Guitar Player articles from September 2008

Guitar Player archives from September 2008

Noize from the editor.(Editorial)(In memoriam)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THERE'S NOTHING GOOD ABOUT A DEATH that comes way too soon. But, sometimes, you can at least honor a lost friend, loved one, or peer by affecting a positive change in yourself by celebrating their life. MPN said a...

Letter of the month.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I love the magazine, but the latest GP contains something potentially disastrous! The July issue has Kenny Neal espousing the virtues of expressing oneself "a million ways with one note" (page 36), and Al Di Meola trashing the one-note concept...

Di Meola.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... After perusing the July 2008 issue I'm seriously pondering attending the Return to Forever reunion show. My only concern is the inevitable outcome: a trip to the local emergency room for the bruised chin caused by my jaw hitting the floor. That...

Express yourself.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... I love Al Di Meola's guitar playing--and his greatness cannot be denied--but I respectfully disagree with him about technique. As great as Hendrix was, he may not have been the greatest guitarist of his time in terms of pure technique. The...

Steve Stevens.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Great article on Steve Stevens in the July issue. It provided the context as to why we haven't seen him more front and center with his guitar work over the years--he's a real team player. I've been a fan from the first time I heard his guitar...

Beastly.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2008... Your magazine is beastly. There is absolutely no contest between Guitar Player and other (unnamed) guitar magazines. I love the fact that you guys actually have real writers who write real articles, not just filler. It seems like every time I...

Bo Diddley: 1928-2008.(RIFFS: Tribute)(In memoriam)
September 1, 2008... BO DIDDLEY, WHO DIED ON JUNE 2, 2008, IS WIDELY AND RIGHTLY heralded as one of the "architects" of rock 'n' roll, along with Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Elvis. "Mechanic," however, may be a more accurate and...

Sworn enemy.(RIFFS: Metal)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THOUGH SEEMINGLY WELL WORN, OLD-SCHOOL American death metal never loses its appeal. Metallica and Testament gave the style West Coast roots, but it truly flowered on the East Coast, where it continues to thrive from...

Carlos Barbosa-Lima.(RIFFS: Classical)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I SPEAK FIVE LANGUAGES AND I THINK THE most important thing in a language is the music," says Carlos Barbosa-Lima. "You always have your native accent, that's natural, and it's better to keep that than to try to...

April Lawton.(RIFFS: Homage)(In memoriam)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE LATE APRIL LAWTON WAS A YOUNG, SEXY Long Island guitarist that some believed was so good that she couldn't possibly be a woman. The pinnacle of her career came in 1972, when she formed Ramatam with former Jimi...

Dave Gonzalez.(RIFFS: Rockabilly)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "IT'S A GIANT ELECTRIC GUITAR." SAYS DAVE Gonzalez, with a deadly serious smile. "It can do everything that a standard-sized electric can do--but it's got a way bigger sound!" The floor vibrates as Gonzalez...

David Jacobs-Strain.(RIFFS: Blues)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD DAVID Jacobs-Strain sings and plays slide-driven country blues with a passion and authority that few artists of any age can muster. But besides firing off compelling covers of traditional tunes...

Daniel Lanois.(RIFFS: Recording)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANYONE INTERESTED IN THE ART OF recording owes it to himself or herself to pick up Daniel Lanois' DVD Here Is What Is [Red Floor]. The operative word is "art." Early on, in conversation with Brian Eno, Lanois states,...

Murali Coryell.(RIFFS: Songwriting)(Interview)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... "WRITING YOUR OWN TUNES IS THE most important contribution any musician can make "declares blues guitarist Murali Coryell. whose fifth solo album is entitled The Same Damn Thing [Murali's Music Records]. "And it's the best way to develop your...

The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.(RIFFS: Community)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THE SAVVY AUDIENCE THAT DESCENDS UPON the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival during the last weekend of April and the first weekend of May each year, judges guitar players on heart, tone, and musicality, and a...

Editor boy's Big Eight.(RIFFS: Web Hordes)
September 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...

2007 Danelectro Pro.(eBay Prize)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... I SAW THIS DANELECTRO model at a trade show a year ago, and for some reason it pressed my "Cool" button. It's based on a 1959 Danelectro Pro One, which was an entry-level electric with a short-scale and a single pickup, but this reissue sports...

Jennifer Batten.(RIFFS: Rock)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ENERGY FOLLOWS THOUGHT. THAT'S WHAT THE modern-day seekers of enlightenment tell us, and they make a compelling case. Figure out what you want, put that intention out to the universe, and let it manifest. A most...

Broadjam/GP picks.(RIFFS: Contest)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... GUITAR PLAYER AND BROAD JAM have partnered to offer Broadjam members a chance to share their chops with GP readers and beyond. Well, there's one tiny proviso--you have to impress the Broadjam community and the Guitar Player staff. After you...

