MusicRadar - Guitarist

Vox Announces Joe Satriani Signature amPlug

Simon Bradley — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:32:00 +0100

Not content with putting his name to a series of seriously cool stompboxes, Satch gets his amPlug on...

The range of Vox amPlugs are seriously good. Really. Not only do they provide the easiest way of playing your guitar in privacy via your headphones, but they provide genuinely excellent guitar tones too: try the AC30 option and hear for yourself.

Here's a list of the features the Joe Satriani amPlug offers:

• Joe's signature lead tone with your choice of delay on or off
• Distortion tone with superb dynamic response, inspired by the Satchurator
• Analog-style delay with Joe's filter & EQ, inherited from the Time Machine delay
• Plugs straight into your electric guitar, so you can instantly enjoy great sound through your headphones
• Convenient and portable with up to 11 hours of battery operation
• AUX input jack lets you jam along to tunes on your CD/MP3 player

Visit www.vox.co.uk for much more info plus a video from Joe himself.

Joe's newest Vox stompbox, the Ice 9, will be reviewed in the October issue of Guitarist, on-sale 29^th September and we'll give the Satch amPlug the full treatment very soon

Guitarist issue 333 on sale now

Guitarist — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:58:00 +0100

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION

We catch up with Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa for the inside story on their epic rock project, Black Country Communion

INTERVIEWED

Robert Cray

Steve Vai

Alexi Laiho

REVIEWED

James Tyler Variax by Line 6 JTV-6

PRS 25th Anniversary 305 & Swamp Ash Special Narrowfield

Music Man Albert Lee HH & Big Al Bass

Blade Dayton Standard

Epiphone DR-500MCE VS Masterbilt & 64 Texan

Fender Super-Sonic 22 Combo & 60 Combo

Hayden Petite 2

Carr Artemus 30

Randall NBKing 112

Providence Heat Blaster, Anadime Chorus ADC-3 & Chrono Delay

Zoom G2Nu & G2.1Nu

Music Man Classic StingRay 4 Bass

Boss BR-800

ON THE CD

Artist video, full audio and video gear demos and guitar lessons, with tab in the mag – learn rock, blues, acoustic, beginner, shred and a ton of great licks!

BUYING ADVICE AND Q&A

Second-hand buying info, long-term tests, and your gear woes answered – plus buy and sell your own gear in our Reader Ads section

Interview: Fredrik Åkesson, Opeth

Rob Laing — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:22:00 +0100

Guitarist Extra: We recently caught up with Fredrik Akesson from acclaimed Swedish progressive metallers Opeth for a piece that will appear in the next issue (334) of the magazine. But we couldn't resist dropping in some extra questions for the Guitarist.co.uk during our chat so Fredrik could share playing tips and insight about his career so far with us.

You're at the end of the Summer festival season now, how is the material for the next Opeth album coming along?

"Mikael [Åkerfeldt, Opeth mainman/singer/guitarist] recently showed me a riff that he's working on right now. Very different and very interesting! That's probably going to end up on the new Opeth album. He's working on two tracks for the next one at the moment. Mendez and I are working on material at my house. We'll see what happens, but we'll try and squeeze some material in there – see what the master says! [laughs]

"I always compete with myself to play the perfect gig and that's what makes it fun to play."

The DVD of Opeth's Albert Hall show is being released soon, but was that your personal favourite gig from the run of anniversary shows last year?

"I think it was New York [at the Terminal 5 venue] because I felt it was maybe a bit better playing-wise. Small details most people wouldn't notice. I always compete with myself to play the perfect gig and that's what makes it fun to play."

What's been the highlight of your time in the band so far?

"Some gigs are magic – playing the Royal Albert Hall with the band was incredible. I saw the DVD and it looks very cool. I was a little unfortunate with the camerman stepping on my power though! I went silent in the last song – the whole rig died. A bit stressful standing in front of all those people."

You and Mikael are using the Fractal Axe-FX Ultra effects and amp modelling processor live now, is that right?

"I only use it in the loop for delays. Mike [Åkerfeldt] uses it as a power amp but I'm still particular about tube amps, a wah is the only effect I have out front. I don't use the amp simulations live but I do in the studio back home. It's very good."

"I think it's a good thing to be inspired by many different players but to inevitably find your own tone."

{PAGEBREAK}

As well as that, you're playing PRS through the Blackstar Series One, but is there anything else about your live rig we don't know about?

"I use a buffer pedal made by a guy who runs a Swedish company called Sound Of Silence www.soundofsilence.se. He analysed my setup and advised me to switch out all my cables. He also advised that the cable that goes from the amp to the wah pedal shouldn't necessarily be a guitar cable because it can colour the sound, it's better to sue a line cable.

"The buffer pedal boosts the sigal that's lost through the cable length. In A/B testing all this did makes a difference. IF you use EMG active pickups you don't really did it but the buffer pedal can compensate.
He also does tricks with wireless packs – puts a little chip in the belt pack that can compensate the sound if you're losing a little low end. It's pretty theory behind it all – I think I'm turning into Eric Johnson!"

Looking back on your journey as a player so far, do you have any advice to others?

"I think it's a good thing to be inspired by many different players but to inevitably find your own tone. When I was younger I listened to a lot of players but now I spend most of my time playing and improvising over chord changes I've recorded. I think that can be very useful.

"Also, I used to work out solos note for note – that's always a good thing if you want to learn new techniques and add more variation to your own playing."

"I practised a lot between the age of 15 and 18 – six to eight hours a day."

If you weren't a guitar player what do you think you'd be doing for a living?

"Maybe I'd be a singer! Normal job? I've done a lot of shity jobs. I've been a construction worker, I've cleaned up after dead people… I don't want to go back to anything like that. Maybe I'd be working in a studio – close to music. Actually, I'd be a guitar tech. I've done it once before. One show with Dokken when [Europe guitarist] John Norum was in the band."

