Total Guitar 2014-05.pdf

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NirvaNa

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12-pag

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Vox MK III ‘teardrop’

#253 may 2014

£5.50

Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, The Cure!

Vox’s sub-£300 retro rocker

may 2014 PRINTED IN THE UK £5.50

Gear

riG tour

black

stone cherry

Kentucky Fried Lickin’

Kurt’s guitars and rig

in detail with rare photos

exclusive

Mesa

Recto-Verb 25

Combos just

got HEAVY!

the fiNal guitar iNterview

totalguitar

.co

.uk

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14 Bringing Sexy Back!

nuno returns to the uK

interviews

protest the hero

rival SoNS

the safety fire

Joe SatriaNi

Brand new

toSiN

abaSi

the new king

of shred

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We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future Publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).

© Future Publishing Limited 2014. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. The registered office of Future Publishing Limited is at Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. All information contained in this magazine is for informational purposes only and is, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of going to press. Future Publishing Limited cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies that occur. Readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers direct with regard to pricing. All submissions to Total Guitar magazine are made on the basis of a licence to publish the submission in Total Guitar magazine, its associated websites and all world-wide licensed editions of the same. Any material submitted is sent at the owner’s risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future Publishing Limited nor its agents shall be liable for loss or damage. We encourage you to recycle this magazine, either through your usual household recyclable waste collection service or at a recycling site.

The ABC combined print and digital circulation for Jan-Dec 2013 is:

19,262

A member of the Audited Bureau

of Circulations Print: 16,774 Digital: 2,488

mAy 2014 5

Welcome…

While we were researching this month’s

cover feature, I found a bootleg interview

with Nirvana from 1993 on YouTube. At

this point, Nirvana were promoting their

third and final studio album, In Utero.

Famous for their dislike of interviews, the

band’s answers are often polite but short.

Then, the interviewer asks Kurt about

being a left-handed guitarist. Kurt explains

the problems he used to have finding

left-handed guitars and that he smashed a lot

of his gear years before. He goes on to namecheck

his famous Jaguar, enthuses about a ‘special’ guitar he’s designed

with Fender that’s a mixture of a mustang and a Jaguar, and

laughs as he explains how he stuck two pictures together to

show Fender what he wanted the guitar to look like.

The point is, Kurt Cobain may not have been a ‘guitarist’s

guitarist’, but he clearly loved the instrument. This month, with

the help of his tech, Earnie Bailey, we’re celebrating Kurt’s love for

the guitar by taking a detailed look at his simple yet considered

gear choices – the instruments he used to change music for a

generation. We’ve also managed to bring you Kurt’s final guitar

interview, conducted weeks before his death. We’d like to thank

the kind folks at Fender, Proud Galleries Camden and the EmP

museum in Seattle for supplying us with some of the awesome

content for this month’s cover feature. We hope you enjoy it!

editor’s letter

making this month’s mag:

Stuart Williams, Editor

Chris

Bird

miChael

Brown

roB

laing

Rob has been

up to his eyeballs in nostalgia writing about his first guitar inspiration, Kurt Cobain. It took him all the way back to halcyon teenage days of playing Polly and Aneurysm on a red marlin Slammer. But he’s not just been looking back, and he interviews a very modern guitar hero, Tosin Abasi, on p68.

ThIs month,

Chris caught up with Luke Hoskin and Tim millar of prog-metal five-piece Protest The Hero for a twin-guitar lesson. The guys blasted through riffs from Underbite, Clarity and Sex

Tapes, blowing us all away by

showing us just how tightly they have their stuff down. Check out the tabs on p48.

We’ve been

spoiled by a pair of gorgeous signature models this issue: Jim Root’s none-more-black Fender Jazzmaster, reviewed on p78, and Tosin Abasi’s ultra-bling Ibanez TAm100, which appears in First Look on p8. Of course, if you like your gear un-signed, tasty offerings from Vox, mesa and DigiTech will satisfy your cravings.

Zillah Byng-Maddick FuTuRE PuBLISHInG

30 mOnmOuTH STREET, BATH BA1 2BW

Tel: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 822763 email: [email protected] Website: www.totalguitar.co.uk

Editorial

editor Stuart Williams Content editor Rob Laing Reviews editor Dave Burrluck Deputy Reviews editor michael Brown Managing editor Josh Gardner senior Art editor mark Thomas Art editor Leanne O’Hara senior Music editor Jason Sidwell Music editor Chris Bird Music Co-ordinator natalie Smith editor At Large neville marten

ContributorS

Steve Allsworth, Owen Bailey, Simon Bradley, Phil Capone, Richard Chamberlain, neil Crossley, Trevor Curwen, Charlie Griffiths, nick Guppy, Jamie Hunt, Andy mcGregor, Richard Hood, Kit morgan, matthew Parker, Robert Power, Adam Rees, Christopher Sutton, James uings, Bill Weaving, Henry yates

Music engraver Simon Troup Audio Mastering Duncan Jordan video Production martin Holmes

Photography Joe Branston, Adam Gasson, neil Godwin, Kevin nixon,

Gavin Roberts, Joby Sessions

advErtiSing

Phone: 01225 442244 Fax: 01225 732285 Advertising sales Director Clare Coleman-Straw sales Manager Amanda Burns, [email protected] Account sales Managers James L’Esteve, [email protected]

Alison Watson, [email protected]

Advertising sales executive Simon Rawle, [email protected]

MarkEting

Marketing Manager Sarah Jackson Direct Marketing executive Alex moreton

CirCulation

head of Trade Marketing James Whitaker

Trade Marketing Manager Daniel Foley, [email protected] Direct Marketing executive Alex moreton

Print & ProduCtion

Production Manager mark Constance Production Controller Frances Twentyman Prepress Future Premedia

liCEnSing

senior Licensing & syndication Manager

Regina Erak, [email protected]

