NEWS: Gilbert, Kotzen, Lynch to tour together?

Here's some news from Blabbermouth.net which some readers might find interesting!

GEORGE LYNCH, RICHIE KOTZEN, PAUL GILBERT To Team Up For 'Guitar Generation' Tour - Nov. 29, 2008

George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB), Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON) and Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG, RACER X) are tentatively scheduled to join forces for a tour dubbed "Guitar Generation". The two-month trek is expected to launch around February 25 in Los Angeles. No further details are currently available.

LYNCH MOB is currently working on a new album, tentatively entitled "Smoke And Mirrors", for an early summer release.

Kotzen will release his first-ever live DVD, "Bootlegged In Brazil", in Europe on December 5 via Frontiers Records. A perfect complement to the recent CD-only release "Live In Sao Paulo", "Bootlegged In Brazil" is the first official live performance to be made available by the acclaimed guitarist/vocalist.

Gilbert recently released a new studio album in collaboration with Freddie Nelson. The CD, entitled "United States", contains ten tracks of high-energy hard rock, described as a cross between QUEEN and MR. BIG.

More info as it develops, and check back tomorrow for my interview with George Lynch.

CLICK HERE to buy Paul's new album with Freddie Nelson, 'United States,' CD from CDJapan.co.jp

CLICK HERE to buy George Lynch's Souls of We's 'Let The Truth Be Known' CD from Amazon.com

CLICK HERE to buy Richie Kotzen's 'Bootlegged in Brazil' live CD from CDJapan.co.jp

NEWS: New Jason Becker interview on TV

ABC affiliate KGO-TV in San Francisco visited Jason Becker recently for a news story. You can watch the video here. It's so cool to see Jason still composing (and giving cheeky answers to the interviewer).

During the story they show a few shots of the Paradise Guitars USA Jason Becker signature model.

When I was about 14 I bought the second Cacophony album on cassette, but there was something wrong with the tape and on side 2 the left side of the mix was completely silent. It took years before I found a copy on CD so I could hear what i was missing on that other side of the stereo spectrum! I took my tape to a guitar lesson and played 'Go Off' for my teacher and said "I wanna play like that!" He was a great teacher but Jason's style was a million times removed from his, so I never did learn that song. Maybe it's time I did.

Discussion time! What are your favourite Jason Becker songs or solos?

CLICK HERE to buy Jason Becker - Collection from Amazon.com

INTERVIEW: Seymour Duncan & Evan Skopp

Seymour Duncan is a legend in the guitar world. His pickups have been integral in some of the greatest guitar tones in rock history, and his company’s more recent forays into pedals and acoustic guitar processing are already attaining legendary status. I spoke to Seymour Duncan himself, as Evan Skopp, Seymour Duncan’s VP of Marketing and one of the brains behind the company’s new D-TAR brand of acoustic guitar sound solutions.

The D-TAR (Duncan-Turner Acoustic Research) company is a collaborative effort with legendary luthier and amplification expert Rick Turner. Their new Mama Bear processor is a revolutionary device which takes the signal from any acoustic guitar and remodels it to sound like other designs. “Rick has had a kind of legendary career,” Skopp says. “He started off as the guitar player in the Canadian folk duo Ian and Sylvia, then he was the soundman for the Grateful Dead. He pretty much invented the outdoor amplification concept, founded Alembic instruments, was president of Gibson’s West Coast R&D lab, and also had a guitar company, Turner Guitars. One of the most famous Turner guitars was the model played by Lindsay Buckingham. In a lot of ways Rick is to the acoustic amplification world what Seymour is to the electric amplification world. What Rick brought to this focus group was some really far out and amazing ideas. One of the ideas was that acoustic pickups had pretty much reached maturity in terms of the design, meaning using piezo film was not going to improve that much on the sound of the guitar. You can use secondary sources and EQS, but using current technology we’ve pretty much reached the limit of what we can do. Rick said the future is in the digital realm, because once you take the signal from an acoustic guitar and bring it into the digital realm, you can give it algorithms to do certain things. For instance, you can remove the artefacts that the pickup brings into the digital signal, and as long as you’re doing that you can do additional manipulation, for instance layer the sounds of other guitars.”

Over the years Seymour Duncan has learned from some of the best in the business, and is happy to pass on the knowledge he’s acquired. “When I was eleven or twelve I saw Les Paul in concert and I met him backstage,” he tells. “Les Paul actually explained to me what an electric guitar pickup, and to this day he remembers that and I have a copy of an interview he did on talkback radio talking about me, this eleven or twelve year old kid that used to hang out and ask him about guitar pickups. When I first came to California I called Leo Fender up and asked him “why did you do this, why did you do that?” I was fascinated by the history of the pickups and how they were made. Here I was, a 16 year old kid asking him about the first Telecaster bass, the Esquire, Jaguar… I was very fortunate to meet people like Leo Fender and Seth Lover. Seth Lover was such a great mentor to me. I’ve interviewed him, and it was very interesting to find out how things were done. People like Leo, Les Paul, Seth Lover and guitar players like Jeff Beck. These guys gave me something and I like to be able to give it back.”

Seymour is the only non-famous-guitarist to have a Fender signature model. "I’ve always loved Esquires, so it’s based on my old Esquire. It has a black pick guard, an Esquire maple neck. It had one of my early tapped pickups and special wiring. Jeff Beck has used it many times. It’s one of those guitars that, everybody that plays it loves it.” Skopp, who helped oversee the project, says the Fender Seymour Duncan Signature Esquire features a few of Seymour’s guitar set-up secrets, as well as a specially wound Seymour Duncan pickup. “Seymour’s a great player,” Skopp says. “Midway between Jeff Beck and Danny Gatton.”

