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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BBE made its name with the Sonic Maximizer, a universally useful tool that mathematically—or magically, depending on your experience—equalizes and clarifies audio signals. Recently, the company has been applying its proven sonic formulas to excitingly unique stompboxes.

The BBE latest offering is the Paul Gagon–designed 427 Distortion. Gagon is one of the first engineers to realize that LEDs, commonly used for light emission, can be used to create tube-like signal clipping. His knowledge of distortion sculpting, along with an impressive complement of high-end audio-grade components, combine to create the 427’s powerhouse tone.

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

Growing up in the northeast corner of Oklahoma, in a small town called Picher, I was immersed in a vibrant local music scene from a young age. I got my first guitar, a Fender American Standard Telecaster, when I was 11 years old, and I just loved that guitar.

My dad, who was an accomplished working guitarist, regularly played the country music club circuit in that area, which borders Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas, and I was very fortunate, as a young teenager, to be able to go to some of his gigs and hang out with his many musical colleagues and guitar-player friends and watch them perform, which was very educational!

They were my informal teachers, and I learned a lot about not only country music but also blues and foundational rock and roll from various players who generously showed me some of their favorite licks and offered me invaluable playing tips.

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

String skipping is a technique I use in a handful of solos that I’ve recorded with my band, Falling in Reverse. Some of my guitar students have erroneously assumed that certain phrases were performed using sweep picking, but in fact I used string skipping, along with alternate and economy picking, to create a similar effect. If you’re a fan of the sound of fast alternate- and sweep/economy-picked phrases, the string-skipping techniques I demonstrate in this month’s lesson will appeal to you.

One great advantage to string skipping is that it allows you to get the aggressive sound of steady alternate picking, as all the notes are picked. Another benefit is that it lets you perform the big intervallic “jumps” often associated with sweeps by moving very quickly from, say, the fifth to the third to the first string and then back down again, leaping from one octave to another instantly. This results in exciting phrases that sound more difficult to play than they actually are.

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

In this and next month’s columns, I’d like pay tribute to one of my biggest musical heroes, the late, great tenor saxphonist Michael Brecker. His huge tone, jaw-dropping chops and ferociously funky and always brilliantly compelling solos inspired me early on to learn the language of jazz and taught me a great deal about the art of phrasing and playing intriguing, “outside”-sounding lines that have a method to their musical madness—meaning a theoretical basis that one can analyze, learn from and apply.

And so, I’ve composed a 32-bar solo, presented in two parts and played over a repeating eight-bar chord progression, that was inspired by Brecker’s improvisation on the track "Quartet No. 2 (Part 2: Dedicated to John Coltrane)" from pianist Chick Corea’s 1981 album Three Quartets. That performance features Brecker, backed by an elite acoustic jazz rhythm section, soloing over essentially the same chord progression, albeit in a different key, C minor. My tribute solo is in the more guitarist-familiar key of E minor and follows the progression Em7-C13-B7alt-Em9-B7alt.

PART ONE

PART TWO

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

In my previous column, I demonstrated the unusual two-hand tapping technique that makes up the first section of the song, “Isolated Incidents,” from the latest Animals as Leaders album, Weightless. The section of the tune that follows features a transition to a heavily syncopated pedal-tone pattern with a single-note melody played above it. This month, I’d like to go over that single-note melody, as well as the way in which I harmonize it when it is repeated.

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

This month, I’d like to talk about the track “Out of the Blue,” from my latest CD, All Over the Place (available from the Heads Up International division of the Concord Music Group). This record is aptly named, because it features a variety of different musical styles, represented across the 11 new original compositions I penned for the record.

In writing the music, I had in mind the specific styles that I wanted to touch upon, as well as the talents of all of the great musicians that play on the record, such as bassists Anthony Jackson, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Dave Holland, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee and Victor Bailey, saxophonist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Randy Brecker, and drummers Dave Weckl, Keith Carlock and Lionel Cordew.

Anna is the latest addition to our Girls of Guitar World Gallery.

All photos by Glenn Fricker, spectremedia.ca

Scroll down to see the complete photo gallery!

If you think you have what it takes to be a Guitar World Girl, simply email photos of yourself with a guitar to modelsearch@guitarworld.com!

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

The August 2013 issue of Guitar World features the wrong Metal Mike column. The correct column is presented here in its entirety.

In this month’s column, I’d like to demonstrate a variety of ways to twist that staple scale heard in virtually all rock and metal solos—the trusty old five-note pentatonic scale—into new and unusual phrases and patterns.

I was initially inspired to come up with these licks from a conversation I had with a saxophone player who asked me, “Why do so many guitarists always play pentatonic runs exactly the same way?”—meaning, why do most guitarists play up and down through the pentatonic scale within the confines of a single fretboard position?

He pointed out, “Every time you guys play a solo, your fingers all look the same!” I thought about that and realized that he had a legitimate point, so I set out to come up with a bunch of licks that ascend and descend the fretboard with unexpected finger slides and position shifts that, by their very nature, create a smooth, legato sound that is more “horn-like” than the typical, stock lead guitar phrases we are all so familiar with.

