Featured Student : Nick Poole and his new Guthrie Govan signature Suhr guitar

I had the pleasure of seeing Guthrie Govan play with Bryan Beller (Bass) and Marco Minnemann (Drums) ~ “The Aristocrats”  ~ with Nick and our better halves, Yoga and Anna, at the Cluny in Newcastle in March this Year.

Nick had had his eye on one of the Guthrie Govan Signature guitars for a while and he was able to get up close to have a look at one / hear one in action at the hands of The Master himself. Click on the 2 photos below for my video footage from the gig (sorry about the slightly distorted sound on the loud bits).

If you ever get the chance to see this band you must do so. For some strange reason, musical virtuosity seemed to get a bad name and become a little unfashionable at the end of the end 1970′s as punk and 1980′s synth music began to take a hold – I still can’t figure that one out???  If you know me you will know that I’ve been stuck in a bit of a 70′s time warp ever since istening to  bands / guitarists such as Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Todd Rungren’s Utopia, and of course Carlos Santana and Jimi Hendrix (if some of those are new to you click on the links and turn up the volume – you might be amazed!!).

So it was really refreshing to go to a gig where the whole thing was celebrating the wonders of what is possible when 3 world class musicians combine all of the  past influences above with an electric guitar, electric bass and drum kit, not to mention the great little venue that is the Cluny and the informed and receptive audience there to witness the proceedings.

An absolutely fantastic gig – I have been to a few over the years but this ranks up there with the very best – I am certainly glad to have been there. As I said earlier, get to see them if you possibly can …now touring in the USA – full details here…..

Now what about this guitar?? – the Suhr Guthrie Govan Modern Antique.

Nick had been looking to extend his guitar collection for a while and had come across the Guthrie Govan Suhr.  Seeing the Aristocrats recently combined with his 50 something birthday yesterday helped him to conclude the deal.

There is a pretty informative product description from the manufacturer which covers the specifications…… Building on the success of the Modern model and the two Guthrie Signature Models, the new Guthrie Govan Signature Antique Modern is based on the original bolt-on model featuring lightweight American Basswood, 1/4″ plain grain Maple top, and Roasted Maple neck and fingerboard. This wood combination has been a favorite of John Suhr for many years. John has even described it as the “Holy Grail” when it comes to wood combinations due to its very evenly balanced midrange, big and tight low-end, and sparkly yet sweet high-end. Guthrie is no stranger to the Basswood/Maple body and Maple neck combination as he owns two Suhr Standard models with this combination except that his guitars have Rosewood fingerboard. He has always liked this combination a lot and some of the most popular Guthrie YouTube videos feature a Standard with this wood combination.

Still, this new Antique Modern goes a few big steps further to differentiate itself from Guthrie’s previous Signature Model guitars and his other various Suhr instruments. This guitar’s body features the thin and aged nitro-cellulose lacquer finish that has been expertly applied and antiqued by J Black. There are endless debates on the Internet guitar forums about the merits of lacquer compared to modern finishing techniques utilizing polyester and urethane finishes but one thing is true: lacquer ages beautifully and imparts a certain cool vibe when getting the chips, dents and dings that all guitars eventually suffer on the road getting moved around and played in small clubs and concert venues around the world. Soncially, what matters is how thin the finish is so that the body can “breathe” and this lacquer finish is about as thin as it can be, so the body rings and sustains in a way that has to be heard and felt to be believed.

Moving on, the next big feature is the Roasted Maple neck and fingerboard. The Roasting feature is a process of baking the Maple in a high-tech oxygen-free oven at 250 degrees Farenheit and it removes moisture and all kinds of other “impurities” in the wood. This results in an exceptionally stable neck which becomes most useful when traveling all around the world and it provides a big, tight and punchy tone that mates beautifully with the Basswood/Maple body that contributes a balanced and warm midrange with sweet highs that just sing. On top of this, the Guthrie Govan Antique Modern also features the 510 2-post steel block bridge with the vintage-style bent saddles. Compared to the solid-steel saddles, these bent saddles provide a bigger and warmer tone, striking an ideal balance with the tightness and punch that comes from the Roasted Maple neck and Maple top on the body. This axe is all about balance!