Tel: +44(0)1225 732359 Fax: +44(0)1225 732275

If you would like to purchase the images featured in this publication, please visit www.futuremediastore.com or email [email protected]

FuturE PubliShing ltd

head of Music Rob Last Group Art Director Rodney Dive Creative Director Robin Abbott editorial Director Jim Douglas Managing Director, Future UK nial Ferguson

SubSCriPtionS

For orders and enquiries phone our uK hotline on: 0844 848 2852 For international order and enquiries phone: +44 (0) 1604 251 045 Subscribe online at: www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

Next issue on sale 12 May 2014

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Distributed in the uK by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT. Tel: 0207 429 4000

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Cov er /p ho to gra ph y © C ha rle s P et er so n , R ob M on k 6 may 2014

monitor

First Look

Ibanez Tam100 Tosin abasi ��

008 On The Road

Extreme ��

010 Riff Of The Month

Pantera – Becoming ��

012 Scale Of The Month

Natural minor��

014 Guitar Shop Ammo

Thrash-metal guitars ��

016 In Praise Of

Line 6 DL4 ��

018 Splurge, Save, Steal

Gibson Les Pauls ��

020 WTF? / Bring The Noise!

��

024 Sound Advice

auto-wah ��

026 In The Loop

Classic Rock harmony ��

028 In The Studio

Rival Sons ��

029 On The Up

Neck Deep, Cage The Gods,

amber Run ��

030 Albums

This month’s best guitar releases ��

032 Five Minutes Alone

Joe Satriani ��

034 Rig Tour

Black Stone Cherry ��

037 Feedback

��

042 Features

ROUNd TABLe:

Progressive metal

with Protest The

Hero and The Safety Fire� PLUS! PTH show us their

favourite riffs, complete with tab and video ��

044 COveR FeATURe:

20 years on from his death, we

look back at Cobain’s lasting legacy as a guitar

player and songwriter ��

052 Animals As Leaders

Tosin abasi talks us through

the guitar album of 2014 so far ��

068 Steal Their Style

Play like Stevie Ray Vaughan,

with this Texas flood of gear to suit any budget ��

072 Kurt cobain

his legacy, his gear, his Final guitar interview

rival sons

in praise oF…

animals as leaders

052

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Cov er /p ho to gra ph y © C ha rle s P et er so n , R ob M on k

SubScribe now & get a gift

Subscribe to Total Guitar – save money and get a free pedal! p108

may 2014 7

issue 253 may 2014

gear

Fender Jim Root Jazzmaster ��

078 mesa Engineering Recto-Verb Twenty-Five��

080 Vox mark III ��

081 Round-up

Godin Richmond Series ��

082 DigiTech RP360 ��

086 yerasov GTa15 ��

087 Pedal Round-up

Red Witch effects ��

088 TC Electronic Ditto 2/Boss DS-1X ��

090 accessories ��

091 Fix Your Guitar

Truss rod adjustment ��

092 techniques

Guitar Workout:

Octaves ��

097 Guest Lesson:

alex Skolnik

��

101 ear Training:

minor thirds

��

105 Get Your Grades!

RGT

��

106 Get Your Grades!

Rockschool

��

107 Tab Guide

��

110 Jim root Jazzmaster

First looK: ibanez tam100

Fix your guitar

guitar worKout

prog round table

078

008

092

097

044

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8 MAY 2014

first look…

Super Eight

Brace yourself for the Ibanez

TAM100 – Tosin Abasi’s

eight-string squeeze

W

ith instrumental prog-metallers

Animals As Leaders, Tosin Abasi has rewritten the guitar-hero rulebook, and as such, he needs an instrument to match – enter the Ibanez TAM100, an eight-string beast kitted out with killer specs. For starters, there’s an HSH-configured trio of DiMarzio Ionizer 8 pickups, which includes a coil-split You’ll find a wenge ’board on the wenge/bubinga neck, which is bolstered by KTS titanium rods to support the tension of the eight strings, tuned E B E A D G B E (low to high).

A touch of opulence comes courtesy of gold hardware, showcased on the double-locking FX Edge III-8 fixed bridge, and a Blue Wash finish adorns the basswood body’s quilted maple top. A lot of thought has gone into this guitar, and it ain’t cheap: the price tag reads £3,279. However, Ibanez has just launched the TAM10 for a comparatively mere £869 – see more from Tosin on his signature models on p68, and look out for a review very soon…

Photography: Joby Sessions The FX Edge III-8 handles the tension

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MAY 2014 9

first look monitor

“Tosin Abasi has rewritten

the guitar-hero rulebook –

and his Ibanez TAM100

is an eight-string beast,

kitted out with killer specs”

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on the road…

10 may2014

monitor section

04 _july

09 _july

“IfIcouldget

VanHalentodo

thewholefirstor

secondalbum,I’d

showupforthat.So

Isaid,‘Let’sdoit’”

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on the road monitor

Extreme

_{NunoandcoinviteyoutotheirveryownPornograffittiparty}

E

xtreme may be playing 1990 hit album

Pornograffitti in full when they reach the UK this summer, but guitarist Nuno Bettencourt is adamant that this won’t just be a nostalgia trip for fans and a quick buck for the Boston rockers.

“I don’t want it to be just based on Pornograffitti,” he says. “I’m not interested in cashing in. I want to still have new music to offer. We are in the process of doing a new record as well. Whatever new music we have done by then, we will put out, whether it’s two songs, four or a full album. This is like going to a Halloween party with a Pornograffitti theme, so it’s great to revisit it.”

Bettencourt notes that playing successful records from top to bottom on tour has become something of a trend, but it’s one that creates a must-see event for long-time fans as the band play the record in full, followed by more hits and a batch of new material.

