Revista Guitarrista Nov 2014 PDF

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THE GUITAR MAGAZINE 387

GEAR REVIEWS | INTERVIEWS | GUITAR ESSONS | TIP & ADVICE

5 | November 20 4

Yardbirds Zeppelin

Semi Shootout!Gibson Group Tes& much ore!

Page

E X C L U S I V E

I N T E R V I E W

King CrimsonInterview + Fripp’s Rig!

NOVEMBER 2014 PRNTED N THE UK £5.75


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November 2014 Guitarist 3

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Turning A Page

We’ve had the pleasure offeaturing Jimmy Page in the

mag again this month, anarticle prompted by thepublication of his newautobiography, in whichmuch of the story is toldthrough powerfully evocativephotos of Jimmy’s rise from

fresh-faced teen to session professional andfinally guitar god in Led Zeppelin. As you turnthe pages, the hair gets longer, while the guitarspass through the germinal stages ofembargo-era Graziosos to ‘proper’ Les PaulCustoms and finally the famous instruments thatJimmy used to etch the melody of Stairway To Heaven into the collective imagination. But it’spleasing to note that he reserves specialaffection for those first guitars: the awkward,difficult-to-play beginner’s instruments that hefirst performed with. When you think aboutthat, you realise that it’s because you discovermusic on such instruments. The first thrill of

conjuring melody from thin air belongs to thosehumble guitars – in the face of all their flaws,they’re still the most important instruments weever play. It’s a timely reminder that it’s themusic that makes guitars magical, not – howeverdesirable they may be – the guitars as objectsthemselves. A stairway to heaven indeed…

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Music engraver Chris Francis

AV content produced by Martin Holmes

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSE WILD

42

Contents The Guitar Magazine

6 Guitarist November 2014

People & PlayingSlash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Reeves Gabrels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42J Mascis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48Jakko Jakszyk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Jimmy Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Pete Kennedy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Rich Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82

62Jimmy PageOn the eve of the launch

of Jimmy Page, thefascinating new

photographic

autobiography, Guitarist

is granted an exclusive

interview with the man

himself – to talk about the

bond he still has with his

early guitars, highlights

from his session career,

and to discuss his gear

during the Zeppelin years

RegularsWelcome From The Editor . . . . . . .3Front End. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Readers’ Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34New Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41Subscribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104Longterm Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134Gear Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139Readers’ Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156

74

52

3242

ISSUE 387 NOVEMBER 2014


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New gear this monthVigier Excalibur Thirteen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8PRS Archon 100-watt head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Peerless Jezebel & Retromatic 131 . . . . . . . 18Gibson Billy F Gibbons Goldtop . . . . . . . . . . 36Gibson Memphis Round-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Martin Retro & Aura acoustics . . . . . . . . . . . .94Godin Multiac Nylon SA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Boutique Fuzz Pedals Round-up . . . . . . . .114What You Need To Know About Wah 118Roland Cube Street EX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

NSF Controls Free-Way Switch . . . . . . . . . .125EHX B9 Organ Machine & DeluxeBig Muff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126SiB! Mr Echo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127Zoom H5 Handy Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127Vox AC4C1-12 Combo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Tech21 Fly Rig5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Rode NT-USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132Fender Rumble 200 Bass Combo . . . . . . .132

How to watch

From now on, you’ll be able tostream all of the accompanying video content from a YouTubeplaylist, accessible via the short

web link below. Simply type it into your PC, tablet or mobile device’sweb browser and watch it all from

there. In the case of audio-only

files, we will publish a separatedownload link on the page.

And fear not, all back-issue Vaultcontent remains available online

at vault.guitarist.co.uk.

S T E P 1

Go to: http://bit.ly/guitarist387

S T E P 2

Play and enjoy. Simple!

Follow the linkabove to get your

video content

http://bit.ly/guitarist387

VIDEOS


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F I R S T P L A YVigier Excalibur Thirteen

FRENCH

PERFECT IONWhat is the definition of the modernelectric solidbody guitar?You’re looking at it…

WORDS D A V E B U R R L U C K

PHOTOGRAPHY S I M O N L E E S

The long-running Excalibur, introducedin 1991, is a much more mainstream

vision than many of Vigier’s earlierdesigns, but it’s the guitar that hasput the brand on the international

map: a complete redesign of the double-cutaway bolt-on.

The Thirteen (introduced in 2013 andretained for this year) came from a desire, says

Vigier’s UK distributor Ben Whatsley, “todevelop an Excalibur that is very versatile andwould be an ideal choice for players of anystyle or genre, providing an extremely stableand easy-to-use-guitar.” It may sit in the higherlevels of the Excalibur range, which starts withthe Indus at £1,459, but the Thirteen is honedto perfection, not a hair out of place, reflecting


VIDEO DEMO


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F I R S T P L A Y

Vigier’s long-standing obsession with ultimatequality and performance.

The body is two-piece centre-joined Frenchalder, slimmer in depth than the Fender blueprint at 41mm. Its skinnier horns providemaximum access to the upper frets – all 24 ofthem: medium gauge, mirror-polishedstainless steel on the 300mm radius’d maplefingerboard. The slightly flat-backed, slimdepth ‘D’ profile neck (19.5mm at the 1st fret,22.8mm at the 12th), combined with very vintage-like rounded edges and a satin finish,feels exceptional. Very few makers go for agraphite-reinforced neck without a truss rod, but Vigier believes in its 10/90 neckconstruction – it’s not a gimmick and wasintroduced back in 1988. “For me, the graphite[reinforced] neck is better,” says Patrice. “It is very stable. I don’t say we don’t have anyproblems, but they’re very few.” It’s interesting,too, that the graphite centre spine is installedfrom the back; the fingerboard, like an oldTelecaster, is simply the face of the neck.

Attention to the smallest detail iseverywhere. There are the knurled oversizedlocking wheels on the Schaller dual-heighttuners; those ball-end string retainers; theTeflon string guide (not glued, so changing to a bigger string gauge involves just swapping itfor one with wider grooves). Then there’s thehardened steel zero fret (again, easily replacedif any wear creates slight grooves); the direct-mount humbuckers with factory set pole-pieceadjustments; the bolted-into-metal-insertstrap buttons; the micro-sized kill switch. Andthat’s not to mention the needle point ball-

1 One of the numerousVigier innovations isto use a chromed ballend, which you threadthe string through, fora string tree

2 Standard strapbuttons just screwinto the body wood.Not Vigier’s: they boltinto a threaded metalbody insert

3 These Alnico II loadedAmber humbuckerscame out tops in ahuge pickup test thatPatrice Vigier carriedout a couple of yearsago. Headed byWolfgang Damm,these pickups aremade in Germany

4 Control of the dualhumbuckers is via afive-way lever switchthat offers fullhumbucking and splitcoil sounds. You also

get a micro kill switch

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F I R S T P L A Y

bearing pivot of the adapted Schaller vibratowith lockdown and height-adjustable saddles.Even the side-placed jack output is recessed ina hole that’s angled towards the base strap button, for those of us who secure our leadunder the strap.

Feel & Sounds

To coin a cliché, here’s a guitar that virtuallyplays itself. Set up with 0.009 to 0.042 gaugestrings and a string height below the factoryspecs, you’ll be racing all over the ’board in ananosecond. Some players may need a littlemore fight, but adjustments are easy via the vibrato’s two height-adjustable pivots. The vibrato is very stable unless you go completelynuts, and even then only the low string’s pitchwobbled a bit. Overall, intonation is scarilygood and there’s a superb, balanced ring and bright acoustic resonance and sustain. There isa slightly audible ping on low-fret, plain string bends, where we suspect there’s a slight groovein that zero fret, but it certainly doesn’t amplifywhen plugged in.

