Guitar and Bass Vol 24 No 10 July 2013

ALBERT KING REMEMBERED

JULY 2013

Gibson ES-335

SEMI-ACOUSTIC SUPERSTAR SPECIAL!

www.guitarmagazine.co.uk

Discover how it became the king of Gibson’s Electric Spanish dynasty

Gretsch and Marshall tested!

PLAYE LIK

Bruce Springsteen

PLUS! Vol 24 No 10

ESP Scott Gorham Orange Danny Bryant Peavey Marcus Miller Freshman and more… JULY 2013 Vol 24 No 10 £4.250 7

07

9 771755 338229 9 771755 338229

Private Collection

Home on the guitar range

THE HARDEST WORKING GUITAR SIMON NEIL AND HIS PRO SERIES P7DC See the entire line of Takamine guitars at takamineguitars.eu www.facebook.com/takamineguitarseurope Photo: David Wolff-Patrick ©2013 KMC Music, Inc. TAKAMINE™ is a trademark of KMC Music, Inc. All rights reserved.

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13/05/2013 16:15

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Closely designed with Slash, the all-valve SL5 features both Clean and Overdrive channels, 1 Watt power reduction, a true Class-A power amp stage and a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker. Experience that true, authentic Marshall tone. Try the incredible SL5 for yourself. Visit marshallamps.com now to find your local Marshall dealer and find out more.

SL5 Video Demo

GUITAR & BASS MAG May 2013_Layout 1 copy 1 13/05/2013 19:49 Page 1

PROMENADE MUSIC

01524 410 202 www.promenademusic.co.uk

Electric Guitars

Electric Guitars

Acoustic & Electro Acoustics

Bass Guitars

8030 - 1963 Gibson ES175 Jazz Guitar, Sunburst 10067 - Brian May Bass in Cherry with Gig Bag 10066 - Brian May Red Special, Antique Cherry 10055 - Brian May Red Special, Metal May 7028 - Brian May Red Special, Antique Cherry 10065 - Brian May Red Special, Baby Blue 10061 - Brian May Red Special, Black 10063 - Brian May Red Special, Gold 10064 - Brian May Red Special, Green 10059 - Brian May Red Special, Honey Sunburst 10058 - Brian May Red Special, Natural 10057 - Brian May Red Special, Sunburst 10062 - Brian May Red Special, White 10060 - Brian May Red Special, Windermere Blue 10069 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Black 10068 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Cherry 10071 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Red 10070 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Sunburst 10231 - Brooks Custom Steve, Lukather Clone 9767 - Cort G260 Electric Guitar 10224 - Cort M600 AVD Antique Violin Dark 10220 - Cort Sunset I in Black 10223 - Cort X6 S-M BK Electric Guitar in Black 7793 - DBZ Barchetta Eminent FR Absinthe 7785 - DBZ Barchetta ST, Aubergine 7789 - DBZ Barchetta ST FR, Cobalt Blue 7814 - DBZ Crucifixion Electric Guitar 7810 - DBZ Dark Angel Electric Guitar 7812 - DBZ Bare Bones Religion Series Devil 7811 - DBZ Bare Bones Religion Series Preacher 7800 - DBZ Bolero AB, Solid Wine Red 7796 - DBZ Bolero FM, Trans Wine 7794 - DBZ Bolero ST, Black 7837 - DBZ Venom, Dark Blue Metallic 9770 - Dean Evo, Pre-Owned 5043 - Duesenberg 49er Cow Limited Edition 5040 - Duesenberg Rocket II in Black & White 10233 - ESP LTD MH50, Black, Pre-Owned 9769 - Encore Electric Guitar, Black 5205 - Epiphone Broadway Jazz Semi, Natural 8220 - Epiphone ES339 Semi Hollowbody, Ebony 9155 - Epiphone ES339, Natural 8528 - Epiphone ES339 Ultra, Vintage Sunburst 5432 - Epiphone G310 SG Shape, White 9631 - Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II, Natural 9695 - Epiphone Les Paul Special II Cherryburst 9905 - Epiphone LP Stan Plustop Pro, Cherry S/B 10351 - Epiphone LP Stand. Plustop Pro, Wine Red 8365 - Epiphone Les Paul Standard in Gold 10352 - Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Ebony 10217 - Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Sunburst, S/H 9604 - Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III Alpine White 8096 - Epiphone Ltd Ed Flying V, Antique White 8165 - Epiphone Ltd Ed 1961 SG, Alpine White 9666 - Epiphone Phrophecy LP Custom Plus GX 8101 - Epiphone by Gibson, Pre-Owned 4231 - Fender Am Special Strat, Candy Apple Red 9074 - Fender American Special Strat, Sunburst 9914 - Fender Am. Special Tele, Vintage Blonde 9348 - Fender American Stan. Hand Stained Strat 10199 - Fender Am Stand. Strat LH, Sburst 9910 - Fender Am Standard Strat, Mystic Blue 8342 - Fender Am Standard Strat, Sienna Sburst 9134 - Fender American Stratocaster Daphne Blue 9023 - Fender American Vintage '70s Strat Reissue, Nat 9287 - Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH, Black 10072 - Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster, Blonde 9261 - Fender C. Player Jaguar Spec HH, White 9559 - Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Strat, GR 7112 - Fender Deluxe Lonestar Strat, Sunburst 10163 - Fender FSR 72 Telecaster Deluxe, Aqua Flake 10198 - Fender FSR Am Stan. Strat, LH, Sunburst 9085 - Fender FSR Strat HSS TBX Amber Burst 10218 - Fender Japanese Strat, CAR, Pre-Owned 4634 - Fender Jim Root Signature Strat, Black 9775 - Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar, Metallic KO 10164 - Fender Kurt Cobain Mustang, Sonic Blue 8113 - Fender Modern Player Available To Order 9945 - Fender Modern Player Strat HSS, O. White 8224 - Fender Modern Player Telecaster, Honey Burst 8286 - Fender Modern Player Tele Thinline Delux 7784 - Fender Mustang Pawn Shop Special, Red 9089 - Fender Pawn Shop 51 Stratocaster, Black 9090 - Fender Pawn Shop 51 Stratocaster, Blonde 10149 - Fender Pink Paisley Telecaster, Used 5287 - Fender Road Worn 50s Strat in Black 8290 - Fender Road Worn 60's Strat, Sunburst 4229 - Fender Road Worn Player Strat, Sunburst 4232 - Fender Road Worn Player Tele, Black 9449 - Fender Select Tele USA Violin Burst 10101 - Fender Standard Strat, CAR, Secondhand 7954 - Fender Standard Strat, Copper Met Burst 4560 - Fender Standard Telecaster, Black 4748 - Fender Standard Tele, Brown Sunburst 10090 - Fender Telebration Mahogany Tele, Sburst 9911 - Fender USA 75 Telebration, Natural 9507 - Fender USA Hardtail Stratocaster 1977 8285 - Fret King Jerry Donahue, Natural 9137 - G&LASAT Classic Bluesboy Semi, Natural 9140 - G&LASAT Classic in Walnut 9136 - G&L Legacy in Black 9135 - G&L S500 in Blueburst 9150 - Gibson ES137 Custom, Triburst 8029 - Gibson ES175 1956 Original 9277 - Gibson ES330 VOS, Vintage Sunburst 10146 - Gibson ES335 Dot Plain Gloss, Sunburst

10273 - Gibson ES339 Antique Sunburst 9840 - Gibson Lee Roy Parnell Goldtop 8376 - Gibson Les Paul Classic 60s Trans Ebony 5317 - Gibson Les Paul Custom in Alpine White 7919 - Gibson Les Paul Custom in Wine Red 10197 - Gibson Les Paul Signature T, Trans Ebony 9444 - Gibson Les Paul Standard 2012 Goldtop 10116 - Gibson Les Paul Std 2013 Prem. Tea Burst 10117 - Gibson Les Paul Std 2013 Premi. Trans Amber 10144 - Gibson LP St Premium Plus, Desert Burst 10322 - Gibson Les Paul Stand., Heritage Cherry 9341 - Gibson Les Paul Studio, Radiant Red 5090 - Gibson Les Paul Studio Lefty, Wine Red 9557 - Gibson Les Paul Studio, Vintage Sunburst 10281 - Gibson Les Paul Trad., Caramel Burst 8202 - Gibson Nighthawk. Pelham Blue 5594 - Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar in White 10350 - Gibson SG Special Faded Cherry 10268 - Gretsch G5422TDCG Hollow Body ,White 9771 - Ibanez S470DXQM 9764 - Italia Electric Guitar, Pre-Owned 9161 - Jackson RR5 Japanese Ivory Pinstripe 4992 - Jackson JS30 Randy Rhoads, Black 4150 - Jackson SL3MG Soloist, Natural 9669 - Jackson Super Light Soloist SLSXMG GMG 0000 - Levin - 7 models in stock now 8051 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Black 8052 - Lodestone Electric Artist in Sunburst 8048 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Honey 8049 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Red 8059 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Chignal Blue 8065 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Rodings White 8058 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Tobacco Sburst 8066 - Lodestone Electric Pro S in Waltham Black 8055 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Chignal Blue 8056 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Rodings White 8053 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Roxwell Red 8057 - Lodestone Electric Pro, St James Silver 8054 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Tobacco Sunburst 8072 - Lodestone Electric Standard S, T. Sburst 8070 - Lodestone Electric Standard Trans Black 8071 - Lodestone Electric Standard S, White 8069 - Lodestone Electric Standard in White 8085 - Lodestone Pulse in Burr Maple Honeyburst 8086 - Lodestone Pulse, Matt Black 8084 - Lodestone Pulse in Metallic Gold 8087 - Lodestone Pulse, Tobacco Sunburst 7091 - MusicMan Luke HSS, Pearl Blue 4720 - MusicMan Silhouette Special, Candy Red 0000 - PRS - 12 Models in stock now 6123 - Patrick Eggle Double Cutaway in Blue 6121 - Patrick Eggle RSG Electric Guitar, Amber 9478 - Peavey AT200 Antares AutoTune Guitar 9450 - Peavey EVH Wolfgang USA-Made Goldtop 9001 - Peavey Rockmaster Captain America 9300 - Peerless Martin Taylor Virtuoso 4268 - Rickenbacker 330 12 String Semi, Jetglo 6951 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Fireglo 6952 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Jetglo 4270 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Mapleglo 10165 - Road Worn Player Tele, Candy Apple Red 8992 - Roland G5 Strat COSM Technology Black 8993 - Roland G5 Strat COSM Technology Sunburst 9857 - Roland G5A Strat Candy Apple Red 8990 - Roland GC1 Black GK-Ready Stratocaster 8991 - Roland GC1 Sunburst GK-Ready Strat 0000 - Squier - 6 models in stock now 0000 - Stagg - 3 models in stock now 9273 - Steinberger Spirit GT Pro 10131 - Traveller Speedster, Blue, Pre-Owned 9079 - Ventures VM100SB Bob Bogle Sig, Sunburst 9078 - Ventures VM65MBL Electric Guitar, Blue 4256 - Vintage AV2, Sunburst 9420 - Vox Apache I 9652 - Warwick Electric Guitar Accessory Pack 6982 - WashburnUSADD70MayaDanDonegan,Grey 4757 - Washburn N1 Vintage Nuno Bettencourt Nat 7074 - Washburn SI61 Obey Scott Ian Sig, Black 6991 - Washburn USA Custom WI556, Metallic Red 6997 - Washburn V200 ProE in Black 7005 - Washburn WI100, Gunmetal Grey 7002 - Washburn WI100, Red 7009 - Washburn WI15 Idol Standard ,Black 8412 - Washburn WI18 Idol Quilted Trans Black 8411 - Washburn WI18 Idol Quilted Trans Red 7356 - Washburn WI420KB Idol, Black 8409 - Washburn WI-440F Idol Elect Flame Honey 8408 - Washburn WI-440F Idol Tobacco Sunburst 8406 - Washburn WI-460E Idol Electric, Black 8405 - Washburn WI-460E Idol Electric in White 6988 - Washburn WI50 in Black 6989 - Washburn WI50 Pro-E, Black 8404 - Washburn WI-63 SF Donegan Sig, Black 6995 - Washburn WV40VASIK Scott Ian Blood Splat 6996 - Washburn WV66ANC, Nick Catanese, Black 6898 - Washburn Wi14 Idol in Metallic Blue 6899 - Washburn Wi14 Idol in Wine Red 8230 - Washburn X10 Bass Guitar, Black 6895 - Washburn X100 in Metallic Grey 6900 - Washburn X200 Pro in Trans Black 6425 - Westcoast ST Junior in Black & Sunburst 6449 - Westcoast ST1 in Ivory, Red & Natural 8416 - Yamaha Pacifica 012 in Red Metallic 8414 - Yamaha Pacifica 012, Dark Blue Metallic 10234 - Yamaha Pacifica 012 in Black 8121 - Yamaha Pacifica 311H, Vintage White 8184 - Yamaha Pacifica 510V , Candy Apple Red 10319 - Yamaha Pacifica 611 VHFM 8124 - Yamaha Pacifica 611 Root Beer

8033 - Breedlove AD25/SM 8035 - Breedlove AJ250/SF Plus Electro Acoustic 10296 - Breedlove Atlas Solo Series C350/CR 10284 - Breedlove Cascade C25/CRE Electro 10285 - Breedlove Cascade OM/CRe S Cutaway 10287 - Breedlove Passport C250/COe Electro 10288 - Breedlove Passport D/MMe Electro 10289 - Breedlove Passport D250SMe Electro 10299 - Breedlove Passport PLUS D/CME Electro 10292 - Breedlove Passport Plus C250/SBe Elect 7979 - Breedlove Passport Plus C250SFE 4282 - Breedlove Passport + D/SFE Elec Sunburst 10301 - Breedlove Passport Plus D250/SB Electro 10300 - Breedlove Passport Plus OM/CMe HH 10294 - Breedlove Retro D/ERe with LR Baggs 10295 - Breedlove Retro OM/ER Orchestra Electro 10298 - Breedlove Revival OM/SMe Top Burst 4283 - Breedlove Solo C35/Sme Electro, Natural 10069 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Black 10068 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Cherry 10071 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Red 10070 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Sunburst 10219 - Cort NDX50 Electro Acoustic Guitar, Nat 10221 - Cort SFX-E NS Electro, Natural Satin 10125 - DRL 008 8 String Electro Acoustic Guitar 10124 - DRL CT09 Thinline Electro Acoustic 4769 - EKO Ranger EQ Vintage Series, Black 8905 - Eko Ranger Vintage 12 String w/Fishman 9206 - Epiphone EJ200CE, Natural 5157 - Epiphone EJ200CE Jumbo Vintage SunB. 9542 - Faith FMETB Mercury Electro Parlour 9104 - Faith Saturn Cutaway High Gloss FSCEHG 8300 - Faith FECS Electro Acoustic Guitar 10320 - Fender CD60CE Mahogany 7881 - Fender Kingman SCE, Dreadnought, Nat 6929 - Fender Stratacoustic, Electro, Black 10194 - Fender T-Bucket 300CE, Amber 6930 - Fender Telecoustic, Electro, Black 10243 - Fender Tim Armstrong Deluxe 10106 - Fylde Alchemist Electro Acoustic 7867 - Gibson J200 Standard Electro in Natural 7032 - Gibson J200 Standard Jumbo Guitar 8241 - Gibson J200 Studio, Vintage Sunburst 10150 - Gibson J35 Electro Acoustic Guitar, Nat 10143 - Gibson LG2 American Eagle 10147 - Gibson SJ100 Modern Classic V.Sunburst 8091 - Jimmy Moon 0003CE Electro Acoustic 4555 - Jimmy Moon Bryan Adams Signature 4554 - Jimmy Moon PF0003 Electro, Pau Ferro 6948 - Jimmy Moon RD3, Electro, Natural 9552 - LAG T300AE Electro Acoustic Guitar 7302 - LAG T66ACE Auditorium Cutaway Electro 7972 - LAG T200ACE Auditorium Cutaway Electric 5403 - Levin LD60CE, Dreadnought Electro, Nat 9243 - James Neligan NA72CBB Electro Acoustic 0000 - Levin - 5 models in stock now 8277 - Martin DC15ME Dreadnought Cutaway 6404 - Northwood R70 00 14fret Electro, Natural 4400 - Northwood R80, 000V Electro, Natural 6403 - Northwood R80, 0M Electro, Natural 9841 - Ovation Adamas 1581-7 Electro Acoustic 5093 - Ovation CDX24 Electro Acoustic in Natural 10033 - Ovation Celebrity CC44S AB, Autumn 10031 - Ovation Pro Elite 2078AX 10032 - Ovation Pro Elite TX 1868TX Super 10151 - Ovation Pro Speciality 1773AX-4 Natural, 9299 - Peerless Martin Taylor Maestro 10095 - RainSong BI-JM1000N2 Graphite Guitar 10094 - Rainsong S-DR1000 Graphite Guitar 10038 - Rainsong S-DR1000 Graphite Guitar 9820 - Rainsong CO-DR1000N2 9821 - Rainsong CO-JM1000N2 9819 - Rainsong CO-OM1000N2 9818 - Rainsong CO-WS1000N2 9814 - Rainsong DR1000 Graphite Guitar 10097 - Rainsong H-DR1100N2 10100 - Rainsong H-OM1000N2 10098 - Rainsong H-WS1000N2 9815 - Rainsong JM1000 Graphite Guitar 4812 - RainSong OM1000 10082 - RainSong P12 Parlor 10084 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Blue 10086 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Green 10085 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Pewter 10087 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Red 10088 - RainSong P14 Parlor 10091 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Blue 10092 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Green 10093 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Pewter 10089 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Red 9824 - Rainsong S-DR1000N2 Dreadnought Std 9823 - Rainsong S-OM1000N2 OM Studio Electro 9822 - Rainsong S-WS1000N2 WS Studio Electro 9827 - RainSong SG Shorty Gloss Shorty Series 9828 - RainSong Shorty Fine Texture SFT Model 7974 - Rainsong WS1000 Graphite Guitar 5257 - Satori YD18EQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat 5256 - Satori YD28EQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat 5252 - Satori YD28HEQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat 8234 - Satori YD42EQ Electro Acoustic 5255 - Satori YO28HEQ, OM Electro, Natural 9536 - Sigma 000MC 15E Electro Acoustic Guitar 10303 - Takamine EG340SC, Pre-Owned 0000 - Tanglewood - 17 models in stock now 10118 - Terry Pack PLSR Parlour w/Pre-Amp 9615 - Terry Pack SJRS Small Jumbo LR Baggs M1A 8007 - Vintage Gordon Giltrap Signature 9561 - Vintage VEC1400 Electro Acoustic 9535 - Walden CG570CE Electro Acoustic Guitar 8307 - Westcoast SW201BK -VT Acoustic Guitar 8305 - Westcoast SW201RDS VT Electro Acoustic 8306 - Westcoast SW201VT Acoustic Guitar 6960 - Yamaha CPX500 Electro in Red 9190 - Yamaha CPX700 Electro Dusk Sun Red 8020 - Yamaha CPX700, Tinted Finish 9191 - Yamaha FGX730SC Electro Acoustic, Nat. 9192 - Yamaha FJX730SC Electro Acoustic, Black 6965 - Yamaha FX370C Electro Acoustic in Nat. 8141 - Yamaha SLG110S Silent Steel String

8687 - Breedlove Passport Plus B350/CB4 10297 - Breedlove Solo BJ350/CMe4 Fretless Bass 10067 - Brian May Bass in Cherry with Gig Bag 4910 - Bridge Cetus Electric Double Bass 10108 - Cort A4 4 String Bass Guitar, Natural 10107 - Cort A4 Custom Z 4 String Bass Guitar 10109 - Cort A5 5 String Bass, Open Pore Natural 10105 - Cort A5 OPBC Bass Guitar 10110 - Cort B5 5 String Bass Guitar, OPN 10213 - Cort GB75WBL 5 String Bass, White Blonde 10242 - ESP LTD B204 SM, Natural, Pre-Owned 4882 - Fender USA 62 Vintage Precision Sunburst 10166 - Fender 75 Jazz Bass in Natural 9083 - Fender Am Special Jazz Bass, Sunburst 9353 - Fender Am St Hand Stained Ash Jazz Bass 9231 - Fender Am Standard Jazz Bass, Sunburst 7943 - Fender Am Stan Precision Bass, Sunburst 9727 - Fender FSR Precision, Sea Foam Metallic 8113 - Fender Modern Player Available To Order 9367 - Fender Select Jazz Bass, Amber Burst 9284 - Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Arctic White 8287 - Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Brown S.burst 9909 - Fender Standard P Bass, Lake Placid Blue 10113 - G & L M2000 4 String Bass Guitar, Honeyburst 10112 - G & L M2500 5 String Bass, Honeyburst 9703 - G & L Tribute Series JB2, Natural 9138 - G&L L2000 Tribute Bass, 3-Tone Sunburst 9702 - G&L L2500 5 String Bass, Walnut 9593 - Gibson Firebird Studio Reverse 70s Bass 9575 - Gibson Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Honeyburst 10074 - Gretsch G6073 Electrotone Bass, Burgundy 0000 - Levin - 7 models in stock now 8073 - Lodestone Primal Artist 8075 - Lodestone Primal Instinct J Bass, Green 8079 - Lodestone Primal Instinct P Bass, Green 8080 - Lodestone Primal Instinct Pbass Sunburst 8081 - Lodestone Primal Pro in Chignal Blue 8082 - Lodestone Primal Pro 4, Tobacco Sunburst 8174 - Lodestone Primal Pro 5, Chignal Blue 4179 - Marleaux Consat Custom 5, Satin Black 10279 - Marleaux Consat Sig 4 String Bolt On 5713 - Marleaux M Bass Custom 5, Maple & Walnut 10278 - Marleaux Votan XS Deluxe, Black 10216 - MusicMan Sterling 4, Blue, Pre-Owned 4703 - MusicMan Stingray 2EQ, Blue Pearl 4781 - MusicMan Stingray 3EQ, True Gold 4920 - MusicMan Stingray 5, Black 8997 - Musicman Sterling SB14 Bass, Sunburst 5110 - NS Design NXT Electric Double Bass 9002 - Overwater Aspiration Deluxe Bass, Black 8435 - Overwater Aspiration Std 4, Black Cherry 7849 - Overwater Contemporary Jazz, Trans Blue 9009 - Overwater Contemporary 5-String Bass 9867 - Overwater Inspiration Jazz PJ 4 String 10102 - Overwater J Series Deluxe 4, Natural 7259 - Overwater Perception Std 5, Bubinga 10152 - Overwater Progress Deluxe, Pre-Owned 9418 - Rickenbacker Bass, Jetglo Rick Kemp 5121 - Rockbass Streamer LX5, Black 7204 - Squier Classic Vibe Precision 50s Blonde 9072 - Squier Vintage Modified 70's Jazz, Nat 9517 - Squier Vintage Modified Tele Bass, Black 9704 - Stagg BC300 Lefthanded 4 String, Nat 4417 - Steinberger Spirit XT2 4 String Bass 9428 - Tobias Toby Standard IV Bass Guitar, White 9653 - Warwick Bass Guitar Accessory Gig Pack 6447 - Westcoast BG2, Natural or Trans Red 6446 - Westcoast BG4 Neck Thru Body, Brown 6445 - Westcoast BG5 Fretless, Natural 6448 - Westcoast JB5, Trans Amber 8438 - Westcoast JP1 4 String Bass in Black 8437 - Westcoast JP1 4 String Bass in Trans Red 10120 - Yamaha BB1024X 4 String, Caramel Brown 4649 - Yamaha BB2024X, Vintage White 9350 - Yamaha BB424 Bass Guitar in Black 9351 - Yamaha BB425 5 String Bass Guitar, Black 9352 - Yamaha BB425 5 String Bass, Sunburst 9000 - Yamaha RBX170 10314 - Yamaha RBX170EW Bass 8999 - Yamaha RBX5A2 5 String Bass, Black 6360 - Yamaha SLB200 Silent Double Bass 4331 - Yamaha TRB1004J, Trans Black 10307 - Yamaha TRBX304 Bass 10308 - Yamaha TRBX305 Bass 10310 - Yamaha TRBX505 Bass

Classical Guitars

0000 - Azahar - 6 models in stock now 10290 - Breedlove Passport N250/COe Electro 7365 - Jose Ferrer 3/4 Size Classical Guitar 0000 - Mendieta - 6 models in stock now 9482 - Ovation 1616 Classical Guitar, Pre-Owned 0000- Raimundo - 4 models in stock now 0000 - Ramirez - 10 models in stock now 5828 - Roberto - 3 models in stock now 5481 - Strunal Electro Classical Guitar 9404 - Takamine G344RC Electro, Wine Red 0000 - Tanglewood - 4 models in stock now 8351 - Westcoast - 5 models in stock now 10323 - Yamaha CGX102 Guitar 10321 - Yamaha NTX700 Guitar

For full guitar details, pricing and photos, enter the number next to each guitar model into our SKU search facility on the website.

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome

Anthem Publishing, Station House, Station Approach, off North Street, Carshalton, SM5 2HW Tel 020 8773 3865 Email [email protected] www.guitarmagazine.co.uk EDITOR John Callaghan (020 3478 7549) [email protected] DEPUTY EDITOR Steve Bailey [email protected] ART EDITOR Rob Bewick [email protected] STAFF WRITER Rik Flynn [email protected] CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Rick Batey [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS Sid Bishop, Martyn Casserly, Roger Cooper, Phil Harris, Michael Heatley, Hayden Hewitt, Matt Lamy, Marcus Leadley, Alun Lower, Gareth Morgan, Lars Mullen, Douglas Noble, Richard Purvis, Huw Price, Tim Slater, Michael Stephens INSTRUMENT PHOTOGRAPHY Mike Prior, Claire Collins SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE Gemma Bown (07788 266847) [email protected] AD PRODUCTION Craig Broadbridge [email protected] MANAGING DIRECTOR Jon Bickley [email protected] EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Pettengale [email protected] ART DIRECTOR Jenny Cook [email protected] ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Simon Lewis [email protected] MARKETING ASSISTANT Anna Wilkie [email protected] Head Office Anthem Publishing Ltd, Suite 6, Piccadilly House, London Road, Bath BA1 6PL Tel +44 (0) 1225 489 984 Fax +44 (0) 1225 489 980 Email [email protected] Subscriptions & Back Issues Guitar & Bass Magazine https://anthem.subscribeonline.co.uk Tel 0844 322 1291 (UK) Tel: Call Toll Free 800 428 3003 (US) Tel +44 (0) 1795 414 781 (Rest of World) Email [email protected] Price (12 issues) £49.80 (UK), £64 (Europe/Republic Of Ireland), $99 (USA), £72 (Rest of World) See page 118 for subscription details

The Reign Of Spain… Many years ago, when I first learned what the ‘ES’ part of the ES-335 stood for, the strangeness of the label only added to the guitar’s allure. It was also a surprise to find out that it was part of a long and distinguished line of ES instruments that Gibson produced. The 335’s place in guitar history has long been assured, but this month’s cover story goes a fair bit deeper than that. Not only do we celebrate the ES-335’s majesty, we also look into the other members of the Electric Spanish family, and discover why this model gained a level of popularity the others never quite managed – despite many of them boasting much higher specs. It’s a fascinating story that’s well worth the reading for all lovers of guitar history. And when you’re done with all that (or before – entirely up to you), there are reviews of gear from Gretsch, Marshall, Orange and Freshman (to name but four) for your perusal. We also remember the genius of blues legend Albert King, get the lowdown on a guitar-lovin’ individual’s collection – and discover how to get inside the mind of Bruce Springsteen. It’s all heady stuff and we hope it provides enough guitar-shaped food for the soul to sustain you until the next issue. Finally, my more tech-minded colleagues have asked me to remind you that you can get all this Guitar & Bass goodness on your digital devices (including iPhones, Kindles, iPads and the like). For more info, including where to obtain the free app, go to page 80 of this very issue. Enjoy…

AL BE RT KI

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Semi-Acous Superstar! tic

Gibson E

Licensing enquiries Bruce Sawford Tel +44 (0) 1280 860 185 [email protected]

S-335

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All content copyright Anthem Publishing Ltd 2010, all rights reserved. While we make every effort to ensure that the factual content of Guitar & Bass magazine is correct we cannot take any responsiblity nor be held accountable for any factual errors printed. Please make every effort to check quoted prices and product specifications with manufacturers prior to purchase. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or resold without prior consent of Anthem Publishing Ltd. Guitar & Bass Magazine recognises all copyrights contained within the issue. Where possible we acknowledge the copyright holder

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JULY 2013

Printed by Benham Goodhead Print Tel +44 (0) 1869 363 333

Discover ho w king of Gibs it became the Spanish dy on’s Electric nasty

SEMI-ACOUSTIC SUPERSTAR SPECIAL!

Gretsch an Marshall ted sted!

BE I R C SUBSODAYyour T e 102 for on

PLAY LIKE

Bruce Springstee n

PLUS!

ESP Sc

Vol 24 No 10

t Gorham i angeotDa ag ptOr nny Bryant avey Marcus See p t subscri vPe r e grea r and ne Freshman and mMiorllee…r e offe an issu Private Co miss ain! llection Home ag JULY 2013

Vol 24 No 10

9 771755 9 771755 338229 338229

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Anthem Publishing is the proud new home of Guitar & Bass. Anthem was established in 2003 and publishes Music Tech Magazine, Music Tech Focus, Guitar Tech and Video Focus. www.anthem-publishing.com

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 5

JULY2013 Vol 24 No10

VIVA ES-PANIOLA!

18

COVER

STORY

From Gibson’s first ‘Electric Spanish’, through to a timeless classic, the ES range remains a benchmark in guitar building

Artists Albert King

30

With a pioneering style all his own, Albert King forged a profoundly influential legacy for all the blues guitarists that followed

Scott Gorham

36

The birth of a newfangled vision from Thin Lizzy in the form of All Hell Breaks Loose and Black Star Riders

Danny Bryant

40

An enviable apprenticeship under Walter Trout served Bryant well – now he’s suited and booted for his new album Hurricane

Play like Springsteen

96

Douglas Noble examines Springsteen’s seminal work Born In The USA and finds a simple foundation and some truly classic songwriting

Play like Marcus Miller

105

Gareth Morgan gets behind the workings of Miller’s technical third album The Sun Don't Lie. Prepare for a four-string challenge.

