Guitar Player articles from March 2009

Guitar Player archives from March 2009

Noize from the editor.(discusses the importance of sharing explicit information in the publishing industry)(Editorial)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S A CRIME THAT NO ONE SEEMS ANXIOUS to solve. A cold case while the body is still warm. I'm talking about how society has beaten the living crap out of poor Information Dissemination, stuffed its bruised and...

Letter of the month.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... A few months ago, I decided to subscribe to a guitar magazine, and I'm sad to say that I did not choose wisely. I was wooed like a sailor to a siren by the thought of video lessons on DVD. But every time the magazine comes, it is full of...

That's "numero uno" to you.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... I am from Guadalajara, Mexico--the land of tequila and mariachis. I have played the guitar since the age of eight. My first Guitar Player was from 1972, the one with Rusty Young on the cover. When I bought it, it came with a plain G string as a...

More love for Carlos.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... As a professional guitarist and longtime subscriber, this is the first time I've ever been compelled to write. I want to express my thanks to GP, Carlos Santana, writer Michael Molenda, and the art staff for what I consider to be the best...

One too many cooks?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... David Gilmour, Tom Morello, Billy Gibbons... David Cook? I'm not saying the guy is a bad player, but good god, man! That's like having Gene, Paul, Ace, and Lance Bass. Wow. David Cook. Wow. Frank Davis VIA INTERNET I was thrilled when...

Lap dancing.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... In the November issue's review of the Reverend Ron Asheton Signature V, Matt Blackett stated that the guitar is difficult to play sitting down. As a player of Flying Vs for more than 20 years, I feel the need to educate Matt and anyone else who...

Why?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... I was just reading the December 2008 issue, and I have a question for you: Why is there a "Best Female Guitarist" category in the Reader's Choice Awards Ballot? There wasn't when I was a little girl. I grew up believing that I could be any kind...

Oops!(FEEDBACK)(Correction notice)
March 1, 2009... Due to a last-minute production glitch, the February issue's Stompbox Fever review of the newly released trio of Way Huge pedals went to press without the Editors' Pick Award that was bestowed upon the Way Huge Swollen Pickle. Here's what the...

Eddie unveils his new EVH Wolfgang.(RIFFS)(Eddie Van Halen's guitar)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A guitar is a very personal extension of the person playing it," says Eddie Van Halen, who recently expanded his Fender/EVH line of amps (EVH 5150 III), guitars (Eddie Van Halen Frankenstein replica), and...

Andy Ellis on-air-guitar.(RIFFS)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What is Guitarmania? It's a weekly, two-hour broadcast on Nashville community radio that's also streamed online. Each show consists of about 25 guitar-driven songs, which I weave together with a little commentary...

Alex Lifeson on giving the people what they want.(interview with the guitarist of the rock band Rush)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rush's Alex Lifeson knows how to keep the customer satisfied. He continues to deliver the music that has thrilled Rush fans for 35 years--onstage, on record, on Rush's new DVD Snakes & Arrows Live, and in a series of...

Rock band 2: second verse same as the first?(RIFFS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] All the noise the Rock Bond video game made last year set the stage in a big way for Rock Bond 2. The developer, Harmonix, strikes three major chords that ring out in this sequel. Most impressive would be the set...

Eric Johnson on Mitch Mitchell.(RIFFS)(Eric Johnson narrates his experiences playing with drummer Mitch Mitchell)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... "MITCH MITCHELL PLAYED DRUMS like Picasso or Renoir painted," says Eric Johnson, pictured at right performing with the great drummer on the San Francisco stop of the Experience Hendrix tour, a mere nine days before Mitchell's sudden passing at...

The mathematics of John's left hand.(RIFFS)(analysis of the chord progression of the Beatles song "I Want To Hold Your Hand")(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CAN A SINGLE GUITAR CHORD EXPLAIN A songwriter's hidden process? Do mathematical formulas contribute to classic tunes? Here's an example from a song that shook America in 1964. The bridge to the Beatles' "I Want...

Marty Friedman: on not fixing it.(RIFFS)(views on how he made his Exhibit A: Live in Europe and Exhibit B: Live in Japan albums)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... "I have great memories of all my live shows." says Marty Friedman, who recently released Exhibit A: Live in Europe and Exhibit B: Live in Japan [Avex Trax]. "But when you're listening to the live tracks over studio monitors weeks later, your...

