Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2017 i Guitar Player

HERE’S HOW BAD IT IS. I HAVE A SMALL STORAGE space for guitars and amps, and I still have a whole bunch of guitars and amps residing in my garage. I have tons of plastic bins stacked up high, each marked in black Sharpie with identifications such as Fuzz Pedals, Distortions and Overdrives, Delays, Modulation FX, Boosts and Preamps, Tuners, Strings, Cables, Misc Accessories, and so on. I have separate pedalboards for small gigs, medium gigs, big gigs, and studio sessions. There are two guitars and a couple of practice amps in my home office. Picks, gaffer’s tape, and loose string packs tend to hide in every nook and cranny of the house. I just came back from Winter NAMM with even more small accessories, as well as electronic press…

THIS MONTH, I’VE PICKED OUT FOUR ROCKIN’ PEDALS FOR our monthly gear giveaway celebrating Guitar Player’s 50th anniversary. From Deep Trip, we have the Hell Bender (one of Editor Boy’s fave fuzzes) and Bog, and Jam Pedals offered up their Red Muck and Big Chill. To win one of these pedals, simply send an email with the subject line “GP50 DeepTrip Jam” to mmolenda@nbmedia.comThe deadline for entries is April 20th, 2017. We’ll select the winners at random (one winner per pedal), and announce their names in an upcoming issue. Keep in mind that all contest gear was actually reviewed by the GP staff, and will be “as is.” In addition, please don’t forget to thank GP’s manufacturing partners who have generously donated gear so that we may “gift” them to…

East West THE PAUL BUTTERFIELD BLUES Band released the great East West in 1966. It was mostly composed of curated blues tracks played with reverence and expertise by Paul Butterfield on vocals and harmonica, Mike Bloomfield playing a Les Paul through a Twin Reverb, Elvin Bishop on guitar and vocals, Mark Naftalin on piano and organ, and the rhythm section of bassist Jerome Arnold and drummer Billy Davenport. There are great covers on East West. In the Butterfield band’s hands, “Mary Mary”—penned by the Monkees’ Michael Nesmith—sounds as if the Yardbirds were an American group, and “Never Say No” features a terrific performance by Elvin Bishop that feels so molasses slow, it almost threatens to stop dead in its tracks. But, to me, the real star of the show is…

OVER THE NEXT FEW COLUMNS, I’D LIKE TO talk about Peter Gabriel’s first solo album, which is sometimes called the “Car Album” because of the cover artwork. It was a fabulous experience working on that record, and I learned a great deal. When producer Bob Ezrin called me about this record, I was excited about the work, but I didn’t know much about Peter Gabriel. I knew he had been the lead singer with Genesis, but I hadn’t really heard any of their music—even though I loved the title of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. I did know that if Bob was into doing it, it would be a great project. I had been living in Toronto because we were doing a lot of work there, so all I…

NAMM, THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, THE guitar media, and the guitar community have sure come a long way since September 1973, when this one-page NAMM report with photos of just nine products made the scene. Compare it to the NAMM reports in this issue (and online). It’s hard to imagine that, back in the day, gear really wasn’t much of a focus to the editors and the magazine’s readers. In fact, for quite a while, Guitar Player didn’t publish product reviews at all. How things have changed!…

FOR ALL THE HEAD ’N’ CAB OPTIONS OUT THERE, there’s still something solid and comforting about a good combo. Grab the amp in one hand, your guitar in the other, and go. This issue we round up four new American-made 1x12 tube combos— the Bogner Helios, Dr. Z The Cure, Friedman Runt 20, and the Morgan MVP23—that spring from a broad range of inspirations to address myriad gigging needs. All of these amps were tested with a Fender Telecaster and a Gibson Les Paul. BOGNER HELIOS 50 COMBO FOR THOSE COMBO FANS WHO STILL need to rock the foundations of a sizeable stage may we present the Helios 50. The hand-wired head rendition of Reinhold Bogner’s ultimate modded-plexi has been tearing roofs off the sucker for a couple of years…

GUITARIST EARL SLICK ONCE schooled me that all I needed to get a clear, soaring lead tone out of a Vox AC30 was my fingers. “Just set up the amp’s volume, and then turn your guitar Volume up or down to get what you need,” he said. I felt so stupid. Like “Duh” stupid. But, for me, it has never been that easy to crank up my guitar Volume knob for solos and back it down for rhythm parts. I’m extremely excitable onstage—and clumsy with my guitar’s controls—so pedals have always come to my rescue. But Earl had a massive point about a good tube amp—why color the sound with an overdrive or distortion pedal (unless you want to), when the amp itself will deliver a pretty stunning and organic…

