Guitar Player articles from April 2003

Guitar Player archives from April 2003

The reinvention reflex. (Soundhole).(musical innovation)
April 1, 2003... The creative dichotomy between musician and musical caretaker tap danced across my ego as I was interviewing Kinski's Chris Martin for this month's "Buzz Box" (p. 28). His belief that no one can bring anything original to the pop-song structure...

Johnny Marr. (Feedback).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... I enjoyed the incisive interview, with dynamic guitarist Johnny Marr [Feb. 03]. His sterling riffs and unique sound were integral to the incomparable music of the Smiths. Marr's stellar contributions to Electronic, the The, and Pet Shop Boys...

Something for everyone. (Feedback).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Thank you so much for featuring bands like Good Charlotte and Taking Back Sunday [Feb. '03]. Good Charlotte has been my favorite band for years, and it's great to finally see an intelligent article on their music from a guitar magazine instead...

Carlos Santana. (Feedback).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Mr. Santana, don't worry, we would know you anywhere, whether you were playing through a Dumble, Boogie, or Silvertone. And you go to your room for inspiration and play with Coltrane and John Lee Hooker and come back with... Michelle Branch...

Oops! (Feedback).(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2003... In our February 2003 issue we accidently omitted a photo credit of Polara on page 50. This great live shot was taken by Jim Steinfeldt. Our apologies! Also, in our February piece on Guild's "Anniversary Party" on page 28, we got the town...

Fretwire. (Input/Output).
April 1, 2003... It was 1903 when W.C. Handy--now considered the "Father of the Blues"--was waiting for a train in Tutwiler, Mississippi, and witnessed a man playing "the weirdest music [he] had ever heard." This event ushered in Handy's dedication to the form...

Will Ray's eBay strategies. (Auction Block).(guitars)
April 1, 2003... AUCTION ITEM: Jay Turser JT-136 WINNING BID: $295 Okay, I know what some of you are thinking: "What was he doing bidding on a no-name guitar?" Well, truth be told, I love finding cheap guitars that play and sound great. This is basically a...

Songcraft: John Doe.
April 1, 2003... As a founding member of X, John Doe is a punk-rock pioneer, but he's also a Hollywood actor who has appeared in movies including Salvador and Great Balls of Fire. In addition, he has nurtured a critically acclaimed solo career over the past...

Angels. (Input/Output).(obituaries)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Mickey Finn Another tragedy has cursed the T. Rex legacy, as percussionist Finn, 55, allegedly succumbed to kidney and liver problems on January 11. Other tragic T. Rex incidents include frontman Marc Bolan's fatal auto accident (1977),...

Slash. (Encore).
April 1, 2003... Few rock groups have garnered as much hype as Guns N' Roses in their prime, but Slash emerged in black leathers from the fog of GN'R chaos and myth to sit down with Andy Ellis for our Dec. '91 issue. They spent hours talking guitar,...

1956 Gretsch White Falcon & 1958 White Penguin. (George Gruhn's Rare Bird).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In their day, the hollowbody White Falcon and solidbody White Penguin were the top of the Gretsch line. The Penguin--as is typical of Gretsch's other '50s-era "solidbodies"--is actually heavily routed underneath the top, making it, in reality,...

Lifehouse. (Studio Log).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Tracking "Wash" Album: Stanley Climbfall [Dreamworks] by Lifehouse. Guitarist: Jason Wade. (Co-guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme joined the group during the mixing sessions for the album.) Guitars: '66 cherry Gibson ES-335 and '85...

Winter NAMM 2003. (Industry Insider).(National Association of Music Manufacturers)
April 1, 2003... You know the score--the twice-yearly NAMM show is one of the biggest candy stores a musician could ever wish for. This year s Winter meeting--held January 16-19 at the Anaheim, California, convention center (next to Disneyland)--was a massive...

Kinski. (Buzz Bin).(rock band)
April 1, 2003... "I was so bored and frustrated with the rock format that I even stopped playing for two years," says Kinski guitarist Chris Martin. "You hear pop tunes your whole life, and pretty soon you get to the point where you say, `I've heard enough!'...

New gear.(guitarists)(Advertisement)
April 1, 2003... 1. KENDRICK The set-neck Canary electric ($3,295) from Kendrick has a handcarved Brazilian canary-wood top, a Honduran mahogany body and neck, and a nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Standard features include a belly-cut back, an ivory nut, a...