The five-way switch selects bridgehumbucker, screw-coil of the bridge, slug-coilof bridge with screw-coil of neck (hum-cancelling), screw-coil of the neck, and neckhumbucker. With the volume and tone and a

Attention to the smallest detail iseverywhere… This is a thoroughlyprofessional workhorse that isgenre- and style-spanning

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F I R S T P L A Y Vigier Excalibur Thirteen

G U I T A R I S T R A T I N G

Build quality

Playability

Sound

Value for money

Guitarist says: State-of-the-art

solidbody with impeccable build,

playability and versatile sounds

Vigier ExcaliburThirteen

PRICE: £2,229 (inc case)

ORIGIN: France

TYPE: Solidbody electric

BODY: 2-piece alder

NECK: Vigier 10/90 system (10%

carbon, 90% maple), bolt-on

SCALE LENGTH: 650mm (25.6”)

NUT/WIDTH: Teflon with hardened

zero fret/43.1mm

FINGERBOARD: Maple, black dot

inlays, 300mm (11.81”) radius

FRETS: 24 (plus zero fret), medium

stainless steel

HARDWARE: Schaller/Vigier 2011

vibrato with ball-bearing pivot; locking

tuners with over-sized rear locking

wheels – chrome-plated

STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 53mm

ELECTRICS: 2 Amber Rock

humbuckers, 5-way lever pickup

selector switch, master volume and

master tone, micro kill switch

WEIGHT (KG/LB): 3.4/7.5

OPTIONS: Rosewood ’board (n/c),

black hardware (£119), push/pull to

split the pickups (£93)

RANGE OPTIONS: The Excalibur

range starts at £1,459 with the Indus

LEFT-HANDERS: Excalibur Special

(£2,329), Indus (£1,599)

FINISHES: 10 colours inc Monarchy

Gold (as reviewed)

High Tech Distribution

01722 41000

www.vigier.co.uk

versatile amp and pedalboard, it gives youimmense choice. The fact that there’s a killswitch onboard leads you to believe it’s amodern rock/shred dream, and we doubt toomany of you playing in that style would bedisappointed – but there’s a lot more here thanthat pigeon-hole.

Certainly, the bridge is ballsy and crisp, but itsuits big, bold cleans right though to meltdowndistortion. The more vintage-output neckpickup has an older, woodier voice and it’s agood contrast, while the pickup mix isseemingly that modern generic ‘Strat’, whichnever quite sounds like the real thing but isgreat for modern chord voicings and lashingsof modulation and delay. However, the volumecontrol here is crucial to unleashing somemuch older traditional sounds. Stick to themiddle three positions and back off the tonecontrol and it actually sounds way more, well,

vintage-y. In fact, the more time we spend withthis guitar the more sounds we find – the markof a good instrument? We think so.

Verdict

If you see your instrument as a tool to do aprofessional job, and not a too-cool-for-schoolaccessory, Vigier will probably already be on

your radar. This model is a stupidly well madeand thoroughly professional workhorse that

by design is genre- and style-spanning. If youhaven’t tried one, we suggest you do.

5 Vigier’s 10/90carbon and maple

neck constructiondoesn’t feature anadjustable truss rodbut is renowned forits stability

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TA K E M ET O Y O U RL E A D E R

With massive gain, the Archonseems aimed exclusively at the

aggressive metallers out there.But there’s plenty more under

the hood…

WORDS N I C K G U P P Y

PHOTOGRAPHY S I M O N L E E S

P

RS has flirted with amplifiers severaltimes over the last three decades, but its

backline designs have never taken off inthe same way as the company’s guitars.However, that bogeyman might finally

be laid to rest with the arrival of a new rangecalled Archon. Coming from the ancient Greekfor ‘leader’ or ‘master’, the Archon collection isa competitively priced (by PRS standards)range of amps aimed squarely at the modernmetal player, but with enough sonic flexibilityto cross over into other styles of music. Withother Archon products due to arrive in the UKover the next year, here we’re taking a look atthe range-topping 100-watt head.

The Archon’s no-frills design is pure PRS,with a large gold badge sat on a charcoal-burstflamed maple fascia trim. Above this, there’s a

F I R S T P L A Y

PRS ARCHON 100-WATT HEAD

£1,999

WHAT IS IT? Hand-wired,

boutique, USA-made valve head

from one of the world’s top

guitar brands


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F I R S T P L A YPRS Archon 100-watt head


VIDEO DEMO


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F I R S T P L A Y PRS Archon 100-watt head

front-panel rotary controls are all heavilydamped, high-quality Alpha pots, a relativelysmall detail that makes a significantcontribution to the Archon’s luxury ‘boutique’ vibe. They’re also quite practical, as you canmake precise setting adjustments and feelcertain that the pointer knobs will stay where you left them.

SoundsThe Archon is aimed at the modern metalplayer, combining a big, open clean channelwith a very high-gain lead channel. There areno less than five gain stages in the preamp;most modern rock amps have three, giving the Archon the equivalent of a built-in overdrivepedal in front of an already high-gain frontend. Despite this, the amp is well behaved,with minimal hum and acceptable hiss, even athigher-gain settings. One of the Archon’ssecret weapons is the flexibility of the leadchannel gain control. At lower settings, it’s bright, punchy and very usable, with a sweethot-rodded Plexi growl. Classic rock playerswill probably never need to turn the gaincontrol beyond 10 o’clock; however, as youpush things around to two o’clock the Archon’scolossal overdrive takes over, with a searingharmonic-laden sustain and powerfulmidrange, which stays warm without being

simple perforated steel grille, with another tothe rear aiding ventilation. The woodwork is very clean, with big radius’d edges that echoclassic ‘Plexi’ designs. It’s compact but quitea heavy beast thanks to two massivetransformers. The robust chassis has a blackpowder coat finish and clean white lettering,making front- and rear-panel controls easy toread. The Archon is largely hand-wired; thesmall preamp components are arranged on aheavy-duty PCB strip configured in a standardturret board layout, with a separate board forthe output stage components and diodes, anda third board supporting an impressively large bank of capacitors. All front- and rear-panelcomponents, along with the valve bases, aremounted direct to the chassis, with wiresleading to the boards. This traditionalconstruction method separates PCBs from theheat generated by the valves, adding significantlong-term reliability. There’s a lot of wireinside, which is neatly routed and tied, withclean soldering. The overall impression is of a busy but well-sorted design, built to take thepunishment of continuous touring in its stride.

The Archon’s control panel is easilyunderstood, with two sets of gain, EQ andmaster volumes, with global presence anddepth controls. Both channels have a small bright switch, and the power and standbyfunctions have been combined on a singlethree-position toggle switch. A similar switchis used on the rear panel for impedancechanging – we’d prefer to see a recessed typehere, to properly protect that expensive outputtransformer. Other features include afootswitchable series effects loop andcomprehensive bias test points for the output valves, along with a half-power switch. The

1 The Archon’s controls arestraightforward, easy toread and deceptivelyflexible, with no frills

2 Power and standbyfunctions are handled byone three-position switch

3 The lead channel gaincontrol covers a hugerange of overdrive effects

4 Easy-access bias testpoints make it simple tokeep the Archon runningin peak condition

The Archon is aimed atthe modern metal player,combining a big, open

clean channel with a veryhigh-gain lead channel


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F I R S T P L A YPRS Archon 100-watt head

overly peaky. The treble is edgy but sweet,while the fast, tight bass response is perfect formetal and detuned instruments. The cleanchannel swaps huge overdrive for hugeheadroom, with massive clarity and a subtleedge at higher-gain settings that reminds us ofthe original hand-wired Hiwatts. Add thelightning-fast dynamic response of thatsupersized power supply, and it’s notsurprising that the Archon has also foundfavour with many of Nashville’s elitecountry pickers.

Verdict

It’s about time PRS had a hit with one of itsamps, and we reckon the Archon is right on themoney, with good looks, great tone, plenty offlexibility from a simple control panel and,most importantly, a relatively affordable price.With the 100-watt head selling for around£1,650 on the street, the established names inthis genre are about to be given a hard time.With many top players already on board, andmore affordable amps on the way, we reckonthe Archon range could easily turn out to be amajor success for PRS.