VHT evolves into Fryette and continues as AXL.(RIFFS)(business agreement between VHT founder Steven Fryette and AXL)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Much like a musician who finds his own voice, my recent designs have captured what I've been searching for since starting VHT 20 years ago," says VHT founder Steven Fryette about changing the name of his venerated...

Gig disaster!(RIFFS)(a humorous situation that happened to Michael Orlando's band at the Guitar Superstars LIVE! concert)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... When Guitar Superstar 2008 finalist Michael Orlando took the stage at San Francisco's Broadway Studios for the Guitar Player's Guitar Superstars LIVE! concert last November, he probably wasn't thinking he'd end up in some kind of America's...

Cathy Carter Duncan, co-founder and CEO of Seymour Duncan, was a rider on the team that won the 2008 Score International Off-Road Racing overall season title for motorcycles up to 250cc.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Cathy Carter Duncan, co-founder and CEO of Seymour Duncan, was a rider on the team that won the 2008 Score International Off-Road Racing overall season title for motorcycles up to 250cc. The all-woman team placed first at the San Felipe 250,...

Mark Tremonti and Rusty Cooley on The Sound and the Story.(RIFFS)(Interview)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mark Tremonti, of Creed and Alter Bridge fame, has released The Sound and the Story [Core Twelve], an instructional DVD that combines technical lessons with discussions on gear, songwriting, and music biz survival...

Butch Walker on songwriting.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aside from writing material for his own records, including his latest. Sycamore Meadows [Original Signal], Butch Walker also pens hits for Pink, Avril Lavigne, and others. Here are some of his insights for breaking...

The first national guitar.(RIFFS)(first metal-bodied resonator guitar made by a company called National)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... THIS IS THE VERY FIRST metal-bodied resonator guitar made by National. The original resonator guitar--or "ampli-phonic," as it was called in the literature--was birthed in 1926, the brainchild of Czech immigrant John Dopyera. The first few...

Editor boy's big eight.(RIFFS: Web Hordes)(evaluation of songs by amateur musicians shared through the Internet)
March 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...

RDJ-27 century jubilee: Recording King.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Classic '30s-style acoustic guitar. FEATURES Solid Sitka spruce top, solid East Indian rosewood back and sides, vintage-style Grover tuners. Available in dreadnaught and 000 body styles. PRICE $1,099 retail. WEB...

Paul Gilbert's detox EQ: Homebrew Electronics.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... WHAT A 3-band EQ built around an ultra quiet and warm Burr Brown IC. FEATURES True bypass, uses 9-volt battery or DC adapter. PRICE $159 retail. web homebrewelectronics.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

AXL-750 headliner: AXL Guitars.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... WHAT Solidbody electric in 1/2 or 3/4 size. FEATURES Maple neck, rosewood fretboard, three single-coils, and 5-way switch. Available in classic black, metallic blue, and metallic red finishes. PRICE $159. WEB axlguitars.com [ILLUSTRATION...

AD999 pro analog delay: Maxon.(NEW GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Analog delay that can emulate the sound of a multi-head tape delay, as well as produce ambient effects such as large room and concert hall reverbs. COOL FACTOR Uses four, custom-made Maxon MC4107D bucket brigade...

mTrax: Terrasofta.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT A software speed trainer. COOLFACTOR Learn your favorite songs, solos, and riffs at your own pace by controlling tempo, pitch, looping, and more. Compatible audio files include mp3, mp4, m4a, and wma. PRICE $49...

Concord: Valvetrain Amps.(NEW GEAR)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT A 6-watt, hand-wired combo amp. FEATURES 12AX7 dual-triode preamp tube, 6V6 power tube, custom 10" speaker. PRICE $499 retail, WEB valvetrainamps.com

"Bolt neck" insert kit: Onyx Forge Custom Guitars.(NEW GEAR)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT Repairs stripped neck holes and tightens interface between neck and body. COOL FACTOR Insert system delivers roughly 440 lbs. of clamping pressure per screw to produce maximum tone and sustain. Includes five...

ZenTone7: Backline Engineering.(NEW GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT A class-A, single-ended 7-watt amp head. COOL FACTOR All tube-amp parameters can be stored in 64 preset locations. Includes two 12AX7 preamp tubes (with option to substitute 12AT7, 12AU7, 12AY7, or 12AZ7), three...

