Guitar and Bass Vol 24 No 11 August 2013

PLUS!PRS Dave Davies

Ibanez Joe Moretti Peavey Ampeg

Al Di Meola and more…

NEW TAYLOR GUITARS TESTED

AUGUST

2013

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ww

.guitarmagazine.co.uk

Vol 24 N

o 11

Private Collection

Off the beaten guitar path

Fender and PRS tested!

AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No 11 £4.25

9 771755 338229

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9 771755 338229

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Discover the truth about the British blues legend and his mystical guitar

Peter Green & THAT Les Paul!

HANDMADE IN THE U.S.A.FENDER.COM/AMERICANVINTAGE

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For full guitar details, pricing and photos, enter the number next to each guitar model into our SKU search facility on the website.

01524 410 202www.promenademusic.co.ukPROMENADE MUSIC

8033 - Breedlove AD25/SM8035 - Breedlove AJ250/SF Plus Electro Acoustic10296 - Breedlove Atlas Solo Series C350/CR10284 - Breedlove Cascade C25/CRE Electro10285 - Breedlove Cascade OM/CRe S Cutaway 10287 - Breedlove Passport C250/COe Electro10288 - Breedlove Passport D/MMe Electro10289 - Breedlove Passport D250SMe Electro10299 - Breedlove Passport PLUS D/CME Electro10292 - Breedlove Passport Plus C250/SBe Elect 7979 - Breedlove Passport Plus C250SFE4282 - Breedlove Passport + D/SFE Elec Sunburst10301 - Breedlove Passport Plus D250/SB Electro10300 - Breedlove Passport Plus OM/CMe HH10294 - Breedlove Retro D/ERe with LR Baggs10295 - Breedlove Retro OM/ER Orchestra Electro10298 - Breedlove Revival OM/SMe Top Burst4283 - Breedlove Solo C35/Sme Electro, Natural10069 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Black10068 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Cherry10071 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Red10070 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Sunburst10219 - Cort NDX50 Electro Acoustic Guitar, Nat10221 - Cort SFX-E NS Electro, Natural Satin10125 - DRL 008 8 String Electro Acoustic Guitar10124 - DRL CT09 Thinline Electro Acoustic4769 - EKO Ranger EQ Vintage Series, Black8905 - Eko Ranger Vintage 12 String w/Fishman9206 - Epiphone EJ200CE, Natural5157 - Epiphone EJ200CE Jumbo Vintage SunB.9542 - Faith FMETB Mercury Electro Parlour9104 - Faith Saturn Cutaway High Gloss FSCEHG8300 - Faith FECS Electro Acoustic Guitar10320 - Fender CD60CE Mahogany 7881 - Fender Kingman SCE, Dreadnought, Nat 6929 - Fender Stratacoustic, Electro, Black10194 - Fender T-Bucket 300CE, Amber6930 - Fender Telecoustic, Electro, Black10243 - Fender Tim Armstrong Deluxe10106 - Fylde Alchemist Electro Acoustic7867 - Gibson J200 Standard Electro in Natural7032 - Gibson J200 Standard Jumbo Guitar8241 - Gibson J200 Studio, Vintage Sunburst10150 - Gibson J35 Electro Acoustic Guitar, Nat10143 - Gibson LG2 American Eagle10147 - Gibson SJ100 Modern Classic V.Sunburst8091 - Jimmy Moon 0003CE Electro Acoustic4555 - Jimmy Moon Bryan Adams Signature4554 - Jimmy Moon PF0003 Electro, Pau Ferro6948 - Jimmy Moon RD3, Electro, Natural9552 - LAG T300AE Electro Acoustic Guitar7302 - LAG T66ACE Auditorium Cutaway Electro7972 - LAG T200ACE Auditorium Cutaway Electric5403 - Levin LD60CE, Dreadnought Electro, Nat9243 - James Neligan NA72CBB Electro Acoustic0000 - Levin - 5 models in stock now8277 - Martin DC15ME Dreadnought Cutaway6404 - Northwood R70 00 14fret Electro, Natural4400 - Northwood R80, 000V Electro, Natural6403 - Northwood R80, 0M Electro, Natural9841 - Ovation Adamas 1581-7 Electro Acoustic5093 - Ovation CDX24 Electro Acoustic in Natural10033 - Ovation Celebrity CC44S AB, Autumn 10031 - Ovation Pro Elite 2078AX10032 - Ovation Pro Elite TX 1868TX Super 10151 - Ovation Pro Speciality 1773AX-4 Natural, 9299 - Peerless Martin Taylor Maestro10095 - RainSong BI-JM1000N2 Graphite Guitar10094 - Rainsong S-DR1000 Graphite Guitar10038 - Rainsong S-DR1000 Graphite Guitar9820 - Rainsong CO-DR1000N29821 - Rainsong CO-JM1000N29819 - Rainsong CO-OM1000N29818 - Rainsong CO-WS1000N29814 - Rainsong DR1000 Graphite Guitar10097 - Rainsong H-DR1100N210100 - Rainsong H-OM1000N210098 - Rainsong H-WS1000N29815 - Rainsong JM1000 Graphite Guitar4812 - RainSong OM100010082 - RainSong P12 Parlor10084 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Blue10086 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Green10085 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Pewter10087 - RainSong P12 Parlor in Red10088 - RainSong P14 Parlor10091 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Blue10092 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Green10093 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Pewter10089 - RainSong P14 Parlor in Red9824 - Rainsong S-DR1000N2 Dreadnought Std 9823 - Rainsong S-OM1000N2 OM Studio Electro9822 - Rainsong S-WS1000N2 WS Studio Electro9827 - RainSong SG Shorty Gloss Shorty Series9828 - RainSong Shorty Fine Texture SFT Model7974 - Rainsong WS1000 Graphite Guitar5257 - Satori YD18EQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat5256 - Satori YD28EQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat5252 - Satori YD28HEQ, Dreadnought Electro, Nat8234 - Satori YD42EQ Electro Acoustic5255 - Satori YO28HEQ, OM Electro, Natural9536 - Sigma 000MC 15E Electro Acoustic Guitar10303 - Takamine EG340SC, Pre-Owned0000 - Tanglewood - 17 models in stock now10118 - Terry Pack PLSR Parlour w/Pre-Amp9615 - Terry Pack SJRS Small Jumbo LR Baggs M1A8007 - Vintage Gordon Giltrap Signature9561 - Vintage VEC1400 Electro Acoustic9535 - Walden CG570CE Electro Acoustic Guitar8307 - Westcoast SW201BK -VT Acoustic Guitar8305 - Westcoast SW201RDS VT Electro Acoustic 8306 - Westcoast SW201VT Acoustic Guitar6960 - Yamaha CPX500 Electro in Red9190 - Yamaha CPX700 Electro Dusk Sun Red8020 - Yamaha CPX700, Tinted Finish9191 - Yamaha FGX730SC Electro Acoustic, Nat.9192 - Yamaha FJX730SC Electro Acoustic, Black6965 - Yamaha FX370C Electro Acoustic in Nat.8141 - Yamaha SLG110S Silent Steel String

0000 - Azahar - 6 models in stock now10290 - Breedlove Passport N250/COe Electro7365 - Jose Ferrer 3/4 Size Classical Guitar0000 - Mendieta - 6 models in stock now9482 - Ovation 1616 Classical Guitar, Pre-Owned0000- Raimundo - 4 models in stock now0000 - Ramirez - 10 models in stock now5828 - Roberto - 3 models in stock now5481 - Strunal Electro Classical Guitar9404 - Takamine G344RC Electro, Wine Red0000 - Tanglewood - 4 models in stock now8351 - Westcoast - 5 models in stock now10323 - Yamaha CGX102 Guitar10321 - Yamaha NTX700 Guitar

8030 - 1963 Gibson ES175 Jazz Guitar, Sunburst10067 - Brian May Bass in Cherry with Gig Bag10066 - Brian May Red Special, Antique Cherry10055 - Brian May Red Special, Metal May7028 - Brian May Red Special, Antique Cherry10065 - Brian May Red Special, Baby Blue10061 - Brian May Red Special, Black10063 - Brian May Red Special, Gold10064 - Brian May Red Special, Green10059 - Brian May Red Special, Honey Sunburst10058 - Brian May Red Special, Natural10057 - Brian May Red Special, Sunburst10062 - Brian May Red Special, White10060 - Brian May Red Special, Windermere Blue10069 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Black10068 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Cherry10071 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Red10070 - Brian May Rhapsody Electro, Sunburst10231 - Brooks Custom Steve, Lukather Clone9767 - Cort G260 Electric Guitar10224 - Cort M600 AVD Antique Violin Dark10220 - Cort Sunset I in Black10223 - Cort X6 S-M BK Electric Guitar in Black7793 - DBZ Barchetta Eminent FR Absinthe7785 - DBZ Barchetta ST, Aubergine7789 - DBZ Barchetta ST FR, Cobalt Blue7814 - DBZ Crucifixion Electric Guitar7810 - DBZ Dark Angel Electric Guitar7812 - DBZ Bare Bones Religion Series Devil7811 - DBZ Bare Bones Religion Series Preacher7800 - DBZ Bolero AB, Solid Wine Red7796 - DBZ Bolero FM, Trans Wine7794 - DBZ Bolero ST, Black7837 - DBZ Venom, Dark Blue Metallic9770 - Dean Evo, Pre-Owned5043 - Duesenberg 49er Cow Limited Edition5040 - Duesenberg Rocket II in Black & White10233 - ESP LTD MH50, Black, Pre-Owned9769 - Encore Electric Guitar, Black5205 - Epiphone Broadway Jazz Semi, Natural8220 - Epiphone ES339 Semi Hollowbody, Ebony9155 - Epiphone ES339, Natural8528 - Epiphone ES339 Ultra, Vintage Sunburst5432 - Epiphone G310 SG Shape, White9631 - Epiphone Joe Pass Emperor II, Natural9695 - Epiphone Les Paul Special II Cherryburst9905 - Epiphone LP Stan Plustop Pro, Cherry S/B10351 - Epiphone LP Stand. Plustop Pro, Wine Red8365 - Epiphone Les Paul Standard in Gold10352 - Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Ebony10217 - Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Sunburst, S/H9604 - Epiphone Les Paul Ultra III Alpine White8096 - Epiphone Ltd Ed Flying V, Antique White8165 - Epiphone Ltd Ed 1961 SG, Alpine White9666 - Epiphone Phrophecy LP Custom Plus GX8101 - Epiphone by Gibson, Pre-Owned4231 - Fender Am Special Strat, Candy Apple Red9074 - Fender American Special Strat, Sunburst9914 - Fender Am. Special Tele, Vintage Blonde9348 - Fender American Stan. Hand Stained Strat10199 - Fender Am Stand. Strat LH, Sburst9910 - Fender Am Standard Strat, Mystic Blue8342 - Fender Am Standard Strat, Sienna Sburst9134 - Fender American Stratocaster Daphne Blue9023 - Fender American Vintage '70s Strat Reissue, Nat 9287 - Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH, Black10072 - Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster, Blonde9261 - Fender C. Player Jaguar Spec HH, White9559 - Fender Custom Shop 1960 Relic Strat, GR7112 - Fender Deluxe Lonestar Strat, Sunburst10163 - Fender FSR 72 Telecaster Deluxe, Aqua Flake10198 - Fender FSR Am Stan. Strat, LH, Sunburst9085 - Fender FSR Strat HSS TBX Amber Burst10218 - Fender Japanese Strat, CAR, Pre-Owned4634 - Fender Jim Root Signature Strat, Black9775 - Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar, Metallic KO10164 - Fender Kurt Cobain Mustang, Sonic Blue8113 - Fender Modern Player Available To Order9945 - Fender Modern Player Strat HSS, O. White8224 - Fender Modern Player Telecaster, Honey Burst8286 - Fender Modern Player Tele Thinline Delux7784 - Fender Mustang Pawn Shop Special, Red9089 - Fender Pawn Shop 51 Stratocaster, Black9090 - Fender Pawn Shop 51 Stratocaster, Blonde10149 - Fender Pink Paisley Telecaster, Used5287 - Fender Road Worn 50s Strat in Black8290 - Fender Road Worn 60's Strat, Sunburst4229 - Fender Road Worn Player Strat, Sunburst4232 - Fender Road Worn Player Tele, Black9449 - Fender Select Tele USA Violin Burst10101 - Fender Standard Strat, CAR, Secondhand7954 - Fender Standard Strat, Copper Met Burst4560 - Fender Standard Telecaster, Black4748 - Fender Standard Tele, Brown Sunburst10090 - Fender Telebration Mahogany Tele, Sburst9911 - Fender USA 75 Telebration, Natural9507 - Fender USA Hardtail Stratocaster 19778285 - Fret King Jerry Donahue, Natural9137 - G&L ASAT Classic Bluesboy Semi, Natural9140 - G&L ASAT Classic in Walnut9136 - G&L Legacy in Black9135 - G&L S500 in Blueburst9150 - Gibson ES137 Custom, Triburst8029 - Gibson ES175 1956 Original9277 - Gibson ES330 VOS, Vintage Sunburst10146 - Gibson ES335 Dot Plain Gloss, Sunburst

10273 - Gibson ES339 Antique Sunburst9840 - Gibson Lee Roy Parnell Goldtop8376 - Gibson Les Paul Classic 60s Trans Ebony5317 - Gibson Les Paul Custom in Alpine White7919 - Gibson Les Paul Custom in Wine Red10197 - Gibson Les Paul Signature T, Trans Ebony9444 - Gibson Les Paul Standard 2012 Goldtop10116 - Gibson Les Paul Std 2013 Prem. Tea Burst10117 - Gibson Les Paul Std 2013 Premi. Trans Amber10144 - Gibson LP St Premium Plus, Desert Burst10322 - Gibson Les Paul Stand., Heritage Cherry9341 - Gibson Les Paul Studio, Radiant Red5090 - Gibson Les Paul Studio Lefty, Wine Red9557 - Gibson Les Paul Studio, Vintage Sunburst10281 - Gibson Les Paul Trad., Caramel Burst8202 - Gibson Nighthawk. Pelham Blue5594 - Gibson SG Special Electric Guitar in White10350 - Gibson SG Special Faded Cherry10268 - Gretsch G5422TDCG Hollow Body ,White9771 - Ibanez S470DXQM9764 - Italia Electric Guitar, Pre-Owned9161 - Jackson RR5 Japanese Ivory Pinstripe4992 - Jackson JS30 Randy Rhoads, Black4150 - Jackson SL3MG Soloist, Natural9669 - Jackson Super Light Soloist SLSXMG GMG0000 - Levin - 7 models in stock now8051 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Black8052 - Lodestone Electric Artist in Sunburst8048 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Honey8049 - Lodestone Electric Artist, Trans Red8059 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Chignal Blue8065 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Rodings White8058 - Lodestone Electric Pro S, Tobacco Sburst8066 - Lodestone Electric Pro S in Waltham Black8055 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Chignal Blue8056 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Rodings White8053 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Roxwell Red8057 - Lodestone Electric Pro, St James Silver8054 - Lodestone Electric Pro, Tobacco Sunburst8072 - Lodestone Electric Standard S, T. Sburst8070 - Lodestone Electric Standard Trans Black8071 - Lodestone Electric Standard S, White8069 - Lodestone Electric Standard in White8085 - Lodestone Pulse in Burr Maple Honeyburst8086 - Lodestone Pulse, Matt Black8084 - Lodestone Pulse in Metallic Gold8087 - Lodestone Pulse, Tobacco Sunburst7091 - MusicMan Luke HSS, Pearl Blue4720 - MusicMan Silhouette Special, Candy Red0000 - PRS - 12 Models in stock now6123 - Patrick Eggle Double Cutaway in Blue6121 - Patrick Eggle RSG Electric Guitar, Amber9478 - Peavey AT200 Antares AutoTune Guitar9450 - Peavey EVH Wolfgang USA-Made Goldtop9001 - Peavey Rockmaster Captain America9300 - Peerless Martin Taylor Virtuoso4268 - Rickenbacker 330 12 String Semi, Jetglo6951 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Fireglo6952 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Jetglo4270 - Rickenbacker 360 Semi, Mapleglo10165 - Road Worn Player Tele, Candy Apple Red8992 - Roland G5 Strat COSM Technology Black8993 - Roland G5 Strat COSM Technology Sunburst9857 - Roland G5A Strat Candy Apple Red8990 - Roland GC1 Black GK-Ready Stratocaster8991 - Roland GC1 Sunburst GK-Ready Strat0000 - Squier - 6 models in stock now0000 - Stagg - 3 models in stock now9273 - Steinberger Spirit GT Pro10131 - Traveller Speedster, Blue, Pre-Owned9079 - Ventures VM100SB Bob Bogle Sig, Sunburst9078 - Ventures VM65MBL Electric Guitar, Blue4256 - Vintage AV2, Sunburst9420 - Vox Apache I9652 - Warwick Electric Guitar Accessory Pack6982 - WashburnUSA DD70 Maya Dan Donegan, Grey4757 - Washburn N1 Vintage Nuno Bettencourt Nat7074 - Washburn SI61 Obey Scott Ian Sig, Black6991 - Washburn USA Custom WI556, Metallic Red6997 - Washburn V200 ProE in Black7005 - Washburn WI100, Gunmetal Grey7002 - Washburn WI100, Red7009 - Washburn WI15 Idol Standard ,Black8412 - Washburn WI18 Idol Quilted Trans Black8411 - Washburn WI18 Idol Quilted Trans Red7356 - Washburn WI420KB Idol, Black8409 - Washburn WI-440F Idol Elect Flame Honey8408 - Washburn WI-440F Idol Tobacco Sunburst8406 - Washburn WI-460E Idol Electric, Black8405 - Washburn WI-460E Idol Electric in White6988 - Washburn WI50 in Black6989 - Washburn WI50 Pro-E, Black8404 - Washburn WI-63 SF Donegan Sig, Black6995 - Washburn WV40VASIK Scott Ian Blood Splat6996 - Washburn WV66ANC, Nick Catanese, Black6898 - Washburn Wi14 Idol in Metallic Blue6899 - Washburn Wi14 Idol in Wine Red8230 - Washburn X10 Bass Guitar, Black6895 - Washburn X100 in Metallic Grey6900 - Washburn X200 Pro in Trans Black6425 - Westcoast ST Junior in Black & Sunburst6449 - Westcoast ST1 in Ivory, Red & Natural8416 - Yamaha Pacifica 012 in Red Metallic8414 - Yamaha Pacifica 012, Dark Blue Metallic10234 - Yamaha Pacifica 012 in Black8121 - Yamaha Pacifica 311H, Vintage White8184 - Yamaha Pacifica 510V , Candy Apple Red10319 - Yamaha Pacifica 611 VHFM8124 - Yamaha Pacifica 611 Root Beer

Classical Guitars

Electric GuitarsElectric Guitars Acoustic & Electro Acoustics Bass Guitars

8687 - Breedlove Passport Plus B350/CB410297 - Breedlove Solo BJ350/CMe4 Fretless Bass10067 - Brian May Bass in Cherry with Gig Bag4910 - Bridge Cetus Electric Double Bass10108 - Cort A4 4 String Bass Guitar, Natural10107 - Cort A4 Custom Z 4 String Bass Guitar10109 - Cort A5 5 String Bass, Open Pore Natural10105 - Cort A5 OPBC Bass Guitar10110 - Cort B5 5 String Bass Guitar, OPN10213 - Cort GB75WBL 5 String Bass, White Blonde10242 - ESP LTD B204 SM, Natural, Pre-Owned4882 - Fender USA 62 Vintage Precision Sunburst10166 - Fender 75 Jazz Bass in Natural9083 - Fender Am Special Jazz Bass, Sunburst9353 - Fender Am St Hand Stained Ash Jazz Bass9231 - Fender Am Standard Jazz Bass, Sunburst7943 - Fender Am Stan Precision Bass, Sunburst9727 - Fender FSR Precision, Sea Foam Metallic8113 - Fender Modern Player Available To Order9367 - Fender Select Jazz Bass, Amber Burst9284 - Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Arctic White8287 - Fender Standard Jazz Bass, Brown S.burst9909 - Fender Standard P Bass, Lake Placid Blue10113 - G & L M2000 4 String Bass Guitar, Honeyburst10112 - G & L M2500 5 String Bass, Honeyburst9703 - G & L Tribute Series JB2, Natural9138 - G&L L2000 Tribute Bass, 3-Tone Sunburst9702 - G&L L2500 5 String Bass, Walnut9593 - Gibson Firebird Studio Reverse 70s Bass9575 - Gibson Grabber 3 '70s Tribute Honeyburst10074 - Gretsch G6073 Electrotone Bass, Burgundy0000 - Levin - 7 models in stock now8073 - Lodestone Primal Artist8075 - Lodestone Primal Instinct J Bass, Green8079 - Lodestone Primal Instinct P Bass, Green8080 - Lodestone Primal Instinct Pbass Sunburst8081 - Lodestone Primal Pro in Chignal Blue8082 - Lodestone Primal Pro 4, Tobacco Sunburst8174 - Lodestone Primal Pro 5, Chignal Blue4179 - Marleaux Consat Custom 5, Satin Black10279 - Marleaux Consat Sig 4 String Bolt On5713 - Marleaux M Bass Custom 5, Maple & Walnut10278 - Marleaux Votan XS Deluxe, Black10216 - MusicMan Sterling 4, Blue, Pre-Owned4703 - MusicMan Stingray 2EQ, Blue Pearl4781 - MusicMan Stingray 3EQ, True Gold4920 - MusicMan Stingray 5, Black8997 - Musicman Sterling SB14 Bass, Sunburst5110 - NS Design NXT Electric Double Bass9002 - Overwater Aspiration Deluxe Bass, Black8435 - Overwater Aspiration Std 4, Black Cherry7849 - Overwater Contemporary Jazz, Trans Blue9009 - Overwater Contemporary 5-String Bass9867 - Overwater Inspiration Jazz PJ 4 String10102 - Overwater J Series Deluxe 4, Natural7259 - Overwater Perception Std 5, Bubinga10152 - Overwater Progress Deluxe, Pre-Owned9418 - Rickenbacker Bass, Jetglo Rick Kemp5121 - Rockbass Streamer LX5, Black7204 - Squier Classic Vibe Precision 50s Blonde9072 - Squier Vintage Modified 70's Jazz, Nat9517 - Squier Vintage Modified Tele Bass, Black9704 - Stagg BC300 Lefthanded 4 String, Nat4417 - Steinberger Spirit XT2 4 String Bass9428 - Tobias Toby Standard IV Bass Guitar, White9653 - Warwick Bass Guitar Accessory Gig Pack6447 - Westcoast BG2, Natural or Trans Red6446 - Westcoast BG4 Neck Thru Body, Brown6445 - Westcoast BG5 Fretless, Natural6448 - Westcoast JB5, Trans Amber8438 - Westcoast JP1 4 String Bass in Black8437 - Westcoast JP1 4 String Bass in Trans Red10120 - Yamaha BB1024X 4 String, Caramel Brown4649 - Yamaha BB2024X, Vintage White9350 - Yamaha BB424 Bass Guitar in Black9351 - Yamaha BB425 5 String Bass Guitar, Black9352 - Yamaha BB425 5 String Bass, Sunburst9000 - Yamaha RBX17010314 - Yamaha RBX170EW Bass8999 - Yamaha RBX5A2 5 String Bass, Black6360 - Yamaha SLB200 Silent Double Bass4331 - Yamaha TRB1004J, Trans Black10307 - Yamaha TRBX304 Bass10308 - Yamaha TRBX305 Bass10310 - Yamaha TRBX505 Bass

GUITAR & BASS MAG May 2013_Layout 1 copy 1 13/05/2013 19:49 Page 1

There are plenty of things that unite us all as guitar players, and there are many times when the differences between us (technical ability, say, or musical preferences) are easy to identify, explain and potentially eliminate. But when it comes to notions of ‘charisma’, ‘mystery’ and ‘soul’, it becomes a tricky business. Cue this month’s cover story on the great Peter Green and his legendary Gibson Les Paul. Investigating what is it about the man in combination with this particular guitar that enchanted and continues to enchant so many

wasn’t an easy job. There are plenty of stories surrounding both Peter and his Gibson, and plenty of them contain no truth whatsoever (although they remain great stories). We hope you enjoy the tales, the opinions and the fi ndings – and that the cover feature does its bit to inspire you to listen and appreciate Peter Green’s wonderful guitar playing all the more.

Elsewhere in the mag there are some special new PRS, Fender and Taylor guitars to evaluate and potentially lust after, while a vintage Framus Jan Akkerman goes under our forensic spotlight in a way that all fellow guitar geeks (and we mean that as a compliment) will fi nd fascinating. And, in a very cumbersome fashion, we bring things full circle on the Les Paul front with our techniques workshop on the man himself. Hard to believe that it’s been four years since he left us, but it’s easy to grasp that he’ll never be forgotten. Enjoy the issue…

Live Green and prosper…

Anthem Publishing, Station House, Station Approach, o� North Street,

Carshalton, SM5 2HWTel 020 8773 3865

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CONTRIBUTORS Sid Bishop, Martyn Casserly, Alan Clayson, Roger Cooper, Phil Harris, Michael Heatley, Pete Langman, Matt Lamy, Marcus Leadley, Gareth

Morgan, Lars Mullen, Douglas Noble, Richard Purvis, Huw Price, Michael Stephens

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AUGUST 2013 Guitar & Bass 5

EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome

PLUS!PRS Dave Davies Ibanez Joe Moretti Peavey Ampeg Al Di Meola and more…

NEW TAYLOR GUITARS TESTED

AUGUST

2013

w

ww


Vol 24 N

o 11

Private CollectionOff the beaten guitar path


AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No 11 £4.25

9 771755 338229

0 8

9 771755 338229

0 8

Discover the truth about the British blues legend and his mystical guitar

Peter Green & THAT Les Paul!


AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No 11 £4.25

338229

0 8

Fender and

AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No 11 £4.25

9 771755 338229

Fender and PRS tested!SUBSCRIBE

TODAYSee page 94 for your

great subscription

o� er and never

miss an issue

again!

6 Guitar & Bass AUGUST 2013

Dave Davies 32A dramatic life event led to a sparkling new solo album, I Will Be Me. We chew the fat with the Kinks’ legendary lead guitarist

Joe Moretti 40With two mega-hits under his belt, this ’60s Scottish guitarist was one of the few who matched his adversaries from across the pond

Al Di Meola 44From jazz fusion greatness to Abbey Road and In Your Life, his unexpected new Beatles tribute: Guitar & Bass talks to Al Di Meola

Framus Jan Akkerman 96Guitar hero Jan Akkerman’s signature Framus model was an overlooked rarity

Play like Les Paul 100He was a guitar giant and recording pioneer, but Les Paul was also one hell of a player

Play like Squarepusher 106Tom Jenkinson is a musician with a truly free spirit. Gareth Morgan unravels a bass genius

Interviews

Regulars READERS LETTERS 8 NEWS 10 TALES FROM THE ROAD 12 ALBUM REVIEWS 14 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 94 READERS FREE ADS 128 SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE 130

Workshops

32

GREEN FINGERS 16

DAVE DAVIESNew beginnings

The British blues invasion brought Clapton, Beck and Page to fame,

but none made a Gibson sing quite like fourth musketeer Peter Green

AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No11

COVER STORY

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Fender Standard Stratocaster Plus Top 50 Fender’s new all-rounder is a thing of beauty with an impressive fl ame maple top

PRS Brent Mason Signature 54 PRS build a versatile new signature axe for Nashville session hotshot Brent Mason

Ibanez RG950QMZ 58 New to Ibanez’s RG Premium series is this well-constructed no-nonsense speed demon

Peavey Vypyr VIP-2 64 A pioneering combo housing the know-how to handle acoustic, electric and bass too

Carr Impala 68 Genre-spanning combo with stylish ’50s looks

Electro-Harmonix Epitome 73 EHX unleashes a new three-in-one multi-FX primed for sonic experimentation

Morley Buffer Boost 75 US pedal pros o� er a way for stompbox enthusiasts to keep a crystal-clear signal

Taylor 522e & 618e Electro Acoustics 76 Top-notch fi nishes, high build quality and stellar tone from these impressive Taylors

Vintage VVB4 Violin Bass 80 Trev Wilkinson and crew pay tribute to Macca’s classic four-string with an a� ordable version

Ampeg Portafl ex PF-800 85 New to the Portafl ex range, this lightweight high-power amp is real value for money

Hooked On Classics 26Peter Green’s exalted Les Paul has always been the stu� of six-string dreams. Now it’s in his charge, Phil Harris struggles to control himself

Private Collection 86Simon Jones searches far and wide to satisfy his endless hunger for wild and wacky guitars. Lars Mullen returns to his world

Regulars READERS LETTERS 8 NEWS 10 TALES FROM THE ROAD 12 ALBUM REVIEWS 14 SUBSCRIPTION OFFER 94 READERS FREE ADS 128 SOUNDTRACK OF MY LIFE 130

Gear

Vintage

50

54

68 76

64

FENDERFlame on

PRS

76TAYLOR

64PEAVEY

CARR

IN THIS ISSUE Contents

Cover Photo:AUGUST 2013 Vol 24 No11

35% OFF when you subscribe

PAGE 94

Cover photo: Mike Prior Inset: Peter Green by Dalle/Idols/Photoshot

LIFELONG LEARNINGI bought my fi rst bass guitar, a Fender Precision, at the age of 61. I struggled for a while, then enrolled on a college course for a National Diploma in Music. I was three times older than most of the students, and twice as old as the lecturers. However I stuck at it, playing everything from rock and pop to metal. As part of the course I played at several venues with college bands. I remember my fi rst gig – I was the only grey-headed bloke there, slightly nervous, but I loved it. I graduated with a distinction, I am now almost 65 and have joined a blues band, and we will be gigging this summer. Playing music is so satisfying, and good for the soul. It’s never to late to start… and never give up.

Derek via email

G&B Good on you, sir. We wholeheartedly agree with you on every point and admire your resilience. Just because you’re too old to be on the cover of Smash Hits (if it was still around) it doesn’t mean that you’re too old to learn an instrument and enjoy playing music. Good luck with the gigging, Derek. We look forward to hearing the stories…

GO LET IT OUTI truly sympathised with Derek Troutman in his letter last month, where he simply had to tell someone he had mastered the F chord. Having decided to take up slide guitar when my youngest left for university, my sausage fi ngers have struggled every part of the way as I’ve battled with the basics. One of the hardest things has been to

keep going, not helped by the fact that I don’t know any other guitar players, and that my family aren’t really interested in anything to do with what they jokingly call ‘my mid-life crisis’. I know that being able to slide down the fretboard in something loosely resembling a musical and controlled fashion isn’t curing a disease or ending poverty, but – given the amount of time it took me to get there – the urge to boast about it can be overwhelming. See, I’ve just done exactly that… and I don’t care that I’m telling a bunch of people that can blow me out of the water.

Ray Barlow via email

G&B Feel free to boast, Ray. As with Derek, we understand the need to talk to someone who understands and appreciates your

ReverberationsWrite to Guitar & Bass, Anthem Publishing, Station House, Station Approach, o� North Street, Carshalton, SM5 2HW or e-mail us: [email protected] Please note, we reserve the right to edit where we feel it is appropriate, or to print extracts from longer correspondences

I read with interest the letter from Gerry Hicks, and your own comments, in

the June issue of the magazine regarding guitars in the lounge, etc. I am fortunate

enough to be allowed two guitars in our lounge, but one is reserved for use outside – my ‘garden guitar’ – which I keep behind the settee.

But the reason I wrote in is that other readers might be interested to see what I’ve done with a bit of ingenuity to make summer in the garden a bit more fun! I was given six bottles of wine in a wooden case last year, and it seemed a shame to ditch the case. So I came up with the idea of painting it (pedalboard black of course!), lining it with foam, and sticking a Fender and Marshall mini amp inside. I also enclosed two cheap but usable effects pedals; an overdrive, and a multi-FX unit. It means I can add a bit of fl avour to the

sounds when I’m in the garden, and the whole lot runs off batteries. In fact, I’ve even made spaces in the foam to hold spare batteries! It may not be a totally original idea, but it has given me a lot of fun and I’m sure it will inspire some readers to come up with their own ideas and do the same.