Regulars

30

ALBERT KING Tribute to a master

READERS LETTERS 8 NEWS 10 TALES FROM THE ROAD 14 ALBUM REVIEWS 16

6 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

Photo: Gilles Petard/Redferns/getty

Workshops

IN THIS ISSUE Contents Cover photos: Bruce Springsteen by Photo by S.Granitz/WireImage/Getty and Albert King by Frans Schellekens/Getty

Cover Photo:

46

Gear

GRETSCH Classic model, new vision

Gretsch G6137TCB Panther

46

ESP LTD EC-256 MGO

50

Orange Custom Shop 50 head

54

Marshall SL5 Slash Signature combo

58

Mesa Boogie Tone-Burst & Throttle Box

62

Peavey Composer Parlour Acoustic Guitar

64

Freshman FA400D & FA400GACE/F

68

Hofner Contemporary Series 500/5 President Bass

74

PJB Double Four Combo

79

Darkglass Vintage Micro Tubes pedal

81

Rapid Reviews

82

Gretsch revamp a classic model with some neat new upgrades that make it supremely playable A well-designed budget axe with a palette of classic tones from ESP's little brother Orange’s ‘definitive rock amp’ offers great voicing and opens up the finer details

A famously-endorsed amp that will deliver both on stage and in the bedroom

Mesa Boogie enter the stomp box market with two stylish, great-sounding pedalboard fillers

Low-cost parlour acoustic that's perfect for first timers or as a studio pick-up-and-play

Two fine acoustic from Freshman's Cedar Creek range fitted with Fishman electronics

A retro-styled, big-bodied acoustic four-string that’s ideal for those rootsy grooves

50 ESP LTD

ORANGE

54

This highly portable noisebox may just be bass perfection in a tidy little package

A quality hand-made analogue delay unit A wireless set-up and new tremolo parts

35% OFF 68 FRESHMAN

HOFNER

74

when you subscribe PAGE 102

Vintage Private Collection

86

Lars Mullen casts an eye over Tom Penk’s impressive haul; including bargains, oddities, double-necks and some more traditional fare

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 102 READERS FREE ADS 128 SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE 130 JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 7

Reverberations

Write to Guitar & Bass, Anthem Publishing, Station House, Station Approach, off North Street, Carshalton, SM5 2HW or e-mail us: [email protected] Please note, we reserve the right to edit where we feel it is appropriate, or to print extracts from longer correspondences

STAR DOING MY NUT... LETTER

In 1993 I purchased a Gibson Les Paul Studio for £495. It might be ‘bog standard’ but it sounds great with two balanced humbuckers. The neck is a bit clubby and it had a reasonable action when new. However, later on I had a lot of trouble with trying to keep it in tune and buzzing on the frets. In the end I got fed up with it and went back to using my other guitars, rarely using the Studio. After reading your action adjustment article in the June 2013 issue, I thought I’d take a look. So I took off the truss rod cover plate and to my horror found the adjusting nut so loose it was almost off the truss rod. So I tightened it up – checking the action as I went – until the nut was quite tight (had to back it off slightly to stop fret buzz). Now the guitar stays in tune, the action is a lot better and the intonation is perfect. Thanks for some good advice!

A little truss rod adjustment can make an enormous difference

Colin Richards Windsor

G&B Good on you, sir. And thanks for sharing a story that warms the cockles of our cockles. A lot of our workshop ideas come from feedback from readers, as well as things that happen to us during our own guitar-playing lives. Recently we noticed that we’d had a lot of conversations with people regarding why they didn’t play certain guitars in their collection any more. Issues regarding intonation, action and tuning came up on many occasions. And if you’ve got at least one other guitar – and it’s working just fine – the temptation is just to put the problem instrument away and forget all about it. However, as Huw showed in his article – and as Colin has wonderfully shown in his letter – such problems can be fixed with a little time and patience. So we encourage everyone who has a problem with a guitar to investigate the issues involved and see if there is a way to solve it. Obviously it’s great if you turn it into a project and fix it yourself. However, there is no shame attached to sending it on to a professional repairer to do the honours for you because you don’t have the time, the tools or the inclination. The workshops aren’t just there so that people can fix it themselves – we hope they provide an easy way for you to diagnose a problem with a guitar, as well as generally learning how guitars (as well as amps and effects) actually work. You don’t need to know Written a Star Letter? Contact Rosetti on 01376 how gear works in order to enjoy it, but we’re of the mind that knowing how 550033 to claim your Fusion gig bag – electric, acoustic or bass available! things work can add to your playing pleasure no end.

FOR THE LOVE OF PAUL I’m glad you gave Paul Kossoff the credit he deserved in your cover feature (June 2013). He was my hero growing up and I spent many, many hours learning his parts rather than doing my homework. Every weekend I could make it I would head down to Denmark Street, and my admiration for the man increased tenfold when he turned up in the same shop as me on a couple of occasions. Although he might not have been completely sober, he had a good word for anybody who wanted to talk to him, and he would happily while away the time trying out gear. The opportunity to get to see the man play close-up (at a time when actually going to the gigs was completely out of the 8 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

question) left me with memories I still cherish to this day. I urge every guitar player to listen and learn from Paul Kossoff – it won’t be time wasted. Des Murday via email

A VERY HAPPY RETURN Just wanted to add my experience regarding stolen guitars after reading your feature in the May issue. About 10 years ago I had my house burgled and my 1987 Fender Tele was stolen along with everything else. It wasn’t an expensive or a great guitar, but it was my only guitar and the one I’d learned to play on. A couple of months later, not being able to relax by bashing out a few chords started to bug me so I went into a guitar shop about an hour’s drive from my house to pick out a new one. Yes, you’ve guessed it… my old guitar was up on the wall (it had a couple

of dings in the paintwork that I remember happening – and still wince about to this day). I pointed this out to the sales assistant, who called over the manager. To begin with, he was polite but suspicious. He called the member of staff who had been working the day it had been bought and found out that a middle-aged woman had brought it in, claiming that her son, who was supposedly overseas serving in the Army, had asked her to sell if on his behalf. We all agreed it was a plausible story, however false I was claiming it was. After a civil conversation, the manager agreed that if I could provide proof it was my guitar I could have it back. I duly went home, got the receipt, the insurance and police paperwork – and some photos of me with the guitar – and went back. And, true to his word, the manager handed the guitar to me. He apologised for the trouble and advised me to send the details around to all the local guitar shops if it ever got stolen again. He also

EMAILS, LETTERS, PHOTOS Reverberations

A LEGEND IS REBORN THE ROTOSOUND RFB1 1960’s FUZZ REISSUE

kindly requested that I didn’t tell anyone what had happened as he didn’t want a rush of people less scrupulous than myself claiming that a guitar had actually belonged to them when it wasn’t true. But your story prompted me to tell you, just to prove that some shops do go about things the right way even when it costs them. To the shop and its staff (you know who you are), thanks once again for your assistance. Nigel Ravenscroft via email

G&B We’re happy to raise a glass and toast all concerned for doing the right thing. During the course of putting the feature together we were constantly reminded how shops were often put in a difficult position. Of course it’s no excuse to indulge in criminal behaviour but no one likes losing money – so well done once again to that unnamed virtuous guitar retailer and all who work for them…

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT I am a regular reader of Guitar & Bass, usually between songs at We Will Rock You, where I have been the bassist in the band since the musical opened in 2002. Prior to that, I played with Whitesnake, Gary Moore, Black Sabbath, Brian May etc, but in the ’70s when I wasn’t touring or recording you could often find me hanging around in Top Gear in Denmark Street. Reading Sid Bishop’s column each month is therefore very nostalgic, but it was quite a shock nonetheless to find myself in a photo in the June issue in Sid’s column. I wasn’t employed there, so it’s incorrect to call me a co-worker of Sid’s, but you’d be forgiven for thinking I was since I was there so often. Maybe ‘Neil’ was written on the back of the photo? It’s definitely me on the right of that photo with my back to the camera – I enclose a promo shot of myself in Colosseum II from 1975, wearing

the same jacket (probably the only one I owned back then!). [L-R: Jon Hiseman, Gary Moore, NM, Mike Starrs, Don Airey] Sid and the other guys were always very friendly and easy-going, whilst still being very knowledgeable about the guitars that passed through the shop. Guilty admission: if anyone owns a mid-’70s Gibson double-neck that they bought from Top Gear, it’s me who caused a ding in the body near the bridge – sorry! Neil Murray via email

Photography: Katarina Benzova

Colosseum circa 1975 with Top Gear regular Neil Murray in the centre

I LOVE IT!

‘

It’s very Tonebender-ish. Reminds me a lot of my MKII but with more hair and beef to it. I have a ton of fuzz pedals (both vintage and new), and the Rotosound has instantly become

G&B Sorry for the confusion, Neil. We’re more than happy to right the wrong and publish the Colosseum photo. We also admire a man willing to own up to a ding, however belatedly. Best of luck with everything, and we hope you continue to enjoy the magazine.

one of my go-to fuzz’s for sure! RICHARD FORTUS - GUNS N’ ROSES

’

‘F’ IS FOR ‘I FLIPPIN’ DID IT!’ I’ll apologise now: it’s late, I’ve have a few cans of lager, and I just have to tell someone. I’ve just spent the past half an hour playing F without it sounding bad. Might not mean much to you, but it’s taken me the best part of six months to get it sounding right without hurting my fingers, wrist and hand. And I’m quite pleased with myself. That’s about it, really… Derek Troutman via email

G&B Congratulations, Derek. You don’t add all the context, e.g. your age or how long you’ve been learning to play. However, we all know it’s a great moment in any guitar player’s life when they finally crack anything resembling a decent-sounding F chord. I bet plenty of people would take an ad out in the The Times announcing it, if they could. Enjoy the F-world as much as is humanly possible. We won’t ask about how you’re getting on with B…

WORLD FAMOUS MUSIC STRINGS

WWW.ROTOSOUND.COM facebook.com/rotosound twitter.com/rotosound_uk PROUDLY MADE IN ENGLAND

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NOVEMBER 2012 Guitar & Bass 9

Woke up this mornin’...

NEWS

Imagine That When Fargen Amplification revealed the first two of its John Lennon-inspired amps they certainly didn’t go unnoticed. This month sees the introduction of the last of these boutique offerings – the Imagine Series. There’s a limited run of 51 only and all boast high-spec build-quality. These Ben Fargen-built amps feature a Decade switch that allows players to toggle between the different tones used by Lennon, from early Beatles ’50s rock tones through to ’60s and ’70s sounds. Other features include a proprietary WGS Alnico JL-15 speaker and custom baffling. The amp ($5,995) joins the Artist Series and JL-15 signature amps in the line. And there’s also a whisper that John Lennon-inspired pedals may well follow. More info: www.fargenamps.com

SLOW HANDBOOK

Custom Curves Fender’s Custom Shop reveal debonair new limited edition Stratocaster, Jazzmaster and Cabronita models for spring 2013

W

e can always count on Fender’s Custom Shop to deliver dashing new six-strings to add to our wishlists, and as spring blooms, the company has chosen to put aesthetics to the fore with a clutch of sophisticated new offerings. First up are two sleek new Jazzmasters that are more than likely to seduce style-lovers to part with their pennies. The Limited Jazzmaster Pro maintains the classic off-set charm of the original model but throws some neat modern features into the bargain, including a back-friendly ash body, a single custom-voiced humbucker, Greasebucket tone control circuit and two-point synchronised tremolo bridge. It’s sibling, the Limited Custom Deluxe Jazzmaster is just as eye-catching thanks to a select okoume body with gorgeous flame maple top, Honey Blonde finish and gold anodised aluminium pickguard with matching gold hardware. Other features include vintage-style floating tremolo and single-coil pickups. 10 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

The Cabronita family has also been extended, with two new models that ensure design is at the forefront. The Limited La Cabronita ‘Luchador’ Stratocaster is a novel take on a classic with Telecaster headstock, single-ply parchment pickguard, Greasebucket tone control circuit and a single TV Jones Power’Tron pickup that does all the leg work. The Limited La Cabronita ‘Gato Gordo’ Jaguar is a fresh new prospect too and shares near identical features to the Strat model but with an extended 25.5" scale length. The last of the new additions is the vintage-styled Limited Relic 1955 Precision Bass with unique ‘Black over Three-color’ Sunburst nitro finish, custom-wound ‘stacked’ ’51 Precision Bass pickup (with chrome cover), singleply parchment pickguard, vintage-style bridge with two ‘barrel’ steel saddles and chrome cover. All these dashing new spring additions come with a limited edition case, certificate of authenticity, cable, plectrums and a handy cloth to buff up your new acquisition. See www.fender.com

This month, Backbeat Books releases Eric Clapton FAQ: All That’s Left To Know About Slowhand (£15.99). As the title suggests, David Bowlin’s new paperback assimilates facts about Eric Clapton from the obvious and well known info right through to the truly obscure. The tome also sheds light on the myths and hearsay that surround the elusive guitar god. And there’s plenty of eye candy on offer, including dozens of rare images. Available from early June, mosey on down to www. halleonardbooks.com for further info.

Fun On Your Tod The high-gain Carl Martin TOD overdrive is the latest addition to its Classic Series. The pedal was first released as the Limited Edition Dizzy Drive to celebrate Danish band Dizzy Mizz LIzzy’s reunion tour – and to mimic guitarist Tim Christensen’s gigantic Boss Turbo Overdrive/ Marshall stack tone. Having sold out rapidly, Carl decided to make it available for all. It comes in Classic Yellow with die-cast case, four controls and a footswitch (www. carlmartin.com).

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

NEWS IN BRIEF Jeff Hanneman (1964-2013)

Luthier Tom Doyle Joe Carducci measures up

CHET ATKINS’ GRETSCH 6120 Les Paul’s luthier and friend Tom Doyle has revealed the black Gretsch 6120 prototype once owned by legendary guitarist Chet Atkins True pieces of gutar history rarely surface these days. So when we heard news that master luthier Tom Doyle, longtime confidant of Les Paul, was ready to reveal the black sealed top Gretsch 6120 prototype owned by none other than Chet Atkins we were all eyes and ears. This gorgeous guitar, made famous when Atkins played it on Dark Eyes, marked the beginning of the grand relationship between Atkins and Gretsch – as well as leading on to the classic 6120 model itself. Gretsch’s Senior Product Manager Joe Carducci inspected the guitar, calling it ‘the holy grail’ for Gretsch guitars, and plans are now afoot to manufacture a reproduction model to be added to Gretsch’s Chet Atkins Professional Collection. Head to www.guitarmagazine.co.uk for a video of Carducci at Tom Doyle’s Custom Shop – not to mention Chet Atkins showing off this historical guitar during his stunning performance of Dark Eyes.

Satch Signature Fans of the Silver Surfer have been waiting with picks in hand for this new Ibanez Joe Satriani JS24P signature electric. And we’re pretty sure they’ll be beaming now it’s finally available. This shredfriendly guitar joins Ibanez’s high-spec Prestige line with features including an American basswood body, three-piece Maple/Bubinga JS Premium neck with rosewood fretboard and hand-rolled fret edges, low-profile Edge tremolo system, US-made DiMarzio signature pickups (The Chopper/Mo’Joe) as well as a handy hi-pass filter on the volume pot and a coil tap on the tone control. It’ll certainly do the job sonically and looks pretty damn sexy, too, finished in a suitably sleek Candy Apple Red. Seek out all the relevant info at www.ibanez.com

Thrash metal pioneer and founding member of Slayer Jeff Hanneman has died of liver failure aged 49. In 2011, the guitarist contracted flesh-eating disease necrotising fasciitis from a spider bite. Hanneman started Slayer with frontman Kerry King in the 1980s. Slayer quickly become torchbearers for their genre, and were considered one of metal’s ‘big four’ alongside the likes of Anthrax and Megadeth.

Rare Beatles Guitar Auction After a brief showing at the Stafford London Hotel on 8th May, this rare and rather beautiful 1966 Vox prototype electric played by John Lennon and George Harrison during the Magical Mystery Tour went under the hammer at Julien’s Auction House in New York on 19th May. The guitar was built by Mike Bennett with electronics by Dick Denney of Vox guitars and has a unique scroll design, with Vox Custom logo on the headstock, 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with rectangular inlays, mahogany hollow body and single f-hole. The complex controls include six push buttons, mid boost selector control, rotary controls for Repeat speed, fuzz sustain, and a volume battery and selector switch. Lennon eventually gave it to ‘Magic Alex’ Mardas as a birthday present. A plaque fixed to the back of the guitar reads ‘To Magic Alex/ Alexi thank you/ for been [sic] a friend/ 2-5-1967 John.’ The auction house estimate was $200,000 – $300,000 but the instrument finally sold for $408,000 (£269,000).

Calendar SHOWS, GIGS, FESTIVALS, WORKSHOPS

The Lost Chord

Bonnie Raitt On UK Tour

Fleetwood Mac Reunion Tour

9-27 JUNE Bonnie Raitt’s killer LP Slipstream (her 19th!) has already sold over a quarter of a million copies. So it’s only right that Raitt is now set to tour the UK this June, beginning in Southend and closing at London’s Royal Albert Hall. WHERE? Venues across the UK TICKETS See venues CONTACT www.ticketmaster.co.uk

20 SEPTEMBER-3 OCTOBER Buckingham and Nicks rejoin once more for a new iTunes exclusive EP, the band’s first release since 2003’s Say You Will, and an arena tour of the UK and Ireland. Unmissable! WHERE? Dublin O2 Arena (20 Sep), London O2 Arena (24/25th Sep), Birmingham LG Arena (29th Sep), Manchester Arena (1st Oct), Glasgow Hydro (3 Oct) TICKETS See venues CONTACT www.ticketmaster.co.uk

This voicing of Em9 could also be thought of as Gmaj7/E – a Gmaj7 chord on the top five strings played over an open E bass note. Once you’re comfortable with this shape, try moving it up and down the fretboard played against the static open bottom E: many interesting chords are possible using this technique.

Gordon Giltrap & Woody Mann 13 JUNE Highly acclaimed veteran guitarist Gordon Giltrap takes to the stage alongside the equal talents of New York’s Woody Mann for what promises to be a masterclass in the six-string. Hurry if you want to get a ticket, they’re selling fast. WHERE? Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington TICKETS £17/15 CONTACT www.landmarkartscentre.org

Em9

o

1

Spin Doctors Rare UK Show 25 SEPTEMBER The Spin Doctors recently returned to their blues roots with highly acclaimed new album If The River Was Whiskey, now they have announced a one-off London show that’s sure to sell out. WHERE? The Garage, Islington, London TICKETS £22 CONTACT www.eventim.co.uk

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JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 11

Woke up this mornin’...

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

NEWS

SECRET SHOPPA

THE MUSIC PLACE, WREXHAM

Roxy Music Dweezil Zappa first leaked info about Gibson’s rather delectable new Frank Zappa ® ‘Roxy’ SG a while back and it certainly drew the crowds when it was displayed at NAMM in January. Now Gibson has finally unleashed it on the world. This heavily modified animal is a reproduction of the early ’60s SG Special Zappa played during his legendary shows at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood right down to the finer details. The guitar features a pair of uncovered and enhanced ’57 Classic humbuckers with two added mini toggle switches that either split the coils or put them out of phase to access Zappa’s signature tones. The SG also boasts a chunky Maestro-style vibrola with Lyre tailpiece for those wigout moments. A tasteful natural neck with white headstock and faded nitrocellulose Cherry finish give it a truly unique look, too. For more info: www.gibson.com

NORTH WALES CONTACT 01978 265308 www.musicplacewrexham.com ‘There has been a music shop on this site now for approximately 32 years,’ says owner Paul Sturman, ‘I have been trading here under the Music Place banner for 5 years and have built up a fine reputation for quality instruments, percussion, PA, and a large selection of accessories and effects. This area has always been exciting for musicians, and there’s a good live movement here, especially with younger players.’

Layout With just one snug room straight in from the street, The Music Place manages to offer a wide choice of percussion, effects, recording equipment, amplifiers and acoustic, electric and bass guitars.

Range of new gear These include a cool selection of acoustic, electric and bass guitars from the likes of Fender, Warwick, Aria, BC Rich, Parker Ovation Yamaha, Washburn, Cort, Crafter, Dean, Hamer, Ibanez, Jackson, Ovation, Stagg, Takamine, Tanglewood, Vintage, Yamaha, Warwick and Washburn. Amplification brands include Marshall, Fender Laney, Vox and Yamaha.

Secondhand gear ‘We buy-in and also offer part-exchange,’ says Paul, ‘So there’s often a good clean second hand bargain to be found here. At the moment this includes a Fender Road Worn Strat and a Fender FSR Strat.’

Best bargain in the shop

AFFINITY AND BEYOND

Various colourful new upgraded models have been added to Squier’s Affinity line: including Stratocaster, Stratocaster HSS, Telecaster, Precision bass PJ and Jazz Bass models. The updated models receive a cosmetic lift to bring them up to Fender standard with two-colour headstock logo, new pickguards and custom colours including classic Lake Placid Blue, Surf Green and Olympic White (as well as rarer hues such as Shell Pink and Burgundy Mist). The Precision bass model now has a PJ configuration for added tonal options and the Stratocaster HSS model goes glam with a single-ply platinum sparkle scratch plate. All models have rosewood fingerboards. For more info: wwwfender.com

A used, but untouched looking, Dean Vendetta 4, complete with Floyd Rose vibrato, was a bargain for a speed player at £399. A JCM 900 Marshall combo at £300 was also a nice package.

Highlight The Music Place is actively working with local bands, whilst offering a reliable backup service, repairs and set ups. The staff’s knowledge is impressive as well.

Conclusion

Limited PRS Quilt 24 Paul Reed Smith has beautified its ever-popular SE Custom 24 model with the eye-seducing addition of a dashing new quilted veneer to the bevelled maple top. This striking new facade will be added to a mere 200 pieces, making the new version somewhat of a collector’s delight. There are six new finish choices on offer: Whale Blue, Tobacco Sunburst, Purple Burst, Cherry Sunburst, Grey Black and Emerald Green. The other features of the guitar remain the same: mahogany body, Wide Thin maple neck, 24fret rosewood fretboard with Birds inlays, PRS tremolo and SE HFS Treble /Vintage Bass humbuckers. RRP? A gulp-inducing £775. For a closer look, pay a visit to www.prsguitars.com

12 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

A well-stocked – and notably happy – shop with some fine deals and a conscious eye for supplying schools and musicians with a good choice of affordable, high quality equipment.

VITAL STATISTICS Layout

18/ 20

Staff knowledge

19/ 20

Staff helpfulness Range of new gear

4

Range of secondhand gear

19 / 20 17/ 20 15/ 20

12Parking Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2012Side Streets TOTAL

88%

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19/10/2012 16:48 9/13/12 7:40 AM

Woke up this mornin’...

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WE’VE BEEN AD...

Tales from the road

Strum Face

We all love the odd bout of air guitar but, as Adi Vines discovered to his horror, it’s all about perspective

FLOWER POWER It’s 1969 and Tampa Bay hippy garage outfit Mercy were top of the hit parade with the somewhat obvious statement that Love Can Make You Happy. Still, they were doing something right and sold over one million copies of this blissful lament. Kustom obviously wanted to get in on the love-fest and here they go all out to peddle its wares to the bell-bottomed flower power generation – and we believe this campaign met with some considerable success. Sadly, Kustom boss Charles Ross had a serious gambling problem and managed to lose the entire company in a game of poker a few years later. Lucky for him, he had a sideline in police sirens and handheld radars that kept him off the breadline – as you do. Kustom now concentrates on its amplifiers, with endorsees including metal band Trivium, Scotty Anderson, not forgetting Beach Boy legend Brian Wilson.

Black Arts Martin has announced three new additions to its Performing Arts series, all dressed in black, thanks to the suave Jett Black HPL Textured finish, fretboards and bridges in black Richlite and black Stratbond Performing Artist neck profiles. The OMCPA5 (OM-14 fret cutaway), GPCPA5 (GPC14 fret cutaway) and DCPA5 (D-14 fret cutaway) are upgraded from the Black X series and feature Martin ‘X’ bracing with solid Sitka spruce 5/16" top bracing, two-ring rosettes, Performing Artist bellystyle bridge, solid square taper headstocks, black Corian nuts and chrome tuners. All the models come equipped with Fishman F1 Analog electronics. Johnny Cash would have been proud. Find more at www. martinguitar.com

14 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

F

estival season is almost upon us again and a certain type of guitarist will no doubt be looking forward to the Oulu Music Video Festival in Finland, as this is the home of the Air Guitar World Championships. Justin ‘Nordic Thunder’ Howard will surely be looking to defend his 2012 title against stiff competition from around the world and everyone, both competitors and audience, can all bask in the competition’s utopian philosophy that ‘wars would end and all the bad things would go away if everyone just played air guitar’. Its a nice thought but not entirely accurate as I have nearly brought shame upon myself because of air guitar and a situation with my local postman. I must say, firstly, at 48 years of age, air guitar is not something I do very often anymore but occasionally, when in a good mood and if the music is right, I might pick up the invisible axe for a bar or so. Perhaps when waiting for the kettle to boil, for example. Anyway, the postman had a package that I had to sign for and had likely been hammering at the door for a while. I couldn’t hear this as I was in the kitchen making pancakes while listening to Metallica; the postman could probably hear all this noise too, which is why he knew for certain that I was in. The solo during Creeping Death is one of my favourite Kirk Hammett moments and I was with him all the way. It was only when I triumphantly stepped back from the imaginary monitor that I have in my kitchen that I noticed a figure waving at me from the front garden. You see, if you take a couple of steps to the left from my front door and stand in between

the rose bush and the flower bed (say if, for example, you wanted to see if there were any lights on or anyone actually home) you then get a great line of sight through the window, across the living room and into the part of the kitchen bordered on three sides by the oven, sink and worktops. Or the ‘stage thrust’ as I like to call it. After I had noticed the presence of a person in my garden and hit standby (aka pressed pause) then signed for my package without meeting the postman’s eye and retreated back in doors, it occurred to me, to my horror, that I would have been almostbut-not-quite side on to him for the whole solo and therefore he would have not been able to see my fretting hand at all and would have only been able to see the elbow and arm of my picking handwhich was waggling away frantically at round about groin level as I tried to match Hammett note for note. It may be more an indicator of my dirty mind, and certainly doesn’t reflect anything that I know about my postman, but I was certain that these actions could have been misconstrued. This was worrying because I live in a small town and you know what they are like. People talk. I may have to put a notice on the church message board explaining the circumstances and assuring the good people that I’m not a depraved onanist. Although, come to think of it, listening to that horrible satanic heavy metal music is probably a bigger crime round these parts anyway...

I was in the kitchen playing air guitar to Metallica’s Creeping Death when I noticed the postman waving

Adi Vines has worked with Radiohead, the Sex Pistols, the Darkness, Razorlight and others. See www.xselectronics.co.uk

Lose Yourself.

The clearing up after the night before. The emails. The gardening. It can all wait. Life, in fact, can wait. You know how a great acoustic guitar can take you away from it all. Find out more about the SE Angelus and how you could win time in a professional recording studio at www.prsguitarseurope.com.

PRS Guitars Europe +44 1223 874301 [email protected] www.prsguitarseurope.com Twitter @prsguitarseuro Facebook prsguitarseurope

Woke up this mornin’...

NEWS

Album reviews Marcus Bonfanti

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa

Walter Trout LUTHER’S BLUES - A TRIBUTE TO LUTHER ALLISON Provogue

SEESAW Provogue

British Blues Award-winning songwriter Marcus Bonfanti returns with a beefed-up manifesto packed with rich and soulful pickings. Sly opener Alley Cat sets it up via a hooky blues-rock ode to a seductress, Stone Me Sober gets deep and dirty with a spacious and infectious gait. And the chordal perfection that powers My Baby Don’t Dance doffs a cap in the direction of Keef. All this, and Bonfanti’s passionate vocals too.

One all-time great blues artist pays tribute to another here as Trout takes on the charged Chicago blues of the late Luther Allison. Cherry Red WIne shoots from the hip: dishing up a new-found vocal depth alongside the spontaneous quickfire fretting Trout’s revered for. It’s a real Strat firework display that’s straight from the gut of a master of both form and function. Fingers crossed Trout’s first covers LP isn’t his last.

From the shrill brass stabs of big band extravaganza Them There Eyes, it’s clear Joe, Beth and producer Kevin Shirley are set to serve up another aural adventure. This time, 11 classic covers are the trio’s focus. Hart matches the sultry tones of icons such as Etta James, Billie Holliday and Tina Turner with little trouble and Joe, naturally, holds up his end of the bargain on the fretboard.

Skid Row

Status Quo

Ray Russell

UNITED WORLD REBELLION: CHAPTER ONE Mri Associated

BULA QUO! Fourth Chord

NOW, MORE THAN EVER Abstract Logix

After seven years away, the Skid Row crew squeeze back into their leather kecks for the first of a trio of mini albums. Five new tracks further their agenda with a loud chordal assault, punctuated with boilerplate solo action. Respite comes with acoustic strum This Is Killing Me whilst Get Up mixes things up with an alt(ish) rock groove before Stitches brings back the classic SR sound with volume.

Preceding the film of the same name, this double album subverts the textbook Quo we’re used to with a tropical twist here and there. Rossi’s voice is in fine form as he joins the boogie woogie on opener Looking Out For Caroline, single Bula Bula Quo has our heroes shuffling to a jaunty beat and Mystery Island is a beachbound croon. Disc two consists of reworked and live takes on the classics that Quo lovers will welcome.

Lightning jazz improv nestles up to the machinations of rock on Russell’s strident new endeavour. Whether immersed deep in atmospherics or put front’n’centre, Russell’s lick library stands proud thanks to an inventive spirit, matchless fret craft. An awesome album guestlist includes ace sticksman Gary Husband and bassists Jimmy Johnson, Mo Foster and Anthony Jackson. Out-there!

Harry Manx

Bill Kirchen

Sparrow & the Workshop

OM SUITE OHM Dog My Cat

SEEDS AND STEMS Proper

MURDEROPOLIS Toad

Manx’s unique couping of east and west takes a further leap forward here, thanks to his exploratory way with a slide: his electric wails, shivers, floats and generally fleshes out the central ethnic folk-blues strain. A novel take on A Love Supreme simmers to a hypnotic refrain, Saya is a smoked-out hippy afternoon and the hammond-backed Carry My Tears is both poetic and eloquent.

Kirchen delivers another joyful dose of twang, this time assimilating live favourites from nearly half a century on the circuit. Together, these cuts embody the man, his humour and his ample skills with a Tele. Bill offers up jaunty rock’n’roll (Too Much Fun), shuffling ballad (Down To Seeds And Stems Again) and his calling card hit Hot Rod Lincoln (complete with rock’n’roll history montage), to keep our spirits riding high.

