Guitar Player articles from March 2007

Guitar Player archives from March 2007

Noize from the editor.(online advertising)(Editorial)
March 1, 2007... APPROXIMATELY TEN YEARS AGO, some snot-box "genius" who was helping our little music group develop Web strategies told the Guitar Player staff that print was dead. We're still here. And that consultant is probably still nattering that print is...

Letter of the month!(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... Thanks for jogging some foggy memories I have from the early '60s, when I would accompany my father, Buddy Kendrick, to the Fender factory where he built a lifelong association and friendship with Leo Fender as an R&D field tech. I remember our...

Warren piece.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I can't tell you how thrilled I was to finally see Warren Haynes on the cover [Dec. '06] of the best guitar mag out there. I've been wondering why he hasn't gotten the recognition he deserves. Here stands a musician whose songwriting rivals the...

A different kind of shredding.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... The last time I was disappointed with Guitar Player was in the 1970s, when Kiss was on the cover. Today, I find Paul Stanley in an issue yet again, and I'm amazed you gave him the time of day. Paul Stanley saying, "I see myself as a guitarist...

Palindromists unite.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I enjoy each issue of Guitar Player, and a large part of that enjoyment comes from learning the many technical details found in the interviews with players--everything from their string gauges to the kinds of picks they use. So it was...

"Ray" of light.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2007... I've only been playing for a couple of years now, but, thanks to Will Ray's eBay strategies, GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) has gotten a hold of me. I have acquired ten guitars--the latest being an ES-335 copy that I picked up on eBay for less...

Oops.(FEEDBACK)(Correction notice)
March 1, 2007... In the January issue's table of contents, we incorrectly identified Lamb of God's Mark Morton as Willie Adler. In addition, we neglected to mention that Adler and Morton both use GHS strings. In the December '06 piece on Ike Turner, we...

Paul Gilbert.(the guitarists)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... "I'M HAPPY TO LET ALL OF THE GUITAR PLAYERS know that I've stopped singing," jokes Paul Gilbert, whose recent albums have flaunted the 40-year-old guitarist's affection for power pop nearly as much as his love for frighteningly virtuosic rock...

Karsh Kale.(the guitarist)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... KARSH KALE'S UNIQUE BRAND OF ELECTRONICA--infused with Indian classical, rock, and hip-hop influences--has helped propel a South Asian youth music movement. He has inspired countless professional and bedroom producers to action, and the scene...

Anne McCue.(the guitarists)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... ANNE MCCUE MIGHT HAVE TOILED IN RELATIVE obscurity had it not been for acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. Williams literally plucked the Australian native from the club circuit in 2002 pegging McCue as the opening act for her...

Steve Morse.(the guitarists)(Brief article)(Biography)
March 1, 2007... COMPOSER, ALL-STAR BANDMATE, AND ONE of guitar's most identifiable and inspirational exponents, Steve Morse has been on the guitar-star radar since his band, the Dixie Dregs, released its first album in 1975. Morse moved on to a successful solo...

The Dixie Dregs, What If, 1978.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Without a doubt, the group's watershed record. Described by Morse as "electronic chamber music;' the wonderfully heady compositions "Odyssey" and "Night Meets Light" back up the claim, as violinist Alien Sloan crisscrosses Morse's potpourri of...

Steve Morse Band, The Introduction, 1984.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... After a decade of composing for a five-place with the Dregs, Morse decided it was time to power-up a power trio. With bassist Jerry Peek and former Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein, Morse hits all of his stylistic marks with aplomb. "Mountain...

Steve Morse Band, Southern Steel, 1991.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Throughout the '70s and '80s, Morse's hard rock influences would occasionally surface, but Southern Steel was his first super-concentrated dose of strutting grooves and heavy riffage. Morse sports a thicker and more saturated tone than...

The Dixie Dregs, Night of the Living Dregs, 1979.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... This half studio/half live album is one of the Dixie Dregs' best. On the studio side, "Punk Sandwich" sports an energetic drop-D figure as the launching pad for some swiftly picked melodic fireworks, and "The Riff Raff" is a lovely classical...

Steve Morse, High Tension Wires, 1989.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Voted Best Guitar Album in the 1989 GP Reader's Poll (beating out SRV's In Step and Mr. Big's debut), High Tension Wires came out after Morse quit the music biz in favor of flying commercial airliners. But as shown by blazing, baroque-infused...

