Guitar World - September 2015 USA

S songs

The Hottest Reverb & Delay Pedals

G U I TA R & B A S S TA B S !

EXTREME

“More Than Words”

JOE SATRIANI

“Flying in a Blue Dream”

CHEAP TRICK “I Want You to Want Me” (live)

ALICE IN C HAI NS “Them Bones”

BREAKING BENJAM I N “Failure”

the

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CON T EN TS VOL. 36 |

NO. 9 |

SEPTEMBER 2015

30 Slayer

DEPARTM ENT S 14 WOODSHED 16 SOUNDING BOARD

Letters, reader art and Defenders of the Faith

19 TUNE-UPS

Bullet for My Valentine, Fear Factory, Symphony X, Dear Guitar Hero with Randy Bachman, Inquirer with Slayer’s Tom Araya, Warren Haynes, We Came As Romans, and more!

97 SOUNDCHECK

97. EVH 5150III 1x12 50-watt combo 99. Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro electric 100. LTD V-407B Baritone 7-String 102. Strandberg Boden OS-7 electric 104. Yamaha AC6R Acoustic-Electric 106. JHS Pedals Twin Twelve Channel Drive 106. TC Electronic PolyTune Clip

110 COLUMNS

110. Time to Burn by Michael Angelo Batio 112. Holcomb Mania by Periphery’s Mark Holcomb 114. String Theory by Jimmy Brown 116. Metal for Life by “Metal” Mike Chlasciak 118. Acoustic Nation by Dale Turner 120. In Deep by Andy Aledort

162 IT MIGHT GET WEIRD Moonshine Custom Sling Blade banjo bass

Tom Araya in downtown Los Angeles, May 2015

“Flying in a Blue Dream”

“Failure”

“Them Bones”

“More Than Words”

by Breaking Benjamin

by Alice In Chains

by Extreme

“I Want You to Want Me”

PAGE

PAGE

PAGE

PAGE

by Joe Satriani

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

138

142

by Cheap Trick

148

JIMMY HUBBARD

TRANSCRIBED

meet the family

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WOODSHED VOL. 36 |

NO. 9 |

SEPTEMBER 2015 EDITORIAL

YOUNG AND RESTLESS THIS MONTH WE were presented with a unique opportunity—to shine a light on two hotshot shredders who are pushing the boundaries of heavy metal axmanship. We look at it as our way of staking a claim in the future of guitar—profiling two talented musicians who aren’t afraid to take chances. Chris Broderick first made a name for himself in underground metal circles performing with Jag Panzer and Nevermore before being tapped to be Dave Mustaine’s lead guitarist in Megadeth in 2008—a coveted position previously held by such highly respected names as Marty Friedman, Chris Poland, Jeff Young and others. Broderick handled the role like an ace for six years and became a six-string sensation in the process—and after departing Megadeth in 2014, is ready to strike out on his own with his latest band project, the ferociously heavy Act of Defiance. Leaving the cushy confines of Megadeth is certainly a bold step forward for Broderick, but it’s obvious to us upon hearing the vicious assault of Act of Defiance that Chris has returned to the forefront of the metal scene with a vengeance. And then we have Gus G., the Greek warrior who seemingly came out of nowhere in 2009 and landed the enviable position as Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist, joining the esteemed ranks of Zakk Wylde, Jake E. Lee and Randy Rhoads before him. When he’s not making records and touring with Ozzy, Gus is keeping his band Firewind alive or working on his career as a solo artist, which is what he is currently doing with his most recent album, Brand New Revolution. Broderick and Gus G.—two guitarists who made names for themselves playing alongside some of the biggest acts in rock—clearly have so much left to say with their guitars. We proudly welcome them to the cover of this month’s issue, and hope you are as inspired by their latest efforts as we are. Also in this issue, Joe Satriani takes us track-by-track through his ambitious new concept album, Shockwave Supernova; Warren Haynes continues his reign as one of the premiere American blues/jam/folk guitarists with his latest album, Ashes & Dust, an epic storytelling adventure with roots rockers Railroad Earth; Ghost return with one of the most exciting metal records of the year in Meliora; and, in an excerpt from a riveting new book about Alice in Chains, we learn about the tragic final recording sessions between Layne Staley and the grunge legends. Plus, we round up 20 of the hottest reverb and delay pedals on the market today. Email us at [email protected] or hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tell us what you think of the issue. See you next month!

EXECUTIVE CONTENT DIRECTOR Jeff Kitts EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brad Angle TECH EDITOR Paul Riario ASSOCIATE EDITORS Andy Aledort, Richard Bienstock, Alan di Perna, Chris Gill CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Joe Bosso, Mike Chlasciak, Ted Drozdowski, Dan Epstein, Greg Evans, Randy Har ward, Peter Hodgson, Mark Holcomb, Dale Turner SENIOR VIDEO PRODUCER Mark Nuñez

MUSIC SENIOR MUSIC EDITOR Jimmy Brown MUSIC TRANSCRIPTIONIST Jeff Perrin MUSIC ENGRAVER Patricia Corcoran

ART DESIGN DIRECTOR Stephen Goggi ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Ben Avny PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Jimmy Hubbard DESIGN INTERN Natalie Skopelja

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR Damian Fanelli EDITORS Brad Angle, Jeff Kitts

PRODUCTION PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Nicole Schilling

BUSINESS VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL MANAGER Bill Amstutz [email protected] GROUP PUBLISHER Bob Ziltz [email protected] ADVERTISING DIRECTOR - WEST Jason Perl 646-723-5419, jason@guitar world.com ADVERTISING DIRECTOR - EAST Scott Sciacca 646-723-5478, scott@guitar world.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Anna Blumenthal 646-723-5404, anna@guitar world.com GROUP MARKETING DIRECTOR Christopher Campana 646-723-5423, [email protected] SR. MARKETING MANAGER Stacy Thomas 646-723-5416, [email protected]

CONSUMER MARKETING CONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR Cr ystal Hudson AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Kara Tzinivis FULFILLMENT COORDINATOR Ulises Cabrera MARKETING COORDINATOR Dominique Rennell

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GUITAR WORLD (ISSN 1045-6295) is published 13 times a year, monthly plus Holiday issue following December issue, by NewBay Media, LLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Phone: 212.378.0400. Fax: 917.281.4704. Web Site: www.nbmedia.com. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Newsstand distribution is handled by Time Warner Retail. Subscriptions: One-year basic rate (12 issues) US: $14.95. Canada: US$29.95. Foreign: US$49.95. Canadian and foreign orders must be prepaid. Canadian price includes postage and GST #R128220688. PMA #40612608. Subscriptions do not include newstand specials. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Guitar World, P.O. Box 469039, Escondido, CA 92046-9039. Ride-along enclosure in the following edition(s): A4. Standard enclosure: None. Returns: Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, Canada. Entire contents copyright 2012, NewBay Media L.L.C. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. NewBay Media L.L.C. is not affiliated with the companies or products covered in Guitar World. Reproduction on the Internet of the articles and pictures in this magazine is illegal without the prior written consent of Guitar World. Products named in the pages of Guitar World are trademarks of their respective companies. PRODUCED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SUBSCRIBER CUSTOMER SERVICE: Guitar World Magazine Customer Care, P.O. Box 469039, Escondido, CA 92046-9039. Online: www.guitarworld.com/customerservice. Phone: 1-800-456-6441. Email guitarworld@ pcspublink.com. BACK ISSUES: www.guitarworld.com/store REPRINTS: NewBay Media, LLC, 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016. Phone: 212.378.0414

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

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I L L U S T R AT I O N BY J O E L K I M M E L

—Jeff Kitts Executive Content Director

SOUNDI NG BOARD Got something you want to say? EMAIL US AT: [email protected] so many more! Damn good job though guys. —Frances Payson

Southern Lords I’m a 62-year-old retired Northwest Airlines flightline aircraft inspector and a 30-year reader of Guitar World. Thanks very much for a beautiful Lynyrd Skynyrd issue [July 2014]. And thank you, Brad Tolinski, for a job well done. Absolutely fabulous content and cover photos all these years. Long live Guitar World! —David Tycer I’ve been a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan since I was 15—I’m 55 now. Everything in the July issue on Skynyrd was great, from the cover to the articles inside. Too bad you only had room for 25 of their greatest songs—they have

As I made my monthly trip to my local bookstore to buy the latest issue of Guitar World, I believe customers from 20 aisles over must have heard the “hell yeah!” I let out when I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd gracing the cover. Well done my friends! They are without a doubt the most underappreciated band of all time. As far as the Top 25 Skynyrd Songs of All Time, you could have put them in any order you wanted and I wouldn’t disagree. God bless Gary Rossington for keeping Skynyrd going! Thanks again and job well done! —Chris Lindenberger

at CBGB: I was from Queens and it opened my eyes to how great the scene was. Stigma still lives in the same apartment, playing in AF, and active in his community: now that is keeping it real. —Jeff Smith

Van Art With summer here I wanted to have something at the house to have some summer fun in the yard. After looking online at cornhole games, all I saw were the typical beer logo or sports team board sets—but I wanted something a little different. And with that, the Eddie Van Halen cornhole boards were born. —Pete Cauda I saw the picture of the Van Halen–themed mailbox in the July issue, so I thought I would share a photo of my garage. My

Ink Spot

best friend and I were huge VH fans. He passed away in 2008 after his vehicle encountered an IED fighting the war in Afghanistan. I wanted to do something to honor him and came up with doing this to the garage. I ran the idea past the Mrs. and got her nod. So I hurried out and got the paint before she could change her mind. Rock on, first lieutenant Jeff Deprimo! —Craig Hopple

Here is my latest tattoo. The music in the guitar neck is the main riff to “Deuce” by Kiss. Kiss was one of the main reasons I picked up a guitar some 20 years ago, so it’s my little tribute to them. —Kevin Bryant

Agnostic View Thank you for doing a Dear Guitar Hero with Agnostic Front’s Vinnie Stigma! [July 2015] East Coast hardcore defined a generation; from the Bad Brains came a scene that was tough, had conviction, and welcomed everyone. Agnostic Front is a legendary band, and I am proud to say I saw them in 1987

GOT A TATTOO of your favorite band or guitarist you want to share with us? Send a photo of your ink to [email protected] and maybe we’ll print it or post it on our Facebook page!

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

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READER ART

OF THE MONTH

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M I CK THOM SO N B Y E M I LY C E R D A

DEFENDERS

DUANE ALLMAN BY BA R RY E DWA R DS

of the Faith

Sotiris Papaioannou

Dennis Brumback

Joseph Martinez

AGE 13 HOMETOWN Athens, Greece GUITARS Squier Affinity Stratocaster,

AGE 17 HOMETOWN Purcellville, VA GUITARS Fender Stratocaster, Fender

AGE 34 HOMETOWN Fountain, CO GUITARS 2009 custom-tooled leather

Fender Mexican Standard Stratocaster

SONGS I’VE BEEN PLAYING Stevie Ray

Vaughan’s “Stormy Monday” and “Pride and Joy,” Gary Moore’s “Still Got the Blues,” JJ Cale’s “After Midnight” GEAR I MOST WANT Gibson BB King Lucille

’72 Telecaster Deluxe, Fender Jaguar, Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro SONGS I’VE BEEN PLAYING

Phish’s “Stash” and “You Enjoy Myself,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing” GEAR I MOST WANT Sixties sunburst Stratocaster, Nashville Telecaster, Languedoc guitar

Fender Telecaster

SONGS I’VE BEEN PLAYING

Dale Watson “I Live on Truckin’ Time,” Buck Owens’ “Tiger by the Tail,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” GEAR I MOST WANT Bill Crook Custom Paisley guitar

Are you a Defender of the Faith? Send a photo, along with your answers to the questions above, to [email protected]. And pray! guitarworld.com

17

Mini, Mighty or Both?

Choosing one can be difficult. Rest assured, they are both the right choice. Whether it’s the direct recording and fly-date ease of the 16lb. compact MARK FIVE: 25™ with our built-in Award Winning CABCLONE™ cabinet simulator or the dominance for Live Performance of the mighty MARK FIVE™ with 3 Channels, 9 Modes of expression, Boogie® 5-Band Graphic EQ and 90 Watts of Simul-Class™ 6L6-based authority - Either way, you’ll experience legendary MARK performance. It’s no wonder so many players end up getting both. For the ultimate in individual expression, be sure to check out the myriad of finish options available in our online Design Gallery. Contact your MESA® dealer to discuss custom options to inspire your dream amp today.

TUNE-UPS FEAR FACTORY

22

SYMPHONY X

24

RANDY BACHMAN

26

“Every song’s a hit when I write it, or else I wouldn’t finish it”

SLAYER

30

WARREN HAYNES

32

WE CAME AS ROMANS

36

Michael “Padge” Paget (left) and Matt Tuck

Bite Club R A N DY B A C H M A N : J I M M Y H U B B A R D

ON THEIR FIFTH ALBUM, VENOM, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE BARE THEIR FANGS AND GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH THE ANGRY METALCORE THAT PUT THEM ON THE MAP. By Alan di Perna “I TRY TO GO into the studio armed to the teeth with as many licks as possible,” says Bullet for My Valentine lead guitarist Michael “Padge” Paget. “So if people don’t like a certain solo idea, I can say, ‘Well, what about this instead?’ That’s much better than being put on the spot and going, ‘Duh, I don’t know what the fuck to do.’ ” This strategy certainly served Paget well on the band’s new album, their fifth to date, Venom. With full throttle aggression and an

onslaught of six-string mayhem, the disc more than lives up to its name. Which was very much Bullet for My Valentine’s goal when they entered London’s Metropolis Studio earlier this year to record Venom. There was a general feeling that the band had lost some of their edge on their previous album, 2013’s Temper Temper. Tkk “We kind of lost it a bit, from what the band had been—especially lyrically,” admits lead singer/rhythm guitarist Matt Tuck. “So

we tried to get back to what we thought was lacking on Temper Temper. Which means that Venom is more angry, with more dark lyrical content, which is what we’re pretty much renowned for. It was just a matter of looking back retrospectively on what made us the band we are today, and revisiting that, but in a fresh and new way.” The process of getting back to where he once belonged wasn’t entirely easy for Tuck. These days, he just isn’t as pissed off and anguished as he was back when Bullet for My Valentine first rocketed out of their U.K. town of Bridgend, Wales, with their 2005 debut album, The Poison. guitarworld.com

19

NEWS + NOTES

“Life is good for me right now, so it’s really hard for me to write angry lyrics.” he says. “It’s not where my head’s at anymore. I have a beautiful family; I’m happily married. There’s really not that angst or anger anymore. So it was more about revisiting the place where I was in the late Nineties, when I was in my teens and nobody gave a shit about me

or my music or my ambitions. It was hard to relive that, but once I got my headspace back there, things started sounding good.” And while it was difficult for Tuck to revisit those days when nobody cared about him or his music, he says the process of writing Venom’s angry anthems has given him a new sense of perspective on

his band’s decade long journey. He definitely counts himself among those whose lives were saved by rock and roll. “It’s made me who I am, anyway,” he says. “And 10 years down the line, it was important for me to not forget that. We lost our edge for a bit, but it’s definitely back now.” Knowing that a lot was riding on the new album, the band took extra care in preproduction. “We demoed everything at my house, where I’ve got a little home studio,” says Paget. “It took us about a year to demo everything. Me and Moose [BFMV drummer Michael “Moose” Thomas] were writing a lot. The whole band was writing a lot more than we’ve ever done before. I think the preparation and thought that went into it has really benefitted the album.” “It’s the first time we’ve worked on songwriting this much as a group,” Tuck concurs, adding that tracking on home turf also had a positive influence on the project. “This

Les Paul Turns 100

JOE BONAMASSA AND A HOST OF GUITAR LUMINARIES PAY TRIBUTE TO THE GREAT INNOVATOR ON HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY. By Corbin Reiff GUITAR INNOVATOR AND jazz virtuoso Les Paul, who died on August 12, 2009, would have turned 100 years old on June 9 of this year. To help commemorate that important milestone, the Les Paul Foundation hosted a star-studded concert at the Hard Rock Café in New York City. Among those tapped to perform that night included Warren Haynes, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Neal Schon, Joe Bonamassa and Paul’s own Godson, Steve Miller. For Bonamassa, who was in between tours at the time, it was a can’t-miss kind of event. “My friend Pat Foley, who used to work as Gibson…rang me up and said

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

there’s going to be a bash on his 100th birthday on a Tuesday night, and I said, ‘Pat, as long as I’m not touring or am already committed, I’m there for you.” Like everyone else on the bill, he was afforded a scant eight minutes of time to perform just a couple of cuts with his trusted ’59 Les Paul “Snakebite” from his most recent project Muddy Wolf at Red Rocks, including Waters’ own “All Aboard” and the Otis Rush classic “Double Trouble” in front of a house band directed by the inimitable G.E. Smith. “I find in these kinds of multiple act deals that you kind of want to keep it simple and do some dynamics—usually ev-

is the first time since The Poison that we’ve recorded back in the U.K. We’ve done the last few away from home. But this time we wanted to keep it locked down in the U.K. It was just very relaxed. Everyone was in a good mood. There wasn’t that feeling of being locked in a studio a million miles from home and being pissed off because you don’t want to be there.” Tuck handled rhythm guitar duties on Venom. “That’s what I do best,” he says, “and I’m proud of it. I’m a rhythm player. I didn’t play lead at all on the record, which is the first time that has happened. Although, for the last two records, Padge has really stepped into that role of being the lead guitar player. And I was more focused on writing songs and the lyrics this time. So it was good not to have to worry about that other stuff. Padge is such an amazing lead player in his own right.” “Every album has been different for me, lead guitar-wise,” Paget notes. “And hopefully it’s getting better. A challenge is good. I don’t know the names of scales or anything like that. I just sort of put my fingers on the dots or between the dots. I just like that sort of fast, neckpickup shredding, really.”

erybody seems to dig it,” says Bonamassa. After everyone had taken their turn in the spotlight, the evening came to a close with an all-hands-on-deck jam on Freddie King’s “I’m Tore Down.”union,’ and called everyone up,” “A lot of times these things can really go into ‘guitarmaggedon,’ ” he says. “It was really cool how we passed the solos around and Steve sang great.” Bonamassa (left) and G.E. Smith

G E T T Y I M A G E S F O R L E S PA U L F O U N D AT I O N

“We lost our edge for a bit, but it’s definitely back now.” — M AT T T U C K

NEWS + NOTES

Fear Factory

DINO CAZARES TAKES A LEAN-AND-MEAN APPROACH TO GENEXUS, THE LATEST EFFORT FROM THE INDUSTRIAL-METAL VETERANS. By Dan Epstein

GENEXUS, THE NEW record from industrial metal vets Fear Factory, is a concept album about the increasing hybridization of technology and humanity—and guitarist Dino Cazares says that their technologically advanced approach to recording the album fell right in line with its concept. “Aside from two days in a studio recording live drums, we recorded everything direct to Pro Tools in a bedroom in my house,” he says with a laugh. “I don’t know if that disappoints people or not, but that’s the way we did it. This is where we are today with music technology. The ‘bedroom hobby’ stuff is now professional shit!”

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

A longtime adherent of profiling amplifiers, Cazares says he used a Kemper Power Rack for all of the album’s guitar tracks. “With my Kemper, I’m able to profile all the heads I have—the Soldanos, the Diesels,

AXOLOGY • GUITARS Ibanez DCM100 signature seven-string baritone and Ibanez Custom Shop RGA8 eight-string baritone, both with Seymour Duncan signature Retribution pickups • AMPS/EFFECTS Kemper Power Rack • STRINGS D’Addario NYXL .010–.054 (seven-string) and .010–.064 (eight-string)

the Engls, the EVHs, the Marshalls, all that stuff. I used a combination of tones on this record, an original EVH mixed with Marshalls. And the beauty of technology these days is that you can download any cabinet that you want, and experiment with all sorts of cabinets and mic positions. .” Cazares primarily used his Ibanez DCM100 signature seven-string baritone on Genexus, though his Ibanez Custom Shop RGA8 eight-string baritone makes an appearance on the song “Soul Hacker.” He says that, these days, the two guitars, a backup seven-string and the Kemper are all he needs for touring as well as recording. “Financially, it makes the most sense for us to take the least amount of equipment on tour as possible; plus, there’s less stuff that can get stolen. I laugh at all these bands that are spending so much money taking all these cabinets, all these heads and all these racks with them on tour. I mean, if you can afford to do it, go for it; but technology has made it possible to leave all that stuff at home!”

PHOTO BY ASHLEY GASPER

NEWS + NOTES

What's on My iPod?

PLAYLIST

MICHAEL ROMEO OF SYMPHONY X 1 Blizzard of Ozz

Ozzy Osbourne “When I started playing guitar, this was my first big influence. Rhoads’ playing really had an impact on me. I just loved the riffs, the phrasing, the classical nuances…everything. I can still remember all those countless hours I spent learning and practicing those songs!”

2 Taken by Force

Scorpions “ ‘The Sails of Charon’ in particular was my first introduction to Uli Jon Roth’s playing. After that, I was hooked. Amazing vibrato, intonation and feel. Just such great playing.”

3 Rising Force

Yngwie Malmsteen “I remember hanging out with some musician friends in high school and listening to this for the first time; it was just unbelievable. The speed, articulation and vibrato—I hadn’t heard anything quite like it.”

4 Road Games

Allan Holdsworth “Holdsworth’s playing was so different than a lot of the other guys I was listening to. That cool, ultra-fluid legato, the wide intervals, the use of chromatics and the subtle use of the vibrato bar really made an impression on me.”

5 Powers of Ten

SYMPHONY X’S LATEST ALBUM, UNDERWORLD, WILL BE RELEASED ON JULY 24.

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

Shawn Lane “My all-time favorite. Shawn Lane had everything in his playing: absolutely incredible technique, the picking, the legato, the phrasing, the ridiculous speed, the string-skipping, the feel, and just the overall musicality. Great stuff.”

PHOTO BY DANNY SANCHEZ

DEAR GUITAR HERO

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

PHOTO BY JIMMY HUBBARD

RANDY BACHMAN

With the Guess Who, Randy Bachman made radio listeners “come undun,” and as the coleader of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, he “took care of business,” but what Guitar World readers really want to know is… Interview by Joe Bosso

YOU’VE WRITTEN A LOT OF HITS. DID YOU KNOW THEY WERE HITS WHEN YOU WROTE THEM, OR WERE YOU ALWAYS SURPRISED? —DAISY MENZIES

Every song’s a hit when I write it, or else I wouldn’t finish it. What always happens is that the people at radio have their own ideas. You write a song and you think it’s a hit, but the radio people say, “No, not that one. That one—that’s a hit.” And then they play it, and you see what kind of reaction you get and whether it clicks with the fans. No, I’m usually surprised at the songs that become hits, and I’m especially surprised—very happily so—to see radio still playing my songs 30, 40 years later.

You cut your new album, Heavy Blues, with a female rhythm section: Anna Ruddick on bass and Dale Anne Brendon on drums. Was it any different working with two girls in the studio than with a bunch of guys? —Lester Trolley Yes, it was, and only in a good way. These two girls had never played together before, but once I got them together, it was as if they’d been lifelong bandmates. Things gelled very quickly. I saw Dale Anne at the premiere of Tommy in Stratford-Ontario. I was sitting with Pete Townshend, and he leaned over to me and said, “That drummer is amazing— sounds just like Keith Moon.” I said, “Yeah, and it’s a girl.” Pete couldn’t believe it: “A girl can’t play like Keith Moon.” But sure enough, Dale Anne can. After the show, I went back and met her. I knew I wanted to work with her.

Neil Young had told me, “When you do your next record, don’t do the same old shtick,” and that stuck with me. After meeting Dale, I saw Anna play in a Crazy Horse–type band, and she was brilliant. I met her and found out that she liked Jon Entwistle. I thought, I should work with these chicks. That would be different. They nailed first takes in the studio. Everything they did, it was like Cream’s Wheels of Fire. They didn’t just play their instruments; they attacked them. You’ve got some guitar greats on your new album: Neil Young, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton. Did you give them ideas or direction, or did you just let them go? —Danny Klez We did the album in four days. One day I got a call from [producer] Kevin Shirley, who had gone to Australia, and he said, “I got my

next door neighbor, Joe Bonamassa, to do a solo.” Kevin sent me the track, and it was incredible. Joe’s solo really stood out and complemented the one I had played. That gave me an idea to use a solo of Jeff Healey’s. I called his widow, and she said she was okay with it, so I wrote “Confessin’ to the Devil” to match up with Jeff’s guitar playing from a track he had done. Meanwhile, I emailed Neil Young and Peter Frampton, and I got them to do tracks for me. I just told them, “Here’s the tracks. I know how you play, so just give me your heart and soul.” That’s what they did, and I couldn’t be happier. Absolutely amazing performances. Is it true that Kevin Shirley told you to “shut up and listen to him” in the studio? If so, did you take offense to that? —“Gentle” Jim Manna

No, I didn’t. When Neil Young told me that I had to reinvent myself and do something different, I took that seriously. So, no, I didn’t get mad when Kevin told me I had to listen to him. When you produce yourself, you write a song, the band tells you it’s great, you record it, and that’s it. I’ve done that, and you wind up with a certain kind of record. When you work with a producer who pushes you and who doesn’t just tell you everything you want to hear, you’re gonna wind up with another kind of record, and it might be a better record. Kevin was honest with me, and that’s what I wanted. He told me, “I’ll do the record, but I have to be the captain. I’ll listen to your opinion, but it means nothing to me.” I was okay with that. I read that you recently bought some guitars on eBay. Isn’t that a tricky way to buy guitars? Don’t you need to try them out first? —Lynda Channing It is tricky. It can be a little like joining an internet dating site: You get an old picture of a chick when she was much younger. Then you go to meet her and you’re looking around for this tall, slim blonde, but the only woman is this huge, gray-haired old lady. Luckily, that wasn’t the case for me. I got these black Supro archtops with no f-holes. They’re really cool, rare guitars, and the Valco pickups in them are incredible. I was looking for one of these guitars for a while, and I couldn’t find them. Then one day I found three, so I bought them all. I love ’em.

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DEAR GUITAR HERO I know you’ve played a lot of guitars through many different amps over the years, but what’s the best guitar-amp combination you’ve ever had? —Dr. Robert Meckler That’s changed, because it’s hard to take your favorite amp on the road these days unless you’ve got a bus or a truck. A lot of guys like me do fly-ins, so you’re using the backline of whatever the venues give you. When I can get them, I like Fender Hot Rod Deluxes. They have a nice clean headroom, and they’re dependable. I play my ’59 Les Paul reissues, which are chambered—the old guitars are too heavy. So give me the ’59 reissue and the Fender Deluxes— that’s a good combination. What was the secret to your songwriting with [Guess Who frontman] Burton Cummings? —Tim Okenfeld We studied the best. Lennon and

McCartney, Jagger and Richards, Brian Wilson; for ballads, we studied Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Whatever was on the hit parade, we studied it, and we took note of who wrote the songs. We tried to write followups to whatever was big on Billboard, and those songs became our own. We tried to have memorable intros and huge hooks. You had to be able to sing every part of the song, even if it was a guitar part. “American Woman”—you can sing that intro guitar part. You’ve got three minutes, so make every second count. You said in an interview that “Undun” is your favorite Guess Who song. Which begs the question: What’s your least favorite? —Roarin’ Robert Feller All the others. [laughs] How’s that for an answer? Honestly, it’s hard to say, but yeah, “Undun” is

WERE YOU OFFENDED BY THE BAND THAT CALLED ITSELF KATHLEEN TURNER OVERDRIVE, OR DID YOU THINK IT WAS FUNNY? —JOSEPH DEMBA

I thought it was funny; I thought it was great. I was with BTO and we were traveling, and we were told by a guy at our hotel that Kathleen Turner was in town. She was doing [1986’s] Peggy Sue Got Married at the time. What was amazing was, Kathleen Turner Overdrive was playing at the Holiday Inn next door. So we went to their show, got a T-shirt, signed it, and left it for Kathleen Turner at the hotel desk. We never got to meet her, but we left her the shirt. No, I wasn’t offended at all by the name. I thought it was terrific. 28

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my favorite. I always thought it was very different, and it stood out from everything else that was on the radio. It reminded me of “The Girl from Ipanema”— nothing sounded like that, either. In the late Sixties, everybody was rocking out, and here you had this dreamy, jazzy song. The song just lifted you up and carried you away. Burton Cummings sang his face off and did a little flute solo. How could you not love that? Did you ever record a version of “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” without the stuttering? —Chip Damone I tried. When I stuttered on the original version of the song, it was never supposed to be on an album. It was a work track that I was going to send to my brother, because he stuttered. It was supposed to be a tease. The head of our label heard the song and loved it—he said it was our next single. I tried to record a version without the stuttering, but it didn’t work. I sounded like a lounge singer, a little like Frank Sinatra or something. So we kept the version with the stuttering, and it was a smash. Brave Belt, your band that became BTO, was rejected 26 times by record labels. With all of your success from the Guess Who, why did no label want to sign you? —Custer Bingham When I left the Guess Who in 1970, I didn’t want my next band to be a second-rate version of the Guess Who. I went in an opposite direction and did a country-rock thing with pedal steel, accordion, fiddle. Radio wasn’t interested in Brave Belt and labels didn’t want it. Finally, I got a deal, but the head of the label said that we had to put my name, Bachman, on it. So it became Bachman-Turner Overdrive. We played gigs and noticed that no one danced to the country songs; whenever we played the heavier rock songs, that’s when people danced. And I knew that if people danced to the songs, they became hits.

NEWS + NOTES

INQUIRER TOM ARAYA OF SLAYER

What influenced you to first pick up an instrument? My older brother was learning to play the guitar. So, basically, to accompany him. I started doing that when I was 11 or 12 years old. By the time I hooked up with [Slayer guitarists] Kerry [King] and Jeff [Hanneman], I was 19 or 20. I’d been playing for seven or eight years already. What was your first bass? My first bass was a Vox acoustic guitar with four strings on it. When my brother started to take his guitar playing seriously, he bought a $20 guitar and amplifier, a Sears Roebuck model, from our neighbor. Then I took the Vox and put four strings on it, then learned how to play. What was the first song you learned? It was probably a Beatles song. I can’t think of the exact song, though. I think the first riff I learned was “Satisfaction.”