Combine these new tonal features and the aged lacquer finish with the same modern playability and versatility of the two previous Guthrie Signature guitars and you have an instrument that is quite unlike any guitar you’ve ever played or heard before. What seem like conflicting features coalesce into a beautiful new whole with a chemistry and synergy that exceeds the sum of its various parts. Like the two Mahogany body and neck Signature Model guitars, the new Guthrie Govan Antique Modern features the exceptionally comfortable and fast-playing Modern GG Elliptical shape with .800-.850 thickness, 16″ flat fingerboard radius, Jumbo stainless steel frets, locking tuners, the versatile pickup combination of SSV in the neck, ML single-coil in the middle and SSH+ in the bridge, the innovative Blower circuitry, and the Tremol-No bridge-locking system.

So if you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to combine the best of what “vintage” and “modern” have to offer in a single superbly hand-crafted instrument, there is no need to look any further than the Guthrie Govan Signature Antique Modern. You are also free to use this model as the basis to make tweaks and get a Custom Antique Modern built to your specs in the same way many players use the first two Guthrie Govan Signature Model guitars as a reference point to spec out and order their own Custom Modern instruments. Finish color options are limited to what we offer on the Antique Series guitars so please contact us for more details if you want to order a Custom Antique Modern. That being said, it will be hard to beat the latest Guthrie Govan Signature model that so well mirrors who Guthrie is as a player and artist: combine the best of the old and the new to forge a new sound and style.

And the man himself has a few things to say about it……click on the following link for Guthrie Govan’s review.

Well, I can’t really add a lot to the those views expressed above. However, the most striking things about this guitar relate to the feel of precision engineering when playing it and the great palette of tones available from the multiple pickup variations. These are the two things in my mind that distinguish top quality guitars from the wide range of guitars now available to suit all budgets. In terms of visual appearance, the distressed / antique finish is just that – it looks like Nick has just borrowed it from Guthrie after his gig at The Cluny.  It will be interesting to see how the roasted maple neck / fretboard wears as it has a satin finish so no doubt will gradually become discloured where the main fretboard action takes place??…. we shall see. All in all a top quality guitar which will no doubt last a lifetime.

Well it’s been a long time ambition to hear one of my students sounding like a world class guitarists such as Guthrie Govan. I can’t wait to hear Nick in action on his new guitar at his lesson on Thursday – no pressure Nick!!!

Oh and…..Happy birthday mate!!!!

Featured Student : Harry Downworth aged 9 and Harrowgate Hill Primary School : Jubilee Rock

Another special moment for me yesterday as one of my younger students Harry Downworth (aged 9) came in for his lesson with his Dad Michael and said “I’ve got a surprise for you…..”

For a fleeting moment my mind scanned all of the potential possibilities….. now Harry is quite a serious young chap who practices his guitar diligently… has already completed an Initial Grade Acoustic Guitar exam through the London College of Music and achieved a Distinction…is currently studying for his Grade 2 Acoustic exam in the summer…he has the sweetest sounding junior sized Taylor acoustic I’ve ever heard…”but yes it must be the jacket!!” I thought… Harry also has the smartest leather motorbike jacket I’ve ever seen and one day I’m sure he’ll let me borrow it – “maybe that’s it???” I thought…..

No – wrong on all counts!! For that fleeting moment I’d completely forgotten about the project Harry had been involved in at school over the last few months. I got a call from his Mum 3 or 4 weeks ago to listen to Radio Tees as the track they had recorded was being played.

Well, today here was my surprise – a copy of his new CD Harrowgate Hill ~ Jubilee Rock. Wow!!! “Only one thing missing Harry” I said…. “Your autograph”. Harry duly obliged and I can now ad another treasure to my collection of original autographed student recordings. You never know….one day??!!

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I think you will agree “Harrowgate Hill School ~ Jubilee Rock”  is a brilliant result led by Wil Taylor and Stuie Ellerton of the Northern School of Contemporary Music which is definitely worth an invitation to Buckingham Palace any time soon!!!