The first two licks I’m going to show you are based on A minor pentatonic, which is outlined in ascending form in fifth position in FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2 illustrates a lick, played in steady 16th notes, that is based on a sequence of four-note descending “cells” that gradually move up the fretboard on each successive beat from one position, or “box,” of A minor pentatonic to the next. The trick here is that the last note of each four-note “cell” includes a quick finger slide up to the next position.

Throughout this lick, I keep my fret-hand fingers arched so that they’re set directly above the frets, parallel with the fretwire. This way, I can easily focus on my fretting technique, making sure that each note is fretted cleanly and will sound loud and clear.

As you play through FIGURE 2, note that the index finger does all the upward sliding as we move from beat to beat. Additionally, you’ll see that I pick the first note on each string and then sound the following note with a pull-off. The only really tricky part of this phrase is found on beat two into beat three, as beat two begins with a pinkie pull-off and beat three begins with a ring finger pull-off. Sometimes it can feel weird switching fingers like this, so give special attention to this part of the phrase by “looping” these two four-note cells over and over.

Now let’s apply this approach to an ascending phrase (see FIGURE 3). This run is similarly constructed with successive four-note cells that ascend from one position of A minor pentatonic to the next, via a series of index-finger slides, but it involves the use of hammer-ons instead of pull-offs. The only potentially tricky part of this lick falls on beat four of bar 1, for which a wide index-to-pinkie hammer-on move has to jump quickly from ninth position to 10th position.

FIGURE 4 is built from a pattern, based on the A blues scale (A C D Eb E G), that’s played in three different octaves and fretboard positions. Using alternate picking, I play an initial eight-note melodic sequence across the top two strings in eighth position. I then quickly shift down to fifth position and play the same pattern on the middle two strings, then finally shift down to third position and do the same thing on the bottom two strings, using the same fretting and fingering scheme in each successive octave.

Let’s wrap up with a riff based on E minor pentatonic (E G A B D), performed entirely with natural harmonics (see FIGURE 5). Be sure to allow all notes to ring together as much as possible.

PART ONE

PART TWO

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

One thing that I believe all guitar players should try to make part of their daily practice routine is the study of scales. A common pitfall when it comes to working on scales is that, oftentimes, it’s easy to get lost or caught up in “Scale-ville,” where you might find yourself playing nothing but scales up and down all over the neck for hours on end.

Though there are great benefits from that type of dedicated scale study, it can easily turn into mechanical drudgery, rendering one’s practice time an unpleasant experience. The intent with the exercises presented this month is to demonstrate a concise way to incorporate dedicated scale studies into your everyday practice routine, but to do so in a very focused, concise manner.

PART ONE

PART TWO

Last night, the Rolling Stones performed at Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center, the first of two shows in the US' former capital.

The latest special guest to join the venerable rockers during their ongoing 50 and Counting Tour? Country guitar icon Brad Paisley.

Paisley, Guitar World's May 2013 cover star, joined the band for "Dead Flowers," a country-flavored track from 1971's Sticky Fingers.

Check out some fan-filled video below!

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

Last month, we saw how harmonica legend Little Walter applied his improvisational genius to slow blues. This month, we’ll see what Walter can teach guitar players about up-tempo soloing.

Walter served his musical apprenticeship in Delta roadhouses during the early Forties and intently studied the style and techniques of down-home blues harmonica masters such as John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson, but he also took the instrument into new territory by emulating the jazz-tinged phrasing of jump-blues saxophonists. Jump was an offshoot of big-band swing that featured fast 12-bar boogie-woogie grooves and full horn sections, and saxophonists were the instrumental stars of the day. With his amplified harp backed by only electric guitars and drums, Walter proved that he could swing with the best of the big bands

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

Joe Bonamassa picked up a guitar at age four, could cop SRV and Hendrix licks note-for-note by age seven, and was discovered by B.B. King while still in his pre-teens. Now 36, Joe Bonamassa is known for his awe-inspiring electric work, consisting of lethal licks and fist-pumping riffs.

He’s hugely responsible for today’s blues-rock resurgence and its rocketing back into the mainstream. While his electric style could be described as being equal parts Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson and Danny Gatton (his former instructor), it’s Bonamassa’s breathtaking acoustic work—as showcased on the recently released live, all-acoustic masterwork An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House—that prompts coverage in this month’s column.

I knew bassist Emma Anzai of Sick Puppies had been voted as one of the “25 Hottest Chicks in Metal” by Revolver. So when I sat down to take a listen to the band’s new album, Connect, I was expecting some metal mayhem.

I wasn’t disappointed by the driving beats, heavy riffs and overall awesomeness of the album. But I was surprised, because it was so much more than metal. In fact, the diversity of Connect was one if its strengths.

Solid radio-ready hard rock hits sit comfortably next to sassy lyrics and unexpected jolts of rhythmic intensity. But best of all, it's obvious this band isn't afraid to take stylistic chances. The writing and musicianship on Connect are top notch.

Sick Puppies gained notoriety when they released an independent video to accompany their first single, “All The Same.” Shot in a Sydney shopping mall in which fellow Aussie Juan Mann held up a hand-written placard offering passers-by "Free Hugs," the clip has attracted more than 74 million views on YouTube and spawned a world-wide phenomenon.

Connects follows their 2009 release, TRI-POLAR, which sold 400,000 copies and had two certified gold singles, “You're Going Down” and “Maybe.” Set for release in July, the band will be touring throughout the summer in support. Here we talk to Anzai about the new album and what’s next.

