Choices in pedals are such an individual thing, and my pedalboard is a very personal setup. So if you are just beginning your adven-ture in bass-pedal exploration, the best starting point is to prioritize from basic to fun based on whats ideal for you and your style.

lEFT: Providing a big, warm, well-compressed tone with an option for extra distortion, this basic pedalboard setup covers the needs for 90 percent of my work. RIghT: For solo-bass performanc-es and funk gigs, Ill bring a pair of envelope filters, along with synth-bass, chorus, and octave ped-als to add to the necessities like the preamp/DI and compressor pedals from my basic pedalboard.

This is the fix for your tone jones. If you know Darryls discography, then you know hes played with some heavyweights...Miles Davis, Sting, Madonna, The Rolling Stones...

The Darryl Jones Signature 4 and 5 strings are some of the most renown basses Lakland has ever produced, and now theyre back for 2012 with Darryls own pick of colors and options; including pearl fingerboard blocks on a beautifully bound neck with matching color headstock.

Check out the 2012 Skyline DJ4 and DJ5 or the USA Series Signature 4, were confident your Jones will be satisfied!

For more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.com Lakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLC

Darryl Jones Loves Kil

ler Tone


ler Tone


ler Tone


ler Tone


ler Tone


ler Tone


ler Tone


ler Tone


ler ToneThe 2012

Darryl Jones Sign

ature Basses

Lakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCLakland is a registered trademark of Lakland Guitars, LLCFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.comFor more information and a complete product line, please visit Lakland.com


MiTCh GALLAGhERS latest book is Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar Sound. He is the former Editor in Chief of EQ magazine. In addition to being a writer, he is a freelance recording engineer/pro-ducer/mastering engineer, teaches music business and audio recording at Indiana

University/Purdue University, and is Sweetwaters Editorial Director. www.mitchgallagher.com

GiGGinG & RECORDinG > gUITAR TRACkS

ADDRESSinG hOME-STuDiO huMS BY mitch gallagher

Ive received a flurry of questions from readers lately, so for this months column, I thought Id share my responses to a hand-ful of them in hopes that we can all learn together!

Hi Mitch,Im a Premier Guitar subscriber and enjoy your columns. In a past column about problem sources of noise [Silence is Golden, November 2011], you mentioned the following as a potential culprit:

You! Weve all experienced how the noise a guitar produces drops dramati-cally as soon as you firmly make con-tact with the strings. This is because the strings are grounded to the ampli-fier. Most players assume that when you touch the strings, you ground the guitar. But this is backwardyour body functions as an antenna, picking up noise. When you touch the strings (assuming the strings are grounded internally), the noise from your body is dumped to ground.

This issue just recently became more severe than it had been in only one location in my house. I usually keep an amp in my bedroom and various other amps in the rec room, but only the bedroom has this issueso Im guessing there is more RFI in the area. To help remedy the situation, I bought an Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger, which works pretty well, but I was wondering if you had any other tips for one to keep their body from being such an effective antenna. Regards,Jeff

Hi Jeff,There isnt much you can do about your biological antenna. The usual solution is the string ground in the guitar, but the Hum Debugger and other noise reduction systems such as the Rocktron Hush will work well in many situations. The only other solution I can think of is to build a Faraday cage around your bedroombasically a huge, grounded shield that encompasses the entire room not very practical for most studios!

Certain locations may indeed have more airborne noise than others, as youve found with your bedroom versus your rec room. Sometimes, simply turning your amp or

guitaror yourselfin a different direction can also help reduce noise.

Hi Mitch,In my modest home studio, I have an Mbox 2 interface, which is connected via USB to a Dell laptop running Pro Tools LE. I have pretty good luck micing guitar cabinets and acoustic guitars, microphones on vocals are okay, and my drums are all plug-ins. The trouble I have is getting a direct signal from a bass rig even though the setup is relatively simple: bass guitar to preamp, and XLR output to the Mbox. I hear a high-pitched buzzing with irregular pops and snaps, so my current conclusion is that Im getting hard-drive interference.