Steve Morse Band, Coast to Coast, 1992.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... On this follow-up to Southern Steel, Morse kept the rock urgency intact, as well as the anthemic, hook-ridden tunes. "User Friendly" mixes a tough, bare-knuckled riff with a poppy B-section that wouldn't sound out of place on an XTC record, and...

The Dregs, Industry Standard, 1983 and Steve Morse Bend, Stand Up, 1985.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Caveat time: These two records contain some amazing guitar playing-and how could they not with guests like Albert Lee (Stand Up) and Steve Howe (Industry Standard). But if you're at all adverse to goofy lyrics, and even goofier singing, you're...

The top 40 guitar riffs of all time: as Chosen by Ernie Ball, GP, Harmony-Central and Seymour Duncan forum members.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" Van Halen "All Right Now" Free "Back In Black" AC/DC "Black Dog" Led Zeppelin "Burn" Deep Purple "Can't You Hear Me Knockin" Rolling Stones "Crazy Train" Ozzy Osbourne "Crossroads"...

Editor boy's big eight.
March 1, 2007... GP IS EMBRACING D-I-Y MUSICIANS BY spotlighting thrilling (or, at least, interesting) guitar talents in this column and at guitarplayer.com. If you think you've got something going that our readers should hear, go to myspace.com/michaelmolenda...

Andreu Zaragoza Barcelona, Spain, "Fugaz Preview".(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... This is smooth jazz with a twist, as Zaragoza doesn't embellish the melody, as much as pirouette all around it with his spidery runs. Pulling taut, sensuous tones from a Godin Multiac Jazz, Zaragoza starts soloing 1:33 into the tune, and builds...

John D'Amato Nashville, Tennessee, "Double Stop Me".(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... I'm almost too exhausted to write this review after being pulled hither and yon by D'Amato's relentless, breakneck licks. He just keeps spewing out wilder and wilder phrases until you succumb to giddy delight or vertigo. It's totally fun and...

Tommy's Lo-Fi Alexandria, Virginia, "Shift".(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Tommy's not kidding. Recorded in a garage on a 4-track cassette deck, "Shift" certainly won't win any audiophile awards, and the performance clams aren't pretty, either. But this is a ferocious track, full of beatific, unselfconscious "screw...

Erja Lyytinen Heisinki, Finland, "Change of Season".(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Although "Dreamland Blues" adapts e cool Zeppelin rift, I almost bailed on Lyytinen, because her blues seemed too conventional and facile. But "Change of Season" is subtle, impassioned, and full of sadness, and the outro solo evokes emotional...

Michael Schramm Berwyn, Pennsylvania, "Dakota".(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... "Dakota" is yet another example that you don't need a lot of whiz-bang production to conjure mystery, vibe, and magic. This is one track of acoustic guitar, and one track of electric slide and volume swells, and yet it manages to be...

Ranjit Fernandez Doha, Qatar, "Communication".(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... A mesmerizing blend of Western composition and the music Fernandez absorbs in his adopted country of Qatar, "Communication" employs a repetitious song structure, simple melodies, and e hint of modulation to paint an aural picture of life in...

Casey Harsbarger Indianapolis, Indiana, "Seasons".(RIFFS: MySpace Hordes)(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... While Harshbarger relies on the liquid lead tone of influences such as Satch and Steve Vai, his composition invites a small battalion of styles to the party, resulting in a languid, mid-tempo track packed with soaring melodies, insistent riffs,...

Ronny North Orange County, California, "Race With Me".(RIFFS: MySpace Hordes)(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... North is an "industry guy" who is in with the NAMM crowd, end he didn't impress gear manufacturers by being some kind of guitar sissy. In fact, he's one of those rare cats who can lay down a dumb-rock rhythm and shred like a mother. Sublime....

Harvey Thomas Maltese Surfer.(RIFFS: Vintage Vault)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... WITH ALL THE CURRENT HOOPLA CONCERNING West Coast Customs and the Iron Cross symbol being used on everything from baseball caps to Converse, one might think this axe is a brand new guitar for the biker set. But no, it comes from the 1960s, and...

Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin.(RIFFS: Blues)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... BOB MARGOLIN IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS seven-year stint as Muddy Waters' right-hand man. Highlights of his tenure include 1975's Woodstock Album, appearing with Waters in the Band's The Last Waltz film in 1976, and playing on the four Johnny...

Leroy Powell.(RIFFS: Country)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... LEROY POWELL IS THE GUITARIST FOR THE .357s--the band that backs country outlaw (and Waylon's son) Shooter Jennings. Powell has recorded two discs with Jennings--Put the O Back in Country and the recent Electric Rodeo--as well as a self-titled...

