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BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2017
Australia’s pre-eminent celebration of guitar brands, suppliers, manufacturers and music wise-heads is back once more. The Melbourne Guitar Show will house over 80 exhibits for its 2017 incarnation, of which Genesis frontman Steve Hackett and acclaimed guitarists Nick Johnston and Alex Hutchings will be dropping by for exclusive Q&A sessions, clinics and performances. The buck doesn’t stop there though, with exclusive documentary screenings, history presentations and tutorial showcases. Let’s shred.
Steve Hackett Performs Live
Alex Hutchings
Nick Johnston
If there’s one thing you shouldn’t miss at the 2017 Melbourne Guitar Show it’s seeing Steve Hackett perform in the flesh. An unparalleled innovator, Hackett has put together more than 30 solo albums, not including his seven albums with English rock band Genesis. A live performance will be followed up by a Q&A with Australian Musician editor, Greg Phillips.
UK guitar icon Alex Hutchings will also be stepping Down Under for the Guitar Show. A technical genius, Hutchings has been lauded as one of the finest musicians in the modern fusion genre. Behind his own YouTube channel and that of Jam Track Central’s, the Bristol-based musician’s fame has propelled from local to global dwelling. Since 2002, Hutchings has toured relentlessly for music ensembles and brands and now he’s here in Melbourne. Sunday at the AON Whammy Bar.
Canada’s Nick Johnston is what you’d traditionally call a guitar virtuoso. A major proponent of the Schecter guitar as a face and ambassador, Johnston is world renowned for his catchy, melody-driven guitar lines and instrumental work. What’s more impressive is Johnston’s ability to escape the crowd and set himself apart. His 2016 record, Remarkably Human, was his most ambitious yet, so expect to hear much of this release at the AON Whammy Bar on Saturday.
Diesel In Clinic
Phil Manning Up Close
Ukulele Utopia
Vox amps are coming up to their 60th birthday and to celebrate what these sound radiators have brought to the world, Diesel is hosting an intimate clinic to discuss the brand’s historical weight and ongoing importance to the music industry. The new MV50 will be in the spotlight with Diesel set to excite the amplifier with a few of his own tracks. This will then be followed by a Q&A with the revered songwriter. Don’t miss it in the Winners Circle Workshop Room on Sunday.
Australian blues legend Phil Manning was born with a guitar in his hands. Alongside his Chain bandmates, Manning pioneered an Antipodean form of blues and has seamlessly moulded other subgenres into traditional blues. More recently, he’s dabbled with folk, celtic, even world music realms. Manning’s success has seen him share the stage with the likes of Muddy Waters, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, to name a few. He’ll be in conversation at Café Corner on Saturday.
The Ukulele Queen of the Bellarine Sarah Carroll will be teaming up with The Thin White Ukes for a live set on the AON Mezzanine Stage. Carroll is an original singer/songwriter who specialises in country, but also finds interest in bossa nova, and has rhythm and blues heartstrings too. From Space Oddity to Blackstar, The Thin White Ukes have been performing songs of Bowie with their miniature guitars since 2014. Going down Sunday.
Lloyd Spiegel In Concert
The Advancing Guitarist
Bob Spencer Up Close
From one blues luminary to another, Lloyd Spiegel is one of Australia’s most prolific and most relentless musicians. Nine albums and 26 years in, Spiegel still looks fresh-faced and that’s his greatest asset. Recently named a member of Australian Guitar Magazine’s top 50 Australian guitarists of all time, seeing the local great in action is something not to be missed. If that’s not enough, he once supported Bob Dylan. Live at the AON Mezzanine Stage on Saturday.
Mick Goodrick’s landmark book, The Advancing Guitarist, is approaching its 30th anniversary. Foremost local guitarists Lucas Michailidis and Stephen Magnusson will break down the book’s significance to music history and its contemporary weight. In The Advancing Guitarist, Goodrick informs guitarists, new and old, of practical ways to improve their technique and style so approaches to scale and chord voicing will be among the topics discussed. Happening in the Winners Circle Workshop Room on Saturday.
Legendary Skyhooks and The Angels guitarist, Bob Spencer, will be spinning some yarns about his stellar career which has seen him inducted in the ARIA Hall of Fame. More recently, Spencer has been filling music halls as a member of cover outfit Raw Brit alongside The Stars’ Mick Pealing, Peter Maslen from Boom Crash Opera and The Badloves’ John Favaro. If there was ever a time to be embellished with music wisdom and guitarplaying guidance, it’s here in an exclusive chat at the Café Corner on Sunday.
Triple M Finale Jam To cap off the 2017 Melbourne Guitar Show, a collection of the best musicians from the weekend will come together for one final performance. Just when you thought your weekend was complete, Bob Spencer, Alex Hutchings, Nick Johnston, James Ryan and Shannon Bourne will be sharing the stage for the event’s closing feature. There’s a few surprises in store too so you’d be stupid to go home early. Sunday at the AON Whammy Bar.
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BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2017 PROGRAM SATURDAY 5TH AUGUST *PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AON WHAMMY BAR
Presented by Australian Musician and Triple M FM Audio by Advanced Audio
10.30am
EXCLUSIVELY ACOUSTIC STAGE Level 1 Escalator East
WEEKEND W WARRIORS SHOWCASE
See two great Weekend Warrior bands open the guitar show. This program gets lapsed musicians back into playing music and living their rock dream
11.45am
OPA P L OCEAN PA
Opal Ocean is a powerhouse instrumental duo that shifts paradigms of the acoustic guitar.
Our electric dedication to the blues, Australian style featuring the perenial Geofffff Achison but presenting some new blood in Perth’s Matty T Wall
1.45pm
NICK JOHNSTON
Our special guest from Canada is one of the rising forces in the guitar universe and displays his mastery courtesy of Schecter guitars. Don’t miss it.
2.45pm
YAMMOUNI & SYL Y LVIO PROJECT
Marcel and Andy have been long-standing sidemen for some you on a journeyfrom the depths of tranquility to a blaze of face-me lting glory.
3.30pm
STEPHEN TARAN T TO
Sydney-based Guitarist who currently plays with the TechT Progressive Metal band ‘The Helix Nebula’, as a Solo Artist, and has performed for many Australian-based Progressive bands.
4.15pm
SIMON GARDNER & THE BIG SKY
Brisbane based musician, Simon Gardner is a rock guitar virtuoso who will playing his original music backed by his 4-piece band The Big Sky
WINNERS CIRCLE WORKSHOP ROOM
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
11.OOam
AMEB Rock School Clinic
10.30am
Cafe Corner. Ground Level
Alex Burns has become very popular in the Australian blues scene having performed countless venues and major festivals. Alex is joined by the incomparable Michael Bright on guitar, with Ken Borlaise on stand up bass.
modern music tuition, Rockschool presents a new and engaging syllabus, as rigorous in content and delivery as any classical instrumental syllabus to date. Examiner, Alyson Locke, explains the Rockschool syllabus structure, and watch acclaimed guitarist, Simon Gardner, and his band perform pieces from the Rockschool repertoire. Presented by AMEB
Level 1 Escalator West
UKOLOGY 11.30am
NICK CHARLES
A class act, revered by peers and and players in the land. 2015 Artist of the Y Year at the Port Fairy Folk Festival
12.45pm
GEOFF ACHISON & MATT A Y T WALL ATT W
AON MEZZANINE STAGE
12.30pm
LUCAS MICHAILIDIS Lucas Michailidis has been described as ‘quite simply a guitarplaying phenomenon.... he can pull a rhythm and complexity out of a hat’. Real art and enriching food for the soul is what you get with a Lucas peformance.