I purchased a Radial JPC for running a PC sound-card output into a mixer, hoping that it would also remove the hard-drive noise. When engaging the ground lift on the JPC, there is a noticeable improvement, but the noise is still there.

Im going to try moving some of the equipment aroundincluding getting the PC farther from the Mboxwith the thought being it could be a proximity issue. Another idea (although extreme) is to replace the current, standard hard drive with a solid-state drive that has no moving parts.Regards,Charles

Hi Charles,Based on your email, if I had to guess, I sus-pect that your bass is picking up noise from somewhere. What I would do is work through the problem using the process of elimination, by substituting new cables and pieces of gear to find the source. From your description, the problem arises when the bass is plugged innot when youre using microphonesso that should be your starting point.

If you can, try a different bass. Also, try moving the bass away from the computer since pickups will sometimes pick up noise from computer monitors and other gear (such as hard drives). It may help to move the Mbox farther from the computer, but I suspect the real culprit is your bass or the cable you use to connect it to the system.

It could be that you have a ground loop with your bass rig, since engaging the ground lift on the Radial DI reduces the noise. Id also try running your laptop on battery powerrather than plugging it into see if that helps.

Hi Mitch,Im currently trying to put together a simple bedroom studio setup, and as a music stu-dent, my main use of this rig will be for arrangements. What I have in mind so far is an M-Audio Fast Track C400 (which comes bundled with Pro Tools SE software) to record my bass and guitar, and an Avid KeyStudio for a MIDI controller.

I dont know what to get for speakers or headphones. And I havent considered a microphone yet, since my priority is to record the guitar and bass. I just want to be able to record whatever idea I have and get decent sound quality. I was told that Logic works the best for arrangers, but since Im a PC user, I decided that Pro Tools SE would be good enough. Ive checked my computer specs and it meets all the requirements for the software.

Do you have any recommendations, or am I at least on the right track?Thank you!Derek

Hello Derek,Yes, I think you are on a good track and Pro Tools SE will be fine to get you started. As you progress, you might also look at Cakewalk SONAR or Steinberg Cubase, which have a lot of nice virtual instruments and MIDI/scoring features that can help with arranging and composing.

I would choose a good all-around micro-phone. A Shure SM57 dynamic microphone works well for guitar and bass. And when its time to record acoustic instruments or vocals, a condenser microphone would be a good investment.

And for speakers, a good set of powered studio monitors, such as those from M-Audio, Alesis, Samson, Focal, Mackie, KRK, or the many other manufacturers, would pair nicely with the C400.

Thats it for this time, faithful readers. If you have questions, send them via my web-site. Who knows, you may find your ques-tion answered in an upcoming column!

Ibanez GuitarsOfficial Ibanez Guitars@Ibanez_USAOfficial Ibanez Guitars USA

.com

The guitar builder for the giants of jazz, Ibanez now introduces ARTSTAR, to answer the needs of the working professional player. Crafted from specially selected tone woods, ARTSTAR guitars feature a bone nut, ebony ngerboard, hand-rolled frets and Ibanezs famous Super 58 pickups capable of tone magic any place between jazz-clean all the way to blues dirty.

IF YOURE AIMING HIGH, IBANEZ HAS AN ARTSTAR FOR YOU[ ]

What does one of Jazz guitars biggest names think about ARTSTAR? Player extraordinare Mark Whitfield renders his opinion. Video at ibanez.com or scan the QR code.

Hollow Bodies Of the Highest OrderI N T R O D U C I N G A R T S T A R [ ]


tech tips > State of the Stomp

pete celi is the DSP Engineer at Strymon.

What Does a peDal sounD like? BY Pete Celi

Unlike a tree falling in the woods, a pedal wont make a sound unless an amplifier is there to amplify it. (If no one is there to hear the amplifier, thats a differ-ent philosophical discussion entirely.) This may seem a bit obvious, but when we talk of a pedals tone we need to discuss it in the context of a particular rig. This is par-ticularly relevant when discussing overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals.

