Gear

Blues Power: An In-Depth Guide to the Amps and Effect Pedals in Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Arsenal

Chris Gill — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:36:33 +0000

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar tone was as dry as a San Antonio summer and as sparkling clean as a Dallas debutante, the product of the natural sound of amps with ample clean headroom.

However, Vaughan occasionally used pedals to augment his sound, mainly to boost the signal, although he occasionally employed a rotating speaker cabinet and wah pedals for added textural flair.

Vaughan’s fierce playing style was the key to his distinctive sound, but it was also very hard on his equipment, and over the years his amps and pedals were heavily modified to withstand the abuse.

AMPS

1980 Marshall model 4140 Club and Country

Most guitarists with multi-amp rigs will use Fender amps for clean tones and Marshalls for distortion and overdrive, but Vaughan did the opposite. However, it made sense that he used a Marshall for clean tones, as his Marshall was a model 4140 Club and Country combo with two 12-inch speakers, which was Marshall’s version of a Fender Twin Reverb. With 100 watts of output and a power amp section driven by KT77 tubes, the Club and Country provides more clean headroom than the typical Marshall design. The amp remained in Vaughan’s rig until early 1984, when a Dumble Steel String Singer replaced it.

1964 Fender Vibroverb

The heart and soul of Vaughan’s live rig for most of the Eighties was a pair of Fender Vibroverb combos. The Vibroverbs, each featuring a single 15-inch speaker, were the source of Vaughan’s cranked-up overdrive tones, and he also used one of the combos to power his Fender Vibratone rotating-speaker cabinet throughout his career. Introduced in 1963, the Vibroverb was Fender’s first amp with built-in reverb.

Fender initially produced the Vibroverb with two 10-inch speakers and brown Tolex covering, but in late 1963 the model’s design switched to a single 15-inch speaker and black Tolex. Vaughan always assumed that his Vibroverbs were one serial number apart from one another based on the numbers “5” and “6” on the tube charts, but those are production run numbers and the actual serial numbers were 36 numbers apart.

Dumble Steel String Singer

Vaughan first discovered the amps of legendary Los Angeles boutique-amp pioneer Alexander “Howard” Dumble when recording Texas Flood at Jackson Browne’s Downtown Studios in 1982, using Browne’s Dumbleland 300-watt bass amp to record most of the tracks during the sessions.

Impressed with the Dumble amp’s ability to maintain crystal-clean tone even when subjected to his aggressive low E string attack, Vaughan custom-ordered a Steel String Singer head, which Dumble beefed up with 6550 tubes and 150 watts of output instead of the model’s usual 6L6 tubes and 100 watts. Vaughan usually used his Dumble head with a custom-built 4x12 cabinet loaded with Electro-Voice speakers.

When delivered in 1984, the Steel String Singer immediately became the main clean amp in Vaughan’s rig, earning the “King Tone Consoul” nickname that Vaughan bestowed upon it. Vaughan acquired a second Dumble Steel String Singer in 1986.

Mid-Sixties Fender Super Reverb

Before Vaughan bought his Marshall Club and Country amp, a mid-Sixties blackface Fender Super Reverb was the source of his clean tone. When Vaughan started playing increasingly larger venues in 1983, he added a pair of Super Reverbs to his rig, which he used along with his Vibroverbs.

Like the Vibroverb, the Super Reverb is powered by two 6L6 tubes and provides 40 watts of output, but because it has four 10-inch speakers (Vaughan loaded Electro-Voice speakers in his Super Reverb amps) instead of a single 15-inch speaker it provided the louder clean headroom Vaughan needed onstage.

Eventually, the Super Reverbs replaced the Vibroverbs as the source of his onstage overdrive tones, although Vaughan kept one Vibroverb in his rig exclusively for driving the Vibratone rotating speaker cabinet. During his 1990 tour, Vaughan replaced the Super Reverbs with a pair of Fender’s newly released ’59 Bassman Reissue amps.

Fender Twin Reverb

For his 1985 Japan tour, Vaughan used a pair of Fender Twin Reverb amps (a mid-Sixties 85-watt blackface model and a late-Seventies 100-watt silverface version with master volume) in place of his Dumble Steel String Singer head. The Twins disappeared from his rig after that tour, only to resurface for a brief period in 1987 when they temporarily replaced his Vibroverb combos.

Early Seventies Marshall model 1967 Major Lead

As Vaughan’s insatiable appetite for power increased, so did the size of his onstage rig, until 1988, when he decided to simplify his multi-amp setup by stripping it down to a pair of high-powered amps: his 150-watt Dumbles and a 200-watt Marshall Major Lead head. Vaughan experimented with a variety of speaker cabinets for the Marshall, including huge 4x15 and 8x10 cabinets designed for bass, before settling on a 4x12 loaded with Electro-Voice speakers like he used with his Dumbles.

If the Marshall Major lasted through the set (this model’s linear design frequently caused intense voltage spikes that arced across adjacent tube sockets and blew tubes), Vaughan would use it to perform a raucous version of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” to close his set.

In Step session amps

When recording In Step, his last studio album with Double Trouble, Vaughan had 32 different amps at his disposal, including a 1962 Fender Twin, a mint original 1959 Fender Bassman, and vintage Fender Harvard and Magnatone amps, in addition to the Fender Vibroverbs, Dumble Steel String Singers, and various Fenders and Marshalls he used onstage. When recording each song, Vaughan experimented with different combinations of amps and settings until he dialed in the sound he wanted.