1.30pm
TIM O’BRIEN guitar and member of The O’Brien Ensemble, a “Hot Club and Acoustic Swing Band”, Tim O’Brien performs for Sigma Guitars
2.30
TIRI PESTRIVAS V VAS Tiri is an instrumental guitarist from Melbourne who plays a hybrid of 2017 he embarked on his biggest project, creating his debut album ‘First Wave’ - a studio album with a live feel. Presented by Ruben Guitars
12.OO noon
LLOYD SPIEGEL IN CONCERT
Lloyd Spiegel is an artist at the forefront and cutting edge of Australian Blues. It’s that unique experience combined with a relentless touring schedule and stage presence that has seen him become a driving force in Australian blues. Lloyd has just released a new studio album This Time Tomorro T w.
1.OOpm
FIONA A BOYES
Fiona Boyes, an Aussie blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, who has been recording & performing for more than 25 years, building a career that has taken her to major festivals and stages around the world
2.00pm
NICK CHARLES BLUES & ROOTS SHOW
“all-in” jams. Nick Charles hosts Shannon Bourne, Lloyd Spiegel, Fiona Boyes, Phil Manning, Andrew Wrigglesworth & Geoff Achison
3.45pm
Level 1 Escalator West
11.30am
HISTORY RY OF AMERICAN GUITAR RY TAR MAKING T
Presented by Jon Lee, Washburn USA’ A s Chief Designer, and A’ featuring Kirk Lorange with hands on demo. Presented by Washburn guitars W
12.30pm
IBANEZ GUITARS TARS SHOWCASE T Featuring Simon Gardner
1.30pm
BOSS SYNTH & MULTI LTI FX MASTERCLASS L Featuring Alex Huchings from BOSS (UK)
2.30pm
LINE 6 V VARIAX & HELIX GUITAR T TECHNOLOGY Y SHOWCASE Known for his work with acclaimed metal band T Twelve Foot Ninja, Stevic Mackay will be demonstrating his signature range of guitar processors
GYPSY Y FIRE
3.30pm
Celtic and world music group.The lineup features Matthew Fagan on 10 string Spanish and gypsy guitar and Austral,ia’s leading European born gypsy jazz performers Alex Y Yarosh on guitar (Ukraine) and Romana Geermans Violin (Prague)
Featuring Lucas Michalaidis and Stephen Magnusson this session is based on the landmark book The Advancing
4.45pm
ULTRAFOX L LTRAFOX
in the infectious style of Django Reinhardt and The Hot Club of France. Elegant swing , tender jazz ballads, gypsy waltzes and hot rhythm are just a few of the trademark sounds.
THE ADVANCING VANCING GUITARIST V T
since 1987. Approaches to scale and chord voicing will be among the topics covered.
Get up close and personal with the Pros, in this play & chat session. It’s an MGS Q & A where you get to talk to the pros and hear some of their magic too. 12noon PHIL MANNING Phil Manning is an Australian blues legend, who along with his band mates from Chain helped to pioneer an Antipodean form of the blues which carries on today through a new generation of blues last few decades, Phil’s musical tastes have broadened to include folk, celtic and world music 3.00pm KIRK LORANGE Kirk Lorange has played with the Who’s Who of Australian music over many years. He is a renowned slide exponent, author and teacher. His plane talk series of books and videos attest to his work in music education. Be on hand as Kirk discusses the guitar and his methods.
4.30pm
MICHAEL DOLCE MASTERCLASS
Featuring Michael Dolce (The V Voice houseband) in masterclass. Presented by Cilia Guitars
MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2017 PROGRAM SUNDAY 6TH AUGUST *PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AON WHAMMY BAR
Presented by Triple M and Australian Musician
10.30am
innovative world of Acoustic FingerStyle guitar featuring interviews with many leading players including Andy McKee, Kaki King, Newton Faulkner and Tommy T Emmanuel. The Acoustic Uprising looks at the rich history of FingerStyle and the fusion of musical ideas the style has become known for. By Roller Coaster Productions.
11.45am
ALEX HUTCHINGS
UK guitar wiz exclusively for MGS017 - a guy who’s accumulated millions of You Y Tube views has got to be something to see. At the MGS2017 for BOSS.
Level 1 Escalator West
12.00 noon
10.30am
JOSEPH BALFE
STEVE HACKETT ACOUSTIC TRIO
Steve Hackett has had a remarkable musical career and is renowned as one of the most innovative rock musicians of our time, beginning with prog rock legends Genesis. Steve has released more than 30 solo albums as well as the seven albums he recorded with Genesis. Steve takes time out from his Genesis Revisited theatre shows to play an exclusive trio show for us. PREMIUM TICKET REQUIRED for trio performance.
Are Music Exams Necessary for Classical Guitarists? Dr Ken Murray discusses the question; what do music exams offer fffer the young classical guitarist? Session dedicated to the classical guitar presented by AMEB
Joseph has won numerous instrumental & overall awards in competing in 2013, including Overall Intermediate at the NZ Gold Guitar Awards, Overall at the CCMA’ A A s in T Tamworth AUS, runner-up Aristocrat Entertainer of the Y Year (AUS).
12.00 noon
SERGIO ERCOLE
Steve Hackett in conversation with Australian Musician
SHANNON BOURNE
NICK CHARLES ELEC-ACOUSTIC SHOW
1.30pm
and love for his Italian musical heritage and culture, will provide guitar enthusiasts a real treat.
Described in 2016 as best on ground at the MGS, Shannon Bourne returns with another vibrant performance, featuring Carl Pannuzzo & Luke Hodgson
THE MERCY Y KILLS
The Mercy Kills are part Sunset Strip trash, part CBGB’s style raw rock and 100% pure oz rock n roll champions. Formed in 2009 they have a history of hanging with legendary artists such as Courtney Love and the New York Dolls and the vibe has obviously rubbed offf on the Y Melbourne-based quartet. On stage, TMK give it all.
2.30pm
1.00pm
TIM O’BRIEN guitar and member of The O’Brien Ensemble, a “Hot Club and Acoustic Swing Band”, Tim O’Brien performs for Sigma Guitars
2.00pm
THE OMNIFIC drummer. Announcing themselves in Nov 2016 with their audience with their unique compositions and style.
3.45pm
TRIPLE M FINALE JAM
You’ve spent the weekend watching some of Australia’s Y
bargain, seen a cool demo or two and thinking life couldn’t get any better… BUT ... we’ve saved the best until last! Some of Australia’s slickest pickers will come together on one stage for the Triple M Finale Jam. The line up includes: Bob Spencer, rr, James Ryan, Nick Johnston, Alex Hutchings, Shannon Bourne… and you never know who else might join them!
ADAM MILLER
‘it takes an impossibly gifted player to improvise independent melodies, harmonies, and bass lines all at the same time - while maintaining an impeccable groove. Australia’s ’ ’s Adam Miller is one such rare phenomenon’ - Premier Guitar Magazine
3.00pm
EVOLUTION OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR
You’ve seen the display now hear the guitars from Holy Grail Guitars. Hear the Evolution of the Acoustic Guitar
The Melbourne Guitar Show acknowledges its sponsors for their support in staging the event
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1.00pm STEVE HACKETT Q&A
abroad, studying and performing extensively throughout the Mediterranean including Andalusia, Florence, Sienna, and Adriatic Coast.
