Dire Straits Green Day Ed Sheeran

Brothers In Arms Good Riddance Thinking Out Loud

90+
Minutes
of lesson
audio!

20 Easy
Guitar
Tricks
Fast-track your
playing to the
next level!

2016’s
fix your Guitar
guitar Bargains
The hottest gear from
Learn how to swap the last 12 months
out your pickups
how to
Interviews ✔ Develop your
vibrato in 20 mins
Paul Gilbert ✔ Steal Stevie Ray
Joanne Shaw Vaughan’s style

Taylor
Twin Atlantic
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It’s that time of year again! 2016 has flown by,
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Marketing Also inside, if you’ve got some Christmas bonus cash burning a hole in
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shortlist showcases the best and most affordable electrics, acoustics,
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On similar year-end theme, the TG team has also picked their favourite
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favourite records of the year made the cut!
Subscriptions
We’ve brought you another stellar tab line-up this month, too, and with
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Next issue on sale 13 January 2017

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Chris Bird Josh Gardner Rob Laing
If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission TG’s tuition editor has been Black Friday might be long gone, Rob’s had the blues this issue –
in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical
or digital format throughout the world. Any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every jamming along to this month’s but that hasn’t deterred Josh - he he’s been raving about the new
care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage. Classic Track, Dire Straits’ spent this month trawling through collection from the Stones as they
We are committed to only using magazine paper Brothers In Arms. “It’s a song the last 12 months of TG gear to tackle their idols’ songs on Blue
which is derived from well managed, certified I learned years ago”, Chris pick out the best bargain guitars, And Lonesome, but he also sat
forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future
Publishing and its paper suppliers have been informs us, “But I never quite got amps and effects for you to blow down with a younger blues artist,
independently certified in accordance with the the feel of it down. Of course, your Christmas cash on – turn to Joanne Shaw Taylor, to talk about
rules of the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council).
I didn’t have a volume pedal, so p48 to see what he found. Think of her playing approach on her
that might just explain it.” him as your Welsh Gear Santa… landmark latest album.

january 2017 Total Guitar

 #288
the gas
Contents
station
Monitor

04

052
Jesse Wild Adam Gasson NBC / Contributor/ Getty Images Joby Sessions

20 easy
guitar tricks
Photography: Jesse Wild Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

Starting out with the guitar can be

a daunting prospect, but even for
Subscribe!
Subscribe to Total Guitar and get
an absolute novice, there’s loads a free TC Electronic PolyTune Clip
OR get three issues for £5! Turn
of easy tricks you can learn to to p89 and p108 for details!
make guitar easy!

Total Guitar january 2017

 contents

048 Monitor
The BEST Gear 006 First Look
008 Scene
bargains of 2016 010 Five Minutes Alone: Bjorn Gelotte
012 On The Up
014 Me & My Guitar: Joe Duplantier
016 Album Reviews
018 Back Track: Weezer
020 WIN! A PRS SE Mark Holcomb

How To
022 20 Minutes To… Better Vibrato
024 Riff Of The Month:
The Killers – Mr Brightside
026 Getting Started With…
Picking & Strumming
028 The TG Guide To Effects: Fuzz
030 What The F? Minor Chords

Features
032 Rig Tour: Twin Atlantic
036 Joanne Shaw Taylor
042 Paul Gilbert
048 The Best Gear Bargains Of 2016 05
052 Cover Feature: Guitar Made Easy!

Learn To Play
060 Jam Track
062 Netlicks
064 Classic Track:
Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms
074 Open-mic Songbook: Green Day - Good
Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
076 The Turnaround: Stevie Ray Vaughan
086
Ed Sheeran TG Unplugged
Thinking 083 The Soundboard
084 John Smith
out loud 086 Rockschool: Ed Sheeran –
Thinking Out Loud

The GAS Station

091 Start Me Up
092 PRS SE ‘Floyd’ Custom 24
096 Vintage Viator 12-string Travel Guitar
098 Line 6 Spider V
100 The TG Test: Budget Metal Axes

042 106 Group Test: Multi-modulation Pedals

110 Fix Your Guitar
Paul Gilbert 114 The Playlist: Jade Puget

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Monitor people ✪ news ✪ noise

PLucky 13
TC Electronic lifts the lid on a
raft of affordable new pedals
e knew TC

W
Electronic was
up to something,
but even we
couldn’t have
predicted the
pedal mogul would be unleashing
13 all-new effects on the world. 4 6
Yet here they are: what the
company is calling the
Smorgasbord Of Tones. Some of
the new designs are analogue,
06 while others offer simple digital
designs, but all are affordable,
with SRPs set at just £49.99
apiece. The effect types run the
gamut, too, from boosts,
overdrives and distortions on to
modulation, delays and reverb, 2
and all feature top-mounted jacks
and true bypass switching for
easy pedalboard integration.
Read on and tuck in…

1 3
Photography: Olly Curtis

Total Guitar january 2017

 FIRSt LooK
people ✪ news ✪ noise

12

8 10

13

07

9 11

1 Tailspin Vibrato 6 The Prophet Digital Delay 10 Thunderstorm Flanger

All-analogue true-pitch vibrato Up to 1,300ms of delay with Analogue flange spanning chorus
three subdivisions to wide sweeps
2 Rush Booster
7 Echobrain Analog Delay 11 Fangs Metal Distortion
20dB of transparent clean boost
All-analogue delay pedal with High-gain, mid-scooped, tight-
3 Afterglow Chorus bucket brigade chips response distortion

TC has unleashed Vintage-style analogue chorus 8 Skysurfer Reverb 12 Forcefield Compressor

13 all-new 4 Blood Moon Phaser Three studio-quality reverb types:

spring, room and hall
Versatile vintage-voiced
analogue compressor

affordable effects
70s-era four-stage phase tones
9 Cinders Overdrive 13 Rusty Fuzz
5 Grand Magus Distortion
on the world Versatile amp-like distortion pedal
Valve-like overdrive with wide
gain range
Silicon-based fuzz with big sustain
and ripping velcro tones

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Monitor
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scene
Your month in guitars
gear
Snark Life
Okay we admit it, we
thought the evolution of
the Snark headstock tuner
had run its course. And we
were so wrong. The new
range of guitar, bass, violin
and uke clip-on tuners
(from £16.99) features a
faster chip with higher
resolution LCD screens for
improved viewing angles.
The QTSN8HZ Super-Tight
all instrument tuner even
includes an Hz tuning
display for even greater
accuracy to within 1/10th of
an Hertz. Viva la evolution.
08 When Now

gear

Animal Noise
Following its signature
stompboxes for Jeff
Loomis, Reeves Gabrels
and Periphery’s Misha
Mansoor and Mark
Holcomb, Pro Tone Pedals
has announced an
overdrive for Animals As gear
Leaders innovator Tosin

Winter NAMM Show 2017

Abasi. Building on the
influence of the US
company’s Dead Horse
pedal, the Abasi overdrive
($239) features a six-way new year in guitar always starts strong details of their new product launches on strict lockdown.
low pass filter control for
clarity in the nether
regions of his eight-
string tonal spectrum.
A with the biggest and best musical
instrument show in the world taking place
at Anaheim, California. TG will be there
to sniff out the best gear for you but, ahead
That doesn’t mean we’re not hearing rumours and
speculation, though. Look out for some signature
surprises, the return of an old name to guitar and a
brand new affordable line of instruments from at least
When Now of the show, a lot of the largest manufacturers are one higher-end builder when it all kicks off next month.
playing their cards close to their chests and have the When 19-22 January

Total Guitar january 2017

 live

Tommy Emmanuel / clive carrolL

ollowing the release of new seasonal virtuoso Clive Carroll with him as a special

F album, Christmas Memories, Tommy

Emmanuel has no intensions of
guest. Two of the finest fingerstyle players in
one night, and the chance to hopefully see
resting. One of the world’s most beloved them play together? You should be there with
acoustic fingerpickers is visiting the UK for an sleighbells on.
extensive run and he’s bringing homegrown When From 11 January

live

meshuggaH he Swedish metal

T progressives don’t
come around often
on UK and Ireland headlining
tours, so when they do, it’s
an experience that’s not to be
missed. Especially now they
have an acclaimed new record
to showcase on the live stage.
The Violent Sleep Of Reason is a
more rhythmically complex
listen than 2012’s polarizing
Koloss, but rewards listening
investment immensely. It’s
also a shift towards live
tracking and traditional amp
©ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo

recording from a band who

have spearheaded the use
of digital modelling in
metal so bodes well for its
live interpretation.
When From 12 January
 Monitor
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Everybody wants some

“I’d love to sit down with Eddie Van Halen,
even if just to sit and watch him play guitar
up close for a bit. I went to see them in the US
on this reunion, I brought my dad and some
friends over to see two shows. He was seriously
good – the whole band was fantastic, actually.
Alex’s drumming was insane and Eddie’s kid
Wolfgang was playing bass and doing all the
backing vocals… shredding with his dad! If you
get the chance, you need to see it. I must have
listened to Van Halen II about a billion times,
the skill and ease Eddie plays with is
unbelievable – he was just laughing his way
through those entire records!”

Swaying to the symphony of destruction

“My biggest breakthrough on guitar came early
on, when I started learning about harmonies
and all that dual lead stuff that Iron Maiden and
Thin Lizzy were famous for. When I got to grips
with the power of those harmonies, it yielded
great things. I actually went a bit crazy with it –
some songs had two different harmonised
rhythm guitars, then up to six lead guitars all
harmonizing over top.
It became a symphony
orchestra at times!”

10 Straight for the heart

“The one piece of gear
I couldn’t live without
would be my Dunlop 95Q
Cry Baby wah. For years
I didn’t know how to use
it, but I eventually found
the sweet spot and it’s
five minutes alone now become integral to

Björn Gelotte
my sound, especially for
leads. Different notes on
the guitar have different
sweet spots and I think Michael Schenker is

The In Flames axeman on his metalhead dad, the king of all that. Michael Amott from Arch
Enemy, too… the way he plays hits you straight

first guitar heroes and essential gear… in the heart. I also think Fredrik Åkesson from
Opeth is insanely good at that stuff, yet he’s the
most chilled and laid-back dude ever!”
Got my first real six-string… We could be heroes
“My mum and dad came home with a Suzuki “My first guitar hero was Ritchie Blackmore, Only for the weak
guitar – it looked a little bit like a Les Paul but he could be my favourite songwriter of all time. “My main weakness would probably be picking.
kinda not. It didn’t even come with a case, I’m really lucky, my dad was a metalhead so I In order to be precise and clean, you need to
it just arrived in their hands! It didn’t look grew up on Deep Purple, Rainbow, Whitesnake, practise. There is no shortcut… and that’s my
anything like the guitar I wanted to play and Sabbath and Ozzy! After Blackmore came Van problem. If I manage to do something that
Words: Amit Sharma Photography: Joby Sessions, © Photoshot

sounded crap, so I quickly bought a Yamaha Halen, Rhoads, Wylde, Slash… I took elements sounds really good on record, I have to work my
RGX. I found an EMG in a music store and from all those guys and tried to incorporate ass off to be able to play it okay live! I’ll keep
carved out the space for it, as well as the battery them together. When you’re a fanboy, you try going through the leads until they are in the
in the back. It looked shit but sounded great to learn all the tricks of your heroes and later same area code as what was recorded. Guys like
– my first steps on stage were with that guitar!” they combine into your own sound.” Paul Gilbert are flawless: he can start with
upstrokes or downstrokes, nothing seems to

“you try to learn all the tricks of your bother him! I was always too lazy. I still am!”

heroes and they combine into your sounD” In Flames’s new album, Battles, is out now
on Nuclear Blast.

Total Guitar january 2017

 Monitor
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O
N
T
H
E
12

© Ebru Yildiz
P Margaret Glaspy
Inventive minimalist songwriter making a lot from a little
inger- shady sense of low-register playing, but a textural quality Math, in which the solo of a

S songwriter
Margaret Glaspy
grew up with
guitars in the
minimalist melody, not to
mention a little bit of The
Stones’ bluesy ramble – all
overlaid with a wavering,
and a sonic approach that’s
specific for all of those players
that I really appreciate.”
Margaret’s aim tonally is for
predominantly electric track is
played on the low E-string of
an acoustic.
“That I was quite excited
house – starting on the fiddle, raspy vocal that pitches in and something “organic and also about,” she confesses. “Less
before the lure of pop and out of falsetto. Her recent distressed at the same time” because it was some fancy lick
rock music drew the debut album, Emotions And with the minimal amount of and more because of how
Californian/New Yorker to the Math, gets its hooks into you pedals. A ’59 Deluxe Reverb effective it was. Electric guitar
dark-side and the six-string. early, summoning subtle blues (for big gigs), paired with her is quite smooth when it’s
“I’ve always been a huge lick detours from Liz Phair- T-style Danocaster Single Cut clean, but with acoustic, I feel
Joni Mitchell fan, a big Rolling esque songcraft. are the familiar keys to the like it can be more biting –
Stones fan,” she’s tells TG. “My favourite players all sound, but their use is oddly you’re just literally hitting
“And I really turned into a have an aesthetic,” she off-kilter – unorthodox, even. things on the string.” Who
massive Elliot Smith fan. explains. “Overall there’s a Take title track Emotions And needs more than that?
I really adored the way he real sound there that isn’t
played rhythm guitar and all just about the notes they’re FOR FANS OF Liz Phair, Elliot Smith Hear Emotions And Math
of the chord changes and his
harmonic preferences are
really brilliant.” “My favourite players have an aesthetic that
Glaspy’s own playing takes
some cues from Smith in its isn’t just about the notes they’re playing”
Total Guitar january 2017
 ON THE UP
people ✪ news ✪ noise

Fronteers Cabbage
Hull’s harmonic generators A black mirror to Brexit Britain
ounding like the more songs where we could do he youth of today Sex Pistols, The Dead Kennedys

S irksome offspring of
Arctic Monkeys and
The La’s, Fronteers
that, then eventually started
writing our own.”
Having taught each other guitar
T might be more
disaffected than ever,
but popular music and
and Fat White Family, asking
awkward questions in the process.
It’s packed with fury, vitality and,
grew around the close-knit dual along the way, they now conjure politics have rarely been further we suspect, donner meat.
guitar and vocal talents of Andy a brash-but-beautiful treble-laden removed from each other. Mossley “I never had any formal guitar
Towse and James Taylor. The duo tones from a Gretsch Electromatic punks Cabbage are a garlic-mayo’d lessons so I tend to play whatever
started jamming Last Shadow G5422 (Andy) and James’ Blacktop finger in the eye to those from doesn’t sound right and try to
Puppets covers, before an HH Strat. “We just find the thing wilfully ignorant sector of society. stay away from the obvious,” says 13
open-mic rendition of The Beatles’ that works well,” explains Andy. “Cabbage to me is the product of Eoghan. “Sometimes it sounds
Love Me Do led to the accidental “As long as it’s got a nice reverb what was dissatisfaction in day to like a fire in a pet shop and other
discovery of a harmony vocal on it and it’s feeling exciting day mundane life,” says guitarist times it works, so surely that’s
that’s more addictive than then it’s good!” Eoghan Clifford. “We’d had the best recipe!”
Pringles. “We were just sort of enough. It was Cabbage or die.”
astounded by how it came out,” FOR FANS OF Arctic Monkeys, The La’s The resulting output jostles FOR FANS OF Sex Pistols, Fat White
Hear Next Time I’m Around Family Hear Necroflat In The Palace
says Andy. “So we decided to find among the unwashed pits of The
© Rob Blackham

Pærish
Who Parisian guitarists Frederic Wah (really!)
Bad Touch
Who Norfolk noodlers Robert Glendinning and
Falls
Who “Fuck-rock” guitarists Phil Kelsall and
and Mathias Court Daniel Seekings Martin Gallagher
Sounds like Euphoric alt-rock to slow Sounds like Swamp-y country rock from Sounds like Deranged riffs, twisted humour
head-bang to the Broads and hairy energy
Gear Frederic – Fender Pawn Shop 72, Hot Rod Gear Robert - Les Paul Custom Shop, Marshall Gear Martin – Les Paul Custom (with House Of
Deluxe III; Mathias – Fender Stratocaster Billy Super Lead Plexi; Daniel - Les Paul Standard, Tone pickups), Vox AC30; Phil – SG Special,
Corgan Signature, Hot Rod Deluxe III Marshall JCM 900 Blackstar Artisan

FOR FANS OF Jimmy Eat World, Biffy Clyro FOR FANS OF Blackberry Smoke, Broken Witt Rebels FOR FANS OF Wet Nuns, Baby Godzilla
Hear Undone Hear 99% Hear Live Delicious

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Monitor
people ✪ news ✪ noise

3 “I have locking
tuning heads that
allow me to lock [in]
the strings so they’re
me and my guitar not going anywhere

Joe Duplantier
and the stoptail
bridge is anchored in
the guitar and gives a
nice low end. It’s not
going through the

Gojira body. Don’t ask me

why, I don’t know but
it’s my favourite type
of bridge with what

The French metal visionary I’m looking for.”

gives us a rundown of his

collaboration with Charvel

14
4 “Another cool
feature is there’s

1 “It’s the signature guitar that I created

with Charvel and I’m really proud of it. It’s
a heavy guitar, Tele shape. I was always a big
2
just one knob so it’s not
confusing. It’s just
volume. When I have a
fan of the Tele but the single-coil, the type of tone knob all I do is
sound you get with the Tele is not really check that it’s all the way
suited to metal. I need a guitar that has a lot up. And I think a lot of
of gain, a lot of weight and precision. It’s a guitar players will relate
very classic shape but a very heavy sound.” and understand,
especially in metal. So
I just got rid of that knob
1 altogether. And there’s
more space for the
hand too. I have big
hands, too, so for people
with big hands this guitar
is excellent.”
2 “The wood is
mahogany with
an ebony fretboard.
Mahogany is very
heavy, very dense and it
gives a very solid sound.
Nice low end – really
tight. Ebony gives the
precision and high end
to the sound with a lot
of attack. And that’s
what we’re looking for
5 5 “The pickups were also
designed by Charvel and
myself. We sat down and came
with our music.” 4 up with these great passive
pickups, a lot of dynamic and
3 really nice tight low end. A lot of
attack. We need the attack, we
need the low end and I’ve got
everything with this guitar. I’m
super excited about it. And it
has the G [12th fret marker]”

Total Guitar january 2017

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TG staff picks
albums
of the
year
Magma
Gojira

I
t feels like Joel Duplantier’s band are

2016
carrying on the undeniable spirit of early
Hear it! Sepultura but it’s very much filtered into
Listen to the TG their evolving identity. The riffs are certainly
Albums Of The Year satisfying here, as is their growing ethereal
cleaner side that reveals wider vision. But it’s
playlist on Spotify rhythmically that they are one of the most
bit.ly/tgaoty2016 beguiling bands in metal right now – and
it’s a dynamic that rewards repeated listens.
16 David Hands
Download Silvera

Blue And Lonesome Painkillers The Furthest Tree

The Rolling Stones Brian Fallon Clive Carroll

W B A
hy are a group of pensioners turning rian Fallon treads a line between coustic maestro Clive Carroll pushes the
in the best blues collection of the year? Gaslight’s anthems and the introspection boundaries of the guitar once again on
Because the Stones get it, they’ve been of The Horrible Crowes. It’s got great this, his fourth studio album. The
studying the craft for 50 years, and it shows in rootsy guitar tones, and is packed with fleet-fingered technical workout of The
these covers. Jagger really takes the reigns here, three-and-a-half minute gems. Painkillers is Adventures Of Wilfred puts us in mind of some
in vocal s
trut and fearsome blues harp while a masterclass in songwriting simplicity, with of the fiery playing on 2004’s The Red Guitar
Keef and Ronnie expertly work the gears from progressions so familiar you’ll think you and Clive’s bonkers two-melody party piece
dirty and ragged, right down to minimal brass could have done it yourself, but executed so A Winter Carol shows him to be on another
tacks. They haven’t sounded this good in years. well that we’re left wishing we could. level all together. Pure acoustic virtuosity.
Rob Laing Stuart Williams Chris Bird
Download Hoo Doo Blues Download Nobody Wins Download The Adventures Of Wilfred

Total Guitar january 2017

 ALBUMS
people ✪ news ✪ noise

A Moon-Shaped Pool Post Pop Depression Sorceress

Radiohead Iggy Pop Opeth

W W S
ith heavily filtered echoes of the rock hether this is the Godfather of Punk’s ome bands, it seems, can do no wrong.
hallmarks of old, their ninth album final album remains to be seen, but Opeth may have distanced themselves
blends the electronic sonics with a there’s a ‘going out guns blazing’ vibe from the death metal that bore them – but
visceral edge that’s propelled by dramatic to Iggy’s collaboration with Josh Homme, their musical meditations remain remarkably
strings on the excellent single, Burn The Witch, Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys drummer forceful. The guitar partnership of Mikael
a strange, strangulated guitar solo on Identikit Matt Helders. The result is his finest, angriest Åkerfeldt and master lead man Fredrik Åkesson
and the urgent Krautrock rhythms of Ful Stop. work in years – perfectly supported by Homme continuing to stun on every level. Sorceress
All are highlights on an album that shows and co’s scuzzy garage-rock backing, which reaffirms exactly why the Swedes are one of the
them still evolving, even now. has menace dripping from every bar. most wildly innovative bands in existence.
Bill Weaving Josh Gardner Amit Sharma 17
Download Ful Stop Download Sunday Download Strange Brew

Weezer III: Select Difficulty Golden Sings That

Weezer Periphery Have Been Sung
(The White Album)
P
eriphery have always had prodigious talent
and scope, but it took until their fifth
Ryley Walker

J T
ust when you had given up all hope on him, album for them to hone the blend of he Chicago songsmith returns with a slow-
Rivers Cuomo comes back with this. The technicality and their progressive meanderings burn, record that recalls Tim Buckley’s
White Album is vintage Weezer and their with insatiable melodies. With Catch Fire, Lune croon and Roy Harper’s Stormcock in its
finest record in 14 years. It doesn’t reinvent the and Flatline they not only pushed their dynamic cycling, will-o-the-wisp progressions, while
wheel, instead it is 35 minutes of Cuomo sounds further, but fuse intricate riffs and the playing from Walker and his merry band
fluttering his eyelashes at LA with killer hooks, rhythmic complexity with irresistible hooks to of hometown experimental rock and jazz
melodies to burn and big classic rock solos. produce world-beating anthems in the process. musos oozes vitality and inspiring spontaneity.
Rich Chamberlain Adam Rees Matt Parker
Download LA Girlz Download Lune Download Sullen Mind

January 2017 Total Guitar

 Monitor
people ✪ news ✪ noise

Rivers Cuomo and his

famous blue Strat
have been at it for
over 20 years now

back track
18

A guitarist’s guide to the artists you need to know

Hear it!
Weezer
Grunge-pop aristocrats Weezer were
Listen to the TG
Weezer playlist
on Spotify
formed in 1992, and quickly set about bit.ly/tg288weezer
crafting some of the most influential
Words: Josh Gardner Photography: © Ebet Roberts/Redferns/Getty Images

guitar music of the 90s. While the

line-up has evolved over the years, start with
the fulcrum is always Rivers Cuomo
– Weezer’s bespectacled frontman has
The Blue Album (1994)

1
Weezer’s first album is one of the all-time great debuts, and propelled
a knack for a hook like few others, and them from club gigs in LA to multi-platinum radio-rock stardom. Blue
combined with lead chops honed at mixed grungey guitar tones, 50s pop harmonies and chord progressions,
and Rivers’ awkward but relatable lyrics to create the Weezer formula…
the altar of 80s metal, there’s loads and launched a thousand emo bands in the process. From deceptively tricky
for guitar players to admire. A word fingerpicked acoustic riff of opener, My Name Is Jonas, to closer Only In Dreams
before we begin – Weezer currently and it’s extended neoclassical guitar wig-out, it smashes together punk, pop,
classic rock and grunge in a way that few others have before or since. Most
have no less than four self-titled albums don’t have one track as sublime as Buddy Holly, or the dark, angsty Say It
albums, so we’ll refer to them by their Ain’t So and it’s Hendrix-y chordal lines, but there’s precious little drop-off
over Blue’s 10 tracks - simply put, it’s one of the finest records of the 1990s.
‘colour’ names here. Let’s dive in… Standout track Buddy Holly

Total Guitar january 2017

 back track
people ✪ news ✪ noise

then try don’t miss out also recommended

PInkerton (1996) The Green Album (2001) The White Album (2016)

2 3 4
Weezer’s ‘difficult second album’ was The backlash against Pinkerton caused Post-Maladroit, Weezer went on a rough
a challenge in more ways than one. The Rivers to place Weezer on hiatus as he four-album slide, but after Everything Will
reality of the rockstar lifestyle Rivers returned to university, but they returned Be Alright In The End (see below) pulled us
had dreamed of growing up brought him only five years later (minus original bassist Matt back to the shack by actually feeling like a
dissatisfaction, and recovering from major Sharp) and with the help of Blue producer, Ric Weezer LP, this was the moment they hit their
surgery, he stripped away the playful irony of Ocasek, turned their pop sensibilities up to 11. straps again. White sees Rivers channeling the
the Blue Album to delve deep into his feelings Lead single Hash Pipe is a palm-muted slice of Beach Boys and golden-era of 60s West Coast
of alienation and depression. This darkness was dumb, fun radio rock, allegedly written in one pop in this album-long ode to the band’s home
reflected in the music itself – while the guitar night after Rivers downed “a bunch of Ritalin state of California, and nowhere is this more
hooks are still plentiful, the retro-pop sheen of and… like three shots of tequila,” while the evident than the breezy (Girl We Got A) Good
Blue is replaced with abrasive buzz-saw guitars, languid chord stabs of Island In The Sun would Thing, with its persistent sleigh bells and a
feedback, and a rough and ready production. give the band an unexpectedly massive global harmonised Lizzy-esque solo. But in spite of its
So stark was the change, Pinkerton was a critical hit. Elsewhere however, Rivers’ knack for sickly-sweet touchstones, it never becomes too
and commercial disaster on release – but a bit melding modern rock sounds with harmonies, twee: just listen to the scuzzy guitar lines and
of time and distance has led to a significant hand-claps and melodies straight out of the 50s menacing synths on Do You Wanna Get High?
reappraisal since, and it’s now regarded as pop bible produced gems such as Knockdown – itself a
darkly confessional look back at
some of Rivers’ finest, and rawest, work ever. Dragout and the superlative Photograph. Rivers’ early 2000s prescription drug issues… 19
Standout track No Other One Standout track Photograph Standout track Do You Wanna Get High?

worth a spin WILD CARD avoid!

