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02 Guitar Interactive Issue 50

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GUITAR INTERACTIVE_WELCOME

Welcome to
Guitar Interactive

Welcome to Guitar Interactive Issue 50

Ad Index Our advertisers.


ADMIRA 168 FISHMAN 71 ROTOSOUND 8&9
BASS DIRECT 183 LOWDEN 155 SEAGULL 161
CARLSBRO 63 NEMPHASIS 117 SENNHESIER 33
CORT GUITARS 167 PRS 26 STUDIOMASTER 63
DANELECTRO 21 REVERAND 29 SUPRO 21
ERNIE BALL 19 RODE 145 TALON 41
EVENTIDE 50 ROLAND 16 TAYLOR 2&3

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GUITAR INTERACTION ISSUE 50

Welcome to

Issue50 Editor -
Gary Cooper
gary@guitarinteractivemagazine.com
There can’t be many better ways to celebrate our Contributors -
50th issue than to catch-up with John Petrucci - Gary Cooper, Jamie Humphries, Lewis Turner, Tom
the guitarist who gives the lie to the saying ‘There Quayle
aren’t any guitar heroes any more’. And in a way, Review crew -
having John on our cover for such a memorable Andi Picker, Bob Thomas, Lewis Turner, Tom
Quayle, Dan Veall
issue is a statement because GI is definitely
Columns -
looking forward, for all that we like to indulge in Joe Pesce, Tom Quayle, Giorgio Serci, Lewis Turner
nostalgia as much as the next guitarist! Advertising Manager -
Helen Bavester
Over the next few issues we’re planning several helen@guitarinteractivemagazine.com
new features and columns - at least two of USA Media and Sales -
which we’ve been quietly working on for several Lisa Spiteri
months. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t still LisaSpiteri@guitarinteractivemagazine.com
Design and layout -
looking for fresh ideas from you, our readers.
Simon Gibbs
Please do keep sending them in and rest assured simon@guitarinteractivemagazine.com
that even if we don’t get back to you that we do Animation -
read and consider every email that we get. Even Dwight Sicobo
the rude ones! Video Editors -
James Masterton & Dave Kidd
Finally a word about our competition. we’re Sound Engineering -
giving away one of the amazing new Fishman Martin Hayles & Gwyn Mathias
SA 330x Performance Systems which is one of Cameras -
the most valuable prizes we’ve offered. This is an James Masterton & Mike Thorpe
Social Media Managers -
amazing piece of kit and we’re very grateful to
David Jones & Dan Smith
our friends at Fishman for helping us celebrate a
Publishers -
milestone issue with a milestone prize! Guitar Interactive Ltd
Publishing Directors -
So there we are - 50 issues of Guitar Interactive. Kim Waller and Stuart Bull
And for those who said it couldn’t be done - it has
been, so there! Contact -
Sales and Information line:
+ 44 (0)1708 757 337
Fax Line: +44 (0)1708 757 528
Gary Cooper - Editor web. www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com
twitter. @iGuitarMag

Gary
www.facebook.com/
GuitarInteractiveMagazine
Address: Unit A, Chesham Close,
Romford, Essex, RM7 7PJ, UK
(c) Copyright 2017 Guitar Interactive Ltd. No part of this publication
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior
permission of the copyright owners. The views expressed in Guitar
Interactive are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of
the Editor or Publisher.

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 05
GUITAR INTERACTIVE_CONTENTS

Interviews
12 John Petrucci:
Tom Quayle meets one of his own guitar heroes!

22 Marcus King -
He’s the protégé of Warren Haynes, who
produced both his albums, and he’s hailed as
one of the rising stars of Blues guitar.
Lewis Turner meets a man on the move.

32 Download
Report
Festival

Tech Session
36 Angus Young
Jamie Humphries shows you how to master the
master of modern Rock ‘n Roll!

Competitions & Downloads


46 WIN a Fishman SA 330x Performance Audio
System in our amazing free entry competition! 52 DOWNLOADS
All the featured downloads
from this issue

06 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


Gear Reviews
058 Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty 088 PRS Sonzera 50 combo
Monarchy 6 & 7 string guitars
094 Vox MV50 head
066 PRS McCarty 594 guitar
100 LunaStone True Overdrive
072 James Collins GTO Redwood 1 & 2 FX
guitar
106 Eventide Sculpt and Pitchfuzz
078 Flaxwood Liekki guitar H9 FX algorithms

084 Epiphone Wildkat guitar 112 Orange Kongpressor FX

Live Sound Making Tracks


134 Recording for the practical musician
120 Fishman SA Performance Audio Andi Picker - How Loud is Enough?
System
140 Lewitt KCT440 Pure condenser
126 Topp Pro tt2208 digital mixing microphone
console
146 Celestion Impulse Responses
sampling
The Quiet
Room
152 Lowden 023 acoustic The Bassment
58 Crafter FC550 electro- 178 Mayones Jabba 5 5-string bass
acoustic 184 Cort GB74 bass
164 Seagull Coastline 188 Orange 4 stroke bass head
Momentum electro-
acoustic 192 Synth & The Bass Metaphor FX.

Column: Columns
170 Giorgio Serci’s 204 Tom Quayle - Tuning in perfect 4ths
Creative Fingerstyle 208 Lewis Turner - The Art of Jazz Soloing
212 Joe Pesce - How to sound Country
when you’re not - yet!

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ROTOSOU

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UND DPS

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INTERV HOT LICKS AND LIFE STO

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VIEWS
RIES

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INTERVIEWS_JOH N PETRUCCI

Interviewing
Your Heroes
– John Petrucci

Journalists are warned ‘beware of interviewing


your heroes’. So what happens when you put two
great guitarists together? We sent Tom Quayle to
meet his hero, the amazing John Petrucci.

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JOHN PETRUCCI INTERVIEWING YOUR HEROES

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 13
INTERVIEWS_JOHN PETRUCCI

‘W
orking for a magazine such of the guitar superstar. They’re usually a lot
as Guitar Interactive gives you of stress beforehand, but great fun and very
opportunities that would never enlightening, no matter who you’re speaking
come up in the normal life of a musician. to. Yet, the feeling you get from interviewing
Having incredible pieces of gear (and some a true hero of yours is totally unique,
not so incredible!) arrive at your house every producing a level of combined excitement
week for review is a fantastic privilege. But, and nervousness that would make a neurotic
it pales in comparison when you receive the chihuahua proud.
much-anticipated phone call from the editor,
offering you the chance to interview one of So, I find myself on a typically murky morning
your lifetime heroes. in the UK, driving down the M62 on my
way to Manchester, running mental checks to
Adding music journalism to your bow gives ensure I have all the mics, cameras and other
you quite a lot of stabs at trying to be the gear I need for my latest attempt at besting
next Johnny Carson, David Letterman or Jimmy Fallon in the interview game. Only this
perhaps Oprah Winfrey, trying to deliver that time it’s different – this time I’m interviewing
killer interview, revealing the inner workings one of my biggest heroes, John Petrucci. John’s

John Petrucci Interview

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JOHN PETRUCCI INTERVIEWING YOUR HEROES

playing literally changed the direction of playing. Needless to say, they weren’t my
my life when I first heard him on ‘Images finest years from a fashion perspective…such
and Words’ in 1995. I was 15 years old and was my level of hero worship.
all I wanted to be when I grew up was the
great man himself, even going to the lengths Sat next to me in the passenger seat is an
of dressing in black silk shirts and Reebok equally over-excited friend of mine, tasked
Pumps to get the look down, let alone the with being cameraman for the day, and we’re

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 15
INTERVIEWS_JOH N PETRUCCI

PRS

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JOHN PETRUCCI INTERVIEWING YOUR HEROES

I am pretty sure I have never set up


cameras, lights and audio gear as
quickly as we managed that day...

singing the lyrics to Pull Me Under at the they mind turning the music down a
top of our lungs, while it blares out of my little for 30 minutes. While we’re looking
car speakers so loud that we might as well around, marvelling at how fantastic
be at a Dream Theater gig. To onlookers this interview is going to look, a short,
it must look like a scene from Wayne’s suited man arrives and informs us that
World but, in reality, I’m trying to disguise we can’t film in the hotel without written
my nervousness since interviews always permission and said permission will take
come with their own set of challenges and at least two weeks to arrange. We are of
I really want this one to go well. course welcome to film in John’s personal
room – yeah…I’m sure he won’t mind at
We arrive in Manchester with tons of all…err... will he?
time to spare. Our first mission…locate
the hotel. The interview is taking place at At this point I do my best Hugh Grant
The Principal Hotel, a rather strange but impression, immediately transforming
luxurious Art Deco style establishment, into the finest English Gentleman I
so posh that my first concern was whether can summon from my Yorkshire roots,
my cameraman and I would even be explain the situation and ask if they
allowed to enter in the first place. John can accommodate us in any way. The
is running late, so we find the stunning suited man disappears to make some
looking 1920s style hotel bar and wait. phone calls and probably fill in copious
The stress levels are high, since we have amounts of paper work, before returning
no direct contact for John we have to keep with a man who looks like he has just
darting back to the foyer to check for his won first place in ‘The World’s Angriest
imminent arrival. Man’ competition. This man, I swiftly
learn, is part of the Dream Theater
The first thing you learn with interviews management team and he would like to
is that nothing ever goes the way you know ‘where the hell we’ve been?’ and
hope. This bar would make an incredible ‘why the interview hasn’t started yet?’ We
backdrop for my interview, so we ask the are ushered into a corridor and given the
hotel if we can film in here and would option of filming in the ‘IT Suite’ or a

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INTERVIEWS_JOHN PETRUCCI

small room that looked a bit like


someone had decided to build a
bar in their bathroom and seems to
operate as a meeting place for a lot of
hotel staff. We chose the bathroom-
bar since we figured that corporate
beige computers didn’t suit the
Dream Theater vibe.

I am pretty sure I have never set


up cameras, lights and audio gear
as quickly as we managed that day,
very aware that the longer we took,
the more chance there was of ‘the
management’ literally exploding
in a fit of rage, and we definitely
didn’t want to make a mess on the
lovely tiled walls. This is so often the
experience when you do interviews
and, sadly, you just have to get used
to it and deal as best you can. As
we’re setting up the last camera, John
walks into the room and the whole
atmosphere changes in an instant.

Considering how much press work John must do on the average tour (and this wasn’t an
average tour, being the 25th Anniversary of Images and Words) it’s amazing how polite and
gregarious he is on every occasion I’ve had the privilege to meet him. He immediately greets
us and shakes both our hands, asking how we’re doing and making funny comments on the
bathroom bar. I’ve interviewed John before for GI magazine and he has been gracious enough
to write about me in other interviews, so he makes a point of asking me how my career is
going and we talk about our kids whilst he puts on the lapel mic.

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JOHN PETRUCCI INTERVIEWING YOUR HEROES

Reverand

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INTERVIEWS_JOHN PETRUCCI

John proceeds to give a wonderful


interview, listening to and answering
all of my questions with interest
and thoughtfulness. Despite a strict
time limit, barked at us by ‘the
management,’ I am quite sure John
would have talked for hours had he
the time. He is very well spoken, with
intelligent and insightful answers that
made all of the prior stress fall to the
wayside. All the way through there are
hotel staff walking past, having loud
conversations, tapping clipboards and
moving glasses around, but none of
that mattered because I was having
such a great conversation with one of
my biggest heroes. At the close of the
interview John takes the time to talk
to us some more and thanks us for our
time before departing off to the sound
check for the show that night.

We pack the gear away and locate the


car, all of the prior stresses dissipated.
On the drive home, we sing the whole
of Images and Words, including the
guitar solos of course, with even more
vigour than on the journey out, and
wax lyrical about what a pleasure it is
to have met John and how incredible
his playing is.

They say that you should never meet


your heroes – well, in this case I (and
my equally star-struck cameraman)
found that, in some cases, you
absolutely should. END >

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JOHN PETRUCCI INTERVIEWING YOUR HEROES

TBA

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INTERVIEWS_MARCUS KING

Marcus King
STEPPING
OUT OF THE
SHADOW
Hailed as a future Blues star by no lesser being than Warren Haynes,
Marcus King is a soulful player with a fabulous voice. Lewis Turner
meets - and gets to jam with - one of the US’s fastest rising Blues/Soul
stars. Gary Cooper offers this profile.

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MARCUS KING STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOW

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INTERVIEWS_MARCUS KING

‘B
eing ‘born under a bad sign’ is
one thing but if you want a real
serious curse on your career in
music, being dubbed a ‘prodigy’ is the real
deal. It’s much the same in cinema, too,
come to that. How many movies have you
seen where the credit ‘and introducing
Zach Wunderkind’ is the last time his
name ever appears on screen? Still, despite
that handicap, occasionally a musician
manages to transcend such a career
dampener and the 21 year old American
guitarist and singer Marcus Young looks
like he is one of the few in that category
who will reach escape velocity.

Having just launched his band’s second


album (the not so memorably titled ‘The
Marcus King Band’) he recently paid a trip
to London where GI’s Lewis Turner caught
up with him for our video interview. As
Marcus is going to be a new name for
many of our readers, what follows is a
catch-up, explaining who Marcus is and
why you really should check him out
if Southern Rock and Blues (mingled
with some Soul) is your kind of thing.
Oh, and if that attempt to pigeonhole
his sound doesn’t grab you, Marcus
himself calls his genre: “soul-influenced
psychedelic southern rock.” We missed the
‘psychedelic’.

Raised in Greenville, South Carolina, King


is the son of a guitar player and, of course,
the grandson of another, which may not
be unusual in the Southern States of the
USA but has a pleasing sort of Voodoo

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MARCUS KING STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOW

priest succession ring to it. King ‘The majority of our songs are
recorded his first album ‘Soul Insight’ specific to situations I’ve lived,’
for Warren Haynes’s label in 2015, King has said. ‘I write as a form of
which was young to be making an therapy, to release my emotions into
album. A critical success, he followed a musical expression. I want people
this with the absolutely essential step to know they’re not the only ones
of hard touring, learning his craft going through that pain. Music is the
on the road. As the fan base grew, true healer. And when we perform,
the band gained bigger gigs and we want the audience to leave feeling
when a second album was offered, as tired and as emotionally freed as
material that had been written on the we do. It’s all about getting the stress
road was recorded in a series of live of the day off your chest. It’s like
takes at Carriage House Studios in therapy.’
Stamford, CT.

Marcus King Interview

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INTERVIEWS_MARCUS KING

PRS

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MARCUS KING STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOW

As for what he uses to express that


Blues-fuelled sound, Marcus is pretty
much a Gibson player through and
through...
Unusually for this day and age, the As if lending their support to someone
Marcus King band doesn’t just comprise they see as the next generation, the new
with the minimum number of musicians album features various guest appearances
to get the job done, but actually makes from some of the nomenklatura of
room for a sax player (Dean Mitchell) and Southern Rock, including Derek Trucks
Justin Johnson, who handles trumpet, (who plays guitar on the track ‘Self-
trombone and backing vocals. They join Hatred’). Pride of place, however, goes to
Jack Ryan on drums, Stephen Campbell Warren Haynes, who produced the new
on bass and Matt Jennings on keys and album and plays slide guitar on the track
organ. ‘Virginia’.

Marcus King - “Virginia” (Live From The Big House)

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INTERVIEWS_MARCUS KING

‘Marcus is the first player


I’ve heard since Derek
Trucks to play with the
maturity of a musician well
beyond his age,’ Haynes
says. ‘He’s very much
influenced by the blues,
but also by jazz, rock, soul
music, and any timeless
genres of music.

You can hear the influences, but it all comes playing a brown SG from the early ‘60s that
through him in his own unique way. He has I found at a Christian bookstore when I was
one of those voices that instantly draws you 11 years old. It has Grover tuners and mini
in, and his guitar playing is an extension of humbuckers. But for the past couple of years,
his voice and vice versa. I’ve been playing what was my grandfather’s
guitar. It’s a ’62 Gibson ES-345. Once I
‘This album is a big melting pot of different switched to that hollowbody, man, I couldn’t
kinds of music,’ says King. ‘It’s the sound turn back. I used the SG one a couple of
of everyone taking their own influences and tunes for the record, but for the most part
collectively coming together as a group. it was the 345.’ As for amps, it seems to be
We’re all really hungry to play, and we’re so a classic Fender Super Reverb pushed by a
passionate about this music. I want people Tubescreamer and a wah pedal, though we
to feel the same thing we feel — to leave the have read that when recording the latest
show feeling some sense of release. It’s almost album he used a variety of amps, including
like the show ends, and everyone can take a models by Marshall and Supro.
deep breath together.’
Make a point of checking out Marcus King.
As for what he uses to express that Blues- If nothing else, when he’s a superstar of the
fuelled sound, Marcus is pretty much a Southern Rock/Blues scene you’ll at least be
Gibson player through and through. When able to say, like Warren Haynes did when he
he started out he was mostly seen with an spotted King as a teenager - I saw this coming.
old SG, as he recalls: ‘ I had been mostly END >

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MARCUS KING STEPPING OUT OF THE SHADOW

Reverand

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INTERVIEWS_DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL

The 15th Annual

Festival
g h t s f r o m W h er e A e r o s mith
Highli Perform their Final UK Show

‘E
arlier this month, the biggest UK (featuring members of Cyprus Hill,
event in rock and metal took place as Rage Against The Machine and Public
over 80,000 people descended on the Enemy) deliver epic performances
hallowed and historic grounds of Donington of their respective band’s politically
Park for the 15th annual Download Festival charged hits, also paying tribute to their
and the Guitar Interactive Magazine “fallen comrade”, Chris Cornell. Pop-
team were on-site to document some of punk royalty Good Charlotte thrilled by
the highlights of the weekend, including performing their classic pop punk anthems
interviews with Devin Townsend, Mark before second stage headliners Sum 41
Tremonti, Doug Aldrich, Satchel from Steel provided huge servings of nostalgia, ending
Panther and many more. their set with classics ‘In Too Deep’ and
‘Fat Lip’. Sleeping With Sirens made their
Headliners from the weekend included rock Download debut with a storming headline
giants, Aerosmith performing their final set at The Avalanche Stage, which was this
UK show, System Of A Down who made a year hosted by Fresh Blood’s Alex Baker. The
welcomed return and Biffy Clyro, taking their crowd went wild for Machine Gun Kelly’s
place closing proceedings on the Saturday injection of rock-infused hip-hop, while metal
night. legends Exodus fired on all cylinders as they
The first full day of music on Friday saw brought The Dogtooth Stage to a close, with
metal super group, Prophets Of Rage a ferocious set of unhinged thrash for the
history books.

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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

System Of A Down put on a festival


masterclass with a 31-song strong set,
which saw the Armenian innovators
delve into their immense catalogue of fan
favourites including‘Chop Suey’, ‘BYOB’
and‘Toxicity’, closing with ‘Sugar’, and
reminding the metal world just how truly
unique they are.

Saturday’s epic line up saw Of Mice


& Men bring a triumphant set to the
Main Stage, with bassist Aaron Pauley
stepping forward into the limelight
as new frontman. UK horror-punk
upstarts Creeper ticked off their

Gi Weekly | Download Festival 2017 Special | Devin Townsend, Mark Tremonti, Doug Aldrich, Satchel

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INTERVIEWS_DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL

rock classics including ‘Many Of Horror’,


’Black Chandelier’ and ‘The Captain’ – as
well as some deep cuts – with the crowd
singing every word back to them. Simon Neil
prepared the crowd for Aerosmith by leading
a sing-along of ‘Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’
before launching into their finale of ‘Stinging
Belle’ with a pyrotechnic show that even
Rammstein may have been proud of.

Sunday’s highlights included WWE Hall of


Fame legend Chris Jericho opening the Main
Stage with an electrifying set as frontman
of Fozzy. Glam superstars Steel Panther hit
the stage with their tongues firmly in cheek,
delivering a trademark debaucherous and
incredibly entertaining live show, not for the
easily offended. Crowds roared through sets
bucket list with an inspired Main Stage by In Flames, DevilDriver, The King Blues
debut ahead of their idols and punk legends and Aaron Buchanan & The Cult Classics.
AFI, who graced the Download stage for Hard Rock Juggernauts Alter Bridge, gave
the first time. Pop-punk heroes Simple Plan an immense performance setting the stage
brought the fun as Saturday’s Avalanche Stage perfectly for Sunday night’s mind-blowing
headliners, while ex-Murderdolls frontman headliners.
Wednesday 13 laid waste to The Dogtooth
Stage. Aerosmith took to the Main Stage on Sunday
evening for their final ever UK appearance.
Devin Townsend’s emotive and powerful Having received worldwide praise on their
performance (which included an incredible ‘Aero-Verdeci Baby!’ tour, the audience was
rendition of “Deadhead”) was a true highlight treated to an unbelievable show laden with
quickly followed by horror-rock legend Rob mega-hits ‘Love In An Elevator’ and ‘Dude
Zombie who turned the Zippo Encore Stage Looks Like A Lady’, followed by the whole
into his trademark twisted carnival with a of Donington Park singing along to the epic
spectacularly visual show and massive hits ‘Don’t Want To Miss A Thing’ before closing
such as ‘Dragula’, ‘Superbeast’ and ‘Living with ‘Walk This Way’. Liv Tyler looked on
Dead Girl’. as Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Joey Kramer, Tom
Hamilton and Brad Whitford brought the
Biffy Clyro claimed their well-earned place
15th edition of Download to a close in true
atop the festival bill on Saturday. The Scottish
style. What a weekend! Long live Download
rock titans rattled through a set of modern
and long live rock and roll. END >

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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

TBA

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 33
TECH
SESSIO PUTTING I

34 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


H
ONS
T ALL TOGETHER

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TECH SESSIONS_ANGUS YOUNG

TABLATURE DOWNLOADS
BACKING TRACK
GUITAR PRO 6 PDF BACKING TRACK
DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

36 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


ANGUS YOUNG TECH SESSION

TECH
SESSION
To celebrate our 50th issue we have a very special
Tech Session looking at the guitar style of the master
of pure Rock and Roll - AC/DC’s Angus Young. We
wired Jamie Humphries up to the mains and let
him rip....

