Guitar Player articles from November 2006

Guitar Player archives from November 2006

Noise.(air guitarists)
November 1, 2006... THANKS TO EONS OF BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION by my parents, family, and assorted friends, I've always tried to be gracious and understanding. I'll admit to an annoying habit of being quick to tease, but, in reality, I'm usually the last cat to...

Letter of the month!(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... I just finished the inspiring Henry Garza article, and was struck by his closing quote: "I want to be a tool...that God can shine his light through." Then, I turned the page and gazed right into the crazed stare of Angus Young. Are you guys...

Garza, Garza, Garza ...(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... Thanks for recognizing Henry Garza in the September issue. That man's playing never fails to leave me slack jawed and goose bumped. He said they don't make the breed like his father and Stevie Ray anymore, but I think he overlooked himself when...

Oops.(FEEDBACK)
November 1, 2006... In the Dan Donegan story in the Sept. '06 issue, we neglected to show him playing his groovy new signature model, the Washburn DD75 Maya Series In Example 6 of the September Master Class ["Mastering Melodic Minor"], the third chord symbol...

SYD Barrett 1946-2006.(RIFFS: TRIBUTE)(Roger Barrett)(Obituary)
November 1, 2006... ROGER "SYD" BARRETT--PINK FLOYD'S CREATIVE engine in its early years--passed away on July 7, from complications related to diabetes. Too often mentioned as rock's ultimate acid casualty, Barrett's musical contributions tend to get overshadowed...

Myspace hordes.(RIFFS: COMMUNITY)(Column)
November 1, 2006... 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...

Khari Wynn's enemy alliance.(RIFFS: HIP-HOP)(Public Enemy )
November 1, 2006... WHEN KHARI WYNN JOINED HIP-HOP PIONEERS Public Enemy in 2002, he knew he had a major challenge on his hands. The Memphis-based musician was used to playing in guitar-focused jazz acts such as Solstice and Auditory Underground. In contrast,...

I was a fur peace rancher!(RIFFS: EDUCATION)(Fur Peace Ranch)
November 1, 2006... JORMA KAUKONEN WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF performing an obscure piece by the Reverend Gary Davis, "Will There Be Stars in My Crown," which he'd learned only recently from guitarist Ernie Hawkins. The entire audience--a dozen guitarists sitting on...

Arthur Lee.(PASSING NOTES)(Love musical group)(Obituary)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Arthur Lee, the charismatic and enigmatic founder of the seminal '60s psychedelic group Love, died of leukemia Thursday, August 3, in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. He was 61. Lee, who dubbed himself "the first black hippie," was a fixture...

Christopher Bock.(PASSING NOTES)(Obituary)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The music industry is mourning the loss of Digidesign's longtime sales and marketing executive Christopher Bock, who passed away unexpectedly in his home on July 29. "It's hard to convey how strongly this effects all of us, because CB was so...

Ernie Hagar.(PASSING NOTES)(Obituary)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Steel-guitarist Ernie Hagar passed away Monday, April 10, at his home in Caldwell, Idaho. Born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1938, Hagar was intrigued by the sounds of Roy Wiggins and Jerry Byrd, and taught himself to play the instrument in his early...

Mary Kaye.(RIFFS: NO GUITARIST LEFT BEHIND)(Biography)
November 1, 2006... MARY KA'AIHUE--BETTER KNOWN AS MARY Kaye--is a direct descendant of the Hawaiian royal family, the original pioneer of the Las Vegas lounge trio, and the first woman guitarist to have a Fender Stratocaster named after her, albeit...

Calvin Keys': jazz in the key of soul.(RIFFS: JAZZBO)(Biography)
November 1, 2006... DURING A CAREER SPANNING A HALF CENTURY, CALVIN KEYS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE leading lights of the West Coast jazz scene, boasting an eclectic style that encompasses soul, gospel, R&B, funk, bebop, deep blues, and even hip-hop. The Bay Area-based...

