Guitar Player articles from November 2003

Guitar Player archives from November 2003

A simple seduction.(Soundhole)(Column)
November 1, 2003... I adore the guitar. But I must admit that the mysteries of the recording studio hold me in an even more intense vortex of devotion. In my youth, I was certainly transformed and transfixed by guitar heroes and rock gods. When I stinted buying...

Jeff Beck.(Feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I was truly impressed by your Jeff Beck interview [Sept. '03]. What other guitarist of his stature would begin an interview by admitting how much he hated his recent work? It's this truthfulness and integrity that has always given his playing...

Gear!(Feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... As Michael Molenda stated in his review of the Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway [Sept. '03]: "[That guitar] is difficult to put down." I own some very nice guitars--a Martin D28, a Collings OM, and a Fender Custom Shop Stratocasler--but in seeking...

Link Wray.(Feedback)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Thank you for once again acknowledging Link Wray in the Sept. '03 "Quick Hits" column by way of reviewing Guitar Ace: A Link Wray Tribute. It's wonderful to hear great young guitarists like the Boss Martians' Evan Foster paying tribute to, in...

Oops!(Feedback)(Correction Notice)
November 1, 2003... In our April '03 issue we mistakenly credited a photo of Joe Strummer ["Firestarter"]. On page 50, the lower left photo of strummer was actually taken by Ebet Roberts. Sorry for the mistake! And regarding our October '03 "Toolbox" review of...

Fretwire.(Input/Output; Mitch Bainwol appointed Recording Industry Association of America and Madison House takes on Ticketmaster Group Inc.)
November 1, 2003... Mitch Bainwol is actually not a character from the Simpsons. He's the new Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)--that subpoena-crazy music industry lobbying group that's determined to wipe out Internet file...

Encore: Eddie Van Halen.(Input/Output)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... The day an advance copy of the first Van Halen album arrived at Guitar Player the editors sat around doing what guitarists everywhere would be doing in a couple of weeks--listening to "Eruption" and shaking out" heads in amazement. Jas...

Songcraft: Matt Slocum.(Input/Output)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... Matt Slocum and his band Sixpence None the Richer first came into the public consciousness in the late, '90s Me." The band's new album, Divine Discontent [Reprise], is brimming with Slocum's shimmering electric tones and ringing acoustics. And...

Blues joint: Tab Benoit.(Louisiana)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... Tab Benoit firebrews his Cajun-style blues by recording his albums in much the same fashion the classic bluesmen did more than a half century ago. His recent Sea Saint Sessions [Telarc] features guest appearances by Funky Meters Brian Stolz and...

Erik Braunn.(Angels)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2003... The Iron Butterfly guitarist--and writer of that insistent psychedelic riff in the nonsensical "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"--passed away July 25 after a heart attack. He was 52. Braunn had been in poor health for some time, although he occasionally...

Sam Phillips.(Angels)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
November 1, 2003... The man with the funkiest little studio in Memphis died of respiratory failure on July 30, at the age of 80 Phillips' ear for talent, his musicality, his tiny Sun studio, his independent Sun Records, and a teeming helping of good fortune all...

Spin this!(You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene)(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... Who: Broken Social Scene Album: You Forgot It In People [Arts & Crafts] Based: Toronto Players: A true musical collective comprised of as many as 14 musicians, guitar duties are split amongst several members. It's difficult to...

Old school cool: Wellwater Conspiracy.(John McBain)(Brief Article)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... "I'm addicted to guitars," says former Monster Magnet and current Wellwater Conspiracy axeman John McBain. Like his music and his lifestyle. McBain's words ring simple and true. Unlike his bandmate, Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, McBain...

Jim Marshall's 80th birthday.(Input/Output)
November 1, 2003... Any guitarist who doesn't know who Jim Marshall is should probably rethink his or her choice of instrument. Yeah--it's that embarrassing. After all, even players who choose not to plug into Marshall amps extol the company's critical...

Pocket timeline. Jim Marshall.(guitar equipment mythology U.K.)(Brief Article)(Biography)
November 1, 2003... 1923: An icon Is born 1960: First Marshall music shop opens at 76 Uxbridge Road in Hanwell, West London. 1962: The first Marshall amp is produced--without a chassis to allow for modifications. The first 4x12 cabinets and angled 4x12...