“You tend to be against the novelties, but I figured from a fan perspective, if I could get Van Halen to do the whole first or second album, I would show up for that, so I said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

But he also admits that playing the album in sequence brings some obstacles with it. “To start a show and do More Than Words so early,

it’s such a different live perspective to stay true to the album. Doing it this way is crazy – it almost goes against nature in terms of what you would normally do live. We’ve been doing live shows forever – if we’re not going to do it in order, then why bother at all?”

Fans eager to hear some of Pornograffitti’s deeper cuts will be in for a treat, as there are one or two that have barely been played since the record’s release almost a quarter of a century ago.

“There’s When I First Kissed You and a song like Money, which I don’t think we’ve ever played live outside of clubs in Boston. Both of those songs take me back to our club days. I’m looking forward to playing the obscure stuff, and new songs as well.”

Nuno is also combining new and old with his rig, using his tried and trusted Randall NB King 112 amps and a new carbon-fibre-necked version of his Washburn signature guitar.

“I’ll be bringing that guitar on tour. The neck is super fast, there’s no wood there to slow you down. It’s almost like you’ve been running with ankle weights and then you take them off. It’s crazy.”

Extreme’s Pornograffitti Live tour starts in Manchester on 4 July 2014. www.extreme-band.com

Fanswillhearnew, unreleasedtuneson thePornograffitti Livetour

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riff of the month

T

ocelebratethe20th anniversaryofPantera’s albumFarBeyondDriven, we’relookingatthemainriff fromBecoming.ThetuningisE b standard(Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb), buttheguitarsonthealbumare tuneddownafurtherquarter-tone(atypicalPanteratuning). Thissongismid-pacedand heavyashell.Aftertheintro, Dimebaglaunchesintothe chunkymainriff.Hebasesit aroundthelowestfewnoteson thesixthstring,butmovesup anoctavetomakeonenote jumpout.Healsostampson theWhammypedaltoshoot thenoteuptwomoreoctaves. Thetrickiestpartisplaying thepedalsweepsoyouhitthe highnoteandreturntostandard pitchintimetocontinuethelow riffing.Ifyoudon’thavea whammypedal,asimilarhigh squealcanbeachievedwithan artificialharmonic,asshownin thismonth’svideo.

Pantera

Becoming

00:00

ideally,youneeda guitarwithahigh-output bridge-positionhumbucker toachieveDime’sheavy, vicioussound.Ifyourguitar hassingle-coilpickups,add moregainandbassonthe amp.Amodernhigh-gain valveampisbesttoget closetoDime’sRandalls. Ifyourampisn’tsuited toscoopedheavymetal tones,useadistortionpedal andrunitintoyouramp’s cleanchannel.Ifyouhavea Whammypedal,raisethe pitchbytwooctavesinthe ‘toedown’position. © Ge tty Image s 0 1 2 8 9 3 7 10 4 5 6 gain 0 1 2 8 9 3 7 10 4 5 6 bass 0 1 2 8 9 3 7 10 4 5 6 mid 0 1 2 8 9 3 7 10 4 5 6 treble 0 1 2 8 9 3 7 10 4 5 6 reverb CHaNNelDIstoRtIon VideOleSSONSAllourVideoLessonsareonlineat totalguitar.co.uk.toseethevideoforthislesson, typewww.bit.ly/tg253rotmintoyourbrowser.

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14 may 2014

T

hanks to its accessible sound and easy-to-remember shape, the minor pentatonic scale is the most frequently used scale in rock. The chances are, you already know it. The natural minor scale simply adds two extra notes to the minor pentatonic

shape. On guitar, the main difference is that the natural minor scale is usually played with three notes on every string instead of two, giving you opportunities to play smooth ‘legato’ style. Check out this month’s licks inspired by Paul Gilbert, Joe Satriani and Steve Howe.

Natural minor scale

OF THE MONTH

in association with

Expand on those minor-pentatonic

ideas with this month’s

three-note-per-string minor scale shape

Gilberfied

funkasatchilus

howe Zat

thispaul Gilbert-inspired

line shows possibilities available in the lower half of this scale shape. Ideally, use strict alternate picking for consistent tone and timing; alternatively, use a mixture of picking and legato. Practise slowly and gradually build speed.

thisriff calls up funky elements of Joe Satriani and Steve Vai’s playing. The idea is to repeat the root note as the chords change. Notice how the shape changes on the second and third strings because they are tuned four frets apart.

we’retaking a Steve Howe-style prog-rock approach here. Start the lick on the first string with your first finger, followed by hammer-ons with your second and fourth fingers. Repeat the technique on the next string, maybe using your third finger.

Gui ta rs : C ha rlie G rif fith s

Tracks 09-10

Tracks 11-12

Tracks 13-14

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16 may 2014

key players: Kirk

Hammett, matt Tuck, andreas Kisser, Dan Spitz

key techniques: Phrygian

licks, downpicking, alternate picking, semitone and b5th chord shifts

1

_{prototype was built by a}The original 1981 Rhoads

team from Charvel Guitars, including Grover Jackson, and was the first guitar to bear the Jackson name.

2

_{variations of the Rhoads,}There are many

but a typical combination of woods is an alder body, maple neck and ebony fretboard.

3

_{‘Concorde’ or ‘Original}Originally to be named

Sin’, the guitar was given its eventual name after Randy Rhoads’s untimely death.

4

_{humbuckers are most}Seymour Duncan

common on the Rhoads model, but certain versions have had active EmGs.

ammo

TG helps you

blag a new style

t

he Jackson Randy Rhoads

model guitar has blazed a trail for thrash metal since the 80s. Yes, it is impractical to play when sitting down (who plays thrash sitting down anyway?) and a nudge from that pointy lower bout could take your bass player’s eye out. Still, you should find this pointy axe ideal for the typical thrash fodder of raucous Phrygian solos, tight palm muted riffing and semitone powerchord shifts (E5 to F5 for example).

