Gear

Review: Britannia Guitars Scorpion Elite

Eric Kirkland, Video by Paul Riario — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:28:46 +0000

The following content is related to the January 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.

Britannia Guitars president Marc Alexander became fascinated with Lucite when he saw the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Bill Wyman playing translucent Ampeg Dan Armstrong guitars in the Sixties. Both men raved about the natural sustain of their instruments. In the 50 years that followed, luthiers have produced only a handful of instruments made of Lucite: the material is not only heavy but also difficult to work with. Undeterred, Alexander developed precise manufacturing methods and solved the weight issue by using extensive cutouts. His new Scorpion Elite is an excitingly ornate Lucite masterpiece that’s as sonically impressive as it is visually intriguing.

Review: Lace Sensor Man O’ War MM4 and P/J Bass Pickups

Billy Voight — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:39:22 +0000

Man O’ War is the latest series of bass pickups from Lace Music Products.

The company has been designing pickups since the late '70s. You’re probably familiar with their Lace Sensor pickups found on the iconic Plus series Fender guitars and basses, as well as a few of Eric Clapton’s signature Stratocasters.

There are no exposed magnetic pole pieces on the Man O’ War pickups, and they pack a hot, punchy output into a battery-free passive setup.

I checked out the MM4 4-string bass humbucker pickup and a set of P/J pickups. My “test dummies” were an OLP MM bass and a Fender California Series Precision Bass Special.

The first thing I want to point out is the CD included with printable PDFs of the wiring schematics. This is an absolute game changer. No longer do I have to feel like I’m in a low-budget, made-for-TV movie trying to decide if it’s the green or red wire that defuses the bomb.

The next step was mounting the pickups. I will tip my hat again to the Lace crew for building direct replacements. Absolutely no pickguard mods were needed. Everything fit nice and snug. Lace included some foam and mounting screws, but I chose to keep the original hardware in there.

Along with the great schematics, the pickups were clearly labeled, dated and stamped "Made in the USA." The MM4 is a split-coil design. This means you can wire it up as one humbucker or similar to a Jazz Bass, where you can dial in more or less of the top or bottom pickup or crank them both to act at one humbucker.

After soldering them in, I used 7/64” as a starting point for pickup heights. Like the description says, they’re hot! I set them just a little lower to keep things even with my other basses. The biggest difference was the stock OLP pickup to the Lace MM4. It went from a noisy, cheap bass to a throaty funk machine. The P/J set took my P-bass from more of a classic P-bass sound to an aggressive sound. If your P-bass needs a little more hair on it, this is the pickup.

In each clip below, I start off with the tone rolled back, playing fingerstyle. Then I crank everything up and use a pick to show the more aggressive side of the pickups.

Web: lacemusic.com/
Street Price: MM4 $109.99 P/J set $154.99

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.

Review: Rocktron Boutique Series Stomp Boxes

Chris Gill, Video by Paul Riario — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:18:42 +0000

The following content is related to the October 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.

Rocktron quietly rolled out its Boutique Series stomp boxes a few years ago, perhaps taking the “boutique” concept a little too seriously by not aggressively promoting the products and allowing buzz to build by word of mouth (or, in these electronic times, via internet and social media). The line has steadily grown and now consists of 16 products that include a variety of boost, overdrive, distortion and fuzz boxes; standard effects like compression, chorus and delay; useful tools like the Guitar Silencer noise reduction/gate and Tru-Loop effect loop pedals; and entirely new designs like the Texas Recoiler “single-coil tone shifter.”

I took a closer look at three of the coolest pedals in Rocktron’s Boutique Series—the O.D.B (Overdrive Dynamic Blues), the Texas Recoiler and the Third Angel Distortion, all of which offer guitarists a great introduction to the Boutique Series’ impressive lineup. If you like what you hear from these effects after doing your own auditions, it’s worth digging deeper into this surprisingly innovative and refreshingly affordable line of products.