Britt Black.(RIFFS: ROCKER GIRL)(Interview)
November 1, 2006... MOST TEN-YEAR-OLD KIDS AREN'T CO-AUTHORING songs on major-label releases, but Britt Black had this rare opportunity when she helped write "Violence" for Bif Naked's I, Bificus in 1998. By the age of 14, Black had released two records with her...

Michael Hedges.(RIFFS: OEUVRE EASY)(Brief article)(Biography)
November 1, 2006... ASK MOST ELECTRIC GUITARISTS, "WHO WAS THE NEXT HENDRIX?" AND THEY'LL justifiably stump for everyone from Eddie Van Halen to Robert Fripp. Ask who was the Hendrix of the steel-string acoustic, though, and there's typically one contender:...

Aerial Boundaries, 1984.(INSPIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... It's not hyperbole to call this the greatest solo-acoustic record ever made. Partly because Hedges' kinetic use of chord hammer-ons, customized altered tunings, and fretboard tapping/slapping make it sound like there are several guitars playing...

Live on the Planet, 1987.(INSPIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... This live, panoramic snapshot of Hedges' artistic oeuvre finds him playing ethereal duets with fretless bassist Michael Manring, offering hip interpretations of tunes by Dylan, Lennon, and Sheila E., and seemingly morphing into a one-man string...

Oracle, 1996.(INSPIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... After experimenting with vocals, drum machines, and keyboards on his previous outings, the sudden return of a handmade instrument stolen in 1982 sparked Hedges' renewed focus on instrumental acoustic music. "Jitterboogie" and his reworking of...

Breakfast in the Field, 1981.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... Recorded live to stereo, Hedges' debut marked the subtle, yet undeniable beginning of a musical revolution. Although not as fully realized as Aerial Boundaries, Breakfast in the Field's "Layover" and "The Funky Avocado" put the music world on...

Taproot, 1990.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... Inspired by the writings of Joseph Campbell, Hedges conceived Taproot as an "autobiographical myth told through music and non-literal imagery." The CD certainly ranks as his most evocative and emotionally charged.

Torched, 1999.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... Posthumously released albums assembled from unfinished demos can be awkward affairs, but this collection of primarily vocal-based songs suggests that the artistic relationship/friendship Hedges forged with David Crosby and Graham Nash was...

Watching My Life Go By, 1985.(TIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... The tunes are solid, the lyrics are thoughtfully written, and Hedges' voice is pleasant enough. Unfortunately, Hedges the instrumental composer set the bar so high that Hedges the tunesmith had a tough time measuring up.

Platinum and Gold Collection, 2003.(TIRED)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... While the dozen tracks chosen for this greatest hits CD are among Hedges' finest, your one-stop shopping needs are better served by the more expansive Beyond Boundaries: Guitar Solos.

Priestess.(RIFFS: BUZZ)(musical group)
November 1, 2006... WHEN IT COMES TO GENERATING THE FUZZED-OUT, Sabbath-meets-Soundgarden sound captured on Hello Master [RCA], Priestess guitarist/singer Mikey Heppner says the band's tonal technique is pretty simple. "Both rhythm guitarist Dan Watchorn and...

Liza: Bird on a Wing.(AUDIO)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... One night after a show in Portland, Oregon, some locals insisted on taking me and the rest of my band across town to the fabled Crystal Ballroom to experience firsthand the venue's famous "floating" dance floor. But while the spring-loaded,...

Sparklehorse: Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain.(AUDIO)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... Mark Linkous--who records and tours under the Sparklehorse moniker--is known for being more than a little weird. Listening to Dreamt, Linkous' first release in five years, one can conclude his rep is justified. The enigmatic...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?(RANTS & RAVES)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... DARRIN FOH Pollo Del Mar, Year of the Rooster Mickey Baker, The Wildest Guitar Bill Evans & Jim Hall, Undercurrent ANDY ELLIS Jeff Beck, Truth [expanded edition] Strays Don't Sleep, Strays Don't Sleep Kenny Burrell, Prestige Profiles ...

