Guitar Player articles from December 2001

Guitar Player archives from December 2001

While my guitar gently weeps. (Soundhole).(attack on America, 2001)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Just like every other weekday in a life filled with deadlines and unwritten copy, the alarm wheezed out its annoying "bleet, bleet, bleet" at 5:30 A.M. And just like every other weekday, I shaved, showered, and agonized over clothing options....

Brian Setzer. (Feedback).(mail)
December 1, 2001... Hooray! I feel like I'm 15 again! In '84, I discovered the Stray Cats, and my world changed. At the time, I was listening to Van Halen, Rush, and the like, but the minute I heard Brian Setzer I was hooked. I had never heard that kind of music...

Doyle Bramhall II. (Feedback).
December 1, 2001... I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the article on Doyle Bramhall II [Oct. '01]. I had the privilege of hearing him open up for Eric Clapton on August 10 in Sacramento, California. Bramhall's playing was excellent, and, when I closed my...

Beatle bits. (Feedback).
December 1, 2001... Hey guys, thanks for "Fab Gear" in the October 2001 issue. Being a true Beatle geek, I should point out that the Epiphone Casino listed in the article as belonging to George actually belongs to Paul. George and John received matching Casinos...

Soundhole. (Feedback).
December 1, 2001... I just got the new Guitar Player, and saw Michael Molenda's editorial on the passing of Chet, John Lee, and Roy [Soundhole, Oct. '01]. I haven't really heard Roy Nichols that much, but I did see Chet once with Jerry Reed. It was one of the most...

John Lee. (Feedback).(John Lee Hooker, singer)
December 1, 2001... You're the biggest guitar mag in the world, and all you could print on the death of John Lee Hooker [Oct. '01] was barely two pages? Your editor should be ashamed--it looks like you did nothing more than make a few quick phone calls, and call...

Big wreck. (Feedback).
December 1, 2001... Thanks to Matt Blackett for his article on Big Wreck [Sept. '01]. These guys are amazing musicians, yet they simply haven't gotten the recognition they deserve in the media. Big Wreck is one of the best rock bands out there, but corporate radio...

Oops! (Feedback).
December 1, 2001... In our Danelectro Dan-O-Wah review [Oct. '01], we inadvertently published the phone number for the Playtex corporation. The correct phone number for Danelectro is (949) 498-9854. Address correspondence to Feedback, c/o Guitar Player, 2800...

Happy anniversary, Les. (Fretwire*).(Les Paul, guitar maker)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, LES: Les Paul kicked off festivities surrounding the 50th anniversary of his namesake Gibson solidbody on August 13, at the Iridium jazz club in New York. Slash, Al Di Meola, and Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz were on hand for...

A blues legend put to rest-again. (Fretwire).(musicians)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... ... A BLUES LEGEND PUT TO REST-AGAIN: On August 17, a tombstone was erected at the Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church cemetery in Greenwood, Mississippi, in honor of the late Robert Johnson. This is his third grave marker, so far. Blues...

Pawnshop prize: B&M fuzz unit. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Considering the absurdly huge number of fuzz and distortion pedals introduced in the 1970s, it's no surprise that oddball models from that era still surface today. Take, for example, the Fuzz Unit, which reportedly was made in the U.K. by...

Setups of the stars: Joe Perry. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(Gibson Les Paul guitar)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Aerosmith's Joe Perry plays one of the most distinctive guitars in rock and roll--a Gibson Les Paul "'60 burst." It's lightweight, and Perry says the finish is fading more like what you'd see on a '59, although it has the neck of a '60. Perry...

Live wires: Jerry Horton. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(musician's audio system)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Papa Roach guitarist Jerry Horton uses a Shure UHF wireless system to route his Schecter Diamond Series guitars (each loaded with a Seymour Duncan Jazz humbucker in the neck position, and a Blackjack in the bridge position) to a rack loaded...

SRV Returns. (Fretwire).(new Stevie Ray Vaughan recording)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... SRV RETURNS: Eleven years after Stevie Ray Vaughan's untimely death comes a two-CD album documenting two of his performances at the Montreaux Jazz Festival--one before his big break, and one after. Live in Montreaux '82 & '85, overseen by his...

After a hard day's night. (Fretwire).(hotel commemorating the Beatles set to open in Liverpool, England)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... AFTER A HARD DAY'S NIGHT: Need a place to stay in Liverpool in a couple of years? Set to open in 2003 is the Hard Day's Night Hotel, an homage to the Beatles that will feature Beatles-related murals by Los Angeles-based muralist Shannon in each...

Heroes: Chuck Berry. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... John Lennon once proclaimed, "If you were to give rock and roll another name, you might call it `Chuck Berry.'" Born Charles Edward Anderson Berry on October 18, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri, Berry blazed the trail for rock music by melding...

