Yamaha SA503 TVL Troy Van Leeuwen Electric Guitar

	LIST PRICE: $1,499.99 MANUFACTURER: Yamaha PRO: Versatile tone circuit provides Gibson and Strat tones CON: Not available without Bigsby

Troy Van Leeuwen may not exactly be a household name, even to readers of this magazine. For the record, he’s the former guitarist with Failure and A Perfect Circle, and currently Josh Homme’s sixstring sidekick in Queens of the Stone Age. But he’s certainly one of the more original guitarists to surface over the last decade or so. While Yamaha’s choice of Van Leeuwen’s name to grace a signature model does not make obvious sense from the traditional “star worship” marketing approach, Van Leeuwen did help Yamaha develop a fresh, offbeat instrument that stands out from the crowd as much as its namesake does.

Features

At first glance, the Yamaha SA503 TVL Troy Van Leeuwen model resembles a Gibson thinline electric from the late Fifties, such as an ES-335 or ES-355. Its symmetrical double-cutaway body shape is similar to that of a Gibson ES- 335, and the “top hat” control knobs, dot fingerboard inlays and polished aluminum Bigsby tremolo tailpiece are all features that are reminiscent of vintage thinline Gibsons as well. However, the SA503 TVL also features three single-coil soapbar pickups—a configuration inspired by Gibson’s beastly ES-5 Switchmaster models produced between 1949 and 1956 (with its controversial and outrageous “All” pickup setting).

The SA503 TVL breaks from the vintage Gibson model by featuring a set neck made from carved maple, a stiffer wood that provides brighter, more punchy tone than the mahogany used on classic Fifties Gibsons. The top, back and sides are maple as well, and the body and rosewood fingerboard are bound with cream-colored, single-layer binding that gives the guitar a burnished, old-guitar glow. The only concession to modern design is the guitar’s distinctive split f holes, which span a larger surface on the guitar’s top than traditional f-holes.

Controls include a master tone control and separate volume controls for each of the three soapbar pickups. But the coolest and most useful feature is the SA503’s “all-access” pickup selector system, which consists of two three-position toggle switches. This deceptively simple but versatile circuit provides access to all seven possible pickup combinations, and because the switches are located close to each other it’s easy to select any desired combination with a flick of two fingers. One toggle switch controls the neck and bridge pickups in a traditional manner (bridge/both/neck) while the other switch turns the middle pickup on or off or disengages everything but the middle pickup.

Sound

Thanks to the “all-access” system and its beefy soapbar pickups, the SA503 delivers a surprisingly vast palette of guitar tones. P90-style pickups could very well be the ultimate pickups for hard rock rhythm guitar, providing more weight than Strat or Tele pickups and better definition and cut than large humbuckers, and they’re a great complement to resonant warmth of the SA503’s semihollow body and the brightness of its maple construction. With all the different combinations available from its three pickups, the SA503 can sound like the fattest Strat you’ve ever heard but it can also serve up tasty vintage Gibson flavors, too.

This guitar absolutely screams through a vintage tweed Fender (I used a ’57 Deluxe for testing), yielding ballsy, bluesy tones that would have made Stevie Ray envious. It’s even more snarling and aggressive though a high-gain amp like a modern Marshall, Mesa-Boogie or Krank, pumping out thick, sustaining solo tones and slashing power chords. Despite having a semi-hollow body, the guitar does not suffer from uncontrollable feedback howls, and it’s relatively easy to harness feedback for more creative purposes.

The Bottom Line

Even if you’re not familiar with Troy Van Leeuwen’s stellar playing, you should check out this guitar if you want a versatile studio or stage ax that drips with cool vintage vibe and tones. If you love the sound of a Strat but prefer the feel of a Gibson (and don’t want to sacrifice Gibson tones either), the SA503 TVL with its 24 3/4–inch scale, 22- fret neck and traditional thinline design coupled with its outstanding three-pickup “all-access” circuit will certainly satisfy your needs. This guitar looks, sounds and feels great, and it’s a surprisingly good value compared to other pro-quality thinline models on the market.

Gretsch G6128T-TVP Power Jet Electric Guitar

Gretsch G6128T-TVP Power Jet Electric Guitar

Gretsch will always be associated with rockabilly and the Beatles, but plenty of hard rockers have strapped on Gretsch guitars over the years. The solidbody Duo Jet is a particular favorite of players like AC/DC’s Malcolm Young, Billy Zoom of X and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, who love the Duo’s snarling rhythm tones and honking lower midrange.

Gretsch currently makes several variations of the Duo Jet model, including versions identical to the ones played by George Harrison, Cliff Gallup (guitarist with Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps) and Malcolm Young, but their new G6218T-TVP is designed for hard rockers who want more modern tone without sacrificing that classic Gretsch look and feel. The Power Jet’s basic design most closely resembles that of a late-Fifties Duo Jet, featuring “thumbnail” Neo- Classic fingerboard inlays, a 24.6-inch scale and Gretsch’s unique dual-toggle and triple-volumecontrol circuit, but it features several “upgrades” that make it a thoroughly modern ax.

Features

To make the Power Jet more appealing to today’s players, Gretsch made several improvements to the classic Duo Jet design. The most significant difference is the pair of TV Jones Power’Tron pickups installed in the neck and bridge positions. Although they look identical to original Gretsch Filter’Tron humbuckers, they have considerably more output and much fatter tone, especially when harnessed to a high-gain amp. Another significant difference is the Adjusto-Matic bridge, which has individually adjustable saddles for each string and is “pinned” to the top with a pair of Allen screws that allow it to float without moving under pressure.

Other modern touches include Schaller straplocks and locking Sperzel tuners, which allow you to abuse the Power Jet’s Bigsby vibrato without knocking the strings out of tune.

Beyond that, the Power Jet shares identical distinguishing characteristics that have made the Duo Jet stand out from the crowd all these years. An arched laminated maple top caps a solid mahogany body featuring carved-out resonance chambers, an original Gretsch innovation that came back in style in the Nineties when dozens of guitar makers adopted it into their own designs. The resonance chambers make the Power Jet exceptionally light (my evaluation model tipped the scales a little over six pounds) and enable it to deliver impressive volume and acoustic-like tone when strummed unplugged. The single-piece mahogany neck has a solid, chunky feel, and its ebony fingerboard features a 12-inch radius and 22 medium jumbo frets to make string bending an absolute pleasure whether you’ve strung your guitar with heavy-gauge telephone wire or ultralight-gauge cheese cutters.

