Slipknot Return to Stage

Slipknot bassist Paul Gray died last year in a tragic suicide and since then the band has been at odds with each other. It seems like every other day there’s a new snippet of a quote coming out saying there will be a new album, now there won’t be a new album, they’ll say after the tour, some people in the band want it, some don’t, some are looking at this as an easy way out of the band, etc. etc.

But they recently made a return to the stage in Athens and I think they did it appropriately. They dusted off the masks and jumpsuits from their supporting tour of their debut self-titled album, which came out in 1999. They put Gray’s mask and suit on a stand next to his bass where he would normally be positioned on stage and replacement bassist Donnie Steele played from behind a curtain. Singer Corey Taylor also asked Athens to join him and the band not in mourning, but in celebration of Gray’s life.

Overall, I don’t think you could ask for more in a first show back.

I do think the idea of putting a supporting member behind a curtain is a little messed up, but only if it continues. The way I look at this, it’s obvious that this show was dedicated to Paul and it seems only fitting that you would only see Paul’s outfit on stage – as if it was his last show with the band. Hopefully this offered some closure to the band and they’re able to move on – if only to the point where they’re allowing a new member on stage to be seen by the audience.

Honestly, I don’t care what happens with the band’s recording future. If you’re at all familiar with Slipknot you know that after every album they talk about how it’s probably their last album, yet they always bounce back. In past interviews members have said that if EVERYONE isn’t there, it doesn’t feel right, which might explain their less-than-awesome effort with All Hope is Gone where members have stated that a lot of it was recorded with a few people here, a few people there, rarely as a unit. Not to mention the whole band is based on extreme personalities. Concert footage, especially from the tour in support of their first album, you would look at that and think “I’m not even concerned about the next album, will these guys make it to the next SHOW?” They would destroy each other on stage every time they played. There’s no way you can look at these personalities, with this chaos that just works when everyone’s together to balance each other out, and the constant threats of no new album and think the band will last forever.

This just isn’t that kind of band.

So I’ve always looked at each album as a welcome gift from the band. I’ve accepted the idea of no new albums ever since Iowa came out two albums ago. Honestly, whether they record another album is inconsequential to me. Their impact has been made. I’m not dismissing them by any means – I’d buy a new album, but I’m not expecting it.

And perhaps this would be a fitting way to go out, playing one last tour with the Paul Gray stand and say goodbye to the fans that made them as in-tact as they can be before retiring the band name, jumpsuits and masks on a high note.

Victorious.

-Pappy

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Ghost Building

I’m conflicted on this matter and I was wanting to get everyone’s opinion on it.

Ghost Building.

First, let’s establish what ghost building is. Ghost building is when a person other than the original builder/company makes a guitar and puts the original builder/company’s name on the headstock or anywhere else it’s required to make it look EXACTLY like the guitar being copied.

The arguments are that a home builder may be frustrated at the price of whatever guitar and thinks he can do just as well on his own for a lower price or perhaps they’re looking for a challenge, or maybe it’s truly a labor of love.

The original owner of Way Huge pedals said in an interview that he has made pedals that are EXACTLY like ones previously made – ones he wanted or ones he wanted to take on stage but didn’t want to risk being damaged. He said he wanted to look down and see that exact pedal, so he made it look and sound that way.

But then he went on to say that even though he did a good job replicating the pedal, when he looked down, he still knew it wasn’t an original.

Which brings us to the other side of the argument: it’s not real.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal but it could snowball quickly. And this goes beyond you looking at the headstock of your “Gibson” and knowing deep down inside that it’s not REALLY a Gibson. What happens if you get bored with the guitar or you’re looking for funds and decide to sell your “Gibson?”

Then you’re treading on seriously shaky ground. You’re giving the illusion that you’re selling a real Gibson and even if you spell out with all blatancy that it’s NOT a real Gibson, the impression is still there and perhaps the buyer is looking for that impression (maybe to show off to friends).

That’s wrong. I’m pretty sure it’s even illegal.

And who wants to be criminal when it comes to playing guitar?

But beyond THAT, what if you’re the builder and you put forth a ton of effort making sure EVERYTHING is right on this… We’ll say Les Paul (because they’re awesome). You put countless hours and amounts of energy into making this guitar amazing and then you’re going to give someone else the credit? Because that’s what you’re doing. Everyone who plays it is going to think it’s a Gibson when it’s not and even if you told them that YOU made it, they may not believe it or they may not remember it later on. But they’ll remember the headstock logo.

Still, it doesn’t look right without the right logo, right? A conundrum.

Personally, my favorite idea is a cheeky one where you use the company’s logo but add subtly “not a” or “cheaper than a” above it. Is that a good compromise in your opinion?

I’d love to hear your opinions on the whole matter because it’s growing in popularity with more and more builders wanting to try their hand at building and guitar companies raising prices which gives them even more motivation.