I KNOW TONS OF GUITARISTS THESE days that often do shows requiring a plane flight, and their rigs must fit in their checked and/or carry-on luggage. And, whether you travel a few miles or across the country, there’s always the hassle of back-lined gigs where the provided amp is simply crap. How do you keep your head from exploding and your tone from sucking? A bevy of excellent “fly rigs” now exist from many manufacturers, but one of the most clandestine and absolutely bulletproof is the JDX Direct-Drive ($199 street). Just the size of a conventional stompbox, the Direct-Drive can fit in a gig bag—or even a coat pocket—and it offers three amp/speaker emulations (a Fender Twin, a Marshall JCM half-stack, and a 4x12 cabinet miked with a Shure SM57),…

FRETS EDITOR JIMMY LESLIE WAS COVering Rich Robinson and his Magpie Salute group’s sold-out concerts in New York City during NAMM, so the rest of the editors pitched in to find some cool acoustic gear. This year, there was a nice balance of simple “problem solvers,” innovative ideas, technology tools, and good, old-fashioned craftsmanship. ART & LUTHERIE LEGACY CW TENNESSEE RED Why: Godin Guitars revamped the A&L line this year with solid spruce tops, wild cherry back and sides, Godin or Fishman electronics, and lovely semi-gloss “patina” finishes. The line offers three body sizes: dreadnought (Americana Series), concert (Legacy Series), and parlor (Roadhouse Series). I was most captivated by the cutaway Legacy in its lush Tennessee Red finish. What a beauty! Price: $499 street More Info: artandlutherieguitars.com BEDELL REVOLUTION SERIES…

As part of Guitar Player’s 50th Anniversary, we are celebrating the advertisers who believed in founder Bud Eastman’s mad idea, and supported the infant magazine through its first five years, 1967-1972. They are: Acoustic Amps, Alfred Publications, AKG, Altec-Lansing, Ampeg, Bigsby, Bill Russell Capo, Black Diamond Strings, Carlsboro Amps, Coral, Danelectro, Darco Strings, Dunlop, Eko, Electro- Harmonix, Electro-Voice, Epiphone, Ernie Ball, Fender, GHS Strings, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Hagstrom Guitars, Hallmark, Hammond Organ (Leslie), Harmony Guitars, Heathkit, Hohner, JBL, Kustom, La Bella Strings, Martin, Mel Bay Publications, Messenger Guitars, Mosrite, Ovation, Peavey, Randall, Rickenbacker, Robb Guitars, Rowe/DeArmond, Sigma, Standel, Sunn, TWA, Vox, Yamaha. Thank you all! JOIN THE GP COMMUNITY! facebook.com/guitarplayermag twitter.com/guitarplayernow instagram.com/guitarplayermag…

SOUND OFF! GET EXCLUSIVE NEWS. COMMENT. CRITIQUE. SHARE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR E-NEWSLETTER. FACEBOOK.COM/GUITARPLAYERMAG TWITTER.COM/GUITARPLAYERNOW GUITARPLAYER.COM MICHAEL MOLENDA Editor In Chief mmolenda@nbmedia.com ART THOMPSON Senior Editor athompson@nbmedia.com KEVIN OWENS Managing Editor kowens@nbmedia.com JUDE GOLD Los Angeles Editor judegold@gmail.com JIMMY LESLIE Frets Editor jl@jimmyleslie.com MICHAEL ROSS Nashville Editor hoagyguitarmichael@gmail.com DAVE HUNTER Gear Section & Video Contributor dhunterwordsmusic@yahoo.com PAUL HAGGARD Art Director phaggard@musicplayer.com…

SECOND BILLED TO JAMES TAYLOR IN HIS LAST GIG AT the Fillmore East, or co-billed with Tim Hardin at the Gaslight, or singing in the square at San Francisco’s Cannery, or the final Thanksgiving supper with Bill Graham at the Fillmore West, or on one of her two albums on San Francisco Records (distributed by Atlantic), you might have seen or heard of Victoria, an emerging young folk singer/guitarist. Victoria differs from the dynamic trio—Mitchell/Baez/Collins—in her use of highly dissonant sounds and abstracted chording. How did you go about learning the instrument? I love the guitar as an instrument, and I love to compose on it, but I never had formal instruction. When I learn something, it’s because I have spent a week with a really good guitar player, with…

ORLEANS’ “STILL THE ONE” AND “Dance with Me” have ruled pop radio for decades. But if they remain your only encounter with John Hall’s guitar work, you owe it to yourself to check out the first, self-titled, Orleans record. There you will find him playing the catchiest, funkiest rhythm riffs this side of Jimi Hendrix or Nile Rodgers, along with the nascent guitar harmonies that defined the band’s sound. Delving further back into Hall’s sideman solos on Taj Mahal’s live “Ain’t Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo’)” and Bonnie Raitt’s “Stayed Too Long at the Fair,” a theme of privileging melody over riffage and/or flash emerges. Hall’s virtuosity is so embedded in the DNA of each particular song that it’s possible to think of his parts and solos as simple— until…

