Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Sponsored by Dunlop
34
History of
Delay
61
Dot Hacker
71
Opeth
111
DIY Pedal
130
Pedal
Roundup
REVIEWS: Forrest DB Boost B & G Bender Marshall 1958X 18-Watt ESP E-II Stream Bass
CLICK HERE
OCTOBER 2014
OCTOBER 2014
premierguitar.com
THIS IS
THE
SOUND
VINTAGE MODIFIED
'68 CUSTOM
GUITAR AMPLIFIERS
fender.com/68-custom
Handmade in Ireland
georgelowden.com
E!
SW
Morning Glory
CL
ER
NEW!
EX
NEW!
NEW!
EETWAT
USIV
NEW!
Colour Box
Soul Food
805 Overdrive
B9 Organ Machine
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
DM-2W
NEW!
BD-2W
Bootlegger
SD-1W
Seafoam Chorus
NEW!
Obsessive
Compulsive Drive
NEW!
NEW!
H9
Flux-Five
Latitude Deluxe
Recording
Mixers
Monitors
Microphones
Phase 99
Guitars
*Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months
in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional
purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable
terms. Subject to credit approval.
E!
EX
Craft
Your
Custom
Tone!
From Boutique to Classic Pedals, Sweetwater Has It All!
CL
USIV
NEW!
FAT Philospher
Rototron
Violetta
Skyline Wally
NEW!
NEW!
NEW!
Black Metal
Harlow
Nuvibe
NEW!
Luxe
MF-104MSD
Keyboards
Drums
Live Sound
TS808DX
VS-XO
(800) 222-4700
Sweetwater.com
FREE 2-YEAR WARRANTY**
Total Confidence Coverage Warranty
**Please note: Apple products are excluded from this warranty, and other restrictions may apply. Please visit Sweetwater.com/warranty for complete details.
The extended 27 scale DC7X is sure to satisfy even the most discriminating ERG
player. Features like its flatter 20 fingerboard radius, superior easy-to-play
neck profile and the deep arm-cut and belly-cut add to the comfort and playability. Active A70 pickups and electronics provide superior tone and definition as
compared to other popular active pickup systems. Available in 3 bridge choices
including Floyd Rose trem along with a vast choice of color,wood and other
options allows any ERG player to build a DC7X to your liking. Custom order at
the Carvin Custom Shop, carvin.com.
DC7X FEATURES:
Maple neck through alder body with smooth neck to body heel
27 scale fingerboard with 24 Medium Jumbo frets
Straight Body Edges on top
Carvin premium 19:1 ratio locking tuners
Hipshot hardtail bridge
Active electronics with volume, tone, 3-way pickup selector
A70N and A70B humbucking pickups
Neck: 1.91 wide at nut, 2.62 wide 24th fret
DC7X
shown with:
Figured Walnut Top
Matching Walnut Headstock
Black Back and Sides
Birds Eye Maple Fingerboard
Black Acrylic Block Inlays
Gold Hardware
We design and build our own active guitar pickups and modules
in-house using our amp and pro sound engineers to our advanadvan
tage offering guitar electronics with top-notch components.
This gives you a superior product with full-sized tone and lower
signal-to-noise ratio breaking the typical thin, over-compressed
sound generally associated with active pickup systems.
MADE IN
6 months NO interest
USA
Jake was a guitar player. But the day a chemical explosion took his right arm, people
stopped seeing Jake, the guitar player, and started seeing Jake, the guy who lost his arm.
the proBlem was, that wasnt the Jake he wanted to Be. so, he made the decision to
fight for his identity a Battle against stereotypes, preJudice and worst of all, pity.
it was an impossiBle task, But somehow, he learned to play all over again in a way that
could only Be done with a special prosthesis and he didnt stop there. eventually he
got enough courage to get Back on stage, where audiences saw something Jake wasnt
sure theyd ever see again. Jake, the guitar player. its a story that inspires us, and
serves as a reminder that the world needs more people like Jake. for more aBout Jake
and other stories of people with the courage to step forward, visit taylorguitars.com
TM
EDITORIAL
Chief Content Officer Shawn Hammond
Managing Editor Tessa Jeffers
Senior Editor Andy Ellis
Senior Editor Joe Gore
Gear Editor Charles Saufley
Art Director Meghan Molumby
Associate Editor Chris Kies
Associate Editor Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor Jason Shadrick
Nashville Correspondent John Bohlinger
Nashville Video Editor Perry Bean
Photo Editor Kristen Berry
SALES/MARKETING
Advertising Director Brett Petrusek
Advertising Director Dave Westin
Marketing Manager Matt Roberts
Director of Marketing Colton Wedeking
WEBSITES
Our Portal
premierguitar.com
Our Online Magazine:
digital.premierguitar.com
The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources
believed to be Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant
complete accuracy of such information and assumes no responsibility for
any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliance thereon. Publisher
reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at
any time without notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages
if for any reason it fails to publish an advertisement. This publication may not
be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Copyright 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is prohibited. Premier Guitar is a publication of
Gearhead Communications, L.L.C.
Premier Guitar [ISSN 1945-077X (print) ISSN 1945-0788 (online)] is published
monthly. Subscription rates: $24.95 (12 issues), $39.95 (24 issues) Call for
Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates 877-704-4327; email address
for customer service lois@premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
TUNING UP
@PG_shawnh
rom Gene Vincent on up to the War on Drugs, rock has always been about rebellion.
So why is it that we guitarists are often so staid?
Tattoos, extreme hair, makeup, leather jackets, and chain wallets are everywhere
the Disney Channel, commercials for kitchen-floor cleaner. But they dont signify nonconformity any more than cranked stacks or low-slung guitars. We like to think were badasses, but
the truth is, all this stuff isnt half as risky as buying your clothes at L.L. Bean and playing an
80s Hondo through a Gorilla practice amp.
So lets just admit it: Despite all our stylistic trappings, were a pretty conservative lot.
But maybe we just mistakenly believe there are no new trails to blazeno new gear combinations, no new tone settings, no new scales or chords or songs. Or maybe, despite our deepseated desires and best efforts to shirk tradition, we think there are still no-nosstark lines delineating
no-fly zones that are preposterous to consider.
Many of us restrict ourselves before even picking up our instrument. We think tube amps are the
route to great tone. We tussle a bit over where a fuzz box or wah belongs in a signal chain, but we pretty
much agree that after that its compression, dirt, modulation, delay, then reverb. Its all very elementary.
But were not in elementary school anymore.
For the record, Im not talking about different for differents sake. Actually, I kind of ambut not as
some stupid attention-getting gambit. How about for the joy of discovery? How about to expand your
horizons and bulldoze ruts?
Despite the mightily entrenched views of the 6-string majority, there are plenty of inspiring examples
of wacky adventurers over the years. Players who did stuff that sounded different and new, but once you
knew how they did it you thought, Oh godreally?
The new album Peahi from Danish surf/garage-pop duo the Raveonettes has recently made me rethink
my own assumptions. As guitarist/songwriter/co-vocalist Sune Rose Wagner detailed in our recent interview, despite his addiction to vintage Jazzmasters and Mosrites, and despite his love of the Everly Brothers
and Mark Knopfler, he hasnt used a guitar amp on any of his bands seven albums over the last 13 years.
All of Wagners influences used traditional guitar gear in traditional ways, but he and fellow
Raveonette Sharin Foo did things differently to create a signature sound. Besides eschewing amps and
recording direct through a Neve-style preamp, Wagner uses an ass-backward pedalboard. First in line is a
Catalinbread Echorec delay, then two Boss RV-5 reverbsalways running in tandem with different settingsfollowed by five dirt boxes, ranging from WMDs bit-crushing Geiger Counter fuzz to a ZVEX
Box of Metal, an EarthQuaker Devices Bit Commander, an old Rat, and MXRs La Machine.
It gets worse, too: Wagner has played drums since he was 5he says theyre his favorite instrumentbut every Raveonettes album since their 2003 debut, Whip It On, has featured percussion loops
exclusively. Im not a fan of real drum soundsit all sounds the same to me, he admits. I love samplestheyre so diverse. I love mixing various drum sounds together, maybe have three or four different
kicks and four or five different snares. I want them to sound interesting and special.
Conventional logic says this is all a recipe for unique ugliness, but in reality the Raveonettes sound
a cross between Dick Dale twang, My Bloody Valentine fuzz mayhem, and the Jesus and Mary Chains
melancholy melodies, with Phil Spector-esque wall of sound productionis not only instantly recognizable, but its also beautiful and organic sounding. And its built them a sizable following around the world.
Maybe different for differents sake is something worth exploring after all. Turn on your ears and turn
off the judgment. Theres a universe of fun waiting for you.
Shawn Hammond
Chief Content Officer
shawn@premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
BIG POWER
HIGH OUTPUT
Supercharged and then some, SRMs now feature a
powerful new 1000W amp platform so you can reach
more people than ever before. Paired with custom
high-output drivers and Mackie Smart Protect DSP,
youve got a powerful, solid PA solution perfect for your
high-output application.
Beyond proven, the SRM is the most widely used
portable loudspeaker ever designed. Now with tons of
power, new innovative sound tools like a first-in-class
feedback destroyer and Mackie HD Audio Processing
for unbelievable sound, the SRM450 is ready to deliver
on its live sound legacy.
CLASS-D AMPLIFIER
1000W ultra-efficient Class-D amplification
HIGH-OUTPUT TRANSDUCERS
Premium titanium-dome compression driver
and high-output woofer
1000W POWER
HD AUDIO PROCESSING
CHECK OUT
THE ALL-NEW
SRM350/SRM450
srm.mackie.com
2014 LOUD Technologies Inc. Mackie. and the Running Man figure are
registered trademarks of LOUD Techonologies Inc. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK LOOP
programmable boards, which go
through a PA and dont use amps
at all. In short, be more realistic
in the reviews. Also, you should
provide more articles on upgrading
the lower priced instruments
with better components. The
editors Squier Telecaster upgrade
[Squier Tele Makeover, March
2013] is a case in point, which
took a reasonably priced guitar
and personalized it with a good
explanation of why, how, and what
was done to take it there. I still
enjoy the magazine very much and
anxiously await each new (print)
issue. Keep up the good work.
