Musik Indonesia

“The great thing about having a studio right at home,” guitarist Derek Trucks says with a grin, taking a break from mixing the new Derek Trucks Band album at Electric Lady Studios in New York, “is that if you need somebody to play or sing something on a track, you can just call ‘em” — he mimes talking on a cell phone — and say, ‘Get your ass over here.’ ”

It has been a busy commute. The record, titled Already Free and set for release by Columbia’s Legacy Recordings in January 2009, was made at Trucks’ new studio, behind his home in Jacksonville, Florida, and features songs Trucks wrote there with fellow Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, and guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, Trucks’ bandmate in Eric Clapton’s touring group over the last two years. Bramhall also sings and plays on the album. The Trucks-Haynes acoustic hymn “Back Where I Started” is a geniuine family affair: Trucks’ wife, singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi, is the featured vocalist, Trucks plays the Indian sarod in a striking Delta-blues bottleneck style and Trucks’ brother Duane plays cardboard-box percussion.

At Electric Lady, Trucks previews several songs from the album, which bonds his greased-lightning slide guitar and encyclopedic loves of blues, R&B and Indian music in funky, cohesive songwriting. With its loping beat and rubbery clavinet, “Maybe This Time,” sung by Bramhall, would have sounded right at home on Little Feat’s 1973 album Dixie Chicken. “These Days Is Almost Gone,” written by Trucks with his organist Kofi Burbridge and sung by DTB vocalist Mike Mattison, is a Sixties-vintage soul-stew ballad, with Trucks busting out on slide guitar at the end the way Duane Allman used to solo on R&B sessions for Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett. Mattison sings on a crunchy cover of Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes song “Down in the Flood.” And there is a version of Big Maybelle’s “I Know” which opens with buzzing tamboura and slide guitar, then opens into a 6/8 country-jazz stride that sounds like the Allmans circa Brothers and Sisters.

Trucks says he had about two dozen songs going during the sessions, although some of those may end up on the next Allman Brothers studio album. Another track cut at home, “Butterfly,” is on Tedeschi’s new solo album, Back to the River, out in late October. “It’s just the demo,” Trucks says of the song. “But it turned out so good.”

And if Already Free has a whiff of the Kinks’ Muswell Hillbillies about it, it’s because of the historic console in Trucks’ home studio. “I’ve got this great old Neve desk,” he says, proudly, “that the Kinks had in their studio in London for 30 years.”

Days before Heart served the GOP campaign with a cease-and-desist letter for playing their 1977 hit “Barracuda” to introduce VP pick Sarah Palin (high school alias: “Sarah Barracuda”) at the August 31st Republican convention,
Van Halen sounded off against McCain and Co. for blasting their tune “Right Now” at a rally in Dayton, Ohio. “Permission was not sought or granted nor would it have been given [to use the song],” Alex and Eddie Van Halen said in a statement. But not every VH member agreed.

“I got goosebumps from it — my fur went up,” says the band’s ex-frontman, Sammy Hagar, who co-wrote and sang the song — and said he’d be “just as happy” if Obama played it. “I was honored that a potential president of the United States used those words in a positive sense, like, ‘We gotta act now!’ ”

Hagar, who’s tight-lipped on his presidential endorsement (”I vote for the man, not the party,” he says) heard that McCain used the tune via a deluge of phone calls. “I got calls from relatives, friends, doctors, lawyers… everyone thought it was so cool,” he says. “Then I started getting excited. Those words are an old Zen philosophy — it’s totally cool that they’re timeless.” Even former bandmate Eddie rang Hagar up.

“I got a message on my cell phone and it was Eddie’s voice,” Hagar recalls. “He goes, ‘Sam? This don’t sound like you. I got the wrong number.’ And he hangs up! So I hit redial. He didn’t answer, but I left a message: ‘Ed, it’s me. If you would like to talk about the ‘Right Now’ situation I’d love to speak to you about it.’ ”

The two never connected, which raises some lingering questions. “Why didn’t [Van Halen] say no when Pepsi Cola gave us a million dollars to use the song in a Pepsi Light commercial?” asks Hagar. “That’s when you say no. That isn’t the message of this song.” But when a potential future president is using it to bring a message to the world, he says, “I’m going, ‘Hell, yes!’ “

PRS Maple Top Mira. Photo by Michael G. Stewart.

One of the first things we look for in PRS guitars is to see if the company has attained the “Wow” factor or benchmark that Smith reaches for in his instruments. Upon opening the black hard shell case, the new Maple Top Mira shined with success and enough magic or “Wow” to persuade us to give her a go.