Sparrow & the Workshop have once again carved out an album of filmic splendour that’s both ascerbic and wonderfully original. This alt-folk trio mould elegant creations with cut-to-the-bone lyrics and life-giving dynamics. Jill O’Sullivan’s haunting voice weaves its dark yet melodic demeanor throughout, and her comrades help bash out a stormy and infectious musical storybook cover to cover. Recommended.

SHAKE THE WALLS Cadiz

SNAP JUDGEMENTS Hollis Brown

Anvil

RIDE ON THE TRAIN Alive Naturalsound Mike Montali leads his crew through dusky, vibesome beginnings with a soul-quenched tilt. Natural, organic blues-rock Americana that’s easy to love.

After the 2008 rockumentary endeared them to everyone, Juggernaut Of Justice re-animated their metal magic once more. This new LP ups the ante.

16 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

HOPE IN HELL Steamhammer

Mike Zito & the Wheel GONE TO TEXAS Ruf Easy-going Texan road tunes taking in blues, slide-fuelled country, rock and sax-infused lazy-day ballads. Lone star magic.

The Jokers ROCK ‘N’ ROLL IS ALIVE Cargo This second serving from the hard-touring foursome is full of sure-footed grit; complete with crystal clear riffing and tight, anthemic tendencies.

JJ Grey & Mofros Derrin Nauendorf THIS RIVER Alligator/Proper This River stirs up deep Southern soul, rock, funk and rock’n’roll and presents it with a loose-and-live feel that makes for irresistable and relaxed listening.

DISTANT EMPIRES Rising Records Five years in the making, this new LP captures Nauendorf’s rock-steady acoustic strum perfectly with a smoky blues ambience.

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GIBSON’S ES SE

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Spanish

ARMADA Gibson’s ‘Electric Spanish’ range eventually led to one of history’s greatest guitars ever: the ES-335. Michael Stephens discovers how Gibson’s ES-335 melded the best of archtop classicism with the new world of high-volume electric mayhem, and how a modern classic came to be…

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sk any guitarist to name the most classic Gibson, and they’ll probably say the Les Paul. Acoustic players will likely laud the Jumbo series (be it a J-45 or J-200). In terms of longevity, however, Gibson’s ES range takes some beating. The ES range encompasses so many different models and styles, they don’t always seem like a ‘family’… but they are. ES, as you’ll know, denotes ‘Electric Spanish’. It’s now a somewhat archaic name, but Gibson in the 1930s needed to differentiate designs from their EH (Electric

Hawaiian) line of lap steel guitars, which were still highly popular. Gibson weren’t even the first with the Electric Spanish name: that was Rickenbacker, whose 1935 models included the Model B Electric Spanish. But ‘ES’ would soon become associated with Gibson. For nearly 80 years, Gibson’s ES range has been in constant production and has inspired everything from the first guitar solos to blues legends to indie heroes. The ultimate ES probably remains Gibson’s ES335, a contender – surely – for the world’s greatest-ever guitar. Here’s the story of Gibson’s ES magic… ➻

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Below, the ’54 Gibson catalogue shows an ES-5 and an ES-350; bottom, a ’63 Gibson flyer with the stop-tail ES-335, an ES-330TD and the budget ES-125TC

Variations on a theme: a rare 335 Stereo prototype and ES-345s from ’65, ’67 and 1970

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ibson’s ES series began with the ES-150 of 1936, generally recognised as the world’s first successful electric guitar. The ES-150’s name – like many Gibson models that preceded and followed – simply denotes price: in 1936, $150 bought you the guitar, an amplifier and a cable. Gibson had previously fitted pickups on acoustic guitars in 1935, but the ES-150 was the first specifically-designed electric guitar to make a real impact. Perhaps surprisingly, it was two retail companies – Montgomery Ward and Spiegel May Stern – who pushed Gibson to design and build the ES-150. Early pickup-loaded L-00 and L-1 models were selling so well that the stores suggested Gibson should offer a new ‘proper’ electric model. Outside of the blues, jazz bands were still where you’d mostly hear guitar, but mostly as ‘comping’ chording and as a backup instrument.

The ES-150 changed all that. Gibson still built for Montgomery Ward and Spiegel, but their own-brand ES-150 was a cut above: it had a solid spruce top, maple back and sides, and an adjustable trussrod. In ’36-’37, Gibson

learn so fast, nor have I seen anyone rise to the top so quickly.’ By 1939, the prodigious Christian was working with Benny Goodman’s bands – his work, with an ES-150, on Air Mail Special, Honeysuckle Rose and – in particular – the epic Solo Flight ushered in the era of the guitar solo. Before long, stores were advertising the ES-150 with the tag ‘as featured by Charlie Christian.’ Yet the ES-150 was still essentially a ‘jazz box’. It had the outline and deep body of many existing Gibson archtop acoustics, and no cutaway. Still, at the time, it was something of a revolution. Variations followed: the similar-looking ES-125 was a student model, but had a new pickup fitted which we now call the P90. The ES-250 (1938-’40) was higher spec’d, but didn’t last long; the USA was still recovering from the Great Depression, and

The ES-150 was essentially a jazz box with the deep body of existing archtop acoustics, but at the time it was a revolution shipped 40 ES-150s a month – heady stuff for what some then thought of as a gimmick. An electric guitar? Whoulda thunk it? Count Basie’s guitarist Eddie Durham recorded one of the earliest amplified guitar solos, but it was when his friend and follower Charlie Christian picked up an ES-150 that showcase guitar soloing was truly born. Durham later remarked, ‘I never saw anyone

1949 1956 AN 1936 Gibson’s first Electric The single-cutaway ES-175 ‘Thinline’ Gibson ES-125T introduced (two pickup models debuts. It’s still fully hollow ELECTRO Spanish, the ES-150, is and made famous follow in 1952) and is still made but proves versatile; George SPANISH launched by Charlie Christian. to this day. Its gold-finish Thorogood was known for

TIMELINE 77 years of tone

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Production halted during WWII and permanently ceased in 1956

version, the ES-295, is made famous by Scotty Moore. Threepickup ES-5 also introduced

his playing on a 125TDC (TDC stands for Thinline, Dual Pickup, Cutaway)

1958

New double-cut design the ES-335 (and ES-355 ‘softlaunched’). Has ‘wonderthin’ body and adds maple centre block. It’s the first significant blend of ‘jazz’ and ‘rock’n’roll’ guitars

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Although slightly devalued by its Bigsby, this flamed blonde 335 (above) is from the best year and has the most collectable finish of all. Below is a cherry red ES-355 from 1960 with the typical block fingerboard markers, split-diamond headstock inlay, gold hardware, extra binding and a Vari-tone control

to build for the war effort. Gibson mainly $250 was the 2013 equivalent of $4000. The concentrated on their acoustics with the ES-300 (produced from ’40-’52 in limited limited supplies they had. It would be numbers) was another variation, but odd; peace time before Gibson really moved its early models had a heavily slanted pickup ES range forward. which is interesting to guitar experts, yet the same experts almost uniformly agree that most ES-300 guitars sound poor. Post-war revolution Nevertheless, these early ES models The ES-175 debuted in 1949, and remains a were finely-built. Nashville guitar expert highly significant model in Gibson history. and dealer George Gruhn tells Guitar & Alongside the pricier ES-350, it was also the Bass, ‘The original Charlie Christian model first Gibson electric to feature a Florentine ES-150 guitar, built from 1936 through ’39, (sharp) cutaway. The same year’s ES-5 had a is a very fine instrument. The pre-war round cutaway, and some had three ES-250 is also highly sought after, pickups: build-wise, though, it was and very rare. But the post-World essentially a variation of the War II non-cutaway electrics, such carved-topped L-5 acoustic. as the ES-125, while they play well Although the ES-175’s first and sound good, tend to bring incarnation had only a single P90 relatively low prices. Most in the neck position, later models players want a cutaway.’ (the ES-175D, from ’53) came Indeed, WWII had a bigger with two pickups. The ES-175 impact on guitar makers than employed a laminated top to The start of it you may think. Timber was keep the price down – so even all: an ES-150 highly valued and the best wood though it was still ‘jazz sized’, from 1937 was used by the US government the 175 was clearly pointing the

1959

Interim model the ES-345 also launches with (like 1958’s ES-355) a Vari-tone control. A cherry red finish, probably the best-loved, becomes available on 335s. Fully-hollow Gibson ES-330 also becomes available

1964

Trini Lopez Standard arrives, a modded ES-335 with old-school trapeze tailpiece, diamond-slash ‘f-holes’ and inlays and a ‘hockey-stick’ six-a-side headstock. Discontinued in 1971. Visually, it will be revised in the 2000s as the Dave Grohl DG-335

1980

way to more affordable yet grandly spec’d ‘archtop’ electrics. Fender’s Broadcaster (later called the Esquire and the Telecaster) also debuted in ’49, and it remains fascinating how the two guitar makers’ ethos contrasted. Fender’s model was genius design, for sure, but arguably utilitarian and an ‘easy’ build of slab wood and wire. The ES-175 exuded Gibson’s archtop heritage craft and it looked stunning. The ES-175 also eventually spawned a variation in a flashy all-gold livery, the ES-295. This one boasted a multi-bound maple top, a white pickguard with etched flowers, pearl parallelogram neck inlays and more. And one happened to be in the hands, from 1953-’55, of a guitar player backing the hottest new artist in rock’n’roll, Elvis Presley. Interesting fact? Elvis’s Scotty Moore traded in his only-justbought Fender Telecaster for his famed ES-295: ‘It might have something to do with it being a feminine shape, but I couldn’t get on with the Fender,’ Moore once recalled. ‘So I got a Gibson, a gold ES-295, and that was the one I used on the first things we cut.’ ➻

BB King Lucille launched – essentially an ES-355 but with no f-holes and a TP-6 tailpiece. Two volume, two tone knobs, a three-way selector, Vari-tone, and both stereo and mono jack outputs

2013

The ES-330 returns. The ES-330TD is classic-correct with two P90 pickups and a retro trapeze tailpiece. There is also the ES-390 – another hollowbody, but with mini humbuckers. The ES-390 is essentially a ‘new’ guitar, but shows the 335 shape and template is adaptable JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 21

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Is There An ES sound?

22 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

The ES-175 can feed back and it’s bulky to some, but it boasts the longest unbroken production run of any electric guitar model

a clear-out. ‘I’ve bought a lot of guitars I Alongside Elvis, Moore moved on to didn’t need,’ Howe told G&B. ‘I’m selling other Gibson models soon enough 45 at the moment. But I’ve kept my ’63 (notably the Super 400) but just the ES-175, which was the first Gibson I bought. image of Moore with an ES-295 seared I played it continuously for 15 years.’ eyeballs: Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats The ES-175 remains a classic. Yes, it was has referred to the ES-295 as ‘the ultimate later eclipsed by other ES designs by Gibson, rockabilly guitar.’ but it remains hugely popular. Continuously, The ‘lowlier’ ES-175 has its own set of from 1949 to 2013, the ES-175 has remained fans, across all genres. In 1964, a in Gibson’s extensive guitar range. It can 17-year-old guitarist named Steve Howe feed back, it’s bulky to some, but the walked into the Selmer music Gibson ES-175 boasts the longest store in London and bought a unbroken production run of any Gibson ES-175. A hollowbody ES electric guitar model. was an unusual choice for a future prog shredder, but Howe has remained faithful to the Boom! The 335 era guitar that has supercharged By the mid-1950s, Gibson’s ES his career. ‘The 175 is a range was well-established and brilliant guitar,’ Howe says. selling well. Gibson had noted ‘The parallelogram inlays Fender’s success with the are beautiful, the whole Telecaster and had produced The ES-175’s flashy sister, guitar is beautiful.’ Back in its own solidbody, the now the ES-295 the 1990s, even legendary legendary Les Paul Model (the guitar-collector Howe was having outline of the Les Paul was simply a Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns/Getty

Gibson’s ES models offer a ‘woodier’ sound than a straight solidbody, but there’s pretty much nothing they can’t do. If you play in a hardcore metal band, you can leave an ES in the store – but otherwise they’ve been made famous across a melange of great guitar music. The first Electric Spanish, the ES-150, is best heard played by Charlie Christian. The Genius Of The Electric Guitar (4CDs) is a superb primer for early guitar solos. Elvis Presley’s Sun Sessions showcases Scotty Moore’s work on various ES’s, notably the ES-295. As for other deep-bodied ESs in a later, different context, Yes’s Steve Howe recorded much on an ES-175: take your pick from early-’70s Yes albums. He’s still playing it now: ‘I consider it essential because it’s got a big, fat sound and the chords just sound wonderful.’ For blues, head to BB King’s post-1961 releases. Live At The Regal has BB on a 355 and is a blues classic, full stop. Freddie King: The Ultimate Collection has some of him playing a Les Paul, but it’s mostly ES-345s. For blues rock, head to Cream’s Farewell Concert on DVD where you’ll see Eric Clapton’s 335 playing up-close. Ten Years After’s Alvin Lee used his modded 335 throughout his career: for its cover alone, try Saguitar. The Beatles used Epiphone Casinos – rebranded ES-330s. They are all over The White Album, particularly by Lennon. U2’s Edge favoured Casinos and Sheratons in the mid-2000s. U2 hits All Because Of You, Miracle Drug and Breathe are played on these 330/335-alikes. In the ’80s, Johnny Marr used a red ES-355 extensively: his ’63 Epiphone Casino is the main tremolo sound on How Soon Is Now. Johnny later gave Bernard Butler his sunburst ’66 ES-335 12-string used to record the Smiths’ Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. Butler first used his red ES-355 for most of Suede’s Dog Man Star album – listen to We Are The Pigs for great Bigsby wobbles. Oasis’s debut was mostly recorded on overdriven ’70s Epiphone Casinos made in Japan: they couldn’t afford ‘proper’ Gibsons at the time. For the last decade, Gallagher’s main guitars have been a ’60s cherry red ES-335 and a 355. And, of course NG’s Supernova signature of the ‘90s was a modded Epiphone Sheraton (akin to a 335) in Manchester City blue. Dave Grohl’s DG-335 is a hot-rodded version of the ES-335 variant, the Trini Lopez, in custom colour Pelham Blue. From BB to EC, Elvis to Alvin, Gallagher to Grohl… it seems the 335 design can sound like anything any player wants.

Trini Lopez with his Barney Kessel Regular, an unusual double-cutaway deep-bodied member of the ES family

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GIBSON’S ES SE

RIES

This ’60 ES-330 lacks the 335’s centre block; the neck meets the body at a different point, and the pickups are P90s. Below is a ’69 ES-335 with small ‘block’ markers and the ‘Gibson’ pickup covers of the period

downsized copy of the ES-175). Yet early Les Pauls of ’52 weren’t initially massively popular – it seemed Gibson also needed to blend its archtop heritage with the new demand for more rock’n’roll guitars. Gibson had already built ‘slimline’ designs – the ES-350T and the ES-225T – with a shallower body, but these were still essentially hollowbody ‘jazz’ guitars. Gibson design legend Ted McCarty recalled of the now legendary ES-335: ‘I came up with the idea of putting a solid block of maple in an acoustic model. It would get some of the same tone as a regular solidbody, plus the instrument’s hollow wings would vibrate and we’d get a combination of an electric solidbody and a hollowbody guitar.’ The ES-335 of 1958 was a breakthrough. With its double Venetian cutaways it looked less like a jazzer’s guitar – but it clearly wasn’t a ‘simple’ Fender, either. Here’s a debate: maybe Les Paul influenced the ES-335 more than he did the Gibson Les Paul? Les Paul built his electric guitar prototype, the Log, after-hours in the Epiphone guitar factory in 1940. It was a 4"x4" chunk of pine with strings and a pickup. He sawed a conventional hollow-body guitar in half and attached each curved side to his ‘Log’ to make it more acceptable to a traditionalist’s eye. At the time, Gibson rejected Les Paul’s vision. But the idea of a semi-acoustic – solid block middle, with f-holed side chambers – maybe eventually morphed into the ES-335?

McCarty’s ABR-1 Tune-o-matic bridge. These were key in giving the 335 its unique blend of archtop classicism and cutting electric tones. Early after launch, Gibson nicknamed it as having a ‘wonder-thin’ body. The eventual 17-degree headstock angle increased string The ES-335 (and 345 and 355) is now a bona fide guitar design classic. Its slim body made it tension, too, giving a firmer feel and more attack to notes. At about 7.5lbs, it was easy on easier to play for most guitarists, and it also the shoulders. As a design, the Gibson ES-335 happened to look stunning. BB King says, ‘I knew I liked the 335 from the first time I played is arguably flawless. Also released in 1958 was a high-end one. The first one I had was a brown sunburst, version, the ES-355, which came factoryand the main thing about that guitar was that equipped with multiple binding, gold-plated the neck was so thin and the body was so hardware, an ebony (not rosewood) shallow, so it was comfortable to play… even back then when I was somewhat slimmer than fingerboard, Vari-tone control, and an optional Bigsby vibrato (for $355 as opposed I am now!’ to $335). Only 10 were shipped in ’58. The The 335 also benefitted from Gibson’s Vari-tone is loved by some, dismissed by mid-’50s design innovations: Seth Lover’s others: it added various combinations of ground-breaking humbucking pickups and ➻

This reissue’s specs would be right for a short period in 1960, with a ‘long’ pickguard and mirror-top knobs

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coils and capacitors to the pickup circuitry of the guitar to add more tonal options to the sound, one with a distinct ‘honk’. In 1959 the ES-355 was upgraded to stereo wiring, and at the same time Gibson debuted the stereo ES-345. This was an ‘intermediate’ model between the ES-335, and it also came with the Vari-tone. IBB King calls the Vari-tone ‘the magic switch.’ ES-355 fan Bernard Butler says positions 2 and 3 on a Vari-tone are ‘more Fender Strat or Jaguarlike.’ Also in ’59, there was also a fully-hollow version, the ES-330 (later echoed by the Gibson-built Epiphone Casino). Early models, as seemingly with all guitars, can differ. George Gruhn says, ‘The ES-335, ES-345, and ES-355 remain very sought after by collectors as well as musicians. The fully-hollow ES-330 is less sought after, but it’s still a fine instrument. ‘To me, the true “golden age” most sought-after of these guitars were those made in 1959, with the jumbo-size frets and a good neck set angle. Those from 1958 are still very valuable, but have a shallow neck set angle and don’t play quite as well as the ’59 model. Those made from 1960 onward have a somewhat slimmer contour neck and don’t bring as much money as the ‘59 model. ‘But any made prior to mid-’65 with the 1 11/16" nut and a stop tailpiece are still sought-after collectibles. One might consider the golden age to be subdivided into the best being from 1958-1961, when the ES-335 had dot inlays and all the humbuckers had PAF stickers… but all are still quite collectible and very fine instruments through mid-1965.’ 24 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Eric Clapton with his red 1964 ES-335 during the Blind Faith era

‘ES-335s from 1959 are the most sought-after, but any made prior to 1965 with the stop tail and wider nut are collectible’ – George Gruhn Variations on a theme The ES-335 soon became the basis of other models. An early 335-style signature was the Trini Lopez, built from 1964. Lopez was a big star back then, and had been playing a Gibson Barney Kessel – a double Florentine cutaway akin to the ES-175. When approached by Gibson, Lopez suggested diamond fretmarkers, diamond f-holes, the Firebird-style ‘hockey stick’ headstock and more. The Trini Lopez is an ES-335 in all but name, and has its own fans: Noel Gallagher has a mint ’60s tobacco-finish one. Gibson’s DG-335 of the 2000s, a Dave Grohl signature, is essentially a Trini Lopez revamped with hotter pickups. It’s now Grohl’s main guitar… and they all

lead back to the original ES-335 design. ‘Many younger players like my guitar,’ says Lopez, now 75. ‘Maroon 5’s guitarist plays my guitar, the Edge plays my guitar, Paul McCartney’s guitarist plays my guitar, Dave Grohl, Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac played my guitar, Sting’s guitar player plays my guitar. The Edge auctioned his Trini Lopez for $280,000. It’s amazing.’ The ES-335 design has certainly proved an inspiration to many, and it remains massively versatile. Jazz/fusion player Larry Carlton – who has added his guitar skills to artists diverse as Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, the Crusaders and Michael Jackson – is known as ‘Mr 335’ and his own record label is 335 ➻

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GIBSON’S ES SE

RIES

‘My 1960s 355 is the basis for everything. I’ve got so many guitars but the ones I bring on tour are 355s or 345s’ – Noel Gallagher The Gibson ES-339: all the tone with a little less size

Records. ‘I didn’t own a 335 until 1969,’ Carlton says. ‘I had been playing a Les Paul or an ES-175. As I got busier in the studio scene, I really wanted to start carrying one guitar as opposed to carrying three or four. And the 335 was the most versatile, and I was a very versatile player. I could depend on that guitar for the majority of sessions I was doing. It’s a great blues guitar, a great jazz guitar also, and I played all of that. And it’s a great rock’n’roll guitar… if you crank it.’

The 335 as indie icon

Photo by Photoshot

Looking back over more than five decades, 335s to 355s can be found across all genres. Blues legend Freddie King cut his classic Hideaway on his ES-345. Eric Clapton played a 335 in Cream (see Famous Thinlines on page 28). The thinline is still a staple of many jazz players, but the glorious design reaches way beyond ‘archtop’ excellence. It’s surely not what Gibson intended, but the ES-335 has also become something of an indie guitar icon. In the 1980s, the Smiths’ Johnny Marr often played a vintage cherry red ES-355, and that same guitar caused some future stars to embrace the design. Noel Gallagher claims that after seeing the Smiths on Top Of The Noel Gallagher with a stage favourite, his late-’60s Gibson ES-345

Pops, he went out and bought a red 335 the very next day. ‘That’s what I want to look like! My 1960s Gibson 355 – that’s the basis for everything,’ Gallagher said in 2011. ‘I’ve got so many guitars, and people just throw things at me. But the guitars I bring on tour are either 355s or 345s. Those are what I play.’ Bernard Butler was another swayed by Johnny Marr’s use of a 355. Influenced by his teen hero, Butler bought his ’64 Bigsby-fitted 355 in New York on Suede’s first US tour. Tellingly, the name of Butler’s own studio these days is Studio 355. Bigsby vibratoloaded 355s aren’t widely coveted, however. George Gruhn says, ‘All of the hollow and semi-hollow models bring more money in a non-tremolo [sic] version. Those with the tremolo simply don’t stay in tune as well.’ Today, the ES-335-style endures as an indie icon. The Cribs’ Ryan Jarman plays a Gibson Memphis ES-335 Dot, while Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig favours the closelyrelated Epiphone Sheraton II.

The 335 influence From 1936’s ES-150 to the ES-335 is a big journey, but it hasn’t stopped. The 335 shape is now part of guitar culture. Epiphone, Gibson’s sister brand, has its own variations. The fully-hollow Casino (much like an ES-330) was a favourite of the Beatles. John Lennon played one regularly: when Paul McCartney played Beatles guitar solos (Ticket ➻ JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 27

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To Ride, Drive My Car, Taxman) it was on a Casino. The Edge of U2 likes a Casino, and also its more 335-alike (solid-centre) Sheraton. John Lee Hooker was a Sheraton player for much of his later career. Epiphone’s Casinos and Sheratons are all essentially 335-style designs, but with subtle variations. Gary Clark Jr, the most-lauded young blues singer of 2013, prefers to play a genuine ES-335 or his own custom finish Epi Casinos. ‘The Gibson ES-125 changed my world as far as introducing me to the hollowbody sound,’ says Clark. ‘And then from there, I had my eyeballs on Casinos until I finally got one. I just recently got two Blak and Blu Casinos which I’m so stuck on at the moment. They’re all so amazing. Blak and Blu with a Bigsby! They’re a dream.’ The ES-347 of the 1980s added a coil-tap switch – creating the option of a Beatles-esque Casino-like tone. Today’s ES-336 is a scaleddown version. With a body 13" wide and 16"

‘There are no other tools in my life so longserving’ – Eric Clapton long it’s easier on smaller frames but still looks like a classic ES-335. The same goes for the ES-390. There’s also the 339 (and the posher 359). All differ in some respects, but if you find a ‘regular’ ES-335 unwieldy, look at these variations. Signature spin-offs abound. For a unique example, the Epiphone-branded Tom Delonge (Blink-182) ES-333 has just one pickup and one volume control – it seems under-specified and ‘wrong’, but it’s been very popular. There was also a Gibson

Custom ‘Inspired By’ ES-336 for Kiefer Sutherland. Yep, the actor. Maybe it was only in production for 24 hours? But ultimately, there is no other semi-solid guitar design that has spawned such a long lineage as Gibson’s ultimate Electro Spanish guitar, the ES-335. Eric Clapton may have sold his most famous one, but he still loves them. ‘The ES-335 is beautiful, and I loved it, says Clapton. ‘It was played regularly over the years. It got on albums, it never really changed. It never got old, it never wore down. It never lost anything. I’d play it now. ‘Anything that’s been that long in my life and is still functional – there aren’t too many things that can command that kind of respect. I’ve had no cars that long, for instance. There are no other tools in my life that have been as long-serving. After I sold the red ES-335, I immediately bought a sunburst one. It’s a great guitar… and it’s so loud. I’d forgotten how loud they were!’

FAMOUS THINLINES THREE OF THE BEST These three titans of blues and rock have all made their 335s icons of the ES range…

BB KING’S LUCILLE BB’s first ‘Lucille’ was actually a Gibson L-30. He rescued it from a nightclub fire in Twist, Arkansas, and named it after a woman in the club that other men were fighting over. As King’s career flourished, he bought an ES-5, then one of Gibson’s flashiest and sonically most versatile models with three P90 pickups. In 1951, King had his major hit with a cover of Lowell Fulson’s Three O’Clock Blues – and by this time he was playing a Gibson ES-125. He then adopted a Gibson Byrdland and an ES-175 before moving on again to ES-335s, 345s and 355s, the ultimate ‘Lucilles’ everyone now associates with him. You can hear the ‘honk’ of the ES-355’s Vari-tone switch’s capabilities on King’s 1969 classic The Thrill Is Gone. In 1980, Gibson and BB King first collaborated to create his own exclusive Gibson Custom Lucille model. As well as personalised pearl inlays, BB requested that Gibson remove the f-holes, to reduce feedback; in earlier years King would often stuff his regular ES-355’s f-holes with cloth to inhibit trouble at high volume. The Epiphone Lucille offers a more affordable option. Featuring a laminated maple body Eric Clapton’s own cherry red ES-335 with glued-in maple neck, it boasts a bound

28 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

rosewood fingerboard and multi-bound body and headstock. With stereo and mono outputs plus the six-way Vari-tone switch, it’s classic BB King, but on a budget.

ERIC CLAPTON’S ‘CREAM’ ES-335 Clapton bought his cherry red Gibson ‘dot neck’ ES-335 in 1964 and used it throughout his career until it was sold by him at auction in 2004. It became known as the ‘Cream guitar’ as during his tenure with the band, a roadie stencilled the word ‘CREAM’ in large letters on its flightcase. ‘It was the second electric guitar I ever bought,’ Clapton remembered. ‘The Kay got me into the Yardbirds, and then when we started making money I found I had nothing else to spend it on but guitars – a cherry red Gibson ES-335, which was the instrument of my dreams. The Kay had been just a poor imitation. ‘I just was very focused on a guitar and would play that exclusively for a year, two years and then for some reason I’d go somewhere else. The only one I held on to was the ES-335; it was the oldest guitar in my collection. Well, not the oldest… but the one I had the longest. ‘I think the cherry Gibson ES-335 was really acceptable on every front. It was a rock guitar, a blues guitar – the real thing.’ While with the Yardbirds, Clapton’s bandmate Chris Dreja was more often seen playing it: EC used it more frequently from late 1968 and used it often during Cream’s farewell tour of America. It also featured prominently in Cream’s farewell concerts at London’s Royal Albert Hall in November 1968. Clapton used the guitar when Cream recorded Badge and other tracks on the band’s Goodbye album and during the filming of the

Rolling Stone’s Rock And Roll Circus in December 1968, and also extensively while in Blind Faith (1969). Clapton auctioned it in 2004 to raise funds for his addiction rehabilitation facility, Crossroads Centre at Antigua. Its $847,500 price – paid by the US retailer Guitar Center – is the highest recorded for any ES-335.

ALVIN LEE’S ‘BIG RED’ The guitar most-associated with the late great Alvin Lee was his modified cherry red 1959 Gibson ES-335. He had a single-coil pickup installed for extra tonal options and it became his trademark, particularly for its heavily stickered body, after Ten Years After’s barnstorming performance at Woodstock in 1969. Gibson have honoured Lee’s 335 legacy with a signature replica.