-Pappy

Build Your Own Taylor

I've been a HUGE fan of virtual guitar builders for a long time and when I find the good ones or when the mood strikes I put it out to you, dear reader and welcome your suggestions and builds! I compile your photos and it makes for a completely awesome post because your builds MAKE it awesome.

So here's another one! We haven't done one this year so I'm looking forward to the new builds, this time on Taylor's solid body guitars!

Just go HERE and build your Taylor and then send it to me at rhythmandboos@gmail.com. Be sure to include the name you want published with your photo!

So let's look at the time-frame! From today, the 24th of June, there will be a little over two weeks until the publishing date. We'll say the last day to enter is Saturday, July 9th. I'll publish the post with everyone's build the following Monday so you can see what your peers built right alongside your own.

It'll be great, but only if you participate.

I look forward to the entries!

-Pappy

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Wood & Steel Magazine

If cable news has taught us nothing else (and it hasn’t) it’s that people are not scared of bias or leanings, whatever the leanings may lean toward. What the people want is to hear from an authority higher than their own (and what could be higher than the glowing cyclops that we sit rapt in front of for hours at a time, unwilling to move?) that they’re correct in whatever biases they have. They don’t want to feel weird or irrational. They don’t want to be called stupid or close-minded. They want to be told they’re right, to have their beliefs played to, to connect to the anchors and never have anyone question the relationship lest they be called the names the viewer themselves fear (like close-minded, a bigot, stupid, etc).

I don’t really think there’s anything wrong with this.

Well, maybe when it comes to news because news is… well, it’s pretty important and the fact that there’s so precious little middle ground and extremes that are so very extreme there’s hardly any chance of reconnecting is scary at best and the thing that will lead to the eventual self-destruction of the country.

But what about guitars? Ah, there’s something that can play to your biases and not have such horrible results.

Take, for example, Wood & Steel magazine. W&S is released by Taylor Guitars. It’s free to anyone who is a Taylor owner and registers their guitar online (a painless process). In it, you’ll probably never see a critical word about Taylor published, and you’ll never see ads for competing guitar companies or things that don’t really go with Taylor (an ad for EMG 81s for example) but honestly, who cares? This is a magazine that plays to the Taylor owner with Taylor specific stuff and because of this lack of objectivity, there’s a sense of cohesion and it’s fun to read. It’s certainly more fun to read than Guitar World which, while trying to take on the “whole” guitar world, is stretched thin (even when you honestly look at the niches they do cover – modern metal and old heroes – they’re still stretched thin). Taylor can be as specific as they want and no one can complain. The magazine’s free! They don’t HAVE to publish it but since they are they have a great opportunity to show you the goods that come out every year at NAMM in photos that are professionally taken in studios or, at the very least, by professional photographers and not some yahoo with a 5 megapixel point-and-shoot. They can publish all sorts of congratulatory letters from new players or players that have had their Taylor for years and it just keeps getting better and better.

And there’s no competition. What acoustic magazine is going to cover Taylor Guitars in greater detail than Taylor Guitars can? If another company wanted to start their own magazine, would that really be considered competition? I doubt it. If Martin started putting a magazine, what difference is that going to make to Taylor? It’s a magazine, after all, and we all know that it’s the moments you spend with the guitar that make you either decide to buy it or decide if your blind purchase was worth it. No amount of pretty pictures or customer testimonials, nor age or prestige of the company will change how you honestly FEEL about your guitar. It’s an intimate thing, something that’s between your hands and the guitar.

But still, I don’t think there’s a bad thing here. Customers are getting a magazine that they like, for free, featuring stuff they’re interested in. The writing and photography in it are excellent and the fact that it’s offered for free is staggering. More companies need to try this out. It’s way cooler than an email newsletter. It certainly inspires you to hold on to the issues for the photography and information!

Go to your local Taylor dealer and see if they have an issue of Wood & Steel for you to check out. It’s good stuff.

-Pappy

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Steve Martin

Steve Martin is my hero. I actually think he was my first real-life hero too. Certainly my longest-running hero.

Sure, we have different heroes at different times in life based on our interests or what we respect or we may have different heroes for different things. James Hetfield is a hero to many for his down-picking, for example.

Anyway, Steve Martin was my first hero because he was hilarious. I saw him in the Jerk at a young age and thought it was the funniest movie I had ever seen. My dad remarked that he was also a stand-up comedian and a magician. “AND,” he said, “he’s also a musician.”

My mind was instantly blown. As an older sibling, I always wanted attention and rarely got it to a level that was personally satisfactory and to think that there was a guy – just ONE guy – who was able to be the center of attention by doing different things was awe-inspiring. I wanted to be Steve Martin and make people laugh with my jokes, astound with my magic, mix the two, act in movies, star in a television show and also show a softer side by playing an instrument. Maybe that’s why I started playing guitar: not to get the chicks as is so common of a response, but just to get attention.