Design, Construction and Finish: The MT Mira is built solid with a set neck and tight fit. One of our reviewers raved about it saying, “Amazing construction and beautiful finish, with excellent electronics.” You won’t be sticking your picks between wood components on this one. The clear coat over the maple top and mahogany body and neck was flawless and appeared to be thinner than other PRS models we’ve played, and a personal preference of many guitarists. MT Mira’s come in Tri-Color Sunburst, Dark Cherry Sunburst, Whale Blue/Black Burst and Violin Amber Burst. Our test model was rich looking Dark Cherry Sunburst with the Dark Cherry wrapping around to the mahogany back. Frets were dressed smooth with abalone moon inlays. The neck was spot on in all respects in all positions. The top has a shallow German carved top that adds some dimension and interest to the Mira’s sporty look. Based on the guitar’s size, weight and balance and excellent construction, we consider it a worthy competitor to a Custom Shop grade Telecaster. Paul Reed Smith has managed to build a new model that maintains a vintage vibe, yet still makes its own contemporary statement. The Mira’s hardware was also visually appealing in a highly polished chrome finish, with the tuning peg heads tinted black. Particularly nice is the PRS built chromed bridge that’s got a sleek art deco vibe going. Two black open-faced Humbuckers help complete the retro look, with a small toggle coil tap set alongside the tone control for an easy and intuitive reach.

PRS Maple Top Mira. Photo by Michael G. Stewart.

PRS Maple Top Mira. Photo by Michael G. Stewart.

PRS Maple Top Mira. Photo by Michael G. Stewart.

PRS Maple Top Mira. Photo by Michael G. Stewart.

Playability and Tone: We hooked the Mira up to a vintage 1969 Fender Twin Reverb amplifier, tweaked it with a bit of reverb and attached a Jekyll and Hyde effects pedal.
The axe was set up nicely out of the box with locking tuners and fitted with .10 gauge strings that are a preferred size for most players. The volume, tone and other controls were easily accessed and intuitively placed. The neck was slim and offered tight handling for speed, when needed. The PRS made Mira pickups are responsive and brighter than the McCarty’s and other high-end models the company sells. With some pickup adjustments and a twist of the tone knob, the guitar showed it had enough guts to add crunch as a legitimate backdrop to heavy metal pyrotechnics. We put the Mira in the hands of a shredder friend of ours, who also ventures into jazz, rock, blues and other music expression. He came away from the experience with a very positive vibe, especially liking the coil tap treble that gave the brightness more bite than the standard pickup and tone selections. And unlike many pickups, the Mira’s pups are stone dead quiet with the amp’s volume wound up. Running the Mira out of a Peavey JSX, the guitar held on to its crystal clear tone, had a bit less bite, but more fat and held on to its zero hum quiet sensibilities.

Case and documentation: The Mira includes a solidly built 3-latch hard shell case covered in black Tolex with white piping. The black felt interior was designed to form fit the Mira body, and included a sizable accessory compartment. Materials included with the guitar was a “Guide to Stringing” with graphics showing how to string a guitar, as well as information on truss rod adjustment and how to adjust the locking tuning pegs and a point of contact e-mail address for questions. The opposite side of the document illustrated the location and placements for the Master Volume, the 3-way blade switch, the Mini Toggle Coil Tap and the Master Volume control with operating instructions for pickup selections. A “PRS Guitars Limited Warranty” was included, a format for owners to record basic purchasing information for future reference and a perforated warranty registration mailer. Additionally, the compartment held two small black screws, and two wrenches for adjustments. A nice PRS decal was also placed in the bag for those owners who want to exercise their “bragging rights.” The documents and hardware were placed in a protective clear bag.

Features:

• 24 fret neck
• 25” scale length neck
• 10” radius fret board
• Abalone moon inlays (Birds optional at $420)
• Locking tuning pegs
• PRS stop tailpiece
• Fret board – East Indian Rosewood
• Solid mahogany neck and body
• Maple top
• PRS Mira treble and bass pickups
• Volume and tone controls
• 3-way blade switch
• Mini-toggle coil tap
• Hard shell black tolex case with white piping and black interior. Body fit interior and single accessory compartment.
• Instructional owners manual; two case keys; two screws and wrench. All placed in a protective plastic bag.
• Hardware: Chrome (Gold optional at $480)

Overall, this new edition to the Paul Reed Smith line up keeps the quality legacy stoked. We found the Maple Top Mira design, weight and balance appealing and the build quality outstanding. Tone properties were clean and offered up a solid range of options for all types of music. As tested, the Mira’s Manufacturer Suggested Retail price is a bit of a reach at $2,960, but this is one sweet axe and worth the bucks, even if you have to wait a while to let those greenbacks accumulate. The Maple Top Mira is a welcome new guitar that fits into the high quality and thoughtful “birds and moons” tradition of PRS.

34 ½ Guitar by the Alternative Guitar and Amplifier Company

As always my demo ran long, so I only had a few minutes before my next demo on the far side of the convention center. I did manage to go to the booth with the guitars and got the low down on them.