Build quality

Features

Sound

Value for money

Guitarist says: A great head

from PRS that hits the bullseye

and will give the established

competition a tough time

PRS Archon

100-watt head

PRICE: £1,999

ORIGIN: Assembled in USA

TYPE: All-valve preamp and power

amp, with solid-state rectifier

OUTPUT: 100 watts RMS, switchable

to 50 watts

VALVES: 6x 12AX7, 4x 6L6

DIMENSIONS: 500 (h) x 550 (w)

x 270mm (d)

WEIGHT (KG/LB): 20/42

CABINET: Ply

CHANNELS: 2, footswitchable

CONTROLS: Bass, middle, treble,

volume and master volume x2. Bright

switch x2. Master depth and presence

FOOTSWITCH: 2-button switch,

supplied, changes channels and

toggles loop

ADDITIONAL FEATURES: Series

effects loop, external bias test points,

half-power switch. Can be used with

EL34s

OPTIONS: Various custom colours

will be available, contact dealer for

more details

RANGE OPTIONS: Also available as

a 50-watt head for £1,799. A USA-built

4x12 cab loaded with Celestion V30s

is £1,100, there’s also a 50-watt 1x12

combo on the way, price TBA

PRS Europe

01223 874301

www.prsguitars.com

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C L O C K R O C KDistinctly retro-looking rock ’n’ rollersthat would slot right into plenty ofcontemporary genres: back to the future?

WORDS: M I C K T A Y L O R

PHOTOGRAPHY: S I M O N L E E S

The Peerless company of Korea is proudof its 45-year heritage, with roots inthird-party manufacturing for manymore famous marques. According tocompany literature, peak output per

month has been as high as 30,000 instruments, but in more recent times, Peerless has becomeincreasingly focused on its own brand, scaling

back production to less than½5 of thatformidable former number. These days, inaddition to a range of flat-top steel-stringacoustics, you’ll find the Peerless name atop awide range of broadly Gibson- and Gretsch-inspired archtops and semis, evoking plenty of

jazz and rock ’n’ roll nostalgia in the mid-priceranges, not least with these two new models.

The reasonably understated Jezebel andmore flamboyant Retromatic 131 share thesame 330mm (13-inch) lower bout width and15th-fret neck-to-body join, and are fullyhollow with additional, so-say mahoganysupport/sustain posts beneath their roller

bridges, more of which presently. The shorter-

F I R S T P L A Y

PEERLESS JEZEBEL STANDARD

£799

WHAT IS IT?

Small and slimhollowbody with arched spruce

top for old-school cool

PEERLESS RETROMATIC 131

£899

WHAT IS IT? Small yet

deep-bodied hollowbody archtop

with funky Art Deco styling


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F I R S T P L A YPeerless Jezebel Standard & Retromatic 131


VIDEO DEMO


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F I R S T P L A Y Peerless Jezebel Standard & Retromatic 131

scale-length Jezebel is the thinner of the two,measuring 44mm at the rim, with the gentlyarched top and back adding approximately20mm depth around the bridge area. Thelonger-scale Retromatic 131, by contrast, is

much deeper; 74mm at the rim, again bulgingat the bridge – both top and back. Both guitars’

bodies are made from pressed laminates; allmaple with a parallel braced top for theRetromatic and maple body with what’sspecced as an X-braced spruce top forthe Jezebel.

What we’ve learned so far is that Peerless’spublished specs are not exactly consistent, sowhatever you read elsewhere, this 131 has aFender-like 648mm scale (not 628mm), the

bridge block is maple (not mahogany), andthere’s no sustain post that we can find.Meanwhile, whipping both pickups out of theJezebel and getting in there with the dentist’smirror returns no sight of any X-brace as weknow it, just a slightly thicker piece of sprucethrough the centre section, and a distinctlynon-mahogany sustain block: it looks more likemaple. It does run top-to-back here, however.While we’re in there, we can at least have alook at the ply end block for the set necks:maple neck for the Retromatic 131, mahoganyfor the Jezebel, both of which are concealed

beneath a black finish on the outside, with athick gloss coat.

Both guitars have visual niceties, includingmulti-ply body binding and black neck

binding, but it’s the 131 that will turn heads,starting with those blinging ‘mother-of-pearl’fingerboard inlays. We’ve got this far beforementioning Art Deco, so now it comes with theinevitable reference to Germany’s Duesenberg,which leads the pack in that world. It’s verymuch a matter of taste, of course, but we reallylike the sort of kitsch ‘uptown’ razzmatazzticfeeling of opulence that goes with it… exceptthat compromises in build reveal some dirt

beneath both guitars’ gloss-painted nails.Untidy insides, plenty of finish build-uparound the neck/body union and plastickypickup surrounds have a sort of Danelectro/ Hagström charm, perhaps, and while moreimportant areas such as fret-end finishing andnut cut are fine, the former could do with apolish to finish them off, the latter with thesharp edge taking off the bass side.

Both guitars have visual niceties, but don’t expect much fun upthe dusty end, for dusty it will

remain – thanks to 15th-fret neck joins and vintage-style cutaways

1

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F I R S T P L A YPeerless Jezebel Standard & Retromatic 131

Peerless has enlisted the help of MattGleeson, from Monty’s Guitars of London, inits pickup designs; two low-outputhumbuckers in the Jezebel that look veryGretsch-smart with their parallel cutouts, anda P-90/humbucker combo in the Retromatic,again of modest/vintage-type output. Just forthe record, all four of these pickups are madein the Far East, which is to say designed byMatt Gleeson, not necessarily made by him.Let’s plug ’em in.

Feel & Sounds

When we reviewed the Retromatic P3 (issue376), we commented on its almost “too slinky”setup. There’s no such danger here, as withplenty of relief in both necks and the bridgesset to fighting height, the action of both guitarswill be unacceptably high for most tastes. As ithappens, this reviewer quite likes it, as itdemands you get in there and engage with thething – the extra string vibration doing goodthings to get what top there is moving, eventhough they’re laminated. The necks are full inthe hand, giving you something meaty and vintage-like to hold on to – both are 22mmdeep at the first fret with a big-feeling, roundedprofile all the way up. Don’t expect much funup the dusty end, however, for dusty it willremain thanks to 15th-fret neck joins and vintage-style cutaways [there’s no money upthere anyway – Ed].

It’s also worth saying that the Jezebel is aphysically light guitar, which will definitelyappeal to anyone who either dislikes, orphysically can’t manage, a heavy instrumentfor whatever reason. The Retromatic is noheavyweight either, with only half a pound orso of extra heft: most of it is air, of course!

The smart roller bridges are fully adjustable,which is good news as both guitars needed

1 Bearing the BHK brand(OEM fitters toEpiphone, Washburnand more), theJezebel’s pickups aredesigned by Matt

Gleeson of Monty’sGuitars, wound toaround 8.2k ohms

2 Arguably far moreclassy than the 131’sArt Deco steps, theJezebel’s pegheadshould offend nobody.They are both nicelypitched back to ensure

good string pressureover the bone nut

3 The Retromatic’spickups are alsodesigned by Gleesonand bear the Peerlessname on their stickers.

The humbucker is saidto be around 7.8k ohmsfor the bridge and 7.1for the neck

4 Hmm. ‘Fun’ is probablythe best word at this

juncture. Actually, wereally like it, even if acertain German brandstarting with ‘D’ andending in ‘eusenberg’might feel somewhatput out


VIDEO DEMO

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F I R S T P L A Y Peerless Jezebel Standard & Retromatic 131


Build quality

Playability

Sound

Value for money

Guitarist says: Loads of kitsch,

Art Deco fun for jazz, rock ’n’ roll,

blues, or for exploring more

evocative tonal textures

Peerless

Retromatic 131

PRICE: £899 (inc case)

ORIGIN: Korea

TYPE: Single-cutaway archtop

hollowbody semi-acoustic

BODY: Laminated maple top,

laminated maple back and sides

NECK: Maple, set


NUT/WIDTH: Bone, 43.3mm

FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, approx

305mm (12”) radius

FRETS: 22, medium

HARDWARE: Grover GH-102 nickel

kidney-button enclosed tuners,

Peerless roller bridge with floating

trapeze tailpiece

STRING SPACING, BRIDGE:

50.4mm

ELECTRICS: 1x Monty’s humbucker,

1x Monty’s P-90-style single coil,

master volume, master tone,

three-way pickup selector


OPTIONS: None

RANGE OPTIONS: P1, P2 and P3

are thinner-depth, wider-bout

628mm-scale models with single- (P1)

and dual-pickup (P2) configurations.

