Issu

ue 492

DECEMBER 2022

YEARS
Y EARS
S O
OFF T
THE
HE

PETER
FRAMPTON
ON HOW GUITARS
& BOWIE SAVED
HIS SOUL
PAGE 80

Featurin
ingg
THE HI
H ST
S ORY OF A N
ELEC
C TR
T IC ICON
20 B ES
2 E T UPGR R AD
ADES
ES
F R LE
FO LES PAULS
G IBS
BSON
BS O FADED
SE
S E RI
R ES R EV
E IEW
Reviews & Mo
More
r
M AGN
GNETT O
E IC GALL ES
ER S RD3
3
M XR DUKE
OF TONE
TAK
TA K A MIN
NE
LTT D2
D 022
2
& More
E P UXE
4 C R DEL
51 T ER
A
R I L AS T
T A D GFIS P L U S
LEC
Y O N H’ T E
G
O ‘ K IN

LO

1959 Gibson
ib Les Paul
DER
R
FEN
G
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Telephone 01225 442244 Email guitarist@[Link] Online [Link]

Form & Function

This month’s cover feature celebrating seven decades
of the Les Paul got me thinking about guitars that feel
naturally comfortable to each of us – and those that take a
bit more adjustment. I’ve always been most at home with
Strats and Teles, likely because the first few electrics I
owned were either based on them or were actual Fenders.
And that probably set the mould. When I pick up a Les
Paul, I enjoy playing it, but it’s a little like stepping into
a hire car for the first time – everything’s in a slightly different place to
usual, but get motoring and you soon start feeling at home.
Curiously, two of Gibson’s other landmark electrics lie at opposite ends
of the comfort scale for me. Firebirds, although long-feeling guitars,
always seem like the most Fender-like of Gibsons to me. Maybe it’s just
the visual influence of that six-in-a-line headstock, but, to me, they share
a certain linear, angular feel that Fenders also possess. By contrast, the
SG – a guitar I’ve always wanted to love because of Robby Krieger – feels
a little alien to me, even to this day. The neck feels way off to the left,
almost in a different postcode to, say, a Les Paul or even a Tele, and I
miss the extra heft to the tone that the Les Paul’s slab of mahogany and
maple cap seems to bring. Not that SGs have even sounded anything less
than great in the hands of players such as Angus Young. It’s just a case of
what each one of us happens to click with – or not.
Unlike bicycles, made in different frame sizes, the ergonomics of
electric guitars are kind of fixed, outside of custom variants. But the only
guitar I ever had to sell because of ergonomics (with regret as it sounded
great) was a US-built Chandler 555: the neck was just too wide and flat
for me. But I bet, for someone else, it was just right. Whatever your
perfect fit is, enjoy the issue and see you next time.

Jamie Dickson Editor-in-chief

Editor’s Highlights
Gordon Giltrap Prince Charming Purple Reign
He’s one of the greatest Analog Man’s King Of Tone Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram
fingerstyle acoustic players, is one of the world’s most is one of the most exciting
but anyone can learn from sought-after overdrives. blues talents out there – we
this modern master’s Now MXR has given it a catch up with him to hear
approach to guitar on p48 regal, if small, sibling p24 about his new Tele on p114

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 3

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6  GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022
 Contents

ISSUE 492 DECEMBER 2022

REGULARS
028 ......... Gas Supply
030 ......... Fretbuzz
032 ......... New Music
034 ......... Tones Behind The Tracks
036 ......... Opinion
044 ......... Substitute
046 ......... Feedback
112 ......... Subscribe SUBSCRIBE FOR
118 ......... Bought & Sold 6 MONTHS & CHOOSE
BETWEEN A BLACK OR
120 ......... The Mod Squad VINTAGE BLACKSTAR
126 ......... Nitty Gritty FLY 3 MINI AMP
WORTH £65 !
130 ......... Talking Loud
132 ......... Classic Gear
S p112
See FRE
FREE
1122 for details

Neil Godwin 138 ......... Next Month GIFT

GIF
WORTH £65
WORT

COVER FEATURE FEATURES

048 ......... Gordon Giltrap
70 Years Of The 056 ......... 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul
080 .......... Peter Frampton
Gibson Les Paul 114 ......... Blueprint: Fender Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe

NEW GEAR
56 It might have received
mixed reviews when it
was launched in the early 1950s,
008 .......... Taylor 514ce
014 .......... Magneto U-One Eric Gales RD3
020 .......... Origin Effects Halcyon Green Overdrive
but Gibson’s most famous solid 022 .......... TC Electronic Plethora X3
TonePrint Pedalboard
body changed the face of rock 024 .......... MXR Custom Shop CSP039 Duke Of Tone
and blues forever 026 ..........Kauer Korona Supreme
088 .......... Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s Faded,
Les Paul Standard 60s Faded &
SG Standard ’61 Faded Maestro Vibrola
098 .......... Takamine LTD2022
108 .......... Victory V1 The Copper, The Duchess,
The Jack, The Kraken & The Sheriff

TECHNIQUES
134 .......... Blues Headlines with Richard Barrett

VIDEO & AUDIO

To enjoy all of the video and audio content in this issue,
type the following link into your browser and follow the
instructions in the post entitled ‘Guitarist video and audio’:
[Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 7

 TAYLOR
O 514CE
C
£3,659

WHAT IS IT? Brand-new Taylor

with sustainably sourced urban
ironbark back and sides, new
design ’board inlays and light
‘edge burst’ finish to the top

Iron Maiden
Another new wood joins the Taylor stable: let’s
introduce red ironbark to the world of guitar tone!
But what does it bring to the table? We take a look

Words Neville Marten Photography Olly Curtis

T
here surely isn’t another large guitar
manufacturer that does more to look
after the environment than Taylor,
in either discovering new timber species for
guitar building, or conserving stocks of rare
ones. Witness its careful management of
koa in Hawaii, the conservation of Crelicam
ebony in Cameroon, and the discovery of
‘urban’ woods from within the cities of
California, such as urban ash, and this new
one on us, urban ironbark.
Many Californian cities feature wide
tree-lined boulevards, and when it’s time
to replace them due to age, safety or other
issues, Taylor rescues this otherwise waste
timber and puts it to the best possible use –
building beautiful acoustic guitars.
Since Andy Powers has taken up the helm
at Taylor, we’ve been highly impressed by
the instruments that have been coming
out of the San Diego facility. The Taylor
tone has also come of age lately, with
different models delivering a variety of
interesting sounds somewhat removed
from the pleasing but fairly bland tone
often previously exhibited. This is largely
down to Powers, who has redesigned

8 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

TAYLOR 514CE

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 9

 TAYLOR 514CE VIDEO DEMO [Link]

1. The 514ce’s top is Sitka 2. Notice the ES2 pickup’s the guitars’ innards utilising innovative “but more so”, and exhibiting the hardness
spruce, a staple guitar adjustment screws bracing patterns. He’s also worked hard of ebony (it sinks like ebony does, too), it’s
wood. But here it’s aged located between the
or ‘torrefied’ to provide a micarta bridge saddle
on sourcing new and viable woods, such as a great guitar-building find for Taylor.
vintage, played-in sound and ebony bridge pins the urban ironbark (red ironbark) you see Here, the straight-grained Sitka spruce
on this rather attractive 514ce. top has been torrefied in order to open it
Ironbark’s grain looks not a million miles up for a more played-in tone, while both
away from mahogany but is not a related fingerboard and bridge are Crelicam ebony,
species (originally Australian, it’s actually from Taylor’s forestry partnership with
from the eucalyptus family). Said to sound Madinter in Cameroon, West Africa. This
somewhat akin to East Indian rosewood facility fells and processes the lumber on
site, thus providing valuable employment
for the local population, as well as
harvesting this rare and valuable timber
as sustainably as possible.
The neck is hewn from what Taylor calls
neo-tropical mahogany, which we gather
is grown in South America and, again,
environmentally sourced. A scarfed-on
headstock not only saves material but also
creates a stronger build since the grain
follows the headstock’s pitched back angle,
and doesn’t run straight through the neck’s
weakest part, right behind the nut. Tuners
are classy Schallers with Taylor branding,
and the pickup is the company’s excellent
Expression 2 system.
As we’d have expected, having reviewed
many Taylors over the years, build quality,
2 both internally and externally, is utterly
flawless. Kerfing and bracing (the guitar

10 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 TAYLOR 514CE

features Andy Powers’ V-Class bracing) single-note lines drip off the fingers higher 3. The ES2 system has 4. The Taylor headstock,
are clean as a whistle, while the thin-skin up the ebony expanse. Access to the upper simple volume, treble once a modern design,
and bass controls, is now a classic. Here,
finish is gloss on the body and matt on the frets – there are 20 in total – is afforded shown against the we have Schaller tuners,
neck. And while not quite sure at first, we’ve courtesy the delicate Venetian cutaway, tobacco stain ‘edge a pearl inlay, a black
really grown to like the top’s subtle tobacco and if Taylor’s idea is to make the guitar’s burst’ and Italian Tusq nut and plastic
stain ‘edge burst’, too. playability the last thing on your mind, then acrylic ‘Aerial’ inlays truss rod cover
they’ve succeeded here in spades.
Feel & Sounds Taylor says that sonically the guitar
Great playability has always been at the “delivers a sweet, muscular sound that
core of Taylor’s proposition. Right from combines rosewood’s high-fidelity voice
the earliest days the guitars were said to be with mahogany’s warm and punchy
acoustics that played like electrics. With our midrange and spectrum-wide sonic
514ce’s Elixir Nanoweb 12-gauge phosphor balance”. And one has to say, that’s pretty 4
bronzes that’s clearly still what Taylor much bang on. With a rosewood-bodied
is aiming for. Featuring the company’s Martin D-28 and a mahogany Gibson
standard carve, which manifests as a C Hummingbird as comparators, the Taylor
shape with a slight V along the centre, holds its own proudly. Where the big
the neck is incredibly comfortable to play. Martin has an overall thicker and more
With a 44.45mm black Tusq nut and a punchy tone than the sweeter-sounding
648mm (25.5-inch) scale length, it’s a joy Gibson, the 514ce includes both of these
to fingerpick open chords and licks, while traits in its DNA. Taylor says it’s equally
at home plucking delicate pieces as it is
While not quite sure bashing out songs all night. Indeed it is,
whereas our Martin is a fantastic picker and
at first, we’ve really the Gibson definitely more of a strummer.
What’s particularly pleasing is the
grown to like the top’s Taylor’s superb string-to-string balance,
subtle tobacco stain and equally defined upper, mid and
bass registers. Being the company’s big-
‘edge burst’ finish selling Grand Auditorium size, which is

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 11

 TAYLOR 514CE VIDEO DEMO [Link]

Taylor’s tobacco stain

finish plus red ironbark’s
natural colouring lend
the appearance of a
mahogany guitar

TAYLOR 514CE
PRICE: £3,659 (inc hard case)
ORIGIN: USA
TYPE: Cutaway Grand Auditorium
electro-acoustic
TOP: Torrefied Sitka spruce
BACK/SIDES: Solid urban
ironbark (red ironbark)
MAX RIM DEPTH: 111.125mm
MAX BODY WIDTH: 381mm
pitched somewhere between the larger
dreadnought and smaller 000 or Grand
Beautifully built, NECK: Neo-tropical, South
American mahogany
Concert models, the 514ce doesn’t quite Taylor’s new 514ce SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
have the cannon-like roar of the D-28, TUNERS: Taylor branded Schaller
but it definitely kicks out a decent punch plays like butter NUT/WIDTH: Black Tusq/
acoustically. It would certainly hold its own
in any acoustic ensemble.
and sounds strong, 44.45mm
FINGERBOARD: Crelicam ebony
Plugged in, the Expression System 2 balanced and poised with Italian pearloid inlays and
delivers a pretty faithful representation ebony binding
of the guitar’s voice. It’s neutral sounding, Verdict FRETS: 20, medium-fine
with no obvious piezo ‘quack’ due to the Price-wise, the 514ce is on a par with BRIDGE/SPACING: Crelicam
pickup’s mounting behind the bridge and Martin’s Reimagined series, and while we ebony with white micarta saddle
not directly under the saddle. It’s a well feel both are a little expensive, it’s what 55.5mm
tried-and-tested system. you pay for quality these days. But Taylor ELECTRICS: Taylor Expression
is definitely striking while the iron is hot, System 2 (ES2)
with tons of new models, all of which bring WEIGHT (kg/lb): 2.12/4.6
The abalone soundhole something new to the table, whether that’s OPTIONS: N/A
ring is offset by a faux
innovative bracing, an alternative timber, RANGE OPTIONS: Taylor 512ce
tortoise pickguard and
multiple body binding or even a whole new range as with the Grand Concert (£3,049)
American Dream series (the company’s LEFT-HANDERS: Yes
lowest price, US-made, all-solid timber FINISH: Gloss tobacco stain edge
range, as reviewed back in 2020). burst top, natural satin neck –
There are so many great acoustics around thin skin gloss back and sides
at the moment that every manufacturer
has to be on its toes. Taylor most certainly Taylor Guitars
is, as this excellent guitar goes to show. 00800 23750011
Beautifully built, it plays like butter and [Link]
sounds strong, balanced and poised. The
torrefied spruce top gives it a ‘lived-in’
sound so there’s no feeling that it requires
breaking in. And the little things, like an
easy access battery compartment by the
endpin, and the second strap button fitted
to the heel, make it stage-ready from the off.
That it works so well as a sofa companion,
9
a strummer in the band, or picking out PROS Taylor’s flawless build,
sensitive ballads at the open mic night, is the superb playability, and a range
result of great design and commitment. And of totally convincing sounds
if a guitar can be ‘ethically’ built then this
one does its best. A very fine instrument! CONS Though compatible with its
competitors, it’s a tad expensive

12 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 MAGNETO U-ONE
ERIC GALES RD3
£849

WHAT IS IT? Eric Gales has

been playing Magneto guitars for
over a decade – here’s his pretty
affordable new signature model

Crown Tools
After releasing his career-defining album,
Crown, earlier this year, the bar is sett high
for Eric’s new signature guitar

Words Dave Burrluck Photography Olly Curtis

M
agneto guitars first appeared
back in late 2008, the brainchild
of Christian Hatstatt, a guitar
designer and maker who has worked with
various European brands, most notably Gary
Levinson’s Blade Guitars. Christian’s initial
designs centred on two models: the Sonnet
and T-Wave inspired by Fender’s Strat and
Tele. Later in 2012, the Velvet was added,
a more Les Paul-inspired style. Yet unlike
many modern makers who might simply
change a headstock outline, Magneto subtly
reevaluates those originals. Initially, they
were only made in Japan via a collaboration
with Kei Yatsuzuka, but more recently the
Chinese-made U-One range, introduced into
Europe in 2019, provides Magneto style at a
much lower price point.
Eric Gales joined the party in 2011. “We
were introduced to Eric by a friend from NYC
who put us in touch with his manager at the
time,” reports Christian. “We got him one of
our guitars to try out and he has been playing
them ever since. After a discussion with Eric
in early 2020, we came up with the idea to
build a guitar that would be more affordable
but would feature what Eric likes the most:

14 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

MAGNETO U-ONE ERIC GALES RD3

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 15

 MAGNETO U-ONE ERIC GALES RD3

1 2

1. There are numerous size, weight, pickups, hardware and some strap button on the tip of the body heel. 4. A key part of the
design motifs such as cool design features.” And the RD3 you see Eric, of course, plays his guitar upside down pickup design is the
these milled lines in the flush pole magnets for
scratchplate that make
here – based on Eric’s Japanese-made Raw left-handed style, simply because that’s how even string-to-string
the RD3 quite unique Dawg II Custom – was born. his elder brothers played (and not because response, not least with
and stylish Although the inspiration is obvious, he’s left-handed). the 305mm (12-inch)
there are plenty of aspects here that change While the Lollar Sixty-Four single fingerboard radius
2. Magneto’s take on the
six-in-a-line headstock both the look and the function. The upper coils Eric uses on his custom guitar were
is far from radical. The horn sits slightly lower into the body and impossible to use on a guitar at this price
tuners are non-locking, the treble horn appears more out-flowing, point, “the Metro-Poles EG1 set was
but the nut is oiled bone
and very well cut
not to mention the three cut-outs in the modelled after our 62 single coils”, says
gold-backed plastic mirror scratchplate Christian, “and we found out that Eric
(the same material is used for the vibrato’s liked my idea of using flat poles. It always
spring coverplate). Meanwhile, the body bugged me to have less volume on some

You’ll be missing a lot if you just

keep these controls full up – they
really are the key to what is an
expansive and expressive guitar
heel area, for example, has a dished relief,
while the heel itself is thinner and slightly
tapered. Then there are the classy control
knobs from smooth grained ivoroid with
3. As well as the extra
strap button to facilitate black rubber ribbed grips. Being an artist
Eric’s upside-down model, the guitar has Eric’s signature on
playing style, notice the headstock and a larger version that
how the heel area is
surrounds the 12th fret. Eric’s ‘Raw Dawg’
dished and there’s that
‘Raw Dawg’ nickname nickname is displayed on the gold-plated 3
on the neckplate neckplate, too, plus we get an additional

16 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

VIDEO DEMO [Link] MAGNETO U-ONE ERIC GALES RD3

UNDER THE HOOD

What’s inside Eric Gales’ new squeeze? Let’s take a look

R
emoving the neck, which is a good a quite large matt orange/red tone cap, but it Elektrisola AWG 42 wire and Alnico V magnets
tight fit and there’s no finish (or shim) doesn’t have any markings (although Magneto with some degaussing, scatterwound. It really
in the neck pocket, we see the body is confirmed it’s .047 microfarads). is a beautiful pickup.” Compared with the
routed for HSH and the area where the controls The flush-pole pickups look of a high quality Lollar Sixty-Four single coils on his Custom
and switch sit is lined with copper foil, which with waxed cloth-covered hook-up wire and models, “these pickups have slightly higher-
connects to the foil ground on the scratchplate. ‘Magneto Eric Gales EG1’ engraved on the midrange and great presence to cut through
The pots are the mini ‘Made in Korea’ type fibreboard bases along with Neck, Mid and in the mix”, he says.
made by Alpha, and measuring the tone pot Bridge IDs as each is graduated for output: The only thing to watch is that the
we have 500kohms, not the usual 250k. This the bridge measures 6.48kohms, the middle scratchplate (and spring coverplate) screws
may be one reason why we have plenty of highs 6.26k and the neck 5.96k. “We manufacture are very small and the basswood is relatively
here, which, as we describe in our sounds test, the EG1 pickups in China, not far from the soft. We’d doubt you could remove the ’plates
can easily be pulled back from both the volume China factory [that makes the guitars],” says more than a few times before you’d need to
and tone controls. Speaking of which, there’s Christian Hatsatt. “For this set, we are using plug and redrill those holes.

The pots here The pickups appear very

are 500k and the well made and are clearly
unmarked tone marked for neck, middle
cap is actually and bridge position
.047 microfarads

There’s a clean neck

pocket, an HSH rout
and copper shielding
in the cavity. Nice!

strings when the guitar is played clean! An

important part of the plan was to develop 4
pickups that would have the dynamics and
great midrange response, which play an
important role in Eric’s guitar tone.”

Feel & Sounds

Under the very classy, lightly metallic finish
we have a two-piece basswood body that
results in a nice weight of 3.49kg (7.7lb). Of
course, it feels very Strat-like strapped on,
but while that slightly wider cutaway and
tapered heel do give a little more ‘air’ for
higher playing positions, that extra strap
button might be a signature feature too far.
The satin-finished neck feels very good,
too, and it’s pretty mainstream in size –
42.2mm wide at the nut, just over 21mm
deep at the 1st fret and 23.5mm by the 12th
with a pretty classic full-ish C-meets-D
profile (that’s actually very close to Gibson’s
SlimTaper, albeit slightly narrower in
width) and has slightly incurving and
comfortable sides to the fingerboard; the
top edges are lightly rolled. The fret size
suits the style at 2.38mm wide by 1.25mm
high, very slightly wider and taller than
those used on PRS’s similarly priced SE
Silver Sky, which is an obvious reference,
although here they sit on a flatter Gibson-
like 305mm (12-inch) radiused fingerboard.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 17

 MAGNETO U-ONE ERIC GALES RD3 VIDEO DEMO [Link]

MAGNETO U-ONE
ERIC GALES RD3
PRICE: £849 (inc gigbag)
ORIGIN: China
TYPE: Double-cutaway,
solidbody electric
BODY: 2-piece basswood
NECK: Slab-sawn roasted maple,
‘medium C’ profile, bolt-on
SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
NUT/WIDTH: Oiled bone/42.2mm
The master volume and tone FINGERBOARD: East Indian
controls, with these classy- rosewood, pearloid dot w/ inlaid
looking grained ivoroid
knobs, really are the key to signature at 12th fret, 305mm
the host of onboard sounds (12”) radius
FRETS: 22, narrow jumbo
HARDWARE: Gotoh Custom
Fretwork and setup certainly match the selections. However, just pull back the vintage-style vibrato w/ steel plate
price point, and the oiled bone nut is very volume, which barely reduces the output, saddles and steel block, Gotoh
nicely cut. It’s good craft. and those highs round really nicely. The SG-360-07 enclosed tuners –
As set, the vibrato is decked, but the tone control is pretty wide-ranging, too, gold-plated
six-screw unit should be easy to set to with smooth graduation to further tame the STRING SPACING, BRIDGE:
floating if you’d prefer, and with the high-end. Turned lower, it almost hints at a 51.5mm
saddle screws sitting someway above the humbucking voice, particularly with a level ELECTRICS: Magneto Metro-Poles
saddles themselves, well, the first job we’d boost or overdrive; full off it’s a very usable Custom EG1 single coil set, 5-way
undertake is to add a neck shim. That ‘woman’ tone. You’ll be missing a lot if you lever pickup selector switch,
aside, we appear to have steel saddles and just keep these controls full up – they really master volume and master tone
a top plate with a full-size steel block. Not are the key to what is an expansive and WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.49/7.7
least with that excellent nut work, tuning expressive guitar. OPTIONS: None
stability is really good. RANGE OPTIONS: In the U-One
Obviously, what we hear is very Strat- A very cool-looking rerun of series the Sonnet, on which the
like and with both volume and tone full RD3 is based, is available in various
up there’s no shortage of high-end sizzle, a classic with just enough styles from £349
which produces a quite modern voicing on
the (hum-cancelling) mixes, but might be
original style to elevate it LEFT-HANDERS: Sonnet Classic
US-1300 (£399)
a bit too much for some on the solo pickup above the lookalikes FINISHES: Sunset Gold
(as reviewed) – high gloss
Verdict polyurethane to body; vintage
Anything that shines a light on Eric Gales is tinted satin to neck
very welcome in our book and there’s little
to disappoint here, aside from some minor, Rosetti
simple-to-fix setup issues. This is a very 01376 550033
cool-looking rerun of a classic that has just [Link]
enough original style – not least its custom
colour and gold mirror scratchplate – to
add a little bling and elevate it above a tidal
wave of ‘really can’t be bothered’ lookalikes.
9
Conversely, it is a signature guitar with no PROS Stylish re-evaluation of
colour options and many players might a classic; great weight; sharp
Along with the larger inlaid
prefer a more classic appearance. But above detailed build; excellent pickups
signature that surrounds the
12th fret, we get Eric’s signature all, it’s the sounds and slick playability that and quality hardware
on the headstock tip, too are rather impressive here. Time to add
Magneto to your ‘to-try’ list, we’d say. CONS Our sample might need
a neck shim; only one finish

18 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

ORIGIN EFFECTS HALCYON
GREEN OVERDRIVE
£239

WHAT IS IT? A responsive and

more tweakable evolution of the
fabled Tube Screamer

3
 ORIGIN EFFECTS HALCYON GREEN OVERDRIVE FIRST PLAY

Green Machine
That famous green overdrive is the starting point for
an ultra-responsive evolution from Origin Effects
Words Trevor Curwen Photography Olly Curtis

I
1. The Adapt switch can t’s undoubtedly one of the most popular overdrives ever, but do we really
be off (position 0) or need another pedal that’s based on the Ibanez Tube Screamer? The answer
give you two different
strengths of the Adaptive to that one is a very big yes from Origin Effects, who says that although its
behaviour (I and II) new Halcyon might be based on the ubiquitous green box, it goes way beyond
what the average overdrive has to offer.
2. You can access two
different types of mid
The basic idea here is to combine the magic of a vintage TS808 with the
push from the Voice responsiveness of a good valve amplifier. Origin’s contention is that while the
switch – a standard TS- typical green pedal’s mid-pushed drive can be great for a thick solo tone, it
style mid hump or a more can also become a touch thin and anaemic with reduced guitar volume or soft
focused presence peak
ORIGIN EFFECTS
playing. The company’s solution is its proprietary Adaptive circuitry, which HALCYON GREEN
3. The Dry knob adjusts the aims to adapt its voicing in response to pick attack and volume changes. OVERDRIVE
level of dry signal as an The pedal’s Level, Drive and Tone knobs will be familiar to anyone who’s ever
integral component of the
tone. At 12 o’clock it’s the
used a Tube Screamer, but here there’s also a Dry knob. While a Tube Screamer PRICE: £239
same as a standard Tube has a fixed amount of dry sound mixed in, this lets you tweak that upwards ORIGIN: UK
Screamer, so you can take to add definition when required, or even remove the dry sound altogether to TYPE: Overdrive pedal
it up or down improve performance when using the pedal for drive into a clean amp. You also FEATURES: Buffered bypass
get a Voice switch that offers the standard TS808 mid-forward voicing, which CONTROLS: Level, Drive, Dry, Tone
works great for a thicker tone with single coils, or the Mod setting that offers Adapt switch, Voice switch, Bypass
a sharper and brighter presence than the regular mid hump, a touch more footswitch
aggressive and well suited to humbuckers. CONNECTIONS: Standard input,
But it’s the three-way Adapt switch that brings in the tonal responses to standard output
your dynamic changes, with the mid-forward voicing fading away as the pedal POWER: 9V DC adaptor
cleans up. Position 0 responds like an original 808, but positions I and II offer (not supplied) 80mA
increasing degrees of Adaptive behaviour. The amount of bass and treble DIMENSIONS: 64 (w) x 120 (d) x
roll-off that gives you that mid-hump is in direct proportion to the amount of 58mm (h)
clipping, so by using softer playing dynamics or rolling back the volume knob
you’re not only getting a cleaner sound but also restoring bass and treble in a Origin Effects
natural-sounding transition between drive and clean. [Link]

Verdict
A player’s pedal, the Halcyon does everything a standard TS does but can go
beyond that with some well-thought-out additional features that really extend
versatility, not least a more nuanced dynamic response than your standard
green clone that’s just waiting to be exploited.

EarthQuaker
Devices’ Plumes
THE RIVALS features three
clipping modes
If you’re looking for Tube Screamer tone in all of its
varieties, the JHS Bonsai (£219) actually offers nine
different options (OD-1, TS-808, TS-9, MSL, TS-10, EXAR
OD-1, TS-7, Keeley Mod Plus and JHS Strong Mod) via
a rotary switch. EarthQuaker Devices also offers Tube
9
Screamer-style evolutions in the form of the Plumes PROS Origin’s usual high standard
(£115), or the Palisades V2 (£239) if you desire a of build quality; dynamic TS sound
double-channel pedal. with no tonal compromises;
We couldn’t have a Rivals section without some adjustable dry sound; two voices
mention of the original green pedal, which can currently
be found in the form of the Ibanez Overdrive Pro TS808 CONS Nothing… but paying in
(£155) and the Maxon OD808 (£109). excess of £200 for any TS won’t
be agreeable to all players

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 21

 F I R S T P L AY

TC ELECTRONIC
PLETHORA X3 TONEPRINT
PEDALBOARD
£299

WHAT IS IT? A more compact

version of TC Electronic’s X5
multi-effects pedal

1
 TC ELECTRONIC PLETHORA X3 TONEPRINT PEDALBOARD FIRST PLAY

Triple Treat
TC Electronic’s Plethora X3 presents the company’s
TonePrint pedals flexibly arranged in one compact unit TC ELECTRONIC
PLETHORA X3
Words Trevor Curwen Photography Olly Curtis TONEPRINT
PEDALBOARD

T
1. The Effect knob selects he TC Electronic Plethora X5 (reviewed in issue 465) is a flexible multi- PRICE: £299
and assigns pedals to effects unit that can store 127 presets, known as ‘pedalboards’, each with ORIGIN: China
the pedalboard. Rotate
to scroll through them, five individually footswitchable effects taken from TC’s TonePrint pedal TYPE: Multi-effects pedal
then press to assign to range. The unit offers a great opportunity to add a range of effects to your rig, FEATURES: True Bypass, 127
a pedal slot but may be on the large side for incorporation into smaller pedalboards. Now, onboard ‘pedalboards’, chromatic
2. Three Parameter knobs
though, there’s this compact version that, at 176.5mm (7 inches) in width, will tuner, optional cab sim at the end
give you instant access be a more practical proposition for many players. The X3 has all the effects of of the chain, MASH performance
to specific parameters the X5, but you can only use three of them at a time rather than five. The other options, looper
for the selected pedal in main differences are that it loses the send and return loop and has no provision EFFECTS: Helix Phaser, Viscous
Edit mode. They can also
be assigned as Hot Knobs for plugging in an expression pedal. Vibe, Tape Deck Looper, Hall of
in Play mode for quick The X3 has 16 effects pedals available to assign to each of the three Fame 2 Reverb, Flashback 2 Delay,
live tweaks footswitches in any of the 127 onboard pedalboards. You can assign any pedal Sub’n’Up Octaver, Brainwaves
3. The TonePrint encoder
to each, so you could have multiple instances, such as three delay pedals, if Pitch Shifter, Corona Chorus,
scrolls through the desired. Each pedal can be loaded with a TonePrint (basically an edited set of Hypergravity Compressor, Mimiq
TonePrints that you can parameters) from those stored onboard – there are 75 slots per pedal housing Doubler, Vortex Flanger, Pipeline Tap
assign to an effect, but TonePrints and you can load those slots with your own TonePrints created with Tremolo, Quintessence Harmony,
a long press on it (quite
possible by foot) will bring the software editor as well as the Artist or TC factory options. Beyond a loaded Sentry NoiseGate, Shaker Vibrato,
up the onboard tuner TonePrint, there are instant front-panel editing options available. Alter Ego Vintage Echo
The lack of an expression pedal input may be seen as a drawback, but CONTROLS: Effect, TonePrint, 3x
there are plenty of performance options via the pressure-sensitive MASH Parameter, Play/Edit switch, Board
footswitches. Each footswitch can be held down to change a parameter for its switch, 3x Bypass footswitch
assigned effect, such as maybe turning up the feedback of a delay. You can also CONNECTIONS: Standard
set a footswitch up for tap tempo instead of a MASH effect. inputs (Mono & Stereo), standard
outputs (Mono & Stereo), MIDI In,
Verdict MIDI Thru, USB
While the X3 loses some of the X5’s flexibility, the advantage gained is that it is POWER: Supplied 9V DC adaptor
a much smaller pedal that can sit nicely on your pedalboard. As such, it’s a great 600mA
way to expand a ’board with a whole range of decent-sounding effects – a single DIMENSIONS: 172 (w) x 118 (d) x
unit with one power input, and effects in any order having the advantage over 54mm (h)
buying numerous single pedals. This could be all your modulation pedals
in one place, all your delays/reverbs or whatever combinations work for Musictribe
you. Alternatively, just add a drive pedal to the X3 and you’ll have an utterly [Link]
practical minimalist rig that you can take anywhere.

THE RIVALS
There are plenty of other options for getting
a number of effects in a reasonably compact
self-contained setting. One of the most practical
pedalboard additions would be the Boss MS-3 Multi
Effects Switcher (£419), which combines a multi-
effects engine and multi-pedal switcher in one unit.
9
The Zoom G3n (£160) offers instant access to PROS Compact all-in-one unit;
three effects, has a comprehensive feature set and ease of setup and use; variety
is more affordable. Of course, there’s always Line 6, of effects; MASH performance
and while the HX Effects (£449) is probably the features; TonePrint facility;
closest in nature to the Plethora as it has no amp stereo and mono operation
Boss’s MS-3 puts
sims, it’s a larger eight-footswitch unit; the smaller effects and switching
HX Stomp (£445) is the more compact option. in one very neat box CONS A send and return loop
would have added flexibility

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 23

 MXR CUSTOM SHOP
CSP039 DUKE OF TONE
£179

WHAT IS IT? Analog Man’s

respected and in-demand
drive pedal revamped for
3 the mass market

2
 MXR CUSTOM SHOP CSP039 DUKE OF TONE FIRST PLAY

Minor Royalty
Forgo the five-year waiting list for Analog Man’s elusive
purple pedal and give this MXR collaboration a go instead
Words Trevor Curwen Photography Olly Curtis

E
1. This three-way switch ver since its introduction, the Analog Man King Of Tone has been one of
offers Boost, Overdrive the most sought-after drive pedals on the market, so much so that if you
and Distortion modes –
you’ll have to readjust want a new one you have to get on a waiting list – which, by some current
the Volume knob when estimates, is about five years long! The King Of Tone is a double-channel pedal
switching between them based on heavily modded circuitry from the Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal,
2. The Duke Of Tone follows
each channel having internal DIP switches for a choice of Overdrive, Clean
the standard micro pedal and Distortion modes. It also spawned a single-channel version, the Prince Of
’board-friendly format Tone, which has a top-panel switch for the modes. That pedal’s control surface
with diminutive footprint, is echoed in this new Duke Of Tone unit, which is an Analog Man collaboration
offset jacks and the power
input at the top end with MXR, designed to give guitarists some of that King and Prince Of Tone
mojo without having to get in line and queue.
3. The Tone knob will give The Boost mode is the equivalent of the King Of Tone’s Clean mode and uses
you an instant tweak of
your top-end presence,
op-amp clipping rather than diodes. Here, unity gain with the Drive knob at MXR CUSTOM
but there’s an internal minimum is around two o’clock, leaving some Volume knob travel for dialling SHOP CSP039
trimmer should you need in a clean boost. This mode is great for taking a clean amp just that little bit DUKE OF TONE
to set a different overall further because the Drive knob adds grit around the edges, all with great
treble content
touch sensitivity and an open transparency that lets your core guitar/amp tone PRICE: £179
breathe. It’s also really potent for stacking with other dirt pedals. There’s plenty ORIGIN: USA
of nuance to be dialled in with the knobs, but if you want some extra headroom TYPE: Drive pedal
then the Duke can be run at 18 volts. FEATURES: True bypass
OD mode utilises diode clipping and brings in a natural, airy low-level drive CONTROLS: Volume, Drive, Tone,
sound, while Distortion mode, with its harder clipping, takes things that little OD/Boost/Dist switch, internal
bit further with more compression going on. treble trimmer, Bypass footswitch
The big question for many will be whether it sounds identical to a single CONNECTIONS: Standard input,
King Of Tone channel, and from A/B tests with our own pedal we can say that, standard output
although it took slightly different knob positioning, we were able to match the POWER: 9V DC adaptor (not
two pedals up to a point where any perceived disparities were so subtle as to supplied) 6mA but can be run
make no difference when playing. In short, it can do the job. safely at 18V
DIMENSIONS: 40 (w) x 91 (d) x
Verdict 55mm (h)
What’s not to like about this pedal? Anyone wanting to buy into the whole King
Of Tone thing can now do so instantly. If you want a versatile and transparent Westside Distribution
boost or drive pedal that you can neatly slot into any setup, it’s no sweat with 0141 248 4812
this particular Duke. [Link]

Mooer’s Blues
Crab micro pedal
THE RIVALS is small in both
size and price
The almost identical Prince Of Tone ($148) is
intermittently available from the Analog Man website,
but there are lots of pedals around that are evolutions
of the Bluesbreaker, such as the JHS Morning Glory
9
(£195) with Volume, Drive and Tone knobs plus a Hi-Cut PROS King and Prince Of Tone
switch and a Gain Boost toggle switch (with optional sounds without the purchasing
remote footswitch control). Elsewhere, the Wampler obstacles; very compact size;
Pantheon (£199) has Volume, Gain, Bass, Treble and three instantly accessible modes;
Presence knobs, plus three-way switches for Gain decent build quality
Level and Overdrive Voice. If the small size of the Duke
appeals but not the price tag, you may wish to audition CONS Nothing… except the
a Mooer Blues Crab (£39). usual fat fingers/small knobs
interactions of a pedal this size

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 25

WISHLIST Kauer Korona Supreme

theWishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...