You're from the same town in Sweden as John aren't you?

"Yes, Upplands Väsby. I don't live there anymore though. I've written some material on John's solo albums and did some touring with him in the mid nineties. We jammed a lot back in the day. He has a great style, he was influential on me when I was a kid. He has great tone and his new solo album is cool – more seventies-influenced and bluesy."

You're obviously a player that works hard at developing your technique. Can you pinpoint when you've had breakthroughs over the years?

"I practised a lot between the age of 15 and 18 – six to eight hours a day. When I was 15 I dropped out of school to work at a factory to earn the money for my first Marshall amp. I played and Played and at 19 I joined a band called Talisman and learned a lot from them because they were older and had played with guys like Yngwie.

"Around 1998-2000 I started to mature as a player too, it wasn't just about playing fast. But it's an ongoing process – there's always something new to learn."

When you first joined Opeth, a lot of people may have seen you as a shredder. But there's a lot more to you than that as Mikael has said. Do you think people have realised that now?

"Yes and if you listen to Watershed there isn't that much shredding. It's a couple of runs – I had to squeeze something in! [laughs]

"But I hope people see that I try to be diverse. On the solos from Burden, for example, it's more of a vintage approach – Gilmour, Knopfler, early Blackmore. I try to play what's right for the song rather than getting in as much shred as possible to impress people. Shredding is fun but you have to be tasteful."

Opeth – In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall is released on September 20 through Roadrunner records and reviewed in issue 334 of Guitarist magazine.

Win a Vintage guitar and a Facelift!

Simon Bradley — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:40:00 +0100

(c) Future/Phil Sowells

Friday Giveaway: Guitarist has a great competition that includes not one but five prizes. You can never have too many guitars, and the Vintage V6 Icon up for grabs here is well worth winning.

The first prize comprises a Vintage V6 Icon V6MRSSB in distressed sunburst and a Rory Gallagher Facelift to go with it. The guitar comes loaded with three Wilkinson single-coils, a cool distressed finish and a truly wonderful neck, while the Facelift allows you to transform it into Rory Gallagher's legendarily battered 1961 Strat.

We also have four runner-up prizes or your choice of one of any of the following Facelifts:

Gig design for Yamaha Pacifica 112J or 012
Skull design for Fender Stratocaster and equivalents
Rock design for Fender Stratocasterand equivalents
Union Flag for Fender Telecaster and equivalents

Visit www.guitarfacelift.com for nice big pics of the designs in question.

To enter, simply e-mail your name to guitaristcomps@futurenet.com under the subject line 'Vintage guitar comp' with you contact details plus your choice of one of the four runners up Facelift designs.

One entry per person, closing date is Friday 10th September 2010. Good luck!

Godin LR Baggs Acousticaster

Simon Bradley — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:02:00 +0100

Reviews Revisited: The Godin LR Baggs Acousticaster from 1989

Godin may be a well-known name these days, but this was the guitar that helped them on their way. It was a truly lovely piece of kit.

"The neck is bolted to the body Fender-style; it's made of on piece of maple with a rosewood fingerboard and a truss road accessible under the last fret. The 22 frets are low, oval and excellently finished.

"When it comes to plugging in, this guitar reveals itself to be an impersonator par excellence. With the bass up high and the treble up full, it sounds like a regular full-sized electro-acoustic. Take out the treble and you're left with a warm jazz sound that's unusual but decidedly effective."

Want more? Click here to read page 1 of the original review

And click here for page 2.

Gear Tips & Advice: Mic'ing an acoustic guitar

Rob Laing — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:40:00 +0100

Electric guitarists have never had it so good when it comes to recording – there's a whole host of great amp and effects modelling software programs available that allow you to have access to a virtual dream rig for recording – and at a bargain price to boot. But for recording acoustics it's a very different story – it's old-school.

Preparations

For optimum and more full-bodied results when capturing your guitar's acoustic tone, there's still nothing that rivals mic'ing it. Before we get to that, let's be prepared – correct action on your guitar is a must to ensure there's minimal buzzing on your recording, and if you're layering different acoustic tracks the subtlety of a thin plectrum is also beneficial.

Be aware of loose clothing, belt buckles and buttons that could knock on the guitar – this can be picked up by the mic. Also the room you're playing in is very important – hard floors and surfaces can provide a natural 'live' sound.

Experiment – if you're playing in a carpeted room you could try laying a square of hard material where you're playing – or even setting up in the bathroom and running your cables out from there. This is where recording on a laptop is real advantage, because you can take it anywhere.

Setup 1: Mic at the 12th fret

Firstly, your choice of mic is of paramount importance. We'd recommend using one of the many inexpensive condenser mics from the likes of SE, Shure, Rode, Audio-Technica, Samson and Sontronics.

You can get a reasonable result from a normal dynamic mic, but they lack both the sensitivity and frequency response to get the best from your acoustic sound.

Secondly, we're not going to just mic sound from the guitar's soundhole – the results would be too bassy. Both low-end and high-end tone emanates from your acoustic, but from different places. The low-end is mainly around the soundhole area while the higher end sounds will be around the area of the 12th fret.

This is usually the position for a one-mic recording set-up, with the mic around 40cm from the guitar, positioned at a height slightly higher than the neck and pointing down towards the 12th fret. Listen through headphones and check your monitors to make slight adjustments as required to get the best results – the variable factors of room, individual guitar, playing style and mic type will come into play. Usually the further away you place the mic from the guitar, the more room ambience (reverb) will come into play.