In a typical rig, the signal goes from guitar to pedals to amplifier. As the last item in the chain, the amplifier has a great deal of say in the matter of tone. Your amp acts as a master-ing suite to your pedals, complete with EQ and dynamics, and the results can vary great-lynot only from amp to amp, but within a single amp, depending on the control settings.

When you run your guitar through a dirt pedal, harmonics are generated as the signal gets distorted. Higher gain or more distor-tion results in more harmonics. With more harmonics, the tone of your amplifier becomes more dominant. To make some sense of this, lets look at playing an A power chord with no dirt. After the initial strum, the strings natural vibration quickly decays to a few harmonics that are much quieter than the fundamental frequencies, which would be 110 Hz and 165 Hz. There would be no appreciable harmonic content above 1 kHz in your clean power chord, so your amplifiers response at 2 kHz doesnt matter. That same power chord, after running through a fuzz box, will contain a host of appreciable harmonics that extend well beyond 2 kHz, making your amplifiers response at 2 kHz very important.

Overdrive pedals have lower gain than fuzz pedalshence fewer harmonicsbut many still have distinctive EQ properties. The low frequencies are reduced before clipping for a tighter low end, and the high frequencies are reduced after the clip-ping to create a smoother overdrive. This creates a characteristic mid hump, which is really a high and low trough. Not coinci-dentally, many Fender blackface amps have a scooped clean tone, lacking in strong mids, but full of strong lows and sparkling highs. This clean response makes for great chords and rhythm tones, but can be on the thin side for soulful blues soloing. When an overdrive with the mid hump is added for soloing, its a match made in blues heaven. This same overdrive in front of a mid-heavy amp may be less satisfying.

Similarly, fuzz pedals that have an extended high- and low-frequency response were originally paired up with Marshall amps that had a famously strong midrange. Place this same fuzz pedal in front of the bright channel of a Fender blackface amp and it might sound thin or buzzy. So when you talk about the tone of your pedal, youre also talking about your amplifiers tonestack frequency response, output trans-former, speaker, feedback topology, and more. Early dirt pedal designs were made to purposely complement the tonal char-acteristics of a particular amp. While many newer dirt pedals allow for a higher degree of tone sculpting, they are still subject to variation based on the amplifier they are running into.

So how do you decide what dirt pedal is right for your amp? Generally, the right pedal will have a strong frequency response in areas that your amp is lacking, and vice versa. Ultimately, this is best determined by trial and error. Borrow a friends pedal to see how it sounds in your rig, or get sugges-tions from people who have the same amp as you. If you try out a pedal in a store, try to play through the same amp that you have. As always, youre the final judge on tone. Have fun playing in the dirt!

Distorting a guitar signal generates more harmonics. With more harmon-ics, your ampli-fiers inherent tone becomes more dominant.

For years, guitar legends Jimmy Page, Frank Zappa, Brian May, Steve Vai, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, and John Petrucci have depended on Eventide. Now, the legendary Eventide sound can be yours with effects

carefully selected from Eventides catalog of boundary-smashing effects, used on hit after hit for over forty years. Check out Eventide stompboxes at eventide.com, or visit your local Eventide dealer.

Studio quality effects made stompbox simple. What are you waiting for?

STEP UP

EVENTIDE.COM

Eventide and Harmonizer are registered trademarks of Eventide Inc. 2011 Eventide Inc.

NewReverb and Beyond

Harmonizer Modulation Twin Delay

Introducing

BLACKHOLE

Native Plug-in!

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Eventide-STOMPBOXES_AD_native_HiRes.pdf 1 12/9/11 7:26 PM


jol Dantzig is a noted designer, builder, and player who co-founded Hamer Guitars, one of the first boutique guitar brands, in 1973. Today, as the director of Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to help define the art of custom guitar. To learn more, visit guitardesigner.com.

tech tips > eSoterica electrica

private Domain: the sounD ethics laboratory BY jol dantzig

When Led Zeppelin appropriated tunes like Babe Im Gonna Leave You and Whole Lotta Love, some peo-pleincluding the original authorscalled it stealing. True enough, Jake Holmes 1967 composition and recording of Dazed and Confused predated Zeppelins version by two years. Although Holmes settled out of court with Jimmy Page after filing suit, oth-ers like Willie Dixonwith the same axe to grindhave been awarded back royalties and are now credited on Zep albums.

