NAMM 2009: Fender Roadworn series

Fender has unveiled its new Roadworn series, which brings Custom Shop-style relic finishing to players who can't afford to spend thousands on a carefully bashed-up axe, but still want the look, feel and vibe. I guess cynics might say "Just buy a Mexican Strat and drag it behind the car" but I think these are kinda cool. I think they'll be even more cool after a few years when they've been knocked around for real and the edges of the factory-worn paintless spots start to get all funked up and more authentic-lookin'. Maybe in 20 years they'll release a new series of Roadworn Relics, which simulate two decades of wear on a 2009 Roadworn model.

The Roadworn series is based on Fender's 1950s and 1960s designs but with modern features including taller frets and hotter pickups. The line will be officially launched at NAMM.

Here are the specs:

'50s Strat
Distressed body, neck, and hardware creating an aged appearance
Aged knobs and switch tip,
Vintage styling
Synthetic bone nut

5-position blade:
Position 1 bridge pickup
Position 2 bridge and middle pickup
Position 3 middle pickup
Position 4 middle and neck pickup
Position 5 neck pickup

2-color sunburst or black (nitro finish)
Alder body
maple neck, soft "V" shape (poly finish)
maple fingerboard, 7.25" radius
1.650" width at nut
21 frets (6105 narrow jumbo)
3 Tex-Mex Strat single-coil pickups with staggered alnico magnet pole pieces and parchment covers
Vintage style synchronized tremolo
Fender/Ping vintage style tuning machines
chrome hardware
1 ply white, 8 hole pickguard

'60s Strat
Distressed body, neck, and hardware creating an aged appearance,
Aged knobs, pickup covers and switch tip
Vintage styling
Synthetic bone nut

5-position blade:
Position 1 bridge pickup
Position 2 bridge and middle pickup
Position 3 middle pickup
Position 4 middle and neck pickup
Position 5 neck pickup

3-Color Sunburst or Olympic White (nitro finish)
Alder body
Maple neck, "C" shape (Urethane Finish)
Maple fingerboard, 7.25" radius
1.650" width at nut
21 frets (6105 narrow jumbo)
3 Tex-Mex Strat single-coil pickups with staggered, alnico magnet pole pieces and parchment covers
Vintage style synchronized tremolo
Fender/Ping vintage style tuning machines
chrome hardware
3 ply Mint Green pickguard

'50s Tele
Distressed body, neck, and hardware creating an aged appearance
Vintage stylings
Synthetic bone nut

3-Position Blade:
Position 1 bridge pickup
Position 2 bridge and neck pickup
Position 3 neck pickup

Ash body
2-color sunburst
blonde (satin lacquer finish)
maple neck, "C" shape (poly finish)
maple fingerboard, 7.25" radius
1.650" width at nut
21 (6105 narrow jumbo frets)
2 Tex-Mex Tele single-coil pickups with alnico magnet pole pieces
Vintage style 3-Saddle strings-thru-body tele bridge
Fender/Ping vintage style tuning machines
2-color sunburst or blonde (satin lacquer finish)

'50s P Bass
Distressed body, neck and hardware creating an aged and worn appearance,
Vintage styling
Gold anodized aluminum pickguard,
Synthetic bone nut
Alder body
2-color sunburst, Fiesta Red (nitro finish)
maple neck, 7.25" radius
1.750" nut
20 vintage style frets
1 Precision Bass split single-coil pickup (Mid)
nickel/chrome hardware
American vintage Precision/Jazz bass bridge
Vintage style reverse tuning machines

'60s J Bass
Distressed body, neck and hardware creating an aged and Worn appearance,
Vintage styling
Gold anodized aluminum pickguard,
Synthetic bone nut
Alder body
3-color sunburst, Fiesta Red (nitro finish)
rosewood neck, 7.25" radius
1.50" nut
20 vintage style frets
2 Standard vintage alnico magnet Jazz Bass single coil pickups
nickel/chrome hardware
American vintage Precision/Jazz bass bridge
Vintage style reverse tuning machines

For more info: fender.com/roadworn

CLICK HERE to buy the Fender Rock Box watch and accessory gift set from Musician's Friend

CLICK HERE to buy the book 'Pink Floyd The Black Strat: A History Of David Gilmore's Black Fender Stratocaster' from Musician's Friend

NEWS: First Lynch/Gilbert/Kotzen tour dates

The first few dates of the Guitar Generation US tour featuring George Lynch, Richie Kotzen and Paul Gilbert have been confirmed. The tour is expected to start in San Diego and will last for two months.