Let’s talk about your new album.

It’s called Connect, and actually the new single is called “There’s No Going Back.” The video was just released on June 6. You can pre-order the album.

I really like the writing on the whole album. I especially like “Gunfight,” because it’s so cheeky.

It’s funny, that song. We had a big debate over whether it would make the album, because the style is so left-of-center. And we were like, “I don’t know if it fits on the album,” because all the other songs are of a certain nature, and that one kind of sticks out. So yeah, you either love it or you hate it. I’m glad you like it.

there’s something fun about it that’s different. Especially because you mention Kevin Bacon in it, so …

Ha, right.

Do you guys work as a team in the writing process?

Yeah, we all collaborate. It all happens in a different manner each time. Sometimes we’ll come up with a theme, and we’ll start from there lyrically and then put music to it. Other times we’ll already have a melody or a theme, and it all happens differently. Sometimes, it’s a riff and you build from that. So, it can be any number of ways.

The one thing we do keep the same is writing it acoustically rather than getting in a room and jamming on it. Just because it’s hard to know if it’s good when you’ve got the instruments plugged in and it’s already loud. Then anything can sound relatively OK! But it’s only when you strip it back to acoustic, and you can play it as a song, that you can know whether it’s radio-ready song or not.

Yeah, if that kernel of that song can make it on just an acoustic guitar then you’re good. The other song I thought was really interesting was the last one, “Under the Black Sky,” which is sort of Pink Floyd-ish.

That’s what people have been saying. That’s really cool and very complimentary, because Pink Floyd, obviously, they’re very legendary, and they retain credibility. And they’re really a good band.

It was definitely the most apart from “Gunfight,” I guess. It’s the one we kind of went most out-on-a-limb on. And we decided to put it last. Kind of like on the previous album. We put something at the end that gives you a hint of what direction we could go in next. The most experimental, I suppose.

You have some very solid radio-ready songs on there, but you definitely have stretched that creativity muscle. I watched your “Free Hugs” video. That must’ve been really crazy when that just took off …

It was! Because Shim, our singer, made it for his friend in Australia, who basically just stood at a strip mall and held up a sign, and gave free hugs. And so, one day, Shim decided to film it. It all happened around the time that we came to the states as a band, and it before we got a record deal and any of that.

Shim had all this footage of him giving out free hugs, and at the time, we were recording our first album, and we had just done the song “All the Same.” He decided to compile all the footage and put the song underneath, and it was a really weird thing. He just did it for his friend and then he sent it to him and he was like, “Wow, that’s really cool.” And we were like, “Oh, we should put it on YouTube.” It’s a really great, I don’t know, like a Get Well card. It’s very soothing. As soon as we put that on YouTube it went viral. We had no idea! It was totally unplanned, and it was very lucky for us.

I read that you started out playing guitar. What made you pick it up in the first place?

I was living in Japan at the time; my dad is Japanese. When I was a teenager we moved back to Japan, and I was having a hard time because I was already English speaking and it was hard to integrate back into a non-English-speaking culture. My friend would send me magazines from Australia, and I learned about Silverchair. I really got into them and started to play guitar after that. My uncle got one for me for my birthday. Then I ended up moving back to Australia and met Shim in high school. And he played guitar and sang, so I moved to bass, and so that’s how that kind of happened.

Do you feel your approach to playing bass has evolved as you’ve been doing more writing and performing?

Yeah, I think so. When you start out, you kind of want to put every single little thing in there that you’ve learned. And it’s not necessarily good for the song. But I think the one thing I’ve learned is to listen more, so you don’t step over the song’s melody. It has to sit right.

Are there any bass players you really love?

Yeah, oh yeah. I originally loved the bass player from Silverchair. And also Green Day; he’s super melodic, Mike from Green Day. And then, my absolutely favorite is Flea, because he incorporates both melody and rhythm, and slapping, of course…

And showmanship.

Oh yeah, that’s key. He has it all. He’s my No. 1 inspiration, because he can really play with the drums and have it going. I like bass because you can be the guitar player, and you can also do drums, too — slapping and rhythmic stuff. So that’s why I think it’s my favorite.

Let’s talk about your gear. Can you tell me what bass you’re using and what amp you plug into?

It’s pretty simple. I love Warwick basses and Ampeg amps, and that’s pretty much it. I play a Stream Stage 1. I’ve been playing Warwick pretty much the whole time. And they’re very good to me. I’m endorsed by them. When you slap, it really cuts through. I play Ampeg SVT Classics for heads, and I use 8x10 cabinets, just a simple setup. I have two heads — one for the highs and one for the lows. I bi-amp it, and that’s pretty much it.

That’s a pretty solid rig, I would say.

Yeah, it is, definitely. Most solid I’ve come across, and sometimes when you play at outdoor festivals, you need it. ‘Cause the sound gets blown away, because it’s outdoors and windy.

Do you have any favorites on the new album that you like to play live?

There’s a song called “Die to Save You,” which has really mean riffs in it, which is really cool. For now, it’s my favorite.

Have you had any challenges as a woman playing hard rock?

