Month: June 2013

  • BearFoot FX Offers Pink Purple, Candy Apple Fuzz

    BearFoot effectsDesigned in Sweden by Bjorn Juhl, the latest offering by BearFoot FX includes the Pink Purple, a true-bypass hybrid with controls for Volume, Fuzz, and a non-standard EQ knob that adjusts bass and treble is various ways, and the Candy Apple Fuzz, which has controls for Volume and Fuzz along with a treble roll-off that helps it mesh with any rig. It adds a Nature control, which changes the fuzz from octaves to grind to a smooth sustain. Both have LEDs to indicate when they’re activated. For more, visit BearFootFX.com.

  • Bare Knuckle Offers 10th Anniversary Humbuckers

    Bare Knuckle 10th Anniversary humbucker.Bare Knuckle Pickups is marking its 10th anniversary with a limited run of pickups based on a pair of vintage-style humbuckers wound by company founder Tim Mills for one of his personal guitars. Mills winds each Anniversary pickup with 42-gauge plain-enamel wire, keeping the wind asymmetrical between the coils, which use aged, rough-cast Alnico II magnets. Bridge and neck units are wound for balanced output. The sets are available in a range of cover finishes etched with the anniversary artwork, and each set has a certificate of authenticity signed and numbered by Mills. Learn more at www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk.

  • Mojo Monkeys

    Mojo Monkeys

    Mojo Monkeys is guitarist Billy Watts, bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and drummer David Raven. All three sing, and Blessings & Curses shows them mining a swampy rock feel that sometimes crosses into country. The lyrics can be funny and/or poignant, but they’re always interesting, as is the playing.

    Watts’ guitar usually forms the bed, as on the swampy funk of “Beating Dead Horses.” His work isn’t fancy, but it’s solid and sticks in your head. His soloing on “Californialabama” matches the lyric with a country feel, but, like many of the songs here, takes a surprising turn when his chicken pickin’ ends with a dive bomb a la Eddie Van Halen. Watts supplies appropriately spooky acoustic slide to the Tom Waits esque “Monkeythumb,” and gets slinky on the funky “Dirty Money,” where the groove is pushed along with octaves, chords, and singleline work. He shows his country-blues chops on “Baton Rouge,” with its repeating acoustic line and soaring slide guitar.

    Rock-and-roll bands like the Mojo Monkeys are few and far between these days – versatile, soulful, and clever, both musically and lyrically.

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

  • Godlyke Offers Maxon AD10, ASC10

    Maxon AD10
    Maxon AD10

    Godlyke’s new Maxon AD10 Analog Delay offers 600-millisecond of delay with controls for Delay Time, Blend, and Repeat. It has a proprietary noise-filtering circuit for its delay repeats and is capable of self-oscillation effects. The ASC10 Ambient Stereo Chorus also uses an analog circuit and produces stereo split sounds, with controls for Rate and Depth.

    MAXON ASC10
    Maxon ASC10

    Both are housed in Maxon’s new Compact Series chassis and have easy-access battery door, LED status indicator, 9-volt battery or AC power options, and buffered-bypass switching. Learn more at www.maxonfx.com.

  • “The Rickenbacker Electric Bass” Offers In-Depth Study

    Hal Leonard Rick bookThe Rickenbacker Electric Bass – 50 Years as Rock’s Bottom traces the history of the iconic Rick bass, from its prototypes through its popularity in bands such as the Beatles, Yes, Deep Purple, and Motörhead. 128 pages and illustrated with archival photographs, fans of rock and rock bassists, in particular, will appreciate the efforts of author Paul D Boyer. After serving 24 years as Senior Editor for FineScale Modeler magazine, Boyer retired and in 2006 began work on this book. Learn more at www.halleonardbooks.com.

  • AC/DC

    AC/DC

    AC DCWhile most bands feel the need to evolve, jump on trends, or go to Africa and hire a rhythm section, AC/DC sticks to one simple principle: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” They’ve stuck to their guns and continue to do what they’ve done best since the 1970s – rock their audiences into sweltering frenzy. With a simple blues-based songwriting formula that has remained intact since their inception, the band continues to deliver its dirty brand of rock and roll without apologies.

    AC/DC Live At River Plate is the audio version of the DVD and Blu-Ray 2011 release of their Black Ice World Tour in 2009. Recorded in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the band rocks hard in front of 200,000 screaming fans in a jam-packed soccer stadium. The album comes with a two-disc CD or a three-disc red vinyl package, featuring multiple album covers, and a 24-page booklet.

    Drummer Phil Rudd, bassist Cliff Williams, Brian Johnson on lead vocals, Malcolm Young on rhythm guitar, and spastic schoolboy Angus Young on lead guitar, bring their A game. It’s a fiery performance that whips the Argentinian audience into chanting, sing-a-longs, and mayhem. It’s 19 tracks of classics, deep cuts, and new tunes that seamlessly blends Johnson’s whiskey-soaked rasp, a tireless rhythm section, and that patented killer vibrato from Young that launched a million guitarists. The sound quality is excellent.

    The band is relentless as it blasts its way through “TNT” and “Thunderstruck,” while “You Shook Me All Night Long,” “Back In Black,” and “Highway To Hell,” sends the audience over the top. New tunes like “Big Jack,” “War Machine,” and “Rock N Roll Train” fit seamlessly, making this an extraordinary package for those about to rock.

    This article originally appeared in VG‘s Feb. ’13 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

  • Levy’s Introduces Printed Classical Guitar Straps

    Levy's Leathers Printed Classical strap
    The Levy’s Leathers MP20 strap is available in 10 original designs.

    Levy’s Leathers’ new printed classical guitar straps are designed for guitars (and ukuleles) without strap pins. Each 1″ wide sublimation-printed polyester strap has a plastic soundhole hook and tri-glide adjustments. Check them out at levysleathers.com.

  • Fogerty to Perform on Leno

    Fogerty to perform on Leno tonight.John Fogerty will appear this evening on NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” performing his new single, “Mystic Highway.” The song is from his latest album, Wrote a Song For Everyone, which entered the Billboard album chart at #3 and marks theRock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s highest-debuting album of his career (including Creedence Clearwater Revival releases). Read more at johnfogerty.com.

  • Stanley Slates Final Tour

    Ralph Stanley slates final tour
    Photo: Will McIntire.

    Ralph Stanley, the revered country and bluegrass singer, will begin his final tour later this year. Slated to run from October, 2013, through December, 2014, the Man of Constant Sorrow Tour: The Dr.’s Farewell will include more than 80 performances accompanied by his band, the Clinch Mountain Boys. Various country and bluegrass artists will appear as supporting acts.

    Stanley,  a member of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, has won three Grammy awards (including one for best male country vocalist) and was the distinctive sound behind the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack album, which sold seven million copies. He also mentored the careers of Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Larry Sparks, and Charlie Sizemore, among others. For more, go to drralphstanleymusic.com.

  • Great American Guitar Show – Summer Philly 2013 – All photos courtesy Tom Dubas, We Buy Guitars