Kauer Korona Supreme £3,499

CONTACT Andertons Music Co WEB [Link] WORDS Neville Marten PHOTOGRAPHY Phil Barker

D
oug Kauer and his dedicated team of humbucking pickups, single volume and tone controls, 1. The Korona Supreme’s
craftspeople work from a small facility in and a three-way selector switch. No push-pull pots, six-a-side headstock is
an attractive two-tone
Sacramento, California. Producing a range coil-splits or other distractions; just a no-nonsense affair, with pearl Kauer
of some vintage-inspired and several radical modern guitar that wants to get down to business. inlay and tuner buttons on
designs, the company boasts custom-shop build and Kauer says he wasn’t sure about doing a thinline the open-geared, locking
uses the finest available electronics and hardware. version of the Korona, but having done so was amazed Hipshot tuners. Truss rod
adjustment is at this end,
Continuing the ever-popular offset theme, Kauer’s at how great it sounds and how versatile it is. We love and the wood’s grain looks
Korona model comes in two guises: the solidbody Lollar Imperial pickups and these work superbly in this particularly appealing, too
Korona itself, and the instrument we have here, the semi-hollow ash configuration. Through an Orange
2. Swamp ash has a very
bound-bodied thinline semi Korona Supreme. With Rockerverb 50 the guitar sounds immense: fat and
marked grain and in this
its finely grained swamp ash body and dark roasted punchy but with a vintage-style clarity that works semi-hollow configuration
four-bolt maple neck with natty two-tone headstock, brilliantly with the amp set clean-ish, and translates also feels incredibly light
the Supreme cuts a real dash. This smart appearance to huge but articulate tones with the gain piled high. in weight. Roasting the
maple darkens its colour
is highlighted by a pearl pickguard with a crisp black It plays great, too. 22 medium Jescar frets sit on and, many makers believe,
coachline around its perimeter. The ’guard hides a a 304mm (12-inch) radius fingerboard of beautiful provides improved stability
‘universal rout’, which means virtually any pickup wenge with offset dot markers, while the roasted maple
combination can be chosen – Kauer offers Lollar, C-shape neck sits snugly in the palm, and that dramatic 3. Lollar Imperial pickups
are a classy choice since
TV Jones or Wolfetone, and includes humbuckers, slanted cutaway means top-end access is excellent. they offer crisp vintage-
P-90s, Filter’Tron, Gold Foil and more. Hardware quality We think it’s an extremely cool-looking instrument style tones that beef
is top notch, and here we see a cut-down ‘half-Tele’ that’s built to superb standards, plays really well up well with extra gain.
Notice, too, the cut-down
bridge, plus Hipshot open-geared locking tuners. and has a wholesome range of sounds. Its looks are
‘half-Tele’ bridge with
While a host of switching options is available, here we radical and modern but with vintage overtones, and we its three compensated
see a more conventional layout with two Lollar Imperial applaud the Korona Thinline unreservedly. brass saddles

1 2 3

26 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Kauer Korona Supreme WISHLIST

4. African wenge is used

for the Korona’s 648mm
(25.5-inch) scale
fingerboard with its 22
medium Jescar frets.
Note the offset pearl 4
dot position markers
and the white binding
that matches that of the
body. In addition, every
Kauer guitar receives
a Plek setup before
it’s shipped

5. It’s unusual to see a

black coachline around a
pickguard but it’s a nice
design touch, we feel.
Beneath it is a universal
pickup rout that allows
virtually limitless choice
to the player. These
Lollar pickups work
particularly well in the
Korona’s semi-hollow
body, too, sounding fat
but hugely articulate

6. While Kauer offers

various switching
upgrades from the
company website, here
it’s a much simpler affair
with master volume
and tone controls, plus
a classic three-way
pickup selector switch.
The stylised ‘cat’s eye’ 5
soundhole is cool

6
 THE
LINEUP

Gas Supply
Our pick of the month’s most delectable
and wallet-bothering new gear

Fender Aerodyne Special Series From £1,299

CONTACT: Fender EMEA PHONE: 0333 200 8765 WEB: [Link]

NAME DROP I remember these! So, what’s different about them?

Babicz bridges You probably remember the name, yes. Fender launched Starting with the two Strats – the Aerodyne Special
You might have heard of
the brand Babicz because the Aerodyne series in 2004 as a modern take on its Stratocaster and Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS
of its pioneering work classic designs. We’ve seen the series since then, but now (shown below left and middle) – you’ll find a few fairly
on Steinberger guitars. Fender has rethought the designs to bring us a refreshed radical breaks from tradition. Yes, it’s a Strat body shape,
Its Full Contact bridges
are centred around the
version. The company’s blurb talks about “aerodynamic but it’s made of basswood. These models feature a carved
patented eCAM saddles, lines, custom-voiced pickups, state-of-the-art hardware, top to add to that sleek look, and the body is bound, too.
which maximise contact dazzling finishes and unmistakable silhouettes”.
between the saddle and There’s no scratchplate…
bridge, giving greater
transfer of vibrations Modern designs? What’s wrong with old ones? Nope! As such, everything is body-mounted, unlike a
to the guitar’s body Not everyone wants to play a period-correct version of regular Strat where the electronics are mounted to the
a Strat or Tele, and here Fender has taken its two most scratchplate. For this Aerodyne series, Fender has spec’d
iconic electrics, alongside the Precision and Jazz Bass, Aerodyne Special pickups including the chrome-covered
and given them a contemporary overhaul. There are three humbucker in the HSS Strat. These are controlled by a
six-string electrics on offer – two Strats and a Tele – and five-way switch, plus master volume and two tones, all of
they’re all Japanese-made. which are covered with knurled chrome control knobs.

CARVED TOPS HARDWARE CONFIGURATIONS

Each of the Aerodyne The Japanese-made The Aerodyne Specials are offered
Special Stratocasters models feature Babicz as SSS and HSS Stratocasters (far
and Telecaster has had Full Contact bridges – le and middle), and there’s an SS
the top of its basswood a vibrato on the Strat Tele. Each comes in three colour
body carved to give and fixed on the Tele. options, with the Strat including
a more aerodynamic At the headstock, two rosewood/one maple ’board
aesthetic. The outlines there’s a set of Fender choices, while the HSS Strat and
are then highlighted Deluxe locking tuners Tele both come with two maple/
by binding on all models one rosewood options

28 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 They aren’t too radical,
but these contemporary
C-shape maple necks
are satin-finished, with
22 frets and a 305mm
(12-inch) radius across
all three guitars. We love
the colour-matched
headstocks, too

What about the neck?

It’s not as much of a departure as you might expect from
Fender’s talk of futuristic designs. The neck is maple
and finished with a satin polyester on the back. The
fingerboards vary depending on which main finish you
go for – with a choice of maple or rosewood – but, in
both cases, it’s the standard Fender 648mm (25.5-inch)
scale length but with a flatter 305mm (12-inch) radius. All
Aerodyne Special six-strings are fitted with 22 frets, and
Fender has added an additional touch with the matching
headstock faces.

Tell us about the bridge.

One of the jewels in the Aerodyne Special’s crown comes
from the Babicz Full Contact two-point vibrato, the idea
being that maximising string-to-body transfer aids in
the sustain and tone departments. At the other end, the
Aerodyne Specials are fitted with Fender Deluxe locking
tuners for quick string changes and stable tuning.

What about the Telecaster?

Many of the construction features are shared across the
two designs: the basswood body, carved top, binding,
neck/fingerboard designs are all the same as the Strat. “Chunky, detailed
The single coils in the Tele are based around the classic
Tele-style pickups, and while it also includes a Babicz
DQGDVKRWDV\RX·G
bridge, this being a Telecaster, it’s fixed. ever need for classic
You mentioned dazzling finishes – what are rock and more”
the options?
As you’d probably expect, the colour options for each
Guitarist Magazine - 2022
guitar are slightly different. The Aerodyne Special
Stratocaster comes in Bright White, Chocolate Burst
(both rosewood fingerboards) and California Blue (maple
’board), the HSS Stratocaster is offered in Dolphin Gray
(with a rosewood ’board), Hot Rod Burst and Speed
The award winning Flattley Revolution
Metallic Green (maple ’board), and the Aerodyne Special
Telecaster also offers two maple-’board options, Dolphin
pedal is one of the many guitar and bass
Gray and Hot Rod Burst, while California Blue is this time
paired with a rosewood fingerboard.
pedals hand built in England by
Dare we ask how much?
Flattley Boutique Effects Pedals.
The Aerodyne Special Stratocaster and Telecaster are
both £1,299, while the Aerodyne Special Strat HSS adds
For more information, demo videos
another £50 to the price tag at £1,349. All three models
ship with a Fender Deluxe gigbag and they should be & stockists visit
hitting the shelves by the time you read this. [SW]

[Link]
 THE
LINEUP

Fretbuzz
A monthly look at must-hear artists from all corners of the guitar
world, from the roots of their sound to the tracks that matter most

Artist: Marisa Anderson

Album: Still, Here (Thrill Jockey)

ortland, Oregon-based instrumental guitarist Studio To Stage

P Marisa Anderson has already had a colourful

career involving work with Sharon Van
Etten, William Tyler, and Jim White of Australian
Still, Here takes a central stance when it comes
to improvisation versus composition, bringing in
disciplines from both of her recent duo albums.
instrumentalists Dirty Three. Her solo output includes “There was quite a lot of improvised stuff on there,
seven albums, with this year’s Still, Here following actually,” she says. “But the relationship changes once
2018’s Cloud Corner. “This album was probably a I start preparing it for performance. So the recordings
four-year process,” Marisa begins. “After Cloud Corner, can be improvised, but I need to figure out patterns
The eight tracks on 2022’s
Still, Here tell their stories I wasn’t sure I would do another solo record because and sequences so I can take them on stage. Songs like
through instrumental I didn’t know if I had anything new to say. I needed Night Air were built out of bits over a very long period
compositions a little time and distance, so I decided to work with of time – but it wasn’t composed, it just took a long
[Link]
William and Jim to change up my process.” time to come in.”

Shake It Out Electric Feel

The decision to shake things up has resulted in a rich Although Marisa owns a broad range of instruments,
album that could only have been created by Marisa; her signature sound utilises the capabilities of the
the long drawn out notes and meditative phrases are electric guitar. “I like sustain,” she says, simply. “But
immediately recognisable, and there is confidence aside from that, I don’t want to hurt my arms and
and freshness to be found in the playing. “I do think it hands. Steel-string acoustic is its own thing and it’s
worked,” she nods. “It shook some other things loose become a stand-in; when you think of the guitar, you
and now I feel inspired again – and I’m writing new think of steel-string acoustic and I think it’s a bit of a
Marisa’s recording output stuff all the time, which is fun. I also just got off a run homogenisation of this instrument that has so many
is a mix of solo and [of shows] with Jim White, which is all improv stuff. different voices. The Dobro is technically a steel-string
collaborative efforts. Her My work with William is very much composed, whereas acoustic and I like that voice in a very specific way,
Reverb-purchased T-style
what I do with Jim, it’s a lot freer, and I felt I needed but it’s definitely not the main part of my palette and
(right) ticked all the boxes,
with a rosewood neck, to do both to unblock my solo music and give it more I don’t dream in that voice. When I’m at home, I use
Bigsby and P-90 pickups arteries to go down.” either the nylon-string or the electric. It’s almost never
the steel-string.”

Custom Classic
After showing us several instruments, including her
1930s Dobro, a terz guitar (a small-scale classical
guitar), a requinto and a lovely ornate nylon-string
parlour guitar, Marisa picks up her current main beast.
“This is a Warmoth Telecaster with Lollar P-90s on it,”
she explains. “I got it during Covid. I was hunting for
a combination of solid rosewood neck, P-90s and a
Bigsby and I found one on Reverb with all three. The
rosewood neck is quite unusual, and the resonance on
this thing is insane, it goes on for days.” She runs off
for a moment, before returning with another peach.
PHOTO BY PATRICIA VÁZQUEZ GÓMEZ

“I also used this one on the album,” she says. “It’s an

early 40s [Gibson] ES-125. It’s the one I’ve had the
longest and I love it so much.” [GK]

Standout track: Night Air

For fans of: William Tyler, Sarah Louise,
Steve Gunn, Chris Forsyth

30 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 The Lineup

SPEAKING OUT
Marisa uses music to
voice her feelings on
contemporary events

While Still, Here may come across as a

calm album, Marisa uses her music as an
outlet for commentary on current affairs.
Just as Cloud Corner’s Lament reacted
to the stark image of the body of two-
year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi lying
on a Turkish beach, The Fire This Time is
directly addressing the murder of George
Floyd. “It was written the same day and
was my response to that news at that
actual time. You can hear sirens on the
PHOTO BY JAMIE KELTER DAVIS

recording and that was happening on my

block because of the protests starting in
Portland. So that was certainly not a calm
day: that song was my visceral, horrified
response to those events.”
 THE
LINEUP

Albums
The month’s best guitar music – a hand-picked
selection of the finest fretwork on wax

Andy Fairweather Low

Polyphia with guest pop Flang Dang
vocalist Sophia Black
The Last Music Company
(release date: February 2023) 8
Sparkling solo album from
esteemed sideman
It’s been a long wait since Andy
Fairweather Low’s last solo album,
Sweet Soulful Music, was released in
2006, but Flang Dang is a notable return to form. More
often spotted either as a sideman to artists such as Eric
Clapton and Roger Waters or in the driving seat of his
own band, The Low Riders, Andy’s new album finds him
playing all the instruments except for the drums, which
PHOTO BY PAIGE MARGULIES

were handled by Low Rider Paul Beavis. Andy’s love for

rock ’n’ roll is to the forefront from the very first track, the
upbeat Waiting On The Up, and the mood continues in
one form or another throughout. Dark Of The Midnight
sounds like it could have been written for Clapton’s
Journeyman era, whereas Ska 67 is crackling with a
characteristic reggae vibe. The whole album is a joyful
Polyphia party – jump right in! [DM]

Remember That You Will Die

Rise Records (available now) 10 Standout track: Dark Of The Midnight
For fans of: Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, Willie And
The Poor Boys
The guitar band with a difference releases a stunner
While there are many fresh guitar heroes online these days,
the anticipatory appetite for the latest Polyphia album has Red Hot Chili Peppers
Return Of The Dream Canteen
been quite something. As an instrumental-based four-piece,
they’ve been together since 2010 with guitarists Tim Henson
and Scott LePage amalgamating a broad span of styles. Be it Guthrie
Warner Records (available now) 9
Govan-style shred, chords/rhythms as favoured by neo-soul players such Triumphant new release is a real feast
as Isaiah Sharkey, K-Pop extended chord progressions or mathematical Some bands have an immediately
rhythmic cleverness à la Animals As Leaders, it makes for a heady brew. identifiable soundprint and we found that
Their appearances on social media playing seemingly impossible, intricate you only have to be 23 seconds into the
riffs have raised their profile considerably, and Tim Henson has also new Chilis album – recorded at the same
received a coveted Ibanez signature model, the TOD10N, just recently sessions as this year’s earlier release, Unlimited Love –
and so the guitar world’s gaze is now fully upon his fiery fretwork. before you conclude it couldn’t be anyone else. Is it Flea’s
With the cheerily titled Remember That You Will Die, the 12-track album funk-driven bass or Frusciante’s furious guitarscapes?
is a rich sonic assault of super-tight rhythmic interplay with often crazy Nope, it’s more like the sum of a rather glorious set of
guitar arrangements bouncing around the stereo spectrum. There are parts. “Return Of The Dream Canteen is everything
plenty of collaborations, too – Brasstracks join on opener Genesis, which we are and ever dreamed of being,” the band declares
is reminiscent of US soul-rock bands such as Mint Condition, and vocalist in the album’s press release. “It’s packed. Made with
Sophia Black excels on the vibrantly punchy ABC. Of interest to us is the blood of our hearts…” And there’s little doubt that
closer, Ego Death, which features the one and only Steve Vai. He enters this could be their best album to date. It’s full of catchy
halfway through with his whammy bar lyricism and soaring bends – it’s melodies – check out My Cigarette or album opener,
quite something. If you want brave guitar for a new world, you have to add Tippa Ma Tongue – recalling the band’s 90s masterpiece,
Polyphia to your list. They’re too big a guitar phenomenon to ignore. [JS] Blood Sugar Sex Magik. There’s even a tribute to Van
Halen with the song, Eddie. It’s a winner. [DM]
Standout track: Genesis
For fans of: Steve Vai, Dream Theater Standout track: Tippa Ma Tongue
For fans of: Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam

32 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Steve Howe with
his late son, Virgil
PHOTO BY GLENN GOTTLIEB

Virgil & Steve Howe

Lunar Mist
InsideOut Music (available now) 8
Posthumous musical reunion
of father and son shines brightly
Yes’s famous six-stringer’s new release
has been created from unreleased
material from his late son, Virgil Howe.
It’s the second album combining Virgil and Steve’s work
and it’s an intriguing blend of styles from the title track’s
electronica to the piano and electric-guitar-based Free
Spirit. Working from Virgil’s pieces, Steve has added
guitars and bass to augment what was already there or
expanded them with extra ideas and/or improvisation.
As for the guitars, Steve’s electric and acoustic
performances form the centre point be they melodies,
chord riffs or cleverly stacked arrangements. Mariah’s
Theme is a classical/world music/electronic composition
with intriguing melodic and harmonic turns. There’s
appealing nylon-string guitar on Lothian’s Way, giving a
dash of madrigal magic. Pinnacle is percussion-free, with
a classical piano and guitar arrangement, while closer,
Martian Mood, nods to early 70s prog with synth filter
sweeps and exclamatory guitars. [JS]

Standout track: More Than You Know

For fans of: Yes, Brian Eno

Marillion
Holidays In Eden (Deluxe Edition)
Parlophone (available now) 9
Bumper revisit to prog
band’s early work
Artists reviewing their early material in
lavishly appointed boxsets is becoming
almost an everyday event these days.
But why not? After all, recording tech has leapt forward
over the years and the urge to apply it to older catalogue
must be overwhelming. This is the case here, as Marillion
re-release their first album with vocalist Steve Hogarth –
after Fish left the band – 1991’s Holidays In Eden. Among
the three CDs and Blu-ray in this deluxe set we find a full
remix of the original album, plus a double-CD helping
of live work taken from a show in Hammersmith in
September ’91. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the Blu-ray
features a documentary on the making of the album,
a German TV concert, sundry B-sides and other audio
memorabilia. Treasure, indeed. [DM]

Standout track: Dry Land

For fans of: Genesis, It Bites, Asia
 THE
LINEUP

Tones Behind The Tracks

Formed in 2020 after a decade of history together, Cardinal Black
are finally ready to release their debut album to the world

Artist: Cardinal Black

Album: January Came Close (Jump In Records)

ebut albums can sometimes be a shot in of your drums and bass together and then layer it up

D the dark. But in Cardinal Black’s case, a

comprehensive campaign on social media,
including a Kickstarter fundraiser to finance the
from there. I’m Ready is very much a live vibe so we
thought that, of all the tracks, it would be great just
to go in and do it entirely live. We did a Kickstarter
recording, means that January Came Close has campaign to fund the recording of the album for the
become one of this season’s most highly anticipated most part. And we had a lot of Kickstarters come down
releases. We check in with guitarist Chris Buck to hear to the studio and actually watch that process live,
how the album came together. which I think aided the recording.”
January Came Close,
Cardinal Black’s debut Which studios did you use for the recording? How were the sessions, in general?
album, follows a sold-out
tour with Myles Kennedy
“The last track on the album is taken from a live “It was pretty intensive in terms of long days. We’re
and features a track from a session at Abbey Road so it was recorded entirely live not one of these bands that likes to roll in the studio
live session at Abbey Road in one take. And at the other end of the scale is a place for midday and work through to the early hours or
whatever. We’ve all got families and wives and children,
“The album version of ‘Terra Firma’ is very which kind of preclude us from doing that for the most
part. So we were there early in the morning and would
delay-drenched. We’re shooting for Pink Floyd work through usually till about 11 o’clock or until one of
‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ meets Ray LaMontagne” us physically couldn’t do any more. So it was done over
the space of about a month.”
that was a carpet warehouse until very recently, a
studio called Snake Mountain in South Wales, which What gear did you take into the studio?
a couple of mates opened up very quickly into an “My main guitar on the album was my custom Yamaha
Chris Buck’s star is already amazing little place. There was another track called Revstar. There were a couple of other little bits and
risen in the guitar world
I’m Ready, which was recorded live at Rockfield. As bobs used here and there: the Gibson 355, which
with accolades abounding
from contemporaries and good as Snake Mountain Studio is, they don’t have the inadvertently ended up featuring the Varitone on a
industry alike capacity to record the entirety of the band. It’s kind track for no other reason other than we got halfway
through recording before I noticed I had turned it on at
some point. But that weirdly kind of defined the sound
of that track, which is quite a cool little fortuitous
moment in time, I guess.
“We’d just come off tour, playing most of the songs
live, so it was a case of, ‘I know the kind of sounds I’m
aiming for and I know what gear I’m using to try and
achieve those sounds.’ It’s a guitar-heavy album in the
sense that we are a guitar band, so it was just picking
the guitars that felt like they best serve the song and,
for me, that was the guitars that either those tracks
were written on or the guitars that those tracks had
been honed on over the past however long touring.”

What about amps?

“The amps were, for the most part, my touring rig:
PHOTO BY ROSS MADDEN

the Fender Pro Reverb and the Victory Copper Deluxe.

There were a couple of tracks on the album that were
a 1958 Fender Deluxe, which belongs to a friend of
mine Ed Oleszko. I was shooting for a certain type of
sound and I sent over a couple of reference points to

34 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 PHOTO BY TONY TEAGUE
Ed and he was kind enough to listen and try to figure specific tracks. And then it’s just different flavours of Cardinal Black (L-R):
out what that might have been. This amp seemed like overdrive to taste. We’re trying to cover a lot of ground. Chris Buck, bassist Sam
Williams, vocalist Tom
the closest to be able to achieve it and so we took that With Cardinal Black in particular, there’s a lot of more
Hollister and drummer
in the studio. Again, it was a case of not necessarily ambient stuff, which is happening in the verse or in Adam Roberts
shooting to use the best gear so much as just shooting between tracks – even as kind of interludes in the
to use the gear that I’m more familiar with.” songs. So it’s not just the typical kind of ‘overdrive,
delay and away you go’ kind of thing. There’s a bit
How did you end up with a two-amp rig? more to it than that, at least hopefully so.”
“I think the two-amp thing is something I’ve come to
relatively recently. The Fender is pretty mid-scooped Can you itemise one track on the album,
and there’s quite a lot of low-end in it. And there’s which is particularly effects-heavy?
quite a lot of crystalline sparkly top-end, but not a “This track called Terra Firma, which is the Jazzmaster
lot of midrange. Conversely, the Victory Copper is all track live. The album version of that is very delay-
aggressive, shouty Vox-y midrange. I’d struggle to do drenched, and would sound hopelessly bare without
a gig with just one of them because I’ve become so it, I think. We’re shooting for a kind of Pink Floyd
used to the sound of how the two of them fit together Dark Side Of The Moon meets Ray LaMontagne, which
like a little jigsaw puzzle. You find yourself EQ-ing each is very spacey, I guess. There are certain tracks that
amp to complement the other. You know, there’s not are very stripped. Tell Me How It Feels is a fuzz and an
as much low-end or top-end in the Victory because overdrive at most, and then just one or two overdrives
that’s covered by the Fender. But conversely, you don’t throughout the rest of the track.”
find yourself trying to compensate for the lack of mids
in the Fender because that’s taken care of really nicely What lies immediately in the future for
by the Victory.” Cardinal Black?
“We’ve just finished a headline tour and then we’re
You’ve accumulated quite an extensive straight back out on tour [in November] with Peter
pedalboard, too. Frampton. Doing the Royal Albert Hall is obviously a
“It is fairly extensive. And I guess, for the most part, landmark gig of that tour. We’ve got a couple of things
it’s stuff that has grown and evolved over the course of in Europe, then plan to do a live vinyl recording at a
a few years, and the course of a few different rigs and studio in Switzerland, at which tickets are sold and a
figuring out what works with each amp, what doesn’t crowd comes in and watches live as it is cut entirely
work with each guitar, and honing it in. I mean, the live to vinyl. And then we’re going to be touring pretty
actual literal process of putting that ’board together heavily throughout the early part of next year.” [DM]
was fairly quick because it was all migrated over from
a previous pedalboard and just trying to condense it Cardinal Black’s album, January Came Close,
Chris Buck gives us a full
down into a smaller ’board. The [Line 6] HX Stomp is available now via Jump In Records rundown of his rig in our
takes care of a lot of the more outlandish effects. exclusive video at
The reverbs and delays and stuff are very specific to [Link] [Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 35

 NEVILLE’S
ADVOCATE
...

Bad To The Bone

We guitarists talk a lot about tone in the electric realm. What, then, can
we do to lift the acoustic to new realms of sonority, asks Neville Marten

Q
uite a few years back I traded three guitars – which one I preferred. Even though they were both
one Martin and two very nice Höfners – for secondhand, I was trading in a lot of money’s worth
another Martin, a used D-28 1937 Authentic. and so wanted to get it right. Both sounded fantastic
Guitar Village in Farnham had two from this in different ways and I just couldn’t make up my mind.
illustrious range: a D-18 and the D-28 that I finally Derek came back and asked how I was getting on.
settled upon. The idea of the Authentic series is that Seeing my utter befuddlement, he said, “Why don’t
the guitars are recreations of actual instruments that you go and have a walk, get the sound out of your
Martin has in its possession. Because they can’t use head and then come back? You’ll probably decide in
Brazilian rosewood, my D-28 is beautifully figured five minutes flat.”
Madagasan, the nearest thing available at the time – I did what Del said and had a stroll around the shop
they’ve now switched to Guatemalan, as Madagascan drooling at everything, then went outside for a bit of
has become rather more scarce. fresh air before returning. He was dead right. Within
five minutes I’d chosen the more strident D-28. We did
“After adding new bridge pins the difference was the deal and off I went.

staggering. More clarity, more volume and String Theory

dramatically improved tone across the spectrum” Several years of living with central heating later and
the edge binding had decided to pull away in the
I’ve known Guitar Village’s owner, Derek (Del-Boy!) guitar’s waist, both front and back. So I took it to
Eyre-Walker, for many years and it’s always great to my old mate and ex-Gibson co-conspirator Robbie
catch up. I asked if I could try both guitars and Derek Gladwell. I said I was in no particular rush and, being
set me up in a quiet room with a cup of tea and left so busy and taking me at my word, Robbie had the
me to my own devices. I played both guitars for over guitar for some months.
an hour, swapping them around and trying to decide On getting it back, having had a brilliant, invisible
job done, I decided to restring the D-28 with 13-gauge
wires, which Martin recommends. You see, a 1937
GAS OF THE MONTH guitar would have had no truss rod, so the heavier
gauge is needed to pull the neck forward for the
Natty Dread correct action. In taking out the white plastic bridge
pins, a job I’d done a trillion times, I managed to snap
What? Atkin D37 Aged the heads off two – something I’d never done before.
Where seen? Knighton Music Centre, Powys, Wales After cursing my clumsiness I went straight online
Price? £3,099 to order a new set. I decided I’d upgrade to bone,
as cheapo plastic seems out of place on an £8,000
Alister Atkin and his small team in Canterbury instrument – mine was considerably less as it was
produce excellent pre-war-style acoustics in the used, plus Derek took my three guitars as a direct
vein of the two big American brands of the era. swap. Anyway, bone seemed far more appropriate.
And although three grand is not cheap, it’s under I went for Thomann’s own brand, Harley Benton,
half the price of a D-28 Authentic and is based on at the mighty cost of £13.90. Until they arrived I stuck
the same 1937 style as mine. With torrefied Sitka in a couple of mismatched plastic pins and waited.
spruce top, Indian rosewood back and sides, A few days later my package arrived, I restrung the
mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard with pearl Martin with Elixir 13s – and you know what? The
diamonds and squares inlay, it’s classic stuff. difference was staggering. More clarity, more volume
However, Atkin does very believable ageing on and dramatically improved tone across the spectrum.
some of his guitars and that’s what you find here I’ve hardly put the darned thing down since. It was
on the dreadnought’s very thin nitrocellulose always a great dreadnought, but it’s a veritable
finish. All Atkin guitars sound amazing, are built battlecruiser now.
to super standards, and rival many of the much So, if you feel your favourite flat-top could do with
bigger brands in all-round quality. They always a little love, treat it to a set of bone bridge pins. It will
look fantastic, too, especially in this tinted, aged thank you. Harley Benton does plain white bone, white
guise. And if you’d rather not have the usual with an ebony dot (which I bought), or with abalone.
names on the headstock, then an Atkin is as I think I can honestly say it was the most worthwhile
good an alternative as you’ll find. £13.90 I’ve ever spent on a guitar. Why not try it, and
let us know how you get on? See you next time.

36 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 CONFESSIONS OF
A LUTHIER
...

Body Building
This month Alex Bishop sees his latest projects start to take shape as
“overcomplicated boxes with holes in” become bona fide guitars

egular readers of this column will know that I’ve the bevel and then join back together seamlessly

R been working on a couple of guitars recently:

a cedar of Lebanon-topped Gypsy jazz guitar
and a figured walnut OM, both sporting fancy side
somewhere near the end block. I accomplish this
by glueing in the strips, using a baffling array of
scalpel blades and reinforced tape, and making the
soundports and arm bevels. This month felt like a turning workbench look like some sort of brutal crime scene.
point as – in between a glut of repairs and guitar making I’m yet to apply the ebony covering veneer, which
lessons – the bindings and purflings were scraped back will do the job of blending the bevel into the bindings
to reveal objects that were no longer overcomplicated to make this appear to be one continuous piece of
boxes with holes in but curvaceous wooden sculptures wood. Success at this stage will be judged by my
of (hopefully) tantalising beauty. ability to cut a close-fitting shape (also banana-
shaped) that will have to conform perfectly to the
“I enjoy building the neck and body so much surface of the bevel, without much overlap. The veneer
is ironed onto the surface and then taped into place.
that I actually forget I’m building a guitar, until After this, all I can do is cross my fingers and hope for
one day the familiar outline is standing there” the best… Watch this space.
I’m pleased with my aesthetic choices so far on
My levels of excitement and anticipation at this these two guitars, which by this stage are starting
stage never appear to wane; I seem to enjoy building to show off their personalities. The theme of the
the neck and body so much that I actually forget I’m OM guitar is one of cleanness and unfussy design.
building a guitar, until one day when I stand back Between the soundboard and bindings I have opted
and the familiar outline is standing there, drawn out for a single maple purfling that contrasts nicely
from the roughly hewn wood it once was. I’ll try not to with the darker western red cedar. Similarly, I’ve
fantasise about the potential of how these instruments used thin maple appointments around the rosette
are going to sound and return to, perhaps, more and headstock to tie everything together. Other
practical matters. than some simple geometric inlays (a nod to the
The hard work on the arm bevels is complete, which Kandinsky-inspired designs from my previous guitars)
involves fitting a banana-shaped internal block along I’ve tried to let the timber do the talking.
This freshly assembled the inside corner of the lower bout. This creates
cedar of Lebanon-topped enough supporting wood to be carved away to soften Visual Impact
Gypsy jazz guitar (left)
the perpendicular edge that the player’s strumming The Gypsy jazz guitar on the other hand takes some
and figured walnut OM
await completion in arm pushes into. However, the tricky bit is in the way bold black purfling lines and a triple-striped rosette
Alex’s workshop that the bindings and purflings have to diverge around in padauk, walnut and cedar to try to complement the
visually arresting fanned-fret design. I’m yet to make
the fingerboard on this guitar, but I’m aware from
previous fanned-fret builds that this is the piece of the
instrument that really grabs the attention of casual
onlookers. For maximum effect I’ll be most likely to
make it from ebony, against which the nickel frets
most stand out. These days, my preference is to avoid
any inlay whatsoever (except for some discreet side
dots to aid navigation) so as not to dilute the visual
impact of those wonky lines.
So the next step is to attach the necks that have
been hanging up impatiently above my workbench.
Given that a lot of the guitars I build tend to have
soundholes too small to put your hand into, I’ve always
opted for a traditional glued-in dovetail join, rather
than a bolt-on neck (which would require access to
PHOTO BY ALEX BISHOP

the internal neck block). While the removability of the

bolt-on neck is helpful, there is something reassuringly
permanent in a glued-in neck join. Whenever I question
the reversibility of this method I hear my old tutor’s
voice: “Well, you’re not going to glue it on wrong in the
first place, are you?” I certainly hope not…

38 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 RAISING
THE TONE
…

Telecaster Transformation
Jamie Dickson gets his refinished and aged Tele Custom back –
so was it worth it? Let’s find out in part two of his Tele story

egular readers will know that a few years ago I certainly be an unimpeachable choice, but in the end I

R bought a player’s grade Telecaster Custom from

the early 70s. The guitar had most of the right
bits except for the body, which was a later Warmoth
decided it would be a slight anticlimax to have the guitar
refinished by a superb aged paint specialist only to choose
the most conventional Fender finish of all. Undecided, I
replacement with a high-gloss clear natural finish that cruised the internet until I found a surprising option that
seemed out of kilter with the guitar’s honey-toned was right under my nose.
original neck and vintage hardware. The answer to On an Instagram account for Telecaster fans, I saw an
fixing this mismatch came via Golden Era Aged Guitars image of a battered natural-finish Tele Custom that looked
of Castledawson, Northern Ireland. The company sensational, with all the wear you might expect from a
specialises in lovingly authentic aged guitar bodies hard life on the road. Maybe the problem wasn’t that my
finished in classic Duco and Lucite colours from Fender’s guitar had a natural finish, just that it had a painfully clean
50s and 60s golden years, plus aged sparkle and paisley and unnaturally glossy natural finish. I talked the matter
finishes and more besides. over with Scott, who – having already listened to 20 earlier
ideas I’d mulled – really deserved a medal for patience. He
“Scott’s a demon for detail and we decided to agreed that, done right, an aged natural finish might look
great on the Tele Custom.
imagine a fictional backstory for the guitar that With that, the matter seemed settled. But as the day
would account for it being finished like this” drew near that Scott had set aside for spraying my Tele
with an aged natural nitro finish (yes, an anachronism for
These days, Golden Era’s Scott Cameron focuses on a 70s Tele, but period-correctness be damned), I started
pre-finished bodies for high-quality partscaster builds, to get cold feet. Again, it seemed just too tame to re-do
but once upon a time he used to do refinishes as well – the guitar in a subtly cooler version of its existing look.
and, intrigued by my project, offered to make an exception Once that doubt had taken root in my mind, I knew I had to
for my Tele Custom. So what colour did I want? Even contact Scott. I dropped him a line sheepishly asking if it
though Scott does really authentic paisley finishes – a kind was too late to change my mind? Ever patient, Scott said
of speciality of his – neither of us felt like it would work for it would be okay – but what did I want? Good question…
the Tele Custom, being too far outside the model’s original By now suffering from severe ‘paralysis of analysis’
1. The original early 70s look and, with that large black scratchplate, much of the as someone once called it, I decided to do something
Fender neck had a slight
back-bow, which was
ornate patterning of the paisley would have been hidden unexpected and, perhaps, a bit of a throw of the dice.
corrected, but also some from view anyway. Likewise, I quickly ruled out an aged “Tell you what, Scott, why don‘t you surprise me?” I said.
lovely figuring in the maple sparkle finish. As stunning as those can be, especially Scott’s got a great eye and he already knew what kinds
2. The guitar’s pickups were under stage lights, I wanted the Tele Custom to be the kind of finishes I really liked – and what kinds I didn’t – by this
original Tele Custom kit and of workhorse guitar that you use every day, and that led stage, so it was perhaps less of a gamble than it might
sounded great together me away from the glitz and towards more traditional tones. initially seem. After a little initial hesitation, he quickly
3. Here and there, fake warmed to the idea and set to work. I felt a lot better for
‘touch up’ paint marks Natural Selection turning the matter over to him, strangely enough, and
have been applied, as if
I asked former Guitarist editor Neville Marten what finish in the end I was really thrilled with the colour he chose
dings had been patched
further on down the line he would choose and he suggested the classic three-tone – Mandan Red, one of a few lesser-known red hues that
from the ‘70s’ refin sunburst the model was originally offered in. That would Fender experimented with in the 50s.

