Fix Pedalboards’ new MicroFix pedalboard is designed to hold three standard-sized pedals on its 6″ x 12″ footprint. The MiniFix has a slightly larger 6″ x 20″ footprint with space for five standard pedals. Fix Pedalboards are made in the U.S. using aerospace aluminum and are unconditionally guaranteed for life. For more, visit www.fixpedalboards.com.
Month: December 2013
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Fix Pedalboards Offers Mini, Micro Boards
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Billy Gibbons
Photos: Lisa Sharken. Before ZZ Top, Billy Gibbons launched his career as guitarist and front man with a Texas-based group called the Moving Sidewalks. The band also included bassist Don Summers, keyboardist Tom Moore, and drummer Dan Mitchell. The group’s sound was brewed from a mix of blues and early California psychedelia, sprinkled with the influence of Jimi Hendrix and Austin’s 13th Floor Elevators.
In 1967, the Moving Sidewalks scored a number one hit on local Texas radio with “99th Floor,” which helped them land opening slots for the Jeff Beck Group, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors. The group was on its way to breaking and recorded a full-length album called Flash, which was scheduled for release in the summer of 1969. However, just as the album was set to debut, Moore and Summers were drafted and things came to an abrupt end for the band. The four have remained friends for nearly five decades.
Moving Sidewalks – The Complete Collection was recently released by Rockbeat Records and includes the group’s seminal tracks. From the first few notes, it offers the unmistakable sound of Gibbons’ guitar and the cool tunes of a band that was clearly a precursor to ZZ Top.
It’s been 44 years since the Moving Sidewalks played its last gig, and after heavy rehearsing without the Reverend followed by several full rehearsals, the band celebrated its history and resurrected album release with a reunion show on March 30, playing to a capacity crowd at B.B. King’s Blues Club in New York City.
Guitars and basses for the gig were custom-made by John Bolin, and designed specifically for the reunion. All have hollowed ash bodies with Gibson-scale maple necks and are fitted with Gibbons’ signature Cream T Banger Series pickups, which are made in Norway. Gibbons’ main guitar has a humbucker with split polepieces. The pickup is wired straight to a single Bourns Volume pot. The bridge saddles for the guitars and basses were made by Glendale. All saddles are brass, but on Gibbons’ second guitar, the saddle for the E and A strings is titanium.
Each Bolin merges modern technology with ’60s pyschedelia via slots routed to accommodate an iPad Mini or iPod Touch. The iPod-equipped guitars were the first Bolin created for the group. When Apple introduced the iPad Mini, Gibbons commissioned new instruments to fit, and those became the main guitars for the Moving Sidewalks.
Gibbons created the “movie” played on each of the iPads during the band’s set, which is reminiscent of the light shows made famous by the Joshua Light Show and copied by other visual artists who carried on the tradition. Gibbons’ guitars are set up with super-low action and strung with his own super-light Rev. Willy Mexican Lottery Brand strings from Dunlop, which are .007, .009, .011, .020, .030, and .038. His picks are .051 super heavy.
All amps were prototypes of Gibbons’ new Magnatone Super Fifty Nine 2×12 combos, which are 45 watts with tremolo and reverb and powered by two EL34s. He uses Eminence Governor speakers for his live rig, but in the studio prefers Celestion Alnico Blues. Live with Moving Sidewalks, he plugged straight into the amp except when he ran through a Dunlop Jimi Hendrix 70th Anniversary Tribute Series Octavio for “Foxey Lady.”
Summers was playing through an identical Magnatone and had two Bolin-built basses that matched Gibbons’ guitars, including iPad/iPod accoutrements. He also used an custom-built Gibson Flying V bass with a set of EB-3-style pickups.