Sound

If you’ve found the Gretsch sound a little wimpy, you owe the Power Jet a second look. Power’Tron humbuckers deliver significantly more midrange bite than any previous stock Gretsch pickup. Their tone falls somewhere between the fatness and warmth of Gibsonstyle humbuckers and the beefy twang of P90s. The pickups lack that distinctive lowermidrange honk and throatiness of an original PAF Filter’Tron, providing more of a bump in the upper midrange that makes the guitar’s treble sound fatter and increased output that generates more sustain. Rockabilly purists may moan, but Gretsch makes dozens of other models that address their desires, and it’s about time that rockers got a Gretsch model all to themselves.

The three rotary controls consist of a master volume and individual volume knobs for the neck and bridge pickups. A threeposition “tone color” toggle switch located below the three-position pickup selector toggle provides the guitar’s only internal means of modifying tone. Tone is unaffected with the toggle in the center position, while the “up” position emphasizes bass and the “down” position rolls off treble. This is one Gretsch quirk that players either love or hate; many find that the alternate positions simply make the tone too muddy or overly boomy. However, this feature has survived more than 50 years, so someone out there must really dig it.

The Bottom Line

The Power Jet successfully straddles the line between vintage appeal and modern tone. If you’ve shied away from playing a Gretsch because you think it won’t be able to rock hard enough, the Power Jet may change your opinion. With its glossy Jet Black finish and chrome-plated hardware, the Power Jet looks like it means business, and thanks to its gnarly Power’Tron pickups, it sounds that way, too. The crop of Gretsch guitars produced since Fender started working with the company in 2002 are the company’s best ever, so there’s never been a better time to join the growing ranks of Gretsch players.

Ibanez Artcore Electric Guitars

When Artcore guitars debuted in summer 2002, they turned the music industry upside down. No longer were full and semi-acoustic guitars just big expensive jazz boxes for jazz players. With Artcore guitars you get an amazingly affordable price plus the quality and tone you expect from Ibanez, the guitar company with over four decades of experience making full and semi-acoustic guitars. Don't let the low prices fool you; these are superb guitars for the money.

• Huge assortment of styles…from big and small bodied full hollows to small bodied semi-acoustics, including the classic Ibanez Talman shape.
• Medium output Artcore pickups accurately reproduce the cool, complex tones of a hollow AND work well with effects.
• The great upper fret access and sustain of a set-in neck at the price of a bolt-on.

New Gibson robot electric guitar tunes itself

BEIJING, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Just imagine, a robot guitar that tunes itself. Well, you don't have to imagine because after 15 years of research Gibson Guitar is launching a limited edition Les Paul Robot Guitar in December that has players expressing enthusiasm and skepticism.

"It will not make you a better guitar player but it will allow the average player to access some very sophisticated tunings," Gibson Guitar Chief Executive Henry Juszkiewicz told Reuters on Tuesday.

The six nonstandard preset tunings were used on hits ranging from "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones and Hendrix's "Voodoo Child" to Led Zeppelin's "Going to California" and Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game."

Gibson says the robot guitar is aimed at amateurs who have a hard time keeping their guitars in tune, as well as professionals who now use technicians during concerts to keep about 100 guitars tuned to different keys.

Temperature variations, changing strings and simply playing the instrument have long been tuning challenges for guitarists with even the best musical ear. Gibson said the robot guitar is the biggest advance in electric guitar design in more than 70 years.

But some have already poured scorn on the robot guitar.

"I'm sorry, this is just lazy. With stuff like this, tuning is going to be a lost skill," wrote LettheBassPlay on the www.ultimate-guitar.com website forum.

Gibson said the robot guitar is the biggest advance in electric guitar design in more than 70 years.

Gibson will launch 4,000 limited edition, blue silverburst Les Gibson Robot Guitars around the world on December 7 at a price in the region of 2,500 U.S. dollars. It expects to roll out a standard robot edition starting in January 2008.

www.chinaview.cn

BOSS RT-20 ROTARY ENSEMBLE

The New Standard in Rotary Speaker Simulation

From the Beatles to Jeff Beck, Santana to Stevie Ray, many guitar greats have embraced the rotary-speaker sound on stage and in the studio. Today BOSS proudly announces the newest member of its Twin Pedal series - the RT-20 Rotary Sound Processor. Employing COSM-modelling technology, the RT-20 authentically reproduces classic rotary-speaker sounds. It offers adjustable Rise Time, Horn and Bass speed, Overdrive, and more. And not just for classic twirl, the RT-20 can be used to create unique overdrive and pulsating effects as well. This pedal sounds amazing, and offers a stunning graphical view of the virtual rotors on its built-in display.

- Authentic rotary speaker sounds by COSM technology
- Slow/Fast transition time is adjustable from gradual to rapid change; optional Expression pedal can control speed in real time
- Onboard Overdrive effects
- Adjustable mix balance between Treble Rotor and Bass Rotor
- 4 types of sounds, from standard rotary speaker effects to rock-oriented tones, UNI-V, and more
- Guitar/Keyboard switch
- Dazzling virtual-rotor display

COSM Technology

Years of intensive research and development have made Roland and BOSS world leaders in modelling technology. Roland's breakthrough Composite Object Sound modelling (COSM) uses the advantages of multiple modelling methods, and succeeds in accurately emulating existing sounds as well as producing sounds that have never before been created. With the RT-20, COSM is used to simulate classic rotary characteristics, and beyond. The virtual horn and bass speaker can be independently adjusted, while the RT-20’s unique graphic display provides a realtime view of the rotation pattern and speed.

Connections

Guitars and keyboards alike can be plugged into the RT-20; use the Drive Type switch to optimize the effects for guitar or keyboard. Surround your listeners in animated sound with the RT-20’s dual outputs, which enable true stereo effects. Add colour by adding an Expression pedal (such as the new BOSS FV-500H/FV-500L, optional), which lets you control parameters such as rotation speed seamlessly from slow to fast in real time. The RT-20’s phone jack is handy for private practice and experimentation.

