Guitar Player articles from April 2009

Guitar Player archives from April 2009

Noize from the editor.(effect of the United States economy on the publishing industry)(Editorial)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I DIDN'T REALLY LEARN ABOUT THE FUTILITY of panic until I played high school football. As perhaps the shortest quarterback in the league, I discovered that if I panicked in a collapsing pocket, I'd do something...

Letter of the month.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... Here I am thinking about cutting some things out due to these trying economic times, and the February 2009 issue arrives. How did you guys know my subscription was up for renewal? Gary, Eddie, Scotty, and even a short piece on Pat Trevers. What...

February is for lovers.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... As I approached my mailbox, I noticed the faint sounds of feedback coming from inside. Upon opening it, I was hit with the crunch of Metallica, the cool sounds of Jim Hall, the rock and roll of Scotty Moore, the stinging blues of Gary Moore,...

More Moore.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... Ahhh, a vacation day with my new Guitar Player mag. I had just settled down for a short winter's read when I came to the article on Scotty Moore, a true biography of a person and a time. A few pages later, there was Gary Moore. Could I have...

Gods of metal?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... In the February issue, you kept referring to Metallica as the "gods of metal." Everyone does, but Slipknot are the true gods of metal. Okay, Metallica might have been good before, but now they are the worst metal band I have ever heard. Nothing...

Vacuous scale-jockeys.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... From the recent Metallica issue (February 2009), in response to the gentleman from Seattle's description of Satriani, Holdsworth (OMG, Holdsworth!), and Eric Johnson as being "vacuous scalejockeys" whilst applauding a list of "musical...

A band by any other name ....(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2009... I really enjoyed the David Cook article in the Riffs section of the January issue, as Cook was one of very few American Idol contestants that actually played some guitar in the competition. But the author Jude Gold is the real prophet here....

Oops!(FEEDBACK)(Correction notice)
April 1, 2009... The January 2009 Master Class with Andy Timmons, failed to mention that Timmons' signature model Ibanez AT100 guitars each feature a signature model Andy Timmons DiMarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge position.

Al Di Meola on getting beyond fusion.(RIFFS)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fusion giant Al Di Meola's acoustic chops have always blown minds, whether as a solo artist on his groundbreaking mid-'70s releases, or on his legendary collaborations with fellow monsters John McLaughlin and Paco De...

Derwin "Big D" Perkins on the right stuff.(RIFFS)(guitarist's views on using low-budget musical instruments)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... If you caught New Orleans pianist Jon Cleary's band pre-Katrina, you saw guitarist Derwin "Big D" Perkins wielding a Squier Stratocaster straight into a Fender Frontman 65R amp. Whether synchronizing octaver-tight funk lines with bassist...

Vlad Gheorghiu on being the opener.(RIFFS)(guitarist's views on being the opening act in a concert)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Guitarist Vlad Gheorghiu and his band, Jet Lag, Gemini, just finished a tour in support of their album Fire the Cannons. They played to packed houses every night, partly because they were opening for the All-American Rejects. Here, Gheorghiu...

Cooder anthologizes Cooder.(RIFFS)(Ry Cooder's son Joachim produces the sound recording "The UFO Has Landed: The Ry Cooder Anthology")(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BESIDES WORKING WITH HIS "BOP-TILL-you-drop" pop on the senior Cooder's last several records, drummer and composer Joachim Cooder produced the new double-disc The UFO Has Landed: The Ry Cooder Anthology [Rhino]. "I...

Tab Benoit on right and wrong.(RIFFS)(guitarist's views on recording blues music)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... "There are no bad notes when you're speaking from your heart," says Cajun blues ace Tab Benoit. "You might find things that don't fit theoretically if you write it out, but when you listen to the music as a whole and get the overall feeling of...

The Refugees on songwriting.(RIFFS)(the band's views on their songwriting process)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE REFUGEES ARE A TRIUMVIRATE OF Grammy-nominated singer-songwriters that banded together in 2007. Deborah Holland (guitar, bass, accordion) partnered with Stewart Copeland and Stanley Clarke in Animal Logic, and...

Hall & Frisell on ArtistShare.(RIFFS)(Jim Hall and Bill Frisell's views about the record company ArtistShare)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Breaking down the wall between the artist and the fan has been the foundation of ArtistShare's business model, and we have found that artists do some of their best work when that wall is broken down:' says the...

