Alrighty, then. This is some fun stuff. Not sure of Jinx’ background, but he sure can play the heck out of a Gretsch. Elements of country, rock, blues, and everything in between make up this killer guitar record.
Jinx, along with Joe Kyle on bass and Jamie Lease on drums, shows nice respect to styles that have come, and are just hanging on by their fingernails. The title cut is a tour de force instrumental that has Jinx mixing single-line work, great chordal soloing, and low-string twanging into a rowdy rockabilly treat. And Jinx shows throughout the album that he can do more than just spit old licks back at you. The very clever, “I Need a Good Girl Bad,” has him flying through some jazzy changes using chords, great double-stops, and even octaves. A song that could easily be just another Stray Cats clone comes alive on its own. Same goes for “Break the Devil’s Heart.” It’s a revved-up boogie in the style that Setzer and the boys used to eat alive. Jinx’s solo has incredible runs and a great section of open-string hammer-ons that keeps everything interesting.
One thing that really sets him apart is his obvious knowledge and love of jazz and chords. Almost all the solos feature a section that’s a trip through chord city. By the time the single notes start to fly, you’re really impressed by his know-how.
The songs are cool, too, with most of them being originals. If you like roots rock with a bit of twang, and guitar players who are original and fun, this one’s for you. Contact Red Rogue Records, 1592 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94123.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Aug. ’01 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Jeffrey and the boys specialize on one of my favorite kinds of rock and roll. You just put a few chords together, write some great lyrics, sing and play with great fervor, and off you go. On radio these days, it’s called “Americana.” It includes the likes of Mellencamp, John Hiatt… you know, the fellas I like to call the sons of Dylan. Whatever you call it, Halford can carry it off.
Halford is the leader of the band. He wrote everything, plays lead and sings. Check out his lean, hungry work on “California.” Bare-bones rock and roll at its finest. He also plays a mean slide on cuts like “On A Roll” an d”Beauty in You.” Once you hear the stories in songs like “On A Roll,” “Drivin’ Alone,” and the wonderful “Bad Luck,” you’ll have no doubts about his songwriting. I’m not sure where he came from, or if he’s been around for awhile, but I hope he sticks around and makes some big noises nationally. Songs like “Stella Guitar” could supply rock and roll with a huge kick in the rear end that it so desperately needs right now. It just might bring the roots back to rock and roll.
For info on how to get the record, contact Shoeless Records at (415) 753-1707, or write to 74 Agus Way, San Francisco, CA 94127.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Oct. ’99 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
It won’t be long before the Scorpions, a veteran hard rock aggregation from Hanover, Germany, celebrates its 30th anniversary of creating guitar-based music with memorable hooks for an untold number of fans around the globe. Founded in 1971, the ensemble has a track record of gold and platinum albums, as well as memorable concerts that would be the envy of any band in any country.
The Scorpions music is truly international in its scope and vision. Not only do many of their fans consider one of their signature songs, “Wind of Change” to be a “world anthem” of sorts, the band has been involved in historical sociopolitical musical projects in their own country on more than one occasion. Erstwhile Pink Floyd member Roger Waters invited the German combo to participate in his live production of The Wall in 1990 (staged at the Berlin Wall…or what was left of it), and the Scorpions were invited to return in November ’99 to perform with cellist Mstislav Rostropovich (and 165 other cellists) at the Brandenburg Gate on the 10th anniversary of the collapse of the definitive icon of the Cold War.
The Scorpions released a new album, Eye II Eye, in ’99, and toured during the summer of that year in a double bill with Motley Crue. Vintage Guitar was recently able to sit down with Matthias Jabs for a cordial give-and-take about the band’s unique position in the world of rock, and the guitars he used in their ascent to that position of prominence.
The younger of the Scorpions’ two axe-slingers, Matthias Jabs hails from Hanover (like the band’s founders) but didn’t join the group until the late ’70s. Jabs has been ensconced for over two decades, and handles most of the lead guitar work.
Vintage Guitar: The Scorpions had been in existence for the better part of a decade when you joined. Can you give us an overview of your musical history prior to that occasion? Matthias Jabs: I started playing guitar when I was 13 years old. I spent the first couple of years at home, rehearsing. But I came out of my closet once in a while (chuckles). I knew Uli Roth, the guy who was in the Scorpions before me – we lived in the same community near the Hanover airport. I went to school with his younger brother, Jochen.
Hendrix got me started, but I was listening to other styles, as well – players like John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola, and I was trying Paganini violin stuff on guitar; I’d rehearse at home up to eight hours a day. For blues, I liked to listen to Johnny Winter.
I formed a band with Jochen Uli Ritgen, who was my best friend at school, and a drummer, Frank Tolie, and we had a rehearsal room right next to the Scorpions in the early days; they even borrowed our drummer for a couple of shows. I’d seen the Scorpions around ’72 at a cityfest in Hanover and thought they were quite good. But that was our first contact.