Paul Gilbert.(RIFFS: Shred)(Interview)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EX-MR. BIG AND RACER X GUITARIST PAUL Gilbert still isn't satisfied. Despite the platinum records on his wall, the dozens (if not hundreds) of guitar mags that bear his likeness, and his unquestioned stature as...

What's spinning in the editors' heads this month?(RANTS & RAVES)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... MATT BLACKETT OHM:, Amino Acid Flashback Sextus, Stronger than Fiction Protein, Songs About Cowgirls BARRY CLEVELAND No-Man, Schoolgard Ghosts Hugh Hopper/Yumi Hare Cawkwell, Dune Tuner, Totem JUDE GOLD ...

Tommy Emmanuel: Center Stage.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TOMMY EMMANUEL CENTER STAGE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You could take one just song off this album, "Tall Fiddler" perhaps, and very probably come away thinking you'd just heard the finest flatpicking ever....

Makana: Different Game.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... MAKANA DIFFERENT GAME [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The idea of honoring tradition while simultaneously moving forward is a difficult thing to accomplish in any style. But that's exactly what Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Makana has done...

Chris Barber Presents Lost & Found Vol. 1: Various Artists.(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... CHRIS BARBER PRESENTS LOST & FOUND VOL, 1 VARIOUS ARTISTS [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One of the most rockin' moments in the filmed history of the electric guitar occurred on the '60s show Gospel Time, when Sister Rosetta Tharpe,...

Joe Bonamassa, Live From Nowhere In Particular.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
September 1, 2008... JOE BONAMASSA, LIVE FROM NOWHERE IN PARTICULAR [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Possibly the finest blues rocker on the scene, Joe Bonamassa is an awesome player with a killer voice and a great band. And all this is highlighted on his new live...

Gene Bertoncini, Concerti.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
September 1, 2008... GENE BERTONCINI, CONCERTI [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Armed with his composer/arranger pencil, the jazz master unleashes his mesmerizing harmonic kung fu on his favorite nylon-string, a string quartet, and pieces spanning "Invitation" to...

Nels Andrews, Off Track Betting.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
September 1, 2008... NELS ANDREWS, OFF TRACK BETTING [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Steeped in rootsy guitars (many played by GP alumnus Adam Levy) and peppered with dashes of pedal-steel, banjo, and vintage keyboards, vocalist/guitarist Andrews' songs speak a...

Death Angel, Killing Season.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)
September 1, 2008... DEATH ANGEL, KILLING SEASON [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The thrash forefathers return with dimensional, multi-layered mayhem. Moshers can now enjoy an authentic 1986-caliber neck ache from head-banging to metal with 2008 production values....

Moonbound, Confession and Release.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief review)
September 1, 2008... MOONBOUND, CONFESSION AND RELEASE [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Multi-talented multi-instrumentalist Fabio Trentini layers a ton of great 6- and 12-string textures onto these 12 tracks. The tunes are smart rock straight out of the Phil...

Trey Gunn, Music for Pictures.(QUICK HITS)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... TREY GUNN, MUSIC FOR PICTURES [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This collection of 29 pieces, most of which clock in at under 2:00 (one notable exception is the 21:00 "The Ghosts Listen"), covers a lot of sonic and thematic ground, but imagine a...

Music Master Publishing: Guitar Wheel.(GEAR: New Gear)
September 1, 2008... Chord fingerings, chord formulas, scales, inversions, and much more. Turn tab to RI. find information in any key * $24 retail * guitarwheel.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

GMP Diecast: Stevie Ray Vaughan 1:3 scale replica fender guitar.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Real wood neck contoured to match the actual guitar, Accurately contoured die-cast body * Moveable pickup selector switch, volume and tone controls * Real steel strings * Moveable tremolo arm * Display stand, wall mount, and full-color...

Matchless Amplifiers: Hotbox classic.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Active two-channel tube preamp driven by two 12AX7 tubes * Point-to-point handwired, and housed in a stainless steel enclosure * Channel one is dean and crisp, but also capable of producing overdrive sounds * Channel two features Gain, Bass,...

Randall Amplifiers: KH-15 Kirk Hammett signature practice amp.(GEAR: New Gear)
September 1, 2008... Two channels: Clean and custom Kirk Hammett Overdrive * Boost control * 3 band EQ. Spring reverb * Headphonejack * CD/tape input * $129 retail * randallamplifiers.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Seymour Duncan: SH-15 alternative 8 humbucker.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Hot coils wound for maximum output * Alnico 8 magnet * Recommended for the bridge position * Available uncovered, with gold or nickel covers, and in Trembucker spacing * Vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance * Includes mounting hardware...