FEATURES

All of Rocktron’s Boutique Series pedals are housed in gray/silver brushed-aluminum boxes that measure approximately 3 1/2 by 4 3/4 inches and are decorated with laser-etched graphics. All of the pedals feature true-bypass switching and heavy-duty knurled metal knobs, and operate via nine-volt battery or with an optional center-negative nine-volt DC adaptor.

Refreshingly, the O.D.B breaks from the ubiquitous three-knob Tube Screamer–style overdrive design with its two concentric knobs that control tone/output and drive/dynamic range (soft-knee compression). Even cooler are the pair of switches for the circuit’s germanium diodes, which allow users to individually engage clipping to the positive and negative portions of the overdrive circuit to produce symmetrical clipping (both diodes on) or asymmetrical clipping (one diode on, the other off).

The Texas Recoiler is designed for use with single-coil pickups and features knobs for controlling output, frequency, high-pass filtering and Windings. Together, these controls emulate the effects of different pickup construction techniques, such as the midrange dip of certain popular custom Strat pickups, the icy treble tones of pickups with fewer windings and the aggressive punch of pickups with extra windings.

The Third Angel Distortion’s control set seems like the usual array found on most metal distortion pedals. However, while it has controls for level, bass and treble, it also includes controls named Deceive (actually gain) and Unrighteous, which alters the waveform’s symmetry and definition.

PERFORMANCE

As one would expect for Rocktron—the company that perfected noise-reduction technology—all three pedals provide stunning noise-free operation even at the most extreme “all-in” settings. While in this instance O.D.B is an acronym for Overdrive Dynamic Blues, the pedal reminds me of another famous O.D.B—namely Ol’ Dirty Bastard—as its tone is downright dirty, funky and nas-tay. The pedal produces a hotter version of overdrive reminiscent of Billy Gibbons’ bluesiest edge-of-distortion moments as well as Octavia-style fuzz with the germanium diodes dialed in to asymmetrical soft clipping. Even at the most maxed-out settings, note definition remains muy bueno, with single notes sounding fat and humongous.

The Texas Recoiler offers single-coils an incredible injection of muscle and responsiveness, instantly transforming the tone of 97-pound weakling pickups into beefy, brawny Charles Atlas beasts. The frequency control selects the center (or peak) midrange frequency; the Windings control adjusts the center frequency’s gain; and the high-pass filter dials in the desired amount of bass response. A trim pot inside the pedal allows users to adjust the width of the midrange filter with a screwdriver.

With its tight bass, aggressive midrange, and razor-sharp treble, the Third Angel Distortion is undeniably voiced for metal. While the bass and treble EQs can dial in some rather extreme tones, the pedal’s midrange remains full, so even the most radical settings never get lost in the mix. The Unrighteous control is this pedal’s secret weapon, enabling players to dial in harmonic overtones that sound like two or even three guitars layered together.

Dio Launches Limited-Edition Collectible Guitar Featuring 'Holy Diver' Artwork

Guitar World Staff — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:16:11 +0000

Artist Series Guitar will release 30 of Dio's Holy Diver guitars in July.

Finished with Dio's exclusive artwork and built with solid mahogany, the Dio ASG is set with artwork from the classic Holy Diver album. Once the graphic has undergone the ASG-designed, chemical bonding process, the guitar is then clear-coated, wet-sanded and buffed. This process forever seals the custom graphic to the guitar.

With only 30 to ever be made — one to mark each year of Dio — this rare anniversary guitar is set to sell out fast. Pre-sale will begin July 10, to mark what would have been Ronnie James Dio's 70th birthday.

Each of the 30 available guitars include these key attributes:

• Solid Mahogany body with Set Mahogany Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard with Mother-of-Pearl Inlays
• ASG Arsenal Pickups - Dual-Coil Humbuckers with Alnico V mags
• Kluson-style tuners
• Hand-carved mahogany top
• Ivory Binding on Body, Neck and Headstock
• Graph-Tech Nut
• Hardshell Case

"The artwork for this release is probably one of the most iconic images in metal," says Artist Series Guitar owner Vijay Kumar. "To me, the Holy Diver artwork is a defining part of metal history, and we are infinitely honored to be able to release this guitar."