12.30pm
WINNERS CIRCLE WORKSHOP ROOM
Level 1 Escalator West
11.00am
MOVIE: ACOUSTIC UPRISING
AON MEZZANINE STAGE
EXCLUSIVELY ACOUSTIC STAGE Level 1 Escalator East
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
All welcome. Premium ticket not necessary for Q&A
1.45pm
The acoustic guitar has left its imprint on many cultures and musical genres across the world. This show will feature some of the diverse styles and sounds of the instrument from Flamenco to Jazz and Contemporary instrumentalists to Djangophiles. Nick Charles hosts and features –Sergio Ercole, Joseph Balfe, Doug Devries & Alex Burns
3.30pm
UKULELE UTOPIA
Featuring Sarah Carroll and The Thin White Ukes Sarah Carroll is an original singer/songwriter, well known for her work with The Junes, The Cartridge Family, The Pirates Of Beer and partner Chris Wilson, and most recently, Aine T Tyrrell and Jackie Marshall. She specialises in country, but loves the bossa nova and has rhythm and blues in her heart! The Thin White Ukes have been performing the songs of David Bowie (and friends) with small strings and big harmonies in their hometown of Melbourne and beyond since 2014. From Space Oddity to Blackstar, their lovingly handcrafted arrangements of the late great Duke’s mercurial songbook have teased the neck hairs of spellbound audiences and attracted a stellar series of guest collaborators including Jen Cloher, Kim Salmon, Emily Lubitz, Steve Kilbey, Ashley Naylor and Angie Hart.
AMEB CLASSICAL GUITAR TAR SESSION T
11.30am
COLE CLARK GUITARS TARS SHOWCASE T Featuring Lloyd Spiegel
12.30pm
HOW TO GET THE ULTIM L ATE LTIM A TONE
Josh Munday has some of the most downloaded guitar patches in the world, re-creating the classic tones of Van Halen, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix Dave Gilmour V and more. He has done these for a variety of multi-FX including the BOSS ME-80, GT-100 T-100 and the newer T GT-1. T Watch the GT-100 T-1. T-100 Classic Patches Medley and T ME-80 Classic Patches Medley videos, then come to the session where Josh will describe his approach and explain how the concepts can be applied to just about any multi-FX unit.
1.30pm
NICK JOHNSTON CLINIC Our special Canadian guest features in a clinic for Schecter Guitars
2.30pm
WHAT’S AT’S NEW FROM FRACTA A T L AUDIO SYSTEMS Featuring Brett Kingman
3.30pm
DIESEL IN CLINIC FOR VOX anniversary, Diesel will host an intimate clinic discussing his use of V Vox amps including the all-new MV50, plus he will perform some of his amazing songs live and include some Q & A for your chance to chat to one of Australia’s most revered musicians.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL Cafe Corner. Ground Level
11.00am MICHAEL DOLCE Michael Dolce has carved a solid career as a session guitarist by playing and recording for many T Top 10 National and International artists, as well as being the house guitarist for the world wide hit TV show “The Voice” V 12.00 noon MIKE ELRINGTON Mike Elrington is a gifted singer songwriter with incredible guitar skills. Standing at almost two metres tall, delivering his signature, gut-wrenching vocals like an instrument all on its own, very few people forget a performance from this man. Mike offers fffers great music & life lessons in this session 2.00pm BOB SPENCER Bob Spencer is a real force on the guitar in this country. He was a member of the legendary Skyhooks and The Angels and an ARIA A Hall of Fame inductee and can be seen regularly with the Raw Brit. In this session Bob offers fffers invaluable advice for guitarists.
EXHIBITOR LIST ELECTRIC FLOOR GROUND LEVEL
MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2017 FLOOR PLAN - GROUND FLOOR
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL SESSIONS ESCALATOR TO ACOUSTIC EXHIBITORS & PERFORMANCES
ESCALATOR TO WINNERS CIRCLE WORKSHOP ROOM & TO LEVEL TWO WHAMMY BAR
MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW 2017 FLOOR PLAN - LEVEL ONE
TO WINNERS CIRCLE WORKSHOP ROOM
AON MEZZANINE STAGE EXCLUSIVELY ACOUSTIC STAGE
TAKE ESCALATOR UP TO AON WHAMMY BAR ON LEVEL TWO
1 Rock School 3 Wildwood Instruments 4 Tone Revival 5 Owen Ray’s International Music 6 Owen Ray’s International Music 7 & 8 Fine Music 9 Cilia Guitars 10 Holdfast Custom Paint & Guitars 11 Eastman Music 12 – 15 Amber Technology 16 – 18 Muso’s Corner 19 – 20 Galactic Music 21 – Dunphy Imports 22 – 24 Eastgate EGM 25 – 27 Sunburst Music 28 Reverb.com 29 Aon 30 Headrush 31 Colonial Leather 32 – 33 Guitars Plus 44 The Speaker Factory 45 – 46 Sherlock Amplifiers 47 – 50 Schecter Guitars 51 – 52 GH Music 53 – 55 KC’s Rockshop 56 The Resource Corporation 57– 58 Evolution Music 59 Stage Systems 60 – 62 Australis Music 63 – 65 Line 6 66 George Evans Custom Amplifiers 67 Guitar Buckle Buddy 67 Rainbow Music 68 DK Alloy Guitars 69 Melbourne School of Guitar Making 70 Cranbourne Music 72 Hammond Australia 73 – 74 Innovative Music 75 – 76 ET Guitars 77 – 83 Cranbourne Music 84 – 87 Fender Australia 88 D’Addario Australia 89 – 90 Ruben Guitars 91 – 93 Roland Corporation 94 World of Music 95 Independent Music Products 96 Sound and Music 97 Macron Music 98 – 99 CMC Music 100 – 101 Music Junction – Chapman Guitars 102 – 103 Guitar Village 104 – 105 Link audio 106 – 107 Studio 19 Rentals 108 Cole Clark Guitars 109 Clarke & Severn Electronics ACOUSTIC ONLY MEZZANINE A1 Cargill Custom Guitars A2 Jacaranda Music A3 Cole Clark Guitars A4 KC’s Rockshop A5 – A7 Evolution Music A8 Tasman Guitars A9 High Street Music A10 Yamaha A11 Admira Guitars A12 – A13 Zenith Music A14 – A15 National Music A16 – A17 Musical Merchandisers A18 – A19 Pats Music A20 – A21 Fender Australia A22 Spread Music Guitars A23 AMEB A24 NCAT A25-26 Special Display The Evolution of the Acoustic Guitar A27 Shoma Guitars A27 Octigan Guitars A28 Leatherartz A28 Double Bass Tattoo *the list is subject to change and will regularly update
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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YAMAHA BROAD BASS BB 234, 434 AND 734 If my tinfoil hat and I didn’t know better we’d think that maybe the Yamaha Corporation, not the Rothschilds, were secretly in control of the world. They have their fingers in so many pies, from motorbikes to electronics to grand pianos; that they are the commercial equivalent of that one friend who is too good at Monopoly to play against. Far from being as dystopian as I could suspect though, it seems the whole company is run on the steam of thousands of good ideas. As instrument manufacturers their reputation precedes them; they are one of the handful of builders responsible for the infamous ‘lawsuit’ era of competitive guitar making that kept the big guys on their toes in the 70’s. Since then they’ve marched through the decades with a wry grin and a quintessential industriousness as their banner. Add to that foundation a generous dollop of playability and low-end freedom and you have pretty much described their new Broad Bass series of four and five string behemoths. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, bass players totally get the raw end of the stick as far as the rock hierarchy goes; buried in mixes, shoved up the back of the stage and grossly underrated talent wise. However, I’ve been pleased by the increased amount of innovative attention being paid to the lower clef recently. This is especially true of the three tiers of BBs I see before me. The name of the game across the board is one of the broadest colour palettes on the market. All three iterations are carved out of the warm heft of alder, whose medium weight and density pushes the headroom and sustain expected from the tone-wood alone. All three utilise custom designed, open gear tuners that not only feel suspiciously light and sensitive but also match the stylish, modern aesthetic of the graphite nut and streamlined, matte finish of the necks. The scale length is a long, 34” starting at the underside of the very bottom of the body, beveled in behind the strap lug. From start to finish these basses are loaded with some of the most up to date design optimisation imagined without veering into ‘space-bass’ territory. As much as all that base line information is uniform, these instruments are so distinct in the finer details that you’d be forgiven for thinking they were completely different models. Starting with the simplest model, the 234, the
These instruments are so distinct in the finer details that you’d be forgiven for thinking they were completely different models. biggest distinction is the Custom V3 ceramic pickup system. Twin volume controls operate both pickups, separately blending instead of stepping into your own personalised tonal texture. Add to that the familiar roll off tone pot and the signature here is like a P-Bass reinvigorated by a wider scope of possibilities and some appealingly glassy overtones. The one piece maple construction of the neck offers a touch of brightness and stability which is accentuated by the offset ‘D’ shape across the reverse, adding up to a fast, silky and accurate playing experience. It’s a similar neck profile to some of Ernie Ball’s newer guitars, just not as exaggerated. The 434 takes what its companion does and finesses it. There’s a good amount more heed given to aesthetic with colours like bottle green adding a touch of class to proceedings at this level. The first big difference I noticed was in the five-piece maple neck. A noticeably smoother ride, it is fixed to the body more firmly than I’ve ever seen. Four bolts perpendicular to the face and two angled to pull the neck towards the butt might seem excessive but the result is even more sustain than already offered by the placement of the bridge. Essentially the tension is so evenly carried along the body that every last inch of your instrument is lifting your tone out of obscurity. The introduction of Alnico V magnets in the pick up system heats up the output a touch, which simultaneously tempers the top end and opens up the mids for a more versatile character. It’s hungrier than the 234 and it knows exactly what it needs to feel satisfied. The 734 is a different thing entirely. This is truly
