More than 30 years into a wildly eclectic career (hey, the guy played with Poison and bass god Stanley Clarke), Richie Kotzen is no longer that pre-grunge shredder. With Nomad, he again proves himself a multifaceted, nuanced musician with chops and a killer voice – and also plays slammin’ drums on most cuts.
Kotzen’s musical foundation is heavily in the funk/soul realm, and that infuses many tracks here, including “Insomnia.” Behind the Philly Soul chorus there’s an insane jazz-rock solo – Kotzen is genuinely a funky, hard-rockin’, fusion-ready guitarist. Even so, this is only the tip of the iceberg. “Cheap Shots” could have been a Kiss anthem, deploying a hook-filled chorus and Ace Frehley-on-speed guitar solo. The title track has a slithering Lydian-mode theme, but also a dead-clean solo with sweeps and speedy runs, again revealing more versatility.
The best track is “Nihilist,” which is so harmonically sophisticated it’s hard to know where to begin. But again, it’s a mistake to paint Kotzen with a simple brush; he can jump from fusion and funk to tasty jazz, and shred on a dime. Without doubt, Nomad is an impressive offering. Underestimate Richie Kotzen at your own peril.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
“Hold it, fellas.” After languidly singing the first line of “Milk Cow Blues,” Elvis Presley halted the proceedings. “That don’t move me,” he exhorted his sidemen. “Let’s get real, real gone for a change.”
And get real gone he did. Elvis strumming his ’42 D-18, Scotty Moore on an ES-295, and upright bassist Bill Black kicked into a jumping tempo and cut the appropriately retitled “Milkcow Blues Boogie.” It’s been simplistically stated that combining blues and country music resulted in rock and roll and, at that 1954 session at Memphis’ Sun Studio, Presley gave a vivid demonstration.
“Milk Cow Blues” dates back to bottleneck-slide guitarist Kokomo Arnold’s 1934 recording, and was covered in ’41 by Western-swing bandleader Johnnie Lee Wills, then by the Texas Playboys (led by his brother, Bob). Presley’s version resembled those renditions lyrically and melodically, but the mood and effect were another world.
Elvis/Memphis collects all 111 recordings Presley made in his hometown, from the 1953 demos he cut at Memphis Recording Service (later Sun) to 16 tracks recorded at his Graceland mansion in ’76.
The tracks for Sam Phillips’ Sun Records are among the truly essential in rock history. Previous Sun artists included bluesmen Little Milton and Junior Parker, but Phillips was looking for “a white man who had the Negro sound and feel.” After the 18-year-old truck driver recorded four syrupy love songs for his mother, Sun’s secretary, Marion Keisker, urged Phillips to check him out. The producer then enlisted Moore and Black, and after various misfires, Elvis messed around with bluesman Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right.” It clicked.
The subsequent selections reveal Presley’s eclectic tastes and range as a vocalist, as well as the adaptability and seasoning of the older Moore and Black. There are covers of rhythm and blues (Roy Brown’s “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” Arthur Gunter’s “Baby, Let’s Play House”), country (“I Forgot To Remember To Forget You”), and ballads (Lonnie Johnson’s “Tomorrow Night,” the Bing Crosby hit, “Harbor Lights”). Even more radical than “Milkcow,” the flip side of “That’s All Right” took bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” from a slow waltz to a hopped-up 4/4.
Elvis didn’t record in Memphis again until 1969, at American Sound Studio, where Reggie Young played the arpeggiated intro on “Suspicious Minds” and tasteful fills on the Dallas Frazier/Arthur Owen country-soul classic “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road.” They played Hank Snow’s country classic “I’m Movin’ On” at a casual pace before John Hughey’s pedal-steel shifted things into high gear. Later that year, James Burton joined Elvis’ Las Vegas band after having played on Dale Hawkins’ “Susie Q,” being highly visible as Ricky Nelson’s sideman, and logging numerous sessions including for Buffalo Springfield, Judy Collins, and Merle Haggard.
At Stax Studio in ’73, Burton opened the sessions by ripping three gnarly choruses on “Promised Land” (with Per-Erik “Pete” Hallin on Clavinet) then adding Mu-tron phasing to understated bends on Danny O’Keefe’s “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues.” Norbert Putnam’s melodic bass established Tony Joe White’s “I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby.”
