An Old Friend Returns

My first real guitar was a 1992 Gibson Les Paul Studio. I had convinced my mom to buy it for me for a Christmas present since she had bought my brother a saxophone. He had told her he could play the sax because it is so close to the clarinet (which he could play) and that it just made sense. He really wanted to play the sax.

Mom bought him a beautiful one too.

I told my mom that I had been playing guitar for a few months now and I'm pretty passionate about it but since I wasn't in the school band and had shown no real dedication to it (since I didn't live with her she couldn't see the daily routine of playing) she said no. It was my dad who convinced her that I was pretty dedicated to the guitar.

And there just HAPPENED to be a guitar of dreams at the local pawn shop.

The Les Paul had it's headstock snapped at one point and the crack was visible but repaired.

The thing that drew me to the guitar besides the fact that this is what the pros played was the fact that whenever I picked it up, tons of ideas for riffs and songs spewed out of me. It was awesome.

To this day, eleven years later it still fits me like a glove.

I'm getting ahead of myself though. I had sold it to fund a move and was able to get it back today. I pulled it out of the case thinking that it sure is showing its age but when I started playing it, everything was still the same. Riffs and ideas came to life and the sound was pretty awesome too.

I love having my Les Paul back. I plan to do a refurbish job on it, fixing some of the problems that it has acquired over time but for right now, I'm pretty happy.

It's good to have it back. It goes so well with the tones I get from my Gretsch that it really makes me want to get into recording so I can lay them on top of one another.

-Pappy

BillM Gets Interviewed By The 5th Fret!

Though recently other big name companies have also offered low price / low watt amps, the Fender Blues Jr. is still one of the most popular amps in that style. It offers 15 watts of pure tube tone, and comes equipped with reverb and controls for lows, mids, highs, and even includes a master volume.

Some people have complained about a "boxy" sound though and the complaints don't stop there. Certain Blues Jrs, those with cream circuit boards are noticeably brighter than the original green circuit-boarded brothers.

But where there are complaints you can usually find someone who will offer a fix for them. Enter Bill M.

His site is located here: http://billmaudio.com/wp/

He will not only do the work for you if you aren't confident in your electrical skills, but he sells you the parts and instructions necessary to do your own mods at home. He doesn't charge an arm and a leg either.

The 5th Fret was able to distract him from his work long enough to answer some questions about how he got his start, the draw of the Blues Jr, and his opinions on the modding scene in general.

The 5th Fret: What was your first guitar?

BillM: My first guitar was a Guild Mark III classical. Not that I was into classical music, but many folk artists back in the early 1960s played nylon-stringed guitars. I was very much a sing-and-strum folkie.

Do you still have it?

I still have the Mark III--in fact, I've never sold a guitar! I've given some away, though.

What did you do before you started BillM?

For the last 25 years I've been a computer journalist. I was the editor-in-chief of PC Magazine for many years, and started a number of other computer magazines. I've been a freelance technology writer for the last four years, but Billm Audio has become my full-time occupation. My son works with me in the business, too.

What drew you to the Blues Jr. in particular?

I played a Blues Junior at Guitar Center back in 2001 and I really liked its size, the fact that it was all tube, and its price performance. My wife saw that I liked it and made a mental note. A couple of months later, on my birthday, she presented me with one.

What was the first mod you did and what caused you to want to do it?

That first Blues Junior didn't sound much like the one in the store--it was dark, a little dull-sounding, and the reverb was weird. I didn't realize it at the time, but I'd played a cream board in the store, and the one they sold my wife was a green board. It was the transition year, and both were on the shelves. We took it back, and the replacement sounded "right." When I got home, however, I realized that we'd forgotten to return the packet that contained the schematic.

I started comparing the schematics, and realized there were some differences. I got curious about the differences and bought a green board on eBay. I figured out a very simple way to convert the dumb green board reverb design to that of the cream board. Soon after that I decided that the tone stack was a real bottleneck. I did some modeling, then some soldering and really liked what I was hearing.

When you are working on your mods do you have a specific goal or do you tinker until you find something cool?

I generally have a goal in mind. I try to get inside the head of the designer; sometimes I stare at the schematic for half an hour or more. I look at lots of other schematics to see what other designers have done. I flesh out an objective, like "improve clean headroom" or "make the cream board sound like the green."

There's a few companies out there offering a variety of mods, from speaker swaps to replacing the guts with essentially a completely different amp. What do you think makes the Blues Jr. the favorable platform?

The Blues Junior is a nice blend of size and performance. Like the Tweed Deluxe, Champ 12, Super Champ, Princeton Reverb, you get a decent-sized speaker in a small box, enough power for a small venue, and sweet distortion without earsplitting volume. Everybody likes the idea of showing up at a gig with guitar in one hand and amp in the other. Then you sit back and laugh at the drummer, bassist, keyboard player, etc. Or if you play at home, your amp is less obtrusive than your smallest piece of furniture. So the Spouse Objection Factor is low.

Also, Blues Juniors are plentiful; I've heard that there may be more than 100,000 out there. So nobody minds modding one or even gutting one--you're not destroying history!

What do you think about these other companies and their mods?

Some companies, like S2, have an excellent reputation and do boutique-level work. There's no attempt to preserve Blues Junior tone--you choose a whole new amp in the BJr cab and chassis. Some others have, um, not such a good reputation. The Billm mods have become popular enough that I actually have some cloners or people riding on my coattails. I have to say that some of them don't understand what they're doing.

But my goal is different. I want people to have the best possible Blues Junior, to remain true to the tone. Better, not different. I can't help people who want it to sound like Vox-this or a Marshall-that.

