The older I get the more I marvel at guitar construction. It boggle my mind how two guitars can look identical, yet feel completely differently. What,s even more mind boggling is how big of a difference that makes to the player. I’m not just talking about string action either. I am talking about the feel of the neck and body. I have posted about the topic of guitar necks in the past, but started thinking about them again because of an email conversation I had with John at Iron City Rocks. We were talking about a guitar he saw on Craig’s List and the topic of necks came up. I started thinking about it even more when I was working in my yard this weekend.

Yesterday my Dad and my nephews came over to my my house to help me do some landscaping. During the course of our workday I realized two things. The first is that my Dad (who will be 65 in July) can still out work me any day of the week when it comes to using a shovel. He had half my garden turned over before I got my shoes on. As a kid I can remember all the projects we did around our house and my grandfather’s house. My dad was always the man to beat. No one could out dig him. I remember one time in particular where my uncle had rented a ditch witch and my day was digging by hand along side of it to help the process move faster, he was a modern day John Henry. I did a lot of digging myself when I was younger and that brings me to the second realization.

My Dad brought a couple shovels with him and when I picked up one in particular, it felt familiar. I asked my Dad if by any chance the shovel I was holding had belonged to my grandfather. He told me it had. I smiled because the minute I held it in my hand, it felt familiar, as if I had a history with it. I actually do have a history with that shovel. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house growing up and I liked to be outside. There was a stream behind my grandparents house where I would fish occasionally. Nothing big to catch, mostly just fun to do. One day, after my a conversation with my grandmother, I decided I wanted to reroute the stream back to its original direction. So I started digging. And digging. I dug every day until I finished and I used that shovel that my dad had brought over to do it. I hadn’t touched that shovel in probably 15-20 years, but the minute I held it, I remembered it.

The same holds true with guitar necks. Every time I hold my son’s Strat, I get that same feeling of familiarity. It feels like my P-Bass. The feeling is even stronger when I play my P-Bass. I can go months without touching my bass, and the minute I hold it, I get a feeling, a sense that the bass will do anything I want it too. I find it fascinating that some guitarists change guitars every week, while others have two or three guitars their whole career. I guess it comes down to the tools vs the skills. At this point in my time as a guitarist, I am pretty comfortable with the skills I have that I can play any instrument. However there are some that just feel better than others, and for that I salute the builders!

Nick Catanese of Black Label Society

Welcome to Episode 10 of the Signal To Noise Podcast! In this episode I have another guest host, my buddy  Sean (the owner of the blue Ibanez RG 550 I wrote about a while back). Sean and I talk about the the 30th anniversary edition TS-9 that Ibanez released this year. We also talk about the gear we are lusting after and some classic effects like the Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal Pedal.

In our interview with Nick Catanese, we discuss Nick’s newest Paul Reed Smith Signature guitar, his signature Dean Markley Strings and Black Label’s upcoming European tour.

Guys like Nick are a great thing in the music industry. Nick is a great player, yet still humble and modest about his abilities. It’s that kind of attitude that has kept Nick grounded and pouring out great music with Black Label Society year after year. Nick was a delight to talk with and…he is a Star Wars fan! Check out this picture of one of Nick’s guitar Picks.

Nick Catanese's Darth Vader Pick

Dave Ellefson at the Mayhem Festival, Pittsburgh PA July 2011

There were many bass players that influenced me as a young player growing up in the 80′s, but few who could stand the test of time. Of of those few is David Ellefson, bassist for Megadeth. From the instantly recognizable opening riff of “Peace Sells”  and the rhythmic battery of “Holy Wars, The punishment due”, to the relentless driving bass lines on Megadeth’s latest release “Thirteen” David Ellefson has more than stood the test of time, he has left a permanent mark on the metal world.  Like any true artist however, Dave’s reach extends beyond Metal and Music and is extending into new territory. We recently caught up with Dave to ask him a few questions about his latest endeavors. Here is what he had to say:

Megadeth has been busy supporting their latest release, “Thirteen” first with “Gigantour” and now with Rob Zombie. How has the tour been going and where is Megadeth headed next?

In June we head to Europe for festivals and some headlining shows along the way, too. We are also announcing dates for South America in September as well. That trek will feature the band performing live for the first time, the ‘Countdown To Extinction’ album in it’s entirety.

You have a very distinctive Bass sound that is almost instantly recognizable. What goes into achieving this sound live?

I must say, it is really in the hands! A lot of it is me using a pick and how I strike the strings with my right hand, as well as the muting that I do with the palm on that hand, too. I play up on my fingertips on the fingerboard, as the less skin that touches the strings produces a very clean and unobstructed tone. From there, I’ve found a great combination in Jackson bass guitars, Hartke amplification and speaker cabs with my SIT nickel wound signature strings and Jim Dunlop tortex picks. First I hear the tone, then seek out the pieces of gear that best compliment what I’m hearing…and those components do the trick for me.

What led to your return to Jackson basses?
When we set out to do the 20th Anniversary ‘Rust In Peace’ tour I wanted to have the exact look and sound of that album for the fans to really take it all in.  I wanted the same clothing style, wrist bands, basses, amps…everything! To me, that was a trip down memory lane for the long time fans and a great way for the younger fans to experience the majesty of Thrash Metal from that era for the first time, too. The Jackson basses are the best they’ve ever been now that they are made in the USA Custom Shop in Fender’s facility in Corona, California. The same luthier who built my original Jackson basses still works for the company, so he knows my style and preferences yet, guitar-manufacturing technology has progressed a lot since those earlier days and we can now harness those features, too. It’s like the ‘best of the best’ for me at this point to create the ultimate Thrash bass.

Is there anything in particular you do to keep your chops up while touring?
I try to warm up slowly each day, just running through random little lines to start. From there, we usually run through the entire set list back stage before each show so we are fresh with the songs each day. We change up the song list each night so it’s a good way to keep musical camaraderie within the band, too.

You did an instructional video for www.rockhousemethod.com, do you have any plans to do any other videos?
I actually just did a video teaching series for www.jamplay.com. That should be live sometime this summer.

Your latest venture is your own iPad app that was designed in conjunction with Pocketlabworks. How did this partnership come about and what was your goal in creating this app?
They sent me one of their iPad/iPhone interfaces to try with a simpler version of guitar amp software they already had at that time. I really liked it because it allows you to simply plug your guitar/bass and headphones right into their App and start playing your instrument, much like you would with a stand-alone guitar amp device.

They really liked my “Rock Shop” teaching videos so we discussed a way to brand an App accordingly. My “Rock Shop” App allows you to not only plug and play some great bass and guitar tones but also bring my Rock Shop You Tube videos right into the App, too. I think we really created a cool all inclusive App for musicians of any level to be able to practice and play from anywhere, be it at home, in a hotel room, back stage, studio and so on.  That’s how I roll so I wanted something that could work for beginners and professionals alike.

How did you choose the sound set ups for this app?
I’m always asked “how can I get your bass tone?”. So, when you first plug in to the bass part to the App you are automatically dialed in to my exact tone from about circa 1988-93….a classic Thrash metal bass tone.  From there, you can tweak the parameters to your own liking, and to any style of music and bass tone. On the guitar amp side, I thought of the presets I normally default to when playing guitar; clean with some effects, dirty hard rock and then full on distorted metal sounds, too. So, we included those basic tones with parameters that can be tweaked to the user’s liking.

One of the best features of this app is the Song Trainer. It has one of the best sounding speed and pitch controls that I have ever heard. What led to the inclusion and development of this feature?
I think all practicing musicians are continually challenged with learning new songs, solos, etc. So, rather than having to leave the App to do this, we thought we should make it an all-inclusive mobile practice studio.  This meant including the tools that are useful for any musician to really wood shed So, we designed it so you can access your iTunes music library and bring songs right to you inside the App. We created a speed control to slow down songs without changing the pitch. We also included a pitch shift so don’t have to keep tuning your instrument to a song in a different tuning.  Then, there’s the looper, which allows you to grab sections of songs so you can woodshed on them without having to manually go back to the section you want to work on in the song.  Once in the looper you can also change the speed and the pitch, if desired, too.

Are there any future feature upgrades to this app planned?
Yes, there is an update coming next week that will feature a brand new guitar and bass tuner right inside the app. Also, there will be hip new feature to allow the user to run the App in ‘background audio mode’ taking full advantage of the multi-tasking features in Apple’s iOS 5.   What that means is that you can now open up other Apps like tablature to practice right inside the App. So, you can access other Apps like Ultimate-Guitar Tabs or iRealbook, which offer amazing tablature for all types of music from rock to jazz and more.

You are an artist that stays very busy, from this latest app to your self published book you have a lot of projects going on. What’s next for you?

I’m just now finishing the audio version of the “Unsung” Words & Images book to place it online in iTunes, etc. It will feature me, and several guests, reading the lyrics and editorial of the book in spoken word. I aim to have a PDF of the book’s lyrics and images downloadable as part of the purchase, the same way you would download the sleeve of a CD booklet.

More than anything, I’m just enjoying the creative journey. To wake up and be inspired is a great thing and all of my endeavors are just letting that energy flow through me. Hopefully, these works and projects inspire others, too.  For me, that is a good day indeed!

The January NAMM show is one of my favorite events of the year. It’s the show where all the music gear manufacturers pull out all the stops and show off their new products. Months are spent planning for this show. In this episode I am joined by Scott Thompson of the Focus On Metal Podcast where we discuss our highlights of the NAMM show.

Hamell On Trial

Since the dawn of music there have always been musicians who challenged the norm. Bach was notorious for telling off the nobles that supported him. Mozart was probably the original wild lifestyle rock star. And really who can blame them? In the times of Bach you had to be a very skilled musician to earn a living and you were barely paid for it. Now fast forward to 1950’s. Rock and Roll was taking off and stars were born every minute. Some became famous and made a ton of money, and others were slaves to the “nobles” of the time, you probably know them as Record Labels.

Fast forward yet again to today and the music world is in turmoil and the labels blame illegal downloading. Looking at the last 400 years of music history, and realizing that is was essentially the same business model, I say something have to give. We live in an exciting time. It’s easier than ever to make and distribute music. Thanks to the Internet, we now have easier access and more choices of music than ever before. And we also have a new emerging way of helping to raise money to put out your album, Kickstarter.

Kickstarter lets anyone with a dream or an idea raise money to get their project off the ground. Filmakers, artists, writers, musicians, you name it, someone has a project for it on Kickstarter. I like Kickstarter because it is a pledge system with “rewards” for different levels of contribution. But most of all I like it because your project is funded (or not funded) based on the merit of the project and your hard work to promote it and get backers. If you are a solo musician who has been working really hard taking every gig you can and building a fan base, chances are you will be able to use Kickstarter to raise the money.

One of my favorite artists, Hamell On Trial, has started a Kickstarter Project to raise money to record his next record. He set a modest goal of $7,000 dollars and in a about two weeks he reached that goal. In fact with 15 days to go (at the time of writing this) he has currently raised $8,023. In Episode 8 I talk to Ed about his Kickstarter project, his next steps and his approach to recording in the studio. If you have never heard Hamell’s music, I recommend you start with “Tough Love” and then either “Ed’s Not Dead” or “The Terrorism of Everyday Life”. And after that, go see him live. You will never anything like a Hamell show. You will laugh,sing, shout, and probably have the best time you have ever had at a live show. I also encourage you to go to Hamell’s Kickstarter page and make a donation to support the next great Hamell record. I am already backing it and I am waiting with anticipation to get my copy of the new disc.

And since we are talking about the recording studio, we also feature a segment on Peavey’s Revalver software done by Scott Thompson of the Focus On Metal Podcast. I have been using amplitube for about 5-6 years now and other than being a resource hog, I have been happy with it. Hearing the Peavey software and seeing how affordable it is, will make me a convert.

Size Matters

Before I started this blog, I had another blog called Death101 Records. It started as the site for the record label I started to promote my old band, and then I morphed it into a blog and comic strip. Since I was a young child I had always wanted to be a cartoonist and after discovering webcomics, I thought I would give it a shot. I enjoying drawing, but I am very slow at it. I started realizing that I had other topics I wanted to cover, but I could not draw fast enough to get them out. So in September 2010, I made the jump to my current URL and format. That being said, I still have a story line that I wanted to tell, so I enlisted the help of my friend Chris, who is a great artist.

Chris is a graphic artist by trade and has done a lot of projects over the years including a children’s book about cancer that he did with his wife. He also designed my site logos. I gave Chris all the scripts I had written and he went to work. Today’s strip, “Size Matters”, is our first installment in the final story of Death101 Records. It all started when I got a mini amp for Christmas on year. I became obsessed with them and started collecting them. One day I thought, “wouldn’t it be funny if someone tried to play a show with a bunch of these chained together?”. That thought led to this comic strip and the YouTube video below. I shot the video below over a year ago, so you can see how long this idea has been kicked around.

So how did I set this all up? Well My friend Sue at Avalon Beat gave me a signal splitter/combiner box that Boss made years ago when she was cleaning out her studio. It sat for probably 10-15 years with only one use in the time I owned it. It worked well for this application. The Amps I used are as follows: Vox AC1, Danelectro Hodad, Marshall MS-2, and an Orange Micro Crush. All have their own unique application and sounds as you will see in the video. And don’t worry…I do have some full size amplifiers too.

Need your Rock and Metal Fix? Don’t forget to visit www.castironring.com to get the best Rock and Metal shows the net has to offer!

Anastasia and I playing guitar together

Last December I wrote a post called “Leaving A Legacy” about buying a Stratocaster for my son and speculating what guitar I would buy for our second child. Our second child was born in July and shares a birthday with my father. I ordered her guitar in May, and as I speculated it is a black and white, maple neck Fender Telecaster. I found it an interesting coincidence that the guitar I chose for my daughter just happens to be having it’s 60th Anniversary the same year she was born. I kicked around the idea of getting her the 60th Anniversary Model, but decided to go with the family tradition and stick to the black and white.

We picked up the guitar from Pittsburgh Guitars in September. Carl and the gang were

Anastasia with Carl and the Gang at Pittsburgh Guitars

once again very good sports and posed with Anastasia and her Tele, just like they had a year earlier with Nicholas. Carl even mentioned the kids in his weekly blog, “Carl’ Guitar Corner“. I really cannot say enough good things about Pittsburgh Guitars. They are a shop that really fosters a community environment among it’s patrons, and they really love guitars. I look forward to taking the kids down there when they get a little older to get “mini” Strats for them to start learning to play.