Setup 2: Two-mics

If you want a fuller sound – closer to what you hear and with options for mixing – you can try a two-mic set-up. Keeping the 12th fret mic positioned, set up a second condenser mic at the lower bout of the acoustic and pointing it towards the bridge.

Be careful to keep both mics a similar distance from the guitar – there can be phasing issues if the difference is significant between the two signals: experiment.

Alternatively, try sitting facing a corner (don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong) and firing two mics over your shoulders for a bassier element to the sound. Word is that some of the old blues guys did it that way.

It's worth experimenting with two mics, the main advantage being that you can capture different elements of your acoustic tone – high- and low-end frequencies – and then combine them to your preference at the mixing stage.

Always remember that getting  a good recorded sound with an acoustic can take a fair bit of time – be prepared to tweak the positioning, listen, evaluate and position again if necessary. Patience is a virtue and the reward is a sound you'll want to listen back to for years.

Remember: Experimenting with compression can make a radical difference to the dynamics of your recorded tone.

Win a Korg tuner

Guitarist — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 11:51:00 +0100

Every week until December 19, Korg UK are giving away a guitar tuner to the lucky winner of their weekly online competition.

To enter, simply log onto the free guitar tuner site at www.free-guitartuner.com/uk, enter your e-mail address and postcode and you could be in with a chance to win one.

You can even enter every day to increase your chances of winning.

Korg invented the world's first hand-held tuner back in 1975. Since then, they have continued create a succession of revolutionary tuners featuring new technology and new ideas. For more information on the full range, log onto www.Korg.co.uk.

Friday's Guitar Hero: Manitas de Plata

Simon Bradley — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:25:00 +0100

The art of Flamenco guitar is a dark one to say the least, but fewer exponents have been more revered than French Manouche gypsy Ricardo Baliardo, nicknamed Manitas de Plata (or Little Silver Hands).

This live performance gives us hoary old rock fans an idea of what it takes to play guitar to the highest standards. If you like raw emotion and pure technique in a single bundle, this is for you.

Fender Acoustasonic Telecaster hands on

Dave Durban — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:18:00 +0100

...

Gear Tips & Advice: Effects pedal order

Guitarist — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:02:00 +0100

While there is a widely accepted 'standard' order for you to chain your pedals together for sound, it isn't the only way. Whatever gives you the best sound for your style and approach is the right way. But we're going to look at four different options for pedal order that you can try – starting with the standard set-up.

^{Note: Signal flow right (guitar) to left (amp)}^.

1. Standard

The wah-wah comes first from the guitar signal, followed by overdrive/distortion, then modulation effect (including chorus, pharser, flanger, tremolo) and finally delay.

However, if your modulation is used for a lot of filtering in your sound (phaser or flanger that might effect the EQ of the wah heavily), it would probably be better placed before the distortion pedal.

2. Wilder Wah

By swapping the places of the wah and the distortion you can accentuate the wah. This setup is useful if you have a boutique or sensitive drive/boost that likes being connected directly to the guitar. Brian May and Carlos Santana favour this way round.

3. Delay Preference

Try bringing the delay further forward in your pedal chain and place the overdrive at the end. This may not sound like the 'right' way but plenty of successful players get great tones from pedals placed in the 'wrong' order. This may give you the wall of sound you're looking for!

4. In The Loop

Delays and reverb pedals sometimes work better in your amp's effects loop, especially if you like clean, lush-sounding ambience.

Your effects loop sits between the pre and power amp stages, so you're not subjecting these effects to all the front-end gain and distortion. To do this, go out from your amp's 'send/out' jack, to the input of the first pedal you want in the loop. Then go back from the last pedal's output to 'return/in' on the amp.

True Bypass

The term 'true bypass' can be a big deal when it comes to pedals. True bypass is a switching method that makes the pedal tonally 'invisible' to your signal chain when the pedal is turned off (and just to confuse things, some true bypass circuits are more invisible than others in that respect).

Non-true bypass pedals often have a noticeable effect on your sound, even when they're turned off. It's not necessarily better or worse, but it is worth considering, not least for the ways in which pedals react. For example, many boutique-type overdrives/distortions and particularly fuzz pedals really don't like being after a non true-bypass pedal that uses a buffer at its output. The only rule of thumb, however, is that you must experiment and see what suits your ears and playing style the best.

Experiment

All effects pedals have their own specific idiosyncrasies that will be accentuated or played down by different configurations so don't be afraid to experiment.

When it comes to arranging and powering your effects on a pedalboard, we recommend the ones produced by PedalTrain and T-Rex.

Mark Tremonti video interview

Guitarist — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:07:00 +0100

Alter Bridge / Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti has sat down to answer a questions from his legion of guitar-playing fans on the Fret 12 website that he's helped to establish.

Mark answers queries on everything from his string gauges and phaser settings to ambitions for the future. See the videos now at www.Fret12.com along with a host of other interviews with guitarists.

New PRS guitar designed around its pickups

Guitarist — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:17:00 +0100

A guitar designed around a pickup? The new Private Stock 53/10 models from PRS, available now, must sound special. The new PRS pickups are the third installment in the vintage inspired series and make their debut on a limited edition guitar of the same name.

The model itself has been reportedly designed at every stage with enhancing these pickups in mind.
So: design considerations on the 53/10 model include the same PF09 ultra-thin, semi gloss nitro finish that was used on Paul Reed Smith's Dirty 100. In addition, select mahogany backs and Private Stock-grade quilted maple tops have been set aside by Paul Reed Smith himself.

The pickups' burnt finish is said to be indicative of their warm tone.

More info: www.prsguitars.com

Want a job in music?