The company is called The Alternative Guitar and Amplifier Company. The founder of the company, Mal Stich, and his son Lothar talked about their guitars while I tried one out acoustically, before plugging it in. Mal worked at BC Rich Guitars during their heyday in the '80s, so he knows a thing or two about guitars. After chatting for a few minutes I had to run to get to my AMT demo.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into Mel and Lothar again at the California World Guitar Show in Pomona, California. This time I had a chance to sit down and play their guitars. The model that I really liked is called the 34 ½ Guitar. It has a single cutaway body with a flamed maple top on an Agathis body with 25 frets, Kahler trem with a locking nut behind the guitar’s standard nut, and two import EMG HZ passive humbuckers. The body is very comfortable. Even using a Fender amp with no gain, the guitar got great clean sounds and really played well.

Last week the guys from the company were kind enough to send me the 34 ½ guitar to review. After playing the guitar a bit I noticed how well it was built. The frets were great and the finish was well done. The guitar had cool light amber sunburst finish with a mild flame and felt more solid than a lot of budget priced instruments. It’s imported from Korea and setup here in America.

34 ½ Guitar by the Alternative Guitar and Amplifier Company

34 ½ Guitar by the Alternative Guitar and Amplifier Company

34 ½ Guitar by the Alternative Guitar and Amplifier Company

I played the guitar in my studio and ran it both clean and dirty through a tube amp. It really performed great in both situations. I’m really not a fan of EMG pickups, but the passive HZ models on the guitar did a good job and I was able to get very usable sounds. The guitar had great sustain and was relatively light weight. I’m told that the guitar retails for $699.00 which means that the street price will be in the $500.00 range.

My only complaints about the guitar were about the hardware, not the guitar overall. The imported Kahler bridge had a very noticeable rattling when you strummed chords. I do want to note that the guitar did stay in tune when I went nuts with the trem. You could hear the rattling acoustically, although it was barely noticeable through the amp. It was very distracting. My other issue was with the pickups. I felt that the front neck EMG HZ pickup sounded a little boxy when used with distortion. That being said, the pickup got great Strat-like tones when run through a clean amp.

A call to Mal Stitch ended up with him telling me that he'd look into both of my concerns with the guitar. He also told me that the company will be offering a stop tail piece option in the near future. The 34 1/2 was a lot of fun to play and would be great for everything from jazz to metal and everything in between. It also has a cool vintage type vibe. If you’re looking to get a cool great playing fun guitar to play that’s also affordable, you really should check these guitars out. I’m thinking about possibly getting one for myself.

Screenshot from Gibson Island on Second Life

Gibson Island offers a large number of Gibson-related infotainment opportunities. Think of it as a virtual Gibson theme park - you can even tour the island on a virtual trolly. Highlights include The Blues Theatre that offers audio/video clips of historic blues greats; Gibson Theatre, a two-screen multiplex in which you can currently select among 18 Gibson movies; the J200 Building where Second Life residents will be able to obtain a virtual copy of their favorite Gibson acoustic; Gibson Custom Guitar Shop where Gibson's official virtual luthier, Myriam Beck, will customize virtual Gibsons; the Wurlitzer Diner, highlighting the Wurlitzer jukebox; Gibson Radio, which will broadcast (on Second Life) music by Gibson artists and present live interviews; and the two performance stages: the Main Stage and the Acoustic Stage, both designed to host live performances.

Today, for example, the Main Stage offers this lineup (times are PDT) of live entertainment:

8 a.m. Mimi Carpenter, French pop musician performing live from Germany
9 a.m. Hathead Rickenbacker plays blues piano from Toronto, Canada
10 a.m. Forsythe Whitfield plays the blues from Manitoba, Canada
11 a.m. Cylindrean Rutabega from Atlanta, Georgia, plays guitar and piano in an exclusive blues performance
12 p.m. Joaquin Gustav, Latin jazz guitarist from Buenos Aires, Argentina
1 p.m. World music from Peregrine Singh in California
2 p.m. Etherian Kamaboko Blues and Folk from North Carolina
3 p.m. Charles E Bristol XI, 86-year-old authentic blues singer performs with his Gibson Lucille from North Carolina
4 p.m. Julian2914 Hifeng performs jazz instrumentals from Montana
5 p.m. Cypress Rosewood is live with "Space Music" from Nashville, Tennessee
6 p.m. Von Johin is playing the Country Blues from Nashville, Tennessee
7 p.m. Finale concert with Bob Welch performing acoustic pop from Nashville Tennessee as avatar Bob Welch Magic

And it works. 8 a.m. I'm online in Portugal listening to Mimi Carpenter, who's French, perform live from somewhere in Germany. The audio quality is excellent as is the price - free.

Gibson Island is the result of a suggestion Mike Lawson (Von Johin on Second Life) made to Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz late last year. Lawson, the person who oversaw taking Gibson online in the '90s, had learned about Second Life almost a year before from Tony Gerber (Cypress Rosewood on Second Life), with whom Lawson now partners in Metaverse Media Group, when Gerber told Lawson that he was performing online in a place called Second Life. Lawson followed in Gerber's footsteps and has since become a well known blues performer on Second Life - for which he earns more than $1,000 (real money) a month from the comfort of his own studio.