So about the Telecaster. Until September of this year, I had never really played one. After playing my daughter’s guitar, I understand a little more about the legacy that Leo Fender has left for all of us. The 2011 model Tele that I

Anastasia Playing her guitar "August Rush" Style

bought my daughter has not changed much at all in 60 years. It’s design is simplistic and functional, and by today’s standards very unremarkable. To me though, that guitar is quite remarkable. As I played it, I understood what Leo Fender had done. I understood why the Telecaster had remained the same for 60 years. Leo Fender did for the electric guitar and electric bass what Steve Jobs did for the home computer. He took existing ideas and concepts and made them reliable and easy to use. Contrary to popular believe, Leo Fender was not the first to market with an electric guitar or an electric bass, but he was the first to make them commercially successful. He took existing ideas and improved them, made them workable and reliable. The Tele is basically a solid slab of wood with a neck and strings, but somehow the sound that comes out is what is remarkable about the guitar. It sings, bright and clear. Even with single coil pick ups, it still has a punch and bite that was definitely not around in 1951, and is still unique today.

As guitar obsessed as I am I worry that I will turn into the overbearing parent who pushes the guitar on his kids. What I am hoping to do is create an open musical environment in the house where my children will be able to share my love of music. I do my best to play the guitar around my children and and with my children. The picture at the top of this post is not just for show. I love to sit down with one of the kids on my lap and play guitar with them. I pluck the strings and they work the fret board. I wish I would have recorded every time I have done this, becuase the kids have created some sounds that I never thought were possible. Recorded or not, I will always have these pictures and the memories that go with them, because the most important part of all this is just being able to spend time with my children sharing with them my love for music.

Zoom H2n

Happy Cyber Monday! I know I am not the first person to offer a holiday gift guide, but I plan on approaching it from a slightly different angle. For starters, ask your self a few questions about the guitarist on your Christmas list. Are they in an active band? What Kind of music do they like to play? Do you ever listen to them and think “That is just noise!”? Are they more traditional? Would you consider them “Artistic”?

Answering these questions will point you on the right track to finding the perfect gift for the guitarist on your list. To help the decision making along a little more I have a few suggestions based on the questions above.

Capturing Ideas -

If the guitarist on your list is in an active band, almost anything from strings and picks

Zoom Q3 HD

to a new guitar strap would be a great gift. But let’s look at this from a different point of view. To be a successful band you need to have great songs and a rabid fan base, so how about a way to record your ideas? Two suggestions come to mind for this. The Zoom H2n audio recorder and The Zoom Q3HD Video recorder.

When you have a band, the best way to improve and write more material is to record yourself. The Zoom H2n is around $199 at most retailers is an updated version the Zoom H2. It is easy to use and has great mics. I use mine to capture ideas on my acoustic or electric guitar. What I have learned to do is talk through what I am doing and how I am playing it so when I listen back, I can reproduce what I recorded. Another way I use the H2 is to record face to face interviews for my podcast. Since the Zoom has multiple mics, you can set it to record from both the front and back mics at the same time and set the reorder between the people who are talking. Once you have your recording you can easily transfer it to your computer (Mac or PC) via USB.

The Zoom Q3HD has the same great audio recording that the H2n offers PLUS it adds HD Video. Street price is normally $299. The bonus to this unit is that you can shut off the video and use it just as an audio recorder. I used one recently to record some video at a guitar show. You can see the videos on my YouTube Channel.

Creative Ideas -

A new piece of gear can sometimes stimulate the creative process for a musician, even

Spider Capo

a small one. A couple years ago I discovered a few special capos that let you get more than the standard capo. One that I really Enjoyed is the Spider Capo. The Spider Capo retails for around $30, which is pricey for most capos, but not for this one. What the Spider lets you do is Capo individual strings in any combination. Think of it as being able to re-tune your guitar on the fly. Add in some open tunings and the possibilities are endless.

Another capo that I found unique was Bob Kilgore’s Harmonic Capo. What this capo does is play a constant harmonic at the 12th fret. Musically it adds a great ambiance to what you are playing. At $34.95, it is again more than a regular capo, but for what it does musically it is worth adding to the capo collection.

Make Some Noise -

If you have a musician on your list that makes music that sounds more like “noise” to

Boss Feedbacker/Booster

you than music, then a new effects pedal would make a great gift. Boss recently introduced a new pedal that will let you add feedback to your sound at any time called the Feedbacker/Booster (FB-2). I am really happy to see this pedal come to market. The last pedal like this was the DF-2, Super Distortion Feedbacker back in the 80′s. I am on a quest to find one, and the FB-2 just might delay that quest.

For some serious noise and tones that no one will be able to duplicate look to Death By Audio. Death by audio came to my attention through a Guitar World article a few years ago. These pedals are custom made and very unique. Take some time to explore the site and listen to the demos to find that perfect pedal. These pedals are at the top of my wish list.

The Every Day Gift -

My last gift idea is a twist on something that guitarists use every day, the guitar pick. Why not do something unique and get the guitarist on your list their own custom guitar picks from Clayton Custom. A buddy of mine at work ordered custom picks to announce the birth of his son, which I though was a pretty cool idea. You can do everything from simple text to custom graphics.

Happy Holiday Shopping!

Rob Caggiano of Anthrax

In Episode 6 of the Signal To Noise Podcast we sat down with Rob Caggiano of Anthrax and Ted Aguilar of Death Angel to talk about their current Tour.

In 1990 I saw Death Angel play at a little place called “City Limits” it was an old Roller Rink that was used for small shows. It was one of my favorite places to see a band because you could get right up against the stage. It was small, but probably still held 500 people. After that show Death Angel seemed to just disappear. This was in the days before the internet, so I really had no idea where they went. It was great to sit down with Ted and talk about where they have been and how far they have come now. We discuss everything from Ted’s guitars to the guest appearance from Rodrigo y Gabriela on their latest Release “Relentless Retribution”.

1991 I saw Anthrax for the first time ever on what may been the perfect show for the times. The bands were in order: Young Black Teen Agers, Primus, Public Enemy, and Anthrax. It was probably one of the best lineups in a show I had ever seen. I have followed Anthrax since 1986 or 1987 and to this day there is still nothing like the sound of Anthrax. They re-defined the term”heavy” and the set bar in a place where few bands will ever be able to reach. 20 years after that first show I saw Anthrax again. And now I can can say that the show I just saw was probably the best line up for a show I have  ever seen. I had the opportunity to sit down with Anthrax’s lead guitarist, Rob Caggiano, and discuss his role as a producer and how he captured the classic Anthrax sound while still sounding modern.

The Cast Iron Ring Network

I first discovered podcasts through iTunes in 2005. I wasn’t sure what they were, but they seemed like they might be what I was looking for. What I was trying to find was some sort of way to listen to information about recording. An audio book, an interview, anything. So I typed “recording” into the iTunes search window and discovered that there were a lot of podcasts on recording. So I started to check them out and the irony that I found is that a lot of the podcasts that we about recording SOUNDED awful! I wondered how much I could really learn from podcasts that sounded that bad. Then I stumbled on a two podcasts that I still listen to today, Inside Home Recording and The Project Studio Network.

These two podcasts stood out among the others because of their sound quality and consistency. Sadly The Project Studio Network stopped updating after episode 102, but you can still go back and listen to the archives, and what an archive it is! Thankfully though, Big Al is still sharing his vast knowledge over at Home Studio Guru. Inside Home Recording, however is still going strong. So I used these podcasts to increase my knowledge and add to my skill set, and while I am still no expert, I am way better than when I started.

Eventually I expanded my listening to other podcasts. I was learning to speak Japanese with one podcast and learning about making comics on another. I had considered starting my own podcast, but I had no idea what the show would be about and how in the world I would publish it. Then one day my buddy Sean (whose guitar I featured in my “Classic Guitar” series) said to me “Hey, did you know John has a podcast?”, and the answer there was no. The next chain of events went like this, I stated listening to John’s show and emailed him telling him how much I enjoyed it. We started talking about music and next thing I know he asked me if I would be interested in doing an artist interview for him. Of course I was! I was so excited to be doing something music related again and I would finally be on a podcast! My first interview was Rich Williams of the band Kansas. Boy was I nervous, but it was a good interview. And more importantly, Rich was a super cool guy to talk to. So in June 2010 I made my podcasting debut with Iron City Rocks, and boy was I proud. Then in August came the next opportunity, to assemble a show myself. John was on vacation with his family and we had a time sensitive interview with Morgan Lander of Kittie that needed to be posted. John set up all the web stuff so all I had to do was update a few files. This is where those two podcasts on recording come into play. I have a great little home studio, but I had never really finished a project. It was just bits and pieces of ideas. The Kittie episode was the first real audio project I had produced start to finish in my home studio. After that episode, I did a few more and finally got the bug to start my own podcast. And that is part of the story of how my site, Signal To Noise came into being.

One thing that always drew me to podcasts was the fact that they are almost like pirate radio. The podcaster is calling all the shots, no regulation of content. No topic is left unturned, and pretty much anything can find an audience. I love this renegade, DIY aspect of podcasting. And I am proud to announce today that this single pirate radio station is now part of a fleet. So Raise the Jolly Roger and head over to The Cast Iron Ring! The Cast Iron Ring is a network of podcasts dedicated to bringing you the best in Music and Entertainment news, reviews, interviews and of course Music Gear!!

My Jean Jacket

I was a teenager during the “Golden Age” of metal in the mid 1980′s. I was introduced to KISS IN 1984, started playing Bass Guitar in 1985, and in 1986 Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer dropped their landmark iconic albums. The 80′s really was a good time to be metal head and almost every metal head at the time wore the uniform… a jean jacket. Now I know that a lot of metal heads also wore leather biker style jackets, but in my neighborhood, jean jackets prevailed.

I got my jean jacket in 1986 and wore it pretty much non-stop until I graduated in 1990. It became my trademark,a part of my identity. I even went as far as to have my senior picture taken with it. I did the tradition picture with a shirt and tie and then I had some pictures taken with my bass guitars and my jean jacket. Crazy I know, but I was a teen in the late 80′s and that was the thing then. I am happy to say that the senior picture I used for the year with my jean jacket seemed to start a trend. Each year after more kids were forgoing the traditional picture and doing things that appealed to them which I thought was great.

So as you can see in the picture above my jacket was dedicated to KISS. It started out with just one patch, and grew. At one point I had an Ozzy patch at the bottom. The Ozzy patch was removed to make room for the four “Faces” patches that you see at the bottom. One of the reasons that this jacket has been so special to me is because my grandmother bought the jacket for me and sewed all the patches on it. She died on New Year’s Eve 1988 and the jacket has served as a great way to remember her.

The main reason I decided to write about my jean jacket was to wonder aloud what the new badge of honor is? I see black t shirts and long hair, but nothing that really stands out. Maybe it is my age and the fact that while I still listen to a lot of metal, I am not as close to it as I was, but I just don’t see those stand out articles. When I was a teen ( walking to school in the snow, uphill, both ways) there were cool spiked gloves and bracelets, cool spiked rings, and they were hard to find. There was only one place in town that sold that kind of stuff ( at least that I could find) and they did not seem to last long. I bought some spikes there and made a guitar strap with them in art class. Now a days you can buy this stuff at every hot topic, but now it just seems homogenized. While we were certainly identifiable, everyone still seemed to acquire their own style, at times it was like a game of one upmanship.

So this is a call to all metal heads to dress distinctly and look as cool as the music you love. And it is also a call to anyone who like to educate me, just in case I am way off base here. Anyway, me, my p-bass, and my jean jacket are going to go rock out. MAKE SOME NOISE!!!

Garage Band on The iPhone

In Episode 5 we discuss using Garage Band on the iPhone, The Boss TR-2 Tremelo pedal, and we hear from Hank III about his gear.

Apple just updated the Garage Band App for the iPad this past week, and the biggest

Smart Drums interface in Garage Band

part of the update was making the app available to the iPhone and iPod touch. This makes Garage Band one of the best portable composition tools on the market. Other Updates include being able to do 3/4 and 6/8 time signatures as well as being able to make custom chords for the smart instruments.

I am a big fan of Boss Pedals because they are reliable, consistent and virtually indestructible, in this episode I sit down with the TR-2 Tremelo pedal and expolore some of the tones you can create with it.

A special treat for this show was Hank III taking a moment out of his day to talk gear with us real quick. Hank is continuing the family tradition of putting out great Country music and causing a ruckus. Join the ruckus at Hank3.com

.

Anthrax Hologram Sticker that was included with "State Of Euphoria"

thinking that “I’m The Man” was a cool track, but what really struck me was their cover of “Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath”. I had never heard anything like it before. It was the heaviest thing I had ever heard. The guitars were like a wall of chainsaws coming at you, so thick and so precise. Was it really being played by a person or was this some new guitar machine? I soon discovered that sound was the sound of an obsessive Scott Ian who double his rhythm guitar tracks up to 13 times. It was just so heavy, and from that point forward I was an Anthrax fan.

I have followed everything Anthrax has done since 1987 and hands down my favorite album was always “Persistence Of Time”, and while the other records(I know most people will buy this on CD, but all releases will always be a “record” to me) after that were good, they just did not seem to have that same sound and energy that I fell in love with back in 1987, until now. “Worship Music” is the best Anthrax record in years! It has recaptured the drive, energy and sound of classic Anthrax records, without sounding like a lame attempt to recapture a lost sound. These guys are legit and have the fire back in their belly! They have recaptured the signature tight, machine precise Anthrax sound complete with catchy singable melodies and great vocal harmonies.

What I like best about this record is that from start to finish I want to listen to all the songs, not once did my hand reach for the skip button on my iPod. A great example of the energy i was talking about can be found in the opening riff of “The Giant”. There is such a sense of urgency to the song, it makes you want to move. It’s hard to find a favorite song on this album because they are all so good, but one thing that stands out to me are the shorter pieces, like “Worship” and the “Hymns”. Those little pieces show how the band has grown musically and serve as great lead ins to the other songs. I love the way “Hymn 1″ leads into the bells on “In The End” and how the bells give way to the rhythmic guitar lines. Another highlight is the extended silence in “Revolution Screams” and the way it build back up. The re-entry riff is not what I am used to from Anthrax and it again shows how they have grown as musicians in the 27 years since their first release.

The only thing I do not like about the record, and this is just me showing my stage in life, is the new pentagram style logo. When I was a teen I was constantly drawing pentagrams on my book covers (much to the dismay of my teachers) and would have loved this back then. But now that i am a parent and have a few more years under my belt, I don’t really care for it. But that certainly did not stop me from buying the record. The bottom line for me is that “Worship Music” is a fantastic record that is sure to please new and old Anthrax fans alike while also picking up some new fans along the way.

And that got me to thinking, guitars are like the wands in Harry Potter, they choose the player. Think about the most iconic players. What would Eddie be like without his home made strat. Can you even picture Ace Frehley with out a Les Paul? I have met a lot of players that will change guitars constantly over the years, searching for the right look or tone, but I think they overlook feel. And I believe that the feel is why those iconic players with their iconic guitars stick to those guitars over the years.