Guitar_Dec12.indd 43

19/10/2012 16:36

Albert King with his famed custom Flying V made by luthier Dan Erlewine from 125 year-old black walnut 30 Guitar & Bass AUGUST 2012

FEATURE ALBERT KING

RoyalBlue Forceful, minimal and as imposing as the man himself, the music of the great Albert King galvanised players from Eric Clapton to Robert Cray. Michael Heatley pays tribute

Photo: Gilles Petard/Redferns

/Getty

I

n April 2013, almost exactly two decades after his passing, Albert King made it to the White House. Or rather his music did, when during a celebration of Memphis musicians and the recordings made in that Tennessee town, King’s Born Under A Bad Sign was performed for Barack Obama by Steve Cropper, producer of the 1967 original, with up-and-coming band the Alabama Shakes. The testimony of another late, great, impresario and promoter Bill Graham, suggests Albert would have enjoyed playing for the first black US president. ‘He wasn’t just a good guitar player,’ said Graham. ‘He had a wonderful stage presence, he was very congenial and warm, he was relaxed on stage, and he related to the public... Albert was a guy who just went on stage and said, “Let’s play”’. King was born Albert Nelson in April 1923 on a cotton plantation in Indianola, Mississippi, one of 13 children. His father played guitar while the family sang gospel songs at the local church in Forrest City, Arkansas, where he was raised. He taught himself how to play guitar on an instrument he made himself from a cigar box and initially accompanied gospel groups, most notably the Harmony Kings. Albert’s musical epiphany came when he encountered the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Lonnie Johnson; from then on, he was solely a bluesman. Every bluesman worth their salt needs a name to catch the public’s imagination: King earned his from driving for a plant-hire firm. From then on, he was ‘The Velvet Bulldozer’. In 1950, King moved to Osceola in Arkansas and, after meeting local club owner MC Reeder, was invited to join the house band, the In The Groove Boys, at the T-99 nightclub. He moved on to Gary, Indiana in 1953, joining a band that included Jimmy Reed and John Brim – but with a surfeit of guitarists in the band, he was relegated to the drum stool. Around this time he adopted the surname ‘King’ in honour of BB King, whose Three O’Clock Blues had just become a huge hit. He also met Willie Dixon, and the legendary Chess Records musician/producer pulled some strings to get him an audition at Parrot Records in Chicago. King passed the audition and, though only two of the numbers he recorded for them – Be On Your Merry Way/Bad Luck Blues – were released at the time, others have since turned up on compilations. The single was a minor regional hit, but didn’t sell well enough to earn him another session at Parrot, so King returned to Osceola and the In The Groove Boys for the next two years. It was in 1959 that King first began playing the guitar that would be forever associated with him: the futuristically shaped Gibson Flying V, introduced the previous year. He named his instrument ‘Lucy’, probably in homage to BB King’s ‘Lucille’. The guitar in question was right-handed, but Albert played it left-handed with the strings set up as a right-hander would have had them. This was the first of three Flying Vs King owned in his lifetime, and it was apparently lost in a craps (dice) game in the ’60s. The guitar was then valued at $2,500, and the person who bought it hung on to it for more than 20 years before it resurfaced. (Originals are now worth between $200,000 and $250,000.) This year also brought another change of scene as Albert moved to St Louis, Missouri and, by 1959, his popularity on the club circuit there led to a recording contract. These recordings for Bobbin Records, with a pianist and a small ➻

Gear Guitars Gibson or Erlewine Flying V

Amps Acoustic solid-state amp, later a Roland Jazz Chorus

Effects Maestro chorus pedal

In 1959 Albert King began playing the futuristically shaped Gibson Flying V JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 31

FEATURE

INTERVIEW

Photo: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty

Albert posing with his original korina-bodied 1959 Flying V – legend has it that he lost the guitar in a dice game during the late ’60s

horn section, sounded closer to jump blues than Delta or Chicago blues. His first minor hit, I’m A Lonely Man, was written by Little Milton, who was an A&R man for the label, while another, Don’t Throw Your Love On Me So Strong, sold so well locally that legendary R&B imprint King Records leased it and issued it nationally in late 1961. It reached a respectable #14 on the Billboard R&B charts, but subsequent releases by King on King failed to live up to this early promise. Albert left Bobbin Records a year later. A session commissioned by King Records in 1963 produced more pop-influenced results than his previous work – this was, of course, the height of the Beatles-led British Invasion – but they didn’t sell well. His next recordings had the opposite problem: cut for the small Coun-Tree imprint headed by jazz singer Leo Gooden, these became so popular in St Louis that Gooden is alleged, in a fit of jealousy, to have fired King from his label! His profile must have risen over the preceding few years because, having lost his original korina-bodied Flying V, King then enjoyed a stroke of luck as Gibson gave him a replacement when the model returned to production in 1967. Albert used this to write and record

32 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

many of his most famous songs in the late ’60s, and it is now owned by actor/musician Steven Seagal. The year of 1966 saw Albert King’s biggest recording break yet when he moved to Memphis and was signed to Stax Records. The added bonus here, of course, was the label’s house band – Booker T and the MGs, whose backing gave King’s music a much more soulful sound. At this time he recorded dozens of classic tracks produced by MGs drummer Al Jackson Jr, including Laundromat Blues and Crosscut Saw. The Stax studio was situated in an old movie theatre in South Memphis, the worst part of town. Legend has it they had so many break-ins that they bolted the amps and mic stands, drums and anything else that could be stolen to the concrete floor. As a result, nothing was ever moved and the sound didn’t change, leading to a consistency many more opulent studios envied. Most famous of all King’s Stax cuts was Born Under A Bad Sign, penned by Booker T. Jones and William Bell. It also titled his first album for the label (his second overall), which was composed of singles released between spring 1966 and summer 1967, bolstered by new tracks.

➻

40 Guitar & Bass JULY 201

RVIEW

& Bass JULY 2013

FEATURE ALBERT KING

It was around this time that many guitarists in the UK started to notice the big bluesman from the other side of the pond. The worldwide success of the album led to Albert King becoming a rock celebrity known to a host of younger white musicians on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to the songs already mentioned, The Hunter became a blues-rock classic covered by Free, Blue Cheer and others. Boosted by this new-found rock credibility, Albert began playing at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, where Bill Graham booked him for opening night in February 1968 alongside John Mayall and Jimi Hendrix. A live album he did there, Live Wire/Blues Power, had a profound influence on many guitarists including Hendrix, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Gary Moore. Acolyte Mike Bloomfield said, ‘Albert can take four notes and write a volume. He can say more with fewer notes than anyone I’ve ever known’. In 1969, Albert performed a concert with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra and collaborated with Steve Cropper and Roebuck ‘Pops’ Staples on the blues covers album Jammed Together. He toured America and Europe extensively during the early ’70s, returned to the studio in 1971 to record an album, Lovejoy, with a group of white rock singers, and released an Elvis Presley tribute album, Albert King Does The King’s Things. The following year he recorded what was to be his last album for the Stax label, I’ll Play The Blues For You, on which he was backed by the Bar-Keys and the Memphis Horns. When Stax found itself in deep financial trouble King left the label and signed for Utopia, an offshoot of RCA Records. His sound became much funkier, as was the fashion, and he worked with Allen Toussaint and some of the Meters after signing with Tomato Records in 1978. After switching to Fantasy in 1983 he announced his retirement – he was by now in his sixties. However,

public demand saw him back on the road playing concerts and festivals for the remainder of the decade. An up-and-coming Robert Cray (whose song Phone Booth he recorded) recalled touring with him in France around this time: ‘There was this red sunset behind him, and he was on stage smoking his pipe. Just to see him up there, tearing up As The Years Go Passing By with that glow behind him, was incredible.’ The early ’70s had seen a third Flying V enter King’s life. This was different in being both a left-handed guitar and, effectively, a ‘Gibson copy’ – but a very special one. Luthier Dan Erlewine built it from (at the time) 125-year-old black walnut, inserting a maple strip down the middle. Custom features included King’s name inlaid in the fretboard and, inevitably, ‘Lucy’ on the headstock. The guitar was delivered in May 1972 and survived a dramatic incident in the ’80s when Albert’s equipment trailer ended up in a creek after being caught in a tornado; Lucy spent 24 hours under water and the glued joints had to be painstakingly repaired. Like Albert’s two preceding Gibson-built workhorses, it has now been acquired by Steven Seagal. During the ’80s, King’s work had reached a new generation of young blues guitarists, most notably Stevie Ray Vaughan. Albert knew him as ‘Little Stevie’, and as the skinny kid he let sit in when he played Austin blues club Antone’s when Vaughan was a teenage unknown. The pair appeared together on Canadian television show In Session in December 1983, a performance issued on CD a decade and a half later. Albert and Stevie performed together again in 1987 for a BB King & Friends – A Night of Red Hot Blues TV special, duetting on Elmore James’ The Sky Is Crying. Little has yet been noted about the amplification Albert used. He was not fussy as long as his amp was clean and very loud, and favoured solid-state rather than valves for reliability. One observer recalled him ➻

And another thing... Albert King always carried a firearm, a little black pistol worn on his right hip. At 250lbs and ‘packing’, this was one guitarist you messed with at your peril!

‘Albert can take four notes and write a volume’ – Michael Bloomfield

ERIC, GARY AND ALBERT King’s interaction with American guitarists like Robert Cray and Stevie Ray Vaughan has been noted elsewhere in this feature – but it was in Britain that he would make an indelible mark before even setting foot on UK soil. Eric Clapton, in particular, was such a devotee that he wanted to record a version of the blues standard Lawdy Mama in King’s style for Cream’s second album, 1967’s Disraeli Gears. In the event, producer Felix Pappalardi rewrote the melody and lyrics with his wife Gail Collins, the result being Strange Brew (the track, especially Clapton’s solo, still bore King’s stamp, though). Cream then covered Born Under A Bad Sign on the half live/ half studio Wheels Of Fire double album, released in summer 1968. Although offered there as a track on the studio disc, it was such an integral part of their live set that they played it on their 2005 reunion dates. Clapton then moved on to Derek and the Dominos, where his guitar partner Duane Allman lifted the riff for Layla from Albert King – but not from one of his guitar lines, but rather a vocal line from the song As The Years Go Passing By. Listen and you’ll hear that Duane sped up the seven-note melody from the line ‘There is nothing I can do’. Eric also covered Crosscut Saw, the Delta blues attributed to Tommy McClennan that Albert popularised in 1966, on 1983’s Money And Cigarettes album. Gary Moore, who unashamedly took his cues from Clapton, shared a stage with Albert King, among other blues legends, in his Still Got The Blues period: a 1990 performance of Oh Pretty Woman at the Hammersmith Odeon has notched up over 363,000 views on YouTube, and shows off the Erlewine-made ‘Lucy’ guitar to perfection.

➻

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 33

FEATURE Photos: David Redfern/Redferns/Getty

ALBERT KING

Listen up ALBERT KING

Born Under A Bad Sign (1967) The augmented singles collection that proved a blues primer for so many would-be 12-bar stars of the late ’60s and beyond

ALBERT KING, STEVE CROPPER, POPS STAPLES

Jammed Together (1969)

A ramble through some blues classics with Pops Staples and Steve Cropper, pitching Albert against two very different blues guitar voices

ALBERT KING

I’m In A Phone Booth Baby (1984) Released late in his career on the Fantasy label, this includes contemporary material penned by Robert Cray and band alongside some solid blues classics

Albert King with the ’60s Flying V that graced his famous Stax recordings such as Born Under A Bad Sign

putting a guitar flight case in front of his amp on stage, moving it aside like a studio baffle when he wanted more volume. The Velvet Bulldozer died suddenly in December 1992 of a heart attack, a few months short of his 70th birthday. At his funeral, Joe Walsh played a slide-guitar rendition of Amazing Grace in tribute while, in true New Orleans jazz style, a procession was led down Beale Street by the Memphis Horns playing When The Saints Go Marching In. Albert was laid to rest in the Paradise Gardens Cemetery in Edmondson, Arkansas, not far from where he spent his childhood.

Albert King left a legacy in the shape of countless guitarists who owe allegiance to the big man, often without knowing it. The year of 2013 not only saw him make the White House, he was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The citation read, in part: ‘A huge man, weighing more than 250 pounds and standing six-feet-four, King was a commanding physical presence onstage. From Eric Clapton, Michael Bloomfield and Johnny Winter, to Joe Walsh, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Derek Trucks and beyond, the influence of Albert King’s husky vocals and his signature Gibson Flying V guitar will live on forever.’

TUNING AND TECHNIQUE It’s often stated that the secret of Albert King’s technique was that he was a left-hander playing a right-handed guitar. While basically true, this statement needs a little unpicking to discover its significance. A right-handed guitarist will push the treble strings up towards the bass strings to bend them, as there’s physically more space available on the neck to do it. But if the very same guitar is flipped around, still strung for a right-handed guitarist, and played left-handed, bending the treble strings towards the bass strings will involve a completely different set of muscles in the (right) hand. It is a clenching action rather than a straightening one, and a much more powerful muscular movement – a clenched fist rather than an open palm. With that in mind, it’s no wonder Albert’s licks can sound so aggressive and so distinctive. Robert Cray believed nobody ‘could pull strings like Albert King, with all his fire and passion. A big-statured person like Albert King played a big-sounding guitar.’

34 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

The other ‘secret’ of King’s technique was that he developed his own eccentric tuning when teaching himself to play. This was a drop tuning (bass to treble): C F C F A D. His string gauges were also non-standard: .009, .012, .024, .028, .038, .050. The top two strings were light, the bottom three medium, but it is the extreme thickness of the wound third that immediately catches the eye. Albert’s playing style depended on huge finger strength which enabled him to bend strings up three or more semitones, sometimes clean out of the key in which he was playing. He was also a master of the ‘pre-bend’, where a string is bent before playing, then released after striking the string. This necessitates an intimate knowledge of the instrument, knowing just how far to bend the string before hearing the result. Talking of striking the strings, it is sometimes forgotten that Albert King never used a plectrum. Put all these unusual stylistic techniques together and you have all the ingredients that went into making a one-off phenomenon.

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INTERVIEW SCOTT GORHAM

The Boys Are

Out Of Town

In October 2012 Thin Lizzy announced that they would be recording and touring their new material under a fresh name. Scott Gorham tells Martyn Casserly about the birth of Black Star Riders

W

ith next year marking the 40th anniversary of Scott Gorham as a recording artist, you might expect to find him taking things easy; maybe even settling down by the fire, brandy in hand, to tell the grandkids all about his glorious adventures as the lead guitarist with rock royalty Thin Lizzy. Well, it seems the pipe and slippers will have to wait a few years more as Gorham instead embarks on a world tour with his new band Black Star Riders to promote their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose. It’s a brave man who leaves the certainty of a vehicle like Thin Lizzy, but Gorham is aware of the risks, and embraces them because he also sees the potential. ‘A lot of people think we’re crazy for doing it,’ he admits, ‘but there comes a point where I don’t care what kind of musician you are, or what your body of work is – you want to create something new. You want to branch out. You need to go down different paths. A “let’s see what we can do” type attitude, and I think we’d just gotten to that point. I’ve done the Thin Lizzy thing so much now, I still love doing it, but man… I gotta see what we can do on this side over here.’ Lizzy traditionalists shouldn’t feel too alarmed, as the majority of Black Star Riders have actually been the touring band for Thin Lizzy shows over the past couple of years. Even the album itself was initially planned to be another addition to the Lizzy canon, but as the time drew near for recording to begin a few doubts began creeping into Gorham’s mind. ‘We’d been writing collectively and separately for around four months,’ he sighs, ‘but I’d been just feeling really uncomfortable for a while about doing an album called Thin Lizzy when Phil Lynott was not going to be there. My whole career, if you will, had been with Phil under the name Thin Lizzy, and now we were going to do it without him. It just didn’t feel right.’ After sharing his thoughts with Lizzy co-founder and drummer Brian Downey, it seemed that Gorham was not alone. The other members of the current Lizzy lineup also agreed that they didn’t want to record under the current name, but that left them with a considerable problem to solve. ‘We all knew we were uncomfortable,’ says Gorham. ‘So if we weren’t going to do it as Thin

Lizzy, what were we gonna do? We had a shitload of songs, we really wanted to record them, we wanted to turn it into an album. The management actually put their foot down and said “If you’re not going to do this as Thin Lizzy, then you need to stop Thin Lizzy and start a new band.” ‘That was kind of a crushing blow for me because it was like “Hey, this is my band, I’ve been doing this my whole life, and now you’re telling me I’ve gotta stop?” I said, I can’t see stopping it altogether, but we’ll stop for the time being. The idea is maybe next year we’ll come out for a special show or some short tours, but always going back to BSR. That’s the mainstay now.’ With the turbulent genesis of Black Star Riders now complete, the band headed into the studio to begin a breakneck recording schedule. ‘We did 12 songs in 12 days,’ reveals Gorham with a laugh. ‘It’s the quickest that any of us in the band has ever done an album. When we found out we only had that amount of time, it was like “Holy shit!” It gets your attention really quickly. ‘But if you have your stuff together, it’s not too daunting. We’ve been on the road with these guys for a year and a half, nearly solidly. So to transfer ➻

‘I was uncomfortable about doing an album called Thin Lizz y without Phil Lynott’

Gear Guitars Gibson Les Paul Axcess

Amps 100W Engl Ritchie Blackmore heads, 4x12" cabs

Effects Dunlop wah-wah, Vintage chorus pedal, Strymon El Capistan Tape Echo pedal and a nameless 10db booster pedal

Black Star Riders: Marco Mendoza, Jimmy DeGrasso, Scott Gorham, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 37

INTERVIEW SCOTT GORHAM Scott Gorham, far right, joined Thin Lizzy in 1974

Listen up BLACK STAR RIDERS

All Hell Breaks Loose (2013)

The debut album for Scott Gorham’s new band, featuring plenty of Lizzyesque material – which should make it appeal greatly to existing fans

THIN LIZZY

Live And Dangerous (1978) The ‘live’ part has been brought into question a few times over the years, but never the quality of this double CD classic

SUPERTRAMP

Brother Where You Bound (1985) Gorham makes a guest appearance on the title track, playing 16 minutes of prog-rock with David Gilmour amid readings from Orwell’s 1984

the touring into the studio... we felt on comfortable ground. The difference is you do a gig and if you have a couple of little mistakes it’s, like, “Hey, we’re playing another tomorrow night, so we’ll get it right then.” Whereas this... you didn’t want to be the one that messed it up.’ Working alongside super-producer Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Black Country Communion), Black Star Riders emerged with an album that has plenty of the Lizzy flavour. From the Irish folk/rock power ballad Kingdom Of The Lost through the feelgood anthem of Someday Salvation to the crunching Valley Of The Stones, Gorham’s guitars sound as good as ever, with Damon Johnson joining him on the signature twin leads that every Lizzy fan will be expecting. ‘Playing with Damon is a really satisfying partnership,’ says Gorham. ‘There’s no horrible egos. I’ll have written a song and I’ll tell Damon to take the lead, because I know what a good player he is. He’s done the same with me. There’s no shoving each other out of the way looking for the spotlight… there’s always going to be enough spotlight over the whole set. He practically grew up on Thin Lizzy music. He’ll say “Check this out!” and he’ll play a solo that I did 35 years ago and had forgotten about, and he knows it note for note! I have to ask him to show me how he did it.’ Gorham sports the same rig for the upcoming tour as he used in the recording sessions: a couple of Les Paul Axcess guitars, a few pedals, and the once obligatory Marshall backline now replaced with Engls – a move that surprised many, not least Gorham himself. ‘We found ourselves playing with Deep Purple at Wembley Arena. It was sold out, with about 14,000 people all getting ready to come in, and we only had 45 minutes to soundcheck. My guitar tech had fallen ill and they’d brought in this Italian guy. He was setting out my stuff, plugged it in, the amp went pfff… and the red light went out. I was like “Oh, shit.” Okay, no problem, throw up the other amp. Pfff! This guy didn’t know anything about voltages, so he ended up blowing all four of them!

‘On this tour Steve Morse’s guitar tech was the rep for Engl, and for three weeks he’d been trying to get me to try them out. Now I’m sitting there with four blown amps, so I said okay, let’s see what you got. He put up one of the Engls on the 4x12", dialled it in, and said “Have fun.” I hit a chord, and it sounded amazing! I had 15 minutes before we were supposed to go on, and by this point the Italian guy was telling me he’d fixed my amps, but I thought, I think I’m gonna go with the Engls. It’s probably one of the bravest things I’ve ever done: in front of a sold-out audience on a brand-new rig I’ve never even seen before. But I thought to myself, if this amp can give me that much confidence... where do I sign? I’ve been with them now for about six years, maybe a little more. They’re good people.’ Gorham’s fine achievement of 40 years in the industry is one that sadly wasn’t granted to his close friend and bandmate Phil Lynott, who succumbed to his drug addiction in 1986. However, Gorham feels very much part of his ongoing legacy. ‘I pretty much owe everything to Phil. He was the guy who said I want you as my partner, I want you in this band, there’s something in you I really see... let’s go travel the world together.’ Now, as he sets out on his latest adventure, Gorham carries the same ambitions for the music that spurred on the young, hopeful incarnations of himself and Lynott all those years ago. ‘Knowing you’ve put down something that’s hopefully really cool,’ he states, ‘and that other people are gonna think is really cool... that’s what this whole thing’s about. It’s what it’s always been about… hoping that somebody else out there is gonna be digging it the same way that you dig it. And hopefully they dig it even a little more.’

‘The tech plugged in my stuff and the amp went “pfff” and the red light went out’

The Old ’57 One of Gorham’s most iconic guitars is the ’57 Les Paul that he played both in the studio and on tour with Thin Lizzy. Sadly, the old stalwart spends most of its time these days locked in a vault. ‘I wanted to take it on the road, but you can’t take those guitars out anymore, they’re just too expensive,’ mourns Scott. ‘Every once in a while I take it out of storage, bring it home for a couple of days, slam it through the amp and play it for a while... get the old feeling back from it. Then I’ve got to close the lid and take it back down to storage again. That’s such a pain in the ass to do that I don’t do that very often, not as often as I’d like to.’

38 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

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INTERVIEW DANNY BRYANT

Howlin’

Wind

With his vocals as impassioned as his guitar playing, hard-working bluesman Danny Bryant has produced an album of rare power. Interview by Michael Heatley

T

he blues world has seen many examples of older players mentoring young prodigies and passing on the wisdom of their years: Danny Gatton with Joe Bonamassa is one relatively recent relationship. For upand-coming British guitarist Danny Bryant, the man who helped to get his mojo well and truly working was Walter Trout, some three decades his senior. ‘When I was about 14 my mum and dad had one of Walter’s albums – I don’t think they had heard of him beforehand, but they picked it up. I was out shopping with my mum in Cambridge and we saw a poster. I said, “Can we go?” So mum and dad took me, and I wrote him a letter. When he got back from that tour he called me up, and we’ve been friends ever since.’ Danny liked the American’s way of doing things and, with 2500 shows already under his belt, he has based his own career on a similar work ethic. ‘Walter’s a relentless tourer, always out on the road, which I think with blues is the way to do it,’ he says. ‘We don’t get a lot of radio play, certainly not mainstream radio play, and in this country it’s very hard to get on television shows like Jools Holland’s Later. So to spread the word, sell your albums and get a fanbase, it’s a case of relentless touring – that’s how I make my living.’ When it comes to image, the cover of Danny’s new album Hurricane sees him take a step away from the Trout/Gallagher school of workwear towards the besuited Bonamassa look. ‘Walter’s image is that he’s cool and those are his street clothes, but I’m a big fan of old-school blues. My house is full of pictures of all my old blues heroes and they’re all in suits and everything, but I never really had the confidence to do that. Then the whole Bonamassa thing with him dressing up happened, and I didn’t want to look like I was jumping on the bandwagon! ➻

Gear Guitars A prototype for Danny’s forthcoming signature model Fret-King, another two of the original (Corona SP) models and a 2012 Les Paul goldtop bought for the album

Amps Two Marshall TSL100s, a Silver Jubilee and a blackface Super Reverb for studio

Pedals Jim Dunlop Wah, Boss DD3 Digital Delay and a Uni-Vibe clone

Photo: Kevin Nixon

Greenwood And Goldtops Danny’s house is decorated with portraits of the blues greats, but one in particular – a picture of the late, recently departed Hubert Sumlin – inspired the song Greenwood 31, titled after his place of birth, on the new album. ‘Hubert was the first blues legend I ever met – I played a festival with him when I was about 20,’ says Danny. ‘I asked the promoter if I could meet him and he said, “I’m not sure.” After the gig he said, “He heard you play, you can go in.” ‘So I spent about an hour with him. He was a lovely guy and told me about touring with Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters; he even came out and looked at our van and my guitars. I took a picture of him and he’s sitting there with his pint of Guinness and this really cool suit on with this hat. I looked at it, and that’s how I came up with the song.’ Danny also bought an Epiphone like Sumlin’s – and thereby hangs a tale. ‘It amazed me, because he’s famous for playing these old goldtop Les Pauls, but on the day of that gig he had some £4000 custom-made PRS and an Epiphone Les Paul, which he played most of the day. I was standing next to him at the end of the day and the tour manager said “Which one do you want to take on the bus and which ones do you want packed away?” and he took the Epiphone in the bus with him. It showed me that these old blues guys don’t really care about makes or what something’s worth. If it’s a good guitar, they love it.’

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 41

INTERVIEW DANNY BRYANT

Listen up DANNY BRYANT

Just As I Am (2010) Features eight original songs written by Danny plus a spirited cover of John Hiatt’s Master Of Disaster

DANNY BRYANT

Night Life: Live In Holland (2012) Released as both a DVD and a CD, this captured Danny where he’s traditionally the most comfortable – on stage and with both barrels blazing

DANNY BRYANT

Hurricane (2013)

His seventh studio album offers the most complete picture yet of a rising young talent, with vocals and songwriting hitting a new peak

And another thing... Danny confesses to ‘a terrible taste in old comedy, like On The Buses and Steptoe & Son, things like that; I’ve got a massive collection of all that old stuff.’

42 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

So I left it a bit longer, but then my wife kicked me into smartening up. ‘I must admit I feel a lot better dressing up,’ he continues. ‘I don’t go for the full suit thing, but I wear a smart jacket. You do feel a bit more geared up for the show. A year or so ago I would’ve just gone straight on in the clothes I was wearing during the day, but if you’ve got to make the effort to get changed it mentally gets you in stage mode. It’s like “Right, I’m wearing my stage stuff – it’s time to go”.’ Danny recently signed to the German Jazzhaus label, reflecting the fact that the majority of his touring takes place beyond these shores (though UK dates are scheduled for May/June). So are Brits considered exotic in continental Europe? ‘I hadn’t really thought of that. Maybe it’s like when you have an American act come to England. Britain has its own blues history now, with everything that happened in the ’60s and all the great guys we had over here. When we started touring Europe I think blues was on a bit of a decline in the UK, although I don’t think that’s true any more – it’s well on the up. I think that in Europe you either have to be English or American, and their own acts have a slighter harder time. It does take up quite a lot of our touring year; we’re lucky to have a nice following in Germany, Holland and Switzerland.’ The new album was recorded in Cornwall with producer Richard Hammerton, who also contributed keyboards. Our man credits Richard with helping raise the bar vocally, an area that has taken him more time and effort to perfect than the guitar. ‘I’m confident at singing now,’ Danny admits, ‘and it’s something I enjoy almost as much as playing. When it came to the vocals, the producer made me have two, three takes on each song because we wanted to keep that confidence level up and not over-think things; I think it’s come out quite well.’ The album tracks Danny picks out as the key ones are opener Prisoner Of The Blues – ‘It’s my version of White Room… I’m not saying it’s on a par, but it’s me trying to do that’ – and cut three, Can’t Hold On, ‘because it shows that I love to write songs. I’m a big fan of listening to ballads and playing them myself, and the solo in that is an example – it’s not a flashy solo, it’s one that means something within the song, which is important to me, and that’s something I’ve only learnt to do as I’ve matured a little bit. A few years ago I would have probably doubled the length of that solo

Danny uses a blue Fret-King Corona SP with the trem blocked off

and put as many notes in as I could… just for the sake of it.’ Danny’s success is very much a family affair: dad Ken plays bass in his three-piece Redeye Band, mum Heather is his manager, and wife Kirby is his guitar tech. ‘I’m on the road a lot, so we wouldn’t have much of a relationship if I left her at home! It’s quite unique – if you were to start doing it you’d never tour with your mum and dad – but it’s been like this since we started, and it’s all I know.’ The next decade will see Danny, who’s 33 in July, lose his ‘young’ tag. What does he hope to gain in its stead? ‘I just hope that I can keep working, keep making a living,’ he offers. ‘It’s never been a dramatic rise; it’s always been very steady, seeing the crowds get a bit bigger and the records selling a little bit more. And the countries I play are expanding – I’ve just signed on with a couple of new agencies that cover new territories. It sounds a bit corny but I feel really grateful that I do it for a living, that I get to tour and that I get to play for a living and release music that people actually buy. ‘That was the aspiration as a kid – I never had any aspirations to be this big, famous musician. It would be nice, but I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do, which is to be a working blues guitarist.’

‘Blues was on a bit of a decline in the UK, but now it’s well on the up’

Eastwood Classic 12 left hand Walnut

Eastwood Classic 12 White

Eastwood Classic 12 Fireburst

Eastwood Sidejack 12 STD Sunburst

Eastwood Sidejack 12 DLX Black

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Music Tech G&B.indd 1

16.05.2013 15:09:22

Mus

9:22

Music Tech G&B.indd 2

16.05.2013 15:09:47

ELECTRIC GUITAR

£2830.80 REVIEW

GRETSCH

FACTFILE

GRETSCH G6137TCB PANTHER

G6137TCB Panther

DESCRIPTION: Semi-solid guitar. Made in Japan PRICE: £2830.80 BUILD: Three-ply maple body with spruce centre block, three-piece set maple neck, 22 frets, 12" radius rosewood fingerboard, Grover Sta-Tite tuners, Adjusto-Matic bridge and Bigsby vibrato ELECTRICS: Two High Sensitive Filter’Tron pickups with master volume and tone, individual volume controls and three-way pickup selector switch LEFT-HANDERS: No FINISH: White, black

Diving back into the past and grabbing the chance to correct some shortcomings, the Panther Center-Block is a traditional Gretsch aimed at the modern age. Review by Huw Price

N

on-initiates may be inclined to pigeonhole Gretsch guitars as hot-rodded single-cutaway jazz boxes geared towards rockabilly revivalists and gothy ’80s types. However, despite outward appearances the company’s history is peppered with innovative designs, radical construction techniques and unique features. Being Gretsch, they didn’t always get it right; it seems unlikely that the Tone Twister vibrato or the Floating Sound sustain enhancer will be revived. Speaking of sustain, throughout his tenure as Gretsch’s prime endorsee, Chet Atkins pleaded for more sustain and less feedback. Gretsch tried installing soundposts and devised at least two variations on the ‘trestle bracing’ theme from 1958 onwards, but music was getting louder and it was becoming obvious that traditional big-bodied hollow guitars couldn’t cope. Gibson’s ES335 with its thin double-cut hollow body and its spruce centre block changed everything. It proved a roaring success and even if Gretsch wanted to ignore it, Chet wouldn’t let them (in fact, he had been requesting exactly the same thing for years). According to Gretsch the Panther is a return to a theme, although it’s unclear if they’re referring to an actual Gretsch

Grover Sta-Tite machineheads and thumbnail markers

That all-important centre block is just visible through the f-hole

The Panther has a solid spruce centre block from neck to tail, with a weight relief chamber behind the bridge model or a design idea that was never followed through. We can reveal that the Panther has a solid spruce centre block that goes from neck to tail with a weight relief chamber behind the bridge. Add to that a body depth of 1.75" with a shorter-than-usual scale length of 24.625 " and it’s pretty obvious which market Gretsch is gunning for.