Virtual Rotor Display

Thanks to its stunning visual display, the RT-20 might be the most eye-catching pedal in BOSS history. The spinning lights don’t just look cool, they also show the audio-rotation characteristics of the RT-20 in real time. The center of the display, illuminated in red light, represents the virtual horn. The outside ring, illuminated in blue, displays the rotation of the virtual bass speaker. It’s attractive and informative!

Fender Joe Strummer Telecaster

Fender Joe Strummer Telecaster

Here's what Fender say about the Joe Strummer Telecaster:

The legacy of Joe Strummer (1952-2002) continues to live on, grow louder and shake up the establishment with the summer 2007 release of Fender's new Joe Strummer Telecaster, modeled after the beat up and battle-hardened '66 Tele he wielded as leader of "the only band that matters", seminal Brit punk commando unit the Clash.

Designed in cooperation with the Strummer estate, the guitar has a highly distressed "road-worn" treatment that duplicates the original's worn-to-the-wood layers of gray auto primer and flat black spray paint. It also features a "Revolution Rock" engraved neckplate and a limited edition art customization kit that evokes Strummer's vibrant DIY ethic.

Strummer was, of course, the Clash's articulate and fiery co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead singer; he later founded, recorded and toured with the Mescaleros. All his life, he vigorously championed individuality, self-expression and change, tenets often reflected in the constantly altered look of his favorite instrument, his Telecaster (currently on display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH), an otherwise standard '60s-era model with all the original parts and specifications.

When Strummer bought it in 1975 for ?120, the guitar had a Three-color Sunburst finish. He was having none of that, of course but his improvised DIY gray and black "finishes" deteriorated quickly, giving the guitar its distinctive look. Like Strummer's music, the battered guitar changed constantly, plastered as it was with stencils, stickers and new paint jobs through the many stages of Strummer's life and career.

To celebrate Strummer's fierce sense of individuality, Fender and acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey collaborated on the new guitar's limited edition Joe Strummer Telecaster customization kit, which includes stencils and stickers inspired by the custom designs Strummer decorated many of his instruments with. The kit comes in a classic 12" album cover featuring graphics by Fairey and photography by Bob Gruen and will accompany the first 1,500 guitars.

Specification
Model Name Joe Strummer Telecaster
Series Artist Series
Colors Custom Road Worn, (Polyurethane Finish)
Body Alder
Neck Maple, "C" Shape, (Gloss Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood, 7.25" Radius (184mm)
No. of Frets 21 Vintage Style Frets
Pickups 2 Vintage Style Single-Coil Tele Pickups with Alnico Magnets (Neck & Bridge)
Controls Master Volume, Master Tone
Pickup Switching 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups
Position 3. Neck Pickup
Bridge Vintage Style 3-Saddle Strings-Thru-Body Tele Bridge
Machine Heads Fender/Ping Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Hardware Distressed Chrome
Pickguard 3-Ply Mint Green
Scale Length 25.5" (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.650" (42 mm)

Unique Features
Revolution Rock Neckplate,
Road Worn Finish,
Art Customization Kit (First 1500 Units Only)
Kit Contains: Joe Strummer 12" Album Cover, Art Print, Stencil Sheet, Sticker Sheet, Template, Instructions and Bio.
Strings Fender Super 250R, Nickel Plated Steel,

Accessories Deluxe Black Hardshell Case

Lead Guitar Techniques for Beginners: Hammer-On-Pull-Off

by Dirk Hagemann
www.blueslessons.net

Today we take a closer look at one of the most simple lead guitar
techniques. But if you can play this very fast you´re on the way to
become a guitar hero. You can learn this technique and after that
I have some nice exercises for you.

Hammer-Ons (abbr. h.o.) you hit a note and after that you use your
finger to hammer on another string to produce another note.

E.g.: Use your forefinger to play the note on the 5th fret and hit the
same string with you ring finger two frets higher on the 7th fret.
You don t pluck the string again for the second note.

In a tabfile you can read a hammer-on like this:

|-----------------------|

|-----------------------|

|----5^7----or----5h7---|

|-----------------------|

|-----------------------|

|-----------------------|

Now we play a hammer-on with more notes.

Your 1st finger lays on the 5th fret the whole time. Play the e-String
on the 5th-fret, hammer-on the 8th fret then on the 7th fret with your
little finger and then remove the finger so that the sound of the 5th
fret note keeps ringing. This sounds harder as it is.
Play it slow at first.

|--5^8^7--5-|

|-----------|

|-----------|

|-----------|

|-----------|

|-----------|

Practise: Play some Hammer-Ons like this (it´s the first pattern of the
Pentatonic-Scale!):

|--------------------------5^8---|

|---------------------5^8--------|

|----------------5^7-------------|

|-----------5^7------------------|

|------5^7-----------------------|

|-5^8----------------------------|

Pull-Off

The Pull-Off technique (abr. p.o.) is quiete the same as the hammer-on,
just backwards.

Ex.1
Put your finger the 5th string of the D-string, pick the
string and pull of your finger without interrupting the sound.

Ex.2
Put two fingers on the 5th and 7th fret, then hit the string and remove
the finger from the 7th string and let the note from the 5th string ring.