It seems like a lot more people are trying to modify their existing belongings instead of just buying more gear. What are your thoughts on this?

A guitar or an amplifier is a tool, and there are darn few tools you can buy that don't require setup, tweaking, or modification to make them work the way you want them to work. For every guy who thinks it's a sacrilege to tinker with the manufacturer's design, there's another who says, "Hmm, what if...?"

What do you think about the modding scene in general? It seems like a lot more people are less satisfied with buying gear and wanting to build their own stuff.

There's plenty of great gear out there and lots of satisfied customers. I think we're in a new golden age of guitars and amps, where you can buy new designs or reissues, custom shop or clone, traditional tube tone, synthesized, or digitally processed. At the same time, you have outfits like Allen Amps, Mission, Weber, and others, offering everything from a beautiful, step-by-step kit to a box of parts and a layout. After you've done a few successful mods with kits like mine, you get the courage to build your own amp. Or you start small, with a pedal kit. It works, so you go for an amp!

What made you want to get into modifying as a business vs. just a personal hobby?

I think it is still very much a hobby. I have fun meeting musicians, helping people find their tone, participating in online forums, and spreading knowledge about what makes great tone. It began when I posted a page that was essentially, "Hey, this is what I did with my Blues Junior," and people started asking, "Can you do that for mine?" or "Can you sell me parts and tell me how do do that, too?"

What is your preference, green board or cream board?

I don't really have a preference because there are so many different kinds of music you can cover with a Blues Junior. Both do it well, but a little differently. The amp I play most often, though, is a 1996 tweed with the green board, all the mods, and an Eminence Cannabis Rex speaker. It's perfect for quiet, warm, jazzy tones.

Is there any mod of yours that you think is absolutely necessary?

I grouped the power supply stiffening, tone stack, and adjustable bias together into a single basic kit because they work synergistically to lift the Blues Junior from kind of ordinary-sounding to rewarding and attention-getting.

What is your personal favorite mod?

The Clean Boost module is my favorite because it's a neat little circuit board that installs easily and gives you another 10dB of loudness whenever you need it, with minimal effect on tone. And when you're playing loud, I just love the additional output tube growl.

How much work did it take to make the Blues Jr. head of yours?

The head mod isn't bad if you have the tools. But it took a bit of measuring to ensure that the tubes would fit vertically. The biggest challenge is drilling neat, accurately located holes! I didn't keep track of the time, but I never got around to building a cab for the chassis because I'm always experimenting with that chassis and trying out new mods. Some turn out to be a waste of time.

Are there any plans to offer that as a mod option?

I'll do a head conversion if someone really wants one, but they're paying me by the hour. I work fast, but it's still a lot of work. Then they still need a cab, which will set them back a couple of hundred dollars unless they're woodworkers.

Do you still use the Blues Jr. Stack?

If I need a bigger sound, like in church, I'll put one of my amps on the extension cab. Two speakers stacked vertically really helps the horizontal dispersion. And two speakers move more air for convincing lows.






So there you have it folks. If you're interested in getting a Blues Jr and want to do some research on it, his site is great to go to. If you own a Blues Jr and it just isn't getting that Fenderish tone you're after or you just aren't satisfied in general, check out his site before you get rid of the amp. You may be really glad you did.

I fully encourage people to check out the Blues Jr as well. Yes, there are some complaints, but the pros outweigh the cons. The amp is easily transportable, and at fifteen watts you have some serious room to play with headroom before it starts getting dirty, unless you crank the volume and use the master volume for a more driven sound. It's a very versatile amp. Don't overlook them just because they're cheap in price.

Many thanks to Bill for sitting down and answering our questions!

-Pappy

Bliss Moment

When I was young I saw a commercial about keeping your own stress level down by doing something you like and the commercial showed a guy playing piano. I didn't understand that at all thinking that music takes effort and effort is a kind of work.

Perhaps it is because of this commercial that I have never found playing guitar relaxing. I think it's incredibly fun and rewarding, but calming? I don't think so. I've been playing guitar for eleven years now and have never experienced any stress being taken away from playing.

Until the other night.

I had worked a thirteen-hour day and the break supplied was to take my daughter into the clinic to see if she had a concussion (she did not but she is getting sick). I wasn't very stressed, but I WAS pretty tired and on the way home I had been listening to the Lost Fingers and I picked up the guitar not wanting another night to go by without playing which happens more often than I would like to admit.

The moment I put it on and started playing I felt great. What stress I had vanished and a moment of bliss arrived. It was a unique feeling and very welcome. The podcast Six String Bliss mentions these moments of bliss every now and then but I have never felt it. It was like I couldn't stop and I had never had as much fun playing guitar ever.

And now, having felt it, I feel even MORE sure that I will be playing guitar for a long, long time. It's a great feeling.

-Pappy

G.A.S. From The Outside

During a recent roadtrip with my wife and daughter we had lots of time to talk and the conversation pleasantly drifted to guitars and she wanted to know what was on my wish list gear wise. I said there are three Gretsch guitars, two Epiphone guitars, one new amp and a few pedals.

She then asked what pedals do. I explained and she said she could see why someone would want to get pedals. I think she sees the desirability of it - of amassing all these different potential sounds for whenever you need them and all of them in a convenient little box - but "let's talk about the guitars," she said.

I had no problem with that. I explained that the cheapest guitar on that list is the Patrick Stump Corvette and she said "the one that looks like shoe?"

She thinks it looks like a shoe, by the way.

"Indeed," I reply.