Soul searching: Susan Tedeschi takes her blues uptown.
April 1, 2003... The last few years have been intense for Susan Tedeschi. After her debut album, Just Won't Burn, went gold, the Telewielding blues belter suddenly found herself opening for Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers, John Mellencamp, and B.B. King. A...

Solo to duo: habitual soloist Leo Kottke teams up with bassist Mike Gordon.
April 1, 2003... "When I first met [Phish bassist] Mike Gordon, he played me a tape of my song `Driving of the Year Nail,'" says acoustic legend Leo Kottke. "He added a bass part to the song, but because it was a tune I was disgusted with at the time, I didn't...

Fire starter: [Joe Strummer 1952-2002].
April 1, 2003... As a guitarist, Joe Strummer certainly wasn't flash. But technical gymnastics aside, few players could match the supreme cool of Strummer in full yowl with a Telecaster hanging low across his lightning-bolt body. That image is as iconic as...

Triple threat: Deke Dickerson scores a roots rock trifecta.
April 1, 2003... "The rockabilly label is a real double-edged sword," says roots rock mainstay Deke Dickerson. "The good thing about it is, rockabilly fans are without question the most hardcore, most devoted followers of any music in the entire world. But on...

The eternal return: once again, Lindsey Buckingham gets pulled back into Fleetwood Mac. (Cover Story).
April 1, 2003... It's fair to say that Fleetwood Mac probably would never have achieved such mega success had it not been for Lindsey Buckingham. Not to marginalize guitarists Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer, or Bob Welch--all of whom contributed immensely to...

Chromatic crazy: Duke Robillard cracks the code for Beatnick Blues.
April 1, 2003... As the sound of a wailing sax echoes off the grimy brick buildings along Printer's Alley--home to several of Nashville's most notorious strip clubs--several tourists pause and squint into the neon-lit darkness, hoping to pinpoint the music's...

The harp. (Chops).(guitar)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... FEW CHORD VOICINGS have a more alluring sound than closed-position chords. This is because closed voicings often feature closely stacked intervals of seconds and thirds, resulting in a magical jangle. Unfortunately, though these dreamy clusters...

Hot guitarist alert! (Chops).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Name: Marcio Falchet Home Base: Sao Paulo, Brazil Like Paganini plugged into a marshall half-stack, Marcio Falchet plays neo-classical solos with such scorching speed and intensity it's a wonder the neck on his Fender Strat doesn't...

Blue sixths. (Chops).
April 1, 2003... CHANCES ARE WHEN Jimi Hendrix was playing timeless blues intros like the one presented in Ex. 1--which is similar to the opening notes of "Red House"--he wasn't consciously thinking, "I'm now fretting the interval of a major sixth for two beats...

II-V-I survival tips. (Chops).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... THE II-V-I IS PROBABLY the most beloved turnaround of the last 100 years, and because it's a staple of virtually every type of popular music--not just jazz, but also R&B, pop, rock, and country--it's useful to have at least a handful of snazzy...

Flashback: Liona Boyd.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Go ahead--try to find a cooler way to descend melodically down the fretboard than the one presented in the musical example below. "This comes from `Flight of the Phoenix,' a composition written for me by Richard Fortin," explained Liona Boyd in...

Al Kooper & Mike Bloomfield.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes 12/13/68 Michael Bloomfield records fall into two distinct categories: the rad and the rank. The former includes two exhilarating albums with Paul Butterfield (Paul Butterfield Blues Band and...

Carl Weingarten.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Escapesilence On Escapesilence, guitarist Carl Weingarten forgoes the ambient electronic soundscapes and percussion-fueled world-fusion forays characteristic of his last few CDs, and instead opts for a sparser and mostly acoustic approach....

Alaska.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Emotions A record that walks you through a gamut of feels and moods without leaving you befuddled as to the band's sound is a beautiful thing. Emotions is full of well-crafted pop with all the rough edges left intact--very refreshing in a...

Charlie Hunter Quintet.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Right Now Move If you've never heard or seen Charlie Hunter play guitar and bass simultaneously on a custom-built eight-string, you owe it to yourself to check him out. Although Hunter studied with Joe Satriani while still a teen, his...

Jeff Parker.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Like-Coping Those familiar with Jeff Parker through his work with such experimental improv collectives as Tortoise, Isotope 217, and Chicago Underground may be surprised by the classic jazz tones that permeate his new solo album. Most of...

King Sunny Ade.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... The Best of the Classic Years A "king" literally, as well as in name, singer/guitarist King Sunny Ade has been recording and performing since the mid-'60s. Recognized worldwide as a master of Nigerian ju ju music, Ade reached a plateau of...