One of Seymour Duncan’s most well-known pickup combinations is the JB model in the bridge and the Jazz in the neck. “That’s what I use in my “TeleGibson,” Seymour says. “The first set I did for Jeff Beck. That’s neat that guitar, because he used it, Peter Frampton used it. A lot of other guitar players have played this guitar so it’s kinda neat to have a guitar with a conversation piece feel to it, so we give others a chance to play it too.” (For more on Seymour designing the JB and Jazz set with Jeff Beck, check out this interview on gibson.com)

This interview originally appeared in Mixdown magazine in 2006.

CLICK HERE to buy the Dtar Mama Bear Digital Acoustic Preamp from Music123.

CLICK HERE to buy the Seymour Duncan SH-4 JB Humbucker Pickup (Black) from Music123.

CLICK HERE to buy the Seymour Duncan SH-2N Jazz Model Pickup (Black) from Music123.

REVIEW: Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

Before you can take an honest look at ‘Chinese Democracy,’ you have to address and then dismiss a few key facts: Yes, the only original member left is Axl Rose; yes, it’s 17years since ‘Use Your Illusion 1 & 2’; no, it’s probably not going to live up to the expectations created by that 17 year wait; and no, you can’t get your free Dr. Pepper unless you’re an American resident. It’s impossible to listen to this album without being aware of its history – starts, stops, hirings, firings, postponement after postponement. But ultimately this context has to be put aside if you have any chance of listening to the album for what it is: 14 songs by the guy who sang ‘Welcome To The Jungle.’

Opening with an atmospheric, chattering soundscape (courtesy of Eric Cardieaux, who has done a lot of work with Joe Satriani), followed by a heavily processed but very much rock-approved guitar riff, Axl suddenly breaks through the din with that famous scream, and the preceding 17 years are all but forgotten. The high notes are still there, and so is the attitude, and sure, the vocals could have been pieced together from studio sessions dating back to 2005, but Axl sounds happy to just be singing again. The sound is updated, semi-industrial, and very, very polished. It sounds like every dollar of the rumoured $14 million or so was used on the recording process rather than private jets and bike shorts.

Track 2, ‘Shackler’s Revenge’ continues, and in fact enhances, the industrial vibe with a pre-chorus straight out of the NIN songbook and a riff which would be at home on Max Cavalera’s Nailbomb side project. Track 3, ‘Better,’ is my frontrunner for song of the year. I can’t get this freaking thing out of my head, and that’s okay with me. Processed guitars and falsetto vocals set up the mood, and some on-the-off-beat guitar rhythms give the verses a sense of propulsion. Wild sweep-picked licks cap off the choruses, and Buckethead throws in a typically unpredictable ear-candy solo. Then NIN guitarist Robin Finck kicks in with a soulful, lyrical solo which reminds me of Ritchie Kotzen’s Telecaster tones and clean phrasing. Compared to the virtuosity of Buckethead and Ron ‘Thal’ Bumblefoot, Finck’s solo is reminiscent of the bluesier spirit Slash brought to the band.

Bumblefoot has a few cool guitar moments scattered throughout the album, as does Buckethead, and Finck can be relied upon for more tasty blues phrasing before the album is through, but for an act that’s so much a part of hard rock history (and with 6 guitarists listed in the credits if you count Axl), there’s less guitar here than you might expect. Around the middle of the album, things get very ‘November Rain.’ There are 4 midtempo piano songs in a row, coloured with varying degrees of drum loops and synth pads, at times sounding like the Bowie-and-electronica-influenced solo album of Queensryche’s Geoff Tate, and at other times recalling the 'right up-to-date when it was released' sounds of Sting's 'Brand New Day' album - which would have been great news if Chinese Democracy was released in 2000, but which makes it sound a little dated today. The melodies are carefully crafted and the mood ranges from intimate to epic, and the overall pacing has a bit of a concert vibe (albeit compressed into just over an hour).

Piano time draws to a close and leads to the Zep-ish ‘Riad & The Bedouins,’ which has an almost prog vibe and some crushing guitar riffs, topped off with some classic 70s glam. The proggy vibe continues with ‘Sorry,’ which has a kind of 90s Black Sabbath vibe. Then ‘IRS’ brings in a bit of classic G’n’R rock mixed with more of that Tate-ish vibe. ‘Madagascar’ is another big epic, and one of a bunch of Chinese Democracy songs played on tour over the last few years. ‘This I Love’ is almost contemporary musical theatre with yet more piano and overblown arrangement, and finally ‘Prostitute’ caps off the album with some uptempo drums, soaring vocal melodies, and finally a quiet, peaceful orchestral finish.

‘Chinese Democracy’ may not be the greatest album of all time, but it’s surprisingly coherent despite its eclecticism, and while it comes close to collapsing under the weight of not only public anticipation but also its own overdubbed bloat, it seems to remain on track and provide a compelling listening experience. Sure, it’s not the album G’n’R would have made if Slash, Duff, Izzy, Gilby, Matt, or even Steven Alder were around, and it has its flaws, but if you treat it as an Axl solo album, you may be very pleasantly surprised. Just don't expect a hard rock album.

