The cartoon rats on its cover are a humorous representation of the three guys in this band – Dan Cohen (guitar, banjo, vocals), James Cook (bass and vocals), and Derek Mixon (drums), and the tracks include guests like mandolin giant Sam Bush, singer/guitarist, Steve Wariner, vocalist Tracy Byrd, and music veteran Johnny Neel on vocals and keyboards.
The music is essentially country, but still hard to describe. The instrumental opener “Nose Whistlin’ (In a Tizzy)” sounds like the Buckaroos before Cohen enters with wild, distorted guitar right out of Joe Walsh-era James Gang. And Cook handles the whistling…
“Back on the Farm” gives Wariner a chance to shine on vocals and a jazzy solo followed by fine fiddle. Cohen gets most of the solos, and he’s certainly a quirky player; at home on the country material, he brings his own twists like the chicken pickin’ mixed backward-tracked soloing on “Twitchy,” or the melody and gorgeous solo on “Lullaby”. “Something Goofy” mixes country and jazz with a killer solo, followed closely by a pedal steel turn by Brook Langton.
Most of the tracks are instrumentals, while guests handle lead vocals. If you like great playing, mixed with more than a little humor, grab this.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s May. ’09 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Larry McCray Photo: Jason Creps, courtesy Bloodshot Records.
“A lot of people…think [blues is] all the same. So I try to take that element out. I don’t want to restrict myself in terms of genre or influence.”
It’s not hard to figure out why Larry McCray became a guitarist. “My dad was a musician,” he said. “Grandma played guitar, my other grandma played piano, and my big sister, Clara, got me started on guitar when I moved from Arkansas up to Michigan. She was 17 or 18 years older than me, so she was kind of like a second mom. She always had an amp and guitar in the car, and it was always fun when she came off the road. We waited for her to break out the equipment and play tunes. And that lit a fire under me. In fact, when I moved to Saginaw, she’d catch me playing the guitar and get a little mad. But when she figured out I had respect for her instrument, it was alright. Then she tried to teach me.”
McCray’s appetite for musical learning led to many forms of music, which is evident on his latest release. It’s full of blues, Southern soul, island music, and even hints of country, all dominated by soaring guitar.
“I try not to be so predictable,” he said. “A lot of people, when they hear you play the blues, think it’s all the same. So I try to take that element out. I also don’t want to restrict myself in terms of genre or influence.” Growing up in rural Arkansas in the ’60s meant McCray was influenced by a lot of things; radio played everything from Aretha to James Brown, B.B. King, and right alongside you’d hear Eric Clapton, Dr. John, and country music. “So I heard everything. I like to play the blues, but I like to use rock, I like to use funk, I like to use reggae, and I might even throw in a little jazz. I grew up with players like Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, and Larry Coryell, too. I just didn’t want to restrict myself.”
McCray’s first big break came in 1986, when he was playing a house party near Detroit. The barbecue hosted 500 folks, and he remembers most of them being musicians. “The McCray Brothers, with me, my brother, Steve, on drums, and brother, Carl, on bass, got a lot of good feedback. A fella approached and asked if we’d like to make a record. I thought, ‘Sure… how many times have I heard this song and dance?’ And he did call back, but I blew him off again! Well, he called a third time before I said to myself, ‘You’re gonna f**k this up.’ So I checked it out. And we went in, and made our first record.”
Since then, McCray has been a major road warrior, opening for various acts in rock and blues. That includes a relationship that has developed between him and the Allman Brothers. “They’ve been one of my most treasured musical finds. I met Warren Haynes in the late ’80s. I was blown away when I heard him play and we spent about 10 days in Memphis writing and recording. We’ve stayed good friends and I’ll bet I’ve jammed with the Allman Brothers 40 times. I’ve opened for both them and Gregg’s band. Warren and Derek Trucks are two of my favorite players. I can’t tell you how much respect I have for those guys.” Being on the road so much does present problems, and McCray is happy with the way his new record turned out, though now he wishes he’d been more involved in the mixing process. “This record was a lot of fun to make, but I wasn’t there for all the final production. I’m a working musician and my time is limited. But considering everything, I’m happy with it even if I know where the improvements could be made.” And with a laugh. he adds “But I try to let people catch those spots. I try not to point them out because a lot of times if you don’t, people don’t catch them, you know?”