You know, I’ve been lucky, because I’ve been in this band since I met Shim in high school. So, not anything that has made me want to quit. Nothing like that. You do get your cliché things like they’ll think you’re a girlfriend of somebody’s or someone who’s not in the band. You’ll get that a lot. I’ve found that people have been very respectful and especially, these days, there are more girls in rock. Halestorm, Amy Lee. When we were first coming up, she was the rock goddess and she still is.

Do you have any tips or advice to share that you’ve learned in your travels?

I guess, just make sure you love what you do, and you’re loving it for the right reasons. Because eventually that’ll be tested, and it’s not an easy road. You really have to sacrifice a lot, like being without your family and friends, being away for a long time, being on a tour bus, and just doing that kind of thing. And while it is fantastic, and it is a dream, you do sacrifice pretty much everything else in your life. And if you’re prepared to do that and you really love it, then it’s perfect for you.

And also, make sure the people that you’re in a band with and touring with are good people, and people that you get on well with, because that will go a long way. When you’re tired, when you’ve done 10 shows in a row, not enough sleep, you want to make sure that everyone is of a good temperament to be able to handle that.

That’s excellent advice. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

The Sick Puppies Twitter is a place where people can ask questions and they can get in touch with us pretty much directly at twitter.com/SickPuppies. Ask us questions! And you can find out more at sickpuppies.com. And if readers wanna go a bit further, there’s sickpuppiesworldcrew.net, which is like a Street Team/Fan Relations that they can dig deeper!

Laura B. Whitmore is a singer/songwriter based in the San Francisco bay area. A veteran music industry marketer, she has spent over two decades doing marketing, PR and artist relations for several guitar-related brands including Marshall and VOX. Her company, Mad Sun Marketing, represents Dean Markley, Agile Partners, Peavey, Jammit, Notion Music, Guitar World and many more. Laura was instrumental in the launch of the Guitar World Lick of the Day app. She is the founder of the Women's International Music Network at thewimn.com, producer of the Women's Music Summit and the lead singer for the rock band Summer Music Project. More at mad-sun.com.

Remember back in elementary school when your cafeteria, auditorium and gymnasium were all in the same room?

Yeah, the all-purpose room. Depending on the time of day, that room got used for everything from pizza to dodgeball to latchkey to the sock hop. You could say the room had a few modes ...

In music, the major scale is like an all-purpose room. We use that freakin’ thing to make many different sounds and emotions.

It is the basis for everything ever created in Western music. Yer good old-fashioned C major scale has seven notes and thus, seven chords.

This is what those chords look like in order:

… and if you wrote a progression with these chords that went …

C maj/A min/D min/G maj
(I/vi/ii/V)

… you would have yourself a tidy little progression in the key of C major. Play through this progression and your ears will easily hear the C major chord as “home.”

That’s just chord chemistry — it’s been working the same way for centuries. Don’t question it. Don’t ask why. Just accept it and internalize it. Finished internalizing yet? OK, good. Moving on …

Now let’s say you want to put a wonderfully self-gratuitous solo over this progression. You already know the key is C major, so what better scale to use than a C major scale? This scale will work perfectly over all four chords. Why? It works because all these chords are related in the key of C major (also said to be diatonic to C major).

So remember how we said the major scale is an all-purpose room for different uses? Well, when you play a C major scale over the C major chord in your progression, that scale is functioning in the C Ionian mode because Ionian is the traditional pure major mode. But over the A minor chord, that very same scale will then function in the A Aeolian mode. Over the D minor chord, it will be in the mode of D Dorian and over the G major chord it will be in G Mixolydian.

If your brain is starting to overheat at this point, take a moment to cool down. You also might be asking yourself, “OK, but why complicate life with these ricockulous Greek words?”

Think about it this way: If you could get away with playing one scale over four chords instead of four scales over four chords, life would be a heck of a lot easier, right? Hell yes. Not only does it require excessive thinking, changing scales every time there is a diatonic chord change will actually obscure the key center “home base” (in this case C major). An experienced improviser will recognize that all the chords in the progression are diatonic to C major. Therefore, he or she will use the C major scale to play over all four chords (knowing that as each chord changes, the scale will be functioning in a different mode).

In this progression, the C major scale (like an all-purpose room) changes its function constantly. The modes it functions in can even be compared to the different uses of a real all-purpose room; we’ll call Ionian pizza, Aeolian dodgeball, Dorian latchkey and Mixolydian sock hop.

Now before you go off improvising in the ancient and glorious mode of C Pizza, realize that the real power of modes is in knowing how to make your scale choices and ensuing improvisation most efficient. Learn to analyze chord progressions so that you can spot chords diatonic or native to the same key. For many songs, most of the chords will be in the same key. For these chords you would use the same scale for soloing.

Here’s the complete order of modes over their corresponding chord in any given major key:

Using the chords from our nifty progression above:

• C maj is the I chord and so the C major scale functions in C Ionian mode when played over it.
• A min is the vi chord and so the C major scale functions in A Aeolian mode when played over it.
• D min is the ii chord and so the C major scale functions in D Dorian mode when played over it.
• G maj is the V chord and so the C major scale functions in G Mixolydian mode when played over it.

