SEYMOUR DU
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
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GUITAR INTERACTIVE_WELCOME
Welcome to Guitar Interactive
Welcome to Guitar Interactive Issue 44
Ad Index
Our advertisers.
ARIA 181 BASS DIRECT 205 CARLSBRO/STUDIOMASTER 117 CORNELL 21 CORT GUITARS 209 DANELECTRO 23 DEAN GUITARS 31 EVENTIDE 85
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FISHMAN 59 GODIN GUITARS 111 IBANEZ 91 JBL 151 LANEY 53 LOWDEN 175 MARSHALL 17 MORLEY 105
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MUSICMAN 69 PEAVEY 75 PETERSON 121 PRS 97 REDWITCH PEDALS 121 ROTOSOUND 8&9 SEYMOUR DUNCAN 2&3 STETSBAR 21
SUPRO 23 TAYLOR GUITARS 10&11 TC ELECTRONIC 29&65 TC HELICON 141 TECH 21 81 VINTAGE 33 XVIVE 33
Welcome to
Issue44 It’s always a huge pleasure to welcome back old friends to GI and never more so when it’s the great Robin Trower – a masterful guitarist who epitomises ‘old school’. Robin is a ‘touch’ and ‘feel’ player and it was fascinating to see him jamming along with our very own Sam Bell, who in many ways epitomises (the best) of young advanced players today. Make sure you watch it, inside! Sam was on double duty as he also got to play host to Innes Sibun, a guitarist who has already tasted life in the ‘big league’ when he was touring with Robert Plant and who could be set for it again as part of a fine new band backing the Blues singer Sari Schorr. Innes came into the GI studio to film. Again this is another interview not to be missed! Finally a quick word about absentees! Giorgio Serci’s many fans will be disappointed not to find a column from him in this issue but he will be back next month! Don’t forget, we want your suggestions of products you’d like to see reviewed, or artists you’d like us to interview. We can’t always get the interviews we want but we do take your suggestions seriously and and try as hard as we can to track down the artists you ask for. Just email me your suggestions
Editor Gary Cooper
[email protected] Contributors Sam Bell, Gary Cooper Review crew Sam Bell, Michael Casswell, Andi Picker, Bob Thomas, Lewis Turner, Tom Quayle, Dan Veall Columns Sam Bell, Michael Casswell, Tom Quayle, Lewis Turner, Jaime Vendera, Andy Wood Advertising Manager Helen Bavester
[email protected] USA Media and Sales Lisa Spiteri
[email protected] Design and layout Simon Gibbs
[email protected] Animation Dwight Sicobo Video Editors James Masterton & Dave Kidd Sound Engineering Martin Hayles & Gwyn Mathias Cameras Rich Jones & Mike Thorpe Social Media Managers David Jones & Dan Smith Publishers Guitar Interactive Ltd Publishing Directors Kim Waller and Stuart Bull
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[email protected]
Gary Cooper - Editor
Gary
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Contact Sales and Information line: + 44 (0)1708 757 337 Fax Line: +44 (0)1708 757 528 web. www.iguitarmag.com twitter. @iGuitarMag www.facebook.com/ GuitarInteractiveMagazine Address: Unit A, Chesham Close, Romford, Essex, RM7 7PJ, UK (c) Copyright 2016 Guitar Interactive Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. The views expressed in Guitar Interactive are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher.
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GUITAR INTERACTIVE_CONTENTS
Interviews
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Robin Trower –
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Innes Sibun –
Sam Bell visits Robin Trower at the Blues
legend’s private studio for an enthralling interview with one of the greatest ‘touch’ players and a true master of tone!
He has a successful band of his, has toured the USA, South America and Europe with Robert Plant and is now a part of Blue phenomenon Sari Schorr’s new band. Sam Bell welcomed him to the GI studio for a fascinating interview and some serious playing.
Competitions/Book Reviews/Winners
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WIN SIX Xvive FX pedals in our great free entry competition! COMPETITION WINNERS In GI 41 we gave away an amazing Dean V Dave Mustaine guitar. Check here to see if you won!
Also in GI 41 we gave readers the chance to with a fabulous Tascam Trackpad 2x2 ‘studio in a box’ kit plus a pair of Tascam VL-S5 powered monitors. Here’s where you find out of you won!
DOWNLOADS
All the featured downloads from this issue + exclusive Guitar Pro Lite tab software FREE download!
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
Gear Reviews 050 Ibanez RG 3770DX 056 Patrick Eggle Drop Top 95 062 Godin Core CT 066 Reverend Billy Corgan Signature 072 Epiphone Casino 076 Magnatone Panoramic combo 082 VOX AV30
Fella FX 102 TC Electronic Wire Tap recorder 108 Xvive Dynarock and Sweet Leo FX 114
Peterson BodyBeat Pulse Metronome
088 Peavey Piranha 6505 head
118 Fredric Effects Utility Perkolator
094 LunaStone Three Stage Rocket, Wise Guy & Big
124 Electro Harmonix 22500 Dual Stereo Looper
Live Sound
Making Tracks 154 Recording for the practical musician
130 Jaime Vendera’s Vocal Bootcamp Season 2 136 Soundcraft Signature Series 12MTK mixer 144 Samson XP 800 portable PA
The Quiet Room 170 Seagull Artist Mosaic Element 176 Larivee P-03 Limited Edition 182 Aria Delta Player 111DP
Andi Picker on sessions for songwriting Pt. 2 158 Audient ID4 audio interface 164 Softube Vintage Amp Room software
The Bassment 188 Music Man Cutlass and Caprice bass guitars 194 Laney Nexus SL 112 combo 200 Xotic ‘Liteweight’ Jazz 5 bass 206 LR Baggs Stadium Bass DI
Columns 214 Tom Quayle 218 Michael Casswell - Pro Concepts 222 Sam Bell - Extreme Shredding 226 Lewis Turner - The Art of Jazz Soloing 230 Andy Wood - Country guitar
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ROTOSOU
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TAYLOR
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INTERV HOT LICKS AND LIFE STO
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VIEWS RIES
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INTERVIEWS_ROBIN TROWER
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
ROBIN TROWER
A SENSE OF DIRECTION Robin Trower has a new album, Where You are Going To, and is set to embark on a 13 date UK tour as this issue goes live. Trower is one of the acknowledged masters of ‘old school’ touch so we sent our resident ‘young gun’ Sam Bell to meet him and discover some of his Blues secrets.
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INTERVIEWS_ROBIN TROWER
‘I
t was a hot sunny afternoon and I’d been invited to meet British Blues legend Robin Trower at his local recording/rehearsal space. Walking up to the building I could hear some incredibly tasty playing coming from inside - it was clear that Robin was busy practising at his own unique practice volume, and it sounded amazing! Once inside I was greeted by his tour manager and then by Robin himself. He was keen to find out what kind of interview this would be and if he could perhaps talk about some of his lead ideas and how they help inspire different improvisations. You bet he could! I have to say I was quite nervous at the prospect of meeting this Blues legend, but he
was warm, welcoming and very keen to share with us some of his wisdom throughout this special interview. He had kindly set up his signature guitars, Marshall amps and pedals for the interview, and we even got to jam, which was a fantastic experience! Robin was plugged into his hand wired Marshall Bluesbreaker amp, so you might say things got a little loud, the notes resonating around the room and all the nuances of Robin’s playing soaring with each note he played. When we were checking camera microphone levels, Robin asked something along the lines if ‘he was loud enough’ everyone nodded keenly! I think one thing that separates Blues legends such as Robin Trower from other guitarists
Robin Trower Interview - Part 1
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Marshall
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INTERVIEWS_ROBIN TROWER
is this ‘live volume’ thing. It is so important to get that tone from the fingers through the amp, Robin wasn’t afraid to crank the master volume and let the notes soar! After our first jam in the video section of this interview I was totally flabbergasted by the sheer impact, detail and over all cool style of his unique Blues playing. Something I am very honoured to have witnessed next to him, straight from his amp to my ears. Nothing beats it!
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We start the interview talking about Robin’s amazingly long career to date, from joining his first major group Procol Harum, releasing many iconic albums through to his own band releasing Blues Rock classics such as Bridge of Sighs and later on with albums such as Victims of the Fury (interesting factoid – Bridge of Sighs still sells 15,000 copies a year! - Ed). After a brief time with Bryan Ferry from Roxy Music and various projects with Cream bassist Jack Bruce, he continued to release solo material all the way
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
Robin shared a few improvised licks with us, spoke about how he really tries to do something different with each note in the lick up to the present day with his latest release Where You are Going To (oops I said that wrong in the interview, but Robin was very polite about it!) he has been releasing at least one album every one to two years since the early 1970s and touring with them. It is certainly inspiring to see this man play and still have such passion for the guitar. I really wanted to dive into what keeps Robin’s interest in music, what his
philosophy towards learning the instrument is and creating music. He has such an open mind about all styles of playing and music, he seems to love it all. And his advice about creating your own voice on the guitar is something that I feel we all need to take note of. He mentioned that it’s great picking up bits of ideas from your favourite players but you should be aware not to overdo that, spend time with the instrument listening to the different ways you can play notes rather
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INTERVIEWS_ROBIN TROWER than trying to copy 100% what someone else is doing. This way you will start to really create your own voice, licks and hopefully as a by-product of all of this, you will naturally sound like yourself. Which in a world packed with guitar players is an important thing. Robin shared a few improvised licks with us, spoke about how he really tries to do something different with each note in the lick in order to discover the possibilities of what might seem at first like a simple idea. He demonstrated this in the interview with a really cool pentatonic phrase that made my eyebrows do some strange things.
Robin Trower Interview - Part 2
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CORNELL AMPS and 1/2 page (H) STETSBAR
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INTERVIEWS_ROBIN TROWER
But apart from this small array of pedals, Robin doesn’t really rely on them, he sees them as extra colours to add to solos... This man’s expression on the guitar is truly amazing! We spent some more time talking about his career and approach to guitar playing but then we spoke about his tonal approach. He likes it simple and believes that tone should come from the fingers and you should set up your equipment to best represent what your fingers are actually doing. He tunes down a whole step and uses some pretty heavy strings on the top B and E strings so he can really grab them for that awesome vibrato of his. He goes through a very modest array of pedals made by Fulltone, including a unique pedal that was made for him that emulates the sound of a wah pedal but stuck in one position for a different tonal context. It is also important to note that Robin uses a Univibe for his awesome psychedelic sounds on songs such as ‘Bridge of Sighs’. But apart from this small array of pedals, Robin doesn’t really rely on them, he sees them as extra colours to add to solos, especially in longer extended solo sections, it really adds texture and interest to what he is doing.
Trower is a true master and legend of British Blues and it was an honour to sit and chat with him and find out what really goes on in the head of master! END >
Meeting this legend was an eye opening experience for me and I hope that the video interview has the same effect on you. Robin
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INTERVIEWS_INNES SIBUN
Down in the INNES SIBUN
Engine Ro ©All pictures by John Bull
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oom Innes Sibun has toured the US, South America and Europe with Robert Plant, opened for Peter Green, Roger Chapman and Chris Farlowe, run his own band and now features on the Mike Vernon produced hit album ‘A Force of Nature’ from the Blues phenomenon, singer Sari Schorr. How long before Innes Sibun is a household name among Blues guitarists? Sam Bell played host when Innes visited the Guitar Interactive studio.
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INTERVIEWS_INNES SIBUN
‘T
he great Blues singer Sari Schorr has a new album and a new band. The band is called The Engine Room and Innes Sibun is her resident guitarist. The album is called A Force Of Nature and apart from the fact that it features guest guitar work from Walter Trout and Ollie Brown as well as from Innes, it has a major claim to fame in that it has been produced by the legendary Blues producer, Mike Vernon, whose work with John Mayall, Eric Clapton,
Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac really needs no introduction at all! To mark the release of the fine new album, Innes offered to visit GI’s London studio and I was asked to play host. After a hefty journey around London’s infamous M25 motorway to our studios, Innes and I managed to arrive on time (no small achievement) and quickly got down to filming. From the get go Innes has to be one
Innes Sibun - ‘Esma’ Performance
Something I found particularly inspiring w the guitar and constantly trying to find new
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INTERVIEWS_INNES SIBUN
of the most lovely guys I have ever had the pleasure of chatting to. Before the interview had even started we were talking at length about all things guitar and music. We were jamming away, sharing licks and having a great laugh. It was very apparent that Innes has a monumental passion for guitar playing and learning new things. Within our jams I picked up many things from his playing, if only I could keep up! Normally when I interview another player we aim to go from jamming into an introduction then into the interview, but conversation and jamming with Innes is almost seamless and we dived straight into his beginnings as a guitarist. He mentions
hearing B.B King at an early age and that being a key moment that sparked him to pick up a guitar. He would spend many evenings whilst his parents were in bed, with the vinyl player unplugged from the speakers so he could pick up various licks from his favourite early Blues players. He would continue to have a thirst for learning, teaching himself from recordings of players from many different styles. In fact Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass also have a big influence on his playing, and you can hear this in Innes’s Jazzy altered lines and diminished substitutions in his Blues playing.
Innes Sibun ‘Sam’s Blues’ Performance
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TC Electronic
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INTERVIEWS_INNES SIBUN
Innes Sibun Interview Part 1
We moved from discussing his starting out to talk about his early career with his first band ‘The Blues Explosion’ where he spoke at length about the influence producer Mike Vernon had on him, Mike has worked with many if not most of the best British Blues bands and players in his time and it’s clear Innes holds him in the highest regard. We moved on to talk about his invitation to join Robert Plant’s band for the 1993 Fate Of Nations project, which saw him tour Europe, the USA and South America. One thing I noticed about Innes was how modest and humble he is, never really talking up his playing, always focusing on what he learns and enjoys from each experience. He spoke
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fondly about this experience, mentioning hairs standing up on the back of his neck when he was on stage with Robert for the first time and hearing Mr Plant singing songs that had influenced Innes in his early guitar playing days. From here onward, Innes has enjoyed a fantastic career, releasing solo albums, supporting many Blues legends and working with many incredible players such as Walter Trout. Which leads us to this latest album with Blues singer Sari Schorr and The Engine Room. A Force Of Nature it’s called and it features some stellar playing and singing – so do check it out!
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
Dean
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INTERVIEWS_INNES SIBUN
Innes Sibun Interview Part 2
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INTERVIEWS_INNES SIBUN
Something I found particularly inspiring was the way Innes talked about learning the guitar and constantly trying to find new ideas, whether it be from a new album he is listening to, or even from television adverts. He is always practising and playing, his love for guitar is strong and his passion comes through in his playing. Check out the live performances Innes kindly recorded for us and whatever you do, don’t miss the new album! END >
Sari Schorr - Black Betty [Official]
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COMPET YOUR CHANCES TO
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
TITIONS WIN
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COMPETITION_YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
WIN SIX FANTASTIC XVIVE FX FREE ENTRY CO Xvive is one of the hot new names in the effects business. Inside this issue, we take a look at two brand new Xvive pedals, both designs by that fabulous guitarist Thomas Blug - the Xvive Dynarock Micro Distortion and the Sweet Leo Micro Overdrive. Both these two (reviewed by Lewis Turner) earned high marks and plenty of praise from our demanding reviewer, who says: “This was my first experience of Xvive pedals and I have been hugely impressed. They look great, are well made and most importantly sound great, actually delivering what they claim. If you want something a little different on your board to the “main names” then you really should check these out. They are also exceptionally good value for money – which helps!’ But we weren’t satisfied with offering these two alone, however good, so we’ve added a bunch of others! Our winner will also receive an Xvive XW3b Memory Recall Analog Delay, XD3 Duet Looper, XV16 Undulator Tremolo and XV5 Delay.
THE RULES
Now, all you have to do is make sure you enter our absolutely free competition, Here’s how!
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1/ All entries must be received by 20th October 2016. 2/ Only one entry per person is allowed 3/ All entrants must be registered readers of are ineligible for this competition. 5/ One winner will be chosen, at random, from registered readers of Guitar Interactive who provide th respond to email notification of having won within 10 days, otherwise prizes may be forfeited and alternative winners chosen. 8/ Winners always be possible. 9/ Prizewinners must consent to having their name and city/country (e.g. ‘Andres Segovia, Madrid, Spain’) published i
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
X PEDALS IN OUR AMAZING OMPETITION!
How do you win? It’s easy! All you have to do is click to enter, simply answer the simple questions (tick A, B or C) and fill out the form! One lucky winner with the correct answers will be chosen at random and will end-up with these amazing Xvive effects pedals!
Questions Q1. As well as his own band and a thriving gear design business, Thomas Blug is renowned for his solo work exploring the style of which guitar legend?
Q 2. on the Xvive website (www. xviveaudio.com), it reveals where Xvive pedals are designed. Is it...?
A/ Tony Iommi
B/ Germany
B/ Jimi Hendrix
C/ USA
A/ China
C/ Django Rheinhardt
ENTER lucky winner with the correct answers will win all our Xvive pedals. The winner will be notified by email. Be sure to check your emails regularly and don’t use a ‘throw-away’ email address. We have had unclaimed prizes, which have been reallocated to other entrants!
f Guitar Interactive 3/ No cash alternative is offered instead of the stated prize. 4/ Employees of Guitar Interactive, Xvive Audio or JHS. Co. Ltd he correct answers. 6/ The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding this competition. 7/ Winning entrants must s may be responsible for import duty where levied. Where possible prizes will be despatched from the winner’s own country, but this will not in a future issue.
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COMPETITION_THE WINNER!
WINNER
ave D V n a e D 2 4 e su Is E IV T C A R E GUITAR INT ! lt su re e h T – r a it u g e in a st u M
To run alongside our extensive review of the astonishing Dean VNMT ‘Holy Grail’ Dave Mustaine V in GI 42, we decided to get to get together with our friends at Dean to offer a slightly more down to earth Dean Mustaine model as our competition prize, a V Dave Mustaine bolt-on guitar. As we said at the time, finished in metallic silver, the Dean V Dave Mustaine is an affordable way into the Dean Mustaine family but don’t let the ‘affordable’ bit confuse you - this is still a hell of a guitar! Equipped with a pair of humbuckers, the 24 fret V boasts a metallic silver finished basswood body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard and has all the snarl and grunt you would hope for. As you can imagine, we were swamped with entiries but as there can only be one lucky winner.... so who was it?
staine And the lucky Dean V Dave Mu , of winner is: Mr Philip Lawrence A. Kansas City, MO, US Congratulations Philip!
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
WINNER
M A C S A T 2 4 e su Is E IV T C A R E T GUITAR IN 5 -S L V M A C S A T + ’ x o b a in io Trackpack 2x2 ‘stud competition – the result! powered monitors We had two great free-entry competitions in GI 42, the second being to win a TASCAM ‘studio in a box kit’ comprising a TASCAM Trackpack 2x2 and a pair of TASCAM’s fabulous VL-S5 powered studio monitors, too! We reviewed the Trackpack 2x2 studio in a box in GI issue 38 ( you can read it HERE and were impressed by the package which comprises TASCAM’s US2x2 USB audio interface, TM-80 studio condenser microphone with shockmount, and TH-02 headphones, plus Cakewalk SONAR X3 LE and Ableton Live Lite 9 DAW software! TASCAM’s VL-S5 powered monitors came under the Making Tracks microscope in GI 35 when Andi Picker, our reviewer, was so impressed he awarded them four and a half stars! You can read our review of these monitors HERE So who was the lucky winner?
And the lucky TASCAM Trackpak 2x2 ‘studio in a box’ + VL-S5 winner is: Mr Alan Durham of Manchester in the UK. Congratulations Alan!
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iGUITAR_FEATURED DOWNLOADS!
EXCLUSIVE OFFER!
Guitar Pro Lite FREE for Guita Our downloads are now available both in standard download form, or as files for the fabulous Guitar Pro 6 software package. Registered readers of Guitar Interactive can download a FREE copy of Guitar Pro 6 Lite just by clicking on the link on this page! Guitar Pro 6 is perfect for editing TAB for guitar, bass, and other 4- to 8-string instruments. Compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems, Guitar Pro 6 Lite is a powerful editing tool and each license will give users a preferential upgrade (with a 50% discount) to the full version!
CLICK HERE!
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
ar Interactive subscribers! TABLATURE DOWNLOADS FOR LESSONS Our TAB downloads are FREE for all subscribers in both PDF and Guitar Pro 6 Format. To get your hands on this month's notation tablature, subscribe or download now! Lewis Turner - Major ii-V-I Arpeggio Licks
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Sam Bell - Extreme Shred 4
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Tom Quayle - Extended Coltrane Changes
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Andy Wood - Pedal Steel Bends
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ULTIMATE MEMBERSHI
Get Instant Streaming access to over 100 licklibrary DVDs. Watch them wherever you want, whenever you want, as many times as you want with our new Ultimate membersh Want to play faster? Master the Blues? Get to grips with Fusion? Understand theory or just blast out some killer riffs? Whatever you need, Licklibrary have it covered with the world’s finest collection of complete courses Licklibrary Ultimate membership is the most comprehensive collection of courses we’ve ever released to help you become the guitarist you’ve always wanted to be! Licklibrary Ultimate offers much more than our other subscriptions - you don’t just get the library of online lessons and hundreds of jam tracks, but you’ll also be able to stream over 100 Licklibrary DVDs instantly, on demand, all for less than the price of a single DVD each month!
And there’s more. As a Licklibrary Ultimate member be able to stream many of our new DVDs online we before the physical products are available, giving yo exclusive early access to many of our new titles If th wasn’t enough, as an Ultimate member you also ge off any physical DVDs in the Licklibrary catalogue a time you want.
With access to all the regular Elite membership ben plus access to over 100 licklibrary DVD courses, this THE Ultimate membership for serious guitarists. The Licklibrary Ultimate membership will give you every you need to become a better player than you ever believed possible. Get full details online at licklibrar
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LICK LIBRARY_GET INVOLVED!
LEARN GUITAR ONLINE! Hundreds of guitar lessons online now, FREE for members to watch, plus JamTrax, performances, and more new content added each month!
