Guitar Player articles from November 2008

Guitar Player archives from November 2008

Noize from the editor.(Editorial)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DURING MY FORMATIVE YEARS, MY FATHER constantly drilled into my young mind the concept of "Don't pay much attention to what people say--watch what they do." He did a good job, because I've spent much of my adult life...

Letter of the month.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I would like to take a moment to commend you on an outstanding September issue. I would also like to tell you how deeply I was touched by the tribute to Be Diddley, and to remark about the very informative comparison between low-wattage tube...

Metheny.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Thanks so much for the piece on Pat Metheny. I'm always interested in what he has to say about the state of the instrument, the art form, and his other life views. I caught him recently at an intimate setting in New Jersey, during a symposium...

April in September.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Thanks for the article about April Lawton in the September issue. Her work with Ramatam was proof that guitar is not necessarily a "guy thing." After reading about her passing, I had to break out the CD copies and listen to her fire-breathing...

Crowes of a feather.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... Thank you so much for the great article on the Black Crowes and their new record. Warpaint is a stunning album with some well-written and thought-out songs. Rich Robinson and Luther Dickinson seem to really meld with each other stylistically,...

Herring is believing.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2008... I have been affected by "borderline syndrome" since I was a teen: Every time I picked up the guitar, I said to myself, "You're too loud to play jazz, and too smooth to play blues." But, thanks to the incredible Jimmy Herring Master Class in...

Oops!(FEEDBACK)(Correction notice)
November 1, 2008... In the Joe Satriani lesson in the September issue, to reflect the Ionian mode discussed, the tablature number beneath the word "four" in Example 2 should have been a "3." While we regret mistakenly putting a "4" there, it does have a cool...

Six tones that life changed.(RIFFS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RICKY NELSON "HELLO MARY LOU" James Burton's incredible crackling and wiry sound--and the squeezing of the unwound third string across the finger-board of a Telecaster to make the guitar growl like a cat--is...

G. Love on groove.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "UNDERSTANDING POCKET PLAYING IS THE key to great groove guitar," professes G. Love. "The pocket is the way you manipulate the beat to give it swing. Start by thinking of a metronome beat. The pocket is how much...

Onstage with John Mayer.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mayer's rack, with pieces from Way Huge, Korg, Roger Linn, and Electro-Harmonix. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Fender reverb tank floats on a bed of bungee cords. Super tech Rene Martinez (left) tends to a...

Bernie Williams on guitars & MLB.(RIFFS)(Major League Baseball)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "My dad was a merchant marine, and he traveled all over the world", says former New York Yankees star Bernie Williams--who is not only the best guitarist in Major League Baseball; but also the best baseball player on...

DiMarzio's Steve Blucher on pickup tone.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IN THE STRICTEST SENSE, THERE ISN'T any relationship between pickup output and tone," says Steve Blucher, DiMarzio's R&D wizard. "It's just as possible to make a low-output, warm-sounding pickup as a high-output,...

The Byrds.(RIFFS: Oeuvre Easy)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE BYRDS ASSIMILATED MORE GENRES of music and helped develop more musical hybrids than almost any major band that emerged in the '60s. Their arrangement of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" launched folk rock before...

Mr. Tambourine Man, 1965.(INSPIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. Tambourine Man, 1965 This debut marks the birth of the "jingle-jangle" sound and introduced Bob Dylan (via the title song) to the mainstream. The sparkling sophistication of Dylan covers and Gene Clark...

The Notorious Byrd Brothers, 1968.(INSPIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Notorious Byrd Brothers, 1968 Gary Usher's deft production and the radiant counterculture songs make this the Byrds' studio high-water mark. The songs weave into an organic two-part suite. There's great...

Live at the Fillmore West February 1969, 2000.(INSPIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Live at the Fillmore West February 1969, 2000 The Byrds reinvent pop tracks from the Crosby era, and Showcase their country chops on tunes from Sweetheart and Dr. Byrds, and a couple of Flying Burrito Brothers...

Fifth Dimension, 1966.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fifth Dimension, 1966 Arguably the first psychedelic rock album, and surely the first released by a major band. The groundbreaking title cut and "Eight Miles High" still sound fresh and innovative. The backbeat,...

