April 2014 Premier

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Secrets to capture that golden tone.
Sponsored by fender
diY: Setting
acouStic
intonation
A step-by-step guide to making your

acoustic play like a dream.
Bonnie
Raitt
Photo courtesy of Montuno
The Strat-wielding
slide queen is back
with Slipstream
her first album in
seven years.
Photo by Buzz Person
Photo by Kristie Shanley
BuiLdeR PRofiLe:
Mike SheRMan
Taking boutique, shred-machine luthiery

to the extreme.
eSPeRanza SPaLding
The Grammy-winning, classically trained violinist

talks about transitioning to fretless and upright bass.
Studio LegendS:
aLan PaRSonS
An insiders ear on Floyds pinnacle
Dark Side of the Moon.
REVIEWS:
Lee RanaLdo
Sonic Youths iconic noise-rock pioneer talks about his

first-ever solo album.
Sonoma Wire Works IK Multimedia

Apogee Positive Grid PocketLabWorks
BilT S.S. Zaftig Dr. Z MAX 8 Studio
Ansir Imperial SL Death by Audio Apocalypse M-tone Slipstream Caroline Guitar Co.
Olympia Paul Reed Smith SE 30 Pigtronix FAT Overdrive MXR M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe
Bonnie Raitt 10 digital RecoRding tips lee Ranaldo

April 2012
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Weve
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Paul Reed Smith on PRSs
new tone and the tweaks
Paul Smith is talking, you should listen.

Visiting www.rules of tone.com is as close
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2012 PRS Guitars Photo by Marc Quigley
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Publisher Jon Levy
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Shawn Hammond
Managing Editor Tessa Jeffers
Senior Editor Andy Ellis
Gear Editor Charles Saufley
Senior Art Editor Angela Cox
Senior Art Editor Meghan Molumby
Web Content Editor Rebecca Dirks
Associate Editor Chris Kies
Associate Editor Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor Jason Shadrick
Video Editor Steve Worthington
Acoustic Editor Gayla Drake Paul
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TuninG uP
Music Critics: A Different Kind of Loathing

BY shawn hammond
any moons ago when

I was in journalism
school, I covered the local
music scene for the student
newspaper. Stylistically, it was a
small, somewhat homogenized
scenemostly kind of tame
alt-rock, with the occasional
jam band or jazz outfit. Like
all scenes, though, there was a
great variety in the quality of
music being played.
As a passionate musician, I
took my job seriouslyI felt I
owed it to students to be frank
about the performances put
on by bands vying for a piece
of their meager ramen-noodle
budgets. The hilarious part was
the reaction I got when I called
out certain bands for what I felt
was offensive audacity. Im talking about the ones that seemed
to think investing in POS gear
and posing like a rock star
without putting much time into
practicing and songwriting (or
even remembering song lyrics)made it okay to charge a
fairly significant entrance fee.
The hate email I gotmostly from band members relatives
and friendswas hysterical in
its contradictory exclamations:
Who do you think you ARE?!
What gives you the RIGHT
to say such-and-such about
so-and-so! You are [INSERT
THE MOST IMMATURELY
INSULTING THING THAT
COMES TO MIND HERE]!
I eventually had to write
an op-ed on the subject. In a
nutshell, it said, Who do I
think I am? Er, I think Im the
guy whose job is to share his
opinion. You dont have to agree
with it, but its still my job.
Take it or leave it.
This jaunt down memory
lane came to mind after writing
my recent review of whats probably the most anticipated album
of the millennium so farVan
Halens A Different Kind of Truth

(read it on p.34). Im not in any
way comparing Van Halen or
their new album to the shoddy
bands I reviewed in college. Its
just that the virulent response
the review has gotten from some
readers is similar. But I knew
from the outset that Id be playing with fire if I wrote anything
other than a glowing piece,
because Eddie has arguably
inspired more guitarists than
any other player to emerge in
the last 35 years or so.
We put the review online the
day the album came out, and
I prepared for the crap storm.
And what a storm it was! Its
gotten far more comments than
any other album review weve
ever doneand its in the top
five for most comments on
any article ever posted to our
website. Ive been pilloried left
and right as everything from a
bitter Van Hagar fan to an Elvis
Costello wannabe to a hater of
rock n roll. Frankly, some of
the comments had me questioning some peoples reading comprehension levels, but in the end
it all slid like water off a ducks
butt. I mean, I get itwe all
have a passion for music, so its
natural to have these vehement
reactions to such a huge album.
Now that the review is
also in print, I anticipate a
bit of a repeat. So let me add
a little context for anyone
mortally offended by my lukewarm reception of the album.

For the record, I started playing
guitar because of Eddie Van
Halen. In a third-grade careers
project, I wrote that I wanted to
be a rock star because of Eddie.
I doodled pictures of striped
electric guitars and pictures of
myself with long hair and a
VH-logo necklace. I took our
8-track tape of Van Halen II
to friends houses in effort to
convert them. One friends dad,
an evangelical preacher, told me
I was a big disappointment and
that the music was, and I quote,
straight from the pit of hell.
My brother and I recorded the
bands live 1983 U.S. Festival
appearance on cassette and listened to it over and over. The
first concert I ever went to was
the 1984 tour when I was 12.
The whole time I sat in the
nosebleed section, fantasizing
about being invited onstage
to jam. I stood up to endless
ridicule from New Wave-loving
80s peers for being a hardcore
Van Halen fan instead of being
into Erasure. When Michael
Jacksons Beat It came out,
I stayed up late for the video
debut on Friday Night Videos,
crossing my fingers that Eddie
would come sliding in on his
knees for the solo. Because of
Eddie, the first electric guitar
I chose for myself was a red
Kramerthe same model Floyd
Rose is playing in an old 80s ad
where hes sitting on the back
of a Harley driven by Eddie
himself. I went to the 5150,
OU812, and Balance tours,
bought T-shirts at all of them,
and, as a teen, even named our
dog Eddie. I had at least 10
posters of Eddie and the band
on my bedroom wall, and I had
my artist sister paint me a custom sweatshirt depicting Eddie
onstage playing Frankenstein.
The first four VH albums are

some of my all-time favorites,
as a reread of my review should
make pretty clear. Yeah, Im a
Van Halen fan.
Some readers said my comments about rehashed, old
material proved I didnt know
jack about old Van Halen, and
they compared Ed & Co. to
AC/DCa band that proudly
refuses to evolve. But that
argument overlooks a wealth
of evidence to the contrary. I
dont have room here to run
down the laundry list of items I
think conclusively prove evolution and progressive thinking
have long been integral to what
many of us love about Van
Halen. But Ive listed them
in a series of four posts in the
reviews comments section on
premierguitar.com.
So if you feel the need to
beseech the gods to rain Blood
and Fire upon me and my
house after reading the review
(in which case, I would definitely want to Stay Frosty), by
all means, visit us online, read
Exhibits 1-4 in my closing argument, and then submit your
opinion. Hell, we might as well
do this in proper EVH fashion
and cause a cyber Eruption of
jaw-dropping proportions.
Shawn Hammond
shawn@premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
John Dee Holeman

Blues player 68 years
Learn more about the Martin 000-42 and how the legend of the crossroads influenced music at martinguitar.com/crossroads.
TABLE OF COnTEnTS > FeATuRes & ReVieWs
contents
78
Volume 17 Issue 4 April 2012
FeATuRes
78
Bonnie Raitt
89
Bonnie Raitt
The Strat slide queen is back, sounding
better than ever on Slipstream.
Top 10 digital
Recording
Techniques
Secrets to capture that golden tone.
99
studio Legends
Alan Parsons
An insiders ear on Floyds pinnacle
Dark Side of the Moon.
113
124
135
Lee Ranaldo
Sonic Youths iconic noise-rock pioneer
talks about his first-ever solo album.
esperanza spalding
This classically trained violin prodigy
stands up and rocks the bass.
diy: setting
Acoustic intonation
Photo by Sioux Nessi
A step-by-step guide to making your

acoustic play like a dream.
145
Taking boutique, shred-machine

luthiery to the extreme.
ReVieWs
152
160
165
170
173
176
180
183
188
191
iPhone RecoRding APP RounduP

BiLT S.S. Zaftig
dR. Z Maz 8 Studio
AnsiR Imperial SL
deATh By Audio Apocalypse
M-Tone Slipstream
cARoLine guiTAR co. Olympia Fuzz
PAuL Reed sMiTh SE 30
PigTRonix Fat Overdrive
MxR M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe
Builder Profile
Mike sherman
183
Paul Reed Smith
SE 30
191
MXR
M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe
premierguitar.com
Eas
two
od
Air
line
Ma
Lowden
F23C
om Shop
Fender Cust
ter
62 Jazzmas
more than just vintage

cme6.com 1-888-686-7872
/1
500 n
ner
r
Hof Cave
61
Fender Clapton Twinolux
Tone King Falcon
O
BT
lor BS2
y
a S
Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 5
TABLE OF COnTEnTS > Lessons & dePARTMenTs
contents
(Contd)
Volume 17 Issue 4 April 2012
Lessons
67
digging deeper
Julian Lage
70
Beyond Blues
Kid Andersen
72
Acoustic Adventures
Tony McManus
75
shred your enthusiasm

Paul Gilbert
60
Vintage Vault
Photo by Tim Mullally
Photo by Ben Hosking
21
Opening Notes
coLuMns
dePARTMenTs
52
gigging & RecoRding

38
Tone Tips
Getting A Grip On Turbulent Tuning
40
on Track
Keeping It Simple In the Studio
42
on Bass
Getting the Best Out of Your Bass Tracks
44
guitar Tracks
How to Build a Recording Rig, Pt.2
Tech TiPs
46
esoterica electrica
Guarding Your Guitar
50
Acoustic soundboard
Choosing Your Gear For a Pub Gig
Rare BirdThe Sound City

Concord Combo
21
opening notes
28
Letters
Mod garage
30
news
32
staff Picks
Tele Control Plate Mods
56
The Bass Bench
PG editors and Machine Heads Robb

Flynn talk about what they listen to
before a gig.
Bass Mods: When, Where, and Why?
VinTAge & uPkeeP

58
Bottom Feeder
My Gibson J-45 Skull Guitar
60
Vintage Vault
1968 Fender Stratocaster and
1969 Kustom K 100 2
state of the stomp

Read the Manual and Find Those Treats
48
54
Ask Amp Man
62
Trash or Treasure
Gretsch Bikini Bass and Guitar
64
Restoring an original
Resuscitating a Ruined
56 Fender Esquire
34
Media Reviews
Van Halen: A Different Kind of Truth
Plus: Will Bernard and Guitar Tone
194 new Products

198 gear of the Month
Elvis Presleys 1975 Martin D-28
200 Modern Builder Vault

Fibenare Guitars
208 Last call

Tales From a B-Bender Freak
on The coVeR Sonoma Wire Works GuitarTone app for iPhone, Esperanza
Spalding (photo by Carlos Pericas, courtesy of Montuno), and BiLT Guitars S.S. Zaftig.
premierguitar.com
F ine V intage g uitars
Gibson ES-335, 1959, serial no. A31207
at auction
Fender Telecaster, 1953, serial no. 3815
MA/Lic. #2304
Fender Precision Bass, 1957, serial no. 13847
AUCTION #2582B
April 29, 2012
12 noon
MA/Lic. #2304
LOCATION
63 Park Plaza
Boston, MA
Martin D-18, 1936, serial no. 64862
PREVIEW TIMES
April 27, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
April 28, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
April 29, 9 to 10:30 a.m.
CONTACT
David Bonsey
508.970.3224
dbonsey@skinnerinc.com
SKINNER
WEB ExCLuSiVES
This month on PremierGuitar.com

Digital Recorder Roundup
We get our hands on five of the leading feature-packed, multi-track digital
recorders to see what each offers the guitarist recording on the go.
Search for: 5 Handheld Multi-Track Digital Recorders Reviewed
Meshuggahs Back!
onLy on FAceBook...
The Swedish metal masters of the

8-string are back with their eighth
studio album, Koloss. We chat with
guitarist Mrten Hagstrm about
the brutal tones, heavy riffs, and
extreme gear used on the record.
Search for: Interview: Meshuggahs
Mrten Hagstrm on Koloss
Head to facebook.com/premierguitar, and Like us for exclusive access to all of this and more.
Bonus Feature Photos
FAceBook PhoTo oF The MonTh
Want to see
more photos
from this
issues artist
and gear features? Look
for the Facebook logo in
select articles then click
on the Photos tab on our
Facebook page to access
additional pictures for that
piece. This month you can
see more shots of Esperanza
Spalding, Lee Ranaldo, and
Alan Parsons in the studio.
This months poll question (see opposite

page) asked what famous guitar youd
most like to play. Though our top 10
answers are the stuff dreams are made of,
todays painstaking Custom Shop renditions of these icons fall squarely in the
next best thing category. Reader Kurt
Kuthe opted for that route in paying
tribute to his hero, Eddie Van Halen, and
shared this photo of him and his prize on
our wall. Heres a shot of me with my
Fender EVH Frankenstein replica, he
said, $28,000 and worth every cent!
To submit your photo for consideration, post any guitar-related photo (that you own the
rights to) and a cool caption to our Facebook wall. It can be a gorgeous shot of a unique
instrument, a killer moment captured at a live show, your band jamming in an interesting way,
or you reading PG somewhere thatll make us jealousor anything else you come up with!
premierguitar.com
WEB ExCLuSiVES
Digital-Only Reviews
Read the newest gear reviews online first! Added

this month: Washburn USA Custom Shop
Nuno Bettencourt N7, The Tone God Acute
ModestScream, Optek Fretlight 421, BilT Guitars
El Hombre, Fender Machete Amp, and more!
PG Hits SXSW and

Musikmesse!
Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters rocked

SXSW 2011. Photo by Arnold Wells.
Cant make it to Austin or

Frankfurt? As always, PGs got you
covered! Head online for photo
galleries of Musikmesses new gear
releases and South by Southwests
hottest performances. Plus, well
be onsite in Frankfurt with our
camera giving you the first listen
to the newly announced gear!
Search for: SXSW 2012 or
Musikmesse 2012
Win iT!
5 Essential Jazzmaster
Maintenance Tips
Between his current gig with Nels
Cline and a 13-year stint with
Thurston Moore, guitar tech Eric
Baecht knows a lot about the
Fender Jazzmaster. He distills years
of working on the instrument into
five essential tips in this months
Tech Bench column.
Search for: 5 Essential
Jazzmaster Maintenance Tips
Sign up for our weekly newsletter at premierguitar.com/

newsletter or Like us on
Facebook for access to these
weekly giveaways.
MxR Micro Amp M133

March 21 27
PoLL oF The MonTh
Which guitarists iconic axe

would you most like to get
your hands on to play?
We got 97 different responses

to this question, proving that
youre an eclectic bunch!
But the top 10 answers
comprised 75 percent of
votes, so weve broken
them down by percent3%
David Gilmours
ages. To see all of the
Black Strat
responses, and to weigh
3%
in with your pick, head Slashs Appetite
for Destruction
to facebook.com/preLes Paul copy
mierguitar and click on
4%
the Questions tab.
B.B. Kings Lucille
ES-335
premierguitar.com
23%
Stevie Ray
Vaughans
Number
One Strat
29%
Jimmy
Pages 59
Les Paul
Empress Effects Compressor

March 28 April 3
18%
Jimi
Hendrixs
Strat
5%
4%
Billy Gibbons
Pearly Gates
59 Les Paul
5%
6%
Randy Eddie Van

Eric
Claptons Rhoads Halens
Blackie White FrankenLes Paul
stein
Strat
Custom
TC Electronic Corona Chorus

April 4 10
PREMIER GUITAR APRIL 2012 17
Web exclusives

Gallery: Wacky Guitars of the 1960s
Peruse a sampling of Airline, Domino, EKO, Kustom, Hagstrom, and more

from the collection of Eastwood Guitars founder Mike Robinson. All photos
courtesy myrareguitars.com.
new!
Cheapskate
Collective
Reviews in this
Digital issue
Look for these online-only reviews
in this digital issue:
DR1 3Leaf Audio PWNZOR
Bass Compressor
DR3 The Tone God Acute
ModestScream
DR5 Washburn USA Custom
Shop Nuno Bettencourt N7
DR7 Boost Roundup: Lotus
Desire Boost, Pigtronix
Class A Boost, Caroline
Guitar Company Icarus
Boost, and Whirlwind
The Bomb
DR11 Hughes & Kettner
Tubemeister 5
WEB1 PREMIER GUITAR APRIL 2012
This recurring,
community-oriented
column will explore
the ins and outs of
mastering guitar-from lessons to
tones, gear, and
more--on the cheap.
See what its all
about and how you
can get involved!
Orange Guitar:
Little Steel
Guitar Voicings
Jim Campilongo is back
with easy-to-fret triads
that sound sophisticated
and lush, despite what
you are actually playing.
Web exclusives
Roundup: 5 High-End
Gig Bags Reviewed
Rig RunDowns
Whether youre looking for a classy leather

affair or a highly padded, sporty bag with
tons of storage, theres surely a home for
your boutique baby in our gig bag roundup.
Triviums Corey Beaulieu

and Matt Heafy
Corey discusses how the band uses their Axe-FX

rig and shows us his and Matts go-to guitars.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
KWS details and demos the Strats he takes on the

road, the triple-amp setup hes constantly tweaking,
and which pedals are the cornerstone to his tone.
Interview: Heartless Bastards
Frontwoman Erika Wennerstrom and guitarist Mark Nathan discuss songwriting, gear, and
impromptu fuzzed-out solos in our interview.
premierguitar.com
Brian Setzer
Setzers guitar tech takes us through the rockabilly

kings iconic Gretsch guitar arsenal.
PREMIER GUITAR APRIL 2012 WEB2
Web exclusives

naMM 2012 centRal
Last months Winter NAMM wrapup feature was
just the tip of the iceberg. Online, we have four
photo galleries with more than 150 new gear photos
and an expanded Editors Picks broken down by day.
AXL Guitars USA Bulldog Demo
b3 Guitars Earth and

Phoenix Demos
BC Rich Mockingbird SL Deluxe,

Mockingbird 10 Supreme, Matt
Tuck Signature V
Cort Guitars Sunset I Demo
Epiphone ES-339 Pro, Les Paul

Ultra III, Ace Frehley Les Paul
Prophecy, Les Paul Custom
ESP H-208, H-338 LTD,

Horizon Series Standard
Models, Eclipse II Series
ESP Guitars Kirk Hammett

Signature KH DC and KH 25
Models and LTD Slayer
Fender 50th Anniversary

Jaguar Demo
Fender Johnny Marr Signature

Jaguar Demo
Framus Vintage 5/120 Billy

Lorento, Vintage 5/150 Star Bass,
and Earl Slick Signature
Web exclusives
electRic guitaRs
Giffin Guitars Vikta Demo
Hagstrom Viking Baritone, Viking

Deluxe, and Northen Series Demos
Ibanez 25th Anniversary SR

Basses, SR Premium 6-String
Bass, BTB Series Basses
Jens Ritter Instruments

Monroe Demo
John Page Guitars DLS Demo, AJ

Custom P1SV
Koll Guitars Troubadour Demo
LSL Instruments Topanga and Bad

Bone Demos
PRS Guitars P22, Signature

Limited, and SE Acoustic Demos
Reverend Guitars Sensei RA, Pete

Anderson Eastsider S Demos, 15th
Anniversary Flatroc
Schecter Guitars Blackjack SLS

Collection & Hellraiser
Sugi Guitars DS499R Demo
Tanglewood Guitars TSB59 Demo,

TSB57, and TSB58
premierguitar.com
Web exclusives

aMplifieRs
Bugera Amps TRIREC Infinium

Amp Demo
Carr Amps The Bloke Demo
Diezel Amplification Hagen Demo
DV Mark 403 CPC, Triple 6, and

DV7 Distorsore Demos
Fender Machete Amp Demo
Fuchs Audio Casino Series

Blackjack 21 Mk II & Bruiser
Bass Amp Demos
Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 5

Head and Combo Demos
Jaguar Amplification Briton

Prototype Demo
VHT Amplifiers Special 12/20

RT Demo
Vox Amps Bruno TB18C1

Combo Demo
Two-Rock Amplification Matt

Schofield Signature Amp Demo
Web exclusives
effects
Diamond Pedals Cornerstone

Overdrive & Quantum Leap
Delay/Flanger Demos
Earthquaker Devices Rainbow

Machine, Organizer, and Tone
Job Demos
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and Holy Driver Demos
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Ultra Demos
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Looper Demos
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ModTone is loading its popular powered pedalboard

with a sampling of fantastic effects!
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SIGNED BY:
SYNYSTER GATES (A7X)
SHAUN MORGAN (SEETHER)
DALE STEWART (SEETHER)
JEFF LOOMIS
RICHARD PATRICK (FILTER)

JD DESERVIO (BLS)
SEAN YSEULT (STAR & DAGGER)
CHARLIE SCENE (HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD)
J-DOG (HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD)
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POWERED BY:
oPening noTes
nELS CLinE
January 25, 2012
The Wiltern
Los Angeles, CA
Photo by Lindsey Best
While known for favoring Jazzmasters

for his multi-genre guitar work, Wilco
lead guitarist Nels Cline takes a number of models on tour. Shown with
a German-made, 60s Hopf Telstar
Standardone of his ugly duckling
guitarsCline uses the instrument on
a handful of Wilco tunes for the bizarre
nasal tones it can produce, as well as
the sounds he can achieve when playing behind the bridge. For an in-depth
look at Clines setup, check out the Rig
Rundown at premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
oPening noTes
premierguitar.com
oPening noTes
STEVE MORSE
AnD STEVE VAi
January 21, 2011
Anaheim Hilton
Anaheim, CA
Photo by Harmony Gerber
Celebrating a milestone 50th anniversary in the business, Ernie Ball

threw quite the birthday party on the
last night of the 2012 NAMM show,
featuring some of the worlds most
renowned musicians. The evenings
highlights included Steve Vai wielding Flo III (based on the Ibanez
JEM7VWH and his current go-to axe),
while Steve Morse worked his Music
Man signature model as part of an
all-star jam. Rocking alongside were
Paul Gilbert, Dave LaRue, and Randy
Jackson, who got the Led out with a
number of blistering Zeppelin tunes.
premierguitar.com
oPening noTes
DAVE MuSTAinE
January 28, 2012
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY
Photo by Frank White
Headlining Gigantour 2012, Megadeths

Dave Mustaine wails in the upper register at the start of a sold-out show at
Madison Square Garden. Mustaines signature VMNT axe from Dean Guitars
features a Rust in Peace graphic and
a pair of Seymour Duncan Livewire
Dave Mustaine pickups. Its strung with
Mustaines signature strings from GHS.
premierguitar.com
oPening noTes
ShAun MORGAn
February 5, 2012
The Metro Theatre
Sydney, Australia
Photo by Ben Hosking
On the Down Under portion of a

lengthy world tour, Seether guitarist
and front man Shaun Morgan delivers the bands alterna-grunge goods
to fans whove been waiting four
years for their return to Australia.
Morgans signature model guitar
from Schecter boasts a silver-sparkle
finish from the companys custom
shop and is loaded up with a single
Duncan Design HB-102B pickup.
premierguitar.com
oPening noTes
KEnnY VAuGhAn
January 12, 2012

Douglas Corner Cafe
Nashville, TN
Photo by Ariel Ellis
Backing rockabilly legend Sleepy

LaBeef at Nashvilles intimate
Douglas Corner Cafe, renowned
studio and performing ace Kenny
Vaughan takes it away on his 1967
Gretsch Rally. Acquired by Nashville
luthier Jeff Senn 15 years ago for
$75 in destroyed condition, Senn
completely rebuilt the guitar for
Vaughan, who later added a pair of
older FilterTrons and a Bigsby.
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LETTERS
your Feedback
Straight to the Top
It is not too often that I am so

happy with a product that I write
the owner/chairman/president to
exclaim just that. I am sure that
I am just like many of your readerswork hard and long hours
when needed, attend to matters
as needed, and at the end of day,
look forward to some down time
(or, in many cases, sneaking some
PG moments in during the day).
When I am not engaged in actually playing the guitar, I can be
found with my latest PG.
I cannot tell you how happy
I am when I open the mailbox
and see my latest edition. I
eagerly start at the front and
read through, always finding
great content that is relevant
and informative. It is hard to
do, but I honestly try and make
my edition last. In the times
that I do run out of material, I
either log online and review the
latest online content (Rebecca
[Dirks, web editor] does an
awesome job!) or I pull a past
edition and scan through in
search of articles forgotten. (My
better half knows not to throw
any of my older PG mags out.)
There are many guitar magazines available, and some do contain some good articles, however,
I have not found one that
month after month, edition
aftereditioncompares front to
back and online to PG. This, to
me, provides great value.
So just a note to say job
well done. You and your team
have certainly earned it.
James Ross
Candler, North Carolina
Thank you, James. That means a

lot to us!
Guitar Abusers
Anonymous
Our editors musings on Whats

the stupidest thing youve ever done
refinished it with Tung oil, and

sold it on eBay for half of what
Id paid for it.
T-Bone Terrier
I shot my B.C. Rich Warlock

with an M4 and a .44 magnum
revolver to give it some character.
Sean Kruse
SMOKin
SquiER
We received this photo from
Brian Devlin via Facebook,
with the message: Inspired
by the recent feature
[Giving a Squier Tele the
Cigar-Box Treatment,
February 2012] in Premier
Guitar. Smokin axe, Brian!
to a piece of gear? [Staff Picks,
March 2012] induced so many
jaw-dropping stories from readers
whod loved and lost that we had
to share a few (read more online at
facebook/premierguitar.com).
Where to start? Smashing an
early-80s Ibanez Roadstar in
the driveway of my parents
house because the tremolo
Id installed wouldnt stay in
tune. Five years later, I tossed
an Ibanez Roadstar II from
the stage for the same reason.
(Ive been playing hard-tails
ever since.) Then I dismantled
a perfectly good Squier Strat
and repainted the body with
several cans of spray paint, gave
the body to a bandmate who
said a friend could strip my
botched paint job and repaint
it for cheap. Never saw it again.
Twenty years later, I spray-painted the headstock of a brand-new
Reverend, sanded the neck,
Left a guitar on the roof of the

car once. It fell, and the tuning
machine hooked on the bumper.
Dragged it about a quarter mile
before realizing it.
Jeff Williams
Which Side Are You On?

I have been playing guitar
for 12 years now and am a
singer-songwriter. Ani DiFranco
[History on Her Side, January
2012 web-exclusive] has been
such a strong influence on me
and my evolving music. She
is an amazing guitarist/songwriter/producer and all-around
talented person. She definitely
deserves to be highlighted as
one of the most talented female
musicians around. Some of her
music is harsh, but so are the
issues she is writing about. Not
for everyone, but I thank you
for this interview and write-up.
She is very deserving!!
Georgie
via premierguitar.com
[DiFrancos] Your Next Bold

Move is one of my favorite
songs. It is one of the only modern protest songs that captures
the mood without being difficult to listen to (as in rappers
or cookie-monster speed-metal
singers) or corny (Toby Keith,
Charlie Daniels). But it is certainly not Premier Guitar.
Tom
Its funny to me how people

can be prejudiced in their
thinking without even realizing

it sometimes. Would some of
these commenters have been
so defensive and begrudging if
Ani had been a man, or at least
not outspoken and feminist?
Its almost as if they want to
take away from her abilities
and accomplishments, which
are far more than most of the
commenters here, I am sure.
Some people just cant stand
to see someone that doesnt
fit their idea of what is be
successful. Oh and so what if
she uses the F word? Who
cares? So do 99 percent of
most performers. Go back and
listen to your adult contemporary if you dont like it ... she
is quite technical, but also a
very inventive songwriter. Better than Vai and Gilbert? Not
technically, nocertainly not
according to the guitar nerds
standardsbut I would come
away remembering one of her
songs long before I would one
of them. Vai puts me to sleep.
His pretentiousness leaps out
of the speakers. Claptons not
technical, either, really, unless you consider pentatonics
technical.
Coley
CORRECTIONS
In our March 2012 Vintage

Vault column [1957 Gretsch
6022 Rancher, p. 60-61], we
mistakenly printed an error. The
beginning of the article should
have read The Fred Gretsch
Company introduced its most
famous flattop, the Rancher,
in 1954.
keep those
comments coming!
Please send your suggestions, gripes, comments,
and good words directly to
info@premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
nEWS
news Bits
AnniVERSARY
Warwick
celebrates 30
years
Warwick is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2012 by
opening the doors of
their Markneukirchen,
Germany facilities during the
second week of September.
Warwick endorsing artists will
be on hand for clinics and
workshops, and the company
will be offering factory tours as
well. Warwick is also producing
a limited-edition replica of the
original 1983 Steamer Stage I
bass for 2012.
warwick.de
Jeff Beck, Derek Trucks, Gary

Clark Jr., and Buddy Guy collaborate on Sweet Home Chicago in
this White House rehearsal video
posted by Mick Jagger.
hOnORED
Blues Tributes Abound

Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Eric
Clapton, B.B. King, Keb Mo,
Gary Clark Jr., The Roots,
and more celebrated the blues
and its forefathers in February
and March. Jagger, Beck,
King, Mo, and Clark were
among the artists invited to
play a special concert in the
White House on February
21 which aired as a PBS special In Performance at the
White House: Red, White,
and Blues on February 27
in honor of Black History
Month. New York Citys
famed Apollo Theater in
Harlem also held events honoring the blues: Howlin for
Hubert on February 24 and
Robert Johnson at 100 on

March 6.
whitehouse.gov
apollotheater.org
including art rockers Destroy

All Monsters. Davis passed
away after a lengthy hospitalization for liver disease. He had
been diagnosed with hepatitis C
in 2005, which he attributed to
alcohol and drug use.
solo career, Sony Music in association with Capo Records and

Legacy will release reissues of
the first six Rory Gallagher solo
albums: Rory Gallagher (1970),
Deuce (1971), Live! In Europe
(1972), Blueprint (1973), Tattoo
(1973), and Irish Tour 74
(1974). Each album has been
remastered from the original
1/4" tapes and features newly
restored cover artwork.
sonymusic.com
FESTiVALS
Metallica Launch The

orion Music Festival
Bands appearing at the June
23-24 fest in Atlantic City,
New Jersey, include Arctic
Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold,
Modest Mouse, Gary Clark Jr.,
and more. The veteran rockers
will headline both nights, playing the Black Album in its
entirety one night for the first
time ever in the U.S.
orionmusicandmore.com
Bonnaroo 2012
Announced
The annual Manchester,
Tennessee, gathering of music
fans will take place on June 7-10.
The lineup includes Radiohead,
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish,
The Beach Boys, The Roots,
Alice Cooper, Bon Iver,
Umphreys McGee, and more.
bonnaroo.com
OBiTuARY
Mc5 Bassist Michael

davis dies at 68
Michael Davis provided the
low-end grooves for the influential Detroit band MC5
throughout the height of
their success in the 60s and
early 70s. He left the band in
1972 and continued making
music with a variety of bands
OnLinE
sam Ash sells used

gear online
Sam Ash Music launched a
website for used music gear in
February. The site hosts listings of every Sam Ash Music
stores used inventory. The site
launched with guitar and bass
gear but the company plans to
expand to drums, keyboards,
and pro sound gear.
used.samashmusic.com
REiSSuED
Rory gallaghers
First six solo Albums
Reissued
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the prolific guitarists
inDuSTRY
Jim soloway Retires

Jim Soloway, respected builder
of high-end custom guitars,
announced his plan to retire
from luthiery and pursue a
musical career. Soloway Guitars
will continue to be produced by
Doug Kauer of Kauer Guitars
in his Northern California
workshop. The Kauer-built
Soloway guitars will be available
through his dealer network.
solowayguitars.com
premierguitar.com
always be unique.
www.bogneramplification.com
Play an Eastman
Win a FREE GUITAR MSRP $1,050
Play an Eastman Guitar at an
authorized Eastman Dealer &
enter to win an Eastman AC420.
Go to our website for details:

www.EastmanGuitars.com
Eastman Guitars 2138 Pomona Blvd. Pomona, CA 91768
premierguitar.com
STAFF PiCKS
PG Gets Pumped
Music has an amazing ability set the mood for magic. This month Premier Guitar editors,
along with Machine Heads Robb Flynn, share the songs they spin to psych themselves out
and get the adrenaline flowing before a performance.
Rebecca dirks
Andy ellis
shawn hammond
Web Content Editor

What are you listening
to? Ive been going
Spotify-crazy lately, building playlists of music
Ive been into from childhood till now. It
jumps from the Shins to the Kinks, Fun., Ben
Folds Five, Silverchair, Nada Surf, Smashing
Pumpkins, Simon & Garfunkel, Common,
Kanye West, and everything in between.
What song pumps you up before a gig?
Before an interview I usually jam on the
bands tunes to get in the zone. Generally,
its upbeat stuff, like Joe Strummer & the
Mescaleros Johnny Appleseed.
Senior Editor
to? Bryan Clark & the
New Lyceum Players,
Southern Intermission.
Panned left and right, Clark and Adam
Fluhrer weave wicked dual-guitar parts
throughout this collection of vibey
Clark originals.
My sonic trifecta: Muddys Rollin and
Tumblin, Jimis Castles Made of Sand,
and the Stones Cant You Hear Me
Knocking. Everything I need is in there.
Editor in Chief
to? Mumiy Troll,
Vladivostok. The latest
from Russias biggest
band has luscious guitar tones (Lucky
Bride), great production (Fantastica),
and a vocalist who sounds like Bela Lugosi
beamed into Bob Dylans body.
Killswitch Engages This Is Absolution. It
boasts defibrillator-like riffs and blastbeats,
but the dynamic arrangement breathes
organically and the aggressive-but-melodic
vocals make you feel invincible.
Tessa Jeffers
chris kies
Rich osweiler
Managing Editor
to? Tom Waits Bad as
Me is spitting in the face
of my everything samesame doldrums, and that was before I
knew Keith Richards, Will Bernard, David
Hidalgo, Charlie Musselwhite, Flea, and
Les Claypool (among others) play on it.
The Dead Weathers Hang You from the
Heavens possesses that reckless, animalistic,
balls-out rawk core that recalls Zeppelin and
drives me to want to grab someone by the
hair and drag them to the devil, as they say.
Associate Editor
to? Every Time I Die, Ex
Lives. The Buffalo rockers sixth studio album
is like dating American Psychos protagonist
Patrick Bateman: Youre lured in with cleverly
charming, tongue-in-cheek lyrics before being
bushwhacked with head-splitting riffs.
Anything with some power and groove
its always changing, but Panteras Walk,
Mastodons Blood and Thunder, or
Soundgardens 4th of July have never
failed me.
Associate Editor
to? Hush Arbors and
Arbouretum, Aureola.
This split LP was
recorded prior to their European tour
together. Showcasing the different but complimentary guitar work of both groupsbe
it fuzzy, jangly, or acousticeach bands
contribution to this record has a nice taste
of psychedelic lushness.
If its right before a gig, it will most
likely be whatever song(s) Im certain
Ill forget a part on that evening!
Robb Flynn,
Machine head
charles saufley
Jason shadrick
Gear Editor
to? Dirty Three, Toward
the Low Sun. Ive been
loving music that messes
with time. This one from Warren Ellis and
company floats and meanders like candle
smoke, and the interplay between yearning
strings, skittering drums, and tangled-vine guitars is the perfect antidote for the 4/4 blues.
A good, homemade, heavy-60s soul cassette and the sound of cracking a beer usually gets me in the right mood.
Associate Editor
to? Bill Frisell, Floratone
II. As jazz guitars resident mad genius, Frisell
can get out there and experimental. He
and drummer Matt Chamberlain create
soundscapes that land somewhere between
a dinner party on Mars and a dive bar in
downtown NYC.
Usually something totally different from
what Im playing. It ranges anywhere from
Panteras Im Broken, to Pat Methenys
Question and Answer or even some Adele.
Guest Picker
to? Ghost, Opus
Eponymous. Its like
Mercyful Fate meets Blue Oyster Cult
great stuff.
Changes show to show, but at the moment
Steel Panthers Asian Hooker is the preshow rager!
premierguitar.com
ENTER THE
FANOSPHEAR
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breakthrough from master builder
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fused to an anodized aluminum skin.
Stratosphear, Retrosphear, Psonicsphear.
fanoguitars.com
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Pr e mi e r B u i l de r s Gui l d
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F o r a c o mp l et e lis t o f F ano G u it ar de al ers se e premier buil d ers gui ld .c om
MEDiA REViEWS
ALBuM
Van halen
A Different Kind of Truth
Interscope
It goes without saying

that the first studio
album in 14 years from
the most influential
guitarist of the last
30+ years would be the
most hotly anticipated
record of the millennium so far. And that
sort of history would be daunting for anyone to live up to, even
if there hadnt been two-and-a-half-decades worth of tabloidstyle drama with David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar, and original
bassist Michael Anthony taking expectations for the newest Van
Halen outing to unreasonable heights. But the cold, hard reality
is that, with a few exceptions, A Different Kind of Truththe
bands first full album with Roth in 28 yearsis the type of
truth that raises a lot of questions.
Questions like, how is it that a guy who, from the late 70s
and on through the 80s, blew minds all over the planet and
inspired legions of kids to take up guitar with his flabbergastingly brilliant tones, techniques, and compositions felt compelled
to go back nearly 35 years to source the lions share of riffs and
chord progressions for Truth? While tunes like Runnin with
the Devil, Light Up the Sky, Could This Be Magic, Mean
Street, Little Guitars, Hot for Teacher, and even Finish
What Ya Started upped the ante from album to album and
always outpaced the copycats, most tracks on the new record can
be traced to mid-70s songs the band was playing before it had
a record deal. All that despite the fact that Eds been saying in
interviews for the last two decades that he has an endless trove of
licks and riffs that hes constantly adding to in his home studio.
The problem here isnt that the songs arent well executed.
Indeed, considering some of the lackluster concert-video footage weve been privy to on YouTube over the last few years, the
execution on Truth is pretty remarkable. The sad thing here is
considering what mightve been: Other legendary players (Jeff
Beck, Brian Setzer, and Sonny Landreth come to mind) continually evolve and blow minds with their willingness to explore new
sonic territory without regard for commercial success, but Van
Halen seems either too unambitious, too beholden to fans nostalgia, or too coldly calculating to put out something other than
tunes they know die-hard fans have been listening to on bootlegs
such as those from their 1976 gigs at the Goldenwest Ballroom
and their pre-deal demos with Gene Simmons. But for those of us
who have turned to those bootlegs for sustenance during the dry
years, it just feels like a big letdown: Sure, Truth serves up more
recording fidelity and polish, but you cant help but wonder why
the 2011-12 arrangements of a player with that much experience
under his belt wouldnt be a little more sophisticated than the

cock rock of the hungry kid looking for a record deal in 75.
Further, whereas Eddie used to inspire us with a fearless spontaneity that depended on almost nothing but a guitar (electric
or acoustic), a raging but fairly run-of-the-mill (for the time)
Marshall, a flanger or phaser, and an echo, he now has his own
brand of guitars, amps, and effectsand he could tap any engineer or producer in the businessand yet his recorded tones
today often sound processed and too hi-fi. To be clear, the tones
arent bad, and Im not saying Eddie should be plugging into any
other brand of gear, but as those old demos and bootlegs prove,
Donn Landee and other engineers brought a magical something
to Eddies recorded tones that hasnt been there since 1984.
In addition, while past VH work tended to stick in your
head because of the songs and the pyrotechnics, this time
around Blood and Fire, You and Your Blues, and Tattoo,
with its heavily harmonized chorus, are the only ones that
seem to do so (and Tattoo doesnt do so for good reasons,
either). The fault is mostly Roths: Nearly every time he
opens his mouth, his strident, perma-vibrato histrionics and
creepy Vegas-lounge-act shtick craps all over everythingin
your minds eye, you can see his perma-grin face mugging for
cameras at every turn. One of the only hints at his formerly
untouchable frontman glory comes in the final seconds of Stay
Frostyperhaps the albums most inanely lyricd tunewhen
he lets loose with a circa-78 On Fire-style scream that most
of us thought him no longer capable of.
Truths most memorable moments are dizzying technical
displays during solos and breakdowns. These parts have a lot of
verveyou can really tell Ed, bass-playing son Wolfgang, and
Alex are stoked to finally be kicking out new jamsbut even the
admittedly raging solos and breakdowns are usually bookended by
verses and choruses that feel like a cleverly crafted mlange of riffs
from past albums and the aforementioned bootlegs and demos.
(For example, the beginning of the As Is solo sounds exactly like
the first tapping section of Eruption, and there are numerous
examples of the same old ascending tremolo-picked licks weve
heard a zillion times over). Theres also a fair amount of wahpedal work that often sounds very Satriani-like. Thats no slam on
Satch, but thats not what I want my EVH to sound like.
Eddies most adventurous moments come when he plugs into
an effect weve not heard him use before. The wild, spiraling
rotary-speaker tones on Bullethead provide one of the albums
rare, death-defying thrill rides. Similarly, Honeybabysweetiedoll
begins with wonky weirdnesslike EVHs rig is sending scrambled communiqus to an alien spacecraftand then finds Ed
summoning potent dropped-D fury accentuated by gloriously
bristling feedback and Whammy-pedal wailing. Other bright
spots include Alex Van Halens trademark galloping double-bassdrum grooves on China Town, which somehow sound as fresh,
if not particularly as original, as they did on Hot for Teacher
and Mine All Mine. And the middle section of China Town
even has a badass solo section where a deftly shredding Wolfie
gives us a hint at what his pop would sound like jamming with
Billy Sheehan (think Elephant Gun).
Contd on p.36
premierguitar.com
Kerry King Wartribe 6
Kerry King Warlock Signature 7
PHOTO: ANDREW STUART
The King Holds Court

Kerry King has played in front of
millions of fans over several decades
and always on his B.C. Rich Guitars.
Visit BCRich.com to learn more
MEDiA REViEWS
Speaking of Wolfie brings up yet more

questions: Why is it that original bassist
Michael Anthonywhose tasteful, rocksolid playing and distinctive high-pitched
background vocals were a huge part of the
bands unique soundwas increasingly
sidelined from 1986s 5150 onward, both
in terms of mix prominence and freedom to
stray from eighth- and quarter-note rhythms
on the root note, and yet Wolfgang seems to
have none of those restrictions? To be sure,
this is how it should be, and Wolfie proves
to be a great bassist who no doubt makes
his dad super proud. But the void in VHs
barbershop-quartet-style vocals of yore is
ever present and sorely missed.
In the end, A Different Kind of Truth
is a mixed bag: It certainly exceeds early
expectations set by the head-scratching
first single, Tattoo. But for music fans
more interested in seeing musical greats
break new ground, it kind of makes you
wish Ed and Alex would take a page from
fellow rock god Robert Plants book and
steadfastly oppose calls for reunions that
attempt to put yesteryears muse in a state
of suspended animation. Instead, they
should press forward with the sort of fearless open-mindedness that put them on the
map in the first place, even if that means
making some tough decisions about singers
and venue sizes. Shawn Hammond
Must-hear tracks: Bullethead,
Honeybabiesweetiedoll, Blood and Fire
ALBuM
Will Bernard
Outdoor Living
Dreck to Disk Records
Its hard to describe guitarist Will Bernards

latest album, Outdoor Living, without using
at least a few hyphens. Is it jazz-funk or
funk-jazz? Either way, Bernard has become
a mainstay on the Brooklyn scene since
moving there from the Bay Area a few
years ago. Even though Bernards previous albums found him in larger and more
diverse ensembles, the organ trio is where
he really shines. Joining him on this effort
are NOLA-based drummer Simon Lott
and one of Bernards old SF collaborators,
organist Wil Blades.
After listening to the first track, Nature
Walk, you immediately sense that these
musicians
understand
the history of
groove-based
music, but are
willing to push
it forward. You
can hear traces
of Grant Green and George Benson in
Bernards solos, but you also feel this sense
of urgency combined with a dirty twang
that has elements of pure garage rock
check out the opening to Implitude for
proof. The secret weapon, however, is Lott.
His feel for everything from a second-line
shuffle to balls-out rock makes him the
rightful heir to the New Orleans drum
crown that has been passed down from
Johnny Vidacovich to Stanton Moore.
The most experimental track is 6B,
an electronica-inspired, medium-tempo
tune that allows Bernard to finally use
all those pedals that he probably found
in a closet somewhere. Even with the
varied influences, the trio does bring the
greasy heat that organ trios are known
for. Nooksack is a laid-back groove that
gives Bernard some room to show off his
slide chops and Squeaky Chug Chug
demonstrates that Blades spent many
hours checking out Larry Youngs Unity
album. Even though the framework sometimes wanders off path, make no mistake:
The groove on Outdoor Living is here to
stay. Jason Shadrick
Must-hear tracks: Nooksack,
Implitude
BOOK
guitar Tone: Pursuing the

ultimate guitar sound
Mitch Gallagher
Course Technology
Chasing tone is a major priority amongst

guitar freaks and, for most of us, its a
lifelong pursuit.Its actually more of a journey than a destination, because the more
we learn, the more we strive to continue
advancing toward that ever-elusive golden
tone.Mitch Gallagher has spent over 30
years striving to better understand and
achieve killer tone and has graciously shared
that knowledge in this fantastic bookor
better yet, textbook for tone.
The book is broken down into two parts

(The Tools of Tone and The Icons of
Tone), and in these 362 pages Gallagher
explores nearly every conceivable component
in the chain of guitar sound.From detailed
treatises on construction, tone woods, hardware, pickups, and electronics to amplifiers,
tubes, cabinets, and speakers, there is very little
he could have missed.He dives into effects,
amp modeling, and even the little things like
picks, strings, cables, and wireless systems.
The last three chapters of the first section focus on iconic guitars, amps, and pedals.All of the usual suspects are herefrom
Gibson and Fender to Marshall and MXR.
These chapters cover a ton of ground with
explicit detail and help round out the book
with information that you can come back
to repeatedly for reference.
But a book on guitar sound would not
be complete without the second section,
The Icons Of Tone. Here Gallagher breaks
down the rigs of guitar legends like Jeff Beck,
Clapton, Hendrix, The Edge, Eric Johnson,
SRV, and many more. Each guitarist has his
own chapter complete with details on the
amps, guitars, and effects that contributed
to his sound. Juicy bits on how the gear was
used holds interest at every turn of the page.
As a player for over 30 years myself, I
found a lot I could relate to, but I definitely
learned some things. As a fan of British amps,
I discovered details about American amps
that were new to me. And since I am forever
forgetting how to wire speaker cabinets up
for series, series/parallel, etc., pages 145-147
are already earmarked as my go-to reference
for whenever I need to wire or rewire a cab.
Pictures were the only element sorely
missing. Gear porn is a big part of a good
read for many of us, and there were times
I hoped for something other than words to
underscore the point. Sure, weve all seen
a Les Paul before, but who doesnt want to
see one again?
In the end, I can honestly say this book
will stand the test of time and should serve
as required reading for guitarists looking to
further their knowledge and fuel their
tonal journey. This
one is staying in my
library as a first-call
reference bookIll
be coming back to it
for a long time.
Steve Ouimette
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GiGGinG & recordinG > Tone Tips
GeTTinG A GriP on TUrbULenT TUninG BY Paul TFO allen
laying a guitar that easily slips out of tune

is like taking a flight with a lot of turbulence. Whether youre a player or an audience
member listening to poor tuning, or a passenger on the bumpy flight, the dissonance
and turbulence can greatly interfere with your
ability to enjoy the respective experience. In
the sonic hierarchy, tuning is king and several
of the elements that affect your tuning also
affect your tone. Most tuning problems Ive
encountered are related to the string nut.
Ive had the best luck, both tonally and
tuning-wise, with nuts that are cut out of
bone. Of all the materials Ive experimented
with, bone provides the most lively sound
and feel, and is easy to mold and manipulate. If you have a guitar with a cheap plastic
nut, upgrading to a bone nut will provide a
significant sonic improvement. Plastic has a
tendency to produce a doinky sound and
muffled feeling. In the 80s, solid brass string
nuts were a popular choice among guitarists. Brass nuts have a pleasant brightness in
their tonality, but Ive found the material to
be difficult to work with when setting the
height of the string slots. Now, lets address
some issues associated with those string slots.
If you ever hear clicking and pinging
sounds as you crank the tuning peg, chances
are there is a burr or some foreign material
in the slot that prohibits the string from
moving smoothly. You can remedy this issue
by lightly running an appropriately sized file
through the slot. Also, string trees can cause
tuning slippage and pinging sounds if they
are bent out of shape.
Another classic fix to temporarily
improve tuning involves applying a small
amount of pencil lead in the string slots.
Generally, this tactic is more successful on
bone nuts than it is on plastic nuts. The
lead acts as a dry lubrication for the string
to easily glide over the nut slot. I asked
my friend John LeVan, of LeVans Guitar
Services in Nashville, about his thoughts
on the old pencil lead trick and he told me
that pencil lead is also useful to apply where
the string rests on the bridge saddles.
When you install a new set of strings, youll
want to make a quick checkup in a couple
of areas. First, ever wonder what those little
screws on your tuning pegs do? Not only do
they change how easily the tuning peg turns,
but they also ensure that the peg will not drift
on its own. Check the screws and gently but
securely tighten them to a uniform tension.
Tuner design, mass, and material have an effect on tone. Replacing the stock tuners on this guitar
with a set of low-mass locking tuners with brass cams yielded more highs and better sustain.
If you have locking tuners, make sure the

cam collars are securely tightened. These collars
play a big role in making sure the whole tuning
mechanism doesnt move around. Some people
think that little things like the cam material
dont make a difference to the sound or feel
of a guitar, but I disagree. I replaced the stock
tuners on my PRS SE Custom Semi-Hollow
with a set of low-mass PRS locking tuners with
brass cams. The swap boosted the overall high
end, added some glimmer and sparkle to the
guitars sustain, and improved tuning.
Installing a quality string is also vital to
well-tempered tuning and excellent tone. I
know the lure of saving money by purchasing
$2 packs of economy strings is appealing, but
you can end up paying for it in bad tuning and
shorter string-life. Using strings from a reputable manufacturer pays off in the long run.
When it comes to installing your string of
choice, there are several schools of thought on
winding techniques, but they agree on two
things: You want to keep the winds tightly
grouped together on the post and you want to
avoid string-on-string overlaps. When installed
properly, a string should look like a Slinky toy
thats in a resting position. Personally, I like to
put three to four winds on the post because I
get a little more snarl and rumble out of the
string that I dont get with fewer winds.
After you stretch your strings, always tune
up to pitch whenever you tune. If a note is
reading sharp on your tuner, make sure you
dip below your desired pitch first and then

raise the string back into the note. This will
ensure that the tension is properly distributed
and the string will be less subject to slippage.
If youre interested in the system thatll
end all of your tuning problems for good,
check out the EverTune bridge. Its certainly
one of the most revolutionary products in
the history of the electric guitar. I dont even
take a tuner when I take a guitar with an
EverTune to a show or session. (For more
technical details, check out the companys
videos on evertune.com. But before you do,
be fair warned that youre going to have a
hard time not shelling out the dough for one
of these bridges once you see it in action.)
When I flip through the pages of PG, Im
always impressed by how many options we have
as players to manipulate our guitars tone with
different pickups, amps, pedals, and countless
other components. We can swap and modify a
wide range of parts, but the fact is, all of that is
in vain if your guitar is out of tune. I encourage you to take the time to extensively research
all the ways you can stabilize your instruments
tuning so that unwanted dissonance wont create any turbulence at your next gig.
PAUL TFo ALLen
is a multi-instrumentalist who has worked

withBig & Rich,Adele,Sebastian Bach,
112,Jake Owen, Larry The Cable Guy, and
many others. He also has his own project
called Ten Finger Orchestra. Reach him at
tenfingerorchestra@yahoo.com.
premierguitar.com
Photo Max Crace
one guitarist defines vintage tone.

one speaker delivers it.
Im excited that for the

first time in many years
theres a new speaker that
I love the sound of.
Eric Johnson
introducing the eminence ej1250.