Socialize
with Us!
Lou Chauvin
Morgan City, Louisiana
Family Ties
What Regular
Guitarists Want?
@premierguitar 28 and
growing. Ive run out of
places to put them. And yes
theyre all left-handed.
@MattMira
DIY Success
Keep those
comments coming!
Please send your suggestions,
gripes, comments, and good words
directly to info@premierguitar.com.
premierguitar.com
ARTISTS
61
34
Dot Hacker
History of Delay
74
Opeth
Mikael kerfeldt
discusses creativity
within todays hard-todefine metal genre.
83
Ty Segall
94
Joel Harrison
The avant picker
collaborates with
sarodist Anupam
Shobhakar.
111
130
DIY Pedal
Pedal Roundup
We review 30 of
the tastiest stompboxes aroundHomer
Simpson approved.
REVIEWS
194 Forrest DB Boost B & G Bender
197 Marshall 1958X 18-Watt
200 ESP E-II Stream Bass
premierguitar.com
ike the ridges of a ngerprint, every guitar is unique. Its combination of wood grain, weight, feel
and tone are one of a kind. Its a true reection of its owner. With an in-depth report on the
guitars that suit you best, our Guitar Advisors will help you nd your perfect match.
Call a Guitar Advisor: 866-926-1923 MondayFriday, 8 a.m.5 p.m. CST
www.privatereserveguitars.com
premierguitar.com
OCTOBER 2014
JULY 2014
On the Cover:
South American
mahogany, a
wood used on
a majority of
acoustic guitars
made in North
America, could
be on the list of
restricted woods
in the future.
Richard Johnston,
Gear Radar
Opening Notes
Tools for the Task
Staff Picks
Esoterica Electrica
Last Call
GEAR
28 Rig Rundowns
56 Trash or Treasure
58 Vintage Vault
72 Tone Tips
HOW-TO
92 Acoustic Soundboard
102 The Recording Guitarist
104 Guitar Shop 101
106 Bass Bench
108 On Bass
124 Mod Garage
126 Ask Amp Man
128 State of the Stomp
Bottom: Photo by Tim Mullally Top: Photo by Darren Boucher
Acoustic Soundboard,
p. 92
20
23
192
202
222
224
premierguitar.com
Elixir
Light
Strings
LIGHT
www.elixirstrings.com/hdlight
Pete Huttlinger plays
Elixir Strings HD Light Phosphor Bronze
facebook.com/elixirstrings
twitter.com/elixirstrings
youtube.com/elixirstringsmedia
GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE LONG LIFE, e icon, and other designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. 2014 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
ELX-381-R1-ADV-US-AUG14
GO ONLINE
ONLY ON PremierGuitar.com
Your guide to the latest stories, reviews, videos, and lessons on PremierGuitar.com
FEATURED
LESSONS
Access all of our lessons
online, for free, with
streaming audio and
downloadable, printable
notation PDFs.
FUTURE ROCK
10 Essential Slides,
Scrapes, and Noises
By Aurelien Budynek
What do you get when you line up two of the most sonically adventurous bassists around and
challenge them to pick the 10 best bass stomps? Juan Alderete (Deltron 3030, Big Sir, Mars Volta)
and Jonathan Hischke (Dot Hacker) go head-to-head to find out. We recently met up with Ace
Frehley in Times Square to learn about his new solo album, Space Invader, and the guitar-recording
trick he learned from Pete Townshend. Last but not least, red-hot blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa
sets aside his Dumbles and vintage Fender Twins to wax poetic on five amps that are a bit under the
radarincluding one tube-free option!
Read these interviews and more at premierguitar.com/oct14
BEYOND BLUES
Turnaround Tactics
By Levi Clay
ELECTRIC TUDES
Jerry Garcia
By Shawn Persinger
RHYTHM RULES
How to Steal from Yourself
By Pete Weise
DIY Distortion
Build Guide
premierguitar.com
GUITARDOMS
TOP TWEETS
Im watching Frozen in my bunk.
Im not ashamed.
- @theclaycook
- @JohnMayer
- @seancwatkins
- @KakiKing
- @chickenfootjoe
premierguitar.com
GEAR RADAR
New products on the horizon.
3
4
EVH
Stripe Series
Circles Guitar
WEST COAST
PEDAL BOARDS
Little Rock
YELLOW JACKETS
NOS Tube
Converter
A 20-watt combo
This ready-to-rock
A limited-edition converter
versatile acoustic-electric
gigging musician.
emphasizing a chorus-like
Street $129.99
an amplifier giving it a
acousticamplification.com
D-Tuna bridge.
Street $79.99
Street $118
MSRP $1,199
westcoastpedalboard.com
yellojacketstc.com
evhgear.com
ACOUSTIC
A20
Street $199
oldbloodnoise.com
premierguitar.com
8
7
10
9
6
DOD
Bifet Boost 410
JENSEN
P10R-F
10
MOLTEN VOLTAGE
SIMI Pedalboard
Display
3 MONKEYS AMPS
Orangutan Jr.
EPIPHONE
PRO-1 Ultra
factory in cooperation
A handy, programmable
pedal with 20 dB of
of the 57 Bandmaster
switchable buffer.
features real-time
Street $149.95
Vibro King.
message capability.
fretboard; a Shadow
dod.com
Street $125
Street $175
jensentone.com
moltenvoltage.com
Street $1,799
3monkeyamps.com
Street $329
epiphone.com
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
Eugene Htz
July 6, 2014
Fort York: Garrison Common
Toronto, Canada
Photo by Andrew Dubinsky
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
Brian May
July 12, 2014
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI
Photo by Ken Settle
premierguitar.com
OPENING NOTES
Rachel Goswell
July 20, 2014
Union Park
Chicago, IL
Photo by Lindsey Best
OPENING NOTES
Sam Roberts
August 1, 2014
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Montreal, Canada
Photo by Darren Boucher
premierguitar.com
Influence Series
chena kenai
and
www.knaggsguitars.com
RIG RUNDOWNS
KISS
FACTOID
Tommy Thayer
opened for Kiss in
the 80s and later
worked as a tour
manager for the
band.
TOMMY THAYER
GUITARS
Top left: Tommy Thayer
is a longtime Les Paul
man and brings several
on the road with him.
This black Les Paul
Classic houses the
classic Kiss pyro behind
the headstock.
Top right: When he
needs some midrange
honk, Thayer reaches for
a Custom Shop Gibson
Explorer decked out in
silver sparkle.
AMPS
For the past eight years, Thayer has been touring exclusively with a pair of his signature 100-watt Hughes
& Kettner Duotone heads (Thayer donates all the royalties from this amp to The Childrens Hospital of
Los Angeles). After an experiment where he switched cabinets with Paul Stanley, he discovered the Engl
E412SG and has been using a pair of them ever since.
premierguitar.com
PAUL STANLEY
GUITARS
Top left: Paul Stanley
tours with several of
his signature Washburn
PS12 Starfires. Each
one is outfitted with a
Seymour Duncan Custom
5 in the bridge and
Duncan 59 in the neck.
Top right: Stanleys
contract with Washburn
expires this year, so hes
returning to his famous
Ibanez PS10, which is
planned to be released
at next years Winter
NAMM show. Currently,
Stanley is rocking the
PS10 that he first used
on the 95 reunion tour.
AMPS
Left: Stanley plugs into
custom Engl heads that
are loosely based on
the Ritchie Blackmore
model, but powered
with EL84s instead of
the stock 5881s. He
runs that into a pair
of Marshall 4x12 cabs
loaded with Celestion
Vintage 30 speakers.
GENE SIMMONS
BASSES
Bottom left: Gene
Simmons plays his
signature line of basses
exclusively. His iconic
Axe bass features a
mahogany body, maple
neck, Indian rosewood
fingerboard and EMG PJ
active pickups.
Bottom right: Simmons
Punisher bass
features neck-through
construction, mahogany
body, maple neck,
rosewood fretboard, and
EMG PJ active pickups.
The controls have been
simplified to a single
volume knob with
the input jack routed
through the front of the
bass to accommodate
Simmons costume.
premierguitar.com
RIG RUNDOWNS
BRAND NEW
On July 7, 2014,
Premier Guitar met
with Jesse Lacey, his
tech Joe Cannetti,
and lead guitarist
Vincent Accardi of
the Long Island altrockers Brand New
before their show in
Louisville, Kentucky.
Lacey spilled the
dirt on his love of
Fender guitars and
fuzz pedals.
FACTOID
Laceys No. 1
Telecaster was
borrowed from a
church worship leader
20 years ago.
JESSE LACEY
GUITARS
Top left: Lacey keeps it
all single-coil. His No. 1
is a battered 70s Fender
Tele with a Curtis Novak
Tel-V bridge pickup.
Top right: He also rocks a
2009 Stagg Jazzmasterstyle guitar with singlecoils in the neck and
middle positions, and a
Fender Jaguar single-coil
in the bridge position.
AMPS
Center: Lacey goes big
and loud with a DR103
Hiwatt Custom 100 head
plugged into a Janice
2x12 cab loaded with
one Eminence Delta
and one Swamp Thang
speaker. Running in
conjunction with the
Hiwatt is a 90s Orange
Overdrive 80 that has
been modded for 120watt output. The Orange
drives a Janice 2x12 with
two Weber FC12s.
EFFECTS
Left: A true gear
geek, Lacey did
all the wiring and
soldering on his
pedalboard. When
the signal first goes
into the board, an
L.R. Baggs preamp
sends an acoustic
DI to the front of
house. The electric
guitar line runs
into the GigRig
Pro-14 switching
system, which
routes the signal
into all of
his pedals.
premierguitar.com
VINCENT ACCARDI
GUITARS
Top: Accardi keeps it
Fender-y with his stock
60th Anniversary Fender
Cyclone. He also plays a
1992 MIM Fender Strat
hes owned since he was
a kid.