CLICK HERE for my interview with Bumblefoot
CLICK HERE to buy Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy from CDJapan.co.jp
CLICK HERE to buy the limited edition SHM-CD version from CDJapan.co.jp

FEATURE: How to sound like Satch

With Joe Satriani on tour behind his new album ‘Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock,’ now seems like as good a time as any to have a look at tapping into a little of Satch’s tonal mojo.

Over the years Satch has taken on many tonal guises, and his distortion has come from various sources: Pedal into a clean amp; overdriven power valves; preamp distortion; even direct into a mixing desk and audio plugins in the case of his Engines Of Creation album. So when hunting down Satch tones, the question becomes one of which tone you’re looking to recreate.

A good place to start with any Satch tone is his choice of pickup. Most of the time he uses the Dimarzio FRED model, a medium output unit with a pronounced, vowel-like midrange. He’s also used the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, as well as his new signature Dimarzio Mo’Joe humbucker, essentially a hotter version of the FRED.

If you don’t have any of these pickups on hand to throw into your guitar, you can approximate a little of the tonal signature of the FRED by using a graphic equalizer pedal as the first element of your signal chain following the guitar. Reel the treble in a little bit and boost the mids and high mids a little. Eventually you’ll find that sweet spot where single notes almost sound like harmonics.

Next we need our distortion. Satch has a signature Vox distortion pedal, the Satchurator, but over the years he’s used a whole batch of different models from various companies, both into clean amp channels and on top of already distorted sounds. Whether you’re getting your distortion from a pedal or an amp, aim for something with enough gain to gently compress notes so you can get the full effect from legato techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs and tapping. If you need a little more gain than the pedal is capable of dishing out, try goosing the volume of the EQ pedal by a little bit. Turn it too high and you’ll get unwanted noise, but just a few dB should add a little fullness.

Finally you’ll need delay. Again, Satch has used various pedal and rack delay units over the years. Look for something with a tap tempo footswitch so you can align the delay repeats with the tempo of the song (especially on the ballads), and depending on the effect you’re after, you might want to use a more ‘vintage’ toned effect which rolls off the treble of the repeats.

(This article was originally published in Mixdown magazine in June 2008)

CLICK HERE to buy the Vox Joe Satriani Satchurator Distortion Guitar Effects Pedal.
CLICK HERE for I Heart Guitar's recent interview with Joe Satriani.

NEWS: Steve Lukather 2009 European tour

Now that the final Toto tour is behind him, Steve Lukather is about to embark on a tour of Europe, hitting Holland, Germany, Luxembourg, the UK, France, Monaco, Austria, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.

Lukather's band for the tour features Stevie Weingart, Ricky Z, Carlitos DelPuerto and Eric Valentine, and he'll be playing material from his solo albums and a few new surprises, plus tracks from his recent solo album, Ever Changing Times.

Next week I'll post my interview with Lukather, where he talks about the final Toto tour, recording Ever Changing Times, and his Ernie Ball/Music Man signature guitar.

CLICK HERE to buy Steve Lukather's CD, Ever Changing Times

STEVE LUKATHER EVER CHANGING TIMES WORLD TOUR 2009:

February 2009
26 Tivoli, Utretch, Holland
27 Boerderij, Zoetermeer Holland
28 Lantaarn, Hellendorn, Holland
March 2009
1 La Bonbonniere, Maarstricht, Holland
3 Satzvey Castle, Mechernich, Germany
4 L'Atelier, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
5 The Brook, Southampton, UK
6 Robin 2 , Bilston, Wolverhampton, UK
9 Alhambra, Paris , France
10 L'Usine, Istres, France
11 Moods , Monte Carlo, Monaco
13 Triebhaus, Innsbruck, Austria
14 Roter Saal, Speilberg, Austria
15 Forum, Gleisdorf, Austria
16 Rockhaus , Salzburg, Austria
17 Szene, Vienna, Austria
19 Lucerna Theatre, Prague, Czech Republic
21 Conrad Sohm, Dornbirn, Austria
22 Z7, Prattelen, Switzerland
23 Specktrum, Ausburg, Germany
25 LKA, Stuttgart, Germany
26 Zeche, Bochum, Germany
27 Blues Garage , Isernhagen, Germany
29 Frankfurterhof, Mainz, Germany
30 Fabrik, Hamburg, Germany
WebLinks: www.stevelukather.net / www.myspace.com/stevelukatheronline.

NEWS: Racer X to play at NAMM

From Blabbermouth.net:

RACER X will perform at the 2009 NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) show, which will be held January 15-18 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Commented RACER X guitarist Paul Gilbert: "Ibanez guitars is celebrating the 20th anniversary of my PGM guitar with a concert at the NAMM show."

The concert will take place on Saturday, January 17, 2009 at the Sheraton Park Ballroom and will not be open to the public.

Paul said, "It is very exciting for me to be the featured artist for Ibanez this year, so I am glad that I can do something special for this concert. I can't think of anything better than a killer set of RACER X!" He added, "I can't wait to play some killer heavy metal with my favorite metal band!"

Andy Timmons and his band will open the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally RACER X. The RACER X lineup will consist of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST), Jeff Martin (BADLANDS, MSG) and John Alderete (THE MARS VOLTA).

The last RACER X performance in the U.S. was held on May 25, 2001. It was filmed for the live DVD "Live At The Whisky - Snowball Of Doom".