Anyway, as I got older, so did Steve Martin and he matured from the humor of the Jerk to more subtle humor and he even became more – a screenwriter, producer, author of novellas and even an autobiographer. Meanwhile he was getting deeper and deeper into music and in 2001 had a recording that won Best Country Instrumental Performance from the Grammys. In 2009 he unveiled the solo album called The Crow: New Songs for the 5-String Banjo. It’s an amazing album, one I’ve written about in the past here on the Fret and still one that I play in the car. My kids love it. I guess there’s something about the banjo or bluegrass music that has my kids sitting rapt in their carseats. At first I thought they were bored but they were leaning forward to hear better, their eyes wide and alert.

It was interesting.

This year he came out with Rare Bird Alert, another bluegrass album, this one featuring considerably more vocals, supplied by the Steep Canyon Rangers. It’s generally more funny, but the music beneath the lyrics is all business. Steve Martin and Co. dominate their instruments and showcase serious skill the best way: by holding back in some places and letting loose in others. Just like in any other genre, there needs to be breathing room and faster stuff to keep you interested and this album is full of the peaks and valleys that will have you entertained to the very end.

Martin has dedicated a lot of time to mastering the banjo and he makes it somehow accessible to a person who didn’t really have an interest in it and was previously bored stiff by it. A good friend of mine says Martin writes with an almost jazz-like attitude with the banjo and we get to reap the benefits by checking out a genre we normally wouldn’t and not have it blow up in our faces.

Check out the YouTube videos or if you can, buy an album from him. Both are good, but if you prefer funnier lyrics, get Rare Bird Alert. If you like more serious stuff, get The Crow. Both are excellent though.

I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

-Pappy

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Bliss Stock '11

I love the internet. The internet has allowed me and tons of other people like me to connect and share their passions regardless of physical boundaries. No more are you limited to just talking to the same three people that play guitar in your area – you have access to the WORLD.

And more and more we’re seeing situations where people want to reach out in the physical world and meet internet friends. And not in a creepy way, either.

Sure, there IS a risk to meeting someone, but there’s also safer alternatives to taking someone up on the offer to meet up in that quaint alley in the industrial area of town that’s deserted at night so you can both admire the stars above since there’s no lights (and therefore no light pollution) there.

In 2008 the Gretsch Discussion Pages had a “Round Up” in Nashville where they rented a huge B&B and a ton of people descended on the area to share their love of guitars – not just Gretsch – and have a good time laughing, drinking, playing and getting to know the people behind the screen names. It was a great success and has been held annually since and has even inspired further Round Ups in other areas of the country (even the world!).

Six String Bliss recently had their own get-together, called Bliss Stock. Two contributors to the show opened up their house and fans of the show took them up on the kind invitation to come over and hang out for a day or two. Play guitars, get to know eachother, watch a pickup winding demonstration, see a custom guitar given away to a listener, participate in a more local giveaway and witness the recording of a live episode.

It was awesome.

I have to admit, I felt a little timid about the idea of recording a live episode in front of everyone. Usual 6SB episodes feature a lot of talk that gets trimmed down by master editor and 6SB boss, PT. The reason things get cut out isn’t just due to show length but actual content. Sometimes off-color jokes, vulgarity, factual mistakes, or just plain old ramblings that stopped being entertaining ten minutes ago all need to go. Because of this, I think we were all a little nervous. Because of the background noise from the listeners and the environment, any edits would be obvious and who wants obvious edits? So we had to try our hardest to do both a good job of editing ourselves before speaking, while giving the show a spontaneous feel and an unrehearsed vibe.

The latter was easy because we never rehearse. We prefer to go off the cuff with very little guidance because those episodes are always the most popular. The ones we really study and prepare for, the ones we think have seriously valuable content that could lead to possibly the best episode ever often go overlooked (same with writing).

It’s an interesting and far-reaching phenomenon. Other blogs and podcasts, not just in the guitar world, have said similar things.

But I think the show was a general success. The crowd laughed at most of the jokes, no one complained (at least during the recording, and at least to the hosts), the audio mix turned out really good for a live show, the giveaways were successful and we even capped it with a live outtro track.

The pickup winding demonstration was very informative. As co-host Pipes remarked, you can see that making pickups isn’t rocket science. There’s a certain level of technical knowledge required, but the real thing that matters is the technique of winding the pickups, the tension of the winder’s hand while the wheel spins. Too loose, it will squeal like a stuck pig, too tight, you’ll cause the pickup to warp. There’s a definite level of art to making a pickup, which explains why there are so many people offering so many similarly named pickups with far different tones.

It also makes me question the quality of larger pickup makers. If there’s ANY place where this sort of individuality is kind of required, it’s making pickups. I mean, if a company has one person’s name on the billboard outside, and someone ELSE is winding pickups, I can’t help but feel that’s a little shady. Like ghost-building.

The highlight of the trip for me was meeting the other hosts. We’ve been talking for years through emails or on Skype but I had never met them personally. I felt that we clicked instantly though and it was like I had known them for years – more years than I really have. It was pretty great.