Everything Will Be Maladroit (2002) The Red Album (2008)

Alright In The End

6
It was almost inevitable that Rivers While Hurley and Raditude might have
(2014) would follow the sunny platinum-selling plumbed worse depths, the Red Album was

5
After 2010’s risible Hurley, you wondered Green by growing a beard and heading the canary in the coal mine for Weezer fans.
if Weezer would ever make a good album to a dark place. Maladroit is concise even by After all, it’s the hope that kills you – and
again. EWBAITE was a bolt from the Blue Weezer standards – with 13 tracks fired out in lead single Pork And Beans is a catchy slice of
(Album), and an emphatic affirmative answer. barely 33 minutes – but it’s also the closest guitar pop that sounded like a band evolving
Reunited with that man Ric Ocasek once more, they’ve come to embracing the 80s metal that without losing that lightning in a bottle.
Lonely Girl distills the three-chord pop song to Rivers idolised as a kid. The guitars are darker Sadly, the album itself was a mess of tired,
100 per cent proof, while Ain’t Got Nobody might and the distortion more saturated, while barely lazy pastiches mixed with lyrics that blurred
be the purest example of what makes Rivers’ a song passes without a legato-heavy solo – lines between Rivers’ stock ironic vapidity
guitar style so compelling – effortlessly it’s the sound of Rivers really cutting loose as to boorish cod-hip-hop nonsense. Between
blending infectious, simple guitar hooks, with a guitarist. Even when they try to go pop – as the almost sarcastically simplistic opener
some truly virtuosic lead playing in a three- on the Muppet-endorsed Keep Fishin’ – there’s Troublemaker and the teeth-grinding
minute power-pop singalong. The only blot on a bedrock of heaviness here that the band has awfulness of the Chilis-aping Everybody Get
the copy book is the bloated, three-part rarely gone near since, while Fall Together drops Dangerous, fans were left wondering if they
rock-opera that closes proceedings, but it the tempo and gets the foot stomping for one of were even taking it seriously any more…
doesn’t detract from a real return to form. the filthiest hooks Weezer have ever recorded. Standout track: Pork And Beans
Standout track Ain’t Got Nobody Standout track Fall Together

january 2017 Total Guitar

 competition

WIN!
A PRS SE
Mark Worth
£1,015!

20 Holcomb
This Seymour Duncan-loaded
metal beast could be yours

W
hen six-string prog Alpha and Omega pickups
ace Mark Holcomb provide utmost clarity even
isn’t wielding when delivering the heaviest of
crushing riffs with riffs – handy, given the guitar
Periphery, he’s comes shipped in drop C tuning
been busy designing an (low to high: C G C F A D).
absolutely killer signature To be in with a chance of
model with PRS Guitars – and winning, simply answer the
now, thanks to the good folks following question correctly:
at PRS Guitars Europe
(www.prsguitarseurope.com) Which of these guitarists plays
you could lay your hands on this with Mark in Periphery?
Best Buy-winning electric, too. A) John Petrucci
Packing a 24-fret, 25.5-inch B) Misha Mansoor
scale neck with 20-inch radius, C) Tosin Abasi
the SE Mark Holcomb is made
for finger-twisting leads and Enter at bit.ly/tg288prs
arpeggios. A pair of Mark’s Competition closes on
signature Seymour Duncan 12 January 2017

T&Cs: The competition is open to UK entrants only. Under 18s must obtain parental consent to enter this
competition and be able to demonstrate this to Total Guitar’s reasonable satisfaction. Answers must be
received between 10/12/16 to 12/01/17. The winners will be selected at random from all correct entries
received between the relevant dates and will be sent the prize free of charge. Each winner will be
notified within 28 days of the closing date and will be required to give details of a delivery address in the
UK to which the prize should be sent. By entering this competition, you consent to us using your personal
details to send you information about products and services of Future and PRS Guitars Europe that may
be of interest to you. For full terms and conditions, please go to: www.futurenet.com/futureonline/
competitionrules.asp

Total Guitar january 2017

 how to

what you will learn

‘Push’ and ‘pull’ vibrato
fretting techniques
How to use vibrato with
two-note chords
How to apply vibrato to
string bends

20 minutes to…

better vibrato
22

Grab hold of those strings and inject pure emotion into the core of your playing with
TG’s expressive vibrato workout
ibrato breathes life and soul into have their own unique vibrato sound – some are see what happens. But, like every guitar

V lead playing. Without vibrato,

melodies and licks sound flat and
lifeless, lacking the uplifting feel
of a classic solo. All you have to do
TGR288.20mins.fig01.musx
slow and wide, others are faster, with less pitch
change. Although there is no such thing as a
‘correct’ vibrato, a lot of less-experienced
players tend to just wobble a fretting finger and
technique, a little practice and some different
musical ideas will improve your ability, and,
most importantly of all, help you develop your
ownImprove
personalYour
touchVibrato
on the guitar.
- Push Vibrato
is rapidly bend a string up and down with your
File Date: 11:34 14/11/2016 20 Minutes To..
fret hand. Not by much – just enough to create
Page 1 of
a fluctuating,
Notes:
1
warbling sound effect. Without vibrato, melodies and licks sound Contributor: Chris Bird
Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com
Players such as BB King, Brian May, Slash,
David Gilmour and Yngwie Malmsteen each flat and lifeless, lacking that uplifting feel
‘Push the string’ style vibrato TRACK 8
q = 60 -100
C # m/A
⇤
A B/A B/A

### 4 . ~~~~~~~~~~~~ #œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~ #œ œ

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Play 4 times

& 4 .œ 2
1 œ œ œ 2
3
2
4
2 œ
3
..
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
T . 10 9 [9 ] 11 [11 ] 12 [12 ] 11 [11 ]
.
. .
10 10 10
A
B
⇥ ⇥ ⇥ ⇥
Play the note on the 10th fret with your second finger and use your first, third and fourth fingers in turn to fret the notes on the first string. Allow the notes to sustain a
little before applying your vibrato. Rather than using your fingers to push the string up and down, move the string by turning your wrist.

Total Guitar january 2017

 File Date: 11:36 14/11/2016 20 Minutes To..
Page 1 of 1 Contributor: Chris Bird
Notes: 20Engraved
minutes to better vibrato
by DigitalMusicArt.Com

‘Pull the string’-style vibrato TRACK 9

As with the first exercise, move your whole hand from the wrist in order to move the string, and lock the side of your first finger knuckle under the neck for a stable grip. You’ll be

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

playing bass strings here so pull the string down towards the floor to adjust your vibrato.
# 4 . Em
Play 4 times

& 4 . j ..
œ. ˙ œ bœ œ œ
œ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
3 1
3 2 1

T . .
A
B
. 7 5
.
⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ⇥ Improve≤ Your Vibrato - Double-stop
⇥
0 7 0 6 5
TGR288.20mins.fig03.musx Vibrato
File Date: 11:53 14/11/2016 20 Minutes To..
As with the first exercise, move your whole hand from the wrist in order to move the string, and lock the side of your first finger knuckle under the neck for a stable grip.
Page 1 of 1 Contributor: Chris Bird
You’ll be playing bass strings here so pull the string down towards the floor to adjust your vibrato.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Vibrato on two-note ‘diad’ shapes TRACK 10

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ # œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
q = 60 -120

# œ œ
& 44 ..
œ œ ..
Em 1 3 Play 4 times
3 3
3 1
1 1

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~
T . .
. .
12 [12 ] 14 [14 ]
A 12 14
12 [12 ]
14 12
14 [14 ]

B
TGR288.20mins.fig04.musx Improve Your Vibrato - Bends with Vibrato
File Date: 11:56 14/11/2016 20 Minutes To..
Play the 12th fret diad with your first finger, gripping both strings with an even pressure as you wobble the strings. Try making your vibrato sync to the tempo of the music
Page 1 of 1
– use either three or four vibrato pulses for each beat of the backing music. In bar 2, use your third finger to play the 14th fret diad. Contributor: Chris Bird 23
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

String bends with vibrato TRACK 11

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
q = 60 -100
Eb E b/D b

b œ. œ œ œ œ
j w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
& b b 44 .. Jœ ..
3œ
j 3 2œ Play 4 times
1
1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ RP
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
. .
BU
T
. .
BU BD 9 (11 )
A 8
10 (12 ) (12) (10) 8

B
⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥
If you’re after a soaring, uplifting lead guitar lick then this is the technique for you. It’s tough though, as you’ll need enough finger strength to bend a string and apply
vibrato at the peak of your bend. We recommend adding your vibrato by dipping down slightly lower than the note you bend up to.

Practice Plan
1. 2 mins: Play through one exercise slowly
2. 1 min: Play through the same exercise up to speed
3. 1 min: Experiment with your vibrato speed and pitch change
4. 1 min: Move and adapt the example to a different fretboard position

Once you’ve tried the tab exercises and also had a go at creatively adapting them in different areas of the fretboard, you’ll develop a
feel for how to choose the most suitable fingers or hand position for whatever you happen to be playing. Experiment by trying one or
two of these vibrato methods in your next jam. It could be as simple as adding more emotion to a few notes in a riff to make it more
dynamic, or giving a melody note a longer sustain.

NEXT MONTH 20 minutes to better string bends

january 2017 Total Guitar
 how to what you will learn
Three unusual chord shapes
Ringing arpeggio style playing
Playing in E b standard tuning

riff of the month

The Killers

Words: Chris Bird Photography: Frank White

Get the tone channel Overdrive

24 Mr Brightside
gain bass mid treble reverb
his month we look at and you may find the shapes are quite

T Dave Keuning’s
somewhat fiddly but
oh-so-catchy arpeggio
riff from The Killers’ hit
the finger-twisters. Spend a little time
practising the chord changes before
moving on to pick out the notes – this
way you’ll benefit from developing your
Use a light overdrive for a thicker sound
than a 100 per cent clean tone. A guitar
with a bridge humbucker will give bite
and clarity (Keuning himself often uses
a Gibson Les Paul or Fender Starcaster),
Mr Brightside. The guitar on the muscle memory and you’ll start to get but it is quite a ‘warm’ sound so keep
recording is tuned to E b standard (Eb Ab Db a feel for the movements. The trick is your treble moderate. If your guitar has
Gb Bb Eb) so you’ll need to detune every to keep your third and fourth fingers single coil pickups you’ll most likely
need to lower the treble and raise the
string by a semitone to play along. pressed down throughout the riff,
bass. Dial in reverb for ambience and a
On your first look at the tab you may moving only your first and second slow chorus effect to simulate the
assume this is a ‘one note at a time’ fingers on each chord change. Les Paul (bridge humbucker) double tracking on the recording.
kind of riff. In fact, you’ll be holding Chorus: Speed: 35% Depth: 30% Level: 40%
downTGR288.mrbrightside.fig01.musx
a chord shape throughout each Cheat sheet… Mr Brightside
bar File Date:but
of music, 12:14
picking01/12/2016
one string at Appears at: 0:00-0:32 Mr Brightside The Killers: Hot Fuss The Killers
- Guitar
Music and lyrics by Brandon Recorded Versions
a time. With the strings pressed down Tempo: 149bpm
Page 1 of 1 Flowers, Mark Stoermer, Ronnie
Contributor:
(Guitar Tab with chord symbols, 88pp, £14.95 ref. AM981420)
together you’ll hear a sweet ringing Key/scale: Db major Vanucci and Dave Keuning.
© 2004 Universal Music Publishing
A comprehensive guitar folio featuring all the songs from The Killers’
best-selling, critically-acclaimed debut album from 2004. This superb
Notes:
sound as the notes overlap. You’ll need Main techniques: Arpeggios/ Limited.Worldwide reproduced by Engraved byincludes
publication DigitalMusicArt.Com
classic hits such as ‘Somebody Told Me’, ‘Smile Like
kind permission of Music Sales You Mean It’ and ‘Mr. Brightside’. Each song is accurately transcribed in
to use all four fingers to play each chord extended chords Limited. All Rights Reserved.
International Copyright Secured.
standard notation, guitar tablature, chord symbols and chord boxes.
Available from: www.musicroom.com

Intro TRACKs 12-13

q =149
D b add 9
œ œ œ D b maj 9/C
œ œ œ G b maj 13
œ œ œ œ œ œ
b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& b b b b 44 œ
4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4

œ œ
1 1 1 1 2 2 2

œ œ œ
2 1
1

let ring throughout

Eb
Bb
0 0 0 0
T Gb
17 17 17 17
A Db
19 19 19 19 19 19 19 19
Ab
16 16 0 16 16 0 16 16 16 16 16 0
B Eb
17 16
15 15

Watching Dave Keuning play this riff live, you’ll notice that his picking hand barely moves. Rest your hand on the guitar bridge so that, at rest, the point of your pick is
beside the third string. This gives you maximum reach and minimum movement for all the strings you need to target.

Total Guitar january 2017

 how to

Getting
Started With…

Picking &
strumming
Whether you want to play
lead or rhythm, you need to what you will learn

get your picking technique ‘Down-up’-style strumming

How to pick lead guitar lines

together. TG shows you how How a four-count relates to music

“Picking the strings, then. Up or down – If you’re finding this easy, try strumming an
that’s got to be it, surely?” upstroke in between every downstroke. Count Take your pick…
Essentially, yes. Assuming you’re using a pick ‘1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &’ – you’ll be playing downwards Use the right picking technique for the
(aka plectrum), picking pretty much boils down on the numbers and upwards on the ‘&’s. It’s right kind of music.
to choosing whether to down-pick or up-pick, the most common kind of strumming and
and there are a few ‘rules’ that will help you we’ve tabbed an example for you below.
work out the best approach for any given piece
26 of music. Get your picking sorted and you’ll “You mentioned lead guitar. Seems to me
soon find it easier to get a feel for strummed that solos would be too complicated for this
rhythms and ‘single-note’-style lead lines. down-up method. What’s the deal there?”
Solos are generally more rhythmically complex
“I find myself sticking to downstrokes than strummed chords, but you can often play 1. Strumming
most of the time, but I know it’s not always simpler lead lines down-up style. This is known Let plenty of the pick show. This gives you a
good ‘raking’ feel as you strum the strings. Try
the right approach…” as ‘alternate picking’, ie, alternating between a thin pick.
It’s a good starting point though, and you can down- and up-picking. The idea is to play a
learn a lot about rhythm through downstrokes. steady down-up motion and keep the
Start by choosing a chord you know, then play it movement going, even if there is no note. That
four times using downstrokes. Count out loud way your downstrokes always land on the
to four and strum in time with your count. downbeat. Have a go at our second tab example.
TGR288.gettingstarted.fig01.musx TGR288.gettingstarted.fig02.musx Picking and Strumming
“CountFiletoDate:
four and strum
10:41 in time? That feels
16/11/2016 “It’s harder than strumming!File It’sDate:
quite hard
14:10 16/11/2016 Getting Started With....
a little bit basic…” to make sure you only hit one string.” 2. Soloing
Page 1 of 1 Page 1 of 1 Hold the pick close toContributor: Chris Bird
the tip for the most
Yep, that’s the idea! Lots of music follows a four How you hold your pick has a big effect on accuracy. Soloing is often easier with a less
count.Notes:
If you can feel where the basic downbeats Notes:
accuracy. Use the very tip of your pick for solos; flexibleEngraved
pick. by DigitalMusicArt.Com
are, you’re halfway to understanding rhythms. use more of the pick for strumming.

Easy ‘down-up’-style strumming TRACK 14 Lead guitar with alternate picking TRACKS 15-16

⇤
## #4
E

œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ j
q = 90

& # # 44 .. œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ .. & 4 œ œ ‰ œ

J
œ
J œ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

. .
count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 12
T T
. .
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 12 12
A 1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2 A 12

B B
⇥ ⇥) ⇥ ⇥)
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

⇥ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ≤
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
( (

Hold down the E chord and alternate between downstrokes and upstrokes. The challenge here is working out which notes are downbeats and which are
As an exercise try just the downstrokes or just the upstrokes. upbeats. Remember to keep your down-up motion going continuously.

Total Guitar january 2017

 how to

The TG Guide To Effects

Get the most out of your pedals

1
Fuzz
Level
The level knob will govern the
output of the pedal, so the higher
you place this, the more it will
drive the front of your amp
From retro riffs to stoner sludge, meet the
effect that’ll make your distortion mammoth
he origins of fuzz are ‘octave-up’ tone heard on Purple Haze,

1 2
T with guitarists such as
Link Wray overdriving
their amps and slashing
their speaker cones to
and around this time, Electro-
Harmonix delivered the Big Muff.
Fuzz produces a rougher sound
compared to overdrive and distortion
make them sound more aggressive. – the harsh square clipping resulting in
Further to this, Grady Martin a big, fat wooly tone. Fuzz fans usually
(guitarist for Marty Robbins) helped fall into one of two camps: germanium
push the fuzz sound forward after or silicon. This refers to the type of
28 recording his part on Don’t Worry using transistor used in the design; in general
a faulty preamp, resulting in a broken, germanium is the classic, smoother
fuzzy tone. Fuzz got its first real sound, while silicon is a more biting,
breakthrough, though, when Keef modern tone. Distortion trends can
used a Maestro FZ-1 to ape the sound come and go, but fuzz is a perennial.
of horns on the Stones’ Satisfaction. It In more recent times, players such as
made the pedal (the first commercially Matt Bellamy, Josh Homme and Scott
available fuzz box) an instant hit, and Holliday of Rival Sons have been
spawned clones and modded circuits keeping the fuzz flag flying!
in the form of the Coloursound
Tonebender and Arbiter Fuzz Face. Jimi what you’ll learn
How to use common fuzz controls
Hendrix was partial to his Fuzz Face, What to look for in a fuzz pedal
but also enlisted Roger Mayer’s Octavia Popular fuzz pedals to try out
fuzz, which adds the distinctive

The origins of fuzz are with

guitarists overdriving their amps
and slashing their speaker cones

2 Fuzz/Drive
This controls the amount of
clipping applied to your signal,
depending on your pedal, it’ll take
you from a subtle bite to a thick
wall of gravelly fuzz!

Total Guitar january 2017

 effects guide

must try…
Dunlop Fuzz face
from £130
The Fuzz Face is probably one of
the most recognisable effects
pedals of all time. Get a red one
for germanium, or a blue for silicon,
and if you fear that big round UFO
design is going to cramp up your
pedalboard, check out the mini
versions (complete with the
turquoise Hendrix version) to save
space and a bit of cash, too!

29
Electro-Harmonix
Nano Big Muff PI £62
There have been loads of iterations of the
infamous Big Muff, but the Nano gives you
the same triple-pronged volume/sustain/tone ZVEX Vexter Fuzz Factory £189
control section as the original in a modern
pedalboard-friendly casing. At around £60, The Fuzz Factory is the fuzz for the modern which give you the ability to create a whole
the Nano Big Muff will give you a slice of noisenik. It pushes things forward with Gate, gammit of fuzz noises. Go for the Vexter series
classic Pi at an affordable price. Comp and Stab (short for stability) knobs, for FF innards in a more affordable casing.

Recommended settings
6 5 5 5.5 5 6 6

10 10

tone drive vol tone drive vol tone drive vol

Pumpkin Pie Wooly Mammoth Retro rock

To recreate Billy Corgan’s huge fuzzy Josh Homme is a master of heavy, punchy fuzz Fuzz is a vital part of retro rock tones. Use a
Smashing Pumpkins sound you’ll want a that doesn’t sound over-saturated. Set your vintage Fuzz Face-style pedal and set your
Big Muff or an emulation thereof. Set your gain control at around halfway, but boost the gain and level controls to just above halfway.
‘sustain’ (gain) to max, tone to about output, and bulk up your amp’s mids. This will Have your amp just on the verge of breaking
2 o’clock, and boost the level to 12 o’clock. overdrive the amp and blend the two smoothly. up, and tame the treble to avoid shrillness.

NEXT MONTH We continue to give you the lowdown on the wonderful world of effects pedal by going
on and on and on about everyone’s favourite atmospheric effect… delay!
january 2017 Total Guitar
 how to what you will learn
How minor chords relate to the major scale
What The F? The notes that make up A and Am chords
Five different Am chord shapes

Minor chords J TGR288.wtf.fig01.musx

ust like the major kind, minor chords are used throughout every
style of music. They’re also some of the easiest shapes to play
File Date:– 11:51
chances 17/11/2016
are you learned a few minor chords in your first lessons.
Building on last month’s major chord And, like most music theory, you’ll get the hang of how minor
Page 1 ofchords
1 work if you’ve learned the major scale first (check out issues
basics we move on to take a look at Notes:
286 and 287 for more on the major scale). This is because major chords use notes
taken directly from the scale, and minor chords do the same, but with one small
the hows and whys of minor chords change: the third note is played a semitone lower. Read on and we’ll explain…

1. A change to the major scale TRACK 17

U
q = 90

### 4 U
A major chord uses the first, third and fifth notes of the major
A Am

& 4 œ œ œ
scale. In minor chords the 3rd interval is lowered by a semitone,

œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ ˙
taking you to a note that’s not found in the scale: in the key of A
the C# note (the major 3rd) becomes a C.

TGR288.wtf.fig02.musx
T
1 2 b3 3 4 5 6 7 8 A Date: 11:51 17/11/2016
File
B 0 2 4
0 2 4
1 2
0 3
2

Page 1 of 1
2 frets 1 fret 1 fret 1 fret 2 frets 1 fret 2 frets 1 fret
Notes:
A B C C# D E F# G# A You can see how the note changes here as you play the A major scale (A B C# D E F# G#), then
the notes of an Am chord (A, C and E). In this key C is a ‘minor 3rd’ or ‘ b3’.

30
2. Guitar chord shapes TRACK 18

# # # 4 . œœ œœ œœ
A Am

œœœ œœœ n œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ..

Play 4 times

& 4 . œœ œœ œœ
Guitarists rarely play chords A E

œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
that follow the theoretical

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
layout of notes. If you look at C
the notes of this open Am

. .
chord however, you’ll see that E A
the theory is sound: The C# 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T
. .
2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
note found in A chords is
A 2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
B
changed to a C in Am chords.

⇥ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ⇥
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Jam around A and Am and you should hear the mournful sound of the minor chord compared
to the bright major chord. Balancing happy and sad sounds is the art of any good songwriter.
Am

3. More chord shapes TRACKs 19-20

Five chord shapes, x o o x o x x x x

all Am, but all in
different positions 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 7 9
on the guitar's
fretboard. Spend 2 3 1 2 2 3
some time working
3 4 3
out the notes and
you’ll see that they 4 4
are all combinations
of A, C and E notes. 4 4 4

Am Am Am Am Am

Total Guitar january 2017

 Both Barry (l) and
Sam (r) have switched
to semi-hollow guitars
in recent years

32

Total Guitar january 2017

 rig tour
doesn’t feed back. Gretsch
1 2 asked me if there was
anything I would change
about it… so I asked if I could
try one without a Bigsby and
with locking tuners, because
I hit pretty hard when we’re
going for it. I also wanted a
thicker inlay for when there’s
a strobe flashing in my face.
I honestly feel these Gretsch
guitars changed the way I play
a lot. I feel like I instantly got
better, I started playing things
I never knew I could.”