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And you know, you follow it with Deep Purple “Smoke on the Water.” What do you recall about your first gig? It was at a party at a friend’s house and we were just learning how to play one song and we played it all night. I can’t think of the song. Maybe it was “Johnny B. Goode.” Ever had an embarrassing onstage moment or disaster show? It was with a band that I had formed with my brother, his friend and two other friends. We played at this 15th or 16th birthday of some girl. That was a nightmare gig because we played the same songs over and over again. We got paid, so it was kinda cool I guess. What’s your proudest moment as a player? Oh, man. Oh, wow. I’m amazed that I did what I did at such a young age. I just picked up an instrument and learned how to play it. I took the initiative and learned how to read music and write music. That was an accomplishment, because my

brother took music lessons. He was in band class. I wasn’t. I just went out and bought charts and really put my head into learning how to read music. What’s your favorite piece of gear? I use a standard Marshall bass head, which is a really good head. And they made me a couple of cabinets that sound really cool. But yeah, I just use a standard rig. It’s not hopped up; it’s not the “Tom model.” It’s just a Marshall bass amp, which sounds awesome. And I have an ESP signature bass that I use. Lately, I’ve been using the passive pickups that sound really amazing. Do you have any advice for young players? Practice. Practice, practice, practice. That’s about it. That’s what I did. Religiously. Same with the band. We practiced all the time. I mean, 24/7. We practiced a lot until our first album with Rick Rubin, which was [1986’s] Reign in Blood. Covers, whatever. We just practiced all the time to make sure we were tight, tight, tight. So that’s the best advice I can offer. —RANDY HARWARD

PHOTO BY JIMMY HUBBARD

Photo: Neil Zlozower

ANGUS YOUNG

AN ERNIE BALL ORIGINAL SINCE 1978. ernieball.com | #iplayslinky

Angus plays Ernie Ball Super Slinky 9-42

NEWS + NOTES

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Great American Songbook

ON ASHES & DUST, HIS ROOTSY COLLABORATION WITH DOWN-HOME ROCKERS RAILROAD EARTH, WARREN HAYNES PAYS TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC AND THE LOST ART OF STORYTELLING. By Ted Drozdowski

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ARREN HAYNES’ NAME is more likely to be evoked alongside those of Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Paul Kossoff, Steve Marriott or even David Gilmour, rather than Bob Dylan or Woody Guthrie. And yet there’s always been a literate storyteller’s heart beating within the powerful Gibsonand Marshall-fueled textures of his finest songwriting, going back to the emergence of his much-esteemed polymorphic group Gov’t Mule in 1995.

The Mule’s debut album nestled the antiracism commentary “World of Difference” amidst its gloriously retro-leaning psychedelic excursions. And Haynes’ line of insightful carved-from-life telegraphy has continued though the lost-soul’s portrait “Wine and Blood” from 2004’s Deja Voodoo and through the song of rebellion “River’s Gonna Rise” from his second solo album, 2011’s Man in Motion, and through the self-examining “Spots of Time,” a tune Haynes wrote with the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and played during the last years of his quarter-century stand with the Allman Brothers Band. Haynes fully reveals his narrative abilities on the new solo set Ashes & Dust. The album teams the guitarist, who’s also been part of the Dickey Betts Band and Phil Lesh & Friends, and shared the stage and recordings with Dave Matthews, the Derek Trucks Band and even William Shatner, with yet another set of collaborators: New Jersey based roots-music wranglers Railroad Earth. “Having musical conversations without speaking about what to play is what I love,” Haynes declares. “That happened in a really organic way with Railroad Earth. I also love the fact that they all play multiple instruments, so we could talk about what might be good on a song-by-song basis and mix things up by varying instruments to tell

“To get a story to come to life in a reasonable amount of time is a challenge.”

the different stories on Ashes & Dust. We didn’t dwell on anything too much. We tried to capture as few takes as possible and grab the ones that felt the best.” Despite the desperation ticking within tales like country songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler’s “Coal Tattoo” and Haynes’ own “New Year’s Eve,” Ashes & Dust has the vibe of a feel-good album thanks to the relaxed and intuitive performances that guide its mostly acoustic playbook. Haynes’ acoustic guitars and trusty D’Angelico New Yorker twine with the fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, piano and resonator guitars in Railroad Earth’s front line to craft spider webs of angelic melodies on numbers like his new tunes “Is It Me Or You” and “Blue Maiden’s Tale,” and to propel Lesh’s Deadlike chord structure on “Spots of Time,” which makes its first recorded appearance.

The sound of Haynes and Railroad Earth—sweeping and swirling with rich, rooted influences—is perfect for these songs, which pluck images from the North Carolina mountains where Haynes grew up, the landscape of the Civil War, gospel tent revivals and urban wastelands to tell Ashes & Dust’s distinctly American tales. And true to the great storytellers Guthrie and Dylan, there’s even a streak of protest in songs like the satirical greed-head anthem “Beat Down the Dust” and the blightridden “Hallelujah Boulevard.” Haynes also pays tribute to a lost storyteller in “Wanderlust,” a 4:50 biography of country-rock innovator Graham Parsons. The album has an eclectic—naturally—guest list that includes Grace Potter duetting with Haynes on Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman,” vocalist Shawn Colvin and harmonica player Mickey Raphael on “Wanderlust,” and Allman Brothers’ bassist Otiel Burbridge and percussionist Marc Quinines on “Spots of Time.” Although the Allmans folded their hand last fall, Haynes has kept up a juggernaut pace, directing most of his energy into Gov’t Mule. In the past year the Mule has teamed up for instrumental concerts and a live album with groove-jazz guitar hero John Scofield and released live recordings of the band covering Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones and classic reggae tunes. And the quartet continues to make every live show available for purchase on their Mule.net web site. It’s a wonder Haynes had time to cut 30 songs with yet another group of collaborators. “But the truth is, I’ve been writing these more traditional songs all my life and I finally needed to create a home for them,” he says. “They didn’t necessarily fit the Allman Brothers or Gov’t Mule, or even my last solo record. They were looking for a little more acoustic and melodic treatment. And they just couldn’t wait any longer.” Haynes was taking a rare and welldeserved break at home when we spoke. guitarworld.com

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NEWS + NOTES Ashes & Dust really celebrates storytelling, with vivid characters living in a vivid American landscape. What took you there?

The kind of imagery and almost talk-singing thing—like John Prine, Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan stuff from certain eras. When you heard those tunes, they took you on a journey. By the time the payoff came there was an excitement level that you couldn’t achieve in a regular love song, which is what most songs are. If you look at stuff I’ve written in Gov’t Mule, a lot of those songs come from that kind of folk influence. I’m also much happier being challenged as a songwriter. That storytelling approach is not the easiest thing in the world to do unless you’re Dylan and can write “Hollis Brown” in eight minutes. To get a story to come to life in a reasonable amount of time is a challenge. Once a song like that is written, it’s up to the singer to keep the narrative interesting and the instruments are kind of ornaments, decorating the picture. The acoustic settings of these songs also let me use my voice differently. Not having to sing over electric instruments lets me sing in a more warm and relaxed way. That helps to keep the stories in these songs intimate and real—like I’m just telling them to you, without any big production. How did your D’Angelico New Yorker, a big box hollowbody you’re not often heard playing, become the star guitar of these recordings?

How does your acoustic guitar approach differ from your electric playing?

Mostly I’m trying to capture the vibe of the way the song was written. In some cases, I might start out playing it on acoustic guitar and realize I can get the same vibe on my

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D’Angelico or an ES-335, and feel like I can play a nice solo at the end of the song that takes it out of the acoustic realm. But playing acoustic guitar for me is much more tender, delicate. I’m more comfortable with an electric guitar in my hands, as far as performing is concerned. To be able to embrace the acoustic side and try to get better at it is a nice challenge. The album’s acoustic aesthetic also makes the Celtic influence that’s been a vein in your electric guitar playing more prominent.

At the bottom of the traditional music from the mountains of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky is a thread of Celtic music. That’s part of what they call Appalachian music, brought over from the British Isles by the area’s settlers. I’ve had such a hybrid of influences. My dad had a beautiful voice—still does—and he was listening to Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Hank Wil-

liams and eventually George Jones and Merle Haggard. So I heard bluegrass and country early on, but not a lot more. And my two older brothers had every type of music under the sun. I was exposed to so many things that they all found their place in my music. A lot of the big, explosive trademark sonic guitar palette we’re used to hearing on Gov’t Mule albums and your last solo album is absent here.

I used hardly any effects. The vintage Gibson Falcon amp I used on “Hallelujah Boulevard” and “Gold Dust Woman” has a weird tremolo in it that has some sort of sweeping modulation effect. It’s a very unique sounding tremolo. Other than that, we added a little slap-back or delay to some of the slide stuff. It’s a very organic sounding album. How important is it for you to carry the American songwriting tradition forward?

WILLIAM HAMES

It has flat wound strings on it, so it’s not a guitar that I would want to play blues or rock solos on. But it’s really good for that vintage-y kind of Fifties/early Sixties sound when flat wounds were prevalent strings for a while. It makes me play a certain way. When I’m not bending strings, for the most part, and playing in a jazzier or more melody-oriented way, the D’Angelico’s sound fits in with the acoustic instruments. So on “Coal Tattoo,” all that jazzy stuff at the end was tracked live with the D’Angelico, which is a reissue I’ve had for about 15 years. The slide is an overdub on one of my Les Pauls. Most of the songs have only one guitar lying in the tracks, but when there are two, chances are that’s the D’Angelico tracked live and the Les Paul added.

AXOLOGY • GUITARS D’Angelico New Yorker, Gibson Warren Haynes Signature model Les Paul, Gibson ES-335 1959 Dot Neck reissue, Epiphone ES-335 style 12-string, Washburn Warren Haynes Signature model acoustic, Rockbridge Traditional Dreadnought acoustic, Seventies Guild acoustic • AMPS Gibson Falcon, 1965 Fender Super Reverb, Carr combo, Homestead combos • STRINGS GHS Burnished Nickel Rockers (.010–.046), GHS Precision Flatwounds (.012–.050) on the D’Angelico New Yorker, GHS Vintage Bronze Acoustic (.010–.046) • SLIDES Dunlop glass Moonshine slides, Coricidin slides

back and forth together from Asheville to Nashville. He had houses in both cities and we wrote some songs together. I was lucky to pick his brain a little bit. And Larry and Ray were local singer-songwriters that I would sneak into this folk club to hear when I was 14. We became friends and the next thing you know they’re teaching me about songwriting and we’re playing together. Was there something they saw in you?

“I’ve never wanted to second-guess what people expect from me.”

It’s important to take the seeds your music grew from and plant them somewhere else. And I’ve always felt that it was especially important to take whatever tradition in roots music you grow up with and carry it forward in whatever ways you can. All the types of music I love are huge parts of music history and need to be carried on. I also thought it was important that I acknowledge the Asheville area writers from previous generations that were influences and, in some ways, mentors to me. There were three in particular: Ray Sisk, Larry Rhodes and Billy Edd Wheeler, and I recorded songs by all of them for this album. Billy Edd’s the most famous of all the Asheville area songwriters. He wrote “Jackson” for Johnny Cash and has written songs for Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, Richie Havens and Judy Collins. I believe he just turned 82 and is in the Country Music Hall of Fame. He and I became friends when I was in my early twenties. We used to drive

It was at least the gumption it took to sneak into a place I wasn’t supposed to be, called Caesar’s Parlor. This was a drinking establishment and could get pretty wild and decadent. Eventually word gets around, “Oh, this kid is a player. Let’s get him up onstage.” Simultaneously, I was studying blues, rock, jazz and other styles, but the singer-songwriter folk-influenced part of me was blooming. Which artists that you listened to as a kid prepared you to hear the very adult songs—about dying coal miners and guilt-ridden bounty hunters— these Ashville writers were performing?

Dylan, who obviously changed everything, and I was starting to hear people like Jackson Browne and James Taylor, whose songs were a little more commercial but drew on a deep well. The local guys were writing songs that were on par with these artists, and since I had never heard any of it before, it was all affecting me equally. When I was a teenager the music scene in North Carolina, everywhere, really, was thriving and fertile.

There was an 18-year break between your first and second solo albums, so does delivering Ashes & Dust only four years after Man in Motion indi-

cate you’ll be doing more frequent recording under your own name?

There will probably be one or two followups to Ashes & Dust fairly soon, since we recorded somewhere around 30 songs. We toyed with the idea of releasing a double CD or two albums simultaneously, but this group of songs felt right together. And, of course, I’ve always got ideas for a few more albums in the wings. How did Railroad Earth become your backing band for this music?

Six or seven years ago they opened up for the Allman Brothers at Red Rocks, and shortly after that I was booked to do a solo acoustic performance at DelFest [in Cumberland, Maryland] and they were on that bill as well, so I invited some of the guys to join me for a few numbers. It was pretty impromptu. We rehearsed a little in the dressing room and it went rather well. Not too long after that I was going to do another solo acoustic performance at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York, and invited them again—this time with a little more rehearsal. It was really fun and beautiful and the chemistry was nice right from the very beginning. At that point I thought they’d be right for tackling this project. We tried to record as live as possible. We were all set up in the studio so we could make eye contact and play like we were performing onstage. The majority of the music was captured that way. Even some of the vocals are live on the final tracks. We usually overdubbed the banjo—one reason being that banjo is so loud it tends to bleed into other microphones—and some of the slide guitar stuff was overdubbed. You have such a varied career. What do you see as the glue that bonds all your work together?

It all stems from knowing that I would never be happy just pursuing one musical avenue. I write songs in a lot of different directions, probably because I listen to and love so many different types of music. Somewhere along the line I realized that it’s a luxury that some people aren’t afforded—to be able to pursue the different directions that they love—and I don’t take that for granted. I think more music should be made in the way of people creating music that they love, and building a like-minded audience. I’ve never wanted to second-guess what people expect from me. I’m not sure if that’s great advice to give to a young artist, but it’s worked for me so I consider myself fortunate.

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NEWS + NOTES

Joshua Moore (left) and Lou Cotton

We Came As Romans

ON THEIR FOURTH ALBUM, THE METALCORE GIANTS GET PUSHED TO NEW EXTREMES. By Peter Hodgson TROY, MICHIGAN’S We Came As Romans have always been described as melodic metalcore, but never has the metal been as strong as on their new self-titled Equal Vision Records release. Nor, for that matter, has the metalcore. For album number four the six-piece has honed both extremes of their sound, holding their songwriting to incredibly strict standards in order to push their melodic sense without sacrificing the brutality, aggression and energy. To push into this slightly more rock direction the band enlisted producer David Bendeth, who has worked with Breaking Benjamin, Asking Alexandria, and Paramore, to name a few. The veteran producer brought a strict sense of quality control to the sessions. “We started with 15 songs going in that Louie [Cotton, guitarist] and I had written and when we went in for pre-production they all ended up cut,” lead guitarist Joshua Moore says. “David said ‘All of these are mediocre. You’re just writing these to be good enough, not to test your limits!’ It gave us a swift kick in the ass so we started all over again.” From

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there the band rewrote the entire album, and even some of the rewrites ended up being cut. Ultimately a list of about 40 songs was culled down to 10 songs for a tight 33 minutes 33 seconds. Moore and Cotton complement work as a guitar team, each staking out their own sonic territory but with respect to the other’s sound too. Orange Amplification takes care of backline duties, with Moore plugging into a Dual Dark 100 head and Cotton using a Rockerverb. “Those heads give us the clean tone for all our melodic, pretty parts but also the heavy parts as well.” Lou Cotton plays ESP Eclipse models with EMG 81 and 85 active humbuckers. Cotton admits to having a sizeable collection of ESPs. “Because I play a lot of the rhythm stuff I just feel the EMGs are perfectly balanced for that kind of stuff,” he says. Meanwhile Moore uses Ibanez FR models, including two Prestige instruments and two from the L.A. Custom Shop, loaded with Bare Knuckle Aftermath passive humbuckers or Seymour Duncan JB and ’59s. “I used to play active pickups as well but as we started writing cleaner guitar parts I

liked the response and warmth of passives so I switched,” Moore says. “We did this thing way back in the day which was a horrible idea: we wrote in every tuning possible!” continues Moore. “So when we were headlining we had guitars in four different tunings each! As long as nothing goes wrong it’s okay but when you have 12 different wireless frequencies for each member, and wireless microphones and wireless in-ears, sometimes there’s that one show where you get a radio station coming through your amp!” Moore’s choice of Ibanez guitars was initially inspired by August Burns Red’s JB Brubaker. “I got an RGA Prestige when I was 18, he says. “When we were an unsigned local band, we played a few shows opening for August Burns Red. I ended up buying an Ibanez back in the day because JB had one! I literally just searched for the model he used and I bought that exact one. I thought, If I buy his guitar I’ll be really good and then our band will be signed and we’ll go somewhere! I told JB that story once when I was a little intoxicated and full of courage and he just laughed.”

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SEPTEMBER 2015

MONSTERS

The masked men of GHOST continue to rise up the vintage-metal ranks and in the process grapple with fame versus anonymity.

BY RICHARD BIENSTOCK ILLUSTRATION BY PHILIPP BANKEN

P A G E

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(from left) Nameless Ghoul, Papa Emeritus III, Nameless Ghoul

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WHEN GUITAR WORLD CATCHES UP WITH

Nameless Ghoul, one of five similarly monikered members of Ghost, he’s relaxing at his home in Linkoping, Sweden, in anticipation of a round of live gigs with his band. Apparently, even ghouls need rest sometimes. But the fact is that the guitarist and his fellow ghouls have been quite busy as of late, as Ghost recently completed work on their third full-length album, Meliora (there’s also the issue of the band announcing yet another new singer, Papa Emeritus III, who, as coincidence would have it, looks and sounds exactly like his forerunners, Papa Emeritus and Papa Emeritus II—read into that what you will). The new album follows two well-received full-lengths, 2010’s Opus Eponymous and 2013’s Infestissumam, as well as the Dave Grohl– produced, ABBA cover-featuring 2013 EP If You Have Ghost. Much like its predecessors, Meliora is a fuzzy, doomy, Satan-y slab of prehistoric-sounding metal that also reverberates with pop hooks, churchy organs, gothic choirs and the almost unnervingly smooth vocals of Papa III. The result is a wild, theatrical and blasphemous ride. Opening track “Spirit” pulses with impending dread, while “From the Pinnacle to the Pit” rides a bloated, distorto-bass line all the way to hell. On the other hand, “Spoksonat” is a gently picked, classical-tinged instrumental piece, and “He Is” is a pastoral-sounding paean to “the beast with many names” that explodes into a soaring, Technicolor chorus. Then there’s “Absolution,” which rumbles forward on a Metallica-esque verse guitar riff (if Metallica had formed in 1973 rather than 1981, that is) but at some point veers off into a middle section that resembles something like Journey, as interpreted by Styx. The whole thing is ominous and odd, but also strangely enveloping—even while Papa III is crooning lines like “The world is on fire and you are here to stay and burn with me.” Or, as Nameless Ghoul puts it, “We’ve always wanted to create something different. I’m not saying it’s better or worse, it’s just our own mindset.” In the following interview, the guitarist discusses the making of Meliora and the themes explored within its songs. He also sheds light on Ghost’s ambitions, how it feels to be a Nameless Ghoul, and just how he and his equally nameless co-guitarist achieve the incredibly warm, vintage tones that are a defining aspect of the band’s sound. Hint: It has something to do with two ghouls, four guitars and a dozen different amplifiers.

MIKAEL ERIKSSON

Was there a particular direction you were looking to go in on Meliora?

Yes. There were a few guidelines we were working off of. The main one was that we felt on Infestissumam there was definitely a shortage of…I don’t know what the word is…let’s say riffage. Whereas that was not the case on the first one [Opus Eponymous]. So we wanted to make a record that had more riffs on it, because the guitar took a bit of a backseat on Infestissumam. And the main reason for that was the production. The guitars were just put in the back. If we were to take all the tapes from that album and go into a different studio and remix the whole thing I’m sure it would sound very

different. So this time we wanted to focus on the guitar aspect from the start. Secondly, from a thematic standpoint we wanted the whole record to have something of a futuristic feel. So there are organs and things like that, but there are also other things that we excluded, because this is not, you know, our medieval record. This is our futuristic, urbandystopia-metropolis record. So we knew it had to possess a certain sort of flair. Because if you want to make a futuristic record that is sort of Eighties-sounding, you would do that by using a lot of chorus everywhere. But that’s not what we were trying to do. Or you could make a Judas

Priest or Iron Maiden–style record that sounds very futuristic. But that’s not what we were trying to do either. Sometimes you have to know what to leave out. It’s interesting that you were going for something futuristic with Meliora, considering that there’s always been such a strong vintage feel to everything Ghost does.

Well, of course we are retrospectively devouring our record collection to a point where there are a lot of things being filtered through our music that can be regarded as retro. But I think that unlike 95 percent of bands that are deliberately trying to be retro, we do not have one style or one band or one scene that we take from, and where we say, “Oh, we desperately want to sound like those guys.” Unfortunately, that’s not the case with most bands. With so many others, it’s like, they’re a stoner rock band so they automatically need to sound like Black Sabbath. But still, they’re only taking one ingredient out of Black Sabbath, and that’s the groovy, sort of heavy guitar parts. They completely forget about the Mellotron. They completely forget about all the symphonic stuff. They completely forget about the 12-bar blues songs. They only cherry-pick the one thing and then they overemphasize that and do it for 12 songs, album after album after album. And that just has a feeling of regurgitation. Meliora was produced by Klas Åhlund, who is a member of the Swedish band Teddybears, and is also well known for working with pop starlets like Robyn, Britney Spears and Katy Perry. Which seems like a bit of an odd pairing.

I think that the idea comes off as more weird in theory than it was in practice. Klas is slightly more of a household name here in Sweden, and, yes, he’s an eclectic producer that a lot of pop princesses want to write with. But Teddybears started out as a grindcore band. I saw them here in ’94, I think, at a local club, and they were a hardcore band at that point. So we’ve been following Klas all these years, and we were quite sure that there was more to it than what he does professionally now—that somewhere inside of him was that metal guy. And when we contacted him, it became very clear. He was like, “I’ve always wanted to do a record with a heavy metal band, but I’ve never found a heavy metal band to work with.” So we said, “Okay, do you want to work with us?” He said, “Yes, I do.” And lo and behold, it turned out he was a humungous fan of stuff like old Scorpions and Uli Jon Roth, and we have a lot of things in common when it comes to Genesis and Rainbow and Yes,

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The lyrics deal with the void that happens when there is no god, when there is no one there to help you.”

were willing to let us spend three days just A/B-ing sounds. So we took our time finding really good heads, really good combos and really good cabinets that sounded very well together. It wasn’t just, “Give me the biggest, fattest wall of sound and jack it up to 11.” It was literally us going, “What’s missing here?” Then it was, “Well, there’s no midrange.” “Okay, what would produce a good midrange between a Marshall JCM800 and a Plexi?” Just asking each other thing like that. A bunch of grown men sitting around thinking, you know? What are the four guitars you used?

We are a Gibson band but I’m actually going to blaspheme and say we used a Fender too, just to get that sort of twang in there that you can’t really get with a Gibson. But there are four guitars—two on the left and two on the right. Each side has an SG—one was a red model from the early Eighties, and the other was an older Sixties one. Then we had a Les Paul Gold Top, which sounded great, and which I think was probably the most expensive thing, other than the Neve desk, on the entire recording. It was a ’62, and it was really like a museum piece. We rented it from a guy in Stockholm. And then the last guitar was a Fender Tele. How about amps?

All four guitars went through at least one Marshall—I think there were two Plexis and at least one JCM800. There’s also at least one Orange in there. And then we used a few different Fender heads, just because they produce this sort of fucked-up punk sound that is hard to get anywhere else. It’s not a sound that is necessarily good on its own for metal, but it definitely adds a rattle when you mix it in. Whatever you can get out of a Marshall, if you put a Fender on top of it, like an old Twin or something, it makes it sound very…motor-esque. And then we had a few other oddballs.

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When it comes to the production on Meliora, you managed to get some great vintage guitar tones—thick and warm, and not overly distorted. Can you discuss how you approached the guitars?

Sure. Apart from the first album, which was so sparse—basically just a Gibson SG through an Orange head—we’ve always gone for a very meaty, very rich guitar sound. This time around, the wall of guitars that you hear is actually the result of four different guitars, each played through three different amps. So you have four performances going through a total of 12 amplifiers. Which is obviously a little bit of overkill. [laughs] But we were fortunate that we had a producer and an engineer who

What is the main thing you look for in a good guitar tone?

I guess it’s the warmth. And trying not to sound like a complete retro-philiac, but I don’t think there are a whole lot of records today that possess that. The greatest sounding record that I can come up with off the top of my head in the last couple years is the Daft Punk record, Random Access Memories. That is a brilliant-sounding record. But it’s not a rock record. But it’s not only a good guitar sound I’m looking for. I like how guitars sound along with a great bass sound and a great drum sound. And I think that is the hardest part, getting everything to work together. I also think that is where most, or many—proba-

MIKAEL ERIKSSON

things like that. And he’s a fucking shredder. So, pedigree aside, it wasn’t that weird at all. It’s just that he’s synonymous with being the pop guy. But with us he was definitely the rock guy. That said, it’s not like we had anything against working with a famous rock producer. It’s just that sometimes it doesn’t matter what else that producer has done. If you call up Mutt Lange and say, “Yeah, we want to work with you because we want to make the next Back in Black,” you won’t achieve that. If you call up Bob Rock and say, “We want to make the Black Album,” it’s not going to happen. You have your own career and you’re making your own records. And you have to find your own way to do that.

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Chris Broderick

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bly most [laughs]—records suffer. Especially nowadays, where everybody is so specialized in their thing, and you can almost hear from the sound of a recording whether the engineer is a drummer or a bass player or a guitarist, just by how each instrument is handled. Also, I hate to say this in a guitar magazine, but most rock bands focus too much on the guitars, actually. I think what really makes the guitars sound good is how they marry to the bass and drums. And if you can get an organ in there as well? Fantastic. Moving over to the thematic side of things, you’ve talked about how Opus Eponymous was about the coming of the Antichrist, and Infestissumam was about the presence of the Antichrist. How about Meliora?

It’s about the absence of god. In many ways, it looks at how people are very detached from the idea of a higher being. Overall, there is this sort of atheistic way of life today, at least from a biblical point of view. But from a theological point of view, we have a situation where, you know, when the cat is out of the house the mice dance on the table. And that is pretty much the backdrop for this album. The lyrics deal with the void that happens when there is no god, when there is no one there to help you. But even then, there will always be some fucker there to give you guidance. And the band is basically portrayed as the religious party that comes in there with a guiding hand. We offer the one place in the world that is spiritual. Lyrically, the album almost plays like a film of sorts.

Yes. We have a very cinematic way of thinking. When it comes to writing and recording and putting together our albums, I’ll always make the analogy of comparing the songs to scenes in a film: This is the last scene; this is the scene where this happens; this is the love scene; this is the opening scene. So, yes, we’re all very keen movie buffs. And a lot of our pop-culture fascination comes from the cinematic world, too. As does the music— a lot of the music that inspires us is from movie scores, or comes from songs that we’ve heard in films. Despite the niche factor of what you do—there’s only so mainstream a band dressed like you guys and singing about the Antichrist can get—you’ve made it clear that you want to be a big band.

We’ve never made a secret of our intention to try to take this as far as we possi-

bly can. I think that any band that claims otherwise is just unable to do it. Most musicians want to become as successful as they possibly can. But I think sometimes people confuse the idea. They say, “Oh, you just want to make a lot of money.” Well, yeah. Of course. Who the fuck doesn’t want to be financially independent? But that is not to say that I think making money solves all problems. Or people say, “You just want to be famous.” But I think that the more well known this band becomes, the less of a craving I have to become famous myself. Because to the point where we get to be famous sometimes, I don’t envy other bands that are super-famous all the time. Because that changes everything around you. It changes the people around you. Whereas now we can just step out of it. I love that part of it. You’ve certainly done an impressive job of maintaining your anonymity. At the same time, musicians tend to want recognition for the things they create. Do you ever find it difficult to just be a “nameless ghoul”?

I wouldn’t say yes. I would say…meh. There are definitely moments in everyday life where you wish it would have been different. From an image point of view, of course I wish sometimes that I was in a normal band where I could just sit and talk with someone and then go up onstage and be myself and play. But that is not to say that I do what I do because I want to be recognized. It’s just that sometimes it’s demanding to have to step into a role, let alone deal with all the practicalities that go along with that role. On the other hand, I think that we actually do get enough recognition, to the point where we feel we have everything we could ask for. Like, okay, we’re in a successful band. We live off of our music. We get to play in front of a lot of people. That’s pretty good. And when we are onstage we definitely feel that people give us recognition. So from that exhibitionist point of view, where I want to be recognized so I don’t have to stand in line at a restaurant, it’s not that important. But from a practical point of view you can sometimes envy all the other bands that get to just be themselves, because that seems very, very, very simple. Whereas we have to come up with a story every time. We have to make shit up, just because we can’t tell everybody the real story. But, at the end of the day, telling that real story will be a lot more fun—I promise you.

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BEING A HIRED GUN HAS ITS ADVANTAGES FOR A GUITARIST THAT

thing they had played for years. To complete the lineup, they hired Scar the Martyr vocalist Henry Derek Bonner and ex–Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand on bass. Then with the help of Chris “Zeuss” Harris, Act of Defiance assembled Birth and the Burial, a crushing technical metal album that offers more musical diversity than Broderick revealed in Megadeth. “Thy Lord Belial” is fast and unrelenting, pausing only for a calland-response chorus, “Refrain and Refracture” starts with an acoustic arpeggio over a neo-classical lead and features a melodic rhythm redolent of Killswitch Engage and “Poison Dream builds from classical piano and strings into an epic multi-faceted thrasher. “The sound of Act of Defiance is kind of like if you invited every genre of metal together to go to a concert and mosh in a pit, whether it’s old-school thrash to death metal to Scandinavian black metal and everything in between. There are elements of all those types of metal. And I love that about it.” In a candid, articulate interview, Broderick talks about his years with Megadeth, the rules of being in that band, how he and Drover assembled Act of Defiance, why he hired a guitarist to play bass and the unconventional recording process for Birth and the Burial.

just wants to play and doesn’t need the responsibility of writing songs, choosing what gets recorded and dealing with record label bean counters. But for ex-Megadeth guitarist Chris Broderick, rocking out to someone else’s tunes night after night wasn’t enough. So on November 25, six hours after drummer Shawn Drover left the band, Broderick told Dave Mustaine he, too, was quitting.

“The decision was a long time in the making,” Broderick says, sitting poolside at his Los Angeles home. “Being in Megadeth was great for my career, but I wanted to have some creative freedom and some freedom in how I presented myself.” Broderick replaced Megadeth’s guitarist Glen Drover in 2008 and played on three of the band’s studio albums, three live releases and never missed a tour. For almost six years he dedicated most of his time to Megadeth and had no fallback plans. Then, during a conversation with Shawn Drover, the two decided to use a batch of material they had written for Megadeth as the launching point for a new band, Act of Defiance. The two quickly wrote 10 songs that were considerably heavier and more musically intricate than any-

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Shawn Drover recommended you to Dave Mustaine in 2008 after his brother Glen left the band and Glen, who left Megadeth on good terms, endorsed you. How did you know the Drovers and did either of them call you to let you know you were being considered?

They knew me from Nevermore, but I didn’t hear anything from them until I was in the band. Management called totally out of the blue. I didn’t know what to make of it. I almost thought it was a prank at first.

They wanted me to meet with Dave first and then audition. Had you been a Megadeth fan?

