COOL GEAR ALERT: Boss FB-2 Feedbacker/Booster
Unique, Expressive Guitar Pedal Offers Variable Booster Types,
Natural Feedback Function
Los Angeles, CA, December 21, 2011 — The powerful new BOSSFB-2 Feedbacker/Booster, the latest addition to its famous lineup of compact pedals, is now shipping. Combining an adjustable tone/gain boost with the ability to kick in a natural cranked-amp feedback sound at will, the FB-2 is a unique stompbox that gives guitarists a world of new expressive possibilities.
Booster pedals have become extremely popular with guitar players in recent years. Many different types are available, ranging from straight-up gain boosters to tone enhancers that boost treble or midrange frequencies. Using the latest BOSS technology, the FB-2 incorporates the most sought-after booster types—as well as their unique sound characteristics and sensitivity to playing dynamics—all in one convenient and affordable pedal.
Hellecasters reunite for NAMM!
PRESS RELEASE
Legendary guitar trio Hellecasters reform to play first show in 11 years at NAMM 2012
Following an 11-year hiatus, legendary guitar trio Hellecasters – featuring the outrageous talents of Jerry Donahue, John Jorgenson and Will Ray – has reformed, and will play its comeback show as headliners of the celebrated Deke’s Guitar Geek Festival at the Anaheim Plaza Hotel Ballroom in California on Saturday January 21st 2012.
The group, known for their intricate melodies and dazzling fretboard skills, are returning to the fray after overwhelming public demand, and will round off the celebrated festival with a bang.
Jerry Donahue will be using his own Fret-King Black Label JD guitar to play the show. The JD guitar is the first of the Fret-King Black Label range, which sees its worldwide unveiling at NAMM 2012.
Be sure to drop by at Hall E 1212 to see and meet Jerry and Fret-King designer Trev Wilkinson, and check out the whole Fret-King Black Label range while you’re there.
For further information and for ticket sales for ’The Return of The Hellecasters’, see the attached poster.
Fret-King guitars are distributed worldwide by John Hornby Skewes & Co. Ltd.
INTERVIEW: Korn’s James ‘Munky’ Shaffer
Korn are one of the few bands of the Nu Metal era to have endured. Not only does their original breakthrough material still hold up despite the decade and a half of imitators, they also manage to maintain a sense of vitality in their newer material. Just look at last year’s Korn III: Remember Who You Are. It was a dirty, raw, powerful, vital album at a time when bands often become complacent. But complacency isn’t in Korn’s vocabulary. Their latest, The Path Of Totality, finds them pairing up with various dubstep and electronica producers to put a heavily neo-industrial spin on their established bottom-heavy rhythmic drive. But The Path Of Totality isn’t the only new release that Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer is involved in. He recently – finally – released the debut self-titled album by his long-planned solo project, Fear and the Nervous System, a band which features Faith No More bass player Billy Gould, drummer Brooks Wackerman, and Repeater vocalist Steve Krolikowski.
How did the collaborations on The Path Of Totality happen? Did you work together in the studio? Did you send off recorded parts?
It was kind of mixed up. We started out with Skrillex and we worked in the studio with him on the first track, which was ‘Get Up.’” So we were actually working with him in person. And also with Downlink and Excision. Noisia, those guys are from the Netherlands so we just send tracks through the air. They sent them back and Jonathan (Davis, vocals) was in communication with them. So it was kinda different with each artist and producer.
It must have been a cool challenge to figure out exactly where the guitar would fit amongst all the other stuff going on.
I mean, on a lot of the tracks it seemed really like ‘Where am I gonna put the guitar? Where is it gonna fit?’ And it was challenging for me. Rhythmically it was really kinda busy and I was trying to find the right space and the right notes. It’s like a boxing match – you bob and weave to sort of get your punch in there.
Guthrie Govan appeals for help after gear theft
From Guthrie’s myspace:
An appeal for your help, after a recent van break-in in Rome :-(
Deep Cuts: The Last Action Hero Soundtrack
My latest feature for Gibson.com is about an album that made a huge impression on me back in the day. Heres’ a teaser below, but hit up this link for the rest.