Then she brought up the most interesting idea about wanting guitars when you have a guitar that's perfectly serviceable. Let me preface this: I am ALWAYS interested in how non-guitarists view G.A.S. or anything in the guitar world. If I were to say to Synchro that I wanted this guitar, he would probably say he could see reasons why it would be handy, but to someone who doesn't play guitar you'll often hear the "but don't you already have a guitar?"

I love them. I actually think a non-guitarist should write a guitar blog. I would read every post with an incredibly high level of interest. I even asked my wife to write a guest blog about this topic but she declined. I could see why someone who doesn't know anything about a topic would be shy to write about it (let alone dedicate an entire blog site to it).

Anyway, she said that she equates wanting a new guitar to the fabled "Seven Year Itch" that people supposedly get around seven years into a relationship when they feel like they're stagnant, when they feel that they need something new and exciting, something fresh and bold. The problem with guitars is that G.A.S. doesn't come every seven years but much more often (in most cases).

In my case, she was saying that perhaps I wanted to keep some level of loyalty to the Gretsch brand but I still want to cheat on my woman, I want the Corvette. "Kind of like having an affair with your wife's sister. As if keeping it in the family makes it better in some way."

I thought it was a pretty interesting analogy.

Of course, my personal belief is that the difference in tone and feel is what dictates G.A.S. in my case. I've never been the kind of guy who wants multiples of the same guitar, just in different colors. There has to be some sort of significant difference in tone or feel.

So I'm not wanting to cheat on my wife with someone that looks a lot like her, or her sister and cousin. Unless her sister or cousin had enough differences to justify the adultery.;-)

I kid, I kid. I love my Gretsch annie and it'll always be there and it will never judge me if I bring more guitars into the house.

I was also able to explain the difference between a combo amp and a head & cab amp and why finding the right one is important. I also explained the sentimentality attached to gear.

It was a good conversation. I like when these ones pop up as I am always willing to talk guitars with someone and LOVE to talk guitars with my wife.

-Pappy

Inspiration

The blog about Steve Martin and inspiration had me thinking about inspiration in general and it led me to remember a story about Dream Theater and how they have a corner in the studios they record at called the inspiration corner with everyone's favorite inspirational music.

Before I begin, I would just like to say that "inspirational" does not necessarily indicate "favorite." For instance, I may think Metallica's Ride The Lightning is an amazing CD, certainly one of my favorites, but it doesn't really make me feel the need to reach for a guitar.

I figured with this inspirational list, instead of putting them all on one blog and dedicating so little space to each album, to take my time and stretch out, so to speak, about each band and album. Perhaps I'd like as much of an opportunity as I can to try to get you the reader to at least check out free samples on iTunes from the CDs and see if you like it enough to get one song and then if you like enough to get the rest.

You never know, I just might introduce you to your new favorite band...

I think one of the most novel things in the world is the cover. Some covers are really good, some really bad. Some covers are attempting to get the song exactly right as it was originally recorded, some are trying to take it so far away from the original that it's basically a completely different song with the same lyrics.

But like any novelty, it wears thin if there's no substance to it. While I think Me First and the Gimme Gimmes (a punk cover band) release some great music, I can't listen to it all day nor can I listen to an album once a day every day for a week. Me First is a band that if it comes on in a shuffle, that's fine, but the odds of me looking for the music aren't so great.

The Lost Fingers is not like that.

I was exposed to them in a friend's car on the way back from lunch and I had been thinking for a while then that I wanted to hear some Gypsy Jazz that was different, basically something that wasn't quite so jazzy and a little more fun.

In a bout of serendipity this music was turned on and the itch was scratched. The music IS fun, and the songs on the CD include tracks like "Pump Up The Jam," "Tainted Love," "Billie Jean," "Part-Time Lover," "Straight Up," "You Give Love A Bad Name," and even a cover of the classic AC/DC song "You Shook Me All Night Long."

But whereas with most cover bands once the shock of hearing these songs played in such a different way would wear away fairly quickly, there is so much musical substance under them and displayed proudly that it makes me sit up and pay attention.

Since the space on my iPod is so limited I was thinking about selecting only my favorite songs based on the original songs but listening to "Black Velvet," originally sung by Alanna Myles, a song I had never heard before The Lost Fingers' version, I decided to leave the whole CD intact on my iPod which is a rare occurrence indeed.

The Gypsy Jazz swings like nothing I've heard before and the energy is obvious. I like jazz. I'm not in love with it, but I recognize the complexity and tip my hat to the jazz players in the world. I even have some jazz on my iPod. I do not find myself bobbing my head to the beat with most jazz though. I do not find my hands tapping away with it and getting wound up in the music. Most jazz does not inspire me to lean toward the speakers to try to hear the music better, but this does.

I bob my head and tap my fingers to it. The rhythm is infectious.

That's another thing this band does with expert skill: there are no drums on this album, something I think works very well. The drummer from the Dave Matthews band once said that he doesn't play drums to keep the beat and that if you're a musician you should be able to keep the beat yourself, but he plays to add notes to the mix.

This band definitely needs no drummer. As a matter of fact I think I drummer would hinder the band, not help them, and I hope even more bands take note and use this lesson with their own bands. It is most definitely a refreshing change.

And even without a drummer, the time is kept well, and the rhythm is immaculate. Byron Mikaloff is credited with the rhythm guitar while Christian Roberge is credited with lead guitar and singing (Alex Morissette plays the bass and completes the band) and the two work incredibly well together and while there is a definite rhythm part and a lead part, the two sometimes intertwine and it is fun when it does.

