Author: Peter Hodgson

AmpliTube Joe Satriani – with Rockman and Satch JVM models – out now

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July 9, 2020 – IK Multimedia, in partnership with rock icon Joe Satriani, have released their newest artist signature collection, AmpliTube® Joe Satriani. Available for Mac/PC, iPhone and iPad, it offers users instant access to play, practice and record – anytime, anywhere – using precise models of the guitarist’s amps and pedals that were created with Satriani himself.

AmpliTube Joe Satriani reflects the guitarist’s reputation as a tone and gear connoisseur, featuring models of both classic and artist signature pieces, along with some fan favourites. Each model was created to Satriani’s exact specifications, for an authentic user experience.

Inside AmpliTube Joe Satriani
Able to work both as a desktop app and plug-in for any DAW AmpliTube Joe Satriani features five stompboxes and three amps, including:

Pedals:
Satch Wah – modelled after a Vox® BBW Wah; Satch Dist – modelled after an early ’80s, Japanese-made BOSS® DS-1; Satch Overdrive – modelled after an early ’80s, Japanese-made BOSS OD-1; Tube Overdrive – modelled after a mid-80s Chandler® Tube Driver; Satch Octave – modelled after an Ultimate Octave.

Amplifiers and cabinets:
Satch VM, modelled after Satriani’s Marshall® JVM410HJS signature head, SJ50, modelled after a ’93 Peavey® 5150, both with matching cabinets; and Boston 100, an expanded version of the ’82 Scholz® Rockman model with stereo mode and cabinet modelling.

Also included are song presets covering Satriani’s discography that allow users to dial up their favourite Joe Satriani tones for instant inspiration.

The Joe Satriani Collection (iPhone and iPad version) is available via in-app purchase from within AmpliTube CS for iPhone or iPad, and features the same amp, cab and stompbox models and presets.

Joe Satriani - Image


Groundbreaking Modelling Technology

IK’s latest Dynamic Interaction Modeling™ was used to deliver the highest level of ultra-realistic sound when modelling Joe Satriani’s gear. The product of 20 years’ experience modelling analogue gear, DIM™ models the behaviour of every component in the circuit all the way down to its smallest nuance and character. Applied to Satriani’s rig, it delivers the same sound and feel as his real gear.

About AmpliTube guitar and bass tone studio
AmpliTube is the world’s most powerful guitar and bass tone studio for Mac/PC/iPhone/iPad. Available in both free and paid versions, it recreates the entire guitar/bass signal chain from instrument to recording device in a hyper-realistic and intuitive way. Users can also browse and purchase collections of gear models from top gear manufacturers plus signature artist gear.

Easy connections to AmpliTube
Joe Satriani uses AmpliTube with AXE I/O, IK’s premium audio interface with built-in guitar shaping tools including PURE and JFET input circuits; IK’s Z-TONE® circuit with adjustable impedance for interaction with electric or acoustic pickups; a dedicated Amp Out, and more. AmpliTube is also compatible with many other IK Multimedia studio interfaces and portable audio interfaces.

Options, pricing and availability
AmpliTube Joe Satriani (for Mac/PC) runs inside AmpliTube Custom Shop, a free download available to all. The new models are currently available as a bundle from within the Custom Shop, the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorized dealers worldwide for $/€99.99* (excluding taxes).

No previous purchase of AmpliTube is required. These new models will show up as an optional purchase for existing users of AmpliTube upon updating to the latest version.

The Joe Satriani Collection (iPhone and iPad) is available via in-app purchase from within AmpliTube CS for iPhone or iPad for $24.99. Individual models may also be purchased a la carte.

For more information about AmpliTube Joe Satriani and the Joe Satriani Collection, please visit:
www.ikmultimedia.com/satriani

To see AmpliTube Joe Satriani in action: www.ikmultimedia.com/satriani/video

For the official Joe Satriani website, visit: www.satriani.com

Introducing Gruv Gear Kapsule Duo

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Guitarists Can Soon Travel With Peace Of Mind With Gruv Gear’s Kapsule Duo

Orange County, California (July 3, 2020) – Gruv Gear’s new and innovative Kapsule Duo travel case is the follow-up to its wildly successful Kapsule, but this time gives guitarists and bassists a perfect solution to carry TWO instruments in a well-protected, humidity-controlled, easy-to-use wheeled case. It sets the standard for check-in friendly, lightweight electric guitar and bass cases that traveling musicians have been craving, and preps the serious player for touring again after the global pandemic eases.