a workhorse bass so loaded with options and versatility that, if I were to open a studio, it’d be one of the first things I’d get. All the greatest hits from the other two iterations are there but the biggest difference is the active/passive switch coupled with the three way boost/ cut EQ shaping controls. Think Ernie Ball StingRay bass without all the nasal plonk and hooting overtones and then open your mind and you’ll come close to describing where the 734 sits on the frequency spectrum. In passive mode it’s a warm, discerning voicing like an old Fender Jazz with plenty of cut in the high mids but switch over to active and there is just about every colour on the Pantone wheel in your pickups. I had it running into an old tube guitar amp and was able to dig out anything from Krist Novoselic on In Utero-style attack and girth to Colin Greenwood molasses. There is absolutely no volume hike between the two modes too, so if you’re wild enough a player, switching mid show is a fiddle free experience. On top of the aforementioned mountain of versatility and stylish aesthetics, Yamaha have crafted three ultimately playable basses. They have just enough modern innovation to keep themselves ahead of the pack while never feeling like you’re at the wheel of a ship you’re not ready to steer. The Broad Bass series strikes a perfect balance between science and feel like no other.
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factory presets I found myself lost in sound more than a handful of times. The lengths Line 6 have gone to in presenting all the right sounds to you is incredible; not only have they modeled classic heads, cabs and mics (you can put a Royer 121 in front of a Marshall Plexi and not bleed money!) but the way that specific capacitors and resistors react to engagement as well. The internal organs of infamous pedals, from the ultra modern to the mythic, are all inside and this is where Helix takes the lead. It makes a massive difference when the wonky waywardness of a 60’s Univibe colours your trip as opposed to something so linear as 1’s and 0’s. With all this limitless possibility at play, editing everything into a functional workflow should for all intents and purposes be a nightmare. One of the biggest innovations to combat this has been cross hardware compatibility with laptops and iPads becoming cunning co-conspirators. In an interesting twist of fate the Helix brings some of that high-def. visibility on board with
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
au.yamaha.com Expect to pay: BB234 $549.99 BB434 $799.99 BB734 $1099
BY LUKE SHIELDS
LINE 6 HELIX LT GUITAR MULTI-EFFECTS PROCESSOR Once upon a time there were only two truly limitless things: time and space formed the X and Y-axis of all experience. More and more I think we’re starting to reach a point where ‘options on digital modeling units’ could be added as a third Z-axis. We’ve come a long way from early multi-effects units, which were basically individual pedals sutured together like some cult horror film. The digital age has propelled an exponential expansion not only in the way we think about what’s on our chains but the scope of their capability. Line 6 was one of the first companies to harness some of the power of possibility and they’ve distilled everything they’ve discovered so far into the new Helix LT. The Helix family is really Line 6’s pride and joy. It is their most malleable, fastest processing and most true to life sounding iteration and continues to be locked in heated battle with products like AxeFX and Kemper Modelers for best in show. The LT is essentially a lighter, on scale and on budget, version of the original floor and rack units. The processors are all the same, functionality identical and the sounds and their interaction is universal, even to the point of being transferrable from one unit to another should the need arise. It’s just as powerful but the smaller footprint makes it more accessible to different types of players. My main concern when plugging in this type of unit is the end result. If it doesn’t sound like something I could play in front of people then why waste time? That was much of my issue with many early attempts at the digital smorgasbord. This idea has absolutely been taken into account; even just strolling through the 32
Yamaha Music Australia
its full colour LCD display. It’s not quite as instant as a touch screen but it is just as intuitive in the way you dial in parameters, build effects chains and set up set-lists of preset banks relative to which band you’re playing with. Plus there is USB and Variax IOs as well so you don’t miss a thing. The initial reservations I harboured about digital modeling units continue to dissipate with just about every step forward in the field. The Helix LT is one of the most user-friendly units I’ve stood before and given that it sounds, and more importantly reacts, like the pedals that peak my purism it’s safe to say that Line 6 have come through with something worth investigating further. BY LUKE SHIELDS
The Helix family is really Line 6’s pride and joy. It is their most malleable, fastest processing and most true to life sounding iteration
Yamaha Music Australia au.yamaha.com Expect to pay: $1899
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POSITIVE GRID BIAS DELAY PEDAL Delay is a crucial effect in so many ways. It can help place your guitar sound in a spatial context to help it sit within - or stand out from - a mix, or it can be used as a more overt, ear-catching effect. Or you can go the Edge approach and use it as a rhythmic component of the riff itself. Positive Grid understands that your delay is what you make it, and that’s not just marketing speak (in fact, I just came up with that and I think I’ll hang onto it): BIAS Delay lets you actually design thousands of custom delay pedals from scratch. This pedal seamlessly integrates with BIAS Pedal Delay for mobile and desktop, and is ToneCloud-ready for sharing presets. In a way you can almost think of it as a hardware extension of all the wonderful sounds you cooked up on your digital devices. On the hardware side, there are Digital, Analogue, Tape, Space, Swell, Reverse and Tremolo modes plus three preset slots. There are knobs for Mix, Feedback, Time, Mod, Depth and Rate (each goes to eleven, hehe) plus a Reverb control - a great addition because delay and reverb integrate so well with each other. There’s also a tempo subdivision switch between eighth notes, dotted eights and eight note triplets. There are footswitches for three presets plus a Tap Tempo switch too. Around the back are stereo inputs and outputs, an expression pedal jack for real-time control of any parameter, a USB port, MIDI In-Thru and a Wireless button to connect with BIAS Pedal iPad via Bluetooth. Cool huh? BIAS Delay is completely workable as a standalone pedal: if you never plug it into a computer you can do a hell of a lot, from warm delays to spacey-sounding modulated ones, and you can easily program and flip between presets. If you’ve always been a bit programming-shy, this is a
BIAS Delay is completely workable as a standalone pedal: if you never plug it into a computer you can do a hell of a lot, from warm delays to spaceysounding modulated ones. very worthwhile pedal to own. Ah but if you live for deep editing, this is going to flip you out. You can design your own custom delay pedal at component level, including things like saturation and analogue tone controls on the incoming signal, a virtual power source, two graphic EQs to place at various points in the signal chain. Saturation and analogue-tone controls add density and girth to the Delay Stage’s input signal. Adjust your pedal’s virtual power source to deliver 18 volts for a relaxed, supple sound, or six volts. Use the Delay Stage’s treble and bass controls to shape the tone of only the delay signal from bright to midrange-y to bass-heavy. Two 8-band graphic EQs can be placed at various points along the signal
chain. It’s insane just how deeply you can go into the editing stage. And that’s where BIAS Delay is likely to find its biggest fans: those who really want to shape and define their own sound. It’s a very good standard delay pedal with lots of options, but it’s a great customisable one. BY PETER HODGSON
