Month: January 2013

  • Sculpture Honors Carlos Santana, PRS Guitars

    Statue honors Carlos Santana, PRS Guitars.
    Carlos Santana (left) and Paul Smith with the Dale Evers statue in Las Vegas.

    A 13-foot steel, glass, and bronze sculpture of a PRS Santana signature guitar was unveiled this week in front of the House of Blues Las Vegas. The statue, entitled “Wings of Legend,”  was created by Dale Evers, who said it represents the tens of millions of guitars that have become an intrinsic part of American pop culture and pays homage to the artistry of Santana and his relationship with PRS.

    “The sculpture truly embodies the magnificence that is Carlos Santana,” he added.  “It is an understatement to say I am honored and greatly appreciative for this grand moment in my life.” Evers’ signature is characterized by his fusing of glass, bronze, and steel, and his commissions have led to permanent installations throughout the U.S. and Mexico.

    The unveiling ceremony included presentations by House of Blues CEO Ron Bension, Evers, Santana, and Paul Reed Smith, who donated six SE guitars in Santana’s name to the International House of Blues Foundation, in support of their Action for the Arts music program, which supports youth music and arts programs. For more, visit actionforthearts.org and ihobf.org.

  • PRS Intros 2-Channel Custom Amps, Brent Mason Guitar, More

    PRS 2 Channel Custom amp, Brent Mason signature, Paul's Guitar/MDT amp.
    PRS 2 Channel Custom amp

    PRS’ 2-Channel Custom amplifiers use 6L6 tubes and have global reverb, with controls for Volume, Master Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass along with a Bright switch for each channel, multi-tap speaker out, two output jacks, fixed bias, effects loop and a three-button LED footswitch. It is available as a 50-watt head, 100-watt head, or a 50-watt 1×12 closed-back combo.

    PRS Brent Mason guitar
    PRS Brent Mason guitar

    The Brent Mason signature guitar has a Korina body, maple neck, 25 ¼” scale, and uses specially-wound 408 treble and bass pickups with a 305 pickup in the middle position, paired with a five-way blade switch.

    PRS Paul's Guitar
    PRS Paul’s Guitar

    The Paul’s Guitar and Paul’s MDT amplifier are designed to Paul Smith’s specs and match his personal gear. The guitar is based on the Modern Eagle, with “brushstroke” bird inlays and two 408 pickups. The single-channel Paul’s MDT amp uses a Cinemag transformer and adds controls for Midrange and Presence controls, as well as a Clean/Dirty switch. Learn more at prsguitars.com.

  • Gibbons and The Moving Sidewalks to Play Cavestomp Festival

    Gibbons, Moving Sidewalks to headline Cavestomp festival in NYC.The Moving Sidewalks, featuring Billy Gibbons, will headline the forthcoming Cavestomp – The Garage Rock Festacular, March 30 at B.B. King’s Blues Club and Grill, in New York City. For more, go to bbkingblues.com.

  • Iggy and The Stooges

    Iggy and The Stooges

    In 1973, the Stooges were newly reformed yet seemingly on their last legs. Their early attempts at Raw Power, their third and last album before breaking up again, were rejected by management, although tracks surfaced on subsequent bootlegs.

    James Osterberg, better known as Iggy Pop, enjoyed a successful solo career, especially in Europe, before the band reunited in 2003. By this time, original bassist Dave Alexander was long since dead, and, having quit, been replaced, and rejoined at the time of the Raw Power sessions, original guitarist Ron Asheton was relegated to bass. He was replaced by Power’s equally primordial James Williamson on lead, while younger brother Scott Asheton held down drumming chores.

    Sadly, the elder Asheton died of a heart attack a year before the latest edition of the Stooges (with Iggy and Scott the only remaining originals) recorded a live performance of the entire Raw Power album at the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival at Kutsher’s Country Club (Monticello, New York) on September 3, 2010.

    MVD’s vinyl-only release of the show proves the staying power of both the band and album. The sequence may be jumbled (the title track now opens the show), but all eight songs are here. The addition of “I Got A Right” is apropos, since it was coupled with “Gimme Some Skin” on the aforementioned boot singles.

    Williamson’s crunching, ripping guitar is onboard, with Mike Watt on drums and Steve Mackay on sax. With 63-year-old Iggy leading the way, the quintet sounds like a force of nature – think earthquake, tsunami, volcano – more than validating the underrated instrumentalists as, in their leader’s words, “a crack band in a class of our own.”