McCray’s guitars of choice all bear the Gibson logo. He points to his Flying V, Les Paul, and ES-335 as favorites. “I’ve become lucky and blessed enough to have started a little collection. I have a few choices of each. My favorite V is a reissue with double-wound ’57 pickups. I’ve also got a ’56 reissue with P-90s.” He’s also fond of a Gibson Blueshawk with P-90s he calls “the baddest little guitar in the world” with “a big woofy sound” that is perfect for his playing. His amp collection consists of various models, though he prefers vintage Fenders, especially a Deluxe Reverb or Super Reverb.On occasion he uses a Marshall JCM 800, a Soldano, and a Red Bear. He credits two Rocktron Austin Gold pedals with helping him get the sound that dominates his soloing. “I use one for tone and the other I use for more volume,” he said. “With the Austin Gold, you can make any combo sound like a half-stack.”
McCray recently toured in Russia and Turkey as part of a package with several other artists. The group played sold-out venues to very receptive audiences and he calls it “one of the best promotions and productions I’ve ever been on.” Asked if he still spends most of his time on the road, his reply is spiked with laughter. “I’d better if I want to eat.”
This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2008 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Kyle Dillard and the Lake Forest Church Band with Larry McCray
If you’ve paid attention to these pages in recent years, you’re familiar with Mike Robinson’s Eastwood retro-styled electric guitars, which, along with the company’s proprietary instruments, have become ever-more popular with professional players (and collectors), not only because they’re cool and funky, but well-made and reasonably priced.
The Canadian shop’s most recent creation is the Joey Leone signature RBC. Leone is a longtime Eastwood endorser and the guiding force in the Joey Leone Chop Shop band. And at first glance, the guitar that bears his name may look like a typical semi-hollowbody with P-90s. But look closer…
The Eastwood JLs 335-inspired semi-hollow body has a laminated flame maple top, back, and sides with a mahogany center block, single-ply cream-colored binding on the top and back, and two bound f-holes. Hardware consists of a custom gold trapeze tailpiece with engraved hardwood insert (a Bigsby vibrato is available as an option), a gold tune-o-matic-style bridge, and gold Grover Imperial tuners. The JLs one-piece set mahogany neck has a bound 12″ radius rosewood fretboard with mother-of-pearl (MOP) parallelogram inlays, bone nut, black-painted headstock with large MOP “E” logo inlay, and medium-jumbo fret wire.
The JL’s 251/2″ scale length represents the first substantial break from the 335; other departures include its trio of custom Kent Armstrong P-90 pickups, each of which uses its own three-way toggle switch (on/off/coil-tapped) while the center pickup is reverse-wound and reverse-polarity.
The JL’s fit, finish, and overall quality are as you’d find on a much more expensive guitar; the frets are nicely detailed and polished, inlays are cleanly executed, and the high-gloss finish is flawless. Playability was also what we’ve come to expect from Eastwood – a slim, comfortable neck profile, low action with straight, level frets, and spot-on intonation. The added scale length adds tension to the string feel over the normally smooth slinky feel of a Gibson 335, but the large highly polished frets and flat 12″ radius fretboard made bending a breeze.
The tight cluster and straightforward layout of the pickup switches make it easy to navigate the JL’s 27 (!) pickup combinations; each switch corresponds to the appropriate pickup in line (i.e. neck, middle or bridge). In the middle position, the pickup is off, in the up position it’s full on, and in the down position it’s tapped to activate fewer coil windings, for a crisper, thinner sound.
Through the clean channel of a 50-watt Koch Twintone II combo (12AX7/EL34), the JL’s tapped pickup combinations produced convincing Strat/Tele tones with a fair amount of twang and quake. Not as snappy as a Fender, but punchy and bright nonetheless. With the pickup switches in the up/full on position, the Kent Armstrong P-90 exhibited a fatter, stronger midrange tone with slightly more output that you’d expect from P-90s, and pushed the guitar’s overall tone more into Jazzmaster/Epi Casino territory. What’s really fun, and allows tone changes at the guitar (without noodling with the amp’s tone controls) was mixing the tapped and full-on pickup combination to produce a sound with just the right amount of midrange punch and high-end snap from nearly every pickup combination.