Mick Taylor — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:46:00 +0100

There's been a significant growth in professionally recognised music industry-related courses over recent years, equipping students young and not so young with new skills related directly to both the playing and production sides of the business. Up for a change? Here's our pick of where to begin…

One of the worldwide leaders in this area is SAE, founded by engineer/producer Tom Misner in 1976. With 52 campus locations across the world plus online courses, you can study anything from a short course in sound theory, live engineering, audio mastering, even 3D Animation and much more, to a diploma or honours degree in audio production, right up to a full masters degree in creative media practice in conjunction with the University Of Middlesex. Costs range from €375 for most short courses, up to €7,500 for a full 24 month masters degree plan. For further information on SAE, please visit the SAE site.

Also expanding is the BIMM network of schools – the Brighton and Bristol Institute Of Modern Music. BIMM has a heavy focus on professional playing, offering courses in guitar, bass, drums, vocal, songwriting, keyboard, live sound, music business and teaching. BIMM offers various diplomas, degrees and postgraduate courses, starting from around £1,250 for a full-time artist development diploma (if you're under 19, £4,500 if you're over 19). You can also study part time for a postgraduate certificate in further and higher education for £4,500. For more on BIMM and details on admissions, see their website.

The Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford remains a big player in professional music industry courses, offering masters degrees, undergraduate degrees, diplomas and part-time courses, covering all aspects of playing, production and the music business in general. Like BIMM, many of its students have gone on to professional-level posts right across the music industry – some are contributors to Guitarist, for example! For details on the ACM and details on admissions and costs, please see their website.

Guitar X in London, is part of a wider network of schools including Drumtech, Vocaltech and Keyboardtech. Again, you can study for a diploma, certificate, undergraduate degree, plus a whole range of part time and summer courses designed to equip you for the world of professional performance and playing, serving as the foundation for further music study such as a BMus (Hons). Course times and dates vary throughout the year. For more details on Guitar-X, please see their website.

ICMP in London, which includes The Guitar Institute, is also well worth a good look, with a range of full and part-time course that cover guitar, bass, drum, vocal and songwriting subjects, plus home studio recording and the music business. Check out what's available at their website.

All of the above schools are staffed by professional players and teachers, the combined credits of whom are an inspiration to anybody looking to work either as a guitarist, or in the wider world of the music industry. So if you're unsure of what to do next, or you have a burning ambition to be in the music business, start clicking a few links above to assess your options.

Friday's Guitar Hero: James Hetfield

Guitarist — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:40:00 +0100

...

© CORBIS

As well as leading the biggest metal band in the world, Metallica's James Hetfield is a truly great guitarist. Check out this version of Blackened from the ...And Justice For All album, filmed in Nimes, France, last year.

It's the show opener and Hetfield's left hand is a precise and mesmerising blur. 99% of his right-hand technique comprises downstrokes and how he does it for two hours a night is, frankly, beyond us.

Tosin Abasi EMG video

Rob Laing — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:31:00 +0100

Tosin Abasi is causing a stir amongst fans of shred guitar and progressive metal in the United States. Not only does the eight-string player display some dazzling technical chops, there's a compositional maturity in his writing and phrasing that is a cut above the rest.

This video, filmed by EMG to showcase its 808X pickups, is a great introduction to a gifted guitar talent.

^{Tosin Abasi – Song Of Solomon}

To hear more from Tosin's Animals As Leaders visit their MySpace.

Russian Circles interview with Mike Sullivan

Rob Laing — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:39:00 +0100

^{Photo credit: Brandon Cummins}

We're all Russian Circles fans here on Guitarist – there is simply no other instrumental band making music as atmospheric, emotional and powerful as this US trio.

Back in issue 326 we featured guitarist Mike Sullivan but now here's the full transcript of our conversation with even more detail on the making of their third album Geneva and Mike's special playing approach.

One of the biggest changes to your sound on Geneva is bringing in musicians outside of the band for a number of tracks – string and brass players. How did that come about?

Mike Sullivan: "The strings were something we had planned out long in advance. We made sure we got together with the cellist and violinist, arranged the parts and had that all worked out.

"The brass came about because Greg [Norman engineer] plays trumpet and trombone. Late at night when we were done tracking he'd be kind of messing around after we'd had a few beers. He's try some stuff out and it started off as a joke but then we'd go away for an hour and he'd worked something out and we thought, these horns sound pretty good – let's do it. It was kind of a last minute thing."

How do you feel about your own playing on this album? In some ways it sounds like you're playing less on a technical level but bringing even more to the atmosphere and mood of the music…

"Exactly. It wasn't a conscious shift but in the evolution of what we've been doing so far, it just seemed natural. I guess we're more concerned about the actual arrangement than how technical it is. It's also fun to do the technical stuff too so I can't say that's behind us but it felt more natural this way for all three of us. We can play off of each other more – it's more open to that. More room for expression."

Were you less concerned with being able to completely recreate this album live than you have been in the past?

"Yes. At this point, this being our third album, we felt a little more freedom to add elements. If we hear more things that could go into a song – let's throw them in there. A nylon string guitar or a different drum that can add percussion over what is already there… if we can hear something let's try it and if it works cool, if it doesn't let's not push it. But at the root of it we are a three-piece band and we keep that in mind when we're in the studio and adding stuff. A lot of the songs would sound different live without the strings but I don't think they'd lose too much by that."

So using samples live isn't something you'd consider in the future?

"We're not opposed to that actually. We're leaving to go on tour in two weeks and we're still playing with ideas. Still deciding which songs we're going to perform.

"You do lose a some of the organic quality when it's for an actual instrument, like a cello per se, but we'll see how it goes. I think it will work out fine and a lot of the songs and a lot of the songs so far we're going to be playing live don't really involve strings that much so it's not an issue. A lot of the strings either came from a melody that Brian or I had on keyboard or guitar transposed to strings so it's something that one of us did originally, then we let the strings take care of it."