    This article originally appeared in VG‘s July ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • MXR Introduces Bass Chorus Deluxe

    MXR introduces M83 Bass Chorus Deluxe.MXR Bass Chorus Deluxe is powered by analog bucket-brigade technology and has top-mounted Flanger and X-Over buttons with LED status indicators. In X-Over Mode, modulation in low frequencies is decreased. Its Bass and Treble controls cut or boost lows and highs, while its Stereo Hardwire Bypass Mode can be used with a Y-splitter cable to send the effect signal to two amplifiers, allowing the modulation to move left to right. Get more info at JimDunlop.com.

  • Julian Lage

    Julian Lage

    After appearing on record with David Grisman and Martin Taylor and having a documentary short about yourself nominated for an Oscar, all before turning 13, what do you do for a second act? If you’re Julian Lage, you record with vibes icon Gary Burton, jazz-piano phenom Taylor Eigsti, and others, and release your solo debut.

    Sounding Point, from 2009, showcased Lage in a variety of ensemble settings. Straddling jazz and Americana with the help of mandolinist Chris Thile, banjo great Bela Fleck, and Eigsti, it earned Lage a Grammy nomination right out of the box.

    So his sophomore effort is, in essence, his third act. Here, he retains his core backing quartet – cellist Aristides Rivas, percussionist Tupac Mantilla, and bassist Jorge Roeder, with Dan Blake replacing Ben Roseth on sax. But the backing unit’s size and configuration change for various cuts, and Lage goes it alone (both solo and in multi-tracked acoustic guitar trios) on five of the album’s dozen tunes.

    Of the latter variety, he lends spontaneity and thorough understanding to an energetic-but-intimate take on the standard “Autumn Leaves,” while “Freight Train” ricochets from a BillFrisell-like arrangement of the folk song to a single-note classical tangent and even a raga/flamenco burst.

    Lage, a student of the Alexander Technique (to improve freedom of movement, balance, and coordination), calls the three triple-tracked pieces studies in the relationship between kinesthetic awareness and improvisation. They are also interesting examples of interplay (even with one’s self) and the variety of tones that can be extracted from the same 1926 Martin OO-28.

    Elsewhere, “Iowa Taken” hints at Will Ackerman new-age (albeit channeled through Pat Metheny), while “Telegram” cooks like a runaway locomotive – crashing at the song’s (and CD’s) end. At 23, Lage is already impossible to pigeonhole.

    This article originally appeared in VG‘s July ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • Burriss Amps Intros Dirty Red v2

    Burriss Amps offers Dirty Red v2.Burriss Amps’ Dirty Red v2 maintains the qualities of the original, but adds the Burriss Power Loop Pedal, which provides control over outboard effects and provides front-of-stage power. It has EQ, Power Loop, Master Volume, and multi-tap outputs. Check it out at burrissamps.com.

  • Höfner Gold Label Guitars/Basses

    Hofner offers Gold Label line.Höfner Gold Label guitars and basses are made from company’s air-dried wood. Most are descendants of models conceived by Walter Höfner in the 1950s, but with new colors, individual finishes, and specially chosen components. Learn more at hofner-guitars.com.

  • Pete Anderson to Appear at NAMM With Fargen Amps

    Pete Anderson set to appear at Fargen Amps booth at NAMM.Multi-platinum and Grammy-winning producer, artist and writer Pete Anderson will appear with Fargen Amplification at the upcoming NAMM show in Anaheim.  Anderson will demonstrate the Tumbleweed pedal, first product in his signature line of amps and pedals, January 25 and 26 at 1 p.m. both days. Anderson recently wrapped a U.S. tour to promote his latest album, Even Things Up, and is working on an album to be released in the spring.

  • Chandler Limited Offers GAV19T

    Chandler Limited offers GAV19T.Chandler Limited’s GAV19T is a cathode-biased/class A, 19-watt guitar amp offered with a selection of loudspeaker enclosures. It incorporates overdrive and tone circuitry directly within the power section, which enables it to be overdriven while still maintaining its true tone. The Drive portion is a boost / overdrive circuit that works on the power section instead of the preamp and has controls for Boost and Tone for the boost. The amp’s tone controls include Treble Boost, Full range, Aggressive, and Mids. Learn more at chandlerlimited.com.