Busted—
But Redeemed
In your “ON/OFF/
STBY" section of the
December 2010 issue,
you incorrectly claim
that Rock Band 3
does not allow use of
a guitar with strings.
In fact, Fender and
Harmonix (makers of
the Rock Band game) have made a Squier
Strat Rock Band controller that is a fully
functional stringed guitar (with frets) that
has a standard 1/4" as well as MIDI out,
which can then be used with an Xbox, PS3,
Wii, etc. (Frankly, Rock Band aside, this is a
huge game-changer for guitarists that want
an affordable MIDI option.)
Furthermore, Reaper is working with
Harmonix to allow users to author their
own songs in Reaper and export them to be
played on the Rock Band platform.
—Devin Lane
via email
Hi Devin. You're absolutely right. The new
Squier Stratocaster Guitar and Rock Band
Controller hadn't been announced yet when we
went to press with the December issue. However,
we heard about it soon thereafter, and we're
pretty damn stoked to say we're the first guitarcentered
media outlet to get one for review—and
it's in this very issue. Though we're fully prepared
to get emails from a few naysayers expressing dismay
over the fact that we've given a video-game
controller ink and pixels—let alone put it on
our cover—we stand firmly behind the decision.
To see why, check out the review in this month's issue.
A Little Too Edgy
I've been reading guitar mags forever, and PG
is by far the best. Unfortunately, the “Primitive
Cartoon Questionnaire" [Last Call, December 2010] had to be the least tasteful column you've
ever run. Leave the edgy humor to SNL. Really.
P.S. Answer C to the pick question was a direct
quote from Jerry Garcia regarding the pick
he contributed to a feature in an old issue of
Guitar Player. Really.
—Ed Dansker
New York, New York
Last Call author John Bohlinger responds: The old
joke about the pick being “all that stands between
me and abject poverty" has been thrown around by
Nashville players for as long as I've been in town. I
didn't say it first, but regrettably, I don't know who
did. However, I can say with absolute conviction
that I blatantly stole every pedal-steel lick I know
directly from Jerry Garcia. RIP, Jerry.
72 and Still GASsing
After buying your great mag for a while, [I] figured
I may as well subscribe. I started playing @
age 65 and now @ 72 can't stop. Also have GAS
(20 guitars, half [a] dozen
amps, etc., etc.). Old dogs
can still learn new tricks.
—J.S. Lundquist
Arlington, Washington
Thanks for your handwired,
100-percent analog
note, J.S.! We're thrilled to have
such a breadth of readers and viewers, all doggedly
(sorry—couldn't resist!) pursuing excellence in tone
and playing. We're sure you could teach us all a few
of those tricks, too. Play on!
 |
Great Minds Salivate Alike
I'm a junkie for what you guys deliver—the drool
on my stompbox issue [November 2010] is proof
of that. Well, when I read Shawn Hammond's
interview with Ron Wood (great article, even
before the interview!) it hit a chord with me. I
won't waste ink going on and on about how great
I think Ron is, but I will tell you that I realized we
have something in common. OK, something very
slight . . . but it was cool for this long-time fan to
discover. It seemed Mr. Wood's '50s Fender Champ
is a prized possession. Years ago, I did some horsetrading
with a very talented musician and dear
friend of mine. I ended up with a 1954 Fender
Champ. Pretty sure the tube is original, and it is
probably the best all-around example of one I've
seen or heard personally. I don't use it much, but
when I do I get the sweetest tone ever! Thanks for
the great article and the great magazine.
—Jim Rezac
Dover, Delaware
Danke to Dirk
Kudos to Dirk Wacker in the Mod Garage. I
had been searching for something to do with my
otherwise useless tone pots when I remembered
that Fender still made the TBX. I did a Bing
search and, to my surprise, there was an article in
Premier Guitar [October 2010]. I read through it
and figured I would send Dirk a note to pick his
brain some more. I didn't really expect a reply, but
was floored when, within the hour, he emailed me
back. Not only was he über-helpful, but he told
me of the additional mods that would show up in
the November issue. Now my otherwise untouched
tone pots are getting a workout as bass cuts on my
Strat, Tele, and Jaguar. Thanks to Dirk for being
such a great guy and to Premier Guitar for letting
him satisfy us gearheads with helpful mods.
—Thomas Lhamon
Flat Rock, Michigan
Thanks, Thomas! We're happy to hear your neglected
tone pots now have a new home. We couldn't agree
more about Dirk—he's super helpful and always
dependable.
Corrections
In our December 2010 “Shapes of Things"
story, we incorrectly listed attorney Ron
Bienstock's place of residence and practice
as Atlanta. He lives and works in the New
Jersey/New York City metro area. As astute
reader Nick Plytas points out, in that same
issue we also mistakenly left a digit off the
part number for the Fender Stratocaster Mid
Boost Kit referenced in Mod Garage. The
correct number is 0057577000. We apologize
for these boo-boos.