Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol. 156 i Australian Guitar

INTERVIEW At age 13, Chris Shiflett made a decision that would forever alter the course of his life. He had been playing soccer for two years, but decided to change his career path to music. As a big-haired heavy metal kid, Shiflett idolised Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary shredder, Randy Rhoads, and learned to rock on a black Takamine Explorer. He joined his first band at the age of 14, in 1985. Another 14 years later, in 1999, he auditioned for the role of lead guitarist in Foo Fighters during his four-year tenure with punk rockers No Use For A Name. In his 2021 memoir, The Storyteller, Dave Grohl praises Shiflett as “the man who saved our band in our most desperate time of need”. Three months after the tragic and untimely…

INTERVIEW For a trio of 20-somethings who formed 50 years after the end of the ‘60s, the vintage sound and aesthetic of Large Mirage is remarkably reminiscent of this long-gone era in rock. Emerging from the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury regions before settling in Sydney, the group consists of lead guitaristvocalist-chief songwriter Kolya Chan, renowned for his soaring, rapid-fire solos, along with agile bassistvocalist Blake Rochester, and their powerful drummer Daniel Croft. Large Mirage first unveiled their strong retro sound in late 2020 in the Super 8 music video for their debut single, ’Going Insane’, filmed in the middle of a large paddock in Katoomba. For the shoot, Large Mirage had to take two amp stacks and a drum kit across the grassy, marshy ground - an early sign of…

If the record-buying public had warmed to Jimmie Webster’s ‘Touch System’ two-handed tapping technique, then the Gretsch brand that we know today might never have existed. Webster was an accomplished guitarist who played for Woody Herman and Count Basie during the 1930s, and who also tuned pianos when he wasn’t travelling the US and appearing on TV to demonstrate Gretsch guitars. His role at Gretsch had similarities with Ted McCarthy’s at Gibson and Leo Fender’s at his namesake brand. He was pivotal in establishing the post-war Gretsch aesthetic and was a driving force behind Gretsch’s most iconic models. He also developed hardware, pickups and wiring harnesses. Like his contemporaries, Webster observed trends in the automobile industry and the way car manufacturers maintained demand for older models by introducing new features…

FEATURE We’ve said this many times: the majority of most electric guitarists’ performance time is spent playing rhythm and, as such, it’s pretty important to practise this aspect of your playing. Now, we don’t want to bring up the thorny subject of what constitutes rhythm guitar, and, of course, the line between rhythm and lead is somewhat blurry. Suffice to say, here in our massive six-page tutorial, we’re taking the broadest definition of rhythm guitar. Chords, picking, strumming, riffs, single-note accompaniments, various aspects of timing and more all feature here. There are 21 tab examples, complete with recorded audio tracks and guitar-less backing mixes to jam along to, courtesy of our UK sibling mag Total Guitar. Just hit the links in the heading for each style to find some useful…

REVIEW Shure reeds no introduction as an unparalleled leader in audio innovation and as the industry standard in microphones and guitar wireless systems for live performances. Outside of their renowned microphones, Shure’s touring-grade wireless systems have always been priced slightly out of reach for most non-professional guitarists and bassists. But now, Shure aims to change all that with the rollout of their new GLXD+ Dual Band Digital Wireless System, which is available in rack-mount, tabletop and guitar pedal receiver versions. Of course, this wireless system applies to vocalists and presenters as well, with a wide selection of lavalier, headset and handheld microphone options. But as a six-stringer, I’m here to focus on the pedalboard-friendly GLXD16+ Digital Wireless Guitar Pedal System, which has not only given me untangled freedom in my…

REVIEW Cort Guitars is one of the world’s major fretted instrument manufacturers. Not only do they make Cort-branded instruments but they build instruments for quite a few other companies. For their own marque, the catalogue is incredibly diverse, with everything from high-quality “first” guitars to excellent pro-level instruments. As well as the usual triedand-true designs, the luthiers at Cort have created some instruments that have very practical, innovative features while still remaining comfortably familiar. The Cort GB Modem 4 bass is just such an instrument. Clearly, it’s been inspired by Fender’s Jazz Bass (off-set waist, block inlays, slim neck, twin pickups) but cosmetically, it has a bit of an Alembic vibe happening, too. All that burled poplar looks fabulous, but it also looks heavy (or is that just my “Alembicphobia”…