On the Holy Diver artwork, Wendy Dio says, “It shows a monster drowning a priest, but how do you know the monster is not the priest?” Wendy continues by saying that the Holy Diver artwork was the visual interpretation of Ronnie James Dio's multifaceted lyrics.

The Dio guitar will be available for presale online at ArtistSeriesGuitar.com starting 12:00 am PST on July 10, 2013.

For more info visit: www.artistseriesguitar.com, www.facebook.com/artistseriesguitar, www.twitter.com/artistseriesgtr, and https://www.facebook.com/OfficialRonnieJamesDio.

Below, you can watch video of the Dio ASG.

Additional Content

Praise the Loud! Guitar World Delivers Sonic Salvation with a Host of Divine and Almighty Amplifiers

Guitar World Staff — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:00:45 +0000

Praise the Loud!

Guitar World delivers sonic salvation with a heavenly host of divine and almighty amplifiers.

Note that the amps' prices and websites are provided below. Be sure to check out the photo gallery at the bottom of this story for photos and brief descriptions of all the amps in the story.

Enjoy!

01. Blackstar Amplification Limited-Edition Arctic White HT-5R and HT-1R tube amps
STREET PRICES HT-5RW combo, $499.99; HT-1RW combo, $319.99; HT-5RSW mini stack, $779.99; HT-5RHW head, $429.99; HT-112W cabinet, $219.99; blackstaramps.com

02. Orange Twin-Channel OR100
LIST PRICE $2,199; orangeamps.com

03. Carvin Legacy 3
LIST PRICE $899; carvinguitars.com

04. Budda AS Preceptor
LIST PRICE $3,899; budda.com

05. Fender ’57 Bandmaster
LIST PRICE $3,399.99; fender.com/series/custom/57-bandmaster/

06. Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 36 Combo
LIST PRICE $1,499; Street Price, $1,199; hughes-and-kettner.com

07. Pritchard Sword of Satori
LIST PRICE $2,300 (as shown); pritchardamps.com

08. Marshall Slash Signature SL5
LIST PRICE $970; marshallamps.com

09. Quilter Labs Aviator
LIST PRICES Ultralight Eight, $699; Open Twelve, $899; Twin Ten, $949; Quilterlabs.com

10. Ibanez TSA30H Tube Screamer 30-watt head
LIST PRICE $599.99; ibanez.com

11. Fishman Loudbox Performer Acoustic Instrument Amplifier
LIST PRICE $1,184.53; Street Price, $769.95; fishman.com

12. Randall RD Diavlo Series
STREET PRICE $249.99; randallamplifiers.com/diavlo-series

13. PRS 2 Channel Custom 50 and 100
LIST PRICE $1,999; MAP, $1,799; prsguitars.com/2channelcustom

14. Peavey ValveKings
LIST PRICES ValveKing II Micro Head, $499; ValveKing II Head, $899; ValveKing II Combo 20 $749; ValveKing II Combo 50, $799; peavey.com

15. Roland Cube Lite
STREET PRICE $169; rolandus.com

16. Carr Impala
LIST PRICES  1x12 combo, $2,490; head, $2,390; carramps.com/products/impala

17. Schecter Hellwin USA 100 head
LIST PRICE $3,699; schecterguitars.com

18. Traynor YGL1 15-watt All-Tube 1x12 combo
LIST PRICE $849; Street Price, $599; traynoramps.com

19. Vox Mini5 Rhythm
LIST PRICE $225; Street Price, $159.99; voxamps.com

20. Yamaha THR Series
LIST PRICES THR10X, $460; THR10C, $460; THR5A, $330; usa.yamaha.com

Zero to '60s in Five Pedals: Five Modern Effects that Conjure Far-Out, Vintage Tones

Damian Fanelli, Josh Hart — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:08:35 +0000

Many guitar players — at some point — can't help but fall under the spell of the sounds found on classic rock albums of the mid- to late '60s.