^{Russian Circles (from left): guitarist Mike Sullivan, bassist Brian Cook, drummer Dave Turncrantz}

The title track, Fathom and When The Mountain Come To Muhammad are incredibly dark, desolate sounding songs – what were the influences behind that mood? Were there books or films that inspired you?

"There isn't a source we can point to in terms of influence. It's more the mood of what was going on personally between the three of us – not between us as people but in our own lives. Most of it was written back in Wisconsin where Dave lived for a time. It's a remote area and it was winter so we were up there on our own free to do whatever we wanted.

"I think the environment definitely had something to do with it. But it's been a tense year and a half for people personally and I think it came out through the music without us having to bitch about it to our friends instead! Our friends are probably thankful to us for not opening our mouths."

Did you experiment with your gear more on this album? Amp placement for example…

"I had two amps going for each take – the Sunn Model T reissue and then a 100-watt HiWatt head in the studio but I'm not sure what model that one was. That sounded good next to the Sunn, a little bit different – not quite as dark for some reason. I think we had a little Fender Bronco too that had blown out for tones if we needed.

"The experimentation was with the guitars more than the amps though. I usually use Les Pauls with humbuckers but there's a lot of Telecaster on this record. For the cleaner passages it really gave more articulation – adds more touch. It sounds more exposed, in a good way, and added more to the desolate sounding passages. It has less bottom end so makes for more separation between Brian and I.

"I'd also try different guitars for different takes – so if I was doing an overdub I'd look for a different tone for it. Most of it was still Les Pauls – an ebony Custom. I'm using Bare Knuckle Miracle Man pickups and for the louder, heavier songs they sounded awesome. Those arrived a week before recording so perfect timing. There's a few weird guitars here and there too – a Veleno Italian aluminium guitar. That was used for the opening drone guitar part on Fathom and it worked out really well for that."

Is that your guitar?

"It's actually Steve Albini's that he keeps in the studio. All his gear is laying around there so as a huge fan it's hard not to geek out and check it out! But that guitar had a piercing mid range, that's the nature of the construction, so that was just great for an irritating, abrasive tone that warmed up to the amps a little. It helped to standout against the guitar sound that follows it. I'm learning that even bad tones can be used in a good way."

What Telecaster did you use?

Actually it's a Telecaster-style guitar by a friend of mine, Scale Model Guitars is the name of his company. He had a prototype Tele-style laying around – that was also fitted with Bare Knuckles as a matter of fact – but it was heavy as hell. It weighed eight or nine pounds. It was like a tree trunk! Well maybe not that bad but it was heavy. Whatever it was made from, it was certainly substantial.

"So I used that and an old Tele of mine which I've had since I was a kid. That thing is really high end – no bass whatsoever – so we used it for a few parts here and there to distinguish it from the other Tele. It could have probably been done with a pedal but it always feels good to mess with things and get a nuance here and there."

So you're a convert to Bare Knuckle pickups now then?

"Yes, I came across them from my friend who makes Scale Model Guitars then I got in touch with Tim from Bare Knuckle and we exchanged e-mails back and forth. Then he offered to send me some stuff for free and I've been very impressed with them for sure. They get plenty of love over here in the US. The word is spreading over here."

What delay units did you us for the album?

"I used a Memory Man for a longer, kind of washed out delay sound. For a quick, not quite slapback, short delay I used a MXR Carbon Copy. Those are pretty cool and they're certainly analogue in the way the signal decays very quickly. Those are cool – a fun little pedal.

"There's some Moogerfooger delay here and there just because the Memory Man is so noisy for quiet stuff. That was cool – the Moog stuff is always a blast to play. There was a BOSS DD-3 for Malko to get a really syncopated soulless delay – that was great for that."

What about overdrive?

"That was interesting. I used a lot less gain on this album than I have done previously but it worked out sounding a little fuller for some reason. We did less guitars tracks, less overdubs.

"I used a TS-9 with a Keeley mod and that was actually Brandon's who produced the album – he brought a whole suitcase of pedals for us to play with. I had a Fulldrive 2 before that and wasn't totally happy with it but that TS-9 has some sparkle to it and all the notes ring out in a unique way. Different to a stock TS-9 for sure. That was for a milder distortion but for the full-blown mondo distorto it would be the Fulltone OCD because that thing is just a wall.

"I also used a [Crowther] Hotcake here and there but because there was all kinds of crap laying around we'd throw things in. For the most part it was the OCD though."

"I'm into the Fulltone Minivibe right now. That thing is awesome for me when I'm looping. That pedal will sound a little higher for some reason – it colours the tone a little so when you add another loop on top they sound different.

Will any new equipment be going into your live rig?

"I'm into the Fulltone Deja Vibe right now. That thing is awesome for me when I'm looping. That pedal will sound a little higher for some reason – it colours the tone a little so when you add another loop on top they sound different. It helps me make the distinction between different loops. As far as new toys that's my latest obsession and that's used here and there on the album too."

Brian joined the band on bass or the Station album but it sounds like he's been a much greater influence on Geneva. How did he affect the music?

"When we wrote Station he wasn't in the band, Dave and I had already written all the songs and when Brian offered to play on the record for us we said, cool. We didn't have a bassist at the time and we needed to get that record out for ourselves more than anything else. We gave him the demos and he played to those and we didn't rearrange things too much after that.

"This time around Brian was much more involved. Most of the writing happens with Dave and I, Brian is in Seattle and we're in Chicago. We'll get the foundation for a song and he'll come in and say, I have an idea for this – he'll come out with certain basslines and a certain bassline can change the whole feel of a song. The direction could change 180 degrees from any one of us changing one part. I hear a jazzy metal riff, then Dave will play something completely the opposite of that and Brian will come up with something really interesting. I then leapfrog and the song takes off by itself."