There is a guitar shop in Pittsburgh called “Pittsburgh Guitars” and for years they have sold a t-shirt that on the back in HUGE letters says “Go For The Neck!”. I think that phrase for me sums up the feel of the guitar. A guitar can look absolutely beautiful, but if the neck is junk, the guitar is junk. You can upgrade pretty much every part on a guitar from pick-ups and tuning keys right down to the individual bridge saddles. You can do so many things to a guitar to affect the tone of it, but if the feel is not right it will never quite sound right. Case in point, I have played a lot of basses over the years. Basses made from graphite, basses with active electronics, basses that are made from very exotic woods, but when it comes down to it they cannot touch my 1985 completely stock Fender P-Bass. I can glide over the neck and create whatever bass line my mind desires. In my freshman year of college I was playing bass for the jazz band spitting the bass duties with another Bass Major, and when it was his turn to play, the director stopped the band and asked the other bassist with his very expensive, tricked out bass, if he could make it sound more like mine.

Now some may argue that since I have been playing that bass since I was 13, my attachment to that bass is one that is more familiarity and nostalgia than anything else. And being that a 13 year old really does not know any better, that would be a fair statement. However, while I have been loyal to the Fender P-Bass for many years, I have not had the same experience with guitars. I have owned several guitars over the years, because none of them seemed just right to me. At least not until I played my son’s Strat. That guitar had feel I was looking for. And I hope when he is old enough to play it he feels the same way. And then there is the guitar that led me to write this post. My Washburn Dime 333 in Dimebolt finish.

I took a huge chance on this guitar as I don’t like to purchase a guitar without playing it. The purchase started out as a nostalgia quest. I was looking to capture a little piece of Dimebag’s history. I found the guitar on eBay and was willing to take a chance for the price. As soon as I got it I knew it was a keeper. I tuned it up and plugged it in, went to walk away, and it started feeding back like mad. I hadn’t even strummed it yet. Then I felt the neck, it had the feel. There was a lot of work to be done, but through all the grime and the overly dry fretboard, that feel was still there. The guitar is built for speed and just mean sounding. The neck reminds of a Les Paul combined withe the old “hard v” shaped necks on the old strats. It feels nimble and quick, there is very little drag. It just feels fast. The body shape is taking some getting used to. Sitting down is no problem, but standing up is weird because of the size of the body.

I never thought that I would develop an attachment to the guitar so quickly, but it is now my go to guitar when I sit down to write. Even though it is a metal guitar it does have a lot of tone options, which has also led it to be my main guitar. I guess the moral of the story is to think more about the feel of your guitar and less about the looks. If you find a guitar with the right feel you can always customize it with a paint job, or change the tone with a new set of pickups, and then you will have your dream guitar.

A Screen shot of the Tracks section of Garage Band on the iPad

I first started doing home recording in 1992. I had a Fostex X-28h, a Boss DR-550, a guitar and my P-Bass. It was a cassette recorder and was one of the best home units at the time. The recordings were rudimentary at best and rarely had more than 4 tracks. Still, I did a ton of writing and even recorded some other people. 8 years later I upgraded to the boss BR-8. Now I had 8 tracks, built-in drum patterns for roughing out ideas, COSM amp and mic modeling and it was all digital. In just 8 years home recording had changed DRASTICALLY. A year after that I started using my computer to do my recording, and in 2011…I can now record on an iPad.

Garage band on the iPad blows me away. It boggles my mind to think that this self

Screen shot of the Amplifier in Gargage Band for the iPad

contained flat piece of glass and metal has more recording power in it than the Beatles had to record “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band”. And yet here it is. I started my recording endeavor on a cassette tape, and there are no moving parts to be seen and it is a much more graphical interface than I ever had.

What I like best about Garage Band for the iPad is that not only is it a great platform for sketching out ideas. It is also an empowering platform. With “Smart Instruments” it gives the beginner a solid starting point. It is nearly impossible to play a wrong note and it teaches chord theory in a round about way. Recently,  I had the opportunity to watch this empowerment first hand.

I work with guy named Mike. He does not play any instruments, but he loves music

Screen shot of Smart Drums in Garage Band for iPad

and can sing. I thought Mike would enjoy a program like Garage Band, so I sat down with him, showed him the basics and let him go. In three weeks I watched him go from music enthusiast to music creator. The best part is with each song he writes he learns something and uses the smart instruments less and uses what he has learned from the start instruments and applies it to the other instruments in Garage Band.

And that leads me to this episode. In episode 4 we talk with Mike about his transformation into music creator and how the iPad can be a viable tool for all musicians. All the Music in this episode was created by either Mike or Myself and done entirely on the iPad. So sit back and enjoy!

TonePros Wrap Around Bridge

The guitar is quite a curious instrument. It can sound as huge and devastating as a hurricane, but it’s also quite delicate. For example since most guitars are made of wood, they react to the element. Think of it like this. You know how in the summer time when it is super humid your door frames stick? And then then is the winter they work really well because it is so dry? Your guitar reacts in the same in the same way to the climate changes and this can cause the wood in the neck to warp. And if the neck warps… your guitar is done. Most guitarists are very aware of this and take steps to regulate the climate in their houses to keep the guitar and neck in good shape, especially since the neck has so much to do with tone.

There is another part of the guitar that has a big effect on tone as well, a part that as guitarists we overlook, the bridge. The bridge is one of two contact points for the strings. It is also the contact point that controls the intonation of the guitar. If the bridge is junk or in bad shape, then the guitar sounds bad. Even that vintage Les Paul.

In Episode 03 we talk with Wookie of TonePros where we discuss his life on the road in various positions, and how his time as a guitar tech lead him to TonePros.

And don’t forget, The month of October is a special month for our Sister Podcast, Radioactive Metal. Snowy will watching 31 Horror Movies picked by the listeners. so head to their Facebook page and toss in your suggestions!

1990 Ibanez RG 550

Welcome to my “Classic” Guitar series. In this first installment I am featuring the Ibanez RG 550. This RG 550 belongs to my friend Sean and was purchased in 1990. By the end of the 80′s Ibanez had established themselves as the guitar of choice among anyone who was a serious guitarist. They were everywhere and all the best guitarists were playing them, but one guitarist rose above all the rest… Steve Vai.

Steve Vai got his start playing with Frank Zappa, which shaped him musically and earned him his virtuoso status, but it was playing with David Lee Roth in the mid 80′s that made him famous. During his tenure with David Lee Roth is when Vai began his

1990 Ibanez RG 550

relationship with Ibanez and developed hi signature model, the Jem. The Jem marked the pinnacle of guitar hot rodding. In the late 70′s and through the 80′s guitarists everywhere were trying to build the better “mousetrap” so to speak. The Fender Strat had become the standard, but players wanted more and sought to improve the tone and playability of their stock Strats, which gave birth to the guitar parts aftermarket boom. Companies like Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan started creating new and hotter sounding pick-ups and other companies were building replacement necks and bodies. Which is how the Jackson and Charvel companies got started (Note: Jackson and Charvel were copying Fender guitars and hot rodding them as their claim to fame. They were Fender’s biggest competitor at the time. The irony is that today Charvel and Jackson are owned by the Fender corporation.).

The Jem that Steve Vai designed with Ibanez was the culmination of everything all

Headstock of the Ibanez RG 550

those separate companies were trying to achieve. The resulting guitar was like no other on the market. Sure, it Looked like a Strat, but it was faster, louder, and more agile than any other guitar on the market. It was the Colonel Steve Austin of guitars. The neck was thinner and wider. It had a satin finish and was super fast! The wider spacing made soloing easier and the trem system was almost bullet proof. They had one of the best licensed Floyd Rose Systems of any guitar at the time and Vai pushed the very limits of what it could do.

So what does all of that have to do with the RG 550? Everything. Ibanez owned the

Close up on the unfinished fretboard of the RG 550. Notice the wear marks. The playability of the unfinished neck is very fast and the wear marks give it some great character.

guitar market in the late 80′s and early 90′s because they were smart enough to take all the advancements they made with the Jem and put them into the affordable RG series, and the most popular model was the RG 550. With a list price of $749.95, the guitar had a street price of right around $500. With the rock solid construction, and super fast playability, and affordability, it became the workhorse guitar. The maple fingerboard was a key feature on the 550. The maple combine with the humbucker at the bridge gave the sound of the guitar a lot of bite and presence. Leaving that fingerboard unfinished reduced the drag that many players complained about the high gloss fingerboards on the Fender Strats. One of the downsides to an unfinished fingerboard was that wear showed much faster. However that wear gave the guitar character.

Another feature of the RG serires was the “Edge” tremelo system. Ibanez really had

Here you can see the Edge Tremelo system and how flush it was with the body of the guitar. This allowed for lower string action and increased playability.

something special with the Edge system. It was recessed into the body with allowed for lower action than traditionally allowed for by a standard Floyd Rose Tremelo system. What really set it apart was how stable it was. You could lift the guitar up but the trem bar and it would still stay in tune. Even being so stable it was ultra sensitive and gives some great flutter effects (to hear these flutter effects in action check out Rob Balducci, he is a MASTER at this. and his latest album “Violet Horizon” is a showcase for this technique).

The RG 550 was a very significant guitar in the late 80′s and early 90′s. It shaped the sound of Hard Rock, Metal, and early Alternative. I remember when Sean got this guitar. He owed a Kramer guitar at the time, and was already quite skilled on it. When he got the RG 550 his playing skyrocketed. The RG 550 was just built for speed. It aloowed him to play some of the complicated pieces he had been working on with ease and pushed his playing in new directions. Sean has had a handful of guitars over the years, but this one has remained his go to guitar.

With the recent renaissance of classic guitars like the Fender Jaguar and the Gretsch 5120 it is easy to forget the hot rod guitars of the 80′s. But I hear people talk about the era of shredding, I always think of Ibanez and the RG 550.

Specs:

Basswood Body,1 piece satin finished Maple Wizard neck, Unfinished maple finger board, Ibanez Edge Floyd style tremelo, Lazer Blue Finish, 5 way selector switch, H-S-H pickups, List Price $749.95

I am going to start with the second question first, “What do I need to do to get a solid foundation?” A solid foundation can change the answer to the first question, so here are some suggestions:

1. Practice every day – Yes, every day. Brad Guigar of Evil, Inc. has said on many occasions, “You can’t get worse at something you do every day”. And he is right. If you play everyday, no matter what you re playing, you are going to improve. That being said, if your practice is focused on improving a skill (i.e. Hand position, sight reading, rhythm, etc…) you will improve more quickly and consistently than if you are just goofing around and making noise. And don’t get me wrong, goofing around with your guitar is important too, but if you are playing the riff to “Iron Man” with your thumb rather than focusing on the proper fingerings and hand position, you are not getting the most out of your practice time.

2. Read – Read every guitar publication you can get your hands on. All of them. Get a subscription and save the issues. I learned a lot about right hand technique by reading articles on Metallica. I used to pour over the articles looking for any nuggets of information as to how they achieved their sound.  I still subscribe to 3 different guitar magazines, and there is always an article that helps me to improve my playing.

3. Use a metronome – I have a love/hate relationship with metronomes. They can be a very effective tool, but at the same time I find them difficult to play to. I prefer a drum machine because it is a more distinctive beat, but then the point of the metronome is to develop a strong sense of rhythm without all the noise of a drum kit. I like to slow the metronome down to anywhere between 60-70 BPM and then work on a simple warm up moving across and up the neck one fret at a time focusing on my fingers to keep them to as low as possible to the fretboard. playing at such a slow speed will increase your finger control at higher speeds. Believe it or not sometimes extremely slow is harder to play than extremely fast.

4. Join a band – One of the quickest ways to improve your playing is by playing with other people who are decent musicians. You will learn how read people, anticipate changes, and improvisation. If there are no other musicians around, play along with an MP3 of your favorite band.

5. Join your high school band – Even if you don’t get to play guitar in your school band, it will still greatly help your guitar playing. You will learn to read music, play as a group, how to recover from a mistake, a strong sense of rhythm, and develop a strong ear. I played trombone for years in Concert and Marching band. The results of that experience have been long lasting.

6. Go see live bands – I would go to every show I could as a young guitarist. I would get as close to front as possible and then just watch every move the guitar player would make with his hands. If you cannot get out to see a live band, a live video works too. KISS’ “Animalize Live” was a staple for me growing up.

7. Record yourself – If you want to see/hear where your strengths and weaknesses are, record yourself. Record a practice session and do it weekly.  Then LISTEN to your self. Really listen. does every note sound clear? Are you hearing fret buzz? If so why? Is it the guitar, or are you not pressing the string down enough? When you can hear exactly where your mistakes are, you will improve very quickly.

8. Take a break – Sometimes stepping away is the best thing you can do for your playing. I remember learning to play the main riff to Savatage’s “Gutter Ballet”. It was a very fast riff and I just could not get it. I shut the tape off (yes, I had it on cassette…it was that long ago) and just kept trying to push myself. Faster and faster, but I just could not get it. So I put it down and walked away. I came back to it in a couple of days and tried playing along with the tape again. It seems I had pushed myself so hard, I was actually playing faster than the recording. I slowed down and I nailed it.

Those are a few things that have helped me over the years and I hope that they can help you too!

Scot Coogan and John talking about Crush Drums

A few weeks ago, The Lynch Mob played at the Altar Bar in Pittsburgh. The Lynch Mob is George Lynch’s band that he put together after Dokken broke up at the end of the 80′s. George is one the many players to who rose to fame in the 80′s as a Guitar hero. So many of my friends loved his playing and I didn’t really care for it. Dokken never really thrilled me, they had some great songs and George sure was an amazing player, but something just did not sit right with me. I even saw them live in 1988 and was still unimpressed. Now in 1989 when George formed the Lynch Mob, that was something. To this day the opening riff to “Wicked Sensation” is still one of my favorite things to play on guitar. Once Lynch Mob formed, I became a George Lynch fan. He seemed to really open up and push new boundaries as a player.

Fast forward to December 2010, my buddy John over at Iron City Rocks interviews “Wild Mick Brown” who was the drummer for Dokken. It was a very telling and entertaining interview, and it shed some light on why I may have sensed some tension in the band. That interview changed my opinion of George even more and I found myself sitting down to learn one of George’s signature tracks, “Mr. Scary”. Next thing I know, John lands an interview with George himself. It was probably one of my favorite interviews today’s that John has done for the show. And this interview definitely elevated George to “hero” status in my eyes. He is such an accomplished player, has been celebrated in so many guitar magazines as a guitar genius, and in the interview he was very humble about his abilities.

Fast forward again to August 9th, 2011. George and company made a stop in Pittsburgh to play at the Altar Bar. John over at Iron City Rocks asked me to join him to interview Scot Coogan, the drummer for Lynch Mob, before the show. I jumped at the chance. I was really excited to have a chance to see George play live again.

We got there for sound check  and were able to sit and listen to the band warm up. I have to say it was nothing short of amazing. The band sounded great, and it was neat to see them in such a casual, relaxed setting. I love watching seasoned musicians get ready for a gig. Watching them work out parts and polish up sections, it’s just slightly magical to me. A particular highlight for me was a Blues jam that they did. It was cool to see George soloing and playing in a manner that you don’t hear on the records.