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GiGGinG & recordinG > on Track
KeePinG iT SimPLe in The STUdio BY Rich TOzzOli

Insert quarter, avoid Klingons.
That lineoften repeated in the latest Steve
Jobs biographyis meant to indicate how
easy the instructions were to one of Jobs
favorite Atari arcade games. The point is
powerful: Keeping things simple is often
the best way to get something done. This
philosophy can directly apply to guitar productionespecially in the studio.
In the course of cutting a large number
of TV tracks, I often have to come up with
a lot of material in a short amount of time.
Too often, Ive backed myself into a corner
trying to play a part that might be overly
difficult or complex for my own good. Sure,
Ive sometimes pushed myself to get it right,
but more often I take a mental step backward and tell myself to keep it simple.
I have to continually remind myself of
this lesson. When reading that line in the
Jobs bio, I had to stop and think. It reinforced the notion that simple, well-designed
thingsbe they iPods or guitar parts in a
songcan be just whats needed. Once I
realize Im stuck on a part or that something
is not working, Ill first clear my head. That
means Ill either step away or just have the
engineer (or myself ) roll the rhythm track.
Ill listen intently to the groove behind the
song and focus on the kick, snare, and bass.
Then Ill mentally separate the chords and
melodic structures from the actual rhythm.
Finally, Ill make sure nothing is interfering with the songs center, be it the vocal
melody or dialog (in the TV world). This
process allows me to then approach the task
again in a simple is best state of mind.
Ill also ask myself, What is the most
basic guitar part this song really needs?
Once Ive got an easy part flowing, Ill
then take it to the next level if necessary.
Since Im a big fan of double-tracking, Ill
sometimes split the parts up as well, playing a bass-heavy pass on the left, followed
by a lighter, higher-position part on the
right. Taking it a step further, Ill try to
simplify the guitar sound itself. That may
mean stripping down any production elements, such as delays, reverbs, or effects.
Remember, dry guitar parts will present
themselves as sounding forward in a mix.
Wetter parts will sit themselves deeper.
Thats why I rarely use room mics when
tracking guitar parts. I find that they often
dont get used in the final mix. Of course,
there are times where a room mic can add
On When the Levee Breaks from Led Zeppelin IV, Jimmy Pages guitar parts are panned left and
right, and mixed quite dry with some deep flange. Conversely, the drums have a lot of deep room
sound thats exaggerated by heavy compression. This dry/wet combo gives the song a big,
deep, dimensional feel.
nice depth to a part, but it has to be the

right kind of track to fit the need. Usually,
placing a few mics directly on the speaker is
all thats called for.
On this subject, I think of some mental
notes I made when talking with engineer
Tony Platt. Platt recorded (along with Mutt
Lange) Angus and Malcolm Youngs guitar
parts on the Back in Black album. He said
the band was adamant that little to no effects
be used during the mix process. Just pop that
record on, and listen closely to the guitar
production. Angus parts are right there in
your face, yet he used nothing but an SG
and some modified Marshall heads and cabs.
There are little to no effects on any tracks,
across the entire record. A classic indeed.
I often apply this dry technique when
mixing guitar-heavy projects. By keeping the guitars up front, it lets me build a
dimensional soundstage behind them. A
great example of how effective that can be
is to listen to something like When the
Levee Breaks on Led Zeppelin IV. The
drums have a lot of deep room sound on
them thats compressed quite hard. While

they sit themselves back in overall sound,
they also drive the whole song. Pages guitar
parts are panned harder left and right, and
are quite dry verb-wise (with some deep
flange). Thats especially true for the slide
parts that permeate the song. This dry/
wet combo gives the song a big, deep,
dimensional feel. Another classic!
Next time you get stuck when cutting a
guitar part, step back for a minute. Think
how you can simplify the idea to make it fit.
Then think about how the guitar is presented in the mix. Consider making it as dry as
possible by removing any effects. That will
push the sound up front and make it leap
out of the speakers. Then insert a quarter,
and avoid those Klingons!
rich ToZZoLi is a Grammy-nominated
engineer and mixer who has worked
with artists ranging from Al Di Meola to
Ace Frehley. A life-long guitarist, hes
also the author of Pro Tools Surround
Sound Mixing and The Ultimate Guitar
Tone Handbook, as well as a composer
for shows such as Fox NFL, Pawn Stars, American
Restoration, and Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
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GiGGinG & recordinG > on Bass
GeTTinG The beST oUT oF yoUr bASS TrAcKS BY TullY KennedY
s bassists, the fate of where our beloved

lines land in the mix depends on a
number of things. Over the years, Ive been
able to eliminate most of the concerns I
used to carry around with meconcerns
Id have from the second the session ended
until I heard the final record weeks or
months later. I hope these tips can help you
avoid those periods of anxiety and be useful
to you on your quest for studio bliss.
know Your Gear
Whatever you do, dont ever experiment the
day of the session. Trying out a new direct
box (DI), amp, compressor, or effect 30 minutes before the start of a session is a recipe for
disaster. If you have a new piece of gear youre
itching to use, try to get into the studio the
evening before the session and test it out.
studio cans (aka Headphones)
I suggest always bringing your own headphones to a session because theyre all different. Some provide superior isolation and
some allow for a good bit of bleed from the
drums if you are in the same tracking room.
Whatever studio Im in, I use the same set
of cans every day. I know what my bass is
supposed to sound like in my cans, and
thats an invaluable advantage. If your bass
doesnt sound right in your headphones,
you wont be as comfortable and it could
affect your performance. Ive learned that if
my bass sounds great in my cans, it probably sounds great in the control room, too.
communicate with the
Tracking engineer
On the day of the session, the tracking engineer is your best friend. Working together
is key because you are both there to achieve
the exact same goala great track. As soon
as the engineer is finished getting the drum
sounds, be in your chair ready to go. This
buys you a little more time with the engineer. Youll be further ahead of the game by
being ready to get to work as soon as possible, rather than wasting time on your phone
or sitting around the studio lounge.
Let the engineer know if youre using a
compressor. Typically, I let the engineers do
their thing and wont compress on my end
because theyll often have a compressor they
love and use every day. As soon as I get my
sound up and the engineer says were good,
Ill ask him to record about 30 seconds of
me playing. Then Ill come into the control

room and listen to my playback to make sure
were on the same page. This takes very little
time and Ive never met a tracking engineer
who doesnt want to make the musicians
happy. By working together with the occasional give-and-take, youll both be satisfied.
Tone
No doubt, tone is one of the greatest weapons
in your arsenal and one of the elements that
keeps the phone ringing. Just dont make
things too complicated. Before I had the luxury of more time to tinker with different bass
sounds in the studio (such as different amp
and DI combinations), I spent most of my
time playing on song demos in Nashville. You
have to get your bass sound up quickly and
it has to sound good. I always made getting
a great DI sound my priority because it will
always record well. I truly believe that getting
the tone you want lies in your fingers and the
feel you play with, and that the DI or amp is
just the delivery device. Use a good, simple
DI (or amp if you choose) that wont get in
the way of what is coming from your hands.
Make sure your bass is speaking well. I
usually keep my action a little on the high
side, just to eliminate any fret buzz and
make sure all the notes translate well on the
track. But dont go jacking your saddles up
to the ceiling because I said so. Be comfortableif your bass is playing clean and it
feels good with lower action, then its right.
Every player and every bass is different.
Also, oddly enough, I never track with new
strings. They always record brighter than I
like, and they make my bass sit differently in
the mix. If I need to put new strings on a bass
I plan on using for a session, Ill do it when I
have at least a couple of hours the night before
to really play and stretch them out. Otherwise,
in my opinion, they wont tune and intonate
correctly. That said, never change flatwounds
never! Well-loved flatwounds deliver a classic sound you cant get any other way.
Quality control
It didnt take me long to realize that nobody
is going to care about my bass track as much
as I do. When the track ends and the last
note is struck, I never assume or take for
granted that its right, no matter how good
I feel about it. Once the track is cut and
all the other musicians head to the control
room to listen to it, I stay in my chair and
Want to cut a great bass track in the studio?

Bring your own headphonesones you always
use that provide a comfortable fit and consistent sound. Photo by Andy Ellis
listen through my headphones instead. I

know it may sound kind of antisocial, but
it has proven to be the best way for me to
scope out my part and make sure its right.
Let me explain. When I listen down to
the track in my headphones, I can hear
my part clearly and am able to make sure
the feel is great with the drums. Plus, I
can decide if the part worked right for the
song. Depending on the control rooms
playback mix, it can be difficult to really
hear all the intricate pieces of your bass
line. Remember, all the other musicians are
trying to scope their parts as well. Trying
to hear your part through all the drums
and guitars on a playback mix can be challenging. This little trick lets me make sure
nothing slips through the cracks. I dont
want any surprises when I hear the final
product! There is no better feeling for a
musician than hearing a finished, mixed
track and knowing you nailed your part.
Remember, what you play on a track is
there forever.
I hope these tips will prove to be helpful.
Being in the studio is a never-ending learning experience. Be on your game by showing
up with a great attitude, gear that you know
sounds good, and check your ego at the
door. You should also be willing to try different things. Whoever called you for the sessionbe it the producer, artist, songwriter,
or fellow musicianhired you to make them
happy. That is your main gig. As a producer
as well, I can tell you that all of these things
really do matter. Happy tracking!
TULLy Kennedy
is the Nashville-based producer and session bassist for such contemporary country musicians as the Grammy-nominated
duo Thompson Square, and is the studio
and touring bassist for the multi-platinum,
Grammy-nominated Jason Aldean.
premierguitar.com
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GiGGinG & recordinG > GuiTar Tracks
how To bUiLd A recordinG riG, PT. 2 BY MiTch GallaGheR
ast months column [How to Build a

Recording Rig, Pt. 1, March 2012]
focused on determining the best possible
centerpiece for your rigthe actual recording device. We looked at using computers
as a primary recording device.
But a computer alone will not get the
job done. You need to have a way to route
your audio in and out of your machine. Its
true that many computers have rudimentary
audio inputs and outputs, and its possible to
use them to get some sounds down. But for
quality recording, you must have an audio
interface. This is a device that accepts incoming signals from microphones, instruments,
or other sources, and then converts them into
digital data that the computer can digest.
Audio interfaces come in many, many flavors. In fact, interfaces and microphones are
probably the two categories of gear for which
Im most often asked, Which is best?
Consider the following questions to help
you narrow the choices:
What type of computer are you using?
This will only narrow things slightly, as
most interfaces work with both Mac and
PC computers. Still, there are some that
only support one platform.
How does the interface connect to the
computer? There are three options (with
a fourth, Thunderbolt, now rising on the
horizon). Some computers support all of
them, while others support just one or two,
which can help narrow things down.
An internal card slot is a type of audio
interface that is usually not compatible with
laptops, as many do not have card slots. Some
desktop computers, like Apples iMacs, also
dont have card slots. Audio interfaces that are
cards themselves, or that connect to a card in
the computer, offer some advantages. One
is higher throughput, and some have extra
features for reducing latency, powering plugins, and for expanding the interface system.
However, you have to be comfortable opening
up your computer to install the card (or have
a computer-savvy friend do it for you).
USB interfaces are external boxes that
connect to the computer via a USB cable.
These are easy to connect and can be used
with most types of modern computers
laptops, desktops, and towers. The original
USB 1.0 interfaces were limited in some
cases, and tended toward the low end. But
todays USB 2.0 interfaces offer great quality
and capability.
1
3
1. The Delta 44 interface from M-Audio features a PCI card that mounts inside a computer, and
then connects to an external box with audio inputs and outputs. 2. The Avid Mbox Mini connects
to a computer via USB and is a very compact interface for portable use. 3. The Focusrite Saffire
PRO 40 FireWire interface is rackmountable and has multiple ins and outs.
Like USB, FireWire interfaces are external boxes that connect to the computer
using a FireWire (surprise, surprise) cable
into a FireWire port. The two types of
FireWire400 and 800are primarily distinguished by transmission speed. While the more
common FireWire 400 is the slower of the
two, dont take this to mean that FW400 isnt
capable of recording and playing tons of channelsit can handle more than most of us need.
A few of the newer interfaces support
FireWire 800, which is the only type of
FireWire connector on todays Macs. However,
FW800 is backwards compatible with FW400
through the use of an adapter, so you can still
use an FW400 interface with an FW800equipped computer. Be aware that the FireWire
bus will drop in speed to FW400 rates, which
could affect performance if you also have
FW800 hard drives connected in the same
chain with the interface. This shouldnt be a big
deal unless you are really pushing the limits of
what FireWire can do, which few of us ever do.
A USB or FireWire interface is the most
convenient. If youre like me and have both
laptop and desktop/tower computers, you
can easily move the interface from computer to computer.
How does the form factor in? A compact
and portable interface is excellent if you dont
have much space. Its also a great option if you
want to record on location and capture rehearsals, gigs, or performances in unique acoustical
spaces (like a classical guitar performance in
a beautiful-sounding church). Throw it into
your laptop bag and you can record just about
anywhere, with many being able to draw
power from the computer, thus eliminating
the need to be plugged in. However, there are
compromises. A small interface means there

wont be room for many inputs and outputs,
limiting the number of sources you can record
at once. Likewise, you wont have much flexibility when it comes to multiple-headphone feeds.
The second interface form-factor is desktop.
These units can range from fairly compact with
a number of inputs and outputs, all the way up
to larger units that resemble mixing consoles,
chock-full of sliding faders for controlling
volume and knobs for controlling other mix
parameters. While generally too large to fit into
a laptop bag, many are portable enough if you
need to have a good number of inputs and
outputs for a location recording and you dont
mind hauling a larger piece of gear around.
Larger desktop interfaces often have monitor
controls, multiple headphone outputs, more
extensive metering, and other handy features.
The third form-factor is rackmountable.
These interfaces have flanges on their sides that
bolt into a rack. While a rack can certainly be
portable, most rackmounted interfaces end up
being used in the studio. These generally have
the most inputs and outputs, and like desktop
interfaces, may have controls for monitor
speakers, more than one headphone output,
bigger/more meters, and other features that are
useful for larger-scale recording situations.
Next month well explore other essential
studio gear as we continue our quest for the
perfect recording rig!
miTch GALLAGher is the former
Editor in Chief of EQ magazine. His book is

Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar
Sound. In addition to being a writer, he is
a freelance recording engineer/producer/
mastering engineer, teaches music business and audio recording at Indiana
University/Purdue University, and is Sweetwaters Editorial
Director. www.mitchgallagher.com
premierguitar.com
Tech TiPS > sTaTe of THe sTomp
reAd The mAnUAL And Find ThoSe TreATS BY Ben FulTOn
his month I want to explore the way in

which we interact with new equipment
and how we can optimize that experience.
When it comes to new gear (and by gear, I
mean all appliancesTVs, DVD players,
computers, etc.), I believe that people fit
into one of two categories.
Category 1 includes those folks
who, once the new purchase has been
unwrapped, proceed to read the instruction
manual from cover to cover. Individuals
in this category may even have read online
manuals for the device prior to purchase.
They want to hear what the company that
produced the unit has to say, and they want
to know the full range of options their new
appliance is capable of.
Category 2 describes those who immediately start to use the unit the moment they
pull it from the box. These people learn as
they go. Category 2 people are often quite
intuitive and they enjoy the process of discovery. Ive always been a Category 2 person,
that is until quite recently. I believe when
it comes to music gear, approaching things
with a blank slate can reap great dividends
no preconceptions to color what could
potentially amount to innovative and unique
sounds. Category 2 folks display an almost
anti-establishment attitude: Screw the directions, Ill find my own way of using this!
I think this is one of the reasons Apple
has arrived at where they are. The companys approach has always been to make
things as intuitive as possiblethings are
where you expect them to be, and when
you need something, it seems to almost
magically appear. Apples devices are so
cleverly engineered that users can whip a
device out of the box, turn it on, and get
on with what they want to do.
Ironically, Ive recently been getting
an enormous amount more out of my
MacBook Pro after going through some
high-quality online instructional videos, and
this has caused me to shift my thinking.
Rather than resenting the idea of having to
read a whopping great manual before getting
into the fun of playing with the new toy, I
now see an instruction manual as an additional treasure trove of goodiesa Santas
sack of additional features to be drawn upon
as my heart desires. Wowwhat good news!
As far as this studious approach reducing
my capacity for innovative use meh. I try
to give myself more creditIm not going to
allow a manual to curb my creativity. Instead,
Im going to allow the manual to expand it.
The box that changed my viewpoint on reading manuals: The Electro-Harmonix 2880 Stereo MultiTrack Looper. I wish Id dug into this five years ago.
Now, lets bring the discussion back to

guitar-specific gear. Be it the most straightforward fuzz pedal or a complex rackmounted DSP device, I urge you all, read
the manual. Treats a-plenty await.
To give you an example: Some years ago
I was gifted an EHX 2880 Stereo MultiTrack Looper. I attempted to use my get
in there and rock out approach. Not such
a good idea. I got it to work. I got it to
record and I got it to loop. But not to a
point where I could use it live. Fast-forward
five years, where suddenly I was in a gigging
situation that urgently needed a looper. I
thought, Hmm, it could be time to check
out the 2880 again. So I did and I also
read the manual. Handy. Very, very handy.
Suddenly it all became a lot clearer and I
cheerfully floated off into loop landa
magical destination I could have spent
the previous five years frequenting, had I
embraced the rite of manual reading earlier.
Some manuals will offer nothing new to
the user, but the only way youll find this
out is by reading it. The worst-case scenario is there are no hidden gems and you can
provide yourself with a celebratory slap on
the back for already knowing all there is
to know about device X. However, there
just might be goodiesunanticipated
bounty for the intrepid manual reader
that could open doors to previously
unconsidered sonic vistas. This would be
rather lovely, dont you think?
Finally, in my previous column [Stop
... Smell the Roses, January 2012] I asked
readers to submit their most off-the-wall
guitar tone story. Thanks to everyone who
entered, I read some wonderful tales of
using headphones as microphones, 4-track
recorders being blown up, and the attempt
to faithfully reproduce Eddie Van Halens
You Really Got Me tone with a Peavey
Rage. Im happy to announce that Chad K
is our winnera shiny new Medusa is on
its way to you now! You can check out his
story in the online version of this article
at premierguitar.com or on the Red Witch
Facebook page (facebook.com/redwitchpedals). Until next timekeep rocking!
ben FULTon is a Libran. He likes long
walks on the beach and loves watching
the sun set. He likes going out dancing
but is just as happy to cuddle up in front
of the fire with a good movie and glass
of Pinot. He also is the CEO and head
designer at Red Witch Analog Pedals.
premierguitar.com
Tech TiPS > esoTerica elecTrica
GUArdinG yoUr GUiTAr BY JOl danTziG

had become a major structural and graphic
element of the guitar.
Pickguards are an easy way to customize your

guitar, but different materials may slightly affect
your instruments sound.
f youve ever wondered why some guitars

sport a pickguard and others do not, youre
probably not alone. They come in all sizes
and shapes, and can be made from almost
any material. These ubiquitous appendages
answer to many names like scratchplate,
finger rest, and scratchguardjust to name
a few. Some guitars see fit to exclude them,
while others cannot operate without their
help. But beyond protecting against a players
savage scratch, what do they do?
The scratchplates origins can be most
likely traced back to the Andalucian instruments of the 19th century that were played
in the flamenco style of the region. Flamenco
employs a fierce and percussive attack, so
a pickguard would have been essential to
protect the top. Later on, when steel strings
eventually became the norm and strumming
took on an even bolder dimension, the pickguard really began earning its keep.
resting place
Many players rest their fingers on the top of
their instrument, either for support or as a
reference point. As fretted instruments began
to use arched tops (mimicking orchestral
instruments) there became a need to elevate
the guard to facilitate this technique. Gibson
received a patent for this type of raised guard
in 1909, calling it a finger rest, and they
were open to stylistic flourish as long as the
underlying purpose was served. Additionally,
it turns out that there are sonic advantages
with this floating arrangement, but Im getting ahead of myself.
As guitars became electrified, the pickguard
was increasingly used as a mounting device
for pickups. It was at this point that the shape
and design began to be an integral part of the
guitars overall form. Leo Fender expanded on
this with the Telecaster, and then took it to a
new level with the Stratocaster. The pickguard
Vibration and absorption

Its easy to understand why gluing a plastic
plate directly to the top of an acoustic guitar might have some tonal repercussions.
Loading up the major resonating component
of an instrument that relies solely on vibration for its amplitude has to be taken into
account. The best luthiers know this and
factor it into their construction choices. But
what about electric guitars? Can a pickguard
change the way a solidbody sounds? The
answer is yes, but it turns out to be more
complex than the reason for an acoustic.
The more resonant or alive a guitar is,
the more a pickguard can affect its natural
tone, and thus, the amplified sound. This
is another reason why jazz-box builders like
the floating pickguards. The theory is that
if the guard is isolated, the top can vibrate
more boldly and deeply, and this will, in
turn, be reflected in the amplified signal.
With the advent of the solidbody electric,
designers had different theories about the
role that the acoustic nature of the guitar
played in the final sound. While Gibson
chose to mimic the look of their big-box,
jazz guitars when designing the Les Paul,
Fender decided to reference the Spanish
form with their Broadcaster. These choices
are also evident in the size and shape of their
respective pickguards. In my opinion, these
companies were more focused on the electrical output of the instrument, not the acoustic ramifications of a small bit of plastic.
manufacturing maladies
One of the most brilliant uses of the pickguard is seen on the Stratocaster. Its form
provides a strong graphic element to the
appearance of the instrument. While it wasnt
universally applauded when it first arrived at
market, we celebrate its swooshing lines today.
My appreciation comes from another aspect
of the deviceits utility. Besides protecting
the face of the guitar, the Strat-o-guard
doubles as the pickup-mounting bezel and as
a facade to hide the routing underneath. The
designers true genius can also be seen in the
fact that this plate allows the electronics to
be built as a complete sub-assembly, separate
from the guitar. One of the most costly (and
commonplace) mistakes in manufacturing a
guitar is to buff through the finish on a sharp
edge, like a pickup rout. The Fender-style

pickguard solves that problem by hiding all
the edges. Actually, you dont even have to
buff the area underneath. Brilliant!
sound effects
There are some who maintain that the scratchplates material can have an affect on sound.
In the case of an acoustic instrument, its clear
how this might be true. But why would a
solidbody guitar exhibit this? Ive heard stories
about how the addition or changing of a pickguard has resulted in an audible difference.
Usually these tales are anecdotal and not controlled experiments. Certainly, if you remove
the pickguard from a Strat-style guitar and listen to it acoustically, you will hear a difference.
Id point out that removing 18 strong magnets
from proximity to the strings might accomplish this. Still, I dont think that the verdict
is in either way. Id like to see some hard data
thats produced from controlled circumstances
to get to the bottom of it.
electrical interference
The electrical and magnetic effects of metal
pickguards are real. The differences between
plastic, aluminum, and steel pickguards create changes that can be heard and measured.
Surrounding a pickup with a conductive or
ferrous material can alter its inductance and
distort its magnetic field. This is said to be
a major factor in the Telecasters sound. The
aluminum plates used on Zemaitis guitars
give those instruments a totally unique and
different sound as well. My personal experience with metal pickguards has led me to
proceed with caution, as Ive found it necessary to select pickups that will match and
complement any change to the pickguard.
The Visual appeal
Once again, we come back to styling.
Adding, removing, or customizing a guitars
pickguard is an easy way to personalize your
axe. Its completely reversible, so theres very
little downside to giving it a try. Im not sure
how much luck youll have in fine-tuning
your sound with a pickguard change, but be
aware that it can make a difference.
joL dAnTZiG is a noted designer,
builder, and player who co-founded Hamer

Guitars, one of the first boutique guitar
brands, in 1973. Today, as the director of
Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to
help define the art of custom guitar. To learn
more, visit guitardesigner.com.
premierguitar.com
Tech TiPS > acousTic soundBoard
chooSinG yoUr GeAr For A PUb GiG BY laRRY FishMan
n my previous column [Context is

Everything, January 2012], we were in
the middle of a tale about a singer-songwriterperhaps youwho was entering
the world of solo gigs and wrestling with
the many gear decisions we all face when
performing onstage with an acoustic guitar.
We left off where our hero had done a successful coffeehouse gig and was now preparing to buy the requisite gear for a series of
pub gigs on a much bigger stage. Now, lets
continue with our story
While youre not really a gear guy, you
realize that the boom-mic setup that worked
so well in the coffeehouse just wont cut it
at the huge brewpub. So you head off to a
music store to talk to Stevie, the acoustic
guitar specialist. Once you explain your situation, youre relieved to see he clearly understands your gigging requirements and is able
to recommend a number of intelligent solutions. Not only does he talk you through the
various available pickup options, but he also
offers to set you up in the acoustic sound
room so you can get first-hand experience
with some of the gear and explore different
approaches to amplifying a flattop.
The room is quiet and well organized.
Because there are loads of acoustic-electric
models from various manufacturers hanging
on the walls, a nice variety of acoustic amplifiers, direct (DI) boxes, and effects pedals,
youre able to try the different options before
deciding what type of pickup to have installed
in your guitar. Also, having a top-notch repair
and service technician right in the store is a
real plus. After setting you up, Stevie tells you
to take as long as you like with the gear, and
to give him a shout if you have any questions.
While trying different combinations of
guitars and amps, the first thing you discover
is that youre getting hooked on playing
plugged-in guitar. The expanded dynamic
range alone is enough to sell you on the
concept, and the additional colors the effects
make possible are just more icing on the cake.
Okay, youre having fun, but an hour has
slipped by and its time to make some final
decisions. First, you decide youll be buying
an amplifier with effects, so part of your
budget will be reserved for that purchase.
Next is the pickup decision. Using the different guitars in the sound room, youre able
to try all the available styles and you find
that most of them sound pretty good. In the
process, you take notes on the different sonic
Once upon a time, acoustic guitarists needed to haul a vans worth of gear to a gig to amplify their
instruments and vocals. Todays sound-reinforcement gear is far more compact, yet it offers more
features and clean headroom.
personalities of each pickup type. And you

take their price into account, as well.
Playing some guitars equipped with
soundboard transducers (SBT), you enjoy
their woody and organic amplified tone,
but discover that at high volumethe levels
you anticipate at the brewpubthe SBTs
accentuate guitar-handling noise and can be
prone to feedback. The magnetic pickups
you test seem quite impervious to feedback,
but have less of that woody quality in their
tone. Offering minimum controlssometimes just a volume dialmag pickups are
super-easy to use and hold up sonically even
when you bash out chords and riffs.
The majority of the guitars you play have
factory-installed undersaddle pickups paired
with an onboard preamp and EQ system.
Undersaddle pickups prove to be good at
resisting feedback and handling noise, and
sound more acoustic than the mag pickups.
When you play with a light touch, theyre
responsive and detailed, though vigorous
strumming introduces some harshness to
the tone. You like several guitars equipped
with undersaddle pickups and digital imaging or mic-modeling electronics, but realize
theyd stretch your budget too far.
Ultimately, you resolve the pickup dilemma by choosing a hybrid system that features
an undersaddle pickup, a miniature internally mounted mic, and a blending preamp.
This setup allows you to add some air from
the internal mic to the undersaddle pickups
crisp sound. A real bonus: The soundholemounted controls dont require extra drilling.
You find Stevie, and he agrees that the
system you selected will work well at your gig.
So you follow him to the repair department
for the installation, which they agree to do
that afternoon. Next, you tell Stevie you want
an amp, and ask for his help in choosing the
right model at the right price. In particular,
several brands of line arrays catch your attention, but you quickly see theyre out of your
price range. Stevie then walks you through the
features of a half-dozen acoustic combo-amps
that fit your budget and you end up choosing
a compact, 2-channel, 100-watt model with
onboard effects and a DI output. The second
channel can handle a microphone, and this
will come in handy for announcing songs at
small solo gigs that dont offer a house PA.
As you cash out, you grab a high-quality
instrument cable, a clip-on tuner, and a folding guitar stand. You have three more days
before your gigenough time to get comfortable with your rig before you put it to the test.
In my next column, well continue our
story and see how everything works out at
the pub gig!
LArry FiShmAn holds more than 30
patents in transducer and musical
instrument design. He is president
and founder of Fishman Transducers,
which he began in his garage in 1981.
In the early 90s, he also co-founded
and managed Parker Guitars (which
was later sold to U.S. Music Corp.) with his friend
Ken Parker.
premierguitar.com
case study
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Tech TiPS > ask amp man
rAre birdThe SoUnd ciTy concord combo BY JeFF BOBeR
his month, rather than answer one of

your questions (which, by the way, I am
very thankful for and look forward to), Im
going to dedicate this column to a project
thats been on the back burner for a while.
Okay10 or 15 years, but whos counting?
A customer brought this amp to me for
repair and I dont remember if it had been
given to him after it failed or if the failure
occurred while he owned it, but after seeing
the damage he decided that it was simply
not worth the effort and expense to bring
the beast back to life. Not living near a
landfill, he left it with me to use as a boat
anchor. Seeing as how I didnt own a boat,
I initially thought I might just hang on to
it as a source of parts. After thinking on it
further, I decided to just store it away in the
hopes that someday I might scar an apprentice for life with the task of resuscitating
this corpse, I mean combo.
Well, I never found it in my heart
to bestow this overwhelming task upon
anyone, so Ive finally decided to take it
on myself. Ladies and gentlemen, I give
you the Concord! This rather strange and
unique combo was produced by Dallas
Arbiter under the Sound City moniker in
the late 60s and early 70s. Here goes my
attempt at resurrecting this rare example of
British history. Let the fun begin.
In case youve never seen oneand
its unlikely you havethe Concord is a
2-channel, 2x12 combo with reverb. Each
channel has two inputs (low gain and high
gain), volume, treble, and bass controls,
and a brilliant switch. Theres also a master
reverb volume control and to top it all off,
an output level meter. (I guess that feature
was added for the deaf player. Nice touch.)
Examining the speakers, I found the
square-magnet 12s were manufactured by
Eminence in the 36th week of 1972 (677236), and since they appear to be the original matched pair, this discovery should serve
to date the amp. This Concord contains a
pair of EL34 output tubes and five preamp
tubesthree 12AX7s and two 12AT7s. By
looking at the Partridge transformers, my
guess is that this is a 35- to 40-watt amp.
Covered in typical black vinyl with a
very tasty cream-and-oxblood grille cloth,
the cabinet sports some uniquely rounded
bottom corners. From a production standpoint, this is definitely a manufacturing
irritant, yet it offers a way-cool retro vibe.
1
2
1. The rare Sound City Concord. This dual EL34 2x12 combo even sports an output level meter.
2. Yow! This tube socket has high-voltage burn marks between the pins, so it will need to be replaced.
3. The view from behind reveals a pair of square-magnet Eminence 12s with manufacturing date
codes from 1972.
But even more unusual are this amps

controls, which are not your typical rotary
type. All the volume, bass, treble, and
reverb controls are sliders, and in following the typical upside-down British design
(for example, where down is on for power
switches), on these sliders up is minimum
and down is maximum. And if that werent
odd enough, foreseeing Spinal Tap and
not to be outdone, all controls go to 12!
Because its one more than 11.
So much for the aestheticlets see
what it takes to get this piece of history
up and running.
Upon initial inspection, I found that
the rear-panel fuse had blown. Probably a
good thing, I reasoned, as this should have
stopped any catastrophic internal failure. (Id
soon be forced to retract that statement.)
The first suspect for a fuse failure in a tube
amp is an output tube, so out they came.
After I removed the tubes, I saw that a tube
socket had high-voltage burn marks between
the pins, so it would need to be replaced.
Okay, no problemIve seen this a hundred times. High voltage can wreak havoc
under the wrong conditions, and the base
of the tube showed the same damage, so the
amp will need a new pair of output tubes.
Replace the output tube sockets, install and
bias a new pair of output tubes, and the
amp should be good to go.
A unique feature in the circuit design

of this amp is that it has separate biasadjustment pots for each output tube. A nice
touch, as the amp preceded the mass availability of matched output tubes that are so
ubiquitous today. Tolerances in tube manufacturing at that time had started to drift
(presumably from lack of equipment maintenance, as everybody knew that tubes would
soon become obsolete and be replaced by the
transistor), and tubes were becoming less and
less matched within production runs. This
amps bias feature would let you individually
set the desired idle current for each tube.
Actually, its a much better method than the
balance method adopted by Fender during
this period.
So, assuming the speakers were in good
working order, I figured the cost of replacing the sockets and installing new tubes
would be reasonable enough to prevent this
amp from becoming a doorstop. I decided
to proceed as normal with the repair.
When I continue next month, youll get
to see what I found when I pulled the chassis!
Jaw-dropping to say the least. See you then.
jeFF bober, one of the godfathers
of the low-wattage amp revolution, cofounded and was the principal designer
for Budda Amplification. Jeff launched
EAST Amplification in 2010, and he can be
reached at pgampman@gmail.com.
premierguitar.com
Tech TiPS > mod GaraGe
TeLe conTroL PLATe modS BY diRK WacKeR
ow that weve completed our discussion of ways to shape the Teles fundamental sound [More Primary Tele Tone
Mods, March 2012], its time to dive into
some easy wiring modifications.
As we know, the standard configuration
of a Telecasters control plate is a 3-way
switch, volume pot, and tone pot. Some
guitarists dont like this design because it
interferes with their technique, perhaps causing them to hit the switch during a solo or
interfering with volume knob swells. Others
want the tone pot in the first position for
manual wah effects. These tweaks are easy to
execute with a Tele reversed control plate
mod. Lets look at three options.
The quick-and-dirty method. Remove
the two screws holding the control plate,
turn the plate 180 degrees, slide it back into
position, and put the two screws back in
finished! With a little luck, all the wires will
be long enough to accommodate the reversal. (If you discover that any of the wires
arent long enough for this reversal, youll
have to do a little soldering and replace
them.) Looking from neck to endpin, the
configuration now is tone pot, volume pot,
and 3-way switch.
Theres a downside to this: Now the front
knob is the tone control and the 3-way
switch is reversed, thus engaging the bridge
pickup when the 3-way switch is pointing
to neck pickup only and vice versa. If you
dont like that, try the next alternative.
The MacGyver method. Remove the
knobs and switch tip, loosen the two nuts
securing the pots, remove the two plate
screws, and gently lift the plate off the cavity. Again turn the plate 180 degrees to place
the switch at the rear. Remove the switch
and reverse itnow it will select the pickups in the traditional way. At this point,
you have the option of removing the pots
from the plate and reversing their order,
too. Its your call whether you want the
volume or tone knob closest to your hand.
Either way, your plate will look like Fig. 1.
All your wires should be long enough for
this mod, except maybe the one that runs
from the volume pot to the switch. Replace
this one with a longer wire, reassemble, and
wail. Once the longer wire is in place, you
can reconfigure your guitar any way you
want in a few minutes without changing
any wires ever again, and all options are
available: You can decide if you want the
5
4
fig. 1 The reversed control plate with the 3-way switch at the rear. fig. 2. Wiring for the reversed
control plate with the volume pot in the front position, tone in the middle, and a standard configuration (neck/dual/bridge) for the 3-way pickup switch. Diagram courtesy of Seymour Duncan Pickups
fig. 3. A replacement control plate with angled switch slot. fig. 4. A Gibson-style 3-way toggle
switch replaces the stock Fender lever switch. Photo courtesy of Florian Lttke and UniCut Guitars
(unicutguitars.com) fig. 5. The wiring diagram for a 3-way toggle switch that replaces the stock
Tele 3-way lever switch. Wire A is the neck pickup hot, wire B is the bridge hot, and wire C runs
from the toggles output to the volume pot input. Diagram courtesy of Seymour Duncan Pickups
volume or tone pot closest to your picking hand, and whether the 3-way switch is
reversed or in its normal orientation.
The all-new method. I usually unsolder all the parts and re-install the pots and
switch on the control plate in the desired orientation, and then rewire the complete circuit. This is the most time-intensive method,
but its the approach that allows you to use
the neatest wiring. Fig. 2 shows my favorite
wiring diagram for the reversed control plate,
with the volume pot in the front position
and a standard 3-way switch setup.
Another common problem has to do with
the placement of the 3-way switch on the
Tele control plate. Some players dont like
how the switch is aligned in a straight row
with the pots. I think Leo Fenders idea was
brilliant: The switch tip points toward the
engaged pickup! But I also understand how
those used to other guitarsa Stratocaster,
Les Paul, SG, ES-335, or PRS, for examplemay find this awkward. If youre in this
camp, lets see what alternatives you have.
Strat Style. As you all know, the
Stratocasters 5-way switch is angled. If you
prefer this position, you can buy a control
plate with an angled slot for the Teles
3-way switch (Fig. 3). Simply replace the
stock control plate with one of these, and
youre done. Keep in mind, however, that
on some Teles youll have to slightly enlarge
the electronics cavity to fit the new plate
and this depends on the switch. Note: You
cant use a 5-way super-switch with these

angled plates.
Gibson style. If you want to follow the
Gibson switching logic (switch up = neck
pickup, switch down = bridge pickup) or you
like the Gibson-style 3-way toggle switch
better than the Fender 3-way lever switch,
this mod is for you. You need a control plate
with a big hole for the toggle switch instead
of the slot for the lever switch (Fig. 4).
The wiring is basically the same as with
the lever plate, but youll have to substitute
the new toggle switch for the stock switch.
Unsolder the three external connections
from the Tele 3-way switch. Look for a hot
wire from the neck pickup (wire A), a hot
wire from the bridge pickup (wire B), and
the wire running from the 3-way switchs
output to the volume pots input (wire C).
Follow Fig. 5 to re-connect these three
wires to the 3-way toggle switch. If you
want to reverse the neck and bridge pickup
positions, simply exchange wires A and B.
Connect the toggle switchs ground lug to
the case of one of the Telecasters pots.
Next month, well launch into mods for
the Esquire. Until then, keep on modding!
dirK wAcKer lives in Germany and
is fascinated by anything related to old
Fender guitars and amps. He plays
country, rockabilly, and surf music in
two bands, works regularly as a session
musician for a local studio, and writes
for several guitar mags. Hes also a
hardcore guitar and amp DIY-er who runs an extensive
websitesinglecoil.comon the subject.
premierguitar.com
Thoroughbreds
IronHorse Head shown with DHX212 Cabinet
DarkHorse Head shown with DHX12 Cabinet
IronHorse
DarkHorse
40-Watt All Tube Compact Head

Operates in Fixed Bias or Cathode Bias Mode
Simple Gain, Bass, Treble, Master Controls
Three Stage Clean/Pure/Solo Mode Switch
Hand Selected 12AU7 (x 1), 12AX7 (x2) and EL34 (x2) Tubes
Series Effects Loop
Selectable 4 & 8 ohm Outputs for Varying Cabinet Configurations
Accepts Optional Two Button foot switch
All Metal Chassis
Made in Canada
15-Watt All Tube Lunch-Box Head

Operates in full Power (6V6) Mode or Low Power 2-watt (12AU7) Mode
Simple Gain, Bass, Treble & Master Volume Control Set
Brit / USA / Pure Switch for the Tone Stack
Uses Hand Selected 12AX7 (x2), 6V6 (x2), and 12AU7 (x1) tubes
Versatile Speaker Outputs
(allows Dark Horse Head to drive Varying Cabinet Configurations)
All Metal Chassis

Made in Canada
QuarterHorse
25-Watt Two-Channel Guitar Amp in a Compact Stompbox Format
On-Board Digital Effects (Tape Echo, Tremolo & Reverb)
Standard 1/4-Inch Speaker Output Jack Direct Connects to Cabinet
1/8-Inch TRS Headphone Jack with Speaker Simulation (Doubles as Line Out)
Rugged Die Cast Enclosure
Made In Canada
WARNING! This is NOT a Stompbox - Its a 25-Watt Microamp!
Visit www.traynoramps.com for more information on the DarkHorse or any Traynor product.
Distributed in North America by Yorkville Sound
Tech TiPS > THe Bass BencH
bASS modS: when, where, And why? BY heiKO hOePFinGeR
ow-enders! Welcome to the Bass Bench,

my new column about all things bass
from its fundamental frequencies to its
fundamental musical mission. Well explore
modding and also seek to understand your
instrument and its main parts. Well cover
basic maintenance and setup, and even ways
to stay cool when your bass malfunctions in
the most inappropriate moment.
Here at PG, theres been a long tradition
of offering modding and maintenance ideas
for guitarists, but lets face it, basses and
bassists have different needs. While our colleagues are struggling with another attempt
to rewire a 5-way switch and test out yet
another vintage capacitor, we low-enders
have already swapped in our fifth 36-volt,
fully parametric 4-band EQ.
Basses have real strings toonot just those
tiny .010" wires that are just a few times as
thick as a human hair! Our mainly non-tube
bass amps are burlier than guitar amps, as are
our cabs. In short: Bass players embrace cuttingedge technology and care about big, tough rigs.
Though we might start by simply adding
a new pickguard, our bass mods can include
swapping electronics and pickups, replacing
bridges and necks, and even attempting some
Jaco-inspired fretless conversions. Whatever
the mod, I like to categorize it as one of four
types: visual, functional, ergonomic, or tonal.
Categorizing a mod helps us focus on the
desired outcome, but these categories can be
less distinct than you might initially think.
For example, applying a new finish (which would come under the visual
category) will often alter tone. Adding an

ergonomic thumb rest might hurt functionality for slap-style playing. Balancing an
instrument makes it more ergonomic, and
that introduces a relaxed functionality for
your left hand. And those new tuners (functional category) can shift sonic dead spots to
where they really hurt. These things all connect, sometimes in unexpected ways.
So why consider modding? Maybe youre
unhappy with your bass in one of the categories weve outlined. Perhaps your playing has
evolved and you want to make your instrument more suited to your current abilities.
Or you want to get closer to that unaffordable dream bass. Or maybe you think tinkering is fun.
Perhaps youre one of those players who
needs to know how your main tool works,
and you want to be prepared to make a
quick repair or adjustment when faced with
a problem in the studio or on tour. Most of
us go through life without our own guitar
tech. If an output jack breaks minutes before
you go onstageand it will, theres a law
about thatyoull be left completely on your
own. And youll be glad youre not viewing
your instruments innards for the first time.
Okay, when isnt it a good idea to mod your
bass? For starters, some mods cant be reversed.
Or theyll hurt the resale value or blow your
budget or make a particular problem even
worse. Often, I have to slow customers down
instead of just taking their money and doing
the job. Remember, its best to move incrementally and take one step at a time. You can
As bassists, were used to peering into control cavities like this, but our guitarist buddies might
faint at the sight.
easily lose control by, say, changing pickups

and electronics at the same time.
In terms of importance, heres how I rank
our four categories: functional, tonal, ergonomic, and finally visual. If the instrument
lacks functionalityspecifically good playabilityI wont invest any time or money
into tonal mods, let alone a visual one. Your
priorities might differ, but if you dont feel
that your current instrument is a real keeper, dont waste too much time on it. That
said, if youre just doing mods for funa
perfectly acceptable goalget a low-budget
instrument for your first experiments.
Another thing: Always keep the original
parts and dont be afraid to ask a luthier for
help. A skilled pro should be able to give
you some advice. The more you know about
your instrument, the better you can judge if
the repairperson is just looking for work or
is eager to win you as a future customer.
Before you begin a project, ask yourself
these questions: Whats my budget? What
mods are the most effective? Whats the
value of my instrument? Are there affordable
replacements if I ruin it? Is it smart to start
a project the day before my biggest, oncein-a-lifetime studio job? Am I just bored or
fixing up the instrument to sell it?
Modifying your wiring is cheap, pretty predictable, and reversible. Conversely, spending
your last bucks on your heros favorite pickup
could turn into a huge disappointment if you
dont take other factors into account.
If youre not happy with your instruments
playability, visit your local dealer and test-drive
a few basses. Theres a good chance your dream
machine already exists. If not, you should take
every chance to compare various basses, so you
understand what you really want.
And finally, dont spend your whole budget on a new finish unless you really love
the rest of the bass. Even then, think twice:
Function rules!
In my next columns, well heat up the
soldering iron and try some basic wiring
projects. The goal will be to learn what can
break most often and how to fix it on your
own. See you then!
heiKo hoePFinGer is a German
physicist and long-time bassist, classical
guitarist, and motorcycle enthusiast. His
work on fuel cells for the European orbital
glider Hermes got him deeply into modern
materials and physical acoustics, and
led him to form BassLab (basslab.de)a
manufacturer of monocoque guitars and basses. You can
reach him at chefchen@basslab.de.
premierguitar.com
WE I NVE N TE D
1987
2012
By the mid 1980s, Ibanezs proficiency as a guitar maker was already beyond question. A doubt lingered, however.
Would there ever be such a thing as a uniquely Ibanez electric guitar?
One answer: S Series. Originally dubbed Saber, the S Series is a rock n roll version of that graceful, lethal weapon. The 25th Anniversary model
is an energetic amalgam of features favored by S Series fans. Fast, sexy, and inspiring, this is more than electric this S is downright electrifying.
Official Ibanez Guitars USA
@Ibanez_USA
.com
vinTAGe & UPKeeP > BoTTom feeder
my GibSon j-45 SKULL GUiTAr BY Will RaY
This was once a Gibson J-45we think. Now, it looks like a cross between Edvard Munchs painting The Scream and the townspeople in Tim Burtons
The Nightmare Before Christmas. Pretty cool, wouldnt you say?
have an artist friend named Brian Davis

with whom I used to trade guitars when
I lived in L.A. One day he showed me a
Gibson J-45 flattop he had acquired in
a trade. Brian said, Some idiot painted
it refrigerator white. Got something you
wanna trade for it?
We both looked at it and laughed at the
kind of fool who would take a 60s or 70s
Gibson acoustic and not just paint the body
appliance white, but paint over the entire
headstock too, forever obscuring the logo
and serial numberjeez!
So I ended up trading him some guitar
parts for it, not completely sure it even was
a Gibson. However when I got it home and
played it, I was pleasantly surprised that
it actually did play and feel like the other
Gibson acoustics I had owned over the
years. But it sure was ugly.
In a moment of inspiration (or temporary insanity), I decided what the guitar
really needed was some black skulls to
In a moment of inspiration (or temporary insanity), I

decided what the guitar really needed was some black
skulls to offset all the white.
offset all the white. So I borrowed some
paint from my artist wife Gayle and spent
the afternoon painting skulls all over it. It
seemed like a good idea at the time, plus it
was really fun to do.
Next I found a local guy who sprayed
what amounted to many layers of lacquer
clear coats over my sloppy, uneven paint
job that I was now strangely proud of.
What little acoustic tone it had before was
diminished even more after all the clear
coats dried.
I then decided to mount an inexpensive
Martin Thinline pickup under the bridge
saddle so I could amplify it at gigs. The
only problem is, I never had the balls to gig
with it.
So how does it sound? Acoustically,

not as bad as you would think. And when
plugged into an amp, the sound is actually pretty decent. The neck is straight, the
action low, and its actually a dream to play.
Its also quite a nice conversation piece.
Bottom feeder tip #239: If a guitar is really ugly and you have nothing to lose, go ahead
and have some fun with it. Get creative and
see what happens. You can always find a good
therapist or repairman later if need be.
wiLL rAy is a founding member of the
Hellecasters guitar-twang trio. He also does

guitar clinics promoting his namesake G&L
signature model 6-string, and produces
artists and bands at his studio in Asheville,
North Carolina. You can contact Will on
Facebook and at willray.biz.
premierguitar.com
Influence Electric Kenai

(Tier 1) Winter Solstice, quilt top
Serial #15
www.mo-ka.net
Knaggs Best Thing

www.knaggsguitars.com
vinTAGe & UPKeeP > VinTaGe VaulT
1968 Fender STrATocASTer And 1969 KUSTom K 100 2
A swinging 60s couple:

1968 Fender Stratocaster and 1969 Kustom K
100 2 head and cab.
premierguitar.com
vinTAGe & UPKeeP > VinTaGe VaulT

BY dave ROGeRs, laun BRaiThWaiTe, and TiM MullallY
y the mid 1960s, the Stratocaster

Fenders top model of 1954had
taken a backseat to the higher priced Jaguar
and Jazzmaster in Fenders catalog. By
1967, Stratocaster production was at its
lowest. But thanks to the appearance of the
charismatic Jimi Hendrix, who arrived on
the scene that same year, the Stratocaster
became and remains one of the worlds
most popular electric guitars.
The 1968 Strat pictured this month
shares features common to other Strats from
that year, including the enlarged bell bottom headstock (December 65 through
September 81), and the conspicuous black
headstock logo (68 though 83). The rare,
firemist gold finish on this guitar was almost
overlooked when this instrument was on
the Daves Guitar Shop sales floor in the late
90s. At that time, this guitar was masquerading as a poorly refinished Strat in a dulllooking white color. An eagle-eyed customer
spotted some gold where the white was
chipped away and alerted Dave. The excruciating task of wet-sanding off the white finish
was given to Davey Reinders. Thanks to his
agonizingly careful work, this guitar can be
seen today in its full golden splendor.
Holding up the Strat is an icon of late-60s
amplification, the Kustom K 100 2 head and
matching 2x12 cab. Kustom, founded in the
mid 60s by Bud Ross in Chanute, Kansas,
offered amps with state-of-the-art solid-state
technology and eye-catching tuck-and-roll
naugahyde upholstery that was available in
seven attractive colors, including gold, silver,
charcoal, white, blue, cascade, and red. (A
large array of late-60s Kustom gear in this
vibrant red color can be seen on the television series Glee.) This head offered resonant
treble boost circuitry, reverb, and tremolo,
and the cab sported a pair of 12" Jensens.
This Strat and Kustom amp have appreciated at different rates over the last four
decades. The 1968 Fender pricelist shows
a Strat with tremolo and custom finish at
$330, plus $57.50 for the case. The current estimated value is about $10,000. The
1970 Kustom pricelist has a K 100 2-12J-2
at $465. The current value is much the
sameabout $500 in excellent condition.
Nearly all you need to know about
Fender Stratocasters is in The Fender
Stratocaster by A.R. Duchossoir. You can
research Kustom Amps at vintagekustom.
com and broadwaymusicco.com.
premierguitar.com
aBoVe: This firemist

gold finish is a rare
custom color. A previous owner had covered
the original gold paint
on this Strat with a dull
white refin, which had
to be painstakingly
removed.
lefT: In 1968, Strats
had an enlarged bell
bottom headstock
and black logo.
BeloW: This sparkle
red K 100 2 was built in
Chanute, Kansas.
Original price: 1968 custom color Strat with
case, $387.50; Kustom K 100 2-12J-2, $465.
Current estimated market value: 1968 custom
color Strat, $10,000; Kustom K 100 2, $500.
dAveS GUiTAr ShoP
Dave Rogers collection is tended by Laun Braithwaite

and Tim Mullally and is on display at:
Daves Guitar Shop
1227 Third Street South
La Crosse, WI 54601
davesguitar.com
Photos by Mullally and text by Braithwaite.
vinTAGe & UPKeeP > TrasH or Treasure
GreTSch biKini bASS And GUiTAr BY zachaRY FJesTad

Hey Zach,
I enjoy your column every month and
I have an oddball guitar Id like you to
Trash or Treasure. Its the unique and
undeniably cool Gretsch Bikini. Im a
Gretsch junkie and I bought this guitar many years ago, but I really dont
know much of the story behind it.
Why did Gretsch make such a strange
guitar and what is it worth today?
Thanks,
George in Trenton, New Jersey
Hi George,
Youre right, this is definitely an oddball,
but its instruments like this that grab our
attention at guitar shows. Gretsch is a relatively traditional company when it comes
to building guitars, but every now and
then, they throw us a curve. This is evident
with models like the TK 300, Bo Diddley,
Traveling Wilburys, and the Super Axe.
Friedrich Gretsch founded the Fred
Gretsch Manufacturing Company and
began building instruments in 1883. They
offered a variety of instruments through
the first half of the 20th Centuryincluding acoustic guitars, banjos, ukuleles,
and percussionbut by the early 1950s,
Gretsch was dedicating most of its time
to the electric Spanish guitar. Several wellknown Gretsch electrics emerged from the
1950s, including the Corvette, Streamliner,
Electro II, Country Club, Duo Jet, and the
first Gretsch signature guitarthe Chet
Atkins model.
Charles Savona, a local New York guitarist, suggested the Bikini concept to Gretsch
in 1960. Savonas design idea was to create
a guitar that would fold up and feature
interchangeable guitar and bass necks for
both versatility and portability. The Bikini
production model featured a winged,
piano-hinged body referred to as a butterfly. The body-mounted, aluminum receiver
tracks allowed the bikini necks to slide
on. Production models from 1961 included
a single-neck guitar (Model 6023, $175
MSRP), single-neck bass (Model 6024,
$195 MSRP), and a double-neck guitar/
bass (Model 6025, $355 MSRP). The butterfly back could be purchased separately
for single- and double-neck models for $25
and $35, respectively.
lefT: Introduced in 1961, the Gretsch Bikini features removable and interchangeable guitar and
bass necks rigged with onboard electronics. middle: To facilitate travel, the Bikinis body is cut in
half and sports a piano hinge on the back, which allows it to be folded when the neck is removed.
riGHT: A swingin Bikini configured as a bass. Doubleneck versions were also available.
According to the 1961 Gretsch catalog,

The butterfly back can be used interchangeably with either guitar or bass
shafts [necks]. Each instrument can be
played separately. With the complete guitar-in-bass ensemble, the double-butterfly
back takes both guitar and bass shafts
[necks] at the same timeallowing the
artist to double on bass without changing
instruments!
The butterfly backs were made of
poplar and finished in black lacquer. The
bikini necks were constructed of solid
maple with an adjustable, steel truss rod
that was adjusted at the body-end of the
instrument. Electronics included a single
Hi-LoTron pickup with volume and tone
controls, and an adjustable ebony bridge,
trapeze tailpiece, and standard threeper-side tuners completed the hardware.
Because every workable part of the guitar
was mounted on the bikini neck, the butterfly body was unnecessary for playing
most likely making it similar to playing Les
Pauls infamous Log!
The concept of the Bikini showed merit,
especially for the untapped market for portable guitars, but according to Dan Duffy
from Gretschs quality-control department,

It was a great idea, but in my estimation it
wasnt really engineered correctly.
The Gretsch factory manager, Bill
Hagner, had this to say about the Bikinis
downfall: You talk about a hard guitar to
make, forget about it! Headache! To get
that thing on correctly and sliding up and
downit was awful. We didnt make that
many of the Bikini, thank god. Estimates
put the total production of the Bikini at
50 instruments.
While these guitars are rare, they are
mostly novelty items to Gretsch collectors
and not considered to be players. Today,
the Bikini single-neck models are worth
between $800 and $1,000 in excellent condition, while double-neck models are worth
between $1,800 and $2,250 in excellent
condition. In my opinion, this is a treasure
to any Gretsch collector who appreciates
the companys oddball offerings!
ZAchAry r. FjeSTAd is author
of Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, Blue
Book of Electric Guitars, and Blue Book
of Guitar Amplifiers. For more information,
visit bluebookinc.com or email Zach at
guitars@bluebookinc.com.
premierguitar.com
Less is More...
More Tone... More Styles... More Quality....
Less Expensive...
Lets be honest, a Guitar Pickup is a pretty simple device. Simple and yet devilishly difficult to make just right... to deliver
all the tone your guitar can produce, to deliver the vocal, warm Vintage tone we all seek.
GFS Pickups are designed, prototyped, inspected and shipped from our Boston Massachusetts headquarters. Every
pickup encapsulates the decades of experience of our pickup designers.
We offer some of the most unique pickups on the market, yet in almost every case our prices are BELOW the wholesale
prices of the Name Brands. In fact, all of the pickups shown below are available for under $40 each.
In most cases we use the same ingredients as far more expensive products, but our unique Warehouse Direct business
model strips out the typical expenses of dealers, distributors and sales reps. With GFS you buy DIRECT and save.
GFS Surf 90
Alnico II Single COil
GFS 63 Professional
Alnico V Single COil
GFS KMZ+
Alnico V Humbucker
GFS offers dozens of different styles, from noise cancelling single-coil sized pickups to single coil humbucker-sized pickups. We do some of the oddball pickups that the Big Boys deem too niche to offer. Constantly designing, we continue
to offer new kinds of pickups on a monthly basis.
Keep an eye on our website, youll always find something new!
With tens of thousands of satisfied customers and dozens of artists playing GFS pickups on the road and in the studio,
isnt it time you tried a set of our pickups?
GFS Pickups are sold exclusively online by
www.Guitarfetish.com
vinTAGe & UPKeeP > resTorinG an oriGinal
reSUSciTATinG A rUined 56 Fender eSqUire BY JOhn BROWn
ever have I seen a rare guitar come to

us so completely destroyed. This 56
Esquirea real piece of Fender history
had been mangled beyond comprehension.
Someone had drilled screws (some as
long as 4") into the body to hold previously
broken sections of ash wood into place, and
then added insult to injury by slapping deep
wads of grayish-blue Bondo putty on it.
The body was stained shamrock green, and
it looked as if the original finish had been
removed using a power sander and 60-grit
paper because the Esquires distinctive edges
were rounded over. Despite all of this, I still
could not bring myself to throw out the
body and trade it in for a replacement.
The original bridge and neck pickups
were intact, but they too were in need of
in-depth restoration. Admittedly, I was
getting some odd looks in the shop. The
general vibe was, Are you really sure youre
making the right call taking this project?
But the client brought the guitar in to get
restored, so thats just what we did.
Over the years, Ive set aside old, small
scraps of ash at the shop, and they sure came
in handy for doing grafts into the damaged
areas of this broken-down body. The original
body routes from the early 50s were definitely
smaller compared to any templates in production today. I did not want to enlarge the pickup routes and other channels to todays standards, so I took a 51 Fender Esquire, carefully
measured it, and designed a full-body acrylic
routing template from material I purchased
at Home Depot. My reference 51 was in
mint condition, so as you can imagine, I used
extreme caution as I measured each route.
After the ash grafts were glued into a
laminate, I used a plunge router to finalize
the cut and then feathered in the new wood
pieces. Once Id repaired the body, I knew
it needed to be finished in an opaque color
to cover the grafted sections of wood. We
chose black, and decided to spray a nitrocellulose finish to mimic what was used in
56. I got my finishing supplies and tools
from Stewart McDonald (stewmac.com).
We couldnt save the bridge pickup coil
because the inner wire was corroded around
the magnetic pole pieces. So we rewound it
and then cosmetically aged the solder joints
to make them appear vintage. As a final
touch, we rewrapped the original outer rope
around the coil to give it that never been
touched look.
1. To repair the hacked-up body of this 56 Esquire, I cut replacement pieces from old ash and
shaped them to graft back into the guitar. 2. Todays commercial routing templates have larger
pickup and channel holes than Fender used in 1956, so I had to make my own custom acrylic
template using a mint 51 Esquire as a reference. 3. The 56 body after patching and routing. 4.
We auditioned compensated brass replacement saddles, but returned to these original, noncompensated steel saddles. They just sounded better on this guitar. 5. Back from the dead: The
restored 56 Esquire in all its vibey glory.
There were a few issues with the neck.