Thrash

t h i s m o n t h…

What You

Need To Know

track 15

This lick uses the E Phrygian mode (E F G A B C D), which contains the vital semitone interval between the root note and the 2nd (E and F). Thrash solos often cover many lead techniques; use strict alternate picking in bar 1, followed by fluid legato in bar 2 and pinched harmonics in bar 3.

These chords form a progression that works as an accompaniment to this month’s tabbed lick, so break up the lead line and try jamming both rhythm and lead ideas.

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18 MAY 2014

Line 6 DL4

in praise of…

We pay tribute to

a versatile delay with

a model existence

B

ack in the year 2000, delay

pedals didn’t offer a whole lot of options: you made your choice of digital or analogue, and that was about it. The Line 6 DL4 delay modeller shook things up, boasting models of 16 classic delay effects that you’d struggle to get hold of without a formidable overdraft. The defining tones of the Roland RE-101 Space Echo, TC Electronic 2290 and Maestro EP-1 Echoplex were all available at the twist of a knob, alongside Line 6 originals, such as sweep echo, auto-volume echo and lo-res delay.

Most importantly, the sound quality was there, too, and the DL4 quickly found its way onto the ’boards of countless pro guitarists, who loved the ability to instantly access three presets and tap tempo, not to mention the 14-second looper. Since the DL4 was introduced, Line 6 has used its sounds as the basis for other effects units, including the Echo Pro rack delay, Echo Park compact pedal and the M series stompbox modellers, but its functionality and modelling ethos is something you’ll find a tribute to in just about every digital delay pedal on the market today. (MB)

2000

Line 6 unveils the DL4 delay-modelling multi-effects unit

2002

The Echo Pro rack unit is released, featuring the DL4’s models

2004

Line 6 releases the DL4 model-loaded Echo Park

2008

All of Line 6’s DL4-derived delays appear in the M13

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20 MAY 2014

Gibson Les Paul

All three of these Les Pauls are the American dream,

but how far will your wallet stretch?

(21)

(22)

22 may 2014

basics

Recording

an acoustic

R

ejoice! For we guitarists now have

the wonders of nine-string electrics, profiling amps and self-tuning guitars – we can even make multi-track demos on our phones. But some things are still old-school at heart. And when it comes to recording an acoustic guitar, the old way really is still the best.

Acoustic recording is not just for acoustic musicians – plenty of heavier bands will record an acoustic track to act as a ‘bed’ for the rest of the song, making for a lusher rhythmic sound. Or you might even just want an acoustic interlude in your track.

Whatever your aim, the art of mic’ing your guitar isn’t some mystic voodoo that only studio engineers can wield: but there are different variations you can try, and with some basic planning and know-how, you can get the recorded tone that you need in your own home.

Five essential

recording tips

1 Pick carefully

Plectrums matter. _{If it’s a strumming}

part, consider a thinner plectrum for a mellower vibe, as it directly affects tone.

2 kill squeaks

New strings will _{squeak when fretting}

– not good. Bed them in before recording, or consider longer-life coated strings (Elixir Nanoweb and D’addario EXP are options).

3 Big Bottom?

Phat bass is ace, but it _{often gets lost in the}

band mix – especially when it creeps into the actual bassist’s territory. Try rolling off frequencies below 100Hz to begin with.

4 Watch that sPace

Consider the _{space you’re}

recording in – sounds will reflect off hard surfaces back to the mic. This isn’t always bad – the natural reverb from reflections in the bathroom or kitchen can be great – but be aware of the effects when tracking.

5 something BorroWed

Try a second _{acoustic for a}

different tone – a second smaller acoustic with more mid attack, or a jumbo for a bit more bottom-end boom.

“mic’ing your guitar isn’t

some mystic voodoo

only studio engineers

can wield: you can get

the tone you need in

your own home”

go digital

To demo acoustic ideas, digital audio recorders are a great quick option, and are available for a variety of budgets, with some options (like the Olympus LS-100, below) approaching condenser-levels of audio detail. Placement should follow the basic rules set out opposite, but you may want to try getting some lo-fi sounds in unusual ambient spaces this way, too.

Some new digital recorders have great, usable audio fidelity

Mic’ing your acoustic guitar

for a good tone is all about

basic principles

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Basics monitor

Rode M3 £89.99 Smaller-diaphragm cardioid mics are great for multiple purposes in recording, because they’re better suited to louder sources; including close vocals, amps and as an overhead for drums.

three Condensers

three Ways to

Record

1. one MiC, tWo Ways

The simple approach. Place a single condenser mic 30 to 50cm away from your guitar and pointing towards where the neck joins the body. This is a good overall balance of the sound coming from the guitar’s body and neck. Then, it’s a matter of tweaking; move it closer to the soundhole for more bass, towards the headstock for less; further from the guitar to capture any natural reverb in the room (eg a bathroom), or closer for a drier sound. you can also try positioning the mic over your shoulder if you want to capture a sound similar to what you can hear yourself.

2. tWo MiCs

adding a second condenser offers a bigger sound. Experimenting with positioning and listening for the change it brings is always good, but try placing this second mic in line with the lower bout of your guitar, pointing back slightly towards the bridge. Then you can mix the sound of the two mics to what suits you, or even pan them for a wide sound. Be aware of the risk of something called phasing through. Phasing can occur when the mics are placed at an uneven distance from the guitar, so the sound reaches each mic at a different time to produce an inconsistent and

unbalanced sound. a good way of getting a fuller tone that’s also balanced is the X/y technique – using two identical small-diaphragm mics, stacked one on top of the other and pointed at the neck joint.

3. Blended and diReCt

The piezo pickups found in many affordable electro acoustics aren’t going to give you a great acoustic sound recorded alone, but you can always add to the sound from the mics for an extra, very different, layer if you have an audio interface with multiple inputs.

