FEATURES
87
Primus’ Les Claypool onstage with his new Pachyderm
4-string prototype built by Dan Maloney. Photo by Josh Keppel
87
Primus
Primus’ Les Claypool and Ler LaLonde reveal how friendship and
new tone toys helped them resurrect the most bizarre power trio
of the last 25 years.
135 B.C. Rich
How a small retail shop in L.A. morphed into becoming
a builder of the most radical designs of the 1970s and ’80s
—and then managed to redefine Reagan-era metal guitar.
99
Builder Profile: Gene Baker
and Premier Builders Guild
Master builder and chief engineer Gene Baker has been around
and then some—from studying at GIT to working for Gibson
and the Fender Custom Shop to having his own prestigious shop
torpedoed by unscrupulous lenders to heading up one of the guitar industry’s most intriguing gear onsortiums.
109 Avant Guitar 101: Alternate Attacks
Five of the freakiest, most out-there experimental guitar
pioneers talk about wielding bizarre implements—everything
from chopsticks to electric fans—in a tireless quest to discover
new modes of 6-string expression.
125 Matt Palmer
Jaw-dropping classical guitarist Matt Palmer reveals how his love
of ’80s shredders like Yngwie Malmsteen and an unwanted gift
from his mother inspired him to turbocharge the “Classical Gas”
mentality of yore and create his own mind-bogglingly fast nylon-string picking technique.
144 Dream Theater
Dream Theater’s twin shred deities—guitarist John Petrucci and
bassist John Myung—discuss the hoopla over founding drummer
Mike Portnoy’s departure, their tendon-thrashing hand workouts,
and the recording of their latest epic, A Dramatic Turn of Events.
154 Line 6 POD HD
158 Collings 290 DC S
161 Blackstar HT-5R
164 Dingwall Guitars Z3 5-String
168 Yamaha A-Series A3M
171 DV Mark DV40 212
175 MXR M87 Bass Compressor
179 Hughes & Kettner TubeMeister 18
183 Amptweaker TightMetal
186 Gretsch G6128T-GH Duo Jet
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