Riffing: Terry Corso.(Input/Output)(Brief Article)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... According to Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso, the essential elements of a great riff are "originality, technicality, and class." He cites Helmet's "In the Meantime" and Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" as good role models, and says he went to...

Cool & coming soon.(Input/Output)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... October 7 Robben Ford, Keep on Running [Concord] Galactic, Ruckus [Sanctuary] Jet, Jet [Elektra] Pat Martino, Think Tank [Blue Note] Motorhead, Stone Deaf Forever! [Metal-Is/Sanctuary] Joe Strummer, Streetcore...

Summer NAMM.(Industry Insider)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
November 1, 2003... Guitars. guitars, guitars! That was the rebel yell at the summer NAMM show, held in Nashville from July 17 through the 20th. Our very own Music Player Network kicked things off with a standing-room-only cocktail party at the lack Daniels Old...

Raven Labs.(New Gear)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The all-analog Universal Stereo Instrument Preamp ($949) features two independent channels, each with 3-band semi-parametric EQ, a sidechain effects loop, a phase switch, again control, and balanced XLR and line outs. Other features include...

New gear.(guitars)(Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... 1. POWEREX The PowerEx Smart Charger ($69) can simultaneously charge up to ten 9-volt NiMH rechargeable batteries to their full capacity in two hours. In addition to standard 9-volt power cells (available separately for $10 each), the...

Roger Linn.(New Gear; AdrenaLinn II, rogerlinndesign.com)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... The AdrenaLinn II guitar effects processor ($375) provides the same modeling, effects, and programmable filter and pitch sequences as its predecessor, but adds simplified operation, twice the amp models, longer delay time, and improved sounds....

Koch.(New Gear; audionova.ca)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... The versatile, 2-channel Classictone 210 ($2,360) ships with two EL34 output tubes, but can be retrofitted by the user to run two 6L6s or four 6V6s. The Classictone delivers 40 soft-clipping watts, and features Accutronics spring reverb,...

Fuzz freak: the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach on the majesty of muck.(Interview)
November 1, 2003... "I hate to admit it, but I'm a total gear geek," says Dan Auerbach, whose fascination with vintage amps and fuzz boxes led him to a guitar sound that's straight-up sludge. His sound is so thick that he and Black Keys drummer pat Carney (nephew...

Cross-cultural 6-string: Coryell, Assad, and Abercrombie forge new groove.(John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell and Badi Assad record Three Guitars)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... When John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, and Badi Assad joined forces to record Three Guitars [Chesky], the trio found inspiration in their wildly disparate backgrounds. In the late '60s, Coryell pioneered jazz-rock guitar with the Gary...

Reinvention Inc: Metallica overhauls its roar with technology and teamwork.(St. Anger)(Interview)
November 1, 2003... "With so much happening to us prior to making St. Anger," says Metallica's Kirk Hammett, "our goal was simply to complete an album." * Hammett's point is a hung one. The days leading up to St. Anger were indeed bleak and tumultuous. First,...

Boxes full of noise: six digital workstations for recording guitarists.(Annual Recording Special)(Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... Initially, digital recording presented nothing but hassles for guitarists who just wanted to plug in and riff. The process was all about computer methodologies and retraining oneself to be a recording engineer, rather than getting down and...

Big bang theories: nine top producers reveal how they record amazing guitar sounds.(Annual Recording Special)
November 1, 2003... When It comes to the question of how to best record guitars, there are many perspectives and few absolutes. As home recordists are therefore dealing with a philosophical free-for-all, we thought it would be enlightening to check in with nine...

New world order: Pro Tools changed the way a lot of people make music. Where do you stand?(Annual Recording Special)(Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... In the very early days of London's emerging punk culture, style provocateurs Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood designed a t-shirt that drew a big black line between the new generation and everyone else. Topped by the phrase, "You're gonna...

Soundcatchers: cool home studio mics for all budgets.(Annual Recording Special)(Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... Put the wrong mic in front of the perfectly tweaked guitar amp, and that stellar tone will never make it to tape. Simply put, if you want your recorded guitar sound to drop a few jaws, you'd better get hip to mic selection and placement. ...

Silent partners: 9 kick-ass guitar preamps for direct recording.(Annual Recording Special)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... Boss GS-10 ($595 retail): Available in October--new studio processor with hardware and software control that offers amp and stompbox models with effects. It even has its own stereo speakers. DigiTech GNX2 ($349 street): Floor processor with...