Ron Asheton: 1948-2009.(RIFFS)(In memoriam)
April 1, 2009... AS GUITARISTS AND guitar fans, we are often confronted with the issues of refinement and brute force. And, as only the rarest of talents can convincingly juggle magnificent chops and thuggish aggression, the rest of us are typically confronted...

Your own private audio: Sennheiser system personalizes Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex.(RIFFS)(personalized audio receivers used at New York's new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN YOU GENUFLECT IN FRONT OF JEFF BECK'S STRIPPED, Rough and Ready-era Strat at New York's new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, the sounds of "Beck's Bolero" will be pumping through...

Robert Cray on the unexpected.(RIFFS)(guitarist's views on playing in a band)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IT'S FUN TO PLAY SOMETHING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SONG--PAUSE FO R A SECOND--AND THEN hit a note that doesn't seem to fit," says blues stalwart Robert Cray. "I'm trying to take people somewhere with the song, and I'm...

Editor boy's big eight.(RIFFS: Web Hordes)(evaluation of online songs made by amateur musicians)
April 1, 2009... GUITAR PLAYER INVITES all D.I.Y. artists and bands to share their guitar skills with our reader community. This opportunity is open to all MySpace musicians, or to any player/band with a Web site that has their music posted. All you have to do...

GP exclusive: unreleased Di Meola Tune!(RIFFS)(handwritten chart by guitarist Al Di Meola)(Musical work)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... This chart, handwritten by Signore Di Meola himself, is for an unreleased gem that you can hear when the Al Di Meola World Sinfonia tour hits your town. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Washburn Guitars: D49SPK.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Acoustic guitar. WHY Limited Edition Rare Wood Series guitar with certificate of authenticity. SPECS Spalted maple top and spalted maple back and sides. Rosewood fretboard and Grover Exclusive Ebonite Button...

South Wave Audio Corporation: Imagine Overdrive.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... WHAT Overdrive pedal. WHY Offers transparent overdrive without altering the feel or tone of your amp. SPECS Bass and treble controls are specifically voiced to complement the guitar. A Cut control allows you to custom tune the pedal to match...

Carr Amplifiers: Raleigh.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... WHAT 1x10 tube combo amp. WHY Compact, ideal for home and studio. SPECS 3 watts. Two 12AX7s, one ELB4. Eminence Lil' Buddy hempcone 10" speaker. Volume, Tone, Gain/Master Toggle Switch, Master Volume controls. In black or custom color cabinet...

Hottie Amplifiers Inc.: Hottie Pickups.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Humbucking pickups. WHY Captures the creamy distortion and harmonic complexity of Hottie Amps. SPECS Nickel or chrome covers, Alnico II magnets, wax potting, vintage-correct enamel-coated wire, and...

Lace Music Products: Helix Maya HG01 Guitar.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... WHAT Solidbody electric guitar. WHY Three Lace Alumitone pickups: two single coil versions for the neck and middle, followed by a new Lowboy Alumitone humbucker in the bridge. SPECS 25 1/2" scale, set maple neck with ebony fretboard. Grover...

Ambrosonics MP3: Recording Guitar.(NEW GEAR)(a guitar with a built in digital audio recorder)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Recording guitar. WHY Allows you to record up to eight hours of high-quality digital audio music within the guitar, which can then be transferred to a computer, iPod or other MP3 player via USB. SPECS Quitted...

Sunpickz: Sunpickz.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Specialty guitar picks. WHY Creates a unique sound when the serrated edge is strummed at a slight angle against the strings. SPECS Available in thin and medium gauge Delrin. Each package contains 1 thin and 1...

Brazen Guitars: Fantasy Elite FR.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Solidbody electric guitar. WHY Floyd Rose whammy allows for extreme trem work while the satin finished maple neck gives a fast, smooth platform for shredding. SPECS Mahogany body with a 5/8" AAAA maple cap....

Duck's Deluxe: Nashville Number System Dial A Chord.(NEW GEAR)(instructional material for learning guitar chords)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT system to learn or review the aspects of the Nashville Number System and to learn every chord in every key. WHY For those who want to learn guitar, as well as anyone who wants to review which chords go together....