  Ex.1     Ex.2 

|-------|-------|

|-------|-------|

|-------|-------|

|--5p0--|--7p5--|

|-------|-------|

|-------|-------|

Hammer-On-Pull-Off Exercise

    Exercise 1a - Pentatonic Exercise                Exercise 1b - More notes

E||--------------------------|--------5h-8----------|--5h-7h-8-----------------|

B||--------------------------|--5h-7----------------|-----------8p-7p-5--------|

G||--------------------5h-7--|----------------------|--------------------7p-5--|

D||--------------5h-7--------|----------------------|--------------------------|

A||--------5h-7--------------|----------------------|--------------------------|

E||--5h-8--------------------|----------------------|--------------------------|

Exercise 2 - Start slow at first!

|------------------------------5---|-----8------------------------|

|--7h8p7p5-----------------5h8---8/|--10---10p9p8-------10~-------|

|----------8p7p5---7---5h7---------|--------------9p8h9-----------|

|----------------7---7-------------|------------------------------|

|----------------------------------|------------------------------|

|----------------------------------|------------------------------|

Exercise 3a - For advanced players

|--8p5h8p5-------------------------|

|----------8p5h8p5-----------------|

|------------------7p5h7p5---------|

|--------------------------7p5h7p5-|

|----------------------------------|

|----------------------------------|

Exercise 3b - No Blues anymore

--8p7p5h8p7p5-----------------------------------------------------||

--------------8p7p5h8p7p5-----------------------------------------||

--------------------------7p6p5h7p6p5-----------------------------||

--------------------------------------7p5h7p5h7p5-----------------||

--------------------------------------------------7p6p5h7p6p5-----||

--------------------------------------------------------------7p5-||

Exercise 4 - Small h.o./p.o. solo

E||--------------------------------------|--5----5-----5h-8------|

B||-----------------------------5-----5--|----------7------------|

G||-----------5-----5h-7p-5h-7-----7-----|-----------------------|

D||--5h-7p-5-----5-----------------------|-----------------------|

A||--------------------------------------|-----------------------|

E||--------------------------------------|-----------------------|

--8p-5--8p-5-----5------------|--------8--------------------------||

--------------8-----8p-5------|-----5-----------------------------||

------------------------------|--5--------5h-7--5h-7-----5h-7-----||

------------------------------|-----------------------5--------5--||

------------------------------|-----------------------------------||

------------------------------|-----------------------------------||

For more exercises and GuitarPro files for this lesson visit:
www.blueslessons.net

www.blueslessons.net

From the 12-Bar-Blues, the Shuffle Rythm and the Blues Turnarounds to
the Blues and Pentatonic Scale, to Lead Guitar techniques, Slide guitar
lessons and more. For each Lesson there are images or GuitarPro files
and midis to listen to. Each lesson can be downloaded as textfile.
PLUS: mp3 Blues Backing Tracks/Jam Tracks and Ebooks!

Dean Evo XM Electric Guitar

Great style and function at a very affordable price.

It's the ultimate break-in guitar for the rocker who's just getting started. The perfect blend of vintage design and modern guitar technology, the Evo XM is has incredible sustain and great tone. The fast and solid bolt-on maple neck has a rosewood fingerboard. Dual humbuckers dish up tasty tones and sealed tuners keep your tuning stable. A patented angular neck joint makes it wonderfully easy to play.

Dean Evo XM Electric Guitar Features:

Basswood body
Bolt-on maple neck
Rosewood fingerboard
Dual humbuckers
Sealed tuners

Bixonic Expandora Multi-Stage Distortion Pedal Review

Bixonic Expandora Multi-Stage Distortion Pedal Review

Bixonic recently released the Bixonic Expandora EXP-2000R, a reissue of the earlier EXP-2000.

The Expandora has more going for it than a great name. It's established a reputation as a great source for a variety of distorted sounds. It's been used by Bush, Megadeth, ZZ Top, Bootsy Collins and other artists.

The EXP-2000R retains the look of earlier versions, but improves on them by bringing to the front dip-switches that were previously inside the case. It also adds a switch to toggle between Bass and Guitar settings. As a result, the Expandora is like having eight distortion pedals combined into one.

Construction/Design

The Expandora is housed in a brushed aluminum housing. Some players may not like its "tuna can" design, but it's a refreshing alternative to the standard pedal block.

The case feels solid and substantial. The overall build quality appears to be very good.

The Expandora runs off a battery or a 9V DC power supply (not included). To change batteries, you have to remove one screw on the back.

The front face has three sets of controls:

• Dip-switches that determine change the actual distortion circuit;
• Gain, Tone and Level knobs to adjust levels; and
• A bypass foot-switch.

All the controls feel solid and operate smoothly. The dip-switches are small enough that you won't accidentally bump them, but not so small as to be fiddly.

The Expandora has a completely smooth metal bottom. Bixonic includes 4 adhesive circles that can be applied to the bottom of the case to help keep the Expandora in place. Depending on your playing style, you may need to secure the pedal to keep it from sliding.

Sound

The Expandora delivers a wider range of sounds than most distortion pedals. The dip switches let you switch between eight different circuit configurations. The first two dip-switches control the basic drive structure, and have four options: Crunch, Overdrive, Distortion, and Forbidden. A third dip-switch adjusts the overall tone of the Expandora for guitar or bass. The result of these unassuming dip-switches is that you can instantly change the overall sound of the Expandora dramatically.

The three pot knobs give you complete control of the pedal's sound. The first knob controls the Gain of the input, along with the distortion. The second knob adjusts a high-frequency filter, which lets you control the brightness of the output. The final knob controls the level of the output.

With guitar, the Expandora sounds great, capable of excellent blues, rock and metal sounds. We couldn't resist going straight to the "Forbidden" settings. According to Bixonic's documentation, Forbidden mode "inflicts unacceptably hysteric sound onto your audience." They aren't exaggerating. Sick!

We also checked out what sort of twisted results we could get using the Expandora on other gear. We tested it with a Future Retro 777, one of the ultimate bass-line synths, and with a cheap drum machine, the Korg ER-1.

The 777 is modeled on the most important synth in techno, the Roland TB-303. Running the 777 through the Expandora added a whole new range of sounds, many of them sick and wrong. The Bass dip-switch option works well with techno sounds.

The ER-1 is an analog-modeling drum machine has a great variety of analog-style sounds. Unfortunately, its built-in distortion effect is lame, with no control over distortion level. We tacked the Expandora on the output, and found that it could warm up the sounds a little, or turn the clean output of the ER-1 into industrial noise. We don't know how many musicians will want to abuse their equipment like this, but it did demonstrate the Expandora's flexibility.

The Expandora will appeal to players that want a variety of analog distortion effects. If you tend to always use the same sound, a less-capable pedal will probably meet your needs.

At high gain levels, the Expandora circuits adds noise to the output. This was most noticeable on the Forbidden setting. The noise levels are not unusual for a distortion circuit, though, and can be eliminated with a noise gate if objectionable.

