Month: September 2011

REVIEW: Parker Maxx Fly DF524

Posted on

There’s a perception that Parker’s designs have always been divisive: either you love them or you hate them. That’s not surprising, since they’re very futuristic and ergonomic – not traits you usually associate with a type of instrument whose most popular variants are still models designed almost 60 years ago. But there are plenty of players who sit on the fence when it comes to Parker too. The MaxxFly series is for them: futuristic enough to express the adventurous Parker spirit, but with plenty of concessions for those who prefer a more traditional feel too.

The MaxxFly DF824 is made of a solid alder body with a polyurethane finish, and the upper horn is more traditional compared to the radical Parker Fly design – although I kind of miss having the upper horn echo the curve of the headstock, to be honest. I dig the original Fly. The bridge is Parker’s own tremolo design, which pivots on ball bearings and has a removable but comfortable-feeling spongey bar tip. The bar itself extends a little bit further than most other guitars, and the extra pivot power helps to maintain a smooth feel in operation. It also positions the bar for some interesting effects such as tapping while operating the bar.
[geo-out country=”Australia” note=””]

CLICK HERE to buy one from Musician’s Friend

[/geo-out]
Read More …

Ibanez Premium 7-string!

Posted on

Now, you guys/girls know I’m an Ibanez geek, right? And you know I’m an avowed seven-stringer slinger. And you might remember that I was well impressed by the Ibanez Premium series launched at NAMM this year.

Well…

BAM.

http://www.ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/model-RG927QM

That’s the RG927QM, my friend. Five-piece maple/walnut neck, bound rosewood fretboard, offset dot inlays, American basswood body with quilted maple top, Edge Zero II-Z bridge, DiMarzio IBZ-7N and IBZ-7B pickups, Red Desert finish.

[geo-out country=”Australia” note=””]Want one? Get it here from Musician’s Friend![/geo-out]

Ooooh yeah.

INTERVIEW: Joe Satriani on Chickenfoot III

Posted on

Chickenfoot III. You know the joke by now: the band feels so comfortable in what they’re doing that they feel like they stepped over the difficult second album and went straight to the third. The band – Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Chad Smith – are indeed in fine form on the newly-released album. It still sounds like the Chickenfoot who whipped up such a frenzy with their 2009 debut, but it’s at once more relaxed and more intense, heavier and more detailed.  [geo-out country=”Australia” note=””]CLICK HERE to buy it from Amazon.com)[/geo-out]

The first thing that really struck me about this album was that there’s a really identifiable Chickenfoot sound. It doesn’t sound like a Joe Satriani album, it doesn’t sound like a Sammy Hagar album.

That’s great, I’m so happy to hear you say that. That’s something that I’ve always felt that we were very lucky to naturally stumble upon. But we didn’t want to overthink it or intellectualise it. Just do it naturally and let it happen.

This album is almost like an essay on the right hand of Joe Satriani – there’s a lot of great rhythm stuff going on. 

As I was writing the demos for this record I was once again conscious of trying to not hold back and to use as much as I had to flesh out a lot of the songs. It’s a funny thing, because when we’re away, we’ll maybe be taking a flight somewhere and we’ll be talking about what kind of songs we like as a band, and that’s one thing, but when we get together to play there’s really no time for discussion or any of that stuff. We basically have to record very quickly, and everybody has to bring all their stuff to the table and just do it. And so I hate to talk about it and give the wrong impression and that we thought about it, because we didn’t, but I all I can tell you is that I prepared for the experience by making sure that everything I knew how to do was fresh on my fingers and ready to be exploited at a moment’s notice. So I like to say that I’ve taken all the good stuff that I’ve ever heard from any guitar player and I’ve tried to learn it and to use it and to understand it. So a lot of my roots come out when I’m making a Chickenfoot record.

Read More …

Styx re-records Styx, Damn Yankees classics

Posted on

I kinda like the idea of bands re-recording old material, as long as they don’t pull a boner and delete the original versions from the catalog like that Ozzy debacle from a while ago. Styx seem to agree, recording new versions of various classic tracks by both Styx and Tommy Shaw’s ‘other band,’ Damn Yankees. And there’s a new song included as well. Cool!

PRESS RELEASE

EAGLE TO RELEASE NEWLY-RECORDED CAREER-SPANNING STYX OVERVIEW, REGENERATION, VOLUME I & II 

2-CD Package Available For The First Time On October 4

Styx will have its entire career encapsulated within the 16 tracks of Regeneration, Volume I & II on a double-disc to be released via Eagle Rock Entertainment on October 4.

With over 30 million records sold in North America alone, Styx is one of the most beloved rock bands on the planet. Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Chuck Panozzo, Lawrence Gowan, Ricky Phillips and Todd Sucherman have been together longer than any other lineup in the band’s 40-year existence.

Read More …

ZZ Top tribute album with Mastodon, Coheed, Duff and more!

Posted on

Now this is cool – a star-studded tribute album to the mighty ZZ Top. And check out that list of artists – Mastodon, Duff McKagan, Coheed & Cambria, Wolfmother, Filter and more. Awesome.

PRESS RELEASE

AN ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF MAJOR ARTISTS PAY HOMAGE TO ZZ TOP ON NEW ALBUM OUT OCTOBER 11

The music and legacy of ZZ TOP – “That Little ol’ Band from Texas,” that has been part of the world’s musical landscape for over 40 years – will be celebrated with the October 11th release of A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS.

The album, to be released by Show Dog-Universal Music, features 11 classicZZ Top songs interpreted by top-flight artists working in a broad range of musical genres.  All of the album’s tracks have been newly recorded, specifically for the project. These include Filter’s performance of “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” Grace Potter & The Nocturnals’ take on “Tush,” as well asWyclef Jean’s “Rough Boy,” “Legs” from Nickelback and Wolfmother’s interpretation of “Cheap Sunglasses.”

Read More …