Players like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend and Robby Krieger were synonymous with wah, fuzz, univibe and/or tremolo. Throw George Harrison and Brian Jones into the mix and you get sitars and other sound- (and mind-) altering effects. They were always experimenting, changing things up, trying to outdo each other.

Modern players who are obsessed with classic '60s rock sounds can glue their eyes to eBay, waiting for pricey, hard-to-find vintage gear to show up. Or they can check out these five easy-to-find, modern effect pedals, as chosen by a group of Guitar World staffers including Gear Editor Paul Riario.

Vox V846-HW Hand-Wired Wah Wah

Stop, children, what's that sound? ... Well, if we're talking about the '60s (and we are), it's probably Jimi Hendrix playing "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" on a Fender Strat through a Vox V846 Wah Wah pedal.

Vox actually created the first wah pedal in the '60s, spawning an army of imitators that continues to grow, NAMM after NAMM. Back in the day, the Vox wah and its competitors found their way into the hands — or in this case, the feet — of countless top-notch rock guitarists, from Hendrix to Jeff Beck to Jimmy Page to Eric Clapton. But again, Vox was there first.

In 2011, the company issued its V846-HW Hand-Wired Wah Wah Pedal, which does a fine job of capturing the tone, feel and weight of the original Vox pedal. Every component in the new model — inductors, resistors, capacitors and the potentiometer — is carefully selected. And like its name suggests, each unit features hand-wired turret board construction with no printed circuit boards. The only difference is a true bypass, a handy update for modern players.

MSRP: $329 | Check out this pedal at voxamps.com.

Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face Distortion

The '60s may have started out clean, but by the end of the decade there were some pretty gnarly distortion and fuzz sounds filling clubs and arenas around the world.

Among the most distinctive fuzz tones of the late '60s undoubtedly belonged to Jimi Hendrix, who utilized a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face to add that extra layer of dirt to his already gritty brand of hard blues. Unless you're quick on the draw with your eBay bids or simply owned one back in the day, you won't have much luck finding Hendrix's original fuzz source these days, but fortunately Dunlop has produced a faithful replica in the Dunlop Jimi Hendrix Fuzz Face.

Hand-wired and built around a BC108 silicon transistor, the Hendrix Fuzz Face is nothing less than a meticulous reproduction of the original pedal, one you'll need if you'll want to summon your inner-voodoo child.

And if a Tone Bender is more your thing, check out the OC81D Williams Vintage Tone MK11 Professional, as used by Ben King, the current Yardbirds guitarist.

MSRP: $257 | Check out this pedal at jimdunlop.com.

Electro-Harmonix Ravish Sitar

You're in a '60s cover band. The rowdy, drunken audience is clamoring for your "Paint It, Black" / "Norwegian Wood" medley. Do you just play the sitar parts on your Fender Esquire and smile knowingly, like, "Yeah, I know these notes were originally played on a sitar, but what the hell am I supposed to do?" Well, yes, you could do that. But you also could check out Electro-Harmonix's new Ravish Sitar pedal.

As we say in the 2013 Guitar World Buyer's Guide, it's the "world's best sitar emulation for guitar. With the Ravish Sitar pedal, Electro-Harmonix has streamlined the essence of the sitar into a compact enclosure that offers a polyphonic lead voice a tunable sympathetic string drones that dramatically react to your playing with adjustable timbre."

And besides all that, guitarists can finally tackle "Bangla Dhun," Ravi Shankar's 15-minute Indian-music recital that kicks off The Concert for Bangladhesh. Or not!

MSRP: $319 | Check out this pedal at exh.com.

Dry Bell Vibe Machine V-1

You'll find vibe effects all over the music of Jimi Hendrix and Procol Harem's Robin Trower, a fact that, in and of itself, makes a good vibe pedal an essential part of any '60s guitar rig.

There's no shortage of great vibe units to choose from, but for our money, the Dry Bell Vibe Machine is the top of the heap. Not only is it among the more compact options, it allows for maximum tone control with its "Bright" switch, avoiding the sound-dampening side effects of some of the other pedals on the market.