The P3 has two pickups, Varitone

control and Stetsbar vibrato. There are

also B1 and B2 basses

LEFT HANDERS: Yes, to order

FINISHES: Ivory (as reviewed), Black,

Gloss Polyester


Build quality

Playability

Sound

Value for money

Guitarist says: A capable small

jazzer or vintage rock ’n’ roll

belter for anyone who doesn’t

want a huge box

Peerless Jezebel

PRICE: £799 (inc case)

ORIGIN: Korea

TYPE: Single-cutaway archtop

hollowbody electric

BODY: Laminated spruce top,

laminated maple back and sides

NECK: Mahogany, set


NUT/WIDTH: Bone/43.3mm

FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, approx

305mm (12”) radius

FRETS: 22, medium

HARDWARE: Nickel-plated kidney-

button enclosed tuners, Peerless roller

bridge with floating trapeze tailpiece

STRING SPACING, BRIDGE:

50.4mm

ELECTRICS: 2x Peerless Gleeson

Dual-Pole humbuckers, master

volume, master tone, three-way

pickup selector


OPTIONS: Jezebel Deluxe has gold

tuners and Midnight Wine finish

(£899)

RANGE OPTIONS: See above

LEFT HANDERS: Yes, to order

FINISHES: Midnight Blue (as

reviewed), Midnight Wine (Deluxe

model with gold hardware, £899),

Gloss Polyester

Peerless Guitars

[email protected]

www.peerlessguitars.eu

some set-up tweaks — our samples werehastily requested, so we should bear that inmind, and our prior experience with Peerlessin the set-up department has been nothingshort of excellent.

The tones bring more than their fair share ofsmiles. Unplugged, the Retromatic is obviouslythe louder, more full-sounding of the pair, butwhen plugged in, the Jezebel has the softerattack and paradoxically more traditionalarchtop response: that spruce top would seemto be doing its thing. Laid bare through aclean-ish amp, there are old jazz tones aplenty;the Jezebel pushing the front end just that bitharder for some extra edge up top, thanks to itsmore powerful pickups. The shorter scalemight make the midrange a little more chewy,too, certainly compared with the Retromatic,which twangs just a soupçon more, with a littlemore clarity from the slightly weaker pickups– the neck P-90 especially. Add a little vintageamp overdrive, tremolo and reverb and you’re banging out evocative, movie-soundtracksounds that would sit in so manycontemporary genres.

Neither guitar could be accused of being bright-sounding; instead, you get morefundamental in the note, that seems to suit allmanner of rock ’n’ roll, jazz and vintage bluestones; there’s so much more air around thetone than you could expect from a fully solid orchambered-body guitar. The trapeze tailpiecescontribute to that general picture, too, offeringresonances and vibrations that are absent froma more solidly fixed bridge.

Verdict

Despite their overt vintage styling, theseguitars remain entirely relevant because thetonal and stylistic influences of late-50s/ early-60s music in contemporary culture areas strong as they’ve ever been. You could easilyimagine anyone from Dan Auerbach to JDMcPherson to Jake Bugg to Anna Calvi withone of these slung round their shoulders. TheRetromatic is marginally the more rock ’n’ rollof the two, the Jezebel more jazzy, perhaps,though both guitars could do either, noproblem, as long as you don’t want searingtreble and tight, solidbody-like bass.

Sure, there are aspects of these guitars thatare a long way from perfect. Indeed, Peerless’sown marketing sets you up for a champagneexperience, leaving you slightly deflated whenthe guitars deliver a beer reality. Nevertheless,there’s undoubted charm and likeability onoffer, not to mention seriously usable, engagingsounds. We’ll turn to the mythical Jezebelherself – immortalised in song by all manner ofartists – for help with a conclusion. She waspretty untidy around the edges, andencouraged poor old Ahab to do all sorts ofnaughty things. But boy, was she a lot of fun bythe sound of it – a lot like these guitars.


VIDEO DEMO


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Frontend

The Seven Decades: Zebra Stripes, Flames & Killer Tops show is a fascinating stage and

multimedia performance that tells thestory of the ‘Big Four’ electric guitars– the Tele, Strat, Les Paul and ES-335– by using them to play the music thatmade them famous. The 90-minuteshow features a six-piece bandplaying around 40 guitars on 40songs. Historical authenticity isparamount, and organiser/performerMichael John Ross tells us: “Theguitars are the real stars of the showand all of them are completelyoriginal. We use the right guitar forthe right guitar hero… We play BuddyHolly on an early Strat, SRV on a ’63,Peter Green and Jimmy Page on a ’59Les Paul ’Burst… The Holy Grail!”For ticket info and to find out more,see www.sevendecades.com.

Don’t miss it! Must-see guitar goings-on for the coming weeks…

The Holy GrailGuitar Show15-16 Nov 2014, Berlin

The Holy Grail Guitar

Show is the perfect

excuse for a winter

break. Over 100 top

independent guitar

makers will be exhibiting

instruments ranging

from hand-crafted

traditional creations to

avant-garde designs.

See holygrailguitarshow.

com for more info.

Matt Schofield13-30 Nov 2014

Various UK venues

Britain’s premier

bluesman last toured

the country with Joe

Satriani, and he returns

in November for a

headline tour of the UK

with his trio; there’s

support from The Ben

Poole Band.

See www.mattschofield.

com for the dates and

ticket info.

Martin HarleyBand tour13 Nov-12 Dec 2014,

various UK venues

Guitarist’ s favourite

Weissenborn-wielding

acoustic troubadour

returns to the UK for a

20-date tour in support

of his latest album,Mojo

Fix . If you’re a fan of

slide, and you’ve never

seem him play live, you

owe it to yourself. See

www.martinharley.com.

MerseysideGuitar Show23 Nov 2014, Ormskirk

Now in its 12th year, the

Merseyside Guitar Show

is one of the UK’s

biggest regional guitar

shows. The line-up

features more than 80

exhibitors, dealers and

collectors, with new,

second-hand and

vintage instruments to

trade and try out. See

www.guitarshows.co.uk.

Seven Decades:Zebra Stripes,Flames & Killer Tops

4 - 8 N o v , W i l t o n ’ s M u s i c H a l l , L o n d o n

© S

A M H A

R E


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Frontend

If you’re feeling flush, and want to treat yourself to a modern, high-end

rock guitar, check out this bevy of beauties we’ve recently reviewed

Roundup:Dream rock machines

1 Ibanez FR6UCBKFPrestige£1,589

www.ibanez.com

This up-to-date, no-nonsense

rock machine is fitted with Bare

Knuckle Aftermath Pickups for

king-size, articulate rock sounds,

but its five-way selector offers

tonal variation.

We said: “A solid, ferocious-

sounding guitar with a stripped-

down charm, that’s just begging

to be taken on the road”

2 Manson MA2 EVO£1,864

www.mansonguitarworks.com

This futuristic, yet still somehow

traditional design from the

company that supplies Matt

Bellamy of Muse with his sci-fi

weapons is fitted with an

(optional) onboard Fernandes

Sustainer unit, and a Manson

MBK-2 humbucker made by

Bare Knuckle.

We said: “An excellent, modern-

rock-intended instrument,

superbly made with a

Telecaster-meets-Les Paul-on-

steroids voicing”

3 ESP EII ST2Rosewood£1,529

www.espguitars.com

The ST-2 is the closest ESP has

come to producing the stripped-

down, no-nonsense 1980s-rock

vibe in quite a long time, and its

custom-wound DiMarzios,

excellent neck and flamy glamour

will surely tempt many a

shredder to upgrade.

We said: “A great high-end rock

guitar: with impressive spec and

performance, it’s up there with

the best”

4 Schecter USAProductionHollywood Clas sic£2,499

www.schecterguitars.com

A Custom Shop-grade set-neck

doublecut with powerful

SuperRock humbuckers, this

Schecter is no one-trick pony,

and has surprising tonal

versatility: it’s also available

with a Floyd Rose.

We said: “Great build, resonance,

playability and rock tones – a

‘posh’ guitar that would be a fine

stage/recording buddy”

5 Jackson 30thAnniversary Soloist£3,622

www.jacksonguitars.com

Jackson returns to the roots of

the ‘Superstrat’ phenomenon

with this limited-to-30 edition

30th Anniversary Soloist.

It replaces the 1984 original’s

active pickups with EMGs, and

produces as fine a tone as any

modern rock guitar we’ve played.

We said: “An authentic

recreation of a classic – not even

the SL-1 is as desirable a Soloist

as this!”

