During the 2014 Winter NAMM Show, the Guitar World crew visited the Music Link booth — home of Recording King, The Loar and AXL Guitars.
In our video, which you can check out below, Ashley Atz from the Music Link discusses two brand-new models for 2014 — the LH-301-T from The Loar and the Bel Air from AXL Guitars. Both models should be available this spring.
During last week's 2014 Winter NAMM Show, the Guitar World crew visited the Line 6 booth to check out the company's new AMPLIFi guitar amp and stereo bluetooth speaker system with iOS integration.
In the clip, which you can check out below, Line 6's Paul Hindmarsh explains and demos the new amp.
From Line 6:
AMPLIFi is an entirely new kind of guitar amplifier. By combining a high-performance guitar amp, a streaming Bluetooth speaker system and a breakthrough iOS app into one powerful device, AMPLIFi will change the way guitarists practice, perform and enjoy music.
“Eighteen years ago, Line 6 revolutionized the guitar amp market by releasing the world’s first modeling amplifier,” said Paul Foeckler, CEO of Line 6. “And now we’re doing it again. AMPLIFi completely redefines the guitar amplifier, bringing together our customers’ musical and personal lives like no other device.”
During last week's 2014 Winter NAMM Show, the Guitar World crew visited the Supro booth to check out the company's new line of amps.
In the clip, which you can check out below, Supro's Matt Smith's provides a guided tour of the Dual-Tone, Thunderstorm and Coronado.
From Supro:
Absara Audio, the New York-based manufacturer of Pigtronix effects and Supro amplifiers, has unveiled its debut lineup of re-issue Supro tube amps.
The new Supro amps — reimagined by award-winning product designer David Koltai with circuits curated by Bruce Zinky — bring back the instantly recognizable looks, tactile feel and raw tone that defines the Supro sound.
This is an excerpt from the March 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the rest of this story, plus the 50 Greatest Eric Clapton Songs of All Time and features on Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman and the Layla sessions, plus Johnny Winter, Don Felder, Guitar World's Readers Poll results and more (including gear reviews and John Petrucci's monthly column) — check out the March 2014 issue at the Guitar World Online Store.
Boston Strong: Following the death of Brad Delp, Tom Scholz releases Boston’s last recordings with the singer: Life, Love & Hope, an album 11 years in the making.
Boston’s Tom Scholz has a musician’s soul and a scientist’s obsession with the phenomena of sound and music.
Those qualities have helped him and his long-running group create some of the most lavishly layered, hooky guitar rock of the Seventies and beyond. The guitarist was a senior product design engineer for Polaroid in the Seventies who spent his off hours tinkering meticulously on a set of demo recordings in his home studio.
Those demos resulted in Boston’s self-titled 1976 debut, which took radio by storm, fast-tracked by hits like “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind” and “Smokin’.” The disc went on to sell 17 million copies. Boston followed it up two years later with the best-selling Don’t Look Back.
Subsequent albums have taken considerably longer to complete. Boston’s new album, Life, Love & Hope, was a staggering 11 years in the making, but it is a bold reaffirmation of the epic production values that made Seventies rock the apotheosis of what we now call classic rock. Its tracks are awash in chunky phalanxes of stacked rhythm guitars deployed with razor-sharp precision, richly sustained leads that reach for the sky in glorious melody, celestial clouds of background-vocal majesty, classically tinged keyboards…
In short, it’s the whole high-calorie, big-rock tour de force.
Although Life, Love & Hope is only Boston’s sixth album in 37 years, you’d be wrong to assume Scholz spends little time in the recording studio. He lives there. But when he’s in there, he sweats the details in a big way, piling up guitar tracks and constantly tweaking, reshaping and re-recording song arrangements. He accomplishes much of this through the labor-intensive practice of splicing analog multitrack tape. In almost every respect, Scholz still does things the way they were done during rock’s Seventies heyday.