The Kapsule Duo is an impeccable fusion of both hard and soft cases, allowing musicians to carry it backpack style, traditional suitcase, or roll it using the included snap-on wheels. It’s cleverly constructed using a tough ABS/polycarbonate shell combined with a thick layer of lightweight expanded polystyrene for excellent shock absorption. The interior is further lined with foam and a soft fabric lining throughout, keeping your guitars safe and secure while traveling for concerts and shows. The Kapsule Duo features a deeper protective shell than the original Kapsule, wherein each instrument is isolated with a generously padded divider.

The case features a unique Iso Chamber which suspends and isolates the instrument’s headstock, keeping it safe from impact damage during transport. It also includes multiple storage pockets for amps, pedals, cables, strings or even clothes for up to a 5-day trip, making it the perfect all-in-one musician’s luggage. The included two-way humidity control packs provided by Boveda absorbs or releases moisture as required, to create and maintain the optimal humidity for the instruments within. Gruv Gear offers an optional Power Package featuring the Oktane wireless power bank and cables to keep phones and tablets charged on the go.

Carrying and moving two electric guitars or basses is simple and easy with the Kapsule Duo. The wide shoulder straps make the case easy to carry, and can now be tucked in before checking in. Gruv Gear’s unique snap-on wheels attach in seconds, and combined with the improved stability of the top handle ensures smooth and effortless walking through international airports, local streets and subways, and getting to gigs at downtown clubs and venues.

For added peace of mind, the Kapsule Duo is fitted with an industry-standard TSA lock and Gruv Gear’s built-in lost-and-found Global Recovery Tag feature, recognized in nearly 3,000 airports worldwide. Musicians can add the optional voice-controlled Bluetooth Tracker to help locate their case backstage or in a crowded airport baggage claim area. A free downloadable app for Apple or Android is included.

To find out more about the Kapsule Duo, the original Kapsule and all of Gruv Gear’s other travel-smart products please go to www.gruvgear.com/
 

New Gretsch Electromatic and Streamliner models

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GRETSCH® EXPANDS ELECTROMATIC® AND STREAMLINER™ COLLECTIONS

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (July 01, 2020) – Gretsch® expands its Electromatic® Collection with new finishes for the G5655TG Electromatic® Center Block Jr. Single-Cut with Bigsby® and Gold Hardware, G5220 Electromatic Jet BT Single-Cut with V-Stoptail, G5230T Electromatic® Jet™ FT Single-Cut with Bigsby® and G5230LH Electromatic® Jet™ FT Single-Cut with V-Stoptail. Gretsch also debuts today the all-new G2655TG-P90 Limited Edition Streamliner™ Center Block Jr. with Bigsby® and Gold Hardware.

Alive and loud, Electromatic® Center Block Jr. guitars are designed for that pure and powerful Gretsch® sound at high volume. Painstakingly crafted with essential Gretsch sound, style and playability, these all-new models deliver the fearless and electrifying authenticity that has set Gretsch apart for decades. It’s the sound of honor itself—play proud.

Available in all-new Aspen Green and Black Gold finishes, the G5655TG Electromatic® Center Block Jr. Single-Cut with Bigsby® and Gold Hardware features a smaller-sized body with a chambered spruce center block for dynamic resonance, high gain power and lightweight comfort.

Offering excellent playability, the 12”-radius laurel fingerboard hosts 22 medium jumbo frets and NeoClassic™ thumbnail inlays. Its dual Black Top Broad’Tron™ humbucking pickups deliver bold, dynamic and articulate tone with enhanced sonic punch.

Other features include a Bigsby® B70 vibrato tailpiece, anchored Adjusto-Matic™ bridge and G-arrow knobs.
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Sophisticated and sensible, Electromatic® Jet™ models are the perfect real, pure and powerful Gretsch® instruments. They are the next-step Gretsch—bold, dynamic and articulate, and crafted with essential Gretsch sound, style and playability.

Available in a brilliant Firestick Red with silver pickguard and chrome hardware, the G5220 Electromatic Jet BT Single-Cut with V-Stoptail delivers Broad’Tron™ power with classic Jet clarity. At the heart of each Electromatic Jet BT is a chambered mahogany body with maple top that produces a rich, present mid-range that accentuates big lows and shimmering highs.

A pair of Black Top Broad’Tron pickups drive the chambered mahogany body with maple top through thick, aggressive overdrive while maintaining astounding definition and note balance suitable for the most pristine clean tone.

The  G5230T Electromatic® Jet™ FT Single-Cut with Bigsby® is now offered in a Cadillac Green finish with silver pickguard, while the G5230LH Electromatic® Jet™ FT Single-Cut with V-Stoptail now comes in an Airline Silver finish with black pickguard.