Here’s a different progression:

C maj/E min/F maj/G maj
(I/iii/IV/V)

Our ears and knowledge of key centers and modes tells us that this progression is in C major and all the chords are diatonic to C major. This means we can use a C major scale to blaze over this one too (it’s a very straight-laced ditty so blaze gently).

The C major scale you play will change modes with every chord change starting in C Ionian and going into E Phrygian then F Lydian and finally G Mixolydian…or G sock hop if you prefer.

***

So the next time you see a progression, analyze the chords to determine:
01. The key and I chord of the progression
02. For all the chords diatonic to this key, use the scale based on that key/I chord (like the C major scale for a C major progression).

That’s how you use modes. If you are utterly perplexed by this information, reach out and ask for help in the comments section. If you got this stuff down, don’t worry; there’s more where that came from. So until next time, grab your favorite instrument and make some beautiful music.

The world is waiting.

Photo: Corbis

Blake Scopino is a guitar player, songwriter and audio engineer. To see if he can back up his big mouth, listen to his band here. For more tips, tricks and other handy information for your musical journey, head on over to Cool Drifter Music Motel.

Massachusetts-based hard rock/heavy metal band Ivadür, which got its start in 2011, released an impressive debut album earlier this year.

This band’s simple goal is to play the kind of music they enjoy listening to, and their passion for all things classic is pretty clear when you listen to this album, which is — through and through — a 100 percent analog recording.

I first interviewed drummer Scott Smith to discuss some basics about the band, and you can read that right here. Then I spoke to guitarist Sean Haidul to find out more about gear and the recording process, among other things. Read our conversation below, and check out Invadür on bandcamp and Facebook.

GUITAR WORLD: In terms of your own setup, what gear did you use for this album?

For this recording I used my Gibson SG Supreme. That’s my ultimate. It’s an emerald burst with gold inlays, and it’s kind of like my baby. I’ve got a couple of extras, but that’s the one I use. And as far as amps, we used Soldano. Scott being the drummer is a giant gear head when it comes to all that stuff. And yeah, nothing really crazy with any of the effects or anything, we just tried to keep it simple and that’s kind of how we went with it. Of course, my SG is the one that’s most important to me, I think [laughs].

You guys recorded the album the analog way. Did that make any difference to your setup, or did you just use the same thing as you would have normally used?

We used the same, man. The only pedal I used was my Dunlop MXR Carbon Copy, which is for the analog delay. There’s a little bit of that, and we did a bit of tweaking in the post-production. But that’s really it as far as that stuff is concerned. It was definitely recorded in 100 percent analog, which I don’t think any of us have done before. We were thinking back on all the old stuff we grew up on. We’re big fans of the classic stuff, and there’s no mistakes made on those albums. So we played seven songs over and over again in the studio, until we got really good at recording them. That was an awesome and challenging experience for us, especially for me. We’d love to do that again, and that’s certainly the plan for upcoming recordings with Invadür.

Scott said the whole recording was done within five or six days. In terms of playing the songs over and over again, how many times did you actually play them?

The first day of recording was drum, bass and guitar. We were all locked in one room with all the amps put to one side. I got to do the overdubs because I’m the guitarist, but basically first we had to make sure these tracks had solid bass and drums, and some of the songs we even played 20 times each, just small parts. One miss, and it’s all over! We had to start all over again. As frustrating as it could be sometimes, it was definitely a great experience. It made us a hell of a lot tighter in no time, too. But it’s part of the gig!

In terms of your guitar playing, who has inspired you over the years?

If I had to go to anything, I would seek out Megadeth and Iron Maiden. As much as Dave Mustaine can be a knucklehead, the guy musician-wise has done some of the greatest things I’ve ever heard. Maiden and Adrian Smith are big influences to me as well. Mercyful Fate, K.K. Downing of Judas Priest as well, and we can go on forever with this stuff. But I’ve always been a fan of the early '80s thrash and heavy metal. That’s the stuff that moved me the most.

You mentioned the Gibson SG. Why that guitar? Did you see anybody else using it?

It’s actually funny because I’ve been a self-taught guitarist my whole life. I’ve mostly learned from tablature. Megadeth’s Rust In Peace was one of the first albums I tried to learn. But a really close friend of mine, who’s a guitar teacher, always played Gibson. He’s got tons of Gibson guitars. I would go to him, he would teach me some stuff and I would play his guitars. SG just seemed to be the fit for me, especially for the classic sounding thing we were trying to do. It just made more sense to use that.

Over the years, have you been the kind of guy who practices and spends a lot of time on the guitar, or is it more spontaneous?

Well, I used to practice a lot. I would play some Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica and even the first couple of Queensrÿche albums. Then I started joining bands, and as I got older (I’m 30), I kind of played when I felt like it. I don’t pick up the guitar every day, and instead I do it just a couple of times a week just to see what I have. Especially now, I really believe that I have to feel it to come up with something that’s creative enough. When I pick it up, I just practice some scales, and I try to come up with a riff that I’m into, you know. That’s kind of really where I’m at in terms of guitar playing in my life.

I believe you’re also in a black metal band with Scott. Can you tell me more about that?

The band is just a two-man project called Plagues. We did our first demo and put it out ourselves. There are probably 10 more songs we’re getting ready to record at the end of the summer. Basically heavy metal, black metal and punk hardcore is the music I grew up on, but the intensity of black metal is something I’ve always loved.