Watch our expert presenters – all top players and teachers in their own right – break down songs and techniques into digestible chunks. Individual segments are played slowly first, then brought up to speed – all you have to do is watch and copy. You’ll find you’re learning and improving faster then you ever believed possible. Learn Eddie Van Halen’s exact solo for Eruption, get Comfortably Numb off pat, nail that right to Sweet Child O’Mine – there are hundreds of lessons online and we’re adding to them all the time. Each track is broken down into small sections so you can learn even the most complex solo. Whether it’s acoustic finger-picking or full-on shredding, whether you’re a complete beginner or an accomplished player, you’ll find what you want online at www.licklibrary.com
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THE REVIEW GUITARS, A
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
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MPS AND EFFECTS
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
Ibanez RG377ODX
‘I
simply couldn’t wipe the grin off my face when I opened the hard case containing this guitar. The Ibanez RG377ODX is a newcomer to the company’s renowned RG series and sits right at the top of the pile, being a genuine Japanese-made model in the Ibanez Prestige series – which means you won’t find one in just any old guitar shop, only the ones that are Ibanez Prestige dealers. In essence, this is a return to the ground where Ibanez really made its mark as a major guitar maker, thirty years ago when it first rode the crest of the shred wave. That RG tag on a guitar meant it was a very significant instrument at the time and the company has decided to once again offer Japanese crafted versions, the result being this, which is, as far as I can make out, more or less a direct reissue. I have personally always wanted this particular RG and now I have had the chance to handle one, but enough of that - let’s get into the review! Available in Candy Apple Red or Laser Blue with shark tooth neck inlays that
STAR RATING
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Ibanez is already the master bar for the entire genre? GI’s o
complement each colour, the RG377 features the trademark Super Wizard HP five piece maple and walnut neck which is super thin with 24 jumbo frets. Notes just pop off this machine with the soaring sustain and dynamic of the HSH configuration pickups. The pickups come in a classic passive combination of DiMarzio Air Norton in the neck, DiMarzio True Velvet single coil in the middle position followed by The DiMarzio Tone Zone humbucking pickup in the bridge. These come in cool colours to complement the blue or red finish on the guitar and are connected to the body of the guitar, not the transparent pick guard that really completes the look of this guitar. These pickups are medium to high output and combined with Ibanez’s classic five way switching system allow you to conjure up a wide array of classic tones you are bound to have heard on many records. But is it a shred-only guitar as its looks might suggest? Well, while this is undoubtedly built to be a shred machine, there is nothing to stop you making full use of this guitar’s considerable tonal versatility. You can get superstrat style
PROS
Fast neck, quality hardware. • Great pickups for
CONS
The thin neck will divide opinions
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
of all things shredtastic but has this Japanese-made introduction actually raised the own shred king, Sam Bell, finds out.
funky cleans with the pickups set in position two or four, which combines one half of a bucker with the single coil in the middle, for example, and with a bit of gain you can get lovely articulate sustain and attack on our rhythm and lead playing with the bridge position pickup or a warm but present throaty tone with the neck pickup. It’s actually a lot more versatile than you might think. In fact this is a guitar of hidden depths. Delving deeper, it’s really worth noting some finer details that perhaps aren’t noticeable immediately. This guitar features a floating
r modern rock/fusion styles • Classic re-issue of rare earlier model, amazing looks!
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
I loved this guitar. It’s an unashamed metal speed machine but it has those hidden depths, too... locking whammy bar unit, based on the design Ibanez used in the ‘90s. It’s a little more ‘blocky’ looking than the modern ones but it stays right out the way of the picking hand and features a very sturdy bar which doesn’t compromise on size. If you are into whammy bar vibrato, dive bombs, harmonics this is THE best whammy bar bridge you can hope for when you set it up properly!
Another detail that I need to stress because it’s SO cool is the neck joint heel area. Ibanez has used a backplate on this which, if you are familiar with the more recent Ibanez models, isn’t used any more. The back plate is embodied with the Ibanez Prestige logo and is slightly recessed into the body so you can access the higher frets without the heel getting in the way. This gives the guitar a little bit more weight and balances it
Ibanez RG377ODX
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Laney
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nicely when sitting down with the guitar or standing up. Now onto what makes a Prestige a Prestige and sets it apart from other ranges of Ibanez guitars. They are built in Japan, each guitar is quality tested and uses the best hardware, woods and pickups. Does this make much of a difference? Yes, it really does affect how
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the guitar feels and sounds. There is more presence, low end response and mid-range detail that comes through. Notes pop off the fingerboard and sustain in a way that I feel only Ibanez RG guitars can. There’s a reason why guitar legends like Paul Gilbert, Andy Timmons and Steve Vai love this particular model so much!
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I loved this guitar. It’s an unashamed metal speed machine but it has those hidden depths, too, and is far more tonally versatile than you might expect. True, you’d feel a bit odd turning up with one of these to play in a Blues band, but you could. And if you didn’t want to do that (just to see the look on people’s faces!) using it as speed machine, you can still get more tones and more subtle sounds out of it than you can out of the average shred guitar.
Ibanez RG377ODX
£1,549 (street) US $ N/A Made in: Japan Neck type Super Wizard HP 5pc Maple/Walnut neck Body Basswood body Fretboard Bound Maple fretboard w/Sharktooth inlay Fret Jumbo frets w/Prestige fret edge treatment Bridge Edge tremolo bridge Neck pickup DiMarzio Air Norton (H) neck pickup (Passive/ Alnico) Middle pickup DiMarzio True Velvet (S) mid pickup (Passive/
This RG’s unique looks and the playability are unparalleled in my opinion. The build quality is fantastic, Ibanez Japan really prides itself on making these Prestige guitars fantastic and it shows. This one gets four and a half stars without any trouble. For a guitar that sells for over £1,500? Yes, of course! It’s a match for boutique guitars costing a great deal more. Sadly, readers in the USA apparently can’t get these yet. Time to start lobbying Ibanez USA because you are really missing out! END >
Alnico) Bridge pickup DiMarzio The Tone Zone (H) bridge pickup (Passive/Alnico) Factory tuning 1E, 2B, 3G, 4D, 5A, 6E String gauge .009/.011/.016/.024/.032/.042 Hardware color Cosmo black Case/bag Hardshell case included Neck Dimensions Scale: 648mm/25.5” A: Width 43mm at NUT B: Width 58mm at 24F C: Thickness 17mm at 1F D: Thickness 19mm at 12F Radius: 430mmR
TECH SPEC
Vigier
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
Patrick James Eggle ’96 Drop Top
Recent years have seen ma Now he’s switched his focus
‘T
he 96 Drop Top is Patrick James Eggle’s stunning take on the classic superstrat guitar design that has been popular for over three decades now. Hand built and boutique in every sense, the 96 Drop Top is part of Patrick’s small and exclusive range of guitars that are produced in low numbers each year from his workshop in Oswestry in the UK. Producing in such small quantities allows Patrick to produce the highest attention to detail
Patrick James Eggle ’96 Drop Top
STAR RATING
PROS
Amazing workmanship and construction • Lov hardware • Superb tonal palette • Great playability • Include
CONS 56
You might have to save for one
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aster guitar builder Patrick James Eggle employing his considerable skills on acoustics. s back to solid electrics. Tom Quayle test drives the Aston Martin of superstrats.
and offer supreme quality throughout his range and this is immediately obvious when looking at our 96 Drop Top review model, complete with its luxurious white and black hard case, featuring a stitched Patrick James Eggle logo inside. All Drop Top 96’s are constructed from a lightweight and highly resonant piece of swamp ash, our review model being topped with a gorgeous piece of highly figured myrtlewood and a micro thin finish to maximise that resonance. The neck is constructed from roasted maple with a santos rosewood fretboard. By roasting the maple, excess moisture is effectively removed from the wood, producing a more stable neck that will be more resistant to climate changes and gives the wood a lovely dark brown colour that matches beautifully with the dark stained swamp ash. The roasted maple itself has lovely elements of flame running throughout, that complements the figured myrtlewood top nicely with quilt/flame maple, walnut and curly koa also available as options if desired.
vely design with highest quality woods • Roasted maple neck is very stable • High quality ed deluxe hardcase
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A wide range of clean tones are on offer from sparkly, Strat-like sounds to surprisingly thick Jazz tones from the Mojo single coils. Patrick has successfully come up with a design that features no corners or points at all with rounded curves that look distinctly modern whilst still harking back to classic guitars of yesteryears. All in all, this is a lovely looking instrument that will certainly instigate the dreaded G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) within many a guitarist! The stunning wood combinations are matched with high end hardware thanks to locking Gotoh SG 381 Magnum Lock tuners, a Gotoh floating bridge with KTS Titanium saddles and a hand milled brass block, plus three hand-wired Mojo pickups in a humbucker, single coil, single coil configuration. This is all paired to a fiveway switch with a volume and tone control that doubles as a push/pull coil tap for the humbucker, resulting in a very versatile tonal palette indeed. Everything about the 96 Drop Top exudes quality and comfort with superb attention to detail throughout. From the contoured cutaways on the back to the slick, Soft ‘V’ profile neck and the 22 large frets, contoured top and beautifully balanced body to neck ratio, this Patrick James Eggle guitar is made
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to impress. A 12” radius and 25.5” scale length ensures fast and even playability across the neck that is great for chordal and lead work and incredibly quick too, thanks to the micro thin, satin finish. Fretwork and detail finishing are of the highest order with small, mother of pearl dot inlays and a Patrick James Eggle signature on the headstock plus reassuring features such as incredibly straight string travel across the headstock and an excellent factory set-up out of the case. Played unplugged, the 96 Drop top has a very lively and resonant sound with impressive sustain thanks to the brass block in the bridge and those KTS Titanium saddles. The tone is bright but not overly so, rather exhibiting as high end detail that really rewards different pick attacks and especially playing with the fingers. The handwired Mojo pickups translate this tone beautifully with all of that high end detail intact and just enough output to satisfy players looking for more gain without ever getting sterile or muddy. A wide range of clean tones are on offer from sparkly, Strat-like sounds to surprisingly thick Jazz tones from the Mojo single coils. The bridge humbucker pushes things a little
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Fishman
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further and gives lovely, edge-of-crunch tones from a good tube amp’s clean channel, or full crunch territory when hit hard. Drive tones are full of authority and bite and can go right into saturated gain for singing lead tones that retain the clarity required for modern soloing. Splitting the bridge humbucker results in some very convincing single coil tones for a great array of modern and vintage tonal combinations from the five-way switch. Having Patrick James Eggle producing this level of electric guitar again is a glorious thing and the ‘96 Drop Top is a wonderful example of his current work. As with all boutique instruments this is a guitar only for those that can afford it, but for that select few the 96 Drop Top represents the upper echelons of guitar construction for the modern guitar player, without ever feeling
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like an overblown show piece. This is definitely an example of function and form coming together to produce a stunning, professional instrument that is every bit as good as any of the boutique competition out there. Small production means that these guitars are very consistent, so if you can afford it they come very highly recommended indeed. And for any reader who is wondering how we can give four and a half stars to a guitar in this price range, all we can say is try one – then you’ll know why! Our grateful thanks to Sound Affects Premier for the loan of this review guitar www.soundaffectspremier.com END >
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TECH SPEC
Patrick James Eggle 96 Drop Top
String Spacing : 54mm
MSRP £1,999 US $4,000
Back : Swamp ash
Contact UK: www.eggle.co.uk
Neck : Roasted Maple 2A grade
USA: www.boxcarguitars.com
Fretboard: Santos Rosewood
Handmade in UK
Fretboard radius12”
Model : Ninety Six Drop Top
TunersGotoh lockingSG 381
Scale Length : 25.4”
Pickups – neck Single coil MojoPickup – middle Single coil MojoPickup bridge Humbucker Mojo
Radius : 12” Fret Wire : Sintoms 230140
Neck Profile : Soft “V” Top : Myrtlewood
Nut Width : 42.5mm
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
Godin Core CT
Looking for a chambered bodied single cut Lewis Turner has found the very thing...
‘M
any of you will be familiar with the range of Godin acoustic and electroacoustic guitars that are becoming increasingly popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Even when they’re not actually sold as Godins (think Seagull or Simon and Patrick) they are from the same family and players around the world are starting to wake up to the sometimes stunning value they represent as top quality North American produced
Godin Core CT
STAR RATING
62
PROS
Great variety of tones • Effortless playability • S
CONS
Not worth mentioning...
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with a difference? Insist on the highest possible quality but at a sensible price?
guitars that ordinary players can actually afford. Godin’s electrics may be slightly lagging behind Seagull in recognition but some of the samples we at GI have seen in the past couple of years suggest that this situation isn’t going to last. This new chambered single cutaway Core GT is a good example of why. This guitar looks cool - familiar yet unique. The body shape is a classic with interesting alterations, such as a deeper scooped-out lower horn and set neck making upper fret access nice and easy. The high gloss sunburst finish, with neat binding and scratchplate coupled with the natural headstock give it a classic look overall. The finish and attention to detail throughout on our sample model was excellent, as we have come to expect from this maker. Constructed with a chambered Spanish cedar body with a maple carved top, mahogany set-neck and rosewood fingerboard the Godin Core has a solid tone platform, a natural voice, with great tone consistency throughout. With fantastic natural resonance and sustain when unplugged, helped by the chambered body and lightness of the wood, the guitar also felt very well balanced. Godin’s own tuners and a Graphtec Reso Max Wraparound bridge system provide fantastic tuning stability. This is a short scale guitar (a la Gibson at 24 3/4”) with a comfy profile neck. The action was set perfectly and there were no intonation, or fret buzz issues anywhere.
Solid tuning stability • Great looks
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As such, it’s fabulous value for money... The Core’s pickups are an interesting combination. There’s a Godin GHN1 in the neck, and a Seymour Duncan ‘59 in the bridge, controlled by a three way selector switch, with two volume and two tone controls. I was impressed with Godin’s own pickup which was warm with plenty of bass response making it ideal for Jazz style tones and scooped Rock leads. The ‘59, meanwhile, is a classic choice for the bridge and as always does exactly what it should, being bright, cutting and super clear ideal for Rock riffing. If a ‘59 seems a bit too predictable (and I think I would like to have seen something a little more unique in this guitar) there is an option of a Seymour Duncan Custom SP90-3 if you wish to go down that route.
The Godin Core CT was a pleasure to play and has the potential to be used in a variety of situations making it an ideal allrounder. It was light, well balanced with a classic control configuration that many will find familiar. Fit and finish were top notch throughout as was the playability and set-up, it really is hard to fault. Especially noteworthy is the price. This is a properly made guitar suitable for professional use, made from top quality materials by people who really know about wood and guitars. As such, it’s fabulous value for money costing way less than an equivalent from one of the obvious rival ‘’big name’ makers. If you haven’t played a Godin guitar before this may well be a very good place to start, go check one out! END >
Godin Core CT MSRP £799 (inc bag) US $1,095.50
TECH SPEC
Made in: Canada High-Gloss Maple Carved Top. Chambered Spanish Cedar body. Mahogany set-neck. Rosewood fingerboard. Large dot fingerboard inlays. Graphtech ResoMax Wraparound bridge system. 2x Custom Humbuckers or P90 pickups (see pickup options)
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3-way Toggle Switch, 2x Volume, 2x Tone. 12” (300 mm) fingerboard radius. 24 3/4” (629 mm) Scale. 1 11/16” (43 mm) nut width. Colors: Black GT & Sunburst GT (GT = Gloss Top). Pickup options: 2x Custom Humbuckers (Neck: Godin GHN1 / Bridge: Seymour Duncan‘59) or 2x Seymour Duncan P90 (Neck: Vintage SP90-1 / Bridge: Custom SP90-3).
TC Electronic
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
Reverend Billy Corgan Signature Guitar
‘R
Reverend makes a s Was Tom Quayle im
everend Guitars was set up in the late 1990’s in a garage behind a bicycle shop in East Detroit by Joe Naylor. Joe made his trade initially as a vintage guitar repairer, studying Industrial Design and Lutherie, before deciding to build his first, unique Reverend guitar in 1997. The company now has a global customer base and manufactures guitars in South Korea at an affordable price for quality instruments
Reverend Billy Corgan Signature Guitar
STAR RATING
PROS
Excellent design with the best of modern and r tonal range • Light weight korina body • Bass contour is a us
CONS 66
Would have been even better to see an include
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smashing return to GI’s pages with its Billy Corgan Signature. mpressed? You bet he was!
that have garnered the attention of some big names such as Reeves Gabrels, Pete Anderson and Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame. Billy Corgan is an exceptional guitar player and has teamed up with Reverend to produce his signature model, a guitar some very unique features designed to suit the needs of Billy’s equally unique music. Reverend guitars have a distinctive, retro inspired look and the Billy Corgan signature is no exception with its asymmetrical, chambered korina body that looks like a 1960’s sci-fi vision of a futuristic guitar. The central part of the body is raised compared to the thinner ‘wings’ in order to reduce weight, further aided by the strategic chambering under the pickguards to add resonance to the already inherently resonant korina. The guitar features a maple neck and fingerboard with an ultra- smooth satin finish that wouldn’t be out of place on a guitar costing three times as much and the guitar is set up with a string through design to enhance sustain. The retro/modern sci-fi look is further enhanced with all chrome hardware and a segmented aluminium pickguard on the upper and lower wings that looks fantastic on all four of the available finishes, especially our Satin Pearl White review model.
retro elements • Incredible neck that is smooth as silk • Great hardware and pickups • Versatile seful addition • Superb value for money
ed case, but not too much of a problem at this price
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Reverend has created an instrument worthy of Billy Corgan’s reputation and musical brilliance with this signature guitar. The hardware on offer is high spec with locking tuners, graphite nut, a string-thru bridge with stainless steel saddles and custom ‘Railhammer’ Billy Corgan pickups, developed by Railhammer and Billy to give P90 clarity and attack but with the low end grunt and noise floor of a humbucker. The design is topped off by a unique take on the classic ‘6-in-line’ headstock and a trio of low profile, chrome controls including a bass contour knob for greater shaping of the low end and the usual volume and tone controls plus a three-way pickup selector switch for a multitude of tonal options. Having never tried a Reverend before it’s immediately striking just how good the build quality and attention to detail are on this signature model. Every element of the design feels incredibly solid and well put together with a feeling similar to that of many boutique, custom guitars that cost significantly more money. The neck in particular is exceptional, with its supremely comfortable oval profile, excellent fretwork and silky finish that is perfect for long gigs
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or studio sessions and for both technical and more reserved playing styles. The body shape is just as comfortable as the excellent neck with a much appreciated belly contour on the back and a subtle carving leading into the bolt on, six screw neck joint for very good access all the way up to the 22nd fret. By no means is this a cheap guitar of course, so you’d expect quality, but it is pretty surprising that Reverend has managed to squeeze such a high quality feel out of the Billy Corgan guitar given the very reasonable asking price. Thanks to that chambered korina body, the Reverend exhibits impressive sustain, resonance and acoustic volume that bodes well for its amplified tone. The whole guitar vibrates with every note, feeling alive and reactive in a way that Korina is particularly renowned for, thanks primarily to its light weight. Plugged in, the guitar is equally impressive due to the excellent pickups that genuinely seem to offer the clarity and bite of a P90 but with a very low amount of noise and a very respectable amount of
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MUSICMANa
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low end thump. All three positions are very detailed and translate pick attack accurately, making this a very expressive guitar that rewards dynamic playing with pick or fingers. P90s are superb for both clean and drive sounds and these Railhammers are no exception, featuring a very versatile sound palette, expanded further by that enhanced low end response, making power chords and chugging sessions more akin to a classic Rock PAF tone but with more ‘air’. The Bass Contour control allows you to tame this low end if desired, giving you a thinner, more traditional P90 tone in the middle setting or acting almost like a high-pass filter at the highest setting. Reverend has created an instrument worthy of Billy Corgan’s reputation and musical
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brilliance with this signature guitar. A superb modern/retro combination design, excellent workmanship, hardware and that stunning neck combine to make a guitar that is amazing value for money whether you are a Corgan fan or not. The only small downside is that there is no included case, but one can be purchased as an extra. By not plastering his signature all over the design the company has cleverly kept the appeal as wide as possible and if you’ve never checked out this brand, now might well be the time to correct that. Highly recommended! END > Our grateful thanks to Glasgow’s Merchant City Music (guitar.co.uk) for the loan of this review sample: www.guitar.co.uk
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Reverend Billy Corgan Signature Guitar MSRP £849 US $1439 Made in: S. Korea/USA
TECH SPEC
BODY korina solidbody.
contour, 3-way. BRIDGE flatmount, string-thrubody. FRETS 22 medium jumbo. STRINGS 10-46. NECK maple, satin amber finish.
NECK PROFILE medium oval.
TRUSS ROD dual action, headstock access.
NUT 1-11/16” (43mm) width, graphite.
CASE two-toned teardrop (Available Separately).
PICKUPS Railhammer Billy Corgan Signature.
SCALE 25-1/2”.
FINGERBOARD maple, 12” radius.
TUNERS Reverend pin-lock
CONTROLS volume, tone, bass
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
Epiphone Casino Semi-Acoustic
Epiphone’s Casino is possibly the c mortals than John Lennon, George long while since Epiphones were m gone bust or is it still worth a punt?