Fender
Telecaster Thinline
2 “My other main guitar.
Before Gretsch, all I played
was Teles – I’ve got about
seven of them now. We’ll
have about five different
tunings in any set, so I bring
one main and one spare.
They’ve all got their own little
sticker or idea behind them.
Imagine is my favourite song
3 4 of all time – I don’t think a
song with more purpose has 33
ever been written – so that’s
what I chose for this.”

Electro-Harmonix
Small Clone
3 “I’ve known about these
for years, but I was never
indulgent enough to fit one on

Twin Atlantic
my board until now! Because
I’m singing as well as thinking
about crowd control, pedals
are a bit of an afterthought.
I was listening to a lot of In
Utero while we were making
Glasgow anthemic rock heroes talk us through the our new album and I wanted
to recreate that swirling, sickly
equipment they’ve chosen for their biggest tour ever… feedback. Whenever that
comes on, it’s to add
swampiness – on tracks like

hey say British bands This year’s fourth full-length, GLA, Sam You Are The Devil, Overthinking
and Valhalla. It’s one of the

T have to work twice as

hard to get to the top,
and that’s exactly
what Glasgow quartet
stands as their most cohesive offering
to date – with boutique fuzz providing
much of the muscle behind their
brand of chart-bothering, anthemic
McTrusty
Gretsch Panther
pedals that can’t be replicated,
and when you mix it with fuzz
you get instant Nirvana.”

Twin Atlantic have been doing for rock. Moments after soundcheck Center-Block Kemper Profiler
nearly a decade now – taking their
blend of jangly chords and crunchy
riffs as far around the world as they’ll
at London’s O2 Forum in Kentish
Town, singer/guitarist Sam McTrusty
and lead guitarist Barry McKenna
1 “This is one of the Panther
prototypes, with Gretsch’s
stock Filter’Tron pickups. The
4 “Not long ago, I used to
run four amps at the same
time and we were starting to
possibly go, hot on the heels of guide TG through the gear they’re centre-block inside is what play live on TV – for example,
fellow Scottish rockers and longtime relying on to deliver the goods on helps handle distortion so we recently did Later… With
friends, Biffy Clyro. their biggest headline shows yet… well… now I can play a Jools Holland. If you send four
hollowbody on full fuzz and it mics from four different amps

January 2017 Total Guitar

 rig tour
5

that are always changing to

someone in a BBC truck, they’ll
think, ‘Fuck you – it all sounds the
same!’ This makes my signal a lot
easier for everyone. My main clean
sound is a 1957 Fender Champ, my
main fuzz profile is a 1962 Vox
AC30. There are about 100
Marshalls in there, too. We even
profiled The Big Cheese pedal by
Audio Kitchen, which works as an
amp you can run through a cab
and ended up being used for 90 per
cent of our albums… some things
are too fragile to take on tour!”

Scotch Bonnet Fuzz

34
5 “I am the only owner of this
fuzz pedal, as it was made by
one of my guitar techs called Phil
Wilson on the fly – you can’t buy
it. It’s basically a Big Muff, but you
can really mess around more with 7 8
the high mids. We’ve used it so
much for recording, I’m almost
scared to touch the switches long reverbs coming from the Joey Santiago from The Pixies! That gateway into music! I was lucky
because it’s quite temperamental. Kemper. The tracking is so good it guitar inspired me to switch and enough to go to a primary school
It just goes on and off, that’s it!” literally sounds like someone else this was the second 335 I bought.” with a good music department.
is there playing a baritone, rather It wasn’t until later in school,
T-Rex Octavius than being too digital.” Les Paul Junior when my older cousin started

6 “Like the Small Clone, I used

this on nearly every rhythm
guitar track on the new album. It Barry 8 “While recording in LA, we
found the cool vintage guitar
shop called Timewarp Music. I was
giving me records, that I decided
pick up the guitar. I didn’t really
do the chord stuff, coming from
was my way of dropping it down to
single notes instead of chords, so McKenna after a Firebird and they had a nice
one, but it didn’t really speak to
cello I already had the dexterity to
noodle. The frets made everything
I can fatten things out more with me. Then I noticed this hanging on feel so easy, compared to cellos,
the same weight and presence. Gibson ES-335 the wall, and I’d never really which are fretless. Right now I’m
There’s a lot of that style on there,
while before it was all about power
chords! I used the high octave on
7 “We made our second album
with Gil Norton – he suggested
I could use a bit more girth in my
thought about buying a guitar like
it... but it just spoke to me. I have a
simple test for buying new guitars
using it for the song Crash Land, but
there’s a bunch of stuff we’ve done
with cello on there.”
the chorus of Heart And Soul, with tone, instead of always sticking to – play something you’ve been
Strats. He asked if I’d ever tried a trying to write and if the next bit Roland Juno-D Keyboard
6 335, and I had, but I’d never really
thought about them. He said had
this mate who could lend us one
comes to you, get it!
A lot of the new record is about
attitude and danger, this ended up
10 “Back in the day, I couldn’t
really afford to have a
designated keyboard amp and DIs
and I used it throughout the being my guy for all of that!” generally sound pants. So I started
sessions. Halfway through, he said putting my piano through my
we could use it for a video shoot, Yamaha SVC50 guitar rig, like on the song Free,
but to be careful as it belonged to Electric Cello which I play through a warm tube
his mate Joey. And we asked,
‘Who’s Joey?’ It turns out it was 9 “I started playing cello when
I was eight, it was actually my
amp sound with loads of reverb to
make it sound lush and roomy. So

Total Guitar january 2017

 twin atlantic

10 11

12 13

14 15

35

now I’ve actually got piano patches about overdrive. He recommended And what I love about the know? No one expects everything
in my Kemper, there’s an old Blues this – which was the only pedal Whammy is that it can do so much to be perfect, in fact I quite like
Deluxe Jr that I profiled, jazzed up The Strokes used on their first more than what it’s famous for. the weird sounds you get when it
with some triplet delay from the album, and he had the actual pedal It’s actually my new favourite goes weird.”
Eventide… it sounds unreal.” they recorded with, which he lent chorus pedal… I almost don’t want
to me for a bit. The tones are to give that secret away! Basically, Eventide Timefactor
Death By Audio insane, and you can hear it all over if you stick it in deep detune and & Modfactor
Supersonic Fuzz Gun
11 “This is the most badass
pedal I’ve ever owned.
that debut record. I even got to use
it live, but I had to give it back
when he was next out with them.
leave the heel all the way up, you
get this really sweet chorus.” 15 “It’s simply a fact that
Eventide make amazing
pedals. The Modfactor takes care
There’s a switch between gated The company had changed hands Boss RC-30 Loop Station of a lot of my choruses and
and oscillated modes – when it’s
gated it still sounds mental, but in
oscillation… everything just kicks
and the newer models didn’t have
the same components, which is
why I found this specific version.”
14 “This purely came through
wanting to sound bigger.
We put extra guitar parts on our
flangers, tremolos, swells, they are
just so many tricks to it. I liked it so
much I got the Timefactor over the
in. The moment you stop playing, first record just to fatten things up Strymon delay, it just made me
you get these crazy wails and siren DigiTech Whammy and I wanted to recreate some of want to stick with Eventide. Plus
noises. It’s quite untameable, but I
quite like that. Every night we use
it, things sound a bit different
13 “I’m always searching for
new sounds out of boredom.
Every guitar player should fuck
that live. So what I’ll do is play
parts, loop them and then play
over them… which has gone
I can control everything from my
Mastermind [MIDI controller].”

because it’s impossible to control.” around with their tone, you don’t disastrously wrong at times. But Twin Atlantic’s GLA is out now
want the same sound all the time. that’s part of live music, you on Red Bull Records
Visual Sound
Jekyll And Hyde V2
12 “Our old guitar tech, Brian, “I saw it on the wall… I’d never thought about buying
also worked for The Strokes
and one day I was talking to him a guitar like a LEs Paul Junior, but it just spoke to me”
january 2017 Total Guitar
 Wild Side Words Rob Laing Photography Olly Curtis

Joanne Shaw Taylor is asserting herself as

the star of British blues on latest album
‘Wild’. But it took a step into the unknown
36 with Joe Bonamassa’s producer to make it…

B
eing a blues guitarist can ever get to do it, let alone play with Jools
be a hard road to travel in himself, so it was a bit nerve-racking!”
this day and age. Without Her new Top 20 album, Wild, found Joanne
mainstream support, under a different kind of pressure altogether.
battles are won on smaller The first release on her own label, Axe House
stages across the land as Music, it’s the best contemporary blues
artists carve out their reputations the old album we’ve heard this year, but it meant
way and win a fanbase one gig at a time. leaving comfort zones to make it. To enter the
It’s grass roots and a long game but one unknown with veteran producer Kevin Shirley
that can give an artist serious staying (who’s worked with the likes of Joe
power. It’s taken Joanne Bonamassa, Robert Cray,
Shaw Taylor five albums Iron Maiden), a new group
to get the call from “You can’t of musicians and co-
Later… With Jools Holland,
and as we speak to her a fight your writers in Nashville and
emerge on the other side
few days after she plays
to a TV audience of
producer as an improved player,
singer and songwriter.
millions and (in the - you have to
presence of fellow
performers Paul Rodgers trust them” You’re good friends with
Joe Bonamassa, did he
and Chrissie Hynde), give you any kind of
there’s a real sense things are changing. heads-up on what Kevin was like to work
And for very good reasons. with as a producer?
“Personally I grew up watching …Jools,” “I don’t think I really spoke to Joe about it,
reflects Joanne as we talk in the dressing actually. We are such good friends – he is like
room ahead of her sold out show at Bristol’s my big brother – that I didn’t kind of want
Fleece. “When I was 15 in Solihull, we didn’t his opinion, I wanted to have a separate
have the internet yet and watching …Jools experience, in that I was worried that he
Holland and reading guitar magazines was the would say something and I would get it stuck
only way of discovering new blues artists, so in my head. I did talk to Roy [Weisman], Joe’s
to be on it… you know I didn’t think I would manager and he was like, ‘Whatever you do

Total Guitar january 2017

interview / joanne shaw taylor

37

January 2017 Total Guitar

 feature
don’t fight Kevin,’ and I said, ‘Why Before you got into the studio, is there
Joanne’s 1966 Esquire
would I fight Kevin, have you seen the had a bad experience at anything that you went into this
size of the guy? I’m not going to fight the airport album wanting to achieve as a player?
him!’ But he meant with his ideas; ‘He “I think this was the most that I have
brings you songs and you might not like ever just gone in without any clue of
them, Joe always fights him and he is what we were going to do. Usually I turn
usually right so just let him do it.’ I was up with everything in place and we just
just thinking, I am finally working with record it.”
Kevin Shirley, who I have always wanted
to work with. If I had wanted to make a That must have been quite a nerve-
Joanne Shaw Taylor album I would go wracking experience…
and do it myself. I want the Kevin “Yes, I realised when I got to Nashville
Shirley/Joanne Shaw Taylor album.” and I had a week there without Kevin.
I landed and walked straight in the next
So you had to trust in his instincts as day with the songwriters and I sat in my
a producer? hotel that night and was like, ‘You’ve
“I think that I have seen a lot of young got nothing. You are literally recording
artists run into that and I try and tell an album and the pressure is on because
them not to do it. You can’t fight your
producer – you have to pick someone
“I’m not what you’d you are doing your first one with Kevin
and it’s your own label and you’ve got
you trust, because if you are going to go call a traditional nothing, kid.’ Part of me is saying,
in there and fight them, they are going
to end up with an album they don’t blues guitar ‘What were you thinking?’ But at the
same time it was nice to kind of have
want their name on and you’re not
going to be happy with the album. Just
player by any that freedom and I wouldn’t have had
the input of the musicians, songwriters
go in there, and if there is something
you don’t like then obviously say so.”
extenT” and Kevin and it was nice to collaborate.
I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t have

38
Shaw Things
The essential gear in Joanne’s rig

1 1966 Fender Esquire 2 Les Paul Standards

“I got it cheap when I was 15 “There are a few extra guitars
because its previous owner had now, because we recorded the
attacked it with a knife – as you record in standard tuning, which
do to vintage instruments I never do. I’m always in E b , it
[laughs], so I put a humbucker in helps my voice being a bit lower
and it’s got a five-way switch . I’ve particularly night after night. When
got an Albert Collins signature I told that to Kevin he went, ‘That’s
Telecaster, too. nice – we record in E.’ So there are
I only tour in the UK with the more guitar changes because we
Esquire now. I will tour it in Europe are flittering between the two.
if we are going via ferry and van I have always been 50/50 with
but it doesn’t leave my side, it Les Paul and Telecaster. Les Paul
goes in the hotel all the time. dominated the past couple of
I used to fly it and I was on a tours but I’m switching a lot more
particular flight back from Detroit between them now. I have two
once [where Joanne has lived for Les Pauls and they are stock –
eight years] to come back to one I got from Gibson and the
London for Christmas and now other is my own. One is drop D for
there is a huge chunk of wood some of the heavier stuff.”
missing out of it. The chunk was so 2
big it should have been in the case 3 Fender Super Reverb
but it wasn’t so they [transport “On these kind of dates we are
security] had obviously taken it doing on this tour I like a clean
out, dropped it on the floor, broken amp and then getting the tone
it and put it back in the case. It’s from the pedals and guitar. With
an extension of me, which is the bigger venues we tend to whip
ridiculous as it’s a piece of wood out the Marshall 18-watt
with wires, but that one is going Bluesbreaker too and then run
1 in the casket with me.” the two of them.” 3

Total Guitar january 2017

 interview / joanne shaw taylor

all the ideas. I’m not Bob Dylan, and I previously through Dave Stewart [who
can’t write 200 songs a year and them championed Joanne early on]. Very
all be massive pieces, so it’s good to intimidating. I will make no bones about
have added input.” the fact that I was definitely the worst
musician in that room but that’s the
What was it like for you co-writing way you want it to be.”
songs for the first time when you
went out to Nashville? In that it can push you?
“I think for me that’s probably the thing “Oh yes, absolutely, and if you are
I was most nervous about and I did talk recording in that space of time, you
to Joe about that. His advice was just to need pro session guys who are used to
get as many ideas together as possible adapting to different artists and
and if there are things you hadn’t listening to the song and don’t know me
completed yourself, take those. I’m not too well or have preconceived ideas
a professional songwriter and you go in about what I might want. They did what
with these guys and they basically sit was best for the song. I think the most
there and their job every day in intimidating thing for me still is the fact
Nashville is to write 10 songs and at I have zero theory [knowledge]. I can’t
least one of them be a hit.” read music and I basically know what
key I am in and that’s about the extent
And then when it came to recording, of it. I don’t know the names of chords.”
that was with a new group of
musicians too, because Kevin had A lot of players are like that though…
people he wanted to use… “With the blues genre, growing up
“Yes, they picked Nashville cats. listening to Albert Collins, clearly that
Obviously Michael [Rhodes, bass] is guy made that stuff up on the spot
in Joe’s band and I knew Michael – that wasn’t taught to him. For the first
couple of days recording this album, Joanne grew up idolising
they charted it really quick and they SRV and Albert Collins,
but tries not to imitate
changed things every now and again, 39
their styles too closely
like, ‘go four over the five to the
something’. I gave myself a talking to
and said, ‘You are learning these songs Did you gravitate towards a Strat at
at the same speed as the other any point?
musicians but you are doing two things “I did for the first time on this album.
instead of one and you have zero I love Strats but I think for me, because
experience so just tell them.’ So I came it was my first guitar when I was about
up the next day, I think it was Dyin’ To 13 and I was so focussed on Steve Ray
Know where they were going on about Vaughan for a year, every time I touch
numbers and I just said to Michael, a Strat, I just go back to a bad Steve Ray
‘Look mate just give it to me in English,’ Vaughan impersonation but we actually
and he said, ‘You know when we were used one. Rob [McNelley, session
going to G, we are going to the E.’ I was guitarist on Wild] had a lovely ’65 Strat
like, ‘Why didn’t you just say that?!’ and we used it on Wannabe My Lover.
And then we were home.” You just can’t get that Strat tone out of
4 a Tele… you can’t beat that Strat tone
You switch between Teles and Les for that rhythm.”
4 Mojo Hand Pauls live, is that because you need
Rook overdrive to cover a broader tonal range? It really is that Stevie Ray thing…
“Its just a really good overdrive pedal “Yes, I think so. I’m not what you’d call “I can’t get round it, it’s ingrained in the
and something that’s kind overlooked a traditional blues guitar player by any fingers now. Everything is a bad Cold
a lot in pedals is it’s solid. There are extent and we cover a lot of different Shot with me on a Strat [laughs]”
so many pedals I buy that once ground really but it seems to break
you’ve stomped on them in a live gig
down into bluesy, twangy authentic Have your blues influences changed
situation and had spilt beer on them
they are ruined. It has three different rhythms and the soul stuff, and then over the years?
settings on it and one is meant to be the rockier material. And you just can’t “Yes, I constantly seek out new music,
kind of like a Tube Screamer, one is a make a Telecaster sound like a Les Paul. and not necessarily new music but new
bit more like a Klon and the other is I tried to play Dyin’ To Know on a Les Paul for myself, whether that’s going
more like a [Marshall] Blues Breaker for the Gibson Studios because they backwards or forwards. I have very
pedal so it offers a few more options. didn’t want me playing a Telecaster and eclectic tastes but certainly the Texas
They are all nice, organic tones and it’s like, ‘You do know it’s not my fault blues things dominated for the first
not too processed.” I can’t make a Les Paul sound like a couple of years I was learning; Freddie
Telecaster [laughs].’” King, Albert Collins, Stevie,

january 2017 Total Guitar

 feature
bit more capable of branching out of
Joanne onstage in
Bristol with her the typical kind of stuff I had been
Albert Collins doing. But certainly in terms of rhythm
signature Tele parts, he pushed me because I usually
stick to the Jimi Hendrix , very busy
rhythm lead or the Dyin’ To Know, bluesy
kind of take. Obviously things like No
Reason To Stay, it’s a lot more of a Dire
Straits, Chris Rea approach.”

You discovered blues at a young age.

Do you see many young fans at your
gigs? What more do you think could be
done to attract a younger audience?
“I’m not sure more can be done really.
I think the only real breakthrough you
can get is getting into the mainstream
and having that one artist like Stevie
that creates a whole new generation of
guitar players. Which he did – a lot of
young kids got into the blues and it had
a big resurgence because of Stevie. At
the end of the day radio is the main way
of attacking the most amount of people
Thunderbirds, ZZ Top. And then around but you just don’t get much guitar on
my early 20s it was the British blues “In Nashville I was radio anymore. Even if you look at rock
guys which I had never been interested
in because it wasn’t the Texas thing. the worst musician bands – like the Foo Fighters – they
don’t do g uitar solos so guitars are not in

40
Which is funny as Joe latched onto that
and wasn’t interested in the Texas
in the room!” the mainstream too much, which is a
huge part of blues.
thing. Opposite sides of the world. “I do have concerns that it would be
“Kosoff was the big one in my 20s That song sounds like a new kind of nicer to have a younger fan base there
and then when I was recording [2012 approach for you. Was it something for blues because it’s obviously going to
album] Almost Always Never, I went on you had to think differently about? die out. But that said, I am seeing more
a real Eric Johnson kick, but I still can’t “No, because that’s the kind of stuff and more young people at the shows
play anything that Eric Johnson can I grew up with. I don’t generally play it and particularly female for me which is
play. I’m just now going through my too much, I’m a bit heavier. You do have nice because its still a male-dominated
Jeff Beck phase. He knows what he’s to restrain yourself as I’m a lot more of instrument. Maybe they happen to be
doing. But it’s difficult when you an in-your-face guitar player which is latching onto me a bit more because
don’t own a Strat.” a lesson I’m learning. You don’t have there’s not very many role models for
to play every note, every second. them. Hence I latched onto Bonnie
Tonally it’s interesting to It was nice to go for that. One of my Raitt, Joan Jett and Chrissie Hynde.”
hear different approaches. favourite
You obviously have a albums is It seems like this album is changing
signature sound, but a song Freddie things for you now – what are you
such as Chains brings in a King’s Burglar with Pack noticing that’s different?
Billy Gibbons feel… It Up, and the 335… that simple, “I’ve learnt that there is no such thing
“Yes, that’s kind of the vibe that funky approach. So that was good fun as overnight success. I always joke it’s
we were going for. I’ve always to do. I think it turned out alright.” been a 16-year overnight success, and
been one of those players it’s really been a creeper; this is my first
that I think has hopefully got Was Kevin Shirley pushing you into top 20 album and we are getting people
a fair bit of personality and you new areas as a player that you phoning to do interviews, they’re
can tell it’s me, which is what hadn’t been before? asking, ‘Who are you? You’re in the
I wanted but it can be a blessing and “Yes, definitely as a singer as well. Top 20 albums chart, you were on Jools
curse when you are doing a wide range With the cover of Wild Is The Wind, it’s Holland. ‘What record label are you
of material. S o yes, we did experiment a a song I just couldn’t wrap my head signed to?’ Axe House. ‘Whose label is
little bit, I think my two favourites were around and it took a while, but that?’ Mine. So I think all those things
probably Chains and Kevin really got me again, I trusted him on it. As a add up and we had the Glastonbury
to get into a BB King mode for My Heart’s player, not too much in that appearance and you do notice it’s those
Got A Mind Of Its Own, which is I think that was one thing he was little things, and it snowballs slowly.
something I had never done before. pretty happy about. I think he
I whipped out the ES-335 Bonamassa wanted to push me vocally Joanne Shaw Taylor’s new album, Wild,
signature model, I do believe.” more, I think he felt I was a is out now on Axe House Music

Total Guitar january 2017

 interview

42

Total Guitar january 2017

 interview / paul gilbert

Appetite for
destruction
As the virtuoso returns with a raw new
album, he talks teaching, saxophones and
why playing fast is just filling space…
Interview Jamie Hunt Photography Joby Sessions

V
eteran TG readers will what the band would be. I started 43
know Paul Gilbert well with the lyrics and that gave me a
as the longest serving general structure. Around that you
guest tutor our can build anything, so it was helpful
magazine has ever to have a specific band in mind.
had. He’s still teaching guitarists I knew I could do a lot of guitar and
with his online guitar school, and vocal harmonies and it’s interesting
as we’ll find out, that experience trying to tour the music with a
very much informs his own three-piece, because then it’s just
approaches as a creative maverick one guitar.
now. Paul’s always got surprises in “Now the three-piece know the
store and latest solo album, I Can songs and we’ve had some time to
Destroy is no exception. Getting spend on them, it allows us to play
veteran producer Kevin Shirley more and fill the blanks. The biggest
behind the desk necessitated thing for me is that Tony Spinner
some changes, and this led to sang a lot of the bridges. He has a
some creative moments as the much higher range than I do and
gap between writing and recording great vocal tone. In a song like Blues
narrowed dramatically. Combined Just Saving My Life Tony sang the
with extra musicians and three- bridge and live I sing it. I’m amazed
guitar harmonies, it makes for my voice has lasted this long, as
a guitar feast and plenty to talk I really have to scream it out! In the
about as we meet him on tour… studio though, it was really nice to
have that big sound, played live.”
How did the process of making
I Can Destroy begin for you? Why did you feel you needed
“I began with self-doubt and worry. additional players for the
The things that erased that and recording this time?
turned it into confidence was “I knew that Kevin doesn’t really do
meeting with Kevin Shirley, getting overdubs. If you really kick and
[past PG collaborators] Freddie scream he might do a couple, but he
Nelson and Tony Spinner to work on wanted a band that would record live
it with me and getting a vision of and sound good. So I needed to put

january 2017 Total Guitar

 interview “You’ve got to
turn your vibrato
together a great band that sounded like
a produced, finished thing with one run into something
through. Three-piece bands usually
sound pretty raw, so I thought it would that’s not a turd”
be really nice to have extra guitars,
keyboards, vocals and it worked!”