NEWS: Manzer-Metheny Signature 6

Check out this gorgeous Manzer-Metheny Singature 6, a collaboration between Canadian luthier, Linda Manzer and legendary jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny. The guitar is a recreation of Pat’s Linda 6 guitar, which was made in 1982.

This info is from Manzer’s website, but I first saw this story on the very excellent Premier Guitar website:

The Metheny-Manzer Signature 6 features the same craftsmanship of the original model including:
German Spruce Top/Indian Rosewood Back and Sides
Ebony Fingerboard, Bridge, Peghead Plate
Pearl Engraved Banner with Black Pearl Inlays spilling down the fingerboard based on artwork by Pat Metheny
The "Manzer Wedge" (originally designed for the Pat Metheny Pikasso guitar)
Copper Neck Side Markers with Phosphorescent Center featuring a Diamond 7th Fret Side Dot
Ebony Binding
Thumb Rest/Neck Groove

Only 30 guitars will be made. Each will be numbered and signed by Pat Metheny and Linda Manzer, along with a signed certificate, a deluxe handmade Calton Case and a signed and numbered photo book documenting the creation of the instrument/

If you want one, you’ll need a $10,000 non-refundable deposit. The total price is $32,000.

NEWS: Drummer Michael Lee dead at 39

Drummer Michael Lee, who played on Robert Plant's 'Fate Of Nations' album as well as Plant's work with Jimmy Page on Unledded: No Quarter and Walking Into Clarksdale, has died at age 39. 

I always loved Michael's playing, and this freaking sucks. There's a great post about Michael and his accomplishments at the Lemon Squeezings blog: Lemon Squeezings: Led Zeppelin News: Sad news: Drummer Michael Lee has died.

NEWS: Rush releases Snakes & Arrows Live, considers final tour?

Rush has just released their Snakes & Arrows DVD, and fans are speculating that clues given by singer/bass player Geddy Lee in an interview with Billboard magazine (read about it here on the Rush Is A Band blog) are a hint that the band may be reaching the end of its life as a touring entity.

According to the interview,

... Lee says "Snakes & Arrows Live" will have to hold Rush fans over for a while. The trio is currently "on a break" and "a little burnt out right now," though he has every confidence there will be another Rush album in the future.
"I think we're gonna stay quiet for awhile and then start writing -- when we're going to start writing I can't say just yet," Lee notes. "It may be in the fall, maybe the spring, maybe the following spring. But eventually we'll start writing some songs and recording them, and hopefully that will be followed up by another tour down the road a couple years from now."

Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy has seemingly backed up reports Rush may play one final tour in 2011. Portnoy mentions on his forum that he was at a taping of Eddie Trunk's 'The Metal Show' on VH1 Classic. Mike writes:

I was called once again to bless the audience with my presence at a taping of this new show that will be on VH-1 Classic in Nov/Dec.

Today they shot two shows and the guests on the first show were Geddy and Alex. It was pretty cool, as we were waiting outside a limo pulled up and they both walked out. I think I may have said, "Holy Shit it Geddy!" and some guy behind me thought Alex was Mr. Peart which caused a series of frantic texts and calls to friends.

They were very reserved on the show although they did mention that there would be "one more tour". Alex made a funny quip about how "there's drugs backstage... like aspirin, cholesterol medicine, etc." Geddy mentioned how between sets he "checks on baseball scores".
It was pretty cool, so I thought I'd share.

CLICK HERE to buy the Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live standard DVD
CLICK HERE to buy the Rush: Snakes and Arrows Live Blu-ray DVD
CLICK HERE to buy the Rush: Snakes & Arrows Live 2 CD Set

NEWS: Deluxe Guitars distributes RJM products in Australia

Deluxe Guitars in Melbourne is now distributing RJM Music Technology products in Australia.

Guitarist Steve Turner is an RJM endorser, and he talked about his RJM switching system when I interviewed him a few months ago. You can see the full interview here and visit Steve's site here, but here's what he had to say about his rig:

At the moment I am using their base model Amp Gizmo. You could think of it as an interface between your midi floor board and your non midi guitar amplifier. RJM make a bunch of different cables to connect the Amp Gizmo to the pedal input of your amp so it can be used with all sorts of guitar amplifiers.

You basically tell the Amp Gizmo what each midi patch will do to your amplifier. When you select a particular patch it triggers your amp mode, solo boost, effects loop or whatever else your amp can do via standard pedal input.

For guys out there struggling with multiple foot controllers this should really be ringing some alarm bells… It also has a ‘midi through’ to connect to whatever other midi gear you are running. From one midi floor board I can control my effects processor as well as the switchable settings on my Mesa Boogie. I don’t need to run the separate Mesa Boogie amp controller floor board anymore as the Amp Gizmo replaces everything it does. I control my amp features via midi. Amp and effects changes that used to take me three or four foot taps now take only one. When I am singing I don’t have the luxury of being able to look at my feet and perform an elaborate tap dance. Actually, dancing is not something I can do at the best of times! I would rather grab a beer and watch the ladies go for it.

I struck up a friendship with Ron from RJM and when I expressed an interest in upgrading to the RG-16 and Mastermind floor board he offered me an artist endorsement. The RG-16 does everything the Amp Gizmo does but also has 8 effects loops through which I will be able to run my analog pedals.

Once I integrate the RG-16 to my live rack I will be able to use my analog pedals and have everything – the amplifier, the effects processor and my individual pedals –controlled via the Mastermind midi controller and RG-16. Allan Holdsworth and Dweezil Zappa use RJM so that has to say something about the quality and design!