POSITIVE GRID BIAS 600W MODELING AMP We may not eat food in pill form or hoon around in hover-cars just yet, but we are well and truly living on the cusp of, if not smack bang in the belly of, the future. There are people making music on computers that sounds like blips and bloops just like The Jetsons guessed, and we’re video calling each other on a regular basis just to tell each other that we’re minutes away on the tram. Fred and Wilma would be quaking in their loincloths if they knew half the things we can do these days. The advent of the Internet and its expansion to the seemingly limitless world of hands-free technology has made it so that just about anything and everything you could possibly wish for is a swipe, click or tap away. Positive Grid is a company that has been at the coalface of this technological tin mine for years now. Famous for creating some of the most user friendly and sonically advanced music apps on the market, their new Bias Head sees them take one almighty leap into the physical realm and apply the entirety of their tone-tech prowess in the real world. The Bias Head is at its genesis, a modeling amp, just not like you’ve known before. As opposed to being an engorged menu of presets and optional extras, this unit seeks to put the power in your hands. You choose just about everything except the printed circuit board it is built on and the unit itself quietly ensures that a) you have easy access to all your choices and b) every last one of them sounds as natural as the real thing. Despite being loaded with features, the unit itself is simple enough to navigate. The traditional controls are there along the bottom row; input gain, bass, mid, treble, presence and master volume can all be used to chip away at what it is you’re looking for. There’s an output volume for your neighbour’s sake and a vintage/modern switch that changes the era your tone mimics. Along the top row is where it gets interesting. Essentially you have five banks with five presets per bank, each loaded straight out of the factory to represent a broad sweep of desirable heavy 10
hitters in the amplification hall of fame. Anything from Fender Blackface or JC120 clean to Marshall Plexi and 5150 high-gain are on offer straight out of the box and make for a great place to start. From there the tube stack selection, circuit design type and power-amp dials offer you a simplified version of the options you can tune in once you hit the digital realm, but more on that later. The back panel is a studio or live engineer’s dream. The speaker out reads and matches impedance to just about any cabinet you can put it in front of. There are balanced and unbalanced XLR and TRS outs in stereo pairs for sending signal to various different destinations. Effects loop, headphone out and pre and post switch for the cabinet simulator mean that the person behind the faders has just as much control over what comes in as the person doing the shredding. Dual footswitch ports offer yet another hall of possibility and the whole unit is MIDI compatible via the in, out and thru five pin ports. Whether you’re just playing the thing live, recording it patched straight into a desk or using the machine to trigger lighting rig changes, there is absolutely no limit to what you can do with this sleek, black and silver capsule. Here’s where it gets really incredible. All of what I’ve written above is merely a conduit for the infinite, awe-inspiring possibility you get once you hook your Bias Head up to your Mac, PC or tablet. The companion apps offer you not only the opportunity to render your tone from the library
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
Link Audio linkaudio.com.au Expect to Pay: $599
of options available, but you can also render an exact replica of your favourite rock box simply by using a recording into the interface to map its tonal fingerprint. It’s the kind of thing that there are X-Files episodes about, upload the consciousness of even the shitty, ancient practice amp that you’ve become accustomed to into the machine and the Bias Head lets you take it anywhere. This means it will never die on you, never conk out at the crucial moment and always be there when you need it. Kinda spooky really, especially when you actually do it and see just how startlingly accurate it is! One of the fatal flaws of even the front-runners of the digital modeling amp race is suspension of disbelief. All of the examples I’ve played so far are good but I’ve always been deathly aware that I am not playing the real thing but shredding inside a simulation. This is where Positive Grid has made a huge leap forward. Not once in the few hours that I played with this amp did I think to myself ‘yeah, but…’ and that’s all down to how much care has been given to make the amp feel like a real, humming and whirring machine in its own right. 600-watts of power and one of the cleverest processors on the market and, close your eyes and you’d never know you were sleeping next to a Replicant. BY LUKE SHIELDS
The Bias Head is at its genesis, a modeling amp, just not like you’ve known before. As opposed to being an engorged menu of presets and optional extras, this unit seeks to put the power in your hands.
linkaudio.com.au Expect to Pay: $1999
©2017 Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.Fender® is a trademark of FMIC. All rights reserved. FENDER.COM.AU
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BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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FENDER AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL TELECASTER Of all of Leo Fender’s designs, the Telecaster is arguably his finest work. Simple, robust and full of punch Ð it’s an instrument that has been heard on countless recordings. Flash forward to today and Fender has reinvigorated the iconic instrument within their new American Professional series. But the question remains: is this a step in the right direction for the behemoth brand, or are they simply treading water? This Telecaster is part of Fender’s latest American Professional series, which essentially supersedes the company’s long-lived American Standard range. The whole Fender range is along for the ride in this upgraded collection, including Strats, Jazzmasters, and Jags. Finishes are refined to hark back to classic Fender eras (the sparkling seafoam green of the review model calls to mind a vintage hotrod finish), while being enriched with modern appointments that work together to improve playability across the board. Case in point, the latest ‘modern deep C’ shape fretboard. The strings are almost comically easy to bend into a wail, making for a very playable neck. A guitar’s fretboard is often the hardest element to get acquainted with on the instrument, but if you’re happy with minimal resistance and a light action Ð this is the Tele for you. Compensated brass saddles across the bridge are a more than welcome touch for a guitar of this calibre, and lend a subtly vintage vibe to it. While it may not be instantly noticeable, they offer the instrument more sustain too. Regardless, if you prefer a more contemporary option, a modern bridge is included in case you’d like to switch it out. The frets themselves seem a little clunky to work across, and could probably use a more refined dressing. However, this is far from the end of the world. For the most part, the guitar is a breeze and a pleasure to play with. Aesthetically, the guitar looks an absolute treat. While vintage purists might cringe
If you’re after a little old world charm coupled with modern playability and reinvigorated design, this might just be the axe for you. at the sight of heritage colours mixed with a maple fretboard Ð in this instance, it really does work. Elsewhere within the range, you’re able to choose from a selection of new colour ways including Sonic Grey, and Antique Olive. It’s a healthy reminder that the American Pro series isn’t a trite reinterpretation of the past, but is actively trying to bring something new to the table. Although the finish on both the body and neck is expertly applied, but may be a little thick for some tastes. Now, the big question: how does it sound? Long story short, like a Tele. The neck pickup is beefy and warm, if perhaps a tad flat. In saying that, no-one in their right mind is really buying a Tele for the front pickup. You’re after that twangy bridge pickup sound, in which this bad boy delivers in spades. Loaded with bite and snarl, it’s impossible not to bust out some chicken pickin’ with a guitar like this. Springy and responsive Ð it’s everything you want from a Tele. The team at Fender have really nailed
their approach on this one. Of course, the middle pickup is also a classic Tele sound, and the American Professional provides a sweet, quacky tone that shines when played clean, as well as working well for percussive rhythms and funk. For players looking for a true-to-vintage interpretation, you’d be more suited looking further into Fender’s range. However, if you’re after a little old world charm coupled with modern playability and reinvigorated design, this might just be the axe for you. Plug it in, add a hearty dollop of spring reverb, turn it up, and you’re good to go. BY JAMES DI FABRIZIO