What are the benefits you found with

the live tracking recording method as
opposed to doing it individually?
“It’s a lot easier to edit [recording parts
individually], that’s for sure, but it’s
not as much fun and we really enjoyed
the process of playing together. When
I choose musicians I try to find the
people that can get the sounds and the
feel that I want, with minimal rehearsal.
Not that I didn’t want to rehearse, but
often there’s just not time. It’s helpful
if we have a musical connection to
begin with. When I showed them a
straightforward song it immediately
sounded like it was finished, which In the past you’ve used an electric piece is really fun, but as a songwriter
actually happened! drill, a three-string guitar all tuned to and singer it’s good to have other guys
“The plan for the album was to do a E and a human capo. Were there any who can play and sing with me.”
session in June and a session in August. unusual tools or approaches in the
I had the songs ready for the first half studio this time? Has developing as a songwriter
of the album, so that would give me July “If you’ve got something you use it and informed your guitar playing?
44 to finish the second half with Kevin, seeing that I had three guitars I did a lot “Growing up listening to bands
I knew we would record one song per of triple guitar harmonies. That’s very like Sabbath, a lot of the time the
day, because that’s what we did with Mr different from the way I usually play. arrangements are simple. On a song like
Big [Shirley produced 2011’s What If…). A lot of the time now I focus on Iron Man, the guitar riff is the same as
The first session was for six days, so improvisation and you can’t improvise the bass riff and it’s even the same as
I got six songs ready. We recorded the when you’re doing triple guitar the vocal melody. Everybody plays the
first song in three hours, so Kevin said, harmonies. You have to sit down and same thing at the same time. In my
‘Let’s do another one.’ We ended up figure out what your part is, but the earlier days I did that, but faster. On
recording two songs per day, so after result is this great big sound. If you have songs like Scarified, I play my part and
three days I was out of songs. I had to that band there, you’ve got to use it!” the riffs are the same on the bass.
turn to the songs I had started but the I started listening to Motown, where
band had never heard. I would call Are triple guitar harmonies something nobody plays the same thing and all the
everybody up and say, ‘Come to the you’d like to continue with? parts work together. It creates a great
studio an hour early, I’ve got a new “We did one show in Japan with the full sound and leaves room for everything.
tune.’ Songs like One Woman Too Many studio band and played the new album, That’s become attractive to me. Playing
were recorded an hour after the band a lot of my older material and a couple songs where we’re not just beating a
heard it for the first time. It’s exciting of acoustic songs. It felt like I was a riff over the head, we’re creating an
to do that because the song is born from member of Crosby, Stills And Nash. actual arrangement.”
nowhere. You’ve never heard it until There were such great sounding
you’re recording it for real. Paul’s legendary harmonies and I thought someday I’d And what about the effect of your
pick drill – he’s
“You can contrast that by doing an always thinking like to do an acoustic record with these work as a guitar tutor?
album with overdubs and that can be outside the box! guys. Being the guitarist in a three- “Teaching is helpful because I get to
satisfying because you feel like you get see the inherent problems of the
everything perfect. When you listen instrument. It’s made me appreciate
back though you might go, ‘Uh, I don’t things that I’m able to do and not care
know if I’m gonna listen to this again’. so much about some of the things that
There’s something about live have made me popular. The fast picking
recordings. Even if you say, ‘I wish thing is not that useful, but holding a
I could just fix that’, when you listen bend, adding vibrato and being in tune
back it feels really good! As a musician, is. You can do the fast stuff, but it has to
you always want to be perfect, but you end sometime and that last note is
have to resist the temptation. A lot really important. It has to sound good
of the time perfection is not an and you have to put some sauce on it!
improvement on the song.” If it’s wanky it ruins the whole thing, it’s

Total Guitar january 2017

 interview / paul gilbert

like dogshit on your dinner plate. So I add an extra note to the sequence I can I was playing, to get confidence and
you’ve got to turn your vibrato into make it fit. All of these little ideas grow familiarity with new ideas.
something that’s not a turd! from trying to fit within a groove.
“Teaching has made me realise that “I encourage my students to get their Looking ahead, where do you want to
a lot of my fast playing is the musical foot working. I’ve heard so many people take your musicianship in the future?
equivalent of, ‘Umm… umm… uhh…’ play with their metronome on but they “Mostly, I want to work on my
– it’s like when you’re trying to think ignore it completely. If you are the improvisation, to be able to play what
of the next thing to say that actually metronome you are less likely to ignore I hear. That’s what gets me excited.
has meaning, you fill space. ‘Umm’ it. I also steer my students to hear what Last night we were doing a jam in the
has about the same meaning as my they play and sing along. You don’t have second to last song and I realise that
fast playing. While I’m searching for to be a great singer to scat along with I wasn’t playing what I was hearing in
my next idea I’ll play lots of notes, what you’re playing, but it’s a great way my head. Because of that, I wasn’t
when I get to my idea I play something to gauge if a new idea is ready to use. really interested in what I was playing.
with an actual melody. In terms of You need to know what each scale looks I looked into the audience and it seemed
connection to my musical intention like, but also what it sounds like. like nobody out there was interested in
(what I’m hearing in my head), If you’re not sure what something is what I was playing either. I started
often the fast stuff is completely going to sound like, that’s a position you singing into the mic what I was playing
unconnected. That worries me because need to practice. Before yesterday’s and immediately everyone started
I want to play what I hear and feel, not show, I took the chords from the song smiling and I started caring about what
just muscle memory sequences. Blues Just Saving My Life and spent an I was doing.
“With technical sequences, I try to hour improvising and singing what “When I was about eight years old
find out what rhythmic meaning it has. I thought, because I have these melodies
If you loop the phrase you can usually
feel a pulse. Then, listen to the groove “The fast stuff isn’t in my head and all I want to do is try to
find them. It’s nice to go back to my
and add or subtract notes to make it fit.
There are three-note sequences I play that useful, but holding eight-year-old spirit and what I always
wanted to do with a guitar. You learn all
over a shuffle feel, but over a straight
feel they don’t sound as satisfying. If a bend really is” of these scales and chords, which are
great, but at some point you have to say,
what actually is the sound that I want to
Paul with the full-size make? It takes a long time to develop 45
version of his Ibanez the athletic stuff, but you can get tired
PGM signature (see of hearing it. Similarly, if I spend all day
p46 for the mini) working on blues improvisation, then
go up on stage and do some widdly
widdlys I’ll go, ‘That’s kind of cool.’
It’s all about balance.
“I’ve been getting into the blues so
much. Not only the guitar but how the
great Jazz players from the 50s and 60s
would play a blues. Like Johnny Hodges,
the sax player from Duke Ellington’s
band. When I was a kid listening to Allan
Holdsworth – who I loved – saying that
he was trying to sound like a sax player,
I thought, ‘You’ve got to be kidding
me?’ I’d only heard Sax in doo-wop
bands or smooth jazz, Kenny G
saxophone. I’d never heard the jazz guys
because I didn’t grow up listening to it.
Harmonically, the slow blues style is
not much different to Hendrix playing
Red House, except they might have the
II chord and the VI called once in a while.
Guitar players tend to use their set licks,
and have variations on Hendrix’s
phrases. Sax players don’t do that,
they’ve got a completely different way
of phrasing. It’s led me down this blues
wormhole, which I love, and has really
informed my playing across the board.”

Paul Gilbert’s new album, I Can Destroy,

is out now on earMUSIC

january 2017 Total Guitar

 interview
1
I, Rig
Paul gives us a quick tour of his touring gear
1 Ibanez Kikusui Sake there’s one of my full-size Ibanez PGM
Custom Shop Fireman signature models – that one has a Wilkinson
“The finish is based on a bottle of Japanese trem and locking machine heads.”
saké [it’s a brand called Kikusui, hence
the name – Ed]. I have a big collection of 3 Pedalboard
Ibanez guitars from over the years and “I have a TC Electronic MojoMojo overdrive
I always kept going back to the same four and a Ibanez Tube Screamer so I can step
or five guitars in the studio. I realised that up the amount of distortion in stages. I’ve
they all have the big neck joint. They sound also got two MXR Phase 90s – one of them
better because they use more wood. When is set to slow and one is set to fast. I use a
Ibanez first made me the Fireman, I told delay, an EHX Electric Mistress flanger, an
them to make a big, chunky neck joint. MXR [MC406] Buffer (to improve the signal
Every Fireman I’ve ever played sounds on long cable runs) and an Octron octave
great because of that.” pedal by a Foxrox.”

2 Ibanez PGM Micro 4 Marshall JCM 2000 TSL 100s

“This is the guitar that has three strings “Marshall amps are great for me because
tuned to E, in different octaves [Ibanez will they’re loud, diverse and wherever you go
be making it available to purchase soon]. you can get one. On the road, I can rely
I also have the same guitar with six strings, on any rental Marshall to be loud and
set up with a higher action for slide. And then sound good!”

46

3 4

Total Guitar january 2017

 Words Josh Gardner Photography Adam Gasson

The Best
Gear Bargains
Of 2016 T here’s nothing more
inspirational than a lovely
bit of new gear, and lucky
us – it’s never been more
affordable to pick up quality
new tools to make music with!
So, is that Christmas bonus
some cold hard readies instead
of the usual socks or an awful
jumper? Or are you in the mood
to treat that special someone (or
yourself!) with a guitar gift this
festive season? Come with us,
as we pick out the new bargain
burning a hole in your pocket? guitars, amps and effects that
Has your nan come good with you need to have on your list…

48

Total Guitar january 2017

 best gear bargains of 2016

Electric
Guitars
49

Schecter Silvertone 1423 Gretsch G2622 Yamaha RS320 Squier FSR

C-6 Plus Best for: Channeling your Streamliner Best for: Ryan Jarman
Best for: Shredding until inner Dan Auerbach Best for: Hot blues and rock Signature
your fingers bleed Best price: £299 Semi-hollow tones Best price: £299 Best for:
Best Price: £335 We said: “These reboots Best price: £336 “The most affordable Indie-rock eccentricity
We said: “There’s really no won’t thrill the vintage “Hugely versatile, it’s guitar in Yamaha’s Revstar Best price: £327
mystery to the C-6 Plus – nitpickers, but that’s not probably the best bargain range, the RS320 excels “Quite simply one of the
except maybe why Schecter their demographic. Sure, ‘ES-335’ money can buy. at balls-to-the-wall rock coolest, most unique
doesn’t think it’s worthy of old-world charm has been Fit, finish, sound and ’n’ roll. It feels meaty and guitars you can get for the
a catchier name to set it sacrificed in places (timber, playability are all way above sounds it, too – from the money. Mashing up the
apart from the crowd. It is pickups, bridges) for what you’d expect at these mid-focused crunch of best bits of the Jaguar,
certainly worth capturing modern practicalities, but prices – far from being half the bridge to a high-octane Jazzmaster and Mustang,
your attention, however, that approach, along with as good as an Electromatic; saturated neck lead voice. this short-scale beast
and should get it from the affordable price tags, nearly as good but half the It’s not the most versatile packs a punch, and not just
anyone whose game is gives these guitars a much price of one would be a guitar out there, but it’s because of its Burgundy
rock and metal.” wider appeal.” better summary.” a lot of fun. Mist finish!”

january 2017 Total Guitar

 feature

Guitar
Amplifiers
50

Blackstar ranging from a decent classic rock bark,

ID:Core Stereo 100 to a modern metal sound that’s
Best for: Versatile gigging unmistakably 6505, and not that far
Best price: £249 away from its bigger brothers.”
“As software and hardware continues
to develop, the quality of sounds has Roland
improved no end, while Blackstar’s app Blues CUBE HOT
builders have come as close as anyone Best for: Gigs on the go
to providing the perfect interface that’s Best price: £449
intuitive and, above all, fun.” “With solid-state amps, portability,
reliability, consistency and affordability
Line 6 Amplifi 30 are a given, but great tone is what really
Best for: Jamming over songs counts. But this sounds and responds
Best price: £230 like a top boutique valve amp, with
“We were worried that hooking up with none of the valve drawbacks.”
our phone would be a pain, but being
free of wires makes it far more fun. Marshall CODE50
If Line 6’s objective was to let us make Best for: Bedroom noodling
more of our guitar time, it’s job done.” Best price: £259
“The CODE is packed with an incredible
Peavey 6505 Piranha choice of tones, plus a clever USB
Best for: High gain punch interface. It’s competitively priced,
Best price: £144 looks good, sounds great out of the box,
“The Piranha’s crunch and lead modes and it’s ridiculously easy to use – even
cover a wide range of drive effects, for a complete beginner.”

Total Guitar january 2017

 best gear bargains of 2016

Acoustic Guitars

51

Yamaha FG830 Guild Archback Washburn Woodline Lâg T70DCE

Best for: Classic Jumbo Jr 10 Series WLO12SE Best for: Open-mic newbies
dreadnought tones Best for: Taking on holiday Best for: Fingerpicking Best price: £218
Best price: £322 Best price: £365 Best price: £389 “If the T70DCE seems to be a little
“As a pure acoustic dreadnought “The Jumbo Junior down-sizes “An orchestra shape is about bit basic in its appearance and
this is one that you simply must Guild’s classic jumbo body shape sparkling highs and tight spec sheet, that’s not reflected in
try whether you’re just starting and creates a very similar outline bottom-end. Figure in the its performance. The French know
out or are a lot more experienced to Taylor’s GS-Mini travel inherent brightness of an a thing or two about understated
guitar player. With a sound that acoustic. It’s an ideal take- all-mahogany construction, and good looks, and it’s evident here
comes in way above its bargain anywhere electro or simply a you’re rewarded with a guitar in this very tidily made budget
price point, it’s dangerously close kick-about house guitar, ideal that’s perfect for fingerstyle electro with a strong projection,
to being a real game-changer in for the songwriting and players and self-accompanying trim bass and a modern, clarity
the acoustic world.” recording musician.” singer-songwriters.” and precision.”

Effects Ibanez Analog

Delay Mini
Electro-harmoniX
Cock Fight
DigiTech Trio+
Best for: Creating live backing
Tone City Audio
Sweet Cream
Best for: Retro delay sounds Best for: Sleazy wah and fuzz Best price: £249 Best for: Classic TS overdrive
Zoom G5N
Best price: £85 Best price: £80 “As a practice and songwriting Best price: £40
Best for: Massive
“Unlike some “We’re sold. You’re getting aid, the Trio was always a “Like a Tube Screamer,
modelling options
mini ‘analogue’ some great wah sounds and a brilliant resource but, with this delivers a
Best price: £205
delays that are fantastic fuzz, for less than a such an increased range of ‘transparent’
“At around the fifth of the
actually digital, hundred sheets here. The possibilities, overdrive. We love
price, the G5n is in a different
this is the real Cock Fight is money, for next the Trio+ how it responds to
sonic league to the likes of the
deal, and it’s to nothing.” knocks it out player dynamics:
Line 6 Helix or Fractal AX8, but
a masterful of the park. hit hard and it
its flexibility and huge range of
recreation of Truly a band in snarls; soften and
sounds mean it could fill a
the classic a box, and one it cleans right up.
similar role on a budget.”
dark-voiced that you can Just like a great
Ibanez AD-9.” use live, too.” valve amp.”

january 2017 Total Guitar

52

Guitar
Made Easy
If you’ve just got your first guitar, or perhaps you’ve dusted
Words Chris Bird Photography Jesse Wild & Olly Curtis

off that old axe in the attic and decided to finally learn to play
it, you may already be thinking, “There’s got to be a way to
make this easier, right?” Well, that’s where we come in.
Rather than showing you the boring basics like how to hold
your guitar or plug it in, we’re looking at some fun, easy stuff
that anyone can try out. Read on and let’s get started!
Total Guitar january 2017
 guitar made easy

Clean up your chords

Get your finger technique sorted and your chords will sing…
x o o x x o

2 1 2

3 3

C D
The open C chord is a repeat offender when it comes to dead strings. Make Most guitarists find the open D chord easy, but hit the open fifth or sixth strings
sure to fret right on the points of your fingertips and don’t pull your fingers flat over and the sweet sound of the chord will turn to mush. Target the fourth string on
the strings. downstrokes and lift your pick away from the strings on upstrokes.

o o o

1 1 1

1 2

2 3 3 4

53

G F
Chords like G are easy for experienced players, but beginners usually find the A barre is when you press down on several strings with one finger, and F is usually
stretch is a challenge. The solution? Just play the four treble strings (the thinnest the first of these chords most players attempt. It’s also one of the hardest. If
strings) until you get a feel for the stretches. It works with G7, too. barring across all six strings is too tough just barre the first and second strings.

Capo up! Change the key of

any song the easy way

F
or the uninitiated, a capo is a can move the capo down to the 1st
handy device that you clamp fret or remove it all together,
TGR288.coverfeature.fig01.musx
over the strings to raise the allowing him to play exactly the
Fingerstyle - Guitar Made Easy
File Date:
pitch. 12:07
Why? Well take22/11/2016
a look at same guitar parts one or two Cover Feature
Page 1 of 1
singer-songwriters such as George semitones lower. If your voice is Contributor: Chris Bird
Ezra for the answer. Ezra will often higher, try moving your capo
Notes:
play with a capo at the 2nd fret. But farther up the fretboard instead. Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com
if he’s playing live and finds a song A basic capo is cheap as chips, so
too high to sing comfortably, he there’s no reason not to try one!

TRACKs 28-32
q =72
C G/B

œ.
& 44 .. œ œ. œ ..
Play 4 times

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
let ring throughout

. .
We’ve played this simple fingerpicked arpeggio in open position and it sounds
T
. .
1 1 3 3
great. We’ve also played it a second time using a capo up at the 7th fret, and you
A 2
0
0
0 should be able to hear that the higher sound is a lot sweeter. Try out your capo
B 3 2 using strummed chords, too.

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Cover feature
TGR288.coverfeature.fig02.musx
Scale new heights File Date: 15:53 23/11/2016
Page 1 of 1
Scales don’t have to be hard to remember. These three easy shapes are Notes:
almost identical to open chords you’ve probably already worked out
C major pentatonic scale TRACKs 25-27

x o o o o
q =72
C

& 44 .. œj œœ œ œ ..
1 1

2 2 2
œœœ œ œ
j œœ œ .
˙
3 3

T . .
. .
1
A 0 2 0
2 0 2
0
0 2
0
0
B 3

C C major pentatonic scale

TGR288.coverfeature.fig03.musx
You hopefully already know the C Unlike chords, scales are played one
File Date: 11:59 22/11/2016
Play through the chord and scale before attempting this Keith Richards-inspired C
chord Just press down on the note at a time. You should be able to Page
major 1 of 1line. After that, try making up your own lick using notes taken
pentatonic
strings with your first, second and see that the C major pentatonic from the scale.
third fingers where the dots show scale uses all the notes from a C Notes:
you, then strum the top five strings! chord, plus a couple of extras.

E minor pentatonic scale TRACKs 28-30

o o o o o o o o o o

~~~~
q =115

#4 œ œ ˙
54 Em

& 4 .. œ œ œ œ œ ..
œ œ œ
2 3 2 2 3

3 3 3
~~~~
T . 0
.
. .
3
A 0 2
0 2 0 2 4

B 2

Em E minor pentatonic scale

TGR288.coverfeature.fig04.musx
Em is another common chord that Just as with the C chord, Em is File
The Date:with
challenge 11:59 22/11/2016
any scale-based lick is the quick note to note changes. Use your
any beginner will know. Just press
down on the relevant strings with
almost identical to a scale, this time
the E minor pentatonic scale. The
Pagefinger
second 1 offor1all of the 2nd fret notes in this lick. It’ll help you keep position
shifts to a minimum.
your second and third fingers, notes of the scale always sound Notes:
then strum all six strings. good over an Em chord.

A minor pentatonic scale TRACKs 31-33

œ œj œ w
q =120

~~~~
j
Am
œ œ
œ
& 44 œ . œ œ . ‰ œ œ
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
5 5 1/4

~~~~
3 4 3 3 3
BU
1/4
4 4 4 5 8 8 (10)
T 5 8
A 5
7
5 7

B
Am A minor pentatonic scale
This is an Am barre chord – it’s more Again, see if you can spot the chord There’s a classic rock vibe here – think AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and so on. Unlike our
advanced than what we’ve looked shape ‘hidden’ within the notes of previous backing tracks, the music doesn’t stick to one chord, so there’s a more
at so far. Use your first finger to the scale. It’s because the chord sophisticated sound.
press down on all six strings. Third and scale share so many notes they
and fourth fingers are also used. always sound good played together.

Total Guitar january 2017

 guitar made easy

Muscle memory
Although it sounds more like a gym exercise, muscle memory is
a key part of learning the guitar. Read on and get guitar fit!

E
xperienced guitarists reading this feature familiar with feeling completely lost when you short, bite-sized pieces of music trains the
will be familiar with the welcome start learning a new piece of music. If you’re a muscles in your fingers to ‘remember’ the
sensation of your fingers intuitively beginner, you probably feel a bit lost with movements. From chord changes to
knowing where to go on the fretboard when everything guitar-related! Don’t worry, it’ll challenging solos, the ‘start slow and gradually
you’re playing a song you’ve spent time pass. Muscle memory is the process that build speed’ mantra is guaranteed to help
learning. Equally, you’ll probably be all too bridges this gap. The simple act of repeating guitarists of every level improve.

Got any change? Follow these chord change exercises to develop your speed around the fretboard
D and E chord CHANGE TRACKs 34-35 A and D7 CHORD CHANGE TRACKs 36-37

x x o o o o x x

1 1 1 1 1
5 3
1 2 2 3 2 2

3 3 4 3 4

D E A D7 55

The idea here is to change repeatedly between D and E chords. We’re starting at a Here, we’re moving on to two more advanced shapes: an A barre chord, and a
relaxed pace playing just one chord in every bar of music, before moving on to play D7 chord played between the 3rd and 5th frets on the guitar. Follow the same
two chords per bar, then finally four chords per bar. In real-world practice it’ll take a exercise as before, starting out with one chord in a bar, then doubling speed on
while to build up to four chords per bar. two more occasions.

Make your gear work for you

You’re working on your technique, but overlook your gear and your
sound will suffer. Read on as TG troubleshoots…

1. Try out different picks 2. Starting out? Check your string gauge
Guitarists are fickle beasts and we all have The first weeks of learning guitar are quite an
different preferences for the size and assault on the fingertips. They’ll firm up, but
thickness of the picks we use. Generally thin you’ll probably want to use light gauge strings
picks sound better for strumming and thick to begin with. Try a set of 0.009-gauge strings
picks give better accuracy for solos, but the (‘nines’) for finger-friendly playing.
choice is yours.
However, when it comes to practising, instead
3. Get a professional guitar set-up
dial in a clean, undistorted tone and stick to
Guitars are complicated instruments neighbour-friendly levels so you can hear any
(especially electric guitars) and, yes, even mistakes you make. Then turn it up again!
changing the gauge of your strings can
impact the way it works. String buzzes or a 5. Buy a tuner
high action (the strings feeling too high over
Don’t expect to be able to tune up by ear right
the neck) suggest your instrument needs a
away – that kind of skill takes ages to develop.
trip to your local guitar shop.
Make life easy and keep your guitar sounding
tip top by using a tuner. Hardware tuners
4. Oi! Turn it down! needn’t be expensive and if you’ve got a
When it’s time to rock, you absolutely should smartphone, there are loads of free tuner
turn up your amp and rock the hell out of it. apps to choose from.

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Cover feature
It’s all in the hands…
Get a slick pro sound and send your solos into
the stratosphere with three rock tricks

I
nspired by rock guitarists such as Slash and Eddie Van Halen we’re
looking here at a handful of special techniques that you probably TGR288.coverfeature.fig05.musx
won’t use every time you play, but when you do, you’ll be glad you
File Date: 12:00 22/11/2016
did because they sound awesome. Make sure to dial in some distortion –
a dirty sound actually makes these techniques easier. Without distortion Page 1 of 1
it’ll be a bit of a lame duck. Notes:
The pinched harmonic, aka squealie TRACK 38

q =115
G5

~~~~ ~~~~
b j j
& b 44 — .
1/4

— ± —. — ±
1/4

PH
1/4
~~~~ ~~~~
T 1/4

A 5
7 5 7
B

Hold your pick so that only the Pick the string, then immediately This tricky technique is a lot of fun so do give it a go. Dial in some distortion and
56 point is showing. Too much pick touch the string with the side of aim your thumb 24 frets higher than the fretted notes. We’ve played the lick
and you’ll struggle to get a squeal. your thumb to sound a harmonic. twice, using harmonics on the second time.

The pick scrape

Target your pick on Using a distorted

the bass strings. tone, slide your
The winding on pick along the
these strings will strings. Vary your
give a good TGR288.coverfeature.fig06.musx speed and see if
‘scratchy’ sound. you can do a ‘wolf
File Date: 12:00 22/11/2016 whistle’ effect.
Page 1 of 1
Notes:

Hard rock riff sound TRACKs 39-40

q =115
G5
b4 nœ
& b 4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ
PM

T 5 3
A 3
5 5 5 3 5 5
5
5
3
5 5 3 5 5 5
B

Hold your pick as you normally Now rest the side of your pick Known as palm-muting, the idea is to slightly mute the strings, for a chunky high
would. You’ll be targeting the hand against the bridge of your gain sound. Listen to the opening notes of Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love for
second, third and fourth strings. guitar, just touching the strings. an example.

Total Guitar january 2017

 guitar made easy

Get low down and dirty

Retune one string and you’ll open up a whole new way
of playing guitar riffs. What could be easier?