Brian Setzer: "13".(AUDIO)(Sound recording review)
November 1, 2006... Anyone who knows anything about Brian Setzer knows he can pretty much do it all when it comes to guitar playing. Live or on record, white-hot guitar is the centerpiece of Setzer's shtick, and the latest album from this extraordinary player does...

Rainbow: Live In Munich 1977.(DVD)(Video recording review)
November 1, 2006... Anyone wanting to study the tricks and licks of the Sorcerer of the Stratocaster, Ritchie Blackmore, will have to add Rainbow's Live In Munich 1977 to their DVD stable. Killer footage abounds of the former Deep Purple kingpin summoning all...

Remember Shakti: The Wag of Beauty.(DVD)(Video recording review)
November 1, 2006... When John McLaughlin disbanded the wildly successful Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1975, opting instead to play acoustic guitar with a group of Indian musicians virtually unheard of in the West, many fans (and record industry personnel) were left...

John McClellan: Chet Atkins in Three Dimensions: Chet Licks.(INSTRUCTION)(Video recording review)
November 1, 2006... Yep, you guessed it: From legato single-note tags to galloping slurs to Travis-style thumb-picked licks to country cascades to finger-style flurries, this double DVD delves deep under the hood of the Chet Atkins style, and provides more than...

Out now!
November 1, 2006... 1. AMPEG DAN ARMSTRONG ACRYLIC GUITAR REISSUE Clear Plexiglas body eliminates unwanted vibrations while producing tremendous sustain * Maple neck with rosewood fretboard * Grover die-cast tuners * Removable pickup system allows users to...

Takin' care of business: George Thorogood talks about tone, slide, and keeping the Destroyers on course.(Interview)
November 1, 2006... GEORGE THOROGOOD'S SIGNATURE GROWLING SLIDE TONE, BARE-KNUCKLED VOICE, AND ROWDY stage antics have helped keep him the perennial "go to" guy for bad-ass boogie for the last 30 years. Since breaking out in 1976 with George Thorogood & the...

Murfs, Muff'ns, and Modular synths: John Frusciante: puts his stamp on Stadium Arcadium.(SPECIAL RECORDING SECTION)(Interview)
November 1, 2006... THOSE GIVEN TO COSMIC SPECULATION MIGHT EASILY CONCLUDE THAT JOHN Frusciante was born to play guitar in the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Having followed the band from its inception, and having mastered all the songs in the Peppers' repertoire,...

Peter/frampton's home/studio/tips.(SPECIAL RECORDING SECTION)(Interview)
November 1, 2006... GREAT GUITAR TONES STICK TO PETER FRAMPTON like gnats on a spider's web. But, of course, nothing is as easy as it seems. Throughout his almost four decades as a professional musician, Frampton has been committed to refining his craft and...

Kill / Hannah on / tracking / killer / guitar / textures.(SPECIAL RECORDING SECTION)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... GUITARS AND KEYBOARDS HAVE ALWAYS HAD an uneasy alliance--mostly because keys can devour every morsel of sonic space commanded by 6-strings. So while developing Kill Hannah's glam-electro-hardcore-pop-rock, Dan Wiese and Jonathan Radtke have...

Recording / Johnny A. live.(SPECIAL RECORDING SECTION)
November 1, 2006... I FIRST MET JOHNNY A. WHEN I WAS HIRED as front-of-house mixer for his band, Johnny A.'s Hidden Secret, in 1980, and we've kept in touch ever since. It wasn't a surprise then, when he called me in April 2006 to chat about recording a live album...

Johnny A. on his wah moves.(SPECIAL RECORDING SECTION)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... "I wanted a lot of tonal options because I didn't want to compromise my guitar tone," says Johnny A. about the multi-faceted rig used to capture his live sound. "But the one signal that wasn't designed to be reprocessed at the mixdown was my...