2 3

40 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 1

4. The heavily checked

finish is meant to emulate
an auto shop or garage
refinish with a remnant tin
of Mandan Red paint
2
5. The front of the guitar
5 has a slight gloss to it,
consistent with being
‘buffed’ by playwear over
decades. The reverse of
the guitar has more of a
knocked-back satin feel
6. A new high-spec wiring
loom, including CTS pots
and Sprague caps, made
the guitar’s internal signal
path rock-solid reliable

4
6

Past Imperfect Scott said, in his mind, he imagined this guitar to have
Now, obviously a 70s Tele Custom wouldn’t have been been refinished in the late 70s with a tin of old Mandan
finished in Mandan Red at the factory. Separated by Red kicking around in an auto shop or garage shelf.
a couple of decades of Fender history and a change That idea of a non-factory refin done relatively early in
of hands to CBS, that finish and my guitar, historically the guitar’s life by someone using basic but passably
speaking, shouldn’t have gone together. Obviously, if professional spraying kit was what guided the whole
you’re refinishing a guitar then you can paint it whatever look of my guitar, Scott explained. For the story to work,
colour you want, but Scott’s a demon for detail and we however, the result should look good but not too perfect.
decided to imagine a fictional backstory for the guitar that Scott revels in details, so this was a chance for his
would account – if only in our minds – for it being finished imagination to stretch its legs.
in this Mandan Red. Now, for those who don’t care for Instead of a high-gloss finish, the guitar would have a
reliced finishes, the following will probably seem like an satin-type sheen consistent with the fictional 70s refin
exercise in whimsy at best. If you are such a person, it may being done with relatively limited facilities. Parts of the top
be best to look away now. would be slightly higher gloss than the back, to replicate

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 41

 RAISING
THE TONE
…

6. A very tidy new wiring

loom replaced the slightly
chaotic mix of old and new
components, including pots
that appeared to have
sustained heat damage,
that this ‘bitsa’ Tele had
6
acquired over the years

the slight buffing effect of forearm movement over the with the guitar being put together as a quick project,
top during decades of playing. Lacquer checking would and the wiring of the controls was functional but pretty
be quite heavy, again replicating an imaginary 70s garage untidy as found. Would I like it to be upgraded to a fully
refin. And, as the icing on this intentionally crude cake, squared-away, high-end spec that befitted the guitar’s
Scott even mimicked one or two tiny spots where the new ‘hot-rod vintage’ vibe? After a bit of thought, I agreed.
finish had been touched up with the point of a brush The guitar was so messed-about-with already that,
due to dings further down the line from the ‘70s’ refin. although built from original vintage Fender parts in the
It’s an idea that could go too far in the hands of a less main, there was little actual factory originality about it.
skilled finisher or simply look clumsy, but Scott sent me A really solid, tidy wiring loom could only improve things,
numerous images of the work in progress that proved the under the circumstances, so I asked Ernie to proceed
effect was going to look sensational, though perhaps not and he duly fitted a Switchcraft short straight three-way
for those who like guitars to look pristine and traditional. toggle switch for the pickup selector, four CTS 500k
pots, Sprague .022µF capacitors and a Switchcraft jack
Wired For Sound socket – a fully professional spec that should prove to be
The refinish done, complete with its gloriously inventive rock-solid reliable.
‘warts’ and all, it was time to send the guitar to be put All that remained now was for the guitar to be shipped
back together and set up by Lowden-trained tech Ernie back. I counted down the days to its arrival with eager
McMillen ([Link]/ernietheguitardoctor), anticipation. What would it be like in the flesh? As cool
aka The Guitar Doctor. A couple of days later I got a call as the pictures looked or a letdown? The fateful morning
from him. A diligent and professional setup guy, Ernie arrived when the courier dropped off the familiar large
told me that the Tele’s neck had a slight back-bow, which rectangular card box and I sliced open the packaging
he’d accounted for in the setup that included some work with excitement and just the mildest tinge of trepidation.
on the frets, and he had also tidied up the nut a little. I’d Pulling the guitar out of the gigbag I sent it in, I marvelled
at it. The Mandan Red was a really lovely oxblood colour
“Lacquer checking would be quite heavy, again almost and the touches of deliberately crude detailing,
done to establish its fictional backstory, were just
replicating an imaginary 70s garage refin – an right – not too heavy handed, characterful rather than
idea that could go too far in less skilled hands” pantomime in their rough-and-ready looks. In short, I
was delighted. The project was long in coming to fruition
specified that the guitar be set up for my preferred string but, true to my hopes, had transformed the guitar into
gauge for 25.5-inch scale Fenders, 9.5 to 44, which, to my something much vibier. And since this column is normally
mind, delivers the best compromise between a light, slinky about improving tone, I’ll save the best bit to last. With a
feel and having a little substance to the sound, and Ernie thinner nitro finish the guitar felt palpably more resonant –
accommodated that without fuss. aided by Ernie’s fettling – and really loud when strummed
He was calling, however, because of the electronics. acoustically. Plugged in, it felt slinky to play and full of
As mentioned in last month’s column the guitar was great sounds, from that wiry bridge pickup to those
a quasi-vintage partscaster project when I bought it. warm-but-detailed humbucker tones from the original
Though it worked fine, Ernie reported, there were a few Wide Range. Now, all that remains is to put several years
things that could use an upgrade – the pickup selector of wear-marks of my own on it…
switch was non-original and pretty cheap, consistent [Link]

42 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 AUDIO [Link]

SUBSTITUTE
...

Moving Voices
Richard Barrett outlines a harmony using chord changes
in small steps, which is great for use in a trio format

I
n harmony that involves shifting from one chord
to another, you’ll often see changes happening in
small steps, rather than wide interval jumps. The
five chords featured here can be played one after the
other to demonstrate this in action. The way they are
voiced is reminiscent of jazz players such as Herb Ellis,
Tal Farlow and Martin Taylor.
Most of the examples only use the ‘inside’ strings,
omitting the low and high Es, which is ideal for
outlining the harmony without crowding the other
instruments in a line-up. Voicings such as this can
also be great for raking across with the pick to create
arpeggio-type lines where you may want to outline
the harmony as part of a solo, for example, with a trio

PHOTO BY JOBY SESSIONS

where there is only bass and drums to support you.
These chords are all movable, so can be played in any
Outlining the harmony
position and/or key. It’s worth experimenting with
in small steps is a jazzy
idea you’ll hear in Martin them in different orders, too, like ‘building blocks’ that
Taylor’s back catalogue can be moved to create a variety of jazzy ideas.

Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 Example 5

This stripped-down A major By shifting just one note up This B minor is a cut-down Reaching over to the high E Reverting back to the ‘inside’
chord omits the low and by a semitone, we change the version of the full barre chord, string, we have an E13 ( b 9). strings, we have here an
high E strings for a compact A chord to B b diminished. I’ve which could also inhabit this The b 9 comes in the form of Amaj9. The ‘maj’ part of the
sound preferred by many called this B b dim/E in respect position of the fretboard. the F at the 10th fret of the name refers to the major
jazz players. It’s great when of the E on the fifth string, but As with the last example, third string. It’s tempting to 7th (G#), which is tucked
leaving room for piano, brass the bass or other instruments we could take account of use the open sixth string as in neatly below the 9th (B).
or vocals. The mellow sound could easily negate this the lowest note and call this a root, but then we would be This is a great example of a
we associate with jazz guitar is and change it back to a B b Bmin/F#, but on this occasion sacrificing the ability to play harmonically complex chord
often just as much about note diminished by simply playing I’m opting to imagine a B root this in any key and treading squeezed into a small space
groupings as it is about tone a B b root. playing under it. on the toes of the bass! – ideal for jazz ‘comping’
and pickup selection. and accompaniment.

A Bbdim/E Bm E13b9 Amaj9

5- 5- 7- 9- 12-

44 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 FEEDBACK
...

Feedback
Your letters to the Guitarist editor.
Drop us a line at guitarist@[Link]

NEW FOR OLD…

STAR LETTER Just seen the Feedback column in this month’s
magazine talking about the quantity of coverage given
HEAR, HEAR to new versus old-style guitars, and asking for input on
this. I vote for more new. While it’s always interesting to
Having been a person who makes see how manufacturers adapt tried-and-tested designs,
noises on a guitar since 1964 – those I feel that there is only so much that needs to be said
Beatles have a lot to answer for – here before we quickly retread well-worn ground.
I have often anguished over picks, So how about this instead? When a new Fender/
strings, guitars, amps and layers of Gibson-style guitar is released you could just run
paint (see Neville’s Advocate issue a relatively short piece along the lines of “it’s like a
491). However, as I have grown older, Strat except for x, y, and z; and we give it X out of 10
I realise that those things have very for these reasons”. This would presumably free up the
little authority when it comes to ears. space for coverage of some really innovative modern
As you lose the youthfulness of your designs that really do have a new story to tell, and
aural ability, you lose not just volume offer some genuine criticism, which I am sure a lot of
but also frequency and who knows smaller companies would find really useful.
what. This doesn’t mean you lose Adrian North
everything, but it does mean that all that other stuff is subjective.
I still love the Strat-y sound of a Strat and the humbucking sound …OR OLD FOR NEW?
of a humbucker or effects like echo, reverb, distortion, etc. But, I will
never be able to distinguish the difference between certain amps or Why strive for some new, futuristic innovation when
guitars. Nevertheless, as a longtime Guitarist subscriber, I do enjoy there are enough sounds and moods in a standard
the debate between more wood versus less wood or Bare Knuckle Telecaster to keep most guitarists happy for the rest
versus original brand and so on. It’s interesting to look at the science of their playing lives?
and hear expert views, so please keep it up. John Gow
Rob Hinchliffe
Thanks for your points of view, Adrian and John – this is one
Thanks for your thoughts, Rob. Hearing does change over the years, partly of the eternal balancing acts of writing about guitars. Lose
depending on how much punishment our ears have taken either by loud amps sight of what’s new and you miss out on instruments that
or other factors. Treble is, if memory serves, the first part of the frequency recharge, reinvigorate or redefine our passion for guitars. But
spectrum to lose acuity, so maybe some of the nuance you report losing in your the classics still form the basis of so many new designs and,
hearing could stem from that – as treble so often brings detail and definition ironically, some of the most innovative advances in lutherie in
to sounds. It’s worth examining what the real importance of ‘tone’ is. It’s not recent years, such as Martin’s processes for torrefying acoustic
just meant to be a pleasant sound, heard in isolation – getting good tone is guitar tops, are aimed at recreating the sound of old guitars
about inspiring yourself to play with more feeling, expression, connection. So, without the passage of years being necessary. We especially
in that regard, if the tones you do hear do that for you, you have the essentials. liked, however, one recent suggestion that we do a regular
Everything else is just good honest debate, as you say. One thing your ears feature on new guitar designs from around the world – from
won’t fail to appreciate, though, is the set of Vox headphones winging their way Finland to Australia. If you like that idea or have something else
to you for penning this month’s Star Letter. you’d like to see, either vintage or modern, let us know.

SOLID STATE
I thought you might be interested in this guitar.
Some years back, I had gone into Allegro Music in
Chelmsford to buy an E string for my son-in-law, who
Each issue, the Star Letter will win a pair of needed to clean a jet out in a carburetor. My eye was
Vox VGH AC30 guitar amplifier headphones! drawn to a Danelectro on sale. It seemed cheap, so
[Link] I walked out of the store with it. A great guitar and
takes heavy chords well. I had always wondered what

Your letters to the Guitarist editor. Drop us a line at guitarist@[Link]

46 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Tony’s Dano bargain (right) is joined by
his solidbody reimagining of the model

a ‘proper’ one would be like, as in solid. So here at last

is my Dano Re-Imagined [above, left]. Hope you like it.
Tony Rossell

Thanks for sending this in, Tony. We love your reimagining of

the Dano look and vibe as a contemporary solidbody, which
looks really slickly executed, and we particularly like the
subtly reversed headstock [out of shot here] blending so well
with the more traditional styling cues. Have any other readers
attempted to reimagine classics in their homebuild projects?
Send ’em in and we’ll print the best here.

CLOSED CIRCUIT?
I’ve acquired a Bond Electraglide guitar from the
1980s in very good condition visually, but someone
has cut through the circuit electronics ribbon cables
and just wired the three pickups in parallel. The digital
circuit boards are still present, but to rescue the
original design I need a wiring diagram and details
of the power supply. I’ve had no luck searching the
internet and I would appreciate it if you could point me
to any sources of technical information.
John Cook

Can anyone help John with schematics for his old Bond?
Let us know and we’ll pass the info on to John who’ll hopefully
be able to resurrect a little slice of Scottish guitar history.

COUNTRY MUSIC
While watching the latest episode of Channel 5’s
Matt Baker: Our Farm In The Dales I spotted his father
taking this reading matter [below] into his caravan.
Ray Faulder

Fame at last! Thanks for sending that in, Ray, it really tickled
us. Neil Young used to record music in his barn, after all, so
guitars are quite at home in the farmyard.

Mike, father of TV’s Matt

Baker, clearly has good
taste in magazines
Gordon Giltrap
 THE

INTERVIEW

GORDON
G I LT R A P
What is good music? What is good guitar playing? Though the premise
of such questions is simple, it can take a lifetime to arrive at meaningful
answers, as acoustic master Gordon Giltrap reflects when we join him
to discuss his powerful new album, Scattered Chapters

Words Jamie Dickson Photography Phil Barker

O
ne of Britain’s most gifted fingerstyle But anthems such as Heartsong are only one facet
guitarists, Gordon Giltrap took of an ever-evolving body of work that today spans
inspiration from the heavyweights of 28 albums and more than 50 years of music-making.
the 60s folk scene, Bert Jansch and Giltrap’s road through music – and life at large – has been
John Renbourn, before embarking long and, at times, marked with tragedy. The sum of all
on his own recording career in 1968. Self-taught, this experience has now been distilled into his latest
Giltrap’s lyrical acoustic style has a joyous, universal album, Scattered Chapters, co-written with keyboardist
quality that arguably even his heroes lacked and a and arranger Paul Ward. As a tapestry of instrumental
distinctiveness that owed in part to Giltrap being a pieces, the thread that binds it together is a vivid strand
self-professed “ignoramus” when it came to standard of emotion, which is anchored in profound personal
guitar technique. After becoming a regular on the BBC’s experiences and a rare humility. For Giltrap, good music-
flagship serious music show The Old Grey Whistle making is not about handing a loudhailer to your ego but
Test, crossover hits such as Heartsong from his 1977 becoming open to the flow of creativity.
album, The Perilous Journey, followed, making Giltrap “All the best stuff comes when you’re not thinking
a household name – to his bemusement. about it,” he reflects. “And it just flows. Basically, you start
“I had no idea it would be a hit record, no idea,” off with a one-bar idea and then build up on that. And,
Gordon recalls. “But then it started selling. And next eventually, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle: you keep putting the
thing you know you’re on Top Of The Pops and they pieces in and then eventually you end up with a [finished]
ring you up and they say, ‘Oh, you sold 15,000 singles piece and then you step back from it. And you say to
today,’ and you think, ‘I don’t know these people – how yourself, ‘How did I do that?’”
come they bought my record?’ But the next day it was That simple but deceptively deep question is one
25,000 copies sold in a day. It’s very hard to get your Giltrap has been pondering for decades. And he’s happy
head around the fact that suddenly you’re selling a lot to share his hard-won insights on what the art of guitar
of records. Suddenly, you’re known nationally, not just playing is really about in a wide-ranging and often
among the people that like guitar playing or have seen philosophical conversation that begins with his new album
you on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Suddenly, you’re and touches on life, death and the “absolute bollocks” that
a pop star, whether you like it or not.” drives us to buy more guitars than we really need…

DECEMBER
AUGUST 2022
2021 GUITARIST 49
 Gordon Giltrap

1. In the early days of his You share the limelight on the album with Paul Ward, Through Braden’s Door is one of the standout pieces on
career, Gordon sought playing a minimal role on some tracks and leading on the new album, both as a piece of guitar playing and in
to emulate the styles of
Bert Jansch and John
others, yet it all hangs together beautifully. terms of emotional impact – what’s the backdrop to it?
Renbourn. As others have “Well, I have an incredible relationship with Paul “Through Braden’s Door is a very powerful piece of
found, before and since, Ward, almost a psychic connection. All his parts were music. My son died in 2018. And that was a very dark,
this attempt instead led recorded in Sheffield, where he lives, but not once did difficult period for all of us in the family. I’d lost a son.
to him finding his own
unique voice on guitar we meet – everything was done by sending the tracks My grandson Braden had lost his father, my daughter-
[via file sharing]. And then he would put on the track in-law [Karen Giltrap-Barnes] lost her husband. Karen
what he thought was right for it. Nine times out of 10 it rang me up one day… I’d given Braden a little three-
was dead right. But, of course, he was using orchestral quarter sized classical guitar and shortly after his dad
samples and one of the great masters of [arranging had died, Braden was in his bedroom. He was just
strings for contemporary music] was Del Newman, strumming the open strings and singing something
who I worked with on the Troubadour album. I’ve – some words that had come to him. He would have
known Del since 1977, he was a genius. I said [to Paul], been six, seven years old. And his mum was walking
‘Listen to what Del did on [1998’s] Troubadour, the past the door and she said, ‘I heard Braden singing and
way he mixed the strings.’ At the time, Del said he I just looked through the crack in the door, at what he
wanted to do the arrangements and produce the album was doing.’ And in my mind I visualise that scene: if I’d
because ‘I didn’t want your guitar to be buried’. So the been there, I would have been witnessing this little boy
guitar is always there and the strings are under there to trying to express how he felt about losing his father.
complement it and I just let Paul do his thing. And so that’s how the piece came about. Now, when
“But we have this amazing relationship and the main I first wrote it, I gave it to Paul and for some reason, he
thing that’s taken out of the equation is ego. The man said, ‘I’m having trouble trying to write an arrangement
doesn’t have an ego – he says, ‘Gordon, if you aren’t for this.’ I listened to it again and I said to him, ‘Do you
happy with something, tell me. I don’t have an ego, it’s know, Paul, it’s because the piece isn’t finished. I’m
not a problem. We’ve got to serve the music or serve the going to rewrite it.’ Again – take ego out of the equation:
tune.’ And that’s how it came about.” it’s not good enough, it’s not right. So I rewrote it.”

·
1
“I’m a prime example
of somebody who’s done
everything wrong and
somehow it turned out right”
·
Another captivating piece from the current album
is One For Billie. What tuning is that in?
“Thank you. That was originally on the Ravens And
Lullabies album [2013] with Oliver Wakeman and I’d
recorded it to a click track just in case Oliver needed
that, but I wasn’t happy with it because it was too rigid.
I always thought, ‘One day I’m going to re-record the
way it should be. With lots of space, lots of rubato, lots
of emotion,’ because it was written for my wife, Hilary.
Now, her childhood nickname is Billie and even a lot
of her family members still call her Billie. So I thought
we’re gonna write a piece for Hilary called One For Billie.
That came about from a tuning [C G Eb F Bb D] I’d come
across years before that, which I learned from a session
player called Terry Johnson who was in the pit band
for Blood Brothers. He said, ‘You gotta hear this tuning
– it’s a Joni Mitchell tuning,’ Which it is. So I tried it and
PHOTO BY GEMS/REDFERNS/ GETTY IMAGES

thought, ‘Oh God, this is fantastic.’ So thank you, Joni

Mitchell, for that tuning.”

Your playing has become a benchmark for anyone

aspiring to play acoustic fingerstyle – yet some aspects
are unorthodox, such as your use of a pick and little
finger to pluck strings. How did you develop your style?
“I’m a prime example of somebody who’s done
everything wrong and somehow it turned out right.

50 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

Seriously, from the word go. I look back on my life in 2. “My Dano is a stock model 2
absolute wonder, thinking, ‘How did this happen? NOS+ with the wrapover
bridge,” Gordon says.
Who is this bloke Gordon Giltrap?’ I was born with an “I like the simplicity of the
unusual name, which I hated. But it’s a gift – two ‘Gs’, design and have always
you can remember it. How did my parents, who were loved the bell-like tone
working-class folk, come up with a name like Gordon? of those lipstick pickups,
which apparently for
That’s not a working-class name – I should have been that particular issue had
maybe a Derek or an Albert or something, but I wasn’t. pickups that had been
So I left school at 15, with no education, and I was old stock and were sort of
playing the guitar from the age of 12, but then everybody rediscovered and were said
to have a warmer sound.
else was, too, you know? Either way, I love the guitar
“Most of the guitar players from my generation, who a lot and used it on the
were born in 1947 or 1948 [or 1949] – myself, Mark track Turning Earth on
Scattered Chapters”
Knopfler, Richard Thompson… we’re all influenced by
Hank Marvin, all of us, because he was the first great
guitar hero. And we didn’t realise it at the time, but
the man was a bloody genius. He created that sound.
It was in his fingers, but he also had the vision to use
the right amplifier, the delay and the Strat. He owned
it, that sound. So I was doing all I could to sound like
Hank Marvin.
“And then I got turned on to the acoustic guitar and
I was listening to Bert Jansch and John Renbourn.
And wanted to be like [Bert] – I even wanted to look like
him, which I did, funnily enough. But my hair was too
smart to be like Bert.

“Most of the players from my

generation were influenced by
Hank Marvin. The man was
a bloody genius”
·
“Actually, I’ll tell you a funny story. When Bert was
ill in hospital I went to visit him. I’d just come from
a meeting with the record company and I had a load
of early photographs that they wanted to use. I was
showing Bert a picture of me when I was about 18.
And he said, ‘What’s with the hair?’ Because I was a
Mod, you see? I wanted to be attractive to girls. But
Bert was like Dylan. The way he looked was the way he
was: that wasn’t contrived. Bert was Bert, he was totally
happy within his skin; he didn’t feel the need to impress
anybody. That’s what he was.
“But, anyway, I left school at 15. Tried to sound like
my [acoustic] heroes. I had no idea that they used
their fingers [of the right hand] to play the guitar. I was
such an ignoramus because I was still using the pick,
thinking, ‘How can I pluck two notes at once?’ Then the
little finger crept in and I thought, ‘Well, okay, I can use
that,’ and it stayed like that. And here I am at the age of
74 and it’s still like that.”

It’s all too easy for people to think of quirks in their

own playing style as ‘faults’ to be pruned out rather
than unique qualities.
“Yes – many years ago, I said to Ray Burley, who is
a scholastic musician and a great classical player,
‘Ray, do you think I ought to learn to read the dots?’
 ·

“I got turned on to the acoustic 3. Gordon at ease with his

signature model Fylde to
guitar and I wanted to be like Bert hand, which features a
figured maple back and
Jansch – I even wanted to look like cedar top. While this is his
him, but my hair was too smart” instrument of choice for
larger shows, he also gigs
with his signature model
Vintage electro-acoustics,
· which he designed
with veteran luthier
He said, ‘Don’t do it – because what you do theoretically Rob Armstrong
shouldn’t work. But it does.’ He said, ‘You’ve broken
all the rules, but you do it your way and it works. And
if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ And I think that’s relevant
to a lot of people. They think, ‘Well, I’m a blues guitar
player. I love Stevie Ray Vaughan – I want to spend my
life getting the sound he does. And how did he get that
sound? Well, I’ll use 13-gauge first strings and whatever
else he did to get that sound.’ But you want to say, ‘No,
that’s him. You’re never gonna sound like him. You’ve
got to be yourself.’”

Another insecurity that guitarists can fall prey to is that

they don’t believe they are ‘proper’ guitarists unless they
can play with blistering dexterity, even though good feel,
timing and melody usually matter more to listeners.
“Yeah, that’s a lesson of youth versus experience in a way,
isn’t it? Because when we have a piece that has some

52 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Gordon Giltrap

complexity, some go-faster stripes, part of you wants But we’re still looking for that guitar, aren’t we? We 4. Gordon with the scaled-
to show off how neatly you can do it at speed. But some think, ‘If I buy that guitar, I’ll be a better guitar player,’ down custom acoustic
he calls his ‘Baby Fylde’,
pieces, which could be played in a complex, fast way, or ‘If I buy that guitar I can write better tunes.’ Now, adding: “I have always
actually breathe a bit more and sound better when you there’s still that within me – I mean, I’m still looking loved short-scale guitars
let a bit of air and space into them. So I suppose it’s a for a guitar that I can use to help me create better because one is able to
matter of taste and experience judging where to pitch music. But, in actual fact, I don’t need to.” tune higher than concert
pitch to achieve those
it. It’s maturity, really, but it takes a long time to get to lovely bell-like ringing
that point. It can take a lifetime, actually. You had a period of serious illness a few years ago – tones. The woods used
“Let’s take as a shining example the brilliant Tommy how did that affect your relationship with the guitar? are Brazilian rosewood
Emmanuel. Any guitar player worth their salt would “You know, I’m very blessed. I mean, in 2015, I could that Roger Bucknall
bought from the family of
love to be able to play as well as Tommy does night have died, you know, I was diagnosed with cancer. It the late classical guitar
after night, with that speed, with that precision. I’m wasn’t till 2016 that I could have surgery, but anything maker Harald Petersen
never going to be able to play like that. But, for me, it’s can happen. I could have died under the knife, but many years back and kept
in storage. Bridge and
the slower pieces that he plays that mean more… So I didn’t. I came through that. I subsequently had to
fingerboard are ebony”
I’m a shining example, if you like, of somebody who have more surgery. For all I know, I may need to have
can play something slower – hopefully something more surgery, but you just think, ‘Well, okay, I’ll just
that’s got a bit more melodic, emotional and soulful take that as it comes’ – though that’s easier said than
content to it, that means something. For example, done because fear is a big obstacle to get over. But I had
every track on this album means something, there’s a little wonderful moment the other day when I was
a story behind it. doing my meditation and, suddenly, I thought, ‘I’m
“But let’s take any great guitar player, no matter not scared of anything. Whatever comes my way, I’ll
who they are, throughout history, they’ve not become deal with it.’ Because there’s nothing you can do about
great because they played fast. If you analyse it, why it. They say, ‘Everything you resist, persists.’ You can’t
is Peter Green still revered as this great guitar player? go against the flow of life, you can’t go against what’s
Was Peter Green a fast guitar player? So why are these going to be happening to you. You can’t avoid it, so you
people great? Because you are touching the soul. try to deal with it the best you can.

·
4
“I’m still looking for a guitar
that I can use to help me create
better music. But, in actual fact,
I don’t need to”
·
You’re making a direct contact between you and their
soul, which is a deeper level. And it’s so deep at times
you can’t even put it into words. Let’s take Jeff Beck:
Jeff Beck can play three notes and it makes the hair on
the back of your neck stand up. His sound, his tone…
I mean, when the penny really dropped with me about
Jeff Beck was years and years ago. My drummer at the
time, Ian Mosley, gave me an album called There And
Back. There’s a track on it called The Final Peace – just
Tony Hymas on keyboards and Jeff on guitar. And
that first note when he came in… it feels like you’re
listening to God. And that’s what he was trying to
create. Just that tone, that sound and his fingers on that
fingerboard was just incredible. That’s genius. Peter
Green could play just three notes like that. Because he
was playing from the heart. It’s just beautiful.’

The other insecurity guitarists can fall prey to is

feeling that their gear isn’t good enough.
“Yes, I remember the early days of Guitarist magazine
where they would interview me and I would think,
‘I saw that interview with David Gilmour and
he’s surrounded by all these guitars. Now, if I’m
surrounded by a lot of guitars people will think, ‘Oh,
he’s successful – he’s got all those guitars. I wish I was
him.’ ’ And it’s all bollocks. It’s all absolute bollocks.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 53

5

·
“Every track on the new
album was written from
the heart… and that’s
all that matters”
·
 Gordon Giltrap

“But when I became ill, I lost all interest in music The Dark… you remember the vibe in the studio at that 5. After decades of recording
and I would go into my music room and I would sit time, where you had the finest drummer in the world and performing, Gordon
says it’s the guitarist’s
there surrounded by all these guitar cases. I’d know playing on your tracks, Simon Phillips. So you go, ‘That emotional and even
that I’d got the finest guitars in the world in that room. was then, this is now – let’s move on.’ spiritual connection to the
I had a beautiful J-200 that Pete [Townshend] gave “There’s no way that Paul and I can make a better music that matters most
me when word got back to him I was poorly. And I’d album than Scattered Chapters. Paul said, ‘I think the
6. A reluctant venturer into
always hankered after a J-200, so there I was and I best is yet to come.’ But no, that’s not true. All we can do the realms of electric
thought I got a guitar that was given to me by Pete… In is the best we can do, in the future, if it’s right for that guitar, Gordon nonetheless
fact, within a month, I was given two guitars, one from to happen and if the circumstances of life allow us to wove its sound into his
Pete Townsend, one from Brian May – Brian gave me do that. Because tomorrow doesn’t exist. The future music from the 70s
onwards and still does so
a beautiful little 12-string, which I’ve recorded with doesn’t exist. You can talk about it. You can plan it and today, though acoustic
and I used it on one of the tracks. But I was sitting there you can put it in the diary. But it only happens when you remains his main focus
thinking, ‘I’ve no desire to pick up anything. I’ve got no get there. If you get there. But I have to tell you, every
desire to play, I’ve lost all interest in music. Because the track on the new album was written from the heart.
fabric of my life has just been ripped away. Somebody’s And I apply that to anybody who writes something.
just told me that I’ve got something serious that can I say, ‘If you’ve written something from the heart, if you
be life-threatening.’ So you start questioning your put it out there in the public domain, people are going
mortality and you get things into perspective. to make a comment.’ But if you’ve written it from the
“But as time goes on, you start to take interest again heart, that’s all that matters. At the end of the day, you
and start playing again and thinking, ‘Will I ever get know where it’s come from. You don’t need to change
back to playing on the stage again? Will I be well a note of it. Because you’ve got to live with that.”
enough?’ But Johnny Etheridge said to me, when I told
him I was ill, ‘After you’ve had your surgeries your job is Scattered Chapters by Gordon Giltrap and
to get better. That’s your job, nothing else. Your job is to Paul Ward is out now on Psychotron Records.
get better.’ That stuck with me because he’d had major For more information, including live dates, visit
surgery a couple of years prior to that. [Link]

·
6
“Whatever guitars we buy or sell
or keep, we’re only custodians of
them. We’re only borrowing them –
it’s like the house we live in”
·
“We all fall into that trap of [endlessly acquiring]
guitars, you know, but they are only things… And at the
end of the day, whatever guitars we buy or sell or keep,
we’re only custodians of them. We’re only borrowing
them – it’s like the house we live in. We only borrow it.”