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 37
TECH SESSIONS_ANGUS YOUNG

‘F
ormed in Australia in 1973 by be Rock”, “Back in Black” and “For Those
Scottish born guitar duo brothers About To Rock We Salute You”, to name but
Angus and Malcolm Young, AC/ a few.
DC are without a doubt one of the world’s
most successful and influential hard Rock Undoubtedly the most iconic and best
bands. Known for their tight “four on loved figure in the band is lead guitarist
the floor” grooves AC/DC have sold over Angus Young, whose slight frame clad in a
200 million records world wide, and are school uniform brandishing a Gibson SG
responsible for such classic rock albums as is a legendary image in Rock and popular
“High Voltage”, “TNT”, “Dirty Deeds Done culture. The band’s outrageous on stage
Dirt Cheap”, “Highway to Hell”, “Let there antics were matched by their hard drinking,

Angus Young Tech Session Performance

38 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


ANGUS YOUNG TECH SESSION

hard living off stage life style, a life style that Bars 1-9 kick off our piece with a stylistic
tragically claimed the life of singer Bon Scott opening intro riff based around the chords
in 1980. The position of lead vocals was of G major, E5 and A5. The rhythm makes
filled by English vocalist Brian Johnson, who use of “pushes” with the chord accent falling
recently (and controversially) was replaced by on the offbeat. The riff also features the note
Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose. of G played on the 3rd fret of the 6th string,
performed with a quartertone bend for a
Angus Young’s guitar style is firmly rooted in bluesy sound. The riff concludes with the
Blues and Rock and Roll, his main influence chords of G major, D/F#, resolving to A5.
being Chuck Berry. As well as imitating
Berry’s famous ‘duck walk’ Angus blends his Bars 10-17 include the first half of our
“Johnny B Goode” style string bends with verse riff, and are based around tight chords
high-octane pentatonic runs and licks. Angus performed against a static driving E note on
also includes arpeggio licks that make use the bass guitar. The verse concludes with an
of the open strings. Sometimes criticised for additional rhythm figure, with the A5 chord
their simplistic songs structures (not that performed on the up beat.
the band’s audiences could care less!), often
based around a handful of chords, AC/DC Bars 18-27 include the second half of
have penned countless classic rock riffs, that the verse riff, but with a slightly different
feature the brothers’ (Malcolm and Angus’s) conclusion before leading to our chorus
tight driving rhythm riffs, a hard edged progression. Bars 26 -27 includes more up
vocal style as well as Angus’ electrifying lead beat accenting based around the chords
playing. of D major and G/D, with the bass guitar
remaining on the D root note.
For our Tech Session, I have borrowed ideas
from such classic tracks as “Let There Be Bars 28-35 includes our chorus riff based
Rock”, “Highway to Hell” and “Thunder around the chords of A5, G/D, and D
Struck”, although there are countless other major. Once again the harmony provided
tracks in AC/DC’s vast catalogue that you by the guitars moves against the static bass
could relate this track to. In classic AC/DC note performed underneath. The chorus
style, although not transcribed, the left hand concludes with the chords of C major, A5
channel features a Malcolm Young style and D major.
rhythm part, which sonically is a slightly Bars 36-49 include our break down which
thinner and cleaner tone. is inspired by “For Those About to Rock We
Salute You”, and features a melodic figure

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 39
TECH SESSIONS_ANGUS YOUNG

performed with the picking hand fingers. This figure use minor 6th shapes, (inverted
major 3rd), and a major 6ht shape, (inverted minor 3rd), on the 3rd and 1st strings, whilst
the open 2nd string is used through out all of the changes. Pay attention to the accents, as
they really affect the dynamic of this section.

Bars 40-43 kick off our guitar solo, and see us modulation to a B Mixolydian key
signature. This section features a Blues-based lick mainly around the B minor pentatonic
with an added major 3rd. This section concludes with the start of a new phrase based
around B major pentatonic.

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ANGUS YOUNG TECH SESSION

Talon Pics

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TECH SESSIONS_ANGUS YOUNG

Bars 44-47 continue with our B major over our verse progression. Bars 48-49
pentatonic phrase, that shifts up and include a cycling E minor pentatonic
repeats a minor 3rd higher, resulting string-bending lick, which is quite tricky
in B minor pentatonic. This section on the picking hand, so start off at a
concludes with some higher register slightly slower tempo and build it up
string bends and rapid vibrato. to speed. Bars 50-51 include some fast
pattern based E Blues scale licks, similar
Bars 48-51 see us modulate back to to something Angus might play when
an E Mixolydian key signature, with achieving speed.
the second half of our solo performed

Angus Young Tech Session Lesson

42 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


ANGUS YOUNG TECH SESSION

Bars 52-53 references a lick seen in the unit, which is basically the pre-amp part of
open section of the solo, with the licks the old wireless system, which Angus uses
shifting between both E major and E minor to add boost and compression.
pentatonic scales by shifting in a minor 3rd
interval. For this Tech Session I used an original
1974 Gibson SG plugged into my Mesa
Bars 54-57 conclude our solo with a TC50 head, on the green channel. This
descending E minor pentatonic lick that head uses EL34 valves so it has a very
uses the open 1st string as a pedal tone. The British sound when in the normal mode.
track concludes with some free time 6th I ran the speaker output into a Two Notes
based Blues licks. Torpedo Studio digital load box, and used
an impulse responses by Celestion (see our
The Gear review in this issue’s Making Tracks - Ed), two
Angus Young’s choice of guitar is as iconic V30 cabs, with both ribbon and dynamic
as the man himself, and favours a variety mics, blended together in the mixing stage.
of Gibson SG guitars, although his main The reverb on the guitars, more apparent in
SG is a 1968 standard. This guitar was the break down, was courtesy of the UAD
used as the inspiration behind his signature Ocean Way studio plugin, which provides
“Thunder Struck” Gibson SG guitar. His an impulse response of the famous studio
choice of amplifier is the Marshall 100 live rooms, and a variety of mics. This is a
watt Super leads from the early ‘70s, some fantastic plug in for adding a really live vibe
of which feature a variety of modifications and depth to your recorded guitar tone!
including extra valve in the pre-amp stage, Before signing off I would like to thank
and a master volume. Although Angus my good friend Michel Santunione at
doesn’t use effects, part of his sound was DLX Music in Stockholm for the loan of
achieved by an early wireless system - the the beautiful SG guitar for this session; I
Shaffer Vega Diversity System. Due to couldn’t play Angus-style on anything else!
signal loss in these early systems a pre-amp
was used, which added a little extra gain https://www.dlxmusic.se
and body to the tone. The company Solo
Dallas now produces the Schaffer Replica

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 43
COMPET YOUR CHANCES TO

44 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


TITIONS
WIN

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 45
COMPETITIONYOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

WIN A FISHMAN SA 330X PERFORM


AMAZING FREE ENTR

‘F
ishman has become not just the go-to
maker of acoustic instrument pickups but
lately of high-end electronics of many
kinds, including the revolutionary Fishman
Fluence electric guitar pickups and a string of high
quality amplifiers for electro-acoustic instruments.
But now Fishman has excelled itself with the new
SA Performance Audio System, as reviewed in
this issue. And to celebrate GI’s 50th issue, we are
actually giving one of these amazing audio systems
away to one lucky winner!

The core of the system is the SA 330x, which is


what we have up for grabs. It’s the perfect package
for the guitarist who wants to travel light and handle
small-medium venues with the highest possible
quality sound from an easy to carry and use package. And if you need more, the SA can
easily be expanded with a range of equally well made and easy to use add-ons including a
dedicated sub and a four channel mixer.

As Bob Thomas, writes in this issue’s review: ‘In its designed role as a vocal and acoustic
instrument amplification system the SA330x performs to a very high level and I’d have
absolutely no hesitation in gigging with it in any room with an audience capacity of 100-
150 – so that’s folk clubs, restaurants, medium-sized village halls etc.’ and ‘There’s a lot
to like about the Fishman SA Performance Audio System – it is a high quality system that
sounds really great, it’s extremely portable and is simple and intuitive to operate.’

Just one lucky winner is going to scoop the board this time around, so make sure you enter
right now! (Hint - read the review first!)

1/ All entries must be received by 21st August 2017. 2/ Only one entry per person is allowed 3/ All entrants must be registered readers of
THE RULES

are ineligible for this competition. 5/ One winner will be chosen, at random, from registered readers of Guitar Interactive who provide th
respond to email notification of having won within 10 days, otherwise prizes may be forfeited and alternative winners chosen. 8/ Winners
always be possible. 9/ Prizewinners must consent to having their name and city/country (e.g. ‘Andres Segovia, Madrid, Spain’) published i

46 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


YOUR CHANCE TO WIN REVEREND KYLE SHUTT SIGNATURE GUITAR

MANCE AUDIO SYSTEM IN OUR


RY COMPETITION!

How do you win? It’s easy! All you have to do is click to enter, simply answer the simple
questions (tick A, B or C) and fill out the form! One lucky winner with the correct
answers will be chosen at random and will receive a Fishman SA 330x Performance
Audio System!

Questions
Q1. Who founded the Fishman Q2. The Fishman SA Performance
company? Audio System uses a modified line
array speaker arrangement. Is this
A/ Bill Fishman True or False?
B/ Tony Fishman A/ True
C/ Larry Fishman B/ False

Q.3 The Fishman A/ Four


SA 330x uses how
many woofer B/ Five
speakers? C/ Six ENTER
One lucky winner with the correct answers will win a Fishman SA 330x Performance
Audio System. The winner will be notified by email. Be sure to check your emails
regularly and don’t use a ‘throw-away’ email address. We have had unclaimed
prizes, which have been reallocated to other entrants!

Guitar Interactive 3/ No cash alternative is offered instead of the stated prize. 4/ Employees of Guitar Interactive or Fishman Transducers Inc
he correct answers. 6/ The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding this competition. 7/ Winning entrants must
s may be responsible for import duty where levied. Where possible prizes will be despatched from the winner’s own country, but this will not
in a future issue.

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 47
COMPETITIONTHE WINNERS!

WINNERS
B U L O U S LU NA S T O N E P E DA
GI’S FA
GIVEAWAY –THE RESULT!

‘B ack in GI 46 we gave away not just one but four


of Danish FX wizard Steen Grontved’s LunaStone
pedals.
A few issues later we reviewed L
this time a micro pedal. Sam Be
love to have this on my pedal bo
recommend checking it out for
We’d first become acquainted with Steen’s work back action!’
in GI 44 when we reviewed LunaStone’s Wise Guy
classic overdrive, the Big Fella, a two in one overdrive, So who won our original prize -
and the Three Stage Rocket, which Steen has designed LunaStones, the Wise Guy, Big
in collaboration with the great Danish guitarist, Soren and The Pusher?
Anderson.

Congratulation s to M r S cott Wats on of E din


‘W
NER- THE BASS BOO
GI BOOK COMPETITION WIN

‘W
e reviewed the latest edition of Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse’
Bass Book from Backbeat Books in GI 46 and we had two copies t
away.

Packed with information on the history and development of the bass guitar
written by two of the instrument’s foremost experts, The Bass Book is fascin

48 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


YOUR CHANCE TO WIN BRAND NEW ORANGE ROCKER 32

ALS

LunaStone’s The Pusher,


ell’s conclusion? ‘I would
oard and I would
some quality clean boost

- the four great


Fella, Three Stage Rocket

nburgh, Scotland.

OKS –THE RESULT!

’s The reading. As we said in our review: ‘It is an essential part of the library of any serious
to give bassist and will no doubt be a very welcome gift!’

So who were the lucky two winners?


r and
nating ulations!
y Gifford and Raymond Stone, both from the USA. Congrat
Step forward Kimberle

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 49
50 Guitar Interactive Issue 50
INHOUSE_DOWNLOADS GI47 EDITION TABLATURE DOWNLOADS

TAB
DOWNLOADS

TABLATURE DOWNLOADS FOR LESSONS


Our TAB downloads are FREE for all subscribers in both PDF and Guitar Pro 6 Format. To get
your hands on this month's notation tablature, subscribe or download now!

Jamie Humphries – Angus Young Tech Session DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

Lewis Turner – Key Centre vs Arpeggio Based Solo DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

Joe Pesce – How To Sound Country When


DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD
You’re Not...Yet

Giorgio Serci – Spanish Sunset DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

Tom Quayle – Perfect 4ths Tuning DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 51
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Learn Eddie Van Halen’s exact solo for Eruption, get Comfortably Numb
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54 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


An introduction to Licklibrary

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www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 55
THE
REVIEW GUITARS, A

56 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


E
WS
MPS AND EFFECTS

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 57
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

Ernie Ball Music Man JP Majesty


Monarchy 6 and 7 String Guitars
How could we possibly let Tom Quayle interview John Petrucci for this issue’s cover
stories without also letting him loose on JP’s two latest Music Man guitars?
So, Tom, do they live up to the billing?

‘J
ohn Petrucci’s relationship with Ernie custom designed shield inlays and intricate
Ball Music Man has to be seen as one ‘Majesty’ logo at the 1st fret. As with the
of the most successful partnerships other Majesty models, the Monarchy guitars
between a manufacturer and artist of include high end hardware, including 24
recent times. John has no less than 10 medium-jumbo stainless steel frets, Schaller
different Music Man signature models, the M6-IND locking tuners, a custom John
latest of which is an update to the Majesty 6 Petrucci Music Man piezo floating trem with
and 7 string guitars, coinciding with Dream stainless steel saddles and a custom active
Theater’s 25th anniversary of their landmark preamp circuit.
‘Images and Words’ album and current
celebratory tour. The biggest change from the Artisan is in
relation to the pickups, where we find a pair
The 2017 Majesty guitars have been named of DiMarzio Sonic Ecstasy humbuckers,
the ‘Monarchy Series’ and bear more of a originally designed for John’s JP16 guitar,
resemblance to the 2015 Majesty Artisan as opposed to the DiMarzio Illuminators
than the Majesty 6 and 7 that were originally found in all previous Majesty guitars. The
released back in 2014. Like the Artisan series, Sonic Ecstasy pickups have a much more
the Monarchy 6 and 7 are built using an pronounced mid-range and low-end response
African mahogany body with a highly figured compared to the Illuminators, with a slightly
flame maple ‘shield’ top. Both guitars feature rolled-off high end, but retain the ceramic
a Honduran mahogany, through neck design magnet and relatively high output.
with an ebony fretboard, sporting John’s

STAR RATING PROS Useful and well executed update to the Majest
High end hardware » World class construction and finish

EACH CONS Lots of saving-up needed! »

58 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN JP MAJESTY MONARCHY 6 AND 7 STRING GUITARS

The Majesty series is all about comfort and


ease of playability, John stating himself that
this was the most important design ethos
behind the inception of the Majesty guitars.
The body shape, although a little alarming
for traditionalists, is supremely comfortable
in both a seated and standing position with
a very ergonomic, curvaceous contour,
offering incredible upper fret access and a well
considered control layout. The Monarchy
models feature a gloss top finish while retaining
the beautifully smooth, Matte back and neck
from previous models, offering top level comfort
for John performing under stage lights for hours
on end.

Build quality is exceptional, easily up there with


any boutique, custom built instrument on the
market. The fretwork is superb and the through
neck design is executed flawlessly, giving the
guitar a huge amount of sustain and sonic clout
when played unplugged. We were sent both 6
and 7 string versions, finished in ‘Black Knight’
and ‘Imperial Blue’, while ‘Royal Red’ and
‘Majestic Purple’ also available as options. Both
guitars were finished to a fantastic level with
the gloss top really bringing out the gorgeous
figured maple top with its tightly flamed grain.
The Royal Red and Imperial Blue colours
feature chrome hardware, while the Majestic

ty guitars » Beautiful design in some lovely and striking new colours » Awesome new pickups »
» Incredibly comfortable to play » Highly versatile tonal palette » Included high end hardcase

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 59
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

“The Sonic Ecstasy pickups sound huge w


of the clinical feel and tone that can be asso
Purple and Black Knight sport black
hardware - a nice aesthetic touch that
gives the darker colours a slightly more
menacing appeal.

From a tonal perspective, the Majesty has


always been a very versatile guitar and
the Monarchy is no exception thanks to
the combination of piezo and magnetic
pickups and a pair of three way switches

60 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN JP MAJESTY MONARCHY 6 AND 7 STRING GUITARS

with both clean and drive tones, without any


ociated with high output, ceramic magnets...”
offering an array of different sounds. piezo alone, piezo and magnetic pickups
The lower switch offers up the classic together or just magnetic pickups. A 20dB
three tones from a dual humbucker set- boost can be accessed by pushing down on
up – Neck only, Parallel Neck and Bridge the magnetic volume control whilst you
together and Bridge only – but pushing also get access to a piezo volume control
on the tone control gives access to a and piezo treble, bass and magnetic/piezo
fourth tone, combining the inner coils mix controls on the back of the guitar. The
of the humbuckers in parallel for further Piezo and Magnetic outputs can be run
versatility. The upper switch allows for in mono to a single output/amp or can be

Ernie Ball Music Man JP Majesty Monarchy 6 and 7 String Guitars

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 61
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

split for stereo operation via a TRS cable if dynamics very accurately and can be both
required. This all combines for one of the subtle and raging when required. The
most versatile guitars in the Music Man line clean tones are warm and round, perhaps
up - not that surprising for a guitar player only lacking in terms of no glassy, jangly
who covers so much musical ground in one split single coil bridge only and neck only
show, but still a great achievement. sounds, but in combination with the piezo
you can totally live without those. Drive
The Sonic Ecstasy pickups sound huge sounds are massive with tons of sustain and
with both clean and drive tones, without width for both rhythm and lead work in all
any of the clinical feel and tone that can four positions. Every sound is useful and
be associated with high output, ceramic musical – a good match for such a superb
magnets. These pickups retain your pick playing and feeling guitar.

62 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN JP MAJESTY MONARCHY 6 AND 7 STRING GUITARS

Carlsbro

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 63
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

The Majesty was already a great guitar when it launched, so it’s great to see the Monarchy update
the series with a mahogany body variant available in a range of colours with new pickups and 6
and 7 string options. The 6 and 7’s are essentially identical except for the extra low B string, so the
choice is based purely on how much low end you need rather than specific spec differences.

Check TH

Music Man Majestic Monarchy 6 Scale Length 25-1/2” (64.8 cm) Neck Radius17” (43.2
cm)
& 7 string
Headstock Size Angled & 5-7/8” (14.9 cm) long
MSRP 6st £3,499.99 & 7st £3649.99 US 6st $2,999 &
7st $3,199 (street) Frets 24 - Medium Jumbo profile, Stainless Steel
Made in: Handmade in USA Neck Width 1-11/16” (43.0 mm) at nut, 2-1/4” (57.2
mm) at last fret
JP Majesty Monarchy 6
Neck Wood Honduran mahogany
Size1 2” wide, 1-3/4” thick, 37” long (30.4
cm wide, 4.5 cm thick, 94.0 cm long) Fingerboard Ebony
Weight 6 lbs, 12 oz (3.06 kg) - varies slightly
Fret Markers Custom JP Majesty Inlays
Body Wood African mahogany with maple top
and mahogany through neck Neck Finish Matte - Color matches body
Body Finish Glossy Front, Matte Back Tuning Machines Schaller M6-IND locking
Body Colors Black Knight, Majesty Purple, Royal Truss Rod Adjustable - no component or string
Red, Imperial Blue removal
Bridge Custom John Petrucci Music Man Piezo Neck Attachment Through neck design
floating tremolo
Electronic Shielding Graphite acrylic resin coated

64 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN JP MAJESTY MONARCHY 6 AND 7 STRING GUITARS

If you’re a Petrucci fan then this will instantly become the new must have guitar, but for everyone
else, the Majesty Monarchy represents a fantastic instrument in terms of ergonomics, tone and
construction that is incredibly versatile and beautiful to look. Highly recommended if you have the
budget! END >

HE SPEC
body cavity and aluminum control cover Weight7 lbs, 3 oz (3.24 kg) - varies slightly

Controls Custom Music Man active preamp; push/ Body Wood African mahogany with maple top
push volume for gain boost, 500kohm push/push and mahogany through neck
passive tone for custom 2 pickup configurations -
.022F tone capacitor Body Finish Matte

Switching 3-way toggle pickup selector, with Body Colors Black Knight, Majesty Purple, Royal
custom center position configuration; 3-way Red, Imperial BlueBridge
toggle piezo/magnetic selector, momentary
mono/stereo output knob (Piezo Volume) Custom John Petrucci Music Man Piezo floating
tremolo
Pickups HH - DiMarzio Sonic Ecstasy; Piezo bridge
pickup Scale Length 25-1/2” (64.8 cm)

Left Handed No Neck Radius 17” (43.2 cm)


Strings10p-13p-17p-26-36-46 (RPS 10 Slinkys
Headstock Size Angled & Only 5-7/8” (14.9 cm) long
#2240)
Frets24 - Medium Jumbo profile, Stainless Steel

Neck Width1-7/8” (47.6 mm) at nut, 2-19/32” (65.9


JP Majesty Monarchy 7
mm) at last fret
Size 12” wide, 1-3/4” thick, 38” long (30.4 cm wide,
Rest - as per 6 stringf)
4.5 cm thick, 96.5 cm long)

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 65
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

PRS McCarty 594


If your ideal guitar is a 1950s and ‘60s Les Paul but you can’t afford a vintage one and,
anyway, want something that has more modern playability and intonation, PRS’s
McCarty series could be the very thing. And now there’s a new model in single and
doublecut styles. Tom Quayle explains.

‘T
he McCarty series represents of 50’s Gibson production, they used this
Paul Reed Smith’s take on a more 24.594 scale length and, whilst the difference
vintage ‘50s Les Paul style guitar, is very subtle indeed, it should greatly please
but brought up to date with a double cut those who want modern build quality
design and modern construction techniques, without trading any of the authentic vintage
tuning stability and playability. The range feel that they know and love. For 2017,
is named after Ted McCarty, president of the McCarty 594 is available in both single
Gibson during the ‘50s and ‘60s, and a big cut and double cut variants – we checked
influence on Paul’s development as a luthier out the double cut, since it fulfils the
and guitar designer, originally appearing in brief of vintage-inspired but with modern
the company’s line up in the early ‘90s. effortlessness in a very interesting way.

The McCarty 594 was introduced in the Of course, the 594 is constructed with
2016 and would really appeal to the player a mahogany body and a carved, figured
who loves vintage single cut guitars from the maple top, matched with a mahogany neck
‘50s but wants that modern playability and and rosewood fretboard. For maximum
intonation that can only come from modern authenticity, a bone nut (of the faux variety)
production techniques. The name is derived is used and is combined with PRS Phase III
from the seemingly unusual 24.594” scale Locking Tuners for excellent tuning stability
length as opposed to the standard 25” that but with a Kluson-like feel and sound.
PRS guitars, including the original McCarty, Interestingly, the tuners are tweaked from
have become known for. In the heyday the standard Phase III models, with an added

STAR RATING PROS Superb marriage of vintage and modern » Lov


stability and intonation » In-line volume and tone controls

EACH CONS Just the price

66 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS PRS MCCARTY 594

set screw that pulls the tuner’s gear and worm together
to provide better tone transfer from the string to the
guitar. The two-piece PRS bridge design is reminiscent
of a Tune-o-Matic and stop tail piece, but brought right
up to date for better intonation, sustain and longevity.

As with other McCarty guitars, the 594 features a


thicker body depth than a standard Core line PRS, but
the 594 also sports the Pattern Vintage neck profile
with an asymmetric carve that is as thick as the standard
Pattern neck, but with a little girth shaved off at the
treble side for added comfort. It’s very subtle, but feels
lovely in the hand without becoming fatiguing like
some of the baseball bat LP necks of old.

PRS has included updated versions of its much


loved 58/15 humbuckers in the 594 – deemed
by some as one of the best recreations of the
classic PAF sound on the market. The 58/15
LT pickups are based on the original 58/15’s but
with a lower number of winds for a more refined
output, more suited to clean, bluesy and lower
gain Rock tones. Even with the lower wind
count, they retain that classic PAF midrange
growl and both pickups can be independently
coil-split for nicely authentic single coil
sounds. The 3-way switch is mounted on the
upper bout for authenticity and familiarity,
whilst the control layout returns from the
asymmetrical four-knob layout of a standard
PRS, to a more classic ‘in-line’ configuration,

vely neck carve » Superb tones with lots of versatility for dual humbuckers » Excellent tuning
s

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 67
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

“Highly recommended - if it’s within


your budget...”

that allows the player to roll the volume lovingly constructed with a genuine sense
and tone of both pickups up or down of premium workmanship throughout.
together, just like a Les Paul. The 594 is also wonderfully comfortable
to play thanks to the contoured top,
Build quality is incredible, as it should excellent neck profile and vintage inspired
be at this price point, of course. The fretboard radius. Unlike a vintage guitar
fretwork is simply as good as it gets and however, intonation and tuning stability
every element of the guitar feels solid and are excellent across the entire guitar.