Steve Miller on the making of "Fly like an eagle".(SPECIAL RECORDING SECTION)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... WHEN YOUR GODFATHER IS LES PAUL, THE expectations can be crushing. But Steve Miller has always achieved greatness--from his seminal contributions to the '60s San Francisco Sound to the present day, where the 30th anniversary release of his...

The top ten rush riffs of all time.(LICK LIBRARY)(Rush (Music group))
November 1, 2006... LONG HAILED AS THE KINGS OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK, RUSH IS A riff band in the truest sense, which makes for a great Lick Library. Sporting skin-tight ensemble inter play that reveals a depth of musical maturity well beyond the Dungeons &...

Black metal magic tricks: children of Bodom's Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala share their most sinister shred secrets.(LESSONS: MASTER CLASS)(Children of Bodom music group)
November 1, 2006... "YOUR PROBLEM," PREACHESA MAN OUTSIDE San Jose's HP Pavilion wearing a "Trust Jesus" t-shirt and Birkenstocks, his voice bellowing loudly through a bullhorn, "is that your parents didn't discipline you enough." A disciple stands nearby,...

Woodshed: Improvising with Indian Carnatic Ragas.(LESSONS: INTERMEDIATE)
November 1, 2006... When you listen to the music of guitar players such as John McLaughlin and Shawn Lane, you can hear the profound influence of a classical art that originated in South India called carnatic music. This genre traces its origins back least 2,000...

Jazz Guru Adam Levy: a super-slick comping trick.(LESSONS: ADVANCED)
November 1, 2006... Often when you're backing a singer or a horn soloist, you spend most of the gig just comping. But comping doesn't have to be boring, especially if you know a few ways to liven up ordinary chords. Studying with the late, great Ted Greene, I...

Ez street: Sos2 colors.(LESSONS: BEGINNER)
November 1, 2006... We began exploring suspended harmony with the sus4 chord ("Sus-Chord Mojo," Oct. '06). This time, we'll get to know the sus2 chord and its unique sound. First, let's recap the essential sus-chord theory: A major triad comprises the 1, 3, and 5...

Hardware d-tar mama bear.(RECORDING)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... The brainchild of luthier rick turner and pickup guru Seymour Duncan, the D-TAR Mama Bear ($499 retail/$350 street) attempts to solve a quagmire that has vexed guitarists for years: How to make a plugged-in, piezo-equipped acousuc sound as...

The half-speed mystery of "A Hard Day's Night".(CLASSIC TRACK)
November 1, 2006... I have always been fascinated by George Harrison's guitar work--his precision, his taste, and his ability to play exactly the right part to complement a song. But I've had a nagging suspicion that Harrison's precision performance on his solo...

Blissfully idiotic animated mixing mindset.(PRODUCTION STRATEGIES)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Monaural mixes may be old school and one dimensional, but they meet expectations, and they sure ain't wimpy. They've got all the sonic elements rocking heavily on a single spectral plane, smacking air particles with punch, vibe, and vigor....

Techniques esoteric miking.(RECORDING)
November 1, 2006... TIRED OF THE SAME OLD GUITAR SOUNDS? WELL, new discoveries are but a few mic positions away. Here are some tricks I've used on recent sessions to get myself out of the conventional guitar-tone doldrums. PURE EVIL This is my approach...

Artifacts 1961 fender jazzmaster.(VINTAGE VAULT)(Lake Placid Blue Jazzmaster)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... INTRODUCED IN MID 1958, THE JAZZMASTER WAS the guitar that Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares hoped would be embraced by professional jazz players, and, in turn, help to loosen the iron grip that Gibson had on the jazz market. Among the most...

Will Ray's eBay prizes.(VINTAGE VAULT)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... AUCTION ITEM TAYLOR 307-GB BIG BABY WINNING BID $255 OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE BECOME AN ARDENT FAN OF TAYLOR GUITARS--ESPECIALLY THEIR MORE AFFORDABLE models. Upon playing a number of Taylor Big Babys at various music stores, I decided I...