Zakk Wylde knew he had big shoes to fill when he joined Ozzy Osbourne’s band in 1987. Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee had preceded him as Ozzy’s guitarists, and each had proven influential to his own playing. Wylde quickly found his footing, both as Osbourne’s guitarist and songwriting foil, co-creating the nine cuts on the singer’s 1988 album, No Rest for the Wicked. But perhaps no song in their shared canon stands as tall as “No More Tears,” the title track from Ozzy’s 1991 album, the second studio effort to feature Wylde. A large part of the record’s success was Wylde’s distinctive guitar work, a mix of grinding riffs and his signature pinch harmonics. But as the guitarist points out, it was all done in service of…

Resurgent U.S. high-end guitar amp brand Magnatone has pulled off one of the biggest coups in electric guitar history, announcing a partnership with Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, who will have a new-look backline when he tours the States with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. But don’t worry: Slash’s longterm partnership with Marshall has not come to an end. Indeed, after a few days of uncertainty last month, Slash was compelled to release a statement confirming that the Magnatone deal won’t affect his arrangement with Marshall. It certainly would have been a significant shake up of the status quo. Slash was, after all, Marshall’s first-ever signature artist, and has been loyal to a suite of Silver Jubilee heads over the years, as well as his AFD100 Appetite For Destruction model. In…

INTERVIEW From a dressing room in Idaho, Cosmic Psychos’ bassist and vocalist Ross Knight, AKA ‘Knighty’, reflects on his band reaching their remarkable 40th anniversary in 2023. “They forgot about that bit in the farming manual”, he explains, with his trademark dry irreverence. “There’s a bit at the back that says you gotta play in a punk band”. While still working as a farmer in central Victoria, Knighty’s parallel career as a frequently-touring punk rock larrikin continues to be the integral force behind the eleven studio albums, three live albums, two EPs and one compilation released by the Cosmic Psychos between 1985 and 2021. Best known for their unapologetic drinking anthem ‘Nice Day To Go To The Pub’, other fuzzy Psychos live standards include ‘Lost Cause’, ‘Pub’, and ‘Custom Credit’,…

INTERVIEW From the industrial expanse of early ‘90s Newcastle, The Screaming Jets first arrived on the national music scene with their landmark 1991 album, All For One. Loaded with radio-friendly hard rock hits, such as ‘Better’, ‘C’mon’, and ‘Shine On’, the LP would catapult the quartet into the annals of Aussie rock. The ‘Jets reputation as purveyors of quality hard rock was solidified between 1991 and 2001 through frequent touring and notable gigs, supporting the likes of KISS, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, and Ugly Kid Joe. In live settings, The Screaming Jets are renowned for passionate performances which showcase the ballsy, soaring voice of their sole original remaining member, frontman Dave Gleeson, the twin guitar attack of Jimi ‘The Human’ Hocking and Scotty Kingman, and the locomotive-like rhythms of drummer…

INTERVIEW Building their career from humble schoolyard beginnings to being picked as support act for the Foo Fighters, punky rock quartet Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers released their debut album, / Love You, on October 6. The group’s lineup consists of vocalist Anna Ryan, drummer Neve Van Boxsel, bassist Jaida Stephenson, and guitarist Scarlett McKahey, who all met at age 15 in suburban Canberra. In a process far removed from the prolificness of their earlier singles and their debut 2022 EP, Pretty Good For A Girl Band, the album was slow-cooked with Holy Holy’s Oscar Dawson in his beachside studio on the Mornington Peninsula. The group displays a new level of maturity or the record. One of its four new singles, Van Boxsel’s harrowing and acoustic ‘Never Saw It…

KELLEY DEAL WHEN PIXIES BASSIST Kim Deal asked her twin sister, Kelley, to join the Breeders, a side project that she had started with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses in 1989, Kelley was not particularly surprised. In fact, it was a reunion that was long overdue. “We grew up playing music together, so it seemed completely normal to me and her that she would have me involved,” Kelley says. “Drums were my first instrument, and Kim and Charles [Pixies frontman Black Francis] actually split the ticket for me to go to Boston to be the drummer for the Pixies. I wasn’t an active drummer at that time, and when I heard the songs I was like, I can’t do that gig. They need a real drummer.” Kim had also reached…