I've heard that you and Scott wrote music for this two-man project, but those song didn’t fit in with the project's style so you started Invadür. Is this the sort of band you've always had in the back of your head — a classic heavy band?

Yeah, I think so. When you’re young and are a guitar player at any level, you try to reinvent the wheel. You try to do something special. But through the bands that I’ve done, at some point I just felt like playing what I enjoy. Play what’s fun to you and play what you listen to. I think with Invadür, that’s kind of the riffs we did. I would totally listen to that. It reminded me of stuff I loved to listen to! We shared a love for Mercyful Fate, Maiden and stuff, and as much as I love black metal, sometimes it’s draining and too intense. I was kind of like, "You know, let’s mess around with something else here." So we did and had a blast. It was too fun and too easy to just not do. We started putting it together, got a singer and bass player, and here we are! It’s been probably one of the most enjoyable recording and band experiences I’ve ever had.

How are you going forward? Will you be working both the black metal project and Invadür?

Believe it or not, it’s actually easier than it sounds because they’re so different. From the minute I wake up to the time I go to bed, it’s easy to channel my influences. With the black metal stuff, I like to play a little bit more melodic, but I feel I have to express different feelings for both, as weird as it sounds. I always try to be active in music, because that’s just what I do. It’s definitely something I plan on doing for a long time, one way or another.

Andrew Bansal is a writer who has been running his own website, Metal Assault, since early 2010, and has been prolific in covering the hard rock and heavy metal scene by posting interviews, news, reviews and pictures on his website — with the help of a small group of people. He briefly moved away from the Los Angeles scene and explored metal in India, but he is now back in LA continuing from where he left off.

The lineup for this year’s Sunset Strip Music Festival (SSMF) street fest, taking place in West Hollywood August 3, has taken shape with today’s announcement of Awolnation, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Logic, Slick Rick/Doug E. Fresh, Asher Roth, Finch And Street Drum Corps confirmed to perform outdoors at the annual street festival.

Joining the previously announced Saturday main stage headliners Linkin Park, the eclectic variety of artists cover the spectrum of rock, pop, rap and punk.

“Each year SSMF celebrates the Los Angeles music scene with one-of-a-kind performances on The Sunset Strip. From Fergie performing with Slash in 2010 to Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger taking the stage with Marilyn Manson in 2012, SSMF creates unique moments you won’t find anywhere else,” noted SSMF co-producer and Roxy owner Nic Adler. “This year’s street festival features bands Linkin Park, Awolnation, Asher Roth and Street Drum Corps, whose careers began performing in Sunset Strip venues. We look forward to welcoming these artists back as they perform in front of thousands of music fans on the music boulevard’s largest stage.”

In addition to the two outdoor stages on The Sunset Strip, venues inside the street festival closure — including The Roxy, Whisky A Go-Go and a special outdoor Viper Room stage — will feature full lineups throughout the day and into the night, including performances by Warren G and Bizarre Ride featuring Fatlip & Slimkid3 at The Roxy and 7LIONS at the Whisky. Artists performing in the venues include:

Warren G
7Lions
Bizarre Ride featuring Fatlip & SlimKid3
Orgy
Hunter Valentine
Julien-K
Andy Clockwise
Egyptian Lover
Smile Empty Soul
Terraplane Sun
Stolen Babies
UpRooted
The Active Set
Sabrosa Purr
The Dreaming
Sad Robot
The Last Internationale
Battle Tapes
The Diamond Light

(More to be announced.)

The sixth annual festival, which takes place in The Sunset Strip’s music venues August 1-3, culminates on Saturday, August 3 with a 3-11 PM street festival. As in years past for the Saturday event, Sunset Boulevard will be closed to traffic between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard and transformed into a premier concert destination with two outdoor stages, beer gardens, an artist autograph tent, an outdoor VIP rooftop lounge, silent disco, VIP Lounge at On The Rox, food trucks and interactive experiences.

Saturday’s show will be headlined by Linkin Park, and it will be their only North American performance for the remainder of 2013. This also marks the band’s first performance in Los Angeles since May 2012, when they performed an intimate benefit show at the House of Blues Sunset Strip. The Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum California rock band and SSMF are partnering to create a unique festival experience that will let attendees “rock for a cause” with a significant portion of ticket sales to benefit Music For Relief, the nonprofit organization Linkin Park founded to support disaster relief, provide aid to survivors of natural disasters and support the prevention of such disasters via environmental programs.

Tickets for the SSMF 2013 street festival are on sale now via the official ticketing provider, Eventbrite, at http://sunsetstrip.eventbrite.com. Ticket options include general admission August 3 street festival ticket for $79 and a VIP option for $145, which includes access to the rooftop VIP area with views of the West stage, VIP areas in the beer garden and venues, access to VIP lounge On The Rox, a separate entrance and additional perks.As previously announced, a significant portion of this year’s ticket sales will benefit Music For Relief, a nonprofit organization to support disaster relief, provide aid to survivors of natural disasters and support the prevention of such disasters via environmental programs.