Featured Students : Jaya Green (Aged 9) and Steve Green (Dad)

I have had the pleasure of knowing the musical Green family for  a few years now.

First Bela started lessons as an accomplished Grade 8 Classical Guitarist who wanted a conversion course to Country / Blues / Rock Music – that worked and she now plays and sings in her band “Kreepy Uncle”.

Then daughter Jaya followed at 8 years of age, with husband Steve closely behind with unfinished business from his teenage guitar playing years to catch up on.

Both did well in exams last year with Jaya achieving a Distinction at Grade 2 and Steve a Merit at Grade 4 Electric Guitar.

This afternoon was quite a different challenge and achievement though.

Jaya isn’t known for talking a lot in her guitar lessons. In fact it’s taken me quite a while to get more than a few words out of her. But recently, I’ve managed to persuade her to sing, and today I managed to persuade Jaya to let me record her singing and playing so that you could enjoy it too.

Backed up by country picking Dad Steve on Lead Guitar I think this is quite an achievement – especially considering that Jaya is still only 9 years old!!! What do you think???

These Little Things

Featured Student : Robyn Hoare

Robyn was lucky enough to receive a surprise guitar package on Christmas morning and duly attended her first guitar lesson in the Christmas holidays.

Robyn hadn’t touched a guitar before then and she hadn’t sang in public either.

Since then she has worked really hard at her playing and singing, and I managed to persuade her to record a performance last month.

As you will see Robyn has a great natural singing voice, and her guitar playing has come on really well too in just a couple of months, but just lacks a little confidence – so you can help by giving her some feedback.

Enjoy…..

You Belong with Me

Pumped up Kicks

Albert Lee and Hogan’s Heroes at Mickleton R n B Club

A really great night was had by all last night watching the Master of country blues guitar picking at a packed venue in the wilds of upper Teesdale.

Albert Lee proved to anyone who didn’t know, that not only is he probably at the the very top of his guitar craft, but also what a soulfull singer he is. His band were certainly a seasoned set of players too who could all play a bit and who added a rich variety to harmony and lead vocals.

I went up with a group of friends (Nick, Anna, Brian, Micheline, Dave, Chris and Shaun) who also happen to be keen students of the guitar. All were very impressed with the venue, and blown away by Albert and his band. At 68 he sets an example to anyone slowing down in life with around 90 gigs all over the UK and Europe planned between March and the end of 2012.

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The venue is in a typical stone built Village Hall in Mickleton, a small village in Upper Teesdale. Amazingly, inside it was decked out like a small club with great stage, lighting and sound system, and a packed appreciative audience out for a good night. They have an interesting calendar of gigs with some top names destined to appear in the near future including Georgie Fame – http://www.mickletonrnb.co.uk/Events.htm – definitely worth a visit – next time I think I’ll have to organise a Mini Bus!!!

Jamie Davies aged 10 plays Kashmir on an Eko VL-480 Les Paul

Young Jamie says he mentioned Kashmir at his lesson last week but I can’t remember, and we certainly didn’t do any work on it then. That didn’t stop 10 year old Jamie looking it up on youtube during the week, figuring out (almost) how to tune to DADGAD and then learning to play it all on his own!!!! Well here’s the result played on an EKO VL-480 Les Paul  – very impressive!!!!

Well done Jamie!!!!

Hendrix Strat variations : Featured Student Ryan Jackson

Ok, so we know that Jimi Hendrix had limited (if no) choice about using left handed guitars so he restrung a standard right handed strat so he could play left handed – with his left hand strumming and his right hand on the fret board.

We also know that in his short time at the top of his game he wrote and played some of the most innovative electric guitar music of all time – largely changing the course of rock music.

Ever since his untimely death (in what many describe as suspicious circumstances on 18th September 1970), guitarists have tried to emulate his style and tone with the help of his signature instruments of choice ~ Fender Stratocaster, Marshall Plexi, Vox Wah, Fuzz Face and Univibe.