Cruztools: Groovetech Multi-Tool.(NEW GEAR)(tools used for guitar repairs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT A highly functional and ultra-compact tool set. WHY Provides all the tools needed for basic work--including bridges and truss rods--on most makes and models of guitars. SPECS Seven hex wrenches are provided,...

Xotic Guitars & Effects: Robotalk 2.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Envelope filler. WHY Two independently voiced channels can be preset for different playing styles: slow acoustic-like attack, percussive, high-speed, open-close, and many more. Blend each channel together for...

Levy's Leathers: MG3EP Urban Prints Guitar Straps.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... WHAT Guitar straps. WHY New for 2009, with more original embroidery and printing designs, specs 2 1/2"-wide garment leather, suede backing, and decorative piping. Adjustable from 38" to 53". Also available in extra long (XL), which adds 12" to...

John Frusciante.(FEATURES: Rock)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... WHEN GP LAST SPOKE TO JOHN Frusciante back in 2006, the Red Hot Chili Peppers had recently completed their mega-successful Stadium Arcadium album and were preparing to embark on a world tour. With the tour complete, the guitarist shifted his...

My Ruin.(FEATURES: Metal)(interview with the band My Ruin's guitarist Mick Murphy)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... "WE'RE AN UNDERGROUND BAND," says My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy. "You really have to seek us out. We're not part of any scene, and we're committed to doing our own thing on our own terms. We're not plugged into the big machine trying to become...

Joe Louis Walker.(FEATURES: Blues)(interview with the guitarist)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... FOR ALL THE RECORDING, PERFORMING, AND ALL-AROUND elbow rubbing Joe Louis Walker has done with blues and rock greats throughout the last six decades, his mid-arm joints must be worn down to nubs. From sharing his rehearsal space with Hendrix...

Andy McKee.(FEATURES: Acoustic)(interview with the acoustic guitarist)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... ANDY MCKEE IS LIKELY THE MOST POPULAR acoustic guitarist in cyberspace. The video for his song "Drifting" is approaching a staggering 19 million views on YouTube alone, and he's piled up millions more mouse clicks for numerous other tunes on a...

Vampire weekend.(FEATURES: Pop)(interview with Vampire Weekend's guitarist Ezra Koenig)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN EZRA KOENIG AND THREE CLASSMATES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY got together to form a band in 2006, they were determined that it not sound like "a generic, alternative rock band." Children of the '90s, reared on grunge...

Nile Rodgers.(FEATURES: Funk)(interview with the guitarist and music producer)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... "THE HARRY FOX AGENCY ONCE FIGURED OUT THAT something like two billion dollars worth of music has flowed through this one guitar," says Nile Rodgers. He's talking about "The Hitmaker," the '59/'60-era hard-tail Fender Stratocaster you hear him...

Paul Bollenback.(jazz guitarist's practice)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... DESPITE BEING A LONGTIME STAPLE OF THE NEW YORK JAZZ scene as both bandleader and accompanist--as well as teaching at various institutions--Paul Bollenback has never received his due from the larger jazz-listening public. That may be at least...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?(RANTS & RAVES)(favorite sound recordings of Guitar Player's editors)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... MATT BLACKETT Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti Al Di Meola World Sinfonia, La Melodia Live in Milano George Lynch's Souls of We, Let the Truth Be Known BARRY CLEVELAND D. Rider, Mother of Curses Razi, Rotonava ...

Nels Cline: Coward.(AUDIO)(Sound recording review)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NELS CLINE Coward [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Despite its curious title, the gloriously idiosyncratic guitarist's new solo effort is replete with feats of aesthetic derring-do. Cline plays all of the...

Scraping for Change: 19*6*3.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... SCRAPING FOR CHANGE 19*6*3 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rock bands that rely more on melody and songs--and that are obviously seeking major-label recognition, airplay, and public notoriety--tend to get dismissed by GP readers who, quite...

Dave Fields: All Wound Up.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... DAVE FIELDS All Wound Up [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blues guitarist Dave Fields learned the basics of his craft from his genre-hopping father, Sammy--a jazzer who could also appreciate bubblegum pop--so it's no surprise that All Wound...

Joe Cefalu, Fear Itself.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Great Strat-y tones, nice phrasing, wide-ranging dynamics. That's what you'll get from Cefalu's latest, but you'll also get some kick-ass burning and solid tunes that should appeal to fans of his main influences,...