Kevin O’Shea via email

G&B Your efforts have earned a proper standing ovation from us here at G&B, and we hope that it does inspire others to get guitar-inventive. We hope you hold many a garden gig (weather permitting), over the next wee while. And if you haven’t already made a gigbag out of tent and

some cushion foam (or some other such combination) then we hope this

one does you a real service…Written a Star Letter? Contact Rosetti on 01376 550033 to claim your Fusion gig bag – electric, acoustic or bass available!

multi-FX unit. It means I can add a bit of fl avour to the sounds when I’m in the garden, and the whole

lot runs off batteries. In fact, I’ve even made spaces in the foam to hold spare batteries! It may not be a totally original idea, but it has given me a lot of fun and I’m sure it will inspire some readers to come up with their own ideas and do the same.

G&B Your efforts have earned a proper standing ovation from us here at G&B, and we hope that it does inspire others to get guitar-inventive. We hope you hold many a garden gig (weather permitting), over the next wee while. And if you haven’t already made a gigbag out of tent and

Written a Star Letter? Contact Rosetti on 01376 550033 to claim your Fusion gig bag – electric, acoustic or bass available!

Gerry Hicks, and your own comments, in the June issue of the magazine regarding

guitars in the lounge, etc. I am fortunate

STARLETTER

A RIGHT ROYAL GARDEN PARTY


From wine box to alfresco sound system: Kevin’s garden rig

achievements, and we all know what it’s like to have uncaring family and friends who don’t want to discuss guitar playing and music for hours on end (strange people that they are). As regards to your pursuits not being worthwhile, however, we completely disagree. Time spent learning a musical instrument is never wasted and makes you a better person – and the world a better place. For any timid learners out there, remember that fact (and it is a fact – there’s plenty of academic research to back this up) the next time someone decides to make snide comments in your direction… OH FOR CHUCK’S SAKE!I am very upset that you overlooked the king of the ES guitar in your July cover story: Mr Chuck Berry! What is going on in your brain and ears? If there was one man who took the ES into rock’n’roll it was Chuck. Even though he was inspired by Charlie Christian, just ask any real rock guitar player and they will say Berry! I’m totally blown away that you forgot it!? Steve HOW(e)??

Petter Baarli Oslo, Norway

G&B We apologise for upsetting you. It wasn’t personal, we promise. While we included Charlie Christian, Chuck – along with some other great guitar players – didn’t get a mention. It was solely down to space restrictions. We’re happy to recognise here Chuck’s majesty with a Gibson ES guitar and recommend that people listen and learn from the man at the earliest opportunity.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHTI always read your great magazine and just wanted to tell you about my latest buy, the Kurt Cobain Jaguar. I know you guys reviewed it back in Oct 2012, but I’d like to tell you how I found it. I always thought if my Strat couldn’t do it, then I

didn’t need it. Wrong! The KC jag has something I’ve never come across in any Strat, Tele, Les Paul or anything else… absolute, sheer, raw fi lth. I love it! It handles being played clean well enough, but throw some distortion or overdrive at it and it really does come alive. Not to mention the detailing is amazingly done! Sorry the pics enclosed aren’t great, can't put it down long enough to take some decent ones. Keep up the good work…

Neil Tostevin Guernsey

G&B It’s great to learn you’ve fallen in love with your latest purchase, Neil, and we know there’s no feeling better than when you’ve spent time pondering and agonising over a

new purchase, finally take the plunge and discover you’re made the right choice. It would be great to hear from others about what they feel about their recent purchases, and how they ended up buying it in the first place. After all, the highs and lows of buying gear is a subject that unites us all…

Write to Guitar & Bass, Anthem Publishing, Station House, Station Approach, o� North Street, Carshalton, SM5 2HW or e-mail us: [email protected] Please note, we reserve the right to edit where we feel it is appropriate, or to print extracts from longer correspondences

EMAILS, LETTERS, PHOTOS Reverberations

NOVEMBER 2012 Guitar & Bass 9

A L E G E N D

I S R E B O R NTHE ROTOSOUND RFB1

1960’s FUZZ REISSUE

twitter.com/rotosound_uk

facebook.com/rotosound

WWW.ROTOSOUND.COM

WORLD FAMOUS MUSIC STRINGS

PROUDLY MADE IN ENGLAND FIND OUT MORE

Phot

ogra

phy

: Kat

arin

a B

enzo

va

I LOVE IT!It’s very Tonebender-ish. Reminds me

a lot of my MKII but with more hair

and beef to it. I have a ton of fuzz

pedals (both vintage and new), and

the Rotosound has instantly become

one of my go-to fuzz’s for sure!

RICHARD FORTUS - GUNS N’ ROSES

‘

’

rf_fuzz_third.indd 1 16/05/2013 12:02

spent time pondering and agonising over a new purchase, finally take the plunge and discover you’re made the right choice. It would be great to hear from others about what they feel about their recent purchases, and how they ended up buying it in the first place. After all, the highs and lows of buying gear is a subject that unites us all…

Fender Kurt Cobain Jaguar: ‘sheer, raw fi lth’

Chuck Berry: omitted, but not forgotten


Woke up

NEWS this mornin’...

MXR has unveiled its latest alluring soundbox, the 100 per cent analogue M69 Prime Distortion. Expect vintage tones without sparing the power, and a heap of versatility thrown in. Three controls – Output, Tone and Distortion – give players a variety of options to get stuck into, low-noise op amps ensure a noiseless experience, and it’s small enough not to take up much room at your feet. All this for only £59 – a bargain box, you’ll agree. See www.jimdunlop.com for more

PRIME BEEF

Spanish PracticesNew Gibson Memphis Studio models include items for rockers and rock’n’rollers, while the latest 1959 335 tribute looks hard to resist

After last month’s cover feature exploring the impact of Gibson’s fl agship Electric Spanish range, we thought it timely to take a look at some of the newer ES

options on offer from Gibson Memphis. Above left is the ES-195, styled closely after

the ES-175 – a stylish rock’n’roll archtop with humbucker-sized P94 single-coils, a Trini Lopez neck with Firebird-esque headstock and double triangle inlays, a Bigsby tailpiece, tophat knobs and a choice of transparent amber or ebony fi nishes. Pictured above centre is the ES-339 Studio, partnered with the full-sized ES-335 Studio (right), both stripped-down rockers with some smart new features including a powerful single Dirty Fingers Plus humbucker at the bridge to unleash large rock sounds. The f-holes have been removed to eliminate unwanted feedback and to add some modern styling. Simplifi ed controls (volume

Manson AuctionManson Guitar Works have announced that this unique limited edition red glitter Matthew Bellamy MB-1 signature guitar, signed by Bellamy and his fellow members of Muse, is to be auctioned o� with all proceeds going to the Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association and Marie Curie. This future-hugging rarity features exclusive top-spec custom black hardware and a MIDI screen controller and comes with a hand-signed certifi cate of authenticity and a hard case. The last Manson guitar signed by Muse to go under the hammer fetched £33,000; here’s hoping Manson can raise even more this time round. Interested parties should email [email protected]

and tone), black hardware and smooth satin nitro fi nishes (ebony black or midnight blue) maintain the overall look, and the tortoiseshell truss rod and neck joint covers are a nice touch.

Also joining the ES ranks are the sunburst 1959 ES-335TD (above, right) and the natural 1959 ES-335TDN. Gibson based these gorgeous new models on an immaculate original to ensure the

replicas measure up to a guitar so often considered to be the cream of the crop. Features include special ‘blistered’ maple veneer for the top and back, hand-selected dark rosewood fi ngerboards, cedar rim liners, and hot hide glue on the joints to

ensure optimum resonance and sustain. The aged nickel-plated hardware and rounded neck profi le are period-correct, and PAF-style Alnico II Burstbuckers complete the

deal. The guitar is available in historic burst or antique natural nitrocellulose fi nishes, both gently aged. You’ll fi nd all the info over at www.gibson.com.

Blowin’ CoolWe’re always willing to make more room in our pedalboards for another quality stompbox, and Fargen’s tasty new boutique Tumbleweed pedal – designed for multi-platinum record producer, country guitarist, songwriter and all-round multi-instrumentalist Pete Anderson – is well worth a few hours in the demo booth. This chunky red

box of tricks is based on the original Tumbleweed circuit initially released under the Sonic Edge banner, and it promises bluesy tones with a nice marriage of clear sustain and clean gain. Anderson will be showcasing the unit on tour soon. Detailed info at www.fargenamps.com

box of tricks is based on the original Tumbleweed circuit initially released under the Sonic Edge banner, and it promises bluesy tones with a nice marriage of


Calendar SHOWS, GIGS, FESTIVALS, WORKSHOPS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Aynsley Lister UK Tour6 JULY – 27 SEPTEMBERHotshot UK guitarist Aynsley Lister takes to the road now for an extended UK tour to promote his new album Home. Those who miss this tour need not worry – he’s back in the UK for four more dates starting in Edinburgh on the 1st DecemberWHERE? Venues across the UKTICKETS See venuesCONTACT www.aynsleylister.co.uk

Cambridge Folk Festival25-28 JULYAfter 49 years this festival is still an essential date in the summer diary with acts including the Mavericks, KT Tunstall, Levellers, Bellowhead and the Waterboys as well as The Den, a new emerging talent stage that will showcase the newbiesWHERE? Cherry Hinton Hall GroundsTICKETS £126 (full festival); £20-55 (day tickets)CONTACT www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk

Maryport Blues Festival26-28 JULYThis superb three-day blues festival takes over the coastal town of Maryport in Cumbria with acts performing over four stages including headliners Bernie Marsden, Aynsley Lister and Ian Parker as well as a host of global blues musicians WHERE? MaryportTICKETS £65 (weekend); £57 (early birds)CONTACT www.maryportblues.co.uk

Black Sabbath On Tour10-22 DECEMBERAlmost half a century has passed since Black Sabbath unleashed new material on the world. Now the reformed Brummie metal pioneers return to promote their new chart-topping album 13 at the end of the year. Book now to avoid disappointmentWHERE? Various venues around the UKTICKETS See venuesCONTACT www.ticketmaster.co.uk

We’re always happy to hear about the latest Danelectros, and new guitars for 2013 include the ’67 Heaven and the double-cutaway ’59, both with alligator fi nishes, and a relaunched ’56 Baritone with beefed-up lipstick pickups. Italia is toasting its 15th birthday with slick make-overs on the Maranello, now with gold plexiglass fi ngerboard, and the metallic purple Mondial Classic. From the same stable, the Modena Semitone and Sonoro offer a twist on classic designs, the left-fi eld electro-acoustic Muira offers a myriad of electric and acoustic tones, and the DiVill range is a low-cost alternative. Fret-King have some neat Black Label models including the candy apple blue Corona DBR, ideal for blues rock, and a new pedal range based on Wilkinson’s personal collection. Encore enters the rock world with the E89, complete with pointy headstock, and Hughes & Kettner is launching a nifty Red Box 5 DI box offering sophisticated cabinet and speaker simulations. We found time to try Fishman’s Triple Play wireless system that converts your guitar into just about any instrument you can think of (compatible with PC, Mac and iPad devices), and Kinsman have fi ve new true bypass stompboxes. Info: www.jhs.co.uk

JHS ON SHOW

NEWS IN BRIEF

Vai ToneprintSteve Vai has joined the slew of famous artists to design sounds for TC Electronic’s innovative Toneprint pedals with an addition to their Hall Of Fame series. The Ocean Machine reverb is designed around Vai’s exact parameters and EQ settings and should be a welcome addition to any guitarist’s palette. The Ocean Machine is available free to download from TC’s website or via the Toneprint App for iOS and Android phones. See www.tcelectronic.com

Gibson Changes Its NameGibson Guitar Corporation has changed its name to ‘Gibson Brands’ as CEO Henry Juszkiewicz takes the company forward in its goal to become a lifestyle brand as opposed to simply a guitar company. Gibson Brands covers all the company’s output including guitars, consumer audio, pro audio, DJ and lifestyle products. ‘The Gibson guitar remains a vital, and crucially important, division of Gibson Brands,’ said Juszkiewicz, ‘but with the recent acquisitions… as well as a major investment in Onkyo, Gibson now encompasses the entire music and sound chain — from the fi rst chord played by a songwriter on a Gibson guitar, until the music reaches the consumer through Onkyo’s premium high-fi delity systems.’

The Lost ChordThere’s a pleasing asymmetry to this Cmaj7 voicing – three fretted notes on the bottom strings plus three open strings. Play the notes one at a time as an arpeggio to make use of the note on the fourth string being higher than the open third string. Also, the B note that makes it a maj7 chord is doubled – it’s sounded as the fourth string, ninth fret, and the second string.

8th

Cmaj7 o o o

1

2

Guitar & Bass went along to the John Hornby Skewes trade show to bring you fi rst-hand information on the treats soon to appear in a music shop near you

4

New Stones DocumentaryEagle Rock has announced the DVD release of the Rolling Stones’ fi lm Crossfi re Hurricane. The documentary, directed by Brett Morgen, follows the iconic rockers through the pivotal moments in their career from enthusiastic beginnings as blues-loving youngsters on to stadium greatness. The DVD mixes archive interviews with new commentary from band members including former Stones Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor, and there’s live shows, TV performances and unseen historical footage too. See www.eagle-rock.com

IK Step It UpIK Multimedia has made further improvements to their much-admired AmpliTube range, and the new-fangled AmpliTube 3.0 now features a full multitrack studio, an updated mic’ing section and some excellent new amp, cabinet and e� ects models. This streamlined App o� ers a full guitar and bass rig including Fender, Ampeg and Soldano amp models as well as artist collections, 51 stompbox e� ects, a handy timeline audio editing suite with classic waveform display, a built-in programmable Loop Drummer and export features that allow users to share their genius online. Amplitude 3.0 is available at the App store, both as a free update for previous users and for £17.99 for new recruits. Visit www.amplitube.com/studio for more.

IN ASSOCIATION WITHWoke up

NEWS this mornin’...

Set Up ShopTales from the road

Scouring local guitar stores is far more fulfi lling than buying on the web, but as Adi Vines found, it can still disappoint

I’ve been out shopping again, as I deserved a couple of treats after a busy tour that barely paused for Christmas. I was therefore overjoyed to fi nd a

Slash Octave/Fuzz at a bargain price in Scarborough’s Guitar Gallery. The warm welcome and quality of banter immediately made me feel guilty for taking the easy option of buying a AMT Japanese Girl wah and a Korg Pandora online a few weeks previously. I should have been pouring my cash into a UK retail location – although, in my defence, the AMT didn’t appear to be available at any UK outlet I could fi nd. The rosy glow that Guitar Gallery left me with was a marked contrast to a previous experience that left me tutting, sighing in frustration and leaving a shop with my spending money fi rmly tucked away.

Earlier this year, after completing my tax return, I found I had some pocket money left over, and fancied buying a budget guitar. I was still on a high from attending Dinosaur Jr’s inspiring London gig and so decided that the best way to pay homage and at the same time get a home-use instrument was to fi nd a J Mascis signature series Jazzmaster.

Now, I’m aware that there are two of these, and I’m realistic enough to admit that the USA-made limited edition in its lovely purple sparkle fi nish is beyond my budget. The recent Squier version, though, in vintage white with gold anodised scratchplate, is still a nice looker that gets excellent reviews, and it seemed to be available for about £350.

On a day off in a northern town, I visited a local shop to try one. Although I was mostly impressed with the instrument, the service

was another matter. Fresh from the wall, the guitar was hopelessly out of tune, so far from pitch that I guessed it hadn’t been tuned since leaving the box; the strings needed three good stretchings before they would stabilise. Borrowing a tuner and a capo to check the set-up was a major hassle for the sales assistant, and took 10 minutes to arrive. With the guitar still displaying tuning problems I suspected a badly-cut nut, and using the capo at the fi rst fret confi rmed this. I was then subjected to a puzzling tirade from the assistant about how

a nut job was a ‘serious repair’ that would require extensive attention. Apart from being incorrect, this seemed to me to be an odd way to try to sell a guitar. I left empty-handed, disappointed that a shop would display an instrument that obviously hadn’t been given any rudimentary checks.

There’s a lot of this around. It’s very common for instruments to have dirty, dead strings, or to be badly set up or otherwise faulty… and I fi nd that shocking. Struggling to get the damn thing to play properly is never a good fi rst impression, and in my case (and I’m sure I’m not alone) it didn’t result in a sale.

I could have corrected the faults myself but that wouldn’t change the fact that the guitar was on sale in poor condition, plus I’m not in the habit of buying brand new items that need fi xing… fi rstly because it’s idiotic, and secondly because it would just encourage manufacturers and retailers to neglect their duty to ensure that an item is fi t for purpose.

Adi Vines has worked with Radiohead, the Sex Pistols, the Darkness, Razorlight and others. See www.xselectronics.co.uk

Struggling to get the damn thing to

play is never a good fi rst impression

and it won’t result in a sale

FLOWER POWERBack in the tripped-out days of the late 1970s, when the musical landscape was chockablock with prog rock epics and grand psychedelic ventures, Fender seized the opportunity to commission artist Bruce Wolfe to illustrate a series of six fairy tale-themed advertisements, and this poster depicting Alice in Wonderland addressing a bright blue guitar-toting caterpillar certainly didn’t hold back on the surreal leanings of the period. ‘I am precisely three inches high,’ proclaims the caterpillar, ‘though I frequently become much higher.’ ‘With that magic mushroom?’ asks Alice. ‘With music!’ comes the reply. Of course, we’re sure the pipe-smoking had nothing to do with it. These prints are now highly collectible.

WE’VE BEEN AD...


Acoustic EndeavourThe London Acoustic Show returns to the Olympia Conference Centre in London on the 7th and 8th of September to give enthusiasts the opportunity to hear some fantastic music as well as try out all the latest guitars and accessories from the fi nest luthiers and biggest brands around. There’s the chance to get right up close to some top acoustic stars with live performances from singer-songwriter Tom Baxter, ukelele master Jake Shimabukuro, multi-instrumentalist Ben Montague and world-renowned folk guitarist Martin Simpson. Attendees can brush up on those picking skills with masterclasses from Mike Messer, Manish Pringle, Antonio Forcione and Clive Carroll. Tickets and info at www.londonacousticguitarshow.com.

Introducing the VT1000Another World First from Orange

Fully Automated Valve Testing & Matching

TECHNOLOGY

www.orangeamps.com

Read More...


Woke up this mornin’...

NEWS

Album reviewsMartin SimpsonVAGRANT STANZAS

Topic

Slide sovereign and fi ngerstylist Martin Simpson delivers more tender-toned wonderment with time woven deep into these 14 bewitching solo performances. Inspiration came from neighbour Richard Hawley, who co-produces with US

knob-twiddler Peter Denenberg. Folk standards blend with Simpson originals; the covers include Dylan and a spellbinding take on Leonard Cohen’s The Stranger Song.

Aynsley ListerHOMEStraight Talkin’ Records

Lister artfully expands his horizons, taking on everything from the blues rock that made his name to breezy pop (Broke), jazzy lounge (Impossible), slender boogie-woogie (Sugar) and even some classy FM rock (Free), and it’s thanks to this variety

that Home is something rather special. With beautifully written songs such as these and Lister’s lightness of touch to ensure a casual veneer, he’s back in champion form.

Larry MillerLIVE & OUTLAWEDBig Guitar

Miller’s a man who delivers much of his best work facing an audience, and it’s this live connection that makes his masterful blues-rock repertoire shine. Live & Outlawed offers two discs of live favourites; the mesmerising extended solos are an

undeniable highpoint, but they’re always driven by a fi ery narrative. Covers of the Bluesbreakers, Hendrix and Gallagher offer a nod to his heroes, too.

Blues ‘N’ TroubleTRY ANYTHING TWICEMoonbeam Music

BB King once called them ‘the best white blues band in the world’, and with eight storming new originals and fi ve reimagined R&B classics this Handy Award-winning Scottish blues outfi t certainly lay claim to the title. Down ‘n’ Dirty is

twanging psychedelic fun, Slim Harpo’s King

Bee is low-down simplicity, and Sonny Boy Williamson’s Bye

Bye Bird shows off Tim Elliot’s impressive harp skills.

Guy ClarkMY FAVOURITE PICTURE OF YOUDualtone

Four years have passed and Guy Clark keeps it straightforward for this latest set, allowing his gifts as a songsmith to shine. The album’s title track, written for his recently departed spouse, is a touching acoustic tribute, the lyrically astute The

High Price Of Inspiration is a knowing look back, Heroes is a near-spoken delicacy and the folk warmth of Cornmeal

Waltz draws the curtains on this lucid, wholehearted return.

Carl JahRE-PURPOSESelf-distributed

‘Lose yourself and become the music’ sounds out to begin the ex-Dread Zeppelin guitarist’s oddball debut solo LP… and with ‘events’ as opposed to ‘songs’, it’s unlike anything else. Handy instrumental blues-rock, twanging country and

full fat overdriven rock all blur together as spooky electronic samples, chunky loops and spoken word edits evoke a B-movie fi lmic feel for this feral and schizophrenic medley.

SNAP JUDGEMENTSHe’s My Brother,She’s My SisterNOBODY DANCES IN THIS TOWNPark The Van

This sibling combo create rousing garage lo-fi and folky blues with celebratory vibes. There’s tap dancing too!

Wingin’ ItFOR THE MANYWingin’ It RecordsHeavy themes lie at the core of this multi-faceted acoustic duo’s fi rst album. Resplendent with soothing fi ngerstyle, hypnotic ambience and experimental blends

Wynntown MarshallsTHE LONG HAULWynntown Recordings

Slide-soaked Americana with wistful verses, an intimate DIY feel and some utterly gorgeous songs. Think alt-country with tasteful pop hooks

The New GrooveQUIT BITCHIN’Number One

Spirited R&B fl avours lit up via bouts of masterful harmonica, passion-heavy vocal grit and sweetspot solos that battle it out with the harp to great e� ect

Michael And The Lonesome PlayboysBOTTLE CAP SKYBlack Water

Ubaldini sparks up his outlaw spirit and leads his boys through these journeyman’s tales. Fine rebel country fare

Federal CharmFEDERAL CHARMMysticTight rhythms, assured twin-blues ri� ng and passion personifi ed in Nick Bowden’s vox make Manchester’s latest blues-rock outfi t huge in sound and potential

QuireboysBEAUTIFUL CURSEO� Yer Rocka

The hard-rockin’ vagabonds roll into town once more, now with almost 30 years of experience under their bandanas. They’ve refi ned their riffs and oiled their rock’n’roll machinery for a solid seventh studio album. Single Too Much Of A Good

Thing opens the gates, bursting with old school rock tricks, King Of Fools is vibed-up honky-tonk, and Mother Mary has the makings of a classic. A fan-pleaser.

Black Sabbath13Mercury

Aided by desk wizard Rick Rubin and Rage Against The Machine sticksman Brad Wilk, Ozzy, Geezer and Tony sharpen the old tools and attempt a return to their roots, albeit with a far glossier sheen. It was always going to be a big ask for them to resurface

unscathed here, and though the chorded doom, chilling frettery and galloping breaks are all fi red up to try to recapture those past glories, this is by no means a full deck.

Al Di MeolaALL YOUR LIFEinnsbruck

For this delightful curveball, laid down at Abbey Road (where else?), Di Meola totally redefi nes 14 classic Beatles tunes from Eleanor Rigby to I Am

The Walrus. Classical and acoustic guitars are the chosen medium with which he up-ends these well-

worn melodies. Never before have the Fab Four’s gems been injected with such a playful spirit and lifted to such mind-bending peaks. Charming but recognisable magic.

GORE, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, GREAT TONE • LONG LIFE, “e” icon, and other designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. ©2013 W. L. Gore & Associates, (UK) Limited

ELX-219-ADV-EN-MAR13

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Elixir Strings is the only coated string brand to protect the entire string, keeping tone-killing gunk out of the gaps between the string windings. Our innovative Anti-Rust Plated Plain Steel Strings prevent corrosion, ensuring longer life for the entire set. With a smoother feel and reduced fi nger-squeak, they’re a winning choice for the studio and stage.

Elixir Strings players tell us their tone lasts longer than any other string, uncoated or coated. With less hassle and expense of frequent string changes you can enjoy more time making music.

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COVER STORYPETER GREEN

THEOf all the British Blues Boom guitarists,

Peter Green was perhaps the most mercurial and the most fascinating. Michael Stephens charts his

astonishing run of creativity in Fleetwood Mac

The so-called ‘Surrey Delta’ had its own trio of guitar stars in the ’60s: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. But for the best

of the British blues explosion you had to also look a little further East, to London’s Bethnal Green. Peter Green was rarely considered part of the Clapton/Beck/Page coterie – he was two years younger than Page, for example – yet he was every bit their equal. Indeed, to many, he eclipsed them all. Green never achieved the long-term mainstream success of the others but his impact from 1966-1970 was phenomenal. If there ever were a ‘Mount Rushmore’ of genius British blues players it would be Clapton, Page, Beck… and, to the fore, Peter Green.

Green’s best work still resonates across the generations. Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Gary Moore, Billy Gibbons, Carlos Santana, the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson and Noel Gallagher all became fervent disciples of a player and songwriter who had something special. As BB King famously remarked of Green, ‘He has the sweetest tone I ever heard. He was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.’

Yet Green’s fading from fame was just as remarkable as his rise. Peter

Green still plays and performs today, but has never been quite the same since his dramatic departure from Fleetwood Mac in 1970. Here’s the story of an extraordinary burst from one of Britain’s greatest-ever guitarists…

Drawn To The BluesLike most of his peer group, the teenage Peter Greenbaum (he shortened it to Green from around 15 years old) grew up playing pop, rock’n’roll and skiffl e. His fi rst bands – Bobby Denim and the Dominoes, the Muskrats, the Tridents – never made it.… and although Green had learned to play guitar, in the Tridents he was ‘merely’ the bassist.

In the London clubs, however, he’had witnessed the 18-month-older Eric Clapton. ‘I decided to go back on lead guitar after seeing Eric Clapton,’ Green told Neville Marten. ‘I'd seen him with the Bluesbreakers before he considered singing and his whole concentration was on his guitar – he had a Telecaster – and it was really impressive. And he had a Les Paul, his fi ngers were marvellous. It took everything away from me, like my birthday, Christmas; you forgot everything… just listen to this.’

Green had got into guitar via his elder brother Len (whose ability he soon

eclipsed) and a friend called Mick Maynard. ‘Unique player, didn’t sound like nobody,’ Green told writer Mick Donovan in 1996. ‘He was a good bloke. He used to say “Come with me, I’ll play you a record. It’s a blues record and it’s by Muddy Waters, called Honey Bee… That’s blues.”

‘The bloke laid some albums on me. A John Lee Hooker album, Blues Volume II with Otis Rush on it, Sonny Rhodes, a couple of other albums like a folk festival of the blues with Buddy Guy, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willy Dixon and Sonny Boy Williamson on. One of the best albums you’re ever going to get hold of, if not the best.’

Even though he wasn’t formally taught, Green managed to pick up blues licks and phrasing remarkably quickly. By 1966, aged 19, Green did get to play lead guitar in Peter Bardens’ band Peter B’s Looners and made his recording debut with the single If You Wanna Be Happy c/w Jodrell Blues. Importantly, he also met drummer Mick Fleetwood on the session. The lightweight, cabaret-sounding A-side saw Peter merely comping chords: the B-side did have a stinging solo, but nothing suggested he was anything other than a young and, well, ‘green’ blues guitarist.

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The so-called ‘Surrey Delta’ had its own trio of guitar stars in the ’60s: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. But for the best

of the British blues explosion you had to also look a little further East, to London’s Bethnal Green. Peter Green was rarely considered part of the Clapton/Beck/Page coterie – he was two years younger than Page, for example – yet he was every bit their equal. Indeed, to many, he eclipsed them all. Green never achieved the long-term mainstream success of the others but his impact from 1966-1970 was phenomenal. If there ever were a ‘Mount Rushmore’ of genius British blues players it would be Clapton, Page, Beck… and, to the fore, Peter Green.

Green’s best work still resonates across the generations. Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Gary Moore, Billy Gibbons, Carlos Santana, the Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson and Noel Gallagher all became fervent disciples of a player and songwriter who had something special. As BB King famously remarked of Green, ‘He has the sweetest tone I ever heard. He was the only one who gave me the cold sweats.’

Yet Green’s fading from fame was Yet Green’s fading from fame was Yjust as remarkable as his rise. Peter

Supernatural

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answered, “He’s not with us anymore, he left us a few weeks ago.” I was in a shock of state [sic] but Mayall said, “Don’t worry, we got someone better.” I said, “Wait a minute, this is ridiculous. You've got someone better? Than Eric Clapton?” John said, “He might not be better now, but you wait. In a couple of years he's going to be the best.” Then he introduced me to Peter Green.’

With Mayall Green made only a few singles and one album, A Hard Road (’67), but within

his year-long tenure he was suddenly being talked of as a more-than-worthy heir to Clapton. On the album he sang on his own The Same Way, a lightly shuffl ing rock’n’roller that highlighted his vocal prowess and some stinging licks. But it was another Green tune that kicked open the doors. The Supernatural, a Latin-fl avoured instrumental in D minor, saw him using thick, reverbed sustain that – in retrospect – pointed the way to his supple phrasing and tones on Fleetwood Mac’s Albatross and Black Magic Woman.

You might also argue The Supernatural basically ‘invented’ Carlos Santana – note the

A Supernatural TalentBut then the remarkable happened. Clapton suddenly walked out of the Bluesbreakers – briefl y going to Greece with the intention of forming a new band called the Glands – leaving John Mayall in a fi x. This was the era of ‘Clapton Is God’ graffi ti and British blues morphing into something new. The highly traditionalist John Mayall could have been left high and dry, but he hit an unexpected jackpot. Green deputised on a few gigs, and would soon be recording after Clapton left the Bluesbreakers for good.

As Decca’s blues afi cionado and producer Mike Vernon recalled, ‘As the band [next] walked in the studio I noticed an amplifi er which I never saw before, so I said to John Mayall, “Where's Eric Clapton?” Mayall

10-second sustained single notes from the-off (and thrice thereafter). Green had clearly taken in EC’s majestic tone on the ‘Beano’ album, as well. Green said he got his extraordinary tone on The Supernatural ‘stood near the Marshall speakers, using my Les Paul’ and using a studio plate reverb. Green wrote and recorded The Supernatural only three months after being recruited by Mayall. Add Peter’s masterful licks on the cover of Freddie King’s The Stumble – a response to Eric’s own cover of King’s Hideaway, maybe?

– and the Bluesbreakers suddenly had a new deity: the Green god.

Like Clapton, Green had fast become a disciple of BB, Albert and Freddie King. ‘I don’t have to go to work because of them,’

Green recalled later. ‘Their styles were simple enough for me to get into professional music.’

Yet Green was typically low-key about any acclaim thrown his way. ‘Mike Vernon came up with the idea for The Supernatural. He said he’d seen this guitarist who’d played a high note, sustained it and then let it roll all the way down the neck. But I played it and I decided on the sequence.’

The Supernatural remains everything a guitar instrumental should be. It’s not technically fl ash, but has incredible power, tone, melody, lyricism, phrasing and that hard-to-defi ne ‘mojo’. The Supernatural showed that the playing of Peter Green, a mere 20 years of age, was out of this world.

Fleetwood Mac, 1969: (l-r) Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer, Danny Kirwan and John McVie

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‘Mayall said, “Don’t worry, we’ve got someone better.” I said, “This is ridiculous. Someone better? Than Eric Clapton?”’ – Mike Vernon



Break from the BreakersPoor John Mayall. He’d found a worthy successor to Clapton, but Peter didn’t hang around for long. Green said later he only ‘sometimes’ enjoyed playing with Mayall. Why? ‘I was so kind of behind,’ Green explained to Guitar Player. ‘I was jumping the gun a bit. I was trying to play as good as Eric Clapton; I had to try because I had to fi ll his place.’

Yet Green’s departure was arguably Mayall’s own doing. As a birthday gift to Green, he’d booked him some studio time, where Peter jammed away with bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood, who had been depping on drums for some Mayall live shows. Mike Vernon: ‘We recorded the Bluesbreakers as a trio. It gave Peter the opportunity to do something he couldn’t do with John Mayall. And Peter did say that day he was seriously thinking about leaving the Bluesbreakers – he said, “I want to form my own band.”’ The trio’s sessions – mostly high-octane blues instrumentals – went supremely well, and at the end the engineer asked what he should write on the recording tape. Mick Fleetwood recalls, ‘Peter said, “Well, let’s call this Fleetwood Mac, ’cos Mick and John are here.” The whole Fleetwood Mac vibe came out of those sessions. Peter was very generous. He was adamant he didn’t want to be the main dude.’