Classic Riffs: Ted Nugent on "Cat Scratch Fever". (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Although Ted Nugent's deafening aural assault and wild stage antics were already a popular draw on the concert scene, it was the release of his third solo album, 1977's Cat Scratch Fever, that launched the Motor City Madman into the big...

Tracking "Strewth". (Studio Log).(Anthony Hindson on the album It's a Curious Life)(Brief Article)(Interview)
December 1, 2001... Album: It's a Curious Life [Wind in Hare Music] by Anthony Hindson and Friends (featuring Jack Bruce, Shankar, Tony Williams, and Zakir Hussain) Parts: Intro chordal melody Guitarist: Anthony Hindson Guitar: Fender Stratocaster...

Kidney relief: Ernie Ball. (Fretwire).(rock musicians donate guitars to charity auction)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... KIDNEY RELIEF: Ernie Ball, in conjunction with Steve Vai and Christopher Guest (a.k.a. Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel), donated several collectible guitars to eBay charity auctions during August and September. All proceeds were to benefit the Casey...

Street smarts: the case of multiple managers. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(tips on handling management of a musical career)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... A talented singer/songwriter started moving up the ranks of the local music scene. Soon, he received offers from people who wanted to help his career--as well as get a piece of the pie after he "made it." His girlfriend shot his photos,...

Songcraft: Mac McCaughan. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... For 11 years, Mac McCaughan and his band Superchunk have been revered for their savvy indie pop. Despite repeated major-label efforts to recruit the band and turn them into the Next Big Thing, McCaughan and company have opted for creative...

Learning curve: the Segovia style. (Toolbox: Essential Info For Guitarists).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Before maestro Andres Segovia made his professional debut in 1913, most classical aficionados believed the guitar was the instrument of peasants. But Segovia's incredible technique and gorgeous interpretations of classical masterpieces changed...

New Gear.
December 1, 2001... 1. CARVIN Carvin's new Cobalt series of dreadnoughts ($419-$629; pictured is the C750, $549) features eight models with mahogany necks, rosewood headstocks, 25.4"-scale rosewood fretboards, TUSQ saddles, Grover tuners, and Elixir Nanoweb...

A Nashville hitmaker breaks out. (Lee Roy Parnell).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Earthy overdrive, greasy slide licks, and a vocal style steeped in Delta blues, Texas roadhouse boogie, and southern rock were hardly the earmarks of a country star in the '90s. But for most of that decade, Lee Roy Parnell piloted those very...

Mahoney & Hexum play beyond the boundaries. (311).(Brief Article)(Interview)
December 1, 2001... "I played more guitar on this album than on any of our others," enthuses 311 singer/guitarist Nick Hexum about his expanded role on From Chaos [Volcano]. "I really liked the idea of two distinct guitar performances on the tunes, because...

Marcos Curiel's melodic new metal. (P.O.D.).(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... The last thing you'd probably expect from a detuned, hip-hop-influenced new-metal band are optimistic lyrics about hope and love. The second-to-last thing would be a keen sense of melody and stellar lead guitar work. But guitarist Marcos Curiel...

Pickups.(Billy Sheehan)
December 1, 2001... Bill Sheehan "My standard operating procedure for putting music together has always been getting some guys in a room and figuring it out," says Billy Sheehan, who left David Lee Roth's band in 1988 to form the chart-topping Mr. Big. "I was...

Buzz.(new albums)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Long Beach Dub Allstars "I wish this record could be our first," says the Long Beach Dub Allstars' RAS-1, "because our debut album was born from tragedy." The tragedy was the 1996 death of Sublime guitarist Brad Nowell. The Long Beach...

Great sounds from Kentucky. (Factory Tours Eminence).(Eminence Speaker LLC)(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
December 1, 2001... Blink your eyes while entering the small town of Eminence, Kentucky, and you might miss the narrow road that leads to the offices and factory of Eminence Speaker LLC. A classic American success story, Eminence was founded in 1966 by Bob Gault,...

Greg Koch's over-the-top chops. (Koch Rock).(Interview)
December 1, 2001... In the liner notes of his debut album, The Grip [Favored Nations], Greg Koch addresses the most frequently asked questions about his career. So, if you're wondering how to pronounce his last name, it rhymes with "chalk." (No jokes, please--the...

Explore the sexy and funky magic of open-G tuning. (Hitting The G-Spot).
December 1, 2001... Of the three best-known alternative guitar tunings--open D, DADGAD, and open G--it's the latter that resonates with pickers from around the planet. * "It's the first tuning that people came up with in Africa, Mexico, Cuba, South America, and...

Discover a bargain hunter's wonderland. (Cover Story).(guitars and accessories)(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2001... It's trickle-down time for the dot-com catastrophe. Massive layoffs. Jitters in the service industries. Failing high-end restaurants. Posh health clubs turning into ghost towns. A stock market with more risk than a game of Russian roulette, and...

Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection. (Audio).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Various Artists Alligator Records 30th Anniversary Collection Small steps often lead to great things, and when 23-year-old Bruce Iglauer used his small inheritance to record Hound Dog Taylor & the Houserockers in 1971, he laid the...

New American Language. (Audio).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Dan Bern New American Language Singer/songwriter Dan Bern taps into the surreal road-trip imagery of Kerouac and early Dylan, though he roams a modern, mall-scarred landscape where deep longings and disposable pop culture have merged into...

Saints. (Audio).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Marc Ribot Saints Marc Ribot demonstrates yet again his astonishing skills as both a solo artist and an accompanist. With his new album, Saints, Ribot bypasses the buoyant Afro-Caribbean flavors of his discs with Los Cubanos Postizos in...

Fan Dance. (Audio).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Sam Phillips Fan Dance Marc Ribot demonstrates yet again his astonishing skills as both a solo artist and an accompanist. With his new album, Saints, Ribot bypasses the buoyant Afro-Caribbean flavors of his discs with Los Cubanos Postizos...

The Columbia Studio Recordings 1964-1970. (Audio).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Simon & Garfunkel The Columbia Studio Recordings 1964-1970 Paul Simon's guitar playing has always been eclipsed by his songwriting and vocal-arranging skills. It didn't help his case that he did his best work when the Beatles and Jimi...

Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey. (Print).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Bill Wyman with Richard Havers Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey This high-gloss hardcover makes more than just a sexy addition to your coffee table. With 400 pages of colorful profiles, historical mementos, and rare photos and stories, this...

Intros, endings & turnarounds for guitar. (Print).(Review)
December 1, 2001... Dale Turner Intros, Endings & Turnarounds For Guitar From dinner jazz to boogie-woogie, delta blues to honky tonk, salsa to bluegrass, this book (including CD) presents 98 turnarounds you just gotta know. By humorously opening the book with...

Bad to the bone: bad cat black cat 30R. (Bench Test).(Illustration)
December 1, 2001... Snapshot The Bad Cat Black Cat 30R ($3,599)--a spare-no-expense class A combo designed by ex-Matchless chief Mark Sampson--is a reverb-equipped version of the classic Matchless DC30. When Mark Sampson and Rick Perrotta (who is now...

Smooth operator: Godin LG. (Bench Tests).(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
December 1, 2001... Snapshot The Godin LG is a sly, super-ergonomic take on the Les Paul Junior concept, Pretty tones, standout workmanship, and phenomenal comfort earn this major mid-priced bargain an Editors' Pick Award. There are smooth guitars, and...

Round & round: Motion sound AR-112 sidewinder. (Bench Tests).(Brief Article)(Evaluation)
December 1, 2001... Snapshot The Motion Sound AR-112 Sidewinder ($799) is a 100-watt guitar amp with a built-in rotating chute for lush rotating-speaker sounds. It sports a 12AX7 preamp tube, an Accutronics spring reverb, and an on-board microphone. ...

Fresh Filters: MXR auto Q and electro-harmonix tube Zipper. (Bench Tests).(Evaluation)
December 1, 2001... Snapshot The Electro-Harmonix Tube Zipper ($378) combines envelope following and tube distortion, and the MXR Auto Q ($185) offers a combination of modulation and auto-wah. The Auto Q receives an Editors' Pick Award. The...

Triple-stop bends. (Chops Builder).(bent notes, blues licks)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... BENT NOTES AND blues licks go together like biscuits and gravy. 3ut as savory as single-note or double-stop bends are, you can pour the sauce on even thicker by bending three notes at once. It sounds daunting, but a mere quarter-step bend on...

Reader's challenge. (Chops Builder).(fretboard fireworks)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... NOW YOU CAN help the world play better guitar. If you have a cool lick that will put GP readers' chops to the test, send it to us. Published submissions will be rewarded with freebies from a gracious manufacturer. Our first winner is...

Clone-tone riffs. (Chops Builder).(guitar)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... WHETHER IT'S ATTACKING your guitar with false harmonics, string bends, teeth, or lighter fluid you've got to add sonic mojo to your riffs. Why? Because playing the notes correctly just isn't enough--you also have to make them sound cool. Here's...

Mass-ive guitar. (Chops Builder).(harmonizing melodies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... IF YOU WERE ASKED TO harmonize the simple melody in Ex. 1, what would you do? Many guitarists would simply put a third below each note, applaud their musical genius, and call it a day. But if you want to learn how a great German composer might...

Encore.(Gibson Guitar Corp.'s Barney Kessel model)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2001... Okay, Gibson fans--identify this factory-custom guitar. Is it: (a) a Barney Kessel with an L-5 neck and ES-355 electronics; (b) a double-cutaway Byrdland with a non-stock finish and nickel parts; or (c) an extremely modified Flying V?. The...