But the band I was in never played live, so I joined a band called Fargo. Basically, we did our own material and two or three covers, and toured all over Germany, usually on weekends with maybe a show on Wednesday – the Scorpions did the same thing. I did that for a year, then I went on to a band called Lady, which had members from other famous bands in Hanover; they were older than me, but they had more experience. I stayed with them from ’77 to ’78, then I got a call from Rudolf (Schenker). He told me he was thinking about some kind of musical project – maybe solo – but he didn’t mention the Scorpions, and he wanted to sit down with me and play. I didn’t know at the time that Uli had left the band, so they were looking for a guitar player. Weeks later, I got the call to audition.
When you were learning to play, were there any songs in particular that made you want to play guitar?
There were two songs on the German radio; there was only one show per week – Wednesday nights – and they played music that was on the charts. “White Room” by Cream and “All Along the Watchtower” by Hendrix mesmerized me, for some reason. Even though I’ve never played in the style of Hendrix, his feeling was his biggest influence. I even liked some of my father’s classical music – I just got Felix Mendelssohn’s “Violin Symphony in E minor” the other day, and I’m planning on recording with the Berlin Philharmonic next year.
Tell me about some of your early equipment. Was it German-made?
The first amp I had was a Vox AC-30, and my very first instrument was a cheap Hofner, but the next guitar I got was a sunburst ’63 Stratocaster. I’d always liked Stratocasters, since I’d been listening to Clapton and Hendrix, and I saved money from working during summer vacations, and I gave guitar lessons, too. And I managed to buy it for about 600 marks.
So, brands like Fender and Gibson were desired by German musicians?
Absolutely. Everybody wanted to have the good Fenders and the good Gibsons.
I’ve asked British players about listening to Radio Luxembourg, and would like to get a German player’s perspective on that station, and perhaps Armed Forces Radio as well.
Since we lived in the north of Germany, I couldn’t get the Armed Forces network on my radio. But Radio Luxembourg was the coolest station you could pick up; otherwise, there was just that one chart show. Radio Luxembourg would fade in and out.
Details about your audition for the Scorpions – how many other guitarists were you up against?
I didn’t know it at the time, but they’d already tried out 140 guitar players. I’d prepared by buying their records myself – that’s how generous the Scorpions were then (laughs). I rehearsed the material very carefully, and I made it, and we began rehearsing and recording the songs for the Lovedrive album, which was the first worldwide release.
Were all those who auditioned German?
No, almost all of them were British. They went to London to do some auditions. Some were from famous bands like the Pretty Things, U.F.O., and the Alex Harvey Band.
What was your rig when you joined?
In Fargo and Lady, I played 50-watt Marshalls with two 4 X 12s. By then, I was playing a Strat again. In between, I played a black Les Paul Custom, and a Les Paul with P-90s, but I didn’t like them too much. I played a Firebird, too; looks-wise, it was one of my favorite guitars, but the neck is long and heavy, so you have to hold the neck up while playing – it’s not balanced. I bought another Strat just before I joined the Scorpions.
Have you relied on a Strat more than anything else during your tenure with the Scorpions?
Well, for many years I was known for playing Explorers, and I still play them. I bought my first Explorer as soon as I joined, because I needed another guitar – one that could get a “Gibson sound.” In ’87, I made a suggestion to Gibson about a guitar that I play today; it’s called an Explorer 90 because it’s 90 percent of the normal body size – Explorers are very bulky.
And your signature model is a Strat. Why did you want the planet Saturn fretboard inlays?
I was asked by Fender to design my own guitar in ’94. Sound-wise, I knew what I wanted and I wanted to give it a unique look, as well. Some people might like “star” inlays or square inlays, but that doesn’t seem to fit on a Stratocaster – it has dots, and I wanted to leave the dot, but do something with it, so we put a ring around it!
It has two Vintage 150 single-coil pickups, and the humbucker is the Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck model, because I knew what it sounded like. I still want to try other pickups, but there’s never enough time to work with your guitars when you’re on the road.
It also has two volume controls and one tone control. Who needs two tone controls? More importantly, with that five-position switch, I can do something I’ve always wanted to do – go from a very distorted sound to a very clean sound instantly; I can pre-set the volume controls, and it works perfectly onstage.
I have lots of old Fenders, and I like the rosewood necks on the early-’60s models, so this one has rosewood and a similar neck shape. It’s Candy Apple Red because in the early ’80s, I got a rare pre-CBS Telecaster that was Candy Apple Red, and now I have all of the Fender models from the ’60s in Candy Apple Red – the 12-string, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, the basses. They were on the cover of a magazine in Germany once.
Was the US Festival the biggest gig the Scorpions have ever done?
Either the US Festival or the first Rock in Rio; they were both huge. These are one-offs, so you aren’t used to them and the energy is amazing. We’re used to playing for 10,000 to 20,000 people, and we’d played for 80,000 to 100,000 people, but when we played outdoors in San Bernardino Valley, you couldn’t even see the horizon; all you could see were people.
Let’s talk about a couple of things on the new album. The opening chord on the opening track, “Mysterious,” gets your attention. What was your rig on that?
Believe it or not, that’s the old Candy Apple Red Telecaster.
That was the first song we recorded for the album. In the verse, that’s the “Jabocaster,” which is a name Fender came up with for my signature guitar. I think I used an old ’60s Hiwatt amp in connection with a Soldano amp. I also used Fender Pro-Sonics on the album.