The singing is perfect in my opinion. I don't think you could play this kind of music, which for most of the CD is very upbeat and high energy but still rooted in the Gypsy style, and sing like the original singers. Jon Bon Jovi makes for a fine singer, but I doubt he would gel in a Gypsy Jazz band. Christian's voice is rough and deep and there is a definite French accent in some parts, and this may cause you to pause and think about it the first couple of times you listen to it, but trust me, that will go away. Having listened to the CD a few times I can say that I honestly don't think any other voice, style or range could do better.

As for the recording it sounds like three guys practiced and practiced and then went into the studio and knocked it out in one attempt. It has a very spontaneous and live feel to it. Listening to it you get the impression that if you were to go see them live it would sound the exact same way. That is a good quality to have in these days of heavy processing.

This CD is a great addition to any music fan's collection for a variety of reasons. If you'd like to hear some retelling of some classic songs you would like this CD. If you are in the mood for something different enough from your normal musical routine yet not SO different that it makes you uncomfortable, this is a CD you would like. If you are a guitarist this CD is practically required listening. Since listening to it, I find myself trying to turn any jazz I know into faster staccato rhythms and yearning to learn scales to go over them.

Do yourself a favor and check them out. They have a Myspace page located at: http://www.myspace.com/thelostfingers where you can check out some of their music but trust me, you should buy the CD. If you are anything like me you'll listen to it over and over again, finding new things to enjoy each time.

This CD is well worth your while and it falls into both my "inspirational" and "favorite" list.

-Pappy

Inspiration Found In Odd Places

Inspiration can come from the oddest places but if you are anything like me, you will take it and like it. I love it when inspiration hits and I especially like it when it hits at odd times from odd places. I remember one time I had a dream that I played a lick and it was the shortest lick but I kept playing it over and over and it was like the dream was fitted to my “how do I do it?” mentality because the “camera” zoomed in and I paid particular attention to fret numbers and strings and when I woke up I was inspired to play.

By the way, it didn’t sound nearly as good as it did in my dream.

The credit for this latest bout of inspiration goes to Steve Martin. That would be the same Steve Martin that you’re thinking of right now. The guy from The Jerk, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, Cheaper By The Dozen, and the Pink Panther. The stand-up comic, the SNL host, the play-write, the novelist and autobiographer, the Grammy-nominated book reader and recording artist.

Steve Martin plays the banjo. He actually plays it very well.

Now, of course, this comes from a person who does not play the banjo. I think he plays banjo well the way someone who doesn’t play guitar might think Eddie Van Halen is a good guitar player. There will always be SOME doubt because you do no personally play so you can never know for sure, but you are pretty confident in your assumption.

Steve Martin appeared on the Colbert Report and played a little bit of Dueling Banjos with Stephen Colbert and I was impressed. I had seen him play banjo before and have always thought he was a talented player and well worth checking out but it always slid to the back of my mind. Yes, I would think, Steve Martin plays the banjo well. I wish there was a CD of him playing it.

That’s what I would think. Occasionally I would find myself pulling up videos of him on YouTube to prove to other guitarists that he seems to have some serious chops on the old banjo.

His appearance on the Colbert Report was not only to promote the Pink Panther 2 or even to say he was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Spoken Word but to promote his album featuring songs for the five-string banjo.

His playing inspired me to get back to practicing Travis Picking licks, using a flat pick or thumbpick (I use a flat pick) and other fingers on your picking hand to play incredibly intricate-sounding stuff. Listening or watching a player who is good at Travis Picking is very impressive and I know I personally sit back and think to myself that the amount of force in my picking when I’m playing punk or metal is not required but a week later you can probably catch me jumping around picking out chords with vigor and throwing away the idea of practicality of motion.

Anyway, I’m always glad when inspiration hits and am always willing to give kudos, so Steve Martin, great job. Your CD is now in my Amazon.com wishlist.

-Pappy

THE Buyer's Guide to Guitars, Amps and Pedals

Growing up, my mom would get the Sears catalog and I would be impressed by the bulk. They are pretty thick books and I was always disappointed with the amount of clothes and jewelry (way too much) and the toys and electronics (nowhere near enough).

Fast forward a few years and I picked up my first issue of Guitar World’s Buyer’s Guide and was incredibly disappointed. There is no way that the scant smattering of each brand is representative of the brand’s line and the details associated are just as scarce. Calling it a Buyer’s Guide is pretty liberal use of the words and I generally think it’s a rip-off to the consumer. I also think that it focuses far too much on the models and not enough on the guitars. Guitars are beautiful enough to stand on their own without other… eye candy.

Of course, all of this is purely subjective.

Here is my idea though: ask companies if they would like to supply pictures and specs for their gear and by all means feel free to supply the entire line if you like. All of FMIC and its companies, Gibson and its companies, Taylors, Breedloves, any and all companies out there.

Not just guitars either, but pedal companies and amp companies as well. Depending on submissions, there could be one buyer’s guide or three.

The companies would have to pay, of course, and it would probably vary on the amount of space used, but the price would not be for profit of the Guide publisher but to cover the cost to publish these behemoths.

And the size?

They would roughly be about the size of a Sears Catalog or maybe even a phone book (obviously not something as thick as a Manhattan Phone book). The pages would be thin and space would be used as economically as possible.

Here’s a scenario. How many Strats does Fender produce? As opposed to listing Strat after Strat with their specs right next to them, you could display the pictures and the model name and then dedicate an entire page to the specs and the differences.