Is that way of working challenging for you as a guitarist?

"Yes – things may come from me melodically but they can often springboard other ideas and I end up dropping the original riff or whatever that I was working on. But it's cool though – everything feels more collaborative that way and it was more comfortable to record and play because all three of us were working together. If somebody wasn't comfortable with one part we'd work on it or change it to make sure all three of us were onboard. It was meticulous and we'd make small changes here and there."

Hexed All is a very restrained song, it's almost like a waltz - did that go through different versions before you got to that sound?

"That one started originally as a nylon string classical guitar piece and then at one point in practice we started playing it a little heavier, more aggressive – more doom-sounding, if you will. That sounded cool but it lost something – it was less melancholic that way. It seemed more rock. So we went back to a slower, very simple arrangement.

"Initially, the strings and one guitar are doing a similar thing to each other then a non repeating guitar solo evolves through the track – it moves with each part but doesn't really repeat itself. So that was supposed to be a part of it but then hearing back the two different versions in the studio, we had one with strings and one with guitars but that sounded like a mush of crap, too much going on at once.

"The string version sounded more moving, there was more space but with the guitar solos it just sounded like a doodling song. And before that we have we have Malko which is a very busy, active song so it felt more natural to give the album a break before that."

^{Russian Circles – Hexed All} ^audio

The closing song Philos is a real standout, you released another version of that earlier in the year as a split single with These Arms Are Snakes. What prompted you to go back and rework it?

"That song was written and recorded in a few days last summer. I had some chords bouncing around in my head for the intro but we intentionally didn't overthink that song and kept it simple. We came up with an arrangement and jammed through it a few times and felt some parts out. We did a few takes of it and one of them felt really good and that's the one that ended up on the split 12-inch.

"But we knew we wanted to re-do it because we saw so much opportunity to make it a better song – or at the very least a different version. We hadn't heard the song in months and it was fun to step back after all that time, it offered us a new way to look at it – more objectively, almost in the third person. We thought, we could change this, and add this… experiment with that.

"As we were recording it we were hearing ideas that made sense to try. When recording a song in a professional that you've done before it's easier but I had to relearn the guitar parts. And when I recorded them they sounded a little flat, something wasn't there so a few days later I went back re-recorded half the guitars for that and thank god I did because it would have driven me crazy if we didn't fix it."

Is it a volume swell at the start of that song?

"With a Memory Man – it's a one trick pony sometimes but I think it's more fun than playing chords, notes or straight-up shredding because it's more melody-specific. You have to think more about what notes you're playing and what feelings they'll elicit. It's more about the melody and the notes, not about thinking too much – how should I finger that part, or whatever. There are a million things you can think about when playing guitar and using [the Memory Man] almost dumbs things down but makes it more interesting."

But the more technical side of guitar playing still interests you too?

"Over the last couple of years I've been interested in experimenting in scales, not that I'm well versed in music theory by any means but it's just been about being able to elicit certain feelings through notes. All the scales boggle the mind and it starts to bore me to death after a while but taking out certain elements of that and using them for the actual music is a lot more fun."

"I'm finally getting round to taking more lessons and learning more about music theory so I'm looking forward to seeing where that takes me."

Do you play other styles away from the band?

"Definitely – when I'm home it's mainly folk when I'm messing around with a hollowbody or an acoustic. When I'm by myself in the practice space it'll be the loudest, most obnoxious sound – our neighbours probably hate us that's for sure! It's fun to go from one thing to another as a guitarist, I think it's healthy and it makes you more rounded.

"Just now I'm finally getting round to taking more lessons and learning more about music theory so I'm looking forward to seeing where that takes me. I'm starting after the tour so now I'm just brushing up on all the things I was learning when I was a kid!

"I got into John Williams about a year or so ago and that just floored me. Who needs Vai and Satriani when you have this guy shredding faces off with a nylon string guitar? It's got melody to it, counter rhythms… so much going on but it's just one person doing all this stuff. Ever since then I've been fascinated with it. I couldn't do it last summer because I had a wrist injury and couldn't play guitar but that's healed up and now I'm ready for lessons."

So you'll be exploring that whole classical and folk style?

"Yes, I figured I've been playing long enough, I may as well learn a little about it! Use it as a tool, I know so little it's embarrassing so I think I owe it to myself at this point until I'm too old. Actually I think the main reason is when I got to guitar stores and I go to try and guitar or a pedal, I feel like a dumbass sitting there because I rarely play in standard tuning and I always feel on the spot and uncomfortable. So maybe it's just so I can feel not as uncomfortable in front of Guitar Center employees!"

Three acclaimed albums in, and you've been over to Europe a couple of times, as well as playing in the US, how do you feel things have progressed for the band so far?

"It feels very natural and it's progressing at a comfortable rate. When we started off we'd almost take any tour we could get – we'd very rarely ever turn down tours. We'd bust our asses touring, not worrying about who was there, who's not there – just playing. It's slowly grown, and it's good because anything happening overnight would weird me out because I'm a firm believer that it is quicker up, quicker out.

"We'd rather establish a foundation of who we are and what we do and have people support us. It's more meaningful than any quick success. Whatever happens now, happens. As long as it's fun and rewarding for us we'll keep taking this route. So far it's been fun."

Tool requested you as their support act when they played in Europe back in 2007, what was that experience like for you?

That was awesome – that was my favourite moment so far playing live. Enter had just come out on Black Records in the UK so the tour was to support that. We did three shows with Tool and the rest were with High On Fire. I'm a huge Tool fan so I'm a bit biased here but those shows were great. The crowd was very receptive which we weren't expecting. The Tool band members and their crew were really nice, very helpful – they went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and if we had any problems they'd come and help out.