JACKSON MISHA MANSOOR JUGGERNAUT HT6 Periphery’s Misha Mansoor is one of those true guitar trendsetters. Like Eddie Van Halen and Slash: even if you’re not into their playing you’ve seen their influence on the gear industry, both through their signature gear and in the competing products of other manufacturers in their wake. EVH spawned a legion of superstrats; Slash revived the Les Paul at a time when everyone played, well, superstrats. Mansoor’s influence on guitars, pickups, amps, processors and effects has reached players in genres far outside of Periphery’s progressive metal. Mansoor’s USA-made Jackson signature model is a very high-end guitar with a price tag to match. It’s a heck of an aspirational purchase, but not everyone can pony up that kind of cash. So it makes sense that Jackson should offer an Indonesian-made, less blinged-out version that retains the key features that make Mansoor’s models great to begin with. The Juggernaut HT6 has a carved basswood body with a satin finish, and it’s unique among Jackson’s designs. The exaggerated treble-side cutaway gives you incredible upper-fret access, as does the bevelled scoop that lets you angle your fretting hand perfectly to not just reach the 24th fret but to really grab it by the giblets. The neck is a one-piece maple bolt-on with graphite reinforcement and a 16” radius ebony fretboard with jumbo frets. The inlay dots are offset, they’re nudged way to the bass side until the 12th fret, after which they switch to the treble side, and the side dots are Luminlay, which glows in the dark. The truss rod adjustment is via a wheel at the heel end of the neck, leaving the headstock looking bare apart from the Jackson logo. As for hardware, we’ve got a Jackson HT6 string-thru hardtail bridge and Jackson die-cast locking tuners. There’s a master volume and a master
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Fender Music Australia fender.com.au RRP: $3099
This isn’t just a great choice for Periphery fans: it’s a very adaptable, extremely playable guitar for any player who works in heavier styles. tone control with push-pull select to remove it from the circuit if you want and a five-way blade switch which gives you full bridge pickup, both inside coils, both full humbuckers, the outer neck single coil or the full neck humbucker. The pickups themselves are Jackson MM1 pickups, developed with Mansoor. It’s interesting that this guitar doesn’t feature his Bare Knuckle Juggernaut pickups - a boutiquelevel pickup that costs a pretty penny and would make the guitar much less affordable - but the guitar is purposely designed with the same routing required for Bare Knuckles for those who wish to upgrade down the track. Jackson and Mansoor purposely voiced the MM1 pickups differently to the Juggernauts. The pickups sound very balanced and yet are dynamic too, with great note separation and punch. Mansoor uses some pretty dang sophisticated chord voicings and it would be a shame to lose that, so they’ve really nailed that kind of sophistication here, even though the tonality itself is different to the Juggernauts. The neck pickup sounds a little ‘chewy,’
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
equally great for legato and speed-picking but super well-suited to clean tones. This isn’t just a great choice for Periphery fans: it’s a very adaptable, extremely playable guitar for any player who works in heavier styles. The pickups certainly aren’t voiced for classic rock but they’ll do anything heavier with ease. And the styling, while unique to Mansoor’s line, doesn’t go out of its way to tell everyone you’re playing a signature guitar. Hell, the guy’s name isn’t even on it. BY PETER HODGSON
jacksonguitars.com.au RRP: $1999
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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VOX AMPLIFIERS MV50 SERIES
VOX’s new MV50 line of amps is designed to give you a unique voicing in a teeny tiny configuration blasting out 50 watts of power. There are three amplifiers in the line: MV50 AC, which is based on the venerable VOX AC 30, MV50 Clean, which is ‘inspired by classic American amplifiers’, which usually means Bassman or Twin unless indicated otherwise, and MV50 Rock, which is based on ‘more aggressive tones reminiscent of high gain British amplifiers’, often code for ‘a JCM800’. Each amplifier in the series features the same basic feature set: three knobs, a VU meter and an input jack on the front, a line/phones jack and a speaker out in the back, and an innovative Nutube vacuum tube. What the heck is Nutube, you ask? It’s similar to a conventional vacuum tube, with an anode grid filament structure, and it operates exactly as a triode vacuum tube. But by applying their vacuum fluorescent display technology, the designers have devised a structure which achieves substantial power saving, miniaturisation, and quality improvements when compared with a conventional vacuum tube. It actually looks like some kind of weird microchip rather than the vacuum tubes we’re familiar with, and requires less than two percent of the power of conventional tubes. MV50 AC’s controls include gain, tone and volume, and as well as the Nutube it’s also packed with analogue components designed to emulate the dynamics and harmonics of a regular tube amp. Sonically, it has exactly the chimey ‘dirty/clean’ vibe you would expect of an amp with ‘AC’ in its name: it maintains the ring and jangle of single coils, and it sounds plenty beefy with humbuckers. It’s also very dynamic: dig in harder with the pick and you’ll most definitely notice more gain and volume. There’s none of the weird unusable, counter-intuitive compression that plagues many small amps, and it seems like this little beastie is very carefully voiced to emphasise the differences in your guitar’s pickup selection and tone settings, rather than sort of smear those things over a bit.
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Each of these amps is great at its own thing, but a case could be made for buying all three (and their matching cabs) and having the cutest damn multi-amp rig ever. The MV50 Clean has no need for a gain control, so it instead dedicates its three knobs to treble, bass and volume. The treble knob is very carefully voiced: it gives you a great sense of detail and clarity without hitting those really strident, icepick-like frequencies, and it made my Strat with Seymour Duncan Jimi Hendrix pickups sound almost like an acoustic guitar. But when I plugged in my Les Paul I found a great jazz tone, and there were some great country tones to be found with my Tele and a tremolo pedal. It’s also a great amp for multi-effect units because it’ll clearly reproduce whatever you plug into it. A great choice for those who need exclusively clean tones or those with tonnes of pedals. The MV50 Rock is a little scorcher. It can sound very fat-yet-fuzzy - think some of those classic Black Sabbath rhythm tones - but it’s also capable of great smooth blues-rock tones in the Gary Moore kind of vibe. It’s definitely the most high-gain of the series
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
of course, but it also cleans up very nicely from your guitar’s volume control, making it the best all-rounder of the three. It’s a bummer that it doesn’t have an effects loop or reverb, but all the overtones and harmonics of a classic tube amp are there and they’ll take your mind off the lack of any onboard ambient control. Each of these amps is great at its own thing, but a case could be made for buying all three (and their matching cabs) and having the cutest damn multi-amp rig ever. They’re incredibly portable, sonically flexible, very affordable and downright adorable. BY PETER HODGSON
Yamaha Music Australia au.yamaha.com Expect To Pay: $350
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NORTHERN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY
What can NCAT offer budding luthiers looking to hone their craft? The course covers both traditional and emerging digital technologies. Opportunities are available in the guitar industry, practicing repair or instrument set up, manufacture and design. Programs offer both traditional woodcraft and high volume manufacture techniques. The course also covers the development of a business plan. What have alumni gone on to do in the music industry? We have had alumni who have gone on to start their own companies. Past students have also gone on to work in the industry in the areas of retail, wholesale and manufacturing. What sets NCAT apart from other schools? NCAT is the only school that offers guitar making in Australia. NCAT consults with the industry and has established relationships with Maton Guitars, Cole Clark and many independent instrument makers. The college also has a relationship the Australian Music Association (National Retailer’s Association). What areas can students move into in the industry after studying? The course was designed to give students opportunities to enter directly into the industry or studying. Study options include design, industrial design and engineering. What skills will students graduate with and how will it help them achieve success? Students are provided with the practical and technical skills to work in the industry. They are also being taught transferrable skills from computer aided design to skills needed to start their own business. They are also being prepared for further study.