How do you hope the songs on Scattered Chapters will

be received, when viewed against the big picture of your
life in music?
“When you know the backstory to a piece and
somebody says, ‘I’m not really keen on that piece,’ I’ll
say, ‘That’s fine, as a matter of opinion – but I know
where it’s come from. I know what it means to me,
PHOTO BY ESTATE OF KEITH MORRIS/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

and I know what it means to Paul.’ And that’s why this

body of work is so powerful. I could never, ever come
up with anything that can improve on this album; it’s
not possible. Just like with Troubadour, it’s not possible
to make a better album than that because you can’t
replicate the energy and the atmosphere and the vibe
of what was happening at that point in time, when
you’ve got the great Del Newman conducting some of
the finest musicians in the country, many of whom have
passed on now…
“So when I’d done that album, I thought, ‘This is my
finest album, I can’t do better.’ But then if you start going
back in time to Visionary, The Perilous Journey, Fear Of

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 55

YEARS
S OF THE
 1952
19
9 52
5 2022

Built for jazz, the Les Paul found its

true métier in the hands of blues-rock
artists years after its debut. Likewise,
the sunburst Les Pauls of 1958 to ’60
saw weak sales initially but are today
the world’s most desired guitars. Here,
we examine the rise, fall and rise of the
mercurial, ageless Gibson Les Paul,
seven decades on from its birthday...
Words Jamie Dickson Photography Neil Godwin

Guitar
a istt would like to thank Vintage ‘n’ Rar
a e Guitars for the kind loan of the
incredible 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard that appears on the cover of this issue.
For more info and a tour of their incredible stock, see
[Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 57

feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

GOLD RUSH
Gibson’s Mat Koehler is a tireless archive-miner who’s spent countless hours
tracing the history of the company’s iconic electrics. We join him to get a handle
on the epochal first 10 years of the model’s history in which it transformed from
elegant jazz guitar to the weapon of choice of the nascent rock ’n’ roll revolution

Words Jamie Dickson

A
s senior director of 1. Les Paul’s ‘Number town’… It was ever-present. I was the opposite of how Les Paul
product development at One’ or first approved always around guitars, but the had wanted. So because Les Paul
prototype of the Les
Gibson, Mat Koehler is Paul Model. Ever the Les Paul always had the mystique wanted to palm mute, and they
behind the company’s tinkerer, Les added to me and that led to me really did not execute it that way, it took
drive for maximum vintage many subsequent wanting to find an opportunity to them a full year and a half to fix it.
mods of his own
authenticity in its reissues, from work for Gibson. So yeah, in a way, The good news is, in that time, Ted
Epiphone Coronets to Custom 2. A time of transition: it means everything to me.” McCarty had created an amazing
Colour Firebirds. But he says the here, a vintage 1952 With this thought to conjure solution – the McCarty bridge, the
Goldtop (left) sits next
Les Paul – and the man who put his to a 1954 Les Paul,
with, we sit down with Mat to get stopbar bridge, which is still one of
moniker on one of the most iconic with its wraparound his forensic view on the large and my favourites. It’s not the best for
electrics of all time – was the guitar tailpiece. Note, this ’52 small transitions the model made intonation, which is why it evolved
that sparked his interest in working was modified at some in its earliest years, including the further, but it has a really specific
stage to allow strings
for the Nashville company and it to pass over, not under, anomalies and one-offs thrown up sound and grit to it. And then you
remains one of his ruling passions. the bridge by the breakneck speed of change got the ABR-1 that first debuts on
“I’m from Waukesha, Wisconsin, as the rock ’n’ roll era took off… the Les Paul Custom in 1954 – in
Les Paul’s hometown,” Mat says, late ’53, actually – and then it
“so the name Les Paul has always applies to the regular Les Paul, the
been legendary to me. Even as a
“Everything was constantly Goldtop model in 1955. And then
kid and growing up, my uncle had evolving at Gibson in the 1950s pretty much the Les Paul, as we
a music store there called White know it today, was born. That’s the
House Of Music and you’d always
and 60s. They wanted to stay evolution, outside of humbuckers
hear whispers that ‘Les Paul’s in ahead of the curve” MAT KOEHLER being introduced in 1957; those
are the three steps to the current
What’s your take on the early years ABR and stopbar setup that we
1 of the Les Paul Model? It saw quite see today.”
a few revisions in short order.
“Yeah, first, I should say that it With so many changes in the
wasn’t just Les Pauls that were space of a decade, you do hear
constantly evolving in the 1950s of a fair few examples of one-
and 60s – it was everything. So off guitars surviving that have
Gibson really had this model-year features you wouldn’t normally
mentality where they wanted associate with a given year.
to add features and benefits and “Yeah, I had a vintage guitar
make changes. And if something business before I joined Gibson,
was selling well and working well, so I would see a lot of those
normally it would stay in the line anomalies, but I wasn’t able to
for a little bit longer, but even then put them into context. Working
they were trying to stay ahead at Gibson and working for a long
of the curve. They had a lot of time with the Custom Shop and
competition at the time because Gibson Memphis, just being
this was the guitar boom era. present in the factory setting, you
That was another reason why I completely understand some of
PHOTO BY JUSTIN BORUCKI

think they were conscious of their these mysteries, like I completely

imitators, too, and they wanted to understand how a Goldtop could
PHOTO BY NEIL GODWIN

stay above the curve. have been shipped in ’59 and it

“So in the 50s, the first version probably was held back – possibly
is the trapeze tailpiece. Famously, in the repair department – and
the strings are wrapped around shipped later. Or they found it,

58 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

“The first version [of the
Les Paul Model had]
the trapeze tailpiece.
Famously, the strings
are wrapped around
the opposite of how
Les Paul had wanted”
M AT K
MA
MAT KO
OEEH
HLER
HLE
LE
ER

2
feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

they serialised it and just shipped 3. The earliest Les

it out. You know, rule number Paul Customs of the
mid-50s featured
one of businesses is [there must a so-called Alnico
be] stuff going out the door, so V ‘staple’ pickup at
Gibson always wanted to have the neck. Seen here
on a Gibson Custom
things going out the door, even reissue, its design
if they were older, repaired or proved too tricky to
repurposed. So yeah, that Goldtop mass manufacture
and it was later
’59 is a good example. dropped in favour
“Wrap-tail models, I’ve seen of a trio of PAFs
as late as early ’57. So there are
some odd ones. Then there 4. Producer John
Shanks’ 1960 Les
are the other anomalies, such Paul Standard,
as unique colours, which I’m with what appear
really interested in. I have a mini to be 1959-spec
appointments, making
“At the time they debuted,
custom-colour collection. No Les it a holdover example [the Custom] was the one that
Pauls, unfortunately! The whole – things didn’t change
gist of it is that the factory setting overnight when specs Les Paul bonded with. It was
were updated
is unpredictable. And that’s why really tuned into his tastes…
you see anomalies.”
he was definitely drawn to
One of the big changes to the Les
Paul was the introduction of the
those tuxedo appointments”
sunburst finish models in 1958. MAT KOEHLER
Why did the Goldtop get the push?
“Honestly, it’s about factory
context. I think they wanted to
get out of the gold paint business
because metallic paint is tough to
work with. There’s a lot of trash
in the air from the metallic finish
and they were like, ‘Can we get
away from metallic here, please?’
I think that was the request
[laughs]. It took them a while to
settle on the Cherry Sunburst as
we know it today – they did try a
[completely] Cherry Red guitar
very early on before there was a
Cherry Sunburst, and there were
maybe two of those, if I remember

PHOTO BY ADAM GASSON

3
60 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022
 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul feature

LATTER-DAY LESTERS
The development of the Les Paul after
the 1970s may have been less radical,
but it, too, has its landmarks. Here
are three notable ones…

LES PAUL HERITAGE 80 SERIES

One of the earliest attempts by
Gibson to faithfully replicate the
by-then celebrated 1959 Les
Paul Standard was the Heritage
80 Standard. Introduced as the
name suggests in 1980, it was
made in three variants, with
increasingly fancy appointments:
the Standard 80, the Standard
80 Elite, and the rare (around 50
were made) Standard 80 Award, which featured gold
hardware and a richly figured Cherryburst maple top.
Though designed to be accurate reissues, the outline and
geometry of the cutaway and body differed slightly from
originals. The series was discontinued in 1983.

LES PAUL STUDIO

Spotting a gap in the market for
a US-made Les Paul at a more
affordable price, Gibson debuted

PHOTO BY ELEANOR JANE

its Les Paul Studio in 1983.
Featuring a one-piece mahogany
body with single-ply binding,
maple neck and three-piece 4
maple top, the Studio Standard
was low on frills but, perhaps
incongruously, featured an “They wanted to get out of the gold paint
ebony fretboard. A Custom version was released at the
same time and featured a mahogany neck and body and
business… but the irony is they didn’t sell
multi-ply binding on the top edge of the body only, with as many Sunbursts as Goldtops” MAT KOEHLER
single-ply elsewhere. The Studio has since proven one
of the most popular and adaptable guitars in Gibson’s rightly. Then there was a really just minute changes to the guitars
line-up, undergoing many changes and variants, including unique guitar that I’ve seen that now are celebrated as great
multi-pickup Studio Lite M-III versions. personally, that is in the ledger differences. We’re talking about
book, it almost looks like a hand- bigger frets; occasionally, you’ll
LES PAUL AXCESS stained sunburst, though it’s more see flamier tops in ’59. And then
When the modern rock era of an amber sunburst: it’s front and in 1960, they wanted to get rid
arrived, Gibson struggled to find back sunburst with a tortoiseshell of the fading aniline-dye finish
the right way to address a pickguard – really unusual, but on the top. So by mid-1960 they
shred-oriented trend in guitar it’s real and it’s legit. I’m just not had introduced a new kind of
design that tended to favour allowed to share where it’s at tangerine-orange sunburst [aka
Strat-derived solidbodies not [laughs]. That tells me they were ‘tomato soup’ finish]. That’s really
archtop single-cuts. New designs experimenting with a few different the gist of it, though thinner neck
such as the SuperStrat-style U2 finishes before they landed on profiles and some of the hardware
and idiosyncratic M-III failed to Cherry Sunburst, but then when changes were instituted across the
get a serious foothold on the it debuts in the Gibson Gazette, board, such as the reflector knobs
ultra-playable contemporary electric market, so in 2008 they lead with ‘a beautiful cherry in 1960, the double-ring tuners.
Gibson turned its attention to adapting its flagship Les sunburst is the news for the Les Not a whole lot of differences
Paul, introducing a heel that blended seamlessly with the Paul…’ so they clearly were trying under the hood, though. Same
body, a belly carve for comfort and an extensively to hone in on something that they construction, same pickups.”
chambered body for weight relief. The addition of a Floyd thought would hit.
Rose completed the model’s migration into modern “The irony, of course, is that it Earlier you mentioned the ledger
shred territory and likely influenced the direction of later didn’t really hit it. They didn’t books in which Gibson kept track
contemporary LP models, including the more recent sell as many Sunbursts as they did of production of various models,
High Performance series, discontinued in 2020. Goldtops. Then in that evolution but the record is incomplete,
of ’58 through 1960, it was really isn’t it? How do you go about

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feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

authenticating ’Bursts for which

“In that evolution of ’58 through Paul bonded with. The irony is he
official records no longer exist? had specifically requested a maple
“There are only a few Les Pauls 1960, it was really just minute cap on the Les Paul, and then by
in our 1958 [ledger] book. And, the time they made the Les Paul
unfortunately, the time at which
changes that now are celebrated Customs in the 50s, they were
the Sunburst was debuted, was as great differences” MAT KOEHLER solid mahogany. I’m not actually
also the same time period when sure if Les Paul knew that or not.
the Explorer first shipped. had already started another book But the ebony fingerboard makes
That’s exactly where that ledger and they were just tagging on. up for that a bit, gives some of
book ends; it’s unusual because So that’s interesting. that brightness.
5. Producer John
the ledger book ends halfway Shanks’ 1959 ’Burst is “But it’s still a great mystery “So yeah, the Custom was the
through. May 31 is the last day in typical of many built what happened to those records. first model to debut the ABR,
the ledger book and then it’s just at the time in having They definitely existed, but there’s which is kind of cool, in 1953. And
a relatively plain top.
blank, so that tells me either they This example is not
this gap between mid-’58 through their evolution with the staple
moved to a different accounting quite fully original – 1960, a then it starts again in 1961. pickups was a whole different vibe
system or ledger system, or they note the Grovers Clearly, there must have been with the tiny, tiny frets. Everything
some intention to keep records for was designed around fast play.
that time period. I don’t know if it There was a lower-action spec,
5 was malicious… we’re actually still too, on that model, which a lot of
recovering parts of our archive people don’t know – out of the
today. And oftentimes, they’re just factory they were supposed to
in some little old lady’s garage, have an extremely low action as
so it’s very possible that they’re well as the small frets.
out there and that they will be “So the Customs were really,
recovered, I feel. really tuned into Les Paul’s tastes,
“But as far as verifying Les Pauls even more than the Les Paul
goes, the ledger book itself is not ‘regular’, which is what I call
a huge help with any of that. With anything that has gold paint. Even
some Les Pauls from ’58 through when the Les Paul transitioned
1960, you really, really have to into the SG shape, you see Mary
know the ‘tells’ [unmistakable Ford and Les Paul playing the SG
signs of genuine authenticity].” Custom with the Les Paul name
on it, so he definitely was drawn
Just for illustrative purposes, to those tuxedo appointments –
what might one or two of those and he was a sharp dresser, so it’s
‘tells’ be? no wonder.”
“I’m not sure I’m willing to give
that up… But I can say, generally The Alnico V ‘staple’ pickup
speaking, you want to hone in used on the neck position of
on completely benign elements the earliest Les Paul Customs is
of the guitar that most people having a bit of resurgence at the
would not think to look at. A lot moment, appearing on a fair few
of people are looking at the top boutique electrics by independent
carve and the neck profile, but makers. Why did it only ever
those are things that changed day appear, briefly, on the Custom?
to day in the factory. You want to “Again, factory context – I now
look for something that would be understand that they’re very
consistent on those originals that difficult to build. It’s part of the
is fairly [mundane] and then hone reason why we’re redeveloping the
in on that, compare, compare, staple pickup as we speak, to be
compare, see how it evolved. more factory-friendly. The design
“The more access to Les Pauls itself was a little crude – we have
you have, the better. Fortunately, Seth Lover’s original drawings and
when I had my previous business, you can tell that this wasn’t his
one of my best customers was instinctual way to create a pickup.
Joe Bonamassa, who was very, This was Les Paul in his ear
very friendly in sharing his guitars saying, ‘This is what you should
with me. That was great.” do.’ I think that had a lot to do
with it. But it does serve a purpose
PHOTO BY ELEANOR JANE

Moving on to the Les Paul Custom, and it has a fantastic jazz tone,
it seems almost a shame that, which is why you see it on archtop
though an icon in its own right, it’s models. I think, really, the reason
been in the shade of the ’Bursts… that it wasn’t more prevalent is
“Yeah, clearly at the time they just because of the difficulty to
debuted it was the one that Les construct it.”

62 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

LP EVOLUTION
Below we chart the key changes the Les Paul and its variants went
through in its seminal early years from 1952 to 1978

Words Jamie Dickson

1952
LES PAUL MODEL launched. Multi-
1956
SPRAGUE ‘BUMBLE BEE’ CAPACITORS
section maple top, mahogany body replaced earlier Sprague ‘Grey Tiger’
and neck. Gold-finished top (a few had caps in wiring looms of goldtop
gold back and sides also), twin soapbar Les Paul Model.
P-90s, trapeze tailpiece. Shallow-angle
neck-set means strings have to wrap LES PAUL JUNIOR pickup moved forward
under bridge, preventing palm muting, slightly to stand clear of bridge posts.
to make setup geometry work – turning

1957
a good bridge design into a flawed
one. Shallow neck-set also made later 1
conversion to stopbar tailpiece or
Tune-o-matic problematic. Single-ply HUMBUCKING PATENT APPLIED FOR

1954
cream binding – though very earliest 1. The shallow neck- (PAF) pickups replaced soapbar P-90s
models omit neck binding. Single-ring set of the earliest Les on Les Paul Model with DC resistance
Pauls led to usability
Kluson tuners with no brand name. typically within a 7 to 9kohms range.
problems with the
Tall ‘barrel’ control knobs. Silk-screen LES PAUL CUSTOM launched with trapeze tailpiece Some examples built with dark back
‘Les Paul Model logo on headstock’. mahogany carved top, neck and body. and sides finish (and yellow serial for
Alnico V pickup at neck and P-90 at 2. 1953 saw the legibility), but the majority have natural
disarmingly simple

1953
bridge, black covers. First appearance of mahogany finish back and sides. Earliest
wrapover bridge
ABR-1 bridge. Low ‘fretless wonder’ frets, introduced. Not easy PAFs fitted to Goldtops feature stainless-
bound ebony fretboard. Black finish and to intonate, it was steel covers before moving to nickel-
GOLDTOP LES PAUL upgraded with multi-ply binding, gold-plated hardware, superseded by the plated ones. Early humbucking Les Pauls
single-piece wrapover bridge and new split diamond inlay on headstock. ABR-1 in 1955 feature black plastic parts, including
raked-back neck-set geometry, with 3. Few guitars look
M-69 pickup rings, pickguard and so
trapeze tailpiece discontinued – though LES PAUL JUNIOR launched. Single-cut, as rock-focused as on (typically with matching black back
some guitars produced in early ’53 still slab mahogany body, 24.75-inch scale a three-pickup Les and sides on the guitar), though cream
made to 1952 spec. Neck-set angle and one P-90. Two-colour sunburst finish. Paul Custom, but at plastics replaced these relatively quickly.
the time of its launch
increases slightly up to 1954. Serial
in 1957 it was still
number on reverse of headstock. Gold LES PAUL TV model launched: essentially marketed as a modern LES PAUL CUSTOM switched to
‘barrel’ control knobs reduced in height. yellow-finish Junior but very early models jazz guitar, essentially three humbucking pickups.
had maple body and ¾-size scale length.

2
1955
ADJUSTABLE ABR-1 bridge replaced
3

wrapover bridge on goldtop Les Paul

Model in autumn. Gibson logo moved up
headstock. Control knobs changed to
familiar ‘top hat’ shape with curved sides.

LES PAUL TV model increased to 24.75-

inch scale. Mahogany body from late ’55.

LES PAUL SPECIAL launched featuring

a mahogany body and neck, two soapbar
P-90s, rosewood ’board and wrapover
bridge. Available in TV Yellow.

64 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul feature

4 5
1968
SINGLE-CUT LES PAUL STANDARD
model reintroduced as a reissue of
the 1956-spec P-90 Goldtop, though
with numerous alterations. Metal parts
now chrome instead of nickel-plated,
fingerboard Indian rosewood not
Brazilian, serial number stamped not
inked on headstock reverse. Sprague
‘Black Beauty’ or brown-disc capacitors.

LES PAUL CUSTOM also reintroduced

with two humbucking pickups
‘amplifier’-style control knobs,
shallower headstock back angle
(14 degrees instead of 17 degrees),
maple top on mahogany body and
long-tenon neck joint.

1969
LES PAUL DELUXE introduced. Features
four-piece ‘pancake’ body construction
comprising a maple top, a thick upper
section of mahogany, a thin layer of
maple then a thick lower section of

1958 1960
4. 1958 Les Paul mahogany, arranged pancake-wise.
Standards, such as Two mini-humbuckers instead of P-90s,
this beautiful example
goldtop finish. Three-piece mahogany
belonging to the Seven
SUNBURST-FINISH LES PAUL STANDARD SUNBURST FINISH changed due to Decades collection, neck with volute.
introduced (note the name change from introduction of new red dyes less rarely had figured tops
‘Les Paul Model’). Two-piece, centre- sensitive to light damage, assuming LES PAUL CUSTOM also received
seam maple top, cherry-tint back and a now-famous ‘tomato soup’ hue. 5. The Les Paul Deluxe ‘pancake’ body construction and
was a marriage of
sides, and the Cherry Sunburst finish Control knobs changed to ‘reflector’ convenience between three-piece maple neck with volute.
features a more vibrant red tint than 1959 type with metal cap, replacing the the classic single-cut
examples. Relatively few were made with earlier top-hat knobs with clear body and surplus LES PAUL STANDARD reissued in 1954
notably figured tops (circa 15 per cent) plastic tops. Neck profile became stock of Epiphone spec, with wraparound tailpiece and
pickups – but its
and around the same proportion were slimmer. White bobbins on pickups sound helped define
two P-90s with ‘Gibson’ on the covers.
factory fitted with Bigsby B-7 vibrato. phased out. Note, the earliest 1960 1970s rock music No volute.
Les Pauls were built to same spec as

1971
LES PAUL JUNIOR body changed to 1959 examples.
rounded, double-cutaway design (as does

1961
TV Model). Pickguard now tortoiseshell
instead of black. Cherry finish. LES PAUL DELUXE offered in Cherry
Sunburst and Cherry Red finishes.

1959
MODEL CHANGED completely to

1976
‘Les Paul/SG’ type double-cut design
featuring thin mahogany body and
FRET SIZE INCREASED on Les Paul bevelled edges plus ‘sideways’ Vibrola.
Standard, neck profile slightly less Les Paul’s name still appeared on LES PAUL STANDARD built with four-
chubby than 1958 examples, red of truss-rod cover, however. piece pancake construction (maple/
sunburst subtler – some examples in mahogany/maple/mahogany), three-
Tobacco Sunburst made. Pickup bobbins LES PAUL CUSTOM line also changed piece maple top, two humbuckers,
white or ‘zebra’, though if the latter the to SG-style body with white finish. Tune-o-matic bridge. Offered in Wine
bobbin with adjustable poles always black. Red, Natural, Tobacco Sunburst and

1963
Square-cornered jack plate fitted, along Cherry Sunburst finishes.
with small changes to plastics including

1978
ring around pickup selector, which
becomes thinner, with different font. LES PAUL STANDARD MODEL officially
discontinued, but, in reality, the then-
LES PAUL CUSTOM fitted with current SG-style Les Paul Standard TWO-PIECE BODY with maple top.
Grover Rotomatic tuners. simply became the ‘SG Standard’. Goldtop finish now also available.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 65

 feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

MAKING A SCENE
It’s arguable that the Les Paul might have become a footnote in guitar history
if Clapton hadn’t sent its reputation rocketing in ’66 with that Bluesbreakers
album. Here, Whitesnake legend Bernie Marsden recalls how the Lester
entered the mainstream of British rock guitar in the early 70s

Words Jamie Dickson

How did you first become aware What was the first single-cut 1. By the late 70s, When did you first try out an
of Les Pauls as a guitar to aspire Les Paul you owned? Bernie Marsden original ’Burst?
(pictured here in
to playing? “I had a ’53 conversion with 1978 on set with “The first real one I ever saw was
“Same as everybody – the UFO, more or less as soon as Whitesnake at in Bradford. I was playing a gig
Bluesbreakers. That picture on the I joined them. I got the gig with Shepperton Studios) with UFO – it might even have
had himself a bona
back, you know, and then very soon a Firebird. I think they liked the been my first gig – and I had that
fide Les Paul that was
after that, because Eric mentioned look of the Firebird so when I dubbed ‘the Beast’ ’53 conversion. The opening act
Freddie King, I started seeing turned up for the gig they said, was a guy called Phillip Goodhand-
pictures of Freddie King with a ‘Oh, where’s your guitar?’ And I Tait, singer-songwriter/piano
Goldtop. So it was in my head, said, ‘I got another one.’ But that player, and he had a guitar player
but even then – and we’re talking one had binding on the headstock, with him; his name was Arthur.
probably 1971 or ’72 – [Les Paul which was very unusual. There “I was wandering about and
Standards] were like £250. It was is a picture of it in my book I couldn’t find the UFO dressing
way out of your comfort zone, [Bernie’s autobiography, Where’s room, so I walked in another room
really. So when I got my first SG My Guitar?] and you can just see
and it turned out to be a Les Paul the binding on the headstock,
[see timeline on the previous page] but it had two PAFs fitted and a
“The Les Paul was in my head, but
I was over the moon. So I bought stop tailpiece, and that one was in 1971 or ’72 [Les Paul Standards]
my first Les Paul in 1970. And that with me for three or four years,
was the SG that Gary [Moore] had, up until I got the Beast [Bernie’s
were like £250. It was way out
and which I still have today.” well-known ’59 ’Burst].” of your comfort zone” BERNIE MARSDEN
and there was a brown case. I
thought, ‘Oh, whose is this, then?’
Because Phillip Goodhand-Tait
was a piano player, right? So I
looked at this case and opened it
and there’s a ’58 Les Paul inside.
I took it out of the case, which
is completely wrong – you don’t
touch anybody else’s guitar
without asking – but I couldn’t
help myself. I sat down because
I thought it’d be [the guitar of ]
one of the lads. But then in comes
Arthur, a real hippy type – blonde
hair right down to his waist.
I went, ‘Oh, sorry. Is this yours?’
(PHOTO BY FIN COSTELLO/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

I was all embarrassed. And he said,

‘Yeah, man…’ and I said, ‘This is
a lovely guitar.’ He said, ‘Do you
want to buy it? It’s for sale.’
I said, ‘Oh, I don’t know. What’s
a guitar like this worth? I have a
[conversion] Les Paul.’ So he said,
‘This is an original Les Paul from
1 1958. I’m looking for £150.’ I think
I had about 15 quid in the bank at

66 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul feature

BÊTE NOIRE
Amen Corner frontman and longtime
Clapton sideman Andy Fairweather
Low on the Les Paul Custom he loved
and lost early in his career

“I had the most fabulous black Les Paul, which I played

when I was in [post-Amen Corner 70s outfit] Fair
Weather,” Andy recalls. “It was the guitar that I used on
both albums with Fair Weather. About 20 or 30 years later,
someone came to see me at a gig and we were talking
about guitars and searching for a [perfect] guitar sound,
and the guy went, ‘But you had it,’ and I said ‘When?’ And
he said, ‘Go back to those albums with Fair Weather and
listen to that guitar sound…’ So I had it then, with the Les
Paul – and I wish I had that sound now. The songs weren’t
good and my playing wasn’t good. But that sound…
“It was a humbucker one – mahogany neck and all
PHOTO BY MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES

that. Beautiful but heavy. And I was still learning my craft

as a player, so the weight was interrupting the flow. In
the end, I sold it. Things went really bad, I had no money.
I went back home and I had to sell my Strat, the Les Paul,
a Fender Rhodes I had… all the gubbins that had served
me well in the 70s, I had to sell ’em all just to get cash.
But yeah, whoever’s got it now has got themselves a
2 bloody fabulous guitar!”

the time, so I remember saying, 2. In the early 70s, American, he wanted to get to “Mick got one first, actually.
‘No, I’ve got one. I’m okay, thanks.’ Andy Fairweather Low know as many of us reprobates as I think Mick got one in America
was in possession of
“Can you imagine how many a toneful mahogany- he could. He would say, ‘You want and brought it back after a Mott
times I’ve thought about that necked Les Paul to get one of these guys…’ and The Hoople tour. Then the Beast
conversation? It was immaculate – Custom. But he didn’t then he would bring this gorgeous turned up in the Marquee one
realise what he had
brand-new. I never did chase him guitar out and plug it in and we’d night when I was with Wild
till it was gone…
up. I don’t know what happened go, ‘Wow,’ and he’d say, ‘This Turkey. Mick was at the gig and
because the next time I saw is the one [model, not specific afterwards, he said, ‘When you
Phillip Goodhand-Tait, he didn’t instrument] that Clapton used on played that guitar, it was like
have Arthur with him. For all we the Bluesbreakers,’ and we’d all go, you’re plugged into two amps. You
know, that could have been the ‘Oh, yeah…’ and then a light came gotta have it, Bern – you gotta have
Bluesbreaker guitar. He said it was on, you know? He’d say, ‘One of it…’ I said, ‘Mick, I haven’t got any
a ’58, but it could have been a ’60 these will cost you at least £300…’ money and this guy wants £500 for
[for all I knew at the time], know it. It’s out of the question.’ He said,
what I mean? But that’s just one of ‘Well, you’ve got other guitars.
those Les Paul stories for you.”
“I was talking to someone at a Trade ’em in…’ And that’s more or
gig about searching for a [perfect] less what I did. I still owed [the
Was it common for pros in the seller] money at the end of it, but
early 70s to devote time to seeking
guitar sound, and the guy went, he was very good, he waited about
out original 50s Les Pauls? ‘But you had it’” ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW three months for his payment.
“Not really, there were a few of “This guy, Martin Henderson, he
us around at the time – me and and we’d go, ‘Oh, well, I won’t be would source Les Pauls for people
people like Mick Ralphs and getting one of those then…’ he thought should have them.
Geoff Whitehorn – and we were “But then people did start to get A Les Paul guru. That’s when the
all fairly aware. The guy that was them. Geoff [Whitehorn] beat me story came up, after I bought it.
the big innovator was a guy called to a Goldtop in Guitar Village by He said to me, ‘How’s the guitar?’
Robert Johnson; not the Robert an hour. We’ve talked about that I said, ‘Fantastic.’ That’s when
Johnson you might be thinking of. for the last 50 years nearly! He’s the famous line came, ‘Yes, isn’t
This was a guy from Memphis, he still got that Goldtop. I think it was it strange that Clapton let it go?’
played with John Entwistle and 240 quid: he got down there at 11 I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And
he carried around with him what o’clock and I showed up with the he said, ‘That came from Andy
became known as the ‘Brockburst’. money at about 12.30 So between Fraser [of Free]. Andy got it from
We’d bump into him in Top Gear that and Mick Ralphs and the Paul [Kossoff ] and Paul had traded
or Guitar Village and he was famous Flying V story, that’s twice it [for another guitar] with Eric.
one of the lads. Because he was I got stuffed! So that’s the chronology of it.’”

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 67

feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

OLD GLORY
Tom Murphy has been the driving force behind Gibson’s ever-more accurate reissues
of vintage Les Pauls, culminating in the creation of the ‘Murphy Lab’, which crafts
the company’s hand-aged guitars. We join him to discuss what the Les Paul was
designed to be, what it became – and what it takes to make a great one today

Words Jamie Dickson Photography Adam Gasson

When did you first start working 1. Details as small as supposed to do – helping other you’ll see really off-centre seams.
on Les Pauls? the exact font shape people with their guitars and just But they hadn’t yet engineered the
of the Gibson logo
“It goes way back to around 1970, inlay are revised and letting my passion guide me.” centre seam or said, ‘Let’s make
with just an interest in the guitars. improved as new info it look all bookmatched’ like it is
I had already started having a comes to light on how The flamed maple top has become on the back of the jazz guitars. I
the originals were
knowledge and appreciation for crafted in the 50s
an emblem of the Les Paul, but mean, if you think about it, when
older guitars, like so many other less than a third of 1958 to 1960 it came into being, the top of Les
people. I moved to Houston, Les Paul Standards are estimated Paul looks like the back of a jazz
Texas, in 1969, and there happened to have had any figuring in at guitar – maple had never been
to be a culture of old-guitar guys all. Have we misunderstood the on the front before. So then here
there. My first Les Paul was a model’s past? comes the Les Paul and then they
1968 Goldtop, and I guess I’d say “We all have a love of the organic said, ‘Oh, let’s showcase the top.’
my first experience there was nature of a really beautiful figured “But you don’t see many ’58s
I stripped all the gold off of it. top. I have a silly saying that when with fabulous tops [namely, at
I’ve told people [since then] I am the start of the ’Burst’s original
definitely paying for several sins production run]. I will say that
I committed back in the day!
“My first experience of a ’68 Les it is possible that marketing or
“I actually never planned to Paul was stripping the gold off of engineering then decided, ‘Hey, we
be a guitar technician, luthier or want to put the seam in the middle
repairman, but it finally caught
it. I’m paying for sins I committed and we want really sophisticated-
up with me that that’s what I was back in the day!” TOM MURPHY looking wood on the top.’ All the
same, a totally plain 1959 sunburst
we see a great top and the guys Les Paul and a really flamed one
1 are marvelling at it, I say, ‘This were the same price. Exactly the
stuff doesn’t grow on trees, you same price. But they are not now.”
know?’ And why it’s beautiful is it
doesn’t exist until it’s found on a Did the top-carve change much
processed tree and so no two are over time?
alike, though some are similar. “You tend to see it a little bit more
The difference today, and it has pronounced on the ’52s and ’53s,
been since the 90s, is that we can which was very, very early. I’ll tell
calculate [production] and produce you this, in the first year that we
beautiful, awesome instruments made the Historics, Matthew Klein
every day through our source of – who’s one of our engineers – and
wood, so it’s really not a rarity I did quite a bit of the engineering
today to find a beautiful top. But on the guitars. We wanted to
think back to the time before that capture a more accurate carving.
was engineered into the guitars… We did have a couple of originals
“We now have seen what was we were able to look at and take
reported to be the first sunburst some measurements from, but we
Les Paul – it surfaced and actually didn’t have the digital scanning
turned out to have a three-piece [technology] that we have now.
top. It looked like they might “Matthew hand-carved a big
have tried to make it somewhat butcher-block piece of maple to
symmetrical, where the seams [in the shape that he gathered from
the three-piece maple top] were making accurate measurements.
placed on each side of the bridge We had a measuring gauge on the
as opposed to on a Goldtop where top centre seam and we progressed

68 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul feature

it up through the centre of the What’s the secret to imparting

guitar, and that gave him some that subtly ‘just right’ look to a
numbers to make a grid from reissue guitar’s top?
and he then copied that [mapped “I won’t get too technical, but
profile] and hand-carved [a new I figured it out because I was
carving template or ‘pattern’]. around so many guitars. The top
So we had this old carver where of the Les Paul has a plateau in the
the wheel would travel over that belly, as we call it, and it’s not flat,
pattern and it would reproduce it exactly, but it’s not all rounded,
over on the top of a Les Paul. And either. Through the 80s you’ll see
that gave us an updated version of really arched tops, focusing on the
the carving. I was satisfied with it, centre. Well, that’s almost flat on a
but it didn’t take me long before vintage Les Paul to accommodate
noticing it started to be sort of the pickup rings, the bridge. I
compromised because guitars had discovered that there was a sort
to go through a really heavy-duty of flatness to the whole look of
belt sander to get the carving an old Les Paul: the screws are
ripples out of the top. And so you flat-headed, the pickup rings and
lost some of that fine detail. the covers are for most part level
“I’m gonna jump ahead and say with each other, the bridge is
the carving today, that you see pretty close to the top of the guitar, 2. The exact contours
on our vintage-style Les Pauls, and then the tailpiece… of a Les Paul’s top
either gold or sunburst, is the “They’re all sat on this cool are key to its visual
appeal, says Tom
most accurate that I’ve ever seen plateaued belly, which, when it Murphy, as evidenced
because it’s taken off of a real gets out toward the edge, drops in this Murphy Lab
guitar and transferred to digital off pretty quick. [The downward ’Burst reissue. He
adds that the peak
machines. I love it. It showcases contour radiating outwards from
of the arched top is
the look of a Les Paul, with the the belly] doesn’t go below the flatter than many
figured maple.” binding – though people think it would think

2
DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 69
feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

does. But as it fans out sideways, tell you that if you can’t handle 3. Subtle ageing – or exact same size as the 3lb top, but
the drop from the top of the 9lb, you don’t need to be playing heavy, as desired – is obviously it’s much denser. Well,
now the preserve of
carving to the bottom is radical a Les Paul! I don’t know what it guitars made in the
your bridge is screwed into the
and pretty fast, and so it catches is, but there is probably a formula so-called Murphy Lab, top, not the back. So what’s gonna
light. So when we saw Jimmy Page [to define] the ideal weight and as displayed on the sound better: the 3lb top or the 6lb
on stage, there was a crescent- density of the body and the neck rear of this headstock top? So ideally, if you put a really
shaped light where we’re seeing and the top all together. 4. Everything from
dense, tight, heavier top on a light
the carving in the top, and without “We have a lot of engineers here pickup covers to back, it’ll balance out.”
that definition, you don’t see that. and ways to measure stuff. I had plastics and hardware
“Today, the carving is a showcase two tops – just the tops – in my is designed to be as How has the process of making
accurate as possible
of the top of a Les Paul and I love hands one time when I was picking – and today’s aged accurate reissues of vintage
seeing it. It was really good [in the tops. And that’s just a slab, the two reissues have come Les Pauls evolved?
50s and 60s] and then it drifted – pieces glued together. It’s like an quite a long way from “When you look at a vintage Les
and in the 70s, they almost lost the inch thick [before carving]. So I the replica ’Bursts of Paul, it’s completely beautiful to
the 80s and 90s
carving. There are some guitars had one in one hand and one in the me – always was. I would just stare
from that period where it’s totally other and I realised these are not at them and think, ‘How did they
flat from the bridge to the binding. even close to the same weight – yet come up with this cool design?’
And a lot of us knew that. So the no-one talks about the weight of Les Paul himself was an innovator,
[accuracy-restoring] things that the top. We measure, we weigh he broke a lot of [pre-existing]
we’re able to do today are like that the backs – starting in ’93 – and rules with that design and, like I
– the shape of the carving is very, if it didn’t weigh 9.5lb or less, we said, the music eventually caught
very important.” would not use it for the back of up with the guitar.
a Historic. But that’s all we can “When I saw my first ’68
Tell us something surprising control. Because once we got it reissued Goldtop in about 1970 I
about the Les Paul… started, we can’t adjust it. You’re was disappointed to see the wider
“You know, the first one I ever not gonna throw a guitar away if binding in the cutaway, which I
encountered belonged to a friend. it happens to weigh 10.5lb. But knew didn’t exist in the 50s. That’s
He had bought it and it was like we figured it would control the a technical thing because the
$4,000, which was a lot of money overall weight if we caught it at the routing for the binding follows the
at that period in time. I can’t even beginning of the back. top, and it’s a quarter of an inch
say what year it was. But he gave “Anyway, I went and weighed
me that guitar because I was these tops: one weighed 3lb and “The carving you see today on our
playing music professionally. Well, one weighed 6lb. Wow! That’s
that guitar did not weigh 8lb – and gonna be two entirely different vintage-style Les Pauls is taken off
that guitar did not sound good. So guitars. And they’re probably not
I never planned to be a technician, gonna sound the same because
of a real guitar and transferred
like I said, but now I am. But I will the top that weighs 6lb is the to digital machines” TOM MURPHY
tall at the binding. If you rout it
from the back, it’s much easier, but
when you get to the cutaway, since
the top arches up, you’d have to
cover all of that with binding. So
those guitars are wonderful and
very valuable today, but it looked
like a compromise. They’re really
good guitars, but it showed that
they weren’t trying to replicate
50s guitars; they just had some
similar features. The body shape
looked like a Les Paul, but if you
get right down to it, there were lots
of differences. So over the years,
aficionados really wanted Gibson
to figure it out and nail it.
“So you had various attempts
by outside consumers – most of
them were guitar dealers – to try
to get Gibson to [highly accurately]
replicate a 50s Les Paul. Because
the project was done from the
inside to the outside, when we took
on Historic that meant Gibson’s
3 4 gonna figure out how to make
the guitar right. We don’t need

70 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

PHOTO BY TERRY WYATT/GETTY IMAGES FOR COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
5 VIEW FROM THE TOP
Gibson CEO JC Curleigh joins us to talk about the past and future of the
Les Paul at the Nashville-based company – including its Epiphone Lesters

70 years on, what significance does the Les Paul have

for you and the Gibson company today?
“You know, it’s interesting, when you look at iconic
brands over time, they always trace back to an iconic
product. And if you think about Levi’s, for example, Levi’s
wasn’t a brand until the 501 was invented. So the Les
Paul was created by an artist – by an innovator, an
inventor and an artist – and it has stood the test of time
since then as an iconic guitar, not only because of Gibson
creating it but because of the journey that artists took it
on. And it’s found itself relevant in almost every generation and genre since the
start of the Les Paul in the 50s.”