It’s a bizarre scenario, even now. Peter Green clearly was ‘the main dude’ yet he decided to name his proposed new band after the drummer and bassist. Later, he even fought new label CBS and promoters against billing the band as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. Even before he was truly famous, fame did not interest Peter Green. More bizarrely, John McVie didn’t even originally join

Fleetwood Mac, and their fi rst bassist was Bob Brunning. Green left the Bluesbreakers, leaving John Mayall writing out ‘Guitarist Wanted’ ads once again – though Mayall would be fi ne, as future Stone Mick Taylor replaced Green – and Fleetwood Mac were born.

Fleetwood Mac: First Flight Fleetwood Mac made their major debut in

August ’67 at the Windsor Jazz & Blues Festival, with Green, Fleetwood, Bob Brunning (bass) and

newly-recruited Jeremy Spencer also on vocals and

guitar with Green. Within a month, McVie did join,

deciding, despite the good money, that the

Bluesbreakers were getting ‘too jazzy.’

Mac’s debut single was I Believe My Time Ain’t Long, billed as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac.

Fronted by Jeremy Spencer’s aping of

Elmore James (it’s basically a slightly

revised take on Dust My Broom) it was underwhelming. No

matter, for Mac were getting their skills together. They became house band for Mike Vernon’s Blue Horizon label, later backing Otis Spann, Eddie Boyd, Anthony ‘Duster’ Bennett, and others. Green’s extra-curricular playing produced some of his fi nest pure blues playing – listen to Temperature Is Rising for some simmering Otis Spann/Green interplay on The Biggest Thing Since Colossus album. And, of course, Green and Mac would later reinterpret Bennett’s Jumping At Shadows as a live tour-de-force.

Fleetwood Mac’s debut album was released in February 1968 and hit #4 in the UK charts, despite the absence of any hit single. Yet Mac’s early recordings were somewhat scattershot. The Spencer-fronted slide songs (Shake Your Moneymaker, Got To Move) would please purists in thrall to the Bluesbreakers, but paled next to Green’s originals. His Looking For Somebody and Long Grey Mare

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The guitars and amps of the Peter Green sound. Genius fi ngers not included…Peter inherited his fi rst electric guitar from elder brother, Len Green. ‘He had a [Hofner] Club 40. My [own] fi rst electric guitar was a bass guitar, called a Star – not a Framus Star bass.’ Green also borrowed his brother’s Harmony Meteor, a budget hollowbody jazz-style electric. Green restrung it for ‘bass’ when in the Tridents, and back as a regular six-string it was played when he fi rst deputised for Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in August ’65).

Green both was and still is a huge EC fan, and before he joined the Bluesbreakers fulltime (July ’66) he’d acquired his ’59 Gibson Les Paul (see following Hooked On Classics feature). ‘I stumbled across one when I was looking for something more powerful than my Harmony Meteor,’ he later recalled. ‘I went into Selmer’s in Charing Cross Road and tried one. It was only £110 and it sounded lovely and the colour was really good. But the neck was like a tree trunk – like the tree trunk was spliced down the middle and half of it was used for your guitar neck! It was very di� erent from Eric’s, which was slim, very fast action. I’ve never seen another guitar with such an old-fashioned neck. But I couldn’t consider a Telecaster for some reason, and I didn’t want a Stratocaster.’ But Green did later play a ’60s Fender Stratocaster (notably the weeping slide parts on Albatross).

For amps, Green used a 50W Marshall head (with an early 4x12" cab) early on, as on The Supernatural. On Albatross he used a Fender Twin. In later Mac days, he (and the whole band) used Orange amps: Peter’s main one was an Orange GT120, with two (or even three) matching 4x12" cabs. He had pedals, too – a Crybaby and a Colorsound distortion – but rarely used them. Reverb was Green’s thing. And as roadie Dennis Keane recalled: ‘he could make a note distort just by over-plucking it. That’s how good he was. Total control.’

EQUIPMENT

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Green's infamous Les Paul replaced his less powerful Harmony Meteor

both sashayed more stylishly, while If I Loved Another Woman had the Latin feel and spooky guitars that Green was increasingly making his own. Green admitted that the Shadows were still a huge infl uence, but by marrying that twang to his blues licks, vibrato and phrasing he was patenting a unique sound.

This being the ’60s, one-off singles were just as important. March 1968’s Black Magic Woman was the fi rst bona fi de FM classic, even if it initially stalled at #37 in the UK

chart. Green used principles he’d learned with John Mayall. ‘John got me into songwriting, and one of the fi rst things he said was that if you really like something, you should take the fi rst lines and make up a song from them. So that’s what I did… but then it turned out sounding more like BB King’s Help The Poor.’

Ironically, Black Magic Woman – again in D minor – was one of Green’s last songs in a straight blues structure. Speaking to Guitar & Bass in the 1990s, Green opined, ‘I was never any good [at blues] really. I could do it at 22 but that doesn’t mean I was any good. Buddy Guy and Willie Dixon don’t listen to me… because they don’t need to.’ Try telling that to others. Fabled blues pianist Eddie Boyd, backed by Green and Fleetwood Mac only months earlier, remarked: ‘Peter Green’s a negro turned inside out.’

Blues In The USABy July ’68, Fleetwood Mac were becoming a major force. Their cover of Little Willie John’s Need Your Love So Bad, highlighted by Mickey Baker’s string arrangement and Green’s

weeping guitar and plaintive vocal, was a hit. Mac played the USA, from Detroit to San Francisco to LA and guested on The Ed Sullivan Show. Second album Mr Wonderful followed the next month. It was again straight blues, with Spencer’s Elmore James slide riffs all too prevalent, but Green shone on his own Stop Messin’ Round and Rollin’ Man. With added horns blaring away, the fabled Peter Green tone was by now in full effect.

By August, Mac had a third guitarist in Danny Kirwan. Mike Vernon says he recommended Kirwan as Peter was increasingly frustrated with Spencer’s Dust My Broom-isms, yet Green later insisted it was Mick Fleetwood’s idea. By December 1968 the three-guitar Mac were back in the USA, notably at a now-famous residency of gigs in Boston. An 18-year-old Anthony Joseph Perry was a regular. ‘I was really into the whole British Invasion thing,’ the Aerosmith guitarist told G&B. ‘I’d never seen the Yardbirds or the Beatles so I went to see Fleetwood Mac many times. I got to hear The Green Manalishi and Oh Well before their

1946Peter Allen Greenbaum is born in Bethnal Green, East London. He learns to play on a guitar borrowed from his elder brother, Len, and plays in teenage rock’n’roll bands

1966Green cuts fi rst recording with Peter B's Looners. In July, he joins the Bluesbreakers full-time to replace the departing Clapton, who forms Cream

1965Green deputises for Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers for a few gigs, while Clapton temporarily travels to Greece to supposedly form a new band, the Glands

Early 67The Bluesbreakers’ A Hard Road is released (Feb). Green sings You Don’t Love Me and shines on his own The Same Way and The Supernatural. Mayall-less Bluesbreakers record on their own, and also back Eddie Boyd as Blue Horizon’s ‘house band’

Late 67Green leaves Mayall and forms Fleetwood Mac. FM debut at the Windsor Jazz And Blues Festival and release 45 I Believe My Time Ain’t Long, billed as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac. The band backs Otis Spann, Duster Bennett, and others on a variety of albums

Peter Green THE FLEETWOOD MAC YEARSPeter Green


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record release. I learned a lot about blues guitar from Fleetwood Mac. Peter Green’s style and sound made a big impression on me. He was incredible. He’s one my favourite ever players.’

Green Spreads His WingsPeter Green may have been unwittingly educating future Boston hard rockers about blues guitar, but he had new ideas. In January ’69, Fleetwood Mac recorded at Chicago’s Chess Ter-Mar Studios with Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, JT Brown, SP Leary, and Honeyboy Edwards, resulting in The Blues Jam. It was the band’s last ‘all blues’ recording.

Kirwan’s recruitment was key to Green’s development. At 17, Kirwan was in blues band Boilerhouse and a highly lyrical and melodic player – ‘we played well together,’ said Green. This allowed Green to expand his blues horizons. Kirwan could now take some soloing (and could write, too), allowing Green to develop his songs. With Green inexplicably doubting his own blues skills, he switched tack… and in some style.

The melody of Albatross had come to Green on a trans-Atlantic fl ight, while he stared across the skies from his window seat. He says he was pondering Coleridge’s epic poem The Rime Of The Ancient Mariner (in which an albatross is killed) and Traffi c’s psych-lite-hit Hole In My Shoe, in which a girl takes fl ight on the wings of a huge bird.

Cutting what Mike Vernon calls ‘a lullaby’ with no vocal as a single seemed folly, but Green was adamant: ‘I always knew that would be a hit.’ Santo and Johnny’s lilting 1959 hit Sleepwalk (also a favourite of Jimmy Page’s) was a big infl uence. ‘That is a truly great song,’ Green later remarked. ‘Sleepwalk will be remembered longer than Albatross.’

With Fleetwood splashing cymbals and tapping mallets on his tom-toms, Green mixed his ’59 Les Paul with a Strat, played lap-style, for overdubs and slide interjections. He also plays a Fender VI bass alongside McVie’s Precision, while Kirwan adds delicate Tele licks. CBS Studios in London’s New Bond Street provided the ambience, but Spencer doesn’t feature: ‘Jeremy had a funny way of not being around the studio when we recorded my tracks,’ remembered Green.

Against all pop logic, Albatross hit #1 in the UK. Mike Vernon told G&B in the ’90s, ‘Peter

‘Peter Green’s style and sound made a big impression on me. He was incredible. He’s

one of my favourite ever players’ – Joe Perry

Early 1968Fleetwood Mac album is released and hits #4 (Feb) going on to stay in the chart for 37 weeks. Black Magic Woman, written by Green, reaches UK #37 (April). Santana’s cover version will hit US #4 in 1971

Early 69Albatross, written by Peter Green, hits #1 in the UK chart (Jan). Boston Tea Party shows (Feb) are recorded and released in the 1990s. Man Of The World hits UK #2 (May). Need Your Love So Bad re-charts

Later 68FM’s cover of Little Willie John’s Need Your Love So Bad reaches UK #31. Band tour US for fi rst time and appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. Second album Mr Wonderful hits #10 in charts. Danny Kirwan later joins.

Later 1969Then Play On album released (Sept) and climbs to #6 in the UK. It includes original songs by both Green and Danny Kirwan, but Jeremy Spencer barely features. Non-album single Oh Well hits #2 (Nov) with Part 2 on the fl ipside

1970Green and other members visit Munich’s Highfi sh Commune (March), where Green’s wine is reportedly spiked with LSD. Green announces he will leave (April), but completes dates to May 24. In June, The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Prong Crown) hits #10, but Peter Green has already left

Peter Green THE FLEETWOOD MAC YEARS


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Peter Green with his ’59 Les Paul Standard, 1968

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was one of those rare musicians who play only what is necessary. Listening to Albatross you know that the feel of the man was absolutely incredible, unrivalled. I don’t think I ever heard him play anything ordinary.’

Albatross infl uenced the best, too. Of the Beatles’ Sun King, George Harrison admitted, ‘We said, “Let’s be Fleetwood Mac doing Albatross, just to get [the song] going.” It never really sounded like Fleetwood Mac... but that was the point of origin.’

Typically of Fleetwood Mac, their next masterstroke would be another single. In May ’69, Green’s Man Of The World was released, only missing out on #1 behind the Beatles’ Get Back. Green and Kirwan again weave delicate chords and phrases… and there’s no Jeremy Spencer. Man Of The World is hauntingly beautiful yet devastatingly personal, a young man’s heartbreak committed to tape. Green later judged it to be ‘corny’. ‘“Shall I tell you about my life?” My life! That’s Jewish for a start, isn’t it?’ Peter Green must be the only man in the world who says he ‘laughs’ when he hears Man Of The World.

To Play On Or Leave?The two-year journey from A Hard Road to Man Of The World was indeed a long road, but Green had hit an unrivalled patch of creativity. With Kirwan onboard, Then Play On would be Fleetwood Mac’s third LP in just 18 months. Yet Green still had time before its release for another tour-de-force 45. Oh Well (Parts 1 and 2) was a Green solo track in all but name: only Fleetwood and McVie otherwise appear. Green

plays a Michigan dobro, a Ramirez Spanish guitar, his ’59 Les Paul (through an Orange OT120), plus recorder and cello. It remains testament to his versatility, vocals and lyrical prowess, but Green voiced his unhappiness. ‘People didn’t realise the best bit was Part 2 [the classical-infl uenced instrumental]. I used to hate playing Oh Well live because we played the bit that wasn’t as good.’

Mike Vernon believes Green became frustrated with his inability to convey his ideas to the rest of his ‘blues’ band. Roadie Dennis Keane concurs. ‘Peter wanted to be a total musician, not just a blues player. You’d go round to his gaff and he’d be playing all kinds of music, from classical to jazz to African bongo stuff. It killed Peter that Oh Well Part 2 was never performed live.’

Then Play On hugely developed Fleetwood Mac’s sound. Rattlesnake Shake is rooted in blues but adds a funky edge, Afro-Cuban rhythms bolster brilliant intertwining guitars from Kirwan and Green on Coming Your Way, and Kirwan makes his own mark with Closing My Eyes, the baroque-folk of When You Say and others. But trouble clearly loomed: on Green’s stomping acoustic Show Biz Blues, Green moans ‘do you really give a damn for me?’ It’s Green playing the slide guitars, too: Jeremy Spencer barely plays on Then Play On.

Simultaneously, Green and band were working on another 45rpm ace. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) was heavy duty. Green’s lyric railed against the Fleetwood Mac’s wealth: ‘The Green Manalishi is the wad of notes, the devil is

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The SupernaturalReverb-laden Bluesbreakers instrumental that some say ‘invents’ Santana. First showing of Greeny’s ‘59 Les Paul.

The StumblePG in Freddie King mode with Mayall, but played with style. A 1967 live version with Fleetwood and McVie (fi nd it on YouTube) extends to seven minutes and slams.

I Loved Another WomanA Latin-esque Green original from Mac’s debut. His sparse, shimmering vibrato is sparkling.

Jumping At ShadowsDelicacy and poignancy here on the Duster Bennett cover. PG’s vibrato is again stunning, especially on FM live versions (see the Boston Tea Party album recordings from Feb 1970).

Need Your Love So BadListen to the unedited 6:16-minute USA-version (studio) for amazing guitar phrasing. His singing, rarely acclaimed, is also brilliant. No wonder BB King salutes Green.

AlbatrossGreen takes control of Fleetwood Mac on the most remarkable #1 instrumental ever. Beautifully interweaving guitar melodies.

Man Of The WorldGreen lays his tortured soul bare in song. Superb, from writing to arrangement to playing, and heartbreaking. Maybe not: Green later deems it ‘corny’.

Oh Well (Part 1 and Part 2)PG’s magnum opus of nine-plus minutes in total. Part 1 totally rocks for just 2 minutes, Part 2 is from another planet (ie Peter Green’s mind). Ambition that he could not fi t into Fleetwood Mac.

I've Got A Mind To Give Up LivingLesser-known eight-minute live cover of the blues staple. Listen to Fleetwood Mac’s live versions from New Orleans or Stockholm (1970). Green’s vocals and extended soloing remain jaw-dropping.

The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown)The demons close in as Green spits at the ‘devil’ of lucre. It is nevertheless one of his most complete, ambitious multi-tracked recordings. Musical gold, even if Green was emotionally tarnished.

RECOMMENDED

After Fleetwood Mac: Peter Green recording with BB King in London, 1972

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COVER STORYRORY GALLAGHER


green and he was after me,’ he explained. After watching a TV report about famine in Biafra, Green had tried to persuade the band to donate their profi ts so he could ‘send some sandwiches.’ Musically, it was hard as nails – and spooky. Green plays his Les Paul and a Fender Bass VI (for powerchords) and it ends with Green wailing across pounding rhythms from Fleetwood and McVie. Much of Green’s guitar was recorded in the underground car park at London’s De Lane Lea Studios. Green later said: ‘Fear, inspiration, is what it was. But it was that tribal, ancient Hebrew thing I was going for. Ancient music.’

But by the time The Green Manalishi… hit the UK charts, Peter Green had left Fleetwood Mac. He was just 23 years old.

The End Of The GameRock fable has it that Green had to leave Fleetwood Mac after being spiked with LSD at a Munich party in March 1970. It’s likely overly-simplistic, although Green did admit, ‘I was just… destroyed. I took LSD and I had a hard time getting back.’ Yet Green had taken LCD many times before and, indeed, after. Just as importantly, he was clearly unhappy with other aspects of star life.

Green had the ‘show biz blues’, frustrated by industry demands and the band’s unwillingness to experiment as much as he would like. It’s notable that his fi nal contractual album of 1970, the solo The End Of The Game, was recorded freeform with barely any rehearsal in just six hours. ‘I made

it because I felt restricted,’ he later mused. It could have been the drugs, but maybe Green just didn’t care to play music anymore? Also, it’s on record that his mental illness didn’t truly manifest itself until late 1971. After all, he was well enough to briefl y return to Fleetwood Mac when Jeremy Spencer abruptly left mid-tour (February ’71).

So why the enduring fascination with Fleetwood Mac-era Peter Green? Part of it is his prolifi cacy. Between the ages of 19 and 23 he produced a body of work that belied his youth, with a run of classic singles; between 1968 and 1970, Fleetwood Mac were said to have outsold the Beatles. Speaking to the BBC in 2011, Mick Fleetwood remarked, ‘It was an incredibly short run. Yet we’re still talking about it 40 years later. That’s interesting.’

The nature of Green’s self-imposed exile will always continue to fascinate. Drugs played a part, but Green has claimed he simply ran out of things to play, ‘so I just stopped.’ Ultimately, the appeal is the music. After all, Green has made 12-plus albums since 1979, yet none has garnered the acclaim of his ’67 to ’70 work, and his guitar playing, writing nor his singing ever hit such heights again. With Fleetwood Mac he helmed some of the best British blues, arguably played better than Eric Clapton could dream of, and wrote some of the most haunting songs of his era. Peter Green may maintain he ‘wasn’t very good,’ but – with all due respect – he is wrong. As Eric Clapton acknowledged, ‘He is one of the best. It’s all there.’

Friends and colleagues may wax lyrical, but the man himself just waves it all away…

‘Peter had a deftness, a touch... He was the very best blues guitarist England has ever produced.’ Producer Mike Vernon

‘He was a bit of a savant, really. Music was his language – notes, scales, joyous harmony – that was how he spoke.’ Zoot Money, pianist on End Of The Game

‘Peter loved Jerry Garcia’s playing because it took so many risks.’ Roadie Dennis Keane

‘Peter in his prime was without equal’ John Mayall

‘I like him more for his songwriting. But he’s still, without question, the best British blues guitar player ever.’ Noel Gallagher

‘Peter’s music was very spiritual. It wasn’t just a guy standing there playing the guitar, it sounded like it was coming from somewhere else.’ Gary Moore

‘Then Play On was as far as he could go. It was the fi rst of the Brian Wilson-side of Peter Green.’ Mick Fleetwood

‘I'm not in Fleetwood Mac and I didn’t want to be in it, particularly.’ Peter Green, 1983

‘I don't think I qualify as a guitar hero. I make too many mistakes.’ Peter Green

GREEN IN QUOTES

Peter reunited with his old boss John Mayall back in 2002 for a run of 39 gigs

26 Guitar & Bass JULY 2012

Regular readers of Hooked On Classics will know that I’m a Gibson Les Paul Standard fanatic, and I’m very lucky to now have in

my possession what I believe is the greatest Les Paul Standard ever – the 1959 sunburst played by Peter Green, then by Gary Moore, but the guitar forever known as ‘Greeny’.

Meeting GreenyMe and this guitar go back a long way. I fi rst saw the Greeny Les Paul in early 1970 when my band supported Fleetwood Mac at a gig at the Oval in London. I remember Peter Green smiling at me backstage, as I had a ’68 goldtop at the time that my parents had bought me – I think Peter was a bit amused that this 15-year-old kid had a Les Paul

goldtop. On that occasion Peter’s roadie grabbed his Les Paul away before I could play it, but this guitar is what launched my passion for Gibson Les Pauls. And when I saw Peter Green with Fleetwood Mac on TV, it was the fi rst Les Paul I ever saw on the screen.

I came across the guitar again, later on, when Gary Moore bought it. When I was gigging back in 1974, I had the same management as Gary; I even joined Thin Lizzy for three or so months just after Gary did – briefl y – but I then went to form my own band, called Performance. When Gary was in Thin Lizzy for the fi rst time, he called

Phil Harris loves Les Paul Standards, but he’s falling in love all over again now that he has his hands on one of the greatest artist-owned examples of all – Peter Green’s ’59 sunburst

THE ‘GREENY’ 1959 GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD

me and said, ‘I’ve got the Greeny.’ I didn’t even know he’d even bought it. I was so besotted with the guitar I went to see him play with Thin Lizzy, and walked right past him so I could pick it up and play it. The next thing I knew, Gary had come back over and fl ipped the strap off so I had to stop… and I nearly dropped it! Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott just stood there and said, ‘Shut the foook up!’, like Phil did. Funny days.

When we used to go the management offi ce to get our wages, Gary always had the Greeny guitar with him. In management meetings, when Gary was also there, I got to play it a lot.

The present owner bought Greeny at the same time as Paul Kossoff’s ’50s Black Beauty Les Paul

THE ‘GREENY’ HOOKED CLASSICS

oN�

Phil Harris loves Les Paul Standards, but he’s falling in love all over again now that he has


HOOKED ON CLASSICS

JULY 2012 Guitar & Bass 27

HOOKED ON CLASSICS HOOKED ON CLASSICS

Faded and scarred, with visible repairs and many changed parts, Peter Green’s old Les Paul has such an enviable sonic reputation that both guitar manufacturers and pickup winders have paid

tribute to it… but is the real secret that ‘reversed’ neck pickup, or something else entirely?

Born for the blues EXAMINING AN ICON

The ‘Greeny’ Les Paul is in a different sphere. To me this is the greatest Gibson Les Paul ever

Around 1976 I ran into Gary again when he was playing with Colosseum II. By ’89 I was specialising in buying and selling guitars, and not playing live so much. I sold Gary, the ‘Stripe’ Les Paul, the one he used for recording Still Got The Blues. Gary knew I was a Les Paul Standard nut, and he trusted me on good Standards.

Even so, the Greeny and Stripe Les Pauls are very different. Greeny has the most

beautiful tone and delivery; Stripe was more of a Gary-type guitar – it grabbed you by the testicles and threw you against the wall, and in those days Gary was a defi nite testicles-against-the-wall player. He ended

up having all of the grace and touch a great blues player should have but, God bless him,

he was more of a rock player back then.I didn’t see the Greeny Les Paul for a while,

not until Gary sold it. It was eventually sold to a collector. The guy who actually owns it

now has GTO Ferraris, real estate… he’s a real investor. He also loves vintage

Les Pauls. He bought the Greeny Les Paul at the same time as he

bought Paul Kossoff’s 1950s ‘Black Beauty’ Les Paul. He won’t reveal how much he paid, but he’s not about money. He called me and said he wanted the guitar to go back to where it became famous – in

the UK. It was a bit bizarre, as he called out of the blue. We met at Heathrow airport, and he just had these two legendary Les Pauls in lightweight gigbags so he could fl y them over in the plane cabin.

So I now have the Greeny/Gary Moore Les Paul in my possession. I play it, and I’ll take it out of the vault for certain people. There’s a guy from Wandsworth Fire Station who called me, another Les Paul nut. People who fi ght fi res and save people’s lives? I think that’s a good person – so I got it out for him and let him play it. He wrote me a wonderful letter of thanks after. I’ve also allowed Guitar Guitar to use it on a YouTube demo. They were over the moon. I just want to keep spreading the word about this amazing guitar.

I’ve owned the Kossoff/Clapton Les Paul, but the Peter Green one for me is massive… and Gary Moore was massive too. I know Jimmy Page’s Les Pauls and Billy Gibbons’ ‘Pearly Gates’, but the ‘Greeny’ Les Paul is in a different sphere. To me, this is the greatest Gibson Les Paul ever.

Inside The Greeny Les PaulOriginal 1959 LP Standards are possibly the most covetable electric guitars ever, of course, but Greeny is not like some other ’59s. Peter has said it has a ‘big neck’, but he has tiny hands. I’ve measured it, and it’s a typical ‘medium’ ’59 neck. I’ve owned 37 ’bursts over


Broken in a car crash, the headstock was repaired by Charlie Chandler

Most of the wear on the top is down to the period of Gary Moore’s ownership

➻


the years, and it’s a privilege to have had that opportunity, but I wouldn’t claim the neck itself is typical of a ’59. The ’58s tend to have slightly bigger necks and smaller frets; early ’59s are the same. Greeny is actually typical of a ’59, with Gibson’s bigger frets. It’s not like some of the 1960 models, which have a skinny neck like you fi nd on an SG.

The sound of Greeny is something people will always talk about, but songs like Need

Your Love So Bad were recorded long ago on quite basic equipment, and I don’t think those records show the full range of this guitar’s tone. Before I got it, I thought it was quite a middle/toppy guitar – but it has a growl and a honk to it that you might not think.

I’ve since been to the most experienced Les Paul Standard expert in the world – I can’t print his name – and he had it for a long while and measured it all. He has every

micron of information on it, and it’s very interesting. Anyone who has The Beauty Of The ‘Burst book by Yasuhiko Iwanade will see there are ‘standard’ scales of depth of Les Paul Standard tops; Greeny is off the scale, and so is the curvature of the top, and even the pickup routings. In the bridge pickup rout there’s a funny hole which seems to go the wrong way. The expert seems to think the router maybe came loose when this guitar was being built and went a bit wild, it’s so off-course. What does this mean? Well, maybe the Greeny Les Paul Standard is a unique but brilliant mistake. It’s not, in a lot of places, the usual dimensions of a ’59 Les Paul Standard. To fi nd that out, in such exact detail, was killer information.

Greeny’s pickupsPeter took the guitar back to Selmer’s Music, where he bought it, because the neck pickup was intermittent and needed fi xing. They put a new cable on it – grey plastic-covered, not even proper Gibson wire – but then put the magnet and the pickup back in the wrong way round… and that’s it. Everyone talks about the neck pickup being unique to the sound, but it’s not that, in my opinion. I believe that the fact that the dimensions are different, no matter how slightly, to a ‘normal’ ’burst is a contributing factor to its sound.

We’ve measured all the outputs of the pickups, and those readings suggest there is

The Sperzel tuners were fi tted by Gary Moore in the 1980s

The damage to the finish on the back is probably from Peter, as he used to wear

belts when he played

➻

That famous reversed neck pickup… but is it

really a magic ingredient?

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Hagstrom 2013 models - A4 G&B (outline).indd 1 24/06/2013 14:49:28


HOOKED ON CLASSICS

It’s no pristine collector’s guitar – it reflects history and was used to play some amazing music

Inside Greeny’s control cavity, with Selmer’s plastic grey

wire clearly visible

The taller refl ector-top

knobs were added by

Gary Moore

something else that gives Greeny its unique sound. There are numerous Peter Green-style pickups you can buy, and they’re good – but for getting that real Greeny tone, a lot of them are mostly smoke and mirrors. In my opinion, you could take these pickups out and put them in fi ve or six other classic LP Standards and they won’t sound like Peter Green. To me, it’s not the pickups… it’s what the pickups are in. The dimensional differences of Greeny are what make it unique.

Battle ScarsThe damage to the fi nish on the back is probably from Peter, as he used to wear belts when he played. I spoke to Peter years ago about the guitar and asked ‘Wouldn’t you like the guitar back?’ And Peter said, genuinely, ‘Naah… look at the state of it!’ Peter always wants to look after his guitars, and this one got untidy. The last time I saw Peter he was rehearsing with a new Hofner Verithin in fl amed maple and he still sounded like Peter Green. It was a beautiful, mint-condition guitar; Peter wants pretty, and he wants clean.

The marks on the front are interesting. At the time of Peter’s ownership the marks were probably 10 per cent of what they are now. It was in a much better condition with Peter than after Gary Moore had it. The marks on the top appear to be what Gary Moore did, digging his nails in and sweating. The top on Greeny is now really rough; the wood is churned up and indented.

Greeny is in no way an ‘original’ ’59. Its neck was smashed in a car accident with Gary Moore, who was rear-ended by a van. It was repaired by Charlie Chandler and the neck is now as solid as a rock. It’s got a set of Sperzel tuners that Gary fi tted in the 1980s. Two of the screws on the pickup surrounds have been changed, but they appear to have been on there for a very long time. It had several bridges in Gary’s ownership – the current one being a reproduction ABR-1 Gibson bridge – but the tailpiece is original.

Two knobs have been changed, as all Les Paul fans can see. There are two original ’59 knobs and two ’60s knobs, changed by Gary. Here’s why he did it: with the very-curved top of Greeny, the lower ’60s knobs stick up more than the ’50s originals, so when Gary was singing and wanted to alter settings he could easily feel the taller knobs without looking at the guitar.

The strap buttons are original. There’s a hole above the neck strap button which I don’t understand – it’s not been used for years, it seems. The backplates and its screws have clearly been changed, too. The jackplate was replaced by Gary years ago; the original got ‘pushed in’ and Gary replaced it with a black metal one. The binding on the neck was changed after its car accident.

Not Original, But Best?All told, the Greeny guitar is nothing to do with the pristine ’58-’60 Les Paul Standards bought by some collectors, but it refl ects history. Peter Green happened to play this guitar on some amazing music, and, to me, it’s the most iconic Gibson Les Paul on the planet. I lent it to Joe Bonamassa recently to play at the Royal Albert Hall. We had a ’burst party, as Joe plays three on his tour, two ’59s and a ’60. We put them all together and photographed them; it was brilliant. Joe, who is a great player as well as the knowledgeable owner of six sunbursts, says there is something very special about Greeny. When he borrowed it he said ‘I’m not going to play a Peter Green song on this,’ but admitted he had to pinch himself, standing in front of a full house playing Greeny on a cover of Gary Moore’s Midnight Blues. He said it was surreal. Joe grew up listening to Gary Moore, then using Greeny as his main guitar, but he wouldn’t touch a Peter song – he just couldn’t.

I do play Greeny, but of course I can’t play guitar like Peter Green. Guitars-plus-guitarists is like a recipe, with all ingredients coming together, and I’m not in that particular recipe. But I’m humbled that I’ve been asked to take care of Greeny; it has so much history. I’d like Joe Bonamassa to maybe play this guitar more regularly… there’d be no-one more worthy (Joe’s guitar tech Mickey, did joke that he’d have to sell out at least one extra tour just to buy it). I’d also like to see this guitar on display. It would be in a protective case, of course, but a Green/Moore exhibition would be great. Believe me, one day, this guitar will be in a museum.

Pickup routs give a hint of the original depth of red in the sunburst

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DAVE DAVIES

INTERVIEW


Long before the Kinks’ last show to date in 1996, lead guitarist Dave Davies had been pursuing an intermittent solo career. It had all started with a bang when 1967’s Death Of

A Clown came within an ace of topping the UK chart. The follow-up, Suzannah’s Still Alive, was a lesser hit and Dave was well-placed to move into an orbit entirely separate from the group. Instead, he decided to stick with his band. ‘The Kinks had now become a crucial part of my life and I wanted to see it through to the end,’ he later remembered.

So it was that Dave continued as the band’s second-string composer – on a par with, say, the Who’s John Entwistle or George Harrison in the Beatles, responsible for maybe two or three tracks per album. Certainly, he was in a less dazzling spotlight than elder brother Ray, writer of nearly all the Kinks Klassics and the chief show-off on stage, yet many consider Dave’s contributions to be a very important aspect of the group’s output. His song You’re Looking Fine from 1966’s Face To Face LP was revisited on a 1989 album by Billy Childish’s Headcoats, brand-leaders of the global garage band scene. Moreover, half-a-century ago, a certain Shel Naylor recorded a Davies opus, One Fine Day, as an A-side. While neither the song nor Shel are mentioned in Kink, Dave’s 1996 autobiography, the disc and its sheet music are prized by the collector as among the rarest of Kinks items.