‘E
piphone is one of America’s oldest instrument brands, technically having been around since 1873, but in practice having made a name for itself in the USA in the early years of the 20th Century. Epiphone has made instruments for every style of popular music but its golden era was when it was king of the Jazz guitar back before WWII. I think it’s fair to say that they are now known as the cheaper version of Gibson guitars, having been acquired by Brand G back in the late 1950s. For a while Epiphones were made
Epiphone Casino Semi-Acoustic
STAR RATING
72
PROS
Good tones • Easy playability • Great Looks
CONS
Watch out for feedback • A little unbalanced at
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company’s most recognisable model. Launched in 1961 it has been used by no lesser e Harrison, Keith Richards and, more recently, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. But it’s a made in the USA and today they are very much Gibson’s sub-brand. So, has the Casino Lewis Turner puts everything on (cherry) red.
side by side with Gibsons in Kalamazoo but these days they are made in China and are incredibly cheap compared with their USproduced Gibson equivalents. In this review we’re checking out the Casino semi-automatic electric. It’s one of Epiphone’s enduring models and was used extensively in the latter part of the Beatles’ recording years - listen to the Revolver album or anything after that and you will hear the Casino. Since then it has kept reappearing so certainly deserves that overused word ‘classic’. As always, be sure to check out the video to hear and see this guitar for yourself. To start at the beginning, the Casino is certainly a cool looking guitar. Our sample, which we were kindly loaned by the retailer DV247, was finished in a lovely deep cherry. That finish plus the trapeze tailpiece and two F holes give it that real retro look. Fit and finish throughout was excellent and it will certainly turn heads. The body and top are both made from laminated maple and that coupled with the fact it’s arguably not really a semi-acoustic at all, having no centre block (unlike, say, the Gibson 335 which it vaguely resembles) makes it very light in weight. The weight factor is not only good for saving your shoulders and back, it’s also great for resonance and increased sustain. Even unplugged the guitar resonates well, you can feel every note that is played, which is great. The traditional style headstock is quite a large affair making it slightly top heavy but the tuners were good and stable.
t the headstock end • Tailpiece is a little flimsy
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REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW The set neck is mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard, 24.75” scale with 22 frets. I found the fretboard and shape of the neck very comfortable to play as was the action and spacing between frets, there were no buzzing or tuning issues anywhere on the guitar, and thanks to the set neck, upper fret access was fairly easy. The two Alnico P90 pickups are part of the Casino look and sound. I’ve always thought they were quite good, and the ones on this guitar were no exception, offering warm mellow sounds in the neck position, with bright jangly tones from the bridge. A three way selector switch makes things nice, simple and obvious when coupled with the standard two volume, two tone control configuration. You really can tailor a variety of sounds from this guitar not just the bell like cleans but also biting crunch, and quacky out of phase. That said, it’s never going to be a full-on Rock guitar, not least because of the feedback problem, exacerbated by the fact that it is completely hollow inside. With modern monitoring, this is less of a problem than it
once was but it is still going to be an issue. If I had any reservations about the Casino it would be that it felt a little flimsy to me. The trapeze tailpiece looks cool and goes with the whole vintage styling, but I’m not sure how sturdy it will be long term. I’ve played a fair few Epiphone guitars over the years and have always quite liked them. They don’t have the credibility they might once have had, but for the price and in terms of the sound quality and playability (very good on our sample) you really can’t argue. This could make the Casino a useful second guitar for a serious user or a good guitar for a player working his way up towards more expensive professional instruments. That said, it isn’t as stunningly cheap as some of the Epiphones you see on the market (the bargain basement Les Pauls, for example), so it would be sensible to try one alongside the competition to judge for yourself. END > Our grateful thanks to DV247 for the loan of this guitar www.dv247.com
Epiphone Casino TECH SPEC
MSRP £459 US $999 Made in: China Pickups: 2 Alnico P90’s Hardware: Chrome Scale: 24.75 inch
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Nut Width: 1.68 inch Neck: Mahogany, set Fretboard: Rosewood Fretboard Inlay: Parallelogram Binding: B/N Body Material: Laminated Maple Top: Laminated Maple Tailpiece: Trapeze
PEAVEY
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REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW
Magnatone Panoramic Stereo Amplifier
Magnatone’s reinca cynically revived’ t recreate a great nam Jeff Beck, Magnaton
‘M
agnatone began life as an amplifier company back in the 1930s and became renowned for amps with incredible tone, a patented pitch shifting vibrato circuit (as opposed to the more common tremolo circuit as found on Fender amplifiers) and a stunning art deco design aesthetic that even won the company awards from the Los Angeles Museum of Art! Despite some successes in the 1950s and use by artists such as Buddy
Magnatone Panoramic Stereo Amplifier
STAR RATING
PROS
Lovely, art deco design • Incredible tones and s vibrato and reverb effects built in
CONS 76
Heavy • Price will just be too much for some (b
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arnation exploded onto the amplifier scene. What could have been ‘just another old name turns out to have been a major project not to trade on a half-forgotten memory but to lovingly me – and then enhance it. Already being used by the likes of Neil Young, Billy Gibbons and ne is out to shake up the amp market. Tom Quayle wasn’t just shaken, he was stirred, too.
stereo operation • High end construction and feel • Loud enough to gig • Compact size • Gorgeous
but it’s more than worth every penny)
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This is an exceptional amplifier with some of the best clean, edge of breakup and crunchy tones you will ever hear Holly, the brand ceased production in 1969 and remained dormant until Ted Kornblum decided to revive it. Ted who? Ted Kornblum is a major player in the US music industry. His father started St Louis Music and his father founded not just Crate amps but also Alvarez guitars. The story goes that Ted found Magnatone in old catalogues and decided to investigate and then revive the company for the 21st century. Reintroduced in 2013, the Magnatone range has grown rapidly and is now quite complex. You could spend a lot of time just drooling over the company’s website! One of its latest models is the diminutive ‘Panoramic Stereo’ combo, a more compact alternative to the company’s ‘Twilighter Stereo’ amplifier, offering true stereo operation and Magnatone’s real Pitch Shifting Vibrato circuit from a pair of 12 Watt, all tube power amps and two custom 10” speakers, all housed in the classic Magnatone Art Deco brown and gold cabinet design. The Panoramic Stereo is powered by a pair of
78
12AX7 (Ecc83’s) for the pre-amp with a single 12AU7 for the full length Accutronics spring reverb plus a quartet of EL84s in the power stage for a total of 24 Watts from the two power amps running in stereo. The amp is compact in size at 20” x 22.5” x 10” but with a reassuringly hefty weight and incredibly solid build quality. The control layout is very user friendly with simple Volume, Treble, Bass and Reverb controls for tonal shaping plus the Stereo Pitch Shifting Vibrato section with Intensity and Speed controls and a switch for changing from FM Vibrato mode to AM Tremolo operation as required. There are two inputs for true stereo operation from the front end, matched with a pair of extension speaker outputs and a pair of line outs for recording, both labelled as left and right for easy cabling. Finally, you get a bomb proof footswitch that controls both the reverb and vibrato operation that feels every bit as luxurious as the amp itself.
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The overall design is stunning and immediately recognisable as Magnatone with a large logo emblazoned on the front, brown Tolex and an angled speaker grill with gold ‘V’ shapes in the bottom corner to enhance that Art Deco, vintage vibe. This aesthetic is mirrored on the control panel, situated around the back of the amp and angled upwards for easier operation with its vintage styled knobs and monochrome palette. Everything feels superbly well put together with fluid controls and a satisfyingly solid click from the standby and power switch that can only be likened to feel of shutting a high quality executive car door the Magnatone exuding a similar feeling of luxury throughout.
This luxurious feel extends effortlessly into the Panoramic Stereo’s sound and it’s very easy to see why luminaries such as Jeff Beck, David Gilmore and Billy Gibbons have been charmed by the tonal delights of these amplifiers. With the volume set conservatively (this is a very loud amplifier) the clean tone is one of the best I have ever heard and played through with a dynamic response and feel that puts most other amps to shame. It’s just so much fun and incredibly rewarding to play, eating up all manner of pedals for breakfast and giving you a tone that makes you feel like you are part of the Rock and Roll royalty that have used these amps throughout the years.
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REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW Running a stereo delay or chorus into the front is an almost religious experience but, if this isn’t an option for you, simply switching on the stereo vibrato effect gives you a tonal width that is hard to believe from such a small combo amplifier. The spring reverb has a huge amount of effect on offer and required subtle settings to not drown the original signal, but it’s a lovely, thick sound and every bit as good as the amplifier deserves. Pushing the volume control as far as we could stand in the room offers up crunch tones that have an impressive amount of bottom end thanks to the semi- closed back design. You can hear the power tubes saturate and bring in a huge amount of warmth to your sound that will easily compete with even a loud a drummer.
TECH SPEC
This is an exceptional amplifier with some of the best clean, edge of breakup and crunchy tones you will ever hear, although it’s worth
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bearing in mind that there is no master volume, so crunchy tones are only available at maximum volume settings and there is no effects loop. Having said that, this is pure tonal bliss from start to finish and who needs effects loops and master volume controls when the sound is this good in the first place?! Naturally tone this good costs a decent chunk of money and the Panoramic Stereo is an amplifier that could be described as existing in the aspirational category with a price tag that matches the quality of both tone and construction on offer. For me though, the amp is worth every penny and might just be one of, if not the best stereo amp on the market in this compact combo format. Amazing stuff! END > Our grateful thanks to Coda Music for the loan of this review product www.codamusic.co.uk
Magnatone Panoramic Stereo Amplifier
reverb: Tube Driven 4 Counterwound Springs Long Pan
MSRP £1,999 US $2,339 (approx)
speaker: (2) Magnatone Custom 10” Ceramic Magnet
Made in: USA
dimensions: 20” x 22.5” x 10”
tube complement: (3) 12AX7, 12AU7, (4) EL84
weight: 36 lbs.
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
vibrato: True Pitch Shifting Varistor Stereo Vibrato Switchable to Conventional Tremolo
Tech 21
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REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW
VOX AV30
AV30? Doesn’t Vox mean the AC30? Apparently not, as
‘S
mall portable combo amps are enjoying a huge revival at the moment thanks to the massive improvements in both amp and PA technology we have seen in the past decade or so. With modern PA systems you no longer need huge backline rigs and with modern combos the range of sounds you can get is extraordinarily wide. Most valve amps start to find their sweet spot and “that” tone once they are pushed and turned up, which is often too loud for comfortable use these days, which is where the lower output valve amp comes into its own. Many players now gig with a far smaller combo than they used to and augment it with a selection of pedals. This is an area Vox understands well. Like Fender, it never did manage to crack the giant stack market when it appeared in the 1960s and has always excelled instead at smaller, tasty, combos. Which brings us to the brand new Vox AV30 - a 30 Watt combo and part of the new AV series that offers 15, 30 and 60 Watt models. It’s important to stress that this little combo is a fully featured analogue amp - it is a far cry from the solid state and software
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modelling offerings we have seen and on that basis, Vox is claiming it is something very different. The AV30’s unique multi-circuit analogue pre-amp utilizes a 12AX7 tube to provide clean, crunch, overdrive and high gain tones that can then be further tailored using the Bright and Fat switches. There is also a power amp section where another 12AX7 is hidden to further enhance the tones. There are eight different tone settings, Clean 1, Clean 2, Crunch 1, Crunch 2, Overdrive 1, Overdrive 2, High gain 1 and High gain 2, complete with a three band EQ, gain and volume control. This is a two channel amp (A and B) both channels offering exactly the same tone options, EQ and individual volume, so you could set one channel as your lead and one as rhythm. It can be switched via a footswitch but you have to buy this separately.... Hmm, that old chestnut. Rounding off the features there are three analogue voiced digital controls Chorus (mod), Delay and Reverb.
PROS
Great sounding clean and crunch • Simple to use
CONS
High gain sounds are not great • Foot switch not in
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
s Lewis Turner finds out when he comes face to face with a new modelling idea.
e • Quality speaker and housing • Well made
ncluded
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Although I say this is a plug in and play amp, there are onboard features to work with Vox has gone to quite a bit of effort with the housing of the Vox original 10” 4 Ohms speaker. The speaker is installed from the front so that sound will emanate from a projecting position, creating a wider sound field, Vox says, and a sound post is used to unify the vibrations of the rear. The speaker is mounted asymmetrically and directly onto
the cabinet frame. This sounds impressive in theory, but does it make for a great sounding amp? We’ll find out. First up let me say that I think this is one of the best looking and finished combos on the market, with a fantastic smart grill and easy layout of controls. It’s light, too.
VOX AV30
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EVENTIDE
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REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW
Going through the different tone settings, the AV30 delivers all those classic sounds that I hoped it would. The cleans were clear and bell like, the Crunch nice and bluesy, with the Overdrive taking it into Brian May territory. I have to say that the high gain setting however were a little disappointing. Frankly, it was a bit too fizzy and thin and despite playing around with various EQ settings, I couldn’t find a way around that and this is not the sound that a hard-core metal head will be wanting. Then again Vox has never really been about that, so I’m not
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sure why the designer even attempted to go down that route (probably told to by the marketing department - Ed). What this means is that if you wanted to use this amp for high gain stuff then you are going to need to put your favourite distortion pedal in front of it. That isn’t actually a problem because the AV30 has such a great speaker and resonance that I have no doubt it will excel with a few external pedals, as the basic tones are so good. The on board effects are very good and easy to use, by the way.
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
Hands up that I’m a bit of a sucker for a great valve amp, and even more so for the small crunchy ones, and that’s what this little amp does well. Fantastic clean and crunch tones, coupled with good onboard effects and a quality speaker. The only thing that lets it down is the high gain sound. Other than that the AV30 is a great looking and sounding combo, perfect as a practice amp or a portable gigging tool. Horses for course and if this sounds like your thing, then check it out – unless you are into head banging, it’s definitely worth checking out. END >
Vox AV30 MSRP £334.80 US $439
Power Supply: Local Voltage
Made in: China
Power Consumption: 27W
Pre Amp Circuit CLEAN1, CLEAN2, CRUNCH1, CRUNCH2, OD1, OD2, H.GAIN1, H.GAIN2
Dimensions (W x D x H): 513 × 247 × 474 mm / 20.20” x 9.72” x 18.66” Weight: 12 kg / 26.46 lbs.
Tubes: 12AX7 x 2
TECH SPEC
Effects: Three (MOD, DELAY, REVERB) Input/output Jacks: INPUT, FOOT SW, AUX IN, PHONES, FX LOOP, EXTERNAL SPEAKER
Included Items: AC cable Accessories (Sold Separately): Foot switch (VOX VFS2/ VFS5)
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Power Amp Output: Maximum approx. 30W RMS @4 ohms Speaker: VOX original 10” 4 ohms
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REVIEWS_HEAD REVIEW
Peavey Piranha 6505 (mini head).
‘I
n the world of travelling Metal and hard Rock bands, going across the border, or just out on the road with equipment is difficult, unless you want to either surrender to the venue’s gear - which isn’t always in the best condition, or makes you sacrifice that awesome crushing Metal tone you have dialled in at rehearsal! Over the last couple of years there has been a huge surge of easily transportable mini amps, ranging from pure pre-amp units with emulated outputs, all the way through to full valve/tube heads. The idea of having a punchy valve based tone has always been appealing to guitarists but despite the attractiveness of ultra portability, often when something is miniaturised, some aspect of the tone or feel seems to disappear. Peavey has decades of experience with tone, though, and scored a real hit with its 6505 MH mini. Now it has decided to put one of those in the washer to see if it could get it even smaller. Let’s see how it turned out. Hint: check the video first! There’s no getting away from the fact that this mini Metal machine packs one hell of
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So who gets to review Pe to find out whether that
a bite for such a small amp head! Despite measuring a mere eight and a half inches wide, the Piranha still manages to deliver 20 Watts of RMS power, from a solid state power stage, driven by a tube at the front and. Twenty Watts makes it fantastic for ‘bedroom’ practice but also loud enough to pack a punch in the studio. As soon as I plugged myself into this mini beast a huge grin crossed my face, - this unit really does have the same soaring, sustaining, full Metal tone of a 6505 head, except this one is tiny! The Piranha features three control knobs which control gain, EQ and master volume, you can flick between ‘crunch’ and ‘lead’ much like you can on the full versions of the 6505. There’s a bright switch along with a scoop control that helps to add more detail with the limited controls on the front of the amp. The amp’s tone comes from the 12AX7 pre-amp tube and the resulting beef is delivered by a single 16 Ohm output. This amp even features an aux input if you wish to insert a mini jack from an mp3 player/ laptop for backing tracks, which is a handy extra. It’s a limited set of controls but how
PROS
Mini head • Monster tone! • Very light and solid
CONS
20 Watts for Metal will make it hard to gig/rehe
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
eavey’s hot new pint-sized powerpack? Why, Sam Bell, of course, - whose mission is t magic 6505 tone was shrunk in the wash.
much can you possibly cram into such a small space? Peavey has reached a sensible compromise. When filming our reviews at Guitar Interactive we get our sound from a 4x12 with V30s in a soundproof room miked up with an SM57. This cab and mic combo is pretty much the universal standard but, soundproofed or not, from the outside of the insulated room I could hear the sheer volume
rumbling through the wall. The Piranha might be rated at only 20 Watts but it packs a hell of a punch. Having said that, if you are rehearsing Metal with another loud guitarist and a punchy drummer it might only just about cut through the mix without being miked up. So rehearsals are a ‘maybe’ and miking-up would be essential for a gig. Or you could always fire your drummer – your choice!
d build • Carry case included
earse with Limited EQ and Channel options
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REVIEWS_HEAD REVIEW
If you are after that definitive Metal tone in a tiny package, this has to be your starting point... So how does it sound? Well I think I have already mentioned it has the same aggressive Metal tone its older brother has except it’s small. For those who aren’t familiar with the 6505 sound, it can be found on countless Metal recordings. The bottom end of the amp has a super tight response, creating much more definition for down tuned Metal
styles. This amp has bags of gain for super pinch harmonics, legato runs and teeth grinding, palm muted chugs. The Piranha may be small and have only a solid state power amp but it’s not sacrificing any of the pure grind that the full versions of the 6505 have.
Peavey Piranha 6505 (mini head).
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Ibanez
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So are there any downsides? Well, it is important to note that the 6505 series isn’t designed for a clean tone. This is a hard Rock/Metal specialist amp, so forget it for use with your tasteful Folk duo, or smooth Jazz quintet. On the other hand, if you are after that definitive Metal tone in a tiny
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package, this has to be your starting point. Metal guitarists are going to love this amp and providing you don’t expect to play stadiums with it (well, not unless it is mikedup at least) then it is a fantastic addition to Peavey’s line-up! END >
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
Peavey Piranha head
Headphone jack
MSRP £185 US $199.9
Padded Carry Bag included
Made in: China 20W (RMS) into 4 Ohms 12AX7/ECC83 Preamp Tube
TECH SPEC
Single Knob EQ to morph through popular 6505 settings
Bulletproof Metal Enclosure
Weight Packed: 3.31 lb(1.5 kg) Width Packed: 8.5”(21.59 cm) Height Packed: 10”(25.4 cm) Depth Packed: 7.5”(19.05 cm)
Crunch/Lead switch Buffered Effects Loop
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Auxiliary Input Speaker Output
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
LunaStone FX Three Stage Roc Wise Guy & Big Fella
‘W
e’re spoilt for choice nowadays when it comes to overdrive pedals. There are all manner of pedal brands and makers out there vying for your attention and many of them are offering great products. Which you end up buying is often a matter of what you can get to try and afford and is always going to be down to personal taste in the end. Despite this massively oversubscribed market, new makers are appearing all the time and you have to wonder how many of them can survive. As you can imagine, we at GI are forever being approached by new brands hoping for reviews and we see so many new pedals that it takes a lot to really impress us. That said, it does sometimes happen – and in the case of three pedals recently sent to us by the Danish company LunaStone, the best phrase I can find is – and how! Steen Grontved is the founder of LunaStone, apparently an experienced guitarist and electronics engineer who was never happy with the pedals available to him. He wanted transparency, sustain and the true character of an amp and guitar to come through
STAR RATING See Text 94
when using a high gain overdrive pedal. So he set about analysing every component that’s needed to make a good overdrive. He discovered how each JFET, MOSFET, opamp and diode coloured the tone of a pedal, and how the vast majority of pedals we are offered are based on ‘diode clipping’. Steen decided that diode clipping is not the best way to build an overdrive pedal and came up with a design he called ‘TrueOverDrive’. This design has no clipping diodes and is instead based on the pedal having cascading gain stages from the input to output, which in turn gives a sound and feel including all the dynamics and nuances you’d expect to get from a great hi gain tube amp, except in a pedal. Does it work? Well, to me these three LunaStone pedals do have a lovely organic transparency to them and a body and depth of sound that is definitely noticeable, so it looks like Steen is on to something. The three pedals on offer from LunaStone are the Wise Guy, the Big Fella and the Three Stage Rocket. All are true bypass and
PROS
Very well made • Responsive despite the lack o
CONS
None at all
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
cket,
LunaStone? Not another effects pedal brand!? Michael Casswell walked into the GI studio with a box of three new pedals. He emerged with the biggest smile on his face that we’ve seen this year.
give enough of a variation in character between themselves to give a choice to suit the buyer’s style of playing and current guitar and amp set-up. They take either the usual 9 Volt battery or standard power supply.
LunaStone The Wise Guy. Out of the three LunaStone pedals, this is most mid EQ focused. What this means is that if you are more of a Blues style purist who plays an old Strat, then this might well be the one you should try first. LunaStone describes the Wise Guy as more vintage sounding, but saying it’s vintage sounding doesn’t really do justice to what this pedal can do. It will deliver amazing tone and response no matter what style you play and what guitar or amp you use. It’s a little tighter on the low end than the other two, with more of a midrange hump, but with bags of gain on tap on the Overdrive 1 setting. This thing screams in a real musical dynamic way, and no matter how you set it, it is extremely controllable from your guitar volume pot. Overdrive 2 gives you a little
of tubes • Fabulous sound
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
LunaStone FX The Wise Guy
more headroom and a little less gain, which could work great if your amp is already cranked and cooking. The added advantage of the 15db boost opens up a whole world of versatility and again will do great things to your amp and in conjunction with how you have the OD side of the pedal set. The booster works independently or in conjunction with OD so in effect you are getting 2 pedals in one. It’s hard to get a bad sound out of this pedal!
LunaStone Big Fella It would be hard for me to pick a favourite out of these three pedals but I think for my approach to playing, this Big Fella overdrive just edges it very slightly for me as the one I would like to own. You could describe it as full bodied, thick with a modern tone, but again it depends on the player and application. It’s voiced with some nice low end and a smooth Rock tone, but could
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PRS
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW easily cover all genres in the right hands. OD 1 and OD 2 differ in terms of headroom and are both extremely dynamic and sensitive to your guitar’s volume pot. Consider them a way of fine tuning the pedal to your amp and how clean or dirty you are running it. The independent booster side of the pedal opens up yet more possibilities and even though the pedal as whole offers bags of gain on tap, the depth of sound and transparency remains. It’s hard to describe, but both the Wise Guy and the Big Fella are organic sounding and addictive. Again, no matter how you set the Big Fella, it sounds and feels fantastic. I want this pedal!
