Guitar Player articles from February 2009

Guitar Player archives from February 2009

Noize from the editor.(Guitar Superstars live tour planning)(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'M A WORLD WAR II BUFF--FIGHTER AND bomber histories, mostly--so I'm constantly watching war flicks and documentaries where someone does something simultaneously brave and stupid, and ends up dead. I hate that. For...

Letter of the month.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I found the 15 Awesome Guitar rigs issue (Holiday 2008) baffling at first. There were so many more pictures to look at. There was so much less text to read. And then I was struck by the potential this issue has to create a wider audience for...

Rigs of the superstars.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I was sitting at my desk, gawking at Billy Gibbons: Rock & Roll Gearhead, when the Holiday 2008 issue dropped into my lap. I listen to all kinds of music, but what I really love is the sound of an electric guitar plugged into a string of...

Real McCoy.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... As a keyboardist who also plays guitar, I was surprised to see an article about McCoy Tyner in the December 2008 issue. Then it hit me: Hey, maybe Guitar Player isn't just a monthly screed for shredders and tattooed poseurs who happen to cradle...

Jerry Reed remembered.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... Most times I read Guitar Player from one end to the other, but, after seeing Jerry Reed's name on the cover of the December 2008 issue, I couldn't help but go straight to the tribute. It was truly a pleasant surprise to see such guitar legends...

From the veiled compliment dept.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I subscribe to GP because I feel it is the best guitar magazine out there. So I was delighted to find in the latest issue scant mention of Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, Eric Johnson, and others of their ilk. Instead, I found articles on Jerry...

Etavonni response.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... Etavonni would like thank Mr. Molenda for his constructive review of our 2008 Etavonni GT-1. We are pleased to see that the review showcased the guitar's superb tonal characteristics and playability. Our company is committed to continuous...

Oops!(Correction notice)
February 1, 2009... The Holiday 2008 issue's review of the Kay Thin Twin listed an incorrect phone number for Kay Guitars. The correct number is (949) 752-0050. The caption on page 74 of the Holiday 2008 issue mistakenly identifies Lamb of God guitarist Mark...

The all-American rejects: rebuff layers.(RIFFS)(making the album "When the World Comes Down")
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHART-TOPPING POP ROCK IS TYPICALLY overdubbed to near death with layers of guitar textures designed to explode out of car stereos and earbuds. It's "mission accomplished" on a sonic level, because massive layering...

Brett Dennen: wants you to finish that song.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Brett Dennen's thoughtful and worldly tunes-which you con hear on his new album, Hope for the Hopeless [Dualtone/Downtown]--have landed him performances on every talk show From Goad Morning America to Jimmy Kimmel Live, so he knows a bit about...

Uriah Heep's: Mick Box on harnessing energy.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GUITARIST MICK BOX IS THE SOLE SURVIVOR FROM URIAH HEEP'S ORIGINAL lineup, but the Heep style and sound is unmistakable on the band's surprisingly vigorous new CD, Wake the Sleeper [Sanctuary]. "We had a...

The Melvins' Buzz Osborne on his influences.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I REALLY LOVE STUFF LIKE ZZ TOP AND ROBIN TROWER," says Buzz Osborne. "I've tried to incorporate all those kinds of things in my own way. I also like Greg Ginn from Black Flag. He's a huge influence. I like the...

Pat Travers on playing well with others.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pat Travers is still rocking and playing better than ever. His latest record is the live Stick with What You Know, and he plans to release a new studio record in the Spring. Although he's always been the prominent...

Fender/Toyota Matrix 6-String custom.(RIFFS)(custom car made by Fender Custom Shop and Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For the past two decades, the Fender Custom Shop has been blowing minds with its ingenuity and "if you can dream it, we can build it" attitude by turning out highly personalized axes for such guitar heavyweights as...

Tim Walker on recording 365 tunes in 365 days.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "TO KEEP THE SONGS FROM sounding the same," says Walker, "I touched on a few different styles: blues, straight-up rock, down-tempo minor key stuff, country, and reggae. From a melodic standpoint, I tried to not play...