EFFECTS

Ibanez Tube Screamer

According to pedal-geek lore, Vaughan was a big fan of the TS808 version of the Ibanez Tube Screamer, but evidence in the form of stage photos, live videos, insurance documents and customs declarations reveal that the TS9 version of the Tube Screamer was his preferred choice from 1982 through most of the Eighties.

Vaughan usually used his TS9 to provide a clean boost to his Fender Vibroverbs for solos, with the level control all the way up and the drive control set to relatively low gain.

In 1988, a new Ibanez TS10 Tube Screamer replaced the TS9 in his pedal board, which Vaughan generally used to generate high-gain distortion (with both the drive and level controls boosted) that wasn’t otherwise available from his Dumble and Marshall Major rig.

Fender Vibratone

The lush rotating-speaker effects heard on Vaughan tracks like “Cold Shot” and “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” were generated by a Fender Vibratone speaker cabinet. Similar to a Leslie Model 16, the Fender Vibratone is designed for gigging guitarists and features a rugged, roadworthy cabinet covered in black Tolex.

More importantly, the Vibratone is also designed for use with a standard guitar amp and features a guitar speaker that emphasizes crucial midrange tones instead of the full-range, two-way woofer and tweeter speaker array found in most Leslie cabinets. Fender sold the Vibratone from 1967 through 1972, and it is still considered one of the best true rotating speaker effects for guitarists.

Roland SDD-320 Dimension D

Although Vaughan didn’t use the Roland Dimension D in his live rig, it was a secret weapon in the studio, where he often added it to his guitar tracks during mixing. Vaughan first discovered the Dimension D while mixing his guitar tracks on David Bowie’s Let’s Dance, and he liked how its subtle chorus effect thickened his guitar sound without changing his natural tone significantly like other chorus effects frequently do.

The Dimension D was used on the solos to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Pride and Joy” on Texas Flood and most of the solos on Couldn’t Stand the Weather. During mixing, Vaughan would add the Dimension D effects himself via the effects send/return controls on the mixing console.

Vox V846 wah

Vaughan’s wah pedal of choice was a Vox V846 from the Sixties that originally belonged to Jimi Hendrix. Jimmie Vaughan, Stevie’s brother, acquired the pedal from Hendrix when Jimmie’s band shared a bill with the Experience in Fort Worth. Vaughan owned several other Vox wah pedals and was allegedly very fond of an early Seventies version with a Japanese TDK inductor.

Vaughan used the Vox wah on his Hendrix covers and “Telephone Song” on the Vaughan Brothers’ Family Style, and he famously used two wahs at once to record “Say What.”

Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face

Vaughan tended to prefer clean tones and natural tube-amp overdrive, but in 1988 he added an original Sixties Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Face pedal to his rig when he became obsessed with emulating Jimi Hendrix’s signature sounds.

Unfortunately, the Fuzz Face’s germanium transistors were extremely unreliable when exposed to hot stage lights or the sun during outdoor gigs. Vaughan collected several Fuzz Face pedals, and he would try several during sound check to choose the one he thought sounded best that particular day. Eventually, he got tired of the unreliable transistors in his Fuzz Face pedals, so he had them modified by his amp tech César Diaz, who later used the modifications as the basis for the Diaz Texas Square Face pedal.

Tycobrahe Octavia

Another key effect that Vaughan used to emulate Hendrix tones was an Octavia fuzz pedal that produces octave-up effects. Vaughan initially used Roger Mayer Octavia pedals (housed in distinctive “spaceship” metal boxes), but when Diaz located three New Old Stock Tycobrahe Octavia pedals, Vaughan switched to those.

His guitar tech, Rene Martinez, says that Stevie thought the Tycobrahe pedal produced the best Octavia effect he had ever heard. Vaughan especially liked how the Octavia sounded when used along with a Tube Screamer.

Be sure to pick up the new March 2013 issue of Guitar World magazine, which features SRV on the cover and celebrates the 30th anniversary of Texas Flood. The issue also profiles the amps and effects in Vaughan's arsenal, dissects 10 Vaughan albums and discusses Vaughan's "Number One" Fender Strat. The new issue is available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

Additional Content

La Grunge: The Top 10 Blues-Approved Overdrive/Distortion Pedals

Chris Gill — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:33:04 +0000

The origin of guitar distortion goes back to the earliest electrified blues guitarists.

They didn’t care that their primitive tube amps were breaking up and distorting, as long as they were loud. Soon, blues guitarists grew quite fond of those nasty, gnarly distorted tones, and they sought to replicate them by any means necessary.

Enter the overdrive pedal. Designed to push an amp to the brink, the overdrive pedal allows players to summon singing sustain, compelling crunch, and glorious grit at any volume level, giving guitarists the bite and balls they need for genuine blues-approved tone. While a handful of purists prefer to plug a guitar straight into an amp, most blues guitarists these days have a handful of overdrive, distortion and even fuzz boxes in their rigs.

Thanks to the proliferation of boutique pedal builders over the past 20 years, there are easily more than a thousand distortion devices available to help guitarists find their signature blues sound. The following pedals are the top 10 classics and modern marvels that get our mojo working when we spank that plank and crank up the volume.