Lords of the ring: ten wicked ways guitar gods use open strings within riffs.(Name that player)(Illustration)
November 1, 2003... Any two-year-old can play an Em11 chord. Seriously. All the tot has to do is take a swipe at all six open strings of a guitar But while open strings are the easiest notes to play on the guitar, this doesn't mean there aren't a zillion artful...

Kurt Rosenwinkel's colorful chords.(Guest Guru; Heartcore)
November 1, 2003... "I THINK PART OF THE NEW LANGUAGE of music right now is the use of samples and real-world ambience on records to generate new harmonic language," observes Kurt Rosenwinkel. "It's very. different from traditional harmonic approaches to writing...

Hot guitarist alert!(Chops; In My Life by Robert Lowe, hometown.aol.com/rlowe41818/myhomepage/index.html)
November 1, 2003... Name: Robert Lowe Home Base: Detroit, Michigan HEARING ROBERT LOWE effortlessly tear through funk grooves, bebop heads, fluttery chord-melody passages, and lead guitar riffs with fat, fast notes film each hit you soundly in the chest, it'd...

Skips and slides.(guitar method, mikecampese.com)(Illustration)
November 1, 2003... THERE'S PROBABLY NO better way to learn your way around the fret-board than to burn some scale patterns into your fingertips. But as helpful as scales are, these melodic roadmaps can also be constricting. Many guitarists complain that when...

Tap-tempo secrets.(Chops; electric guitar method)(Illustration)
November 1, 2003... NOW MORE THAN EVER, GUITARISTS are familiar with the term "tap tempo," in large part because these days, the handy function comes standard on just about every effects processor on the market. Indeed, whether it's a rack unit, a floorboard-style...

Barre hopping.(Reader's challenge)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... ADAM HORBOVETZ IS SO HANDY at sliding one-finger intervals of sixths and sevenths up and down the neck, he surely must be the leader of a killer barre band. "I love sliding barres around," says the guitarist from Paducah, Kentucky. "It's a...

Martin Guitar Masterpieces: a Showcase of Artist's Editions, Limited Editions, and Custom Guitars.
November 1, 2003... By Dick Boak The close relationships Martin has forged over the decades with renowned guitarists is reflected in the sheer number of Artist's Editions that grace the pages of its catalogs. Heck, just Otis week alone, three new signature...

Jim Campilongo Electric Trio American Hips.
November 1, 2003... Tele master Jim Campilongo lets 'er rip on American Hips--easily his best effort to date. The components of Campilongo's sound are simple--wire, wood, and hands--just like his hero, Roy Buchanan. And, like Buchanan, Campilongo treats every...

Albert Lee Heartbreak Hill.(country guitar)(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... Fans of stuttering, spitty country guitar have waited years for a new solo album from the genres maestro, Albert Lee. There's plenty of outrageous playing here--Lee is as ripping as ever--but it's the songs that make Heartbreak Hill so...

John McLaughlin Thieves and Poets.(jazz)(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... This ambitious outing presents both a three-movement full-orchestral work and guitar arrangements of four jazz standards. According to McLaughlin, the three movements of "Thieves and Poets" represent the Old World, the New World, and their...

Suffrajett Suffrajett.(neo-garage rock band)(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... Are you in a garage band looking for the "new sound?" Dudes and dudettes, I'm telling you, garages are so 2002. Nowadays--if Suffrajett's rocking debut is ally indication--it's all about mini-storage. Apparently recorded and mixed on a "bunch...

Reeves Gabrels Live ... Late ... Loud.(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... I love Reeves Gabrels, but he's an alien. His inspiration for guitar parts is not of this galaxy. and the technique be wields to manifest the ideas in his crazed little head is jaw dropping. As if that weren't enough, this live album shows that...

Ape Jungle Jems.(Sound Recording Review)
November 1, 2003... If you were a time traveler lucky enough to hang out with Robert Mitchum in some '50s tiki bar, you could do worse than have Jungle Jems as the soundtrack to yore misadventures. This basement recording is pleasingly evocative, yet...

Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music 1972-1981.(Book Review)
November 1, 2003... By Henry Horenstein Harkening back to a tune when country was, well--country, photographer Henry Horenstein's Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music 1972-1981, is as much a celebration of country music's fans as its artists. Horenstein...