I had no idea where they were at their career at that point, so I had no expectations. I just thought it was a great opportunity so I jumped at it. Did you think you’d be able to provide creative input into the band?

I knew I wouldn’t be able to demand any-

thing. I saw it as a great job and I allowed my employer to dictate the terms. It’s not like when you’re a teenager and you get together with your friends and you’re like, “Ahhh, partners for life!” I wish it was like that, but it definitely wasn’t. There is a hierarchy after a band is established and has a legacy. Were you comfortable in that role?

I loved playing for the crowd. When you walk onstage and the crowd is having a good time, it’s great.

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is what you play now. But for the rest of your tenure with the band you played a six-string. Did that work better for the music you were playing?

Dave felt a seven-string guitar wasn’t an original thrash metal instrument. Therefore he felt it would be better if I used six strings. Had you considered leaving the band in the past?

I was constantly weighing the positives against the negatives. I likened it to a lawyer that’s working for a firm and finally wants to break out and start his own firm or a chef that wants to open up his own restaurant. You have to deal with the corporate mannerisms from the company you’re working for. And once it gets to a point where you feel like you would be happier on your own, that’s when you finally cut the cord. I had been thinking about what to do for a long time, but up until I decided to leave, I always felt the positives outweighed the negatives. When did that balance tip?

Not until the last quarter of 2014. I was dwelling on my lack of musical creativity in the band. Dave was getting ready to go in and do another CD and my heart just wasn’t in it because I knew I wasn’t going to have any artistic say in the definition of the album and the music. He was calling saying, “Hey, I want to get you guys down there.” The last thing I wanted to do was go down there and work on a partial CD and then say, “Hey, this isn’t for me.” It was just the right time to leave. Had you and Shawn talked about leaving Megadeth and forming a new band?

Did Mustaine tell you what to play and how to play it?

When we did songs from the back catalog I was playing another guitarist’s parts, whether it was Chris Poland, Marty Friedman or Jeff Young. So I played like they did and Dave did his part. That always worked out really well. As far as the albums I played on, Dave designated the solo spots and he had some input in what I could or could not do. Was there a dress code in Megadeth?

There definitely was a dress code that he wanted to maintain for a Megadeth look. For

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me, with everything in this camp, I saw very early on that Dave is the owner of the company and he is the one that has the right to say how the company is presented and how it should look. The only time we had any issues was when I didn’t know a specific thing about how he wanted my appearance to be, and then I would find out as we went along. I saw it very early on as a job requirement and I felt that if the job is worth it to me then I would make those changes. On the first tour you did with Megadeth you played a seven-string guitar, which

It’s funny. Shawn and I felt exactly the same way, but we didn’t think about putting a band together until after we had both left. When Shawn told me he was going to quit I was a bit shocked and surprised. [Bassist] Dave Ellefson called me right away and went, “Dude, Shawn just quit!” I talked to him for a while, and then I thought about my own situation. I bounced it off my friends and family and decided it was the right thing for me to do as well. Did Dave try to convince you to stay?

No, no. Once a decision like that is made, it’s best just to move on. When did you and Shawn decide to start working on Act of Defiance?

Obviously, Shawn and I stayed in contact, and not long after we both left we realized there was all this great music we’d written for Megadeth that didn’t get used. So we thought, Why don’t we put something together and get it out there?

Are any of these songs about experiences you had in Megadeth or ways you felt about leaving the band?

Just like with anybody, they draw on all of our experiences. They’re about my experiences in life, in Megadeth, in my guitar playing. Everything I do reflects in my lyrics. Did you want to write songs that didn’t sound anything like Megadeth?

No, we just wanted the writing to be natural. I like to write complex parts and keep them in that heavy, thrashy realm, but I also really like extreme Scandinavian black metal. And Shawn listens to Cannibal Corpse all day long, so we wanted to get some of that in there, too. Did the music come easily?

Some songs came together quicker than others. There were nights where I was spending much more time in my studio than anywhere else. But it was really satisfying to work with material that I had created. When I worked on Shawn’s songs we used mostly his riffs, which was fine. It was a real collaboration, which was exciting. And for the album we ended up using five of his songs and five of mine. Did you work with Shawn’s drum parts?

Not for my songs. I used Toontrack Superior Drummer. It makes demoing extremely easy and gave Shawn a clear idea of what I was thinking. But there were a lot of times he would say, “Hey, I was thinking this other kind of beat would work better,” and most of the time a drummer’s going to have a better idea of what the drums should do than a guitarist. His songs had guitar parts, too, because he can hold his own as a guitarist, and he got his brother Glen to help out with some of the guitar tones at first, and definitely with the production. The album is cohesive, which is impressive considering you incorporated so many styles of metal in there and wrote and recorded the songs hundreds of miles apart from one another.

It’s amazing what you can do these days by trading files digitally. Shawn and I have a really good working chemistry from years of playing together. We each wrote five songs on our own, then we bounced them off each other. Sometimes we made minimal changes, like switching a chord or two to make it sound a little bit darker, but that’s about it. You wrote and recorded on a seven-string?

I have my signature series Jackson Soloist that I used along with a couple of proto-

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types that I had Jackson build for me. They were all seven-strings. I’ve always been a traditional seven-string guitarist so it was great to be able to get back to that and get the sounds I love. Did you want a different guitar tone than what you had in Megadeth?

Just like every other musician, I am very opinionated about what I think is the perfect sound. So it was awesome to have the freedom to use the tones that I really love. I have a number of amps that I use, whether it’s Engl or the Fender 5150 III, but in the end I wound up recording this entire album with my Fractal Audio Axe-Fx II. Why did you decide to use an amp simulator when you have the equipment to record with mics and amps?

The Fractal sounds amazing to me. That technology has come such a long way and the ability that it has to give you such a clean and clear recording, and the convenience just made it a hands-down win. I liken it to photography. Do you see anyone shooting film these days? Did you pre-write your leads?

Well, I actually start with the rhythm. I like rhythms that support leads really well. If you’re going to have a solo, you might as well not be soloing over some random rhythm. So I constructed rhythms in a way that supported either a melodic or harmonic depth. Then I would listen to it and imagine what I wanted to hear. That’s when it would start to come to life for me.

Once you have an idea in mind do your solos tend to come quickly and spontaneously?

No, I spend a lot of time on my leads, but there are times when I spend a lot of time on a lead because I want it to sound spontaneous and off the cuff. If you want it to sound more anxious you rush ahead of the beat a little bit. And if you want it to sound more lackadaisical and you want it to seem like you were just thinking about getting to that note and you barely got to it in time, you play a little bit behind the beat. So for me it’s a very musical process because it starts with what I imagine, but then when it comes time to execute, it becomes a very thoughtful process. Birth and the Burial features guitar harmonies and there’s always a rhythm guitar playing along with the solos. Did you consider working with a second guitarist?

I really enjoy working with another guitar player, but this band came together so quickly and was so much about writing the music and then getting a vocalist and bassist that we never considered hiring a second guitarist. Depending on how touring goes, I’m thinking of bringing a second guitarist out with us, but we’ll see. Did you know Scar the Martyr vocalist Henry Derek before you hired him to sing?

We didn’t. We put together a list of 30 singers we thought might work for us and then narrowed them down to five. We contacted everyone to see if they were interested and then sent them a demo and had them add vocals. Henry was hands-down the one whose vocals suited the music the best. He’s very tal-

“Once

it gets to a point where you feel like you would be happier on your own, that’s when you finally cut the cord.”

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ented at screaming and singing. So he came to my studio and we tracked all the vocals there, along with all the guitars, cello and piano. It’s odd that you hired Shadows Fall guitarist Matt Bachand to play bass.

Shawn reached out to Matt when we got to the point where we were thinking about having a permanent member onstage. Matt’s a great vocalist, a great guitarist and he showed us that he can lay down great bass lines as well. He did a lot of songwriting on all of those Shadows Fall records and in reality, Matt’s probably got as much or more touring experience than any of us. Did Matt play on Birth and the Burial?

He recorded bass lines for all 10 tracks at his place. I laid down some of the initial bass tracks on the demo versions and sent them to him and he substituted them with these great parts that sound like real bass lines. They’re not just doubling the guitar line. What was the greatest obstacle you’ve faced with Act of Defiance?

Time. We all thought we’d have all the time we needed. We even thought we were ahead of the game because we started with the stuff we didn’t use in Megadeth. But once you bring a record label into the picture then you have to commit to a release date that’s not too late in the year and all of a sudden your back is against the wall. We started working on the songs at the beginning of December. I demoed vocals with Henry in January and by February Shawn was tracking his drums. That left March and April to record all the guitars, vocals and bass. We had the album finished at the end of April, ready to be mastered. So we did the whole thing in about five months. You recorded tracks in three different studios, then handed all the songs to Zeuss to mix and master. Did he change the sound of the songs?

At first, Shawn and I were both concerned that the songs might not sound so cohesive. When Zeuss recorded Shawn’s drums, he provided input to make the parts even better. And then he took all the rest of the tracks we did and mixed them so well that it sounds like we all wrote and recorded everything in the same room. Is it scary going from an established band to being back in a position where you have to prove yourself?

It might make me a little anxious if I knew I had any control over it. But I don’t, so it’s not worth wasting my time thinking about it. The only thing I can do is promote the band and do the best I can performing these songs. Anything else is wasted energy.

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Sept 2015 Vol. 36 No. 9

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GUS G. IS BEST KNOWN as the guitarist in Ozzy Osbourne’s band—

the latest addition to an esteemed lineage that includes six-string legends like Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. But prior to joining up with Ozzy in 2009, the Greek guitarist had already made a name for himself as the mastermind behind Firewind, a power-metal unit whose bracing and soaring anthems function as a platform for Gus’ over-the-top, acrobatic shredding. Over the years, the 34-year-old has also played with Euro metal acts like Nightrage and Mystic Prophecy, and even did a short stint with Swedish technical death metallers Arch Enemy, standing in for Christopher Amott on the 2005 Ozzfest tour.

Needless to say, Gus is not one to take it easy for any length of time. And so, in 2014, while Osbourne was otherwise busy with the Black Sabbath reunion, the guitarist took the opportunity to launch a solo career, releasing his debut album under his own name, I Am the Fire. The record saw Gus not only flexing his technical guitar muscles but also honing his songwriting chops. The album boasted a mix of hooky hard rockers and speedy metal anthems, on which Gus was joined by an array of guests that included vocalists like Mats Levén (Candlemass), Jeff Scott Soto (ex–Yngwie Malmsteen, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and Ralph Saenz, a.k.a. Michael Starr (Steel Panther) and bassists like Mr. Big’s Billy Sheehan and Megadeth’s David Ellefson. Now, less than a year later, Gus is already back with his sophomore effort, Brand New Revolution. As for why this record followed so quickly after I Am the Fire, he explains, “I just had the songs, really. On this album I wrote a lot with Jacob Bunton, the singer for Lynam and Steven Adler’s band. We did a song that ended up on the first record, and then after I mixed that record we just kept on writing. And the next song we came up with was ‘Brand New Revolution.’ It was a pretty killer song and so I said, ‘All right,

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there’s the title track of my second record!’ So we were on a roll and we kept on writing. Before I knew it, I had an album.” On Brand New Revolution Gus is once again joined by several guest vocalists, including Bunton, Levén and Soto. And, like I Am the Fire, the new album sports more than its fair share of guitar pyrotechnics. But, first and foremost, it is a collection of songs; in fact, other than the opening number, a dazzling display of technical ferocity called “The Quest,” there are no instrumentals on the record. “That’s really what I was going for,” Gus says. “I’m actually getting a lot of pressure right now to put out an instrumental album, but I’m not the kind of guy who can write 10 or 12 of those. It’d probably take me 10 years to do a record like that. I like to write songs—I’m a band

guy and I like to work with singers. I’m very old school. I just like three-minute, catchy songs. But they have to have cool guitar parts—that’s the difference. If you know how to write a great song and you can put a killer solo to it, to me, that’s it.” Days before leaving for Germany for a string of dates as the support act for Hellyeah, Gus spoke to Guitar World from his home in Thessaloniki, Greece, about his influences, how he sees himself as a guitarist and creating Brand New Revolution. He also took time to discuss the status of Firewind and how his solo work differs from his output with that band, as well as give a bit of insight into what it’s like to have “the most coveted guitar position in the world” with the Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne.

“ MY ROLE IS TO MAKE OZZY SHINE. THAT’S WHAT I’M THERE FOR.

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over it. I’m always thinking, Where’s the chorus? The only guy I know who can write a proper instrumental is probably Joe Satriani. He’s very good with that. He’s a guy who can keep it melodic and catchy, even while he’s shredding away.

Yeah, he uses his guitar as the voice. And he does it in a very normal songwriting way. But, I don’t know, when it came to “The Quest” I thought, first of all, it’s a good opening track. I needed something fast. But the song has an impact on the whole record. Because it’s the one instrumental, and it starts the album. So it’s almost like a trick. I can understand if some guitar fans might be like, “What the fuck?” when they hear the rest of the record. [laughs] They might expect 10 songs like that but that’s not what they get. But that said, there is a lot of guitar work all over the album. There’s a lot of solos, a lot of cool stuff. Do you work out your solos in advance or do you tend to improvise in the studio?

How did Brand New Revolution come together?

It’s almost like two EPs in one, because it was done in two sessions. The first session was done in L.A. with a band in a live room, with Jay Ruston [Anthrax, Steel Panther] engineering, and we caught that live energy and atmosphere and vibe. The other half, I came back here to Greece and we did it the more traditional way for me, where the drummer lays down the tracks first and then I do the bass and the guitars. So it’s half and half. Do the two halves sound distinct to you?

They do. I don’t know if other people can tell so much, but I can hear it. But overall I think this record actually sounds more cohesive than the last one. Because doing the L.A. sessions let me know the direction

I wanted to go in with the record. So even though the second half was not done with the band all together in a room we tried to capture the same vibe. You’ve said that you like to write songs, not instrumentals. But Brand New Revolution starts off with a pretty intense instrumental, “The Quest.” Is that type of thing more difficult for you to write?

Yeah, it is. That song is just me going apeshit on the guitar. Just really fucking balls out on every aspect. And that stuff comes out of nowhere, really. Every time I write an instrumental I don’t know where the hell it comes from. Because I really don’t know how to develop an idea for an instrumental. It’s always in my mind that I’ll play a riff and I’ll hear a vocal melody

Both, really. It depends on the song. For example, the outro solo on “Behind Those Eyes” [from Brand New Revolution] which is kind of a ballady, Eighties type of thing, I improvised a few different ideas and then kept the best parts. But a lot of the other stuff, I like to plan it out. I’ll do some takes and see what ideas I like and then start building up from there. What gear did you use to record Brand New Revolution?

I used my ESP signature guitars—the Random Star and the Eclipse models. They’re loaded with my Seymour Duncan pickups, the FIRE Blackouts. The idea for them was basically taking a passive pickup and making it active. They’re pretty hot, and the output is insane. I also have a Washburn acoustic that I used on a couple things. For amps, I used my Blackstar Blackfire 200 signature

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head, and I also recorded some parts with a Blackstar HT Stage 100. For a lot of things I also went back and reamped my parts with an EVH 5150 III 50-watt head. What about effects?

I never record with effects. I just go straight in and then we add stuff later. There’s chorus and flangers and delays, all that stuff, but those are things Mike Frazer added when he mixed the record. I didn’t use any of that stuff when I recorded my parts. On both solo albums you’ve opted to use several different vocalists, rather than stick with one voice throughout. Why?

GG

It just sort of happened like that. I’ve always made records with Firewind where we have one singer. But going solo it was like, you open this door of opportunities. It’s a new thing and it’s exciting again. On the last record there were a lot of guests, and maybe seven or eight singers. This record is a bit more pulled in to those few who are closer in my circle as musicians and friends and cowriters. I just really enjoy playing with them so that’s what I did. It’s a bit different from what a lot of other people are doing, but being different is good, I guess. [laughs] Even though Firewind is a band, most people see it as your project, more or less. So why do a solo album?

Because with Firewind, we’ve made seven studio albums in 10 years. And we’ve been through a lot of lineup changes, especially singers. It became a bit frustrating for me. And I just happened to be very tired of the whole band thing and just doing the albumtour cycle again. At the same time, I had all these ideas that were a bit more hard rock rather than speed metal or power metal. So I wrote a couple songs with Mat, I wrote a track with Jeff, and I thought, Maybe this is a good time to do this… What is the current status of Firewind?

Right now we’re on a hiatus. I have a few new demos and they sound pretty good but, to be honest, I haven’t really had all that much time to focus on them. I’ve been so busy the last year and a half with my solo thing. But that said, I’m not stopping Firewind. We are going to come back and do another record, maybe at the end of next year, or the year after, who knows. How about Ozzy? Where do things stand at the moment?

He was supposed to do another Sabbath thing this year but I guess now it looks like it’ll be in 2016. So I think Ozzy is basically filling the gaps by doing some solo gigs.

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We just did a mini tour in South America— the Monsters of Rock with Judas Priest and Motörhead. And now we’re doing two shows in Mexico in August and then Ozzfest Japan in November. Other than that, we’ll have to wait and see. When you were first invited to audition for Ozzy’s band, it was through an email, correct?

Yes. It was just one of those crazy things that never happens…but then it happened, you know? The person who emailed me, I knew he worked for Sharon because he had been at Ozzfest. I figure they had probably checked me out in 2005 when I was there with Arch Enemy. And I was also doing a lot of work with Firewind at the time, so I guess I was one of the younger-generation guys coming up.

Did you have any idea Ozzy’s camp was looking for you?

I had no idea. Originally I thought they were contacting me because maybe they wanted Firewind to be on Ozzfest. [laughs] But they were like, “No, we’re actually thinking of you for the guitar player position. Would you like to come out and audition?” What songs did you play at the audition?

“Bark at the Moon,” “I Don’t Know,” “Suicide Solution,” “Crazy Train,” “Paranoid”… and one more that I’m forgetting [It was “I Don’t Want to Change the World”]. We did six songs—six of the “must haves” on his setlist. Ozzy came in the room and we played them all back to back with no breaks. The second that one song ended he would just call out the next one. It was like “Oh,

“AS A KID I WANTED TO BE TONY IOMMI AND YNGWIE MALMSTEEN TOGETHER.

GG

shit!” But it was cool—at the end of it he turned around and said, “You’re fuckin’ great!” Then they all went into a room next door for a few minutes, and I was sitting there all alone like, “What’s going on now?” Finally everybody came back in and they were all smiling. They asked if I wanted to come play a gig. That gig was the 2009 BlizzCon video game convention in Anaheim.

Yeah. And that was fucking nerve-wracking, man. Looking back now, I know I could have done way, way better. Because all I knew was how to do my band. I mean, okay, I did a thing with Arch Enemy, but I didn’t really know how to approach another gig. And all of a sudden I’m in Hollywood, you know? But it was a big change for them, too. I’m from Greece and I show up with my weird pointy guitars, and Ozzy looks

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at me like, “You’re great…but do you have any Les Pauls?” [laughs] I just said, “I don’t really play Les Pauls…” But that first show I played a Les Paul–shaped guitar because I thought it would probably make him feel better. It’s more familiar to him because of Zakk and Randy. So as much as you were uncomfortable in your new position, you were actually more concerned with trying to make Ozzy feel at ease.

Of course! That’s my role, you know? It’s to make him shine. That’s what I’m there for. And if that dude’s happy, then I’m happy. That’s what the gig’s about.

With Ozzy you’re playing songs that originally featured iconic guitarists like Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee and Zakk Wylde. Who’s the most difficult to replicate?

I think all of them had difficult moments, really. I don’t think it would be fair to say, “Oh, that guy’s stuff is more difficult.” Randy had amazing modal playing and chordal work and detail. And Jake had his own tricks and licks and stuff. And then you have Zakk, who’s a beast on lead guitar. But I’m a different kind of shredder than that— I’m more from the Yngwie school than the Zakk school. I still love Zakk’s licks, but I guess I have a bit more of a European sound. Then you also have Tony Iommi’s stuff, and he’s the master of riffs. You can’t get any heavier than that. So you take stuff from each guy and you kind of blend it all together. That’s how I’ve always looked at it—you have this big bag, and when you’re 10 years old you start putting all the licks that attract you inside of it. You keep collecting them, and then one day you open that bag and there you have it—your style. The first Ozzy album you appeared on was 2010’s Scream. I recall hearing that Sharon Osbourne made you re-cut your guitar solo for the first single, “Let Me Hear You Scream.”

Yeah, that’s true. I did the whole record, and then I went back to Greece. But after that I got a call from Sharon and she said, “I want you to come back to L.A. and redo that one solo.” [laughs] She said, “Because that’s gonna be the first single and I want you to go out there with a big bang. That’s going to be the first thing Ozzy’s fans hear from you, so it has to be something really cool.” I was so stressed about it that I worked out the new solo before I even got on the plane to go back to L.A. But it was totally worth it. I flew back to L.A. and I spent a couple days in the studio and we nailed it.

BRAND NEW REVOLUTION OUT NOW

GUS G.

Photo: Hristo Shindov

P LAY LI K E THE P R O S

BOSSUS.COM

In addition to the great players that preceded you in Ozzy’s band, in the last few years you’ve toured with guys like Marty Friedman and Uli Roth. Were they influences on you?

Yes. Of course. I grew up listening to their records and I told both of them, “I stole all your licks!” [laughs] These are guys who inspired me as a kid and still do. I think, really, if you dissect my playing you’ll hear a lot of the stuff those guys have been doing. I picked it up from them, straight out of their books. So it was mind-blowing to share stages with players like them. I especially didn’t expect it on my first solo touring cycle. One guitarist you always point to as an early influence is Peter Frampton. He’s a player who you don’t hear much about in the metal world.

GG

You’re right. I haven’t really heard any other recent metal guitarist say, “Oh, Peter Frampton…” But for me, Frampton Comes Alive! was just one of those records. My dad didn’t really listen to rock and roll but he had a handful of records he played from time to time. One was the Eagles’ Hotel California. The other was Frampton Comes Alive! And just hearing that talk-box effect blew my mind when I was nine years old. Plus, you know, he can solo like a motherfucker. He’s an amazing musician. He’s not one of those guys who just plays standard blues licks. He can go beyond that—he can do modal playing, all those Dorians and Mixolydians, those kinds of sounds. He can get jazzy, he can play fast. And I just dug his tone. He was a very different guitar player compared to the cats that were out there at that time. Are there any new guitarists out there that you like?

Well, even the newer players I listen to are pretty traditional. For example, a newer guy who is a good buddy of mine and who I really admire is Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest. Me and him, we’re both huge Michael Schenker fans. That’s the kind of style of player I like. I really love what Richie does. He breathes new life into Judas Priest but in a very traditional way. You’re part of the vanguard of modern metal guitar, but in some ways you’re a traditionalist as well.

Yeah, definitely. I realized pretty early on I’m not gonna reinvent the wheel. So you have to see what your strengths and weaknesses are and then do what you’re comfortable with. And my style is really just a blend of all the guitar players I love. Obviously I hope I’m doing it with a bit more modern

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approach, but it’s like, I’m not creating anything new. I’m just doing my own thing. Growing up in Greece, was mainstream hard rock and metal music easy to come by?

Back then, you didn’t hear American and British music on the radio. On TV, you might see a video by Alice Cooper or Guns N’ Roses on the Top-10 shows, and as a kid I loved that. That was probably my first exposure to heavy metal. And then, of course, there was MTV. But, yeah, it’s not like rock was too popular then. It became more of a thing later on. But I grew up listening to the Beatles and the Doors, Frampton and the Eagles. Then I got into heavier stuff like

Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. At one point a friend of mine handed me a tape of Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality, and that was a life-changing moment. And then a few months later I had another friend who gave me a tape of Yngwie Malmsteen’s Trilogy. That was like, “Whoa…” So as a kid I basically wanted to be Tony Iommi and Yngwie Malmsteen together. [laughs] Between the music you make on your own and with Firewind, and then also playing with Ozzy, you’ve wound up pretty close to that.

[Laughs] Yeah, man, that’s true. I’m definitely a lucky bastard!

Photo: Igor Vidyashev

CHRIS BRODERICK FAMOUSLY SLINKY SINCE 2008. ernieball.com | #iplayslinky

Chris plays Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46

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In this saddening except from Alice in Chains: The Untold Story, author David De Sola recounts the final gloomy days of Layne Staley as frontman for the Seattle grunge legends.

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Alice in Chains circa 1995 (back from left) Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley, Mike Inez, (front) Sean Kinney

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an entity known as the Larusta Trust bought a three bedroom, 1,500 square-foot fifth-floor condominium at a building in Seattle’s University District for $262,000. A review of the property records, when cross-referenced with Alice in Chains album liner notes and other public records, shows that the Larusta Trust shared the same Bellevue address as the business entity AIC Touring Inc. and VWC Management, a business management and accounting firm that has counted Alice in Chains among its clients in the past. Larusta was a reference to John Larusta, the alias Layne was using at the time, according to Ken Elmer [Staley’s stepbrother]. The property was acquired through this roundabout mechanism presumably to keep Layne’s name off any public records associated with the transaction. This condo would be Layne’s home for the final five years of his life. 68

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At some point after Layne moved in, producer Toby Wright set up a home recording studio for him. Wright described it as, “I think he had some [Alesis Digital Audio Tapes] up there, a small console. I set up guitar paths, I set up a couple of vocal paths, and I think I had a keyboard path as well, and some multiple things where he could just go in, hit a button and record… He had a little drum machine and that kind of thing, he used to do demos.” Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell seemingly confirmed the existence of Layne solo recordings or demos during a 2010 interview, saying, “I’d fucking go over to his place and he’d be playing me shit he’d be writing all the time. I would too. He’d play me stuff, I’d play him stuff, vice-versa.” He did not specify the period when he heard these recordings, if they were from the period when Alice in Chains was still active or if they were from Layne’s later years. Jerry also said in the same interview that there are no more unreleased Alice in Chains recordings with Layne’s vocals, although drummer Sean Kinney did not entirely rule out the possibility. “If there is, it’s nothing that we would want, or he would have wanted released.” Jamie Elmer [Staley’s sister], Jim Elmer [Staley’s stepfather] and Ken Elmer are unaware of any solo demos Layne might have recorded during his later years, though he had the means to do so. The one person that would know for sure is his mother, who declined to be interviewed for this book. Layne did at least one confirmed guest recording from this period. His friend Jesse Holt—known as Maxi when he was the singer/guitarist of Second Coming—was working on a new project under the moniker the Despisley Brothers—the name presumably a play on the R&B group the Isley Brothers. Layne re-recorded his guest vocal for the chorus of the song “The Things You Do,” which is musically different from the version he recorded with Ron Holt in 1988.

O P E N I N G S P R E A D A N D T H I S PA G E : M A R K L E I A LO H A /AT L A S I C O N S .C O M ;

From Alice in Chains by David de Sola. Copyright © 2015 by the author and reprinted by permission of Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press, LLC.

ALICE IN CHAINS

TIM MOSENFELDER/GETTY IMAGES

There are at least two recorded versions of this song, the first from the spring or summer of 1996, the second dated November 3, 1997. Musically and lyrically, the two later versions are the same. Stylistically, Layne’s vocals sound very different from any of his previous work. The difference is that in the 1997 version, he sounds indifferent, with no real power or feeling in the performance. [Staley’s close friend] Jason Buttino, who has recordings of both versions, attributes the change to the fact the second version was recorded more than a year after the death of Demri Parrott, Layne’s longtime girlfriend. Buttino also said Jesse Holt—who declined to be interviewed for this book—had to boost the level on Layne’s vocals in the 1997 version because his voice was so soft and quiet.

December. Sure, Soundgarden don’t need a manager anymore, but who will burp and change Alice in Chains?” At some point after that edition was published, the magazine received a package containing a jar of urine and a bag of feces. It also included a note, which read, “Wipe and change this, motherfuckers!” The assumption is it came from Layne. Susan Silver Management organized a Christmas party that year, held at a bar in the U District. Randy Biro, a musician who —Layne Staley contributed vocals to the 1994 AIC EP Jar of Flies, went to the party, along with his former roommate Kevin Shuss, who has worked with S O U N D G A R D E N B R O K E U P in spring of 1997 Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam over the years. amidst rising tensions. The band played what at the “Hey, Layne wants to see you,” Shuss told Biro at the party. time was their final show in Honolulu on February 9. “Great, where is he?” Chris Cornell decided to call it quits shortly after. Susan “He’s right behind you.” Silver Management and A&M Records issued a joint Biro turned around. “I’m looking past this really skinny, fuckedstatement announcing the split. In October of 1997, according to a report in the Seattle Times, Susan up looking guy trying to see where Layne is, and it was Layne. I felt really awkward.” was a panelist during a discussion about rock management at North “He had a baseball cap on, he had glasses down to the end of his By Northwest Music and Media Conference. Susan responded to a nose, and not very many teeth. It shocked me at first. It looked like questioner saying her gender never blocked her progress—“It didn’t death. It was gross.” Jim Elmer doesn’t know exactly when Layne’s even enter my sphere of reality.” The report also notes, “She also tooth loss started, but thinks it was around 1995 or 1996 and said it hinted, with a sigh, that Alice is about to ‘self-destruct.’ ” was a gradual process. That fall, Susan announced she was closing down her manageLayne invited Biro to check out his condo, which was around the ment business. The news was mentioned in the Lip Service section of The Rocket, which also made the sarcastic comment, “Sources within corner from the bar. He described Layne as being very proud about his home. Layne had a massive rear-projection TV. “The fucking the company report that Silver will close up the shop near the end of

I don’t want you to end up like me.”

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Layne could appear out of it, then be focused only seconds later.

on hiatus, Jerry Cantrell called [producer/engineer] Toby Wright. “He was compiling songs for a while, and then he just called me up and asked if I would help out with a solo record, which I gladly did,” Wright said. Jerry tapped Sean [Kinney] to play drums, and a series of guest musicians to record parts, including Mike Inez, Fishbone’s Norwood Fisher, Pantera’s Rex Brown, and Primus’ Les Claypool. Three of the four members of Alice in Chains were appearing on this album, with the exception of Layne. “At that point, they weren’t really speaking for whatever reason. There was some kind of something going on. I don’t know the cause of it or why,” was Wright’s explanation for whether or not Jerry tried to get Layne onboard. Wright said there was more pressure on Jerry because in addition to being the main

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songwriter and guitarist, he had to sing. The album was titled Boggy Depot—a reference to the area of Oklahoma where Jerry’s father grew up. Rocky Schenck, Mary Mauer and a crew traveled to Atoka, Oklahoma, on September 7, 1997, to shoot photos for the album. “Great trip, although all of us almost got arrested for smuggling liquor into a local restaurant in a dry county,” Schenck wrote. The cover shows Jerry covered in mud standing waist-deep in a branch of the Boggy River. Jerry made several trips to Oklahoma as he was writing the album, and would drive his truck to the edge of the river at the location where the cover was shot. Jerry sent Rex Brown a tape with 11 songs he wanted him to play on. Brown agreed to do it, seeing it as an opportunity to expand his horizons and also to get away from some of the issues in Pantera. He went to Sausalito, California, to record his parts. According to Brown’s memoir, he was butting heads with Toby Wright during the making of the album. He also noted Jerry was dealing with his own addiction: “Let’s just say I would go past his place from time to time and see his dog chained up with no food in the bowl for three fucking days, and that indicated to me that maybe something was seriously wrong.” By the time the album was finished, Wright said, “A lot of anxiety was pent up during the recording, about its outcome, its success rate, expectations, all that kind of stuff. And I think once it was done, mixed, [Jerry] approved everything, I think it was a great relief to him.” The album, originally scheduled for an Octo-

TIM MOSENFELDER/GETTY IMAGES

thing was huge. I’d never seen a TV that big. He had gotten it through the label some way, and all he did was sit there and get high and play video games all day.” Biro, who was clean, asked, “Wow, have you got anything?”—referring to drugs. “Yeah, but I’m not gonna give it to you.” “Why not?” “Because you’re clean. I’m not gonna be part of this. If you need to go do that, you do it somewhere else. I don’t want to be part of it. I don’t want you to end up like me again.” That was the last time Biro saw him.