Its frets were destroyed, it needed a new
nut, and the fretboard had a couple of 1/4"
holes drilled into the wood. The final step
to restoring the neck was finding the correct year of decal that was accurate to the
very last detail. With patience and tenacity,
and by addressing the challenges one by
one, we finally revived the neck as well.
Heres an intriguing tonal insight:
When the client came in to check out the
completed guitar with a few of his guitar
guru friends, they were pleased with the
visual and sonic aspects of the resuscitated
Esquire. Both acoustically and amplified, it
had a full, yet chimey bell-like tone.
The client wanted us to try replacing the
original hardened-steel saddles with precompensated brass saddles to improve intonation. So we did, and the sonic result was
a real eye-opener. The brass saddles altered
the guitars tone in a major way, compressing the midrange and giving the instrument
a generic sound. In the past, Ive had very
good results using the compensated brass
saddles, but when all of us were in the
room and heard the tonal change, it was
100 percent unanimousthe original hardened-steel saddles needed to go back on.
This Esquire serves as a reminder that
each guitar needs to be restored on an individual basis. Guitars have unique voices, so
just because a specific part sounds good in
one guitar, that doesnt mean we can expect
it to work as well in another.
Thats my story and Im sticking to it!
john brown is the inventor of the
Fretted/Less bass. He owns and operates
Browns Guitar Factory, a guitar manufacturing, repair, and restoration facility staffed
by a team of talented luthiers. His guitar-tool
and accessory designs are used by builders
all over the world. Visit brownsguitarfactory.
com or email John at info@brownsguitarfactory.com.
premierguitar.com
Nation!
We Asked You to Show Us Yours And You Did...

By The Truckload!
When we asked you to show us your Bigsby, we knew wed get great photos. But we got much more than just pictures.
You shared your guitars, your bands, your music....Your Passion.
If youve been thinking about getting a Bigsby of your own, just look up a few inches and let Bigsby Nation help you decide!
www.bigsby.com/ShowUsPG
Want a chance to be in a Bigsby ad? Send us an e-mail with a picture of you and YOUR Bigsby to
everythingyouneed@bigsby.com or send a picture to Bigsby, P.O. Box 2468, Savannah, GA 31402*
*Submitted photos will not be returned; submission constitutes permission to use photo in its entirety or edited form in print, on the web, or in promotional materials.
lesson > Digging Deeper
Creative Chord Construction
BY Julian lage
Julian Lage is one of those rare musicians who

feels equally at home in acoustic and jazz circles. He has been a member of legendary vibraphonist Gary Burtons group since 2004, and
also regularly collaborates with pianist Taylor
Eigsti. Lages latest album, Gladwell, reflects
his wide-ranging musical interests and talents
by incorporating chamber music, American folk
and bluegrass, Latin and world music, traditional string-band sounds, and modern jazz. For
more information, visit julianlage.com.
chops: Intermediate
theory: Intermediate
Lesson overview:
Learn to generate new voicings.
Experience harmonys
gravitational force.
Explore octave displacement.
click here to hear
sound clips of
these examples.
his month Id like to explore several

approaches to generating new voicings on
the guitar. Harmony is often a mysterious and
clouded subject for guitarists. We know the
importance of playing interesting and supportive voicings, but the way to go about finding
these isnt always obvious. When I first started
getting seriously into jazz and learning how to
comp, I was really committed to learning as
many voicings as possible. Often I would refer
to Ted Greenes seminal book, Chord Chemistry,
as the all-encompassing source of cool chords
and unusual shapes. As I worked through the
book I ran into a conundrum. I would learn
interesting chords, but I wasnt sure how to
apply them in a playing situation. It was as
though I was always looking for the right place
to try them out. More times then not, the
result sounded like I was forcing the chords
onto the musicwhether it needed them or
notrather than allowing my ear to lead me
into the appropriate harmonic territory.
On my newly initiated journey to discover
the inner workings of harmony, I came across
premierguitar.com
a few key concepts that really helped me

to understand harmony as a living breathing organism rather than a fixed theoretical
concept. It started to seem that voicings
were no longer something I had to learn and
then apply, but rather the consequence of a
deeper understanding of the tug of war that
exists within harmonys gravitational force.
This realization came largely from a lesson I
learned from vibraphonist Gary Burton.
In response to asking him about comping and voicings, he told me that he learned
the most about how to construct voicings
from guitarist Jim Hall. I was amazed that
another instrument looked to the guitar for
harmonic directionwe always seem to
be the last to know how this stuff works! I
was fascinated by what it was he took from
Jims approach. Because Gary plays with
four mallets, he found that the structure
of his voicings had more in common with
what guitarists play than the larger-structure
approach used by pianists. Both vibes and
guitar have similar restrictions and therefore
note choices become increasingly important.
Gary proceeded to show me an exercise hed
developed after checking out Jim Hall, which
quickly became an invaluable tool in teaching me how to build stronger voicings.
Fig.
Fig.11
## w
& # 44 ww
0
2
4
w
w
w
w
ww
w
w
ww
w
w
ww
w
w
w
5
9
9
7
5
7
6
4
3
6
4
2
0
4
4
w
w
w
4
&4 w
w
w
w
w
w
bw
w
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Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The first step is to pick a tonalitylets

say A major. With this key in mind, you
set the metronome to a comfortable tempo
for quarter-notes, maybe something like
100 bpm. With these parameters in place,
you practice alternating between closed and
open voicings within the chosen key.
Just as a reminder, we think of closed
voicings as being built with intervals of a
third or smaller and open voicings using a
fourth or larger. You are essentially improvising chord shapes the same way you improvise
melodies. The key to this exercise is that any
note in the A major scale is fair game. It isnt
necessary to always play the root, 3rd, or 5th
of the chord, and in reality, if you are playing
with a bass player or other accompanist, you
usually dont need to double these fundamental pitches. The only guideline to keep
in mind is that whenever you double a pitch
an octave above or below, it usually has the
effect of canceling out the fundamental overtones and results in a weaker overall voicing.
In Fig. 1 you can see an example of something I might improvise using this idea. I
began with a closed voicing (BC#E) and
then move to an open voicing (AEBG)
and then alternate between the two all while
staying within the key of A. When I first
&
bw
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w
bw
w
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nw
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#n w
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13
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lesson > Digging Deeper
began to practice this, I started to see the given

tonality light up across the entire fretboard. It
was like all the notes of the scale were bright
red and were equal candidates for expressing
the given tonality. From this perspective, any
combination of notes you play within those
seven pitches becomes available to you and
keeps your chords sounding fresh and agile. If
you improvise voicings like this for 10 minutes
a day for a week, two weeks, or a month, you
will start to have a completely different sense
of how flexible harmony can be, as well as an
appreciation for just how many harmonic possibilities exist on the guitar.
Another exercise that helped me to perceive harmony as a flowing and moving
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
phenomenon rather than a static event,

involves looking at things from a purely
mechanical point of view. Not only is it
important to hear the way harmony works,
but it can be helpful to train your hands to
feel comfortable with adjusting to constantly
changing harmonic terrain.
In Fig. 2 we begin with a chord shape, in
this case Cmaj7. Again, we set the metronome
to a comfortable tempo and practice moving
one note either up or down every four beats.
Like a spider crawling up the neck, the goal
with this is to work your hand all the way up
the neck and then back down in a fluid manner. Move all the way to the top fret of your
guitar and then back down to the 1st fret. Play
4
&4
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& w
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12
Fig. 4
bb w
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4
&4 w
w
Fig. 4
3
1
4
2
&
6
5
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6
& 44
6
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5
Fig.
Fig.55
bw
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around with moving your fourth finger up one

fret, then moving your third finger down a fret.
Then you can move your first up, your second
up, and then your fourth down. It is kind of
the fretboard equivalent of taking two steps
forward, one step back, however, with this you
are encouraged to try different combinations so
as to not ever get stuck playing a pattern.
The bonus is that along the way, you
might find some cool shapes that you havent
played before. And when this happens, one
thing you can do to maximize the results of
your discovery is to isolate the newly discovered chord, find out what tonal center it
belongs tooften there are manyand move
it diatonically through the appropriate scale.
For example, in Fig. 3 we start with a
DGBF voicing, which can be seen as the
9th, 5th, 7th, and 4th degrees, respectively, in
the key of C. You can then move each note up
one step in the scale and continue this sequence
up and down the scale to find as many new
voicings as there are notes in the scale.
One final idea to play around with when
working on new voicings: Apply octave displacement, as shown in Fig. 4. I learned this
from the great guitarist Steve Kimock, who in
our lessons used to have me practice voicings
in all the possible octaves of the guitar. This
contributed to my understanding the fretboard
and allowed me to see that every voicing can
be totally transformed by simply relocating
to a new register. Additionally, you can play
around with moving only one or two notes up
or down an octave to alter the sound. Variation
is the heartbeat of creative chord construction
and this lends itself beautifully to the guitar.
For an example of how all of these concepts can be applied to a tune, in Fig. 5
Ive illustrated how I might comp over the
form of Elizabeth Cottens masterful classic,
Freight Train.
The key that unlocks all these methods of exploring harmony on the guitar is
understanding that chords dont ever have
to be final. Every chord can be viewed as
arrested motionor melodies in transit. A
four-note voicing is really four melodies that
are coming from somewhere and on their
way somewhere, and if you let the melodic
development of each internal voice suggest
what chord to play next, your harmonies will
always be relevant to what came before. This
approach will help your comping sound like
an integrative musical statement in and of
itself, independent yet supportive of everything else that is going on.
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THE CURE FOR THE PEDAL BORED
Bass Boost Chorus
Boost Chorus
The Bass Boost Chorus gives bass players something

they have long deserved: a chorus that actually works.
On bass. This pedal has been optimized to avoid the
motion sickness side-effects of traditional chorus
effects. A key aspect of this design is the Detune control,
which adjusts the pitch of the choral voices to create
deep and lush chorus before you dial in any modulation.
Put some sweet on your low with the Bass Boost Chorus.
Roto Choir
The Roto Choir provides players with a hyper-realistic
emulation of a rotating speaker cabinet in a compact pedal.
Specially developed SansAmp technology recreates the
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the treble horn. Even the tonality of the original tube power
amp and mic are included. A powerful control section allows
you to adjust all of these elements to create endlessly rich,
multi-dimensional modulations. Whatever instrument you play,
the Roto Choir will make it sing.
Based on the lush analog chorus effects of the 70s, this

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effect combinations to create a throughly modern pedal.
The comprehensive control array allows adjustment of every
aspect of the effect, including depth, speed, mix and tone.
A Pre-Delay control adds delay to the chorus to produce
a huge range of tones, including flanging and doubler
combination effects. When its time to bliss out, hit the Multi
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Theres no shortage of effects pedals that can color your sound but, when it comes to building a tone that
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heart out with the feature-packed
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a boost of up to 9dB. If your tone
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of clean boost for solos that pop.
Red Ripper
Want something new in a bass

fuzzbox? This wickedly dynamic
pedal gets meaner the harder you
play, shifting from enhanced lower
harmonics to buzz-saw, higher
harmonic distortions. The sinister
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octaver fuzz and Moogie-style
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Prefer the even harmonic roar of a Class A power amp being

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lesson > BeyonD BLues
The Blues Phrasebook

But with these alone, you have as much
chance of making a real statement in blues
as I do writing a great limerick in Russian.
To illustrate, heres one in Norwegian,
which I was raised speaking, but you hopefully werent:
BY Kid andersen
Currently the guitarist for Rick Estrin & the

Nightcats, Kid Andersen has recorded and
performed with Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin
Bishop, and many other blues legends.
Originally from Norway, Andersen is now based
in San Jose, California, with the immigration
status of Alien of Extraordinary Ability. For
more information, visit rickestrin.com.
chops: Beginner
theory: Beginner
Lesson overview:
Learn what not to do over a
turnaround. Ever.
Create licks in the style of the
three Kings.
Understand how to relate a
Norwegian limerick to developing a blues vocabulary.
click here to hear
sound clips of
these examples.
ello ladies and gentlemen, tis I, the

Kid. In this lesson, well be digging
deep into the extended vocabulary of blues
guitar. Nothing exemplifies the phrase a
minute to learn, a lifetime to master better
than this uniquely American art form. For
inspiration, look to some of the originators
of this musical language to help you write
your own chapter in this highly expressive
style. Thats how all the true greats in blues
and rock made their discoveries.
To me, the blues is simultaneously as
much about tradition as it is about originality. You learn the language by going back
to the origins, then the more words and
phrases you know in this language, the
more colorful and interesting your own
story will be when you tell it. You might
think that knowing a blues scale and the
12-bar form, having a tube amp and an
electric guitar, and arming yourself with a
few blues licks is all you need to wail.
George Benson or Tony Iommi during

some extended guitar freakout, its more
the equivalent of me shouting out nostrovia!
(cheers) in a Russian crowd.
One of the beautiful things about this
incredible art form is that with the right conviction behind it, blues can fit in just about
Jeg kjente ei jente fra Moss,
any kind of music for two reasons: First, its
som likte drikke og slss.
at the root of most modern Western music,
Hun begynte spy,
and second, its cool as hell. Just try sneakhver gang dagen var ny
ing one of these licks Im fixin to show you
men jeg giftet meg med a til tross.
into your next Indian raga, Bach lute suite,
or head-banging anthem for the glorification
Thank you for indulging me. You probably of the dark lord. You cant fail. Okay, enough
recognize the limerick form in these words,
preaching. Allow me to show you some licks
and you may even think you know the words and tricks you may not be hip to.
moss, spy, gang, men, and med,
Im going to start off at the end, as all
but I defy you to be able to relay this short
these licks apply to the last two measures
tale in your own words if you dont speak
or so of a 12-bar progression, when you
the Norwegian language. (Hint: Its about a return to the I chord after the V and IV of
woman who enjoys drinking, fighting, and
the turnaround. We will call Fig. 1 What
vomiting.) You get my point, I hope.
Not to Do. Nothing reveals a blues novThats not to say that I think every
ice more than someone who fumbles and
guitar player out there should know
plays square, rhythmically awkward licks
every Robert Jr. Lockwood turnaround to
that break up the groove, and most of all,
demand respect. Im actually not what you over-emphasize an anticipated V chord
would call a blues purist myself. I personat the very end of the progression. Youve
ally draw on everything from jazz, surf, and heard this a million times, which is why it
rockabilly to country, metal, and baroque.
has to end!
However, the blues is my mother tongue
As with all my rules, there are many
on the instrument and if I were to quote
good exceptions, but unless you were born
What
Fig. 1 Not to Do
G7
& 44 b
D7
#
0
Fig.22
Fig.
G7
& 44
fij b 3

b b
D7
1/2
6
5
1/4
premierguitar.com
lesson > BeyonD BLues
of sharecroppers in the rural South, this one

is hard to pull off with your dignity intact,
especially the last three notes.
Instead, end your epic solo with Fig. 2,
which is straight out of the book of Freddie
King. Also make sure to practice at home the
accompanying I smell a fart stare. Perhaps
you didnt want the crowd to think you were
about to murder them, and felt like ending
on a lighter note. In that case, I would suggest using Fig. 3. Which reeks of the one and
only king of the blues, B.B. King. Cool thing
about that, it implies a suspended V chord at
the end, taking us back to church. Where we
should have been all along! Suggested facial
expression: The difficult bowel movement.
Lastly, no grimace needed to cop this
Albert King-inspired slow blues ending in
Fig. 3
C7
J
4
& 4 bJ
Fig. 3
12
&8
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
G7
G7
b n
6
Fig. 4, though to really nail his vibe, you may

have to clamp a pipe between your teeth.
Again, all these licks can work on everything from Red House to Shake Your
Moneymaker to Slow Ride. You dont
really have to be at the end of the 12 bars.
Hey, its blues. If theres nothing else you
take away from this lesson, please dont ever
make me hear Fig. 1 again!
D7
5
3
5
b b
b n
# J
D7
5
3
5
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3
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G7
1/2
8
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7 5
8 6
7 5
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youtube it
When it comes to developing a vocabulary of blues licks and phrases, its hard to
beat the three kings: Freddie, Albert, and, of course, B.B.
From a 1993 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival, B.B. King shows everyone
how its donefrom the bee sting vibrato to his masterful and understated phrasing.
youtube search term: B.B. King Montreux 1993
An early influence on the British blues guitarists, Freddie King came straight out of
Texas with a larger-than-life presence and stinging tone.
youtube search term: Freddie King Big Legged Woman
Armed with Lucy, a Gibson Flying V, Albert King performs his classic tune in a small
club in the early 80s. Not even a cast on his finger can slow Albert down when he
pushes into those monster bends.
youtube search term: Albert King 1981 Born Under a Bad Sign
premierguitar.com
lesson > Acoustic ADventures
Classical dadgad:
Bach edition
more non-classical musicians are beginning
to explore this incredible musical landscape,
I figured now might be the time to dive in!
The well-known opening phrase is a
great example of Bach running up and
down a major scalein a way that only
he knew how. Now, in my experience as a
guitarist, when I hear lots of linear scales
or even fragments of scales, I immediately
think of DADGAD tuning. Though in
some cases an arrangement may not stay
there. In this case the opening measures
drew me so far into the piece that I stayed
committed to this tuning even through
some fairly hairy key modulations.
The key of E major is not the friendliest in DADGAD, but maybe even Johan
Sebastian would have sanctioned the use of
a capo. In order to preserve the intervallic
spacing of the tuning, and make liberal use
of the open strings, we will place a capo
at the 2nd fret. When Bach transcribed
this piece for lute he changed the key to F
major to suit the tuning of that instrument.
If you want to retune to EBEABE
and avoid the capo then have at ithowever, my medium-gauge strings would protest.
Glenn Gould, regarded as one of the most
significant interpreters of Bach in modern
times, said that the point of this music is to
be faithful to the harmonic ideas that Bach
was exploring. And Gould mostly played
Bach on the pianoan instrument that
hadnt been invented in Bachs time.
Several times in arranging this piece I
thought the difficulties in fingering were
going to make it unplayable, only to eventually find an alternative that put me back
on the rails. Its an amazing piece of music,
originally written for solo violin, but also
BY TonY MCManus
One of the foremost Celtic guitarists in the

world, Tony McManus crosses borders and
genres by combining elements of classical,
country, folk, and traditional music to create
a unique hybrid sound. His latest album, The
Makers Mark, was recorded in Nashville and
features 15 of the finest guitars being built today.
For more information, visit tonymcmanus.com.
chops: Intermediate
Lesson overview:
Understand a few basic
arranging techniques in
DADGAD tuning.
Create open-string or
campanella melodies.
Learn how to combine fretted
and unfretted notes to create
flowing arpeggios.
click here to
download tonys entire
arrangement of the
prelude section.
hen my friend Mike Marshall suggested I learn Bachs Partita No. 3 in

E major (BWV 1006), my first thought was
impossible. That was shortly followed by
what if?
Id known the solo violin works for years,
but however much I love Bachs music I
never considered it within my scope as a
player. Im a folkie and I play by ear. As
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
##3
& # #4
arranged by Bach for lute. The lute version consisted of an astoundingly inventive
series of key changes, often exploring the
same idea in several keys and all delivered
in a relentless torrent of consecutive 16thnotes1,560 of them to be precise.
In playing the first few measures in Fig.
1, I use two ideas that are worth exploring. One is the technique of playing across
the strings. DADGAD tuning, with the
whole-step interval between the 2nd and
3rd strings, lends itself to this very naturally. In fact its one of the main reasons
for the enduring popularity of this tuning.
The idea is to play consecutive notes on
different strings so that these ring into each
other. In classical guitar this technique is
called campanella, which means bell-like.
Its often also compared to the sound of a
harp where each note has its own string.
This first occurs in the fourth measure.
The descending scale moves across three
strings, then back to the open string. This
can be a bit confusing, but the effect is both
attractive and ergonomic. The fretting hand
stays in one position and the picking hand
can do the work.
The other idea worth mentioning is the
use of an open string to get the fretting
hand into a different position. This occurs
throughout the piece, but the first instance
is in the seventh measure, shown in Fig. 2.
The open 1st string allows us to move from
2nd position to 4th position to continue
the ascending phrase that ends with the B
at the 7th fret of the 1st string.
Getting that transition smooth and
accurate will take some work. One striking
difference between stringed instruments
fretted or bowedand the keyboard is that

12 11 12 7
0 2 0
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premierguitar.com
lesson > Acoustic ADventures
we have the same pitch available on different strings. The piano has only one middle
C! Bachs writing for strings exploits this
frequently by pivoting between an open
string and the same note on a lower string.
The first instance of this is in Fig. 3, which
begins at the 13th measure. The open 1st
string alternates with the same note on
the 4th string. This creates a great sense of
movement around one fixed note.
In Fig. 4, the pivot note remains but the
pattern changes and we are into a descending sequence of arpeggios that presents a
real challenge. Remember, this piece was
written around the capabilitiesincluding
the open stringsof the violin, not the
guitar, in an altered tuning. When I first

tried to figure out a way to play this section
I found the notes easily enough, but once
the arpeggios started to descend my fingers
got tied in knots. Playing the section slowly
only made the knots more apparent! I was
trying to play the first part of the sequence
up around the 12th fret, which is where
the fingers naturally land from the previous
bar. It was playable but somehow sounded
clumsy and awkward whereas on violin it
sounded natural and musical.
The solution is in the second measure of
the figure, where the G# note moves from the
11th fret on the 3rd string (measure 1) to the
9th fret on the 2nd string. From there on the
Fig. 2
#### 3
& 4
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
arpeggio sequence is so much easier. As the

open top string remains constant, the outer
notes modulate and then descend one at a
time, with one note changing in each measure that fits under the fingers. This almost
mathematical type of pattern is typical of
Bachs compositional style, but hopefully we
can play it in a way that brings out the musicality rather than the technicality of it.
I found learning and arranging this
music to be one of the most challenging
and satisfying projects Ive attempted. The
music is difficult but rewarding and has
opened many doors in terms of technique
and harmonic awareness. I hope you get the
same out of it!
0 2 4
0 2 4
4 5
4 7
5 7
4 5 7 9 11 12 9 11
#### 3
& 4
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Fig. 4
Fig. 4
#### 3 n
& 4
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premierguitar.com
0
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Celeb
ra
75
d
en
the Leg
te
Ye ar
SJ - 2 0 0
lesson > shreD your enthusiAsM
250 Years of scarified
BY Paul gilBerT
Paul Gilbert purposefully began playing guitar

at age 9, formed the guitar-driven bands Racer
X and Mr. Big, and then accidentally had a No.
1 hit with an acoustic song called To Be with
You. Paul began teaching at GIT at the age of
18, has released countless albums and guitar
instructional DVDs, and will be remembered as
the guy who got the drill stuck in his hair. For
more information, visit paulgilbert.com
chops: Intermediate
Lesson overview:
Learn the correct way to steal
from the classical masters.
Understand the real way to
play Scarified.
Create long, flowing baroqueinspired lines using outside
picking.
click here to hear

sound clips of
these examples.
he biggest hit Ive ever had a part in is

the Mr. Big single, To Be with You.
It went to No. 1 on the charts all over the
world, and I continue to brag about it
whenever I have to write a bio for myself.
I do feel that I did a solid and respectable
job of strumming the chords, singing some
harmonies, and playing a theme-reinforcing guitar solo, but I did not, I repeat, I
did not write the song. I wish I had. Its a
great tune. But I have to give credit and
gratitude to Mr. Bigs vocalist, Eric Martin,
for making that happen. Thank you, Eric!
When it comes to hits, I have not had
many outside of Mr. Big. Certainly nothing that has climbed the charts and sat
next to Mariah Carey and Right Said Fred.
But among the people who like to listen to
guitar music, Ive had the good fortune to
have penned a couple of ... lets call them
favorites. The Racer X song Scarified
premierguitar.com
would be one of those. And if my math

is correct, the song is 25 years old now.
Happy birthday to it!
Scarified began its life as a furious
and deadly accurate double-bass drum riff
by Scott Travis. I heard him playing it in
rehearsal and did my best to attach some
notes to his rhythms. That gave us the
instrumental equivalent of a verse, but to
complete the song, we needed more.
At the time, I was enamored with the
fact that classical music of a certain age
was legally considered public domain and
could be plundered with wild abandon.
Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. All that creative
genius was (and still is) available to any
writer who cared to borrow or steal from
it, for the same price as a breath of air.
So steal I did. Or at least tried to. I was
listening to my favorite harpsichord concerto (credited to J.C. Bach) and I began
to learn my favorite sections of it by ear.
This wasnt easy! The notes were quick
16ths, and they were sometimes buried
while competing with the accompanying
in 1998, and I was feeling so ambitious I

actually recorded the entire first movement
of the concerto, using guitars to cover
not only the harpsichord parts, but also
the violins, violas, cellos, and string bass
parts. I named my recording Gilberto
Concerto, and after completing the
recording, I promptly forgot all the parts
due to the impossibility of remembering
that many notes.
Fast forward to the present, and I found
myself preparing for a gig and looking at
Scarified in the middle of my set list.
I thought it might be nice to finally take
the correct notes that I briefly learned
in 1998, and practice them until I could
actually perform them live. So I dusted off
the score, asked my wifewho sight-reads
much better than I doto play the notes
slowly on the piano. I recorded her playing so I could easily learn the notes by ear
(without having to battle fast tempos or
competing orchestras). After a couple of
weeks, I had it, and now I give it to you
in Fig. 1.
I was enamored with the fact that

classical music of a certain age was
legally considered public domain and
could be plundered with wild abandon.
orchestra for space in the mix. Also, these
phrases had never been played on guitar
before. Licks that might be a breeze on a
harpsichord can be distinctly challenging
when translated to another instrument.
But I did my best, and came up with
something that worked for the next section of the song. The result was a classical/
metal onslaught that became an immediate
crowd-pleaser at our live shows and still
rewards me with millions of YouTube hits
from my solo version of the tune.
But one thing always bothered me
about stealing these classical licks. And
that is that I didnt steal them correctly. So,
after much creative hunting, I finally managed to locate the sheet music of the original harpsichord concerto. This was back
The key to making this playable is the

fingerings. Some fingerings make the lefthand part easier. Some fingerings make the
picking easier. Some fingerings make the
shapes easier to remember. Some fingerings make the notes easier to keep clean
without string noise. Im pretty sure I tried
every possibility and every combination.
After much practicing and tweaking, I
finally had a fingering that my brain could
see, my fingers could navigate, and my
ears approved of.
And live I nailed it. Proof that
it works!
A couple notes about technique. I did
not include specific markings to show
where I am picking and where I am using
hammer-ons and pull-offs. If I included
lesson > shreD your enthusiAsM
that much notation, the end result would

be cumbersome and counter-productive.
The general hints that Ill give you are
these: I am not picking everything.
Whenever I switch from one string to the
next, I will always pick that transition
with outside picking, if possible. (With
outside picking, your flatpick comes across
a string from its outer edge. For example,
if I was playing two notes on the 3rd and
2nd strings, Id strike them with a down-up

move. This means after plucking the 3rd
string, Id sail over the 2nd string and then
hit it with an upstroke. For an in-depth
explanation, see my How to Practice PoleVaulting column in the June 2011 issue.)
But otherwise, I am using hammerons and pull-offs as often as I can. I have
covered this juggling of techniques in
previous columns, so I encourage you to
look back and practice some of my simpler exercises to build this technique into
a habit.
Finally, I would like to thank J.C. Bach,
his famous dad, J.S. Bach, and all those
amazing writers 250 years ago who may not
be getting royalties on their tunes, but who
continue to shake the air with the awesome
music they wrote. They were so good that I
am terrifiedin fact, scarified.
Fig. 1
#
#

### 4 #
& 4
Fig. 1
##
&#
14
16 15 16
14
16
18 14
14 13 14
##
&#
14 18 14
15
16
16 15 16
15
16
19 15
19 18 19 14
15 19 15
16
16
19 18 19 14
13
14
16 13
17 16 17 12
13 16 13
12
14
13 11 13
12
13
15 12
16 14 16 10
12 15 12
13

#
# #
13
11 10 11
10
11
13 10
14 13 14 9
10 13 10
10
11
11 10 11
10
11
14 10
14 12 10
14 12 10
13 11
# n # #
#
n#
### n#n#
&
3
12
13 12 13
12
13
15 12
16 15 16 11
12 15 12
12
13
13 12 13
12
13
16 12
16 14 12
16 14 12
15 13
12 13 15 16
premierguitar.com
Jinxx and Jake play B.C. Rich Pro X
BCRich.com
Original Photography by: Sammi Doll Illustration By: Richard Villa III
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feature > Bonnie raitt
Bonnie Raitt bought her famous Brownie Strat for

$120 in 1969 and has played it at every gig since.
Photo by Buzz Person
78 PREMIERGUITAR APRIL 2012
premierguitar.com
feaTure > Bonnie rAitt
SLIDE MASTEr
BoNNIE rAITT
ShArES hEr
STory oF
hEArTBrEAK,
hEALING, AND
WorKING
WITh ICoNS
BILL FrISELL AND
JoE hENry oN
SlipStream
hEr FIrST ALBUM
IN SEVEN yEArS.
By Tessa Jeffers
premierguitar.com
hile teaching herself to play acoustic

guitar as a teenager in the late 60s,
Bonnie Raittnow world-renowned for her
sultry voice and bracing electric slide prowessdreamt of leaving her native California
and joining the Greenwich Village beatnik
scene. As soon as she was old enough, she
left her parentsBroadway star John Raitt
and pianist Marjorie Haydockbehind to
head east and plant her musical roots in the
burgeoning folk activist movement.
From there, Raitt tapped into a wide
array of influences, with a big turning point
coming when she befriended influential
blues promoter Dick Waterman while she
was in college. Waterman gave her the
opportunity to share stages with blues gods
like Howlin Wolf and Mississippi Fred
McDowell, which no doubt left an indelible
impression on the blossoming slide player.
Despite such beginnings, Raitts road
to superstardom was anything but easy.
While a 1970 gig with McDowell led
to a record deal with Warner Bros., she
experienced only moderate commercial
success with the label. Her first hit didnt
come until 1977s Runaway, and she was
eventually dropped in 1983. She struggled
with addiction until Stevie Ray Vaughans
own recovery in the mid-80s prompted
her to get clean. Not long afterward,
Raitt released the album that changed
everything. Released in1989, Nick of Time
won her three of her nine Grammys to
date and set her on a path toward her
2000 induction into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. In the process, Raitt went
on to become the first woman to have a
signature Fenderan offer she originally

turned down because she was uneasy about
putting her name on a product. (Ever the
activist, Raitt used the profits to create the
Bonnie Raitt Guitar Project, providing guitars to underprivileged kids in more than
200 Boys & Girls Clubs of America.)
Slipstream, out this month on Raitts new
Redwing Records label, is her first album
in seven yearsalthough shes been far
from dormant in the interim. Much of that
time was spent on the road, including on a
stint with Taj Mahal before her brother was
diagnosed with a second brain tumor. She
took care of him until his passing, and soon
afterward one of her good friends passed
away, prompting Raitt to take time off for
the first time in more than a decade.
The incessant road warriors hiatus lasted
only a year before things started pulling her
back toward her creative muse. She ended
up in the studio much sooner than originally planned after meeting with producer Joe
Henry to see if their styles blended. What
was originally supposed to be a couple-song
jam turned into an entire album. Halfway
through the first song, Raitt recalls, we
knew we had something very magical.
Raitt says she cant put into words
exactly how she knows when a song is
right, but she recently told Premier Guitar
her approach always seems to have a way
of illuminating her life. She also shared
why the guitar is her vehicle of choice,
how newer artists like Bon Iver inspire her
as much as Muddy Waters and John Lee
Hooker, and what her advice is for guitarists trying to find their voice.
Bonnie brings at least three of her signature Fender Strat prototypes on tour to accomodate the open slide tunings she uses on different songs.
Photo by Sioux Nessi
You picked up your first guitara Stella

acousticat age 8. What made you stick
with it?
I grew up in a very musical household, with
my mom playing piano all the time for my
dads rehearsals. So there was a role model
for me, with my dad singing these great
Broadway scores. Him being a Broadway
star was a great gift for us to be able to see
what that world was like. And the message
of playing music and getting paid for it
doing something that you not only love,
but that doesnt even seem like workwas
not lost on me. I mustve tucked it away
and then remembered it when the opportunity came years and years later to play
music for a gig.
Youve said before that electric guitar
burns inside of you. What still turns you
on about the instrument?
electric guitar, for me, has

the raunch and the beauty that more
openly reflects the range of emotions i
want to get when im singing and playing.
It really sounds like a human voice. The
electric guitar will sustain a note, especially
a single note, much longer than an acoustic
will. And then when you play slidewhich
is so much like a human voiceyou can
work the amplifier and the overdrive. Now

I use a compressor when I play slide, and
with that you can sustain a note as long
as your emotions will hold. Its like surfingyou can ride that wave of emotional
premierguitar.com
intensity and taper it off and build it

up, depending on how you work your
volume knob. Its really an exciting way
to express yourself. So electric guitar, for
me, has the raunch and the beauty that
more openly reflects the range of emotions I want to get when Im singing and
playing. Its much more expressive to me.
And thats what keeps me going back.
The solos on your new rendition
of the Dylan tune Standing in the
Doorway have that same lyrical qualitythey sound like someone crying.
Yeah, and then to have pedal steel behind
me. I rarely get to do that. Greg Leisz is
one of my heroes, and to be playing with
Bill Frisell and those guys was such an
honor. One of the great things about slide
guitar is that I found I could go to Cuba
and play with musicians there, and then I
went to Mali, Africa, where the blues was
born, and within a day I was playing with
those musiciansbecause it doesnt matter
whether you know all the chords if you
know your way around with a slide. Its
such a monophonic instrument: You can
sit in with the Chieftains on slide as well
as you can Cuban and African music.
When your own lungs literally run out of
air, you can take the slide guitar and add
that other voice.
a break since my parents passed away. In

10 years, I had been on the road or recording pretty nonstop or going through my
brothers terrible illness and passing, so I
needed to take a break and step back. In the
past, taking a break really meant writing
songs and looking for new material. But I
had been doing that basically since 1970
without a real break. Sometimes you need
to clear the deck and let the field go fallow
and not think every time youre playing a
song, Is this something I want to record?
Sometimes you just have to live.

Yeah! I got to listen to other kinds of music.
I went to a lot of shows and didnt sit in
didnt even tell [the performers] I was there. I
love doing yoga, and I love hiking and biking.
For somebody whos on the road all the time,
just being home is really the vacation you
want to have. So I got to balance some of the
other aspects of my life and be with my family and friends and really enjoy some time at
home, watching what fours seasons look like
changing in a row from the same place.
You cut three tracks with Frisell.

Did you have him in mind originally
or was that something you and Joe
Henry [who produced four Slipstream
songs] decided together?
Joe first suggested we work with Bill.
When we were getting to know each
other on the phone, we were talking
about mutual friends and people we love,
and I was complimenting him on his
Scar record. I love Bills playing on that,
so he said maybe we should get Bill in
on the sessions.
Slipstream is your first release in seven
years, and around 2009 you decided
to take some time off. What was that
like for you after working for so many
years straight?
We did a two-year tour after [2005s]
Souls Alike, and then a year before the Taj
Mahal tour my brother was diagnosed
with a second brain tumor and I took a
break to care for him. I hadnt really had
premierguitar.com
How did you know you were ready to go

back into the studio?
After a year at home, little sprouts poked their
head up. I was listening to songs when I called
Joe about working together. This was months
earlier than I was expecting to go back in the
studio, but those sessions were so exciting that
it really jumpstarted the record for me.
So you got the itch?
At a certain point, you just want to go back
and do the other thingyou dont want to
do anything too much. I dont know if you
have members of your family or have known
people whose mom or dad retire or got laid
off after many years of going to the job, and
they dont know what to do with themselves.
Its not the music part I was tired ofits the
promotion, clothes, sets, tours, interviews,
marketing, and monitoring the distribution.
All the business of being in this business is
what gets wearing, not the music. But without all that, you cant go on tour.
How did you go about determining
which songs to put on this album?
Its pretty much the same as its been since
my first album: I listen to a lot of different
song ideas that Ive written, and the ones I
like I put in this pile. Ninety-nine percent
of the stuff I listen to isnt right, but I know
when I have to do a song. Ive already said a

lot of stuff in previous records, and you dont
want to repeat yourself musically or lyrically.
I dont plot itI dont conceptualize itI
just let the music speak to me, and when I
have a enough songs that I think are going
to go well together, then I go into the studio.
metal [laughs], but other than that I dont

have any limitations on the kind of music it
can be. I mean I like listening to that stuff,
but it doesnt mean Im going to do it. There
are definitely veins of styles that I stay in. I
just let that mysterious process wash over me
than rather than try to analyze it.
What makes a song one you have to do?

Its hard to put into words. It just has to
speak to me personally. I mean, Im probably
not going to cut polkas or disco or speed
What are your favorite slide tunings?

I play in open A [EAEAC#E, low
to high], or I go down to G [DGDG
BD, low to high], which is the same but
i dont plot iti dont conceptualize it

i just let the music speak to me,
and when i have a enough songs that
i think are going to go well together,
then i go into the studio.
Get a glimpse of Raitts mesmerizing, blues-infused picking power
in these videos ranging from 1976 to 2005.
John Lee Hooker and his protg work up such a sweat that raitt says, somebody
better get this man a towel during this performance for Hookers John Lee Hooker &
Friends 1984-92 DVD.
youtube search term: John Lee Hooker and Bonnie raitt play Im in the Mood
a young, charismatic raitt wields the double-threat of a velvety voice and a thicksounding es-175 with uncanny soulfulness.
youtube search term: Bonnie raitt Love Me Like a Man (1976 O.G.W.T. UK
TV appearance) ~ HIGH QUaLITy HQ ~
raitt calls fellow blues crusader Keb Mo funky as hell as they trade flirty, smokin
licks at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2005.
youtube search term: Bonnie raitt, Keb Mo - No Gettin Over you
premierguitar.com
Lexxi Foxx and Satchel

of
With their custom

D-1 Bass and Pacer Vintage
photo:Lisa Fletcher
www.kramerguitars.com
A Division of the Gibson Family of brands
Raitt picks her Guild while on tour with Taj Mahal at the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival in the fall of 2009. Photo by Barry Brecheisen
everything is one whole note lower. The reason I use so many guitars onstage is because
songs are in different keysopen D, open E,
open E%and it saves time between songs.
Sometimes I use capos, tooif Im singing
in C, Ill put the capo on the third fret.
Which guitars are you going to tour with
this time around?
Ive got a really great collection. My brown
Stratthe body is a 65 and the neck is
from some time after that. Its kind of a
hybrid that I got for $120 at 3 o clock in
the morning in 1969. Its the one without
the paint, and Ive used that for every gig
since 1969. I also have two or three of
my signature Fenders. Those guitars are a
metallic blue to indigo, and they have Texas
Specials pickupswhich are really great
and jumbo frets like my other Strats. Then
I have a 63 sunburst Strat that used to be
owned by Robin Trower. I have Seymour
Duncan pickups in that.
youve got to find that light in the other

person and appeal to it. thats one of the
things that music is really great for.
You also use a Gibson, right?
Yes, I have an old Gibson ES-175 cutaway. I
went to the cutaway because I use a capo on
the third and fifth frets, and I cant get the
octave unless I have a cutaway. Thats part of
the reason I went to electric, as well. Partly
for sustain and partly to be able to get the
octave when I have a capo on.
What do you like, sonically, about bottleneck slides over other slide types?
I didnt know any different! I literally

soaked the label off a Coricidin bottle
until I got to college and saw people playing other types. Ive never used anything
but glass. Jim Dunlop makes them for
me. My fingerpicks have to be custom
made, too, because they stopped making
small plastic fingerpicks years agothey
only make metal fingerpicks now. Metal
fingerpicks are for the banjo and its a different sound. Im sure people use them
premierguitar.com
on guitar, but plastic sounds better for

what I do.
Youve been an inspiration to younger
generations of singer/songwriters, from
the Dixie Chicks to Adele and Bon
Iver, whom you recently saw live, right?
Yes, I went to meet Justin [Vernon, Bon
Iver frontman] finally after talking to him
on the phone. His show was incredible.
Go on YouTube and type in Bon Iver live
show 2011 and check it out. He blew
me away on record, and I didnt think he
could duplicate it live, but he did it.
of the great things about playing livebesides

being funis that we can buoy the troops, in
terms of raising money and awareness for these
issues. I want to enlist more artists to be politically active to make a difference. Its that marriage of music and being of service. My heroes
are of the The Times They Are a-Changin
periodlike Bob Dylan.
Its really come full circle for me to be
able to record his tunes again, even if theyre
not overtly political. Anytime we talk about
human beings and the way they treat each
otherit can be a man and a woman, or a

father and son, or two countriesthere has to
be the same respect. You have to listenits the
same core issue. Youve got to find that light in
the other person and appeal to it. Thats one of
the things that music is really great for.
You were an apprentice to some of the
greatest musicians of all time, and now
youre in the same category as those you
looked up to. What advice do you have for
players trying to find their voice?
What else is inspiring you these days?

One of the most amazing talents is Sarah
Siskind. Then theres my friend Maia
Sharp, who was an opening act on my last
tour. She sings on Slipstream, and I cut
three of her songs on Souls Alike. Also, my
friend Marc Cohn. Jackson Browne and
Bruce Hornsby are like brothers to me. I
love Bruces latest double-live album, Bride
of the Noisemakers. If I had to be on a desert island and could only have one artists
music, it would be Bruce Hornsby. Mavis
Staples is one of my heroes, too, so she and
I are going to do a lot of shows together.
Are there any players you havent
played with yet that youd like to?
Justin Vernon from Bon Iver. Id love to
play with the Stones and Keith. I opened
for them on my last tour and sang Shine
a Light with them, and Im on their
DVD. Id love to do more recording with
Bill Frisell. I love classic jazz. There are
two jazz singersLizz Wright and Melody
Gardotwho are doing incredible work.
I would love to make an old 1920s bluesjazz recordnot like an old Chicago jazz
band, but just really, really beautiful piano
jazz. So, one day [laughs].
On that note, what were you dreaming for the future during your hiatus?
What are you looking forward to down
the line?
The whole Occupy movement has given me
some hope that, across party lines, newer
generations will rise up and ask for accountability and transparency and reform some of
these laws. That is my first dreamto see
people become more awake and compassionate. My dream is to be a service in that
struggle and to not get discouraged. One
premierguitar.com
B E A P L AY E R
Bob Balch - Fu Manchu

reverendguitars.com
P L AY H A R D
LIVE BIG
P L AY R E V E R E N D
V I S I T U S AT T H E D A L L A S I N T E R N AT I O N A L G U I TA R F E S T I V A L
APRIL 20, 21, 22
I think its really great to get good at your instrument

and your craft. Theres no substitute for thateven
the most talented and lucky person still has to put the
time in. Get to the point where you can hear yourself
on tape and go, Thats pretty good! If your heart
and soul are in it and youre doing it for the right
reasons, nothing can hold you back. Take opportunities to get your music out there and heard, even if
its a small group of people at first. Find satisfaction
in pleasing yourself first, and then those you respect.
Whether youll make it in this crazy business, I dont
knowthats to be seen. But if you believe in it, keep
working at it. Post it on YouTube. It seems obvious,
but those opportunities werent around when I started
out. Ive got a very talented nephew whos writing
music, and hes been doing it with his laptop. Pro
Tools has made things so incredible! You can get good
in a short period of time if you at least put time into
itand a lot of heart.
Heres an inside look at Raitts touring rig, as told by

guitar tech Manny Alvarez. Although Alvarez calls
the setup simple (its all in her hands really), the
specs for slide are more than meets the eye. She
pretty much likes her one guitar [the naked brown
Strat], Alvarez says with a laugh. She probably
wouldnt play any other if she didnt have to.
guitars
Brownie strat with 1965 body (tuned to open
a), three fender Bonnie raitt signature strat
prototypes (one in open G, one in open a%, and
one in standard), Gibson es-175 with a P-90,
three Guild acoustics (one with higher action for
slide work, another in open C), purple Pogreba
Guitars resonator
Amps
Bad Cat Black Cat 30r 1x12 combo (raitt uses
only the ef86-driven channel 2)
effects
Boss Cs-2 Compression sustainer, Pro Co rat
string, picks, and Accessories
GHs Boomers custom electric sets (.013, .017,
.020w, .032, .042, .052), GHs Phosphor-Bronze
acoustic sets (.012, .016, .020, .036, .046, .056),
custom Jim Dunlop molded-plastic fingerpicks,
Dunlop bottleneck slides
premierguitar.com
Dressed. Lit Up. And Still Screaming!
Celebrating Thirty Years.