6 Gibson Les PaulClassic 2014£1,499

www.gibson.com

With its skinny neck profile and

punchy pickups, the Seafoam

Green (!) Les Paul Classic has

strengths that any tone lover

with an eye on modern, powerful

soloing will love… and it’s

excellent value, too.

We said: “For a great-value, fully

realised modern Les Paul, look

no further – a modern titan of

the breed”

1 62 543


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And also…

And Finally…

Substitute Tired of using the same old chord shapes?These substitutions will freshen up your playing in seconds.

Picks Highlights from last issue


Frontend

Here’s a little thought experiment.

Great rhythm players (especially in

jazz) cover complex chord

progressions easily, because they

know LOADS of shapes. Can we work

with this approach? Let’s try a little

blues in A, starting with this A9 shape.

Having set a precedent there, let’s try

to find the other chords on the middle

four strings, around the 5th fret. It’s

not too much of a challenge to find

the D9…

So we now need the V chord, and it’d

be a shame to cop out by simply

moving the previous chord up two frets

to create E9. Be strict! Here’s an E7

with the 7th at the bottom…

There’s room for one more, so when

you’ve played through 11 of the 12 bars,

how about using this E7#5 for a bit of

spice on the turnaround?

ElectricsFender Modern

Player Short

Scale Telecaster

£394

We said: “Super-light,

super-resonant,

super-priced…

A beginner’s dream”

AcousticsAvian Skylar

Demi Cutaway

£899

We said: “The

soundhole placement

is a revelation. A great

guitar for modern

fingerstyle players”

AmpsSupro 1690T

Coronado

£1,049

We said: “Not just an

amp for retro tone

lovers… a great

centrepiece for a

modern rig”

EffectsKorg Nuvibe

£479

We said: “The Uni-

Vibe and beyond – a

fine modulation pedal

with the ability to dial

in familiar sounds but

go further”

MiscEventide

MixingLink

£259

We said: “A clever,

feature-packed

device that could

become a gigbag

essential”

This Issue: Compact Blues

TWO-TONE TEMPTRESS

Gretsch continues to roll out more

CenterBlock Series guitars with its

latest addition, the G6112TCBJR 2

Tone model. A thinline Nashville

Junior in two -tone Jaguar Tan and

Copper Metallic, the Two Tone has

a pair of Fil ter’Trons and a Bigsby

B3C. See www.gretschguitars.com

for more information.

RIP JOHN GUSTAFSON

Bassist and vocalist John ‘Gus’

Gustafson died in September,

aged 72. Born in Liverpool, he was

a member of early rock ’n’ roll trio

The Big 3 and the Merseybeats

before joining Quatermass in 1970

and Roxy Music in 1973. He went

on to work with Ian Gillan and

Gordon Giltrap, and as a session

player. He released a solo

album, Goose Grease , in 1997.

RIP ROBERT YOUNG

Former Primal Scream bassist

turned guitarist Robert ‘Throb’

Young died in September, at the

age of 49. He was a member of the

band from early on in their career

until 2006, and played on many of

their most influential albums,

including Screamadelica,

Vanishing Point and Give Out But

Don’t Give Up .

In a sad but touching moment during September’s Bestival

Festival on the Isle Of Wight, Nile Rodgers broke down in tears

and dedicated his set to the memory of his close friend and

guitar tech, Terry Brauer, who passed away shortly before the

performance. “This is a very tough night for me,” Rodgers told

the 55,000-strong crowd. “My guitar tech of 18 or 19 years

passed away, and it was very hard for me to do this tonight.” The

Chic star then had the crowd chant Brauer’s name and hold

their phones up in tribute. The set was also notable for breaking

the record for hosting the world’s largest mirror ball, which was

more than 10 metres in diameter and was lit up, suspended

from a crane and rotated during the concert. © R I C H A R D I S A A C / L N P / R E X


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Perfect 10

10 Questions We Ask Everyone

We catch up with Slash around the release ofhis new album, World On Fire. So how does theman who’s seen and done it all handle the...

Slash

1WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST GUITARAND WHEN DID YOU GET IT?“It was a one-string Spanish-style

acoustic and I got it right before my 15th birthday. My grandmother gave it to me. Myuncle, my mom’s brother, had a couple ofguitars and one of them was this beat-up oldhollowbody electric with a fake Bigsby, andit just never appealed to me, but the acousticwith the one string… for some reason, it waslike, ‘That’s what I need.’”

2THE BUILDING’S BURNINGDOWN – WHAT GUITAR WOULDYOU SAVE?

“I would still go with my [Kris] Derrig ’59copy that I’ve been using forever [the Appetite For Destruction guitar – Ed]. It’s just such a great-sounding guitar, but it’s oldnow. It was built in probably ’85 or ’86. It’s very temperamental, so we’re like an oldmarried couple. I have to treat her a certain

way and she gives back a little, so there’s alot of nuances in how we work together. Atthe end of the day, tonally, that’s my guitar.”

3WHAT’S THE OLDEST GUITARYOU HAVE?“Probably a ’52 Tele, which I think I

bought in the 90s during theUse Your Illusion period. I bought a lot of vintage stuffwhen we were doing that album, but Ihaven’t really bought since. One of thethings I’ve grown out of is thinking youneed to have a certain guitar for a certainsound, but back in the day I bought a lot of vintage guitars looking for different tones.”

4

AND THE NEXT PIECE OF GEARYOU’D LIKE TO ACQUIRE?

“I pick up stuff as I need it. I’m reallynot a gear head or a technician that lovesgadgets. I just go for what I need and I tryand keep it as basic as possible. I stumble on

stuff or, if I hear a sound, I’ll ask a couple ofpeople if there’s anything that does this andif there isn’t, how could we make it?”

5

IS THERE A GUITAR YOUREGRET LETTING GO?

“I miss my BC Rich Mockingbird,which was my first good name-brandelectric guitar. I had that for a long time, buta lot of equipment got hocked for cash because of more important, erm…necessities… you know what that’s about! Isold it to Guitars R Us on Sunset for somequick money and it was never seen again.The other guitar that I miss – but I don’thave any regrets – is the ’59 in TobaccoSunburst that I gave back to Joe Perry.”

6

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONETHING ABOUT A RECORDINGYOU'VE BEEN ON, WHAT

WOULD IT BE AND WHY?“I just don’t believe in that because it’s sortof like blowing our past up! Usually, I knowwhat I’m doing at the time when I’mrecording. If something comes to me lateron, I might just throw it in live or whatever, but I don’t find myself really stressed bythat at all.”

7WHAT ARE YOU DOING FIVEMINUTES BEFORE YOU GOON STAGE…

“Most of the time, I just stay in the dressingroom after soundcheck and play my guitaruntil show time. Sometimes – depending onhow hard we’re touring – you can get reallyfatigued… 5-Hour Energy drink works!”

8…AND FIVE MINUTES AFTER?“I just want to decompress. I thinkmy heart rate goes up about 10

notches when I play, so I just want quiet andI don’t want to deal with anybody or to signanything. I don’t want to have to doanything ’til I’ve gotten out of my clothesinto something else and wound down.”

9WHAT’S THE WORST THINGTHAT’S EVER HAPPENED TOYOU ON STAGE?

“When there’s an irretrievable train wreckthat the band can’t recover from. Those aremy worst memories, and that used tohappen a lot back in the 80s and maybe inthe early-90s.”

10WHAT SONG WOULD YOUPLAY ON ACOUSTICROUND THE CAMPFIRE?

“That’s an interesting question. Probably Let It Loose from The Stones, but there’s lotsof different Stones songs that would soundgreat. Or I might play some old Bob Dylansongs – anything that lends itself to thatkind of thing!”


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Frontend


Feedback Your letters to theGuitarist editor. Drop us a line [email protected] – you might even win a prize!

THE GUITARISTDear Guitarist , thought I’d compose this poem about guitars foryour consideration…

When life’s not very rock ’n’ roll And even eBay can’t sell your soul

Now you’ve settled into your accountant’s role You’ll always have guitars.

A lump of wood with wiry stringsKnobs and electronic thingsStardom waiting in the wings

For you and your guitar.

Flying V, SGThe riff to (Cor Baby That’s) Really FreeBlackmore, Slash and Bo Diddley

Learn licks on their guitars.

That Petrucci solo left you out of breathEvery note in the treble clef

Should have stuck to Napalm Death Your guitar gently sleeps.