Disc 4 presents the entire 1974 “Homecoming Concert” in all its bombastic glory, from the “Also Sprach Zarathustra” intro (the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme) to the closing “Elvis has left the building” vamp. It’s a mix of rockers like Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman” and Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy,” country numbers like Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away,” a gospel section, and oldies medleys. When the singer pulls out Crudup’s “My Baby Left Me,” with Burton’s chicken pickin’ replacing Moore’s chords, he transports us back to ’56.
In ’76, Presley held sessions in Graceland’s den, famously known as the Jungle Room, with the road band’s Burton, bassist Jerry Scheff, and John Wilkinson on acoustic rhythm. His pseudo-operatic vocal on “Hurt” can’t match the emotion of Timi Yuro’s 1961 hit, while “Moody Blue” was his last Top 10 charter, albeit on Adult Contemporary. The grittier “Way Down” was recorded less than a year before his death at age 42.
The boxed set is replete with photos and liner notes by Memphis scholar Robert Gordon. With the exception of the Sun recordings, all tracks were newly mixed by Matt Ross-Spang, with overdubs stripped away.
There’s been a lot of revisionist history about the beginnings of rock and roll, written by people who didn’t experience it firsthand. Today, only those in their late 70s and 80s would have been consumers when Elvis hit the scene. He obviously didn’t invent rock and roll, but the effect he had was like nothing the Eisenhower generation had experienced. Remarkably, after signing with RCA, “All Shook Up” and “Jailhouse Rock” reached #1 on the Pop, Country, and R&B charts.
Without Elvis, would there have been Buddy Holly or Ricky Nelson? Would Chuck Berry and Fats Domino have crossed over to white audiences? Would the Beatles have existed as more than a skiffle group? Suffice to say, Elvis’ impact on music and culture was incalculable.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Billy Strings has travelled far from his days as bluegrass flatpicking prodigy, though that style remains a linchpin of his sound as he’s kept moving, developing greater depth and range.
Billy Strings Live, Volume 1
Strings’ ability to seamlessly move between acoustic Appalachian virtuosity and complex, extended amplified improvisations (on the same wired-up Preston Thompson D-BA) has broadened his already sizable audience. So have collaborations with Willie Nelson, Jake Shimabukuro, and other heavy hitters.
This collection of tunes, recorded at various shows, explores that range in stunning detail. The traditional side is well-represented on the ballad “Hellbender,” with the upbeat dope lament “Dust in a Baggie” showcasing his free-flowing flatpicking and unforced vocals. The jam tunes “Turmoil & Tinfoil,” “Highway Hypnosis,” and “Reuben’s Train” reveal his full range, launching in semi-bluegrass mode before striking into uncharted territory, then circling back.
On “Heartbeat of America,” the band – banjoist Billy Failing, mandolinist Jarrod Walker, fiddler Alex Hargreaves, and Royal Masat on upright bass – all shine before a fully amplified Strings launches into a solo heavy on Wes Montgomery-style octave work.
Bill Monroe and Doc Watson were innovators, but Strings is his own man. Yet on this remarkable collection, he and his musicians conjure their spirits. That’s no small feat.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
With a quick glance and a dash of judginess, Fender’s Blu DeTiger x Player Plus Jazz Bass looks like what you’d expect when a Gen Z TikTok influencer storms the design room. But boomer, check yourself! Because behind all that rizz is Fender’s first signature-model bass bearing the name of a female player, and it’s full of cool twists.
Yup, the unique Sky Burst Sparkle finish is flashy (esoteric?) and confident given the matching headstock, and the mirrored pickguard and chrome hardware speak to DeTiger’s status as a stage-obsessed rising pop-funk star (and EDM DJ). This bass, though, has go to match the show.
After donning sunglasses and grabbing hold, the DeTiger’s next twist becomes apparent in how it doesn’t feel so drawn to planet Earth. That’s because its ash body is chambered – a first for a Fender signature bass, making it noticeably lightweight. Also, near the bridge is a Player Plus Active Meteora Fireball humbucker (custom-tweaked per DeTiger) engaged with a mini-toggle tucked next to a stacked knob; the 18-volt Player Plus preamp offers +/- 18 db of bass and treble boost/cut, along with +/- 12 db using the bottom Midrange knob. Other controls are master Volume and a pan knob to blend the mid-mounted Player Plus Noiseless Jazz Bass pickup.