While the 251/2″ scale adds to the JL’s Fender flavor, the fuller, rounded tone characteristics of the semi-hollow body kept it from being a one-trick pony. The difference in the JL’s sound when its pickups are switched from full-on to tapped was fairly subtle in the clean channel of the Koch, but with some overdrive from the Koch’s high-gain channel or cranked through a 15-watt Orange Tiny Terror head (12AX7/EL84) mated to our Hard Truckers Fatty 2×12″, the differences became more pronounced. In the tapped positions, the JL produced a crisp, crunchy overdrive with jangle, while the full-on positions not only added sustain and overdrive to the tone, but a smoother, thicker texture to the midrange.
Also noticeable in the overdrive channel of both amps were the nine humbucking pickup combinations. When the middle pickup is used in combination with any other pickup, whether full-on or tapped, the guitar was nearly silent. Yes, the guitar would squeal a bit if moved too close to the amps, but it was easily controlled and responded well by backing off the guitar’s Volume control.
The Eastwood Joey Leone is not only a well-crafted instrument that blends 335 aesthetics and vibe with a variety of sounds from two classic “camps,” but does it with a remarkably simple and easy-to-use configuration.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s January 2008 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
1972 Gibson EB-4L, serial number 776019. Photo: VG Archive. Instrument courtesy of Guitar Emporium.
The antennae of many guitar collectors/enthusiasts pop up when they encounter a Gibson-made instrument bearing a six-digit serial number with “Made In The USA” embossed on the back of its headstock.
Gibson used the six-digit/Made In The USA serial number system from 1970 through a portion of 1975 – the half-decade considered one of the company’s worst eras in terms of design innovation and manufacturing quality. Accordingly, guitar aficionados typically examine an instrument from the period more closely. True, Gibson introduced some unique instruments in the first half of the ’70s, and while some of its innovations may have had a bit of merit back then, they haven’t translated to collectibility.
At first glance, the Gibson EB-4L, introduced in 1972, could have been mistaken for an EB-0L, which was a long-scale version of Gibson’s primary production bass. The single-pickup EB-0 was introduced in 1959 as a short-scale (301/2″) instrument. In 1961, its slab-type double-cutaway body (similar to late-’50s Les Paul Juniors and Specials) morphed into a pointed, SG-shaped instrument and was joined by a two-pickup variant, the EB-3.
Both models underwent subsequent changes, including a short-lived conversion to a slotted headstock from 1969 to ’72. Long-scale (341/2″) variants of the EB-0 and the EB-3 were also available in ’69, designated by an “L” at the end of the model numbers.
Around the time the EB-0 and EB-3 (and their long-scale siblings) returned to a solid headstock in the early ’70s, the large humbucking pickup near the neck on both models was moved back about two inches. That meant the two pickups on the EB-3 were, of course, closer to each other. The EB-3L was discontinued in 1972, perhaps to make way for the EB-4L. But the EB-0L survived until ’79.
Reaction to the EB-4L might have been “big deal,” as it looked similar to other Gibson basses, right down to a pickup located in the middle of the body.
The EB-4L’s all-mahogany construction was similar to that of the EB-0 and EB-3, and like its progenitors, the EB-4L was only available in Cherry and Walnut finishes through most of its life. Unfortunately, it sported the “chunkier” SG-shaped body of the early ’70s (as did other guitars and basses), and its neck felt beefy, exemplifying the quality-control issues in instruments of the period.
The revived solid headstock was accompanied by the return of the pearloid “crown” headstock inlay, but some examples from the era are altogether missing a headstock inlay (as is the EB-4L). What’s more, the Gibson script logo isn’t pearl; its gold silkscreen logo on its elongated head only adds to the EB-4L’s lack of aesthetic inspiration.
The neck joined the body at the 17th fret (note the rounded end of the fretboard), and the unbound rosewood fingerboard has dot markers.
The silhouette of the multi-layered pickguard was, for some reason, truncated with a rounded notch (when it didn’t need to be), as was the case on early-’70s EB-0s and EB-3s.
What Gibson was apparently trying to accomplish with the EB-4L was an incorporation of more professional sonic options. The pickup, which was designed by Bill Lawrence, seems to be the same size as original Gibson bass humbuckers, but has an offset “two-plus-two” polepiece configuration. There’s also a three-position toggle switch that works coil-tap configurations and can evoke various tones. It’s mounted in a tiny oval-shaped plate made from the same material as the pickguard.
The bridge (under the chrome cover) has individual saddles for intonation, and some EB-4L bridges were equipped with a mute that was activated by pulling a sliding tab.