How do you plan to ensure that the Les Paul stays relevant in the next 10 or
20 years of changing musical styles?
“I think there are [a few] ways: one is in how you set up what I would call the Les
Paul architecture – and that’s very simple for us. So number one is we declared
that we wanted to do the Original Les Paul Collection [but also] have a Modern
Collection. So when you think about Original, we’re true to what we did in the 50s
and 60s, the Standards; all of the detailing that we put into the Originals that we
make today has basically given us the credibility to say we completely understand
the importance of the Les Paul and its origins. And we’ve worked hard to bring that
back. But we’ve also got the Modern collection, which is basically the Les Paul
shape, but it’s putting sort of modern dimensions, features and benefits in –
whether that’s weight relief, or whether that’s a neck profile, or some other
elements of sound creation in the iconic Les Paul shape.
“The second point is we have an amazing team that engages with artists and puts
that guitar in the hands of those artists – and whether it’s an Original or a Modern,
it’s the iconic Les Paul shape. We know [that shape] from almost every generation
“Les Paul was an innovator, he and decade, and from the great players who played it. But we also want to put the
broke a lot of rules with the design Les Paul in the hands of the here and now. Our vision is all about being the most
relevant, the most played and the most loved guitar brand. So ‘relevant’ is about
and the music eventually caught [producing] the guitar that artists want; ‘played’ is [about ensuring] it’s the one
up with the guitar” TOM MURPHY they play the most; and ‘loved’ is [about understanding], of all the guitars, which do
they love the most? We want it to be a Gibson and specifically the Les Paul.”
5. Artist models are anybody else’s advice. We’ll take
also produced in the real guitars and try to copy them. You’ve succeeded in bringing Epiphone Les Pauls, 335s, and so on, much
Murphy Lab, such as
this Sergio Vallin 1955
And that’s what is done in this closer to the experience of playing US-built Gibsons recently. What were the
Les Paul Goldtop with building today, all day – replicas key decisions and changes driving that?
Bigsby B7 vibrato and of 50s guitars. “In some ways everyone thought Epiphone was the sideshow to Gibson, but when
Custombucker at the “I will tell you that if you look you look at the heritage in history of Epiphone, it’s actually older than Gibson –
bridge – a blend of
reissue and modded
at a current Historic Les Paul and and it was synonymous with premium quality back in the day, and I’m talking in
hot-rod Lester you look at the Gibson logo and the 1930s and 40s. And then when Gibson and Epiphone came together, it took a
peghead face, if you look at the journey through different eras… We went through this era recently where you’d see
top of the capital ‘G’ in the logo, a guitar that was very much taken from the shape of a Gibson – and we can do that
it’s now rounded, exactly like the because it’s part of our own company – but we called it something different, you
50s. Whereas if you look up to know? We called the SG shape the G-400 at Epiphone.
2019, that had a flat sort of look. “So, a few years ago, we just sat around and put everything in a room and said,
I wasn’t concerned about it, but ‘As the premium brand, Gibson, what if we just thought about what a collaboration,
I was told we were gonna change internally, with Epiphone would look like?’ And we said, ‘Well, it would look like
it. And it has been changed – and the Epiphone ‘Inspired By Gibson’ range.’ And then it means we can be very clean
now I can’t unsee it. That’s how and clear that this is now an Epiphone SG, this is an Epiphone Les Paul, this is an
committed the company is to Epiphone 330, et cetera. Now, Epiphone still has its Casinos and its Rivieras and
detail on all the guitars. It’s like its own heritage… it still has its Frontiers and its Texans. But in the core range, you
a dream come true for me. When can now get a Murphy Lab ’59 reissue at $10,000, you can get a Custom Shop at
I was involved in ’92 and ’93 with $5,000, you can get a Standard 50s or 60s for $2,500. But now you can actually
the Historic coming on, I had no get into an Inspired By Gibson Les Paul for $500 to $700. So it’s really providing
idea we’d be making the guitars so a very meaningful access point to a shape [that can be obtained within Epiphone]
accurate today. It’s really great.” Inspired By Gibson to set the guitarist up on their guitar journey.”
[Link]

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feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

MORE ’PAUL
Whether it’s to get better tone, fix tuning problems or make your guitar
look as close as possible to a 1950s Goldtop or ’Burst, Les Pauls are
among the most modified of all the classic guitar models. Here are
our top 20 tips for making your Les Paul the best it can be

Words Huw Price

1
1. The xxxxe fxxxx xxx TAILPIECE SWAP
xe fxxxx xxxxe fxxxx
The tailpiece can have a
xxe fxxxx xxxxe fxxxx
xxxxxxxe fxxxx xxe noticeable influence on
fxxxx xxxxxxxe fxxxx the tone and dynamics of a Les
2. This
xx 2014xxxxe
xxe fxxxx Gibson Paul. Throughout the vintage era,
Custom
fxxxx Series
xxxxe fxxxx
Billy F Gibbons
Gibson tailpieces were cast using
xxxxxxxe fxxxx xxe
Goldtop
fxxxx xxxxshows off a a cheap alloy called zamak that
favourite and easy contains aluminium, magnesium
mod
2. – top-wrapping
Thxxxe fxxxx xxx xe and copper, and they’re about a
the strings
fxxxx xxxxe over
fxxxxxe quarter of the weight of current
the tailpiece.
fxxxx Just
xxxxe fxxxx
watch outfxxxx
xxxxxxxe for those
xxe
Gibson zinc tailpieces.
sharpxxxxxxxe
fxxxx wraps! fxxxx Zamak produces a warm, woody
x xx xxe fxxxx xxxxe and airy vintage-style tone, but
fxxxx xxxxe fxxxx some may prefer the midrange
xxxxxxxe fxxxx xxe
fxxxx xxxxlor
heft and sustain of zinc or brass
tailpieces. Vintage tailpieces are
very expensive, but aluminium
tailpieces from the likes of Faber,
Gotoh and TonePros sound very
similar. For the full-on vintage
experience, ensure the tailpiece
studs are steel and measure
the spacing carefully before
ordering to avoid imperial/
metric mismatches.

2
TOP WRAPPING
Wrapping the strings around
the top of stop tailpieces has
become increasingly popular, with
Billy Gibbons and Joe Bonamassa
being high-profile proponents. So,
what’s it all about? Some refer to a
slinkier feel with easier bends due
to the reduced break angle over the
bridge, and tonal improvements
are claimed, too.
Having tried top wrapping
and stringing up with the strings
passing through the tailpiece
in the conventional manner, we
find the latter generates more
body resonance. Perhaps added
downwards pressure on the bridge
facilitates tone transfer, and if
there is something to the slinkier
2 playing feel, you can achieve
similar results by using lighter

74 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul feature

3. From the original almost certainly developed the

ABR-1 bridges made ABR-1 to improve on the wraptail’s
of zamak to later zinc
variants, the bridge
approximate intonation.
is critical to tone. Like stop tailpieces, vintage
But you’ll need to wraptails were cast from zamak,
check compatibility but aluminium offers a reasonable
of components before
swapping anything out alternative and brass offers fatter
mids and extra sustain. Modern
options combine vintage looks
with mouldings that provide some
degree of intonation compensation.
Others have individually adjustable
saddles for the best of both worlds.
Also consider locking studs that
3 prevent wraptails from tilting
forward. And if you’re lucky
enough to own an all original and
strings. Trying it costs nothing, but saddles are also popular among therefore unplayable ’52 or early
consider threading the new strings players who tend to snap strings. ’53 Les Paul, MojoAxe and Glaser
through some ball ends to prevent When ordering saddles, confirm offer solutions.
sharp wraps from coming over the that they are compatible with your

6
tailpiece and poking your hand. bridge, and establish whether 50S WIRING
your saddle screws are metric On 50s Les Pauls, the guitar’s

3
TUNE-O-MATIC or imperial. controls can be used without
The bridge has a particularly negatively impacting its sound.

5
strong effect on tone. Vintage WRAPTAIL RETHINK Newer Les Pauls can become muddy
ABR-1s were moulded from zamak Between 1953 and 1956 when volume knobs are backed off,
and had brass saddles. Originals all Les Paul Standards 6. The way that the which compromises your ability to
controls were wired on
have become prohibitively had wraptail bridges. Besides 50s Les Pauls offered
clean up an overdriven amp from
expensive, but Kiss My Strings little intonation-adjusting grub more clarity when the guitar itself and achieve a range
and Four Uncles offer modern screws threaded through each volume was backed off of classic tones.
equivalents. Aluminium bridges ‘ear’, they’re almost identical to
sound similar and are usually stop tailpieces, but they serve as
cheaper, and vintage obsessives both a tailpiece and bridge. Many
It may not seem like an obvious
can source threaded brass posts consider them sonically superior tone-enhancing material, but
while they’re at it. to the tune-o-matic/tailpiece
Nashville bridges are zinc, which combo that Gibson introduced on
nylon saddles produce a warmer,
sounds somewhat different. If the Les Paul Custom, but Gibson mellow and sweet tone
you want to convert a Nashville-
equipped Les Paul to ABR-1 specs, During the 50s, Gibson soldered
you’ll need thumbwheel posts 6 the tone capacitor to the volume’s
with a different diameter. Brown’s centre tag (output) rather than
Guitars Factory, Faber and others the outer (input) tag. Simply put,
offer conversion kits. Alternatively, there’s always some treble bleed
TonePros bridges come with grub through a tone circuit, and with
screws that fix onto the posts for a capacitor connected to a pot’s
optimum stability. input, the signal to treble bleed
ratio skews towards the latter

4
BRIDGE SADDLES when volume is backed off. So if
1950s ABR-1-equipped your capacitors are soldered to the
Gibsons had nickel-plated outer lugs, try resoldering them to
brass saddles. Starting with the the centre tags.
thinline models, from around 1963

7
Gibson started using nylon saddles. TONE CAPACITORS
It may not seem like an obvious Early Sprague ‘bumble
tone-enhancing material, but nylon bee’ tone capacitors were
saddles produce a warmer, mellow paper-in-oil, but by the late 50s
and sweet tone. Joe Bonamassa has they were being made with plastic
specified a mix of saddles on some film. Some ’Bursts were fitted
signature models, with brass for with ceramic capacitors in 1960.
the wound strings and nylon for Very subtle differences may be
the plain ones. discernible if you have good ears,
Players seeking extra brightness but the impetus behind capacitor
and definition should investigate ‘upgrades’ is often cosmetic,
titanium saddles. Graph Tech rather than sonic.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 75

feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

The standard value is 0.022µF,

but if you buy New Old Stock,
the actual value and stated value
may differ. Experiment with
different values, such as 0.01µF
or 0.015µF to reduce treble bleed
and open up dull neck pickups.
Conversely, a 0.047µF, 0.068µF or
0.1µF may sweeten the top-end
of a harsh bridge pickup. Try
hooking up a bunch of capacitors
to a rotary switch to make A/B
comparisons and choose the ones
that work for you.

8
PICKUP SWAPPING
Of all the contributory
factors, pickups have the
biggest influence on the tone of
any Les Paul. Pickup swapping
is a huge topic and clearly
beyond the scope of this feature.
Those chasing vintage tone can
choose from a bewildering range
of options promising faithful 7 8
reproductions of 1950s PAFs
or even ‘improvements’ on the

9
theme. But relatively few pickup PICKUP MODS 7. The well-known of pickup can sound slightly dark
makers get to hear genuine PAFs The modular construction Sprague ‘Bumblebee’ in comparison to Fender single
caps, originally a
in vintage Les Pauls, so regard of P-90s and humbuckers paper-in-oil design
coils, the presence lift provided
these claims with caution. makes them relatively easy but later plastic film by 500k pots enhances clarity
Metal players may prefer to modify, and it’s a cheaper and definition. Nevertheless,
active pickups, such as the EMGs option than pickup replacement. 8. Classic PAF tone not Gibson installed 300k pots for
your thing? Why not
Zakk Wylde favours. Rockabilly Swapping magnets is a great take an active leaf out a considerable period of time,
players can get PAF and P-90- starting point because every grade of Zakk Wylde’s book and if your Les Paul sounds
sized Filter’Trons from TV Jones of Alnico sounds different. Alnico and try EMGs? muddy, check that 500k pots are
and The Creamery, and Oil City III can give P-90s an early 50s installed before falling down the
offers a PAF-sized Firebird tone and make a humbucker less pickup-swapping rabbit hole.
pickup. Plenty of manufacturers aggressive. Alnico V and ceramic Vintage pots generally read
offer PAF-sized P-90s, and magnets sound brighter and will north of 500k and of the modern
hum-cancelling P-90s are widely make pickups louder and more replacements we have tried,
available. For the ultimate in aggressive. You can also change Bare Knuckle Pickups’ 550k pots
versatility, the Seymour Duncan pole screws, with low-carbon steel with a 10 per cent taper are the
P-Rails combines a P-90, sounding sweeter and high-carbon closest in tone and response. If
humbucker and blade single coil having more treble bite. you’re less fussy, any 500k CTS
in one PAF-sized package. P-90s’ fixing screws and potentiometer with a split shaft
humbucker bobbin screws are
usually brass, but they can be
changed to steel for fatter mids
The modular construction of P-90s
9 and extra cut. Removing thick and humbuckers makes them
metal covers from humbuckers
will improve clarity. You can leave
relatively easy to modify, and it’s
them off or replace them with cheaper than pickup replacement
thinner and lighter covers. Lastly,
oven baking can remove some of will do the job, but decide if long
the potting wax to provide a tad or short shafts are required.
more vintage-style microphony, When upgrading Les Pauls made
but it’s best left to a professional. in Asia, you’ll need to widen the
9. Alnico is an shaft holes and buy US-spec
acronym comprising

10
POTS FOR PAULS three different control knobs to install CTS
Whether your Les metallic elements: potentiometers. Push-pull and
Paul has P-90s or aluminum, nickel and push-push switching pots are also
cobalt. This USA Slash
humbuckers, 500kohms has preferable to drilling holes in the
Les Paul has exposed-
always been the stock value for coil Seymour Duncan body for activating non-standard
potentiometers. Since both types Alnico II Pro pickups pickup settings.

76 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul feature

11
CONTROL WIRING one of the volume pots. The
Pre-assembled wiring pickup’s hot connection moves to
harnesses have the volume control’s centre tag,
become popular because they the switch wire goes to the outer
‘drop in’ with minimal soldering tag, and the ground connections
required. They’re a great option are left unchanged.
for replacing printed circuit

13
boards and generally feature CTS SWITCHING
potentiometers hand-wired with SWITCHES
high-quality capacitors. A number Switches are subjected
of parts suppliers now offer to mechanical stress and can
these in various configurations, occasionally fail. Some don’t
so check out Six String Supplies, feel that good and others are
House Of Tone Pickups, Monty’s prone to noise. Whatever the
Guitars, James’ Home Of Tone issue, upgrading to a USA-spec
and Radioshop Pickups. Switchcraft can improve things. 13
Stock Les Paul wiring is fairly Wiring them up is fiddly, but
straightforward, but pre-wired pre-wired switches are available
harnesses really come into their from Six String Supplies, and
own for customised controls. Fake 58 offers excellent vintage
There are various reasons to
If you need phase switching, replica switch tips. consider nut replacement, but the
coil-tapping or series/parallel If your guitar was made in Asia,
switching, then a pre-wired the existing switch hole may need
most valid is improving tuning
harness makes a lot of sense. to be enlarged. Also check out stability and playability
Six String Supplies’ Jimmy Page the Free-Way six-position switch,
harness is a great option for the which allows you to access all often needlessly changed when
most complex Les Paul wiring those tricky wiring settings from the nut is the actual cause.
setup of all. the switch rather than push-pull Replacing a nut requires
pots. Jimmy Page has one in his specialist files, but it can greatly

12
CUT-OUT FIX Les Paul Custom. improve tuning stability and
In the middle position, playability. Choose between

14
either volume control NUT STUFF Corian, Graph Tech, bone or
will kill the output when it’s There are various mammoth tusk. Metal players
turned all the way down with stock reasons to consider 13. If you’re seeking
may prefer brass, and the vintage-
Les Paul wiring. Most Les Paul nut replacement, but the most the classic vintage Les inclined should try nylon. If you’re
players happily live with it, and valid is improving tuning stability. Paul Standard look, cursed with perfect pitch, consider
it allows you to do that staccato Les Paul strings are obliged to as typified in this pic, a Buzz Feiten conversion. Nut
vintage-replica switch
pulsing trick using the toggle veer off at angles between the tips are available material does impact tone, but only
switch. On the other hand, it does nut and tuners, and to make this when you’re playing open strings.
limit pickup-blending potential. work, the nut needs to be expertly 14. Suffering with
tuning problems?

15
If you’d prefer your volume cut to minimise friction. This
The tuners themselves
PLASTIC PARTS
controls to function independently, is why so many Les Pauls tend may not be the culprit, An aftermarket-parts
simply reverse the wires on just to go out of tune and tuners are but instead the nut industry now offers
plastic fittings of varying quality.
Most are targeted at players who
14 want their Les Pauls to look more
authentically vintage, and plenty of
high-end R8, R9, Collectors Choice
and Murphy Lab models end up
being cosmetically enhanced.
M69 pickup rings are especially
fetishised, with die-hards insisting
on butyrate plastic and all the
vintage-correct mould markings.
In contrast, some opt for bright
colours, customised pickguards,
or dispense with plastic parts
in favour of wood or metal
replacements. Whether you’re
creating a vintage replica or
shooting for an individual or
contemporary look, no specialist
tools are required. But just to be
clear, upgrading plastic parts won’t
improve your tone.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 77

feature 70 Years Of The Gibson Les Paul

16 17

16 19
TUNERS Using keen ears and a screwdriver, JACK PLATE
Players have been All guitars have their
swapping tuners on you can make those pickups weak spots and the jack
Les Pauls for so long that even in really sing and your Les Paul socket plate is even more prone
the vintage ’Burst market, an old to breakage than the headstock.
set of Grover or Schaller tuners may seem easier to play After all, most jack plates are
isn’t necessarily detrimental to a made from thin and brittle plastic.

18
guitar’s value. But DIY die-cast VIBRATO OPTIONS 16. Factory fitted Fortunately, it’s far less traumatic
tuner conversions often resulted For Les Paul players on many Les Paul and much easier to fix when they
Customs, Grovers
in headstock damage, as holes requiring a decent were and are a do get damaged.
were drilled out to accommodate vibrato, there are now options frequent retro-fit on For a permanent repair, ditch
wider units. Conversion bushings besides a Bigsby, and those used Les Pauls – so the plastic and fit a metal plate
common in fact
allow you to reinstall vintage-style nightmare-inducing Floyd instead. You should be able to find
that they are often
tuners – and for that shrunken Rose conversions are hopefully tolerated on the one that lines up perfectly with
keystone look, check out Fake 58. consigned to the past. There vintage market the existing screw holes. If you’re
A decent set of vintage-style are several options to choose keen to retain the classic look, fix
17. A retro-fitted
tuners should do a more than from, including the Duesenberg Bigsby on a glorious
a metal plate under the plastic one
adequate job, but die-cast tuners Les Trem, Goldö LT2, Schaller player’s grade early for added strength.
may feel more precise. Added ‘Tremolo Les Paul’, Stetsbar Stop 50s Les Paul Custom
owned by Barrie

20
mass can enhance sustain at the Tail and Floyd Rose FRX.
Cadogan, see p.118
PICKUP
expense of dynamics and neck These are mounted using the ADJUSTMENT
heaviness, but it’s pretty subtle. existing stop tailpiece bushings, 20. Fine-tuning the P-90 and PAF-style
Also consider locking tuners if and besides the FRX’s optional height adjustment of pickups really need to be carefully
your pickup and its
you break a lot of strings. locking nut, no additional holes pole screws will yield
set up to bring out their best tones.
are required. These vibratos are optimal tone and may P-90s often have springs or foam

17
BIGSBY only suitable for non-wraptail improve playing feel on the underside, which allow
INSTALLATION Les Pauls, and if you change your as well for easy height adjustment. Once
Just as the 80s was the mind, they’re fully reversible. you’ve settled on the optimum
decade of the locking vibrato, the distance from the strings, we’d
60s was the decade of the Bigsby, suggest measuring the gap
and many vintage Les Pauls ended 20 and replacing the springs or
up getting ‘snake bit’. Les Pauls do foam with wood shims. With
look undeniably cool with a Bigsby humbuckers, the end screws are
and you’ll need a B7 with the front your only option.
roller to achieve the necessary Once you’ve decided on the
break angle over the bridge. overall pickup height and achieved
These days, there’s no need to an even balance between low
drill extra holes to fit a Bigsby. to top E strings, try finessing
Check out Vibramate brackets, the string-to-string response by
which attach in place of the stop adjusting the pole screws. Using
tailpiece, and at the back the hinge keen ears and a screwdriver, you
fixes to the body via the strap can make those pickups really
button crew. It’s a quick and easy sing and your Les Paul may seem
install that’s fully reversible. easier to play.

78 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

Peter Frampton
From early pop stardom with The Herd to releasing the biggest album on
the planet with Frampton Comes Alive! and finding salvation in Bowie’s
band, Peter reflects on a rollercoaster career and the darker side of fame…

Words David Mead Portrait Austin Lord

eter Frampton is currently TV doing skiffle, then when he came on it, then I think we left it up there

P on a farewell tour
having been forced into
retirement owing to the
onset of Inclusion Body Myositis, a
degenerative condition that affects
out with Rock Island Line, it was
starting to be more rockabilly. Then
Cliff and The Shadows: I became
obsessed. I wanted to be in The
Shadows from when I was eight years
for a few months until I said, ‘Dad,
can we get that instrument down?’
That’s when I started. He showed me
Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley,
Michael, Row The Boat, that kind of
the muscles and looks to end his old. From Living Doll on, it was like stuff. Once I’d mastered those pretty
playing career for good. However, every kid that was musical wanted quickly, my parents thought, ‘Wow,
rising above the tragedy, he’s in high to be Hank Marvin. They were the he picked that up quick.’ I think they
spirits when we strike up our Zoom instrumental Beatles. I can still play knew pretty early on they were in
call. We mention that it’s been a long just about any Shadows number for trouble.”
time since we saw him perform on you’d care to mention, note for note.”
this side of the Atlantic: “We were And it was from here that you
supposed to be there in May 2020,” What was your first instrument? progressed onto guitar?
he says ruefully. “Then, of course, the Obviously, you would have wanted “Yes, when it was time for Christmas
pandemic shut us all down…” And a Strat, but they wouldn’t have been – it would have been 1958 – I asked
thus the performances rescheduled available in Britain at the time. Father Christmas for a guitar. I got a
for this November in the UK take on “No. I mean, the most I could have guitar and the world was my oyster
an extra level of significance. hoped for at the very beginning at that point. I wanted to electrify
Once hailed as the most famous was a Höfner, a Futurama III or it as soon as I could. I got all the
artist in the world, he tells us how something. But no, when I was seven, magazines, the Selmer magazines,
those heady peaks were a mixed my dad and I went up to the attic to the Hofner, the ‘this, that, whatever’.
blessing and very nearly his undoing. get out our summer holiday luggage I looked and there was a pickup that
But every story has its beginnings and and I noticed this little leather case. you could get to amplify an acoustic
Peter’s starts in the late 1950s… I didn’t know whether it was a violin so I got one. Once I got the pickup,
or what it was. I said, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘Dad, I need an amplifier.’ He
What got you interested in playing and he said, ‘Oh, your grandmother said, ‘Well, I think we can plug you
guitar in the first place? gave me this – she thought you into the living room radio.’ He found
“Probably Buddy Holly, Eddie might want to learn to play it one out that even in those days there was
Cochran and Lonnie Donegan first. day. It’s a banjolele.’ My dad got it an auxiliary input in the back. Bingo.
Lonnie was the first person I saw on out and played a couple of chords I had an electric guitar – that was it.”

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 81

 Peter Frampton

Were you eventually caught up in You ended up joining The Herd in

the British blues boom? 1966. How did that come about? 2
“Oh, yes. When I was in my teens, “Andrew Brown and Gary Taylor
before The Herd, I was going up to from The Herd came to see me
see John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with play. We knew each other anyway
Eric Clapton. I saw Graham Bond because I’d sat in with The Herd
with Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce when I was a little upstart. After
and Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band with the show they said, ‘Look, we’re
Andy [Summers] on guitar. It was just reorganising the band. Would you
a phenomenal time for music then come and play rhythm guitar for
because it was all so new, so there the summer?’ Then when I joined
were no rules. the band, it seemed like it changed
“We relied on the seamen coming almost overnight. They put me on
in from America to bring albums lead guitar. Gary switched from
because the BBC obviously wasn’t lead guitar to bass. At the end of the
playing what we wanted to hear. summer they asked me, ‘Would you
You’d have Mantovani and then join the band?’ I said, ‘Well, my dad’s
something else and then you a teacher and my mum works in a
might have a Cliff Richard track or school, so I don’t think that’s going to
something. I think we all relied on be happening,’ because I’d planned
everybody saying, ‘Have you heard on going to music college, going back
this album? I’ll lend it to you.’ You’d to the sixth form and all that stuff and
have to give it back, but unfortunately getting my A Levels.
I still have George Underwood’s
Coral Records’ Buddy Holly, the “I found a pickup that could “Anyway, I really wanted to join
very first album, George being David the band so I popped the question
Bowie’s best friend for life and mine, amplify an acoustic. And when to Mum and Dad together. Dad had
too. I better bring that album with me smoke coming out from his eyes, his
[to the UK] to give it back to him. It’s
my dad plugged me into the living ears, his mouth, everywhere. Mum
only been 60 years…” room radio, bingo – that was it” was going, ‘Leave it with me.’ They
came back to me a little later and said,
1. Humble Pie ‘Okay. We know this is what you’re
performs at London’s going to do anyway so we’re going
1 Hyde Park free
festival in July 1971
to say yes.’ My dad said, ‘But you’ve
(left to right): Peter, got to earn £15 a week minimum
Jerry Shirley and otherwise the deal is off.’”
Steve Marriot. Watch
out for the eight-CD
The A&M CD Box Set After quite a lot of success with
(1970-1975) released The Herd, you joined Humble Pie.
on 2 December! “When I saw the Small Faces on
Ready, Steady, Go! doing What’cha
Gonna Do About It live, my jaw was
on the floor because you couldn’t
help but catch the fact that Steve
[Marriott] was amazing. I said to
myself, ’I want to join the Small
Faces.’ Anyway, that wasn’t to be,
but I left The Herd and I did get to go
and do this week of sessions in Paris
for Johnny Hallyday with Glyn Johns
being the engineer/producer and
Small Faces being the band and me
being another guitar player. I think
at that point Steve really wanted me
in the band.
“Anyway, we flew back from Paris
2. A young Peter poses
with Glyn and he said, ‘Let me just
PHOTO BY MICHAEL PUTLAND/GETTY IMAGES

with a Bigsby-loaded
Höfner Club 60, which play you this album. We just recorded
he went on to use in and mixed this in 12 days. It’s a new
his first band, The
Truebeats, in 1962
band, but you might know the guitar
player, Jimmy Page.’ He puts on Led
3. Taking centre Zeppelin I in his living room. Again,
stage aboard Joe jaw to the floor but not so much
Bonamassa’s Keeping
The Blues Alive At Sea for the guitar – it was Bonham that
in August 2019 just floored me. As it got to the end

82 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

PHOTO BY JOBY SESSIONS

3
Peter Frampton
 Peter Frampton

of side one, the phone rang. It was my riff; Steve’s lyrics, though. Steve 4. After making the beforehand I thought I’d made the
Steve. He’d just got off stage at the and I were starting to butt heads a decision to leave biggest mistake of my career by
Humble Pie, Peter
Alexandra Palace and had done his little bit. I think I was coming into launched a solo leaving Humble Pie because Rockin’
last gig. He said, ‘Can I join your my own. Even though I knew that career that led up to The Fillmore was jumping up the
band?’ We had Greg Ridley and [Performance] Rockin’ The Fillmore the phenomenally charts all over the world. I thought,
successful Frampton
Jerry Shirley, and with a snap of the would be our biggest record so far, Comes Alive! in 1976
‘This is it. I’ve done well so far, but
fingers we had a band. That was I had no idea it would be their first this is it.’
it. Humble Pie was formed. By the gold record because I’d done a lot “But it was all up to me at that
next week we were in Jerry Shirley’s of the mixing with Eddie Kramer in point, I realised. I thought, ‘If I play
parents’ front room with little tiny New York for that album. my cards right and I go out and do
amps, practising.” “But no, I just decided in the end a lot of touring for this, maybe this
that this would be the best time, will be my first gold record.’ A week
It must have been a tough decision before they really break. Otherwise, later it was a gold record. It came out
to leave Humble Pie? if I had stayed in the band, I would and just exploded. All of a sudden
“Little things really are hard for have still been in Humble Pie, I I realised that I had a lot of friends
me. Big things, I can really make think. It was just I wanted to be in that I didn’t have before. Everybody
a decision. I don’t think I’m cold- charge of my own destiny finally had their two cents to put in,
hearted or anything; I think that and not have the band.” especially the people that were
I’m able to change on a dime if I rubbing their hands together like
have to, if pushed. I just felt that the After four solo albums, you released
way we were going, which I loved, the phenomenally successful “‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ was a
was a little harder-edged. I was Frampton Comes Alive! in 1976. It
riding the riffs just as much as Steve. must be difficult to put into words blessing and a curse… In the end,
I mean, I Don’t Need No Doctor is the impact that had on your career.
though, I’m so proud of it because
my riff. Stone Cold Fever, my riff, “I have to use the word ‘surreal’
One Eyed Trouser Snake Rumba, because four or five years it made me fight for my career”
this because I suddenly became the
4 hen that laid the golden egg.
“I went away over Christmas to
the islands just to get some sun as
I knew we’d be touring all year. I
came back and not only did we have
one show at Cobo Hall [Detroit],
which I think is 8,000 capacity, we
had three. Within 10 days it had
gone from one to three shows. Then
we sold out two shows at Madison
Square Garden. Then I got the call:
‘Are you sitting down? The album is
No 1.’ I couldn’t believe it. But on the
next call I was told that I’d broken
Carole King’s Tapestry album record
and I was now the biggest-selling
album of all time. And that’s when
I got nervous…”

Why was that?