"I emailed Henry last December," says Lawson, "and said I got a proposal to put Gibson on Second Life. Are you interested? He said, 'Absolutely.' He replied in five minutes. I sent him the proposal, which was like 12 pages long. He replied 20 minutes later and said he loved it, let's do it, lets meet to discuss, and he copied everybody in the company." Island building began in February by Lawson, Gerber, Lawson's wife, Sandra, and Myriam Beck who was hired to build the virtual guitars and who has become the official Gibson virtual luthier.

When you visit Gibson Island you'll be amazed at the work this group of four has done. The experience is classy, informative, entertaining, and the eye for detail that went into this virtual creation will impress any Gibson fan. There are a good number of videos that can be watched, you can own a wide variety of virtual Gibson guitars (and even have Myriam Beck customize one for you), instructional videos are down the road and Gibson Island could serve as an important venue for the growing interest in live online performance.

What's missing? Pure economic motive. Everything on Gibson Island is free.

To download the free software needed to experience Second Life, go to www.secondlife.com. Once connected to Second Life, click on Map, search for Gibson Island, then click teleport.

Photo Gallery

Terrain birdseye view of Gibson Island on Second Life

Birdseye view of Gibson Island on Second Life

Screenshot from Gibson Island on Second Life

Screenshot from Gibson Island on Second Life

Screenshot from Gibson Island on Second Life

Teleport entrance to and navigational hub of Gibson Island on Second Life

Entrance to the Blues Theatre on Gibson Island

Inside the Blues Theatre on Gibson Island

Avatar with a free virtual Gibson ES-335

Acoustic Stage on Gibson Island

Baldwin Ballroom on Gibson Island

Gibson Gear on Gibson Island

Gibson Forest on Gibson Island

Gibson Labs on Gibson Island

Gibson Original on Gibson Island

Guitar of the Month on Gibson Island

Main Stage on Gibson Island

Gibson Radio on Gibson Island

Inside Gibson Radio on Gibson Island

Robot Guitar area on Gibson Island

Wurlitzer Diner on Gibson Island

Trolly on Gibson Island

PRS McCarty Korina

Below is the Paul Reed Smith Guitars Artists Booth Signing Schedule at NAMM.

Thursday, January 17, 2008
12:00pm – Alex Grossi (Quiet Riot)
2:00pm – Rich Eckhardt (Toby Keith) and Mike Scott (Justin Timberlake/Prince)
3:30pm – David Grissom
4:00pm – Tony Rombola and Lee Richards (Another Animal/Godsmack)
4:30pm – Johnny Hiland

Friday, January 18, 2008
12:00pm – Rich Eckhardt, Mike Mushok (Staind) and Mike Scott
2:00pm – Pat Travers and Howard Leese
3:30pm – David Grissom
4:00pm – Tony Rombola and Lee Richards (Another Animal/Godsmack)
4:30pm – Johnny Hiland

Saturday, January 19, 2008
12:00pm – Rich Eckhardt and Mike Mushok
2:00pm – Dave Navarro and Alex Grossi (Quiet Riot)
3:30pm – David Grissom
4:00pm – Pat Travers and Mike Scott
4:30pm – Johnny Hiland

Sunday, January 20, 2008
2:00pm – Paul Jackson Jr. and Mike Scott

Model Information (supplied by PRS Guitars)

David Grissom’s Signature Model – The DGT
David Grissom’s signature model PRS guitar, the DGT, is the result of more than 20 years of collaboration between Paul Smith and Grissom. The DGT was inspired by Grissom’s wish to take all of the best elements of his PRS guitars and combine them with an extra volume control, a nitro topcoat, vintage colors, his favorite neck shape, large frets and .011 gauge strings. Grissom’s signature model features special pickups, special wiring, a special neck shape (smaller than a wide-fat neck), bigger frets and heavy gauge strings that compliment rhythm and solo tone.

Paul Smith said, “During the DGT’s final design phase, I discussed changes with David…just some minor tweaks I was considering for his model. David’s response was ‘Don’t touch it. I like it the way it is.’ It feels good to know we nailed this one for him.”

The Mira
The PRS Mira model is a 24-fret guitar that features a 25” scale length, 10” radius, regular or wide-thin neck shape, locking tuning pegs, PRS non-adjustable Stoptail, abalone moon inlays, optional bird inlays, East Indian rosewood fingerboard, a solid mahogany body and neck, Mira Treble and Bass pickups, volume, tone, 3-way blade switch and mini toggle coil tap. The Mira model is offered in a range of colors including Vintage Cherry, Orange, Vintage Mahogany, Black, Wild Mint, Lilac, Seafoam Green, Powder Blue and Sandstorm.