Previous SSMF performers have included Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Offspring, Marilyn Manson, Steve Aoki, Slash featuring Fergie, Public Enemy, Bad Religion, Common, Bush, LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Neon Trees, Matt & Kim, Cobra Starship, Shiny Toy Guns, The Head Cat, Andy Grammer, Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger of The Doors, She Wants Revenge and Imagine Dragons, among others. Highlights from the past five years, including the SSMF 2012 street festival--which drew 15,000 music fans from Southern California and beyond--can be seen here: http://bit.ly/SSMFvideo13.

SSMF thanks its supporters including Jack Daniel’s, Gibson Guitar, Hornburg Land Rover/Jaguar, Bud Light. Monster Energy, 98.7 fm, KTLA, Eventbrite, City of West Hollywood, Visit West Hollywood, Guitar World magazine and Revolver magazine.

For the latest SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL news, visit www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com, like www.facebook.com/sunsetstripmusicfestival and follow Twitter.com/SSMF.

Maxwell Carlisle is an up-and-coming guitarist on LA's metal scene. He has released two EP’s in only six months, and he's working on even more projects at the moment. We recently spoke to Carlisle — who has played with Death Riders and other notable LA-based bands — about what it's like to have so many irons in the fire.

GUITAR WORLD: Tell us about the new recordings you have out now. Both EPs feature different singers, correct?

I've released two EP's in the past six months: Visions of Victory in November and Full Metal Thunder on April 3. Originally I was going to do a full-length power-and-shred metal album with two singers, one male and one female, each singing half the album. But as the songs started to come together, I felt their voices were too different to put on the same project.

Caro Lion, who sings on the first EP, has a classic '80s female rock voice. Michael Yancy sings on the second EP, and his voice is much more "metal"— raspier, kind of a cross between Udo Dirkschneider and Jeff Scott Soto, if you can imagine that. I made the decision to release them as two EPs. I'm glad I did it that way.

It's hard for me to pick which EP is my favorite. They're quite different. Visions of Victory is more melodic power metal, and Full Metal Thunder has a heavier thrash feel to it. My favorite track from that one is the title track. From the first EP, it would be "Power Angel," which we also shot a video for. That's had a great response, and we're going to be doing another video for the new release as well.

Do you have special guests on any of the tracks?

One of my favorite things about releasing anything is when I get to include some killer guest artists. Between the two EP's, Ethan Brosh, Rick Renstrom, Nita Strauss and Dannyjoe Carter do guest solos. I've been fortunate to work with great people in the past, like Michael Angelo Batio and electric cellist Tina Guo. I always dig hearing other people play on my tunes. It pushes me harder as a player, because they can all shred their asses off.

What main guitars were used on the EP's?

I used three guitars for the bulk of the tracks: an older Ibanez RG that's a hard tail, no whammy bar; and my two Jackson DK2Ms. Those are basically Dinkys with maple fret boards. The Ibanez has the classic EMG 81/85 combo, and one Jackson has a Seymour Duncan JB and '59. The other one has Blackouts. I've gotta say, the Blackouts are my favorite! I used the Ibanez for most of the rhythm parts and the Jacksons for the leads. Live, I've been using the Jacksons mostly.

What do you want the guitar community out there to know about you?

I think a lot of people look at what I'm doing and think I'm crazy. Here's this guy, a bodybuilder with a Mohawk who plays shred metal in a sea of Indie rock and metalcore bands. I want people to know that musically I take what I do very seriously. I put a lot of work into my chops and the whole package of what I'm doing. But on the other hand, I don't take myself too seriously and I'm in this to have a good time. I can laugh at myself, and I'm fine with the fact that not everyone will like or "get" what I do. I've got a photo from a few years back of me and Herman Li. He's got me in a choke hold and I'm holding up a sign that says "Dragonforce Sucks!" I love crazy stuff like that. By the way, did you know he's a Jiu-Jitsu expert? Hardly anyone knows that, but it's true!

What do you use in terms of amps and pedals?

For the EPs, I basically used two different amps: a Marshall 50-watt DSL 2000 and a Bugera 6262. I would run one of those into a Carvin Legacy 4x12 loaded with Celestion Vintage 30s. I also did some extra guitar layers recording direct, but that ends up buried in the mix. I still prefer the sound of a mic'd-up, cranked tube amp!

For pedals I always use a Maxon OD808 to boost my amps. I can't get enough of the sustain and fatness that thing brings to the table. I also use the Ibanez Paul Gilbert Airplane Flanger, although only on one song. Gotta have it though; it has a totally unique sound. Plus I'm a firm believer that anything related to Paul Gilbert makes your rig sound better! It makes you big in Japan too!

For all my other effects I use a Boss GT8, which is actually an older model of their big multi-effects floorboard. I've got it programmed and setup perfectly for my rig so I've kind of been putting off upgrading it, and I use it in "4-cable mode," which basically means I run the preamp of my head through the effects loop of the GT. That way I'm using my actually preamp tone and not a simulated preamp.

Who are your influences? When was the moment that you realized that you wanted to play?

I remember watching the movie Crossroads as a kid. I thought everything about it was just sort of cool, until they get to the scene at the end with Steve Vai. When he comes out as this bad ass shredder guy in the final guitar battle, that was what really blew my mind. It wasn't until years later that I actually started playing guitar seriously, but that was what first put the idea in my head. I still love that scene.