Classic Jet tone begins with a chambered mahogany body with maple top that produces full lows and mids with an exceptionally smooth and present high end. The result is a deep acoustic foundation that is robust, yet balanced.

Black Top Filter’Tron pickups amplify and accentuate the Electromatic Jet FT’s chambered body to produce a wide, balanced and transparent tone. Loud and punchy, this Jet sounds out with remarkable definition at any level of gain. Together, the body and pickups thunder with full, responsive lows and mids with a high end that sparkles without spikes.

All Electromatic Jet models are also equipped with essential features for complete tonal control. The combination of individual pickup volume controls, master tone and master volume with treble bleed circuit provides intuitive global control over the pickup and tone settings.
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Available in a distinct Matte Black finish, the impressively affordable G2655TG-P90 Limited Edition Streamliner™ Center Block Jr. with Bigsby® and Gold Hardware is designed for three simple things—high gain-friendly performance, slick, easy playability and spectacular style.

A sleek double-cutaway music machine, the G2655TG-P90 delivers the perfect arsenal of fat P90 thump with Broad’Tron girth and grit.

The secret to the G2655TG-P90 sound is threefold—the P90 neck pickup, the Broad’Tron™ bridge pickup and the spruce center block. The single-coil P90 Soap Bar neck pickup spawns a brighter and more transparent tone than a traditional humbucker, yet retains a thick midrange for a unique, muscular tone while the BT-2S Broad’Tron™ bridge pickup punches through with clear yet driving mids and lows.

These pickups reproduce the open richness of a lightweight, chambered spruce center block that provides astounding tone while minimizing unwanted feedback.

For more information, visit www.gretschguitars.com.  Click here for an Electromatic CB video demo, and here for an Electromatic Jet video demo.

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ABOUT GRETSCH: With roots in the past while maintaining an eye to the future—from the cavernous clubs of Liverpool to the main stage headliner at Coachella, Gretsch has been the voice of inspiration, personal expression and musical invention. It’s no accident that the sound of a Gretsch has been heard loud and proud on some of the most pivotal recordings ever created. The instrument of choice for musical revolutionaries due to their rich, full sound, smooth playability and boldly classic visual style, Gretsch and rock ‘n’ roll have been—and always will be—inseparable partners.

ABOUT FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION: Since 1946, Fenderhas revolutionized music and culture as one of the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), whose portfolio of brands includes Fender®, Squier®, Gretsch® guitars, Jackson®, EVH® and Charvel®, follows a player-centric approach to crafting the highest quality instruments and musical solutions across genres. FMIC is dedicated to unlocking the power of music through electric and acoustic guitars, amplifiers, pro audio, accessories and digital products that inspire and enable musical expression at every stage, from beginners to history-making legends.

Jackson upgrades Adrian Smith USA models

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JACKSON® ANNOUNCES UPGRADES TO ADRIAN SMITH SIGNATURE USA MODELS

Scottsdale, Ariz. (July 01, 2020) – Jackson® today announces the refresh of Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith’s signature lineup with a key upgrade to both the USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas® SD and USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDM models.

Iron Maiden is one of the most successful and influential metal bands ever, and Adrian Smith’s molten yet melodic guitar work has long been a driving force behind their distinctive and dynamic sound. With timeless songwriting and thrilling live performances, Maiden continues to record, tour internationally and rock stadiums everywhere with electrifying prowess and unwavering heavy metal passion.

Designed for Smith’s demanding studio and live needs, the USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas® SD and USA Signature Adrian Smith San Dimas SDM feature a resonant, lightweight alder body and a bolt-on quartersawn maple neck with a hand-rubbed urethane back finish for smooth playability and a pair of graphite-reinforcement rods that refuse to budge, no matter the environmental stress it’s exposed to. Featuring 22 jumbo frets and dot inlays, the 12”-16” compound radius fingerboard is the ideal platform for heavy chording and fast, ripping solos.

Considering Iron Maiden’s relentless touring regiment, Smith wished to update these models with a heel-mount truss rod adjustment wheel to make neck relief tweaks much more convenient.

“The nice thing is I pick one of these guitars out of the box and it’s like putting on a comfortable pair of jeans,” said Smith. “Right away, I am totally comfortable with it, but it has the new feature of the adjustable truss rod thumbwheel so instead of having to take the neck off, you can just adjust it, which is a great feature.”