Plagiarism, whether intentional or not, has always been part of the music land-scape. In fact, the idea of a traditional folk song is itself a tradition. And verbatim borrowing has been taken to new heights with the ease afforded by digital sampling and manipulationsome of the biggest songs of the last two decades have employed the cutting and pasting of previous hits. The issue is more than just credit due. Its a financial one that hinges on the interpreta-tion of copyright law. And as sung by Liz Phair in her song Shitloads of Money, Its nice to be liked, but its better by far to get paid.

In the world of mechanics and tech-nology, a system or practical idea can be protected from unauthorized use by a pat-ent, which is different from a copyright or trademark. So what happens when a musical instrument, effects pedal, or amplifier effectively clones a sound identi-fied with a particular manufacturer? Weve all seen modeling amps with tongue-in-

cheek setting names that hint or outright point to their influence and origin. Is it stealing or merely flattery? Certainly, if a product used a competitors trade name to describe a setting, it would be a case of trademark violation. But what about the actual sound itself?

This has all come to an even more com-plex debate with the arrival of new elec-tronics that are able to analyze and mimic existing equipment on demand. And this new technology has provided a way for

touring acts to consolidate their backlines in order to shave down shipping costs and reduce complexity onstage. Players like Brad Paisley, John Mayer, and Joe Bonamassa appear onstage with a veritable guitar shop of amps in order to deliver the sounds they need for performance. The setup time alone is a factor, not to mention the wear and tear on vintage equipment. So why gig with four or five different amps, cabinets, and a slew of effects pedals when it can all be copied into a single box in a few hours time?

All of this begs a seemingly simple question: Be it a guitar, amp, or effect, is it thievery to duplicate a sound? In the world of fragrance, a similar debate has raged in European courts for decades. Perfume giants like Lancme and Gaultier have sought legal remedies against clone products with varying results. In the case of scent, it can be argued that every individuals olfactory reaction can be dif-ferent and subjective. On the other hand, computer analysis of the actual molecules

can be accomplished. Although there has been little consistency in court outcomes, this sort of intellectual property litigation is clearly becoming more frequent in areas that were previously somewhat immune. It wouldnt be hard to look at a breakdown of an amplifiers sonic signature and then com-pare it to another.

What this means going forward for instrument builders is anybodys guess. New technologies open one door and unintend-ed opportunities and consequences shadow them right over the threshold. Can we imagine a time when the Les Paul sound is protected by law? Will SWAT teams with sound-sniffing technology rush your bar-gig stage some day? It shouldnt surprise you if there are attorneys already working on this right now.

Todays increasingly sophisticated technology is making it easier and easier to identically dupli-cate the sound of a particular manufacturers instrument, amp, or effect. Once cloned, who then really owns the produced sound?

Some of the biggest songs of the last two decades have employed the cutting and pasting of previous hits.

CM

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K


tech tips > acouStic Soundboard

mark Dalton is a founding part-ner of Huss & Dalton Guitar Company. When not building guitars, Mark and his wife, Kimberly, tend to the draft horses and mules that inhabit their farm in the Piedmont region of Virginia.

Designing anD orDering a custom guitar, pt. 2 BY Mark dalton

In my previous column [Designing and Ordering a Custom Guitar, Pt. 1, December 2012], we began discussing the initial steps and process of having a guitar custom built. We talked about choosing a dealer or individual builder, determining the best body shape and size for your needs, and selecting the size and shape of the neck that will be most comfortable for you. This month, lets take a look at the next step in the process: choosing the woods.

body Wood SelectionSo much has already been written on this subject that Id barely be able to scratch the surface even if I had 10 pages to do it. What Ill do is keep it brief and general in scope by listing some commonand not so commonwoods, and provide rough characterizations of their tonal properties. Remember, nothing compares to your own ear as the best device in helping with your selection. So, get out and play a bunch of guitars before making your choice!