This article originally appeared in VG July 2013 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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Laurence Juber
The latest from Lawrence Juber will befuddle guitarists who struggle simply to work up solo versions of songs in standard tuning. Here, Juber has compiled 14 songs for solo guitar – some standards, some more current, and several originals – and plays them all in DADGAD tuning. And each and every one of them is a wonder. Juber uses all his weapons. He mixes bass notes with melody flawlessly, throws in chords to keep things moving, and even on several cuts uses the guitar’s body as a percussion instrument. There’s a laidback feel to tracks like “Cry Me A River” and his original title cut. He makes the oft-recorded “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” sound like it was written for just this kind of treatment.
On “Runaway,” he takes the familiar descending chord pattern and turns it into an acoustic masterpiece. He even cops the keyboard part that propels the Del Shannon original.
Juber draws every bit of emotion out of several classics. “Autumn Leaves” gets a moody treatment and his playing on “Smile” is every bit as lovely and poignant as the lyrics.
As always, Juber shows here he’s much more than just a former guitarist in Wings.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s November. ’13 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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Majik Box Releases Bipolar Fuzz
The Majik Box Bipolar Fuzz is a dual-mode fuzz pedal with two discrete circuits that produce sounds ranging from the company’s representation of classic fuzz to extreme fuzz. Hand-wired in California, it offers true-bypass operation and its two sides can be used individually or together for a third tone. Its Lo-Fi switch creates additional “sputtering” and “burping.” Lean more at www.majikboxusa.com. -
JHS Upgrades Panther Cub Delay Pedal
JHS Pedals’ Panther Cub Delay is designed as an upgrade to the original Panther, packaged in an enclosure half the size of the original. It offers 1,000 milliseconds of delay, an all-analog signal path, eight 3208 delay chips, four-position Ratio control (1/4, 1/8, dotted 1/8, triplets), soft-touch tap-tempo switch, onboard modulation (speed/depth) that stays accurate even when using tap-tempo, an internal Roar switch for two modes of oscillation sensitivity, EFX Loop (via TRS splitter) that allows placement of any effect on repeats only, dry out (via TRS splitter) for stereo field of sound top-mounted input/output jacks, a true-speed LED, and more. It runs on 9-volt DC power. For more information, visit www.jhspedals.com. -
Michael Sweet
The yellow-and-black attack of the Christian-metal band Stryper has returned. The band’s new album, Second Coming, helps mark 30 years of preaching their metal gospel and selling more than 10 million albums worldwide. The band returns to the spotlight with a renewed sense of vigor and passion.
Second Coming is 16 tracks including re-recordings of 14 songs from the band’s catalog and two new songs. We sat with guitarist and front man Michael Sweet and learned that when it comes to guitar, he isn’t just some first-position strummer!
What have you been up to?
We just wrapped up re-recording classic Stryper songs and two new songs. It’s not a compilation or a best-of. It started as a way for us to retain the rights to a lot of our songs for film and TV. A lot of bands are doing that these days. We weren’t even going to release it – that wasn’t our original intent. But after hearing a lot of positive feedback from fans, we thought, “Why not release it.” We signed a deal with Frontier Records and they’re releasing it as well as an all-original album we’re starting on in April.It’s really an exciting time for us. It was fun re-recording these songs, and we didn’t really change them up too much. They’re in the original form as far as arrangements go, but obviously sound a little different. My voice is a little deeper and not as Mickey Mouse.
You recorded that material a long time ago. Can you still hit those high notes?
I’m trying (laughs)! They have a little different tone because my voice has changed a bit, but I don’t know that that’s necessarily a bad thing! I hope it’s a good thing. The songs are sung with a bit more of a masculine voice. I had a higher, thinner voice. Some people liked that back then, but today it’s a little richer, deeper, and has a little more balls to it. It was fun making the record. We’re excited.Were you tempted to change anything?
We pretty much stuck to the original arrangements and of course the signature Stryper guitar tone. The guitars are more in-your-face. We used a Boogie and an Orange Thunderverb 200. I did two tracks of rhythms, Oz Fox did two tracks of rhythms, and then we split up the solos. We did different endings to solos, but it’s pretty much the same.Which guitars did you use?