Some have even gone to a greater level of analysis pondering the effect of his guitar being strung upside down reversing the string length to the machine heads, reversing pickups, changing the angle of the bridge pickup, and reversing the tremelo block. This has led to a series of Hendrix Tribute stratocasters from Fender over the last 30 years or so, usefully summarised in this article.

Of the seven versions illustrated in this article you can see the gradual shift to incorporate all of the elements higlighted in the previous paragraph in a guitar strung for a right handed player, probably best demonstrated in the most extreme form with the 4th in the series – the 1997- 2000 Hendrix Tribute Stratocaster.  It just so happened that one of these turned up in my teaching studio last week shown on the left in the following photo…(mine’s on the right  ~ unfortunately!!!)……..but first a little background about the new owner ~ Ryan Jackson aged 11.

I first met Ryan about 3 years ago when he started his guitar lessons with me when he was 9. My first impression was that he had “been here before” in terms of him being old for his years. Maybe this has something to do with the range of achievements he has managed to squeeze into his young life including :

Various PADI Scuba Diving Certificates including Open Water, Dry Suit and Adventure Diver with a host of dives at various exotic locations including The Red Sea / Egypt, Indian Ocean / Maldives, Gulf of Mexico / Mexico, Mediterranean / Corfu, North Sea / Holy Island / Scotland.

Brown belt in Karate…

Busy with the Scouts….

Grade 2 Electric Guitar with Merit, plus Live performances at local clubs with these and various other performances now on Youtube

All this and time to attend his guitar lesson every week and to build up a rather tasty collection of both electric and acoustic guitars.

It just so happens that, being a bit of Hendrix nut myself, I have a Fender 60′s Reverse Headstock Special Strat ~ Mexican but with USA pickups. Not quite in the same league as Ryan’s though I’m afraid…… A 1997 unplayed Hendrix Tribute Stratocaster with all original paperwork including purchase receipt shown at the bottom of the following photo.

As it had been unplayed the strings were a little corroded and so it needed a restring and set up to be playable. Fitted with new Fender Bullet 3250LR .009s and a few minor adjustments this beauty was ready to sing.

Assembled at the Corona California plant, this guitar captures the essence of the ’69 Woodstock Strat perfectly. A very, very nice guitar that Ryan has promised me he will give me first refusal if he ever decides to sell it – somehow I don’t think that will ever happen!!!

All of the above has only been possible due to the ongoing support of Ryan’s parents Carl and Amanda and his Grandad who brings Ryan for lessons in the school holidays. Ryan knows how lucky he is and will no doubt find a way of paying his family back in the future.

Finally a couple of lesser known facts about Jimi Hendrix and his “tone”……

He wrote and painted using his right hand, so his “strongest” hand was used on the guitar fretboard……………

There is quite a bit of speculation about the guitar used on early recordings on the “Are You Experienced” debut album including the fact that on “Fire” and “Hey Joe” Jimi actually used a Fender Telecaster borrowed from Noel Redding!!

Throughout his career in addition to Stratocasters, Jimi was also photographed playing Fender Jazzmasters, Duosonics, two different Gibson Flying Vs, a Gibson Les Paul, three Gibson SGs, a Gretsch Corvette he used at the 1967 Curtis Knight sessions and miming with a right-strung Fender Jaguar on the Top of the Pops TV show, as well as several other brands.  Jimi used a white Gibson SG Custom for his performances on The Dick Cavett Show in the summer of 1969, and the Isle of Wight film shows him playing his second Gibson Flying V. While Jimi had previously owned a Flying V that he had painted with a psychedelic design, the Flying V used at the Isle of Wight was a unique custom left-handed guitar with gold plated hardware, a bound fingerboard and “split-diamond” fret markers that were not found on other 1960s-era Flying Vs. The funny thing is that whatever guitar you hear him playing he still sounds like…………Jimi Hendrix!!!!

So when you are figuring out how to get the best possible tone out of your guitars, amps and effects of choice don’t forget the most important and magical ingredient in achieving that elusive tone………………YOU!!!