LunaStone FX Big Fella
The Three Stage Rocket LunaStone has designed this one in conjunction with the Danish guitarist Soren Andersen and it’s based on the drive circuit of the Big Fella but effectively gives you a three channel gain stage in one pedal. You can set up a great classic rhythm tone with OD 1 that can still be set for high gain if you crank the settings. Then you can engage OD 2 for yet more drive
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that will take over from where OD 1 left off. And then the ultimate cool feature that sets this pedal apart is related to the independent booster. You can flick a little toggle on the pedal to put your booster before your gain stage to give you yet more or saturation, or after the gain stage of the pedal to give you a simple volume push. This facility alone makes this pedal the most versatile of the three and yet again, no matter how you set it, it sounds great. This pedal will take up more real estate on your pedal board but it is extremely versatile so well worth the extra space. I could certainly make a lot of use of one of these!
LunaStone FX The Three Stage Rocket
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Conclusion As I said at the start of this review, it takes a lot to impress us at GI when it comes to effects but these really have. Frankly, all three are superb. For a player like myself, who really uses the guitar volume to the max, the dynamic control available and the real cascading amp-like transparency of Steen Grotved’s design is a very genuine and notable feature. What’s interesting is that there are plenty of actual tube driven
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overdrive pedals out there to own and buy, and I have tried most of them, and yet to me, LunaStone simply seems to have done it better without the aid of any onboard tubes at all. These are not cheap pedals. In fact they’re very firmly at the boutique end of the market, but they are really about as good as it gets and certainly not at all overpriced for products way into the professional class. If you get the chance, try them out! END >
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
LunaStone
(D) x 34 mm (H) / 4.7” (W) x 3.7” (D) x 1.3” (H)
MSRP:
Weight: 358 g. (13 oz) (w/o battery)
Wise Guy £209 US $249
Neutrik Jack Connectors.
Big Fella £209 US $249
True Bypass Switching.
Three Stage Rocket £249 US $299
Battery type: 9V
Made in: Denmark
Adaptor type (not included): Standard 9V DC (center negative)
Wise Guy Dimensions: 119 mm (W) x 93.5 mm (D) x 34 mm (H) / 4.7” (W) x 3.7” (D) x 1.3” (H)
TECH SPEC
Weight: 358 g. (13 oz) (w/o battery)
Three Stage Rocket Dimensions: 188 mm (W) x 120 mm (D) x 37 mm (H) / 7.4” (W) x 4.2” (D) x 1.5” (H)
Neutrik Jack Connectors.
Weight: 670 g. (23.63 oz) (w/o battery)
True Bypass Switching.
Neutrik Jack Connectors.
Battery type: 9V
True Bypass Switching.
Adaptor type (not included): Standard 9V DC (center negative)
Battery type: 9V
Big Fella
Adaptor type (not included): Standard 9V DC (center negative)
Dimensions: 119 mm (W) x 93.5 mm
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REVIEWS_PEDAL/APP REVIEW
TC Electronic Wiretap Riff Recorder
‘P
icture the setting - we have all been there! You’ve been thrashing away on your guitar, come up with an awesome riff and thought “Great! Can’t wait to show that one to the band next week!” Only, next week comes and you’ve forgotten it. Alternatively, what about the times when you are jamming with your band and all of the sudden you have a one way ticket to riff city, only to quickly forget the exact riff you had been jamming on by the time you get home? Well those days are no more my muso friends, TC Electronic has come in to save the day with their new micro pedal super hero ‘The Wiretap’ TC Electronic has been releasing some truly unique and creative pedals recently and this is yet another one. The Wiretap is a just super simple to use riff recording machine. It comes as a pedal that can be put anywhere in your signal chain to capture ideas with one press of the footswitch. You can record up to eight hours of high quality audio on this mini pedal sized beast. You can easily and quickly record your ideas when the inspiration strikes and easily just as access
STAR RATING
PROS CONS
102
What can there possib factory finally run ou
them or delete them with the pedal’s very simple and intuitive controls. This pedal is not to be confused with a loop pedal. Loop pedals ‘loop’ your ideas around so you can jam over them and add layers. The Wiretap captures single take ideas from your signal chain and organises them for you. Having this set up on your board means next time you are at rehearsal and you are jamming on a new riff that could make you millions, you are able to easily ‘jot’ the idea down onto this pedal leaving your mind free to continue creating. Of course, this being a pedal from TC Electronic, that isn’t all there is to it! Something that makes them stand out from the crowd is the ability to connect to TC’s pedals via Bluetooth on your phone using TC’s applications. The Wiretap, for example, comes with a free app which allows you to catalogue your ideas on your Wiretap pedal, share them with friends - it even suggests names for your riffs! It’s super easy to use, much like the pedal itself, and makes the idea capturing process even smoother than it already was!
Easy to use • Compact • Bluetooth/App function and jam bands None
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
bly left for the FX wizards at TC Electronic to come up with? Has the Danish ideas t of ideas? Far from it as Sam Bell finds out.
The app itself really comes into its own as it makes cataloguing and finding your ideas later on a lot easier. Instead of sifting through a list of ‘untitled 01, untitled 02’ etc. the app simply names it something, you of course are able to edit these name suggestions. The app also allows you to see the wave forms of your sounds as you record them and play them back. This is useful when recording to ensure you aren’t clipping and if the already super useful cataloguing ideas with unique names feature hasn’t quite jogged your memory about which riff you are listening to, the wave form itself might give you a clue! As I mentioned earlier the pedal has eight hours of high quality recording time, but
n is fantastic! • Auto name suggestions for your creations. • A must for songwriters/riff creators
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REVIEWS_PEDAL/APP REVIEW
I loved this guitar. It’s an unashamed metal speed machine but it has those hidden depths, too... if you fill this up you can easily connect the pedal via mini USB to a computer and offload your ideas. From here the possibilities are endless as you can then transfer the file into a recording digital audio workstation or simply keep the ideas in organised folders on your computer should you so desire.
I feel this pedal will really suit songwriters who want a quick way to capture those inspired moments making the creative process a lot smoother. I think we have all had those times where we wish we had a recording device at the ready whilst we are noodling about on our guitars. Sometimes the process of setting up your computer, or
TC Electronic Wiretap Riff Recorder
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Morley
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thumbing through our phone menus to get a record function started can quickly lead to forgetting an idea just as quickly as you thought of it. The idea of having a wiretap pedal set up on your rig is a practical one and
TC Electronic Wiretap
MSRP £121 (street) US $149.99 Made in: Unknown
TECH SPEC
Record up to 8hours of music on the pedal Records in 24-bit 44.1khz audio quality
something I can imagine very useful for any musician who can plug their instrument into a quarter inch jack - not only guitarists! This one is a must have. END >
Bluetooth connectivity - Sync the pedal with the app Trim, tag, group, name and share your riffs via the app Runs on 9V DC/100mA
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Free accompanying app for iOS and Android
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
Xvive Sweet Leo and T2 Dynarock FX
‘C
Small isn’t always beautif products can bring a lot o mini pedal effects marke extremely affordable Xvi
ompact pedals have been growing in popularity for quite a while now, with companies bringing out mini versions of everything, meaning you can fit more on your pedal board. If pedal board space is at a premium for you, or you only want to run a small setup then they are ideal and with the leaps in modern technology you don’t necessarily lose anything on the tone front. Xvive is a new name to me but I have already
Xvive Sweet Leo and T2 Dynarock FX
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ful (who wants a small pay packet?) but in many areas shrinking of benefits. Take pedals for example. Xvive is aiming straight for the et and it has some very interesting ideas. Lewis Turner tries two ive overdrives designed by German maestro Thomas Blug
XVIVE PEDALS
heard great things about the company, so I was excited when I got my hands on these two little drive pedals. Xvive aims to bring professional quality guitar and bass pedals with original tone at competitive prices and the company was also formed by musicians which is normally a good thing. These two pedals have been designed and are used by German guitar ace Thomas Blug, who is a fantastic player with amazing tone, so it’s all looking very positive! As always please check out the video to see and hear them for yourself.
Xvive Sweet Leo
Pros: Great tones Small footprint Good looks
Cons: Mains transformer power only
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
This was my first experience of Xvive pedals and I have been hugely impressed. First up both these pedals look unique and cool, with a raised pattern finish and striking styling, so they are sure to turn heads “Hey dude what are those little ones?...” etc. The Sweet Leo is a boost pedal with a bit more. It’s designed to go in front of a clean amp at low volume and give it that little push into sweet, broken up valve tone. However, the Drive and Growl controls allow it be more than just a cranked rhythm pedal. Turning up these controls take it into the raunchy and dirty overdriven sounds that are perfect for Blues/Rock leads. Turn it on and roll the
volume of your guitar down and you have a great clean boost with shimmering bell type high ends. Real simple controls enable you to plug in and dial a tone that you like straight away. As a boost this is a fantastic pedal that really gives the impression of a broken up valve amp, the high gain sounds are also great even when maxed out you still get clarity with tight bass response. This is a great pedal for thickening up rhythm parts and dirty Blues leads.
Xvive T2 Dynarock
Pros:
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Great classic distortion tones Small foot print Good looks
Cons: No battery option Not great for modern metal tones
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GODIN
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
This little fellow is really an extension of the Sweet Leo taking the crunch tones to the next level of heavy distortion. Like the Sweet Leo, the Dynarock is a simple plug in and play pedal with just a drive, volume and tone control to deal with. This one also has a Mid Boost switch to, well, boost the mids...perfect for cutting lead sounds! A good purpose-made distortion pedal is quite hard to find, often manufactures seem to think that offering a gain control that goes to 20 is the answer. Unfortunately all that results in is a load of fizz and nothing useable. I’m happy to report that the Dynarock is no such pedal! Even when cranked it still delivers a harmonically rich tone where you are able to hear each string, it cuts through well
112
and delivers authentic Rock/Metal tones. My only gripe would be that it doesn’t do modern very well, no matter how much tweaking it always has that classic Rock/ Vintage sound which it does very well.
Conclusion This was my first experience of Xvive pedals and I have been hugely impressed. They look great, are well made and most importantly sound great, actually delivering what they claim. If you want something a little different on your board to the “main names” then you really should check these out. They are also exceptionally good value for money – which helps! END >
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
TECH SPEC
Xvive Sweet Leo Overdrive
Xvive T2 Dynarock FX
MSRP £59.99 US $48 (street)
MSRP £59.99 US $48 (street) Made in: China Specifications: www.xviveaudio.com
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REVIEWS_METRONOME REVIEW
Peterson BodyBeat Pulse Solo
Metronomes may have been around for out a new twist on a very familiar idea.
‘A
h, Metronomes! Love them or hate them we all know we should be using them, whether for working on technique, improving time, or having to play to a click track for a recording session or show. Whatever the situation, metronomes are here to stay. There are thousands on the market, not to mention the new breed of app-based ones where you can change everything from time signature, removing beats, accents etc. etc. They
Peterson BodyBeat Pulse Solo
STAR RATING
114
PROS
Cool idea • Works well with any metronome • L
CONS
Not a big enough buzz for loud vibrating gig situ
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
a very long time but they are still invaluable practice tools. Lewis Turner checks
all have one thing in common, that audible tick. No matter what the options, click, tick, beep, wood block, after an extended period of time it can become pretty annoying. This is where the Peterson BodyBeat Pulse Solo hopes to change your metronome experience. With the Pulse Solo there is no audible click, it vibrates. You can clip it to anywhere on your person where you think you will feel
it best.... The argument being that its best to “feel” the pulse rather than hear it, which makes sense. It comes with a headphone size lead that you can plug into any metronome or mobile device that has a metronome app, so that you can then feel the pulse that the metronome is generating - pretty cool! The Solo is rechargeable battery powered and you recharge via a USB cable (also supplied).
Looks like a good accompanying app • Good price
uations • App is for iOS only
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REVIEWS_METRONOME REVIEW
In conclusion I think the BodyBeat Pulse Solo a pretty cool idea A one to one and half hour charge will give eight hours use, the manufacturer says, which seems fine. In use it does what it claims: you can feel the pulse quite clearly and it makes for a different experience. The cable is fairly short (57” 1.45 metres), so if you want to put your metronome on a music stand and clip the device to your pocket you are going to be out of luck without some kind of extension. It did work fine with a few metronomes that I tried, including apps I have. There is also a specific Peterson app that you can download for free, and this app can deliver accented beats to make subdivisions easier though it is iOS only, so Android users are out of luck so far. So there you have it a metronome that you feel rather than hear. Will it catch on? I’m not sure. It’s cool for silent practice and I
sort of get the “feel” it rather than hear it concept, but if you play in a band you have to experience both. I never really have a problem with the click of a metronome and I play shows, so I have to listen to one pretty much every day, I don’t think the BodyBeat vibrates hard enough to use in a live situation to be totally reliable but that may be a minority use for a device like this, which is possibly not really intended for that sort of gigging use. In conclusion I think the BodyBeat Pulse Solo a pretty cool idea I’m just not sure how practical it is in real life use other than being great for silent practice. Then again, if you really can’t stand that click then this may well be the best invention ever for you, so give it a try! END >
TECH SPEC
Peterson BodyBeat Pulse Solo MSRP £15.47 US $39.99 Product Dimensions XHTML: 1.25”
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x 1.25” x 3” Product Weight: 0.14
CARLSBRO/STUDIOMASTER
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
Fredric Effects Utility Perkolator
‘G
The utility what? UK Boutique F We’ll leave it to Sam Bell to exp
uitarists the world over are always looking for the next best Overdrive, Fuzz, Distortion, Boost, treble boost, super this and super that to enhance their guitar tone. Some are subtle, some are super saturated, some are hairy, but the Fredric Effects Utility Perkolator is certainly something different! I personally hadn’t heard of a harmonic perkolator until this unique pedal arrived on the doorstep of Guitar Interactive’s studios.
Fredric Effects Utility Perkolator
STAR RATING
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PROS
Transparent and Ceramic response • New and
CONS
None at all
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
FX maker has come up with something unique with its Utility Perkolater. plain.
improved Perkolator sound • Unique handmade pedal • Excellent price for a boutique device
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
I feel it is important to mention this distortion/fuzz tone is meant to be hairy and almost ‘out of control’ style sound. The Utility Perkolator is based on a 1970s Interfax Harmonic perkolator and is made in London, England, by a small boutique maker, Fredric Effects, which has been in business for the past five years. This isn’t a copy of the original pedal, it’s a new and improved version. The original circuit was open to lots of modification and tweaking and Fredric Effects has sought to capture of the original pedal’s sound, while improving the general level of performance to the sort of standards we expect today. We asked Fredric to explain to us what was going on here and this is what the company told us: “We already build a faithfully vintage correct version of the Harmonic perkolator, however the Utility Perkolator takes this circuit in another direction. Using higher gain, lower leakage Russian germanium transistors, and a low pass filter which only removes the high-end hisses and glitches associated with the HP, the Utility Perkolator has a considerably lower noise floor. The result is a tighter and more controllable effect which is still capable of producing the classic Harmonic perkolator sound.”
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OK, though that still doesn’t tell us what it does, so please watch the video and then read on! The sound it makes can only be described as having a distortion/fuzz like quality with glassy harmonic overtones ringing through. It has a light crunchy/compressed feeling depending on where certain controls are set. It is definitely not ‘just another Tube Screamer’ that’s for sure! The box featured just two controls that manage the gain and level. The level control really does boost the volume sound, with the ‘gain’ control down and the level up we have a similar effect to a clean boost. With the harmonics (gain) control past 12 o’clock we begin to hear some overtones coming through and a bit of break up, once on full we end up with a cool sustaining fuzz tone. The switch control in the middle of the pedal selects between their new and improved perkolator clipping, no clipping at all (huge volume boost!) and clipping in the same vein as the old perkolator would demonstrate. I feel it is important to
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1/2 REDWITCH ( H) and 1/2 PETERSON ( H)
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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW
mention this distortion/fuzz tone is meant to be hairy and almost ‘out of control’ style sound. Having said that it is very dynamic and responds nicely with different styles of playing. Some might describe this sound as ‘transparent’, which is a word reviewers love to use but I am going to try and start my own trend with a world that I feel describes this unit better: ‘ceramic’. It’s solid but it also lets the light through, in this case, the dynamics of the subtleties of your playing. Constructionally, the clean internal wiring is something to behold. The pedal features Cliff jacks and Alpha footswitch and pots, adding to the all-round build quality of this unit. If the word ‘handmade’ suggests
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something a bit funky to you, forget that because this is a sturdy unit very well made indeed. It looks cool, too, coming in ‘Cold War Cream’ with an image of the Berlin TV tower as the top graphic! This is a unique effect that could be used for many things, hence the ‘utility’ part of its name. I can imagine there are lots of ways this could be combined with other modulating effects or unique amps in order to create some experimental sounds. I am sure the Utility Perkolator would respond wonderfully with other pickups too, other than single coils I used to demonstrate it with. It’s certainly one to check out and from a particularly interesting smaller maker. END >
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TECH SPEC
Fredric Effects Utility Perkolator
Specs: See website: http://www.fredric.co.uk/ utility-perkolator
MSRP £95 US $ Contact manufacturer
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REVIEWS_LOOPER REVIEW
EHX 22500 Dual Stereo Looper
Loopers are currently hot property a Harmonix are no exception and, as y Sam Bell checks out the impressive E
‘E
lectro-Harmonix is one of the oldest brands on the FX market and I was fascinated to see what the company had come up with as its version of this currently popular effect. I can tell you that I certainly wasn’t disappointed by this incredibly versatile and feature packed pedal. In fact, I’d confidently say that this one of the most formidable loop pedals on the market at the moment. It’s important though to point out that this pedal
EHX 22500 Dual Stereo Looper
STAR RATING
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PROS
Rugged design/compact footprint • Tons of feat
CONS
Make sure you use the dedicated power supply
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
and every manufacturer seems to have one. Veteran New Yorkers Electroyou might expect, theirs is one of the most comprehensive on the market. EHX 22500.
is a creative workstation. Once you master it I imagine the possibilities go as far as the user’s imagination but you will need to get to grips with it as the pedal is so capable that there is a distinctly steep learning curve involved in mastering its full range of capabilities.
tures • Good price • SD card included (a nice touch)
y • Not really a con, but there is a learning curve to this pedal
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REVIEWS_LOOPER REVIEW
The pedal has so much to offer and seems The 22500 features stereo inputs and outputs, XLR in with phantom power and even comes with an additional foot controller to flick between banks of saved loops. The pedal comes with an SDHC slot which accepts memory cards from 4 to 32GB and EHX has been kind enough to ship these with an 8GB card offering up to 12 hours of recording time! Excellent! The pedal can even be connected via USB, which is useful for moving saved loops on and off the pedal. The pedal also features a rhythm section of drum patterns which you can add to. As for the loops, there are two with independent or locked loop lengths, you can adjust the volume of each and even change the pitch or reverse the loops separately. The LED displays will tell you if you are recording, overdubbing or saving to memory. You can undo-redo your last overdub, and even quantize your loops for perfect looping. There are even several additional modes of looping which I didn’t discover whilst demoing this pedal and only came across later. Sequential looping mode gives you the option of verse/chorus style switching between loops and parallel looping mode allows simultaneous playback of two separate loops. The pedal has so much to offer and seems to have just about everything going for it, including a good sturdy build quality. The only problem I encountered was really my
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own fault, because initially, instead of using the power supply that came with it, I used a regular (though good quality) unit which we frequently use when powering pedals on review. Big mistake! The EHX 22500 doesn’t like some off-brand power supplies and you need to know this, otherwise you might be fooled into thinking the pedal was faulty when, in fact, it’s just pining for the right kind of juice! Other features on this most comprehensive pedal include the rhythm section, as mentioned earlier, which can be controlled via the tap tempo switch on the bottom right. Having a rhythm section on a loop pedal is a great idea, especially for first time loop pedal users. It helps keep timing and can add a whole new dimension to your loops. There is also a trigger mode where the pedal won’t start looping until you start playing, this can be super useful for starting of a looping session! I can see this pedal being very popular with loop enthusiasts, solo artists, artists recording on the go or maybe even as a pedal to create some strange sounds in a live band context… though I admit I’m not sure how, though I’m sure somebody will! If you are new to looping however this could be a slightly daunting place to start. The pedal comes with a very dense instructional manual which is informative
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
to have just about everything going for it but isn’t what you might describe as beach reading. This isn’t a bad thing, of course, as it’s far better to have too much information than not enough, but it’s a measure of how much there is in this small footprint box.
EHX 22500 Dual Stereo Looper MSRP £212 (street) US $368.50 Made in: USA Dual stereo loops with independent or locked loop lengths Sequential looping mode enables verse/chorus switching
TECH SPEC
Parallel looping mode allows simultaneous playback of two loops 16 built-in drum loops Selectable microphone input with phantom power
Experienced loopers will find this EHX pedal an adventure and a great creative tool. The inexperienced are in for a degree course in looping! END >
Reverse and Octave functions Undo-Redo your last overdub or recording Quantize or non-quantize (free running) modes USB port enables backup/restore to PC or Mac Programmable third footswitch for Stop or Tap Tempo Optional external Loop Up/Down Foot Controller Standard 9.6VDC 500mA power supply included Dimensions in inches: 4.75 (w) x 5.75 (l) x 2.5 (h) Dimensions in mm: 146 (w) x 121 (l) x 64 (h)
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LIVE SOUND
ALL YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR S
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E D!
SOUND ON STAGE
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LIVE SOUND_JAIME VENDERA’S VOCAL BOOTCAMP
JAIME VENDERA’S
Season I
VOCAL BOOT CA Everyone’s favourite Rock vocal coach, Jaime Vendera continues his brand new season!
