Innholdsfortegnelse for Vol. 116 i Australian Guitar

"I wrote pretty much all the songs on a seven-string. Originally it was an Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci model which met with a sad accident. The neck snapped. I replaced the neck but the guitar didn't really have a voice any more. It just lost it. And to be brutally honest I went through a massive depressive phase of getting rid of my gu i tars, letting things go, and that gu i tar was one of them. So I had to find a guitar to do the album. I found the Ibanez Universe UV70P and just fell in love with it. I love the semi-Strattiness of it, and it seemed to bridge the gap between the metal and everything else. I've only got one Strat left in…

As far as reunions go, this one was unexpected but thoroughly welcomed: guitar legend Carlos Santana has re-convened with the original Santana band - the lineup he played with at Woodstock, and with whom he recorded his early classic albums - for their first recording together in 45 years. Appropriately titled Santana IV (since their last album together was 1971’s Santana III), it’s a vibrant, lively record which finds Carlos standing alongside his old bandmates as if nothing had ever changed. And yet, everything has changed: Carlos went on to find great success with other lineups and with collaborators like Rob Thomas and Steven Tyler; Gregg Rolie often tours with Ringo Starr; and Neal Schon went on to define FM radio rock with Journey, and to become an utterly monster…

Purple Rain”. “Let’s Go Crazy”. “Little Red Corvette”. “Cream”. “Sign O’ The Times”. “Batdance”. “Raspberry Beret”. “When Doves Cry”. “Kiss”. “1999”. “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World”. “I Would Die 4 U”... Dear god, Prince knew how to write a goddamn song. There are still plenty of questions about what led to the death of the legendary musician, discovered unresponsive in the elevator of his Minneapolis home, Paisley Park, at the far-too-young age of 57 on April 21st this year. And there have been no shortage of recent recaps of his extraordinary life – his incredible talent, his insane creative output, his many lovers – as well as the controversy around the circumstances of his death. And if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you’ve been bombarded…

Last issue, I started to show you the practice routine I use with my students. I have a rough template, and depending on the student’s ability and where they want to go, I can easily tweak this practise regime to best suit them. This style of practise routine relies on a playlist of metronome tracks. Using a computer, I have recorded one minute long metronome tracks ranging from 60 beats per minute, up to 200 beats per minute. I start students off in week one with five tracks – 60, 70, 80, 90, 100bpm. Each week or fortnight, I get them to delete the slowest track and replace it with one 10bpm faster. To get the most out of this column, I suggest making some metronome tracks that are in…

Every guitarist plays with a specific sound in mind. Whether it’s a biting hair metal solo, a folky acoustic twang or a face–melting djent riff, the ultimate goal for any axe–slinger worth their strings is to nail that perfect tone. “Perfect” is a subjective term, naturally, but it’d be hard for anyone to deny the crawly plucks on Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, or the genre–defining hammer–ons on Led Zeppelin’s “Heartbreaker”. And though it’s the shredding itself that brings us to our knees, history’s most iconic guitarists would be nothing without their gear. Reverb know the deal – their mission is to hook passionate guitar players up with top shelf tools tried, tested, loved and lauded by the very best of the even better. The platform is built around a…

Shock and awe (see: sarcasm) - the world is fucked up. Terrorism is rife in even the most civilised of civilisations, poverty is climbing while the rich are painted as victims, and though we’ve come pretty far in the last few, 21st century society is still innately toxic. Protesting any of it is likely to end in a taser burn or two, though - if not just straight-up murder - so for the majority of us, our hit of anti-authoritarian ire comes from the sweet sap of the punk rock tree. Cue letlive. - the LA unit have built an empire out of their hatred for empires, and If I’m The Devil… keeps that trend burning as fervidly as ever. “I think this record is sort of like a sonic…

Joe Bonamassa is back - not in a ‘comeback’ way, but in a very literal way: he was just here for Bluesfest a few months ago, and already, a return tour is on the books. Bonamassa is supporting his new album Blues of Desperation and playing some older tracks from his 20 solo albums. Maybe a cover or two. Maybe a few special guests. The greatest thing about seeing Joe Bonamassa live on stage is that every tour is different: different setlist, different concept, different approach. “You can expect horns and you can expect singers and you can expect a blues-rock cavalcade of stars, barring myself personally because I’m not a star,” Bonamassa jokes. And he’s currently promoting perhaps his strongest album ever. Blues of Desperation finds the 38-year-old bluesman…

1. “Love… Thy Will Be Done” by Martika This was a co-write and propelled the pop starlet into her short-lived ‘adult-contemporary’ phase, and was an enormous worldwide hit. Even Delta Goodrem covered it, and Prince performed it solo on his final Piano and Microphone Australian tour earlier this year. 2. “The Glamorous Life” by Sheila E Ms. E was Prince’s percussionist for a number of years, and “The Glamorous Life” was both her signature song and biggest hit (getting to number one on the Billboard club charts in 1984, and a top ten on the common-or-garden charts). Oddly enough, though, it wasn’t written specifically for her. It was actually written for Vanity, although it’s hard to imagine her doing the drum solo justice. He wrote and co-produced the track (with…