O.I.E. records.(RIFFS: Label Spotlight)
March 1, 2007... SO IMPRESSED WAS GUITARIST AND ENTREPRENEUR JOHN McGlasson with the abundance of skilled 6-stringers in his native Illinois, that he was moved to found a record label dedicated to getting those players heard. Launched in 2003, O.I.E....

Bill Horist.(RIFFS: Outsider)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... BILL HORIST CAN EASILY HOLD HIS OWN PLAYING the guitar conventionally--as demonstrated on his Covalent Lodge album, and much of his session work for dozens of artists--but he is best known for his more experimental excursions. ...

Sadhappy's Outerspaces.(RIFFS: Recording)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... DRUMMER EVAN SCHILLER AND BASSIST PAUL Hinklin formed the Seattle-based "power duo" Sadhappy in 1989, with the idea that the personnel within the group would mutate in various ways over time. On Sadhappy's most recent recording, Outerspaces...

Gilby Clarke.(RIFFS: Rock)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... UP UNTIL THIS PAST SUMMER, GILBY Clarke's main claim to fame was his three-year stint in Guns N' Roses (replacing Izzy Stradlin). Now, thanks to Clarke's appearance on the weekly CBS reality show Rock Star: Supernova, the guitarist is juggling...

Trey Alexander.(RIFFS: Guitar Hero 2006 Winner)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... IT WAS A THRILLING AND TOUCHING MOMENT when, after surviving the cut amidst thousands of entrants and then going riff-to-riff against nine talented finalists, Trey Alexander stepped onstage at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall as the...

Robert Lockwood, Jr.(Passing Notes)(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Robert Lockwood, Jr., the pioneering Delta bluesman who learned to play guitar under the tutelage of Robert Johnson, died November 21, 2006, at the age of 91. The Turkey Scratch, Arkansas native became a professional musician at age 15, playing...

Ruth Brown.(jazz singer)(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Grammy- and Tony Award-winning singer Ruth Brown, dubbed "the Queen Mother of the Blues," passed away November 17, 2006, at a Las Vegas area hospital. One of the top-selling R&B singers of the early 1950s, Brown was forced by a changing musical...

Ahmet Ertegun.(Atlantic Recording Corp. founder)(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records who helped define popular music in America by breaking such acts as Ray Charles, Big Joe Turner, and Aretha Franklin--and later the Rolling Stones, Cream, and Led Zeppelin, among countless...

Ronnie Lippin.(veteran publicist )(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Veteran publicist and manager Ronnie Lippin--who represented such rock heavyweights as Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Brian Wilson, and Prince--died Monday December 4, 2006, of a rare form of breast cancer at the age of 59. A Brooklyn, New York...

Deftones.(Stephen Carpenter, Chino Moreno)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... FOR A BAND THAT HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS since 1988, it doesn't seem fair that Deftones got lumped in with the now-deteriorating wave of nu-metal. Perhaps it was the price the group paid for being one of the trailblazers of the innovative (for the...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?
March 1, 2007... BARRY CLEVELAND John Frusciante, DC EP Vusi Mahlasela, Guiding Star AL Garcia, Alternate Realities DARRIN FOX Lee Hazlewood, Cake or Death Trans Am, Sex Change The Byrds, There is a Season [box set] DAMIEN...

Jim Campilongo electric trio: Heaven Is Creepy.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... With a collection of tunes that range from moody, twang-noir instrumentals ("Because You Like Trombone," "Pepper," and the title track) to excellent vocal numbers (which feature Norah Jones and the sultry Martha Wainwright) to playfully...

Roger Powell: Fossil Poets.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Synth maverick Roger Powell has done plenty of groundbreaking work with Todd Rundgren and Utopia as well as playing on Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell. On his latest solo release he has clearly fallen in with the wrong crowd by enlisting the...

Advent: Cantus Firmus.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Advent combines the madrigal vocals and contrapuntal instrumental forms of Gentle Giant, the interlocking acoustic melanges and electric guitar stylizations of early Genesis, and the symphonic leanings of Yes, with touches of ELP, Asia, Procol...

Al Garcia: Alternate Realities.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Al Garcia plays acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synthesizer, bass, hand percussion, and even some trap drums on this self-recorded and produced album. The music falls squarely into the jazz-rock-fusion category, with obvious Allan...

UFO: The Monkey Puzzle.(Sound recording review)
March 1, 2007... Vinnie Moore continues to live the dream of every chops-seeking guitarist who came of age in the late-'70s by playing, writing, and burning with UFO. Filling the huge (if somewhat dysfunctional) shoes of Michael Schenker is a tough gig but...