Music? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 ~ about as easy as living to tell the tale about a trip across the Sahara Desert in a Land Rover………..

Earning a living as a guitar teacher is really one of the most satisfying things I have ever done.  Buying, selling, fixing and talking about guitars, guitarists and guitar music to enthusiastic students is a pretty good place to be for me. But the variety of people I have the privelege of meeting and helping to progress as guitarists and musicians takes my work to another dimension. People of all ages and backgrounds walk diligently carrying their guitars to my front door on a regular basis eager to tell me what they have been working on, to show me their latest piece, to push their playing on and to ask me about their latest guitar conundrum.

One such person is Dr Melvyn Langford a highly educated man~ (with more letters after his name than me!!) a  Chartered Engineer with a PhD in Risk and Hazard Management. Melvyn arrived at that point in his life when he contemplated priorities and playing the guitar was shuffled towards the top of the his pile of priorities, after being at the back of his mind for the last 30 years or so. As a consequence I had the pleasure of meeting him a few months ago ~ shown here with his rather nice vintage Aria AW600.

Despite his Risk and Hazard Management background, Melvyn hasn’t lost his sense of adventure, recently completing a trip with his wife through Morocco and a large part of the Sahara Desert in his Land Rover. Driving down from his North East home, meeting up with a few like minded souls at Plymouth then crossing to Northern Spain by Ferry, driving down to Gibraltar, across to Morocco, on through Marrakesh, over the snow covered Atlas Mountains and down into the Sahara. (Click on the photos for a better view)….

Now, I quite fancy going along with Melvyn on his next trip, but how might I be able to persuade my wife to sleep in one of these for three or four weeks??? I’ll just tell her about the wonderful sunsets…………

On returning from the Sahara (maybe after a bit too much of the mid-day sun!!) Melvyn’s analytical mind turned itself on understanding why certain notes sound good together and others don’t, and why major chords sound “happy” and minor chords “sad”. Well according to  Jeffrey Rosenthal in his paper entitled “The Magical Mathematics of Music” Music is as easy as 1,2 3…………………..

“The astronomer Galileo Galilei observed in 1623 that the entire universe “is written in the language of mathematics”, and indeed it is remarkable the extent to which science and society are governed by mathematical ideas. It is perhaps even more surprising that music, with all its passion and emotion, is also based upon mathematical relationships. Such musical notions as octaves, chords, scales, and keys can all be demystified and understood logically using simple mathematics.”……….. read the full article here.

Now where did I put my calculator?????…………….

WOW!!!!!…….Wikiloops.com!!!!!

An interesting couple of days…… Nick Poole came along for his lesson on Thursday and we were working on rhythm playing by playing along with drum tracks I have on my BOSS BR-1200 Digital Recording Studio.

“But what about practice between lessons???” asked Nick. We subsequently searched the internet for free downloadable drum loops and came across wikiloops. com ~ Thousands of great drum tracks ~ just the job I thought……..

I had another look at this site with a few other students over the next couple of days and discovered what a brilliant free resource this site actually is.

If you look at the to the top of the screen you can see an icon to add additional instruments. The site works on the basis that musicians anywhere in the world can download the basic drum track and record, say, a bass track over it and then upload it back to wikiloops. This bass and drum track can then be downloaded and then a guitar or keyboard  (or anything else) track added and then uploaded.

Well guess what ~ I just couldn’t resist it and after a few hours trying to figure out how it all works I managed to record my first session ~ let me know what you think!!!!

A brilliant resource for you to jam along with ~ let me know when you have recorded your first session!!!!

New Products ~ Cajons from SG Percussion ~ “Sentir el Ritmo!!”

Sundance Guitars are pleased to be appointed as the sole UK and International on-line distributor of SG Percussion products.

Although the initials match our own SG Percussion is actually the brand name of Spencer Gilroy a very experienced drummer /percussionist and longtime friend of Sundance Guitars.