Yet Dave’s songs were of less value to the Kinks than the power he gave to Ray’s patterns of chords and rhymes. Perhaps that was the reason that, for many years, he couldn’t conjure up much enthusiasm about continuing with solo efforts… at least, not after Lincoln County and 1969’s Hold My Hand were consigned to the deletion rack. Nevertheless, he became something of a studio whizz after the Kinks established their own Konk complex in North London, producing singer-songwriter Clare Hamill and Tom Robinson. Robinson has a telling anecdote: ‘With Dave in charge we completed three tracks in the fi rst day, but then the

After a life-changing event in 2004, Kinks guitarist Dave Davies releases a new collaborative solo album, I Will Be Me, and returns once more to the stage. Alan Clayson catches up with a legend

shadowy fi gure of Ray Davies sat down in the back of the studio, and Dave started getting a bit edgy. By the fi fth day, the remaining sessions were cancelled.’

Since Dave resumed recording in his own right in 1980, his albums and spin-off singles have sold steadily if unremarkably, some penetrating the lower reaches of the US Hot 100. However, outlines dissolved between the solo Davies and the Kinks on Rock Bottom, a turn-of-the-century in-concert bash from New York. While visiting his non-Kinks catalogue (and delving into unexpected if rather scatterbrained areas, notably on an off-the-cuff Psycho Lounge), Dave also delivered his perspectives on I Need You and David Watts, numbers associated much more closely with one to whom he

refers as ‘the other guy’ – just as Lennon hijacked McCartney’s I Saw Her Standing There in 1974 during what turned out to be his last public performance.

In the style of a happy ending in a Victorian

novel, with all the villains bested and the inheritance claimed, Dave appeared to have settled down with most of his hair still on his head, more money than sense and loaded with all manner of honours – such as the Kinks’ induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1990. Then, out of the blue, came disaster. In 2004, he was poleaxed by a stroke while exiting BBC Broadcasting House during a run of interviews to promote his then-current album, Bug.

‘Suddenly the right hand side of my body seized up,’ Dave recalled, ‘and I couldn’t move my arm or leg. Although I didn’t lose consciousness, I couldn’t speak. Luckily my son Christian and my publicist were there, so they carried me outside and called an ambulance. It was awful at the time, extremely debilitating – and it was a long, arduous road back. However, I learnt a lot about myself and the people around me, especially in the rehab centre, where I was taught a lot about determination and inner will.’

After a long spell in hospital Dave made the depressing discovery that he could no longer play the guitar, but gradually the old co-ordination

‘When Ray and I sang together there was something

intangible about it’

Being

➻

GuitarsThe instruments most associated with Davies are the 1964 Harmony fed through a brutally self- customised Elpico on You Really Got Me, and the Gibson Flying V purchased in 1965 as much for its aesthetic as sonic qualities. Nowadays Dave plays a sunburst 1994 Telecaster and two Ovation acoustics

Gear

There

➻

INTERVIEWDAVE DAVIES


Singing, as well as playing guitar, has been di� erent after Dave’s stroke. ‘My speech therapist reckoned the stroke actually improved my vocal cords. My range is deeper – but, while I’m more mindful about how, I can still pitch the high notes.’

And another thing...

stirred reluctantly into action, and his fi ngers began barring the once-familiar chord changes and picking less jumbled solos. ‘I had not so much to relearn it as reclaim the muscles, reintegrating the thought processes between them and the brain. I used to take the guitar to bed every night. Even just resting your hands on the strings and rubbing them up the neck helped in reminding them what they do. It was months before I felt confi dent enough to play.

‘Also, when I was ill, painting – mostly in oils or acrylic – brought my emotions out. I also listened to a lot of music. I’ve always loved Bach – and Beethoven. If he was around today, he’d be rockin’, man! A lot of classical music boils down to simple basic ideas, and jazz just came out of blues riffs, but if it sounds good, it is good. It doesn’t matter about tuning, pitch or being technically correct.’

Dave wasn’t quite well enough to undertake a US tour in support of 2010’s Mystical Journey, a DVD focused on the infl uences, earthly and otherwise, that have shaped him. Among these infl uences are astral intelligences that manifested themselves to Dave alone on stage during a Kinks extravaganza in Virginia in 1982. ‘That particular experience changed my life forever, but the process is gentler these days, partly because there’s something serene about nature and the remote, rugged areas of the countryside surrounding my home in the north Devon moorlands. There are also many sacred and historical sites down this way. I’m inspired by spiritual forces rather than directly confronted by them like you would be in a classroom or university. Throughout my career, I’ve always been interested in alternative disciplines – metaphysics, meditation, astrology, yoga… they’ve all been interrelated with being a musician and the general area of imagination and ideas. He addresses aspects of these on the song Walker Through The World on the latest album, I Will Be Me.

A less ethereal issue is the subject of the song Little Green Amp, a tribute to the Elpico whose speaker cone he shredded with a razor-blade to achieve the gravelly crunch of You Really Got Me, often cited as a primal example of heavy metal. ‘Ray, Julian Temple and I had

been working on the ongoing feature fi lm about the Kinks, and it caused me to refl ect about that amp and the heartbreaking episode that was affecting me at the time. I’d fallen in love with my school sweetheart – who was pregnant – but we’d been made to split up. On a lighter note, I also wondered what the You Really Got Me riff sounded like backwards. Even at my most ponderous, there’s an element of humour – which was always a big part of the Kinks.’

Family affairDave’s sons Daniel and Russell have followed in his footsteps. Daniel is a self-taught guitarist; his California-based band Year Long Disaster was named by Rolling Stone as one of the most promising acts of 2008; today, he is lead vocalist with alt-metal outfi t CKY. Russell’s music is of more celestial nature – as might be deduced from the albums he’s recorded with his father, Purusha And The Spiritual Planet (1998) and The Aschere Project (2010). ‘It was wonderful working with Russell,’ smiles Dave. ‘He’s got a great ability for assembling musical landscapes. He works almost like a painter, hardly ever talking.’

In any family there is always some territory impenetrable to outsiders – and who will ever

unravel the complications between Dave and brother Ray? The Kinks was never Ray’s band, though: the plain fact is that Dave founded the Kinks with Pete Quaife in 1963. Then Ray joined soon afterwards, and become de facto leader.

‘I’m proud of my brother,’ Dave confesses. ‘We went through a lot of bad times, but we stay in touch, and hopefully, we’ll do something musically again. Furthermore, I’ve been doing some of Ray’s compositions during the recent tour – though I always think of them as Kinks songs rather than just his. They were collaborative. When he and I harmonised together, there was something intangible, almost telepathic, about the tone and timbre rather than

the actual notes sung. I suppose it was the same with the Everly Brothers.

‘Incidentally, without my brother-in-law Mike Picker, Ray and I might not have started playing together. He built guitars and amps, and was a good jazz player. He introduced us to Django Reinhardt, Big Bill Broonzy, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie… Broonzy and Williams in particular were like doors opening for us.’

and I might not have started playing together.

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DAVE DAVIES

INTERVIEW


THE KINKS Phobia(1993)Dave’s last studio o� ering as a Kink was ‘a very co-operative e� ort’. Among highlights was his Close To The Wire

DAVE DAVIES Rock Bottom: Live At The Bottom Line(2000)Less a performance than an experience, Davies gives a great show to those paying homage with scintillating in-your-face rock interspersed with good-natured banter

DAVE DAVIESI Will Be Me(2013)Six oldies and fi ve newies make this a slow-burning album that, with guitar pyrotechnics held in check, rewards repeated listening

Listen up

Elsewhere on I Will Be Me, most conspicuously on the songs You Can Break My Heart and The Healing Boy, there are ingredients of both the New Age and fi lm music, the latter resulting from a mid-1990s sojourn in Los Angeles and his professional liaison with horror/science-fi ction movie director John Carpenter, working on the soundtracks for two fi lms, In The Mouth Of Madness and Village Of The Damned.

‘By the way, The Healing Boy is about my grandson,’ Dave explains, ‘who popped his head out two years ago. It features a sitar, courtesy of Jonathan Lea. He’s been in my backing outfi t for around 10 years – and I used his group, Jigsaw Scene, on the US dates to promote I Will Be Me. They’re based in LA. I sang background vocal on a track on their forthcoming album, Winterland.

‘Chris Spedding – who I’ve known since the 1960s when he worked in a guitar shop in central London – plays on I Will Be Me’s title track, while the Oli Brown Band are on The Actress, which they also arranged. I had Otis Redding in mind when I wrote that one. They’re a good blues band because they don’t go in for that endless soloing and all that other waffl e that really gets on my wick. In the beginning I didn’t so much copy that blues guitar style as play in a way that sounded like it. Anyone can play, but not everyone can sound unique. I also used to listen hard to the

Ventures. Although theirs was a clean Fender sound, there’s a shadowy link between No Trespassing, one of their B-sides, and You Really Got Me. The rhythm guitar focuses on the bottom strings – it struck me as a

great way of not having to worry about minors, sixths and all that.

‘As well as Chris and Oli, there’s a lot of younger players on I Will Be Me too, chosen because they suited the mood of particular tracks. It took about a year

to make the album in all sorts of studios, LA, New York – and the one I have at home.

‘On nearly all the vocals and guitars,I used a Universal Audio valve preamp which lends a kind of atmospheric edginess, a warmth you don’t get with transistorised equipment. I miss all the scratches and blips of vinyl – and the smell of it is very evocative of places, people and situations. I like fl aws and nuances… much more complementary to a song than squeaky-clean clarity. Singing close to the mic with all the imperfections when you’re trying to get the diction right gives songs character.’

Dave ventured onto the boards again with a summer tour that took in New York and other cities around North America’s east coast. ‘They really know their rock’n’roll, man! Hopefully we’ll bring the show to Britain, even though it’s a case there of “a prophet is not without honour except in his own country” though there’s less of that attitude now.’

Elsewhere on I Will Be Me, most conspicuously on the songs You Can Break My Heart and You Can Break My Heart and You Can Break My Heart The Healing

Ventures. Although theirs was a clean Fender sound, there’s a shadowy link between No Trespassing,

‘I didn’t so much copy the blues guitar style as play in a

way that sounded like it’

Dave, with his Guild Starfi re IV, and the Kinks, circa 1964 Ph

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Pick it up and sing. Asyla is all about playing. Purely. For the fun of it.For the sound. For the memories. For friends. For yourself. From the heart.Just like it used to be. Just like it always should be.

THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES

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Music Tech G&B.indd 1 16.05.2013 15:09:22 Music Tech G&B.indd 2 16.05.2013 15:09:47

40 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 201140 Guitar & Bass SEPTEMBER 2011

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JOE MORETTI

INTERVIEW


Prior to British beat music’s subjugation of the planet in the mid-1960s, only a handful of native recordings were really on a par with anything in the annals of US classic rock.

Among these were Vince Taylor’s Brand New Cadillac and Shakin’ All Over from Johnny Kidd. Each song lived in their riffs – and the guitarist who played both of them was Joe Moretti, a man who rippled across the decades as an infl uence not only on the fretboard fi reworks of such disparate guitar heroes as Pete Townshend, Syd Barrett and Wilko Johnson, but also on the subtler picking of players such as George Harrison and Tony Hicks.

London, then as now, was the storm centre of the British music industry, and Joe – who died a year ago in February, aged 73 – had to uproot from his native Glasgow. His original plan to become a painter had been ditched after hearing Scotty Moore, Roland Janes, Cliff Gallup and other rockabilly guitar sidemen.

Taking what he’d taught himself on his grandfather’s piano, he bought a Swedish-made Herdin acoustic – ‘a terrible thing painted with brown varnish’ – and then a Hofner Senator. Combined with a serviceable singing voice, Joe’s increasing dexterity gave him the confi dence to try his luck in a Daily Record competition to fi nd the ‘Tommy Steele of Scotland’ after Tommy, England’s ‘answer’ to Elvis, had delivered a performance at the Glasgow Empire in 1956.

The contest was won by the celebrated Alex Harvey who, magnanimous in victory, asked Joe to join his group. The Strathclyde music scene was as incestuous a game of musical chairs as anywhere else, however, and the outlines soon began to dissolve between personnel of Harvey’s band and rival outfi ts.

One of those rivals was the Ricky Barnes All Stars, and it was with that band that Moretti made his TV debut on the BBC’s Six-Five Special. That was quite a coup for an act from Scotland, a part of the kingdom where few musicians could rely solely on gigs to make a

To the fore on two rock’n’roll classics and more besides, the late Joe Moretti was one of British pop’s ‘guitarist’s guitarists’. Profi le by Alan Clayson

living. For Joe at this point, London might as well have been Mars – but then the All Stars were invited onto a package tour, headlined by the Kalin Twins, which visited the capital late in 1958. During a conversation after the London show with Brian Gregg, bass player with the troupe’s all-purpose backing ensemble, Joe was advised to take his chances in the big city.

This was the advice the 20 year-old had been wanting to hear, and the following month he walked into the

2i’s, the Soho coffee bar-cum-skiffl e club that Alex Harvey had assured him – correctly – was the shrine of British rock.

‘The 2i’s was meant to hold about 40,’ remembered Moretti, ‘but it was always packed with

people standing shoulder to shoulder.’ It was in this sweatbath that young hopefuls named Thomas Hicks, Harry Webb, Reg Smith, Terry Nelhams and Roy Taylor had awaited their destinies as Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard, Marty Wilde, Adam Faith and Vince Eager.

Room was made for Joe to do a turn, and before he’d even left the building he found himself enlisted into the Cabin Boys, who backed Colin Hicks, Tommy Steele’s younger brother. The consequent round-Britain trek with the Cabin Boys was followed by a month likewise serving Vince Eager in his role as ‘Simple Simon’ in Mother Goose at Southport’s Garrick Theatre.

As 1959 dawned, Moretti began to enter the orbit of Vince Taylor and the Playboys. Screaming Lord Sutch reckoned that Taylor had everything it took to be a second Gene Vincent – and, on the rebound from the Vince Eager pantomime gig, Joe pledged himself gladly to the Playboys, going so far as to move into Taylor’s house in west London.

However, though the group was a reliable draw on the ballroom circuit, they were hardly an overnight sensation. The previous autumn, a solo single by Taylor on Parlophone had fl opped, and everything hung on the next release. The resulting Brand New Cadillac was, however, put at a disadvantage by an outright BBC ban – because it ‘advertised’ a make of car.

Joe Moretti played the riffs on Brand New Cadillac and

Shakin’ All Over

Shaker

➻

GuitarsOn early recordings Joe used a Grimshaw SS De Luxe and a Vox AC15 amplifi er. For Shakin’ All Over, his guitar was fed through a Watkins Copicat. According to Brian Gregg, Moretti created a ‘shimmering e� ect’ as an overdub by sliding a cigarette lighter across his strings. For his tenure with Gene Vincent, Moretti borrowed a Fender Telecaster

Gear

Maker

FRANK ALLEN

INTERVIEW


Nonetheless, it was a turntable hit on jukeboxes in far-fl ung provincial cafés and became the common property of countless groups, both at home and on the continent. It was also to permeate subsequent generations of pop via versions by the Downliners Sect, the Fall, the Clash and the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Into the bargain, a 1976 reissue of the original stalled only on the edge of the domestic Top 50, fi ve years after Mungo Jerry’s Baby Jump – very much hinged on Moretti’s Brand New Cadillac guitar fi gure – spent a fortnight at #1.

However, back in 1959, Parlophone washed its hands of Vince Taylor and the Playboys, who disbanded before the summer was out.

‘We didn’t have many gigs because Brand New

Cadillac hadn’t made it,’ sighed Joe. ‘In six months, we’d done a week’s tour and one radio show [an edition of the BBC’s pop series, Saturday Club]. The split up had to come. The guys in the Playboys were looking for ways to get ahead in the business, and there was a lot of head-hunting going on.’

Space was found for Joe in Johnny Duncan and his Bluegrass Boys, who’d also been on that week-long tour the previous February. A skiffl e unit that had caused Lonnie Donegan some nervous backward glances during the genre’s 1957 prime, their star was on the wane when Moretti was telephoned from Abbey Road’s canteen on a Friday morning in May 1960, where Johnny Kidd and the Pirates – guitarist Alan Caddy, drummer Clem Cattini and, on bass, Brian Gregg – were waiting to record Shakin’ All Over. Much of the charm of Kidd’s hit parade debut, 1959’s Please Don’t Touch, had emanated from Alan Caddy’s frenetic riffi ng.

But Caddy was riven with self-doubt about how he was going to combine the two contrasting guitar parts – one on hand-muted strings – of Shakin’ All Over when the group entered the EMI complex’s Studio Two. ‘The assistant producer told us that they were going to supply a session guitarist to augment the backing sound,’ recalled Gregg. ‘We were nervous that they’d give us someone whose style wasn’t really rock, so Alan rang our friend Joe Moretti to help out.

‘Alan was the sort of guy who’d be happy to let someone else take the glory if the song would sound the better for it. He showed Joe the intro riff and then, for the recording, played the bass line along with me, but two octaves higher. Joe contributed his own guitar solo, which was great, but the now-famous riff was entirely Alan Caddy’s idea.’

Rather than taking a stake in the disc’s royalties, Joe chose to accept the standard session fee – and was beset with confl icting emotions when Shakin’ All Over knocked Cliff Richard from #1 in August 1960. By then, Gene Vincent had become Moretti’s paymaster for a brief stint that culminated in a TV appearance in Italy, during which Vincent, a generous frontman, directed the adulation of viewers towards the guitar breaks.

1961 found the mercurial Moretti in the ranks of the Wise Guys behind trumpeter Eddie Calvert, another veteran of the Kalin Twins excursion. Though well into his 30s, Calvert had shown what was possible by scoring two mid-’50s chart-toppers, but the going had become erratic – so much so that sessions began to represent a more comfortable vocational option to Joe. In the sphere of the studio, you could work near home in the employ of whoever called the shots, with no extra time or favours done – or, indeed, any interest in the

Lingering well into the 1960s, a critical prejudice of most British recording managers was that the last thing anyone wanted to hear was a homemade song. That was why EMI’s Norrie Paramor intended that the single Vince Taylor and his Playboys were to record at Abbey Road was to be a revival of the funereal-paced Pledging My Love, a US smash for Johnny Ace in 1955, rather than Brand New Cadillac, a number that Moretti recalled

Taylor composing in a Soho restaurant during ‘our one meal a day’. Taylor was still adding fi nishing touches as the session

got underway. ‘We didn’t have much rehearsal,’ recalled Joe, ‘and we did it in a couple of takes. Once we had

the structure, we just blew the hell out of it.’ Bellowing encouragement when not singing, Vince’s holler of ‘Hang it on Scotty! Here we go!’ – a reference to Moretti’s stylistic a� nity to Scotty Moore rather than his country of origin – drove Joe from repeating the simple

fi ll into a full-blooded solo. The outcome prompted a U-turn from Paramor, who decided to take a chance

by making Brand New Cadillac the A-side.

HANG IT ON, SCOTTY!

FRANK ALLEN

Nonetheless, it was a turntable hit on jukeboxes in

Cadillacwe’d done a week’s tour and one radio show [an edition of the BBC’s pop series, had to come. The guys in the Playboys were looking for ways to get ahead in the business, and there was a lot of head-hunting going on.’

Bluegrass Boys, who’d also been on that week-long tour the previous February. A skiffl e unit that had caused Lonnie Donegan some nervous backward glances during the genre’s 1957 prime, their star was on the wane when Moretti was telephoned from Abbey Road’s canteen on a Friday morning in May 1960, where Johnny Kidd and the Pirates – guitarist Alan Caddy, drummer Clem Cattini and, on bass, Brian Gregg – were waiting to record charm of Kidd’s hit parade debut, 1959’s

Joe Moretti also played guitar on Johnny Kidd and the Pirates’ Restless, the soundalike follow-up to Shakin’ All Over. The song featured Duane Eddy-esque booming bottom strings and it was a lesser hit… but a hit all the same


Moretti found himself on the road with Nero And The Gladiators in which he was

required to wear the uniform toga and laurel wreath

JOE MORETTI

INTERVIEW


music you were being paid on a regulated scale to play. Yet an initial attempt to move into session work backfi red when, booked to play bass, Moretti discovered to his dismay that the music was written in a clef that he was then unable to sight-read.

He managed much more successfully from the mid-1960s onwards, working for a diverse group of artists including Tom Jones, Chris Farlowe, Alma Cogan, Donovan, Marianne Faithfull, Don Partridge, Leapy Lee, Johnny Hallyday, Les Reed, Richard Harris, Andrew Lloyd Webber (for the pre-West End album of Evita), Johnny Dankworth and Phil Everly. A 1968 update of the signature tune to John Peel’s Top Gear series on Radio One was attributed to the Joe Moretti Group.

Before the session work took off, however, Moretti had found himself back on the road again, fi rst with Georgie Fame’s Blue Flames and then with Nero and the Gladiators, in which Joe was required to wear a uniform toga and laurel wreath. His guitar can be heard on their robust 1961 arrangement of Grieg’s Hall Of The Mountain King, the second of their two Top 50 singles. More prestigious were Scarlet O’Hara and Applejack, successive smashes in 1962 for former Shadows Jet Harris and Tony Meehan; Moretti was enlisted into their touring band prior to a parting of the ways.

Next, the Tony Meehan Combo with Joe on board reached the Top 40 – just – with 1964’s Song Of Mexico, one of a number of the band’s songs that anticipated jazz-rock by at least fi ve years. ‘We were doing the sort of thing that Chicago and Blood, Sweat And Tears came up with later,’ said Meehan, ‘but we were booed off.’ Joe was to venture deeper into this territory with the People Band, an entity connected to one of the Arts Laboratories that had come into being around 1967.

Audiences were more receptive to the middle-aged muzak of Cyril Stapleton’s BBC Show Band throughout a lengthy residency at Streatham Locarno, where the sharp-eyed might spot Moretti – as they would later in the decade with Herbie Goins and the

Night-Timers, whose stamping ground was central London watering holes where they were acclaimed for a soul music repertoire that stretched from smooth Motown to let-me-hear-you-say-yeah’ routines.

Other public activities included dressing as a toreador for a TV special starring Barbra Streisand, and – also in the 1970s – undertaking some dates with

vocalist Madeleine Bell in South Africa, where Joe was to retire.

If nothing else, these live ventures made a change from performing hours

of take after take of the same tune in the course of maybe three sessions a day, fi ve days a week. Yet whether driving Vince Taylor through Brand New Cadillac,

operating the wah-wah pedal on Leapy Lee’s maddeningly catchy pop-country hit Little Arrows or roaming the far

reaches of the avant-garde with the People Band, it was all just part of a day’s work for Joe Moretti – and, at the most fundamental level, whether performed on the

stage or in the studio, all that ever really mattered to him was that it was music.

Night-Timers, whose

‘We were doing the sort of thing Blood, Sweat And Tears did fi ve years later’

Joe in the studio with a post-mid ’60s Tele with modded neck pickup

Moretti, with Gretsch, in the Night-Timers

JOHNNY KIDD AND THE PIRATESSHAKIN’ ALL OVER(1960)Repercussions from this magnum opus were su� cient to keep Johnny Kidd in well-paid bookings for the remainder of a short life

TOM JONESIt’s Not Unusual(1965)Joe’s lead was underpinned by Vic Flick’s rhythm on a million-seller by the proverbial ‘pop singer who can really sing’

THE PEOPLE BANDTHE PEOPLE BAND (1970)Overseen by Rolling Stone Charlie Watts, this ‘spontaneous music’ was absorbed by jazzers in a knowing, nodding kind of way

JOE ‘LEGS’ MORETTILady Lee (1971)A self-penned o� ering in his own right, this was B-sided by Little Evvy, a topical tribute to DJ Kenny Everett

Listen up

Phot

o: M

ike

Prio

r

AL DI MEOLA

INTERVIEW


‘More important than anything in the whole world is rhythm,’ advises Al. ‘Learn how to tap without moving the time: that’s something that 99 per cent of guitar players are horrible at. Tap into that inner clock that we all have, or hopefully we have, your upper body playing the counter-rhythms, syncopating with your foot, tapping quarter notes without moving. If your sense of inner time is o� you have to rely on a drummer or a rhythm machine or a metronome, you know… but if you can play against the time, without the time moving, a whole new world opens.’

If you need one thing...

A failing dictaphone in a noisy dressing room at London’s Ronnie Scott’s and a wayward internet connection from a hotel in the Ukraine are not the best advertisement

for the wonders of modern technology, but it seems apt considering that Al Di Meola’s latest project, All Your Life: A Tribute To The Beatles, was recorded entirely analogue at Abbey Road studios. It’s the kind of move that could appear gratuitous, frivolous even, the whim of a famous musician with record company dollars to spend – but in Di Meola’s case this couldn’t be further from the truth. Having ‘dreamt my whole life to go to Abbey Road as a tourist, just to see the studio, take a picture’, he hired it to kickstart a project he’d been wanting to do for several years, recording Blackbird, Because and If I Fell.

As anyone would, Di Meola revelled in the nostalgia of fi nding himself in that hallowed space. ‘Seeing all three rooms, exactly as when the Beatles were there, same fl oors, same walls, same microphones… I felt like a fi ve year old going to Disney World for the fi rst time.’ He then returned to the US intent on fi nishing the project, but that didn’t work. ‘We couldn’t come close to the sound quality we had at Abbey Road, not even near it, even though we used a small amount of tracks, analogue, same confi guration,’ he admits. ‘There wasn’t any comparison. Everything they say about Abbey Road being the greatest studio in the world is true.’

If this all sounds as if Di Meola was on some kind of a pilgrimage, that’s not too far from the truth. ‘For me, the Beatles’ music is basically highly sacred,’ he ponders. ‘It was while I was alone in Prague on a mid-tour break, going through a diffi cult period in my life, that it dawned on me that it might be a good time to start.’ The guitarist rented a house in the Hamptons to work on the arrangements – and his neighbour just happened to be Paul McCartney. ‘I still can’t get over it, it was a dream come true to meet him,’ Di Meola says. ‘I’m not so sure that he grasped who I was, because I kind of stopped him when he was pulling out of the driveway and he was by himself, so it wasn’t like there was somebody there to say “Paul, this is Al Di Meola… you know, the guitarist Al Di Meola!?”’

With just a guitar, the odd overdub and a string quartet for company, the jazz/fusion great reasserts his lifelong passion for the music of the Beatles with a 14-song testimonial. Interview by Pete Langman

The Beatles are perhaps not the most obvious of infl uences on the man who, at the age of 19, was plucked out of Berklee College Of Music to replace Bill Conners in Chick Corea’s fusion powerhouse Return To Forever. ‘That was maybe the best electric guitar chair anyone could have, probably the most interesting music being written for electric guitar at that time… but, you know, a lot of us took up music and the guitar itself

because of the Beatles. Records like Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, Abbey Road – they were as remarkable then as they are today. I mean, how can you not like – or love, even – the Beatles? If I go back and listen to

Sergeant Pepper’s, it’s mind-blowing, nothing less than incredible. I haven’t heard anything from any new band that can compete.’

After a series of searing solo LPs including Casino and Elegant Gypsy, the latter of which led to him touring Germany like a major rock star, Di Meola became established as one of the big electric guitarists of the ’70s. Then, in 1980, he turned sharp left. ‘The record company was upset that I was going acoustic with this guy named Paco. They had no clue who he was… they thought I was nuts! They saw me as the “next big thing” and thought things were going great, but I said, “Well, this is going to be pretty damn great as well, so you’ll just have to see.” And you know what? The thing sold fi ve million records and is still going strong.’

The ‘thing’ was Friday Night In San Francisco, a mind-boggling combination of Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucia. ‘It was like being thrown into the arena of giants… you had to immediately rise to the occasion. In fact you had to kick some ass sometimes, too. Oh man, it was hard, it was just plain hard.

‘How can you not love the Beatles? I haven’t heard a

new band that can compete’

Pilgrim’sTale

➻

GuitarsConde Hermanos Spanish cutaway Al Di Meola signature model in Madagascar rosewood and German spruce, with RMC Acoustic Gold Poly-Drive II pickup, preamp and IntelliTouch tuner. 1948 Martin D-18

Amps Two AER Classic combos

Effects Roland VG88 pedal, which allows him to blend in sounds along with the straight guitar tone; Taurus Zebu reverb/delay

Gear

INTERVIEW


AL DI MEOLA

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You had to be totally on your toes. It’s not quite the same when you’re the only guitarist in the group or you’re leading, you know.’ Even this album already bore the mark of the Beatles in its left/centre/right mix of the three guitars. ‘That was down to me, because of George Martin and the Beatles and how they separated things. I still love that. It evoked a kind of imagery that was so unique and powerful and big.’

Though long accepted as an infl uence on shredders such as Yngwie Malmsteen and John Petrucci, Di Meola has never been tempted to cross over to the harder side – and, indeed, his move to acoustic guitar was partly due to tinnitus. ‘I didn’t want to be 70 years old standing in front of two or three Marshall amps with my ears completely blown out, but having to have to do that because that’s what I’m known for.’

His 1984 meeting with the late Ástor Piazzolla, the Argentinian composer and pioneer of nuevo tango, was arguably just as important. ‘I come from the fusion world, and I had been feeling in my bones for years that all guys in the fusion movement were doing music that, if it wasn’t energetic, was defi nitely technical, and for the most part I hadn’t been feeling it in my heart. I was never really moved to tears because of the beauty of the music – not like with Piazzolla’s music, with his group, playing his compositions.’

Whether electric or acoustic, it may be diffi cult to imagine a guitarist such as Al Di Meola arranging a set of Beatles covers, but he was keen to incorporate his

particular stylistic elements. ‘There’s a way of using syncopation and rhythmic elements in a manner that dignifi es the song and doesn’t have the element of corniness,’ he points out. ‘For certain pieces – like, say, The Long And Winding Road – that kind of approach wouldn’t work, so we stayed close to the original, but for tunes like Penny Lane and Michelle there were things that I could do that would keep the integrity of the song intact. You know, with a jazz interpretation, you’re

changing the harmony so drastically that it can completely void all the beauty of what the original piece was about. The idea here was to stay more true to the harmony and still have enough of the melody evident, and the

things that happen in between are perhaps the original things that I can give to this music.’

For all his nostalgia, Al Di Meola is adamant that the days of old are gone forever. ‘There are a lot of older recordings you listen to and you go, “Man!” The focus that people had back in the ’60s and ’70s… you can’t have that anymore. If you fi nd yourself working with musicians in a studio, take a look around and watch everybody checking their voicemails, their texts, sending messages. Oh, my God… it’s emails up the wazoo! It’s almost to the point that if you’re going to have a band in the studio you’ve got to pretty much have them sign a contract saying leave your stuff at the hotel or at home. And you know what? Nobody will… nobody will.’ Perhaps the acoustic, analogue Al Di Meola makes more sense than ever before.

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You had to be totally on your toes. It’s not quite the same when you’re the only guitarist in the group or

particular stylistic elements. ‘There’s a way of using syncopation and rhythmic elements in a manner that

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‘I didn’t want to be 70, standing in front of a Marshall amp

with my ears blown out’

AL DI MEOLAElegant Gypsy(1977)A fearsome electric fusion guitar showcase including the classic number Race With Devil On Spanish Highway

AL DI MEOLA, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, PACO DE LUCIAFriday Night In San Francisco(1980)Three virtuoso guitar players trying their best to make everyone else in the world quit playing. Simply awesome

AL DI MEOLA All Your Life(2013)All-acoustic re-imaginings of Beatles classics. A more contemplative side to Di Meola, but still with plenty of those trademark blistering runs

Listen up

Al Di Meola used a Synclavier guitar system in the ’80s. ‘Guys like myself and Pat Metheny were so knocked out with the sounds that we almost forgot about the sound of the guitar, and that was bad. No matter how cool it was, people wanted to hear the guitar.’


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REVIEWELECTRIC GUITAR

£670.80


FENDER

A new Strat is always a cause for celebration, especially when the price is right – and this, the latest Mexican offering, is a bit of a looker too. Review by Marcus Leadley

Standard Stratocaster Plus Top

Back in the spring at MusikMesse in Frankfurt, Fender launched a bunch of new Mexican-built Strats.

