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Gallery: Riot Fest 2019

Chicago’s three-day, punk-rock carnival was host to Slayer, Jawbreaker, Raconteurs, Patti Smith, Rise Against, Bob Mould, Rancid, Bikini Kill, Lucero, the Struts, and more. Here are our favorite guitar-related moments from the 15th annual gathering.

Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull

If something appears missing, your eyes aren’t deceiving you: Manchester Orchestra’s guitarist/vocalist Andy Hull has stripped everything from this Fender Telecaster except the Seymour Duncan Little ’59 bridge humbucker. In our Rig Rundown with Manchester Orchestra, we reported that: “All the other wiring, switches, and pots have been removed so the signal is as pure as possible. And for what it’s worth, Hull has said that the surgery has resulted in making the Tele 25 percent louder.”

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The Unexpectedly Challenging Rhythms of Lou Reed (And How to Master Them!)

Though Lou Reed seemed to only use a handful of chords, his shrewd right-hand strumming created limitless rhythmic variations.

Beginner to Intermediate

Focus on syncopation.
Add muted strums to enhance your rhythm playing.
Learn how to modify complex rhythmic patterns into smaller, more comprehensible figures.

Though usually more lauded for his lyrics than his guitar playing, Lou Reed had a distinctive style of strumming that can make replication a challenge and seemingly impossible for beginners to comprehend. With a combination of syncopations and muted strums, Reed’s rhythm guitar—from his time with the Velvet Underground to his solo career—has a groove and feel that all guitar players can learn from.

Gallery: Riot Fest 2019

Chicago’s three-day, punk-rock carnival was host to Slayer, Jawbreaker, Raconteurs, Patti Smith, Rise Against, Bob Mould, Rancid, Bikini Kill, Lucero, the Struts, and more. Here are our favorite guitar-related moments from the 15th annual gathering.

Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull

Though Lou Reed seemed to only use a handful of chords, his shrewd right-hand strumming created limitless rhythmic variations.

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Solo Years

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Ex. 13

The Lou Reed Legacy

Xotic revamps a classic Vox-boost-in-a-box pedal, creating a new one in the process.

The Ariel Posen Signature String Set from Stringjoy