10. Way Huge Pork Loin

By blending modern soft-clipping BiFET overdrive and classic clean “British” preamp tone pathways, the Pork Loin allows players to dial in raw, raunchy tones that never lose bottom-end clarity or definition. The Pork Loin plays a massive role in Joe Bonamassa’s bigger-than-life modern blues sound.

9. Klon Centaur

The Klon Centaur’s legendary clean boost transforms a guitar’s natural tone the same way a livestock farmer turns a piglet into a prize-winning porker—by making it bigger, fatter, juicier, meatier and more muscular. Centaur designer Bill Finnegan discontinued production several years ago, driving prices for used Klons well above $1,000, but he’s trying to bring a similar pedal to the market again with the same hand-selected parts, attention to detail and signature sound that the numerous “klones” have failed to match.

8. PaulC Audio Tim

Thanks to its impressive tonal range and expressive touch sensitivity, the Tim is a favorite of tube amp aficionados who don’t want to sacrifice the dynamic response of their favorite amps but need more gain and tonal-shaping capabilities. With the EQ controls set at 12 o’clock, it provides some of the most transparent clean boost and overdrive tones available.

7. Fulltone Full-Drive 2

Fulltone makes an impressive variety of incredible overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals, including the OCD, PlimSoul and Fat-Boost FB-3, but when it comes to the blues, most guitarists choose the Fulltone Full-Drive 2. With separate overdrive and boost footswitches and mini toggle switches for selecting clean boost, midrange emphasis, MOSFET clipping and more, the Full-Drive 2 is a versatile overdrive pedal that makes it easy to dial in your own signature blues tones.

6. Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer

Thanks to Stevie Ray Vaughan’s use of an Ibanez Tube Screamer (he replaced the TS-808 with a TS-9 and TS-10 later in his career), this pedal has gone on to become the best-selling and most copied overdrive pedal of all time. The Tube Screamer’s output boost and signature midrange hump, along with a characteristic warmth that the TS-808’s successors lack, make it ideal for playing fat, aggressive solos that destroy everything else in its path.

5. Electro-Harmonix Big Muff π

Most staunch traditionalists think that the raunchy fuzz tones of a Big Muff π are a little too furry and furious for the blues, but that hasn’t stopped a new generation of blues-inspired players from using one. The Big Muff is a key element of 21st century blues as envisioned by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and Jack White of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather.

4. Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster

Eric Clapton’s alleged use of a Dallas-Arbiter Rangemaster Treble Booster on John Mayall’s legendary Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton album remains the source of much controversy, but the Rangemaster was also a key element of Rory Gallagher’s late-Sixties rig that similarly redefined blues guitar tone during the British blues revival, thanks to its marvelous midrange and gritty germanium transistor grind. Numerous clones are available today, including the Analog Man Beano Boost and Keeley Java Boost.

3. Boss BD-2 Blues Driver

Not since the late Seventies, when the Ibanez Tube Screamer and Boss OD-1 made their debut, has a mass-produced overdrive pedal won over the great unwashed and cork-sniffing tone snobs alike. The BD-2 delivers a wide variety of overdrive tones, from creamy to crunchy, with personality that ranges from retro smooth to modern blues-rock raunch.

2. Blackstone Appliances MOSFET Overdrive

This pedal’s nameplate and crinkle finish may have the retro-cool vibe of a Thirties toaster, but underneath the hood lies a modern circuit that uses small-signal MOSFETs and an unconventional input stage to cook up distortion and overdrive with rich harmonic overtones that will melt your face off like a million-watt microwave. “It’s heavy stuff, not the sound of a popcorn machine,” says Billy Gibbons, who used the Blackstone in tasteful excess on several new ZZ Top tunes.

1. Analog Man King of Tone

With a two-year waiting list, the Analog Man King of Tone is one of the most sought-after overdrive pedals, and for a very good reason: it provides a clean boost that preserves a guitar’s tone, making it sound bigger, badder and more bodacious, with just the right amount of natural-sounding distortion. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Gary Clark Jr. and Buddy Miller are just a handful of the pros who have discovered that the King of Tone truly rules.

Jim Dunlop Introduces MXR Prime Distortion Pedal

Guitar World Staff — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:34:53 +0000

Dunlop Manufacturing, in partnership with Guitar Center, has announced the new MXR Prime Distortion pedal.

It is available exclusively at Guitar Center stores, Guitar Center online and Musicians Friend online. This new pedal will be available for purchase May 22.

The MXR Prime Distortion conjures vintage hard clipping that’s raw, powerful and highly responsive to the guitar player's attack. With its classic Output, Tone and Distortion control setup, this pedal’s huge, articulate sound is easy to dial in. The Prime Distortion packs a huge punch when you dig in, but it also cleans up when you pull back.

This 100-percent analog distortion uses low-noise op amps, so you don’t get any extra noise when the gain levels soar.

Features:

• Responsive to attack
• Output, Tone and Distortion controls
• Low noise op amps
• 100 percent analog
• Street price: $49.99.

For more about Dunlop's MXR pedals, head to jimdunlop.com/products/electronics/mxr.

Here are two new videos that demo the MXR Prime Distortion pedal:

TAL
Jackson Guitar w/ EMG active humbuckers + M69 Prime Distortion + LAVA Vintage Coil cables + Marshall Super Lead (100w) and 4-12 slant cabinet. Recorded with Heil PR30 and Royer 101 microphones. Performance: Tal Morris. Executive Producer: Jimmy Dunlop.