Stef Burns, World, Universe, Infinity.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Bay Area Beck's soulfully virtuosic Strat playing is showcased within musical contexts ranging from upscale-pop to blues to jazzy rock--including a live version of "Little Wing"--supported by a cast of stellar...

Tony McManus, The Maker's Mark.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Renowned Scottish fingerstylist Tony McManus plays with incredible fluidity and exquisite tone on this collection of Celtic and other tunes. Using a different boutique guitar for each song (supplied by Paul Heumiller...

Thomas Blug Band, Live in Raalte, NL.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the best things ever to happen to the Fender Stratocaster, Thomas Blug blazes on these live instrumentals with astounding vibrato, tone, melodic grace, and compositional intrigue. He soars. Guitarplayer.de

Eric Johnson: Anaheim.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
April 1, 2009... ERIC JOHNSON Anaheim [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Anaheim, CA--the land of strip malls and Disneyland. It is also home to the annual Winter NAMM Show, where tone freaks and gearheads descend each year in search of the piece of equipment...

Working class hero: Joe Bonamassa tells how loud amps, heavy strings, and hard work created his best record ever.(Cover story)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AT A GUITAR MAGAZINE, YOU GET A LOT OF PARENTS PUSHING a tot of would-be guitar star kids in your face--children not even in their teens who can play a Satriani tune or a Stevie Ray Vaughan solo "note-for-note" (they...

Bulletproof jazz: John Pizzarelli details the art of shout-chorus swing.(LESSONS: Master Class)
April 1, 2009... AT A JOHN PIZZARELLI CONCERT, WHAT'S IMMEDIATELY STRIKING is how perfectly everything flows. Relaxed storytelling and engaging banter between songs Lead seamlessly into exciting musical arrangements rife with Chet Baker-like singing, soulful...

Hopscotch harmonies.(guitar playing)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... When it comes to chords and arpeggios, few guitarists branch out of clumpy, close voicings in which all the chord tones reside on adjacent strings (and often within the same octave). Not German Schauss. Here, the Los Angeles guitarist shares a...

Steve Morse's picking perfection.(ADVANCED)(guitar playing tips)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Forget those boring picking exercises that don't sound like music. If you're putting yourself through the hell of plectrum boot camp in hopes of becoming a proficient alternating-picker, dismiss the soulless...

12-Tone fourths & fifths.(guitar playing exercise)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Challenge: Starting on the note A, demonstrate a simple way to tag all 11 other notes once and only once before arriving again at A, one octave up--without just ascending the chromatic scale. Two smart tactics?...

Pedal stealin' with Jim Campilongo.(guitar playing)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... It's no secret that Telecaster master Jim Campilongo loves the sound of pedal steel. You can hear it in his bent notes, which are so twangy and soulful, it almost sounds like his guitar has string-bending pedals attached. "The more I get into...

Open-string zing.(chord progression in guitars)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whenever you hear a chord progression with some serious jangle--such as Jon Buckland's entrancing intro on Coldplay's breakout 2000 single, "Yellow"--there's usually at least one open string involved, and often it's...

7 wah pedals battle in a "wail off".(GEAR: Fight Club)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LIKE SO MANY REDISCOVERED GIZMOS FROM THE LATE '60S, the wah-wah pedal has been elevated to an art form by a wide range of makers eager to reproduce, and even advance upon, the effect. A big part of the earlier...

BBE Wah.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK] THIS PEDAL WAS SHIPPED IN A BOX THAT LOOKS LIKE A CARDBOARD RENDITION of a Chinese tea crate, and carried no model name other than "Wah" and an elegant Chinese character for a word...

Carl Martin 2Wah.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALONG WITH THE MORLEYS, THE 2WAH FROM DANISH MAKER CARL MARTIN is among the most feature-packed of this review. Two slide switches provide three voicing selections each for the Low and High modes, while a rotary knob...

Dunlop: CryBaby BG-95 Buddy Guy Signatures Wah.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALL THREE OF THE LEGENDARY WAH-WAH PEDALS OF THE LATE '60S--THOMAS Organ's original Clyde McCoy Wah-Wah Pedal, the Vox Wah-Wah, and Thomas Organ's slightly later CryBaby--evolved out of the same circuit, but took...