Talk about dressed to the nines the TS9 30th Anniversary model features
illuminating green LEDs, a custom green-plated finish, transparent green knobs,
and a 30th anniversary name plate. It's the overdrive that the legends love,
and this limited edition pedal is just screaming "COLLECTOR'S ITEM!"
Official Ibanez
Guitars USA
.com
@Ibanez_USA
feaTure > 10 essentiAL recorDing tips
Whether you record on your laptop, a dedicated handheld device,

or your smartphone, fancy technology can only get you so far. Here we
reveal 10 secrets every would-be Rick Rubin, Phil Spector, and
Sir George Martin needs to keep in mind to avoid glitchy,
sterile-sounding tracks and capture pristine, amazing tones.
By MITCH GaLLaGHer
igital recording has been a boon to music in innumerable and immeasurable ways. And the ubiquity of hi-tech
devices in our daily lives todayas well as the incredible rate at
which sophisticated features trickle down to the masseshas only
compounded the effect. Today, its affordable and remarkably convenient for just about anyone to make high-quality recordings on
the run, in home project studios, and at rehearsals and gigs.
But while the possibilities are nearly endless with this new technology, that doesnt mean creating a great recording is simply a
matter of having a kick-butt computer, smartphone, or dedicated
premierguitar.com
recorder. Technology only gets you so far. Now, more than ever,
you have to know what youre doing to get great resultsbecause
its just as easy to make a bad digital recording as it is to make a
bad analog recording.
To that end, weve compiled this list of 10 must-know tips for digital recordists to keep in mind no matter what platform or interface
youre using. Armed with this knowledge, your guitars, your platform
of choice, and an impeccable set of ears, youll soon be cranking out
digital recordings that are clean, clear, fat, full, and ready to capture
the hearts and minds of listeners everywhere. Lets dive in!
1. turn it down!
In the analog tape days, the goal was generally to get the hottest signal down to tape
as possible, just short of distortion. When
presented with high levels, analog tape
responds with soft compression and gentle
saturation that sounds great, especially on
drums and other percussive instruments.
But digital doesnt work that way. Its not
forgiving of peaks, and if you push it too
hard you run the risk of digital distortion, which sounds awful. For this reason,
and to allow plenty of headroom for later
processing and mixing, its proven best to
record signals to digital at levels in the 18
to 14 dB range on the meters. This allows
plenty of headroom for peaks and for later
work on the tracks. Some audio interfaces
have built-in peak over protection, but
do yourself (and your tracks) a favor: keep
the signals in that 18 to 14 dB range,
hard as it may be to resist the temptation
to light up those meters! Your reward will
be cleaner tracks, better dynamics, way
reduced danger of digital distortion during
recording, and easier mixdowns.
turn it down. For the best fidelity when tracking, keep levels between 18 and 14 dB on the meters.
(Gear Acquisition Syndrome)
DO YOU HAVE G.A.S.??

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2. sample rates matter. Or not.

The sample rate determines how many snapshots of your
audio signal are taken in a second. Sample rate determines
just one thing: the frequency response of the systemin other
words, the highest frequency the system can record. Todays digital gear is capable of working at 192 kHz sample rates (or even
higher), which provide frequency response up to 96 kHznearly five times the highest frequency the human ear is generally
credited with being able to perceive. There may be situations
where those super-high frequencies are worth capturing. Some
golden-ear listeners claim to hear a difference when those
ultra-sonic frequencies are present, but this assumes the music is
being delivered to the listener on a DVD or some other medium that supports sample rates over 44.1 kHz. Some recording
engineers also feel that certain types of input filters and plug-ins
work better at higher rates. But for most of us operating in lessthan-perfect bedroom and basement studios, there are few reasons to use high sample rates. A big drawback is that you have
to get that high rate converted down to 44.1 kHz to deliver it
on CD, which can potentially impact the audio quality. Another
is that high sample rates dramatically increase the size and computer load for a project. If you have a full-on Pro Tools HD or
HDX system, thats no big deal. But if youre running a native
digital audio workstation (DAW), then that extra load can be a
problem. Personally, I record at 44.1 kHz if the project will end
up on CD or MP3. I rarely work at high sample rates.
premierguitar.com
sample rates matter. or not. Unless you have a compelling reason to use a
higher sample rate, 44.1 kHz is optimum for most productions.
3. Bits matter.
The number of bits in a digital
signal affects its resolution and
dynamic range. Each additional
bit doubles the resolution of
the signal. The difference is
dramatic. A 4-bit signal has 16
steps of resolution to measure
and represent the signalsort of
like using a tape measure only
marked in one-foot increments
to measure something. Moving
to eight bits gets us 256 steps.
Sixteen bits get us 65,536 steps.
And 24 bits jumps us to a whopping 16,777,216 steps! Thats
like using a ruler marked off in
100,000ths of an inchwere
talking super-fine measurements.
For this reason, its best to
track at 24 bit, then convert to
16-bit for CD or to MP3 as the
last step in the process. Having
all that resolution also allows us
to record at conservative levels
(see number 1, above) while still
having plenty of resolution and
dynamic range to make a great
recording. If you have a 24-bit
system and you record at 18 dB,
youre still getting 21 bits worth
of dynamic range (each bit adds
6 dB of dynamic range) and
2,097,152 steps of resolution.
Thats plenty for excellent quality.
4. Watch plug-in
gain.
watch plug-in gain. Even if your mixer channel meters seem okay, its possible that you are overloading them
from inside one of your plug-ins.
choose where the color comes from. Many plug-ins that model or emulate the sound of vintage hardware
unitssuch as the Universal Audio Fairchild limiter plug-in shown herecan contribute nice colors to your mixes.
5. choose where the color comes from.
Its so easy to drop plug-ins onto

a track to EQ, compress, or otherwise process a signal. But be
carefulmany of those addictive little software processors
can change the gain or level of
the signal, which often leads to
clipping (distortion) thats easy
to miss in the heat of mixdown.
Be sure to double-check the
meters and clip indicators inside
each plug-in to ensure that no
overloads are slipping past you.
Boosting the gain in the plug-ins
too much can also force you to
have to pull down the channel
and master faders later, which
isnt good gain staging and can
impair the audio quality.
Analog tape and processors color your recording signal in a slightly different waythats part of their
beauty. Today, we can emulate a lot of those colors with modeling software that recreates the sound of the
original gear, including the coloration it provides. By selectively choosing the modeled processing you use,
you can carefully add analog-style coloration exactly where you want it and where it can be most useful.
Drums, for example, often benefit from analog-tape-style or analog-compressor-style coloration. Delicate
acoustic guitar, on the other hand, may not fare so well if you hit it with a highly colored processor.
premierguitar.com
Color Your World

many plug-ins can help you add wonderful tonal color to your digital tracks and mixes so that they have the
glorious sound of analog without all its headaches and limitations. Here are some good places to start.
waves h-comp hybrid compressor $99 street
soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe compressor $129 street
Kush Audio uBK-1 dynamics processor $149 street
McDsp Analog channel tape and console emulator $199 street
universal Audio uAD-2 solo Flexi pack with pcie card and 1176Ln/se limiter,
LA-2A leveler, and pultec eQp-1A eQ plug-ins $399 street
This changes everything
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6. Get it right at the source.
7. Upgrade the right stuff.
Just because we can do so many things with digital

audio, doesnt mean we shouldit doesnt relieve
us of the responsibility to capture great sounds at
the source. Life is so much easier, projects come
together so much faster, the process is far less painful, and the final product is so much better when
the original tracks are in tune, are tonally solid, are
recorded well, and arent plagued by background
noise. Fix it in the mix is just as much of a negative with digital as it was with analog.
Ive been covering this in recent installments of my Guitar Tracks column here in
Premier Guitar, but it bears mention in this space, as well. Upgrading or improving certain things in your signal path will make more difference than others. For
example, Im a firm believer in having the best monitors you can afford. You hear
everything through those speakers or headphones, so you have to be able to trust
them. Im also a firm believer in capturing with the best quality possible at the
source. This means great mics and preamps. And a few key pieces of processing
gear, such as a nice analog compressor, can go a long way toward making the later
digital representation of many of your signals that much better.
EngagE
EngagE BoostErs!
BoostErs!
looking to upgrade your studio? there are many possible ways to do it, but we recommend starting with great monitor speakersyou cant
make it sound great if you arent hearing it accurately. after that, we recommend boosting the quality of your microphones, preamps, and
compressor. Here are a few suggestions for each in three different price ranges.
MOnitOr speakers
under $300
samson Mediaone 3a pair $99 street
M-Audio Av 40 pair $149 street
Alesis M1 Active MKii pair $239 street
$500 to $1,000
tannoy reveal 601a pair $499 street
Focal cMs40 pair $790 street
Dynaudio BM 5A MKii $998 street
over $1,000
JBL Lsr4328p $1,559 street
neumann Kh 120 $1,499 street
sonodyne sM 200Ak $1,590 street
MicrOphOnes
under $250
shure sM57 dynamic $99 street
Audio-technica At2035 large-diaphragm condenser $149 street
rode nt1-A large-diaphragm condenser $229 street
$250 to $500
sennheiser MK 4 large-diaphragm condenser $299 street
Blue Microphones Baby Bottle large-diaphragm condenser $399 street
shure KsM32 large-diaphragm condenser $499 street
over $500
Mojave Audio MA-201fet large-diaphragm condenser $695 street
AKg c 414 XLii large-diaphragm condenser $999 street
neumann tLM 103 large-diaphragm condenser $1,099 street
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cOMpressOrs
preaMps
under $150
under $150
Behringer Autocom pro-XL

MDX1600 $109 street
Alesis 3632 $149 street
dbx 266xs $149 street
Art tube Mp studio v3 $69 street

presonus tubepre $129 street
studio projects vtB1 $149 street
$299 to $500
Art pro-vLA ii $299 street
dbx 160A $429 street
Drawmer MXpro-30 $497 street
over $500
chameleon Labs 7720 $535 street
Aphex Model 240 $699 street
tL Audio 5021 $999 street
$150 to $500
dbx 286s $199 street
Art voice channel $399 street
Focusrite isA one $499 street
over $500
grace Design m101 $565 street
chameleon Labs 7602 MKii $719 street
JoeMeek twinQ $949 street
the Straight Truth About Pickups by Jason Lollar

The magic found in some (but not all) classic vintage pickups
was created by accident. Dont let anyone tell you different. And
over time, some pretty stellar accidents happened. The only way
to recreate that magic is to study more than a few exceptional
examples of all the classic pickup types, while acquiring a
thorough understanding of exactly what materials were used
and precisely how each pickup was constructed and wound. Only
then is the magic repeatable, if you are willing to spend the time
and money required to chase the dragon. I am.
I personally design and wind over 30 different pickup models,
including all the vintage classics, many obscure works of art
known only to lap and pedal steel players like Robert Randolph,
and even a few of my own designs that never existed in the past.
I invite you to visit our website for sound clips, videos and
current product information, or call us for a free product
highlight brochure.
Lollar Guitars PO Box 2450 Vashon Island, WA 98070 (206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com
premierguitar.com
8. the room
still matters.
This is a corollary to item 7: One of
the best investments you can make
in your digital tracks is to acoustically treat your recording and control room. Youd be surprised how
much the sound of the room affects
what you do, and digital captures
all that roominess with perfect clarity so make sure the space you
are working in is doing the job.
9. hygiene is key.
In the analog days, you had to
demagnetize tape heads, clean the
tape path, wind the tape for proper
storage, and perform other routine
maintenance tasks at the beginning
and end of every session. The same
is true with digitalthe tasks are
just different. Lots of takes and
edits can result in a ton of files
scattered around your computer
and slowing down your system.
Unused mixer channels and plugins can end up hiding in the system, weighing down the project,
and eating up CPU and memory
resources. Lots of small apps running in the background on your
computer will also sap it of precious processing resources. Keep it
clean and organized, and your system will always perform its best.
But basic maintenance extends
beyond this to installing current versions of software, having
plenty of space available on your
recording drive, installing plenty
of RAM in your computer, and
otherwise optimizing your system for maximum performance.
However, dont do those things
the night before a critical sessiongive yourself plenty of time
to learn and test new versions of
software or plug-ins before you
put them to work for real.
the room still matters. The iconic drum track from Led Zeppelins When the Levee Breaks has been sampled innumerable times over the years, and a huge part of its classic vibe is due to where it was recorded. In this scene from the
2009 documentary It Might Get Loud, Jimmy Page stands in the foyer of Headley Grange, the East Hampshire, England,
home where Zep recorded tracks for four of their most famous albums. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
10. Digital data

is fragile.
The virtual ones and zeros that
make up digital data are not robust.
One small mishap and your hardwon tracks can vanish. For this reason, its imperative that you save and
back up your data constantly. By
habit, I hit the save command in my
DAW every time I make a change.
And when Ive made a significant
number of changes, or Ive gotten to the point where it would be
extremely painful to have to recreate
my work, I save a new copy under
a different name. (Project 1, Project
1a, Project 1b, Project 1c, and so
on.) This way, if a project file gets
corrupted, I can always step back to
the last version and work forward
again without losing everything.
Likewise, at the end of every
work session, I back up the project
to a separate hard drive. That way,
if the hard drive in the computer
goes down, Ive still got my work
on a second drive and can quickly
recover and begin working again.
Digital data is fragile. Saving multiple versions of a project

under new names provides some protection against corrupted
filesand its a great organizational toolbut for real protection,
you must back up your work regularly.
its all about the outcome.

Digital has been a true godsend for musicians who want to capture and distribute pro-quality recordings without waiting for some major label
to finance the dream. Its made super-powerful recording tools available to pretty much anyone. But its about more than just the tools. Keep
these 10 simple tips in mind during all your future recording adventures, and youll be pleasantly surprised at how much the quality of your
digital projects improves as a result of such straight-ahead measures. More than that, youll find they make studio life easier and less stressful
which can only portend good things for your creativity and performance quality. Good habits are good habits, whether youre working with
analog or digital, and in the studio, good habits lead to great recordings!
premierguitar.com
FEATURE > ALAN PARSONS
alan parsons
ON PiNk FLOydS Dark SiDe of the Moon

By Mitch GallaGher
About Dark Side
Recording engineer Alan Parsons first studio gigs included tracking albums by the Beatles and Pink Floyd.
magine, youre 19 years old, and youve

landed a job as an assistant engineer
at the famous Abbey Road Studios in
London. Among your first sessions? The
Beatles last two albums, Let It Be and
Abbey Road. Then, after being promoted to
full engineer, you are assigned to work with
a band called Pink Floyd on a project called
Atom Heart Mother, followed by Dark Side
of the Moonthe latter of which earns you
the first of nearly a dozen Grammy nominations. Not a bad way to start out, is it?
premierguitar.com
For Alan Parsons, it was a launching pad

for a stellar career engineering and producing a whos who of recording artists, including the Hollies (He Aint Heavy, Hes My
Brother, The Air That I Breathe), Paul
McCartney (Red Rose Speedway, Wild Life),
Al Stewart (Year of the Cat, Time Passages),
Ambrosia (Ambrosia), and many more.
But Parsons wasnt content to stay behind
the console. He also stepped out front
with his Alan Parsons Project, earning hit
records (including I Robot, Eye in the Sky,
Pink Floyd had already released

seven albums and was a major success by the time their magnum opus,
Dark Side of the Moon, debuted in
early 1973. Theyd begun working
on the new songs in 1971, and the
suitewhich was originally known as
Dark Side of the Moon: A Piece for
Assorted Lunaticswas performed
live for the press in early 72. Floyd
entered the studio in May of that year,
with Alan Parsons manning the console and Chris Thomas (Roxy Music,
Badfinger, Sex Pistols, Pretenders)
producing. They spent nearly a year
recording what would become one of
the biggest albums of all time.
Dark Side was an immediate hit
upon its release in March 1973. It
shot to the top of the charts within a
week, and remained on them for an
amazing 741 weeks. It is one of the
best-selling albums of all time (50 million copies and counting), surpassed
only by Michael Jacksons Thriller. It
has been remastered and rereleased
several times, most recently as part
of the exhaustive Why Pink Floyd ?
set released in September 2011.
Parsons recording advice for guitarists: Never be frightened to add bottom end. Electric guitar can sound hard and thin, he says, but accentuating the
bass frequencies can help smooth it out.
Stereotomy), and touring the world to soldout crowds along the way. He is an accomplished vocalist, keyboardist, saxophonist,
flautist, bassist, guitarist, and songwriter.
These days, Parsons maintains a busy
schedule as a producer, and performs
around the world with his Project. His latest venture is educating a new generation
of engineers and producers with his Art and
Science of Sound Recording series of DVDs,
web videos, and master classes.
Needless to say, after working with axe
slingers ranging from George Harrison
to David Gilmour, Alan Parsons knows a
thing or two about tracking great guitar
tones. Premier Guitar recently sat down
with Parsons to discuss his guitar-recording
secrets, as well as how he captured the seminal sounds on Dark Side of the Moon.
Youve captured some of the most
iconic guitar sounds of all timeDavid
Gilmours Money tones being one
example. Mics are obviously crucial to
that. In the past, youve said you always

use condenser mics on guitar amps, never
dynamic mics. Why?
Dynamic mics tend to accentuate what I
would call hard top-end frequencies, like
3 or 4 kHzand thats just the area you
generally dont want to accentuate on an
electric guitar. Ive always had better luck,
in terms of smoothness, using condensers.
Do you tend to use large- or small-diaphragm condensers?
Im comfortable with either, actually.
Historically, Ive used large-diaphragms
most of the time, usually a Neumann
U 87 or U 86. Somehow, Ive always
favored Neumann over AKG condensers.
I favor AKG for dynamic mics, but I favor
Neumann for condensers. People often
ask me if Ive noticed how many new mics
there are out there latelynew condenser
mics, new ribbon mics. I have, but I still
come back to the old faithfuls. Ive not been
excited by a new mic in a very long time.
Youve also said you avoid close mic placement on guitar amps. Is that still true?
Thats absolutely true, because if you mic a
speaker of an amplifier in a certain location,
youre just hearing that part of the speaker,
youre not hearing the whole speaker. So Id
say, generally speaking, youre not getting
the full picture. I think theres this separation paranoia that people have with guitars.
They go, If I dont stick the mic right on
the cabinet, Im going to pick up drums.
The simple truth is that you wont. It will
be finebecause the guitar is adequately
loud, and anything else is adequately quiet.
Its not going to be a problem. Even on a
live take, you can go as much as a foot away
without problem. Live sound engineers just
dont seem to get it.
Is about a foot away from the cabinet
where you start?
Live, I probably start eight to nine inches
away. In the studio, I might even start a
foot and a half, 18 inches away. And I
premierguitar.com
Gilmours
Gear
GuitARS
Gilmours famous black Fender Strat was his main axe during the Dark Side of the Moon
sessions. At the time of the recording, the oft-modified 1969 Fender Strat would have had
a 63 neck with a rosewood fingerboard, stock single-coils, and an extra mini switch for
extra pickup combinations. In early 73, a Gibson PAF humbucker was installed between
the bridge and middle pickups, but it is doubtful that pickup is heard on the album.
Gilmour also played a Fender 1000 pedal-steel guitar tuned in G6 (DGDGBE, low to
high). He also used a custom guitar built in 1970 by Canadian luthier Bill Lewis for parts of the
Money solo. It had a mahogany body, ebony fretboard, 24 frets, and custom humbuckers,
and it may have been used for other tracks, as well.
AmPS
During the Dark Side period, Gilmour used Hiwatt DR103 100-watt heads through 4x12
cabinets. Alan Parsons recalls the cabinets being Hiwatts, while some sources (such as
Gilmourish.com) suggest they may have been WEM cabs. The latter source also suggests
that a Fender Twin combo was used on Dark Side, though Parsons does not recall that amp
being used. A rotary-speaker cabineteither a Leslie or a Maestro Roverwas also used.
alog
y of An
Man
Photo courtesy of Nicholas Harris

at Catalinbread
s
courte
Photo
Photo courtesy of Analog Man
Photos by Laurens Van Houten, Frank White Photo Agency
Guitarist David Gilmour used a

small arsenal of gear for the Dark
Side of the Moon sessions. Given
his penchant for changing his
rigand the fact that the sessions
were scheduled around live gigs
and stretched over the course of
a yearits difficult to pin down
an exhaustive list of his Dark Side
setup. However, the following pieces of gear are generally believed to
be the main tools for the sessions.
EFFEctS
Gilmour is famous for his masterful use of effects,
both live and in the studio. Among those used
for Dark Side were a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, a
Binson Echorec II, a Colorsound Power Boost, a
Univox Uni-Vibe, a Kepex tremolo, and an EMS
Synthi HiFli.
premierguitar.com
Tracking Floyds Dark Side was difficult for Parsons (center) for many reasons, including the fact that they had five or six tape machines set for different delays.
might go as much as five or six feet away,

depending on how loud it is and whether
its a big cabinet with four speakers in it.
You have to start at least 18 inches away to
pick up all four speakers equally.
Because youre trying to capture the
sound of the entire cabinet.
Yeah, I think if youre a guitar player, you
hear the whole cabinetyou dont just hear
one speaker. Im not saying thats a rule or
that you might not get a very good result
just micing one speaker. Im just saying, as
a general procedure, I would want to make
sure that the entire rig is being heard, not
just one element of it.
Youve also said you dont use ambient
mics with guitar cabinets. Is that because
youre pulling the single mic farther away?
Thats a slightly unfair generalization. I
have used ambient mics. I think, especially
if youre recording guitar with a band, as I
often do, an ambient mic is just going to
reduce your separation. I think outboard
processing of room sounds is usually as

good and more versatile than using ambient mics. If you want a guitar to sound
like it is in a room, then put a room plugin on it, yknow? It will sound good, and
you can control how far away that virtual
mic is, or control all kinds of stuff. But it
is a generalization that I dont use ambient
mics. I just think you get more versatility
by not using them.
Would that hold true if you were overdubbing a guitar by itself?
Overdubbing is different. It all depends
on the style of music, as well. If the music
calls for an ambient sound, then I put an
ambient mic up. If it doesnt and you want
the sound in your face, then I wouldnt. I
think every case is different.
While were on the subject, do you recall
what mics were used on the Beatles sessions you worked on?
I remember on Let It Be, Glyn Johns used
a [Neumann] U 67 on Georges cabinet. I
think Geoff Emerick favored the AKG D19

[on Abbey Road].
What about with Gilmour on Dark Side
of the Moon?
Probably a [Neumann] U 87, possibly a U
86. Ive carried that through right to the
present day.
Did you use both of those together or
did you use them separately?
Just one or the other. By the time we
got around to overdubs, probably the
only mic I actually had set up would
be a [Neumann] U 47 so that we could
do vocals. I might have stuck that on
it, on occasion.
Just because it was convenient?
Yeah. The 47 is a great mic, and it will
record vocals and guitar admirably. I
would not see any reason to dig out an 87
or an 86 for the task. But, you know, the
guitars were recorded over the year that
it took to record that album. A lot of the
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Parsons stands with an array of speaker monitorstwo sets of nearfields and wall-mounted mainsthat help him optimize mixing adjustments.
guitars were live, and we did a lot of overdubs. Id say that there were a number of
different setups.
Were you concerned at all with trying to
match sounds as you progressed through
that year of sessions?
There wasnt a requirement to do that. I
mean, the sounds between the songs were
so diverse and the styles of the songs were
so diverse, there was no real need to have
any continuity.
Did Gilmour play in the control room
or out in the studio?
It was the first time Id ever done it
where David was in the control room
with his amp in the studio. Id never
done that before.
His amp head was in the control room
and the speaker was out in the studio?
No, his whole rig was out in the studio.
So you ran a long guitar cable out to
the amp.
Yes, we ran a long guitar cable, which I
later found out was probably not a good
idea [laughs]. You can lose a lot in a long

guitar cable.
But it worked out okay
Yeah, it seemed all right [laughs]. The first
thing to go would be top end. We would
have been getting a somewhat mellower
sound through a long guitar cable than we
might have with a shorter cable.
The studio at Abbey Road is a big room.
Most of the guitars were in the number 3
studio, which is actually the smallestbut
it is a big room, yeah. A good-sized room.
How much time did you spend finding
the right place for the microphones on
the amps?
Generally, Id put a mic out and I might
move it once, but not beyond that. I would
usually get it to a place where I felt it
workedin theoryand then if it didnt
work, Id move it. But I saw no reason to
move it if it was working.
Were you following your 18 inches away
with a 4x12 cabinet philosophy back then?
Yeah, I would guess so.
Some sources say Gilmour tracked some

of that album with a Fender Twin. Was
that micd the same way?
I have no memory of that. All I remember
is a 4x12 Hiwatt cabinet and whatever
speakers were in there. Oh yeah, and a
Leslie. On Breathe, for example.
How did you mic that?
Most likely it was fairly distant. Probably
one mic on the top, one mic on the bottom.
Because we were on 16-track, as opposed
to 24-track, I was probably not recording
the Leslie in stereobecause of not having
enough tracks. It would have all been recorded mono anyway, so it was getting a good
spectral response out of the Leslie, rather
than any kind of stereo out of it.
Are the sounds that you were capturing
pretty much what we hear on the final
mix, or was there a lot of processing done
at mixdown?
Yes, David tracked with his effects. He had
a pretty advanced pedalboard for the period. I mean, I dont know if it was actually
a pedalboard, but he had pedals. He had
phasing pedals and wah-wah pedals and all
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kinds of things. And there was also a thing

made by EMS called the HiFli, which was
a sort of console device that had an early
form of chorusing on it and some other
effects. It was an interesting box.
Youve said in the past that youre not a
big fan of compression, except for managing out-of-control dynamics. Did you
use much compression on the Dark Side
of the Moon mixdown?
What generally tended to happen was
either no compression or compression on
everything except the drums, because I
totally hatewith a vengeancecompressing drums. So, although [producer] Chris
Thomas wanted to compress everything, I
talked him into compressing just the instruments and vocals, but not the drums.
You created some pretty cool sounds with
very little studio gear on Dark Side
basically, an EMI console, a 16-track tape
machine, Fairchild limiters, and an EMT
plate reverb.
Every sort of time-based process was done
with tapethere were no digital boxes
then. We might have had as many as five
or six tape machines doing various delays,
reverb delays, and so on. I distinctly
remember on the mix having to borrow
tape machines from other rooms to get
delays and stuff.
There were a lot of tape loops, too.
Did you do a lot of actual tape editing
in addition?
Oh, plenty. The 16-track was an edited
tape. Youd think that all the connecting of
the songs was done at the mix stage, but it
wasnt. It was all there on the master tracks.
There was a break between side one and
side two, just as there was on the vinyl, but
you could play the whole multitrack as a
continuous piece, so everything was there.
You actually did the edits right on the
master recording, the master multitrack?
Yeah. That was a challenge for getting tracks
well played, getting the right instruments in
the right places and not having any problems at the crossovers [tape splice points].
To do a new take, you had to erase the
old take. So the new one always had to
be betterbecause you couldnt click
undo like we do digitally today, and you
parsons Go-To mics

The Neumann U47, U 67, and U 87 microphones mentioned by Alan Parsons in this
interview have probably been used to record more hit records in more styles of music
than just about any other microphone models. Theyre quite expensiveespecially
vintage U 47s and U 67sas are newer reproductions like those from Telefunken and
Bock Audio. However, below weve also listed some quality alternatives that will impart
much of their magic at a pretty reasonable price.
Neumann u 47
Manufactured from 1949 to 1965, the U 47 was a large-diaphragm tube condenser microphone with a switchable polar pattern. It is outstandingly versatile and excels on almost all sources,
including vocals and guitars. It has a clean sound with good presence and nice top-end warmth. The Beatles producer, George
Martin, has stated that the U 47 is his favorite microphone.
In 1969, the U 47 FETa very different microphone with
solid-state electronicswas released. Many engineers prefer
the FET version for recording kick drums and upright bass.
Neumann u 67
In the early 60s, the U 67 was introduced to address some
complaints about the U 47some engineers felt the U 47 could
be harsh and bass-heavy when used for close-up vocal recording, which was becoming popular at the time. The U 67 is still
a large-diaphragm tube condenser, but it adds a bass roll-off
switch and has a slightly reduced upper midrange. It is also very
versatile, with a large diaphragm, switchable polar patterns, and
a tube-based condenser design. The U 67 became the studiostandard workhorse for many engineers and producers.
Neumann u 87
The Neumann U 87 is among the most widely used mics in the
professional studio market. Its a solid-state condenser with a
large diaphragm and switchable polar patterns. Many engineers
rely on it for vocals, but it has been used for almost all applications, including orchestra, drums (Bruce Swedien of Count
Basie, Duke Ellington, and Michael Jackson fame swears by it
for toms), electric guitar, and more.
Large-diaphragm tube condenser alternatives: Mojave Audio MA-200
($1,095 street), Rode K2 ($699 street), SE Electronics Z5600a ($849 street), Avantone
Audio CV-12 ($499 street), or Studio Projects T3 ($599 street)
Large-diaphragm solid-state condenser alternatives: Mojave Audio MA-201
FET ($695 street), Audio-Technica AT2035 ($149 street), Rode NT1000 ($329 street),
Blue Bluebird ($299 street), AKG Perception 220 ($179 street)
didnt have a bunch of tracks to spare

like we have now with digital audio
workstations (DAWs).
Well, we ended up second generation in order
to make more tracks available. [Ed. Note:
Second generation refers to a bounce or submix
from one multitrack tape machine to a second

multitrack tape machine to free up tracks for
additional overdubs.] There were even some
songs, I cant remember which ones specifically, where the bass and all drums were reduced
to two tracks on the second-generation tape.
premierguitar.com
Parsons advice for going into the studio is to do the processing at the front end, focusing on the playing and composition of the music rather
than the equipment.
It mustve been a pretty big challenge to

balance the drums and bass and still have
them sound good when everything else
was laid on top later.
That was definitely a challenge [laughs].
It was, Oh my God, I hope Ive got this
rightbecause I cant go back!
Sometimes having limited options is
better than having too many options.
Looking back, do you think those limitations were somehow an advantage?
Oh, I agree with that totally. There are far
too many decisions that can be made later
now. Im all for committing at the earliest
possible moment.
Its been almost 40 years since Dark Side
came out, but its still regarded by many
as an audiophile master recording. What
do you attribute that to?
I dont take all the credit. I mean, the band
members were experienced in the studio.
They arguably were the most technically
minded band out there. They knew what
a recording studio was capable of, and they
took full advantage. And they worked me
hardthey always worked their engineers
hard to push the barriers. Theres no better
band for an engineer to cut his teeth on,

frankly [laughs].
Whats your advice for musicians wanting to capture that quality of sounds in a
home studio or a project studio?
Just get the band playing. Use good mics and
good mic preamps and so on, and then leave it
alone. Do the processing at the front endin
the playing and in the composition. For the Art
and Science of Sound Recording, we did a master
class at the Village Studios and we got the top
guys: Nathan East [Eric Clapton, Four Play,
Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock] on bass, Rami
Jaffee [Wallflowers, Foo Fighters] on keyboards,
Vinnie Coliauta [Sting, Allan Holdsworth,
Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck] on drums, and Michael
Thompson [master L.A. session guitarist] on
guitar. We laid down a track, and it sounded
great with no plug-ins, no special sound processing. Everybody was just making their own
good sounds. Nathan had his own little pedal
box and Michael had a rack full of gear, so they
made it sound good at the source and then
we just committed it to diskand it sounded
great. Theres another general attitude that the
more time you spend experimenting and turning sounds inside out, the better it will get. But
its often the reverse that is true.
Any tips for guitarists recording at home?

The technology has evolved. Youve got all
these Line 6 Pods and SansAmp devices
to get nice distortion out of. But you
know, theres no substitute for a great lead
soundlike a vintage Les Paul through a
Marshall amplifier. I still think thats a great
guitar soundand hard to get any other
way. So much of it is in the playing, as well.
Im not an electric guitar playerIve got a
rig here at home, and when I play it sounds
like utter crapbut when I get a guitarist
in here, he makes it absolutely sing [laughs].
So that makes a huge difference. The standard of musicianship, quite apart from the
other stuff, is such a huge contribution to
the way a guitar sounds.
Any final thoughts youd like to add?
Id just like to add one thing: Never be
frightened to add bottom end if youre a
guitarist. I often do that. Electric guitars can
sound hard and thin, and rather than try
and remove that hardness, I add some bottom end on the console to smooth it out.
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FEATURE > LEE RANALdO
Amid uncertainty about

Sonic Youths future,
intrepid alt-rock pioneer
Lee Ranaldo plows ahead
with Between the Times
and the Tidesa solo LP
that finds the Jazzmastertoting icon collaborating
with Nels Cline and avantrock composer Alan Licht
on songs that deftly bridge
pop, avant, and the singersongwriter ethos.
mong dedicated Sonic Youth

fans, its long been something of an inside jokethe
Lee song. Almost as a matter
of ritual, its been the last song
on side one of the LP, concealed deep within the glorious
cacophony. Yet it always seemed
to serve an artful purpose in the
grand scheme of every Sonic
Youth record. After a few doses
of the bands signature harrowing howl and the feral yowl of
bizarro-tuned Jazzmasters and
Jaguars, the Lee song was a
breather, the eye of the storm, an

emotive touch, and often a touch
of pop/rock classicism amid the
cyclone swirl. Many Lee songs are
classics in the Sonic Youth canonMote from Goo, Karen
Koltrane from A Thousand
Leaves, In the Kingdom from
Evol. And they gave every Sonic
Youth album a depth, weight,
and beautiful counterpoint to the
bands more unbridled side.
Sonic Youths future is now
uncertain. Lee Ranaldo the
songwriter, however, may be just
Contd on p.115
By charles saufley
Photo by Stefano Giovannini
premierguitar.com
hen youve spent the last 30

years changing the vocabulary
of the electric guitar, you can call on
some heavy friends. Lee Ranaldo called
on some of the heaviest for Between
the Times and the Tides. To fans whove
come to know Nels Cline through his
high-profile work with Wilco in the
last half decade, it may be a surprise to
know that Cline spent years as the lowkey guitar king of the free-jazz improv
underground. It should come as no surprise, then, that Cline and Ranaldo
who has actively championed the avant
underground for decadeshave collaborated in improvisational situations
before, including 2001s Four Guitars
Live gig with Thurston Moore and
Carlos Giffoni. While motoring between
Wilco gigs, Cline shared some thoughts
on working with his old buddy, mentor,
and brother in sonic mayhem.
Its cool to be working with Lee
again, I gather?
Im really proud to be on the record.
Ive admired Lees work with Sonic
Youth, but also with Kevin Drumm and
Text of Light. So I was thrilled. But its
funny, I always seem to be the last guy
to overdub on a record, and that happened here, too. I just went over to the
studio in Hoboken [New Jersey] with
the idea to play on a couple things to
see how it went, and it just kept going.
When I listened to the record, I realized I played on about everything! The
record is so amazing sounding, though.
It has such a beautiful roar to it. To hear
the way the guitars all sound together

and how strong the songs arehearing
it made me emotional, frankly. To be
lucky enough to be part of that sound
got to me.
You seem to have such admiration
almost a gratitude, it seemsfor
what Sonic Youths work has meant
to you personally.
Thats very true. The influence Sonic
Youth had on me, personally, is almost
incalculable. Certainly, what they did
with guitars was completely intoxicating and attractive to me. I never
thought about playing or guitar or
sound the same way after I experienced
them. So thats pretty huge.
When I first got into them, around
83 and Confusion Is Sex, I got so into
the whole aesthetic and the way the
band gelled. I thought, This is perfection how can I create something
thats a complete entity like this. By the
time they got to Daydream Nation and
became this kind of rock n roll juggernaut, that was just so huge in every
wayit was hard to not be impressed.
How do you view Sonic Youths influence in the larger musical world?
Well, in the 90s when you started
hearing bands like Unwound and
Polvo doing things with detuned guitars and eighth-note rhythm-section
things, you could spot a very direct
influence. There was also a certain outlook on culturethe way they married
high and low culturethat felt artful
and humorous at the same time. But

mostly it was just that the music was
excruciatingly beautiful, but not in the
sense most people perceive beautiful
and that gave people a different angle
from which to hear music in general.
A lot of that is in what they did with
overtones. Im not sure many people
have been able to touch their sensitivity or their sense of how to create
intoxication with guitar overtones. But
the way that made folks look at harmonic information is really influential,
even if fewer people hear or see that
than the bigger pop culture influence.
Society isnt always so kind to the
avant-garde. Is it weird, after so
many years of toiling in the avantgarde scene, to look up and think,
Whoa! Theres Lee theres Alan
Licht were all still around!?
Yeah, man! Absolutely. Im so thankful. But when I think about how frail
the body can be and how hard basic
premierguitar.com
Contd from p.113
survival can be, yeah, to get to sit

there and work out guitar sounds
with Lee or work with Thurston
its not lost on me for a second how
lucky I am. The avant-garde has less
presence in the media right now, but
thats certainly not for lack of effort
from Lee and Sonic Youth. Their
efforts to expose the world to the
avant-garde are totally heroic, but
also totally natural.
hitting his stride. The evidence is Between

the Times and the Tides, a collection of 10
tunes that encapsulates both the love of
melody that the young Ranaldo loved in
the work of the Beatles and Crosby, Stills,
Nash & Young and the sense of adventure
and abandon that made Sonic Youth one
of the most vital and original bands of the
last 30 years.
Between the Times and the Tides began as a
solo effort, but it quickly evolved into a band
effort featuring one the nastiest set of ringers
you could ever swindle: Former underground

hero, now-Wilco ace Nels Cline and New
York avant lifer Alan Licht support Ranaldo
on guitar, organist John Medeski of Medeski
Martin & Wood contributes a lush Pink
Floyd-ian bed of Farfisa and Hammond
organ, and Sonic Youth drummer Steve
Shelley acts as rhythm anchor. They are
the bedrock for a set of songs teeming with
guitar textures thatll have listeners doing
aural double takesand that will undoubtedly surprise many Sonic Youth fans. Its a
remarkable union of sonics and song.
After playing with Lee in a lot of

improvised contexts, was it weird
to work in the realm of actual
songs and compositions?
No, not at all. I used to grapple with
the implications of occupying those
two divergent streams, but I dont
really live in that mode of thought
anymore. And knowing Lee and
Thurston over the years and watching how open and spontaneous they
can be in any world, in any way,
thats helped immensely.
Xtina as I Knew Her is a very
strong example of those two worlds
colliding. Its deep in abstract textures and ripping solo work.
Well, Lee was so relaxedit was just a
very relaxed situation. He just let me
come up with whatever idea I wanted,
directing me just a little. And then,
because we were using Pro Tools, he
could grab whatever parts he liked.
But I was surprised how much he
took and how audible he made it.
Do you have any favorite moments
on the record?
I listened to it recently in the car and
I didnt want to get out of the car. I
think thats when I got really emotional about it. I grew up listening to
music in the car in L.A., and getting
that vibe and all the moodsfrom
the heavy riffage to the lap steel
was really cool. Theres both drama
and modesty in it, and things like
the lap steel parts that were so spontaneous and inspired.
premierguitar.com
Why did this album happen nowdid

you feel like things were fermenting, laying dormant?
Things werent really fermenting. They got
rolling really quickly, and it just kept going
from start to finish. Ive given up asking
myself why it happened the way it did. It
was very naturalistic and unforcedand
really fun. The songs had a genesis in an
invitation to do an acoustic show in the
south of France. I figured Id do some
Sonic Youth songs, but then this song
popped up out of working on those, and
then a few more came out of that, and
I started thinking maybe Id do a solo
acoustic record with some singing. But one
thing led to another, and the next thing
I knew Steve was playing on some things
that sounded like band stuff. Then Irwin
[Menken, bassist] came over and it just
happened. It was pretty magical.
I was really excited to get Alan Licht
who I play with in a lot of different improvisational contextsin there, too. Hes an
amazing guitar player, and I never get to
hear him play straight-ahead leadsbut hes
so good at it, its incredible. Nels and John
Medeski really round things out on guitar
and organin a monster way, obviously.
Given that this is your first foray into
solo singer-songwriter work, did you
approach the guitar work differently than
you would with Sonic Youth?
Even though I overdubbed some leads, I
was really just focusing on playing rhythm
guitar and letting Alan or Nels take solos or
countermelodies. I wanted to do less. The
songs were written on acoustics, and some
had intricate picking patterns that were
integral to the song, so I did a lot more
purely rhythm work than I might have in
Sonic Youth.
to some extent. It changes that dynamic and

the way we all approached the guitar layers.
everything from smoking leads to loops and

stuffjust incredible.
Keith Richards once talked about dreading playing alone after being in a twoguitar band for so long. Given how many
years youve been locking horns with
Thurston [Moore] in Sonic Youth, did
you share that apprehension?
I didnt really just because they were songs
Id started playing alone. But I also knew I
didnt want to be the only guitar player, and
I thought Alan and Nels could really add
something to these songs. But theres also
a lot of keyboard, which sets it apart from
Sonic Youth and changes what the guitars do
Youve worked with Alan and Nels in

improv situations for years. Now youre
working in the context of compositions
and songs. Did you react any differently
to each other?
It wasnt different at all, which was so cool.
They were just so inventive with the simple
demos I gave them. Alan came back with
these parts that were exactly what youd
want a second guitar to playpicking
when Im strumming, strumming when
Im picking. His parts really locked the
songs together. And Nels did coloration on
Parts of it really evoke a Neil Young/

Steven Stills- or Tom Verlaine/Richard
Lloyd-style interplay.
Those are such major touchstones for
me. Alan actually played with Tom, so he
knows that dynamic well. But, yeah, getting in that territory is a thrillespecially
with Alan and Nels, who can really do
anything between them.
Ranaldo onstage with a

Travis Bean TB1000S.
Photo by David Emery
At times, the tunes have a David Crosbyor Joni Mitchell-type feeltheres often a
melancholy feel but also something thats
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I figured Id do some Sonic Youth songs,

but then this song popped up out of
working on those, and then a few more
came out of that, and I started thinking
maybe Id do a solo acoustic record.
Ranaldo with one of his

many Jazzblasters.
Photo by Kirstie Shanley
simultaneously very open and very

sturdy in the guitar parts.
So much of that is the tuningsand there
are a lot of them on this record. And it
definitely came from listening to Crosby
and Joni. I mean, there are parts of this
record that I actually referred to as the
Joni part when we were running through
them. I played almost entirely in alternate
tunings, and Alan is exclusively in standard, but they fit together very well. Nels
played some drop tunings for lap steel,
but otherwise he was in standard, too.
Did you use any new tunings that you
hadnt tinkered with elsewhere?
Almost every one is new to this record.
Its actually the big problem, because Ill
have to take more guitars on the road
than I wanted to. There are six or seven
tunings for 10 songs. Theres only one
Sonic Youth tuning that goes back several years. Hopefully, I wont have to bring
more than four guitars, or so. I actually
did a song in standard, which is maybe
the only song Ive done in standard
since the very first Sonic Youth record. I
played in DDAEAD [string gauges
.013, .017, .028, .032, .044, .054] on
Angles, Shouts, and Stranded. On
Xtina and Off the Wall, I played in
DA#DFCA# [.017, .020, .026,
.032, .047, .054]. And on Hammer
Blows, I used CGCCCG [.018,
.014, .028, .035, .045, .056].
Do you still work with a lot of unisons?
I do, but I was discovering most of these
tunings as I wrote. I wasnt looking for
anything in particular. The song would
often steer things in a certain direction.
Youve always seemed to have a feel for
spare, impressionistic pieces, like
premierguitar.com
Amps: Fender Super Reverb, Fender Deluxe, Ampeg Jet,

ZT Lunchbox
Guitars: Fender Lee Ranaldo Signature Jazzmaster (third from
left), various Fender Jazzblasters (Jazzmasters with Wide Range
humbuckers), Saul Koll Jazzmaster-style semi-hollowbody (far left,
note the behind-the-bridge pickup), Jarrell JZH-1x (second from left),
Fender Telecaster Deluxe (second from right)
Hoarfrost [from SYs A Thousand

Leaves]pieces that feel pretty solitary.
Is there an appeal in those structures as a
guitar player?
I do love to hear a lot of tonality and the
interplay of notes. That comes from playing
a lot of acoustic guitar, which Ive always
done. And those spare arrangements are a
great way to get down deep into that interplay. We rarely let ourselves get as delicate as
Hoarfrost in Sonic Youth, though. But
that might be my favorite recording of one of
my songs in the whole Sonic Youth catalog.
Theres a lot of guitar-generated ambience on this record.
That came from layering the three of us.
I knew what I wanted for a rhythm bed,
but then Alan and Nels were so good with
countermelodies that there was a lot of stuff
to play with. So it came down to this really
fun process of layering and arranging in the
Effects: Ibanez AD-80 analog delay, BJF Electronics Honey

Bee, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive
Strings and Picks: Ernie Ball strings (various gauges,
depending on tuning), Jim Dunlop picks
Thurston [Moore] and I have really dialed

in our tones in recent yearsthough I think
our real accomplishment was that we got
better at mixing our guitars together.
mixput those two here, take me out there,
then me and Alan therethose kinds of
things. I really, really enjoyed that part of it.
Xtina as I Knew Her seems to have very
deep layers.
That one is the most layered. It was just a
rhythm track, then Alan came in and put
some chordal stuff on it and very purposefully didnt play in some sections. Then Nels
put on the fiery riffs and we traded back
and forth on the leadsmine were more
Neil Young-like and his were more fluid.
But as dense as it sounds, its not quite as
wall-of-sound as it might seem. Its just a

few guitars playing off a rhythm section and
then John Agnello, who mixed the thing,
used a lot of short delay to spread the tracks
out a bitit almost makes it kind of a blur.
Did you use any new gear or consciously
try to differentiate this record from a Sonic
Youth record from a sound perspective?
No, I didnt think about it like that. I
played a lot of my Jazzblasters [Fender
Jazzmasters customized with Fender
Wide Range humbuckers from old Tele
Thinlines], which have a very strong
premierguitar.com
Youve cultivated a very distinct tone over

the last 10 years or so.
Thurston and I have really dialed in our
tones in recent yearsthough I think our
real accomplishment was that we got better
at mixing our guitars together. And we were
so good at it in a way that I really havent
thought about it in a long timewhose
tone was whose. I had just started to hear
things as this bigger whole.
Youve mentioned in the past that youve
always liked Fender amps for the way
they project. Are you still working primarily with Fender amps?
Photo by Fray Ranaldo
familiarity for me. I played one new guitara Jarrell JZH-1x, which is pretty cool.
I used that on the standard-tuning stuff. It
holds standard tuning really well and is a
very nice-playing guitar.
Effects-wise, the big change is that Im
using so much less. I used an Ibanez AD-80
delay and a few distortion pedalsa BJF
Electronics Honey Bee and a Voodoo Lab
Sparkle Driveand thats pretty much it. Im
not even using a loop pedal, which is unusual
for me. Alan is doing much more of the
coloration in the live setting, so he has a lot
more pedals than me. My rig is really pretty
simplified, and thats nice for a change.
I could never play through a Marshall, really, because I feel like it throws the sounds
away from you. Theyre good onstage in
some instances, because they almost feel
like they throw the sound past you. Fenders
always seem to bloom right there in front
of you. Theyre loud in a different waya
more experiential way. In terms of coloration, I find they just sound better. They
have that nice, pleasing roundness to them.
Right now, though, Ive been looking
to play through smaller amps. Weve been
For a taste of Lee Ranaldos screaming sonic mayhem,

check out the following clips on YouTube.
The first gig with Ranaldos new band in Brooklyn in
October 2011. Here the band takes on standout Xtina As
I Knew Her. Alan Licht and Ranaldo each take a lead.
you tube Search term: Lee Ranaldo Xtina live
in Brooklyn
Mote is one of the strongest Lee Ranaldo songs in the

Sonic Youth catalog. Here the band works out a pretty
screaming version complete with delay and feedback
breakdown at a European festival in the early 2000s.
you tube Search term: Sonic Youth Live Mote
What We Know was a highlight on the last Sonic Youth

LP, The Eternala perfect example of how Lee and
Sonic Youth could unite the tuneful and the howling.
you tube Search term: Sonic Youth - What We Know
(2009/10/27)
trying a lot more 20-watt amps and things

like that. For a long time, Super Reverbs
have just been the beginning and end of
things for me. They just sound great every
time. But this time I looked at a lot of
stuff Ive never used before, and Im still
in testing mode. Sonic Youths guitar tech,
Eric Baecht, is out on tour with Wilco
doing Nels stuff, so he sends me pictures
of whats out there and what theyre messing with. Jeff Tweedy was playing out of
a Tex [a Tex Amps Texosound Bernie 15]
that looked really cool, and I was like,
Whoa, whats the Tex? So I hooked up
with those people and thats been cool.
Ive used a Fender Deluxe. Weve also tried
some stuff by Victoriaa pretty cool amp
that mimics a tweed Deluxe. We tried
out the ZT Lunchbox, which Nels speaks
very highly of, and Im going to try out
the larger version of that [the Club]. Im
playing out of an Ampeg Jet, and I also
tried [Wild Flag vocalist/guitarist] Carrie
Brownsteins 100-Watt Music Man. That
sounded pretty cool, too.
Theres a lot of emotion in these songs
and great imagery, too. Visual artespecially photography and filmis such
a huge part of your life these days. Are
there similarities between that and music
that reinforce each other?
They must. Strangely, a lot of it is about
decision-making and process. Theyre surprisingly similar in that way. Im getting to
a place where Im pretty comfortable with
the process of both, and thats when unexpected, sometimes more natural things happen. It certainly did with this record.
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FEATURE > ESPERANzA SPALdiNG
Grammy-winning, jazz-soul phenom

Esperanza Spalding risked everything
when she left a 10-year classical career
for the jazz scene. Since then, shes
played some of the most prestigious
events in the world, including at the White
House and Nobel Prize ceremonies.
Here she ruminates on fretless bass,
friendship, and the fine art of listening.
By JaMes rotondi
iscovering the bass, says Esperanza

Spalding, was like waking up and
realizing youre in love with a co-worker.
Although she moved to upright bass at the
tender age of 15, the 27-year-old winner of
Best New Artist at last years Grammys was
already a classical concertmaster with 10
years of violin study and performance experience in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.
Switching to bass carried a slightly scandalous whiff in Spaldings previous circles,
but it didnt matterthe appeal of jazz
greats like Slam Stewart, Scott LaFaro, and
Leroy Vinnegar had won heart. Indeed,

even more than her prodigious talent,
hearther ability to transmit a certain
kind of personal vision and energy that is
all her ownis what Pat Metheny once
described as Spaldings X factor.
That certainly extends to her bass
playing. As demonstrated on her second
album, 2010s Chamber Music Society,
whether shes playing a 7/8 or 3/4 upright
double-bass, Spalding shows a technical command thats as at home with the
colors of Bartk and Webern as it is with
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Photo By Carlos Pericas, Courtesy of Montuno
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The Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz

bass appears to be a good fit
for Esperanza Spalding, whose
chops have been compared to the
legendary Jaco. Photo By Carlos
Pericas, Courtesy of Montuno
the ghost notes and broad swaths of sound

that Paul Chambers laid down on Kind of
Blue. And then theres her fretless electric
work, which has an energy and phrasing
reminiscent of Jaco Pastorius on Teen
Town and Come On, Come Over, with
a loaded lower-mid attack and heavily
syncopated lines that suggest the middle
ground between popping and rest-stroke.
Spaldinga mix of African American,
Welsh, Latin, and Native American ancestryis both lovely and instantly endearing.
Shes as likely to express herself humbly as
she is to be firm about her many strengths
and her point of view. That combination is
part of what makes her latest album, Radio
Music Society, such a compelling hybrid
and such an arresting listen. Fusing AfroCuban, bop, chamber music, jazz vocalese,
and R&B with the dizzying chanteuse
streak of her elastic vocals, the album is
shot through with savvy lyrics that take
on real-world subjects like racial pride
and identity (Black Gold), the nature
of friendship (Cinnamon Tree), and the
I play fretless
partly because
frets defy my
capacity to
understand.
price of war (Vague Suspicions). And
then theres the fact that she sings in perfect Portuguese.
If all that sounds improbably mature
and totally kick-ass for someone still in
their mid-20s, well, it is. Still, given that
Spalding is the first jazz artist ever to win
a Grammy for Best New Artistand
the youngest instructor ever hired by her
alma mater, Berklee College of Musicit
does help cement the less-than-vague
suspicion that Spalding is something
premierguitar.com
Esperanza Spalding had

been playing violin for a
decade when she made the
switch to upright bass at age
15. Photo By Carlos Pericas,
Courtesy of Montuno
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Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz bass, Godin A5

Semi-Acoustic 5-string prototype with L.R. Baggs
undersaddle ribbon transducer, 7/8 double bass
of unknown origin (studio only), 7/8 or 3/4 double
basses provided by venues (live)
Aguilar Tone Hammer 500 head driving two
Aguilar SL 112 cabinets with neodymium drivers
and custom crossovers (for electric basses), David
Gage Realist pickup (uprights), DPA 4099 mic
clipped near the bridge position (uprights)
Dean Markley Blue Steel flatwound medium sets
(.050 .105), Thomastik-Infeld upright strings
Why?
Its a whole different philosophy of being in
tune. If you grow up playing violin, everything is about how you get to the right note
in time. Then, if you land on the wrong
note, how do you quickly adjust? All these
things really revolve around intonation.
Intonation becomes about distance and
timehow much time do I need to get a
particular distance across the fingerboard?
And your ear guides so much of what you
do when youre playing a fretless instrument: So much depends on being able to
quickly hear how close you are to the pitch.
Which instruments are you mostly
playing these days?
For electrics, Im playing a Fender Jaco
Pastorius Jazz bass and a Godin A5 SemiAcoustic 5-string, which has an L.R. Baggs
undersaddle ribbon transducer. The Godin
is really coolit just sounds beautiful. It
was different for them, and different for
me, so they encouraged me to experiment
with it. For uprights, I play a 7/8 double
of a smoldering cross between a Jaco

Pastorius and an Adele.
You began on the violin and upright
before picking up electric bass. How
does the one inform the otherwhats
the hand-off?
Functionally, there are a lot of things
that translate across the two, but the
situations Ive played electric in are so
distinctly electric. I wouldnt have tried
to do that music on upright, and vice
versa, so its hard to tell. I will say that
things that are second nature for me on
upright, I really need to think about
on electric.
Fretless bass is a very difficult instrument to play wellyou almost need
experience with an upright to do it.
Well, I play fretless partly because frets
defy my capacity to understand. Never
having played a fretted instrument,
the frets just wowI dont know
where to begin on a fretted instrument!
With a guitar, Im down with that. I
get it: For chords, it helps you stay in
the right place. But on the bass, with
melodic movement and lines, it really
trips me up.
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bass. Its the one bass Ive always used.