SCALE LENGTH: 24.625"/626mm NECK WIDTH: Nut 42mm 12th fret 52mm DEPTH OF NECK: First fret 19mm 12th fret 22mm STRING SPACING: Nut 35mm Bridge 50.5mm ACTION AS SUPPLIED: 12th fret treble 1.5mm 12th fret bass 2mm WEIGHT:4kg/8.8lbs CONTACT: Fender GB&I 01342 331700 www.fender.com

Even so, they haven’t sacrificed that essential Gretschiness. The fingerboard extension still floats high above the top to create the necessary clearance for the High Sensitive Filter’Tron pickups and a proper break-angle over the bridge for the Bigsby. Better still, Gretsch has opted for the old Brooklyn ➻ formula of a three-ply top, back JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 47

ELECTRIC GUITAR

REVIEW £2830.80 Like this? Try this... Gibson Chris Cornell ES335 This ES335 features a Bigsby and Jason Lollar Lollartron pickups – his take on the Filter’Tron theme. The Gibson factory uses a Plek machine on the frets so it’ll be smooth RRP: £2099

Duesenberg Starplayer TV Vintage Featuring an arched laminated spruce top with flamed maple back and sustain centre block, maple neck, rosewood fretboard. The neck has a dual-action truss rod and the pickups include a Duesenberg DP90 and a humbucker RRP: £1214

and sides so the thinner plates will resonate more easily. The open backed Grover Sta-Tite tuners are a great choice. They look fantastic, preclude neck heaviness and keep the tuning just as stable as any diecast tuners would. Believe it or not, the control layout is simplified by Gretsch standards: there’s a tone control rather than a mud switch and a master volume below the cutaway as well as individual volume controls. If you’re used to Gretsches you’ll appreciate the master volume and its convenient location. If you’re not, you can simply ignore it and use the individual controls. It’s also worth noting that these modern Gretsch knobs feel very different to the vintage variety. The knurled texture is far rougher, so much so that you don’t need to grip them. You can actually move them with the tip of one finger. As for the neck profile, it feels very similar to this reviewer’s 1963 Tennessean. It’s a supremely comfortable C profile that deepens ever so slightly as you move up the neck. It’s not chunky, but we wouldn’t describe it as slim. In fact the only criticism we could level regarding the White Panther’s construction is the rosewood used for the bound fingerboard and

Gretsch has pinned the floating Adjusto-Matic bridge to the body

bridge. We’d have preferred ebony ourselves, but even so, it’s only an aesthetic thing – like wearing brown shoes with a blue suit. Other less conspicuous concessions to modernity include Schaller strap locks, a top-mounted jack socket and an Adjusto-Matic bridge. The wooden bridge base is pinned in place through the top so it won’t move about however you play, and it extends beyond the centre block in order to transfer vibrations to the rest of the guitar.

Gretsches are quirky, but the White Panther irons out those quirks without losing that essential Gretschiness High-output Filter’Trons – but this is one Gretsch that can handle them

48 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

Sound Acoustic tones are bright, balanced and encouraging, but the question has to be whether the White Panther can cope with high volume levels. In short, it certainly can. Despite provocation from cascading gain stages, wah pedals, fuzzboxes and compressors the White Panther behaved itself like a (country) gentleman. Of course it does feed back, but no more than any other semi-solid. The pickups are high output by Filter’Tron standards but they’re still brighter than PAF-style humbuckers. So long as your amp has enough headroom in the preamp stage you can dial up some classic Gretsch clean tones. The bridge pickup chimes, the neck pickup has a woody jazziness and in combination the hint of phasey midscoop is ideal for picking duties. The White Panther can overdrive valve amps with ease and you may wish to roll back your treble settings a tad. The onboard tone control has a slightly limited range, so full roll-off is more

akin to morphing from a Filter’Tron to a PAF than proper ‘woman tone’. Even so, the defined voice of the pickups works well with high gain because you can pile on the dirt without losing clarity. Power chords and low-register riffs sound huge, especially in dropped tunings. But the most remarkable characteristic has to be the sustain; the White Panther will hang on to any note just as long as you want it to. Grinding away on the bridge pickup for the rhythm parts then flipping over to the neck for solos is like going from Malcolm Young’s tone to a pretty convincing version of an Angus sound.

Verdict Despite their charms Gretsch guitars are seldom described as ‘easy to play’. They’re quirky, and fans tend to love them despite those quirks rather than because of them. The White Panther irons out the quirks without losing that essential Gretschiness. It delivers for woody-toned picking as well as high gain shredding, so it should appeal to traditionalists and modern players alike. It’s also supremely playable and so packed with sonic character that this must be far closer to what Chet Atkins had in mind. He probably would have complained that the pickups were too hot… but we’re guessing he would have approved of everything else.

FINAL SCORE GRETSCH PANTHER CENTER-BLOCK Build quality

19 / 20

Playability

19 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

17 / 20

Looks

19/ 20

TOTAL

92%

Ivor Mairants_collings13_Layout 1 19/12/2012 15:30 Page 1

Guitarist369_Guitar and bass February 2013.qxd 08/05/2013 09:46 Page 1

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ELECTRIC GUITAR

£359 REVIEW

LTD

FACTFILE

LTD EC-256 MGO

EC-256 MGO

DESCRIPTION: Solidbody electric guitar. Made in China. PRICE: £359

There’s a lot of competition at the budget end of the buying spectrum, especially when you’re looking at classic designs. Marcus Leadley samples a fine contender for you hard-earned cash

BUILD: Two-piece mahogany body, three-piece mahogany glued-in neck. Bound rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium-gauge frets and LTD inlays (model number inlayed at 12th fret). Cream/ black multi-ply body and headstock binding, cream neck binding. Chrome stoptail and tune-o-matic bridge, ESP-branded tuners. Gold speed knobs ELECTRICS: Two ESP LH-150 humbuckers with coil tap on master tone control push/pull pot. Independent volume controls and three-way pickup selector LEFT-HANDERS: Not for this model, but there are six left-handed options in the EC range FINISH: Metallic gold (MGO); wide range of other finishes throughout the range

B

ack in 1996, Japanese guitar maker ESP decided to expand in a big way into the lower-cost end of the electric market. The company already had a profile as a supplier of serious thrash metal ordnance to the glitterati of the day – bands such as Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer – so a new brand, LTD, was launched as the home for these new, price-friendly models. As well as some seriously pointy high-powered guitars there’s now a good selection of models that display all the heritage aspects of classic electric guitar-making of the type pioneered by the likes of Gibson and Fender. The EC-256 is one such instrument. There are approximately 30 flavours of EC electric guitar in all, spread across ten models with prices ranging from around £200 to £800, but they all riff on the same basic body shape. The EC-256 slides into the mid-price bracket and combines a classic goldtop-style finish with set-neck construction and some raunchy humbuckers. And there’s a coil tap option to give you single-coil sounds as well. It’s a hard offer to fault when the RRP is only £359, especially when a street price deal may shave another £60 off.

The lower cutaway has a distinctly un-Gibson profile

Pinstripe binding adds class to the asymmetric headstock

The EC-256 combines a classic finish with set-neck construction, raunchy humbuckers and a coil tap option While the EC-256’s shape leans heavily on the Les Paul theme, all the curves are appropriately different. In particular the sharpness of the lower forward cutaway adds a very LTD touch, which echoes the ‘sway’ of the headstock and the distinctive position markers on the neck. Body, neck and

headstock are bound, which adds a nicely finished, retro feel, and the rich brown of the natural mahogany completes the look of a well turned-out package. The top is a sparkle finish rather than a flat gold and there’s a reddish/amber tint, so there’s none of the picture-frame gaudiness you ➻

SCALE LENGTH: 629mm/24.75” NECK WIDTH: Nut 42.2mm 12 fret: 53mm DEPTH OF NECK: First fret 19.5 12th fret 22.2 STRING SPACING: Nut 34.2mm Bridge 49.2mm ACTION AS SUPPLIED: 12th fret treble 1.8mm 12th fret bass 2.2mm WEIGHT: 3.3kg/7.25lbs CONTACT: Selectron UK 01795 419460 www.espguitars.co.uk

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 51

ELECTRIC GUITAR

REVIEW £359 Like this? Try this... Epiphone Les Paul Studio Set-neck basic LP model with all-mahogany construction and a pair of humbuckers RRP: £339.76

Aria PE Royale A classic LP-inspired guitar with humbuckers and a quilted maple veneer top RRP: £349

PRS SE Mark Tremonti Solid mahogany body, set neck and a rosewood fingerboard. PRS humbuckers RRP: £599

can get with a simple gold paint. This finish is applied directly to the mahogany; there’s no maple cap, which is yet another break with the more traditional LP build. The three-piece mahogany neck sports a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard. As is quite often the case with LTD guitars, this is buffed to a shine. The board is relatively flat and the well-dressed medium-gauge frets make for a fast and accurate playing surface. The position inlays are quite stylish, but I’m not sure if I like the idea of using the model number as the 12th-fret indicator. Overall, the acoustic tone and feel are snappy and bright - classically LTD, in fact. However, the 24.75” scale length is classically Gibson, so there’s a looseness that lets you dig into the strings and bend with ease. The hardware choice is straightforward: individual ESP-branded tuners, standard stoptail and tune-o-matic bridge. As a result the tuning seems to be very stable. A pair of ESP LH-150 humbuckers provides the oomph for the EC-256. There’s a three-way selector on the upper bout and volume controls for each unit. The single tone control is a push/pull pot for activating the

The classic tune-o-matic and stoptail combo is good for both tuning and tone

coil tap. It’s a great, simple solution; the guitar will deliver six distinctly different sounds without any confusion.

Sounds With the coil tap facility you have the ideal solution for delivering the full range of clean and distorted sounds. Voicing a bridge humbucker for a great

The sharper, more cutting single-coil tone offers both clarity when you need it and added grit for those mayhem moments

Neck and headstock boast a rich mahogany finish; tuners are Schaller-esque

52 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

rock tone can leave the midrange a little lacking and boxy-sounding for clean playing. However, a single-coil at the bridge will give all the wiry twang you need. This is exactly how it works here, and you can switch with ease. Generally speaking the humbucker voices are rich and open. Twin-pickup and neck sounds are great clean; country, jazz, reggae and ’70s pop chords all sound authentic, and melodic playing is well articulated. Gradually wind up the gain and the EC-256 easily performs classic blues and punk before grasping rock and metal in style. Here, the bridge voice comes into its own and soloing is a joyous experience. There is a slight, but inevitable, drop in volume when you switch to single-coil operation from humbucker, so some sort of volume boost pedal on the floor will prove a valuable addition to your kitbag. The tone is great and the sharper, more cutting sound offers both clarity when you need it and added grit for those

mayhem moments. The EC-256 is a good platform on which to build effected sounds as the basic output is suitably hi-fi in the first place. This means you can really hop genres and eras, which makes this a great guitar for a player who appreciates playing a wide range of material.

Verdict A well turned-out, handsome electric guitar offering a good range of sounds. The simple but effective pickup configuration with the coil tap means you have an approximation of most classic tones at your disposal. This would be a great instrument for a beginner, or someone looking for a second guitar to help move their playing onto a new level. At the same time, the EC-256 punches well above the weight of its comparatively modest price tag so the more experienced player will find this a practical everyday gigging instrument. It would be an ideal go-to for those occasions when you need a guitar that won’t complain about a bit of rough handling or set you to fretting needlessly when you have to leave it in the boot of your car or locked in a van for a while.

FINAL SCORE LTD EC-256 MGO Build quality

17 / 20

Playability

18 / 20

Sound

17 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Looks

17/ 20

TOTAL

87%

®

TRAT ’70s S

E

DELUX

™

NIC

-SO SUPER

New

p u e n i L 2013

Series

I BASS V

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Pawn Shop Guitars GBI 297 x 210 3mm UK.indd 1

FENDER.COM/PAWN-SHOP © 2013 FMIC. Fender®, Pawn Shop™, Mustang®, Super-Sonic™ and the distinctive headstock designs commonly found on these guitars are trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All Rights reserved.

17/01/2013 12:25

GUITAR AMP

£1699 REVIEW

ORANGE

FACTFILE

ORANGE CUSTOM SHOP 50

Custom Shop 50 head Following on from the Retro 50, this lovingly-assembled half-ton stonker aims to be the best-sounding Orange head you can lay your mitts on. Review by Richard Purvis

Y

es, it’s that easyJet colour scheme once again… but doggone it, if Orange keeps releasing way cool stuff, we’ll make no apology for reviewing it – and there’s an especially good reason for the presence of this amp on the pages of G&B. We’ve been happy enough with the PCB-based amps being pumped out of the company’s Far Eastern facilities in recent years, but the Custom Shop 50 is a different kind of fruit altogether. This, at last, is an Orange for the purist. It’s completely hand-wired – no digital gimmickry, no printed circuitry, no genetically modified vegetable extracts or artificial sweeteners – and just as significantly, it’s made right here in the UK. Now, you may not give a flying fuzzbox where your kit comes from, but there are various politicoeconomic and environmental reasons why you perhaps should, if you can afford that luxury – and let’s be honest, if you’re considering spending over a grand and a half on an amplifier, you probably can. Plus there’s the allimportant prestige factor… Like most of its outsourced cousins this is a big old chunk, made to withstand serious gigging, minor road accidents and the occasional hurricane. The graphics-only control panel has enormous knobs for Master

Plenty of speaker outs, plus a 50W/30W switch for a more jangly sound and slightly less power

DESCRIPTION: Handwired 50W head, switchable to 30W, with 2 x ECC83 and 2 x EL34 valves. Made in the UK PRICE: £1699 CONTROL PANEL: On/Off and Play/Standby switches; Volume, Presence, Treble, Middle, Bass and Gain; inputs for guitar and boost footswitch (not included) BACK PANEL 2 x 8ohm and 1 x 16ohm outputs, 50W/30W switch (class AB or A) DIMENSIONS 55cm wide, 27cm high, 24cm deep WEIGHT 19kg/41lbs CONTACT: Orange Amps 020 8905 2828 www.orangeamps.com

The Custom Shop 50 is completely handwired with no digital gimmickry, and it’s made right here in the UK volume, Presence and Gain plus three normal-sized ones for the EQ section. And ‘enormous’ really does mean ‘enormous’ – you could tie a silk ribbon around one and wear it as a hat. Below the single input is a place to plug in a footswitch (which is not included); this is described on the website as a ‘sustain boost’ but on the amp itself as ‘EQ lift’.

We’ve seen amps with an option of bypassing the tonestack to provide a gain boost; this seems the most likely explanation of both wordings. The only feature worth noting on the back is a switch that toggles between Class AB operation, rated at 50W, and the less efficient Class A, rated at 30W. Such definitions are usually vague ➻ JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 55

GUITAR AMP

REVIEW £1699 Like this? Try this... MATAMP GT40 Carrying a name that has a lot of shared history with Orange, this is a head with the same switchable 50W/30W output as the Custom Shop 50 RRP:£1099

MJW Electra Grind 50W Also available as a 30-watter for £100 less, and as a ‘Twang’ version with 6L6s instead of EL34s RRP:£1075

MARSHALL 1959HW There isn’t a 50W amp in Marshall’s current Handwired range, but you could always buy this 100W beast and ask everyone to stand a bit further away RRP:£1700

at best but, in terms of overdriven character, this should give the amp a certain amount of ‘Marshall thump or Vox chime’ flexibility. A painted metal grille protects the valves at the back and, with that removed, unscrewing the four feet allows the amp chassis to be slid out of the chunky shell either front or back. It’s an arrangement that scores highly for simplicity; the one drawback is that it can be quite tricky to line the two parts up again when you want to put the screws back in. Once the chassis is out, sturdy metal bars at either end (similar to the ones on the front panel) allow it to be placed upside-down without any risk of knocking the tubes. There are only four of these: a pair of Ruby EL34s in the output stage and two PM-branded units at the preamp end. They’re actually marked E83CC, and it’s not a printing error – the National Valve Museum describes this model as a ‘special quality ECC83’. It is, of course, interchangeable with any standard preamp valve.

The underside of the chassis is more impressive. There’s just one small turret board in the corner and the rest of the space is taken up by very carefully arranged wires, many of them bent at precise right angles where they need to avoid running too close to other wires or components. It looks suitably modern and boutique; all in all, the Custom Shop 50 stands well apart from Orange’s standard production models.

In use Using an outsize 2x12" with a closed back and a pair of Celestion Vintage 30s, we’ll start by dialling up the Master volume with everything else at 12 o’clock and the rear switch set to full output. An SG with humbuckers seems like an ideal partner for this one. It sounds, in a word, Orange: big, loud and solid, with a strong, oaky ‘clonk’ in the midrange and plenty of clarity at the top. To find the clean stuff, as so often with this rock-leaning brand, you have to turn the preamp gain somewhere close to ‘off’; but 50W does give you

The Orange Custom Shop 50 sounds big, loud and solid, with a strong, oaky midrange clonk and plenty of clarity

Whopping knobs for Master, Presence and Gain plus a three-band EQ

56 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

enough headroom to punch out some pretty loud chords with only a hint of overdrive creeping in. By 10 or 11 o’clock on the dial you’re out of clean territory for good, and anything past noon is properly, deliciously saturated. Inevitably it sounds best with Master volume at full, but the Presence control makes a good job of replacing some of the edge that’s lost when you’re forced – by angry neighbours, sobbing family members or most likely a live engineer – to keep things down a bit. Cleverly, the Presence somehow never sounds too sharp at the top of the dial nor too muffled at the bottom.

The EQ section does as it’s told – a little more mid-scooping would have been welcome but, if you accept that the fundamental voice of the amp is just about perfect, then this is as much tweaking as you need. Activating the boost, meanwhile, adds a surprisingly generous fistful of gain; sure enough, the EQ controls stop working. That just leaves the 50W/30W switch at the back. The first thing to note here is that switching ‘down’ to 30W makes very little difference, if any, to the perceived volume of what’s coming out of the cab. In fact it can even seem louder at the lower wattage, thanks to the addition of a little harmonic richness and sparkle, and there’s noticeably more background noise. The overdrive in Class A is more fizzy, in a way that can make the AB side sound ever so slightly flat when you switch back. A is best for chime, AB is best for tight riffing – but what a treat to have the choice.

Verdict Orange is calling this ‘the definitive British rock amp’, and if you wanted to argue then you might be struggling for hard evidence. Is it much, much better than the less expensive models in the range? No, not really, but there is a genuine raising of Orange’s bar here, and it’s all about subtlety. The Custom Shop 50 doesn’t offer a wide palette of sounds to choose from; it has one authoritatively glorious voice, and the controls provide an array of highly refined adjustments to its accent.

FINAL SCORE ORANGE CUSTOM SHOP 50 HEAD Build quality

20/20

Versatility

16 / 20

Sound

19 / 20

Value for money

15 / 20

Looks

19 / 20

TOTAL

89%

GUITAR AMP

£589 REVIEW

MARSHALL

FACTFILE

MARSHALL SL5

SL5 Slash Signature combo Small is beautiful? Phooey, say Marshall and the guy in the top hat, putting their heads together to cook up a practice amp that sticks up two fingers in the face of portability. Review by Huw Price

U

ntil recently most people’s idea of a practice amp would be something small, light and low in volume, but things are changing. We reviewed Tony Iommi’s Laney practice amp, and it turned out to be a 15W bruiser that would be loud enough for many of us to gig with. The SL5 from Marshall’s Signature Series certainly ticks the low-wattage box with 5 Watt and 1 Watt settings, but it’s got a 12" Celestion Vintage 30 and weighs in at a hefty 20.5kg. Not that we’re complaining; the problem with smallbox amps is that many sound small and boxy. For practicing, most of us want the best possible tone at low volume, so low-wattage amps in full-sized cabinets usually deliver good results. The SL5 was conceived and designed closely with Slash, and Marshall says Slash was ‘intimately involved’ at every stage. It’s tempting to picture Slash sitting in Milton Keynes with Marshall’s technicians, soldering iron at the ready and taking his turn to put the kettle on. Slash himself says ‘it’s just not always possible or practical to have a Marshall half stack – let alone a full stack – in your bedroom.’ Many will empathise, having endured arguments on that very theme. It seems touching that global superstars are not exempt. So here it is: a portable tube amp that promises the essence of Marshall’s monster AFD100 in a smaller package.

An added speaker out gives the option to connect an 8 Ohm load

DESCRIPTION: Twin channel switchable 5W/1W valve combo with 12" Celestion Vintage 30, reverb and footswitch. Made in China PRICE: £589 CONTROLS: Volume (clean), Gain & Volume (overdrive), Treble, Middle Bass, Reverb and Presence VALVES 1 x EL34, 3 x ECC83 DIMENSIONS 19.5" wide x 11.5" deep x 20" high WEIGHT 20.5kg/45lbs CONTACT: Marshall 01908 375411 www.marshallamps.com

Slash was ‘intimately involved’ with the SL5 and it’s tempting to imagine him in Milton Keynes, putting the kettle on The SL5 is an all-valve combo featuring three preamp valves and a single EL34 running in Class A (we should point out that all single-ended amps run in Class A). It’s common practice to select an EL84 or 6V6 output valve when a designer is shooting for around 5W, so it’s interesting that Marshall opted for an EL34 – the valve that has become almost synonymous with the ‘Marshall sound’.

The SL5 has no shortage of features. There are two channels – clean and overdrive – and the clean channel gets its own Volume control. The overdrive channel has Gain and Volume and both channels share the tone controls. It’s the classic Marshall array with Treble, Middle, Bass and Presence. Unusually, perhaps, the SL5 is also equipped with digital reverb, and ➻ there are two inputs. The high JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 59

GUITAR AMP

REVIEW £589 Like this? Try this... Laney L5T112 Lionheart An all-valve 1x12" 5W combo with a Celestion Heritage G12H speaker, two channels and a Class A output stage with a EL84 valve. Controls include Clean Volume, Drive, Drive Volume, 3-band EQ, Reverb, Tone, and Bright switch. A footswitch and a cover come included RRP: £574

Blackstar HT-5C A 5W 1x12" combo with a Blackbird 50 speaker, one ECC83 and one 12BH7, two channels (clean/overdrive), and controls for Volume, Treble, Middle, and Bass; clean channel has controls for Volume and Tone. Speaker emulation (1x12" or 4x12"), headphone output, FX loop, speaker output, and MP3/Line In RRP: £341

sensitivity input is suggested for low output guitars and the low sensitivity input is for ‘normal’ output guitars. The high sensitivity input provides an extra 6dB of gain and regardless of your pickups, it’s useful if you wish to drive the amp harder. On the back panel there’s a switch to set the power level to 5W or 1W; the SL5 must be in standby mode to do this. A jack socket is provided for the footswitch, which overrides the front panel to swap channels and activate the reverb. There are two speaker outputs, 8 and 16 Ohm, but they can only be used one at a time. The onboard speaker connects to the 16 Ohm socket.

A dual footswitch allows you to switch channels and turn the reverb on and off

Sounds Since this is Slash’s amp we reached straight for a ’50s LP replica. One strum and there were smiles of recognition all round. The SL5 is like a bonsai Marshall – small but perfectly formed. The two channels are very different, with the clean channel having plenty of headroom and a warm, fulsome tone. The overdrive channel is voiced with definitive Marshall bite, and even with the gain down low the sound is never entirely clean. Turn the gain up a couple of notches and the SL5 bursts into life. From here things move progressively from heavy rock to blistering gain, and the middle control exerts a strong influence on the character of the tone.

The reverb control enhances the slightly uninspiring clean channel and adds a bluesy vibe to mildly overdriven sounds, but we’re not convinced that reverb is appropriate for high-gain guitar tones. It tends to muddy the issue when avoiding muddiness is the priority. Sheer volume often hides a multitude of sins or, in the case of heavy guitar amps, nasty harmonic distortions, but the SL5 doesn’t display any fuzziness or odd beating overtones and chord inversions ring true and clear even with the gain cranked up. We also like the

The SL5 is a bonsai Marshall with warm cleans and an overdrive side that can move from heavy rock to blistering gain

The EL34 output valve is an unusual choice for a single-ended amp design

60 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

way that the SL5 cleans up from the guitar volume; it retains a sparkling clarity and you can use the guitar’s volume as a ‘virtual gain control’. To explore the SL5’s full palette you must investigate both inputs. Hitting the overdrive channel from the low sensitivity input opens up the lower gain range. Similarly, feeding the clean channel from the high sensitivity input livens things up and the sound even takes on a throaty overdrive when the volume is maxed out. Many amps seem to lose bass and clarity when they’re switched to low power mode. Not so the SL5: the tone remains remarkably consistent, which suggests that there’s more going on than simple pentode/triode switching. There’s still enough volume available to drown out an acoustic guitar, but it’s definitely more ‘neighbour friendly’ than the surprisingly loud 5W setting.

Marshall amps have been around long enough for the term ‘classic Marshall sound’ to mean different things to different generations. The SL5 is less about the ’70s and more about the ’80s and beyond. It’s a crunchy, grinding plug-and-play rock amp that works brilliantly with humbuckers for rhythm and lead alike. Bright single coil pickups may need quite a bit of treble rolled off on the overdrive channel, but there’s still great tone to be had with a bit of tweaking.

Verdict The SL5 justifies its ‘practice’ tag on low wattage alone, because in all other respects it’s a regular guitar amp. It also costs a lot for a 5W amp – in fact you could buy various giggable 15W or 20W combos for the same or even less money, and on that basis buying a power break for your regular amp may be a more cost-effective option. Having said that, the generously-proportioned closed back cabinet does wonders for the sound. Better still, rock players will find everything they could ask for in a low-wattage Marshall valve amp, and the tone is good enough for the studio as well as the ‘bedroom’. So long as you don’t need an amp you can lug around on public transport, it’s ideal.

FINAL SCORE MARSHALL SL5 Build quality

17 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

17 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

87%

FACTFILE Tone-BursT

DEsCrIpTIoN: Boost/overdrive pedal. Made in the USA prICE: £169 CoNTroLs: Level, Gain, Bass, Treble CoNTACT: Westside Distribution 0141 248 4812 www.mesaboogie.com

Like this? Try this... Fulltone Fat-Boost FB-3 An equally compact and similarly-equipped alternative that supplies up to 35dB of undistorted gain rrp: £143

Xotic rC Booster Another compact booster boasting four active controls and 20dB of additional output rrp: £200

62 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

MESA/BOOGIE

Tone-Burst & Throttle Box Best-known for high quality amps, Mesa/Boogie has decided the time is right to enter the compact stompbox arena – and the results are guaranteed to grab your attention. review by Roger Cooper

T

his year’s NAMM show saw the launch of a new series of stompboxes from amp specialists Mesa/Boogie. It isn’t the first time this California-based company has taken to the floor, but previous foot pedals have been on the pretty sizeable side, whereas this latest line keeps the measurements much more compact. Unsurprisingly aimed at the rock guitar market, the range currently comprises a quartet of models, with the majority firmly focused on delivering distortion and overdrive. All four share the same spacefriendly size, with dimensions

conveniently adopting the footprint of an average compact effects pedal. The rectangular shape may be pretty standard but the styling is typically Mesa/Boogie, being classy in an understated kind of way. The innards are encased in a sturdy and seemingly bombproof metal box, with each model identified by a differing and durablelooking crackle finish. This is contrasted by a fascia panel that’s attractively executed in etched black aluminium. There’s certainly nothing girlie about the end results, which are in keeping with Mesa/Boogie’s macho image. Even the pedals’ names are predictably

EffEcts pEdaLs

£169 & £189 review FACTFiLe

The Throttle Box delivers over the top distortion suitable for anything from classic rock to modern metal butch, with the flux-drive and Grid slammer partnered by the equally evocatively named tone-Burst and throttle Box, the latter pair being put through their paces this month.

Tone-Burst clad in a dark red casing, the toneBurst totes a quartet of controls. these are topped by vintage-style, rib-sided, black plastic knobs, with a white line and dot on each providing easily seen position references. spacing is close but still convenient and the controls stay sufficiently clear of the traditional-type metal on/off footswitch, while a red LEd visually indicates operation of the latter. a Level pot determines output volume, while Gain governs the amount of overdrive. the self-descriptive Bass and treble controls are centre-detented and active, delivering appropriately augmented departures from their flat response settings. the jack sockets are side-mounted and follow the established signal path logic of right in and left out. power is supplied by the usual 9v battery, which is accessed by removing the four screws that secure the baseplate. this isn’t the speediest or most convenient method of course, but it seems to suit the no-nonsense image of these pedals. the obvious alternative is to employ a suitable mains supply adaptor and the usual input for this purpose is provided in the front of the casing. the absence of any grippy material on the baseplate makes it easier to mount the pedal on a board by whatever method chosen, but for free-standing use a set of small, selfadhesive feet is included to help keep it anchored in position.

Sounds Unlike its stablemates, the tone-Burst is essentially a boost box that delivers up to 20dB of extra output. this stays suitably clean and can be employed either for similarly unsullied solo work, or to make an already overdriven amp work harder. advancing the Gain control adds some obvious grit to the sonic proceedings, but this is more for dirtying up aural edges and stops well short of flat-out filth. the EQ section certainly lives up to the tone-Burst title, providing the potential for anything from subtle

ThroTTle Box dEscription: Overdrive/distortion pedal. Made in the USA pricE: £189

enhancement to larger-than-life alterations. the trick is to find the right blend and balance of all four pots that best suit personal sound and playing style. this may take a little time, but the end results justify the effort involved and can make it tempting to leave the pedal in permanent operation.

controLs: Level, Gain, Mid Cut, Tone, Lo/Hi gain switch, internal Boost switch contact: Westside Distribution 0141 248 4812 www.mesaboogie.com

Like this? Try this...

Throttle Box the all-black throttle Box also employs the services of four controls but adds a small, two-way toggle switch in the centre. the pot count again includes Level and Gain, which function as on the tone-Burst, although parameters are more extreme. the EQ side is also covered by two controls, but these aren’t centre-detented and they perform different duties. Mid cut does exactly that, progressively reducing midrange response, while tone most obviously affects treble content. the mid-placed mini-switch selects either Lo or Hi settings, which affect gain via differing degrees of signal saturation. apart from a yellow LEd all else seems pretty much the same as on the tone-Burst, but the throttle Box actually incorporates an extra facility courtesy of an internal, circuit boardmounted Boost switch. this affects the amount of gain and low end available, allowing significant additional tweaking to suit personal taste and playing style.

Bogner Uberschall Comprehensive controls plus a boost function provide big performance, but this stompbox also takes up more real estate rrp: £199

that adds all the requisite thud and punch, going from typically scooped to an edgy, upfront midrange. the throttle Box can also be reined in enough to provide a passably rough and ready, contemporary blues performance, but this means all that extra hooligan gain is then left going to waste.

the throttle Box resides at the opposite of the sonic spectrum to the toneBurst, as the latter is decidedly shy and retiring in comparison. forget about subtle dirty work, because virtually from zero the throttle Box lives up to its name in terms of delivering increasingly ample amounts of over-the-top distortion. these are tailor-made for anything from classic rock to modern metal, ably assisted by a tonal range

final score

final score

tonE-BUrst

The name says it all, with sounds to match supplied by controls that usefully include a midrange sweep rrp: £139

Verdict the modern pedal market is pretty crowded, especially where distortion and overdrive effects are concerned, but Mesa/Boogie obviously thinks there’s room for a few more. on the evidence of these two the company could be right, as they certainly deliver sound-wise, courtesy of usefully effective and wide-ranging controls, while build quality is up to the equally high standard expected of Mesa/Boogie products. the tone-Burst does exactly what it says on the classy-looking can, while its partner is very much like a Boogie in a box. the asking prices aren’t cheap, but they’re less than those charged for many more amateurish ‘boutique-style’ stompboxes, and the money buys Mesa/Boogie-style professional performance plus looks to match, which could prove to be a winning combination.