On “To Be No. 11,” it sounds like there’s either some flanging or a “voice box” in the mix.
(Chuckles) That’s a voice box. I still use it in concert. The first time I used one was in 1980, for a song called “The Zoo,” which they still play on the radio here in the States. It’s an old, slow boogie-type song that goes down very well with the audience, even today, and I play an extended voice box solo on that song.
Other guitars used on the new album?
I used lots of guitars – some of my Explorer ’90s, and even a couple of my old ones. I used one of my favorite guitars, an ES-335 with dot inlay, from 1958. As for acoustics, I used a ’63 black Everly Brothers, an old J-200, and another that I borrowed from Rudolf; I played a Martin as well. I have an early ’60s Strat that used to be blue, but it’s faded to green – I used that one a lot; it’s on the title track, for example. That song has a little bit of Mark Knopfler-type playing in it.
It sort of reminded me of some of the soundtracks that Stewart Copeland, the former drummer for the Police, has recorded. It has a kind of reggae beat.
It’s not reggae, but it is semi-reggae; it still has a two-and-four beat.
It sounds like you use most of the guitars you collect, instead of just storing them.
I like good, old guitars, but the difference between me and a “collector” is that they have to sound good; I don’t want one to put on a wall, I want to play them. I could’ve bought a lot of other guitars that have gone up in value like these, but I play them – they do get a few scratches after a while (chuckles).
There’s an ongoing controversy about collecting old guitars to get classic sounds out of them versus keeping them stored away as memorabilia.
If they’re not played, they don’t sound good, unless they’ve been played previously. A friend of mine has a big guitar store in Hamburg, and he found an old Strat that was practically untouched – the typical story; it was left in somebody’s loft or the guy went into the Army and never came back; whatever – and it sounds like crap because it’s never been played.
A guitar player from a completely different musical genre recently told me the exact same thing – Jody Payne, Willie Nelson’s lead guitarist, said a stored instrument, particularly if it was new when it was stored, is not going to sound good.
(Grins) You know what Jimmy Page did? He bought a new guitar and put it in front of a speaker cabinet in a studio where he was recording, where the sound from whatever he was playing would resonate on it!
The band has had a big following in the former Eastern Bloc, even before the Iron Curtain came down. Wasn’t the To Russia With Love video released before the Berlin Wall came down?
Yes; early ’88 was the first time we’d ever played in the U.S.S.R.; we did 10 shows. Leningrad hadn’t changed its name back to St. Petersburg again.
Considering how the lifestyle was supposed to have been in the former East Germany, was there ever such a thing as an East German rock band? How has the German music scene changed since re-unification?
There’s a band called the Puhdys having its 30th anniversary this year; they’re the most popular band from the old East German times. There are also some new bands that are mostly going in the direction of hip-hop, using German words, but one from East Germany that’s made it big in America to a certain extent is a band called Ramstein. They’re a metal band that uses a processed guitar sound – lots of electronics. A lot of musicians are mixing things up, which ought to be good for the music scene.
Photo courtesy: www.the-scorpions.com.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s May ’00 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
David Grisman and Martin Taylor had such a good time creating their Tone Poems II album they decided to not stop there. That first album was a showcase for a stellar collection of great acoustic jazz guitars, mandolins, mandolas, and mandocellos – as well as the fretmen’s fine playing. This new album is simply more of a good thing.
While Tone Poems II featured just the two veterans, this new set also includes bassist Jim Kerwin and drummer George Marsh. The quartet covers classics such as “Autumn Leaves,” “Makin’ Whoopee,” and other songs from Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and others.
Like many of the albums on Grisman’s own Acoustic Disc label, this CD has magic in its tracks. The recording quality is pristine and warm, as befitting Grisman’s long campaign as a self-proclaimed “acoustic activist.” But he has also managed to capture the sound of something more: a group of friends having fun with what they are doing – and this shines like a halo above the music.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Nov. ’99 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
I’ve been of the opinion for a couple of years now that Los Lobos is one of the finest rock bands around. Rosas is one of the singer/guitarists in that band. This is his first solo album, and it’s a doozy. If you’re a fan of the band, you’ll like this CD. Bluesy funk, rootsy rock, Latino polkas, soul ballads, and much more dominate this very electric collection. Rosas leads the proceeding with his soulful singing, workman-like guitar playing, and killer songwriting. Cuts like “Tough To Handle,” “Shack And Shambles,” and “Struck” sound like the tough R&B sound of Los Lobos filtered through a soulman’s eyes. And the Hendrixian-rock of the title cut brings immediate smiles to the face.
Both Rosas and Los Lobos guitarmate David Hidalgo continue to dabble in other projects, but it doesn’t seem to hurt the band or make the solo projects less listenable. In fact, it probably keeps the band fresh. As with any project those two are part of, this one is highly recommended.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’99 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
This fifth effort from the Austin guitar legend imparts more of Johnson’s uncompromising, daring eclectic odysseys. His three-decade career never ceases to amaze, showcasing an informed ability to evolve, divining fiery passionate rock, sparkling jazz, elegant pop, and eloquent hybrids of world music-imbued neo-orchestral rock pagentries, all expressed via Johnson’s transcendent, sublime six-string artistry enfolding majestic melody lines and chord structures around crafted songwriting and vocals.