A DiMarzio® Super Distortion® DP100 humbucker in the bridge adds the perfect blend of power and tone, with thick, boosted mids, big lows and fat highs, while Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Single-Coil Strat® middle and neck pickups deliver authentic, noise-free Stratocaster® snap with incredible dynamic and magnetic response. A five-way blade selector switch along with single volume and tone controls open up endless tonal possibilities, while the Floyd Rose® Original double-locking tremolo system keeps the guitar in tune through the roughest playing, set after set.

“I’m really sensitive about tuning,” said Smith. “I drive everyone crazy when we are recording because if it isn’t dead in tune it upsets me but with the locking trems and everything else, it sort of answered my prayers because it meant I could play a whole show with the same guitar and keep perfectly in tune.”

Groomed for high performance, these signature axes are wrapped in a classic Snow White finish with a licensed Fender® Strat headstock and black hardware. The SDM features a maple fingerboard and black pickguard, while the SD features an ebony fingerboard and white pickguard.

Watch Adrian Smith discuss his Jackson guitars here, and for more information or to find an authorized Jackson dealer, visit www.jacksonguitars.com.

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ABOUT JACKSON®: Jackson began back in the late 1970s, when heavy music experienced a flamboyant and virtuosic resurgence in popularity and a small Southern California guitar repair shop became the epicenter of a new level of shred-approved excellence. Ever since then, Jackson guitars have been universally lauded as the metal guitars; the shred machines—highly original high-performance instruments of distinctive style and formidable substance. From metal’s chart-topping peaks to its darkest recesses, for discerning guitarists all over the globe, Jackson is the only way to go.

ABOUT FENDER® MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION: Since 1946, Fender® has revolutionized music and culture as one of the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturers, marketers and distributors. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), whose portfolio of brands includes Fender®, Squier®, Gretsch® guitars, Jackson®, EVH® and Charvel®, follows a player-centric approach to crafting the highest quality instruments and musical solutions across genres. FMIC is dedicated to unlocking the power of music through electric and acoustic guitars, amplifiers, pro audio, accessories and digital products that inspire and enable musical expression at every stage, from beginners to history-making legends.

Jerry Cantrell featured on GibsonTV’s “ICONS” Series/Trailer

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NASHVILLE (June 18, 2020) Watch the trailer for next episode of GIBSON TV’s “ICONS” as JERRY CANTRELL sits down to discuss his love of songwriting, the formation of ALICE IN CHAINS, as well as his 30 plus years in music.

GIBSON TV’s “ICONS” is the new longform interview series which features with some of the most iconic artists, producers and music business pioneers working today.

Catch the full episode coming in July. 

Pictured above, the Seattle skyline from the forthcoming GIBSON TV “ICONS” episode, featuring Jerry Cantrell. 

All GIBSON TV original shows are streamed for free on Gibson.com (HERE); subscribe to GIBSON TV on YouTube and be notified when new episodes become available (HERE).

For all things Gibson:

GIBSON.COM | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | GIBSON TV

For all things Epiphone:

EPIPHONE.COM | TWITTER  |  INSTAGRAM  | FACEBOOK  | YOUTUBE

 

D’Angelico acquires Supro, Pigtronix

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PRESS RELEASE: NEW YORK—June 16th, 2020 In a deal that aligns several New York-based brands, D’Angelico Guitars has acquired Supro USA and Pigtronix.

With a shared heritage as reignited legacy brands, D’Angelico Guitars and Supro have collaborated as a guitar and amp pairing in their marketing efforts for years. “We have always had a deep appreciation for Supro’s products and brand,” says D’Angelico Chairman John Ferolito Jr. “When the opportunity to acquire the brand arose, we didn’t think twice.”

“This is going to make all three brands even stronger,” says CEO Brenden Cohen. “I can’t wait for our customers to see what we have in store for them.”

Along with Supro, D’Angelico Guitars has also acquired Pigtronix. Both Supro and Pigtronix were previously owned by Absara Audio, located in Long Island, NY. “All three companies having a home base in New York just amplifies the harmony these brands already share,” says D’Angelico COO Jimmy Lovinggood. “The last few months have been an extremely challenging time for businesses across the country and around the world—New York City especially. We began this acquisition many months before COVID-19, and although this is a challenging time for every industry, we truly believe in these brands and decided to move forward in full confidence.”

Supro was originally founded in Chicago in the 1930s, producing amplifiers that were featured on some of the greatest rock records of all time. It was relaunched in 2013 and has gone on to achieve popular status in the music industry. Pigtronix is a fast-growing industry leader amongst boutique pedal companies, featuring forward-thinking design and concepts.