PRS McCarty 594

68 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS PRS MCCARTY 594

Chords and double stops sound lush even LT humbuckers have a lovely clarity
above the 12th fret and the locking tuners and detailed nature to them that works
keep even the wildest of bluesy bends in beautifully for sparkly cleans or thick
check with no tuning issues whatsoever. Jazz tones. Roll on some dirt and you get
classic ‘50s and ‘60s Blues and Rock tones
Tonally this is an equally impressive and that should feel instantly familiar and
premium sounding guitar, with incredible comforting to anyone who loves a vintage
resonance and sustain both acoustically single cut sound! The tone is always warm
and plugged in. The lower wound 58/15 and inviting without ever becoming too

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 69
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

dark or muddy and combining the three- to modern construction, tonal/playing


way switch with the independent coil taps consistency and good looks. There are
and tone controls gives an array of tones a range of finishes available that should
that make the 594 way more versatile than cater to most tastes and, whilst the price is
any vintage single cut could ever manage. very high, it’s pretty easy to justify the cost
given the quality on offer here. Highly
The PRS McCarty 594 is a thing of recommended - if it’s within your budget.
beauty – perfectly combining that END >
search for vintage authenticity married

Check THE SPEC

PRS McCarty 594 Fretboard Inlay Birds


MSRP £3,835 US $4,200 plus tax Bridge PRS Two-Piece, Cast Zinc
Made in: Handmade in USA Tuners Phase III Locking Tuners
Top Wood Carved Figured Maple Hardware Type Nickel
Back Wood Mahogany Treble Pickup 58/15 LT Treble
Neck Wood Mahogany Bass Pickup58/15 LT Bass
Neck Shape Pattern Vintage Controls Two Volume and Two Push/Pull
Tone Controls with 3-Way Toggle Pickup
Number of Frets 22 Switch on Upper Bout
Scale Length 24.594” Strings10’s
Fretboard Wood Rosewood with Faux Bone OPTIONS Option10-Top Maple (Defaults To
Binding Hybrid Hardware)

70 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS PRS MCCARTY 594

Roland

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 71
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

James Collins Redwood GTO


We’ve looked at the some of the superb guitars produced by British luthier James
Collins in the past, so when he called to ask if we’d like to try something a bit special,
how could we resist? Lewis Turner got to the box first....

‘M
any fine guitars pass through that he is one of the finest luthiers currently
GI’s doors but every now and at work in the UK, so we were certainly keen
then we get something a little to see what he had come up with this time!
bit special that everyone wants
to play. This time it was the Redwood GTO Straight out of the case let’s just say that this
made by Sussex-based James Collins. We all guitar looks amazing - somehow familiar
know about custom shop guitars available yet unique. The body shape has a classic
from the big brands but having a guitar hand feel with interesting alterations such as the
built from scratch is a whole different ball crescent F hole and a cool maple line pattern
game and this is every inch a craftsman made that snakes down the fretboard. The high
instrument. gloss finish with matching headstock gives it
an extra classy look. Finish and attention to
Regular GI readers will recall that we have detail throughout were above and beyond.
reviewed Collins guitars before (GI issues 37 Even if you don’t play guitar you could be
and 41) so you will already know that James forgiven for just buying it to hang on your
is one of the very few authorised Gibson wall as a piece of art!
repairers in the UK, and you don’t just get
that from doing a few good set-ups here and This GTO is constructed with a two piece
there - you need to be the very best. The hollowed-out Honduras mahogany body,
two guitars that we have seen in the past, meaning it started out as a solid piece, and
plus the work on our editor’s ancient and is not just a hollow guitar with a centre
very worn Les Paul, which was when we first block. To make matters even more luxurious,
encountered James’s skills, have convinced us this sample came with a beautiful curly
redwood carved top. The mahogany neck

STAR RATING PROS Great variety of tones » Effortless playability

CONS 5 way rotor switch

72 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS JAMES COLLINS REDWOOD GTO

uses a mortise and tenon joint with a


contoured heel making upper fret access
a total breeze. On first glance you would
be forgiven for thinking the fretboard is
rosewood, but is in fact the little used
wood cocobolo, once again underpinning
the use of the finest materials. If you
look at our Tech Spec section, you will
see that cocobolo has been used a fair bit
on this guitar, which is a good choice as
this wood creates a solid tone platform, a
natural voice, with great tonal consistency
throughout.

As you would expect, the GTO had


fantastic natural resonance and sustain
when unplugged, qualities that were
helped by the hollow body and overall
light weight. Again, as you would expect,
the guitar also felt very well balanced.

Grover Keystone 18-1 tuners and


Nashville Tune-o-Matic bridge, plus
a bone nut provided fantastic tuning
stability and the guitar has a 24 3/4” scale
with a comfy profile neck. Naturally, the
action was set perfectly and there were no
intonation or fret buzz issues anywhere.
In fact I have to say that I was blown
away by the intonation on this guitar, no
matter how good a guitar is you normally
find a point where the tuning is a bit
dodgy within a chord, it’s just the nature
of the instrument, but on the GTO I

» Solid tuning stability » Great looks » Superb finish

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 73
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

“The Collins Redwood GTO was an


absolute pleasure and joy to play...”

really couldn’t hear anywhere where it Controlling the GTO’s output comes
sounded out. courtesy of a push function on the tone
pot that splits the bridge pickup, and
The pickups James had chosen were a pair a push volume pot that splits the neck
of Bare Knuckle Calibrated Mules, which, pickup. This is further controlled by a
as you might expect are a high end choice five way rotary selector, which gives you a
mated with two CTS 500K Push-Push variety of different settings to experiment
Pots, along with Jensen Capacitors.

74 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS JAMES COLLINS REDWOOD GTO

with, all of which are demonstrated in the So was there anything I didn’t like about
video. the GTO? In fact my only issue was the
five way rotary switch. Yes it looks in place
This guitar really can do it all when it with everything else, and it works, but
comes to tone. Warm Jazz, out of phase making quick/seamless pickup changes
‘quack’, shimmery clean, Country twang, on the fly is not easy. It’s of course doable,
classic Rock, biting lead are all at your but nowhere near as slick and quick as
finger tips. Sure it’s probably not going to just flicking a blade switch. I’m sure it’s
be a Metal shredtastic guitar but that’s not something you could learn to live with
down to sound or playability - more to the and get used to though. And, of course,
styling, but there are plenty of pointy ugly this being a handmade guitar, I’m sure
guitars out there to cover that.... (now, it’s something you could discuss with the
now! - Ed). builder.

James Collins Redwood GTO

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 75
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

The Collins Redwood GTO w


absolute pleasure and joy to pla
the potential to be used in a va
situations, making it an ideal al
It was light, well balanced with
amount of tonal options. Fit an
were top notch throughout as w
playability and set-up. The pick
sounded fantastic and as I men
above, the intonation was out o
world. I’ve no doubt that your
question when seeing the hand
part, was ‘So how much is this
Well, OK, it’s not cheap, but w
talking about a hand built from

James Collins Redw


GTO
MSRP £4,200 US $5,950
Handmade in: UK

Hollowed mahogany body wi


cocobolo stringer, curly redwo
top with crescent “f” hole

Mahogany neck with maple v


cocobolo stringer

Cocobolo head veneer with m

76 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS JAMES COLLINS REDWOOD GTO

was an instrument with the finest materials all guitars in the world end-up hanging on
ay it has put together by an expert builder and walls just being admired by people. That
ariety of for that you are going to expect to have first group of potential buyers, though, is
ll rounder. to pay some serious money and this is as going to include the sort of owners who
h a mighty good as it gets. realise that however good a top of the line
nd finish factory-made product may be, there is
was the Who is it for? I think this guitar is always something even better, something
kups probably going to appeal to two different handmade by a great craftsman. That’s
ntioned types of people. The serious player who a rarefied world where the world’s most
of this demands such high build quality/tone/ demanding customers are willing to go
first playability but wants something a little that bit further to get the absolute best.
d built different, or a rich dude who can hang It’s the world this guitar comfortably
thing?’. it on his wall purely to appreciate its inhabits and if you ever get the chance
we are beauty! That may sound sacrilegious but you really have to try one to fully
m scratch we have to face facts and a lot of the best appreciate its brilliance. END >

Check THE SPEC

wood Cocobolo fretboard with maple wave Grover Quick release locking strap
- 4mm ‘mop’ dots cocobolo/maple buttons
binding - 2mm ‘mop’ side markers
Bare Knuckle calibrated “Mules” 2 CTS
Cocobolo truss rod cover laser engraved Push – Push 500K Pots Jensen Oil 0.022
serial no. inset coin bone nut Capacitor 5 Way Rotary Switch with
2mm MOP Markers.
ith Grover Machine heads
ood carved Volume Pot splits Neck Pickup - Tone
Gotoh Nashville Tune-o-Matic stop Pot splits Bridge Pickup
tailpiece
veneered More info:
Recessed Dome V&T Knobs www.jamescollinsguitars.com

maple wave

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 77
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

Flaxwood Liekki
Concern about the use of tropical hardwoods reached a peak early this year with
the introduction of controls on supplies of rosewood. This is not likely to be a
passing fad and it is certain that other woods will wind-up on the so-called CITES
list before long. Which makes the drive to move away from traditional guitar
tonewoods all the more urgent. Cue the innovative composite bodied Flaxwood
range, which has been around for a few years now, vying for attention. Has its time
finally come? Lewis Turner checks out the fine looking Liekki.

‘G
etting to play lots of different guitars As I said when I reviewed a plastic topped
is cool, but let’s face it most are Supro in GI not long ago, resin guitars are
based around a few tried and tested nothing new and I used to own a very nice
construction techniques, using ‘plastic’ Ibanez that was perfectly pleasing to
materials that have been employed for many the ears, so why are these different materials
years. There are good reasons for sticking to quite often not given the time of day? Do they
tried and tested materials and techniques, really sound different? Or is it just snobbery
not the least of them being that using a new and lack of understanding that makes
material, or even slightly different shape, can guitarists turn their noses up at the idea? As
be met with a few raised eyebrows. Guitarists always be sure to check out the video to see
just don’t like change! Well, that’s what we’re and hear it for yourself, and make your own
in for here - and how! Flaxwood is a Finnish decision.
company that has developed a waste wood
fibre reinforced thermoplastic material which Visually, you would be hard pressed to find
can be injection moulded - even into the anything to object to about the Liekki. Pulling
shape of a guitar’s neck. Flaxwood guitars have it from the case, it looks cool - very cool!
been around since 2005 and have generated a From the headstock to the fretboard markers
reasonable amount of interest without having everything is just a bit different and unique,
set the world on fire. Is that about to change? but never odd. There are lovely contours on
the body with a striking F hole. Ours was
finished in a very clean white adding to the

STAR RATING PROS Great looks » Comfortable to play » Great ne

CONS Ugly Screw on ‘resonator’ board on the back

78 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS FLAXWOOD LIEKKI

sleek look. It was also light, and if you have 25.5” scale thin C shape and 22 X-Jumbo
ever read any of my other reviews then you frets it felt comfortable and effortless.
will know that I think this is a good thing,
back saving aside, light guitars just sound A nice big cutout for the lower horn and
better... (ducks for cover from a flying Les a 3-D glued neck joint made upper fret
Paul..). access a breeze, the set-up was spot on, nice
and low but there wasn’t a trace of fretbuzz
The Flaxwood neck is fitted with what I took or intonation issues. It’s clearly set up as a
to be a rosewood fingerboard but, as you shredtastic guitar and it does that job very
might expect, that turned out to be made well.
from Flaxwood too. Either way, it was a
pleasure to play. At a 12” compound radius, The Flaxwood is completely hollow and
thanks to its contours was super comfortable,

eck » Great tonal spectrum »

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 79
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

feeling small and unobtrusive. Flip it over and and once you have seen it (it’s shown in our
things start to disappoint a little in the looks video) you can understand why.
department, however. Screwed to the body is
a resin resonator backplate that just strikes me But does it work? Well, we didn’t really run
as ugly. Presumably due to the fact the guitar it at any great volume in our studio plus the
is hollow they needed to add something amp is in another room, although the PA
to prevent feedback and keep its strength speakers are pretty close, I didn’t have any
and this is what they came up with. On the issues during this review with feedback, but
Flaxwood website there is an FAQ which sets you would have to live with it for a bit in real
out to explain why the resonator plate is there life to see if any issues crop up.
but I didn’t feel it really explained it. In any Our Liekki was fitted with a Schaller LP
case, look on the website and I bet you will tremolo and Gotoh tuners keeping everything
be hard pushed to find a picture of the back

80 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS FLAXWOOD LIEKKI

I didn’t have any issues during this


review with feedback, but you would
have to live with it for a bit in real life to
see if any issues crop up.

stable and in tune. The trem was great and same being true for Yngwie style vibrato and
could probably take a fair bit of abuse. This bends. Once the strings are bedded in, this
set-up makes it a lead player’s dream because thing is as stable as anything.
you can really dig in, scoop, dive etc. with no
concerns about things going out of tune, the

Flaxwood Liekki

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 81
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

The Liekki uses two Seymour Duncan SP90- it? Well, the makers claim it’s impervious
1 Vintage soapbar humbucker pickups with a to moisture and that can be a good thing,
three way selector switch. These are great and especially if you are travelling across all sorts
further reinforce this guitar’s intentions. The of climate zones. But the main reason has to
bridge pickup is bright and cutting, whilst be if you are particularly concerned about
the neck is mellow and scooped for smooth playing a guitar made from a wood which
lead lines and a mixture of the two gives you is considered ‘endangered’. In the end, no
a fairly decent clean tone. As an overall tonal reviewer can help you there - it is a purely
spectrum this guitar has a bit of everything personal decision. Of course, in time you
and will suit many styles. The hollow body may not have the choice, but for now you
with F hole gives a fairly decent warm Jazz have and it’s up to you.
tone on the neck pickup, too, while the
bridge enables a smooth scooped lead tone. Ignoring the material for a moment, this is a
I’m loath to say the word but it’s a bit of a very good guitar that looks (apart from the
‘Fusion’ guitar! back), plays and sounds great, comes with
superb hardware and really is just a very nice
So what about the Flaxwood and its effect guitar indeed. It has a fresh feel and look
on tone? It sounds fine and I don’t think I about it that will turn heads. It’s perhaps a
could tell in a blind test against a ‘normal’ shade expensive but you really have to judge
guitar. It perhaps lacked a little mid-range it not against mass produced guitars but
scoop but that could be down to the lack of specialist built ones because that is the class
density. So it doesn’t sound any worse than it’s in. If you’re in the market for something
the norm, but it also doesn’t produce a whole a little different and unique, go give one a
new tonal spectrum that blew my mind, so spin. END >
that inevitably raises the question, why do

82 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS FLAXWOOD LIEKKI

Check THE SPEC

Flaxwood Liekki Bridge:

MSRP £1,879 US $ Unknown - hardtail (290-H): Gotoh 510UB


Made in: Finland - tremolo (290-T): Schaller LP Tremolo
Body Material: Flaxwood Pickups:
Features: F-hole; Flaxwood resonating back - bridge: Seymour Duncan SP90-1 Vintage
plate Soapbar
Neck Material: Flaxwood - neck: Seymour Duncan SP90-1 Vintage
Soapbar
Neck joint: 3-D glued
Controls:
Angle: HighScale: 25.5” Radius: 12”
- master volume
Frets: medium jumbo
- separate tone controls for both pickups
Measurements:- 1st fret: 43.5 / 20.5 mm- 12th
fret: 52.5 / 23 mm - 3-way selector switch
Tuners: Gotoh SG360 HAPM; lockingNut: bridge
Tune-X tuning system bridge + neck
Inlays: Celluloid neck
Shipped with string gauge: Elixir Nanoweb
.010 - .046”

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 83
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

Epiphone Wildkat
If you’re more into Eddie Cochrane than Eddie Van Halen, Epiphone’s Wildkat might
be just your thing. Why, it even comes with a Bigsby. Lewis Turner slips on his blue
suede shoes.

‘E
piphone may be one of America’s The Wildkat is a cool looking guitar, our
oldest instrument makers, having sample finished in a lovely Wine Red, with
been around since 1873 and now the Bigsby and double F holes giving it that
in its 143rd year, but to a whole real retro look. Fit and finish throughout was
generation of players today it’s known as the excellent and it will certainly turn heads. The
cheaper version of Gibson. But that shouldn’t body is mahogany with a laminated flamed
take anything away from the quality of the maple top and coupled with the fact it’s an
company’s instruments and recent years have archtop with a centre block (much like the
seen some really good Epiphones come onto 335), that this makes for a very light guitar.
the market, often at pretty stunning prices. The weight factor is not only good for saving
That must certainly apply to the subject of your shoulders and back, it’s also great for
this review, the semi acoustic Wildkat, which resonance and increased sustain, and this
is a lot of quite complicated to make guitar is certainly true with the Wildkat. Even
(well, compared to a Strat or an SG) for what unplugged the guitar resonates well and you
is not really very much money at all. can feel every note that is played, which is
great.
As before with Epiphones we borrowed our
sample from a leading retailer (DV247.com) The traditional style headstock is quite a
which has the added advantage that this large affair, making it slightly top heavy
accurately represents the condition you are but the tuners were good and stable. The
likely to find one in in a store. glued neck is maple with a rosewood
fingerboard, 24.75” scale with 22 frets. I
found the fretboard and shape of the neck
very comfortable to play as was the action

STAR RATING PROS Good tones » Easy playability » Great looks »

EACH CONS A little unbalanced on the headstock end » Bi

84 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS EPIPHONE WILDKAT

and spacing between frets, there were


no buzzing or tuning issues anywhere
on the guitar, and thanks to the glued
neck, upper fret access was fairly easy.

The two Epiphone P-90 Dogear


pickups are part of the Casino look
and sound. I’ve always thought they
were quite good, and the ones on this
guitar were no exception offering warm
mellow sounds in the neck position,
with bright jangly tones from the
bridge. A three way selector switch
makes things nice, simple and obvious,
albeit a little fiddly to adjust on the fly,
(if you’re not used to the selector being
up there!) as well as 1 Master Volume,
2 Pickup Volume, and 1 Tone control.
This layout can take a little getting
used to but once you are, you really
can tailor a variety of sounds from this
guitar not just the bell-like cleans but
also biting crunch, and quacky out of
phase.

The Wildkat is never going to be a full


on Rock guitar, not least because of the
issue with semi-acoustics and feedback,
but it offers plenty to please most. The
B70 Bigsby vibrato looks cool and goes
with the whole vintage styling, though
I’m not sure how sturdy it will be long
term. Frankly, it feels a little flimsy and

» Good price

igsby won’t appeal to all

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 85
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW

“I have played a fair few Epiphone


guitars over the years and have
always liked them...”

Epiphone Wildkat

if pitch bending harmonics are your thing, my picking hand, but that could just be a
this isn’t going to cut it, though for a little personal thing.
shimmer on chords it works fine. Tuning
wise it seemed to stay in place, but only I have played a fair few Epiphone guitars
time and hard use will tell. I’m not a fan of over the years and have always liked them.
Bigsbys in general as they get in the way of As with many people when I first played

86 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS EPIPHONE WILDKAT

Check THE SPEC

Epiphone Wildkat Bridge Pickup P-90T Dogear Classics

UK £299 (street) US $449 (street) Controls 1 Master Volume, 2 Pickup Volume,


1-Tone
Made in: China
Headstock Metal vintage-style Epiphone
Body Material mahogany
badge
Top Material maple
Frets 22 medium jumbo
Neck maple, Slim Taper “D” Profile, Glued-in
Bridge Locktone Tune-o-matic/
Dimensions 24.75” scale StopbarTailpiece

Nut width 1.68”Fingerboard pearloid dot Bigsby B70 VibratoHardware


inlays
NickelMachine Heads Grover 18:1Color
Fingerboard radius 12”
Antique NaturalTypical Weight (+/- 5%) 7.8 lbs
Neck Pickup P-90R Dogear Classics
Strings D’Addario 10, 13, 17, 26, 36, 46

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

one I was a little dubious after reading the end woods and the headstock makes it
spec and noting the price and I admit I a little unbalanced, and there’s also that
approached them with a bit of a snobbish bulky Bigsby, but for the price you really
attitude, only to be pleasantly surprised can’t fault it, especially not in terms of
with what was on offer. That was true playability. END >
of the Wildkat, as well, except by now I
know to expect a whole lot better from an Our grateful thanks to DV247 for the
Epiphone - and this one delivered. Sure, loan of this review sample:
it’s not quite up there with the higher www.dv247.com

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 87
REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW

PRS Sonzera 50 Amplifier


A PRS amp that is comparatively affordable? Yes, the Maryland maestro has decided
to offer the latest PRS all-tube amp at a price that won’t entail the sale of your car.
Tom Quayle has been trying to find the catch.