Live and Beyond documents Johnson’s expansive purist musical roots, serving up an expressive, earthy, multi-textured template for his furious, emotive guitar illuminations and authoritative vocals. Recorded during a three-night stint at Antones nightclub (except for the sole studio track, the blues-inflected “World of Trouble”) the album proves Johnson’s stunning command as a blues player and vocalist, hallmarked by intensity and virtuosity.
Johnson is renowned for his time-consuming perfectionism recording his music, preferring the controlled production environment of his own custom built studio. But on this, his first live release, the studio auteur takes chances. He strips away the studio polish to reveal an inspiring return to fundamental music basics, effervescent spontaneity, soulful interpretive phrasing, incendiary stretched out improvisations, and the celebration of being in the moment, performing live among a captive audience. The dazzling results shine through.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s January ’01 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
’86 Hamer Chaparral Custom, an early model with custom-ordered Kahler and OBL pickups built for Fernando Von Arb of Krokus. Photo: Steve Matthes.
Hamer was started when Jol Dantzig and Paul Hamer, partners in Northern Prairie Music in the early 1970s, moved from repairing old guitars to making new, improved versions of their “dream” vintage guitars. Their idea was to make inexpensive options for those into expensive vintage guitars, though they were greeted like high-end boutique.
The first instruments were the Flying V bass in ’73 and the upscale flametop Explorer copy, soon to be called the Standard. In ’75 they got their first order, and Hamer USA Guitars was on its way. In ’78 the team was rounded out with the addition of Frank Untermeyer. Thereafter began a series of classic early Hamers including the Standard Bass, Sunburst, 12-String Quadbass, 8-String Bass, Special, Prototype, Phantom, Vector, Blitz, and CruiseBass. We pick up the tale in the early ’80s.
As the Reagan years moved into mid-decade, the roles of Hamer’s principals began to shift ever so slightly. Paul Hamer continued to handle sales, doing a lot of global traveling. Dantzig and Untermeyer ran the factory, with Dantzig focusing on marketing issues and product development, Untermeyer handling international affairs and the business aspects.
Hamer continued to garner support from many top professionals. This would lead to Hamer’s first “artist” models.
Gary Moore Special
The plethora of big-name guitarists using Hamers inevitably led to the introduction of models named for individual artists. One of the earliest to get an artist association was a version of the Special introduced in ’84, and carrying a Floyd Rose double-locking vibrato system. This guitar was like the regular Special except for its an all-mahogany body (no flamed maple) and a slightly smaller headstock. Pickups were Hamer Slammer humbuckers. A rosewood fingerboard with dots was standard, but an ebony fingerboard with crown inlays was offered as an option. Models so equipped are often called the Gary Moore Special because they were favored by the great Irish guitarist. The Floyd Rose/Gary Moore Specials were offered only until ’85.
Steve Stevens
Fusing the rather disparate image posturings of New Wave and Heavy Metal was the early ’80s band that backed singer Billy Idol. Idol’s guitarist, Steve Stevens, caught the attention of the guitar world and in ’84 he hooked up with Hamer to create the Prototype SS. The Prototype SS was Hamer’s first “superstrat” (at least in terms of pickup layout). It differed significantly from other Prototypes in that it had two equal cutaways, a wider mahogany body, and a six-in-line headstock. The neck continued to be glued in, with a 22-fret unbound fingerboard of either rosewood or ebony, with dot or crown inlays. The ebony and crown version was sometimes known as the Custom. The pickup layout consisted of a bridge humbucker and two parallel single-coil pickups, the classic superstrat layout that had been introduced on the Dean Bel Aire and Kramer Pacer in ’83. One volume and one tone contour control continued, with pickup switching done via two toggles, still behind the bridge. Standard was now a Floyd Rose double-locking vibrato system, with a Kahler as optional (these were the days before Rose won his patent rights). These were advertised as being, “…small, lightweight, versatile, and aggressive.” Finishes were either custom colors or graphics.
In ’86 the Prototype SS became known as the Steve Stevens model, a name it enjoyed until its demise in ’92. Also at that time the 22-fret fingerboard was extended to 24 frets, although some 22-fret models continued to be made. Beginning in ’87, some came with Fender-style 251/2″ scale.
To keep things interesting, from ’86 to ’87 a second model was offered, called the Steve Stevens II. This looked more like the original Prototype but with sharper, more pointed horns. The body was one-piece Honduras mahogany. Pickups included a backward-slanted Slammer at the bridge (closer to the bridge on the bass side) and a backward-slanted single-coil pickup at the neck. Still with one volume and one tone, this now came with a three-way select. Again with a 22-fret Fender scale, this came with rosewood and dots or ebony and crowns. As usual, these were available in a variety of finishes, including graphics and airbrush painting. Finishes in ’84 included Ice Pearl, Metal Gray, Red and Black Zulu (a kind of animal-fur shield pattern), Day-Glo Zulu, Lazer Pearl, Candy Red, and Day-Glo Pink.