AMPS
Center: Accardi uses a
300-watt Fender Super
Bassman Pro tube head
plugged into two cabs: a
Janice 2x12 loaded with
two Eminence EM12s,
and a Janice 2x15 with
two Eminence Legend
1518s.
EFFECTS
Bottom: Accardis
grungy pedalboard
starts with a MKS Pedal
Pad connected to both a
MKS power supply and
a Walrus Audio Aetos
Clean Power Supply.
After hitting a Boss TU-2
Chromatic Tuner, the
signal goes into two
Boss PS-5 Super Shifters
(one goes up, the other
down). From there it
enters a gig-fx Chopper,
a Dunlop DBO1 Dimebag
Darrell Cry Baby From
Hell, a Catalinbread
Dirty Little Secret, a
Pro Co RAT, a Marshall
ShredMaster, a Boss TR-2
Tremolo, a Boss CH-1
Super Chorus, and a Boss
PH-3 Phase Shifter. From
there it encounters three
delays: an Old Blood
Noise Endeavors Black
Fountain, a Boss DD-6,
and a Boss DD-7.
premierguitar.com
WHICH
pedaltrain
ARE
YOU ?
+
#mypedaltrain
pedaltrain
USER PHOTO CREDITS :
left to right / top to bottom
@ PEDALTRAIN
| PEDALTRAIN.COM
I N T R O D U C I N G
T H E
WHICH
N E W
pedaltrain
ARE
YOU ?
PEDALBOARDPLANNER.COM
#mypedaltrain
pedalboardplanner.com
@pedalboardplan
@pedalboardplan
/pedalboardplanner
Echoes of
the Past
and Future
How sweet the answer Echo makes
To music at night,
When, roused by lute or horn, she wakes,
And far away, oer lawns and lakes,
Goes answering light.
Thomas Moore, from Echo (1821)
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
Echo ex Machina
The history of electronic effects runs
parallel to the history of recorded music.
The creation of an ambient setting could
be thought of as the first effect to be used
in recording. Studio engineers realized the
physical characteristics of the room being
performed in affected the outcome of the
recording. A room with reflective surfaces,
such as tile or concrete, created natural
reverb. A larger room yielded an echo
effect. These live rooms were some of
the earliest and most widely used studio
effects. Echo chambers purposely built
for use in broadcast and recording date
back to 1931.
An echo chamber is a very large room,
usually with a playback system at one
end of the room and a microphone at the
other. Recording pioneer Bill Putnam Sr.
is credited with being the first to employ
a send-and-return method on an audio
console in order to vary the amount
of echo in a recording. Phil Spectors
famous wall of sound recordings from
the 1960s are a great example of the
echo-chamber effect. Echo chambers
were commonly employed in commercial
recording up until the 1970s, when
multi-tracking, close-miking, and more
sophisticated studio effects changed the
way commercial recordings were made.
Many of the recording techniques
still commonly used in studios today
were pioneered by Les Paul back in the
late 1940s. One of Pauls more notable
tricks was to add an extra playback head
to his tape recorder in order to achieve
a slapback echo effect. This innovation
marks the point where true delay was first
used as an effect, independent from echo
and reverb.
As this slapback effect was employed
on more and more recordings, it created
demand for a way to reproduce the effect
live. Ray Butts of Cairo, Illinois, was the
first to step up and meet this demand
when he was asked to build a device that
would recreate the type of echo that Les
Paul got on his records. Rays solution
was the EchoSonic amplifier with built-in
tape delay.
The EchoSonic had a fixed delay time,
but it yielded a perfect slapback echo that
Ray Butts
EchoSonic
amplifier (used
by Chet Atkins
circa 1953) was
the first tapedelay-equipped
outboard unit to
enable guitarists
to achieve
slapback echo in
a live setting.
premierguitar.com
Top:
The Italian-made
Binson Echorec
today one of
the rarest and
most soughtafter delay units
from the late
50s and early
60s
was key to the
early Pink Floyd
sound.
Bottom:
The Echoplex
EP-3, a tapedelay that used
a self-contained
cassette-like
cartridge, is
perhaps the
most famous
and iconic delay
unit of all time.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
The key
component
in the classic
Tel-Ray oil can
delay isnt all
that different
from this
Sterno can.
Top:
In the 1970s,
Tel-Ray changed
its name to
Morley and
released several
large-format oil
can effects.
Bottom:
Rolands Space
Echo RE-201
featured
built-in spring
reverb and a
free running
tape system
that greatly
increased
tape life.
premierguitar.com
Top:
MXRs bucketbrigade Analog
Delay debuted
in 1977 and
became one
of the most
popular delay
pedals of
its time.
Bottom:
Electromechanical
delays such as
the Multivox
Multi Echo can
sound great, but
theyre bulky
and difficult to
maintain.
premierguitar.com
Josh Rand
Hughes & Kettner is proudly distributed in the USA & Canada by Yorkville Sound.
facebook.com/hughesandkettner | www.hughesandkettner.com/TubeMeister
Above:
Some believe
the Dynacord
EC 280 was the
first BBD delay.
Right:
Boss bucketbrigade DM-1
Delay Machine
preceded the
now-legendary
DM-2 compact
analog delay.
premierguitar.com
MODULAR PEDALBOARDS
SIMPLE TO CONNECT
Slide two units together and twist
the built-in locking thumbscrews
to connect. Done.
CUSTOM BAG
Each Stompblox comes with a gig
bag. When using two units, the
bags zip together. The first
modular pedalboard bag.
NEW ACCESSORIES
STOMPBLOX RISER
Snap the modular Riser
into Stompblox allowing
pedals to be elevated
for easy access.
premierguitar.com
STOMPBLOX EXTEND
Extends Stompblox
and easily mounts
nearly any effect
pedal power supply.
An assortment
of electromechanical,
BBD, and digital
delays from the
60s through the
present.
premierguitar.com
Un-wind
The electric guitar pickup has been wound since1934.
80 years later, weve unwound it.
Original and totally re-imagined, Fluence Multi-Voice pickups
for electric guitars are free from the hum, noise and frustrating
inductance issues that plague even the most coveted wire-wound
pickups, revealing pure, uncorrupted and musical tone.
Unwind, youve waited long enough.
fishman.com
premierguitar.com
Above:
The Digital
Delay was one
of Mu-Trons
final products
before folding
in 1980.
Meanwhile,
Korgs SDD3000 gave the
Edge his echoes.
Inset:
For years, TC
Electronics
TC2290 delay
was one of the
most highly
regarded rack
delays on the
market.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
WEVE TAKEN
DIGITAL WIRELESS
TO THE NEXT LEVEL . . .
THE FLOOR
SYSTEM
STOMPBOX
audio-technica.com
TRASH OR TREASURE
Q:
The 17-watt,
2x10 National
Newport 50
offered up just
about everything
an intermediate
guitarist would
need and are
now worth
between $800
and $1,000
in excellent
condition.
Hey Zach,
I was checking out some rummage sales with my wife and happened
upon this National guitar amplifier. I suspect the family who was
holding the sale didnt know what they had as I picked it up for $50. It
was an estate sale of various items, but this definitely stood out to me
since Im a recreational guitarist. Everything on the amp works, except
that a few of the knobs make a scratching sound when turned back
and forth. Can you affirm my suspicions that I found a deal?
Thanks,
Ned in Green Bay, Wisconsin
A:
Hi Ned,
While Im fairly confident
you would get your $50
back (and then some) if you decided to
sell this amp, lets take a look at it first.
National amps came from the same
National brand of Dobro resonators, but
the amp you have is hardly designed to
be used for bluegrass. Its a fitting brand
name, however, since Nationals resonator
guitars represent some of the first forms
of amplification.
National ventured into guitar
amplificationsans electronicswhen
guitarist George Beauchamp approached
John and Rudy Dopyera (the founders
of National) with an idea on how to
increase the volume of guitars that were
getting lost in the large orchestras of
the late 1920s. He suggested putting an
aluminum resonator in the guitar body to
help resonate the sound, which is where
the name came from.
Modern amplifiers powered by
electricity began to appear in the 1930s,
thereby almost rendering the resonator
obsolete for its intended purpose only a
few years after it was introduced. However,
resonators found a niche with bluegrass
players and continue to be popular today.
National followed suit and introduced
an electric amplifier in the 1930s called
the National Dobro. Ownership of
National then changed many times in
the 1930s and early 1940s before Victor
Smith, Al Frost, and Louis Dopyera
partnered and changed the name of
premierguitar.com
T H E G R E AT E S T S E L E C T I O N
O F T H E F I N E S T G U I TA R S
(3739MYST)
(3741MYST)
(3740MYST)
S E E T H E S E I N S T R U M E N T S A N D M O R E AT G C P L AT I N U M . C O M
The unusual
construction of
the Firebirds made
them difficult
and expensive to
produce.
premierguitar.com
VINTAGE VAULT
Opposite page:
The Firebird
was Gibsons
response to
the Fender
Jazzmaster.
Left: This 1965
Firebird has a flat
headstock, which
differs from
the two-level
sculpted design
introduced in
1963.
Inset: Another
difference
between the 63
Firebird and the
redesigned 65
model shown
here: Gibson
replaced the
banjo tuners with
conventional
Klusons.
premierguitar.com
S2 Singlecut
2014 PRS Guitars / Guitar Photos by Marc Quigley / Concert Photo by Graham Fielder
S2 Mira
S2 Custom 24
S2 Starla
S2 Custom 22
Red Hot Chili Pepper Josh Klinghoffer and former Gnarls Barkley guitarist
Clint Walsh talk about their chance meeting and the toys/tools used
to create the gaze-prog fever dreams on their two new Dot Hacker albums,
Hows Your Process (Work) and Hows Your Process (Play).