‘T
he Sonzera 50 is a 1x12 combo controls plus their own bright switches,
built in a fairly large poplar voiced to match each channel’s specific tonal
plywood cabinet that looks just characteristics. The clean channel has Master
as striking as PRS’ high end amps which and Volume controls, whilst the Drive side
sell at twice the price or more. The black uses Level and Drive for the same purpose.
frame looks great contrasted against the gold A shared Presence control resides on the
lettering and piping while the light-coloured, far left of the control panel for controlling
black and cream grill cloth highlights the upper frequencies, the only other front panel
‘Paul Reed Smith’ signature, lending the control being a channel select switch with
amp a perceived boutique quality, matching matching green and red LED’s to indicate
the company’s more expensive amps and which channel you are currently using.
guitars at a much lower price point. How Around the back you’ll find your standard
has this come about? Well, by making it in array of speaker outs, adjustable biasing
China - and why not? The build quality on jacks, a footswitch input (the footswitch is
our sample was very good indeed with the included and controls channel selection and
Sonzera feeling solid and well put together reverb operation - well done for including
in every respect. The included faux-leather it in the price, PRS!) a series effects loop
handle feels very firm, which is a good thing and your standby and power switches. The
too as this is a heavy amp considering its size. Sonzera is a very easy amp to operate and
understand with no need to read a manual to
Available as 20 and 50 Watt combos and a get up and running quickly.
50 Watt head, the Sonzera range feature two
channels – Clean and Gain – each offering The internals of the amp are powered by
independent three-band EQ and Reverb an ECC83S common gain stage tube for

STAR RATING PROS Well made, affordable all tube combo » Versat
tones » Great pedal platform » Tons of clean headroom an

EACH CONS No power switching or attenuation » Very hea

88 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS PRS SONZERA 50 AMPLIFIER

tile two channel design » Independent EQ and Reverb controls » Excellent clean and drive
nd volume » Effects loop » Included footswitch

avy with no side handles

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 89
REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW

“Speaking of sound, the clean channel is d


harking back to classic Blackface tones in a
the clean and drive channels and a trio of driving the full 50W at all times, whether
12AX7s for the drive channel, reverb and in the bedroom, studio or on stage. This
phase inverter. The power stage contains means that the only way to get the full
a pair of EL34s for 50 Watts of power, power tube drive from this amp is to crank
although it’s worth noting that, unlike a the full 50W output stage and it is an
lot of high powered amps these days, the incredibly loud amp. It would have been
Sonzera 50 features no form of power nice to see a half power or 1 Watt mode
level switching or attenuation, so you are included, but this increases complexity

PRS Sonzera 50 Amplifier

90 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS PRS SONZERA 50 AMPLIFIER

definitely voiced in the vintage realm,


a very convincing manner. ..”
and thus the price. As an alternative you some hand wired tube amps. The Sonzera
could always invest in a power soak for makes for a very convincing pedal platform
home use. amp without ever getting into the second
channel, but the included effects loop
PRS has selected a 12” Celestion V-Type sounds great too if you need to run the
speaker for this combo, known for excelling drive channel and still use your delays and
at vintage tones but with the ability to modulations.
handle more modern sounds as well,
described rather unintuitively by Celestion Moving onto the drive channel you are
as a ‘Modern Vintage’ speaker. The presented with a definite classic Rock and
Sonzera also opts for a closed back design Blues vibe. There is a huge amount of gain
to increase bass response and an oversized available but this is definitely never going to
cabinet for a sound that is certainly fatter suit Metal or modern Rock players looking
and larger than your average 1x12 combo. for a more scooped and smooth sound.
What you do get is very cool though –
Speaking of sound, the clean channel is classic, throaty Rock and Blues tones that
definitely voiced in the vintage realm, can be subtle and dynamic or raging and
harking back to classic Blackface tones in aggressive. At lower drive settings, you get
a very convincing manner. The three band an alternate clean channel with a much
EQ is very musical allowing you to go darker tonal spectrum. Here again, the EQ
from super-cutting, spanky, single coil funk controls offer a lot of versatility and the
tones with a spiky top end and thin bottom bright switch adds pick attack and clarity
end, to fat humbucker Jazz tones with even at higher gain settings. The real icing
ease, all the while remaining surprisingly on the cake here is the dedicated reverb
dynamic and articulate for an amp at this control for each channel, allowing you to
price point. The amp reacts beautifully set up ambient clean tones with a decent
to pick attack and can be cleaned up or slice of reverb, whilst having much drier
driven at higher volume settings with pick drive sounds if required. A nice touch that
attack alone without ever exhibiting the more amp manufacturers should take note of!
technique punishing characteristics of

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 91
REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW

The Sonzera 50 is a great amplifier from PRS at a very attractive price. Its drive channel
won’t appeal to everyone, but for Blues and Rock players and those looking for an
affordable, versatile pedal platform that feels and sounds like a much more expensive amp,
it should serve as a superb choice. Switchable power options would have been a fantastic
addition, the lack of which means that this amp is really only suitable for those that can
make the most of its huge volume levels. But, if you can, you will most likely be very
impressed with the results. Recommended! END >

Check THE SPEC

PRS Sonzera 50 Watt combo Cabinet Material / Construction Poplar


Plywood
MSRP £879 US $899 plus tax
2-Button Footswitch (Channel Gain/Clean,
Made in: China Reverb On/Off)SPEAKERS
Wattage (Nominal) 50 Watts FRONT PANEL Speaker 12” Celestion V-Type (Combo)Total
CONTROLS Impedence16 Ohms (Combo)TUBES
Gain Channel Drive, Level, Treble, Middle, Power Tubes (2) EL34BHT Pre-amp Tubes(1)
Bass, Reverb, Bright Switch JJ ECC83S, (3)4 12AX7AC5 HGPREAMP
TUBE V16L6GCMS, Common Input
Clean Channel Volume, Master, Treble,
Gain StageV212AX7AC5, Gain Channel
Middle, Bass, Reverb, Bright Switch
V312AX7AC5, ReverbV412AX7AC5, Phase
Effects Loop, Loop Return, Loop Send InverterMEASUREMENTS

Bias Adjustable (bias jacks accessible from Amp Width 24” Depth 10.5” Height 19”
back panel)
Weight 56.6 lbs.
Extension Speaker Jacks 5, Parallel Ohm
Total Impedence 16 OhmsACCESSORIES
Switching 4 (x2), 8 (x2), 16 (x1) Ohms
Included Accessories 2-Button Footswitch
Channels Gain & CleanHARDWARE
(Channel Gain/Clean, Reverb On/Off)

92 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


WANT TO FEATURE IN THE THE REVIEWS PRS SONZERA 50 AMPLIFIER

NEXT GUITAR INTERACTIVE?

IT’S SIMPLE. TO ADVERTISE...


Eventide
Get in touch with our sales team and let them
help you book your advert.

Helen - UK AND EUROPE. Lisa - USA .


helen@guitarinteractivemagazine.com lisaspiteri@guitarinteractivemagazine.com
T: +44 (0)7803 726 012 T: 973-610-0441

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 93
REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW

Vox MV50 Rock Amp


Vox deserves credit for consistently coming up with very different packaging for its
range of amps. Take the new MV50 for example. But is it just a pretty face?
Lewis Turner finds out.

‘L
ittle amps are definitely all the rage one. As always be sure to check out the video
- especially little valve amps. Gone to see and hear this head for yourself.
are the days where you need 16 100
Watt heads with matching 4x12 cabs This little Vox is about the ultimate in playing
and even the guys that claim to use that kind simplicity, sporting just three controls on the
of set-up are usually fibbing, with 15 of them front panel, Gain, Tone and Volume along
just for show. OK, it may not look as cool to with a power meter. It’s hard to believe but
have an amp the size of a toaster on the stage, this head has the maximum power of 50
but it’s far cooler than putting out your back Watts depending on your impedance output
lugging heads and cabs up 32 flights of stairs setting (via switch on the back). 4 Ohm =
for a 30 minute set. Veteran brand Vox has 50 Watt, 8 Ohm = 25 Watt and 16 Ohm =
been up there at the front of this downsizing 12.5 Watt. We ran ours at 8 Ohm into a 4x12
movement with a number of great little amps cab. So how does such a tiny unit produce so
to choose from. However, this new MV50 much output? Well there is some clever new
range of heads takes compact to the next level, technology in these little heads. The MV50
this thing is tiny! boasts an all analogue pre-amp circuit, and
features the brand new ‘NuTube’ - a vacuum
The MV50 heads (they come in AC, Clean tube that promises to deliver authentic valve
and Rock versions - the names telling you all tone at a fraction of the size. This is coupled to
you need to know about their purpose!) can be a Class D power amp.
connected to any speaker/speakers - and there
are two bespoke speakers to go with them, The Rock version of this amp is designed to
more of which, later. I checked out the ‘Rock’ deliver more aggressive tones reminiscent of
high gain British amps. I mentioned earlier

STAR RATING PROS Small footprint » Well made » Easy to use » G

CONS Limited tonal options

94 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS VOX MV50 ROCK AMP

that it can be plugged into any cab and straight off the bat. I was really impressed
that wasn’t me being deliberately vague as with the depth and response it delivers,
Vox has thought the possibilities through not to mention the impressive volume.
and provided a ‘Flat or Deep’ setting It delivers a good quality clean tone, and
switch on the back that helps with this. with just a little gain you start to get that
Selecting Deep will suit small cabs by classic Vox broken-up tone. Happily, this
emphasising the low frequencies, while the varies depending on how hard you pick,
Flat setting keeps it all level, suiting larger making this a very dynamic and responsive
cabs. amp, as all good tube amps should be.
There is a ton of gain available, and using
This is a classic plug in and play head the volume control on your guitar you
where you can get a good usable tone can really clean it up to get meaty chord

Great sound » Portable

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 95
REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW

Vox MV50 Rock Amp

sounds. Pushing the gain right to the What I haven’t mentioned yet, not least
max it’s amazing how much volume this because we weren’t able to get a sample in
little amp can produce, and it’s still good time for this review, are the new mini cabs
useable volume that doesn’t turn to mush. which Vox is offering to go with these MC
OK, let’s be reasonable: it won’t give you a heads. They come in 8” and 12” versions
big saturated gain sound that suits Metal and look very retro. So far the only models
but then that’s not what this amp is about, we’ve seen offered by retailers have been
but for classic Rock and Blues this is just the 8” speakered version but Vox’s press
fine. information suggests a 12” model is on

96 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS VOX MV50 ROCK AMP

“As a highly portable, great sounding


head it’s hard to beat! “

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REVIEWS_AMP REVIEW

the way. Office opinion was divided as to All in all, the Vox MV50 is an amazing little
whether the amps look a bit silly on top of head. It looks a bit gimmicky but trust me
full-sized cabs (they really are very small) and that this is a serious bit of kit. It’s ideal for at
they do look quite cute in pictures showing home practice and studio recording and it’s
them with Vox’s matching boxes. It would be small enough to fit in your gig bag to take
nice to see how they work together tonally. to a rehearsal or gig, maybe to use with a

98 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS VOX MV50 ROCK AMP

serious FX processor like an Axe-FX to drive sure how it would handle a really loud band
a monitor, while still being loud enough to situation, but as a highly portable, great
stand its ground if you do wish to use it as sounding head it’s hard to beat! END >
your main amp for smaller venues. I’m not

Check THE SPEC

Vox MV50 Rock Power Supply: AC adapter DC19V


MSRP £199 US $199.99 Current Consumption: 3.43A
Made in: China Dimensions (W x D x H): 135mm x 100mm x
75mm/5.31” x 3.94” x 2.95”
Input/Output Jacks: INPUT x 1, LINE/
PHONES x 1, SPEAKER OUT x 1 Weight: 540g/1.19 lbs.
Preamp: Nutube 6P1 Included Items: AC adapter
Output Power:Max 50W RMS@4Ω, 25W
RMS@8Ω, 12.5W RMS@16Ω

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 99
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

LunaStone True Overdrive


TOD-1 and TOD-2
Denmark’s LunaStone has impressed us before with its effects pedals. But now it’s
given us a conundrum - Overdrive 1 and Overdrive 2. Which is it to be? We asked
Lewis Turner to decide.

‘G
ive a budding guitarist a good It is, in fact, the very definition of a plug
guitar and decent amp, what’s the in and play pedal with the most simple of
next thing they are going to need? layouts, offering just Volume, Tone and
A Drive pedal of course! Be it a Drive. It’s interesting how LunaStone has
boost/overdrive/gain/fuzz they just want decided to set the controls in a diagonal
that ‘loud’ pedal straight away. The result, of position with a massive red light. The design
course, is that the market is saturated with not only makes this pedal stand out, but I
overdrive pedals and with so many on the suspect that making changes on the fly will
out there, trying to find the right one for you be somewhat easier as there is plenty of space
is a challenge. Now here comes LunaStone, between the knobs and, in fact, you could
the Danish effects company, to make it even probably turn them with your foot. Soft
more difficult by offering two versions of its switching with Relay, as well as being True-
own take on the drive pedal, the TOD or bypass and an all analogue design makes
True Overdrive. these desirable pedals on paper, LunaStone
also claim they sound and respond like a
The name explains what these pedals are all tube amp, which is a key attraction.
about: pure and true overdrive. The TOD-1
builds on the backbone of LunaStone’s most Plugging in the TOD-1 and turning it
popular drive pedal, the Big Fella (reviewed on with the controls around 12 the word
in GI 44), giving you the Big Fella tone that sprung to mind was ‘modern’. It has
without a built-in booster, meaning a smaller a contemporary voice, reminiscent of high
footprint and arguably a more user friendly gain British amps, with plenty of gain to get
pedal. a really saturated sound. The simple controls

STAR RATING PROS Well made » Simple useable layout » Good qu

EACH CONS Colours your tone in a way that may not suit ev

100 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS LUNASTONE TRUE OVERDRIVE TOD-1 AND TOD-2

LUNASTONE OVEDRIVE TOD-1

uality clear high gain sound

veryone » Could well have been a 2 in 1 pedal

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 101
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

all worked as expected, and I was able end was tight and responsive, meaning I
to dial in some very usable OD sounds. could play chords and all the individual
Backing the gain down and controlling notes could be heard. However, I wasn’t
the tone from the guitar volume did give able to really tune in a more vintage type
a valve amp type of response in terms of smooth, less gainy, OD. Whatever gain
lowering the crunch (without losing too level I had it on it still coloured my tone
much top end), and responding to my in a certain way, where as a good pushed
playing dynamics. valve amp would still keep your original
sound.
This pedal really suited the humbucker
bridge setting on the guitar that I was The TOD-2 is essentially the same pedal
using, delivering plenty of bite but never but with a shade more gain and a beefed-
sounding harsh, thin or fizzy. The bottom up bottom end, which can be clearly head

LunaStone True Overdrive TOD-1 and TOD-2

102 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS LUNASTONE TRUE OVERDRIVE TOD-1 AND TOD-2

LUNASTONE OVEDRIVE TOD-2

TBA

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 103
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

“Deciding on which one to use will depend


type of amp you use, both will work really

in the video. This pedal would be ideal that may or may not appeal to all, but
running into the front of an amp that for high gain clarity these are great. I do
lacks a bit of bottom end beef or is a bit think rather than making two separate
woolly, this is a tight clear low end with pedals, they could probably have made
much the same gain sound as the TOD-1. one with a switch on it that delivers a bit
more bottom end. Deciding on which one
The LunaStone TOD-1 and 2 are well to use will depend on your personal tone
made high quality overdrive pedals with taste and what type of amp you use, both
a unique design. They are simple to use will work really well in front of a clean
and have a high quality OD sound that amp to give it some grit and dirt that we
can be used for both single line playing all yearned for on that fateful day when we
and beefing up chords/riffs. I did find decided, ‘I need a loud pedal’... END >
that they have a definite unique sound

104 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS LUNASTONE TRUE OVERDRIVE TOD-1 AND TOD-2

d on your personal tone taste and what


y well in front of a clean amp...”

Check THE SPEC

LunaStone TOD-1 and TOD-2 Weight: 265 g. (9.35 oz.)

Overdrive pedals Battery type: 9V

Adaptor type (not included): Standard 9V


DC (centre negative)
MSRP £129 (street) US $149
Power consumption: 75mA
Made in: Denmark
Warranty 2 years
Chassis dimensions (W/D/H): 2.9” x 4.5” x 2”
(73 mm x 114 mm x 51 mm (incl. knobs))

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 105
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

Eventide H9 Sculpt and Pitch-


fuzz Algorithms
We think Eventide’s H9 is one of the most important and usable FX units on the
market and offer no apologies for reviewing the regular update algorithms which
the company issues to H9 users. Tom Quayle checks out the latest two and
explains why the H9 is such a big deal.

‘H
ere at Guitar Interactive we’re big applied to each. Compression and filtering can
fans of Eventide’s H9 pedal. One be applied before or after the distortion for
of the things that we love about some very interesting effects and Eventide has
it is the slew of new algorithms even included an envelope control for the filter
that Eventide has released since the pedal stage, allowing for some truly unique wah-
was originally brought to market a few years style (and way beyond) effects based on your
ago. Previously, we have checked out the pick attack.
‘SpaceTime’ algorithm, combining Delay,
Reverb and Modulation into a single effect As with all of the H9’s algorithms, you are best
block, but this time we will be looking at editing sounds from the H9 Control software
two algorithms combining drive sounds with on a PC, Mac or iOS device. This gives you
other effects for unique and highly interesting a complete overview of the controls with
results. Mix, Bandmix, Crossover, Low-Drive, High-
Drive, Compressor (pre or post distortion),
The latest updates for the H9 are the Sculpt Low Boost (pre or post distortion), Filter-Pre,
and PitchFuzz algorithms. Sculpt is a very Filter-Post and Env-Filter on offer. This is
unique multi-band distortion effect that pretty overwhelming at first, but selecting the
would normally require at least three separate included presets gives you a good idea of what
pedals to produce. Sculpt splits your signal Sculpt can do and how it achieves its unique
into two bands, high and low, and allows sounds.
different amounts of gain and filtering to be

STAR RATING PROS Fantastic creative and unique effects » Easy t


Exciting and inspiring presets included » Goo

CONS None (except you have to own an H9 already!)

106 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS EVENTIDE H9 SCULPT AND PITCHFUZZ ALGORITHMS

The Crossover control allows you to select can be placed before or after the drive for
the range of frequencies that each band will different feels and sounds. Low boost allows
contain, whilst the Bandmix allows you to you to add low end before the drive or to
control the level of each band in the mix. smooth it out after the drive whilst the filter
Low Drive and High drive control the section allows you to cut or boost frequencies
amount of distortion for each band whilst before or after the cut-off of each band. This
the compressor acts as you’d expect, but allows for highly some unique tone shaping

to use after a short time » High quality analogue feel for both fuzz and distortion sounds »
od price » Free for H9 Max owners!

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 107
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

that can be effected by the envelope filter for The drives are digital, but have a distinctly
some seriously cool funky sounds. analogue feel, reacting very well to pick
attack and volume changes in a very natural
These controls can be mapped to an manner. You can even send the signal out
expression pedal for realtime control of drive in stereo with the low and high frequency
amount, filter frequencies, crossover or drive bands going to separate amps if you want.
mix for example. The possibilities are truly A switchable noise gate keeps things under
endless and the sounds on offer are incredibly control when you’re not playing and Eventide
good for getting creative with and inspiring have even included an EQ curve view within
you to write new riffs around a particular H9 Control so that you can really see what
effect. the effect is doing and edit sounds in a more
graphical manner.

108 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS EVENTIDE H9 SCULPT AND PITCHFUZZ ALGORITHMS

“The drives are digital, but have a


distinctly analogue feel, reacting
very well to pick attack and volume
changes in a very natural manner. ..”

Sculpt is a completely unique algorithm and around a core Fuzz effect, combined with
at the asking price is well worth checking up to three pitch shifters and a pair of delay
out. You can even demo it first and check blocks that can be used purely as delay or to
out the presets to see if it’s for you. create arpeggiated effects when combined
with the pitch blocks. You get controls for
The second algorithm is called PitchFuzz Fuzz amount, Fuzz Tone, Pitch Amount
and is the newest kid on the block – based (up to three voices), Pitch A, B and C (up

Eventide H9 Sculpt and Pitchfuzz Algorithms

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REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

to +/-2 octaves or micro pitch shifting +/- analogue feel without any digital aliasing
25c), Delay Level, Delay 1 and 2 times and or fake sounding note releases. The tone
Feedback for the delays. control allows you to dial in anything from
a thin, raspy fuzz to a fat, woolly distortion
The pure Fuzz tone is fantastic without even that is worth the asking price alone. Adding
engaging the other effects. It has a distinctly in the delays you find some highly inspiring

110 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS EVENTIDE H9 SCULPT AND PITCHFUZZ ALGORITHMS

lead and rhythm sounds that can be tempo amazing arpeggio effects that can sound
mapped or dialled in with the tap tempo lush or menacing from just a single note.
button as required. The pitch effects are polyphonic and track
incredibly well, even with very fast playing
Bringing in the pitch effects is where things and of course all parameters can be mapped
get very interesting and unique. Each of to an expression pedal for even more creative
the voices can be mixed in using the Pitch possibilities.
Amount dial, so you could have a little of
pitch one and then mix in pitch one and Both of these algorithms are a fantastic
a little of pitch two for example, all the addition to the already highly impressive
way up to all three voices at 100%. In the H9 line up. For Core users they are a very
standard delay mode, all the pitches happen attractive price and for H9 Max owners you
together. But in the arpeggio mode voices can download them for free with the latest
B and C are mapped to Delay 1 and 2 version of H9 Control. Fantastic stuff! END >
respectively, allowing you to create some

Check THE SPEC

Flaxwood Liekki MSRP Free for Eventide H9 Max users or US


$19.99 for H9 and H9 Core users
MSRP £1,879 US $ Unknown
Website: www.eventideaudio.com/
Made in: Finland
products/stompboxes/multi-effect-
processor/h9
Eventide H9 Sculpt and
Pitchfuzz Algorithms
FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 111
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

Orange Kongpressor Pedal


Orange is unusual for an amp maker in that it not only succeeds with both guitar and
bass amps but also thrives in the effects pedal market. New at this year’s NAMM show
was the Kongpressor, now in stores worldwide. Tom Quayle assesses a very superior
kind of compressor.

‘T
he Kongpressor is Orange’s take King Kong’s fist clasping a defenceless Ann
on the guitar compression pedal, Darrow-esque maiden looks great against
but it is certainly more than just the white, oversized dials and metal bar,
another compressor slugging it out in an protecting said dials from your size 12
already crowded marketplace. Rather than boot. The pedal is housed in a bomb-proof
relying on the standard OTA (Optical metal chassis, with side mounted jack
Transconductance Amplifier) type of sockets and a standard 9v DC input that
compression found in the vast majority of is doubled internally to 18v for increased
compressor pedals out there, the Kongpressor clean headroom via Orange’s Internal Charge
uses a Class A, Optical design, offering a Pump technology. A large LED is mounted
very smooth, musical response and bloom. at the top of the unit to indicate bypassed
Orange claims that the pedal adds an organic or active state from the solid feeling latching
three-dimensional quality to any rig by footswitch.
utilising a re-issue of the famous vactrol
VTL5C3 optocoupler, responsible for the The pedal features controls for Volume,
sound heard on countless hit records. Squash (compression amount), Chime,
Attack and Release. The Chime function
Like all of Orange’s pedal designs, the controls an active treble boost or cut for
Kongpressor is a wonderful looking stomp shaping your tone whilst the attack and
box that doesn’t take itself too seriously from release allow you to shape the transients
a visual point of view. The fantastic London and tail of your notes. Optical compressors
backdrop in blue, yellow and orange, with have a naturally longer release time that is

STAR RATING PROS Fantastic sounding compression and feel » Ad


allows accurate tone shaping » Attack and Rel

EACH CONS Won’t suit those looking for the ultimate in tran

112 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ORANGE KONGPRESSOR PEDAL

dds depth and warmth to any tone » Nice transparent boost from the Volume control » Chime
lease controls for transient and feel shaping » Bomb-proof build quality

nsparency »

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 113
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

“The Kongpressor is a superb compressio

less transparent than an FET or VCA perception of warmth not found with
compressor, but the Kongpressor can give more transparent compression methods.
you a nice tight, transparent release at its The Kongpressor is no exception - at unity
lower settings if required. gain, with the compression set half way
and medium attack and release times, the
The wonderful thing about optical pedal imparts a lovely extra dimension to
compression is the way in which it does your sound that fills it out in a thoroughly
change your tone - adding a depth and pleasing manner and makes playing

Orange Kongpressor Pedal

114 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ORANGE KONGPRESSOR PEDAL

on tool that really has a voice all of its own.”

both easier and more satisfying without The attack and release controls are also
being over the top in squashing your very effective, slower attack times giving
sound. Rolling the compression off and more punch to the note and more pick
boosting the volume control can net you attack whilst slower release times give more
up to +12dB of volume boost that is very sustain and a warmer sound. Dial in a faster
transparent with the compression out of attack time to give a more compressed and
the picture. Dialling the compression back consistent attack and faster release times for
in adds warmth and richness to both clean a more natural note decay and transparency.
and overdrive sounds without ever losing A lot of compression pedals don’t include
low end or totally killing your dynamics. a release time dial, so it’s nice to see one
Orange describes the Kongpressor as a included on the Kongpressor.
‘leave on all the time’ pedal and it’s easy
to see why. No matter where you set the Orange has bucked the pedal market trend
controls, your sound gets bigger and more for ‘True Bypass’ operation here, instead
fun to play. opting for a highly transparent, ultra-linear
buffered bypass circuit instead. The benefit
The Chime control is very musical, is that you can run long cable lengths
allowing for significant boosting or cutting and complex pedal boards with tons of
of your high-end frequencies. This could be patch cables without any loss in your high
a very useful tool for brightening up dark frequency range or upper harmonics.
humbuckers or taming spiky single coils,
but is also useful for taking the edge of the The Kongpressor is a superb compression
drive channel of your amp or adding some tool that really has a voice all of its
detail and pick attack to smooth lead tones. own. The unique optical circuit design
There was no perceptible noise increase offers benefits not found in most other
whilst boosting with this control - the compression pedals. If you are looking
Kongpressor is a very quiet compressor in for the ultimate in super transparent
terms of signal to noise performance. compression then the Kongpressor is
probably not for you. But, if you are

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 115
REVIEWS_PEDAL REVIEW

looking for a pedal that you can switch on and instantly improve whatever tone you
had already, whilst providing great sounding and feeling compression at the same
time, then you must check this pedal out. Fantastic stuff from Orange once again
and great value for money. END >

Check THE SPEC

Orange Kongpressor Power: 9v Battery Operation Or


9v-12v Dc Adapter. Max Current Drawn
MSRP £ 119 US $209 35ma.
Made in: Unknown Size: (W X H X D): 9.5 × 6.5 × 13CM (3.74 ×
2.56 × 5.12”)
Case: metal
Weight: 495G (1.1LB)
Features: 12db Clean Boost, Internal Charge
Pump, Transparent Buffered Bypass

Controls: Volume (OUTPUT Level) | Squash


(COMPRESSION Level) | Release | Attack |
Chime (HIGH-END)

116 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE REVIEWS ORANGE KONGPRESSOR PEDAL

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LIVE
SOUND
ALL YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR S

118 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


E
D!
SOUND ON STAGE

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 119
LIVE SOUND_PA REVIEW

Fishman SA Performance A
Fishman doesn’t just make a huge variety of pickup systems for acoustic (
track record for making acoustic instrument amplifiers. But its new SA Per
Bob Thomas investigates.