Giles Martin on Paul McCartney's "Yesterday".(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "'Yesterday' is quite surprising as a song, says Martin. "It's so ubiquitous. It's the most covered song in history and everyone knows how it goes. But. when you listen to it, it's easy to forget mat Paul was 23 or...

Michael Nicolella on keeping classical guitar vibrant.(RIFFS)(Interview)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN ADDITION TO COMPOSING HIS OWN PIECES AND performing modern and traditional repertoire on nylon-string, Michael Nicolella boldly plays contemporary classical music (and the occasional Hendrix arrangement) on...

Eddie Lang's 1929 Gibson L-5.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GUITAR PHENOMENON EDDIE LANG EMERGED from the mid-'20s jazz scene and single-handedly changed the face of virtuoso guitar playing. Born Salvatore Massaro to a first-generation Italian family in Philadelphia, his...

Jamie West-Oram's "Vintage" chorus pedal.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When people check out Jamie West-Oram's pedalboard, their eyes often Stop on his beat-up old MXR Stereo Chorus. "They see that big, yellow pedal, and they say. 'Wow, where'd you find that vintage stompbox?'" says...

Jeff Golub on not-so-smooth jazz.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THE OPENING TRACK OF JEFF GOLUB'S DISC GRAND CENTRAL [NARADA], "Hello Betty," starts with a nasty bend-and-release double-stop that leads into the melody. This aggressive intro is in keeping with the artist's role...

Hartley Peavey on speaker power ratings.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ONE OF THE MOST CONFUSING ISSUES REGARDING speakers revolves around how the various manufacturers rate the power-handling capabilities of their loudspeakers. Rarely is there any additional information about how that...

Editor Boy's big eight.(RIFFS: Web Hordes)
February 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...

Skipknot.(FEATURES: Metal)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IN THE STATE OF IOWA, YOU HAVE TO BE ten years old to have a paper route," recalls Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson, aka Number Seven. "I wanted a guitar so bad that as soon as I was old enough, I got my route and...

Jimmy Herring.(FEATURES: Jam)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I didn't own any Grateful Dead records when I was growing up, and I never would have imagined I'd get a chance to play with them," says the unassuming Jimmy Herring. Although he fashioned his playing by studying...

Trevor Rabin.(FEATURES: Recording)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TREVOR RABIN ACHIEVED FAME IN SOUTH AFRICA during the mid '70s as the leader of the country's biggest rock band, Rabbitt--but he made his mark on the European and American music scenes as guitarist and songwriter for...

Jim Hall.(FEATURES: Jazz)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ASK JAZZ GUITAR GIANTS JOHN SCOFIELD, Pat Metheny, or Bill Frisell to name their influences, and Jim Hall's name will be in the top ten. And yet, you'd be hard-pressed to hear any of them play a Jim Hall "riff." This...

Gary Moore.(Blues)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... PLENTY OF GUITARISTS HAVE RECEIVED more acclaim in the rock arena than Gary Moore. Others have gotten more nods from headbangers. And certainly there are bluesmen with more cachet than Moore. But good luck finding a single guitarist who has...

Eric Mongrain.(FEATURES: Acoustic)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ERIK MONGRAIN'S "AIRTAP" VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HAS BEEN VIEWED nearly four million times in the two years that it has been posted. The video features the now 28-year-old Canadian guitarist with a Guild D55 in his lap,...

Rokia Traore.(FEATURES: World)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AFRICAN GUITARISTS TEND TO WORK WITH THE INSTRUMENTS AND GEAR THEY FIND at hand. Their sounds rely more often on technique and sensibility than on vintage axes or technology. But when Malian singer-songwriter Rokia...

Yngwie J. Malmsteen.(FEATURES: Shred)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN DOESN'T DO anything halfway. If he drives a car, it's a classic Ferrari. When he wants an amp, he lines up a dozen vintage Marshall full-stacks. When he flicks a guitar pick in concert, he...