“The acquisition of Supro and Pigtronix by D’Angelico creates a trifecta,” says Dave Koltai, former co-owner of Supro and Pigtronix. “It’s a perfect fit, and I am thrilled to be able to continue making new gear for musicians around the world.” Koltai will be onboard as Chief Technology Officer, continuing to design and develop both Supro Amps and Pigtronix Pedals, alongside D’Angelico’s Executive Vice President of Product Development, Ryan Kershaw. “This is going to allow us to take everything we do to the next level,” says Kershaw.

Though the acquisition is now complete, the brands will enter a transitional phase, developing a new company structure and revised product plan for 2021. “We could not be more excited for what’s to come,” says Cohen. “This is the company I have been envisioning.”

Check out the Thermion Zero dynamic hybrid amplifier

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Shout-out to José Manuel Martínez García-Casarrubios, who just emailed me about the Thermion Zero dyamic hybrid amplifier, currently funding on Kickstarter. This thing looks like it can do everything: stereo amplifier with inbuilt reverb, headphone amp, direct recording device with speaker modeller, power amp for your digital processor… you could use it to turn your pedalboard into an amp, or take a line out from your amp head and use it to drive a couple of extra speaker cabinets with stereo effects. There’s a preamp loop so you can use whatever preamp you like (in addition to the inbuilt, pedal-friendly one) too.

Here’s some info from the Kickstarter page:

As guitarists, we have always dreamed of a portable amplifier that would allow us to play live, rehearse or practice at home just with our pedals.

During two years of development, we’ve created a dynamic hybrid amplifier that retains the analog tone of a big tube amp, in a portable size, that you can carry anywhere. With our Class D hybrid power technology, with two real 40 watt outputs, we have reproduced the behavior of a tube amp’s transformers and all of their harmonics.

Zero has a clean analog preamp, stereo effects loop, stereo reverb and a preamp loop, so you can switch between its internal preamp and your own. Its emulated outputs equip our ‘Analog Speaker Modeling’ technology, which recreates the behavior of a real speaker cabinet using only analog circuits, to retain all the dynamics of your tone.

Thermion Zero is the hybrid revolution of simplicity and portability. Open up a whole new world of possibilities for your pedalboard with Zero.

LESSON: Syncopation in my song ‘Just One Thing.’

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Let’s take a look at syncopation, shall we? In a nutshell, syncopation is when you play a note on a beat where you probably wouldn’t expect a note. Now, when I’m playing I tend to approach rhythm differently at different times. When I’m soloing I’m led by whatever melody pops into my head. But when I’m playing metal rhythm, I’m all about the 16th note pulse. Even when I’m playing a chugging 8th note riff I’m kinda listening to the notes in between as well, and every now and then I might fill those spaces with little accents and stuff like that.

Try it some time: picture the musical bar as a version of that board game Mastermind, except instead of four rows to put the pegs in, there are 16. Each peg represents a note or chord, and there’s ya rhythm. 

As an example of syncopation I present to you a couple of riffs from my song ‘Just One Thing,’ which you can hear in demo form here:

The first riff has a note on every one of those 16 spaces, but some of them are accented chord stabs and others are palm-muted. The end result is a steady pulse punctuated by jarring but kinda cool chords in places where you don’t really expect them, and this track has burned the brain of many a drummer for the first few listens. Initially it seems like an odd time signature, and it’s fun to watch them take out the slide ruler and metronome to try to figure out where the ‘one’ is.

Another way to approach this riff, if you’re not into the whole ‘thinking in 16th notes’ thing, is to run the riff through a few times then only think about the fretted notes, letting the open-string notes in between take care of themselves by going on semi-autopilot with your alternate picking. That’s a method I find especially handy playing some Muse riffs where I’d rather enjoy the riff than think about the maths behind it.

The autopilot alternate picking method ain’t gonna help you in Riff 2 though. This one is purely chord-stab, with no chuggy muted notes in between. You need to pay close attention to the rhythm to get this one to work. Once again, imagine 16 slots. Okay? Okay. Now, in the first bar of this section, the chords fall on sub-beats 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15/16 (the last two actually being a three-note chug). Let’s try this with capitals and lower-case letters: BA-BA-ba-ba-BA-ba-ba-ba-ba-BA-ba-ba-ba-ba-BADDABA. Does that make sense to everyone else or am I just weird? Or both?

Obviously this kinda stuff is best used as a springboard for your own riffs and ideas. You could probably even use a 16-sided dice (you have one in your junk drawer, right?) to help you come up with random note locations. Above all, just have fun with it and don’t hurt yourself.