Sweetheart of the Rodeo, 1968.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sweetheart of the Rodeo, 1968 Myth: This is the Byrds' finest recording and represents the birth of country rock. The view from here: There are some tremendous songs, but precious little that you could call...

Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde, 1969.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde, 1969 Probably the most overlooked Byrds recording, this country rock rocks. White's impeccable fuzz tone and country licks sound great, the band's playing is intense, and the members sing...

(Untitled)/(Unissued), 1970.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] (Untitled)/(Unissued), 1970 This two-CD set features 15 top-notch live cuts, including a 16-minute "Eight Miles High," On the live material, White turns in blistering leads, plus exquisite fills behind McGuinn's...

There Is a Season, 2006.(REQUIRED)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There Is a Season, 2006 Most Byrds anthologies zero in on the Top-40, mid-'60s period, but this 99-song box set gives a balanced helping from each era. All of the important tunes are here, plus some fascinating...

Byrdmaniax, 1971.(TIRED)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Byrdmaniax, 1971 Rock group gives mediocre material to producer who "fixes" songs with orchestration.

Farther Along, 1971.(TIRED)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Farther Along, 1971 "Bugler" and the homespun title track are pretty wonderful The rest are novelty songs and nice ideas with impenetrable mixes.

Richie Kotzen: breaks down the essence of live.(RIFFS)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I never concern myself with duplicating the sonic realm of my albums when I perform live," says Richie Kotzen, whose recent release, Live in Sao Paulo [Headroom], documents a thrill-filled concert from his 2007 tour...

Hiram Bullock.(PASSING NOTES)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Funk/rock/fusion ace Hiram Bullock (1955-2008), perhaps best known for his electrifying performances with Paul Shaffer in the house band on Late Night with David Letterman in the early '80s, passed away on July 25. (Bullock revealed earlier...

Artie Traum.(PASSING NOTES)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... A veteran of both the Greenwich Village and Woodstock folk scenes, guitarist/ producer Artie Traum (1943-2008) died on July 20 at the age of 65. His brother, guitarist Happy Traum, told the New York Times the cause of death was liver cancer. A...

Joe Beck.(PASSING NOTES)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Guitarist/composer/arranger and on-again, off-again dairy farmer Joe Beck (1945-2008) lost his battle with lung cancer on July 22. Beck, who came of age in the New York jazz scene of the 1960s, leaves behind an impressive resume that includes...

Editor boy's big eight.(RIFFS: Web Hordes)
November 1, 2008... 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...

Jerry Douglas.(FEATURES: Acoustic)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "THAT'S JERRY DOUGLAS--THE MUHAMMAD All of Dobro," announced James Taylor from the Cotton Bowl stage at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2004. It was a fitting analogy, because Douglas posesses an...

Martin Taylor.(FEATURES: Jazz)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... MARTIN TAYLOR IS ARGUABLY THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED SOLO JAZZ guitarist in the world. Although relatively unrecognized in the U.S., Taylor's praises have been sung by fans ranging from Pat Metheny--who described him as "one of the most awesome...

Death angel.(FEATURES: Metal)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 20 YEARS SINCE the debut of Death Angel's first studio album, The Ultra-Violence. At the time, the San Francisco Bay Area was restless with up-and-coming thrash and metal bands. In fact, Death...

Steve Cropper.(FEATURES: Soul)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... AS THE HOUSE GUITARIST FOR STAX RECORDS back in the '60s, Steve Cropper was instrumental in creating the smooth but smoldering sounds of Memphis soul. Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, Sam & Dave, the Staple Singers, and other...

Chris Poland.(FEATURES: Fusion)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IT'S A CLICHE BUT IT'S TRUE," SAYS OHM guitarist Chris Poland. "If you keep doing what you love, eventually people will notice." But it's not as if no one ever noticed before. Scores of metalheads thrilled to...

Taj Mahal.(FEATURES: Blues)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I WAS ONLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW to play authentic music," says Taj Mahal. "I wasn't interested in a career." Ironically, Mahal's devotion to artistic purity predicated an impressive 40 years in the...