NEWS: New releases 24/11/2008

This week is likely to be dominated by Chinese Democracy. At the moment it's not available to buy on Amazon, but CDJapan.co.jp is selling two versions. I've included a Benny Goodman/Charlie Christian album on the list here - I'm trying to include more diverse types of music on the site, so lemmie know if there are any particular jazz artists you'd like to see covered, and I'll do my best.

Click on any title to buy the CD.

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy Geffen
Some great songs, killer production and monster guitar playing (including solos by Buckethead, Bumblefoot and Robin Finck). Something here for casual G’n’R fans, diehard Axl fans and massive guitar geeks like myself, but if you’re part of the ‘Man, it’ll never be the same without Slash’ club, just try to ignore the use of the band name and enjoy it for what it is, not what it isn’t. CLICK HERE to buy the limited edition SHM-CD version.


Benny Goodman Sextet (featuring Charlie Christian) - Solo Flight Definitive Spain
This release contains some of the best live recordings by the Benny Goodman Sextet featuring Charlie Christian. Taken from rare radio broadcasts, they present the magic of Christian's guitar during his short-lived three year music career. This release also includes the complete 1939 jam session by the Jerry Jerome Quartet, showcasing extended solos by Christian.


Metallica - Metallica [Deluxe 4 LP Vinyl] Warner Brothers
Metallica’s classic ‘black album’ reissued on vinyl, in a deluxe 4-LP set. You know the songs, you know the history, you know this is the best way to hear it. The album was originally released back when everything still came out on vinyl, although back then it was a single disc, so this isn’t exactly a reissue. If they really wanted to be faithful to the original release, I’m sure they’d release it on a poorly-dubbed TDK cassette with ‘METTALLICCA – BLACK ALBUM’ written in pen. Also available in a 2-LP version.

Bryan Beller - Thanks in Advance Onion Boy Records
Already available from Beller’s website, this fantastic album gets a wider release this week. Featuring guest appearances by Mike Keneally, Rick Musallem, Marco Minnemann and more, expect complex orchestration and amazing musicianship in addition to Beller’s killer bass playing. Check out my review here and my interview with Bryan here.


Living Colour - The Paris Concert Inakustic Gmbh
Yet another new Living Colour live recording. It’s great to see them back kicking ass, and I hope they release a new studio album soon. In the meantime, this July 2007 set includes classics like ‘Type,’ ‘Ignorance Is Bliss,’ ‘Go Away,’ Jimi’s ‘Crosstown Traffic,’ and more recent songs including ‘Flying’ and ‘Sacred Ground.’ CLICK HERE to see a preview of ‘Go Away.’

NEWS: Mike Keneally performs with Dave Gregory

Check out this video of the great Mike Keneally performing with former XTC guitarist Dave Gregory at Riff's Bar in Swindon, UK, on October 23.

This video includes Mike playing Zappa's 'The Idiot Bastard Son' and 'Cold Hands' from his own forthcoming CD, 'Scambot,' with Gregory joining him for '2001' from Mike's 'Wooden Smoke' album.

CLICK HERE to buy Mike Keneally's 'Wooden Smoke' from Amazon.com

CLICK HERE to buy XTC's 'Fossil Fuel (Singles 1977-1992)' from Amazon.com

Photo by Miyuki Tsutsui

NEWS: Buy Glen Drover's ESP

Former Megadeth/King Diamond guitarist Glen Drover is selling one of his custom ESP Eclipse guitars made for him during his Megadeth days. He used the axe on the second Gigantour festival.

This would be a great score for a Megadeth fan, but even if you're not into them it's a cool opportunity to own an ESP Custom Shop axe with a bit of history.

Specs are:

* Custom black finish by ESP for Glen Drover before Gigantour 2
* Kahler locking system
* Two Seymour Duncan pickups
* Distortion in neck and 59 in bridge
* One-piece body
* This is a "custom shop" model — not the "standard series."

The price is $1,400.

If you're interested in buying the guitar, contact Glen's webmaster here.

NEWS: Paul Gilbert signature HomeBrew Electronics pedal

I was alerted to this by the Random Chatter Music blog: Paul Gilbert posted the following on the Racer X message boards today. 

I am proud to announce my first signature pedal, the DETOX EQ by H.B.E. (HomeBrew Electronics)

I’ve been using this pedal for the last few months and I am officially addicted to it.

Why an EQ? Here’s a detailed answer:

I have always liked to get distortion by playing through a cranked-up tube amp.

I have always liked to get a clean sound by turning my guitar’s volume knob down.

This works really well with some guitars and not so well with others, depending on the pickups and electronics in the guitar. On my Spaceship One tour, my main guitar was an Ibanez Rocket Roll II (Flying V shaped) guitar with two humbuckers. This guitar sounds amazing when it’s cranked up, but it doesn’t get that sparkly clean sound like I can get from the pickups on a PGM (which has a single coil and a 5-way switch).

To solve this problem, I bought a Boss EQ pedal and used it to turn down the “muddy” frequencies as well as turning down the overall gain. The pedal became a virtual “clean channel” and was really useful for cleaning up my sound while performing live.

But the Boss EQ was hissy (even though I wasn’t boosting anything), and the frequencies weren’t set as musically I would have liked.

Recently I have been using several pedals from H.B.E. and liked everything about them. So I contacted the people there to see if they would be interested in building the ultimate EQ pedal for me. And the DETOX EQ was born!