When you were a lad you didn’t visit the parkPlayed your guitar till it was darkLike a young Fast Eddie Clarke And you kept your first guitar.

You can afford a big amp on an accountant’s wage At the golf club they call you Jimmy Page

And you’ve got a girlfriend half your ageBut you’re in love with your guitar.Nigel Loyd, via email

Bravo, Nigel! We crown you the Poet Laureate of the Les Paul…

MAKING IT

Dear Guitarist , thanks for

two super articles in issue

386, the Brian May special

and the Dave Burrluck

piece on building a guitar

with his father. Though

hard to credit now, back

in the 60s and early-70s

the items needed for

guitar building were

extremely hard to find.

As a 14-year-old in 1960, my

first effort at a Strat copy taught

me a lot: mainly what not to do!

Two years later, I tried again and

this time I found an electric guitar

circuit in a book called Electronic

Music And Musique Concrete by

FC Judd. Circuits were still a

mystery to me, so I took the

drawing to my uncle, who in the

1950s had made his own

television. This time, it was a

success, but I actually found that

the building process was more

satisfying than playing. In 1972,

after fixing a friend’s Strat, I took

all the measurements and built

my own. I went to the Sydney

Evans violin shop in Birmingham,

and purchased a rough-cut,

Fender-style neck, and built the

body from a tabletop and some

block-wood. As the neck was

mahogany, I wanted a

contrasting fingerboard, but

where was one to find maple?

Instead, I used a piece of

Japanese oak, finished with a

two-pack epoxy lacquer. Job

done, and it still works today.

I have gone on to build quite a

few guitars, and I am currently

working on a Tele-style guitar for

someone in South Korea. Coals

to Newcastle anyone? Keep up

the good work.

John Ibbotson, via email

WEARING THIN

Does Dominic Mason [see

Feedback, issue 385] think the

guitars of Rory Gallagher or

Stevie Ray Vaughan got that way

because those instruments were

‘abused’ – or because they were

loved and enjoyed for every

second their owners had them?

It’s odd he mentions he has a

Rickenbacker 381. So do I, the

John Kay model. When I got it, it

was second-hand – and now it’s

a very ‘heavy relic’. Abuse? Or

constant use and lots of love? My

belief is a guitar is a tool, nothing

more. With someone like Rory,

the guitar was the tool, he was

the instrument, and the art was

in the music he created and the

concerts he performed. This

‘playable work of art’ idea is a sop

to the worst sort of wannabe,

who never took a chance.

Victoria Sutton, via email

Hi Victoria, we heartily agree

that guitars which acquire

heavy wear through playing

symbolise sincere devotion to

making music, not abuse of

the instrument. But does that

make Dominic and others like

him a ‘wannabe’ because they

prefer to take care of their

instruments? We’re not sure

that follows. For example,

one of our favourite players,

Adam Goldsmith, guitarist on

The Voice, plays thousands of

gigs a year but keeps his

instruments in immaculate

fettle. All the same, we salute

your love of performing live –

it’s the soul of guitar music

and everyone should try it.

Star letter

Each issue’s Star Letter wins

a Korg Pandora Stomp – an

ingenious compact multi-effects

with a wealth of options that’s

worth £119!www.korg.co.uk


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Gibson CustomBilly F Gibbons Goldtop £4,099

Here’s something rather

special. Keen-eyed

readers will recognise this

guitar as one of a limited run of

300 modified Les Paul Goldtops

made to ZZ Top guitarist Billy F

Gibbons’ personal specification.

Unusually, there’s no pickup

selector – meaning the bridge/

neck pickup balance must be

dialled in using the volume

controls alone, while a single,

master tone control governs both

pickups. It’s also very lightweight

for a Les Paul, thanks to extensive

chambering of the single-piece

mahogany body.

This particular guitar differs

in one important detail from

the other goldtops in the run –

the striking, chrome-finish

humbuckers. Wound by Thomas

Nilsen of Cream T Pickups, these

Tele-inspired units were originally

designed for Keith Richards.

After a 20-year search for a set of

pickups that combined the sweet

voice of a Telecaster’s neck

pickup with the tonal girth of a

PAF, Keef approached Thomas,

who made a prototype ’bucker

that had barely been wound

before Stones tech Pierre de

Beauport took it away to be fitted

to Keith’s ‘Gloria’ Tele. Keef knew

about Cream T’s work on Billy’s

innovative ‘Banger’ pickup, and so

jokingly suggested a matching

name for the new design: the

‘Mash’ humbucker.

Billy then returned the favour

by equipping this Les Paul, his

personal instrument, with a

gleaming set of Mashers. As for

the sounds, think vintage PAF

with a touch of funky hollowness

and brightness borrowed from a

Tele neck pickup.

There are only three sets of

these hybrid pups in existence,

although Cream T intends to put

them into production soon.

Deep-pocketed readers can

console themselves with the

‘stock’ Billy F Gibbons Goldtop,

fitted with Seymour Duncan

Pearly Gates humbuckers, at

£4,099 for the V.O.S. model, or

£6,599 for the aged version.

Cream T

07810 032715

www.creamtpickups.co.uk

Photography by Neil Godwin


VIDEO DEMO


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1. This instrument hasa subtly aged V.O.S.finish, although afully aged version

with the amusingaddition of belt-buckle

wear in the shape ofTexas is also available

2. The flowing pinstripemotif that adorns the

Goldtop was designedby Billy Gibbons andUS hotrod-stylingartist, Rick Harris

3. The Goldtop comesstrung, in authenticBilly Gibbons style,

with a set of super-light .008-gaugestrings, though theinstrumentGuitarist tested was restrungby Cream T with aheavier set, wrappedover the stopbar for a

less acute break-angleover the saddles

4. As fitted to KeithRichards’ ‘Gloria’Tele, Cream T’sMash humbucker iscoil-tapped, but theexamples on Gibbons’Goldtop are full-blownhumbuckers

5. The Goldtop’s fulsomeneck profile was basedon measurementstaken from an original50s Goldtop in Billy’sown collection

6. The guitar’sunorthodox controllayout features a singlemaster tone controlbut no pickup selector,

with twin volumecontrols used forpickup blend

5

2

3

6

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© H

A R R Y B O R D E N


Music

Pink FloydThe Endless River

Parlophone

A new Pink Floyd

album? Well,

not quite…

Guitarist was

recently invited to

listen to Pink Floyd’s new album

The Endless River aboard David

Gilmour’s Astoria houseboat

studio. An amazing experience

for sure, but a challenging review

scenario – being as it was just

one play-through of an album

that comprises 17 ambient

instrumental tracks (plus one

with vocals), most with barely

discernible start or end points.

The tracklisting was also

unavailable during the

playback session.

Nevertheless, the

album is based on

“revisited tracks” from

1994’sThe Division

Bell sessions, with new

material recorded by Gilmour and

drummer Nick Mason this year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Roger

Waters does not appear. Given

that The Division Bell met with

poor reviews in 1994, we were

unsure whether the Waters-less

The Endless River would be a

worthy offering or if Floyd’s

“revisited tracks” would be mere

scrapings from the bottom of a

rather dry barrel.

Happily, The Division Bell

sessions yielded a surfeit of

decent recorded

material that didn’t

make the album, with

the band jamming

around unfinished song

ideas. This is The

Endless River ’s trump

card, because you hear Floyd at

their best, experimenting,

stretching out and playing freely

without the confines of a verse/

chorus/verse format.

Peripheral they may be, but

gathered together, the result is

an album that recalls the

experimentalism of tracks such

asOne Of These Days and Echoes

from Meddle -era Floyd. Synth

pads, swells, electric pianos and

organs, courtesy of the late Rick

Wright, provide a backdrop for

Gilmour’s guitars, which range

from folksy acoustic picking and

heavily delayed electric grooves,

to dark, intense but typically

melodic solos.