Mother Truckers.(FEATURES: Country-Rock)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I ALWAYS USE A LOT OF CHROMATICISM," says Mother Truckers guitarist Josh Zee. "My theory is if you start on a good note find you end on a good note, you can hit anything in between." That only describes part of...

Anthony Phillips.(FEATURES: Prog)(Interview)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH MORE THAN 30 SOLO RELEASES TO HIS name, acoustic guitar virtuoso Anthony Phillips has long transcended his status as co-founder, lead guitarist, and key songwriter for British progressive-rock pioneers Genesis....

Metallica: Death Magnetic.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... METALLICA Death Magnetic [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The much-anticipated new Metallica record opens not with guitar, but with the sound of a heartbeat on the tune "That Was Just Your Life." The first 6-string that enters is the...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?(RANTS & RAVES)(sound recordings popular with magazine editors)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... MATT BLACKETT Vernon Neilly and Friends, A tribute to Stevie Wonder Prince, Purple Rain David Grissom, Loud Music BARRY CLEVELAND David Byrne and Brian Eno, Everything Thor Happens Will Happen Today Van der Graaf...

Mark Wingfield, Jane Chapman, Iain Ballamy: Three Windows.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... MARK WINGFIELD, JANE CHAPMAN, IAIN BALLAMY Three Windows [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bridging ECM-style jazz and contemporary classical music by way of African, Indian, and other non-Western idioms would be ambitious enough--but...

The Future is Unwritten: Joe Strummer.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
November 1, 2008... THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN: JOE STRUMMER A film by Julien Temple [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Having met Strummer during the beginning of the punk movement in England, filmmaker Temple was able to document Strummer's early years, his rise...

Jensen: Jet Tornado Speaker.(New Gear: GEAR)
November 1, 2008... 12" * 100 watts * Neodymium magnet * $235 retail * jensentone.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Villex: Stratocaster Jack Replacement Booster.(New Gear: GEAR)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Passive midrange booster * No soldering required * Unscrew the standard Strat jack, cut the wires, insert them into the screw terminal connectors of the booster jack, tighten the screws up, and screw the booster jack into its place * $112...

Yamaha: CPX500 Acoustic/Electric Guitar.(New Gear: GEAR)
November 1, 2008... Medium jumbo * Spruce top * Eastern mahogany back and sides. Die-cast tuners * System55T preamp * $549 retail * yamaha.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Alternative Guitar and Amplifier Company: Yoey Guitar.(New Gear: GEAR)
November 1, 2008... Agathis body * Maple neck with ebony fretboard * EMG HZ pickups * Grover machine heads * Kahler X-Trem * $699 retail * thealternativeguitarandamplifiercompany.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Richmond Guitars: Dorchester Guitar.(New Gear: GEAR)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Double cutaway chambered body * 25 1/2" scale length * Bolt-on rock maple neck with Ergocut rosewood or maple fretboard * High-ratio Kluson tuning machines * Chrome roller bridge * Two Lace Alumitone humbuckers * Includes hardshell case *...

Eastwood Guitars: Airline Lap-Steel Guitar.(New Gear: GEAR)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... Solid one-piece Basswood construction * 22 1/2" scale length * Acrylic fretboard with roman numerals * Fully adjustable bridge * High-output Hot-Rail humbucker * Available in Red, Black, and Metallic Blue * $349 direct * myrareguitars.com ...

Phoenix rising: Neal Schoon reinvents journey ... again.(Interview)(Cover story)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IT WAS WEIRD," SAYS NEAL SCHON. "YOU PLAY A SONG EVERY NIGHT ON stage for years, and you don't even think about it. Then one day you're in a studio redoing it, using the same old '63 Strat you used on the original...

10 things you gotta do to play like the edge.(LESSONS)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN BOYHOOD MATES NICKNAMED DAVE EVANS "THE EDGE," IT WAS a good-natured jibe at his angular facial features. Be it prescience or serendipitous coincidence, the moniker has proved the perfect precis for the...

Soul man: Neal Schon shares licks from "Lights," "Don't Stop Believin'," and other Great Journey Songs.(LESSONS: Private Lesson)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IT'S HARD TO THINK OF ANY GUITARIST in the history of mainstream rock who plays more singable solos than Neal Schon. Perhaps that's because the guitarist's most lyrical, high-flying leads (as on "Don't Stop...