JAMES
Fender Telecaster + M69 Prime Distortion + LAVA Vintage Tweed cables + Carr "Impala" amplifier (6L6, 40w); Recorded with Heil PR30 and Royer 101 microphones. Performance: James Deprato. Executive Producer: Jimmy Dunlop.

Small Wonders: Five Essential 15-Watt Guitar Amps

Damian Fanelli — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:18:11 +0000

Let's face it, bringing a 100-watt guitar amp to your average weekend bar gig is a lot like taking a Lamborghini to Shop Rite for Sunday-afternoon grocery shopping.

You simply don't need all that power (Unless Shop Rite also happens to be hosting a Sunday-afternoon drag race).

Which is why several amp manufacturers have spent a lot of time, effort and money developing less-powerful and more-portable (not to mention affordable) amps, namely those of the 15-watt variety. Unlike larger amps, including 50-watters, you can really open up a 15-watt amp at a gig and take advantage of all its features, including that beautiful, natural gain that magically appears at high volumes.

Here's a list of our five essential 15-watt guitar amps. As always, this list was compiled by a group of Guitar World editorial staffers including Technical Editor Paul Riario, the guy who tries out every piece of gear that arrives at Guitar World. He also appears in one of the five demo videos in this story.

As always, the amps are presented in no particular order.

Marshall Haze MHZ15

There's nothing hazy about this choice, Marshall's Haze15.

The amp runs on three ECC83 preamp and two 6V6 power amp tubes, providing this two-channel head with a pure-tube pedigree. The amp's traditional EQ section of Bass, Middle and Treble allows massive amounts of control; the Normal and Overdrive channels create beautiful clean and distorted tones — and everything in between.

Turning up the Normal channel volume takes the clear tone and adds tube drive, compression and bite, which can be adjusted through your guitar’s volume control. Engaging the Bright function adds sonic sparkle and an extra cutting edge. Switching to the Overdrive channel sees the amp really start to roar with Volume and Gain controls allowing direct access to your sound.

At low volumes, the Haze15 offers smooth, rich overdriven tones. When it's cranked up, you can look forward to classic, fat, Marshall distortion.

What does it sound like?

Here's our own Paul Riario trying out the Haze15 in a GW video from 2010:

MSRP: $840 | Visit marshallamps.com for more about Marshall's Haze series.

From its humble origins in the back of a small music store in London, Marshall Amplification has defined the sound of rock for generations of guitarists around the world. The History of Marshall Amps: The First Fifty Years by Michael Doyle and Nick Bowcott tells the story of Jim Marshall's remarkable life and documents the many innovations of Marshall amplifiers, from the famous “stack” to the most current offerings. It's available at the Guitar World Online Store.

Orange Amplifiers Tiny Terror Series TT15

Lunch, anyone?

Orange Amplification's Tiny Terror Head — known by fans as the original lunchbox amp — is a best seller for a reason. When driven, this tiny amp has almost as much gain as most four-stage lead channels.

The Tiny Terror puts a host of boutique amps to shame with its clean crunch and full-on overdrive sounds. At mid-gain settings, this tube-driven head has plenty of vintage British character. The Tiny Terror was designed to the same specs as larger Orange amps, and its portability makes it perfect for gigging around town or rehearsing. As an added bonus, the Tiny Terror can go from 15 to 7 watts for studio use, recording and practice.

What does it sound like?

Here's an official demo video from Orange:

MSRP: $769 | Visit orangeamps.com for more info about this amp.

Fender 65 Princeton Reverb 15W

I own one of these babies, so I can vouch for it from years of personal experience. This is simply a great amp for the majority of gigs I play — bars and clubs. There are four guitarists in our band, and this amp never gets lost in the mix.

The 65 Princeton Reverb is versatile enough to go from the living room to the recording studio to the small gig. It's got plenty of vintage vibe, plus dynamic clean and overdriven tones, spring reverb and tube vibrato.

The amp delivers 15 watts through a 10-inch Jensen Special Design speaker. It has two inputs (one channel), plus a footswitch, and control knobs for Treble, Bass, Reverb, Speed and Intensity. The tube complement consists of a trio of 12AX7s, a 12AT7, dual Groove Tubes 6V6s and a single 5AR4 rectifier tube.

What does it sound like?

This video wasn't created by Fender or Guitar World, but it does a fine job of demonstrating the sounds and features. You'll notice the model being tested is the recently introduced Surf Green version of the amp:

MSRP: $1,299.99 | Visit fender.com for more info about this amp.

Vox Night Train NT15H/V112NT

Simply put, this is one cool-looking, mirror-finish 15-watt amp.

The industrial-looking amp, part of Vox's Night Train series, is a solid, all-tube, portable head. It runs on two 12AX7 preamp tubes and two EL84 power tubes; this is the same tube complement as the company's classic AC15 amp.

The Vox Night Train's single switch lets you select between Pentode or Triode tube operation. In Pentode mode, the amp delivers 15 watts of power. In the Triode mode, the power is cut to 7.5 watts. The Triode mode also relaxes the tube power stage, letting the mellow tube character shine through.