If you want to nail that Hendrix-at-Woodstock tone, adding this little beauty in your arsenal certainly can't hurt. What it can't help? Your nerves playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of a few hundred-thousand fans.

MSRP: $295 | Check out this pedal at drybell.com.

Fulltone Supa-Trem 1

As Guitar World has said in past reviews, Fulltone's Supa-Trem 1 is a tremolo pedal that lives up to its name. As you can tell by the photo in the gallery below, it's a simple, basic, gimmick-free effect that inadvertently captures the look of '60s pedals while working hard to capture the sound.

From personal experience, it's also a rugged pedal that can take a licking and keep on waving. It features a footswitchable Half/Full speed footswitch that stays in tempo and lets you channel some authentic-sounding Leslie-like moves. Another footswitch lets you choose between "Soft" smooth wavering or "Hard" square-wave machine-gun stutter. There's also an internal trimmer to fine tune the feel of the waveform.

As a side note, '60s rocker John Fogerty uses one of these pedals today to recreate his powerful CCR-era tremolo effects.

MSRP: $219 | Check out this pedal at fulltone.com.

Can't get enough gear? Check out the 2013 Guitar World Buyer's Guide. It's available now at the Guitar World Online Store.

Additional Content

Review: Yamaha THR10 Modeling and Recording Amp

Chris GIll, Video by Paul Riario — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:03:49 +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.

Small amps are almost as common today as hillbilly reality shows, but Yamaha has come up with a little powerhouse so unusual and distinctive that it stands out from the pack. Dubbed the THR10, this impressively versatile stereo 10-watt (dual five-watt) combo features two eight-centimeter full-range speakers, tube-amp tone, digital amp models and effects, storable presets, USB connectivity, and a choice of battery or AC operation, all in an attractive retro-styled metal housing.

FEATURES

The first thing you’ll notice about the THR10 is its cream-colored chassis with a distinctive cutout chevron-pattern grille. When the amp is powered up, the grille illuminates with a simulated tube-like orange glow that emphasizes the THR10’s vintage styling.
Despite appearances, the THR10 is a digital amp that uses Yamaha’s Virtual Circuitry Modeling (VCM) technology to create five guitar amp models (Clean, Crunch, Lead, Brit Hi and Modern), a bass amp model, an acoustic amp model and a flat setting for use with an iPod or other stereo music player. VCM is also behind the THR10’s impressive selection of effects, which comprises chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, delay/reverb, spring reverb, hall reverb, compressor and noise gate. There are controls for gain, master volume and three-band EQ (bass, middle, treble) as well as separate output controls for guitar and USB/auxiliary sound sources.

Five memory locations let users save their favorite amp, EQ and effect settings. Using a computer and the THR Editor software, you can modify numerous parameters in even greater detail, as well as the noise gate and compressor effects, which are accessible only via the THR Editor. A tap-tempo function and a tuner are also available from the THR10’s front panel.

PERFORMANCE

Despite its small size, the THR10 sounds big, delivering punchy bass and impressive volume comparable to that of a much larger amp. The various amp models do their jobs quite nicely, with the Clean setting providing distortion-free output even with all the controls maxed, the Crunch setting producing moderate overdrive that cleans up when you back down the guitar’s volume knob, and the Lead, Brit Hi and Modern settings delivering the responsive feel of a raging tube amp. The EQ section can dial in a wide variety of tones that never sound artificial or overly harsh. The effects are very useful—using the THR Editor I was able to dial in brisk Edge-like delays and mammoth EVH-style delay/reverb/phaser brown sounds.

Railhammer Announces Hyper Vintage Pickups with Chrome Covers

Melanie Gottshall — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:45:19 +0000

Railhammer has announced that its Hyper Vintage model pickups are now available with chrome covers.

The covers are made of German silver (nickel silver) and are chrome plated. Unlike brass, German silver has a minimal effect on the sound of the pickup.

The Hyper Vintage pickup is aimed at the player who likes a more traditional PAF-style sound. Using Alnico 5 magnets and 42 gauge wire, the tone is warm, open and lightly compressed with chimey highs. The Hyper Vintage is suited for blues, classic rock, old-school metal and punk, that "brown" sound, or for any player looking for a vintage vibe but wants the advantages of the Railhammer design. The bridge model is wound to 8.5K, the neck model to 7.5K.