FINGERSTYLE WIZARD TOMMY Emmanuel worked closely with Germany’s AER when they created the original Compact 60, and now Emmanuel has a signature version with a couple of key modifications and some groovy personalized appointments. “My signature AER has Lexiconbased reverbs and a replica of the Alesis Midiverb II delay/reverb that I used for my Aboriginal tribute, ‘Initiation,’” says Emmanuel. “The line-out signal has all the EQ and effects available, so you can dial in what you need from the amp itself, and the tone circuit is also smoother and warmer sounding.” To symbolize his Australian homeland, Emmanuel had Aboriginal art etched into one side of the cabinet. His initials are carved into the other side, along with the letters “C.G.P.” in tribute to the “Certified Guitar Player” designation that Emmanuel…

PEER COMMENT I’VE BEEN AROUND SINCE GP’S BEGINNING. Here’s a photo of my band, the World, in 1967, and another from 2016, where we did an “impromptu” performance at Woodstock on the spot where the original concert stage was located (I’m third from the left). Cross that off our bucket list, as we missed playing the original concert somehow. Throughout my career and all of its gear—I just bought my second PRS to go along with my Marshall half-stack, Fender Bluesmaster, Orange Micro Dark Terror, and Fuchs Overdrive—I could count on Guitar Player to keep me informed of what was new, what was hot, and what was not. I depend on GP for reviews, instruction, and entertainment. You’ve never let me down. Congratulations on 50 great years. OOPS! So who…

QUICK TIP DYNAMIC EFFECTS “I like effects and guitar sounds constantly changing right along with the dynamics of a song. For example, I want the choruses sounding completely different from the verses. I hate it when a guitar tone is the same throughout an entire set. I dance on my pedalboard so much during our shows that my muscle memory is locked into specific pedal positions. It’s instinctive. If I moved a pedal to a different spot, or if I changed out a pedal for something new, I fear that I’d be totally lost.” —TOM EDWARDS, GUITARIST AND MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR ADAM ANT, WHO DIED TRAGI CALLY OF SUSPECTED HEART FAILURE AT 41 YEARS OLD ON JANUARY 25,2017. AS PART OF GUITAR PLAYER’S ONGOING “Play It Forward” initiative, the magazine…

“LET ME DO THE TALKING” ARE FIVE WORDS YOU LIKELY heard for the first time from an older sibling when you were about to get into trouble for some childhood misdeed. As you progress musically, the opportunities to have others represent you will similarly arise. Knowing who these representatives are, what their roles are, when you need them, and how to make best use of them is crucial to your success as an independent musician. Booking Agent. The sole job of a booking agent is to get gigs for musicians. In order to keep a high standard of professional practices, some states require booking agents to be licensed in order to represent talent. An agent is different from a talent booker who works for a venue, or a concert promoter…

LIKE SOME KIND OF SUPERHERO, RAFAEL Moreira seems to be all over the place. He has played guitar on massively popular television shows such as American Idol, The Voice, Rock Star: INXS, Rock Star: Supernova, and the recent remake of To Tell the Truth. You also may have seen him on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the MTV Music Awards, Good Morning America, and more. He has performed with superstars such as Christina Aguilera, Pink, Steven Tyler, Paul Stanley, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, and others. You’ve heard his music in video games, television shows, and movie trailers. In the Los Angeles music scene—and all that the entertainment capitol sends out to the…

WE’RE FINALLY GETTING TO THE BOTTOM of the pile of pedals released in 2016. Yeah, it’s the April 2017 issue now, but that’s an indication of just how many cool new pedals are released each year. Happily, this trio of stompboxes is still relevant and desirable, and they all sound fantastic. Hey, a year-old Ferrari is still a mean machine, and so are these kick-ass tonal processors. STEREO BLACK CAT VIBE The Stereo Black Cat Vibe ($325 direct) retains the same circuitry as the original Vibe favored by players such as Steve Lukather, Michael Landau, and Trey Anastasio, but adds another output jack for true-stereo operation. It can also run on either 12-volt DC or 12-volt AC (as the original Black Cat Vibe) power, which means the stereo Vibe is…

STONED HIPPY CUSTOMER ASKS A music-store clerk, “Uh, yeah, Daddy-O, I’m looking for a guitar amp that looks like a cross between a sandwich board and the monolith from the movie 2001. And, of course, it has to sound, like, totally cool, okay?” I often write about weird-looking guitars from the ’60s and ’70s, but the designers at Yamaha back then weren’t just challenging what a guitar could look like, but what a guitar amp might look like, as well. The Yamaha TA-30 is a fine example of what happens when artistic design meets functionality. WEIRDO FACTOR We all know that guitar amps need to be squares or rectangles, and—duh—speakers have to be round. But not in this Twilight Zone! This trapezoidal guitar amp doesn’t just look unusual, the speaker…

From the original Guitar Player, October 1971 DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF GUITAR PLAYER, THE STAFFS MUST HAVE KNOWN THE YOUNG MAGAZINE was not just speaking to established pros and accomplished guitarists performing in bands—it was also inspiring players who were just starting out. As a result, the “beginner” content was informative without speaking down to newbies, and helpful charts and other visual data—as shown in this October 1971 treatise on capos—were often deployed to make performance concepts perfectly clear.…