Alex Cora -- Reader of the Month
What am I listening to?
Genesis Revisited 2 by Steve
Hackett. I can’t believe he
went back and did all my
old favorites with modern gear—some parts
sound better than the originals!
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
The Crystar: a crystal, crescentmoon
guitar that amplifies itself by tuning
into peoples’ brain frequencies. It’s played
through telepathy, adding its own effects/
tone. A sphere of light green aura surrounds
the player as sparkles of gold dance around
its majestic shape.
Andy Ellis -- Senior Editor
What am I listening to?
George Marinelli, Believe.
The new album by Bonnie
Raitt’s longtime lead guitarist
is packed with great tones and superb songs.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
I’d ask to have a TV Jones Magna’Tron
installed in the neck position of my
beloved ol’ G&L ASAT. Toss in a Hipshot
B-Bender—no routing required—and I’d be
in honky-tonk heaven.
Shawn Hammond -- Editor in Chief
What am I listening to?
Dick Dale and His Del-
Tones, Surfer’s Choice. Tauttoned
twang, attitude for
miles, riffs that just won’t quit, and glorious,
glorious reverb!
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
See p. 66.
Nick Ireland -- Marketing Manager
What am I listening to?
“The Boys are Back” by
Dropkick Murphys. This
romper had me stomping
my foot so hard at my desk, I’m pretty sure
I hyperextended my knee.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
I’d love to clean up the wiring
on my Squier Affinity Series Tele (from
my last mod attempt), install a Fishman
Powerbridge with a piezo pickup, new frets,
new nut, and have the body refinished in
the colors of Ireland’s flag. Signature model!
Chris Kies -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Two new releases from
old favorites—Dropkick
Murphys’ boisterous,
whiskey-swilling Signed and Sealed in Blood
and Clutch’s Earth Rocker, featuring some
of the band’s heaviest material since Clutch
and Pure Rock Fury.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
I’d upgrade the pickups in my current
rig—either some Duncan Dimebuckers
for my Jackson Dinky Pro or a Fralin P-90
Alnico neck model for my Squier Vintage
Modified Telecaster Special.
Rich Osweiler -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Darlings, Perfect Trip. With
whiffs of Sonic Youth, Joy
Division, and Pavement,
the ultra-sludgy, lo-fi garage rock of this
second full-length effort is full of fun,
catchy jams and shenanigans.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
My first electric, a ’75 strat-style
Epiphone that first belonged to my dad, is
all original. But I would happily allow
the guitar gods to replace its lifeless
humbuckers with a set of Seymour
Duncan SH-55s.
Richard Fortus -- Guitarist, Guns N' Roses
What am I listening to?
Ariel Pink, Atlas Sound,
the last ZZ Top EP, Fiona
Apple’s Idler Wheel, Grizzly
Bear, Knife Party, Jim Jones Revue, xx,
new Crazy Horse, Imagine Dragons, Tame
Impala, Frank Ocean, Japandroids, Yuck, etc.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
James Trussart is making me a strattype
with a reverse-angle bridge pickup, a
left-handed neck, steel top, and ash body.
The Arcane pickups are based on a ’60 slab
board. I shunned Strats for years and have
recently fallen in love all over again.
Charles Saufley -- Gear Editor
What am I listening to?
The new split 7" from Kurt
Vile and Meg Baird, Sic
Alps by Sic Alps, and demos
from the forthcoming Feral Ohms LP.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
Definitely a magical little dude
that changes the strings on my 12-strings.
Other than than, just a nice new neck
with a rosewood fretboard for my old
Squier Telecaster.
Jason Shadrick -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Jonathan Kreisberg, One.
Kreisberg goes it alone and
places the focus squarely on
the guitar. With some acoustic textures and
subtle effects, he creates what could possibly
be Virtuoso for a new generation.
You’ve just been granted a dream guitar
makeover from the guitar gods. What’ll
it be?
I would take my old Mexi-Tele and swap
the current pickups out for some Lollars.
Then I would go all “Brent Mason” and add
a middle pickup with a blend control.
Linkin Park share a new single (HERE) and video (premiering HERE at 4pm PT/7pm ET), for “The Emptiness Machine,” plus a global livestream performance (happening now HERE and available only for 24 hours), and the launch of 6 upcoming arena shows in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul, and Bogota as part of the From Zero World Tour. LP Underground fan club exclusive pre-sales start September 6 and general on-sales September 7. Go to LinkinPark.com for more info.
These surprises herald the arrival of LINKIN PARK’s first album since 2017, FROM ZERO, on November 15.
Tomorrow, Friday September 6th, the band joins long-time friend and Apple Music host Zane Lowe for an in-depth candid conversation about the incredible legacy of Linkin Park, the 7-year long journey to new music and their excitement for the future.
Without expectations, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell, and Hahn quietly began meeting up again in recent years. Rather than “trying to restart the band,” their instinct was to simply spend more time together, and reconnect with the creativity and camaraderie that has been at the core of their friendship since college. During this time, they invited various friends and cohorts to join them in the studio; among the guests, they found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain. A natural chemistry drew these musicians back into its gravitational pull as they logged more and more hours in the studio. It was the sound of lifelong musicians rediscovering the uncontainable energy of a new beginning once again. Over this season, FROM ZERO was born.