H
opefully you know how to tune your of DADGAD tuning and grunge greats
guitar – the open strings are E, A, D, Soundgarden used several variants from
G, B and E again (tuning notes can be TGR288.coverfeature.fig07.musx
the mildly unusual sounding CFCGBE to the
found on your Guitar Skills CD, if you need to downright weird EEBBBB. We’reFile Date:
looking at 12:01 22/11/2016
tune by ear). Most of the riffs and songs you a tuning known as ‘drop D’. All you have to
learn will be based on this tuning. However,
Page 1 of 1
do is drop your sixth string down by two
many more experimental players use altered semitones (two frets) down to a DNotes:
note.
tunings: Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page was fan What results is most interesting…

x x x x x x TRACKs 41-42
q =110
1
D5 F5 G5 F5 D5 N.C.

~~~
10 10

& b 44 .. œœœ
Play 4 times

..
3 4 1 1 1
œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœ
œœœœœ œ œœœœœœ
~~~
. .
PM PM
E
T GB
E A D G B E D A D G B E A D
B AD
. 1212 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 5
3 .
⇥⇥≤⇥⇥≤⇥⇥ ⇥⇥ ⇥⇥≤⇥⇥≤⇥⇥⇥
D5 D5 12 0 0 0 0 0 3 5 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

This is a D5 chord in standard This is the same D5 powerchord,

tuning. It is easy, but you still need but using drop D tuning. You can Most of this riff is based on one-finger powerchords. Use either your first or
either two or three fingers to play play this shape with just one third finger to barre across the strings. It’ll make for quicker moves than
it. You’ll need a steady hand. finger, which, let’s face it, is easy!
57
sticking to just the one finger.

Instant rip!
Flash guitar doesn’t have toTGR288.coverfeature.fig08b.musx
be hard to play! Melt theTGR288.coverfeature.fig09a.musx
TGR288.coverfeature.fig08a.musx fretboard with two blazing lead
Legato ideasMade Easy Le
TGR288.coverfeature.fig09b.m
- Guitar
File
Fast Date: 10:30
hammer-ons and 24/11/2016
pull-offs File Date: 10:33 24/11/2016
Van File Date: 18:04
Halen-style 24/11/2016File Date: 18:04
tapping Cover24/11/2016
Feature
Page 1 like
of Joe
1 Satriani and fingersPage 1 ofdown
1 firmly Page 1 of 1 from rock onto Page 1note,
of 1
Contributor:
instead of Chris Bird

V T
irtuosos to hammer aking inspiration a fretted
Notes: Notes: usingNotes:
Engraved by itself.
DigitalMusicArt.Com
Follow up a Engrave
Steve Vai are fearsome (known as a hammer on) and to
Notes:
guitar legend Eddie Van the pick
players, but beginners can re-pluck the string as you pull Halen we’re using a tapped note with hammer-ons
try out techniques like hammer- away to a lower note (known as technique known as tapping. The and pull-offs and you have a
ons and pull-offs. Instead of a pull-off). It’s a smoother idea is to use a finger on your surprisingly easy way to play fast,
picking every note, use fretting sound than picking. picking hand to hammer down flash sounding lead lines.

œ œ
TRACK 43 TRACK 44-45

œœœ œ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ
& & & &
3 3 6 6

12 4 7 12 4 7
T 12 13 12 10 T 10 12 10 9 T
12 5 8 12 5 8
T
A A A A
B B B B

Our lick boils down to two phrases The second half of our lick repeats Our tapped line is really easy. The You’ll be playing almost the same
– and this is the first part. Use this simple phrase. It’s the same circled note is a tap; follow this by thing again here, just at the 4th
pulling your tapping finger away to and 7th frets. Use either your

&
your first, second and third rhythm as the previous phrase,
fingers at the 10th, 12th and 13th but played on the 9th, 10th and reveal a 5th fret note; finish with a first and third or first and
frets respectively. 12th frets. hammer-on to the 8th fret. fourth fingers.

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Cover feature
The three-chord trick
Three chords. Thousands of songs. Learn the
most important chord progression in music

Y
ou’ve probably heard jokes and more. Get the chords down
about acts such as Status and you’ll have thousands of
Quo or Chuck Berry writing songs to try. Known as a I-IV-V
songs with three chords. Well, it’s (one-four-five’) progression, or
TRACK 46
no joke – and they’re not the only ‘three-chord trick’, the chords are Hear a classic
ones taking the easy road: this built on the first, fourth and fifth I-IV-V
staple jam session progression is notes of the major scale. Learn the progression in
heard throughout rock, blues, folk, scales to find out the chords.
a basic blues
style
One-four-five progression in C
x o o x x o o o

1 1 1 One-

3
2

3
2

2
1

3
CDEFGABC four,
er… 10!
10 classic songs
There are seven notes in the key of C major (or eight, if you
count C twice). It’s easy to see that the chords of a
that use the I-IV-V
one-four-five progression in C must be C, F and G. progression…
C F G 1. Bob Marley
One-four-five progression in G Three Little Birds
(A D E)
o o o x o o x x o
58 2. Chuck Berry
1 Johnny B Goode

2
1

3 3
2 1

3
2
G A B C D E F# G (Bb Eb F)
3. Dire Straits
Walk Of Life
This should be easy, by now. Obviously a I-IV-V in G major (E A B)
uses G, C and D chords. It’s really easy to play because you
can use open chords. 4. George Ezra
Budapest
G C D (F Bb C)

One-four-five progression in E 5. U2
o o o x o o X I Still Haven’t
Found What I’m
1 Looking For
2 3 2 3 4 1 1 E F# G# A B C# D# E (C# F# G#)
6. Stevie Ray
Vaughan
2 3 4 E major is hard scale to remember, thanks to the sharp (#) Pride And Joy
notes. Still, it’s one of the more common scales for (Eb Ab Bb)
guitarists so try to remember the E-A-B progression.
7. Tracy Chapman
E A B Give Me One
Reason (F# B C#)
One-four-five progression in F 8. Jake Bugg
X X

F G A Bb C D E F
Lightning Bolt
1 1 1 1 1
(E A B)
2 9. Status Quo
Rockin’ All Over
3 4 2 3 4 1 1
The World (C F G)
These chords are tough, but useful. Tough because you have 10. Led Zeppelin
to play barre chords. Useful because you can move the Rock And Roll
2 3 4 shapes anywhere on the neck to a different pitch.
(A D E)
F Bb C

Total Guitar january 2017

 ja m
t r ac k
Glenn Frey of the Eagles
jam track play guitar with a band! knew a thing or two about

rock the
jamming over acoustics

acoustic
Major 7 chord shapes at the ready, TG
takes a mellow approach to the jam track

T
he acoustic guitar has long had There are three sections to play
a role in rock music, with bands along with: an intro, which also
such as the Eagles and Bread in doubles as the bridge, plus a verse and
the 70s, through to Counting chorus. Both the intro and verses use
Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, Coldplay and ‘major 7’ chords, which have a
John Mayer all crossing over between characteristic mellow and emotional
rock and pop. Inspired by these artists, sound. There’s a change of feel in the
we’ve recorded an instrumental track chorus as the mix of major, minor and
for you to jam your own rhythm and ‘dominant’ 7 chords gives a bit more
lead ideas along to. It’s up to you movement. Whether you choose to
whether to use an acoustic guitar or play lead or rhythm, make sure to
plug in your electric – both will follow the light, relaxed vibe of the
sound great over the backing. acoustic guitars in the recording.
60
x x o x x o

scales chords
W T
hen soloing, you can hese are the chord shapes we’ve used in our 1 2 1 1 1
use the D major track, so follow these if you want to join in
pentatonic scale to on rhythm guitar. Of course, if you know 3
create stirring sounding licks the chords in other positions on the fretboard
that, in the main, will sound then you can experiment with these, too.
great over the backing. Listen
carefully though, because the
D Dmaj7
chords we’ve used are not all
from the same key, so x x o o o o o o o o o o o
occasional notes may clash.
1

2 3 2 3 1 1 2

2 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1
7
Guitars and backing: Jon Bishop Photography: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns/Getty

D7 Em G Gmaj7
3 3 3
x o o x o o o x o o o

4 4 4 1

2 3 2 3 2

3
D major pentatonic scale

Amaj7 A7 Cmaj7

Total Guitar january 2017

TGR288.lick4jamtrack.fig01.musx Acoustic Rock
File Date: 07:34 10/11/2016 Lick For Jam Track
backing track (track 47)
Page 1 This
ofsong
1 comes with a backing track on your CD. Simply
insert the disc in your player, press play and jam along, jam track /Contributor:
rock theJon Bishop
acoustic
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com
guitaraoke style!

jam track rock the acoustic Melodic Lick

Cmaj 7 ~~~~~~~~
q = 85
D Amaj 7
~~~~~~~~~~ œ. œ
Gmaj 7

~~~~~~ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œj œ œ ~~~~~~
#
& # 44 Œ ‰ œœœ œ œœ œ
j
J J ‰ œ œ œ œ j j ~~~~~~~
œ œ
œ.
0:18
~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
T 10 12 10 12 15 12 10
A 7 9
7 9 7 9 11 9 11 9 7
9 7
B 9 7 5

We’ve recorded this melodic lick over the backing, roughly 18 seconds into the track. Use plenty of vibrato for an expressive, emotional sound, particularly on longer notes.
You can copy the lick as we’ve tabbed it or use it as a springboard for your own ideas.

jam track
Fly Like The Ea gle s
Cheat sheet
Tempo: 85bpm
Time signature: 4/4
Key/scale: D major
61

INTRO/BRIDGE

| D / / / | Dmaj7 / / / | D / / / | Dmaj7 / / / ||
VERSE

| D / / / | Amaj7 / / / | Cmaj7 / / / | Gmaj7 / / / |

| Dmaj7 / / / | Amaj7 / / / | Cmaj7 / / / | Gmaj7 / / / ||
CHORUS

| Em / A7 / | D / D7 / | G / A7 / | D / / / |
| Em / A7 / | D / D7 / | G / A7 / ||

Having looked at the chords and scales, it’s time to take a broader view here and think about how you might approach the track in full.
We recommend starting out sparsely and gently, before letting your ideas unfold as the music progresses.

january 2017 Total Guitar

 Photography: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Total Guitar January 2017

l ic k s
n et

62
 video
www.bit.ly/
tg288video
Three easy songs

tg’s online Video lessons

Three easy songs

Impress your friends by learning three classic songs that we’ve made
easy for you with simple chords and basic rhythms…

M
ost beginner guitarists start out can be quite a challenge so you’ll need to is. You can jam along to the whole song
learning a handful of chord shapes, cherry-pick a few manageable pieces, which is following just five easy open chords. Sure,
chord changes, rhythms and simple where we come in. it’s a simplified version of the song, but its
lead guitar ideas. Most likely you’ll The first song we’re looking at is Hendrix’s enough to get you started. We’re also looking
be practising bite-sized pieces of music, and Hey Joe. With lead fills and extended chords at Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds and Leonard
this will allow you to progress quickly. Tackling throughout, it’s really not a song for beginners. Cohen’s Hallelujah, both of which can be boiled
a full-length song at this early stage, however, Until you look at the basic chord structure, that down to a handful of simple chords.

63

Jimi Hendrix – Bob Marley – Leonard Cohen –

Hey Joe Three Little Birds Hallelujah
It may surprise you that a song by a guitar Three Little Birds follows a I-IV-V (‘one-four- Leonard Cohen’s original track has been
wizard can be distilled down to a few chords. five’) progression, so called because the covered many times, but Jeff Buckley’s 1994
Hey Joe sees Jimi working his magic, chords are built on the first, fourth and fifth recording has had arguably the farthest
embellishing chord shapes with clever notes of the major scale. The song is in A reaching influence – listen to most other
melodic fills and extensions, but, at the major and the scale notes are: A, B, C#, D, E, cover versions and you’ll hear some of
song’s core are just five easy open chords: F# and G#, so you can see that chords are A, Buckley’s arpeggios replayed note for note,
C, G, D, A and E – and that’s a progression D and E. You may already know these chords albeit usually in different keys. None of
any beginner guitarist can have a go at. Just in the open position, but we’re playing them these arrangements are easy to play, but
watch the video to hear how each chord higher up the fretboard. They’re the same any guitarist can try the chords – C, F, G,
should sound. The chord progression covers chords because they contain the same notes Am and E cover the verses and choruses.
the whole song, admittedly in a stripped – just in a different position. The idea is for If you’ve not been playing guitar very long
back way, but it’s a shortcut if you want to each chord to have a short, abrupt sound we recommend using a simple strumming
jam along with Jimi’s original track. Start (known as ‘staccato’) achieved by releasing pattern. This is the simplest method and
by practising the chord changes – try C to G, pressure from your fretting fingers as soon will give you something to sing along to.
G to D, and so on. Repeat the changes and as you strike the strings. The rhythm is a If you want to try the ‘one note at a time’
gradually your fingers will ‘remember’ typical offbeat reggae groove. That means arpeggio approach, we recommend
where to go and it’ll all start to feel easier. that if you count to four to keep time, you’ll fingerpicking. Simply play the lowest note
We’re using a basic strumming pattern that be playing a chord in between each number. of each chord, then go up and down through
follows the rhythm of the song. the three highest (thinnest) strings.
Cheat sheet…
Cheat sheet… Tempo: 74bpm Cheat sheet…
Tempo: 84bpm Key/scale: A major Tempo: 56bpm
Key/scale: G major Main techniques: Staccato / muting / Key/scale: C major
Main techniques: Open chords / strumming offbeat groove Main techniques: Open chords / fingerstyle

TG Tip Follow the rhythm of the original track for TG Tip Count ‘1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &’ to keep time. Your TG Tip Count ‘1 & a 2 & a’ to keep time, and sync
a suitable strumming pattern chords should all land on the ‘&’s your strumming or fingerpicking to your count

January 2017 Total Guitar

 Dire
Straits
Brothers
In Arms
64 Get to grips with Mark Knopfler’s
bluesy fingerstyle lead lines on this
anti-war classic from Dire Straits’
1985 world-beating album

© Debra Trebitz / Frank White Photo Agency

Total Guitar january 2017

 cl assic
t r ac k

B SOUND ADVICE
rothers In Arms was the
biggest selling studio
album of Dire Straits’
career, topping the charts
worldwide in May 1985. Everything you need to know before playing ‘Brothers In Arms’
The title track, a dark and moody

Y
anti-war song contains some of ou probably think of a Fender
Mark Knopfler’s finest playing,
which had moved on since the
Get the tone channel overdrive Stratocaster when you think of
Mark Knopfler, but he recorded
early days of Sultans Of Swing. this track on a Gibson Les Paul Standard
Crystal clean country-esque had with neck pickup selected and plugged
been replaced with a darker, into a Marshall JTM45 amp. The swells
bluesier tone and style, delivered gain bass mid treble reverb were created using an Ernie Ball volume
here on a Les Paul rather than the pedal – a crucial part of the sound that
Strats Mark was known for. makes it much easier to operate than
Knopfler always favours playing Use a neck position flicking your volume knob as you play!
fingerstyle, however much of the humbucker and a You’ll still need to use your guitar volume,
moderate amount of
lead work in Brothers In Arms will though: dial in enough gain on your amp
amp gain. Use a
sound just as good played with a volume pedal for the for the loudest licks in the outro solo and
pick. It’s mainly single-note swelled notes. back off your guitar volume to reduce
playing, so, if fingerpicking isn’t the distortion on the earlier, cleaner-
for you, stick with your pick. We sounding lines.
do recommend using your fingers Effects
wherever Mark plays a diad, Volume pedals
however, to get just the right feel.

chords these shapes. We’ve left out any inversions scales 65

A T
side from a few diads (which don’t really (where the keyboard plays a different root note his song was written in the
have their own names), Knopfler doesn’t – thus giving a more complicated chord name) key of G#minor and Knopfler
play any chords in Brothers In Arms – so, for example, where you see a chord name uses the G# natural minor
– chord duties are taken by the keyboards. such as D#m/A# in the tab, just play D#m and scale almost exclusively. The three
However, i f you want to jam along, you can use don’t worry about the A# root notes. scale shapes shown here form a
framework that’ll see you through
x x x most of the song, aside from an
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 occasional ‘outside’ note. Learning
4 3 4
2 1 1
the patterns before you start will
3 4
make life a lot easier, especially as
3 4
this song is in a slightly guitar-
3 4 2 3 4
unfriendly key.

G#m G#sus2 G#m9 B

1 1 1
3 8
x x x x
1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1
1 1 1 1 1 1
4 6 7
2
1 1 2 2
3 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 3 3
3 4 3 4 2 3 4
4 4 4 4 4 4 4
2 3
4 G# natural minor G# natural minor
scale (shape 1) scale (shape 3)
Bsus4 C#m D#m E

x x x
1 1 1 1 1 1
11
1 1 1 2 2 2
7
2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 3 3 3
Guitars and backing: Phil Capone

3 4 2 4 4 4 4 4
3 4 2 3 4 3 4

G# natural minor
Emaj7 F# F#sus4 F#sus2 scale (shape 4)

JANUARY 2017 Total Guitar

 cl assic
t r ac k

Dire Straits
Brothers In Arms
full
Sultans Of Swing:
tab
The Very Best Of Dire Straits
(Guitar Tab with chord symbols, 152pp, £18.95 ref. DG70826) Brothers in Arms
TGR288.direstraits.fig01.musx
Complete guitar tablature transcriptions of all the songs from Words and Music by Mark Knopfler Brothers In Arms
the definitive compilation album, including melody line, lyrics, Copyright © 1985 Straitjacket Songs Limited.
File Date: 12:06 14/11/2016
guitar chord boxes and chord symbols. This excellent
songbook includes some of the band’s greatest hits such as
Universal Music Publishing Limited
UK/EU reproduced by kind permission of Music Sales Limited
Dire Straits
Page 1 of 1 ‘Sultans Of Swing, ‘Money For Nothing’ and ‘Brothers In Arms’.
Available from: www.musicroom.com
US/CAN reproduced by kind permission of Hal Leonard Corporation
All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured Contributor: Phil Capone
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Intro

q = 80

G#m G # m/C # G#m

## œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ .
Emaj 7 Emaj 7 Emaj 7 Emaj 7

& # # # 44 ‰ œ œ œ.
œ œ œ œ œœ˙ ˙ Œ ¿ œ œ œ œ
0:40

T
A 3 3 ¿ 3 4 6 4 3 4
4
6 6 6 6 6 4 6
B 4 6
1

C#m G#m G # m/C # F#

# # # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emaj 7

œ.
E

& # # w œ. œ. Œ œ
66
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
œ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vol.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vol.

T BU

A 6 6 (8) 6 4 3
6 4 6
3
6 6
4 3

B
4

G#m # # G#m
# ## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emaj 7 G m/C

& # # œ œ œ œ ˙ w
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T
A 6 6 6
B
TGR288.direstraits.fig02.musx
6 Brothers In Arms
File Date: 16:07 14/11/2016
7
Dire Straits
Page 1 of 1 Contributor: Phil Capone
#
Notes:keeps things fairly simple here, sticking to shape one of the G natural minor scale. If you haven’t got a volume pedal for
Knopfler Engraved
the swells,by
youDigitalMusicArt.Com
can go down the more
tricky road of using your guitar’s volume knob instead. Either way, make sure you hit the swell notes with your volume off and increase it swiftly to avoid losing the note.

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Verse 1

F# D#m G#m D#m

## œ œ œ œ~~~~~w
Bsus 4

& # # # 44 Ó œ œ ‰
E B B

Œ œ
j
∑ ∑ Ó Œ
1:13 Vol.
~~~~~
T BU BD

A 6 (8) (6) 4 6 8 6

B
1

# # # # œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
. œ ˙
E

∑
F # sus 4

∑
F# G#m

Ó
D#m

Œ ‰ œ œ
& #
Total Guitar JANUARY 2017
 #### 4 Ó œ œ œ œ~~~~~w œ œ ‰
E F B Bsus B D m G m D m

& #4 Œ œ
j
∑ ∑ Ó Œ
~~~~~
Full track + backing (tracks 48-49)
1:13
This song comes with a full demo track and a backingVol.
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
Dire Straits / Brothers In Arms
T BU BD

A 6 (8) (6) 4 6 8 6

B
Dire
1 Straits Brothers In Arms Verse 1 (continued)

# # # # œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
. œ ˙
E

∑
F # sus 4 F#

∑
G#m

Ó
D#m

Œ ‰ œ œ
& #
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
T 4
A 6 8 3

B
6

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ G # m/C # F # sus 4 F# G#m F # sus 4 F#

#### ⇥ j œ. œ œ
Emaj 7 E

& # œ. œ ˙ ∑ ∑ Ó œ ˙. ¿ œœ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ let ring

T
A 3
5 [5 ] 4
6 ¿ 4 3
6
B
TGR288.direstraits.fig03.musx
10
Brothers In Arms
File Date: 16:08 14/11/2016 Dire Straits
Page
The music1inof 1 section is pretty sparse, with guitar lines supporting and ‘replying’ to Knopfler’s vocal melody. With no drums or bass in the
this Contributor:
mix you’ll needPhil Capone
to listen
carefully to the chord changes played by the keyboards to cue you in.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Interlude 1

G # m/D # C # m/G # # #
##
E/B
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E/B G m/D E/B

& # # # 44 œ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 67
1:57
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vol.
3

T 4
A 4 6 4 3
6 4 6 6
6 [ 6] 4 3 6 4 3
6 4 6
4

B
1

C # m/G # G # sus 2 G#m

# # # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Πw~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
& # # ˙.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vol.

T 4
A 6

B
TGR288.direstraits.fig04.musx
4
Brothers In Arms
File Date: 16:09 14/11/2016 Dire Straits
Page
There may1only
of 1be a few bars of music here but there’s plenty going on. You’ll be switching between eighth notes, 16th notes and triplets, so
Contributor: Phil
practise slowly Capone
to get a feel
for the timing. Disregard finer details such as staccatos (shown with a dot over or under the notes) and volume swells until you can play through the notes.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Verse 2

F# D # m/A # G#m D#m

## œ œ œ. ~~~~~~~~ ˙~~~~~~~~ w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bsus 4
œ #œ œ œ
E B B

& # # # 44 Ó Œ œ œ œœ œœ .. ˙˙ .. ˙ Ó Œ
~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2:15 Vol. Vol.

T 9 7 4 5 7 7 6 6
A 6 6
6
6
6 8
8

B
1

F # sus 4 F# G#m D#m

#### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ œ #œ œ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E Emaj 7

# w w w Ó Œ ˙. Œ
&
JANUARY 2017 Total Guitar
 F# D # m/A # G#m D#m
## œ œ œ. ~~~~~~~~ ˙~~~~~~~~ w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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9 7 4 5 7 7 6 6
A 6 6
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8

B Straits Brothers In Arms Verse 2 (continued)

Dire
1

F # sus 4 F# G#m D#m

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E Emaj 7

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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vol. Vol.

T 9 7 6 7
A 8 9
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B
6

# # # # F # sus 4 F#
#### ~~~~~~~~~~~C ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ F~~~~~~~~~~~ G m ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E m F sus 4 Emaj 7

# ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ. j œ. œ œ ˙. ‰ œ
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TGR288.direstraits.fig05.musx
11 Brothers In Arms
File Date: 16:33 14/11/2016 Dire Straits
Page 1 of
Remember, 1 plays this track fingerstyle so you’ll need to use your first and second fingers to pick the diads in bar 1 to get the same vibe.
Mark Contributor: PhilonCapone
Rest your thumb a bass
string to keep your hand steady. The lick that ends the section is a repeat of bar 13 from verse 1 and follows the melody Knopfler sings on the words “brothers in arms”.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Interlude 2

G#m # G#m
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
C m E E E

## œ œ œ œ j
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C#m G#m F#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vol.