And releasing it onto the public for consumption, the book would probably cost something like 20-25.00 each. That’s pretty pricey, but if you think about it, how cool would it be to have just about every company’s entire product line for that year all in the same book, all organized in a way that is not only easy to get through, to find the companies you’re looking for (why separate acoustic and electric guitar companies? Just put them all in alphabetical order. Now pedals and guitars, they SHOULD be separated)? How cool would THAT be to peruse?

Picture this: you want a Tele but you’re not entirely sure you’d like to spend $1,500.00 on a ’52 reissue. You can peruse the book until you find a company that is smaller and makes Tele STYLE guitars and the price would be more worth it to YOU.

I think it’s a GREAT idea and I know that ever year, I’d shell out the money for something like this.

And I’d circle all of my favorite-looking things to do further research on or maybe circle items and highlight them and leave the book in an inconspicuous place that my wife would find sometime close to Christmas.

-Pappy

Guitar Search '09

So as it inevitably happens, we guitar players always want more. More guitars, more stomp boxes, more amps, more more more. Well it’s been 3 years since I last bought a guitar, and that itch is starting to creep in again. Pappy thought it would be a good idea for me to document my journey through the process.

Initial Thoughts: Classic vs. Youth

This actually all started when the Mike Mushok PRS Baritone popped up on the radar. Much like other folks, I’ve never owned a PRS but have much envied them throughout the years. Unlike most folks, I tune down a LOT. My favorite tunings are C# F# B E G# C# and the same with the low string dropped to B, and that doesn’t really work with most normal guitars. You get all that string floppage and fret buzzing from the lack of tension on the strings. I love playing low, but I know that it’s generally not the best sounding tuning. The other reason I’m looking at the PRS is it’s a fairly classic shape. Now when I say classic, no it’s not as old and recognizable as say a Tele, Strat, or a Les Paul, but it’s nothing too off-the-wall. Maybe I’m getting old (oops I mean more mature) but the smooth lines and curves of most classic shapes are really starting to win out over the wild shapes of most modern guitars.

Current Axology:

The reason I’m looking towards a new more classically shaped guitar is my metal-head leanings have already driven my past guitar purchases. While metal is still my main music of choice, I have evolved throughout the years and would like something that suits more styles a little bit more, both visually and musically. Looking back at my past choices, here’s what I’ve owned.

My first guitar was a 90s Yamaha Pacifica loaded up similar to a Fat Strat (Humbuckers in the neck and bridge, a single in the middle position.) with a Floyd Rose tremolo. My father actually bought this for me when I was a teenager to make my mother mad (they didn’t think I had enough discipline to stick with and learn an instrument). This was a heck of a guitar to start off on, providing good opportunities to get both Fender and Gibson sounds. She’s still my fave even though she has issues with staying in tune and I’m constantly having to the input jack wiring re-soldered. No matter how much I mess with the adjustments though, I’ve never been happy with the action on this guitar; it ranges from way too high at the pickups to way too low on the frets, getting horrible fret buzzing. It’s got a teal/greenish-blue finish that I’ve never been fond of; constantly covering it in stickers. This was my trainer guitar for many years and it’ll be a long time before I ever decide to part with her. I imagine it’d have to take seeing a kindred spirit wanting to truly learn the joys and adventure of learning to play guitar.

I also own a Harmony Explorer with three(!) humbuckers and tremolo. The active humbuckers all have on/off switches, but no combo has really created a good sounding crunch for me. Oddly enough, this guitar actually has the best clean tone of any of my guitars. Any time I’ve done any recording, I’ve recorded all the non-distorted tones with this beast. I say beast because this is one of the heaviest hunks of wood I’ve ever played. 20 minutes or more with this thing on your back and you’re hurtin’. This guitar started off a very 80s black with red striping, and I couldn’t live with that, so I stripped the paint off with the intention of staining/lacquering the natural wood color. I never did get to the refinishing part of the guitar and the neck is super-thick, which I find undesirable and hard to play. Admittedly I nabbed the Explorer in my love of Metallica and the Hetfield sound. The guitar’s more than served its purpose, but not in the ways I intended.

My last guitar purchase was a black string-through Jackson V loaded with 2 EMG HZs. She’s a beautiful guitar with a nice, thin neck and very low action. On top of that she sounds and plays really well. Like most guitars though, once you get past standard D tuning or Drop-D, it has issues. As with most pointy-Vs, her shape isn’t conducive to sitting around jamming out. It’s best to play standing up, which is fine because she’s super-light. I still haven’t gotten around to replacing the tuning heads of the G & B string and they tend to go a bit out of tune over the course of a few days. This guitar will always find a place in my home, but I’m going to keep her in the more standard ranges of E and E-b.

They pull at the heart-strings and thankfully I can afford to keep them all while looking for a new beauty.

More thoughts: Baritone vs. Standard

I don’t know if most folks shopping for guitars go through the same gut-wrenching decisions, but I’m at an impasse. I’ve found 3 amazing looking baritones so far that I’m planning on taking the time to try out. I’ve never played a baritone guitar before, so I’m sure that I’m more in love with the idea of them than anything. I’ve played bass throughout the years and used to string my electrics with acoustic strings to strengthen my hands, so I’m honestly not too worried about the larger string gauges associated with baris. All three are only available in black-finished mohagony bodies and string-through. Problem is most of the classically shaped and colored guitars I yearn for aren’t available as baritones.