I used a Carvin replica of an old Randy Rhoads guitar I had. It had Seymour Duncan Blackout pickups. I also used a PRS Custom 24 with Blackout pickups, as well. A company called Overture is making me a signature model V copy. They make nice guitars and it has that old-school Stryper paint job, 24 frets, ebony neck, Bare Knuckle pickups, a Floyd Rose, and a titanium block. It’s really souped up.Over the last few years I’ve noticed more people coming up to me after shows and saying, “Wow, we never knew you played guitar!” It’s always incredibly bizarre to me, because I’m playing guitar in the videos and have been playing live for 30 years. It’s mindboggling, but I hear it still.
Why do you think people assume you’re a first-position strummer?
I think they just assume that because I’m the singer. It’s not the case. We were a trio for a number of years. I started playing guitar when I was five and started singing when I was 12. Guitar is my first instrument and I’ve always considered myself a guitarist first and a singer second. I’ve written a lot of the solos over the years. A lot of the time I’ll write out the solo, teach it to Oz, and he’ll learn the harmony to that solo. Songs like “Soldiers Under Command” or “Calling On You” were created that way.Has there been a change in your live sound?
I’m always trying new things and trying to improve my tone. When I travel with my own gear, it’s usually a Mesa Boogie Mark V through a couple of Mesa cabs. I also have two Splawn heads. On my pedalboard I have a Radial London Bones Distortion Pedal, which is their answer to a hot-rodded Marshall tone. I drive the front end of that with a parametric EQ, which is the Tech 21 Para Driver. That’s how we get that Stryper sound. It gives us that cocked wah, overdriven, notched-out sound. I’ve also got a Line 6 digital wireless, a delay pedal by Tech 21, the Tech 21 Boost Chorus, some Dunlop EQ pedals, and a ISP Decimator, which I love for noise reduction. I have a cool little pedal board and I love it. I like to get my tone and run with it. I don’t switch my sound live, ever. I don’t have my pedal board at my feet. I keep it up on an amp. I set my tone and that’s it for the whole show. I don’t have anything in my way.Stryper is a Christian band. Is your faith still strong?
Absolutely. It’s stronger than ever and we’ve never wavered. We’ve taken heat along the way, but it’s the foundation of who we are, and always will be. This is our place in this world. They’re aren’t a lot of bands doing that, but we are, and I think it’s needed. It’s needed for balance. This world is pretty messed up – it’s pretty dark – and we’re trying to shine a little light on the dark world. We’ve been doing it for 30 years strong.
This article originally appeared in VG July 2013 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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The Guild and Gibson Johnny Smith Models
The name “Johnny Smith” is synonymous with class, elegance, and style. Most guitar players are familiar, if not with the man or his music, certainly with the guitars that bear his name. The instruments reflect Smith’s unique approach to playing and jazz guitar, in particular – ultra-smooth and restrained, yet sophisticated. From the Gretsch Synchromatic 400 to the fabulous custom D’Angelico New Yorker to the Guild, Gibson, and Heritage models, Smith has been associated with beautifully designed top-of-the-line instruments.
The Guild and Gibson models that bear his name are a blend of function and style. They have a similar design and construction philosophy, including a single-cutaway body with a carved top and floating pickup(s) with controls mounted clear of the top, to increase sustain, projection, and response. Both were produced in limited numbers – fewer than 20 of the Guild were made in its three years of production.
The Guild shown here, from 1960, has an ornate headstock, stairstep pickguard, and a simple-yet-elegant tailpiece. Ironically, Smith never used one, due to a disagreement over the way the top was carved. The effort, however, wasn’t totally without reward for Guild, as it used the design to produce the Artist Award model.
