Guitar Player articles from May 2009

Guitar Player archives from May 2009

Noize from the editor.(ethics of music criticism)(Editorial)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S MY MOM'S 80TH BIRTHDAY TODAY, and--like all of our moms--she is a pretty amazing woman. As a child, she suffered through the Great Depression, and, as a teenager, she experienced the...

Letter of the month.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Yes Brad, you're right, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore, Adrian Belew, Duane Eddy, and Chet Atkins: all sissies! Finally, someone has the courage to stand up and speak the truth about these testosterone-challenged...

Sissy fuss.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Let me get this straight--whammy bars are for sissies? This coming from a man who has his tech run his wah pedal for him back stage?! Now I bet Brad will say it's just to free him up so that he can better "entertain," but anyone who has ever...

Tele tones.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Although I love classic blues-rock (Hendrix, Blackmore, Page, Beck, SRV) and classical guitar music (Julian Bream, John Williams, David Russell, Kevin R. Gallagher), I was recently inspired by your articles on country guitarist Brad Paisley....

What's the deal?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Hey, what's the deal, man? The March '09 cover looks like it was shot the same day as the December '07 cover. Paisley has the same hat, same cute little guitar, identical beard, and even the same wristwatch. What did you do, give him a red...

What's the deal? Part II.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Here's the deal: After bashing your duplicate Paisley covers and telling you how they freaked me out, I freaked out even more when I sat down and read the article. Then I really blew my own mind when I went to Target and bought Play, and...

Dudek, sweet.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Finally, a blurb about one of the most underrated, underappreciated, and overlooked guitarists: Les Dudek. I'll never forget the day I went into the record store and picked up Dudek's first solo record on a whim. Thirty-plus years later it is...

Larry LaLonde on doing the unexpected.(RIFFS)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Longtime Primus sonic adventurer Larry LaLonde doesn't play a lot of "normal" music. Here he describes how he got started down the musical road less traveled and what you can do to join him there. "I started...

Jason Reeves on collaboration.(RIFFS)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Singer-songwriter Jason Reeves was making music in his native Iowa when he got a call from a producer inviting him to L.A Upon arriving, one of the first people he met was a then-unknown songstress named Colbie...

Bob Brozman on the blues.(RIFFS)(history of blues guitar music)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... "I've turned out to be kind of a guitar anthropologist exploring the frontiers of colonialism, because that's where all the interesting music happens. European guitars arrive in standard tuning and often without instruction, so all over the...

Dean & Diamant kickoff DBZ guitars.(RIFFS)(collaboration between Dean Zelinsky and Jeff Diamant)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] LEGENDARY GUITAR-DESIGN GURU DEAN Zelinsky (who started Dean Guitars in 1976 at just 18 years old) and Jeff Diamant of upstart Diamond Amplification have joined forces to debut DBZ Guitars, and--not...

Matthias Jabs on making new guitars sound old.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Although it might not be apparent to the listener, the unique clean tone on the song "Love Is War" from the Scorpions' Humanity Hour 1 album was gears in the making. Lead guitarist Matthias Jabs explains. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Greg Camp on going Indie.(RIFFS)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S NOT EASY TO WALK AWAY FROM THE BAND THAT BROUGHT you fame and album sales of well over six million, but that's exactly what Greg Camp did last year when he left Smash Mouth. "I don't want to play for people in...

Mike Scott on playing songs right.(RIFFS)(Interview)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Regularly recruited to tour with pop superstars such as Prince. Justin Timberlake. and Rihanna. Mike Scott is quite experienced at learning other people's music. It was in his role as house guitarist on P. Diddy's new MTV talent search snow....

Editor boy's big eight.(RIFFS: Web Hordes)(evaluation of songs made by amateur musicians and are found on the Internet)
May 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...

The 2009 GP readers' choice awards.(RIFFS: Community)(Guitar Player magazine reader's poll)
May 1, 2009... ONCE EACH YEAR, SCORES OF GUITAR PLAYER READERS answer the call to vote for their favorite artists, products, and best/worst GP articles. The ballot is always published in our December issue, and it is also posted online until December 31. Like...