Sounds

Mxr fullbore Metal distortion

tHrottLE BoX

Build quality

18 / 20

Build quality

18 / 20

Playability

16 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

15 / 20

Value for money

16 / 20

Looks

17/ 20

Looks

18/ 20

totaL

84%

totaL

87% JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 63

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

£135 REVIEW

PEAVEY

FACTFILE

PEAVEY COMPOSER PARLOUR ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Composer Parlour Acoustic Guitar

DESCRIPTION: Parlour-sized steel string acoustic. Made in China PRICE: £135

Fancy a parlour guitar with a little more oomph that could also be a holiday buddy, but don’t want to sell a kidney? Peavey takes on the challenge. Review by Martin Wheeler

A

lthough it’s a traditional wooden acoustic instrument, the genesis of the Composer can be traced back to 2010 when Peavey bought Composite Acoustics, a company specialising in carbon fibre and graphite instrument building. The first post-CA Peavey instruments were designed with features gleaned from the feedback of original Composite Acoustics players. The resulting top-end guitars were wellreceived, and it seems that some of the design ethos has trickled down to this entry-level Composer. Peavey is aiming to offer ‘a parloursize musical instrument made for guitarists who want the tone and craftsmanship of a full-size instrument with the comfort and playability of a parlour guitar.’ They’ve also tagged it as a travel guitar, and a quick glance at the price may lead you to suspect that serious corners have been cut. Happily this doesn’t seem to be the case, but one suspects that they’ve had a close look over the shoulders down at their new CA division for inspiration and have done more than ape the aesthetics of the pricier carbon fibre instruments. In doing so they’ve made a very astute choice: copying the solid, neutral tonal characteristics of carbon fibre on a shoestring budget by using tough but

Teapdrop soundhole on the upper bout

BUILD: Laminated spruce top, Indonesian agathis plywood sides and back with 18-fret bound Indonesian rosewood fingerboard. Malaysian nato neck, Indonesian rosewood bridge, chrome tuners OPTIONS: Sunburst finish at same cost LEFT-HANDERS:No FINISH: Satin SCALE LENGTH: 628mm/24.75" NECK WIDTH: Nut 45mm 12th fret 52.6mm DEPTH OF NECK: First fret 22mm Ninth fret 25.2mm STRING SPACING: Nut 34mm Bridge 52mm WEIGHT: 3kg/1.34Ib CONTACT: www.peavey.com

The nut is slightly narrow for a parlour, but the neck is playable

Some of the design ethos of the highend Composite Acoustics has trickled down to the entry-level Composer tonally inert laminates and plywood is a logical, clever step, as is combing these materials with a fairy dust sprinkling of CA design to improve acoustic tone. Weight and playability are big factors in any ‘travel’ instrument so the body outline owes more than a passing resemblance to the Peavey Composite Cargo guitar but in a slimmed down,

sleeker form. Also inspired by the classic tightly-waisted parlour but with an added Florentine cutaway, it looks great to us and also affords excellent, effortless upper fret access. The most obvious deviation from the norm is the soundhole position – in fact there are two, and neither are in the usual central position in front ➻ JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 65

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

REVIEW £135 Like this? Try this... Fender CP-100 Laminated spruce and mahogany construction with rosewood bridge and a neat sunburst finish RRP: £178

Alvarez AP70 Slim-necked parlour in spruce top and rosewood with an 18-fret bound rosewood fingerboard. Rosewood bi-level bridge, bone nut and saddle, chrome open gear tuners and twin strap buttons RRP: £335

Emerald X5-OS Higher up the market and featuring a carbon fibre build including a hollow neck for ultra lightweight resonance and a B-Band pickup system RRP: £599

of the bridge. There’s the large curved opening on the bass side top, and also a teardrop hole positioned on the side – on the bass side, to be exact, on the lower bout. The look is unusual but the presence and placement are primarily designed to offer more volume, and also a better tonal balance across the frequency range from the smaller bodied guitar than a regular soundhole. The laminated spruce top measures in at 5.6mm thick which is at the chunky end of accepted top building thickness, so here one assumes it’s there to add strength over resonance. The finish is all satin – natural for the top and just a wee shade away from being black on the back, sides and neck between the front and back binding. A decent-looking piece of rosewood makes up the bridge and the regular bridge pin stringing and angled saddle are once again pure trad. The soundhole placements afford a good view of the internals and although there’s little to trouble NASA here, all the glue lines are clean and the bracings sanded to a more than acceptable form. The tidy-looking neck is carved from nato (a vaguely mahogany-related variant) and the fairly deep neck section adds a sense of solidity to what is otherwise standard fare. Fretting,

The side port is unusually positioned on the lower bout, not the upper

binding, dots and finish are all excellent at this price range; the fret tops would benefit greatly from a polish, but that’s easy enough to do post-purchase.

Sounds Laminated spruce and plywood wouldn’t ordinarily be at the top of a building specification list of great tone woods, and on a regular-shaped acoustic we’d be quite sure of what to expect. In the context of the Composer, however, the resultant tone is surprisingly pleasant.

The Composer would make a great first steel-string for the kids or a knockabout for the living room or home studio

Deep cutaway makes upper-fret noodling a breeze

66 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

Single-note runs particularly display a sweetness and almost fragile quality, with surprisingly swelling sustain. There’s some twang in there if you go looking for it, and upper fret access past the 12th fret neck join makes melodic excursions absolutely effortless. With a 24.75" scale length the playing feel is familiar enough and fingering down at the nut feels no more cramped than on a standard dreadnought. Fingerpickers and fans of the wider parlour-style nut and string spacing may find it a bit of a squeeze, but there is an overall chiming clarity that the price really belies. Despite the soundhole placement this guitar lacks true solid bass end response and it’s never going to be the loudest acoustic strummer out there. Without A/B testing the same design with a traditional soundhole it’s impossible to say exactly what impact the design has but the lack of brittle top end or harsh wound strings suggest that there’s definitely something to it.

Verdict So what is this guitar? Peavey calls it both a parlour and a travel guitar, but it’s neither. It’s too big to be a travel guitar, especially if compared to the specialist folding and mini-me guitars out there, and it wouldn’t fit in the overhead locker on a plane… and it’s not a true parlour either. Peavey set themselves a tough target: build a small guitar but make it sound and feel more like a full-size acoustic – oh, and make it super-affordable. It’s a bold attempt to offer something unusual but functional by using budget materials in an innovative way, and all for little money. Mostly, they’ve succeeded. The cost-effective materials offer strength; there’ll always be a certain aura associated with them, but to create a strong soundbox and then use clever design to produce a deeper bass than might otherwise be possible is a neat trick. About all, Peavey should be congratulated for keeping the money down. It would make an excellent first steel-string for the kids or a knockabout for the living room or home studio. It’s small and light enough to carry around easily, and if it did get damaged it could be easily replaced. Perhaps not quite the unique selling point Peavey were aiming for – but it may be a deciding factor for the cash-strapped guitarist at home or abroad.

FINAL SCORE PEAVEY COMPOSER PARLOUR ACOUSTIC Build quality

17 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

18 / 20

Looks

18/ 20

TOTAL

86%

EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON

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The Watcher T-Sonic

ACOUSTIC GUITAR

£799.95 REVIEW

FACTFILE FRESHMAN FA400D

DESCRIPTION: Dreadnought acoustic. Made in China PRICE:£799.95 inc. hard case

FRESHMAN

BUILD: Solid Engelmann spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, 20-fret set mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, compensated saddle, Grover diecast tuners ELECTRICS:None LEFT-HANDERS: No FINISH: Natural gloss

FA400D & FA400GACE/F With solid Englemann tops, solid rosewood back and sides, cutaway options and Fishman electrics, these Cedar Creek guitars from Freshman look to have what it takes. Review by Huw Price

A

lthough both these guitars form part of Freshman’s ‘Cedar Creek’ series, neither one has a cedar top. Both have solid Engelmann spruce tops with a pale and almost creamy sheen; they’re ‘AAA-grade’, so we’d have to conclude that the grading scheme that Freshman employs involves tap tone as well as appearance. The Grand Auditorium has straight but widely-spaced grain with an even colour, while the dreadnought has tighter grain and the shade varies noticeably each side of the centre joint. Both are attractive but we don’t think the slightly opaque gloss finish does the spruce many favours. In contrast the back and sides look gorgeous. Both guitars are graced with solid Indian rosewood of a deep chocolaty brown with subtle shades of purple, and it contrasts really well against the pale Canadian maple binding on the front and back. The necks are three-piece mahogany with a stacked heel and a scarfejointed headstock. You might expect the profiles to be identical, but the Grand Auditorium has a slim, almost ‘electric’ neck profile while the deeper C profile gives the dreadnought a more traditional ‘acoustic’ feel. Both necks are treated to 20-fret rosewood fingerboards with black bound edges and pearl dots. Pearl logos grace the rosewood peghead overlay and goldplated Grover tuners with lightweight black buttons complete the look.

The electro GACE/F has a sweet cutaway

Classic-looking headstock and smooth Grover tuners

SCALE LENGTH: 650mm/25.625" NECK WIDTH: Nut 43mm 12th fret 53mm DEPTH OF NECK: First fret 18mm Ninth fret 21mm STRING SPACING: Nut 35mm Bridge 52mm ACTION AS SUPPLIED: 12th fret treble 2.5mm 12th fret bass 3mm WEIGHT: 2.1kg/4.6lbs CONTACT: Access All Areas 01355 228028 www.freshmanguitars.net

Like this? Try this...

After one strum you know it’s a solid wood guitar; the FA400D is loud and punchy with deep bass and a crisp treble Some modern Grovers are sloppy and vague but these are smooth and precise and allow you to tune up or down with ease and accuracy. The finish may be glossy but the adornment ends there; Freshman’s styling is neat, understated and blingfree, with only a few bands of mahogany forming the rosette. The crimson hue of the pickguards does look a bit ‘plums and custard’ against the colour of these tops and if you’re used to the ‘Martin look’ then they might appear to be at a bit of an odd angle. ➻ Besides the shape, size and

neck profile both guitars are more or less identical, but the ‘F’ in the Grand Auditorium’s model designation refers to a Fishman Presys Blend

FINAL SCORE FRESHMAN FA400D Build Quality

18 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

18 / 20

Value for money

16 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

87%

Eastman E8D All-solid sitka/rosewood dreadnought with bone saddle and nut,and a nitro finish. Case included RRP: £759

Cort Earth 1200NT Another all-solid sitka/ rosewood dreadnought but with a shorter 643mm scale, abalone inlays and gold-plated Grover tuners RRP: £630

Blueridge BR-160NA Lots of glam with solid spruce and rosewood, herringbone, split diamond inlays, bone saddle and nut, Dalmatian pickguard, open-gear tuners RRP: £652

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 69

ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR

REVIEW £999.95 FACTFILE

FRESHMAN FA400GACE/F DESCRIPTION: Grand Auditorium acoustic guitar. Made in China PRICE:£999.95 inc. hard case BUILD: Solid Engelmann spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, 20-fret set mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, compensated saddle, Grover diecast tuners ELECTRICS: Fishman Presys Blend system LEFT-HANDERS: No FINISH: Natural gloss SCALE LENGTH: 650mm/25.6" NECK WIDTH: Nut 42mm 12th fret 53mm DEPTH OF NECK: First fret 17mm Ninth fret 19mm STRING SPACING: Nut 35mm Bridge 52mm ACTION AS SUPPLIED: 12th fret treble 2mm 12th fret bass 3mm WEIGHT: 2.1kg/4.62lbs CONTACT: Access All Areas 01355 228028 www.freshmanguitars.net

Like this? Try this... PRS SE Angelus Custom Piezo Mr Smith’s acoustic offering has a solid sitka top, laminated rosewood sides, solid rosewood back, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, bird inlays, ebony bridge, bone saddle, bone nut, PRS piezo pickup, PRS SE tuners. Comes with case RRP: £898.95

Takamine TAN45C

pickup system that’s side-mounted on the upper bout. The control panel has a built-in tuner, a master volume and Bass, Middle and Treble EQ controls, plus a phase switch, a notch filter and a mic blend control that balances an internal microphone with the undersaddle piezo pickup. The unit unclips on one side and swings outwards to provide battery access.

FA400D One strum and you will be in no doubt that you’re playing a solid wood guitar. The FA400D is loud and punchy, deep in the bass and crisp in the treble. The bass notes don’t quite have the snap and focus of a good OM or 000 but you can feel it in your chest and it provides a low, almost humming drone that underpins open tuning adventures to delicious effect. The dynamic response

The FA400GACE/F has a crisper, more defined sound; it’s a guitar for the fingerpicker rather than the strummer is superb; play gently and the GA400D responds with a delicate but complex whisper, then add some power and it starts to roar. This may be a brand-new spruce guitar, but already the treble is showing a degree of sweetness that will only improve with age. The tonal range is excellent too. Play near the neck and the GA400D sounds sweet and fulsome; move your picking hand towards the bridge and the GA400D responds with a glistening sprang. In fact the contrast is so pronounced, it’s akin to changing pickup settings on a Telecaster.

FA400GACE/F Despite the identical materials and build spec, the Grand Auditorium

Described as a NEX shape with cutaway, this solid cedar-topped guitar has a solid Indian rosewood back, a CTP2 preamp with an integrated tuner, and a case RRP: £875

70 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

and can accentuate noises that are transmitted through the body. In contrast the undersaddle pickup is mellow and full-bodied. With the tone controls, notch filter and blender it’s possible to dial in a vast range of tones and deal with feedback issues, to some extent. We’re pleased to report that the Presys system produces an impressively ‘acoustic’ sound, but the GA400GACE/F’s solid body resonance probably means it’s more compatible with solo or small ensemble work than full-on rock bands. One thing we noticed by accident was that the placement of the control panel affected the sound from a player’s perspective. All around the edges there’s a gap that directs sound up towards the player to create a brighter, more open tone. Place your hand over the unit, and the tone mellows out.

Verdict

Furch G-22 SR A grand auditorium with a solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard, bridge and headstock and a natural high polish finish. Price includes case RRP: £1086

body creates a very different character. Rather than the dreadnought’s muscular exuberance, the FA400GACE/F has a dynamic thump and a crisper, more defined sound. It’s a guitar for the dedicated fingerpicker rather than the strong armed-strummer. The mids sound more balanced with the highs and lows, and impressive string-to-string balance makes it forgiving to play. The FA400GACE/F does have a slightly stiffer feel than the dreadnought and it isn’t quite as responsive to a gentle touch, but we’d expect that to improve after a playing-in period. We ran the pickup system into a studio monitor setup. The microphone alone sounds fairly bright and bass light, but it does add some airy detail to the dry pickup tone. It also makes the system more susceptible to feedback

Fishman’s Presys panel comes with tuner, a full EQ and feedback-killing tricks

Some minor tweaks would lift these guitars into a higher league. The pickguard colour is a matter of taste and you won’t be able to do anything about the finish build-up around the fingerboard tongue, but we’d suggest that these guitars would look and sound even better with real bone for the saddle and nut. Despite a steadily climbing reputation Freshman hasn’t yet acquired the glamour of some big

name brands, yet both these guitars offer really good value for money and we can’t really quibble about the quality. The Grand Auditorium is a fine acoustic instrument and the pickup system does it justice. As for the GA400D, it’s one of the most enjoyable dreadnoughts we’ve seen in a while and it comes highly recommended.

FINAL SCORE FA400GACE/F Build quality

18 / 20

Playability

17 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

16 / 20

Looks

18 / 20

TOTAL

85%

Fully Automated Valve Testing & Matching

Introducing the VT1000 Another World First from Orange Read More...

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EHX_Multi_GB_July2013.indd 1-2

5/20/13 3:03 PM

BASS GUITAR

£659 REVIEW

HOFNER

FACTFILE

HOFNER CONTEMPORARY SERIES 500/5 PRESIDENT BASS

Contemporary Series 500/5 President Bass

DESCRIPTION: Hollowbody bass. Made in China PRICE: £659

It’s time to don a leather jacket, quiff up your hair, shorten your strap to chin-tickling length, plug into the band’s shared Vox AC30 and party like it’s 1963. Review by Gareth Morgan

A

lthough Hofner has been making guitars since the 1930s, the company will always be best known as the one who made instruments played by the Beatles. For some this conjures up images of the Club 40 or President guitars played by Lennon and Harrison, but most – especially members of the Bass Players Union – instantly think of the little Violin bass that Paul McCartney bought in a Hamburg music shop sometime around May of 1961. But there’s more Hofner/Beatles history than just that, for the man holding down the bass job before McCartney’s enforced switch was Stuart Sutcliffe, and his choice of Hofner bass was a little different – he chose the single-cutaway acoustic archtop model known at the time simply as the Hofner Electric Bass. Although Sutcliffe didn’t endure as a bassist, the bass carried on, renamed as the President in 1963 with the same shape and basic layout (although with rotary controls on some models and different pickups). Fast forward 50 years, and Hofner has re-elected the President as part of their Chinese-manufactured Contemporary Series. First, note that the President is a true hollowbody with no centre-block – light, but big. The top is spruce, punctured by a pair of f-holes, and the back and sides are

Rectangular pearloid tuner buttons are a great touch

Fully bound body with laminated maple back and sides

The Beatles’ Stuart Sutcliffe played a Hofner Electric Bass, the model which was later renamed the President Bass sumptuous flame maple, with the back being a two-piece affair. All the edges, including the f-holes, are bound in either creamy white or a black/white multi-ply combination, and the oldschool Hofner logo sits in its rightful place above the neck. Hofner has chosen not to fit a pickguard, a feature present on both early Electric Bass and President models; it half-obscured the

BUILD: Spruce top, flame maple sides and two-piece flame maple back, all fully bound. Set three-piece maple neck with beech insert and cream binding with 22 medium nickel frets (plus zero fret) on a rosewood fingerboard. Wilkinson tuners with pearl buttons, Hofner ebony bridge and nickel tailpiece. Chrome/nickel hardware ELECTRICS: Passive with two Hofner Staple Black Bar pickups. Two volume controls, Bass on/off, Treble on/off and Rhythm/Solo switches LEFT HANDER: No FINISHES: Sunburst only RANGE OPTIONS: None SCALE LENGTH: 760mm/30" NECK WIDTH: Nut 42mm 12th fret 48mm DEPTH OF NECK: First fret 19mm 12th fret 22mm STRING SPACING: Nut 12mm Bridge 1mm ACTION AS SUPPLIED: 12th fret treble 2mm 12th fret bass 3.5mm WEIGHT: 3.51/7.74lbs CONTACT: Barnes & Mullins www.bandm.co.uk

lower f-hole and, to be honest, it’s no loss. The neck is attached to the body via the set-in method (a mortis-andtenon or dovetail joint secured using appropriate adhesive) and the heel is capped with synthetic cream pearl. The maple neck has a central beech stringer running from tip of headstock to heel of maple and its slim ‘C’ contour is really ➻ comfortable under the hand, JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 75

BASS GUITAR

REVIEW £659 Like this? Try this... Ibanez Artcore AGB200 Sweet semi-hollow twin-humbucker bass with a short 30" scale – and a snip at less than £300 RRP: £299

Epiphone Jack Casady Bass Replica of the ’70s Les Paul Signature bass, looking a bit like an offset EB-2, with a single humbucker and clad in gold all over RRP: £899

Hagström Viking Looking ’60s to the max, this semi-hollow double-cutaway thinline number has a six-position rotary and offers single coil and humbucking modes RRP: £566

almost as if to balance the problems caused by the bulk of its body. The headstock is bound in cream with a repro of the original floral logo and a set of appropriately diminutive Wilkinson tuners with pearl buttons. A three-ply plastic nut organises the string-spacing over the zero fret, and the rosewood fingerboard carries 22 frets. There’s a triumvirate of dots at the 12th fret and we’re glad Hofner didn’t make it three dots at each point, a fussy feature you’ll find on original President basses. Hofner has employed a traditional floating ebony bridge – complete with the typical ‘fretwire’ saddles – plus a nickel trapeze tailpiece. Needless to say, intonation adjustments are not easy and you’d be wise to seek the services of a trained eye if the set-up goes skewwhiff on you. The President comes fitted with a pair of Hofner Staple ‘Black Bar’ pickups, in similar manner to the late ’50s/early ’60s Electric Bass, either the one or two pickup version (the President model from 1963 had chunkier chrome ‘toaster’ units with the bridge pickup just in front of the bridge itself). Here you effectively get one in the neck position – and it couldn’t physically be any closer to the neck – and one placed in the centre. Presidents from the ’60s had four rotary controls but this Contemporary version bears a Type 2 control panel, described in original Hofner sales literature as the

The saddles are simple fretwire sections sitting in grooves cut into the top of the bridge

‘Double-Plate Flick-Action Console’. It’s essentially an oblong plastic plate with a tortoiseshell face that houses a volume for each pickup and three switches – two for turning pickups on or off (Bass on/off, Treble on/off) and Rhythm/Solo where selecting rhythm provided a 70 per cent reduction in the set volume. It still appears to work in the same way.

Sounds When you sit down to play the President the only thing about it that feels ‘big’ is the body. The neck is very much on the narrow side; add the 760mm/30" scale and it’s a real joy to play, weighing next to nothing and balancing beautifully on your lap. It just takes a bit of time to get used to fact that the comfortable

The President’s neck pickup has a light, woody sound with a distinct archtop rasp and a roots, folk and jazz feel Two volumes, a Rhythm/Solo level preset, and pickup-on switches - but no tone controls

76 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

playing position involves positioning your right elbow a couple of inches forwards of your chest. Acoustically it’s excellent, with plenty of projection and an honest, earthy tone with a pleasing thud and evenness across the fretboard. Plugging in, the D and especially the G strings acquire a slight nasal tinge which actually do help give a little more shape to the note. The midrange is smooth and solid with a weighty punch, while the bottom end is big and warm, giving a real feeling of air being shifted when you play in the low register. Overall, it sounds just the ticket for laidback pop or blues. If you love the Hofner’s acoustic tone, then the best way to replicate that plugged-in is to solo the neck pickup, giving a light, woody sound with a distinct acoustic archtop rasp and a definite roots, folk and jazz feel. The

President plays well all over the neck, and notes in the higher registers have a sweet and singing quality. Switch to the centre/bridge pickup and this Hofner sounds a lot spikier. The bass end becomes tighter and the focus of the midrange shifts towards the high side, giving the E, A and D a brighter punch that’ll push you further forwards in the mix. It’s the nearest that the President can get to sounding modern. The G string has a bit of a nasal edge, but the treble response is still nice and even, if not as sweet. All the same, upper-fretboard melodics are still rewarding pastimes. Incidentally, selecting the Rhythm simply knocks the volume down with no discernible change in tone – great for any gigs where you get to play lead on top of the band: use the Rhythm setting, and just flick the switch to Solo.

Verdict Sometimes you only really have to look at a bass to know exactly how it’s going to sound. That’s the case with this Hofner; that big body, those retro looks – the President is all about the thud and the groove. Once you’ve got used to the physical issues involved in playing it, there’s a lot of fun to be had. The only issue is the price, especially as you can get a good quality acoustic bass for about half this money, but come on… is there any acoustic bass out there that looks even half as cool?

FINAL SCORE HOFNER PRESIDENT BASS Build quality

18 / 20

Playability

16 / 20

Sound

16 / 20

Value for money

16 / 20

Looks

18 /20

TOTAL

84%

#31913 - E M Guitarist_Layout 1 22/11/2012 16:19 Page 1

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FACTFiLe

PJB

DOUBLE FOUR

Double Four bass combo

Setting a new mark in the ‘more decibels per kilogram’ arms race, this tiny 70W combo packs some staggeringly grown-up tone. Review by Gareth Morgan

T

he modern trend for downsizing and weight reduction in bass amps is something that should be applauded by bass players of all generations and all stylistic leanings – and Phil Jones Bass, alongside the likes of markbass, Genz Benz and euphonic audio, has been at the forefront of such developments with its Briefcase and Bass Cub models. PJB’s Double Four combo is the latest addition to this excellent line. Built at PJB’s own factory in China, the Double Four is, in combo terms, tiny, standing 170mm high, 281mm wide and 204mm deep – or, in other words, about half the size of a compact microwave oven. Cushioned by a choice of two sets of rubber feet (you can stand it up like a computer tower), the cabinet is constructed from mDF, used for its extra density and reduced resonance compared to plywood. It’s coated in a hard epoxy coating (red, white or, for £20 less, black) and this, together with two PJB Neo Power type C 4” neodymium speakers, is the key to a paltry payload of 4.02kg (8.86lbs). each speaker is powered by its own highly efficient Pulse Width modulation (PWm) amplifier, a low-operating-temperature system that helps maintain a tight, punchy sound without muddiness or boom. Behind them PJB has fitted a Rectangular auxiliary Low Frequency

Radiator (RaLFR) which only deals in the lowest frequencies and cuts the load on the 4” units, therefore improving efficiency and power handling. It also all amounts to a cone area greater than that of an 8” driver. as well as a three-band eQ offering up to 18dB cut/boost, the control panel features a chrome selector switch for active/passive and global mute and an aux section with mini-jack in and level control for all your play-a-long needs. You also get a headphone mini-jack socket and a Line out jack socket.

Sounds If you’re harbouring any preconceptions about the quality or size of tone you’ll get from this little belter, cast them adrift right now. and if you’re expecting ear-splitting volume and earth-shaking bass response, forget that too. But do expect a fully realised reproduction of your bass’s sound with the same qualities you’d expect from a bigger amp. active bass players may not need recourse to the eQ so the key is a little care in setting the input level: flick it to High and start somewhere near 9 o’clock and, verily, your tone will be clean and natural-sounding, right down to the B string if fitted. the quality of sound is quite simply amazing. If you do involve the eQ you’ll be staggered at how much low end that

RaLFR facility will reproduce – it’s like having a concealed extension cab. Boosting mid makes things punchy and refreshingly un-nasal, and pushing treble gets you cut and bite without increases in fret or finger noise. elsewhere, the aux section with its level control works really well, giving a clean reproduction of backing tracks in whatever form you choose.

Verdict the fact that a combo as small as this can give you a clean, fully realised sound with real depth is brilliant; but the output level and quality of tone make it a quite simply amazing little unit. the RRP looks high but actually, when you compare it to similarly spec’d competition, it’s very reasonable – and while it doesn’t come loaded with effects, the Double Four’s combination of tonal quality and portability is unbeatable. Buy one now!

final score PJB DoUBLe FoUR ComBo Build quality

19 / 20

Playability

16 / 20

Sound

20/20

Value for money

18 / 20

Looks

20/20

totaL

93%

DeSCRIPtIoN: Single channel, 70W 2x4” digital combo with two PJB Neo Power Type C speakers, each with one PWM amplifier, in an internally braced and acoustically damped 12mm MDF cabinet. Made in China PRICe: £399 CoNtRoLS: Input Level, Bass, Mid and Treble, Master Volume and Aux Input Level controls. Three-way selector switch (Mute/Low/High), Aux In and Headphone mini-jack sockets, Input and Line Out jack sockets DImeNSIoNS: 170mm high, 281mm wide, 204mm deep WeIGHt: 4kg/8.9lbs oPtIoNS: Red at same price, standard black at £379 CoNtaCt: Synergy Distribution 0121 270 6485 synergydistribution.co.uk

Like this? Try this... Markbass micromark 50W combo Incredible power-to-size ratio and sounds superb RRP: £369

Roland Cube-60XL Bass 60W combo with eight amp models and seven COSM effects, plus a phrase looper and ‘power squeezer’, three-band EQ and tuner RRP: £420

Line 6 LowDown Studio 110 For £239 you get 75W output, four amp models and four programmable memories, synth bass and compression RRP: £239

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 79

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£195 review

Darkglass

Microtubes vintage bass overdrive This hand-built stomper promises high-quality grit and more versatility than a garage full of vintage bass amps. Review by Gareth Morgan

Y

ou may be familiar with the name of Darkglass from the excellent Microtubes B3K cMOS Bass Overdrive pedal, which ran the reviewing gauntlet in our August 2012 issue (Vol 23/11). We liked it enough to give it a special mention in December’s awards extravaganza and now Douglas castro’s line of designed-in-finland/hand-built-in-USA pedals have been augmented by the Microtubes Vintage, an overdrive and tube amp emulator. At 60mm wide, 112mm high and 35mm deep on mini rubber feet, the Vintage is a little smaller than standard stompbox size and weighs a negligible 250 grams (0.53lbs). The box is a simple, unadorned metal affair with a brushedeffect face, and side-mounted input and output jack sockets are accompanied by the 9V Dc input. Note that you have to run this pedal off an appropriate power supply but one is not provided – for ecological reasons, Darkglass no longer offers the facility of battery power with any of its pedals. The Microtubes Vintage is designed as a distortion pedal and as a way of recreating the characteristics of various tube amps from the ’60s to the present. It does this courtesy of the era control, a neat little feature that, very simply put, allows you to select from a wide range of frequency settings that dictate the overall colour of the sound. The other three controls work as you’d expect: use Level to set the output level and to match volumes between pedal on and off (or to set up a bias as required); the Blend dial allows you to choose your preferred mix of distorted and clean signals; Drive let’s you crank the gain to your chosen point of intensity.

Sounds The big plus with Darkglass pedals is the intrinsic quality of the distortion produced – it’s undeniably a class apart. check it out in ‘all controls at 12 o’clock’ mode and you get a rich, chocolatey snarl replete with fizzing harmonics and devoid of any significant leeching of the bass end. combining the Drive and era controls uncorks a selection of nuanced variations, and the addition of Blend means you can set up a pretty volcanic tone (with Drive somewhere near fully clockwise) and have it subtly shadow your clean sound. With the era control similarly clockwise, this option is useful for simulating a contemporary buzz-saw synth bass sound (unusual but works a treat). Moving era fully anti-clockwise focuses the distortion at the booty end and a little tweaking of Drive rapidly conjures up images of Jack Bruce’s cooking Marshall. Winding it clockwise introduces more midrange into the mix, providing better individual note clarity with more punch and impact, while retaining plenty of low-frequency content – it’s a warm and crunchy option that brings to mind Bootsy collins’ lead sound, should you feel the need. Approaching fully clockwise, the bias moves towards higher frequencies so these variations are unsurprisingly brighter, slightly more metallic and more violently aggressive. Metal fans will love this and any purveyors of tapping will have loads of fun simply widdling.