Summary

The Bixonic Expandora is a solid, well-crafted distortion pedal, capable of a very wide range of effects. Guitarist looking for a distortion pedal should put it on their short list. The range of circuit configurations possible through the dip-switch settings makes the Expandora very useful with other instruments, too, especially bass and bass-line synth.

Eastwood releases Pete Shelley Stairway Signature Guitar

Eastwood Guitars has teamed up with the Buzzcocks', Pete Shelley, to make a replica of the guitar Pete used in the early days of punk (including the Spiral Scratch EP). There are only 88 Stairway Signature models being made and each is signed by Shelley. At just $1399.00 US, fans and collectors should be pleased.

The Pete Shelley Stairway Signature. Photo from MyRareGuitars, where you can purchase the guitar.

Specs:

Colours: Red

Body: Solid Mahogany, Replica of Broken 1976 Model

Neck: Bound Maple, SET NECK

Fingerboard: Rosewood, Block EDGE Markers

Scale Length: 24 3/4"

Width at Nut: 1 5/8"

Pickups: Single Custom Wound EW Humbuckers

Switching: None

Controls: 1 Volume, 1 Tone

Bridge: Vintage Thumbwheel, Chrome Tail

Hardware: In-Line Kluson Style Nickel/Chrome

Strings: D'Addario #10

Case: Custom Form-Fit Deluxe Hardshell

Website: http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/ and http://www.myrareguitars.com/peteshelleysignatureLTD.html for more info, pics, and to purchase.

RJM Music Technology Releases Redesigned Amp Gizmo

The Redesigned Amp Gizmo has a new sleeker design, more memory and the ability to work with even more amps than the original design. The Amp Gizmo gives musicians a way to add MIDI control to equipment that doesn't normally have such capabilities. This allows users to control all of their equipment from a single MIDI controller, eliminating the need to "tap dance" between multiple foot switches. When used with amplifiers, the Amp Gizmo replaces the amp's footswitch, enabling MIDI control of all footswitchable functions.

The Amp Gizmo is compatible with virtually any equipment that has a footswitch or remote switching jack, and it can regulate up to eight individual functions. The original amp gizmo is in use by touring professionals who rely on it to integrate their rig. Dweezil Zappa, who has been using 3 Amp Gizmos on his current Zappa Plays Zappa tour, says: "In my guitar rig there are so many possible functions to control that I ran out of room to do any amp channel switching. I didn't want to give up any effects or loop control. Fortunately for me I discovered an ingenious solution for my problem, the Amp Gizmo. I have three and they perform 15 duties that would have been impossible without them." Dweezil Zappa

Guitar News : Michael Kelly Guitars Patriot Custom electric guitar

Michael Kelly Guitars Patriot Custom electric guitar

Emile Menasché

	Michael Kelly Guitars Patriot Custom
	LIST PRICE: $715.00 MANUFACTURER: Michael Kelly Guitar Co.

YOU'D THINK THAT after more than a half century, there would be nothing more to add to the design of the singlecutaway, set-neck solidbody. At its best, it's a sublime combination of beauty and brawn, a guitar that is dressy yet ferocious enough to tear your head off. Sort of like La Femme Nikita, but louder.

And yet here is the Michael Kelly Patriot Custom, a guitar that gives pause to traditional thinking with its subtly different shape, versatile electronics and bright tone.

FEATURES

THIS INCREDIBLY AFFORDABLE U.S.-designed, Korean-built instrument has all of the ingredients of the classic top-of-the-line singlecut: a mahogany body, an arched maple top, a mahogany neck, ebony fingerboard and twin humbuckers.

The Patriot's materials and workmanship are impressive. The flame-maple top glimmers, thanks not only to nicely grained wood but also to a finish that brings out each lick of the maple's fire. The headstock is capped with the same maple as the body, with only a tastefully simple logo to interrupt the wood's dramatic grain. And the five-ply binding on the body, neck and headstock outlines it elegantly. But this is no cookie-cutter Les Paul lite. In fact, the guitar is very heavy, which may be an issue if you're used to lighter axes. The body shape is also a little different, more angular, with a sharper cutaway than a traditional Les Paul. Despite the weight, the guitar feels balanced when strapped on, and it cuts a striking figure onstage.

As is the convention, the Patriot features a 24 3/4-inchscale fingerboard, and sports 22 meaty medium jumbo frets. The ebony board is adorned with block abalone inlays. The neck feels good, with just the right level of chunkiness for those who love to rock. Action on the test guitar was very low and speedy, making it an excellent vehicle for rock, country, fusion and blues. The cutaway, along with the angled neck, allows for good access to the upper frets. The TonePros bridge is a traditional, fully adjustable Tune-OMatic- style setup with a stop tailpiece; the Grover tuners worked smoothly and kept the test guitar in tune consistently.

The Patriot's pickups are of a pair of Rockfield SWC (Select Wound Custom) humbucking pickups. These are designed to be similar to traditional PAFs but are customized to take advantage of the Patriot's qualities while they produce a higher output (thanks to the USA parts and slight overwinding). Atypical for a single-cut, the pickups are mounted directly to the body to better capture the guitar's vibration. As I discovered during my tests, this combination of factors gives the Patriot a brighter, punchier tone than some mahogany/maple guitars, articulate in the top end, but still capable of delivering sharp lows. Controls include a three-way pickup toggle and master volume and tone knobs that pull up for single-coil operation. The knobs are recessed, a nice feature that facilitates on-the-fly adjustments.

SOUND

UNPLUGGED, THE PATRIOT had a bright, even tone, with plenty of bite. With the guitar plugged in, this sound is captured well by the Rockfield SWC pickups. The Patriot sounds good both clean and dirty, and it drives a tube amp with nicely progressive dynamics. With the amp's front end set for crunch-or beyond-you can control the gain by your own touch, with a little help from the Patriot's basic control set. While the streamlined electronics simplified operation, I missed the ability to blend sounds by staggering the volume and/or tone settings of each pickup. That said, all three pickup positions sound good and complement one another: the neck pickup is warm but not dark; the bridge pickup cutting but not shrill, and the combination of the two twangy but not thin.

Splitting the humbuckers produced crystalline tones that, while not exactly of the Fender variety, were ideal for funk, country picking and clean rhythm parts. The ability to tap each pickup separately makes up somewhat for the single volume and tone knobs.