“The Mira is giving PRS a greater opportunity to appeal to a younger audience, to indie bands and to players who are looking for different things in a guitar. It has a vintage and retro vibe to it, and the Mira model has already been creating quite a bit of excitement within the PRS work force, PRS collectors and amongst the many artists that have had the chance to get their hands on a Mira,” said Joe Knaggs, head of PRS R&D.

Skillet Guitarist Ben Kasica said, “I love it. It plays amazing, and the sound is perfect for the songs I use it on. It has that retro, classic rock vibe with the playability of a modern PRS guitar.”

McCarty Korina Surpasses Expectations
Korina has come to be known as a rare and legendary tone wood amongst manufacturers and players over the years, and PRS is now pleased to add the McCarty Korina to their model line. The new model features an all korina body with a korina neck and headstock, an East Indian rosewood fretboard and is offered in several colors.

“The McCarty Korina is a very light-weight and musical guitar,” said Paul Smith.

“PRS has come across a great supply of korina that meets our expectations and meets our quality requirements. The guitar looks and sounds better than we expected,” said Larry Urie, PRS Sales and Marketing Manager.

McCarty Successor – The McCarty II
The McCarty II is the successor to the McCarty, the PRS guitar model named for Ted McCarty. The instrument comes standard with a carved figured maple top with a mahogany back body, 25" scale length, 22-fret mahogany wide-fat neck with rosewood fretboard, moon inlays (new birds optional), PRS Stoptail, vintage style tuners, McCarty II truss rod cover and a new Mastering Voice Control. The Voice Control is fully variable from clean, clear vintage tones to powerful heavy metal sounds.

The electronics package also includes new McCarty II Treble and Bass pickups with covers, volume and tone control, 3-way toggle pickup selector and a mini toggle for turning the Voice Control on and off.

“I am so pleased that PRS updated the McCarty. Ted McCarty was an innovator, and this new instrument reflects that quality, “said Paul Smith.

Santana’s New Sound – The Santana MD
The Santana MD is the evolution of the Santana I, II and III models. Carlos Santana and Paul Smith have been working together for more than two years on this new instrument and its new sound. The instrument has most of the appointments of the Santana II and III models but with two major differences. The knobs are now in McCarty positions, and the instrument includes a special Mastering Voice Control. This Voice Control provides an early sixties sound and clarity to the instrument and turns on and off with a mini-toggle.

“Carlos and I worked diligently on this instrument,” said Paul smith. “We are pleased it is ready.”

New PRS Santana MD

PRS Guitars’ Largest Hollowbody – The New SCJ Thinline
PRS is now offering a limited run of a large, full-scale hollowbody guitar. Previously, the SCJ Thinline was only produced in small quantities inside the Private Stock department. This newly offered, limited run model will feature two different bridge/tailpiece setups, a custom-made Bigsby, as well as a PRS designed ebony/curly maple unit. The model also features a select grade maple top and back, mahogany middle and neck, and a Makassar ebony fingerboard/headstock veneer with gold mother of pearl birds and signature.

Joe Knaggs said, “PRS is known for limited runs but not limited runs of large, full-scale hollowbodies. It’s truly something different for PRS, and it is exciting to see the model grow from its Private Stock beginnings into a limited run model.”

PRS Brings Back Alder – The CE 22/24 Alder
Solid alder is once again being used by PRS Guitars with the introduction of the new CE 22/24 Alder model. Alder has not been used by PRS since the earlier nineties, and the body of this new model, the successor to the CE Mahogany, is solid alder, not alder on the back of a maple top. The bolt-on neck is rock maple, and both contribute to a unique CE 22/24 Alder tone.

Singlecut Hollowbody
After the success of the PRS Hollowbody series, PRS has extended the line to include the new Singlecut Hollowbody. The SC Hollowbody is offered in two models: the SC Hollowbody Standard and the SC Hollowbody I, both featuring Stoptail bridges and 22-fret necks.

The SC Hollowbody Standard features an all mahogany body and neck, 25" scale length, 22-fret mahogany wide-fat neck with rosewood fretboard, moon inlays, PRS Stoptail, PRS 14:1 low mass locking tuners, archtop treble and bass pickups with covers, volume and tone control and 3-way toggle pickup selector.

The SC Hollowbody I features a maple top with a mahogany back, sides and neck. All other specifications are the same as the SC Hollowbody Standard.

“The first prototype of this guitar was made several years ago and has been one of the more popular guitars around the shop. We’re happy consumers will have the chance to appreciate this instrument as well, “said Jack Higginbotham.

Many New SE Models for 2008
With four new SE models on the roster this year for PRS, musicians of all ages and skill levels continue to have numerous SE options to choose from. Models being introduced include the SE Baritone, the SE Custom Semi-Hollow Soapbar, the SE Singlecut and the SE Soapbar. Details on the SE Baritone and the artist whose name it will bear will be announced at Winter NAMM, the SE Custom Semi-Hollow Soapbar follows suit with the dual humbucking version that was first introduced in 2007 and all of the same features of the SE Singlecut are now available with a PRS tremolo bridge. Colors offered for the new SE Singlecut Trem include black and tobacco sunburst. The original SE Soapbar guitar featuring a single-cutaway solid mahogany body is the fourth SE model being showcased at Winter NAMM. While not completely new, this guitar has not been available for several years, and PRS is happy to bring this model back from the past.