Another highlight of the evening was hanging out with Scot Coogan. Scot is a great drummer and a heck of a cool guy. He was gracious enough to show us his new drums pre-show and then have dinner with us at Primanti Brothers. Scot was really excited about his new drums, and rightly so. It is a beautiful looking and sounding kit. Scot is someone who is  the go to Drummer for acts like Lynch Mob and Ace Frehley with his forte being live performance. There are a lot of great players out there that can make an amazing record, but it takes a little something more to be able to hold a band together night after night. And Scot has that something. Rock solid timing and professional as all get out.

As luck would have it, I was unable to stay and catch the entire show, but I did have the opportunity to give Scot a lift back to his hotel so he could rest before the show. It was great conversation and just fun to be able to hang out with a musician of his caliber. Scot spoke so highly of Crush Drums, that I have been doing a little more research on them myself. Look for more about that soon!

Scot Coogan's brand new Crush Drum kit

In Episode two we celebrate drummers! Joining us in this episode is Rick Hughes, Artist Relations Manager for Crush Drums. Everyone at Crush Drums is a drummer…except rick. He’s a bassist. Which makes perfect sense! Who better to work with drummers than a bass player? Rick talks to us about the innovations that Crush has made in the drum market in just under two years. From customizable lugs to non-traditional materials, Crush is causing quite a stir in the Drum industry. I really want to thank Rick for coming on the show. We also feature an interview with Crush Drums Artist, Scot Coogan. Scot is pulling double duty as the drummer for Lynch Mob, and Ace Frehley. When the Lynch Mob rolled through Pittsburgh last month (more about that show Wednesday), John from Iron City Rocks invited me to join him in interviewing Scot before the show. We talk to Scot about life on the road with Lynch Mob, Ace Frehley and his new Crush Drum kit.

Also in this episode we discuss the new Zoom H2n, the Digitech iPB-10, and the Samson Meteor Mic. I plan to feature some new products in the show each month and eventually I hope to do some full on reviews. The Zoom H2n is an updated version of the H2. I own the H2, and I am happy about the updates on the H2n. In general it looks easier to use. If you want to hear the H2 in action, check out the Scot Coogan interview in this Episode or check out The Mayhem Festival show on Iron City Rocks.  The mayhem interviews were conducted  in an open noisy outdoor room. The H2 was set to use the front and back Mics and was about two feet from each person talking, just to give you an idea on quality.

The iPB-10 just looks cool, and is the next installment in the ever growing list of iPad accessories. I have used Garage Band and Amplitube on the iPad and would love to try something like this that has high quality in’s and out’s. The Samson Meteor mic is a new USB mic from Samson technologies and is the Mic I happen to be using on this episode.

Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir

A few weeks ago I finally saw Megadeth live. It was a long time coming, as I stated in an earlier post, I have been a Megadeth fan since my early teens, and the show was everything I hoped it would be. After seeing them live a couple things happened: one, I realized just what an amazing guitarist Dave Mustaine is, and two, my childhood obsession with Megadeth was rekindled.

That rekindled obsession has led to listening to old Megadeth records I have not heard in years, and reading Dave Mustaine’s book, “Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir”. His book is a tell all, no sugar coating, glimpse into the life of a metal band from the 1980′s to now. This book kept me glued to the pages. I think it may be the fastest I have ever read a non-fiction book.

The book opens with Dave in Rehab (again), loosing the use of his arm and rendering him unable to play the guitar. He then takes you back to his childhood (which was not pretty) and then into his rise a Heavy Metal King. The Metallica back story was great. I think I finally understand why Dave has had such a big chip on his shoulder for such a long time. It’s a shame really. Dave built quite a successful career for himself, but he always felt overshadowed by Metallica. I would love to see an addendum to see how he came to do the “Big 4″ shows. I have to say, I was floored when I heard Metallica and Megadeth were sharing the same bill, I really didn’t believe it. But I am glad that it happened.

Another highlight of the book for me was Dave recapping the writing and recording of each of the Megadeth Albums. I loved reading about how the first three albums came together and learning why “So Far, So Good…. So What” always sounded so muddy. I also learned that Steve Jones (guitarist of the Sex Pistols) played on Megadeth’s cover of “Anarchy in the UK”. I had no idea that Steve played on the track, and it has an interesting story that goes with it.

What really surprised me was Dave’s drug use. I had no idea how heavily Dave was using drugs. And what really scares is how easily it was to obtain. I’s funny, I am younger than Dave, but being a metal head our lives followed similar paths. What terrifies me is how close I was to all the same drug culture. Now when I say it terrifies me, I am not looking about in retrospect and worrying about what could have happened, I am terrified as a parent. As a parent I  often look back at how reckless some of my youth was and how I could have made better choices. I think about how I can help my own children to make better choices. After reading Dave’s book, I look back and realize how fortunate I was to have made the decisions I did. I think about how my parents would have felt had I chosen a different path and I worry about my children choosing the right path.

The underlying theme of the book is love. Without the love of Dave’s family, he would probably be dead. And Dave is one heck of a proud parent who loves his wife and kids.

My bottom line on the book is this: It is a must have for any Megadeth fan and should be required reading at every music school and for anyone who wants to start a band. It really is a good book, but it is not a light hearted story by any means. I always looked up to Dave as a kid becuase he was a great guitarist. Now I admire and respect him for his honesty and for being a great family man.

Writing and maintaining a blog has been a challenge for me and I am pleased that the webcomics community has to come to my aid. I will be attending Intervention Con in Rockville, Maryland this year in just a couple weeks. Intervention was started by webcomics creators to be a “creators” conference. A conference designed to help web comics creators get better at their craft. This year the convention is expanding to include bloggers and podcasters into their mix. I am really excited to attend this year. There are a lot of great panels scheduled, and I am hoping to get a lot of writing done while I am there. If you are a creator of any on-line content I encourage to check the Intervention Con website and join in the fun this year. I hope to see you there!

Dimebag Darrell with his Dean Guitar

I have been listening to podcasts for at least 5 years now. It started with a podcast on recording, then several podcasts on recording. I was even learning Japanese at one point via a podcast. I always wanted to produce my own, but I just could not quite figure out how it all worked on the backend.I knew how to record and produce a podcast, just not how to syndicate it.

Then last year my buddy John over at Iron City Rocks gave me a great opportunity, he invited me to to do some interviews for his show. I was so excited! I was finally a part of a podcast. And if that was not enough, John started letting me completely produce some shows on my own. Well, thanks to working with John, I started the blog you are reading right now. And also thanks to John, I attended the Pittsburgh Podcamp last year. It was at that “un” conference that I discovered a plug-in for WordPress called “PowerPress” by the Blubrry network. And that plug-in is what has allowed me to start podcasting on my own today.

Now, not only did John get me started in podcasting, he also helped me get the first interview. It is with great pleasure that I present to you an interview with Elliot Rubinson the CEO of Armadillo Enterprises, the company that owns Dean guitars. I chose Dean guitars for the first Podcast because this past Saturday was Dimebag Darrell’s birthday. He would have been 45. I though it would be nice to talk with Elliot about how he re-kindled Dean’s relationship with Dimebag and how they keep Dimebag’s legacy alive.

So enjoy this first official Episode and as a treat enjoy this video of Dimebag. Getcha Pull!!!

Dave Ellefeson at the Mayhem Festival in Pittsburgh, PA

In my last post I talked about going to the Mayhem Festival with my buddy John at Iron City Rocks. We went down to cover the festival and do some interviews for the podcast. All in all it was an amazing day and I learned a few things along the way. Here are a few of those things:

1. Be ready to interview everyone on the tour – This was our first festival doing

Dave Mustaine at the Mayhem Festival, Pittsburgh PA

interviews and photos. We tried to prepare for every situation, but we did one last minute interview with no prep. Luckily the guitarist we interviewed (Ben, from All Shall Perish) was a super cool guy…and he plays an 8 string guitar!

2. Set up shots on the fly – We shot photos of 4 bands that day. In order they were Kingdom Of Sorrow, Suicide Silence, Trivium, and Megadeth. These bands

Kirk of Kingdom Of Sorrow at the Mayhem Festival, Pittsburgh PA

are high energy bands, they move around the stage…alot. I missed a lot of great shots from hesitation. By the time we got to photograph Megadeth, we had already learned a lot and I got a lot of good shots.

3. Remember, it’s called the Photo PIT – It’s not called the photo pit for nothing! Remember, as you are shooting photos, there will be bodies flying over your head. I have not been in a pit in years….but it’s just like riding a bike!

4. Be nice to the security guards – They have a tough job, and that job is to keep everyone safe, including you. And they do a GREAT job! My hat’s off to the security team at the First Niagara Pavilion, they were awesome.

5. Drink plenty of water – this one I did not do, and I paid for it the next day. One super cool thing that Rockstar did was have water available in the same cans that their energy drink comes in. I am not an energy drink fan in general, so they made a win-win situation here. I got water and they got free advertising! Very smart marketing on their part.

All in all, it was a great day. John and I recap the entire day with artist interviews in the attached podcast. The really cool thing about the day, is that it was our first time doing Face to face interviews, and now that we have our feet wet I think we will be doing more of these in the future.

Dave Mustaine playing the Mayhem Festival at the First Niagara Pavillion in Burgettstown, PA

Tonight is one of those nights where my head is swimming with thoughts and sorting it out is going to be difficult. So let’s hop in the Delorian and head back to 1986. in 1986, I was 14 and Megadethreleased their Sophomore record, “Peace Sells….But

The Cover for "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?"

Who’s Buying?”. In 1986 I had been playing bass for about a year or two and would have started my Freshmen year of Highschool. 4 Bands dominated my world, KISS, Anthrax, Metallica and Megadeth. The latter two I listened too almost constantly. Peace Sells has one of the catchiest bass lines I have ever heard. And trust me, if you have ever watched MTV, you have probably heard it. They used to use it for their news theme.

Part of my fascination with Megadeth came from being a Metallica Fan. Dave Mustaine used to be in Metallica, but was kicked out. Learning that Dave had been in Metallica, I decided that should check out his band Megadeth, and I liked them a lot. Dave just struck me as so cool. He had long curly hair, that was orange, and he had a snarl and swagger about him like no other. I had a picture of the band on my door. It was the 4 members in Black trench coats. I had a black trench coat, and I ended up getting a perm to try to get my to look like Dave’s. The perm ended up being a bad idea. I looked like a giant poodle. But I didn’t care, I just wanted to emulate Dave.Now let’s hop back in the Delorian and head back to July 29th, 2011, the day that I finally saw Megadeth live.

My Buddy John at Iron City Rocks asked me if I wanted to go to the Mayhem festival and interview the bands in person and…shoot live photos of the show…including

Dave Ellefson

shooting Megadeth!! Of course I said yes. I will write more about the whole Mayhem experience later, right I am going to focus on Megadeth. So John and I get in the photo pit for Megadeth and the anticipation just builds. This is my first time covering a show in this capacity and I am about to be 10 feet away from one of my childhood heroes. Megadeth hits the stage and John and I jump into action. Three songs fly by in what seemed like only seconds. And in that time while shooting photos….something occurred to me…Dave Mustaine is an incredibly underrated guitarist.

I had always know that Dave had been the lead guitarist for Metallica before Kirk

Dave Mustaine Tearing up the fretboard at the Mayhem Festival, 7/29/11

Hammett, but I never really knew how good Dave was. Dave has run Megadeth like Ozzy Osborne runs his band, he always surrounds himself with the best musicians around. I used to think this was to carry him, after witnessing his playing up close I realized that he has the best player because he needs people that can keep up with him.

All these years I thought Dave was just sitting back and letting the other guitar players do the heavy lifting, and in those three songs, that all changed. Dave blew my mind. In interviews he is so humble about his playing. He talks about how he is a guitarist and how

Chris Broderick of Megadeth - 2011 Mayhem festival

his guitars are just the tools of the trade. Seeing him play up close and watching him blaze up the fretboard, and pull of the crazy dual leads with Chris Broderick was really amazing. I am a bigger fan of Dave now than I ever was. I always admired him for overcoming everything he has, and being so open about it. After seeing him live, that admiration tripled.

If you have  chance to see Megadeth live anytime soon, jump on it! It took me 25 years to see them live, but believe me when I say it was worth the wait!

Blag The Ripper and He Who Cannot Be Named

About a week and a half ago I had the opportunity to interview Blag The Ripper of the band, The Dwarves (This link is not safe for work, explicit images are on this site) for Iron City Rocks. One of the things I love about doing interviews for Iron City Rocks is getting to speak with legends and unsung heroes of the music Industry, and my interview with Blag was no exception.

Blag is the front man for the Dwarves, a punk rock band that started in the mid 1980′s and has kept rocking for 25 years. 25 years as band with little line-up changes is a feat for any band, let alone a Punk band. Punk bands by design usually burn out, loose members due to overdoses, or all of the above. The very nature of the music and attitude it takes to fuel a band with the kind of satire, sarcasm, and energy the way the Dwarves do should have a 5 year shelf life at best. Somehow, they kept it all together.

Before the interview, I was aware of the Dwarves but not familiar with their music. I have seen them advertised in numerous skateboard magazines. The imagery they use for their albums and posters are highly controversial, and their antics are legendary, but other than that, I had never actually heard them. So I went to their site and started streaming. Each song had a unique character to it. It was different, but still fit in as a group. The song writing intrigued me. They had pop sounding songs, thrash/hardcore songs, and classic punk songs. I found almost everything I listened to amusing and singable. What impressed me the most, was the fact that after 25 years they still sounded like a punk band.

There are many arguments out there that Punk is an attitude, not a sound. I disagree. Being mad at the world, dying your hair purple and getting pierced, but singing Brittany Spears style songs does not make you punk. While I agree that Punk is an attitude, that attitude has to some through the music and shape the sound. Look at the bands Black Flag and The Minute men. Two bands that are both Punk to core in their attitudes and DIY ethics, but their sounds are very different. Very different, but still very Punk. When I listened to the Dwarves latest effort, “Dwarves Are Born Again”, I heard the attitude and Ideals of a Punk band from the 80′s, and it was very refreshing. Too many bands lose their edge over time and soften up, but not the Dwarves. They are just as crazy as they ever were.

In the interview attached to this post you will hear two songs from “Born Again”, an album I highly recommend if you miss the anti-authoritarianism of the Punk of years gone by, but don’t want your music to sound dated. In the spirit of Punk Rock, this was the first show that I did all my host parts in one take and just let it all blurt. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

From left to right: Marty, Wammo, Aaron, Hugh, Hamell On Trial

Over the weekend I got an e-mail about some new Hamell On Trial material. I was really excited to get this e-mail because it included a new song that I heard at the Hamell and Wammo show that I attended in April. I have been meaning to write about the show since I attended it, but life took over and I never got around to it. Until now.