Night Train greets you with a clear, simple panel design, offering the familiar Gain and Volume controls. The Tone controls include Treble, Middle and Bass, allowing you to dial up just the right character for your individual, signature tone. In addition, the preamp section features a mode switch, offering both Bright and Thick options. The Bright mode accentuates the high-frequency components for a clear, ringing tone; the Thick setting bypasses the tone circuit to boost the gain and create a chunkier, heavier sound.

What does it sound like?

Here's an official video Night Train demo video from Vox:

MSRP: $700 | Visit voxamps.com for more info about this amp.

Mesa Boogie Transatlantic TA-15

The guys at Mesa Boogie noticed everyone else was bringing lunchboxes to the amp party, so they decided to make their own. They did a fine job; the TA-15 is a tasty, portable amp that packs in a lot of features.

The TA-15 packs all the performance found in high-end, full-size models and offers classic British and American sounds in a 12-pound package. Two channels feature five modes; choose a preamp style in each channel, then select the perfect power for it from three output choices: 5 Watts (Single-Ended Class A), 15 Watts (Class A) or 25 Watts (Dyna-Watt).

From Mesa Boogie: "The Channel Modes start off with lower gain NORMAL and higher gain classic versions of the iconic TOP BOOST sound in Channel 1, which includes an ingenious Pull MASTER on the CUT control that can be Hard Bypassed for purists. Channel 2 houses three Modes; a gorgeous TWEED clean, a British high gain in HI 1 and a classic Boogie Lead in HI 2."

What does it sound like?

Check out these seven audio TA-15 samples available on mesaboogie.com. Here's Mesa Boogie's official demo TA-15 video:

MSRP: $899 | Visit mesaboogie.com for more info about this amp.

Seymour Duncan Introduces High-Output Pickup, the Nazgûl

Guitar World Staff — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:47:54 +0000

Seymour Duncan has announced a new pickup, the Nazgûl.

"It's not just a pickup, it's a weapon of tonal Armageddon," says the company in a news release issued today. "The Nazgûl was designed with a single purpose; for intense, high-output chug heavy punch you in the chest ruthless distortion.

"The tone is heavy and aggressive but also retains articulation and provides a precise pick attack that is necessary for high-output metal. The Nazgûl gives chords heavy saturation and produces a lightning fast response to your amp. Perfect for all high-output metal needs in which sonic obliteration needs to be accomplished."

The Nazgûl is available for seven- and eight-string players and also comes in an active mount (soapbar) sizing for guitarists who own a guitar that originally came with active pickups but prefer the tone of passive pickups.

For more information check out the video below and visit seymourduncan.com.

Jericho Guitars Announces Avenger Baritone Model

Guitar World Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:51:10 +0000

Jericho Guitars has announced The Avenger, its new line of baritone guitars.

The guitar features a 27-inch scale perfected for studio and stage, optimized for standard and drop tunings as low as Drop G. The guitar comes stock with Seymour Duncan Full Shred on neck and bridge, 18:1 Grover Tuners, GOTOH bridge, ebony fret board and a three-piece maple neck.

"This is not your daddy's guitar," says Jericho Guitars' Dave Muselman. "This instrument was built with today’s player in mind. From blues to sludge, studio to stage, this guitar has it all. Whether you are layering guitars in the studio or throwing it around live, this perfectly balanced 6.5-pound guitar allows you to play from the heart and not from the hip."

The Avenger White is available in white top with matching white headstock and black backing. The Avenger Black is blacked out with chrome hardware. Both guitars are finished in UV protected anti-yellowing Poly-Urethane topcoats buffed to a classy high-gloss finish.

Each sale is honored with a professional setup to your desired tuning, string gauge and customization.

For more information, visit jerichoguitars.com.

Review: TC Electronic John Petrucci Dreamscape Signature Toneprint Pedal

Paul Riario — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:13:46 +0000

The following content is related to the September 2012 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

In 2011, TC Electronic introduced several stomp boxes that employed its TonePrint technology, which allows users to download new effects programmed by various artists, including well-known players like Paul Gilbert, Steve Morse, Joe Perry and Steve Stevens, from a computer or iPhone/Android smartphone.

Many of these artist downloads proved to be quite popular, so it seemed like only a matter of time before TC combined several of them in one pedal. That’s exactly what the company has done with the John Petrucci Dreamscape Signature TonePrint pedal. The Dreamscape presents six of the Dream Theater guitarist’s custom-tweaked tones in one box. The signature sounds comprise two choruses, two vibratos and two flangers, including Petrucci’s brand-new Vortex Flanger TonePrint. Plus, the pedal has room to store an additional TonePrint download, for a total of seven effects in one compact pedal.

FEATURES

While the Dreamscape’s controls are similar to those of a standard stomp box, it’s capable of creating a much wider variety of sounds than the average pedal thanks to the flexibility of its digital circuitry. There are controls for effect level, speed and depth; a seven-position switch for selecting presets; and a three-position mini toggle for bright, normal and dark tone settings. Other pro-quality features include stereo input and output jacks, an easy-access single-screw battery compartment, a jack for an optional nine-volt adaptor and a mini USB jack for downloading new TonePrint effects. TC currently offers 33 TonePrint effects for the Dreamscape, with more to come in the near future.