Thin rails under the wound strings sense a narrow section of string, producing a tight, clear tone. Large poles under the plain strings sense a wide section of string, producing a fat, thick tone. This allows players to dial in a tight clear tone on the wound strings without the plain strings sounding thin or sterile. The result is improved clarity and tonal balance across all the strings.

Touch sensitivity, sustain and harmonic content are also enhanced by the extremely efficient magnetic structure, and the elimination of any moving parts. The strong magnetic field also prevents any dead spots when bending strings (including on the round pole side).

Other features include universal spacing, six-screw German silver baseplate, four-conductor wiring (for custom wiring such as coil split, phase, series/parallel, etc.) and height-tapered rails that contribute to consistent volume across all the strings.

The patent-pending Railhammers are designed by Joe Naylor.

For more information, visit railhammer.com.

Professional Guitar/Bass Cases Available Now from SKB

Guitar World Staff — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:42:57 +0000

SKB has announced that Strat/Tele guitar and Precision/Jazz bass cases are available now — only from SKB Corporation. The cases were previously manufactured exclusively for Fender Corporation.

The 1SKB-66PRO Rectangular Electric Guitar case accommodates Stratocaster- and Telecaster-shaped models, while the 1SKB-44PRO Electric Bass case will fit Precision- and Jazz-style basses.

Both case models, which are manufactured at SKB’s Mexico factory, are vacuum formed of durable lightweight ABS plastic with molded in stacking ribs for added strength and durability.

Cases include the same patented fiberglass-reinforced TSA locking trigger latches found on the popular i-Series injection-molded flight cases. A comfortable rubber over-molded cushion grip handle is placed in the perfect location for balanced transport.

The interior of these models features a rigid EPS, plush-lined insert for a secure fit to the body and proper neck support of the instrument. A large accessory compartment for picks, strings or a slide is included.

The 1SKB-66PRO Tele/Strat Street Price of $159.99 and the 1SKB-44PRO J/P Bass Street Price of $169.99 cases are covered by SKB’s Unconditional Lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser and are available now. Visit the SKB Summer NAMM Booth #1100 to check them out or contact SKB Music ProAV Sales at 1.800.410.2024. For more info, visit skbcases.com.

Gibson's New Bill Kelliher Golden Axe Explorer Powered by Gold-Plated Lace Nitro Hemi Pickups

Guitar World Staff — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:02:19 +0000

Lace Music has announced that Gibson's new Bill Kelliher Golden Axe Explorer guitar is fitted with Lace Nitro Hemi pickups dressed in gold-plated finish.

Kelliher, one of the guitarists for Mastodon, has been a Lace endorser for some time. It is fitting that his new Signature Gibson Explorer guitar uses some of his favorite pickups.

Finished with gold-plated covers to match the rest of his Gibson, these pickups were specially built for this run of Golden Axe guitars.

Lace Nitro-Hemi pickups were designed for rock and heavy metal players. It is a serious modern humbucker that can be split for single-coil tones. Bold and aggressive, it will take you from zero to metal in a heartbeat.

Built with Barium Ferrite magnets and using patented Lace Sensor design, this passive high-output pickup has the thump of a fat humbucker with the sparkly bell like top end found in single-coil pickups, proving sweet harmonic overtones that jump off every note for increased sonic depth.

Nitro Hemi pickups are designed for zero noise and exceptional tone in the split-coil mode. As one of Kelliher’s requirements for Mastodon and more, these pickups deliver the tone and looks Kelliher sought for the guitar.

Technical Specs:

Neck: Resistance 15.8Ω, Peak Frequency 2750 Hz, Inductance 4.6 henries
Bridge: Resistance 19.0Ω, Peak Frequency 2600 Hz, Inductance 4.6 henries

For more information, visit Lace at lacemusic.com or Gibson at gibson.com.