The first dates are:

Feb. 25 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
Feb. 28 - House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA
Mar. 02 - House of Blues - Anaheim, CA

CLICK HERE to buy Paul Gilbert & Freddie Nelson's 'United States' from CDJapan.co.jp
CLICK HERE to buy George Lynch's Souls Of We's 'Let The Truth Be Known' from Amazon.com
CLICK HERE to buy Richie Kotzen's 'The Return Of The Mother Head's Family Reunion' from Amazon.com

NEWS: Cool stuff on eMusic

Mrs I Heart Guitar recently introduced me to a site called eMusic, which seems pretty heavily stocked with downloadable ablums by a huge range of artists, especially guitarists. So far I've downloaded John McLaughlin's Floating Point, Andy Timmons' Resolution, Richie Kotzen's Return of The Mother Head's Family Reunion, and Steve Vai's Passion And Warfare Naked Tracks (which includes tracks from the album minus the lead guitar, so guitarists can jam over the songs), and Alien Love Secrets (when I originally ripped the disc to MP3 years ago I did it at way too low a bitrate, and now the CD is in a box somewhere, so now I have a much nicer sounding version). 

You can sign up for a free 25-song trial by clicking on this link. 

The tracks are DRM-free and will play on an iPod. I used the trial to get the Vai Naked Tracks 100% for free, but totally legally. I'm going to buy the hell out of the rest of the Vai Naked Tracks just for a start, then I'm going to embark on my fusion eductation.

NEWS: Extreme plans Australian tour

Here's one for us Aussies: Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt has hinted at an Australian tour during a post on Extreme's website. Pay particular attention to the final paragraph:

"Well, well, well... Now that we are home. Back in the U.S. of A. I noticed... with a little help from a birdie outside my window... Two things. 1. We have a new president. And 2. That I didn't let our beloved fans in America know how much they rocked! I apologize. To be honest, the idea of doing live shows and blogging after the run was completely alien to me... as in EXTREME's early days we never had that option. And it was only suggested to me by our trusty manager at the end of our U.K. leg, while we were in London, that I should start letting the fans know what we were feeling. So therefore it was quite a bit of time after the U.S. run so I kinda missed out. But I really wanna share with you my thoughts on the U.S. leg.

"You guys here on our home turf had the biggest and most important effect on this band. Why? Well, this was indeed the first time in 13 years that we were together and out on the road playing... For our old fans? New fans? Will anyone show up? Will they still give a shit about us? We had no idea. No matter how confident we were about our new CD, or how cocky we were about our live potential as performers and musicians, deep down we were... OK, I'll say it… a bit scared. I mean, this our home. This is where it all started for us. So... it was gonna be up to you to let us know and give us… the no-bullshit barometer — first-impression stamp of approval or disapproval.

"And I have to say... from the first show in upstate New York to the last one in Los Anegeles, without a doubt some of the best shows on the 2008 tour... but you were the ones that whipped this band into shape... You were the first to give us the inspiration and confidence and power that made us believe that, yes… we were in fact BACK! The first to wow us with your energy and passion for rock and roll that we had been missing for so many years.

"It's not easy coming back after so long... But you gave us a hell of a welcome back party in every city... and more importantly an incredible boost of confidence. We couldn't have gone into the U.K. and Europe and Asia without the love that you showed for us here at home. Being the first audiences to connect with, you basically had the responsibility to get us to believe in ourselves once again. And we are deeply indebted to you. Our fans.

"Hopefully we can reconnect with you in the New Year to thank you in person. And once again... we haven't forgotten about you in Australia, South America, Canada, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and everywhere else that we will try to reach."

Excuse me while I skip around the room for a bit while doing the happydance. Hehe.

CLICK HERE to buy Extreme's latest CD, Saudades De Rock, from Amazon.com

FEATURE: How to buy an amp

Playing music is all about expressing your personal voice. Finding an amp that helps define that voice is a lifetime quest for some guitarists, while others figure it out early and stick with the one set-up all their musical life. With so many options on the market right now, including valve, solid state hybrid and digital models, guitarists are spoiled for choice. How do you find your own sound when there are so many voices to choose from? In the eternal quest for the holy grail of guitar tone, a little research goes a long way.

Knowing how amps work will help you make an informed decision. An amp consists of three main components – preamp, power amp and speakers. Speakers are self explanatory so let’s skip to the preamp. The preamp is where your gain and tone shaping occurs. Depending on a preamp’s design, increasing the gain could just result in tone with more body, or it could mean mega distortion. The power amp is the section which takes the tone, as shaped by the preamp, and sends it to the speakers. The power amp also powers the speakers themselves. The two main forms of tone generation are valves (or vacuum tubes if you’re American), and transistors (solid state). Valves are a leftover from Edison era technology and are still in use today simply because they sound great. They amplify the signal in a warm-sounding way which transistors have difficulty emulating. Digital technology is getting closer than ever to mimicking the response of valves, and on a mastered recording it can be hard to tell the difference.