Judas Priest
Another celebrity model also appeared in ’84, the Vector KK, designed for guitarist K.K. Downing of the English heavy metal band Judas Priest. Downing was strongly associated with the Flying V, so the Vector was perfect. The Vector KK was essentially a Vector with a single Slammer at the bridge, mounted on a small pickguard that sat under the strings and descended just a little along the lower edge of the Vee. The top was flamed maple, the head a slightly narrower, more pointed version of the triangular Gibson design. The Vector KK was equipped with a Kahler Flat-Mount double-locking vibrato. This model was offered in translucent and custom colors until ’87.
Egyptian Scarab
1984 also saw the introduction of another original design, the Scarab. It continued the Explorer theme, but in a sleeker, more modern rendition. Take the Standard, slim down the cutaway horn, and make it more pointed, trim the waste to make it narrower, then cut a wave-shaped notch out of the lower bout, and you have the Scarab. The neck was glued-in, with a six-in-line Hamer headstock. While all Hamer guitars could be had in a variety of custom-ordered options, the Scarab offered a rather broad range. 22-fret, 243/4″ scale fingerboards were either rosewood or ebony. Inlays could be pearl dots, crowns, or LED lights! Kahler Top Mount, Floyd Rose, or other vibrato systems were available. Finishes could be custom pearl, candy, day-glo or phosphorescent. Two guitars were offered, the Scarab II, with two Slammer pickups, three-way select and volume and midrange contour tone control, and the Scarab I, the same but with only a bridge humbucker.
The Scarab Bass was the same shape as the guitar, with P and J-type pickups. Controls were a three-way select plus two volume and two tone controls. The fingerboard was 21 frets on a 34″ scale. The bridge/tailpiece assembly was the old Sustain Block bridge.
The Scarab I and II guitars were available until ’86. The bass lasted until ’90.
Secondary Blitz
In ’84 Hamer revised the Blitz Guitar. This was essentially the Explorer concept, but with a “scimitar” or “banana” six-in-line headstock. Most new Blitzes had locking Floyd Rose vibratos. In ’86 they featured two-octave fingerboards. It lasted until ’90.
Clearly, Hamer was on a roll in the mid ’80s. But the times they were a-changin’ again. Arguably, the ’70s, were dominated by a Gibson taste, reflected in the Standard, Sunburst, and Special. As discussed, the rage for heavy metal hit in ’83 and Hamer responded with guitars like the Scarab and the Vector. By ’85, tastes were shifting again, this time under the overwhelming influence of guitarists like Edward Van Halen, whose pyrotechnic technique was dominated by two-handed tapping and dive-bomb vibrato. By the mid ’80s a double-locking vibrato was de rigeur, and the “superstrat” (a Strat-style guitar with – depending on whose definition you accept – a humbucker/single/single pickup arrangement), a form pioneered by the Dean Bel Aire and Kramer Pacer in ’83.
Some of Hamer’s Gibson-style trappings began to fall away, although these were replaced by others. The first version of the Sunburst ended in ’83. The unbound Special lasted until ’84, the “Gary Moore” one year more. The venerable Standard “Explorer” bit the dust in ’85, the year Hamer released a flurry of new models.
Chaparral
By ’85 the Strat-style guitar had begun to dominate. Hamer’s crosstown competitor, Dean, had begun to switch from its own upscale Gibson variations to the “superstrat” form, and Kramer was phasing out its ’70s aluminum necks and was well on its way to dominating the American guitar market with its Strat-shaped models. Hamer entered the Strat-style sweeps in ’85 with the introduction of the Chaparral and Chaparral Custom. The Chaparrals had contoured offset double-cutaway mahogany bodies, very Strat-like, but with a slightly larger upper horn. Rock maple necks were glued in and featured Hamer’s droopy six-in-line headstock. Fingerboard scale was 243/4″. Both featured the soon-to-be-ubiquitous humbucker/single/single pickup layout, with one volume and one midrange tone contour control. Pickup selection was controlled via three three-way mini-toggles which served as a coil tap on the ‘bucker and reversed phase on the single-coils. The jack was top-mounted, as on a Strat.
The Chaparral Custom featured an ebony fingerboard with pearl boomerang inlays. A double-locking Floyd Rose was standard, but a Kahler was an option. The bridge humbucker was a Slammer, but the two single-coils were twin-blades made in West Germany by OBL. The Custom could also be had with an optional flamed maple top. By January ’87 Hamer was also offering a Chaparral Custom Carved-Top. Only a few were made to showcase Hamer’s “custom shop” capabilities. Basically, the Chaparral Custom Carved-Top was a Custom with the top carved into an extra arch. The tops were either quilted or tiger maple. Cost was $1,699.90; the Carved-Top was $2,299.90.
The plain Chapparal sported a rosewood board, pearl dot inlays, and a Kahler Traditional vibrato system (Strat-style but with a locking nut). Pickups were Slammers. A few were ordered with three single-coils but they were not production models and are very rare. These first Chaparrals lasted until ’87.
In ’87 Hamer revamped the Chaparral, splitting the model into the Chaparral Bolt-On and Chaparral Custom. Both now sported longer 251/2″ scales, five-way switches, and side-mounted jacks. Locking Floyd Rose systems were standard, though Kahlers could still be custom-ordered. These were now recessed, by the way, for greater upswing. The Chaparral Bolt-On featured a bolt-on neck and continued to have a rosewood fingerboard and dots. Pickups were still Slammers. The Chaparral Custom remained otherwise essentially the same as before, including a flametop option. The bridge pickup had become OBL by this time. Available on a special order basis was a 12-string, essentially a glued-neck Custom, sans vibrato.