Luthiers cant come to a consensus on who
made it or when, but evidently it was an
orchestra bass for years until the owner
died and the family sold it. Its just really
alive and really opensuper resonant. But
I dont travel with it. On the road, I just
ask for a 7/8 or 3/4 bass, hope its cool,
and go for it.
Youve played with some legendary musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Prince,
and Herbie Hancock. But for jazz nuts, a
couple of them[legendary jazz drummers] Billy Hart and Jack DeJohnette
are just Holy crap!
Thats how I feelwoo! I mean, theyre
my friends, and I love and admire them,
so if I feel I have something to offer them
by being on the project, why not invite
them to play on my album? I asked Billy
to play on my album after a gig at the
Village Vanguard, and he said, Sure kid,
but youre never going to call me. But of
course, I did, and he just came in and laid
down that crazy, beautiful groove on Hold
Spaldings approach to
playing with jazzs elite is to
listen to the other players
and forget that shes playing
at all. By Carlos Pericas,
Courtesy of Montuno
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The songs that capture my attention

the ones that really feel done in
the endare the ones where
I have to really dig to find out
what its talking about.
on Me. I got to know Jack from doing a
few gigs with Herbie Hancock. We hit it
offjust had a really beautiful rapport as
human beings, talking about music and
life. It was like, Lets do thisIll play
on your record [DeJohnettes new Sound
Travels], and youll play on mine.
Jack is such a musical drummerits as if
hes playing a little orchestra.
Thats something I really like about Terri
Lyne Carrington, too. Its not like, I
worked out a bunch of shit on the drums,
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and Im going to play it. Its more like shes

orchestrating around the kit, so it sounds
like multiple percussion instruments being
played at once. And yeah, Jack is the same
way. Hes not locked into patterns. He
comes up with the right combination of
notes and rhythms for the context of every
moment, and thats really rare.
You take on some pretty potent topics, and you also do something very few
young songwriters doyou write about
stuff other than yourself.
I talk about myself an awful lot, doing

so many interviews, and Im just not that
interesting to myself! I find a lot of inspiration in the people I know and the world
around me, and if Im going to spend all
this time that it takes to put together a
song that Im happy with, its got to keep
me interested. The songs that capture my
attentionthe ones that really feel done in
the endare the ones where I have to really
dig to find out what its talking about.
Cinnamon Tree was a real challenge. Sure,
the metaphor was there first, this little nickname, but how to unpack that, turn that
little phrase into a song and a story about
friendship?
Youve been quoted as saying you write
songs and albums in fragments, yet your
albums hang together very nicely
despite being stylistically diverse. How do
you pull that off?
Well, I make a record because the music
seems like its got something to tell.
Through the process of unpacking the
songs, step by step, youre just trying to
Check out Ms. Spalding in action in the following YouTube clips.

Shot live in San Sebastian, Spain, in 2009, this clip shows
Spalding and her band playing a spirited version of I
Know You Know, plus some inspired blowing on both
upright and electric.
youtube search term: Esperanza Spalding I Know
You Know/Smile Like That (Live in San Sebastian July 23,
2009 3/9)
At this January 2009 tribute to Stevie Wonder at the White

House, Spalding is stunning in so many wayswith her
slippery upright playing, her sultry voice, her classy couture, and her beautiful smile.
youtube search term: Esperanza Spalding Live at The
White House. Really amazing.
In this gorgeously moody clip, Spalding proves shes as

adept with a bow as she is playing fingerstyleand the
vocal work is mind blowing.
youtube search term: Esperanza Spalding - Wild Is
the Wind (Live in San Sebastian July 23, 2009 - 5/9)
do service to the music. So if it seems like

some dissonance is in order, then thats
what you do. If its a good place for a
simple IV-I cadence, Ill do that. Theres not
a guiding principle that comes from outside
the music. The guiding principle comes
from within each song and from within
each ensemble.
So you take it one song at a time, without
any sort of overarching theme?
Yeahwhether its Esperanza Spalding,
Chamber Music Society, or Radio Music
Society, its been a song-by-song process,
and then when I look at the final list of
songs, I figure the ensemble will give it
the color that will connect the whole
album. The same is true for bass lines and
bass playing.
Ive talked about this in terms of playing
with [veteran jazz saxophonist] Joe Lovano,
regarding playing between the two drummers. With that group, theres no single
approach that works. Theres no specific
way of playing that you can count on.
Im just listening. In fact, I try to almost
pretend that Im not playing at alljust to
Communication
is ultimately what
everybody has
signed up for when
they get on the
bandstand. They
are there to communicate honestly and
truthfully and even
compassionately.
listen, from the outside, to the full sound
coming off the stage. Then, as an arranger/
composer, I want to place the bass part so
that it will do the most good for the music
happening at that moment. And its different every nighteven the same song can be
really different, night to night.
Theres a great line [Thelonious] Monk
wrote about how hed heard a lot of universities had a class called Communications.
And he said, I dont know what that class

is for, but I hope they teach deep listening and loving speech! Communication
is ultimately what everybody has signed
up for when they get on the bandstand.
They are there to communicate honestly
and truthfully and even compassionately.
You are trying to contribute to a flowing
conversation in time, so you listen in order
to be better able to speak, and to ask questions, and to make sense.
What sorts of questions?
You can offer opinions. You can ask,
Could you describe that further? Or,
Have you ever looked at it from this
perspective? Or you can say, No, no,
noIve heard that shit before and I dont
agree! Its like theres a flowing, morphing conversation, so of course you have
to listenjust like you would if you were
talking to someone you really cared about
and you wanted to know more about what
they were saying. And its not just jazz.
Great pop bands are made up of musicians
who exercise all those same skills. Thats the
foundation of music.
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NEW
DIY > Acoustic intonAtion
How to
intonAtE
A FLAttoP
GuitAr
Although its tricky to fine-tune the intonation on a flattop with a nonadjustable saddle, it can be done. In this DIY article, Nashville repairman
John LeVan walks you step-by-step through the process of making a new,
compensated bone saddle and setting up your acoustic to play like a dream.
By John LeVan
Photos By arieL eLLis
ecently, a storied late-90s Taylor 914

showed up at my shop. The first time I
worked on this guitar was back in the 90s after I
moved my repair operation to Nashvilles Music
Row. At the time it was built, this was one of
Taylors premium Grand Auditorium models.
This particular 914 has a fascinating history.
It belongs to one of my first customers, Nathan
Paul Chapman, who is a two-time Grammywinning producer and guitarist. Chapman has
produced records for many top artists, including
Taylor Swift, Lionel Richie, Shania Twain, Sara
Evans, The Band Perry, and the Invite. This was
Nathans first real acoustic guitar, and he used
it as his workhorse for Taylor Swifts 2006 multiplatinum, self-titled debut. Not on a few songs,
but throughout the entire album.
Over the years, this 914 has logged many miles
and been featured on countless sessions, and generally has had the living daylights played out of it.
When Chapman noticed the guitar wasnt performing as well as it once did, he brought it in to see if
we could coax it back into tip-top shape. To have
the guitar return to my bench after over a decade
was cool, but I knew it would need some work.
Getting the Lay of the Land
Before I do anything, I ask my clients several
important questions to help me dial in the guitar
to the player. Since technique differs from one
guitarist to another, this background information
premierguitar.com
is crucial for properly setting up a guitar after Ive

completed any repairs or modifications.
These are the questions I ask: What tuning do
you use? Do you use a flatpick? If so, what size and
thickness? How hard do you pick and strum the guitar, and do you play with a light, medium, or heavy
fretting-hand touch? If you play fingerstyle, do you
attack the strings with your nails, fingerpicks, or
fingertips? What styles of music do you play? What
gauge strings do you use? Do you use a capo?
Though I was familiar with Chapmans playing, I ran these questions by him to be sure I
understood how he planned to use this 914.
Armed with the information he gave me, I was
ready to start work on the guitar.
Preliminary Evaluation
Always begin any project by taking essential measurements. This information serves as a baseline
for any adjustments and also helps pinpoint any
problems. Write these measurements down, so
you can refer to them at any time during the
setup process.
Here are the four preliminary measurements:
1. Action at the 12th fret.
2. Neck relief.
3. Action at the 1st fret.
4. Intonation.
Lets go through these measuring procedures,
one at a time.
tools and Materials

You need for this
intonation Project
Strobe tuner
String action gauge
Fretboard radius gauges
Truss rod wrench
Small screwdriver for
truss rod cover
Bone saddle blank
14" radius block
Self-adhesive 80-, 400-,
and 600-grit sandpaper
Ultra-fine #0000
steel wool
Miniature carbide files
Gauged nut slotting
files
Mechanical pencil
Vise
Low-tack painters
masking tape
String winder and cutter
Fresh strings
Small towel or
protective cloth
Lemon oil or commercial fretboard lubricant
1. Tune
the guitar to concert pitch. If the strings

are totally shot, restring
first.
2. Clamp a capo on top of
(not behind) the 1st fret
(Photo 1). By doing
this, you create a zero
fret and temporarily
remove the nut from

the action equation.
This allows you to initially focus on saddle
height and neck relief.
3. Use an action gauge
(or precision ruler)
to measure the string
height at the 12th fret.
Measure from the bottom of the string to

the top of the fret.
On Chapmans
914, the height was
6/64" on the 1st string
and 7/64" on the 6th
string. This is very
high action!
STEP 3
Measure the Action

A guitars actionhow far the strings sit above the fretboarddetermines its playability.
Our journey begins here:
Measure the Action at

the 1st Fret
Another factor in playability is
how high the strings sit in their
nut slots. If the strings are too
high, the guitar feels stiff. If they
sit too low, youll get a buzz
when you play the open strings.
1. Remove the capo and measure the distance between
the bottom of the 1st string
and the top of the 1st fret.
2. Repeat the process for all
six strings. When the guitar is set up properly, the
gap should incrementally
increase from the 1st to
the 6th string to accommodate their progressively
thicker gauges.
At the 914s 1st fret,
the 1st string was 2/64"
above the fret and the
6th string measured just
over 2/64". Again, this is
rather high, especially on
the treble strings.
STEP 4
STEP 1
check the intonation

Next, I use a strobe tuner to
check the intonation. Heres
how it works:
1. Tune each string with
the strobe using 12th-fret
harmonics.
2. Starting with the 1st string,
play the 12th-fret harmonic as a reference and
then fret the same note.
The goal is to have the
fretted note match the harmonic. If the fretted note
is sharp or flat, write down
how many cents (plus or
minus) it deviates from
the reference harmonic.
3. Repeat the process for
strings 2-6. Double-check
the tuning of each reference
harmonic as you work your
way across the fretboard.
On Chapmans guitar, I found most of the
strings were sharp when
played at the 12th fret,
and the amount varied
from +2 to +6 cents.
STEP 2
Before measuring the action,

clamp a capo
directly on top of
the 1st fret.
Measure the neck relief

Its important to determine if the neck has forward (concave) or backward (convex) bow.
Along with saddle height, neck relief also affects the guitars action. Heres the process:
1. With
the capo still

clamped on top of
the 1st fret, hold
down the 6th string at
the 14th fret.
2. Measure the greatest
distance between the
bottom of the string
and the top of the
2
Measuring
neck relief
with an action gauge.
frets (Photo 2). The

largest gap typically
occurs somewhere
between the 7th and
9th fretsessentially
in the middle of the
neck.
The relief was .022"
on this 914, which
meant the neck had

a little more forward
bow than necessary.
Given Chapmans
precise playing style, I
knew I could reduce
the relief and make the
guitar easier to fret up
and down the neck.
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Adjust the relief

Once you have your measurements, youre ready to begin
the process of changing the action.
1. Remove
the truss rod

cover at the headstock. (On some flattops, you access the
truss rod through the
soundhole.)
2. Adjust the truss rod.
Turn the wrench
clockwise to tighten
the rod and reduce forward bow, or counterclockwise to loosen the
rod and reduce back
bow. Go slowly, making very small adjustments and checking
the results each time
you move the rod.
By tightening the
914s truss rod, I
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reduced the relief from

.022" to .015". This is
the proper amount of
relief for Chapmans
playing style. Any less
relief and the strings
would be likely to
rattle against the frets.
Tip: If you have any
doubts about how to
adjust a truss rod, get
a guitar repair book
or study the manual
that came with your
instrument. Many
manufacturers offer free
online instructions for
adjusting the truss rods
on their guitars.
STEP 6
STEP 5
carve a new Bridge saddle

Though it had been played hard for years, Chapmans guitar
was in great overall condition. But the bridge saddle was worn
and rather than spend time trying to intonate it, I decided to
carve a new one instead. With a new saddle, I could simultaneously address the guitars action and intonation problems.
I chose a bone saddle blank because bone sounds great
and is easy to shape with a file. (Important: Saddle slots are
typically either 3/32" or 1/8" wide. Before buying a saddle
blank, you need to measure your guitar to determine which
thickness is required.) To carve the new saddle:
1. Remove
the strings and

the old bridge saddle.
2. Measure the fretboard
radius (Photo 3). Its
very important to
get this right, so you
need to use a precision
radius gauge. A multiradius tool or sets of
individual radius gauges are available from
such luthier supply
companies as StewartMacDonald and
Luthiers Mercantile.
3. Place
your old saddle

against the new blank.
Using a mechanical
pencil, trace the contour of the old saddle
onto the new saddle
blank. This will serve
as a basic template for
shaping the replacement saddle.
Note: If your original
saddle was too tall, youll
have an opportunity
later to remove the extra
material from the new

blank. However, if your
original saddle was too low,
youll need to factor in additional height as you trace
the contour onto the new
saddle. To do this, simply
slide the old saddle up a little higher against the blank
before tracing its contour.
Tip: You can always sand
the saddle lower, but you
cant add height back. When
in doubt, err on the side of
having your blank a bit too
tall initially.
the line you just
traced on the new saddle
blank with the radius
gauge to confirm the
radius is correct.
5. Sand the new saddle blank
to match the old one.
When sanding the new
saddle, its imperative that
its thickness, height, and
length are correct. Getting
this right is harder than it
sounds and requires frequent checking against the
original saddle.
Using 80- and 400-grit
sandpaper adhered to a flat
surface, sand the thickness
of the new saddle so it
fits snugly into the saddle
slot (Photo 4). Sand off
just enough thickness that
you dont have to force the
saddle in, but keep the fit
snug enough that the saddle
doesnt rock inside the slot.
Check your progress by trying to insert the new saddle
into the slot (Photo 5).
Part of this process
involves rounding the
saddles left and right edges
so they fit into the ends
of the slot. An easy way to
do this is to gently roll the
end of the saddle blank as
you sand it on a flat surface (Photo 6). The goal
is to have each end of the
saddle match the curved
4. Check
3. Using a gauge to determine the fretboards radius or curvature. 4. Sanding the saddle blank to fit in the saddle
slot. 5. Frequently check the thickness of the saddle blank as you sand it down. It should fit snugly in the saddle
slot, but dont force it in. 6. Rolling the ends of the saddle blank to round them off. 7. Checking the rounded ends
of the saddle blank against the curved slot ends. 8. Using 80-grit self-adhesive sandpaper and a radius block that
matches your fretboard radius, sand down the top of the saddle to the line you traced on the bone blank. This allows you to reach the desired height while maintaining the correct radius.
end of the bridge slot

(Photo 7). The ends of
the saddle shouldnt bind
or have any room to move
from side to side.
6. Once the blank fits correctly into the saddle
slot, use a radius block
equipped with 80-grit selfadhesive sandpaper to sand
the top of the saddle down
to the line you traced onto
the blank (Photo 8). This
operation sets the basic
saddle height while making

sure the saddle follows the
fretboard curve. Matching
this radius ensures that the
string height will be consistent across the fretboard. If
you dont do this, you may
end up with some strings
too low and others too
high, making the guitar
difficult to play.
I have several wooden
blocks that are carved to
various radii. The 914s
fretboard has a 14" radius,

so I used the corresponding
block and 80-grit sandpaper to sand the new saddle
to the proper height.
Tip: I recommend placing
the radius block in a vise
and sanding the saddle blank
upside down. If you attempt
to sand the saddle blank
while its in the bridge, you
can easily slip and damage
the bridge or the guitars top.
premierguitar.com
STEP 7
Adjust the saddle Height

With the top of the saddle sanded to match the fretboard radius, its time to fine-tune the action.
1. Put
the old strings back

on, tune them to concert
pitch, and measure the
action. At the 12th fret,
my target is to have the
action measure 4/64" for
the 1st string and 5/64"
for the 6th string. If you
use the correct radius
block to shape the top
of the saddle, the strings
will consistently graduate
in height from the 1st to
the 6th string.
2. If the action is too
high, loosen the strings,
remove them from the
bridge, and gently pry
out the saddle. Using a
mechanical pencil, mark
a straight line along the
bottom of the saddle corresponding to the height
you want to remove.
Carefully sand off this

amount from the bottom
of the saddle (Photo 9).
On Chapmans 914,
the action was about
1/64" too high when
I first strung it up.
Following the procedure
above, I sanded off that
amount from the bottom
of the saddle. Finally,
I got the height right
where I wanted it.
Tip: When sanding off
material from the bottom
of the saddle blank, use
straight strokes and move
in only one direction. Its
easier to keep the bottom
of the saddle flatwhich
is what you want for the
best sonic transferwhen
you sand in one direction.
STEP 8
Lower the saddle height by sanding from the bottom of the blanknot
the radiused top. Here Im using 80-grit sandpaper attached to a flat
wood block. To keep the bottom flat and square, I apply even pressure
across the entire saddle.
check string Height at the nut

There was one more issue to resolve before I could finish the
new saddle for this 914. The action at the 1st fret was still a
little too high, so I needed to re-cut the string slots to correct
this. Heres the process:
1. Using
gauged nut slotting files (one for each

string), cut each string
slot to the proper depth.
Begin with the 1st string,
which should measure
1/64" above the 1st fret.
2. Continue to measure and,
if necessary, cut the nut
slots for strings 2-6. Each
string gradually increases

in height from the 1st to
the 6th, which should sit
2/64" above the 1st fret.
Once the action at the
1st fret is correct, youre
ready to begin the final
and most challenging
phase of this project
intonating the guitar.
STEP 9
compensate the new saddle

Intonating a guitar involves adjusting the length of each string
so it will play in tune along the entire fretboard. Conceptually,
its simple, but the process can be complicatedparticularly
on a flattop that doesnt have individually adjustable saddles.
Before we begin carving the saddle to subtly adjust the vibrating length of each string, its good to step back and look at all
the elements that affect a guitars intonation.
The location and condition of the string nut, frets, and bridge
saddle each play a role. For example, if the nut is too far or too
close to the first fret, the guitar will never intonate properly. Also,
if the string slots in the nut are worn, this will also prevent accurate intonation. This is why its a good idea to check the slots and
make sure the nut doesnt need to be replaced.
Frets also play a big part. When the frets begin to wear,
they flatten out and change their point of contact with the
strings, and this also affects the intonation along the fretboard.
Recently, I had a guitar on my bench that had heavy wear on
the first five frets. When I checked the intonation, those were
the only notes that were out of tune. So if your guitar isnt
playing in tune, it could be some frets causing the problem.
Sometimes I come across a bridge saddle slot thats in the
wrong location on the bridge. When thats the case, even after
compensating the saddle, the strings still fret too sharp or too
flat. In this case, you have to relocate the saddle or fill the old
slot and route a new one.
Relocating the nut or saddle, or doing fretwork is beyond
the scope of this article. However, if you have a guitar thats
built correctlylike Chapmans Taylor 914all you need to
do now is carve the intonation points on the bridge saddle.
This is called compensating the saddle.
Essentially, instead of having all the strings cross over the
top of the saddle at its center, youre going to create a unique
resting point for each string. Some of these points will be
closer to the soundhole, others closer to the bridge pins.
Heres how I do it:
1. Mask
the bridge area

around the saddle
with strips of low-tack
blue painters tape.
This will shield the
wood from any slip-ups
from your file.
2. With a mechanical
pencil, mark a line as
described below to indicate where each string
will cross the top of the
saddle. This line will
guide you as you file
(Photo 10).
For the high-E string,
place the line halfway
across the saddle. For
the B string, mark a
line almost at the rear
(pin side) edge of the
saddle (Photo 11). The

G string has its contact
point close to the front
(soundhole) edge of the
saddle, so make its mark
there. For the low E,
mark a line 1/32" from
the rear edge. The A and
D contact points form
a diagonal line between
the low E and G contact
points (Photo 12). The
D will be just a bit back
from the G, and the A
will sit slightly forward
from the low-E string.
3. With the saddle in the
slot, gently begin to file
the bone material away
on either side of the
high-E pencil mark to
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create a narrow ridge. This

ridge will be the contact
point for the high-E string.
For now, keep it about
1/16" wide (this will give
you some room to finetune the intonation point
after youve completed the
basic compensation). As
you file, stop periodically
to check the rear angle
you want it to match the
angle of the high E as it
comes out of the pin hole.
4. Repeat the process for each
string except the B string,
which youll carve separately after removing the
saddle from the bridge.
Remember, the G
strings contact point is
at the front edge of the
saddle; from this point,
the saddle will slope back
down toward the Gs pin
hole. The low E will only
make contact at the rear of

the saddle1/32" from its
edge. The A and D strings
fall in line between the
low E and G (Photo 13).
Once youve removed the
appropriate material from
the rear of the saddle for
these strings, file off any
excess material from the
front side of their contact
points. Giving the strings
a clean leading edge allows
them to vibrate freely.
Tip: Each string will rise
from the pin hole to the saddle at a different angle. You
can easily determine this
angle by turning your file on
its narrow edge and laying
it between the pin hole and
the saddle (Photo 14).
5. Remove
the saddle and

file the compensation
10
12
11
13
10. Marking lines on the saddle to indicate the new contact points to be filed
for each string. Here you can see the compensation marks for the high-E and
B strings. 11. The B strings new contact point will be at the rear of the saddle. 12. The contact points for the G, D, A, and low-E strings form a diagonal
line, with the G close to the front edge of the saddle and the low-E 1/32" from
the rear. 13. Filing away the excess bone behind the new contact points for
the low-E, A, D, and G strings. The G string sits forwardits closest to the
soundholewhile the low-E string sits at the rear edge by the pin holes.
www.fishman.com
Shes ready. Are you?
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point for the B string,

which will be just on the
pin side of the saddle. In
this case, youll remove
material from the front
(soundhole side) of the
saddle to create a ridge
at the rear. Using a small
flat file, carve away the
excess material from
the front of the saddle
(Photos 15 and 16).
Essentially, this creates a
notch in the blank.
8. Put the saddle back in its
slot, install a fresh set of
strings on the guitar, and
tune it to concert pitch.
7. Look at the saddle to
check your compensation.
If youve done the carving
correctly, the high E rides
at the center of the saddle,
the B sits on the rear edge
(Photo 17), the G sits on
the front edge, the low E
sits close to the rear edge,
and the A and D contact
points form a line between
the low E and G.
Now examine the
saddle from the rear:
Do all the strings come
off the saddle and angle
smoothly to their respective pin holes? To minimize string breakage, you
dont want any sharp
edges here. Also, by having each string supported
at the correct angle as it
descends into its pin hole,
you get maximum transfer
of string vibration into
the bridge (Photo 18).
8. Finally, when the saddle
looks right from the front
and rear, check the intonation again. If a string
needs adjustment, file its
contact point forward or
backward accordingly.
9. Remove the saddle and
polish it with 600-grit
sandpaper and a cloth.
While youre at it, clean
the fretboard with ultrafine #0000 steel wool (safe
for fretboards, but dont

let it touch the finish) and
then treat the fretboard and
bridge with lemon oil or a

lubricant like Planet Waves
Hydrate (Photos 19 and
14
16
20). Reinstall the saddle,

string up, tune to concert
pitch, and youre good to go.
15
17
19
18
20
14. Checking the trailing angle for the low-E string as it comes off the saddle. The distance between the pin hole
and the saddle determines this angle, and its important to file it correctly for each string. 15. Filing the B-string
compensation after removing the bridge from the saddle. The mark you made earlier indicates how far into the
saddle you need to file. 16. The B-string notch. 17. The B-string notch seen from the front of the saddle. 18.
Check the trailing edge of each string to confirm there are no sharp edges and each string sits on a correctly
angled surface for optimal volume and sustain. This saddle is now ready to be removed and given a final polish
with 600-grit sandpaper and then a buffing cloth. 19. Cleaning the fretboard with ultra-fine #0000 steel wool. Yay,
shiny frets! 20. Treating the bridge with a soft cloth sprayed with Planet Waves Hydrate.
the wrap
There we have it. To get Chapmans wellloved Taylor back in pro playing condition,
I adjusted the truss rod, tweaked the action
at the nut and saddle, and carved a
compensated bone saddle to give the guitar

a big sound and sweet intonation. This 914
turned out great, and I look forward to hearing it on more hit records!
JOhn LeVan runs a repair shop on Nashvilles Music Row. Through his Guitar Services Workshops, he gives players,
technicians, and retail employees hands-on training in the art of guitar repair. LeVan has written five guitar repair books,
all published by Mel Bay. His bestseller, Guitar Care, setup & Maintenance, is a detailed guide with a forward by Bob
Taylor. LeVan welcomes questions about this article or his books. Drop an email to guitarservices@aol.com or visit guitarservices.com for more info.
premierguitar.com
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www.positivegrid.com
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BuILDer prOfILe > sHErMAn GuitArs
The former Hamer,

Washburn, and
Dean builder takes
boutique shredmachine luthiery
to the extreme
with an approach
that prioritizes
local sourcing and
one-on-one client
engagement.
By Lindsay tuCker
n an atypically warm, late-December Friday afternoon, Mike

Sherman is scrambling to get the last of his holiday orders
out the door. The lone builder of custom extended-range guitars
has been working 12-hour days for the past five years to produce
the 60 or so one-off instruments he sells annually. In the coming
year, however, he says hell be scaling back his annual ambitions by
20 pieces in hopes of working shorter days: The hours are just too
long, he says with a sigh.
Although he was recently featured in Robert Shaws book
Electrified: The Art of the Contemporary Electric Guitar, Sherman
doesnt consider himself a master builder. When I was contacted
about doing it, I thought it was a joke, he says. Still, hes been
premierguitar.com
building since he was 14when he suddenly found himself fatherless and with a garage full of carpentry equipment. I always wanted to be a musician, and my father was a carpenter and a mason,
he explains. When his father passed away, Sherman recalls, my
mom was thinking about selling his equipment, but I said, Yknow
what? Let me start dabbling. Tinkering away in the garage, armed
with dads tools, a few guitar-building books, and plenty of ambition, the teenager built what he now describes as a 7-string, Stratish-looking thing that he was surprised even played. Ive been
hooked ever since.
Before going full-time with his own company, Sherman had a
long career working for builders like Dean, Hamer, and Washburn.
Waterfall Bubinga 5-String Bass
Lee Whites LP 8-string
26.5" Scale 8-String
A work-in-progress T-style
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Its thankless work sometimes when you have to sand six

guitars. But when theyre done, you can sit back and look at
them and play them ... its just the most rewarding thing.
When he was 19, he applied for a job at Hohner and got it. His
next guitar gig was a six-month stint at Dean, which proved to be
a stepping stone en route to a 15-year, on-again-off-again tenure
at Hamer that began in the mid-80s. Once I [temporarily] left
Hamer to pursue my own guitar building, he says. I was always
building Sherman guitars at night on my own. He ended up
back there a few years later, only to leave again later for Washburn
Guitars. There, he worked alongside legendary luthier Grover
Jackson to help launch the companys custom shop in Chicago.
Ironically, he laughs, I wound up going back to Hamer. They
came callingbribing me with zerosand I accepted.
That time he stayed with Hamer for a while, running production and helping out in the adjoining Ovation factory until going
back to Washburn for a final stint in 2000. But the commute to
Washburns Chicago facility from Shermans New England home
was exhausting, especially when he was needed on weekends to
help out at home or play local gigs as a sideman. I was flying out
to Chicago, living in a fully furnished motel during the week, he
says. The hard part about that was that Id shut the factory down
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at 2:30 [on Friday] and have to grab all my gearId have a guitar
and my clothes with mehead back, and then my wife would pick
me up at the airport and Id have to go straight to a gig. It was trying. Eventually it was like, Okay, I cant do this anymore, I need to
be back home. He went full-time with Michael Sherman Guitars
in 2003.
Despite long hours blanketed in sawdust, Sherman says hes
compelled onward by the music people make with his guitars.
Hes quick to point out that, although most people think of guitar
building as a glamorous business, its tedious physical labor. Its
thankless work sometimes when you have to sand six guitars, he
says. But when theyre done, you can sit back and look at them
and play them. And the look on the customers face when they
receive itand the music they make from itits just the most
rewarding thing.
6-string Luxury Machines
While at Hamer and Washburn, Sherman worked with such bigname artists as Aerosmiths Joe Perry, Sammy Hagar, No Doubts Tom
top Left: Mike Sherman at work in his one-man operation shop in Connecticut. He produces roughly 60 guitars (by himself) annually. Bottom Left:
Sherman is calling this work in progress his Flamed Bass. Finishes are one of the most important processes for Sherman, who says the wrong finish can
ruin hours of tedius work. All of his instruments undergo a 12-step finishing process that can include grain-filling of porous wood, and various degrees of
sanding, dying, coating, and buffing. right: Sherman has formed a niche with a new breed of players seeking fanned-fret instruments with 7, 8, 9, and
even 10 strings.
Dumont, and Cheap Tricks Rick Nielsenand many of those players

continued to be supportive of his work as he branched out on his own.
Guitar collector Lee White was introduced to Sherman by
chance on the online guitar community Sevenstring.org. Intrigued
by photographs of Shermans work that he calls stunning, White
decided to take the plunge and ordered an 8-string instrument.
When the neatly wrapped guitar package arrived at Whites office,
he was blown away by the complexity and beauty of the instrument. My jaw completely dropped, says White of the set-neck
super strat with a burled-mahogany top and fretboard LEDs. It
was named Bison by the Sevenstring.org crew, because the figured
wood looked a heck of a lot like a bisons head. He didnt even

make it home from work before he ordered anothera set-neck
7-string with a flame-topped mahogany body and a piezo-pickupequipped Floyd Rose tremolo.
After that, White and Sherman hit it off, boozing and bonding
over common interests. One day the two went digging through
Whites guitar collection and hit on a mutual favorite. For years,
says White, I had gone through numerous Washburn N4s, including the coveted Davies models [Ed. note: Stephen Davies is the
Seattle-based luthier who invented the Stephens Extended Cutaway
neck in collaboration with Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and
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I can tailor the sound, Sherman says. Believe it or not, if you

glue two pieces of wood together, they become one different
type of wood with a voicing all its own.
Washburn]. None of them hit me like this one oddball quilt-top
N4. When I pulled that out of the case, Mike immediately said, I
remember that one. It turns out Sherman had built that very guitar years before while working at Washburn.
I had been attached to Mikes work for years before I even
knew who the heck he was, he says. Since then, White has
acquired four Shermansand he has six more on order.
Local wood, carefully Guarded
Sherman takes the utmost care when choosing materials for his
creations: He uses quartersawn lumber from local mills, and outsources only pickups and hardwareveneers and fretboards are
made in-house. I pride myself on American-made products, and
try to use them wherever possible, he says. I deal with [Southern
California-based pickup company] Nordstrand a lot, because
theyre willing to build what I want, and they have a laser cutter
and can accommodate fan-fret pickups.
If Sherman isnt getting the right tone out of a certain wood,

hell manipulate it until its just right. I can tailor the sound,
he says. Believe it or not, if you glue two pieces of wood
together, they become one different type of wood with a voicing
all its own. In this manner, Sherman blends beauty, elegance,
and playability into something many players find stunning, both
visually and tonally.
Considering this unique mindset with regard to wood, it comes
as no surprise that Sherman doesnt take chances with it. He stores
his lumber onsite in a climate-controlled room, where its stacked
and stickered neatly for up to eight years. Im constantly buying
lumber I wont use for a couple of seasons, he explains. With so
much tension in the wood itselfhe compares it to a big, hard,
sponge thats constantly growing and retracting in a way that
requires constant monitoringif its not sliced, cured, and stored
correctly, the pieces begin to warp. At that point, he says, you
can only make veneers out of it.
Beyond The Expected

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Infinity brings you the Psonicsphear, from Dennis Fanos breakthrough, retro-futuristic Sphears line.
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281-759-4040
Left: The Rosebud Tiger Garcia Replica is another work in progress, showcasing Shermans talented woodworking skills with an intricate inlay on the
back. top right: Sherman instruments use a set neck that is easily accessible, similar to a neck-through/blended-heel design. Bottom right: The back
of this Sherman bass showcases unique patterns found in high-quality wood that is locally sourced, carefully stored and climate controlled by Sherman.
He experiments tonally with wood choices, pairing different species combinations for specific sounds.
One anecdote illustrates how dedicated he is to proper wood

storage: After a startling, pre-Halloween blizzard that left most of
the East Coast without electricity for as many as 12 days, Sherman
once faced losing his entire stock of lumber. We were without
power for so long that I literally had to run a separate generator just
to fire up that room and keep the climate controlledbecause one
week can really freak out the wood.
pin-stripe veneers and accents, some need to be filled, some dont.

So I spend a lot of time masking, Sherman says.
From there, each piece gets a vinyl wash coat to seal pores, creating a suitable surface for the finish. Though the next step can vary
according to client preferences or expediency, usually four clear coats
are then applied and then allowed to dry for two days. Theyre then
sanded and color is applied. After the dying process, Sherman applies
four more clear coats, waits two days, sands the instrument, and
Painstaking Attention to Detail
applies the final four topcoats. The guitar is then allowed to dry for
Sherman isnt happy unless his designs are as visually striking as they three weeks before final sanding and buffing. The finishing process
are user-friendly, and hes not afraid to be unconventional. Theres takes a month, he says. You cant be impatient in this business. You
a new breed of musicians that are fantastic. Most guitar players can can have the prettiest woodworking, but if you put a junk finish on
barely handle 6-strings, and these guys are playing 9- and 10-string it, its not going to represent all the work that went into it.
guitarsand playing them well. Its amazing. Sherman cites these
players because theyre the types coming to him for custom instruAddicted to the rush
ments. Everyone likes the way I do my set necks, he says. Theyre Though Sherman says hed never trade his career for a less hectic
all-access, and dont hinder your hand. There are no restrictions
one, he marvels at the workload his business demands. Between the
going up to the upper frets at all. Its kind of a neck-through/blend- eccentric and very particular personalities of his clientsIll basied-heel design, but adapted to a set neck.
cally build whatever a customer wants, within reason, he saysand
At the time of this interview, Sherman was working on a fanned- the administrative tasks, theres never a dull moment. And theres
fret 10-string for a client. Like all his instruments, it was undergoalways more to do. On top of all the work he puts in on individual
ing a unique 12-step finishing process. First, the wood is grain-filled instruments, Sherman says hes spent many nights lying awake, mull(if necessary): Closed-pore varieties like maple dont need filling, but ing over the idea of going big time and creating his own line. But
more porous woods like mahogany do. Depending on the instruthe answer has always been no, because, ultimately, he rather enjoys
ment, this can take up to three hours. When you have a lot of
the challenges that come with being a build-to-order luthier.
premierguitar.com
reVIew > APPs
iPhone reCordinG aPP rounduP
Sonoma Wire WorkS

IK MultIMedIa
apogee posItIve grId
pocKetlabWorKs
By JaMes rotondi
ts only been a decade since we started

using cellphones for even simple tasks like
emailing or surfing the web. And its only
been in the last couple of yearsessentially
since the advent of the iPhone 3G and the
iPadthat amp- and effects-modeling apps
and multitrack recording apps have turned
mobile devices into worthy musical sketchpads. So, in some ways, its a real surprise to
look up from your coffee cup in early 2012
and find a whole spectrum of impressive
amp and effect simulators, as well as a clutch
of affordable plug-and-play interfaces, that
make jamming on your smartphone as easy
as adding emoticons to your text messages.
Not that you couldnt see the wave coming
a while ago. IK Multimedias AmpliTube and
iRig interface were among the first products
to make a splash in the mobile music world,
while Sonoma Wire Works followed up their
groundbreaking FourTrack app with the rocksolid GuitarJack interface and GuitarTone
amp-and-effects app. Created with Apples
remarkable GarageBand app in mind, Apogees
Jam interface now finds the respected up-market manufacturer entering the mobile-device
fray, while Positive Grids JamUp Plug and
JamUp Pro app, along with PocketLabWorks
iRiffPort and PocketAmp app, have expanded
the options even further with solid audio quality and clever designs of their own.
To be fair, certain questions are inevitable
when considering iOS (Apples mobile operating system) music-creation gear. Namely, how
useful is this stuff, anywayespecially for the
serious player? Sure, a few bands have actually
released music recorded on an iPhoneL.A.based indie rockers the 88 notably recorded
their hit Love is the Thing using Sonoma
Wire Works FourTrack appbut those

instances appear to be novel, attention-getting
experiments more than serious recording
practices. If theres a professional application
for all these iOS platforms, perhaps its simply
that they give musicians a convenient way to
experiment with song ideas and guitar tones
no matter where they are.
Considering what most of these apps
and interfaces cost, theyre worth the money
for those uses alone. But it could also be
argued that theyre a godsend for beginners
or hobbyists, toobecause many of these
amp- and effect-modeling apps constitute
a crash course in guitar gear. For a few
bucks, you can learn the basic, salient tonal
characteristics and operating mojo of virtually every major amp, cabinet, and pedal
type extant. (I wish I had Positive Grids
JamUp Pro when I was 16, Ill tell you that
much!) Add in the recording and mixdown
capabilities, and its clear that making music
on an iPhone or iPadeven if not yet on
the same level as working on a dedicated
digital audio workstation (DAW) or at a
full-blown professional studiois certainly
an increasingly viable way to take your
tracksand your talentsone step further
along that road.
sonoma wire works GuitarJack
and Guitar tone App
GuitarJack Model 2 is compatible with:
iPhone 4S and 4
iPod Touch 4th, 3rd, and
2nd gen. iPad and iPad2
GuitarTone works on iOS 4.3 or later
The industrial design of the Sonoma

GuitarJack suggests a tiny Steinway grand
... its hard to argue

with the build quality and elegant design
of the GuitarJack.
Frankly, I have bigname effects pedals
that arent half this
solidly built.
piano crossed with a silver Ferrari. The laseretched SWW logo on the glossy steel housing
adds to the impression of qualityGuitarJack,
in other words, comes across as a proper piece
of studio gear, not a mere accessory.
The GuitarJack weighs 2.25 ounces and
plugs into your iPhone or iPads 30-pin dock
connector (a spacer keeps it flush), thus
providing higher quality data transfer, less
crosstalk, and better fidelity than headphonejack interfaces. The right side of the unit features a 1/4", nickel-plated brass Switchcraft
guitar input (configurable via the included
software for Pad, Lo-Z, and Hi-Z modes)
and a 1/8" increased-drive headphone/line
output. The left side has a 1/8" stereo mic/
line input with similarly configurable Pad,
Normal, and Boost modes. The back panel is
made of tough brushed aluminum and held
in place by three small hex screws.
Its also worth mentioning the rubber grip
pads on the back, which work together with
the units appropriate weight to keep the
premierguitar.com
reVIew > iPHonE APPs rounDuP
GuitarJack in place when laid flat with your

iPhone on a table. (That said, it also means
that, when placed in an IK iKlip or similar
upright iPhone holder, the unit is more likely to slip out.) Indeed, its hard to argue with
the build quality and elegant design of the
GuitarJack. Frankly, I have big-name effects
pedals that arent half this solidly built.
The better news is that is sounds as
good as it looks. Thats because it boasts
a proper 24-bit AD/DA converter. And
though you can only currently play back
at 16-bit, thats slated to change with an
upcoming firmware update. Its also the
only interface in our group that features a
dedicated microphone inputand, yes, you
can record using both the guitar and microphone inputs simultaneously into FourTrack
or StudioTrack. Thats huge. GuitarJack is
made right here in America, too.
Sonomas GuitarTone app can be launched
as a stand-alone app, or it can be integrated
within other Sonoma apps, like FourTrack
or StudioTrack, where it operates much
like a plug-in effect in a DAW like Logic or
ProTools. (One curious thing, thoughthe
stand-alone versions tuner function disappears when youre using GuitarTone within
FourTrack.) GuitarTones main page displays
the first of several presets, a list that can be
expanded by purchasing additional Amp and
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Sonoma Wire Works, GuitarJack ($149 street, includes two GuitarTone expansion packs) and
Guitar Tone app (free, expansion packs $9.99 each), sonomawireworks.com
Pros:
ultra-solid materials and design. stereo recording

capabilities. excellent digital converters.
cons:
Guitartone app can be noisy. onscreen buttons are

small and crowded. some tones lack character.
Pedal Packs (and the cool presets that SWW

has designed to exploit those sounds and features). By touching the small FX, Amp, and
CAB boxes (which are a bit too small for my
taste) below the preset icon, you can swipe
through options for all three.
Perhaps you want a Vox AC30-style
cabno, make that a slant 4x12and
how about a tweed-style head and a
germanium-style fuzz unit? Its all available with a few touches. Whats more,
Tones
Ease of Use
Materials
Value
each cabinet choice includes several

microphone-emulation optionsincluding
dynamic, condenser, ribbon, and precisionand to my ears, they pretty much
nail the characteristic EQ qualities of each.
As a GuitarJack owner, youll already have
an expanded set of virtual amps, effects,
and cabs, though youll almost surely want
to plump for the additional AmpPack
2 and PedalPack 2 libraries. (Though it
might have been nice to throw those in,
too, given the cost of the GuitarJack.)
While the models are worthy and the
time-domain effects were suitably hi-fi, I cant
say these sounds were the most inspiring Ive
heard. And I would like to see Sonoma add
some kind of noise-gate function in future versions, because many of these sounds exhibited
a lot of noise. I also found that the onscreen
touch controls were often too closely grouped
together, requiring some rather dexterous finger maneuvers to tweak the virtual knobs.
Positive Grid Jamup Plug and

Jamup Pro App
JamUp Plug is compatible with:
iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, and 3
iPod Touch 4th gen.
iPad and iPad2
JamUp Pro works on iOS 4.3 or later
The amp and effects models on offer in

JamUp Pros smartly laid-out interface are
well voiced, with surprisingly full dynamic
ranges, consistent output levels across a
range of gain levels, and a playability that
you have to experience to appreciate.
Even just dialing through the presets
Awesome Clean, UK 30 Sparkle, 800
Lead, and othersI found plenty of useful, musical tones. And the smart-gate settings mean these sounds are much quieter
than virtually any other amp app. Kudos
are also due for the excellent reverb sounds,
from digital verbs to a very convincing vintage springits hard enough to find great
spring reverbs on a full-blown rig, but a
tiny iPhone? Thats remarkable.
To edit presets, you touch back to the
Amp/FX menu, and the controls for each
given amp and effect appear across the
bottom of the screen. JamUp Pro displays
horizontally, so you tilt the phone sideways,
which Id argue means a broader, easier page
for edit adjustments, though some may prefer the vertical layout. A quick double-tap
on anything in your signal chainamps,
effects, etc.produces a menu of options
for each. There are six amps and quite a few
pedals in the app when you first download
it, but Id recommend stocking up on the

many effects and amps Positive Grid offers
as in-app purchases. From lively, spongy
takes on Bogner, Orange, Hiwatt, Fender,
Boogie, and Vox, theres a surplus of amp
riches here. Effects? You get rich, thick
modulations, believable tape-echo with
adjustable heads, spacious digital reverbs
and theyre all very easy to edit. The Noise
Gate pedal really cleans things up beautifully when youve gone a little crazy on the
distortions.
Another couple of big pluses: JamUp
Pro makes it easy to alter your signal path.
So you can, say, place effects before or after
the amp, try out delays before distortions,
and experiment with any unusual path you
can dream up. Also, the apps Jam feature
allows you play along with any song in
your iTunes library. You can even use the
onboard controls to slow down the tempo
without altering the pitch, or modulate the
pitch and/or keyand you dont need to
buy another app to do it!
Just as cool, JamUp Pros Sampler
makes it easy to create, load, and store
guitar loopsits like having a JamMan or
Boomerang on your iPhone. One caveat: It
would be nice to be able to trigger the metronome after you start recording your loop
rather than only beforehand. In all, though,
JamUp Pro is an absolute essential for the
traveling guitaristand you will almost certainly find yourself using it at home, too.
Given the apps strengths, I wish I could
be as effusive about the JamUp Plug itself.
RATINGS
Positive Grid, JamUp Plug ($19.99 street) and JamUp Pro app ($19.99), positivegrid.com
Pros:
Great tones. Brilliant interface. Massive

amps and effects library.
cons:
Jamup Plug has noise, fidelity, and

construction-quality issues.
Tones
Ease of Use
Materials
Value
Kudos are also due for

[JamUp Pros] excellent
reverb sounds ... its
hard enough to find
great spring reverbs
on a full-blown rig,
but a tiny iPhone?
Thats remarkable.
Although its certainly a reasonably priced
interface, its a bit too flimsy to do justice
to the JamUp Pro app, and thats too bad.
Because it connects to your iOS devices
headphone jack instead of the 30-pin connector, it just cant squeeze through as many
dynamics. And despite its line-level output,
the sounds clearly suffer from crosstalk and
bad conversion. Youre far better off trying
JamUp Pro through an interface with better
input capabilities and third-party app compatibility. Such a combination will make
JamUp Propossibly the deepest and finest
amp/effects app on the marketsound as
good as its capable of sounding.
Apogee Jam and Apple
GarageBand App
Apogee Jam is compatible with:
iPhone 4S and 4
iPad and iPad2
Apple GarageBand works on iOS 4.3 or later
The Apogee name carries a lot of weight

in pro-engineering circles, so when Apogee
jumped into the consumer game with the
ultra-lightweight Jam, it definitely got
some attention. Still, given the success of
the Apogee Duet2 interfacean acclaimed
project-studio-oriented, 2-channel I/O optimized for Macsperhaps it wasnt a great
stretch to address the growing portable
music market, too.
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Apogee Electronics Jam ($99 street) apogeedigital.com
Apple Inc. GarageBand app ($4.99), apple.com
Tones
Pros:
Jam offers clean sound and a gain control.

GarageBand is genius.
cons:
Jam is too light and not very sturdy.
Apogees US-made Jam certainly makes

the companys entry into the smartphone
field a competent one. The lightweight
plastic housing is highly portable, but its
not rugged, and I would hesitate before
tossing this into my gig bag, frankly.
(Perhaps a small, sturdy case would help?)
The Jam connects to your iPhone or iPad
via an included 30-pin cable, which is
good for sonic fidelity, though it actually
makes it harder to keep things in place.
Without grips or a direct connection to your device, its hard
to keep the Jam in a stable position, because the weight of your
guitar cable alone can pull your
iPhone and Jam off the table and
premierguitar.com
Ease of Use
Materials
Value
onto the floor. Some kind of grip or clip

system would be nice, and presumably the
included Velcro is meant to remedy this,
but howby attaching the Jam to your
iOS device? Not going to happen!
To its credit, the Jam sounds very clean,
and theres really no configuration required.
It doesnt have its own headphone jack,

however, so youll have to use your devices
instead. To use the Jam as a 1-channel input
device to a Mac, you use the included USB
cable and choose Jam as your input device
in GarageBand, Logic, or another DAW,
just as you would any other audio I/O. As

previously mentioned, the Jams sonic qualities suggest quality convertersApogee calls
it PUREDigital. We just call it low-noise,
with 40 dB of variable gain. And the inclusion of a physical input gain control on the
Jams side flank is a nice touch, too.
While the Jam is a nice interfaceif
slightly overpriced, given the materialsthe
app that Apogee recommends you use with
it, Apples GarageBand, is a minor miracle.
Perhaps its Apples sheer economic might
that lets it get away with only charging five
bucks for what is, essentially, a complete
8-track audio and intelligent MIDI recording system, with myriad modeled vintage
keyboards, basses, guitar amps and effects
pedals, drums and drum machines, an
onboard sampler(!), as well as loop-based
features (including some 250 drum loops),
Smart and Touch instruments, and mixdown tools. Did I say five bucks?
The guitar section alone includes nine
amp models (tweeds, silverfaces, Vox-style,
vintage Marshall-style, Rectifier-style, and
more) and 10 stompbox effects, from the
super-mod Treble Boost to the quirky
Auto-Funk. All of them provide morethan-reasonable facsimiles, with minimal
need for RAM and processing powerand
the good-looking graphics are backed
up by control views that beef up the size
of knobs and sliders for easy editing.
GarageBand does offer an input level control thats smartly partnered with a noise
gate to keep your sounds clean and mean.
Theres also a reliable onboard tuner. The
bottom line is that its a fun, highly creative tool that may even help you capture
keeper tracks for an album.
RATINGS
IK Multimedia iRig ($39.99 street) AmpliTube app ($19.99 street), ikmultimedia.com
Pros:
amplitubes design is great and has an awesome

range of amps and effects.
cons:
irig has fidelity, construction, and materials issues.
Tones
Versatility
Materials
Value
iK irig and Amplitube App

iRig is compatible with:
iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, and 3G
iPod Touch 4th, 3rd, and 2nd gen.
iPad and iPad2
AmpliTube for iPhone works on iOS 4.0 or later
with cool pedals like the legendary Fender

Blender, which makes the whole line
worth exploring. Its the details that count
on the AmpliTubethe mini tuner thats
always conveniently in the lower right
AmpliTube has been a perennial favorite

among software-amp aficionados since it
was released for desktop systems back in
2002. It was also the first amp app for
iPhone, causing a virtual stampede at the
App store. In its latest iteration, AmpliTube
for iPhone has only gotten better.
The design and layout of the app are
superb. To begin with, you have to love the
touch control in AmpliTube: You can turn
every amp and effect knob up and down
with your finger, or you can simply tap it
and then make that knobs adjustments on a
big, LED-style vertical slider on the right of
the screenand it also displays the parameter value. To maximize real estate on the
main page, each amps control plate is laid
out so you only see a few knobs at a time,
and you simply slide the front plate over to
reveal the othersa very smart touch. The
pedals look fantastic and show up big and
elegant on the screen.
The optional AmpliTube Fender for
iPhone comes with five Fender-licensed
amp models, including the Pro Junior, 65
Deluxe Reverb, and 59 Bassman, along
While the Jam is a nice interface

... the app that Apogee
recommends you use
with it, Apples
Garage-Band, is
a minor miracle.
premierguitar.com
corner of the screen, the savvy BPM Sync

switch on the delay, phaser, and flanger
pedals, and the way cabinet and mic
options are embedded in the amp profile
for one-page tweaking.
The sonic characteristics dont disappoint either: The way the overdrive effect
responds to increases in drive feels very
much like a real Tube Screamer, and the
delay pedal regenerates with authentically
dirty analog glory. Add the built-in 4-track
recorder (with cute cassette graphic) and
a Master output effects section with compression, 3-band EQ, and master reverb
clearly indicative of how much experience

IK has in this arena.
Unfortunately, the same cant be said of
the iRig interface, which is too costly, even
at $39.99, given that its converters are passable at best. It fails to take advantage of the
iPhone and iPads data-bearing 30-pin dock,
its noisy, and its built out of materials that
might not last a week on the road with a
working guitarist. Just as frustrating, the iRig
is the only interface that IK supports to work
with AmpliTube. As someone who knows
how full-frequency Amplitube sounds on a
Mac desktop system with decent monitors, I
The way [AmpliTubes] overdrive effect responds

to increases in drive feels very much like a real Tube
Screamer, and the delay pedal regenerates with
authentically dirty analog glory.
(both are additional purchases you can
make from within the app), and you have
a creative, hip, and well-honed app thats
find this pretty frustrating.