“Part of the difficulty in the studio is agonizing over what to leave out,” he says. “It’s very time consuming, and 99 percent of what I record, nobody else hears but me.”
I’ve heard that you were deliberately writing songs in the classic Boston vein for this new album.
I think some of the songs are definitely in the classic Boston sound and style. On one or two of them, I even went back to my first Marshall amps, which were used on the first two albums, just because they seemed right. But I never sit down and reference my current guitar sounds or mixes to the first Boston album or any other album. For some reason, though, that’s where my brain seems to go. But at the same time, some of this record is a pretty wild departure. I definitely did some experimenting and took some chances.
Keyboards figure more prominently on this record than on some of Boston’s earlier work. But then piano is your first instrument, right?
It is. And I ended up going back there for a lot of songs on this album, although I didn’t deliberately set out to do that. There are many places on the album that feature piano. The instrumental “Last Day of School” was originally a piano song and a very difficult part to play, by the way, so I spent a lot of time perfecting it. And once I got it onto tape, I started hearing guitars, so I began laying in all these guitar parts. And it somehow ended up being dominated by the guitars, so now you can hardly hear the piano stuff that I had to work so hard to perfect!
Who are your big songwriting influences?
Rachmaninoff, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. [laughs] But I will also say I have a great appreciation for Joe Walsh and Jimmy Page, and an enormous regard for Jeff Beck’s guitar-playing style and some of those earlier bands that had great harmonies, like the Hollies.
And like all prior Boston albums, you recorded this one with an all-analog signal chain. Why is that?
Analog sounds so much better. I frankly can’t listen to digital audio for more than a few hours without really starting to hate what I’m listening to. Even decent 24-bit digital resolution really irritates me after a while. So I need something that I can listen to for months on end, thousands of plays. And analog is still the bill for that. My primary tape machine is a 3M M79, the one I’ve been using since 1977. I do a lot of rearranging on tape, so I needed a machine that would handle splices really seamlessly, and the M79 is it. I know it’s considered a little extreme that I record on this analog gear. My repair tech refers to my studio as an archeological dig.
For the rest of this story, plus the 50 Greatest Eric Clapton Songs of All Time and features on Mike Bloomfield, Duane Allman and the Layla sessions, plus Johnny Winter, Don Felder, Guitar World's Readers Poll results and more (including gear reviews and John Petrucci's monthly column) — check out the March 2014 issue at the Guitar World Online Store.
Option Knob Inc. has introduced the VKnob, the newest addition to the Option Knob line of advanced controllers. The VKnob provides advanced dynamic colume control for electric guitars.
It's an alternative for the volume knob on your guitar and enables players to instantly execute fine-tuned volume control and lightning-fast volume swells with ease.
• Pull off the factory volume knob, push on the VKnob, and you're ready to go.
• The "arm" design extends your volume control closer to the strumming area, so it's quicker and easier to adjust your volume on the fly.
• You can rapidly move the arm up and down to create tremolo effects at whatever tempo you want.
• Couple your pinky finger with the notch on the tip of the arm to fine-tune the volume level on every individual note you pick.
The Guitar World crew visited the Roland/Boss booth — it's actually a large room with several sections and a stage — during the 2014 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.
We were introduced to several new items from the company, including the latest Boss pedals, the DS-1X: Distortion and the OD-1X: Overdrive. Be sure to check out our video below!
From Boss:
The DS-1X launches the famous BOSS distortion into a modern era of expression, delivering an unmatched level of performance for guitarists with an ear for tone. This next-generation stomp combines over 35 years of innovation in pedal design with the most advanced technologies, bringing you a completely new tonal experience that’s only possible with the legendary expertise of BOSS.
Prepare to be amazed—the inspiring and ultra-responsive DS-1X will change your thinking about distortion pedals forever.
The OD-1X launches the famous BOSS overdrive into a modern era of expression, delivering an unmatched level of performance for guitarists with an ear for tone. This next-generation stomp combines over 35 years of innovation in pedal design with the most advanced technologies, bringing you a completely new tonal experience that’s only possible with the legendary expertise of BOSS.