Dunlop: CryBaby EVH-95 Eddie Van Halen Signature Wah Wah.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... THE FACT THAT THERE ARE CURRENTLY SO MANY VARIATIONS ON THE CRYBABY--I count 13 in the Dunlop catalog--speaks volumes for the sonic differences in the original production runs of this classic pedal. Given several "identical" units to choose...

Ernie Ball Wah.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS STRINGS AND ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURER, AND PARENT COMPANY OF MusicMan guitars, has made a name for itself with a line of robust, efficient, smoothly functional volume pedals. Ernie Ball now applies similar...

Morley: George Lynch Dragon 2 Wah.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NOT LONG AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE ORIGINAL VOX AND CRYBABY WAHS, MORLEY established an early template for building a better mousetrap. Its photo-resistor activators did away with potentially noisy and relatively...

Morley: Kiko Loureiro Distortion Wah Volume.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BUILT FOR THE BRAZILIAN POWER-METAL SHREDDER, THE KIKO LOUREIRO DISTORTION Wah Volume is a brand new offering from Morley. Its structure follows the current Morley format, and outwardly it's identical to the George...

3 new acoustic amps.(use of audio amplifiers )(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EVER SINCE THE ADVENT OF ACOUSTIC STRINGED INSTRUMENTS, people have been trying to squeeze more volume out of them. Before amplification was invented, this typically meant tweaking the body's size and construction...

Fishman: SoloAmp.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [EDITORS Guitar Player PICK] SETTING OUT TO CREATE A DIFFERENT KIND OF AMPLIFIER FOR ACOUSTIC PLAYERS, Fishman opted to go with a line array system comprised of six drivers and a soft...

L.R. Baggs: Acoustic Reference Amplifier.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FEATURING A SLEEK MOLDED CABINET WITH WOOD PANELING ON A SIDES AND AN integral aluminum handle, the ARA is one of the more stylish acoustic amps on the market. Inside is a fiat honeycomb...

SanGreal: IMC-1.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RESEMBLING A FLOOR MONITOR, THE IMC-1 FEATURES A WEDGE-SHAPED BIRCH-PLY enclosure with a black textured coating on the front and sides and a curved wood back. Housed within the...

Hohner: HTA490 the artist and the artist elite.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RARELY DOES A COPY GUITAR ENTER THE pantheon of gear lore, and when it does, you can be sure it's because some mega-star artist has taken it to his bosom and made it his own. Such is the...

Egnater: Rebel-20 & Rebel-112X.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... [EDITORS Guitar Player PICK] WHETHER YOU'RE A STONE ANALOG DISCIPLE, A tube freak, or an experimenter who embraces multiple technologies, all "tone religions" should agree that digital modeling has raised the bar for the number of amp...

eBay prize: 1950's Silvertone 1369L Thin-Twin "Jimmy Reed" model.(online marketing tips)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AS A KID, I WOULD GO TO SEARS and drool over the Silvertone guitars that were on display near the lawn mower section of the store. The specimen here is often referred to as the "Jimmy Reed Model" because of the many...

Treble trouble.(Fender Champ amplifier repair)
April 1, 2009... I have a 1969 silverface Fender Champ with volume, treble, and bass controls. Recently the treble control has started to act like a volume control in reverse. When I turn it counter-clockwise, the volume goes up, and if I turn it clockwise, the...

All about flat-top acoustics.(acoustic guitar design and construction)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MOST PLAYERS KNOW THAT HAVING A SOLID TOP on a flat-top acoustic is a good thing, and that having solid back and sides is even better, but relatively few take their contemplation of acoustic guitar construction to...

Atlantic quality design: ZEROCAP cable.(GEAR: Accessory File)(Product/service evaluation)
April 1, 2009... A POTENTIALLY TONE-SUCKING ELEMENT IN ANY signal chain is the capacitance of the cable used to connect the guitar to an amplifier or effects system. Capacitance is the measure of a cable's ability to store an electric charge, which, in turn,...

Bonnie Raitt: May 1977.(BACK PAGE: Flashback)(Interview)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BONNIE RAITT WAS ALMOST A FOLKSINGER, part of the plethora of guitar-playing protesters of the '60s, led by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Sitting in her girlhood bedroom in a house atop Coldwater Canyon's peacefully...