If IK is not going to take greater pains to
play up the strengths of its own apps, why
MorE APPs
to tAP
It seems every day the number of
apps in the iTunes Store grows, and
that explosion certainly includes
apps in guitardoms realm. Here are
a few more amp and pedal apps to
consider for your iOS device.
Agile Partners AmpKit+
($19.99)
Frontier Design Group
iShred Live (free)
Ground Up Audio Amps
& Cabs ($.99)
Line 6 Mobile POD (free)
Peavey
Studio Devil Guitar Amp
($4.99)
TrialAndErrorDevTeam
Guitar FX Deluxe ($2.99)
CARRAMPS.COM
CARR AMPLIFIERS MAN MADE IN PITTSBORO, NC

919.545.0747
premierguitar.com
not let users decide for themselves if they

want to spend a little more for an Apogee
Jam or a Sonoma Wire Works GuitarJack,
which at least boast converters and I/O
worthy of all the R&D thats makes
AmpliTube so good.
PocketLabworks iriffPort and
PocketAmp App
iRiffPort is compatible with:
iPhone 4S and 4
iPod Touch 4th gen.
iPad and iPad2
PocketAmp works on iOS 4.3 or later
The PocketLabWorks iRiffPort is a 6' instrument cable with a 30-pin dock connector
and 1/8" stereo line output on one end, and
a 1/4" guitar jack and 1/8" headphone jack
on the other. Given how prone guitar cables
are to shorting out, this all-in-one approach
is a convenience that has some potentially
significant drawbacksif the cable goes,
your whole device goes. Happily, the 1/4"
jack end is of a slightly more rugged composite plastic. [PocketLabWorks replies:
RATINGS
PocketLabWorks iRiffPort ($99 street) and PocketAmp app ($4.99), pocketlabworks.com
Pros:
smart, simple, functional app. solid, appealing tones

with easy editing capabilities.
cons:
all-in-one, cable-based interface design. Plastic

housing for dock. Poor headphone response.
The curved shape of the dock housing

makes it very strong. It requires a significant
and strategically placed hit with a hammer
to break.]
The cool part is that the stereo linelevel output enables you to send a hot
signal to external gear, such as your project-studio audio I/O. That means you can
use your iPhone with PocketLabWorks
excellent PocketAmp app as a front-end
amp and effects simulator for proper
computer-based recordings. A cool prospect indeed. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the rather thin and reedy
sound out of the headphone jack.
the stereo line-level output enables

you to use your iPhone with
PocketLabWorks excellent PocketAmp app
as a front-end amp and effects simulator
for proper computer-based recordings.
Tones
Ease of Use
Materials
Value
Any reservations about the iRiffPort are

offset by the super-solid PocketAmp, which
sounds great and takes a simple design
approach: If you hadnt noticed, iPhones are
freakin small, but thankfully PocketAmp
compensates by making the onscreen knobs
and sliders meaty, and keeping the options
down to what you really need. Amp choices
include Clean, Blues, Rock, and Metal. The
Echo section (actually delay and reverb)
includes controls for delay time, feedback,
echo mix, room size and reverb mix. The
Effects page includes chorus, flanger, rotary
speaker, and tremolo, with parameter
controls for rate, depth, width, noise gate
(always welcome), and attack. The cabinetselection page includes the Fender-style
Silverface and Tweed 1959, the Marshallbased Classic 1960 cab, and the Mesa-like
Metal Signature.
Bass players fond of Gallien-Krueger
amps and cabs will want to investigate
PocketGK, which boasts the same simple,
to-the-point interface and fine sound as its
namesake amps.
premierguitar.com
reVIew > BiLt
BiLt
s.s. ZaftIg
g
By CharLes saufLey
enders also-ran guitars of yesteryear

arent such also-rans these days. While
vintage Stratocasters and Telecasters are
out of reach for most folks who dont
have a CEO after their name, Jazzmasters,
Telecaster Customs and Thinlines, and
oddities like the Starcaster are now hunted
and hoarded by less affluent collectors looking for a slice of the classic Fender pie.
For a lot of adventurous players,
however, these guitarswhich were relatively easy and cheap to get a few decades
backbecame pillars of their sound.

Radioheads Jonny Greenwood used
the big, orchestral qualities of the semihollow, humbucker-equipped Starcaster
to shape Radioheads equally expansive
sound. Sonic Youths Lee Ranaldo used a
Telecaster Deluxe and Jazzmasters fitted
with Telecaster Deluxe pickups to help
craft the bands signature banshee howl.
And the legions of vanguards and geniusesfrom Tom Verlaine to Kevin Shields,
J Mascis, and Nels Clinewho embraced
Mastery
bridge
CLICKHere
to hear audio clips of the guitar at

premierguitar.com/apr2012
the off-kilter expressive potential of the

Jazzmaster and Jaguar are, at this point,
well chronicled.
But its taken the demented genius of
Iowa-based BilT Guitars to figure out how
to bring together elements of all four in a
single instrument. And its far from a gimmick: This is a guitar of expansive sonic
Lollar Regal
humbuckers
Jazzmaster-style tremolo
premierguitar.com
reVIew > BiLt
possibilities, if not the ones you might

ordinarily associate with such a Fenderinspired instrument.
Going Green
Zaftig is a Yiddish/German word that,
depending on context, can translate to
voluptuous. And to be sure, the Zaftig is
bigdeceptively big. Perhaps the offset waist
gives it a visually slimming affect, and the
sherwood green metallic finish may also be
an effective slenderizer, but parked next to a
Rickenbacker 330 and a Gibson ES-345
neither of which is particularly petitethe
chambered, semi-hollow Zaftig looked only
slightly smaller across the lower bouts.
If youre a fan of Fenders left-ofcenter designs, the Zaftig will look like
a Sunday feast. The body profile is a
melted, stretched, and manipulated take
on a Fender Bass VI with a Stratocaster-/
Jazz-bass-like upper horn on top of an
otherwise Jazzmaster-like figure. The
chrome switch plates are a direct lift from
the Jaguar, while the humbuckers, outsized and ornate headstock, and f-hole are
an amalgam of Telecaster Custom, Tele
Thinline, and Starcaster motifs.
The hardware is a combination of
refinements and twists on Fender parts,
too. The brilliant, beautifully machined,
and highly effective Mastery bridge transforms the much-maligned Jazzmaster-/

Jaguar-style vibrato into a smoother,
steadier rig. The Lollar Regal humbuckers,
meanwhile, are the Northwest pickup masters take on Fenders Seth Lover-designed
Wide Range humbuckers.
For all its disparate design elements, the
Zaftig is a very well-balanced guitar when
you strap it on. But while you certainly
wont feel like youre wrestling with a 335 or
some girthier semi-hollowbody, its less comfortable for not having the body contours of
a Jazzmaster or Jaguar. The neck, however, is
as comfortable as youll finda super-playable C profile that feels like a really nice 60s
Fender neck with a slightly flatter radius.
Brawny and Bossy
One of the first things you notice when you
plug in the Zaftig is that it rarely sounds
like you would expect it to. If youre a fan
of more Gibson-like tones and the resonant
potential of a semi-hollow guitar, thats a
good thing. Even through a blasting Twin
Reverbthe essence of Fender clean
the bridge pickup sounds anything but
Fender-y. Theres a deep, throaty, rotund
quality to the pickups outputeven with
the tone crankedthat no one is likely
to take for a Telecaster. If anything, the
bridge Lollar woofs and barks more like a

Gibson SG, but with more body resonance.
Single notes are colorful and exhibit great
sustain, but theyre huskier and have less of
the focus a single-coil fan might listen for.
With the guitars volume and tone wide
open and the Twin in the upper half of its
volume range, the Zaftig delivers a sweet
and smooth, but rambunctious Mick Taylor
tone. Rolling back the tone and volume a
notch gets you a little closer to a smooth,
spectral Allmans or Garcia-type tone,
though you do end up sacrificing some of
the knife edge that equally defines those
players signature tones. For janglier work or
brighter Clapton/Bluesbreaker tones, I had
the best luck dialing up a little extra treble
and rolling off the bass a touch on both the
Twin Reverb and a 2x10 Vibroverb.
The middle pickup position is the source
of some of the Zaftigs most beautiful tones.
And while things dont get much brighter
with the neck pickup blended in, the combination creates an overtone playground
that sounds fantastic through a clean amp,
and even more expansive with a touch of
stompbox overdrive. Open tunings sound
gorgeous, too. And whether youre stabbing away at growling, Keith Richards-style
chords in open G, or shaping Page-style
electric filigrees in DADGAD, its hard not
The middle pickup position is the source of some of the

Zaftigs most beautiful tonesthe combination creates an overtone playground that sounds fantastic through a clean amp, and
even more expansive with a touch of stompbox overdrive.
premierguitar.com
reVIew > BiLt
to dig the blend and detail and richness of

harmonics and overtones in this position.
The neck pickup inhabits the unlikely
world where 335 and Jazzmaster meet.
As with Fenders offset cousins, the neck
pickup can be used in two totally different configurations: When you select the
neck pickup from the 3-position switch on
the treble-side horn, its controlled via the
same potentiometers you use for the bridge
pickup. But when you switch to the neck
pickup with the slider switch in the upper
horn, you engage the pickup through a set
of pots adjacent to the switch that have a
much darker set of values. On a Jazzmaster
or Jaguarwhich are wired in virtually
identical fashionthis setup is known as
the rhythm circuit, and the tone variations
you can derive from switching between the
two is impressive. Through the brighter
pots, the Zaftig takes on a surprisingly 335like characterperfect for B.B. King leads
that you can punctuate with a wiggle of the
tremolo. Its also great for Malcom Youngstyle rhythm through a Marshall, and it will
drive a fuzz into delightfully huge, woolly
RATINGS
BilT Guitars S.S. Zaftig, $1,850 street, biltguitars.com
Pros:
unique tone palette. Great hardware and

electronics. Beautifully playable.
cons:
Build
Pickups are a tad dark for jangly rhythm work.
lead zones, particularly when you roll the

tone control back. Because of the deeper
tonality of the Lollar Regals, the darker
rhythm circuit might prove less appealing for rockers than the same circuit on a
Jazzmaster or Jaguar where you retain more
single-coil focus. Even so, this configuration
can yield some beautiful jazz tones that are
both subdued and full of deeper-shaded
overtones, and the color you can achieve
via such a basically smoky sound is pretty
impressive.
the Verdict
Guitarists that savor the unexpected will
relish the Zaftig. The combination of
chambered body, Lollar humbuckers with a
really wide tone spectrum, Jazzmaster-style
Tones
Playability
Value
circuitry and vibrato, and a great-feeling

neck add up to a highly playable guitar of
uncommon expressive potential. Even if
youre not likely to delve into wild vibrato
work as you teeter on the edge of feedback,
you can easily tap into expansive, authoritative blues tones and classic-rock crunch.
And if youre an SG or 335 player looking
for something a little familiar but with a
twist, the Zaftig is worth a concerted listen.
If the Zaftig will disappoint anybody, it
might be Fender-philes looking for something a little more prototypically Fullerton
from this mlange of Fender design inspirations. But just as the Jaguar, Starcaster, and
Telecaster Custom tended to be axes for
outcasts, this BilT may be the inspiration
for a new generation of mold breakers.
devil drive
clean boost to
hot overdrive
www.solidgoldfx.com
premierguitar.com
review >
Digital
ONly
Company
reviewname
> The Tone God
the tone god
acute modestScream
by Jordan Wagner
CLICKHere
sk any gearhead guitarist what kind of

pedal that theyve gone through the
most, and a majority of them will say overdrive pedals. Overdrive tone is almost as
personal to us as our favorite guitar. Theres
no feeling quite like playing through an
overdriven tone that has the perfect blend
of range, tone, response and feelit can
make us feel more in-tune with our instrument, ultimately making us better players.
But tastes change, and all too often
we dump an otherwise great-sounding
piece of gear for another one, continuing
the cycle of searching for that one overdrive that never fails. Andrew The Tone
God addressed this issue for fuzz-heads
with his NerFuzz programmable fuzz.
Now hes tackling overdrive with the new
ModestScream, which has enough tweakabilitiy to satisfy the most fickle guitarist.
A Modest Proposal
The analog-based ModestScream is capable
of dishing out the type of classic tones that
make the TS-9 and TS-808 a legend, but
also includes four popular circuit board
modifications that enable different types of
diode clipping (18 in all), blending with
the dry tone, changing opamps (choose
between an RC4558D, TL072, TLC2272
or a NE5532), and even altering the ranges
of the frequency responses themselves.
In a seemingly endless sea of light
to medium overdrive pedals, the
ModestScreams interface sets it apart from
the pack almost immediately. Youll notice
that there arent any knobs to twist or
conventional switches to stomp. Tones are
dialed up from the pedals innovative touch
interface, which has three contact points that
respond to skin contact only, and it serves as
a way to extend the life of the pedal, as there
are no parts that can easily snap off. Its also
impossible to accidentally change a parameter from a careless swipe of the foot, and
the parts will never need replacement from
accumulating dirt and grime. The only part
that moves is an internal true bypass switch,
DR1 PREMIERGUITAR APRIL 2012
to hear audio clips of the pedal at

Internal true bypass switch
Touch Interface
but its covered by a large metal control plate

that engages the switch.
There are seven parameters that
you can change from the from panel.
These include diode type and combination (silicon, Schottky, LED, MOSFET,
MOSFET body, and no diode at all),
cutoff frequency, opamp chip, clean

blend, amount of overdrive, treble level,
and overall output volume. Tapping the
center contact lets you cycle through each
parameter, and a large LED screen tells
you the amount or selection thats being
used. While its easy to change any of the
premierguitar.com
review > The Tone God
settings, its kind of a pain to do it quickly

on the flyyou have to cycle through all
of the parameters before you get to the one
that you want to alter.
Screaming for Vengeance
The ModestScream is a vintage overdrive
lovers dream. With a PRS SE30 amp and
a G&L Tribute S-500, I plugged in the
ModestScream, selected the first diode and
opamp (the RC4558D), and found the
tone smooth and luscious. The first diode
setting was for two silicon diodes, resulting in symmetrical overdrivethis is what
a lot of popular overdrive pedals use in
their stock configurations to produce their
gain tones. Moving through each of the
diode settings really made it apparent just
how vast the tonal possibilities were with
the pedal, with some of the combinations
having more bite on the top end, less or
more mids, a raspier response, and so forth.
I was particularly taken with the silicon/
MOSFET combo, which has a great, tubey
toneperfect for classic rock rhythm work
at mid-gain settings.
And this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Changing the Freq setting was great for
dialing in a smooth midrange hump such
as setting 3 for the FAT mod circuit. Using
a different chip seemed to have the most
effect on the tone overall, especially when I
switched from the classic RC4558D chip to
the TL072the tone not only got louder,
but stronger and clearer, though it shed
some of the sweet sag that made the tone so
great in the first place.
Essentially, this is the ModestScreams
strongest asset, which is complete freedom
to tune the overdrive to the tastes of the
player. The company claims that there are
576 different combinations at your fingertips, which means there are some great
tones and some more iffy ones (certain
diode combos sounded a bit harsh).
The Verdict
The beauty of this pedal is that the Tone
God knew that tastes in overdrive are wildly
varied. And the ModestScream goes beyond
the call of duty to offer up as much versatility as possible. Its well-built and easy
to use, though it can take a little longer to

change settings on the fly. For the picky
player whos tired of playing the overdrive
buy-and-sell game, this pedal was designed
for youall you really need is a good set
of ears to mold it into what you want it to
sound like.
RATINGS
The Tone God
thetonegod.com
Acute ModestScream
Street: $230
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
Pros
Tons of tonal options. Thoughtful interface.
Cons
Expanded tweakability might be too much
for most players to handle.
presents
TM
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*Prize package replicas may not be exact pedalboard depicted in the photographs.
premierguitar.com
PREMIERGUITAR APRIL 2012 DR2
reVIew > Dr. Z
dr. Z
MaZ 8 studIo
By Matthew hoLLiMan
hile some companies have been

around longer, Dr. Z is arguably
one of the kingpins of boutique amplification. The Cleveland, Ohio, amp builder
has some seriously heavyweight customers,
including Joe Walsh and Brad Paisley. And
even if Dr. Z isnt yet a household name,
with more than a dozen amplifiers to their
name (and counting), you cant say theyre
not trying.
One of the companys latest creations,
the Maz 8, is an 8-watt baby Godzilla of an
amp thats available as a stand-alone head
or in three combo variations (the 19 1/4"

x 19 1/2" x 10 1/2" 1x12 Studio reviewed
here, the 1x12 Standard, or the 2x10, the
latter two of which measure 23" x 20 1/8"
x 10"). Regardless of format, the Maz 8 is a
godsend to griping sound guys and players
whove had to endure the indignity of playing a million-watt stack with the volume
on 2. For anyone whos been through the
experience and grown tired of compromising body for volume, the EL84-powered
Maz 8 is one source of light at the end of
the tunnel.
CLICKHere
to hear audio clips of the amp at

syrupy short stack

The Maz 8 Studio has a sleek modern
design with the elegant touches of a classic.
Standard black textured vinyl, white piping,
and a silver-and-black grille cloth adorn the
slightly slanted frame, and the open-backed
combo weighs a reasonable 37 pounds.
You can also hook up an external cabinet
using the 4, 8, and 16 speaker outputs.
Hi and Lo
inputs
Cut
control
Spring
reverb
premierguitar.com
reVIew > Dr. Z
Though the power section relies on a single

EL84, four 12AX7s and a single 12AT7
drive the preamp.
The Maz 8 is a very close relative of Dr.
Zs super-successful Maz 18. If youre at all
familiar with the 18, youll notice that the
more diminutive Maz shares the same smart
control configuration. Hi and lo inputs suit
a wide range of pickups, and humbucker
fans looking to clean up their act a little
will be pleased with the lo inputs 3 dB gain
reduction. The EQ is comprised of treble,
middle and bass controls. Theres also a
cut control that acts much like a presence
controlonce youve dialed in your desired
EQ, you can roll cut clockwise to increase
sparkle and definition in the top end, or
leave it rolled back for more of a vintage
sound.
Gain is controlled via a traditional
volume and master setup. If you need
cleaner output, just keep master higher
than volume. To fish up a more rugged
crunch, push the volume knob and roll
off the master. Once youve dialed in the
ideal relationship between the two, you
Flipping into Triode

mode, however, gives
the Maz 8 a vintage
dialect with a uniform, savory gain.
can use the onboard Dr. Z Brake Lite
attenuator thats mounted alongside the
single Celestion G12H speaker. With five
levels of dB limiting, you can dial in your
desired mix of volume and master and
limit your overall output without sacrificing too much tone.
Other tone tools in the Dr. Zs box of
tricks include a spring reverb, and both
effects send and return jacks and a cool
triode/pentode switch on the back panel.
This latter switch can be used to significantly change the Maz 8s voice. In pentode
mode, you get the singing characteristics
of a higher-wattage amp with a little more
headroom. Triode mode gives the Maz 8

a vintage dialect with a uniform, savory
gain. Both voices respond beautifully to
the EQ, creating a seemingly endless buffet
of tones that can keep up whether youre
tinkering with chicken-pickin and slithering slide or ground-shaking AC/DC riffage.
And should you need a final boost for your
leads, the provided footswitch bypasses the
EQ and feeds a straight line through the
volume, master, and cut controls. And, yes,
its pretty hot.
tone Across time
In triode mode, a Fender Telecasters bridge
pickup coaxes a bright voice from the Dr. Z
that sounds fullest with a bump in the bass
and cut set around noon. These settings
resulted in a nice midrange honk that both
complemented the Tele and screamed blackface Fender. And just as with an old Fender
combo, the high end was rarely harsh or
unpleasant. If you want a bit more kick
for leads, the EQ bypass yields an instant
blues howl thats dead perfect for sorrowful
George Harrison slides and Clapton leads.
Polyphonic Organ Emulation
premierguitar.com
reVIew > Dr. Z

Dr. Z Brake
Lite Attenuator
Celestion G12H
speaker
Pentode/
triode switch
Footswitchable
EQ bypass
henman
guitars
www.henmanguitars.com
premierguitar.com
reVIew > Dr. Z
A Stratocaster driving the Maz 8 in

pentode mode and with the EQ bypassed
seemed to double the gain, and at times
drove the Strat to the verge of shrieking
which was easy enough to fix by rolling
back the cut control. Doing so transformed
the Maz 8 from red-blooded, Bakersfieldbred American tones to brawny Brit sounds
that let you channel a hyperactive Rory
Gallagher raging on Off the Handle.
Shifting to a mellower mood is as easy as
bringing the EQ back into the signal chain,
which drops the gain and enables you to
bump the bass a touch to round off singlecoil stabbiness.
Re-engaging the EQ bypass in pentode
mode, with the volume and master set at 11
oclock, catapulted a Les Paul into a state of
late-70s Thin Lizzy excess. And here again,
the cut control was especially effective.
If youre ever dealt with soupy, flat tone
when you play humbuckers through a lowwattage amp, the cut knob could be your
new best friend: Set it in the right spot with
high-gain settings, and itll keep buckers
sailing in seas of smooth sustain.
RATINGS
Dr. Z Amplification Maz 8 Studio, $1,898 street, drzamps.com
Pros:
cons:
excellent range of voices and control. sturdy build.

a bit pricey.
If party-hard, humbucker-crunch chords

are your thing, the Maz 8 can do that, too.
The pentode voicing exudes classic-rock
braggadocio when the volume controls are
in their upper reachesbut with a crackling high end and a well-rounded bottom
thats full and not too dark.
the Verdict
While the version of the Maz 8 reviewed
here includes the word Studio in its model
designation, it wont have trouble hanging on
most stages. Despite being just 8 watts, its
exceptionally loudloud enough to justify
the optional Brake Lite attenuator, which
will come in handy for those who favor highgain sounds in small, shared spaces or those
whove pushed their luck with the neighbors.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build
Value
Switching to different types of guitars in a

live setting may require some on-the-fly EQ
and input-jack changes, because some configurations work well for humbuckers but
become wildly out of focus for single-coils
(and vice versa). But fortunately the pentode/triode switch gives you scads of extra
tone-shaping potential to further optimize
your rig from instrument to instrument. And
both voices work well with the highly effective EQ. This thing really does have more
tones within its little frame than most amps
its size. And while its certainly not practiceamp cheap, the Maz 8 Studio is loaded with
featuresfrom the attenuator to the spring
reverbthat make it a versatile, smart, solid
selection for the studio, home, or micd up
and roaring in big theatres.
premierguitar.com
RAVISH SITAR
Taj Mahal tones and ethereal drones infuse

your guitar with the exotic sound of a sitar.
Rock to raga, Bollywood beckons.
NEO CLONE
Lush analog chorus. Son of

the legendary Small Clone.
NEO MISTRESS
Professional flanging, nano

package, breakthrough price!
CHILL SWITCH
Momentary Line Selector
A utilitarian masterpiece,
provides instant muting and
effects loop switching.
For complete specs visit www.ehx.com
Break NEW Sound Barriers with the Latest from
STEREO TALKING MACHINE

Vocal Formant Filter
A plethora of creative vowel shapes

controlled by your pick. A, E, I, O, yeah!
reVIew > Ansir
ansir
IMperIal sl
By daVid aBdo
irst things first: Grab your bass, strap it

on, stand up, play a few of your favorite licks, and observe the angle its positioned at. Next, sit down and play those
same licks, again noting the playing angle.
Youll most likely notice a difference. If this
difference bothers your fretting-hand technique or causes you discomfort, there may
be an answeror Ansirto your problems.
Ansir basses are named after the acronym ANSIRwhich stands for angled
neck string instrument resourceand
theyre built by Jody Michael and a team
whose design philosophy concentrates on
ergonomics. Because electric basses have
traditionally been designed around a linear
playing dynamic, Ansir believes players must
CLICKHere
to hear audio clips of the bass at

manipulate their bodies to accommodate

them, thus increasing the potential for repetitive stress injuries. To avoid this, Ansirs basses
are designed to maintain a consistent playing
angle whether youre seated or standing.
Building custom basses according to an
individuals playing angle and providing
them with a truly customized instrument
has brought some success to Ansir. From
this success, they have very recently diversified with a new production model known
as the Imperial Series Stream Line (or SL).
It provides some of the benefits of a custom
KSM
Foundation
bridge
angled-neck design, as well as unique looks

and straightforward tone.
imperial Features
If Salvador Dali created a bass, it may have
looked like the unique-looking Imperial SL.
Shaped from multiple tonewoods, it features
ingrown-bark-maple wings that conceal a
basswood core adorned with walnut appointments. The wings connect to a wenge tone
block with the assistance of a pair of zebrawood splines. The company says these splines
improve stability and help transfer vibrations
through the body. Finally, the bolt-on, twopiece neck is constructed of wenge and is
topped with a pau ferro fretboard.
Opening the back plate (which is carved
from an attractive piece of zebrawood) reveals
a clean and well-shielded interior. The people
at Ansir say they spent a significant amount
of time experimenting with different capacitors and potentiometers, all with the intention of creating a passive-toned system that
would bring out bassists playing nuances.
Other quality features of the Imperial SL
include a solid KSM Foundation bridge,
Gotoh tuners, an aluminum nut, and a heavy
duty input jack. Overall, the instrument is
aesthetically striking and solidly built.
The Imperial SL is also offered in fretless versions, or with 21-, 22-, or 24-fret
necks. Other neck angles are available,
as are 34"- or 35"-scale 4- or 5-string
Ergonomic body
Seymour Duncan
SMB-4D humbucker
premierguitar.com
reVIew > Ansir
versions. Other pickup options include

P-bass style, P/J style, and J style.
imperial Analysis
Our test bass had an excellent setup, accurate intonation, and little to no fret buzz.
One of the interesting things we noticed
when we unpacked the Imperial SL was
that, while it definitely doesnt look normal when you first lay eyes on it, the
extent of its ergonomic angles have a bit
of a deceptive, Escher-like visual quality
when you look at it on a stand. But when
you turn it to horizontal playing position,
the curvaceous body and unique tilt of the
angled neck become much more evident.
Because this is a production model, the
40-degree neck angle is based on the most
popular measurements of Ansirs previous customers. While the bass felt a bit heavy when I
first picked it up, the shape evenly distributes
the weight when youre wearing it on a strap.
Overall, it felt quite balancedregardless of
its position when standing upand I did not
experience any shoulder or back discomfort
when playing for long periods of time.
The benefits of the angled neck were
equally apparent whether youre standing
or sitting. While I would have preferred
a more pronounced playing angle for my
playing style, the stock Imperial SL angle
still required fewer adjustments to my fretting-hand technique than the linear dynamic on most electric basses. This resulted in
effortless movement around the substantialbut-smooth-playing neck. Nearly every note
was accessible on the fretboard, though
Wenge
bolt-on
neck
some hand extension was required to reach

notes on the upper four frets.
Although everyone has a different level
of tolerance for imperfections in a handmade instrument, it should be noted that
the SL had a few. Running my hand along
the instrument, I felt minor inconsistencies
in the finish, with a few rough spots along
the bottom curve of the body and where
the wenge tone-block transitioned to the
walnut stringers. All said, one may argue
that these finish issues are inconsequential.
imperial Acoustics
The Imperial SL employs a pau ferro-covered Seymour Duncan SMB-4D humbucker
(a pickup that was originally designed for
the Music Man StingRay). On our test bass,
the control knobs extend far enough from
the body to expose external parts of the
pots, so care should certainly be taken to
avoid any damaging them. Ansir explains
that the knobs are intentionally high both so
one can easily reach them when playing and
for ease of tightening after repetitive use.
I tested the SL through a Phil Jones D-600
head driving a Glockenklang Quattro 410
cabinet, as well as an Aguilar Tone Hammer
500 head powering two Glockenklang 112
cabinets. Plugged in, the Imperial SL could be
described as the tonal offspring of a StingRay
and a Warwick Streamer. It serves up highend crunch, combined with a tight low
end and a modern, articulate growl. When
I wanted more punch, the SL took to EQ
adjustments quite well: A boost in the amps
low mids yielded notes that were like a punch
the Verdict
The Ansir Music Imperial SL combines
significant ergonomic considerations with
boutique looks and an articulate, aggressive
sound. Its great to find a US-made instrument at a price that rivals some factorymade imports. The Imperial SL would be
an excellent choice for bassists with back
and shoulder issues, or for those trying to
prevent future injuries. It would also be
ideal for those who often play while sitting.
It isnt the most versatile bass, and it does
have some minor cosmetic imperfections,
but the Imperial SL is a bass of great value
and might just be the answer for you.
RATINGS
Ansir Music Imperial SL, $2,150 street, ansirmusic.com
Pros:
solid playability. articulate tones.

Great bang for the buck.
cons:
premierguitar.com
to the gut. Slap tones shared the StingRay

vibe, but with a woodier snap. Additionally,
the bass was very impressive when playing
harmonics. They came out with clarity and
authority, even on the second fret.
While Ansir says the Imperial SL affords
many tones by simply adjusting the tone
knob, this single-pickup configuration has
one inherent tone. The knob performed
like a treble roll-off, and as it neared the
end of its rotation it infused the sound with
some midrange honk. I found this midrange
emphasis worked best with a pick and a little amp overdrive, which created a grinding,
Chris Squire-like tone like in Roundabout.
Live, the Imperial sat well in the mix, with
the fundamental of each note being quite
present and the dual-coil pickup conveying
string bends and slides with ease.
Minor craftsmanship flaws.
Tones
Playability
Build
Value
review >
Digital
ONly
Company
reviewname
> 3leaf audio
3Leaf audio
pwnzor bass
compressor
by Jordan Wagner
CLICKHere

ompressors can be a bassists best friend,

or in some cases, their worst enemy.
Theyre infinitely useful for leveling signals
and bringing out the best of what a rig can
not only sound like, but feel like as well. They
can work wonders when used properly, or
completely strangle the life out of a great tone
if misused. As an experienced bassist himself,
3Leaf Audios Spencer Doren has tackled this
particular flavor of effect with the PWNZOR
optical compressor, which includes two modes
for varying degrees of compression.
Hard-Pressed
The PWNZOR is a pretty intimidatinglooking pedal. Housed in a Hammond
Manufacturing 1590BB enclosure, the compressor exhibits a very industrial look and
sports four control knobs to help shape,
squeeze, and mold your tone in a variety
of ways. The input control is the first step
after engaging the pedal, which allows
you to set how much signal is fed into the
pedals optical compression circuit. Higher
settings will trigger the circuit easier, so its
a good idea to set this according to your
pickups output level. Attack sets the reaction time of the effect, and the ratio control
determines the amount of gain reduction
which has a range of 1:1 through 10:1.
Rounding out the set of control knobs, the
gain control sets the output level.
Lets move on to the really cool features
of the PWNZOR. First off, the front
panels toggle allows switching between
vintage and modern compression modes.
The vintage mode sends the output signal to the compression circuit, while the
modern mode sends the signal from the
input, which results in a much punchier
and throatier tone. Inside the pedal are
three additional controls: a bypass-mode
switch for selecting true or buffered bypass,
and two small pots for setting release time
Controls for input,

gain, attack, and ratio
Toggle switch for

vintage or modern
compression modes
and input gain. The PWNZOR does not

take batteries, so it requires a 9V wall wart
to run. But interestingly, it has an internal
voltage-doubler that ups the input power
to 18V for expanded headroom, which is a
pretty cool idea for those who dont have an
18V power supply lying around.
While the pedal feels solid, and the circuit
board is assembled and soldered well, the
input and output jacks are made from plastic. In my experience, plastic input jacks can
be prone to accidentally breaking, but 3Leaf
Audio states that they have used more than
4,000 Neutrik-manufactured jacks without a
single failure to date. It should also be noted
that there is a pair of gaps in the enclosure

between the bottom edges of the jacks and
the back plate. While this probably made it
easier to drop in the assembled circuit, some
care should be taken to avoid getting the
circuit board dirty, since the pedal is going to
spend most of its time on the floor.
Pwn The Tone
With a Verellen Meat Smoke amplifier and
a USA Kramer Striker bass, I switched the
PWNZOR into vintage mode with the
attack, input, and ratio knobs set between 9
oclock and 10 oclock, and upped the gain
to 11 oclock. A very handy feature of the
premierguitar.com
review > 3Leaf audio
pedal is that the LED indicator will light

up in red when striking a note, and then
fade to green as the compressors trigger
releases the signal. As I played more and
cranked the input control higher, the longer
the LED would remain red, showing that
the compressor was having an easier time
clamping down on the signal and not letting go. Setting an appropriate level with
the input control was made that much
easier with this visual cue, since it allowed
me to determine exactly when the effect was
coming in and out.
Tonally, the pedal is smooth as can be.
Unless I had the gain and ratio controls
set ridiculously high, it was difficult to get
a bad sound from the effecta testament
to how expertly the pedal was voiced on
the assembly table. The entire range of the
attack controlessential to coaxing more
detail out of the toneallowed the effect
to ride in ever so smoothly with each pluck
of the strings. Higher settings were great for
funkier slap playing, which brought in the
pedals snappy compression with immediate
authority. And the lower ranges were perfect
for slower, more nuanced low-end work that

needed to breathe in and out of the mix.
For tones that laid back in the mix in this
manner, the vintage mode was the obvious
choice since it allowed my attack to sit back
slightly. Conversely, the modern mode made
each notes attack more noticeable and poignant. While there wasnt a massive difference
in the actual tone between modern and vintage, there was a highly noticeable difference
in the way the bass felt while playing. Running
through more rock-based lines went hand in
hand with the modern modes immediatesounding nature, while bluesy runs in the vintage setting allowed me to let up on striking
the string exactly on the beatas everything
just felt looser and more comfortable.
The Verdict
3Leaf did an excellent job in designing the
PWNZOR, making it a quality piece of equipment for the compression-conscious bassist. Its
ability to be tweaked and tailored over a large
spectrum is one of its high points, as is its perfectly set voicing to minimize overly squished
tone. While care should be taken with the
enclosure gaps on the bottom of the pedal, the

PWNZOR is a knockout choice in the world
of compression pedals for bass, and is certainly
worth a good look for those bassists looking to
keep their peaks and valleys in check.
RATINGS
3Leaf Audio
3leafaudio.com
PWNZOR Bass Compressor
Street: $219
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
Pros
Great tone and many options for dialing in
the right amount and type of compression.
Cons
The gaps leading to an exposed circuit
board are a minor cause for concern.
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ON PREMIERGUITAR.COM
reVIew > DEAtH BY AuDio
death By audio
apocalypse
By LyLe ZaehrinGer
or all the ominousness that the year

2012 portends for some, its a wonderland out there for stompbox nutsa
veritable land o plenty, especially if you dig
fuzz. One of the most beautiful things about
the new fuzz explosion is that the more
enterprising and visionary fuzz builders
are moving way beyond the tried-and-true
templates. Death by Audio has been doing
creative work on this front since the turn of
the century, and the irreverent tribe of pedal
tweakers from Brooklyn, New York, now
maintains a line of pedals from the simple
but effective Interstellar Overdriver to the
Robot 8-bit synthesizer pedal. The latest,
the Apocalypse, is perfect for 2012both
because of its end-times-approved name,
and its forward-looking and freethinking
approach to fuzz. And with its intuitive,
5-mode control set, it puts copious amounts
of sonic brutality at your fingertips.
CLICKHere

and gainiacare less cryptically named

than they might first appear. As its name
suggests, scoup mode has a mid-scooped,
metal-friendly EQ curve. Its a great means
of nailing headbanging tones from the 80s
onward, but it also gives you the spongier
response of a fuzz circuit. Stoner- and
doom-metal guitarists are bound to love
this setting. Rolling SFE back toward the
5-position
fuzz selector
bass side produces a massive, subwooferpunishing growl, with just a hint of highend sizzle. Rolling back drive gets you a bit
more dynamic response on top of the bonecrushing tones. The relatively low output of
scoup mode reveals that theres some serious
noise gating at work, but its masterfully
implemented and doesnt adversely affect
the musicality of the signal decay. It can
also effectively massage the noisier output
of single-coils, even with the units volume
and drive knobs dimed.
Square wave mode is adapted from
Death by Audios Fuzz War pedal and has
significantly more midrange and much
higher output than scoup mode. It also
exhibits super-strong resonance and sustain,
and, depending on where you set SFE, you
can very specifically focus on the frequency
band for which you want to enhance resonance. Drive also has a significant impact
on the signal, taking it from a very light
Sweepable
EQ control
controlled Mayhem
The Apocalypses aesthetics reflect a clear
love of late-60s and early-70s synth and
consumer-electronics designs without looking
slavishly retro or frivolous. The knobs are the
same type youd see on an old Minimoog,
and the unit is even labeled with cool waveform-shape graphics that would be at home
on an old analog synth. The cool blue-green
powder finish and black-and-white sparkle
paint graphics are sharp, bold, and clear.
The control layout itself is simple. But
this relatively easy-to-navigate control
set can lead you down a myriad of tonetweaking paths. Volume and drive knobs
perform obvious functions. But the larger
sweepable frequency equalizer (SFE) knob,
which determines whether the unit emphasizes bass or treble frequencies, is the ticket
to opening up the pedals potential. The
unit can be powered via a 9V battery or an
optional AC power supply.
Five Means to Furious Fuzz
The Apocalypses five modesscoup,
square wave, wave form shifter, octavious,
premierguitar.com
reVIew > DEAtH BY AuDio
overdrive to a blistering, harmonically rich

wall of sustaining fuzz.
Wave form shifter mode uses two JFET
transistors and is similar to square wave
mode in terms of dynamics and frequency
response. Although it sounds a little less
resonant and harmonically rich than square
wave mode, it has more output and a bit
more distortion, enabling very focused and
cutting sounds that work well for separating
a solo from a busy mix.
Octavious mode serves up a shot of
beautifully balanced, brutal octave-up fuzz.
Itll hold together for chording without
getting muddy, indistinct, or fractured.
And the octave tone is accompanied by a
blistering, gritty fuzz that hints at the voice
of a Fuzz Face. In typical Death by Audio
form, however, it gives you way more
distortion than a vintage unit. With drive
set high, a humbucker-equipped Gibson
SG sings and sustains at flesh-searing levels without any ugly decay. In short, the
Apocalypses octavious mode is simply one
of the best octave-plus-distortion sounds
Ive ever heard.
Warm
and
RATINGS
Death by Audio Apocalypse, $270 street, deathbyaudio.net
Pros:
wide range of amazing fuzz tones.

simple, powerful controls.
cons:
Tones
Ease of Use
Build
somewhat pricey.
If youve moved through all these fuzz

permutations and still havent tapped into
enough gain, you might just be a little
twisted. In which case, youll love gainiac
mode. Even at low drive settings, it pumps
out full-bore distortion. It also has substantially higher output than any other mode,
making it great for torturing the front end
of a tube amp and mixing its distortion
with the Apocalypses. But when you kick
up the drive, thats when the truly whacked
fun beginsthe unit induces gloriously
musical feedback and overtones. Turning
SFE toward the treble-boost range varies the intensity of the feedback. Back off
drive slightly, and the feedback is easier to
control, but the Apocalypse still puts out a
Value
thick, compressed distortion thats hot as a

crackling skillet of bacon grease.
the Verdict
At $270, the Apocalypses price can seem a
bit steep for a fuzz with just a few controls.
But that simplicity belies amazing versatility that yields some of the best fuzz tones
youll encounter in any pedal. The octave
fuzz is nothing short of brutally gorgeous.
The Gainiac channel guarantees bleeding ears
if thats what you crave, but you can access
more conventional, super-thick, and overtone-rich fuzz tones, too. If youre a fuzz guru
who needs a multitude of tones in a single,
simple unit, its worth giving the Death by
Audio Apocalypse an extended work out.
Fuzzy
XOTiC
Contact us for a 763-424-4888

Tone Consultation
AmericanGuitarAndBand.com
premierguitar.com
THE NEW ENGL E765 RETRO TUBE 100 HEAD

TAKE A STEP INTO A WORLD OF SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING TONES
ENGL HAS EVER CREATED AND JOURNEY INTO VINTAGE SOUNDSCAPES.
The new ENGL Retro Tube 100 head features two channels of retro sound variety. Channel One offers warm and silken
or well-dressed, sparkling clean sounds and very harmonic crunch sounds with ENGLs version of Class A character.
Channel Two is a perfectly suited warm overdrive channel offering a wide range of retro tones for the ambitious guitar player.
100% cutting in the studio. 100% convincing on stage. 100 watts of Retro Tube power. Its so organic, its almost alive.
INTERCHANGEABLE
The perfect match for the new

ENGL RETRO TUBE 100 head
100 watts, 4 x EL34, 4 x ECC83

2 Channels
Gain Boost for each Channel
Master A/B
Noise Gate
FX Loop
Tone Switch (Mid Boost)
4 x 12" Retro Cabinet

4 x 12" Celestion G 12 H 70th
Anniversary SE Speakers
120 watts Mono / 60 watts Stereo
Impedance: 8 Ohms Mono /
2 x 16 Ohms Stereo
Cabinet comes with black front frame. Interchangeable Red and

Vanilla frames can be ordered separately.
VELVET DISTRIBUTION
info@velvetdistribution.com
www.engl-amps.com myspace.com/englamps
review > Company

Digital-ONly
reviewname
> Hughes & kettner
hughes & kettner
tubemeister 5
by Jordan Wagner
ermany-based Hughes & Kettner

have long been one of the most successful premier boutique amp builders in
Europe. Known for a blend of high fidelity
and stinging, detailed highs, their creations
have held been fixtures on the backlines of
hot pickers from Alex Lifeson to Michael
Wilton, and Allan Holdsworth, to name
a few. Though H&K are known in many
circles for building monsters, they successfully ventured into low wattage territory
with their popular Tubemeister 18 (which
was really just a very small monster). Now
the company has released an even more
miniaturized amp bearing their namesake,
the Tubemeister 5.
Have Amp, Will Travel

The Tubemeister 5 borders on adorable.
Not the words youre average H&K user
associates with their rig, but in this case its
very true. The pint-sized five-watter weighs
in at only 7.65 pounds, and fits perfectly
into its (yes, well go ahead and say it) petite
carrying case. Visually, its a dead-ringer for
the larger models in the Hughes & Kettner
line, with a clean and striking look of
Plexiglas and polished metal.
The entirely tube circuit begins with a
single 12AX7 preamp tube, then moves
to the power section thats fueled by a
12BH7 dual triode tube that runs in push/
pull mode. Oversized transformers aid
CLICKHere
to hear audio clips of the amp

at premierguitar.com/apr2012
the power amp in producing the strongest,

cleanest output signal possible for five watts
and keep the tone from flubbing out and
mushing up at higher volumes.
Just like the Tubemeister 18, this particular Hughes & Kettner amp is pretty
simple and straightforward. Three EQ
knobs for bass, mid, and treble shape the
overall tone of the amp, which feed the signal into the gain and master volume controls. Theres also a little switch for changing between clean and overdriven modes
between the Bass and Master controls.
Even though the amp has only one channel, moving to the Drive mode revoices
the frequency response of the three EQ
Master and Gain controls
premierguitar.com
review > hughes & kettner
Red Box speakersimulator output
Power Soak for

cranked-amp-like
response
Its the presence of the signature

Hughes & Kettner hi-fi quality that
really impresses thougha foundation
of luscious mids and tight lows that
belies the amps tiny dimensions.
controlsmaking them more sensitive for
shaping mid and high gain tones.
The Tubemeister 5 was designed to essentially be a highly portable, studio-ready version
of their larger modelsincluding the already
diminutive Tubemeister 18. In keeping with
this train of thought, the amp comes packed
with an integrated Red Box XLR direct out,
which makes it a cinch to run the amp directly
into a mixing console. The direct out has
speaker simulation, so for players who want to
lay down a few tracks without lugging a speaker cab around, its a great option. Activating it
is as simple as pressing the Power Soak button
on the back of the amp or unplugging your
speaker from the output jack.
Mini-Me
Just like its bigger 18-watt brother, the
younger Tubemeister kicks out serious
grind that is quintessentially Hughes &
Kettner with surprising volume to back it
up, too. Its not always the cleanest amp
with certain pickupspar for the course
with an amp this smallbut its got very
surprising range.
premierguitar.com
A Telecaster and a 2x12 demonstrated

the Tubemeister 5s capacity for high detail
and the ability to be super punchy and
thick for its size. Its the presence of the
signature Hughes & Kettner hi-fi quality
that really impresses thougha foundation
of luscious mids and tight lows that belies
the amps tiny dimensions. The combination of the Teles bridge pickup and my
increasing pick attack revealed the amps
touch sensitivity, giving me a bright stinging lead tone when I cranked the Gain control up to about 1 oclock.
Despite the companys best intentions
to deliver the most clean tone possible,
the amp gets dirty once you set the Master
and Gain controls past noonright at the
sweet spot where the cleans started to warm

up and sag a little. Dropping the volume
control on the Tele about 1/3 or so helps
eliminate some grit. That was much harder
with a Dimarzio Tone Zone and Evolutionequipped Charvel So Cal. The pickups just
drove the amp a little too hard for playing
crystal cleans at medium to high levels.
Still, the light gain raunch that resulted
sounded fantastic, if a little bit piercing in
the highs. A quick adjustment of the Treble
will nip that problem in the bud, however.
The amps Treble control is also vital to
dialing in the Drive mode, which is the
real star of this show. The EQ controls
each take on a different sweep, dynamic,
and personality in the Drive mode, but
none has a more noticeable effect than the
Treble control. Move it up from the 12
oclock position while playing the D and G
strings in unison, and you can hear it sweep
through a huge range of high-end frequencies ranging from warm to razor-like. It
really works like a combination of a presence and treble control and can really help
the amp rise above a crowded mix.
In the Drive mode, the Charvel and the
amps raging distortion were a perfect match
for quick, heavy riffage and sky high runs
and bends. Even at extreme volume levelswhich were always much louder than I
expectedthe lows stayed focused with galloping triplets and hand-heavy swipes.
The Verdict
For studio cats that love high gain tones,
the Tubemeister 5 is a killer choice. The
amount of overdrive on tap is impressive,
focused, and full throughout the amps
range. The cleans are nice, even if the
heavy-duty transformers cant quite overcome the limitations of low wattage to get
really clean at loud volume levels. But if
youre in the market for that quintessential
hi-fi tone that put Hughes & Kettner on
the map, and you dont want to lug around
one of their larger, weightier amps, its
worth giving this little monster a try.
RATINGS
Hughes & Kettner, TubeMeister 5, Street: $349, hughes-and-kettner.com
Pros:
Great high-gain tones with quick response. Very useful

treble control.
Cons:
Clean tones can distort with humbuckers.
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
review > m-tone
M-Tone
SlipStream
tream
BY DiMiTri SiDeriaDiS
ight-emitting diodes, freeze-dried ice

cream, and amazing new foams were
among the many Space Race spin-offs
that trickled down to consumers and ultimately enriched their lives (well, maybe
not so much in the case of freeze-dried ice
cream). But as guitar enthusiasts will tell
you, these technologies were nothing compared to the advancements in the electric
guitar world of the late 1950s. Audacious
streamlining, bountiful knobs and switches, and innovative uses of plastic came
together to transform the instrument into
a beacon of rebellious independence.
It is with this progressive optimism that

Matt Proctor of M-tone Guitars created
the celestially inspired Slipstream. Matt
worked as a sculptor for 15 years before
directing his efforts toward lutherie, and
evidence of this is clear in his dynamic
curves, one-of-a-kind finishes, and handshaped necks that combine the boldness
of Sputnik-era design with a craftsmans
touch and an outlook that says electricguitar design doesnt have to remain stuck
with Cold War motifs. Brimming with
individuality and equipped with a pair of
Lollar P-90s, the Slipstream will please
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those looking to set their playing on a new

trajectory or get straight-ahead, beefed-up
vintage tone.
Space tripping
With its blue-to-brown finish and prominent use of textured metals, the Slipstream
definitely doesnt look like a product of
the late 50s. Rather than mimicking a
period-correct artifact, it expresses the
Hipshot bridge
Pau
ferro
neck
Lollar P-90s
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review > m-tone
technology-obsessed mood of the age

through contemporary form and finish thats somehow also organic feeling.
Psychedelic and futuristic at once, the
Slipstreams curves are amorphous, with
body contours that are balanced both
visually and ergonomically.
Thoughtful touches are everywhere.
The tight turn over the input jack is a
great body detail that protects your cable
from getting knocked around or yanked
out. The 16-gauge steel plates used for
the pickguard and control cover look like
the molten surface of some planet in a
far-off galaxy. Other metal surfaces, such
as the knobs, switch tip, and Hipshot
bridge and locking tuners are weathered
to evoke a well-oiled, broken-in machine
thats been freshly cleaned up for use.
Even the aluminum dot inlays, which are
usefully arranged for visibility while playing, look like a constellation. To top it
off, our review model has a genuine Soviet
Sputnik badge inlaid in the upper horn
a touch that Proctor has given to the first
four Slipstreams to come out of his shop.
The narrow-waisted mahogany body sits

comfortably on the thigh, while the 25.5"
scale gives fretting-hand movements a
familiar Fender-like feel. Handcarved from
beautifully grained pau ferro, the mediumsized, C-shaped neck has a silky oil finish
that feels amazing. This exotic wood commands a $100 surcharge and adds a bit of
weight to the instrument, but its a beautiful matchand the fretwork is excellent.
The body resonance is apparent from the
first unplugged strum. Proctor attributes
much of this to the thin, water-based finish,
which he says helps the body vibrate more
freely. The resonance is no doubt aided by
the quality bridge designa U-shaped outer
wall pinches the saddles together tightly for
efficient coupling and vibration transfer. As
a result, the strings ring with Fender-like
snap and definition, but with a unique tonal
dimension provided by the mahogany body.
Commencing Countdown,
engines on
One of the things that struck me most
when I plugged the Slipstream in was how
fat and punchy the tone iseven with

a little Fender Champ on the other end.
Cornell Dupree-like double stops have a
toneful percussiveness, with enough cut
for a heavy soul or funk setting. On the
neck pickup, the Slipstream has a superthick lower midrange and bass that will
actually find you rolling off bass on your
amp to get clarity and note separation for
more densely voiced chords lower on the
fretboard. Once in the sweet spot, though,
the richness and ringing highs of the
Lollar P-90 neck pickup produces pulsing,
complex clean tones that you can drive to
the edge of breakup. I was also impressed
by how well the neck pickup cleans up
when you roll back the volume.
A switch to the bridge pickup will drive
a Champ or low wattage Tweed into rude,
vintage-lead tones with a bright edge and
great sustain. You can just as easily nail
Leo Nocentellis lead sound on They All
Askd for You, because the Slipstream
barks and chimes with incredible presence and detail. Digging in hard with the
pick or slamming early Zeppelin chords
Digging in hard with the pick or slamming early

Zeppelin chords reveals how savage the combination
of the Slipstream with a small tube amp really is
sizzling and gritty, with excellent definition.
premierguitar.com
review > m-tone
reveals how savage the combination of the