As you might've noticed by now, the Guitar World crew was at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show in full force.
We sampled as much new gear as we could get our paws on, we shot a seemingly endless supply of photos, gathered a factoid or two — and shot plenty of video along the way.
Many of Guitar World's videos from the latest NAMM Show can be found in one handy spot for your viewing pleasure: RIGHT HERE.
Note that we're adding new NAMM videos every day!
Be sure to sample a handful of Guitar World's NAMM videos below, and — if you just can't get enough gear-related visuals — check out the rest of our clips!
We've also posted several NAMM 2014 photo galleries, including:
The Guitar World crew visited the ESP Guitars room at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.
We were introduced to several new guitars from the company, including the new Alex Skolnick models from both ESP and LTD, plus the brand-new ESP USA series, which includes the Eclipse, Horizon and other models.
From ESP:
The ESP Guitar Company has announced the opening of its first-ever USA-based factory. The new ESP USA factory is in North Hollywood, California, a short distance from the company’s USA headquarters.
“This is a significant milestone for ESP,” says Matt Masciandaro, ESP president. “For years there has been a demand for a domestic factory, allowing us to create guitars that are 100 percent made in the U.S. We’re very excited about the new opportunities for ESP dealers and new choices for our customers.”
In Part 1 of this column, we identified some options that can maximize the amount of quality information you receive when learning the guitar.
It's common knowledge that some websites and YouTube videos disseminate inaccurate tips and techniques. Avoiding potential bad habits can be accomplished in a few different ways.
To quickly review from the last article;
01. Always check multiple websites and YouTube videos to make sure the information being communicated is consistent.
02. Pick up a few books or DVDs that are professionally produced.
03. Join an internet forum to ask other musicians about confusing or challenging topics (Or ask some of your friends who play guitar).
04. Seek out private lessons at a reputable music store, a well-respected local musician in your area or online via video chats such as Skype.
The options above should put you on the right path toward proper technique and a solid understanding of music theory. For the moment, let's take guitar lessons out of the equation and see if we can identify some key points in helping a typical beginner or intermediate player who is taking a DIY approach. These players are mostly teaching themselves with the help of the aforementioned resources available.
With the wide availability of information, you'd think it would be a relatively simple process. But, as was mentioned in Part 1, the common (and often difficult) denominator is self-discipline. Here's a list of the most important things to keep in mind when teaching yourself.
CRAWL BEFORE YOU WALK (OR RUN)
We all know that what inspires and motivates some young people to play the guitar is seeing an accomplished musician rip up some impressive tapping lick, or sweep pick their way through a minor arpeggio. For many, those flashy techniques act as a gateway drug. However, even the best shredders had to learn open chords and basic alternate picking at some point. It might not seem exciting, but having a good handle on the fundamentals is never a bad idea.
BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION IN RHYTHM
It can't be overstated how important rhythm is for every musician. In my experience, a surprising number of players are unable to successfully jam with other guitarists and drummers due to weaknesses in their rhythm. The most likely culprit is a lack of effective practice.
Practicing the guitar every day is definitely a good thing, but HOW are you practicing? Are you just sitting in your room perfecting chords and scales or playing fragments of your favorite songs?
The best way to improve your rhythm is to learn entire songs and play along with the actual recordings. They don't have to be challenging songs, but this type of practice will quickly reveal any gaps you might have in your rhythm. Other ways you can improve your timing are by playing to a metronome or jamming with a drummer.
INSTANT GRATIFICATION VS. DELAYED GRATIFICATION
The most important thing you need when learning an instrument is patience. Some concepts and techniques will come quickly, others will take a little longer. It's not uncommon for certain techniques to take many months (sometimes even longer) to fully master. That is why it's crucial to separate short-term and long-term goals.