WHEN IT COMES to pointy guitars, no one designs them more radically than Neal Moser. Moser has been designing guitars for various companies since 1977. (For the full story, visit nealmoser. com.) He came out of retirement a few years ago to open the Moser Custom Shop in Southern California, and just recently he began offering affordable import versions of his unique, eye-catching models.

FEATURES

THE MOSER MVI-T (Moser V import tremolo) looks, plays and sounds like a custom ax, but it's priced comparably to a midline production guitar. Uncommon details, especially for a guitar at this price, include contrasting painted bevels surrounding the body and a thorough setup performed by techs at Moser's SoCal shop. The MVi boasts a maple neck-through-body construction with alder body "wings" carved to a wickedly pointy V shape and a distinctive sculpted "cutaway" beneath the bridge that looks like a crocodile took two hearty chomps out of the guitar's Venus mound.

The neck features a rosewood fretboard with a 24 3/4-inch scale, 24 medium-jumbo nickel frets and side markers rather than fretboard inlays. Right out of the box, it is evident how much attention to detail went into this guitar's setup. The neck feels smooth as silk, seemingly leading your fingers to fly faster than normal. Hardware includes Grover tuners and a licensed Floyd Rose locking tremolo, all finished in black.

The pickups are no-name Korean humbuckers, with a blade-style 'bucker in the bridge position and a traditional six-pole-piece 'bucker at the neck. Controls include individual volume knobs for each pickup, master tone and a three-position switch. The pickups deliver aggressive snarl and bite with black metal-approved chunk and bottom end-perfect for a guitar that looks like Satan's marshmallow roaster.

THE BOTTOM LINE

IF YOU LOVE the razor-sharp lines of Moser's creations but can't afford the cash for a custom- crafted ax, the MVi-T provides similar performance and sound at a cut-rate price. Obviously, a guitar this radical looking isn't for everybody (i.e. jazz or country guitarists), but anyone who appreciates aggressive music can rest assured that the MVi-T sounds as wicked as it looks.

From his early work with Ozzy Osbourne, to his seminal playing with Black Label Society, to his distinctive solo outings, Zakk Wylde has distinguished himself as one of the most fiery and furious lead players in all of rock. Now the Gibson Custom Shop has released a new Inspired By model that’s as scorching and vicious as its namesake’s chops: the new Zakk Wylde ZV Buzzsaw, available now in a limited run of only 50 guitars.

Zakk Wylde ZV Buzz SawBlending classic Gibson touches with all the tools required to crank out the fiercest forms of contemporary rock, this could be the ultimate weapon for axemeisters looking to hack out anything from metal to grunge to the most eviscerating shred styles. Appearing like some rebel offspring of two of the most radical body shapes in rock history — the Gibson SG and the Gibson Flying V — the Zakk Wylde ZV Buzzsaw carries everything a player needs to get the job done: dual EMG 81 & 85 active humbucking pickups in the bridge and neck positions yield a sizzling output with unprecedented fidelity, dual Volume controls and a master Tone provide easy balancing of your individual voice, and a Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge and V tailpiece with through-body stringing give enhanced sustain and resonance, along with easy intonation. These no-hold-barred appointments are partnered by a heavy, aggressive look, too. The solid-mahogany body is finished in ebony with an orange “buzzsaw” graphic, while the glued-in three-piece maple neck carries a 22-fret ebony fingerboard with Custom-grade pearl block inlays and Les Paul Custom-styled headstock veneer.

“Everything on this guitar is exactly as Zakk wanted it,” said Michael McGuire, Operations Manager of Gibson Custom, “including the pickup selector switch on the upper-rear point of the body.”

A detail that might look a little odd at first glance, the selector switch is positioned for easy access in playing position — just one of the many little touches demanded by Wylde.

“This guitar is something a little different for Gibson,” McGuire added, “But it’s a lot of fun!”

Each of the 50 limited edition examples of the Inspired By Zakk Wylde ZV Buzzsaw will come with an exclusive Gibson Custom hardshell case, custom care kit, and a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Zakk himself.

Full specs include:

* Solid mahogany body
* Ebony finish with orange buzzsaw motif, ebony back finish
* Body dimensions of 19" (wide) x 24 1/2" (long) x 1 5/8" (thick)
* Black hardware
* V-shaped tail plate with Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge
* 24 3/4" scale three-piece maple neck with rounded profile and plain oiled finish
* Single-bound ebony fingerboard with pearl block inlays
* 22 jumbo frets
* 1 11/16" nut width
* Les Paul Custom headstock shape and veneer
* Black Grover kidney button tuners
* EMG 81 & EMG 85 active pickups
* Two Volume controls, single Tone, three-way switch
* Pure nickel-wound Gibson Vintage Reissue .010 strings

Of course, being a Gibson Custom creation, the whole is a lot more than just the sum of its parts, and the Inspired By Zakk Wylde ZV Buzzsaw has been crafted for optimum playability and tone — just as Zakk himself demands. Get one while they’re available, and start choppin’.