Scotty Moore.(FEATURES: Rockabilly)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH ALL THE MYTHOLOGY SURROUNDING the night Elvis Presley strode into the Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, and recorded "That's All Right," it's hard to believe that one man still walks this earth who was...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?(RANTS & RAVES)(sound recordings popular with magazine editors)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... MATT BLACKETT Les Dudek, Deeper Shade of Blues Michael Nicolella, Push Jeff Beck, Performing this Week... Live at Ronnie Scott's BARRY CLEVELAND Richard Pinhas & Merzbow, Keio Line Creedence Clearwater Revival, 40th Anniversary...

Guns N' Roses: Chinese Democracy.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... GUNS N' ROSES Chinese Democracy [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I have a bad habit of only embracing bands 15-20 years after their heyday, as evidenced by my newfound love for the Police and Metallica. It's only fitting, then, that more...

Various Artists: My Favorite Martin.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... VARIOUS ARTISTS My Favorite Martin [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Subtitled Legendary Guitarists Playing Legendary Guitars, this very enjoyable CD features 16 of the world's most accomplished guitarists--Ray Walston is not among...

Travis Whitelaw: Sexarkono.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... TRAVIS WHITELAW Sexarkono [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you can imagine a roguish, Tele-totin' singing cowboy who's as influenced by the rebel country of Steve Earle (think "The Week of Living Dangerously") as he is by the...

Welcome home: Metallica revisits the past, cranks the mids, and humbles all.(interview with guitarists James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett)(Interview)(Cover story)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS STORY BEGAN A FEW MONTHS AGO AT Metallica HQ in Marin County, California. Although it looks like a nondescript industrial park from the outside, the inside is instantly recognizable to anyone who saw the...

10 things you gotta do to play like Eddie Van Halen.(LESSONS: 10 Things You Gotta Do)
February 1, 2009... MANY GUITARISTS WHO WERE ACTIVE IN the late '70s remember exactly where they were standing when they first heard Van Halen. Like film footage of an erupting volcano, the band's eponymous 1978 debut captured in real time a stunningly explosive...

8 new amplifiers.(guitar amplifiers)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT USED TO BE EASY AND CONVENIENT TO SEE THE AMP MARKET as divided into two camps: boutique and production--with the obvious inference that one was a BMW and the other a Chevy. When the boutique amp biz began booming...

Carr Slant 6V.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH A SINGLE 12" SPEAKER, REVERB, AND A QUARTET OF 6V6S IN THE POWER SECTION,THE SLANT 6V appears to be a beefed-up take on the classic Fender Deluxe Reverb. However, closer inspection reveals an entirely different...

Engl Thunder 50 Drive.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GERMANY'S ENGL HAS TAKEN A DEDICATED APPROACH TO ROCK AMPLIFICATION WITH MIGHTY four-channel heads such as the Invader, Savage, and Special Edition, so it figures that even its smaller tube combos would offer the...

King Rocket 88.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE ROCKET 88 IS AN 80-WATT HEAD THAT UTILIZES A PAIR OF KT88 POWER TUBES AND A CONCERTINA phase inverter in a class AB topology. The head sports an attractive dark-blue control panel, a classy woven grill, a sturdy...

Orange: 40th Anniversary OR50.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AS TIME KEEPS ON KEEPING ON, THE ICONIC AURA OF ORANGE AMPS SEEMS TO BE GROWING. THE brand's absolutely sick color scheme is as identifiable as its potent, fiber-British tones. For 40 years, everyone from Peter...

Peavey: Vypyr 75.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WANT A VERSATILE AMP WITH A COLLECTION OF AMP MODELS AND BUILT-IN STOMPBOXES AND outboard effects? Check out Peavey's new Vypyr Series of modeling amplifiers, which includes the Vypyr 15 ($169 retail), Vypyr 30...

Traynor: Custom Special 50.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KNOWN FOR BUILDING GOOD SOUNDING AND EXTREMELY RELIABLE AMPS, TRAYNOR HAS ALWAYS PUT the emphasis on quality rather than cosmetics or an abundance of features. But the Custom Special 50 breaks with the past by...

Trillium Signature Series.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KNOWN FOR BUILDING AMPLIFIERS WITH VERY EXOTIC CABINETRY, TRILLIUM ROUTINELY HAS THE last word with its Art Deco-inspired Empyrean and Seraph models. These stately amps--which go for $6,490 and $5,790--respectively,...