Nothing especially new about this, but this time the tweaks are at the top end of the range. As well as a couple of nitro-fi nished models with vintage specs there’s this month’s review subject, the Standard Stratocaster Plus Top.

Plus Top, of course, means fl amed maple. Leo Fender’s traditional choice of ash or alder was all about practicality, and although back in the ’50s and ’60s a sunburst fi nish – or a butterscotch or a Mary Kay white – could sometimes reveal some pretty handsome grain, the look of the timber was never the highest priority. For this model the company is pulling out the stops with tight, fi gured maple, not an uncommon feature of Fender Custom Shop guitars, not to mention competitors such as Tom Anderson, Levinson Blade and Melancon. However, you won’t be taking one of those home for a street price of about £500 – and that’s what you’ll pay for a Plus Top.

We have the maple ’board model with the red-to-orange ‘aged cherry burst’ polyester fi nish; the rosewood version is more subdued and traditional, with an aged tobacco sunburst. This one’s certainly bright, cheerful and lively,

but not at all gaudy. The maple isn’t a solid bookmatched top – at this price it’s a veneer – but it has a rich, three-dimensional fl ame with lots of depth, while around the rear the fi nish makes the best of the grain of the solid two-piece alder body. This isn’t the lightest Strat we’ve ever played, but it’s a long way from being the heaviest.

While the fi ngerboard and headstock are fi nished in gloss urethane the back of the neck has a satin fi nish somewhat reminiscent of the cover of a posh paperback book. This is an interesting and slightly unusual combination, as all-over gloss would be very 1970s Fender, and all-over satin more of a 2000’s touch. However, here the

Fender has pulled out the stops with some tight fi gured maple, although at this price it’s a bookmatched veneer

➻

Square-bodied tuners and a satin fi nish for the back of the neck

The two-piece alder body is a really good piece of timber

FACTFILEFENDER STANDARD STRATOCASTER PLUS TOP

DESCRIPTION: Solidbody electric guitar. Made in MexicoPRICE:£670.80, case extra

BUILD: Solid alder body with fl ame maple veneer top, bolt-on maple neck with 21-fret maple fi ngerboard (rosewood fi ngerboard option available). Fender branded enclosed tuners and six-saddle vintage-style vibrato bridge ELECTRICS: Three Standard single coil Strat pickups, fi ve-way selector switch, master volume and independent tone control.LEFT-HANDERS: YesFINISH: Aged cherry burst (with maple fi ngerboard) tobacco sunburst (with rosewood fi ngerboard)

SCALE LENGTH: 648/25.5"mmNECK WIDTH: Nut 43mm12th fret 52.2mmDEPTH OF NECK:First fret 22mm12th fret 22.5mmSTRING SPACING:Nut 35.2mmBridge 52.2mmACTION AS SUPPLIED:12th fret treble 1.6mm12th fret bass 2mmWEIGHT: 3.52kg/7.75lb

CONTACT: Fender GB&I 01342 331700www.fender.com

REVIEWELECTRIC GUITAR£670.80


clarity, subtlety and gritty, angular momentum simply by increasing how hard you strike. For more full-on soloing the Plus Top is a brilliant performer. The top end can be a little bright and sometimes needs some reining in at the amp, but this can be a general characteristic of maple-board Strats… it’s not a failing as such, simply a taste thing. The overall hi-fi nature of this Plus Top makes it a very good starting point for sound sculpting with effects.

Verdict This is a fi ne example of a classic electric guitar. No corners have been cut when it comes to basic materials, the build quality is good and the standard of the fi nish high. The maple top adds a nice visual touch without affecting the sound – which is great, because at the end of the day most people will buy a Strat because it looks and sounds like a Strat. If the fl ame maple look is a bit too fancy for you, there are plenty of alternatives in the catalogue. The Plus Top is an all-round performer offering all the fl exibility that helped establish the Strat as one of the standards against which all other electric guitars are judged. You can pay considerably more for a new Strat depending on its point of origin and appointments, but this is a proper Strat that should give years of pleasure.

SoundsNot all Strats are born equal; pickups make a huge difference to the sound, and these are very well-voiced. Part of the Strat Plus’s appeal is its ability to deliver consistently right across the spectrum from clean sounds through mildly-driven tones right on through to full distortion. There’s also the right volume/character balance between the different voices, so you can switch around to nuance your playing mid-song. The bridge pickup’s clean tone is bright and clear and chords really chime. Individual note clarity is excellent; single-string runs record

well and intricate layers can be built up over time. There’s a little hum, which to some degree will always be a limitation of single coil technology.

Second position on the selector switch gives you the classic out-of-phase quack, which can be funky or bluesy depending on your technique. The middle pickup delivers a full, rounded sound that can disappear into a mix to add body. The neck/middle out-of-phase sound retains its brightness and while the top end mellows out, the lower midrange comes forward to add more weight. The neck pickup delivers a very even tonal character – a fl at sort of Strat response which is very useful in a supporting, rather than lead role.

Winding up the amp gain a little highlights the dynamic character of these pickups, and it’s here I fi nd some of my personal favourite Strat moments; you can move between

two fi nishes work well together; the board is fast and snappy and the neck has a mellow, played-in feel. There’s no separate fi ngerboard; the medium jumbo frets are set directly into neck timber in classic Fender style. The neck has a fairly chunky modern C profi le. The 9.5" board radius is a little fl atter than the 7.25” found on the Classic Series ’60s and ‘70s models, making this a more contemporary-feeling Strat. These Plus Tops ship with relatively light 9-42 gauge strings, and the action is low and the guitar feels incredibly fast. Bends up past the 12th fret are especially satisfying, so it’s really tempting to get lost in wig-out solo territory… and why not?

In terms of hardware the Plus Top is defi nitely a Standard Strat. Three single coil pickups are controlled by a single volume control and a pair of independent tone controls plus a fi ve-way pickup selector. The vibrato works well and the guitar stays in tune unless you get really carried away. However, one of the few things we don’t like is the length of the saddle screws; these sit unnecessarily proud and the edges are sharp, which makes string-damping uncomfortable. It’s an easy after-sales fi x but unless Fender’s research suggests there are a lot of players out there who like a 7mm action at the 12th fret, we can’t see the logic in allowing this much room for adjustment.

Winding up the gain you can move from subtlety to grit with touch alone, and for full-on soloing it’s a brilliant performer

Maple top aside the Plus Top is a regular vintage voiced, 21-fret Strat

Three-play white/black/white backplate matches the scratchplate TOTAL 89%

FINAL SCORESTANDARD STRATOCASTER PLUS TOP

Build Quality 17 / 20

Playability 17 / 20

Sound 18 / 20

Value for money 19 / 20

Vibe 18 / 20

Like this?Try this...Gordon-SmithClassic SBolt-on neck with maple fi ngerboard, vibrato bridge and the right combination of three single coil pickups from a great British makerRRP:£738

TokaiTST50Maple neck and three single coils. Still pretty decent craftsmanship; no fl ame top, but hey, it ships in a tweed case RRP: £699.99

Tom AndersonDrop Top Classic Here’s where you get to specify a stunning fl ame maple top and pretty much any pickup confi guration of your choice. You can choose from a vast catalogue of custom colous too RRP: £2500 plus

www.headstockdistribution.com


£2238.80


PRSSo what does a celebrated Nashville session player with an armoury of guitars at his disposal need from a new axe? Flexibility – and that’s what you get from this new PRS with a twist. Review by Marcus Leadley

Brent Mason Signature

Brent who? If you’re not a country music fan then you might just be let off for not knowing the name – but

Mason has been cited as being the most recorded guitarist of all time, which is quite something. Aside from a brief fl irtation concentrating upon his own career in the late ’90s, he’s always been a gun for hire. Rated as one of the top 10 session players of all time by people who create such lists, he’s a Grammy award winner, a 12-time winner of the Academy of Country Music Guitarist of the Year Award, and a two-time winner of the CMA Award for Musician of the Year. His credits include Dolly Parton, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. Include the adverts, TV and the fi lm soundtracks, and he has well over 1000 recording credits.

The new PRS Brent Mason Signature isn’t the fi rst guitar to bear his name; Valley Arts offers a version of his grey ’68 Telecaster. That Tele is modifi ed with an additional middle position single coil on a blend control so it can be wound in or out, and a mini humbucker at the neck. You might think that no PRS could have many close similarities to an old Tele – but this new model, like the DC3, NF3 and the 305, has a bolt-on neck. In fact, the PRS 305 contributes one of its special single coil pickups for

the Mason’s middle position, and on either side of it you’ll fi nd a specially-wound 408 humbucker. All the pickups share a single master tone and volume control. In addition there’s a fi ve-way blade selector and a pair of mini toggle switches to tap the humbuckers for single coil sounds. That’s nine different settings in total.

The guitar itself is a very nice piece of work. The body is made from korina, an African hardwood which, according to PRS, offers better midrange frequency resonance than mahogany. It’s a simple double-cut design with a drop-top chamfer for player comfort over the upper rear bout. There’s also a ribcage chamfer around the back, so the

The PRS Brent Mason has a middle pickup from the 305 plus a specially-wound 408 humbucker on either side

➻

Maple neck with maple fi ngerboard – but rosewood is an option

Bolt-on neck for added snap, with a rounded heel

FACTFILEPRS BRENT MASON SIGNATURE

DESCRIPTION: Solidbody electric guitar. Made in USAPRICE: £2338.80

BUILD: Solid korina body, bolt-on rock maple neck with 22-fret maple fi ngerboard and black/pearl bird inlays (rosewood fi ngerboard option available). PRS Phase III locking tuners and PRS tremolo bridge, all nickel hardwareELECTRICS: Two specially wound PRS 408 humbuckers (treble and bass), middle position 305 single coil. Master tone and volume controls, fi ve-way blade selector switch and two mini toggle coil taps for the humbuckersLEFT-HANDERS: NoFINISH: Arctic white, black, frost blue metallic, vintage cherry, tricolor sunburst, white wash, seafoam green, McCarty tobacco sunburst

SCALE LENGTH: 25.25"/641mmNECK WIDTH: Nut 42.8mm12th fret 52.8mmDEPTH OF NECK:First fret 22mm12th fret 24.2mmSTRING SPACING:Nut 35.2mmBridge 51.8mmACTION AS SUPPLIED:12th fret treble 1.7mm12th fret bass 2mmWEIGHT: 7lbs/3.2kg

CONTACT: PRS Europe 44 1223 874 301www.prsguitars.com

REVIEWELECTRIC GUITAR£2238.80


to elevate the output into the break-up zone – turns this PRS into a country blues monster (and the precise-feeling vibrato comes in very handy). The Mason will do hard and heavy sounds, but you wouldn’t buy it for this alone; there are more appropriately-voiced PRS guitars. Add too much drive and the instrument loses its unique character and the sound becomes a little tone-choked around the midrange.

VerdictAnother great guitar from PRS – and this time it’s a really different-sounding one. For clean blues, country, contemporary jazz and funk, the Brent Mason really shines. It’s an excellent studio guitar for creating layered parts. It isn’t a rock monster, but it was never designed to be; it loves a little amp break-up and mid-level distortion, and the clarity and overall articulation make it a great platform for effects. The build quality is superb – you’ll be hard-pressed to fi nd a production line instrument built with better materials or hardware. The pickup combination adds a degree of fl exibility that hasn’t been easily available before unless you chose to go completely custom and specify your own wiring choices… and it’s an especially tempting package when you fi nd out that the street price may be as low as £1949.

or an early ’70s Fender Twin modded into a head. It’s a fairly simple rig to emulate, and the results are stunning. Mason already uses a couple of PRS guitars (a Paul’s Guitar and a Mike Mushok baritone) so what this signature model gives is the tonal palate and chiming attack of his Tele and the familiar PRS feel, all rolled into one.

There are so many great clean tones available from this guitar, it’s hard to know where to start. The basic bridge humbucker is rich, open and

spanky without being too bright, while the neck pickup has a warm, jazzy character which doesn’t lose clarity or twang. The tone control circuit seems to be especially well-judged, so you can really fi ne-tune the nuance of the basic sounds. The coil taps work very well and, unusually, there’s little or no volume drop when you switch to single-coil mode; this is useful as you really can play with the switching musically and shift character emphasis, even mid-solo. The coil taps are also practical in that you can subtly change the out-of-phase voices of the bridge/middle and neck/middle pickup combinations.

Possibly the least interesting clean voice is the middle pickup on its own; it’s just a solid, clear single coil sound. However, this eventually gives one of my favourite overdrive voices: a very full-bodied Strat-like sound with a meaty, even response that’s great for leads or heavy chords. Using two boost pedals – one as a slight volume lift with a hint of compression and one

guitar feels especially comfortable on a strap – perfect for putting in long hours in a Nashville studio. It’s also very light.

The rock maple neck is attached by a four-bolt-and-plate arrangement. The heel is quite big but this doesn’t overly restrict access, and the 22nd fret is still well within reach. Our test model has a maple fi ngerboard, but there’s also a rosewood option available. We love the all-maple feel; it’s fast and snappy, and the black-and-pearl bird inlays look very cool. The neck is quite chunky and has the PRS profi le that shifts from a broad C to more of a V as you approach the fi rst position; the character is defi nitely PRS. The 25.25" scale gives ample tension and twang – it’s about halfway between the classic Gibson and Fender scales, offering a bit of both worlds and something original at the same time. If hardware can be sexy then the Phase III locking tuners with their exposed gears and black cap-locks are eye-candy, and so is the simple, well-designed PRS tremolo bridge. The tuning is rock solid.

Sounds In terms of gear Brent Mason is a bit of an fan of boost pedals, favouring the boutique touch with some subtle compression. A lot of the time he uses a modded ’65 Fender Bassman amp head

The fl exible Brent Mason isn’t a rock monster but it shines for clean blues, country, contemporary jazz and funk

The six-pivot PRS tremolo is typically light and smooth

Two-tone bird inlays: the rosewood board version swaps the black outline for white

TOTAL 90%

FINAL SCOREBRENT MASON SIGNATURE

Build Quality 19/ 20

Playability 18 / 20

Sound 18 / 20


Looks 17 / 20

Like this?Try this...FenderBlacktop Strat HSHBolt-on neck, a vibrato bridge and the right combination of humbuckers and a single coil – but if you want a coil tap like the PRS you’ll need to do a modRRP: £636

FenderDave Murray StratThough it’s got twin humbuckers and a single coil in the middle this is a more metal-oriented package with hotter DiMarzio pickups. Plenty of twang to explore if you mod the circuit – plus a more rock starting point RRP: £1870

Tom AndersonDrop TopHuge range of wood and hardware options to choose from including a H/S/H pickup confi guration and a bolt-on neck plus a vibrato. Tasty guitars, but used examples can go for about the same as a new PRS Brent MasonRRP: £3000 plus

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THE HARDEST WORKING GUITARSIMON NEILAND HIS PRO SERIES P7DC

Photo: David Wolff-Patrick

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2013_Takamine_Ad_Simon Neil UK 210x297mm[3mbld].indd 1 13/05/2013 16:15


£729


IBANEZSir or madam requires power, speed, a vibrato smoother than oiled grease and a potential action lower than a snake’s belly in a wheel rut? Step right this way. Review by Huw Price

RG950QMZ Premium

The Ibanez RG series has been with us since the 1980s and their popularity amongst heavier rockers and

shredders seems undiminished. The RG950QMZ we’re reviewing this month comes from the RG Premium series.

As usual the ‘fl attened D’ profi le neck is constructed from three strips of maple divided by two thin strips of walnut that run along its entire length. However, Ibanez has done something really clever on this model: the 24-fret rosewood fi ngerboard actually looks as if it has been set into the neck like an inlay, but it’s an optical illusion created by the use of maple binding. The binding matches the maple used for the neck very closely, so the join lines are not immediately apparent. Lovely.

Tall jumbo frets are installed in the 400mm (approx 15.75") radius fi ngerboard and offset pearl dot markers add a touch of individual style. The frets are described as having been given a ‘premium fret edge treatment’, which means that they are beautifully rounded off and highly polished for player comfort.

Basswood is a standard wood for RG type guitars and on this model there’s a quilted maple veneer front with a 5mm edge between the front and the rear of the body left unstained to create a faux

maple cap effect. Ibanez has taken a similar approach with the headstock, which has a thick maple overlay with a quilted maple veneer and an ultra-thin layer of walnut between the overlay and the segmented rear of the headstock.

DiMarzio pickups and Ibanez guitars is a proven combination, and

the DiMarzios in the RG950QMZ are specially made for Ibanez. Designated the IBZ (H) and IBZ (S), they’re arranged in a HSH confi guration with a fi ve-way pickup selector switch. In the neck, middle and bridge settings you hear each pickup individually. The two in between settings combine the

If you set your amp for high-gain then you can switch to the single coil for a cleaner, brighter tone that cuts through

➻

The tuners are ‘cosmo black’ to match the trem

The maple cap is backed with basswood, and the neck is maple and walnut

FACTFILEIBANEZ RG950QMZ

DESCRIPTION: Solidbody electric. Made in IndonesiaPRICE: £729

BUILD: Solid basswood body with quilted maple veneer front, bolt-on 24 fret maple/walnut neck with rosewood fi ngerboard, diecast tunersELECTRICS: Two DiMarzio IBZ (H) humbucking pickups, one DiMarzio IBZ (S) single coil pickup, fi ve-way switch, volume and tone controlsLEFT-HANDERS: NoFINISH: Red desert, black ice

SCALE LENGTH: 648mm/25.5"NECK WIDTH: Nut 43mm12th fret 52mmDEPTH OF NECK:First fret 18mm12th fret 20mmSTRING SPACING:Nut 36.5mmBridge 53mmACTION AS SUPPLIED:12th fret treble 2.5mm12th fret bass 3mmWEIGHT: 3.25kg/7.15lbs

CONTACT: Headstock 0121 508 6666www.ibanez.com

REVIEWELECTRIC GUITAR£729


pronounced upper mids help bring out the pick attack, and single notes are crisp with a nicely forward edge and effortless sustain. Power chords have considerable weight and punch along with plenty of defi nition.

Some metal-oriented guitars can feel a bit inert and lifeless, almost as if the manufacturer is seeking to minimise body resonance in order to let the pickups and amplifi er do their thing unhindered. All the Ibanez RGs I’ve played do the exact opposite. The RG950QMZ feels light, dynamically responsive and expressive. It’s also effortless to play and the tuning is absolutely rock solid.

VerdictIbanez goes above and beyond the call of duty to create these guitars. Besides some shoddy edges around the faux binding, it’s nicely put together. It feels ultra-solid and stable, and is clearly built for speed and convenience. It’s a sleek, brutally functional, no-nonsense instrument, but also characterful and comfortable. Best of all it sounds fantastic and it’s huge fun to play.

SoundsGood SSH guitars are often characterised by three pickups that are well balanced in tone and output levels; however, HSH guitars – like this Ibanez – may benefi t from some degree of imbalance between the pickups to achieve a wider range of tones. The single coil in the RG950QMZ’s middle

position provides a fairly pronounced contrast with the humbuckers. As single coils go it has a relatively high output level but the tone is glassy and bright, with a slightly brittle quality. If this pickup was placed in a regular Fender Stratocaster with an amp set for clean or mildly overdriven sounds it may not be regarded as particularly toneful – but given the hard-rocking musical context in which most RG950QMZs are likely to be used, it makes sense. If you set your amp controls for thick, high-gain metal or shred sounds, you can switch over to the single coil whenever you need a cleaner and brighter tone that can cut through cascading gain stages without muddying up or dropping too much in volume. You won’t need to fi ddle about with your volume control, either.

The humbuckers are voiced for high output, clarity and a bass response that’s deep but well defi ned. The

single coil in the centre with the inner coil of each humbucker in parallel. It’s all very simple to use and the controls have been pared back to a straightforward master volume and master tone arrangement.

Metal and shred-oriented HSH guitars with locking trems have drifted in and out of favour since they fi rst hit the market during the 1980s, and while Ibanez makes a wide variety of guitars, the company has always kept the faith with its formula. Even so, RG guitars have evolved and it’s clear that Ibanez takes its vibrato systems very seriously. This one is a locking system, but far more sophisticated than the Floyd Rose trems of old. Ibanez’s trem goes by the cumbersome name of the ‘Edge-Zero II w/ZPS3Fe’, which may require some deciphering. The ZPS bit refers to the Zero Point System that ‘makes tuning easier and faster as well as providing stable tuning for long performances’.

The bridge has been engineered to try to remove all possible points of friction, and Ibanez promises ‘the smoothest back stop ever’. With an additional pair of outer springs, it’s intended to minimise loss of tuning in the event of a string break, but players who prefer a full fl oating system can simply remove the stop bar. A thumb wheel accessible through the spring cover plate at the back can be used to adjust the spring tension.

The RG950QMZ is a sleek, brutally functional, no-nonsense instrument, but also characterful and comfortable

The Ibanez vibrato easily converts to fl oating use: just remove the stop bar

The manually adjustable spring system lets you set the tension with a bare thumb TOTAL 89%

FINAL SCORERG950QMZ PREMIUM


Playability 19 / 20

Sound 18 / 20


Looks 17 / 20

Like this?Try this...JacksonPro DK2M DinkyAlder body, bolt-on one-piece maple neck with graphite reinforcement, rosewood fretboard, 24 jumbo frets, one Duncan JB zebra humbucker (bridge) and one Duncan 59 zebra humbucker (neck), FR tremolo system, fi ve-way switch, locking tunersRRP: £602

FenderBlacktop Stratocaster HSHAlder body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, two Blacktop humbuckers in bridge and neck position with a Tele single coil pickup in middle, vintage style tremolo, cast tunersRRP: £491

Music Tech G&B.indd 3 13.06.2013 16:10:13

Music is Our Passion

www.thomann.de

Music Tech G&B.indd 4 13.06.2013 16:10:15

REVIEWMULTI-INSTRUMENT AMP

£265


PEAVEY

Most guitarists cover electric and acoustic, and many play bass too: so how about an amp that can handle all three? Review by Richard Purvis

Vypyr VIP-2 electric, acoustic & bass combo

About half a century ago the average impoverished band only had one amp between them, and would mess up

their quiffs in fi ghts over input sockets. Today, thankfully, guitarists have guitar amps, bassists have bass amps, and even acoustic players sometimes have their own backline. So why on earth would Peavey want to wind these three disparate strands back together again in one all-purpose amplifi er?

Well, it could be handy for anyone who plays a bit of all three instruments – which many do nowadays, especially when jamming and recording at home – and the development of digital modelling makes it more viable than it would have been just a few years ago. So why isn’t everyone doing it? The reason is simply this: speakers. The world is awash with fi endish black boxes that can impersonate Marshalls, Fenders, Voxes and much more besides, but you can’t really simulate a bass amp if all that thumping low end is being squeezed out through a puny guitar speaker. So the unbranded 12" unit inside this affordable combo is being asked to do what some might consider an impossible job.

At least Peavey has plenty of experience making amplifi ers of all three types. The VIP-2 is the 40-watter of the VIP range (the VIP-1 has 20W, the VIP-3 has 100W). It offers emulations of eight ‘normal’ amps plus two bass, two acoustic and a wide range of FX. Peavey’s own back catalogue is well

represented amongst the amp sims, but they’ve had a stab at some other makers’ highlights too. It’s not unduly complicated – they didn’t include a manual with ours, and we didn’t really miss it – but the USB connectivity means you can get into more complex preset-editing if you wish.

This amp could handy for anyone who plays all three instruments, but the speaker is asked to do an impossible job

➻

Synths and nutty FX on the right, amp sims in the middle, and regular e� ects on the left

FACTFILEVYPYR VIP-2

DESCRIPTION: 40W 1x12" modelling combo for electric, acoustic and bass guitar. Made in ChinaPRICE: £265

CONNECTIONS: Guitar input with selector buttons for instrument type and presets (four each); Instrument/Stomp control (12 e� ects, 10 instrument emulations); Amplifi er selector (eight electric, two acoustic, two bass, push for channel switching); E� ect selector (11 types, push to edit); Pre-gain, Low, Mid, High and Post-gain, all doubling up as FX controls; Tap tempo button with LED; Master volume; USB in/out, aux in, headphones outBACK PANEL Input for Sanpera footswitch (not included)

DIMENSIONS 50.5cm wide, 48cm high, 25.5cm deepWEIGHT 12kg/26lbs

CONTACT:Peavey Europe 01536 461234www.peavey.com

REVIEWMULTI-INSTRUMENT AMP£265


fi ne impression of that tight, plasticky midrange honk, while the Peavey offers something more liquid. The bass element of the VIP is no afterthought, then, but once you get anywhere near drummer-competing levels, the poor thing rattles and buzzes like a steam train trying to ride out the apocalypse.

The acoustic amp models – again one Peavey and one Trace – are alright. The low end is full enough, but they feel a little harsh in the mids. It’s all down to that speaker; they sound far better through the headphone output. There’s also a high-pitched processing whine – present in electric and bass modes too, but most noticeable against the thinner tone of an acoustic – that starts to get annoying with Master cranked.

VerdictYou have to look deeper than the marks out of 20 for this one: some of the VIP-2’s guitar sounds are worth a fair bit less than 16, but for bass it could be more, and if we were allowed to give a higher mark than 20 for versatility, we’d do so in a pigeon-blink. So it comes down to priorities: if you’re a tonehound looking for somewhere to plug your ’52 Tele, keep walking; if you want the convenience of a decent-sounding practice/jamming amp for electric, acoustic and bass guitars all in one, then welcome home.

which is smoother than a dollop of coconut ice-cream – are better.

Hang on… there are controls for ‘stomp’ AND ‘effects’? Here things get more complicated. ‘Effects’ serves the purpose of a rack unit and includes extreme sound-manglers such as pitch-shifting, octaving and an envelope fi lter; ‘stomp’ leans towards more regular pedalboard territory. Between them you’ve got just about everything covered, from TS-type overdrive to a viciously square tremolo clearly inspired by the Boss Slicer. Reverb and delay are separate from all the other effects and are adjusted using the main control knobs while in Edit mode.

On the left half of the stompbox control we fi nd a whole bunch of other strangeness. This is the instrument modelling section, where you can turn your six-string into a 12-string, a sitar, a synth… or even a bass. The synth stuff is fun but most of the rest is pretty unconvincing. We had latency issues with some settings, and the bass emulator – basically an octave down with some EQ fi ltering – had us reaching rapidly for the real thing.

With real bass in hand, you select ‘bass’ and you’re playing through one of the VIP-2’s two emulated bass amps – one Peavey, one un-cryptically labelled ‘Trace’. It sounds… well, it actually sounds really good. That humble speaker produces a clear, solid thump that wouldn’t shame a ‘real’ low-wattage bass combo in the same price range. The Trace model does a

This is a lightweight combo that doesn’t feel especially reassuring in terms of construction, and the particle-board back is ported right behind the speaker. As well as all the modelling stuff there’s a straightforward three-band EQ section on the front panel, plus ‘Pre’ and ‘Post’ gain controls and Master volume. The LEDs around each control make navigation fairly simple, although Peavey’s use of different colours and varying levels of brightness can be a tad distracting. There are also mini-jack sockets for aux in and headphones out.

SoundsThere’s a lot to get through here; we’ll start with a six-string electric and see what sort of basic clean and dirty tones are on offer. The fi rst thing to do is tell the amp what you’re playing by selecting one of the two ‘electric’ settings on the panel by the input – there are four presets available on each.

As with every single modelling product ever devised, the presets are over-processed, but it doesn’t take long to coax out something fairly natural-sounding out of the ‘Twn’ model with both ‘stomp’ and ‘effects’ set to bypass. Of course a compact 1x12" will never get the clear, expansive tone of a real Fender Twin, but it’s not bad, and the higher-gain models sound decent too. The ‘British’ option is a bit scratchy but the ones based on Peavey’s own amps – especially the medium-gain Butcher,

The ‘effects’ control covers extreme sound-mangling, while ‘stomp’ leans towards regular pedalboard territory

The LED dials are quite the light show, but the Peavey is still

fairly intuitive to operate

The speaker perhaps falls behind on the acoustic side, but for the money it’s a job well done TOTAL 84%

FINAL SCOREPEAVEY VYPYR VIP-2


Playability 20 / 20

Sound 16/ 20


Looks 16 / 20

Like this?Try this...LINE 6Spider IV 30Not much for bassists or acoustic-lovers here, but there are 12 guitar amp models and seven FX to monkey about withRRP: £159

FENDERMustang IIThe latest version of Fender’s 40W modelling combo adds fi ve new amp types and fi ve new FXRRP: £215

BLACKSTARID:30TVPThis 30W combo allows you to choose amps, FX and even which output valve type you want to emulateRRP: £279

REVIEWGUITAR AMP

£2099


CARRStyled after the ’50s but sounding like a blackface amp and beyond, Carr’s new 40-watter aims to be the ultimate giggable device. Review by Huw Price

Impala

Billed as ‘one of those very rare amps that can do it all,’ the Carr Impala is inspired by Fender’s mid-1960s blackface

Bassman. It’s no slavish recreation, though; Carr has added onboard reverb, a ‘super-useable’ master volume, and a midrange control. It weighs about the same as a Deluxe Reverb – around 44lbs, or 26lbs lighter than a Twin Reverb. This must be due in part to the fi nger-jointed 1x12" pine cabinet with its ’60s-style fl oating speaker baffl e – not a recipe for tightly controlled low end, but many seem to prefer the added dose of woodiness that cabs of this sort provide.

With only one channel and one input, the control layout is straightforward. The Volume, Treble and Bass controls shouldn’t require any explanation, but the Mid control does. About a third of the way up the dial is labelled ‘68’, and this setting is recommended for a mid-’60s ‘American’ tone. Blackface Bassmans only had Treble and Bass controls – the midrange was preset in the factory – so this ‘68’ setting likely corresponds to Fender’s fi xed midrange level during that era. Turning the Impala’s Mid control higher increases aggression, and it interacts with the Treble control to lessen its infl uence.

There’s only one speaker jack, but extension cabinets are available (Carr recommends a Y-cord if you want to run one along with the onboard speaker). The Impala is confi gured to drive an 8 Ohm load but you can drive 16 or 4 Ohms if you don’t mind a slight loss of power and less output tube life.

The Impala is a fi xed-bias Class AB amplifi er with bias test points. You can plug a voltmeter into these and check that the 6L6s are biased to Carr’s recommended 0.065v (just make sure your voltmeter is switched to DC). A potentiometer shaft protrudes from the chassis between preamp valves

The master volume lets you explore fi ne degrees of overdrive, from a hint of hair to the roar of a hard-working power stage

➻

Think old-school Fender, but with a clever midrange control

and a master volume too

FACTFILECARR IMPALA

DESCRIPTION: Single channel switchable 45W valve combo with 12" Carr Elsinore speaker and spring reverb. Made in the USAPRICE: £2099 for the two-tone; £1999 for all-black

VALVES: One 12AX7, two 12AT7s, one 5751 and two 6L6GCsCONTROLS Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Reverb and Master VolumeDIMENSIONS 34.25" wide, 17.25" high, 9.5" deepWEIGHT 20kg/44lbs

CONTACT: Coda Music01438 350815 www.carramps.com

REVIEWGUITAR AMP£2099


The reverb integrates with the sound to achieve a 3D quality that genuinely feels like you’re playing in an ambient space.

To fi nish, we tried swapping a 12AX7 for the 5751. This gave more gain, extra compression and a slight lift in the upper mids. It’s less easy-going and less ‘vintage’, but it’s a great mod for more grind, sustain and upper-mid crunch.

VerdictThe Impala doesn’t do modern metal, nor huge loud cleans like a Twin, but in all other respects it’s a ‘Swiss Army knife’ amp. It’s not fussy about the type of guitar you plug into it and it seems to love fuzz and overdrive pedals. The master volume is a triumph, keeping the basic tone unaltered as you turn it down. You may loose a bit of fatness and touchy-feely dynamics, but we settled on a Master setting about 7/10 when we pushed the Volume beyond halfway, tightening the low-mid response rather than taming the level.

Many people claim to use ‘point-to-point’ wiring but Carr actually does it, and the component quality is about as good as it gets. These amps aren’t cheap, but you can be confi dent that no corners have been cut. For the Impala Carr started with a bona fi de classic amp, then made it more practical and versatile. They also made it sound better than ever. The Impala is a fi ne addition to Carr’s illustrious range.

long ago given up on valves in favour of solid-state hi-fi amps. With the Master maxed things only stay ‘clean’ until the Volume reaches about 11 o’clock – and that’s with single coils. At that point the Impala is fairly loud but the harmonic overtones have already added girth to the sound and a little compression as you dig in harder. This design is all about exploring fi ner degrees of overdrive, from a hint of hair to the roar of a hard-working power stage.