Ministry.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Animositisomina Listen up. Ministry are back, and they ain't happy. The band that brought industrial metal to the masses (and paved the way for Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Static X, and scores of others) is out to prove a...

Quick hits.(rock releases)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Buddy Miller, Midnight and Lonesome. Miller's latest home-brewed release offers a simmering blend of country, bluegrass, and vibey rural textures. Listening to this deep, soulful album makes it easy to understand why so many artists call on...

Bert Jansch.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Edge of a Dream When Bert Jansch released his eponymous first album in 1965, it turned the British folk scene on its ear. Jansch not only brought a flesh and exciting approach to acoustic guitar playing, his compositions fundamentally and...

Jing Chi.(Sound Recording Review)
April 1, 2003... Jing Chi They play more in jazz clubs than they do at big, outdoor festivals headlined by the likes of Phish or the Other Ones--and there may be a distinct lack of twirling hippies at their shows--but, musically, Jing Chi is as great a jam...

Africa.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Banning Eyre One way to unlock a world of inspiring approaches to riffs and melodies is to spend a year or so traveling across Africa, immersing yourself in the continent's exciting electric and acoustic guitar styles. But before you...

Temples of Sound.(Book Review)
April 1, 2003... By Jim Cogan and William Clark Inspiration, technique, and delivery are essential when an artist dives into the churning rapids of creation, but no one would ever hear an end product if the creator didn't walk into a recording studio and...

Dan Erlewine's Guitar Shop.(Audiovisual Review)
April 1, 2003... Maintenance & Setup/Electric Guitars & Basses, Vol. 1 and 2 With this excellent, two-DVD set by master guitar repairman Dan Erlewine, you can learn how to keep your electric guitar or bass in top playing form night after night. Step up to...

Cort M1200. (Bench Tests).(guitar)
April 1, 2003... Though Cart has long been synonymous with budget guitars, the company has elevated its status considerably in recent years with a series of high-end models that bear the signatures of pros such as Larry Coryell, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Joe Beck,...

Marshall MODE FOUR. (Bench Tests).
April 1, 2003... The MODE FOUR ($1,699 retail/$1,199 street), Marshall's latest pro stage amp, is a hybrid (tube/solid-state) design that is intended to deliver maximum low-end rumble with detuned and 7-string guitars. While massive grind is its specialty, the...

Taylor NS62ce and NS72ce. (Bench Tests).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... In the 1850s, the Spanish luthier Antonio de Torres created the template for today's 6-string classical guitar. Since then, generations of luthiers have refined his brilliant design in an effort to enhance a concert guitar's volume, projection,...

Victoria Victorilux. (Bench Tests).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... One of the coolest things about being in the boutique amp biz is that you have license to build whatever you can dream. Free from the drag-ola of having to convince some CEO that your new design will change the world, you can simply cherry pick...

Automagic Silver Machine wah. (Pedal File).
April 1, 2003... The Automagic Silver Machine ($360 retail/S298 street) is one wicked wah. Made in Germany, and distributed in the States by Godlyke, it incorporates some of the best innovations of recent top-shelf wahs while turning a few tricks of its own....

Kendrick Black Gold 5. (Field Tests).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Lets face it, when you think practice amp, you usually don't envision a handwired, boutique machine. But Kendrick is looking to change that with the Black Gold 5 ($1,295 retail/street N/A), a point-to-point-wired, 5-watt combo with a single...

Burns Brian May Signature. (Field Tests).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Players who tag the Brian May Signature ($1,125 retail/$799 street) as a "tribute tool" for Queen zealots are missing out on one heel of a tone machine. Sure, the look is an unmistakable rendering of May's legendary Red Special, but close your...

Line 6 PODxt. (Field Tests).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The PODxt ($549 retail/$399 street) significantly upgrades the original POD (reviewed May '99) with better sounds (based on Line 6's flagship Vetta amp and popular modeling pedals), second generation mic/cabinet models, and a USB port (although...

Kinal Traveler acoustic KTP. (Field Tests).(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... Looking a bit like a Weissenborn that got too close to a heater, the Traveler ($595 retail/street N/A) is actually a full-sized, steelstring acoustic designed for musicians on the go. It features a 24"-scale mahogany neck, 16 frets, and...

Hopf Explorer standard. (Pawnshop Prize).
April 1, 2003... The Hopf company of West Germany got a boost in notoriety when the Star Club of Hamburg featured its Saturn G3 model in some of its mid-'60s advertisements. The choice probably had more to do with the instrument's name, though, as Hopf's...