Any full-scale version of an instrument that’s also available as a short-scale should resonate better, and should have better sustain, particularly if said full-scale variant has a set neck. Such would have been the idea behind the EB-0L, EB-3L, and EB-4L, with extra sonic capabilities added to the last model. Simple as that, but not successful. And Gibson would go on to make other uninspiring and unsuccessful basses (Rippers, RDs, etc.) later in the ’70s.
The EB-4L was on Gibson’s price lists from 1972 to ’75. Last examples (including one in a black finish) were reportedly shipped in ’79.
An EB-4L might make an excellent utility instrument for someone who wants to gig with a full-scale SG-shaped instrument. But be forewarned – it won’t have the slim, sleek profile and feel of a ’60s EB-0 or EB-3. It may actually sound better due to the 341/2″ scale, but it’ll feel a lot beefier. It’s a definitive example of something that didn’t work for Gibson when it was new, and calls into question the collectability of something just because it might be rare or was short-lived.
The Thunderbird was Gibson’s first bass with a full/long scale, but the EB-4L has the distinction of being the first SG-shaped instrument introduced as a full-scale instrument… for whatever that’s worth.
This article originally appeared in VG’s March 2007 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Texas’ rockin’est troubadour has a reputation for featuring great guitarists – from the late Jesse Taylor in his original lineup to Mitch Watkins (when Joe transformed the fusion band Passenger into his least country, most high-tech combo) to his work with flamenco guitarist Teye – to the point that Austinites have been known to get into heated arguments over which band and which guitarist was the best.
Well, they were all good, but this release (on Ely’s own label) is especially welcome, because it features the band when it included not only a young David Grissom on guitar but rock sax legend Bobby Keyes. That same lineup was responsible for one of Joe’s best-ever albums, Lord Of The Highway, brand-new at the time of this gig, but by 1990, when Ely cut Live At Liberty Lunch, Keyes was gone – no doubt off playing with his sometimes employers, the Rolling Stones. Liberty Lunch gave Grissom fans a generous fix (as on the 12-minute “Letter To L.A.”), but was missing the give-and-take that would push him (and Keyes) to greater heights on virtually a nightly basis.
This much-bootlegged Chicago performance comes from a single night, presented with no edits or overdubs – most likely at Park West (although no one’s quite sure). Grissom and the rhythm section of bassist Jimmy Pettit and drummer Davis McLarty (who, with guitarist David Holt, would gig on off nights as the Booze Weasels) were tight and muscular – the type of band that approached playing live like a racehorse busting out of the gate. Grissom launches into the stratosphere with an ease and consistency that’s remarkable – especially on “Don’t Put A Lock On My Heart” and on “L.A.,” where he’s preceded by a Keyes solo that’s the sax equivalent of saying “Follow that!” Just when you think he’s finished his response to Keyes’ call, he pauses, then comes up for air with a final, staggering burst.
It’s almost cruel to say, “If you never saw this band….” – because that chance has passed. But thankfully, later converts and career-fans can experience together this snapshot of one of the best bands to ever incinerate a stage.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s May. ’09 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Journeyman guitarist Frank Carillo has been plying his trade for decades, and along the way jammed with/for numerous legendary bands.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Queens, Carillo moved to Long Island in his teens and, soon after learning to play guitar, developed a love for Gretsch instruments.
“My dad took me to the Gretsch factory in Brooklyn in 1961,” he recalled. “And I got my first good acoustic there – a single-cut archtop. Then in 1962 I got a Gretsch Country Club in Cadillac Green.”
The ’70s saw him playing a Gibson Les Paul until he rediscovered Gretsches in ’79. “Nobody really wanted Gretsches at that time, so I picked up a ’57 Country Club with DeArmond pickups for $300,” he recalled.
One of Carillo’s first claims to fame was working in England on two of Peter Frampton’s early solo albums. The other guitarist was Bob Mayo, who spent many years in Frampton’s band. Carillo then formed a band called Doc Holliday, which was influenced by the English blues and rock and roll movement. They recorded at Olympic Studios, where producer Chris Kimsey had worked on the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers and got permission for Doc Holliday to use the Stones’ gear on their own record. At Olympic, the band also jammed with Led Zeppelin.