BY SHAWN HAMMOND
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
OUT
THERE
Vibe and tone from '62 with
21st century build quality!
Lets talk about the rigs you used for the album.
Klinghoffer: The album is a different story. We
just kind of had fun with what was around at
the time. Ive amassed a lot of cool amps over
the last few years, and Clint and I both have a
lot of cool guitars. I think that, amp-wise [to
Clint] what did you record through?
Walsh: I used an old Deluxe Reverb.
Like, a blackface?
Walsh: Its one of the 68s with the aluminum
drip, so silverface I guessthough that year is
still technically a blackface. I used a [Roland]
premierguitar.com
24 scale
silvertoneguitar.com
AMPS
1968 Fender Deluxe Reverb
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus
Watkins Dominator
Watkins Scout
Montgomery Ward 50-watt head
EFFECTS
Strymon TimeLine
Fulltone OCD
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Boss VB-2 Vibrato
Boss DM-2 Analog Delay
EarthQuaker Devices Dispatch Master
EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter
EarthQuaker Devices Hoof Reaper
59 Fender Stratocaster
62 Fender Jazzmaster
Nash T-style
Gibson 120-T
60s Yamaha 12-string acoustic
Martin D-12
40s Martin mahogany acoustic
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
AMPS
1960s Danelectro DS-100
Late-50s Fender Super
Watkins Dominator
Watkins Scout
1960s Marshall Super Lead 100
with matching 4x15 cab
EFFECTS
Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer
Univox Super-Fuzz
ZVEX Fuzz Factory units
Electro-Harmonix Big Muffs
Boss CE-2 Chorus
Boss VB-2 Vibrato
Boss DM-2 Analog Delay
premierguitar.com
Live!
Test drive an L Serieswe dare you!
for more info, visit: yamaha.com/daretocompare
The new Yamaha L-Series offers the perfect combination of traditional and modern:
a warm, balanced tone that fits perfectly into a solo performance or mix;
timeless good looks inspired by Yamahas 50 years of guitar crafting;
instant played-in comfort; and stage-ready performance
with Yamahas new Zero Impact SRT pickup.
THE VERTIGO
THE DUAL
MONOCREATORS.COM
2014
70 PREMIER GUITAR OCTOBER
MONO_PG-AD_August-2014_0.1.indd
1
6/16/14 12:27 PM
premierguitar.com
Creamback
www.celestion.com
TONE TIPS
Heres a recent
pic of me with
my tech, Shuhei
Fujita. Whether
youre touring
as a musician,
tech, or in
management,
giving 100
percent with a
positive attitude
is infectious.
premierguitar.com
SWEDISH FLOYD
Opeths Mikael kerfeldt disses predictability, explains why he
wont give any musician advice, and admits loving ... Rihanna?
BY CHRIS KIES
premierguitar.com
peth frontman and guitarist Mikael kerfeldt doesnt care much for labels. Im
really confused about what metal is these days, says kerfeldt. Its difficult
for me to talk about. I can appreciate people who say that were not a metal
bandand I kind of like that because, to me, current metal is stale and boring.
When the quintet formed in Stockholm, Sweden, in the early 90s, kerfeldt and
company churned out three impressive, stop-you-in-your-tracks albums full of crushing
rhythms, guttural vocals, and dark themes about religion, death, and the occult. And
while the band always experimented with dynamics and tempo shifts, with 1999s Still
Life and even more so with 2001s Blackwater Park, Opeth started moving away from its
intense roots.
There were five or six years where I was listening to death metal, kerfeldt admits.
It rubbed off on me and I had to glorify that strong influence by making the music I
was most passionate about in that given period of my life and career.
But the path kerfeldt has chosen for Opeth since then is one of restless
experimentation. He and his rotating cast of combatants have released 11 albums,
and throughout, theyve weaved a Family Circus-like path through aggressive music,
swerving to make pit stops with more vulnerable numbers like Damnations In My
Time of Need, veering into acoustic instrumental territory with Heritages Marrow
of the Earth, and experimenting with extended prog voyages like Morningrises
Black Rose Immortal. And on this years Pale Communion, they even dabble in
straight-up classic rock on tracks such as River.
I really dont like trying to recreate or reflect on something weve already done
in Opeth, kerfeldt explains. People will look at Watershed or Heritage and try to
link the musical progression these albums have in common with Pale Communion
as a trend towards something defined, but really its just a continuation of the
bands life and the music weve made and like to hear. Were not trying to be a
certain type of band to capitalize on anythingwere just Opeth.
In our recent interview with kerfeldt, he also discusses his switch to Marshall
amps, why hed never give advice to another artist, and why hes not ashamed
of the decidedly un-metal tunes on his iPod. Plus, we talk to Opeth lead guitarist
Fredrik kesson about the making of Pale Communion.
premierguitar.com
EFFECTS
70s Electro-Harmonix
Small Stone Phase Shifter
Way Huge Supa-Puss
MXR Carbon Copy
Fractal Audio Axe-FX
Opeth
mastermind
Mikael kerfeldt
plays a PRS
Custom 24 while
on tour in 2008.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
FLOOR IT
KICK YOUR TONE INTO HIGH GEAR
fender.com
2014 Fender Parts and Accessories Competition and Hammertone Pedals Island Ad Guitar World.indd 1
8/14/14 4:45 PM
premierguitar.com
Blueridge Guitars...More
Bang for the Buck!
The Quality
and Value Leader!
BR-160 Dreadnaught
BY BRIAN FOX
Multi-instrumentalist Ty Segall blends fuzz and jangle, sweet and salty on his new album.
premierguitar.com
YOUTUBE IT
Ty Segall and his band slay it on Conan, performing Feel off his
new album, Manipulator. Forward to 1:50 for a freak-out solo!
YouTube search term: Ty Segall Feel 08/13/14
Prolific songster
Ty Segall demos
his songs at
home before
recording them
in the studio.
premierguitar.com
Ty Segalls
live band
includes Charles
Mootheart on
guitar (left),
Mikal Cronin
on bass (not
pictured),
and Emily
Rose Epstein
on drums.
Everybody in
the band rips,
so to take the
songs into a
less-controlled
place is pretty
amazing, Segall
says.
premierguitar.com
TY SEGALLS GEAR
GUITARS
1966 Fender Mustang
1977 Gibson ES-335
1970 Gibson Les Paul
1970s Italian-made acoustic 12-string
Stella acoustic guitar
AMPS
1972 Fender Quad Reverb
Music Man HD-130
EFFECTS
Death By Audio Fuzz War
STRINGS
DAddario EXL115 (.011.049)
BASS GEAR
1968 Gibson EB-0 with flatwounds
1970s Ampeg B-15
premierguitar.com
NAIL
HEADS
premierguitar.com
Inspire and feed your creativity with our handpicked selection of extraordinary guitar gear
p e d a l s
a m p s
g u i t a r s
premierguitar.com
VintageKing_GP_0818_Guitar_PRINT_REV.pdf 1
premierguitar.com
The CabGrabber is the most efficient tool for miking a guitar or bass
cabinet. I use it with my i5s for guitars and with a D4 on the bass
cabinet. Its reliable, rugged and speeds up the miking process.
premierguitar.com
ACOUSTIC SOUNDBOARD
The Martin 0-34 from 1901 shown here reveals how much ivory was used on that
companys higher models, as not only are the tuning pegs and bridge made of ivory,
but all of the binding as well. In contrast, the ivory saddle and nut show the maximum
amount of ivory found on any Martin guitar made after 1920 and weigh less than 1/5
of an ounce. But thats still enough to make the instrument illegal to sell in some U.S.
jurisdictions, if recently enacted laws are fully enforced. Fortunately, the original nut
and saddle can be removed and replaced with domestic cattle bone with no loss to the
guitars sound or playability.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
JOEL
HARRISON
premierguitar.com
BY ADAM PERLMUTTER
premierguitar.com
Joel Harrisons
recent guitar
experimenting
includes playing
with volume
extremes,
alternating
between playing
really loud or
really soft.
premierguitar.com
AMPS
1957 Fender Bassman
1962 Fender Super
1966 Fender Princeton (three)
EFFECTS
Boss Super Overdrive SD-1
Electro-Harmonix Frequency Analyzer
Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Nano Reverb
Lexicon PCM 41
Menatone Red Snapper
TC Electronic Nova System
premierguitar.com
YOUTUBE IT
In this live duet, Joel Harrison and Anupam Shobhakar blend the
haunting sounds of a National resonator and fretless sarod.
YouTube search term: Joel Harrison & Anupam Shobhakar
Deep River (LIVE)
Joel Harrison
plays a 1967
Gibson ES-345
at his Alternative
Guitar Summit
held this year at
New York Citys
SubCulture
venue in January
of 2014.
premierguitar.com
SLIM DOWN
TINY BUT MIGHTY IN STYLE AND SOUND
premierguitar.com
fender.com
2014 Fender Parts and Accessories Micro Pedals Island Ad Guitar World.inddPREMIER
1
8/14/14 2014
4:44 PM
GUITAR OCTOBER
99
Sarod player Anupam Shobhakar introduced Joel Harrison to the idea of meend (a technique in
Indian music that involves how you approach notes while improvising), a concept that Derek Trucks
often applies to slide guitar.
CM
CY
CMY
MY
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
You cant be different if youre playing what everyone else is. Visit reverendguitars.com to start your journey to becoming an individual.
An EQ Case Study
BY JOE GORE
premierguitar.com
High-speed Thunderbolt
connection to your Mac
uaudio.com/twin
*Apollo Twin includes the Realtime Analog Classics UAD plug-in bundle. All other
plug-ins are sold separately at www.uaudio.com. All trademarks are property of their
respective owners. Requires Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion or 10.9 Mavericks.
Thunderbolt cable sold separately.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
Why Headless?
Photo 1:
Designed
by Guenther
Paal and built
by Markus
Kirchmayr, these
headless basses
are each made
from a single
piece of ebony.