‘B
ack in 2008, Fishman released match acoustic instrument and vocal horizontally
the SoloAmp – rebranded amplification system featuring the soundfield t
in 2009 as the SA220 Solo uprated and more powerful SA330x, a of fulfilling
Performance System – which was 4-channel mix expander (the SA Expand) amplificatio
the US company’s entry into the portable and an active subwoofer (the SA Sub). medium size
active line array market category. Depending on your band’s line-up, you
Being not only acoustic instrument can start with a SA330x, add a SA Sub to The front pa
amplification specialists, but also one of give you more bass output and then add 2-channel m
the more innovative companies around, the SA Expand if you need more inputs. the SA330x
Fishman equipped the SA220 with an jack combin
on-board 2-channel mixer and gave it The SA330x, with its thin, stand- gain, 3-band
a full-range frequency response. This mounted vertical configuration, will (with integr
combination produced a highly-portable be familiar to anyone who knows its reverb level
amplification system that was ideal for a predecessor. Delivering 330W RMS (-14dB at 15
solo singer-guitarist. bi-amplified (280W bass and 50W channel. Ph
treble) through its uniquely-configured inputs is swi
Fast forward nine years to 2017, ‘Modified Line Array’ setup of six reverb prese
where Fishman has updated the SA patented 4” dual-gap, neodymium levels of the
220 to the SA Performance Audio woofers and a single 1” soft-dome the Aux In a
System, a portable, modular, mix-and- tweeter, the SA330x produces a the signals fr

PROS High quality construction » Sounds great » H


STAR RATING » Ideal addition to existing DMX-controlled lights

CONS If you can afford one - none at all

120 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


LIVE SOUND FISHMAN SA PERFORMANCE AUDIO SYSTEM

Audio System
(and recently electric) instruments - the US company also has a fine
rformance Audio System takes the whole idea one stage further.

y-focussed, wide dispersion


that is more than capable
the voice and acoustic
on requirements of small to
ed rooms.

anel of the onboard


mixer that sits at the base of
column features a XLR/
nation input connector plus
d EQ, low-cut, 12dB pad
ral clip LED), phase switch,
and anti-feedback notch filter
5-330Hz) controls for each
hantom power to both XLR
itched globally as are the four
ets. The gains balance the
individual channels, while
and Monitor In controls mix
rom their respective rear

Highly portable and easy to operate

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 121
LIVE SOUND_PA REVIEW

output side, there are three DI outputs


(Ch1, Ch2 and a pre-Master Volume
mix of these plus the Aux and Accessory
inputs), a Sub Out (crossed over at 100Hz)
and a Monitor Out.

The Monitor output is designed to be


connected to the Monitor input of a
second SA330X so that two performers
can hear each other in their respective
systems, but could also be used to feed an
active floor monitor loudspeaker in a solo
performance situation. The DI outputs
could be used either to feed a recording
system, or to connect to a house PA in
a larger venue, in which situation the
SA330x could be used as a stage monitor.

To finish off the onboard mixer, there’s


the TRS jack for a twin footswitch to
mute either both channels of the reverb
panel inputs with the mixer output. The and rotary control that can reduce the
overall level of this mix is set by the Master SA330x’s tweeter output by up to -6dB to
Volume and can be silenced by the Mute help improve the sound in overly bright
switch. environments.
Input-wise, the SA330x mixer’s rear panel If you’re in a duo or a trio and need more
carries the XLR Monitor input, ¼” and than the two input channels offered by
mini TRS Aux In jacks (useful either as the SA330x itself, you can add the SA
an additional input for, say, a keyboard or Expand via the Accessory Port protocol.
for replaying backing tracks and interval Featuring four channels each with XLR/jack
music etc.) and the Cat5-type connector for combination inputs gain, 12db pad, phase,
Fishman’s proprietary Accessory Port that three-band EQ that are essentially identical
provides power and audio input to products to those of the SA330x itself, plus globally-
following that port protocol – for example switchable phantom power and a TRS
the SA Expand 4-channel mixer. On the minijack Aux input, this extremely compact

122 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


LIVE SOUND FISHMAN SA PERFORMANCE AUDIO SYSTEM

Fishman SA Performance Audio System

mini-mixer allows you to add additional summed to mono to drive the sub, which
microphones, instruments, keyboards and means, for example, that two SA330x
electric guitar pre-amplifiers if required.units could share one sub. Although the
SA Sub can be crossed over at 80Hz,
Although the SA330x itself delivers a 100Hz and 125Hz, the 100Hz setting
71Hz – 20kHz full-range output, if is the one to use with the SA330x as its
you’ve got a keyboard or bass guitar in output is high-passed at 100Hz when its
your band you’re going to want a bit more Sub Out is in use. Completing the control
low-end in your sound, which is where complement are a volume control and
the 30Hz-125Hz output of the 300W switches for phase, ground lift, front LED
active SA Sub through its 8” custom on/off and LF Extension on/off, the latter
driver is going to come in handy. The removing the lowest frequencies to help
separate left and right inputs (with pass- compensate for a bass-heavy room when
through full-range outputs) are internally set to off.

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LIVE SOUND_PA REVIEW

that holds a SA330x, its tripod and that also


includes a padded case for a SA Expand.

In Use

Setting up the SA Performance Audio


System is simplicity itself and physically easy
as all the components are easy to handle
and are quite light. The SA330x on its
own reproduces recorded music very well,
although without the SA Sub in place, it
can sound a bit bass light on tracks with a
lot of low-frequency content. In its designed
role as a vocal and acoustic instrument
amplification system the SA330x performs
to a very high level and I’d have absolutely
no hesitation in gigging with it in any room
with an audience capacity of 100-150 – so
that’s folk clubs, restaurants, medium-sized
village halls etc. Using it on its own with
an electric piano, I found that I preferred
the sound when the SA Sub was connected
to it, and I also did like the extra depth in
my voice and instruments when that sub
was present in the system. The SA Expand
proved to be an exceedingly convenient
way of adding four extra channels and it
was impossible to discern any difference in
performance between its channels and the
SA330x’s onboard ones.

Conclusion
Various accessories are available in addition
to the twin footswitch mentioned earlier, There’s a lot to like about the Fishman SA
and include an accessory mounting kit that Performance Audio System – it is a high
enables you to pole mount the SA330x on quality system that sounds really great,
top of the SA Sub, a slip cover for the SA it’s extremely portable and is simple and
Sub and a deluxe, wheeled carrying case intuitive to operate. Although in comparison

124 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


LIVE SOUND FISHMAN SA PERFORMANCE AUDIO SYSTEM

to many of its competitors it isn’t exactly If you have the budget and you’re
cheap, it does offer a level of quality, looking for a vocal/acoustic instrument
performance and convenience that many amplification system for small to medium
potential users will find attractive. The sized venues, then the Fishman SA
fact that you can start out with a SA330x Performance Audio System deserves to be
and then upgrade, if necessary, by adding on your audition list – you could well find
a SA Expand and a SA Sub to build up that it is exactly what you’re looking for.
a fully-configured system may also suit END >

many users.

Check THE SPEC

Fishman SA Performance SPL: 113dB SPL @ 1 meter


Audio System DRIVER CONFIGURATION: Modified
MSRPs Line Array; Ultra-wide horizontal
dispersion and deeper sound
SA 330x (incl. soft carry bag and penetration
custom tripod stand) £1949 $1,549.95
DIMENSIONS: 41.4” H x 5.5” W x 6.7”
SA Expand £339 US $247.71 D (1052 mm) x (140 mm) x (170 mm)
SA Sub £1049 $849.95 WEIGHT: 27.5 lbs (12.47 kg) including
stand and padded carry sleeve
Made in: USA
SA330x: 19.8 lbs (8.98 kg)
Main Features
Stand: 6.7 lbs (3.04 kg)
POWER: 330 Watts, bi-amped
Carry Bag: 1 lb (.45 kg)
DRIVERS: Six 4” mid-woofers,
patented dual gap, high excursion More from:
design, neodymium https://www.fishman.com/
products/series/sa/sa330x/
magnets. One 1” neodymium soft dome
tweeter with Level control

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 125
LIVE SOUND_MIXING CONSOLE REVIEW

TOPP PRO T2208 Digital M

Topp Pro makes its GI debut with a fascinating and affordable digital mixe
analogue consoles from even the most modest venues.

‘T
opp Pro Music Gear is a relatively new via its individual Select buttons, at which po
name to the market whose full range of PA parameters, other than the signal present/cli
products is being distributed in Europe by that sits next to its hardware gain controls, a
Italy’s Proel. The company recently launched and programmed on the touchscreen via a se
the T2208, a compact 22-input, 8- aux, 1-main screens.
stereo output digital mixing console that features a
user interface that is accessed via a combination of 7” The individual screens for a channel can be
colour LCD touchscreen, a 100mm motorised fader either through on-screen soft switches or thr
and more hardware switches and controls than are hardware buttons that sit to the left of the sc
normally found on small digital mixers at its price the channel’s parameters are adjusted depend
point. selected screen but, in general, you usually h
option of working both on the touchscreen
The Box in hardware. The same holds true for all the
relating to the aux and main stereo outputs.
The T2208 carries 16 mic/line analogue inputs on control combination of hardware and touch
XLR/TRS jack combination connectors and two stereo is extremely well thought-out and makes the
line-level inputs on paired TRS jacks. Analogue insert extremely fast, accurate and easy to operate w
points are available on the first eight channels and compared to other small digital consoles tha
phantom power can be switched on an individual basis an entirely touchscreen-based control paradi
to each XLR mic input. A channel can be selected

PROS Good sound quality » Excellent user interface


STAR RATING
CONS WiFi remote control and multitrack audio inter

126 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


LIVE SOUND TOPP PRO T2208 DIGITAL MIXING CONSOLE

Mixing Console

er. Bob Thomas meets another mixer that threatens to topple

oint all its


ip LED
are adjusted
eries of

accessed
rough the
creen. How
ds on the
have the
and also
e screens
. This
hscreen
e T2208
when
at rely on
igm.

e » Very easy to use (but do read the manual)

rface are add-on options (though not expensive)

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 127
LIVE SOUND_MIXING CONSOLE REVIEW

The T2208 is also well equipped when it The T2208 comes as standard with an
comes to analogue outputs. In addition to Ethernet/USB module sitting in the separate
the TRS jacks for the eight aux outputs and module bay. This module allows for remote
the separate left and right XLRs and TRS control and firmware updating of the TT208
jacks of the main stereo out, the console also via either of the two protocols. Topp Pro also
carries a pair of TRS jacks for its control supply an excellent free iPad app that gives
room out and two stereo headphone outputs. you remote control of the T2208 over WiFi,
however that requires the purchase of the
On the digital side, a 2-channel USB I/O optional WiFi module 67, which you then
allows for stereo recording and replay and an install in place of the standard USB/Ethernet
option card expansion bay can take either the module.
T32 32x32 USB 2.0 audio interface (£155)
that allows you to record from the T2208 to Touchscreen
your DAW or – if you’re working in a top-
end pro-audio environment – a 32x32 Dante The T2208’s touchscreen is where all the
interface (£399). console’s parameters are displayed and is

TOPP PRO T2208 Digital Mixing Console

128 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


LIVE SOUND TOPP PRO T2208 DIGITAL MIXING CONSOLE

essentially where everything happens. get to grips with than most. Although it
With the exception of the overall view is a complex console, the T2208 is not a
of the overall mixer meter view (which complicated unit to operate – although I
shows the signal level, fader position and would advise a careful study of the manual
any compressor limiter activity for every (available from Topp Pro at http://bit.
input and output on a single screen) ly/2r9Na3D) as there are a few little
every screen has something that you can operational quirks to get to grips with - as
work on, be it for a channel, channel there are with every single digital console
assignment, gate, compressor, parametric that I have worked on.
EQ, graphic EQ, internal FX1 and FX2,
mixer routing, system/setup or the paged When it comes to the features and
large fader view. functions of its internal 32bit, floating
point DSP, the T2208 is extremely well
To make the necessary adjustment specified at its price point. Its channel
you can, depending on the selected EQ is 4-band fully parametric with both
screen, use the touchscreen itself and/ high and low pass filters. Each of the four
or (in hardware) the large Parameter bands can be configured individually to
Adjust continuous encoder, the 100mm be parametric, high-pass, low-pass or
motorised fader and the four smaller band-pass – a feature that I haven’t found
Parameter Controllers that are dedicated on many other consoles at any price
to EQ, gate, compressor, sends for FX 1 point. The 32-band graphic equaliser
and FX2, sends for Auxes 1-4 and sends is only available on the main and aux
for Auxes 5-8. Virtually every on-screen outputs – which is where you need it in
parameter that you will want to adjust can a live situation. The gate and compressor
be accessed by two button presses either have every control that you’d expect to
on the touchscreen or on the physical find, giving you complete control of your
console surface and this flexibility is what channel and output dynamics. The twin
makes the T2208 such a speedy console to FX engines each feature three reverbs, a
operate. mono delay, a stereo delay, a tremolo, a
flanger, a chorus, mono and stereo reverbs
In Use with room reverb, a stereo chorus with
As with any digital console, there is a reverb and a rotary speaker simulation
learning curve to negotiate when you first with reverb – a good practical selection,
come into contact with a T2208 however, each of which has a comprehensive set
perhaps down to the clear graphics of its of parameters to tweak to set up just the
touchscreen and the clarity of its front effect that you want.
panel layout, the T2208 seems easier to

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 129
LIVE SOUND_MIXING CONSOLE REVIEW

Once you’ve been through everything and Conclusion


got each input channel and output bus
exactly where you want them, you can save The Topp Pro T2208 is a very fine compact
their DSP settings as a full-console “scene”, digital mixing console that delivers an
and/or as individual channel and bus presets excellent array of features and facilities
for future use. You can also save any FX and at an extremely attractive price point for
graphic EQ settings as individual presets. what is on offer. The killer feature is its
ease of operation and the well-designed
With all that DSP flexibility at your user interface that allows you to access
fingertips, I think that it’s unlikely that all the parameter controls for its DSP
there’s much that you can’t do with the simultaneously via both touchscreen and
T2208, be it live sound or recording. hardware controls, making adjustment both
Personally, I’d have liked to have seen the simple and quick.
console arrive already loaded with a bunch of
good presets to give new users points to start The basic T2208 leaves out features (remote
from as, from my experience, these make it control over WiFi and multitrack recording)
much easier for non-expert engineers to get that have become standard in many of its
good sounds straight away. close competitors, but adding these options
isn’t overly expensive and a little negotiation
In the end, no matter how good the user with your friendly local Pro-Audio dealer
interface, the DSP facilities etc., it all comes might well reduce the additional cost
down to sound quality and the T2208 significantly.
certainly doesn’t disappoint in this area.
The T2208 is a good example of the high So there it is – the Topp Pro T2208 – a great
performance level being delivered by the little mixer that offers a lot for both live and
present generation of cost-effective compact (with the T32 multitrack audio interface
digital consoles, and I’d be more than happy option) recording markets. But don’t just
to take this rather fine little mixer out on the take my word for it – get down to your local
road with me. pro-audio dealer and take a listen! END >

130 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


LIVE SOUND TOPP PRO T2208 DIGITAL MIXING CONSOLE

“So there it is – the Topp Pro T2208 – a


great little mixer...”

Check THE SPEC

TOPP PRO T2208 Digital 22 inputs 16 XLRs/4 line, 2 USB


Mixing Console 12 Outputs/Buses
MSRP (not available in the USA)
2HD FX processors
T2208 - £899
32 DSP channels/gate/PEQ/Comp
WiFi Module - £67
6 DCA Groups
T32 32x32 USB 2.0 Audio Interface -
Physical and software metering
£155
iPad remote control
Dante 32x32 Interface - £399

Made in: China

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 131
MAKIN
TRACK RECORDING FOR THE R

132 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


NG
KS
REAL WORLD

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MAKING TRACKS_MAIN FEATURE

Q&A HOW LOUD SHOULD I RECORD

134 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS Q&A HOW LOUD SHOULD I RECORD?

D? Andi Picker takes questions from the floor....

‘T
here’s a lot about producing Level) involved, listen to the sound in the
recorded music that isn’t very room, and carry-on (oh, do watch out for the
obvious, especially for someone neighbours though!).
who’s still working through the
basics. Some questions crop-up over and over For the analogue part of the signal chain,
again, and the basic fallback answers of “try we can read the spec sheet for recommended
it and see (and hear) what it does”, and “if it levels, but in reality we’ll just watch the
sounds good then it IS good” can sometimes meters and overload lights; it’s generally OK
be seriously unhelpful; so I thought I’d to abuse these levels a bit to get character
lend Making Tracks to a Q&A format for a out of a device; just keep an ear on creeping
while to see if we can set some of the more noise and distortion levels and you won’t go
common puzzles to rest. far wrong.

One incredibly common question is about Where it really can go wrong is when we
how loud to record; and as this is pretty move from the analogue to the digital world.
much at the beginning of the process, it’s a Our electrical signal is now going to be
great place to start. “How Loud?” can be a sampled and converted into digital data by
pretty big question, so I’ll break it down into an ADC (Analogue to Digital Converter).
a couple of parts: analogue and digital. The number of times a second we sample is
called the “sample rate” (this is the 44.1, 48,
First off, how loud should the actual source 96, 192 kHz part of the spec), and each time
that we’re recording be? Basically, as loud as we sample we create a “word” which is made-
it needs to be to sound good: so let the guitar up of a number of BITS (BInary digiTS)
player turn up that amp until it explodes, let which is the 16, 24 bits part of the spec.
the drummer split the skins and break the Each bit can have a value of 1 or 0, and if all
sticks, and let the singer work those big notes of the bits in the word are equal to 0, then it’s
until he faints. If you need to record very mighty quiet, if they’re all 1, then it’s as loud
quiet (or distant) sources, be aware that every as it’s going to get.
dB of gain we later add to the signal also
raises the background noise that surrounds Now back in the analogue days, tape
it, so healthy levels and/or low background machines would be calibrated around
noise will give cleaner recordings so long as average levels of 0 dBVU, which basically
we don’t overload the signal chain. Use mics gives us around 20 dB of recording
that will cope with the SPL (Sound Pressure headroom above 0. Tape is a nice sounding

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 135
MAKING TRACKS_MAIN FEATURE

but quite noisy medium, so it no way of knowing if that is its


became a “thing” to use-up some correct level, or if it was actually
of that headroom and push your meant to be higher than that.
recording “into the red” to get a If we get a number of 0dBFS
better signal to noise ratio, as well peaks, then we have no idea how
as desirable machine and tape they are supposed to relate to
saturation. each other or to the rest of the
samples, and they can create an
Our digital system is calibrated audible and rather unpleasant
around a peak level of 0 dBFS effect known as digital clipping.
(deci-Bells relative to Full Scale) Unfortunately, old habits do die
which is produced by a word full hard, and for many years the
of 1s. Thinking about that for a myth has stayed with us that
moment, 0dBFS is the loudest we need to record close to the
thing that our digital system “0” level which puts us at risk of
can know about, and if we hit overloading the converters.
the front end of our converter
with a signal that’s bigger than As with many things, the answer
expected, then we’re simply losing is stunningly simple: don’t ever
all the level data above that point. hit 0 dBFS and you’re fine. If
If even one peak of our signal your meter allows for things
converts to 0dBFS then we have called Inter-Sample-Peaks then

136 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS Q&A HOW LOUD SHOULD I RECORD?

just pull down the level hitting the converter until the highest peak you ever see is at least -0.1
dB below FS and you’re safe; if it doesn’t then allow an additional 1 or 2 dB safety margin.

That said, the only reason to not leave lots of headroom in a digital recording is to keep the
quiet parts above the noise floor of the digital system, and seeing as every part of the analogue
world, including the performer, the air con, the mic, the pre-amp, even the cable, is creating
noise at some level, that digital noise floor is most likely to be buried anyway. A good modern
audio interface recording in 24 bit mode can have a dynamic range of over 100 dB, so make
life a bit easier; allow a real-world 6 to 10 dBFS above your loudest peaks and don’t worry if you
need to record with -20dBFS or lower average levels on the louder passages; you won’t run out
of headroom, you won’t hear the noise from your converters and you will probably find that
everything sounds better because the analogue circuits around the converter chips in your
audio interface are operating in their optimum zone.

Q&A How Loud Should I record?

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MAKING TRACKS_MAIN FEATURE

138 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS Q&A HOW LOUD SHOULD I RECORD?