The midrange control is very infl uential. Around the ‘68’ mark the Impala sounds wide open and allows the sound of any guitar to cut through with a degree of enhancement from the valves. Pushing the mids yields more volume, fattens the sound and raises the overdrive levels, while the Treble

control swings the Impala from glassy sheen to treble-rolled, rootsy honk.

The Impala is very responsive to playing dynamics – you can work your guitar’s controls without the tone becoming stiff or lifeless. With Strats it’s big and bluesy, Teles show off the country side, and our Les Paul went from clean jazzy tones to mid-’60s Mike Bloomfi eld with a quick twist of its volume knobs. Blackface circuits are my preference for Filtertrons, and both a Gretsch Tennessean and a Cabronita Tele sounded their absolute best.

Carr’s choice of an audio taper control pot for the reverb has paid dividends. Up to around 11 o’clock it’s subtle; cranked right up, it’s cavernous – and, remarkably, the Impala’s reverb doesn’t sound like an added-on effect.

3 and 4, and you can turn it to set the bias. We gave it a shot, and the whole procedure took about 30 seconds – and the test amp’s bias was spot on. The manual says that 5881 and 7581A power valves are also compatible, so this easy bias setting facility will be welcomed by habitual tweakers. The 5751 in the preamp can also be substituted for a 12AX7, but we’ll investigate that later.

As usual Carr have followed a mid-century modern aesthetic. Colour options and tolex textures are extensive; you can even get the Impala in tweed. Our review amp turned up in two-tone guise with cream on top and Vox-style black below, divided by a wide band of white piping. The fi nish quality is second to none, and the metal Carr badge is a classy touch.

SoundsA word of warning – like many great amps the Impala might fool you into thinking it’s quieter than it really is. There are no telltale buzzes or rattles or background noise, no microphonic valves and none of the harshness or boomy bass that you might associate with inferior components or over-stressed speakers and cabs. It’s only after you have been playing for a while that your ringing ears might suggest it’s louder than you fi rst supposed.

There’s ‘clean’ and then there’s ‘valve clean’. In simple terms ‘clean’ is supposed to mean an absence of harmonic distortion, but if that was a tone that suited guitarists we’d have

The Impala is a Swiss Army knife amp. It’s not fussy about types of guitars, and it loves fuzz and overdrive pedals

The 12" Carr Elsinore speaker is custom-made by Eminence

Two 6L6s give just over 40W, or you can swap to di� erent types thanks to the easy biasing system TOTAL 87%

FINAL SCORECARR IMPALA


Playability 17 / 20

Sound 18 / 20


Vibe 18 / 20

Like this?Try this...Lazy J40Although its style is more 1950s, the J 40 seeks to combine the harmonic richness, thickness and warmth of a tweed Deluxe with the big, clean clarity of a bigger blackface amp. It’s housed in a pine cabinet, and the options include reverb and tremoloRRP: £2310 (with reverb)

GartoneRegal 45Featuring point-to-point turret board wiring, carbon comp resistors, audio grade signal capacitors, Mercury Magnetics transformers, KT66 power valves and custom-made Alnico speakers, this UK-built amp recreates the tone of a mid-1960s MarshallRRP: £1995

Fender65 Super ReverbRated at 45W, Fender’s own reissue has two separate inputs, Volume, Treble and Bass controls, a Bright switch, a vibrato channel with Speed and Intensity controls for the tremolo e� ect and four 10" Jensen alnico speakersRRP: £1505

Hughes & Kettner ad 2013_Layout 1 15/05/2013 16:04 Page 1

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HOG2 transports your axe to a technicolor universe of fantastic sounds. Play single notes or chords and it creates 10 totally polyphonic octaves and intervals soaring from two octaves below to four above your instrument’s pitch. Each voice is completely independent. Use them individually or in combinations — with or without your dry signal.

New algorithms, our most advanced ever, elevate the quality of the HOG2’s sound generation and Freeze functions to unprecedented levels, while tracking is telekinetic. Polyphonic perfection awaits!

• 10 fully independent voices: –2 Octaves, –1 Octave, Original, +5th, +1 Octave, +1 Octave+5th, +2 Octaves, +2 Octaves+3rd, +3 Octaves, +4 Octaves.

• 7 Expression modes: Octave Bend, Step Bend, Volume, Freeze+Gliss, Freeze+Volume, Wah Wah and Filter. Expression pedal included.

• Full MIDI control over all parameters and presets.

• Freeze modes: hold a note or chord and play over it or glide to a new one with gliss.

• Master volume for added convenience.

• Separate lower and upper harmonic amplitude envelopes to sculpt attack or decay speeds.

• Dedicated resonant filtering with sweepable frequency control.

Save and recall up to 100 preset programs with the optional Foot Controller.

DREAMIN COLOR

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review


GUITAR effecT£299

quicken the heart of any prog players. The Shimmer control comes into play here as pressing it changes the signal flow, meaning the reverb acts on the POG’s wet signal to create some very interesting spacey sounds.

VerdictThe epitome is not for everyone. It’s a brave guitarist that introduces these tones into their palette, but they’ll be all the richer for it. There’s so much fun and so many hours of noodling to be had here, especially if you’re a more rhythm-based player. The price is hefty alright, but we’d pay it for the Holy Grail and Micro POG sections alone.

Electro-Harmonix may not be the first company you think of when the words multi-fX units are mentioned. The New York

legends are of course more famous for classic stompboxes such as the Big Muff Pi, POG, and Deluxe Memory Man. But over the past few years the company has begun to dabble with devices that incorporate two or three of its solo units in a single frame. The Holy Stain started the whole thing off back in 2008, combining reverb, pitch shifting and tremolo, alongside drive and fuzz. Now we have the epitome, which boasts three sections based on the Holy Grail Plus (reverb/delay), electric Mistress (flanger/chorus), and one of our all-time favourites the Micro POG (polyoctave generator). We have the distinct feeling that this will be a lot of fun.

Keeping to the compact form that has graced many of the modern eH pedals, the epitome has a solid metal rectangular chassis about the same size as two Boss pedals side by side. The first clue that this is a more complicated unit is the collection of nine dials that populate the upper half of the casing. There’s also the mysterious Shimmer button hidden in the Holy Grail section to tease the imagination. Thankfully eH has seen fit to separate them into distinct sections via a three-colour paintjob which also makes the pedal look pretty cool. Three footswitches line up below to trigger each effect type independently – very handy – and the pedal also features stereo inputs and outputs, plus a 9V power input for the supplied adapter.

SoundsLike many electro-Harmonix products, this isn’t really a plug and play device. It takes time to coax some usable tones out of the epitome, but then that’s also one of the fun parts about the pedal – it requires you to tinker.

The Holy Grail Plus section is probably the easiest, with its selection of Spring, Hall, Room, and flurb reverbs. A little experimentation will take you from slapback to deep atmospheric layer in no time at all. Push the Shimmer switch and the epitome transforms into a delay, with an ambient drone slowly swelling in the background. It’s great for Radiohead style intros, although you’ll need to turn the AMT dial down if you want it to stop in a musical fashion, as hitting the footswitch kills it dead. flanger and chorus aren’t our most-used effects, but dialling in a small amount can thicken out a weedy Strat and gently add a lush edge to the tone.

Then there’s the Micro POG, which is still an incredibly fun pedal to play with. White Stripes fans will immediately be grinning, as the Jack White signature tones are here aplenty. Add some overdrive and you can also turn yourself into Jon Lord, as the pedal produces a convincing organ sound. The achievable possibilities of an 18-string guitar awash with delay and flange should also

electro-HarmonixProg rockers, ambient fans and brave sailors of the sonic seas will revel in this spacey new three-in-one pedal. Review by Martyn Casserly

epitome multi-Fx

TOTAL 90%

final scorEeLecTRO-HARMONIX ePITOMe

Build quality 19 / 20

Usability 17 / 20

Sound 18 / 20


Looks 19 / 20

like this?try this...Carl MartinQuattroIf high-end multi-FX with a minimum of fuss and plentitude of tone are your thing then the Quattro is an amazing echo, tremolo, overdrive and compressor. It’s a piece of brillianceRRP: £399

Line 6M9Eschewing the analogue route you could always try the excellent and incredibly versatile M9, designed to sit in front of an amp rather than plug into your computer. Sounds fantasticRRP: £365

FactFileepitoMe

DeScRIPTION: Multi-FX pedal. 9v power supply included. Made in the USA PRIce: £299

cONTROLS: Holy Grail Plus – Blend, AMT, Shimmer button, Reverb type: Electric Mistress – Flanger, Rate, Chorus: Micro POG – Sub octave, Up octave, Dry. Three on/off footswitches

cONTAcT: Electro-Harmonixwww.ehx.com

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Ditto LooperA looper made by guitarists - for guitarists, Ditto Looper is looping finally done right. We’ve cut all the non-musical tech junk (that’s right, we said it) that’s been plaguing loopers for years and brought things back to the essential nature of looping: simplicity, creativity and fun.

Ditto has such a great price, you simply have to try it (Oh, and buy it too)!

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review


GUITAR effecT£87

to significant, with the latter displaying very noticeable differences in overall volume and tone that help restore original signal quality. If the amount of aural assistance is very apparent then the Buffer Boost could become an essential part of the pedalboard that’s left patched in permanently. VerdictMorley’s unassuming Buffer Boost should prove a real asset to any player concerned about counteracting the adverse affects associated with employing a number of effects pedals. The variable boost is a useful bonus, supplying anything from a slight increase in volume to the hefty extra amount available at maximum. The end result is an appealing combination of two simple but effective features.

Introduced last year, Morley’s Buffer Boost is intended to rectify the loss of level and sound quality that can occur when several

stompboxes are linked together. As the pedal’s name suggests, this improvement is achieved via a buffer circuit that adds some extra oomph, either at the front or end of the signal chain, as desired. In addition, up to 20dB of controllable clean boost is on tap and tailor-made for solo work.

The Buffer Boost is much smaller than many Morley products and comes in a square-edged, bent metal box that’s undoubtedly roadworthy. Height-wise it adopts a lower profile than normal, while the wide but short proportions also differ to those of most pedals. Depending on available board space, this shape could either make it tricky or easier to accommodate.

The control layout couldn’t be much simpler, with a level pot plus an on/off footswitch, while red LeDs indicate power and boost operation. Input and output jacks bracket a socket for an optional mains adaptor supplying the requisite nine-volt power. This is a more convenient alternative to the onboard battery, as replacing the latter requires removing the pedal’s metal baseplate, which is more time-consuming than some easier-access methods.

Where to incorporate the Buffer Boost is a matter of personal preference plus which position best suits partner pedals. Using it before all other effects could be considered ideal, but this may invoke unwanted distortion if too much boost is engaged. Locating it last in the chain allows the overall signal to be

boosted, but any attendant noise will also increase accordingly. It can also be employed in an amp’s fX loop, although performance may vary in relation to level compatibility.

SoundsHaving established where to insert the Buffer Boost, operation is simplicity itself, matching the pedal’s minimalist approach and image. The Power LeD proves useful, as there’s no noise to indicate operation, while the Boost function is similarly silent, with slight hiss apparent only at maximum. With Level at about a third, output matches the bypass volume and then progressively increases as the control is advanced. Used in isolation, the Buffer Boost adds a crystalline quality to the tone, but this becomes less pronounced when other pedals are added.

Depending on the number, design and build quality of the partner effects, the sonic improvements supplied by the Buffer Boost can range from subtle

MOrLeYUS pedal specialist Morley offers a simple but effective method of maintaining signal quality when using several stompboxes. Review by Roger Cooper

Buffer Boost Pedal

ToTAL 87%

fInal scoreMoRLey BUffeR BooST


Usability 18 / 20

Sound 18 / 20


Looks 15 / 20

Like this?Try this...MXRMicro AmpSporting a single knob, the small and simple Micro Amp is sweetly voiced and packs plenty of punch for solosRRP: £96

XoticeP BoosterSimilarly equipped and supplying 20db of gain, Xotic’s mini pedal also has internal EQ switches RRP: £119

FACTFiLeMoRley buffeR booSt

DeScRIPTIon: Boost pedal. Made in the USA PRIce: £87

conTRoLS: Level

conTAcT: Westside Distribution 0141 248 4812www.morleypedals.com

Depending on your effects, the Buffer Boost can offer sonic improvements ranging from subtle to significant

REVIEWELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR

£2057


TAYLORMahogany or maple, medium or large, intimate or extrovert… there’s something for everybody with these two fi ne new electro-acoustics from the USA. Review by Huw Price

522e & 618e

Taylor guitars are hugely respected by countless big-name players. Available in a vast choice of sizes, timbers

and appointments, they’re especially noted for accuracy of build, consistency of tone and the stage-worthiness of the pickup systems. In this review, however, we want to look a little deeper, to take one brand-new and one re-worked Taylor and try to fi nd out how they rate for feel and inspiration – which, after all, is what we’re all searching for when it comes to a really great acoustic.

522eThe 522e is part of a mid-year makeover of Taylor’s mahogany 500 Series. The new solid tropical mahogany top promises a ‘midrange-rich musical character, offering a meaty voice and punchy attack’. Also new for 2013 is a black pickguard, which looks superb against the standard ebony fi ngerboard and bridge, ivoroid body binding – a really nice change from Taylor’s usual stark white plastic – and an ivoroid rosette and ivoroid ‘Century’ fi ngerboard inlays.

With a body width of 15", the 522e equates roughly to a 000 in size. The mahogany is fairly plain on the back and sides but the front is highly fi gured, and Taylor have enhanced the grain and brought out the deep red/brown tones with a perfectly-applied gloss fi nish. The headstock is bound and overlaid with matte-fi nished ebony, while the

tuners are stock chrome diecast items; we might suggest that Taylor could have really put the icing on the cake with a pearloid or abalone headstock logo. The nut and saddle are made of Tusq, not the real bone offered by many others at this kind of price, but Taylor may well feel that production consistency, again, is the all-important watchword. The factory-supplied strings are coated Elixirs, but if you personally feel that uncoated phosphor-bronze strings always bring out the best in a guitar, then it’s an easy change.

The front of the 522e is highly fi gured mahogany, with its deep red/brown tones enhanced by a perfect gloss fi nish

➻

Second strap button as standard, and three simple Expression System controls

New black pickguard is a fi ne match for the ebony

bridge. The saddle is Tusq

FACTFILETAYLOR 522E

DESCRIPTION: 000 sized acoustic. Made in the USAPRICE:£2057 inc. hard case

BUILD: Solid fi gured mahogany top, solid mahogany back and sides, 20-fret set mahogany neck, ebony fi ngerboard and bridge, compensated Tusq saddle, diecast tunersELECTRICS:Taylor Expression SystemLEFT-HANDERS: NoFINISH: Gloss body, satin neck

SCALE LENGTH: 611mm/24.75"NECK WIDTH: Nut 44mm12th fret 55mmDEPTH OF NECK:First fret 20mmNinth fret 21mmSTRING SPACING:Nut 38mmBridge 55mmACTION AS SUPPLIED:12th fret treble 1.5mm12th fret bass 2.5mmWEIGHT: 2.25kg/4.95lbs

CONTACT: Taylor Guitars 31 (0) 20 667 6033www.taylorguitars.com

Like this?Try this...Martin000-15MVintage-style 14 fret model, all solid mahogany body and neck, morado bridge and fretboardRRP: £1013

Recording KingROS-616An old-school 12-fretter with OOO body, solid mahogany top, back and sides, mahogany V profi le neck, slotted headstockRRP: £327

CollingsOM1This all-solid mahogany/spruce OM from Texas has a nitro-over-poly fi nish and picker-friendly 1.75" nutRRP: £3480

SoundsAccording to Taylor master builder Andy Powers, ‘mahogany acts as a natural compressor. Once a note has been played and the frequency set in motion, you hear the pure note without complex overtones.’ This character is borne out by the 522e – but don’t be misled into thinking that a diminution of complex overtones is necessarily a bad thing.

If you haven’t played an all-mahogany guitar before, you may be surprised how different they sound

REVIEWELECTRO-ACOUSTIC GUITAR£2762


knobs on the upper bout control Bass, Treble and Volume.

Output levels are high and feedback resistance is impressive, but more importantly the Expression System does a fi ne job of translating the natural acoustic tone of both guitars into an electronic signal. Though you may well end up rolling off a little treble, you’ll likely fi nd that both guitars’ electric sound can be made to resemble the acoustic tone to a surprising degree. Some might feel that playing leads on the unwound strings emphasises an oddly reedy and hollow quality to the midrange, but the Expression System sounds better than average for general strumming and picking duties.

618eTaylor describes the Grand Orchestra body as ‘a more robust alternative to the Grand Symphony’. It’s Taylor’s latest body shape, and with a maximum width of 16.6" it’s the biggest Taylor six-string to date. Obviously it’s approximately a jumbo, but the waist has a little more girth than a typical example. The new, wide soundboard is combined with a deeper body, and a new bracing scheme has been devised to facilitate soundboard movement and produce louder and more complex tone with excellent sustain. Taylor was keen to avoid bottom-heaviness and wanted to design a jumbo that didn’t require a strong playing attack to get the top moving; this really is intended to be an all rounder, with lots of volume and plenty of bass response.

The fi gured maple back and sides are stunning and they match superbly with a near-perfect spruce top graced with copious cross-silking. In this context the 618e’s white binding looks better to our eyes than cream or ivoroid would have done, and the blue/brown hue of the rosette inlay is subtle yet gorgeous.

Like the 522e the 618e has a three-piece neck with a stacked heel and a scarfe jointed headstock, but this time it’s hard rock maple with a gloss fi nish. The bridge, bridge pins, fretboard, headstock veneer are all ebony, the logo and position markers are pearl.

quality that draws you in and makes you want to keep playing and playing. The particular qualities of solid mahogany tops aren’t best suited to true ‘all-rounder’ duties and we’d guess that solid rhythm players or dedicated Travis-style pickers may feel the 522e’s low notes are a bit too lacking in punch to set up a solid pulse, but if you let those low strings ring out as you’re picking, this guitar is superbly balanced both in standard and dropped tunings.

Getting back to the ‘overtones issue’, the upshot is that the 522e has a degree of clarity, directness and purity of tone that you won’t hear from a spruce-topped guitar of a similar design. This gives better note separation, enabling you to play grace notes, close note clusters and even dissonant intervals without the sound degenerating into harmonic mush. Singing guitarists may also notice that they can hear themselves better, because the 522e doesn’t eat up too much frequency space. Some quick microphone tests also demonstrated just how easily it records and how well it sits in mixes.

Both the 522e and 618e use Taylor’s Expression System, combining a magnetic under-string sensor with two body sensors – one between the tone bars behind the bridge, and one between the two side braces off the bass side of the X-brace. You can reach through the soundhole to switch the body sensors on and off, while the three

to spruce or cedar tops. For starters, the 522e is not a loud guitar; many lesser-grade guitars with solid spruce tops may be noticeably louder. The 522e doesn’t really project sound out into the room – instead, the sound seems to hover around the body of the guitar itself, which actually makes for a more intimate playing experience.

The sound is well-balanced, woody generally gorgeous in a warm and country-ish sort of way. Very little effort is needed to generate fi ne tone from this instrument, and we had just as much fun picking as strumming. Sure, the sound doesn’t have the snap or pop that you might associate with spruce, but it has a sweet, easy-going

The sound of the 522e seems to hover around the body of the guitar, making for a more intimate playing experience

FACTFILETAYLOR 618E

DESCRIPTION: Grand Orchestra-sized acoustic guitar. Made in USAPRICE:£2762 inc, hard case

BUILD: Solid sitka spruce top, solid fi gured maple back and sides, 20-fret set maple neck, ebony fi ngerboard and bridge, compensated Tusq saddle, gold plated diecast tunersELECTRICS: Taylor Expression SystemLEFT-HANDERS: YesFINISH: Natural gloss

SCALE LENGTH: 648mm/25.5"NECK WIDTH: Nut 44mm12th fret 55mmDEPTH OF NECK:First fret 19mmNinth fret 20mmSTRING SPACING:Nut 38mmBridge 56mmACTION AS SUPPLIED:12th fret treble 2.5mm12th fret bass 3mmWEIGHT: 2.5kg/5.5lbs

CONTACT: Taylor Guitars 31 (0) 20 667 6033www.taylorguitars.com

Like this?Try this...GibsonSJ200 Standard AN New EditionThe big, extrovert-looking classic with solid sitka spruce top, eastern curly maple back and sides, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, and a Fishman Aura Ellipse system with a soundhole-mounted volume controlRRP: £2649

LowdenF32CA fi ne jumbo with a cutaway built with solid rosewood back/sides, a Sitka spruce top, fi gured sycamore binding, a fi ve-piece mahogany/rosewood neck and Gotoh tunersRRP: £2999

GuildF-50 StandardUSA-built jumbo with solid sitka top, laminated maple back, solid maple sides, ivoroid binding, scalloped red spruce bracing, mahogany neck, rosewood board, bone nut/saddle and pearl inlays. Case includedRRP: £1775 The 618e has a gloss

hard rock maple neck and gold tuners

Ivoroid body binding, neck binding and rosette really makes a di� erence

TOTAL 89%

FINAL SCORETAYLOR 522E


Playability 18 / 20

Sound 19 / 20


Looks 18 / 20

REVIEW


The 622e stays with white binding to match with the

fi gured maple back and sides

SoundsThis guitar sounds just as big as it looks, but not in a crass or overblown sort of way. Maple acoustics are generally held to have a sound that veers towards the ‘bright’ end of the spectrum, and the 618e conforms to our expectations of the material, but the ample upper

partials are well supported by a strong midrange and a bass response so

profound that you may fi nd yourself feeling around inside for a hidden built-in subwoofer. Despite this, the 618e is not in the least bit boomy.

It’s simply solid and well-defi ned, and it has such a wonderfully chesty and elastic ‘whump’ that you’ll probably

feel almost compelled to start playing bluegrass-style rhythm.

Swapping over to a thumbpick for some boom-chicky Travis

picking, even palm-muted bass notes pop right off the soundboard like a front-skinned bass drum.

This guitar may have a very high dynamic limit, but

it’s not just about bashing out chords. As promised the

618e responds to a delicate touch too, and it’s a formidable

fi ngerstyle instrument. The balance and tone stay remarkably consistent all over the fi ngerboard and the tone has a subtle and complex quality.

As well as delivering the goods in standard tuning, the 618e has absolutely no problems coping with dropped tunings. You can lower the bottom E and A strings down to C and G with no discernible loss of power or defi nition. In fact, on sonorous low altered tunings the 618e takes on an almost piano-like quality that’s nothing short of amazing.

VerdictAt the top of this review we talked about Taylor’s consistency, but don’t mistake our use of the term to mean ‘sameness’. Sure, the company’s quality is consistent indeed – in fact in terms of

fi t and fi nish we might even be noticing a slight stepping-up, although as mentioned there are one or two tweaks on terms of tuner choice and trim that we feel would enhance these particular models still further.

Nevertheless, while defi nitely reliable in terms of playability and quality of sound, these two guitars are very different indeed. The 618e is a real powerhouse: big, balanced, bright. It’s the kind of guitar that you always wanted a J-200 to be, and a fi ne example of just what can be accomplished with a near-jumbo design if you know how. As for the smaller all-mahogany 522e, it’s one of the most beguiling acoustics I have ever played, and a genuinely inspiring fi ngerpicking and songwriting guitar and a fi ne recording instrument too. So if you’ve ever fallen into the trap of primarily thinking of Taylors for their fi ne utility qualities, think again: these are guitars you can really bond with. TOTAL 90%

FINAL SCORETAYLOR 618E


Playability 18 / 20

Sound 19 / 20


Looks 19 / 20

Tortie pickguard and an abalone

soundhole inlay

REVIEWBASS GUITAR

£399


VINTAGENothing evokes the sound of rock’n’roll bouncing off an arched brick ceiling quite like a violin bass – but this well-designed tribute can do more than just twist and shout. Review by Gareth Morgan

VVB4 Violin Bass

Last month we reviewed Hofner’s thud-tastic President bass; this month the spotlight falls on a hollow-bodied

Vintage-brand Violin Bass. Of course, Paul McCartney played a Hofner Violin Bass on all recordings by the Beatles from 1961-’65, but Hofner didn’t come out with the fi rst violin-shaped electric bass guitar: that was Gibson with the Electric Bass of 1953, although that was a solidbody design with an endpin for playing in the upright position (not a bad idea, as it weighed over 11lbs). Hofner’s hollowbody 500/1 Violin Bass was launched in 1956, and soon its Beatles-fuelled popularity spawned much imitation. As well as the Hofner 500/1 Vintage ’62 Violin Bass we saw in August 2004 (Vol 15/4), we also had a close look at Duesenberg’s VB way back in our March 2003 issue (Vol 13/11). This time, though, we’re looking at the Vintage VVB4 Violin Bass.

Made in Indonesia, the VVB4 is comprised of a spruce top and two-piece fl amed maple back with fl ame maple sides. This means the face of the VVB has less grain detail, allowing you to focus on the rather splendid antique sunburst fi nish and the three-ply pearloid scratchplate, but fl ip it over and you’re in tiger-striped heaven. Unlike the President Bass we saw last month, the VVB has no f-hole and also has an internal centre block in line with

the neck. This isn’t a device intended to promote sustain or kill feedback, as in the Gibson 335 design – it’s simply for securing the pickups in place, and it doesn’t extend as far as the bridge (which is mounted directly onto the top for tonal reasons). Other than that, the top, bottom and sides are bordered by period-correct white binding with thin black/white pinstripe purfl ing. By the way, if you’ve never held one of these basses and expect the body to be

a straight-up-and-down, squared-off affair, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the slightly convex profi le of both top and back, helping the chamfer-free VVB to sit just that fraction more snugly against your stomach. The maple neck is secured to the body using the set-in method, and the heel is framed by a large chunk of white binding and capped with pearloid. Contour-wise this bass is very slim and comfy, making it a real pleasure to play.

The Vintage VVB4 feels very slim and comfortable, though those used to a 34" scale will need some time to adjust

➻

The pearloid-capped heel looks blocky but

doesn’t get in the way

Open-geared tuners come with angular buttons for that real ’60s look

FACTFILEVINTAGE VVB4 VIOLIN BASS

DESCRIPTION: Hollowbody bass. Made in IndonesiaPRICE: £399

BUILD: Spruce top, fl amed maple back and sides, set maple neck with 22 medium nickel frets on a rosewood fi ngerboard. Wilkinson open gear tuners with pearloid buttons and Wilkinson chrome tailpiece/rosewood bridge with fretwire saddles. Chrome hardwareELECTRICS: Passive with two Wilkinson WDB pickups. Two volume controls and Bass On, Treble On pickup selector switches, Rhythm/Solo switchLEFT-HANDERS: NoFINISH: Antique sunburst

SCALE LENGTH: 770mm/30.25"NECK WIDTH: Nut 39mm12th fret 47mmDEPTH OF NECK:First fret 19mm12th fret 22mmSTRING SPACING:Nut 11mmBridge 14mmACTION AS SUPPLIED:12th fret treble 2mm12th fret bass 2.5mmWEIGHT: 2.69 kg/5.91lbs)

CONTACT: JHS Ltd 01132 865381 www.jhs.co.uk

REVIEWBASS GUITAR£399


less impact to the bottom end, but you do get a rapid decay of the body of the note, an almost compressed feel and a distinct woodiness too. It’s actually great for modern dance music: just EQ up the bass end for a little weight and you’ve got the sort of warm, fat, rumbling woodiness which is perfect for that style. If you really have to get something close to contemporary out of the VVB, select the bridge pickup, move your right hand back, and dig in. You’ll get some edge, but the midrange is weak and a little boxy so it doesn’t quite cut it. Best to stick to rootsy grooves – this is where the VVB really excels.

VerdictAll in all, Trevor Wilkinson and Vintage have managed to put together an authentic reproduction of the bass that McCartney played from 1961 with the Beatles at a price which competes very keenly with both the original and its myriad of high-quality imitators. There’s not much in the way of tonal variation here, but everything you can squeeze out of the VVB is high quality and practical, at least in the context of the expected violin bass sound. It comes with fl atwounds, so fi tting roundwounds might open it up just a little more. If you’re in the market for a budget violin bass, then do make checking this one out a priority: it’s excellent.

While guitarists will instantly love the shorter scale length and tight string spacing, it takes a little time for us 34"-scale merchants to adjust. The lack of weight is a big plus, especially if you’ve got back or shoulder issues, but it also makes it feel slightly toy-like.

SoundsYou won’t pick up any Violin Bass expecting it to come over with the clang of a solidbody Rickenbacker, and although you do get a certain

amount of snap and bite on the pickup closest to the bridge, it’s not exactly cutting. With both pickups on you’ll fi nd a very traditional tone indeed, and while the low strings do have some shape and defi nition they’re fundamentally soft and woolly with a slightly weak-sounding midrange that errs towards the higher mids. There’s enough top-end to make it worthwhile to kick back with some rock’n’roll, old Beatles parts, soul and even jazzier walking basslines, and there’s plenty of thuddy dynamics to be found at the bottom end, especially if you hit strings a little harder. It’s worth noting the very even response across the neck, regardless of pickup setting, making playing in various octaves a rewarding experience – you don’t get the thin string brittleness that blights even some of the more expensive active basses.

The neck pickup is the most acoustic-sounding setting and the closest to an upright in qualities. The lack of an f-hole means the VVB shifts less air so there’s

The headstock is an accurate re-working of the traditional squeezed oblong with a fi n-like protrusion on the top edge and a Vintage logo. It also bears a set of Wilkinson Open Gear Tuners with small pearloid buttons, much like the originals but with upgraded materials and modern manufacturing methods, and a black plastic trussrod access cover. Aside from the black plastic nut (now replaced on current production, Vintage tells us, by more a period-correct multi-ply black and white nut), the rosewood fi ngerboard carries a zero fret plus 22 regular frets. There are white pearloid dots on the face and smaller white ones along the top edge.

The bridge is a two-sectioned affair comprising a rosewood block with tiny fretwire saddles that sits on another rosewood block. Needless to say, adjustments to action and intonation can take longer than with modern bridge units. The VVB is kitted out with a pair of Wilkinson WDB pickups – one butted right up to the neck and the second 40mm further back. You get a pair of cream plastic volume controls with gold caps, and three switches: Bass On and Treble On are pickup selectors and Rhythm/Solo provide a preset attenuation of the set volume.

The Vintage VVB4 works not only for rock’n’roll, soul and jazz, but also – with added bass EQ – modern dance music

On-o� sliders for each pickup plus a level attenuation switch

The Vintage comes with suitably plunky fl atwound strings TOTAL 85%

FINAL SCOREVINTAGE VVB4 VIOLIN BASS


Playability 18 / 20

Sound 14 / 20


Looks 17 / 20

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DuesenbergViolin BassStylish and subtle update on the VB template, made in Germany, with a slightly di� erent control confi guration that some say o� ers more tonal variationRRP: £1285

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Ampeg’s retro-angled slimline Class D heads have been joined by a new model with extra power and a bit more besides. Review by Gareth Morgan

Portaflex PF-800

ToTAl 85%

final scorePJB DoUBle FoUR ComBo


Playability 16 / 20

Sound 16 / 20


Looks 17 / 20

the cab). There’s a real natural warmth and a reassuring solidity to the lows, with sweet, clean, natural highs. The 800 will not colour your midrange, so if it’s honky, then flat eQ will sound honky, dark and belligerent on lower strings and clean and musical on the D and G. engaging Ultra lo adds a slight fatness while subtly scooping the midrange; bringing in the Hi gives added sheen. The Bass eQ warmly envelopes you like a favourite jumper, and boosting Treble adds a nice freshness without increase in aural flotsam. With the midrange options, boosting 220Hz (Position 1) tightens the bottom and adds a little more impact – especially effective with boosted Bass – while a hike to 450Hz brings in snap and gurgle. Position 3 (800Hz) is gnarlier with a crisp finger-funk sound, and the remaining two effectively spring clean the top end, Position 5 adding more crunch.