Around ’88, the Chaparrals were reconfigured again. The Bolt-On was renamed the Chaparral Standard, otherwise unchanged. New was the Chaparral Elite, which had an ebony board and boomerang inlays. Pickups were either OBL or Seymour Duncan. In ’89-’90, the Standard and Elite could be had with OBL Sustainiac circuitry. Sustainiac was essentially changing a neck humbucker into a high-powered magnetic E-bow, allowing unlimited feedback sustain. These later-version Chaparrals were offered until ’94.
Firebirds
While Hamer was (temporarily) abandoning some Gibson influences, in ’85 it picked up some others. New was the FB series, with two guitars and a bass styled after the Gibson reverse Firebird. Curiously, this design, with an extended lower horn and tapered lower bout, is the one closest to the Explorer, Hamer’s favorite shape!
The guitars included the FBII and FBI. Both had glued-in rock maple necks. The center portion of the mahogany body was raised, as on a Gibson. The head of the FBII was droopy six-in-line and angled back, whereas that on the FBI was reverse, and not angled. The FBII came with a two-octave, 243/4″ ebony fingerboard with pearl boomerang inlays. Electronics were two Slammer (sometimes OBL) humbuckers with a three-way select, volume, and midrange tone contour controls. The jack was top-mounted. It came with a Floyd Rose vibrato (Kahler optional). The FBI had a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays and a single bridge humbucker, and was available with a vibrato, but is often seen as a hardtail with a Sustain Block-style bridge/tailpiece assembly. A few non-reverse-body FBs were also built.
The FBIV Bass had the same reverse body shape with a four-in-line headstock. These had a 34″ scale and 21 frets on a dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard. Pickups were P and J-Bass type Slammer humbuckers, each with volume control (no tone) allowing the player to “blend” the pickups according to taste. In the ’85 catalog, Nikki Sixx is seen playing one of these.
The FB series was available from ’85 to ’87. Note that the FB guitars were not listed in the January ’87 price list, but cases for them were, so presumably they were winding down. The FBIV was still on the list.
Scepter
Replacing the Standard in ’85 was another contemporary take on the Explorer theme, the Scepter. Next to the Scarab, the Scepter was one of Hamer’s most strikingly original designs. Imagine an Explorer made more pointy and angular; not really more extended, just more avuncular. Exaggerating the effect was a smaller outline on the top, set at a slight angle to the edges of the guitar. The difference between these was then bevelled. The top and the bevels were painted different colors (often black center with red bevels) to accentuate the design. Otherwise, this was similar to the Blitz, with a glued-in neck, droopy six-in-line head, 24-fret ebony fingerboard (early examples had 22 frets), boomerang inlays, black hardware, Floyd Rose vibrato system, twin Slammer humbuckers, three-way select, and one volume and one midrange tone contour control.
A second version of the Scepter was also introduced in ’85, the Scepter V, a bevelled take on a Flying V, again more angular than the original or Hamer’s other versions of it. The appointments were identical to the Scepter.
The Scepter V lasted only until ’86, while the Scepter “Explorer” made it until ’90.
Miller Time
In ’85 Hamer got involved in a promotional project that was for some years an embarrassment to Dantzig, though he’s subsequently reevaluated his feelings about the effort. This was an alliance with Miller Beer, the last of the brewing giants that once were the hallmark of Milwaukee. Miller, at the time, had an active promotional campaign called “Miller Music,” in which the company sponsored promising new bands, sending them to festivals and other events. According to Dantzig, Hamer was interested in the program because it provided access to young artists who might promote Hamer guitars. The idea was to fabricate guitars and basses to reflect the Miller logo and then be played by the bands they supported.
The first Miller guitars were called “Miller Music” and were shaped like the Miller logo. This shape proved a bit awkward, so after a few were produced with the logo shape, Dantzig redesigned the shape to be slightly asymmetrical. Despite such a rather “kitsch” concept, these are actually high-quality guitars. The necks were typical 22-fret, with rosewood fingerboards and dot inlays. Early models had a three-and-three headstock, but this soon changed to six-in-line. The jack was front-mounted, bodies were mahogany with a flamed maple top finished in gold, the top in a transparent cherry finish with the Miller Music logo overlaid. What looks like white top binding is actually white paint. The electronics were typical, with two Slammers, three-way, volume, and tone. The bridge/tailpiece was a Sustain Block.
Joining the Miller Music guitar was a bass named for one of Miller’s flagship brands, the Miller High Life. Other than having only a single middle DiMarzio P-style pickup and the obvious bass appointments, these were pretty much the same as the guitars. Some have the band’s name engraved on the truss rod cover. Also, although these instruments were commissioned by Miller, the artists themselves were in contact with Hamer, so special features can occur, although most of the artists only played the guitars because it was required. Special features are pretty rare.
According to Untermeyer, only about 100 of the first Miller guitars were built in ’85 and ’86.