F R A N K M I C E LOT TA / G E T T Y I M A G E S

ber 1997 release, was delayed to the following spring. Boggy Depot was released April 7, 1998, reaching number 28 on the Billboard chart its first week. After the album’s release, Jerry made clear that Alice in Chains was his priority, but would not give a definitive answer on the status of the band at the time. “It’s something I never really wanted to do, but the way things have played out, it’s like, why not?” he told Guitar World of his decision to do a solo album. “To be honest, I’d just be happy being the lead guitarist and singer for Alice in Chains. It’s always been my first love, and always will be, but the situation being what it is…we’ve been together for a long time, and right now it’s kinda played out. It’s time to let it be.” Asked if the band had broken up, he said, “We haven’t gone public and said that we’ve broken up, because how do you call something like that over? You never want to shut that door. I love those guys, and hopefully we’ll be able to do something again, but it won’t be for a while.” He declined to answer questions about Layne’s health. Rocky Schenck directed the music video for “My Song,” which was shot on location in Los Angeles on June 6 and 7, 1998. “I can remember the record company being very

We haven’t gone public and said that we’ve broken up, because how do you call something like that over?” —Jerry Cantrell

upset with me about the concept, telling me that it ‘would never play on MTV,’ ” Schenck wrote. Jerry supported Schenck throughout the project and it was filmed as planned. There is a second version of the video, “a bit racier” than the edited version that aired on MTV. To support the album, Jerry put together a live band consisting of Sean, former Queensrÿche guitarist Chris DeGarmo, Old Lady Litterbug bassist Nick Rhinehart, and former Fishbone keyboardist Chris Dowd. The group landed an opening slot for Metallica’s U.S. tour which ran from June through September of 1998. Jerry would often close shows with a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” and “Eclipse,” the last two songs on The Dark Side of the Moon.

N A U G U S T O F 1998, [producer] Dave Jerden, [engineer] Bryan Carlstrom and [assistant engineer] Annette Cisneros were working on the Offspring’s Americana album at Jerden’s El Dorado studio. Jerden got a call: Alice in Chains wanted to record two new songs with Layne for Music Bank, their upcoming box set. With the exception of Mike Inez, it would be a reunion of the band and production team that made Dirt six years earlier. Because The Offspring had booked studio time and had all their gear set up, the only time Alice in Chains could come in was the weekend of August 22–23. The Offspring agreed to let Alice in Chains use the studio. The fact both bands were signed to Columbia Records probably helped make that happen. For Jerden, it was a no-brainer. “We gotta do this,” he told Bryan Carlstrom. Carlstrom was tired from working long hours and originally did not want to do it, until Jerden convinced him otherwise. “I basically guitarworld.com

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Mike Inez (left), Jerry Cantrell (top right) and Sean Kinney during the final recording sessions with Layne Stanley.

Jerry, Sean and Mike arrived in the late morning or early afternoon. Sean got all his parts down in about four takes, Shoaf recalled. Mike recorded his bass parts, and then Jerry recorded his rhythm guitar parts and some overdubs. Cisneros had her camera and took several photos during the session. There was a sense of excitement before Layne arrived. Accounts vary as to the exact time he got there, but it was late—possibly as late as 3 a.m. according to Jerden. When he finally arrived, the change in his physical appearance was striking even from his final live performances two years earlier, let alone from 1992 when Jerden, Carlstrom and Cisneros had last seen him. He had grown his hair down past his shoulders, in its natural brownish-blonde color. He was wearing a white cap and eyeglasses. He had a dark grey shirt and a blue Dallas Cowboys jacket. He was wearing a necklace or chain that had what appeared to be a pipe hanging from the end. He was also carrying a black leather satchel. “Layne showed up at the studio and I didn’t recognize him. He looked like an 80-year-old man. He didn’t have any teeth. I was shocked, to say the least,” Carlstrom recalled. Trujillo had a similar reaction. “When Layne came in, we were all really shocked because Layne definitely didn’t look like how he used to look. He had obviously been really affected by his substance abuse at that point, because he had atrophy in his legs. He looked like an old man. He had no teeth. It was really sad, I was really heart-

B RYA N C A R L S T R O M

told him you have to do it. It’s the only time in my life where I ever said that to Bryan.” Jerden was under the impression the band was going to be there the entire weekend, based on what he heard from his manager who had talked to Susan. His plan was to record a song a day—basic tracks, overdubs and mixing. Because Carlstrom was burned out, Jerden was prepared to mix the songs himself. Early in the morning of Saturday, August 22, Cisneros and Elan Trujillo, the runner and studio assistant, came in and thoroughly documented all of the levels and settings on the Offspring’s gear and the control room equipment before they could take everything down and set up for Alice in Chains. Trujillo was excited. He had moved back to Los Angeles specifically to work with Dave Jerden, in large part because of Jerden’s work with Jane’s Addiction and Alice in Chains. Two years later, he had the opportunity to work with Alice in Chains. “I had to contain myself as best I could, because I was like freaking out. For me, this young kid, and like one of my favorite bands of all time is gonna come in, like I’m gonna be able to work with these guys? This is it! This was the culmination of the whole deal,” Trujillo said, the enthusiasm still evident in his voice years later. The production team was ready to work by 10 o’clock in the morning. Sean’s drum tech Jimmy Shoaf and Jerry’s guitar tech Darrel Peters were the first to arrive, and set up all their gear. That day also happened to be Layne’s thirty-first birthday. When Trujillo found out, he told Cisneros they should get him a cake. She agreed, and gave him money to buy a cake and candles.

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

of Alice in Chains and their crew were watching this, happy to see Layne happy and having fun. Shortly after, they brought out the cake and sang “Happy Birthday” and gave him a birthday card that they had all signed. Cisneros took a picture of Layne on the drumset as he was about to blow out the candles. While Layne was playing around, he showed no indication of being ready to work. Eventually, Layne said he wanted to do everything—write lyrics and track his vocals—that night. By that point, it was almost five o’clock in the morning, and everyone was exhausted, some having been in the studio for almost 20 hours. Jerden, under the impression they still had the next day to work, met with the band and decided to call it a night, telling them Carlstrom was tired and they’d come back and finish on Sunday. At that point, Layne said he had to go back to Seattle to attend his sister’s wedding, but Jerry tersely cut him off. According to Jerden, he said, “Laaaaaayne,” in an exasperated tone of voice. “[Layne] turned into this little kid that had been reprimanded severely by his parents. It probably didn’t sound like anything, but I’ll tell you it was one of the strangest things I ever saw, how Jerry just wasn’t putting up with Layne’s bullshit anymore, and Layne who had such a strong personality had completely turned into this nothing.” “He wasn’t crying, but he looked like he was about to cry. He reverted to about a four-year-old boy,” Jerden explained. “Layne acted like he was afraid, terrified of Jerry. He just sat there and froze up. I don’t remember him saying another thing that night. Jerry totally understood me, he was cool with the fact that we had to stop and he didn’t argue with me at all. Jerry did not argue, the rest of the band did not argue. He knew that I’d been told that I had Layne until Sunday, and that bullshit of him saying all of the sudden, he has to go to a wedding?” “So I blew up and I said, I’m not here to be your friend. I have a job to do,’ ” he told Layne. Trujillo thinks Layne may have thought Jerden was mad at him, possibly from memories of the blowup during the Dirt sessions when Jerden confronted him about his drug use.

B RYA N C A R L S T R O M

ALICE IN CHAINS Staley (left) broken.” Although Layne was “obviously celebrating his high,” Jimmy Shoaf said there were flashes of birthday in the studio in 1998 and the Layne of old. “I think the first thing he did Cantrell (right) was grab my ass. Layne was still inside that shell. The humor and his wit were in there.” Trujillo also noted how Layne could appear out of it, then be focused seconds later. They had ordered baked potatoes, and people wanted butter. Trujillo put the butter in the microwave to defrost it, when Layne, who was sitting in the kitchen lounge seemingly not paying attention, said to him, “You better be careful, man. That’s got tinfoil on it. That’ll be dangerous in the microwave.” Layne also talked to Trujillo about video games—there was a Sony Playstation in the studio lounge, and Layne was giving him tips for how to get ahead in certain games. They set Layne up in a control room so he could listen to the rough tracks and work on lyrics. Trujillo was tasked with keeping an eye on him and helping him. Shortly after, Layne went to the bathroom and stayed there for a long time. He eventually went back to the control room, where he found the mini-fridge stocked with sodas. Layne took out a bottle of root beer. Cisneros and Trujillo saw him sitting on a couch in the control room having nodded off, the root beer spilled on the floor. Trujillo cleaned it up. Offspring drummer Ron Welty’s V drums were set up in the control room to practice or develop his parts. V drums are a small electronic drumkit which can be programmed with different sound effects from a memory bank. Layne started playing around with the kit. Trujillo showed him how to change and program the different sounds. Layne went nuts when he discovered he could program cartoon effects for the different pads. “That’s what he really liked—the cartoon sounds,” Trujillo said. “He just got a kick out of that. He was just scrolling through the bank sounds on the little brain of the V drums, and just trying everything. He fucking loved it, he was like, ‘This is great. I want to get one of these. Where do these come from?’ ” The other members

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Jerden was skeptical, thinking Layne was using the wedding as an excuse so he could go back to Seattle to get drugs. Whatever his intentions were, evidence shows Jerden’s skepticism was accurate. According to public records from the King County Recorder’s office, Liz Elmer and her fiancée Greg Coats applied for a marriage license on May 26, 1998, were married on June 1, and filed the marriage certificate on June 11—more than two months before this recording session. According to Layne’s other sister Jamie Elmer, “They got married just at the justice of the peace, and they had their two best friends there. Nobody else was there.” “I’ve seen pictures of my sister and her husband Greg in the court. And it’s with her best friend, and Greg’s friend. But it was the four of them, and I’m pretty darn sure that Layne wasn’t there.” There was a wedding party in mid-June that “Layne very well may have planned on coming to, but didn’t make it to, because that’s just sometimes what would happen. So, to his credit, he may have definitely been trying to get there for a wedding party, or that was his plan. But I don’t remember him there.” Jim Elmer, Ken Elmer and Kathleen Austin also attended the party. All three of them said Layne was not there. At that point, the band members left. Jerden tried to book a studio in Seattle for Layne’s convenience to record his vocals, but by that point Layne didn’t want to work with him anymore. Susan was furious. “Susan Silver called me up and read me the fucking riot act. She says my career was based on Alice in Chains, which is totally bullshit. I’ve worked with a lot of famous people before that. I had a lot of hit records that I produced before,” Jerden recalled. Toby Wright got a call from Layne and Kevan Wilkins, asking if he would be willing to finish the project. He booked time at Robert Lang Studios to record the vocals and mix it with the material from the session with Jerden. “At that point, Jerry and Layne weren’t getting along at all. So I had one guy in, and I would have another guy in, after he was done. Those two songs required a lot of Pro Tools editing. That was one of the first times Alice was ever even on Pro Tools. Because Layne would do something, he’d go home, Jerry would come in, I’d change it for him, he’d go home. Layne would come in and hear what we did, and he’d change it again. So it was a lot of digital manipulation,” Wright said. Recording Layne’s vocals was difficult because of the loss of his teeth, which resulted in a lisp that affected his speech and singing ability. Consequently, they tried to stay away from lyrics that accentuated his lisp. “It was kind of hard to do that, because it shows up pretty much everywhere on those tracks. But it was easy for me because Layne and I got along really well. So I didn’t have any problem with him at all. It was just a matter of getting him into the studio, having him sit down and get creative.” “Get Born Again” and “Died” were the last songs Layne recorded with Alice in Chains.

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GUITAR WORLD SEPTEMBER 2015 ISSUE PAGE 78

ON SHOCKWAVE SUPERNOVA, JOE SATRIANI TAPS INTO HIS ALTER EGO AND UNLEASHES A SPLIT-PERSONALITY CONCEPT RECORD THAT SEES THE INSTRUMENTAL LEGEND TAKING ON SWING, SAMBA AND BLUES SHUFFLES ALONGSIDE HIS BRAND OF FIERY SHRED LICKS. HERE, THE GUITARIST TAKES YOU TRACK BY TRACK THROUGH HIS LATEST RELEASE. BY JOE BOSSO

“Nothing against Tommy and a few other records, but I’ve never been a big fan of straight-up concept records,” he says. “The real idea for this was more functional; to allow me to make creative decisions song by song, establishing moods and feelings. So, in that way, it’s very elastic and free-form,

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although there is an overall tone of renewal and awakening, and a bit of a story if you want to follow it.” Sessions for Shockwave Supernova took place at Satriani’s home away from home for the past few years, Skywalker Sound in Lucas Valley, California, where the gui-

tarist and his longtime co-producer/engineer, John Cuniberti, hunkered down with keyboardist-guitarist Mike Keneally, bassist Bryan Beller and drummer Marco Minnemann. “It’s hard to ask for a better, more responsive and creative group than that,” Satriani marvels, “although the guys I worked with on the last album were pretty great. And hey, you get to hear them, too.” Satch is referring to the inclusion of four tracks—“Keep on Movin’,” “In My Pocket,” “Crazy Joey” and “Scarborough Stomp”— held over from his previous album, Unstoppable Momentum, that feature the rhythm section of drummer Vinnie Colauita and bassist Chris Chaney. “Those tracks weren’t fleshed out at the time, so I put them away,” Satriani explains. “When I started this record, they still spoke to me, and they made sense musically and thematically with the new batch of songs, so I brought them back and finished them off.”

P R E V I O U S S P R E A D : X AV I TO R R E N T/ W I R E I M A G E V I A G E T T Y I M A G E S

ONE WAY OF LOOKING AT JOE SATRIANI’S 15TH STUDIO ALBUM, SHOCKWAVE SUPERNOVA, IS THAT IT’S A CONCEPT RECORD— AND INDEED, THE DISC DOES FOLLOW A LOOSE NARRATIVE THAT THE GUITAR SUPERSTAR DREAMED UP CONCERNING THE SPIRITUAL DEATH AND REBIRTH OF AN OUTLANDISH AND EXTROVERTED ALTER EGO FOR SATCH NAMED, APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH, SHOCKWAVE SUPERNOVA. ANOTHER WAY WOULD BE TO CALL THE 15 SONGS THAT COMPRISE THE DISC “INSPIRED BY,” WHICH IS HOW SATRIANI ACTUALLY PREFERS IT.

01 SHOCKWAVE SUPERNOVA

02 JUAN NAHARRO GIMENEZ/REDFERNS VIA GETTY IMAGES

LOST IN A MEMORY

Shockwave Supernova sees Satch offering his idiosyncratic take on swing, samba and blues shuffles while refining his blockbuster approach to pile-driving instrumental guitar rock. Interestingly, amid the widescreen riffs and solos, Satriani employs a more naturalistic guitar tone than ever before, and when set against the lofty, scifi conceit of the album, a deeply humanistic message emerges. “On past records I went out of my way to really trip out the guitar,” he says, “but I think by playing things a little straighter, it reaches people easier. They can connect to the moods in a more personal way because the sounds are more direct. Some people have said that this is my best-sounding album. That’s always the goal, of course, but it’s nice to think that you’ve hit the mark.” Satriani sat down with Guitar World recently to walk through the entire record track-by-track.

03 CRAZY JOEY

“UPON RETURNING FROM SOUTH AMERICA, I WAS

doing a series of songs that had a bit of a Latin vibe to them. I did a demo of this song and sent it to John Cuniberti, and he said, ‘I really love it, but the verse could be a bit more emotive.’ I listened to it and said, ‘Yeah. He’s probably right.’ “I tried a couple of different things, and then I tried a contrary experiment, which was, ‘What if instead of everybody playing and continuing, they just stopped and I played something in an entirely different key?’ It’s a great exercise. The melody lines were recorded over many different days where I had a lot of different guitars. It would go from six-string to 12-string to some other 12-string all on one track. It was pretty undisciplined. “I was searching for something, something undefined and unknown. I was trying to push my own buttons with it. It can be frustrating to work like that—‘What is it? What am I looking for?’ But when you get it, it’s really joyous.”

“I STARTED WRITING THIS SONG IN LATE ’87 OR EARLY

’88. I jammed on it with [drummer] Jonathan Mover and [bassist] Stu Hamm, but it didn’t have the melody; it was only an improv construction. I’ve always loved the track because it had these two-chord progressions. The idea of getting an enormous payoff from the fewest number of chords was appealing to me. “Right before the Unstoppable record, I brought it back and I came up with the whole melody. I was very excited, but it still wasn’t happening. I thought, Maybe it’s in the mix.’ We mixed it, but I remember looking at [producer/engineer] Mike Fraser and saying, ‘We did everything we could, but it’s not ready.’ It had only been 30 years. [laughs] “Most people would just toss it, but I took it home and played the ‘turn off the tracks’ game. I started turning stuff off and I listened to what was good. Finally, I said, ‘You know, you told Chris and Vinnie to play those beats from the late Eighties. Maybe that’s the problem.’ I just sort of re-did the drums and the bass, created the demo, which was basically the album tracks from Unstoppable minus Vinnie and Chris, and then I added some programmed drums and some of my bass as an example. “Then I showed it to the guys and I said, ‘Something like this.’ Since Mike Keneally and I had already done all of our parts that day, it was really just Marco and Bryan coming up with this new groove. And I was so happy to hear it. I realized, like, Why didn’t I think about that 30 years ago? That was just one of those funny things.”

“CRAZY JOEY IS ABOUT A CRAZY GUY WITH A LOT

of swagger walking down the street—he’s got his playful, guitar slinger-like chops, that kind of thing. I thought this was perfect because it shows one side of Shockwave, all of this positive energy. It’s in a major key, so it’s upbeat, and he’s playing these ridiculous hammer-on/pull-off arpeggios. “It has an absolutely insane performance from Vinnie. I recorded the whole thing at home and brought it to him. I had chopped up this wild drum performance from a Brain DVD [from former Primus drummer Bryan “Brain” Mantia] and was like, ‘Here, what do you think of this?’ Vinnie came up with his own thing, but it was based on the Brain DVD stuff. It was one of those times where somebody pours some different creative thoughts into something and it puts the biggest smile on your face.”

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IN MY POCKET

ON PEREGRINE WINGS

The first was the melody in which I imagined myself being part of a three-piece horn section. I thought, If I’m a guitar player, I’m not going to be doing all of these guitar-y kinds of things. That helped me eliminate techniques, so I could focus on getting the melody to work. “The solo is the total opposite of that. It’s the kind of solo that you would imagine somebody in front of an audience playing. It starts with a crazy high note that’s impossible to get, and then it goes to a lot of flash. You can picture me just pointing to the audience and having a blast. And I was—only I was pointing to Vinnie, Chris and Mike. It’s me overplaying and having fun.”

“IN THE BEGINNING, IT’S AS IF YOU HAD WINGS AND

you stepped off a precipice—things would be wobbly, right? So when those first couple of chords come in, it’s like, ‘Whoa…’ The beat takes off and it’s like you’re gliding, and man, the song gets really fast. That was so much fun to do. It was very difficult to keep in tune, though. I did it a million times. It’s way up there on the fretboard, and I’m playing the last two strings that aren’t too reliable past the ninth fret in terms of intonation. It’s a song that’s got a lot of reckless abandon. “The amp on the solo is one of my old Marshall Super Leads from when I was in the Squares. It was stolen but I managed to get it back years later. It had been painted orange, but it was mine. I had it worked on, and it sounded just like it used to. You plug into it and it just growls and makes all of these cool noises. You get such amazing feedback. It’s like it just talks to you.”

AXOLOGY

MAIN GUITARS Ibanez JS2410MCO, JS2450MCP 1 , JS2400 and JS3 single-coil prototypes 

ADDITIONAL GUITARS Ibanez JSA10VB and JSA20 acoustics, various JS models with EverTune bridges, ’80 Ibanez ST-1200 Doubleneck, ’66 Fender Electric 12 string, ’98 Epiphone Les Paul 12 string, ’59 Gretsch Chet Atkins, ’97 Jerry Jones Electric Sitar, ’72 Fender P-Bass MAIN AMPS Marshall JVM410HJS 100 watt heads, Marshall JS 20 watt 1x12 combo prototype, various vintage Marshall 100 watt heads, new and vintage 4x12 Marshall cabs ADDITIONAL AMPS Vintage Fender tweed and blackface

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

combos, ’60 Gibson Discoverer Tremolo combo, Two Rock “JS” head and cab, ’84 Roland JC-120, vintage Peavey 5150, several Fargen amps, Wells Amp

3

2

EFFECTS Vox Joe Satriani Big Bad Dual Wah, Fractal Axe-Fx ll ACCESSORIES D’Addario .010s, Planet Waves Extra Heavy JS picks 2 , Planet Waves JS signature straps 3 , Planet Waves glass slide, Honer Blues Harp with Shure Bullet Mic, John Cuniberti’s “reamp,” Millennia HV-37 mic pre pickups DiMarzio Mo’ Joe Bridge DP216 4 and Satch Track Neck DP425 5 pickups

4 1 5

NOAM GALAI/WIREIMAGE

04 05

“THERE WERE TWO PERSONALITIES ON THIS.

THE IDEA OF GETTING AN ENORMOUS PAYOFF FROM THE FEWEST NUMBER OF CHORDS WAS APPEALING TO ME.

06 CATACLYSMIC

07 SAN FRANCISCO BLUE

08 IN MY POCKET

“A SONG ABOUT FACING EVERYTHING

going wrong. Like in those CGI films where a character turns around and sees a thousandfoot-high dust storm approaching—it’s coming and there’s nowhere to run. “I built this one and thought about how some early metal was, quite funky, like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. It was loose and grungy. I played bass on this one with that kind of swinging attitude. I showed it to the guys and said, ‘You’re younger and you grew up playing very intense metal. I know you’re thinking that’s what I want, but I’m actually looking for something a bit stranger.’ So we kept my bass track. “I think Mike Keneally wound up adding a really cool sweeping thing on top with some synth, and Marco gave us a very unusual drumbeat with a riff. If there’s such a thing as ‘exotic metal,’ that’s what he gave us that afternoon.”

“THERE ARE SO MANY KINDS OF

shuffles. Some move around, others are more metronomic, and then there are levels of swing. The melody here is stretched out, so we reined in the swing a bit, which kept the song tight and moving forward. “In the demo stage, I played with different swing loops to find the level that was right. When Marco heard it, he lined right up with it. And I should point out that Marco is famous for his opposition to playing shuffles. He laughed when I brought this in—‘Oh, no, a shuffle!’—but he gave me six different versions that were all great.”

“THE MELODIES ARE VERY BLUES

oriented, but the wah-wah solo is very jazzy, almost as if a jazz horn player picked up a guitar and could instantly play. It’s got a Sixties tenor sax approach. “I brought the song in and John Cuniberti asked me, ‘What’s going on in the middle part?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘It’s like nothing is happening, at least not for me.’ [laughs] I went back and realized he was right. Mike and I were busy playing, but it was all kind of background stuff. It was interesting to us because we played it, but it wasn’t interesting to anybody else. “John sent me a stereo mix, and I added those bluesy, in-your-face solos for the middle. They worked out beautifully, really straddling the positive/negative vibe of the song. The song needed some more powerful stuff to balance the jazzy wah-wah solo. I couldn’t hear it at first, but John could.”

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ALL OF MY LIFE

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demos, and this one started as an attempt to show Sammy Hagar in a different light. I underplayed as much as I could so that Sammy would feel comfortable singing without a lot of overbearing guitar. When it looked like that record wasn’t going to happen, I moved the file into my ‘new record’ batch. “I found that I loved this subdued Joe Satriani sound; it was like there was nothing on it. It was very un-Shockwave-like— you know, ‘He would never play like that.’ I tried to make the song achieve new heights by omission. It’s very laid back in the technical department. There’s no real bridge, either. I love it. It’s a simple, single-coil blues sound that does what it needs to do.”

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

10

A PHASE I’M GOING THROUGH

“JOHN CUNIBERTI WAS WORKING

on mixes, and he put the guitar track through a phaser. It immediately reminded me of what we did in the early Eighties. Back then, your only choices besides recording everything straight-up were to use reverb, delay or a phaser. “Sometimes you really regret putting a phaser on a track, but I thought, I’m going to embrace the phaser. In fact, I’m going to call the song ‘A Phase I’m Going Through,’ just to prove a point.’ I leaned on the sound and used it as a way of explaining a changing of sorts. You notice that you’re doing something weird, out of your normal personality, but you’re explaining it to yourself by saying, ‘Hey, it’s just a phase I’m going through.’ ”

NEIL H KITSON/REDFERNS VIA GETTY IMAGES

09

“I WAS MAKING CHICKENFOOT

䐀攀愀渀 䐀椀洀攀戀愀最 䌀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀 愀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 愀琀 眀眀眀⸀搀攀愀渀最甀椀琀愀爀猀⸀挀漀洀

倀栀漀琀漀 戀礀 䌀栀愀搀 䰀攀攀 倀栀漀琀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀 眀眀眀⸀挀栀愀搀氀攀攀瀀栀漀琀漀最爀愀瀀栀礀⸀挀漀洀

䘀椀渀搀 愀氀氀 琀栀椀渀最猀 䐀椀洀攀 愀琀 眀眀眀⸀搀椀洀攀戀愀最搀愀爀爀攀氀氀⸀挀漀洀

11

SCARBOROUGH STOMP

“IT’S CALLED ‘SCARBOROUGH STOMP’

because of the fact that it’s a Dorian mode—people originally thought it had origins in the town of Scarborough, in the U.K. I’ve always loved this kind of beat. We used to try to write a ton of things like this in the Squares. This one came together during a writing session where I was plugged into an AdrenaLinn III foot pedal controller, and I was recording these little song bits. I’d write a song for a minute and a half, and then another one and another one. “I wrote this piece of music and thought it was good, but when I re-recorded it there was something missing—the playfulness. We tried doing the guitars fresh. We created a template where the rhythm guitars were copied and pasted in certain sequences to give us the feel, and we eventually wound up with a really slamming-sounding track from the rhythm section. Ultimately, though, I thought we straightened out too much—that can happen. “I threw it back to John Cuniberti, who is just so good at pulling faders and rebuilding tracks. He created a stereo performance of the original rhythm guitar and allowed it to play more liberally throughout. By doing that, we were able to keep all the guitars I did at home, and then we were able to use Vinnie, Chris and this crazy harpsichord thing, too.”

ALTHOUGH THERE IS AN OVERALL TONE OF RENEWAL AND AWAKENING, AND A BIT OF A STORY IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW IT.

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12 BUTTERFLY AND ZEBRA

13 IF THERE IS NO HEAVEN

“THIS IS A SONG ABOUT TWO LOVERS realizing that even though they’re experiencing profound love, they’re simply too different for it to ever work. I focused on these two creatures that I thought couldn’t be more different, a butterfly and a zebra. They’re analogies, you know, for two people who fall in love but shouldn’t, but even just that few seconds of a connection might be enough. “That’s a Sustainiac and the JS2400. I generally like to record DI at home, and then we re-amp almost everything. I’m using a Sansamp here. Every once in a while, the Sansamp has a way of dealing with dynamics that’s quite unique and different from a vintage Fender or a modern Marshall head. Sometimes that’s what a song calls for, as it was here.”

“I THINK AT SOME POINT PEOPLE

all say or think, ‘All this stuff that’s going on doesn’t matter, because someday I’ll die and I’ll be in a better place.’ For Shockwave, he’s dissolving; he’s going through a metamorphosis. He’s saying, ‘What if there is nothing after this?’ “Somebody loaned me a 1959 Chet Atkins guitar, and I was plugged into a Two Rock amp, one that was made especially for me. We were out in the studio room—[amp repair expert] Gary Brawer, John Cuniberti and myself—and we’re just listening and saying, ‘That sounds really beautiful. Let’s record this right now. “I just played the chords without any time, and I explained to the guys, ‘This song is about a guy going into the light, except when he gets out there, there’s nothing.’ John asked me to go out and make some other noises, and then he fooled around with it and added some pink noise to illustrate what it might feel like way out there in the middle of nowhere, being confronted with nothingness, like, ‘What’s the sound of nothing?’ ”

“THE REPETITION OF THE ARPEGGIOS, TO ME, WAS KEY IN REPRESENTING THE

STARS RACE ACROSS THE SKY

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

feelings that are on opposite sides of the heart. One is ‘I’m stuck. I’m standing still.’ The other is ‘Life is moving so fast. How can I get my feet on the ground?’ Instead of having arpeggiated chords that move together as a group, I decided to come up with a tuning in which three strings would be fretted and the others would be open, but they would work with all of the chords in the song. “Sometimes there’s beauty in that and it’s very calming, and at other times it’s tense because of the dissonance. It’s such a noisy affair to try to get an acoustic guitar with that tuning to display proper intonation. I gave the part to Mike Keneally, who had the thankless task of playing the arpeggios through the entire song. His level of Zen concentration was pretty brilliant.”

PORTRAITS

IN TONE Not just another version of the Fly Rig 5® simply bearing his name, the Richie Kotzen RK5 Signature Fly Rig was a close, year-long collaborative effort. Meticulous about every facet of his playing, singing, songwriting and tone, Richie’s attention to the details of this pedal was nothing less. What distinguishes the RK5 from the Fly Rig 5 is Richie’s Signature OMG overdrive. Tuned specifically to Richie’s ear, the OMG section brings in the organic Class A-style distortion, but with a tighter, snappier response. It is designed to articulate every nuance of Richie’s dizzying playing style for all modes and moods, from clean to aggressive and from rhythmic chords to infinite sustain when it’s solo time. The RK5 offers the same other essential features as the Fly Rig 5: the all-analog SansAmp™, reverb, delay with tap tempo, and a powerful boost. For fly gigs across the globe, jamming at the local hang, and running off to last minute sessions, just pop your RK5 into your guitar case and head for the door.

photo by greg vorobiov

Actual size: 11.5”l x 2.5”w x 1.25”h • Weight: 18.6 oz.