Tregan Guitars: Ronny North signature guitar.(GEAR: New Gear)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Mahogany body with a maple cap and flame-maple top * Bolt-on maple neck with a birds-eye maple fretboard * Custom Ronny North Monster Tone pickups * Original Floyd Rose Tremolo * Buzz Feiten tuning system * Retail price TBD * treganguitars.com...

Full-contact musicology: adventures in playing, writing, and listening with Pat Metheny.(Interview)(Cover story)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IF YOU WON A GRAMMY AWARD for your guitar playing, where would you put it? Would you invest in track lighting and a snazzy glass case so you could display it brightly in your living room? Ship it to your beaming mom...

10 things you gotta do to play like Eric Johnson.(LESSONS)
September 1, 2008... FROM 1974 TO 1984, AUSTIN-BORN GUITAR VIRTUOSO ERIC JOHNSON was Texas' best-kept secret--a whiz-kid perfectionist who wowed locals and tourists alike with dazzling chops, stunning tone, and powerful command over a multitude of musical styles....

Travis picking: Merle Travis and the pattern that bears his name.(LESSONS: Style Council)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOW MANY TECHNIQUES CAN YOU THINK OF THAT ARE NAMED AFTER actual guitar players? And no. I'm not talking about descriptions such as "Van Halen-style tapping" or "Wes Montgomery Octaves." Those aren't specific enough,...

Roy Nichols revisited.(INTERMEDIATE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Part of your duty as a guitar player is to make sure great guitar performances of yesteryear don't get forgotten. By sending in this rippin' Roy Nichols move (inspired by Nichols' stellar Western swing solo on Merle...

Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'".(ADVANCED)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... Whether we're talking lighters or cell phones, few songs get 20,000 of 'em waving in the air more effectively than Journey's rock radio staple, "Don't Stop Believin'" (from the band's chart-topping 1981 album, Escape). The great thing about...

Imposter harmonics.(INTERMEDIATE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Harmonics, when plucked well, are so radiant they can make neighboring fretted notes sound like harmonics too. This is handy when you want play a melody using only natural harmonics, but don't have all the requisite...

George Benson's souped-up sixths.(INTERMEDIATE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Most guitarists play parallel-octave lines using the workhorse grip that features a lower note on one string and its octave fretted two strings higher (and two or three frets higher, depending on which string group...

Eddie's elephant sound.(BEGINNER)(Eddie Van Halen)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Here's a challenge for you: Can you make the three harmonics above sound like an elephant's roar? Eddie Van Halen will tell you that yes, you can, provided you dial in some thick distortion and 1) lower your guitar...

A perspective on DADGAD.(INTERMEDIATE)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Is DADGAD really an "altered tuning," as it is referred to by so many guitarists? Or is it a parallel universe in which open strings jangle vibrantly within chords and melodies, making them easy and satisfying to...

Demystifying the modes.(Beginner: Joe Satriani's Tips for Beginners)
September 1, 2008... You may recognize the notes G, A. B, C, D. E, and F# as the G major scale, but if you're new to the guitar, you may not be aware that this scale is also called the G Ionian mode--or that its pitches can also function as six other modes, each of...

11 new low-wattage amps.(GEAR: Roundup!)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TESTED BY THE GUITAR PLAYER STAFF IT'S FANTASTIC THAT AMP COMPANIES HAVE PAID SO MUCH ATTENTION TO less powerful tube models that can kick ass, because there are those times when a 50-watt or even a 30-watt...

Ampeg J-20 Jet.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HARKENING BACK TO AMPEG'S GUITAR AMP GLORY DAYS, THE J-2O LOOKS AND SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE company's classic '60s-era combos, such as the Reverberocket, Gemini, and the original Jet. This latest addition to Ampeg's...

Bad Cat 'Lil 15.(GEAR: ROUNDUP)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THIS CLASS AB VERSION OF THE ORIGINAL, LIMITED-EDITION CLASS A 'LIL 15 (WHICH IS NO LONGER offered due to the excessive heat created by its operating class and high plate voltage) measures a scant 14" wide x 6.5"...

Budda Superdrive 18 Series II.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THOUGH IT FEATURES THE DUAL-CLASS, "HOT BIAS" CIRCUIT FOUND IN THE BUDDA TWINMASTER, the Superdrive 18 sports an extra channel and a more rock-oriented voicing. The amp is very well...

Dr. Z MAZ 18 NR.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... EDITORS' Guitar Player PICK [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CELEBRATING HIS 20TH YEAR IN BUSINESS AS AN AMP BUILDER, MIKE "DR. Z" ZAITE CREDITS HIS previous career as an Engineering Manager for General Electric as one reason he's able to...