FROM ZERO
FROM ZERO TRACKLIST
- From Zero (Intro)
- The Emptiness Machine
- Cut The Bridge
- Heavy Is The Crown
- Over Each Other
- Casualty
- Overflow
- Two Faced
- Stained
- IGYEIH
- Good Things Go
About the new era, Shinoda stated, “Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future—embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”
Right out of the gate, “The Emptiness Machine” channels the DNA of LINKIN PARK, harnessing the band’s explosive energy and retaining the hallmarks of their instantly identifiable and inimitable sound. A chameleonic and catchy anthem, Shinoda’s hypnotic melodies hand off to Armstrong’s blistering chorus, over distorted riffs and head-nodding drums.
Shinoda elaborated, “The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created. We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together. We’re weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones.”
FROM ZERO WORLD TOUR 2024
September 11, 2024 | Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
September 16, 2024 | Barclays Center - New York, NY
September 22, 2024 | Barclays Arena - Hamburg, Germany
September 24, 2024 | The O2 - London, UK
September 28, 2024 | INSPIRE Arena - Seoul, South Korea
November 11, 2024 | Coliseo Medplus - Bogota, Colombia
Built on powerful dual‑engine processing and world‑class UAD modeling, ANTI 1992 High Gain Amp gives guitarists the unmistakable sound of an original "block letter" Peavey 5150 amplifier* – the notorious 120‑watt tube amp monster that fueled more than three decades of modern metal music, from Thrash and Death Metal, to Grunge, Black Metal, and more.
"With UAFX Dream, Ruby, Woodrow, and Lion amp emulators, we recreated four of the most famous guitar amps ever made," says UA Sr. Product Manager Tore Mogensen. "Now with ANTI, we're giving rock and metal players an authentic emulation of this punishing high gain amp – with the exact mic/speaker pairings and boost/noise gate effects that were responsible for some of the most groundbreaking modern metal tones ever captured."
Key Features:
- A complete emulation of the early '90s 120‑watt tone monster that defined new genres of modern metal
- Powerful UAFX dual-engine delivers the most authentic emulation of the amp ever placed in a stompbox
- Complete album‑ready sounds with built‑in noise gate, TS‑style overdrive, and TC‑style preamp boost
- Groundbreaking Dynamic Room Modeling derived from UA's award-winning OX Amp Top Box
- Six classic mic/speaker pairings used on decades of iconic metal and hard rock records
- Professional presets designed by the guitarists of Tetrarch, Jeff Loomis, and The Black Dahlia Murder
- UAFX mobile app lets you access hidden amp tweaks and mods, choose overdrive/boost, tweak noise gate, recall and archive your presets, download artist presets, and more
- Timeless UA design and craftsmanship, built to last decades
For more information, please visit uaudio.com.
- YouTube
MonoNeon, aka Dywane Thomas Jr., came up learning the bass from his father in Memphis, Tennessee, but for some reason, he decided to flip his dad’s 4-string bass around and play it with the string order inverted—E string closest to the ground and the G on top. That’s how MonoNeon still plays today, coming up through a rich, inspiring gauntlet of family and community traditions. “I guess my whole style came from just being around my grandma at an early age,” says Thomas.His path has led him to collaborate with dozens of artists, including Nas, Ne-Yo, Mac Miller, and even Prince, and MonoNeon’s solo output is dizzying—trying to count up his solo releases isn’t an easy feat. Premier Guitar’s Chris Kies caught up with the bassist before his show at Nashville’s Exit/In, where he got the scoop on his signature 5-string, Ampeg rig, and simple stomp layout, as well as some choice stories about influences, his brain-melting playing style, and how Prince changed his rig.
Brought to you by D’Addario.
Orange You Glad to See Me?
This Fender MonoNeon Jazz Bass V was created after a rep messaged Thomas on Instagram to set up the signature model, over which Thomas had complete creative control. Naturally, the bass is finished in neon yellow urethane with a neon orange headstock and pickguard, and the roasted maple neck has a 10"–14" compound radius. It’s loaded with custom-wound Fireball 5-string Bass humbuckers and an active, 18V preamp complete with 3-band EQ controls. Thomas’ own has been spruced up with some custom tape jobs, too. All of MonoNeon's connections are handled by Sorry Cables.
Fade to Black
MonoNeon’s Ampeg SVT stack isn’t a choice of passion. “That’s what they had for me, so I just plugged in,” he says. “That’s what I have on my rider. As long as it has good headroom and the cones don’t break up, I’m cool.”
Box Art
MonoNeon’s bass isn’t the only piece of kit treated to custom color jobs. Almost all of his stomps have been zhuzhed up with his eye-popping palette.
Thomas had used a pitch-shifting DigiTech Whammy for a while, but after working with Paisley Park royalty, the pedal became a bigger part of his playing. “When I started playing with Prince, he put the Whammy on my pedalboard,” Thomas explains. “After he passed, I realized how special that moment was.”
Alongside the Whammy, MonoNeon runs a Fairfield Circuitry Randy’s Revenge (for any time he wants to “feel weird”), a literal Fart Pedal (in case the ring mod isn’t weird enough, we guess), and a JAM Pedals Red Muck covers fuzz and dirt needs. A CIOKS SOL powers the whole affair.