The Richie Kotzen OMG Signature Overdrive is also available as a stand-alone pedal.

DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A. WWW.TECH21NYC.COM

(858) GUITARS

#TheToneShop

KL

Alnico V

Li

Lithium 7.59 Ω - 15.74 Ω

PATENTED POLE PIECE FOR IMPROVED TONE give them a listen:

www.CarvinGuitars.com/ LithiumDemo

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GOODBYE SUPERNOVA

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

NOAM GALAI/WIREIMAGE

“THIS IS REALLY WHERE HE’S SAYING

goodbye. When I came up with it, I was envisioning something much more melodramatic. To get myself to not play certain things but to play certain other things, I envisioned myself telling everybody, ‘I’m out of here. This is my last statement. You can all go to Hell.’ Then I thought, Oh, you shouldn’t be negative. It should be a celebration.’ But each time I would work on the song I would jump into whatever mood would come to my mind. If it was anger or spite or feeling revelatory, or if it was pure joy or something, I would just run with it. “The song announces itself with how it’s going to be ending, but then it quickly changes key and goes minor when the orchestra comes in with those arpeggios, because Shockwave’s got some shit to say, right? Those blues verses are all about venting, of finally getting it off his chest, all that was troubling him in his life. “A very weird guitar comes in, so that’s rebirth. Then the piece rides out on this beautiful solo. You know me—I’m not afraid of a major scale. As I’ve said before, no scale is more important than the other. In this particular case, the major scale is really working better.”

ANY GEAR, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE At Guitar Center, you can wrap your hands around the finest acoustic guitars in the world, from major manufacturers to exclusive boutique makers. The best gear, the best deals—only at Guitar Center.

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TIME SP CE and

Guitar World presents 20 of the best new DELAY AND REVERB PEDALS—and a few tried-and-true standbys no guitarist should be without.

1

The Strymon DIG Dual Digital Delay unearths the true soul of digital delay and doubles it into two simultaneous, integrated delays for incredible expressive potential. The DIG features three voicings: the early Eighties adaptive delta modulation mode, the mid-Eighties 12-bit pulse code modulation mode, and the modern high-resolution 24/96 mode.

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STRYMON

DIG Dual Digital Delay

STREET PRICE: $299; strymon.net

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EARTHQUAKER DEVICES

Levitation Reverb

The EarthQuaker Devices Levitation Reverb is a variation on their Ghost Echo pedal to honor the reverb-drenched tones synonymous with classic psych rock. The Levitation Reverb is a vintage voiced reverb that aims to fit somewhere between dirty Sixties chambers, classic spring, and the big, ringing plate reverbs of days gone by.

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STREET PRICE: $185; earthquakerdevices.com

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JHS PEDALS

Panther Cub Analog Delay with Tap Tempo

The JHS Pedals Panther Cub Analog Delay is a true bucket brigade delay and features tap tempo control, ratio control, modulation and 1,000 milliseconds of delay time. The effects loop allows you to place any effect or effects chain on the repeats only. An internal Roar switch gives you two different levels/ sensitivity of oscillation and runaway.

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STREET PRICE: $349; jhspedals.com

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LINE 6

Helix

The Line 6 Helix is a flagship tour-ready guitar processor. The Helix HX modeling engine uses dual-DSP processing to deliver a level of realism in its tone. Every hardware and software component has been meticulously designed to accurately recreate the dynamic feel of tube amplifiers and the lush sonic footprint of classic effects pedals. LIST PRICE: $1,499; line6.com/helix

2

EVENTIDE

H9 MAX

The Eventide H9 MAX comes pre-loaded with all the effects from each of Eventide’s acclaimed TimeFactor, ModFactor, PitchFactor, and Space stompboxes, including the new Looper, plus H9 exclusive algorithms. H9 MAX comes bundled with 45 effect algorithms and over 500 factory presets. STREET PRICE: $699; eventide.com

3

TC ELECTRONIC

Flashback Triple Delay

The TC Electronic Flashback Triple Delay lets you run three delays simultaneously, opening up an entirely new delay dimension filled with divine sounds. The Flashback Triple Delay sports 12 different delay types, four TonePrint slots for loading in signature effects, a tap tempo switch, 11 different subdivision types, and the option of running the delays in parallel or in series, which lets you infuse your delays with distinct and unique rhythmic patterns.

7

IBANEZ

ES2 Echo Shifter

Ibanez’s AD9 pedal is one of the best-loved analog delay pedals of all time. Now the company brings that same great sound to the ES2 Echo Shifter. Along with its golden-age-of-analog design, the ES2 analog bucket-brigade circuitry delivers warm sonic character in its delays and tap-tempoon-the-fly tempo adjustment. LIST PRICE $TBD; ibanez.com

LIST PRICE: $299.99 ; tcelectronic.com guitarworld.com

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EHX

Holy Grail Neo

The EHX Holy Grail Neo features the renowned spring and hall reverbs of the original EHX Holy Grail and adds a studioquality plate reverb for pristine functionality in a pedalboard-friendly footprint. STREET PRICE: $123.50; ehx.com

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KORG

SDD-3000 Pedal

The original Korg SDD-3000 rack-mount digital delay from 1982 has been reproduced and is now available as the SDD-3000 pedal. It offers the distinctive delay tones of the original that have been sought after for decades.

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STREET PRICE: $399.99; korg.com

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DIGITECH

Obscura Altered Delay Pedal

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MXR

Carbon Copy Analog Delay

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WAY HUGE

Echo-Puss Analog Delay

The DigiTech Obscura Altered Delay features four delay modes that can be darkened, degraded and distorted on the fly with the stacked Tone and Degrade controls. Combine these controls with Repeat/Hold for long trippy, gurgling repeats or backwards-manipulated sonic mayhem.

The MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay goes from crisp “bathroom” slap echoes to epic, Gilmour-esque delays. It features 600ms of delay time with simple operation and optional modulation, providing authentically warm and rich analog delay.

The Way Huge Echo-Puss Analog Delay is for players who want an organic analog delay pedal with 600ms of gravelly-voiced bucket-brigade delay on tap. Additionally, a fully tweakable LFO modulation circuit allows you to add a liquid texture to the sound of your repeats.

STREET PRICE: $149.95; digitech.com

LIST PRICE: $214.28; jimdunlop.com

LIST PRICE: $242.85; jimdunlop.com

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TECH 21

Boost DLA (v3)

The Tech 21 Boost DLA provides intuitive controls and circuitry that injects the inherent imperfections of vintage delays. It features a continuously variable Time control to provide a smooth, full sweep of delay up to 1,000 milliseconds. A Tape Drift control adds random, unpredictable modulation, and Feedback can be cast into a state of spacey self-oscillation. Mix, Feedback, Fidelity and Level are 100-percent analog for organic sounds with no latency. Other features include Tap Tempo function footswitch and clean Boost function for up to 9dB of added volume. LIST PRICE: $260; tech21nyc.com

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PIGTRONIX

Echolution 2 Ultra Pro

The Pigtronix E2 Ultra Pro (E2U) is a new flagship delay processor representing the ultimate realization of the Echolution 2 platform, providing an unprecedented level of parallel delay and filter processing in a MIDI-controllable pedal format. Breaking away from the industry-standard “one sound at a time” paradigm, the new Echolution 2 sports 30 individual front-panel algorithms that can be selected in any combination, with even more powerful customization available under the hood. STREET PRICE: $449; pigtronix.com

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PIGTRONIX

Echolution 2 Filter Pro

The Way Huge Supa-Puss Analog Delay is for exploring the farthest reaches of true analog delay potential, featuring an eternity of delay time and fine control over numerous parameters of your delay signal, including tap tempo, subdivision, and modulation.

The Verb Deluxe kit includes both Dwell and Mix controls, allowing the dry signal to be blended with the processed signal from just a hint of reverb to deep, cavernous echoes. The Dwell control adds an extra flexibility, providing a full palette of sweet reverb sound.

The Pigtronix Echolution 2 Filter Pro (E2F) adds onboard multi-tap and tap sub-division control as well as eight different filter options and pitch-shifted halo sound effects. These core “pro” features give players who want a streamlined user interface the ability to tweak key delay ingredients on the fly. Connecting the pedal to the free Pigtronix Echolution 2 PC/MAC editor application via the newly revised USB port gives the E2 Filter Pro access to the full power of the flagship E2 Ultra Pro.

LIST PRICE: $357.13; jimdunlop.com

STREET PRICE: $79.95; modkitsdiy.com

STREET PRICE: $329; pigtronix.com

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WAY HUGE

Supa-Puss Analog Delay

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MODKITSDIY.COM

The Verb Deluxe

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MAXON

AD10 Analog Delay

The AD10 has 600 milliseconds of pure analog delay with a warm yet crisp delay tone. It features Maxon’s proprietary lownoise circuit with zero distortion on delay repeats. Short delay settings create rich, natural reverb effects while longer settings offer a clear and brilliant delay sound. It can be used in combination with other effects or in an effect loop. Higher feedback settings yield self-oscillation and runaway, “spaceship” delay effects. The AD10 features buffered bypass switching. STREET PRICE $249; maxonfx.com

19

BOSS

DM-2W Delay Special Edition Waza Craft

The Boss Waza Craft DM-2W features meticulously selected analog components, refined circuitry and careful attention to the finest design detail. The DM-2W uses all-analog circuitry and an authentic BBD delay line. In standard mode, the pedal captures the lush sound and 20-300ms delay range of the original Boss DM-2 analog delay. Custom mode instantly changes the sound to a cleaner analog tone with over twice the delay time. STREET PRICE: $179; bossus.com

20

BOSS

TE-2 Tera Echo

The TE-2 Tera Echo is Boss’ first pedal to include Multi-Dimensional Processing, which analyzes audio signals and applies the ideal amount of processing to enhance guitar tones without overwhelming them. The TE-2 features a familiar control set and dynamic sensitivity for a wide range of sounds, and its freeze function allows it to hold the current sound while you solo over it or use it for unique effects. LIST PRICE $149; bossus.com

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SUMMER 2015 VH2 WOMEN & CHILDREN FIRST DIVER DOWN FAIR WARNING Newly Remastered CD / LP

AVAILABLE NOW

VAN HALEN 1984 Newly Remastered CD / LP

DELUXE Special Edition CD / LP Box Set

VAN HAL E N

TOKYO DOME

IN CONCERT

L P / C D / D I G I TA L

ON TOUR NORTH AMERICA JULY 2015 Van-Halen.com | DavidLeeRoth.com © Mouron. Cassandre. Lic. 2014-25-11-01 www.cassandre.fr

S E PTE M B E R 2015

the gear in review

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E P I P H ON E Le s Pa u l Cu st o m Pro

100 LT D

V- 407 B B a ri t o n e 7 -St rin g

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ST R A N DBE R G B o den O S 7

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YA MA H A AC6 R A c o u st ic El ec t ri c

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J H S P E DA LS T w in T w el v e C h a n n el D riv e

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TC E LE C T R ON I C Po l y T u n e Cl ip

GUITAR WORLD

PLATINUM AWARD EX

CELLENCE

Power and Glory EVH 5150III 1X12 50-WATT COMBO By Chris Gill

THERE ARE TIMES when nothing less than a half stack will do when playing certain styles of music live. However, a half stack is overkill for the venues where most guitarists play ninety percent or more of their gigs, and hauling around a heavy 4x12 cabinet can prematurely cause one’s posture to twist into a permanent Angus Young duck walk stance. Combo amps are the obvious solution, but the problem is that most combos are either too low powered, not versatile enough, or outrageously expensive. While Eddie Van Halen has performed on arena and stadium stages for the last 38 years, he never forgot the challenges he experienced when playing at clubs. With

the new EVH 5150III 1x12 50-watt combo, Eddie and the engineers at EVH have designed a compact, portable combo that doesn’t sacrifice the sound and versatility of the 5150III heads that Eddie Van Halen uses on stage and in the studio. The EVH 5150III 1x12 50-watt is much more than just a shrunken-down combo version of a 5150III half stack, offering several exclusive features that make it the ideal all-in-one alternative for club gigs, studio recording, and practice at home. FEATURES Consistent with the other EVH 5150III amps, this 50-watt 1x12 combo offers three channels (clean, crunch, lead), a single 1/4-inch input jack, and

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For video of this review, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

CHEAT SHEET LIST PRICE $1,818.17 MANUFACTURER EVH, evhgear.com

mono 1/4-inch effect send and return jacks and is driven by 6L6 power tubes (a pair) and 12AX7 preamp tubes (seven of them). Like the EVH 5150III 50-watt head and 2x12 combo, the front panel provides a set of low, mid, and high EQ, gain, and volume controls that are shared by channels 1 and 2, a second set of low, mid, high, gain, and volumes controls for channel 3 only, and a master presence control. Other front panel controls include a reverb knob to adjust the level of the built-in digital reverb and a power level knob that adjusts the power output continuously from 50 watts to just one watt. The rear panel is packed with a variety of professional features, including a MIDI input jack (for selecting channels and engaging reverb with an optional MIDI controller), 1/4-inch preamp output, and a pair of 1/4-inch parallel speaker output jacks with a 4/8/16-ohm output selector switch. There’s also a master resonance knob that adjusts the tightness of the overall bass response, a 1/4-inch headphone output jack, and a 1/4-inch jack for the included four-button footswitch controller that engages individual channels and the reverb effect. A single 12-inch Celestion G12M speaker is housed in a birch cabinet with a closed-back design and custom internal baffling. The 1x12 version of the EVH 5150III 50-watt combo is 19 pounds lighter than its 2x12 counterpart, but its overall dimensions are only three inches narrower and shorter yet 1/2-inch deeper. The

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combo is available either with traditional black covering or in ivory at no additional cost. PERFORMANCE The sound of the clean, crunch,

and lead channels is almost identical to that of the original 5150III 100-watt head, although the latter two channels seem to have a touch more gain that delivers a slightly more aggressive overall edge. The clean channel has ample clean headroom that makes this channel ideal for use with a pedal-based rig, and it produces satisfying crispbut-fat overdrive crunch when the gain control is between three to five o’clock. The crunch channel provides Eddie’s modern “brown” sound with sweet treble and slightly saturated sustain, while the lead channel is full-on high-gain distortion that’s perfect for solos or modern metal rhythms. Thanks to the closed-back cabinet design and ample dimensions, which give the 12-inch speaker more room to resonate and bloom, the amp delivers similar low-end thump and focused midrange to a full-sized 4x12 cabinet. This combo is impressively loud, but the power level control allows players to tame the dBs to more sane levels for smaller clubs and studio recording. Weighing 65 pounds, it’s also a more sane option for players who don’t have road crews. Everything about the EVH 5150III 1x12 50-watt combo is professional, from its first-class sounds to its rock-solid construction. This is a combo without compromise, and best of all it’s the most affordable pathway to Eddie Van Halen’s current tone zone.

The closed-back design and custom internal baffling allows the single 12-inch Celestion G12M speaker to deliver huge bass and focused midrange similar to a 4x12 cabinet. Tubes include a pair of JJ 6L6 power tubes and seven JJ ECC83 (12AX7) preamp tubes that provide 50 watts of output and impressive gain. Output is continuously variable between 50 watts to one watt via the power level control located on the combo’s front panel. Clean, crunch, and lead channels provide the full range of tones ideal for any style of music from classic country to modern metal.

THE BOTTOM LINE Incredibly versatile, packed with professional features, and affordably priced, the EVH 5150III 1x12 50-watt combo offers gigging and recording guitarists unbeatable value without compromise.

For video of this review, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

GUITAR WORLD

PLATINUM AWARD EX

CELLEN

CE

Customized Custom EPIPHONE LES PAUL CUSTOM PRO By Ch ris G ill

I’VE ALWAYS PREFERRED the Les Paul Cus-

tom over the Standard for several reasons. The main reason is the smooth playing action of its “fretless wonder” design, which is one of the reasons why shred-centric players like Al Di Meola, Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, and many, many others gravitated towards that version of the Les Paul. Another reason is that black finish and white finish Customs just look more “rock” than the Standard’s traditional goldtop and sunburst finishes. With the introduction of Epiphone’s Les Paul Custom Pro, there’s now another reason to consider the Custom: versatility. FEATURES On the surface the Epiphone Les

Paul Custom Pro looks identical to the traditional dual-humbucker Custom that was one of the few truly great American guitars of the late Sixties and Seventies. It has a mahogany body, maple top, and glued-in set mahogany neck with a 24 3/4-inch scale, 22 medium jumbo frets, and large block inlays, and, like the Seventies versions, it’s available with either an Ebony or Alpine White finish and also in a left-handed version. However, while it also features a pair of humbuckers with individual volume and tone controls as well as a threeposition pickup selector switch, the pickups

CHEAT SHEET

LIST PRICE $948 MANUFACTURER Epiphone, epiphone.com

Push-pull coil splitting for each pickup and a push-pull phase switch make the Les Paul Custom Pro much more sonically versatile than a traditional Custom.

are an Epiphone ProBucker-2 at the neck and a ProBucker-3 at the bridge and the circuit is wired to provide coil splitting and out-of-phase tones in addition to humbucking sounds. The volume controls have a push-pull function that engages coil splitting for the corresponding pickup, and the neck pickup tone control’s push-pull feature functions as a phase switch. PERFORMANCE If you’ve played a Les Paul

Custom in the past and found its tone a little too dark and woofy, you should try the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro for a second opinion. Each of its humbuckers is individually voiced, with the bridge pickup providing throaty midrange thrust and the neck pickup delivering round body with crisp percussive attack, treble snap, and lively bass. The split coil settings produce slightly thinner single-coil-style tones, but the output remains strong and punchy. The out-of-phase setting is most prominent when both pickups are engaged, producing a pronounced hollow midrange tone that is much more musically useful than the shrill treble usually produced by most phase switches. The neck’s SlimTaper “D” profile is another notable upgrade. This is a very fast playing neck that, combined with the stellar fretwork, makes the Pro one of the most comfortable Customs I’ve ever played.

The pickups are individually voiced and consist of a ProBucker-2 at the neck and a ProBucker-3 at the bridge.

THE BOTTOM LINE The Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro has the same beloved look of a classic Les Paul Custom, but upgrades like coil splitting, a phase switch, and the SlimTaper “D” neck profile make it more versatile and playable than ever.

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GUITAR WORLD

GOLD AWARD P

ER

FORMANC

E

LTD V-407B BARITONE 7-STRING By Ch ris G ill

THERE IS A surprisingly large and growing variety of baritone solidbody electric guitars to choose from these days. Baritones have become especially popular with metal guitarists who want the extended low-end range that today’s heaviest music requires and don’t want to hassle with intonation problems and floppy strings when tuning down a standard guitar. ESP offers an impressive selection of baritone electrics, including seven-string versions that are quickly becoming the new norm. For metal players, particularly those with somewhat limited budgets, the LTD V-407B is an ideal weapon of choice as it offers the features, playability, and, perhaps most importantly, wicked appearance that can inspire heavy riffs and aggressive solos.

with the tonal characteristics of set-neck body. A maple cap covers the body as well, but the guitar looks like one continuous piece thanks to its deep gloss black finish. Electronics and hardware consist of an EMG 707 neck pickup, EMG 81-7 bridge pickup, separate volume controls for each pickup, a master tone knob, three-position pickup selector switch, Tune-o-matic bridge with thru-body string anchoring, and Grover mini tuners. The fingerboard is rosewood and features 24 extra jumbo frets, white binding, extremely cool arrowhead-shaped inlays, and a block inlay with the model’s name at the 12th fret. The output jack is placed inside the V cutaway on the bass bout and points upwards to keep the guitar cable completely out of the way, and the bass bout also has a belly contour.

FEATURES With its 27-inch scale length, the LTD V-407B is bona fide genuine baritone. It should be noted that this is a big guitar that is even larger than many basses and comes in the biggest case that I have ever seen. It’s also heavier than the average sixstring, but not so heavy as to be uncomfortable to play for extended periods of time.

PERFORMANCE As you might expect

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The guitar is built using ESP’s set-thruneck construction, which is sort of a hybrid of set-in and neck-thru-body construction. The maple neck has a longer than normal tenon that stretches below the bridge pickup, but it is glued into a channel carved into the mahogany body. This provides the smooth, heel-free design of a neck-thru guitar along

from a seven-string baritone with a 27-inch scale, the LTD V-407B sounds as huge as it looks. The string tension gives the lowest strings especially satisfying piano-like metallic twang, while the middle range has a beastly, animal-like growl. If you want to shred, go ahead—the upper treble range

For video of this review, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

Bose

F1 MODEL 812 FLEXIBLE ARRAY LOUDSPEAKER AND F1 SUBWOOFER

CHEAT SHEET feels sexy and slinky like a regular guitar, although with an extra inch and a half to two plus inches in scale length it’s much easier to finger intricate patterns and chords up above the 20th fret. The smooth, heel-free transition between the neck and body and the body’s V shape also facilitate unobstructed playing in the upper registers. The active EMG pickups are the perfect match for this type of instrument, delivering shimmering, percussive clean tones and maintaining crisp attack and refined note definition when plugged into a high-gain distorted amp. With its 48mm nut width, the fretboard is generously wide enough for playing clean, precise chords on any or all of the seven strings while being narrow enough not to require extreme finger stretches. The neck profile is a relatively flat and thin U shape with a consistent feel from the lowest to the highest frets. Controls are laid out in a logical, ergonomic configuration, with the bridge volume easily accessible for performing swells or making quick volume adjustments. It’s obvious that as much thought went into the V-407B’s playability as went into making it look as cool as possible.

The Bose Professional F1 Model 812 Flexible Array Loudspeaker is the first powered portable loudspeaker that lets users optimize sound by creating up to four different vertical coverage patterns. Offering exceptional power and clarity, the F1 system provides versatility for a wide range of applications and venues, easy setup, aesthetically pleasing design, and rugged durability. For extended bass response, the optional Bose F1 Subwoofer packs all the power of a larger bass module into a more compact design. The loudspeaker and subwoofer have a combined 2,000 watts of power and able to fill nearly any venue with immersive sound. LIST PRICE TBA bose.com/F1

LIST PRICE $1,141.43 MANUFACTURER ESP Guitar Company, espguitars.com Set-thru-neck construction combines the smooth, heel-free playability of a neck-thru guitar with the tonal characteristics of a set-neck design. Active EMG 707 (neck) and 81-7 (bridge) pickups deliver rich, percussive clean tones and crisp, detailed distortion tones.

THE BOTTOM LINE The LTD V-407B seven-string baritone is a big instrument with an even bigger sound that is perfect for guitarists who want the heaviest low-end riffs without sacrificing the ability to play shredding solos.

Pettyjohn Electronics PETTYDRIVE

The Pettyjohn Electronics PettyDrive is a studio grade, dual channel analog overdrive pedal. This pedal is engineered to deliver the powerful tone and dynamic feel of boutique tube amps pushed to the edge of breakup. The two fully independent channels (Iron and Chime) are uniquely voiced to compliment each other and provide a wide range of sounds that range from thick, saturated growl to harmonically rich British-like chime. Additionally the Iron channel features an innovative parallel effects loop, which provides unlimited new combinations with other pedals. LIST PRICE Standard, $317; Deluxe,$399 pettyjohnelectronics.com

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GUITAR WORLD

PLATINUM AWARD EX

CELLENCE

The Comfort of Stranger STRANDBERG BODEN OS 7 By Ch ris G ill

OLA STRANDBERG STARTED work on his truly revolutionary Ergonomic Guitar System in 2007. Since then, many visionary guitarists like Allan Holdsworth, Tosin Abasi, Chris Letchford, and Misha Mansoor have commissioned Strandberg to build them his bespoke Made to Measure guitars, which take into consideration the guitarist’s anatomy, playing style, and tone preferences. While Strandberg’s first production series model—the Boden OS—is more of a “one-size-fits-all” instrument, it still offers players outrageously comfortable ergonomics along with the innovative features that draw progressive guitarists to his creations.

FEATURES Strandberg offers two different Boden OS models: the six-string Boden OS 6 and the seven-string Boden OS 7. We looked at the latter, which features a hybrid 26 1/4–inch (low E) to 25 1/2–inch (high E) scale length ideal for the

CHEAT SHEET

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seven-string model’s extended low-end range. Weighing less than five pounds, the Boden OS 7 is constructed from a chambered swamp ash body with a flame maple top. The bolt-on neck features a headless design, patented EndurNeck profile (sort of a diagonal squared-V shape), 20-inch radius, 24 stainless steel frets arranged in a fanned configuration, and five-piece laminated construction consisting of three bird’s-eye maple layers and two carbon-fiber reinforced walnut strips. The fretboard is available in bird’seye maple or rosewood, both featuring glow-in-the-dark fretboard inlays and side dot markers. Hardware consists of EMG 707X pickups, Strandberg’s EGS Series 4 fixed bridge with string locks and knurled tuners, six individual headstock string clamps, ebony master volume and master tone knobs, and a three-position blade pickup selector switch.

The 26 1/4– to 25 1/2– inch hybrid scale and 24 fanned stainless steel frets provide accurate intonation for each string.

PERFORMANCE With its exceptionally

lightweight, generous contours, deep cutaway, and logical ergonomic details, the Boden OS 7 is by far the most comfortable guitar I’ve ever played. The treble bout is minimalist but features a curved shape that perfectly cradles the leg in a seated playing position, and the strap positions the neck at an ideal playing angle when standing. The EndurNeck profile may seem unusual at first, but it is exceptionally comfortable and guides the hand into ideal playing positions up and down the neck. I also liked the raised edges at the low end of the fretboard, which simulates the feel of a headstock and keeps the fretting hand from slipping off the end. The Boden OS 7 sounds as good as it plays. The EMG pickups deliver precise definition across the entire frequency range, allowing each note in chords to be heard. The attack can be surprisingly percussive, but the sustain is also rich and full.

The EndurNeck profile has a “squared-V” shape that runs diagonally down the neck to place the fretting hand in an ideal playing position.

THE BOTTOM LINE Built for comfort, the Strandberg Boden OS 7 is a high-performance guitar that offers unparalleled playability and incredibly rich, precise tones for guitarists who want to play their best.

TRANS BLACK

TRANS RED

BLACK

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SOUNDCHECK

For video of this review, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

Grade A Acoustic

GUITAR WORLD

GOLD AWARD P

ER

FORMANC

E

YAMAHA AC6R ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC By Chris Gill

I’VE OFTEN RECOMMENDED Yamaha acoustics to anyone looking for their first guitar both because of the value they offer and because that’s what I started out with myself. However, the value of Yamaha acoustics doesn’t stop at their entry-level instruments, as the company offers many models that deliver surprising bang for the buck throughout their entire acoustic range. Yamaha’s new AC6R is one such example, providing impressive materials, construction, playability, and performance capabilities of competing professionalquality instruments selling for three or four times as much.

FEATURES The A6 is the first model from Yamaha’s new made in Japan A Series, and the AC6R is the smaller concert-size body version with solid rosewood back and sides. All materials, which also include a solid Sitka spruce top, African mahogany neck, and ebony fingerboard and bridge, are of very impressive quality with tight, straight grain and deep, rich color. The decorations are conservative but attractive, consisting of notched-diamond abalone fretboard inlays, two abalone rosette rings, multi-layer black and white body binding with a strip of mahogany at the outer edge, and a curvy tortoiseshell-style pickguard. The gold-plated

CHEAT SHEET

104

LIST PRICE $2,399 MANUFACTURER Yamaha Corporation, yamaha.com

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

The solid Sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, and ebony fingerboard and bridge are crafted from top grade materials.

open gear tuners, bone nut and saddle, and nitrocellulose lacquer body finish provide a vintage-inspired contrast to the state-ofthe-art SRT System 63 preamp and pickup electronics, which offers three-band EQ, feedback reduction, resonance, tuner, and SRT mic emulation with three presets, focus/wide, and blend controls. PERFORMANCE The AC6R’s neck is very

comfortable to play, featuring a 1 11/16inch wide nut, 25 9/16-inch scale length, smoothly rounded fretboard edges, and a flat, shallow C-shaped profile. The cutaway provides unrestricted access up to the 17th fret, and is only slightly rounded to keep the body’s resonance chamber as big as possible while still facilitating playing in the upper registers. As beautiful as the AC6R looks and as nice as it plays, the main reason to consider this guitar is its gorgeous tone. The concert-size body delivers impressive balance between the bass, midrange, and treble as well as ample volume projection. Individual notes are harmonically complex—a quality not often found in flattops in this price range. Whereas notes played on the high E string above the 15th fret often sound small and “plinky” on lesser instruments, here they have a bell-like fullness and depth that is enhanced by the AC6R’s outstanding natural reverb-like resonance. The built-in electronics capture the AC6R’s natural tones in outstanding detail while also allowing players to fine tune the overall tonal character.

Yamaha’s SRT System 63 preamp and pickup system emulates a variety of microphones to provide naturalsounding tone when the guitar is plugged in.

THE BOTTOM LINE With its impeccable craftsmanship, exquisite materials, and rich, complex tone, the Yamaha AC6R offers an incredible bargain for players who want professional-quality sound and performance.

Whenever, Wherever. Yamaha SLG Series are perfect instruments for practice, travel or stage. SLG features ultra-quiet acoustic performance, amazing playability, and Yamaha’s exclusive SRT Powered pickup system that delivers an incredibly natural acoustic tone through headphones or line out. Coupled with uniquely striking good looks and a beautiful rosewood/maple-framed collapsible body, SLG lets you play whenever and wherever inspiration strikes.

SRT Powered is a new Yamaha proprietary mic and room modeling system that is designed to recreate the body resonance of an acoustic guitar captured with classic studio quality microphones. Collaborating with recording artists around the globe, the new SLG is modeled from the tones of high-end Yamaha acoustic guitars recorded in a professional studio environment, faithfully reproducing the nuances and ambience of a fine acoustic instrument. SRT Pickup

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SOUNDCHECK

For video of this review, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

GUITAR WORLD

Buzz Bin

GOLD AWARD P

ER

FORMANC

E

Garage Band In A Box JHS PEDALS TWIN TWELVE CHANNEL DRIVE By Paul Riario WHEN I WAS younger, one of my best friends owned a vintage Silvertone Model 1484 Twin Twelve head. Looking like a hifidelity preamp for my record player, it was the perfect garage-rock amplifier to turn up loud and get some pretty raucous tones. Because of its scrappy sound, artists like Jack White, Beck and Coldplay along with a subterranean army of lo-fi bands have adopted this underdog of an amp when their music calls for a dose of raw power. As a result, the 1484 has become fashionably hip, making it highly sought after. But guitarists no longer have to search eBay or hit pawnshops to find one thanks to JHS Pedals, who have managed to nail this amp’s rowdy attitude in a pedal with its Twin Twelve Channel Drive.