You can either buy an amp which includes the preamp, power amp and speakers together (a combo amp), or just the preamp and power amp in one unit (an amplifier head) to be plugged into a separate standalone speaker cabinet, or the third popular option, which also requires a standalone speaker cabinet, is a separate preamp and power amp which can be combined to taste, along with effects units, in a rack case.

The first step in buying an amp is to identify what your needs are. Will you be jamming along with CDs in your bedroom? Playing with mates in a garage? Gigging five nights a week in a covers duo? Trying to make it on the gig circuit with an originals band?

Let’s tackle each of those examples one by one. Bedroom jamming. When I first started playing electric guitar (aged 12 in 1990), it seemed most low watt practice amps on the market consisted of two controls – volume and tone. If you were lucky, you might have had barky solid state overdrive or a three band EQ. But something happened over the last ten years or so. The term “practice amp” stopped meaning “beginner amp,” and models started appearing which featured integrated effects, auxiliary inputs for jamming along with CDs or MP3 players, and in the case of Fender’s revolutionary G-DEC amp, built in backing tracks.

When trying out a practice amp, especially one with amp modelling, try to find one that has one or two sounds you really love, rather than 50 you don’t really like. Don’t be swayed by versatility if you know you’ll only need a basic rhythm and lead sound – you can always add effects pedals later to enhance the sound, but try to avoid starting with a bad tone then throwing gadgets at it to make it listenable. Also, be aware that you won’t be able to crank the amp up to huge volume levels. Most practice amps are solid state. Small valve combos are also great for recording – Jimmy Page was all about using his tiny Fender Champ amp for recording massive tones.

That brings us to jamming with mates in the garage or rehearsal studio. In this environment, one of the biggest problems is clarity. Aim for a combo amp with a 12 inch speaker at minimum, and either prop the amp up with milk crates, or at the very least, place it at a 45 degree angle so the sound projects upwards towards everybody’s ears, not directly into their shins. You’ll find you don’t need to turn it up as high to be heard, which means the sound won’t be reverberating around the rehearsal space as much, and therefore it won’t be as muddy. This is a good environment to experiment with hybrid amps, which feature valves in the preamp section and MosFet transistors in the power section. This will get you somewhat closer to a true valve tone than a solely solid state amp.

Next: Covers duo or band. In this environment you need tonal flexibility and ease of use. A very popular option for this is the standalone floor-based processor. Models by Digitech, Boss, Zoom and Line 6 offer replications of popular amps, and are all designed with live performance in mind. Many players find that the pedal takes care of all their tonal generation needs, so they just run in straight into their amp’s clean channel. However, you should consider running the unit’s output directly into your amp’s effects loop return. This effectively turns your amp into a power amp, removing its preamp from the signal chain and thus avoiding any tonal colouration it may impose on your sounds. Or if you discuss your needs with your soundman, most such units can be directly plugged into the mixing desk, so you can hear your sound solely through the onstage monitors, and all you’ll need for the gig are your guitar, processor and a couple of cables.

If you’re playing club or pub gigs with an original band, you may only need a valve combo amp. Remember the amp will be mic’ed up, so buy according to tone rather than volume. Also be aware that a 100watt amp won’t be much louder than a 50watt amp, because contrary to what many people seem to believe, watts are a measure of power, not volume. There are two crucial rules when it comes to creating a live tone. The first is your amp’s midrange control – resist the temptation to turn it to zero just because it sounds cool in your bedroom. Once the rest of the band comes in, the amp’s treble frequencies will be partially eaten up by the cymbals, and the bass frequencies will be lost among the bass guitar and bass drum. Midrange may be all you have left. Sometimes even if you’re after a scooped out death tone it’s better to keep the mids at 5 (which on most amps is ‘neutral’), and boost the other frequencies a little.

The other crucial rule of onstage sound is to set your distortion level to wherever you think you need it when you’re playing by yourself, then reduce it by about a quarter for the stage. You’ll find that your sound opens up a lot and it will be much easier for the audience, your band mates and yourself to hear what you’re playing. Heavy rhythms will have punch and kick, while single note lines will have increased dynamics.

Most of all, remember that you don’t need to get a 120 watt head with two 4X12 speaker cabinets just to be heard at your local watering hole. Of those 12 double stacks the great Eddie Van Halen keeps on stage, only three actually have speakers in them – the rest are for show.

Come to think of it, I guess there’s nothing wrong with piling a tiny pub stage with empty cabinets to look cool, while keeping a tiny combo amp behind the stage with a mic in front of it for your actual sound.