Eastwood Guitars.(ROUNDUP!)
November 1, 2006... ALTHOUGH EASTWOOD GUITARS RESIDES IN Ontario, Canada, the company's history is pure Hollywood. It's a story of chance, inspiration, risk, and grit that starts with founder Mike Robinson--a bona fide weirdo guitar aficionado whose first...

Airline 3P DLX.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Thanks to Jack White blasting on his '64 Valco Airline in the White Stripes, it's no surprise that Eastwood's remake is its best-selling model. After all, this moderne beauty is a striking companion even if some nondescript bozo (such as me) is...

Delta-6.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Like an angel of darkness and light, the Delta-6 can inject demon-like yowls into badass blues, fire-and-brimstone country, and swampy slide riffs, and then, with the flick of a switch, deliver jolly happy jangles. Acoustically, the Delta-6 is...

Eastwood GP.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The 1984 Ovation Ultra-GP that this guitar is modeled after was Josh Homme's sonic conspirator in Queens of the Stone Age--a fact the indie guitar hero once liked to keep shrouded in mystery. After playing Eastwood's version of the Ultra-GP, I...

JR. Elite.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... As a Ramones fan who had the privilege of interviewing the late Johnny Ramone many times, I must admit I'd probably buy the Jr. Elite even if it sounded like rhino dung. At $649, it's less expensive than some other Mosrite "Johnny Ramone"...

Mesa/Boogie Lonestar special.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... IT'S NOT EASY TO DEVISE ENTIRELY NEW circuit concepts for tube amps these days, but if someone is going to do it, it's likely to be Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith. Smith can claim a lot of "firsts" in this business--including...

Randall Smith's unique tweaks.(GEAR)(Lonestar Special)
November 1, 2006... "I couldn't have come up with the Lonestar Special right out of the gate," admits Mesa/Boogie founder Randall Smith. "This new amp pays homage to the original Mark I in having cascadable gain stages, but the Lonestar Special's Channel...

All about ... power tubes.(GEAR)
November 1, 2006... UNLIKE TRANSISTORS--WHICH ARE ALL MADE TO very exact specs by computers and robots--vacuum tubes are still hand-assembled in different countries with different metals, and under varying conditions that can drastically affect their sound. This...

Dan Erlewine's MOD Squad.(GEAR)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... RECENTLY, MOD SQUAD MEMBER ELLIOT JOHN-CONRY LOANED his early- 1950s Gibson ES- 125 to squad-mate Exodus Almasude under the condition that Ex install a new set of tuners. The original tuners were so stiff that tuning the guitar was a royal pain...

Stompbox fever.(GEAR)(T. Rex Room-Mate)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... T.REX ROOM-MATE The words "tube" and "reverb" have special meaning for guitarists, as few would argue that the best-sounding guitar amp reverbs have all incorporated tube-powered circuitry. As reverbs became smaller, it's not surprising...

Accessory files.(GEAR)(Vex IMP AMP)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2006... Z. VEX IMP AMP KUDOS HO-scale tube power for iPODs, CD/MP3 players, computers, and studio gear. CONCERNS No power switch. At $350 per watt, it's an expensive treat. CONTACT Z.Vex Effects, [952] 285-9545; zvex.com Z....

Sidejack STD.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The Sidejack brims with the elan of a magnificent pawnshop prize, and it's obviously a slick choice for players seeking a different take on the Les Paul/Les Paul Jr. with P-90s formula. Considering its freaky silhouette, the Sidejack feels...

Wandre STD.(GEAR)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... I developed a full-on love jones for the Wandre's retro-riffic dichotomy of sleek/wonky Italian design (dig the paddle headstock). So I was bummed when it was the only Eastwood tested that exhibited intonation problems. During a songwriting...

Devon Allman on heritage.(TESTIMONY)(Brief article)(Biography)
November 1, 2006... "I ALWAYS GRAVITATED TOWARDS THE SOUND OF the guitar. I didn't start playing it to separate myself from my father's keyboard playing--although, at first, I tried to find a path that took me far away from anything that sounded remotely like his...