The DETOX EQ is noise-free and has very musically tuned EQ knobs. I used it to make subtle adjustments to my tone on the United States CD, and I’ve road tested it on my European tour. I love it!

If you look at photos of my pedalboard (left), I’m still using my prototype which is a gray box with red tape on it. I got a new one from H.B.E. and let Craig Martini use it for his bass rig. That one is yellow. I’m going to switch to a new one when I get home!

Anyway, whether you use the pedal to clean up, boost, or just tailor your tone, there is no EQ pedal that touches the DETOX in quality in tone. H.B.E. did an awesome job.

The pedal is true bypass, operates on 9 volt battery or DC adapter, and has a list price of $159. Click here for more info from the HomeBrew website, and here for even more info on Paul's on site.

CLICK HERE to buy Paul's new album with Freddie Nelson, 'United States,' from CDJapan.co.jp
CLICK HERE to buy the 'Get Out of My Yard' instructional DVD
CLICK HERE to buy the 'Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar Guitar Instructional DVD & Shred Annex'

NEWS: Make your own talkbox

Kudos to Mrs I Heart Guitar for spotting this on the Make blog. Ever wanted to build your own talkbox for a little Peter Frampton or Jerry Cantrell vibe? Or are you in a cover band and you need to play Bon Jovi's 'Livin' On A Prayer' and/or 'It's My Life?' Then you're in luck! Everything you need to know to build your own talkbox is right here.

My personal favourite (though more subtle) talkbox moment: Alice In Chains' 'Man In The Box,' where a talkbox track is mixed in with the rhythm guitars.

Don't wanna make your own? Here are a few options:

Danelectro Free Speech Talk Box
Dunlop Heil Talk Box Standard
Rocktron Banshee Talk Box Standard

Here's an early talkbox built by steel guitarist Pete Drake:

NEWS: Chinese Democracy hits the streets early

Just got back from JB Hi Fi on Melbourne's Bourke Street, where I picked up a copy of Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy for a mere $18.99. The official release date is listed as November 24. I won't get a chance to give the album a spin until later tonight, but I'll give it a good flogging and post a review tomorrow, specially geared towards guitarists, since there are probably a lot of reviews out there already.

In the meantime, check out my interview with Guns N' Roses guitarist Bumblefoot here.

CD REVIEW: Adam Miller – Out of My Hands

Adam Miller is an Australian acoustic guitarist who has performed with Les Paul, Tommy Emmanuel and Charlie Hunter, and holy crap, this CD is some funky stuff. Opening track ‘Day Gig’ leaps straight out of the speakers and goes for the throat with complex yet always in-the-pocket acoustic mastery. It sounds cruisy and laid back, yet demonstrates an unexpectedly high level of technique.

Track 2, ‘Traffic,’ would work equally well as an electric rock song, but as an acoustic track it comes across as bluesy, soulful and groovy. There’s an earthy honestness about the playing, whether Miller is blasting out a speedy hammer-on lick or locking in with the band for an unstoppable funk grove. It’s that kind of alternating rhythm/lead playing that Stevie Ray Vaughan was so great at.

The mood cools down a little on the third track, ‘Straight Forward,’ with a cool ascending bassline and bluesy rhythm fills before taking off on a harmonized melody which reminds me of Jeff Beck’s Blow By Blow, recontextualized as an acoustic album.

Track 4 shows the first signs of slowing down, with the tender ‘Finding Home.’ Again Miller gets great mileage out of combining melody and chordal accompaniment. The mood stays quiet for the ethereal ‘Rushing In,’ before things get funky yet spacious on 'Dinosaurs.' ‘Out Of My Hands’ hits hyperspeed with fast hammer-on/pull-of licks and a level of energy not often heard in acoustic music. ‘Holding Hearts’ returns to the cool bass and brushed drums of ‘Finding Home,’ and ‘Frankie’ is a quiet guitar/piano duet which reminds me of ‘Follow One Hope' from Eric Johnson’s ‘Venus Isle’ album.

The CD wraps up with ‘All I Need,’ which suddenly breaks into a tasty, Tommy Emmanuel-like electric guitar solo, with a warm buttery tone and upbeat melodies. It’s a very unpredictable ending to the album, but it works very well.

Miller plays his Cole Clark Angel acoustic guitar on all tracks, and the guitar is always presented clearly and cleanly in the mix. You can hear every little string noise, every finger scrape, like the band is playing right in your living room.

NEWS: New Monte Montgomery CD

Next week I’ll post my review of Monte Montgomery’s new, self-titled album.

Montgomery was named by Guitar Player Magazine as one of the ‘Top 50 All-Time Greatest Guitar Players’ and he’s an absolute monster of the guitar. A little while ago Guitar Player ran a feature on him, and they looked at his technique, approach, and guitar in great depth.

Monte Montgomery's music is acoustic-based, and he wrings some amazing sounds out of his Alvarez MMY-1 Monte Montgomery signature guitar. I haven't seen an acoustic guitar so lovingly beaten up since the last time Tommy Emmanuel came to town.

CLICK HERE to buy Monte Montgomery's new self-titled CD from Amazon.com

Here are a few teasers.

Monte's ‘Could've Loved You Better’ from the recording sessions for the new album:


A cover of Hendrix’s ‘Little Wing.’