Charlie Hunter.(FEATURES: Jazz)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHANGE HAS COME TO CHARLIE HUNTER. He's got new gear, revamped mechanics, and a brave, fresh new sound. His recent material is funky, freaky, and features his most muscular, economical playing to date. Hunter says...

George Lynch.(FEATURES: Rock)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LATE '70S IN LOS ANGELES WERE A PRETTY INCREDIBLE time for kick-ass rock guitar. Walk into any bar on the Sunset Strip and you could hear Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, and many others absolutely killing, with...

In this moment.(FEATURES: Metal)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... FORMED IN 2005, IN THIS MOMENT SURGED to prominence two years later with the release of their debut album, Beautiful Tragedy. The band performed constantly throughout 2007, including accompanying Devildriver on their European tour, playing the...

Damon Fowler.(FEATURES: Blues)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN THE BLUES WORLD--OR ANY OTHER genre, for that matter--the complete package is hard to come by. Plenty of players can engage a fat-sounding neck pickup and wail some mean licks. Some may even sing quite well. But...

Canizares.(FEATURES: Acoustic)(Juan Manuel Canizares)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "TIENE DUENDE" IS THE ULTIMATE accolade in the flamenco universe. Literal English translations of this Andalusian expression range from "he has magic" to "he has elves," but in the vernacular of our southernmost...

David Grissom.(FEATURES: Roots)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GIVEN DAVID GRISSOM'S STINTS WITH JOE ELY, John Mellencamp, and the Allman Brothers, his years of session work, and his role as musical director with the Dixie Chicks, it's no surprise that he knows a few things...

Viva.(FEATURES: Glam)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VIVA DECONCINI--A.K.A. "VIVA'--IS A NEW York City-based guitarist and vocalist with a solid groove and a dramatic flair, who honed her rhythmic and performance chops during a six-year stint with legendary Brazilian...

Bruce Eisenbeil.(FEATURES: Experimental)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BRUCE EISENBEIL IS A BIG APPLE-BASED guitarist who began playing when he was four, and had already delved deeply into the music of John Coltrane by his early teens. After studying with master guitarists such as Harry...

Jon Hassell: Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JON HASSELL Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In the Street [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Trumpeter and Fourth World Music composer Jon Hassell was already experimenting with digital sampling and...

Various: Murder Death and Prison.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... VARIOUS Murder Death and Prison [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This stark, minimalist collection of rebellious acoustic troubadours singing about the travails of life on the wrong side of the tracks won't exactly thrill UP readers looking...

Jackdawg: Jackdawg.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... JACKDAWG Jackdawg [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What do you get when you cross Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Doobie Brothers? It would probably sound a lot like Jackdawg. This record is a rocking collaboration between Doobie...

Various: Stars and Their Guitars--A History of the Electric Guitar.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
May 1, 2009... VARIOUS Stars and Their Guitars--A History of the Electric Guitar [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This excellent DVD presents a good general overview of the "history of the electric guitar," with a significant amount of rare historical...

New sounds for 2009: GP spotlights the hottest gear debuted at Winter NAMM.(guitars and guitar accessories)(Buyers guide)(Cover story)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HAPPENING AT A TRULY BIZARRE TIME FOR MAKERS AND SELLERS OF anything since the Great Depression, the 2009 NAMM show held in Anaheim, California, last January did not disappoint as the biggest showcase of new musical...

Recession fighters! Fabulous gear bargains to help you rage through hard times.(New Sounds for 2009)(guitar supplies)(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2009... BY THE GP STAFF MONEY IS TIGHT, AND NO ONE IN CONGRESS seems anxious to launch a bailout for budget-conscious musicians who continue to suffer from gear lust. Well, the sissies from the big auto companies--as welt as all the dunderheads...

Joel Hoekstra's 80's rock boot camp: the Rock of Ages and night ranger ace details the art of over-the-top big-hair bombast.(LESSONS: Master Class)(tips on playing the electric guitar)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH A SCORCHING LEAD TONE HOTTER than an acetylene torch, Joel Hoekstra runs up to the strippers' pole and plays slide licks by grinding his Les Paul against it. Then, he hops up onto the bar and plays stinging hard...