The single biggest improvement ever in my recorded sound - far, far more than any piece
of hardware or plugin I’ve ever bought - was after I read about optimising levels into my
converters. I grabbed a software VU meter for the sake of a bit of old time vibe, calibrated it
for 0dBVU to be the same as -20dBFS, set my levels and then never looked at it again because
everything just worked. END >

Any questions, things you’d like to see covered in Making Tracks? Drop me a line at

You can talk to me to me at ..and you can find more stuff about
recording and music at
http://facebook.com/AndiPickerMusic
http://www.TheDustbowlAudio.com
or
http://www.TheMortalGuitarist.com
http://twitter.com/DustbowlAudio
https://www.youtube.com/user/andip5150

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 139
MAKING TRACKS_MICROPHONE REVIEW

Lewitt LCT440 Pure Lew


take
condenser microphone trodu

‘A
few issues ago (GI45) I reviewed the Lewitt LCT640TS Large Diaphragm
Condenser microphone and was very impressed by the whole package: I called it a
‘clever’ mic because of its multiple switching options and very effective ability to
change polar patterns after recording, and to record in stereo with a single mic.

Neumann KH120A Nearfield Monitors

STAR RATING PROS Refined sound » Good off axis response » We

EACH CONS None for this mic at this price

140 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS LEWITT LCT440 PURE CONDENSER MICROPHONE

witt might be a fairly new name in the mic business but this young Austrian company has
en the market by storm with a range of super quality mics. Andi Picker tries its latest in-
duction - a budget priced workhorse.

Somewhere along the way I


commented on the sound of
that mic, finding it to have a
weighty but bright modern
voice that has presence but
avoids getting spitty or
scratchy.

I actually used the


LCT640TS right up until
the courier rang the bell to
collect it for return, and
was sorry to see it go, not so
much because of the ‘clever’
features, but because it has
a sound that seems to work
well on most things, and a
shock-mount and pop-shield
that are dead easy to set up
under pressure. The 640 is
a great mic, but in fairness
it’s probably a bit out of the
price band for most folks
who are running home
or project studios on real-
world budgets. Wouldn’t

ell engineered shock-mount and pop shield » Great Price

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 141
MAKING TRACKS_MICROPHONE REVIEW

it be great if we could get that Lewitt sound and rising again to +4.9dB at 12,800 Hz
and convenience in a simpler and cheaper (I’m not showing off, the diagram on the
package? website shows numbers when you put your
mouse cursor on it). This looks about right:
See what I did there? Say hello to the Lewitt it isn’t quite the same as the 640 trace, but it’s
LCT440 Pure Large Diaphragm Condenser very close, other than having a more gentle
microphone. low end fade (and no low cut) and it most
The LCT440 Pure is a 1” capsule, cardioid- certainly has the family sound to it. The top
only true condenser microphone. It needs end is bright enough to sparkle, and the off-
phantom power, has no switches, has axis response is smooth enough that turning
freaky-low self noise, and will put up with the mic a few degrees gives a more ‘vintage’
140dBSPL for 0.5% THD. The published sound without having to resort to EQ. The
frequency response shows a gentle low-end great thing about mics like this is that when
roll off from around 60Hz, then a mostly flat the pressure’s on and the clock is ticking (and
response up to 1.2KHz, climbing to +3.4dB the clichés are stacking-up), you can stick one
at 4kHz, back down to +2.5dB at 6.5 kHz on a stand and be ready to go without getting

142 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS LEWITT LCT440 PURE CONDENSER MICROPHONE

option-anxiety; it might not always be the best possible mic for the
job, but it will give you a recording that you can use, and in front
of a musician who just wants to get-on with making music that’s
sometimes more important.

Lewitt has a series of microphones that seem to be incrementally


less clever/less expensive versions of the LCT640TS, but the
LCT440 Pure costs significantly less. The mic ships in a cardboard
box rather than the super-smart flight-case of the top end mics, but
you still get the excellent Lewitt shock-mount and magnetic pop-
shield, the useful soft travel case, and a foam windshield (and let’s
face it, cardboard boxes sit a lot easier on busy shelves). I do wish
I still had the 640 around for comparison, because I’m convinced
that the 440 sounds very similar: it seems to have the same quality
of combined weight and openness that I liked about the 640, and
similarly, it also seems to work well on most sources.

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 143
MAKING TRACKS_MICROPHONE REVIEW

I’m honestly not sure what’s got into microphone manufacturers in the past few years. There
seem to be a lot more well-made, attractive, great sounding, cost effective original designs than
there were half a decade ago, and Lewitt has delivered another mic with all of those features
and its own family sound as well. The LCT440 Pure is a workhorse mic with a look and feel
and, most importantly, a sound that defies its price. Someone at Lewitt deserves a balloon for
this one! END >

Check THE SPEC

Lewitt LCT440 Pure Equivalent noise level 7 dB (A)


Microphone
MSRP £279 US $269 (street)
Supply voltage 48 V +/- 4 V
Made in: Unknown
Max. SPL for 0.5 % THD 140 dBSPL
Type: Pressure gradient transducer,
Current consumption 2.63 mA
externally polarized
Internal impedance 110 Ω
Diaphragm 3 micron gold sputtered
Mylar Rated load impedance 1,000 Ω
Transducer Ø 25.4 mm, 1 in Connector Gold plated 3-pin XLR
Polar pattern Cardioid Mic enclosure Zinc die cast
Sensitivity 27.4 mV / Pa (-31.2 dBV) Microphone dimensions 138 x 52 x 36
mm, 5.43 x 2.04 x 1.42 in
Signal / noise ratio 87 dB (A)
Microphone net weight 310 g / 10.9 oz
Dynamic range 133 dB (A)

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

144 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS LEWITT LCT440 PURE CONDENSER MICROPHONE

Rode

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 145
MAKING TRACKS_SAMPLE REVIEW

Celestion Speaker In his

Impulse Responses world

‘I
’m a big fan of speaker impulse responses. Used either with a live amp and a load box (see
GI Issue 42 for a Making Tracks feature about this) or with an amp simulator, a good
impulse is a quick and convenient way to really bring a guitar sound to life.

Celestion Speaker Impulse Responses

STAR RATING PROS They sound great » Well chosen options give v
constantly being added

CONS You have to find an Impulse Loader » Could g


EACH collections are discounted!)

146 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MAKING TRACKS CELESTION SPEAKER IMPULSE RESPONSES

s never-ending quest for the perfect recorded guitar sound, Andi Picker delves into the
d of impulse responses with the expanding collection from loudspeaker kings Celestion.

In case anyone needs a quick catch-up: an


impulse response is a burst of sound played
through a speaker and recorded. When the
impulse is loaded into a piece of software called
an Impulse Loader (!) the effect of all of the
processing that has been applied to it can be
used on other sources. By using clean, high
headroom amplifiers to feed the original cab,
this can represent the sound of the speakers,
cab, microphone, pre-amp, and the room that
the recording was made in.

At the time of writing the Celestion impulse


collections include the G12M Greenback,
G12H Anniversary, G12M Creamback,
G12H Creamback, V30, G12 65, Blue, G12H
Redback, and Neo Creamback models (the
last two have been added since I started
the review), each with five cab types (1x12
closed & open back, 2x12 closed & open
back, and 4x12 closed back) each recorded
with three mics (SM57, MD421, R-121) in
six positions, plus TLM107 room mics, plus
various mixed combinations, with 200 and
500 ms impulses at 44.1, 48, 88.2 and 96kHz
sample rates, all provided as .wav files to use

variety without drowning the user in hundreds of very similar sounding files » New models

get a bit expensive if you wanted to collect every model (but a lot cheaper than real cabs and

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 147
MAKING TRACKS CELESTION SPEAKER IMPULSE RESPONSES

on a couple of projects that I’m working on useful if Celestion provided an impulse loader
because the sonic signature of the Celestions to complete the package: certainly there are
seems to sit in the specific tracks better (to my a number of options available (including
taste at the moment). some very good freeware) and some amp-sims
allow third party impulses to be loaded into
All impulses are available for purchase as them directly, but not all loaders are created
individual cabs, or as collections with a hefty equal, and it might be nice for a new user to
discount, though it still adds up a little if you be able to use their libraries “straight out of
want to have everything. Celestion’s digital the box” without having to research and hunt
products website has up to date details of around for another component to do them
available options justice (and I suspect that a top-quality loader
https://www.celestionplus.com/ with a well designed file organiser could put
speakers/ the Celestion brand onto a lot of computer
screens).
with sound samples, and there is a free
impulse available to download and try. Just All the same, these are excellent impulses
by way of a suggestion, I do think it would be that sound just like very well engineered
recordings of the real thing. END >

Check THE SPEC

Celestion Speaker Impulse Anniversary, G12H-75 Creamback, G12-


65, Blue, Vintage30, G12H-150 Redback,
Responses
Neo Creamback
Price: See website https://www.
celestionplus.com/speakers/ Cabinet Types 1x12 open back,
1x12 closed back, 2x12 open back, 2x12
Format Non proprietary .wav files closed back, 4x12 closed back
at 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz
Microphone Types Shure SM57,
Speaker Types G12M Greenback, Sennheiser MD-421, Royer R-121,
G12M-65 Creamback, G12H Neumann TLM 107 room

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 149
THE
QUIE
ROOM
WHEN ONLY ACOUSTIC WI

150 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


E
ET
M
LL DO

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 151
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

Lowden O-23 acoustic guitar


George Lowden’s guitars are some of the most highly regarded in the world. Tom Quay

‘G
eorge Lowden has, for many years now, produced some of the best acoustic
guitars in the business. His ‘Original’ series were the first guitars produced under
his own design from 1976 onwards, featuring a large distinctive body shape and
an equally large and distinctive tone.

The O-23 is a variation on the first O-22 model, featuring a stunning walnut back and sides
with a beautiful red cedar top, 5-piece mahogany and maple neck matched with a pitch black

Lowden O-23 acoustic guitar

STAR RATING PROS Incredible build quality » Beautiful, handsome


response » Superb playability and set-up » Included delu

CONS It’s still a lot of money for most players

152 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM LOWDEN O-23 ACOUSTIC GUITAR

yle tries really hard not to get out his credit card....
ebony fretboard. The O-22 was constructed with more
traditional materials - a mahogany back and sides, so the
O-23 variant is much more striking from a visual perspective,
thanks to its significantly more figured walnut build. In typical
Lowden fashion, the guitar includes some stunningly executed,
yet subtle, appointments such as flamed maple binding, rosewood
headfacings and a rosewood and maple rosette and purfling. Each
of these elements adds to the classic good looks and feel of earthy
sophistication that exudes from Lowden guitars – the O-23 being
a particularly handsome example.

Nothing is over the top here, you’ll find no abalone inlays


or mother of pearl accoutrements. Even the gold
coloured Gotoh SG381 tuners are finished with
dark ebony buttons to ensure that nothing gets
too ‘bling’ or distracts from the core design.

Lowden build quality is truly off the charts


here, giving a real sense of expert workmanship
and knowledge. It’s a bit of a cliché, but you
can really feel that someone has poured hours of
work into this guitar and loves the process and
craft of it all. Everything is just so precisely
put together, without ever feeling cold or
clinical, and to be able to reap the benefits
of this work as a musician is a real treat
to behold. The five-piece neck is unusual
for acoustic guitars, more common in the
electric guitar and bass world, but it adds

e and understated looks » Unbelievable tone and


uxe hardcase » A good price for this level of guitar

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 153
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

“The real treat begins when you start to


experience the tone on offer...”

huge levels of strength and rigidity to the tone on offer. A simple strum of the open
neck, making it far less prone to warping or strings reveals a level of richness from the
the effects of climate changes. O-23 that many other guitars can only
dream of. The sound has bags of authority
Whilst the O-23 is undoubtedly a big guitar, or subtlety depending on how you play with
especially at its back end, it never feels like a an incredible frequency range and sustain
handful or unwieldy. The satin finish used on that just makes you feel great about every
the body and neck feels remarkably smooth note you play. If the guitar was hard to play
under the hands, protecting your investment you could be pulled away from this tonal
without ever sacrificing the playability of the experience, but the O-23 is such a pleasure
guitar. The factory set-up is also superb, with in the hands that you can just enjoy the
a low to medium action that makes playing incredible sound it produces, helping to
fast or slow a breeze, thanks to the neck bring forth your best musicality and playing.
profile that will feel extremely comfortable A lot of superfluous terms get floated around
and familiar, even to electric players. when describing guitar tone, but it’s safe
As with all Lowdens however, the real treat to say that this guitar just sounds exactly
begins when you start to experience the the way you want a larger body acoustic
to sound in an ideal world. Warm and

154 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM LOWDEN O-23 ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Cort

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THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

satisfyingly rich with detailed highs and crisp countless hours of experience in getting the
attack, it just embodies everything you think very best tone and quality out of the humble
of when imagining great acoustic guitar tone. guitar. Of course, you get a lovely deluxe
hardcase to store your prized possession
As far as Lowdens go, the O-23 is a relatively and can custom order all manner of options
affordable guitar – relative to other acoustics such as pickups, cutaways, fanned frets and
of this level on the market of course, different neck profiles. If you have the cash,
since the O-23 is still a very expensive the Lowden O-23 is as good as it gets and
proposition for any guitar player. It has to we are all very jealous indeed! For the rest
be considered worth every penny though, of us, George Lowden once again gives us
since the workmanship, tone and playability something to aspire to. END >
are simply as good as it gets, representing

156 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM LOWDEN O-23 ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Check THE SPEC

Lowden O-23 Fretboard: Ebony


MSRP £3,065 USA $4,480 Nut width: 45mm
Made in: Handmade in Northern Bindings: Maple
Ireland
Neck: 5 piece Mahogany and
Back/Sides: Walnut Rosewood
Top: Red Cedar Tuners: Gotoh SG381
Scale: 650mm Headfacings: Rosewood

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 157
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

Crafter FC550EQ/MS Electro A


Sometimes what you want isn’t an acoustic guitar that will record perfectly in a studio
acoustic-electric for playing on stage. Tom Quayle tries Crafter’s FC550EQ to see if it fi

‘T
he FC550EQ/MS is an a subtle bowled contour for comfort and
affordable, Korean-made added tonal punch. The FC receives a highly
electro-acoustic from Crafter, figured ash top and a mahogany neck with
based on its popular but now a rosewood fretboard. The body and neck
discontinued FX550EQ model. Whereas the feature cream binding and you get a simple,
FX550EQ had a fibreglass back and sides yet attractive rosette for a bit of detail around
with a spruce top, the FC550EQ retains the sound hole. The neck features some
the shape and form factor of the FX, but is lovely offset dots that start at the top of the
constructed from real wood throughout, for fretboard, moving to the lower part after
a more natural acoustic tone. Both guitars the 12th fret. The entire body and neck are
are designed to be electric instruments first stained in an attractive deep blue/black burst
and foremost, but the FC550EQ/MS is a that is very well executed and leans the guitar
much more traditional guitar in terms of the very much toward the Pop/Rock aesthetic,
materials used in its construction. rather than the look of more reserved
Blues or Folk style acoustics. The result is
Just like the FX, the FC550 is a small a good-looking guitar that won’t appeal to
bodied, almost thin-line acoustic guitar traditionalists but isn’t too over the top to
with a bowled back and a brightly coloured scare away the average buyer.
stained finish that is very much in the
electro-acoustic vein, rather than a more To bolster its electro-acoustic credentials,
sedate looking traditional acoustic guitar. Crafter have included a very nice LR Baggs
The plastic back and sides have been replaced Element pickup and their own LR-T FX
with mahogany, with the back displaying pre-amp system, comprising a three band

“The FC550 should appeal greatly to peopl


bodied acoustic, with a preference for comf
STAR RATING PROS Well built, good looking electro acoustic » Exce
Versatile tone shaping from the pre-amp » Gre
money with the included gig bag » Superb val
CONS Not the greatest acoustic tone

158 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM CRAFTER FC550EQ/MS ELECTRO ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Acoustic Guitar
o using a mega-bucks condenser mic. What you want is an
its the bill.

EQ, Presence and Phase controls, plus a high contrast LCD tuner and
Volume control, mounted on the upper bout of the body as normal.
The hardware feels great throughout, with high quality die-cast
tuners and a well-cut nut and bridge/saddle, neither of which give
the impression of corner cutting or cheapness. Build quality, fretwork
and finishing are excellent throughout, especially when you consider
that this very affordable price includes a perfectly usable, padded gig
bag too.

The FC550 should appeal greatly to people looking for a smaller


bodied acoustic, with a preference for comfort over acoustic tone.
The Orchestra Cutaway body shape is exceptionally comfortable
given its thinner profile and the neck is very friendly to those
with smaller hands. Playability is excellent throughout the
guitar’s range, with a low action, not compromised by
any buzzes or dead spots at all. Tuning stability is also
good, with easy, accurate tuning thanks to the onboard
LCD display that is easy to read in both bright and dark
lighting.

Tonally, the only slight disappointment of the


FC550EQ/MS is the acoustic performance. The
guitar has an inherently almost metallic sound to it,

le looking for a smaller


fort over acoustic tone...”
cellent LR Baggs pickup and pre-amp tone »
eat playability and comfort » Good value for
lue

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 159
v

THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

“The Crafter FC550EQ/MS is an average


acoustic, but a superb electro-acoustic
guitar...”
rather than a rich acoustic tone. The small body shape prevents it from being an authoritative
performer with a lot of volume and projection but, since this guitar is obviously designed
primarily as a ‘plugged-in’ guitar, these considerations are far from a deal breaker. You could
describe the unplugged acoustic performance as adequate, but the electric sound is very good
indeed, thanks to the superb LR Baggs Element pickup and decent pre-amp system.

Crafter FC550EQ/MS Electro Acoustic Guitar

160 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM FURCH MILLENNIUM SERIES 21-SW

Cort

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 161
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

The somewhat metallic acoustic sound control is very subtle but allows you to cut a
transforms into a rich electric tone that is little more in a mix, whilst the phase button
much more natural and acoustic in nature is as effective as any other at combatting
than you might expect, with no quack or feedback on stage.
brittleness at all.
The three band EQ is powerful and can take The Crafter FC550EQ/MS is an average
you from mid-scooped strumming tones acoustic, but a superb electro-acoustic guitar.
to lovely, rich single note tones with ease. If you are looking for a highly affordable,
Dynamics are very well represented for a very well made guitar and only really need
musical playing experience that never gets in plugged-in tone with modern, colourful
the way of artistic expression. The presence looks, the FC550 would be a great choice.
Well worth checking out. END >

162 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM FURCH MILLENNIUM SERIES 21-SW

Check THE SPEC

Crafter FC550EQ/MS Number of frets: 20


MSRP £449.99 USA $ Unknown Inlay: Dot
Made in: South Korea M/Heads: Die Cast Chrome
Series: FC Finish: Gloss
Body Shape: Orchestra, Cutaway Strings: D’Addario EXP26 Coated
Phosphor Bronze (Custom Light ‘11-52’)
Table Top: Ashwood
Electronics: LR-T FX PreAmp with LR
Back & Sides: Maple
Baggs Element Pick-up
Neck: Mahogany
Colours: (MS) Marine Sunburst / (AM)
Fingerboard: Rosewood Amber

Scale Length: 25.5”

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 163
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

Seagull Coastline Momentum


Despite their accommodating prices, Seagull guitars and handmade in Canada by the
woods. The result? As Tom Quayle finds out, is a genuine bargain.

‘S
eagull is the budget friendly offshoot of Canadian company Godin Guitars.
Impressively for a budget minded line of guitars, all Seagull instruments are
handmade in Canada from start to finish, with the idea of producing the highest
quality guitars possible at an affordable price. One of the company’s latest designs
is the Coastline Momentum A/E HG – a large bodied Dreadnought style guitar based on
Seagull’s popular S6 model.

Seagull Coastline Momentum A/E HG acoustic

STAR RATING PROS Handmade guitar at factory made costs » Grea


» Sustainable wood source » Superb value for money with

CONS Headstock design may put some off » Very lar

164 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM SEAGULL COASTLINE MOMENTUM A/E HG ACOUSTIC

m A/E HG acoustic
better known Godin company, using local tone-

Like the Coastline S6, the Momentum is built using


a laminated wild cherry back, solid cedar top, silver
leaf maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. All the
guitars in the Coastline series are built for strength,
with pressure tested solid cedar or spruce tops to aid
tonal quality and longevity, and all the woods are
sourced with sustainability and the environment as
a primary concern, the company says. Unlike the
S6, the Coastline features a high gloss finish on the
back, sides and top, rather than a natural, polished
one. The gloss is very thin so that resonance and
sustain are unaffected, lending the guitar a classy
look that elevates it visually in relation to the S6 it
is inspired by. Thankfully, the neck has been left
with a satin finish for the sake of playability – a
move that will surely please a lot of players.

The guitar is fitted with a high quality and well cut


Graph Tech Tusq nut and saddle, Seagull’s own high
ratio tuners, plus a double-function truss rod for
neck stability and easy adjustments if required.
An interesting design aspect of all Seagull
guitars is their diminutive headstock shape,
something that can seem out of sync with
the large Dreadnought body of the Coastline
Momentum. It’s an attractive design however,
whose small size serves to centralise the string

at acoustic and amplified tones » Superb build quality


h a padded gigbag included

rge guitar that may intimidate some players physically

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 165
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

“The Coastline Momentum is a big


guitar that is both tall and wide enough
to intimidate smaller players...”
tension across the headstock and neck, line where sheer output volume is more
helping to prevent against gradual warping important than consistency. Seagull are very
of the wood. It does make the guitar look a proud of producing affordable handmade
little strange at first though. guitars in Canada and rightly so - these
guitars are a great achievement at this
Visually the guitar is a traditional, plain but price point with superb playability and
handsome looker, designed with no frills consistency.
that might bump up the price at the sacrifice
of tone or build quality. The focus is on The Coastline Momentum is a big guitar
great tone and playability, so abalone inlays that is both tall and wide enough to
and complex rosettes or binding are off the intimidate smaller players. That large frame
table at this price point. What you do get has tonal benefits of course, but it is one of
is beautifully executed though, with simple the biggest Dreadnoughts we’ve reviewed
dot inlays, an understated rosette and simple recently, so you may want to consider one of
binding around the body and headstock Seagull’s smaller guitars if you have shorter
adding just enough visual appointments to arms. Those tonal benefits come in the form
lift the guitar without trying to be showy. of a big bottom end and lots of projection
The wild cherry back and sides are beautiful from the guitar’s acoustic sound with plenty
with their dark red hues and the addition of detail in the high end and richness in
of a nicely shaped tortoise-shell effect pick general. The acoustic tone is translated
guard result in a perfectly pleasing acoustic very ably via an onboard Fishman Sonitone
all round. pickup system with simple Volume and Tone
controls. Whilst this is a relatively cheap
Build quality is impressive throughout, from pickup, it sounds superb with the Coastline
the internal bracing to the fretwork and Momentum, giving a perfectly rich amplified
factory set-up. You can certainly tell that sound that is very natural and dynamically
this guitar has been handmade, rather than responsive, allowing you to play musically
going through a high turnover production

166 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM SEAGULL COASTLINE MOMENTUM A/E HG ACOUSTIC

Admira

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 167
THE QUIETROOM_GUITAR REVIEW

168 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM SEAGULL COASTLINE MOMENTUM A/E HG ACOUSTIC

with very little fuss. The lack of more in- nice addition to the Seagull range thanks to
depth EQ control doesn’t matter too much, great tone that will improve with age, lovely
since the natural tone of the guitar is very amplified sounds and superb build quality.
good to start with and the Momentum The included padded gigbag makes the
sounds superb miked-up too. already great value even more enticing. Just
make sure that you are physically up to the
Seagull make impressive handmade guitars task of handling such a large guitar. Excellent
at a price that is incredible for an instrument stuff from this enterprising Canadian
not mass manufactured in a factory in the company! END >
Far East. The Coastline Momentum is a

Check THE SPEC


Seagull Coastline Momentum Neck & Fingerboard
A/E HG Neck:Silver Leaf Maple
MSRP £499 US $499 (street)
Neck Finish:Satin
Made in: Handmade in Canada
Fingerboard:Rosewood
Series Coastline
Fingerboard Radius:16”
Body Shape: Dreadnought
Fingerboard Inlay:White Dots
Back/ Side Wood: Wild Cherry
Nut:Graphtech Tusq
Top Material:Solid Cedar
Nut Width:1.8”
Bracing:Adirondack Spruce Bracing
Electronics & Hardware
Finish:High Gloss
Pickup/ Preamp:Fishman Sonitone
Bridge:Rosewood
Tuners:Seagull High Ratio
Saddle:Graphtech Tusq
Truss Rod:Double-Function
Scale Length:25.5”

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 169
THE QUIETROOM_GIORGIO SERCI

Giorgio Serci

CREATIVE
FINGERSTYLE
‘H
ello there and welcome to Guitar NB. Am/D = Am chord over D bass. Most
Interactive’s Quite Room. of the triads described above have been just
implied, as often they don’t include the 5th.
In this column, I would like
to share a short and relatively simple This piece provides an opportunity to
composition of mine called Spanish Sunset. improve interpretation skills and presenting
This piece was created utilising a D minor the melody in a singing-like manner
scale and its harmony in conjunction with a (cantabile), while complementing it with
D dorian mode, utilizing pedal notes to make countermelodies happening in various
the most of the open strings D and A. registers.