In the late ’70s, Carillo pursued a solo career and opened for a number of bands, including Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Bad Company, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the J. Geils Band. He was using a 1960 Les Paul Custom and a ’62 Fender Stratocaster when he opened for Bad Company on a ’79 tour during which his band’s gear was stolen. “Bad Company loaned us all of their gear for three shows,” he said. “Eventually, ours was found [except for] my guitars.”
Over the years, Carillo has also collaborated with several female singers, co-writing songs for Carly Simon and Joan Jett. He spent several years in a duo with singer Annie Golden; they recorded two albums, Fire In New Town and Toxic Emotion. More recently, he has co-written with Golden Earring and played in John Hammond’s band live and in the studio on Ready For Love.
In ’05, Carillo recorded Bad Out There, which garnered airplay and critical praise. A second album with the same band, Someday (’08), continued his straightforward approach. Keyboard player Augie Meyer contributed to four tracks.
Carillo has retired his early Gretsch Brian Setzer model from the road, but uses it extensively in the studio.
“I’ve got a ’68 Corvette that I use a lot,” he said of his studio Gretsches. “There’s a Silver Jet double-cutaway, and reissues of a ’59 6120 and a ’57 Duo Jet.” Live, he now uses a Golden Anniversary 6120 and a BillyBo/Jupiter Thunderbird.
While many tunes on Someday contain sociopolitical commentary, Carillo doesn’t consider them to be protest songs.
“‘Burn the Whole House Down’ is basically saying, ‘Open your eyes, this whole place is gonna burn down if we don’t wise up to greed.’ I write about things that are happening. I liked the writing of Ray Davies of the Kinks; he’d write like a reporter, about what was going on.”
The leadoff track (“Roll the Bones”) sets the pace with a rude-but-listenable solo. “I used the neck pickup on the Brian Setzer Gretsch to get that ‘dirty and dark’ sound because the song is kind of dark. My brother played a Fender Tele, and I played a (Gibson) Hummingbird for the acoustic part.”
“Darkness Everywhere” has Carillo on two acoustics. “I played an all-mahogany Martin 00-15 for the high part and a Gibson Hank Williams Jr. Southern Jumbo for the lower parts.”
Explaining the track’s minimalism, he says, “I always loved Slim Harpo and the ‘Hip Shake’ groove, and always wanted to write a song with one chord. Everything was cut live except for the backing vocals and the harmonica.”
“Eastern Time” was inspired by a trip to China and Thailand. “It was like another world,” he recalled, “I actually wrote it in Arizona, on an old Spanish laud. It’s a smuggling tune, but I mentioned a lot of the places we visited, like Kowloon and Hong Kong. I travel a lot and I see a lot of things… and they kinda creep into my head!”
His travels and years of roadwork have proven invaluable to his songwriting. “Even if a songwriter makes up a story, I think it’s great to color it with your own little experiences.”
This article originally appeared in VG‘s December 2008 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. Frank Carillo and the Bandoleros- Bad Out There)
G.E. Smith is a guitarist, vintage-instrument authority, and holder of several past high-profile gig including 10 years as the bandleader on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” where he proudly displayed pieces from his vintage collection while laying down nasty licks with some of the coolest tone ever parlayed. Prior to that gig, he spent six years with Hall & Oats (appearing in several of the most-played videos of the early 1980s), and the early ’90s as guitarist and bandleader for rock icon Bob Dylan.
A vintage Fender aficionado – especially with early-’50s Telecasters and early Fender lap steels – he recently teamed up with Fender to design a unique signature instrument.
Fender’s G.E. Smith Telecaster has a medium weight swamp ash body, hard-rock maple neck and vintage-Tele-style hardware. The Smith Tele also uses all flathead screws (except for the truss rod).
Vintage aficionados will recognize a nod to the earliest Telecasters in the form of a neck has a girthy early-’50s feel with what Fender describes as a “deep U” shape. The body is finished in classic Dakota Red, with a white pickguard (mid-’50s-style Honey Blond with a black single-ply ‘guard is an option). Both body and neck are finished using nitrocellulose lacquer. The features that most differentiate it from a standard Tele have to be its ’40s lap steel style fretboard inlays and modified Tele bridge mounted directly to the body. Fit and finish are impeccable, with perfect setup, a tight neck joint, and not an imperfection to be found in body, neck, or hardware. And where the typical artist signature is silkscreened on the headstock, here Smith’s name is engraved in the neckplate – big kudos to both G.E. and Fender for preserving the classic appearance of the Tele headstock.