“Because I knew that I couldn’t
follow it. That album took me six
years to write; it was a live ‘best of’
up until that point. There is a
number from Humble Pie, Shine On,
I cherry-picked Wind Of Change,
PHOTO BY RICHARD E. AARON/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

Frampton’s Camel, Somethin’s

Happening… I felt I’d lost before
I’d started after that phone call.
That was when I think I started
to over-imbibe and wanted to
numb myself. The golden hen was
now constipated…
“When I heard that the album was
No 1, I think I went and sat down
and wrote I’m In You, which is a
great song. It shouldn’t have been

84 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Peter Frampton

the first single [of the album of the happened. I lost a cassette tape that 5. Peter rocks out “It’s very enjoyable to start with
with Joe Bonamassa
same name], but it’s a great song. had a load of ideas on it – that was on an epic version
because you go to the front of the
It’s a great ballad because I was so devastating to me. I remembered of While My Guitar line, you get into the club, now
up on everything. Then once I’d some of them but not all of them. The Gently Weeps in 2019. you’re a celebrity or whatever you
heard that I was the biggest, I hated bulk of my new material that I had up Check out the video are. But it was the biggest album
on YouTube!
hearing that. I think it shut me down until that point disappeared. It was a in the world so I guess that comes
creatively more than anything. painful record to make.” with it. Everybody wanted a piece
“Truth be known, I should have of me, whether it was an autograph
probably commissioned every great Was I’m In You critically well or whether it was some money.
writer there is and sat down and received, do you remember? I was glad that we were on the
written with all of them. That would “I don’t believe so. I don’t read a lot of road as much as we were at that
have been the only way to have dealt reviews, especially when I know they time because I had the guys around
with that situation. I didn’t want to might not be good. Even though I’m me. But at that point, management
make [the album] I’m In You. I didn’t In You was a huge single in the States was trying to separate me from
even want to hand it in. I didn’t like and the album went right up the my band so my band didn’t give
it. I knew it wasn’t good enough, but charts straight away, things dropped me any bad info as far as they were
everybody was ‘rush, rush, rush’. off pretty quickly. The I’m In You tour concerned. My band was threatened
Everybody, one by one, would come was fine, that was good. Then after and all kinds of stuff. Crew members
to me with their own hidden agenda that, when that had sunk in, I think were threatened, basically, not to
and say, ‘The longer you wait, the that’s when I started to lose a lot of talk to me. It was a lonely period.
harder it’s going to be,’ and all that audience. That was the situation. “I remember my brother came

PHOTO BY JOBY SESSIONS

stuff. I wanted to wait until I had the I felt like I was in a sinking ship.” to see me on the I’m In You tour in
best material I could come up with, ’77. I was sitting in this ginormous
however long that would have taken. Looking back, what was that level suite. One of the high roller suites,
It could have taken a year, it could of fame generated by Frampton whatever, somewhere in Vegas.
have taken two years. Various things Comes Alive! like for you? I’m there with my tiny room service

5
 Peter Frampton

6 “I’m a musician first and foremost

– and David Bowie inviting me to
record and tour with him gave me
the credibility back I felt I’d lost”

FRAMPTON ALIVE!
Peter on his current stage rig
“It’s three Marshall cabinets, dry/wet situation. It’s
a stereo rig, it’s enormous. I feel embarrassed that
it’s so big… but you need to have a big rig to be able to
do all that, and lots of effects. There are about eight
or nine guitars that I’ll use in a show, acoustics as
well as electrics. Basically, I have an old 70s Marshall
head that’s been modified to drive all the effects and
to come out in stereo either side of the one Marshall
cabinet, which is dry in the middle. It’s very involved,
but it sounds godly. I’ve worked on it for years and
years until I got to what I really liked. I could just as well
come up there with a little 2x12 combo and a couple of
floor effects and do the same thing, but why when I’ve
got all that beautiful stuff? I want it to be good.”

Is your Les Paul Custom still your main guitar?

“Yes and no. Yes, for the numbers that it recorded with
Somethin’s Happening and Lines On My Face, Do You
Feel [Like We Do], [I Wanna] Go To The Sun, numbers
like that are on the live record. But on numbers I’ve
done since, I have the ’64 ES-335 Gibson, the Freddie
King year, which is an incredible guitar. If I could only
have one guitar other than the Custom, that would
be it. A 335 just about covers every aspect of what
a guitarist does. It’s not a Fender, but I don’t use
Fenders that much – I’m a humbucker guy.”

There has been some talk on the internet recently

about the switching system on your Custom. Does it
differ from a standard three-pickup Les Paul?
“It’s very simple. Forget about the middle pickup for
a minute. If you think about the bridge and the neck
pickup and the selector switch, the selector switch
still works exactly the same way with those two. You
can have one on, the other on or both on. They are then
only wired to the top volume. They’re both wired to one
volume and one tone. Then the middle pickup is just
wired directly to the bottom volume. There is no switch
for it, but I can blend it in. It changes it from a Gibson to
a fat Strat because you bring that middle pickup in like
PHOTO BY AUSTIN LORD

a Stratocaster. It’s in and out or it’s on its own because

I can turn the other two off and just use it, which is
another sound. You don’t have time to get bored with it.
You can change the sound on a whim.”
 Peter Frampton

tray and all I hear is the knife and

fork on the plate. It reminded me of
that scene at the end of [the movie]
2001: A Space Odyssey. That was me
now. Then my brother came in and
sat on the other side of my table, and
I started crying. I didn’t want to be
on this tour, even though I’ve just
said I loved being around the guys.
But I could feel it slipping away.
I was so tired. I was exhausted.”

How did you deal with the vacuum

PHOTO BY EBET ROBERTS/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

that happened after that time?
“It was a very difficult period for
me because I had it in the palm of
my hands, as it were. But once you
experience it, you go, ‘Oh, well that’s
good. I like that.’ Instead of going
and working with as many writers as
I could and getting a great producer
in or having a different producer for 7
every track on the next record, I just
went back and thought, ‘Well I’ve
done it all myself, I’ll do it all again.’ It sounds like you were much happier 6. After being Street [in Soho, London] with Terry
diagnosed with
But I didn’t have the material. We in that role.
the autoimmune
Doran, who was John Lennon’s
were doing a lot of covers on the next “Oh, yes. That’s my comfy chair. disease Inclusion assistant for years, and we’re just
record, Where I Should Be. It was I’ve always been more comfortable Body Myositis a few catching up. He said, ‘Do you want
hard. I got let go by A&M in ’80/’81, playing guitar, not singing – maybe years ago, Peter to come and meet Geoffrey?’ I said,
has embarked on
after The Art Of Control, which was the occasional song like in Humble a farewell tour ‘Geoffrey who?’ He said, ‘Harrison.’
obviously done by an artist who had Pie – but playing behind a great I said, ‘Oh, they’ve all got code names,
no control over himself. I bottomed singer, a great frontman. But I 7. Peter in his have they?’ I was shaking, literally.
“comfy chair” role,
out there – I’m sure substances wanted to do everything myself. It’s accompanying David
My first Beatles sighting or meeting.
didn’t help. I have a family history of a juxtaposition between being in a Bowie on the Glass We walked into Trident Studios
depression, it all comes into it. When band and following the consensus, Spider tour in 1987 and there was George. He looks up
you go that high, there is a pretty and being a solo artist and making from the console and he goes, ‘Hello,
good likelihood that you’re going to your own mistakes. I wasn’t doing Pete.’ It was unbelievable that he
go that low. I felt like I was starting very well at it and I think it was knew who I was – a Beatle knew
again from a negative position.” because the shock and awe of who I was. He comes round and
…Comes Alive! was always on my we start talking. He goes, ‘Hey, do
How did you come to do the tour shoulder going, ‘Remember this?’ you want to play? We just wrote a
with David Bowie? I’ve said it before, but it was a song downstairs for Doris Troy. I’m
“I did a record for Atlantic called blessing and a curse. producing her first album in a while.
Premonition [in 1986]. It still wasn’t “In the end, I’m so proud of it. Come down and play.’
a great record. It had much better It was a definite blessing because “I thought I was going to wake
material, but wasn’t where I should it made me fight for my career. It up and it was a dream. He gave me
have been. That’s the album David made me get up, brush myself off what I now know was Lucy, the red
Bowie listened to. He would check and do it again, work myself up Les Paul that he used, but, more
me out and he said, ‘Can you come the ladder. David inviting me to do importantly, it was the one that Eric
and play some guitar for me?’ That’s the album and tour changed my Clapton played on While My Guitar
when I went to Switzerland and we credibility; I got my credibility back Gently Weeps. As I went to move my
recorded Never Let Me Down. Then that I felt I’d lost when I’m In You chair, I looked round and sitting right
he asked if I would be one of the came out. A teenybopper star, his next to me was Stephen Stills. He
guitar players on the Glass Spider length of career is about 18 months, had just written the song with Doris
tour, which blew me away. Finally, whereas a musician’s career is a and George. Now I’m totally nervous.
having been on the same stage the lifetime. I’m a musician first and Anyway, we start it and I’m playing
same evening many times before, I foremost. David gave me back that a very quiet rhythm. George goes,
was going to be Dave’s guitar player. credibility to continue and bring ‘No. Pete, I want you to play lead.’
He could have chosen anybody. He’d people back to me.” I thought, ‘Oh crikey.’ I just played all
had Stevie Ray Vaughan the album these licks in the intro and between
before, but he chose me. I can never After such a long and varied career, the vocals and everything. After
thank him enough for that. He knew is there a moment that you’ll always the session, he came over to me and
what he was doing for me before remember if you could just pick one? said, ‘Can you make the rest of the
I knew what he was doing for me. “Meeting George Harrison. I’m up sessions?’ It blew my mind.”
It was a Dave plan.” in town at The Ship Pub on Wardour [Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 87

 Naked
Ambition
Some two decades since they first appeared,
Gibson’s Faded series instruments are back in
what-you-see-is-what-you-get style: no options
and not a lot of finish, either. What’s going on?

Words Dave Burrluck Photography Phil Barker

88 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

GIBSON FADED SERIES

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 89

 GIBSON FADED SERIES VIDEO DEMO [Link]

GIBSON LES PAUL STANDARD 50S FADED,

LES PAUL STANDARD 60S FADED &
SG STANDARD ’61 FADED MAESTRO VIBROLA
£2,169, £2,169 & £1,899
CONTACT Gibson WEB [Link]

S
ince coming under new ownership reputation, so we are bringing the Faded Concept and finish aside, the specification
in late 2019, the good ship Gibson is line-up back: the fan favourite is back.” of these three new models is very similar to
now very much back on track making Part of the appeal of the original Faded the gloss-finish models we’ve been seeing
some of the best guitars we’ve seen for concept was the more simple satin ‘worn’ since late 2019.
many a year. With a focus on quality and finishes – a faster manufacturing process
consistency, the uptake on the new-spec – that allowed a lower price. But these new Les Paul Standard 50s
models from the standard Gibson USA lines models seem to have a slightly different & 60s Faded
– not to mention the ‘pandemic effect’ – has aim. “When the original Faded series Along with minor details such as the
meant new models have been scarce. Until debuted in 2005, the idea was to create a absence of pickup covers and pickguards
now, with the release of three new Faded very vintage vibe without a glossy finish on these Les Pauls (which will be included
electrics you see here, and three acoustics while streamlining some of the specs,” as case candy), the major difference is the
that we’ll feature in our next issue. continues Lee. “Players and collectors au naturel satin nitro finish, and there’s
“The original run of Les Paul Standard took to them because of the vintage look just the single colour for each that you
Faded models began shipping in 2005 and and because they provided the perfect see here. Our 50s Les Paul Standard is
shipped into 2009,” clarifies Lee Bartram, platform for modification and historic parts spec’d with a Honey Burst finish, although
Gibson EU’s head of marketing and cultural upgrades. The finish of those original-run there’s precious little colour to the stained
influence. “There have been some similar instruments was intended to have a worn top. Our 60s Vintage Cherry Sunburst
limited runs since. Over the years the look, but this time we did not want to break has some deeper red colour but looks
Faded models have built up an amazing the lacquer – just provide the vintage vibe.” positively anaemic next to our much

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1. Along with the

more richly hued 2019 Les Paul Classic ‘unfinished’ vibe, the
2 reference in its Heritage Cherry Sunburst. Burstbucker pickups
Both have AA-grade flamed tops with on all three new Faded
models are uncovered
bold striped figure and a few ‘dirty’ flecks:
classic Gibson. Tops aside, the rest of the 2. On our two Les Paul
mahogany body and neck backs have the models, only the figured
same thin finish, albeit with what appears maple tops are coloured;
the mahogany backs and
to be a light walnut stain or grain-filler necks have what appears
rubbed on. to be a light mid-brown
As we’ve said many times before, a natural stain/grain filler
finish leaves nowhere to hide, so any
tooling marks or gaps in joints are instantly
visible. And perhaps this Faded concept is
another way to remind people that Gibson
really has its act together. Outwardly at
least, the craft is excellent. The two-piece
bodies are immaculately centre-joined, and
without any weight relief aren’t over-heavy
(although the 60s LP is the weightiest),
while neck angles on all three appear very
consistent. Little if any actual grain filler is
used, which is most evident on the ‘open
pore’ appearance of the SG; both Pauls are
very slightly smoother feeling to the touch.
The top edge binding on the Les Pauls is
left a little sharp, likewise the fingerboard
binding, which does give the impression
these were grabbed off the production line
with effectively just a sealer finish and sent
directly to assembly.

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 GIBSON FADED SERIES VIDEO DEMO [Link]

3. As with the gloss-finish Aside from different pickup specs and rather offer it as fans knew it. And calling
models, the tuners are the fuller neck carve of the 50s, it’s only the it an ‘SG Standard 60s’ wouldn’t make
different. On the 50s
model we get these tuners that differ: the 50s goes for vintage- sense because of the different specs and
Kluson-style Vintage style Gibson Deluxe types; the 60s has pickguard styles used in that range.”
Deluxe types, while Grover Rotomatics – just like the standard What can’t be disputed is the change in
on the 60s we get
gloss-finish models. design compared with the original Les Paul,
Grover Rotomatics
which is massive. The Les Pauls’ depth was
SG Standard ’61 Faded 50mm at the rim with an overall depth of
Maestro Vibrola 61mm at the apex of the carved top, while
The Faded trio is completed by an all- the slab body here is thin at 34mm, the
mahogany Cherry SG and at least this has famous edge chamfering making it seem
some depth to its colour, which is applied to even thinner. The neck joins the body at
the whole body and neck. It is rather oddly the 22nd fret and, aside from the small
named as this would still have been a Les heel, it is completely unsupported along
The oh-so-new feel Paul Standard in 1961; it didn’t become ‘SG’ its length, as opposed to the Les Paul’s 16th
until later, in 1963, after Les and Gibson had fret neck-to-body join. The quarter-sawn
of the guitars may parted company. A ’61 Les Paul/SG would mahogany used for the neck does result in
have also featured the sideways Vibrola a pretty stiff structure with little flex – not
be a little alien, – most famous, basically, for not working. always the case with SGs – although, again,
but there is also Thankfully, the later long Vibrola is fitted that edge binding to the rosewood ’board is
here and that works just fine. “The ’61 SG is crying out for a little final sanding to smooth
a whiff of small- a long-standing model at Gibson USA, made the ledges on either side.
’shop boutique for over 30 years,” Lee Bartram tells us. “It
is also the best-selling model in that time, so
Neck profile and pickups are the same as
the 60s Les Paul, but we have those vintage-
construction style we didn’t want to change the nomenclature, style Gibson Deluxe tuners of the 50s here.

92 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 4

4. The classic ABR-1

Feel & Sounds tune-o-matic bridge and
The oh-so-new feel of the guitars may 5 lightweight aluminium
be a little alien, but there is also a whiff of stud tailpiece you see
here are the same
small-’shop boutique construction style.
as on the standard
For example, many high-end makers use a gloss-finish models
‘hand-rubbed’ satin finish, a bare wood or
rubbed-through style for the neck backs, 5. While the plastic body
edge and fingerboard
and these feel very similar – they’re smooth binding are left a little
yet slightly tactile. As with the standard sharp to the touch, the
models, the 50s neck here is the fullest: edges of the plastic jack
22mm deep at the 1st fret, 24.9mm by the plates on both our ’Pauls
are all rather nicely
12th – a small finish thickness away from the rounded and smooth
previous 50s Standard we evaluated back
in issue 448. The 60s drops to 20.7mm at
the 1st fret and 23.7mm by the 12th – again,
very close to the fully finished 60s Standard
and Classic of that previous review. These
SlimTaper profiles have a slightly flatter
back but still keep the relaxed shoulders.
The SG’s neck actually feels a little
asymmetrical with more shoulder on the
bass side. It also has that slight ledge where
the finish has been scraped from the binding.
While that might take a while to wear in,
even after our relatively short test time it’s

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 93

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6. Another subtle change the SG’s finish that is most notably beginning
to the 60s Les Paul is to slightly burnish to a subtle gloss.
these metal-topped
bonnet control knobs; The fretwire feels pretty classic, too, as it’s
the 50s model’s are the relatively low and medium in width. Like
amber bonnet style those binding edges, a little more polishing
to the fret tops would add some slinkiness,
7. One of the many design
differences with the SG but the setups are consistent and we really
style is the relatively have zero problems here.
cramped control layout: Of course, the difference in feel between
the four controls,
selector switch and
the Les Pauls and the SG is marked. You
output jack all fit into can only imagine what Les Paul would have
the single rear cavity said back in the day when Ted McCarty
handed him one of these! The neck seems
extended, then there’s that thin body depth,
the pointed horns and a very different,
lighter weight. Yet its delicate feel is very
endearing, along with a lovely ring and
sustain that’s enhanced with some light
waggle from the Vibrola. There is a slight
neck-pull strapped on, plus the heel-placed
strap button means that the guitar tips
forward a little. But with the right strap
it’s all easy to manage, the light weight
compensating in spades.
Pickup position will play a part in what
we hear. The screw coil of the LP’s bridge
pickup sits 596mm from the face of the 6
top nut; the SG’s is 598mm – very similar.

Finish can have a

dampening effect,
so the lack of it here
seems to give slightly
more crispness to the
high-end response

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 GIBSON FADED SERIES

UNDER THE HOOD

Are there any tricks inside the control cavities?

L
ike the previous Les Pauls we looked The original Burstbuckers date back to Les Paul Custom and Custom Authentic ’58
at, the circuits on both here are the “early 90s”, says Gibson today, although Les Paul Standard models with Burstbuckers.”
wired modern-style with Gibson (USA retailer) Sam Ash’s website suggests “With historically unmatched bobbin
logo’d 500k pots (made by CTS) and .022 it was much later: “The initial demand for windings,” continues Gibson today, “and
microfarad (223J) Orange Drop tone Patent Applied For replica pickups came from Alnico II magnets they produce an airy, full
caps. All the controls mount onto a metal Japanese collectors, and the Burstbucker was tone, and when overdriven they achieve a
grounding plate, although the cavities aren’t offered exclusively in Japan beginning in 1996. magical distortion with the slightly enhanced
shielded, nor are the plastic cover plates. By 1999 word [had] spread of the unique highs that made the originals famous.”
However, you can clearly see that mid-brown replica tones produced by Burstbuckers. The Burstbucker 1s are ‘underwound’, the
grain filler/stain that’s applied over the Gibson USA put the first Burstbuckers on BB 3s are ‘overwound’, and the BB 2s sit in
slightly redder hue of the raw mahogany. a production model with the Gary Moore the middle. Our BB 1 measured 7.45kohms
Rather oddly, the knobs on the 50s LP sit Signature Les Paul in the summer of 2000, at output; the BB 2 7.94k at the bridge.
higher from the body face (although they and Gibson’s Custom division then equipped Reflecting the gradual change to the specs
could be easily realigned) compared with the Class 5 Les Paul, Custom Authentic ’68 of PAFs in the early 60s, the Burstbucker
the 60s, which are virtually flush. The 61T and 61R swap to Alnico V magnets, but
knobs are different, too, with the 50s using the interesting thing about both sets fitted
amber bonnet types and the 60s going for
The Burstbucker 1s here to our 60s Les Paul and SG is that they
the post-1960 metal-topped style. The SG are ‘underwound’, share virtually identical DCRs – the bridge, for
doesn’t have that metal grounding plate, but example, isn’t hotter. So our SG’s 61T at the
is otherwise identically wired – again, the the 3s ‘overwound’, bridge measured 7.64k ohms; the 61R at the
knobs sit a little high (certainly the volume
and tone for the bridge pickup) and they are
and the BB 2s sit in neck is 7.77k. The 61s on our 60s Les Paul are
even closer, measuring 7.7k at the bridge and
the black bonnet types. the middle 7.71k at the neck.

Only the neck on

Top: Both our SG and 60s LP use the same 61 the SG extends
Burstbuckers – all appear to have been wax potted into the neck
Above: The 50s LP uses a Burstbucker 2 at the pickup cavity
bridge and a 1 (pictured) in the neck position

The SG’s cavity It’s all ship-shape

has no grounding inside the 50s LP
plate but the same control cavity
pots and caps

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 95

 GIBSON FADED SERIES

8. The Maestro Vibrola 9. Like the 60s Les Paul, But the centre of the screw coil of the old-blues ‘honk’ to the 2 at the bridge with
actually appeared the ’61 SG comes with neck pickup on the Les Paul is 474mm, as a smooth but clean response from the 1 at
slightly later in the uncovered 61R and 61T
60s as a replacement Burstbuckers, reflecting opposed to the SG’s 489mm measurement: the neck. Plugging in the 60s with its 61
(and improvement) for the subtle changes closer to the bridge to allow more wood in pair – which both have very similar outputs
the sideways Vibrola towards the end of the that neck joint, with the gap covered with – there’s slightly more high-end presence
that was fitted on the classic PAF designs.
a plastic plate. To narrow the gap as best and perhaps a slight scoop to the mids, but
earliest SG-style Les Interestingly, both
Paul Standards pickups on both models we could, we set all the humbuckers 1/16th they’re in a very similar ballpark.
have virtually the same inch from the top string on the treble side, The SG does sound more different,
DCRs: the bridge units fretted at the last fret, and 3/32nds on the seemingly with less highs and lows but
aren’t ‘hotter’
bass side. Let’s plug in… such a sweet juicy voice, especially when
Finish can have a dampening effect on we begin to add some crunch and volume.
what you hear, so the lack of it here seems The slightly closer placement of the pickups
to give slightly more crispness to the creates the most Fender-y mixed position,
high-end response; likewise the absence and overall there’s a lovely vintage-y
of pickup covers. Our Les Paul Classic character, too. It’s the sum of its parts,
reference (retrofitted with covered and for sure, but 61 years on, the SG has earned
61 years on, the unpotted Burstbuckers 1 and 2) sounds a its stripes on countless stages and classic
little more rounded and smoother in the recordings – and this one is a beaut.
SG has earned its high-end, but it’s also been a guitar for a lot
stripes on countless longer than either of these Faded models Verdict
and played a lot. Like any modern version While these new Faded models might
stages and classic of the PAF, Burstbuckers have their fans simply be an opportunity for Gibson to
recordings – and and detractors. They’re relatively low
in output (see Under The Hood on the
offer guitars that are slightly reduced
in price (by around 11 per cent) when
this one is a beaut previous page), and there’s a beautiful compared with the fully finished equivalent

96 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

VIDEO DEMO [Link] GIBSON FADED SERIES

GIBSON LES PAUL GIBSON LES PAUL GIBSON SG

STANDARD 50S STANDARD 60S STANDARD ’61
FADED FADED FADED MAESTRO
VIBROLA
PRICE: £2,169 (inc case) PRICE: £2,169 (inc case)
ORIGIN: USA ORIGIN: USA PRICE: £1,899 (inc case)
TYPE: Single-cutaway, solidbody TYPE: Single-cutaway, solidbody ORIGIN: USA
electric electric TYPE: Double-cutaway,
BODY: 2-piece mahogany with BODY: 2-piece mahogany with solidbody electric
carved AA figured maple top carved AA figured maple top BODY: 2-piece mahogany
NECK: 1-piece mahogany, NECK: 1-piece mahogany, NECK: 1-piece mahogany,
Vintage 50s profile, glued-in SlimTaper profile, glued-in SlimTaper profile, glued-in
SCALE LENGTH: 624mm (24.6”) SCALE LENGTH: 624mm (24.6”) SCALE LENGTH: 624mm (24.6”)
NUT/WIDTH: Graph NUT/WIDTH: Graph NUT/WIDTH: Graph
Tech/42.61mm Tech/42.82mm Tech/42.69mm
FINGERBOARD: Single-bound FINGERBOARD: Single-bound FINGERBOARD: Single-bound
rosewood, Acrylic Trapezoid rosewood, Acrylic Trapezoid rosewood, Acrylic Trapezoid
inlays, 305mm (12”) radius inlays, 305mm (12”) radius inlays, 305mm (12”) radius
FRETS: 22, medium jumbo FRETS: 22, medium jumbo FRETS: 22, medium jumbo
HARDWARE: ABR-1 tune- HARDWARE: ABR-1 tune-o- HARDWARE: ABR-1 tune-o-matic
o-matic bridge, aluminium matic bridge, aluminium stopbar bridge, Maestro Vibrola tailpiece,
stopbar tailpiece, Vintage Deluxe tailpiece, Grover Rotomatic vintage deluxe tuners w/
tuners w/ keystone buttons – tuners w/ kidney buttons – keystone buttons – nickel-plated
nickel-plated nickel-plated STRING SPACING, BRIDGE:
STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 51.5mm
51.5mm 51.5mm ELECTRICS: Uncovered Gibson
9 ELECTRICS: Uncovered Gibson ELECTRICS: Uncovered Gibson Burstbucker 61R (neck) and
Burstbucker 1 (neck) and Burstbucker 61R (neck) and Burstbucker 61T (bridge), 3-way
Burstbucker 2 (bridge), 3-way Burstbucker 61T (bridge), 3-way toggle pickup selector switch,
models, they neither feel nor sound like toggle pickup selector switch, toggle pickup selector switch, volume and tone for each pickup
instruments Made In Hurry. volume and tone for each pickup volume and tone for each pickup WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.96/8.71
On the one hand there’s a raw, stripped WEIGHT (kg/lb): 3.96/8.71 WEIGHT (kg/lb): 4.25/9.35 RANGE OPTIONS: The fully
vibe to the Les Pauls that shouts ‘gig me’, RANGE OPTIONS: The fully RANGE OPTIONS: The fully glossed finish SG Std ’61 Maestro
but to be honest there’s a more boutique- glossed finish Les Paul Standard glossed finish Les Paul Standard Vibrola costs £2,089; the hardtail
like vibe going on here. The SG looks much 50s costs £2,429; the Les Paul 60s costs £2,429 SG Standard ’61 is £1,739
more normal, of course, with its cherry- Classic is £2,169 LEFT-HANDERS: No LEFT-HANDERS: No
over-mahogany shade, and while the LEFT-HANDERS: No FINISH: Vintage Cherry FINISH: Vintage Cherry satin (as
LPs are good, it’s this beautifully delicate FINISH: Honey Burst (as Sunburst (as reviewed) – satin reviewed) – satin nitrocellulose
instrument that stands out. reviewed) – satin nitrocellulose nitrocellulose
But we have to be realistic, don’t we?
Not everyone is going to get on with the
colours of the Les Pauls – and that price
reduction is unlikely to cover the price of
a professional refinish. And while many of
us enjoy our modding adventures, you’re
8 9
going to need to be pretty confident before
you start work on a £2k guitar.
So there’s plenty to consider and there
8 PROS Like the 50s LP, excellent
build and good voicing; slimmer
neck profile here
PROS Like the LPs, the build
here is excellent and this is
a more normal colour; great
are a few sharp unfinished edges, but PROS Excellent build, vibrant weight; a very good example
sound-wise this trio is superb. Finished, ‘raw’ voicing and good weight CONS Hardly a great Vintage of early SG style
unfinished? Well, you now have a choice, Cherry Sunburst; no colour
and anyone who thinks that Gibson isn’t CONS Lack of colour on our options; binding feels a little CONS Again, no colour options
making great guitars once more really sample; no colour options; unfinished; noticeably heavier and the fingerboard binding is
needs to think again. binding feels a little unfinished than our 50s LP a little sharp-edged

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 97

 TAKAMINE LTD2022

98 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 TAKAMINE LTD2022

Shine On
One of two limited-edition models that celebrate Takamine’s 60th
Anniversary, both of which engage the charms of Hawaiian koa in
their construction. Let’s move in for a closer look

Words David Mead Photography Olly Curtis

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 99

 TAKAMINE LTD2022 VIDEO DEMO [Link]

TAKAMINE LTD2022 £2,450

CONTACT Korg UK Ltd PHONE 01908 304600 WEB [Link]

T
akamine celebrates its 60th We take a look at the history of Takamine
What You Need To Know anniversary this year with not one in the feature that follows this review, but
but two special models created for to take a peek into the company’s past from
60th Anniversary? Has Takamine the occasion. The one we have before us a purely UK-based perspective then the
1 really been around that long? today is the LTD2022 and is limited to 350 story really begins around the mid-70s.
Yes! The Takamine story really begins units worldwide, and the other, named ‘The This was when adverts began to appear in
in 1959 when a small family-run 60th’, will have only 60. The former will the music press from Ivor Mairants’ music
instrument workshop was opened sell for around £2.5k, whereas its far more shop in Rathbone Place, just off London’s
in Sakashita, at the foot of Mount grand stablemate tips the scales at a smidge Oxford Street, displaying Martin lookalikes
Takamine in central Japan. Building under £10k! We’re not about to compare for around the £50 mark. Reviews
on a larger scale began in 1962 and the two, however, seeing as we haven’t indicated that these were remarkable value
the rest, as they say, is history. even laid eyes upon The 60th model, and and, just to add context, seeing as it was
so we’ll instead focus our attention on the still comparatively difficult to get hold of
That’s an odd colour for Sitka LTD2022 we have here. a decent acoustic guitar without spending
2 spruce, isn’t it?
That’s because Takamine has tinted
the finish used on the top of the 1
guitar to match the natural honey-
coloured hue of the koa used for the
instrument’s back and sides.

Is koa really that rare?

3 When you consider that the genuine
Acacia koa found on the LTD2022 is
grown only on Hawaii (although other
species are grown elsewhere) and
that the highly figured variety used
in guitar making has to be carefully
selected, then yes, it meets the
criteria of being considered rare.