10 things you gotta do to play like Randy Roads.(LESSONS)(guitar playing tips)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BY JANUARY OF 1982, IT SEEMED THAT Randy Rhoads had it all: A high-profile gig and two landmark albums with the self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness, accolades and awards from the international guitar press, love and...

6 new tube amps.(GEAR: Roundup)(evaluation of guitar amplifiers)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHO COULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT TUBES WOULD BE STILL be around in the 21st century, let alone be so crucial for many high-end hi-fi amps, studio preamps and compressors, and especially guitar amplifiers. These days,...

Burriss: Royal Bluesman.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ONE OF THE SMALLEST TUBE HEADS ON THE market, the Royal Bluesman sports an all-aluminum enclosure that gives it a look reminiscent of a '50s-era P.A. head. The Royal Bluesman delivers 18 watts from a pair of EL84s...

Dr. Z: EZG-50.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO BE THE CLEANEST sounding amp in the DR. Z line, the EZG-50 incorporates an output transformer designed for Dr. Z by the late Ken Fischer of Trainwreck fame,...

Goodsell: Labrador 50.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GOODSELL'S NEW BLACK DOG SERIES INCLUDES the Labrador 50, which follows on the heels of the company's popular EL84-fueled Super 17 and 33 Custom heads and combos. The Labrador 50 uses a solid-state rectifier and two...

Red Iron: T.Rex.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE IMMEDIATELY STRIKING THING ABOUT THE T. Rex is its front panel of solid mesquite wood, which has a roughly hewn cutaway (obviously sculpted by wood-chewing insects) that increases airflow to the tubes at some...

Reeves: Custom 18.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LEGENDARY QUALITY AND SOUND OF THE Dave Reeves-era Hiwatt amps have inspired Reeves amplifiers, which feature classic-style handwired circuitry and cabinets made from 13-ply birch. The flagship model in Reeves'...

Victoria: Electro King.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VICTORIA'S RECREATION OF A CLASSIC GIBSON GA-40 Les Paul features a circa-1957 circuit that is based around a pair of N.O.S. 5897 pentodes (these vintage tubes are still plentiful, and very fairly priced at between...

Richmond: Belmont and Dorchester.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ROBERT GODIN'S NETWORK OF RESPECTED brands manufactured north of the border represents a veritable Canadian guitar empire--one that has extended further into the North American market with the introduction of the...

PRS: Starla.(electric guitars)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... MANY WORDS HAVE BEEN USED TO DESCRIBE Paul Reed Smith guitars--magnificent, gorgeous, flawless--but "funky" has rarely been one of them. Until recently, an instrument from PRS tended to be more akin to a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud than a...

Tonebone: Bones pedals.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(evaluation of guitar effects pedals)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CANADA'S RADIAL ENGINEERING MAKES A SLEW OF TOOLS FOR pro and home studios, and the company's powerful Tonebone stompboxes are embraced by players such as Kirk Hammett, Steve Lukather, and Eric Johnson. The new Bones...

Sony: PCM-D50.(digital audio recorders)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE SONY PCM-D50 ($599 RETAIL/$499 STREET) sports many of the same features as its celebrated big brother the PCM-DI--but at about a quarter of the price. It has a large display, is capable of up to 24-bit/96kHz...

All about ... electric guitar pickups.(GEAR: Sonic Essentials)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Avalon: AV-T2.(GEAR: Vintage Vault)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SO MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT THE guitars played by our heroes. Whether we're talking about vintage Les Pauls, Stratocasters, Rickenbackers, or Gretsches, you can literally find entire books devoted to their...

Let there be light.(GEAR: Shop Talk)(steps to building an electric guitar accessory called three-loop switcher)
May 1, 2009... Thanks for the article on how to build an FX Loop Footswitch in the February issue. I want to build a three-loop switcher, but I'd also like to add LEDs to indicate which loop is on. Can you explain how to do that?--Brent Phelps To do this...

Nancy Wilson: December 1979.(BACK PAGE: Flashback)(interview)(Interview)(Excerpt)(Reprint)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "MY HANDS ARE THE TRUE STORY OF MY personality," says Nancy Wilson of Heart. "One hand looks kind of glamorous, and the other is a real worker hand with broken nails." Heart's artistic success over the long run...