VerdictIn historical terms this is nothing like the original Portaflex, but that’s not the real story; the PF-800 has plenty to offer. An excellent portability-to-weight ratio, a simple and effective eQ and brilliant value for money all stack up to make this little Ampeg package actually rather appealing.

We first encountered Ampeg’s re-working, re-modelling and renovation of their revered Portaflex

series in August 2011 (Vol 22/11) with the PF-350 head and dapper PF-115He cabinet. The Chinese-made line has recently been expanded, and this month we’re sampling the PF-800.

The number may be bigger but this isn’t just a louder PF-350. Build-wise it’s the same, if slightly bigger, with a black sheet metal chassis 380mm wide, 80mm high and 272mm deep, including handles. At 5.48kg/12lbs and spitting out 800W into 4 ohms of Class D noise, it’s a welcome addition to the high-power/lightweight bass amp club.

on the front panel the -15dB switch has been joined by global mute switch, and the red Peak indicator by an orange Threshold bulb. For their highest power unit, Ampeg have added Compression via a single control and two old-school switches, Ultra Hi (+9dB @ 8kHz) and Ultra lo (+2dB @ 40Hz & -10dB @ 500Hz). The eQ is the basic three-band

type with Bass, (+/- 12dB @ 40Hz) and Treble (+15dB and -20dB @ 4kHz). The midrange is pseudo-parametric with a cut/boost dial (20/10dB) and a Frequency control which selects five numbered options: 220Hz, 450Hz, 800Hz, 1.6kHz and 3kHz. There’s also an FX mix control for wet/dry signal blend.

In terms of connectivity, there’s a front panel Audio In (for mP3/CD/iPod playback) and Phones mini jack sockets, back panel FX loop and twin speaker outs (with one of the Speakon variety). The XlR line out now has Pre/Post eQ, 0dB/-40dB pad and Ground/lift provision in switch form and there are Foot Switch (not provided), Power Amp In, Pre Amp out and Tuner out jack sockets. So, lots more mash for your moolah, then.

SoundsAfter hooking the amp up to a PF-210He cab we soon discovered there’s no secret to getting a good sound; just set all the controls at 12 o’clock and tweak Gain sensibly (and disable the tweeter in

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‘But, hand on heart, I can promise that I’d proudly go on stage with any one of these. A lot of them originally cost a fortune but have little secondhand value today, or they’re in a specialist kind of area, so in reality I get the best of both worlds, cherry-picking high quality alternative guitars.

‘If you look across my collection you’ll fi nd a lot of British makers. It’s not a conscious decision to buy British each time, but I feel that while everyone seems to talk about the big Californian names – Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Charvel, Schecter – we have phenomenal builders here in the UK who are very often overlooked.’

First up is a pair of extraordinarily angular and futuristic through-neck six-strings. ‘These were designed by Professor Roger McVae and they were built in the UK around the year 2000,’ details Simon. ‘Roger was fascinated by the Washburn Shift vibrato system, which

at the time you couldn’t acquire separately, so he purposely bought two Washburn guitars which he then scrapped so he could use the vibratos on these two beauties. Both have carbon strips instead of truss rods and maple/mahogany centre blocks through the bodies. One uses mahogany for the body wings, neck and fi ngerboard, while the other employs ebony. Both have EMG humbuckers.’

The next two on display are very pink and very green. ‘These are early ’90s Palm Bay electrics, handbuilt by Andy Mackenzie,’ says Simon. ‘Both are highly playable, and they’re some of the best answers that Britain came up with for the ’80s rock guitar trend.’

The tubular silhouette of a Gus will be familiar to many fans of experimental British guitars. ‘I think Simon Farmer is a genius,’ enthuses Simon. ‘Of course they’re radical, but anyone who doubts the sound or the playability should try one. I think this one –

It’s been seven whole years since Guitar & Bass ventured to the far depths of Cornwall to witness Simon Jones’ startling selection of guitars. Simon isn’t a man to stand still,

though, and since that time many of his instruments have been put on the block to make room for yet more way-out custom guitars. Is it about time for us to pay the man and his remarkable collection another visit? You bet it is.

‘What’s changed,’ Simon explains, ‘is basically lots of upgrades, and the new stuff leans very much towards high-end custom-built guitars of a pretty alternative nature. Some of the new guitars are complete one-offs, while some of them are just rare.

‘I’m in a pretty lucky position because a lot of the instruments I love simply aren’t trendy at the moment. To be honest, a lot of players wouldn’t even dare to be seen with them!

Simon Jones scours the planet to track down wild, weird and experimental guitars and his collection now includes rarities from the UK, America, Russia, Germany, France and beyond. Lars Mullen drops in

WONDERS OF THE WORLD

at the time you couldn’t acquire separately, so he purposely bought two Washburn guitars

McVae guitars with EMGs and Washburn vibratos

PRIVATE COLLECTIONPRIVATE COLLECTION


more than happy to play outlandish guitars like this live,’ Simon grins. ‘This is a late ’80s ESP Custom Shop AX and it’s been my number one stage guitar for a while now – I play in a duo called Smug Jars and two bands, Entity and Craters Of Mars. It’s turned out to be a pretty solid and reliable guitar. This came from a contact I have in Japan.

‘I actually got the ESP in a swap for an original Vox Teardrop guitar – collectable of course, but not my cup of tea. The Japanese guy bit my arm off. It was a three-guitar swap, and for that one Vox I got the ESP AX, an Ibanez Jem and this incredible ESP Angel Wing which was hand-carved for Takamizawa Toshihiko, the guitarist in Japanese rock band the Alfee. He’s the biggest ESP endorsee of them all. I haven’t gigged this one yet as it

which is a Gus G1 Vibrato model – is one of the best modern electric guitar designs. It just feels so good strapped on… the wood/carbon fi bre composite body is perfectly balanced. I love the fact that standard hardware just isn’t considered good enough, so he makes all of it, including the controls and the pickups – and the vibrato is stunning. It’s literally hand-built rather than assembled.

‘The blue guitar with the graphic fi nish is a Stormshadow. I reckon these are Britain’s answer to what I call the “California Valley” guitars. This is one of their early DBS models from 2008, with a Blue Tribal/Ghost Flame fi nish. The graphics are by Piers Dowell, the body is American alder, the neck and fi ngerboard are AAA-grade birdseye maple, and the humbuckers are Bulldog Extremists.’

Rather more restrained but equally classy are two guitars built by Tom Anfi eld, a luthier originally from Australia but now based locally in Cornwall – a natural-fi nish guitar with three humbuckers and a dark sunburst double-cut with two.

‘Tom really has carved his name into the industry with his custom guitars,’ says Simon. ‘Mine are both early prototypes. The one of the left has a hollow swamp ash body and a spruce top. He’s a genius with the wiring as well as the construction: the three Kent Armstrong pickups are coil tapped and have boost and phase switches, stereo mono outputs and piezos under the bridge. This guitar is the Swiss army knife of sonic versatility, a great all-rounder.

‘The Anfi eld on the right is more of a heavyweight in every department. It’s got two Kent Armstrong humbuckers, so it’s more of a blues/rock guitar. It has a very fast neck, and the Honduras mahogany body gives lots of sustain. This was originally designed for through-body stringing before the installation of the Kahler vibrato, so the rear cavity was refi lled with million year-old fossils!’

Next up – and pictured at the top of the next page – is an gloriously spiky red ESP. ‘I’m

‘The Anfield guitar used to have through-body stringing before the Kahler was fitted, so the

cavity’s now filled with million year-old fossils’

doesn’t have a volume control, and that might hamper my playing style a little!’

The bizarrely-shaped custom graphic guitar on the left in the next group of three comes from O’Scannell custom guitars in France. ‘These take some beating when it comes to radical shapes and paint jobs, but this one is surprisingly comfortable to play both standing up or sitting down,’ recommends Simon. ‘I bought it from a guy in Romania, of all places. O’Scannell still make these models, but I think they’re mainly concentrating on basic Fender and Gibson shapes. That proves once again that weird shapes and oddball paint jobs are not too popular, but I love them dearly.’

Next to the O’Scannell is an all-black guitar which might look, at fi rst glance, to be relatively normal… but it isn’t. ‘This,’ says Simon proudly, ‘is a Bond Electraglide, a British oddity from the mid-’80s that took full advantage of the technology of the day. Built with carbon fi bre and plastics, it’s vastly over-engineered with LCD displays for the volume and tone, and it uses its own power supply,

which I also have. It’s a classic case of someone over-thinking in the design department – there’s a circuit board inside which is the size of the entire body! The black anodised aluminium fi ngerboard has “steps” instead of frets. The action is ridiculously low and fast, and this is the only model they made with a vibrato.’

On the right of the same group of three is a brightly-coloured partscaster. ‘I’m fascinated by colour schemes! This “bitsa” has a ’77 Fender Tele body, a reverse ➻

Palm Bay guitars from the UK

The second Anfi eld (far right) has been customised with fossilised ammonites

the design department – there’s a circuit board inside which is the size of the entire body! The black anodised aluminium fi ngerboard has “steps” instead of frets. The action is ridiculously low and fast, and this is the only model they made with a vibrato.’

On the right of the same group of three is a brightly-coloured partscaster. ‘I’m fascinated by colour schemes! This “bitsa” has a ’77 Fender Tele body, a reverse

A pair of Tom Anfi eld guitars

doesn’t have a volume control, and that might hamper my playing style a little!’

Gus G1 Vibrato and a Stormshadow custom

cavity’s now filled with million year-old fossils’

pointy headstock, an angled humbucker and Floyd Rose. It was put together as a tour guitar by the same guy who did the very loud paint job, and it’s incredibly heavy.’

On the left in the next group of three, below, is a wild-looking US-made custom. ‘I keep in touch with builders all over the world and I was recently talking to Tony De Lacugo in California,’ Simon explains. ‘His guitars are wonderfully off-the-wall and extremely specialist. Actually, Tony’s better known for putting a twist on familiar body shapes with loud custom fi nishes, but this Excelsior is from his Extreme Series. There’s nothing normal about the shape, from the open headstock to the inward-radiating solid mahogany contoured horns, which wrap around your body in the playing position.

‘My number one studio guitar at the moment is a Feline, custom built by Jonathan Law, another fi ne UK maker. This is one of

his early models from around 1995, with a fl awless blue metalfl ake fi nish that throws out rainbow colours from different angles. It’s a great visual guitar, a light show in itself with the refl ective scratchplate and tailplate. Martin Sims installed catseye fi ngerboard lights at the 12th fret. I’m partial to the odd sparkly fi nish… in fact I love them.’

The spiky blue/green guitar is a Wilkes Slut. ‘Some of my guitars have been kept fairly clean by their previous owners but a lot of them arrived in pretty poor condition, so over the years I’ve learnt how to do most of my own restoration work. The Wilkes was totally unplayable when I bought it. I think Doug Wilkes is one of Britain’s fi nest builders – really high quality work. I actually have two Sluts that live in my studio.

‘There’s a cute story behind this silver sparkle Charvel Fusion. When I was a young lad in the early ’80s I lived in Northampton,

and I was just getting into players like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Each time I got dragged out to the shopping centre with my family I was allowed to hang out in the guitar shop and make terrible noises through a big Marshall amp. Full credit to the staff, who let me use this very guitar every time! It was drastically reduced as it had a crack in the fi nish, and at one point my dad almost bought it for me. I was devastated when I turned up one Saturday to fi nd it had been sold. Then, many years later, it came up on eBay. I wouldn’t have gone for it, but it had a lot of sentimental value.’

The bright red instrument with the extended horn is an electric sitar by Eyb of Germany. ‘This is quite a feat of engineering,’ remarks Simon. ‘The scale length is longer than normal and the pickups are placed to enhance the sitar sound, but the real secret is in the saddles and the bridge construction. Each saddle can be individually raised or lowered for the required amount of sitar effect, then locked in place. It sounds very authentic on lead lines and chords.

‘The mother and father of all sparkly guitars surely has to be this BC Rich Gunslinger, hand-inlaid with hundreds of pounds’ worth of Swarovski crystals by a company called Crystal Rock. It’s a stunning effect, refl ecting insane patterns and changing colour under the lights. It’s the perfect guitar for a really bad player – you’d get cheered with this guitar just by going on stage and playing an E chord!’

Last time we spoke to Simon we discovered his near-fanatical feelings for pearl-covered Ritz guitars – and his collection is now well into double fi gures. ‘I had 12 when we last talked, and now I have 37 of the original 53 guitars that were made in that one year of ➻

‘The Angel Wing was built for Takamizawa Toshihiko, guitarist with the Alfee’

Fender Fat Tele and a Roger Gi� n custom

PRIVATE COLLECTION

Left, a David Lacugo guitar; centre, an Iceman-inspired Feline; right, a Wilkes Slut

Satriani. Each time I got dragged out to the shopping centre with my family I was allowed to hang out in the guitar shop and make terrible noises through a big Marshall amp. Full credit to the staff, who let me use this very guitar every time! It was drastically reduced as it had a crack in the fi nish, and at one point my dad almost bought it for me. I was devastated when I turned up one Saturday to fi nd it had been sold. Then, many years later, it came up on eBay. I wouldn’t have gone for it, but it had a lot of sentimental value.’

The bright red instrument with the extended horn is an electric sitar by Eyb of Germany. ‘This is quite a feat of engineering,’

‘The Angel Wing was built for Takamizawa ‘The Angel Wing was built for Takamizawa ‘The Angel Wing was built for Takamizawa


A Charvel Fusion, an Eyb guitar and a crystal-covered BC Rich Gunslinger

An O’Scannell from France, a British-built Bond Electraglide and a custom-graphic partscaster

On the left, an ESP

Custom Shop AX; right, a

one-o� ESP Angel Wing

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production in 1989. Ritz guitars have become a passion for me. It’s a shame that they sit in the “forgotten” category but that’s but good for me, as nobody seems to want them!

‘Ritz guitars were designed by Eric Galletta and Wayne Charvel, and they had a body with a thicker central core thinning out towards the edges. The cracked shell fi nishes form a kind of mosaic pattern, and every single one is unique. Sections of shell were cemented to the wooden body, then cracked with a rubber mallet before being sanded fl at. The catalogue lists the colours as Green Shell, Abalone Shell, Violet Oyster, Brown Lip, Black Lip, Nautilus, Shell and Snake Lip. That was just a guide, though, as I have several others, including one that has all those fi nishes on one body!

‘The hardware was a little sporadic. Wayne Charvel once worked for Gibson and BC Rich, so there’s quite a variety of pickups. I love them dearly, and I’ll always buy any Ritz. Some have arrived in a really bad way, but I’ve nursed them back to life.

‘I’m still on a mission to get more. There’s a lock-up in the USA that has fi ve waiting for me to collect at the moment, which I’m very excited about. If anyone in the world knows where there are any more then please, please contact me!’

We’re back to relative normality for the next three instruments. ‘The white Strat was put together with all the best parts from several guitars including a rather cool lace-backed scratchplate, while the two Schecters are great beefy-sounding guitars from the late ’70s. Both are pretty rare. I love the brass hardware and the use of woods that you don’t seem to see on guitars these days. The lighter-coloured one has an ash body, a rosewood fi ngerboard and Ultra Sonic pickups, while the other has a walnut body, an ebony fi ngerboard and the original Schecter pickups.’

The current pride of the whole collection just might be an extraordinary blue-fi nish

Auerswald guitar. ‘I almost have to sit down to talk about this one, it just takes my breath away every time I look at it,’ Simon sighs. ‘Germany’s always been the place for high-quality engineering, and their guitars are incredible too.

‘This is an Auerswald Naomi, built by Jerry Auerswald, who for me is the best guitar builder on the face of the planet, full stop. Aside from the machineheads he’s made everything on this guitar – even the carved pickup covers. This has been my ultimate dream for a long time. I’d been chasing one of these for over 22 years, and I missed out on a few on eBay because I couldn’t communicate well enough in German. I eventually found this one last year. I have all the catalogues and have done tons of research. For me, an Auerswald guitar is the pinnacle of guitar collecting.’

We’ll take a bit of a breather by looking at three basses. ‘The black Vigier dates from 1980 and I’ve been told by the company that as the serial number is 4, it’s one of the very fi rst production basses they made with a metal fi ngerboard. You can get a

sharp, cutting sound, but it’s also capable of sounding as warm as any bass with an all-wood neck. It’s a killer bass for recording. Next to the Vigier is a Cort Curbow, not a rare bass, but I love the Mystic Ice Crazer fi nish and the sleek, well thought-out design. It’s a great bass for the money.

‘And fi nally, the bass with three pickups and the mad scratchplate is a very unusual German-made Rellog Gitona, made in 1959. It’s a monster size, with a really long, thick neck, but I was amazed at the top end slap when I plugged it in – it’s ideal for funky bass lines. I have several basses that should be far better than this one on paper, but they’re not!’

Simon also writes and records music using instruments other than guitars. ‘I have an oud from the Middle East, a Turkish saz, and a Chinese moon guitar which I’m told is hundreds of years old. There’s also a 170-year-old bass lute, which is basically a small classical guitar with added bass strings. The large soundbox creates a natural reverb effect. I sit and noodle for hours with this one!

‘I love the sound of an old parlour or nylon-strung classical guitar. I can see the beauty in all these, whether they are a few years or a few centuries old. This little parlour on

‘I now have 37 of the 53 Ritz guitars that were made in the one year of production in 1989’

➻

‘I now have 37 of the 53 Ritz guitars that were sharp, cutting sound, but it’s also capable ‘I now have 37 of the 53 Ritz guitars that were ‘I now have 37 of the 53 Ritz guitars that were sharp, cutting sound, but it’s also capable of sounding as warm as any bass with an sharp, cutting sound, but it’s also capable

A rare Jerry Auerswald Naomi guitar from Germany

Basses by Vigier, Cort and Rellog

Left, just part of Simon’s staggering Ritz collection. Below: a bitsa Fender Stratocaster and two Schecters with brass scratchplates

A heavily-inlaid Middle Eastern oudMiddle Eastern oud

a few centuries old. This little parlour on

Middle Eastern oudMiddle Eastern oud

PRIVATE COLLECTION

the right is one I found in the UK, and there’s no label inside so I can’t identify the builder. The one in the centre has just arrived; I need to work on the neck before the strings can go on. Both are superbly built and have some beautiful inlay work.’

Simon’s trio of modern acoustic guitars were all built by Caz Davey. ‘I just can’t do without these three,’ he praises. ‘Caz Davey also makes banjos and mandolins, but when it comes to guitars he basically sticks to a dreadnought shape and a modifi ed OM design, using the customer’s chosen tonewoods. I have one dreadnought and two of the OMs; the one in the middle, the lighter-coloured one, has a Swiss alpine spruce top. I can’t do without any of these for live or recording work. Incredible workmanship.’

Below left is a handmade classical electro-acoustic. ‘It’s a Sedgemoor, built by Ivor Sedgemoor from Somerset, and it must have taken an age to complete,’ says Simon. ‘I don’t know that much about him, or even if he’s

still making. This guitar is a bit like a Gibson Chet Atkins on steroids. It’s got a Shadow pickup system and a beautiful see-through light red fi nish showing a gorgeous quilted top. Next to it is a rare Barry Ducret acoustic from 1968 – he built guitars for some major artists, like Alice Cooper. The grain of the soundboard runs at an angle, working against the bracing for extra strength and a more dynamic sound. This is a loud guitar and there’s no sign of any trouble with the top or the neck-set, so the concept really works.

‘I needed a semi-acoustic jazz guitar a while ago for a project and came across this rather large Abbot Victor that used to belong to Ronnie Wood. It’s in remarkably good condition, and as the grain in the wood is much like a fi ngerprint, I’ve been able to look at photos and feel assured that this is the actual guitar he used.’

Lastly – well, at least for our current visit – Simon produces a stunningly rare and unusual work of art. ‘I would regard Andy

Manson as the Gandalf of the acoustic guitar world! This nylon-strung doubleneck 6/12 string is just exquisite. There’s a waiting list of many years for one of his guitars, and looking at the detail here, you can certainly see why. This guitar is one

of the fi nest examples I’ve ever seen. The synergy of all the parts, the way the woods have been selected not only for tone but for the way they interact to create the tone… it’s an amazing guitar.’

For Simon, collecting has made him value people just as much as instruments. ‘I have friends all over the world helping me to track down stuff… Russia, Germany, Japan, Australia, America. We all have a common understanding of guitars. You could almost say my search engine is human! I do feel that collectors are keeping these fantastic works of art alive. I fi nd it quite sad how some of the more unusual guitars, especially those from the ’80s, are often left clapped out in a corner.

‘I feel I’m in a very privileged position to have a collection like this. It’s taken me years, and there are many years to go… but that’s all part of the fun of guitar collecting.’

Andy Manson 6/12 doubleneck


of the fi nest examples I’ve ever seen. The

Three Caz Davey fl at-top acoustics

6/12 string is just exquisite. There’s a waiting list of many years for one of his guitars, and looking at the detail here, you can certainly see why. This guitar is one


Left, a Sedgemoor electro-classical; right, a

Barry Ducret dreadnought

the right is one I found in the UK, and there’s

A Chinese moon guitar and a Turkish saz

the right is one I found in the UK, and there’s no label inside so I can’t identify the builder.

still making. This guitar is a bit like a Gibson Chet Atkins on steroids. It’s got a Shadow

of the fi nest examples I’ve ever seen. The synergy of all the parts, the way the woods of the fi nest examples I’ve ever seen. The the right is one I found in the UK, and there’s still making. This guitar is a bit like a Gibson

Bass lute and two vintage parlour guitars

An Abbott Victor jazz guitar once owned by Ronnie Wood

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96 Guitar & Bass AuGust 2013

Workshop

When Will I Be FramusJan Akkerman pipped players like Page, Clapton and Beck in polls of the 1970s. Guitar repairer Steve Clarke assesses an uncommon signature model from a much-maligned decade

One of the advantages of doing my job is that from time to time I see some truly amazing guitars – so when a Framus Akkerman

arrived from a collector who just wanted a general check-up done on his guitar, I jumped at the chance. This guitar is the original and very rare 1974 signature model called the Framus Jan Akkerman, not to be confused with the later AK1974, still in production. It was made for less than two years and based upon the thoughts of Jan Akkerman from the Dutch group Focus. It sold in the UK in 1974 for the princely sum of £481.70, which at the time was more expensive than a Gibson Les Paul Custom; in today’s money it would cost at least £2,000. No expense was spared on this model, and it shows. The guitar was made in sunburst and black: I’ve heard that there’s also a very rare white model. During the short period of production the guitar did go through some changes, especially in the bridge area.

First impressions The first thing you’ll notice is a beautiful rich cherry sunburst that is not too thick in lacquer. It weighs just over 9lb/4.4kg, and the headstock has an almost opaque black finish that shows off the beautiful inlay and the truss rod embossed ‘Akkerman by Framus’. The Framus Akkerman is similar in shape to a Gibson ES-175, but different enough to have quite a unique appearance.

Construction According to Framus literature the top of the guitar would either be maple or spruce. In this case it’s spruce with a bookmatched maple back. The maple neck is set, like a Les Paul, and like a 335 the guitar has a centre block where the pickup and stud bridge sit. The routing for the pickups is beautifully done, as is the binding. There is no lacquer

FRAmUS


FRAMUSWORKSHOP

overspray or build up anywhere to be seen. The lacquer appears to have been thinly applied, which many feel allows the tone of the instrument to come through.

HeadstockThe headstock is a lovely design, very cleanly cut with impeccable inlays and minimal black fi ller. It’s a testament to the quality of the craftsmanship as in 1974 this type of work would not be computer-routed. The machineheads are like Grovers, but these are gold-plated German Kolb tuners which are very smooth and responsive. As you would expect in a guitar of this age, the gold plating has seen better days.

NutThe nut measures 43mm and is made from bone but has little purpose as the guitar has a zero fret, something many European guitar makers used – although Framus may have been the fi rst to apply it. You might think the cut of the nut is not that critical, yet each string has the right width, and it’s cut in such a way that it would be a fi ne nut all by itself.

FretsIn the ’70s Gibson tried jumbo frets on some of their Les Pauls. Anyone who had a 1970-’73 Custom ‘fretless wonder’ will know that in a warm humid venue, bending a top E around the 17th fret could result in an undesirable ‘ping’....not good. Although

jumbo frets did help you get under the string, they frequently caused tuning problems because of where the string left the fretwire: the wire covered a wider

area, often giving intonation problems. These Framus frets are still thin but all 24 of them are higher, and

unlike the ’70s Les Paul Custom they are rounded so

that the feel is just right without putting too much

pressure on the strings. The fret ends have very neat nibs where the plastic binding meets the fret, and – unusually – the dots along the edge of the binding are clean

dark red in colour… except for the 12th fret

dot, which is black.

InlaysAgain you’ve got to give Framus credit for their craftsmanship. These inlays would give any top-end banjo a run for its money, and there’s no visible sign of shrinking at all on this jet black ebony fi ngerboard.

NeckThe neck has a thin slim tapered profi le, quite wide at 45mm with a scale length similar to a Les Paul. The neck joins at the 15th fret with a nice curved heel and doesn’t seem hard work at all to play, allowing superb access all the way up the neck. The maple is high quality with no imperfections anywhere.

PickupsThese pickups were designed by Bill Lawrence, and they’re sealed humbuckers with a curious green felt patch attached at the bottom. The bridge pickup resistance is 9.83 Ohms and the neck is 9.79 Ohms but don’t expect a high output, as these pickups are ➻

Pickup and electronics designer Billy Lorento, aka Bill Lawrence, had a relationship with Framus that went back to 1953

The six-position tone selector switch conjures an impressive

variety of sounds

Even though the bone nut is served by a zero fret it is

still perfectly cut

Guitar tech Steve Clarke gives the Akkerman a

thorough inspection


FRAMUSWORKSHOP

Steve Clarke has been a guitar tech and repairer for over two decades – and a guitar player for a lot longer than that. The Buzzcocks, the Hollies, the Pixies and Dave Stewart are just a few of the names he’s worked with. He also repairs guitars for local musicians and shops in the North West, including Gibson Music and Dawsons. You can contact Steve on 07990 970356 or via email at [email protected].

screwed directly into the body like a P90, so they are non-adjustable. However, the pickups are voiced primarily for the six-position selector switch and electronics to enhance a wide variety of tone shifts.

BridgeThe early bridge was a wraparound (like a Les Paul Junior) but it had fi zzing-out problems caused at the point where the strings leave the top of the bridge. This could have been due to two things: the action being too low, or the neck angle not producing enough downward pressure for the strings to press onto the bridge. The appearance of this version, though, is scooped at the front part of the bridge which allows the strings to leave the bridge cleanly at the top. It also has little grooves at the back of the bridge for each string which provides great functionality as well as being a practical design.

There are two small grub screws that allow for small adjustments in intonation, although many people may say a tunomatic

bridge would have made it more accurate. Still, the accuracy and scale length of the design prevents tuning problems and tone benefi ts are gained because the strings are pulled over the bridge, which is married to sturdy coupling, giving a tone that is full and has bags of sustain. That said, these strings are .012"s and a change to .010"s could force some slight intonation issues, but it’s probably no better or worse than on a three-saddle Telecaster where two strings per saddle give an improvement in tone.

Control cavityA look inside the control cavity reveals extremely tidy, well-fastened wiring. Cut to just reach the pots, the wires have no slackness; it’s nice to see the care taken with the build here. There are no splinters and the cavity is cleanly routed, and you can also see the centre block running alongside.

Sound and playabilityOne volume, one tone and one switch doesn’t look like much, but you’d be amazed at what the Framus can do. Using the six-position tone selector, position 1 gives the bridge and neck pickups together – a well-balanced sound. Position 2 gives the front pickup only, which is chime-like without too much

bass. Position 3 selects the inner coils of both pickups – ideal for a great rhythm setting. Position 4 uses the bridge pickup only and gives lots of bite without overloading the amp on a clean setting. Position 5 is the front outer coil in the neck position and the bridge pickup’s inner coil: an amazing, unique out-of-phase sound. Position 6 is the front pickup with the bridge’s back coil giving a bassier out-of-phase sound with a little more volume.

One of the most surprising characteristics of this guitar is the out-of -phase sound. It’s really thick, with none of the massive drop in volume often associated with out-of -phase sounds. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a sound quite like it before, so the Akkerman can’t really be compared to any other guitar I know of. The six-position switch was again a Bill Lawrence design, and it fi rst found its way onto the Gibson L6S model. Akkerman had a lot of input in the pickup voicing for this guitar and apparently there were a number of prototype pickups and capacitors used before he was fi nally happy. You could say that there’s a hint of Gretsch White Falcon or even Hofner, but due to the semi-solid construction the Framus has a character all of its own.

SummaryIn the Melody Maker poll of 1973 Akkerman was voted Best Guitarist In The World, an accolade he was probably neither impressed nor comfortable with. Still, what came about as the result of his vision and his exacting standards was a signature guitar built by master craftsmen at the top of their game. This guitar is very unique-sounding… and beautiful to play.

Semi-hollow construction reveals the solid centre-block

Kolb-manufactured tuners were also used

for a time by Guild

benefi ts are gained because the strings are

back coil giving a bassier out-of-phase sound with a little more volume.


It’s no exaggeration to say that Les Paul was a giant in the fi elds of electric guitar development and multi-track recording – but he was also a virtuoso

guitarist with a distinct sound and a daring style, and, uniquely, he used his work in guitar construction and recording techniques to showcase his playing.

Les Paul’s fi rst guitar was an acoustic with a movable bridge. ‘I discovered that moving the bridge changed the intonation… I was into customisation right away.’ Long before the days of the internet and even guitar tuition books, he recalls a charming story of when he only knew three chords and wanted to learn the F chord. He went to see Gene Autry perform, and whenever Autry played an F chord Paul would switch on his torch and make a note of where Autry’s fi ngers were placed. Autry noticed, as Paul recalled:

‘He thought, why in the world does that light come on just when I hit an F? So I confessed, and he called me up on the stage to play my guitar an sing. I was the hit of the town.’

Les Paul was infl uenced by country, blues and jazz musicians, but also by his mother, who once commented that she found it diffi cult to distinguish her son’s playing from other guitarist’s, so he began to enliven his music with fl ashy moves such as the slurs explored in Exercise 7.

Les Paul: The Absolutely Essential 3CD Collection, from which the following examples are taken, brings together the fi nest moments from his long performing and recording career. Like his contemporary and acquaintance Django Reinhardt, whose fi nger mobility was severely limited after a fi re, Paul overcame physical obstacles; he took two years to recover from a serious

electrocution in 1940, and after a car accident in 1948 that crushed his right elbow he had his arm set in a position that would enable him to play the guitar. ‘I think, however,’ he once said, ‘that I am proudest of having invented multi-track recording.’

Far more than just a name on a guitar and a recording pioneer, Les Paul was a skilled player who knew how to please an audience. Douglas Noble examines his style

GUITAR TECHNIQUES

WORKSHOP

Les PaulWW

PLAYLIKE

Here’s a couple of relatively easy licks to ease you into Les Paul’s technique. It’s based on a diminished fi fth interval on the top two

strings, using the major sixth and fl attened third degrees of the scale. The fi rst bar is similar to a phrase in How High The Moon at

0:02, and the second bar is similar to a phrase which you’ll hear in The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise at the 0:55 mark.

● 1 DIMINISHED FIFTH LICK 2/2 TIME

Let’s briefl y look at one of Les Paul’s compositional techniques. In his soloing he occasionally used chromatic passing notes, shifting one fret at a time, to create interesting and smooth-sounding phrases. The

fi rst three bars of the exercise show a phrase using the E mixolydian mode (E F# G# A B C# D# E). The three bars that follow are the same phrase, but with the addition of chromatic notes wherever possible to link notes.

So, instead of starting with G# to F# we add in the chromatic tone inbetween these notes to give a smoother and more colourful G#, G, F# line on the top string. Paul plays a phrase similar to this in Guitar Boogie Shuffl e at 1:07.

●2 CHROMATIC PASSING TONES 2/2 TIME


Here are three jazz guitar chord voicings in the key of C major that we are going to use as the backing for the melody in Exercise 3. Jazz guitar chords are typically voiced using all fretted notes and no open strings so they can be played staccato; once the chord has been struck if you relax the pressure of the fretting

hand and immediately stop the notes sounding. This enables them to be played in a rhythmic, staccato manner simply not possible with open string chords.