Photo 2: As on
Steinberger L
Series basses,
tuners are
mounted at the
bodys base.
BY HEIKO HOEPFINGER
premierguitar.com
S Ais
HENRIK LINDER
DIRTY LOOPS
Debut album Loopified out now.
Dirty Loops US tour Oct-Nov.
Phone 866-632-8346
www.musicaldistributors.com
W W W
D Pl Wihu I!
.EBSSWEDEN.COM
ON BASS
W
PG columnist
Steve Cook
set personal
guidelines to
get where he
wanted to be as
a bassist.
premierguitar.com
strymon.net/bigsky
Click here to
download the PDF
guide online at
premierguitar.com
DIY
Photo 1:
The Electra, a
late-70s/early80s guitar with
built-in effects,
has been largely
forgotten. But
many boutique
builders have
borrowed its
simple yet
great-sounding
distortion
circuit.
Photo 2:
I built my
PG Distortion
into a prepainted and predrilled enclosure
and decorated
it with stickers.
Because stickers!
premierguitar.com
DIY
Project overview.
premierguitar.com
DIY
8
Tools.
9. Phillips-head screwdriver.
10. An adjustable wrench or a wrench
set. (Long-handled luthiers wrenches
are nice if you can afford themplus
you can use them for guitar repairs.)
11. A digital multimeter. Auto-ranging
meters are the easiest to work with. These
have many functions, and the high-end
ones can be quite complicated. But even
budget models should have the functions
needed for this project: a voltmeter, an
ohmmeter, and a continuity function (a
beeper that sounds when you touch the
test terminals to any two points that are
linked electronically).
premierguitar.com
This is the stuff legends are made of. For over 50 years, the VOX AC30 has become
synonymous with remarkable tone. That distinguished, all-tube sound and signature
chime has been forever woven into the tapestry of Rock n Roll. Today, it continues to
serve as the voice for emerging artists and luminaries alike.
Pictured: VOX AC30C2, Korg SDD-3000 Digital Delay Pedal, & Gibson Explorer
WWW.VOXAMPS.COM
DIY
Parts.
Sourcing Parts.
Stompbox parts tend to fall into two categories: those you can get from
large electronics supply houses, and those sold chiefly by stompbox
specialists. Large suppliers such as Mouser (mouser.com), Digi-Key
(digikey.com), and Allied (alliedelec.com) often have the lowest prices,
but they dont stock some of the essentials. Meanwhile, the specialized
stompbox vendors often carry both specialized and non-specialized parts,
and the convenience of one-stop shopping may compensate for slightly
higher prices on generic parts.
This isnt a complete list of stompbox parts specialistsjust three
reliable U.S.-based vendors with fine reputations, listed in alphabetical
order. Ive had great service from all three businesses.
Mammoth Electronics (mammothelectronics.com)
Pedal Parts Plus (pedalpartsplus.com)
Small Bear Electronics (smallbearelec.com)
Meanwhile, I hear good things about Germanys Banzai Music
(banzaimusic.com) from my friends in the E.U.
Mammoth Electronics has created a preassembled kit with all the
parts needed for this project. (Premier Guitar has no financial stake in the
productits merely offered as a convenience.) The parts are good and
the prices are competitive, but its just one way to go. The kit includes all
needed parts, but you must provide the tools. Heres the product page:
https://www.mammothelectronics.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=KIT-TNFND-DIST
8. A 3PDT footswitch.
1N4001
1N914
1N34A
red 3 mm LED
6. Two 16 mm potentiometers (pots):
A100K and C10K. (Substitute a B10K
if you cant find a C10K.)
7. A piece of perf board (perforated
circuit board) at least 15 holes in width
and seven in height. Chances are youll
saw a standard-sized 45 mm x 45 mm
piece (shown) in half.
premierguitar.com
(ACTUAL SIZE)
t-rex-eects.com
DIY
Your workspace.
When in
doubt,
step away
from the
bench
and seek
help.
Safety first (and
second and third).
Common-sense soldering.
If youve never soldered, it can be intimidating. And yes, its possible to burn
things, including yourself. But its actually an easy procedure that quickly becomes
second nature. If youve never soldered before, watch a few YouTube soldering
tutorials. Start by searching YouTube for Soldering with W0JAK (thats a zero in
W0JAK), to find a clip in which a clever 11-year-old covers most of what you
need to know in three fast minutes.
Some basics:
Dont touch the hot part.
Dont leave a hot iron unattended.
Work in a ventilated area. Even if youre using lead-free solder, it cant be
healthy to inhale those fumes for hours!
Wear eye protection.
Tin the irons tip by touching a bit of solder to it before starting.
Keep a damp sponge or rag handy and swab the irons tip frequently to keep
it clean.
Instead of touching solder to the irons tip, try to heat the target component
and melt the solder against the component. (But yeah, sometimes we cheat
and quickly touch the solder to the iron for a fraction of a second to get it
flowing.)
A good solder joint is shiny, smooth, and shaped like a Hersheys Kiss. If its
dark, or sits on the surface like a water droplet, reapply the iron.
If you make mistakes, it may help to have a syringe-type de-soldering tool.
(You simply re-melt the solder, and then suck it up with the tool.)
Consider using a helping hands vise to hold your components, leaving both
your hands free for work.
Its possible to complete this project with a bare-bones pencil-type soldering iron,
but its far easier if you use a soldering station with adjustable temperature from
a company such as Weller or Hakko. Simple hobbyist models start at around
$40, and fancier models go for about double that. But dont use big, high-wattage
soldering gunstheyre too powerful for work like this. Use a fine, narrow
soldering iron tip suitable for delicate electronics work.
premierguitar.com
DIY
Working with schematics.
DIY not?
Remember, this project isnt just about building a cool distortion pedal. The goal is learning the whys as well as
the hows so you can a) apply these techniques to any project, and b) alter circuits to taste. I hope you find the
process fun and informative, and that when the smoke clearshee heeyou have an inspiring musical tool. For
best results, maintain your patience and sense of humor, and dont freak out when you hit the inevitable hurdles.
Theres much more info in the PDF build guide available at premierguitar.com/DIY-Distortionincluding
additional resources and troubleshooting tips. Download it if you dare!
premierguitar.com
J . ROCK
ET
UD
TA
IO DESIG
NS
MOD GARAGE
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
Q:
There are
two different
versions of the
Fender SuperSonic 60: The
first generation
was introduced
in 2005 and the
updated model
debuted in
2009.
Hi Jeff,
I have a first generation (2007-08) Fender Super-Sonic 60 1x12
combo. Great ampreally love the tonebut the more recent
models have some changes that tighten up the low end and sharpen
the mids at higher gain settings. Can my amp be modded to the
newer specs? Or should I leave well enough alone since Im happy
with it as is?
Thanks!
Mike Bjorgo
A:
Hi Mike,
The Fender Super-Sonic is a
versatile amp with two distinct
channels. Labeled Vintage, the first
channel emulates two iconic Fender amps:
the Bassman and the Vibrolux. And this
is no virtual emulation! Fender designers
accomplished this by actually switching
between different component values and
circuit paths. Its done with relays, I might
add. Im not a fan of solid-state LDR (light
dependant resistor) switching, as it does
not have a true on and off state. Relays
are absolute. This channel also positions
the tone stack after the first gain stagea
standard Fender design trait.
Channel 2 is labeled Burn. This
channel offers an additional gain stage
and less in the way of passive tone
shaping. It also has the tone stack
positioned after the fourth gain stage,
which allows a more full-range signal to
pass through all the gain stages before its
tweaked by the tone controls. All in all,
two different channel designs.
Okay, you want your older SuperSonic to sound like the new model,
so lets get to it. The first model was
designed in October 2005, and the
updated model was designed in October
2009. According to your needs, the later
WARNING:
All tube amplifiers contain lethal voltages. The most dangerous voltages are stored in
electrolytic capacitors, even after the amp has been unplugged from the wall. Before
you touch anything inside the amp chassis, its imperative that these capacitors are
discharged. If you are unsure of this procedure, consult your local amp tech.
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
o outsiders, pedal
fixation probably
seems a bit, well, dorky.
These brightly painted
and oddly named
totems stoke raging
debates in chat rooms, fuel the kind of
sleepless, ascetic research thats typically
devoted to holy texts, and drive adults to
surreptitiously stash little boxes beneath
their beds and in car trunks, because ...
they had to have just this one more.
But for all the weird obsessions pedals
fire within us, they are, in the end, about
creation, joy, and happiness. Plug in a
premierguitar.com
{ FUZZ }
DAREDEVIL
Nova
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
hicago-based Daredevil
Pedals loves fuzz. In just
a few short years, founder
Johnny Wator has produced
everything from original twists
on the Fuzzrite and Russian Big
Muff to the growling Ronsoninspired Atomic Cock. Daredevil
typically avoids clonesadding
a little extra gain or extra range
in a tone stack instead to make
a classic unique. Thats the case
with the new Nova fuzz, an
original, simple silicon transistor
fuzz that offers an alternative
to the same old Maestro, Tone
Bender, or Fuzz Face clone.
Muscular Simplicity
The Novas white and purple
sparkle paint job would look
fantastic on its vehicular
namesake. But the utilitarian
nature of this fuzz aligns with
the intent of Chevys no-frills
muscle-car platform too. There
are just two controls: volume and
saturation. Volume controls the
outputno surprise thereand
the latter is essentially the gain
or fuzz control, and turning it
clockwise increases the crunch.
Overall, the Nova is sturdy and
carefully wired on the inside.
Laying Rubber
Wators aim with the Nova
was to create a fuzz that would
work well in a two-guitar band.
The Maestro FZ-1 was a tone
touchstone for its high-end
bite, but Wator wanted more
versatility and gusto in a live
setting than a germanium
Maestro-type circuit could
The Verdict
The Nova is a great fuzz box for
135 bucks. The simple design,
big tone, and excellent noteto-note definition is ideal for
bombastic, full-bodied leads
or chiming or chugging chord
work. And if you need a fuzz that
guarantees youll cut through a
booming band, theres volume
and midrange aplenty. The
tradeoff may be a little loss of
dynamics with some single-coils.