Organizing a practice schedule can be beneficial in managing your ambitions. Learning power chords is an example of a short-term goal. Sweep picking is more long term. Does that mean you shouldn't start practicing sweep picking right away? Not necessarily. If that's a goal of yours, then start practicing basic arpeggio shapes and get used to the right-hand picking motion, which is often uncomfortable at first. Practice it very slowly every day, and constantly reinforce that muscle memory. Rome wasn't built in a day, ditto your guitar chops.
In many ways, this struggle between instant and delayed gratification is the biggest challenge you might face while learning an instrument. We live in an "instant gratification culture" to a certain degree. If noticeable results aren't produced immediately, then most people will abandon the whole endeavor. However, a successful goal that took months or years to accomplish will taste much sweeter.
SELF-DISCIPLINE
Coming full circle, self-discipline is your most vital asset in combating the occasional urge to give up on your ambitions. If you practice correctly and consistently, you will achieve whatever musical objectives you may have. Ironically, your largest obstacle might be a mental one. But this can be easily overcome by a healthy dose of patience and the right attitude.
As long as your goals are balanced and expectations are measured wisely, you will constantly improve. So, what are you waiting for?
Chris Breen is a New Jersey-based guitarist with 14 years of experience under his belt. He, along with his brother Jon (on drums) started the two-piece metal project known as SCARSIC in 2011. Due to a lack of members, Chris tracked guitars, bass and vocals for their self titled four-song demo (available on iTunes, Spotify and Rhapsody). They have recently been joined by bassist Bill Loucas and are writing new material. Chris also is part of an all-acoustic side project known as Eyes Turn Stone. Chris teaches guitar lessons as well (in person or via Skype). If you're interested in taking lessons with Chris, visit BreenMusicLessons.com for more info.
During last week's 2014 Winter NAMM Show, the Guitar World crew visited the Orange Amplification booth to check out the company's new Dual Dark Series of guitar amps.
From Orange:
The all-new Orange Dual Dark Series is a range of high-end dual channel amps.
Put simply, these amps showcase Orange Amplification at their most innovative. The new amps build on the brand’s reputation for creating the ultimate British guitar tone.
Bringing a new dimension of sound that delivers potent combinations of tone and the highest levels of gain the brand has ever offered.
The models have a completely new voicing for Channel A, different to anything else in the Orange Amp range yet still true to their heritage. Channel B is has the voicing of the Dark Terror tone. Both channels can go from clean through to crunch at lower gain levels and offer four stages of gain!
This video is bonus content related to the March 2014 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.
One of my favorite ways to explore new riffs, chord patterns and melodic figures is to take one of the seven fundamental modes and use its structure as a guideline.
In doing so, I often discover new chord shapes or melodic ideas that I may not have otherwise come across. Using this modal approach also offers a systematic way to take existing riffs or chordal ideas and tweak them in new and different harmonic directions.
The seven fundamental modes are built from the major scale, also known as the Ionian mode, which is spelled, intervallically, one (the root), major second, major third, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, major sixth, major seventh. Starting on each successive note, or degree, of the major scale and ascending one octave through that same set of notes forms a different, unique mode.
This video is bonus content related to the March 2014 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.
When it comes to amplifying an acoustic guitar, a microphone may be the best way to capture the instrument’s natural sound and nuances, but it’s not the easiest.
Miking an acoustic guitar in the studio involves placing several mics in strategic locations and using a variety of preamps and limiters as well as EQ. Onstage, it inevitably involves compromises to prevent feedback and avoid unwieldy setups that can restrict a performer’s movement.
The new L.R. Baggs Lyric microphone has been developed exclusively to address these difficulties. It’s a compact mic that mounts inside an acoustic guitar, to its bridge plate. And despite its diminutive size, it incorporates numerous innovations that provide the performance of studio processors.
During the 2014 Winter NAMM Show, the Guitar World crew visited the L.R. Baggs booth to check out the company's Lyric Acoustic Guitar Microphone and the brand-new Lyric Classical model.