The inaugural Melbourne Guitar Show was such a success in 2015 that its return in 2016 was pretty much a given from the first few hours alone. Thousands of guitar lovers were able to get their hands on the latest and greatest gear, catch seminars and performances, and walk away with a new instrument, amp or effect: everything on display was for sale, and there was a lot on display. And now the show is back, returning to the Caulfield Racecourse on August 6 and 7, staged by the Australian Music Association and presented by Triple M and Australian Musician. “We did some customer research at the show last year,” Australian Music Association CEO Rob Walker says, “and the main thing we want to combat this year is the noise…

People behind the console rarely work alone. Most producers and engineers have an assistant on hand, like Antonia Gauci, who joined 301 Studios - one of the biggest recording studios in Australia - in 2014. Her job is one of those roles that sound straightforward, but the more you think about it, the more you realise that it’s actually not as obvious as it seems. However, an assistant role is generally the first port of call in the recording industry, so we sat down with Antonia to learn a bit about the job, the kind of gear she gets to play with at 301, and why she’d love to work with FKA Twigs. What do you do as an assistant engineer? Our job is to get in contact with the…

"WHILE LCDS WILL CAPTURE THE CRISP HIFI DETAIL, DYNAMICS WILL TEND TO BE MORE FORGIVING ON YOUR ROOM, LESS HARSH AND SIBILANT, AND TIGHTER SOUNDING." PHONE HOME Microphones are the ears of your studio. They are the equivalent to the photographer’s lens - the first point of contact between the talent and the ‘tape’. Larger facilities use their ‘to die for’ mic collections to lure clients. But is it possible to run a studio with a few as four or five essential microphones? Of course! But how do you weed through the infinite possibilities to create a basic setup that will stand the test of time? This article is more about choosing the types of mics rather than specific brands and models. Budget plays a huge part, and everyone’s individual…

The Minor Pentatonic scale is the first one most guitarists learn. It’s easy to remember, and as long as you play it with a certain attitude, it sounds simply like Rock with a capital ‘R’. Chuck some little bendies on those notes, and you can wring an entire set’s worth of expression out of that simple boxy pattern. If you don’t know this scale already, it’s right there in Figure 1, in the key of G starting on the third fret of the low E string, followed up by a nice G Minor barre chord - just so you can hear how it fits in the overall scheme of things. A good way to get to know this scale, if you’re new to it, is to record a simple backing…

In the previous issue, I talked about the Dorian mode, and how it is often underutilised as a melodic source for metal riffs. However, for this column, I’d like to talk about a scale that is commonly used in metal – the Locrian mode. Locrian is the seventh mode of the major scale. Of the seven major modes, it’s the ‘odd one out’ since rather than an overall major or minor tonality, it has a b5 degree and is a diminished mode. Locrian contains the very dissonant b2 and b5 (tritone) degrees, and as such, frequently gets used in heavy metal due to its sinister sound. However, if I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that it’s employed more often than not simply because the notes sound cool, and…

QSC’s K series of powered speakers are designed to be exceptionally lightweight - because seriously, who wants to bust their back lugging speakers? But don’t worry, they’re also utterly loud and clear. Under the direction of Pat Quilter, QSC’s team of amplifier engineers worked to create a new standard in Class D power modules, which you will find across the range. The full-range models (the K8, K10, and K12 are reviewed here) are fitted with the identical 1.75” high-frequency (HF) device for unparalleled high-end performance, regardless of speaker size. The other unit in the series is the K-Sub subwoofer, which departs from its speaker buddies in several key ways, but keeps the power section. SPEAK TO ME The K-12 has a 12” cone transducer and the 1.75” diaphragm compression driver.…

CURRENTLY PLAYING WITH: Myself... So to speak. Haha! USUALLY FOUND PLAYING: At late hours, jamming out or listening to records in my “gypsy cave.” The later it gets, the more blues and deep old country I tend to delve into. YEARS ON THE FRETBOARD: Ten. My brother actually gravitated towards the guitar first. My instrument was piano and then my voice. Then, after about five lessons, my bro gave it up. I remember seeing it sitting in the corner and thinking, “I would freaking love to be able to play that.” I taught myself some chords from an old chord shape deck, and haven’t really put it down since. Writing on it and playing live came two or three months later. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PLAYING STYLE? I’m a…

“IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO BE ONSTAGE IN FRONT OF 400 PEOPLE DRESSED AS ME PLAYING AS ME, AND NOT HAVING TO BE ANYONE OTHER THAN WHO I AM.” Jaime Page has achieved so much. She’s worked with greats such as Cozy Powell (Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Whitesnake), worked on film scores (Sons Of Steel), and co-written “Resurrection” with Brian May. She also raised over $25,000 for Multiple Sclerosis and MSWA with the Siren Divinyls Show, helping those in need while playing kick-ass, expressive and flawless guitar. Page also recently came out as transgender, and her new CD Dark Universe is an emotional, engaging and powerful experience. At times dark and at times life-affirming, it’s open-ended enough to apply to anyones’ struggles, yet is also a direct result of Jaime reckoning with…