Primus: Blame It On the Fish: An Abstract Look at the 2003 Primus Tour de Fromage.(Video recording review)
March 1, 2007... When Primus says something is abstract, you should believe them. This rockumentary of their 2003 tour is an intriguing look into their bizarre world with lots of arresting images, fascinating backstage and interview footage, and cool concert...

The Who: The Who Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 Special Edition.(Video recording review)
March 1, 2007... This upgraded version of director Murray Lerner's film is a dramatic improvement over the previous DVD release, adding two bonus songs, a recent 38-minute Pete Townshend interview by Lerner, and audio remixed from the 8-track masters under...

Corey Christiansen: Jazz Guitar DVD Real Book [DVD].(Video recording review)
March 1, 2007... You could say that "Take the 'A' Train," "Autumn Leaves," "Satin Doll," "All the Things You Are," and "Stella by Starlight," are five of the most tired songs in jazz. But they're not. They're timeless tunes that never wear out--ever-gleaming...

Campbell American Guitars: Jam Juice Fretboard Cleaner/Conditioner.(GEAR: New Gear)
March 1, 2007... No citrus oils or silicon * $19 retail/$10 street * campbellamerican.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Core One Creative: the "spark" cable.(GEAR: New Gear)
March 1, 2007... Precision-machined, nickel/gold plated 1/4" connectors fashioned to look like spark plugs * 12-foot length * Dual shielded for clarity and protection from RFI * Braided copper shielding * 99.99% oxygen-free copper * Audiophile-grade components...

Morley: Quad Box A/B/Y box.(GEAR: New Gear)
March 1, 2007... Allows quick access to two guitars and two amplifiers without complicated MIDI switching systems * Solid cold-rolled steel housing * Powered by one 9-volt battery or optional Morley adapter * LED indicators show active signal path * True bypass...

Robin Guitars: fleetwood series exotic top.(GEAR: New Gear)
March 1, 2007... Solid mahogany body with raised center section * Figured maple top with grained ivoroid binding * 24 3/4"-scale, one-piece mahogany set neck * 22 jumbo frets * Rio Grande Texas humbucking pickups * Grover mini-Rotomatic tuners * Tobacco...

Electro-Voice: REV wireless system for guitar & bass.(GEAR: New Gear)
March 1, 2007... 950-channel capability so you can always find a clear channel * Posi-Phase Diversity System for maximum range and audio quality * Advanced ClearScan automatic group and channel selections allows quick, simple setup * REV-BP bodypack...

Cleartone Strings: light top/heavy bottom 6-string electric set.(GEAR: New Gear)
March 1, 2007... Gauged .010, .013, .017, .030, .042, .052 * Enhanced Molecular Protection coating for longer life * $22 retail/ $14 street * cleartonestrings.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Supercharge your chops! 40 timeless tips from 40 years of Guitar Player lessons.(Cover story)
March 1, 2007... IS IT BETTER TO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT A LOT OR A LOT ABOUT A little? It doesn't matter what your answer is, because by the time you finish this remarkable lesson package you'll know a lot about a lot. This article is a time machine that will...

Ten-amp extravaganza.(musical instrument amplifiers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... TESTED BY THE GP STAFF AMPLIFIERS COME IN SO MANY FLAVORS THESE days that it can make your head spin trying to figure out what's the best for your style and tastes. From GP's vantage point, it often seems that everyone wants in on the...

Bad Cat panther.(guitart amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... WHEN BAD CAT PROWLED ONTO THE SCENE IN 1999, guitarists heralded the company as the heir to the class-A throne previously occupied by Matchless. After several years of redefining EL84 chime and clang, the cats at Bad Cat have introduced their...

Budda Collector's Edition Twinmaster.(Budda Custom Edition Twinmaster)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... IN CELEBRATION OF ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY, Budda Amplification has produced 100 very special versions of the Twinmaster--the 18-watt combo that helped establish the San Francisco, California-based company as one of the top makers of tube amps for...

Epiphone So Cal 50.(amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... DESIGNED BY NOTED AMP GURU PYOTR BELOV--and with a circuit board laid out by Michael J. Soldano--the U.S.-designed/China-manufactured, all-tube Epiphone So Cal 50H ($799 retail/$499 street) promises a mammoth bang for but a whimper of buckage....

Fender Princeton Recording-Amp.(amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... POWERED BY A PAIR OF 6V6S, THE PRINCETON has long been an essential tool for many studio players. Fender recently decided to bring the Princeton back with new features that make it even better suited for studio use. The Princeton Recording-Amp...