But there is another option to use your pickup when mic’ing isn’t viable (eg when other people in the house are making noises that a mic can pick up). Fishman’s aura preamp system is available pre-installed on some acoustics, and also as a retrofit option, but the company also has a range of pedals with the technology. Fishman call it ‘imaging’, and it’s primarily for live use: it’s based on the idea of blending your guitar’s pickup sound with a matched image (that you can upload to the pedal via software) of a similar guitar and mic from a range of options, for a sound that simulates that of a mic’d acoustic. The results can be surprisingly authentic.

sontronics stC-2

£159

This is a popular mic choice for a reason; it offers fantastic quality for the price. For versatility when recording, it features a low-cut filter and -10dB pad switches to avoid over-saturation.

Behringer C-3

£75

The C-3 is a good budget choice. It even has omnidirectional (ie picks up sound all around mic), cardioid (in front of mic) and figure-of-eight (in front and behind mic) polar patterns.

1

2

3

niCk dRake PInk Moon (1972) mostly just one man and his guitar, Drake’s startlingly advanced fingerstyle techniques and experimental tunings are laid bare here. But there are other factors crucial to his tone; older, fatter strings make for a darker tonality, with his nails providing attack.

Bon iveR For EMMa, ForEvEr ago (2007) Justin Vernon’s acoustic tone isn’t about wide-panned ‘perfection’, it’s more earthy and intimate, with the human element of string noises, too. He used a Shure Sm-57 dynamic mic in a remote Wisconsin cabin to capture the tones at the heart of this.

JiMMy eat WoRld DaMagE (2013) JEW are no strangers to using acoustic rhythm underneath shimmering electric tones, especially on this most recent record. But closer You Were Good finds Jim adkins using a scratchy lo-fi acoustic recording for the first time to create a distinct vibe.

hear these alBums

Jim Adkins: sometimes a lo-fi acoustic works best

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24 MAY 2014

Coax crazy sounds from your axe

T h i s m o n T h … D i a D s a n D D o u b l e s T o p s

‘D

iads’ and ‘doublestops’ are chords formed of only two notes. Simple! If you truly are a lazy bastard, stop here; you have read enough. Commit to memory the fact that ‘diads’ and ‘doublestops’ are one and the same thing, and we’ll see you next month!

The actual difference between the terms is that a diad can use any two notes on the fretboard; ‘doublestop’ is a

traditional term relating to the technique of playing two notes on adjacent strings on stringed instruments such as the violin or cello.

You don’t need to learn any special techniques to do this on the guitar, but the term has stuck around regardless, and is generally used without any distinction from ‘diad’.

bring the noise!

#54:

Shergar’S

revenge

T

his month, TG takes the reins and saddles up our vibrato arms, ready to harness some harmonics and produce a

thoroughbred whinnying horse sound. This effect has been used by the likes of Steve Vai, Dimebag Darrell and Mattias IA Eklundh. The 3rd-fret harmonic can be tricky, so home in on finer elements of the technique, such as working out the best hand position and which part of your finger makes contact with the string. Practise the steps one at a time before playing them together in one smooth motion… and they’re off!

STep 1

Place your thumb over the top of the fretboard and mute the fourth, fifth and sixth strings. Rest your first finger on the first and second strings: keep them muted. This leaves the third string open.

STep 2

Pick the third string using a fret hand pull-off, then push your whammy bar down as far as possible to slacken the strings. Bring the bar back to a resting position, and touch the string above the 3rd fret to produce a clear harmonic.

STep 3

As the harmonic is ringing, pull the bar up as high as possible and then gradually bring it down as far as possible. At the same time, wobble your hand so the pitch goes up and down in small increments on the way.

What the

∫

?

**Theory for lazy bsTrds**

This is the well-known

two-note powerchord shape.

This is a powerchord, but the

root is the higher note, not

the lower.

This shape is easy to

play using just one finger.

Any finger.

Think of this shape as two

notes from an open D chord.

video

lesson

_www.bit.ly/tg253noise

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26 may 2014

Auto-wah

Auto-wah helps you get the most out of

every note while giving tired feet a rest

T

he auto-wah effect, also

known as an envelope filter, is an effect that re-creates the sound of a traditional wah-wah pedal without having to physically rock the pedal to control the tone. Auto-wah can be heard on Badly Drawn Boy’s Once Around The Block, the solo on Edie Brickell’s

What I Am and Dire Straits’ Industrial Disease, among many other songs. The great thing about auto-wah is that when you dig in, the auto-wah digs in; if you lay back, it lays back, too. This makes it fantastic for expressive leads, funky riffs and dynamic chordal parts.

The auto-wah responds to dynamics, so this lick mixes notes played hard and held for a long time with short, staccato notes. The final phrase builds from quiet to loud.

step one

Gain

Set the gain to around _{seven on an overdrive}

channel. It’s best to go easy on the distortion, as it can get very fizzy when combined with the wah. auto-wah also works well with a clean tone.

step two

sensitivity or threshold

The sensitivity control determines how much effect your guitar’s volume has on the auto-wah. The higher the setting, the more obvious the wah sound will be. How hard you play also has a bearing on the effect.

step three

Filter mode

There are up _{to three filter}

options. Select ‘Band Pass Filter’. This simply means a ‘band’ of frequencies is allowed to ‘pass’ through, while everything else is ‘filtered’ out. In this case, it leaves the midrange – a key part of the wah sound.

step Four

ranGe

_{the frequency}you need to select

range that you want the wah to emphasise. Higher frequencies make the sound more nasal; lower frequencies make the sound more vocal. For our lick, a vocal, ‘wow wow’ sound is what you’re looking for, so select a ‘low’ range.

step Five

Q

_{the middle frequency of}The ‘Q’ (or peak) boosts

the range you selected in Step Four. The more you boost, the more pronounced the wah effect. Don’t mess around here; turn the dial up to seven or eight.

step six

play dynamically

an auto- wah responds to how hard you play. you’ll get a sharp, cutting peak if you play hard, and a mellower, less aggressive sound when you play softly.