100 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 TAKAMINE LTD2022

1. An abalone trim
around the body’s edge
enhances the look of
this celebratory guitar

2. The Sitka spruce top

has been tinted to match
the golden tan colour of
the Hawaiian koa used
on the LTD2022’s back
and sides

3. A special diamond-
style inlay features at
the guitar’s 12th fret,
marking Takamine’s
60th Anniversary

The finish is silky 3

smooth, the smaller
body is comfortable,
and the neck is a
generous C shape
a fortune in those days, curious players
began to form an orderly queue.
This writer succumbed and still owns
an original 1975 Takamine F307 from
that period, the quality of build and tone
apparent from the first strum. Of course,
those early UK imports are now known
colloquially as being from the ‘lawsuit’
period as it wasn’t long before more
original designs, free of any derivative
encumbrances, began to appear.
Coming up to date, Takamine has
enjoyed quite an illustrious few decades,
its instruments appearing in the hands
of many top players from Jon Bon Jovi,
Glenn Frey and Garth Brooks to Steven
Wilson, Bruno Mars and Brent Mason,
to name but a few. Innovations have
included the celebrated CoolTube pickup
and preamp system, and reaching further
back, the ‘Brownie’ Palathetic pickup,
elements of which are included in the new
CTF-2N featured here. More of that later,
meanwhile let’s take a look at what makes
this celebratory model tick.
Another nod to Takamine’s history is the
LTD2022’s body style. This classical body
shape first appeared in Japan around 1969

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 101

 TAKAMINE LTD2022 VIDEO DEMO [Link]

4. The LTD2022 is limited to with the PT-05E and is reintroduced on

only 350 guitars worldwide both this and The 60th, updated to include a
and so if you want one
you’d better be quick!
cutaway. The body itself features a laminate
of Hawaiian koa for the guitar’s back and
5. All the guitar’s hardware sides, with a high-grade Sitka spruce top
has been carefully that has been colour-matched to the golden
matched to the colour
scheme of the koa – from brown hue of the koa using what Takamine
the endpin jack socket refers to as a ‘Burnt Sienna’ tint. Needless to
here, to the Gotoh tuners say, the top, back and sides look wonderful,
on the headstock
the grain featuring koa’s signature 3D
6. The preamp is an updated shimmering in the light. The top is
version of Takamine’s particularly worthy of note as the grain here
celebrated Palathetic unit is shown off to great effect and the abalone
that gained popularity
during the 1970s trim sets things off a treat.
Takamine tells us that the bracing
underneath the Sitka top has been specially
designed to bring out the best spectrum of
sound – basses, mids and trebles – from a
small-bodied instrument and we’re talking
really quite trim dimensions hereabouts,
with a maximum lower bout width
measuring only 370mm (14.5 inches).
The LTD2022’s neck is mahogany
with an ebony ’board that features a
special ‘diamond’ marker at the 12th fret,
another tip of the hat to Takamine’s 60th 5
anniversary. Tuners are weathered-looking

102 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 6

brass-coloured Gotoh Grover style, and the

perfectly seated 20 frets are low-profile
The top, back and
THE RIVALS medium in dimension. sides look wonderful,
Build quality is practically faultless
If koa is a tonewood that rings your throughout, as you might expect from a
the grain featuring
bell then we’d suggest you check out limited edition, and we can’t wait to hear koa’s signature
Taylor’s new 724ce, which we reviewed what the guitar sounds like. But before
in issue 488. Despite a retail price just we venture further, a few words about the 3D shimmering
shy of £3k, we’ve seen it streeting at specially developed CTF-2N pickup system.
around the £2,300 mark – and it’s all As already revealed, this is modelled after Feel & Sounds
solid koa throughout, too. It’s also worth Takamine’s original ‘Brownie’ preamp – but Turning the LTD2022 over in our hands
remembering that Taylor has other koa with a few modern twists to the tale. It was reveals an early feel-good factor. The
models in its range and so the website is originally designed to partner the Palathetic finish is silky smooth, the smaller body
well worth perusing. pickup, and players have apparently been comfortable to sit or stand with – and we
Martin also has models that feature koa, requesting a return to the Brownie system haven’t played a note yet. The neck is a
starting with the 000-12E (£1,499), which for quite a while. Always willing to listen to generous C shape, chunky enough to feel
features koa laminated back and sides, as customer feedback, Takamine obliged with substantial but falling far short of anything
does the SC-13E at £1,699. this new take on the original FET-powered that could be described as ‘clubby’. The
Takamine itself is no stranger to the design, but the company has included a nut width of just under 43mm will be
charms of koa as its catalogue will tell notch filter to tame any errant frequencies welcomed by players used to the dimension
you. As an example, the EF508KC (£1,249) on the live stage and a chromatic tuner to of electric guitar necks, but will just possibly
features the wood on the top, back and keep everything sweet to the ear. When you cause a frown among fingerstylists who
sides. Other manufacturers that use koa in consider that enthusiasts for the Brownie demand those extra few millimetres at this
their instruments include Faith, Breedlove system included connoisseurs of tone such end of the fretboard to allow for their more
and Eastman, and so we would recommend as Ry Cooder and James Taylor, it will be gymnastic capabilities.
an intense Googling session to reveal all. interesting to hear what Takamine has done Sound-wise, the LTD2022 isn’t a
with its reinstatement here. particularly loud instrument in that it

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 103

 TAKAMINE LTD2022 VIDEO DEMO [Link]

TAKAMINE LTD2022
PRICE: £2,450 (with semi
hard case)
ORIGIN: Japan
TYPE: Concert cutaway
TOP: Solid Sitka spruce
BACK/SIDES: Laminated koa
MAX RIM DEPTH: 97mm
MAX BODY WIDTH: 370mm
NECK: Mahogany
The LTD2022 is topped
out with Takamine- SCALE LENGTH: 644mm (25.35”)
branded Gotoh tuners TUNERS: Takamine logo’d Gotoh
NUT/WIDTH: Bone/42.67mm
FINGERBOARD: Ebony
doesn’t overwhelm or run away with
itself dynamically. Instead, we find a very
Its sweetness – and, for that FRETS: 20
BRIDGE/SPACING: Ebony/53mm
controlled voice with basses and mids in matter, sustain – is present ELECTRICS: CTF-2N w/ volume,
proportion with each other and particularly treble and bass controls plus notch
sweet trebles. It’s worth noting that this all over the fretboard filter and tuner
sweetness – and, for that matter, sustain and not just down at the WEIGHT (kg/lb): 1.97/4.34
– is present all over the fretboard and not OPTIONS: None
just down at the campfire chord end. So campfire chord end RANGE OPTIONS: Takamine is
whatever Takamine has done in shaping also producing another anniversary
the guitar’s bracing has certainly had a Verdict model entitled ‘The 60th’, limited to
beneficial effect on the tone overall. Needless to say, any guitar that is in any 60 guitars worldwide with seriously
It’s difficult to tell how much of an way limited or a special model is aimed upgraded appointments including
influence the presence of koa is to the sound principally at the collector market. But in a genuine diamond embedded in
of the guitar as it’s a laminate rather than this case, the hardcore is perhaps going the headstock. The selling price is
solid. This is not an impediment, of course, to chase after The 60th model with its an eye-watering £9,999
because some makers – up to and including more rarefied accoutrements and very LEFT-HANDERS: No
boutique level – insist that laminated back much more limited 60-unit distribution FINISH: Gloss
and sides gives a more solid foundation worldwide. With that model, Takamine
for the all-important vibration of the has included a genuine diamond on the
instrument’s top. So koa’s sonic reputation headstock in the form of the dot on the ‘i’
for girthy basses and mids maybe isn’t in the Takamine logo, just to give you an
quite so much in question here, but it might idea of how luxurious the appointments
just be that it’s had an influence on the are on offer there.
sweetness of the trebles. But our LTD2022 is a quarter of
Through an amp the new CTF-2N the price of its illustrious cousin and
preamp system comes into its own, and it’s
simplicity itself to operate. The three sliders
control bass, treble and volume, and the
represents a very well-made and good-
sounding instrument, the collectability
being a factor on top. As with anything
8
notch filter scans the frequencies with that that is in any way rarefied, these guitars PROS A very well-built, sweet-
familiar ‘wah’ sound as you turn the dial. are likely to sell out quite soon, and so sounding instrument with the
The tuner, meanwhile, mutes the signal to if you want a guitar with a few unique allure of collectability
allow silent tuning on stage. We found it features, a good set of larynx and is
was easy to dial in a sound we were happy so typically for Takamine eminently CONS Plenty of competition in
with through our AER Compact 60 and so stage-ready, we’d advise you not to hang the marketplace at this price point
no complaints there. around for too long. if a limited-edition isn’t your thing

104 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 TAKAMINE LTD2022

Diamond Days
Master luthier Makoto Terasaki joins us to celebrate Takamine’s 60th anniversary
as we reflect on some of the company’s landmarks from the past six decades

Words David Mead

he Takamine story really begins

T in 1959. Could you tell us a little

about the origins of the company?
“In 1959 as a small family-run guitar shop
1

nestled at the foot of Mount Takamine in

the central Japanese town of Sakashita,
the fledgling company took the mountain’s
name in 1962 and began in earnest the
journey that led to the phenomenal success
that is the modern Takamine company.”

The company grew during the 1960s – was

this a response to the growing popularity of
the guitar in Japan?

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAKAMINE

“Certainly, folk music was popular in the
1960s in Japan and it was a tailwind for Taking its name from
Mount Takamine in central
guitar manufacturing as well.”
Japan, the company has
been dedicated to expert
As Takamine became established as guitar craft since 1962
a builder of quality instruments, you
began innovating with some design
characteristics of your own, notably the Takamine quickly became known as one of “At that time, we developed the CoolTube
Palathetic pickup. Tell us about this period the leaders in electro-acoustic design. How preamplifier as one of the ways to make the
of growth for the company. influential was feedback from the artists best use of the Palathetic pickup. The first
“The Palathetic pickup was used on the who played the instruments? digital inset preamplifier AD-1 was released
guitars for the first time in the late 70s. It “Artist feedback has always been very in 1998, and in 2004 the first generation
was the development of the under-saddle important – for example, how guitars of CoolTube preamps, the CTP-1, was
Palathetic pickup that revolutionised respond to changes in the environment on released. A few years later, the CT4-DX was
amplified acoustic guitar design. It became professional stages such as large stadiums released, in 2007, and offers the ultimate
a pioneer of electric acoustic guitars. In and outdoor situations. There were many preamp flexibility.
addition, the playing of Takamine guitars things that we had never thought of, and “For the 60th anniversary we returned
by many big names resulted in further the longterm accumulation of experience to our early roots with the new CTF-2N
awareness, and it spread around the world. by overcoming these matters led to the next preamplifier, which revives the sound of
It’s one of the reasons Takamine has been stages of development.” our early FET preamp model, which is
able to grow as a brand.” affectionately known as the ‘Brownie’.
The 1990s saw Takamine pioneer laser The CTF-2N has that legendary sound,
inlay work along with some major artist while at the same time adding the more
signature models. Was this another fertile modern functions of easy battery access,
time for design innovation in the company? a chromatic tuner and a notch filter.”
“Takamine was the first to introduce a laser
cutting machine as a way to achieve the The company continues to innovate and
more elaborate and ornamental designs move forward with new ideas for building
of the time, when CNC routers were the acoustic guitars. What does the immediate
norm in guitar woodworking. The Santa future hold for Takamine?
Fe, which was released in 1993, is a typical “We will continue to devote ourselves to
model for introducing a laser cutting innovation and continual improvement
machine. The delicate processing of the of craftsmanship in Japan, and continue
Santa Fe fan-shaped rosette is one of the to send guitars to the world from here in
technological innovations we launched.” Nakatsugawa. I think it is important to
continue to be a guitar maker that will be
The CoolTube preamp was another able to celebrate in the next 70, 80, 100
Makoto Terasaki has been hands-on at Takamine since landmark design – what was the thinking years and more.”
1988, from hand-building acoustics to artist relations behind introducing this? [Link]

106 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 update to hi res

Outside The Box single or double page opener

In collaboration with ThorpyFX, this new range of pedals from Victory aims to capture
the tones and performance of its current amp range in solid-state stompbox format

Words Nick Guppy Photography Olly Curtis

 VICTORY V1 SERIES PEDALS

VICTORY V1 SERIES PEDALS £199 EACH

CONTACT Victory Amplification WEB [Link]

V
ictory has enjoyed considerable Each pedal has a single footswitch and
What You Need To Know success in recent years with its blue jewel ‘on’ LED, with rear-facing signal
compact V4 preamp and amplifier and power connections to make the best use
What’s going on here? Doesn’t ranges, the latter loaded with features of your pedalboard’s real estate.
1 Victory make amps, not pedals? including a 180-watt Class D power stage, The V1’s electronics are mounted to
It does, but this new series of effects built-in Two Notes cabinet emulation, the top half of the chassis, with a main
are built to reproduce the sounds of digital reverb and balanced outputs. While PCB linked by minimal wiring to smaller
its amp range but in solid-state pedal the V4 format defines what many of us boards for the switch and jack sockets. As
format. They’re designed by Victory’s want from a modern guitar amplifier, you’d expect from Victory, the component
Martin Kidd in collaboration with there are legions of guitarists who get their standard is high, with through-hole metal
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX. sounds purely from pedals and don’t need film resistors and quality capacitors
amplifiers to do anything more than just alongside surface-mount FETs and
Didn’t Victory release some pedals make them louder. That’s where the new op-amps. The resistors are close tolerance
2 a while back? V1 range comes in: five analogue solid- metal film types, which helps to keep the
No, you’re thinking of the V4 ultra- state pedals that distil the essential tones noise floor as low as possible. Overall, the
compact and lightweight single- of Victory’s award-winning amplification V1 stompboxes are typical of Victory’s high
channel guitar amplifiers, which range into compact one-button, build quality; not only will they look smart
are pretty feature-laden and employ DC-powered stompboxes. on any pedalboard, they’re built to last and
Two Notes cabinet emulation. The result of a collaboration between handle any gig with ease, from occasional
Victory founder Martin Kidd and pedal pub nights to full-on professional touring.
What’s in this new range? guru Adrian Thorpe from ThorpyFX, all
3 There are five pedals with the familiar five V1 pedals share the same robust steel
Victory family voicings: The Copper, clamshell enclosure, with the bottom half 1
The Duchess, The Jack, The Kraken painted black and the top half decorated
and The Sheriff. Along with the with colour-coordinated graphics to
V4s and these new V1 pedals, each match their corresponding amplifier
Victory family includes various family: copper (of course) for The Copper,
combo and head formats, plus cabs, cream for The Duchess, graphite for The
of course. The choice is yours. Jack, silver grey for The Kraken, and gold
for The Sheriff. Small rubber feet cover
the four machine screws that secure the
chassis top and bottom halves.
1. While the other V1s have Apart from The Copper, the V1s share
regular midrange tone
controls, The Copper’s identical controls, featuring five knobs –
Tone knob replicates Volume, Gain, Bass, Middle and Treble.
the master tone control The Copper’s mid control is replaced with
found on some old Vox
a knob called Tone, which acts as a master
amps. It works backwards,
reducing highs as it’s tone control, similar to that found on
turned clockwise Victory’s other Copper amps.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 109

 VICTORY V1 SERIES PEDALS

2. The Sheriff’s controls 3. The V1 pedals all have

are the same as on the the same connections
other V1 pedals except with rear-facing mono
for The Copper, with input and output jacks
knobs for gain, volume, and a standard nine-volt
bass, mid and treble. DC power connector.
Each pedal’s controls Current draw for each
are specifically tuned pedal varies slightly,
for that circuit; for but they’re all between
example, The Sheriff’s 15 and 17mA, so you
midrange isn’t as shouldn’t have any
pronounced as that of issues fitting at least
The Jack or Kraken one on your ’board

Feel & Sounds The Sheriff’s midrange

We tried out Victory’s V1 pedals with our
THE RIVALS regular Duncan Alnico Pro-equipped Strat is particularly
and a Les Paul loaded with a pair of old PAF
Dave Friedman has emerged as one humbuckers, with each pedal used one at a satisfying, carefully
of the top names in modern high-gain
amplification, with famous users including
time into the low-gain input of a 1x12 valve
combo, EQ’d for a flat tone response.
sculpted to capture
Joe Bonamassa and Jerry Cantrell. The Copper V1 takes its inspiration from classic Brit-rock tones
Friedman’s BE-OD (£219) emulates the EL84-powered combo, which was the
the huge distortion tones of his highly sonic foundation for many legendary British dose of gain. Starting at lower settings, we
covetable BE100 amplifier, while the acts in the 1960s and 70s. Like Victory’s found the glassy treble and smooth bass
Golden Pearl (£179) delivers a dynamic other Copper amps it has a complex often associated with 60s-era Fenders,
bluesy overdrive. harmonic structure, producing a satisfying adding extra depth and bite to our Strat’s
633 Engineering’s superlative hand-built chime at lower gain settings, then shifting to single coils without muddying the sound.
valve amplification range was recently a rich, medium-gain overdrive that’s great Turn up the gain and things get wilder, with
expanded to include two pedals: the X2 for classic rock and blues. Though there’s black panel-inspired sustain and crunch
Classic Overdrive (£285) and the wilder not quite enough gain for some of the that’s great for blues soloing.
X3 Multistage Overdrive (£285), both bigger, fully saturated Brian May sounds, The Jack V1 is based on one of Victory’s
designed by 633 founder Cliff Brown. The Copper satisfyingly nails many other most popular amps, V30 The Jack, which
They’re expensive, but both are handmade signature tones, from The Beatles to Bryan was designed in collaboration with
in the UK and have garnered rave reviews Adams and Rory Gallagher. This pedal is legendary shredder Guthrie Govan. The
for build quality and tone. very touch-sensitive and cleans up nicely Jack V1’s huge gain range goes from fat
Formerly known as the Ecstasy, Brian if you back off the guitar volume or vary medium-gain crunch to soaring sustain
Wampler’s Euphoria Overdrive (£199) is your picking attack. The midrange control with a turbo-charged tweed sparkle
highly versatile, with an expanded D-style is replaced with a knob called Tone, which that sounds great with single coils but
character that goes way beyond being just acts as a master tone control, progressively really good with a beefy humbucker. The
another ODS sound-alike. If your tone needs rolling off highs as you turn it up, in a cool tone controls on this pedal are powerful,
more bite, try Wampler’s Ratsbane Mini tip of the hat to the reverse tone control particularly the Middle knob, which
(£149), a compact but flexible distortion found on early AC30s. can be used to dial in a satisfying ‘scoop’
based on the legendary 70s ProCo design. Next, The Duchess V1 is designed to for those big 80s hair metal sounds, all
emulate the V40 Duchess but with an extra without pulling out too much treble or

110 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 VICTORY V1 SERIES PEDALS

VICTORY V1 SERIES
PRICE: £199 each
ORIGIN: UK
TYPE: Solid-state, analogue
overdrive pedals
DIMENSIONS: 125 (l) x 43 (d) x
66mm (w)
WEIGHT (kg/lb): 0.47/1
CHASSIS: Steel
CONNECTIONS: Input & Output:
¼” mono jack socket, Power:
standard 2.1mm centre pin negative
DC socket
POWER: 9VDC from external PSU
(not supplied), 15-17mA current
draw depending on model. No
battery option
CHANNELS: 1, with true bypass
when off
CONTROLS: V1 The Copper:
Volume, Gain, Bass, Tone and
4. Each of the pedals 5. All five V1 pedals Treble; The Duchess, Jack, Kraken
boasts specially designed feature a large, friendly
graphics to complement blue LED indicator & Sheriff: Volume, Gain, Bass,
the full-sized amp just above the heavy Middle and Treble
versions. The Duchess duty footswitch. When FOOTSWITCH: Single button
pen-and-ink style artwork in off mode, all the V1
switches effect on/off
is typical of the care and pedals are true bypass,
attention to detail that so the guitar signal
5 ADDITIONAL FEATURES: None
Victory is renowned for isn’t buffered OPTIONS: None

bass – similar to the ‘V’ shape setting you draw, they’ll sit happily on any pedalboard
might use on a graphic EQ. without the need for any special power
With a more British-influenced voicing, supply considerations.
The Sheriff V1 produces a broad palette
of vintage rock and blues at lower gain Verdict
settings, while turning up the gain on To take the core tones of Victory’s entire V4
this one is perfect for emulating Slash, amp range and translate them into solid-
VICTORY V1
Van Halen and many other rock icons.
It’s surprisingly complex, with smoothly
state stompbox format must have been
a daunting task. In the words of Adrian THE COPPER 9
interacting tone controls and a particularly Thorpe, who collaborated with Victory on VICTORY V1
satisfying midrange, carefully sculpted to
capture those classic Brit-rock tones.
the V1 designs: “We were keen to make the
V1 pedals sound as close to the full-bore
THE DUCHESS 9
Finally, The Kraken V1 is all about gain, valve amps as possible, but working with VICTORY V1
gain and more gain, transforming from the Martin and the team meant that we had THE JACK 9
British-flavoured sounds on Channel 1 of to be even more precise to do their amp
VICTORY V1
Victory’s VX, to the extreme American-
influenced sounds found on Channel 2.
designs justice in solid-state pedal form.
It took a long time, and many times we had
THE KRAKEN 9
Like the Jack V1, The Kraken V1’s midrange to go back to the drawing board.” VICTORY V1
is very powerful and needs to be carefully As you might expect from pedals made THE SHERIFF 9
dialled in for the best results. in the UK with the Victory pedigree, the
All five pedals benefit from impressively V1s aren’t the cheapest overdrives out PROS Good-looking design, with
low background noise, which means they’ll there, but they stand up well compared to unique artwork to match the
sound great into desks as well as amplifiers, other boutique products and look great on full-size amps and a choice of five
and you can significantly increase your the ’board. Our personal favourite is The distinct sonic flavours that capture
sonic arsenal by using more than one Copper, but all five have their own distinct the original amp design’s character
without any appreciable signal degradation. characters, which in itself is an impressive
We had the best results using The Duchess, achievement and means there should CONS Not the cheapest of
Sheriff and Copper V1s, which all blended be a V1 to suit all tastes. In a practically overdrive pedals, but the V1s are
nicely with the wah, delay and modulation infinite ocean of boutique overdrives, made in the UK and benefit from a
pedals on our ’board. All five pedals are Victory’s new V1 range could well make design collaboration with top pedal
true bypass, and with sub-20mA current a significant splash. guru Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 111

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BLUEPRINT: Fender Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe

BLUEPRINT

FIT FOR A KING

Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram is one of the most viscerally exciting blues
guitarists working today. As Fender launches a version of its 70s-era
Tele Deluxe, tweaked to Christone’s needs, we join him to find out more

Words Jamie Dickson

e’s the kind of player who spec reveals further details that stray away

H
can make people’s heads Feel was a number from 70s orthodoxy, such as a Gibson-style
one consideration for
turn with just a few notes. intonation-adjustable bridge with a stopbar
Ingram’s signature:
Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram “You can’t play the tailpiece and a roasted maple neck – the
has that rare quality that blues by the book” latter being a very on-trend way to increase
BB King had – the ability to imbue solos neck stability, while lending the maple an
with weight and feeling, even when playing attractive caramel tint.
simple phrases. However, the Clarksdale, While the neck has the expected 648mm
Mississippi, bluesman is also a blisteringly (25.5-inch) Fender scale, the 305mm
effective player in the faster sections, too, (12-inch) radius of the fingerboard tilts
never losing his phrasing when he’s laying things back in a Les Paul-like direction.
down the notes thick and fast. He’s used a Less obviously still, the Custom Kingfish
wide range of electrics in the past few years, Humbucking pickups – while outwardly
from custom electrics to Les Pauls and resembling Wide Range units – offer a
Strats. But it seems he’s finally settled down rich, chunky classic humbucker tone that
– teaming up with Fender to launch the suits hot blues very well. We join Christone
Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe recently. to find out more about the creation of his
The guitar forms part of what seems like tailor-made electric and learn more about
a minor resurgence for Fender’s 70s twin- his sound and approach to blues…
humbucker single-cut, which had – it’s fair
to say – languished among the company’s effect of that scarcity, however, is that it’s How did the Kingfish Tele Deluxe project
less widely used designs for many years. become accepted that more conventional come about?
Now, however, a Tele Deluxe forms a humbuckers will also work brilliantly on the “Well, we started it round the time the
central model in Fender’s newly revamped Tele Deluxe platform, which – outside of pandemic was at its [height], so we all
American Vintage II range, announced last the Parallel Universe series Troublemaker got on Zoom – me, my manager, a couple
month, and it’s well represented in Squier’s Tele guitars – represents Fender’s nearest guys from Fender – and I told them
Classic Vibe and Fender’s flagship American approach to a Les Paul-style electric. what I wanted and we went through a
Professional II ranges, too. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Christone’s couple of models [from Fender’s range of
The key component of an original Tele signature Tele Deluxe moves it even historic platforms] and all settled on the
Deluxe, its brace of CuNiFe-magnet further into traditional twin-humbucker Tele Deluxe. Originally, I wanted to have
Wide Range humbuckers, is no longer a single-cut territory, while retaining some something based off its Troublemaker
given, however. The magnets went out of quintessentially Fender elements. Tele – you know, when they started doing
production for many years and Fender has The US-made Kingfish Telecaster the Les Paul-like features – so I wanted
only recently resurrected its use in authentic Deluxe, which will set you back £2,249 something of that nature. We all mashed
Wide Range replicas, which feature on in the UK, is clad in a striking Mississippi ideas together and that’s how the guitar
the American Vintage II model. One side Night purple finish. A quick glance at the came about.”

114 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

“Me, my manager
and Fender, we
all got on Zoom
and mashed ideas
together – that’s
how the guitar
came about”
BLUEPRINT: Fender Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe

1. Vintage-style tuners and a

minimal signature maintain the
Tele’s classy, modded-classic vibe
and retro-modern looks

2. The custom neckplate is a nice

exclusive touch and ties in the
artist connection again

3. With its flared headstock and

striking Mississippi Night finish,
the Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe
is a real looker

4. A Gibson-style bridge and

tailpiece and custom humbuckers
make the Kingfish Tele a hybrid of
1 2 contrasting design traditions

You’ve used a variety of guitars up to

now, including conventional Teles and
“I tried Strats and Some blues players, such as Robben Ford
like their Telecasters set up on the high
Strats – what made you decide on a twin- other things, but side so they can really dig into each note.
humbucker format? How do you have the Kingfish set up –
“I kinda just became primarily a humbucker that wasn’t me – with a generous action or fast and low?
player… I relaxed and [discovered] that’s
where my sound is at. I tried Strats and
I’m a hard-hitting “Definitely low because low is more
comfortable for me, especially because
other things, but that wasn’t me because humbucking guy” I use heavy strings: I like 11s. The low
I’m more a hard-hitting humbucking guy. action from these is definitely better for
So I was trying to go to the classic sound. stuff that it does as well – it works perfectly my fingers – I can hit chords better. Even
Like I said, humbuckers, overdriven, for all that. I used to take another guitar on with the licks, I can hit licks better.
hard-hitting – you know, just straight. But the road with me, but this [new Tele] has
I also want to be able to dial the volume pretty much been the Number One for me What amp or amps will you be pairing the
back a little bit and turn the pedals off and for the last couple of months.” Kingfish Deluxe with?
get really good clean tones for jazz, R&B, “Yeah, it’s kind of a mixture, but I use
gospel – the list goes on and on. That’s What other elements of the Tele Deluxe primarily Fender Twins and Fender Hot
where we were going with the pickups.” design did you tweak to better suit your Rod DeVilles. Or sometimes I use a Peavey
personal needs? Delta Blues or a Peavey Classic. I most
Tell us more about the pickups – you “I wanted a V-shape neck [profile] – definitely like a loud, clean punchy type of
mentioned that they are versatile but how something that was not too big, not too sound where I can get either the distortion
far do they go to covering the ground that a thin, just right in-between, in the medium. or the cleanness.”
selection of electrics previously did? Not only that, I have an Adjusto-Matic
“Well, I have a lot of music that calls for bridge on there that’s [similar to] what you Those are traditionally high-headroom
overdriven hard-rock sound. And I like to normally get on the Les Pauls, which was clean amps, so presumably you’re getting
make the guitar scream in certain ways. So all about ‘comfortability’ for me. And I had a lot of your drive tones from pedals.
when it needs to do that, it does that. But the vintage-style tuners rather than new What are your go-to overdrives?
on certain other songs, you can dial it back [locking] tuners – those were all things that “I’m down to using one, but I went from a
a little bit and play some smooth jazzy-type I had picked out.” couple: from an MXR M294 Sugar Drive to

116 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Fender Kingfish Telecaster Deluxe: BLUEPRINT

the Way Huge [Smalls] Conspiracy Theory well. Definitely the local people in my area but other times break it down to something
Professional Overdrive and then to the were a big influence on what I do.” with lots of feel that’s really bluesy.”
MXR M251 FOD [Marshall-style pedal
based on the former Dookie drive]. I like What’s your best advice for players who Are there any records that are musical
a good overdriven natural sound when it want to play better blues? touchstones for your style of playing?
comes to overdrives.” “As over-used as the term ‘feel’ is, feel has “I’m not necessarily really into [specific]
always been the number-one thing for me: records, but Jimi Hendrix Are You
What was your route into blues music as you always want to say something when Experienced, a couple of BB King records,
a younger man? you play the blues, you always want to feel. Indianola Mississippi Seeds and stuff like
“Music has always been a part of my life You can’t play the blues by the book.” that. Even early Robert Johnson records,
in one way or another – I mean, I lived you know, anything of that nature: funk,
right next to a blues band. My mom’s side Often that means leaving a bit more blues, R&B…”
of the family, all of her uncles would get space, choosing notes really judiciously.
up to sing, so I was always around that. It can be really easy to over-play – so how What’s coming next for you and the
Clarksdale, Mississippi, is a blues city do you achieve a good balance? Kingfish Tele?
and I just fell into it that way. And that’s “Oh, yeah, I’ve been there. I’ve had my “The plan is to write more songs. I just
kind of how my interest in the guitar and moments where I was being ‘shred’, when got off a tour with Buddy Guy and I had
instruments came about.” what I really had to learn was that you just a chance to sit and talk with [producer]
gotta go back and study the masters. Were Tom Hambridge. I’ve been on tour with
Did you have any mentors on the local they doing it? Was Freddie King, Albert him [Buddy Guy] three other times, so
blues scene or direct influences? Who Collins and all these guys doing it? It all this was kind of like a family reunion, like
in particular caught your ear? goes back to that feel thing. coming back home. I got to hear more of
“Yeah, a lot of the older guys in the blues “For me, I like to have a balance [between his stories… it’s always a good time to soak
community back home, like T-Model fast licks and slow, melodic sections] up info from the OG [laughs]. So now the
Ford and Wesley ‘Junebug’ Jefferson because here’s what it is: the shredding is plan is to write more and record my music.
and Dr Michael James… all of these were what got me most of my fanbase. So I have As soon as we get done with touring, I’m
known as bluesmen in the area that I was to manoeuvre that in a way, so I can shred just recording my music, man.”
coming from, even some church guys as here and there just to keep their attention, [Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 117

 BOUGHT

BARRIE CADOGAN
The Little Barrie main man opens up about a stellar deal on a
’62 Epiphone Crestwood and his fondness for P-90 pickups

What was the first serious guitar that you “I do think that the more budget-friendly guitars are a lot
bought with your own money? better than they used to be. The only way you could get a
“Well, I inherited a little bit of money when I was a kid really good guitar cheap when I was younger was if there
from when my grandfather passed away, and I guess the was something vintage that was out of fashion, you know?
first really good guitar I ever bought was a 1964 Fender Or something that people hadn’t cottoned on to yet. But
Mustang. And they were cheap at the time. You know, yeah, I think the Squier is brilliant. I’ve got a Squier bass
I didn’t inherit millions or anything, just a small amount of that I use for demos and stuff as well and it’s ended up on
money. At the time it was £350 or something. I guess that a few recordings.”
was my first really cool guitar. It’s sort of before I went on
to a Gibson phase.” What’s the most incredible find or bargain that
you’ve had when buying gear?
What was the last guitar you bought? “Oh, it’s probably stuff that I haven’t got now. I mean, I’ve
“The last guitar I bought was a Squier 40th Anniversary worked out how many guitars I’ve had in my lifetime…
Jazzmaster. And it’s great, it’s a really good guitar for the and it’s a stupid amount. I’ve had loads that have come
Barrie was drawn to the
Epiphone Casino after money. I liked the look of it because it had a maple neck and gone over the years. I used to have a 1962 Epiphone
seeing players such as and it had the Desert Sand finish – kind of a 50s look to it, Crestwood Custom that had two mini-humbuckers in
Keith Richards and Paul you know, a bit like the old Duo-Sonics and Musicmasters. it and it was in player’s condition; it had had two neck
Weller with one on stage.
I just couldn’t resist it. So I bought one and all I had to do breaks, one at the top and one at the bottom. I bought
“With hollowbody guitars
with P-90 pickups, you was get it tweaked by someone. It took about 10 minutes, it from someone for about £400 and it was such a good
can’t go wrong,” he says and it’s great. guitar, it sounded phenomenal. I ended up trading it to buy

“I bought a Squier 40th

Anniversary Jazzmaster in
Desert Sand – it has a 50s
look, like old Duo-Sonics
and Musicmasters”

an old acoustic guitar at one point. Crestwood Customs

are daft money now as well. I wish that was one that could
have been held onto, but that was probably the best
bargain I ever got.”

What’s the strongest case of buyer’s remorse

you’ve experienced?
“I’ve bought a few things that I thought would be great
because I liked other people playing them, but they
weren’t right for me. Like years ago I bought a Fender
Jaguar because I thought they were really cool, but it just
wasn’t my guitar. I love the Johnny Marr Jags because
Johnny fixed some of the wonky bits and made it his own.
But I bought a Jag and it wasn’t right. Sometimes you
don’t know until you live with them for a bit or take them
to certain jobs, you know?”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARRIE CADOGAN

Have you ever sold a guitar that you now

intensely regret letting go?
“Yeah, the one that eats away at me the most is that I used
to have a 1962 Jazzmaster, and it was all straight. It was
sunburst and it had its brown case, and I owned it for
about a year. I sold it to buy an old Stratocaster because
I thought it was a kind of step up, but I never used the
Stratocaster anywhere near as much. My friend still has

118 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Bought & Sold

1. The latest addition to

Barrie’s collection is this
3 Squier 40th Anniversary
Jazzmaster Vintage
Edition in Desert Sand
with a maple ’board

2. This vintage Kay/Airline

1 model ticks the P-90
box for Barrie with its
‘Kleenex box’ pickups

that guitar, but I can’t afford to buy it back from him. I 3. A teenage Barrie in
1993 with his 1964
don’t think he’d sell it anyway, but I sold it to him 19 years
Fender Mustang, the
ago. I bought it cheap, in the early days of looking at “first really good guitar”
eBay and stuff, and it’s a guitar that I wasn’t using much he ever bought
because I wasn’t using it live with the band at the time.
I didn’t think it was right for [the] live [environment]. So
that’s why I moved it on. But I used it a lot on our first
album and it’s still the one that got away.”

What’s your best guitar-buying tip?

“You’ve got to look at the budget you’ve got, I suppose,
and if you’re really not sure what you want, try as many
things as you can. Sometimes the guitar that’s right for
your heroes isn’t always right for you. I guess it’s about
having that neck and that feel because you might be able buy a really, really amazing guitar, a really major vintage
to change the pickups and stuff on a new guitar. And I guitar, but if your amp’s lousy it ain’t gonna sound very
don’t care what anyone says, it’s got to look right.” good. You can get a half-decent guitar into a really nice old
amp and it’ll sound great. If I put my cheap Squier into an
When was the last time you stopped to stare in old Fender amp it sounds really good. If you buy a 50s
a guitar shop window, or browsed online, and Gibson and stick it into a lousy amp it’s not going to do
what were you looking at? much, really.”
“I was looking at something this morning. I’m not a pedal
guy, but I was looking at the [Jackson Audio] Silvertone If you could only use either humbuckers or
Twin Twelve pedal. It’s based on the old Silvertone Twin single coils for the rest of your career, which
Twelve, a sort of piggyback amplifier and it supposedly would it be and why?
emulates that in a pedal form. I think you could use it as “It would be a single coil as long as it was a P-90. Most
a preamp when you’re recording, as well. I’m not really a of my guitars have P-90s in them. I’ve got a 330/Casino
fan of drive pedals, I find they sort of shrink the sound a and I’ve got other guitars that are P-90-esque – I’ve got
bit, but I was interested in that one. It’s something I might an old Kay/Airline that’s got those ‘Kleenex box’ pickups,
use more for recording or making demos, or something which are kind of like P-90s. So a lot of my sound leans
where I can’t mic stuff up.” that way.” [JD/DM]

If forced to make a choice would you rather Barrie Cadogan’s latest album,
buy a really good guitar and a cheap amp or Quatermass Seven (with Malcolm Catto),
a cheap guitar and a top-notch amp? is available now on Madlib Invazion
“Cheap guitar and a really good amp, definitely. You could [Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 119

 OFFSET DIY (PART 2)
With the chassis smoothly sanded, the fingerboard and frets looking good,
Dave Burrluck considers the sonic options for his offset kit-build

was going to give this piece the 2mm would mean you could fit in the wider “A soapbar needs
I provocative title ‘The Great Pickup
Swindle!’, as choice is exactly what
we don’t get on so many instruments. Our
pickup and then perhaps mix it up with a
Tele-style single coil at the neck, or a Gold
Foil. If you have a sharp flat chisel and know
some kind of ‘cushion’,
so I simply cut some
StewMac offset kit, which we started to how to use it – which I do – it’s easy enough
put together in the last issue of The Mod
Squad, is similarly one-choice with its pair
to pare away a little wood on the treble side
of the cavity, meaning a Jazzmaster pickup
of the kit’s packing
of P-90 soapbars, their position fixed by now fits and the poles sit under the strings. foam and use that”
the open holes in the scratchplate. If you So at least that’s done if I decide to follow
want to fit Jazzmaster or Jaguar-style offset that path. But while these potential ideas holes approximately 12mm deep [pic 2].
staples, for example, or simply a humbucker percolate, I decide to get on with the job: A soapbar needs some kind of ‘cushion’
at the bridge, you would need to get a new load in the supplied pickups and get this between the pickup and the body to allow
scratchplate made. offset electrified! for a firm mount that is height-adjustable.
But I don’t actually feel swindled, just Although springs are provided, I simply cut
strangely limited, particularly since Powering Up some of the kit’s packing foam [pic 3], which
this offset kit’s body has a rectangular Like Fender’s original offsets, and unlike is quite dense but not too hard, and use that.
‘swimming pool’ rout. This means that, the beautifully considered ‘modular’ With the pickups mounted [pic 4] you
in theory, we could fit numerous styles of Stratocaster, the idea with StewMac’s offset can lay over the scratchplate, but you’ll find
pickups, just as long as they are able to be is that the two pickups screw directly to that because it fits under the fingerboard
direct-mounted to the body. Of course, we’d the body, while the controls and output overhang for the 22nd fret you’ll have to
then need some kind of adapted scratchplate jack are pre-fitted (and wired up) onto the take the neck off to finally fit it; once the
to hold the volume, tone and output jack scratchplate [pic 1]. It means positioning pickups are to height you simply can’t
on the treble side, and another to hold the those soapbars has to be accurate. I load remove the scratchplate without doing this.
toggle switch on the bass-side shoulder. everything onto the guitar after slackening There is a central hole in the swimming pool
While I ponder my options, I uncover a the strings, then retighten, which proves rout that could take the vibrato earth lead
more fundamental problem: a Jazzmaster to be the perfect way to line everything (which goes from the back of a pot to the
pickup inside its cover is too wide to fit up. Using a long thin bradawl I mark the spring claw), but I actually drill a 3mm hole
in that rout. It seems like an epic fail by two screw holes that are used to mount from the control cavity close to the spring
StewMac, as widening that rout by under the soapbars and drill two 2mm diameter claw. Easy to do and a bit neater.