PERFORMANCE

The Dreamscape is not a multieffect pedal but rather a versatile single-effect pedal that provides a variety of short delay-based modulation effects. However, it can easily replace the need to have separate chorus, flanger and vibrato pedals on your pedal board as you can access entirely new effects in seconds by rotating the effect selector switch. Plus, you can load new TonePrint effects from a computer or by beaming them from a smartphone pointed at your guitar’s pickups, all in less than 10 seconds.

The effects boast the superb, noise-free sound quality for which TC is known. Both chorus effects are thick and lush, with a three-dimensional shimmer. Flanger 1 is subtle but effective for adding motion and dynamics to clean chord and arpeggio patterns, while Flanger 2 provides a dramatic, jet-like sweep. The vibrato effects produce a woozy, seasick wobble, but the pitch pulsations are subtle, so players don’t have to worry about sounding out of tune.

Rare Beatles Vox Guitar Goes on Exhibit in New York City

Christopher Scapelliti — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:35:48 +0000

A rare Vox guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison will be on display throughout this week at the Hard Rock Cafe New York. The guitar will be auctioned off on Saturday, May 18, where it is estimated to bring $200,000 to $300,000.

The striking custom guitar has a special place in Beatles history. It was built by Mike Bennett with electronics by Dickey Denney of Vox in 1966 and presented to the group the following year while they were at work on Magical Mystery Tour. Harrison played the guitar while practicing “I Am the Walrus” during the Magical Mystery Tour sessions, and Lennon used it while recording a video session for the song “Hello, Goodbye” from the same period.

Lennon later gifted the guitar to Beatles pal “Magic Alex” Mardas, whom the Beatles had hired to design their Apple Studio in Savile Row. A plaque on the back of the guitar reads “To Magic Alex / Alexi thank you for been [sic] a friend / 2-5-1967 John.” Mardas says the date is a reference to his 25th birthday, which preceded the date on which he received the guitar.

The guitar is notable for its unique scroll design. It features a mahogany hollow body with a single f-hole, a 24-fret rosewood fretboard with rectangular inlays, and electronics that include six pushbuttons for treble, bass, top boost, mid-boost, fuzz and repeat. The headstock is labeled "Vox Custom.” Though the guitar was not originally designed as part of the Vox Kensington line, it has since become known as such.

The exhibit and auction will be presented by Julien’s Auctions, the world’s premier music and entertainment memorabilia auction house, at Hard Rock Cafe New York on Saturday, May 18.

The guitar is the highlight of the pre-auction exhibit, which also will feature rock and roll memorabilia from artists that include Elvis Presley, David Bowie, the Grateful Dead, Madonna, Jimi Hendrix, David Cassidy, Bette Midler, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson and more.

The general public can view the exhibition from Monday, May 13, through Saturday, May 18, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Hard Rock Cafe New York, 1501 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.

Additional Content

Review: Re-Axe's Axe-Handler Guitar Stands

Billy Voight — Mon, 13 May 2013 10:04:58 +0000

The Axe-Handler by Re-Axe. Yes that’s a healthy display of the hyphen. And no, we're not talking about the kind of axe George Washington used to cut down a cherry tree.

What we are talking about is an American-made, mega-portable guitar stand that you can stash inside your case or gigbag to save your instrument from being the victim of a party foul at your next gig or living-room jam session.

There are two flavors of the Axe-Handler — the Original and the S/O.

What’s the difference? They both sit on the edge of your coffee table, desk, stool, amp or speaker cabinet and anchor your guitar or bass against gravity. But there are a few subtle differences. The Original Axe-Handler offers a pick holder. You’ll note the flat cutout that works best if you place your guitar strings-first into the holder.

The Axe-Handler S/O is a multi-tasker. The S/O stands for “strings out,” which means you place the back of the neck inside the soft V-shaped cutout. What I liked best about the S/O was that I could stand it upright on any table or even inside my guitar case and change strings or do minor tweaks.

Both Axe-Handler models are made from a durable rubber and are internally braced with steel. This ain’t no cookie-cutter nonsense! They stand about an inch tall and take up about as much space as a pack of guitar strings. The weight is comparable to full can of soda.

You can buy either of Re-Axe’s Axe-Handlers online, but the guys encourage you to check out a local music shop. In fact, the name of the Axe-Handler came from a music shop. Instead of dealing exclusively with the big commercial chains, they prefer to stick with local shops all over the US. Check their website below to find a list of dealers.

Web: http://re-axe.com
Street price: The Original, $17.95. The S/O, $16.95

You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.

40 Years After "Smoke On the Water," Fender Custom Shop Introduces Ritchie Blackmore Tribute Strat

Guitar World Staff — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:34:20 +0000

The Fender Custom Shop is paying tribute to the "anvil" used to forge one of the greatest guitar riffs in rock history, the one from Deep Purple's "Smoke On the Water," with its limited-edition Fender Custom Shop Ritchie Blackmore Tribute Stratocaster.

Limited to 2013 production only, the guitar is a meticulously crafted replica of the black Fender Stratocaster Blackmore played with Deep Purple in the early ’70s, including the recording of Machine Head and "Smoke on the Water."

“Smoke On the Water” was released on Machine Head in 1972 and as a single in May 1973 — 40 years ago. The song reached No. 4 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the US and propelled Machine Head into the top 10 worldwide.

The Fender Custom Shop Ritchie Blackmore Tribute Stratocaster has a two-piece alder body with a lightly worn Black urethane finish, a ’69 “U”-shaped maple neck, 7.25”-radius maple fingerboard with medium jumbo frets, and custom ’69 Stratocaster pickups hand-wound by Fender legend Abigail Ybarra.