Tremonti phaser: T. Rex Engineering.(NEW GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... WHAT A phase shifter designed in conjunction with Alter Bridge and Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti. COOL FACTOR The Stage switch lets you choose between a raw, vintage-sounding effect and a richer, more modern swirl. The Bite knob adds an...

Soloamp: Fishman.(NEW GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... WHAT Acoustic guitar amp. COOL FACTOR An all-in-one, 25-lb performance system that delivers 220 watts of digital power. Two mic/ instrument input channels, 3-band EQ. four digital reverbs, phantom power. feedback filters, Mute button, effects...

MT-CT: Modtone effects.(NEW GEAR)
March 1, 2009... WHAT Chromatic floor tuner FEATURE Variable pitch, flat tuning, bypass, mute switch. PRICE $99 retail, WEB modtone-effects.com

HAG-240: Highland Guitar Company.(NEW GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... WHAT Acoustic guitar. FEATURES Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, rosewood fretboard, Grover machine heads, and satin Sienna Burst finish. Case includes built-in Hygrometer. PRICE $439 retail. WEB highlandguitarcompany.com ...

Lamb of God.(guitarist Mark Morton and his band's new album Wroth)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... "WE FIND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE who come to our shows aren't necessarily hardcore metal fans," says Lamb of God's Mark Morton. "They're just fans of what we're doing, and what we do has a lot of really cool guitar stuff going on." The...

Mark Wingfield.(guitar playing methods)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... BRITISH GUITARIST MARK WINGFIELD'S playing and compositions may be grounded in jazz and contemporary classical music, but his musical interests extend to the four corners of the earth. He has collaborated with artists from Africa, India,...

Eddie Turner.(Blues guitar music)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... MAKING A LIVING AS A BLUES MUSICIAN IN THE 215T century is a daunting task. And if you happen to take an unorthodox approach--as Eddie "Devil Box" Turner does--you'll likely find that your dues are even steeper. "The blues Nazis hare my stuff,"...

Les Dudek.(No Guitarist Left Behind)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHETHER YOU KNOW IT OR NOT, YOU'VE HEARD Les Dudek's guitar playing thousands of times. The Florida guitar slinger has been on the scene for many a famous session and countless big-name tours, but his name has never...

Monte Montgomery.(Acoustic)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SINCE HIS FATEFUL APPEARANCE AS A relative unknown on the fabled Austin City Limits television show in 1999, Monte Montgomery has garnered gobs of acclaim for wringing furious, bristling chops out of his 1987 Alvarez...

Fareed Haque.(music fusion genre)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I'M JUST THINKING MELODY AND CHANGES WHETHER I'M playing Bach or bebop," explains the laid back Fareed Haque. Born of Pakistani and Chilean decent, and based in Chicago, Haque naturally embodies many apparent...

Bang Camaro.(Rock)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CALL IT METAL. CALL IT ANTHEM ROCK. CALL IT THE RIFF-BASED, soccer-cheer tremors of joy that used to explode from car radios back when bands such as Slade, Def Leppard, and Kiss were screaming directly at the loins...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?(RANTS & RAVES)
March 1, 2009... MATT BLACKETT Guns N' Roses, Chinese Democracy P!nk!, Funhause Eric Johnson, Anaheim (DVD) BARRY CLEVELAND Juliette Commagere, Queens Die Proudly Steven Wilson, Insurgentes Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak...

Fripp & Eno.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... FRIPP & ENO No Pussyfooting (Expanded Edition) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Originally released in 1973, No Pussyfooting contained two album-side-long tracks. "The Heavenly Music Corporation" resulted from Robert Fripp plugging his...

Vox Amplifiers, The JMI Years.(Book review)
March 1, 2009... VOX AMPLIFIERS, THE JMI YEARS Jim Elgeo [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's not often that the weight of a book factors into its review, but when a 682-page hardcover arrives here weighing almost ten pounds, you get a real sense of the...

The Ultimate Digital Performer Learning Series: MOTU DP6.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2009... THE ULTIMATE DIGITAL PERFORMER LEARNING SERIES: MOTU DP6 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This excellent DVD provides more than 15 hours of detailed instruction in using the latest version of Digital Performer. In addition to covering all of...

Shut up 'n play yer guitar: on play, Brad Paisley lets his Tele do the talking.(Cover story)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "MAN, IF YOU GET HOT ENOUGH, YOU CAN TAKE AN INSTRUMENTAL to number one." These are the words of the late, great Buck Owens, speaking to one of his most famous proteges, Brad Paisley. Granted, the music business has...

