TUNING UP
Do You Get it?
Here’s a
question for
you: at what
point does
being consistently different mean
that you’ve
established a
norm? Think
about those
artists who
are always reinventing themselves, or gear
manufacturers who are constantly coming
up with stuff straight outta left field. Isn’t
there a point when you “get” who they are
and anticipate some kind of parameter for
what’s to be expected?
our favorite gear. There’s just so much of
it out there, and we, ever the tone nerds,
refuse to cram their qualities into a limited
range of appreciation. Throughout the year
we’ve been blown away by 40 pieces of
gear that have been appropriately awarded, and now we’re parading them for all to
see once again and recognizing them for
their specific ability to meet a tonal need.
Speaking of challenges, the man who studied one of the most diverse catalogues in
existence sits down with us for a “Frank”
discussion about learning those brilliantly
mad Zappa sounds and then taking them
on the road. Son Dweezil has plenty to
share about his gear and some big projects
that you’ll be hearing a lot about.
In case you’re new to PG, here’s how our
columns work: we utilize many industry
gurus as columnists because, well, no one
knows gear better than they do. We keep it
clean by paying our columnists, disclosing
their associations and asking them to share
general gear knowledge rather than shamelessly pimp their own stuff. We also rotate
many columnists in an effort to bring you
more perspectives.
We feel like we’re reaching that point
at Premier Guitar. We enjoy pressing the
element-of-surprise button often—just
consider our range of cover stories in 2009:
hot-rodded superstrats, a state-of-the-art
studio, a classic Marshall amp and some
noteworthy replicas, an Australian acoustic,
Steve Vai’s Evo and Flow, a ‘burst, a ‘50s
P-Bass, a pile of new pedals. It’s probably
clear what we’re up to by now. Simply put,
we’re tone nerds. Great tone is something
to be appreciated, studied and pursued
relentlessly through emulation, experimentation and, unfortunately, frustration.
Probably in that order, too. Luckily, this
journey involves plenty o’ surprises that
keep things interesting and challenging.
Here’s a special bonus tip for you this
month: be sure to leave this issue out on
the coffee table, open to page 134 so your
significant other can see it. That’s the story
about Jim Smith Sr., a gearhead who has
over 500 Washburns. The next time you’re
accused of buying too much gear just point
to ol’ Jim. “See, honey it’s not that bad. I
could be like that guy.”
Also this month, we talk about the growing
problem of counterfeit gear. Yes, most of it
is junk, but surely you’ve heard that some
of it is apparently well made. Frequent contributor Bob Cianci investigates and then
proceeds to wrestle this moral dilemma to
the ground. New to the columnist fold this
month are Jared Scharff and Dr. Decibel.
Scharff is stepping into a multi-month rotation with his friend, long-time PG columnist
Peter Stroud. After years of giving PG
readers Tone Tips from the Road, Stroud
is going to take a breather and recharge a
bit. Scharff’s resume includes A-list sideman
work on the stage and in the studio, not to
mention one of the most visible gigs in the
country—he’s the guitarist for the Saturday
Night Live band. Dr. Decibel is the “public
face” of the Celestion development team
and will be rotating with other writers in
our Speaker Tone Center column space.
When it comes to tone, there is no greater
challenge than the process of rewarding
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8 PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2009
Other goodies in this issue include our
coverage of the L.A. Amp Show and
Experience PRS 2009. We also hang out
with consummate tonehound Bo Ramsey
and review an impressive collection of new
gear from manufacturers like Blackstar,
Blankenship, Marshall and others.
It’s a lot to throw at you. We know. We get it.
So do you.
Cheers,
Joe Coffey, Editorial Director
joe@premierguitar.com 319.447.5550
PREMIERGUITAR.COM
MAY 2009
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The J TM45
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