REVIEW The small and portable amp trend continues apace. Following on from the success of its highly acclaimed Ironheart Foundry Loudpedal, Laney has now added two new solid-state heads that borrow from the Loudpedal’s design: the singlechannel Ironheart Foundry Leadtop and the more feature-rich Ironheart Foundry Dualtop. The Leadtop and Dualtop are built to Laney’s typically high standards, with heavy duty black vinyl over MDF sleeves and recessed grab handles for easy carrying. They look smart, too, with a silver Laney badge mounted on a tough front-facing steel grille that’s backlit with deep red LEDs. Both heads use an external 24-volt laptop-style adaptor for power, making them very portable as there are no heavy transformers. The Leadtop is a stripped-down single-channel design but with some options that add unexpected versatility.…

INTERVIEW She has a bold, arresting voice, a history of interesting instrument usage, including flute, cello and pipe organ, and eight albums of uniquely layered compositions. Sarah Mary Chadwick’s sunny disposition is definitely at odds with the deeply personal songs she is known for, which often describe familial issues and mental health struggles, written through an artistic lens clouded by complex feelings and viewed through hindsight. As the creator of many slow-burning songs, which hold their listeners through lyrics that veer from being questioning to confessional while offering moments of wry humour and motivation, Chadwick has worked as a solo recording artist for over ten years. Since her 2012 debut, Eating For Two, she has recorded albums in band-ensemble settings, such as 2020’s Please Daddy, as well as solo, such…

Ever since they began making their earliest vibrations in ‘an old horse barn’ in Leederville WA, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets have emerged as a key group in Australia’s modern psych-rock renaissance. Before taking their place as the newest addition to an arguable ‘Big 4’ of effects-laden groups - Tame Impala, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Pond - most of their current line up was amalgamated by UK-expat Jack McEwen in 2014, who emigrated to Australia with his family at the age of 13. Settling in Perth, birthplace of Tame Impala and Pond, who were hugely influential on the young musician, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets were born through McEwen’s need to create a new project to brand for a graphic design course at his uni. During the nine years that followed,…

LUTHIER PROFILE It may be that Australia has more classical guitar makers per head of population than any other country. When shopping for an instrument, one might previously have looked to Europe, the US or Asia, but nowadays many guitarists from these long-established centres are playing Australian-made instruments. Our local luthiers, untethered from tradition, have experimented freely, taking a “from the ground up” approach. In a cultural counter-flow, many international guitar makers are adopting these initially unorthodox concepts. This influence has been felt locally as well, inspiring younger luthiers such as Kim Lissarrague, who builds modern “Australian Style” concert guitars from his workshop in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. As a thirteen-year-old in rural Northern NSW, Kim’s desire to play bass in his brother’s band was the impetus for…

TUTORIAL Vocals, along with acoustic drum kits, are without doubt among the hardest musical components to record to a professional standard, particularly if you don’t have access to a professional recording space. Yet they remain a vital element in a vast number of modern productions. Recording singers and MCs used to be the preserve of full-blown commercial studios, with their dedicated vocal booths, rooms full of quality microphones and racks of high-end hardware processors. Nowadays, however, with some of the more affordable recording gear on the market, along with the sheer power of modern computers and just a little bit of DIY know-how on your part, it’s perfectly possible to get release-worthy results without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. YOUR RECORDING SETUP Before we begin…

REVIEW It’s beer a dire time for the music industry over the past few years. Orange has been quieter than usual, like most amp manufacturers. However, confidence is climbing and once more we’re seeing new models being announced, including this muchanticipated British-made head, the new OR30H. While Orange’s well-known steel-jacketed Tiny Terror was one of the first compact and lightweight heads, arguably kickstarting the ‘small and portable’ trend, it’s fair to say most people’s perception of Orange is the big, heavy picture-frame plywood cabinet surrounding an armour-plated steel chassis. The OR30H just makes it into the lighter end of that category, with a heavy white-enamelled steel chassis surrounded by a thick birch ply sleeve. Our sample is covered in Orange’s alternative black vinyl and finished to a typically high standard,…

Fans of bucket brigade analogue delay were delighted when Boss revisited its DM-2 pedal to create the Waza Craft DM-2W a few years ago and now there’s something that may get them even more excited. The DM-101 offers that all-important BBD sound but adds some digital control features to greatly expand the ways you can use it. With no less than eight BBD chips onboard, the pedal offers 12 different modes created by the switching of multiple internal circuit elements, including the number of active BBDs and their connection order as well as low-pass filter settings and clocking rates. Stereo output is available in six of the modes and four presets are directly available via the front panel and footswitches, although MIDI users get access to 127. Using this pedal…