Pentatonic pyrotechnics: explosive lead guitar approaches using the world's favorite five-note scale.(LESSONS: Soloing Seminar)
March 1, 2009... FOR CAVEMEN, IT WAS THE CLUB. FOR ATHLETES, it has long been the baseball bat. And for musicians? The neck of an electric guitar. We're talking about three things that have, over the eons, proven to be nearly unrivaled in how well they fit the...

10 Things you gotta do to play (rhythm) like Pete Townshend.(guitar playing)
March 1, 2009... NERVOUS AS HE MAY HAVE BEEN BACK IN 1967, PETE TOWNSHEND certainly had little reason to feel, as he confided to Eric Clapton, that both he and Clapton were about to be put out of business by an American bloke named Jimi Hendrix. After all,...

21 distortion pedals.(GEAR: Roundup!)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TESTED BY THE GUITAR PLAYER STAFF EVER SINCE SOMEONE CONCOCTED AN external device that could clip the waveform of a guitar signal on its way amp, distortion pedals have been an...

Danelectro: Cool Cat distortion CD-1.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... From its $20 FABs to its Mini Effects collection ranging from $29 to $49 to its new Cool Cats, Danelectro pedals certainly provide glitzy tonal options for cash-strapped guitarists. But while the FABs and Minis are obviously cut-rate wonder...

Danelectro: Cool Cat Metal II CM-2.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Metal II ($39 retail/$29 street) is like some super-duper IKEA dinnerware special--you get a trunk load of metal for 30 bucks. This metal maniac packs a lot of gain, a lot of volume, and a tricky little tone...

EBS: MultiDrive.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Swedish-made MultiDrive ($249 retail/$199 street), part of EBS' new Black Label series, is a compact pedal designed to produce tube-style overdrive with guitar and bass. Featuring a stout metal enclosure with...

Fuchs: Plush Drive.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Fuchs--the boutique amp company favored by Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmy Herring, and Joe Bonamassa, among others--has recently branched out into the pedal market with their line of Plush FX pedals. Touted as "Robben [Ford] in a box," the Plush...

Fuchs: Valve Job.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Fuchs Plush series Valve Job ($259 retail/$215 street) features a bi-fet integrated circuit matched to a 12AX7 tube, all housed in a black metal casing flashing red and green flakes. Four knobs handle Gain, Tone,...

Fuchs: Cream.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK The Fuchs Cream pedal ($199 retail/street price N/A) is the company's Plush series' entry into the Tube Screamer sweepstakes, which makes the pedal's name an interesting choice. The TS-808 didn't exist during...

Guyatone: Hot Drive HDm5.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Guyatone Micro series of pedals is one of the best-kept secrets of the stompbox world. These pocket-sized units have provided the familiar few with professional sound in a tiny footprint. They have some flaws...

HAO: Sole Pressure.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... Hailing from the Land of the Rising Sun, the Sole Pressure ($200 retail/$149 street) aims to add warmth and grind in an old-school, tweed Fender vein. It sports a tough die-cast metal housing, true-bypass mechanical switching, and a small LED...

HardWire: TL-2 metal distortion.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... DigiTech's new line of stompboxes boasts rock-solid construction and space-age aluminum knobs, some of which have pro-feeling clicks as you turn them, making for precise adjustments. Speaking of precision, all HardWire effects come with a...

HardWire: SC-2 valve distortion.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When DigiTech's Rob Urry excitedly outlined his company's new "boutique" HardWire line at NAMM, I couldn't stop myself from channeling his enthusiasm. However, I could also hear the...

Hermida Audio: Mosferatu overdrive/distortion.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK As its name implies, this elegant little sucker utilizes a metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) in its distortion circuitry, which, combined with an ingenious tone stack, results in an...

Hermida Audio: Zendrive 2 tube overdrive/distortion.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The original solid-state Zendrive was inspired by Robben Ford's overdrive preferences, and the guitarist has been using one exclusively for a while now. The Zendrive 2 ($270 direct) is quite similar to the original,...

HFx: Hussey Tonal Overdrive.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... A common definition of the word "hussy" is "a lewd or brazen woman," which, in many ways, describes the ballsy lows, beefy gain, and aggressive highs that pour out of the Hussey Tonal Overdrive ($199 retail/$159 street). But the name is...