The harp-shaped Guild tailpiece contrasts the plated Gibson with the engraved vertical name plate. The Gibson has a mini-humbucking pickup and the Guild features a DeArmond pickup; both float free of the top. In ’61, Smith became a Gibson endorser and, with Barney Kessel and Tal Farlow, helped form a lineup of jazz-guitar models made up of the L5, Super 400, ES-350, L-7, Byrdland, and ES-175. Together, they made Gibson the dominant manufacturer of jazz guitars in every price range. The Johnny Smith model was based largely on Smith’s D’Angelico New Yorker, with traditional Gibson styling and body specs requested by Smith – a 17” wide body with a slightly shallower body depth than the L-5 and Super 400, a 25″ scale, and a 20-fret neck. This guitar started as a single-pickup model but a double-pickup version was soon available. The ’61 you see here is noteworthy for its less-common natural finish.
If you ever have an opportunity to play a Johnny smith model, by all means do it, even if you’re not inclined towards jazz. A transformation may take place, much like what happens when you slip on a tuxedo. And have you ever seen anyone look bad in a tuxedo?
This article originally appeared in VG Classics #01 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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Pokey LaFarge
Pokey LaFarge’s retro vision – rooted in bluegrass, blues, jazz, jug band, pre-World War II country (especially Jimmie Rodgers) and ’30s Western swing – was gaining attention before he played mandolin on Jack White’s Blunderbuss album. The St. Louis-based LaFarge and His South City Three opened for White on his subsequent tour. Now he’s back with a third album, the first issued by White’s Third Man label. LaFarge’s sidemen – guitarist Adam Hoskins, bassist Joey Glynn, and harmonica player and percussionist Ryan Koenig – keep things acoustic, except for occasional flashes of amplified lead guitar and lap steel. The project was produced by Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor.
LaFarge’s raw, energetic vocals stand out on originals like the clever “City Summer Blues” and “Let’s Get Lost,” which blends a Rodgers feel with surrealistic lyrics. Hoskins offers solos both pithy and sharp, especially on “Bowlegged Woman.” While he gives the 1947 Bob Wills tune “The Devil Ain’t Lazy” a minor-key treatment, the original “Home Away From Home” memorializes early Louisville jug bands and local legend Clifford Hayes.
LaFarge, who plays a 1946 Epiphone Spartan onstage, avoids the self-conscious pretense that can sink retro-based acts. His strong personality and the loose, engaging feel, keep things listenable and thoroughly entertaining.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s December. ’13 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
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Electro-Harmonix Unveils Nano Big Muff Pi
Electro-Harmonix has released a Nano version of its Big Muff Pi distortion pedal. Designed to work and sound identical to the original and with the same control set, it is wired for true-bypass operation, can be used with a 9-volt battery or AC adapter, and is housed in the company’s compact Nano enclosure. Check it out at www.ehx.com. -
Alan Jackson
When Alan Jackson announced a bluegrass album produced by Alison Krauss in 2006, the result was Like Red On A Rose. On it, Jackson sang not straight-ahead bluegrass, but the sorts of dark – and sometimes pretentious – Americana ballads that are Krauss’ specialty. It was a rare miss for Jackson. Instead of earning usual Platinum status, the album received only a Gold Record.Fast forward seven years. With longtime producer Keith Stegall and Jackson’s nephew Adam Wright co-producing, Jackson now offers up straight, unadorned traditional bluegrass. The studio band behind him is A-list, built around guitarist Scott Coney, banjoist Sammy Shelor, Adam Steffey on mandolin, and Dobro player Rob Ickes.
Jackson, with typical earthy finesse, wrote eight of the 14 tunes. Three of the non-originals are especially interesting. He reprises John Anderson’s 1981 country hit “Wild And Blue” and the Dillards’ ballad “There Is A Time,” immortalized when they sang it on “The Andy Griffith Show” while portraying the backwoods Darling Family. Jackson offers bluegrass creator Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” in the waltz tempo of Monroe’s 1946 original.
There was never a question Jackson could handle bluegrass, and this time, he gets it right.
This article originally appeared in VG‘s January ’14 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