T 4 7
A 6 6

B
TGR288.direstraits.fig06.musx
4 Brothers In Arms
File Date: 16:34 14/11/2016 Dire Straits
Page 1 ofyou1can take more than pure technique from a song transcription; Mark’s masterful songcraft is on display here in a second interlude
Sometimes Contributor: Philthe
that raises Capone
dynamics, drops pace again, then injects a burst of energy on the final chord to lead you into the next section – all in the space of six bars.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Bridge

G#m F# # F # sus 2 F#
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
B/D E B
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dire Straits / Brothers In Arms
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Bridge (continued)
1

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File
5
Date: 16:34 14/11/2016 0 Dire Straits
Page 1 of 1 Contributor: Phil Capone
Fret the opening slide in bar 1 with your third finger – this will ensure your hand ends up in prime position to play the rest of the lick.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Solo 1

G#m C#m G#m

## œ œ œ. œ œ œ ˙~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ. œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
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TGR288.direstraits.fig08.musx Brothers In Arms
File Date: 09:41 16/11/2016 Dire Straits
The first solo involves a position shift up the neck to shape three of the G # natural minor scale. Mark rarely plays a note-for-note copy of the solo live, preferring to
Page 1new
improvise of 1ideas around these licks, so you may like to take the same approach. The last three bars are important though, leading youContributor: Phil Capone
into the next section.
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Verse 3

F# D # m/A #
~~~~~~~~~~~ w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bsus 4

˙~~~~~~~~~~~ ˙
E B B

##
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~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vol. Vol.
4:11

T 4 5 7
A 6 8
6
6
6
6 8
B 9
1

G#m D # m/A #

w~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ~~~~~~~~~œ ~~~~

Emaj 7

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Dire
1 Straits Brothers In Arms Verse 3 (continued)
1

G ## m D ## m/A ##
G#m Dj# m/A
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ~~~~~~~~~
ww~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~
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File Date: 09:44 16/11/2016
B10 Date: 09:44 16/11/2016 Dire Straits
File Dire Straits
Page 1 of 3 Contributor: Phil Capone
10
10

70 Page 1 of 3 Contributor: Phil Capone

Notes: Engraved
the song intensifies, Knopfler shifts his licks higher up the neck so it helps to be familiar with shape four of the G # natural minor byDynamics
DigitalMusicArt.Com
Notes:
As Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com
scale here. also feature
heavily but don’t worry about such details until you’re comfortable with each phrase; always learn the mechanics before adding the finishing touches.

Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Outro solo

G ## m C ## m G ## m
~~~~~~~~~~ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ
E E E

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Total Guitar JANUARY 2017

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B7 Straits Brothers In Arms Outro solo (continued)
Dire
7

G#m # G#m
G#m ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
C#m
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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13 13 13 15 16 16 [16 ] 13
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# # # # (⇥œ##~~~~~~~~
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& # # # # # (⇥œ~~~~~~~~
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& # # # # œ~~~~~~~~œœ
# œ œ œ
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œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ
œ 2017 Total Guitar
& # 14~~~~~~~~ œ œ œ œ œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
œ œ ‰ œ œ œ JANUARY

~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11 12 11 11
T 11 12 11 14 11 12 14 12
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œ œ~~~~~~~ œ œ œ œ œ
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#### œ œ œ œj œ
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tr a&ck##### œ œ œ
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BU ~~~~~~~ BU BD BU BD œ
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T
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11 12 (14) 12 11 12 (14) (12 ) 14 (16) [16 ] (14) 12 12
A Straits Brothers In Arms Outro
Dire 13
13solo (continued) 13 13

B BU BD
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A # # C#m F#
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B C m G m E E

# # C #~~~~~~~~ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~#
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14 14 12 14 12 12 9 9
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9 8 4 6
4 6

B 11 12 11 11 11 9 11 11
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~~~~~~~~~~
B
G#m C#m G#m
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#### ~~~~~~
œ œ œ œœ œœ # œ œ. œ nœ.
E E

& # Gn œ# m œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ
j
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¿ œ œ œ œ
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¿ œ J ~~~~~~~~~~
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# ## j n œ ~~~~~~
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j œ œœ # œ œœ. œœ n œ .
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
# # # # ~~#œ œ œ œ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ.
E E

œ œ œ Eœ œ œ œ œ .
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11 9 9 11 9 9 E

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9 12 12

& œ 11œ œ
9 8 11 8 8

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9 9 9 9
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9 11 8 8 11 8

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œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. .
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j

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4 6 6 4 4j 6
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A
B [11 ]
4 6
4 3
6 4
6
4 6 4 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4

T38
A 4 6
4 3
6 4 4 6 4 6
4

B [11 ] 6
38

This outro solo is played over a repeating eight-bar chord sequence, which means you can break the whole thing down into five manageable chunks to make it easier to
learn. Mark tends only to use three fretting fingers, but it’s worth bringing in your fourth finger on the four-fret stretches, for example in bars 3 and 5.

Total Guitar JANUARY 2017

 learn
to pl ay
open-mic songbook
Green day
good riddance
(time of your life)
Liven up your strumming and picking with
Billie Joe Armstrong’s singalong classic

B
illie Joe Armstrong’s rhythm Although the tabbed intro may look
playing is the driving force tricky, you don’t have to be too fussy
behind Green Day’s sound. But about the picking unless you’re dead set
his technique isn’t always about on reproducing it note for note. Verse 2
powerchords. In Good Riddance (Time Of follows the same chords and rhythm as
YourTGR288.greenday.fig01.musx
Life) the guitar gradually shifts from the intro, just strummed – so the tab is Good RIddance
picking to strumming, allowing the tune
TGR288.greenday.fig01.musx a helpful guide for the whole song. GoodGreen
RIddance
File Date: 07:09 11/11/2016 Day
to grow in an organic way. Following a Whether you’re picking, strumming
File
Page Date:
1 of 07:09
1 verse,11/11/2016 Green Day
Contributor: Phil Capone
picked intro and the part evolves or doing both, the most important thing
Page
first1interlude,
Notes:
in the of 1 then settles into a is to get a feel for the rhythm and aim to EngravedContributor: Phil Capone
by DigitalMusicArt.Com
Notes: rhythm pattern for verse 2.
strummed lock in tightly. Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

green day good riddance (time of your life) Verse 1 TRACK 50

q = 90
74 5 G5 Csus 2 D5

#
q = 90 G Play 4 times

& # 444 ... œ œ œ. Ó .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Play 4 œtimes..

G5 G5 Csus 2 D5

.. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
& 4 œ œ œ œ œ. Ó
.
œ œœ œ
œ ringœthroughout œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
. . . .
let

T
. . . .
let ring throughout 3 3 3 3
A
T
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

. . . 3 0 .
0 0 3 0 0 3 0 3 0 3 0
B
A
3 0 3 0

⇥3 ⇥3 ≤ ≤ ⇥3 ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥3 ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥3 ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥3 ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤
0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0
3 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0
B
1

⇥ ⇥≤ ≤
1
⇥ ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤ ⇥ ⇥ ≤ ≤ ⇥ ≤

Guitars and backing: Charlie Griffiths Photography: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty

D5 G5 G5 D5
#
Em C Em Em

&# .. Em œ œ œ œ œ D5
œœ œ C œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
G5
.. Em œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. Em œ
G5
œœœœ
D5
œ œœ œœ œ œ œ
& .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .. œ œ œœœœœ œ œœœ
œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
T . . . . œ 0
. 2 0 00 2 0 22 3 . . 20 020 03 0 0. 20
0 3 1 3 0 3 3
A
T
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0

. 0 2 . . 0 2 . 0 2
0 1 2 0 3 0 2 0 3 0
B
A 2 0 3 0 0 0
3 0
0 0
3 0 3
0 0 2 2 0
2 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0
B
4
3
0 3 0 3 3 0
4

Billie Joe follows a 16th-note rhythm, which means there are four notes for every rhythmic pulse. Maintain a ‘down-up-down-up’ motion and you should always be picking
in the right direction. It’s the same rhythm after verse 2 – the only difference being that you’ll be strumming instead of targeting individual strings.

chords
Just five easy open position chords make up
x o o X x o x o

1
o x x o x o o o o

the song. Take note of where ‘X’s are shown 2 1 2 3

over certain strings – these indicate that the 2 3 4 2 3 4 3 3
string in question should stay silent. You’ll
either need to mute the string with a fretting
finger or, where possible, avoid it all together
with your pick.
G5 Csus2 C D5 Em

Total Guitar january 2017

backing TRACK (track 50)
This song comes with a backing track (minus guitar) on
your CD. Simply insert the disc in your player, press play
and jam along, guitaraoke style!
green day / good riddance (time of your life)

song sheet
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
Intro Chorus
G5 / / / x2 Em G5
G5 / / / Csus2 / D5 / x4 It’s something unpredictable
Em G5
Verse 1 But in the end it’s right
G5 Em D5 G5
Another turning point I hope you had the time of your life
Csus2 D5
A fork stuck in the road
G5
Interlude 2
Time grabs you by the wrist G5 / / / Csus2 / D5 / x2
Csus2 D5
Directs you where to go
Em
Instrumental verse
D5 C
So make the best of this test
G5 Chorus
And don’t ask why Em G5
Em D5 It’s something unpredictable
It’s not a question Em G5
C G5 But in the end it’s right 75
But a lesson learned in time Em D5 G5
I hope you had the time of your life

Chorus
Em G5 Interlude 3
It’s something unpredictable G5 / / / Csus2 / D5 / x2
Em G5
But in the end it’s right
Em D5 G5
Chorus
I hope you had the time of your life Em G5
It’s something unpredictable
Em G5
Interlude 1 But in the end it’s right
Em
G5 / / / Csus2 / D5 / x2 D5 G5
I hope you had the time of your life

Verse 2 Outro
G5 G5 / / / Csus2 / D5 /
So take the photographs G5 / / / Csus2 / D5 / G5
Csus2 D5
And still frames in your mind
G5
Hang it on a shelf
Csus2 D5
In good health and good time
Em D5
Tattoos of memories
C G5
And dead skin on trial good riddance (time of your life)
Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
Em D5 Words and Music by Billie Joe Armstrong, Frank E. Wright III and Michael Pritchard
For what it’s worth © 1997 WB Music Corp and Green Daze Music
Warner/Chappell North America Ltd, London, W8 5DA
C G5 UK/EU Reproduced by kindpermission of Faber Music Ltd.
It was worth all the while US/CAN reproduced by kind permission of HAL Leonard Corporation.
All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured

january 2017 Total Guitar

 turn
A rou n D

the turnaround licks of the blues legends

Stevie Ray
Vaughan
Get some some Texas passion in your blues playing
as you jam along with TG’s sizzling SRV-style licks

T
exan blues ace Stevie Ray Vaughan is from late 50s and early 60s parts, ‘Number One’
rightly considered one of the all time serving as his main guitar, plugged into a
great guitarists. Inspired by his older mixture of Fender, Marshall and Dumble amps.
brother Jimmie to pick up the guitar, he Though he famously used heavy strings and a
came to prominence when Texas Flood -his high action on his guitars, this isn’t essential to
debut album with his band, Double Trouble get in the tonal ballpark – as long as you hit the
– made fans of Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, strings with confidence and play like you mean
TGR288.turnaround.fig01.musx Turnaround
John Lee Hooker and many others. it, you’ll be well on your way. Just dial in a little
File Date:
Stevie is most 12:18 09/11/2016
associated with the Fender light overdrive (Stevie used an Ibanez TS-808 Stevie Ray Vaughan
Page
Strat 1 aofbattered
– with 1 example put together Tube Screamer) if your sound needs more welly. Contributor: Richard Barrett
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com
1 Shuffle groove and lead lick TRACK 51
76
3
j
q =110 q q =q q

~~~~
E

#4 œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& 4 œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ. œ œ œ # œœœ œœœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ j
œ œœ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ.
œ

œ œ œ œ
3 3 3
~~~~
let ring
0 0 0 0 0 0
T 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 3 3 3 3 0
A 0 0 0 0 0 0
0
2
2
0
0
2 4 4 4 2 4 4 2 0
2 0 2
0
0
0
0
B 12 0 7
5 7
0 7
5

TGR288.turnaround.fig02.musx Turnaround
File Date: 07:23 10/11/2016 Stevie Ray
Inspired by Stevie’s fiery rhythm style, this example plays up the contrast between a bassline played with downstrokes, and the open treble strings, played with Vaughan
Page 1 of 1
upstrokes to give the illusion of two guitars playing at once. The real trickery is to incorporate the blues lick in bars 3 and 4 without Contributor: Richard Barrett
losing momentum – play it slow at first.

Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

2 Moving around the 12-bar blues TRACK 52

œœ œ œ œ œ œ
œœ # œ œœ œœ œœ. œœœ œœ. œœœ œœ. œ œ œ~~~~ œ œ
A E

# œœ œœ œœ. œœ œœ. œ œ œ~~~~ œ

1/4 1/4
j

& 44
œ
œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
œ .
Photography: John T. Comerford III / Frank White Photo Agency

~~~~ ~~~~
3
3 1/4 1/4
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 0 0 0 0 5 0 7 0 8 0 10 0 12 BU BD 12 12
A 0 0
5
0 7
7
5
5
6 0 7
7
0 7
9
0 9
11
0 12
14 12 14
12 0
0
14 (16 ) (14 ) 12
14 12 14
12 12

B 0 7

We’re building on the previous lick here with an alternate take on SRV’s renowned rhythm embellishments over the IV chord of a I-IV-V progression. Strum confidently and
firmly, and mute out any idle strings with your fretting hand. This can seem a bit of a task at first, but becomes automatic quite quickly if you do the groundwork.

Total Guitar JANUARY 2017

 TGR288.turnaround.fig03.musx Turnaround
File These tab examples come with ‘full mix’ audio tracks plus two
Date:
Full 07:23
tracks +10/11/2016
backings (tracks 56-57) Stevie Ray Vaughan
Page 1backing
ofin your
disc 1tracks (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the
player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
the turnaround / StevieRichard
Contributor: Ray Vaughan
Barrett
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

3 triplet-based Turnaround line TRACK 53

# œ œ œj œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œj œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œj
& 44
B A E B E

œœ œ œœœ œœ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
j œ

œ bœ nœ œ œ œ œ w
œ

3 3 3

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 0 0 0 3 5 5 3 0 0 0 0
A 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 0
0 2
0
0
0 2 4 4 2 0
2 0
B 0 1 2 0
3 0

TGR288.turnaround.fig04.musx
More of an ‘lead’ part, this line combines open and fretted strings so there’s always plenty going on, sonically – essential in a trio such as Double Trouble. We’re Turnaround
using the
EFile
minorDate: 07:24
pentatonic scale (E G A B D) and E blues scale (E G A B b B D). This isn’t about showing off a massive vocabulary of licks – it’s about delivering
10/11/2016 Stevie Ray Vaughan
authenticity!

Page 1 of 1 Contributor: Richard Barrett

Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com
4 Chords for melody TRACK 54
j3

q =108 q q = q q Half time feel

E 6/9
~~~~~~~~~~
Amaj 9 E