Ibanez: Jemini Distortion.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Designed by longtime Ibanez icon Steve Vai, the Jemini Distortion ($285 retail/$199 street) is an easy to use and rather flamboyant looking box that offers two independent distortion circuits, with each side sporting...

Ibanez: TK999HT Tube King.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Originally introduced in the mid '90s, the new Tube King ($249 retail/$149 street) features a stronger cast-metal housing and a 200-volt AC supply to feed its single 12AX7 tube. Those who recall the earlier 9-volt versions of the Tube King will...

ISP Technologies: Fetish.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sporting a gleaming chrome-plated enclosure, the Fetish ($149 retail/$123 street) is a combination distortion/overdriver that offers Gain, Tone, Level, and Fat controls. At first inspection, the knobs felt like they...

Lovepedal: Provalve.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK From the makers of the COT (reviewed in the July '08 GP) comes the Provalve. This cool little box sports knobs straight off of a brownface Fender amp. The amp-like vibe definitely continues when you plug in and...

South Wave Audio: Imagine Overdrive DD-1.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sporting roll bars to protect a set of color-coded knobs, the Imagine Overdrive DD-1 ($279 retail/street price N/A) is a hefty, all-metal unit with a slide-out battery holder and the rather unusual feature of a 3-way...

Visual Sound: Route 808.(Ibanez TS-808 )(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... While the Ibanez TS-808 has long been the touchstone for numerous tube-style distortion pedals, it's fair to say that many of these revisionist '808s have been tweaked to improve on the original's design. That's certainly true of the Route 808...

Xotic Effects: AC+.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Evolved from Xotic's original AC pedal, the AC+ ($280 retail/$249 street) features Gain and Volume controls for its two footswitchable channels. Three small knobs adjust Bass, Mid, and Treble boost/cut for the B...

Xotic Effects: BB+.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The BB+ ($280 retail/$249 street) reveals the same British sound as the previous BB--think Marshall or Vox--and it offers much the same controls and features. Given the BB+'s English personality, I tested it with my...

Framus: Mayfield Custom.(GEAR: Bench Test)
March 1, 2009... GERMANY'S LONG-ESTABLISHED FRAMUS (THE TRADEMARK dates back to 1946) was a popular brand from the 1950s to its demise in 1977, producing guitars and basses that made their mark on '60s rock in the hands of Bill Wyman and John Lennon, as well as...

Fender Custom Shop: Yngwie Malmsteen Tribute Stratocaster.(GEAR: Bench Test)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WE'VE ALL SEEN THE IMAGE: A MANIACAL Yngwie J. Malmsteen onstage, with one knee bent, one leg outstretched, rocking bitchin' Blackmore-style boots while shredding his absolute brains out. The instrument upon which...

Guitar Mill: Custom Shop T-Style vs. Hahn 228.(GEAR: Fight Club)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] YOU MIGHT RIGHTLY WONDER IF THE world needs another homage to any of Leo Fender's early creations, so thoroughly have the templates been rendered and re-rendered by now. But there's...

Grimshaw: Revelation guitar.(hEmile Grimshaw)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SIX-STRING EXPERIMENTATION AND innovation in the early 20th century mostly centered on the idea of making the guitar louder, so that it could compete in bands with horns, pianos, drums, and banjos--the loudest of...

Access: Virus TI Snow.(GEAR: Xtreme Guitar)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OVER THE LAST DECADE, THE ACCESS VIRUS has become a new classic in the synthesizer world. The German company's products have become go-to gear for creators of electronic music, which begs the question, "Why should...

Hum bug.(troubleshooting of tube amplifiers and electric guitars)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I have a 1963 brown Fender Deluxe that has a low hum on both channels. I checked the grounding, and even replaced the AC cord with a 3-prong type, but I'm still hearing a hum. Can you tell me where to look?--Jon...

Picks and Stones: Agate pick.(GEAR: Accessory File)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AH, THE HUMBLE PICK. IT'S THE POINT WHERE silence becomes sound, and yet it is often taken for granted. Recently, models from Red Bear Trading (reviewed in the October '08 GP), and now Picks and Stones, have eclipsed...

Vernon Reid: October 1988.(BACK PAGE: Flashback)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... EVERY ASPECT OF THE MAN AND HIS music defies easy categorization. He's a rock and roller who came of age musically as a member of a free-form jazz group. He's a high-wattage screamer whose secret ambition is to master fingerstyle ragtime...