Additional Content

The Buzz Stop Might Just Give Your Fender Jaguar a Buzz Cut

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:57:16 +0000

Even though the Fender Jaguar has a short, 24-inch scale, 22-fret neck and knobs and switches that can be as confusing as the control panel on a single-engine 1983 Piper Seminole, it’s an undeniably cool guitar, and it looks and sounds awesome.

Although it wasn’t a huge hit for Fender in the early ’60s (Let’s just say it never quite took off like the Strat and the Tele), the model had, and has, a massive cult following.

But despite the all love, some players complain that the Jaguar doesn’t have the sustain of a Strat, and — from personal experience — it often has this weird string-buzz thing going on.

Which is one of the reasons I sold my Jaguar for beer money in 2007 (I did eventually crawl back into this corner of the universe when I bought a Jazzmaster in 2011).

As a member of a New York-based heavy trad instrumental surf rock band called Mister Neutron, I know a lot of Jaguar players. Some of them — including Dave Wronski of Southern California’s Slacktone (also an occasional GuitarWorld.com blogger) — use something called a Buzz Stop to address this problem.

The Buzz Stop, which is made by a company called Whizzo, is a piece of hardware that attaches to the tailpiece of a Jaguar or Jazzmaster. It has a roller, which the strings go under. The benefit is the added down-pressure of the strings against the bridge saddles, which makes for a more “solid” contact.

“The Buzz Stop helps reduce rattles and the tendency of the strings to jump off the bridge saddles when playing aggressively,” Wronski says. “Without it, a lot of string-vibration energy is lost by way of the rattles. I use them on my Jaguars, except for my ’63 sunburst model, which doesn’t seem to need it because the angle and height of the neck pocket are optimal for a good rattle-free setup. The ’63 is well-made; the saddles were better on those old guitars.”

For much more about the Whizzo Buzz Stop (Consider this blog post merely a teaser on the topic), visit North Coast Music's Buzz Stop page. You'll find photos, diagrams, FAQs and dealers.

Stay frosty!

In the meantime, check out Slacktone in action. That's Dave Wronski on the Jaguar, Dusty Watson on drums and Sam Bolle on bass:

Damian Fanelli is the online managing editor at Guitar World. Follow him on Twitter, I mean, if you want ...

TC Electronic Announces New Steve Vai TonePrint, Ocean Machine

Damian Fanelli — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:43:43 +0000

TC Electronic has announced one of the biggest names on the TonePrint artist roster yet: Steve Vai. The guitarist has contributed a TonePrint for Hall Of Fame Reverb called Ocean Machine.

Vai’s signature Ocean Machine TonePrint is free and available now through tcelectronic.com or through the free TonePrint app for iOS and Android phones. The company describes Ocean Machine as a very natural-sounding reverb with a bit of chorus and Vai's precise parameter and EQ settings.

“To put it simply, I think it’s totally awesome Steve Vai has done TonePrints," said Tore Mogensen, business manager for guitar at TC Electronic. "He’s worshiped by guitarists far and wide, plus I’ve been a fan since forever, so meeting him was definitely a perk. I think Ocean Machine turned out great and has a wide range of applications. A must try!”

As a bonus, TC Electronic will be giving away a Hall Of Fame Reverb signed by Vai. Entry is simple and straightforward. Just click "Like" on TC Electronic's Facebook page. The competition ends July 2.

For more information about the Ocean Machine TonePrint, visit tcelectronic.com.

Additional Content

Review: Seymour Duncan Classic Fully Loaded Liberator Pickguard for Strat

Paul Riario — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:15:54 +0000

The following content is related to the March 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.

Installing pickups can be a laborious and time-consuming task, even for a tech who’s proficient with a soldering iron. Now Seymour Duncan has taken the difficulty out of the process with its new Liberator volume pot and fully loaded pickguards, which install with no soldering required. I tested the Classic Fully Loaded Liberator pickguard for Strat, which Duncan designed specifically for rockers who want powerhouse tones, single-coil cut and no hum.