When I saw Ed play back in April he did a song, “The Happiest Man On Trial”. It was the first time I had heard the song and I instantly found myself singing along to it. It has been in my head ever since. Hamell just has a way of creating haunting and singable melodies. The song also stuck with me becuase of the subject matter.

The song is about being happy with what you have in life, ignoring setbacks, and just being happy. Hamell is not shy about talking honestly about his past, and if you are familiar with him at all, you know that he has lived a tough life. In spite of all that he has been through, he can take a look around and be happy with his lot in life. The song sends a powerful message, and this is a great version of it.

The songs are available free for download from Daytrotter. Daytrotter Sessions are produced in a studio called the Horseshack that has bands stop by while on tour and record a few songs. They do a minimal set-up and really try to capture a live and intimate sounding performance. It’s really a cool concept and they have quite a collection of songs available on their site.

This collection of songs that Hamell recorded for the Daytrotter Sessions is a nice mix of old and new tunes. The recordings are clean, clear,and very intimate sounding. They really capture Hamell at his best. Listen to the intro as well. It’s short, but it really sums up Hamell’s sense of humor. I am really happy to have a new set of Hamell tracks, and as usual, not only did I get some new music, but I also got some inspiration.Look for the fruits of that inspiration soon. And don’t forget to go download your copy!

Fender's Pawn Shop '51

If you are a regular reader of this blog you are probably aware of the fact that I am a huge fan of Fender guitars. So it will probably come as no surprise that when I heard about new Pawn Shop series that I had to try them out. The concept of these guitars is to create “mash-ups” almost of guitars that never existed but “should have” in Fender’s opinion. The concept really is a cool idea and it shows that fender knows where their strengths are. In the past Fender has made some attempts to be ultra modern and have sleek designed guitars, but with little success.  The Pawn shop series does what fender does best and that is be “retro” cool.

There are three designs in the series, the ’51, the ’72, and the Mustang Special. Each one has a unique appearance and a different approach to tonal selections. And thes best part is they all have a street price of  around $799, so not only are they unique, but they set you back too much more than a standard Strat would.

Let’s start with the Mustang Special. It has a classic 60′s/70′s appearance and has retro slider switches for the pick-ups as well as the traditional toggle switch. The slider switches control the coil selecting of each of the pickups giving you a lot of tonal options. I had the opportunity to play one at a local chain store. While they don’t set up their guitars that well any more, this guitar still played and felt great. The tonal choices really were staggering. I was amazed at how many sounds I could get of the guitar, from warm Jazz to brash Rock. It is a very versatile instrument.

Next let’s talk about the ’72. I will admit, I really had no interest in this model at all. The owner of my local music store talked me into trying out, and I have to say that I was impressed. It is a Strat style semi-hollow body and has a rosewood finger board, two things that I don’t normally care for, but the sound was great. It has two humbuckers and a what appears to be a volume and tone control. The catch on this guitar is that the Tone control is not a tone control, it is a fader for the pick-up selection. I am not aware if this had ever been done before, but what a cool idea. You can really blend the pickups and dial in a specific sound.

Last, let’s talk about my FAVORITE of the three, the ’51. This guitar caught my eye from the moment it was released. It looks like a mash-up of the ’51 P-Bass, the Telecaster, and the Stratocaster. It has the traditional angled single coil Strat pick-up, but instead of being in the bridge position, it’s in the neck! And boy was I delighted to see a humbucker in the bridge position!! I absolutely love the sound of bridge humbuckers and this one sounds great. And Fender equipped it with coil splitting so you can still get that classic Strat sound, and get the benefits of having a humbucker.  Like the ’72, the ’51 also has only two knobs, a volume control and three position pick-up selector knob. What I love about this guitar is it’s classic simplicity. No frills, stripped down features, but still great tonal possibilities. I could hear very distinct changes in tone when I changed the pick-up selector and I was pleasantly surprised with the sound of the neck pick-up. It was very warm and smooth, great for jazz, or for when you just want a bigger sound. Overall I think the ’51 is a great guitar. So much so, that I am starting to gather up old gear to sell so I can make room (and raise funds) for one.

The bottom line for me is that all these guitars offer something unique from a tonal perspective, and would be a great addition to your collection. I cannot wait to get a ’51!!

Rob Balducci - Violet Horizon

As you may or may not know I grew up in the 80′s. Being a guitarist/bassist in the 80′s meant a few things, you more than likely enjoyed Hair Metal, you were more than likely a guy with long hair wearing a black t-shirt, and you were more than likely a fan of instrumental guitar rock and loved “shredders” and you probably idolized guitarists like Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, and almost anyone on Shrapnel Records. I was all three.

Having the love of “Shredder” guitar that I do, it is no surprise that I really enjoyed Rob Balducci’s latest effort “Violet Horizon” (Available on Favored Nations). I am listening to it right now as write this. The first thing i was to say about Rob, is that his skills as a guitarist are only matched by his skills as a song writer. A lot of times when you get an instrumental guitar record you will have amazing solos, but the song structures them selves are tired, weak, and sometimes really bad sounding midi tracks. This is not the case with “Violet Horizon”. Rob crafts very thoughtful, well crafted songs. And while he can shred with the best of them there is a sense of melody and progression throughout out the songs woven in by his lead work.

I do have to be honest here, when I first started listening to the record, the first two tracks did not do much for me. However, by track 3 “Devil’s Juice”, the album picked right up. I do plan on going back and giving the first two tracks another listen, but that was my first impression. My favorite two track on the album so far are “The Essence” and “Trinity”. “The Essence” features some great whammy work (NOTE: In the podcast you will learn that what I am talking about here IS some great Whammy Bar work!), and I am not sure if this is a pitch shifting effect or just some really good use of the term system on his guitar. It just adds so much flavor and charter to the song. “Trinity” is just such a nice, smooth guitar ballad. It drips of smoky jazz and great jazz organ sounds as well as a singable melody which gets stuck in your head.

The whole CD is really a musical journey. It’s not often anymore that I get a CD that I can listen to start to finish and like almost every song. There is a musical cohesiveness to the entire disc and the flow from one song to another works very well. Something else that I really like about how Rob handled this album is that he has up a series of videos of him discussing the songs on the record and performing them. He is also quite dedicated to guitar education and features a lick of the week on site.

The bottom line for me is this album is a must have for anyone who is a fan of instrumental music. The guitar work is excellent, and well thought out. Rob is not just a great guitarist, he is also a great songwriter and takes pride in his compositions.

Yngwie J. Malmsteen

So the other day I was talking with my friend Sue over at Avalon Beat about why we liked certain writers in certain magazines. The conclusion we came too is that we liked them becuase they were clearly experts in their fields, but they still wrote in an everyday language that we could understand, enjoy, and learn something from. So I started thinking, “How does that apply to the guitar?”.

Growing up I had many of the same guitar heroes I am sure that a lot of you had, such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett, and Steve Vai to name a few. And I started thinking “What is it that really made them great?”. Well the answer is simple… They play guitar everyday. Right now you might be thinking: “Wait..play everyday? That’s it? That is the secret to their success?”. The short answer to that is “Yes”. The long answer goes like this: Natural Talent, Focus, and Obsession.

Natural talent is a hard thing to nail down. Some people seem to just be born to do certain things. Too often I hear young musicians listen to something and say “I’ll never be able to play like that”. To quote Henry Ford “If you think you can do something or can’t do something, then your right”.  Those young guitar players who say “I’ll never be able to play like that” are exactly right because they already made up their mind. Yngwie Malmsteen is a wildly talented guitarist, but he was never thinking “I’ll never be able to play like that” he was thinking “I bet I can figure out how they did that… and make it better” To me that “natural talent” is not so much the ability to play as it is the ability to look at the situation from a different angle. Take Eddie VanHalen for example. He took two handing taping and took it from a parlor trick to an art form and built an entire composition around it.

Focus and obsession kind of go hand in hand. As Sue stated in her post about Practice on Avalon Beat, it’s only only good if you have a purpose to it. This is where focus comes in. You need to be aware of your skills as a player. You need to be aware of your technique, your strengths and weaknesses. That awareness will allow you to then focus on your weaknesses and improve them slowly every day.

Obsession comes in like this: you have a lick that you are trying to nail. you play it constantly for hours each day. You drive yourself crazy when you cannot play it exactly as it is on the recording. So finally you sit down with the recording again. You hit play and realize something… it is slower than you remember. You were pushing yourself so hard, that you kept pushing the tempo faster and faster. Now that you play along with the recording, you can nail the lick every time…in fact you can player faster now.

That kind of obsession pays off in a subtle way. While you were learning how to play that lick and pushing it faster and faster, your hands gained skill, agility, and muscle memory. You will also gain perspective. You will start to look at things from a different point of view. You will start to solve your lick learning problems by improving upon and developing your own technique. And all of those things will make you a better player, and start you on the path to developing your own style.

One of my favorite cartoonists Brad Guigar always says “You can’t get worse at something you do every day”. And he is exactly right. So pick your guitar up everyday and obsess about it, and be prepared to reap the benefits.

Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to interview Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup for the Iron City Rocks Podcast. I have been a fan of Bowling For Soup ever since their album “Let’s Do It For Johnny”, and their 2004 release “A Hangover You Don’t Deserve” is one of my favorite albums of all time. It’s right up there with KISS’ Asylum and Ramones Mania for me.

One of the things I really enjoy about Bowling For Soup is that they embody the Rock n’ Roll spirit. They are just a fun band. You can’t help being in a better mood after listening to their music. Take the “Ohio” song for example. The premise of the song is a guy trying to convince his girlfriend to come back home after leaving for Ohio. It’s the tagline, “Besides, the Mexican food sucks north of here anyway”, that makes the song. It is a serious subject told in a funny manner, something the band has perfected in their 17 year career.

At the end of the podcast you will hear two new songs off of Bowling For Soup’s latest album, “Fishing For Woos”. The songs I chose are SSSSSaturday and “Friends, Chicks, Guitars”. These songs are classic BFS, they have a great guitar hook, catchy lyrics and they are just fun. The whole album sounds fresh. These are clearly a bunch of guys who enjoy what they do and they will be doing it all summer long supporting this album. Make sure you see them when they come through your town.

Guitars ready for assembly at the Martin Guitar Factory.

A couple of years ago my wife bought me a guitar for our anniversary that fulfilled a lifelong dream, to own a Martin Guitar. I had wanted a Martin guitar for many years, but there were two instances in my life where that desire significantly increased. The first instance would have been at the Nashville NAMM show in the mid to late 90′s.

It was my first ever NAMM show and needless to say I was a kid in a candy store. I was on sensory overload the whole time time I was there. It was amazing to see so many guitars and gadgets and before the public got see or them! After a while I was quite tired and needed a break so I decided to stroll to the Martin booth to relax and take in the sights of those beautiful instruments. I got the booth and was walking around when it caught my eye, a D-28. And not just any D-28. A Kingston Trio edition D-28. So at this point you are probably scratching your head and thinking to yourself: “Isn’t this the guy that interviewed GWAR, Suicidal Tendencies, and the Misfits? He listens to the Kingston Trio?”. The answer to both those questions is yes. My Mom raised me on a steady diet of The Beatles,The Beachboys, and The Kingston Trio, with 50′s and 60′s pop and folk mixed in for seasoning. I am still fan of that era of music and have been listen to the “Decade” channels on XM that feature the 50′s and 60′s quite regularly (You can read about that here). Being able just to hold and play the Kingston Trio model D-28 was dream come true in itself, and that moment solidified to me that I someday would own a Martin guitar. Even in that noisy environment you could hear the tone ring true.

The second instance happened in October 2007 when I got the chance to tour the Martin Guitar factory. My friend Chris was getting married in Allentown, PA which just happened to be very close to Nazareth, PA. Since it was so close, we decided to take the tour of factory the day before the wedding. I have to admit, at first I was a little disappointed. I expected to see rows of benches with skilled craftsman building a guitar from start to finish. What is discovered was still a large group of skilled craftsman, but each on did a single task. As I learned in through out the tour Martin had found a way to combine old world craftsmanship with assembly line efficiency. By the end of the tour I went from disappointment to awe and respect. What they were doing there was truly amazing, and seeing that process re-kindled my desire to own a Martin.

Fast forward to May of 2008. The quest for a Martin was in full swing and after our wedding anniversary my wife and I were visiting my favorite guitar shop in Pittsburgh…. Pittsburgh Guitars. We walked in and I saw them… a wall of Martins. Two guitars caught my eye, an HD-28 and an HD-28V. After playing both extensively, getting the in’s and out’s on each guitar from Carl (the owner of Pittsburgh Guitars), and some encouragement from my wife, I went with the HD-28.

The guitar has a tone like no other. it sings and it is loud. After buying the guitar I decided that I wanted to know more about the dreadnought design and how it came to be. I learned that the dreadnought was the biggest guitar that Martin had ever made (at least at the time it was) and was named for a British Battleship. The guitar design came about as a necessity. Singing groups were becoming larger and louder and the guitars of the time just could not keep up. The martin company solved the problem by inventing the dreadnought guitar. It was a longer neck and larger body than any of the guitars at the time and it had the ability to project like no other guitar. Despite those advantages it was not a hit at first. It took a few years before it caught on, but once it did, it became one of the most copied guitar designs of all time.

So you might be thinking to yourself, “Well, sure it was loud for the 1930′s, but it couldn’t possibly hold up to today’s standards”. Well, I am here to tell you that it still holds it’s own even against today’s modern amplification. I play in a church group and one day I showed up to rehearsal with my Martin, and no amplifier. Everyone in the group looked at me with concern. They all felt there was no way they would ever hear me. I smiled and told them that I just wanted to test something. After rehearsal everyone in the group just smiled, shook their heads, and uttered the same phrase: “I cannot believe that I could hear you better than I could hear me, and with no amplifier”.

When the Martin family conceived the Dreadnought idea I am sure they had no idea what the impact would be on the acoustic guitar in general. The dreadnought has to be one of the most copied designs in the guitar industry. So much so that everyone ho has an acoustic guitar line has a “Dreadnought” style guitar. It has almost become like “kleenex”.

Even though every guitar maker makes a Dreadnought, there is still only one Martin guitar. And no one makes them quite the way the Martin family does. Thank you Mr. Martin. Thank you for having the vision to design the Dreadnought, and thank you for passing on the tradition of guitar making from generation to generation.

How The Fender Bass Changed The World

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you probably already know that 2011 is the anniversary of the Fender Precision Bass. You probably also know that I am bass player and have been playing a Fender P-bass since 1985. With those two facts in mind it probably won’t surprise you that in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Fender P-bass I decided to read author Jim Roberts book “How The Fender Bass Changed The World“.