Recording Vocals. Part 1 with Dallan Beck - Gain Staging Welcome back singers. In this Bootcamp lesson, I’m bringing on board my engineer, Dallan Beck, in a three part series titled ‘Recording Vocals’ dedicated to the ins and outs of vocal recording and designed to help you can create the perfect vocal take. In Part 1, Dallan walks us through gain staging, the process of setting up the gain stage (microphone into pre-amp into DAW) to assure the best vocal signal and to help prevent you from having to perform serious edits after the recording to cover up digital distortion, clipping, rumble, etc. Gain staging consists of three components: microphone, pre-amp, and
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DAW. Following are notes that Dallan actually helped me write for his EFX RX class in my online school, Vendera Vocal Academy. As usual, the video and article work hand-in-hand, with extra bonus tips in the article. So, please first watch the video, and then hop into the tutorial below:
Recording Necessities While Dallan focused on the microphone, preamp, and DAW, I think it is also important to offer some guidance on other little recording components you need before you start recording, so that you can set up a recording area right in your own home. You’ll definitely need the following:
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II
AMP -
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LIVE SOUND_JAIME VENDERA’S VOCAL BOOTCAMP Cables. You need a solid signal, therefore ALWAYS use good mic cables. This includes both XLR and TRS (¼ inch) cables. Bottom line, spend more money as opposed to buying cheap cables. Windscreen. Use a good windscreen. If it is your own personal set-up, a double foam windscreen will work. A good rule of thumb for setting up the windscreen is adjusting it at about two inches from the microphone for normal volumes, or a hand’s width for louder volumes. This will keep you from eating the mic, which can cause the Proximity Effect, which changes in the frequencies that can result in muffled or muddied lowend sounds coloring your voice. A better choice is a metal windscreen with the holes cut at a slant. This is a trick that I learned from Dallan. Put your hand in front of any windscreen and blow through. The air should shoot downward hitting your wrists. If the air goes straight through to your hand, it is not cut at a slant. Headphones. Don’t slack on quality recording headphones. Make sure they cover your ears fully and do not accentuate the low or high ends. You need a good, flat EQ sounding headphone so that you accurately hear what is being recorded as you sing. Foam. Foam can be used to deaden your space to eliminate natural reflections. You can do this by adding foam squares to your walls. Foam can actually cause a “woofing” type sound, so plan carefully. Better to think “angles” when setting up your microphone. We cover this in more detail in Vendera Vocal Academy. For my own recording, I personally use an Editor’s Key Vocal Booth Pro, which is a half-circle metal unit with interior sound-dampening foam that sits on
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top of a mic stand.
The Microphone As Dallan mentioned, I personally use a Studio Projects microphone. You can see it on the cover of, Raise Your voice 2: The Advanced Manual. Mine is an old CS1 model with a padding switch featuring decibel padding levels of 0, 5, 10, 15. And 20. as well as low and high roll-off switches. SP mics are VERY affordable, as are other brands such as Blue, and Rode, though these companies also have high-end mics that can run into thousands of dollars. You might not need an expensive mic. Before purchasing your own mic, research various mic reviews online, study individual mic specs, and even try out or rent different mics from a local music store to see what suits you best. If your microphone has selective knobs for padding, check to see which setting is best for your voice. As well, if it has low and high cut filter dials (roll-off switches), use them, but remember that each singer must learn to adjust accordingly. Generally, you can roll off the frequencies below 75 hertz to eliminate background noise and only use the high cut if your voice already has a lot of high-end bite and you need to remove some of the shrillness.
The Pre-amp Though we didn’t get heavily into pre-amp types, Dallan reminded me that pre-amps come in tube and solid state versions. Since I use the Studio Projects VTB1, which is a very affordable unit. I’d like to tell you a little about it. The VTB1 is a hybrid which allows for solid state or tube as well as a blend of both. At the basic level, a pre-amp should
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
have an input gain and output level as well as phantom power. Other features that add to your pre-amp include the ability to adjust the mic impedance level (generally to either 50 ohms or 200 ohms), a basic high pass filter to roll off the low end, and polarity reverse in case the mic signal and headphone signal are out of phase which can prevent a singer from hearing their own vocal track at a nominal level. When setting the pre-amp, adjust the Input level by checking your pre-amp level to assure you’re not going into the red. Remember, if you want as clean a sound as possible, you must first set the output level at maximum, and then adjust the input level. If
you want it to be a little dirty, you can turn down the output level and use the input level to drive it. Remember, as Dallan said, peak meters show you green, yellow, and red lights so you know when you’re safe, or getting close to the danger zone, or clipping. But, only certain pre-amps will allow you to check at the input level, as Dallan has shown you in the video. Which means you’ll have to look to the meter level on your DAW. Luckily, the VTB1 allows both input and output level detection. If you want some transient distortion, you can use a tube pre-amp and push it into the yellow, but ALWAYS avoid the red to make sure there is no unwanted
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LIVE SOUND_JAIME VENDERA’S VOCAL BOOTCAMP distortion. Next, check levels at the output to assure the level stays even and does not go into the red as it leaves the pre-amp. Last, you will still need to check the level going into your DAW to assure the levels stay safe at the recording end. Bottom line, use your ears. If you’ve adjusted all of these to stay safe but are still having issues, check the mic impedance. Most pre-amps will have a mic impedance button on them. Unless you’re using a ribbon cable mic, the mic impedance should be set to 200 ohms to offer a bit of resistance to the initial recorded sound as it is recorded. Ribbon mics can be set at 50 ohms.
Another factor which might be causing a spike in volume is the type of cable running out of the pre-amp into the board, especially if you’re leaving the pre-amp directly into another piece of equipment to get into the DAW. For example, if you have recorded as I have, into an iPad (wow, that’s crazy, isn’t it!) using an i/0 such as the iRig Pro (IK Multimedia) to take the signal from the pre-amp into an iPad, this step can be tricky because not only does it function as the go between from pre-amp to iPad, but also functions as a pre-amp in and of itself. Turning the iRig Pro to the lowest level to allow my VTB1 to do its job meant that using an XLR cable put the signal above line level, which caused distortion problems
Jamie Vendera New Season Part 9
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during my own recording sessions. Dallan remedied this problem by exchanging the XLR cable for a TRS ¼ inch cable. If your levels are misbehaving, check your cables. And one last tip. You can also angle the top of the microphone downward so that your voice doesn’t directly hit the microphone’s diaphragm, keeping your voice more focused on the rim. This is best when using a double windscreen. A metal windscreen that is cut at a slant will help to keep the pressure of the voice from smacking the microphone diaphragm. Now onto the DAW.
The DAW Your DAW is your choice. It doesn’t matter if it is Pro Tools on a Mac, Audacity on a PC, or Meteor Multitrack on an iPad. The point is, you need something to capture the recording. Learning the DAW is in and of itself an entirely separate full-length Bootcamp dedicated to the art of recording in the digital realm. One I am sure GI is already covering...and if not, maybe we’ll get Dallan to do more classes, ha-ha! Bottom line, you need a DAW to record your WAV files.
which is on the track you set to record. This level is in digital inside your DAW and measured in DBFS (decibel full scale). Typically, your meter will have the same coloring: green, yellow, (sometimes orange,) and red. You always want to stay in green to yellow and try not to record too low because background noise will come up when you raise the volume of the track via a plug-in. This could pick up that barely audible fan running inside your computer. We want to avoid that. There you have it; the very basics of gain staging. I hope this clarifies a few things for all aspiring recording artists ready to lay down some vocal tracks, and inspires you to begin recording. You can actually learn a lot more from Dallan (even have him mix your songs) at DallanBeck.com. See you soon for Part 2 of Recording Vocals with Dallan Beck! END >
Your DAW is also an important part of gain staging because you could still record the levels too hot. Therefore you need to check your channel strip meter measurement,
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REVIEWS_MIXER REVIEW
Soundcraft Signature 12MT
Soundcraft is one of the world’s ‘go to’ brands for hard working mixers. But riding on its new series. So will the Signature make its mark? Bob Thomas
‘T
he Soundcraft name is one of the more iconic in the history of British mixing console manufacturing. In the 1970s, the semi-legendary Series 1 (a live console built into its own flightcase) established the company as one that knew what its customers needed before even they knew. Building on that approach over the last 40-odd years, successive generations of Soundcraft consoles (and those of its lowercost Spirit brand) have delivered supremely practical features, facilities and user interfaces to musicians and engineers worldwide. Despite, or perhaps because of, the dive to digital consoles at the start of this century, analogue consoles have maintained their popularity with end-users. Over more recent years, an increasing numbers of mixer manufacturers have incorporated multitrack DAW digital interfaces into their analogue offerings, initially on Firewire but, more normally nowadays, on Thunderbolt for
STAR RATING
PROS CONS
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high-end applications and USB for those of us with less-rarefied budgets. Having a multitrack DAW recording/playback interface in an analogue console means not only that you can record at home in the digital domain and (if you prefer to) mix in the analogue world, but also means that you can mix and record your live gigs, incorporate DAW plug-in-based processing live and even run band-free soundchecks – which can make both FOH engineer and band very happy indeed! Soundcraft’s latest consoles are the members of the Signature series, a range of crossover live sound/recording analogue consoles in 10, 12, 16 and 22 input formats, the last three of which are also available with builtin multitrack USB recording interfaces, designated by an MTK suffix in their respective model numbers. These MTK consoles have entered the currently quite competitive market where live consoles
Great sound, great facilities: dbx limiters, Lexico Intuitive operation • Suitable for use in both live Absolutely none
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
TK mixer
times change and the competition is fierce. The company has a lot s finds out.
(both analogue and digital) meet DAWs. However, thanks not only to Soundcraft’s heritage electronic designs, but also to the technologies that the company has access to from being part of the Harman Group, the Signature Series MTK consoles – including the Signature MTK being reviewed here – come loaded with a selection of useful enhancements from stablemates dbx and Lexicon.
on FX • Ghost Pre-amps, Sapphyre Asymmetric EQ • Built in 14 out/12 in audio interface • e and recording environments • Superb value for money
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REVIEWS_MIXER REVIEW
Layout The first thing that you’ll notice is the 12MTK’s distinctive profile that allows the mains input to be placed underneath the console. This leaves the back panel free and, coupled with the console’s diminutive dimensions and all controls and connectors being on the top panel, means that the 12MTK can be fitted into quite a small space, which can be very convenient on a crowded desktop or in the restricted confines of a club installation.
Being a Soundcraft, the 12MTK is built like a tank and its channels are clearly laid out with the control configuration mirroring the signal path in the circuit boards below. The 12MTK has a total of 12 inputs (hence its name) that are configured as six mono microphone/ line channels, two channels that can accept either mono microphone or stereo line inputs and a final two RCA phono inputs – giving you 12 inputs in total. All 12 inputs, plus the LR outputs from the stereo main mix are permanently routed to the built-in 14 Out/12 In DAW Interface, with all channel outputs being
Soundcraft Signature 12MTK mixer
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returned to their respective channels via the individual channels’ USB RTN switches. The stereo mix being sent to the DAW is not returned directly, but could (for example) be routed inside the DAW to another pair of outputs – 7/8, 9/10 or 11/12 – for playback of a completed mix through those channels on the 12 MTK. All XLR microphone inputs can be supplied with globally-switchable phantom power, and feed Soundcraft’s renowned Ghost mic pre-amps, which deliver high headroom, wide dynamic range, high resolution and clarity, coupled with a very impressive signalto-noise ratio. On Channels 1 and 2, these pre-amps are followed by switchable oneknob dbx limiters (high ratio compressors) to keep excessive levels (especially from
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REVIEWS_MIXER REVIEW
Despite the complexity of which it is capable, as a console the Soundcraft Signature 12MTK is extremely intuitive to use... vocalists) under control. Although these are the only channels so equipped, further along the panel, Channels 5 and 6 feature switchable high impedance (Hi-Z) inputs designed to accept guitars, basses and other instruments. On all channels (except 11 and 12) 100Hz high pass filters help eliminate handling noise and other low-frequency disturbances, and the three-band Sapphyre Asymmetric ‘British’ EQ takes care of overall tonal adjustment. Unusually, the Asymmetric Sapphyre EQ, alongside controlling tonality, also works to prevent muddiness and harshness by – in the case of the shelving treble and bass sections – adding a slight boost at the corner frequencies when cutting, and a slight cut when boosting. The sweep midrange also plays its part by widening the bandwidth when boosting and narrowing it when cutting which, alongside the varying shelving response, ensures that the resulting tonal modification retains its overall musicality. The 12MTK’s aux and channel routing shows its GB Console ancestry, with pre/ post switching and individual outputs on the
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three aux busses, plus flexible routing to, and dedicated outputs for, the two subgroups. Aux 3 routes both to its own output and to the input of the 12 MTK’s selection of 22 Lexicon effects, each of which has two adjustable parameters that you can tweak to get just the effect you want. The return from the Lexicon FX feeds the dedicated FX Return channel and routes to Aux 1 and 2 via individual sends and to the main mix through its very own fader. An optional footswitch can be used to mute the FX when required. The main mix fader controls the level of the main output, and its input source can be switched – by depressing the Interval Mute button – between the 12MTK’s stereo mix bus and inputs 11 and 12 so that you can play interval music either from your computer via the built-in audio interface or from a mp3 player etc. connected to those channels’ RCA inputs. You don’t even have to worry about your player running out of power as the Type A USB socket that sits above the 12 MTK’s meters is there to supply power to such devices and not to fulfil any audio functions.
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TC Helicon
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REVIEWS_MIXER REVIEW
A Type B USB socket positioned just below the RCA connectors for channels 11 and 12, provides the I/O connection from the 12 MTK’s built-in audio interface to your DAW on PC (Windows 7 and above), Mac (OS 10.7 and above) and iPAD (with Camera Connection Kit). Using the console with a PC requires the installation of Soundcraft Multichannel Audio Drivers (WDM and ASIO), and these are available from the Soundcraft website. Once you’ve got these installed you’ll have the ability to insert (as long as your computing platform supports them) any VST/AU/ AAX/TDM/RTAS plug-in into any input channel. To get you started, the 12MTK is accompanied by free downloads of the Lexicon MPX-L plug-in and Ableton Live 9 Lite. Operation Despite the complexity of which it is capable, as a console the Soundcraft Signature 12MTK is extremely intuitive to use. Everything works as you’d expect and good results are easily obtained. The two input channel limiters do their job effectively and, used carefully, can stop peaks in the signal causing distortion in the audio interface and/or further down the signal path without causing adverse effects – unless you deliberately mash them against their end stops. Although I hadn’t come across the Sapphyre Asymmetric EQ before, I was very impressed by the way in which it operates and, used judiciously, it can
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produce extremely musical results without introducing unwanted artefacts. The built-in audio interface works seamlessly. A dedicated Signature MTK recording guide on the Soundcraft website not only walks you through the entire PC driver installation process (Macs and iPads just work – as they always do (Oh yeah? Ed)) and also includes set-up instructions for Reaper, Logic and Ableton Live 9 Lite. Once the drivers are installed, you can use the outputs from the 12MTK – which are taken straight from the output of the Ghost pre-amps - as sources for your DAW, insert whatever plug-ins you want and, as well as recording them, you can, by switching the relevant channels on the 12MTK to USB Return, use the effected channels in your live mix. If you play with backing tracks to get additional instrumentation – as many bands do these days – you could output those from your DAW to the stereo USB returns on channels 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12 on the 12MTK, or even output three stereo stems of backing tracks and mix those live with the remaining five mono mic/line channels – and enhance everything with the on-board Lexicon FX … pretty neat! Conclusion The Soundcraft Signature 12 MTK is one of those consoles that could easily become the heart of your live and recording set-up. To my mind, not only is it comprehensively equipped with usefully flexible routing, a musical EQ, really great
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TECH SPEC
FX and an excellent audio interface, but also it is – despite its complexity - easy and intuitive to operate. If you’re in the market for a new compact console that is going to be used in both
Soundcraft Signature 12MTK
live and recording environments, then the Soundcraft Signature 12 MTK should be high on your audition list - you certainly won’t be disappointed and, at its price, your bank manager will be happy. END >
(British) Aux Sends Post
MSRP £409 US $499
3 x Pre/
Busses/Groups 2 x Aux Busses, 1 x Aux/FX Bus, 2 x Mono Subgroups, 1 x Stereo Subgroup
Made in: Unknown Channels
12
Inputs - Mic Preamps
8 x XLR
Faders Throw
13 x 60mm
Effects
Yes
Inputs - Line TRS
10 x
Inputs - Other Stereo (RCA)
1x
Computer Connectivity USB
Outputs - Main XLR
2x
Height
112mm/4.4”
Width
381mm/15”
Outputs - Other 3x TRS (Aux), 2 x TRS (Subgroup), 1 x TRS (FX Mute Footswitch) Headphones 1/4”
1x
Depth 389mm/15.3” Weight
6kg/13lbs.
1x FIND THIS PRODUCT ON
Phantom Power EQ Bands
12 3-band
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REVIEWS_SOUND SYSTEM REVIEW
Samson Expedition XP800 Sometimes all you need is a small rig that is easy to shift around and easy be of much use for a performing musician? Bob Thomas finds out.
‘F
ounded in 1980, US-based Samson Technologies set up shop as a manufacturer of wireless microphone systems. Over the years, the company has grown into a major player not only in the sound reinforcement market but also, through its Hartke brand, in bass amplification. Although as gigging musicians we pride ourselves in our knowledge of the intricacies and esoterica of our PA setups we sometimes forget that out there in the real world there are those who occasionally have to rig and run a PA but who, through no fault of their own, haven’t a clue what to do – other than plug in, switch on and hope for the best. These users can range from church volunteers to marketing executives running small launches and presentations, through to musicians taking their first steps into live performance. There are also those of us
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who gig in wine bars, restaurants and the like who need a small, exceedingly compact PA to avoid engaging the wrath of the management. Technological developments such as switch-mode power supplies, Class D PWM amplifiers, moulded cabinets and lightweight loudspeaker magnets have, over the last decade or so, enabled several manufacturers to produce compact, easy to use systems many of which, it has to be said, were of variable quality. However, in more recent times, major manufacturers such as Samson Technologies have been releasing competitively-priced all-in-one systems that are capable of producing excellent results. Samson’s latest product in this market area is the flagship Expedition XP800, which sits at the top of their range of compact all-in-one sound systems.
PROS
Simple to set up and operate • Highly portable •
CONS
Its simplicity won’t suit everyone
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0 All-In-One Sound System to use. But is Samson’s new all-in-one Expedition just too simple to
• Bluetooth connectivity
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REVIEWS_SOUND PA REVIEW SYSTEM REVIEW
The XP800 delivers 800W of Class D power from its lightweight eight-channel stereo powered mixer through twin passive twoway loudspeaker cabinets. The system is quick and easy to set up, break down and carry thanks to its clever interlocking speaker design that allows the entire system and cabling to be packed up into a single 18kg (40lb) package. This is accomplished by having a recess in the back of each speaker cabinet, one of which carries the powered mixer whilst the other has a removable door behind which you can fit the two supplied 25’ speaker cables, the mains lead and (probably) a couple of microphones and their leads. Sliding the two speakers together
to engage their locking flanges produces a compact bundle that can be easily carried in one hand. As with other compact PA systems, no loudspeaker stands are supplied with the XP800, which may or may not matter depending on the application. The speakers themselves are equipped with 1” tweeters and 8” woofers and their cabinets are shaped so that they can be used as floor monitors if necessary, though I couldn’t see myself buying a XP800 as a foldback system. The stowaway mixer/amplifier is simple and to the point in terms of features and facilities. Of its four mono input channels, three (1, 2 and 4) can be switched
Samson Expedition XP800 All-In-One Sound System
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individually between balanced XLR microphone inputs (with globally switchable phantom power) and mono ¼” jack socket line inputs. On Channel 3 the input source selector switch changes function to become a high/low source impedance switch in order to allow the direct connection of electric guitar or bass. On all four channels simple +/- 16dB 2-band EQs - with centre frequencies at 10kHz (treble) and 100Hz (bass) - take care of tonal shaping, single Effects sends feed the onboard digital effects processor and rotary potentiometers set the individual volume levels. There are no pan controls. The fourth mono channel is also equipped with a USB Type A input connector that has nothing to do with anything other than Samson’s own XPD USB-powered Digital Wireless System (which is sold separately), although I suppose that you might be able to press it into service as an emergency mobile phone charging power source! There are two stereo channel inputs 5/6 and 7/8, both of which carry the same 2-band EQ and channel volume controls as the mono channels. However, they are both devoid of effects sends, the resulting space being occupied by a listing of the sixteen available on-board effects. Input 5/6 has four possible sources – a pair of ¼” jacks, a pair of RCA phonos and a stereo minijack. Input 7/8 is sparsely provided with a mere pair of RCA phonos, but gains a goodly amount of
street cred with its connection to the mixer’s onboard Bluetooth receiver. Pairing your Bluetooth-equipped mobile phone, laptop or mp3 player etc. does not require any password or interaction action other than pressing the pairing button until its LED flashes and selecting the XP800 from the list of available Bluetooth connections on your device. The 16 onboard 24-bit digital FX are a typical selection of reverb and time-domain effects. A rotary selector switch does what you’d expect in that department and a master Effects Send, since there is no other overall send level control, sets the level going into and coming out of the FX processor, whose output of which is routed directly to the main mix bus.
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The XP800’s physical I/O is limited to ¼” jack sockets – a pair for the LR power amplifier outputs to the unit’s loudspeakers, another pair that carry the LR monitor line level main mix output (which has its own volume separate control) and allow you to connect to a recorder, another PA system or a pair of powered monitors, and a single subwoofer output. A further jack socket is provided for an optional footswitch that mutes the onboard FX if required. A master volume control is provided to control the output level of the power amplifiers, and that level is displayed on a single LED ladder whose topmost segment indicates that the onboard limiter is active – if you see that coming on solid, you’d be advised to pull the level back a bit to avoid distortion. Finally, a Speech/ Music switch reduces the level of low frequencies in the output in Speech mode, which can enhance the intelligibility of speech in certain less-than-perfect
acoustic environments. In Music mode, performance is full-range, although I’m not sure that its quoted 20Hz lower limit would ever manage to trouble an audience’s chest walls. The Samson Expedition XP800 is a compact, portable, simple to set up, easy to use sound reinforcement system that would be ideal for use in small venues such as classrooms, church halls, business presentations and the like. Performancewise the XP800 sounds good overall and has enough volume available to handle those smaller audiences and spaces comfortably. If you’re on the lookout for a system that is attractively-priced, could be successfully operated by an inexperienced operator and sounds good, then the Expedition XP800 is well worth seeking out. But it’s really only going to be of use to musicians playing small venues and who have the most basic requirements. END >
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REVIEWS_MIXER REVIEW
Samson Expedition XP800 All-In-One Sound System MSRP £624 US $809.99
Speaker
Made in China
Maximum Output Level +22dBu (Monitor L/R, Sub Out) @ 10KΩ
Power 800W @ 4Ω (400W per channel) Peak 400W @ 4Ω (200W per channel) Average Frequency Response 20kHz
20Hz–
Channel EQ (High/Low) 10kHz/100Hz shelving 15dB
Speakers 2 x 8” woofer, 2 x 1” HF driver Inputs 1/4” balanced
XLR, RCA,
TECH SPEC
Effects 24-bit DSP
16 preset,
USB
Cables 2 x 25’ (7.6m), 1/4” to 1/4” straight
1/4”
Weight (18.8kg)
Wireless
1/4” Sub Out 1/4”
150
Speech/Music Switch 167Hz, 3dB/ octave
Bluetooth
3.5mm stereo
Outputs Monitor
Phantom Power +15V DC, fixed phantom voltage Input
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41.5lb
JBL
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MAKIN TRACK
RECORDING FOR THE R
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NG KS
REAL WORLD
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MAKING TRACKS_SONGWRITING PROJECT
STARTING A SONGWRITING PROJECT
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T PT 2
Songwriting doesn’t come easily to most of us. Andi Picker shows you how to make the creating and recording process as simple as possible in this second part of his new series.