There was also the night where a few of us took up offers of adult beverages and became a little (or a lot depending on who you ask) toasted. There was a concoction called Apple Pie and it had an odd effect – at least on me. Perhaps it was the company, perhaps it was the alcohol, but I was playing guitar and singing with very little inhibition. That’s rare, even after drinking. And I don’t THINK the recordings turned out all that great, but I haven’t heard them. I seem to remember singing pretty flat with very little range.

There was also the amount of new gear I tried out. Fuzz boxes, overdrive pedals, guitars, and amps that I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t had the opportunity. The definite winner this time was the Satellite Neutron which had an AMAZING tone to it. I’ve been having an issue with the bridge pickup in my Gretsch with amps since I got it, where it just sounded a little thin, but this amp cleared that issue up in a HURRY. It sounded awesome in all pickup positions, but I couldn’t turn the tone down at all because it really accentuated the boominess of the Gretsch’s hollow body. Still, I loved it. I was smitten and all I really want now is more time with one to really put it through its paces without other people (read: much better players) watching me or waiting patiently for their turn.

Hey, there was even an unplanned perk where guitar builder Steve Benford came and brought his emergency guitar repair toolbox to fix whatever tiny issues had popped up in guitars. So we imposed on him. Some of us found out we need a complete refret and those guitars didn’t come home with us, but left with Steve, and some of us were taken care of with much more ease. My issue was with my Taylor Big Baby which was nice, but had some pretty high action. It was tough to play at a lot of areas, so I offered it to Benford who took a quick look at it from different angles and then said he thinks he knows what the problem is. Once he had my permission, he unscrewed the neck, which popped off with ease and I was witnessing an awesome thing.

I had known the neck was a bolt-on (tough not to since the bolts are in the fingerboard) and I had read in Bob Taylor’s book that fixing necks was easy but I had no idea it was THIS easy. The neck came off with ease and Benford grabbed the stock shim and explained to me how shims in acoustics work and that I could write to Taylor and buy a new shim with a steeper angle to angle the neck differently and lower the action. Or I could just use a business card, he said.

Well, I happened to have a business card. He cut it up and put the pieces under the shim and replaced the neck and PRESTO! My guitar was fixed. Not only was it fixed, but it played completely different. 300% better. Eeverything was easy on it – just as easy as it was on the more expensive models. Within the space of ten minutes, most of those talking to me about the situation with the guitar and the reasoning behind the fix, he made my $500.00 guitar play like a $2,000.00 guitar. It sounded better too. I wouldn’t say adjusting the neck angle will make it sound like a $2,000.00 guitar (there’s a lot to be said about wood quality in an acoustic guitar) but it DID sound better and now my acoustic itch is scratched for a while since this one is so easy to play.

Anyhoo, more general stuff:

I had a blast meeting everyone and hanging out. There was already a sense of community because these were people who hung out on the 6SB forum or at the very least listened to the show and that sense of community only grew. It was great times!

And I think that other organizations could do this successfully. Guitar discussion groups often have a nucleus of constant posters who get along with eachother and this nucleus can try to get together and play or talk or just meet eachother. The specifics aren’t really that hard to figure out. If someone has a house they’re willing to offer as the meeting place, that would probably work (the yeard would work too), if there are more people than can fit in a house, you can always rent a VFW or meeting hall for a day or two. Then just order pizza or go out for burgers. Shoot, bring grills and barbeque. Someone take the charge, then figure out the total cost of food and lodging and then split and then figure out the admission cost per person to cover the cost with X attendees. As the number of attendees goes up, the cost goes down (at least for the lodging – food will go up).

Like I said, not too hard. And it’s so worth it. I’ve been to two internet get-togethers and have come away from them feeling like I had gained REAL friends, not just internet acquaintances. It’s a great time. I fully recommend people either going to one in their little circle of the internet, or making one for said circle if no-one’s planning one currently.

They’re awesome.

Can’t wait until the next one.

-Pappy

This post was brought to you by Benford Guitars. Have an idea for a custom guitar? Steve Benford can help make your dream a reality. Have an idea for a custom body but you're satisfied with a stock neck? Benford can use your ideas with the stock neck you want to achieve a guitar made for you at a much lower price than most. Just want an affordable guitar in a familiar S or T shape but tricked out with whatever mods you can think of? Benford's got you covered. You're limited by your imagination and your ability to email him with all the specs to your dream guitar. Honestly, I've emailed him multiple times about different projects and his positive responses and amazing prices never cease to inspire. It doesn't hurt that his customer satisfaction is through the roof. Check them out through the link above and see what Benford can do for you.

Pickup Maker Confessions

Recently I had an opportunity to talk to Clint Searcy of Searcy Stringworks and I was able to ask him the biggest question I have for any independent builder:

“Do you automatically think you can make better?”

It sounds kind of arrogant when you type it out like that, but I was curious because it seems like EVERY company out there is telling you that they offer the best whatevers for everything. It isn’t even like they’re claiming the best title for a specific thing (the best P90, the best Tele bridge, etc. etc.). They’re saying that they make the best pickups out there. All of them better than any other company’s.