Most of the wiring Drilling holes to

is done for you. Only mount the soapbar
the earth wire and P-90: measure the
pickups need length you want to
to be soldered drill, then wrap with
masking tape so you
don’t go too deep

1 2

With the cushion

underneath the
pickups are ready to
mount to the body
PHOTOS BY DAVE BURRLUCK

Here Dave uses

foam from the
offset kit to cushion
the soapbars 3 4

120 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

Our far from instant
pickup-swapping offset
platform! Next we have
to apply a finish…

“While potential ideas

percolate, I decide to get
on with the job: load in the
supplied pickups and get
this offset electrified”

121
 TheMODSQUAD

With the soldering irons fired up there’s

The bridge has lifted by going
nothing tricky here – all you have to do up a string gauge. It needs to be
(apart from that vibrato ground wire) is balanced by screwing the spring
solder the pickups to the toggle switch. A claw further into the body
word of warning, though: the slightly hotter
blue-leaded soapbar is the bridge pickup
(it has a ‘B’ stamped on its base) and the
red is the neck, something I mix up when
mounting the pickups and have to redo.
Normally, at this stage you’d drill small
holes and screw in the scratchplate screws.
But because I’m still not decided where
I’m going to take this build I don’t want to
do that: the scratchplate is held in place by
that fingerboard overhang and the precise
holes that tightly surround the soapbars,
which is certainly enough to get an idea of
how it sounds. Meanwhile, I bin the cheap
kit strings and put on a decent set of PRS 5
Classic 10 to 46 [pic 5].

Let The Voicing Begin jangles, but it seems to be attracted to a “I fashion a pair of
There’s nothing quite like plugging in a gainier amp sound and some dirtier rock
self-build for the first time. Excitement, ’n’ roll. Now, that might be you done, and partial ’plates from
trepidation, elation, disappointment… for what you’ve spent – and learned along
Yes, all of those and more. Obviously, the way – I don’t think you’d feel short- Perspex. I can then
things aren’t 100 per cent dialled in at the
moment: the bridge has tilted up from going
changed. But I was imagining this offset
bird to have a little more jangle, a little
colour them, Gretsch-
up a gauge and while I didn’t want to fully more twang… style, with paint”
fine-tune that as yet, I wanted to make sure
I got a little waggle – for many, this is the key Going Off-Piste And that was the starting point: why
to the offset. For the record, it weighs in at Perhaps it’s Cream T’s pickup-swapping don’t I simply make a control plate for the
3.45kg (7.59lb), a little under my estimate. guitars that have got to me, but the ability volume, tone and output jack and another
Pickup heights need some to instantly revoice a guitar is rather for the toggle switch? This would leave that
experimentation and levelling, too. appealing. Our lowly offset doesn’t do swimming pool rout open, so, in theory, I
Although the bridge is slightly hotter, that, of course – and, to be honest, for any could fix any pickups I wanted and easily
the neck seems a little too forward, but future mods it is a bit compromised. As reposition them. If I want to experiment
after mucking about a bit and playing I said, if I want to fit Jazzmaster pickups with the circuit, I can just unscrew the
through some sounds, it ain’t bad at all. then I’d have to get someone to make me separate control plate: easy. If I can find a
The 8.54kohms neck pickup actually has a a new scratchplate. Even with that done, small screw-in terminal block, I wouldn’t
rather old Gibson pluminess to it that’s not not only are the pickup positions fixed but even need to unsolder/resolder any new
particularly Jazzmaster-like but actually you have to remove the neck to even get pickups in place – rather like Gibson’s
suits the title more. In comparison, the the scratchplate on or off to simply tweak Quick Connect system. I wonder if I should
9.64k bridge is a little, erm, bland. There’s the circuit. The Jaguar got it right with its trademark it: ‘Quick-ish Connect’?
a nice middy character that just about separate control plate, as did the Telecaster. Decisions made, I decide to fashion a pair
of partial ’plates from 3mm clear Perspex.
I can then colour them, Gretsch-style, by
6 painting them on the back. I made a couple
of templates from a sturdy piece of card,
using the areas of the original scratchplate
to draw around [pic 6].
Using a coping saw with the blade
reversed so it cuts on the downstroke,
and a jewellers bench peg – a piece of
floorboard with a ‘V’ cut into the front that
you clamp to your work table – it’s not
too difficult to rough-cut the shapes. The
edges will then need to be filed and sanded
smooth [pics 7 & 8]. I then need to drill
holes for the toggle switch, controls and
smaller ones for the screws, which need
PHOTOS BY DAVE BURRLUCK

to be countersunk to hold them in place.

Laying out the new
control plate templates Working like this with clear acrylic sheet
on the Perspex sheet is pretty easy (again, the internet is your
friend for tuition videos), but always make

122 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 TheMODSQUAD

7 8

7. A quick move to the sure you clamp it to a piece of waste board which normally might mean you’d have to 9. The Jazzmaster pickup
garden table to begin before you drill: a hand drill is perfectly lengthen them. But my idea is to wire up has a wider aperture
cutting the Perspex than a Strat single coil
on the hastily made good, although a bigger hand drill brace the toggle switch to the volume, tone and and is one reason it
bench peg will be needed for the larger, approx. output jack, while connecting the pickups sounds different
9.5mm diameter holes for full-size pots, to a small screw-in terminal block that
8. Once rough cut, you 10. The new wiring
toggle switch and output jack. will mount in the swimming pool rout.
can begin to file and mounted and soldered
sand the edges smooth It’s a couple of hours of concentrated That way, all I need in order to change the up on the gold back-
work, but I’m happy with the result, and pickups is a small screwdriver. sprayed control plate
although the guitar is looking a bit, ahem,
experimental (it still doesn’t have a finish Nearly Finished
after all), in theory I can revoice my offset. One thing about completing a kit build
Endlessly. A modding mate’s bits-box such as this is that it underlines just how
supplies a couple of pairs of – “er, I think much work is involved, even in a ‘simple’
they’re Fender” – Jazzmaster single coils. project. If I’d stuck to the brief (and simply
There’s no ID or logos on the pickups, so built the StewMac kit) I would have saved
I measure the DCRs and select the hottest a lot of time, but my ‘what if…?’ intentions
pair (Jazzmaster pickups should be have added more hours. I also don’t want
hum-cancelling when both are selected; to mess with the wiring loom of the kit, just
one is reverse wound and reverse polarity, in case my experiments didn’t work out, so
so the magnetic poles will attract), which I refit the simple circuit with some quality
measure 6.42k ohms and 6.29k [pic 9]. CTS 550kohm mini pots, an Orange Drop
They’ve clearly been cut rather than tone cap, a short frame Switchcraft toggle
unsoldered from their original guitar switch, a Pure Tone output jack and some
because the leads are only 100mm long, nice cloth-covered wire [pic 10].

9 10

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 123

 TheMODSQUAD

11 12

The heart of the ‘Quick-ish Finding the right screw for the job
Connect’ system is this Halford’s isn’t always easy. These brass pickup
screw-in connector block mounting screws are perfect!

It might look experimental,

but now any direct-mount
WHAT’S THE COST?
pickup can be installed
without soldering A few pounds spent here and there soon
add up. On top of our kit price, here’s what
we’ve outlaid so far (excluding a pair of
donated Jazzmaster pickups and bits-box
finds, such as control knobs)…

StewMac Offset Trem Guitar Kit: £165

(at time of writing)

Shipping (exc import taxes etc): £86

[Link]

Gotoh SD91 tuners: approx £48

6x Gotoh 10.2mm conversion bushings:

13 £12.95

CTS 550k mini pots x2: £13.90

The screw-in terminal block adds yet
more time – which was actually spent
“While the prototype Switchcraft ‘short frame’ toggle
mainly on various electronics parts’ ‘Quick-ish Connect’ switch: £23.95
websites trying to find what I needed. In
fact, I found a small ‘Connector Block’ in concept does look a Sprague Orange Drop .047 microfarads
Halfords (pic 11), where I’d popped in to
buy some gold spray paint for those new
little ‘Heath Robinson’, capacitor: £5.95
[Link]
Perspex control plates. Even the mounting it works perfectly”
screws for the Jazzmaster pickups took Clear acrylic sheet (350 x 250mm
some thought – yes, you can buy those from an offset that sounds like one and, more x 3mm): £10.58
most guitar parts suppliers, but they’re importantly, a pickup-testing platform [Link]
overlong for what I needed so I ordered up for future sonic adventures. But I’m still
some 2.5mm diameter, 25mm long, slot- going to need to dismantle it all so I can 8x brass slot-head wood screws
head brass wood screws from Westfield apply a finish to the body and neck. And (approx £0.42 each, inc VAT and
Fasteners to match those gold-sprayed I’m already wondering if I can upgrade delivery): £3.36
control plates [pic 12]. that vibrato a little bit to match the mods [Link]
While the prototype ‘Quick-ish Connect’ I’ve already made… Before I get to that lot,
concept does look a little ‘Heath Robinson’ though, I’m going to get some playtime in
PHOTOS BY DAVE BURRLUCK

Total spend (so far): £369.69

[pic 13], it works perfectly and I now have and evaluate my creation.

That should give you something to think about till our next issue.
In the meantime, if you have any modding questions, or suggestions, drop us a line – The Mod Squad.

124 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Huw Price’s

After last issue’s focus on preamp valves, Huw looks to their higher-voltage brethren

Power Valves
reamp valves are usually triodes, Pentode Push Marshall, Orange, Vox, Selmer and Hiwatt

P with pentodes occasionally used

and tetrodes not featuring at all. In
contrast, power triodes are rarely used as
Bernard DH Tellegen and Gilles Holst
invented the pentode valve in 1926, while
they were working for the Philips Physics
amps. These valves have become closely
associated with ‘British’ rock tone, where
their powerful midrange and break-up
power valves, but tetrodes and pentodes Laboratory in Eindhoven. Mullard was a characteristics become an asset. The lower
are commonplace. That said, power triodes subsidiary of Phillips and the name would power EL84 is a smaller pentode that
have a following in hi-fi circles where their later become synonymous with the best unusually slots into the type of mini nine-pin
supposedly superior audio characteristics pentode power valves. socket that’s usually used for preamp valves.
take precedence over sheer volume. Power and preamp pentodes work in EL84s powered the Vox AC4, 10, 15 and 30,
Triodes had been around since 1906 exactly the same way, as we described in as well as Marshall 18-watt and 20-watt
and tetrodes can be traced back to Walter last issue’s Nitty Gritty column. With a models, plus various lower-power WEM
Schottky’s work on bi-grid valves in 1919. negatively charged suppressor grid added to amps. They also featured in Gibson amps
Early tetrodes were devised to outperform reflect secondary electron emission caused under the US designation 6BQ5.
the high-frequency response of triodes, by the screen grid, pentodes can produce
but they were only partially successful, for far greater amplification than triode and Tetrode Types
reasons we’ll discuss later. Meanwhile in tetrode power valves. As we described last time, the tetrode’s
Holland, valve technology was about to The most famous example is probably screen grid causes electrons to hit the anode
take a big step forward. the EL34, which has been used in various so hard that more electrons are emitted
from the anode. This secondary emission
effect occurs within a specific anode voltage
range and causes increased distortion and
lower amplification. When the valve’s anode
current to anode voltage response is plotted
out on a graph, the current dip or ‘kink’ is
clear to see on the curve.
Pentode valves provided a viable
alternative, but with the Phillips
Corporation holding the patent, other
manufacturers would have to make royalty
payments. Instead, electronics engineers
redesigned the tetrode using carefully
aligned control and screen grids made from
wire coils to provide electrons with an
unobstructed path from cathode to anode.

Class A amps
generate more heat
than Class AB and
are associated with
a smoother overdrive
They also employed negatively charged
beam confining plates to direct the electrons
towards the anode. This focuses the electrons
so they converge between the screen grid and
the anode before continuing to the anode.
This area of convergence forms a ‘virtual’
Lower-powered than the suppressor grid to knock any secondary
famous EL34 that defined emissions back to the anode and eliminate
the ‘British’ rock sound,
the ‘kink’ that typifies tetrode valves.
EL84s featured in Vox’s AC
amps and are pictured here The tetrode power valves used in guitar
in a Carr Lincoln combo amps are more accurately known as ‘beam
tetrodes’, ‘kinkless tetrodes’ or ‘beam power

126 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 classicGear
A Genalex Gold Lion
KT66 power valve
inside a 1965 Marshall
JTM45 MkII Model
1986 combo. Pairs of
these valves became
standard on the
model from early ’64

Classic examples
of the beam
tetrodes designed
and manufactured
in Europe include
the KT66 and KT88
NittyGritty
y

1 tubes’. Compared to pentodes operating the Fender Champ (as pictured, opposite),
at the same anode voltage, the screen grid Vibro Champ and tweed Princeton, the
current remains very low, so there is almost Vox AC4 and the Carr Mercury.
no loss of signal, and power output can be In single-ended operation, the power
up to 20 per cent higher with lower third valve amplifies both the positive and
harmonic distortion. negative phases of the audio waveform.
The list of beam tetrodes used in guitar Although rare, some amp designs feature
amps is extensive. Most will be familiar two power valves operating in parallel
with the 6V6, 6L6, 5881 and 6550 used single-ended mode to generate more power.
in countless US-made amps, as well as But where power is the priority, push-pull
British amps destined for the US market. operation is the industry standard.
1. The EL34 became Beam tetrodes were also designed and
synonymous with British
rock, appearing in amps manufactured in Europe by Marconi- Pushing & Pulling
from Marshall, Orange, Osram, and classic examples include the In push-pull mode, one valve amplifies
Vox, Selmer and Hiwatt KT66 used in early Marshalls and the KT88 the positive side of the waveform and the
2. The KT66 is a type of
seen in high-power Marshall, Hiwatt and other valve amplifies the negative. This
‘beam’ or ‘kinkless’ Ampeg amps. means the power valves can ‘rest’ when
tetrode power valve By now, you can probably guess what ‘KT’ they’re not pushing signal, and this sharing
stands for (‘kinkless tetrode’, for anyone of the workload allows push-pull amps to
3. Original GEC KT66 and
KT88 valves are very
2 who missed it). Original GEC KT66s and generate power more efficiently and with
rare and their sky-high KT88s are now rare and eye-wateringly less harmonic distortion.
prices reflects this, but expensive, largely because hi-fi enthusiasts Depending on the power requirements,
modern-production
alternatives, such as
are even crazier than guitarists when it push-pull amps can utilise pairs, quartets,
those used in amps comes to vintage valves. Things have gone sextets or even octets of power valves. The
including Blackstar’s much the same way with classic US beam only stipulation for ‘parallel push-pull’ is
Studio 10 KT88, pictured tetrodes, but in both cases viable modern- that the same number of valves operate on
here, are also available
production options are available. each side of the audio signal.
4. Single-ended operation
means that only one Single-Ended Class Systems
power valve is used in an
Using only one power valve in an amplifier Guitar amps are usually designated Class A
amp – such is the case
for this vintage Fender is known as ‘single-ended’ operation and and AB, but contrary to appearances, Class
tweed Champ examples of single-ended amps include A isn’t necessarily superior to Class AB.
When power valves ‘rest’ for portions of the
audio cycle, that’s Class AB. In Class A the
3 power valves never shut down and they all
work continuously. Class AB operation is
more efficient and it makes amps louder and
punchier. All single-ended amps operate in
Class A because there is no second power
valve to share the work. Push-pull amps
can also operate in Class A, with the Fender
Tweed Deluxe being a classic example.
These Class A amps generate more
heat and are associated with a smoother
overdrive and harmonic complexity. But
it’s not always a straightforward ‘A versus
AB’ thing because amp designers can adjust
the supply voltage and bias to place an amp
anywhere on the A to AB spectrum.

Being Biased
Understanding the basics of biasing should
make it clear why changing power valves is
not like changing light bulbs, and why you
can’t simply replace 6V6s with 6L6s if you
want more power – or vice versa. The bias
setting equates to a car’s idle revs. In other
words, the level at which the valve or engine
ticks over when it’s at rest.
In the case of valves, biasing means setting
the idle current flowing through the valve
when there’s no audio signal present. The
overwhelming majority of valve amps have
power tubes operating in either fixed bias
or cathode bias mode, so let’s examine

128 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 4

how each method works and discuss the stresses the anode/plate and you will need include extra touch compression, smooth
resulting sonic characteristics. to change valves more regularly – assuming overdrive, harmonically rich midrange and
Higher-power amps tend to have they don’t ‘red plate’ and blow up. early break-up.
a fixed bias arrangement, which is Cool running valves sound cleaner and So long as the cathode resistor and
usually associated with tighter lows, they should last longer, but you may find capacitor test good, a new set of equivalent
clean headroom, more punch and less the tone somewhat sterile and uninspiring. power valves can replace the old ones
compression. You’ll find it in most Fender, Generally speaking, most techs will set the without any need for a bias check. Having
Hiwatt and Marshall amps rated over 20 fixed bias voltage to generate about 70 per said that, checking the bias is never a bad
watts, and virtually any high-gain amp. cent of a valve’s maximum power. There is idea given the cost of valves these days.
But ‘fixed bias’ is slightly misleading always a sweet spot, so drawing conclusions In cathode bias mode, valves can be
because the point at which it’s fixed it can about the tonal characteristics of various run at close to 100 per cent of their power
be varied. A diode ‘half wave’ rectifies a power valves operating in fixed bias mode potential. Typical examples of cathode
negative voltage from power transformer, is spurious unless the bias is checked and biased amps include all the tweed Fender
which connects to the power valve control adjusted for each set. Deluxe models, the Vox AC10, AC15 and
grids via bias and grid resistors. Cathode biasing is simpler and to AC30, and Marshall 18 Watt. Vintage-
The negative bias voltage can be adjusted some extent self-adjusting. Rather than inspired modern examples include Lazy J’s
by changing resistor values or using a connecting directly to ground, as is the case J10 and J20, and various offerings from the
potentiometer. On a related note, bias with fixed biasing, the cathode is grounded likes of Carr, Matchless and Swart.
tremolo actually functions by modulating via a bias resistor with a capacitor generally
the bias voltage, which causes the valve wired in parallel. Pairs of valves usually Power Switching
output to fluctuate. Some technical share the same cathode bias components, Power switches are becoming more
knowledge is needed to bias a set of power but they can also be biased individually. prevalent on amps, and pentodes can be
valves, and that’s beyond the scope of this Cathode bias sonic characteristics may reconfigured to work as triodes to achieve
article. However, bias should be checked low power mode. In order words, taking
and, if necessary, reset when swapping Higher-power amps the pentode’s screen and suppressor grids
valves because they all vary to some degree. out of circuit leaves only the cathode, anode
The bias setting will affect tone as well as tend to have a fixed and control grid as the active components.
the lifespan of the valves, and every valve This method of power reduction can
will have a recommended bias range for bias arrangement – be preferable to onboard or outboard
any given plate voltage. Running a valve at
the hotter end of that spectrum generates
for tighter lows and attenuation and, relatively speaking, it has
little effect on an amplifier’s tone.
more power and potentially distortion. This clean headroom [Link]

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 129

 LOUD
TA
LK I N G

Old Timers
Paul Gough of Zilla Cabs sings the praises of vintage speakers
– with a few choice warnings to consider before buying used

hese days it feels like we fetishise old cabs are in. Many a time I have opened been known to describe speakers as having

T most things vintage, while at the

same time trying to modernise –
and guitarists are no different. Guitars
a beat up old, beer-soaked Marshall 4x12
and found four lovely looking Greenbacks.
Should I have to replace any one of these
‘vintage bite’ or ‘grit’, when it would be more
accurate to describe them as ‘broken’. A few
years back I bought six vintage speakers
from the 1950s and 60s can fetch prices speakers with a modern-day equivalent with the intention of making a video for
in the tens of thousands. But what are the or reissue, the cost would be comparable my YouTube channel (the first time I’ve
implications for guitar speakers? Having a to what I paid for the entire cab. It’s true mentioned that in almost a year, not bad!).
soft spot for vintage guitar sounds and being that not everyone wants four speakers, We set up the studio, got the speakers fired
a cab builder has led to me owning a fair but it’s better than having none! The risk up… and not one worked as it should.
few vintage speakers. Mixing this with 20 here is that most cabs pre-1980s come On the plus side, there are a few obvious
years of repair work, I have been fortunate with lower powered speakers, and from an signs to look out for. Cone repairs will affect
enough to play some real stonkers… but era where playing a 100-watt amp at full how the speaker sounds, but the massive
I’ve come across some real stinkers, too. volume wasn’t considered a faux pas. It’s reduction in price that they often yield
I’m a big believer that there are no rights not uncommon to find at least one blown doesn’t always mean they’re a write-off.
or wrongs in music, and although I’ve speaker (case in point: the Rory Gallagher Bits hanging off are never a good sign.
played plenty of speakers that most people 4x12 with four different speakers inside Take a look inside the back of the speaker
would struggle to make sound good, most from last issue). chassis/basket: behind the cone there is
of the stinkers have actually been caused by One way to reduce this risk is to buy a ribbed material called a spider and that
mechanical faults. Unlike guitars, speakers individual speakers, and this will often can often come unglued. It helps keep the
are mostly moving parts, and it’s not hard be from someone who took them out of a voice coil centred, which leads to one of the
to see that issues can arise over time. vintage cab. This may sound great, but it isn’t
Since speakers don’t come with a certified always pain-free. A lot of people will play
mileage history, buying vintage can be a vintage gear before they buy it, but this is “Many a time I have
risky business. Other than just being lucky, rarely possible with speakers – and speakers opened a beer-
there are a few key things to look out for. aren’t really the kind of thing to hang up on
Until recently, with the scaling down your wall (even I don’t do that…), so they soaked Marshall 4x12
in size and weight of rigs, 4x12s could be
acquired at a reasonable price – and it’s
need to be played. Unfortunately, with the
price rises in vintage speakers it has become
and found four lovely
not surprising considering the state most a little like the Wild West. Sellers have looking Greenbacks”
most obvious signs – voice-coil rubbing.
There are a few causes, but the result is
not good. There are two giveaway signs of
voice-coil rubbing. One, when the cone is
gently tapped it will rattle (in bad cases),
rather than sound tight like a drum. The
other check is similar: by gently moving the
cone down with your fingers, testing the
speaker’s suspension, you will hear a slight
rub. This isn’t good, and therefore signals
this is not a speaker you should buy.
Despite all those caveats, I don’t want to
scare people off. There are some fantastic
speakers out there and some bargains to be
had, too, but it can be a minefield at times,
so go into it carefully. No names mentioned,
but there are some real gems at rock-bottom
What lies beneath: your next set prices if you use your ears, rather than go
of replacement speakers could
be sourced used – but always do on what the internet says. To sum things up,
a quick health check if possible go into this with an open mind and there’s
every chance you’ll love the results.

130 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 Since it’s often difficult
to ‘play’ vintage speakers
before buying, it pays to
check out the cones for
old repairs, damage and
excessive wear and tear
 ClassicGear
Rod Brakes’

A true workhorse of the Martin line, this iconic guitar is a zenith of flat-top design

Martin D-18
T The Evolution of the
he instrument you see here – Mark guitarist Madame de Goñi. Nearly 180 years
Knopfler’s 1935 Martin D-18 – later, this style of bracing is still in use.
represents an apex of acoustic guitar Madame de Goñi’s X-braced guitar Martin D-18
building. Despite the vast technological provided noticeable improvements with
advances of the post-war period, many respect to tone and volume, and dealers soon
would argue this perennially popular began asking for “the de Goñi model”. Hers
design has never been bettered. One of the was a size 1 guitar. It was the largest Martin
most imitated flat-top blueprints in history, available at the time, measuring 12 ¾ inches 1850s
Martin’s Dreadnought (originally spelled in width. Seeking to further increase volume First 18 Series instruments;
Dreadnaught) is the archetypal American and low-end by way of expanding body rosewood back & sides; spruce top
acoustic guitar. But it would be a mistake size, Martin then introduced the 13 ½-inch
to think that it suddenly appeared from out wide 0 size, followed by the 14 1/8-inch wide
of nowhere; there was an entire century’s 00 size in 1854 and 1858, respectively. It was 1916
worth of innovation leading up to its arrival. also during the 1850s that the first style 18 Mekia Kealakai custom
If you look at a Martin headstock from guitars appeared. These instruments were
Dreadnought; first production
the past 90 years, you’ll probably see a originally constructed using rosewood
Dreadnoughts (Ditson 111 model)
decal that reads ‘CF Martin & Co Est. 1833’. and cost $18 wholesale (hence the name/
It was 1932 when the firm began using this designation).
transfer – nigh on 100 years after company The next important steps in acoustic
founder Christian Frederick Martin Sr guitar evolution leading up to the
1917
arrived in New York City in November 1833. Dreadnought came in 1902. Not only did 18 Series changes from rosewood
Having spent two months on an epic voyage Martin’s first 15-inch wide 000 size guitar, to mahogany back & sides
from Germany, the Johann Stauffer-trained a 000-21, arrive that year, but so too did
luthier set up shop and was producing the company’s first steel-string model, a
guitars within months. special order 00-21. While Hawaiian music 1923
During the 1830s, he started moving grew in popularity, Martin began offering Steel strings standard for 18 Series
away from building maple-bodied, figure-
of-eight guitars with ornate/moustache
bridges and Strat-like Stauffer headstocks CF Martin Sr began 1931
in favour of Spanish-style rosewood experimenting with First Martin-branded
instruments with smaller upper bouts and Dreadnoughts (D-1/D-18 and
rectangular bridges and headstocks. At the X-bracing in the 1830s D-2/D-28); 12-fret necks
same time, he began experimenting with and this style of bracing
X-bracing and in 1843 produced the first
ever X-braced Martin for famed Spanish is still in use today 1934
Change from 12- to 14-fret necks
steel-string guitars as a regular option in
the 1910s. Its first steel-string only model,
the 2-17, appeared in 1922 and by the late 1946
1920s, steel strings, rather than gut strings, Change from ebony to rosewood
were the norm.
fretboard & bridge; Sitka spruce
During this transitional period, Martin
replaces Adirondack spruce
built its first ever Dreadnought for Hawaiian
musician Mekia Kealakai in 1916. Although
the firm began producing Dreadnoughts
exclusively for retailers Ditson that year,
1969
Martin started branding the large 15 5/8- East Indian rosewood replaces
inch wide D models under its own name Brazilian rosewood
in 1931 after the Ditson company folded.
Finally, in 1934, Martin changed the
Dreadnought from a 12- to 14-fret neck Mid-80s
design, following the introduction of its first Adjustable truss rod
This headstock decal 14-fret flat-top, the OM-28, in 1929. Now,
first appeared in 1932,
almost a century after with its century-long evolution complete,
the company’s inception the Martin Dreadnought had at last 2012
achieved its iconic form. Return to ebony fretboard & bridge

132 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

 ClassicGear

1935 Martin D-18

1. SERIAL NUMBER
Five-digit number between
58680 and 61947 stamped on
neck block
6
2. HEADSTOCK
Decal reads ‘C F Martin & Co Est.
1833’; Brazilian rosewood veneer

3. PLASTICS
Tortoiseshell celluloid pickguard

4. HARDWARE
Ebony belly bridge with six pins;
open-back Grover tuners

5. BODY
1 15 5/8 inches wide; Adirondack
spruce top; scalloped X-bracing;
mahogany back and sides;
multiple-ply (b/w) top binding;
bound back (b); multiple-ply
(b/w) soundhole rings;
nitrocellulose lacquer finish

3 6. NECK
Mahogany; steel ‘T’-bar
reinforced; 25.4-inch scale
length; 14th-fret body join;
ebony fingerboard; dot inlays to
15th fret; 20 ‘T’ frets; Brazilian
rosewood neck heel cap;
nitrocellulose lacquer finish

5
GUITAR PHOTO BY JOBY SESSIONS

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 133

 Techniques

Blues Headlines
Richard Barrett is on a mission to make you a better blues
player – with full audio examples and backing tracks

Vibrato
Tutor Richard Barrett | Gear used Knaggs SSC, Boss Keeley SD1 & Vox AC15 C1
Difficulty | 10 mins per example

ONE OF THE MOST distinctive features

Is your vibrato wide of any electric guitarist is their vibrato. In
and on the aggressive this Blues Headlines, I’m dealing with finger
side like Stevie Ray
Vaughan’s? Or is a
vibrato rather than whammy bar, inspired
faster BB King style by players such as Paul Kossoff, Peter
more your thing? Green, SRV and BB King, whose vibratos
differ greatly in terms of speed and depth.
In another case, that of Gary Moore, this
can also stretch to how long you might
sustain a note before introducing the vibrato
gradually. As a starting point, I’m identifying
some distinct elements of this technique
that have been helpful to recognise over
many years – and explaining them as
coherently as I can!
The permutations are obviously huge, but
we can zone in on details such as raising
a note momentarily sharp, then releasing
it back to the original pitch, or partially
releasing a string bend then returning it up
to pitch in a ‘down-and-back’ pattern (think
Peter Green). We can also combine both
above and below the central pitch of a bend,
like Paul Kossoff.
There are tell-tale hand positions that
go with certain vibrato styles, so it’s worth
searching out whatever video footage you
can of players whose vibrato you admire.
BB King and Eric Clapton favour lifting
the fretting hand thumb away from the
back of the neck and rocking the whole
wrist and forearm to add vibrato to static
(namely, not bent) notes. For vibrato on
string bends, there is a similar rocking
motion but with the thumb anchored over
the top of the fretboard. The fretting fingers
remain locked in position, with the wrist and
forearm muscles providing the movement
PHOTO BY DAVID REDFERN/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES

– the same muscles we use when turning

a key or opening a door. To get the full effect
of these examples, you’ll need to hear the
audio in addition to the transcription here.
Hope you enjoy these ideas and see you
next time!

Richard Barrett’s album, Colours,

(complete with backing tracks), is
available now from
[Link]

134 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

VIDEO & AUDIO [Link] Techniques

Example 1
THIS FIRST EXAMPLE is inspired by Peter Green. A ‘down-and-back’ vibrato is generated by partially releasing a string bend
then returning to the target pitch, which gives a very distinctive effect, which you’ll also hear in Gary Moore’s playing sometimes.
This approach seems to be most effective when added to a pre-bent note. After holding still for a second, you can increase the
vibrato gradually or dive straight in. These subtleties are what makes this technique so personal and distinctive.

Example 2
ADDING VIBRATO TO STATIC (NON-BENT) NOTES like this means going slightly up in pitch then releasing to the original
note. This can be done quickly or slowly according to taste, with BB King erring on the faster side and Eric Clapton slightly slower
and more subtle. In both cases, the fretting hand thumb is lifted away from the back of the neck to allow the wrist and forearm to
rock to and fro. The fretting fingers are kept relatively rigid.

Example 3
IN THIS EXAMPLE, I’M ADDING VIBRATO to a string bend going above then returning to the target pitch in an ‘up-and-
back’ pattern. It gives a different quality and emotional impact and was favoured very much by Gary Moore. The fretting hand
thumb is clamped over the top of the neck to give leverage and the fingers are held pretty rigidly while the wrist and forearm adopt
a rocking motion, similar to twisting a door knob. It is this that generates the vibrato, rather than the fingers themselves.

DECEMBER 2022 GUITARIST 135

Techniques VIDEO & AUDIO [Link]

Example 4
PAUL KOSSOFF AND ANGUS YOUNG have a very distinctive vibrato – which is very difficult to copy! In this
example, I’ve tried to highlight how a wider ‘above and below’ vibrato can give us another option. Different speeds
will give different results, and it’s sometimes fun to go over the top then rein it back in for dramatic effect. Ideally,
I would like to have wobbled that last note a bit wider and quicker, but you get the idea!

Example 5
THIS SLOWER, WIDER VIBRATO is most distinctive on static notes, but as you’ll hear I’ve applied it to a bend near
the end of the phrase. Jimi Hendrix, SRV and Zakk Wylde are great examples of players who employ what can be quite
an aggressive-sounding vibrato. Though the static notes limit us to ‘up-and-back’, I’ve gone a little above and below on
the bends. The best way to assess how you’re doing with all this is to record yourself and listen back.

Hear It Here
PETER GREEN FREE STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
THE BEST OF PETER GREEN’S FIRE AND WATER & DOUBLE TROUBLE
FLEETWOOD MAC PRIDE & JOY
It would be easiest just to
Starting with Albatross, you cite every track on here, but Another case of being able to
can hear the rapid ‘down-and- some particular highlights recommend the whole album:
back’ vibrato in Peter Green are the title track, featuring this posthumous release
and Danny Kirwan’s super- almost endless sustain and vibrato. Also, from 1990 pulls in material
accurate harmony guitars. It’s also on Black check out Oh I Wept and Mr Big. As well from a variety of sources, including live
Magic Woman, but like many of the finer as Paul Kossoff’s famous vibrato, there recordings. At certain points you can hear
things in this world, it’s subtle, so listen are some unusual and very effective SRV mixing and matching pretty much all
closely. Finally, you’ll hear it through the chord voicings. It’s also quite educational the techniques we’ve looked at here; Texas
layers of guitars on The Green Manalishi, to hear how much power and drama they Flood is a great example, as is You Better
though some of the older tracks such as were able to create with a bare minimum Leave My Gal Alone. Perhaps the ultimate
Stop Messin’ Round showcase a fine BB of overdubbing or effects from the display of his prowess is the blistering cover
King-style vibrato, too. recording studio. of Voodoo Chile.

136 GUITARIST DECEMBER 2022

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