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PAT’S MUSIC
What types of guitars do you stock at Pats Music? We are a full range music shop with a great range of guitars, from classical through to steel string and electrics. Pats Stocks the best guitar brands including Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha, Gretsch, Sigma, Maton, Martin, Valencia, Katoh and Alhambra. We also carry a great range of Kala and Mahalo ukuleles, violins, violas, cellos, drums, brass and woodwind. What model would you recommend for a beginner and why? Most beginners start with a nylon string classical guitar. Classical guitars are much easier on your fingers while you develop your playing technique. However, if you don’t see yourself playing a classical guitar we always have suitable entry level steel string and electric guitars. If you could only own one guitar in your shop, what would it be? Maton EM100 Messiah. Praise the lord. What accessories do you have in stock for guitarists? Strings, straps, tuners, capos and picks. If we don’t stock want you need we will do our best to get it for you. What’s the most valuable tool a guitarist can have? Patience, discipline, inspiration and guitars are equally important. In your opinion, what makes a perfect instrument? Quality materials and craftsmanship.
NCAT.VIC.EDU.AU
PATSMUSIC.COM.AU
ROCK GUITAR LESSONS
SHERLOCK AMPLIFIERS
How and when did you learn to play the guitar? I got my first acoustic guitar when I was about 14 years old, probably because I kept hogging my older brother’s one. My older brother Cheyne taught me my first chords. It wasn’t until he bought an electric guitar that I become really curious. Soon after that I discovered Led Zeppelin; as soon as I heard the solo of Communication Breakdown I decided I was going to become an electric guitarist. What made you want to teach people to play the guitar? I’ve been teaching for almost as long as I’ve been playing. I’ve always had friends who wanted to learn so I would show them a few chords and riffs. They say that sometimes careers choose you. That’s definitely what happened in my case. What is your first piece of advice for someone who wants to learn to play the guitar? Keep at it! Remember nobody started at the top, all your favourite guitarists started at the same place you did once upon a time ago. The other piece of advice would be learn simple things first and move on to more challenging things over time. This is where a good teacher can really help. Who is your all time favourite guitarist and why? My all time favourite guitarist is Jimmy Page. If it weren’t for him I don’t know what I’d be doing today. I think Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix set the foundation for contemporary electric guitar playing. Rock Guitar Lessons offer tuition to players 18 and over in suburbs across Melbourne.
Sherlock Amplifiers is known for its consistent quality in designing and manufacturing Tube Guitar Amplifiers and related products through their Melbourne-based business. Their V3 Distortion Pedal is a fitting example of this and a year later, the product has also been patented. The V3 Distortion Pedal is a two-channel distortion pedal with both channels accessible via a footswitch. The channels " Rhythm and Lead " each have full controls for volume, middle, treble, bass and gain, providing users with great control over their sound. Aside from this shared feature, each channel is otherwise quite different with its own unique qualities. The Rhythm channel produces an open sound with less high-gain. It’s highly responsive to alterations and is diverse in the sounds it generates, granting depth to open chords and crunch to power chords. In comparison, the Lead channel is more compressed and saturated while still maintaining a similar diversity of sound to the Rhythm channel. Despite being perhaps less flexible dynamically than the Rhythm channel, the Lead channel is great for sustaining melodies and high-speed leads. The V3 Distortion Pedal also features three 12AX7 valves, a Bypass switch that allows the pedal circuit to operate outside of the signal chain, and power supplied via an adaptor as opposed to batteries. Whether you’re looking to use it with a tube amp or a modelling amplifier, the V3 Distortion Pedal is great for taking full control over your sound. It replaces complicated controls with simplicity, providing a pair of flexible channels to produce your desired sound.
ROCKGUITARLESSONS.COM.AU
SHERLOCKAMPS.COM
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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WILDWOOD INSTRUMENTS
HOLY GRAIL GUITARS
Tell us about your business and what makes it special. Wildwood Instruments runs two-day electric guitar making Courses. You can choose from our range of popular guitar and bass kits and be guided through the building process in our fully equipped workshop. Courses run every weekend, so you can attend when it suits you. What is unique about the courses? No one else in Australia is running a course like this. It is a short, affordable introduction into guitar making, starting from just $599. In just two days you will walk away with a guitar that you have custom made and a wealth of knowledge on guitar making. What is involved? There is a fair amount of prep-work and final sanding; applying a stain and oil finish. We do a fret level and dress, design and shape the headstock, install hardware, assemble the body and neck, solder in the electronics and then do a full professional set up. How long have you been perfecting your craft? I have been building instruments for over 27 years. I am a self-taught luthier, as there was very little in the way of apprenticeships back in those days. A lot of persistence and determination has seen me through in this challenging industry. In your opinion, what makes a perfect instrument? I believe that an electric guitar’s playability is its fundamental asset. The instrument must function to the best of its ability. Beyond this, pretty much everything else is subjective.
What is Holy Grail Guitars and what do you do? Holy Grail Guitars is a collection of musical masterpieces that tells the story of the evolution of the guitar from the Stone Age to the Space Age. The exhibition is used to educate people about history and musical instruments, and is also used to raise funds and awareness around important causes such as cancer research and mental illness. What made you decide to start collecting guitars? These pieces have been collected by me (Clyde Watkins) throughout my 40-year career as a luthier and guitar technician. I started out getting really nice steel string acoustics; Gibsons and Martins. I then started picking up classic American electrics from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Now I collect anything that helps to tell the story of the guitar. Which is your favourite model out of all the guitars in your collection and why? At the moment I’m loving a Gibson wartime banner J45. A beautiful resonant instrument with a rich history. You’ll be involved in the Melbourne Guitar Show, what will you be doing there? We are exhibiting over 30 pieces from the collection. There will be antiquities and artefacts, some very old lutes and harps, baroque instruments, a harp guitar and early Spanish guitars. There will be first era electric guitars from the ‘30s, archtops from the jazz age and into the classic post war Telecasters, Les Pauls, Gretsch and Danelctro instruments. We will also be raffling a guitar to raise money for Beyond Blue.
WILDWOODINSTRUMENTS.COM.AU
FACEBOOK.COM/HOLYGRAILGUITARS
LINE 6 SPIDER V 240HC HEAD AND V412 CABINET Love them or hate them, Line 6 made the first strides towards breaking digital ground in the effects world. Stomp-box modelers like the DL4 opened up worlds of opportunities for guitarists across the spectrum and brought the limitlessness of DAW bound plug-in capabilities out of the box, arguably for the first time. Other companies swiftly followed suit and the modeling amplifier age came to pass. As we all know, this is one of the most spirited arguments at the tonal round table but there is no denying the leaps and bounds that either side has made in the years since this fledgling idea took flight. Today the race to sound as real as possible is as hotly contested as ever and Line 6 take it to the stage with the Spider V 240HC and its partner in crime, the V412 cabinet. There are two concepts that are unflinchingly important when marrying cab and head. 1) The quality and quantity of the speakers and 2) whether or not it’ll survive falling down venue stairs. The benchmark for cab design was set very early on by Marshall with their 4x12”, slanted boxes and Line 6 takes those two key points and build a brick shithouse out of them in the V412. Not only is it sturdy enough to stand on, it also manages to maintain a calm, articulate and adaptable sense of purpose. Given that it is designed to voice one of the most chameleonic amps on the market, the Celestion speakers inside have to stand attentively at the right hand of their leader, ready to change characteristic on a dime. And they do so with the greatest of ease. The Spider series is Line 6’s attempt at building the everyman’s amp. Stocked high with every amp model in their library, from the tiniest blues combo to the heftiest triple rectifier, you the player are able to flick through as comprehensive a sonic catalogue as has ever been put together. Imitation is, after all the
Not only is it sturdy enough to stand on, it also manages to maintain a calm, articulate and adaptable sense of purpose. sincerest form of flattery. The thing that sets the Line 6 oeuvre apart from its competition is that they have a sound unique to the company’s builds. Whether it’s because of the type of amps they choose to include, which for the most part lean towards stadium sized, high gain models, or simply they order in which they appear in the preset bay, every time I plug into one of their models I feel as if I know the menu at a familiar restaurant. You can shy away from it if that’s not what you’re looking for but there is something intrinsic about the characteristics at play that reminds you of the field you’re playing on. As far as functionality goes, scroll through the backlit menu on the front and dial in as you would with any amp. However, the Spider V240 is more of a play in the live realm than a push for innovation and this is where it shines. 240-watts of power is ready to steamroll your audience in either mono or stereo.