Trust no one” - a phrase you’ll find prominent on bikie jackets, conspiracy theorist Twitter bios, and shoddy tattoos on ninth grade dropouts studying hospitality at TAFE. If you have an ear for groove metal, you’re also likely to find it tucked neatly inside your record collection as the latest slab of jam material from Californian face-melters DevilDriver. Anyone who’s met him will agree that Dez Fafara is one of the most down-to-earth blokes in the industry, so it begs the question - who wronged him so harshly that he felt inclined to name an entire album after the most overused rap metal mantra of the 21st century? “I think it’s incumbent on any artist to shed light on where they’re at, or what they’ve been though, as well as…

That Telecaster One First up, there’s that Telecaster that he started playing in the ‘70s – although it’s no ordinary Telecaster. More specifically, it’s a Japanese Tele copy – except that it’s also not an ordinary Japanese Tele, either. It’s actually a Hohner MadCat Telecaster (yes, that’s Hohner as in the harmonica manufacturers). They were initially made for the German market, and were a mid-price instrument (the story goes that Prince bought his first one because the leopardskin pick guard marched his guitar strap), but it turned out that they had just the right sound – partially because of the maple body, but the secret was the position of the bridge pick up, angled up against the bridge, which gave the guitar a good funk honk. If you want an…

We live in a post-analog world. The roar of a cranked valve amp will never go out of style, but it’s not always the most practical thing - nor is it the most flexible. For two decades now, Line 6 has been pushing the state of the art: The POD. The Relay series of wirelesses. The Variax guitar line. Amps like the Vetta, Spider and AMPLIFi. The revolutionary Helix processor. Line 6 co-founder and president Marcus Ryle recently visited Australia to celebrate the company’s 20th year of existence. We caught up with him at the HQ of Yamaha Australia to hear his thoughts on… HIS BACKGROUND “I fell into this because of a real early passion for music. I started playing in bands when I was 12, and in my…

LOCATION? Fairy Meadow, Just north of Wollongong and very close to great beaches. YOUR DIMENSIONS? The studio is built in a warehouse that is approximately 50 metres square. Studio A is comprised of a large control room, drum room, and two isolation booths. Studio B has a control room and separate isolation booth for vocals. GEAR LIST? Studio A is based around the Solid State Logic E Series console (used to be at ABC studios, where it was used to record Silverchair and many Live at The Wireless sessions). Outboard gear includes: Chandler LTD-1, Urei LA3 & 4s, Peach, Empirical Labs. Vintage and modern mics from Neumann, AKG, Sennheiser, Shure, Coles, Royer, Reslo, and more. CLIENT LIST? The studio has been going for over 35 years now, and over that…

OUR ANALYSIS Long before he was known for the amplifier and pedal brand that bares his name, Reinhold Bogner was famous for his legendary amp mods for players like Jerry Cantrell, Steve Stevens, George Lynch, and more. One of his most high-profile jobs was restoring Eddie Van Halen’s main 100 watt Marshall Super Lead - yes, that Plexi. Bogner’s amps - like the Ecstasy and Uberschall - have their own rabid fans, but everyone wants to get their hands on a Bogner-modded Marshall. The Helios (named after the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology) isn’t the 'next best thing’ after a Bogner-modded Marshall: it’s even better. “If you’re a Marshall lover - especially in the Plexi era - you will love this amplifier,” says Marcello Grassi of Australian Bogner…

Just in case you thought I was a particularly stable, studied individual, I thought this might be the issue I would get all psycho on you! Far from the polished and evolved style of jazz is an alternative form of music called psychobilly. What’s that, you ask? Let me just say that if rock ‘n’ roll’s dad was jazz and its mum was country, and rock ‘n’ roll had a baby with punk and the baby was born with traits from all of its lineage - and a bad temper - you’d have psychobilly. Psychobilly was arguably first popularised in Europe - despite the name coming from a Johnny Cash song about a Frankenstein cadillac - but it’s worth noting that there have been great Australian psychobilly acts, including the…

MODERN BASEBALL Holy Ghost COOKING VINYL 2012’s Sports and 2014’s You’re Gonna Miss It All presented to audiences Modern Baseball: a pop-punk band notching every cheesy ‘songs about girls and social anxiety’ cliché one could possibly ask for. That’s what they were. Hell, that’s why we loved them. But following a stint in rehab for frontman Brendan Lukens and a rebooting period for the quartet in all, Modern Baseball have re-emerged with a new sound and matured aesthetic - something that would otherwise slay a band’s stature, but here, has only strengthened it. Holy Ghost’s A-side revels in second frontman Jake Ewalds’ jammy, crowd-swooning alt-rock hooks and narrative choruses, while the B-side reigns with Lukens’ thrashy, heat-of-the-moment indie punk bangers lacquered in unrestrained guitar abuse and polarising self-reflection. Though it…