"It's funny to see a band that big and see how down to earth they still are. You see other bands who have egos that are a fraction of the size in terms of success. It was a 100 per cent positive experience for the band in every way possible."

Your use of a looper pedal is an integral part of the live sound, but there might be a perception by some that a looper is an easy route to layering guitar parts but it's actually a huge challenge in a band like Russian Circles by the sounds of it…

"It takes a lot of work to relearn our songs. It's embarrassing! It helps to have notes of what you were doing before for some songs. But it enables us not to have that second guitarist. I can have the most simple part going for minutes with a looper and a guitar player would lose their mind if they had to play it! It helps us to hear simple things back differently in the context of the song too."

"I'm surprised how cool Les Pauls can sound when they're coil tapped."

Yes, the droning sound in Fathom is so simple but so incredibly important – that's a heavier song than most of the metal bands we've heard this year because the atmosphere is just so dark and oppressive…

"I appreciate that because I listen to a lot of heavy music too and I prefer something with dissonance over something that's just thick and heavy. That can sound awesome too of course but there's something about dissonance that can make you feel uneasy and pull something out of you rather than just how heavy it is. Heavy is a relative term, if you like."

Will you be using either of your Telecasters live alongside your Les Pauls?

"No, I have a coil tap on the Les Pauls. Having a third guitar seems like a headache because I already have two different tunings and within the songs are heavier parts that I couldn't use the Telecaster for anyway. I'm surprised how cool Les Pauls can sound when they're coil tapped – it's obviously not a bolt-on Telecaster kind of vibe but it's still different enough and there's more tone to play with per song."

So one of your tunings is DADGAD, what's the other one you use?

"It's very similar to DADGAD but the high and low Ds are dropped half a step. I did that because it took my brain off the map – took me out of a comfort zone. It was a case of, OK let's not think about predictable notes here, let's make it more challenging and see what happens. After a while we did a few songs in that tuning and now it's a case of, oh crap I have to use this for half the songs in the set now! There are three songs on Station in that tuning as well as some on Geneva."

The word cinematic gets used to describe a lot of music but it genuinely applies to some of your songs – do you get many requests for your music to be used in television and film productions?

"Yes. We've been used on several television shows. We come from an underground background and we're very conscious of those DIY ethics and we're the money's coming from and where it's going to. But at the same time, if this can help support us and what we're trying to do… it helps cushion where we're at because CD sales are dying so if you can use something like that to supplement your income it helps to keep things floating."

"It's cool for me – I don't have a problem with it as long as I believe that it's not something like the US army. As far as films it's been surfing and skate documentaries but there's a recent film that used a number of songs from Station. It excites me when it's a cool project, it's a lot of fun."

Would you ever consider scoring a soundtrack then?

"Yes for sure. We're fans of a lot of artists that compose soundtracks. We listen to that as much as other music. Maybe it means I'm getting old and boring! My parents tastes and mine are becoming closer together [laughs]. It's oddly terrifying. But if something came along and it felt right, I think it would be a fun project to do because that's the most fun part of being in a band, the creative part."

"Some bands are trying to reproduce what one band did years ago. That's cool, but there's also other stuff to explore."

Looking back, what guitarists have inspired you over the years?

"It's kind of all over the place. When I was younger I was a huge metalhead – I was obsessed with Dimebag and Van Halen. At the same time I was into blues and experimenting with all these blues musicians. It wasn't until I was 15 or so that I got into Fugazi and Shellac in the same year and that changed things for me. It shaped the way I look at music now.

"It goes back to what I was saying before about dissonance where you have notes running the wrong way, it says a lot and that hit me like a ton of bricks. It was ten times heavier than whatever I thought was heavy before. It seemed more free form too, they weren't guitarists playing in the pentatonic scale. No attitude of, time for solo – here are the safe notes! It was less of that and more free. Those two bands changed everything for me."

Brian made a joke in an online interview that maybe bands should start needing a license to use a delay pedal. Do you think that whole post rock sound has reached a clichéd dead end for many other bands?

"I think it's really easy to buy a delay pedal and sound pretty good. Sounding good is one thing, but having something there to latch on to, something memorable is different. Music that puts you into a different place and feeling is another story.

"There's always going to be people who try and do that [post rock] stuff. They like it so they try to capture it and more power to them. But those who are different will always stand out. I don't really think about it too much – it's like playing powerchords, it's just one element of music. You can do it a little or you can do it too much and if you do you'll probably be thrown into a certain genre. But it is funny, I'd say half the opening bands we play with that aren't part of the tour run are usually just like a derivative band copying Isis. That's what comes to my mind when you talk about that delay thing…"

It's all been done already by that band…

"Exactly and that band are always progressing. Some bands are trying to reproduce what one band did years ago. That's cool, but there's also other stuff to explore."

^{Mike favours the Akai Headrush E2 looper pedal}

In the Loop
Mike's four insider tips for using a looper pedal

1. Timing is everything
"If the loop is off by even a fraction of a second and you don't immediately account for it, you'll be in a mess a few bars down the line. Know when to stop and try again."

2. Make sure the drummer can hear you
"Using a looper is a challenge for whoever you're playing with but that first loop sets the tempo. Our drummer uses a monitor and I have to make sure my loops are articulate and clear for him.
"A bad tempo means the drummer has to play around it on the fly. Sometimes you don't get the chance to fix it and have to keep things going to you don't expose the mistake. That's not good because it interferes with the flow of the song. So again, make sure the timing is right."

3. Choose the right pedal
"You need to be very comfortable with the looper pedal you choose. I've tried all kinds but certain ones it's hard to really feel when exactly they start and stop recording. With the Headrush there's no down and up motion with the pedal – it's instantly recording and there's no discrepancy for me as to when it's recording me, it's as soon as I touch it."