In our exclusive video below, Mike Newsom from L.R. Baggs discusses the Lyric. After that, you get to enjoy an impressive demo by guitarist Omar Torrez, who was the featured performer at the L.R. Baggs booth all weekend long.
Note that, above the video, we've also included a Soundcloud clip of Torrez performing a piece called "La Danza" with the Lyric Classical.
From the Lyric review in the March 2014 issue of Guitar World: "When it comes to amplifying an acoustic guitar, a microphone may be the best way to capture the instrument’s natural sound and nuances, but it’s not the easiest.
"Miking an acoustic guitar in the studio involves placing several mics in strategic locations and using a variety of preamps and limiters as well as EQ. Onstage, it inevitably involves compromises to prevent feedback and avoid unwieldy setups that can restrict a performer’s movement."
Austin City Limits/em> (ACL) presents Americana music originals, Sarah Jarosz and The Milk Carton Kids in a brand new episode premiering February 1.
Both artists showcase their bona fides in an all acoustic hour with roots/folk singer-songwriter Jarosz making a return appearance on the ACL stage and newcomers The Milk Carton Kids in their ACL debut.
The episode showcases the young folk acts who were both nominated for Best Folk Album at this year's Grammy Awards.
ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings for times) and full episodes are made available online at acltv.com immediately following the initial broadcast.
ACL's Season 39 comes to a close on February 8 with a must-see season finale featuring Grammy Award-winning breakout country artist Kacey Musgraves and country legend Dale Watson.
Pushing the limits of Americana with her own distinctive style, Austin native Sarah Jarosz takes the ACL stage for her second appearance performing highlights from her recent album Build Me Up from Bones. The extraordinarily talented Jarosz has already released three albums at the age of 22.
Accompanied by her two-piece band featuring Alex Hargreaves on violin and Nathaniel Smith on cello, Jarosz begins a stellar set with the Grammy-nominated title track in an acoustic performance that showcases her musicianship and songwriting. Switching seamlessly between mandolin, banjo and guitar, the gifted multi-instrumentalist also dips into the songbooks of others, treating the audience to a radiant take on Joanna Newsom's “The Book of Right On” and a solo rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's “Kathy's Song.”
Preview Sarah Jarosz Perform "Over the Edge" on ACL
She invites The Milk Carton Kids out to join her and the band for “Annabelle Lee” (based on an Edgar Allen Poe poem), demonstrating their complementary visions of contemporary folk music.
"We are so proud of Sarah, we feel like she's part of the family,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “The last time she graced our stage she was on her way to college, now she's graduated with honors and her remarkable talent has grown exponentially. We couldn't resist having her back!"
The Milk Carton Kids, the L.A. acoustic folk duo consisting of Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, share the bill playing songs from their critically-acclaimed new album The Ash & Clay. The besuited pair “play a sweetly dazzling variation on close-harmony vocals, part Simon and Garfunkel and part Everly Brothers” (LA Times) for a sound NPR calls “gorgeous contemporary folk.”
With flat-picking harmonies and their signature wit, the duo play purely acoustically in their ACL debut—no guitar amplification and one vocal mic—to beautiful effect. In a skillful performance infused with a touch of twisted humor, the Kids charm the Austin crowd with their playful, deadpan banter, exquisite guitar work, rich harmonies and timeless folk.
"I first saw Kenneth and Joey perform on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium last September, and it was obvious that they are world-class entertainers beyond their years,” says Lickona. “They are traditionalists with a modern spin and a mischievous sense of humor."
Preview The Milk Carton Kids Perform "Michigan" on ACL
During the 2014 Winter NAMM Show, the Guitar World crew visited the Blackstar Amplification booth to check out — and hear — the company's new ID:Core amplifier series.
From Blackstar:
The new, affordable ID:Core Amplifier Series features the core attributes of Blackstar’s original ID:Series. These programmable, wide-stereo guitar combo amps are small in size, but they deliver huge tone.