For years, certain Tele players have modified their guitars by removing the bridge pickup from its bridgeplate mount and using long wood screws to affix it directly to the body. This enables the Tele to be played at high volume without feeding back. In the case of the Smith Tele, it was inspired by G.E’s love of a 1948 lap steel in his collection with a similar pickup. It sounds fatter than his Tele, perhaps because the lap steel’s bobbin was mounted directly to the wood. Fender then went one step further by shortening the standard “ashtray” bridge.
If you believe that neck size has a marked effect on a guitar’s tone, the Smith Tele may be worth a look, as Fender has installed one of the fattest necks to be used on a Tele – vintage or not – in quite a long time. And the fretboard is fitted with vintage-size fret wire.
Through a Divided by 13 FTR 37, a Dr. Z Carmen Ghia, and a Victoria Regal, the guitar performed exceedingly well. Pickup output was balanced in all positions, and the bridge pickup is a wonderful new experience, sounding like a ’50s-style Tele, but there was increased low-end and upper-midrange response, what some like to call “thonk.” The guitar did not have the liveliness one associates with a spring-mounted bridge pickup, but it also means the amp can handle pedal distortion at higher levels than a standard Tele could. It is a trade-off, but one that many of us would take, no qualms about it. Even doing chicken picking, the guitar just had a very welcome level of thickness to every note. The neck pickup was clear, without a trace of muddiness. We also found it quite easy to get a fat tone on the bridge setting, yet flip to the neck setting and not feel the need to re-EQ the amp. This is a rare feature in any Telecaster.
The G.E. Smith Telecaster is a great all-around guitar. From R&B to chicken picking, to all-out rock, it delivers. For the working guitarist, the guitar’s unique bridge pickup mounting allows use with high-gain amps and pedals that would make most other Teles feedback uncontrollably. To collectors it’s not only a signature model of a well-known Tele connoisseur, but a tasty mix of Fender features from long ago.
The G.E. Tele might not be for fans of Pete Anderson or Don Rich, looking for maximum brightness and twang, but if you love a Tele and are looking for less twangy bite with juicier filling, it just might be for you.
G.E. Talks Tele
What was the inspiration behind the unique features of your signature Telecaster?
I think a lot of it was playing my ’48 Fender lap steel. I was looking at it one day, and I could just see how Leo could have looked at that, and birthed the Telecaster from it. The pickup, knobs, and finish in many ways make it look like a little Tele. That’s where it all started. Playing the ’48 and just digging its sound – very fat.
Where did you get the idea of mounting the bridge pickup directly to the body?
Well, it’s not a new thing. Roy Buchanan experimented using lap steel pickups and mounting pickups to the body as far back as the ’60s. I’d done it myself, years back. Those old lap steels had a pickup that had a bigger coil on them.
How about the fingerboard inlays?
That was just something cool I thought of to take the lap steel thing a bit further.
Was the neck shape based on one of your vintage Teles?
It was actually based on two of them – a ’52 and a ’53. And one of the main things I wanted was a neck that did not get thinner as you moved toward the nut. So the thickness – not the width of the neck – does not change along the length of the neck. All the Teles I really like have had fat necks.
What about the use of all flathead screws?
That was just a fun little touch.
And the color choices?
Well, we did kind of an early-’50s blond with a black guard. Funny thing, the first 50 or so have kind of a little more orange to the color.
What about the red with the white pickguard.
I don’t know if it was Cimarron Red or what I was thinking. We went back and forth with samples until I told them to think of the red lipstick my mother wore when I was a kid. Then it was perfect. The production model leans a little more toward Dakota Red.
It has a James Burton vibe.
That’s what I was going for – he refinished his ’53 to that color. I just know that Fender had to have done some red Telecasters pre-’54.
Was it your idea to put your signature on the neck plate?
Yes, it was. I am such a vintage nut that I just couldn’t spoil the look of the Telecaster headstock. Fender was kind enough to do it even though it costs them an extra buck or two.
Who did you work with at Fender?
Mike Eldred, Richard McDonald, Justin Norvell, and Richie Fliegler among others. And it was such an honor to get to be a part of.