4. Practice, and practice again
"It's finicky using a looper and the pay-off isn't monumental, it's a lot of hard work for me just to be in time. But once you get it you're good to go."

For more information on Russian Circles visit their website at www.RussianCirclesBand.com
or their MySpace.

Electro acoustic round-up

Guitarist — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:55:00 +0100

1. Patrick James Eggle Linnville Gareth Pearson signature
Price: £1,900
Materials: Alaskan Sitka spruce top, black walnut back and sides
Electronics: AER AK30+ preamp
Guitarist Gold Award winner

We said: "Every attention-arresting note sings out with a front-end slap and absolute clarity, so much so that you'd better sharpen up your playing, because this guitar picks up everything – there's nowhere to hide! This is a fantastic stage guitar and it needs to be out there and used."

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2. Crafter GAE15/N
Price: £469.99
Materials: Solid cedar top; laminated dao back and sides
Electronics: LR Baggs Element pickup, LR-T

We said: "The guitar's overall tone is suited to a wide range of styles, be it single-note runs, 12th fret and above solos, fingerstyle or open chords, the GAE's timbre is evenly balanced, well rounded, clear and with good tonal separation. It's a great all-rounder and a very rewarding guitar to play."

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3. Baden A-style
Price: £1,599
Materials: Sitka spruce top; maple back and sides
Electronics: Fishman Ellipse Aura

We said: "We found the A-style to posses a very Taylor-esque tone; bright respnsive and clear… the timbre is very well balanced and complete. Amid a saturated market, Baden has managed to produce a visually unique guitar that, if nothing else, will divide opinion. The A-style is a versatile and well-made guitar that's certainly distinctive."

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4. Yamaha CPX1200
Price: £1,219
Materials: Solid spruce top; solid rosewood back and sides
Electronics: This is the debut of the new SRT modelling system

We said: One of the most noticeable things about SRT is the quality and usability of the mic sounds… as far as ease of use, versatility and sound fidelity are concerned, SRT is going to give existing competitors a decidedly strong run for their money."

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5. Takamine EG360SC
Price: £419
Materials: Sitka spruce top; laminated rosewood back and sides
Electronics: TP-4T preamp with three-band EQ and a tuner

We said: "The treble is pleasantly singing and transparent, a controlled yet firm low-end delivers some nice attacking snap when played hard and the overall delivery has an easy sustain and response. EQ may need a firm hand but there's so much enjoyment to be had here."

BOSS CE-5 Chorus Ensemble

Simon Bradley — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:07:00 +0100

Reviews Revisited: The BOSS CE-5 Chorus Ensemble from 1992

Arguably the best and most versatile of the entire choice of BOSS chorus stompboxes. We quite liked it when we first reviewed it back in the early 1990s...

"The CE-5, although sharing the same dimensions of its predecessors, offers far more control. The mono CE-2 possessed just two controls, Rate and Depth, while the CE-3 had these plus a Mode control which offered two different output options. The CE-5 retains the Rate and Depth controls but added to these are an Effects pot and a stacked tone control.

"Starting as usual with all the pots at 12 o'clock the CE-5 produces what I would call a safe effect, one which would fit into any situation. Experimenting further I found I could get the CE-5 to produce a really subtle chorus which reminded me of the guitar sound occasionally used on old Tamla Motown records."

Want more? Click here to read the review in it's entirety.

Luke Morley (Thunder, The Union) remembers Donington 1990

Simon Bradley — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:43:00 +0100

...

In this new interview, the guitarist tells us about the performance that changed his career

On Saturday 18 August 1990, a young English quintet took the stage to open Monsters of Rock shindig at Donington. That band was Thunder and here, in an exclusive interview, guitarist Luke Morley tells us what he remembers about that day and the performance that broke the band wide open.

"Well, I remember walking to the stage and being very nervous - in fact the last time I was nervous going on stage was that day as I'd never played in front of an audience like that before, something like 80,000. At that point Thunder had only been going for a year and we'd played in all sorts of places - never stopped working - and we weren't really aware of how popular we'd become.

"So we walked out on stage not really knowing what to expect and the only bit of the gig I remember was starting the riff to She's So Fine, looking up and seeing all the hands in the air and thinking Well, this'll be fine, nothing to worry about.

"The following 45 minutes were an absolute blur and then I was back in the dressing room with a beer in my hand! We all looked at each other and went That went quite well!

"I mean there was so much adrenaline flying around that when you listen back to it, or watch the video, it's quite funny because you can see it. We were all wound up looking forward to it and determined to do our best. Some of it's quite all a bit quite manic and then starts to settle down.

"But yeah, it was a wonderful thing and a beautiful day, and some of it was due to the previous year's festival having been cancelled and that we were the first band of the day so it was important that it got off the right way.

"I think everybody, all the bands and the audience as well, wanted it to go well and so there was a nice vibe in the air. Y'know, sometimes you're doing the right thing at the right time and it was one of those days where everything went well."

Here's how good the band were on that day back in 1990...

To read more of this interview, look out for out Fretbuzz with Luke in issue 334 of Guitarist.

Friday's Guitar Hero: Tommy Emmanuel

Simon Bradley — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:07:00 +0100

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Our regular weekly feature in which we'll share our pick of the guitar wonders You Tube has to offer. This week: The Acoustic Thunder From Down Under

Tommy Emmanuel is a genius. There, we've said it. With feet in both the jazz and pure acoustic camps, his jaw-dropping technique is an inspiration, we'd wager he could get a decent tune out of a didgeridoo...not easy task.. There are literally hundreds of versions of the classic Somewhere Over The Rainbow, written by Harold Arlen and most famously portrayed in The Wizard of Oz, but we reckon Tommy's version is up there with that of Ms Garland herself.

Tommy e