FEATURES The pedal relies on four controls for volume, drive, bass and treble to deftly emulate the preamp/ overdrive tone of a Silvertone 1484 amplifier. Since an original 1484 didn’t have a master volume, the Twin Twelve volume control works similarly but without clipping, providing maximum clean headroom and boost when fully clockwise. Using the drive control in tandem with the volume imitates a master volume amp, introducing tube-like grittiness or

CHEAT SHEET

106

LIST PRICE $199 MANUFACTURER JHS Pedals, jhspedals.com

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

full-on distorted snarl at manageable levels. The bass and treble are custom tuned to ensure every frequency value comes across in great detail, unlike the 1484’s fussy tone circuit. In addition, the Twin Twelve’s nine-volt power input internally converts it to eighteen volts, which offers incredible touch sensitivity and liveliness. PERFORMANCE The Twin Twelve is

not merely an overdrive—it’s a refreshingly unique preamp pedal that combines elements of fuzz, distortion and overdrive. With the volume up high and the drive set low, it acts like a buffered preamp that transforms your amp’s sound to closely duplicate the 1484’s inherent drive characteristics with greater clarity. For some punkrock dirt, I set the controls roughly midway, revealing a lowend growl and crumbly overdrive grind in the highs, with some velvety fuzz in the background. The sound is indeed very garage rock, but with more verve and controlled dynamics. I found some of the most articulate and spiky overdriven tones were when the bass is dialed back, the volume and treble at 2 o’clock, and drive around 11 o’clock.

THE BOTTOM LINE The Twin Twelve Channel Drive is a punchy stompbox that convincingly apes the saturated tones and speaker breakup sound of the prized Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve amplifier.

GUITAR WORLD

PLATINUM AWARD EX

CELLENCE

TC Electronic PolyTune Clip I love gadgets that make my life easier, and I can tell you that I don’t go anywhere without a clip-on tuner. Since I already use TC Electronic’s famed PolyTune polyphonic pedal tuner, which features an intuitive display to let you see all six-strings simultaneously and quickly tune the ones that are sharp or flat, I knew it was only a matter of time before TC would incorporate that technology into a clip-on tuner. So after receiving a slick white package that I thought came from Apple, I discovered to my delight that it was the brand-new TC Electronic PolyTune Clip. Featuring an extra slim profile and a stunningly clear LED display that allows for accurate polyphonic and chromatic tuning, the PolyTune Clip is by far the most elegant headstock tuner available. I could go on and tell you the PolyTune Clip features an adaptive readout that automatically flips to the proper orientation no matter where you decide to attach its padded, stainlesssteel clip. And if that’s not enough, it also has a strobe tuner with +/- 0.02 cent accuracy, flat tunings and capo modes, along with MonoPoly technology that detects whether you play one or more strings and responds with the proper polyphonic or monophonic tuning mode. Plus, it allows you to commit your favorite tuning mode or pitch to its memory. Like I said, I could go on, but what other innovative clip-on tuner does this much so seamlessly for under fifty bucks? —Paul Riario STREET PRICE $49.99 MANUFACTURER TC Electronic, tcelectronic.com

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COLUMNS

TIME TO BURN

For video of this lesson, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

By Michael Angelo Batio

THE GRIM SWEEPER

Applying sweep-picking to chord progressions, part 2

Tune down one half step (low to high, Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb).

FIGURE FIG. 11

 2

LAST MONTH, I introduced the concept

of applying different sweep-picked arpeggio shapes to a series of chords within a repeating progression. This month, I’d like to expand our view to a greater variety of sweeppicked shapes, as well as a more complex, ambitious chord progression. To quickly review, a sweep—also often referred to as a rake—is the term used to describe dragging the pick across a series of adjacent strings in a single stroke, either a downstroke or an upstroke. Ascending melodies are played with downstroke sweeps and descending melodies are played with upstroke sweeps. Sweep picking is the most effective guitar technique for replicating the fast arpeggiobased lines often heard in classical piano and violin music. Johann Sebastian Bach, for example, composed a suite of musical etudes (exercises) for violinists called the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, many of which feature long passages of arpeggios that melodically outline a chord progression using only single notes, with no accompaniment. A common progression heard in these pieces is one that moves through the cycle of fourths. FIGURE 1 offers a seven-bar exercise that does this in the key of D minor: starting on Dm, the progression moves up a fourth to Gm, followed by C, F, and Bf, each arpeggio being rooted a fourth above (or a fifth below) the previous chord. In bar 6, I move from Bf down to A7f9 as a means to set up a V-i (five to one-minor) resolution back to Dm. This A7f9 chord may also be analyzed as Edim7, Gdim7, Bfdim7 or Csdim7, superimposed over an A root note. Once I follow the diminished-type sound of A7f9 with A major, I then resolve back to Dm. For virtually every chord in the progression, a sweep arpeggio based on a steady rhythm of 16th-note triplets is employed, with an upbeat “pickup” used on the preceding eighth-note upbeat, so that the highest note of each arpeggio shape falls on the downbeat of beat one or three. Additionally, for each chord, the initial arpeggio shape is played across two beats, followed by a shift to the next higher arpeggio shape, or inversion,

110

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

 



15

1

13

3

Gm

18 15

15

13

12

13

5

B¨

13

14

13

3

13 10

11

10

11

15 12

14

12

11

3

15

12 15 12

17

3

19

13

17

3

18

11

15

3

15

3

9

8

6

15 20 15

17



13 17 13

15 18 15

12



13

18

14

3

13

15

10

3

11

11

7



A

12



9

10

5

9

11

3

   Dm 12

17

3

15

3

14

5

for one beat, followed by a return to the previous lower inversion. Be sure to follow the pick stroke indications above the tablature, and strive to articulate each note clearly and distinctly. Use fret-hand muting to quickly silence the previous notes you’ve just played so that they don’t ring, or “bleed,” together, which takes away from the melodic sweep effect and makes it sound like you’re just strumming a chord shape. At the very end of bar 5 and into bar 6, I sequence through three different inver-

15

13

13 17 13

10 13 10

3

11

13

13

14

12

14

13

13

3

13

10

11

10

3

11

15



3



15

13



3

3

17

12

3

9 12 9

15

3



15

12 3 3 *or Edim7, B¨dim7, Gdim7

15

15

3

12 15 12

3

12



3



3

13 18 13

15

3



3

17 20 17

8

14

15

3

6



15

3

3



9

18

3

15

3

11



18 22

3

10 13 10



17 22 17



3

13 17 13

9 12 9

17



18

3

20



13

15



19

3



3

* A7¨9



13 17 13

3



3

3

6

14

3

F sim. 17 13



15

15 18 15

3



15

3

15

15

3

4

17 13



3

15 12



Dm

14



C

3



14

12

3

11

9

10

9

5

 15

17 !

5

sions and positions of a diminished-seven shape across the top three strings, starting in 12th position and then quickly shifting down in minor-third (three-fret) intervals twice, to ninth and sixth positions. At the end of bar 6 and into bar 7, I switch to a larger A major arpeggio shape that spans the top five strings in a faster quintuplet rhythm before finally resolving to Dm on beat two of bar 7. Be sure to play through this long sequence slowly and deliberately before ramping up the tempo.

To download Michael Angelo Batio’s Learn Shred Guitar DVD—as individual chapters or the complete disc—visit guitarworldlessons.com or download the official Guitar World Lessons app in iTunes.

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COLUMNS

HOLCOMB-MANIA by Mark Holcomb of Periphery

CLUSTER F**K

Using dissonant, close intervals to create jarring chords IN LAST MONTH’S column, I discussed

some of the ways I will often expand on single-note riff ideas by substituting fullvoiced chords for individual notes. By applying this technique, I discovered a whole new approach to riff writing, and it has informed the music I create for my bands Periphery and Haunted Shores. This month, I’d like to continue with that topic and talk about my approach to using dissonant intervals in chords. If you are familiar with Periphery’s music, you know that we love the sound of dense, atonal, dissonant chords. Personally, I love the tension created by stacking dissonant tones against each other in the formation of unusual and unexpected chords. Oftentimes, these chords are formed by placing notes that are a half or whole step apart (or a major seventh, or minor or major ninth). The sound of these notes clashing against each other is a desired quality, if done right on our part. There’s a chord in “Omega” (Juggernaut: Omega) that I’m often asked about. FIGURE 1 illustrates the chord in question, which can be analyzed as a seemingly innocuous sounding Dmaj9(no3), voiced, low to high, D Cs D Cs D E. (As a reminder, my guitar is tuned to drop D down a whole step, but everything is thought of and notated as if it were in regular drop D, with the understanding that everything is going to sound a whole step lower.) As shown in FIGURE 2, there is a major seventh interval between the sixth and fifth strings (this can be thought of as “half steps apart” because the pitches are D and Cs), a half step between the fifth and fourth strings, a major seventh between the fourth and third strings, another half step between the third and second strings, and then a whole step between the second and first strings, which results in a very dense-sounding chord. It might, in fact, be the ugliest chord one can imagine! But we applied it in a place where what we wanted was a disastrous sounding chord. FIGURE 3 illustrates a section of “Omega”—sort of the second half of the verse

112

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GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

Drop-D tuning, down one whole step (low to high, C G C F A D).

All notes and chords sound one whole step lower than written. FIG. 11 FIGURE





Dmaj9

0 0 3 6 0 4 0

0 3 6 0 4 0



0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 4 4 4 4

0 3 6 0 4 0

  



0

4

0

6

FIG. 33 FIGURE

1





P.M.

6 0 4 0 0

   0 0 0

0

5

 

8 2 2 6 6  0 6 2 2 6 6  0 0 0 0

0 0 0 3 6 0 4 0

4

0 4 8



3 3 3 3 3 6 6 6 6 6

4 4 4 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0





whole-step interval 0 0 0 3 3 3



0 8

4

6

0 ! 6  11 11 11 6  11 11 11

2 2 2 2 2 8 8  2 2 2 2 2 8 8 

D7#11

P.M.

0 6 10





half-step intervals

Dm 69+5

P.M.

D(¨9)no3 0 4 8 0 6 0





6 6 6 6 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 0

Dmaj9

0

3

FIG. 22 FIGURE

6

section—and I begin with the chord in question, striking it first and then sounding a repeated upbeat syncopation on palm-muted open sixth-string root notes. The chord is struck again in bar 2, after which an atonal ascending line is played which is based on no particular scale at all. It is a “random” sounding collection of notes that serves to set up the following chord, Dm6/9+5; this chord could also be analyzed in a few different ways due to its very dissonant quality. I follow in bars 4 and 5 with sliding octave figures fretted on the sixth and

0 10

7

Dmaj9 9

0 !

 

4 4 4 4 4 0000 0 0 0 0 3

0 3 6 0 4 0



fourth strings; when in drop-D tuning, the octave shape is formed by fretting notes at the same frets of these two strings. Bar 6 begins with a twist on the opening chord as the majority of the pitches are simply moved up one fret, resulting in D(f9)no3, “resolved” in bar 7 to D7s11, which is another chord that could be reckoned a few different ways. The figure ends with syncopated strumming of upbeat accents and a return to the opening chord. Next month, I will move on to more of the very unusual chords we devised in the writing of “Omega.” See you then.

Mark Holcomb plays guitar in Periphery, whose latest pair of albums Juggernaut: Alpha and Omega is out now.

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COLUMNS

STRING THEORY

For video of this lesson, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

By Jimmy Brown

BRILLIANT INVENTION

How to play Frédéric Chopin’s “Prelude in E Minor”

FIGURE FIG. 11 “Prelude in E Minor,” first half (bars 1-12) Slowly q = 60 right-hand Em/G piano part 1







 

114

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

16 16 !

4

7

Em7

 16 ! 7 6 7

Em6 15

7 6 7

7 6 7

7 5 7

7 5 7

6 5 7

D7

 14 ! 5 4 5

5 4 5

16

5 4 5

5 4 5

5 4 5

5 4 5

5 4 5

B7sus4 B7 Am/C 10



 16 !

17

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

E7

7 6 7



 11 !

B7/F#

F7

F6

 16 !

17

Fm6 17

(softly, both parts)

left-hand piano part

WHEN IT COMES to history’s greatest

composers, Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849) is right up there with Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert, all of whom had inspired him to innovate in ways that built upon and often ventured beyond what these other geniuses had done. Chopin composed many brilliant masterpieces, and was a pioneer who, during the peak of the Romantic era of the fine arts in the early/mid-19th century, pushed the boundaries of melody, harmony, rhythm and form in Western music to places no one else had yet ventured, and did so with a signature style and flair that embraced elements of the quaint “peasant” folk music of his native Poland, such as quirky grace notes and other “slippery” melodic decorations. In this lesson, I present my two-guitar arrangement of one of Chopin’s most celebrated solo piano works, the slow and hauntingly beautiful “Prelude in E Minor, Opus 28, Number 4,” a composition that Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel might consider “the saddest of all pieces” (certainly if it were in the key of D minor, an accommodation that can be easily achieved by simply tuning your guitar down a whole step). FIGURE 1 depicts the first half of the piece, bars 1–12, with the piano’s left- and right-hand parts assigned to two different guitars. (I’ll show you the second half next month.) As you can see, the melody is simple, sparse and repetitive. What makes it compelling is the way it sounds against the accompaniment, which features an intriguing and highly unusual progression of threenote chords that chromatically morphs downward through the use of descending voice-leading in a way that was very much ahead of its time and foreshadowed the sophisticated chord structures and movement found in Impressionist-era (1875–1925) music by composers like Claude Debussy, as well as 20th-century jazz harmony. Particularly noteworthy are the various chord forms that result from lowering one note while suspending, or “holding over,” one or two others from the previous chord. The melody in bar 12 features what may be

14

B7sus4/F#



6 5 7



9 7 9

14

5 4 5

 11 !

9 7 9

C/E

 14 ! 5 5 7

8 7 9

5 5 7

5 5 7

5 5 7

5 4 7

5 4 7

2 2 3

5 4 7

8 7 9

5 3 5

5 3 5

Am/C 12

10

4 3 5

4 3 5

2 2222 2 2 2 1 1112 2 2 2 2 2223 3 3 3

thought of as “tension tones,” such as the flat six, flat nine and sharp nine, as applied to the five chord, B7. The accompaniment is best played fingerstyle, so that you can sound the notes of each chord simultaneously, piano-style. Chopin intended the piece to be performed slowly, softly and expressively and with the understanding that liberties may be taken with the tempo, meaning you can slow down and

8 7 8

5 4 7

2 1 2

8 7 8

8 7 8

7 7 8

7 7 8

7 6 8

7 6 8

D#°7 16

5 4 7

5 4 7

5 4 7

5 4 6

5 4 6

5 4 6

5 4 6

Am(add9)/C Am/C

4 3 5

13

4 3 5

4 2 3

14 16

4 2 3

B7

1211

8 7 8

 14 !

13

5 3 5

8 7 9

5 4 7

Dm6

2 2 3

2 2 3

15 13 14

2 2 3

2 2 3

2 2 3

14



2 2 3

Em/G

(2nd half, to be continued)

10 9 13

(louder)

2 2 22222 2 2 11222 2 2 22333

8 7 9

16

 14 ! 5 3 5

9 7 9

Am6/E

Dm7

B7

14 14

9 7 9

 

11

151312

 16 !

5

(softly)

17

9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

speed up slightly while also varying the volume, mostly playing with a very light touch and occasionally “swelling.” While it’s not indicated in the tab, add a subtle, slow and even finger vibrato to the held notes. I find that pushing the string slightly upward in a gentle rocking motion works best here. Feel free to dial in a generous amount of concert-hall reverb for both parts to emulate the sound of a classical piano recital.

To download Jimmy Brown’s Mastering Arpeggios 2 DVD and others—as individual chapters or the complete disc—visit guitarworldlessons.com or download the official Guitar World Lessons app in iTunes.

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by Metal Mike Chlasciak

BLACK AND BLUE

Infusing dark heavy metal riffs with a touch of blues TO MY MIND, it’s impossible to become

a great metal soloist without having an appreciation and something of an understanding of the blues and some of the techniques associated with blues guitar. Most, if not all, of the greatest metal masters ever, players such as Randy Rhoads, Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore, Dimebag Darrell and Michael Schenker, were very much inspired by the blues, at the very least in their early days as players, if not throughout their careers. Learning to emulate the blues guitar techniques of B.B. King, Albert King and all the blues masters is of vital importance to metal as well as blues and rock guitarists, and that is what I would like to explore in this month’s column. The scale most closely associated with the blues is the appropriately named blues scale, spelled, intervallically: one (the root), flatted third, fourth, flatted fifth, flatted seventh. In FIGURE 1, I’ve forged a riff that begins by outlining the structure of the E blues scale (E G A Bf B) but then veers off the rails a bit as it climbs, lending a twisted metal quality to the phrase. As I ascend the A string, I play four chromatic notes—A Bf B C—after which I take the physical-visual shapes played on the bottom two strings and apply them to the D and G strings, and then to the B and high E strings. I then descend through the entire pattern using the same notes, played in reverse order. The fact that the line is not based on any specific scale gives it an unusual melodic quality, while maintaining a “bluesy” feeling due to the use of chromatic notes and the flat-five, Bf. Once you have this run comfortably under your fingers, try moving it to different areas of the fretboard to transpose it to different keys. In FIGURE 2, I’ve moved the riff to fifth position in order to play it in the key of A. Keep in mind that, at its essence, this is a repeating twostring pattern, so you could take part of it and insert it into the middle of any metaltype solo line. A staple of the sound of blues guitar is

116

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METAL FOR LIFE

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

FIGURE FIG. 11





E7

1215

12131415

1215

12131415

1215

1213 1415141312

1512

15141312



1512

15 1413 12

FIG. 22 FIGURE





5 8

5 6 7 8

FIGURE FIG. 33





A7

 

5 8

E7 17

3



15 16

17

5 6 7 8

5 8

 *

5 6

(repeat prev. bar)

*repeat previous beat

3

15 16 19 16 15 16 19 15



! 17

7 8 7 6 5



8 5



to resolve the minor third to the major third, as most blues is played over dominant-seven chords built from the root, major third, fifth and dominant (flatted) seventh. In bars 1 and 2 of FIGURE 3, the note Gs, the major third of E, is repeatedly hammered onto from G, the minor third. In bars 3 and 4, I perform a fast, repeating double hammer-on/pull-off figure wherein I hammer from G to Gs and then up to the fifth, B, after which I pull-off back to Gs then G. I roll back and forth across these notes several times before finally resolving the line by landing on the E root note. Let’s wrap up this lesson with a bona

1

C7

8 10

8 5

8 7 6

5

 8 5



15 16 19 16 15 16 19 16 15 16 19 16 15 16 19 16

FIG. 44 FIGURE



8 7 6 5

  1512

8 10

  10 8

1

10

8

8





 ! 13



fide blues lick, à la the great B.B. King. In FIGURE 4, while playing over a C7 chord, I begin with the notes of the C major pentatonic scale—C D E G A—but then resolve the line with a move to C minor pentatonic. The essential approach of alternating between major and minor pentatonic phrases is a technique you will find in the soloing of every great blues and bluesrock guitarist that has ever lived. Hey folks, this is my last Metal for Life column for the time being. Just taking a brief sabbatical to concentrate on some other exciting projects. I’ll see you soon, either here, out on the road, on metalmike.net or on FaceBook.

Check out Metal Mike’s metal guitar camps and workshops at metalheroesacademy.com. His Metal For Life! DVD is available at GuitarWorld.com/store.

DO YOU LIKE TO USE AMERICAN GEAR? DON’T FRET. The Kyser® Quick-Change® is 100% made in the USA.

Guaranteed for life. www.kysermusical.com

KYSER® MUSICAL PRODUCTS

MADE IN USA

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TM

COLUMNS

ACOUSTIC NATION

by Dale Turner

REDEMPTION’S SON

The surreal soundscapes of singer-songwriter and visual artist Joseph Arthur A RARE, PERSONAL anecdote: Back in

2000, in Los Angeles’ Conga Room, as a guest of a Virgin Records publicist, I had my mind blown by my friend’s new client, singersongwriter Joseph Arthur. Performing solo and armed with only an acoustic guitar, his uniquely resonant voice, harmonica, piano on select songs, E-bow and some delay/ looping devices, Arthur was the first singersongwriter I’d heard use “live looping” with real effectiveness and creativity—beating his acoustic to build up grooves, adding exotic lead lines (inflected with interesting effects), then singing and playing while kicking in/out various looped parts to fabricate an arrangement on the spot. Nothing came across as a “gimmick,” and all of his songs were superb. When actress Rosanna Arquette (with whom Arthur had appeared in the film Hell’s Kitchen two years earlier) came onstage for a duet on Arthur’s “Invisible Hands,” I was hooked. Today, over a dozen studio albums and EPs later, ever the industry innovator/oddball, Arthur has just issued Days of Surrender—an album only available as a USB Credit Card (which ships with an original JA art print). Only one CD exists, packaged inside JA’s exotically hand-painted (and for sale) touring van (check it out at josepharthur.com). Initially a self-described “jazz-fusion bassist,” and as a teenage bassist, having opened for Stevie Ray Vaughan twice, in the mid Nineties Arthur changed musical course dramatically, inspired by the Velvet Underground, Nirvana, Bob Dylan and Vic Chesnutt to go the singer-songwriter route. When an early JA demo found its way to Peter Gabriel, Arthur was signed to Real World Records, releasing his 1997 debut, Big City Secrets. But it was 2000’s Come to Where I’m From that broke Arthur into the mainstream, led by “In the Sun,” a song likely familiar to most from its placement in the films The Bourne Identity and Saved! and the TV shows Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy and The L Word. FIGURE 1 recalls the tune’s signature upperregister common tones, the notes shared between chords on the B and G strings. By all accounts, 2002 was a year of un-

118

For video of this lesson, go to GuitarWorld.com/Sep2015

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

 = downstroke

Pick-hand fingering: p = thumb, i = index finger, m = middle finger, a = ring finger

 = upstroke

FIGURE FIG. 1 1

Capo 2. All tablature positions are relative to the capo. All music sounds one whole step (the distance of two frets) higher than written. G Cmaj7 Em7 Dadd4/F#

     

let ring



let ring



   

3 0

2 3

3 0

2 2 3 3

FIG. 22 FIGURE



 

C

p

1 0

0 2

0 2 3

2 3

0 0

2 2 3 3

0 2

3

0 0

0 3

1 2

3 0

2 0

2 2 0 0

0

0 2 2

0 2

  3 0

0 0

0

p

1 3

0

2

3 0 2



m p

 

D5

3

3 2 m i p

3 0

0

2 2

Em7 2

p

3 0

2

2 0

3

m i etc. i p

p

3 0

F6

0 0



 

3 0

Em

0 2

0



0 2 0 3

Am

0 3

 

0 0

G

let ring

3

etc.

3 0

2 i

0

m i

p

p

FIGURE FIG. 33

Capo 6. All tablature positions are relative to the capo. All music sounds an augmented fourth (the distance of six frets) higher than written. Gmaj7 Gmaj7/A Gmaj7/B Gmaj7/C





 

let ring

   

0

4 3

i



   

0

2

let ring 2 3

0

4

0

4

0



0

2

4

Dm

1.



1 3 2 2 0



1

1

1    

1 1 3 1 1 0 2 0 0 3 3 3

Em7

Gmaj7

2

0

2

0

a p

0

2

4

0

2

3

0

3

0

3

2

0

3

 0 1  

 

1 3 3 2 0 0

i

  0

0

4

3 3

0

G6 0 0

3

0

3

4

0

3

 

sim.

precedented creativity for Arthur, yielding four EPs (sold only at shows that year and later issued collectively as Junkyard Hearts in 2012) and the full-length Redemption’s Son. FIGURE 2 is in the style of “Tiny Echoes” (JH) and “Innocent World” (RS), which contain similar fingerstyle approaches, chord voicings and use of “ornaments,” namely the tasty hammer-ons from open strings to various second-fret notes within each shape. In late 2003, a long-running bout with alcohol abuse threatened to derail Arthur’s musical activities; recording in New Orleans put the musician back on track and,

a p

m

i

p

C

  

a

m

3 3 0 2

0

A7sus4

A7

3

2

0

0

3 m



2.

Dadd4

3

 

0

F

0 0

i

0

Cadd9

3 m

 

sim.

1 1 3 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 3 3

2 a p

i

  3 0    1

Gmaj7/B



Cadd2

let ring

FIG. 55 FIGURE



0

3

p p m p

Am7



0

4 3

p p

FIG. 44 FIGURE

0

m p

i

2 p

0 1 0 2 3

0

0 m p

i

0 p

in 2004, Our Shadows Remain resulted, among its high points the fan favorite “A Smile that Explodes,” which informs FIGURE 3—delicate fingerpicking, highlighted by the half-step note spacing between the D and G strings. We’ll close this lesson with a look at two tracks from Arthur’s exclusively guitar-vocal and mainly acoustic album, The Graduation Ceremony (2011). The disc showcases a variety of Arthur’s guitar approaches, from almost Hendrix-like open chord embellishments in “Almost Blue” (FIGURE 4) to lilting 6/8 arpeggiations in “This Is Still My World” (FIGURE 5).

To download Dale Turner’s Secrets of the Great Acoustic Songwriters DVD—as individual chapters or the complete disc—visit guitarworldlessons.com or download the official Guitar World Lessons app in iTunes.

LESSONS

Jon Foreman | Switchfoot

LIVE LOUD

ALl-new PRO center-block guitars

Photo: Jenna Garza

VISIT US AT gretschguitars.com for details

© 2015 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Gretsch® and Bigsby® are trademarks of Fred W. Gretsch Enterprises, Ltd. and used herein under license. All rights reserved.

COLUMNS

by Andy Aledort

HEX-ON MOBILE

How to create sweet-sounding twin leads with the major hexatonic scale A SIGNATURE ELEMENT in many

great, enduring rock songs is the use of harmonized single-note lead guitar lines. Examples include Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town,” “Reelin’ in the Years” by Steely Dan, the Eagles’ “Hotel California” and the Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky,” “Whipping Post,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Hot ’Lanta,” “Revival” and many others. Dickey Betts, composer of so many of these classic ABB tunes, has made harmonized singlenote leads a part of his own signature sound, and for a great many of these harmonized lines, he has relied on the major hexatonic scale, also known as hexatonic major. In fact, many players refer to the scale as “the Dickey Betts scale” because his music is so closely associated with it. In this lesson, I will show you how to create sweet harmony leads with this scale, in the style of Betts. One of Dickey’s most well-known and immediately recognizable usages of major hexatonic harmony leads is the intro riff to “Blue Sky.” FIGURE 1 offers a part played along these lines, arranged for one guitar, wherein the lower note represents the melody and the higher note represents the harmony, which stays diatonic to (within the scale structure of) E major hexatonic (E Fs Gs A B Cs). The best way to learn the major hexatonic scale is to first analyze the more commonly used five-note major pentatonic scale, upon which it is based. FIGURE 2 illustrates E major pentatonic (E Fs Gs B Cs), as played in seventh position. The intervallic structure of this scale is one (the root), major second, major third, perfect fifth and major sixth. To get major hexatonic, simply add the perfect fourth to this structure, which will result in an intervallic spelling of one (the root), major second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth and major sixth, as illustrated in the key of E in FIGURE 3. By simply adding the fourth to this scale, now the triadic chord tones of E major (E Gs B) and A major (A Cs E) are present, making this scale perfectly suited for soloing over a repeating I-IV (onefour) chord progression in the key of E (E to A), as is the case with “Blue Sky.” Whereas the type of interval remains

120

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IN DEEP

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

FIG. 11 FIGURE

E

1

A

    

4

 

  

E



A

  



14 12 10 12 14 12 12 9 9 10 12 9 11 6 7 9 9 11 13 9 9 11 9 9 11 6 7 9 9 11 6 7 9 9 11 7 9 11 11 9 11 9 6 7 9 9 11 7 9 11 7 9 11 11 9 7 9 11 FIG. 22 E major pentatonic FIGURE

E

 1414 1212 12 9 9 12 10 9  13 9 9 13 11 9 1111

  



0 9 9





7 9

7 9

6 9

FIG. 33 E major hexatonic FIGURE

7

96

96

97

9

 7! 0 FIG. 44 FIGURE

6

9 7

FIG. 55 FIGURE





9 7 0









79

79

679

6

9

7 910

7 9

6 9

7 912 9

7

7 9 12 9 7

10 9 7

96

9

97

0 2 4 5 7 9 12 14 16 17 19 21 19 17 16 14 12 9 7 5 4 2 0

FIG. 66 FIGURE

9 7 5 2! 0

0 2 5 7 910 12 14 17 19 21 19 17 14 12 10

0

16 17 19 17 16 14 12 9 7 5 4 2 0 17 19 21 19 17 14 12 10 9 7 5 2 0

0 2 4 5 7 9 12 14 0 2 5 7 9 10 12 14

  16 14 14 12 12 9 7 5 7 5 5 4 4 2 0 2   17  14 14 12 12 10 9  7 9  7 7 5 5 2 0 2

FIG. 77 FIGURE







consistent when diatonically harmonizing a seven-note scale, such as E major, for example, harmonized in thirds, fourths, fifths, etc., when harmonizing the six-note major hexatonic scale, the intervallic relationship will switch from thirds to fourths at certain points due to the wider gaps between some of the notes. FIGURE 4 illustrates E major hexatonic played up and down the high E string, and FIGURE 5 illustrates the same scale played entirely on the B string, start-

0 4 5

ing from B, the fifth. If we play both strings together, the result is shown in FIGURE 6: the first two harmonies are fourths, followed by four thirds, major or minor, then everything repeats an octave higher, when you get to the 12th fret. FIGURE 7 offers an example of how these major hexatonic harmonies might be used in a “Blue Sky”–inspired melody. Once you have the basic idea, try inventing some twonote harmonized lead melodies of your own.

To download instructional guitar DVDs by Andy Aledort— as individual chapters or complete discs—visit guitarworldlessons.com or download the official Guitar World Lessons app in iTunes.

LESSONS

TRANSCRIPTIONS

FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM Joe Satriani

As heard on FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM By JOE SATRIANI • Transcribed by JORDAN BAKER • Bass transcription by JIMMY BROWN

Gtr. 1 (acous.) is in a low open F tuning (low to high, C F C F A C). All other guitars are in standard tuning (low to high, E A D G B E). Bass is a 5-string in standard tuning (low to high, B E A D G). A¨ Gsus2#4 Csus2#4 A¨sus2#4 C 7fr

A



11341

11111

11341

11111

Intro (0:00) Moderately q = 126

11341

 

 

7

7

0



7

5



Bass

1 1 1

Gtr. 2 9



1

5



5



5 7

1 1 1 1 1

7





7 8



1



7

Csus4



0

7

5



7 8



7

G7 

7 9 9

7 9 9

7 9 9 7

7 7 7 7





8



7

10

Bass 1 1 1 1 1

 8

10

1

!



1

1

 

Substitute Bass Fill 1 eighth time (see below)

1

1

1

1

1

C

1

1



8 !

8 !