This C major chord is the basic A chord barred at the third fret, with the third fi nger lying fl at across strings four, three and two.

There’s only one note di� erent between this and Cmaj7 – the third string is played at the fourth fret instead of the fi fth. Similarly, only one note changes between Cmaj7 and C6 – the third string is played at the second fret, not the fourth. This uses the fi rst fi nger to barre strings four and three at the second fret.

●3 JAZZ CHORDS IN C MAJOR

Brought to you in association with

Cmaj7 x x x x x x x x x

C6C

3rd 3rd

3rd

1 1

3 3 3

1 1

2

3 4

2

4

In his soloing Les Paul occasionally liked to home in on ‘target notes’ – that is, notes that are integral to the accompanying progression. The phrase shown below is similar to one found at the start of the solo in It’s Been A Long, Long Time at 1:02 and is played over a progression using the chords from Exercise 2

– a stock progression of C, Cmaj7, C6. In the phrase shown in the exercise, the note that makes a chord change is targeted when the chord change occurs. For example, as explored in Exercise 2, the only note that changes from C to Cmaj7 is a B note, and Les Paul strikes this note exactly when this change happens on the

third beat of the fi rst bar. Similarly, for the change from Cmaj7 to C6, where the key note is A, Les Paul strikes this note at the start of the second bar, where the chord change occurs. Note also the use of chromaticism – that is, notes moving one fret at a time, in bar 1, beats 2 and 4

●4 TARGET NOTES 4/4 TIME

Tremolo picking is essentially plucking the string as quickly as possible whilst playing a melody consisting of repeated notes. Les Paul can be heard using this technique in Nola at 1:30, albeit on a speeded-up guitar part. One

closely-related technique is his glissando tremolo picking lick – he starts tremolo picking on a note then slides down the fretboard using the same fretting hand fi nger, often ending on an open string. This produces

a dramatic and fl ashy e� ect, often used by jazz pioneer Django Reinhardt, who Paul knew well. Don’t worry about playing precisely – it’s the overall e� ect that is important, not playing the lick exactly as written.

●5 TREMOLO PICKING AND GLISSANDI 4/4 TIME

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WORKSHOPGUITAR TECHNIQUES

WORKSHOPPLAYLIKE

Les Paul occasionally plays a lick that consists essentially of one note, but played on two adjacent strings with the note slid up to on the lower of the two strings. This exercise shows this lick on the top two strings, using C notes. This phrase alternates between C on the top

string, eighth fret, and C on the second string, 13th fret, with a slide up to the C on the second string. These notes are played on the beat in the fi rst bar, then in a syncopated rhythm in bar two. Paul can be heard using licks like this in In The Good Old Summertime at 0:43 and

0:58. Jazz guitar pioneer Charlie Christian played a lick similar to this before Les Paul did, and later rock’n’roll innovator Chuck Berry played a similar lick in the intro of Johnny B Goode, although he used bends instead of slides.

●6 REPEATED NOTE LICK 4/4 TIME

Les Paul often used repeated licks an uneven number of beats long, so each successive version of the lick starts on a di� erent part of the beat. Furthermore, he would often alternate a note in these repeating licks. The fi rst line below is similar to a phrase in In The Good Old Summertime heard at 0:51, while the

second line echoes a phrase in How High The Moon at 0:52. Notice how both these phrases consist of a repeating fi ve-note pattern, using a hammer-on and pull-o� , with an alternating note between each playing of the pattern. A similar phrase to these can also be heard in The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise at 1:02.

For sake of illustration, the phrases shown in this exercise repeat in a predicable manner, but in practise, Les Paul would not play these types of phrases in quite so regimented a fashion but rely on the inspiration of the moment, further adding to the level of interest and excitement.

●8 SLURRED LICKS THAT TURN AROUND 4/4 AND 2/2 TIME

Les Paul had a distinctive way of playing patterns across the strings. This exercise is similar to a phrase in The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise at 0:42. It’s a series of slurred triplets, alternating between strings one and

two, and gradually working down the fretboard, with a modifi cation to the shape from bar 1 to bar 2. Notice how some of the notes clash with the accompanying chord; Les Paul had a refreshingly daring and cavalier

attitude to such clashes, and would plough on regardless, producing some interesting harmonic e� ects. He liked this lick so much that he used it again in an edited form later in The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise at 1:13.

●7 PATTERNS ACROSS STRINGS 2/2 TIME

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Les Paul would record melodies with the tape player’s speed altered, so when played back at normal speed a part could be heard outside the normal range of the guitar. If the part was recorded slowed down to half-speed, when it

was played back it would sound an octave higher. Altering the speed also had an e� ect on the guitar’s tone; such tape manipulation can be heard in Nola, Lover, Song In Blue, Mockin’ Bird Hill and Johnny Is The Boy For Me.

A similar e� ect can be created by using a pitchshifter to transpose the notes an octave higher. This exercise is similar to a phrase in Nola at 0:16; play the notes as written with a pitchshifter set one octave higher.

●10 TRANSPOSED MELODIES 4/4 TIME

We’ve already looked at chromaticism in Les Paul’s playing in Exercise 2 and in the second half of Exercise 5. Here’s another chromatic-based lick, similar to the one heard in The

World Is Waiting For The Sunrise at 1:09. It starts o� with a major second interval, then moves down the fretboard and changes to a minor third interval, then it’s the same

interval moved all the way down the fretboard. For maximum e� ectiveness, make sure all the hammer-ons and pull-o� s are performed as crisply as possible.

●9 DESCENDING SLURS 2/2 TIME

Here’s some jazzy chord voicings used by Les Paul in Guitar Boogie – no need for tablature here. This voicing of A9#11 is used at 0:49

– Paul hits the open fi fth string, shortly followed by the rest of the chord. These voicings of E9 and E9b5 are used at the very

end of this instrumental, the E9b5 chord giving the tune an interestingly dissonant and unresolved end.

●11 JAZZY CHORDS

E9 x o x o x x o x x o

E9b5A9#11

11th11th 11th 1 1 3

3 4

2 1 4

42 3

In his early days, at the start of his search of an amplifi ed guitar sound that could reach a wider live audience, Les Paul fi tted a pickup to a Gibson L-5. He made his fi rst recordings under the name of ‘Rhubarb Red’ – a reference to his red hair – on an acoustic guitar, backing blues singer Georgia White.

Forming a trio in 1937, Paul played a modifi ed Gibson ES-250. In 1940, after having been given access to the Epiphone factory,

Paul built ‘The Log’ – one of the fi rst electric guitars as we now know them. It was basically a chunk of wood fi tted with homemade pickups, plus an Epiphone neck and fretboard, all fl anked on either side by a sawn-up Epiphone semi-acoustic.

Not surprisingly, Les Paul’s main electric in later years was the Gibson Les Paul, although he preferred to fi t his instruments with his own pickups. It was a struggle, he claimed, to

get the Les Paul model into production. ‘It was di� cult to convince them that a plank of wood with strings in it was the way to go.’

An important part of Les Paul’s set-up was the ‘Paulverizer’, a switch that enabled him to play along to pre-recorded backing tracks. Although recording long before the use of guitar e� ects, Les Paul also made considerable use of slap echo, as can be heard in In The Good Old Summertime.

LES PAUL’S EQUIPMENT

GUITAR TECHNIQUES

WORKSHOPPLAYLIKE


Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher, makes the music he wants to, always seeking to push the

boundaries and twist the envelope

BASS TECHNIQUES

WORKSHOP

W hat a fantastic position to be in. Bassist/multi-instrumentalist/programmer/sound designer/

composer Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher, seemingly gets to make the music he wants to with no compromise. He’s been doing it since 1994 and releasing albums under the Squarepusher pseudonym since 1996, always seeking to push the boundaries and twist the envelope on his quest to fi nd the perfect marriage between synthesised sounds and real instruments. If you really must stick a label on his music, then start with jungle – and then quickly move on, as there’s a whole lot more to it than that.

From our point of view at Guitar & Bass we’re mainly interested in his bass playing, and in this department Jenkinson doesn’t disappoint; think Jaco Pastorius, and add a healthy dose of psychedelia. You’ll hear plenty of evidence of this on Hard Normal Daddy (Jenkinson admits that he was ‘still battling with the infl uence of Pastorius’ at the time of writing and recording the album). Yet these songs don’t form a convoy of vehicles for his chops. He’s less egotistic than that and much more concerned in creativity, experimentation and the development of his music.

Jenkinson was born in Chelmsford, Essex in 1975, graduating to bass via classical guitar aged 12, a time during which he also developed an interest in music reproduction equipment. He made his fi rst recording in 1993, released his fi rst album as Squarepusher in 1996, and Hard Normal Daddy came out the following year. With his subsequent releases (including Buzz Caner in 1998 as Chaos A.D. and 2010’s Shobaleader One: d’Demonstrator as Squarepusher and Shobaleader One), Jenkinson

SquarepusherSquarepusherPLAYLIKE

Get ready for some marvellously squidgy bass via the classic rave electronica of Tom Jenkinson, aka Squarepusher, on the album Hard Normal Daddy. Gareth Morgan reaches for the lasers

has continued to develop the facets of his musical persona, striving not to repeat old licks or settling on something simply because it proves to be a successful formula. As we said at the top, what a fantastic and privileged position to be in.

On Hard Normal Daddy, Jenkinson’s playing, whether on fretless bass or 6-string (generally, believe it or not, a Westone fretless accompanied by an Iceni Zoot from Witham in Essex, and also Warwick basses) can be a little over-busy and a tad

naive on occasion, but it regularly has you scanning back through the CD to listen again to make sure that you really did hear what you just heard. Most of the following eight examples will either require a well-developed technique or much patience and determination to get anywhere near the target tempos, but – surprisingly, given the machine-led backing – all of them (and many other juicy morsels you can catch by checking out the album) are highly musical.


Brought to you in association with

Squarepusher is never afraid to wear his infl uences on his sleeve, whether it be bass players, pieces of music, or genres in general. The track Fat Controller opens with sub bass

throbs, military snare patterns and industrial bangs and crashes and then breaks out into an aggressive sine-wave synth bass pattern before, at around 2:50 in, morphing into a fi ne

’70s-fl avour funk bass groove/solo. Some of it is a little unfocused, but as you can see from our version of a snippet, there’s still some serious funk to be had.

●2 ’70S-STYLE FUNK 4/4 TIME

There’s an interesting dichotomy that sometimes evolves into a battle on Hard Normal Daddy where Squarepusher’s relentless pursuit of the contemporary collides with his bass-playing-based love of old school

jazz and funk. This all comes out in highly entertaining high-octane unison sections involving bass, keyboards and programmed drums on Coopers World and E8 Boogie. The fi lm-score leanings aren’t surprising, nor

is the presence of a bass solo on the latter. It’s a short assault at breakneck speed and opens in a similar way to our example below. The diamond-shaped note head in bar 1 is a harmonic on the G string at fret seven.

●3 HARMONICS, SLIDE AND HIGH REGISTER MELODY 4/4 TIME

●1 ROOT NOTES WITH SYNCOPATION 4/4 TIME

Much of the material on Hard Normal Daddy is made up of multiple sections, some of which may simply feature a drum machine part or some usage of the Amen break (a fi ve-second

solo by drummer Gregory C Coleman in 1969 on Amen, Brother by the Winstons, probably the most-used sample in the history of music and the genesis of drum and bass). However,

as you can see from Ex 1, it’s not all fl at-out madness. We’ve written this version of the synth bass line from Papalon in half-time, which creates some tricky syncopation.

●4 SYNCOPATION AND HIGH-TEMPO 16TH NOTES 4/4 TIME

Coopers World, the track that opens Hard Normal Daddy, could easily have been written by Lalo Schifrin for some ’70s drama series set in LA starring Gene Hackman. Squarepusher

doesn’t completely shy away from improvising on the main groove, there’s a pretty consistent shape to the track which makes it easier to absorb. Check out our version of the main bass

part from 2:07: combine the tempo with the controlled phrasing and 16th-note licks and you’re looking a serious challenge square in the face.

Brought to you in association withBASS TECHNIQUES

WORKSHOPPLAY

LIKE


●7 UP-TEMPO ODD-METER GROOVE 5/4 TIME

●8 PASTORIUS-LIKE FUNK WITH DEAD NOTES 4/4 TIME

Our fi nal example revisits Papalon, specifi cally the section where electric bass enters from around four minutes in. After a bluesy melodic phrase, Squarepusher delivers the

most obviously Pastorius-infl uenced part on the album, with a three-octave range, tight phrasing and dead notes. Whereas with most of the other examples you’re looking for a

bass-biased tone with good clarity (or the right stompbox to simulate the processing), here it’s the bridge pickup, boosted bass EQ and a playing position back near the bridge.

●6 GROWLING SYNTH BASSLINE 4/4 TIME

●5 SYNCOPATED SYNTH BASSLINE 4/4 TIME

Dominated by a moderately insane drum pattern, the track Rustic Raver ploughs a similar rhythmic furrow to Vic Acid, with Squarepusher distorting the di� erent

elements of the drumkit to create much of the melodic content. He then adds a simplistic, almost childlike Space Invaders melody over the top and nails it down with a growling synth

bassline on which our sixth example is based. Note that we’ve condensed this one into two bars – insert a bar of silence after each, and you’ve got it.

There are certain tunes on Hard Normal Daddy that come across simply as excuses for Squarepusher to experiment with a particular drum loop or sample. For any of you totally

uninterested in jungle or other niche-based dance-music sub-genres, these may prove to be totally unlistenable, especially as there’s often not a hint of an actual bass guitar. We

urge you to persevere, be patient and check out some of the synthed bass o� erings, as tackling basslines like Vic Acid will do nothing but expand your playing.

The intriguingly-entitled Male Pill Part 13 is unusual amongst the rest of the Hard Normal Daddy set as it features a section in odd meter, namely 5/4. It opens with a customary slow dynamic development, the drum pattern

becoming gradually more and more frantic and then being joined by some tasty bass work. After another unison work-out, at four minutes in the track virtually starts again in 5/4 and fi nally hits a groove that’s similar to

our example below at 4:22, although we’ve approximated only the fi rst two bars of a four-bar cycle. Check out the way Squarepusher continually develops the groove over the subsequent three minutes of mayhem.

We always have a greatselection of Fano guitars,and we’re adding two moreto our collection. Brand newfor 2013 the Fano GF4 & GF6,both should be here soon.

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We always carry a great selection Fender & Squier guitars, basses and amps. From Squier Vintage Modified to Fender Mexican Standard Series, right up to American Deluxe & American Vintage. We’re sure to have the guitar, bass or amp for you.

Two-Rock ampli ers are incredible sounding, hand built boutique guitar amps, made in Rohnert Park, California. Two Rock Bi Onyx Head, Two Rock Studio Pro Plus Heads & Combos, Two Rock Sensor Heads & Combos.Huge selection in stock, from £999.

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If it is exceptional tone and superb build quality that you look for in an ampthen you have to consider Tone King. The amps are built in California at theTwo-Rock shop. We also have the new Tone King Anniversary HandwiredImperial Combo & Tone King Sky King Combo on order – due in any day.

CUSTOM SHOP

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Amazing selection of Collings Acoustic and Electric guitars in stock at our Stevenage store. Also due soon :-

Collings I35LC in faded cherry, walnut, & tobacco sunburst, or with

P90’s in Red. SoCo 16 LC in tobacco sunburst, faded cherry, & tobacco

sunburst with P90’s I35 Deluxe tigers eye sunburst, Eastside.

Boutique Amps

100’s of Gibson & Epiphone guitars always in stock. Check our website or visit either store to find the guitar of your dreams.

Gary Moore Les Paul Standard ~ £1599

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We’ve been Fender Custom Shop dealers for most of our 25 years, during which time we’ve grown to be Europe’s biggest Custom Shop dealer.

Over the years we’ve helped many customers attain their fantasy guitars. We always keep over 100 Fender Custom Shop guitars in stock at our Stevenage branch so visit our website or call into Stevenage to see them.

The integrity and passion – recently described as “Olympic guitar making” - which goes into each and every Lowden guitar, has never been stronger. Coda Music in Stevenage has a great selection of Lowden guitars always in stock. Come into the shop or see them on our website.

OLD AND VINTAGE GUITARS & EQUIPMENT

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ECC81-STR £14.40 EL84-Retro £18.00ECC83 STR £14.40 GZ34-Retro £18.00ECC83-7025-STR £14.40 5881-Mil Spec £18.00EL34-STR £19.20 6L6GC- STR £21.60EL34-Retro £21.60 6L6GC- Retro £21.60EL84/E84L standard £14.40 6550A-Retro £28.80

Groove tubes are one of the most respected valve brands in the World.Combine this with Watford Valves’ special test facilities and you get

distortion rated output valves which are burst tested and dual matchedon current and gain and pre amp valves which are selected for low

microphonics and drive tested for premium performance.These valves are called Super Premium as you get the best GT available.

GT Standard Super Premium GT Standard Super PremiumECC83-S £16.80 £19.20 6L6GC-R £21.60 £24.0012AY7 £18.00 £20.40 6L6GC-GE £24.00 £26.40EL34-LS £22.20 £24.60 6L6GC-S £24.00 £26.40EL34-M £19.20 £21.60 6V6GT-R £19.20 £21.60EL84-S £14.40 £16.80 6V6GT-S £24.00 £26.40

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G12H Anniversary £89 including deliveryVintage 30 £79 including delivery

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Whether you want to learn how to play the guitar, drums, acoustic blues guitar, how to play the

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DVD’s £20.99. Childrens DVD’s £12.99

T: 01702 232396E: [email protected]: www.fifthavenuefilms.co.uk

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SS5 6HU

* 1961 Vox AC30 £1950

* 1971 Ampeg Dan Armstrong mint £1950

* 1967 Epiphone Frontier mint £1750

* 1965 Gibson SG special £2500

* Various Fender Custom Shop Strats and Teles.


CUSTOM BUILD, PICK UPS & RETAIL

From a restring to a rebuild, we’ve got it covered…• Free health check service • Set-ups• Fret dressing and refrets • Electronics work

Upgrades• Bare Knuckle, Seymour Duncan,

EMG, DiMarzio and B-Band pickups• Graphtech Ghost piezo and MIDI pickup systems• Earvana compensated tuning nuts• Graphtech nuts and saddles• Hardware by Tonepros, Sperzel, Schaller,

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South London and Surrey’s Premier Guitar Repairer9 Coombe Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1BD

020 8680 9131 [email protected]

STOCK CLEARANCE

GUIT_359_DRL TRADING_PhilB:GUIT_359_DRL TRADING 31/7/12 09:13 Page 1


CUSTOM BUILD, PICKUPS, REPAIRS, BUY N SELL AND GUITAR TUTORS

READERS’ FREE ADVERTISEMENTS

FOR SALEGibson Les Paul Traditional, wine red, AA top, immaculate condition, never seen a screwdriver, hang tags and usual Gibson hard case, £1050.Tel: 07868 263587, Wilts

Trace Elliot 1210 Combo, 12 band preamp, 500W power stage, 2x10", specially designed Celestion speakers, with foot controller. Very little use, excellent condition, £650. Tel: 07974 410929, Nr Cardiff

Ashdown bass stack ABM300 amp, 325W, 1x15" (300W) 4x8” (600W) cabinets. Made in UK, one owner, vgc, £450. Tel: 01702 582014, Essex

CROSSWORD AUGUST 2013

Boss BD-2 Blues Driver pedal, condition as new, almost unused, home use only, comes with box and manuals. £55.Tel: 07946601292 or email: [email protected]

Mesa/Boogie Nomad 45 combo, three channels, solo boost, footswitch and slip cover. Excellent condition, £795 ono. Tel: Alex 07593 667326 or email: [email protected], South Tyneside

Fender 1961, limited release LPB heavy relic Strat, Abigail Ybarra pickups, hard case, £1875. Mesa/Boogie MkV combo, as new, £1875. Tel: Simon 07881 525777, West Sussex

Gibson Custom Les Paul 1960 ‘R0’ VOS, light at 8.3 lbs, sunburst fl ame top, OHSC, COA certifi cate and tags, just had pro set up, stunning condition, £3250. Tel: 07966 348996

1966 Fender Precision bass guitar (sunburst), rosewood fi ngerboard, one owner from new, original condition. No alterations, includes solid case. £4000 ono. Tel: 0121 770 1175 or email: [email protected]

Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb, 40W, vibrato and reverb, classic blackface cosmetics, with footswitch and cover, vgc, £800. Tel: 07973 293083, North Devon

Mesa/Boogie Transatlantic TA15 head. 2 channels, 5 modes, 5/15/25 watts. As new condition, with carry bag, footswitch, manual, £650. Tel: Steve 07933 799017 or email: [email protected], Beds

Gibson Les Paul Studio circa 1984, Polaris white, DiMarzios, £590. 1976 LP Special single-cut ‘Ltd Edition’, £1900. USA Fender Jazz Bass, 1998 with Gator case, £750. Tel: 0777 327 6815

Engl Thunder 50W all-valve combo including cover and foot switch, as new, £450 ono. Crate 80W combo, £100. £500 for both. Tel: Paul, 07905 233788, London

Levin Goliath, 1963 LM-26, few dings otherwise excellent, £700. Tel: Gary 020 8207 5015 or email: [email protected] for jpegs

Rickenbacker 4003 bass, near mint condition, 2012, one owner, lovely ruby red with white binding, stunning, includes Rickenbacker case, bargain at £1350. Tel: 01702 582014, Essex

Fender Custom Shop Strat 63 N.O.S reissue in rare Seminole Red, Abi Ybarra pickups, mint condition, including case, C.O.A.

and all candy, £1595. Tel: Bob 01223 515478, Cambs

Gibson Les Paul Studio, wine red, gold hardware, hard case, mint condition, £650. Tel: 01352 732451, Flintshire

Fender Strat Standard Series 1984 sunburst, two knobs, No. E323870, made in USA, Freefl yte trem system, manual inspection tag, case. £1200 ono. Tel: 01298 74208 (after 6pm), Buxton area

DeArmond Jet Star Bass, very good condition, soft case, £285. Also Yamaha Pacifi ca, as new, £150. Swift heavy metal guitar, black, also very good condition, £120. Tel: 07791 139579, Beds

Gibson ES-175, natural fi nish, 2001 model, stunning fl ame, mint, £2150. Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gent, wine red, 1997 model, mint, £1750. Offers or part exchange W.H.Y. Tel: Alex 020 8908 4278, Harrow

Mesa/Boogie Stiletto 100W head, great condition, great sounds and very loud, £925. Tel: Steve 07803 116060, Beds. Will consider swap for Marshall valve amp

1930s twin neck lap steel – aluminium and Bakelite, hand-painted fi nish. Possibly unique early English electric, £600. 1940s Selmer lap steel plus matching Truvoice amp in case (amp requires rebuild although speaker works), plus original ’40s slide, picks, strings and accessories catalogue, £400. Tel: Gary 020 8207 5015 or email [email protected] f

Epiphone Rivera, 2002, cherry, two mini humbuckers, all original, comes with OHSC, never gigged, mint condition, £350 ono. Tel: Duncan, 07510 767122

Guitar & Bass magazines 1997 to 2012, 180 in total, all like new. £3 each. Buyer collects or give me an offer for the lot. Tel: 01634 817724, Kent

ACROSS7. Laundry worker acting as spacer (6)8. Combined to hear second person made a sir (6)9. Ash wingman Powell loses a point to 15 across (4)10. I urged ’em to make Band Aid partner (5,3)11. Luthier – the Bob who can fi x it! (7)13. First name terms for The Boss? (5)15. Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny on popular type of beach (5)17. Arrange lime cab for custom bass (7)20. Sabbath song Radiohead automated (8)21. Early type of fi ngerboard lost in mislabelling (4)23. Sycophant Howe? (3-3)24. Fun event, mostly patchy (6)

DOWN1. Jazzy blues guitarist Chris to bat after accountant (4) 2. Soundgarden holds queerly lit hay (6) 3. Stranger after old penny plays skins (7) 4. US amp and pedal manufacturer is reportedly the enlightened one (5) 5. I learn to make straight (6) 6. Cut-price mix from Dream Theatre (8) 12. Without knowing girl with things for sale (8)14. Glad I started using Spear guitar (7)16. Blue Oyster Cult buck natural law (6)18. Arrange stream to follow music for Fender guitar (6)19. Brass section to be avoided in Pamplona! (5)22. Dismisses instruments? (4)

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POSTAGE AD FORM:

fender Princeton 65 DSP amplifier, several years old but virtually mint, ungigged, as has stood in cupboard under wraps. Cost approx £200, will accept £120. Tel: 07973 776234, E. Mids

Gibson J-45 acoustic in vintage sunburst, two years old, very little home use only, vgc, playability and sound. Inc original Gibson hard case, £1300. Call Joe on 07850 14505 or email [email protected]

Epiphone Les Paul Standard, midnight blue, tiger stripe, never gigged, Korean, vgc, serial no: U03121938, gig bag, seven years old, £375 ono. Tel: 01298 74208 after 6pm, Buxton

Trace Elliott 130W SM7 1x15" bass combo, 1995, British built, immaculate, £225. Tel: Pete 01442 863869, Herts

Dean V79 Flying V, BraziliaBurst, zebra humbuckers, Grovers, bound neck/body, abalone dots, V-plate, case, unplayed, £270. SKB Flying V flightcase, new, £70. Tel: Paul 07963 129773, South East London

fender Deluxe Series Ltd Edition vintage Strat with gold hardware, t/shell plate and rosewood board, S-1 switching system, tweed case, absolutely mint condition, as new. Tel: 01986 782383, Norfolk

Yamaha TRB5 5-string active bass, translucent natural cherry, gold hardware, beautiful condition, hard case, £390 ono. Email [email protected] for pix/spec. Tel: 01202 530865, Poole, Dorset

Gibson SG Standard, 2005, cherry red, Gibson hard case, absolutely unmarked, very little home use only, superb guitar, genuine reason for sale, £700 ovno. Tel: 07948 705520 or email [email protected], Cannock, Staffs

Orange Tiny Terror combo, 12" Celestion speaker, all valve 15/7 watts, a fantastic amp, bedroom use only, as new, £250 ono, ill health forces sale. Tel: Micky 020 7511 8528/ 07826 414727, London

JV Strat (1984), £750. JV Jazz Bass, £750. Vox SE Tonelab, £300. Roland V5880 WKSTN, £300. Alesis monitors, cheap, £150. Alesis drum machine, £100. Tel: 07727 2466231, London

Rothwell Tornado overdrive, UK made, as new, £75. Tel: Stu 0114 255 6185, Sheffield

WEM Dominator Mk11 combo with 1x12", vgc, £500. Pair WEM Club 2x12" speakers, each 12 ohms, £165. Orange rig, early ’70s with 120W 4x12" cabinet, £850. Tel: 0777 327 6815, Westmorland

Matchless Clubman Reverb Head and 212 Extension Cab. Absolutely superb, critically acclaimed amp. Good condition (handles removed to fit in hard case) £1500. Cambridge. 07828 202341

Guitars and amps for sale, all mint condition. Tel: Barry 01352 732451, Flint, North Wales

Burns Sonic, Elite Series guitar, 2 x Burns Tri-Sonic Pickups, Jet Black with black features and Rez-o-Tube bridge. Mint condition. Case Included. £500. Brighton. 07282 202341

fender Jazz Bass USA Standard 60th Anniversary model, 2006, rare natural ash, rosewood

board, case, £800 ono. Tel: 07944 141845 or email [email protected], West Yorks

WANTEDfender Tweed ’50s Champ or Princeton or Deluxe amp. Must be original. Tel: 0151 638 9567, Cheshire area

Lyricist seeks musicians/collaborators. Various styles – blues, rock, melodic rock, pop, indie etc. Text H Jay on 075802 84602, Essex

Washburn Nuno Bettencourt N6 in cream with gold scratchplate. Tel: Jamie 07837 715474 or email [email protected]

Guitarist wanted for established NW-based Yes tribute. Next gigs scheduled for this autumn. Tel: 0161 928 9175

Noel Gallagher Union Jack Epi, cash waiting for right guitar. Tel: Steve 07803 116060, Beds

Hutchins Retro Star guitar, white or blue, can collect. Tel: 01789 299663, Warwickshire

Epiphone Explorer Korina, condition unimportant. Cash waiting. Tel: Robin 07958 103673, Surrey

Mesa/Boogie Express 5:25 or 5:50 1x12" combo or Egnater Rebel 30. Must be vgc. Cash waiting. Preferably London area. Tel: Mick 020 8530 1208


Paul Rose

Back in 1991, when Paul Rose was a budding talent on the Newcastle live circuit, he was singled out by Rory Gallagher from a thousand competition entrants as ‘a hot player with a hot future’. He still has the ’62 reissue Fender Strat that Rory gave him as his prize, and he’s paid

back that faith with an always-developing guitar style and a career that has taken him around the world. His latest album, Double Life, was recorded in Hollywood and boasts a prestigious line-up with singers like Terry Evans (Ry Cooder), Sweet Pea Atkinson (Was Not Was) and Raffi a Ford (Aretha Franklin) all combining seamlessly with Rose’s cultured guitar lines. Classics like Dark End Of The Street, Sea Of Love and Honey Hush get a fresh, soulful spin, while Paul’s ingenious fretwork on his version of Stormy Monday is nothing short of staggering.

A stalwart of the British blues-rock scene with years of gigging under his belt and 11 fi ne albums to his name

reveals the vinyl that changed his world

Deep PurpleMADE IN JAPAN

The tone on this record is just exquisite – my world was transformed when I heard it as a 12 or 13 year-old kid. Most live recordings of Ritchie

Blackmore were crucial for me in my early days, and I still love listening to this good and loud. I’m certain it’s where my addiction to Strats and hot valve amps comes from.

Jimi HendrixSOUND TRACK RECORDINGS FROM THE FILM

When I fi rst heard The Star Spangled Banner on this album I was shocked by its raw power. Probably the most devastating guitar experience

of my life, because at that age I didn’t fully understand how revolutionary it really was. The same goes for Johnny B Goode. I’ve watched the video a billion times.

SantanaMOONFLOWER

I love the vibe that this album captures – it seems to be a band in mid-tour and at the very top of their game. The band’s grooves are incredibly

exciting and Carlos has never sounded better. The live tracks are on fi re and fi lled with power, but they’re offset with some mellow studio cuts. Inspirational stuff.

Johnny WinterCAPTURED LIVE!

I got this album for Xmas a year after I saw Johnny on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test New Year’s Eve special, ’78/’79. It blew my mind from

start to fi nish and was the album that really got me started with blues rock guitar. Also the loudest guitarist I ever heard when I saw him at Dingwalls in London in ’82!

Allan HoldsworthSAND

There are many things Allan has done that I love, but the depth of emotional expression on this is truly blissful. The title track is gloriously melodic

but I can say I have never heard anything like The 4:15 Bradford

Executive, ever, period! I can’t describe its magnifi cence, but my life would have been a lot duller without it.

Roy BuchananANTHOLOGY

I fi rst heard Roy when I was about 16, searching out the classic players. A great blues guitarist and a total master of tone. I love the lack of effects and

the simplicity of the unprocessed guitar sound. A Tele through a Twin on full blast – without a chain of pedals to fall back on – is a great way to show what you’ve got.

Danny GattonUNFINISHED BUSINESS

This single-handedly restored my faith in the guitar, while at the same time turning me on to the humble Telecaster. The blend of country,

blues, jazz and swing here was a total breath of fresh air. The tones are authentic and pure, with what sounds like very little processing or effects pedals. It’s pure dynamite.

Frank ZappaSHUT UP ‘N PLAY YER GUITAR

This is the album (along with Joe’s Garage 1, 2 & 3) that really got me thinking about what could be done with music and started me playing outside of

the pentatonic boxes, so to speak. Although the playing is at times bordering on chaotic, there’s something profoundly musical and melodic about Frank’s solos.

AC/DCIF YOU WANT BLOOD

What can I say? A great band, a great guitarist with great songs. Self-explanatory. For some reason at fi rst I thought that they were a punk

rock band, but when I heard The Jack, Let

There Be Rock and The

Rocker I was hooked by their incredible power, and have always kept a copy of this album close by ever since.

Soundtrack of my life

Phot

o: J

ohn

G. M

oore

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Guitar and Bass Vol 24 No 11 August 2013

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Transcript of Guitar and Bass Vol 24 No 11 August 2013