Strapped on, the DeTiger hangs like you’d expect, and there’s familiarity in the 34″ scale, vintage-tall frets, and 1.5″ nut. The neck shape is based on a ’61 Jazz, thanks to Blu (see our interview in “First Fret”) having sifted through the collection of Jerry Barnes to find a shape that was just right. Here, it gets a modern satin finish and 9.5″-radius rosewood fretboard.
We sorted the DeTiger’s sounds using two small, powered three-way PA tops and a 2×12 bass cab, the former flexing its midrange punch and snap, the latter letting it show off the full, round bottom of the Player Plus system. There’s a lot to like about not only how the bound neck plays, but how, even in passive mode, the array of tones one finds using just the pan pot make it fun to experiment.
Jumping to active mode brings the vivacity. Turning up the stacked knobs inspired a run at “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” where it deftly mimicked the trademark quack of Larry Graham’s popped notes. One might nitpick at how the mini-toggle is tucked so tightly between knobs, but in a live setting it’s unlikely you’d switch to passive mode.
No matter your style or sound, the DeTiger x Player Plus can provide anything from soft and mellow to punchy and aggressive, without breaking a sweat.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Harden Engineering is a small Chicago shop that specializes in hand-made instruments in a variety of shapes and sizes and aims to bring a custom approach at affordable prices. Its Muddy Waters model is a single-cutaway with a body made of paulownia. Let’s dig in.
The Muddy’s medium-C shaped neck is maple capped by a 14″-radius rosewood fretboard decorated with catseye inlays and 22 jumbo frets over a 25.5″ scale.
For electronics, look for two hand-wound Harden pickups. On the Muddy Waters, they’re single-coils, but the bridge slot can accommodate any standard-sized humbucker (including Harden’s own). Other details include a metal logo plate on the headstock, hand-etched metal armrest, and light relic’ing on the edges and back. The finish is called Distressed-Barn Brown.
Amped up, the Muddy Waters impressed right off the bat with a combination of its light body and quick feel thanks to the neck carve and setup. In a word, it was “lively,” with a bright persona emanating from the resonant paulownia and Harden single-coils. It’s certainly not a traditional Telecaster, owing to the uncommon body wood and custom pickups, but it’ll cover a lot of the same ground – rock, blues, country, and all combinations thereof. Clean, the Muddy Waters delivers lots of sparkle, while dirtied up, it cuts through a mix with its potent top end. No question, it likes to rock and roll.
Shipped with a hard case, the Muddy Waters is competitively priced and offers wicked custom touches in a guitar that looks old-school and plays like a modern plank should. There’s plenty of value here and it would behoove any guitarist to check out Harden as an alternative to the tried-and-true solidbodies on the market.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Classic guitar amplifiers have made certain vacuum tubes household names (among gearheads) – 12AX7, 12AT7, 6L6, 6V6, EL84, and EL34. Working with various combinations of them along with carefully selected transformers and filter capacitors, amp builders tailor their creations to stand apart from the crowd. When Joe Walsh called Mike Zaite to discuss a custom build, he was intrigued by the twists suggested by the reticent guitar hero. The result is their fourth collaboration, the Dr Z Octal Six.
Using 6SL7 and 6SN7 “octal” (eight-pin base) tubes that were commonly employed to power the amplifiers/speakers in old home-movie projectors (which have lately become the subject of trendy conversions to guitar amps) combined with a pair of 7591 power tubes, the Octal Six has two input jacks, controls for Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, and Master volume. An effects loop is accessed via the back panel.
With a Les Paul and Telecaster going to Input I, clean tones through the Octal Six rang with warmth and clarity dressed by a touch of chime. Rolling up the Volume control added a healthy dose of gain, sustain, and crunch; notes thickened and compressed, yet low-end stayed tight while mids were clear and articulate. With the Master and Volume running full up, the amp exuded rich harmonic sustain with a singing voice that was simply captivating. It also cleaned up nicely when rolling off the guitar’s Volume knob.