‘I
n the previous episode of Making Tracks we started thinking about writing and recording a song. This time-out we’re going to try to get a starting idea recorded. We will need a few basics; something to record onto, something to give us a tempo and something to record with. I’m going to use Cubase, EZdrummer and whatever guitar is closest to hand at the time. A REALLY important point here is that you absolutely do not need fullon studio gear to do this, you can use a metronome, the recorder on your phone and an acoustic guitar or a uke or anything else that you can play. A friend of mine recently took his first steps into multitrack recording; he jumped straight into Cubase Pro and nearly drowned in the complexity of a full-on pro DAW. Net result to date - nothing recorded! If he’d fired-up Garageband on his Mac he’d probably have his first EP out by now. It’s absolutely NOT about the gear so don’t fret (sorry) if you don’t have access to top-drawer kit. Right then, I’ve created a project and I need to name it. Song names can have a big impact on what we create
‘Blood-Gore Symphony’ will probably end-up quite different to ‘Butterfly Song’ even when I start from scratch, but in this case I’ll stick with GI Demo Song for the moment. I’ll loadup my drum software and start to browse, just sticking with a basic verse pattern, and when I find something that catches my ear I’ll grab a guitar and just scratch along with it and play with tempo until I find something that seems to work. At that point I’ll set the project to that speed and fill a whole lotta bars with the exact same groove, at the exact same tempo, and move on. A simple fact of life about writing a song from scratch is that we’re going to end-up playing a lot of parts that miss the mark, over and over again (well, most of us are). That 200W Marshall Major in the corner of the bedroom is NOT the tool for this part of the job, and I completely recommend using a DI and an amp sim (or something similar) if you can; we don’t want to be worrying about setting-up mics and headphone mixes at this point in the process. So long as your rig will allow you to play with a low enough latency (that’s the amount of time it takes to process the sound
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so that you can hear it back with the amp effect) that it doesn’t upset your playing then you’re good to go. That said, I tend to play more freely with a real amp, so I’ll sometimes plug into my Radial DI box then record a straight-through DI track and also plug-in to my HT-5 combo just to move some air in the room (I’m not even going to bother to record the amp at this point, so I can set it up with lots more distortion than I’d actually record just because it’s fun).
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Hit record and play the guitar. When you feel like you just played something worth checking-out, drop a marker onto the track, or perhaps give the strings a couple of rakes that will show-up on the audio track, or perhaps run with a mic plugged and recorded so you can just say ‘yeah’ - it’s a lot easier down the line than listening back to three hours of strums and scratches! Once you’ve got something you like the sound of, you can loop it round and play a second part onto a new track to start to develop the idea. END >
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OK, give it a go, and next time out we’ll look at what to do with the scratch tracks. Any questions, hit me up at http://facebook.com/AndiPickerMusic or
..and you can find more stuff about recording and music at http://www.TheDustbowlAudio.com http://www.TheMortalGuitarist.com https://www.youtube.com/user/andip5150
http://twitter.com/DustbowlAudio
Starting a songwriting project Part 2
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MAKING TRACKS_INTERFACE REVIEW
Audient iD4 Audio Interfac
‘W
hich Audio Interface should I buy?’ It’s a common question in online recording forums and groups, and it’s generally fairly easy to answer because most of the big-name brands have offerings that are broadly similar in features and quality at any given price point. Decide what you need it to do, check what has good drivers for your operating system, and then buy whatever you can get the best deal on! I’m a big fan of this approach because I honestly believe that recording should be about the results, not the kit, and I’d defy just about anyone to listen to a mix and tell what make of interface mic-pres were used to record the banjo! Occasionally though, a manufacturer paints just a little bit outside of the lines and makes something that’s slightly different. Audient uses the same microphone preamps throughout its range - not ‘inspired by’ or ‘based-on’, but the actual same design, from the big consoles through to the baby audio interfaces; the Audient boxes that I’ve reviewed (iD22 in GI issue 34 and the ASP880 in GI 36) have superb pre-amps, and they carry down intact to the new baby iD4. It’s a twin channel, USB2 interface and
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monitor controller in an all metal desktop format. Layout is dead simple, mic/line combi-socket (with phantom power switch) and balanced monitor outputs on TRS jacks on the back panel, DI socket (connected to the very nice Audient JFET DI stage) and twin (1/4” and 1/8”) headphone sockets on the front, and four knobs and three switches on top. You don’t even need to worry about a power supply as it’s USB power only. In use: plug in a mic, adjust its gain control and check the output level on the LED ladder meter (-36, -18, -12, -6 and 0 dB). You do need to be a little bit careful; I turned-up the monitor level and thought that for some bizarre reason the LEDs were showing me the monitor level - they weren’t - the meter changes function to show the position of the volume control knob when you adjust it (just read the quick-start guide, Andi!). The line input appears to be the mic input with a pad, which isn’t ideal as you get the sound of the pre-amp on the line input, but in the real world it works just fine and helps to keep the cost down. Plug in a DI source and adjust the gain, check your output level on the LEDs and in you DAW, and record. The Volume control adjusts both
PROS
Very high quality sound • Solid construction • S
CONS
Limited metering • No physical pan control
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ce
Andi Picker checks out a brand new audio interface with a difference
Simple to use
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Audient iD4 Audio Interface Review
speakers and headphones (again, not ideal but practically I don’t tend to use both at the same time), Monitor Mix adjusts the balance of the input to DAW return signal, and for when you’re recording using headphones there’s a button to mute the speakers. Press the Mute and iD buttons together and the Volume control adjusts the monitor pan from left to right, and press the Volume control to dim the output level (that’s the fourth switch I promised you). What about the iD button? Well, if you hover your cursor over something that’s adjustable in your DAW and press the iD
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button, then you can adjust the adjustable something using the Volume controller. It’s clever, and it works well in my Cubase Pro 8.5 setup, but as I had to mouse to select what I wanted to adjust anyway it didn’t seem to be very useful for my personal workflow. Audient has made a couple of compromises on the iD4, specifically the padded line input and combined monitor/headphone level control, but they’ve maintained the raw quality of the larger interfaces in a compact and cost-effective box. As always, you need to think carefully about what you really need
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Studio Master
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your interface to do, and for many people who need a simple-to-use box that they can plug a mic and a guitar into and record top quality audio, the iD4 hits the mark and hits it well. Over all the Audient iD4 offers a great sound and solid build quality in a simple, compact and cost effective package. END >
TECH SPEC
Audient iD4 Audio Interface MSRP £119.99 US $199
Mic pre gain 0dB to +58dB
Made in: China
Maximum input level +12 dBu
Type 2in / 2 out USB2 audio interface and monitor controller
Line gain -10dB to +48dB (hardwired pad)
Conversion 96 kHz, 24 bit
DI gain -5dB to +35dB
IO 1 x mic preamp/line combi socket, 1 x JFET DI, 2 x balanced line out, 2 x stereo headphone,
Maximum DI input level +8 dBu
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MAKING TRACKS_SOFTWARE REVIEW
Softube Vintage Amp Room
‘H
ave you ever had that thing where you play through an amp that sounded great yesterday, and now it just doesn’t seem to be quite as good? It may sound a bit thin, or muddy, or doesn’t seem to distort in quite the same way, or perhaps you’re just hearing it differently today. Who really knows? Well, I can’t figure out if it’s the ultimate level of modelling reality, but for me, amp-sims do the same thing. I like life to be simple, and I’d love to be able to say this is MY sim and be done. I’m close; there are a couple that get used far more than all the others, but some days I just need to try something a bit different. Softube’s Vintage Amp Room has been around for about ten years now and it takes a deliberately very basic approach; no long lists of amp, cab, speaker and microphone choices, no components to swap, no tuning tweaks and no stand-alone version. What you do get is three amps in a single room with a single microphone. Those amps are a Marshall JCM800, a Fender Twin and a Vox AC30 (and the rather nice sounding room is in Soulmine Studios in Linköping in Sweden). I’m quite surprised that Softube hasn’t been tempted to update Vintage Amp
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Room over the years with a few optionalextra speaker or microphone choices, but they clearly set-out their vision of a simple interface and a great sound and have stuck with it since. Anyway, I fired-up the ‘White Amp’ (that’s the JCM800) and it sounded simply exactly the way I thought it should. It isn’t exactly the same as MY JCM800, but it absolutely nails the quality of that sound. I spent an hour firing-up every other amp-sim I’ve got for comparison, and whilst in each case you can hear the character of the Marshall (or Fender, or Vox), they all have a sort of family character that plays through whatever settings you choose; some are very present, some have a hard midrange, or a slightly distant quality to the sound. Some sounded quite different to the others for similar settings, but could be tweaked to get very close, but to my ears on that day, Amp Room just had ‘The Sound’ straight out of the box (so to speak) and with no option-anxiety required. Vintage Amp Room’s graphics are a bit of a throwback. The amp and cab illustrations look as though the perspective is a bit wrong,
PROS
Excellent sound • Very simple to use
CONS
A few interface quirks • Expensive
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m
Got a roomful of vintage tubes amps? Neither have we. Still, there’s always a software alternative these days. Andi Picker checks out Softube’s vintage (in both senses) offering.
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Softube Vintage Amp Room
the control panels are small and the way the microphone stand moves is a bit bizarre - it sounds good and is very easy to use but does look a bit odd (take a look at the review video). Interestingly, Softube produces very highly regarded amp sims for Universal Audio that use far more conventional (by
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today’s standards) interfaces, and the Metal Room plug-in has a quite different look to it (and multiple mics). Oh, and the presets are odd too. Select one, modify the setting, and if you come back to the same preset in the same plug-in session,
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you get the changes that you made, which is sometimes useful but often not. You get no effects pedals (you can always plug into your real pedals before the signal hits your audio interface) and no post-processing options, but you can bypass the cab if you want to use something different or use effects after the amp but before the cab (and which opens up the chance to use multi-mic IRs).
depending on how you look at the; it’s got very limited options, so far as I can tell it looks like and does just what it did nearly ten years ago, and it isn’t cheap, but on the other hand, it still sounds exceptionally good and for today at-least it’s my favourite sounding soft-amp; and after we’ve finished the work and handed over the recording, that’s really the only thing that matters. END >
Vintage Amp Room has the sort of design quirks that might be ‘character’ or ‘flaw’
TECH SPEC
Softube Vintage Amp Room plug-in MSRP $219
Formats
Type Amp Sim plug-in
32 & 64 bit VST, VST3, AU, or AAX
System Requirements
Protection iLok (USB key is NOT required)
http://www.softube.com/index. php?id=system_requirements
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THE QUIE ROOM WHEN ONLY ACOUSTIC WI
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E ET M LL DO
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
Seagull Artist Mosaic Elemen
Seagull’s Artist Mosaic represents an ambitious attempt by the Canadian guitar maker serious but still amateur instruments. Has Seagull aimed too high? Tom Quayle gives
‘S
eagull guitars began in 1982 when Robert Godin (of Godin guitars fame) first started to make acoustic guitars that would offer exceptional value for money – serious instruments that were within reach of ordinary musicians. Affordable, solid wood acoustics are a lot more common now than they were then but Seagull has a pretty unique claim to separate itself from the sea of other builders, in that its instruments are actually all build and finished in Canada, just like their high end Godin models. They are actually made in the small Canadian village of LaPatrie were half of the 475 strong population are guitar builders, so you know you’re getting some experienced and passionate people working on these instruments! Seagull sources all of its woods from sustainable resources, uses hydropower for its manufacturing facility and even offers a limited lifetime warranty for all of its guitars. So far, so very impressive, but what are the guitars like? We’ve reviewed the Peppino D’Agostino signature model in a previous issue and been very impressed but what of their even more
STAR RATING
The Artist series sits at the top of the Seagull range, made from hand selected tonewoods and built by a select few luthiers to ensure the highest quality guitars that the brand produces. The Artist Mosaic is a professional acoustic with solid mahogany back and sides, a solid cedar top and a mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and 21 frets. The body is a large, but not overly so, Dreadnought shape and finished in a semi-gloss coating that really accentuates the high quality grain of the woods on show. The guitar is classic looking in all senses except for the headstock and that may prove divisive for some players due to its tiny proportions, making the neck look larger and more intimidating than it actually is. This gives the guitar a slightly unbalanced look from body to head but it’s in no means an ugly design, just something most people will need to adjust to visually. Small touches such as the beautifully executed and understated purfling and
PROS
Amazingly rich tone from such a small guitar • size excellent for travel and space saving without comprom
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affordable non-signature models? Seagull sent us an Artist Mosaic Element acoustic to review.
Just the price – but worth every penny
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nt
r to offer a fully professional acoustic guitar at a price level more usually occupied by his verdict. rosette designs, combined with the offset dots and Seagull inlay at the 12th fret, add to the feeling of quality on display here, matched well with the high quality tuners, nut and bridge. This is a guitar where no corners have been cut unnecessarily but, with the excellent included, soft/hard hybrid case factored in, it comes in at a higher price point than your average ‘budgetfriendly’ acoustic so you’d expect higher quality, given that extra cost. Our Mosaic model also features the excellent LR Baggs element pre-amp, mounted on the soundhole with a volume and tone control. It’s incredibly easy to use, passing the all-important ‘no need to read the manual’ test, and works very well to produce a realistic and natural acoustic response without the low end thump and breakup issues that can plague similar systems. The Artist Mosaic is also available without the pre-amp if you’d rather go all acoustic or fit your own aftermarket alternative. The Artist Mosaic certainly feels like a professional instrument with its superb factory set-up and flawless finishing internally and externally. The action is low across the guitar’s
Incredible workmanship and finish • Classy, understated good looks • Superb playability • Small mising tone
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
Seagull Artist Mosaic Element
range, although not overly so, allowing for easy playability without sacrificing tone or sustain. The neck profile is very comfortable with good string spacing for both chords and lead work and the larger Dreadnought body offers lots of volume and bottom end without becoming intimidating for smaller players. Fretwork and intonation are also excellent, easily matching guitars at significantly higher price points. You can really tell that this guitar has been manufactured with a care and attention to detail that can be found lacking on some other acoustics in this price point where
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visual flare tends to mask subtle flaws or shortcomings. The Artist Mosaic might not be the most visually outstanding guitar you’ll ever come across (it’s far from ugly of course) but, as far as bang for buck goes, it’s a real winner. Tonally this is a superb guitar too. There is a level of detail and crispness to the Artist Mosaic that you normally associate with guitars from the big ‘T’ or ‘M’ brigade, with an authoritative low end thump and a very good dynamic range that makes you play more musically. Obviously this isn’t a $6,000, hand-made acoustic, so it’s not going
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to compete with the high end guitars from the biggest names on the block, however, at this price point it’s fantastic that you get a guitar that sounds and feels so good to play and comes this close to the far more expensive competition – closer than some competitors will find comfortable, in fact. As I said earlier, affordable solid wood acoustics are all over the market place now, but Seagull has created something that actually comes very close to offering an
affordable alternative to the mega-expensive high end acoustics that we all lust after but many of us just could never afford. If you want to get as close to one of these aspirational acoustics as you can, but without spending your life savings in the process, the Seagull Artist Mosaic is a very good alternative. When you factor in that reliable all-Canadian build, sustainable woods and lifetime warranty this becomes a very interesting proposition indeed.
Seagull Artist Mosaic Element MSRP £949 US $TBC Made in Canada TOP – Solid Cedar BACK – Solid Mahogany NECK - Mahogany-GLOSS
Lower Bout15.87 inches Nut Width1.8 inches Scale25.5inches Upper Bout11.38 inches Waist 10.54 inches Pickup: LR Baggs Element Case: TRIC DeLuxe included
TECH SPEC
FINISH – Semi-Gloss& SPECS Body Depth 4.9 inches FIND THIS PRODUCT ON
Body Length19.8 inches
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Lowden
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
Larrivée P-03WW Recording parlour guitar
Parlour guitars have made an astonishing comeback in the past few years as players d And when they are made of superior tonewoods, the results can be exceptional. Bob T
‘D
espite their stellar reputation for high-quality tonewoods, flawless construction and superb playability, Larrivée guitars are possibly one of the best-kept open secrets going. The company’s founder Jean Larrivée has always sought out the best tonewoods available, as anyone who has ever owned a Larrivée guitar will testify. With the current and continuing pressures on the availability and sustainability of tonewoods, Larrivée has been looking for alternatives, one of which is the Peruvian walnut that has been used in this special edition of the highly-successful P-03 parlour guitar. Walnut-bodied guitars are not particularly common, although smaller artisan builders in both Europe and the US have used their indigenous walnut woods very successfully over the years. Both my Alan Arnold Kingfisher parlour guitar and my Brook baritone feature English walnut back and sides, giving them (to my ears) a tonality that lies somewhere between mahogany and koa. We’re well-used to all-mahogany guitars, with Martin’s 017 being perhaps the most
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familiar, but I’ve never come across an allwalnut guitar and certainly not one made from Peruvian walnut. Looking at the colour and grain pattern in the P-03W, you’ll see a more than passing resemblance to that of mahogany, which might be why Jean Larrivée was attracted to Peruvian walnut in the first place. In addition to its Canadian maple bound, all-solid Peruvian walnut front, back and sides, the P-03WW also possesses a single-piece, solid mahogany neck. Its bridge and ivoroid-bound fingerboard are made from African ebony and an inlaid wooden herringbone rosette surrounds the soundhole. Nut width is 1¾” (44.5mm), bridge spacing is 2¼” (69.9mm) and these, in combination with the shortish 24” (610mm) scale length, make the P-03 W very comfortable to play, especially for fingerpickers like myself. The front is braced using Larrivée’s own symmetrical parabolic X-bracing and the neck to body joint is a hand-fitted dovetail. A satin finish, 18:1 ratio Ping tuners,
PROS
Superb all-solid wood construction • Plays like
CONS
You’ll need to like its sound (I do – a lot)
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Series All-Peruvian Walnut
discover that great tone (and even surprising volume) can be got out of small packages. Thomas reviews a special edition Larrivée. microdot fret markers and a deluxe Larrivée guitar case complete the picture. The first thing that you’ll notice about the Larrivée P-03 WW is just how comfortable it feels in your arms. The small body (13” lower bout, 8” waist and 9” upper bout) just feels right, the neck fits the hand like a glove and the low string tension (courtesy of the short scale length) gives the guitar a most beguiling, easy playability. All-mahogany guitars can tend to be biased towards the midrange area with basses and trebles feeling a bit subdued, but this allPeruvian walnut Larrivée has a deeper, darker, more even and more expansive response than I’d anticipated, delivering a tight bass and a clear singing treble that reminded me a lot of my X-braced 1930’s Kalamazoo KG-11 and other guitars of that ilk and era. There’s a sense of age in this P-03 W’s voicing that just cries out to have Ragtime, Blues, old-time, slide and even early Jazz played on it. As the woods mature and the guitar opens up over the next couple of years or so, I’d expect the midrange to come more to the fore, at which point this P-03 W will have turned into a very fine, well-balanced guitar with its own, distinctive voice.
a dream • Characterful sound • Great value for money
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
If you’re looking for a guitar that has an individual voice, especially if you play at the bluesier end of fingerstyle, then a Larrivée P-03WW could well be the one for you. It’s a very fine guitar with an attractive price tag that you don’t usually find attached to solid-
wood, American-made acoustic steel-string guitars. Value for money and soundwise, it can’t be faulted, but you’ll need to get your hands on one to decide whether or not the sound that it delivers is the one that you want. END >
Larrivée P-03WW Recording Series All-American Walnut parlour guitar
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
Larrivée P-03WW Recording Series All-American Walnut parlour guitar MSRP £1,349 USA price Contact manufacturer Made in: USA Back & Sides: Peruvian Walnut Top: Peruvian Walnut Neck: Mahogany Headplate: Ebony Fingerboard: Ebony
TECH SPEC
Bridge: Ebony
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Tuners: Chrone 16:1 Saddle: Bone • Compensated Nut: Bone
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Bridge Pins: Bone w/Black Dots Case: Hardshell Scale Length: 24” Upper Bout: 9.5” Waist: 7.75” Lower Bout: 13.25” Body Depth: 4.5” Nut Width: 1-3/4” Saddle Spacing: 2-7/32” Finish: Bracing Pattern: X-Brace
Aria
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
Aria Delta Player 111-DP acous
In GI 43 we reviewed a new low cost acoustic from Japan’s Aria, one of the founding fat pressed. Even in this most competitive market the Aria 101 stands out as excellent valu Could this offer even better value? Tom Quayle looked quizzical.