The red “butterfly” Miller guitars were replaced by a new design in ’87, with a sort of rectangular parallelogram shape in emulation of the logo of another Miller brand, Miller Genuine Draft. These had small mahogany bodies finished in opaque black with the copper and white logo screened on the front. What looks like silver painted trim around the perimeter of the top is actually inlaid metal. Guitars had six-in-line heads, rosewood with dots, a bridge humbucker and neck single-coil, with either a Sustain Block Bridge or a Floyd Rose. Basses were similar except for having one P-style pickup and, of course, no vibrato option. Apparently, the small body size does make the basses a little neck-heavy. At least one Miller Genuine Draft was made as a left-handed 12-String, with a single slanted OBL single-coil blade pickup at the bridge, fine-tune bridge, and stop tailpiece.
No official tally of Miller Genuine Drafts exists, but estimates are that around a dozen basses and somewhere between 25 and 30 guitars (including the one-offs) were made in ’87.
It’s curious to note Dean guitars also got involved in brewing company promotions, making a few guitars for Budweiser and Coors Light.
Long Scale Acoustic 12-String Bass
One other Hamer had its origins at about this time, perhaps a little earlier: the Long Scale Acoustic 12-String Bass. This was a large bass with a single-cutaway Telecaster shape and a big, round soundhole that looked like an acoustic bass but was actually a solidbody. The body was mahogany, the top flamed maple. The neck had an open-book headstock, not the typical Hamer V-head, with a 34″ scale to the rosewood fingerboard. These came with an EMG HB humbucker near the Sustain Block bridge, plus a P-style EMG P pickup mounted in the soundhole. A three-way, two volumes, and two tones completed the outfit. The first was ordered by Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick, possibly in the early ’80s, according to Dantzig’s recollection. Several others may have been ordered in the early ’80s, including the checkerboard-finished example featured in the Cheap Trick video for “Don’t Be Cruel.” This bass was available on a custom-order-only basis through the rest of the ’80s and did not appear as a catalog model until around ’91. By ’96 Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament was also associated with this bass. Finishes at that time were ’59 burst, black, and white. It is still available.
More ’80s Hamer artists
In 1985, Hamer artists included: Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Jeff Golub (Billy Squire), Bobby Barth and Ricky Medlock (Blackfoot), Tony Iomi (Black Sabbath), Tommy Thayer and Patrick Young (Black and Blue), Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Ben Orr (The Cars), John McCurry (Cindy Lauper), Cody Lee (Cody Lee and the Walk), Steve Vai (David Lee Roth), Tom Lloyd and Dan Zanes (Del Fuegos), Warren Zanes (Dez Dickerson), Gary Moore (Gary Moore Group), G.E. Smith, Harvey Mandell, Gordon Bonnar (Heavy Pettin), Derry Grehan (Honeymoon Suite), Chris Hayes (Huey Lewis & the News), John Waite, Ian Hill and Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest), Fernando Von Arb (Krokus), Paul Dean (Loverboy), Chris “Godzilla” Doliber and Maxine Petrucci (Madame X), Mick Mars and Nicki Sixx (Motley Crue), Jack Blades and Jeff Watson (Night Ranger), Eddie Martinez (Robert Palmer), Robbie McIntosh (Pretenders), Robbin Crosby and Juan Croucier (Ratt), Darren Hill (Red Rockers), Mike Skill (Romantics), Micki Free (Shalamar), Van McLain (Shooting Star), Steve Miller, Sammy Hagar (Van Halen), and Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill (ZZ Top). This list does not include those already mentioned.
More Fender style
In late ’85/early ’86, Hamer furthered its move toward Fender-style guitars with the introduction of two models inspired by the Fender Telecaster – the TLE and TLE Custom.
The TLE had a single-cutaway Tele-style body of mahogany with a flat maple top, which could be figured. The maple neck was glued in, with a six-in-line head, two-octave rosewood fingerboard (243/4″ scale) and dot inlays. Electronics included three Slammer single-coils in a Strat-style configuration with a five-way select, and volume and tone control. The TLE had a fixed Sustain Block bridge.
The TLE Custom had the same shape but featured a bound figured maple top over mahogany, glued-in maple neck and a backward-angled six-in-line headstock. The Custom also had a two-octave fingerboard, but now of ebony with boomerang inlays. Pickups on the Custom were either Slammer or OBL in a superstrat layout with bridge humbucker and two single-coils. The Custom was catalogued with a double-locking Floyd Rose vibrato system, though some are found with Sustain Block bridges. At least one TLE Custom has been seen with a slightly thicker maple top that was unbound and contoured. According to Dantzig, this was probably a custom-order, never a production model. Both lasted until ’92.