Pushing the

envelope…

1

2

3

4

5

6

Use an auto-wah to add a little ‘waka-waka’ to your guitar playing

sound advice

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Classic

rock

Wanttoplaydualleadlines?

Don’thaveasecondguitarist?

Usealooperpedalinstead!

Here,weharmonisewithmelody1.We’veused‘3rd’harmonies,whichisanotherwayofsaying‘threescalenotesapart’.Melody1startsonG(thefirstnoteofthescale),sothe harmonynoteisB(thethirdnote).Keepthissysteminmindthroughout,andmatchnuanceslikevibratoandstringbends.

T

his month, we’ve written a classic-rock harmony arrangement in the vein of bands like The Allman Brothers and Thin Lizzy. These bands use two guitar players to play powerful dual parts, and you can mimic this by layering lead lines with a looper.

It’s fun to play around but a little scale knowledge helps to find the best harmonies. Adding intervals such as 3rds, 5ths or 6ths works really well, especially while staying inside the structure of a particular scale. This approach is called ‘diatonic harmony’.

Loop 1:

Chords

We’velaidoutthechord changeswithopenvoicingsin Gmajor.We’vestucktothe I-IV-Vprogression,which,in thekeyofG,isG,CandD. Includingneutral-sounding‘5’ chordsallowsyoutoadd morecolourintheleadline.

Loop 2:

meLody 1

Nextupisamelodylineplayed ontopofthechords.With classicrock,thesimplerthe melody,thebetteritwillsound. We’restayinginsidetheG majorscale(GABCDEF#), startingontherootnoteand usingvibrato,legatoandstring bendsforrockattitude.

Loop 3: meLody 2

in the loop…

Nolooperpedal?We’veincludedaudio filesonyourTGCDforyoutoimport intoaDAW,suchasGarageBand

traCk 20

traCk 19

traCk 18

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In the Studio

in the studio monitor

AsAbAndthatusuallyworksoffa 20-dayrecordingschedule,RivalSons treatedthemselvestoafullfiveweeksin producerDaveCobb’sNashvillestudio astheyworkedonGreatWestern Valkyrie,thefollow-upto2012’sHead Down.“There’smorecraftonthisrecord, sotheremayhavebeenafewextra takes,”guitaristScottHolidaytellsTG. “Butwe’recatchingagreatportionof thisrecordliveoffthefloor.” alittlemorefinessingofideasdoesn’t meanthatriffsareworkedtodeath beforehittingthestudio,though.No,the Sonsarestillgoingthewrite-as-they-trackroute.“Igointothestudiowitha bunchofideasstockpiled,andsodoes Jay[Buchanan,vocals],andwegetinthe roomandthrowthematthewall.Forme, there’salwaysakeyword,phraseoridea beforewegoin.Ifyou’relookingfor anotherHeadDownorPressureAndTime, thatisnotwhatIintendandit’snotwhat we’regoingtogiveyou. “Wewroteeverydayandwenever putourheadsup.Wewroteandwrote andwroteandwrote.Insteadofjust workingon12tracks,wewrote20songs andthendecidedwhoshouldliveand whoshoulddie.” Scotttrackedwithhistrustycollectionof GibsonFirebirdsaswellasa’62 JazzmasterandoneortwoKauer creations.Heisparticularlyenthused aboutaGretschWhitePenguin/Firebird hybridputtogetherforhimbyKauer. Hepluggedintoa’63VoxaC30once ownedbyBrendanBenson.Well,fora whilehedid,atleast. “Itblewuphalfwaythrough,sowehad tostopusingit,”helaments.“Butthat wasoneofmymainampsforthefirst halfoftracking.” Withoneampwiltingunderthe pressureofrecordingtheband’sheady mixofhip-shakingclassicrockand earthyblues,Scottturnedtoapocket rockettodighimoutofanexploded amp-shapedhole. “Iuseda’30sSupro,alittletinything. Itlookslikeapieceoftrash,butitsounds likealittletreasure.Ittakesafuzzpedal likenootherandrecordsbeautifully.” WiththealbumsetforaJunerelease, manybandswouldalreadybeimagining theheightsanewalbumcouldtakethem to.Scott,itseems,iscontenttocountthe blessingsthathealreadyhas.“Ithinkto myself,‘Thisismyjob?’allofthese peoplearecomingtoseemeforthe nightoftheweek,oftheirmonth,oftheir year?andIcandoitagaintomorrow? I’vefoundthekeytoahappylife.”

scoTT HolidAy – RivAl sons

Califoursomeaddsomecraft

totheirorganicbluesrock

GreatWesternValkyrie isreleased9JunethroughEarache.

Artist:

ScottHoliday: “We wroteeverydayand neverputourheadsup”

video

www.bit.ly/tg253studi_o

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30 may 2014

o

n

t

h

e

u

p

Neck Deep

Breaking America, or their van – whichever comes first

M

ost British bands spend years of

their lives and vast quantities of label cash to gain a foothold in America. Wrexham pop-punks Neck Deep have managed it almost without trying.

“We leave for America for our first proper tour in a couple of days, and some of the shows have already sold out,” enthuses guitarist Lloyd Roberts, when we speak in February. “It’s crazy really – we’ve never properly been over there!”

His surprise is understandable,

especially given the band began life as little more than a casual side project for Lloyd and vocalist Ben Barlow.

“We were just writing these songs and sticking them online, and then when people liked them, we kind of had to make a band,” he explains. “It wasn’t going to be anything serious, but all of our minds changed quickly on that one…”

Having gathered a Facebook following – a significant chunk of which was based across the pond – Neck Deep discovered that these were real fans when they visited Florida on a last-minute holiday deal.