Fender '65 Princeton Reverb.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DOING A BENCH TEST OF A FENDER PRINCETON REVERB IS A LITTLE BIT LIKE WRITING A REVIEW OF Led Zeppelin I. Everybody knows that it's great and what can possibly be said that hasn't already been said? Well. here goes....

Gretsch Executive.(GEARL Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FITTING RIGHT IN WITH THE KILLER LOOK OF THE GRETSCH GUITAR LINE, THE EXECUTIVE IS A CLASSY combo that sports a finger-jointed solid-pine cabinet with an offset arrow-shaped speaker grille, snazzy two-tone covering...

Lone Wolf Outlaw.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ON THE COMPANY WEBSITE, LONE WOLF CLAIMS TO BUILD AMPS FOR PLAYERS "WHO NEED TO FEEL AN amp in their hands." It's a good way to describe what it's like to plug into the point-to-point hand-wired Outlaw, because this...

Peavey Windsor Studio.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE PEAVEY FOLKS HAD THE BOUTIQUE AMP PLAYER IN MIND WHEN CREATING THE NEW WINDSOR Studio. a single-ended class A amp that can handle any of the popular octal base power tubes (6L6, 5881. EL34/6CA7, KT66, 6550, KT88,...

Rivera Venus 3.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE SMALLEST AMP IN THE RIVERA LINE, THE VENUS 3 1X10 COMBO (ALSO AVAILABLE WITH A 12" Celestion G12 speaker) is well equipped for gigs or studio use. The amp features a spring reverb, 3-band EQ with a Notch function...

Savage Rohr 15.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WE'VE HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF USING THE ROHR 15X FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS ONE OF OUR PRODUCT testing amps, and it has been a consistent performer. This 15-watt class A design sports a classic-style dual-channel preamp...

Sommatone Slick-18.(GEAR: Roundup)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DESIGNED FOR DAVID BOWIE GUITARIST EARL SLICK, THE SLICK-18 IS A SMALL. LIGHTWEIGHT TUBE head that features neat point-to-point circuitry, a 14-gauge aluminum chassis and silver-plated wire with Teflon insulation....

Taylor 816ce and K66ce grand symphony acoustic-electrics.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... THE 6-STRING 816CE AND 12-STRING K66CE acoustic-electrics reside at the pinnacle of Taylor's product line, alongside some of the most exalted and opulently appointed guitars offered by the company. Although they are obviously quite different in...

4 new Washburns.(GEAR: Bench Test)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE MUNDELEIN, ILLINOIS, OFFICES FOR THE U.S. MUSIC CORP., which house Washburn Guitars (as well as Washburn's sister companies Randall and Parker), are kind of like a slick, rocking, and at times hilarious time...

SoundToys native effects V3.(GEAR: Digital Guitarcraft)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I OFTEN DREAM OF AN IDEAL RIG THAT INCLUDES rack products by Eventide and TC Electronic--processors legendary for sound quality and tone-shaping power. How fortunate, then, that the SoundToys designers were...

Mackie SRM450v2.(GEAR: Field Test)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GREG MACKIE AND HIS MERRY BAND OF TECH wackos just can't stop messing with sound waves. This time, they've developed an active, biamped (300 watts low frequency/100 watts high frequency) speaker that weighs just 40...

FX Engineering: RAF mirage.(GEAR: Stompbox Fever)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A COMPRESSOR SHOULD BE FELT, BUT not heard," says Montez Aldridge of FX Engineering. Aldridge's simple philosophy is evident in the RAF Mirage ($199 street)--a super quiet and very transparent-sounding compressor...

Ernie Ball: Titanium Reinforced Coated Slinky Acoustic Strings.(GEAR: Accessory File)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ERNIE BALL HAS THROWN ITS HAT INTO THE upscale string ring with the introduction of its Titanium Reinforced Coated Slinky Acoustic Strings ($28 retail/$14 street). Available in Medium (.013-.056), Medium Light...

Phil Jones Cub.(GEAR: Bench Test)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ALTHOUGH PHIL JONES IS BEST KNOWN TO musicians for bass gear, the British-born acoustic designer also makes an extensive line of hi-fi speakers under the AAD brand (aadsound.com), and has recently moved into the...

Rectifier for hire.(GEAR: Shop Talk)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOW CAN I MODIFY MY TUBE AMP TO BE switchable from the existing 5AR4 tube rectifier to a solid-state rectifier?--Nathan Harrison, Houston, TX Here is a modification that works with any amp that uses a 5AR4, 5U4,...

Roy Buchanan: October 1976.(BACK PAGE: Flashback)(Interview)(Excerpt)
September 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "THE CHURCHES REALLY INFLUENCED me in a couple of ways," says guitarist Roy Buchanan, son of a Pentecostal preacher. "Gospel music and blues are closely related, really. The church was the first time I ever heard...