For more information, click here.

Perpetual Flame, Yngwie Malmsteen's latest studio album, will be released on October 14, 2008. The album will be the first Yngwie album to be released via Rising Force Records (distributed via Koch), while the album also marks the debut on an Yngwie album by ex-Judas Priest/Iced Earth frontman, Tim "Ripper" Owens.

The album will feature 12 tracks spanning more than 70 total minutes. Joining Yngwie and Ripper on the album is keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Patrick Johansson (Yngwie contributed bass, additional keyboards and vocals), but on tour, Michael Troy will supply keyboards, and Bjorn Englen will be laying down the bass. A supporting tour of the U.S. and Canada is slated to run through all of October.

In addition to the arrival of Perpetual Flame in October, Yngwie will be inducted into the Rock Walk in Los Angeles on Monday, October 13th.

Additionally, a new Fender/Yngwie Malmsteen custom shop guitar will be unveiled on November 28th (with a limited run of 100 instruments) and there will be a series of CD reissues of Yngwie classics to soon be announced.

Perpetual Flame Track Listing:

1. Death Dealer
2. Damnation Game
3. Live to Fight (Another Day)
4. Red Devil
5. Four Horsemen (Of the Apocalypse)
6. Priest of the Unholy
7. Be Careful What You Wish For
8. Caprici Di Diablo
9. Lament
10. Magic City
11. Eleventh Hour
12. Heavy Heart

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN 2008 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:

SEPTEMBER 28, 2008 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO – CENTRO BELLAS ARTES
OCTOBER 4, 2008 SAN ANTONIO, TX – SCOUTBAR
OCTOBER 5, 2008 DALLAS, TX – GRANADA THEATER
OCTOBER 8, 2008 SAN DIEGO, CA – HOUSE OF BLUES
OCTOBER 9, 2008 ANAHEIM, CA – HOUSE OF BLUES
OCTOBER 10, 2008 LAS VEGAS, NV – HOUSE OF BLUES
OCTOBER 11, 2008 VENTURA, CA – MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER
OCTOBER 12, 2008 LOS ANGELES, CA – AVALON
OCTOBER 17, 2008 ROYAL OAK, MI – ROYAL OAK THEATER
OCTOBER 19, 2008 CHICAGO, IL – HOUSE OF BLUES
OCTOBER 21, 2008 WILLIAMSVILLE, NY – CLUB INFINITY
OCTOBER 24, 2008 SAYREVILLE, NJ – STARLAND BALLROOM
OCTOBER 26, 2008 NEW YORK, NY – BLENDER THEATER

Legendary Bay Area thrash band Exodus have re-recorded their 1985 classic Bonded By Blood album, with new vocals handled by current Exodus singer Rob Dukes (replacing the original vocal tracks by late frontman Paul Baloff).

"After many years in the planning and discussion stage, we have finally completed the re-recording of Bonded By Blood," says longtime Exodus guitarist Gary Holt. "We have decided to call it Let There Be Blood and it is our way of paying homage to [original singer] Paul Baloff by showing how relevant these songs we had written together still are. We aren't trying to replace the original, that's impossible anyway. We are just giving these songs the benefit of modern production. It's something we talked about before Paul's death and it's always been important to us to do. We were super excited about entering the studio once again to record these classics, and now it's back to writing the next studio record!"

The release date for Let There Be Blood is October 28, 2008 through Zaentz Records.

Produced by Gary Holt, Let There Be Blood was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA, JKZ Production Studio in San Rafael, CA, with vocal tracks by Rob Dukes recorded at J. Rod Production Studios in New City, NY. Andy Sneap mixed and mastered the album at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, UK.

For the troops in the underground trenches, it began in 1982 with a low generation copy of a local band’s three-song demo. For some, it began with their first listen to Combat Records’ version of Bonded By Blood in 1986. Regardless of the year, Exodus are the undeniable forefathers of thrash metal.

Exodus gained huge notoriety in the international underground scene as a result of the tape trading community. Their dynamic guitar riffing, adrenaline-inducing drum work, and bloodied live shows made all the difference in the band’s mission to take Bay Area Thrash to a worldwide audience.

The immortal, must-have, thrash classic Bonded By Blood was released in 1985 via Torrid Records (then re-released in 1986 on Combat Records), and inspired the likes of Testament, Death Angel, Vio-lence and many others. To this day Bonded By Blood is inspiring a whole new breed of thrash metal.