Resonator for the rest of us: Rob Ickes demystifies the Dobro.(LESSONS: Private Lesson)
November 1, 2008... IF JERRY DOUGLAS IS THE MUHAMMAD Ali of the Dobro, then Rob Ickes is like the instrument's Michael Jordan. Through his work on four solo releases, with his bands Blue Highway and Three Ring Circle, and sessions with a Who's Who of country and...

Hamer Talladega Pro.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TALLADEGA a few years ago, it was clear that Hamer chief Jol Dantzig was on a mission to revamp the concept of the single-coil guitar. Sporting a chambered mahogany body with a carved...

Paul Vo collector's edition Moog Guitar prototype.(GEAR: Technology Report)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... HEAR THE WORDS "MOOG GUITAR" AND THE FIRST image to spring to mind will likely be a guitar capable of producing the same great synthesizer sounds as the company's legendary keyboards. While that would be a beautiful thing, the Moog Guitar is...

Voodoo Lab: Commander, Control Switcher, and Pedal Switcher.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEEING THE NEED TO GIVE GUITARISTS A COST-effective and easily expandable system for controlling effects pedals, Voodoo Lab recently introduced the Commander, Control Switcher, and Pedal Switcher. When combined,...

Krank Krankenstein + and Revolution +.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... THE TALE OF THE KRANKENSTEIN BEGAN WITH an apparent crank call. A guy claiming to be Dimebag Darrell said he was flipping through a guitar magazine, dug the tiny Krank ad in the back, and asked if the fledgling company would send him an amp....

Seagull 25th Anniversary CW Flame Maple EQ & Mahogany Spruce.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SEAGULL ACOUSTIC GUITARS--WHICH ARE MADE IN Canada by Godin--have long been value champs in the mid-priced sector of the market. We've reviewed numerous Seagulls over the years, and they have consistently scored...

Collings 290.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, SOME STUNNING Collings acoustics have visited the GP offices awaiting review. All of these instruments were exquisite, and I always thanked the fates I wasn't in...

ESL and Hipshot B-Bender.(eBay Prize)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN THE OLD DAYS, THERE WEREN'T MANY people on eBay, so you could get lucky with auctions quite often. Of course, when eBay became the most popular auction site in the world, it got harder to swoop in on the hot...

Creepy Fingers: Creepyface.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DESIGNED AND BUILT BY FU MANCHU BASSIST Brad Davis, Creepy Fingers effects sport bitchin' silk-screened enclosures and bulletproof, hand-wired construction. The Creepyface fuzz ($200 direct) spews its wonderful filth...

Creepy Fingers: Sugarboost.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2008... SPORTING A SINGLE, NOS GERMANIUM TRANSISTOR. as well as Boost and Fat/Thin controls, the Sugarboost ($175 direct) is the perfect elixir for subtly vibing-up--or completely violating--your tube amp. With enough output to choke a horse, the...

65: Colour Boost.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... THE 65 AMPLIFIER COMPANY'S motto, "The Unmistakable Sound of a Generation," refers to the British guitar tone revolution that began in 1966 with Eric Clapton's Bluesbreakers breakthrough. Clapton reportedly used a Dallas Rangemaster boost pedal...

Reverend: Ron Asheton Signature.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WE SAW THE PRECURSOR TO THIS VIBEY instrument back in the May 2007 issue of GP when we reviewed the V-shaped Reverend Volcano. Inspired by Iggy and the Stooges icon Ron Asheton, this signature model sports the same...

Pickup lines.(GEAR: Shop Talk)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I HAVE A VINTAGE ORIGINAL 1973 FENDER TELECASTER Thinline (humbuckers) and I'm thinking about coil-tapping one or both of the pickups. I'm hoping this will make the guitar more versatile and maybe more...

Artie Traum: 1943-2008.(BACK PAGE: Flashback)(Interview)(Excerpt)
November 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ACOUSTIC-MUSIC PIONEER ARTIE TRAUM passed away on July 20, after a valiant battle with liver cancer. He was a much-respected member of the GP community, and his effect on guitar lovers throughout the world brought...