“We were like, ‘Why don’t we try and book a show?’” says Lloyd. “We managed to arrange with a band out there to use all their gear, and we turned up at this house show and just thought, ‘There aren’t going

to be many people here, but who cares?’ Suddenly, we had maybe 100, 150 people in this tiny little room. We were all looking at each other like, ‘Right, this is actually becoming a reality.’”

Now signed to Hopeless Records, they’re the latest in a long line of British bands to have absorbed American influences from a pan-Atlantic position – something rather neatly represented by their gear choices: British tone, courtesy of Orange Rockerverb amps, married with US(-ish) guitars in the form of a Fender Jim Root Strat for Lloyd, and a Frankenstein’d Jaguar for co-guitarist Matt West. With thoughts all on the tour, Lloyd says gear hiccups are rare; it’s just the vans that bother them.

“Whatever vehicle we’re travelling in, will break,” explains the guitarist. “It’s 100 per cent. I’m not sure what kind of curse we have on us, but I’m hoping it’s not gonna continue once we’re in America. Especially when you’ve got a nice 36-hour drive to do!”

Catch Neck Deep at Hit The Deck festival and on tour in the UK throughout April.

For Fans oF: All Time Low, New Found Glory, Blink-182 Hear: Losing Teeth

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may 2014 31

on the up monitor

For Fans oF: Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, The Temper Trap Hear: Sparks

Amber Run

M

uch like, err, evolution, guitar playing takes all types. Will Jones – guitarist with Nottingham’s widescreen indie-types Amber Run – is an effects man. “When I discovered reverb and delay, that changed the whole way I played,” he tells TG. “I realised I didn’t have to play scales as fast as possible… it’s more about the song’s sound, and the textures.”

Formed to serve childhood friend/rhythm man Joe Keogh’s cinematic songwriting, the band have signed with RCA and have an album in the can with Mike Crossey (Foals, Arctic Monkeys), due Autumn. “It really took off quickly for us,” admits Will. “But people respond to good songs, and they always will do. You won’t get anywhere if you’ve got bad songs. It’s quite basic advice, but it’s important.”

Panoramic pedal pushers getting the green light

Riff messiahs in the classic-rock garden

Cage The Gods

D

n-dn-derrr.

Dn-dn-der-nerr! Deep Purple – we owe you so much. Smoke On The Water may be the most over-played riff in rock history, but how many of us owe our playing roots to those fertile four chords? Jam, the mononymous guitarist for skeez-rocking Londoners Cage The Gods, counts himself among that number.

“One of my mates from school had got a guitar,” recalls Jam of his start. “He’d learned to play Smoke On The Water – surprise, surprise – and once I saw that, I was jealous, so that’s what influenced me to pick it up.” With the dam busted open, Jam’s spent the intervening years bathing in rock’s dirty waters and studying Messrs Page, Young and Slash. “All of those guys brought something in, a sound, that wasn’t

out there at the time,” reckons Jam. “They all play through similar setups, but they all sound different to each other.”

It’s almost a given, then, that Jam favours a 1970s Marshall JMP paired with a Gibson Les Paul Custom to power his classic-tinged licks. With the band treading a path similar to their ancestors, TG can’t help but ask if they’ve developed a taste for the same lifestyle. “The millions of dollars is rare these days,” says Jam. “But in terms of the excess, I think that’s very much still possible. Some of the things that you read about guys doing in the 70s are done by most people on a Saturday night now!”

For Fans oF: Skid Row, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC Hear: Favourite Sin

Panoramic, delay-laden anthems such as Heaven showcase their talents, and anyone that’s lost hours tweaking repeat settings will understand Will’s special bond with his Eventide Space and Strymon TimeLine pedals (complementing a Gretsch Power Jet and Fender Hot Rod Deluxe). This territory is ruled by The Edge, so it makes perfect sense when Will name-checks the beanie-bonced guitarist, and the likes of Explosions In The Sky and Sigur Rós, as major influences.

“I just can’t get enough of reverbs with 20-second decays,” enthuses Will. “I like it where you only have to play three notes in a song, and then you don’t have to do anything else!” © A nd rew W hitt on

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32 MAY 2014

Black Stone

Cherry

albums

Devil You Know

The BeauTy Of DesTrucTiOn

WiTh the somewhat suspicious

circumstances of his exit from Killswitch Engage still to see the light of day, it’s unsurprising that Howard Jones’ new band will be met with anticipation more than expectation. The man himself is on immense form, with his both fierce and powerful vocals all over Devil You Know’s debut, but it’s the musicianship that’s most interesting on the album, with former All Shall Perish six-stringer Francesco Artusato combining a mix of melancholic tones on It’s Over and some reserved death-metal riffing on the likes of Seven Years Alone.

Adam Rees

DownloAD: A Mind Insane

a

t the beginning of their ascent, Black Stone

Cherry were a hard-working young Kentucky

band who discovered a way of balancing the classic

with the modern – and their brute force and Skynyrd

swagger have made for a winning combination the

UK has taken to its heart. For album number four, it

sounds like Tool producer Joe Barresi has helped

spike the Cherry’s southern comfort a little more,

following the more Nickelbackian sheen and

multiple songwriters on 2011’s Between The Devil

And The Deep Blue Sea.

Holding On… To Letting Go flies out of the traps,

with Chris Robertson and Ben Wells shovelling their

trademark thick down-tuned groove riffs, but

they’ve always had lead finesse to match – and the

bluesy tradeoffs in Peace Pipe and Blow My Mind find

them refining their craft with confidence. Notably,

the surprise that the mellowest song here – the

hauntingly raw Sometimes – is also one of the

strongest, shows just how high these freebirds are

flying again.

Rob laing

DownloAD: Never Surrender

Magic MOunTain

“A band I saw support Ghost in Sweden recently. Somehow they remind me of 16 Horsepower. They’re bluesy, and there are a lot of guitars, but there are other things going on as well. They’re just a great band with a great vocalist, and I really dig them.”