Baritones

The Mike Mushok PRS is a beautiful bari with a nice silverburst finish and two PRS-designed humbuckers. It also has no fret board inlays, which I honestly love. I don’t really need the dots to tell me where I’m at and the naked ebony fingerboard just appeals to me. The PRS is the standard double cutaway shape we’ve all come to know from PRS and it has a 27.7” scale bound neck, making it the longest neck of the bunch. It’s also part of PRS’ SE line, meaning its built in Korea which helps cut down costs. I personally have no loyalty to guitars being built in one country vs. another as long as the quality remains. I’m not a huge Staind fan, but this guitar is a beaut and reasonably priced.

Second on my list is the Schecter C-1 EX. It comes in a gloss black coat that is very appealing, and it’s a fairly classic looking shape. Its Set neck is 26.5” making it the shortest and closest to playing a standard guitar. It has a rosewood fingerboard and two Seymour Duncan pickups (a JB and a ’59). There’s nothing in particular that stands out about this guitar to me, but it seems like a nice solid choice. I’ve never played a Schecter, but everyone I’ve talked to has said they’re solid guitars that not too many folks ever bother to try out.


The last Bari I’ve been looking at is the ESP MHB-401. Its black coat is a little more toned down, more flat than glossy. At 27”, this neck-thru-body is right in the middle of the pack. It has a maple neck and its inlays are located on the upper edge of the neck for added subtlety. The basic body is similar to that of Steph Carpenter’s (Deftones) signature model and is loaded with an EMG 81 and 85, two of the requisite metal pickups. ESP is probably the most metal-associated branding of the three I’ve looked at and makes good guitars. Other than the headstock, the ESP looks very similar to the Schecter.

Bottom line is all three are beautiful guitars but I’ve already got an all-black axe in my Jackson V. I’d love to have a baritone but I’d also like a more exotic color.

Next installment will cover my new-found love of Fenders.

-MASK

The 5th Fret Interview Dennis Mollan From Pro Tone Pedals!

Pro Tone Pedal's own Dennis Mollan was kind enough to sit down with the 5th Fret and answer some questions we had about the boutique pedal scene, working in today's Guitar World and the exciting things on the horizon both for Pro Tone Pedals and their users.

Enjoy!

5th Fret: When did you first start playing guitar?

Dennis Mollan: I was a late starter... I bought my first guitar at 16.

What was your first guitar?

The first was a Yamaha Strat copy, but I don't think I had that for more than a couple weeks before getting a Hondo Flying V from a downtown pawn shop.... then I loaned it to a friend and never saw it again. Replaced it with a BC Rich Warlock. All 3 of these happened within the span of 2 months!

What made you want to get into building pedals?

When I was younger I studied audio engineering and worked in some studios where I would mod and repair amps and pedals. So after trading that world for a quieter piece of suburbia I found that I needed a pedal to push a tube amp... so I built a booster that became the Thruster.

Do you have specific goal sound-wise when you build pedals or do you tinker until you find something that sounds cool?

I usually have a goal. From time to time you stumble on something, but usually I go in with a game plan. For example, I did some designing for Coffin Pedals after they released the Blood Drive. It wasn't as high gain as people had expected and they were taking heat for that, so I had them send me one so I knew where to start.

Could you tell us about the process from pedal conception to shipping to the customer?

That really depends on the project. For example- the Jason Becker signature distortion had every step along the way blogged out for the world to keep up on the development. I started blogging the day we made the agreement. Some pedals start with an idea for the art. Our Phase Shifter started out with my youngest daughter, 6 at the time, and I eating breakfast- she said 'Daddy I have an idea for a new machine' So I said 'lets have it' She went on to tell me about a squid with 3 eyes... so I shot that concept to our artist, and I knew immediately that a phase shifter would have that perfect underwater tone. After I find a design that I like, I'll make a prototype or 2 and let people play with them a bit, and if its a 'go' we'll go into production. Luckily we do the vast majority of our circuit board production in house, so from start to finish I can have an idea on Friday afternoon and have it available for on our web site by Monday morning.

When did the awesome artwork come into play?

The Monster Fuzz was our first major piece of pedal art. The artist that drew our mascot dude just sent me an email with the idea in it. He had included some Photoshop mock ups that looked really cool. So I shoot them to all of our dealers and they freaked out. We had orders before we even had finished artwork.

Who does the artwork?

Felix Laflamme (http://www.felixlaflamme.com/) is our primary artist, we've got 2 new guys Skummie (http://www.skummie.com/), and Sam Gambino (http://www.samgambino.com/index.html) joining the fold. I also do a bit of the art as well- the Peligro Fuzz, Body Rot 2, and the yet to be released Optic Tremor were all done by me.

How did NAMM go?

It went really well. Really really well. The international interest really surprised us. the bulk of our visitors were international entities looking for distribution rights, which is cool. Sadly not the amount of 'mom and pops' I was hoping to see, but a few did make an appearance.

Regarding Mom and Pop shops, are you hoping for a revival of those shops VS the big box stores?

I don't want to get all preachy, but I think its the salt of the earth people like the mom and pop shops that really make a difference to people and communities. A couple months ago I went to the town where I grew up in, I hadn't been there in 20 years... and the only place I wanted to go was to the small shop that I bought my first guitar, that Yamaha strat, and amp from. They're still around. They have to cater to the school band stuff now because of the big boxes coming in and taking the drum and guitar business, but they're adjusting and seemingly doing OK.To be honest, we've turned down offers from Guitar Center and Sam Ash because we have no interest in being a part of their machine.

Anything new on the horizon you'd like to share?