The pace of The Endless River

ebbs and flows throughout, and

Gilmour’s solos, all recorded this

year, find him in fine form. With

only one vocal track, this is not an

album for fairweather fans, but

Floyd devotees hungry for ‘new’

material may even regard the

jigsaw puzzle of component parts

that forms The Endless River to

be something close to a

masterpiece. [CB]

Standout track:Louder

Than Words

For fans of: Radiohead,

Frank Zappa

Music


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Music


Martin Barre Order of Play EdifyingRecords

Tull hero takes classics on the volley

Martin’s band revisit milestone Tull tracks in an

impromptu small-hours session after an ecstatic festival

gig last year. Barre’s tone is full of muscular Marshall grunt and his

blend of blues and folk phrasing is broadsword-sharp. It’s gutsy, but

we can’t help missing some of Tull’s olde-world charm.[JD]

For fans of: Jethro Tull, Steeleye Span, Fairport Convention

Download: Thick As A Brick

Djessou Mory KanteRiver Strings Maninka Guitar Sternsmusic

Want to expand your horizons? Start here…

To listen to the agile, virtuosic performances on this

album is to glimpse an alternative vision of what the

guitar can do. Rooted in the rich traditions of Malian music, like Ali

Farka Touré before him, Kante pulls off dazzling flourishes of single-

note melody that dart and weave with quicksilver grace. [JD]

For fans of: Ali Farka Touré, Fela Kuti

Download: Laban

Johnny Marr Playland NewVoodoo

Former Smith follows up his 2013 solo debut

Playland buzzes with the energy of the city and is the

taut product of a band who have clocked up thousands

of road miles. Marr’s playing is, of course, a masterclass in post-

punk, pop and indie-rock, ranging from artful rhythm work to biting

lead, all performed with intelligence and effortless precision. [CV]

For fans of: The Smiths, Electronic, Noel Gallagher

Download: Easy Money

U2 Songs Of Innocence Island

You’ve got it, whether you like it or not!

U2’s 13th studio album is surprisingly light on Edge-isms,

but there’s at least a consistency that was lacking on

2009’sNo Line On The Horizon. Iris (Hold Me Close) shimmers

with measured delay, and there are angular flourishes elsewhere,

but these are mainly songs of restraint.[DH]

For fans of: The Killers, Coldplay, U2(!)

Download: Every Breaking Wave

Ryan Adams Ryan Adams PAXAM

14th studio album in as many years

Though his unbelievable work-rate sometimes

compromises quality control, when Ryan Adams is good,

he’s very good indeed. Here, inspired by the rock music of his youth,

a focused Adams hits on an anthemic, mainstream radio groove

driven by moody Princeton Reverb tones.[CV]

For fans of: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty

Download: Gimme Something Good

Ben Howard I Forget Where We Were Island

Nu-folk troubadour goes electric

Howard’s second LP could only have come from a

songwriter who trusts both his instincts and the

chemistry he’s honed with the musicians around him. The result is

a denser yet wider sound, mixing layers of electric delay with a less

folky acoustic fingerstyle, confirming him as one of the most

talented British solo artists to emerge in years.[RL]

For fans of: John Martyn, Portishead, Jeff Buckley

Download: She Treats Me Well

Keys Ring The Changes See Monkey Do Monkey

Love letter to American music from psych-poppers

The Welsh music scene’s best-kept secrets return with a

third album proper. In their most direct incarnation yet,

10 reverb and fuzz-drenched cuts channel Spector, The Velvets,

60s psych and American lo-fi. Great songs, killer musicians and an

eight-track tape machine; sometimes it really is that easy… [CV]

For fans of: The Velvet Underground, Jonathan Richman

Download: Bad Girls

Status Quo Aquostic (Stripped Bare) Rhino

Quo in the buff have nothing to be ashamed of

It’s easy to knock Quo – yet they’re as comfortingly

familiar as beans on toast, and this acoustic romp

through their back catalogue has unexpected charm. The famous

three-chord boogies sound sweetly bluesy, while Rossi and Parfitt’s

close-harmony singing is spot on. [JD]

For fans of: Andy Fairweather Low, Eric Clapton

Download: And It’s Better Now

Virgil &The Accelerators Army of Three Mystic Records

Blues-rock firebrand gets nasty

Virgil’s no stranger to these pages and, as the title

suggests, the talented young South African guitarist has

embarked on darker, grungier flights of power-trio rock. Nuanced

blues is set aside for full-tilt contemporary riffage, but Virgil’s fluent,

ballsy style of soloing is still much in evidence.[JD]

For fans of: Airbourne, Tracer, Philip Sayce

Download: Stand Up

Our pick of the finest fretworkcommitted to wax this month…

Albums

Virgil And TheAccelerators

get revved up forArmy Of Three

© W I L L I R E L A N D


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InterviewJ Mascis

Warm& FuzzyThe prolific, louder-than-hell alt-rock guitar legend that is J Mascis

puts down his Jazzmaster and makes his finest acoustic album yet.

And all without leaving the house...

Words Matt Parker Portraits Joby Sessions

Dinosaur Jr’s enigmaticguitarist/vocalist, J Mascis, is aman who doesn’t know themeaning of ‘downtime’. Sincereleasing debut album

Dinosaur in 1985, there have been some 21albums and a wide variety of bands,‘projects’ and musical styles; from hissignature fuzz-powered stoner-pop todoom metal drumming and whisperedacoustic paeans. Mascis’s latest record, TiedTo A Star bears more relation to the latterform of melody-making and works as athematic follow-up to 2011’s tender soloalbum, Several Shades Of Why.

“It’s the same label and concept,”confirms J when Guitarist meets him at hisLondon hotel. “Megan at Sub Pop wantedme to do an acoustic record. That’s what I’dsigned on for, so it’s an extension of that.”

The album certainly shares the bareintimacy that its predecessor possessed inspades, a sense no doubt aided by the factthat both records were made at J’s homestudio in Amherst, Massachusetts– nicknamed Bob’s Place, after a beloved bulldog.

“It’s on the third floor of the house. Theattic, I guess,” explains J. “There’s a skylight,it’s an old house. The bedrooms up there…there’s one that I played the guitar in, thenin the other room, I put the drums in there,and that’s also the room that I sing in. Thenthere’s a big control room – the big room,with the skylight. I knew that was thecontrol room, because that’s where youhang out the most.”

He speaks modestly about the space, but itturns out that, much like its namesake,Bob’s Place has quite the pedigree.

“All of the new Dino ones [were recordedthere],” says J. “Then my last solo one, sothose five. Then Thurston Moore did onerecord there and Kurt Vile’s recorded there.I’ve done some Witch records in there.Sonic Youth recorded one there…”

As with all of his productions, this newrecord has J’s DIY imprint all over it, and itsounds incredibly warm. It’s a world awayfrom the twanging ‘snap’ and crispness ofmost acoustic recordings.

“I usually use two Coles ribbon mics ondifferent parts of the guitar,” says J, whenwe ask about his technique. “Sometimes,I put some condenser in there also, but Iusually don’t like it. It’s always too trebly.That’s my main problem: trying to get theacoustic not trebly. The anti-Ovationsound!” Although there are few more iconicJazzmaster players than J in the world,


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Interview J Mascis

Z.Vex Fuzz Factory 7 – and into a ’59 Vox AC15, before being mixed underneath theoriginal sound. The effect on the listener isone of a background transistor fuzz, likeradio static. It’s unusual, but it works

brilliantly, which is in essence J’swhole schtick.

Richard’s Gear

“I’ve also got this weird Epiphone acousticthat I used a little, too,” adds the guitarist.“Someone told me it was some kind ofelectric. It’s like a D’Angelico archtop, butsomebody put a flat top on it. Supposedly, itused to be owned by Richard Gere. It’s a

bizarre guitar, but something about it spoketo me when I picked it up...”

Guitarist wonders whether the Dino-manhas managed to cultivate a similar loyalty toa particular acoustic model?

“I have been playing a Gibson CF-100 orCF-100E a lot of the time live,” explains J.“I had started doing fuzz and leads on anacoustic, so I was looking for a cutaway thatdidn’t look really stupid. That one was builtso early on, so it somehow looks better thana newer cutaway to me.”

Also used on the record are a bevy ofMartins, including a 000-18, and some rarecustom slot-headed Brazilianrosewood models.

“One’s like an experimental model,” hesays. “I was told Martin would let the

builders build a few guitars however theywanted and market it as an experiment.That was the first Martin I got. It’s smalland it looks like a classical, but it’s not. It’sgot X-bracing.”