THE BOTTOM LINE

THE PATRIOT IS a beautiful guitar that sounds good and plays well. It rewards both technique and expression and lets you play a traditional style of guitar without looking like a copycat. Factoring in an incredibly low price for this level of quality, the Patriot is an amazing value.

Guitar News : Ibanez Euphoria EP9 Acoustic Guitar

Ibanez Euphoria EP9 Acoustic Guitar

STEVE VAI has been closely identified with Ibanez electric guitars for decades. But unlike the many players whose signature models are little more than endorsements of someone else's design, Vai has Ibanez build the guitars that bear his name to his own specifications. It is perhaps ironic that when the company introduced the EP7 in 2004, Vai, the shred king, became the first artist honored with an Ibanez signature acoustic. While the new EP9 is similar in many ways to its predecessor, there are some significant changes in design, along with upgraded materials and some advanced digital electronics.

Materials

One difference between the two models is that the EP7 is constructed of laminates, while the new guitar is built of solid wood: mahogany for the back, sides and neck; Engelmann spruce for the top. The EP9 also features an Ibanez-designed bracing system that allows for a thinner top, which in turn increases the guitar's resonance. And this baby sang like a bird from the moment I removed it from its shipping box.

The guitar is quite handsome, a beautiful fusion of the understated (the low gloss "root beer" finish; the amber hue of the mahogany) and the baroque (the "Tree of Life" inlay that traverses the length of the 25 1/2-inch, two-octave rosewood fingerboard-the same design that adorns some of Vai's Ibanez electrics). More pretty things: the oval soundhole is ringed by a tasteful hieroglyphic rosette, and the elegant satin gold Grover tuners, which look especially fine on the relatively simple black headstock.

The rosewood bridge houses an Ivorex saddle-the same low-friction synthetic used for the nut. There's even more eye candy-a tasteful cream binding and a patterned stripe on the back and near the endpin. Yet, for all the glitz, the guitar has an unvarnished, wholesome look and feel about it. The rounded bouts lend the EP9 a nice geometrical flow. There's a visual warmth to this signature instrument that is somehow at odds with the image of Vai, a guitarist who plays harmonics with his tongue. On the other hand, the way the fingerboard's 24th fret slices into the soundhole gives you the unmistakable sense that the EP9 was designed to meet the needs of players who spend much of their time way up the neck.

Electronics
The EP9 comes equipped with a relatively traditional Fishman Acoustic Matrix bridge pickup that is augmented by a customized version of the company's powerful Aura digital guitar modeling system. The Aura emulates the sound of the guitar when played through various classic microphones; think of it as a pickup/mic hybrid. The Aura's tweaking controls include rotary Volume, Image Select (to choose one of six microphone models), a three-band EQ and a Blend slider that balances the Aura and the bridge-mounted piezo.

There's also an onboard tuner, a phase switch and an on/off toggle for the built-in anti-feedback control. You can adjust Aura settings and store them for later recall-not bad for a batterypowered device no larger than a typical on-board preamp. Overall, the Matrix pickup and Aura combination is a very good system that affords you lots of tonal options. Players who are fond of Steve Vai's work will find the Aura's modeling capabilities especially appealing.

The Bottom Line
The EP is a pleasure to play. The action was a little high coming from the factory, but that's an easy tweak. The neck is nicely proportioned, the fretwork clean and the body dimensions comfortable. The cutaway allows for exceptional access to higher frets, though the short-fingered will have to stretch to hit the highest E. Any player who hungers to express a range of emotions in a variety of styles with speed, tone, clarity and power should put the EP9 on his or her "must play" list.

Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster Custom 59

As most of you have understod by now it's amps and pedals that have been the centre of UGG's attention. Although it's the guitar that is the source of the sound, we have always found the next two steps in the signal chain the most interesting. We have all of course our favourite guitars, but have chosen not to talk so much about them. Once in a while though, you come across guitars that are special. The Gustavsson guitar we played falls into this category.

Johan Gustavsson has been building and repairing guitars for twenty years. He has gathered a lot of knowledge of how vintage guitars are made.
This is very evident in the way he selects wood and how he finish the guitars.
The Bluesmaster Custom 59 is a great exemple of how to combine new ideas with traditional esthetics.
It's also the looks that first catches your eyes when opening the case.
The Bluesmaster (BM) is finished in a beautiful faded cherry sunburst. The carved rock maple top has enough movment and flames to be interesting without the one dimensional "striping" of some recent Gibsons.
The top has a very "alive" feeling and looks different depending of the amount of light and which angle you hold it in.

The body shape looks like a cross between a Tele and a Les Paul, and is clean and attractive. Both body and neck are made of old growth Honduras Mahogony.
The fingerboard is a slab of real Brazilan rosewood which has a beautiful dark brown color with some redish streaks in it. Pickups are custom made Seymour Duncan Antiquitys which have coil taps. Another interesting part is the bridge.
It is a custom designed wraparound bridge made by Johan himself.

Unplugged the BM has a vibrant and complex sound. No matter where you play on the fretboard the notes are alive and singing. The neck is comfortable. Not as thick as on some Gibson Historics, but more "realistic".
Plugged in we tested the BM through a Germino Lead 55 and an old Marshall JTM 50. Both heads were connected to a vintage Marshall cab with G12H 30 watters. Amplified the BM sounds equally as good as unplugged.
The bass is clear and snappy. The highs on the upper frets are sweet and clear. Cranking the amps the BM held together nicely. Due to its construction The BM has a bark and attack that is much related to the Les Paul but still has an identity of its own: a bit clearer and not as mid heavy as som LP's we've tried.
The volume and tone pots works great. We tried to lower the tone on the bridge pickup and got an excellent Eric Clapton "woman" tone.
The coiltap option on the Antiquitys makes the BM even more versitile and you can get a number of different sounds.
The combination of bridge and neck perhaps the most interesting in this mode. One thing that struck us with the tone of this guitar is that it's sounds like it looks, basically a Les Paul with some elements of Telecaster thrown in.
It sounded great for Stonsy rhythm work, a bit more defined then a Les Paul but with more mid bark than a Tele.