SG Percussion specialise in handmade Cajons designed and constructed in the UK by a drummer from a drummer’s perspective. Spencer has been a gigging drummer since 1985 and therefore has a vast experience of percussion and an ear for what sounds good!  Spencer uses his Cajon’s regularly at gigs and has incorporated numerous improvements to his designs over the last few years. SG Percussion is now in full production and offering it’s quality products to a worldwide audience.

For those new to Cajons……The Cajon is a Box drum thought to have its origins in Peru, it is a fabulously versatile instrument. With a Bass Drum, Snare and Tom sound all in one place it sounds like a drum kit in a box……..

• Fantastic for acoustic sets and busking
• Easier to set up and transport than a full drum kit
• Ideal for beginners and experienced percussionists alike
• Available in Junior and Senior sizes
• Various colours and finishes available
• Hand made in the UK
• Approved by UK Trading Standard with full Product Liability Insurance.

Full details and specifications of SG Percussion products can be seen here….

For those interested in learning more about the Cajon ~ read on……

The cajón is the most widely used Afro-Peruvian musical instrument since the late 18th century.

Slaves of west and central African origin in the Americas, specifically Peru, are considered to be the source of the cajón drum; though the instrument is common in musical performance throughout the Americas.

The cajón was most likely developed in coastal Peru during the early 19th century or before, where it is associated with several Afro-Peruvian genres. The instrument reached a peak in popularity by 1850, and by the end of the 19th century cajón players were experimenting with the design of the instrument by bending some of the planks in the cajón’s body to alter the instrument’s patterns of sound vibration.

Knowing that the cajón comes from slave musicians in the Spanish colonial Americas, there are two complementary origin theories for the instrument. It is possible that the drum is a direct descendant of a number of boxlike musical instruments from west and central Africa, especially Angola, and theAntilles. These instruments were adapted by Peruvian slaves from the Spanish shipping crates at their disposal. In port cities like Matanzas, Cuba they used cod-fish shipping crates. Elsewhere, small dresser drawers became instruments.

Another theory posits that slaves simply used boxes as musical instruments to combat contemporary Spanish colonial bans on music in predominantly African areas. In this way, cajóns could easily be disguised as seats or stools, thus avoiding identification as musical instruments. In all likelihood it is a combination of these factors – African origins and Spanish suppression of slave music – that led to the cajón’s creation.

Early usage of the Peruvian cajón was to accompany Tondero and Zamacueca (old version of Marinera) dances.

In contemporary times, the instrument became an integral part of Peruvian music and Cuban music. In Cuba, it is known as a Cuban box drum that was originally used to play Rumba Yambu and now incorporated into many other styles. The bass box drum is large enough to sit on and is played with the palm, fist and fingers. It was originally a crate from shipping cod fish in Havana. The middle drum is played with spoons and was originally a box from church candles. The solo drum started as a desk drawer but has evolved into a specialized box made for this purpose. A more recent contribution to the cajón family is a tall, tapered box resembling a square ashiko. Another is the “Batajon ” an innovative cajón invented by Fat Congas of Santa Barbara, with two heads like a Batá drum.

In the 1970s, Peruvian composer and cajón master Caitro Soto gave a cajón as a present to Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucía during one of his visits to Peru. De Lucía liked the sounds of this instrument so much that before leaving the country he bought a second cajón. Later he introduced the cajón to flamenco music.

Today, the cajón is heard extensively in Cuban, Coastal Peruvian or Musica criolla musical styles: Tondero, Zamacueca and Peruvian Waltz, modern Flamenco and certain styles of modern Rumba. The cajón was introduced into flamenco in the 1970s by guitarist Paco de Lucía. While in Peru, he was given the cajón by percussionist Caitro Soto. In the Paco de Lucia sextet, the cajón is played by Brazilian percussionist Rubem Dantas.

The modern cajón is often used to accompany the acoustic guitar and is showing up on worldwide stages in contemporary music. American acoustic rock band, Boyce Avenue, uses the Cajón in some of their new covers, such as: “Here Without You” (3 Doors Down) and “Just Can’t Get Enough” (Black Eye Peas).

Convinced that you want one yet???? Read the product details here and you might just be tempted!!!