The harmonic content of this piece is very For example, inversions have been utilized
common and popular in most music styles to create melodic bass lines, which act as
and it is illustrated in the table below: countermelodies in the lower register. This is
evident throughout.
Am/D G/D Gm/D DmAm/D G/D
Gm/D Am/DAm/D G/D Gm/D The term inversion refers to the way a
DmDm A7 DmAm/D G/D Gm/D harmonic structure (a chord) is voiced or
DmAm/D G/D Gm/D Am/DAm/D organised.
G/D Gm/D DmDm A7 Dm
DAm/D Gm/D Gm/D DmDm Triads can be voiced in three different
A7 Dm DAm/D Gm/D Gm/D positions/inversions:
DmDm A7 Dm

170 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM GIORGIO SERCI CREATIVE FINGERSTYLE

TABLATURE DOWNLOADS
GUITAR PRO 6 PDF

DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 171
THE QUIETROOM_GIORGIO SERCI

Giorgio Serci - Creative Finderstyle

a): Root position: root is lowest note in the singing and playing it at the same time, in
chord order to be sure we are emphasising it as
needed.
b): 1st inversion: 3rd is the lowest note in the
chord – (b) As always, I would like to recommend
researching the above-mentioned techniques
c): 2nd inversion: 5th is the lowest note in the in order to be able to use these to compose
chord – (c) your own pieces. We have to allow ourselves
Seventh chords could also be voiced as a 3rd to make mistakes and reflect on the reasons
inversion (7th in the bass) For example D/C = why we like, or not a particular sound, a
D7 3rd inversion, described by (d) chord progression or modulation. Eventually,
these sounds will become part of your
One of the technical hurdles of this piece musical lexicon and we should be able to use
is the need to keep the melody at the fore these effectively and creatively.
of the arrangement. To do this, it may help

172 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM GIORGIO SERCI CREATIVE FINGERSTYLE

The picking-hand pattern is predominantly Bar 6: As bar 2


as follows:
Bar 7: Beat 1-2: While playing an open D
(Please note E=low E string, e= high E pedal as 8 notes, position the middle f on fret
string) 2 of G and index on fret 1 of e.
‘p’ plays the ‘ostinato’ pedal parts throughout. Beat 3-4: While playing an open A pedal as 8
notes, play an open G and e.
Play each part in a relaxed and clear manner,
making sure your thumb is a little forward Bar 8: Middle f on fret 2 of G and little f on
compared to the ‘i, m, a’ fingers, in order fret 3 of B with open D.
to prevent it from colliding with the ‘i’
finger. As always, focus on attack and tonal Repeat from bar 1 to bar 15:
consistency. The melody and the supporting Bar 16: Beat 1-2: Middle f on fret 2 of G and
harmonies will be played with the ‘i, m and little f on fret 3 of B with open D.
a’ fingers, so attack is needed to outline the
melody. Beat 3-4: Play a D major adding ring f on
fret 2 of e.
Next we are going to look at the left hand
part (chord shapes): Bar 17: While playing an open D pedal as 8
notes, position the ring and little f on fret 5
Bar 1: While playing an open D pedal as 8 of G and e, followed by index f on fret 3 of G
notes, position the ring and little f on fret 5 and e.
of G and e, followed by middle f on fret 4 of G
and index on fret 3 of e.

Bar 2: While playing an open D pedal as 8 Bar 18: While playing an open D pedal as 8
notes, position the ring and little f on fret 3 notes, position the ring and little f on fret 3
of G and e, followed by middle f on fret 2 of G of G and e, followed by middle f on fret 2 of G
and index on fret 1 of e. and index on fret 1 of e.
Bar 3: As bar 1 Bar 19: As bar 7

Bar 20: As bar 16


Bar 4: While playing an open D pedal as 8 Bar 21: as bar 17
notes, position the ring f on fret 7 of G and
middle f on fret 6 of e, followed by middle f Bar 22: As bar 18
on fret 2 of G and index on fret 1 of e.
Bar 23: As bar 7
Bar 5: As bar 1
Bar 24: As bar 8

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 173
THE QUIETROOM_GIORGIO SERCI

Congratulations, you have completed accurate and consistent manner, while saving
‘Spanish Sunset’! energy.

As always, you will be able to download a This will complete this creative fingerstyle
transcription by selecting the menu option in lesson.
this page.
I hope you will enjoy playing this tune and
I strongly recommend experimenting with a that this will give you some ideas on how
few picking variations, changing the chords to write your own solo guitar compositions
as you wish in terms of voicing (higher or and re-arrangements. If you would like to
lower), as well as trying the same picking listen to any more of my compositions,
pattern on a different chord progression, please check the previous issues of Guitar
or using a ‘capo’ on fret 2 for a brighter Interactive magazine as well as any of my
outcome. CDs, available from my website:

When repeating any section twice or more, www.giorgioserci.com


you may want to play ‘sul ponticello’, (closer
to the bridge) or ‘sul tasto’ (over the frets) for You can also find me on twitter @
more contrasting results. giorgioserci as well as on facebook.com/
giorgiosercimusic
Make sure you highlight the melody (singing
is a great strategy to play the melody in more Till the next time, Good-bye!
assertive and singing-like manner). Giorgio Serci END >

Focus on minimum-movement approach, as


this will help delivering the piece in a more

174 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE QUIET ROOM GIORGIO SERCI CREATIVE FINGERSTYLE

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 175
THE
BASSME THE

176 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


E
ENT
E PLACE FOR BASS

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 177
THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW

Mayones Jabba 5 Custom Bass


Polish maker Mayones has become one of the most respected purveyors of fine bass guita
Nevertheless, we let Dan Veall try one. Here’s his report.

‘W
e feature some of the very in GI 40 (although a more understated
best basses from the globe instrument in look), was a simply superb
over, both in ‘off the peg’ bass guitar, so I had extremely high hopes
and custom formats for your enjoyment for this one!
and I get a great deal of pleasure doing
these demos. As you would expect, there The Jabba we have in here is a custom
are brands that I know will deliver every order for UK retailer Bass Direct, which
time and one is the Polish manufacturer, kindly loaned us the instrument for
Mayones. review. It’s certainly a great demonstration
of just some of the options available when
Mayones has been making beautiful putting together your custom Mayones
and quality instruments since 1982; this order and if you either can’t wait for a
example offering a familiar outline update custom version, or don’t want to have to
and a wonderful stage on which to create think through all the many options, it’s
and enjoy. The Jabba is the Mayones’ take good news that the Jabba is also available
on the Leo Fender’s classic 1961 design as an ‘off-the-shelf ’ specification too.
yet brings elements of modern thinking,
encompassing both looks and playability. This particular Custom model is graced
with facings of buckeye burl both on the
I’ve hopefully shown in the video those body and headstock. No two tops will be
areas that demonstrate an attention exactly the same, so you could call this
to detail and as I’d mentioned in my one unique and it certainly is a handsome
introduction the BE 4 that I reviewed beast, as our pictures and video reveal.

STAR RATING PROS Faultless construction » Wide range of model


bracket

CONS None, unless you have a very tight budget

178 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT MAYONES JABBA 5 CUSTOM BASS

s
ars to the landed gentry in recent years.

Underneath the top is a swamp ash body, keeping the


weight down to an acceptable 4.7Kg or thereabouts.
Swamp ash is a great tone wood too, so expect a
richness from this instrument both acoustically and
plugged in.

Whilst we are talking of tone, the Jabba Custom has


superb Aguilar DCB pickups. I really like these. They
are a dual rail type pickup that has a great top end zing
to it and a punch in the low end that will please the
‘slappers’. Both soapbars feed into Mayones’ own pre-
amplifier, the MBP2, which is a great sounding unit
featuring a 3 band EQ and a passive tone control to
boot. The EQ can be switched in and out by way of
a toggle switch that sits out of the way of the playing
area. Bass and Treble controls are stacked, leaving the
mid boost/cut knob next to it. Again, crank the video
audio up to hear the bass in action!

The hardware is all top quality as expected. You get


Hipshot light weight open gear tuning keys and a
chunky yet smoothed edged bridge anchoring those
five strings. Matching chrome knobs top off the look.

ls and body shapes available » Value for money in this price

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 179
THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW

Mayones Jabba 5 Custom Bass

180 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT MAYONES JABBA 5 CUSTOM BASS

In terms of feel and playability, you can who like to plant their thumb or ‘broom-
expect it to be set up very well out of the handle’ the neck. The facings get the gloss
box. Ferd Wagner fretwork is expertly treatment making the woodwork ping in
installed with no signs of edges or unfinished the light. Topping off, you have Schaller
installation. They are of the jumbo size strap locks, a Switchcraft Jack and a Graph
variety and there are 24 of them, all the way Tec Nut, all of which lets you know that
up to the second octave on each string. no expense has been spared, even going as
far as an 18v power supply rail for the pre-
On this particular bass, we have a 17.5mm amplifier.
string spacing which is super comfortable.
I’m used to a spacing around this Whether fancy tops are your thing (it’s
measurement so found very few problems OK if not, Mayones will happily do a solid
with getting my fingers in between the colour spray job instead, I am sure) this
strings. The neck profile in conjunction manufacturer of fine instruments will no
with this string spacing does mean the bass doubt excite your wallet grabbing tendencies.
is very playable indeed. In fact I understand I’m yet to find fault with any Mayones
that this bass has a custom profile on the instrument I’ve ever played. This might seem
neck making it slimmer than standard quite an expensive bass but it’s not it terms
specification. It’s nice to know you can order of what you are getting for your money - fine
that if it’s your wish. The Jabba 5 Custom quality workmanship, the best hardware and
has a 34.25” scale length and retains a good electronics and a bass that plays and sounds
modern sounding low B string, just what you like a dream! END >
need.
Our grateful thanks for Bass Direct for
Round the back of the bass, you have a matte the loan of this instrument
finish on the neck, so no sticking for those www.bassdirect.co.uk

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 181
THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW

v
Check THE SPEC

Mayones Jabba 5 Custom Fingerboard - Maple, 20” radius Pickups & Electron
DCB pickups
Bass Scale - 870mm (34,25”)
MSRP £2,659 US $ Check with Active MBP2 2 ban
String spacing at bridge - 19mm
manufacturer
Control - 2 x Volum
Frets - 24 medium jumbo Ferd bass/treble, tone, a
Made in: Poland
Wagner switch
Body - Swamp ash
Markers & inlays - Black blocks Body finish - Gloss
Top - Buckeye Burl/Matching and binding + side-dots
Headstock Neck finish - Natur
Tuners - Hipshot Ultralights finish (T-NAT-M)
Construction - 6 Bolt - on
Bridge - Chrome bridge, 17.5mm Hardware colour -
Neck - Maple string spacing

182 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT MAYONES JABBA 5 CUSTOM BASS

nics - Aguilar Strings -SIT Nickel 40 - 125

Additional equipment - Graph


nd pre-amp Tech nut, Switchcraft jack,
Schaller Security Straplocks,
me, Stacked Hard
active/passive
Case

s Website:
www.bassdirect.co.uk and
ral wood / Matt www.mayones.com

Chrome

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 183
THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW

Cort GB74JJ Bass


Cort is pressing the industry’s ‘big names’ ever harder as it breaks free of its former reputati
Electrics, basses, acoustics - we’ve seen a steady procession of top class products at excelle
Dan Veall tried to find some flaws.

‘C
ort’s GB JJ basses are all new for 2017 and the company’s aim with this series
seems to be to offer traditionally styled instruments that, while they don’t
break a lot of design ground, get all the basics right at great prices. This is
obvious from the moment you pick up the GB74 JJ and spot the official, lightweight

Roscoe SKB 6 Custom Bass

STAR RATING PROS Very playable » Great quality hardware » Fin

CONS None at this price

184 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT CORT GB74JJ BASS

ion as the maker of instruments sold with other peoples’ names on the headstock.
ent prices in the past few years. But can the new GB74 JJ bass keep the Cort flag waving?

ne sound » Excellent price

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 185
THE BASSMENT_BASS REVIEW

Hipshot tuners - this is quality hardware. Then rod adjusted wheel! More of this please! No
there’s the big and chunky bridge, which is messing with removing pick guards, so easy to
reminiscent of Leo Quan’s ‘bass guitar beast’ access and tidy too! Full marks here too, Cort.
that has been used on countless mods. Cort
reports that its bridge is machined from solid All that said, a solid instrument is nothing if
steel and I have to say looks bold, if but a little you can’t hear it in a live setting, so turning
less curvy than other examples of high mass our attention to the electronics, we have a pair
bridges that we’ve seen. Again, at the price of Cort ‘Voiced Tone’ pickups. I am inclined
point, I can’t complain. For this sort of money to agree with all that Cort say on its website
you might have expected to find a cheap cast about these. Through our reference rig, I have
bridge and this is a cut above that, make no to say these Alnico ‘Jazz noiseless’ units offered
mistake! a chiming clarity and good note definition
with enough mids in the sound to give the bass
The fretwork on our sample was really tidy. its characteristic ‘Jazz’ sound. Interestingly,
In fact I’ve played basses considerably higher when I grabbed the electronics manual off of
in price that I felt were let down by the finish Cort’s website I was very interested to see that
on the edge of the fretboard and which were the EQ circuit on board is a Sandberg 2-band
inferior to this one’s. system according to the download. Either way,
I have to say that again through a Bergantino
Again, the Cort scores on its woodwork. On B|Amp, all I wanted was a smidge of low end
this example, under that rather lovely ‘Aqua boost from this circuit and I was graced with
Blue’ stained finish is a swamp ash body the Jazz bass tone I really like. Clear with just a
which is light and as can be expected, resonant nice dollop of low end thump!
acoustically.
Controls for master volume, pickup balance
I’ve never been totally sure about having a clear and treble and bass make for quick adjustment
pick guard on a guitar, but when you have a and I am glad to see one single master volume
grain like this, it seems a shame not to show it here rather than a pair.
off. You could of course argue that there’s no
point having a pick guard at all, but for me I think it’s pretty clear that I’m impressed with
personally, I prefer the benefits they bring. this bass. Is there anything I’d like to change?
Well not really, though colour choices are
Bolted on with a great ‘easy access’ joint is a limited, but certainly not boring. You can, if
Canadian hard rock maple neck with a maple you want more options, select the GB74JH
fretboard. Again, Cort has gone for some that features an MM style pickup in the
really nice touches - I mentioned the fretwork bridge instead of the usual Jazz configuration.
earlier on this 22 fret example (yes, that high Then, just to mix things up even more, Cort
E is important to me ha ha!) but also the truss delivers us another favour in the shape of a 5

186 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT CORT GB74JJ BASS

string version, the GB75JJ, so maybe you’d There’s no doubt that this new GB series
rather have one of those? It has a very similar means business. It has hardware a good class
specification to the model we are reviewing or two above what you’d expect for this sort
here, but of course on 5 strings and yes, of price and the sound is fabulous. As a
thankfully a 35” scale too and available in a hardworking bass for a player who wants that
wonderful honey hue to the ‘natural glossy’ traditional image, it’s hard to see how you
finish according to the Cort website, if the could go wrong here. If Cort keeps this up,
Aqua Blue isn’t your thing. some of the big boys are really going to have
to up their games. END >

Check THE SPEC

Cort GB74JJ Scale 34”


MSRP £529 US $ TBC Inlay Dot
Made in: Unknown Tuners Hipshot Ultralite Tuners
Construction Bolt-On Bridge Omega Bridge
Cutaway Double Cutaway Pickups Voiced Tone Vtb-St Pickups
Body Swamp Ash Electronics 2-Band Eq W/Passive-
Active Push-Pull
Nut Width 38mm
Hardware Chrome
Neck Canadian Hard-Maple
Special Clear Pickguard
Fretboard Maple (305mm Radius)

Frets 21 Frets

FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 187
THE BASSMENT_HEAD REVIEW

Orange Four Stroke 500


Orange is one of those relatively rare amp makers whose products have found favour with
UK company’s strike rate? Dan Veall revs up.

‘T
his newcomer from veteran builder seeing lots of controls. On the left hand
Orange offers a different take on side there’s a master volume control and
bass than the OB1s that we’ve next to that a ‘one knob’ compressor. The
looked at previously in the Bassment. The compressor onboard is a little different I
all-analogue Class AB ‘Four-Stroke’ (that would say than standard optical limiters
I understand is being used by Steve Harris that eat away at the bass attack on heavy
of Iron Maiden, looking at the Orange settings, offering a fattening effect by leaving
website), is essentially in the same shell as initial attack alone (to my ears anyway)
the OB-1, coming in a 9Kg rack mount yet increasing the level on the dial, Level is
type case with the same clear labelled icons brought up across the board of the decaying
which we recognise as an Orange feature, but signal. It’s hard to explain (we could tell - Ed),
what it delivers is quite different. It’s about but it feels a bit like parallel compression,
a return to a traditional all-analogue bass where I didn’t feel that I was getting as
sound. much squash in my bass tone, but in lighter
passages, quiet bass lines were louder and
In the video I have gone into detail about jumped from the speakers more. Orange
the front panel, so as a quick run through says that the compressor uses a carefully
here, we have only two main sections despite

“The Four Stroke is available in two


versions - 300 Watt and 500 Watt...”

STAR RATING PROS Built for the road » Clear sound » Useful comp

CONS None at all


EACH
188 Guitar Interactive Issue 50
THE BASSMENT ORANGE FOUR STROKE 500

h both guitarists and bass players. Can the new Four Stroke 500 bass head maintain the

developed side chain to control the action of white knobs is a typical four band EQ
of the compressor. I’m not sure what exactly with centres for low, low-mid, high-mid
has gone it to it, but it’s a handy ‘add more’ and treble frequencies. The bottom row of
effect rather than wringing out the dynamics white controls gives access to adjustment of
through rudimentary limiting of the signal. those equaliser band centres. It’s quite a wide
Finally, with regard to the input and volume adjustment too. In use, there’s plenty of gain
control, your bass tone is handled by a Class on each band and I could easily dial in a big
A input buffer stage keeping things clean, scooped rock or slap tone. A tweak of the
clear and dynamic. midrange and finger style bass is rounded
with a nice ‘burp’ to the sound, plenty
Moving on to the right hand side, you of volume on tap and the amp, with the
find a semi-parametric EQ. The top row compressor down, remained clean.

pressor » Great EQ section design » Good price

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 189
THE BASSMENT_HEAD REVIEW

Orange Four Stroke 500

Round the back, like the OB1 we are slouch. The cabinets I tend to use for gigging
greeted with a pair of Speakon connectors, purposes would happily accommodate the
the standard IEC mains input socket with output levels capable and I’d rather have
a voltage switch depending on where you too much available than risk running out of
are using the amp in the world. There’s also steam.
a DI output for connection to your PA or
recording devices. Keeping things cool, a fan In summing up, this amplifier isn’t
ejects unwanted heat. pretending to be a super light weight D
Class amplifier, in fact to me it seems like a
The Four Stroke is available in two versions ‘Cure For The Common Groove’ (if I may
- 300 Watt and 500 Watt. I have to say quote an old album lyric). You must have
personally, I’d go straight for the 500W seen those Internet discussions pondering
version - not that the 300W would be a the question ‘did you go back to non- D

190 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT ORANGE FOUR STROKE 500

Class amplifiers?’, well, I suspect that’s exactly what this amp is designed to satisfy and it does
so very well indeed. This amplifier will certainly find its home in many a rig and if you are
starting to feel those Class-D blues and are hankering for the full-fat analogue bass sound, you
have to give this newcomer a try! END >

Check THE SPEC

Orange Four Stroke 500 Bass Finish:


head 2u White Steel Chassis
MSRP: £729 US $1,449
Speaker Outputs:
Made in: Unknown
2 X Speakon (PARALLEL). 4 Ohm
Class AB Solid State Bass Amplifier Minimum Total Load.
Rack Mountable Head | Active 4-Band
Range Options:
Parametric Eq Section | Foot Switch-
Able Class A Compression | Balanced 4 Stroke 300 (300W @ 4 Ohms)
& Line Outputs | 2 X Parallel Speakon
Speaker Outputs 4 Stroke 500 (500W @ 4 Ohms)

Front Panel (RIGHT To Left): Unboxed Dimensions (W × H × D):

Input [-6DB Pad] | Treble (550- 5500hz) 48.2 × 10 × 26.5cm (18.97 × 3.93 × 10.43”)
| High Mid (250-2500HZ) | Low
Unboxed Weight:
Mid (80-800HZ) | Bass (40- 400hz)
| Compression Level | Volume | 4 Stroke 300: 9.45kg (20.83 Lb)
Footswitch Input | Power
4 Stroke 500: 10.05kg (22.16 Lb)
Rear Panel:

Speaker Outputs | Line Out & Balanced


Di Output (POST-EQ And Volume)
FIND THIS PRODUCT ON

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 191
THE BASSMENT_PEDAL REVIEW

Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger, Bass M


Bass tends to be a bit of a backwater for FX makers, so we thought it was time to catch-up w
Harmonix, whose bass range we’ve yet to explore. Dan Veall does the honours.

‘I
n a departure from our normal bass reviews, we found ourselves wandering around our
local music shop, DV247, looking at bass related music products whilst chatting to the
sales guy behind the desk, whom we shall call Luke (which he will be pleased about, as
that is indeed his name). Under Luke’s guidance and with the kind indulgence of DV247, we
walked out of the store with three EHX pedals on loan: the Bass Blogger, Bass Metaphors and
Bass Micro Synth.