Jim Roberts is name well known in the bass playing community mostly for the fact that he was the editor of what was at one time the only publication of it’s kind: Bass Player Magazine. The book was copyrighted in 2001, and despite that fact it still remains remarkably relevant. Jim opens the book up with a pre-history of the electric bass, which nicely frames just how important Leo Fender’s invention really was. It also points out that contrary to popular belief, Leo Fender did not build the first electric bass. Leo did however build the first commercially successful electric bass. And as Jim points out, he changed the world with that success.

Until I read this book there were a lot of things I took for granite. For example, I thought that the electric bass has the same long illustrious history as the electric guitar. I did not realize that by the time I picked a P-bass for the first time, the instrument itself was really only 23 years old itself. Which also means that the people teaching me to play, were still learning the instruments capabilities themselves. I also took for granite the freedom I had with the bass, both in a physical sense and a melodic sense.

The book did a great job of tying in the cultural events of each decade that paralleled the development of the electric bass. It did such a great job of breaking down the development of the bass that I have found myself listening to the 5o’s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s channels on XM and comparing the bass lines. I have heard a majority of the music featured on those channels before, but I never noticed how different the bass sounded in each decade until now. By the end of the 50′s it is almost like a switch was thrown. The bass was all of the sudden in the foreground.

Jim also points out how a lot of the breakthroughs in  electric bass playing were actually made by upright bass players who made the jump to electric because of the freedom of the instrument. One of the most notable players being James Jamerson, who played on countless Motown recordings. His bass lines are infamous among bass players and have been studied the world over.

On thing that fell Jim did not explore was the impact that the Fender bass had on upright players. In the early days of the electric bass Jim talked about how a lot of upright players made the jump to electric. They made the jump because they saw the electric as a more versatile instrument. Something I have noticed in the last two decades is electric players taking those electric techniques (ironically enough, techniques inspired and created by the first upright gone electric players) back to the upright bass. Take for Example Mike Silverman, AKA “That One Guy“. He is an upright Jazz bassists who evolved his instrument to a two string almost sculpture like instrument. A very ELECTRIC instrument. Mike Silverman has been very influenced by the electric players of our time, and he carried that influence into the Magic Pipe.

The bottom line is that this book is a must read for any bassist. It provides a music history lesson as well as an insight into how the instrument has developed over the years. Anyone who plays bass, guitar, or just enjoys the pop music of the last 4 decades will thoroughly enjoy this book.

THE WAMMO & HAMELL SHOW!

PRESS RELEASE

Award-winning, one-man punk show, Hamell on Trial, and founder of Asylum Street Spankers, Wammo, bring their unique blend of story telling, shit talking, and punk rock to the stage at Smiling Moose on Thursday, April 28.  The show begins at 9:00 p.m. and tickets are $10.  Smiling Moose is located at 1306 East Caron Street in Pittsburgh, PA.

Ed Hamell and Wammo are two intelligent guys with sharp tongues that can be profane one minute and profound the next, both with a captivating sense of humor. These American originals are creative to the core and have combined talents to present a live show like you’ve never seen before! Warning, The Wammo & Hamell Show contains no boundaries, bringing you wildly genius infused rants while still being able to silence the room and break a heart or two.

Performer, poet, musician, visual artist:  Wammo defies simple classification. He’s a singer/songwriter who can also express himself through paint on canvas, a record producer who is also a performance poet, an actor who is also at ease behind the camera, a crackerjack washboard player with comic timing to match. Wammo has also enjoyed success as founding member of the Asylum Street Spankers.

Ed Hamell a.k.a. Hamell On Trial is an indefinable musician, artist, comedian, storyteller, and, above all else, a preacher of common sense and truth.  His performances invoke thoughts of the great rebellious comedians and social commentators of the past: Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, even a bit of Sam Kinison.  He is a great mind; acoustic punk rock mixed with a traveler’s soul. There’s no way around Hamell’s obscenity, but in that is a willingness to fight for the free-thinkers of the world.  Hamell is a refreshing punk-rock bomb on the unsuspecting folk singer-songwriter world.
________________________________________________________________________

“DIVERSITY? these guys get about 20,000 channels!” -Dallas Morning News

www.wammobaby.com
www.hamelltv.com
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Inquiries, Requests, or Artist Interviews:

Douglas Loren
Broad Street Music
411broadstreet@gmail.com

Aaron with Mike Watt

Since 2006, I have been on a mission to see Mike Watt perform live. On Sunday April 10th 2011 I accomplished that mission. Mike Watt and the Missingmen played at the Brillo Box in Pittsburgh, and it was an amazing show. What made it Amazing?

For starters, as I walked up to the club,  my buddy pointed out that Mike was just chilling out in front of the club talking with fans. He was surrounded by a small crowd who were clearly thrilled at the opportunity to chatting with him. He was completely at home. This is someone who truly appreciates his fan base. He didn’t turn anyone away and no one mobbed him. The fans were just as appreciative of him as he was of them.

Next, when I interviewed Mike for the Iron City Rocks Podcast I learned that Mike was Planning on performing his latest album “Hyphenated Man” in it’s entirety. And that fact right there says a lot about Mike and His approach to music. Most artists today with a large back catalog will put out a new Album with one or two

Aaron Meeting Mike Watt

decent songs that make it to the live show. The live show in turn will normally be padded with the “hits” and feature a lot of old material. Most Artists….but not Mike Watt. Mike appraoches his music much like Bach or Mozart would have, write a complete work and then perform it.

If I had to sum up what Mike Watt and the Missingmen sound like, I would call it “Punk Jazz”. That term does the music a disservice however, because it is so much more than that. Mike’s bass style is a cross between Miles Davis and James Jamerson. He can complicated busy lines like Miles, or just pull back and groove like James. The band plays so well together, they feed of each others energy. Another thing that amazed me that evening was the control that the band had over their dynamics. They would be raging on hard, loud and fast and then stop on a dime and slow down to a quiet whisper.

The more I go to see shows, the more I find myself delighted by the local openers. And so another treat of the evening was the opening act, a local band called The Neighbors. I really enjoyed their energy and sound. They were a refreshing take on 80′s alt-pop, without sounding dated. I look forward to hearing more music from them in the future.

Aaron with Mike Watt's Van

As you may have noticed, I not only had my picture taken with Mike, but also with the Van. Mike’s van is almost a legendary as he is, and so I posed for a picture with the Van. And on that note I leave you with a video of Mike discussing his van. Enjoy!

“Write anything you want guitar related. It could be the first time you heard a certain artist like Hendrix and how that may have affected you. It could be about our favorite piece of gear or doing maintenance on your gear. It could be what artist or player wrote a song that you still reach to for inspiration to this day.”..

“Since April is international guitar month I wanted to invite all of you to write a post for the blog because I would like a variety of voices on the subject instead of just my voice.”

So, I’m in a writing mood today! Sure, my friend, here we go…

The first time I heard a certain artist and how it may have affected me.
The only guitarist/artist that I can clearly remember having an affect on me is Yngwie Malmsteen. Now, hold up! Before all of the stigmas and stereotypes start forming in your mind, give me a moment. The nearing 40 year old Mike has a completely different mindset than the 16 year old Mike had in May of 1988 (And yes, I had to Google that release date and then use a calculator to figure out my age. After all, that was 23 years ago! sigh..).

Regardless of the time gone by, I do remember being very young and hanging out at the local pool, it was a sunny/beautiful day, with a slight breeze (funny what one remembers). I remember some older guys from my school (while hanging out at the snack bar of the pool) all talking about this new CD from this oddly named guy, Yngwie Malmsteen, and how he was the “most amazing guitar player ever”. Well, of course what the 18 year olds said back then carried some weight with me at only 16. So, just a few days later I bought the cd that they were all raving about.

I still remember how awestruck I was listening to Black Star for the first time. It was completely new, and fresh, and amazingly technical, fast, and yet heartfelt, all at the same time. The blazing speed in Far Beyond the Sun was unreal to me as a young guitarist with only 4 or 5 years under my belt at that point. I remember listening to that “chka chka chka chka chka” rapid fire sound that his guitar had when he started down low in a riff and just blasted his way up at inhuman speeds, ala Far Beyond the Sun solo.

I remember sitting in my bedroom, playing the same Black Star, and I am a Viking riffs, over and over again. I remember getting so excited when I would get even slightly close to almost sounding like my guitar idol. To this day I can still rip off a few “Yngwie licks”, if it’s an electric guitar with good action, AND if I have my big stubby jazz pick, AND if I have a nice distortion with some reverb to hide my messy playing.

So here is where I come to my “older Mike” realization, where I asked for you to withhold your judgements on me for picking Yngwie Malmsteen. Because now I realize that, almost like a crazy ex-girlfriend, who was actually really bad for you in the long run, but you don’t want to give up the memories. Yngwie’s music inspired me towards playing guitar more often, but at the same time he probably didn’t help me much in the long run. Due to all of the time that I spent trying to copy his style, I never learned scales, or chords, and in all honesty I never learned to play anything that people really want to or like to listen to, and I never really developed “my own style” (something I am trying to work on now in all honesty). Every song that I made in my life (barring my latest endeavor, well, that is still debateable I suppose) was not enjoyable to listen to for the general public. Heck, even to guitar players.

So I guess that there are two ways to look at how my artist pick affected me:
1. I was awestruck and enjoyed his music for years of my life. His music pushed me to play better “technically” as well, without a doubt. And he was truly a pioneer with his sound and I honestly believe that it was all of the copying of his style that killed his style in the long run. But like everything else good in the world, it will come around again some day in the future .
2. I may have been better off in retrospect picking a “slower player” as an idol. One who played more by feel and soul rather than technical chops. I would probably be a much better, and well-rounded guitar player at this point in my life.

My advice to the kids out there? It is ok to secretly love music created by those with godlike skills, but stick to the basics and learn ear appealing rhythms, melodies, and harmonies. You’ll reach and connect with many more people with a good, slow, ear pleasing rhythm on an acoustic guitar than a blazingly fast lick on a screaming electric any day of the week in most cases. Practice the things that matter, really think about who YOU want to be as a guitarist. Spend time making your own music (no matter how bad it may sound at first) versus just trying endlessly to sound like someone else. Or you may just end up like me, a 40 year old, lost guitar player LOL ;P.

Discussions on my guitar gear.
Knowing my background listening to Yngwie, you’d figure that I’d have a cream colored Fender Strat with a scalloped fingerboard and the like. Well, thankfully I didn’t have the money to buy such a monster back then. So I played through many guitars throughout my lifetime, but currently my ax arsenal is as follows:

1. Godin xtsa – This wonderful piece of guitar technology/art is my favorite guitar. It is a jack of all trades, close to a master of some! Get this, it has not only 2 humbuckers and a single coil for regular electric guitar playing with a 1/4″ jack. But it also has a piezo? (forgive me guys, I’m not an expert here) pickup that has a separate 1/4″ jack on the guitar for “acoustic out”, along with eq sliders on the guitar body for tweaking your acoustic sound. And yes, the acoustic sound sent out to record with is rather impressive sounding for what it is. But here is the cool part of this guitar! It ALSO has a midi pickup of sorts in it. It has a 13 pin connector that runs out of the guitar which then goes into a Roland GI-20 MIDI interface, which then goes to the computer.

What does this mean? It means that I can start my computer, load in a soft synth like sonik synth 2. I can then pick a violin, or a piano, or a brass section, etc… and when I play my guitar, you guessed it, I am playing those instruments! To an old guy like me, this is darn near magical! Totally cool! It records as midi in my sequencer of choice and there you have it! Not only is this guitar amazing at everything it does, but the build quality is amazing for the price. It is made in Canada I believe and the thing feels twice as solid as my other guitars, like literally twice as solid. Like picking up a solid oak board versus a particle board, uh board. You know what I mean ;P.

The list price was $1299, I picked it up at a local guitar shop, new for $749 and the Roland GI-20 for $450 (keep in mind this was 3+ years ago? I honestly don’t remember how long ago, but it’s been awhile).

2. Ibanez Acoustic Electric (AES 10 I believe, with Fishman equipped SST acoustic pickup system) – Having owned this guitar for a few years now, I have to say that I love the recording aspects of this little gem above the “real life” sound of it. Meaning that if I am playing in a room for someone, it sounds, well… ok. But plug this little beauty in to record with and wow! what a sound she has.

While my Godin has been rock solid on durability over the years, this Ibanez has had some issues. The little selector switch on the side has busted a connector, which now sticks out from the side of the guitar. It is still fully functional, but just annoying to look at all the time. I also had to adjust the neck twice now due to the strings just lifting very far off the fretboard over time.

But with those complaints aside, and even with the Godin acoustic option, I find myself always reaching for this guitar when I want to record acoustic guitar tracks. I am never disappointed with the sound and I never have to mess with the recorded sound much either come to think of it (outside of normal reverb, chorus, etc… not much eq ever needed). I did a Stairway to Heaven recording once and the guitar sounded really sweet given it is an amateur player and sound engineer (both me ).

Now for guitars 3 and 4 which will round out my personal collection. There is some background to these guitars. I had some extra money from work within the past year. I never really do anything or go anywhere, and I’m usually a saver of money. Well, I had a weak financial day and I decided that I was going to treat my older self to that cream colored strat that I had always wanted growing up (yeah, there it is, still, after all these years, Yngwie influence LOL). So after 2 hours of debating and listening, I was sold on an American made, cream colored, close to $900, Strat. I drove 1 hour home from my favorite shop and plugged it in to record with. And wow! I had no idea that single coil pickups were SO noisy! It was unacceptable. I personally think that there had to be something wrong with the one that I got, because the amount of noise that was coming out of that strat (even on the two single coils put together selectors) was just bad. So I packed it back up and drove back out to the store. I explained my situation and they kindly allowed the return, which I made into an exchange to their benefit. So I began looking all over again and ended up leaving with 2 guitars for $1000 or so instead of 1 really noisy guitar for $900. And those two guitars are listed below.

3. ESP LTD Deluxe – Being a lover of heavy metal music for many years of my life. I wanted an axe with that mean/metal sound. And this guitar fits the bill with it’s active EMG pickups that simply put, spit heavy metal fire! Although nowhere near the build quality of my Godin (feels half the weight in all honesty, as does guitar 4 on the list), it appears to be built well albeit light. The action and playability of the guitar is really nice. And with the low action and lighter gauged strings, I can really rip on this thing. Since it is so new I have not yet recorded with it, but as soon as I do I’ll let Aaron know the outcome.

4. Fender Blacktop Stratocaster – Ok, so I went into the store to look at this Blacktop Strat to begin with and worked my way up to the $900 American made Strat on the first go round. But at $400 and change, this bad boy is everything I love about the Fender sound, and playability, except with a really clean recording sound due to the two humbuckers that it has. My newest song “Your Light is Gone” showcases the creamy sound of this Blacktop strat in the solo. I felt it sounded very Pink Floydish and I was proud to hear that sound. I was also proud that there was not one attempt at a fast lick in that solo. It was, quite possibly the first time in my guitar playing life that I just played really really slow and simple. And you know what? That may, sadly, be the best sounding little solo I’ve ever played .