J’s acoustic recordings were often thenredirected through one or more fuzzes– usually either a D*A*M* Dopefiend or

It’s clear that it’s found the right home,not least because Tied To A Star representsJ’s finest acoustic work to date. The cleanfingerpicking on Wide Awake is particularlyaccomplished. Not that you’ll get him toadmit it… “I really like Richard Thompson,Nick Drake, Bert Jansch and that sort ofstuff,” says J. “So I try to develop it. It’s reallyhard, I find, because I don’t practise thatmuch. On this album, I seldom would pickup a pick to play the guitar, but then whenI start playing electric again it feels weird!”

Let’s hope that he gets it nailed before thenext project inevitably comes a knocking.

Tied To A Star is out now on SubPop Records.

“I really like Richard Thompson, Nick Drake, BertJansch… On this album, I seldom would pick up apick, but when I start playing electric it feels weird”

J is in fine form on Tied To A Star , an album that showcases impressive fingerpicking


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ROYALBLOODLINEFour decades after Jakko Jakszyk first saw King Crimson live, he was invited to join. Being tasked with fronting your favourite band would daunt most players, but Jakko has really put in the hours...

WORDS MATT PARKER PHOTOGRAPHYADAM GASSO N

It is rare that you’re given the chance to join not just an established band, but theone you hold dearest. Guitarist JakkoJakszyk first witnessed King Crimson ata concert when he was just 13 and spent

the following years forging a career as asongwriter, session maestro and a front-rank prog guitarist. Both by accident anddesign, he found himself working with asizeable chunk of the ever-changing band’s21-member alumni, before getting draftedin by lynchpin and leader Robert Fripp in2013. Now, as Jakko prepares for his livedebut in the US, he talks to Guitarist abouthis lifelong audition, the playing challengesand working with the ‘venal leader’.

How did you come to join King Crimson? “When Robert Fripp asked if I wanted to bein the new King Crimson line-up, one of thefirst people I called was the bass player,Nick Beggs. Nick’s response was: ‘That’s thelongest audition in rock history!’ Because I

was a King Crimson fanboy. I saw them inWatford Town Hall in 1971 and it blew myhead off. I had a romanticised idea that thisone event had changed my life on someenormous level.

“Then, in the 80s, I met and worked with[original lyricist] Pete Sinfield, and when[in 2002] he picked up the idea of playingthe early stuff with ex-Crimson members,he asked me if I’d be the guitarist/vocalist, because he knew what a fan I was. Thatculminated in the 21st Century SchizoidBand, where everyone in the band, apartfrom me, had been in King Crimson.

“Then Ian Wallace [former King Crimsondrummer and Schizoid member] tragicallydied, and after his funeral Robert Frippinvited me for lunch and asked me toimprovise with him. We recorded all thisstuff and [eventually] created the record A Scarcity Of Miracles, which came outas a King Crimson ProjeKCt [a ‘Crimson-endorsed side-project].



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“My first thought [when choosing gear] was ‘Let’skeep this simple’, because frankly I’ve got enoughto concentrate on just playing the sodding notes”


Interview Jakko Jakszyk

“So there was this whole background, buteven when Robert eventually phoned andasked would I like to be in the new KingCrimson, I was surprised because he hadannounced his retirement from the musicindustry. It came out of the blue.”

How did you find taking on that mantle?

Presumably, you’re not handling any of

Robert’s duties this time...“I am actually! Because Robert reappraisedhow he was playing the guitar in the 1980sand developed his Guitar Craft approachand what he calls ‘New Standard Tuning’,which is C G D A E G and significantlydifferent to normal tuning. So when it cameto older material, Robert said to me, ‘You’replaying in the old tuning, why don’t you playit?’ There was a moment’s silence where Iwas looking at him, thinking, ‘Is this a joke?’So I then had to learn how to play thesefiendishly difficult cross-picked parts!”

Has the band’s long history of reinvention

made it easier for you?

“I think so. One of the questions I’ve beenasked is, ‘How does it feel to replace AdrianBelew?’ And I think, ‘Well... I’m not!’ In thesame way that Adrian Belew didn’t feel likehe was replacing [vocalist/bassist, 1972-74]John Wetton. You don’t feel, ‘I’m steppinginto this bloke’s shoes’. I don’t know if itmakes it easier, but it allows you to go into itwith a different mindset. Also, the band’s been going since 1969, so while there’s arecognisable harmonic and rhythmic centrethat makes it King Crimson, a lot of themusic sounds very different.”

What is it like working with Robert Fripp?

“I can only speak of this version of the band,and this version of Robert Fripp. I’ve readall the books, I’ve read all the reports of his‘daunting personality’, and he often refers tohimself self-deprecatingly as the ‘venalleader’, but I haven’t seen that. I hate tosmash a perception that I know he’s quitekeen on perpetuating, but he’s beenincredibly supportive and he’s veryencouraging of you ‘being you’. He will tell you what he doesn’t like, but he’s notdictatorial, or like I imagine Frank Zappawas, whom he’s often compared to.”

Has it changed your perspective on any of

the material?

“It’s interesting, because sometimes when you dismantle something, you think,‘Blimey! Is that it?’ But there is something

about this music that, even when youcompletely pull it apart, there is stillsomething magical about it.”

What were your thoughts when choosing

the gear to use in this role?

“My first thought was, ‘Let’s keep thissimple, because quite frankly I’ve gotenough to concentrate on just playing thesodding notes.’ There were other concerns,too. Robert has decided to have threedrummers on the floor, while we’re onrisers above them, so I can’t have a 50-watt valve head turned up full, because the firstthing that’s going to hit will be three sets ofoverhead mics.

“At the second lot of rehearsals, TonyLevin was using a Kemper Profiling Amp

because he could profile his bass rig and getthe sound on top of these risers. He knowsChristoph Kemper, so they very kindly sentme one. Right now, I’m using that with aLine 6 POD HD500 as a controller on thefloor. Then I’m putting the Kemper througha PRS 2x12 cab, just to get a bit of air.”

And we hear you’ve also got a custom PRS

on the way?

“Yeah, it’s based on a P22 Custom, but we’vemade a version of the screaming face fromthe first King Crimson album [ In The CourtOf The Crimson King ]. It’s an extraordinary-looking thing. The piezo helps with moreacoustic-sounding things. It gives you anattack, which is great on arpeggiated stuff.”

How much consideration have you given to

emulating tones from the band’s past?

“There are certain tunes where I’m tryingto emulate them as authentically as possibleand times where I’m not. For instance, Sailor’s Tale, the original has two guitars,

Jakko Jakszyk says Robert Fripp has really encouraged him to be his own player


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Interview Jakko Jakszyk

F E R N A N D E S C U S T O M G O L D

“Robert seems to favour this Fernandes

Goldtop Custom, which was built for him in

Japan in about 1995. Most of his guitars have

generally got the same system: a built-in MIDI

pickup, a humbucker and a sustainer. The

toggle switches mean they’re totally flexible,

so he can switch everything in and out.”

R O L A N D U S 2 0 S P L I T T E R / G R 1

G U I T A R S Y N T H

“A 13-pin cable comes out of the guitar and

goes into this [AB/Y] splitter, which goes to

the Roland GR-1 Guitar Synth and to the

Axon AX100 [rack-mounted guitar-to-MIDI

controller]. A standard jack then runs out

of the back of the GR-1 to the Axe-FX II XLs at

the top of the rack.”

A X E F X I I X L

“Generally, we’re setting it up with a Hiwatt-

style ‘Hi-Power’ head, through a 4x12 cab

setting and a Master Fuzz [based on the

Maestro FZ-1 Fuzztone], which seems to be

one of the favourites as a basic signal chain.

The top one is the backup.”

S O U N D S C U L P T U R E S W I T C H B L A D E

“All of the outputs from the Axe-Fx, the Axon

and the GR-1 go into this Switchblade, which

is essentially like a patch bay. You’ve got

two stereo signals running from here into the

Eventide H8000 and H3500 effects units

and then a third stereo signal going to the

Eventide Eclipse, all of which are then sent

back into the Switchblade [and then out to

the final mix].”

E V E N T I D E H 8 0 0 0 & H 3 0 0 0 / 3 5 0 0

“The 8000s [only one pictured, due to

repairs] are generally what Robert uses to

create those massive loops that go on for

days. He’ll play things and 40 seconds later

they’ll appear in the surround speakers.

The 3000s are used for other effects, such

as the

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