We’ll continue the saga next month, moving into the late ’80s, and some big changes. Special thanks need to go to Andrew Large, Steve Mathes, and Peter Fung. Also, thanks to Dantzig for helping paint the “big picture” and fill in a lot of details.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s July ’00 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Who better to teach the Roger McGuinn style than the original Byrd himself? Using his signature Rickenbacker 360-12, McGuinn details the characteristic opening of “Mr. Tambourine Man,” highlighting the way he achieves ringing sustain with the use of fingerpicks and flatpicks. Those up-picking fingers, third through fifth, are the key to the sound and McGuinn also demonstrates the banjo-like rolls, double-time picking and other techniques on classics like “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “Eight Miles High.” Switching to an acoustic Martin 12-string (a somewhat surprising choice), he explores Ledbelly’s “On Easter Morn’ He Rose” and shows other examples of bass lines and picking patterns that make the 12-string guitar such a vehicle for any sort of music. Throughout the video, McGuinn is relaxed and comfortable as he offers insight into not only his music, but also maintenance and repair tips (who do you think strings all those guitars, anyway?), recording preferences and more. One caveat; if you want to play along with the video, you will need to re-tune your guitar down a half step, as McGuinn has always done.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s August ’97 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Longtime readers of this column know how much I love Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant. Through the years I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing/profiling Speedy (Feb. ’94) and “SPOTLIGHTlighting” Jimmy (Dec. ’94) and Speedy (June ’95). In the late ’40s and early/mid ’50s, Speedy was a regular (and featured) member of Tennessee Ernie Ford’s band.
There’s Gonna Be A Party… features 29 tracks (and one brief comedy segment) recorded for radio broadcast in the ’50s as part of Ernie Ford’s radio show. Speedy is joined by some great players including Harold Hensley (fiddle), Billy Liebert (piano/accordion), Billy Strange (guitar) and George Bruns (bass). The rapport between Ernie, Speedy, and the rest of the band is genuine and delightful! While some of this material has been reissued on vinyl and CDs, there are several performances I’ve never heard before.
Speedy is best known for astounding uptempo numbers, but he is more than demonstrates his versatility on slower tempo numbers like “Indian Love Call,” “Honolulu” and “I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You).” Some favorite West numbers include “Snow Deer” (cookin’ western swing with outstanding solos from Hensley, Speedy & Liebert), “Speedin’ West” (Speedy’s signature tune), “Texas Playboy Rag” (great touch and tone), “Hop, Skip, And Jump” (too-hip head).
The Speedy numbers alone make this one mandatory for West/Bryant fans, but the fun really shifts into high gear when Jimmy Bryant sits in. Jimmy plays a cool/’out’ version of “Limehouse Blues” and gets in a close harmony twin-fiddle workout with Harold Hensley on “Arkansas Traveler.” Of particular note for West/Bryant fans are different arrangements/performances of better known Speedy/Jimmy cuts including “Whistle Stop” (a completely different intro gives way to the familiar head and “After Hours” bridge), “T-Bone Rag” (steel, guitar, and fiddle in close harmony with Liebert’s piano in the background), “Two Of A Kind” (with Jimmy’s too-cool “Comin’ On” ending) and “Country Capers” (a real toe tappin’ version with a swingin’ country-jazz solo from Jimmy). There’s also a fairly straight version of “Sleep Walker’s Lullaby” (which Jimmy and Speedy released on Capitol single F3150 in 1955). Highly Recommended!
This article originally appeared in VG‘s March ’01 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
The Different Strummer
Kent Guitars In early ’62, distributers Buegeleisen & Jacobson began marketing Teisco guitars re-badged with the Kent name. Soon after, its first full line of solidbody electrics was in stores. By Michael Wright
Gibson’s ES-5 Switch master and ES-350 War
Two blonds? It’s a cinch! By the 1940s, musicians were seeking pure electronic sounds. In response, Gibson introduced several electric guitars. Here are two enduring examples. By Eric C. Shoaf
Tesla’s Triumphant Return
The early ’90s saw changes in the music scene that forced Tesla to break up. But the multi-platinum blues-rock quintet recently returned to the fray, proving its staying power to live audiences worldwide. By Lisa Sharken
Mark Egan
Covering All Basses He has been a favorite of low-end stringed instrument aficionados since the late 1970s, when he was a member of the Pat Metheny Group. By Willie G. Moseley
Kenny Burrell
A jazz guitar legend, his artistry and integrity are unreproachable. A master soloist and perfect comp player, he can do it all. And as head of Jazz Studies at UCLA, he assures jazz’s legacy with a new generation of players. By John Heidt
Jeff Healey
Musical Renaissance Man A virtuoso on many instruments, he was busy through the ’90s, diligently touring and recording. Last year, he opened a live-music club in the heart of downtown Toronto. By Arlene R. Weiss and Ward Meeker
Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater
The Chicago resident has been exciting blues audiences worldwide for decades. But he built his reputation working the local club circuit, playing blues for African-American audiences and Chuck Berry-inspired rock for suburban white kids. By Bob Cianci
Todd Rundgren
Aloha, It’s Me A Philadelphia native, he played in garage bands before garnering notice in the Nazz. And despite having taken up permanent residence in Hawaii, his life is still very occupied with music projects. By Willie G. Moseley
Gretsch Model 40
It represents a departure for its maker, which, like most manufacturers of the day, understood the impact of Hawaiian music and sought to fill a market need. By Eric C. Shoaf
Gibson’s Legendary PAF
Seth E. Lover began developing a hum-cancelling pickup in 1953, while under the employ of the Gibson Guitar Company. What he came up with is the most copied electric guitar pickup design ever. By Seymour W. Duncan
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