We're in talks with Jeff Loomis of Nevermore to do a signature pedal for him. Other than that, we've got the Shrunken Heads that will be released this summer. The Shrunken Heads are analog emulations of modern amp classics- the Marshall JCM800, a dual rectifier, an Orange, maybe a Diezel and Soldano. Amps that sound killer but are beyond most peoples price range, and not the boring Vox, or Fender emulations that are flooding the market.

Which Orange amp are you looking to make in pedal form?

Orange will be a little different in the approach. More than likely we'll aim for something that captures the tone of the brand, much like Marshall has a 'brand tone', we'll probably go that route with the Orange.

These Shrunken Heads sound pretty awesome. What's the price point you hope to offer them at?

We're looking at $199-$249 range. So for guys with a nice practice amp, or small combo, these will fill some tone gaps without having to buy an expensive amp... most folks can't drop $3,500 on an Orange, but you can probably find $250 for a great pedal that will get you really damn close. And here's a huge upside to these guys... besides being 100% analog, you don't have the analysis paralysis that comes with the digital amp modelers on the market... How many hours does the average guitarist waste sitting in front of his computer screen dialing in a thousand different combinations before settling on something. Screw that, buy a piece of hardware and learn how to use it to its fullest potential.

What do you think of the boutique pedal scene?

To be brutally honest, I think its flooded with people applying art work that looks like it was drawn by a 7 year old, and I'm fucking fed up with it. We were not the first company to put full face art on a pedal, but we were the first that made it look good! I don't think we started the trend, but I think we were about 10-12 minutes ahead of the pack... and we do it a hell of a lot better than the rest. Hands fucking down we do it better.

Is having True Bypass as important as everyone says it is? Seems like it's a deal-breaker to a lot of people?

For me, it is a deal breaker. I've had nothing but bad luck with non true bypassed pedals. Just lots of noise and caps discharging and so on... probably isolated instances. On the other hand, a well built pedal with a buffer, like most of the brands built overseas put in, are helpful when you've got 30 or 40 feet of cable between your guitar and your amp.

What is the difference between fuzz and distortion? Where does Overdrive fit in?

Trust fund babies and shoe gazers too cool to look at their audience during a performance use fuzz, working men looking to get the most from their tube amps use overdrive... and distortion... well when done right, distortion is just fucking metal. hahaha I tease the fuzz crowd, but without fuzz none of us would be here.

How do you find your artists and how do their pedals come into being?

Our signature models have all come very organically. Paul Raven came to us after touring with Ministry. Tommy Victor was playing guitar with Ministry using a couple of our pedals on that tour, so when they got off the road Paul called me with an idea for a 'dirty chorus'. We talked daily for a few months, I sent him 2 prototypes and had it nailed. I try to measure twice, cut once... Like with Christian Olde Wolbers, he was a good friend of Paul Ravens so when Paul passed away all of his friends became close. So Christian and I started working on his pre amp pedal... again it came from a lot of Emails and phone calls, but with his, the 1st prototype that went to him became his signature pedal, no re-dos or modifications.

Do you personally have a particular favorite pedal, either one you've played or built?

My personal fave of ours is the Phase Shifter. Its just got so much depth to it.

Pedals like the Ram's Skull and Dead Horse are obviously modeled after other pedals. Were you trying to reproduce these pedals at their best or were you trying to improve upon them with your own mods?

The Rams Skull is us going for a faithful recreation of a pedal no longer in production. The Dead Horse is us beating the dead horse that is the Tube Screamer. Pretty much every pedal builder offers one... The bottom line is Tube Screamer based pedals sell really well. It's that simple. We added a bunch of the after market mods that people do to make a TS usable, but other than that its pretty straight forward.

Where can people go to learn more about Pro Tone?

The BEST way to learn about Pro Tone would be to hit our website and jump to our blog and podcast area. There you can read up on whats going on, hear some music you might not have heard otherwise, and essentially listen to me make an ass of myself in front of a microphone.

Thanks to Dennis for taking time out of his busy day to indulge the 5th Fret's curiosity on these matters. If you'd like to check out Pro Tone's site it can be found here: http://www.protonepedals.com/, Dennis' blog can be found here: http://blog.protonepedals.com/ and if you do a search in the iTunes podcast directory for "Pro Tone" his is easy to find. You can also check out their youtube page located here: http://youtube.com/user/protonepedals

-Pappy

Change Of Address For Guitarists

We've all seen it, the guitarist who has a signature model at one company and then something happens, usually something that doesn't get talked about publicly or at all, and the guitarist leaves to go to another company and get another signature model.

I thought it would be fun to put up some pictures I found on a Google image search from guitarists who jumped to mind on this topic. Some models are suspiciously close to previous models, some are completely different and some show forward progress. I'll be sure to post in chronological order.

First, there's Chet Atkins who had multiple Gretsch signature models, but this one is probably the most famous, the 6120.

Then he went to Gibson and made a few more signature models, but since we were talking about his 6120, here's his Gibson counterpart.

Here's Dave Mustaine's signature DV8 model. Notice the cool 8 Ball inlay on the first fret. Not to sound shallow, but when I was a younger headbanger and wanted a V, this was the one I wanted just because of that.

Here's Dave's Dean model. Dave bounced from Jackson - where he did not have a signature model to my knowledge - but he did play Jackson for a very long time to ESP to Dean very quickly. Staggeringly quickly considering that ESP and Dean were so quick to give him signature models.

Duane Eddy, inventor of Twang, top selling instrumental artist and all around good guy has his first signature model here with Guild.

Years later Gretsch gave Duane his own signature model.