Mr. Searcy said the mst interesting thing when I asked him though. He said no. The way he explained it was that he looks at pickups like he looks at microphones and there are situations where you would use one mic over another be it for gains or loss of mids, mics for close to the speaker versus middle of the room mics, etc.

This new outlook is refreshing.

He also explained that SO much of pickup making is hype, which I believe. Searcy isn’t the first person to say such a thing, after all. My thing is that it’s just nice to hear someone be honest with you and say that there’s a ton of hype and to say that they’re as honest as they can be with you, to say they use or like pickups from different makers. He even let me watch as he wound a medium-output humbucker for the Six String Bliss guitar, the Podcaster, all the while answering whatever questions I had about the construction and his opinions about specific types of pickups. It’s a good opportunity to get a different point of view because the descriptions are completely different.

We also talked about customer requests. I’ve emailed Searcy in the past asking him if it was possible to make me a pair of P90s that fit in a FilterTron casing that specifically sounds like Billy Joe Armstrong’s tone in “Church on Sunday.” That’s a good song, but I was interested in hearing what he had to say about making a big hollow maple Gretsch sound like a solid mahogany LP Jr. Searcy basically responded that he would see what he could do, but just recently we talked about it more and he said he gets that kind of question a lot and he doesn’t really have an answer for it.

I mean, it’s like a stab in the dark, really. You the builder don’t know what gear the player plays, HOW they play (rough, soft, etc), how they set their EQ and things like that. The buyer is assuming that the builder knows the intricate ins and outs of every guitar, amp and pickup out there, and while Searcy never seemed flustered and always had a good grip on the commonly-known tonal attributes, it’s still a roll of the bones.

I bet if you personally visited him with your gear and the sound you’re looking for it would be a lot easier, but that’s just me thinking.

He says it's a common question, but the person asking should think about it a little more and see where the deficiencies in their pickups are. Why do they want to replace their pickups? Are their current pickups too bright/thin/muddy/etc? That's what REALLY helps the builder.

Anyway, it was nice to hear such humility from a builder. It was nice to talk to someone and know they aren’t lying to you.

-Pappy

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Simplicity

A long time ago I talked about my experience with the Gretsch Black Phoenix. I didn’t expect to like it what with its limited functionality. I mean, it only has a pickup selector and a master volume. Get any more bare bones than that, and you’re looking at a single pickup guitar. But I played it and was impressed – very impressed – by the simplicity of the thing. Here I was playing and now I was no longer limited by my own mental hurdles like trying to get the best tone dialed in. The tone was already dialed in and if I needed to change it, it had better be with either a change of selected pickups or a tweak in volume.

It was freeing. Not fiddling with knobs looking for an elusive tone was a great escape for me and I sat back and just… played. I felt connected to the guitar as well. I think it was the fact that there were less steps between me and the amp’s output. Or at least, that’s how it seemed to me. Now it was just me and the guitar and the sweet, sweet tone it produced. I was in love with it not only because it sounded good, but because it brought a certain level of simplicity along with it and really, all I was concerned about was my playing. I was forced to rely on the guitar to take that playing and make the best it could with it.

Fortunately, Gretsch makes just about anyone sound good.

Since then I had not felt that same feeling playing guitar. There was always something in the middle be it knobs or switches on the guitar or knobs and switches on amps. Put a computer into the mix and you have a REAL challenge of trying to pull your brain out of HOW to make your playing better and JUST PLAY.

I went looking at acoustics the other day though (I’ll write more about this later) and that feeling was back with high-end Taylors. Even though they could be (and were, for a little while) plugged in, I played them – well, acoustically.

And it was fantastic. I mean, besides the quality construction and choices of materials, it was like a switch went on in my head. The wider fingerboard felt great, and the inability to do things like change pickups or adjust volume with a knob was awesome and I felt that old feeling. Just me and the strings and a little box around them. If I needed more, I just picked a little harder and if I needed less, I just backed off.

It was nice having all these controls in my fingers and I felt more connected not just to the guitar but to the music.

It reminded me of the book Hatchet. Has anyone read this book? It’s a book that a lot of elementary kids read. In it, a boy who had been surviving in the woods on his own after a plane crash for who knows how long, finds a cache of equipment. Lighters, a tent, a gun, etc. Things that one would have THOUGHT he needed this whole time, but things he had been getting along with just fine without (he was armed with only a hatchet this whole time). As he pulled out each item, he felt more disconnected from his environment – even from himself. He no longer had to rely on his own ability to make fire, he just had to flick a lighter. He no longer had to brave hunting in the oldest styles, he could just shoot something.

Perhaps I had been used to having these niceties for so long that when I was finally separated from them, that’s why I felt that freedom.

I’m not saying acoustic is the best, or the way to go, but having finally sat down with REALLY good acoustics, I can say that I now know why there are so many acoustic players.