As far as influences, I draw from the people who I consider to be the technical masters. Guys like Chris Impellitteri, Michael Angelo Batio, Rusty Cooley, Tony MacAlpine, Luca Turilli, Paul Gilbert, Akira Takasaki and Yngwie Malmsteen, just to name a few. Some of them influenced me just from a playing standpoint and with others it's more about the songwriting or just how they present themselves. I really admire guys who stand the test of time too, and are not just a flash in the pan. That's something I'm hoping will happen with my own career. I'd like to still be playing blazing solos in 40 years.

You're an avid body building enthusiast. Does it affect your playing? Was it harder to play when you were competitively training?

People ask me all the time, "Doesn't lifting weights interfere with your playing?" The answer is no. I have heard about other people having problems, but I've never had any issues. I do make an effort to not beat up my hands, like I don't do boxing or anything like that, but as far as weight training, even heavy stuff, I've had zero problems. I've been doing it a long time too, like lifting and playing for 15 years each. If anything there are actually a lot of parallels between the two. The way you build up a muscle over time is very similar to developing a technique or developing speed in your playing. They both take a lot of time and consistency, and they're both fun as hell. Plus, there are chicks at the gym, chicks at shows, so it's all good.

You live and play in Los Angeles. Tell us about the general state of the industry out there as you see it. Where do you think it's going?

I think the scene in LA is pretty representative of the state of the industry in the US in general. And I have to say, I'm not stoked about it. As far as rock and metal bands, you basically have two dominating genres. That would be metalcore and Indie rock. The indie stuff I hate with a passion. It's pretentious and provides a way for people to pass off bad musicianship as art. Metalcore I can handle in small doses, but you never, ever get it in small doses!

There's just too many bands! And I know this is a cliche thing to say, but every fucking band sounds the same! Every song sounds the same! Shit, even the stuff the singer says to the crowd in between songs is the same. "Let me see your hands in the air!""Are you with us!""Let's tear this up!" And don't get me wrong, there are actually a lot of really great musicians in that scene. But come on. It's OK to do something different!

I think the problems the industry is going through right now have created a huge lack of diversity. The thought process that most bands have is, "OK, we want to get signed. Labels are making a lot less money, and they don't want to take any financial risks, so we need to do whatever is most popular, mainstream and safe."

And then you just end up with a million bands all doing the same thing. That's what killed hair metal! And that was even back when people still paid for music! When you think about it, the bands that really are making it these days are always bands that are doing something different and stand out from the pack. Look at Steel Panther! Who would have thought that a throw-back glam metal band would be as big as they are today? They're different, unique and let's face it, kick all kinds of musical ass, so people pay attention to them.

Dave Reffett is a Berklee College of Music graduate and has worked with some of the best players in rock and metal. He is an instructor at (and the head of) the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal department at The Real School of Music in the metro Boston area. He also is a master clinician and a highly-in-demand private guitar teacher. He teaches lessons in person and worldwide via Skype. As an artist and performer, he is working on some soon-to-be revealed high-profile projects with A-list players in rock and metal. In 2009, he formed the musical project Shredding The Envelope and released the critically acclaimed album The Call Of The Flames. Dave also is an official artist endorsee for companies like Seymour Duncan, Gibson, Eminence and Esoterik Guitars, which in 2011 released a Dave Reffett signature model guitar, the DR-1. Dave has worked in the past at Sanctuary Records and Virgin Records, where he promoting acts like The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Korn and Meat Loaf.

Back in 2000, Guitar World asked the legendary Pantera and Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell to give our readers the best ways to stay fit when slinging six strings. Here's what he came up with.

01. Keep a positive outlook.

A lot of bands whine about the road and how tough it is. Fuck all that. With the right outlook, you can learn to entertain yourself and entertain each other so you can enjoy doing what you’re doing. There’s obviously gonna be highs and lows, and the trick to it is to be able to maintain composure and stay high even when you’re in the lows. That way when you hit the highs it’ll be twice as killer.

02. You’ve got to have booze!

Booze is the healer and booze is the feeler. Whenever you’re getting into rock and roll mode, nothing kicks it in better than a couple of shots of whisky and a cold beer. It kinda takes some of the distractions away and helps bring things into focus. You know the difference between listening to a record sober and listening to it after having a couple — it’s immaculate … it’s goddamned electric. So you’ve definitely got to have booze to survive. And, before I forget, the occasional, green “behavioral modification device” is also a necessity every now and again!

03. Stay hydrated.

On the same note: When you wake up and you’ve got a gig to play but you’re still half drunk and hurtin’ big-time, you’re gonna be dehydrated. The best thing to re-hydrate yourself isn’t Gatorade — it’s Pedialyte, the stuff they give to kids when they’re shitting in their britches! So, get yourself some Pedialyte, get yourself some water and then go for the cheap Mexican food. That’s a survival trick that’ll get you back on the right track.

04. Bring a recording device.

When you’re on the road, you’ve got to have your four-track — or some kind of recording device to jam on and have a good time. That way, you can work on new riffs, or write a cheap song about some jacked-off experience that just happened to you—something everybody can catch a nut on the next day.

05. Bring your favorite CDs.

Always have a collection of your favorite CDs with you. Music drives you. It wakes you up, it gets you pumping. And, at the end of the day, the correct tune will chill you down.