Other features include three-way pickup switching, Schaller tuners, Micarta nut, four-bolt neck plate stamped with the serial number and the stylized Fender “F,” and a vintage-style synchronized tremolo equipped with Blackmore’s distinctive custom ¼” arm. Each instrument also includes an exclusive rear-headstock tribute decal, certificate of authenticity and orange-line black textured vinyl case with a “Fender Amp” logo.

Visit fender.com for more information on this guitar.

Additional Content

Review: Schecter Blackjack SLS C-8

Chris Gill, Video by Paul Riario — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:22:44 +0000

The following content is related to the February 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

While eight-string solidbody electric guitars haven’t yet matched the popularity of their seven-string counterparts, a growing number of companies have developed eight-string models since the first mass-produced eight-string guitars hit the market in 2007. Schecter introduced its first eight-string model, the C-8 Hellraiser, as a limited-production model in 2009, and today the company offers seven different eight-string models. With the longest scale (28 inches) of any Schecter eight-string model, the Blackjack SLS C-8 is more of an eight-string baritone than guitar, making it perfect for players who like their sound heavy and low.

Review: Blackstar Amplification ID:100TVP Head

Paul Riario — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:36:10 +0000

The following content is related to the April 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

Blackstar Amplification made an impressive debut six years ago with various tube amps that offered outstanding sound, versatility and value, and over the years the new series of tube amps it has introduced have remained faithful to those attributes.

With the introduction of the ID Series, Blackstar is taking a similar approach with solid-state designs, but the ID Series is not solid-state as we know it. These amps combine the tone and feel of a tube amp, the rugged dependability of solid-state and the sonic versatility of digital modeling, resulting in one of the most musically satisfying solid-state guitar amp designs ever conceived.

Say Wah? Five Essential Signature Wah Pedals

Damian Fanelli, Josh Hart — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:28:51 +0000

For all the audio wizardry made possible by effect pedals, nothing quite rivals the expression allowed by a great wah pedal.

Originally intended to mimic the sound of a muted trumpet, it didn't take long for guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa to make that sweet, sweeping "wah-wah" sound an integral part of the rock and roll lexicon. Whether conjuring a voodoo child or a bad horsie, the human element of the active manipulation of the pedal and its voice-like qualities are what give the wah a special place on the pedalboards — in and in the hearts — of countless musicians.

This week, we look at five essential pedals tailored especially for players who really took the wah and made it an integral part of their signature sound.

As always, this list was compiled by a group of Guitar World staffers, including technical editor Paul Riario.

Jim Dunlop Jerry Cantrell Wah

Outside of the realm of fretboard dramatics, few guitarists have used the wah quite so effectively as a tone control than Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell. The wah makes a subtle appearance on countless AIC classics, including "Them Bones" and "Down in a Hole," helping one of grunge's greatest players to home in on that tonal "sweet spot" for his ripping leads.

With a darker tonal spectrum than your stock Cry Baby, the JC95 gives you maximum control of your range by way of an adjustable Fine Tune knob. Thanks to Cantrell's predilection for cutting mids, you won't get bogged down with muddy bottom-end tones or shrill highs, instead getting a clear, throaty effect ideal for the careful tone-master and the stomp-happy guitarist.

What does it sound like?

Our own Paul Riario tries out the Jerry Cantrell Wah:

MSRP: $264.99 | Learn more about this pedal.

Vox Joe Satriani Big Bad Wah

The Vox Joe Satriani Big Bad Wah dual-mode wah pedal is the result of a collaboration between Vox and Joe Satriani (one of three such collaborations).

In the context of wah pedals, the Vox BBW is unique because it truly is two wah pedals in one. Wah 1 is pretty much a classic VOX, complete with the expected vintage UK tones; Wah 2 captures Satriani's original drive and voice controls. The result is a wide range of new sounds — not exactly the kind of sounds you'd expect from your average wah pedal.

The pedal has a Drive knob that mimics the Wah 1 gain at its lowest setting; it also delivers a 10-dB boost at the maximum settings for growling overtones. Wah 2 mode incorporates the Voice switch, which lets you choose everything from trad wah voicings to dark, resonant tones reminiscent of a vintage talk-box.

What does it sound like?

Here's the official Big Bad Wah demo video, featuring Satriani in action, direct from Vox's website:

MSRP: $280 | Learn more about this pedal.

Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie Wah

By now, you’ve probably guessed that this pedal was "designed according to the artist’s specifications," much like everything else on this list. And that is indeed the case for this pedal, Morley’s Steve Vai Bad Horsie Wah.

Vai has a close relationship with Morley Pedals, and the company makes three Vai signature models: the Bad Horsie, Bad Horsie 2 and the Little Alligator volume pedal.

As any Vai fan knows, this pedal is named after "Bad Horsie," the wah-heavy opening track from Vai’s 1995 album, Alien Love Secrets. (Check out a video of the song here.)

The pedal features Morley's electro-optical design, so there are no pots (which tend to get scratchy and wear out over time). Another cool feature is that you simply step on the pedal -- as in, touch it with your foot -- to engage it, and then just step off the pedal for true bypass.

What does it sound like?