REVIEW: Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion

My first ever Van Halen album was For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (I think I bought it on cassette with my birthday money when I turned 13) and I thought Sammy Hagar was the coolest dude alive – well, after Steve Vai and Eddie Van Halen, anyway.

My opinion of Sammy was elevated further by a kickass rendition of the song ‘High Hopes’ on the Late Show with David Letterman in about 2004, where Sammy chugged out a chunky riff and let fly on a blazing guitar solo on an Ernie Ball/Music Man Edward Van Halen signature guitar.

Sammy’s new album, ‘Cosmic Universal Fashion,’ is unique in his discography because it wasn’t written and recorded from start to end as an album: instead it comprises a bunch of disparate tracks written and recorded in a variety of different settings over a number of years for various projects. Yet there’s a unity to the tracks which helps them sit together in the same collection even though the moods vary wildly.

‘Cosmic Universal Fashion’ is not immune from moments of guitar brilliance. In fact the CD opens with a wild, high-speed guitar lick, and with axemen including Journey’s Neal Schon, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, and the Wabos’ Vic Johnson, there’s no shortage of guitar fire on this one. Tracks two and three, in particular will be especially appealing to guitar geeks like me. These two songs, “Psycho Vertigo” and “Peephole,” are the only recordings of Sammy’s short-lived supergroup, Planet Us, which included Schon, Van Halen bass player Michael Anthony and drummer Deen Castronovo (Joe Satriani was later added to the line-up, but aside from a Rockline performance nothing was ever recorded with him). These songs are dark, powerful, moody and atmospheric, and are not a million miles removed from Sammy and Mike’s work on Van Halen’s ‘Balance’ album.

The album’s first single and title track is a collaboration with a young Iraqi musician, Steven Lost, and the song’s theme and music video (see below) both echo Van Halen’s 1991 single, ‘Right Now,’ while updating the theme to the present day. The music couldn’t be any more different than the Van Halen track though, with heavy, semi-industrial drums, creppy synths and huge guitar chords.

‘Loud’ is a straightforward, top-down, foot-to-the-floor rocker with funny lyrics and a guitar solo straight out of big 70s rock, and ‘When The Sun Don’t Shine’ has country elements and a sunny, summer feel which remind me of Sammy’s ‘Livin’ It Up’ album. ‘24365’ has a tight funk-metal guitar riff which reminds me of Extreme in their ‘III Sides To Every Story’ era, and ‘I’m On A Roll’ could fit quite neatly if added between ‘Good Enough’ and ‘Why Can’t This Be Love?’ on Van Halen’s ‘5150’ album.

There are a few misfires on the CD – Sammy’s cover of the Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)’ might be a fun track in a live setting, but it doesn’t really work here and Sammy seems to strain a little bit with the vocals. And ‘Switch On The Light’ has some cool grooves, some tasty Billy Gibbons guitar and a bold, progressive chorus, but it kinda loses its way a bit. But for the most part, there’s a good balance of ‘Party Sammy’ and ‘Serious Sammy’ here, and the opportunity to hear the two Planet Us songs is a very welcome surprise which, combined with the strength of ‘Loud,’ ‘24365’ and ‘I’m On A Roll,’ makes the album well worth checking out.

Roadrunner/Loud & Proud

CLICK HERE to buy Sammy Hagar - Cosmic Universal Fashion from Amazon.com

NEWS: Michael Anthony on Van Halen, Chickenfoot

Check out this cool audio interview at Music Radar with bass player Michael Anthony about Van Halen and Chickenfoot his new band with Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith. Normally kinda reserved in interviews, Mike's not shy about his opinions on this one.

The interview is conducted by former Guitar World editor Joe Bosso, one of my little journalistic heroes. 

Here's the intro from Music Radar. CLICK HERE to download the interview.

Michael Anthony opens up about Van Halen, Chickenfoot

"I'm the ultimate rock 'n' roll sideman," says former Van Halen bassist and current Chickenfoot member Michael Anthony.

"But that doesn't mean a 'sideman' isn't vital," he stresses. "I'm the kind of guy who has your back. When you want to go off and solo for ten minutes, I keep that groove going. It's an important job."

Since he first came to the public's attention in 1978 on Van Halen's revolutionary debut album, Michael Anthony has done his job better than anyone. Throughout the '70s, '80s and into the '90s, he helped lay the foundation for the Van Halen sound, providing massive yet nimble bass parts over which Eddie Van Halen could fly. "Incredible times," Anthony remembers. "Despite all the bullshit that went down in that band, I'm proud of the music we made, and always will be."

Changing lead singers - David Lee Roth, Sammy Hagar and, for a minute or two, Gary Cherone - made the Van Halen experience "something of a mind game from time to time," says Anthony. "As soon as we had a strong identity, we had to change." And Eddie Van Halen's substance abuse problems didn't help matters. "I don't want to talk smack on anyone," says Anthony, "but there were times that were, uh, difficult."

After a bittersweet 'Van Hagar' reunion in 2004, Anthony assumed the band was finished for good. So he was more than a little surprised when Van Halen announced they were hitting the road early last year with original lead singer David Lee Roth - and Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass.

"It was a blow," says Anthony. "I would have loved to have been a part of it. But at my age, you learn to roll with the punches. And you find that better things lay ahead."

Such as Chickenfoot, the supergroup he's formed with fellow Van Halen survivor Hagar, guitarist Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. (If you don't know about this band yet, check out Related Links and catch up.)