Gabriel Voxer 18.(guitar amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... THOUGH LOOSELY BASED ON THE POPULAR Marshall 1974X 18-watt template, the Voxer 18 ($1,990 retail/street price N/A; cabinet, $910 retail/street price N/A) nails a "best of two Brits" approach by grafting together a Marshall-style Channel 1 based...

Custom Hiwatt 100 Signature Series DG-103.(amplifier)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... PINK FLOYD'S DAVID GILMOUR HAS BEEN USING Hiwatt amplifiers in one capacity or another (sometimes just the power amp sections) since the early '70s. The DG-103 Signature Series head ($3,399 retail/street N/A) is basically a classic 100-watt...

Line 6 Spider III 150.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... LINE 6'S SPIDER III MODELING AMPS REPRESENT the third evolutionary step for this affordable series, and the Spider III 150 2x12 combo ($699 retail/$500 street) is the big daddy of the species. New presets are paramount, and, according to Line...

Peavey Envoy 110.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... MY INITIAL GLANCE AT THE ENVOY 110 ($299 list/$240 street) took me back to a very exciting evening when I discovered my first amp--a Peavey Backstage--in the utility room where my parents would hide Christmas presents. Years later, Peavey...

Randall T2.(amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... A STREAMLINED ALTERNATIVE TO THE KNOB-CRAZY V2 head, the T2 ($1,299 retail/$1,039 street) uses a tube preamp coupled to a solid-state output stage to provide three footswitchable modes and 300 watts of power. The T2's Clean and Lead channels...

Voodoo Amps V-Plex 50MV.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... WHEN IT COMES TO AMPS, THE MARSHALL PLEXI is one of those watershed tone machines that spawns imitators as well as updaters. The V-Plex 50MV ($2,999 retail/$2,199 street; 4x12 cabinet, $1,599 retail/$1,099 street) actually has a foot in both...

Peavey Omniac USA & HP Special CT USA.(Peavey Omniac JD USA)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... ONE OF PEAVEY'S STRENGTHS HAS ALWAYS BEEN its ability to serve players' current needs, while simultaneously sniffing out new and updated features that could make musicians' lives even more tuneful and toneful. These two new guitars from...

Babicz Octane 818 and RC Design Aspen.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... HOLLOWBODY ELECTRICS HAVE EVOLVED from being the only game in town in the 1930s and '40s, to being the only game in jazz town in the 1950s and early '60s, to being fair game these days for progressive players in every conceivable genre....

Fender 65 Super Reverb reissue vs. 1964 Fender Super Reverb.(amplifiers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... INTRODUCED IN LATE 1963, THE Super Reverb used a pair of 6L6 output tubes and a 5U4 rectifier to pump 45 watts into a quartet of Jensen 10" alnico-magnet speakers. The Super Reverb's link to the famous 4x10 Bassman of 1959 is obvious (more so...

Volkswagen GTI and First Act GarageMaster.(GEAR: Field Test)
March 1, 2007... BLASTING THROUGH A TRIPLE-STACK OF Volkswagen GTIs? John Mayer getting all kinds of bluesy with convertible Beetle? A shredding Nigel Tufnel--in kilts--slipping off his wah pedal and tumbling down the backside of a Jetta? Ya gotta give First...

Dan Erlewine's Mod Squad.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... CHELSEA LOVES SURPRISING THE MOD Squad with the repair jobs she takes on. Take this broken '65 Fender Mustang that offered the Mod Squad work aplenty. "Max, you detail the frets and nut," said Chelsea, as she divided chores amongst her "shop...

Two from BBE.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)
March 1, 2007... BBE FREE FUZZ If you like fuzz, the Free Fuzz ($169 retail/$119 street) just might be your peach. The battle-tough, true-bypass pedal comes with its own external power supply (it can also be powered by a 9-volt battery), and it can deliver...

Malden Liquid, Bulldozer and bad Karma.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2007... NOW THAT COMPANIES OF ALL STRIPES ARE making great guitars in factories based in a variety of Asian nations, there are more rivals than ever to the budget and mid-level lines that the big names manufacture offshore. In this arena, Malden...

Eric Clapton 1970.(guitarist)(Interview)
March 1, 2007... Guitar Player 40 YEARS SITTING IN BARE FEET ON THE EDGE OF A MASSIVE bed with a carved wood headboard. Eric Clapton talked with Guitar Player, His soft-spoken manner made it difficult to hear his words clearly over the noise of conga drums...