Artists/songs that inspire me today.
This 3rd and final section I will make quick, as I’m running out of time this morning and need to get a move on with my day. Now that the days of Yngwie have come and gone in my life (for the most part, I still can’t resist a riff every now and then). I guess, my new inspirations are coming from Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and other masters from the past that maybe I should have been listening to a little bit more back then. Crazy to think that “my style” may just be an Yngwie/Pink Floyd/Zeppelin hybrid! It’s an odd world, and, well.. I’m an odd guy .

Anyway, that’s my 2 cents and now I’m out. Aaron, if you care to post my Stairway partial remake or my new song that I just sent to you, help yourself. Or else nobody besides for my girlfriend, parents, sister, and a few unlucky coworkers (who get trapped in my show and tell, proud moment after writing a fresh piece) may ever hear my attempt at writing a song .

Peace man…
Mike

—-Mike is a Musician, Author, and Self Proclaimed Finance Geek

John's Les Paul and Marshall Half Stack

Article by John of the Iron City Rocks Podcast:

I don’t know how old I was when I first discovered Kiss but I remember the moment. My dad had taken a job painting a family friend’s house while they were on vacation. I went along to “help”. They had a few older boys in their family and had a great comic book collection. So while we were there I opened up the now famous Marvel comic featuring Kiss (and their own blood in the ink). I’m not even sure I realized they were musicians but they made cool superheros.

Not long after that I was playing with a boy about the same age in my Grandmother’s neighborhood and he had the Kiss color-forms. I think that was when the guitar first appealed to me. It was almost like the guitars and bass where these superheros’ guns.

I really got into the visual aspect of the band and remember vividly destroying many Sears/JC Penney’s catalogs cutting out the pictures of all the crappy guitars. I would then take them and paste them on paper and draw each of the band members around the guitars.

I ended up buying Ace Frehely’s solo album (1978) without ever hearing a Kiss song. 30+ years later and I still really enjoy that record.

Little did I know that the Sears Catalog would be the source of my first two guitars. Let me tell you they looked a lot cooler in the catalog than they played. I got my first guitar at about 13 years old and in short order broke both bones in my left forearm (not the result of any Paul Stanley inspired guitar smashing, just bad luck). Most of my peers left me in the dust skill wise as it took quite a while to get strength and coordination back. I played quite a bit until my college days which happened to coincide with the death of great guitar caused by the music know as Seattle Grunge.

At this point I had sold all my guitars and amps. The music scene I had assumed had passed me by. Nothing on radio did anything for me. MTV became the “Real World” network. Then I had a co-worker who was selling a decent Les Paul knock off. It was a Lotus brand. Sort of a tobacco sunburst color. I got my hands on a guitar tab book called Kiss – Signature Licks. I sat down with it and really worked on the parts. It was one of the first times I could work through entire songs and at least get close on the solos. It really inspired me to get back into play guitar not to try and be a rock star, but for enjoyment.

As a child of the 80′s music scene, the visual nature of the guitar has stayed with me to this day. There are certain guitars that need to be played for certain types of music not because of sound so much as how it looks. You aren’t going to play metal with a hollow bodied Gibson guitar, you don’t play blues with a floyd rose equipped ESP.

Since that time my wife and children have bought me an Ibanez Iceman (think Paul Stanly) and an unfinished super strat guitar that now is finished in the style of Eddie Van Halen’s VHII guitar. I have a Fender Stratocaster that was made the year my son was born.

Fast forward to more recent times. Since my earliest teen years I have been drawn to the classic Gibson Les Paul. The lotus had long since been sold (at a nice profit mind you). I purchased a Gibson Les Paul Special. It was made in the US but was very plain. I liked the sound but it was boring looking. I eventually traded it away to get a Marshall amplifier.

I came to that point where it was time to get the Les Paul that looked like what I wanted. I wanted the guitar that Ace Frehley used in the early days of Kiss. The choice came down to Gibson or Epiphone. The price difference for what I wanted was about 10 to 1. I did get the Epiphone and I am glad for it. It is a heritage sunburst. Two humbuckers and heavy as hell. The upside and I don’t have to keep it ten miles from my kids. I can play it, they can touch it, it can be enjoyed. I wouldn’t have that with the Gibson.

Don’t get me wrong, never ruling that Gibson Les Paul out.

John runs the Iron City Rocks Podcast which is dedicated to promoting the Pittsburgh Music Scene.

Mike Watt

The human race has always had legends.  Vlad The Impaler, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Blackbeard The Pirate, and Robert Johnson. All of those are legendary stories that have captivated audiences from generation to generation. Being a musician myself I have always been drawn to and fascinated by musical legends such as Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, and others. And thanks to John at Iron City Rocks, I have now been able to speak with two legends that are also personal heroes of mine.

The first legend that I got to speak with was Jerry Only of the Misfits (Episode 72 of the Iron City Rocks Podcast). I had met Jerry briefly 10 years earlier at a NAMM show and was able to get a picture with him, but that was nothing compared to being able to interview him and get the stories of the Misfits straight from the source. The second legend I got to speak with is Mike Watt.

You might be scratching your head right now and asking “Mike who?”, but trust me, you may not know who he is, but I know you have heard him play. Mike started playing bass in a band called the Minutemen with his childhood friend D. Boon. I First became aware of Mike and the Minutemen because of the band Black Flag. Black Flag was the driving force behind SST records, and SST records was the home for many California Punk and Hardcore bands back in the late 70′s and early 80′s. To me the Minutemen can best be described as “Punk Jazz”. They embraced the energy and DIY ethic of Punk Rock, but musically they sounded nothing like the Punk at the time. They were more free form, like if Miles Davis had decided to redo “Kind of Blue” with just guitar, drums and bass. They had a completely fresh and unbiased approach on making music.  The Minutemen ended in 1985 when D. Boon was tragically killed in a car accident.

After the Minutemen, Mike Watt went on to form fIREHOSE and then continued on with solo projects and other collaborative efforts. Mike Has played on records by Gov’t Mule and Kelly Clarkson and a host of others and most recently he has been playing bass in The Stooges with Iggy Pop. Mike is an amazing creative force. The interview with him was perhaps one of the most inspiring interviews I have ever done. Mike’s approach to composition and music technology is so open minded. And his latest solo effort “Hyphenated Man” is a reflection of that.

“Hyphenated Man” is one long song in 30 pieces. When I first listened to the album I marveled at how one song flowed into the next, each being a completely separate idea from the last, but still transitioned so well. Mikes bass lines are half vocal melody and half traditional bass line. He is the James Jamerson of Punk Rock. Mike is currently embarking on a tour to support Hyphenated Man and will be stopping in Pittsburgh on April 10th at the Brilobox. I plan on being in attendance that evening so I can cross another legend off my bucket list. All signs point to this being an unforgettable evening , stayed tuned for a concert review!

While I was there I met my friend Sue. Sue is an absolute monster when it comes to the guitar, music theory, and sight reading.  And that is why she discovered my ruse. You see see I am a bass player. It’s what I do, and it is what I have done since I was 13. Before I played the bass guitar, I played the trombone, which is a bass clef instrument and helped me with my music reading on bass. Up to the point when I was hired at the music store to teach guitar, I had played the guitar, but I was no master at it. So when I went to audition for the job of bass guitar teacher, I was quite surprised to have a guitar put in my hands and to be asked to sight read guitar music. I went home sent a follow up letter and to my surprise, I got the job!

Now this job turned out to be surprise after surprise. My First day I show up expecting bass guitar students, but what I found were all guitar students. And….they all played guitar better than I did. I dedicated the next three months to learning the guitar. I absorbed every bit of guitar educational material I could. I read every book I could get my hands on, watched every video, and practiced all I could. By the end of that three months, I was better than all my students and I kept getting better. I had fooled everyone…or so I thought. It turns out Sue was never fooled for a minute, and she told me that. Sue is nothing if not direct. She respected the work I put in and we became great friends.

Sue has always been very passionate about guitar education and she is taking that passion to the internet. Sue has started her own website – http://www.suzannedecree.com – where every week she will be sharing tips and tricks to help guitarists everywhere become better at their craft. Right now she is updating it weekly, but there are plans to increase the updates. She will also soon begin selling eBook downloads of the educational material she has created over the years.

Make some noise!

April is International Guitar Month!

I don’t remember when I first learn about International Guitar Month, but I have been celebrating it for over 15 years. The idea of guitar month has always appealed to me because I see it it as a chance to raise awareness about the guitar. You may be asking yourself right now, “Who is not aware of the guitar?”, so let me explain.

Thanks to things like MTV (when they still played Music) in the 80’s, YouTube, and especially the video game Guitar Hero, I think it would be safe to say that most of the world is very aware of the guitar. What some people may not be aware of is just how versatile and accessible the guitar can be.What most people are aware of is the electric guitar, which has only really been around sine the 1930’s. The guitar itself is hundreds of years old and at one point was a more respectable instrument than the piano. Once it became electrified and gained such mass appeal in popular music, it seemed to loose the respect of the masses.

In honor of International Guitar Month, I invited a few friends who are guitar enthusiasts to write an article. The only rule I gave them is that it had to be guitar related. Their articles will be featured through out the month as will my own posts that will be more focused on education and gear. At minimum I will be updating every Friday this month, but in reality, it will probably be more often, so check back regularly or better yet subscribe to my RSS Feed and never miss an update!

Make some Noise!

Explicit Content

Musicians have their own language. Whether it be the Italian we learned to better understand the sheet music we read or the use of words like “gig”, “charts”, or “Lead Sheet”, we have a language that we speak and it is all our own. It is also important to note that this language relies (heavily) at times on borrowing 4 letter words from the English slang vernacular.

The last three shows I have produced for Iron City Rocks have started with me uttering the words “Not Safe For Work” so that our listeners know that listening to the show in an open environment could cause some controversy. While John’s goal is to keep every show “family friendly”, but he also understands musicians and that cannot be censored easily. So why the four letter words peppered in amongst all our educated language? It’s simple really, no matter how much we learn and how educated we become, there is simply no better way (at least for a majority of musicians) to express our disgust with something than those four letter words.

There are some who may try to argue that the sue of such language is a reflection of being under educated or of poor upbringing, I beg to differ. Take the artist Hamell On Trial. Ed Hamell is a highly educated individual and very well read. I have to keep Google open half the time when listening to his songs just so I can keep up with the references he makes. Yet when in the throws of passionately discussing a topic, he has been know to drop an “F-Bomb” or two. During my interview with Hamell he dropped the “F-Bomb” about 5 times in row, paused suddenly and asked “Do you guys have FCC regulations?” to which I responded “Nope, your good” and he kept on rolling.

It was Classic Hamell. He is a very well spoken man, but when push comes to shove he will still revert to a few 4 letter words to punctuate his point. So why are musicians prone to this? I really don’t have a good answer. But thankfully we have have “explicit content” tags and warning labels to let listeners know when to put on their headphones.

Until next time, make some noise!

Me with "That 1 Guy"

In my last post I wrote about Mike “That 1 Guy” Silverman and the interview that I did for Iron City Rocks. On Friday, March 18th I had the opportunity to see That 1 Guy live. I took my wife to this show hoping it would make up for the “Misfits” show I took her to back in October. The good news for me was that it did. We both had a wonderful time at the show and were discussing what we saw and how impressed we were with both the music and Mike’s performance of it for the last week.

For starters Mike is a super nice guy. I introduced myself before the show as he was setting up and went back to my seat. As he was walking by on his way to the dressing room he stopped by our table to introduce himself to my wife. That gesture of politeness set the stage for later on in the evening. At the end of the show, the crowd lined up to meet Mike. He signed stuff and posed for pictures and until he had met and talked with everyone in the club. The only other artist I have seen do this was Jerry Only at the Misfits show back in October. He performed for 90 minutes straight putting out a ton of energy and still stayed for another 30-45 minutes to meet all his fans. He even did a short video tour of the “Magic Pipe” for me at the end of the night. Mike is truly a nice guy who loves what he does.

As my wife and I watched the show, we both marveled at the energy Mike put forth. He took the stage with a fury with his opening song “Modern Man” and he never slowed down. I am still just amazed by Mike’s musicianship. The “Magic Pipe” is an

The "Magic Pipe"

instrument that he built and does not have any of the “normal” scale lengths that other stringed instruments have. While he does have some markings on the pipe, he doesn’t use them. He played the majority of the show with his eyes directly on the audience and rarely ever looked at the pipe at all while playing. His intonation is superb, I never heard a sour note through the entire show.

The “Magic Pipe” is quite an invention. My wife kept leaning over to me during the show asking questions and trying to understand how he was actually making music. As I explained what little I knew about Mike’s

Floor Triggers on The "Magic Pipe"

set up, it occurred to me what a brilliant guy he s to have created it. He managed to engineer this pipe to have two strings on it to which he mounted two pickups. The pipe itself is mounted to a steel floor that has has upside down stainless steel mixing bowls mounted to it. Those bowls are MIDI triggers that trigger the sounds that Mike has assigned to them. Those sounds will change based on what patch is selected in his rig. And His rig is actually a Macbook Pro running Logic. What is a patch you ask? Think of it like this: in most desktop publishing programs like Microsoft Word or Apple’sPages you have templates for layouts. Those layouts change the appearance of the page based on what is selected. A patch is the same thing but for a palette of sounds.

At the show I bought two of Mike’s CD’s, “Packs A Wallop” and “The Moon Is Disgusting”. I really enjoy both CD’s. They are well orchestrated and just fun to listen to. The best thing about them though is that all those songs are even BETTER

Close up of MIDI Drum and MIDI triggers on the "Magic Pipe"

live! I love when I can say that an artist puts out a great CD and is still better live. That is a testament to the artists ability as a musician and a performer. Mike understands those two hats and wears them both well. Not only is he a very skilled musician, he has also been trying his hand at magic during his shows. I don’t even know how to begin to describe how entertaining and delightful the magic tricks were. They were a real great addition to a great live show.

If “That 1 Guy” is coming to your town, you need to see him play. You will not be disappointed. If you want to see a little more of That 1 Guy live you can view the videos I posted on my YouTube Channel. Head on over to his website to check out his tours dates and find a show near you!

That 1 guy - PacksAWallop!

As you may know, I am a musician. I play trombone, guitar, and bass guitar, but bass guitar is what I do best. At one point I was going to school as a performance major for bass…but there was a catch. The catch was I had to learn to play the upright bass, while what I wanted to play was electric bass. The Upright bass is an amazing instrument that is very old…and very difficult to play. There are no frets at all so you have to have a great ear and great muscle memory.