œœ œ. ~~~~~~~~~~ .
w/bar

˙
œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
w/bar

# # # # 4 gggg ˙˙˙ œœ gg ˙˙˙ œœ œ œœ œ œ œj œ œœ ˙˙~~~~~~~~~~

j

œœ
w/bar
j
Œ Œ
j
4 ggg ˙ ggg ˙
œ
& œ
œ

~~~~~~~~~~
w/bar
~~~~~~~~~~
w/bar
~~~~~~~~~~
w/bar

gg 12
ggg 1211 gggg
9 7 7 9 9 7 7
T 12 10 7 9 7 7 9 9 7 7

gg 1111 g
A 13
11
9 9 11 9
9 11
9
11
9
9
B 12 77
TGR288.turnaround.fig05.musx Turnaround
File Date: 07:24 10/11/2016 Stevie Ray Vaughan
In addition to his fiery style, Stevie would also play with great sensitivity on the instrument, and that’s what inspired us here. Though the chords may be unfamiliar at first,
Page
they 1 of 1 fairly easy to get to grips with. The Hendrix-style two-note shapes are another lovely way to play both melodically andContributor:
are actually chordally. Richard Barrett
Notes: Engraved by DigitalMusicArt.Com

5 Sophisticated lead licks TRACK 55

bœ
## œ nœ œ œ nœ œ œ~~~~~~~~~ œ~~~~~~ œ œ œ
j

& # # 44 ˙ œ œ
A œ
j
œ

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
3 3
3

T 10 10 11 10
A 9 11
9 12 12 9 9 9
11
12 9
11
B

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
œ bœ œ nœ œ~~~~~~~~~~~ œ œ.
E

#### ˙ nœ
1/4

œ œ œ
j
1/4
œ
& Œ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
3 3

1/4 1/4
T BU

A 14 14
12 14 14 (15 ) 14 12
14 14 14
12

B
3

This example opens by loosely outlining the notes of an A7 chord (A C # E G), plus a brief moment on a B b note for added tension, before sliding back to the E blues scale in
bars 3 and 4. Having a play around with the slick sounding position shift could net you a few more blues licks for your trick bag!

JANUARY 2017 Total Guitar

 Tab Guide
Get more from TG by understanding our easy-to-follow musical terms and signs
What is tab?
Tab is short for tablature, a guitar, from the sixth (thick) down on the tab. Unfretted
notational system used to give string at the bottom to the first strings are shown with a ‘0’. The
detailed information as to where (thin) string at the top. On these key and time signatures are
notes should be played on the lines, numbers represent which shown in the notation. TG also
fretboard. Tab appears frets you place your fingers. For includes a timestamp to tell you
underneath conventional music example, an A note on the 2nd where in the original track you’ll
notation as six horizontal lines fret, third string, will be shown find each example and tempo
that represent the strings of the as a number ‘2’ on the third line expressed in beats per minute.

FRET BOXES: chords, scales and capo notation

Hand labelling Nut and Fretboard Chord example

2 m o o o o o o o o o
3 1 i a
4 c
1
T p
2 3
78

Here are the abbreviations used for each finger. Fretting hand: 1, 2, 3, 4, (T) This fretbox diagram represents the guitar’s fretboard exactly, as seen in the This diagram represents a G chord. The ‘o’s are open strings, and a circled number
Picking hand: p (thumb), i (index), m (middle), a (annular), c (little finger) photo. This design is used for ease of visualising a fretboard scale or chord quickly. is a fretting hand finger. A black ‘o’ or circled number is the root note (here, G).

capo example capo notation scale example

o o o x o o
CAPO 2nd
FRET >
CAPO 2nd
FRET > 4 1 1 1 1
1
2 2 2 2
1 2
3 3
2 3 3
4 4 4 4 4

A major scale
A (G) D (C)
The blue line in the diagram represents a capo – for this A chord, place it at the Here the chord looks like a C in the tab, but the capo on the 2nd fret raises the The fret box diagram illustrates the fret hand fingering for the A major scale using
2nd fret. Capos change the fret number ordering. Here, the original 5th fret pitch to make it a D. The 2nd fret capo’d notes are shown with a ‘0’ in the tab black dots for root notes and red dots for other scale tones. The photo shows part
now becomes the 3rd fret, 7th fret now 5th fret, etc. as if they were open strings. of the scale being played on the fourth string with the first, third and fourth fingers.

Guitar techniques: Picking

Down and up-picking Tremolo picking Palm Muting pick Rake Appreggiated chord

The symbols under the tab tell you the Each of the four notes are to be Palm-mute by resting the edge of your Drag the pick across the strings shown Play the notes of the chord by
first note is to be down-picked and the alternate-picked (down and up-picked) picking hand palm on the strings near with a single sweep. This is often used strumming across the relevant strings
second note is to be up-picked. very rapidly and continuously. the bridge saddles. to augment a rake’s last note. in the direction of the arrow head.

Total Guitar january 2017

 tab guide

Fretting Hand
Hammer-on & NOTE TRILLS Slides (glissando) fret-hand tapping Fret-hand muting
Pull-off

Pick the first note then hammer down on After picking the first note, rapidly Pick the first note and then slide to the Sound the notes marked with a square by X markings represent notes and strings
the string for the second note. Pick the alternate between the two notes shown in next. For the last two notes pick the first, hammering-on/tapping with your fret hand that are muted by your fret hand when
third note and pull-off for the fourth note. brackets using hammer-ons and pull-offs. slide to the next and then re-pick it (RP). fingers, instead of picking. struck by your picking hand.

Bending And vibrato

Bend and Release re-picked bend pre-bend quarter-tone bend Vibrato

Fret the first note (here, the 5th fret) and Bend up to the pitch shown in the Silently bend the string up from the 5th Pick the note then bend up a quarter- Your fretting hand vibrates the string by
bend up to the pitch of the bracketed brackets, then re-pick the note while fret (PB5) to the pitch of the 7th fret note, tone (a very small amount). This is small bend-ups and releases. Exaggerate
note, before releasing again. holding the bent note at the pitch shown. pick it and release to the 5th fret note. sometimes referred to as a ‘blues curl’. this effect to create a ‘wide’ vibrato.

Harmonics

Natural Harmonics Artificial pinched Harmonics Tapped harmonics touched harmonics

Harmonics

79

Pick the note while lightly touching the Fret the note as shown, then lightly place After fretting the note in the triangle, Place your finger on the note as shown, A previously sounded note is touched
string directly over the fret indicated. your index finger directly over ‘x’ fret dig into the string with the side of your but sound it with a quick pick hand tap at above the fret marked TCH (eg, TCH 9)
A chiming harmonic results. (AH‘x’) and pick (with a pick, p or a). thumb as you sound it with the pick. the fret shown (TH17) for a harmonic. for it to sound a harmonic.

Vibrato bar / whammy bar

Whammy bar bends Scoop and doop Sustained note Gargle Whammy bar vibrato
and Divebomb

The note is picked as shown, then the Scoop: depress the bar just before A Note is sustained then the vibrato Sound the note and ‘flick’ the vibrato bar Gently rock the whammy bar to
vibrato bar is raised and lowered to the striking the note and release. Doop: bar is depressed to slack. The square with your picking hand so it ‘quivers’. This repeatedly bend the pitch up and down.
pitches shown in brackets. lower the bar slightly after picking note. bracket indicates a further articulation. results in a ‘gargling’ sound! This sounds similar to fret hand vibrato.
Others

Pick scrape Violining Finger numbering pima directions Pick hand tapping

The edge of the pick is dragged either Turn the volume control down, sound The numbers in the traditional notation Any kind of fingerpicking requirements Tap (hammer-on) with a finger of your
down or up along the lower strings to the note(s) and then turn the volume up refer to the fingers required to play are shown at the bottom of the picking hand onto the fret marked with
produce a scraped sound. for a smooth fade in. each note. tab notation. a circle. Usually with ‘i’ or ‘m’.

january 2017 Total Guitar

82
Unplugged
YOUR MONTH IN THE ACOUSTIC WORLD

Total Guitar january 2017

 AcoustiC
The Martin
Archives presents
and interactive Five ‘11th’
history of the
guitar legend chord shapes
Essential chords to fuel
your creativity
x o o o

2
3

Cmaj7#11

x o o o

2 3

Brace Yourselves 
The Martin Archives book released
Aadd11

A
new book on the Martin present subjects in a more Graham Nash, opens the CF
guitar legacy aims to give immersive way. Classic bands, Martin vaults to use rarely seen 83
readers a more hands-on films and more have all had the material to chart its chronological
experience when it’s treatment in recent years – with history, with recreated artefacts
released this month. In 2014, posters, adverts, diagrams, including old letters, price tags, 1 1 1
Hal Leonard released the Fender brochures, stickers and recreations postcards, a 1936 company product
Archives, but now the other legend of old letters that can be taken brochure and even a polishing
of Nazareth is getting a ‘scrapbook out and examined. The Martin cloth included to bring the story 2 3 4
of treasures’. The scrapbook Archives, by Jim Washburn with of an icon in guitar building to life.
treatment has been a great way to Dick Boak and a foreword by www.halleonard.com
G#m11

Play station x

1 1
Hotone goes acoustic 7
2

H
otone is best known for its
mammoth catalogue of tiny 3 4
pedals, but its new A Station
preamp takes a more fully featured
approach. The pedal provides
a preamp for both guitar and C#11
microphone, with XLR ins and
outs, as well as 1/4-inch jack DIs,
offering a three-band EQ, plus a
1 1 1 1
feedback-busting notch filter, 7
effects loop and mute switch. 2
Phantom power is also on board
for the mic input, while a boost 3
footswitch ups the volume for
solo moments. The A Station is
powered by a 9V battery or power
supply, and will be available ‘soon’ Cmaj9#11
for £129.99
www.hotoneaudio.com

january 2017 Total Guitar

 AcoustiC Words Rob Laing Photography Olly Curtis

John Smith
He’s played with Lianne La Havas, David Gray and
LeAnn Rimes, but more than that, John smith is
the best kept acoustic secret in Britain…

K
een-eyed TG readers may react to songs in a different way. I felt a Fender Tweed for some songs tonight. The
recognise John Smith’s name connection there, and I felt that I could session work also puts his impressive collection
from our Ben Howard cover communicate to an audience better than I could of British made Fylde acoustics into action.
feature back in issue 241. Ben playing instrumentally.” So did his singing “He’s built me six or seven guitars over the
told us about how he’d had voice come easily? “At first it was a horrible years,” John says of Fylde master luthier Roger
an epiphany seeing Smith supporting John voice,” he admits. “And I sung out of tune quite Bucknall. “There’s lots of other guitars I like,
Martyn in Manchester and been blown away a lot. It took me quite a while to sing properly. too, but my workhorse is a Fylde. I’ve got two
by his percussive lap playing. I’ve probably done a couple of thousand gigs Falstaffs, a banjo – he built me that recently
But while Howard has gone on to arena level, and it’s just practice” and it’s unbelievable – I’ve got an eight-string
the proudly independent Smith continues on a Away from his own music, John’s still been baritone resonator that’s one of a kind, a mini
more low-key path. That’s frustrating to some able to make a living from guitar playing as Falstaff with a cutaway that’s up in Nashville
84 degree, because one listen to his last album, a session player with diverse artists including tuning… and a tenor guitar. So with sessions
Great Lakes, confirms the Devon-born Lisa Hannigan, Lianne La Havas, Chas & Dave, I can turn up with something that sounds
singer/songwriter’s status as one of the most Cara Dillon and recently, country star LeAnn completely different. Anytime anyone sees the
underrated musicians in the country. And Rimes. This has helped him to develop his banjo or the resonator, they’re taken aback and
here, ahead of a low key gig road-testing new blues, folk and Americana elements, and taken then you record them and it sounds amazing.”
material in Bristol’s cosy Old Bookshop bar, him further down an electric road that will That eclectic taste in guitars is another
we find a man with two paths as a player. feature on his forthcoming solo album – due in hallmark of a player whose keen drive to
“I’ve just always done things slowly,” he Spring – and accounts for a Coodercaster and develop can be heard through his own
responds to our assertion that his music discography. “I really started with
is a well kept secret over a drink after reading guitar magazines and Eric
soundcheck, “But I’d hate to become Stay inspired Clapton’s Unplugged,” John reflects on
really big and figure out how to maintain Four ways John keeps the creativity his roots. “Then I got into Bert Jansch
that. You see it happen to people and it flowing from his guitars and John Renbourn, and I was given a
looks uncomfortable.” copy of Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left and
But the fact is Smith is an artist who’s Take some time in a whole summer I had off when I was
already sold out London’s prestigious “I find that having a bit of time to sit and think is important in sixth form I learned every Nick Drake
Union Chapel under his own steam, for writing songs, which is quite hard to get hold of if you’re song and that really taught me how to
because once people hear him, they get it. on tour, the thing you actually do the least of is writing and play guitar. But then I got into the
Indeed David Gray was impressed enough
playing. But I always think first, what do I want to do?” percussive thing.” Cue Howard’s
to ask him to join his band playing mostly discovery in Manchester. But the way
Keep writing
slide guitar for a US tour after Smith “I’m not a consistent writer and most of what I write is John has headed since suggests a restless
supported him in the UK. Fans of John horrible, I have to pick one in three things to work on creative spirt that means he never stops
Martyn and Nick Drake will find much to because so much of it is rubbish. But I think that’s true learning from the guitar.
enjoy here; there’s a synergy between the for a lot of people.” “I started to listen to Tony Rice and
intricate flow of his folk fingerpicking people like that – proper flat pickers. And
and rich husky voice that seems Buy or borrow I thought, I’m going to get into standard
effortless. But it wasn’t. John started out “A new guitar always helps, picking up one of my own tuning – which I’d actually never really
as an instrumental performer, and only guitars I haven’t played in a while or borrowing someone done – and learn chords, take some
changed because of a need to make a
else’s guitar. See what happens.” lessons and learn what’s going on. I took
stronger connection with audiences. a couple of lessons from a jazz guitarist
Diversify
“As soon as I started singing with it, “Life’s too short not to, and there’s too many guitars. If I and actually learned how the fretboard
people started responding differently,” get stuck in one style it might mean I never want to buy a works, and that blew my mind.”
he notes. “It doesn’t matter how showy Les Paul!” Which makes us even more excited to
the guitar playing is, people really do hear where John Smith heads next.

Total Guitar january 2017

 interview / john smith

“As soon as
I started singing
with it, people
started
responding
differently”

85

january 2017 Total Guitar

 acoustiC
Rockschool
Ed Sheeran
Thinking Out Loud

W
ith over a billion views on this to add a rhythmic element to
YouTube, 750 million accompaniment that may lack a little
streams on Spotify and a few groove. It may become natural to mix
million sales thrown in too, this into your playing, especially if you
Thinking Out Loud has been a massive hit lean towards a stripped-back, solo style.
for Ed Sheeran and it’s a great song to Rockschool’s arrangement also
learn on the guitar. includes the electric guitar solo to give
Ed uses a simple rhythm technique, a fuller impression of the original song.
hitting the strings with his picking hand This solo is well worth learning as it’s
on beats 2 and 4 to give a percussive full of classic R&B moves that would be
effect. A lot of singer-songwriters do great to add to your repertoire.

full
The Rockschool Acoustic
tab
Guitar Grade Three book
contains everything you need Thinking out loud
to pass your Grade Three exam Words & Music by Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge
in one essential book. For more © Copyright 2014 Sony/ATV Music Publishing/BDi Music Limited.
info, visit: www.rslawards.com All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured

86
Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud TRACKs 63-64

q = 82
D/F #
Œ
D

¿ Œ ¿
G
Œ ¿ Œ
A

¿ 2 2 2
## 4 . œ .
& 4 . œJ œœ .. œœ .. œœ œœ œ œ « « «
J œ
œ ˙ œ. œ œ œ 2 2 2
J J
T . ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
A . 0
3
2
0
0
0
2
2
2 4
4
« « «
B 2 3
0 0
1

2 2 2 2
##
& « « « «
2 2 2 2
T
A « « « «
B
9
Guitar: andy jones Photography: nBC / Contributor/ Getty Images

Em A D Em A
## j œœ œœ œœ œœ j œœ œœœ
& œœ ... œœ œœ œœ œœ .. œ œ œ œœ ... œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ ..
œœ . œœ œœ œ œœ .. œ œ œ œœ . œœ œœ œ ˙˙ .. œœ
œ. œ œ œ J œ. œ œ œ
0 2 2 0 0
T 0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
3
2
3
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
A 2 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 2 2 2
B 2
0
2
0
2
0
0 2
0
2
0
2
0
0 0
17

Total Guitar january 2017

 Full track + backing (tracks 63-64)
This song comes with a full demo track and a backing
track (minus guitar) on your CD. Simply insert the disc in
your player, press play and jam along, guitaraoke style!
Ed sheeran / thinking out Loud

Em A Bm Em A
## j œœ j j œœ
& œœœ ... œœœ œœœ œœ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ œœœ ... œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ Œ
œ .. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œœ . œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œœ . œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
. .
0 0
T 0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
3
4
3
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
A 2 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 2
0
2
0
2
0
0 2 2 2
0
2
0
2
0
0 0 0 0 0
21

D D/F # G A
Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ Œ ¿ 2 2
## œ . œ
& œJ œœ .. œœ .. œœ œœ œ
J œ « «
œ ˙ œ. œ œ œ
J J 2 2
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
T
A 0 2
3
0
0
0
2
2
2 4
4
« «
B 2 3
0 0
25

1.
D/F #
2 Bm A G Em A D

## œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ ..
& « œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
œ œœ œ œœ œœ 87
2 œ œ œ
T
« 3 2 0 3 0 2
2
3 .
A
B
4
4
2
2
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
2
2
0
2
0 .
3 2 0
31

2.
Em A D D D/F # G A

# œœ œœ j
œœ œœœ ‰ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ¿¿ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
œœ œ œœ œ œ œ
j
& # œœœ
œ
œ œ œ
j j

œ œ œ œ
J
œ

œ œ œ
2
T
A
0
0
2
2
3
2 7
7
7
5 10
9 (11)
10
9 7 9 7 ¿¿ ¿¿ 7 7 7 7
7
7
7
7
2 2 0 7 9 BU 7 9 7 9 7 7 7 9
B 2
0
0 7 9 0 7 9
35

D/F # D/F #
D G A j œ D
œ j œ
## œ œ j œ j œ œ œ œ œ
œ
j œ
j
œ œ œ œ ˙ œ
J
œ
J Ó
&
BU BU
12 (14) 10 12 (14)
T 9 11
10
11 9 7 9 7
10 12 10 12 10
A
B
38

january 2017 Total Guitar

 acoustiC
Ed Sheeran Thinking Out Loud (continued) TRACKs 63-64

G A D D/F # G A
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ Ó œœ
j j j
# œ œ œ 3
j œ œ œ
& # ‰
œ

3 3 3 3

10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 7 7 7 5 5 5
T 10 12 10 12 10 12 10 12 10
9 11 9 7 9 11
10 12 12 12 10 10 10 8 8 8 7 7 7 8
9
A
B
41

D D/F # G A 2 2 2
## j œ
. j œ
& œ œ. j œœ .. œœ œœ « « «
j
œ
œ
œ ˙ œ. œ œ œ 2 2 2
T
A 0
3
2 0
0
2
2
2 4
4
« « «
B 2 3
0 0
44

Bm A G D/F # Em A D Bm A G D/F #

# œœ ˙˙
& # œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœ ˙˙ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ œœ
œœ
œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
2
T 3
4
2
2
0
0
3
2
0
0
2
2
3
2
3
4
2
2
0
0
3
2
A 4 2 0 0 2 2 0 4 2 0 0
B 2 0 2 0 2 0
88 52
3 2 0 3 2

Em A D Bm A G D/F # Em A D

# œœ ˙˙ œœ œœ
Slight rall. U
& # œœœ œœ
œ œ
œ
˙
˙ œœ
œœ
œ œœ
œœ œ œ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ
2
T 0
0
2
2
3
2
3
4
2
2
0
0
3
2
A 2 2 0 4 2 0 0 0
B 2
0
0 2 0
3 2 0
0
55

The main rhythm groove is outlined in bars 1 and 2 – so make sure to spend some time learning this part. The ‘X’s in the tab denote Ed’s pick-hand string strikes. Notice that
they fall on beats 2 and 4 of each bar, giving a ‘backbeat’ akin to a snare drum in a standard rock rhythm.

Dare to break Get comprehensive cover

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january 2017 Total Guitar

 92

the gas
station Real world reviews of the
best new gear 98

Welcome to the GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome*) 100

Station! Every issue, the TG scours the market for the
hottest new gear and brings you transparent reviews
that you can trust. From the smallest of accessories
that make your life easier, to big investments such as
brand new guitars, amps and effects pedals – if it’s
90 worth your attention, you’ll find it here!

How we test Best Buy Award

TG Best Buy Awards are
91 Start Me Up
reserved for stand-out Five new products to get you started
Curation No snake oil products that earn a five-star
Our product selection is
driven by our love of gear.
You won’t find us getting
hung up on hokey mythology
rating. This is the best, most
exciting new gear that you 92 PRS SE ‘Floyd’ Custom 24
We select the most exciting or nonsense marketing speak:
need to check out PRS’s mainstay gets a locking vibrato upgrade
products on the market every we aim to bring you bullshit-
month to bring you opinions
you can trust.
free opinions on the gear
you’re interested in.
96 Vintage Viator Paul Brett
Best buy 12-String Travel Guitar
Face-value reviews We can’t be bought Curious compact travel guitar with a very unique voice
We’re not gear snobs here at TG review scores are a true
award
Total Guitar. We judge on it on reflection of our experts’
whether it looks good, sounds opinion on the product 98 Line 6 Spyder V
good and plays well – not by they’ve been testing. You’ll Best for… The classic modelling combo gets a serious upgrade
the name on the headstock. never find a rating in our Different guitarists have
different needs. This badge
mag that has been bought
and paid for.
highlights a particular strength
that a product has in a TG Test
100 The TG Test:
*WHAT IS GAS?
Gear Acquisition Syndrome
Real world reviews
or Group Test, so you can
choose what’s best for you Affordable metal Guitars
We test every product under Want to thrash your way through a gig or shred like a
is the guitar-player’s
never-ending urge to acquire the conditions that they were beast? These four axes won’t break the bank doing it…
new gear, irrespective of designed for. For example,
whether they actually need it.
Don’t pretend you don’t
if an amp is designed to be
played loud, rest assured Best 106 Group Test:
have it – we all do!
that we’ll have tested it at for… multi-modulation pedals
rehearsal/gig volumes! Push the sonic limits with these fabulous filters

Superb, a best buy Excellent Above average kit some issues Poor
110 Fix Your Guitar!
Changing Your Pickups

Total Guitar january 2017

 gas station

04

02

01

05
03

91

start me up!
Five awesome new products to get your gear engine revving this month…
Seymour Duncan Jimi Marshall Mid Nexi The Solution IK Multimedia iLoud Pluginz Marshall
Hendrix Signature Bluetooth
3 Micro Monitor Jack Rack
With a patch cable-less

2 4 5
plug-and-play system,
Strat set pickups Marshall has added a new Most of us don’t have room You may have seen Pluginz

1
top-end set of cans to its built-in power supply and for a full studio rig at home, before – they’re those nifty
Back in 1968, Jimi Hendrix
popular headphones range. fully waterproof construction, but IK Multimedia has a amp head replicas with
played a Strat loaded with
The Mid Bluetooth is a set of, you Nexi’s aptly named The Solution solution in the iLoud Micro 1/4-inch jack sockets that hold
pickups hand-wound by a
guessed it, Bluetooth-enabled is a seriously advanced take on Monitor, the smallest monitoring your keys – but they just got that
young Seymour Duncan; now,
’phones that use top of the line pedalboards . The ’board itself system you can buy. Similarly little bit more authentic, with the
those tones are available to all.
aptX technology for CD-quality features a built-in tuner, proportioned to your average addition of official Marshall
The set is custom-wound, with
wireless sound. In addition to two-channel switch and boost, computer speakers, these heads to the range. Four models
an aggressive bridge, thick neck
the classic Marshall styling, plus 1/4-inch input/output and monitors pack 50 watts of are available – JCM800 Standard,
and quacky in-between middle
these over-ears also promise a USB sockets, but Nexi has also power and a bass reflex port, JCM800 Handwired, 1959SLP
combinations. Each pickup has
30 hours battery life, collapsing introduced 14 analogue pedals providing enough detail to help and JCM800 Chequered – and
a reverse magnet stagger to
design, the same custom -tuned to go with the ’board, all feature tweak your recordings to sound each Jack Rack comes with four
replicate the effect of playing a
40mm dynamic drivers as the true bypass switching and can great on any system. Plus, with guitar jack keychains engraved
right-handed guitar upside-
Major set, and a 3.5mm output be used wirelessly with The easily adjusted EQ presets and with the Marshall ‘M’ logo, plus a
down, restrung for a left-handed
for sharing music with friends. Solution, but also include regular Bluetooth connectivity, they’re full wall mounting kit to liven up
player, just like Jimi used to do!
(£169, jacks for normal pedalboards. great for listening to tunes, too. your studio/bedroom/man cave.
(£359.95 per set,
marshallheadphones.com) (€199.95, www.nexi.eu) (€365.99, ikmultimedia.com) (£34.70, pluginzkeychains.com)
www.seymourduncan.com)

january 2017 Total Guitar

 t h e ga s
station

92

Total Guitar january 2017

 review

PRS 2017 SE ‘Floyd’ 1 Neck

The PRS SE ‘Floyd’ At a Glance
Custom 24 comes

Custom 24
spec’d with a Wide Thin Body: Mahogany w/

£999 neck profile. Add 24

fat frets and you’ve
bevelled maple top and
flame maple veneer
got a guitar with Neck: Maple, glued-in
serious playability Scale: 635mm (25”)

A pretty guitar that’s actually a beast! 2 Floyd

This SE pimps the
Fingerboard:
Rosewood
Frets: 24, jumbo

T
classic Custom 24 Pickups: 2x PRS
here was a time when locking whammy bar loved by format with a chunky 85/15 humbuckers
Paul Reed Smith guitars everyone from Eddie Van Halen Floyd Rose double- Controls: 1x volume,
were seen by some to Dimebag Darrell. Even with the looking vibrato with a 1x tone (w/ push/pull
recess for pull-ups and coil split) and 3-way
as elitist playthings – Custom 24’s tasteful vintage- the ability to dump the pickup selector blade
too expensive for the esque vibe, the Floyd looks right strings on the pickups switch
working guitarist, and too pretty at home here. It’s like someone Hardware: Chrome
to risk pranging at a gig. These
were the guitars you bought when
bolted a supercharger to an E-Type
Jaguar. It shouldn’t work, but it
3 Pickups
The new pickups
are based on PRS’s
Floyd Rose double-
locking vibrato and top
nut, sealed die-cast
you’d bought all the golf clubs and actually looks great… 1985 Standard Treble machineheads
swanky German sports cars you So what makes the 2017 SEs and Bass humbuckers, Left-handed: N/A
could need – ‘Guitars for lawyers better than the previous editions? which also offer Finish: Vintage
convincing classic 1 Sunburst (as
and doctors’ went the rather Well, you get the same ‘signature’
single-coil tones. This reviewed), Gray Black
unkind mantra. PRS headstock logo as the USA is one versatile guitar Contact: PRS Europe
In 2001, PRS began to change models instead of the block logo 01223 874 301
those preconceptions with the truss-rod cover – with a much www.prsguitars.com
launch of the Korean-made SE subtler ‘SE’ logo, too. But the big
models. Keenly priced for the news is a pair of upgraded pickups.
average guitarist and styled to look The 85/15 set is based on Paul Reed 93
like their American-built siblings, Smith’s 1985 Standard Treble and
the SE range has evolved a lot over Bass pickups, much-respected for

The 2017 models are the Best buy

award
highest spec SE guitars yet
the past 15 years. The 2017 models the ability to offer great
are easily the best-looking and humbucking and single-coil tones.
highest-spec SE guitars yet – let’s These new humbuckers are wired
see what they’ve got cooking. through a master volume, master
Slipping it from its padded tone (with a built-in push/pull
gigbag, no-one could deny our coil split) and a three-way pickup
2017 SE ‘Floyd’ Custom 24 is a selector blade switch offering 3
looker. In typical PRS style, this both pickups solo and combined.
guitar’s pretty flame maple top is Textbook stuff.
like a tractor beam to the eyeballs. Time to plug in. Running
Underneath the eye candy, you’ll through our amp’s clean channel,
find a mahogany body cut in PRS’s the bridge ’bucker unloads a whole
classic double-cutaway shape. The sackful of sparkle. While this
supremely comfortable Wide Thin setting works great for choppy
2
profile neck is honed in maple, rhythm stuff, we prefer adding the
and comes paired with a rosewood neck pickup into the mix. This
‘board with a flock of the now- combination retains the bright
iconic bird inlays and plays host clarity of the bridge pickup but
to 24 fat frets. adds some warmth. Switch to
Of course, ‘Floyd’ isn’t just a single-coil mode and you’re
clever name. Our Custom 24 almost in Hendrix Little Wing
comes loaded with a chunky Floyd territory, with little wobbles on
Rose vibrato, with a recess for the whammy bar adding to the
pull-ups, the seldom-challenged effect. You don’t always have to
but never-bettered double- divebomb on a Floyd, y’know!

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Origin of
the species!
A brief history of Paul
Reed Smith guitars...

I
t seems like PRS Guitars
have been around forever,
but Paul Reed Smith didn’t
launch his brand until 1985
– even though he had been
building guitars since the 70s,
working on designs that would
The 85/15 pickups are
combine the best attributes of
based on PRS’s 1985
the mighty Gibson and Fender Treble and Bass set
houses in a package with cool
94 vintage looks and high-spec

Also try...
tonewoods. Smith built his first
guitars for the likes of, er,
Happy The Man’s Stanley
Whitaker and former Heart Fret-King
guitarist Howard Leese, but it Super-Hybrid
was the endorsement of Latin If it’s tonal versatility
you’re after, the
rock legend Carlos Santana that
Super-Hybrid offer
marked PRS out as a contender, humbucking, single-coil
and Santana was later rewarded and acoustic sounds,
with a US-built signature the latter thanks to
model, as also featured in the an onboard piezo
pickup system
£499
2017 SE range. The rest is rock
history, with PRS growing over
The Floyd Rose is an
30 years to become one of the unusual look for a PRS, Fender Standard
‘big three’ US guitar makers. but it feels right here Stratocaster HSS
with Floyd Rose
The original pimped classic
While many associate PRS Interacting with varying levels of palette, but the newly spec’d 85/15 features a Floyd Rose
guitars with blues-rock cats such dirt, the bridge humbucker can pull pickups make this latest model a whammy, a humbucker
as Carlos Santana, card-carrying off anything from vintage AC/DC far more interesting prospect for and two single coils
in the engine room
members of the metal brigade to scooped-mid thrash stuff. We metal players. Every note propels
including Mark Tremonti, Chris like the clarity and note separation itself off this guitar like a firework.
and a rosewood £689
fingerboard
Robertson of Black Stone Cherry across all three locations on the The fact the guitar is so damn
and Periphery’s Mark Holcomb are pickup selector switch. Blues pretty makes us powerless to
all in PRS’s signature artists, too. players will love the smooth attack resist its charms.
Charvel Pro Mod
With that in mind, it makes sense and sustain of the neck position, Ed Mitchell
So-Cal Style 1 HH FR
that the new Custom 24 ‘Floyd’ and the single-coil tones on tap. The So-Cal comes loaded with
Features a Seymour Duncan TB-6
has been voiced with heavy in This is a seriously versatile guitar. Distortion humbucker in
sound quality
mind, and the 85/15 pickups have Great looks, superb playability, the bridge position and a
S U M M AR Y

less lower-mids than regular PRS rock-solid tuning and a proper value for money SH-6N Distortion at the
humbuckers, and that means more padded gigbag. What’s not to love? build quality neck, with push/pull
knob to split both