‘A
ria’s 100 series comes in three highly affordable variants – the 111 Dreadnought, 101 Folk and 131 small bodied Parlour guitar. All three share the same basic construction with spruce tops, sapele backs and sides (a cost effective alternative to the more
Aria Delta Player 111-DP acoustic
STAR RATING EACH 182
PROS
Amazing value for money • Great construction Good playability
CONS
None at this price
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stic
thers of affordable, playable guitars back in the 1960s and ‘70s. We were hugely imue for money. Now Aria tells us it thinks it has gone one better with the Delta Player 111. expensive mahogany that is traditionally used for acoustics) and a mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard. The DP series differs from the core range in that a very vintage looking ‘Muddy Brown’ finish has been applied to the guitar for that authentic ‘swampy Delta Blues’ feel compared to the normal guitars. Other than that the models are identical. Our Dreadnought 111DP looked superb with this finish, matching very nicely with the vintage open gear tuners and classic 3-per-side headstock shape, sporting the Aria logo for good measure. There is nothing particularly fancy about the 100 series and given the price point you shouldn’t expect it either, not that this is a bad thing by any means. The 111DP has simple white binding around the body and a subtle, attractive rosette design that suits the look of the guitar well. Aria has kept costs down to a minimum with no preamps or pickups but the guitar certainly doesn’t feel cheap. In fact, the 111DP feels superbly well built, coming as a bit of a surprise the first time you pick it up, especially if you’ve seen that low price. This is a solid instrument with clean construction internally and externally, good fretwork and an excellent factory set-up
n • Vintage good looks from top to bottom • Authentic Blues tone and feel
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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW
that required no tweaking before our review. The neck is comfortable with its relatively thin, vintage profile that will be manageable by even the smallest hands with ease and allows for surprisingly technical playing (this is Blues though, so no shredding please!). The tuners offer good tuning stability and really look the part on this style of guitar, again giving a sense of a more expensive instrument than the price would suggest. Tonally is where the biggest surprise comes with the 111DP. It may be a combination of the vintage styling and ‘Muddy Brown’ finish conferring some kind of bias on tonal perceptions, but this guitar really does sound every bit as ‘classic acoustic Blues’ as it looks! Think of old Robert Johnson recordings (minus the old recording noise and hiss of course) and you’ll be in the right ball park. That slightly raspy but ‘oh so cool’ Blues sound is right there with aplomb and makes you feel like an authentic Delta Blues player immediately, even if the playing doesn’t
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quite match the enthusiasm! This might not be an original 1928 Gibson L1 or Martin, but it gets you at least some of the way there for an incredibly low price point! The guitar works equally well for strumming big bluesy chord progressions as for single note cascading blues runs a la Stevie Ray. There is no fretting out or dead notes across its range so you can play with confidence but the tone has enough character and bite to be authentic enough for real blues gigs or jam sessions. It’s a becoming more and more common these days for acoustic manufacturers to offer genuine quality guitars that can be used on a daily basis without any real compromises at
TECH SPEC
Aria Delta Player 111-DP acoustic MSRP £189 US $ TBC Made in:INDONESIA Top: Spruce Back & Side: Sapele Neck: Mahogany
amazing prices. The Aria 100 series is a great example of this with a price point that would have netted you a real stinker of a guitar just a few short years ago, now getting you a great instrument with tone and playability that are worth two or three times the asking price. Even factoring a case or gig bag into the equation, the Aria-111DP represents amazing value for money as a blues/vintage acoustic or those looking for a second guitar for regular gigging without worrying about their investment prize piece at home. Excellent stuff and highly recommended. In fact we’re going to go even further and award it the almost unheard of five stars! Well done, Aria! END >
Fingerboard: Rosewood Frets: 20 Nut Width: 43mm Scale: 650mm Bridge: Rosewood Machinehead: vintage Open Gear Type Finish: MUBR (Muddy Brown)
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THE BASSME
THE
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E ENT
E PLACE FOR BASS
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THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW
Music Man Cutlass and Capric
No matter how innovative bass makers become, many players still seem to keep going bac And how! Dan Veall gets back to bassics.
‘T
here’s no getting away from the fact that the introduction of these two basses from Music Man, the Cutlass and the Caprice, are taking the fight straight to Fender’s bass heartland of the Precision and Jazz. The irony, of course, is that the entire Music Man concept originally came from Leo Fender himself, but these two basses are new. What they mean is that if you are looking for a passive Precision or a Jazz then the Cutlass and
Music Man Cutlass Review
STAR RATING FOR BOTH 188
PROS
Quality goods built on familiar territory • Great
CONS
No left handers • No five strings
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
ce basses
ck to the source. Bowing to the inevitable, Music Man has decided to give it to them.
Caprice basses now have to be on your shortlist to try side by side against the equivalent USmade Fenders. A lot on both these newcomers is going to be familiar. They feature maple necks with a satin polyurethane finish that is so smooth to the touch and the 21 fret necks are very comfortable to navigate. Both seem to feel slimmer than the Classic Sabre I reviewed back in issue 31 from memory, if that’s a useful gauge! Compensated nuts are a nice touch on these two but the headstock is going to divide opinion. It’s a lot bigger that we’re used to from Music Man, and probably no doubt for the reason that this is what a customer in the market
for this type of bass is going to be expecting. Still, the profile is recognisable and it maintains that all important three and one machine head arrangement, so it definitely has a Music Man family look and feel. Size and shape are curious things, I have to say. On the video I opined that these two both seem to have smaller bodies than I’d been expecting. Since filming I have delved into this and in a direct comparison with my own ‘62 Precision, it seems I was wrong. So, there ya go! I can only surmise that the adjustments to body shape and headstock mess with the mind a little. As you would expect, both basses have alder bodies,
t sounding passive pickups • Very well made
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THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW maple necks and a choice of rosewood or maple fretboards and our samples were as well put together as Music Man instruments always seem to be. In fact, the consensus here at GI is that we have never seen a bad Music Man, which is saying a heck of a lot! Acoustically, both instruments have a pleasing low-mid character out of their fitted cases supplied (that’s a nice touch, by the way). The strings are anchored with top-landing vintage Music Man bridges that feature nickel plated hollow steel saddles on a steel bridge plate, so all very traditional there, too. Of course, the key difference between the Cutlass and the Caprice is their complement of pickups: P Split coil vs P and J pickups. In all cases they are humbucking pickups and are dead silent. This is a big deal and weighs in Music Man’s favour in a direct shoot-out. Tonally, they are muscular sounding even through a ‘flat’ monitoring amp, offering lots of midrange punch, smooth top end and less subs. Those big pole pieces deliver a note quality that is characteristic and herein lies a difference between these and the obvious rivals and you are going to have to try them side by side for yourself to see which you prefer – though of course, I hope my video is a guide! As you would expect the basses have different neck widths. The Cutlass comes with a 41.3mm nut and the Caprice 38.1mm echoing the obvious competition. There are lots of fairly minor, yet significant differences also buried in the mix. For example, an easy access truss rod adjustment at the body end of the neck, shielded electronics
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compartment and tapered turnkey string posts, high quality Schaller machine heads. Clearly, a lot of thought has gone into these two. The only slight concern I had was that it sometimes felt as if they were sliding off my lap as I was playing them seated. The high gloss finish? A more rounded shape? Check that aspect it and see what you think.
Overall, these are two finely made basses which offer the traditional bass player a very viable alternative indeed. They are similarly priced, but have some very nice extra touches (not least that choice in neck widths) so if you are in the market for a traditional, passive, bass and had previously been looking in only one direction, well... here’s somewhere else to look and don’t be at all surprised if you like what you see! END >
MusicMan Caprice Review
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THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW
Music Man Cutlass bass MSRP £1949.99
Music Man Caprice bass MSRP £1999.99 Made in: USA
Cutlass Bass
TECH SPEC
Size: 13-7/16” wide x 1-5/8” thick x 453/8” long (34.1 cm wide, 4.1 cm thick, 115.3 cm long) Weight 9 lbs. 0 oz. (4.08 kg) - varies slightly Body Wood Alder Body Finish High gloss polyester Body ColorsBlack, White, Diamond Blue, Heritage Tobacco Burst Bridge Vintage Music Man top loaded chrome plated, steel bridge plate with vintage nickel plated hollow steel saddles Pickguard Shell (Heritage Tobacco Burst); Parchment (Diamond Blue); Black (Black); Mint (White) Scale Length 34” (86.4 cm) Neck Radius 7.5” (19.1 cm) Headstock Size 9” (22.9 cm) long Frets 21 - High profile, narrow width Neck Width 1-5/8” (41.3 mm) at nut 2-15/32” (62.7 mm) at last fret Neck Wood Select maple neck
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Fingerboard Select maple or rosewood Fret Markers 5/16” Black or White dots Neck Finish Ultra-light satin polyurethane finish Neck Colors Natural aged yellow finish Tuning Machines Schaller BM, with tapered string posts Truss Rod Adjustable - no component or string removal Neck Attachment 5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting; Sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets Electronic Shielding Graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum lined pickguard Controls 250kohm volume and tone - .1µF tone capacitor Pickups Music Man offset humbucking Left Handed No
TECH SPEC
Caprice Bass Size 12-11/16” wide, 1-5/8” thick, 459/16” long (32.2 cm wide, 4.1 cm thick, 115.7 cm long) Weight 8 lbs. 8 oz. (3.86 kg) - varies slightly Body Wood Alder Body Finish High gloss polyester Body Colors Black, Ivory White, Diamond Blue, Heritage Tobacco Burst Bridge Vintage Music Man top loaded chrome plated, steel bridge plate with vintage nickel plated hollow steel saddles Pickguard Shell (Heritage Tobacco Burst); Parchment (Diamond Blue); Black (Black); Mint (White) Scale Length 34” (86.4 cm) Neck Radius 7.5” (19.1 cm) Headstock Size 9” (22.9 cm) long Frets 21 - High profile, narrow width Neck Width 1-1/2” (38.1 mm) at nut, 2-1/2” (63.5 mm) at last fret Neck Wood Select maple neck Fingerboard Select maple or rosewood Fret Markers 5/16” Black or White dots Neck Finish Ultra-light satin
polyurethane finish Neck Colors Natural aged yellow finish Tuning Machines Schaller BM, with tapered string posts Truss Rod Adjustable - no component or string removal Neck Attachment 5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting; Sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets Electronic Shielding Graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum lined pickguard Controls 250kohm neck pickup volume, 250kohm bridge pickup volume, and tone - .1µF tone capacitor Pickups Music Man inline humbucking; Music Man offset humbucking Left Handed No
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THE BASSMENT_COMBO REVIEW
LANEY Nexus SLS112
Generally speaking, 1x12 bass combos are...forgettable. But what do you do if you wa will take you from your home studio all the way up to major venues? Dan Veall com
‘C
ast your minds back to issue 34, when we introduced you to Laney’s newcomer, its Nexus range, notably the Nexus SL head and matching cabinets. I’m going to be quoting that review but that doesn’t mean the latest addition to the range is any less important or just ‘more of the same’. The SLS has the same functionality in a smaller package – and it really is something quite unique!
LANEY Nexus SLS112
STAR RATING
194
PROS
More features than you knew you needed • A h
CONS
Might frighten a technophobe
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
ant a really sophisticated pre-amp and a powerful output from a small package that mes face to face with a very distinctive offering from Laney.
hugely competent pre-amp in a small package
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THE BASSMENT_COMBO REVIEW
The Nexus SLS itself is a brand new head from Laney. It’s a downsized version of the Nexus SL and it is designed for those who want to travel clever; to be on the move and drop the head in a small carry case with a bass over the shoulder. This would mean ease of transportation especially for those having to use public transport to gigs or who are flying. What this innovative manufacturer has done now has been to use this same head in a combo version, resulting in the SLS212, which is a meaty 500 Watt package, featuring all of the cool options that the SL brings in a highly compact form. Across the front panel are controls for gain level, semi-parametric EQ and master level. There is a preset compressor that is accessible with a pull switch on the gain knob. There is no separate threshold knob for this, but the default setting is musical and usable. Above the equaliser controls are three ‘fast access’ effects knobs giving you either a mix
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of chorus or reverb effects via the ‘space’ knob. Advancing said knob from a centre position in either direction will add intensity to each effect; chorus one way, reverb the other. Similarly a ‘dual effect’ control next to that marked ‘interval’ offers a cool octave below effect counter-clockwise and a fifth above effect clockwise. Finally, paired with this control is the focus parameter. This control adds top end clarity to the effect, best heard with the +5 setting, or reducing the level helps to get the wet effect to sit more smoothly with the direct bass tone. Moving across, the SLS has a master volume control with a pull mute switch – muting of the bass signal being available under foot too. To the right, two featured controls are: “Tilt” – a sort of see-saw EQ that when turned to the left boosts low end and cuts top end or advancing to the right boosts top end and cuts low end - a great way to tailor your sound to a room or mix without messing with your more subtle settings on the main EQ! Next comes “Touch”, a way of adjusting
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As you can see, this new Laney is an amazingly comprehensive piece of gear the way that the valve per-amplifier reacts to touch sensitivity. Although subtle, and in our case actual hard to hear differences, the manual suggests turning the control clockwise makes the sound more open and anti-clockwise ‘tighter and faster’. I should add at this point that there is a tube (aka valve) in the front end – an ECC83 while providing the muscle and volume in this surprisingly light weight package is a single 500W D Class module. Full power into a 4 Ohm load and you have the option of connecting an external cabinet too for extra air moving capacity! Away from the stage, you can run the SLS212 as a recording interface, providing you with input and output connections to your computer based recording system via a USB connection, which Laney calls its T-USB. This alone could take some time to explore and explain, but suffice it to say that it means this combo could very easily become the access point to your DAW-based home/project studio. But it doesn’t even end there! All the connections you need, including a configurable D.I., serial effects loop, headphone output and auxiliary input, are provided around the back but it’s important
to understand how flexible the SLS really is as these connections do more than just provide simple in and outputs. The SLS is capable of ‘re-amping’, a method of recording that allows you to track both the sound of your dry bass and that of the ‘wet’ signal path output with all that lovely valve tone, EQ and effects on. Later, if it is decided that you delivered a flawless performance in your recording, but the EQ on the SLS was set incorrectly, then the dry signal can be fed back through the SLS from your DAW, tweaked and re-recorded in real time – even without you being present since your original instrument performance will have been preserved! As you can see, this new Laney is an amazingly comprehensive piece of gear but what makes it so remarkable is that it has been incorporated into a sturdy cabinet along with a 12” neodymium woofer and 1” tweeter. As you would expect, the sound quality is great. It’s loud and it’s powerful but to hear it at its full potential you need to hook it up to a bigger cabinet – and Laney has plenty on offer. That’s not to downplay the sound of the combo version, which does as good a job as you could expect from its size, it’s more to say that in this one package you have a
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hugely versatile amp that could go with you from the studio to really quite big venues and handle them all. So long as you had a bigger cab to plug it into when you wanted to tackle the biggest venues. Laney has shoe-horned more features than you thought you needed (and probably thought possible) into the SLS112. It may look daunting at first, considering the wide
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range of connection possibilities around the back and feature rich front panel. In fact, it could scare a technophobe on first looks, but honestly, it’s really easy to use. For the player who wants the maximum flexibility from a single small amp he or she can use for all purposes, especially DAW based recording, there’s nothing out there that can really challenge this one. END >
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LANEY Nexus SLS112
465x435x400
MSRP £849 US $TBC
Preamp Valves ECC83
Made in: China Aux In Mini Jack
Reverb HQ Digital Reverb
Cabinet Design Conventional cabinet design finished in TUFFSTUFF Channels Single DI Socket Pro DI - selectable Pre, Post or Output Drivers 1 x 12” Neodymium Driver & 1” Exit Compression Driver Effects Dedicated Bass Reverb & Chorus, Octave & Fifth Equalisation 3 Band EQ with Swept Mid Footswitch FS4-NSL
TECH SPEC
FX Loop(s) Selectable Headphone Socket Stereo Jack, independent Volume & Source selector
Power 500W into 4 Ohms
Speaker connections 1 x Neutrik Speakon connector for extension cabinet Weight 19.5kg Input Hi, Lo Digital FX Reverb, Chorus, Octave, 5th 4 Preset EQ Shape Control 3 Band EQ With Swept Mid Gain, Volume, Tilt Valve/Indicator Light Output D.I Level Control T-USB Re-Amp & Send Aux In Aux Level Control FX Loop Send & Return Internal Horn Full/Half Control
Inputs Hi & Lo Packed Dimensions (HxWxD mm)
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THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW
XOTIC XJ-1T 5 “Lightweight” fi
California’s Xotic makes its debut in GI’s Bassment with a shoulder-friendly take on a classi
‘S
ome boutique bass makers seem to go all out to make their instruments look like nothing you have ever seen before, while others prefer to take the evolutionary approach and develop on what is there already. LA’s Xotic seems to be firmly in the latter camp, in the case of its XJ-IT 5 having taken the time honoured Jazz bass as the model and bringing that vintage classic bang up to date. As a manufacturer, Xotic has managed to bag some major names in the bass world as users, so its approach is definitely appealing to people. Naturally a whistle stop tour is necessary but not before you have clicked play on my review video! OK, where to start? Well, it seems to me that the Xotic XJ’s specifications read like a shopping list for all of your necessary hardware, even before we discuss the quality of workmanship in the production of this fine instrument: Even right down to the brilliant D’Addario strings installed as standard.
STAR RATING
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Downsized Hipshot ultralite tuning keys are used, along with a custom ‘A’ type brass bridge with chrome finish for string vibration transfer. Over the pure bone nut we are headlong into pale coloured maple which looks fabulous against the glossy sunburst finish on the body (there are plenty of colour options by the way). The neck is a hand carved C shape and has been finished with Xotic’s own ‘OG1’ oil. Again, hand finished. I neglected to mention in the video detail the position markers on the fretboard which are Luminova phosphorescent dots. ‘Charged’ under bright light they will glow throughout a performance on a dark stage. Very cool! The bass sports a great feeling 22 Jescar wire fretted neck - and you’ll be right at home if you are comfortable with 19mm string spacing bridges here. This is a matter of taste (it isn’t mine, as it happens) but many players will love this width, so that’s something only you will be able to decide.
PROS
A well thought out implementation of a classic
CONS
19mm spacing may not be to everyone’s person
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
five string bass
ic shape. Dan Veall cancels his appointment with the osteopath.
On to the body and here is where the ‘lightweight’ tag comes from. Xotic shaves off some front-to back wood keeping the instrument’s weight under control. Most seem to be two-piece alder but Xotic also offers ash as an option. The company says: “Our alder bodies feature 2 piece construction, while our ash bodies are 3 piece. The 3 piece ash body construction is more reminiscent of 70’s jazz type ash bodies.” In case it helps, the average weight of a ‘lightweight’ is said to be under 9lbs, so it is a significant saving when it’s played standing up. On to the electronics and we have a pair of ‘60s Jazz positioned Alnico 5 pickups using Formvar wire. I understand that the pickups are voiced with vintage in mind but with a higher output. I’ve read that Xotic spent time ensuring that its pickups and bass construction meant that the B string not only sounded good but was well balanced when compared to the other strings. I’ll support that as the review bass sounded great top to bottom, even in my hands!
c design • Very well made
nal liking
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THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW
You might think that this Xotic is a case of a trying to reinvent the wheel but many peop J-style bass without necessarily wanting an
XOTIC XJ-1T 5 “Lightweight” five string bass
Not only are the pickups good but Xotic’s three band EQ on board works very well, too, with the very useful feature of allowing you to bypass it completely for an all-passive mode, should you wish. There’s even a passive tone control topping off the nonpowered configuration. Enabled, the XJ takes
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on a breadth of tone. Some basses when switched in and out of ‘active’ mode sound so different it’s actually very difficult to make use of the two settings but not the Xotic, where I found that going from one mode to another was a smooth process.
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a bass maker ple want a n original.
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THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW
In my video I run through the passive options separate to the active mode, but playing live, I found a sweet spot on the EQ that just sounded brilliant in the room. I hope it came across in the video too. There are some really nice touches on these basses that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, I mentioned in the video that dropping the controls in to the body was very
welcome and so are the really great wooden pickup covers that not only serve as a ‘ramp’ but also have thumb rests built in too! Great! You might think that this Xotic is a case of a bass maker trying to reinvent the wheel but many people want a J-style bass without necessarily wanting an original. Well, this is faithful enough to be familiar but different enough to be well worth considering as an
XOTIC XJ-1T 5 “Lightweight” five string ba
TECH SPEC
MSRP £2,299 US (approx) $3,600 – check with manufacturer.
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Made in: Japan/USA
PICKUP: Xotic JB
BODY: Swamp ash
TUNER: HipShot Ultra Light
COLOR: 3 tone sunburst
BRIDGE: Brass/Chrome
NECK: 22F Maple
CONTROL: 1 Vol, 1 x Pan, 1 Tone, 3-Band EQ Xotic Bass Preamp, (Output Gain Control on rear on bass) SWITCH: Pull 1st Vol for Passive/Active
NECK FINISH: Oil Finish NUT: Pure Bone FRET: Jescar Silver Nickel (#6150 type)
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
HARDWARE: Chrome
alternative. It isn’t cheap but then you’re really going to have to put it up against something like a Fender Elite 5-string Jazz for a comparison and if you do, you’ll see where the Xotic scores. END > Our grateful thanks to Bass Direct for the loan of this review instrument www.bassdirect.co.uk
ass STRAP BUTTON: Gotoh STRINGS: D’Addario Neck Scale: 34 inch Nut width on 5 string: 46.9mm (1.848 inch) Neck width at the last fret on 5 string: 73.9mm (2.913 inch) String Spacing at the bridge: 19.0mm (0.748 inch)
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THE BASSMENT_BASS DI REVIEW
LR Baggs Stadium Bass DI
When is a DI box not (just) a DI box? Dan Veall investigates a brilliant newcomer from LR B
‘T
he Stadium Bass DI from LR Baggs is more than just a DI and it’s not just a simple utility pedal either. Let me explain…
Around the front panel it’s far removed from what you may be used to plugging in to at the local venue - that DI box that is dumped on the corner of your amplifier that looks like it has been in a fight with several pints of sticky beer and a floor load of fluff and gaffer tape! The Stadium DI offers up pristine audio - no surprise because, as I understand it, the LR Baggs team originally created the prototype for their own needs using premium components but decided to release it for the world’s bass players too. There are five controls on the front, which include a gain for setting the optimal input level. Going around clockwise on the front panel there’s a VU meter for a visual guide to setting your input level, which also doubles up as a battery indicator too which tells you how many hours you have left via a pair of indicators.
STAR RATING
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The Stadium DI features a very interesting and for me very welcome inclusion. If you’ve seen my review recently of the TC Spectracomp you’ll have seen me refer to the benefits of multi-band compression. Well, like the Spectracomp, the Stadium DI also has a three band compressor on board whose parameters are controlled by one knob marked Comp EQ. In the video I have hopefully been able to demonstrate that effect, but I would urge you to get out to try one of these for yourself as the effect is a lot more pronounced ‘in the flesh’! Now for the Growl! ‘Bass specific distortion’ takes on many flavours. Some hit the mark, some sadly miss it - but LR Baggs is not going for the full-bore metal drive here. The Growl control is designed to saturate only the low frequencies of your bass signal - to add warmth and ‘rich harmonic content’ they say. However, if you want to get some top end bite into your drive too, then reach for the drive button that will enable the saturated drive to affect the entire signal range.