These days it’s common – nay, expected – for a big blockbuster movie to have a kickass soundtrack packed with original new tracks by the big heavy-hitters of the day. But it wasn’t always like that. Once upon a time, the movie soundtrack section of a record store was populated largely by recordings of the actual orchestral music scores of films. If a soundtrack featured pop songs, they were often classic tracks that everybody knew. Even in the case of big blockbuster soundtracks that featured a healthy amount of original new songs – like the album that accompanied the release of Dirty Dancing in 1987 – the tracks were very much mainstream radio-friendly pop. So the 1993 release of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero and its soundtrack sent shockwaves through the hard rock and heavy metal scene of the day. This was an album which featured new, never-before-heard tracks by some of the biggest names in heavy music at the time, including two of thrash’s Big Four. Check out this track listing:
“Big Gun” – AC/DC
“What the Hell Have I” – Alice in Chains
“Angry Again” – Megadeth
“Real World” – Michael Kamen and Queensrÿche
“Two Steps Behind” – Def Leppard
“Poison My Eyes” – Anthrax
“Dream On” [Live] – Aerosmith
“A Little Bitter” – Alice in Chains
“Cock the Hammer” – Cypress Hill
“Swim” – Fishbone
“Last Action Hero” – Tesla
“Jack and the Ripper” – Michael Kamen & Buckethead
REVIEW: Fret King Esprit 5
Legendary guitar designer Trev Wilkinson’s Fret King brand is designed to offer ‘working vintage guitars’ built without compromise and without directly copying any one particular classic instrument. Even a cursory glance at the website of the Fret King line reveals a series of instruments that aren’t shy about owning up to their inspirations but which could never, ever be called simply copy guitars. It almost feels like any familiarity that you might perceive is there merely as a vague frame of reference rather than a ‘let’s just tweak this a bit and put it out’ design decision.
The Esprit 5 is slightly reminiscent of Gibson Firebird, sure, but it’s more of a “hey, that slightly reminds me of something.. what is it? Hmm…” kind of familiarity rather than an “Oh dude, I totally know what that is” kind of thing. And to be honest, I’ve been hoping to get my hands on one ever since I first saw the shape in Guitarist magazine a couple of years ago.
The body is made from three-piece mahogany with a raised 4″ centre section and two slightly smaller flanks, one of which holds the volume and tone controls, placed in line with the raised section in a nice little bit of visual design.
Watch Peavey’s Devin Townsend webcast, win Devy’s signature 7-string V!
Quick! Go! http://www.peavey.com/contests/devintownsend/
When you sign in you’ll be given the opportunity to fill out your details to win a Peavey Devin Townsend Signature PXD Vicious 7 String Baritone. Check out the details about the guitar here. I played this axe at NAMM almost two years ago and it’s great to finally see that it’s about to be released.
Win a kickass ESP with bmusic!
bmusic is celebrating the launch of their new website with a killer competition available to everyone (yes, you can enter even if you’re not from bmusic’s home turf of Australia). You can win an ESP BMF M-III Bushido Makoto guitar (read more about it here) by creating an account on the new bmusic.com.au, subscribe to their newsletter then “Like” them on Facebook. Creating an account leaves you under no obligation to buy, but you can increase your chances of winning with every purchase you make at the new bmusic.com.au. You have until December 31st, 2011 to enter and to make eligible purchases from the new bmusic.com.au to increase your chances of winning.
Go here for more info!
Hi! I'm Peter Hodgson. I write for Gibson.com, Australian Guitar, Australian Musician, Mixdown Magazine (including my instructional column, 'Unleash Your Inner Rock God,' which has been running since 2007), Blunt, Beat (including their weekly hard rock/metal column Crunch) and The Brag. And I'm Assistant Social Coordinator with Seymour Duncan.
I've been playing guitar since I was 8 years old, and I've been writing for magazines since I was 18. I've also worked as a guitar teacher (up to 50 students a week), a setup tech, a newspaper editor, and I've also dabbled in radio a little bit. I live in Melbourne, Australia, and my hobbies include drinking way too much coffee, and eating way too much Mexican food.
You can check out my guitar playing at Bandcamp or on YouTube, and feel free to email me at iheartguitarblog@gmail.com