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However if you’re one of those insomniacs who needs to shred themselves to sleep there is a cabinet simulator switch that livens up the venue inside your headphones. Stereo XLR direct outs offer as much control to the desk as you have on stage, plug your favourite Line 6 pedal board in and you’re good to go. Lastly, the choice of USB, firewire or headphone jack aux inputs make playback a breeze. Essentially, if you need it on stage either sound wise or connectivity wise, the Spider V has you covered. For those of us who are digitally adept, the Spider V 240HC is a simple and effective way to bring your sonic landscape to life on stage. With all the feel of a leviathan tube amp, the subtlety of a vintage combo and the limitless imagination you’ve come to expect from Line 6. BY LUKE SHIELDS
Yamaha Music Australia au.yamaha.com Expect To Pay: Cab - $599.99 Head - $949.99
BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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WASHBURN
TONAL REVIVAL ENGINEERING
Washburn’s acoustic guitars are back, now distributed exclusively in Australia through Musical Merchandisers, and will be proudly on display at the Melbourne Guitar Show. With a history dating back to 1883, Washburn produced more guitars in the USA than all its major competitors combined until 1942; becoming a brand synonymous with the roots of today’s popular music. Many of the biggest names in folk,rock,and blues have played Washburn and some of the most significant trendsetting music from early blues,to the inspiration behind the MTV Unplugged revival, to the modern day, Washburn has been a choice amongst the songsmiths of the day. The current 14 model range has been carefully selected to sit at key price points; offering enthusiasts a first-class quality build with exceptional playability and value. Offering attractive options for the entry level to the seasoned veteran; you’ll find a variety of body shapes and soundboard configurations to suit your personal style, preference and budget. Jonathan Lee will present a session called “the History of American Guitar Making” along with acclaimed Australian guitarist Kirk Lorange. This will take place in the Winners Circle Workshop Room on level one at 11.30am on Saturday August 5th. It will be a great opportunity to learn about the Washburn guitar company and hear a selection of Washburn instruments played by one of our finest guitarists. Kirk can also be seen in an Up Close & Personal session at 3pm at Cafe Corner on ground level.
What is Tone Revival Engineering and what do you do? Tone Revival Engineering is a partnership between Warwicke Newman, a sound engineer and amp tech who has been working in the industry for over 20 years; and Jason Webb a musician and tech who has run a metal engineering workshop for 23 years. Together we design and manufacture simple functional tools for musicians. All of this is done in our factory, from conception through to manufacture. All products are tested under touring conditions on the road. What made you decide to start designing and building music tools? It’s a natural next step from what we do in our working lives. It all started about 16 years ago with a simple drum clamp. We’ve designed quite a few products, ranging from a drummer’s seat thumper through to the current two products being released " the Stomp Top and the Mic Hanger. We have a lot more ideas to develop. This is only the start for us. What is the best part of your job? Seeing our ideas being used on stage by the musicians we look up to. It’s quite a buzz seeing pictures of Airbourne’s massive European festival shows with our custom made mic stands front and centre, or hearing amps that we have rebuilt being used on record and on stage by Australia’s finest. You’ll be involved in the Melbourne guitar show, what will you be doing there? We’ll be showcasing our products " Stomp Tops and the Mic Hanger " but will also be talking to show-goers about the extensive range of services we offer, from our valve amp customization to our metal engineering and fabrication skills. We’ve been a bit of a secret, only known to the touring player circles. This is our introduction to the greater guitar playing community.
WASHBURN.COM
TONEREVIVALENGINEERING.COM
GH MUSIC
DIESEL
What is GH Music and how long has it been around? GH Music has been in business for almost five years now, and is located in a very famous music industry location in Flemington. We have lots of great staff; they are all active musicians and specialise in various areas of expertise. Our philosophy is to ensure we give the best possible service, that all customers are a priority and our shop is warm and welcoming to the musician or budding muso community. What are some of your favourite brands or instruments that GH Music stocks and why? We stock hundreds of famous brands such as Fender, Yamaha, Roland, Mesa Boogie amps and pedals, Suhr guitars and many more. The variety that we can offer just within the brands listed is massive and we will have a nice selection at The Guitar Show. Tell us about Weekend Warriors and GH Music’s involvement? We have been active with the Weekend Warrior program since we started business and have had great success in all our rounds. This is a hugely popular program for anyone who wants to get back into a band or just have a go at seeing what it’s like to be in a band and ultimately have a fantastic time. You’re also involved in the Melbourne Guitar Show this year, what will you be doing there? We are at the guitar show predominantly to let Melbourne’s musos see what we have to offer as a complete music one stop store, and support our local musical industry.
What guitarists inspire you most? I seem to be inspired mostly by guitarists that have a strong rhythmic presence. Hendrix could really show fireworks, but also had a rhythm hand that was steadfast. Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, The Young Brothers, James “Honeymoon” Scott, Rob Riley of Rose Tattoo, Ian Moss " these all were huge influences on me growing up. What can fans expect from your upcoming live performances? We’re looking forward to playing The Corner later this month to celebrate 30 years on the road and the 25th anniversary of my album Hepfidelity. It’s been a while since I played a lot of the tracks from that album, we’re going to deconstruct them and see what’s under the hood before we roll backwards through what now is 16 albums. What advice would you give guitarists trying to play their best? Playing your best means adapting to your surroundings. You can’t always have the ideal environment to play music in. Sometimes you have to tune in to what the strengths are, as few as there may be some days. What is the best guitar you’ve ever played and what made it so special? My 1965 Gibson Country and Western acoustic which I found by accident in London in ‘92 means a lot to me. It sounds like records I’ve heard, made, and have yet to make. Before that, my first “proper” guitar that stayed in tune Where can we catch Diesel playing next? Diesel will be playing The Corner on Saturday August 26 on his ‘30 Year Thang’ tour.
GHMUSIC.COM.AU
DIESELMUSIC.COM.AU
22 BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
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CELEBRATE THE VOX 60TH WITH DIESEL SUN AUG 6, 3:30PM WINNERS CIRCLE SEMINAR ROOM MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW CAULFIELD RACECOURSE
24 BEAT’S GUIDE TO THE 2017 MELBOURNE GUITAR SHOW
MORE INFORMATION voxamps.com/mv50
WATCH US ON YOUTUBE youtube.com/voxaustralia
Australian icon Diesel will host an intimate clinic discussing his use of Vox amps including the all-new MV50. Plus he’ll perform some of his amazing songs live and include some Q & A for your chance to chat with one of Australia’s most highly revered musicians.
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