Gibson Guitar and Epiphone announce the new Slash Les Paul Goldtop guitar models. The new Slash Epiphone Les Paul Goldtop is limited to just 2,000 guitars worldwide and are built using many of the same traditional guitar building processes and techniques that have made Gibson’s family of stringed instruments the absolute finest in the world. Each Epiphone Les Paul Slash Goldtop is built to the meticulous standards by skilled craftsman who create and assemble the various parts of each individual guitar. The Epiphone model starts with the traditional Les Paul body consisting of a hand-selected premium solid mahogany back based on historically correct specifications and topped with A-grade maple. Using a traditional roller-type carving machine, Epiphone has tediously carved each body creating the sexy curves and subtle “dish” along the outer edge of the top that transforms it into an authentic Les Paul.

The neck is crafted from premium mahogany then glued into the body using a TiteBond wood glue, utilizing a long-neck tenon typically found on the Les Paul models from the late 1950s and early 1960s. This provides additional strength which ultimately results in sweeter tone and longer sustain. The neck also features a “Slash Custom” neck profile patterned exclusively from the neck on Slash’s original Les Paul and a Rosewood fingerboard fitted with 22 nickel/silver alloy medium-jumbo frets. The pickups are the same ones used by Slash in many of his Les Pauls – Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro-II – providing the same crunch, power and performance as Slash when he cranks it up on stage.

The finish on the new Epiphone Les Paul Slash Goldtop is the same finish introduced on the original Les Paul of 1952. The labor intensive process of applying the finish is unprecedented and supports Gibson and Epiphone’s commitment to Go for the Gold throughout every step of production of this special guitar model. Other specs include Epiphone’s patent-applied-for LockTone Tune-o-matic and stopbar tailpiece, vintage nickel hardware and tulip-button tuners, fully shielded electronic cavities, 12 inch radius fingerboard, custom “Slash” truss rod cover and the stamped “Limited Edition” logo on the back of the headstock. Each guitar comes with a special hardshell case featuring a custom Slash logo, a certificate of authenticity personally signed by Slash with a limited edition HD laser-cell print of Slash housed in a beautiful leatherette presentation booklet with the Slash logo embossed in gold on the cover. Also included is a custom Slash-inspired leather, metal-studded guitar strap and 24 custom Slash guitar picks.

The Gibson USA Les Paul Slash Signature Goldtop is also being made available for this limited edition opportunity which gives guitar enthusiasts around the world the chance to own a guitar created and designed by Slash, the legend who single-handedly revitalized the electric guitar with some of the world’s most colossal riffs known to the mortal man. The Gibson USA Les Paul Slash Signature Goldtop is limited to only 1,000 guitars worldwide and includes individual features and unique characteristics that only Slash can instinctively call his own. Other features include a standard, un-chambered mahogany body with Gibson’s traditional weight relief system consisting of a series of holes that give it a comfortable yet heavy feel exactly like Slash likes it. The body is topped by one of the Les Paul trademark features, a hand-carved maple top. The body is then painted, as is the Epiphone model, with the same Goldtop finish from 1952, Buillon Gold with an aged Cherry back.

At Slash’s urging, the electronics of the new Gibson USA model were enhanced to include proprietary wiring, caps, resistors and tone pots that give the model its own unique tone. It is also set up with the revolutionary Plek system – a computer controlled set-up that carefully measures and dresses each fret while accurately measuring the height between the fingerboard and the string virtually eliminating string buzz and providing unbeatable playability. The neck, designed by Slash himself, is a solid piece of mahogany with a hybrid profile that takes the roundness of the Les Paul necks of the late 1950s and combines it with the slimness of the necks from the early 1960s. Slash’s personal skull and crossbones and top hat logo with his signature adorn the headstock.

Other features include a TonePro Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece, all chrome hardware, Kluson-style Gibson tuners, and a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity in a metal fold-over frame. The model comes in a hardshell case with Slash’s logo screened on the smooth black exterior and includes a plush white interior. These limited edition special models will be available at select dealers worldwide on October 7, 2008. No others will be produced once the limited edition quantity is sold out. It is a fitting tribute to the rock n’roll legend who has inspired guitarists around the world to “Go for the Gold” in every performance.

For more information on the Epiphone Les Paul Slash Goldtop and the Gibson USA Les Paul Slash Goldtop including a list of authorized dealers go to epiphone.com and gibson.com.

Separate input gain and output volume sliders.

Total control. That's really what guitarists want. And now you can have it with the MXR M-108 10-Band Graphic EQ. The M-108 provides extreme control over the ten most crucial frequencies for guitar. But that's not all. With separate input gain and output volume sliders, the M-108 also provides a ridiculous amount of level control. So you can not only dictate what your guitar sounds like but also where it sits in the mix. Make a fill or a solo jump to the forefront. Give a thin-sounding single-coil the girth to stand up to a high-output humbucker. Turn a vintage one-channel amp into a two-channel firebreather. Create scooped-mid death tones, midrange-heavy singing lead sounds, thunderous lows, crystalline highs-you name it and the M-108 will do it. Now, who wants some?

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