B.C. Rich Skull Pile.(Bench Tests; bcrichguitars.com)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Ever since company founder Bernie Rico poured his wildman's ideals of guitarcraft into his first Seagull model in 1972, B.C. Rich has continued to produce idiosyncratic designs that shock, astound, and seduce. Even Rico's death in 1999 didn't...

Daisy Rock Stardust Retro-H & Elite.(Bench Tests)(Interview)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... I'll tell you what sucks--bluster without action. This is why insincere television evangelists make me want to set my hair on fire and eat it for lunch. All that faux-passion-fueled spittle and bombast for what? If Mr. TV Do-Right was really...

Roland Cube-30 and AC-60.(Bench Tests)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... While Roland has been at the forefront of cutting-edge music technology for more than three decades, it has also produced some enduring classics. Take, for example, the venerable JC-120 Jazz Chorus, which has remained virtually unchanged since...

AKG GB 40 Guitar Bug.(Wireless World)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... I bought my first wireless in the early days of the Nady models, and I've spent a fair amount of time gaffer's-taping various transmitters to guitar swaps. That never bothered me. What bummed me out was the short length of cord from the...

Matchless Phoenix 35.(Bench Tests)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Founded by Mark Sampson and Rick Perrotta in 1989 Matchless enjoyed a fast rise to prominence, and then abrupthy went out of business in the late '90s. But, like the mythical Phoenix, Matchless miraculously sprang back to life in August of...

Wechter Pathmaker 3101.(Bench Tests)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Guitar Player Editors' Pick Award Many budget acoustics are knockoffs of instruments pioneered decades ago by Martin and Gibson. It's cheaper to emulate than innovate, which explains why the world is long on wannabe D-28s and J-45s, and...

Vox Valvetronix ToneLab.(Bench Tests)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Guitar Player Editors' Pick Award With its introduction of the Valvetronix series amps in 2002, Vox upped the ante in the digital-modeling game with its proprietary Valve Reactor Technology--an ingenious circuit design that uses a 12AX7...

Koll Duo Glide.(Bench Tests)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Oregon-based luthier Saul Koll has been making his stylish 6- and 12-string Glide series guitars for more than 15 years, turning out consistently impressive instruments that play as good as they look. The Duo Glide ($2,277 street as tested with...

Audio-Technica AT3060.(Pro Audio Report)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... It doesn't seem so very long ago that I would have happily submerged myself in a tub of dead bats for the chance to acquire a tube condenser microphone. Almost any psychological terror would have been worth the risk, because fine tube mics...

Yamaha AES620.(Bench Tests)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Guitar Player Editors' Pick Award Classic shapes usually become classics for good reason--they're striking, they're functional, and they typically enjoy a vampire's lifespan of coolness. Small wonder, then, that a fair number of guitarists...

PRS Limited Edition Brazilian Rosewood Custom 24.(Exotica; P.R.S. Guitars Ltd.)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... The Brazilian Custom 24 ($4,150 retail,) is one of only 500 limited-edition instruments created as part of the Brazilian Rosewood Series (which also includes 500 each of the Custom 22 and McCarty models). Many luthiers consider Brazilian...

Gibson Les Paul Classic Double Cutaway.(Super Splurges Over $500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... By melding their archetype goldtop finish with their modern classic, the Les Paul Standard DC, Gibson has come up with the Les Paul Classic Double Cutaway ($1,399 street). Sporting a chambered body, a carved maple top, a 1960-style neck, and...

Soldano Space Box.(Super Splurges Over $500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Soldano set a new standard for tube-powered spring-reverb devices with its now-discontinued Surf Box--a rare unit that retailed for $1,500, and currently goes for around five grand on eBay. The new Space Box ($599 street for rackmount version;...

Two-Rock Custom Reverb.(Super Splurges Over $500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... I'm usually the first to argue that 90 percent or more of a guitarist's tone comes solely flora his or her fingers. But alter playing a handful of rock, blues, and funk gigs using Two-Rock's Custom Reverb ($3,499 street), I perhaps need to give...

Morley Mark Tremonti Power Wah.(Groovy Gear Under $500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Dig it or don't, but the critically beleaguered Creed has made millions of fans very happy, and their guitarist, Mark Tremonti, has probably inspired legions of kids to start playing guitar. You gotta love that. The Morley Mark Tremonti Power...

Dunlop CryBaby Classic.(Groovy Gear Under $500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... The timeless tones produced by the original CryBaby wah are an indelible part of the electric guitar lexicon. Numerous reissue pedals have promised to deliver the sweet, vocal-inflected sounds produced by the early Thomas Organ and Vox-made...