But if you tend to keep the pedal
to the metal, the Nova will keep
you riding high in the mix.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$135 street
daredevilpedals.com
premierguitar.com
/petersontuners
2014 Peterson Tuners. The term StroboPlus HD and Sweetened Tunings are trademarks of Peterson Electro-Musical Products, Inc. Buzz Feiten Tuning System is a registered trademark of Buzz Feiten Design Co., Inc.
{ FUZZ }
WAY HUGE
Havalina
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
60s-style germanium
fuzzes can pull off
with such aplomb.
You can get even
more mileage out of
the Havalina through
active use of tone
controls on the pedal
and your guitar.
The Havalina is
rewardingly sensitive
to adjustments of
the latter, but its
own tone control is a
very powerful soundshaping tool. Using
mellower, less trebly
settings from both
conjures cool, wooly
Randy California
fuzz tones and
Pageys hollow fuzz
moans from You Shook Me.
The Verdict
The Havalina speaks in
fuzz colors from buzzing to
brutalizingjust like a good
old Tone Bender wouldbut
from a much more stable, wellmanufactured, and reliable
platform. Its a touch fizzy in the
high end if youre not careful
with the tone controls on the
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$119 street
jimdunlop.com
premierguitar.com
Less is More...
More Tone... More Styles... More Quality....
Less Expensive...
Lets be honest, a Guitar Pickup is a pretty simple device. Simple and yet devilishly difficult to make just right... to deliver all the tone
your guitar can produce, to deliver the vocal, warm Vintage tone we all seek.
GFS Pickups are designed, prototyped, inspected and shipped from our Boston Massachusetts headquarters. Every pickup
encapsulates the decades of experience of our pickup designers.
We offer some of the most unique pickups on the market, yet in almost every case our prices are BELOW the wholesale prices of the
Name Brands. In fact, all of the pickups shown below are available for under $40 each.
In most cases we use the same ingredients as far more expensive products, but our unique Warehouse Direct business model
strips out the typical expenses of dealers, distributors and sales reps. With GFS you buy DIRECT and save.
GFS Surf 90
Alnico II Single Coil
GFS 63 Professional
Alnico V Single Coil
GFS KMZ+
Alnico V Humbucker
GFS offers dozens of different styles, from noise cancelling single-coil sized pickups to single coil humbucker-sized pickups. We do
some of the oddball pickups that the Big Boys deem too niche to offer. Constantly designing, we continue to offer new kinds of
pickups on a monthly basis.
Keep an eye on our website, youll always find something new!
With tens of thousands of satisfied customers and dozens of artists playing GFS pickups on the road and in the studio, isnt it time
you tried a set of our pickups?
www.Guitarfetish.com
{ FUZZ }
MAXON
without sacrificing
an ounce of the hefty
low end, resulting
in a velvety but
huge and searing
lead tone thats
equally menacing
for chords. Boosting
and emphasizing the
highest frequencies
while piling on the
gain sends the Water
to realms that few
Muff-style circuits
can touch, including
some fantastic
notched-wah-type
tones. Meanwhile,
using a Les Paul and
scooping the mids
with the freq control
resulted in seriously
brutal metal tones
with drum-tight lows
that made classic metal riffs
feel effortless.
The Verdict
The original Rams Head Big
Muffs were among the most
aggressive-sounding Muffs ever
produced, and Maxons new
FWA10 Fuzz Elements Water
pulls no punches in replicating
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$199 street
maxonfx.com
premierguitar.com
{ FUZZ }
MXR
La Machine
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$139 street
jimdunlop.com
premierguitar.com
{ OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION }
ELECTRO-HARMONIX
EHX Tortion
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$179 street
ehx.com
premierguitar.com
www.allparts.com/joe-barden
{ OVERDRIVE/DISTORTION }
Serenitys range
impressive. Set the
gain to nil and dial
up volume and tone
to suit your rig, and
youll encounter a
fat, singing, nearclean boost. Add a
little more gain, and
Serenity walks the
tightrope between
clarity and Crazy
Horse grind. The
more you favor the
latter, the more you
appreciate the stringto-string clarity
Serenity delivers
even when heavily
overdriven. Mediumgain and clean-boost
settings also showcase
the pedals headroom.
The ability to get these sounds at
high volume is one of the things
that separate Serenity from many
TS-808 clones.
High-gain settings are among
Serenitys biggest surprises. At
extremes, tones are distorted,
even fuzzy. Yet even here Serenity
feels very much in its elementa
claim few ODs can make.
The Verdict
Okay, maybe Serenity wont
bring peace to stompbox land.
For some, it wont be compressed
enough. Others may have little
use for its fuzzier tones. But if
you need to be heard in a big
rock context and dont want to
sacrifice overdrive clarity, Serenity
is a great place to start.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$165 street
stompunderfoot.com
humbuckers.
premierguitar.com
Legend.
The J-15
www.gibson.com
{ OVERDRIVE }
GREER
Lightspeed
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
The Verdict
The only real downside to
the Greer Lightspeed Organic
Overdrive is its price. Compared
to many like-minded boxes on
the market, its not cheap. But
this is a superb overdrive by any
measureit excels at coaxing
complex dirty tones in the lowmid gain range, and it can be
set up for use as a transparent
boost, or to throttle a tube into
full-bodied breakup. If you
value clarity, definition, amplike grit, and responsiveness, the
Lightspeed may well merit a little
extra investment.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$190 street
greeramps.com
premierguitar.com
www.mi.edu
MIMUSIC
COLLEGE OF
CONTEMPORARY
premierguitar.com
{ OVERDRIVE }
PROVIDENCE
The Verdict
On its own, the Red Rock OD
ROD-1 delivers amp-like drive
thats a perfect match for clean
tube amps. The price tag is a
bit steep, and there are certainly
quite a few ODs on the market
that sound great for less. On
the other hand, the Red Rock
delivers clarity and definition
in a thoughtful design that will
be a real asset for the single-coil
guitarist seeking extra oomph
without sacrificing vintage vibe.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$199 street
providence-ltd.com
premierguitar.com
THE HARDEST
WORKING GUITAR
NILS LOFGREN
AND HIS TAKAMINE EF508KC
Photo: Jo Lopez
{ OVERDRIVE }
MAD PROFESSOR
Simble
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$189 street
madprofessorusa.com
premierguitar.com
{ OVERDRIVE }
DLS
Reckless Driver
BY JOE CHARUPAKORN
$179 street
dlseffects.com
premierguitar.com
new
CV-75
Over 10 years in development, weve
captured the epitome of British tone.
Complete tonal balance grunt and
punch in the lows, warm/tailored
mids, and clear, open/airy highs.
legend em-12
High power ultra-clean tone with
big, round, punchy lows and warm,
smooth mids and highs. More
neutral tone so you can hear more
of your amp and guitar.
new
ga-sC64
True vintage voicing by amp guru
George Alessandro. Well-balanced
from top to bottom, its warm,
dynamic character lends itself to
vintage amps as well as modern
gain and distortion.
Follow us:
Proudly designed
and assembled in the USA.
{ MODULATION }
NEO INSTRUMENTS
Mini Vent
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
igitally simulating
a rotary speaker is
ambitious. Because
while the fundamentals of the
rotary speaker effect couldnt be
much simpler (put speaker on
stick...spin...repeat), the wobbly,
swirling, pitch-shifting delights
that result are paradoxically
complex and hard to replicate.
Neo Instruments last rotary
simulator, the Ventilator, blew
our minds. It simulated the
sonic intricacies of a Leslie 122
with startling realism. But it
also enabled users to fine-tune
details like balance between
treble and bass horns and virtual
microphone placement. The
latest version of the Ventilator,
the Mini Vent, has fewer features,
but its Leslie simulation is no less
stunning. And apart from a few
hidden programming features that
can be a bit tricky, the simpler,
smaller version is as convenient
and user friendly as can be.
Rotating Speaker Writ Small
The original Ventilator was a
smart piece of design, and in its
own modest and simple way the
German-built Mini Vent lives up
to its big brothers high design
standards. The super sturdy square
enclosure looks uncannily like
that of a vintage ProCo Rat 2 and
is about the same dimensions.
Crack it open and you behold an
immaculately tidy and cleverly
arranged two-tiered printed
circuit array. The smaller, topmost PCB is home to the chip
that drives the digital processing.
Not surprisingly, its a formidable
The Verdict
Folks will undoubtedly knock
the cost of a pedal that, on the
surface, looks like a one-trick
pony. But if you love the sound
of a rotary speaker and have
already spent hundreds of dollars
trying to fake it with other
modulation devices, the 349
bucks wont seem like much
especially when you fool most
of your friends with a recorded
sample. And as well as the Mini
Vent is put together, we guess its
an investment that will pay itself
back though longevity too.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$349 street
neo-instruments.de
premierguitar.com
(Actual size)
POCKET-SIZED
PERFECTION
STRUM
tcelectronic.com/polytune-2-mini
TUNE
ROCK
{ MODULATION/FUZZ }
CARL MARTIN
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$148 street
carlmartin.com
premierguitar.com
{ MODULATION }
DOD
Phasor 201
BY JORDAN WAGNER
The Verdict
DOD has done a knockout job
replicating the original Phasor
201s warmth and clarity. The
new version delivers all of
the gooey warmth and subtle
phasing of the original. While
its simplicity may be off-putting
to compulsive knob twiddlers,
the thoughtfully voiced circuit
is remarkably versatile. And at
just under a hundred bucks, its
something of a steal.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$99 street
dod.com
No battery door.
premierguitar.com
{ MODULATION }
WAMPLER
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$240 street
wamplerpedals.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
{ MODULATION }
BLACK CAT
Vibe
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
he original Uni-Vibe
may have failed as rotary
speaker simulation. But in
doing so it made sounds every bit
as musical, expressive, evocative,
and beautiful as any Leslie.