And why most of them smile while they play.

-Pappy

This post is brought to you by Flatline Guitars, a small guitar company that dedicate themselves to making the absolute best guitar possible and delivering amazing tone, amazing feel for an attainable price. I have a Delta 90, myself and it's quickly rising to "#1" status! To learn more, check them out HERE.

Musical History

It’s obvious that there’s a demand for rock star memorabilia. After all, there’s a company that sells clothes that look like the clothes rock stars wore in the past. Not band shirts, just the clothes. Then there’s the obvious guitars that happened to be signed by the artist, or assorted posters, albums, set lists, etc.

In short, not too much out there is special. I mean, it’s certainly cool that you can now buy a shirt that looks exactly like the shirt your favorite guitarist wore if you’re in to that kind of thing, but shirts wear out. Ink fades and gets rubbed away, paper gets torn andeverything degrades.

It’s depressing!

If only there was something more permanent, something that was cooler and something that made a guitarist really happy (after all, we’re all guitarists, right? And as guitarists, don’t we want something that feels a little more specialized toward us than a tee shirt or a scribbled autograph?). If only there was a famous guitarist who made really cool stuff FOR guitarists!

Oh wait! There IS!

Billy Zoom, who has quite the musical history, is repairing, modifying and building his own amps and assorted other goodies.

Perhaps I didn’t write that clearly enough: he repairs and modifies OTHER amps and builds his own as well.

Now, as cool as it would be to say you have a Bassman modified by THE Billy Zoom to Mike Ness’ specs (Zoom modifies Ness’ amps to give him the goods to power Social Distortion as well as other great bands like Brian Setzer, the Black Crowes, Los Lobos, No Doubt and more), wouldn’t it be even COOLER to have something unique to Billy Zoom, something of his own creation?

He’s available to make whatever you want in a one-off amp but if you want something more general, you have to wait as he only does a run of something one at a time. For instance, right now he is offering a KILLER reverb/tremolo unit called the Little Kahuna (that is VERY high on my personal GAS list) but who knows what he’ll offer in the future?

Personally, this makes me super happy. Billy Zoom – Billy freaking ZOOM – is making GEAR, real gear to be used and gigged with and the prices seem incredibly fair to the working musician. This is more than a guitarist clearing out his storage locker of the random stuff accumulated on tour, this is hand-built, boutique gear (which you can stop at right there and say it’s already desirable) but it’s made by BILLY ZOOM! Talk about icing on the cake! This is musical history that is tangible and playable and from all accounts on the internet worth every penny!

Talk about awesome.

And I know there’s kind of a lack of information available, but honestly, I think it’s because he offers so much, you know? Besides the limited runs, everything is one-off. A modification here, a custom-built amp there, etc. It seems to me that these aren’t cookie-cutter modifications either which would explain why there’s no S2-like menu for modifications.

If you want to know more, he’s very accessible (especially for a guy of his status). He has his own section on the Gretsch Pages forum where you can ask questions in a public setting or you can contact him through his site HERE.

Wait, you don’t know who Billy Zoom is? Well, I highly encourage you to learn about him. Not only can you go to the site above and watch video, but you should read the article located HERE. It’s a pretty great summary of his career up to just before Gretsch put out the Billy Zoom tribute model.

Personally, I think this is the coolest thing that any guitarist could ask for and I wanted to let everyone know about it!

-Pappy

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Big 4

If you talk about American Heavy Metal, you’re probably referring to Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. Sure, there were others, but these were the bands that made the biggest splash, got the most fans, toured the world again and again and are still putting out albums. These were the bands that were played in car stereos and pumped through your crappy stereo in your bedroom as you head banged and got wrapped up in the emotion, letting go of your worries and identifying with the fast pace, the angry lyrics and the great music behind it all. These were the bands that now-famous guitarists cut their teeth playing to their friends, family and anyone at the clubs who would listen.

In short, these were the bands that made the landscape that is modern metal.

At least in the American sense.

I remember being fourteen coming home and performing my daily ritual. The ritual was throwing the backpack on the bed, putting on my guitar, turning on one album after another (Metallica’s Ride the Lightning, Garage Inc. Disc 2, and the Misfits’ Famous Monsters) and playing along with them. I wasn’t playing the actual riffs, more learning rhythm and having fun. I was trying to get my down-picking solid and I was pretending I was up on stage with the greats, my heroes, Metallica. I would put forth an outrageous amount of energy and when you think about how long those albums are together, it’s no surprise I always emerged from my room a sweaty mess, my right arm tingling and twitching. It was a joke at school how big my forearm muscle was and a lot of other kids made fun of me for obvious reasons, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was the music and it meant the world to me.

As I got more and more into metal, I was exposed to Metallica’s history. I had already learned that one of their influences was the Misfits and that’s why I got into them, but I also learned about Dave Mustaine and then I got into Megadeth. I learned that Metallica shared a space with Anthrax, so I started paying attention to Anthrax and then someone mentioned Slayer.