In the three separate review videos we recorded, I share with you my thoughts and
demonstrate some of the cool sounds available from these devices given a reasonably short
amount of time to prepare our footage. Everything from the mildest warming of your bass
tone through gritty drives and in to the realms of making our instrument of choice sound like
an Organ... or in some cases, like a crazy out-of-space 1950’s film sound track! So much fun!

EHX Bass Blogger


Pros: Cons:
Well made, no cheap components Some may want more control over their
drive tones
Well known brand
No dry blend, but there is a parallel
Not expensive
output

EACH
192 Guitar Interactive Issue 50
THE BASSMENT ELECTRO-HARMONIX BASS BLOGGER, BASS METAPHORS AND BASS MICRO SYNTHESIZER

Metaphors and Bass Micro Synthesizer


with one of the manufacturers which doesn’t neglect the instrument - US veteran Electro-

satisfaction of your front of house engineer at


a venue!)

The volume knob of course provides level for


the overall fuzz effect, but when switching
over to distortion mode becomes inactive,
leaving you with just control over your drive
saturation and tone adjustment.

Trying to describe the tone of fuzz verses


distortion is a difficult one - it’s better
to check out the demonstration videos
of the Blogger in both modes - but I can
tell you that the overdrive in this pedal is
full and rounded with some nice mids in
there through our reference rig. Finding a
Essentially, this is a dead easy to use three sweet spot was easy and for me this was a
knob distortion pedal designed for bass fairly mild drive as maxing out became a
guitar, with a function switch for two bit spongy which isn’t uncommon in bass
modes of operation. The first is a classic orientated drive pedals. That is absolutely
fuzz tone that sounds like old school Funk not a negative point, by the way, just my
records. The drive knob sweeps from the personal drive tastes.
mild to a fairly nice slice of filth which can
Connections are simple and I really like the
be smoothed using the tone knob - (or
addition of a separate output for sending
maxing out, the top end will cut through
your original unaffected sound out to
pretty much any mix, probably not to the

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 193
THE BASSMENT_PEDAL REVIEW

Electro-Harmonix Bass Blogger

another amplifier or for later mixing back in with your signal sound should you also favour
running ‘dual signal paths’. Could be useful to include a dry blend too? Power for the Blogger
is care of a 9v battery or you should use a suitable mains adaptor plugged into the socket on
the top of the pedal.

EHX Micro Synth


Pros: Cons:
Endless tweak-ability without a manual Larger than a standard pedal

No battery power, only mains adaptor


PSU included

194 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT ELECTRO-HARMONIX BASS BLOGGER, BASS METAPHORS AND BASS MICRO SYNTHESIZER

Much like the Blogger, the Micro Synth is a mentioned above each level the amplitude
bass orientated pedal - and it’s quite a beast! of very separate effects. One for a -1 Octave
Four separate ‘voices’ that are manipulated type tone, the next marked ‘Guitar’ is your
via manual controllers which deliver all instrument sound with a certain amount
manner of bass tone goodness from the of ‘extra’ added and for a +1 Octave tone
sublime to the near ridiculous. The simple the following slider advanced brings in
to use sliders will have you losing hours just a ‘chiming’ additional unison voice an
trying things out without getting lost in a octave higher. The final white capped slider
manual. This has got to be a ‘player’s pedal’ unleashes mayhem, an angry drive that
and will reward you quickly with some very when mixed up with the other voices takes
fun sounds indeed! your bass from Bootsy groovin’ funk to F-15
Eagle taking off!
In summary of the layout, from left to right:
a trigger control chooses at what amplitude To be honest there’s enough already to
the pedal filters start affecting your bass keep you busy for an age, but EHX isn’t a
signal. Next, the four voice mix sliders company to do things by half and a whole

additional filter section has been


shoe-horned in to the fairly large
box. You’ll need a bit more pedal
real-estate to get this one on, but
remember it is doing the job of
several separates!

Demonstration is better than


description, so I will point you back
toward the video footage, but in
short, rounding up the front panel,
the resonance control affects the
intensity of the filter ‘peaks’. More
subtle effects when on a low setting
open up to a defined filter sweep up

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 195
THE BASSMENT_PEDAL REVIEW

Electro-Harmonix Bass Micro Synth

the north end of the scale. Start and Stop a player able to use ‘time based’ pedals and
sliders as you’ll also hear in the video set the set them so the effects drop in time with the
frequency at which a filter sweep travels. This accompaniment. I feel it brings additional
could be a narrow band for subtle wah- like dimension to what we can offer as keepers
sounds to wide ‘sub-drop’ sort of effects. of the low end, but also when we do get a
The rate slider sets the speed that the sweep chance to venture up the dusty end, to do it
travels from the Start point to End point. with a range of different voices. Ultimately,
Short ‘quack’ effects are easy to tease out of to get over what it is we are trying to ‘say’ as
the Micro Synth’, but I couldn’t resist finding a musician. Well worth exploring if you like
a sweep that I could play in time with, using weird and adventurous sounds and have the
the pedal to set my tempo and be part of time to get into its depths.
a rhythmic bass line. I really think this is
where the pedal can really shine - that is, for

196 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT ELECTRO-HARMONIX BASS BLOGGER, BASS METAPHORS AND BASS MICRO SYNTHESIZER

EHX Bass Metaphors

Pros:
Three effects in one!
Useful pre-amp with a specific voice

Useful for in-ear monitor users

Cons:
See text regarding drive and EQ
vice versa, a dynamic distortion that only
starts to bite when I dig in. I think Bass
Metaphors is on the way to doing that by
Wrapping it up for the EHX reviews here, giving me access to drive saturation and
certainly another useful addition to anyone’s compression ‘amount’ on separate knobs.
pedal board or recording set up - a channel Treble and Bass tone control knobs offer
strip designed for bass with some useful rudimentary but useful sculpting, which
features. is useful for adding zing to a passive bass
or fat low end to a naturally thin sounding
Whereas a channel strip is a set of separate instrument. In this case I’d probably leave
tone sculpting tools, the Metaphors pedal the pedal on and just punch in the drive
I feel takes three very specific flavours when needed. On the far right hand side a
with a tuned breadth of effect reach to dry mix knob for blending the natural bass
deliver as one. Or to put it another way, I voice back in to the chain. A nice addition.
think this is a distortion pedal with a lot
of access to how it ‘feels’ to play it and of Like a good pre-amplifier pedal should have,
course how it sounds. I like how some bass there are the usual input and output sockets,
pedals ‘compress’ but I sometimes would but also a direct out for the unaffected
like to have more ‘squish’ and less drive, or instrument signal and an XLR socket for

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 197
THE BASSMENT_PEDAL REVIEW

Electro-Harmonix Bass Metaphors

198 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT ELECTRO-HARMONIX BASS BLOGGER, BASS METAPHORS AND BASS MICRO SYNTHESIZER

feeding a D.I. (Direct Injection) line to say, a recording device or PA, making this in
effect a very useful D.I. for those preferring to gig with just in-ear monitors.

I think treating EHX’s Bass Metaphors as one single tone generator rather than three
channel strip separates seems to resonate with me, but I am not suggesting that the
pedal isn’t a jack of all trades - it still does a great job, but I feel that like with the
Darkglass Vintage Ultra, for me, the EQ is for the drive section rather than for use
separately. Just my thoughts.

Power, like the Micro Synth is via adaptor only, but an adaptor is provided. The pedal
looks like it will serve you well on the road in its metal casing. Decent heavy duty foot
switches and indicator LEDs top off the layout. END >

Our grateful thanks to DV247 for the loan of these review samples: www.
dv247.com

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 199
THE BASSMENT_PEDAL REVIEW

Check TH
EHX Bass Blogger True bypass
MSRP £71 (DV247 £64) US $100 All analog design
Made in: USA Design optimized for bass gui
True bypass 3-pole analog resonant filter
Selectable fuzz or drive 4 Voice mixer section mixes: s
up and square wave
Controls include drive, tone and volume
Square wave voice can be use
Individual dry and effect out
Start, stop filter frequency slid
Compact die-cast chassis
full control over the filter’s swe
9-volt battery included
Adjustable filter resonance co
Optional 96DC-200BI power supply available
Adjustable attack time contro
Dimensions in inches: 4.0 (w) x 4.75 (l) x 2.25 (h)
Compact die-cast chassis
Dimensions in mm: 102 (w) x 121 (l) x 89 (h)
96DC-200BI power supply inc
EHX Bass Micro Synth Dimensions in inches: 4.75 (w
MSRP £246 US $286 (street)
Dimensions in mm: 146 (w) x 1
Made in: USA

200 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


THE BASSMENT ELECTRO-HARMONIX BASS BLOGGER, BASS METAPHORS AND BASS MICRO SYNTHESIZER

HE SPEC
EHX Bass Metaphors
MSRP £122 US $125

itar Made in: USA

High impedance instrument level input

sub octave, original, octave Balanced XLR output at +4 dBu line level

1/4” balanced/unbalanced output


ed as a distortion tone
Dedicated 1/4” unbalanced dry output
ders with adjustable rate for
Musical treble and bass EQ bands with a level control
eep direction and speed
amount
ontrol
Switchable compressor with the perfect bass
ol for fading-in notes compression

Footswitchable adjustable bass distortion

cluded Tough and compact die-cast chassis

w) x 5.75 (l) x 2.5 (h) 96DC-200BI power supply included

121 (l) x 64 (h) Dimensions in inches: 4.75 (w) x 5.75 (l) x 2.5 (h)

Dimensions in mm: 146 (w) x 121 (l) x 64 (h)

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 201
COLUM YOUR FREE GUITAR UNIVER

202 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


MNS
RSITY

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 203
COLUMNS_TOM QUAYLE

Tuning in
Perfect 4ths
Tom Quayle is back with a brand new column

‘H
i guys, and welcome back to my what this weird tuning is, why I use it and
column for this issue. I’m back what the benefits and disadvantages of
after my nasty elbow break – using an alternate tuning for all of your
it’s healed well and I am almost guitar playing are.
back up to full playing strength again, so
let’s get back on with some learning. Before we start, let’s have a quick discussion
of standard tuning and the reasons why
For this issue, I wanted to talk about the vast majority of guitar players utilise
something that may have been confusing/ the same tuning. Standard tuning uses
interesting some of you for quite some time the notes E, A, D, G B and E from low to
now. You probably notice that, during the high, giving us the interval of a perfect 4th
opening section to almost all my lessons, between all of the strings, except the G and
I mention that I am tuned differently, and B strings where we get a major 3rd interval.
not worry about it, since all of the TABS This major third interval is the reason why
will be in standard tuning and I’ll show we tune the B string to the 4th fret of the G
you any shapes required during the lesson string, as opposed to the 5th fret relationship
anyway. Some of you may be wondering between all the other string pairs. This kink

204 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


COLUMNS TOM QUAYLE TUNING IN PERFECT 4THS

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 205
COLUMNS_TOM QUAYLE

in the standard tuning is very important, is to compensate for that rogue major 3rd
especially for chordal playing since, without interval between the G and B strings. It
it we can’t play barre chords, making the follows that the same will be true for any
transpositional nature of the guitar far less scales, arpeggios or interval shapes – they will
effective. All our open string ‘cowboy’ chords change whenever the shape falls between the
rely on this major 3rd interval between the G D and B, G and B or G and E strings within
and B strings, and so much of the standard an octave. This makes learning the fretboard
guitar repertoire in every genre is based a pretty challenging task, since you have to
around the combination of the two open E learn each chord, scale, arpeggio and interval
strings at the top and bottom of the guitar. in a number of different permutations,
as opposed to just one. Of course, 99.9%
One of the problems of standard tuning is of guitars players who ever picked up the
that it is non-symmetrical. In other words, instrument have battled this challenge with
if you play a chord shape on the middle great results, so I am not suggesting that you
four strings, it requires a different shape all immediately switch your tuning – I just
on the upper four strings and a different want to tell you why I did.
one again on the lowest four strings. This

Tuning in Perfect 4ths

206 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


COLUMNS TOM QUAYLE TUNING IN PERFECT 4THS

I use a tuning called ‘4ths tuning.’ As the Country or Blues, you lose almost all of
name implies, this tuning removes that major the open string lick and chord repertoire
3rd kink from standard tuning and replaces that these styles rely on so heavily. Chord
it with another perfect 4th interval, giving us melody playing is significantly harder
4ths all the way down. In this way, the guitar because barre chords are no longer an
becomes completely symmetrical, removing option and you lose some of the coolest
the need for multiple shapes for a given chords that standard tuning offers, since the
chord shape between different string sets. A fingerings are now impossible to play. You
root position C major7 chord played on the do gain some gorgeous chords that can’t
middle four strings at the 3rd fret is the same be played in standard tuning but, for most
shape an octave higher on the upper four players, especially those that play covers or
strings at the 10th fret and in the same octave particularly guitaristic genres of music, the
on the lower four strings at the 8th fret. The benefits do not outweigh the disadvantages.
same goes for scales, arpeggios and intervals Teaching also can become very difficult
with everything mapping out with just a if your brain has to flip between the two
single shape on the fretboard. This makes the tunings every time you have a student in
fretboard learning process far easier – it’s like standard tuning. This is one of the reasons
cheating at guitar in a way, since it simplifies I do very little private tuition these days,
the visual nature of the instrument so much. especially at the beginner to intermediate
For reference, I have included some chord, stage as it would just confuse the student,
scale and arpeggio shapes in 4ths tuning for and me!
you to check out, so that you can directly see
the symmetrical nature of this tuning. I very rarely play any cover music and
am lucky enough to play my own style
Since I play over such complex music a almost exclusively. For a player like me who
lot of the time, with many chord changes, improvises over complex harmony a lot, 4ths
key centres and harmonic structures, this tuning is perfect for streamlining the process
tuning appealed to me a great deal and I of visualising the fretboard in order that the
decided to switch over all the way back in more musical considerations can come to
1998, influenced by a great guitar teacher I the fore. It’s certainly worth exploring, but
had at the time who used the same tuning. bear these caveats in mind, perhaps keeping
However, this tuning should be used only one of your guitars in this tuning for
with caution, since there are some pretty exploratory purposes.
significant downsides to changing away from
standard tuning. Have fun and don’t hurt yourselves! END >

First of all, you lose a huge amount of classic


and important guitar repertoire. If you play

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 207
COLUMNS_LEWIS TURNER

W ITH LEWIS TUR N E R

THE ART OF
JAZZ SOLOING
Top session player, teacher and Guitar Interactive regular, Lewis Turner continues his exclusive
series - The Art of Jazz Soloing

PART 9: KEY CENTRE BASED SOLO V


ARPEGGIO BASED SOLO

‘I
n the last couple of lessons we have looked at soloing over the ever popular Major
and minor II V I progression using a Modal/Key centre approach. To recap, this is
the method of taking a bunch of chords and finding the key centre they belong in.
Before this we looked in great depth at learning how to use arpeggios to solo and really outline
the changes. In this lesson I have taken a very popular 16 bar chord sequence that uses both of
these progressions and have written two solos over it. One that uses the Key centre approach,
and one that uses just arpeggios. You will also find a backing track to practice over, and of
course the video to see and hear the examples for yourself.

Solo #1 Key centre approach:

This progression can be viewed as having two key centres. The first 8 bars are in C minor,
then the next 4 bars move to D flat major, before returning back to C minor for the remaining

208 Guitar Interactive Issue 50


COLUMNS LEWIS TURNER CONTINUES HIS NEW AND EXCLUSIVE SERIES - THE ART OF JAZZ SOLOING’

BACKING TRACK TABLATURE DOWNLOADS


GUITAR PRO 6 PDF

DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

www.guitarinteractivemagazine.com 209
COLUMNS_LEWIS TURNER

4 bars. By using good phrasing and note up sounding quite predictable as there is only
choice, you can construct a fairly convincing so much you can do with it because there
Jazz solo by just using those two scales. are no “danger notes”. The best approach in
Notice how the solo uses an almost constant a normal situation would be to use a little
stream of 8th notes occasionally broken up of both. Using just arpeggios does make for
with a rest or a couple of 16th notes. This great practice. This is the most technically
is the rhythmic aspect that will help to give demanding of the two solos, as the fingering
you that authentic Jazz sound. You may also for these arpeggios is not always natural. Also
notice that on the harmonic side of things, remember this is not an exercise, we are not
the intervals between notes are much larger just running up and down shapes, we are
than you may play in a Rock or Blues solo. using them in a musical way and this makes
When playing Jazz (or indeed any style) try for big leaps across the fret board. This can
thinking in leaps, 5th’s, 6th’s and 7th’s rather clearly be seen within the first two bars using
than steps, 2nd’s and 3rd’s as this will give just a C m7 arpeggio in different positions.
greater harmonic depth to your solo. This You can see a strong outlining moment over
can be clearly seen with a tricky line over the the G7 chord in bar 6. Strictly speaking,
D flat Major II V I starting on bar 9. G7 does not exist within C minor the V
chord should be Minor, but it gets changed
Solo #2 Using Arpeggios: to dominant 7th in Jazz to give a stronger
resolution back to the I chord. Therefore,
In the very early days of Jazz, this was the here we are outlining the major 3rd of G7
common approach to soloing, changing a B note and this gives a real impression of
with every chord and this is very tricky to the soloist following the chord progression
do especially at a high tempo on a tune but not just outlining the root notes. Bar
with a lot of changes. It was not until the 11 is the only straight forward arpeggio run
be-bop era that players also started to use you will find but it has been rhythmically
the ‘modal approach’ (grouping a bunch altered to 8th note triplets, this can prove
of chords together in one key). Being able quite tricky to play at 160 bpm. The solo
to improvise using just arpeggios, is a great ends with the use of arpeggios high up the
skill to have, this will make your solos sound fretboard.
much more sophisticated as you outline the
chords underneath. However, it can also end

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Aim to learn the solos but more importantly player’s lines, they have learnt from this
learn from them and not just copy them method and used them in their own playing.
‘parrot’ fashion. Try making some of the Try to get in the habit of deconstructing
licks and lines your own by phrasing any solo you learn. Whatever the style, try
them differently as well as trying them in to understand the thought process behind
different keys and tunes. Many famous Jazz it. All this can only make for a better player.
players, when interviewed have stressed For all things guitar please check out
the importance of transcribing a favourite www.lewisturnerguitar.com END >

Part 9: Key Centre based solo V Arpeggio based solo

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How To Sound Count


When You’re Not…Y
Guitar Interactive is delighted to welcome back American
guitarist, teacher and writer, Joe Pesce with his series exploring
the mysteries of Country guitar!

Part 3: Country Gospel Chord Inversions


(Voice your I - IV - V guitar chords through the eyes of a Country Gospel pianist)

‘H
ave you ever studied the genealogy of your ancestors? It’s a fascinating topic. Here,
we’re doing a bit of musical genealogy. Whether you’re currently aware of it or
not, most of your Country, Soul, and Blues guitar heroes have their influences
down the line in Gospel music. Marty Stuart and many other Country guitarists
still profess how much Gospel music has affected their Country guitar playing. I
think it’s worthwhile to venture a bit in this hybrid that is in more songs than you can imagine!
Grab your guitar, sit back, relax, and let me show you some great, effective, and relatively easy
(theoretically) techniques to infuse a bit of Gospel into your Country; and at the same time
show you another perspective on voicing chords for Country and Blues too.

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try
Yet

TABLATURE DOWNLOADS
GUITAR PRO 6 PDF

DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD

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Let’s get things


order. For example, a C major triad has
the notes, C, E, & G. It’s very common

Started for pianists, or other keyed instruments


to voice their chords in other inversions,
depending on the mood, the melody, and
If you’ve been following my tutorials and
how the neighbouring chords are voiced. So,
playing throughout this series and beyond,
an inversion of C, with the 3rd in the bass
you might have picked up on one of the
position would be E, G, C. The same chord
most significant traits that I’ve adopted
with the 5th in the bass would be voiced: G,
(and hope you will too). A common
C, E. Technically if you’re using an inversion
approach of mine in arranging guitar is not
of a chord it is written as a “slash” chord
to be common at all. Step outside of the
symbol, with the bass note written after the
conventional box that can trap guitarists.
slash. This means a C chord with the 3rd in
Maybe that stems from years of studying
the bass is written like, C/E. A C chord with
orchestration, or just simply a deep interest
the 5th in the bass is written as C/G.
in other non-guitarist musicians and their
instruments; but it’s a practise I use. I like The piece of music I wrote for this lesson is
to adopt characteristics and behaviours of actually following a standard I-IV-V chord
other instruments and apply them to guitar, progression, just like many Country, Blues
whether it be the fluid phrasing of a voice or and Gospel songs follow. I chose to play it in
woodwind instrument, the bends and slides the key of F for a couple of reasons. The first
of a pedal steel or dobro, the percussiveness reason is because I love the key of F. I think
of the banjo, etc…Here, I’m adopting the harmonic quality is very “uplifting”.
common characteristics of Gospel piano Certain keys give off special qualities towards
and using these techniques to add another emotional subtext in music, and F is one
dimension to the arrangement. of them. There’s a funny line in Spinal Tap
about “D minor is the saddest of all keys”.
There’s some truth to that…
The No.1 Tip: The second reason I chose F is because it’s
Inversions not an “open chord” key. If you know how
to voice chords in barred positions, then
Chord inversions, if you’re not completely you can use these techniques in any key,
familiar with this terminology, it simply including open chord keys, like E, A, D, and
means putting a chord’s notes in a different G. (See attached tab)

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EX.1 EX. 3
Here are the inversions of F I’m using in the The V chord in the key of F is C. I’ve
song. The notes to a F major triad are F, A, explained earlier the inversions of C, but
C. Inversions would then be A, C, F, and C, look at the video and tabs for a visual
F, A. presentation.

EX. 2
Bb is the IV chord in the key of F. The notes Extra Tips:
of Bb are Bb, D, F. The inversions are D,
Occasionally, I’ll voice a chord in root
F, Bb with the major 3rd in the bass, and F,
position, but use a different fingering
Bb, D with the 5th in the bass.
position from the “Caged System” If you’re
not familiar with the Caged System, I

How To Sound Country When You’re Not…Yet

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The IV of IV
encourage you to go check out Danny Gill’s
tutorials on this at Lick Library. They are
extremely useful and easy to follow, even if
theory isn’t your thing. In Blues and Gospel, it’s common in
instances to follow the “circle of fourths” to
Other extra embellishments I do, “here and an extent. A useful technique is when on the
there” are adding sus chords in the mix. IV chord to go back and forth between the
That means that I’ll replace a standard major IV chord and the IV of the IV chord. Ex:
chord with a sus 2 or sus 4 chord; OR, use If Bb is your IV chord, briefly go to the IV
the “sus” as a grace note to getting to and of that, which is Eb. It’s a little more bluesy
from the major chord, by using hammer- than just making a sus 4 chord out of Bb.
ons and pull-offs. This is also very typical
for pianists to do in their arrangement; Lastly, pedal steel type bends are also
especially in Gospel music. This technique considered “icing on the cake” when doing
can be heard by Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray any kind of genre where Country is infused
Vaughan, John Mayer, and many others in in it.
their playing. I hope you get a lot out of this lesson. It truly
To get a slow swing approach in Gospel, is a “go-to” approach in my way of thinking
Blues and Country, the time signature of and expressing myself on guitar over many
6/8 is used here and worth exploring in your genres; not just Country. …Looking forward
own music. to see how you use these techniques yourself!

Thanks for watching, and see you next time!


END >

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