Bad Cat X-Treme Tone Pedal.(Groovy Gear Under $500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Designed by Matchless founder Mark Sampson, the all-tube Bad Cat X-Treme Tone ($349 street) provides two footswitchable levels of gain boost and a hard-wire bypass. While its outward appearance resembles Sampson's previous Matchless pedals, the...

Ibanez Silver Series 2375.(Pawnshop Prize)
November 1, 2003... The Japanese have traditionally taken a lot of heat for copying popular American-made products such as cameras, fishing rods, golf clubs, and tape recorders. And though our automobiles never seemed to rate "worth cloning" status in Japan (the...

George L's Electric-Acoustic stainless-steel guitar strings.(Badass Bargains Under $50)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... Stainless steel has long been used where resistance to oxidation is important, and that's why George Lewis introduced guitar strings made of the metal shortly after he became a part owner of GHS Strings from 1970 to 1974. George L's strings are...

D'Addorio EXP12 80/20.(Badass Bargains Under $50)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2003... D'Addario's EXP12 80/20 bronze accoustic strings ($10 street) are the company's latest entry into the exploding coated string market. By coating the string's core before it's wound, the EXP's are purported to keep their brightness three to four...

Fender Instrument Care Kit.(Badass Bargains Under $50)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Let's cut to the chase--this stuff is damn near miraculous. The Care Kit ($24 street)--which was formulated for Fender by Meguiar's, one of the foremost makers of car care products--includes Swirl & Haze Remover, Polish & Conditioner, and Mist...

Garritan Personal Orchestra.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... harps.com, Corp September 2003 A complete Symphony Orchestra sample collection for $249. Includes: strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, and keyboard instruments. Everything you need to create orchestrations of any size! One decision,...

Kramer Focus VT-211S "Fatboy".(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Kramer Now Available Kramer has taken the BEST selling Focus and added a powerful, humbucking pickup for better tone and added GROWL! You won't find the same guitar for less... We guarantee it! SRP Price: $99.99 ...

West Coast Series[TM] Tahoe[TM] acoustic pickup.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Dean Markley Strings September 2003 Dean Markley Strings introduces Tahoe[TM], first in a series of high-performance acoustic pickups carrying the West Coast Series[TM] banner. This single coil pickup features Gold-Plated elements and...

Studio Case.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Steinberg Complete music production package which includes a top sequencer and five fantastic-sounding VST instruments. Cubase SE--the new music production software based on award winning Cubase. -The Steinberg Studio Case also contains SE...

Legacy classic.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Michael Kelly Guitars Now Available Features include a solid spruce top, solid Flame-Maple back and pearl block inlays. It has been upgraded with a radiused fingerboard making it the perfect mandolin for guitar players. SRP Price:...

Super Bawl Whine-O-Wah with true hard mechanical bypass switch.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Snarling Dogs Now Available Finally a wah that gives you a choice of 12 different wahs! 3-way web mode switch, preamp, volume control, "Hormone" control, twin inductors boost and true mechanical hard bypass switch, SRP Price:...

Valvetronix modeling amps.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... VOX Launch Date: Now Available Now the incredibly realistic models that have made VOX Valvetronix the benchmark of modeling amplifiers are available in ultra-cool, trapezoid-shaped heads with matching 4x12 and 2x12 cabinets. ...

Model 11-1BSS.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Jon Kammerer Guitars August 2003 Extreme comfort and perfect balance combined with Seymour Duncan pickups and an industrial, scratch and abrasion resistant coating. Comes standard with a hard shell case. Made in America. SRP...

Nut Sauce filled groove-luber.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Big Bends LLC 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 Price: $10 ...

Nomad & little wing II.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Mojogear August 2003 Mojogear's new pedalboards attach to any mic stand in seconds. Both models include a padded nylon backpack gig bag & the latest Supergrip hook strip. Optional 9VDC gooseneck lamp. SRP Price: Nomad: $169 Little...

Dean Markley MicroAmp.(Product Spotlight)
November 1, 2003... Dean Markley Strings August 2003 The Dean Markley MicroAmp comes in 3 models: clear, black, and black with a built-in tuner. Small enough to clip on belt, with overdrive, high efficiency 3" speaker, and 3 watts. SRP Price: Starts...