8

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1



1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 3

5

1 1 1



1

C

7

5



1 1

7

7 5



1 1

1

A¨sus2#4 A¨  *w/sub-octave doubling 2nd time   15 8 ! G 8   13 13   15 15  16 16  11

7 7 7 7

1

Csus2#4



 0

1

0

(play 8 times)

7 7 7 7

Bass Fig. 1

8 8

7 7 7 9 9 9 9 9 9 7 7

1

Csus2#4

C



7 7 7 7

1 1 1

(natural harmonics)

134

C



1

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Csus2#4

5

Gtr. 1



34

5-string Bass (enters fifth time)

Theme (0:45, 3:08) Csus2#4 C Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 four times (see bar 2)



11111

Csus2#4

Gtr. 1 (acous.) Rhy. Fig. 1 let ring throughout

 



Gtr. 2 4

Gm11

(0:14)

w/misc. feedback and tremolo bar manipulation

  

B

F

5fr

Gtr. 2 (w/dist. and infinite sustain effect)

1

Fsus2#4

G

7fr

13





Rhy. Fig. 2

0 7 7 7 7

3

3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 3

Bass Fig. 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 3



4 4 4 4 4 4 4

3 3 3 3



4

0





3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Bass Fill 1 (0:43) (C)

 

122

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 3

FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM COPYRIGHT (C) 1989 KUNG FOOT INTERNATIONAL ALL RIGHTS ADMINISTERED BY KOBALT SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING ALL RIGHTS RESERVED USED BY PERMISSION REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

“ FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM ”

A¨sus2#4 A¨ Gtr. 1 repeats Rhy. Fig. 2 (see bar 12)

  15 15 18 18 18 15 ! ! 18  18 15 17 15 

3



G

(end sub-octave doubling)



14

Csus2#4 C Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 (see bar 2)

17 15





12 12

1

1

14



3



 14



14

12





14 14  15

1

1





19

1

1



end Bass Fig. 2 4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Csus2#4 C Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 four times (see bar 2)

Gtr. 2 18 15

!

Gtr. 1

0

Bass

7

7

7 9 9

7 9 9



7 9 9 7

7 7 7 7



4

1

1

1 1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Gsus2#4

 15 15 !

0

G



21

2 4 4

4

2

2

21

22

 

Rhy. Fig. 3

7 7 7 7

21

2 4 4



 2 4 4 2

2 2 2 2



Bass Fig. 3 1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

Fsus2#4

21

1

22



19

19

19

20

 

0 3

0

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

1

0

1

3

3

3

3

3

3

F

  ( 22) 22 !

2 2 2 2

3

2

0 2 2

0 2 2

 1

1

1

3

3



 20 !

20

 0 2 2 0

1

0 0 0 0



1

1

0

end Rhy. Fig. 3

0 0 0 0

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

guitarworld.com

123

TRANSCRIPTIONS

2nd time, skip ahead to

E

(bar 80)

Csus2#4 C Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 four times (see bar 2)

Csus2#4

C

 20 20 20 ! ! ! !

Gtr. 2 24 20

Gtr. 3 (elec. w/dist.)











15

end Bass Fig. 3

Bass 1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Csus2#4 C Csus2#4 C   w/bar 20 20 20 20 ! ! ! !

Gtr. 2 28

Gtr. 3

 3 !

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 twice (see bar 6)

C

5 3

7

3

5 7

6

5

3 7 3 5 7

5 3 2

3

3

3

3

5

7

5

3

7 3

3

Csus2#4

 3



3

5

7



7 5 4 7 5 4 5 7 9 7 5

7 5 4 5 7

3

3

4 5 7 5 4

7

3

3



5





5

3

7 5 4 2

7 3

3

4 5 4 2

3

3

7



2

4

4



 2

2

2 5

2 3 5

3

3

Csus2#4

2



5 3 7 3 5

C

5 7 5 3

36

2

5

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 four times (see bar 6) 34

-1½

C

Gtr. 2

7

G



3

pitch: G

Guitar Solo (1:37) Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 four times (see bar 2) Csus2#4

32

G

3

 3

2

1

P.H. 

P.M.

3 !

1

C

5

3

2

3

5

7

5

3

7

5

7

3

2

3

5

2

3

5

9

3

2

3

5

7

5

3

7

7

5

3

2

3

5

9

37 2

3

5

3

2

3

5

7

4

7

124

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

5

7 7

5

4

5

7

9

5

7

9

7

5

4

7

5

4

5

7

4

5

7

“ FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM ”

38

Csus2#4 5

C

4

5

7

5

9

7

8

7

5

7

7

39

8

7

10

8

10

1

1½

4

13

7

8

10

6

6

6

  10 10 ( 10)

8 10

Csus2#4 Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 six times (see bar 2) 12

16

16

16 12

46 7

7

5

3



2

2

16 12

C

2

A¨

  13 14

 X

X 16

16 17 X

A¨

11 15 11 15 11 10 12



10

8

14 15



-1



-1





-1

-1

-3½

15 12 15 12 15 12 15 12 15 12 15 12 16

3

3

1

16 16 16 12 16 12 11



5

5



Csus2#4

X

14

9 10 12 10 9



16

16 17

X

9

  14 14 15

9

7

10

0

C X

C



9

10

X

17

17 15

13

1

X 17

7

3



9 9

7

6

Csus2#4

P.H.

w/bar  

X

12

3

G2 

  16 15

X



w/bar

-1

3

1/2

2

16

3

49

8

1/2

3

1/2

15

7

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 six times (see bar 6)

Csus2#4

10

C

16 16 12

16 12

12



1/2

w/bar

16

11

13



6 3



10

12

Bass plays Bass Fig. 2 (see bar 12) 3 1

7



0

A¨sus2#4

3

44

( 13 )

13

6



7

10

6

10 12 14 15 14 15 14 15 14 10 8 14 15 14 20

6 *tap and slide with edge of pick

10

8

A¨sus2#4 Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 2 twice (see bar 12)

T

*T

8

7

7

10

41

8

13 14 14

1

17

13



1½

17 17 17 17

3

Csus2#4 52



C

19 15

19 15



19 15

19 15

3



1/2

17

9

9

1

1

1

15

2

19 15

19 15

3

19 15

19 15

3

19 15

19 15

3

11 11 11 11 13 15

4

4

4

12 12 13 13 15

4

19 15

3

4

4

20

Csus2#4 20

20

3

17

12 13 13 15

15 15 16 16

1/2

19 19 19 19

3

3

 20

A¨ 13

C

1/2

20 17 19

3

A¨sus2#4 Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 2 (see bar 12)

 X    1

19

3

P.S.

Bass 1

19 15

3

Gtr. 2 55 19

1

19 15

1

13 15 16 16 18 18

 4

4

4

4

4

4

4

 4

4

guitarworld.com

3

125

TRANSCRIPTIONS

Fsus2#4

F

Csus2#4 C Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 one and one half times (see bar 2)

Gtr. 1 plays last two bars of Rhy. Fig. 3 (see bar 22) 1

58

( 20)



20

20



1/2

19 19 ( 19 )



w/bar

 

-1

-1

19

19

1

19 17

20

19

19

19

19 17 19

16

 1

61

1

1



1

1

1

1

19

17 17 16

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Csus2#4



16

16 14 3

1

  ( 16) 16





X

14 12 10 8 8 10 12 10 8

3

1

8 10 8 7 5 7 8 7 5

8 5 7 8 7 5

7

3

1

1

C

5

2

1

7

1

1

1

7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 9 7 5

7

1

1

1

1

1

D

Interlude (2:38) Gm11

Gtr. 2 63

w/bar

G0

X 5 7 9 7 5 0

P.M.



slack

6

Gtr. 1

7 7 7 7 4





3

P.M.

3 3

1

1

2

2

1

2

3

3

3 3

5

5

0 0

1

1



Csus4 66 5

5 5

6





6 5 5

5 5 5

5 5 5

5 5

0

1

X

5

5

3

3

7

5

9

8

8 8



3

3



1

1

0

126

7

1

7

 

7

1

1

1



5

1

1

7

7

7





3

3

1/2

13

15



5

5 4

1

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

1

1

1

0

0

1

2

2

1

2

3

3

5

3



X

1/2



5 5

5 5



1/2

3

3

1



15 13

2

0

2

0

4

1

4

1

1

13 15

12 13 14 15 16 17

end Rhy. Fig. 4

1/2

N.H.

7



5 5 5

1/2

3



13

5 5 5

7

N.H.

5

X

N.H.

0 0

 3

3 3 3

5 5

X

Gm11

1/2

7

3 3

3

Bass

1

3 3

3

Rhy. Fig. 4

0



P.M.

5

0 0

0 0

7

 3

3

3

1/2

7 7

5

5

  3

3

3

3

 3

3

1

2

0

2

0

4

1

4

1

“ FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM ”

Csus4 1/2

70

1/2

17

1/2

17

17

 

1/2

15

15

13

13

13

11



11

Gm11 Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 4 (see bar 62) 1/2

13



13

14

1/2

14

14

1/2

14

14

 



0

1

5

1

1

1

1



5

1

1

1

1



1



13

0

3

3

10

8 8

X X

8 8

1

10

10

1

1

1

0

5

7

5

Csus4

Gtr. 2 73

13

7

11

12

1/2

N.H.

5

14

5

1

4

4

1

0

1

 8

2

2

3

3

0 0

5

5

11

8

11

8

8

9

7

7



3

11 8

N.H.

0 0

3

3

9

9



3

3

3

3



1/2

12 8

13



7

5

1

10 8

8

 8

10

Bass 3

76

1

4

1

4

Gm11  8

10

1

8

10

8

10

8

8

10

1

1

 10

1

1

1

1

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

1

1

1

3

3

3

3

1

1

4

P.H.

12 9 10 12 10 9

7 10 7

9 10 9

7

10 7

8 10 7

1

8 10 6 !

6

3

N.H.



5

1

1

6

6

N.H.

N.H.

7

7

12 12

1

1

1





13

B

Theme (bar 4) w/bar

G6





6



0



7 8 7 0

2

1

3

1

Go back to

10 11 13 11 10

2

6

4

78

Bass

1

3

Csus4

0

0

10 10

Gtr. 2

Gtr. 1

1

X 13 15 15 17 18 17 15 12 15 12 13 15 13 12 10 13 10 12 13 12 10

3

3

1

1

3 !

1

guitarworld.com

127

TRANSCRIPTIONS

E

“ FLYING IN A BLUE DREAM ”

(3:50)

Csus2#4 C Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 (see bar 2)

  20 20 !

Gtr. 2

80

Gsus2#4 G Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 3 (see bar 20)

w/bar

P.H. +1/2



0 0 0

X





21

21

22

 

Bass plays Bass Fig. 3 (see bar 18)

Csus2#4

21

C

Fsus2#4

F

   19 ( 22) 22 ! 22



19

19

20

 

Csus2#4



C

Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 four times (see bar 2)  20 20 20 20 20 ! ! ! ! !

Gtr. 2

85

Gtrs. 3 and 4 (elec. w/dist.) P.M.



Gtr. 2 90

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

5 3

3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

Csus2#4 C  20 !

Gtr. 3

20 !

P.M.

P.M.

P.M.

5 3

5 3

Gtr. 4

7 7 5

5 3

7 7 5

7 7 5

5 5 5

5 3

5 5 5

5 3

5 3

5 3

P.M.

5 5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 5 3

5 4 3

P.M.

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 5 3

5 3

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 (see bar 6) until fade

F C  20 ! Csus2#4

92

5 3

P.H.

0

0

0 !

7 7 5

7 7 5

7 7 5

5 3

P.M.

5 5 5

5 5 5

5 3

Rhy. Fig. 5b

P.M.

5 4 3

128

5 5 3

5 3



slack

P.M.

P.M.

5 3

w/bar +2



Rhy. Fig. 5a

5 3

P.H.

5 3

5 3

P.M.

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

5 5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

5 3

P.M.

5 3

5 5 3

5 3

5 5 3

5 4 3

     

Repeat and fade Outro (4:16) Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 (see bar 2) Gtrs. 3 and 4 repeat Rhy. Figs. 5a and 5b (see bar 90) w/misc. feedback

  

     

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TRANSCRIPTIONS

FAILURE

Breaking Benjamin As heard on DARK BEFORE DAWN Words and Music by BENJAMIN BURNLEY • Transcribed by JEFF PERRIN

All guitars are in dop-D tuning down two whole steps (low to high, Bb F Bb Eb G C). Bass tuning (low to high): Bb F Bb Eb. All music sounds in the key of Bb minor, two whole steps lower than written. Dm7

D5

Dm

Intro (0:00) Moderately q = 77 Dm7



0

8

0

5 0

8

Dsus2

0

124

124

0 !

8

0

0

8

8

0

0

Dm



!

15

6fr

111341

5fr

33

33

B¨add9

0

5 0

0 !

0

8

0

Dsus2

Gtr. 3 (elec. w/overdriven tone and tremolo effect) let ring throughout 12 13 15 15 15 14 14 14 12



8

G5

A¨5 8fr

111

0 !

11134

B¨sus2

Dm7

5

8fr

11134

7fr

B¨add9

*Gtrs. 1 and 2 (elec. w/clean tone) Rhy. Fill 1 let ring throughout 1

A5

7fr

34

5fr

111341

C/E

B¨5

8fr

12

F/A 10fr

11



11

G5

B¨maj9(no3) 12fr

1342

10fr

111

E¨/A

12fr

1341

C5 8fr

E¨5

12fr

34 1

B¨5

Dm

5fr

4 1

A

Dsus2

B¨add9 5fr

0

5 8

0

8

0 !

Dm 12

14

8

13 14

12

17 !

17 14

*Two gtr. parts consolidated into one part.

N.C.(D5) Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fill 1 (see bar 1)

(C5)(D5)(C5)(E¨5)

E¨5

   

Gtr. 2 (w/dist. and filter effect) (doubled simile) 5

0

12

13 12

0

12

0

13

0

*Gtrs. 1 and 2 (w/dist.)

13 12

0 10

0 10 13

0

12

13 12

0

12

0

13

0

13 12

0

1 1

1 1

1 1

1 1

*filter effect off

Dsus2

Gtr. 3 15

130

Dm 12 14

12

13 14

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

13 14

15

12 14

12

 ( 12)

1/2

12



FAILURE WORDS AND MUSIC BY BENJAMIN BURNLEY © 2015 SEVEN PEAKS MUSIC (ASCAP) O/B/O ITSELF AND BREAKING BENJAMIN MUSIC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USED BY PERMISSION

“ FAILURE”

N.C.(D5)

(C5)(D5)(C5)(E¨5) (D5)

Gtrs. 1 and 2 7 9

0

13 12

0

12

0

13

13 12

0

0

10

0

10 13

E¨/A

9

0

13 12

12

0

0

13

Riff A 12 14

13

13

14

12









0

0

0

0

Bass

13 13 13 13 12 12 12 12

0

1/2

Gtr. 3 15

13 12

0

15

14



0

N.C.(D5) Gtr. 3 plays Riff A (see bar 7)

10

0

10 13

14

12

12

12

12

13

12









0

0

0

0



7

7

7

7

0

(C5)(D5)(C5)(E¨5) N.C.(D5)

(C5)(D5)(C5)(E¨5)

9 Gtrs. 1 and 2 9

0

13 12

0

12

0

13

Bass









0

0

0

0

B

1st Verse (0:30)

Gtr. 3

11

Life

(D5)

13 12

0



will

0

10

0

0

10

come

0

10 13

10 13

our

0

0

0









0

0

0



0



0

0



0

Gtrs. 1 and 2

Bass Fig. 1 5

5

5

5

5

B¨maj9(no3)

Gtrs. 1 and 2 13 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

Bass 8

12

13

0

13 12

0







0

0

0

0

It has

only

way

P.M.

Bass

0



0

6

5

0

6

5

3

6

3

6

just

begun

(Gtrs. 1 and 2) (repeat previous bar)

15 ! 0

13 12



Fill 1

0

9

0

8



5

0

The world

will die

8 10 10 8 8 8

5





5



0



0

alone







5

5

5

5



5





0

0

The frail

G5

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

5 5 5

5 5 5

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

5

5

  

 8 7 5 5 5 5



0

5



5

will fall



5



0



below

B¨5

5 5 5

5 5 5

8 7 5 5 5

8 7 5 5 5

8 7 5 5 5

11 10 8 8 8

11 10 8 8 8

11 10 8 8 8

11 10 8 8 8

5

5

5

5

5

8

8

8

8

guitarworld.com

131

TRANSCRIPTIONS

C

(0:43, 1:26)

Time

will the

2. Drive

take cloud

our away

N.C.(D5) Gtr. 3 plays Fill 1, second time only (see bar 11)

Gtrs. 1 and 2



P.M.

15

0

0

0

0





0





0

0

0

0





0



B¨maj9(no3)

Gtrs. 1 and 2 17 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

Bass 8

D

8





the cold the dawn



The long The world

G5

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

8 10 10 8 8 8

5 5 5

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

8

5

 5 5 5 5

to one to none

8 7 5 5 5



5

8 7 5 5 5



road on

and lonely will carry

8 7 5 5 5

5 5 5

8 7 5 5 5

5

5

5

   5

5

7

3

0

3

7

3

0

3

Pre-chorus (0:55, 1:39) 2nd time, skip ahead to

Look

B¨5

19

8 10 10 8 8 8

before before

it back from last

0

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 (see bar 11)

The calm The dark

We return We will fall

place

8 8

8 8

8 8



8 8



8 8



for

8 8

8 8

the

 14

light

that

C5

14 14 14

 12

12 12 12

10 10

10 10

10 10

G

2nd and 3rd Choruses (bar 29)

leads



10 10



me



10 10

home *

10 10

 

10 10

17

17

17

17

15

15

15

15

*omit notes 2nd time

8

E

8

8



1st Chorus (1:02) Tired D5 Dm

8



8

of

feeling



8



8

10 10 10

lost

0 0

0 0

0 0

Gtr. 3 Riff B 17 17 17 14 14 14

132

0

of



10 10

letting

go

10 10 0 0 0

17

17 17 17 17 17

20 20 20 20

18 18 18 18 18

18 18 18 18 18 18 20 20 20 20

14

14 14 14 14 14

17 17 17 17

15 15 15 15 15

15 15 15 15 15 15 17 17 17 17

7 0

  



10

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



0 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

10 10 8 8 8



10 10 0 0 0

Bass Bass Fig. 1 0

10

Tired

B¨5

Gtrs. 1 and 2 21



8 0

0

0

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

0

0

0

0

0

0

8

8

8



10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

8

8

8

8

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

8

8

8

8

8

“ FAILURE”

Tear F/A

23

tear

whole

world

down

C/E

5 3 2

17 17 17

17 17 17 18 18 18

15 15 15 15 13 13 13 13

14

14 14 14

14 14 14

14 14 14 15 15 15

12 12 12 12 10 10 10 10

25

3

3

B¨5

B¨sus2

8 8 8

10 10 8 8 8

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

10

5 3 2

5 3 2

17 17 17

3

5 3 2

whole

17

3

5 3 2

the

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7



10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7

Tear

10 8 7

3

5 3 2

world A5

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

7 7 7

down

7 7 7

7 7 7

7 7 7

end Riff B

12 12 12 12

13 13 13 13

9

10 10 10 10

9

9

9

end Bass Fig. 1



10 10

10

10 10 10 10

7

7

0

7

Failure

  

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8

10 10 8 8 8

10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8

13

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

12 12 12 12 12

12

12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

10

10

10

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

10 10

9

9

9

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

8

8

8

8

Bass Fig. 2 8

F

the



8

8



8

8

8

8

8

8

9

9

9

9

8



8

8

8

(1:20)

8

Go back to

N.C. Gtr. 3 plays Riff A (see bar 7)

C

8

(bar 15)

A¨5 G5 E¨5

Gtrs. 1 and 2 27

0

9

13 12

0

12

0

13

0

Bass









0

0

0

0

G



0

0

2nd and 3rd Choruses (1:45, 2:31) Tired of feeling lost Tired of wasted breath D5 Dm A5 G5 B¨5 Gtr. 3 plays Riff B simile (see bar 21)

Gtrs. 1 and 2 29 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

 

13 12

  

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 7 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 5 5

10

10

0

0

10 13

10 13

Tired of Tired of

0

9

13 12

0

12

0

13

0









0

0

0

0

letting nothing

go left

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

F/A

13 12

Tear the Tear the



0

6 6

5 5

5 1

0

6

5

1

whole world whole world

down down

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 (see bar 21)

guitarworld.com

133

TRANSCRIPTIONS

1., 3.

2., 4.

Tear

the

whole

world

down

Tear the

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

 

8 8 8

Bass substitutes Bass Fill 1 (see below) Bass substitutes Bass Fill 2, 3rd ending (see below)

8 8 8

8 8 8

 

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

7 7 7

world

(bar 41)

5 3 2

5 3 2

5 3 2

7 7 7

7 7 7

7 7 7

Failure

B¨5

Gtrs. 1 and 2 34

I

down (2nd time) we C/E A5 Gtrs. 1 and 2 substitute Rhy. Fill 3 on 4th ending (see below)

C/E B¨5 Gtrs. 1 and 2 substitute Rhy. Fill 2 on 3rd ending (see below) Gtr. 3 substitutes Fill 2 (see below) Gtr. 3 substitutes Fill 3, 3rd ending (see below)

32

on 4th ending, skip ahead to

whole

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

Gtr. 3 Riff C 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 9

9

9

9

9

9

9

9

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Bass plays Bass Fig. 2 (see bar 25)

H 36

Interlude (2:16) D5 E¨5 D5

E¨5 D5

Gtrs. 1 and 2

0 0

1 1

0 0

Gtr. 3 11 12 11 9

10

9

Bass 0

1

0

 X

0

 0

X

0



0

1



0 0

 X

0

 0

X

X

0

4

0



0

14

(C/E)

 12 12 12 12 10 10 10 10 9



12





X

X

0

 

0



Fill 2 (1:59)

Gtr. 3

0

1 1

1

0

1

0





0



0

1

18



15

0



0



0

Fill 3 (2:41) Gtr. 3

(B¨5)

15 15 15 15 13 13 13 13 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 9 9 9 10 10 10 10



  12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12  15  (C/E)

15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

(B¨5)

18





X

X

0

4

Rhy. Fill 2 (2:41) Gtrs. 1 and 2





C/E

  10 10  5555 8  3333 8  2222 8 

B¨5



5555 3333 2222

Rhy. Fill 3 (2:53) Gtrs. 1 and 2

C/E

 134

3

(32nd-note tremolo strumming)

 

X

0 0

  53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53 53

N.C.(A5)

2 22 22 222 222 27 7 77

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

Bass Fill 1 (1:54)

   10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8

Bass Fill 2 (2:41)

  

10 10 10 10



10 10 10 10



12 8

3

“ FAILURE”

E¨5 D5

38

0 1 0 0 1 0

E¨5 D5

  X 0

0

X X 0

1 0 0

 

0 14



12

0

0



12

5

0 0 0

0

X X 0

4 1 0

3

14





10

   0

0

X X 0

0 1 0 0 1 0

12

4 1 0

3

G 3rd

Choruse (bar 29)

  X 0

0

 X X 0

 

0

12

0 1 0

5 5 5 5 8 8 8 8

0 1 0

   0

0

X X 0



(2:56)

Bury the sunlight Dm D5 Gtr. 3 plays Riff B (see bar 21)

Gtrs. 1 and 2 41

 



X X 0

X 0

 

14

15

  

 

0 1 0 0 1 0

0

18

0 1 0

I

3

Go back to

E¨5 D5

0 0 0

0 0 0

  

10 10 0 0 0

0 0 0

(oh)

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7 7 7

We

0 0 0

5 5 5

bury B¨5

0 0 0

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

the

sunlight

(oh)

11 10 8 8 8

11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 simile (see bar 21)

Failure F/A

1.

(oh)

43 10 10 10 8 8 8 7 7 7

10 8 7

10 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7 7

10 8 7

10 10 8 8 7 7

Failure N.C. C/E Gtr. 3 substitutes Fill 2 (see previous page)

3 2

3 2

3 2

(oh) B¨5

10 10 10 10

9

9

9

9

8

7

7

7

7

8

8

8

8 8 8

we

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

 

Bass substitutes Bass Fill 1 (see previous page)

J

2.

Failure C/E

Failure

(oh) A5

B¨5 Gtr. 3 plays Riff C (see bar 34)

45 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2

Outro (3:21)

5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 3 3 3 3 3 3 7 7 7 7 2 2 2 2 2 2 7 7 7 7

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

8 8 8 8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8

8 8 8 8 8 8

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

8 8 8 8 8 8

Bass plays Bass Fig. 2 simile (see bar 25)

N.C.(D5)

D5

Gtrs. 1 and 2 48

0

9

P.M.

13

12

0

12

0

13

0

13

12

0

10

0

10

13

0

0

0

0

0 0



0 0



0 0



1/2

Gtr. 3 15

Bass

14

12

12

12

12

15 !

13

12









0

0

0

0



0

10

0

10

13

0



0

0

0

0



0



0

 guitarworld.com

135

Professional Guitar Polish and Scratch Remover.

www.drgooze.com

TRANSCRIPTIONS

THEM BONES Alice in Chains

As heard on DIRT Words and Music by JERRY CANTRELL • Transcribed by JEFF PERRIN

All guitars are in drop-D tuning down one half step (low to high: D A D G B E ). Bass tuning (low to high): D A D G . All notes and chords sound one half step lower than written (key of D minor). Dm7

D5

E 5

E5

F5

Dm7XVII

5 fr 13

A Intro

13

111

111

222

A5 8 fr

13

C5

B5

7 fr

222

10 fr

111

9 fr

222

111

(0:00, 0:37)

Moderately Dm7

= 163 D5

E 5

Rhy. Fig. 1

E5

F5

D5

1 *Gtr. 1 (elec. w/dist.)P.M. ** 6 5 0 0 0

0 0 0

5

(repeat previous measure) 1 1 1

*two gtrs. arr. for one Bass Bass Fig. 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

0 0 0

3

0

** repeat previous chord

0

1

Dm7XVII D5

1

1

1

E 5

Rhy. Fig. 2

3

B 5

17 fr

2

2

2

E5

F5

3

0

1

Dm7XVII D5

D5

P.M.

18 17 0 0 0

0

1

1

1

2

2

E 5

2

3

E5

F5

2 2 2

3 3 3

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

6 5 0 0

0 0 0

0 0 0

1 1 1

Bass Fig. 2

5

1. I 2. Dus t 3. Toll D5

1

0 0 0

1

1

1

2

2

2

3

0

3

0

0

1

1

1

1

2

2

2

3

*slide is performed 2nd time only

(0:10, 0:47, 1:49)

E 5

let ring

3 2 0 0 0

*

0

B Verses

1 1 1

E5

believe... ris e... due... D5

F5

2 2 2

3 3 3

let ring

3 3 3

3 2 0 0 0

0 0 0

E 5

1 1 1

E5

F5

2 2 2

3 3 3

(repeat previous two measures) 3 3 3

Bass Fig. 3 5

138

0

0

P.M.

0 0 0

5

0

1

end Bass Fig. 3 2

2

3

0

3

0

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

1

2

2

3 (3) 0

5

0

1

2

2

3

0

3

0

1

2

2

2

3

0

THEM BONES WRITTEN BY JERRY CANTRELL COPYRIGHT (C) 1992 BUTTNUGGET PUBLISHING (ASCAP) INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SECURED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

“THEM BONES”

D5

Gtr. 1

9

3 2 0 0 0

Bass repeats Bass Fig. 3 simile (see meas. 5)

0 0 0

E 5

E5

F5

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

D5

E 5

E5

F5

1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

let ring 3 2 0 0 0

3 3 3

0 0 0

D5

3 3 3

0 0 0

(1st time) go back to intro A

C Chorus

(2nd time) move on to guitar solo D (3rd time) skip ahead to outro E

(0:31, 1:08, 2:10)

I

B 5

feel

so A5

Gtr. 1

alone...

C5

B5

B 5

Rhy. Fig. 3

13

end Rhy. Fig. 3

8 8 8

7 7 7

7 7 7

9

11

*

10 9

10 10 10

9 9 9

9 9 9

8 8 8

Bass Fig. 4

8

end Bass Fig. 4

8

8

D Guitar Solo Dm7

8

8

7

(7)

7

7

E 5

P.M.

3

5

7

E5

F5 D5

P.M.

5

3

5

D5

full

12 (12) 10

12

5

P.M.

5

5

5

5

6

5

E 5

10

12 10 10

10

(1:33)

(12)

8

E5

8

10

12

10

B 5

5

5

5

3

F5

full

10 (10) (10) (10)

F5 D5

Dm7

9

12

10

10

11

10

A5

full

Gtr. 2

9

(9)

9

9

9

9

13

15

13

E5

F5 D5

8

Dm7 D5 E 5 full

5

3

8

D5

5

5

3

6 5

7

12

E5

F5 D5

full

(12)

(12)

(12)(12)

Dm7

D5

9

9

E 5 13

E5 13

13

(13)

F5 11

10

D5

11

10

E5

F5 D5

10

(8)

D5

E 5 10

E5

15

15 (15)

(15) 15

20

grad. release

14

11

F5 D5

full

13 (13) (13) 11

13

Dm7 D5 E 5 11

14

12

1 1/2

14

B5

full

full

15

10

C5

Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 3 (see meas. 13) Gtr. 3 (elec. w/dist.) 15

10

1/4

P.H.

P.M.

E 5

P.M.

12

10

3

3

Dm7 D5 E 5

23

10

pitch: B

E5

12 10

3

20

7

Dm7 D5

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 four times (see meas. 1)

Dm7

7

(1:13)

D5

Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 four times simile (see meas. 1) Gtr. 2 (elec. w/dist.)