Input II was darker with less gain and presence, lending the sound even more character. Warm, melodic tones were coaxed with the Les Paul using the neck pickup, while the bridge delivered excellent classic-rock sound. No matter what it was offered, the custom-voiced Warehouse G12S/C speaker stayed warm, musical, and incredibly punchy, with a percussive response that made palm mutes and funky grooves particularly fun to play, especially with the Tele. The amp’s responsive EQ allowed dialing-in everything from warm and smooth to bright and crunchy without degradation of natural character.
The Octal Six is a remarkable amplifier offering exceptional tone, feel, and versatility. Its design is a great blend of vision and creativity, and its execution is veritably flawless. Any player looking for a cool twist on their tone in a user-friendly package can confidently add it to their list.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
These days, there’s a litany of “glitch” pedals on the market – boxes that deconstruct guitar signal into 8-bit bleeps and lo-fi bloops. Chase Bliss’ entry is the Onward.
Unlike similar pedals, the Onward is remarkably accessible; just plug in and start twiddling knobs; Mix blends natural guitar tone with effect, while Octave adds synth-like high or low notes. Error is glitch central, and the coininciding Type switch chooses desired error. The Glitch footswitch activates the effect, while Freeze sustains the sound indefinitely. Add the highly useful, graphic manual – a rarity – and the Onward becomes a brilliant workstation for jamming or desktop recording.
What does it sound like? The box can evoke ambient sounds, synth textures, spacey harps, and robotic bleeping. If the top controls aren’t enough, 16 DIP switches in the back add pinpoint tweaking. Also, hold both footswitches down to activate Hidden Options – another level of Chase Bliss madness.
In basic terms, the Onward is a “dynamic sampler,” but more critically, it’s a musical effect that’s perfect for conjuring guitarscapes. It may not be for straight-up rock and roll, but if you dig sounds a la Radiohead or Townshend’s synthesizer on Who’s Next, it can deliver.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Getting one’s hands on a five-string electric like the one Ted Newman Jones built for Keith Richards in the ’70s is a rare treat. Thanks to a partnership with the U.K.-based Cream T Custom Shop, adventurous players can now explore the road less traveled, as Keith has – that is, on an instrument built for open-G tuning.
Open G (G D G B D, low to high) is, technically, a banjo tuning, and isn’t mandatory on the Newman. But once you wrap your head around it, you see why Keef said it unlocks “incredible resonations and ringing tones and drone notes.” Cream T’s custom pickups capture those airy resonances in Tele-like tones, with a crisp midrange voicing in middle position, notes that bloom in neck position, and a bridge pickup that delivers chords with a taut punch. And yet they are humbuckers, so you get the tight-and-bright Tele tang minus the harshness and hum.
Newman’s signature offset body, spec’d at under six pounds, has a deep cutaway that puts within easy reach every viable position of the guitar’s 24 frets. The maple neck, with its satin finish and rosewood fretboard, is pretty dreamy, as well. The absence of a sixth string enables both a narrower nut and wider string spacing, and the carve is thick like a C shape but subtly flattened on top and bottom, like a D. The flatter edges also help the Newman tolerate a capo without blowing the intonation, which is unusual for electrics and useful for open-tuned playing. Aesthetically, it’s handsomely understated, stand-out features being the distinct body shape, a nicely machined string-through bridge, and clean woodgrain lines under a Burnt Caramel finish.
Keith is right that a five-string guitar in banjo tuning opens new paths because “in a way, you’re given another instrument to play and figure out.” But frankly, we’d think twice before handing this uncommon beauty over to him in one of his biker jackets. Too many zippers.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Warren Haynes’ first solo record in nearly a decade brings themes of optimism, uplift, and hope with Haynes at the top of his artistic game, performing with a stellar ensemble. Guests include the incredible Derek Trucks and John Medeski, but the songs are the stars of Million Voices Whisper.
Keyboardist John Medeski and you share a melodic chemistry on the new album.
We’ve known each other for decades. The first time I sat in with Medeski, Martin & Wood was about 30 years ago, but for the last four or five years we’ve been playing together a lot, especially on The Last Waltz tours. We spent a lot of time on the bus, talking about things we could do.