Indian rosewood provides warm tone with lots of sustain. The tonal characteristics of this wood will back vocals very well, but can lack in note separation and hinder lead playing. Good-quality Indian rosewood is readily available and its a very stable wood over the long haul.

Cocobolo is our favorite, exotic rosewood these days. It has all of the same properties as Indian rosewood, but with an added reverb effect thats similar to Brazilian rosewood. Brazilian, as many of us know, is in such short supply now that it doesnt warrant further description. But if you want Brazilian tone from a guitar that you can own without hav-ing to take a second mortgage on your home, cocobolo might be a good choice for you.

Honduran rosewood is another good Brazilian substitute and is extremely dense, which results in a very glassy and treble-heavy tone. It will produce a lot of volume, but can sound a bit harsh, especially when paired with a dense top-wood such as Appalachian red spruce. Honduran rose-wood is also prone to cracking.

Mahogany is less warm, but more woody than Indian rosewood. Notes die-off faster, which creates better separation for leads, and mids and trebles are clearer. While Honduras is no longer the main country of origin, mahogany is still readily available. And though some mahoganies are a little

softer than what we used to use, this just makes them a bit harder to work with and wont have much affect on your guitars tone.

Walnut may very well be our favorite mahogany-style back and side wood. With tonal properties very similar to mahoga-nybut with just a bit more darkness to the tonewalnut is a great in-between choice if neither rosewood nor mahogany quite floats your boat.

Koa is certainly hard to beat for sheer beauty, and there is still a bit of it available thats very nice. Koas tone is very mahog-any-like, with just a touch more sustain in the treble register.

Australian/Tasmanian blackwood is pretty much the same thing as koa, only its not grown in Hawaii. It looks very similar to koa, provides virtually the same tone, and is less expensive.

top WoodsThe soundboard certainly plays a major role in determining the overall tone of an acous-tic guitar, so lets take a look at the variety of top woods, running from some softer options to the harder and denser.

Western red cedar is a very responsive tone-wood with a broad tonal spectrum. Though its mostly prized for fingerstyle playing, Western red cedar will take a light flatpick very well. The main drawbacks are its soft-nessmaking it prone to scratching and denting easilyand its low-volume ceiling.

Redwood has all the volume and response of cedar, with a bit more insofar as the volume ceiling. Redwoods dark, red-brown color is very attractive, but this wood can be hard to find.

Engelmann spruce is commonly used as a top wood on guitars built for fingerstyle and light flatpick playing. Engelmann will break up tonally if played too hard, but not as quickly as cedar. Its common drawback is the occurrence of run out, which causes a visual light/dark effect, depending on the direction from which youre looking at the top. This is mostly a cosmetic issue, however, caused by the small size of Engelmann trees.

Sitka spruce is probably the most com-monly used top wood and is said to have the best of all tonal worlds. This can also mean, though, that its a middle-of-the-road top wood, and may not exactly meet specific needs. If you strictly play fingerstyle, you may want to go with one of the aforemen-tioned woods, and if you plan on plowing away with a heavy flatpick, you may want to consider a European or Appalachian spruce. But if youre looking for a versatile guitar that you can play in many styles and settings, Sitka may be the ticket.

Alpine/European spruce has Sitkas head-room for hard playing, but also has the responsiveness of a cedar or redwood. In the interest of space, Im lumping Alpine and European together, but most of this type of spruce weve been using lately is com-ing from the Italian Alps. Its currently my favorite top wood, and the only downside is the price tag.

Appalachian red spruce, commonly referred to as Adirondack spruce, is the granddaddy of them all. Before it was severely logged out during World War II, it was the tonewood of choice for the iconic, pioneering guitar builders. The headroom (aka volume ceiling) on this stuff is off the charts, but its also quite responsive to softer playing styles. An expensive option, the other downside is cosmetics because the red spruce available today is often wider in grain and less sheet white in color than some other high-end top woods.

So weve covered body woods in a whirl-wind sort of way this month. Next column, Ill talk about bi

premier guitar march 2013

Documents