18

0 0 0 * don’t play first time

Bass

15

D5

14

B 5

D5

full

20

18

17

20

17

20 (20) 20

18

19

18

19

w/slight fdbk. 14

(14)

(14)

X

Bass plays Bass Fig. 4 (see meas. 13)

guitarworld.com

139

TRANSCRIPTIONS

Dm7

“THEM BONES”

D5

E 5

E5

Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 1 (see meas. 1)

25

18 20 18

19

18 20 18

19

18 20 18

F5

D5

Dm7

D5

E 5

E5

F5 D5

full

19

18 20 18

19

18 20 18

19

18 20 18

19

18 20 18

19

18

20

20

18

19

18

19

(19)

(19) 12

5

dive w/bar

0

0

Bass plays Bass Fig. 1 (see meas. 1)

-1

go back to verse B

Dm7 XVII D5 E 5

E5

Gtr. 1 plays Rhy. Fig. 2 (see meas. 3) w/wah

F5

D5

Dm7

D5

E 5

E5

F5

full

27 (12)

(12)

12

12

12

12

0

12

12

12 (12)(10)

12

0

10

12

12

12

12

12

10

10

12

(12)

0

slack

-3 1/2

Bass plays Bass Fig. 2 (see meas. 3)

E Outro

10

(2:16)

I

feel

B 5

so A5

8 8 8

7 7 7

29 Gtr. 1

alone... C5

7 7 7

9

11

10 9

B5

10 10 10

9 9 9

B 5

9 9 9

8 8 8

5 5 5

8 8 8

Bass plays Bass Fig. 4 (see meas. 13)

B 5 31 Gtr. 1

A5

8 8 8

C5

7 7 7

7 7 7

7

(7)

9

11

7

7

10 9

B5

10 10 10

B 5

9 9 9

9 9 9

9

(9)

8 8 8

8 8 8

8

(8)

Bass 8

140

8

8

8

8

7

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

7

7

7

10

10

10

10

10

9

9

9

9

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TRANSCRIPTIONS

MORE THAN WORDS Extreme

As heard on PORNOGRAFFITTI Words and Music by NUNO BETTENCOURT and GARY CHERONE • Transcribed by DAVE WHITEHILL

Tune down one half step (low to high, Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb). All music sounds in the key of Gb, one half step lower than written. G5

G/B

Csus2

Cadd9

Am7

C5

D

Dsus4

C/E

E5

() 2

34

1

Em

33

2

Em/B

23

34

G/A

213

C

Cm

3

D/F#

D7

23

G7/B

2 1 (4)

21 34

1

132

Dadd9/F#

243

Em7

1

1

Bm

134

D5

2 1

Dsus2

24

13

C5/B

D7¨9

23

D9no3

13

G7

21

Dm(add9)/F

3

1

Gm/B¨

Esus4

4fr

2

A

1

32 1

13421

12 34

13421

2

1

21314

1

24

234

1

34

Intro (0:00) Moderately q = 93 fingerstyle

G5 1





G/B *



3 3 0

3 3 0

3 3 0



2

2

3



3 3 0

G/B 3 0

3 3 0



 

3 3 0

3 3 0



2

2

3

9

Cadd9

3 0

3 0



3

3 3 0 2

3

Csus2





3

3 3 0

3 3 0

3

3

Am7



C5

1 0

1 0



0

0



0 1 0 2



0

*Slap front of guitar body w/pick-hand fingers on beats two and four of each bar.

5

B

Csus2



3 3 0

Csus2

Cadd9

3 3 0

3 3 0



3

3 3 0 2

3



Csus2



3

Verses (0:20, 2:21) love “I 1. Sayin’ tried 2. Now that I’ve G/B Csus2 Cadd9 Substitute Fill 1 second time (see below) 3 0 3

3 3 0



3 3 0

3 3 0



2

2

3 3 0



3 0

3 0



3

3

3 3 0 2



3 3 0

3 3 0

3

3



3

3 3 0

3

3

0 1 0

0

0



Am7



1 0



0

0

is



0 1 0 2

not talk

3 1 0



0

0



1 0 2 0

the words I to you and

1 0

1 0



0

0

1 0



3

3



0 1 0 2

3 1 0



0

0

1 0 2 0

1 0

1 0



3

3



0 1 0 2

1 0



3

0 1 0 2

Dsus4 G5

2 3 0





3 3

2



2 3 0

3 0



3

D

to you C/E

1 0 3



0 1 0 2

C/E

want make C5

Am7



1 0

C5

1 0

you” to Csus2 3 3 0

3 1 0

D

Dsus4 G5 2

3 3 2





3 0



3

hear from you understand D Dsus4 G5



2 3 0



2

3 3 2



3 0



3

Fill 1 (2:21) G5

 142

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015



3 3 0 3

G/B



Csus2

3 3 0

3 3 0



2

2

3 3 0



3 3 0



3

MORE THAN WORDS WORDS AND MUSIC BY NUNO BETTENCOURT AND GARY CHERONE COPYRIGHT (C) 1990 COLOR ME BLIND MUSIC ALL RIGHTS ADMINISTERED BY ALMO MUSIC CORP. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED USED BY PERMISSION REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

“ MORE THAN WORDS”

3 0



3 3 0



0 0 0



2



3 3 0

how and Em/B

Em 0 0

3 3 0

2

3

17

3 3 0

0 0

0 0



2

2

0

3 3 0



3

3



0 0

0 0



0

0

(1.) More than (2.) More than

(resume slapping) 0 0 0 0 0 2 2



0 0 0

make you G7/B

24

1 0



1 0 0 0

1 0 0

1 0 0



2

2

2

3



3 3 0

3

3



1 0

1 0



0

0



0

to your

say eyes



3 1 0

0 1 0 2



0

but and

3 1 0

0 1 0

0

0





2 1 0



0

2 1

2 1

real show C



that you



1 0 2 0



0



0

0



1 0

1 0



3



0 1 0 2

3 1 0

3 1 0

0

0







0

3 3 0

3 3 0

3

3



0 1 0



3



0



3

0 1 0

0 1 0

3

3

me



3

3

know G5

3

G/B

(resume slapping) 3 3 3 3 0 0





2

Fill 2 (2:47) D





2 3 2 0







2

3 0



3



2





3

3 3



2

you feel me go Dadd9/F# Em 0 3 2



2

you have I ever D9no3

1 2 0



0 1 2 0





3 3 0

3 3 0

to

do needed G7

D7



2 2

4

4

4

5 3

5 3

5 3



I’d Am7

slap

(discontinue slapping)



3

already

0 0 1 0 2 0



2

2

do



to

3 4

3 4

5 3

5 3

say



3 0



3

0 2 1 2 0

if

Dadd9/F#

0



D7 Substitute Fill 3 second time (see below)

2



heart E5

my

(discontinue slapping) 0 3 3 3 2 2 2



1 0 3

have

’cause

3 3 0



0

G5





0 0 0

2

0 1 2 0



wouldn’t

you

G/B

3 3 0

3 0

slap

3 3

would

G5 3 3 0

slap

3 3

0

What 3 3 0

2

3

2





0







0 3 2

2

0 0



0

Fill 3 (3:16) G

D/F#

(strum loudly) (discontinue slapping)



2 1 2



2 1 2

2 1 2 0



 3 3 0 0



3



 3 3 0 0



3



 2 3 2 0



2



Em

 3 2 0



2



Am7

0 0 0 2

0 0 0 2

0

0



 0 0 0 2

0



0

(knock on guitar body) X X X



1 0 2 0

D7





D7¨9

00 2 1 2 0



31

3



3 3 0

3 2

0 0







all all D7



3 3 0

3 0

0



3 3

2

Cm

love Em7

(discontinue slapping) 3 3 3 3 0 0

2 3

how let D/F#

strum w/thumb

27

only knew your hand Dsus4 E5

out D

(discontinue slapping)

3 3 0 3

Then you

0 1 0 3

you reach C

3



2 1 2

is is

1 0 2 0





1 0 2 0

0

if just C5

would be to me it show close don’t ever Hold me D7 G5 Substitute Fill 2 second time (see below)

me

1 0 2 0

it to

1 0 0

3 3 0

not

words words Am7

0 0 0 2

0 0 2 2



to



3



1 0 2

Em/B

21



3 3 0 2

easy touch G/A Am7

0 0 0 2

Chorus (0:51, 2:52)

3 3 0

close Am7



13

C

you want is have to do Csus2 Csus2 Cadd9

It’s not that I All you G/B

5 4 5 4 5

guitarworld.com

143

TRANSCRIPTIONS





0 0



2

for D 38 3 2 0

is

me D7

slap



slap



2 1 0



slap

2 1 2







3

real G5

1 0

3

3

3 0



3



3 3 0

3 0

3 0



2

2

3





2

3 4



4



2

1 0 2 0



0

di 49



0 1 0 2

1 0 0

La

1.

52 3 0

0



di





3

3

D7

I

3









3



3

da

di

0 1 0

0 1 0

3

3



More D

0 3

da



0 1 0 2

3 3 0

3

3





2

3 3 0



3 3 0

3 3 0



3

3

3 3 0 2

2 3 0



2

2

Fill 4 (3:48)



 

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015



3 3 0

3 3 0

3

3

Em/B 0 0



2

2



0

1 0

1 0

0 1 0



3

3

3

0 1 0

0

0

if

I

Dadd9/F#



2



La



3

da

di Cadd9



0 0



0

things Em/B

new Am7

slap



1 0



2

slap



3 2 0

took E5



make slap



3 3 0

0 0 0

1 0 2 0



2

la Csus2

di

0



0



0 1 0 2

2 3 4 4 2

3 4



3 1 0



0

0

B

3 3 0

3 3 0

3

3



da Am7

1 0 2 0

1 0



3

3 3 0

3 3 0



2

(knock on guitar) X X

 

1 0



0

Csus2



3 3 0

2.

2nd Verse (bar 9)

dai

C5





3

2

3

 di dai

1 0



3

Go back to

(strum w/thumb)

2 3 4 4 2





3 3 0 2

G/B



2 1 2 0

1 0 0

3 0

3

3

D7



3 0

3 3 0

Bm





0

3 1 0

(discontinue slapping) 0 0 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2

couldn’t





Am7

3



say



3 3 0

Csus2 3 3 0

3 3 2

2

(discontinue slapping) 0 1 0 2 0



3 0



3 3 0

La di da da di da Csus2 Cadd9 Am7 Csus2 3 0

you



0 1 0

1 0 2 0

than words Dsus4 G5

strum w/thumb

3 3 0

1 0 2 0



love D5

that your

(resume slapping)

3

C



2

3 0 2

feel Am7



1 0

G/B 3 3 0

1 0



3

you G5

0

1 0



3

G/B

3 3 0

3 0



1 0

Then you C

love

da C5



would

3 0

2 1 2 0



Csus2

3

(strum w/thumb) (discontinue slapping)



1 0 2 0

0

da

3 0 2

sayin’

dai

G/B 3 3 0

3

0

0

3

you G5

1 0

dai



3 3 0 2

3 1 0

3 1 0

Cadd9





3





0 1 0

1 0

3

1 0

you C5/B

show





1 0

3

0 1 0 2

0 0

1 0

G5

3 3 0

C/E

(resume slapping) 2 3 1 0



to

What

away those words Em/B Bm C5 Substitute Fill 4 second time (see below)

45

144

1 0

G/B

3 0

just by

56



0 1 0 2

1 0 2 3

words



42



2

More than C5

C/E

(resume slapping) 2 3 1 0 4 2 3



3 4



2 3 2

two C

in



34

torn Bm

3 0



3

I

D7

love

(strum w/thumb)

0

 

2 1 2 0



was Em/B

da C5

C

1 0

1 0



3

3

0 1 0 2



More D

than words Dsus4 G5

2 3

3 3 2

0



2



3 3 0



3

“ MORE THAN WORDS”

La Csus2

G/B

60

3 3 0



3 3 0

3

3 3 0

3 3 0



2

2



3 3 0

3 3 0

3 3 0



3

3

3 3 0



3 3 0

3

3 3 0

3 3 0



2

2

G/B



3

D

3 3 0



2



3 3 0

3





da

3 3 0

3 0



3



3

3



slap

 

3 3 0

3 3 0



3

3

2

3

3

3

di dai

1 0

1 0



0

0

da di









3

3 1 0



0



0 1 0 2 0

0 1 0 2 0





3

3 3 0

3 3 0

3

3



1 0



0

* 3 1 0



0 1 0 2



0

Ooh Dadd9/F 0

3

2

2

2

2 2

3

1 0



3

3

0



slap





1 0 2 0



0 1 0 2







than words Dsus4 G5

2 3

3 3

2

1 0



3

3



0 1 0 2

3 3 0



3

More D

than Dsus4

2 3 2 0

3 3 2 0





2 3



2 3 2 0

slap





More than words Dsus4 3 3

2

0

words G5

3

da da da da da) C D

1 0





slap

0 1 0 2 3

More D

0

(La da) C

(la C5

1 0 0

1 0

slap

0 1 0 2 0

Am7 3 3 0

C

da da da

 



0 1 0 2 0



1 0 2 0

0

di

da Am7

slap

3 3 0



0 1 0 2

da C5

dai

da di da

da da

Dadd9/F#

(discontinue slapping) 72 let ring 3 3 3 0 0 0

0 3 0



*arpeggiate low to high

ooh Esus4 0 2

Am7

slower

3

2

1

1

0

2

2

2

0

0

0

2

2

0

1

0

0

1

0

2

Cadenza (4:58) Freely

N.C.(D)

77

3

3

Outro (4:43) G5

E

3 3 0

Csus2

3 3 0 2

3 3 0

(discontinue strum loudly slapping)



3 3 0

(resume slapping)

3 3 0



di

La

68

da di da Csus2 Am7

La Csus2

G/B 64

3 3 0

di da

let ring

T

2

3

5

T

17

5

3

2

3

5

T

15

5

3

2

3

5

17

5

3

2

3

5

0 6

15

T

5

3

2

3

6

T

14

5

3

2

T

15

5

3

2

14

6

T

5

3

2

T

12

5

3

2



78

T

10

5

3

2

5

7

5

3

5

9

 N.H.

 2

4

2

0

4

2

0

2

4

2

0

2

words G 80

Csus2

let ring

0 3

0

0

3

3

3

3

0 2

3

G/B 3

0

3

3 2

*Grab headstock and bend neck to simulate vibrato dips

Gm/B¨ 3 0

3

3 1

Am7 3

0

*

0

10

Slowly



0



2

3

3 0

2

G5

0

1

0

3



0 strum

5

3 5 3 3

3 3 0 0



3

7 7 7



5



7



5

5

More than,

(Em) 79

7

3

5

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TRANSCRIPTIONS

I WANT YOU TO WANT ME (LIVE) Cheap Trick

As heard on LIVE AT BUDOKAN Words and Music by RICK NIELSON • Transcribed by JEFF JACOBSON • Bass transcription by STEVE GORENBERG

A5

G5

11

2

A6

  

 3



 

16 14

1

 "52 

5 4

4

5 2

4

0

0

1st Verse (0:26) want A5

Bass

16

12

12

D5/C#

3 111

4 13

14

17 16

14

17 16

16

1

4

2

4

2

5 4

5 4

0

0

0

5 2

5 2

Bass Fig. 1



0

G5

0



2 !

0

5 4

2 2 0



4

4

2

to want

5 2

I

2 0

2 0

2 0

2 0

2 0

12

12

12

12

12 10

let ring

P.M.

2 0

2 0

2 0

12

12

2 2 4



GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

12

10 12

11

11

11

6

5 6



0 5 2

end Bass Fig. 1

 0 !

0

you

5 5

2 2



0

5



P.M.

2 2

0

4

4

need F#m7

A/G# 2 2



3

0 !

me

0

2 2

0

5 2

4

 

0

0 0 1

0

I

5 !

3 !

you

0

A5

0 2 3 2 0

3

0

0

 

D

3 3 0 0

2

0

Bass Fig. 2

12

148

2 0

A/G#

 14 14 !

1

let ring

5 4

2 2 2 0

134111

213

1

0

Gtr. 1 17 P.M. 2 0

4

1



0

B

14

4

0 0



111

D7 5fr

17 16



   

10-string Bass

1444

E7

N.C.(A)



Gtr. 2 (w/dist.)

F#m

A

(0:17)



 

( 14)

1

Intro (0:08)

Triplet Feel   =    spoken: I want you to want me Gtr. 1 (w/dist.) 1 (drums)

12

1 3 4

4fr

4

Fast Rock q = 216

B

E6

5fr

3



132

E5

4fr



34

A7

A

F#m7

D

4

0

2

2

2

2

9

7

9

9

9

9

5 5

9

to need P.M.

5 5

2

2

2

9

9

9

7

I WANT YOU TO WANT ME WORDS AND MUSIC BY RICK NIELSEN (C) 1977 (RENEWED 2005), 1978 SCREEN GEMS-EMI MUSIC INC. AND ADULT MUSIC ALL RIGHTS CONTROLLED AND ADMINISTERED BY SCREEN GEMS-EMI MUSIC INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SECURED USED BY PERMISSION REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

“ I WANT YOU TO WANT ME” (LIVE)

me 23

I’d

E5

P.M.

5 5

2

love

D5

P.M.

P.H.

2

2 0

2 0 3 4

0



2

3 2 0

3 2 0

you

D

0

0

2 3 2

0

to love P.M.

2 3 2

0

0

0

5

5

5

me

2 3 2

 5 4A 

let ring

P.M.

2 3 2

I’m

D5/C#

0

0

0

5

5

5

3 2

3 2

4

0

3 3 2 2



Bass Fill 1 9

9

9

beggin’ A5

9

7

you

7

to beg A5

A

29 P.M. 2 0

7

7 5

2 0

2 2

2 0

5

0

0

2 2

5

2 2



0 2 0

5

want (F#m)

I N.C.(A/G#) 1

2 2 0

5

me

P.M.

2 0

5

4

you

4

4

4

4

4

to want me

I E5

 P.H. P.M.   2 ! 2 2 2 ! !

1

4 2 4

5

2



let ring

0

0

2 0

0

0

0

0 0

2

end Bass Fig. 2 5

5

5

5

5

need D 37

5

C

45

5

5

you

P.M.

2 3 2

5

0

0

0

5

5

5

2 3 2

2 3 2

5

5

to need P.M.

0

0

0

5

5

5

2 3 2

2 3 2

5

5

5

5

4

me

D5/C#

9



9 !

9

Gtr. 2

0

0

2 0

5

5

5

  8 ! 8

8

2

2

2

2

7



2

3 2

2

2

2 0

2

2

2

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

  7 7

0

0

0

5

5

5

5

brand new

7

7

7



2

3

3

2

2

2

2 2

2 2

5

0

0

0

5

5

5

6 !

6

2 2

5

5



I’ll 1

1

 ! 9

5

5

0

5

4

get home F#m

4

6

9

9

1

9

9 9

4

4

early from work



let ring

0 3

2

0

2 2

10 10 10 10 10 10 8

0

2 2 2 0

3

2

me N.C.

I’ll

shirt A



6

2

to love

P.M.

0

1

2

you

2 0

3

2

2

love A5

3 3 0 0

Bass Bass Fig. 3 2

2

I’d

put on a G5

0

0

4

P.M.

4 4 4 2

2 4 4 2

4

P.M.

1st Pre-chorus (0:59) shine up my old brown shoes F#m B

Gtr. 1

4

2 4 4 2

5

4

3

2

2

2

2

guitarworld.com

149

TRANSCRIPTIONS

If

you

say

that you love

    10   8 8 7 7 7 ! ! B

50

G5

F#m

0

0 2

D

3

2

2

2

7

7

0 0

3

3

  6 G 6  

6 4 0 4 2 0 4 2 0

3

 

3 3 0 0

4 4 4 2

me

0 0 3

3

3

 

3

0 0





3

3

3

3

 

0 2 4 4 2

2

3

3

3





4 2 0

0

end Bass Fig. 3

2

2

2

2

2

3

4

1st Chorus (1:10) Didn’t I A5 Rhy. Fig. 1

see A6

you cryin’ E5

E6

E7



















2 0

2 0

4 0

4 0

5 0

5 0

4 0

4 0

















2 0

2 0

4 0

4 0

5 0

5 0

4 0

4 0

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

P.M.

didn’t I



60

didn’t I A7



P.M.

55

didn’t I A6



5 5

5 5

4

4

see you cryin’ D

 

slight P.M.

0 5 5

2 3 2

4

2 3 2

0 150

2 0

3 2 3 3 2

2 3 2

2 3 2

2

2

5

5

5

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

5

4

5 0

5 0

2 0

4 0

4 0

2 0

2 0

0

0

0

0

0

0

X X X

X

4 0



X X X



3 3

2



3

2

Didn’t I F#m7

X X

0 4 0

4

1





5 5

5 5

5 5

4

4

4

2

2

0

2

1

didn’t I



P.M.

2 0

 5

4 0

N.C.(C#/E#)



Dsus4 D 3 3

4 0





2

2 0



2 2 2 4 4 2

2



oh

2

  

0 2 2 2 4 4 2

2

Feelin’ all alone without a A5 A6 A7 A6 A5

friend you know you feel like A6 A7 A6

P.M.

P.M.









2 0

4 0

5 0

4 0

Rhy. Fig. 1a P.M.







2 0

2 0

5

5



dyin’

2 2 0





4 0

5 0











4 0

4 0

2 0

2 0

4 0

4 0

5

5

5

5

5

5

2 2 0



4



0 0

“ I WANT YOU TO WANT ME” (LIVE)

E5

65



E6



E7

2

4 0

5 0

4 0









2 0

2 0

4 0

0

0

0

P.M.

P.M.

E6

E5

Oh N.C.(C#/E#)

E6

2

2

2 0



Didn’t I didn’t I F#m7





4

4

4 0

5









4 0

4 0

4 0

4 0

4 0

2

0

0

0

1

1

2

2 0

0

2 3 2 0

0

2 3 2 0

 9 !

2

 

2 3 2 0

0

9

5

5

5

5

4

5 5

5 5

5 5

4

4

4

4

4

4

2 2 2 4 4 2

2 2 2 4 4 2

2 2 2 4 4 2

2

2

2

0 2

2

2 0

2 3 2 0

2

2 2 2 4 4 2



2 2 2 4 4 2

2 3 2 0

2

2 3 2 0

2

you

to want

  9 9 ! !

end Rhy. Fig. 1a

3

2

D

2 2 2 4 4 2

9

end Bass Fig. 4 5



5 5

2nd Verse (1:29) want * N.C.(A)

9

2 3 2 0



5 5

you cryin’ D end Rhy. Fig. 1

F#m

1

2 3 2 0



5 5

E

1

2 3 2 0



see

2

I 69



didn’t I





Bass plays Bass Fig. 2 (see bar 17) 12

12

12

12

12

12

12

12

10

4

2

*chords implied by bass next eight bars

me



Gtr. 1 73

I (A/G#)

1



9

4

1

4

I’d (E) 1

78 4

1

4

2

4

2

love (D)

4

you

4

2

to

   5 5 ! !

you

2 !

2 !

love

4

4

me

5

5



83

you

to beg

 ! 2

! 2

2

me



4

I’m

  !3 3

(D/C#) 2

3

2

2

0

3

beggin’ (A)

1

2 !

me

1

5

to need



1

4

need (F#m)

2

0

2

3



2

3

I’ll

(A/G#) 8

4



5

3

0

8

5

3

0

7

5

0

0

0

3

guitarworld.com

151

TRANSCRIPTIONS

F

87

2nd Pre-chorus (1:47) old shine up my F#m7 let ring

0

 97

4

get home F#m7

Gtr. 1 let ring 91 5 4 2

5

4

4

 97

5 3

 9  7

P.M.

3 3



5

0



5

G

3 3



3 3

3



3



 





  

2 0

2 0

4 0

5 0

5 0

4 0

2 0

3 3

3 3

3

2 0

E7





4 0

1



10

1

10

4 0

5 0

Oh E5





P.M.

107

9 7

9 7



9 7

9 7

9 7

H

2 0



3



9 7

X



4

5 0

112

152



14



13

1/2

13

14

12



G5 G#5

4 4 2

4 4 2

4 4 2

5 5 3

6 6 4

4 4 2

4 4 2

4 4 2

4 4 2

5 5 3

6 6 4

 

X



4



5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

4

4

4

4

4

4

0 0 0

friend you know you feel like A6 A7 A6 2 2 0

didn’t I









see you cryin’

0

2 2 0

4 0

didn’t I

4 0

5 0

4 0

dyin’





0 0

see you cryin’ D7



5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

4

4

4

4

4

4

0 0 0

2 0

2

0 2 1 2

2 1 2

 

Bass substitutes Bass Fill 1 (see bar 25)

1st Guitar Solo (2:18)

let ring 14 12

0

2

didn’t I

A5 A6 A5 A6 Gtr. 2 plays Rhy. Fig. 1a simile (see bar 63)

1/4



4 4 2

didn’t I didn’t I F#m7 N.C.(C#/E#)

 4 0

5 X 0

4 0

Didn’t I F#m7

 9 7

0 2 2 2 4

Feelin’ all alone without a A6 A5 A5 A6 A7

  10 10 10 ( 10) !

Bass plays Bass Fill 1 (see bar 25)

let ring 2 2 2 4

3 3 0 0

oh E6

me F#5

0

F#m

Bass plays Bass Fig. 4 twice simile (see bar 55)

2 3 2 0

  2

3

love F#m



3 3

  

3 3 0 0



4 0

3 3

0

0 3 3 0

2nd Chorus (1:59)

103

2 0

2

 

Didn’t I didn’t I didn’t I see you cryin’ A5 A6 A7 A6 E5 Gtr. 2 plays Rhy. Fig. 1a twice simile (see bar 63)

D

I’ll

shirt A5

0

that you

P.M.

4 4 4 2

4 0

5 3

say

B

0

Gtr. 1 97

new

G5

0

Gtr. 2 2 2 2 4 4 2

G

brand

0

9 7

if you

 9  7

F#m



0 9 7

early from work B

5

put on a G5

1/2

5 5

2

shoes

brown B5

13

1/2

12



13

1/2

12

13

1/2

13

12

13

A5

E5

1/2

12



13

1/2

12



Bass plays first eight bars of Bass Fig. 4 (see bar 55)

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015

E6

13

E5

1/2

12

13 13

12

13

  14 ! 14

N.C.(C#/E#)

12 12 14 14

“ I WANT YOU TO WANT ME” (LIVE)

F#m

117

I

D

12 10 10 9 9 14 12 12 10 10

7 9

7 9

5 7



3rd Chorus (2:27) Feelin’ all alone without a A7 A6 A6 A5

Gtr. 1 121

2 0

2 0



7

4 0

5 0

4 0

5

5

5

2 2 0

5 5

7 7

let ring 10

5

7

friend you know you feel like A6 A7 A6 2 2 0

2 0

4 0

5 0

4

3

11



0 0

E5

2 0

2 0

E6

E7

E6 E5

4 0

5 0

4 0

0

0

0

   14 14

A5

14 14

11 12 12 13 13 14

dyin’

4 0

12 13 13 14

14



Oh

E6

2 0

2 0

2 0

0 0 0

2 0

N.C.(C#/E#)

4 0

4 0

0

1



4



Bass 5

125

Didn’t I F#m7

didn’t



4

5



I

didn’t





I

2

see



0

you cryin’ D5



5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

5 5

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

1

Oh



5 5

0

D7

2 0

2 1 2

2 0

0

0

2 0

2 0

* 0

X

 

*Gtr. 2 plays open and

2

J

2

2

2

2

2

2

2nd Guitar Solo (2:37) A5 A6 A5 Gtr. 2 plays Rhy. Fig. 1a (see bar 63)

Gtr. 1 129 17

1

20

1

17



20

A6

1

17

17 20

A5

1

17 17 20

17 20



1

17

17 20

17 17 17 17 17 17

17 17 17 17

14 14  19

19

14



17 20

5

1

17

20 20

15

16 17

17

1

17 17

14 14 15 15

16 17

17

20



17 17

 17

5

5

5

N.C.(C#/E#) F#m

  20 !

17



K

I

17

5

E5

 

5

E6 1

17



134

5

E5

Bass plays first eight bars of Bass Fig. 4 (see bar 55)

D

5

2







17 17

3rd Verse (2:46) want A5

you

2 0

0



17 17



17 17

17 17

to want

P.M.

2 0

2 0

2 0

0

0

0

Bass plays Bass Fig. 2 (see bar 17)

me

I N.C.(A/G#)

let ring

let ring

1

139 17 16 0

16

I’d

let ring

1

1

17 16

17 16

1

16

14

17 16

16

0

(E)

144

let ring

1

14

16

14

17 16

love (D)

need (F#m)

you

to need

me let ring

 14 14 14 14 ! ! to

   17 17 17 ! !

love

1

17

you

17

me

 (D/C#)

 17  15 ! 15 ! 

1

17 16

16

14

I’m

1

1

17

17

guitarworld.com

153

TRANSCRIPTIONS

Gtr. 1 149

“ I WANT YOU TO WANT ME” (LIVE)

beggin’ (A)

you

to beg

me

 17 17 17 ! ! 

1

0 



17 16

Bass 5

L 153

5

5

14

5 !

Gtr. 1 163

to want

to want me







17 17 17 17 17 17



Outro (3:23) N.C.(A)

16 !



16

17 16

14

14

16

1

Gtr. 2

5 4

0 3 3 0 0 X 3

0 0 0

5 4

2

4

2

10



2 3 2 0



4

2

0 2 2 0

3

let ring 1

5 4

4

4

2

4

5 2

0

GU I TA R WOR L D • SEP T EM BER 2015



you

3

4

2 2 0

to want





7 4 5

3 2 4 2 0 0

3



3

16



14

4

6

0 2 2 0

7

8

7

8

9



0 2 2 0

1

9



9

4

2 0 0

3

3

10

16

10



14



5 4

2

5

2 0

3

10 10 10

2 !

2



me

Freely A5

D

0

5 4

4

X

1

Bass holds open A note

154

10

1

0 G5

16



X

want

 14 14 !

1

4

4



17 17 17 17 17

3



14 16



7 5 3 5 3 2 3 2 0 0



4

16

I

1/2

Original Feel you to want

want

5

I





17 16

me





16

5





1

5

5 !

I

Gtr. 1 169

5





Bass

5



 me

5



you

Gtr. 1 157

5

you

want

173

5

Breakdown (3:04) Half-time Feel want N.C.(A) 14

M

5

I

(A/G#)

16



1

5 4

0

 

9

9 !



0 2 2 0

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WILLIAM RITTER

N

ECESSITY MAY BE the mother of invention, but competitive bragging rights is probably the father and boredom, imagination, spare parts and liquor are its aunts and uncles. Case in point is Rick Wilson’s Sling Blade banjo bass. In 2010, someone on the TalkBass forum laid down the gauntlet by challenging other builders to construct a bass using only spare parts lying around their shops. Wilson, who owns Moonshine Custom Guitars, decided to take the competition a step even further by using mostly junk items that were stashed in his garage. “The first thing I found was an old, used metal oil change pan,” says Wilson. “My initial plan was to build some sort of resonator bass until I came across a broken 16-inch floor tom that I had never gotten around to throwing away. I discovered that the rim and hardware would fit on the oil change pan with just a little modification, so I decided to use them as a makeshift banjo head and make a banjo bass instead.” The neck came from a Bentley Series 10 bass, and its “bananer”-shaped headstock became the inspiration for the “Sling Blade” name, mmm hmmmm. We don’t know whether Wilson was eatin’ them French fried potaters or mustard and biscuits when he got the idea, but he decided to shave down the headstock to accentuate is scythe-like shape and painted it silver to drive the blade concept home. Crowning touches include a truss rod cover with an outhouse-inspired crescent moon decoration and a tailpiece crafted from a metal shelf bracket. The Sling Blade bass functions as both an acoustic and electric instrument (a pickup is mounted under the drum head). “It sounds like an upright bass,” Wilson says. “I already had it a couple of years before I finally decided to put a new set of strings on it and do a real setup. I discovered that, along with looking pretty cool, it also played pretty damn good and sounded good, too. Sling Blade was a blast to build, and it got a lot of attention both from the TalkBass forum and at a retail music store that I operated for a while, where I had it on display.” —Chris Gill