Well-suited for personal practice or bedroom jamming along with a CD or MP3 player, they’re available in 10-, 20- and 40-watt configurations. Additional features include Six onboard voices, effects and INSIDER GUI software for creating, storing and sharing patches.
Rivera has become a major player and warmed up the the jazz amp world with its all-tube 50-watt Jazz Suprema 1x12 and 1x15.
Some archtop players had to settle on solid state amps in the past for there portability and light weight. However, with the release of the new portable and lighter all-tube 25-watt 10-inch combo, archtop players no longer have to settle for that cold, solid-state tone.
A tube power sections gives the added clarity and warmth needed to get back some musicality of the archtop’s “wood” tone while giving clarity to flat-wound strings.
• Features analog Accutronics three-spring reverb • Powered by a pair of 6V6’s • Voiced to NOT break up early unlike most traditional tube amps • Made in Burbank, California • Three preamp tubes • 10’ deep cabinet gives big bottom and maximizes projection.
The lovely and talented Sara Bareillies took the stage last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live to perform her single, " I Choose You" from her latest album, The Blessed Unrest. Her instrument of choice for the live performance was The Loar LO-16 small body acoustic.
I don't know about you, but I've been seeing smaller body guitars popping up all over the place, and this one is sure worthy of a sit down. I'm told it has that front porch blues-box sound, which seems like a good place to start!
The LO-16 begins with a hand-selected solid spruce top and has a mahogany back and sides that give it the warmth and resonance. Plus its mother-of-pearl headstock inlay and Grover tuning machines sure are stylin'.
The one Sarah plays has a black finish, but it also comes in natural.
So now not only am I digging seeing Sara play guitar live on Kimmel, I'm thinking I gotta put one of these guitars through its paces soon, too. I hear she'll be playing it again on Leno tonight. Good for her!
Dream Theater have debuted their latest music video, and you can check it out below.
The song, "The Looking Glass," is from the band's self-titled 2013 album.
"The song is definitely a tip of the hat to Rush," Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci recently told Music Radar. "We're such fans — they've been a huge influence on us, and we continue to admire and look up to them. One of the great things about them is how they write really uplifting songs with positive messages, but they always sound cool.
"It's really interesting. 'The Spirit Of Radio', 'Limelight'— those are big, big songs with big arena-rock riffs in a major key. Even 'Free Will' has that. The songs aren't dark, but they're tough. It's really hard to write something that can cut both ways like that, but that was my goal."
Dream Theater's Along For The Ride tour continues in March.
"Our goal is to create the ultimate Dream Theater experience for our fans and give them a chance to step into our world for three hours to share in our music,"Petrucci told GuitarWorld.com.
"The cool thing about our fans is that they're not just passive concert goers. They're all really into it and are singing along to every song. They're the perfect audiences to play for, and we're excited to have more time to play and deliver an exciting, powerful show."
Mar. 20 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
Mar. 21 - Montreal, QC - Bell Center
Mar. 22 - Quebec City, QC - Pavillon de la Jeunesse
Mar. 25 - Boston, MA - Opera House
Mar. 27 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
Mar. 28 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
Mar. 30 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
Mar. 31 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre
Apr. 01 - Washington, DC - Lincoln Theater
Apr. 02 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Palace
Apr. 04 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore
Apr. 05 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre
Apr. 06 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
Apr. 08 - Minneapolis, MN - Burnsville Performing Arts Center
Apr. 09 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
Apr. 10 - Denver, CO - Paramount
Apr. 12 - Vancouver, BC - Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Apr. 14 - Seattle, WA - McCaw Hall
Apr. 15 - Salem, OR - Elsinore Theatre
Apr. 17 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
Apr. 18 - Riverside, CA - Fox PAC
Apr. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Orpheum
Apr. 20 - Mesa, AZ - Ikeda Theatre