Slipstream with a small tube amp really
issizzling and gritty, with excellent
definition.
Plugging into a bigger, more powerful Dean Markley CD60, it was easy to
coax monstrous Live at Leeds tones that
retained all the character and definition
you get from a smaller amp. The bigger
amp also revealed how well the Slipstream
works for chunkier rock rhythms. At
the amps highest gain levels, the bridge
pickup has the satisfying thickness youd
expect from a humbucker, but with a
more percussive high-end snap. The guitar also seems to have endless energy and
sustain, which can inspire a teetering-onfeedback search for weird-but-musical
sounds to match its unusual styling. By
bending one or more strings behind the
nut, I generated some eerie howls and
awesome layered throbbing sounds. The
headstocks sharp drop-off behind the nut
and the lack of a string tree made this
RATINGS
M-tone Guitars Slipstream, $2,600 street, m-tone.com
pros:
adventurous styling with a unique finish. High build

quality. Excellent P-90 tones.
Cons:
Styling might be too adventurous for some. Strong

output might not match some more laid-back styles.
easy, and the locking tuners stayed in tune

well. So in addition to being a red-hot
rock guitar, the Slipstream is also a great
playground for experimentalists.
the Verdict
While the Slipstreams adventurously artful shape and finish can get you excited
about new sonic possibilities made possible with its appointments, this instrument also delivers classic P-90 sounds
with aplombfrom Pete Townsends roar
to round, jazzy leads. But even when
plying classic waters, you just might
Tones
Playability
Build
Value
feel inspired to take musical leaps you

might not have taken with a more traditional guitar. The pickups, balance, and
playability just inspire confidence. The
Slipstream is a good value, too. While its
not inexpensive, you get an extraordinary
handbuilt instrument with top-quality
tone woods and components for the price
of a high-end assembly-line guitar. Not
everyone will care for its styling, but
even if its not to your taste from a visual
standpoint, the Slipstreams expressiveness as an instrument is sure to influence
yours as a player.
premierguitar.com
DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE USA
premierguitar.com
review > Caroline Guitar Co.
Caroline GUiTar Co.
Olympia Fuzz
BY MaTTHew HolliMan
n the fuzz realm, theres an allure to the

circuits of the 70s that attracts a very
obsessive crowd. They prowl for that perfect, sinewy, buzz-saw sustain thats graced
the work of everyone from Pink Floyd to
the Isley Brothersthe tones of silicon Fuzz
Faces and the legendary triangle and rams
head versions of the Electro-Harmonix Big
Muff. These pedals and their counterparts
regained popularity in the 90s when a new
breed of guitar misfits from Mudhoney to
Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. reclaimed the
tone for their own, and the resurgence in
Simple
Volume
and Fuzz
control set
popularity sent price tags for what were once

junk-shop relics sky high. Given the hundreds of dollars those originals now fetch,
many fuzz-cult devotees have given up the
Craigslist and eBay runaround and turned
to boutique gear for their fuzz fixes.
For some such characters, the Caroline
Guitar Company may have the answer.
After achieving success with its homage
to op-amp excellence, the Wave Cannon
OD/Fuzz, the Columbia, South Carolina,
company set its sights on a classic transistorbased fuzz. And as the name suggests to
CLICKHere

fans of the Melvins, Nirvana, and other

fuzz-freak bands, the Olympia traces a line
back through the Pacific Northwest of the
90s with filthy grace. With some help from
the Kickstarter.com fundraising platform,
Caroline Guitar Co. far exceeded their
monetary goal to push the Olympia into the
testing and production phases. Now available internationally, this stompbox touts a
wide breadth of color thats certain to please
the pickiest old-school fuzz fans.
Blues for the Sun
The Olympias fuzzed-out chaos is managed
through manipulation of volume (indicated
by a speaker symbol) and gain (a bolt from
Zeus, of course). The knobs are placed perfectly for quick foot-control during a gig
tight, but not too tight, and right up at the
top of the pedal.
Within the blueberry-colored enclosure
youll find a lesson in compact design. No
space is wasted in accommodating the 9V
battery, 3DPT true-bypass setup, jacks, and
circuit board. Shielded jacks protect 1/4"
input and output cables from interference,
and should you choose to go with a battery
over an adapter, it will rest securely below
the footswitch with little to no movement.
On the whole, the Olympia feels tough and
ready for real gigging and a lifetime on a
working players pedalboard.
amber Waves of Gain
With both knobs at high noon, a
Stratocaster plugged into its input, and
a 50-watt Bassman stocked with four
Celestion Vintage 30s at the other end of the
line, the Olympia growls with grungy lead
tones. Background noise, however, is virtuallyand most impressivelynonexistent.
Power chords at these settings had the
Bassman positively booming and burning
(figuratively, of course). If youre looking for
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review > Caroline Guitar Co.
a more aggressive J. Mascis or Mudhoney

tone, youll want to kick gain up to 2 or 3
oclock. At this level, the Olympia delivers whiplash lead tones with a heap of bass
presence, a sweet, sharp high end, and a
responsiveness that coaxed nuances from
both sides of the spectrum, depending on
picking intensity. Its clearermore transparent eventhan the suffocated, almost
synth-like output that Big Muff-based pedals sometimes have.
With a Les Paul driving the works, you
can delve further into woolly regions like
those on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Maxing
the gain gives you those aggressive Iommi
tones without sacrificing picking dynamics, while backing off the gain increases the
detail in note-to-note interplay and gives
you the bark and bite you associate with
Jimmy Pages more stinging moments form
the first four Zep LPs. You may want to
kick up the volume a tad if youre sticking
with humbuckers, as the difference between
a clean signal from a hot humbucker and
the Olympia with everything at noon is less
than pronounced. Even so, theres more than
RATINGS
Caroline Guitar Company Olympia, $145 street, carolineguitar.com
pros:
Wide range of fuzz tones. Great harmonic clarity.
Cons:
May not have enough hair for fans of extreme Muff

and Fuzz Face tones.
enough headroom to help you rise to bombastic levels when you kick the pedal on.
If youre yearning for a more ethereal
lead tone, the Olympia also works great
with a high-headroom, open-back amp like
a Fender Twin Reverb. In these airier environs, the Olympias lower frequencies blend
exceptionally well with the brighter tones
especially in loud, live settings. Against a
fuzz-saturated bass and a second overdriven
guitar, the Olympia cut without the aid of a
separate overdrive. And with the gain raised
near full mast, you can achieve the opulent,
round, and raging sound of a Sovtek-built
Big Muff without giving up any clarity.
Stack some reverb on top of this roar, and
youll be deep in shoegazing blissteetering on the edge of outlandish feedback and
Tones
Ease of Use
Build
Value
squealing harmonic overtones, especially

with single-coil in the blend.
the Verdict
Searching for the right fuzz can lead to a lot
of pedals that do one thing really well. But
the Olympia provides both authentic Muff
and Fuzz Face tones. Even better, it actually
has more clarity and broader harmonic content than what youll find in many Muff and
Fuzz Face specimens, which means it can
cover a lot of ground and suit multitudinous
combinations of guitar and amplifier. The
fact that Caroline Guitar Co. has managed
to build a classic-sounding fuzz that excels in
terms of fidelity and versatility at a reasonable price, suggests the Olympia is bound for
more than a few fuzz freaks short lists.
Other companies make overdrives
Heres where they got
the idea.
Maxon OD808
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The ORIGINAL Overdrive

www.maxonfx.com
review >
Digital
ONly
Company
reviewname
> washburn usa custom shop
washburn usa custom shop
nuno bettencourt n7
by Jordan Wagner
ew guitarists are associated with a single

guitar maker like Nuno Bettencourt is
with Washburn Guitars. Since the introduction of the N4 in 1990, Bettencourts association has helped Washburn establish itself
as something more than a line of blues and
classic rock guitars. His models are some
of the best-selling guitars in their line, and
older, rare pieces can command a hefty sum
on the used market.
The work between Bettencourt and
Washburn is ongoing though, and the latest
fruit of the collaboration is the N7 from the
companys USA Custom Shop. The new guitar updates the classic N4 model with a couple significant changes, most notably with the
addition of a seventh stringa low Bto
widen the sonic spectrum for heavier work.
Wind Me Up
The N7 screams late 80s/early 90s stripped
-own, hot-rodded shred machine, with a bare
wood finish, floating tremolo and careful
attention paid to serving up as much unrestricted access to the upper frets as possible.
The body itself is comprised of aged alder,
and feels really great underneath the fingertips. The two-piece alder body is sanded and
sculpted to perfectionits light and beautifully balanced. The body also has a DIY look
thats a nod to the guitar that Bettencourt
himself built out of spare parts over 20 years
ago and which inspired the original N4. One
of the more unique aspects of the N7 is its
strange neck joint, which is actually an old
design developed by luthier Stephen Davies
in the early 80s. Instead of a joint with a
straight, square edge, the area is cut with a
half-circle shape, and the neck is attached via
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five bolts that run along the upper edge. It

looks quite futuristic, and provides a rocksolid connection between the alder body
and the 25.5" scale maple neck and doesnt
obstruct access the higher frets.
A gorgeous ebony fingerboard with 22
frets tops the bare-finished maple neck and
theres a Buzz Feiten Tuning System treatment to ensure that tuning and intonation
are as accurate as possible. The strings are
anchored by a set of Grover 18:1 tuners and
an official Floyd Rose locking vibrato system in a seven-string configuration.
Nestled underneath the strings youll
find two Seymour Duncan humbuckersa
Duncan 59 in the neck and a Distortion in
Duncan Distortion
bridge pickup
Stephens cutaway
and neck joint
Duncan 59
neck pickup
premierguitar.com
review > Washburn usa custom shop
the bridge, which has a noticeably different

tonality than the Bill Lawrence L500 in the
bridge position of the N4. A single volume
control and a three-way switch control the
overall output of the pickups, but I wasnt
too impressed with how the volume control
felt as I moved it up and down. There just
wasnt much in the way of resistance.
Get The Funk Out
If your proclivities lean toward shred, the
N7 is really hard to beat. The supreme
comfort and great neck feeling that made
the N4 such a knockout shred machine are
all present in the N7, but this guitar has a
slightly warmer, more organic tone.
The N7 is one of the most comfortable
electric guitars that Ive played in recent
memory. The feel of the neck alonewith its
smooth, unfinished feel and pinpoint accurate
fretworkmade it difficult for me to put it
down. After saddling up with a 2011 Mesa/
Boogie Dual Rectifier Multiwatt into an
Emperor 4x12 cabinet, I dug deep into the
heavy rockbelting out quick, palm muted
triplets, peppered with slinky legato runs. The
N7 is designed for this type of work.
It feels fast, but tone is also tight and
focused. Even with an emphasis on the
low B string, it retains top end bite. Seven
string guitars often suffer from loss of high
end, which is why a lot of builders choose
bridge pickups with a high amount of treble response. In this case, the very presentsounding highs of the renowned Duncan
Distortion fit amazingly well with the N7s
low, guttural range. And the pickups tightness in the bass response meant that the
lows didnt get at all flabby, even at very
high gain settings.
Moving up to the higher fret ranges was

the real treat, though. While the Stephens
cutaway took some getting used to, it felt
like a well-worn pair of Chuck Taylors after a
while. Ive been so used to having to reposition my thumb slightly when I approach the
upper registers of the neck, but the Stephens
neck joint makes it so the neck feels as familiar as the zones lower than the 12th fret. As I
reached for some classic Satriani and Vai licks,
I just kept feeling like there had to be some
kind of catch for this level of playing comfort.
If youre a shred fiend, this guitar can be a real
asset and has the potential to improve your
accuracy, vibrato, speed, and touch.
Bettencourt is known for being one of
the best shredders that rock has ever seen,
but whats really made him a hero among
many guitarists is his incredibly distinctive,
funky style. Hes as comfortable with cleaner and low gain tones as he is with ones
soaked in molten distortion, kicking out
funky rhythm work with a very interesting, almost percussive style. When I delved
into some Curtis Mayfield-inspired backing
grooves, the N7 pulled it off with a brilliant
full range that had all of the bite and power
that Bettencourts tone is known for.
Kicking in the bridge pickup, I was
treated to a full and funky clean tone. Both
of the pickups engaged together yielded a

large, all-encompassing clean that was bold
and brash but warm as I picked through
some Randy Rhoads-influenced classical
arpeggios. I really would have liked to have
had a tone control of some sort, as one of
the best applications of a seven string guitar
is for jazz rhythmit can sound really great
by applying moving basslines on the low B
string. Alas, while the 59 is a great pickup,
the only way to tame its treble was to drop
the control on the amp and it would have
been so much more effective to do it from
the guitar itself.
The Verdict
In the ever-expanding universe of shredfriendly guitars, the N7 is a bright star.
Washburns USA Custom Shop really
outdid themselves with this one, although
they already pretty much had the formula
down pat with the N4. The natural texture
doesnt feel cheap and unfinished. Instead
it enhances the sense that youre playing
and exceptionally well-made guitar. This
level of craftsmanship comes at a premium
price. But if youve got the scratch and
want a shredders delight that can cover the
lowest of tones, it should be near the top of
your list.
RATINGS
Washburn Guitars, Nuno Bettencourt N7, Street: $2,699, washburn.com
Pros:
Exceptional feel and quality. Full, robust tones with

great balance.
Cons:
Expensive. No tone control.
Tones
Playability
Build
Value
Buzz Feiten
Tuning System
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PG color ad-12.pdf
12/20/2010
2:24:57 PM
CM
MY
CY
CMY
Re d w o o d
Expect the lightweight champion
of the world to be like this:
a full-grown Huber, but lighter than
anything youve ever seen before.
Tasteful the way it looks, elegant
in the way it sounds, this redwood
redefines the relationship between
weight and sound. Expect its pure
tone to take over your world.
Nik Huber Guitars

Borsigstr. 13
63110 Rodgau /Germany
Fon +49 - (0) 61 06 - 77 21 66
Fax +49 - (0) 61 06 - 77 21 67
www.nikhuber-guitars.com
premierguitar.com
review > Paul reeD SmitH
PAUL REED SMITH
Se 30
BY JorDan waGner
ts hard to separate the name Paul Reed

Smith from the image and sound of
his guitars. Whether its dreams of a deephued 10-Top or Carlos Santana squeezing
the entirety of his emotion into a single,
smoothly sustaining note on a flame-topped
signature PRS, the visual associations and
sonic signature are potent.
CLICKHere
to hear audio clips of the amp at

When PRS turned its attention to

amplification, the company knew that the
legend behind the guitars would make any
amp with the PRS name the subject of
deep scrutiny. When the amps finally saw

the light of day, they met expectations and
then somebut they also came with price
tags that, like their best guitars, excluded a
lot of potential customers. But just as PRS
found a way to get great instruments in the
hands of players on a budget with their SE
line, theyve now figured out how to pack
sweet tones into an amp working pickers
can afford. And if the SE 30 reviewed here
is any indication, the company has a pretty
good chance of achieving similar success in
this competitive and hard-to-crack segment
of the amplifier market.
Clean and
Lead channels
Eminence 60-watt 12" speakers
premierguitar.com
Hidden treasures
The Chinese-built SE 30 looks quite like
the American-made 30 on the exterior. It
has the same general chassis layout and
cabinet style. But the similarities mostly
end there. The SE 30 is its own animal,
packed with tones and features that make
it a unique model in the PRS amp line.
That said, it does include some features
more typical of higher-end amps, including
hardwired, chassis-mounted pots, switches,
and jacks.
The SE 30s all-tube circuit starts with
a Tung-Sol 12AX7 preamp tube for each
of its two channels, a trio of JJ 12AT7s
(one each for phase inversion, serial effects
loop, and reverb), and two Tung-Sol 5881
power tubes. Each channel has a dedicated
3-band EQ, a volume control for preamp
gain, and a bright switch for adding a little
edge to the tone. Theres also a dedicated
master volume for each channel, which
makes it super easy to balance overall
output. The short-spring reverb tank is
mounted on the underside of the chassis
and is controlled by a single knob.
The amps back panel is home to the
effects loop (which has an instrument/line
also set deep inside a 1/4" jack to avoid

accidental adjustments.
The SE 30 heads matching 2x12 cabinet is built from 5/8" plywood and loaded
with two 60-watt Eminence 12" speakers
that were designed and built specifically
for SE series amps.
Big tonesand lots of em
When it comes to tones, PRS took a
Swiss Army knife approach with the SE
30, aiming for a palette that ranges from
sparkling cleans to higher-gain sounds
thatll be right at home in hard rock and
metal. And though the ground it covers is
impressive, it really excels at gritty rock n
roll sounds.
With a Les Paul driving the SE 30s
clean channel, its hard to get a clean tone
thats completely pristine. Even at the lowest preamp-gain settings, youll still hear
a tinge of grit. Dropping your guitars
volume helps a bit, but dialing up powerful cleans with humbuckers can be exceedingly difficult. Cranking the channels
master volume and moving the preamp
control down to the lower registers yields
a mostly clean toneclub clean, if you
the ease with which you can

move between cleaner melodic
lines and dig into overdriven,
Stones-like Telecaster growl without any loss in dynamics says a lot
about this amps range.
level switch, the latter being for rackmount
gear), dual speaker outputs, and a jack for
the included two-button footswitch (which
switches channels and activates reverb).
PRS also went the extra mile and installed
three ports for plugging in a multimeter
and accessing a bias-adjustment pot to control the amount of current flowing to the
power tubes. Biasing is usually a big hassle
when you have to pull the entire chassis,
but here the bias pot is easily accessible but
willbut not with the sparkle a lot of pop

and roots rock players might be looking
for. Conversely, the channels rich lows and
super-smooth mids are a great match for
those who like to back off a guitars tone
knob for jazzier flavors.
The SE 30s clean channel absolutely
came alive with a Telecasters lower-ouput
single-coils, though. It sounded much
cleaner, with sweet highs, a smooth low
premierguitar.com
Tung-Sol 5881 power tubes
premierguitar.com
end, and plenty of headroom for crisp,

country-flavored fingerpicking. Increasing
preamp gain added a little grit, but without
any harshness in the treble frequencies. And
the ease with which you can move between
cleaner melodic lines and dig into overdriven, Stones-like Telecaster growl without
any loss in dynamics says a lot about this
amps range.
While theres no shortage of heavy
PRS players, for many the brand tends
to conjure associations with more refined
and bluesy tones. And the SE 30s lead
channel excels at these tones. At moderate gain settings, both my Telecaster and
my Les Paul simmered with a round,
buttery character in the mids and highs.
Higher gain settings get you tones from
the Warren DiMartini or Jerry Cantrell
camp, though with a much less Marshalllike voicing and more of the clarity you
associate with a bellowing Mesa/Boogie.
First-position chords and barre chords
stayed crisp and defined at these settings,
and the 2x12 roared with a big, bossy
RATINGS
PRS Guitars SE 30, $927 street (head), $379 street (2x12 cab), $999 street (1x12 combo), prsguitars.com
pros:
Fantastic definition. Incredibly responsive to

different guitar types.
Cons: Clean tones hard to conjure with humbuckers.

Shallow, somewhat muffled-sounding reverb.
low end. Downtuned riffs require cutting

the bass a notch or two to compensate
for the gigantic low-end presence, but
once youre dialed in the SE 30s ability to retain definition and clarity of
single notes over that big low-end bed is
remarkable. It sounds huge.
My only real gripe with the SE 30 is that
it has a relatively weak reverb tone. Theres
a subtle springiness to it, but the decay
tends to sound a little muffled. And sounds
as lush as what the SE 30 can crank out
sometimes call for a deeper verb tone than
what its small tank can deliver.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build
Value
the Verdict
If your musical needs and proclivities run
the rock gamut, the SE 30 is a capable
partner in crime. It has great clarity and
bounce, and can be quite a chameleon,
depending on the guitar you plug in. The
construction quality and tone are impressive, and the matching 2x12 cabinet
pumps out surprisingly copious amounts
of well-defined low end. A stronger reverb
tone would be nice, but if youre looking
to cover a wide spectrum of tones, the
SE 30 is a great tool with a powerful set
of sounds.
premierguitar.com
review > PiGtronix
PIGTRonIx
Fat Overdrive
BY MaTTHew HolliMan
he breadth and quality of Pigtronix

output in recent years has been impressive. And for its efforts and ingenuity, the
Long Island-based stompbox company has
garnered the favor of such diverse heavyweights as Andy Summers, David Hidalgo,
Dweezil Zappa, Joe Perry, and Stu Hamm.
Given the knob- and toggle-bedecked
pedals that first put the company on the
map, its easy to peg Pigtronix as one of
those outfits thats always working on the
fringecreating warbly, wild, whacked-out
pedals that experimental players love. But
while Pigtronix does that stuff very well
(check out our reviews of the Tremvelope
and Echolution at premierguitar.com), the
new FAT Drive proves this is a company
Hi/Lo gain
switch
that can cover the nuts and bolts, too. It

reflects a keen understanding of what goes
into making tube overdrive sound great.
Like many overdrives, the FAT promises
tube-like crunch while enabling your guitars
true character to shine through. Pigtronix
says it uses cascading gain stages that round
and compress the signal as it begins to clip,
whereas classic designs cut off the top and
bottom of the waveform. The result is a very
tube-like overdrive thats at home with many
different guitar and amp combinations and
can move readily from subtle to raging.
lean Cut, Fat tone
Players accustomed to the plethora of controls
on Pigtronixs more out-there offerings will
9V or 18V
power
CLICKHere

either be pleased or incredulous that the FAT

drive is stripped down to a traditional 3-knob
overdrive setupvolume, gain, and tone. But
theres also a toggle between the three controls
that delivers a heavy dose of gain when flipped
to the More position. Its a feature you see in
a lot of aftermarket TS9 and TS808 mods,
and it adds a lot of versatility and the ability to
range from classic, TS-style tones to full-bore
distortion. The side-mounted input and output jacks are of durable plastic, while the truebypass on/off switch is of sturdy metal.
The inside of the FAT Drive is packed
head-to-toe with wiring and circuitry. Theres
also no battery. Instead, Pigtronix includes
an 18V power supply. You can also operate
the pedal using your own 9V power supply,
though you lose a lot of the headroom and
transparency that are such a strong suit for
the FAT Drive. However, 9V operation does
increase the gain potential, so if you find
youre in need of more crunch, try swapping
out the supplied 18V and increasing the volume to match the previous output.
While the FAT looks straightforward
enough on the surface, its tone control is
more than the simple bass/treble blend you
find on a lot of overdrives. Utilizing a variable
low-pass filter, the FAT rounds off higher frequencies but retains lows and mids when you
turn it counterclockwise. Turning tone all the
way clockwise turns off the low-pass filter for
a cleaner, more transparent voicing.
extra Butter, Please
To get an idea how effective the tone control
isand the degree to which it enhances
the FAT Drives cool voicejust hook it
up to a biting Telecaster and a 6L6-driven
Bassman. Set the FAT to the point of breakup with gain a hair above 9 oclock, keep
tone around 4 oclock, and set the toggle
to low-gain mode, and youll get a cool,
smoked-glass sustain thats both cutting and
premierguitar.com
review > PiGtronix
meatyperfect for the kind of nuance in

Claptons Blind Faith leads. Rolling the tone
counter-clockwise really fattens up the lowend output, which works great for working
with a heavy rhythm section. Such settings
retain the essence of Fender amp overdrive,
while careful adjustment of the tone control
overcomes the loss of definition that some
players dont like in 6L6 circuits. And its
easy to dial in a satisfying crunch that can
cut through any mix.
With a Les Paul in the stew along with
a Fender amp, you can keep the FATs
tone control just above the low-pass filters
shut-off point to deliver an almost tweedlike, Chicago blues tone. Dialing tone at
or below 4 oclock delivers a TS9s punch
and gives the midrange a little more room
to breathe. But rolling too far into the filter
really accentuates the inherent darkness of
a Les Pauls humbuckers, which may be a
bit stifling for lead players. These extremely
dark tones are great in the right context
though, and its easy to see the FAT gaining
a foothold among the stoner-rock contingent that likes to drive high-power amps
and humbuckers into the sludgiest zones
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Pigtronix FAT Drive, $139 street, pigtronix.com
Tones
pros:
Strong low end can really beef up a wispy tone. 18V

power boosts headroom and transparency.
Cons:
Loses clarity with humbuckers. no battery option.
possiblethis thing will get woolly and big,

if thats what you need.
With a 10-watt, EL84-driven CEC Toll
Free Express, the Pigtronix becomes a different
cat entirely. The amp already delivers massive
amounts of drive, so pulling down the FATs
gain and increasing its volume gives you a
natural-sounding boost for crunchier leads.
Engaging the effect kills a bit of the amps Voxlike chime but leaves the full-bodied Marshall
weight very much intact. And if you really
want to torque out a smaller amp, flip the
toggle switch into the more position. This had
the CEC howling with fuzzy, string-sectionlike sustain that accentuated lows and mids.
the Verdict
If you need a bit more than classic TS-style
fare from your overdrive, the Pigtronix FAT
Ease of Use
Build
Value
Drive can take you into more expansive

territory without straying from timeless
overdrive tones or your guitars most basic
personality. It can move from campfirewarm tones to blazing jets with the flip of
a switch, and the plentitude of tones and
sturdy build make this pedal a very fair
deal. Some minimalists may be turned off
by the lack of a battery input, but the 18V
adapter opens up the potential and headroom of the FATa nice tradeoff for players who need a more transparent boost.
Guitars with single-coils benefit most from
its range, but coupled with the right amplifier, the FAT can enable humbucker fans to
squeeze both nasty and civilized tones from the
Pigtronix circuit. But whatever guitar you go
to most, one things for surethe FAT drive
will give your tone a ton of extra muscle.
Instrument cables
Patch cables
Jumper cables
Think outside the box

for purer sound!
George Ls Effects Kit
Everything you need to maximize the signal
strength and quality of your pedal board.
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Marc Eric
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Songwriter/Producer
www.marceric.com
premierguitar.com
review > mxr
MxR
m84 BaSS
Fuzz deluxe
BY JorDan waGner
hen I first started playing bass,

I was enamored with bands that
made the instrument sound like a wrecking
ball. Watching bassists who played massivesounding power chords just enthralled me.
It seemed to add a musical element that I
hadnt really noticed before as a guitarist,
and it gave me a new appreciation for the
importance of bass. Alas, when playing with
my first distortions and fuzzes, I seemed to
be lost in a sea of noise when the rest of the
band kicked inan issue that has plagued
many bassists for decades. It hasnt helped
that available options for bassists have
always been in shorter supply than for guitarists. Fortunately, the folks at Jim Dunlop
have taken a stab at helping bassists get over
this hurdle with the new MXR M84 Bass
Fuzz Deluxe, a pedal that possesses more
than enough all-encompassing fuzz to make
even the most jaded stoner-rock fan blush.
Fuzzy around the edges
Housed in the familiar MXR enclosure
weve known for decades, the all-analog
Bass Fuzz Deluxe is just as sturdy as the rest
Overall, the pedal

had a very smooth,
organic tone and
an absolutely mammoth amount of
low frequencies that
shook the walls of
my practice space.
premierguitar.com
CLICKHere

of the MXR line. As noted in the manual,

the rust-hued box was inspired by a rare
vintage fuzz thats been modified for the
lower registers of a bass. And while the
company doesnt name names, I have some
ideas after spending time with the pedal.
The idea behind this circuit modification
was to emulate the sound you get when
playing through two ampsone clean and
the other dirty. To accomplish this, Dunlop
packed in separate volume controls for
the dry and wet signals instead of a more
conventional blend control. One of the

downsides of a blend circuit is that the wet
signal tends to lose some of its kick in lower
settings. The M84s fuzz and tone knobs
adjust the amount and tonal sweep of the
fuzz. Other than that, the rest of its features
are pretty standard MXR farean option
for a 9V battery or power supply, a bright
LED, and the companys true-hardwire
bypass circuit. The Bass Fuzz Deluxes
power draw of 11 mA is pretty low, so players who prefer to drive the fuzz with batteries can breathe a sigh of reliefa 9V should
last a good while.
mondo Generator
Ambassadors of heavily distorted low end
should rejoice. The Bass Fuzz Deluxe is here
to satiate your need for stoner-rock goodness. It packs quite a kick for fuzz tones
in the vein of Scott Reeder (Kyuss), Nick
Oliveri (Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age),
and Brad Davis (Fu Manchu), but its also
tight and versatile enough for muscular,
defined tones la Tools Justin Chancellor.
With a late-80s USA Kramer Striker
bass, a 300-watt Verellen Meat Smoke
amplifier, and the Bass Fuzz Deluxes wet
tone set at 100 percent, I was walloped
Separate
wet and
dry level
controls
True hardwired
bypass
review > mxr
in the chest with the very first pluck of

the low E. Overall, the pedal had a very
smooth, organic tone and an absolutely
mammoth amount of low frequencies
that shook the walls of my practice space.
Dialing back the fuzz and playing pentatonic riffs conjured thoughts of Blue Cheer and
John Paul Jones dirtier Led Zeppelin work.
There was plenty of room for the amp to
breathe in and out with dynamic intensity,
depending on how hard I hit each note.
What was really fascinating was how
well the lows responded to different types
of attack. They tightened up when I used
a pick for fast, Cliff Burton-inspired
chugging, but they also loosened up very
naturally, depending on how fast or slow I
played. While Im not certain which exact
pedal (or pedals) inspired the Bass Fuzz
Deluxe, the sounds I heard reminded me
of a healthy, vintage Tonebender with a
revoiced gain range, mixed with the heft of
an old Sovtek-built Big Muff.
But, this pedal isnt just a one-trick pony.
When I moved the dry control up and
dropped the wet so they were roughly at
RATINGS
MXR M84 Bass Fuzz Deluxe, $129 street, jimdunlop.com
pros:
Thick, muscular fuzz tones that wont get lost in the

mix. Separate dry and wet controls are a godsend.
Cons:
Potentially overpowering for players used to sitting

far back in the mix (but isnt it time to change that, anyway?).
the same levels, it brought in the Verellens

rounded high end and aggressive voicing,
while preserving its bypassed detail quite
well. After fiddling with different amounts
of level from each control, I realized how
effectively they could be used for voicing the
pedal for any particular amp and bass combinationbecause every rig has varying distinctions in voicing, gain, and response. The
traditional blend control can go a long way
toward making sure these little details arent
lost in the mix, but the Bass Fuzz Deluxe
goes for the gusto with separate controls
that make it much easier. In no time at all, I
was able to go from the aforementioned oldschool tones to a very close approximation
of Chancellors refined, muscular tones.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build
Value
the Verdict
Though the clich not for the faint of heart
is often overused, its definitely apt with the
Bass Fuzz Deluxe. It probably wouldnt be
your first choice for a blues jamalthough
careful tweaking of its dry and wet controls would allow it to serve that purpose.
However, its greatest potential centers on
making sure your heavily-fuzzed bass tone
doesnt get lost in the mixthe bane of existence for many a bassist. You can get some
trebly tones out of it, but nothing razorsharp in the top end that will tear your head
off. The name of the game here is a full,
driving fuzz that can fill a room with ease,
along with a powerful punch thats guaranteed to rattle more than a few chests.
Tres
Mang ifique!
FLAMMANG:
GC50-LD Small Jumbo, Model J-35, & P30 Parlor

629 Forest Ave. Staten Island, NY 10310 718-981-8585
mandolin@mandoweb.com mandoweb.com
premierguitar.com
review > Company

Digital-ONly
Reviewname
> Boost roundup
Lotus Desire Boost,

Pigtronix Class A Boost,
Caroline Guitar Company
Icarus Boost,
and Whirlwind
The Bomb CLICKHere
BY Jordan Wagner
to hear audio clips of the pedals

at premierguitar.com/apr2012
good boost pedal can be one of the most indispensible tools in a guitarists arsenal. Some amps, after all, have only so much to give. And even if
your amp has channel switching, second channels can have completely different
gain structure and voicing. Sometimes you just want a little more of the sound
that youve worked so hard to perfect, with a little attitude on top. Thats where
boost pedals come in.
Some boosters are designed with the intent of adding, say, a sharper edge to
the high end, or darkening the tone to create a bluesier, softer tonality. Most,
however, are designed to make you louder without sacrificing any of your tones
original voice in the process. We decided to test out four of the newest boutique
booster pedals on the market to find out what they can add to the sonic brew.
To give the pedals a proper shakedown, I used a combination of a 2011
Fender American Telecastera real workhorse with a clear and biting voice that
works well with boosters, and the clean, detailed tone of a Mesa/Boogie Royal
Atlantic, which provided a great canvas to hear just how these pedals work.
Lotus Pedal Designs
Desire Boost Pedal
The Desire Boost one of the more functionally simple devices in this roundup.
Its also one of the most sparse-looking.
Lotus strives for simplicity with and this
single-knob booster makes do with a little
red paint and a plain black label, bearing
the make, model and country of origin (the
good old US-of-A). The Desire Boost looks
low-key, but theres more to this circuit
than what meets the eye.
The Desires circuit employs a JFET gain
stage, which is there to add a little grit and
muscle to the boosted tone. While most
boost pedals strive to provide the same original tone with simply more volume and clarity, the Desire Boost dirties things up a bit.
Lotus also designed the Desire Boost to have
an extremely high input impedance, which
makes it handy for taming noise from noisy

cables, and preserving a guitars signal at the
front of a line of buffered effects.
The Desire Boost added a lot of bounce
in the low end, a quality that got more
pronounced the harder that I hit the strings
with my fingertips. Running through some
standard country progressions, you can hear
the natural feel and warmth of the Lotus.
It infused the Mesas beautiful cleans with a
bubbly low end and crisp highs, that actually found me dropping the amps treble knob
a bit to get it under control. As natural
and rubbery as the lows become, the highs
retain a very hi-fi quality that makes arpeggios dazzling with a touch of extra sustain.
With the capacity to boost, enhance clarity
and harmonic content in clean environments and add a little dirt, the Desire Boost
is a well-rounded slice of simplicity.
RATINGS
Lotus Pedal Designs
lotuspedaldesigns.com
Desire Boost Pedal
Street: $169
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
Pros
Outstanding clarity boost. Fantastic low end.
Cons
High end can be pretty sharp.
premierguitar.com
review > boost roundup
Pigtronix Class A Boost

Youve got to hand it to Pigtronix, they
sure know how to design a cool-looking
enclosure. The Class A Boost sports a dignified (call it class-ay?) tuxedo-themed
enclosure, with a single control for the
boost level. Its solid, well-built, and a look
inside reveals an immaculately soldered set
of internal components.
Pigtronix designed the Class A Boost
around a single-ended Class-A configuration, utilizing discreet JFET transistors. The
circuit was designed in conjunction with
famed pedal designer Howard Davis, who
designed legendary Electro-Harmonix pedals including the Electric Mistress and the
Deluxe Memory Man. Pigtronix choice
of a Class-A circuit revolves around trying
to coax a warmer edge from the boosted
tone, which can be set to deliver a hefty
20dB of extra push. Its also voiced to act
well with an overdriven amp or overdrive
pedal, and its noise floor is so low that it can
be patched into the signal chain wherever
desired. Battery users be warned however, as
the Class A Boost doesnt accept batteriesit
can only be powered from either a 9V or
premierguitar.com
RATINGS
Pigtronix
pigtronix.com
Class A Boost
Street: $119
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
low end. Bumping the gain keeps the

Telecaster stayed clean, clear, and naturalsounding without any added distortion.
This is thanks in no small part to the 18V
power supply, which kicks the headroom
to impressive heights. Switching to a 9V
power supply helps soften and cut the high
end of the boosted tone. But it also gives
the pedal a lower ceiling that results in a
lovely, slightly fuzzy drive at higher settings.
Value
Pros
Great detail in the high end. Excellent
headroom with 18V wall wart.
Cons
Requires a power supply.
18V wall wartbut it comes packed with an

18V power supply for maximum headroom.
Pigtronixs little tuxedoed wonder is all
about sparkle and refinement in the high
end. During bluesy runs the Telecasters
slicing qualities became magnified and
focused with a very slight cut in the

Icarus Boost
Carolines rust-toned booster seems to correlate boosting your guitar tone sky-high
with the Ancient Greek legend of Icarus,
who plummeted to his doom after his wax
and feather wings melted from flying too
close to the sun. Thankfully, the build quality of the Icarus Boost suggests youll stay at
cruising altitude for a long time. And to be
sure, this pedal can soar.
The Icarus was conceived with the
notion that a booster shouldnt sound
boring, and as such is intentionally not
transparent. The pedal was a match made
Digital-ONly Review > Boost roundup
RATINGS
carolineguitar.com
Icarus Boost
Street: $135
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
Pros
Ability to darken and brighten the boosted
tone. Solid build and crisp tonality.
Cons
Can often sacrifice softness in the tone with
more intense settings.
in heaven for the Tele and the Boogie.

Fingerpicked chord structures had a more
stalwart nature, with a stronger kick in the
midrange and low end. The low, clean tones
of the Royal Atlantic are pretty tight, but
the Icarus gives them a crisper, less rounded
nature. Its a pretty cool tone thats still
really detailedespecially for Jerry Reed
and Merle Travis fingerpicking styles.
The Icarus built-in treble control doesnt
just add top end. It also counteracts the
brightening effect that results from the lower
output impedance of booster circuits. This
makes the Icarus great for pulling back on the
abrasive edge that sometimes comes with a
boosted single-coil pickup too. Lower settings
can have a drastic effect on the tone, blanketing it in darker, thicker voicings. The treble
control came in handy when I needed to subdue the high end for jazzier progressions.
The Icarus is a great boost that invigorates your tone without sacrificing its best
attributes. It can be a touch rigid-sounding,
especially with higher settings of the boost
control. But dropping the treble control
will take the edge off the extremely snappy
top end, thicken the tone, and let your
guitar breathe a bit. If youre in the market
for a boost that takes no prisoners, but can
mellow out too, this one is worth a try.
Whirlwind The Bomb
In terms of extroverted presence, The
Bomb by Whirlwind is the boldest boost
in this pack. It certainly stands out with its
caricature of a black bomb falling to the
earth in front of a blue sky. The build is

classic Whirlwind, thoughsolid as a tank,
smooth action in the controls, a footswitch
with a satisfying click, and solid couplings
between the jacks and cables.
The face of The Bomb has only one
giant knoblabeled 1 to 11for setting
the amount of volume boost, and thats it
as far as features go. The pedal is rated for a
maximum output of 26dB, with unity gain
at 1 and the full amount at 11.
The Bomb is incredibly honest and
accurateperfectly replicating nearly every
aspect of the Teles biting tone. It will pick
up the sharper dynamics of flatpicking but
the softer overtones from fingerpicking come
through just as beautifully and precisely.
The Bomb has pure volume boost in
spades. I rarely moved the pedals single
control past the 11 oclock range. But even
at high volume its hard not to be struck
by how well The Bomb preserved the Teles
original tone, no matter how hard I hit
the strings. To some players looking for
just a little more dirt from their boost, this
might be the pedals only drawback. Nor
does it bring anything to the table in terms
of heightened clarity or added bite, so if

youre looking for a booster that adds a little
character with a volume jump, you might
want to check out one of the other models
on this list. But if youre in the market for
a booster that doesnt color your tone, this
bomb might be right on target.
RATINGS
Whirlwind
whirlwindusa.com
The Bomb
Street: $99
Tones
User Friendliness
Build
Value
Pros
Little noticeable tone coloration. Preserves
original guitar signal.
Cons
Doesnt add any character to the tone.
premierguitar.com
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new products
heck here every month for the latest information on new gear. If you have a product youd like us to consider for New
Products, please email a one-page press release and a high-resolution photograph to newproducts@premierguitar.com.
P3 line
tamer
A device that lowers the voltage
supplied to your amplifier, keeping your
tube circuit functioning in an optimum
power environment
Modern power grids can generate voltages
in the 120-130V range which can
result in significant damage to the tube
circuit and poor tonal response
The illuminated LCD screen displays
the actual voltage being delivered to your
amplifier, and the Line Tamers Minus 6
volt and Minus 12 volt settings let
you select a voltage between 110 and
115 volts
Replaces cumbersome, heavy variacs
MSRP $295
p3amplifiers.com
Gretsch
rancher Jr.
Vibrant laminated spruce top with
scalloped X-bracing and the traditional
Gretsch Rancher triangular soundhole,
laminated mahogany back and sides,
mahogany neck, 21-fret rosewood
fretboard with Neo-Classic thumbnail
inlays
1940s-style pickguard with Gretsch logo,
compensated saddle with rosewood
bridge nickel-plated hardware, deluxe
die-cast tuners and an elegant gloss
natural finish
Onboard Fishman electronics include
a Sonicore undersaddle pickup and Isys+
preamp system with onboard tuner,
battery life indicator, and controls for
volume, treble, bass, and phase
MSRP $550
gretschguitars.com
Squier Vintage modified

telecaster Special
Features include a basswood body, maple
fretboard with 21 medium jumbo frets
and black dot inlays
Equipped with a Duncan Designed
TE-101B bridge single-coil and a
JM-101N Jazzmaster neck pickup with
alnico 5 magnets, and a 3-way selector
3
4
switch with a black barrel-style tip

Vintage-style, string-through-body bridge
with three brass barrel saddles, vintagestyle chrome tuners, chrome hardware,
and engraved neck plate
Available in white blonde and butterscotch blonde
MSRP $499
fender.com/squier
electro-Harmonix 12aY7/
6072a eH Preamp tube
A small signal, twin-triode preamp tube
Can replace later model Fender amps

12AX7 in the first preamp stage to
capture some of the signature tone of
the Tweed-era Fender
The lower mu factor of the 12AY7/6072A
EH also spreads the sweep of the gain
and volume controls making it easier
to find the sweet spot
Use in later-model Marshall amps to
lower the background noise of the
preamp and get the gain structure closer
to plexi and early 70s Marshalls
Street $14
ehx.com
premierguitar.com
new products
universal audio apollo Highresolution audio interface

with realtime uaD Processing
A well-built, high-resolution audio
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Its Core Audio and ASIO drivers ensure
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Uses onboard UAD-2 DSP Acceleration
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Powered Plug-Inswith nearly instant
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can quickly monitor, audition, and print
audio using a wide range of popular analog
emulation plug-ins from Ampex, Lexicon,
Manley, Neve, Roland, SSL, Studer
Dedicated front-panel controls are present
for all the most common features, including
preamp gain, channel selection, mic pad,
+48V phantom power, low cut, monitor
level, and dual headphone controls
Street $1,999 (DUO processing model);
Street $2,499 (QUAD processing model)
uaudio.com
royer rSm-SS1 Sling-Shock

microphone Shock mount
Features an innovative approach that
does away with elastic bands, rubber
bungee cords or synthetic bushings
Adjustable microphone grip allows for
a secure hold with flexible microphone
positioning, and its cotton-lined interior
protects your microphones finish
Fits Royers 1-inch diameter microphones
(R-121, R-122, R-122V, SF-1, and
SF-12 models) and other cylindrical
microphones measuring approximately
1-inch in diameter (+/- 1/8")
MSRP $295
royerlabs.com
Catalinbread effects
octapussy Fuzz
Searing three-knob octave fuzz
Capable of delicate octave harmonies
and ripping fuzz tones
Optimal fuzz whether whether playing
high notes or chunky power chords
Excellent integration with your guitars
volume/tone controls
8
Special LED bypass
MSRP $189.99
catalinbread.com
Shure SrH1440 Professional

open Back Headphones
Provide full-range audio with detailed
highs and bass in a sleek design
Made for mastering and critical listening,
these open-back headphones sport a
premium padded headband with a
steel frame that offers prolonged
listening comfort
Oxygen-free copper cable with Kevlar
reinforced jacket for superior performance
and durability
40mm Neodymium drivers deliver fullrange audio with rich, controlled bass
MSRP $399
shure.com
xotic Guitars xP-1t

5-String Bass
Alder body,
Maple neck and 34"-scale rosewood
fretboard with Jescar Silver Nickel 6150
frets
Oil finish, bone nut, Hipshot A-style
bridge, Hipshot Ultralite tuners, and
Gotoh strap buttons
Loaded with Tri-logic Bass Preamp II:
3-band EQ (high, mid, low) with boost
and cutcenter position produces a flat,
unaltered sound, with no added tonal
coloration
Alnico 5 PV-1 pickup was
developed and voiced specifically for the
XP-1T to provide a solid and heavy tone
associated with P-style basses
MSRP $3,300
xotic.us
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geAr of the month
Elvis Presleys 1975

martin D-28
BY CHriS KieS
efore Elvis, there was nothing,

declared John Lennon. If there
hadnt been Elvis, there wouldnt have been
the Beatles. While few would dispute
Presleys place in pop-music history, Elvis
never had killer chops on the fretboard or
the ability to play any of his songs signature
riffs. Those duties were left to guitarists
like Scotty Moore, Jerry Reed, and James
Burton. However, that didnt stop the King
from wielding a guitar onstagethough
sometimes he used it more as a prop than
an instrument. In either case, it was often a
Martin D-28.
Shown here is Elvis Presleys 1975 Martin
D-28, serial number 369735. The guitar was
used by Presley during his last three years of
performing, including the Kings final concert at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis,
Indiana, on June 26th, 1977. Presley passed
away at his Graceland home just two months
after that final show, but this D-28 didnt
surface until 1982 when it was discovered
in an upstairs closet. In early 2011, the
Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix,
Arizona, acquired the D-28 from Elvis Presley
Enterprises as part of the Elvis Presley exhibit
that opened in August of last year. But there
was a catch. The instrument was damaged
in several spots, and EPE asked the MIM to
restore the D-28 to its former glory.
Its Elvis Presleys guitar, says Irene
Peters, Head Conservationist at the MIM. I
YoutuBe it
During the restoration process on Elvis

D-28, the Musical Instrument Museum made
a video documenting the entire process.
Youtube search term: Elvis Last Concert
Guitar Martin D-28
removed myself from that just a little bit so

I could actually focus on the work [laughs].
Peters didnt just put new strings on the
instrument and dust off the fretboardshe
gave it a thorough going over.
There was a diagonal break from the
nut to the back of the neck. Peters said
this made the instrument structurally
unstable and was the main reason EPE
asked the MIM to perform guitar surgery.
She cleaned the crack with compressed air
and glued it with a 1:1 mixture of hide glue
and rabbit-skin glue before clamping it and
leaving to dry overnight.
Other big issues included several open
splits on the guitars top and sides. Peters used
balsa splints and glue to fill the large cracks
on the top of the guitar. After shaving the
splints and letting the glue dry overnight,
she carefully retouched them with watercolor
paint. Near the strap button on the guitars
side, the splits were much smaller and only
required an application of glue. Additionally,
the pickguard had curled up around its edges
because of the adhesive used during a previous repair, which was also partially smeared
over the pickguard. For this task, Peters made

deft use of a scalpel and dental tools to delicately remove the old adhesive around and
underneath the pickguard until the edges
could lay flat.
While all these repairs were done to
restore the guitar to prime-time working
condition, Peters and the MIM did leave
the wear-and-tear marks and dings on the
guitars back. She felt this was appropriate
because the marks retain some of the guitars
character and charm, especially since they
are a direct result of Elvis onstage showmanship and his 70s garb, which usually
included large, rhinestone-encrusted belts.
The other area of wear that was left intact
is the back of the neck near the headstock.
The exposed wood there came as a result
of Presleys guitar strap repeatedly slipping
down the neck during performances and
rubbing away the finish.
A special thanks to Elvis Presley Enterprises and
Erin Kozak of the Musical Instrument Museum
in Phoenix, Arizona, for the opportunity to feature this fine instrument and its story.
Got some gear that would make a great Gear of

the month? then email pics and its story to us at
gotm@premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
MODEL: CUSTOM 1
Use and
Forget.
Dingwall Guitars Ad 12-15-11 PrePress

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You will only remember

you use Pedal Fasteners
when you realize your
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modern builder vAult
Fibenare Guitars
BY riCH oSweiler
rowing up in Hungary during the

Iron Curtain-era in the 80s left little
room for musically inclined youngsters to
get their hands on, or even see, a Gibson or
Fender guitar. In fact, any electric guitar at
that time was outrageously expensive, and
good ones were virtually impossible to find.
Where theres a will, there is often a way,
and the three brothers from the Benedek
familyAttila, Csaba, and rpdwere

determined enough to start building their
own instruments so they could create the
rock, blues, and jazz they were becoming
increasingly interested in playing.
Starting out in classical music on Musima
acoustic guitars from the Czech Republic, the
brothers never owned an electric instrument
before building their own. The ingenuity of
the three teenagers quickly became evident

with their use of bicycle spokes for fretwire,
to components from a record player for making a distortion pedal. As the experimenting
became more refined and successful on their
self-made guitars, other guitarist friends
began playing them, and later, professional
guitarists began buying them. The Benedek
brothers passionate hobby soon became a
reputable guitar outfit and Fibenare Guitars
was officially established in 1998.
These days, while Attila Benedek mainly
works on the business side of Fibenare, the
other two brothers and Gabor Goldschmidt
Globe Bass SC neckthrough

New for 2012 and recently introduced at the NAMM show, this bass boasts a
single cutaway and neck-through design as evidenced by its name. The 24-fret
neck features a brass nut, double-acting truss rod, and is topped with a rosewood
or padouk fretboard. Other features on this radius-carved, Hungarian poplar
bass include Fibenares Twin bridge, Gotoh GB707 tuning machines, and a pair
handwound, wooden-coil pickups in wooden housings called Fibenare Vazuls.
roadmaster 56
Also introduced at the 2012 NAMM show, the Roadmaster 56 is Fibenares
tribute to one of the most revolutionary and timeless designs in guitar making. This Tele-style Roadmaster 56 has a maple burl top and utilizes birdseye maple for both the neck and fretboard. With a Fibenare Roadmaster
bridge and a set of Fibenares handwound Roadmaster pickups, this ode to
the Tele is ready to twang.
Basic Jazz matte Henderson Signature

This signature guitar built for Matte Henderson is styled after Fibenares Basic
Jazz model and boasts a fully scalloped, binded fretboard that is constructed from
ironwood. Using white limba for both the neck and back, this guitar has a carved,
highly figured flame-maple top. Outfitted with Fibenares floating tremolo, the
Matte Henderson model is loaded up with a set of their Matte pickups in an
H-S-H configuration.
premierguitar.com
modern builder vAult
(brought on in 2004) handle most of the

building. All four luthiers at Fibenare are
certainly capable of building an instrument
from start-to-finish, but instead, each focuses
on their individual specialties and has a hand
in the construction of every instrument.
Fibenare is also able to choose from an abundant choice of domestic, high-grade woods
for their instruments including Hungarian
ash, alder, maple, and poplarfrom regular
to burl to highly figured. And while the crew
may occasionally wish for a CNC, every
instrument is completely handbuiltincluding the hardware and pickups.
Utilizing the latest in build techniques,

while still using traditional handbuilding
methodology for rough and fine work,
Fibenare has quickly made a mark in the
high-end, boutique market for both guitars
and basses. Based in Budapest in the middle of
an old, steel-industry park in Csepel Mvek,
theyre happy to pour a good cup of coffee
and show visitors to the area around the shop.
Pricing and availability
Fibenare produces approximately 60-70
instruments a year, depending on the
difficulty level of the instruments on the
schedule. Currently, 70 percent of the companys production rests with guitars, and the
remaining 30 percent for basses. Fibenares
price range is quite wide, ranging from
$2,550 for a junior-style guitar, all the way
up to $10,000 for a single-cut, neck-through
bass with exclusive wood options. The most
common price point for a Fibenare instrument is $5,000 to $6,000. While Fibenare
has a dealer network that spans the globe,
the company also takes direct orders.
Custom orders are welcome both through
the shop or one of their dealers.
fibenare-guitars.com
10th anniversary Basic Jazz

To celebrate the companys 10th anniversary, Fibenare produced a limited run
of 10 guitars for this Basic Jazz model. The ironwood fretboard is double bound
and a mother-of-pearl X inlay commemorating the milestone anniversary
graces the 12th fret. A pair of the companys ALV-63 wooden-coil humbuckers
rest atop the very highly figured, AAAAA maple-burl top.
Basic Jazz Single Cutrosewood

This Basic Jazz model with a single cutaway is a semi-hollowbody with a carved
maple top and the choice of either korina or mahogany for the back. Capping
off the set-in rosewood neck is a rosewood fretboard, adorned with optional
trapezoid inlays carved from mother-of-pearl. This particular model is outfitted
with a pair of Fibenares handwound, ALV-63 wooden-coil humbuckers.
10th anniversary erotic

Like the anniversary version of the Basic Jazz, Fibenare limited production of
the 10th Anniversary Erotic to just 10 guitars. This models back is radius carved
from Hungarian ash, while the top is carved from Hungarian poplar burl and
decorated with maple binding. Also using a dual-humbucker configuration, the
10th Anniversary Erotic is loaded up with Fibenares handwound ALV-63s.
premierguitar.com
Photo by Jos del Ro Mons
NEXT MONTH IN
naDa SurF
Jangle-pop veteran Matthew Caws discusses the guitars,
stompboxes, amps, and mixing philosophies he used to
create the masterful, richly textured 6-string layers on the
bands new album, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy.
SteVe morSe & DaVe larue
Having worked with greats from Deep Purple to Joe Satriani,
this guitarist/bassist duo lays down both ends of the sound
spectrum for their own supergroup, Flying Colors.
Timeless Quality
Groundbreaking Innovation
Limitless Possibilities
P.O Box 1315

Cedar Ridge Ca. - 95924
530-477-2938
http://www.leachguitars.com/classic
harv@leachguitars.com
DraGonForCe
Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman ponder video game
noises, life with a new singer, and their fastest song ever,
which appears on the groups new album, The Power Within.
tiPS For Summer GiGGinG
Prepping for the upcoming festival circuit? Columnist
John Bohlinger gives a guitarists guide for owning the
road in the heat.
Gear reVieWS
We test-drive the Reverend Eastsider and Fender Johnny
Marr electrics, a Blueridge Jumbo acoustic, the Warwick
Jack Bruce Survivor bass, a Laney Ironheart amp, and the
new Vox DelayLab (just to name a few).
be sure to read our

completely Free digital edition at:
digital.premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
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phone numbers on a 3x 5 card and mail to:
Sweepstakes
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lAst cAll
tAles from A b-bender freAk BY JoHn BoHlinGer
he B-Bender guitar became my white

whale after Albert Lee introduced me
to the pull-strings magic in his instructional video from the early 80s. This predated YouTubeeven the internet, for that
matterand nobody I knew in my home
state of Montana had one, so my research
was limited to that one pirated VCR tape,
guitar-store hearsay, and rumors. It was
the equivalent of learning about human
reproduction on the 4th-grade playground:
Few of the facts were right, but eventually I
pieced together the general idea.
I learned that the late, great Clarence
White and his buddy Gene Parsons hollowed out two Tele bodies and inserted
a series of levers that pulled his B string
up roughly a whole-step. Eventually they
refined the system so it fit in a single Tele
body, though the mechanism remained big
and required a lot of wood to be hacked out
from the back of a doomed guitar. I didnt
actually see someone playing a benderequipped guitar until years later when I
moved to Nashville and met Joe Glaser.
Joe, a pedal steel player by trade and
genius inventor by birth, played in a band
with a guy who wanted a bender. Joe,
driven by intellectual curiosity and an
I-can-probably-do-that spirit, designed a
better bender built into the Tele bridge
(similar to the pull mechanism on a pedal
steel), which saved his friends Tele from the
heavy routing of the Parsons/White bender.
Joes prototype was a successword got out
about the Glaser design and soon his clients
included the worlds best players from

Ricky Skaggs to Brad Paisley.
I saved long and hard and eventually
paid Joe to install his bender in my Valley
Arts T-style guitar, which I love to this day.
I became so hooked on the thing that I
wanted one in my Les Paul. When I asked
about it, Joe smiled and said, Sorry John,
I did it for Jimmy Page but its a bit too
labor-intensive for the likes of you.
So my search began for somebody who
could do it, and affordably.
Several messy, unsuccessful attempts
eventually prompted me to give up on the
Les Paul and instead find a great sounding, yet affordable guitar I wouldnt mind
cutting a big hole in. I chose the PRS SE
One, which has all the vibe of an old Junior
at a bargain price. Through hours of net
research I found Forrest Lee Jr., a hillbilly
renaissance man who, in addition to being
a killer Tele picker, has a strong computer
geek background and a passion for hotrodding classic muscle cars.
Utilizing these three fields of expertise,
Forrest began making his own benders that
borrowed a bit from classic designs while
implementing his own improvements.
Through some crazy engineering and plenty
of cussing my name, Forrest was able to
come up with a dead-on accurate bender for
the PRS. I loved it so much I eventually had
him undo all the damage to my old Les Paul
and install one of his benders in place of
those expensive mistakes. Much like Glaser,
Forrest has grown a loyal following for his
bendersso loyal, in fact, that Forrest landed a deal with Washburn Guitars.
In a bold move, Washburn offers the
Forrest Bender in a single-cutaway dreadnought with a cedar top, rosewood back and
sides, and Fishman electronics. The bender
is a compact unit hidden within the guitar,
which makes for nearly invisible stealth bending. Forrest gave me a long explanation of
how his push-to-pull system works, but its
like describing how to build a rocket out of
old Chevy parts and gardening tools. Forrests
Washburn acoustic bender model will hopefully be hitting music stores within this year.
Ironically, Gibson recently asked Glaser
to design a bender for a Les Paul. Joe
modified his design to fit in a beautiful
Les Paul Special featuring two classic P-90
pickups. To the casual observer, it looks like
a sexy, old fat-top Les Paul with individual
saddles for each string, making intonation
dead on. But pull down on the neck and
voilyou sound a bit like Clarence White
(or Albert King, depending on the riff ). As
an ingenious bonus for the never-satisfied
gear tweaker, Joe built his Gibson Glaser so
you can easily convert it to bend the B or
G string. (FYI: Brad Paisley is a G-bender
guy.) This guitar is insanely cool.
What makes both the Glaser Gibson
bender and the Forrest Lee Washburn acoustic bender even more amazing is that both
models will be affordable enough that a kid
with a paper route and a little patience could
buy one. The prices are not cemented, but
will probably be less then $1,500. One could
spend that much alone on having a bender
installed in a Les Paul you already own.
Im a little ambivalent about this. On
one hand, these bender guitars are such
great bargains that I want in. I would buy
both of them tomorrow if I had the doughre-mi and they were in stock. On the other
hand, the bender was one of my secret
weapons and Im not thrilled about everyone knowing my tricks. I liked it better
when few knew how I was doing that fake
pedal steel stuff.
John bohlinger
A Forrest Lee Jr. T-style guitar equipped with

a B-string bender.
The Lee bender mechanism.
John Bohlinger is a Nashville multi-instrumentalist best known for his work in television. He led the band for all six seasons of
NBCs hit program Nashville Star, as well
as the 2011, 2010, and 2009 CMT Music
Awards and many specials for GAC, PBS,
CMT, USA, and HDTV. Watch him perform on YouTube,
and check out his new band the Tennessee Hot Damns on
Facebook and iTunes.
premierguitar.com
Creativity Unleashed
Allan Holdsworth has been on a lifelong search for
the ultimate guitar that offers him the less is more
aspect for light weight and comfort, along with the
ideal tone and playability.
The new Carvin HH Series headless guitars feature
a slightly rounder Holdsworth neck profile, maple
set-in neck, alder chambered body along with Holdsworth signature Carvin pickups. The result is a
truly custom compact guitar that plays like a dream
with incredible tone.
HH Series guitars are available in 1 or 2 pickup
models with fixed or tremolo bridges. Order one
from Carvins Custom Shop with your choice of figured maple top & color. Unleash your creativity with
the guitar that inspires Allan Holdsworth.
My new Carvin HH1X has the

ideal neck, fingerboard and
fretwire along with the compact
size & comfort I love in a headless
guitar. The playability and tone are
incredible. I started touring with
my HH1X the week it was built.
Allan Holdsworth
HH1X
single pickup model with Tremolo

shown with Pearl Blue finish
MADE I
USA
carvin.com 800-854-2235
6 months No interest with the Carvin card

HH2
dual pickup model with fixed bridge

shown with Honeyburst Finish on
Flame Maple
2012 FMIC. FENDER, MAKE HISTORY, TELECASTER. TELE and the distinctive headstock design
commonly found on these guitars are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.
ALBERT HAMMOND JR.