"Chickenfoot is phenomenal," the bassist enthuses. "I can't believe the music we're making. And wait till you hear the blazing lead guitar Joe Satriani is playing. The guy's a monster."

In the podcast, Anthony talks candidly about his Van Halen years, times both good and crushingly bad. "A lot of these things I've never said before," he reveals. "I'm kind of a 'let it go' kind of guy." Plus, he raves about his new band, who aim to have an album out next spring. "We're gonna rock people's worlds," he says. "Just when everybody says nobody makes music like this anymore, here we come."

Photo © Todd Martyn-Jones

NEWS: Dunlop revives Way Huge Electronics

Not content with reviving MXR and the Crybaby wah wah pedal, Jim Dunlop is now bringing back pedal company Way Huge Electronics. Sa-weet! Now guitarists won't have to scour the internet to find a used Way Huge Swollen Pickle and risk a very confronting list of search results.

Here's the press release:

Guitar players—your wish is finally answered: Way Huge is back! Effects guru Jeorge Tripps—creator of the coveted Aqua-Puss Analog Delay, Green Rhino Overdrive II, and Swollen Pickle Jumbo Fuzz-is working with premier accessory manufacturer Dunlop, maker of the legendary Crybaby and MXR pedals, to bring you a new series of Way Huge pedals.

Dunlop's 30 years of meticulous attention to detail and Jeorge Tripps' spectacular creations is a winning team. The Pork Loin Soft Clip Injection Overdrive, Swollen Pickle MKII Jumbo Fuzz, and the Fat Sandwich Harmonic Saturator Distortion are the first pedals out of Mr. Huge's workshop.

For more information visit: http://www.wayhuge.com/

Way Huge Electronics will be available only through a select dealer network worldwide.

For more information, visit their web site at www.jimdunlop.com.

NEWS: James Hetfield's ESP Iron Cross unveiled

James Hetfield has started using the ESP Iron Cross model I posted about here. A few shots have surfaced on the ESP web forum:As suspected, it's based on ESP's Eclipse model, rather than a straight Les Paul copy - it has the sharper Eclipse cutaway and ESP's flag inlays.

The guitar is based on Hetfield's customised 1973 ‘Iron Cross’ Gibson Les Paul, and the word is that it will be officially unveiled at Winter NAMM 2009 in ESP and LTD versions.

Cheers to forum member Metallijosh for the screen grab.

CLICK HERE to buy Metallica's Death Magnetic from Amazon.com

CLICK HERE to buy the ESP LTD James Hetfield Truckster model from Music123

NEWS: MXR 76 Vintage Dyna Comp

Just saw this one on Guitarsite.com. MXR is releasing a custom shop reissue of the Dyna Comp, the best freaking compressor pedal in the universe. Unlike the (still quite excellent) current production version, the 76 Vintage model uses the original spec integrated circuits (ICs), and does away with the LED added on later versions. 

These appear to be similar in spirit to the MXR CSP-026 Handwired 1974 Vintage Phase 90 pedal, which is also made to original specs in the custom shop (click the link to buy the Phase 90).

Here's the press release: 

The MXR Dyna Comp that was produced in 1976 has long been regarded as the ultimate stomp box compressor. There's something inherently musical in the way it "tightens up" a guitar signal, raising the volume of quiet notes and leveling off peaks to create rich, full bodied sustain. 

And now the MXR Custom Shop brings back that highly sought-after sound with the '76 Vintage Dyna Comp. Meticulously researched and superbly crafted, it features the exact same circuitry used in the original 1976 Dyna Comp, identical in its component layout, silkscreen and handmade wire harness.

The key component is the old school CA3080 "metal can" integrated circuit (IC), which yields quieter operation, greater transparency and increased dynamic range. These ICs have been out of production since the '80s, but MXR has tracked down a stash of them—enough to produce a limited run of these little red boxes of compression bliss.

With supplies limited, the MXR '76 Vintage Dyna Comp is destined to quickly become as ultra collectible as its noble ancestor.

The MXR '76 Vintage Dyna Comp pedal has a street price of $175.00.

Sweet. I have a modern Dyna Comp reissue on my pedalboard and I hope I get to test drive one of these new ones so I can compare the two.

NEWS: Spinal Tap to play Australian V Festival?

According to Australia's News.com.au, Spinal Tap are going to headline the Australian incarnation of the 2009 V Festival.

The news isn't yet on the V Festival home page, Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody let the news slip in an interview.

Here's part of the News.com.au article:

SNOW Patrol will be sharing the V Festival stage next March with The Killers, The Verve, Kaiser Chiefs, Duffy and dozens more but frontman Gary Lightbody told music editor Kathy McCabe he's hanging to hang out with the legendary Spinal Tap, who will also join the bill.

"We played Live Earth before them and I gave them a shout-out, so they asked to see us later to say thanks," he said yesterday.

"They are comic geniuses and more so, because I am such a Simpsons-ophile, Harry Shearer is a god. They gave me a hug - I could have held on forever."

Read the rest of the article here.

I hope this is true and isn't taken out of context somehow. I had the pleasure of meeting Harry Shearer at a charity event a few years ago where he performed a few Spinal Tap, Folksmen and Simpsons songs ("See ...my ...vest, see my vest, made of real gorilla chest"), and I never dreamed I'd get to see Tap in person.

CLICK HERE to buy the This Is Spinal Tap Special Edition DVD
CLICK HERE to buy the Break Like the Wind CD
CLICK HERE to buy the Return of Spinal Tap live DVD