Currently, Duane has a signature Gibson which seems to be a step up in just about every way to his signature Gretsch. The pickups are custom wound Seymour Dynasonics, NOT the pickups featured in this picture, the inlays have a cooler shape and the guitar just seems to display the very class that makes Duane Eddy such a reported great guy to work with.


Next up is Mick Thompson from Slipknot fame. His signature BC Rich is not subtle nor mysterious in the least but that's the great thing about signature models: they're the signature artist's creation (hopefully) so there's room to buck what marketing sells will sell.


His next model comes from Ibanez and the "HATE" so boldly displayed on the BC Rich is replaced with a more mysterious lower-case "seven." Interviews have him saying that the fingerboards in his personal models are ebony, but the production models that everyone else can pick up has rosewood fingerboards.

This kind of stuff happens often, where an artist has one thing and the public gets something close and I have to ask "why?" What is the logic behind not letting me have ebony to further boldly display my "seven?" Why am I not allowed to enjoy the maple-like hardness of ebony?

This is something I genuinely wonder about. Is the guitarist wanting to keep something special that's just theirs while still selling his image to the public?


Next up is Elliot Easton from the Cars fame. He is another Gretsch-gone-Gibson person. While at Gretsch his signature Jet featured a longer scale length and wiring mods that set it apart from the crowd and even offered an Electromatic version (seen here) that gets you almost to it's more expensive brother for half the price.


And here we have his SG. I like the off-center horns. It reminds me of an ESP Viper.


Tom DeLonge came out with his first signature model after Enema of the State took over the world. It's simple, bare bones approach and easy to attain price tag made all sorts of sense, especially considering the ages of Blink's fans. This was a signature model EVERYONE could buy.

But then Tom went to Gibson who made him a custom shop model that was similar in its "bare bonesness" featuring a singly volume knob and a singly pickup (he replaced the SD Invader that was on his Fender model with a Gibson Dirty Fingers pickup), but it also boasts a finish with a little more "ooh and aah" and the fact that it's a hollowbody guitar is sure to take it up a notch too.

To be fair, Blink fans have grown up and might still love Tom and his other bands and may want to get this model.

Also, never to leave out the younger fans, Epiphone released a budget-friendly model for the masses.

When it comes to EVH there's some debate over his first signature model. Was the home-built Frankenstein so often copied by DIY builders around the world a signature model? Certainly no one else was making it.

But when I was making this list I decided that it was NOT a signature model, at least not for this purpose, because it was not released by a company for public consumption.

Now, my memory is a little vague when it comes to EVH, but I'm pretty sure his first signature model was the Peavey Wolfgang shown here. Take note of this shape and guitar in general. It may be dead, but its ghost is still very much around.

Next up in EVH's line is the Charvel Frankensteins that have been cleaned up. Notice the lack of pickguard (where the original Frankenstein had a piece of one), the lack of tape for picks, the lack of reflectors on the back (not shown here), and the lack of middle and neck pickup holes. It is very much as if someone picked up the Frankenstein and dusted it off and cleaned it up a bit and this is what came out.


But times change, people evolve and want to stop living in the past.

So EVH, now equipped with his very own line of guitars, and accessories, is releasing the Walfgang. Yes, it looks strikingly similar to the Peavey, but it's Eddie Van Halen so I'm sure that can be looked over.

Mike Mushock from Staind received his first signature guitar from Ibanez, a six string baritone. Understated and classy in its simplicity, it stood out in Ibanez's line.


All things pass however, and he now has a signature model for PRS which is also a baritone.


Last but certainly not least is the Jeff Beck Esquire. I know, I know. JB has a signature STRAT as well, but much like Chet, I'm trying to keep comparisons as on the level as I can.

Pictured here is the $10,000.00 Esquire which unfortunately for anyone that doesn't have an extra ten grand kicking around is probably one of the most amazing feeling, playing, and sounding Teles I have ever seen or had the opportunity to play. It was so inspiring, that I am planning a Warmoth build of one and I'll see how closely I can match it.


So what can compare to a $10,000.00 Fender Relic? How about a Gibson? Here is his new Gibson 1954 Oxblood Les Paul.

This runs right alongside his Fender Strat and he seems to be the only artist I know of that has a signature guitar at more than one guitar company AT THE SAME TIME. So Kudos to Mr. Beck for pulling that one off.

That's all I have for you folks. Stay tuned to the 5th Fret for interview, reviews, rants and raves from a wide variety of musical standpoints.

-Pappy

Give The Devil His Due

While I would love to write original material for this blog every day, it would be a disservice (I think) to see a great story and not pass it on to you. After all, you might not have Guitar Today on your Blog Reader. It is a recent acquisition of mine and I saw this story:

http://guitar.today.com/2009/01/21/devil-in-music/

While I'm not quick to jump into the whole "these artists sold their souls to the devil" thing, I am VERY interested in ghost stories and the supernatural and what can possibly make for a better supernatural story to a guitar player than musicians selling their souls to the devil to become experts in their field or to get fame and money only to have life snatched away at the too-young age of 27.

I had never heard of the 27 Club and this story makes me want to see if there are any books out there on the subject.

I just thought maybe you would like to read something a little spooky like this. You almost never hear of this kind of stuff now. The idea of actually selling your literal soul has become either laughable or so taboo (depending on your circles) that no one mentions it. But the idea of a literal soul hasn't been mentioned recently anywhere that I've been reading.

The whole thing is very interesting me and like I said: maybe you would enjoy it.

If you do, you should also check out the movie Crossroads if you haven't seen it already. It's one of my favorites.

Here's a picture of the cover so you don't get confused. I am most definitely not talking about the Britney Spears movie.

-Pappy