Funny thing is thatlike a
Lesliethe expense and hassle of
faithfully replicating a Uni-Vibe
dissuades many pedal builders
from trying. So when a good one
pops up, we tend to take notice.
Black Cats Vibe adheres
to the notion that a real UniVibe-style pedal has to be light
and photocell driven. And in
committing to this arcane but
oddly elegant analog technology,
they created a sonically deep
device that can impress the
snootiest Uni-Vibe purist.
A Dashing Dandy
I wont lie. Im a sucker for a
good-looking stompbox. And
with its psychedelic, grey-sparkle
graphics, the Black Cat Vibe is
the kind of box that compels
you to kick it on and dive in
headfirst. The simple control set
has knobs for volume, speed,
and intensity, and a small switch
toggles between chorus and
vibrato modes. Even the knobs
themselves look cool, and the
pots have the smooth feel of
controls lifted from a precision
scientific instrument.
Opening up the substantial
box reveals that the bigger
enclosure is more than just
a style exercise. Youll find a
circuit board nearly as wide as
the enclosure itself and densely
populated with an impressive
high-mid content
is how seamlessly
it compliments the
pedals very wide and
unique spectrum of
shades and overtones.
At slow speeds in
particular, you can
perceive a delicious
mlange of almost
metallic, reverberative
overtones and superfractal, sunlightthrough-water
modulation textures.
The pedal offers
wonderfully complex
sounds that work
whether you use them at barely
perceptible levels or at completely
hallucinogenic orders of intensity.
And though the most classically
Uni-Vibe-like sounds come by
way of the chorus setting, the
organic warble of the vibrato
channel is no less effective.
The Verdict
The Black Cat Vibe is a sharplooking, beautifully lush
modulation machine. And if
youre dead set on finding the
most authentic Uni-Vibe out
there, it will be hard to top. That
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$299 street
blackcatpedals.com
premierguitar.com
UNCOATED,
UNINHIBITED
BRILLIANT TONE
THAT LASTS UP TO
FIVE TIMES LONGER.
{ TIME BASED }
EARTHQUAKER DEVICES
Afterneath
BY JASON SHADRICK
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$225 street
earthquakerdevices.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
{ TIME BASED }
DEATH BY AUDIO
Ghost Delay
BY ALEX MAIOLO
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$250 street
deathbyaudio.net
self-oscillating levels.
premierguitar.com
RETHINK
YOUR
TONE
Neu Mannas
godinguitars.com
headoftheherdmusic.com
{ TIME BASED }
NEUNABER
The Verdict
If your ambience needs are
simple and youre searching for
a studio-quality reverb in a box
thats a piece of cake to operate
and doesnt hog pedalboard
space, then Neunabers Wet
Mono Reverb may be the singlepurpose, 21st-century verb
machine of your dreams.
Considering its price and other
powerful options on the market,
the Mono can seem limited in
features. But its simplicity is
the whole point. Its difficult to
imagine a hi-fidelity reverb thats
easier to use.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$179 street
neunaber.net
premierguitar.com
ROCK STAR
Choose Full Compass for great deals on guitars, amps,
and accessories from leading manufacturers.
The Latest Gear. The Best Prices. All Right Here.
Top Brands Including:
Call a
Sales Pro
Today!
Call 800-356-5844
Follow Us
or shop fullcompass.com
Leading The Industry For Over 35 Years
050714_pg_Rockstar_Guitar_HALF.indd 1
5/8/14 2:47 PM
www.zemaitis-guitars.com
premierguitar.com
{ TIME BASED }
SEYMOUR DUNCAN
Vapor Trail Analog Delay
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$150 street
seymourduncan.com
premierguitar.com
A LEGEND REBORN
THE DANGELICO EX-59
WWW.DANGELICOGUITARS.COM
WWW.DANGELICOGUITARS.COM
{ TIME BASED }
TC ELECTRONIC
submarine liveliness
especially when you
stack the repeats on
heavy. But lacking the cool,
murky darkness of the original,
this delay also reveals its digital
origins. The upside is that it
sounds fantastic with fuzz or
high-gain overdrive for Gilmourin-an-arena lead tonesless
authentic, perhaps, but probably
more useable and forgiving.
The Deluxe Memory Man
settings mostly nail the essence
of the original, though you
hear trace digital artifacts in the
slightly too-clean repeats, and
youre stuck with a fixed intensity
for the vibrato and chorus.
The rare, oddball oil-can
Tel-Ray Organ Tone inspired
the X4s graphics as well as one
of the devices most delightful
settings: With an intense, Lesliein-a-Bathysphere wobble thats
deep and full of character, the TR
Organ voice sounds amazing for
languid psychedelic chords and
warped jazz comping.
The Ibanez-inspired BDM2
setting is perfect for subtle textures,
and allocating a preset to this voice
is a great way to get out of trouble
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$269 street
tcelectronic.com
most settings.
premierguitar.com
WIN
A Loaded Pedalboard
From
PREMIERGUITAR.COM/CONTESTS
Sweepstakes void where prohibited. Read full rules on PremierGuitar.com.
premierguitar.com
{ TIME BASED }
WALRUS AUDIO
Descent
BY ALEX MAIOLO
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$299 street
walrusaudio.com
premierguitar.com
Lollar Guitars PO Box 2450 Vashon Island, WA 98070 (206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com
Sweet
Annie
premierguitar.com
Sassy
Annie
{ PITCH SHIFTING/FILTER/SYNTH }
SUNSINE AUDIO
Harmonic Decoder
BY JOE CHARUPAKORN
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$165 street
sunsineaudio.com
premierguitar.com
premiereguitar_lace_halfpg_7.85 x 4.85.indd 1
7/21/14 5:53 PM
2 channels:
...any questions?
www.empresseffects.com
premierguitar.com
{ PITCH SHIFTING }
EARTHQUAKER DEVICES
Pitch Bay
BY CHARLES SAUFLEY
arthQuaker Devices
irreverence is widely
celebrated in the pages
of this journal. But when you
play a pedal like the Pitch Bay
polyphonic harmonizer, you
realize theres a whole lot of
purpose and substance behind the
companys seemingly devil-maycare approach to pedal design.
Sure, the Pitch Bay will help you
craft Frankensteinian mutations
of crossed octaves and the glitchy
sounds of a vintage Atari console
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$225 street
earthquakerdevices.com
premierguitar.com
10th Annual LA
AMPSHOW.COM
premierguitar.com
{ FILTER }
TWA
The Verdict
TWA adds some great features
to their latest Little Dipper,
making it a very versatile
envelope filter. However, some
controls are difficult to access
live, including internal ones such
as wet/dry mix, and frequency
EQ/delay, which requires a
screwdriver. The $299 price
tag is a bit steep, but vintage
Dipthonizers arent exactly
cheap. The Little Dipper 2.0
covers a lot of ground with its
great tones and unique design.
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$299 street
godlyke.com
premierguitar.com
Emily Robison
of Court Yard Hounds
and Collings Guitars
{ RING MODULATION }
ZVEX
Super Ringtone
BY MATTHEW HOLLIMAN
Tones
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$349 street
($469 for handpainted model.)
zvex.com
premierguitar.com
{ BASS FUZZ }
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$149 street
malekkoheavyindustry.com
premierguitar.com
velvetdistribution.com
engl-amps.com
{ BASS OVERDRIVE/DI }
TECH 21
VT Bass DI
BY DAVID ABDO
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$209 street
tech21nyc.com
premierguitar.com
Building
Design
Turnkey Systems
Rewires
Interface Panels
Cable Looms
Programming
708-802-9677
proaudio@best-tronics.com
facebook.com/bt.proaudio
@BTPA_USA
PREMIERGUITAR.COM/CONTESTS
{ BASS WAH/FUZZ/FILTER }
ELECTRO-HARMONIX
Crying Bass
BY BRIAN FOX
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$98.25 street
ehx.com
premierguitar.com
LUST
PICKUPS
IN THE
VINTAGE
TRADITION
deeringbanjos.com/solana
(800) 845-7791
premierguitar.com
www.lustfortone.com
(561) 282-6607
PREMIER GUITAR OCTOBER 2014 187
{ BASS MODULATION }
PROVIDENCE
hats in a name?
Apologies for going
full Shakespeare off the
bat, but the question is actually
germane. Providence is defined
by many as the manifestation of
divine care or direction, a pretty
lofty appellation for a company
furnishing stompboxes for the
great unwashed among us. But
given its track historyand a
demonstrated soft side for the
low-end communityProvidence
Ease of Use
Build/Design
CONS High-pass filter is a tad counterintuitive, but no less functional and flexible.
Value
$249 street
providence-ltd.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
{ BASS PREAMP/DI }
MXR
Ease of Use
Build/Design
Value
$169 street
jimdunlop.com
premierguitar.com
To coincide with this months smorgasbord of pedal coverage, we look at some options for
stompbox sidekicks. Here are more than a few ways to efficiently power your pedalboard.
DECIBEL ELEVEN
Hot Stone Deluxe Dual Voltage
This power supply boasts eight isolated outputs, a shielded
toroidal transformer, selectable input voltage, a pair of
MOOER
Micro Power
WALRUS AUDIO
Aetos Clean Power Supply
This 8-output, isolated power supply has a customwound toroidal transformer for superior noise filtering
and clean power.
Street $169
walrusaudio.com
ROCKTRON
Power Tap
This power supplys space-saving chassis houses five
power jacks switchable between 9V and 12V. Two jacks
offer continuously variable power (from 4V to 9V), and
theres a single AC power jack.
Street $189
rocktron.com
PEDALTRAIN
Volto
This svelte, rechargeable lithium-ion battery-powered
supply is a quiet and efficient alternative to AC-powered
options. A pair of 9V outputs provides total power output
of 2000 mA.