This is the groundwork for modern American metal. I’m not alone in my teenage hero worship and I’m not the only one to think about making something similar myself – starting a band and seeing how high I can climb and trying to keep that same attitude my heroes had. I wanted to be able to deal with being ignored by critics and winning over fans one show at a time until my band had legions of no-kidding DEVOTED fans that would go to our shows whenever we came to town and buy our albums.

I just didn’t have the follow-through that other bands did. That and a myriad of other reasons is why I’m not playing live today.

But even if you, the fan, like all four bands the odds of seeing them on one bill are slim.

Really slim.

There’s the obvious reason of Megadeth and Metallica not getting along in the past since Metallica fired Mustaine and shipped him back to California on a bus – a trip that was the first brick in the construction of Megadeth. There’s the fact that Slayer is and always has been quite a bit harder than Metallica (something that might mean different fans). There’s the fact that Metallica usually tours with up-and-comers, not established acts.

So when Metallica went through the horribly painful (both for band and fans) period known as St. Anger and Some Kind of Monster and under professional shrink guidance, had a chat with Mustaine and the rift began to mend, it was a good thing. I still don’t think anyone was thinking that there was going to be a tour or anything like that, but I think everyone was happy that such a long feud was fizzling out.

It seemed like the bands got closer as time went on too. Mustaine was very supportive of Metallica front man James Hetfield when he went to rehab and it seems like he’s always in their corner now.

It gives a metal head a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside.

And then seemingly out of nowhere, there’s an announcement that Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax are going to play on the same bill. And even finish off the show with a jam with all the bands.

That’s just crazy.

It would be like if after the Revolutionary War, England and the U.S. hated each other for a long time and then one day decided that they would go and conquer the world together and they would even bring along some other equally cool countries that weren’t able to hang out previously due to scheduling issues.

And when you think about it, how many times before this have you seen the bands that started a movement and lasted the longest, get up on stage together and play at once for your visual and audible enjoyment?

Who would even think this was in the realm of possibility? Who would say with a straight face that these bands would all play “Am I Evil?” together and not be accused of being a dreamer by their metal friends?

I tell you, it’s amazing. These few minutes are worth buying the DVD. The documentary is ALSO worth buying the DVD.

The concert is pretty good for an outdoor festival and who doesn’t like seeing their favorite bands perform? It’s a personal bias, but I’m not so keen on outdoor shows because of all the variables.

For one thing, it’s metal being played in the sunshine. That doesn’t seem like it fits to me.

Also, lighting and visual effects have less impact. Henry Rollins once talked about seeing Marilyn Manson at an outdoor show in the sun and the smoke from the smoke machines was being carried away with the wind and he said they just looked ridiculous. Like they were zombies having a barbeque. But inside, you can control the lighting and it would have a much greater impact. There’s a possibility for even better visuals. Look at Metallica’s Cunning Stunts where they not only had a great show but it culminated with a guy being lit on fire and the whole set crashing down only to come out and play the last four or five songs by light bulbs (and more subtle lighting). THAT’S got some crazy impact! They had a 360 degree stage and freedom to move around as they please. How could a regular stage compare?

But it’s still cool to watch and every time Metallica puts out a DVD, I’ll probably buy it. I’m biased, I guess.

Is this DVD worth buying? If you’re a fan of metal, it is. If you’re just a music fan, it becomes more optional because the significance is dimmed.

But for metal heads it IS significant and it IS mandatory viewing – if not buying.

It’s great.

-Pappy

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GSA: Taylor Guitars

I'm in big trouble. I've been content since beginning to play guitar to stick mainly to the electric path. I have a Taylor Big Baby and that's it for acoustics. The people around me usually have acoustics of about the same price-point and when I'm out looking at guitars, that same range is usually what I'm looking at. Unfortunately, that means they're usually pretty tough to play.

"You know how acoustics are," everyone would say. I would nod in agreement. Acoustics ARE hard to play! I knew because every one of them I had played were difficult to get around on, made a god awful lot of string noise and the tone wasn't all that pleasing to the hear. Sure, there were some that were better than others, but this was generally how things were.

I honestly never even considered going up in price range past the thousand dollar mark and trying those out.

And now I kind of wish I had stuck to that.

About a year ago I interviewed Bob Taylor over the phone with Six String Bliss co-host PT. It was a great interview and the whole time in the back of my head I was thinking I was now legitimate. Bob Freaking Taylor is on the phone answering my questions. I felt good about it. PT had just gotten done reviewing a 614CE which sounded heavenly but even with it sounding great, I dismissed it.

I just wasn't an acoustic guy.

And recently I reviewed Bob Taylor's book "Guitar Lessons" and thought the advances he had made in building sounded interesting. I'm all for advancing things, even when a large chunk of people think things are fine the way they are.

I knew it was time to go try out some of these guitars. I looked online and coincidentally thought the 614CE looked gorgeous. The big leaf maple sides look great! I thought "this is that one that I would fall in love with if I were to fall in love with any."