Verdict excellent. The basic quality of distortion is top-notch and low frequencies are joyously retained no matter how

FaCTFile

MICROTUBES VINTAGE DeScRIPTION: Dedicated bass guitar overdrive pedal. Handmade in USA PRIce: £195 cONTROLS: Level, Blend, Era and Drive controls, in and out jack sockets. True bypass, 9V p/s operation only (not included) DIMeNSIONS: 60mm wide x 112mm high x 35mm deep cONTAcT: Bass Direct 01926 886433 www.bassdirect.co.uk

like this? Try this... Darkglass Microtubes B3K spiteful your tone. Whether the era control actually ‘recreates some of the greatest landmarks in rock and roll bass history’ is not the point. What matters in practice is that it enables fine-tuning of your distorted sound, one happy consequence of this being greater variation. As with the B3K, the RRP is on the high side – but remember this is high-quality hand-made kit and right up there with the best available.

Warm but aggressive and nasty, and doesn’t suck the bass life out of your tone. Simply one of the best overdrives out there RRP: £240

MXR Bass Blow Torch A highly controllable and seriously versatile pedal with its three-band EQ and blend control RRP: £129

Electro-Harmonix Bass Big Muff Pi

final score DARKGLASS VINTAGe MIcROTUBeS Build quality

19 / 20

Usability

17 / 20

Sound

17 / 20

Value for money

15 / 20

Looks

16 / 20

TOTAL

84%

Also features a blend control and is excellent value for money. RRP: £70 approx

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 81

RAPID REVIEWS

SONY

DWZ-B30GB Guitar wireless system RRP:£394 CONTACT: www.sony.co.uk

S

ony’s new wireless system is optimised for guitar and bass players, offering high-quality 24-bit/48KHz linear PCM digital transmission, an eight-position ‘cable tone generator’ plus 9V, 12V and battery power options. Audio outputs include two unbalanced jacks for amp and tuner plus XLR for balanced connection to mixers. Six channels operate in wide and narrow RF modes. Frequency range is quoted as 10Hz-22kHz using Sony’s own RF technology and codec; the DWZ-B30GB is said to deliver reliable and secure transmission even in the vicinity of wi-fi and wireless microphones. The 2.4GHz frequency band is used for transmission, so it can be used licence/cost-free in most countries. We performed some AB tests switching back and forth between a short, high-quality guitar cable and the DWZ-B30GB. Levels were consistent and we couldn’t discern any significant differences in tone.

If you are in the habit of using a long cable between your guitar and pedals or amp input, you may not be aware of the degree of treble roll-off caused by the capacitance of the cable. Hitting your amp with a full-frequency signal may sound unnaturally bright and harsh, so the cable simulation feature works very well with a nicely progressive feel. After this encouraging start we went walkabout to test the limits of the unit’s range. We found it started cutting out from distances over 30ft.

Verdict The DWZ-B30GB provides excellent sound quality and it’s easy to use. The plastic receiver box feels

a bit lightweight but the transmitter’s metal case reassures. The signal strength should be more than adequate for pub and club gigs so long as you have no plans to go crowd-surfing in the gods.

FINAL SCORE SONY DWZ-B30GB Build quality

16/20

Ease of use

18/20

Sound

16/20

Value for money

16/20

Features

18/20

TOTAL

84%

KGC

Tremolo parts Strat springs, block and claw PRICE:$21.95 (springs), $79.95 (block), $44.95 (claw & screws) CONTACT: 001 978 473 1323 (USA) or 01206 382224 www.killerguitarcomponents.com

K

iller Guitar Components is a family-run company providing hand-made kit designed for upgrading stock factory parts. The company specialises in trem bridge parts and we’re checking out a milled bridge block and spring claw along with some Raw Vintage springs that are designed to replicate the tension, tone and feel of vintage Fender springs. Opting to try the springs first, we simply swapped them with the modern repros on one of our Strats. The Killer springs provide less tension so the claw needed tightening up after installation. We hadn’t expected quite such a big tonal difference, but with the Killer springs our Strat sounded brighter and more transparent. It was also smoother and tonal differences between the

82 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

pickups became more pronounced, with the unwound strings having improved definition. The brass bridge block and claw were next and again the difference was obvious. While the springs got an unequivocal thumbs-up, the block was a more qualified success. The Killer block and claw beef up the tone and smooth out the transient response. If your Strat has a glassy edge that you’d like to tame without swapping pickups, the Killer block and claw could be the way to go. However, fans of vintage Strat cut and twang might find the results a tad muted.

Verdict It’s remarkable just how much difference these parts made to the tone and feel of our test guitar. The build quality really can’t be faulted and we appreciated the claw’s no-solder ground connector and the extra long bridge plate screws. KGC’s website offers various packages for vintage and modern Fenders and Floyd Rose trems, ranging from individual items to full upgrade kits.

FINAL SCORE KGC TREMOLO PARTS Build quality

19/20

Playability

18/20

Sound

18/20

Value for money

17/ 20

Vibe

17/ 20

TOTAL

89%

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Total Guitar March 2013

DPS workings.indd 24

10/05/2013 12:11

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DPS workings.indd 25

10/05/2013 12:11

Two Burns guitars – a Marvin and a Marquee

Good Deal HUNTING Tom Penk loves guitars and also loves a haggle, so he’s managed to gather a wide range of instruments for very little outlay. Lars Mullen joins him on a trip to the park

A

sk Tom Penk how he came to acquire so many tasty instruments and the answer is simple: ‘I just like guitars!’ It’s a passion that has thrown a wide and eclectic net, capturing not just electrics but also basses and acoustics, ranging from archaic to modern, and originating from all over the world. Some are one-offs, others are regular production models; some were big purchases, others were real bargains. All of them, however, have been immaculately kept, and keen-eyed readers may notice the original hang-tags swinging in the breeze and even the presence of protective plastic on the pickguards. These instruments are as clean as the day they were made – and that’s the way Tom likes it. Though a guitarist at heart, Tom spent a good deal of time playing bass in a North Wales band called Cleeshay. His collection 86 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

started gradually, but about 10 years ago he began taking the matter more seriously. Some of his instruments are working tools, others are kept at home, but all are played regularly. ‘I’m from the generation who fell in love with the early guitar sounds of the ’60s,’ explains Tom. ‘For me at first it was all about the Shadows and the Burns models. Even now, when I see one, it’s a bit like driving through bonfire smoke… you know when you start to remember your childhood? It’s the same when I see a Burns Marvin! ‘When we were kids my pal Bill and I would spend hours looking through the window of our local guitar shop at a Burns Black Bison bass, which of course was way out of our price range. Around the same time, about 1964, Rice Krispies ran a competition to win a Burns… I think it was a short -scale Jazz model. I went around visiting everyone in our street asking them to buy some packets

so I could have the entry forms. I think people must have overdosed on the stuff! I sent in so many forms, but I didn’t win… I wonder if anyone knows who did! Luckily enough, one of our teachers at Darland School in Rossett, a certain Mrs Wynn-Jones, took an interest in our quest for guitar playing and we formed a guitar club that met after school on Wednesdays. Like a lot of lads from that club, Bill and I went on to play in various bands around the Wrexham area. ‘These days I have two modern Burns models, a sunburst Marquee and a red Marvin, which I picked up for just £539. I love a good bargain. I’ve never really bought a guitar and gone away feeling I’d spent too much – all my guitars have been crazy deals. ‘Some of the most expensive ones include this G&L Comanche, which was reduced from £1099 to £799 at Purple Turtle Music in Salford because of a defect in the

PRIVATE COLLECTION finish that’s almost impossible to spot. The Magnetic Field Design Z-Coil pickups are excellent, and as well as the five-way selector there’s a mini-toggle switch giving extra pickup permutations including bridge, neck and all on together. I also have a G&L ASAT Bluesboy, #2 of a run of just 50, complete with a certificate signed by Leo Fender’s wife Phyllis. It also has the G&L Magnetic Field Pickups… I think they need a pretty powerful amp to get the best out of them. ‘To my mind G&L and Music Man have a lot of similarities when it comes to quality, playability and sound. I’ve got several Music Man basses which I used with the band. I bought the natural-finish four-string StingRay from a friend about 10 years ago, and at just £500 it was an amazing deal. ‘I always wanted a five-string bass, especially one with a maple fingerboard and a blue finish, and I ended up with one in a colour called blue mist, the same as on the Steve Morse guitar. I’m told the maple/blue mist combination is quite unusual for a bass; the only other one I have seen was used by the guy in the James Last Orchestra. For several years this was my go-to bass. I paid about £1019 for it some 10 years ago, which is the most I’ve ever spent on a bass.’ From the other end of the price scale, Tom holds up a gold sparkle four-string Wesley bass. ‘It has bit of a Fender look,’ he considers. ‘I bought this for just £42,and I use it as a bass to grab for learning on the go, if you know what I mean. I’ve no intention to

move this one on as it sounds good G&L ASAT and plays really well. It’s the kind of Bluesboy and a G&L Comanche thing that fuels the budget-versusexpensive argument. ‘Up in price slightly is this SDGR bass in metallic red, a double-octave lined fretless from the lower-priced Ibanez stable. Again, it’s a fantastic bass for the money, and really smart in a red sparkle finish. It helped me get through my Pino Palladino phase! ‘The black six-string bass is another SDGR, and I’ve fitted it with a Roland GR33 MIDI unit. It cost £699 and it’s very versatile, but up at the top of the fingerboard it’s pretty wide – more like a landing strip! ‘The blue bass next to it is a Tanglewood Curbow. It’s more plastic than it is wood, with a shiny, slippery phenolic fingerboard. It’s a great player, and the mini-toggle “slap switch” enhances the high end to great effect. This one is a little unusual, as Curbows are usually badged with the Cort logo. For £199, it’s a nice bass for the money. It’s really light and I can easily play a twohour set with it without back strain. 11kg. Heavy, yes, but they do sound amazing. ‘In complete contrast I have a pair of The treble just barks, and the low end is just Ibanez Studio Series basses, one four-string so solid in the mix – it’s really thunderous. and one eight-string, both from around They’ve got ebony fingerboards, mahogany/ 1980… and they must be the heaviest maple body construction and hefty brass instruments I’ve ever played! The eight-string hardware. I bought the four-string for about weighs well over 23lbs – that’s touching on £350 about 20 years ago simply because I thought it looked like a pretty bass. I dithered far too long on the eight-string version at a guitar show way up in the north of England, and got home really wishing that I’d bought it. I rang the guy up and to my surprise he lived in the same town as me, so I nipped over and did a deal with a Marshall head and some pedals. Affordable ‘The guitar is a ST105 Studio Series basses from Wesley and six-string which my wife spotted in SDGR Mid Wales Music; I got it for £349. The pickups aren’t original, probably DiMarzios, but it completes a nice woody-looking trio. I’d like to make it a quartet by adding the fretless eightstring bass, if anyone has one!’ A large percentage of Tom’s guitars are made by Ibanez, a brand that he rates very highly. ‘I think they offer a lot for the price,’ he explains. ‘I tend to lean towards mid-price brands that have high-end appointments, and if they’re unusual, that’s all the better. ‘I’ve had some fantastic bargains over the years from The Music Place in Wrexham, and one of them was my semi-acoustic Ibanez Artcore AG86TRD, which cost just £399. It’s hard to find a small, thin semi for that kind of money without a solid centre block, and the three-piece neck adds stability and sustain. I think the ➻

‘I love a good bargain. I’ve never really bought a guitar and gone away feeling I’d spent too much – all my guitars have been crazy deals’ Two Music Man StingRay basses – one four-string and one five-string

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 87

PRIVATE COLLECTION An SDGR six-string bass and a Tanglewood Curbow

From around 1980, a four-string bass, eight-string bass and a guitar from the Ibanez Studio Series

Fender Fat Tele and a Roger Giffin custom

‘These Ibanez basses are the heaviest I’ve ever played. The eight-string weighs over 23lbs’ bubinga body looks wonderful through the trans-red finish, and the medium output humbuckers are jazzy but also offer some scope for rock and blues. Thinking about it, I’ve never come across a bad Ibanez pickup. Up until buying this model, I didn’t have what I would describe as a jazz guitar. ‘In a similar vein, this Ibanez AW103BWABR is an astounding semi-acoustic, and it’s still got the tags even though I’ve had it for 10 years. It’s not been gigged, but it gets played a lot at home. Gold hardware, tuner tailpiece, ebony controls, all for £300 – great for blues and jazz. The solidbody next to it is an Ibanez SZ320-GDT. I regard it as my Ibanez goldtop, and I fitted a pair of Seymour Duncan Designed humbuckers. I got 20 per cent off because of a defect in the finish. Can I find it? No, so I reckon I got a good deal!’

We’ll take a swerve into the acoustic world for a moment. ‘Well, this Ibanez Montage is more a hybrid electro-acoustic,’ says Tom. ‘I love the quilted maple, the dramatic Venetian cutaway and the soundholes that look like an upside-down exclamation mark. It’s got an undersaddle pickup, a mixable mini humbucker and a 3-band EQ, so for variety it takes some beating. ‘I also have a maple-bodied Ibanez electroacoustic from the Exotic Wood Series, again with that severe cutaway. There’s nothing subtle about this one – it’s built for volume. Whether plugged in or not, chords sound huge and solos seem to hang in the air. ‘To me a good electro-acoustic should sound pretty similar unplugged and electrified, and this little 12-string Cort is excellent in all departments, with a big

Tom with his Ibanez Artcore AG86TRD

Left, an Ibanez AW103BW right, an Ibanez SZ230- -ABR; GDT

88 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

12-string chime that’s good through a big clean amp or a PA. ‘This Faith Venus electro-acoustic was advertised on eBay, but actually came from Cash Converters. They retail for way over £500, but there’s not a mark on it and it came with a hard case, all for £249. I’ve played this one pretty extensively and it’s just starting to mellow down nicely. I can tell it’s going to get really tuneful with age. ‘For me, an oddball acoustic bass that’s beautifully built ticks all the boxes. I bought this arch-topped Washburn AB40 from Back Alley Music in Chester. Washburn still make a bass with the same model number but as far as I can tell the current one only has the undersaddle pickup, not the magnetic pickup. I had a similar one from a different brand that would feed back like a banshee, but this one is solid as a rock even up at full tilt. I like the oddball saw-cut soundhole. The maple construction gives quite a modern, cutting kind of sound, but with the blend facility I can get a really good low end Beatlesy thud as well. ‘The Yamaha APX6NA is a decent nylonstrung electro-acoustic. I had been dabbling with Spanish and classical styles on steelstring acoustics, but it has to be nylon if you want any sort of authenticity. This is a good recording guitar – it seems to be perfectly balanced straight into the desk without any EQ trimming. I bought it new, but when I played back some demos I could hear a clicking sound, and it seemed to happen each time I put any pressure on the bridge. Yamaha identified the problem as a piece of alien material that had got into the slot when they channelled the bridge out for the piezo. They sent a new piezo unit for free, and so they get high marks from me for service! ‘My other fingerpicking guitar is a Farida parlour. I’ve never been a great fingerstylist, but these two guitars have made the whole process a lot easier. This actual guitar was once played in New York’s Carnegie Hall by a classically-trained Chinese player, who later put it up on eBay. I won it at £200, and we did the deal in Heald Green Station in Manchester. I’ve fitted a Dean Markley ProMag Plus, which suits it well. I had to slightly deepen the slots in the wood of the pickup to fit the smaller soundhole, but maybe the tight fit adds to the sustain.’ We’re delving back into the heavy side for our next two guitars – a pair of Ibanez shredders. ‘Most Ibanez rock guitars have ebony or rosewood fingerboards, but this ’82 Ibanez DG770EX is a little special, with the maple fingerboard and coloured position markers,’ Tom enthuses. ‘The “Wizard” neck is very thin and built for speed, and the pickups ➻

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PRIVATE COLLECTION Far left, Ibanez Montage (control close up below); centre, an Ibanez Exotic Wood electro, and a Cort 12-string

A Faith Venus and a Washburn AB40 bass

‘The Ibanez Montage is an electro with a humbucker, so for variety it takes some beating’ could almost melt the front end of any amp. It’s got a cool metallic raspberry finish and a double-locking Lo-Pro vibrato. A real rocker! The black Ibanez next to it is an SAS36FM, a great player, with an Ibanez True Duo Bucker pickup at the bridge.’ A double-neck guitar has always been high on Tom’s wish-list, and now he’s got a brace of them. ‘This through-neck Cort dates from around 1974 and it weighs well over 20lbs,’ he laughs. ‘It has a limit for me of about half a dozen songs, then I have to swap guitars! It’s made of mahogany and maple, with brass hardware, and the sound is right on the button. The active circuits are switchable back to passive if required. I bought this from a psychiatrist who was moving to New Zealand. ‘The other double-neck is by OLP. My wife bought this for me. It’s got humbuckers and a sunburst “photo finish” quilted maple top. It does a pretty good job on both necks, but I have to put a hair band on the neck I’m not using as somehow the other side seems to resonate in sympathy. I think it’s probably just a simple screening problem.’ A nylon-strung Yamaha APX6NA and a Farida parlour

Tom owns Ovations of both the acoustic and electric variety. ‘These solidbody Ovation Preachers are getting collectable now,’ he considers. ‘They’re pretty rare – although I did see the guy who wears the eye patch, Ray Sawyer in Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show, playing one live the other week. ‘There’s something very retro and cool here, with a dark sunburst over Honduran mahogany, a two-ply scratchplate and those great-looking pickup covers. It’s also stereo, offering individual outputs for each pickup or normal mono mode. The bridge has a lot of mass, so it’s got great sustain, but the tradeoff once again is the weight… it’s not a light guitar. This was another great deal, arriving from Ireland for just £400. ‘This medium-bowl Ovation Adamas Elite was owned – perhaps I should say “held” – by a girl singer in a touring country and western band. It was more a prop as she couldn’t play, but you could say it’s done a hell a lot of gigs!’ Our next two electrics might share a similar shape but they’re coming from very different directions. First is a kooky-pickguard offering from Italia. ‘I suppose in reality this Modulo is just another Strat-themed guitar, but I An Ibanez

SAS36FM and an ’82 DG770EX

Stereo Ovation Preacher and an Adamas Elite

90 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

really like the slant that Italia have on iconic guitar shapes – it just shows you what a little imagination can do,’ Tom praises. ‘Of course, this one comes from the brilliant mind of Trevor Wilkinson. At the time I was just after any kind of guitar with a P90 pickup, but then I saw this one which also had the whacky vibe about it, and bought it without trying it. It’s the only P90-loaded guitar I have and I’m pleased with it in more ways than one. It’s a great stage guitar under the lights, too. ‘I like pretty, colourful guitars but I also really like to see the wood, so I was ecstatic when I spotted this Tone King electric in Mid Wales Music in Hereford about five years ago. It was handbuilt by a local luthier who has been very creative in producing a really unusual Strat-based guitar. He certainly had an eye for the looks, using red for the headstock, pickups and controls, offset with gold hardware against the natural-finished wood, which I think is walnut. The rear of the body is also red, and the colour just nudges out to the forearm chamfer and cutaways. In a way I feel there’s some essence of Rickenbacker here with the reversed crescent soundhole and the tiered area on the lower bout housing the controls and selector switch. I’m not sure what pickups he ➻

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Italia Modulo and a custombuilt Tone King electric

Hefty double-necks from Cort and OLP

used; they’re quite powerful and have plenty of tone, so I reckon they’re either DiMarzios or Seymour Duncans. ‘I have another OLP; these guitars are exceptional value, especially if you can strike a good deal. It’s a natural-finished baritone, tuned A to A. I bought it because I had read how good baritones were for low-end power chords, so I thought I’d give one a try. I wouldn’t say it was an everyday guitar, but I do find it inspirational for songwriting. ‘Another value-for-money guitar is this Sterling X40, from Music Man’s budget brand. There are some really nice touches here, including locking tuners and a very comfortable neck – a renowned feature from Music Man. Though it’s only a mid-priced guitar, the pickups perform exceptionally well. ‘This red Squier Strat was a cool deal from eBay for just £200. I was told this one is a transitional model from ’92, made with Japanese parts but assembled in the USA. I think the previous owner must have been a

Clapton fan as the vibrato is screwed down tight to the body. After 21 years it’s sounding really sweet. And I do like this limited-run Fender Telecaster in see-through red, with a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers, plus a bound rosewood fingerboard and abalone inlays. They really pushed the boat out with this one. It does sound more like a Gibson than a Fender, but that’s okay with me. ‘Back at home I’ve also got a couple of guitars which are particularly well-made even though they’re very inexpensive. One is a Chinese copy of a certain famous US brand I found on eBay, done with amazing detail. It didn’t have any bids so I went to see it in the flesh and I was astonished at how good it looked with a spalted maple top and gold hardware. It’s frightening how good the construction was, from the bindings to the bird inlays… and all for £250. It plays really well; sure, the pickups aren’t the real thing, but if needed, I could always install a pair of better humbuckers. I’ve also got an Alden, a bit like a triple-humbucker Les Paul, again with a really nice spalted maple top and gold hardware, and really quite nicely made. Some people might think these kind of guitars are a bit naughty, but they offer a chance for youngsters and collectors like

myself to own a cool guitar at a low price. I paid £250 for each of them.’ The last two guitars we’ll view from Tom’s collection before the sun finally set over the park sum up his canny approach to choosing guitars. ‘The Vintage Lemon Drop is a great replica of an iconic guitar. It’s got a distressed finish and it sounds stunning. It’s very authentic as well, with the neck pickup installed back to front. This was secondhand, for just £169. A good deal, or what? ‘And finally, the Yamaha Pacifica 12-string. The trouble with electric 12’s is that they’re often pretty expensive, but this is a special guitar; it plays well and sounds great, it has gold hardware and a pearloid scratchplate and all the trimmings… and all for £299. ‘I just love guitars, and I love playing. In my time I’ve played in clubs, marquees, on barges, boats and even on Thomas the tank engine! I miss gigging, but I don’t miss the late nights, the long journeys or the early mornings home… the memories are best. ‘I still have all my guitars. True, I could go out and play with backing tapes; some do, some don’t... I won’t. I could smoke or go down the pub every night and have nothing to show for it, but I’d rather put that money down on a cool guitar.’ A Vintage Lemon Drop and a 12-string Yamaha Pacifica (headstock detail left)

Squier Strat and a Fender Telecaster with humbuckers

92 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

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Born In The USA Photo: Tabatha Fireman /Getty

Behind one of the highest-rated albums of all time lie some simple musical building blocks. Douglas Noble takes Bruce Springsteen’s classic set apart, song by song

96 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

Photo: Pam Springsteen

B

ruce Springsteen’s seventh album, Born In The USA, couldn’t have been more different to its predecessor, the dark, strippeddown Nebraska. It was lavish, modern, radio-friendly and uplifting, packed with strong songs and even one carefully-honed hit single, and it would bring the New Jersey songwriter his breakthrough from critical success to mainstream stardom. Springsteen wrote many of the songs on Born In The USA on acoustic before opening up the arrangements to the E Street Band. Recording engineer Toby Scott recalled: ‘In those days, Bruce had a particular way of teaching the band a song. He wouldn’t play it for them from the beginning to the end; he would show them the different parts, but not necessarily in the order that they appeared.’ This encouraged spontaneity; the musicians also played live together in the studio. The title track was one of those songs. After Bruce had played a guitar line, it was adapted into a keyboard riff. ‘It absolutely grabbed us,’ drummer Max Weinberg recalled. ‘We played it again and got an even better groove on it. At the end, as we were stopping, Bruce gave me the high sign to do all these wild fi lls, and we went back into the song. I remember that night as the greatest single experience I’ve ever had recording. It set the tone for the whole record.’ Thanks to this way of working the songs on Born In The USA have a real freshness, yet they’re layered with processed keyboards and an explosive snare drum sound (listen to the snare at the start of Born In The

USA and Darlington County). Nevertheless, Springsteen wanted his songs to stand on the strength of the characters, not the production. ‘So even something like Glory Days, which I thought was a good dance record, I sang it on acoustic guitar and tried to make sure that the people in the song were solidly there,’ he pointed out. The positive vibe extended to the choices of keys: of the

12 songs on Born In The USA, the most common key is A major, shared by four songs. Only two songs are in a minor key: Cover Me is in B minor, while Downbound Train is in G minor (but played in the fretboard key of E minor with a capo at the third fret). Curiously, both I’m Goin’ Down – one of the A major songs – and Cover Me sound sharper than concert pitch.

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●1 A5, A6, F#M AND C#M/G# CHORDS A 5 chord is one that consists solely of the root/first note and the fifth of a scale, so it is neither major nor minor, as it’s the third that determines whether a chord is major or minor. In blues, 5 chords are often used in

x o

A5

x xo x

conjunction with 6 chords, in this context a 6 chord being one that consists of root/first note and the sixth note of the scale. Here we’ve got two note versions of A5 and A6. F#m is the basic open Em shape barred at the second fret,

x o

A6

x x x

and C#m/G# is the basic open Am chord barred at the fourth fret, but with the first finger also holding down the bottom string at the fourth fret – so, this is a C#m chord played over a G# bass note.

F#m

x

C#m/G#

4th

1

1

2nd

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2 RHYTHM GUITAR PART ● Here’s a rhythm part similar to the start of Glory Days. We’re using the A5 and A6 chords from Ex 1 in bar 1, then shifting them a string

4/4 TIME higher to create D5 and D6 for bar 2. Each bar ends with a two- or one-note link that leads into the next bar. This rhythm part is a stock

3 PROGRESSIONS USING I, IV, V ● Much of the harmonic backdrop on this album – such as the songs Born In The USA, Glory Days and Cover Me – uses chords I, IV and V. The first line shows a progression using chords I and IV in the key of A, similar to the basic

underpinning of Born In The USA (see Ex 6). The second line shows a progression using chords I, IV and V. It’s similar to the verse progression of My Hometown although you can hear very similar patterns on songs like No

blues accompaniment, although in blues it would usually be played with a shuffle or triplet feel; here we are playing straight 8s.

4/4 TIME Surrender and Darlington County. Interestingly, although the verse of the studio version of No Surrender is based on an F/C/ Bb/F/C progression, live performances have this second C chord changed to Am.

JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 97

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4 STOCK PROGRESSION USING I, IV, V, VIM ● I’m Goin’ Down adds another chord to the I, IV and V progressions explored in Exercise 3, with its use of the implied chord VIm. We say ‘implied’ because the fuller chord would be VIm (or F#m) since it’s in the key of A major, but the rhythm guitar chords are played as

4/4 TIME song. I’m On Fire also uses these chords, but in the key of E major and using fuller versions of the chords – so, it uses E, A, B and C#m. In I’m On Fire Springsteen often plays these chords as arpeggios, fingering the full chord shapes but only plucking individual strings.

stripped-down 5 chords. This exercise shows a similar progression. Notice the accents on certain chords, the ‘arrowhead’ signs; these give the part character and forward momentum. I’m Goin’ Down repeats the same four-bar progression all the way through the

5 TRANSITIONS TO CHORD VIM ● There’s one particular move which you’ll often find Springsteen making – changing from the tonic major chord to chord VIm at the start of the bridge, or ‘middle 8’. This I-VIm change

6 ●

can be heard in Dancing In The Dark at 1:50, My Hometown at 2:04 and Working On The Highway at 1:45. Our fifth exercise shows such a change in the key of A major. The first two

bars represent the end of the second chorus, and bars 3 and 4 represent the start of the middle 8. The F#m chord shape is shown in Exercise 1.

REPEATING MOTIF

4/4 TIME

The intro of Born In The USA is a keyboard version of the chorus melody. As in the intro and in the chorus, the same basic melody is played and sung over a chord progression that

7 ●

4/4 TIME

changes from I to IV. This is represented in this exercise. There’s a two-note motif on the top two strings played initially over a B bass note in bars 1 and 2, then over an open E note in

bars 3 and 4. For maximum effectiveness, make sure the B bass note in bars 1 and 2 is allowed to ring on; try holding it down with the first finger.

INVERSIONS

An inversion is a chord in which the lowest note is not the root note of the chord. Here we’ve got G/D, which is a G chord with D at the bottom (normally it would be G); C/E, which is a C chord with an E note at the bottom; and C5/G, which is rather a complicated way to describe an inverted two-note power chord shape.

98 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

x x 12th

G/D 1

1

o x 1

x x

C/E 1

12th

1

1 2

3 3

C5/G

x

x o o x x x 10th

1

1

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8 DARLINGTON COUNTY INTRO ● The intro of Darlington County features a guitar riff worthy of Keith Richards, and we can get there by using the chords from Exercise 7. Finger the G/D shape from Ex 7, pluck strings five, four and three, then immediately hammer-on with fingers three

9 ●

and one to the C/E shape. Then, lift fingers two and three and pluck the G/D chord again. This is followed by a slide ‘from nowhere’ to the 12th fret of the fifth string; try playing the fifth string at the 14th fret with the third finger, then as soon as this note is struck slide

CHROMATIC CHORD AND INVERSION

All the previous progressions and riffs, encompassing 10 of the 12 songs on Born In The USA, are diatonic – that is, they do not contain any notes outside the key. Bobby Jean is interesting, though: it’s the only song on Born In The USA that makes prominent use of a chromatic harmony or chord… a chord that is not normally part of the key. This chord is B7, used in the key of A major, and the diatonic

equivalent would be Bm. Widely believed to be about the sudden and painful departure of Steve Van Zandt from the E Street Band, it has been suggested that this use of a major chord instead of minor hints at reconciliation. The main progression of Bobby Jean uses an inversion created between accompaniment and bass. After the A chord the basic tonality of the accompaniment is C#m, but the bass

10 LEAD LICKS ● ‘I got signed in the pack of the “new Dylans” but I could turn around, kickstart my Telecaster and burn the house down. It was my ace in the hole,’ Springsteen once told Rolling Stone magazine. Cover Me has a great example of the man doing just that. He starts the solo at 1:37 with tremolo-picked octaves, similar to the first line below. Finger the notes, then strum the strings as quickly as possible.