clarity even when you get a bit We already respected the SE playability
pickups’ coils
£709
crazy with the saturation. Custom 24 and its versatile tonal overall rating

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96

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Vintage Viator Paul 1 Compact

The Viator’s At a Glance
minuscule Sitka

Brett 12-String
spruce and sapele Type: Electro-acoustic
body is based on the 12-string travel guitar
parlour style popular Top: Solid Sitka spruce
in the late 19th and Back & sides:

Travel Guitar
Laminated sapele
£239 early 20th centuries
Hardware: Grover

2 Modern spec open-geared

This guitar might machineheads
look like something Electronics:

The guitar you never knew you needed found in granny’s

attic, but it features
Fishman Sonitone
pickup w/ USB
Left-handers: No
up-to-date goodies

L
such as a Fishman Finish: Natural only
et’s be honest. Travel this has brains as well as looks,
Sonitone pickup with Contact: JHS 01132
guitars are not renowned spec’d as it is with Fishman’s 865 381 www.jhs.co.uk
built-in USB port
for their beauty, they’re Sonitone pickup – the one with a
generally functional and
stripped down to the bare
built-in USB output for recording
straight to your computer. 3 neck profile
The Viator’s neck
has a pronounced
essentials, but the Viator 12-string Getting to grips with the Viator
vintage-style V profile
is an exception. Ultra-portable – is easy thanks to the small body
that not only slips
complete with nice padded gigbag and the vintage V profile neck. beautifully into your
– it also offers good looks and feel, That ’board is crowded, however, palm, but its strength
with a couple of modern tweaks. and it takes a while to get used to also aides the general
tuning stability
Paul Brett was once the guitarist where your fingers need to be to
in the Strawbs, but has since made fret chords. Brett intends to use
his name as a collector, and since his guitar in minor 3rd above ‘Terz
2012 he’s leant his name and tuning’ – basically like having a
expertise to a range of acoustics capo at the 3rd fret – but you’ll 97
that blend vintage looks with need lighter strings for that.
3
modern, common sense design. In standard tuning, with the

This offers a unique take on

the portable guitar thing
Brett’s 12-string skills have been strings supplied, our Viator’s 1
highly regarded for nearly 50 years tonal response is bright and crisp
now, and so it’s fitting that he’s with a reasonable amount of
designed a 12 that cleverly volume considering it’s such a
translates the formula into the compact thing. The tension is fine
ultra-portable travel guitar world. for fretting all the way up the 2
The guitar’s lithe body is based neck, and we find the tuning
on the kind of acoustic guitars stability rock-solid.
popular in the late 19th and early This cool little acoustic is a
20th centuries, before the big ol’ dream for travellers, buskers and
Martin dreadnought became the folkies with tiny cars and offers a
go-to spec. The timber choice unique take on the portable guitar
reads like Woody Woodpecker’s thing. It’s beautifully made, plays
wet dream – with a solid Sitka great – albeit while requiring some
spruce top and laminate sapele technique adjustment on your part
back and sides, all joined together – and won’t give your piggy bank
with maple/rosewood binding. nightmares either.
The nato wood neck comes paired Ed Mitchell
with a rosewood fingerboard, 21
Features
vintage-size frets and a resonant
sound quality
NuBone top nut to match the
S U M M AR Y

NuBone saddle, while the crowded value for money

headstock plays host to a dozen build quality
open-geared Grover tuners. The playability
overall vibe is vintage, then, but overall rating

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98

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 review

1 2
1 Controls
The colour-coded
control panel is
At a Glance
good-looking and Type:
easy to navigate; just Digital modelling
select amp or effects 3 amplifier
and you can quickly Output: 60W
dive straight into Speaker: 1x10”
editing your sounds special design plus
HF tweeter

2 Display
The Spider’s
display is a little small,
Controls: Drive, bass,
mid, treble, volume,
master volume,
but nevertheless amp/FX select, loop,
it’s clear and easy to play/pause, edit, tap
understand. If you tempo, home, rotary
want better graphics, pre-set control
download the Sockets: Guitar in,
excellent mobile app 3.5mm headphones,
USB, 3.5mm aux in, Line

3 Round the
back
Direct recording via
6 RJ45 floorboard
connector
Weight: 9.7kg
USB? No problem. Dimensions:
The Spider also has a [HxWxD] 415 x 440x
handy aux in, and it’s Best buy 225mm
compatible with most award Contact: Yamaha
Line 6 floorboards, for Music Europe
extra versatility 0844 811 1116
www.line6.com

Line 6 Spider V 60 £281

99

Line 6 debuts the fifth evolution of its popular amp range

T
echnology never stands and a separate tweeter to make means better quality at low overcooked, but as a starting point
still; and when you’re the sure nothing’s lost. There are over volume and more balance at they’re all worth a listen.
market leader in one of 200 high-quality amp, effects and higher volume levels, and not just The mobile app is easy to use,
the most competitive cab models, with over 100 presets for electric guitars – your acoustic intuitive and fun, connecting
amp-building areas, you to enjoy, together with a built-in will sound just as good, too. without any glitches and letting
have to keep evolving, and that’s tuner, metronome and even 19 As with any modelling amp, the you edit and save your own
what Line 6 has done with the real drum loops to jam along to. accuracy of individual amp models sounds, as well as upload them
latest update to its long-serving As if that wasn’t already enough, is important, but what’s more to the Line 6 cloud network and
Spider modelling amp range. Here, there are Android and iOS apps important is how well those core download firmware updates. The
we have what’s likely to be one of and a built-in receiver for Line 6’s sounds and effects hang together new Spider V range represents
the most popular versions, the great fun for guitarists at all levels
1x10 Spider V 60 combo.
Clad in black vinyl, with a smart TONES ARE FULL OF character – the new and improved amp
models are highly playable and
black and silver grille, the new
Spiders have a distinctly different
look. The Line 6 badge has moved
with excellent response represent a significant advance
over the competition, while the
built-in looper, metronome and
from the centre to the right of the Relay wireless transmitters, not to and how responsive the amp feels drum loops make practice great
control panel, and the shiny knobs mention an aux in, and a USB out when you’re playing it. In this fun, too. And let’s not forget, fun
of the Spider IV have been replaced that will let you record to a PC department, the new Spider scores is what it’s all about!
by matt black ones, with colour- using the bundled Cubase LE highly – strip away the effects and Nick Guppy
coded backlit lettering, giving the software, or to your tablet or the basic tones are full of character
Features
new Spider a futuristic yet mobile phone. with great pick response. The Plexi
sound quality
functional look. There’s more The Spider V’s controls are and two variations on the AC30
SUMMARY

under the skin, too, as the Spider V intuitive, although the display is are among the high points, organic value for money
60 has a bi-amped, full-range a little on the small side. The and brimming with attitude. The build quality
loudspeaker system, with a updated sounds are excellent; the preset patches are very good, too; playability
10-inch custom-designed driver new full-range speaker system the effects are occasionally overall rating

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Mid-priced
Words Ed Mitchell Photography Jesse Wild

metal machines!
If you’re looking for a killer shred machine, and
have 500 quid smouldering in your pocket, here are
four guitars that prove you’ve never had it so good...

100

Total Guitar january 2017

 the tg test

O
nce upon a time, if you wanted to play metal you had to pick from what was
available. Heavy merchants such as Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and
Eddie Van Halen made their bones on old Gibson SGs and ES-335s.
It wasn’t long until they started noticing the limitations of their gear and
the tweaking began. Iommi spec’d a 24-fret guitar. Eddie ripped the
humbucker from his old Gibson and chiselled it into a Strat body. By the 80s, the
humbucker-loaded, 24-fret, Floyd Rose vibrato-equipped electric was all the go.
Three of the four guitars in our group test are direct descendants of those 80s
‘SuperStrats’. The Jackson X Series Soloist, LTD F-200FR and BC Rich Mockingbird
– the latter a pimped 70s design – feature basswood bodies, powerful ’buckers and
your classic double-looking Floyd Rose. The fourth guitar, the Fret-King Esprit V,
is more like the old-school metal planks – in particular the Gibson Explorer –
first employed by the original 70s hairies. Not everyone wants a Floyd, so we’ve
included the Esprit to show the range of metal machinery available. Shredding is
our business… and business is good! It’s time to unleash the beasts…

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Jackson X Fret-King
Series Soloist £600
Esprit V £579

Ageless 80s classic that still stuns… Old-school cool

This thing has a real ‘hair metal’ vibe... Looks kinda familiar…
Indeed. The Soloist is one of the most iconic shred machines of the Fret-King – brainchild of UK guitar guru Trevor Wilkinson – takes
80s – an era when spandex wasn’t just for cyclists, but also when we ‘inspiration’ from classic designs, smashing them together to create
witnessed some great leaps forward in guitar development. This is something different, and the Esprit V is clearly a DNA splice of an
exemplified by our Soloist’s ultra-thin compound radius neck, 24 Explorer and Firebird. The headstock has a 60s Epiphone vibe, too…
fat frets, active EMG humbuckers and double-locking Floyd Rose.
It’s very different from the other guitars here...
The neck is a lollipop stick, huh? Yeah, it’s our wild card for sure, but you don’t need a wafer-thin
Thin as the walls in a new-build flat. Jackson call this its ‘speed neck and a Floyd to make eardrums bleed. The Esprit V has a chubby
neck’. A real shredder’s delight, it’s reinforced with graphite rods to neck with a rosewood fingerboard and 22 fat frets. The ’board’s

102

add stability. Add in the Floyd vibrato’s locking shenanigans and rounded edges give it a vintage ‘played in’ feel that we reckon many
you won’t knock this thing out of tune without dropping it off a players will love.
block of flats…
What’s the skinny on the tone?
But does it sound as good as it feels? It ain’t skinny. Physically, this is a much heavier guitar than the
The iconic EMG 81/85 pickup pairing may come across as bland on others here, and that extra lumber is evident in the huge sustain and
a clean setting, but crank up the gain and they’ll blow your bleedin’ deep bottom-end that spills out from the Esprit V. You can lighten
brains out. Every note and harmonic pops with supreme clarity in the tonal load with the Vari-coil, which dials the humbuckers down
all positions, and bottom-string riffs sound huge and razor-sharp. into single-coil mode for cleaner tones, making this a versatile
This is pretty much metal perfection. beast. Even metalheads turn off the filth sometimes. Don’t they?

At a Glance At a Glance
Key features: Basswood body, Key features: Agathis body, set
1-piece maple thru-neck, 12” to 16” maple neck, rosewood fingerboard
(305mm to 406mm) compound with 22 medium jumbo frets,
radius, Floyd Rose vibrato, Wilkinson tune-o-matic bridge/stop
rosewood ’board, 24 jumbo frets, tailpiece, 2x Fret-King WHHB
EMG 81 (bridge) and EMG 85 (neck) humbuckers, Vari-coil control,
Left-handed: No padded Fret-King gigbag
Finish: Candy Metallic Blue (as Left-handed: No
reviewed), White Pearl Metallic, Finish: Gloss Black (as reviewed),
Copper Pearl, Black, Satin Black Tobacco Burst
Contact: Fender GBI 01342 Contact: John Hornby Skewes
331700 www.jacksonguitars.com 01132 865 381 www.jhs.co.uk

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LTD F-200FR BC Rich MK3

Behold a metal battle axe
£429
Mockingbird £549
that’s primed for war… Is the ’bird still the word?
Somebody’s been nibbling that guitar! This isn’t as brutal-looking as most BC Rich stuff…
It’s an acquired taste for sure. We reckon the F-200FR’s basswood This new Mark 3 Mockingbird is positively sweet in its Trans Black
body looks like a flint axe fashioned by some ancient Norseman to Cherry finish, but still looks tough enough for the hard rock and
terrify and conquer. That sums up the job of a metal guitar for us! metal crowd. The Mockingbird has always been a favourite of Slash
of Guns N’ Roses, natch.
Basswood seems to be the go-to wood choice for metal guitars
these days… What lies beneath?
Some people assume basswood is used ‘cause it’s cheap. Nope. It’s our old pal basswood for the body again, on this occasion topped
Virtuoso tone freaks like Guthrie Govan and Steve Vai swear by with a quilted maple veneer to add some eye candy. While original
basswood and spec it in their high-end Charvel and Ibanez guitars, US ’Birds had through-neck construction, our guitar has a bolt-on

103

respectively. It’s lightweight, offers excellent sustain and doesn’t maple partner capped with a rosewood ’board and 24 jumbo frets.
overpower the tonal voice of the guitar’s pickups. Add a pair of high-output humbuckers and a quality licensed Floyd
Rose, and all of the key metal food groups have been represented.
You don’t get fancy EMGs with this guitar then?
No, they’re high-output passive in-house humbuckers. They sound Does it deliver the goods?
reasonably sweet clean, but they’re at their happiest digesting large It’s closest to the LTD in terms of feel. The neck is chubbier than the
amounts of distortion. We like the bright response of the bridge unit Jackson, and it ships with heavier gauge strings. It comes across
– it cuts through a mix like a machete – while the neck pickup has more like a heavy riffing tool than a super-fast shred machine. The
more thickness than a reality TV star. Back off the filth a bit and you pickups pump out plenty of power and again work best when teamed
get a perfectly usable blues tone from this fearsome-looking beast. with high-gain distortion.

At a Glance At a Glance
Key features: Basswood body, Key features: Basswood body with
bolt-on maple neck, rosewood quilted maple veneer, bolt-on maple
fingerboard, 24 extra jumbo frets, neck, rosewood fingerboard with
licensed Floyd Rose double- 24 jumbo frets, licensed Floyd Rose
locking vibrato, 2x ESP double-locking vibrato, 2x BC Rich
Designed humbuckers high-output humbuckers
Left-handed: No Left-handed: No
Finish: Charcoal Metallic Finish: Trans Black Cherry (as
Contact: Selectron UK 01795 reviewed), Trans Black, Black (£479)
419460 www.espguitars.com Contact: Rosetti 01376 550033
www.bcrich.com

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Head to head
Which of our big four is
the king of the hill?

T
he Jackson X Series Soloist couldn’t
be more 80s if it wrote a Christmas
song with Bob Geldof or starred in a
camp fighter pilot movie with Tom
Cruise. Its secret is that ultra-slim
‘speed neck’ with the 12- to 16-inch (305mm
to 406mm) compound radius rosewood
fingerboard. That radius shift allows easy
fretting of chords over the first few frets – the
305mm (12-inch) bit – and a seriously low
action, with effortless string bending, at the
406mm (16-inch) section beyond the 12th fret.
The BC Rich and LTD share a 350mm (13.75-
inch) radius, which is pretty flat, but doesn’t
offer quite the same low action as the Jackson.
The Soloist also wins with its active EMG
arsenal. The EMG 81 and 85 (bridge and neck
As you’d expect, our
respectively) is about the ultimate 80s metal Floyd guitars hold
mix. Offering more clarity than the traditional their tuning perfectly
104 passive pickups found in the LTD and BC Rich,
these pups really are worth the extra money.

Some snobs dismiss

the Floyd as a tone
killer. Nonsense. It’s
just a different tone
In terms of hardware, the Floyd Rose is the
great leveller. All three Floyd-loaded guitars
here retain their tuning perfectly, and we would
expect nothing less. Some gear snobs dismiss The AX8 uses the
the Floyd as a tone killer. Nonsense. It’s just a same sound tech
different tone. The whammys on all three as the Axe-Fx II
guitars are floating, too, so you can pull up on
the bar should you wish. That gives the
Mockingbird, F-200FR and Soloist a more open,
bright ‘springy’ tone than a hardtail model, or
a guitar with the Floyd set on the body (as
preferred by Eddie Van Halen).
The Fret-King Esprit V is a whole different
kettle of metal. Its tone and feel is beefier than
the other guitars. It has an old Gibson vibe that
is more Southern rock, Foo Fighters and
Queens Of The Stone Age hirsute rock ’n’ roll
than 80s Sunset Strip widdly showboating.
You’d be hard pushed to find a better guitar to
beat out heavy 70s riffs on for the money.
Shredders on the other hand would be advised
to start their search with the Soloist…

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final verdict
Which modeller is the right one for you?

S
o, four great guitars for your trend and delivers a seriously capable shred up some tasty clean tones in a line-up that
appraisal. Yet some are greater than machine at a killer price. feels more at home with heavy gain. It can
others, or more suited to certain The BC Rich and LTD offerings are evenly do brutal though. It’s not a million miles from
jobs, if you want to be diplomatic. matched despite the price difference. These the concept of a Gibson Explorer, so since
The fact is, the Jackson is the most are good metal all-rounders. If you play heavy we’re talking metal, think of it as the kind of
sorted guitar in this line-up. It takes us back stuff, you’ll find yourself at home here. The thing James Hetfield would warm to.
to a time when squeezing the maximum tone chubbier necks will appeal to more players The bottom line is, if it’s metal mischief
and playability from the bare essentials was than the Jackson’s lollipop stick, we reckon. you have on your evil mind, the world is your
everything. These days, the smart money The obvious termite in the anthill is the bivalve mollusc. There’s never been a better
says the fatter the neck the better, but we like Fret-King. Beautifully put together with a time to shred, thrash or bludgeon on a
the fact that the X Series Soloist defies that gloriously old-school feel, the Esprit V offers budget. Now, choose your weapon…

Jackson X Fret-King Esprit V LTD F-200FR BC Rich MK3

Series Soloist Mockingbird

Best for Best for Best value Best for

speed retro for money looks
freaks rockers

105

Best buy
award

Features Features Features Features

sound quality sound quality sound quality sound quality
SU M M AR Y

SU M M AR Y

SU M M AR Y

SU M M AR Y

value for money value for money value for money value for money
build quality build quality build quality build quality
Playability Playability Playability Playability
overall rating overall rating overall rating overall rating

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Best buy Best buy

award award

106

Versatile modulation pedals

W DigiTech MXR
hile overdrive, wah
and delay are a £129 £106
guitarist’s bread and
butter, modulation
effects are the delicious icing on
Nautila Phase 95
top of your tonal cake. Whether Naut your average chorus… This isn’t just a phase… it’s two!

T T
it’s the subtle throb of a vintage
his sea-worthy offering from DigiTech he Phase 90 is the classic phaser, beloved
vibe or an all-out phase assault,
delivers chorus and flange effects via an by EVH and all who treasure a good
the right mod can add a sense
armada of controls. It offers up to eight analogue whirl. Several mini, ahem,
of movement to your playing, or
chorus and four flange voices at once, as well tributes have cropped up of late, but the Phase
emphasise that crucial moment.
as a drift knob, which transitions between 95 is MXR’s response. Here, the 90 circuit
Imagine Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love
waveforms. It’s a lot to get your head round, appears in both the modern ‘block’ and
without Eddie’s momentary yet
but it sounds excellent, packing one of the smoother vintage ‘script’ incarnations, but so
extreme use of flange, or Come
richest flangers we’ve heard – as well as a does the Phase 45, a two-stage phaser that
As You Are minus Kurt’s eerie
hugely flexible chorus, which you can set to won fans for its subtler take. In short, MXR
Small Clone warble: those riffs
emphasise highs or lows via the appropriate has nailed it. The 45 works brilliantly for faster
simply wouldn’t bend your ear
knob. The drift control is most apparent on rates where the 90 gets a little too ‘woaw’,
in the same way. And that brings
slow flange sweeps, but can deliver vibrato while the script 90 is the definitive rock
us to the quartet of pedals in
sounds and almost uni-vibe textures at faster phaser, especially with a dollop of gain
front of you, some of which riff
chorus rates. Adaptable swirls, ahoy! post-effect. Accept no imitations.
on some old classics (MXR Phase
95, Pigtronix Quantum Time Features Features
Modulator) and some that bring sound quality sound quality
SUMMAR Y

SUMMAR Y

something entirely different value for money value for money

to the table (DigiTech Nautila, build quality build quality
Boss MO-2). And with that, Usability Usability
let’s bring on the mods… overall rating overall rating

Total Guitar january 2017

 pedal round-up

107
Reinvigorate your riffs and chords with these four flavours of
flexible flange, chorus, vibe, phase, and much more besides…

Boss MO-2 £119 Pigtronix Quantum £229 At a Glance

Multi Overtone Time Modulator Type Chorus/flange, phaser,
pitch-shifter/modulation and
chorus/vibe pedals
Mo Modulations, No problems Pushing the envelope filter Power requirements:
DigiTech: 9V power supply (not

A A
t its core, the MO-2 is a pitch-shifter with ll-analogue manipulation is the name supplied); MXR: 9V power
adjustable modulation, but there’s more of this piggy’s game, which delivers supply (supplied); Boss: 9V
battery, 9V power supply (not
to it than that. The MO-2 is fuelled by both chorus and proper pitch vibrato.
supplied); Pigtronix: 9V or 18V
Boss’s player-responsive Multi-Dimensional The clever bit is that each pedal’s depth and power supply (supplied)
Processing. So, while its octaver/rotary sounds rate can be controlled either by picking Contact: Sound Technology
approach EHX’s Organ Machines, it blends dynamics, or a regular modulation control, 01462 480000
with your guitar sound rather than emulating a or a mix of the two. That makes it a handy www.digitech.com
Westside Distribution
different instrument. Three octave modes stomper to leave on for a song, only to hit a big
0141 248 4812
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Features Features
sound quality sound quality
SUMMAR Y

SUMMAR Y

value for money value for money

build quality build quality
Usability Usability
overall rating overall rating

january 2017 Total Guitar

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Total Guitar january 2017

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 t h e ga s
station

Fitting new pickups can

really enhance your
guitar’s tone

110

Fix Your GUITAR

Switching pickups
Want to give your guitar a tonal overhaul? We’ll show you What’s The Deal With…
how to swap out your old coils for some shiny new pups! Coil taps?
For years now, guitar players have taken
Words: Ed Mitchell to describing any device that turns a
humbucker into a single coil as a ‘coil

L
tap’. Nope. Some guitars do indeed
ast month, we showed get the stuff back. Money? have coil-taps, but many others have a
you the basics of how Well, you fix it, you don’t pay coil-splitter. And there’s a big difference.
to solder stuff a repair bill, of course! Buying In the case of the coil-splitter, an
together, and also a set of new pickups that will onboard switch, generally a push/pull
function on a tone knob, switches one
promised we’d talk offer a noticeable boost in your
coil of a humbucker (which has two coils,
you through the process of guitar’s tone can cost a couple natch) off. A humbucker with one coil
retrofitting a set of new of hundred quid or more. what you need down is now a single coil… ’nuff said.
Soldering iron with stand In a coil tap, the control dials out a
pickups to your electric guitar Having them fitted by a tech
and cleaning sponge chunk of the pickup’s copper winding
– well, now that time has will add upwards of £50. 60/40 rosin core solder to reduce its output which in turn gives
come! Learning to fit new It can also help you better Helping Hands it more of a single-coil voice – taps can
components to your guitar is understand how your guitar Solder sucker also be found on some single-coil
a real time- and money-saver. works, so there really are Solder mat pickups, again to reduce output.
Safety glasses Both options do a grand job. The
It saves time, because you many reasons why doing the Snips bottom line is you’re getting two sounds
don’t have to drag your gear all job yourself makes sense!
from a single pickup but hey, it’s good
the to your local music shop or
luthier’s holdout and then
So, stick on your safety
goggles, plug in your soldering
Skill level to know the difference… even if the
technical jargon gets a bit muddled!
Intermediate
wait a few days or whatever to iron and let’s get stuck in!

Total Guitar JANUARY 2017

 fix your guitar

1 Gather all your kit together on your work bench (aka your dining table). We talked
you through all the gear you need last time but it’s also listed opposite for quick
reference. Before we start, make sure your work surface is protected by your solder
2 Before we can install the new pickups, the old ones need to come out. Locate the
control plate. On a Strat or Tele that plate will be on the front, but our guitar has it
on the back. Remove the plate - carefully storing the screws – then have a good look
mat, open a window for ventilation and put on your safety glasses – yes we mean it! around inside. If the plate won’t pop out, try sticking some tape on it and pulling.

111

3 Take a good look at the wiring inside the guitar. Before you do owt else, make a
note of where the pickup wires are. You can follow them with your fingers. In the
old days we’d draw a diagram of where the wires were soldered. These days, you can
4 Eyeball the wiring diagram that came with the pickups. If you didn’t get one –
say the pickups are second hand – a quick Google search should sort you out.
Hopefully, the pickup wiring in your old and new pups will be the same. If not, you’ll
just take a few snaps of the details on your phone. have to work out which are the hot and earth wires before you proceed.

5 You would normally remove the strings from the guitar before swapping out your
pickups. You can loosen them and try to keep them out of the way but it’s not really
worth the annoyance. If you’re fitting new pickups, it makes little sense to refit old
6 Before you unscrew the pickups, desolder their wiring from the controls. Take
your time. You don’t want to scorch the guitar’s finish or any other wiring. Heat the
spot where the wire is soldered to the pot or switch. When the solder melts, gently pull
strings, but whatever you decide to do, get strings out of your way… the wire to free it. Don’t yank the bugger, as hot solder can splash back on you!

JANUARY 2017 Total Guitar

 t h e ga s
station

7 With all the pickup wires removed, you can now unscrew the old pickups. Start with
the bridge unit. Carefully remove the screws, with the correct size screwdriver to
avoid wrecking the heads, then pull the pickup from the guitar. Repeat the process for
8 ‘Tin’ the ends of the new pickup wires away from the guitar. Your Helping Hands are
your amigo here. Apply the tip of the soldering iron to the end of the wire and allow
the solder to flow onto it. As we mentioned last time, a good coating of solder should
the neck pickup – if you’re replacing that too – then prepare the new pickups. be shiny not dull so keep your eye on the quality control at all times.

112

9 It’s time to install the pickups, wires first. Threading the wiring through the body
and into the control cavity can be a pain, so instead thread some solder through
the body until one end is in the pickup rout and the other is in the control cavity, wrap it
10 Install the new neck pickup first. Once it’s screwed in place, fit the bridge unit.
If you fit the bridge pickup first you’ll make it harder to thread the neck pup’s
wiring through the body as it has to pass through the bridge pickup rout. Make sure
around the new wire and then slowly pull it through. Trust us, it’s much easier! you know which pickup wire is which, if in doubt, distinguish one with some tape first!

11 Heat up your iron and don your safety goggles. Now, with the help of your wiring
diagram establish which wires are to be connected to ground and which are hot.
Apply heat to the tabs with the tip of your iron. When the area is hot introduce the
12 Allow the hot solder joint to cool naturally before giving the wire a gentle tug to
make sure it’s secure. Blowing doesn’t help – the moisture in your breath can
damage the integrity of the connection. Once done, you can test the new pickups by
solder. Next reheat the solder and dip the end of the wire into it and hold… connecting to your amp and tapping the pups with a screwdriver – now to rock!

Total Guitar january 2017

 the playlist

The Playlist
The song I could never quite master…
Little Wing – Jimi Hendrix
“I don’t really try to play that much of other
people’s stuff, but I did learn Little Wing by Jimi
Hendrix, but I couldn’t quite get it, so I sort’ve
took Jimi’s version and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s
version and kind of hacked it up so
AFI guitarist Jade Puget on Stray Cat strutting, I could at least get the nuances.

struggling with Hendrix, and soloing by himself… Hear it!

That’s my favourite Hendrix
song, and Stevie Ray Vaughan’s
Listen to Jade’s version is really beautiful, too

T
– so it turned out really cool!”
he first song I remember
playlist on Spotify
hearing Off The Wall – bit.ly/tg288puget To introduce someone to
Michael Jackson our band I’d play them…
“My mom listened to a lot Bleed Black – AFI
of soul, R&B and Motown, so “We’ve had an eclectic mix of stuff
I remember hearing early Michael Jackson, over the years that really runs the gamut, but
Jackson 5, a lot of Prince, some Temptations, the first thing that comes to mind is one off
some Cream. I remember the song Off The Wall Sing The Sorrow called Bleed Black - because that
– when I think of my childhood, I remember has tempo, flow… it has half-time, melodic
hearing that all the time, so it must have bits… it kinda has a bit of everything of us.”
percolated and permeated my brain!”
The song I play when trying out new gear…
The song I wish I’d written… The Sound Of Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits
Silence – Simon & Garfunkel “If I was sitting down with some new gear, I’d
“I remember when I was a kid, being really just do some general shredding, which I like to
impressed with Paul Simon’s guitar playing – do, even though I don’t bring a lot of that into
I still am! He’s one of the most underrated AFI, because I don’t think it’s appropriate for
114 players. His fingerpicking and his chording, that type of band. I’ll just sit here for an hour
and the way he writes is just incredible. And and solo by myself! But also, I’ll play the first
what just stuck with me i s hearing The Sound Of solo section of Sultans Of Swing [laughs]
Silence for the first time…  I always remember - that’s such a beautiful guitar sound,
being struck by his guitar playing.” y’know? And you don’t want
some super-heavy guitar
tone to test stuff out!”

My favourite guitar
solo is… Angel Of
Death – Slayer
“There’s a
couple, because
stylistically you
My favourite song can do so many
to cover… The things in a guitar
Hanging Garden – solo. One of
The Cure my favourites
“Either Ziggy of all time is
Stardust, or The Slayer’s Angel Of
Hanging Garden by Death, because it’s
the Cure – which is a just insane… and
really old one [AFI then it just gets
covered it on 1998’s more insane as it
A Fire Inside EP]. goes on until it’s
I was just talking SO over t he top.”
to Davey [Havok]
about that one the AFI’s new
other day, actually, album, AFI (The
and about putting Blood Album), is
it back in [to the released on 20
set], because January 2017 on
it’s such a fun Concord Music
thing to do.” Group records.

Total Guitar january 2017

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