Big Maple Leaf Sides:

And luckily there's a shop in the next town that has a few Taylors to try out! They had a 614CE, an 814CE, and a K24CE. I settled right into the 614 and thought it was a great guitar. It was very easy to play and sounded great. There are obvious differences between it and the more expensive 814 and K24 though, and it was with the 814CE I actually found myself snapping out of a trance. I had been lost in the music. It was like being lost in thought, but instead of thinking "needs a bit more highs," or "wish the inlays were different," all I was thinking about was the music.

I don't even really think I was thinking! I think I was just... being. Man, that sounds pretty crunchy granola, but it's the truth. When I snapped out of it, it was like I had been away but I was still rolling along on the guitar.

It was awesome.

The 814 had a great tone to it. You have to understand, I'm practically blind going in to the acoustic world because I don't know tonal characteristics for bracing, scalloping, fingerboard woods or eve body woods when used on an acoustic so I was running solely on looks. I didn't expect to like an acoustic with a dark back and sides because I had already fallen in love with the big leaf maple of the 614. But the 814 had a snappier response and it seemed like I could strum a bit harder without the tone beginning to distort.

It was pleasant to say the least. And while the 614 retailed for $2,949.00, the 814 retailed for $2,999.00. $50.00 more and you got a snappier response and more intricate inlays not to mention the deal-makers to me which were a satin finished neck, a satin-wood headstock instead of a gloss black one, and wood binding. The more intricate inlays were cool too. At first I was put off by such involved inlays, but I've actually been falling more and more in love with them and can now look at the Cindy Style inlays like you would see on Dave Matthews' signature guitar and think "that looks awesome."

Inlays on a 614CE:

Inlays on an 814CE:

Headstock on a 614CE:

Headstock on an 814CE:

I had never considered wood binding all around a guitar oddly enough but looking at it, it's tough to justify why we haven't seen it more! It made the whole guitar look softer and more approachable. Instead of stark white or cream binding, the wood really mellows out the look and, I think, classes it up quite a bit. When I saw it, I was an instant fan.

Wood binding on an 814CE:

Wood Binding on a K24CE:

I only tried the K24 to complete my outing. I like the mythos behind koa - grown in one region of the world, pretty tough to get a good supply of, ridiculously expensive, looks good and bragging rights of having something that comes from a short supply. But I never really paid that much attention to koa.

I kind of wish I had stuck to that too.

the K24 and me, we had a moment. It was the perfect acoustic for me. It had a big tone that was articulate, but the highs weren't too high. I'm not a particularly huge fan of highs because I think a little goes a long way, but they were just right on this guitar. the bass strings were pronounced but not too boomy and the NECK felt amazing. It was also satin finished. The binding was wood again, but this time the wood featured a more pronounced flame. It added even MORE class to the guitar without making it look gaudy in the least and it was really cool looking at the side of the neck where your dots are and seeing something so pronounced and cool-looking in a space where most guitar builders use whatever binding you have and plain dots. It seems like the one space of the guitar that not many people are interested in improving.

Oh, but Taylor improved it.

And of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that it LOOKED amazing too with lovely flames and great accents.

*Sigh*

Beautiful.

It was $3,999.00 though.

Normally I'd be a little upset having something so perfect for me be SO far out of my reach, but I've started to get over that and to be quite honest, I was oddly content looking at the tag. It seemed to me that the price was right on par with the quality of the guitar. It didn't FEEL like the price was inflated due to the name attached to it. There wasn't a slew of gimmicks there to make you feel like you're getting a deal when in reality you're getting ripped off. It was just an awe-inspiring guitar at a price that reflected it.

I can't see anything wrong with that.

I CAN see something wrong with the fact it's not in my home though. ;-)

I've never played guitars from a builder that can change my mind so harshly (in a positive way) or produce hypnotic, peaceful trances. The tones were great, the feel was awesome and they were just... I don't know, they may have been the best guitars I've ever played electric or acoustic. I just felt that anything beyond me and the guitar were extraneous and not necessary. I was at home right there, just the guitar and me. I didn't even need an amp.

If you think you're the kind of player that's disregarding the other side of the guitar world, be it acoustic or electric, perhaps you should cave in a look around. I never suspected I would be as big of a fan of acoustic guitars as I am apparently becoming. It's a shock, but it's the most pleasant one I've ever had. I'm just not excited about the prospect of saving up all that money and delaying my gratification for so long.

When I was finished playing and talking to the sales associate, I took as many pictures as I could and did my best, but I'm naturally VERY shaky and I was using my phone. They're less than stellar for sure, but I hope you get the gist of what I'm talking about.

A few days later I went back to confirm what I had seen and felt with the guitars and was more drawn to the 814CE instead of the K24 and I can't really explain why, but I can't argue with it either. It does save me a thousand bucks should I ever go to buy it! ;-)

-Pappy

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