Victoria Golden Melody.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] KNOWN FOR ITS DEAD-NUTS REPROS AND SMART REVAMPS OF VINTAGE FENDER TWEED AMPS, Victoria has turned its attention in another direction with its new Electro-King (a remake of the 15-watt Gibson GA-40 from the late...

Semi-Hollow & hollowbody rumble!(GEAR: Fight Club)
February 1, 2009... THAT THE ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRIC WORLDS TRULY CONVERGE IN A SEMI-HOLLOW OR hollowbody guitar is one big "duh." Traditional jazzers are pretty much required to play one, of course, and, in the hands of archtop magicians such as Brian Setzer, these...

The Johnny Depp: Collings I-35 deluxe.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... THERE'S NO MISTAKING YOU'RE LOOKING AT A luxury item when you scan the I-35's stunning quilted-maple top finished in a high-gloss root beer hue--not to mention the beautifully retro ivoroid control knobs, the gold hardware, the ivoroid binding,...

The James Franco Gretsch Electromatic 5122.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... FEW GUITARS SAY "AMERICA" AS CLEARLY AS A Gretsch. The company is one of the most venerable stateside manufacturers, and Gretsch models such as the 6120 and 6136 are so closely associated with country, rockabilly, early rock and roll, and other...

The Oliver Reed Hutchins Memphis.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS APPLY-NAMED BIG BOX SEEMS TO encapsulate all of the smoldering cool, outlaw magnetism, and self-absorbed quirks of the King of Memphis himself, Mr. Elvis Presley. The retro-cool black beauty boasts an aged...

The Orson Welles Normandy ATG-CH.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... PERHAPS THE MOST STRIKING GUITAR IN THIS cage match, the chromed ATG-CH--touted as the world's first production aluminum archtop--definitely broadcasts the intentions of its maker, Jim Normandy, to be "different, but not too weird or space...

The Jennifer Connelly Prestige Musician.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT GUITARIST DOESN'T GEEK OUT AT discovering a relatively mysterious, off-the-map instrument that totally rocks? I had no knowledge of Prestige when the Musician showed up at GP Central, and I grabbed the unknown...

The Samuel Jackson PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow Soapbar.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE PRS DESIGN TEAM WAS OBVIOUSLY OUT TO do something different with the SE Custom Semi-Hollow, but without losing the personality of the other nine models in the popular SE line. Though the Korean-made Semi-Hollow's...

The Tom Hanks Reverend Club King RT.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... THE CLUB KING RT IS AS CLOSE TO HOLINESS AS a reverend should be. The Korean-made instrument is very well crafted, and its honey-colored top, amber-tinted neck, off-white trim, and chrome pickup covers give it a look that's simultaneously retro...

4 Neodymium Speakers.(GEAR: Roundup)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DELINEATED FOR YEARS INTO THE ALNICO AND CERAMIC camps, the world of guitar speakers was delivered a third type of magnet six years ago, when a new kid came to town with a light chunk of neodymium in his pocket....

Celestion G12 Century Vintage.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... THE SECOND OFFERING IN CELESTION'S NEODYMIUM LINEUP WEARS ITS INTENTIONS on its sleeve, and sums up the thinking behind the new wave of neos, in general. The Century Vintage intends to bring more of the British company's reputation for classic...

Eminence Tonkerlite.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... A NEWER MEMBER OF THE RED COAT RANGE FROM THIS KENTUCKY-BASED manufacturer, the Tonkerlite offers a back-friendly neo rendition of Eminence's standard Tonker, which aims to recreate the higher-powered British rock flavor of the late '70s and...

Jensen Jet Tornado.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... REGARDED AS JENSEN'S UPGRADED CONTEMPORARY RANGE, THE JET SERIES WELCOMED this neodymium speaker to the fold mid way through 2008, and the Tornado sums up much of the thinking behind this Italian-made offshoot of the rejuvenated, former...

Weber NeoMag.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... THE NEOMAG FROM INDIANA-BASED MANUFACTURER WEBER SPEAKERS PINPOINTS its inspiration more precisely than the other speakers in this roundup by declaring loudly and proudly that it aims to give you a light, but accurate, rendition of JBL's famous...