Knaggs Guitars Introduces Chesapeake Series Severn Trembuck Model

Guitar World Staff — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:19:49 +0000

Knaggs Guitars, the boutique Maryland-based maker of high-end, investment-grade stringed musical instruments, has added a new Chesapeake Series model to its lineup.

The Severn Trembuck, which is based on the company's successful Severn model, comes with two humbuckers controlled by a three-way blade switch with push-pull option, allowing for coil tapping and providing high-gain humbucking and classic single coil sounds with a 25.5-inch scale.

Knaggs’ proprietary Chesapeake Tremolo has been redesigned to allow for increased string vibration and sustain and back loading of electronics. Standard features are set rock maple necks with rosewood or maple fret boards and alder/sapele laminated bodies with or without Maple tops. Like all Knaggs models, the Severn Trembuck is available in three tiers and a variety of color options.

Knaggs Guitars have been carving a niche for themselves in the world of high-end guitar making in just a few short years. Artists currently using Knaggs instruments include Grammy-Award winner Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Kings of Chaos) Nils Lofgren (E-Street Band), Stuart Fraser (Noiseworks/John Farnham), Doug Rappoport (Edgar Winter Band) and two time Latin Grammy nominee Pablo Olivares.

For more information, visit knaggsguitars.com.

Bent Out of Shape Review: Checking Out Bare Knuckle's PG Blues Pickups

Will Wallner — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:48:05 +0000

I recently installed a set of Bare Knuckle PG Blues pickups into one of my Les Pauls.

I've always been somewhat fascinated by this pickup company because their pickups are produced close to where I grew up in Devon, England. The company was founded in 2003, which was around the time I started playing guitar.

I've never really had the opportunity own a set of these pickups because I've always played vintage instruments and preferred to keep them stock. That was until recently, when I bought a 1991 Les Paul Studio as a touring guitar. Although this guitar sounded good with the stock pickups, I couldn't resist the opportunity to install a set of Bare Knuckles and find out how good they sounded.

There was no doubt in my mind this was the brand I wanted, especially after reading on their website that Gary Moore and John Sykes (two of my favorite guitar players) used these pickups. All I had to decide was which model I should go for.

I emailed the guys at the company, who told me Moore used the PG Blues model in two of his live guitars. Moore fans will know Peter Green was a huge influence on his playing. According to their website, the PG Blues pickups are "designed to replicate the tones of Peter Green's famous '59 Les Paul." This is the same Les Paul he gave to Moore in 1972. Even though I'm more of a hard rock/heavy metal player, I liked the idea of a 59 PAF-sounding pickup set for my touring guitar.

I prefer lower, "vintage"-output pickups because they are much more sensitive to my pick attack and dynamics. This is further complimented by my choice of amplifiers — early '80s JCM 800 2204's. These amps are very sensitive to your picking dynamics. With the gain on max, you can produce clean notes by picking gently. At the same time, if you dig in hard with the pick you will sound aggressive and powerful. I've incorporated these sounds into my playing and now heavily rely on them when soloing.

So last week, I installed the pickups and the improvement in tone was instantly noticeable. They are very touch sensitive, even with a highly saturated signal from an overdrive pedal. They also have a very nice bright high end that never sounds shrill. Another great feature is they don't lose much of their brightness when you roll down your volume knob.

To demonstrate, I've recorded a quick demo to try and highlight the pickups' tonal qualities. I should point out that while they are great for hard rock, they are probably best suited for cleaner, blues-style players.

For this demo, I'm going through a Marshall JCM 800 with an Ibenez Tube Screamer. The beginning is the neck pickup through the amp without the pedal. Then for main riff I use the bridge pickup with the Tube Screamer on low. For the solo, I increase the gain on the pedal for full saturation. Cheers!

Will Wallner is a guitarist from England who now lives in Los Angeles. He recently signed a solo deal with Polish record label Metal Mind Productions for the release of his debut album, which features influential musicians from hard rock and heavy metal. He also is the lead guitarist for White Wizzard (Earache Records) and toured Japan, the US and Canada in 2012. Follow Will on Facebook and Twitter.