NERGAL

thE LAst

ALbum i

bouGht…

nick Mulvey

firsT MinD

One of the most unique acoustic

players TG has heard, Mulvey is a thoroughly modern singer-songwriter – using subtle effects and a vast musical palette to craft hypnotic, dream-like and nuanced compositions. While his

technique never overshadows the songs, delays and clever picking allow him to channel his beloved Sub-Saharan guitarists and balance rhythm and melody in a thoroughly satisfying way. We’ve watched Mulvey go from tiny club dates to headline act in the space of a year – and, without doubt, his first full-length record will accelerate that ascent.

Matt Parker DownloAD: April

DeAD Soul

In The DARKneSS

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MAY 2014 33

Pantera

far BeyOnD Driven

20 years on, this remastered

reissue (with a live show from 1994) is still Alpha Papa to today’s young metal bucks; Dimebag’s role as the heroic steel foil for Phil Anselmo’s hardcore chest puffing never sounded as commanding as here. Their chemistry is lightning in a whisky bottle, on the self-aware Becoming, and

5 Minutes Alone and I’m Broken

have riff calibre we just don’t seem to hear now. But Pantera were never just about onslaught: Shedding Skin has expert pace, and dare we say it, closer Planet Caravan actually tops Sabbath’s original.

David Hands

DownloAD: I’m Broken

ALbums moNitoR

The Afghan whigs

DO TO The BeasT

The alt-rock legends’ first album

in 16 years showcases a band reinvigorated and excited to explore new sonic territories, encompassing everything from electronica to country and grunge in their travels. Whigs guitarists Greg Dulli, Dave Rosser and Jon Skibic provide the bulk of the dark, driven tones, but contributions from the likes of QOTSA’s Alain Johannes and The Raconteurs’ Patrick Keeler add to the weighty textures. From the scuzzy riffery of Parked Outside to The Lottery’s U2-esque delayed melodies and Can Rova’s delicate phaser-infused picking, Do To The Beast is a powerful, career-affirming return.

Michael Brown

DownloAD: The Lottery

Manchester orchestra

cOpe

in cOnTrasT to 2011’s

all-encompassing Simple Math, the latest effort from the Atlanta indie foursome is an unrelenting assault, with the band opting to leave softer material off the tracklisting. Guitarist/frontman Andy Hull lays down a foundation of palm-muted powerchords for lead guitarist Robert McDowell to howl over in tracks such as opener Top Notch, before spitting almost Sabbath-esque riffery on the title track. But while it’s the most aggressive, least diverse album in the MO canon, Cope is still littered with enough hooks to keep you coming back.

Michael Brown

DownloAD: Every Stone

lesser Key

Lesser Key

TireD of the seemingly

interminable wait for a new Tool album? This EP may tide you over for a while, and features bassist Paul D’Amour – who played on Tool’s first couple of releases. Vocalist Andrew Zamudio is more Daniel Johns than Maynard, but the dark, rhythmic mid-tempo shifts of Intercession and Parallels should please fans of Tool’s Undertow and Aenima. The anthemic choruses help to maintain the necessary equilibrium, but the choice cut on the album is In Passing Through, when they stretch the dynamics to greater effect, and rise to a zenith of riffery.

Rob laing

DownloAD: In Passing Through

Kenny wayne

Shepherd Band

gOin’ hOMe

ceLeBraTeD Louisiana

blues-rocker Kenny Wayne Shepherd presents a sprawling selection of tracks that inspired him as a young player crouched over a tape deck, learning licks – and it’s required listening for electric blues lovers. What elevates it above many of its ilk is the varied cast of guest talent, ranging from Robert Randolph to Ringo Starr; the ‘live’ feel of the recording; the tasteful repertoire; and Kenny’s Strat wrangling, which still channels SRV but is faultlessly executed and springs plenty of surprises.

Bill weaving

DownloAD: Still A Fool

lostAlone

shape Of screaMs

LOsTaLOne continue their quest

to resurrect epic, almost ridiculously grand rock on album three. Opener Crusaders has a stadium-sized Biffy vibe and power-pop hooks, while The Bells! The Bells!! is a distorted slab of My Chemical Romance-ish rock. Elsewhere, leader Steve Battelle and co channel Muse (Hostages) and Queen (Mental Health) with varying degrees of success. It’s certainly an ambitious record, and Battelle’s playing is

fantastically varied, but whether it’s one that will take LostAlone to the heights that they’ve

consistently been tipped for remains to be seen.

Rich chamberlain DownloAD: Crusaders

Miss May I

rise Of The LiOn

afTer the success of 2012’s At

Heart, there have been hints about the band taking a new direction. In practice, it seems they’ve gone back to the well of early metalcore for some more diverse influences. That’s no bad thing – the intricate lead and melodies of Gone call to mind early Atreyu, and there’s plenty of Lamb Of God-esque palm-muted rhythm. Echoes suggests 2003-era Thrice has been on the MMI stereo, while Levi Benton’s raspy screams have something of the Kensrue about them. While not reinventing the wheel, this is an enjoyable gestalt of screamo/metalcore influences.

Josh gardner

DownloAD: End Of Me

John wesley

DiscOnnecT

pOrucupine Tree’s touring

guitarist, and indeed Steve Wilson’s six-string studio tone guru, offers much for fans of that band’s records. Disconnect and Take What You Need have a Pineapple Thief-style grandeur, with a feast of wonderful guitar sounds and breaks, plus stunningly expressive extended solos on the former song and Any Old Saint. Much like Wilson, Wesley is skilled at taking a more traditional, melodic rock

composition (Window, Mary Will) and keeping it sonically interesting without losing the emotional feel that anchors it.

David hands

DownloAD: Disconnect