Mesa/Boogie: Stiletto Ace Stage II and Deuce Stage II.(GEAR: Field Test)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... IF LAMBORGHINI AND CATERPILLAR EVER JOINED FORCES TO BUILD a line of guitar amps, the result could easily be something like Mesa/Boogie's Stiletto series. That's because these nimble tone machines--available as the 50-watt Ace ($1,599...

Hartman Tommy Bolin fuzz pedal.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Recreated from an original model of Tommy's go-to fuzz * Attack, Tone, and Volume controls. Ships with new 9V battery installed, and can use external 9V DC power via a tip-negative 2.1 mm jack * $189 retail *...

Sibelius First.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Music notation software designed for songwriters * Composing and arranging tools for up to 12 staves * Easy input via MIDI keyboard, MIDI guitar, computer keyboard, or mouse * Can switch from guitar tab to notation...

Thompson Products Tremor Bender.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Raises pitch for pedal-steel effects * B- or G- string models available * Simple screwdriver installation using existing string saddles end screws from the guitar * Models available for Telecaster, Stratocaster, and...

Option knob: Option Knob.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Replaces factory knobs on effects pedals for real-time control using your foot * Classic (for .220"-.235" shafts) and Boutique (for .235"-.25" shafts) knobs available * $9 each retail * optionknob.com

Guitar Rings Music Jewelry.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rings can be special ordered in sterling silver, gold. white gold, and platinum. Customization available-add diamonds. rubies, emeralds, sapphires, birthstones. and more * From $24 retail * guitarrings.net

Trillium Amplifier Company The Seraph.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Class A, single-ended, variable-bias design * 7 watts * Choice of 6L6. 6V6. or KT66 output tubes * Choice of ECC81, ECC83, 12AX7, or 12AT7 preamp tubes * 12" Weber Vintage Series 30-watt Alnico speaker * makore...

2002 Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe.(eBay Prize)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE ORIGINAL EPIPHONE ZEPHYRS WERE MADE IN THE LATE 1930s, AND EVOLVED from acoustic archtops into electrics by the '50s. Sometime in the late 1990s, Epiphone introduced the Zephyr Blues Deluxe, considered in some...

Vox satchurator.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(guitar effects pedal)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "THIS LITTLE RED BOX IS A MONSTER TONE generator." So says the man himself, Joe Satriani, about the offspring of his partnership with Vox, the Satchurator distortion box ($160 retail/$129 street). Designed to Satch's...

Way Huge: Fat Sandwich, Pork Loin, and Swollen Pickle.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(guitar effects pedals)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EFFECTS MAKER JEORGE Tripps launched his Way Huge line of pedals in 1992 with the Foot Pig fuzz and the Red Llama and Green Rhino overdrives. Later introductions, such as the Aqua Puss analog...

Essential Sound Products MusicCord Power Cords.(GEAR: Accessory File)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2009... THE TERM "POWER CORD" MEANS EITHER THE barre grips used when rocking out on AC/DC tunes, or the ubiquitous black cable that connects your amp to the wall socket. And, in the latter case, it's most likely the item in your gig bag that gets zero...

CruzTools Groove Tech Guitar Kit.(GEAR: Accessory File)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID ABOUT HAVING the right tools for the job, and CruzTools ought to know, as they've been producing aftermarket tool kits for the automotive and motorcycle markets since 1996. Cruz's new Guitar Tech Kit ($61 retail/$49...

Building an FX Loop Footswitch.(GEAR: Shop Talk)(guitar effects pedals)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] RECENTLY, I HAVE BECOME INTERESTED in modifying pedals. I modified my Vox Wah pedal by adding an LED and a true-bypass function. It came out great, and it made me want to give my TS-9 Tube Screamer a true bypass. I...

Chrissie Hynde: March 2003.(BACK PAGE: Flashback)(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LAST OCTOBER, CHRISSIE HYNDE AND her Pretenders released Break Up the Concrete--an album that paid homage to her early rock and roll and rockabilly roots. The scrappy sprite and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee...