Guitar Player articles from June 2004

Guitar Player archives from June 2004

Noise from the editor.(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Our Managing Editor, Emily Fasten, says last month's column should win a prize for inciting the longest Feedback responses of all time. GP readers sure had a lot to say about media, censorship, and my little criticism of Mel Gibson. Of course,...

Letter of the month!(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I found Mike's "Most Misogynist Entry" for Most Ferocious Female Player very interesting [Readers' Poll, March '04]. I hope someone videotapes it when the Great Kat comes into his room and causes his "balls" to retreat into submission before...

April comments & reactions.(Feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I was thrilled to see guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani on the cover of your April 2004 issue. I recently viewed the G3: Live in Denver DVD, and I was thoroughly impressed by his brilliant technique and melodic ideas. Pat Martino is another player...

Contemplating George.(Feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... When I was starting out in the guitar business at Ibanez, I often delivered freshly minted GB guitars to George Benson at his home. He was invariably gracious, and would invite me to play the new guitars for him before he touched them. I would...

Oops!(Feedback)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... Editors' Pick Awards rarely go AWOL, but a production glitch caused the one we gave the Takamine Cool Tube preamp to mysteriously disappear when the May issue was printed. Here is the Cool Tube again, this time with its well-deserved award.

Kristin Hersh's frantic inner peace.(Songwriting)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... In 2003, Kristin Hersh released a solo album, a new Throwing Muses album, and had her fourth child. But all that has not kept her from starting 2004 off with a new band (50 Foot Wave), an edgier sound, a new album (50 Foot Wave), and a new...

The Cardigans get naked.(Songwriting)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... Twelve years into his singular direction of the layered and moody productions of Sweden's Cardigans, guitarist/songwriter Peter Svensson opted to jettison his detailed demos and just wing it with his band. The result is Long Gone Before...

Trademarks sure are tricky.(news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Trademarks sure are tricky. In March, a Tennessee court ruled in Favor of the Gibson Guitar Company in their lawsuit against Paul Reed Smith. Gibson alleged that PRS' Singlecut model infringed on their trademarked Lea Paul design, which would...

The first ever World Guitar Conference will be held at Towson University in Baltimore, June 2-9.(news)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The first ever World Guitar Conference will be held at Towson University in Baltimore, June 2-9. A celebration of all styles of guitar music, guest artists include Honorary Chairman Les Paul, Johnny Hiland, Sharon Isbin, Dick Dale, Albert Lee,...

The Reverend Horton heat on achieving Nirvana.(Gigging)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... "It's like a little bit of nirvana," says the Lone Star State's rockingest man of the cloth, the Reverend Horton Heat, about those gigs when everything goes inexplicably right. We're talking about enchanted nights when, from the very first...

Variax update.(Tools)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... If you were intrigued by Line 6's Variax 500 modeling guitar, but wished that its vintage electric- and acoustic-guitar models were available in a higher-quality instrument, the upscale Variax 700 may be more your style. Instead of the 500's...

Will ray's eBay strategies.(Tools)
June 1, 2004... AUCTION ITEM: KORG WT-12 GUITAR TUNER WINNING BID: $18.01 As a confessed tuner junkie, I have owned all kinds of tuners throughout my life--analog, digital, and strobe--and the one I consider to be the best ever made for guitar is the...

Passing Notes.(news)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
June 1, 2004... PASSING NOTES: Former Crazy Town guitarist, Rust Epique, died of a heart attack on March 8. The 35-year-old guitarist was just about to release a debut album, 22nd Century Lifestyle, with his new band, Pre)thing. At press time, V2 Records was...

Cheat sheet: compressors.(Recording)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Widely used but little understood, compressors are mainly employed to reduce the dynamic range of an audio signal. (Generally speaking, quiet sounds are made louder and loud sounds are made softer.) Recording engineers often use compression to...

Studio log.(Recording)(Tortoise)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BAND TORTOISE ALBUM IT'S ALL AROUND YOU (THRILL JOCKEY) STYLE AMBIENT INSTRUMENTAL ALTERNATIVE GUITARISTS JEFF PARKER, DOUG MCCOMBS STUDIO GEAR Parker: Gibson ES-335, '50 Gibson ES-150, mid-'70s Fender Super Twin, Music Man...

Michael Burks on growing up with the blues.(Culture)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... "Everybody grows up listening to somebody," says Michael Burks. "My problem is that I grew up listening to somebodies." Well, he calls it a problem. But if you love blues guitar, then the more Burks elaborates on his many influences and his...

Shannon Wright.(Buzz)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... MUSICAL STYLE Indie rock. CHECK OUT Over the Sun [Quartersick]. GEAR Fender Jazzmaster, Music Man 130 amp, Marshall 4x12 cabinet, D'Addario strings (.012-.052). IDEAL TONE "I like a lot of bass to fill out the sound because I...

Oceansize.(Buzz)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... MUSICAL STYLE New Prog. CHECK OUT Effloresce [Beggars Banquet]. GUITARISTS Steve Durose, Gambler, Mike Vennart. GEAR Durose: Gibson Les Paul, Marshall JCM 2000 DSL, Marshall 4x12, Dunlop Cry-Baby, Zoom Delay, Boss DD-3 Digital...

Children of Bodom.(Buzz)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... MUSICAL STYLE Death metal. CHECK OUT Hate Crew Deathroll [Century Media]. GUITARIST Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho. GEAR ESP custom, Lee Jackson preamp, Peavey power amp, Marshall 4x12, DR strings (.011-.050). IDEAL TONE "I like a...

Supagroup.(Buzz)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... MUSICAL STYLE Rock. CHECK OUT Supagroup [Foodchain]. GUITARISTS Benji and Chris Lee. GEAR Benji: '70s Gibson SG, modified Marshall JCM900, Marshall 4x12, D'Addario strings (.052-.011). Chris: Gibson Les Paul, '70s 50-watt...

Moog.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Hailed as the "mother of all Moogerfoogers," the MF-105 MuRF Multiple Resonance Filter Array ($435) features eight slider-controlled resonant bandpass filters laid out in a manner similar to a graphic EQ. Designed by synth pioneer Bob Moog, the...

Planet waves.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Cable Station solderless cable system lets you custom make instrument and RCA cables to fit your rig's specifications. Bulk 250-foot spools ($229-$424) are available in coaxial, single RCA, and dual RCA cable guages, and plug styles include...

Gadow.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Designed to deliver "bright country twang," the hand-crafted, single-cutaway Nashville ($1,895 and up) features a solid swamp-ash body, a highly figured carved maple top, a 25 1/2"-scale maple fretboard, and a bolt-on, bird's-eye maple neck....

Bad Cat.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Powered by four EL84s, the 30-watt, 1x12 Trem Cat ($3,599) is a class A design that features point-to-point wiring and footswitchable reverb and tremolo. The front panel sports dual inputs along with Volume, a 5-way Tone switch, Select (a...

Big Heart.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The FlipSlide and the Robert Johnson Legacy Bronze slide are the latest additions to the Big Heart family. The FlipSlide shown here ($20; available in three sizes) is a solid brass tone bar with an attached brass finger ring that lets you flip...

SKB.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Housed in fully-enclosed hardshell cases, the PS-35 Deluxe ($329) and the PS-35MV Multi-Volt Deluxe ($499) pedalboards both feature four effects loops and can power up to nine 9-volt pedals. The 27" x 15 1/2" boards come with a universal power...

Seymour Duncan.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Designed by pickup guru Seymour Duncan and guitar czar Jol Dantzig of Hamer, the Phat Cats ($109 nickel, $114 gold) are P-90-style pickups squeezed into humbucker-sized covers. Designed to fit most humbucker-equipped guitars without...

Voodoo lab.(Out Now!)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Amp Selector ($329) allows you to play up to four different amps at once, letting you create tone layers or switch between multiple amps in any combination without added hum or loss of tone. Features include silent programmable switching, a...

'60's Brit Pop.(Style Council)
June 1, 2004... British kids in the 1950s had a love affair with all things American. Cars, movies, and music from the U.S. represented the epitome of cool, and, to many British teens, Elvis, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly were guitar-wielding super heroes....

Link Wray.(Patron Saint)(Interview)(Biography)
June 1, 2004... If you adore the sound of a violently distorted rock guitar, then give thanks to a '50s-era thug who invented that feral roar through attitude, invention, and pure dumb luck. In 1958, Link Wray stepped onstage at a Fredericksburg, Virginia,...

Straight shooter: Slash doses the GN'R formula with a hit of STP.(Interview)(Cover Story)(Biography)
June 1, 2004... You know a guitarist has become golden when people refer to him as an icon of his respective genre--i.e. B.B. King for blues, Jerry Garcia for hippy rock, Jimi Hendrix for psychedelia, and so on. It's a little simplistic, but sometimes an...

The unadulterated truth! Paco de Lucia embraces the purity of tradition & rails against "pop" flamenco.(Interview)(Biography)
June 1, 2004... Paco de Lucia is unquestionably the foremost flamenco guitarist of his generation, Born in the small town of Algeciras, in the province of Cadiz, de Lucia spent his early years immersed in the peculiar amalgam of music, song, and dance found...

Malice & forethought: the violent truth behind Dimebag Darrell's new Damageplan.(Interview)
June 1, 2004... When Pantera called it quits in 2003, the band's creative core, Dimebag Darrell and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, found themselves in a position they hadn't been in for 20 years--bandless. "We went from having everything to having to...

David Byrne: Grown Backwards.(Audio)(Sound Recording Review)
June 1, 2004... Grown Backwards is the most consistently inspired recording David Byrne has released in many years. Continuing to build on the nylon-string guitar accompanied by a small ensemble and string section formula employed on his last record and recent...

Frank Gambale: Raison D'etre.(Audio)(Brief Article)(Sound Recording Review)
June 1, 2004... With his custom doubleneck Yamaha solidbody and Nouveau Tuning system, Frank Gambale continues to push the envelope of rock-tinged jazz improvisation. This album is packed with the kind of growling, fat-toned phrases that have characterized the...

John Abercrombie Quartet: Class Trip.(Audio)(Brief Article)(Sound Recording Review)
June 1, 2004... In the three years since this latest incarnation of the John Abercrombie Quartet released its debut album, Cat 'n' Mouse, the group has been performing regularly--and it shows. With the exception of Be1a Bartok's "Soldier's Song," all of the...

Greg Koch: Guitar Gristle.(DVD)(Video Recording Review)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The madness of Greg Koch was first profiled in Guitar Player's December '01 issue, where be detailed his perverse cross-pollination of country, blues, and rock. Now the guy has gone all multimedia with the release of the instructional DVD,...

Cool aid: spike your solos with Jerry Garcia's trippy approach tones.(Master Class)
June 1, 2004... Like Stilton cheese, kimchi, or a double espresso, Jerry Garcia's playing can be an acquired taste. Some guitarists scratch their heads over the late Grateful Dead frontman's tone, intonation, and timing, while others hail him as the most...

How to play like ... Allan Holdsworth.(Intermediate)
June 1, 2004... If you've ever taken a solo in public, you've probably experienced the simultaneous joy and terror associated with the art form we call melodic improvisation. Luckily, the more you perform, the more that fear tends to give way to joy. Also, the...

EZ street: how to play harmonics.(Beginner)
June 1, 2004... Neither fretted notes nor open strings, the bell-like tones we call harmonics combine elements of both. To play a harmonic, gently place a finger on a string--without pressing it against the fret--at one of several prescribed points, and then...

Rock guru Steve Morse: harp riffs.(Intermediate)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... By combining open strings with fretted notes, you can make the guitar sound like it has more strings than it does. This approach gives riffs and melodies a flowing, harp-like sound that is very pleasing to the ear. The concept is easy to...

Jazz guru Mike Stern: chasin' that burn.(Advanced)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Chances are, when you're talking among friends, you're not literally seeing each phrase you speak ahead of time in your mind, as you might if you were in a foreign country trying to get by in a new language. Speaking in your native tongue, you...

Blues guru Robben Ford: talking guitar.(Beginner)
June 1, 2004... It's fun to focus on flashy turnarounds, interesting fretboard patterns, and clever fingerings, but guitarists sometimes get carried away with the technical, guitaristic stuff and end up playing licks that don't go anywhere emotionally. What...

Hot guitarist alert! Skip Heller.(Advanced)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... HOME BASE Los Angeles, California NEW ALBUM Fakebook (Hyena) STYLE "I'm a jazz player who came up in Philadelphia, a town famous for organ combos," says Heller, who cites T-Bone Walker, Grant Green, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Curtis...

Reader's challenge: one scale, two hands.(Intermediate)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Tapping is still a dirty word among many purveyors of so-called "tasteful" guitar playing. But beware, ye pickers of the ivory tower, the hammer-on heyday of the late '80s is well behind us, which can only mean one thing: Tapping is poised for...

Martin HD-40 Tom Petty.(Gear)
June 1, 2004... As a special treat for collectors and discerning players, C.F. Martin & Co. regularly augments their extensive line of production guitars with limited-edition signature models. Typically, these high-end instruments are based on one of Martin's...

MJ Guitar Engineering Roadster.(Gear)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... The new Roadster, an affordable, stripped-down alternative to MJ Guitar Engineering's more expensive models, features the same futuristic-looking forked headstock that makes these instruments such stylistic standouts. But aside from giving the...

Schecter guitar research Blackjack series.(Gear)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... Henry Ford used to joke that you could have a Model T in any color, as long as it was black. Okay, Ford was about as funny as a flat tire, but there's no arguing with his choice of color. Black never goes out of style, it matches anything you...

Fender 50th anniversary 1954 Stratocaster and '57 Twin AMP.(Gear)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... Owning a Fender Stratocaster from its first year of production is a nice thing to fantasize about if you have $20,000 or so burning a hole in your wallet, or a generous credit limit on your Guitar Player Visa card. But if you're neither wealthy...

RKS Malibu, Uluru, and Hell Fire.(Gear)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... I think it's Pair to say that there are plenty of weird-ass guitars in the world. Heck, my Italian homeland alone is responsible for a huge percentage of wacky 6-string artifacts. But it's a blissful confluence of artistic disciplines when a...

Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior and Goldtone GA-15RV.(Gear)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... In 1939, Gibson shot to the forefront of the electric guitar revolution courtesy of Charlie Christian, who ignited the Benny Goodman band with the electrically charged sound of his Gibson guitar and amp. The company would go on to electrify...

Taylor Guitars--30 years of a new American classic.(Print)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... TAYLOR GUITARS--30 YEARS OF A NEW AMERICAN CLASSIC By Michael John Simmons Superbly written and packed with intriguing historical photos, this 220-page coffee-table book tells how Kurt Listug and Bob Taylor met as struggling luthiers in a...

Ibanez overdrive pro TS808 Tube Screamer.(Stompbox Fever)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
June 1, 2004... Ah, the Tube Screamer. Has there ever been a stompbox more revered by guitarists than this puke-green masterpiece? Methinks not. Until now, Ibanez had never reissued the first version of this classic overdriver, focusing instead on various...

Gjika Mini Amp.(Stompbox Fever)
June 1, 2004... The Gjika Mini Amp ($750 direct) is a tube-powered "stompbox" designed primarily to obtain low-volume distortion from high-powered, non-master volume amps. The Mini's controls include Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Level knobs, a Sustain...

George L's Cable Checker.(Accessory File)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Housed in a small plastic casing and powered by two AA batteries, the Cable Checker ($24 retail/street price N/A) ensures everything is copasetic with your guitar and speaker cords. Checking the center conductor of a cord is as easy as touching...

Rockon Pedalboards Pedal Pro.(Accessory File)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Although the lightweight and durable Pedal Pro ($119 retail/$89 street) measures only 20" wide by 12" deep, its double-decker design accommodates six standard-sized stompboxes and one wah-sized pedal. Pedals are secured with included Velcro...

Radial JX * 2 Tonebone Switchbone.(Accessory File)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... An amp switcher is far from sexy, but it can be your rig's femme fatale if it adds hum, sucks tone, or conjures an audible pop every time you hit the switch. If you've balled on multi-amp setups because of these sonic buzz kills, you owe...

Pro audio report: Eventide Eclipse.(Editors' Guitar Player Pick)
June 1, 2004... The Eclipse ($2,995 retail/$1,995 street) replaces the venerable H3000 Ultraharmonizer as Eventide's entry-level processor. Besides offering a vast selection of excellent, general-purpose reverbs, delays, and other effects, the Eclipse contains...

P1 Arch Top Hollow Body.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Abyss Guitar Company Now Available All Koa back, top, sides and neck. Base price includes w/b/w binding the top, f-holes, back, fingerboard, and headstock. Ebony tailpiece is standard. Optional are inlay, Piezo or other. SRP: Base...

RT-7100 Advanced Rack Tuner.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Sabine Now Available The ultimate tuner--super-bright, dual-mode LED display: bar graph or strobe. Two independent channels with A/B switch. Flat tune, calibrate, and mute functions. Chromatic with a heavy-duty case and built-in power...

ToneLab Amp & Effect Modeler.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... VOX Now Available ToneLab features the incredibly accurate modeling power of Valvetronix amps in a portable, desktop box for recording direct, practicing, or connecting to an amp. Its knob-based interface makes operation easy and...

Nut Sauce filled groove-luber.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Big Bends LLC Now Available Nut Sauce filled syringe applicator with curved plastic needle for pin point application. Extreme tuning aid. Smooth precision tuning. Keeps you in tune. Reduces string breakage up to 95%. SRP: $19.95...

Advanced Modern Rock Guitar Improvisation (98053SET).(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Now Available Jon Finn combines his experience, education and stylistic versatility in this eclectic series of lessons. Book, CD AND DVD included!!! Standard notation and tablature. Beginning to intermediate...

Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Digital Music Corporation Now Available This handmade pedal with true-bypass takes the vintage Tubescreamer to a whole new level. Blendable clean boost adds note definition and feel. Walloping output turns even low-wattage amps into...

Performance stand.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Brubaker Guitars Now Available Featuring aircraft-grade extruded aluminum for incredible support. 2 models: custom or adjustable height. Articulating head and quick-disconnect plate included. Disassembles for transport. Bolt-on only;...

P8A 2-way active nearfield monitor.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Phonic America, Inc. Now Available 2-way High-Resolution Active Nearfield Monitor features bi-amped design (212 watts/106 watts program). Flat response from 45 Hz to 22 kHz, 8-3/4" woofer and 1" silk dome tweeter, built-in high match,...

Ampworks.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... ToneWorks Now Available Perfect for recording or practice, this compact modeling signal processor features models of highly sought-after amps, cabinets and effects, plus an intuitive knob-based interface. Eleven presets and two user...

3000 Series 200-channel frequency-agile UHF body-pack and handheld systems.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Audio-Technica Now Available For live performance, regional touring and more, Audio-Technica's 3000 Series features 200-channel frequency agility, true diversity operation, soft-touch controls, digital tone-lock squelch. Body-pack's...

GRAMMA.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Auralex Acoustics, Inc. Now Available GRAMMA is the revolutionary isolation devised designed to float any amp, monitor or subwoofer, delivering a purity of tone like you've never heard before, SRP: $59 www.auralex.com ...

Burrell 3 Octave Acoustic.(Product Spotlight)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Burrell Guitars Now Available Typical "Martin" scale length with bridge and pin block; is also available with fixed bridge, or with bridge and tail piece. SRP: $2000 www.burrellguitars.com 304-429-4848 [ILLUSTRATION...

Wayne Kramer on Jack White.(Trading Graces)(Brief Article)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... "I really appreciate energy, enthusiasm, and spirit," says former MCS guitarist, punk godfather, and solo artist Wayne Kramer. "I'm not buying all this slick and over-produced stuff, and I'm not sure the public is going for it, either. I love...