Fender G.E. Smith Telecaster Price $ 2,142.84 (retail), $1,499.99 (street). Contact Fender Musical Instruments, 8860 E. Chaparral Road – Suite 100, Scottdale AZ 85250;phone (480) 596-9690; www.fender.com.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s March 2008 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. GE Smith Telecaster, ’72 Marshall JMP 1/2 stack
All of the hats Crenshaw wears so well – singer, guitarist, composer, producer – come together in full force on “Right On Time,” his latest CD’s opening track. His vocal is equal parts melodicism and desperation; his guitar solo blasts into a fierce flurry of notes before segueing into a worked-out tag, doubled with six-string bass; and he chose his collaborators like a coach picking an all-star team – including Greg Leisz’ eerie steel, vibraphone from studio legend Emil Richards, and everyone’s favorite drummer, Jim Keltner.
There’s an immediacy to the dozen originals here, so it’s not surprising that several were captured in a single take. But somehow, that energy carries over to cuts where Crenshaw served as an overdubbed one-man-band (a tight little rocker titled “Gasoline Baby”) and tunes utilizing strings (or, as they’re credited, “The Dying Tremolos”), like the cinematic title track.
Maybe because he’s never excessive (and likely because of his other formidable talents), Crenshaw is invariably underrated as a guitarist. But it’s hard to imagine any studio ace matching his concise solo on “Never Coming Down,” which starts as a country waltz, then crosses over to Abbey Road territory. With the exception of Leisz, the only other guitarist lending a hand is the MC5’s Wayne Kramer; that’s his Les Paul crunch on “Stormy River.”
It’s been a while since Crenshaw’s last CD, and with an album this strong, it’s tempting to say it was worth the wait. But when you realize that What’s In The Bag? was six years ago (meaning that would project his next release into 2015), that’s too many years to suffer through a sea of mediocrity waiting for the next gem. Strike while the iron is hot, Marshall, and get started on another masterpiece.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Dec. ’09 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Thin Lizzy was formed in 1969 by bassist/frontman Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey. Guitarists Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham joined in 1974, establishing the classic lineup and signature twin-lead style first heard on the 1975 release, Fighting.
Gorham recently searched Lizzy’s vault and emerged with a rare gem – an unreleased live recording from 1977. Legendary producer Glyn Johns was enlisted to remix and remaster the tracks, creating Still Dangerous. Gorham explains the significance of this show and why it epitomizes such an important period in Lizzy’s career, as the band was primed to conquer the world. While the acclaimed 1978 compilation, Live and Dangerous, is considered one of the greatest rock albums ever, Gorham believes Still Dangerous is a better portrayal of Lizzy in action.
How many shows did you listen to before choosing this one?
I think I’d only listened to one other. The box said “Philadelphia 2” and I wondered what that meant. There were a lot of things labeled with working titles that bore no resemblance to the end product. There’s one I did remember because the working title for “The Boys Are Back In Town” was “G.I. Joe.” So I knew what that one was, but I didn’t know what “Philadelphia 2” was. I called the ex-manager, he remembered it and explained. What you’re listening to is a radio show we did in Philadelphia called “The King Biscuit Flower Hour.” We played two nights and this is the second. The first night was broadcast and included the “King Biscuit” audience, where people show up no matter who’s playing. We asked to play and record a second night, but specifically wanted to advertise it as a Thin Lizzy show because we wanted our fans there. This is that second show.
We had just finished Bad Reputation and we’d been offered a three-month arena tour in the United States. We had a huge fan base, and a few hit singles and albums in Europe. But over here, we had one song, “The Boys Are Back In Town,” and one album, Jailbreak. That’s all America knew about Thin Lizzy. So this was going to be the tour to break us in America. We knew how we were playing – we were on top of our game and woe betide any band that has to follow us because we’re going to kick your ass! That’s the attitude we always walked out with. In listening to these tapes, we had the attitude, but we also had the chops.
We thought that before going out on an arena tour, we needed a two-week warmup period. So that’s what this album is from. What you’re actually listening to is Thin Lizzy road-testing these new songs to gauge audience reaction and see how well we play them. Do we have them in the right order in the set or are we killing the flow? That opening song is a brand new song, mid tempo, straight out of the bag. I don’t know what was going through our heads because we never did stuff like that. This was a big experiment to see what kind of reaction we’d get. It was really cool to sit in the studio listening to this and remember what was going through our heads at this point in time. Whether that set list would have stayed the same when we got into the arenas is under pretty heavy debate.
Is what we hear a bona fide live show?
Yes. That’s what caught my attention. We’ve started out with “Soldier Of Fortune”! What I loved is that it was so different.
Was anything from the show left out?