THE STROKES
NEW YORK CITY
Click Here to sign up for your free annual digital subscription

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Musikmesse is proud to present this special

digital edition of Premier Guitar. Inside you
will find all of the content that appears in
Premier Guitars JUNE 2012 print issue and
a special digital supplement that highlights
exhibitors and new products that will be
showcased at Musikmesse 2012.
Inside the Muskimesse Supplement:

Welcome message from Musikmesse
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New Products and Featured Exhibitors
German Music Award
Interactive Exhibitor Listing
Special Advertising Section
Welcome to the Musikmesse

Special Preview
The following pages represent an exclusive look at new products and featured
exhibitors in the guitar, bass, amplifier, and effects fields at Musikmesse.
With this special issue of Premier Guitar, we want to give you

an idea of the range of new products you can expect to see
at Musikmesse 2012. The guitar, bass, amps, and accessories
segments are extremely well represented at the fair and we
present the most important, smallest, most durable, craziest,
and most extraordinary products and their manufacturers.
In a nutshell, the whole world of guitars and basses! I look
forward to seeing you at Musikmesse 2012.
~Wolfgang Lcke, Director Musikmesse
Musikmesse mission for music

Musikmesse presents the complete international range
of products and services for the world of music and
supports active music making.
It is the ideal platform to obtain an overview of the
market for musical instruments, sheet music and accessories, as well as services and concepts for making
music. At the fair, you can find new products and ideas,
cultivate existing business connections and make contact with new suppliers. Musikmesse is aimed at buyers
from all channels of distribution and not only attracts
relevant sales partners from the region but also gives
you the chance to establish international customersupplier relationships.
For musicians and music teachers, Musikmesse represents
an unrivalled opportunity to test new products, to hear and see well-known artists at workshops
and product demonstrations and to attend one or more of the numerous concerts at the Exhibition Centre. The seminars, workshops and events enrich the range of products at the fair and
facilitate regional, national and international networking.
about
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Musikmesse is the biggest fair

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production,
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and marketing,instruments,
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about
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Number of Visitors
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AwardS 2012
German Music
Instrument Award
Award given by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology for musical instruments
distinguished by outstanding craftsmanship
and musical qualities
This year, the awards go to six workshops, five
from Bavaria and one from Saxony, for instruments in the categories cello and Renaissance
lute, 8-course, in G. The awards will be presented during the international Musikmesse at
a ceremony in the Rotunde of the Festhalle on
Friday, 23 March 2012.
Frankfurt
Music Prize
The Frankfurt Music Prize was founded in

1980 and has been awarded annually by
the Frankfurt Music Prize Foundation on the
occasion of the international Musikmesse
in Frankfurt since 1982.
British guitarist John McLaughlin is to receive
the Frankfurt Music Prize for 2012. McLaughlin,
who celebrated his 70th birthday this year, has
been a dominant influence on the European
and international music scene with his guitar
playing for over 50 years.
According to the jury of the Frankfurt Music
Prize, John McLaughlin is a musician whose
work, has always been characterised by respect and openness with regard to many other
directions, forms of expression and cultures,
and not by genre borders and dogmatism. For
the jurors, John McLaughlin is a person who
can be described as a world musician.
Special Musikmesse Preview: New products

AXL Musical Instruments
Hall: 3.1, Booth: A97
VHT 12/20 RT Amplifier
MSRP: 12/20 RT combo $999.99;

12/20RT head $866.99
VHT Special 12/20RT adds

tube-driven spring reverb
and tube tremolo to the
pedal-friendly Special 12/20
platform. It features two power
ranges with adjustable Watts
control, Pentode/Triode switch,
unique preamp designed to
excel with pedals and multieffects units, all-tube buffered
effects loop with send and
return level controls, unique
Depth and Texture controls,
built-in 9-volt DC pedal power
supply, and international mains
voltage selector switch.
axlmusic.com
Bigsby Vibratos & Accessories
Hall: 4.1, Booth: E12
Bigsby B50 & B70 Vibrato

Clear Packs
MSRP: B50 $139.99; B70 $149.99
New Bigsby B50 and B70

Clear Packs feature two of
Bigsbys best selling Vibrato
models; the Lightning Series B50 and B70. All parts
required for installation are
included in the packs and
links to multi-language
installation instructions at
www.bigsby.com/installation are featured on the
back. The packs feature a
dramatic flame graphic
design and a slot hole for
slat-wall mounting.
bigsby.com

C.F. Martin & Co., Inc.
Hall: 3.1, Booth: F81
DRS2,GPCPA5K,D-18
MSRP: DRS2 $1,099.00; GPCPA5K

$1,099.00; D-18 $2,899
The DRS2 is the latest addition to the Road Series.

Fishman Sonitone electronics and a hardshell
case are included. The
GPCPA5K features a solid
Sitka spruce top, koa patterned high pressure laminate (HPL) back and sides
and Fishman F1 Analog
electronics. The new D-18
brings together the best
features of several Style
18 Dreadnoughts into one
superb sounding guitar.
Complete with an arched
hardshell case.
martinguitar.com
Carl Martin
Hall: 4.0, Booth: #H48
Plexi-Tone-S AC-Tone-S
MSRP: $269
Single channel versions of

the popular PlexiTone and
ACTone in a small board
friendly housing, features
three knobs and one switch,
apart from a small modification with a bit more tight
low-end and softer high-end
to make it a bit more friendly
for different amps, its exactly the same as the high
gain channel on the normal
on the larger versions.
The single units incorporates the new developed
DC-DC converter circuitry at
12V for better headroom.
carlmartin.com

Carl Martin
Hall: 4.0, Booth: H48
TOD and Bass Drive
MSRP: TOD $205.00; Bass Drive $389.00
TOD Classic series high gain overdrive TOD (tube overdrive),

was originally designed as a limited edition pedal Dizzy
Drive, This project was to celebrate the re-union tour of the
Danish top act Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Sold as a limited run of 500
pieces in Denmark and Japan, it was so good that we are
now releasing it in a fresh yellow design.
Bass Drive tube overdrive for bass has been in the work
for some time, The latest design adds a bit of crunch. You
can also tweak the three band EQ and enjoy
the warm slightly overdriven tone coming
from the real 12AX7 in the circuit. I has a full
and fat tone with extra sustain Features: 115240V switch able built in main power supply,
Gain,- Bass,- Middle,- Treble and Level.
carlmartin.com
Carvin
VL300, HH2, DC800, B24, B25
MSRP: VL300 1,489 ; HH2 2,073 ; DC800 1,752 ;

B24 2,087 ; B25 2,191
VL300 - Steve Vai Legacy 3 100w amp

HH2 - Allan Holdsworth signature guitar
DC800 - 8-string extended scale
electric guitar
B24 & B25
Brian Bromberg
Signature Bass
carvinworld.com

Collings Guitars
Hall: 3.1, Booth: G87
I-35 LC
MSRP: 3799
Already famous for making world beating

flat top acoustics Collings Guitars have just
introduced their latest electric, the I-35 LC
(Laminated Construction). This semi-solid
instrument nods firmly in the direction of
the 1950s with its classic double-cutaway
design, solid center block and traditional
nitro-cellulose finish. Collings, not satisfied with exisiting materials, even make
their own laminate for this model. Even the
control pots are individually measured and
matched to the guitars Lollar pickups.
collingsguitars.com
Dunlop Manufacturing
Hall: 4.1, Booth: E12 (Located in Warwick Booth)
PRODUCT NAME
MSRP: MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe

$219.99; Joe Bonamassa
Signature Cry Baby $298.68
MXR Bass Fuzz Deluxe:

Cutting and bold fuzz tone
without sacrificing your
original signals punch
and clarity. Separate Wet
and Dry controls, blend
to taste. Fuzz and Tone
controls affect only the
Wet signal. True hardwire
bypass.
Joe Bonamassa Signature
Cry Baby: Vintage-style Halo Inductor for added harmonic
content and growl. Internal switch for True Bypass or nonTrue Bypass operation. Lightweight aluminum housing.
Classy polished copper top.
www.jimdunlop.com

DV Mark
Triple 6 (new release)

MSRP: TBA
The new 2012 version of the three-channel

Triple 6 head features MIDI ports, and switches
that toggle between Bad Boy 120 and Triple 6
gain levels. This 120W amp produces an incredibly wide range of sounds, from pristine
cleans to intense metal tones. Rock and metal
guitarists need look no further! Includes KT88

power tubes, Advanced Tube Control System
with optional tube health monitoring interface,
automatic tube biasing and smart controller;
weighs only 24.03 lbs!
dvmark.it
Eminence Speaker
Hall: 8.0, Booth: D50
Eminence EJ1250
MSRP: $289.99
Eminence is proud to announce the addition

of a signature guitar speaker developed with
legendary guitarist Eric Johnson, the EJ1250.
Available in 8 and 16 ohm impedances, the
Eminence EJ1250 is a 50 watt, 12" guitar
speaker featuring vintage alnico tone with a
10
modern twist. With both American and British

characteristics, the EJ1250 delivers punchy
lows, warm throaty mids, and articulate highs.
See the EJ1250 on display in the Adam Hall
exhibit at MusikMesse.
eminence.com

ENGL Amplification
Hall: 4, Booth: J44
E765 Retro Tube 100 head

MSRP: 1880
Two channels of retro sound variety. Channel

One offers warm and silken or well-dressed,
sparkling clean sounds and very harmonic
crunch sounds with ENGLs version of Class A
character. Channel Two is a perfectly suited
warm overdrive channel offering a wide range
of retro tones.
100 watts, 4 x EL34, 4 x ECC83
2 Channels
Gain Boost for each Channel
Master A/B
Noise Gate
FX Loop
Tone Switch (Mid Boost)
Three interchangeable front frames
engl-amps.com
Epiphone
Ultra-339
MSRP: 973. ; 863.
Featuring the legendary ES semi-hollow body

construction in a reduced-sized version, the
new Ultra-339 will take your performance and
comfort to the next Ultra-level! Powered by
two new Epiphone ProBucker Humbuckers
and Shadow NanoMag pickup at the end of the
fingerboard. Together, you get powerful Hum-
bucker-driven rock crunch as well as shimmering acoustic-like tones. The NanoMag volume
doubles as a A/B switch and the Ultra-339
features Mono, Stereo & USB outputs. Finishes:
Cherry, Natural, & Vintage Sunburst.
epiphone.com
11

Ernie Ball
Cobalt Slinky Strings
MSRP: Street price of $9.99 for guitar strings,

and $29.99 for bass strings
Engineered to maximize output

and clarity, Ernie Ball Cobalt Slinky
Guitar Strings are the latest innovation in string technology. Cobalt
strings offer guitarists and bassists
extended dynamic range, incredible harmonic response, increased
low end, and crisp, clear highs.
Soft and silky to the touch,
they make string bending a
breeze, and Cobalt Slinkys
provide a stronger magnetic
relationship between pickups
and strings than any other
alloy previously available.
ernieball.com
Eventide
Hall: 5.1, Booth: B90 aND Hall: 4.0, Booth: C35
Blackhole and H3000 Factory Native plug-ins
MSRP: All the Eventide Native plug-ins have special limited time introductory pricing: Blackhole is $99 (regularly $199);
H3000 Factory is $149 (regularly $299). Omnipressor is $99 (regularly $149) and 2016 Stereo Room is $149 (regularly $199).
Turning, for the first time, to its

stompboxes for inspiration, Eventides Native plug-in initiative took
a big next step today with the announcement of a Blackhole Native
plug-in for AAX, AU or VST. Todays
announcement follows the recent
introduction of Omnipressor,
2016 Stereo Room, and H3000
Factory Ultra-Harmonizer Native
plug-ins, all for AAX, AU and VST.
Blackhole and the H3000 Factory
plug-ins will be available in April.
eventide.com
12

Fishman
Triple Play Wireless Guitar Controller

MSRP: TBD
Compose, Perform and Record

with Fishmans new Triple
Play Wireless Guitar Controller. The ultra-slim pro
design and Fishmans intuitive software pack get
you set-up and working
fast. Unlock your guitars
potential powerful
and unlimited sound
capability is at your
command all with the
freedom of wireless control.
Triple Play comes with a Wireless Controller, Hexaphonic Pickup,
and Wireless USB Receiver. The Controller
and included software works with industry
standard DAWs and Virtual Instruments.
fishman.com
Fusion Products Co Ltd
Hall: 3.1, Booth: 71
Fusion F1 Electric Guitar gig bag

MSRP: $250, 180
Fusions F1 electric guitar bag offers excellent protection

and superb design. They have 30mm high density foam
padding that encases the instrument, a durable ripstop
outer material and a soft non-scratch velvet interior with
neck brace. They have large pockets, padded backpack
straps, the Flow-System which is a lumber support
function providing comfort and ventilation and the great
Fuse-on concept where accessory bags can be attached
to the main instrument bag.
fusion-bags.com
13

Gibson Acoustic
75th Anniversary SJ-200 Special Editions
MSRP: Check with your Gibson dealer for more information.
In 1937, Gibson introduced the biggest,

boldest flat-top acoustic guitar ever built,
the SJ-200. Now in its 75th year, the SJ-200
is one of the most iconic guitars in music
history, earning its title King of the
Flat-Tops. To celebrate this milestone
the skilled builders at Gibson
Acoustic will release very
limited editions of the SJ200 for those who wish
to own and play a part
of music history.
gibson.com/Products/
Acoustic-Instruments/
Super-Jumbo/GibsonAcoustic/J-200-Custom.aspx
Gibson USA
Les Paul Standard, Moderne,

Paul Landers Signature LP
MSRP: Les Paul Standard: $3,499, 2,555; Moderne: $2,599,

1,899; Paul Landers Signature LP: $3,499, 2,555; Ace Frehley
Signature LP: $3,449, 2,758; Zakk Wylde Signature LP: $3,799,
2,759; Jeff Tweedy Signature SG: $2,599, 1,835; Grace Potter
Signature Flying V: $1,899, 1,341
Gibson USA is excited to announce a brand

new Les Paul Standard to launch in April.
Come to the Gibson booth to see the new
14
Standard as well as other new Les Paul models.

Gibson USA will also have the final member of
Ted McCartys 1958 trio of Designer guitars on
display. Come and see our new Moderne!
Artist models on display will be: Paul Landers, Ace Frehley, Zakk Wylde, Jeff Tweedy and
Grace Potter.
gibson.com

Godin Guitars
Hall: 4.0, Booth: B10
Session Custom Black Burst SG

MSRP: $849.00
Canadian basswood body, rock maple neck

with maple or rosewood fingerboard, 25 "
scale, Godin High-Definition Revoicer and
the new Godin Tru-Loc Tremolo system which
allows players to regulate their own trem arm
placement. The Session Custom features a
Godin Humbucker in the neck and the new

Godin Custom Cajun single-coil pickup in
the bridge. All controlled via a 5-way switch,
1 volume and 1 tone knob. Colors: Black Burst
SG & Lightburst HG.
godinguitars.com
Godin Guitars
Multiac Steel Duet Ambiance

MSRP: $1895.00
Electro-acoustic steel string guitar that features a chambered mahogany body with a
solid spruce top, custom Fishman Aura electronics, blendable sound imaging mic with
4 individual mic settings, as well as a dual
source preamp with feedback control and
under saddle transducer. As with all Multiac

series guitars, the Steel Duet Ambiance is
made to be played in live and loud settings
with virtually no feedback. Colors: Red HG &
Sunburst HG.
godinguitars.com
15

Godin Guitars
Seagull Natural Elements Acoustic Collection

MSRP: $800.00
These unique pieces combine pure random

natural aesthetic beauty, with exceptional
craftsmanship, value & eco friendly alternative
woods from Northern Quebec Canada. Three
body sizes are available including: Dread-
naught, CW Mini-Jumbo & CW Folk with back

& sides made from figured Cherry wood, Heart
of Wild Cherry or Amber-Trail Maple. Each
model accentuated by wood binding, flame
maple veneer headstocks and the satin sheen
of a custom polished finish. Includes: B-band
AC1.5T electronics.
seagullguitars.com
Godin Guitars
5th Avenue Jazz

MSRP: $2245.00
The 5th Avenue Jazz consists of either a Canadian wild cherry top, back & sides or flame
maple top, back & sides with Canadian wild
cherry core on the flame models. Other features include a floating Godin Mini-humbucker
16
jazz pickup, ebony fingerboard, ebony volume

and tone knobs, classic multi-layered binding,
high-ratio open geared tuners, engraved floating pickguard, custom tailpiece and adjustable
Tusq bridge by Graphtech. Colors: Piano Black
HG, Natural Flame HG & Sunburst HG.
godinguitars.com

Godin Guitars
5th Avenue Uptown GT

MSRP: $1695.00
The 5th Avenue Uptown GT features a molded

arched top and back, Canadian wild cherry
top, back and sides or Flame maple top with
Canadian wild cherry core on the Trans Red
Flame model. Other features include silver leaf
maple neck with ebony fingerboard, cream
binding, contoured high-gloss headstock

with high-ratio tuners, 2x Godin Humbuckers,
3-way toggle switch, Bigsby tremolo and a
roller saddle adjustable bridge with Tusq base
by Graphtech.
godinguitars.com
Hughes & Kettner
TubeMeister 36
MSRP: 949.-
The new TubeMeister 36 offers 3 channels

and a unique MIDI-switchable powersoak that
allows to run each channel at either 36, 18, 5
watts or even 1 watt. The serial FX-loop and the
built-in reverb can as well be switched via MIDI.
The integrated Red Box serves up the signal replete with power tube saturation, which makes
for a tasty tonal treat for all playing and recording scenarios even silent recording at night.
hughes-and-kettner.com
17

Knaggs Guitars
Hall: 4.0, Booth: C35
Knaggs Creation Series
MSRP: Creation Series Chena Purple $14,500

Creation Series Kenai Orange Red $13,500
Part of their exclusive line of instruments

Knaggs Guitars will be displaying at the Messe
2012 are first prototypes of the new Creation
series. These instruments feature exceptional
curly or quilted maple tops, Knaggs proprietary
bridge designs, special colors and Chesapeake
work boat inlays amongst other superior appointments. The Creation series offers custom
order options perviously not available. Dont
miss to stop by at booth 4.0C35.
knaggsguitars.com
Kramer Guitars
Pacer Vintage, The 84
MSRP: Pacer Vintage - $1267;

The 84 - $1166
Kramer, long recognized as a leading

manufacturer of high-performance
rock weaponry, gives a nod back to the
golden age of high-octane rock guitar.
The 84 and the Pacer Vintage, give
homage to two of the most formative shred-monster axes of all time.
Both guitars feature a Floyd Rose
trem system and USA Seymour
Duncan TB-4 and (SH-2n in the
Pacer neck), with series/parallel, push/pull coil taps on
each pickup. 25.5" scale
Maple necks.
kramerguitars.com
18

Levys Leathers Limited
M17D
MSRP: $57.95
Levys Distressed Leather

Guitar Strap
Like your favorite pair of old jeans,
Levys new distressed leather guitar
straps feel like theyve been used for
a hundred years and look like theyll
last a hundred more. Each strap is a
2 1/2" wide cut of distressed carving
leather, finished with a burnished edge.
Simple, stylish, and comfortable.
Pictured is model M17D available
in dark brown only.
levysleathers.com
Orange Amps
Hall: 4.0, Booth: F61 and F62
Micro Terror Head and PPC108 Micro Speaker Cabinet;

Jim Root #4 SIgnature Terror Amp Head and PPC212 #4 Signature Speaker Cabinet
MSRP: Jim Root #4 Signature Terror Amp Head: $699; Jim Root #4 Signature PPC212 Speaker Cabinet: $599;
Micro Terror Amp Head: $149; PPC108 Micro Speaker Cabinet: $99
Modeled after the Dirty Channel on the same amp that Slipknots Jim Root plays in the studio
and on the road: the Orange Rockerverb 100. All-tube, 15-watts, FX loop, and 3-band EQ.
The Micro Terror has
(1) 12AX7 pre-amp
tube with 20 watts
of solid-state output.
Features auxiliary
input for MP3 player or
CD. Plug it into to any
speaker cabinet with 4
ohm or greater impedance (even a 4x12) and
youre ready to rock!
orangeamps.com
19

Paul Reed Smith Guitars
Hall: 3, Booth: B28
P22 Solidbody Piezo Guitar

MSRP: starting at $3116
Ive recorded and mixed hundreds of acoustic

guitars, including mixing both live and studio cuts and Ive never heard a more musical,
more natural sound from an acoustic pickup
system. If that had been the only thing special
about the guitar I would have been excited, but
then to hear the electric tones it creates - I was

blown away. Grammy Award-winning Producer
and Engineer Don McCollister after a recording
session with the P22.
prsguitars.com
Pigtronix
Infinity Looper
MSRP: $649
Pigtronix Infinity
is the worlds most
musical looping
pedal. In an attempt
to blow everyone
else out of the
water, we have created a looper with
discreet analog
limiting and transparent pass-through
coupled with
seamless rec, playback, dub, undo and
redo, on two stereo loop pairs. Simple to operate, yet tremendously powerful and flexible,
the Infinity Looper from Pigtronix sets a new standard in latency-free looping.
pigtronix.com
20

Rotosound
Classic Guitar Picks
MSRP: Classic Pearloid/ PVC/ Heart Shaped/ Delrin

and Celloid all $5.95 each; Small teardrop and
small shark tooth all $4.95 each
Rotosound add over forty Guitar Picks

to its expanding selection of guitar
accessories. The guitar picks come
in packs of six and are made from a
range of materials including celluloid,
Delrin and PVC. The picks are available in four different thicknesses and
a variety of different shapes, sizes and
finishes. There is a suitable pick for
every hand, tone and budget.
rotosound.com
Saga Musical Instruments
BG-2500
MSRP: $2595.00
Blueridge re-interprets a classic guitar design

in the new BG-2500, super-deluxe Jumbo-style
flattop. With its larger body size, the finest
spruce top and AAAA-Grade flamed maple for
neck and bodythis guitar stands out from
the crowd! The premium ebony fingerboard,

peghead, and bridge feature stunning inlays
in white mother-of pearl and gives this guitar
true 1930s Art-Deco distinction for a tone
that is rich and perfect for any type of stage
or recording work.
sagamusic.com
21

KM-5000
MSRP: $4795
To commemorate the hundredth anniversary of

Bill Monroes birth and extraordinary life, Kentucky introduces the new KM-5000 Limited Edition Centennial Master model F-style mandolin.
This instrument is our crowning achievement
and will feature a special pearl likeness of Big
Mon on the peghead, and only the finest, most

deeply-figured Michigan maple and choicest
Adirondack spruce, harvested from the same
area and was used in the 1923 mandolin that
Monroe played for most of his career.
www.sagamusic.com
Shubb Capos
L1 lite capo for guitar,

L9 lite capo for ukulele
MSRP: $26.95
Due to overwhelming
demand, our popular
lite series capos for
steel string and ukulele
are now available in 5
vibrant colors, red, blue,
green, violet and silver.
shubb.com
22

Source Audio
Soundblox 2 Multiwave Distortion,

Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion,
Soundblox 2 Dimension Reverb
MSRP: Soundblox 2 Multiwave Distortion $249.00;
Soundblox 2 Multiwave Bass Distortion $249.00;
Soundblox 2 Dimension Reverb $269.00
Soundblox 2 packs rack system power into

compact, cast aluminum stompboxes. The Multiwave and Multiwave Bass Distortions deliver
23 futuristic and synth-like distortion and fuzz

tones. The Dimension Reverb offers 12 shades of
verb, including, Room, Spring, Plate, and Echo.
Each pedal has 2 presets, Universal Bypass
(selectable buffered of true-bypass), a Multifunction input (Hot Hand, expression pedal, or
MIDI), and precision 56-bit signal processing.
sourceaudio.net
Stagg
Hall: 3.0, Booth: E71A
SA40DCFI-BK
MSRP: 205
Dreadnought electro-acoustic cutaway concert

guitar with FISHMAN preamp - top: spruce back & sides: mahogany - neck: Nato - bridge
& fingerboard: rosewood - machine heads:
diecast nickel - FISHMAN Isys-201 preamp:

under-saddle pickup - built-in chromatic tuner
- volume/phase control - battery indicator output: 1 x standard 1/4" jack - colour: black
- finish: highgloss.
staggmusic.com
23

Takamine
50th Anniversary
MSRP: 5499 excluding tax
The Japanese word michi, meaning a path or

course to follow over a distance, provides the
theme of this limited-edition instrument. The
growing vine motif adorning the fretboard,
headstock and pickguard symbolizes the long
and vibrant pathway traveled by Takamine over
the decades This Dreadnought guitar features a AAAA solid spruce top, cocobolo back
and sides, ebony fingerboard, hand painted
machine heads and a TLD preamp. Only 50 are
available globally.
takamine.com
Taylor Guitars
New 2012 Line of Guitars

MSRP: Varies
700 Series Heritage Diamonds inlay, 3-ring

Ivoroid rosette and binding, and Vintage
Sunburst top (Engelmann spruce standard)
200 Series Tobacco Sunburst top (214ce-SB)
and all-black (214ce-BLK) models
T3 Series New mini humbucker and vintage
alnico pickup options
Nylon Line Changing to Acoustic/Electric
appointment specs for 200 Series
through 900 Series.
Model naming format will change
(Example: NS32ce now 312ce-N)
New Mahogany Options: GS Mini
(top, only), 12-Fret and Baritones
(back and sides)
taylorguitars.com
24

TC Electronic
Hall: 4.1, Booth: D10
TC Electronic PolyTune Mini,

TC-Helicon VoiceLive Play GTX
MSRP: PolyTune Mini: $150; VoiceLive Play GTX: $485
PolyTune Mini is the worlds smallest polyphonic tuner and it will fit on any pedal board.
The polyphonic tuning technology shows you
the tuning state of all strings simultaneously by
simply strumming your guitar, allowing you to
get back to playing in a matter of seconds.
The first ever combination of complete vocal

and guitar processing, VoiceLive Play GTX takes
everything that VoiceLive Play gives to singers
and adds award-winning TC Electronic guitar effects and AmpTones. Artist presets offer signature vocal and guitar sounds while full editing
ability allows you to define your unique style. Pro
or Practicing, acoustic or electric, VoiceLive Play
GTX is the singing guitarists dream machine.
tcelectronic.com
tc-helicon.com
Tech 21
Boost Series
MSRP: $195 (each)
Tech 21s all-analog circuitry unifies vintage tones

and modern dependability. Each Boost pedal
has an independent post-boost up to 21dB and
unique controls voiced for specific functions:
Boost Distortion: SAG adds an expressive,
tube-like response to every pick stroke.
Boost Overdrive: SPARKLE adds upper

harmonics for an open, snappy sound.
Boost Fuzz: SAGallows notes to bloom and sing.
Bass Boost Fuzz: +CLEAN adjusts the amount
of direct tone to your mix.
tech21nyc.com
25
Special Musikmesse Preview: EXHIBITOR LIST

EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
A + D Gitarrentechnologie GmbH
3.1
J85
Breedlove Guitar Co.
3.1
B64
A. Cuntz
3.1
J69
Breezy Ridge Instruments Ltd.
3.1
C85
Absara Audio LLC
4.1
C32
BSG Musical Instruments s.r.o.
3.1
E64
Access All Areas Distribution Ltd.
3.1
F89
Bull Vertrieb Ursula Theile GmbH
4.0
H06
ACME Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.
4.1
E41
Burns London Limited
4.0
H11
Adam Hall GmbH
4.1
F18
c.b.eller design
4.0
H64
Adventus Management BVBA
4.0
D55
C.F. Martin & Co. Inc.
3.1
F81
AER Audio Electric Research GmbH
4.1
C22
Carl Hellweg GmbH & Co. KG
3.1
C80
AER Audio Electric Research GmbH
3.1
F93
Carlsbro Holdings Limited
4.0
F95
Aguilar Amplification LLC
4.0
D54
Carvin Guitars & Pro Audio
4.0
F77
ahead music a division of s-music
4.0
H40
CAS OOD
4.1
B30
Alessi Tuning Machines
3.1
J52
CEDROS GmbH
3.1
H92
H52
Algam SAS
4.1
F27
Changsha Ruby Electronics Co., Ltd.
4.0
Almires doo
3.1
F62
CHK Electronics Ltd
4.0
J26
Altamira Musical Instrument
3.1
H53
CIOKS ApS
4.0
G49
AmberPickups, Wolfgang Damm
4.0
J33A
Clavia Digital Musical Instruments AB
5.1
B90
AMI Musical Instruments GmbH
3.1
D74
CMS Cotton Musical Supply
4.0
J67
Amigo Company
4.0
C67
CONCERT, S.A. Antonio Sanchez
3.1
F84
AMIS Co., Ltd. (Guangzhou)
3.1
H81
Cor-Tek Corp.
4.1
F15
C98
AMISTAR spol. s r.o.
3.1
F90
Cranes of Cardiff Co., Ltd.
4.0
Amplisonic Ltd.
4.0
G53
CRMI s.r.o.
4.0
J14
AMT Corporation Marichev Sergey
4.0
B49A
CruzTOOLS, Inc.
4.0
C62
Analog Import SARL
4.1
F23
Dae Hung International Co., Ltd.
4.0
D58
Andona d.o.o.
4.0
F27
Dean Markley Strings, Inc.
4.1
E12
Angel Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.
4.0
H90
Deering Banjo Company
3.1
F92
APC Instrumentos Musicais Lda.
3.1
F65
Deimel Guitarworks
4.0
D62
Aram Music MFG.,Corporation
4.1
E48
Deutsches Harmonikamuseum e.V.
4.1
D42
Arche M.I. Co., Ltd.
5.0
A20
Dieter Hopf Gitarren-Atelier
3.1
B93
B11
Aristides Instruments
4.1
F34
Diezel GmbH
4.1
Armadillo Enterprices Inc.
4.1
D12
Digitech - Harman Music Group Inc.
4.1
E12
Artec Sound Co., Ltd.
4.0
H61
Dionysios Matsikas S.A.
3.1
H80
ARTESANO Guitars
3.1
B62
DLS Effects, Inc.
4.1
B20
Ashdown Design & Marketing Ltd.
4.1
F21
DOWINA, s.r.o.
3.1
B98
Ashton Music Ltd.
3.1
H76
DR Handmade Strings
4.0
F55
Atalaya Musical S.L.U.
3.1
F55
Dr. H. Moll Unternehmergesellschaft (HB)
4.1
E39A
Aubert Lutherie S.A.S.
3.1
E81
Dunlop Manufacturing Inc.
4.1
E12
Audio Amp Co.
4.0
C86
EARSONICS SAS
4.1
E13
AXL Musical Instruments Co., Ltd.,
3.1
A95
East Sound Research Denmark
4.0
H48
Ayers Music Co., Ltd.
3.1
H51
EBM
4.0 J13
B-Band GmbH
3.1
C66
EBS Sweden AB
4.0
E64
Banzai Music GmbH
4.1
B10
Eden Electronics
4.0
F08
Barnes + Mullins Ltd.
3.1
H85
Egnater Custom Amplification
4.0
F53
Beijing J&N Pearl Shell Products
3.1
J75
EKO Music Group S.p.A.
3.1
F43
Beijing Lanyaohuihao
4.0
H87
Elastopoli Ltd.
4.1
D24
Bestune Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.
3.1
J50
Elder Audio Manufacture Co., Ltd.
4.1
F36
Blackstar Amplification Ltd.
4.0
C40
Electro-Harmonix
4.0 J08
boing stands
3.1
A82
Elmwood Amps AB
4.0
F05
Box Electronics s.c.
4.0
C70
Elzab Soft sp. z o.o.
4.1
E13
Box of Trix GmbH
3.0
A69
EMC European Music Company Ltd.
3.1
C76
26

EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
EMD Music S.A.
3.0
E71
Guangzhou Spread Music Instrument
3.1
EMG, Inc.
4.1
E17
Guangzhou Weibo Musical
4.0
H53
B60
ENGL Marketing & Sales GmbH
4.0
J44
Guitar XS Ltd.
3.1
G87
Enrique Keller S.A.
3.1
G77
Guitarpeople AB
4.1
E44
Ernie Ball Music Man, Inc.
4.0
E70
GuitarPoint Detlef Alder
4.1
D42
ESP Co., Ltd.
4.0
C45
Guitarras Manuel Rodriguez and
3.1
E68
E39B
Espen AG
3.1
F88
GuitarSlinger Products Alexander Beyrodt
4.1
EURL CISIFE Guitars Addicts
4.1
E13
Gwires and RexMedia (Ltd)
4.1
E13
EuroBassDay Network
4.1
D29
Haeussel Pickups
4.0
C46
E09
Everly Music Company, Inc.
4.1
E12
Hanser Music Group
4.1
Eyb-guitars Gnter Eyb
3.1
H90
Hendrik Sattler
4.1
E42
Feeltune
5.1 B90
HERCULES Stands
3.0
B75
Felipe Conde Guitarrero S.L.
3.1
D83
HESU
4.1 E13
Fender Musical Instruments GmbH
4.0
E08
High Voltage Distribution SARL
4.0
J82
Fibenare Guitars Co.
4.0
J37
Hongkong Vitoos Technology Co.
4.1
E41
Fishman Transducers, Inc.
3.1
E70
HOSCO Inc.
3.1
G83
C30
Flaxwood OY
4.1
D24
Hoshino Gakki Co., Ltd.
3.0
Florinett AG
3.1
F68
Human Base
4.0
J58
FNS Marble Amps
4.0
H13
Husemoens Gitarmakeri
4.0
H89
Focal Professional
5.1
B90
Hylight Electronics Ltd.
4.0
H21
FP Service
4.1
B20
IBC Trading Ltd.
3.1
C75
FRANK HARTUNG GUITARS
4.0
J50
Icon Global
5.1
B90
Frantisek Furch Musical Instruments
3.1
D90
iMusicnetwork
3.1 D68A
Freshman Guitars
3.1
F89
Indus3D
4.1 D28
Fritz Kollitz Fine Tonewood Inh.
3.1
G81
Inyen Vina Co., Ltd.
4.0
B74
Fritz Rssel
4.0
C50
IQS Strings S.r.l.
4.0
B57
Fujigen Inc.
4.1
D22
J. Lak Guitars
4.1
B26
Fusion Products Co., Ltd.
3.1
E71
James Trussart Guitars, Inc.
4.1
F13
G7th Ltd.
3.1
C75
Jan Fiser
3.1
J38
Galli Corde Musicali S.r.l.
3.1
F61
Jewel Creations
4.0
D60
Geodesic Dome Engineering
4.0
H89
Jiangsu New Century Musical
4.0
F79
Getm Getm Wear
4.0
G51
Jieyang Greatwall Musical Instruments
4.0
D50
GHS Corporation
4.1
E12
JJ Electronic S.R.O.
4.0
B53
Gibson Europe B.V.
4.1
F31
Joachim Schneider & Shne
3.1
C64A
Gitarrenbau Heiner Dreizehnter
3.1
H90
John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd.
4.0
H12
gitarrendesign
4.1 D32
Joyo Technology Co., Ltd.
3.1
H75
Gitary Mayones S.C.
4.0
C85
Kamoa Ukulele Company, Inc.
3.1
H60
GJ2 Guitars
4.1
D31
Karl Hfner GmbH & Co. KG
3.1
E67
GM Forte Co., Ltd.
4.1
D34
Kehlet Guitars
3.1
G56
Godin Guitars
4.0
B10
Kemper GmbH
4.1
F16
Gldo Music GmbH
4.0
H26
KHL Corporation
4.0
E92
GOOD TONE Ralf Schnberger
4.1
C30
KI-Sound Industrial Co., Ltd.
4.0
G48
Grand Musical Instruments Ltd.
3.0
C67
Kibin Guitars CPUP
3.1
J71
Grand Reward Education &
3.1
H65
KID Broadcast GmbH
4.0
H30
Graph Tech Guitar Labs Canada
4.1
E12
KMS Shokai Co., Ltd.
4.0
B95
GROSSMANN AUDIO
5.1
D82
Koch Guitar Electronics
4.0
B45
Guangzhou Kapok Guitar Company
3.1
H69
Korg & More a Division of Musik
3.0
B75
Guangzhou Light Holdings
3.0
G51
Korg Inc.
3.0
B62
Guangzhou Musique Co., Ltd.
3.1
H50
Kremona-Bulgaria Ltd.
3.1
A98
27

EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
Kumalae-Welkin Sound Inc.
3.1
G49
NATAL Drums
3.0
B75
Lakewood Guitars GmbH & Co. KG
3.1
F75
Nick Page Guitars
4.0
J33B
Laney Amplifications
4.0
C06
Nik Huber Guitars
4.0
B40
Lehle Gitarrentechnik Burkhard
4.1
C18
Ningbo Datong Electronic Cable Co.,
4.1
E41
Lenzner Saitenmanufaktur Reinhard
3.1
H59
Ningbo Yinzhou Truemagic Electron
4.1
E41
Leqtique
4.1 E37
No.1 Guitar Center GmbH
4.1
D42
Levinson AG
3.1
F66
Ohana Music, Inc.
3.1
A70
Levys Leathers Ltd.
3.0
B85
OROSYS SAS
4.0
F21
Liaocheng Sunsmile Musical
4.0
G60
Ortega
3.0 B30
Lodi Gabriele -Classical Guitar Maker
3.1
J52
Pagelli Gitarrenbau
3.1
F87
Logemann & Waibel oHG
3.1
J60
Parsek S.r.l.
4.0
E82
Lundgren - Guitar Pickups
4.0
F05
Paul Lairat
4.0
J28
LUTHMAN
4.1 B25
Paul Reed Smith Guitars
3.0
B28
M&T Musik & Technik
3.0
B75
Paxphil Corporation
4.0
B70
Magma Music S.A.
3.1
C71
Peavey Electronics Ltd.
AG0
A01
Magnus Krempel
4.0
J09
Peerless Guitars Co., Ltd.
3.1
G61
Marel Guitars
4.0
C86
Prime Loudspeakers Oy
4.1
D24
Mari Strings, Inc.
3.1
G79
Pro Arte Fine Acoustic GmbH
3.1
G75
Mariano Conde Guitarrero, S.L.
3.1
E66
Prucha Bluegrass Instruments
3.1
F90
Marleaux Bass-Guitars
4.0
J16
PYRAMID Junger GmbH
3.0
A15
Mars Musical Instrument Co., Ltd.
4.0
J73
Quik Lok a division of EKO Music Group
3.1
F43
Marshall Amplification Plc
4.0
F08
Radix Guitars Indonesia
4.1
E31
Max Strohmer Gitarren- und
1.2
C20
Raimundo Aparicio, S.A.
3.1
H72
McClelland Music Ltd.
3.1
J80
Rainer Tausch
4.0
C46
MEC music electronic company GmbH
4.0
B18
Red Dog Music
4.0
J71
Mesa/Boogie Ltd.
3.0
B32
Reinhardt GmbH
3.1
E71
Messe Frankfurt (H.K.) Ltd. Div. V
1.2
F23
Richard Cocco Strings S.r.l.
4.0
H23
Messe Frankfurt (H.K.) Ltd. Div. V
3.1
H81
Richter-Leder GmbH
3.1
H78
Meteoro Amplifiers - JPF Ind. e Com.
4.0
H15
RISA Musical Instruments GmbH
3.1
J59
Mey CHAIR SYSTEMS GmbH
4.1
D39
Ritter Instruments
4.0
J36
Milenko Katanic
4.0
J13
RIXING (Tianjin) International Trading
3.0
G63
Mingde Musik Ltd.
3.1
A74
Rockson Musical International Corp.
4.0
F33
Mings Musical Instrument Accessories
4.1
C22
Roland Meinl Musikinstrumente
3.0
C30
MJ GUITARS GmbH
4.1
D42
Roland Meinl Musikinstrumente
30
B30
mobile Sound-Werkstatt Harald Knig
4.0
B61
Rotosound Manufacturing Ltd.
4.0
B75
MONO Cases, LLC
4.0
J48
ROZAWOOD, a. s.
3.1
D81
Moon WHA S.O.G. Co., Ltd.
3.1
G67
Ruby Industrial Corp.
3.1
J56
Morley Sound Enchancement Inc.
4.1
E12
Ruokangas Guitars OY
4.0
B47
Muse Inc.
4.0
H28
S.I.T. Strings Co., Inc.
4.0
C44
Music & Sales Professional
4.1
E09
3.1
H61
Music Store Professional
4.0
C91
Samick Musical Instruments Co., Ltd.
4.0
F70
Music-Marketing GmbH
3.1
F67
Sandberg Guitars
4.0
B97
Musictube, LLC
4.1
FOY10
SAVAREZ S.A.
3.1
E81
Musik Jellinghaus GmbH
3.1
C79
Schaeffertec GmbH
4.1
E40
Musik Lenz GmbH & Co. KG
3.0
E40
Schecter Guitar Research
4.0
F29
Musik Meyer AG
3.0
B75
Schertler SA
3.1
F85
Musik Meyer Benelux Division of
3.0
B75
SchneiderMusik GmbH
3.1
C64B
Musik Meyer GmbH
4.0
F08
Scuffham Amps
4.1
B21
Musik Meyer GmbH
3.1
B62
SEIKO SPORTS LIFE Co., Ltd.
3.0
E71
28

EXHIBITOR
Session Music - Zweigniederlassung
Hall Booth
EXHIBITOR
Hall Booth
AG0
AG01
Tolito Musique S.A.R.L.
4.0
Seymour Duncan Pickups
4.1
E12
TONEHENGE Amplification KG
4.1
G55
F41
SHADOW Elektroakustik Josip
3.1
D78
TonePros Sound Labs International
4.1
E12
Shanxi Jizhi Musical Instrument
3.1
A90
TONIC - Tonal Innovation Center, North
4.1
D24
Shenzhen Fzone Technology Co., Ltd.
3.1
H50
Tricor AB / Hagstrom Guitars
3.0
B75
SHS International Inc.
3.1
J42
Triff AG
3.1
E79
SHUBB CAPOS
3.1
B95
Trio Enterprise
3.1
G74
SOAR INTL TRADING LTD.
3.0
G44
Trius Vertrieb GmbH & Co. KG
4.0
F60
Soho Acoustics Ltd.
3.1
F93
Tube Amp Doctor Musikhandels GmbH
4.0
B50
SONG HWA
4.0
J25
TV Jones, Inc.
4.0
J40
Soultool Customized Guitars Frau
4.1
C30
Twood d.o.o
3.1
C69
Sound Service GmbH
4.0
C44
US Music Corp.
4.0
F25A
G47
Soundking Group Co., Ltd.
4.0
F95
Vermazeren Exxploitatie B.V.
3.1
Source Audio
4.1
E12
Vigier
4.0 D64
SPHK Corporation
4.0
C63
Visual Sound LLC
4.1
E12
ST-Professional S.N.C.
4.0
J30
W.L. Gore & Associates GmbH
4.0
B43
StarkAmps GmbH
4.1
C30
Wahlbrink Basses
4.0
J59
STEAVENS Custom Amplification
4.1
B15
WALDEN Guitars
3.1
A79
Stefan Beyer Ingenieurbro
4.0
F25
Warwick GmbH & Co. Music Equipment
4.1
E12
Steinigke Showtechnic GmbH
3.0
E77
Weifang Soundmax Audio Equipment
4.1
D45
Steph Accessories Inc
4.0
C60
Wild Child Distribution
3.1
A94B
Stevens Custom Guitars
3.1
D70
Wilmington Fibre
4.0
B49
Stoll Guitars
3.1
H57
Woosung Chorus Industries
4.0
J76
Stonecastle
4.0 H29
World Sound Music (Huizhou) Co., Ltd.
4.0
H93
StonEdge Drums Ltd.
4.1
D24
Worldstick Musical instruments and
4.0
H89
Stratton Violin
4.1
B30
Wuhan Eleca Electronics Co., Ltd.
3.1
J42
Striebel Gitarrenbau
3.1
J61
Yerasov Music Corp.
4.0
J21
Strings & Things Ltd.
3.1
J58
Yeseco Oy
4.1
D24
Studiomaster
4.0 F95
Z.Vex Effects
4.0
J07
SUNG EUM (Gilmour Guitars)
4.1
B20
ZEAL Guitars Bastian Kanbach &
4.0
J17
SungEum Music Co., Ltd.
3.1
G73
Swiff Technology Co., Ltd.
4.1
E41
Swing Guitars Co., Ltd.
4.0
B85
SYNTHESIS EGO SONORO
4.1
E13
T-Rex Engineering Aps
4.1
D20
Tanglewood Guitar Co., Ltd.
3.1
C76
Taranaki Guitars
4.1
B24
Taylor Guitars
3.1
E83
TC Electronic A/S
4.1
D10
Team International H.K. Co., Ltd.
3.1
H66
Tecnoplast S.r.l.
4.0
C84
The Music Force Distribution
3.1
H76
The Music People, Inc.
4.1
F30A
The Raw Guitar Co.
4.1
B34
Thomas Rubner GmbH
1.2
D12
Tianjin Chixing International Trade
3.0
D58
Tianjin JYJ Musical Instrument
4.1
E48
Tianjin Yuhua International Trade
3.0
A50
Tokai Guitar Germany
4.0
B54
29

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