Check out the two audio samples below, both of which are from Morley Pedals’ official website:

• Morley Bad Horsie Sample 1

• Morley Bad Horsie Sample 2

You also can check out Morley’s official demo video for this pedal, featuring Tommy Bolan, below. (And feel free to watch this additional video by Gearmanndude, who reviews countless pedals from all makers, large and small.)

MSRP: $204 | Learn more about this pedal.

Real McCoy Custom Joe Walsh Signature Wah

The Joe Walsh Signature Wah by Real McCoy Custom has been on Walsh’s pedal board (which you can see here) since late 2007, when the company, also known as RMC, began producing the pedal.

The pedal — which happens to be the company’s first signature model — was designed according to Walsh’s specs and aims to reproduce the wah sounds heard on Walsh’s early recordings.

The Walsh model features true bypass, an exclusive RMC ROC-POT potentiometer and easily adjustable rocker tension. As a visual bonus, the flame graphics on the chassis were created by artist Perry Hall according to — once again — Walsh’s specs.

What does it sound like?

This pedal doesn’t leave much of a footprint on YouTube (no foot/pedal pun intended). Hopefully, RMC will create and post an official demo video. Until then, you’ll find only one or two poor-quality videos on YouTube, plus this helpful video from ProGuitarShop.com.

MSRP: $235 | For more info about this pedal, visit realmccoycustom.com.

Jim Dunlop Z-45 Zakk Wylde Signature Wah

You know any wah made for Zakk Wylde is going to be rough, tough and road-ready, and this metal-cased behemoth of a pedal is all of that and more.

Used by Wylde with both Ozzy and Black Label Society, the Z-45 from Dunlop is a wah pedal that, in the words Guitar World gear reviewer Eric Kirkland, will make "each note cry with a deep and evil-sounding moan that resolved into an emotional peak."

The secret to the Z-45's warm, cutting tones is the Fasel inductor, which was responsible for some of the most iconic wah sounds of the late '60s. A longtime user of the Jimi Hendrix Cry Baby, Wylde made sure his signature medal had both a "classic" feel as well as more than enough thickness cut through loads of gain.

What does it sound like?

Here's a video from Dunlop — featuring Wylde — that introduces and demos the Jim Dunlop Z-45 Zakk Wylde Signature Wah:

MSRP: $200.55 | Learn more about this pedal.

Additional Content

Review: Chaosound Anti-Effect Pedal

Paul Riario — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:12:58 +0000

The following content is related to the June 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

One of the positive outcomes from the end of the Cold War is that many of our former Communist Bloc comrades have shifted their efforts from trying to destroy us to making musical instruments that blow our minds. One example is a mysterious company from Poland called Chaosound, which has developed a truly unusual pedal called the Anti-Effect.

Housed in a large, black metal case and featuring two footswitches watched over by the silhouettes of inventor Slawomir Badowski and his son Lukasz (right and left, respectively), the Anti-Effect is a unique weapon of mass distortion that mangles a guitar’s sound like a pipe bomb in a picnic basket.

Review: Randall Amplifiers RG13 Three-Channel, 1-Watt Amp

Billy Voight — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:12:29 +0000

The dreadful “must use provided backline” or “just use the mysterious amp at the drummer’s house” are circumstances where we hope for the best, yet fear the worst.

I mean, drummers somehow acquire freakishly weird amps; like, who ever heard of a Wolf brand amp? Backline gear is usually decent, but your biggest setback is time. The band before you swore, the crowd wanted more, and now the stage director is just swearing at everyone for going overtime.

So now you have two minutes to unpack, plug in, tune up and dial in a good tone.

The RG13 by Randall is clutch in these situations. It’s a three-channel, 1-watt amp that’s integrated into a floorboard and a DI. I know you’re thinking, “1 watt, what’s that gonna do?” I was able to hang with the Randall at a jam session through a 2x12, and it kept up just fine, drums and all.

The amp doesn’t need to have a speaker load on it to work. So it doubles and triples as an amplifier head, a headphone amp or a DI recording interface. The XLR out features a built-in 4x12 cabinet simulator. Great for giving your direct sound a little bit of warmth. If none of those ideas grab you, you can run the Randall in front of your amp like you would an overdrive pedal and gain thre extra channels.

Let’s look at the controls. Each channel has its own independent Gain and Volume knobs. There is one master EQ shared by all, which includes; Bass, Middle, Treble and Presence knobs. For added EQ tweaks, you’ll notice three on/off switches for Bright, Mid Scoop and Bass Boost options. Lastly, there is a Loop Boost knob and a Master Volume that controls the level of the entire pedal.

All channels have their own on/off footswitch. The Loop/Boost channel offers a switchable effects loop, tuner mute or boost option. Besides 1/4-inch input and an unbalanced output jack, there’s an 1/8-inch stereo input great for an mp3 player, an XLR out with switchable ground lift and 1/4-inch send/return jacks for your effects loop or tuner.

Clip 1 is a Les Paul into the Randall with a flat EQ and the mid scoop engaged. I used the XLR out to demo the 4x12 cabinet emulation as I ran the same chord progression through all three channels.

Clip 2 is a P-Bass with some old, dead flatwound strings with the gain set to where your dynamics determine if the signal will break up or not. Although the Randall isn’t marketed as a bass amp, it was fun to experiment.

Web: randallamplifiers.com
Street Price: $249.99