100 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

4/4 TIME down two frets to the 12th fret. Keith Richards is fond of the C/E to G/D chord change on strings five, four and three, although he usual plays these changes in open G – the fifth string is a G so these two chords can be played as C/G and G, adding body and depth to the voicings.

4/4 TIME makes a classic downwards semitone movement to G#, so the overall effect is C#m/G# (Springsteen also uses this progression in the pre-chorus of Born To Run). This exercise echoes the repeating progression of Bobby Jean; see Exercise 1 for the fingering of C#m/G#. Finger the chord shapes notated and let the notes overlap, picking the notes as indicated to get a feel for this progression.

4/4 TIME Springsteen also plays the intro melody of No Surrender in tremolo-picked octaves. At 1:47 he uses some pinch harmonics, as shown in line two, bar 1. Fret the third string at the ninth fret, then, with a tiny part of the plectrum showing between thumb and index finger, ‘dig in’ with the pick and the fleshy part of the thumb immediately behind the plectrum should set off the pinch harmonic. Slightly

later, at 1:53, Springsteen plays an ascending figure based on the B pentatonic minor scale using hammer-ons, similar to line 2, bar 2. He ends the solo at 1:57 with a trill – a rapid alternation between F and G, similar to line 2, bar 3. Feel free to experiment with this – Springsteen starts with slurs, then plucks every second note, and does not stick to strict semiquaver movement.

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BASS TECHNIQUES

WORKSHOP PLAYE LIK

Marcus Miller

If you’re looking for a challenge, this month we’ve got a feast of slapping and popping inspired by the third solo album of a jazz-funk great. Gareth Morgan is all thumbs

T

he name Marcus Miller first started appearing on records in the mid-’70s by jazz/funk greats such as alto saxophonist David Sanborn and the Return To Forever alumni, drummer Lenny White. By the time Miller released The Sun Don’t Lie in 1993 he’d recorded, written and produced for Sanborn and jazz trumpet great Miles Davis, and played bass – invariably slapped via his thumb – on hundreds of records by artists including the late, great Luther Vandross, Carly Simon, Bryan Ferry and Bill Withers. The Sun Don’t Lie was Miller’s third solo offering. You can pretty much discount the first two, Suddenly (1983) and 1984’s self-titled album, as plucky first attempts, burdened by the poor quality of the songs, with too much of Miller’s singing and not enough bass playing. The Sun Don’t Lie was a completely different animal; Miller’s confidence in his own ability had never been higher, especially after his work with Miles Davis had been so well received, and he had a concept, a composing methodology if you like, that he’d developed for Davis and was now using for his own solo career. ‘I began to hit on a sound kind of based on fourths,’ he explained. ‘It was different from the way [pianist] McCoy [Tyner] and those guys used it, but it was still based on fourths. It gave me a different lean. Ever since then, I’ve been refining it. ‘Miles used to use those fourths. He had a keyboard usually set up on the stage, and when he wasn’t playing trumpet, every once in a while he’d bang out a couple of chords. He used to play these fourth voicings. It was a loud, harsh sound and those chords would sound really dark and menacing.’ For the harmonically-inclined, we’re talking about chordal voicings involving stacking

fourths, voicings which Miller used to great effect on The Sun Don’t Lie and continued to refine through five further studio albums; his latest, Renaissance, was released in 2012. While no slouch on fretless bass, Miller has been one of the most revered bassists on the planet for 25 years because of his prodigious slapping technique and his sound. His primary instrument has always been a Fender Jazz Bass with a Sadowsky preamp, and this, combined with his fantastic technique, produces perhaps the perfect

slap tone: clean, with a singing, piano-esque quality. Miller tended to be a rhythmic slapper, but the responsibility of delivering the main melody on The Sun Don’t Lie means you get much more variety than this suggests. If you check out his subsequent solo offerings as well, the amazing thing is that you can hear Miller slowly assimilating newer techniques like tapping and up-and-down thumb strokes in an effort to remove as many restraints as possible on his ability to fully express himself via the four-string electric bass. JULY 2013 Guitar & Bass 105

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●1 FINGER FUNK PART IN E When it comes to this month’s musical examples, there’s good news and there’s bad news. On the down side, all of them – even this innocuous-looking opener – are of a

technically awkward nature; on the plus side, tempos are provided. This means that you can notch the tempo right back (always start at least 20bpm below the target and halve

2 MELODIC SLAP PART WITH PENTATONIC LICK ● Our second example is based on Miller’s bassline under the alto sax solo that closes Steveland; Miller uses his thumb, but it also works well as a fingerstyle part. Slapping-wise,

play every note with your thumb except the octave As, which you pop/pull with the first finger. In terms of how to slap, Miller says ‘Just do it until it sounds right. Strike the string

3 SLAP BREAK WITH CHORD AND 16TH NOTES ● Fans of Miller’s playing will probably be familiar with one of his most famous slap solos on a tune called Run For Cover, a Miller composition on the David Sanborn live album

Straight To The Heart. Most of his soloing here is based on melodic patterns rather than simply thumping along with the drummer, but Rampage is a great example of his more

4 SLAP PART WITH SPACE AND DEAD NOTES ● As well as pitched notes, Miller’s main bass part from Panther uses dead notes (percussive hits with no discernible pitch), giving a more aggressive feel and more intensity without

106 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

influencing the melodic content of the song. As you can see, the dead notes are written by replacing the standard note head or TAB number with an ‘x’, and they are played with

4/4 TIME the tempo for most of these examples) and take your time. Our first example is based on Miller’s fingerstyle groove during the solo section from Teen Town.

4/4 TIME with the hard bony part of your thumb (near the line that crosses the middle of your thumb on the inside). Pluck with your index finger by pulling the string up and letting it slap back.’

4/4 TIME ‘traditional’ slap solo approach. Have a go at our version below: the tempo dictates that nailing this one is all about relaxation and suppleness of the wrist.

4/4 TIME both thumb and popping finger. Simply damp the strings, preferably with two fingers of your fretting hand, to ensure you get the necessary ‘click’ sound.

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5 SLAPPED VERSION OF SYNTH BASSLINE ● Doubling or reproducing a synth bassline became a trademark element in Miller’s mid-’80s work with David Sanborn and Luther Vandross, amongst others. You’ll hear him

make a similar move in the first sax solo section on Steveland (first solo by Wayne Shorter, second by David Sanborn), although here he takes over from the synth line to

4/4 TIME provide better support for the soloist. Dig into our version: you’ll need to be fairly precise with your technique, and be very careful with the string-crossing licks.

6 D-TUNED SLAP PART WITH 16TH NOTES AND SYNCOPATION ● The album’s title track begins with Miller on 6-string Modulus fretless bass, delivering the song’s main theme before breaking out the Jazz Bass to deliver a solid bassline under a

piano solo courtesy of Crusaders legend Joe Sample. If you want to check out our version and you’re not lucky enough to own a 5-string, you’ll need to tune your E string down to D –

which, to be fair, is exactly what Miller did. Given the slacker string tension that results, it’s probably a good idea to mitigate the force with which you hit it with your thumb.

7 SLAP VERSION OF FINGERSTYLE MELODY ● Between 1988 and 1990 Miller was the house bass player in NBC TV’s Sunday Night band, appearing in the first season and reappearing towards the end as musical director. The band

would often close the programme with Teen Town from Weather Report’s Heavy Weather, and Miller freaked out the bass fraternity with his slapped version of Jaco Pastorius’ fretless

4/4 TIME fingerstyle melody. Try our tribute, below: start really slowly and, technically speaking, pop the octave C, Bb and G in bar one and the A in bar two and play the rest with your thumb.

8 SLAP LINE WITH DOUBLE STOPS, DEAD NOTES AND 32ND NOTES ● Our final example is based on Scoop, a tune which opens with Miller displaying his newfound tapping facility and then breaking into a tricky kinetic slap theme with chords, dead

108 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

notes and two 32nd-note licks. Needless to say, extreme patience and careful practising is necessary to get anywhere close to replicating Miller’s dexterity and flair. The song is well

4/4 TIME

4/4 TIME

worth a careful listen, as elsewhere Miller uncorks his box of slap tricks which include logic-defying dead-note rhythms and a multitude of variations on the song’s themes.

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We have a great selection of National Resonator guitars in both our stores – everything from the Style O as used by Mark Knop er to Resolectrics and Wood Bodied Triolians and Tricones, we have it all. Check out our site or visit either store to see the full collection.

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Two more amp lines added to our collection. Fargen Amps, founded by Ben Fargen, has become one of the top engineers of amplification & tone in the guitar business. Fargen Amps now ships boutique guitar amplifiers to dealers and distributors across the globe, and into the hands of discerning players everywhere. Full range available on our website and in store. We’ve also just placed our first order for Bad Cat Amps. Bad Cat takes a ‘no compromise’ approach when designing & producing tube amps. Bad Cat Amplifiers are designed and built entirely in Southern California. Look on our website for the full selection available.

Two-Rock ampli ers are incredible sounding, hand built boutique guitar amps, made in Rohnert Park, California. Two Rock Bi Onyx Head, Two Rock Studio Pro Plus Heads & Combos, Two Rock Sensor Heads & Combos. Huge selection in stock, from £999.

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If it is exceptional tone and superb build quality that you look for in an amp then you have to consider Tone King. The amps are built in California at the Two-Rock shop. We also have the new Tone King Anniversary Handwired Imperial Combo & Tone King Sky King Combo on order – due in any day. We’ve been Fender Custom Shop dealers for most of our 25 years, during which time we’ve grown to be Europe’s biggest Custom Shop dealer. Over the years we’ve helped many customers attain their fantasy guitars. We always keep over 100 Fender Custom Shop guitars in stock at our Stevenage branch so visit our website or call into Stevenage to see them.

Lowden guitars are made under direct supervision by George Lowden in his hometown in Downpatrick, N Ireland. The integrity and passion – recently described as “Olympic guitar making” - which goes into each and every Lowden guitar, has never been stronger. Coda Music in Stevenage has a great selection of Lowden guitars always in stock. Come into the shop or see them on our website.

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LEGENDARY BRITISH STRINGS S I N C E 19 5 8

BLUES PILLS

C AV O R T S

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JETTBLACK

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HORSE IN TRANSIT

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Our own brand, the best selected and tested valves in the industry. All preamp valves are drive tested. All output valves are high plate volt tested under full working conditions for maximum reliability. Used by the industries biggest names including Brian May, Thunder, Iron Maiden and the We Will Rock You shows worldwide. ECC81-STR ECC83 STR ECC83/7025 EL34STR EL34 Retro EL84/E84L standard

14.40 14.40 14.40 19.20 21.60 14.40

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GROOVE TUBES SUPER PREMIUM Groove tubes are one of the most respected valve brands in the World. Combine this with Watford Valves’ special test facilities and you get distortion rated output valves which are burst tested and dual matched on current and gain and pre amp valves which are selected for low microphonics and drive tested for premium performance. These valves are called Super Premium as you get the best GT available GT

12AX7-R 12AY7 EL34-LS EL34-M EL84-S

Standard

£16.80 £18.00 £22.20 £19.20 £14.40

Super Premium

GT

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Standard

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FREE DELIVERY

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DʼANGELICO SPECIAL CUTAWAY 1951 BLONDE STUNNING FLAMED MAPLE B/S 1ST. OF ONLY 7 MADE BEAUTIFUL SOUND EX.CON. ORIGIONAL BROWN CASE. ................................................................................................................£P.O.A. DʼANELICO EXCL 1 AMBER EXCELLENT PLAYER ........................................£2,200 GIBSON 335 DIAMOND DOT BLACK PEARL GOLD H/WSTUNNING LTD.ED. CUSTOM SHOP....£P .O.A. DʼANGELICO SPECIAL CUTAWAY 1951 BLONDE FLAMED MAPLE GIBSON 165 HERB ELLIS 97 S/B EX.COND B/S 1ST. E.S. OF ONLY 7 MADE BEAUTIFUL SOUND ............................................£1,595 EX.CON. ORIGIONAL BROWN GIBSON LES PAUL SPECIAL NAT. 2 + P90S 03 EX.CON ..................................£695 CASE. ................................................................................................................£P.O.A. GIBSON S.G.EXCL SPECIAL 05 CHERRY AS NEW ....................................................£495 DʼANELICO 1 AMBER EXCELLENT PLAYER ........................................£2,200 GIBSON J45DIAMOND S/B FITTED GIBSON 335 DOTPICK-UP....................................................................£1,195 BLACK PEARL GOLD H/W LTD.ED. CUSTOM SHOP....£P.O.A. GIBSON L3 1927 S/B GOOD CONDITION EXC. PLAYER ................................£1,495 GIBSON E.S. 165 HERB ELLIS 97 S/B EX.COND ............................................£1,595 IBANEZ SV5470F REDCUTAWAY EARLY JAP.MODEL EXC.CONDITION .........................P.O.A DʼANGELICO SPECIAL 1951 BLONDE STUNNING FLAMED MAPLE GIBSON LES PAUL SPECIAL NAT. 2 +SOUND P90S 03EX.CON. EX.CON ..................................£695 B/S 1ST. OF ONLY 7 MADE BEAUTIFUL ORIGIONAL BROWN RICKENBACKER 325 JETGLOW 88 JOHN LENNON SHORT SCALE MODEL EX. CASE. ................................................................................................................£P .O.A. GIBSON S.G. SPECIAL 05 EXCELLENT CHERRY AS PLAYER NEW ....................................................£495 DʼANELICO EXCL 1 AMBER ........................................£2,200 COND ..................................................................................................................£1,495 GIBSON 335 DIAMOND DOT BLACK PEARL GOLD H/W LTD.ED. CUSTOM SHOP....£P.O.A. GIBSON J45 S/B FITTED PICK-UP....................................................................£1,195 GIBSON E.S. 165 HERB ELLIS 97 S/B EX.COND ............................................£1,595 EASTMAN 910 CE TOP OF THE RANGE CUSTOM SHOP VERY GOOD Reduced to £1,599 GIBSON LES PAUL SPECIAL NAT. 2 + P90S 03 EX.CON ..................................£695 GIBSON L3SPECIAL 1927 BRUTE S/B 05 GOOD CONDITION EXC. PLAYER GIBSON S.G. CHERRY AS NEW ....................................................£495 POLYTONE MINI 1 EARLY MODEL VERY GOOD ................................£1,495 ..................................£695 GIBSON J45 S/B FITTED PICK-UP ....................................................................£1,195 IBANEZ SV5470F REDCUTAWAY EARLY JAP.MODEL EXC.CONDITION .........................P.O.A DʼANGELICO SPECIAL 1951 BLONDE STUNNING FLAMED MAPLE HOFNER S/B 62 EXC.CON ..............................................................£295 GIBSON L3 CONGRESS 1927 S/B GOOD CONDITION EXC. PLAYER ................................£1,495 B/S 1ST. OF ONLY 7 MADE BEAUTIFUL SOUND EX.CON. ORIGIONAL BROWN IBANEZ SV5470F RED EARLY JAP.MODEL EXC.CONDITION .........................P .O.A RICKENBACKER 325 JETGLOW 88 JOHN LENNON SHORT SCALE MODEL EX. PEERLESS WIZARD 3+ P90S GIBSON E.S.5 STYLE VERY GOOD ..................£399 CASE. ................................................................................................................£P .O.A. RICKENBACKER 325 JETGLOW 88 JOHN LENNON SHORT SCALE MODEL EX. DʼANELICO EXCL 1 AMBER EXCELLENT PLAYER ........................................£2,200 COND ..................................................................................................................£1,495 COND ..................................................................................................................£1,495 WANTED – GIBSON FENDER MARTIN GRETSCH RAMIREZ GIBSON 335 DIAMOND DOT BLACK PEARL GOLD H/W L TD.ED. CUSTOM SHOP....£P .O.A. EASTMAN 910 CE TOP OF THE RANGE CUSTOM SHOP VERY GOOD Reduced to £1,599

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READERS’ FREE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR SALE Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb. 40W, vibrato and reverb, classic blackface cosmetics. With footswitch and cover, vgc, £800. Tel: 07973 293083. North Devon Mesa/Boogie Stiletto 100W head great condition, great sounds and very loud, £925.00. Tel: Steve 07803 116060, Beds. Will consider swap for Marshall valve amp. 1930s twin neck lap steel – aluminium and Bakelite, hand-painted finish. Possibly unique early English electric, £600.00. 1940s Selmer Lap

Steel plus matching Truvoice amp in case (amp requires rebuild although speaker works), plus original ’40s slide, picks, strings & accessories catalogue, £400.00. Tel: Gary 020 8207 5015 or email [email protected] for jpegs. Epiphone Rivera, 2002, cherry, 2x mini HB’s, all original, comes with OHSC, never gigged, mint condition, £350 ono. Tel: Duncan 07510 767122 Gibson J-45 Acoustic in vintage sunburst, 2 years old, very little home use only, vgc, playability and sound. Inc original Gibson hard case, £1300. Call Joe on 07850 14505 or email [email protected]

CROSSWORD JULY 2013

ACROSS 7. Brazilian make hidden by price-tag I’m afraid (6) 8. Modulation effect from stage right (6) 9. Hollow body sees old British music company after shilling (4) 10. Phil or Edwyn take note of Texas luthier Bill (8) 11. He’s a mad mess when feeling guilty (7) 13. Makers of bass backline and other kit - GA40RVT for example! (5) 15. May’s band quieten without it (5) 16. What Vivaldi does with condiments? (7) 18. Curtis might be in the slips (8) 19. Take mahogany from Marino’s band to get Lifeson’s band (4)

21. Audio equipment manufacturer found in tent as camper (6) 22. Play idly when back on the dole again (6)

DOWN 1. A Mr Mustaine everybody knows (4) 2. I get afflicted making modern pedal (7,6) 3. Irreversible tool from the cart (7) 4. Ape takes album back to company of fab four (5) 5. Choir mugs a mom - result of a psychedelic fungi? (5,8) 6. Genes are potentially this colour (3,5) 12. Locked up and closed a road (4,4) 14. Festival for Noel we hear (7) 17. Reportedly view first person as sordid (5) 20. Crystal - alternative starlet? (4)

Fender Princeton 65 DSP Amplifier, several years old but virtually mint (ungigged), as has stood in cupboard under wraps. Cost approx £200, will accept £120. Tel: 07973 776234, E.Mids Guitar & Bass mags 1997 to 2012. 180 in total, all like new. £3 each. Buyer collects or give me an offer for the lot. Tel: 01634 817724, Kent Epiphone Les Paul Standard. Midnight blue, Tiger stripe, never gigged, Korean, vgc, serial no: U03121938, gig bag, 7 years old, £375 ono. Tel: 01298 74208 after 6pm, Buxton Trace Elliott 130W SM7 1x15” bass combo, 1995, British built, immaculate. £225. Tel: Pete 01442 863869 (Herts)

JV Strat (1984), £750. JV Jazz Bass, £750. Vox SE Tonelab, £300. Roland V5880 WKSTN, £300, Alexis monitors – cheap! – £150. Alexis drum machine £100. Tel: 07727 2466231, London WEM Dominator Mk11 combo with 1x12", vgc, £500. Pair WEM Club 2x12 speakers, each 12 ohms, £165. Orange rig, early ’70s with 120W 4x12" cabinet, £850. Tel: 0777 327 6815, Westmorland Fender Thinline Telecaster 72 reissue, MIM, 2005, natural ash, M/Neck, 2 humbuckers, unmarked, beautiful. Super player, low action, easy bends no chokes, gig bag, £425. Tel: 01623 462795, Notts

Fender 1961, limited release, LPB, heavy relic Strat. Abigail Ybarra pickups, hard case, £1875. Mesa/Boogie MkV Combo, as new, £1875. Tel: Simon 07881 525777, W. Sussex

Yamaha 5-string active bass, TRB5. Translucent natural cherry, gold hardware. Beautiful condition, hard case, £390 ono. Email kimberwood@ virginmedia.com for pix/spec. Tel: 01202 530865, Poole, Dorset

Dean V79 Flying V, BraziliaBurst, Zebra Humbuckers, grovers, bound neck/body. Abalone dots, V plate, case, unplayed. £270. SKB Flying V flight case, new, £70. Tel: Paul 07963 129773, South East London.

Gibson SG Standard, 2005, cherry red, Gibson hard case, absolutely unmarked, very little home use only, superb guitar, Genuine reason for sale, £700 ovno. Tel: 07948 705520 or email paulharrison1008@ yahoo.com, Cannock, Staffs

Fender Deluxe Series Ltd edition vintage Strat with gold hardware, shell plate and rosewood board. S-1 switching system. Tweed case, absolutely mint condition, as new. Tel: 01986 782383, Norfolk

Guitars and amps for sale, all mint condition. Tel: Barry 01352 732451, Flint, North Wales

Ashdown bass stack ABM300 amp, 325W, 1x15" (300W) 4x8" (600W) cabinets. Made in UK, one owner, vgc, £450. Tel: 01702 582014, Essex Orange Tiny Terror combo, 12" Celestion speaker, all valve 15/7 watts, a fantastic amp, bedroom use only, as new, £250 ono. Ill health forces sale. Tel: Micky 020 7511 8528/07826 414727, London

Tokai Silver Star, mid-’70s, No 36A, red, maple neck, top sound and playability. Very special for a very special player. Slight wear, not gigged, case, £700. Tel: 01606 833203, Cheshire Fender Jazz Bass USA Standard 60th Anniversary model, 2006, rare natural ash, rosewood board, case, £800 ono. Tel: 07944 141845 or email rik61@ hotmail.co.uk, West Yorks Fender Squier Stratocaster, black, white scratchplate, trem, maple neck, new strings, gig

brought to you in association with

bag, vgc, £175. CIC No: CY04019044. Tel: Alan 01298 74208 or email pajlads [email protected], North Derbyshire Goodman acoustic guitar with pickup and 30W Kustom amp, good condition, £80 ono. Tel: 07946 374544, Exeter fender Baja Telecaster, 2008. blonde, Schaller straplocks, Hiscox case, 6-way switching, Custom Shop pickups, excellent condition, £500. Tel: 07973 293083, North Devon Eastman Uptown 805 blonde jazz guitar, excellent condition with hard case, £800 ono. Call 01256 892364, Hampshire, or email pat@mac3420. freeserve.co.uk Vox Ace Guitar 1966, nowhere near original but still nice, £100. BC Rich Star Sign Collection Pisces, dink on back edge, £150. Tel: 07710 147305, Beds Carlsbro valve 60W reverb PA amp. Matching 2x12" cabs fitted with G12s 20W Celestion 16 ohm speakers, all with vinyl covers, good order, best offer secures. Tel: Ken 01228 546362, Carlisle Rothwell Tornado overdrive pedal, British made, boxed, instructions, home use only, as new condition, £75. Tel: Stu 0114 255 6185, Sheffield Boss Distortion, Joyo Tremolo Joyo Phaser, Joyo Delay, Joyo Flanger, plus power supply, the lot for £130. Tel: Dominic 01737 357179, Epsom Gibson Les Paul ’58 VOS 2012 spec, lemon drop flame top, Lifton case, £2100. Tel: Peter 01308 482302/01689 870046

Charvette by Charvel 250 (Jackson Dinky shape), royal blue, 1990, HSS, excellent condition for year, locking tremolo by Floyd Rose, gig bag, 15W amp, £250. Tel: 07954 207838, Sheffield Gibson Les Paul Faded Doublecut, made 2007/8, TV Yellow, 2 x P90s, killer tone, classic raw rock sound, immaculate condition, owned from new, home use only, Gibson hard case, discontinued so will become collectable, £650 ono. Tel: 07948 705520 or email paulharrison1008@ yahoo.com Cannock, Staffs Matamp 1224 MkII, awardwinning handbuilt valve head, 28W with 6V6. Multiple power levels/switching options, 2x12 slope front cab with Celestions, mint, flightcased, £875. Tel: Steve 07933 799017, Bedford Danelectro U2 guitar, cream, as new, £150, no offers. Tel: Julian 01962 732036, Hants G&L Legacy Special, blonde, alder body, wide rosewood fingerboard, vintage frets, locking tuners, tremolo, hardshell case, unused, £475. Tel: Max Kay 01344 762020 Boss BD-2 Blues Driver £70, Electro-Harmonix Memory Boy £65, T-Rex Tonebug Distortion £85. All boxed, used once or twice. Contact Tom for info [email protected] / 07941 019243 Peavey MkIII XP Series Bass Head, £150. Ampeg Classic Series SVT-18E Bass Box, £250.

Crossword answers

Tel: Hayley for info/pictures on 07906 795203, offers considered if bought together, Croydon

WANTED Guitarist wanted for established NW-based Yes tribute. Next gigs scheduled for this autumn. Tel: 0161 928 9175 Noel Gallagher Union Jack Epi, cash waiting for right guitar. Tel: Steve 07803 116060, Beds Hutchins Retro Star guitar, white or blue, can collect. Tel: 01789 299663, Warwickshire Washburn Nuno Bettencourt N6 in cream with gold scratchplate. Tel: Jamie

07837 715474 or email [email protected] Epiphone Explorer Korina, condition unimportant. Cash waiting. Tel: Robin 07958 103673, Surrey Zoom FX pedal w/ Charlie Hall’s Echoes From The Past program fitted. Good price paid. Tel: Joe 07887 972019, Lanarkshire Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 or 5:50 1x12" combo or Egnate r Rebel 30. Must be vgc. Cash waiting. Preferably London area. Tel: Mick 020 8530 1208 Vintage 1960s soft vinyl case/ gig bag in good condition for solid guitar. Cash waiting for the right one. Tel: 07710 370505

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fender Telecaster 52 Hotrod, butterscotch blonde, black pickguard, mint condition, 14 months old and never gigged. complete with Fender tweed case and case candy, £900. Tel: 01744 616322/07929 077065, NW England

Please print your advertisement in BLOCK CAPITALS – include your telephone number – and post it to the address below. We will publish your ad FREE OF CHARGE for the next TWO issues, subject to availability*. Post your ad to: Readers’ free Ads, Guitar & Bass, Anthem Publishing, Station Approach, off North Street, Carshalton SM5 2HW. * We reserve the right to decline ads, as well as edit for sense and/or length. No discussion will be entered into.

Soundtrack of my life

Eric Schenkman Spin Doctors

Revelling in re-recording his band’s early blues material, a pop rock hero reveals some wide-ranging influences

I

ncredibly, it’s now been over 20 years since the Spin Doctors’ enormo-hit Two Princes dominated the airwaves. Back in the early ’90s the band forged a reputation for muso tendencies, thrilling wigouts, and jams that could last for hours. The 1991 album Pocket Full of Kryptonite captured a little of that, but mostly a new brand of funky pop rock that proved hugely popular. Before they hit big, the band trawled the blues clubs of New York – but instead of knocking out covers, Eric and his pals wrote new songs and passed them off as classics. A chance find of an old tape has led to those songs being dusted off and laid down to create the new album If The River Was Whiskey, re-invigorating the band and bringing them back to the original spirit that made them such a sensation.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Living Colour

Keith Richards

AXIS BOLD AS LOVE

VIVID

TALK IS CHEAP

It’s hard to choose a Hendrix album, but I don’t I loved Living Colour when Vivid came out – think Axis gets enough credit. To me the Vernon Reid just kills on Cult Of Personality. I was Experience is the ultimate trio, and this is their living in NYC at the time and Vivid was an instant creative peak. Jimi’s breakthrough classic guitar playing is just for me. Vernon’s stellar, all the songs sounds, his playing are incredible, and his and writing are pursuit of new inspiring – Middle Man, directions really stands Funny Vibe, Open out in the sounds, the Letter To A Landlord... ideas and production. poetic and on fire.

Here Keith showed us he’s deeper than the Stones (if that’s possible) and still full of brilliant rock’n’roll guitar. From hooks to heaven, Talk Is Cheap has all sorts of America wrapped up in it. Keith’s at his best – smart, gutsy and straight up. All his riffs are memorable cause they ARE him. This has it all. Play it loud!

Joni Mitchell

Magic Sam

Jeff Beck

DON JUANS’ RECKLESS DAUGHTER

EASY BABY

WIRED

I’ve always loved Joni’s guitar playing. Her courageous musical spirit is, in many ways, unparalleled… just listen to her tunings and her ability to capture songs with them. All her stuff is great, but this album contains my personal favourite Joni song, Jericho… and Jaco Pastorius is on there too.

Magic Sam was a super badass guitar player and, I grew up listening to this. George Martin’s man, could he sing! He serves up rhythmic riffs production brought Beck into a hi-fi, textural and grooves while blowing your mind. I dig his guitar zone rarely matched. The virtuosity is stylistic approach, it’s stunning throughout, the coolest! He’s famed and he does Goodbye for his tremolo, and his Pork Pie Hat by Mingus, use of amp tremolo is which is a favourite. brilliant too. Magic Sam It’s all good – Blue will show you what a Wind, Led Boots and of Strat can do... and what course, Head For the blues can do. Backstage Pass.

David Bowie

Albert King

Teenage Head

LET’S DANCE

BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN

FRANTIC CITY

This classic Nile Rodgers production showcased Desert island guitar album #1. Period. You can’t Stevie Ray Vaughan and brought back to the beat the king of the blues guitar accompanied by masses not only one of the best young cats the best Stax band ever... Booker T & the MGs plus around – SRV was just Isaac Hayes and the so bad! – but it also Memphis Horns. He’ll put Albert King back in break your heart the spotlight. I saw crooning The Very Stevie Ray at Beacon Thought Of You and Theatre NYC 1983 – sting you with the best man, what a Little guitar you ever heard Wing that was! on Personal Manager.

130 Guitar & Bass JULY 2013

Often described as the Canadian Ramones (from Hamilton, Ontario), these guys played my high school in the beginning of the ’80s. Frankie Venom was one of the best frontmen I had ever seen live. You didn’t need to go to Detroit or NYC to get your rock guitar fix on. Turn up the fire, c’mon baby… let’s shake!

The Essentials of a Really Good Guitar HOHNER extends the Essential Roots line with two all solid OM (Orchestra Model) guitars.

Essential Roots OM •

All solid Orchestra Model (OM)

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Solid top optionally Western Red Cedar (ER3-COM) or

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Solid mahogany back and sides

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Rosewood fingerboard and bridge

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Full 650 mm scale

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Real bone nut and saddle

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Simple, but elegant abalone rosette

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Body binding and end graft made from maple

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Vintage open geared tuning machine heads

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High gloss top finished with vintage aging toner and

Blues Rudy

Sitka Spruce (ER3-SOM) to match your style and sound

ER3-COM

high gloss headstock •

Satin back, sides and neck

ER3-SOM

en

Eric Nod

ooters

y - The H

John Lille

new Distributors of HOHNER in the UK

playhohner.com