Street $99.95
pedaltrain.com
premierguitar.com
GATOR CASES
G-BUS-8-US
Housed in a heavy-duty aluminum enclosure, this
multi-output power supply with resettable short-circuit
CARL MARTIN
Pro Power
Designed for the touring musician, this power supply
features switchable AC input (110/230V) and eight
isolated/regulated 9V/12V outputs, with extended power
T-REX
Chameleon
This compact, rugged, and versatile power supply was
VOODOO LAB
Pedal Power 4x4
Featuring an internal thermometer that controls
a silent cooling fan, the 4x4 can power up to four
power-hungry digital effects and four standard batterypowered stompboxes.
Street $189
voodoolab.com
10
10
MXR
MC403 Power System
With high-performance toroidal transformers to ensure
quiet operation and superior performance, this power
supply offers 16 outputs. It can be used on a pedalboard
or in a single rackmount space.
Street $249.99
jimdunlop.com
premierguitar.com
REVIEWS
FORREST
pushing the guitar away from the players body raises the pitch.
This is called a double-bender guitar.
Clarence White, Albert Lee, Jimmy Page, and Ricky Skaggs
have all used B-bender guitars to amazing ends. Brad Paisley
uses a G bender. Jimmy Olander of Diamond Rio rocks an
instrument fitted with both. The DB Boost B and G Bender is
for players like Olander, for whom one bender is not enough.
Enchanted Forrest
Forrest Lee Jr. is a monster Tele picker who built his first guitar
when he was 12 and started making benders when he was 18.
He and his wife, Cheryl, operate Forrest Custom Guitars. They
Strap-pin B
Bender
Brass saddles
premierguitar.com
Neck-plate-mounted
G bender
premierguitar.com
U
;;
presents
th
al
u
ann
stomp
box
tober.
196 PREMIER GUITAR OCTOBER 2014
premierguitar.com
REVIEWS
MARSHALL
1958X 18-Watt
By Joe Gore
Biggie Smalls
The 18-watt has a reputation for delivering big Marshall
sounds in a smaller, quieter package. Its truekinda sorta.
Unlike larger Marshalls with their big tubes, 18-watts rely on
a pair of EL84s, just like a Vox AC15. Meanwhile, the openbacked cabs provide less low-end thump than a Marshall 4x12,
giving rise to occasional complaints that the 18-watt lacks
sufficient lows. Maybe, but you cant argue with the beefy
classic rock tones generated by these little giants. Mind you,
theyre still loudmaybe too loud for home use. But man,
Two channels
(normal and
tremolo)
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
REVIEWS
ESP
SPs Stream bass series combines a fresh take on reversestyle bass design and contemporary tones. One might
wonder after gazing at the sleek, eye-catching curvatures
what the classic Gibson Thunderbird would have looked like
if reimagined by H.R. Giger. The Stream models are certainly
among the most distinctive-looking basses in ESPs catalog, and
their wide-ranging price points offer several options to fit within
varying budgets.
The E-II Stream is built in ESPs Japanese facility, and its price
sits in the middle ground between the handcrafted ESP Original
Stream model and the more affordable LTD Stream-204. It
Boost switch
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
STAFF PICKS
Much like our cover boy Homer Simpson, we cant get enough of effects. Buckcherry guitarist Keith Nelson joins our
editorship and the lucky Reader of the Month in talking about the stompboxes that make us swoon.
Pete Walsh
Current obsession:
My current and longrunning guitar obsession
is sunburst Gibson Les
Pauls from 1958-1960.
What magical instruments
they are. No two are alike,
and nothing sounds like
them. We started calling it
the Kalamazoo Voodoo
because theres definitely
something
that sets these
instruments
apart.
Current obsession:
Finding the perfect fuzz
pedal and learning to hum
underwater. Im not fully
successful in either venture,
but Im closer with the fuzz.
premierguitar.com
Joe Gore
Shawn Hammond
Chris Kies
Senior Editor
Associate Editor
Current obsession:
Im geeking out again over
Andy Gill and Gang of Four.
I still cant believe how
thoroughly he stripped all
rock and blues gestures from
his vocabulary, creating an
utterly unique voice with
face-slapping impact. Wish I
was that brave.
Current obsession:
The Raveonettes new album,
Peahi. Sweetly morose
melodies, hypnotic textures
and grooves, and unique
sonicsJazzmasters and
Mosrites into multiple delays
and reverbs, and then fuzzes,
with no ampsmake it
my favorite album of the
year so far.
Current obsession:
Thanks to another
Lollapalooza, Im constantly
spinning Manchester
Orchestra, Cage the
Elephant, and Royal Blood.
They were just names on a
page before, but now their
high-energy, off-the-wall
performances are ingrained
in my auditory cortex.
Gearheads win!
www.isptechnologies.com
Loaded pedalboard
from
&
Blues Pro
from
Enter at PremierGuitar.com/Contests
Void where prohibited. Read full rules on
PremierGuitar.com. To enter our gear giveaways
by mail, legibly hand-print your first and last
name, address, age, and day and evening phone
numbers on a 3x 5 card and mail to:
Sweepstakes
premierguitar.com
Apps
Get everything thats in the
print magazine...and more.
METAL
PEDAL
BOARDS
Overd
rive Y
ellow
Scre
amer
Gree
n
ack
th Bl
Steal
premierguitar.com/apps
iPad | iPhone | Android | Kindle Fire
British Orange
iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
App Store is a service mark of Apple, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
premierguitar.com
P: 813-221-4191
Universal power
supply Bracket included
- www.gatorcases.com
- F: 813-221-4181
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
HOW DO YOU
DUAL?
Little Dual -
Big Sound!
No ground loops,
no hum or buzz
Works perfectly
with stereo signals
Lehle
Get 5
issues of
for $4.95
Visit premierguitar.com/trial-sub
210 PREMIER GUITAR OCTOBER 2014
premierguitar.com
www.nordstrandpickups.com
212 PREMIER GUITAR OCTOBER 2014
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
BY DAVE HUNTER
The book that
reveals the whole
story of the Gibson
Les Paul guitar from
its origins through
its evolution as one
of the most iconic
musical instruments
of all time.
They dont
make them
like they
used to... We do.
w w w.throbak.com
216 PREMIER GUITAR OCTOBER 2014
Made in USA
premierguitar.com
Multiselector 4X
Four in, to one out.
bidirectional switcher.
MULTISELECTOR PRO
4x1 Instrument Switcher
Wt2000
Chromatic tuner
(not included).
New Product
MULTISELECTOR AMP
1x4 Amplifier Switcher
MULTISELECTOR REMOTE
The optional MultiSelector REMOTE stomp box style
footswitches contains four switches that remotely
control the switching functions of the rack mount units
using a regular 3-pin XLR microphone cable. A unique,
proprietary communication protocol ensures reliable
switching with mic cables up to 100 feet long.
mltselPRO4XR remote works with the multiselector PRO and 4X only. mltselamPR remote works with the multiselector amP only.
the legendary
You might say were obsessed. We spent many late nights in our labs
forging a collection of the most organic, luscious, and versatile
modulation effects we could conjure up. We faithfully captured the
warmth and detail of iconic effects from the past five decades, and
pushed their boundaries with new sonic possibilities never before heard.
Mobius. Rewriting the history books of modulation.
strymon.net/mobius
VintageVibrato
TM
6 or 16 Watts
Cathode Biased
2 Voices (50s and 60s)
603-488-1912
MannmadeUSA.com/pg
The Trenton
Hand Wired
Tone Machines.
valvetrainamps.com 407.886.7656 sales@valvetrainamps.com
premierguitar.com
premierguitar.com
www.mcsystemsmusic.com
sales@mcsystemsmusic.com
FLEX EQ7
mcsystems
WWW.FLEXWAVES.COM
www.HeadlessUSA.com
GM1T
Hotline: 2033958013
premierguitar.com
Tone: Boutique
Price: Flea Market
The innovative design of our
proprietary ATR (Authentic
Tube Response) technology has
opened up the door to boutique
tones without the price.
Use and
Forget.
You will only remember you use
Pedal Fasteners when you
realize your stomp-boxes are
staying rmly on your board.
Red Strawberry!
Over Drive
Granith Grey
Anodized
Brown Distortion
Booster
www.one-control.com
premierguitar.com
www.stagetrixproducts.com
ESOTERICA ELECTRICA
premierguitar.com
Or, you could slip the sleek Fly Rig 5 into your guitar case and hit
gig of a lifetime. When you arrive, there wont be much time, space
or patience, but you better sound incredible. You could rent a van and
bust your back trying to load a half-stack and rack system on your
own, maybe pay baggage overages so the airline can play dodgeball
pedals for 1/3 the cost at 1/3 the size. A genuine SansAmp with
3-band EQ, a DLA delay with tap-tempo, lush reverb, a 21dB clean
boost, and our glorious Plexi distortion, all packed into a gunmetal
chassis less than 12 long. A lightning rod for inspiration with
nothing to program or patch. Just the essential, blistering tones you
want to have for every gig.
The lovable, totable Fly Rig 5 is perfect for fly gigs, fast-turnaround
sessions, studio rehearsals, backup rig, or even as your main rig.
Freedom never sounded so sweet.
LAST CALL
Premier Guitar ISSN 1945-077x (print) and ISSN 1945-0788 (online) is published monthly by Gearhead Communications, LLC. Principal office: 3 Research Center, Marion, IA 52302. Periodicals postage
paid at Marion, IA 52302 and at Additional Mailing Offices. 2014 Gearhead Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
Premier Guitar are registered trademarks of Gearhead Communications, LLC. Subscribers: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we
receive a corrected address. U.S. Subscriptions: $24.95 for one year. Call for Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates. Postmaster: Send address changes to Premier Guitar, 3 Research Center,
Marion, IA 52302. Customer Service and subscriptions please call 877-704-4327 or email lois@premierguitar.com. Printed in USA. Volume 19 Issue 10 October 2014