I was really excited that John was able to be a part of this record. His personality is very much felt, as is everyone’s. This was the first time the four of us – myself, Kevin Scott, Terrence Higgins, and John – played together. I’d played with Terrence, I’d played with Kevin, and I’d played with John, and we all knew it was going to be cool, but once we got into the studio, it exceeded our expectations. The chemistry quickly turned into this cool band where everybody’s personality was ever-present, but here was also a group personality. That’s what you strive and hope for, and was the case from the beginning. I’m very happy about that.
Having Derek Trucks weave in and out is the icing on the cake.
I was really glad that Derek was able to be a part of it, as well.
Why another solo record?
It’s been over nine years since my last solo record, so I think it was overdue. Usually, the impetus for a solo record for me is if I’m writing a bunch of songs that seem to fit together but don’t seem like Gov’t Mule songs. Most of these songs are new within the last two or three years, but a couple go back to the Covid lockdown, so that’s when the process started. I was writing so much during that time, but most of those turned out to be Gov’t Mule songs. A couple that appear here, like “From Here On Out” and “Day of Reckoning,” go that far back. The rest of the stuff is virtually brand new.
How did the record come together thematically?
It changed shape as we were making it because I went in thinking most of the songs were taking on a Muscle Shoals vibe that was somewhere between Man in Motion and Ashes & Dust. The more I continued writing, the more the soul side seemed to prevail, and it wound up going in that direction, which was cool. There’s a jazz and funk influence, but I like the fact that all the songs are different but feel connected.
It seems to have come together organically rather than you imposing a concept.
I went in with some sort of vision of how it was going to sound. Some songs matched that vision, and some changed drastically – rightly so. I love opening the music to wherever it’s going to go in the studio. Especially when working with wonderful musicians, it’s always best to see everybody’s interpretation of something before you lay out your own vision of it. In a lot of cases, being open to where the songs went caused them to change complexion a little bit. We were taking it where the moment led.
And lyrically?
Most of the songs are tied together, lyrically, by this overview of pursuing the future through a lens of positivity. It’s embracing the things in life that are most important.
Have you picked up any new guitars?
I got this new Paul Reed Smith prototype I’ve been playing for about a week. It’s very interesting. I’m also working on a few prototypes with Gibson; we’re working on a signature Les Paul with P-90 pickups and a signature Firebird with three P-90s. Both are a little different for me. I’m more accustomed to humbuckers, but I love the way P-90s sound, so I’m also pursuing that a little more these days.
What’s happening next at your day job?
2025 is Gov’t Mule’s 30th anniversary. We’ll be playing a lot of cool stuff on stage and releasing recordings from the vault. We’ve been looking at all this unreleased studio and live stuff. Next year is going to be really exciting.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
Season 03 Episode 05 In Episode 3.5 of “Buy That Guitar,” host Ram Tuli is joined by Tony Nagy, manager of the repair shop at Gruhn Guitars. Vintage instruments, prized for their unique sound and craftsmanship, require specific repairs due to age, wear, and construction. Tony and Ram discuss maintenance considered essential to keep Golden Era instruments sounding and playing their best.
Please feel free to reach out to Ram at Ram@VintageGuitar.com with any questions or comments you may have.
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Vintage Guitar magazine presents Buy That Guitar, a new podcast hosted by Ram Tuli, co-author of The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide. The show explores the joy of buying, selling, and collecting vintage and new guitars, Custom Shop guitars, amplifiers, and other instruments and gear. Join Ram and his guests for a new episode every Tuesday.
In Episode 3.5 of “Buy That Guitar,” host Ram Tuli is joined by Tony Nagy, manager of the repair shop at Gruhn Guitars. Vintage instruments, prized for their unique sound and craftsmanship, require specific repairs due to age, wear, and construction. Tony and Ram discuss maintenance considered essential to keep Golden Era instruments sounding and playing their best.
Vintage Guitar magazine presents Buy That Guitar, a new podcast hosted by Ram Tuli, co-author of The Official Vintage Guitar Price Guide. The show explores the joy of buying, selling, and collecting vintage and new guitars, Custom Shop guitars, amplifiers, and other instruments and gear. Join Ram and his guests for a new episode every Tuesday.