There was stuff left out because two reels were destroyed. We’re not quite sure how it happened. When we put them on, it sounded like somebody had put their fingers on the spool or something was leaning against it as it was recording because it was slow and warbled. I panicked! But there was no fixing it. So this is the show and I’m sorry we lost the two other reels.
What condition were the tapes in when you found them?
We had to bake all these tapes we found. Whether they specifically needed it or not, we did it anyway as a precaution. There were a few that we were wondering if we should even try to pick up. After we baked everything, we got it all into a digital format to save this stuff because it’s Thin Lizzy history and we knew it was disintegrating. We used Pro Tools to transfer the tapes to digital. Glyn Johns was adamant that we use an analog board, but we didn’t actually work within Pro Tools.
Does any song stand out because of the performance or the way it was received by the audience?
The song I really liked is “Massacre,” for one reason – Brian Downey’s drumming. Sometimes you tend to forget about each individual because you work with them so much. But when you take a break and you’re able to sit back and listen objectively, you realize, “Wow! This guy was kick-ass!”
What was your setup during this period?
I was using a ’73 or ’74 cherry sunburst Les Paul Deluxe with mini humbuckers. I went to the first jam with this no-name Japanese Les Paul copy that was falling apart. When I got in the band, Phil said, “We’re going to have to buy you another guitar!” But there was a specific budget because the band was broke and in heavy debt. So buying that guitar was a pretty big coup. I was picking up Standards and Customs first, but they were too expensive. The price of the Deluxe was lower, so I tried a couple and picked out the one I really liked. We were using 100-watt Marshall amps and I had an MXR Phase 90. Brian Robertson had a wah and Copicat delay the tape kept falling out of! He already had his black Les Paul Custom, which he still plays today.
Have you discovered other audio or video tapes to consider for future release?
After we get done with the Lizzy tour, I’m going to grab an engineer, go back into the studio, and see what we’ve got. I’d love to find some old film somebody had the foresight to save. I’m hoping to find outtakes from the studio albums, or songs that were finished and not included on albums. Let’s find out why. It’s going to be fun just to see what’s there. –
This article originally appeared in VG‘s July 2009 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited. Thin Lizzy Scott Gorham Dancing in The Moonlight 07
Visual Sound founder and president Bob Weil and chief engineer R.G. Keen have given their flagship combo pedals a face lift and introduced a new line of single pedals. These new V2 series effects are built on heavy duty die-cast aluminum chassis, replacing the steel housings on the old line, their in/out/power jacks are still hand-wired, they get a new switching system, and there’s a new “tone buffer” circuit designed to reduce signal degradation caused by cables and other effects.
Through a 20-watt EL84 1×12″ combo, the Route 808 produces the anticipated thick, harmonically rich “Tube Screamer” sound with a lot of midrange boost. But unlike the classic Ibanez version, with the Visual Sound the user can activate the pedal’s Bass Boost mini-toggle to regain some of the low-end lacking in the classic pedal. This makes it great for chunky rhythm parts and gives it a fuller overall tone.
Controls on the Comp 66 include Compression, Tone, and Gain, as well as a mini toggle that disengages the Tone control. The pedal delivers everything from a light “fattening” compression to a heavy, squashed chicken-pickin’ signal. With its Tone control engaged, it can easily compensate for any loss of high- or low-end response.
The Visual Volume pedal runs in two stereo modes – passive and active – with internally adjustable independent Gain controls. The passive mode is straightforward; treadled all the way down, the pedal produces no signal, and when treadled up, its 10-LED scale indicator lights progressively as its output signal increases. The active mode works the same, but also engages an adjustable gain boost and the Pure Tone buffer circuit.
The pedal operates with a very smooth taper that’s great for volume swells or quick, accurate volume adjustment. The LED scale indicator is a fantastic aid for consistently producing the same output. Like most wahs, you must remove the bottom of the pedal to get to the battery compartment, and to switch from active to passive. The unit can also be powered by 9-volt DC power.
Visual Sound’s new V2 Series pedals are solid performers, and the Visual Volume is one of the most useful and innovative volume pedals on the market.
visual sound V2 Effects Price $$119.95 (Comp 66), $109.95 (Route 808), $139.95 (Visual Volume) Contact Visual Sound, 4922 Port Royal Road B1, Spring Hill, TN 37174; www.visualsound.net.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s Mar 2009 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
