|
Tuesday, 30 December 2008 00:22 |
 In Session 3 of our Artist Interview, GJD's Ken Volpe sits down with session ace Pete Anderson. They discuss his extensive collection and use of gear including his signature model guitar made by Reverend and his many amps and his trusty Line 6 Pod. Towards the end, he talks about the various new projects that he is working on.
Enjoy Session 3 with Pete Anderson!
|
|
Monday, 29 December 2008 00:47 |
 In Part 4 of GJD's Artist Interview, Ken Volpe spends time with session ace, Carl Verheyen. They continue an in depth discussion about Carl's gear. Carl gets into how he uses a 4 amp set-up and how he switched back to traditional amps from rack gear back in the day. He also tells Ken about his vintage Strats and how he deals with the pick-up noise in a live and in a studio situation.
Enjoy Session 4 with guitar master Carl Verheyen!
|
|
Wednesday, 24 December 2008 23:47 |
Montreal based Godin Guitars brings news from the North to Winter NAMM every January, and this year is no exception. With another huge unveiling of exciting new models, Godin will certainly have plenty on hand for visitors to feast their eyes and ears on in room 211A.
Godin Redline Series:
For the first time since their introduction 2 years ago at Winter NAMM with the award winning Redline 1, Godin will now officially unveil further models to be included in a new Redline series. Along with the Redline 1, this metal-minded series will be comprised of 3 other shred-machines including the Redline 2, 3 and HB. The Redline 2 features a super fast 24-fret rock maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, silver leaf maple body and 2 active EMG humbuckers (neck: EMG-85 / bridge: EMG-81). The Redline 3 is also loaded with active EMG humbuckers and is available with a maple or rosewood 22-fret fingerboard and a Floyd Rose tremolo bridge. The Redline HB features a rock maple neck with 22-fret rosewood fingerboard and Godin design GHN-1 and GHB-1 humbuckers. An array of head turning colors and Flame tops are also available for these models.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Monday, 22 December 2008 18:07 |
By Carl Verheyen - GJD Contributor
Last month I talked about the modes and how they applied to the contexts of various chord progressions. You can begin to see how the modes work over certain chords, because chords are nothing more than stacks of notes from those scales. Now you need to know where the chords come from. Follow these simple directions and this will all be revealed!
Here is how you start:
1) Write the C major scale out using whole notes on the top line of a 12 stave piece of manuscript paper.
2) Over the first note C, go up a third to E and write it above that first C note. Go up another 3rd to G and write it above the E.
3) Now you have a C triad. Do the same on the next note D. It becomes D F A, a Dm triad. The next chord becomes E G B, an Em triad, and so on up the scale.
4) Stack 3rds on each note in the scale until all 8 notes are harmonized in 3rds.
5) Go back and stack one more 3rd on each chord. This puts the 7th on the chords, making Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7, Bm7b5, Cmaj7
6) Carry the 4th note of the C major scale, which is F down to the next stave and write out the notes from F to F on that line.
7) Go up to the 4th degree and flat that note, which is Bb.
8) Continue as before building the triads first and then adding the 7ths all the way through the key of F. The chords in the new key become Fmaj7, Gm7, Am7, Bbmaj7, C7, Dm7, Em7b5, Fmaj7.
9) Continue through the flat keys: C F Bb Eb Ab Db and Gb by bringing down the 4th note, writing out the scale degrees, adding the existing flats from the above line and flatting the 4th degree. This teaches you key signatures as well as the diatonic chords in each key.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Thursday, 18 December 2008 21:33 |
 GJD: John, last time we were talking about pots, wiring and a whole bunch of other stuff. I would imagine with so many variables that one should try to keep certain things constant so their ear doesn’t get fooled.
JS: Absolutely, I totally agree. Even changing your strings in the middle of tone tweaking can obviously alter what you are hearing.
GJD: Let’s talk about pickup magnets for a bit.
JS: I’ve tried a lot of different magnets over the years even when I was working at Fender we would do a lot of research to find out why old pickups sounded the way they did. My experience is that I can wind a newer pickup and get it to sound somewhat close to an old pickup. So even if the wire is different, that doesn’t matter too much. It’s really in how it’s wound. What is difficult these days is how the magnets are produced. The process of how they cool the magnets and form the magnets has all changed. So, an Alnico 5 is not what it was in 1960. In addition, there is not just one Alnico 5 magnet; there are a lot of different parameters.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 22:59 |
 LOS ANGELES -- Eddie Van Halen launches the all-new EVH® Wolfgang electric guitar, available worldwide beginning Jan. 2009. The EVH Wolfgang guitar represents Eddie’s 35 years of experimenting with guitars, over two years of intense research and development, and a full year of brutal road testing during the top-grossing Van Halen 2007-2008 tour.
It was during the massive 2007-2008 Van Halen tour that the all-new EVH Wolfgang guitar went through extensive live “road testing” performance trials. The tour kicked off in fall 2007, and Eddie punished early versions of the new Wolfgang each night; playing every updated prototype onstage under the full, unfiltered spotlight of his fans. The results are reflected in the EVH Wolfgang guitar; produced to Eddie’s exact specifications and with features identical to the Wolfgang guitars he records and performs with.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 21:17 |
 In Part 2 of our Behind The Scenes Interview with Greg Germino, Ken and Greg discuss the difference between a master volume amp and a non master volume amp. They also talk about practical ways to reduce volume without losing too much tone. Greg than reveals his thoughts about his favorite contemporary players. At the end of the session, they get into some great detail about Celestion Heritage series speakers and Scumback speakers.
Enjoy Session 2 with Amp Master Greg Germino!
|
|
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 22:49 |
 Hi Everyone,
In my last column I touched on recording acoustic guitars and getting the right sounds with my Pro Tools LE 002.
This month I’ll share some techniques for recording vocals. Now, mind you, I am still somewhat of an amateur when it comes to engineering. I have become an engineer primarily out of necessity as other artists and players have done. The big studios—and I do remember the days—are primarily booked by record companies that have fairly good-sized production budgets, or writers and artists with the cash flow to handle those expenses. Most of us, in reality, are grateful for the technology that allows us to record our own music in our own home studio environment. It is amazing that good sound quality can be achieved with good microphones and mic pre-amps, and a bit of knowledge and patience.
I was told that Michael Hedges’ landmark recording Aerial Boundaries was recorded for the most part on a two-track machine in his living room. It sounds lush and spacious. Back then, of course, that involved analog technology and tape. The secret today is to achieve as warm a sound as possible when one is using digital computer-based recording gear.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 00:30 |
 In Session 3 of our Artist Interview on The Jamcast, GJD's Ken Volpe sits down with guitar legend Steve Lukather. Luke talks about his experience playing on the Pink Floyd tribute Cd.They get into more detail about some of the tunes on "Ever Changing Times." Towards the end, Steve and Ken get into some more detail about the Luke BFR model by MusicMan.
Enjoy Session 3 with Luke!
|
|
|
Today's Stories 
By Ken Volpe, GJD 
Download