PROS
Pro quality build • Great tone shaping functions
CONS
None at all
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Baggs
s
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THE BASSMENT_BASS DI REVIEW
I urge you to make sure this one is near the top of you ‘ones to try’ list
LR Baggs Stadium Bass DI
Down at the bottom of the box lives a foot switch to engage it - which means that this DI Box can also be used as part of your performance, a pedal too rather than a ‘sit at the back’ never to be seen tool. On the subject of growl, we often like to add
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bite to our sound too and the Stadium has an Attack control knob that takes care of top end boost. Starting at the top of the dial and advancing will add top end, but you know, sometimes you want to back off the highs too and thus you’ve not been left wanting there either as the pedal allows you to back
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Redwitch Pedals/Subs
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THE BASSMENT_BASS DI REVIEW
off top end anti-clockwise from the noon position. The Stadium comes with lots of nice touches which show that the manufacturer knows exactly what it is doing. For example, the master volume adjusts the output across both the XLR output and the 1/4” unbalanced output at the same time and for further punch, the Stadium DI features a bass boost function in the shape of the FAT button offering either 0, +3db or +6db of additional thumb centred at 150Hz. This has clearly been designed by people who use these devices – not always the case with gear as we sometimes find out when we take products on stage! An external power supply can be used to drive the Stadium, with an option of using between 9 and 12 volts DC, using the same common connection as ‘standard pedals’. Battery life is said to be up to 100 hours and if neither of these options are available the whole unit will take phantom power too! Finally for compatibility, the XLR output
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has a ground lift switch which is useful for attempting to remove ground loop noise; there is also an output PAD function switch for the XLR too should you have a PA that needs to receive either -10dbV or +4dbV signals. That’s the run through done, but in reality, what’s it like in use? Well, I can happily say that I found a very pleasing setting in the video whereby there was a noticeable fattening and ‘polishing’ of my bass sound. What really impressed me is that I found that setting very quickly. You don’t need to be spending ages getting a sound together. I like that and as musicians on the road, or recording, we need that. Of course there are a lot of DI boxes on the market today but I urge you to make sure this one is near the top of you ‘ones to try’ list because bridges the gap between being a professional DI box and a bass pedal, rather than being just a bass pedal with XLR socket. This is a really great product and I’d happily use one. END >
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LR Baggs Stadium bass DI MSRP £279.99 US $369 Made in: USA Growl control adds low end distortion for thickness and rich, harmonic content Drive button pushes the Growl to a full overdrive
TECH SPEC
Comp EQ enhances the feel of playing while evening out your tone Attack sweeps between a wide range of warmth, clarity, and everywhere in between
All-discrete signal path with XLR and quarter inch outputs 48V phantom power, 9V battery, or 9V DC powering options Pad boosts or cuts XLR out (-10dBV or +4dBu) to meet the needs of the PA Ground lift switch effectively eliminates ground-loop noise Rugged enclosure constructed of aluminum, steel, and ABS plastic Includes custom LR Baggs carrying case
Fat switch boosts 150Hz +3dB or +6dB for a fuller, rounded tone VU meter visually optimizes gain for passive and active pickups
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Coltrane Changes - Part 2 ‘H
i guys and welcome back to part two of our look at one of the most famous and notorious chord progressions in the jazz genre. In the last issue we looked at how to derive the basic ‘Coltrane changes’ form from any given starting Maj7 chord. In this issue we’re going to be taking things a step further by looking at the actual chord progression used in John Coltrane’s most famous of tunes – Giant Steps. Released in 1960, Giant Steps was Coltrane’s fifth studio album and represented something of a monumental shift in jazz. In the weeks before recording Giant Steps, Coltrane had just finished studio sessions for the seminal album, Kind of Blue, a Miles Davis led, primarily modal project that couldn’t have been further from Giant Steps in terms of harmonic complexity and density. In fact, the tune Giant Steps was so new and complex at the time that the piano player on the session, Tommy Flanagan, seemed to really struggle with the chord changes, playing stop-start phrases compared to Coltrane’s beautiful flowing lines. The reason for the difficulty associated with Giant Steps is that it is harmonically very dense and generally performed at very fast tempos above 280bpm. It requires years of practice to get comfortable over this progression so be prepared to take your time and be patient with yourself. Since we’ve already looked at the basic Coltrane progression let’s now examine how he came up with the longer progression for Giant Steps. The chord progression is a combination of the Coltrane changes progression and traditional II-V-I progressions, arranged in a very clever way using the three tonic system we looked at in the last issue. The three tonics in Giant Steps are, B major, Eb Major and G major, giving us the following II-V-I progressions that you’ll find written out in the tablature: C#m7 – F#7 – Bmaj7 Fm7 – Bb7 – Ebmaj7 Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7 Coltrane combined these with his new chordal system to create the following progression for Giant Steps – again you’ll find this written out in the tablature: -
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Coltrane Changes Part 2
||: Bmaj7 / D7 / | Gmaj7 / Bb7 / | Ebmaj7 / / / | Am7 / D7 / | Gmaj7 / Bb7 / | Ebmaj7 /
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progression and then again from Gmaj7 in bar five, combined with each of the II-V-I’s leading into each of the three tonics – Bmaj, Ebmaj and Gmaj. Also of note is the clever way the progression resolves with a II-V (C#m7 – F#7) at the end, leading back into Bmaj7 at the top again. This gives the progression a wonderful, cyclical feeling that makes it hard for the uninitiated to work out where the beginning and end are.
Note the Coltrane progression occurring twice – from Bmaj7 at the start of the
So, now that you know the progression we need a way to practice soloing over it. At
F#7 / | Bmaj7 / / / | Fm7 / Bb7 / | Ebmaj7 / / / | Am7 / D7 / | Gmaj7 / / / | C#m7 / F#7 / | Bmaj7 / / / | Fm7 / Bb7 / | Ebmaj7 / / / | C#m7 / F#7 / :
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this point it’s worth pointing out that this is an advanced progression to improvise over and if you’re still struggling to play over a blues or more basic standard, it may be best to come back to this at a later stage in your development and be content with just playing the progression for now. One method people use a lot is to play scales or arpeggios over each chord in order to familiarise themselves with where the harmony is on the fretboard in a linear manner. This is fine, except that it can become very limiting and hard to break out of these preset scale and arpeggio patterns and actually create some music and flex your creative muscles. You should certainly practice this approach, but I’m going to suggest something else to supplement this that will help to free you up more as you are learning the fretboard. Start by only playing root notes over each of the chords. A single note on each chord will suffice for now, but try to play them all over the fretboard getting used to thinking ahead as you go rather than always thinking about the chord you are playing on in the moment. This will get you quicker at ‘seeing’ the fretboard, better preparing you for the next step. Once you can play root notes with ease over the progression at any speed without getting lost or always falling back on your favourite parts of the neck you should try to play two notes over each chord, using only chord tones. Use the root notes as your point of visual reference – you don’t need to always play them of course, but you should use the root note as your basis for visually finding the 3rd, 5th and 7th and choosing two notes to play on each chord. This may be a VERY
slow process at first – this is a good thing – it means that you WILL be learning something each time you attempt the exercise. Which two notes you play is entirely up to you, but it’s a good idea to have close voice leading within your phrases at first, rather than jumping around to fit with the areas of the neck you find most comfortable. Once two notes per chord is comfortable do the same thing but with four notes per chord. Again, the notes you choose are entirely up to you, but I recommend sticking to chord tones for now so that your lines are strong sounding and outline the chords well. At this point it’s worth introducing one tension note on each dominant 7th in the progression, so you can also play the b9 along with the root, 3rd, 5th and b7th on these chords. These three exercises alone could take many, many months to become comfortable with and should satisfy you for now, as rushing to create more exciting lines at an early stage would result in frustration and weaker sounding lines overall. Patience is a virtue on a progression like this and will yield the best results in the long run, so hang in there and develop that fretboard knowledge and ability to hear the progression at the pace your brain and ears want to work at and no faster. You’ll find some example lines that I played in the video written out. I’ve left the four note phrases out of the equation so that you can either transcribe those on your own or just come up with lines yourself. Being spoon fed everything never helped anyone after all! Good luck with this amazing progression guys and I’ll see you all in the next issue! END >
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
PRO CONCEPTS 42 Feel
‘H
i everyone. This Pro Concepts I want to discuss ‘Feel’. This is an elusive mysterious subject we have talked about before and is a term used to express something that can’t really be defined. When a player has ‘great feel’ then they are doing something right somewhere, but quite often you can’t say specifically what it is. We can, though, talk about elements that combine to give you a chance within your own playing to improve your feel and give your playing a ‘feel injection’. So where do we begin with such a huge topic? Well we could consider the context of the guitar within the genre of the music you intend to play. Some styles of music naturally allow for more feel to be expressed. But If you generally play “drop C tuning psycho grunge death metal” at a tempo of 180 bpm, then the chances are your priorities aren’t going to be ‘feel’. Although if you do play your drop C psycho grunge slightly out of time with the rest of the band, with a horrible tone and sloppy delivery, then it’s safe to say you are not playing with the feel required. Basically, even if you
are playing death metal, you should still be playing with as much feel as you can get into that style of music, because contemporary electric guitar playing particularly lends itself in all genres and styles to someone who can inject expression, life and feel into the instrument. You could line up five experienced guitar players, give them the same guitar and amp and tell them to play exactly the same parts, and there is a very good chance that one of them will sound better than the other four, purely because of their ‘feel’. It’s a real quirk of the modern guitarist that the undefinable quality of great feel can be the difference between you getting the opportunities of paid work or just remaining someone who plays a bit for fun. Strangely, in my experience, the same can be said for lining up five drummers and bass players with the same gear and parts, and the guys that just make it feel good will be the guy that gets the gig!
I have also known some monster technically gifted guitar players, that are extremely schooled with their
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COLUMNS_MICHAEL CASSWELL theory and reading, that will simply bore you when they play, because although what they play should sound impressive, due to their lack of feel, it won’t connect on an emotional level or speak to people in the way great playing should. I would again like to use a drummer analogy by name checking two of the greatest players ever to sit behind the kit, namely Jeff Porcaro from Toto, and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, both sadly no longer with us. Neither of them were the most technical or complicated of players but ask many successful drummers in the business today and they will tell you that few players will ever achieve the place in drumming history that Porcaro or Bonham gained, simply because whatever feel is, they
had it in spades. By me trying to convey what feel could be in this tutorial, I am not saying that my playing is anywhere near what defined feel is. I am merely trying to make you aware of a few small details within real life playing that can make big differences to the sound you make and hopefully your feel. It’s all very subjective and there is definitely no right or wrong way. You are your own best judge as to why some players simply have a sound in their hands while others don’t. You also might know in your own mind what you consider great feel to be. Again, it’s subjective and everyone’s viewpoint will be slightly different, but factors such as tone, chord voicing choice, touch, dynamics,
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rhythm awareness, note choice, vibrato, string bending, all play a huge factor in fundamental good feel. If you are going to ask me my opinion on players to listen to in order to hear great feel, then my choice of players may not be what speaks to you feel wise, so it’s a personal choice or opinion. If you follow my Pro Concepts column regularly then I’m sure most of you already know the guys I respect as true players. But do be careful who you do absorb and listen to if you are just starting out because it does have a big influence on the guitarist you will eventually become. I definitely think who I listened to
in my formative years gave me an excellent grounding in the important fundamentals of the instrument, and then the guys who inspired me to improve once I was up and running made my approach to the guitar what it is today. Simply put, great ‘feel’ comes from inside and is an elusive thing we all chase and strive to have, but can’t easily taught or copied. Whereas most other aspects of guitar can be taught, shown and copied to a large degree. Our best hope is to be aware and hope that one day you get a reputation for being blessed with great ‘feel!’ END >
Michael Casswell has a new video – Friends For Life, from his latest album Complaints About The noise. Be sure to check it out!
“Friends for Life” by Michael Casswell (Official 4K music video)
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E M E EXTR G N I D D E R SH with Sam Bell
PART4
Sam Bell continues his new and exclusive column on the ultimate high energy playing. Extreme Shred – Lesson 4
‘W
elcome Ladies and Gentlemen to the latest instalment of my Extreme Shred Column for Guitar Interactive Magazine. In the last three columns of this exciting series we have been delving deep into some truly juicy ideas for expanding your shred legato technique on guitar. These ideas have been developed by many great guitarists over many years and take a lot of inspiration from instruments other than guitar. A lot of the extreme legato lines you hear today in modern Rock
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Fusion stylings from players such as Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen, Tom Quayle and Brett Garsed have been initially inspired by Be Bop horn players. Of course some of these sequences on guitar don’t often sound identical to their original foundations of inspiration when put in a Rock context however listening to other instruments can help you find new ‘nonguitaristic’ ways of phrasing new lines and ideas. There are many great players who have done this, but I must mention Allan Holdsworth. A guitarist who has said he didn’t want to play guitar originally, he wanted to play a horn instrument! But
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thanks to his determination to make the guitar sound more horn like he carved new innovative ways of playing jaw dropping lines on the guitar. Many of the guitarists I mentioned earlier were very inspired by Holdsworth’s approach to his guitar sound, technique and composition. So! In this issue’s column I am going to show you a lick that originally would be very typical in the shred guitar world however we are going to visualise the pattern slightly differently and apply a very common sequence to it, however it sounds a lot more impressive than it really is which is great! Please be sure to watch the accompanying video with the backing track and me talking through the lick, also check out the accurate PDF or Guitar Pro tab available with this column for a transcription of what is going on. In this write up I am going to explain a bit more about the pattern and the sequence. This F#m lick is made of two halves, if you have been following my series so far (which I hope you have!) you may recognise the second half of this lick from the first column, however I have added some variations to this. The part that I really want to break down in this lesson is the first segment of the phrase. The pattern is based around a shape that appears a lot in shred guitar patterns, we may have originally learnt this as an Am triad sweep arpeggio, however I would relate
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this pattern to the ‘C shape’ in the CAGED system however we are changing the notes to add the b3 so we end up with a ‘Cm shape’ however we are in F#m, so this pattern is triad F#m arpeggio. This pattern is great for sweeping up and down and even sequencing if your sweeping chops are on fire! I however wanted to add some more notes from the tonal centre of F#m, so I added some diatonic notes to this shape so now we have a 3 note per string pattern on each string that is nicely surrounded by the triad arpeggio notes. This way playing this 3 note per string pattern, you are going to be more often than not highlighting these notes, we do end up doubling a note on the G string and B string however I think this sounds really cool, it creates a cool effect at high speeds and depending on the sequence you are playing you can end up with cool syncopated rhythms popping out of the phrase. I decided to play an intervallic sequence of 3rds in this lick which most of us may have learnt originally as a picking sequence however I feel this sequence is really satisfying to listen to and play with legato. I decided to double up the phrase on the top two strings for a more extreme effect to really catch the listener’s attention when we start this phrase a la Yngwie! I encourage you to try this with all the ‘C shape’ patterns you can think of in different diatonic or modal contexts, it’s really useful for some tasteful shred! And going back to my earlier rant on listening to
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other instruments, you will hear this kind of phrase used a lot in saxophone lines and you will hear a lot of doubling note ideas used for the reasons I stated above. It really adds some rhythmic and melodic excitement to longer lines giving them a cool contour. Sadly that brings me to the end of this issue’s column, but be sure to practice well and go over the previous instalments of this series. And like always, come up with
your own variations and sequences, I am just giving you basic information here that you can really manipulate into some truly crazy shred! If you are following this column and enjoying it I would really appreciate if you stopped by my Facebook page (Sam Bell Guitar) and let me know how you are finding it and if there is anything you would like to learn about in future instalments of my Extreme Shred Column! Until next time, shred well padwan! END >
Extreme Shred – Lesson 4
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COLUMNS_LEWIS TURNER
THE ART OF JAZZ SOLOING Top session player, teacher and Guitar Interactive regular, Lewis Turner begins a brand new and exclusive series - The Art of Jazz Soloing
PART THREE: MAJOR II V I LICKS USING ARPEGGIOS
‘S
ome players love learning licks whilst others shy away from it. Personally I fall somewhere in between, I don’t have a large arsenal of licks, but I have done my fair share of transcribing in the past and have always found it hugely rewarding and learn plenty from the process. I think that is the key, if you don’t want to be a “licks” player then you have to go deeper than just getting the lick under your fingers. Learn how it was constructed, try to figure out the thought process behind it; what is the underlying harmony? What key is it in?
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Are there any substitutions? Where is it being played on the neck? Etc. etc. You then need to make it your own, play it in different keys, styles, rhythms, over different harmony, this not only gets it into your muscle memory better, but will make it sound less forced when you do use it, because it becomes a natural part of YOUR playing. I think in Jazz more than any other style people are craving licks to sound “Jazz”. I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve heard “Dude you got TABs for that...?” Inside I’m screaming “Figure it out for yourself!” Of course
Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
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learning a bunch of licks won’t make you sound Jazz alone, you have to delve into all the things mentioned above and more.
hipper than the obvious root.
We have been looking at Major II V I progression that features so much in Jazz. So far we have looked at arpeggio shapes and exercises around the progression, now we are going to turn these exercises and shapes into musical lines, with some licks I have written using only arpeggios. There are five licks each corresponding with the position on the neck where we have been learning the arpeggio shapes. Please be sure to check out the video to see and hear them in context. You will also find TAB/notation plus a backing track attached to try the licks and your own ideas.
5th - 8th fret. Again a straight 8th rhythm throughout but the D7 line is pretty tricky thanks to the wider intervals used, the Maj 7 line does conclude on the root this time but it’s a real short note.
Lick #1
Lick #4
All these licks use a swung rhythm (which we will go into more detail in future lessons), but for now if you are unsure then do a little research via listing to classic Jazz albums to hear this style. If you are already familiar with it, now is the time to try not to over swing your lines but make them a little straighter, again really listen to your favourite Jazz players and you will notice that they actually play pretty straight, anyway like I say more on that in the future. This is a typical 8th note line in the 2-5th fret area, making liberal use of 4th intervals and lading on the 5th of the Gmaj7 chord to sound a little
10th - 13th fret. Once again a different rhythm here making use of 8th note triplets, these can be tricky to feel against a swung rhythm, if you find it hard refer to the video to hear how it should sound. It’s also good to remember that a swung rhythm starts of life as a triplet, then the middle one is removed to get that swing feel. Notice the root and 3rd played together to finish the line.
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Lick #2
Lick #3 8th - 10th fret. A slight change up rhythmically here with each new phrase starting on the off beat, the first two bars act as a call and response , and the final two bars finish it all with a longer run back up resolving on the 5th of the chord
Lick #5 13th - 15th fret. It’s all going on here for the final one! Broken up rhythms, octave shapes and a tricky 16th note run to finish it all.
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Aim to play the final 16th note run using a straight rhythm this will sound way hipper than a cheesy swung 16th line! I have written the analysis above as separate licks just to make it clearer, but the TAB and the way I recorded it is all played as one piece to try and make it sound a bit more musical, rather than here is lick 1 now lick 2 etc. Its good practice for linking lines and areas of the fretboard together if you can play them all together as one solo.
Learn the licks, try them to the track, but more importantly learn from them and make them your own by using all the techniques I mentioned at the start. Next month we move onto minor II V I’s, good luck! For all things guitar please check out www.lewisturnerguitar.com END >
Part Three: Major II V I Licks Using Arpeggios
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COLUMNS_ANDY WOOD
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Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 44
Country Guitar with Andy Wood
Guitar Interactive is proud to welcome back Andy Wood with the sixth instalment of his new column!
Pedal Steel Bends
‘O
ne of the trademarks of Country guitarists is the influence drawn from other instruments. While the fiddle and mandolin are common sources of vocabulary, the most common (and best suited to guitar) is probably the pedal steel guitar.
The result here is that you’re now able to take a chord and bend one of the notes within the chord. This differs greatly from common Rock guitar playing where a single note is bent. The pedal steel influence often bends one note against other static notes to create pleasing sounds.
An evolution of the lap steel guitar, the pedal steel guitar began developing in the ‘30s when engineers would add mechanical systems to lap steels to allow you to change the pitch of that string a fixed amount. These are commonly activated by foot pedals and knee levers. This became essential for the adventurous lap steel player as playing in a fixed open tuning (commonly E9 chromatic) makes playing tonalities other than the chord family you’re tuned to very difficult.
To work on these concepts, I’ve got some example for you in the key of A. The thing you’ll notice is that awareness of intervals will really help here. As an example, the first concept revolves around bending the 9th of the chord (B) up to the 3rd (C#) on the B string, and playing other notes against that on the high E string. When doing this, the technique differs quite dramatically from Rock or Blues technique.
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In other genres of music, bending technique often comes from the wrist, pushing a string up with the support of other fingers placed behind the bending finger. In Country music, the bends often come from just the finger as the notes on other strings need to remain static. This takes time to develop, and a lighter string gauge helps. Once you’re familiar with the 9th to 3rd bend, you’re able to play the 5th on the high E string (E), or the 4th on the same string (D). When bending the note up, this note should then be held while you alternate between the bent note on the B string, and the notes on the high E. To finishing the lick you’re able to release the bent note on the B string, and end on the root note (A). The second example expands on this idea, this time bending from the b7 up to the root on the B string. Against this you’re able to play the 3rd, 9th, or root on the high E string, this gives you lots of melodic options.
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The next example moves down a set of strings, bending from the 4th to the 5th on the G string, and playing either the b7th, 6th, or 5th against it on the B string. This can be ended in the same position, perhaps by resolving to the 3rd on the G string. The final examples feature bends on the G string, with alternating notes on both the B and high E strings. The basic concept is similar to our first idea, bending the 9th up to the 3rd, but doing it on the G string means you’re able to put the 5th on the B string, and the root (or b7th) on the high E string. From here, the best thing to do would be listen to the great pedal steel players, and try and adapt some of their ideas. Try some Buddy Emmons, Paul Franklin, or the great Speedy West to really see what this instrument is capable of. It’s a common sound in country music though, so you’ll hear it on everything from Hank Williams to Carrie Underwood. END >
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Pedal Steel Bends
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