If theres anything less positive to say, it's probably about the pickups. They sometimes sounded a bit thin and pale, although okey sounding most of the time. We would like to see a good PAF clone like Rolphs or Voodos in the BM, which we feel would make the guitar greater justice.

The Gustavsson Bluesmaster Custom 59 is , as you probably have gathered by now, a guitar that impressed us a lot. Even if it's a new guitar, it feels and looks like an old guitar. The overall feel and quality of this instrument is if highest class, it's clear that Johan Gustafsson makes guitars of outstanding quality with great attention to details without loosing that vintage feel.To us the BM should be considered in the same company as the top of the line custom shop Gibsons and boutique builders like Baker or Mc Inturff. It's great that we here in remote and cold Sweden have such a gifted guitar builder. Way to go Johan!!!

Links: www.jg-guitars.nu

Here's also a short video clip of me playing the BM. The amp is The Germino into the Marshall cab. Effects used is the Sun Face into a Boss DD-2.
Quality is not the best, but you get the idea. Click here to download the clip.

AC and RC boost from Xotic effects

AC and RC boost from Xotic effects

While I have quite a few overdrives I where attracted by the video clips of the AC-booster. The sound those pro players got with that pedal was amazing. The overdrives I have all color the sound, which actually can be a good thing, the Landgraff can give Marshall grind to a Fender and the Klon has a nice fat midrange boost when overdriving. The RC boost also seemed attractive, the ability the push the just a little bit more is something the Klon does well but I looked for a smaller pedal that would be easier to transport for jams etc.

The background on the pedals, from the designers at Prosound Communications.
The AC boost where designed to a boost pedal for, you guessed it, Vox AC-30. During the design of the pedal the design team decided to make more of an overall overdrive/boost pedal for any amp. The RC boost main purpose is to be a clean boost and to drive the rig, pedals, cords, amps and guitars for the best natural sound. RC stands for Rig Conductor. Both pedals where designed with input from pro players Both pedals have the same size and controls, small MXR type boxes with Volume, gain, bass and treble controls, both are true bypass. The RC boost is white and the AC boost is yellow.

The AC/RC sound.
Let's start with the AC -booster. This is NOT a Tube Screamer type of pedal. It does not have the mid-hump of the TS style pedals. Instead it is a smooth and transparent overdrive. The treble and bass controls let's you tailor the sound to fit you're rig, cut treble add bass to make a fat sound or boost treble to cut through with you're neck pickup. As this is a transparent pedal it complements you're amp and guitar and lets you get the most of it.
The pedal has great sustain and can go from subtle boost to singing sustain. I think the best results are achieved if you have an amp that distorts a little and use the AC-boost to take it to the next level. The AC-booster is a great versatile overdrive at a really good price, I highly recommend trying it.
The RC has not received as much buzz as the AC-booster but I liked this pedal a lot. It can be a real lifesaver.
If you have to borrow an amp and find it flat sounding the RC can add some sparkle and that little extra bit and overdrive to make come alive.
When I played it with my showman the amp was totally clean, when switching on the RC I achieved a great 70's stones rhythm sound. It is very natural and work great as mild boost.
It does not have a huge volume boost so it will not be ideal to push the preamp into crazy distortion, but what it does it does extremely well. I could set my Skrydstrup or Mystic totally clean, switch on the RC for rock rhythm and set the lead channel to sweet sustain and boost just a bit with the RC.
I have never tried a pedal that does almost distorted sounds as good as the RC. Since it has both treble and bass controls it can work also as a treble boost for a tired neck pickup or fat boost for the ice picky bridge pickup. I am very impressed by this pedal there has been several occasion where I almost got a great sound, adding the RC took away the almost.
Another funny thing is that the RC interacts very well with other overdrives and it also behaves differently depending on where it is in the chain. When using it after another overdrive it will add a lot of smooth distortion, with either the Landgraff or AC-boost before it, my Showman sounded very much like a Marshall.
If I instead put the RC in front of the other overdrive there was not nearly as much overdrive, even with all settings the same. Instead the RC made the sound a bit clearer and punchier.

The bottom line
These are two very good pedals, the AC an overdrive with smooth singing sound with bite and the RC is a boost and mild distortion pedal that can clear up you're sound and push the rig into that special sweet spot.

Please visit http://www.prosoundcommunications.com/english/index.html for more information and some great videos and clips of the pedal.
Sound clips by me can be found here: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/5/abergdahlmusic.htm

Moollon Chorus

Moollon Chorus

Moollon Chorus has thick and rich analog chorus sound with a wide control range. The original Panasonic BBD chips were selected for the ultimate analog chorus sound.
Extraordinary feature of Moollon Chorus is that Dry and Wet signals can be controlled separately so you can control not only the overall volume level but also the mixture ratio of Dry and Wet signals freely.
This function ranges from vibrato to chorus sound with extra wide expression and makes this pedal stand out from the other chorus pedals with wet level controls only.

Depth control adds even more detailed interaction to this pedal by adjusting the depth of pitch modulation.

Tone control is for wet signal only, and it ranges from warm vintage to sparkling modern chorus sound. With the big Speed control knob located at the bottom of front panel, you can change speed level freely with your foot while you are playing instruments.

The first time I heard the Moollon Chorus where at the winter Namm show in 2006. I met Peter Stroud in the 65 amp booth where he demoed the 65 London amp for us. He had the thickest sound ever, with tons of swirling tones pumped out of that little amp. Before I even know it where the Moollon Chorus I fell i love with the sound right on the spot.
I had to ask Peter how he got the sound and he show me the Moollon Chours. The funny thing were that my next planned stop at the Namm show where to meet Steve Kim at the Moollon booth to pick up this specific pedal!

For me this is the best sounding Chorus I ever heard. Its big, fat, alive and got the raw type of leslie/vibe sound that Landau capture when he play live. The pedal is very dynamic and works really good with other pedals. This pedal makes me wanna play for ever. The Dry/wet function is a killer function and is so helpful to have when you shape the sound. From slick Police to raw Vibe like Landau tones.

Read more at www.moollon.com

Digiplex

Digiplex

In recent years there has been a revival of delay pedals built around traditional old school technology. Small boutique outfits like Tone Czar and Diamond Pedals have made excellent pedals using the BBD chip. Fulltone has even released a full blown tube driven tape echo! It seems like digital delays are either cheaper mass produced pedals, or the modelling type which have a lot of features, but that doesn’t quite appeal to a die hard delay snob.

There used to be digital delays made in the 80’s that actually sounded great. Some of these are still being used by high profile players. A delay that has been talked about a lot over the years is the Chandler Digital Stereo Echo. It fits in nicely with units like Korg SDD 3000, Roland SDE 3000 and Lexicon PCM 42 in that regard that it is a digital rack mounted delay that has been out of production for a long time and that’s beginning to get collectable. In the never ending search of the holy delay grail I decided to get my hands on a Chandler echo. It wasn’t easy. The prices have climbed drastically and supply is beginning to dry up. When I did get hold of one I was immediately floored. What a great sounding peace of equipment! It had plenty of the magic that you normally associate with a tape echo. When my first excitement had settled, the questions how to actually use the delay started to rise: The echo is rack mounted- I have a pedal board. It has just one setting of no programmable controls- I need at least two separate delay settings. When pondering this problem I talked to Kjell Ternström. Kjell and I had been in contact since he first showed me the Memoryplex. This fabulous devise is an analog echo with several unique features which he had built, so I knew what he was capable of. I had tried to buy it from Kjell for a long time but he always refused to sell it. When he asked me what I wished the Chandler was able to do, that it didn’t in its current shape, I, just for fun, put together this list:


# A pedal, I need a pedal. The rack format is of no use to me.
# I’d like two independent delays with their separate sets of switches and controls
# Having the modulation section footswitchable
# Being able to get the delay to self oscillate
# Having the choice of true bypass or the units own bypass
# Having an expression pedal controlling the feedback on one channel

And of course, I wanted all this in an attractive package without jeopardising the inherent magic of the delay, and the weirdness of the modulation section. Ha! What do you say now eh? To my infinite surprise Kjell replied: “No problem, if you want it we’ll build it for you”. Six months later I ended up with “The Digiplex”. So, what does it sound like? Well, the pedal has really exceeded my expectations. Now I have at my feet a gorgeous looking pedal with all the features I loved about the original Chandler devise, but with the improvements I had wished for. It still has that “floating” quality. The echoes never steps on your original tone or gets harsh or to pronounced like many modern digital delays do. The modulation section adds the shimmer that makes the Chandler sound as close to a tape echo as I ever heard a digital delay do. The Digiplex have two completely separate delays that you can get to self oscillate in a very “analog” way. The red channels feedback can be controlled with an expression pedal. There’s a switch on the back that determines the bypass mode. In its original form the bypass mode affects the sound in a cool way. It adds some fatness and compression that is very appealing, but I wasn’t sure I’d always like it. Now I have the option of true bypass. This has been a team effort by Kjell and his tech wizard friend Agne Mattsson. They have put a lot of time and energy into building The Digiplex. When I asked Kjell if he’d be willing to build some more pedals, his reply was: “ This was more of an isolated experiment, but if someone have a Chandler echo that they’re willing to sacrifice, wait a long time and spend a lot of money, then perhaps”.
/Ulf

Group photo note:
A rehoused Arion Chorus, A rehoused BJF Pale Green Compressor, The Digiplex and the Illustrious Memoryplex.

Lundgren Heaven 57 review

Lundgren Heaven 57

When Seth Lover invented the “Humbucker” he probably had no idea that his pickups would be the industry standard 50 years later, and that the original pickups from the 50’s would command big bucks on the vintage market. When it comes to electric guitar pickups that are considered”holy grails”, the so called PAF’s (Patent Applied For) wins by a large margin. These pickups where standard equipment on Gibson electric guitars and was used between 1957 and 1962 on various models. This era is considered the golden age of electric guitar building, which ads to the mystique surrounding the PAF pickup. In recent years there have been a number of boutique pickup builders that have made their version of the PAF. Although Gibson is manufacturing the Classic 57 and the Burstbucker pickups, many feel that they aren’t as true to the originals as would be desired.

This is where hard core enthusiasts and driven craftsmen like Johan Lundgren steps in. Johan has been winding pickups since 1990. He has well known clients like Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Fredrik Thordendal of Meshuggah. He also has supplied guitar manufacturers like the Ibanez custom shop with his products. His clients are well known but Johan is still a well kept Swedish secret. This is hopefully about to change. The Heaven 57 is Johan’s latest creation and is his version of the PAF humbucker pickup.

First Johan’s own words describing the pickup:
“I have been building pickups for over 15 years. During this time I have been fortunate enough to be able to analyze original PAF’s from 1957 and 1958. My goal with the Heaven 57 is to make a pickup that look, sound and feel like the real thing. It has the silver nickel base plate and wooden spacer under the bobbin. It is wound with the correct Plain Enamel AWG 42 wire and the magnets are of a special alnico alloy. The heaven 57 comes wax potted but can be ordered without the potting if so desired.
They come in black or zebra and are available with ether new or aged covers”

I used my trusty Les Paul when trying these pups out. This guitar has had everything from Duncan Antiquity’s to Tom Holmes in it. Now I have settled for an original set of PAF’s from 1960 that sounds spectacular. With these sounds as reference I gave the Heaven 57’s a spin. When you see reviews of these kinds of pickups there are always the same buzz words being used. “Hollow mids” “Sweet non piercing highs” “Complex and rich sounding” “Tight but full bass that doesn’t fart out” etc etc…but I’m afraid I’m not better. All these adjectives that you see all the time fit the pickups perfectly. The bridge pickup really does sound sweet without loosing the bite. When lowering the volume it has quite a unique shimmer.

The neck pickup sounds very fat and stringy. Actually it’s almost to fat. I would have preferred a lower output neck pickup. Johan assures me that the neck pickup can be wound sounding even more open with less output. These pickups came with the aged nickel covers. They look great and ad to the vintage feel. And now to the big question: Do they sound like real PAF’s? Well, I have yet to try two PAF’s that sound alike but The Heaven 57’s definitely have the vibe nailed down and I would gladly recommend them to anyone looking for their own PAF sound.

Ulf Edelönn

More info at
www.lundgren.se