Earlier this year John asked me if I wanted to interview “That I Guy” for the Iron City Rocks Podcast. I checked out the link he sent me, watched some videos and was quite impressed. You see “That 1 Guy” (Also known as Mike Silverman) is a one man band, but not in the traditional sense. Mike built an instrument that he calls the “Magic Pipe”. It looks like modern art, has two strings that he slaps, bows and hits with drum sticks, and it is loaded with Midi trigger points. It is part Drum, part synth and part string instrument. As I watched the videos I kept wondering “how is pulling this off?” I was amazed at how well he jumped around the neck and kept his intonation and wondered what his musical training was.

Interview day comes and I learn that he is a Jazz bassist and has played the upright bass since he was 10. At that moment it all clicks! Of course he can play like that on the huge instrument with no frets, he has been doing it all his life, now he just “updated” the design a bit.  So what does his Mike’s Music sound like? Picture Frank Zappa meets the Blueman group and then they head to  rave. And if that does not paint enough of a picture,  then just listen to episode 97 of the Iron City Rocks Podcast to check out That 1 Guy’s song “Packs a Wallop”. And if that does not do enough for you, well…. you just need to see him live. An you are in luck because he is on tour right now and coming to a town near you!

That 1 Guy will be performing in Pittsburgh on Friday March 18th at Club Cafe on the South Side. I plan on being there to check out the show and hopefully do a followup interview with Mike. I cannot wait to experience this music in person!

Signal To Noise Logo by Canyon Beach Visual Communications

If you visit this site on a regular basis you may have noticed that that my Logo has been changing and evolving over the past few weeks. The new logo and it’s evolution are in thanks to my friend Chris at Canyon Beach Visual Communications.

Chris and I have know each other for over 20 years now. We worked at Burger King together as kids and I taught him to play guitar initially. He is a pretty good guitar player (although he will never give himself that credit) and in general he is a

Signal To Noise Twitter Logo

creative force. Some of my best creative work and ideas have been because of Chris. Whether it was from us staying up all night to record ideas for a soundtrack to an animation he created or just a phone conversation about an idea he had, he has always inspired me. I love going to visit him for the weekend because I always come home recharged and armed with new ideas.

The logo on my site as well as my twitter background and logo both started from a simple conversation about a rough idea idea I had for a logo. Next thing I know Chris turns it into magic and presents me with the logos you see here. So if you are in the Market for a new logo, website, or other graphic work head over to www.canyonbeach.com and drop Chris a line.

Lemmy

When I was Teenager I tried to like Motorhead. I bought a tape and listened to it, but i just didn’t get it. So I wrote them off. Fast Forward to the 90’s, I get the Ramones farewell video “We’re Outta Here” and who has a guest appearance? Lemmy. Lemmy wrote a song about the Ramones called R.A.M.O.N.E.S. and it was pretty cool. I liked the tune a lot and I thought Lemmy did a great job singing it, but I still didn’t care about Motorhead.

Fast forward to 2010. I am laying on the couch with my son and I decided I wanted to watch the movie “Airheads”. The movie opens up with Brendan Fraser riding a Harley down the strip and there is a cool song playing in the background. As I start to listen closer I notice a familiar sounding gravely voice….Lemmy. The song is “Born To Raise Hell” and it is quite the catchy tune. So this moment opens up my mind once more to give Motorhead another shot. A little later I am listening to the Boneyard on XM and I hear “I’m So Bad (Baby I Don’t Care)”, another great tune. This furthers my interest in Motorhead and over the next month I keep hearing those two Motohead songs on XM.

Finally on January 6th of this year I bit the bullet and downloaded a couple Motorhead songs. I started with “Ace Of Spades” and “I’m So Bad (Baby I don’t Care)” and then I posted on Facebook that I was looking for suggestions. Within minutes my buddies John and Dan responded and I soon had a 12 song list built. The next day I fire up my iPod and start listening on my way to work. As I listen, one question keeps going through my mind… why did it take me so long to like this stuff? “Ace Of Spades” absolutely blew me away. I had never heard more than the chorus of that song before and never knew what I was missing. I finally got why so people thought Lemmy was a bad ass. That bass sound was huge and commanding. Distorted yet clear and powerful as all get out.

Now, I can’t get enough Motorhead. Luckily VH-1 Classic has been playing a lot of Motorhead contenet. I have now recorded The Lemmy Documentary, Motorhead Live, and That Metal show where Lemmy was the guest. And lucky for me, my buddy John over at Iron City Rocks interviewed Motorhead’s drummer, Rickkey Dee (attached to this post), so I have had that interview to listen to. It is a great interview that I found entertaining and educational. I am hoping that their current tour will at least come somewhere near the Pittsburgh area so I can go see them live. I have even been checking out Rickenbacker basses. I have definitely reached the point of being obsessed with Motohead and Lemmy, and is that such a bad thing? Lemmy saw the Beatles play back in their Cavern Club Days and was even a roadie for Jimi Hendrix. The man has a lot of mileage and experience, and that comes through in his records. I am glad that I can now say I am a Motorhead fan, even if it did take 25 years!

Iron City Rocks and Opus One Productions Present GWAR!!

GWAR. The name alone arouses curiosity in most individuals. If you are not familiar with GWAR, you might dismiss them as just another weird metal band who likes to wear costumes. But GWAR are more than that. Recently I had the opportunity to interview Oderus Urungus (a.k.a. Dave Brockie) the lead singer and a founding member of GWAR for Episode 93 (attached to this post, see below) of the Iron City Rocks Podcast. It was the craziest interview that I have done to date. Dave was totally on his game. Every answer he gave was perfectly voiced as Oderus would have said it during a show. I found it hard to keep myself from laughing at times because he would just blindside with some of his answers. He was outrageous, hilarious, and entertaining through the entire interview. He was everything I have come to expect from GWAR, but that got me thinking…what if you have no idea what to expect from GWAR?

So what is a GAWR show like? Picture the movie “Saw” as a musical and the audience as extras. I have seen GWAR live twice now and have had two different experiences, both great, that I would like to share with you. The first is what I call the total GWAR experience and the second will be that of a slightly (but not much) more mature viewer who is still curious about a GWAR show, either not quite ready for the total experience or just don’t feel like wearing a raincoat to a concert.

The Total Experience:

GWAR is known for their live shows, and that is why I wanted to go see them. I had heard so many stories from my friends about all the craziness and mayhem, that I just had to see it for myself. A GWAR show is a very theatrical experience. They usually have a loose story line that is played out during the show and tied into the songs they play in their set. Keeping all that in mind, here are my recommendations for having the “Total” GWAR experience:

1. Wear White- Or at least light colored clothing. It is like a badge of honor to have your clothing covered in GWAR goo. The lighter the better so it shows off all the different colors of liquid you were sprayed with. Also, don’t wear good clothes that you want to wear again in public (outside of a GWAR show).
2. Get up front before GWAR comes out – By the time you realize they have taken the stage, you will already be covered in whatever liquid they are spraying first.
3. Get fed to the creature of the show – GWAR has had several “Mascots” over the years such as the World Maggot and Gor Gor. Being fed to whatever creature GWAR has brought with them completes the experience.
4. Wear non-skid shoes – needless to say with that much liquid being squirted around, the floor gets mighty slippery. Proper footwear is essential
5. Pit ettiquette – Remember your Pit etiquette, if someone falls down, pick them back up as fast as possible. You never know when the person who got knocked down might be you.

The “Casual Observer” Experience:

My second GWAR experience was in 2002. This was after my Car Accident, so my mobility was less than it was in the 90’s and I was not up to moshing. I went with a former guitar student who opted for the”total” experience while I sat this one out. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Still do not wear good clothing-You don’t have to get splattered at a GWAR show. But there is a very high probability of being brushed against by someone who just came from the pit. Keeping that in mind, still wear non-skid shoes.
2. Make sure you have a good view of the stage- While everyone in GWAR is good musician, if you cannot see th stage, you are only getting half of the show. GWAR put as much effort into their stage show as they do into their music, you do not want to miss this.
3. Enjoy the camaraderie – Both times I have been to a GWAR show, I have had a good time just chatting with other concert goers. Every at a GWAR show is there to have a good time, enjoy their company.

I hope you find this information useful and I hope you enjoy Episode 93 with Oderus. I know I did!

Now, what’s all this have to do with music? Everything. Frank and I have been involved in some sort of music making together since probably 4th grade. We both played trombone all through school, and that gave us both the foundation we needed when we both started playing the bass guitar. In the 90’s when I was playing in bands, Frank made it to a majority of shows and often roadied for me and the band members. I could always relax when he would roadie for us since he was probably the only other person who knew my set-up as well as I did. And, we are also both KISS fans. Music has been a central part to both our lives both during our teen years and continuing on into adulthood. This is something that Frank has fostered in his children as well. His oldest daughter is following in his footsteps and has picked up the bass guitar. I give her lessons once a week and do my best to not just teach her technique, but also pass along and ignite the passion for music that her father and I have had all these years.

As you may know from one of my earlier posts, “Leaving A Legacy”, I am already start to foster that same love of music that Frank and I share in my son. Even at just one year old he loves music. He even gets excited when he sees a guitar, especially his guitar. So it seemed only fitting that frank and his family with their love of music would get my son musical toys for his birthday. They got him a guitar and a keyboard. I opened up the guitar tonight and just marveled at how his face lit up when he heard the sounds coming from it and saw the flashing lights on it. He carried it around the house with him for a while before finally sitting it down.

As I watched all this I started to think about the concept of “Family” and how much it applies to the music community. Just the other day I was speaking with a good friend who is also a former band mate. I have know him for almost as long as Frank. He is another person that I would consider a brother. We again share those same ties that I described above with Frank. As I thought about all this I realized that my concept of Family ties very close into music. I think making music with any group of people for any amount of time can cause strong bonds to form, and in turn trust. And isn’t that what a family is? A group of people with a common bond that trust each other and spend time together. I am very thankful for all the extended family that I have met over the years and I hope that my son will grow to love music and form these same bonds with people as he grows up. And hopefully one day he will be looking back and realizing what a great group of friends he has, just like I am doing tonight.

Hamell On Trial

In 2003 I was living in Nashville, TN. Ani Difranco was coming to town and I really wanted to see the show, but I had to work late. A friend of mine went to the show and the next day could not stop talking about this one man act that opened the show called “Hamell On Trial“. For days he went on about this guy and how ferocious of a guitar player that he was. Finally He lent me a CD to listen to. at the time it was Hamell’s latest effort, “Tough Love“.

“Tough Love” really grabbed me. I still think it is Hamell’s best “studio” album to date. The overall sound was dark and haunting, but underneath it all was a glimmer of hope. I find almost all the tracks on that album to very “singable” and fun to sing along with. From the seriousness of songs like “Hail” to craziness of songs like “Dear Pete”, the album kept me engaged start to finish.

In Early 2004 Hamell returned to Nashville on his own and my buddy drug me out to the show. I ha no idea what to expect. The CD I had been listening to was a full band, how would this all translate to a one man show? We get there grab our seats and wait for Hamell to take the stage. Hamell steps up to the mic and all of the

Ed Hamell - Hamell On Trial

sudden there is an explosion of sound. I am immediately blown away by how big the sound was. He plays a 1937 Gibson L-00 acoustic guitar, which is a small bodied guitar and not know for a big sound. His arm was moving so fast it was a blur, it was like seeing Kerry King or Scott Ian playing back in the golden days of thrash. The opening song was “Sugar Free” and from there he owned the audience. This was a man with no fear. He was performing in Nashville, a town well populated with music industry execs and one of the first things he does is tell a joke that insults a major label (To Hear the joke, listen to Episode 89 of the Iron City Rocks Podcast attached to this post). The man seemed invincible, larger than life.

Fast forward 7 years. I am still a huge fan of Hamell on trial and have seen him almost every time he comes through Pittsburgh.  I have even driven across the state twice to seem him perform in Stroudsburg at the Sarah Street Grill. Thanks to my friend John at Iron City Rocks, I had the opportunity to interview Hamell recently. Hamell was so much fun to speak with. He is an artist in every sense and very well spoken. I found interviewing him to be just as entertaining as seeing him play live.

One thing that surprises me is that Gibson has not picked him up as an endorser. He is quite an accomplished guitarist and lyricist. He writes licks that could turn Muddy Water’s head and rhymes that make Eminem Jealous. He is a true usical craftsmen. An example of this would be “Jennifer Is Stripping Again“. Hamell has been writing and posting a song a day on his website for over a year or so now and the aforementioned song is #391 in that creative trek. It really showcases Hamell’s finger picking style. He weaves in and out of chord changes with great lead-in riffs, all while singing at the same time. So Gibson Guitar, if you are reading this, check out what Hamell does with a guitar and think about endorsing him. He would be a marvelous addition to your roster.

If you are in the Pittsburgh area, Hamell on trial will be at Club Cafe on the Southside on February 2nd, 2011. Trust me… you will not be disappointed. I leave you know with A few videos that showcase what Hamell is all about. I do want to warn you these are not safe for work or you if you have young children who might be viewing with you. Enjoy and make some noise!

Zoom H2 Digital Recorder

Like many musicians I have a career that does not involve music. Most of the people I work with know that I am a musician and due to that fact I get called on about once a year to do some sort of musical project. This year was no exception, I was given the task of recording of group singers.

Thanks to the podcast “Inside Home Recording“, I learned about the Zoom H2 hand held digital recorder. I bought it about two years ago to use as a digital sketch pad for my song ideas. It has served its purpose well and was an excellent tool for the recording I needed to do at work.

Since this was going to be an A Capella recording, we were going to need a way to get a starting pitch for the vocalists. I was able to download a pitch pipe app with my smart phone and used that to establish a starting pitch. Once we had the pitch we were able to capture what we wanted in 6 takes.

Once I got back to my home studio I was able connect the Zoom H2 to my computer and drag and drop the audio file that I wanted into the project folder I had created. Next I opened up Logic Studio and imported the audio to the first track. I started with some simple processing by adding a compressor and some reverb. The track was a little on the quiet side because I did not take the time to set the mic gain properly. I was fortunately able to bring the volume up with a compressor. For reverb I used a basic reverb with a big echoy sound since I was trying to emulate a choir.  After that, I could have been done…..but I kept going.

I decided that I wanted the voices louder, so I added a second compressor. Now, two compressors by any stretch is too much for most projects. In this case however it did the trick nicely, but at the same time pumped up the room noise quite a bit. To counter act the room noise I used a noise gate with the threshold set about -24db. I had to play around with it until I got the sound I wanted. Once I had the vocals beefed up I thought it would be nice to add some percussion. I opened up an orchestral percussion kit in Logic and played along with the track using my midi keyboard. I added a timpani and cymbal part this way. The singers that I was working with were all experienced and since they had their pitch from the pitch pipe, they were able to hold that pitch all through the song. Because of that fact I was able to add a “fake” choir as a background layer to fatten things up.

Everyone involved with the project was quite pleased with the results, but more importantly we all had a good time doing it. I am already looking forward to next years project!